US hawks have vulture fund ties

Felipe Feb 14, 2014

Obama’s gov’t sees improved freedom of expression landscape throughout 2013

Two US politicians appear to be in very different places of the political spectrum. One is seen as the hopeful promise for hardcore conservatives, the bearer of the needed charm and the refreshing message that could win a reshaped US electorate in 2015. The other is an old-guard lawmaker, a populist representative of a Democratic stronghold in the Northeast coast. But Marco Rubio and Robert Menéndez share common features.

Both members of the US Senate Foreign Relations committee anticipated a deep crisis in Argentina and criticized the local democratic standards last Thursday, during the heated hearing to address the Barack Obama’s nominee to become the next US ambassador to Buenos Aires, Noah Mamet, a friend of the US president and a prolific fundraiser for his two presidential campaigns.

The similarities don’t end there. Rubio (Republican — Florida) and Menéndez (Democrat — New Jersey) count donors with ties to the same hedge funds that have sued Argentina before US courts (“vulture funds,” as President Cristina Fernández de Kirchner likes to call them) among their main campaign contributors. Menéndez, a senator who is under criminal investigation because of his alleged dealing with two Ecuadorean brothers, fugitive bankers and former media moguls, has the law firm Lowenstein Sandler as his second-largest campaign-finance contributor during the 2009-2014 period, according to the Centre for Responsive Politics, a research group tracking money in US parties.

Lowenstein Sandler, a coporate law firm based in New York and New Jersey specialized in bankruptcy, financial reorganization and creditors’ rights, donated US$81,910 to Menéndez (see more details in www.opensecrets.org). The firm represented a satellite manufacterer that took part in the case NML Capital (a hedge fund that belongs to prominent Republican donor Paul Singer) v. the Republic of Argentina, which was vacated as moot on other grounds by a New York City court in 2012. The information was confirmed to the Herald yesterday by Steven Hecht’s office, a partner at Lowenstein Sandler who led the lawsuit.

Menéndez was acused more than once of having conflicts of interest related to Latin America. In the last chapter of this saga, the NBC television network revealed two weeks ago that this fierce anti-Castro senator is being investigated by the Department of Justice for allegedly lobbying the US government for the permanent residence of Ecuadorean ex-bankers the Isaías brothers, who had financed his campaign. The charges were rejected and qualified as “outlandish allegations” by the Democratic senator’s spokeswoman. Isaías’ media outlets were confiscated in Ecuador after they were found guilty of defrauding account holders to the tune of US$100 million, in a court case that was considered understandable by the US Embassy in Quito.

The other significant voice that questioned Obama’s nominee to Buenos Aires in the US Senate came from the young Cuban-American Rubio, who repeated his criticism against the Argentine government and Mamet before USA Today on Tuesday. In his case, links with Paul Singer are clearer. The bondholder who won the main case against Argentina in Judge Thomas Griesa’s court and achieved the seizure of the Libertad frigate in Ghana for several months more than one year ago also appears as the second-largest contributor to Rubio’s campaign between 2009 and 2014, with US$117,620, according to the same political fundraising watchdog. The amount was donated by Elliott Management, a hedge fund founded by Singer.

Rubio and Menéndez raised their concern on freedom of expression in Argentina and included the CFK administration in what they considered a prevailing trend in the region where governments are democratically elected but then limit freedoms. While the Republican for Florida predicted a near “collapse” for the Argentine economy and denounced the government has been cracking down on the news media and political opponents, the Democratic for New Jersey showed his concern on intellectual property, money laundering and narcotics trafficking. “I see what has happened in press freedom with Clarín, which is one of the few news outlets to challenge the Kirchners’ policies, being besieged by the administration,” Menéndez added.

Washington’s positive view

The next day, the State Department clarified that senators’ opinion are not the government’s. Moreover, Obama’s administration actually sees an improvement in Argentina’s freedom of expression environment, a perception that was mainly boosted by the ruling on media law released by the Supreme Court on October 29.

“The situation has changed and has improved over the last year,” a source from Obama’s administration who requested anonymity to speak about the issue told the Herald. Some concerns have been raised in the US government regarding rumours about the alleged takeover of Clarín Group which were informed by local media outlets last May. In another episode of the conflict between Cristina Fernández de Kirchner’s administration and Clarín Group, La Nación’s columnist Joaquín Morales Solá revealed nine months ago a supposedly official plan to land by force in the Argentina’s media giant in order to control its editorial line and push some iconic stars out, like Jorge Lanata — a prediction that never came to pass.

Even though US and other governments have kept a cautious distance from the break in the relationship between Clarín and the CFK administration that took place in 2008, Morales Solá’s prediction and some overreactions from the Kirchnerite hard line (i.e. Guillermo Moreno) led to considerable concerns about freedom of speech in the country.

However, the Obama’s administration’s view is not the same as those expressed by politicians, some newspapers and NGO in the United States. “What we really see here is that the government and the president speak about and criticize the media, but it happens everywhere all the time. In our country, with Fox News, CBS, ABC,” the governamental source highlighted.

The judicial ruling that considered the media law “constitutional” four months ago meant a milestone for foreign governments and analysts that were observing the Argentine media landscape. As a matter of fact, a number of European diplomats admitted to the Herald that the articles and principles included in the broadcasting law passed in 2009 are pretty similar to the media legislations in their own countries, leaving little room to call it a “Chavist” piece against freedom of expression.

Source: Buenos Aires Herald

Police raid Sussex home of suspected Syria suicide bomber

Felipe Feb 13, 2014

Abdul Waheed Majeed, from Crawley, is believed to be the first British citizen to carry out a suicide atttack in Syria

Police are searching a house in Crawley in connection with what is believed to be the first suicide attack carried out by a British citizen in Syria.

It is understood Abdul Waheed Majeed, 41, who used the nom de Guerre Abu Suleiman al-Britani while fighting with rebels, drove a truck full of explosives into a prison last week in a «martydom mission».

Officers were today examining the house in Martyrs Avenue, Langley Green, Crawley, West Sussex.

Majeed, who is understood to be British but of Pakistani origin, is thought to be a member of the extremist Al-Qaeda-linked Jabhat al-Nusra group.

He drove a truck packed with explosives into a wall Aleppo’s central jail on Thursday. Hundreds of rebels followed behind, managing to free up to 300 prisoners held by Syrian forces.

Photographs taken moments before last week’s attack were posted on Twitter and appeared to show the jihadi inside the truck, or Vehicle Borne Improvised Explosive Device (VBIED), decked with the black Jabhat al-Nusra flag.

Another picture shows large plumes of spoke rising from the site after the device was detonated.
Fellow fighters posted tributes to the jihadi on Twitter.
Abu Fulan al-Muhajir wrote: «May allah accept him. All british muslims should be proud of him. I am, and I’m not even British.
«I met brother Abu Sulayman al-Britani. He looked so beautiful dressed all in white, standing on top of the car shouting «takbeer» (Allah is great).»
«The search in Crawley is part of our inquiry following the suicide bombing in Syria,» said a spokeswoman for Thames Valley Police, which leads counter-terrorism operations for the region.
In Crawley, neighbours said the two-storey, end-of-terrace property being searched by police was previously home to a notorious child murderer, Roy Whiting, who killed eight-year-old Sarah Payne in 2000.
Henry Smith, Crawley MP, said: «I don’t know any personal details of the individual allegedly involved and police are not confirming that he was from Crawley at this stage.
«However, it is very concerning and heightens the importance of Foreign Office advice that people should not travel to Syria for safety reasons and risk getting involved.
«Crawley has very good community relations involving people of different faiths but it is particularly shocking if someone from the town is involved in radicalisation.»
A Sussex Police spokeswoman said: «Sussex Police is aware of posts on social media. We are closely liaising with the South East Counter Terrorism Unit in relation to its inquiries.
«There has been no formal identification of the man and therefore we cannot confirm who he is.
In 2007 three men from Langley Green – Omar Khyam, Waheed Mahmood and Jawad Akbar – were convicted for plotting to blow up Bluewater shopping centre and a gas network with a giant fertiliser bomb.
Attack of this kind committed by Britons are rare.
One of the last British citizens to die in a suicide attack was in Israel in 2003. Asif Mohammed Hanif, 21, a British citizen of Pakistani origin, killed three people when he blew himself up in a pub in Tel Aviv.
In 2007, a 21-year-old British student reportedly committed a suicide attack at a military checkpoint killing up to 20 soldiers in the southern Somali town of Baidoa.
There are thought to be several hundred Britons fighting in Syria’s civil war. Earlier this week a British jihadist from Islamic State in Iraq (ISIS), a rival Islamist group, was killed during fighting against rebel groups at the border town of al-Rai.

Fuente: http://www.telegraph.co.uk/

Netanyahu accuses EU Parliament chief of ‘selective hearing’ after Bennett walkout

Felipe Feb 13, 2014

As Martin Schulz speaks at Knesset about Palestinian freedom of movement and access to water, economy minister and members of his party walk out, demanding an apology for ‘lying propaganda.’

