Gazette 02-04-14

Wednesday April 2nd 2014

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Police chief dies in Cairo bombings

A police brigadier-general was killed when three bombs went off near Cairo university, Egyptian state media say.

At least five other people were injured in the attacks, the authorities say.
The first two bombs went off within minutes of each other, with the third coming about two hours later.
Egypt has witnessed several attacks against government targets by militant groups following the ousting of the Muslim Brotherhood last July.
The government says militants have killed almost 500 people since last summer, most of them policemen and soldiers.
There have been fears of an increase in violence in the run-up to the presidential election in May, correspondents report.
'Screaming' police The latest explosions happened outside near a riot police post outside the main gate of the university's faculty of engineering.
Officials said police had been the targets of the blasts, which were reported to have been caused by improvised explosive devices.

Suicide bomber kills six at Afghan interior ministry

A suicide bomber killed six policemen at the ministry of interior on Wednesday after slipping through at least one security cordon undetected, the latest violence to hit the capital before presidential elections.
The Taliban have threatened anyone who works on or votes in Saturday's poll, which they consider a sham, and have increased attacks around the country. Hours before the attack in Kabul, insurgents killed a candidate running for the provincial council in northern Sar-i-Pul province and nine travelling companions.
The attack on the interior ministry was the fifth in under two weeks, and came as candidates wrapped up the final rallies of a campaign that kicked off in February. From midnight there will be two days of political silence, for voters to mull their options before the polls open.
The suicide bomber, who the Taliban said came from northern Kunduz province, struck in the early afternoon at one of the inner checkpoints controlling entry to the heavily guarded interior ministry.
Six policemen were killed instantly and at least one civilian lightly injured. "I was just sitting in my chair when suddenly I heard a huge bang," said a watchman of a nearby hospital who did not want to give his name. "It was a very disorganised situation and we received one wounded person, a man."
The toll could have been much higher, as the ministry's entrance is normally crowded with people hoping to process documents, seek help, or otherwise petition civil servants, but the government has declared a holiday before the crucial vote.

US: Israel, Palestinians have taken 'unhelpful steps' in past days 

State Department official says neither side has indicated they want to end peace talks; US 'discussing options' for path ahead.

Israel and the Palestinians have taken "unhelpful steps" in the past day but neither have indicated they want to end peace talks, a senior US State Department official said on Wednesday.
The official who briefed reporters in Brussels on condition of anonymity, said the United States would discuss options for the path ahead with both parties in the next few days.
"Both sides have taken unhelpful steps over the last 24 hours. But neither party has given any indication...that they want to end the negotiations," the official said.
The comments come following a roller-coaster 24-hour period for diplomacy in the Middle East. Earlier on Wednesday, Palestinian Authority President Abbas applied  for membership to 15 international organizations, breaking part of an agreement with Israel not to do so.

EU launches Central African Republic military operation

Brussels: The European Union has officially launched its delayed military mission to the Central African Republic, seeking to bolster French and African forces that have failed to end months of Christian-Muslim violence.
The 1000-strong force, dubbed EUFOR RCA, will work to restore security to the capital Bangui during a six-month mission, with a view to handing over to a United Nations peacekeeping operation or African troops, the EU said on Tuesday.
EU foreign policy chief Catherine Ashton said the operation was meant to address the "huge challenges" facing the CAR, whose crisis began a year ago when the mostly Muslim rebel group Seleka overthrew the government.
The leader the rebels installed as president, Michel Djotodia, proved unable to control his former fighters, some of whom went on a campaign of killing, raping and looting.
That led members of the Christian majority to form vigilante groups known as "anti-balaka" (anti-machete), leading to a wave of religious and ethnic killings across the chronically unstable former French colony.
Mr Djotodia has since stood down under international pressure, and Catherine Samba-Panza was named interim president but she too has struggled to restore stability.
The peacekeeping forces in the country - around 2000 French and 6000 African troops - have meanwhile struggled to prevent what the United Nations has described as ethnic cleansing against the Muslim minority.
"It is vital that there is a return to public order as soon as possible, so that the political transition process can be put back on track," Ms Ashton said in a statement announcing the deployment of the EU force.
EUFOR RCA - originally due to deploy in late March but delayed by insufficient troop and aircraft commitments from the EU's 28 member states - will operate in Bangui and its airport and cost an estimated €25.9 million ($A43.92 million), the EU said.

