DJIBOUTI -- Delegations representing Mogadishu-based central government and Somaliland’s separatist administration agreed to another round of dialogue at the beginning of 2015 on Sunday, Garowe Online reports.
According to a 6-point agreement jointly signed by Federal Government of Somalia’s President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud and Somaliland leader Ahmed Mohamed Mohamud (Siilaanyo), the two parties agreed on the resumption of Turkey-brokered bilateral talks on February 26, 27 2015,
On the implementation of previous deals, talks agreed refraining from comments inconsistent with the bilateral talks, everything that could affect the confidence of the negotiating committees and at the same time stressed the need for honor for co-management of national airspace.
Djibouti that hosted the direct talks between Mogadishu-based central government and breakaway Somaliland will participate in the future talks if needed, the third point of the agreement stated.
Meanwhile, the chairman of Somaliland’s Justice and Welfare party Faisal Ali Warabe blamed Ruling Kulmiye Party for sidelining opposition parties in issues pertaining to the nation.
“Somalia-Somaliland dialogue is national issue, bilateral talks had since been inclusive and I was among those who participated in the previous rounds,” said Warabe, adding that they have a right to learn of the agendas in advance of the meeting.
Posted by: Steve White ||
12/22/2014 00:00 ||
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I hate posting this story -- it's like the family that owns the New York Times complaining that the media unfairly target Israel. Still, at least he noticed there's a problem.
[IsraelTimes] The director of BBC Television said rising anti-Semitism has made him question the long-term future for Jews in the UK.
Speaking at a conference in Jerusalem on Sunday, Danny Cohen said the past year had been the most difficult for him as a Jew living in the United Kingdom.
“I’ve never felt so uncomfortable being a Jew in the UK as I’ve felt in the last 12 months. And it’s made me think about, you know, is it our long-term home, actually. Because you feel it. I’ve felt it in a way I’ve never felt before actually,” he said in a conversation with Channel 2’s anchor Yonit Levi.
The BBC has had something to do with it. And you, sir, are the BBC chief, according to the headline writer. So what are you going to do to change how the BBC behaves.
Cohen went on: “And you’ve seen the number of attacks rise. You’ve seen murders in La Belle France. You’ve seen murders in Belgium. It’s been pretty grim actually. And having lived all my life in the UK, I’ve never felt as I do now about anti-Semitism in Europe.”
Cohen, who grew up and went to school in London — including to a Jewish elementary school — is a TV whiz kid. Still only 40, he was previously the controller of BBC1 TV, the youngest appointee to that post, before taking over a director of BBC Television last year.
Cohen made the comments as one of the international television and comedy professionals participating in a two-day conference at the Jerusalem Cinematheque on the ability of comedy to drive forward social change.
Last month, Britannia’s opposition Labour Party leader Ed Miliband, who is also Jewish, decried the rise of anti-Semitism in Great Britannia and called for “a zero-tolerance approach to anti-Semitism in the UK.”
Whatever zero tolerance means, when Parliament is voting for the idea of Palestine.
Militant, the son of Holocaust refugees, cited figures from the Jewish Community Security Trust that indicate a sharp rise in anti-Semitic incidents. He praised Britannia’s tradition of tolerance but warned that “the recent spate of incidents should serve as a wake-up call for anyone who thought the scourge of anti-Semitism had been defeated and that the idea of Jewish families fearful of living here in Britannia was unthinkable.”
The summer’s Israel-Hamas, always the voice of sweet reason, war saw a striking increase in anti-Semitic incidents, with more than 100 hate crimes reported in July alone — more than double the usual number. Among the reported incidents were the physical assault of a rabbi in Gateshead, attacks on synagogues and an attack by an Arab woman wearing a niqab on a Jewish boy riding his bicycle in northern London.
#3
It took those uptight and 'intolerant' Puritans and Oliver Cromwell to welcome the first people to Britain. Now they're facing a cultural pogrom by the 'intelligentsia', qui cum canibus concumbunt cum pulicibus surgent.