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu accused European Parliament President Martin Schulz of «selective hearing» on Wednesday for repeating an unverified claim that Israelis use four times as much water as Palestinians

Schulz’s statement in the Knesset prompted a walkout by Habayit Hayehudi MKs, led by party leader Naftali Bennett.

«The fault in these comments is what I call selective hearing, which unfortunately has become the legacy of many groups in Europe,» Netanyahu told the Knesset later in the day.

«The president of the European Parliament visited Ramallah and heard from some Palestinian youths about water usage, that according to them an Israeli citizen uses four times more water than Palestinians use per person. According to the statistics we received from the Palestinian authority, including in official releases from the Palestinian water authority and our data, this number is not true, but significantly smaller,» the prime minister said.

«The parliament president said frankly, ‘I haven’t checked.’ But that didn’t stop him from making repeated [accusations] right away. They hear, they don’t check, they hurl [accusations]. It would be fitting for him to check,» he added.

Netanyahu said baseless accusations tend to make Israelis ignore all criticism. When such comments are repeated without checking, people end up «closing their ears to wild attacks against the State of Israel,» he said.

«The Palestinians want to live in peace and unrestricted freedom of movement,» Schulz told the Knesset in a speech delivered in his native German, shortly before the Habayit Hayehudi MKs walked out. «The Palestinians also have the right to self-definition and to justice.»

«A Palestinian youth asked me why an Israeli can use 70 cubic liters of water and a Palestinian just 17,» he said. «I haven’t checked the data. I’m asking you if this is correct.»

MK Moti Yogev (Habayit Hayehudi) called to Schulz: «Shame on you, you support someone who is inciting against Jews.»

«The comments made in the Knesset are very serious,» said party chairman Naftali Bennett. «Habayit Hayehudi demands an apology from the president of the European Parliament, who said two lies in his speech, which Palestinians fed him. Silence in the face of lying propaganda grants legitimacy to activities against Israeli citizens.»

MK Itzik Shmuli of Labor has filed a complaint to the Knesset’s ethics committee, saying the walkout was «in contempt of the Knesset.» Meretz leader Zahava Gal-On said she objected to the damage done to the Knesset as an institution.

Culture and Sports Minister Limor Livnat, of Likud, supported the walkout.

«Give him all due respect, but the president of the [European] Parliament stands here and says a blatant lie as though Israelis have the right to use 70 cubic liters of water and the Palestinians 17 cubic liters,» she said. «That is a blatant lie. This speech will be spread all around the world as though this is true. When he says these things, and in German yet, it’s no wonder that Knesset members and ministers are objecting to these comments.»

Schulz also said settlement construction was «a stumbling block to a solution» and that the blockade of Gaza causes a desperation that «helps the extremist people in the area, and it might lead to greater insecurity.»

The European Parliament chief also condemned «rocket attacks on the innocent,» praised Israel’s «values of freedom and democracy,» and said there was no economic boycott of Israel.

«The European Union will always stand at the side of the State of Israel,» Schulz said. «As for the economic boycott, there is no boycott, and I can tell you that such a boycott is not being considered.»

Netanyahu said this was an important point.

«He opposes a European boycott of Israel. That is an important statement,» said Netanyahu. «The second thing is that he is in favor of scientific cooperation between Israel and Europe. I am sure that’s something we all agree on.»

Source: Buenos Aires Herald

Military plane crashes in eastern Algeria, more than 100 dead

Felipe Feb 13, 2014

A military transport plane carrying relatives of members of the armed forces crashed in eastern Algeria killing more than 100 people, while one passenger is said to have survived the impact.

The plane crashed in a mountainous area in the Oum El Bouaghi province, about 500 km (300 miles) from the capital Algiers, the report said.

Sources from the Civil Protection service subsequently reported that one person had survived the impact, while 75 bodies had already been recovered.

A senior military official told the official APS news agency that 99 passengers and four crew members had been on board the plane, but that the death toll was «yet to be determined».

Colonel Lahmadi Bouguern also said that bad weather and gusty winds were probably the cause of the crash.

The transport plane took off from Algeria’s southern Tamanrasset province and was bound for the eastern city of Constantine, APS said.

Today’s plane crash could be the worst in Algeria since 2003 when an Air Algerie jet crashed shortly after takeoff from Tamanrasset, killing 102 people.

Source: Buenos Aires Herald

Crystal meth worth £100million smuggled by drug barons into Australia inside kayaks is seized by police

Felipe Feb 12, 2014

Australian police discovered £99millon worth of crystal meth, which had been hidden in more than a dozen sea kayaks, at a Sydney warehouse.

Customs and Border Protection found approximately 400lbs (183kg) of methamphetamine which had been contained in a shipment of kayaks from China to Sydney, Australian Federal Police said.
Five people have been charged after 19 of the 27 kayaks shipped in a sealed container were found to contain drugs with an estimated street value of A$180million.

Police arranged the shipment to be delivered to a storage facility in Hillsdale, Sydney, where the substance returned a positive reading for methamphetamine, also known as crystal meth.
Four people – three men aged 35, 30 and 21, and one woman, aged 28 – all Taiwanese nationals, were taken into custody by Australian Federal police after they attempted to access the kayaks to retrieve the concealed substance.

Further investigations resulted in the arrest of 32-year-old man at his Kensington residence. It will be alleged in court that this man was involved in the facilitation of the container.
Australian Customs and Border Protection Service’s Regional Director NSW, Tim Fitzgerald, said the arrests are a combined effort by ACBPS and the AFP.
‘No matter the concealment, Customs and Border Protection has the technologies and systems to identify attempts to breach the border,’ Mr Fitzgerald said.

‘By working with the Australian Federal Police, we have again stopped criminals seeking to damage our communities.’
AFP Manager Sydney Office Ray Johnson said this seizure is another example of collaborative efforts of law enforcement.
‘This is a great example of authorities working together to identify and disrupt criminals who are seeking to import drugs into Australia,’ Commander Johnson said.
‘The AFP and its partner agencies will continue to stop these harmful drugs from reaching our streets and affecting our neighbourhoods and communities.’

The AFP through its International Network is liaising with its law enforcement partners in China and Taiwan as part of ongoing investigations into this matter.
The 32 year-old Kensington man and the woman were each charged with one count of attempt to import a commercial quantity of a border controlled drug, and the Taiwanese men were each charged with one count of possessing a commercial quantity of a border controlled drug.
All five people were refused bail after appearing in Sydney Central Local Court on Wednesday, and will return to court in April.
The maximum penalty for these offences is life imprisonment.

Source: Buenos Aires HERald

Yellen says labour market hasn’t recovered yet

Felipe Feb 12, 2014

Federal Reserve Chair Janet Yellen said today the US central bank was on track to keep reducing its policy stimulus, even as she acknowledged the labor market recovery was «far from complete.»

In her first public comments as Fed chief, Yellen said the central bank would need to keep its eye on a broad range of labor market indicators, not just the unemployment rate, as it continued to assess the health of the jobs market.

Yellen, in testimony prepared for delivery to a congressional committee, nodded to the recent volatility in global financial markets, but said at this stage it does «not pose a substantial risk to the US economic outlook.»

She emphasized continuity in the Fed’s policy strategy, saying she strongly supports the approach driven by her predecessor, Ben Bernanke. Under Bernanke, the Fed bought trillions of dollars worth of bonds to drive long-term borrowing costs lower. In December, it started to scale back its latest asset purchase program.

While the US unemployment rate has fallen by 1.5 percentage points since the latest bond-buying program began in September of 2012, at 6.6 percent the rate remains «well above levels» the Fed sees as consistent with maximum sustainable employment, Yellen said.

«(T)he recovery in the labor market is far from complete,» she told the House Financial Services Committee.

Encouraged by momentum in the economy last year, the Fed has trimmed asset purchases twice since December; it now buys $65 billion in Treasuries and mortgage bonds each month.

Yellen said the Fed will «likely reduce the pace of asset purchases in further measured steps at future meetings» if economic data broadly supports policymakers’ expectation of improved labor markets and a rise in inflation.

She said, however, the purchases are not on a pre-set course, repeating the Fed’s policy line.

«It’s very obvious she is working from the same playbook as Bernanke,» said Tom Porcelli, chief U.S. economist at RBC Capital Markets in New York. «The Fed will continue cut its bond purchases by $10 billion at each policy meeting the rest of the year.»

Source: Buenos AIres Herald

Faltering start to second round of Syria talk; 450 evacuated from Homs

Felipe Feb 11, 2014

A second round of Syria peace talks got off to a shaky start today with the international mediator meeting the two sides separately after violations of a local ceasefire and an Islamist offensive set back his efforts.

Ahead of the talks, mediator Lakhdar Brahimi told delegates to commit first to discussing both ending the fighting and setting up a transitional government.

