The European Union Times |
- US wants to subdue Russia, but no one did or ever will – Putin
- Massive anti-corruption rally held in Budapest
- Russia to build its own space station
- Sierra Leone national and resident of US dies of Ebola
- 3 US & 1 UK rabbis killed, 8 injured in attack at Jerusalem synagogue
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Posted: 18 Nov 2014 02:46 PM PST
 Speaking at a forum of the All-Russia Peoples’ Front in Moscow on Tuesday, the Russian leader said that history was not about to change, and that no one would manage to suppress the country. “Throughout history no one has ever managed to do so toward Russia, and no one ever will,” Putin said. Responding to a question about whether America was trying to humiliate Russia, Putin disagreed, saying that the US wanted “to solve their problems at our expense.” He said that people in Russia really like the Americans, but it’s the US politics that are not accepted so well. “I think America and its people are more liked than disliked by people here [in Russia]. It’s the politics of the ruling class [in the US] that is likely negatively viewed by the majority of our citizens,” he said. The Russian leader said the US had managed to subordinate its allies to its influence, with such countries “trying to protect foreign national interests on obscure conditions and perspectives.” The Russian president has last met with his American counterpart last week, while attending the G20 summit in Australia. Despite the focus on the world economy, the crisis in Ukraine was one of the hottest topics at the G20. Talking about the summit’s results at a press conference, US President Barack Obama did not announce any significant changes in his country’s approach to Russia. “We would prefer a Russia that is fully integrated with the global economy,” the US president told a news conference, adding that his country was “also very firm on the need to uphold core international principles.” Before leaving Brisbane, Putin said that a solution to the crisis in Eastern Ukraine was possible. “Today the situation [in Ukraine] in my view has good chances for resolution, no matter how strange it may sound,” he said, as quoted by Reuters. The Russian leader also said he was satisfied with both the results and atmosphere of the meetings. Australian authorities created an exceptionally friendly atmosphere for discussing solutions to economic challenges at the G20 summit in Brisbane, the Russian president said, dispelling rumors there were any confrontations. “Our Australian partners created an exceptionally friendly working atmosphere, very heartfelt, I should say, that was conducive to finding solutions to the challenges faced by the global economy,” Putin said at a forum of the All-Russian People’s Front, adding that it was a pleasant surprise for him to see the warm reception of the Russian delegation from Australian citizens on the streets of Brisbane. Answering a question about Abbott’s idea to “shirtfront” Putin over the downing of the MH17 jetliner, the Russian president said no such confrontation took place at the Brisbane summit. “We had very constructive discussions of not only the themes that had brought us together, but some very grave issues involving the Malaysian Boeing. We discussed that in every detail. I can assure you that everything was decent and rather friendly,” said the Russian leader. Though many media outlets speculated that Putin had left the summit early, skipping a Sunday working breakfast because of an icy welcome at the G20, the Russian leader reiterated on Tuesday that practically all work had been finished by that time. “I addressed all sessions,” Putin said, adding: “Our stance was heard.” Source           |
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Posted: 18 Nov 2014 02:32 PM PST
 Monday’s demonstration, which was held outside the parliament, was sparked by Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban’s refusal to dismiss Ildikó Vida, the head of Hungary’s tax collection agency. Vida was recently denied entrance into the United States due to alleged corruption ties. Protest organizer Balazs Nemes said that the whole political system was to blame for the country’s problems. “We are not here to bury a government but to bury a system,” he said. The demo, dubbed “Public Outrage Day,” was Budapest’s fourth large anti-government protest during the past month. Smaller demonstrations were also held in 20 other Hungarian cities and in some European capitals such as London, Berlin, and Stockholm. On November 9, thousands of people took to the streets of Budapest to show their anger at the government’s corruption. Protesters demanded Vida’s resignation, and some of her colleagues, who have also been accused of corruption. The demonstration followed Washington’s banning of six unidentified Hungarian officials in October from entering the United States for “either engaging in or benefiting from corruption.” Vida, who is the first of the six officials to go public, has denied the accusations and refused to step down. Gábor Vágó, a former Hungarian lawmaker from the Politics Can Be Different party, called on Vida and her colleagues to resign and urged the European Union to investigate the tax agency. Source      |
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Posted: 18 Nov 2014 02:26 PM PST