#4
At it's roots, a successful free society is based upon nanoeconomics and the ability for one to choose where he spends or invests his money and time. If individual transactions become too much pain and agony, you take your trade elsewhere within the community. If transactions within the community become impossible, then moving to another community becomes a desired outcome. Economics as a 'move on' motivator can be replaced with religious persecution, the absence of the rule of law, or even rough winters. I believe it's been this way since the Garden.
#5
I wonder if any studies have been done on what happens when an immigrant Muslim population with a majority of it's members on the public dole greatly outnumbers the indigeneous population. There are fewer and fewer working people to support an ever greater parasitical population. At what point does the society break down?
Posted by: Deacon Blues ||
12/22/2014 13:28 Comments ||
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#6
"At what point does the society break down?"
About now. >:-(
Posted by: Barbara ||
12/22/2014 13:56 Comments ||
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#7
Ditto Barb. Food stamps could be used as a yardstick. I'd say somewhere around the point of 45,000,000 recipients.
For a map, click here. You can enlarge the map, if you open it separately.
By Chris Covert
Rantburg.com
Preliminary peace talks collapsed Friday, and the latest round of talks between the Ukrainian government and the Russian backed rebels appear to be on hold until after the end of the year, according to Russian language news reports.
Both sides in the negotiations have their specific goals. The Ukrainians want the original Minsk Accord to be completed, the next step of which would be a complete disarmament of the rebels.
The rebels demand a restoration of pension payments to pensioners living in rebel controlled territory and a lifting of the "economic blockade" Kiev imposed just weeks ago before talks can even begin. And when they do begin, the only issue on the table for them will be autonomy for their two republics, Lugansk and Donetsk.
Just ten days ago the political leadership of Lugansk signaled to Kiev their desire to settle their part of the conflict, one of the signals being an apparent exchange of coal for cash payments by the Ukrainian government. That exchange enraged Cossack rebels who fought briefly with Lugansk supported rebels.
Now, according to a report which appeared in vesti-ukr.ru, Lugansk president Igor Plotininskiy publicly stated that he wants to reestablish economic ties with Ukraine, "but not with today's Ukraine", which he said glorifies Nazism.
Poltininsky's views mirror the view of Russian president Vladimir Putin, who said in a news conference last Thursday that the current government in Ukraine was the result of a military backed coup.
Meanwhile, the chief negotiator with the Donetsk breakaway republic, Deni Pushilin, said Saturday that all contacts with the counterparties have been stopped, and no talks are scheduled. A legislator for the Lugansk republic, Vladislav Deinov said that some issues raised by the rebels in Friday's video conference were to be discussed by the Ukrainians.
It is unclear in Ukrainian news reports if the talks were cancelled because of Kiev's refusal to discuss the issues of rebels raised, or if they really needed to time discuss those issues.
According to a separate report which appeared in regnum.ru, according to a press spokesman for the Donetsk republic national council, Claudia Kulbatsky, the Ukrainians have failed to cease firing, withdraw heavy weapons from some sectors and withdraw from the link of demarcation, all of which are required by the Minsk Ceasefire agreement. The rebels claim they have already complied with those terms in areas where the Ukrainians have.
As of Monday no date was set for further talks.
Fighting in the Don Basin
According to reports, fighting has been centered around four main areas: at Donetsk city near the airport, at Gorlovka, northwest of Donetsk city, at Debaltsevo, which is east of Gorlovka, and at Stanitsa Luganskaya.
Pro Ukrainian military writer Dimitri Tymchuk said in a Friday report that rebels have attacked positions in Peski near the airport, which the Ukrainianss had abandoned. Rebel reports, with data supplied by the pro rebel Voice of Sevastopol, said that Ukrainian military units fired mortars and small arms in the vicinity of Peski.
In Debaltsevo, Tymchuk said that rebel units had fired small arms in the area. Ukrainian military reported watching rebels move trucks, infantry fighting vehicles and three tanks near the area. Rebels reported Ukrainian counterbattery fire against rebel artillery in the area.