The government side said combating «terrorism» – its catchall term for the revolt – should be agreed first. In a further bad sign, Brahimi cancelled a planned news conference.

During the first round of talks in nearly three years of civil war last month, Brahimi had tried to break down mistrust by focusing on agreeing a truce for a single city, Homs.

A three-day pause only began on Friday, and aid workers were fired upon as they evacuated civilians on Saturday.

The Syrian Red Crescent said 450 more people had been evacuated today, taking the total to leave the city after more than a year under government siege to around 1,100, and the UN said the truce would be extended through Wednesday.

The UN World Food Programme underlined how far there was to go. «The old city of Homs is just one of 40 besieged communities in Syria. Altogether a quarter of a million people have been cut off from humanitarian aid for months,» it said.

Attempts to draw up a draft Security Council resolution to increase access for humanitarian aid in Syria suffered a setback in New York when Russia and China failed to attend negotiations, in a rebuff to the United States, Britain and Freance.

A letter from Brahimi given to the delegates over the weekend said the new round aimed to tackle the issues of stopping violence, setting up a transitional governing body, and plans for national institutions and reconciliation.

It included a plea: «Will the two sides … contribute even at a minimum, toward lessening the manifestations of violence, stopping the use of certain weapons and reaching ceasefires in some areas, even for a short period?»

The opposition says a transitional governing body must exclude President Bashar al-Assad. The government says it will not discuss his leaving power.

A deep split in the international community over the conflict has entrenched those positions. In a clear bid to overcome that, the UN said Brahimi would meet US and Russian officials on Friday.

Source: Buenos Aires Herald

Hallan a la estrella más ‘vieja’ del Universo

Felipe Feb 10, 2014

Astrónomos australianos indicaron que la estrella tiene 13 mil 600 millones de años y se formó sólo unos doscientos millones de años después del Big Bang.

Astrónomos australianos anunciaron el domingo el descubrimiento de una estrella de 13 mil 600 millones de años, lo que la convierte en la estrella más antigua jamás antes vista.

Este cuerpo celeste se formó «sólo» unos doscientos millones de años después del Big Bang, al origen del nacimiento del universo, según los expertos.

Las estrellas que hasta ahora aspiraban al título de la más antigua del universo – dos cuerpos identificados por equipos europeos y estadunidenses respectivamente en 2007 y 2013 – tienen alrededor 13 mil 200 millones de años.

En términos cósmicos, esta estrella «Matusalén» está relativamente cerca de nosotros, según Stefan Keller de la Universidad Nacional de Australia.

Se encuentra en nuestra propia galaxia, la Vía Láctea, a una distancia de unos 6 mil años luz de la Tierra. Esta estrella está catalogada como SMSS J031300.36-670839.3.

«Lo que muestra que esta estrella es tan antigua es la ausencia completa de cualquier nivel detectable de hierro en el espectro de luz que emerge de la estrella», dijo Keller.

El Big Bang dio origen a un universo lleno de hidrógeno, helio y trazas de litio, explicó el científico.

Todos los demás elementos que vemos hoy se forjaron en las estrellas, que nacen en nubes de gas y polvo, legados por las supernovas – enormes estrellas que estallan al final de su vida.

Este proceso de reciclaje sin fin ha dado una herramienta interesante para los astrofísicos.

Una forma de determinar la edad estelar es el hierro. Cuanto menor es el contenido de hierro en el espectro de la luz de una estrella, más antigua es.

«El nivel de hierro del Universo aumenta con el tiempo, mientras que las sucesivas generaciones de estrellas se forman y mueren», explica Keller.

«Podemos utilizar el nivel de hierro de una estrella como un ‘reloj’ que nos indica cuándo se formó la estrella», agrega.

«En el caso de la estrella que hemos identificado, la cantidad de hierro presente es menor de una millonésima parte de la del sol y un factor de al menos 60 veces menos que cualquier otra estrella conocida. Esto indica que nuestra estrella es la más antigua jamás encontrada», explicó.

Esta estrella fue descubierta con el telescopio «SkyMapper» de la Universidad Nacional de Australia, que está llevando a cabo una investigación de cinco años de los cielos del sur.

Esta Matusalén fue creada a partir de material cósmico de una supernova de baja energía, según el documento, publicado en la revista británica Nature.

Fuente: Milenio

Civiles armados toman un bastión narco en México

Felipe Feb 10, 2014

Grupos de autodefensas que han expulsado al Cartel de los Caballeros Templarios de varios poblados del occidente de México ingresaron el sábado a la ciudad de Apatzingán, controlada por los narcotraficantes y trabajaban con fuerzas del gobierno para desalojar a los narcos, dijo un líder de las milicias. Un periodista de AP vio ayer a decenas de miembros de las autodefensas, que portaban camisetas blancas para identificarse, mientras ingresaban a Apatzingán en camionetas. La ciudad de 100.000 habitantes en el estado de Michoacán llevaba varios años bajo control de este cartel.

“Son las fuerzas federales en coordinación con algunos grupos de autodefensa’’, dijo el líder Hipólito Mora a AP por teléfono desde el centro de Apatzingán. “Otros muchachos de grupos de autodefensa que andan (alrededor de la ciudad) y están cooperando con el gobierno federal”. El control de los Templarios solía ser tan completo que hubiera sido impensable que ningún rival ingresara a Apatzingán. Con frecuencia viajaban en vehículos marcados con una cruz roja y patrocinaban manifestaciones en las que exhortaban a la policía a salir de la ciudad.

El cartel dice ser una orden mística cristiana dedicada a proteger a la población de las fuerzas armadas y de la policía. Operaba “escuelas de entrenamiento’’, incluida una en Apatzingán, donde se impartían cursos de liderazgo acompañados por una mezcla de religiones asiáticas y el catolicismo en los que se mostraba a los integrantes del grupo como hombres honorables. Sus miembros no sólo vivían del contrabando de metanfetamina y marihuana, además de la extorsión, sino que también controlaban la economía local.

A fines del mes pasado el gobierno de México legalizó el cada vez mayor movimiento de autodefensas en Michoacán y dijo que los incorporarían a unidades militares llamadas Cuerpos de Defensa Rural. Las autodefensas dicen contar con unos 20.000 hombres armados y comenzaron a formarse en febrero pasado para combatir el reinado de los Caballeros Templarios después de que la policía y el ejército no lograron detener los abusos.

Fuente: Clarín

Corea del Norte está lista para el cuarto ensayo nuclear

Felipe Feb 10, 2014

Corea del Norte está preparada para su cuarta prueba nuclear aunque nada indica que se lleve a cabo en un futuro inmediato, declaró hoy el ministro de Defensa surcoreano, Kim Kwan-jin.

Al intervenir este lunes en el Parlamento, Kim Kwan-jin señaló que el régimen norcoreano “parece haber concluido los preparativos para realizar una prueba nuclear en el polígono de Punggye-ri”.
El ministro, citado por la agencia Yonhap, dijo sin embargo que no hay indicios de que este ensayo sea inminente.
También mencionó que Corea del Norte dio una serie de “pasos iniciales” para el lanzamiento de misiles de largo alcance desde el polígono de Tongchang-ri.
Corea del Norte se proclamó potencia nuclear en 2005 y realizó tres pruebas nucleares subterráneas –en 2006, 2009 y 2013– que le valieron sanciones internacionales.

Fuente: http://sp.ria.ru/

El protagonista del increíble naufragio vuelve a El Salvador

Felipe Feb 10, 2014

El salvadoreño que dijo haber pasado más de 13 meses a la deriva en una lancha descubierta de un lado al otro del Océano Pacífico le dio las gracias al pueblo de las Islas Marshall por haber cuidado de él y dijo que se sentía «muy bien» antes de partir el lunes de regreso a casa.

El propio presidente de Islas Marshall, Christopher Loeak, acudió al aeropuerto de Majuro, la capital, a despedirlo.

«Gracias por su apoyo y el apoyo de su pueblo», dijo en voz baja José Salvador Alvarenga, de 37 años, hablando en español. Ya afeitado y caminando sin ayuda en el aeropuerto, agregó: «Estoy muy bien».

Unas 50 personas —entre autoridades, voluntarios, periodistas y otros— se congregaron en el aeropuerto para la despedida. Estaba volando primero a Hawái y luego a El Salvador, donde se reunirá con su familia.

Acompañado por Diego Dalton, un funcionario de la embajada de El Salvador en Japón, dijo que la gente de las Islas Marshall «fueron muy buenas» con él y los llamó «mis buenos amigos».

La primera vez que Alvarenga apareció en público hace una semana, cuando saludó a cientos de simpatizantes en Majuro, tenía un aspecto tan vivaz que muchos pusieron en duda su relato.

Sin embargo, lució mucho más débil el jueves durante una breve aparición pública en un hotel y tuvo que ser asistido en la sala por dos personas, mientras que otros estuvieron cerca, dispuestos a ayudar de ser necesario.