 During the coming years, Russia may begin deploying its own high-latitude space station, Kommersant newspaper wrote with reference to a source close to the administration of the Central Research Institute of Machine Engineering. The construction of the station in orbit, the newspaper wrote, is a key aspect of the project for the development of manned space exploration for the period up to 2050. At first, an anonymous source in the Federal Space Agency denied the information, saying that there was neither technical nor financial possibility for the realization of the idea. Later, however, deputy head of the agency Denis Lyskov said that there were “various options” considered. The project of the Federal Space Program does not provide for the deployment of a new space station in the years 2017-2019. Roscosmos will not be able to provide resources for such a project while implementing obligations under the project of the International Space Station (ISS), Interfax said with reference to a source in the space agency. “This is simply unfeasible both technically and financially,” the source told the agency. However, deputy head of the Federal Space Agency, Denis Lyskov, told TASS that Roscosmos was indeed considering various options to create a new national space station that could replace the ISS. “We are looking at different options, without being attached to one particular option,” he said. Lyskov did not unveil any details of the project. The Kommersant said that the Russian station would be built in the period from 2017 to 2019. The initial configuration will be formed on the basis of a multi-purpose laboratory and node modules, spacecraft OKA-T. Soyuz-MS and MS-Progress will maintain the operation of the station. In 2020-2024, energy and transformed modules used in the lunar program would be developed, the article said. According to Interfax, some orbital modules mentioned in the article were designed to supplement the Russian segment of the ISS. “Roscosmos, as its leaders have repeatedly stated, is interested in extending the operation of the ISS at least before 2020. The resources for the Russian side to abide by obligations under the ISS program are stipulated in the Roscosmos budget. The project of a separate space station will require a much larger allocation of funds. The fact that they will be assigned in today’s tense financial situation is unlikely,” said the source. The source also said that the characteristics of a would-be Russian station were not correct in terms of capabilities for monitoring the Russian territory. “The ISS orbits the globe six times a day with an inclination of about 51.8 degrees. Any more or less knowledgeable person understands that one can observe a large part of Russia from the station. In addition, the problem of remote sensing of the Earth, as experience proved, is a lot easier and cheaper to solve with the help of special spacecraft, including small ones. Using a large heavy station for this purpose is, at least, not rational,” said the source. The costs for the project have not been established yet. At the initial stage, it is planned to use the modules and devices developed for the Russian segment of the ISS. At the same time, there are no plans to curtail the ISS. Moscow intends to firmly fulfill its international obligations through 2020. It is worthy of note that Russia has not given its agreement yet to extend the operation of the ISS. The new station is to be located in a geometrically favorable location. From the station, one will be able to see up to 90% of the territory of Russia and the Arctic shelf, while at the ISS, this figure does not exceed 5%. Flight tests of manned lunar infrastructure are said to be another feature of the new station. It goes about creating a certain platform. At first, space vehicles will be delivered to the station before proceeding to the moon. Pravda.Ru asked expert opinion from chief editor of News of Cosmonautics journal, Igor Afanasyev, about the feasibility of the project of a Russian space station. “First and foremost, there has been no official decision made on the subject, as far as I know. The article published in the Kommersant newspaper remains on the conscience of the person who wrote it. I have not seen any official documents, not even among the people involved in this issue. This issue was not even discussed. “In the federal space program, there are elements of orbital infrastructure, but they do not correspond to what was written in the newspaper article. So I do not understand what this is all about. For me, the article in the newspaper is a very strange piece of news. Also, the administration of the country says that the next step in the field of space exploration would be a flight to the moon. I do not see a point then in building a new station.” Source      |
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Posted: 18 Nov 2014 02:19 PM PST
 A doctor being treated for the deadly Ebola virus disease has died at the Nebraska Medical Center in the US state of Nebraska. Dr. Martin Salia, a native of Sierra Leone and permanent US resident, was seriously ill when he was airlifted from West Africa to the US on Sunday, the hospital said in a statement. The surgeon, who contracted Ebola while working in Sierra Leone, was suffering from advanced Ebola virus symptoms, including kidney and respiratory failure, the hospital said. “Dr. Salia was extremely critical when he arrived here, and unfortunately, despite our best efforts, we weren’t able to save him,” Dr. Phil Smith, medical director of the Biocontainment Unit at Nebraska Medical Center, said in a statement on Monday. The 44-year-old, who was chief medical officer at United Methodist Kissy Hospital in Freetown, Sierra Leone, showed symptoms and tested positive last week for Ebola, according to the United Methodist Church’s news service. According to the State Department, the doctor was evacuated from Sierra Leon at the request of his Maryland-based American wife, who agreed to repay the US government for any treatment expense. The death of a second Ebola patient in the US comes as officials and nurses believe the US is not prepared for an Ebola outbreak. Around 20,000 nurses walked out in strike in northern California on Tuesday to protest insufficient protection for health workers who may care for Ebola patients. The infection of two nurses caring for Thomas Duncan, a Liberian who died from Ebola virus, has caused concerns. Duncan died on October 8. Nurses Amber Vinson and Nina Pham, however, survived the infection. So far, this has been the worst outbreak of Ebola in history. The virus has killed at least 5,177 people, mostly in Sierra Leone, Liberia and Guinea, according to the latest figures from the World Health Organization. Source      |