NATO General Breedlove: Russia Could Achieve Ukraine Incursion In 3-5 Days

BRUSSELS, April 2 (Reuters) - Russia has massed all the forces it needs on Ukraine's border if it were to decide to carry out an "incursion" into the country, and it could achieve its objective in three to five days, NATO's top military commander said on Wednesday.

Calling the situation "incredibly concerning", NATO's supreme allied commander in Europe, U.S. Air Force General Philip Breedlove, said NATO had spotted signs of movement by a very small part of the Russian force overnight but had no indication that this was part of a withdrawal to barracks.

Russia's seizure and annexation of Ukraine's Crimea region has caused the deepest crisis in East-West relations since the Cold War, leading the United States and Europe to impose sanctions on Moscow. They have said they will strengthen these if Russia moves beyond Crimea into eastern Ukraine.

NATO military chiefs are concerned that the Russian force on the Ukrainian border, which they estimate stands at 40,000 soldiers, could pose a threat to eastern and southern Ukraine.

"This is a very large and very capable and very ready force," Breedlove said in an interview with Reuters and The Wall Street Journal.

The Russian force has aircraft and helicopter support as well as field hospitals and electronic warfare capabilities - "the entire suite that would be required to successfully have an incursion into Ukraine, should the decision be made," Breedlove said.

"We think it is ready to go and we think it could accomplish its objectives in between three and five days if directed to make the actions."

Pilots' strike grounds Lufthansa flights

German airline Lufthansa has cancelled around 900 flights at the start of a three-day strike that is expected to affect some 425,000 passengers.

The airline says it expects a further 3,000 flights to be grounded by one of the biggest stoppages in its history.
Lufthansa says passengers are being booked onto other airlines or train services to minimise disruption.
The pilots want a new pay and pensions deal from the airline. Each side blames the other for the breakdown of talks.
The pilots' union, Vereinigung Cockpit (VC), argues that Lufthansa has failed to make a "negotiable offer".
Lufthansa is increasingly competing with low-cost airlines across Europe.

Magnitude 6.2 earthquake hits Panama

A magnitude 6.2 earthquake hits Panama, the U.S. Geological Survey reported, according to Reuters. 
The quake came one day after a 8.2. magnitude quake hit Chile. 
According to Reuters, the Panama earthquake was centered about 40 miles south of David, Panama, at a dept of 6.2 miles.


Saudi Arabia's new law says all atheists are terrorists

 LONDON: Saudi Arabia has introduced a series of new laws which define atheists as terrorists, according to a report from Human Rights Watch. In a string of royal decrees and an overarching new piece of legislation to deal with terrorism generally, the Saudi King Abdullah has clamped down on all forms of political dissent and protests that could "harm public order".

The new laws have largely been brought in to combat the growing number of Saudis travelling to take part in the civil war in Syria, who have previously returned with newfound training and ideas about overthrowing the monarchy.

To that end, King Abdullah issued Royal Decree 44, which criminalizes "participating in hostilities outside the kingdom" with prison sentences of between three and 20 years, Human Rights Watch said.

Yet last month further regulations were issued by the Saudi interior ministry, identifying a broad list of groups which the government considers to be terrorist organizations — including the Muslim Brotherhood.

Article one of the new provisions defines terrorism as "calling for atheist thought in any form, or calling into question the fundamentals of the Islamic religion on which this country is based".

Joe Stork, deputy Middle East and North Africa director of Human Rights Watch, said: "Saudi authorities have never tolerated criticism of their policies, but these recent laws and regulations turn almost any critical expression or independent association into crimes of terrorism.

"These regulations dash any hope that King Abdullah intends to open a space for peaceful dissent or independent groups," Stork said.

Human Rights Watch said the new regulations were also a setback to campaigns for the protection and release of a number of prominent human rights activists currently jailed in Saudi Arabia. It said Waleed Abu al-Khair and Mikhlif al-Shammari recently lost appeals and will soon begin three-month and five-year respective sentences for criticizing Saudi authorities.