Su familia en El Salvador ha hablado con él por teléfono desde que se conoció su aventura. Su hija de 14 años, Fátima, dijo la semana pasada que no recuerda haber visto a su padre nunca, pues él salió de El Salvador cuando la menor tenía un año de edad.

Alvarenga apareció en las costas de las Islas Marshall a fines del mes pasado y contó su asombrosa historia de supervivencia.

Durante su recuperación de dos semanas en un hospital y un hotel de Majuro, Alvarenga dijo a las autoridades que zarpó de la costa del sur de México a fines de 2012 con otro pescador, quien murió después, cuando una tormenta los sacó de curso.

Aseguró que navegó a la deriva por 10.500 kilómetros (6.500 millas) y que sobrevivió comiendo tortugas, peces y aves.

Fuente: LA Voz

UN chief confident Syria can meet chemical weapons deadline

Felipe Feb 7, 2014

United Nations Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon said today he was confident Syria would meet a June 30 deadline to eliminate its entire chemical weapons program under a US-Russian plan.

Syria has missed a February 5 deadline to hand over its stockpile of chemical weapons, prompting fears it could fail to fulfill on time the plan which helped avert a U.S.-led missile strike against President Bashar al-Assad’s government.
«About these chemical weapons, I believe the process has been moving on rather smoothly even though there have been some delays,» Ban told reporters after addressing a meeting of the International Olympic Committee in the Russian city of Sochi.
«Our target is June 30 this year. This may be a very tight target, but I believe that it can be done with the full support of the Syrian government,» said Ban, who will attend the opening of the Winter Olympics in Sochi tomorrow.
The agreement on the destruction of Syria’s chemical weapons was reached after a sarin gas attack near Damascus last year killed hundreds of civilians.
Damascus blames delays in implementation of the plan on security problems and the threat of rebel attacks as the weapons are transported out of Syria.
The Syrian government has requested additional armor and communications equipment but the United States and the United Nations, which is jointly overseeing the destruction program with the Organisation for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons, has said Syria has sufficient equipment to carry out the plan.
Ban, who called for a truce in Syria during the Olympics, said he had received promises over the plan’s fulfillment from Syrian Foreign Minister Walid al-Moualem last week during talks in Geneva.
«He assured me that this chemical weapons destruction process will continue as scheduled,» said Ban.

Source: Buenos Aires Herald

Syria misses deadline to hand over all critical chemicals

Felipe Feb 6, 2014

Syria today missed a deadline to hand over all the toxic materials it declared to the world’s chemical weapons watchdog, putting the program several weeks behind schedule and jeopardizing a final June 30 deadline.

Under a deal reached in October between Russia and the United States, which helped avert a US-led missile strike against the regime of President Bashar Al-Assad, Syria agreed to give up its entire stockpile of chemical weapons by February 5.
Russia said yesterday its ally Damascus would ship more chemicals soon, but Western diplomats said they saw no indications that further shipments were pending.
Syria has said it would submit a handover timetable to the Organisation for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons (OPCW), which won the Nobel Peace Prize last year, but gave no indication of when that would happen.
There have been no additional shipments since January 27 and the latest deadline was missed, said OPCW spokesman Michael Luhan. «It’s a status quo until we get this plan.»
Syria had already missed a December 31 deadline to relinquish the most poisonous chemical agents, including mustard gas and sarin precursors.
So far, Syria has transported slightly more than four percent of the 1,300 metric tons it reported to the OPCW. The two small shipments of chemicals are being stored on a Danish vessel in the Mediterranean.
Under the US-Russian agreement, prompted by a sarin gas attack near Damascus that killed hundreds of civilians, Syria has until June 30, or another five months, to completely eliminate its chemical weapons program.
Washington blames the poison attacks on the Al-Assad regime and threatened military retaliation.
Damascus has blamed the delay on security problems and the threat of attacks by rebels on road transports to the northern port of Latakia. It has requested additional armor and communications equipment.
But the United States and the United Nations, which is jointly overseeing the destruction program with the OPCW, said last week Syria has all the equipment it needs to carry out the operation and should proceed as quickly as possible.
The next major deadline is March 31, by when the most toxic substances are supposed to be destroyed outside Syria, on a special U.S. cargo vessel, the MV Cape Ray.
Tomorrow, the head of the joint mission, Sigrid Kaag, will brief the United Nations about the operation in New York.

Source: Buenos aires Herald

Global equities edge up, gold firm after jobs, services data

Felipe Feb 6, 2014

Global equity markets edged higher as US services sector data that showed a pickup in growth was offset by a weaker-than-expected US private jobs report, while gold prices firmed.

The mixed data left investors uncertain over the pace of the US recovery and Wall Street stocks lower, adding to a recent slide that investors speculate could be part of a long-awaited correction.
Markets have been volatile in recent weeks on concerns about demand and turmoil in emerging market currencies.
Calmer markets in vulnerable emerging nations like Turkey, South Africa and Russia helped to offset some of the market jitters, along with Markit’s euro zone Composite PMI, which showed the 18-member bloc’s recovery becoming increasingly broad-based.
The Dow Jones industrial average was off its lows, down 7.35 points, or 0.05 percent, at 15,437.89. The Standard & Poor’s 500 Index was down 4.07 points, or 0.23 percent, at 1,751.13. The Nasdaq Composite Index was down 17.69 points, or 0.44 percent, at 4,013.83.
A global equity index was up 0.1 percent, as was an index of European shares. MSCI’s emerging markets index was down just 0.15 percent.
Benchmark 10-year Treasuries yields were just above 2.65 percent, after falling from more than 3 percent at the beginning of the year as investors flee emerging market assets and stocks tumble, increasing the safe-haven demand for US government debt. The 10-year US Treasury note was down 11/32 in price, the yield at 2.6639 percent.
In the foreign exchange market, a dollar index briefly rose to session highs after the ISM data. The dollar index, which measures the greenback against a basket of major currencies, touched a session high of 81.240 before slipping back into negative territory at 81.054, down 0.08 percent on the day.
Spot gold rose as much as 1.5 percent to a session high of $1,273.26 an ounce after the US data. It was last up 0.3 percent at $1,257.80.
Oil prices edged higher. A US industry report showed lower inventories and robust heating fuel demand due to cold weather in the United States.
The American Petroleum Institute’s report on Tuesday showed crude stocks at the Cushing, Oklahoma, hub fell by 1.6 million barrels last week and distillates by 1.5 million barrels. Distillates include heating oil.
Brent crude was up 45 cents at $106.23 and US crude was up 14 cents to $97.33.
Upbeat economic data helped European shares break a three-day run of losses, offsetting some unconvincing company earnings and jitters about emerging markets.
Overnight trading in Asia had been mixed despite a rebound on Wall Street, but January purchasing manager index data helped settle European nerves before the European Central Bank’s monthly meeting on Thursday.
The pan-regional FTSEurofirst 300 was up 0.4 percent after the data. Outperforming Italy, Spain and Portugal bolstered gains of 0.4, 0.3 and 0.2 percent in London, Paris and Frankfurt.
The Nikkei average rose 1.2 percent in a volatile session today, rebounding from a four-month low as investors scooped up recently battered stocks such as Panasonic and Toyota Motor following strong earnings reports.
The Nikkei ended 171.91 points higher at 14,180.38 after briefly dropping to 13,995.86 in afternoon trade, the lowest intraday level since Oct. 8.

Source: Buenos Aires Herald

Maduro amenaza con expropiar empresas que violen precios

Chiara Feb 5, 2014

“Estoy dispuesto a hacer una revolución económica total, absoluta, radical, de respeto al pueblo y nada ni nadie me va a detener”, sostuvo el presidente.
El presidente de Venezuela, Nicolás Maduro, dio hoy plazo hasta el lunes para que las empresas productoras regulen sus precios, dentro de su ofensiva para contener la inflación, advirtiendo que expropiará y confiscará unidades que violen las leyes para entregarlas al pueblo.

«Estoy dispuesto a hacer una revolución económica total, absoluta, radical, de respeto al pueblo y nada ni nadie me va a detener. Pido el apoyo de pueblo y de la Fuerza Armada», dijo.

Maduro anunció que en la nueva ofensiva del gobierno la fuerza pública supervisará el respeto a la Ley de Precios, Costos y Ganancias Justas, que aprobó por sus poderes especiales para legislar, y advirtió que aplicará las «medidas más severas que se tengan que aplicar».

«Vamos a fondo, muy a fondo. He llamado a los sectores económicos del país a la producción, al trabajo honesto, a la autorregulación de los productos y los precios. Quiero decir que les doy hasta el lunes. Si después del lunes encontramos unidades económicas violando la ley de precios justos, voy a tomar las medidas más radicales que haya que tomar para que el pueblo entre a esas unidades a producir», dijo.

En un acto para conmemorar los 22 años del fracasado golpe de Estado que encabezó el fallecido presidente Hugo Chávez en 1992, Maduro advirtió a los empresarios que no subestimen la fuerza de su gobierno.