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Posted: 18 Nov 2014 02:13 PM PST
 Four people have been killed and at least 8 wounded when two assailants attacked worshipers with knives, axes and a pistol in a synagogue in North Jerusalem in the morning. Three of the victims were dual nationality US citizens and one was from the UK. Israeli police say both attackers were shot dead on the spot by officers. Spokeswoman Luba Samri described the incident as a “terrorist attack,” according to AP. Israel’s Public Security Minister, Yitzhak Aharonovitch, has said that gun controls for self-defense will be eased in wake of the attack. “In the coming hours, I will ease controls on carrying weapons,” he said in comments broadcast on public radio. He added that the new rules will apply to anyone who owns a gun license, such as private security guards and off duty army officers. Israeli police have confirmed four people have died in the incident and eight have been wounded, four seriously, two moderately and two lightly. All four of the victims were rabbis and one of them, Moshe Twersky,was the head of the English speaking Yeshiva Toras Moshe, an institution for religious studies, in Jerusalem. His funeral procession will be held at 2:00 pm local time. Another of the victims was a British-Israeli national, according to the UK’s Foreign Office. “We are aware of the death of a dual British-Israeli national in Israel on 18 November 2014,” the Foreign Office said in a statement. The other three were US citizens, according to Israeli police spokesman Micky Rosenfeld. The FBI has said it will open an investigation into the attack as three of the victims were US citizens. The suspects have been named as Uday Abu Jamal and Ghassan Abu Jamal, from East Jerusalem, and were both members of the Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine, which has praised the attack but stopped short of claiming responsibility, Hamas also honored the attack. Israeli police spokeswoman Luba Samri confirmed the suspect’s identity, AP reports. Meanwhile, the Israeli Prime Minster has ordered the homes of the two suspects to be demolished, according to his spokesman. The attacked synagogue is situated on Agasi Street, in the ultra-Orthodox Had Nof neighborhood of Jerusalem. “We were praying in synagogue in the morning, we heard gunshots from downstairs… one shot, two shots and then a flurry of shots,” a witness who was inside the building told AP. The first call to the emergency services was at 7:01 and two traffic policemen were the first on the scene who were joined by a third officer. They started shooting at the terrorists and killed them, although one of the policemen was critically wounded in the firefight and another moderately. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu stated that Israel is going to ‘respond harshly’ to this latest terror attack. Netanyahu has vowed retribution and has demanded the world stand with Israel in an uncompromising condemnation against the terrorists attack. He also called for Zionist opposition parties to join his coalition and said that it’s “no time for politics” and that “we need national unity at this time”. Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas has condemned an attack on a Jerusalem synagogue. “The presidency condemns the attack on Jewish worshipers in their place of prayer and condemns the killing of civilians, no matter who is doing it,” Reuters cited Abbas’s office as saying in a statement. US President Barack Obama condemned the attack and named the three US citizens killed in it as Aryeh Kupinsky, Cary William Levine and Mosheh Twersky. “I strongly condemn today’s terrorist attack on worshipers at a synagogue in Jerusalem. There is and can be no justification for such attacks against innocent civilians,” Obama said in a statement. He is also urged Israeli and Palestinian leaders to work together to try and “lower tensions, reject violence, and seek a path towards future peace.” Tensions between Israelis and Palestinians have been running particularly high over the last two weeks and world leaders are becoming increasingly frustrated at the lack of progress in Israeli-Palestinian relations. On Monday the EU’s newly-appointed foreign policy chief, Federica Mogherini, called for the establishment of a viable Palestinian state in the next few years. There have also been a number of symbolic votes in favor of recognition of the Palestinian state in parliaments of several European states, such as Sweden, France and UK. Spanish MPs are expected to vote in support of a Palestinian state on November 18. Last weekend Israeli Haaretz revealed a secret EU document that Israel could soon face sanctions from Brussels if Tel Aviv makes any further attempts to pose obstacles to a two-state solution with occupied Palestine. Israeli Foreign Minister Avigdor Lieberman’s reply to that was that Israel will never stop its settlement constructions in occupied East Jerusalem. On Monday the conflict escalated even further as a Palestinian bus driver was found hanged inside his vehicle at a depot in Jerusalem, with the Israeli police saying the man committed suicide, while the driver’s family claim he was lynched by Israelis. Source     |