In Gorlovka, rebel media reported an intensive fight between their forces and Ukrainian military unit concentrated along the Gorlovka-Dzerzhinsk road, which the rebels attempted to open a week ago. The Ukrainians attempted to intervene in the fighting with a tank. Later, the fighting shifted to Maiorsk, halfway between Gorlovka and Dzerzhinsk.
According to Tymchuk, rebels attacked Ukrainian positions at Schastye and Stanitsa Luganskaya using small arms, mortars and grenades. Tymchuk claimed that some of the armor in the areas are being operated by Russian mercenaries. He said that the rebel commander in the area has an armor reserve of seven armor vehicles including three tanks.
Rebels claim that Ukrainian artillery hit surrounding localities near Stanitsa Luganskaya, such as Vesyolaya Gora, Prishib, Slavyanoserbsk, Valuiskoye, Nizhnetyoploye, Kolesnikovka and Olkhovoye, the targets of which presumably contained rebel units. Of those towns and localities, only Hizhnetyoploye was in what is considered Ukrainian territory. Rebels claimed the Ukrainians used self-propelled guns, howitzers, mortars and rocket artillery units in their attacks.
Ukrainian Army Rearming
Rebels have been reporting since last week that aircraft loaded with military equipment and trains full of armor fighting vehicles have been sent to northern and central Ukrainian cities of Zaparozhe, Dnepropetrovsk and Kharkov.
Military equipment described by the rebels being brought in by aircraft include UAVs, antitank systems and optics. Rebel say 32 flights of NATO cargo aircraft were observed at undisclosed points in Ukraine.
The Ukrainians also received by rail several infantry fighting vehicles -- presumably BMP-2s -- and other armor vehicles. The same report said armor vehicles and towed tube artillery were offloaded at the southern Ukrainian port of Odessa.
According to the report, at the current rate, by the start of the new year the Ukrainian Army could "restore its capability to levels last seen in July". At the moment, however, the Ukrainian army, despite near constant claims by rebel media, are in no condition for offensive operations against the rebels.
Chris Covert writes about foreign military issues for Rantburg.com. He can be reached at grurkka@gmail.com. You can read past articles about the 2014 war in southeastern Ukraina by clicking here.
#1
So that's a whole week and a half, right? Christmas and New Years thrown in.
I'm betting there's going to be some, uh, severe New Years celebrations there.
Posted by: ed in texas ||
12/22/2014 7:35 Comments ||
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A strand of hair believed to be from Mohammad will be delivered to Moscow for the occasion of the anniversary of Mohammad's birthday on January 3. The hair is believed to be part of Muhammad's beard, which was shaved off by his favorite barber Salman after the prophet had died.
The relic will be transported to the capital from the republic of Dagestan. It will be escorted by Moscow Muslim Spiritual Department head Mufti Ildar Alyautdinov.
#10
I believe they do for normal folks, ed. Plus the keeping and revering of human 'relics' is generally forbidden, too.
Apparently though, Muhammad is the only person who people can seek 'blessings' from, whether through his body, what touches his body or bodily fluids (eew).
Not real consistent in their beliefs, sort of like liberals.
Posted by: Mullah Richard ||
12/22/2014 15:51 Comments ||
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The French govt cannot have it both ways. Got to decide. The French are masters of having it both ways...
Russia will gladly take back the money it paid for French Mistral-class warships whose handover has been delayed by concerns over Moscow's role in the Ukraine crisis, a deputy defence minister said Saturday.
Yury Borisov also indicated that Paris should make a decision before the new year.
"It doesn't matter if the calendar shows December 31, 2014 or January 1, 2015, but we are waiting for France's decision", Interfax news agency quoted him as saying.
"We would be content with either development - the Mistrals or the return of all the invested money," he said.
Given the currency crisis in Russia, which saw the ruble rapidly devalue by 50 percent, taking the money from the euro-denominated deal "may actually be preferable," he added.
France, which is struggling economically, is faced with a tough decision: deliver the two mammoth warships to Russia and face the wrath of its NATO allies or end up with two vessels equipped for the Russian navy and pay the price and possibly heavy fines.