Maduro viene aplicando un plan para contener la inflación, con apoyo de nuevas leyes y la fuerza pública en las calles supervisando que las empresas vendan a precios justos.
La ofensiva oficial se amplió desde el mes pasado, mientras la inflación escaló a 56,2 por ciento en 2013, la mayor parte en el área de alimentos, y el desabastecimiento en los mercados alcanzó niveles nunca vistos.

«Si hay que expropiar, vamos a expropiar a quien tengamos que hacerlo para defender a nuestro pueblo. También confiscar», recalcó Maduro, quien recordó el gobierno de Chávez que en 2007 comenzó una política de expropiaciones en los sectores de petróleo, cemento, luz eléctrica y alimentos.

En el acto en el llamado Cuartel de la Montaña, donde reposan los restos de Chávez, quien murió hace 11 meses, el gobernante pidió el apoyo del pueblo y de la Fuerza Armada para aplicar las leyes, que limitan las ganancias de los empresarios.

Dijo que fue detenido un comerciante en una región de la frontera con Colombia, al que le incautaron toneladas de alimentos y productos que iba a contrabandear, por lo que anunció que será acusado por un cargo que prevé 14 años de cárcel, según la nueva ley.

«Ahí tenemos a la Fuerza Armada desplegada. Por mil caminos en la frontera. El jueves vamos a tener una cumbre con ministros colombianos contra el contrabando. Vamos a anunciar medidas para un plan de choque, de tenaza contra los contrabandistas», señaló Maduro.

Agregó que los empresarios tienen plazo hasta el lunes para bajar los precios y ajustarse a la ley, la cual prevé una ganancia máxima de 30 por ciento en todos los sectores.

«Todo lo que descubramos del lunes en adelante, aplicaremos las medidas más severas», reiteró.

Fuente: Dpa.

Ukraine’s Yanukovich to return, opposition demands change

Felipe Feb 4, 2014

Ukraine’s embattled president Viktor Yanukovich announced he would return to work after four days’ sick leave, as protesters filled Kiev’s main square demanding he give up power.

Opposition leaders, addressing the crowd on their return home from meeting European and US officials, said they hoped for international mediation in negotiations with the government and for constitutional change to limit presidential power.
Calling for a complete change of leadership after weeks of crisis that have divided the country and set the West against Yanukovich’s Russian allies, opposition figures who attended a security conference in Munich told supporters they would secure international economic aid if they were able to take power.
Yanukovich, who angered opponents in November by spurning a trade pact with the European Union and turning instead to Moscow for financial support, announced on Thursday he was on sick leave and has not been seen in public since.
Critics saw in that a tactic to deflect pressure for political compromise. On Friday, he signed legislation revoking unpopular new restrictions on protest meetings that has, however, failed to appease opponents who are demanding the release of dozens of people arrested in recent weeks.
A presidential statement said Yanukovich planned to return to work tomorrow after an acute respiratory infection: «After undergoing required treatment, the president of Ukraine feels well and his health is satisfactory,» it quoted a state medical official, Oleksandr Orda, as saying.

Source: Buenos Aires Herald

Philip Seymour Hoffman dead after possible overdose

Felipe Feb 4, 2014

Actor Philip Seymour Hoffman, who won an Academy Award for the film «Capote,» was found dead in his New York City apartment in what a police source described as an apparent drug overdose.

Hoffman, 46, was found unresponsive on the bathroom floor of his Greenwich Village apartment by police responding to an emergency 911 call, and Emergency Medical Service workers declared him dead on the scene, the New York City Police Department said in a statement. An investigation was ongoing.
The New York Times, citing a law enforcement official, said investigators found a syringe in Hoffman’s arm and an envelope containing what was believed to be heroin.
A police department source told Reuters that Hoffman had died of an apparent drug overdose.
Hoffman, who is survived by three children with his partner Mimi O’Donnell, had detailed his struggles with substance abuse in the past.
«We are devastated by the loss of our beloved Phil and appreciate the outpouring of love and support we have received from everyone,» Hoffman’s family said in a statement issued through his publicist this afternoon.
«This is a tragic and sudden loss and we ask that you respect our privacy during this time of grieving. Please keep Phil in your thoughts and prayers,» it added. A representative said the family would not make any further statements at this time.
Born in upstate New York near Rochester, Hoffman won the best actor Oscar for the 2005 biographical film «Capote,» in which he played writer Truman Capote. He also received three Academy Award nominations as best supporting actor, for «The Master» in 2013, «Doubt» in 2009 and «Charlie Wilson’s War» in 2008.
After more than a dozen earlier roles, Hoffman burst onto the film scene in 1997’s «Boogie Nights,» in which he played a lovelorn gay man, in the movie about the porn industry that helped make Mark Wahlberg a star.

Soruce: Buenos Aires Herald

83 killed as Syrian forces bomb Aleppo

Felipe Feb 4, 2014

Syrian military helicopters dropped more improvised «barrel bombs» on the northern city of Aleppo today, a monitoring group said, bringing the death toll to at least 83 people in the latest episode of a campaign many consider a war crime.

Most of the victims killed since Friday have been civilians from the city’s eastern districts, including women and children, according to the British-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, which has a broad network of sources across Syria.
The use of barrel bombs – oil drums or cylinders packed with explosives and metal fragments – has drawn international condemnation, including from Syria’s opposition delegation and their Western backers at recent peace talks in Switzerland.
The first round of negotiations wound up on Friday without making progress towards ending Syria’s three-year civil war or reducing its violence, which regularly kills more than 100 people every day.
Western powers proposed a UN Security Council resolution in December to express outrage at the use of barrel bombs, which they say indiscriminately target innocent civilians. The weapons have killed well over 700 people in Syria in the past six weeks.
But Russia, a staunch ally of President Bashar al-Assad, has repeatedly blocked such plans in the Security Council.
Syrian authorities say they are battling rebels controlling large portions of Aleppo, once Syria’s business hub and largest city, which is now split between government and rebel forces.
The Observatory said there was «heavy congestion» at a checkpoint in a southwestern neighbourhood after the government closed it to traffic, preventing residents from fleeing the bombardment and related clashes further east.
The military also used barrel bombs in the suburbs of the capital Damascus over the weekend and carried out traditional shelling and air strikes in several other cities and villages around the country, the Observatory and other activists said.
Their reports could not be independently confirmed.

Source: Buenos Aires Herald

Revelan quiénes recibirán la herencia de Nelson Mandela

Felipe Feb 3, 2014

El testamento del líder sudafricano fue dado a conocer hoy; su patrimonio era de unos 4 millones de dólares

JOHANNESBURGO.- El ex presidente sudafricano y líder anti-apartheid Nelson Mandela dejó una herencia valorada en 46 millones de rands (4,1 millones de dólares), anunciaron hoy los custodios de su testamento, en una conferencia de prensa en donde dieron algunos detalles sobre los destinatarios de ese dinero.

Mandela, que falleció el pasado 5 de diciembre a los 95 años, redactó su testamento el 12 de octubre de 2004, e hizo su última enmienda al texto en 2008.

Mandela legó principalmente su patrimonio a su familia, sus colaboradores más cercanos a las escuelas donde estudió y al Congreso Nacional Africano (ANC), su partido, actualmente en el gobierno.

La cifra sobre la herencia de Mandela es estimativa, ya que excluye los beneficios derivados de los derechos de imagen, explicó el juez Dikgang Moseneke, uno de los tres custodios del testamento, de 40 páginas.

El ex abogado y amigo íntimo de Mandela, George Bizos, y el juez Themba Sangoni son los otros dos encargados de administrar el testamento, y comparecieron junto a Moseneke en la conferencia de prensa, celebrada en la sede de la Fundación Mandela.

PARA LA FAMILIA

Moseneke precisó que Mandela estaba casado con su tercera y última esposa, Graça Machel, con quien se casó a los 80 años, en sociedad de bienes gananciales.

Machel tiene, por tanto, derecho a un 50 por ciento de la herencia, y dispone legalmente de un período de 90 días para decidir si ejerce ese derecho, aunque ya confirmó que renuncia a él.

En tanto, sus tres propiedades fueron legadas a la fundación familiar «Nelson Rohlilala Mandela Family Trust», entre ellas la casa en la que está enterrado en Qunu, en el sur de Sudáfrica, y la de Johannesburgo, donde recibió cuidados médicos en el barrio acomodado de Houghton.

«Mi deseo es que sirva también de lugar de reunión de la familia Mandela para mantener su unidad mucho tiempo después de mi muerte», escribió el líder en sus últimas voluntades.

Nelson Mandela, fallecido el 5 de diciembre y enterrado diez días después de su aldea natal, tiene más de 30 hijos, nietos y bisnietos de sus dos primeros matrimonios.

Según Mosoneke, ningún miembro del clan puso objeciones al testamento, que fue sacado a la luz para dotar al proceso de «total transparencia», según el propio juez.

