Proteste şi violenţe la Kiev
December 1, 2013
Sute de mii de ucraineni au revenit pe Maidan ca să ceară demisia preşedintelui şi a guvernului, după ce Ucraina a renunțat la semnarea Acordului de Asociere cu UE în cadrul Summitului de la Vilnius. Politicieni din opoziţie au declarat că atacul eşuat asupra administraţiei prezidenţiale din Kiev ar fi fost o provocare organizată tot de către autorităţi.
Duminică la Kiev au avut loc ciocniri violente între demonstranţii anti-guvernamentali, poliţie şi trupele speciale. Potrivit jurnaliștilor agenției Reuters, o parte a protestatarilor a încercat să ia cu asalt clădirea administraţiei preşedintelui Victor Ianukovici de pe strada Bankova. Persoane neidentificate au adus un buldozer în faţa preşedinţiei şi au încercat să rupă cordonul trupelor speciale, făcând uz de bare metalice, aruncând în poliţie cu bolovani din trotuar şi bombe fumigene. 
Politicieni din opoziţie au declarat că atacul eşuat asupra administraţiei prezidenţiale din Kiev ar fi fost o provocare organizată tot de către autorităţi. Între timp, Ministerul de Interne al Ucrainei a anunţat că în ciocnirile violente din apropierea administraţiei prezidenţiale au fost implicaţi peste 300 de membri ai organizaţiei „Frăţia” (Bratstvo), acţiunile cărora ar fi fost coordonate de un politician radical, Dmitri Korcinski.
În Piaţa Independenţei au ieşit să protesteze, potrivit unor date diferite, de la 100 de mii pînă la o jumătate de milion de cetăţeni ucraineni. Demonstranţii cer demisia preşedintelui şi a guvernului şi organizarea de alegeri anticipate parlamentare şi prezidenţiale.
Manifestanţii sunt indignaţi şi de acţiunile trupelor speciale, care în noaptea de sâmbătă spre duminică, i-au bătut şi i-au împrăştiat cu forţa pe participanţii la manifestaţia pro-europeană, non-stop, din centrul Kievului. Şeful Poliţiei din Kiev, Valeri Koriak, a demisionat ca urmare a recentelor violenţe din Piaţa Independenţei din centrul capitalei ucrainene, informează AFP. Anunţul a fost făcut în cadrul şedinţei Colegiului Ministerului de Interne al Ucrainei. Potrivit site-ului Vocea Rusiei, demisia lui Koriak nu a fost încă acceptată, el fiind suspendat din funcţie pe durata desfăşurării unei anchete. Ministrul ucrainean de Interne şi-a cerut scuze pentru utilizarea excesivă a forţei în timpul dispersării manifestanţilor în noaptea de 29 spre 30 noiembrie. Oficialul a mai spus că s-a declarat categoric împotriva utilizării forţei şi că poziţia sa a fost prezentată tuturor subordonaţilor săi.
Acţiuni în sprijinul protestului sau, cum i se mai spune, „Euro-Maidanului” au avut loc în mai multe oraşe ucrainene, inclusiv în localităţile considerate a fi pro-ruseşti – Dnepropetrovsk, Simferopol şi Odesa.
În faţa mulţimii reunite în Piaţa Independenţei, unul dintre liderii opoziţiei, Vitali Kliciko, le-a cerut manifestanţilor să “nu cedeze în faţa provocărilor”. “Vă cer să fiţi foarte prudenţi, iar dacă cineva vă cere să luaţi cu asalt clădirile publice, fiți atenți deoarece acest lucru poate fi foarte periculos”, a declarat Kliciko.
Update, 2 decembrie 2013: Președintele Ucrainei, Viktor Ianukovici, l-a sunat luni pe președintele Comisiei Europene, Jose Manuel Barroso, cerându-i ca CE să primească o delegație ucraineană, pentru a discuta aspecte din Acordul de Asociere. Manuel Barroso i-a răspuns că CE este de acord cu discutarea aspectelor legate de implementarea acordurilor, dar că nu se pune problema redeschiderii negocierilor. Acești termeni au fost acceptați de către președintele Ianukovici, se mai spune în comunicat, și s-a stabilit ca momentul și nivelul acestei întâlniri să fie discutate prin canalele diplomatice.
Defense News
UK sales of arms to Israel hit record in 2017 – $294 million
LONDON/27.05.2018: United Kingdom’s defense contractors supplied Israel with record amounts of arms in 2017, The Guardian newspaper reported last Sunday.