The agreement for the helicopter carriers worth 1.2 billion euros ($1.5 billion) was signed long before Moscow's annexation of Crimea and support of the pro-Russian separatists in eastern Ukraine.
Paris has so far delayed delivery of the first warship, which was set for fall of 2014, "until further notice."
This week Russian sailors training to operate the Mistrals - each of which can carry 16 helicopters, four landing crafts, 13 tanks and over 400 soldiers - left France.
Posted by: Alaska Paul ||
12/22/2014 16:39 ||
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#1
Taliban must not have spherical rocks for practice games.
Posted by: Super Hose ||
12/22/2014 0:59 Comments ||
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#2
That's funny. First the AFP-Armed forces and the PNP police holding a bowling tournament is hysterical. A decade ago they were lobbing mortars into each other HW's. Then to name the teams after enemies makes it even funnier. If nothing else thePhils have a great sense of humor.
Posted by: 49 Pan ||
12/22/2014 11:14 Comments ||
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#3
Stuff like this almost makes me miss the place.
From the news source that must not be named:
Radical environmentalists who threw acid and smoke bombs at Japanese whalers were found in contempt of court for continuing their relentless campaign to disrupt the annual whale hunt off the waters of Antarctica.
The ninth US circuit court of appeals The 9th Circus ruling for sanity? Shocker!
on Friday ordered a commissioner to determine how much Paul Watson and members of the Sea Shepherd Conservation Society he founded owe Japanese whalers for lawyer fees, damage to their ships and for violating the court order to stop their dangerous protests.
The Japanese whalers are demanding $2m in addition to their attorney fees and damage and cost to their ships for warding off the protests.
The environmentalists’ exploits have been documented on the long-running Animal Planet reality TV series Whale Wars. I love a heart-warming story. :-D
Posted by: Barbara ||
12/22/2014 13:47 ||
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#1
Mods - feel free to add a graphic - hit "submit" instead of "preview" before I could.
Posted by: Barbara ||
12/22/2014 13:54 Comments ||
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#2
The Japanese whalers are demanding $2m in addition to their attorney fees and damage and cost to their ships for warding off the protests.
I'd recommend refurbished 5 inch deck guns and a unlimited supply of ammunition, a sort of preventative, payment in kind.
#4
Barbarians fighting barbarians. Sorta like the Syrian civil war, there ain't nobody to root for.
'cept for the whales.
Posted by: Anice Nim ||
12/22/2014 15:18 Comments ||
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#5
Next time throw the acid back at the radicals...
Posted by: Steve White ||
12/22/2014 15:45 Comments ||
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#6
The acid that was thrown was butyric acid which smells like human vomit. In concentrated form it's unbearable to breathe from the smell. The name of butyric acid comes from the Latin word for butter, butyrum (or buturum), the substance in which butyric acid was first found. It can also be used to make butyrate plastics and margerine.
Posted by: Deacon Blues ||
12/22/2014 16:42 Comments ||
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#7
"butyric acid . . . can also be used to make . . . margarine"
Another reason not to eat that crap.
Posted by: Barbara ||
12/22/2014 18:58 Comments ||
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A multi-volume chronology and reference guide set detailing three years of the Mexican Drug War between 2010 and 2012.
Rantburg.com and borderlandbeat.com correspondent and author Chris Covert presents his first non-fiction work detailing
the drug and gang related violence in Mexico.
Chris gives us Mexican press dispatches of drug and gang war violence
over three years, presented in a multi volume set intended to chronicle the death, violence and mayhem which has
dominated Mexico for six years.
Rantburg was assembled from recycled algorithms in the United States of America. No
trees were destroyed in the production of this weblog. We did hurt some, though. Sorry.
A strand of hair believed to be from Mohammad will be delivered to Moscow for the occasion of the anniversary of Mohammad's birthday on January 3. The hair is believed to be part of Muhammad's beard, which was shaved off by his favorite barber Salman after the prophet had died.