La familia Mandela mostró públicamente sus divisiones en los últimos años, especialmente entre su nieto Mandla, primer heredero varón según la costumbre xhosa, y su hija mayor, Makaziwe.

El legado de Mandela incluye también una poderosa marca política y moral que algunos de sus nietos y bisnietos ya han utilizado para comercializar desde ropa hasta un «reality» de televisión.

Algunos de sus nietos han lanzado una línea de gorras y camisetas con su imagen bajo la marca «Long Walk to Freedom» -como la autobiografía de Mandela- y dos de sus nietas que viven en Estados Unidos protagonizaron un «reality» de televisión llamado «Siendo Mandela».

Agencias EFE, AFP y Reuters.

Náufrago mexicano hallado en Islas Marshall

Felipe Feb 3, 2014

El náufrago mexicano que afirmó haber estado a la deriva durante varios meses en el Océano Pacífico hasta llegar a un pequeño atolón de las Islas Marshall comenzó este domingo un largo periplo de regreso a su país.

“Estoy muy lejos. No sé dónde estoy, ni qué fue lo que pasó”
José Iván, el nombre con el que se identificó el náufrago, fue recogido este domingo en el apartado atolón coralino de Ebon, al sur del archipiélago, por una lancha patrullera de la armada local que lo trasladará durante la jornada hacia la capital, Majuro, donde llegará como muy pronto el lunes por la mañana tras un trayecto estimado en unas 18 horas.
En Majuro será sometido a exámenes médicos antes de comenzar los trámites necesarios para su repatriación.
«¡Quiero regresar a México!», dijo José Iván por radio a la intérprete Magui Vaca en su primer diálogo con una persona de habla española, tras haber estado más de un año a la deriva en una pequeña embarcación de fibra de vidrio de 24 pies (unos 7 metros) de eslora, cuyos motores se quedaron sin hélices.
«¡Me siento mal!», señaló el náufrago a Vaca refiriéndose a su estado físico y mental. «Estoy muy lejos. No sé dónde estoy, ni qué fue lo que pasó», añadió.
José Iván explicó que había zarpado de México el 24 de diciembre de 2012 para pescar tiburones, por lo que el tiempo que estuvo perdido en alta mar sería de poco más de 13 meses y no los 16 que se mencionaron en un principio, tras ser rescatado el jueves.
Por el momento, no han quedado claros los motivos por los que quedó a la deriva ni tampoco cómo murió, meses atrás, un hombre que lo acompañaba en la embarcación.
Según la intérprete, José Iván está muy confundido y no puede decir qué ocurrió durante estos meses pasados en pleno océano.
«Se siente un poco desesperado y quiere volver a México, pero no sabe cómo», agregó la intérprete.
Cuando dos habitantes del atolón Ebon lo rescataron del mar, el jueves, llevaba solamente un calzoncillo hecho jirones, tenía el cabello muy largo y barba abundante, y no podía caminar por sus propios medios.
El náufrago explicó mediante dibujos que sobrevivió comiendo tortugas, aves y peces que atrapaba con sus manos, y que bebía la sangre de las tortugas cuando no llovía.
«Ha sido difícil poder comunicarnos», había dicho el sábado por teléfono a la AFP Ione de Brum, alcaldesa del pequeño atolón de Ebon, con quien José Iván intercambió dibujos.
Vaca, por su parte, se encontraba a bordo de un yate en Majuro, a unas 200 millas marinas (unos 320 kilómetros) al norte de Ebon, y se comunicó por radio con José Iván antes de que éste se embarcase en la patrullera que lo traslada hacia la capital.
El proceso de repatriación
El secretario de Relaciones Exteriores del archipiélago, Gee Leong Bing, indicó que en cuanto José Iván llegue a la capital se verificarán sus datos y se contactará con las autoridades mexicanas para comenzar el proceso de repatriación.
La Autoridad Nacional de Telecomunicaciones de las Islas Marshall (NTA), junto a responsables del Mieco Beach Yacht Club del archipiélago, pusieron en contacto por radio a la intérprete y a José Iván, quien por primera vez en varios meses pudo mantener una conversación inteligible con otra persona.
Sin embargo, el diálogo se vio complicado por interferencias en la comunicación por radio. Además el único teléfono que hay en el atolón Ebon, que cuenta con unos 700 habitantes, quedó fuera de servicio, y en el islote coralino no hay servicio de Internet, por lo que la radio fuer la única manera de comunicarse.
Entre México y las Marshall, en Micronesia, un poco al norte del ecuador terrestre, hay más de 12,500 km de distancia. En toda esa extensión del Océano Pacífico prácticamente no existen islas.
En el pasado se han registrado casos similares de supervivencia en alta mar.
El 9 de agosto de 2005, tres pescadores mexicanos partieron de un puerto de la costa del Pacífico en su país y, tras quedarse sin gasolina y averiarse su motor, fueron arrastrados por las corrientes mar adentro.
Más de nueve meses después fueron rescatados por un atunero taiwanés frente a las Islas Marshall. Sobrevivieron comiendo pescado y aves marinas crudas y bebiendo agua de lluvia, que almacenaban en el fondo de su bote, apoyándose moralmente en la lectura de La Biblia.
En 1992, otros dos pescadores de Kiribati, un archipiélago del Pacífico, sobrevivieron 177 días en el mar antes de llegar a Samoa.

Fuente: AFP

Proponen a Snowden para Nobel de la Paz

Felipe Ene 30, 2014

Legisladores noruegos propusieron ayer a Edward Snowden, el ex contratista de la Agencia de Seguridad Nacional (NSA) que reveló el masivo ciberespionaje realizado por Estados Unidos, como candidato oficial al Premio Nobel de la Paz 2014. En contraste, el director nacional de inteligencia estadounidense, James Clapper, exigió a Snowden devolver los documentos secretos que obtuvo en lo que llamó “mayor robo de inteligencia de la historia”.

Los parlamentarios Baard Vegard Solhjell y Snorre Valen, del Partido Izquierdista Socialista noruego, enviaron una carta al Comité Nobel para oficializar la candidatura de Snowden al galardón, concedido a quien haya trabajado en favor de la paz y fraternidad mundial. “No hay duda de que las acciones de Edward Snowden pueden haber dañado los intereses de seguridad de varios países a corto plazo”, dijeron Solhjell y Valen en un comunicado conjunto.

“Pero estamos convencidos de que el debate público y los cambios en política que le han seguido (…) han contribuido a un mundo más pacífico y estable, (con) la transparencia como principio rector”, añadieron. Snowden afronta cargos penales en EU, tras huir el año pasado primero a Hong Kong y luego a Moscú, donde hoy vive asilado.

El plazo para proponer candidatos al galardón, que se entrega cada 10 de diciembre, vence este sábado.

Esta es la segunda nominación de Snowden al Nobel de la Paz, luego de la propuesta de Stefan Svallfors, un catedrático de sociología de la Universidad de Umea, en Suecia, hecha en julio pasado. El galardón fue concedido a la Organización para la Prohibición de las Armas Químicas (OPAQ).

En tanto, Clapper dijo en una audiencia del Senado que como Snowden aseguró que ya ha cumplido su misión debería, junto con “sus cómplices”, devolver “el resto de los documentos robados que aún no se han visto expuestos, para así prevenir más daño a la seguridad de EU”.

Ayer mismo se reportó un ataque de ciberpiratas contra el portal de Angry Birds. La empresa creadora del popular videojuego, Rovio Entertainment Ltd., dijo que la “intromisión fue corregida inmediatamente”. El ciberataque surge días después de las revelaciones de que el videojuego fue usado por agencias de espionaje de EU y Reino Unido.

Fuente: El Universal

Valerie Trierweiler: “Cuando me enteré fue como caer de un rascacielos”.

Felipe Ene 30, 2014

La ex primera dama francesa contó cómo fue enterarse de romance del presidente Hollande con una actriz. Habló con Paris Match, la revista en la que trabaja como periodista.

“Cuando me enteré fue como caer de un rascacielos”. Con esa frase, entre otras explosivas, la ex primera dama de Francia, Valerie Trierweiler, rompió el silencio y contó detalles de su separación con el presidente Francois Hollande a raíz del romance que el mandatario mantendría con la actriz Julie Gayet. Decidió hablar en una entrevista publicada hoy en la revista Paris Match, en la que ella trabaja como periodista.

En la edición de la revista parisina Trierweiler revela que, hasta el momento de enterarse de la noticia publicada por el semanario del corazón Closer, la relación entre el presidente y la actriz Julie Gayet era sólo “un rumor”.

«Evidentemente oía rumores, pero se oían sobre todo el mundo. También sobre mí, continuamente. No les hacía caso. Cuando me enteré, fue como si me hubiera caído de un rascacielos», explicó Trierweiler.