The organisation said the new "terrorism" provisions contain language that prosecutors and judges are already using to prosecute and convict independent activists and peaceful dissidents.

Angela Merkel approves Germany's first minimum wage

German Chancellor Angela Merkel has approved the country's first minimum wage, at 8.50 euros an hour (£7; $11.75), to start in 2015.

At the moment, the country is one of seven in the 28-nation EU without a minimum wage level.
Germany has relied on trade unions and business groups to fix pay instead.
Mrs Merkel's conservative Christian Democrats approved the change as part of a power-sharing deal with the Social Democrats (SPD).
The SPD was in favour of the move, but the conservative CDU and CSU parties had been keen to keep the status quo.
'Workers' dignity back' Parliament is expected to debate the proposal this summer. It will then move to the upper house for approval in September.
Economists said higher wages in Europe's biggest economy could help people spend more and stimulate the economy, promoting economic growth.
The SPD's labour market policy spokesperson, Katja Mast, said: "Labour has got its dignity back with a fair payment of 8.50 euros, whether in the East or West and with no industry exceptions."
But the wage does not cover minors, interns, trainees or long-term unemployed people for their first six months at work.

Hollande announces new French government

French President Francois Hollande has approved a new cabinet just days after the ruling Socialist Party suffered losses in local polls.
The new government, which was named on Wednesday after discussions between new Prime Minister Manuel Valls and Hollande, includes Hollande’s ex-partner Segolene Royal as minister of environment and energy.
Laurent Fabius and Jean-Yves Le Drian have kept their positions as foreign affairs and defence ministers in the new cabinet.
Former Finance Minister Pierre Moscovici has left the government and the portfolio has been split between two Socialists. Michel Sapin will take charge of finance, and Arnaud Montebourg will be in charge of industry and economy.
Segolene Royal, the newly appointed environment and energy minister, ran an unsuccessful campaign for the presidency in 2007, losing to Nicolas Sarkozy.
The appointments were announced in a presidential statement read out on the steps of Hollande's Elysee Palace.
Hollande sacked Jean-Marc Ayrault, the former prime minister, on Tuesday, replacing him with Valls.
Hollande's Greens coalition partners refused to take part in Valls' government in protest at his socially conservative stances on issues such as immigration, a move which could weaken support for economic reforms in parliament.
The government shake-up was expected after the Socialist party suffered big losses in nation-wide voting for mayors and city counsellors last week. Voters turned against the Socialists amid disillusionment with Hollande's inability to keep campaign promises to bring down record unemployment and turn around the economy.
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US Supreme Court strikes down overall donor limits

The US Supreme Court has struck down overall contribution limits for individual political donors.

The court ruled 5-4 that individuals could give to candidates, parties and political groups without observing an overall cap of $123,200 (£74,000).
The ruling leaves in place limits on how much donors can give to a single candidate - currently $2,600 (£1,560).
The decision is the latest in a series which have loosened restrictions on US campaign finance.
Contribution limits were established by Congress in the 1970s in an attempt to restore the public's faith in government after President Richard Nixon's resignation in the Watergate scandal.
'How you choose' Chief Justice John Roberts wrote in Wednesday's majority opinion that overall limits "intrude without justification" on first amendment rights, the clause of the US constitution that enshrines freedom of speech.

Ex-CIA chief confirms he ignored Benghazi guidance from top officer on ground

The former acting director of the CIA, in his first public testimony on Benghazi, confirmed that he ignored guidance from the top CIA officer on the ground in favor of reporting from analysts far removed from the scene, in shaping the flawed "talking points" which said the attack sprung from a protest. 
Mike Morell, who served as both deputy and acting director of the agency, is under increasing scrutiny over his role in forming the administration's public narrative about the attack -- a narrative which inaccurately blamed a protest from the outset. Morell is accused of heavily editing the so-called "talking points," which were the basis for then-U.N. Ambassador Susan Rice's controversial comments on several Sunday shows after the attacks that also blamed a protest. 
Morell, speaking before the House Intelligence Committee, insisted Wednesday he did not "deliberately" downplay the role of terrorists in that attack. He also said he never knew Rice was going to appear on the Sunday shows the weekend after the attack. 
But he did confirm that he overruled guidance from the CIA chief of station in Libya that the attacks were "not/not an escalation of protests." 
Morell, explaining his decision, effectively challenged the evidence his chief of station brought to the table in his message, sent via email a few days after the attack. He said the claim that there was no protest was based only on "press reports" and reports from officers who arrived in Benghazi after the attack had already started. 