According to the figures provided by the Campaign Against Arms Trade (CAAT), in 2017 the UK sold arms to Israel worth 221 million pounds ($294 million), indicating a huge increase from 86 million pounds in 2016 and 20 million pounds in 2015, The Guardian outlet reported. According to the newspaper, the list includes equipment, small arms ammunition, missiles, weapon sights and sniper rifles.
Trump accepts offer to meet Kim Jong Un
U.S. President Donald Trump said he was prepared to meet North Korea’s Kim Jong Un in what would be the first face-to-face encounter between the two countries’ leaders and potentially mark a major breakthrough in nuclear tensions with Pyongyang. “A meeting is being planned,” Trump posted on Twitter. Trump had agreed to meet by May in response to Kim’s invitation.
The White House said Trump had agreed to the encounter. “He will accept the invitation to meet with Kim Jong Un at a place and time to be determined” said White House spokeswoman Sarah Sanders.
Argentina Navy Chief fired after ARA San Juan submarine tragedy
ARGENTINA – Argentina has fired the head of its Navy a month after one of its submarines vanished with 44 crew members on board. Admiral Marcelo Eduardo Hipolito Srur was sacked by the country’s defence minister. The ARA San Juan was last heard from on November 15 when it reported a fire on board. A navy spokesperson said the message added that the issue was resolved. But it was still ordered to return to base at Mar del Plata.
The ARA San Juan has not been heard from since, despite a multi-national search effort some 250 miles off the Argentinian coast. Hopes for finding the submarine and its crew faded when the search passed 10 days, which was the amount of time the San Juan would have been able to sustain life with its limited oxygen supply.
U.S. Displays Weaponry It Says Proves Iran’s Influence
New UN report says investigators couldn’t definitively conclude missiles came from Iran. The U.S. for the first time publicly displayed what officials said were Iranian-made missiles, drones and other weaponry as proof of Tehran’s growing military influence in the Middle East.
At a hangar on an Air Force base in Washington, D.C.—where weapons remnants were on display— Nikki Haley, the U.S. ambassador to the U.N., said the debris pointed to Iran’s threat to the region. Pentagon officials exhibited the weaponry to make their case that Tehran is actively fomenting instability, arming Houthi rebels inside Yemen who in turn have used the arms against American allies, particularly Saudi Arabia. Iran has denied that it arms the Houthis.
Olli Ruutu appointed Deputy Chief Executive of the European Defence Agency (EDA)
The EDA Steering Board today appointed Mr Olli Ruutu as next Deputy Chief Executive of the Agency. He will take up his duties in March 2018.
Mr Ruutu is currently the Deputy National Armaments Director at the Finnish Ministry of Defence and Director of the Materiel Unit at the Resource Policy Department. He chairs the Defence Administration Commercial Board and the Export Control Advisory Group and is also Deputy Chairman of the Defence Materiel Steering Group, as well as a member of the Defence Forces’ Technology Board and the Defence Administration’s Industrial Cooperation Group. Also Mr Ruutu worked at the EDA between 2009 and 2014, in the Strategy and Policy Unit.
Mattis visits India to ask more help in Afghanistan
US Defense Secretary Jim Mattis was in the Indian capital on Tuesday, marking the first visit to the country by a Cabinet-level official from President Donald Trump’s administration. In meetings with Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi and other officials, Mattis was expected to focus discussions on security in Afghanistan, military technology and a possible deal on fighter jets. Over the weekend, the US Defense Department said that the “US views India as a valued and influential partner.” Last month, Trump urged India to help more with security efforts in Afghanistan, as Washington steps up its own military campaign against Taliban insurgents who have gained ground. (AP)
North Korea fires second ballistic missile over Japan
North Korea has fired a ballistic missile across Japan, creating new tension in the region after its nuclear bomb test less than two weeks ago. The missile reached an altitude of about 770km (478 miles), travelling 3,700km before landing in the sea off Hokkaido, South Korea’s military says. It flew higher and further than one fired over Japan late last month.
Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe said his country would “never tolerate” such “dangerous provocative action”. South Korea responded within minutes by firing two ballistic missiles into the sea in a simulated strike on the North. US Secretary of State Rex Tillerson also condemned the launch and the UN Security Council will meet later on Friday, 15 September 2017, in New York at the request of America and Japan.
Libya will hold election next spring
Libya’s two main rival parties announced a cease-fire on Tuesday and said they intend to hold elections next spring after they met in Paris for negotiations mediated by French President Emmanuel Macron.
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