La ex primera dama contó también que la noche previa a que Closer publicara las fotos que hablaban del affaire del presidente, el pasado 10 de enero, Hollande fue a verla y pasaron toda la noche “discutiendo, sin comer ni dormir”. A la mañana siguiente, Trierweiler fue hospitalizada tras sufrir una crisis nerviosa. Tras recuperarse varios días internada, continuó el reposo en un palacio de La Lanterne, propiedad del Estado francés, y luego partió a un viaje humanitario a la India.

En Paris Match, Trierweiler reveló además que fue ella quien decidió que el anuncio de su separación fuera realizado con una declaración unilateral del presidente y no un comunicado conjunto.

«No habrá un comunicado conjunto. Asumirás la responsabilidad», dijo al parecer Trierweiler a Hollande durante un almuerzo, la semana pasada, en el que ambos decidieron los términos de su ruptura.

“Puede parecer extraño, pero para no atravieso un período de crisis. No es la primera ruptura en mi vida. Ésta es violenta porque es mediática», contó. «No lamento nada -agregó-. Lo que viví fue una secuencia de vida extraordinaria que me ha llevado a otra cosa. Voy a retomar mi vida de antes, pero estará enriquecida de una nueva experiencia”.

Fuente: Clarín

Tormenta al sureste de EE.UU. deja más de 12 muertos

Felipe Ene 30, 2014

Al menos doce personas han perdido al vida debido a las bajas temperaturas registradas al suroeste de Estados Unidos.

Según confirmaron las autoridades del país, las fuertes tormentas de nieve no solos afectan las vías, sino también han dejado atrapadas a cientos de personas que no pueden salir de sus hogares o no han podido salir de la autopista.
Entre los fallecidos también se encuentra un bebé de tres meses que era llevado a casa por su madre.

EN LOS HOGARES
Tanto en Misisipi y Atlanta se han registrado problemas con los sistemas de calefacción, lo que perjudica seriamente a los habitantes de la zona.
El Servicio Metereológico de los Estados Unidos señala que las bajas temperaturas continuarán en los próximos días. Se exhorta a las personas a permanecer en sus hogares y no exponerse al peligro.

Fuente: http://diariocorreo.pe/

Virgin Atlantic plane lands safely at UK airport after fault

Felipe Ene 30, 2014

A Virgin Atlantic passenger plane safely carried out a «non-standard» landing at London’s Gatwick airport today after a landing gear problem, with television pictures showing the plane intact and stationary on the runway.

«Virgin Atlantic can confirm that flight VS43 has landed safely back at Gatwick,» the company said in a statement. «Our priority now is to look after our passengers and crew.»

Television pictures showed the aircraft made a slightly bumpy, but otherwise regular landing. Passengers could not yet be seen exiting the plane, which was shown surrounded by emergency service vehicles.

Data on the site and Virgin’s own website showed it had left Gatwick for Las Vegas before turning around shortly after passing the west coast of Britain. The plane was last shown heading back towards Gatwick.

«Flight VS43 (has) returned to London Gatwick due to a technical issue with one of the landing gears,» Virgin Atlantic said in a statement.

Flight tracking site flightradar24.com listed the aircraft as a Boeing 747.

Data on the site and Virgin’s own website showed it had left Gatwick for Las Vegas at 1128 GMT before turning around shortly after passing the west coast of Britain.

Virgin Atlantic is 51 percent owned by its founder, British billionaire Richard Branson and 49 percent owned by US carrier Delta Air Lines.

source: Buenos Aires Herald

Norwegian MP nominates Snowden for Nobel Peace Prize

Felipe Ene 30, 2014

A Norwegian member of parliament has nominated former US National Security Agency contractor Edward Snowden for the 2014 Nobel Peace Prize, arguing that his release of classified documents made the world a safer place.

Baard Vegar Solhjell, a former education and environment minister for the Socialist Left party, said Snowden’s revelations deepened the public’s understanding of the extent to which states spy on their own citizens.

«There is no doubt that the actions of Edward Snowden may have damaged the security interests of several nations in the short term,» Solhjell and fellow MP Snorre Valen said in a joint statement.

«We are, however, convinced that the public debate and changes in policy that have followed in the wake of Snowden’s whistle blowing has contributed to a more peaceful, stable and peaceful world order,» they said.

«His actions have in effect led to the reintroduction of trust and transparency as a leading principle in global security policies.»

Snowden, living in temporary asylum in Russia after disclosing US government secrets on surveillance programs and other activities, faces criminal charges in the United States after fleeing last year first to Hong Kong and then Russia.

Thousands of people around the world are eligible to nominate candidates for the Nobel Peace Prize, including any member of any national assembly. There were 259 nominees for last year’s prize, which was won by the Organisation for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons for its efforts to eliminate Syria’s chemical arsenal.

The Norwegian Nobel Committee will collect nominations for the 2014 prize up to February 1 and finalize its list on March 4, when the committee holds its first meeting of the year and members submit their own nominations. The winner will be announced on October 10.

Source: Buenos Aires Herald

Mayweather bets US$10M on Denver Superbowl victory

Felipe Ene 30, 2014

Reports from the US gambling haven of Las Vegas suggest that boxing superstar Floyd Mayweather has placed 10 million dollars on a Denver Broncos victory in the upcoming Superbowl.

The bet came to light through Twitter account Vegas Gambling Steam, which also gave details on Mayweather’s support for Peyton Manning and the Broncos to overcome the Seattle Seahawks.

«Floyd Mayweather L48hours bet 10.4Million on Broncos -2 (Action with 7 different shops + 4 offshore accts) 8Million in credit», the account detailed in a tweet that quickly went viral, explaining that the boxer had to spread his money around several outlets as no single bookmakers would take such a large sum.

The WBC Super-welterweight champion is known for his extravagant wagers, and often poses alongside the money he plans to bet on sports including NFL, NBA and NCAA events.

In 2013 Mayweather placed 6 million dollars on the Miami Heat to overcome the Indiana Pacers in the NBA semi-finals. The Heat’s victory left the pugilist with winnings of 11m dollars.

Source: Buenos Aires Herald

Elliot CEO slams bondholders’ ‘Bizarre’ judicial proposal

Felipe Ene 29, 2014

Paul Singer, head of Elliot Management Corp., defined as “bizarre”, the bondholders’ offer to resolve judicially the dispute with Argentina over the debt in default from 2001, in a letter sent to investors and published by Bloomberg News.

“The proposal is beyond bizarre and impracticable”, Singer wrote, as he insisted on negotiating directly with the country.

“It is a stunt”, he assured.

Meanwhile, Steve Bruce, spokesman for the Gramecery investment group and hedge fund who were responsible for the proposal, refused to comment on the matter.

During a video interview with the Wall Street Journal on Satuday, Singer described Argentina’s public policy as “horrendous” and stated that he could settle the dispute “in an afternoon.”

On Friday, according to Noticias Argentinas news agency, around 20 international investment funds who own about seven billion dollar in bonds of Argentina’ debt are considering ceding a portion of it back to the hedge funds.

In exchange, according the agreement, the so called ‘Vulture Funds’ who rejected the debt restructuring process in 2005 and 2010 should desist from their demands and enter into the debt swap.

Source; Buenos Aires Herald

Obama willing to bypass US lawmakers and go it alone in key areas

Felipe Ene 29, 2014

US President Barack Obama layed out his strategy for getting around a divided Congress starting with a wage hike for federal contract workers in a State of the Union speech on Tuesday that reflected scaled-back legislative ambitions after a tough year.

Obama made clear clear in his address that he is willing to bypass US lawmakers and go it alone in some areas by announcing a series of executive actions aimed at boosting the middle class, many that do not require congressional approval.

Obama told the Congress that he is eager to work with lawmakers, «but America does not stand still – and neither will I.»

«So wherever and whenever I can take steps without legislation to expand opportunity for more American families, that’s what I’m going to do,» Obama said.

ECONOMY

He announced that he is issuing an executive order to raise the minimum wage to $10.10 an hour for federal contract workers with new contracts. Obama also called on Congress to pass a bill to increase the federal minimum wage for all workers to $10.10 an hour from $7.25 and index that to inflation.

Issuing the order allows the Democratic president to bypass Congress, where Republicans oppose a broad increase in the minimum wage. But liberals felt Obama’s move did not go far enough, arguing that he should have extended the wage hike to existing federal contracts.

Obama also said he is offering a set of «concrete, practical proposals» to speed up economic growth and strengthen the middle class, which he says has lost jobs because of shifts in technology and global competition.

«Today, after four years of economic growth, corporate profits and stock prices have rarely been higher, and those at the top have never done better. But average wages have barely budged. Inequality has deepened. Upward mobility has stalled.»

«The cold, hard fact is that even in the midst of recovery, too many Americans are working more than ever just to get by – let alone get ahead. And too many still aren’t working at all,» Obama added.

To help Americans prepare for retirement, Obama will use executive authority to create a «starter» retirement savings account available through employers. He also wants to drop retirement tax breaks that apply to wealthy Americans already well positioned for retirement and increase the earned income tax credit for people without children.

