Category Archives: Global Politics

Egypt – Kick a public trash bin and off to a military court you go?

President Abdel Fattah Al-Sisi recently issued a decree which expanded the jurisdiction of military courts to include anyone who attacks the state’s “vital” facilities.

Various human rights organisations condemned the law, including Human Rights Watch, which stated that the law gives military courts “the widest legal authority since the birth of Egypt’s modern republic in 1952”.

via 40 referred to military prosecution: FJP – Daily News Egypt.

Haaretz: Fearing Zionist Attacks, 100 Arab Bus Drivers in Jerusalem Quit Their Jobs

Forty-seven years after the unification of Jerusalem, there are very few islands of Jewish-Arab coexistence in the city. Of these, one of the most noteworthy was the Egged bus cooperative. About half its drivers were East Jerusalem Palestinians, who say they received fair treatment, good wages and benefits – things few other East Jerusalem Palestinians enjoy.

But the wave of violence in the city in recent months, which has included violent attacks on Arab drivers, has caused 100 of them – about a third of Egged’s Arab drivers – to quit. Forty have officially resigned, while 60 have simply not shown up for work. This has severely disrupted public transportation in Jerusalem.

“I worked for Egged for six years,” said Arafat Tahan. “It was good work. But it’s better to earn less money and not come home in a body bag.”

Last Wednesday night, yet another Arab bus driver was attacked. Two Jewish men on a scooter drove up beside his bus in the Gilo neighborhood and tried to break the windshield. When this failed, they forced the bus to stop, threw a stone that shattered the windshield and took off.

via Haaretz: Fearing Zionist Attacks, 100 Arab Bus Drivers in Jerusalem Quit Their Jobs.

Turkish police raid media outlets associated with Erdogan rival | News | DW.DE | 14.12.2014

Turkish police early on Sunday raided various addresses, including a television station and a newspaper, in Istanbul and 12 other cities, arresting several people,Turkish media say.

Among those detained were a top executive, producers and directors of a television channel close to US-based Muslim cleric Fethullah Gulen, the state-run Anatolia news agency said. The news agency said at least 14 people in all were detained.

The anti-terrorism police also raided the offices of the Zaman daily, which, too, has links with Gulen. However, a huge crowd outside the newspaper’s offices in Istanbul forced police to leave without arresting any of its employees.

via Turkish police raid media outlets associated with Erdogan rival | News | DW.DE | 14.12.2014.

Police Union Gets Nasty With De Blasio: Don’t Attend Our Funerals, Mayor: Gothamist

I, “A-Hole Denier Abusive Fellow Officers,” as a New York City police officer, request that Mayor Bill de Blasio and City Council Speaker Melissa Mark-Viverito refrain from attending my funeral services in the event that I am killed in the line of duty. Due to Mayor de Blasio and Speaker Mark-Viverito’s consistent refusal to show police officers the support and respect they deserve, I believe that their attendance at the funeral of a fallen New York City police officer is an insult to that officer’s memory and sacrifice.

via Police Union Gets Nasty With De Blasio: Don’t Attend Our Funerals, Mayor: Gothamist.

Palestinian minister dies after being struck by Israeli troops | News , Middle East | THE DAILY STAR

update – About 100 foreign and Palestinian activists with the Committee to Resist Settlements and the Wall, the government-run protest organization that Abu Ein headed, were on their way to plant trees and protest near an Israeli settlement when they were stopped at an improvised checkpoint, witnesses said.

A group of around 15 Israeli soldiers fired tear gas at the protesters and began scuffling with them.

Abu Ein was struck by a hand to the neck during an altercation with two of the soldiers, and was rushed away in an ambulance shortly afterwards, the Reuters photographer said.

via Palestinian minister dies after being struck by Israeli troops | News , Middle East | THE DAILY STAR.

Chilean Activists Change the Rules of the Game | Inter Press Service

Although many of the protests of 2011 — the year of Occupy Wall Street — have faded, Chilean students and workers managed to win many of their demands. This experience offers important lessons for popular movements struggling for similar goals around the world. By focusing on tangible demands, making broad partnerships, and linking to the larger platform of economic inequality, Chilean protesters changed the rules of the game.

via Chilean Activists Change the Rules of the Game | Inter Press Service.

Pearl Harbor just a montage, Erdoğan says (4 December 2014) –   BRIGHTENING GLANCE

The United States, Japan and indeed every nation in the world have refused to comment on the Turkish president’s latest statements all stressing that they “do not respond to personal opinions, rantings or ravings,” according to Cihan News Agency. December/04/2014

 

Shown official photographs of the attack on Pearl Harbor on December 7, 1941, the president said that they were the equivalent of cheap Japanese plastic toys in a bathtub. “You can’t fool us. We saw those Godzilla movies too, you know.”

via Pearl Harbor just a montage, Erdoğan says (4 December 2014) –   BRIGHTENING GLANCE.

Free trade with U.S.? Europe balks at chlorine chicken, hormone beef. – The Washington Post

On a velvety green patch of the French countryside, organic farmer Jean Cabaret gave a little shudder. A looming trade deal with the United States, he fears, may make his worst culinary nightmare come true: an invasion of Europe by American “Frankenfoods.”

“Hormone-boosted beef. Chlorine-washed chicken. Genetically altered vegetables. This is what they want for us,” warned Cabaret, standing before his majestic herd of free-range cows. “In France, food is about pleasure, about taste. But in the United States, they put anything in their mouths. No, this must be stopped.”

via Free trade with U.S.? Europe balks at chlorine chicken, hormone beef. – The Washington Post.

Bribery in international business – OECD

Most international bribes are paid by large companies, usually with the knowledge of senior management, according to new OECD analysis of the cost of foreign bribery and corruption.

Bribes in the analysed cases equalled 10.9% of the total transaction value on average, and 34.5% of the profits – equal to USD 13.8 million per bribe. But given the complexity and concealed nature of corrupt transactions, this is without doubt the mere tip of the iceberg, says the OECD.

Bribes are generally paid to win contracts from state-owned or controlled companies in advanced economies, rather than in the developing world, and most bribe payers and takers are from wealthy countries.

The OECD Foreign Bribery Report analyses more than 400 cases worldwide involving companies or individuals from the 41 signatory countries to the OECD Anti-Bribery Convention who were involved in bribing foreign public officials. The cases took place between February 1999, when the Convention came into force, and June 2014.

via Bribery in international business – OECD.

800 Israelis Demonstrate Against ‘Jewish State’ Bill In Front of Netaneyahu’s Residence

Hundreds of Israelis gathered on Saturday night in front of Netanyahu’s residence, in protest of the “Jewish State” Bill he proposed last Sunday.

The Crowd consisted of left wing Israelis and members of Peace Now movement. The police reported that the protesters carried signs that condemn Netanyahu’s Bill draft because it serves democracy to Jews only.

via 800 Israelis Demonstrate Against ‘Jewish State’ Bill In Front of Netaneyahu’s Residence.