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Tuesday, October 16, 2012

Europe strengthens sanctions against Iran and Syria


The European Union (EU) approved a package of sanctions against Iran because of its nuclear program, with the aim of forcing the regime in Tehran to re-negotiate your project and also was redoubled pressure on Syria. The sanctions are aimed at forcing Iran to address concerns about its nuclear program, the EU said in a statement issued after the meeting of 27 foreign ministers in Luxembourg. "The restrictive measures seek to affect Iran's nuclear program and the Iranian regime funds to finance the project," the document adds. The EU measures will affect 34 companies and one of the Iranian government in a blacklist, which may have their assets frozen and will not get visas to travel to Europe. The sanctions, according to the statement, will increase in the coming months unless the negotiations are successful. The bill ensures that the measures are not directed at the civilian population. Telecommunications, financial transactions, access to gas and public transport, as well as trade will not be affected by the sanctions. Iran insists that its nuclear program is designed for peaceful purposes and has warned that the West will pay for penalties that are being imposed.

Doctors confident they can recover Malala 'at all levels'


Malala Yousafzai reduced to the Taliban shot in the head in Pakistan to defend that women can go to school, you can recover "at all levels" of the attack that has suffered, said one of British doctors has considered to small. "The doctors believe she has a chance of making a good recovery at all levels" , said Dr Dave Rosser, medical director of the Queen Elizabeth Hospital in Birmingham, where she was transferred after Malala arrive this evening on a plane to medicalized UK to continue his treatment. Rosser has admitted that the girl, aged 14, has not been evaluated by specialists. At the same time, he acknowledged that the treatment and rehabilitation could take months , but has said that moving to Britain would not have occurred if the chances of recovery were not good. Previously, medical experts recommended to carry Queen Elizabeth Malala, a British institution specializing in severely injured children, because they need to agree on long-term treatment for "physical and psychological sequelae" of the attack. Malala was transferred into a medicalized aircraft that had made ​​available to the United Arab Emirates and the Pakistani government will bear the costs of transport and care. The child was operated on Peshawar to get a bullet lodged near his spine and then received medical care at a military hospital in Rawalpindi Pakistan, but still connected to a respirator. The military spokesman said Malala need surgical repair of damaged bones in the skull and long-term rehabilitation, also neurological.Nevertheless, doctors who treated Pakistanis were optimistic for his "slow but steady" recoveryThe British foreign secretary, William Hague , said Malala is "an example and inspiration for all young people." "It was a cowardly attack on her and her classmates to try to retaliate for his campaign for access to education for girls," said Hague told reporters in Luxembourg, where today meets with his counterparts from the European Union. She and two of her companions were attacked on Tuesday in Mingora, in the Swat Valley, where he lives. Despite threats from extremists, Malala spent years defending the right of girls to go to school and thus received the Peace Prize for his country. United Kingdom remains with the people of Pakistan in the fight against terrorism and to ensure that young people have adequate access to school, and also supporting Malala, this brave student, "said Hague. She writes blogs for years for the BBC in which he describes the atrocities of the Taliban. The military regained control of Swat and surrounding districts in 2009 after a major offensive. Moreover, about 300 insurgents attacked Sunday night in a checkpoint in the northwestern province of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, police said. In a standoff of several hours killing six members of the security forces and 11 were injured. There were also casualties among the extremists.

Scotland will make historic vote on independence


The hit Scotland on Monday the terms for a historic referendum on independence, after their leader signed an agreement with Britain finalizing arrangements for voting, which can lead to the end of a union of three centuries with England. The initiative by the Scottish sovereignty, led by nationalist leader Alex Salmond, echoing separatist movements in other regions of Europe, such as Catalonia and Flanders at the time that the European Union shaken by the crisis is undergoing profound changes in its identity. Signed in the Scottish capital of Edinburgh, the agreement will allow Scotland to decide in a referendum in 2014 whether to become an independent country or remain in the UK. Nationalists stipulated time of the election to coincide with the 700th anniversary of the Battle of Bannockburn, when Scottish forces led by Robert the Bruce defeated English invaders. The British Prime Minister, David Cameron, opposes the pressure of Scotland, arguing that Britain is stronger united. But the British government agrees that it is for Scotland to decide their future in a vote. "There are many things I want (the government) to achieve, but what could be more important than saving our UK?," Cameron said in a speech last week. "Let's assume: we are better together and we will grow together." According to Salmond, the agreement will see Scotland taking an important step towards independence. "And the means to create a more just and prosperous Scotland," Salmond said before the meeting. "I look forward to working positively for a vote in 2014." Scotland already has many of the trappings for a nation to become independent, as its own flag, the legal system, sports teams, as well as a specific national identity after centuries of rivalry with its southern neighbor. The British government argues that an independent Scotland - home to about 5 million people-would have trouble dealing with finances, since most of the current funding comes from a grant of 30 billion pounds (48 billion dollars) the UK government. But one of the most controversial issues at stake is the ownership of some 20 billion barrels of recoverable oil and gas below the British part of the North Sea. Britain is also concerned with the future of its fleet of nuclear submarines based in Scotland, as Salmond said there would be no place for nuclear weapons in the soil of Scotland after independence. Move the fleet to another location would be costly and time consuming. Many are not convinced about Scottish independence. Opinion polls show that between 30 and 40 percent of them are in favor, a variation that has changed little as negotiations intensified. Scotland and England have shared a monarch since 1603 and has been ruled by a parliament in London since 1707.