To strengthen the long-term US fiscal position, Obama committed to paying for new initiatives and supporting more budget deficit reduction. Using his executive authority, Obama will start four more manufacturing innovation institutes this year and wants Congress to create up to 45 more. He also will pursue a trans-Pacific partnership and an agreement with the European Union to boost US exports.

The US President also urged Congress to pass an extension of emergency unemployment insurance. His efforts to get the long-term unemployed back to work will include a meeting this week with leading CEOs, and federal job-training programs will be reviewed to bring them in line with market demands. He also called for bringing outsourced work back to the United States and advocated discrimination protection for women and gays in the workplace.
GUANTANAMO AND MILITARY

Obama said the US prison at Guantanamo Bay, Cuba, should be closed this year. He did not mention plans for troop levels in Afghanistan.

EDUCATION

Obama said another 15,000 schools and 20 million students from kindergarten through 12th grade will have access to high-speed internet service in the next two years as part of his plan to have 99 percent of American students on next-generation connectivity.

Apple, Microsoft, Sprint and Verizon will be part the education-tech push and more partnerships will be announced in coming weeks. He also renewed his call for pre-kindergarten schooling for all 4-year-olds, as well as innovation in preparing students for college and then making college more affordable for them.

GUN CONTROL

The US President said he would continue to work to reduce violence in the United States despite a lack of support in Congress for gun control measures he failed to get passed last year.

«I have seen the courage of parents, students, pastors, and police officers all over this country who say ‘we are not afraid,’ and I intend to keep trying, with or without Congress, to help stop more tragedies from visiting innocent Americans in our movie theaters, shopping malls, or schools,» Obama said.
INMIGRATION

Obama renewed his call for securing US borders, cracking down on those who hire illegal immigrants and offering a path to citizenship, saying such reforms would create thousands of jobs and boost the economy by $1 trillion over two decades.

The US President is trying to recover from a difficult fifth year in office, when immigration and gun control legislation failed to advance in Congress, his healthcare law struggled out of the starting gate, and he appeared uncertain about how to respond to Syria’s civil war.

Source: Buenos Aires Herald

Fiscal de EU abre vía para negociar con Snowden

Felipe Ene 24, 2014

Eric Holder dice que está dispuesto a dialogar con el ex analista de inteligencia si éste admite su responsabilidad en las filtraciones, pero cree que una amnistía es “ir demasiado lejos”.

Washington
El fiscal general de Estados Unidos, Eric Holder, está dispuesto a discutir un arreglo con el ex analista de la Agencia de Seguridad Nacional (NSA), Edward Snowden, pero cree que concederle una amnistía sería “ir demasiado lejos”.

En entrevista con la cadena MSNBC, Holder dijo preferir referirse a Snowden como “el acusado”, en lugar de “el denunciante”, para evitar darle el crédito de destapar irregularidades en la NSA.

Cualquier idea de una amnistía para Snowden del tipo de “que si no hay daño no hay perjuicio” sería “ir demasiado lejos”, aseguró.

Holder dijo que su país “debería entablar conversaciones” con el ex analista en busca de una resolución del caso si éste admite su responsabilidad en la filtración, pero también se negó a calificar a Snowden de “espía”.

Snowden, quien se encuentra exiliado en Rusia y es acusado en EU de espionaje, efectuó desde junio de 2013 una serie de revelaciones al diario británico Guardian sobre los programas de la NSA. El escándalo que esto produjo, desembocó un escrutinio de las prácticas de esa agencia y el compromiso de Washington de revisar tales prácticas.

En respuesta, Snowden dijo que no pretende regresar a EU, porque no tendría la oportunidad de un juicio justo si no modifica la ley que sirvió para inculparlo.

“Es especialmente frustrante porque significa que no hay oportunidad de un juicio justo, y no hay manera de que pueda volver a casa y defenderme ante un jurado”, escribió Snowden, en una sesión de preguntas y respuestas en directo en el sitio web www.freesnowden.is.

Snowden respondió preguntas sobre las condiciones en las que volvería a EU, “quizá cuando el Congreso decida poner fin a los programas (…), reforme esa ley para poder ver un mecanismo que garantice que todos los estadunidenses, sin importar para quien trabajan, tengan un juicio justo”. También calificó de “absurdo” que algunos legisladores de EU lo hayan acusado de revelar los programas de espionaje con la ayuda de Rusia.

A su vez, un estudio del Privacy and Civil Liberties Oversight Board, creado por la Comisión de los atentados del 11 de septiembre de 2001, concluyó en un estudio presentado ayer que el programa de espionaje de metadatos de la NSA “es ilegal” y aporta poco a la lucha contra el terrorismo, por lo que “recomienda que el gobierno cese este programa”.

La NSA “ha demostrado poco valor para proteger a la nación del terrorismo”, afirma la Comisión de cinco personas, cuyo objetivo es determinar si los programas de espionaje violan la vida privada de los estadunidense o respetan sus libertades fundamentales.

El estudio analiza la interpretación que hacen el gobierno del presidente Barack Obama y la NSA del artículo 215 sobre la Ley Patriótica, adoptada tras el 11-S, que permite recabar metadatos telefónicos, número, hora, duración de la llamada, pero no contempla grabar las conversaciones.

“Nuestro análisis concluye que la ley 215 aporta poco valor y solo sirve para duplicar el trabajo de recolección de información del FBI”, precisan los autores. Además “no ofrece base legal para apoyar el programa”.

El presidente Obama anunció la semana pasada que su gobierno no espiará más las comunicaciones de líderes aliados, pero mantendrá esta actividad como herramienta en la lucha antiterrorista.

Claves

Da gracias a ex cónsul

-Edward Snowden agradeció ayer “la increíble valentía personal” de quien fuera cónsul de Ecuador en Londres, Fidel Narváez, sancionado por tramitar en junio de 2013 un salvoconducto.

-El presidente ecuatoriano Rafael Correa ordenó una sanción administrativa a Narváez, ya que la visa no era válida dado que Snowden estaba entonces oculto en Hong Kong.

-Snowden dijo ayer en una entrevista con internautas que Narváez “no se desentendió ante una situación difícil”, cuando Ecuador le ofreció asilo pero el ínformático estadunidense estaba en otro país antes de asilarse en Rusia.

Fuente:http://www.milenio.com/

Varios atentados contra la Policía dejan cinco muertos en El Cairo

Felipe Ene 24, 2014

Un coche cargado de explosivos estalla frente a la sede de la Policía y de los servicios secretos. Dos bombas más explotan en otros puntos de la capital

Al menos cinco personas, entre ellos cuatro policías, han muerto en El Cairo en dos explosiones. Un ataque con coche bomba contra la sede en El Cairo del Directorio de Seguridad del Gobierno egipcio, sede de la Policía y de los servicios de seguridad del Estado, ha dejado cuatro fallecidos y más de 70 heridos.

El atentado ha sido reclamado por la organización yihadista Ansar Bayt al-Maqdis, responsable, entre otros, del ataque contra una comisaría en la ciudad de Mansura del pasado mes de diciembre que dejó 20 muertos.

Pocas horas después una segunda explosión dejaba un policía muerto y 15 heridos cerca de una estación de metro en el distrito de Doki, en Giza. Según una fuente de seguridad, varios desconocidos arrojaron tres artefactos de fabricación casera contra un vehículo de la policía estacionado en el lugar, si bien la televisión estatal habla del estallido de una bomba.

El portavoz del Ministerio egipcio de Sanidad, Ahmed Kamel, precisó que el ataque contra la sede de la Policía se produjo a las 06.50 hora local (04.50 GMT). Una fuente del Ministerio de Interior asegura que un suicida conducía el coche bomba por la calle Port Said. Los restos humanos del atacante ya están siendo analizados.

La explosión también causó cuantiosos daños materiales, como la destrucción de varias plantas del edificio del Tribunal del Sur de El Cairo y el Museo de Arte Islámico. La televisión estatal apunta además que varios encapuchados en motocicletas abrieron fuego poco después de la explosión. Una tercera explosión se produjo cerca de una comisaría de policía en un barrio Talbeya en Giza, a las afueras de El Cairo.

De confirmarse la naturaleza del atentado, los de hoy serían dos de los ataques más graves vistos en meses en la capital egipcia, en tensión desde el golpe de Estado que derrocó al presidente islamista Mohamed Mursi el pasado 3 de julio. Esta fin de semana ya se preveía especialmente tenso por las nuevas protestas convocadas por los islamistas ante la conmemoración el sábado, 25 de enero, del tercer aniversario de la revolución que derrocó a Hosni Mubarak.

Ayer, al menos cinco policías murieron, entre ellos tres sargentos, y dos resultaron heridos en un ataque armado perpetrado contra un puesto de control en la provincia de Beni Suef, en el sur de Egipto.

Fuente: http://www.publico.es/