Bobby Jindal Releases Plan To Repeal Obamacare, With 2016 In Mind

Louisiana Gov. Bobby Jindal (R) released his proposal Wednesday to repeal and replace the Affordable Care Act as he makes moves to be seen as a serious contender for the Republican presidential nomination in 2016.
The 26-page "Freedom and Empowerment Plan" critiques President Barack Obama's health care reform law and lays out Jindal's vision for a conservative alternative, just a day after Obama declared that the law is "here to stay." Jindal's plan was released through America Next, an advocacy nonprofit he chairs.
In a Wednesday op-ed for Fox News, Jindal introduced his plan, arguing that it gives states incentives to reduce health care costs and lower premiums. To have a chance at becoming law, Jindal's plan would have to be introduced in Congress.
In a preview of the proposal, Jindal argued that the Republican Party must do more than simply oppose the Affordable Care Act. The governor has rejected an Obamacare-related expansion of Medicaid in the state, which would have covered more than 200,000 Louisianans.
“This is the first in a series of policies I will offer through America Next over the course of this year,” Jindal told The Washington Post. “I absolutely think the country deserves a debate, and if Republicans are going to succeed, we better have more than bumper stickers.”
The plan includes a number of staples of conservative thinking on health care reform. It would create a “global grant program” to radically alter Medicaid by giving states block grants, releasing states from being required to provide certain benefits. It would also allow insurance to be sold across state lines and would promote “health savings accounts."

Washington DC Mayor Vincent Gray loses primary challenge

A Washington DC councilwoman has defeated the city's incumbent mayor in a crowded Democratic primary that will probably decide the city's next leader.

Incomplete results showed Muriel Bowser won 44% of the vote to Mayor Vincent Gray's 32%.
He has faced allegations by prosecutors he knew about corrupt practices that helped him get elected in 2010.
The primary race often serves as a de facto election in the nation's capital, which is heavily Democratic.
Ms Bowser is set to face an independent councilmember in November's mayoral election.
'Distraction' "The status quo is not good enough for us," Ms Bowser told supporters early on Wednesday. "We know that we can do better and we know we need a fresh start."
Ms Bowser, 41, who represents the city's north-eastern Ward 4, launched her campaign earlier than most and sought to capitalise on questions about Mr Gray's last election.
Opponents charged she lacked experience to be mayor, having been elected to council in 2007.
Her most significant accomplishment on the council was the creation of an independent ethics board able to punish city officials.

President Obama is in Michigan to talk minimum wage today. Here’s why.

When asked why President Obama chose to travel to Ann Arbor, Mich., (Go Blue!) to give a speech on the minimum wage Wednesday, White House press secretary Jay Carney responded, "We love Michigan, everybody here." But there's more to it than that.

Obama wants to increase the federal minimum wage from $7.25 an hour to $10.10 an hour by 2016. Congressional Democrats support the proposal, Republicans -- wait for it -- do not.
As in many other states nationwide, there's a push in Michigan to raise the minimum wage. According to the National Conference of State Legislatures, 34 states are considering increases to their minimum wages this year. (Connecticut became the first state to do so last week.) Republicans in Michigan oppose an increase. And with Michigan's legislature controlled by Republicans and a governor (Republican Rick Snyder) who has voiced his opposition to raising the minimum wage, Democrats are trying to stir up energy for the effort at at the grass-roots level.
A coalition called Raise Michigan is spearheading the the drive to increase Michigan's minimum wage to $10.10 an hour from $7.40 an hour. The increase would be gradual and top out in 2017, and it would rise with inflation after. The group is trying to put an initiative on the November ballot to make that happen. They have until May 28 to collect 258,000 valid signatures. But that won't be the end; should the number of signatures be reached the petition goes to the legislature where state lawmakers have 40 days to adopt or reject the proposal. If the state legislature does nothing the question will go before voters.
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