Syria: Ankara Armenian plane stops, tug of war

After the jet shot down in June then the mortar, in early October, and 'now' war planes' between Turkey and Syria: Ankara, Wednesday angered Syria and Russia intercepting the flight Moscow-Damascus today forced to land another plane, a cargo load of Armenian aumanitari direct aid to Aleppo. , the situation remains high tension along the border, where Ankara while repeating non- want a war has amassed troops and where continuous flow of refugees, now more 'than 100 thousand in Turkey. A defined threshold 'unsustainable' yet a month ago by the authorities' Crescent. Ankara seeks' EU aid. The international mediator Lakhdar Brahimi has meanwhile launched an appeal to stop the bloodshed and to a truce between the government and rebels in Syria for the feast of Aid al-Adha at the end of the month. But hopes that few seem to succeed. '' We have shown that we are very serious'' in preventing the arrival of weapons in Damascus said the deputy Bulent Arinc turkish after Ankara today forced to come to Erzurum an Antonov 12 Air Armenia headed to Aleppo. Yerevan has authorized the inspection. The Turkish officials have checked the load, without finding anything suspicious. At the end of the plane and 'spread. Ankara so 'has, however, launched a new message to muscle ex-friend Bashar al-Assad. On board the Airbus A220 of Syrian Airways last Wednesday forced to land in Ankara according to the Islamic nationalist turkish prime minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan had been found'' instead of'' munitions and military equipment to Damascus. '' Mind'' was replicated hard-nosed Damascus and Moscow had also denied that there were weapons on the plane, but only elements'' legal'' radar. The incident sparked tension between Turkey and Russia. Ankara and Damascus have banned airlines of each access to their territory. On the domestic political front line turkish aggressive Erdogan to Damascus and 'criticized by the opposition Social Democratic accusing the prime minister to push the country toward war with motivations' sectarian ', for instaurarecioe' a Sunni regime in the neighboring country. But the nerves of Turkey also weighs the relentless influx of Syrian refugees, now passed over 100 thousand share (exactly 100,363). The people of the frontier provinces - particularly at Antioch, a majority Alawite - bear with increasing difficulty is the 'invasion of the Syrians,' mostly 'Sunnis, hosted in 12 camps along the border. The Minister for Europe, Egemen Bagis today asked the help of the 'EU that'' should, he said, start thinking about the people who fled from Syria to Turkey.'' The EU has allocated 200 million for neighboring countries. Ankara is not enough. Meanwhile, Washington has come a new alarm Al Qaeda in the New York Times, most of the weapons' lethal 'sent to the rebels from Qatar and Saudi Arabia fall into the' wrong hands', ie 'to jihadist groups close to al-Qaeda . '' Exactly ones, the newspaper said the U.S., which we do not want to have.''

The jump Baumgartner, "sports a record first"


Crossing the sound barrier Felix Baumgartner he gave a stunt for Red Bull or participated in a breakthrough for science? For Bertrand Piccard, it is primarily a sporting achievement. Before their screens connected on YouTube, about 8 million users held their breath on Sunday night, when Felix Baumgartner lunged headfirst 39,000 meters. But after 4 minutes 19 drop and rampant some dangerous twists, Austrian adventurer opened his parachute and landed like a flower in the desert of New Mexico. And the man who was on his forearms tattooed "born to fly" ("born to fly") could then be delighted to have beaten three records: the first man to have broken the sound barrier in free fall , one of the highest altitude reached by a man in a balloon and the highest skydive. Five years of preparation and some 60.4 million francs invested in Red Bull Stratos mission will not have been in vain. But beyond a historic achievement that has to transcend human limitations, and a great stunt for Red Bull, which is the scientific interest of such a jump? To sponsor Felix Baumgartner, allows such a mission to advance aerospace medicine and develop new types of pressure suits that will provide space professionals as to potential space tourists, more safety. "Honestly, I do not know if it brings something to the science. In my opinion, it was not the purpose of this jump. There is not the same scientific goal when Joe Kittinger ( note: the previous record holder of the highest jump in freefall ) jumped in 1960 to prove that an astronaut could eject the rocket case problems. Felix Baumgartner jumping is essentially a record sports admirable and very well publicized, "notes the Swiss balloonist Bertrand Piccard, who made ​​this year's first intercontinental flight on a solar airplane. For its part, the former astronaut Patrick Baudry, entrusts BFMTV that this record is "more to science (...), because every time you realize something new, we advanced our knowledge and science. " A statement that leaves in the dark about the practical benefits of the feat. For the former NASA astronaut Leroy Chios, whose intervention on CNN was relayed by several French media, the technologies developed for the combination of Felix Baumgartner "will be incorporated into future spacesuits." Astronaut mentioned improved telemetry, sensors, recording and reporting of data to the ground. Finally, the performance of Felix Baumgartner shows especially the enthusiasm of private organizations to sponsor feats with technology. Exploits that were "previously funded by governments," as noted by Bertrand Piccard. And this change makes the science less present. But "it was beautiful jump. This is someone who was able to realize his dream with hard work and efficiency. And this is a beautiful message of self-transcendence, "says the Swiss driver.