Monday, 15 June 2015

The European Union Times

China confirms test of new hypersonic strike vehicle ‘Wu-14′

Posted: 14 Jun 2015 10:50 AM PDT

Falcon Hypersonic Technology Vehicle 2

The Chinese Defense Ministry confirmed the fourth test of a hypersonic nuclear delivery vehicle, which the US called an “extreme maneuver,” amid rising tensions between the two powers in the South China Sea.
The test of the hypersonic glide vehicle, which the US has dubbed the “WU-14”, was carried out on June 7 and is the missile’s fourth test in 18 months.
“The scheduled scientific research and experiments in our territory is normal, and those tests are not targeted at any country and specific goals,” the ministry said in response to a report published on Thursday by the Free Beacon.
The strategic strike weapon is extremely advanced and can travel at 10 times the speed of sound, or 12,231.01kph.
US missile defenses can only counter ballistic missiles and warheads that have predictable trajectories. The Wu-14 is capable of maneuvering during flight while travelling at the edge of space, and so is extremely difficult to shoot down.
US intelligence officials have called the tests “extreme maneuvers,” but experts say the timing of the test launch was designed to coincide with a visit to Washington by Fan Changlong, vice-chairman of the Central Military Commission.
Fan will visit the US for a week and the launch was timed to increase his “bargaining power [at] the negotiating table when he deals with his US counterpart,” Macau-based military observer Antony Wong told the South China Post.
Fan held talks with US Defense Secretary Ash Carter on Friday. The disputed islands in the South China Sea were top of their agenda, according to Chinese state media.
The US thinks China is acting aggressively in the South China Sea and Carter “called on China and all claimants to implement a lasting halt on land reclamation, cease further militarization, and pursue a peaceful resolution of territorial disputes in accordance with international law,” the Pentagon said in a statement on the meeting.
China maintains most of the South China Sea is its own, but there are overlapping claims with the Philippines, Brunei, Malaysia, Taiwan and Vietnam.
China recently built artificial islands in areas over which the Philippines and other countries also have claims. Both the Philippines and Japan have opposed China’s attempts to reclaim land in the South China Sea.
Hawks in Congress said Fan’s visit to the US should have been canceled, because of recent reports of US government computer networks being hacked by the Chinese military.
The WU-14’s test flight was also interpreted by some military analysts in China as a response to a flight over the South China Sea by a US spy plane last month.
But the analysts also stressed the WU-14 is primarily a defensive and not an offensive weapon, although it is capable of carrying nuclear warheads.
“The Wu-14 … is designed to penetrate US missile defense systems, meaning the PLA is capable of defending China’s territorial sovereignty. But such a test is only a nuclear deterrent. Neither China nor the US wants to declare war over the South China Sea issues,” said Professor He Qisong, a defense policy specialist at the Shanghai University of Political Science and Law.
Source

Furtive Bilderbergers meet amid outcry

Posted: 14 Jun 2015 10:40 AM PDT

Austrian police officers check cars near the Austrian town of Telfs, the venue of the Bilderberg conference.

Protesters have gathered outside the venue of this year’s Bilderberg conference, slamming it as a gathering of criminals.
Established in 1954, the Bilderberg conference is an annual meeting of political leaders and experts from industry, finance, academia and media sectors.
On Saturday, large numbers of protesters gathered near the Interalpen-Hotel in Tyrol in Austria, where the four-day event was underway amid tight security.
The protesters accused the delegates of corruption, elitism, and lacking transparency.
Before the meeting ends, thousands of activists are expected to gather outside the hotel.
According to the group’s published agenda, some 140 participants from 22 countries have confirmed their attendance in this year’s conference, during which a range of subjects are being discussed, among them “artificial intelligence, cybersecurity, chemical weapons threats, current economic issues, the European strategy, globalization, Greece, Iran, Middle East, NATO, Russia, terrorism, the United Kingdom, USA, and US elections.”
Among this year participants are former President of the European Commission José Manuel Barroso, UK Chancellor George Osborne, NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg, German Defense Minister Ursula van der Leyen, Chairman of the Supervisory Board of Deutsche Bank Paul M. Achleitnerand Shell manager Ben van Beurden.
The main rule of participation in the conference, which labels itself a “forum for informal discussions of global relevance,” is that while participants can use received information, “neither the identity nor the affiliation of the speaker(s) nor of any other participant may be revealed.”
“Thanks to the private nature of the conference, the participants are not bound by the conventions of their office or by pre-agreed positions,” a Bilderberg press release says. “As such, they can take time to listen, reflect and gather insights.”
In order to safeguard the event, which usually attracts large numbers if protesters and journalists, and its guests, a 50-kilometer safety zone has been created around the hotel.
Some 2,100 Austrian police officers along with a further 300 German police forces are manning the safety zone.
Although the names of attendees in Bilderberg meetings as well as the events’ agenda are available online, the group holds its meetings in private and there are no press releases about them, which has raised suspicions about the Bilderbergers.
The group first convened in 1954 at the Hotel de Bilderberg in The Netherlands, the place after which the group was named.
Source

German Billionaire Fears US and China Will Tear Europe Apart

Posted: 14 Jun 2015 10:36 AM PDT

A champion of the United States of Europe concept, famed German businessman Reinhold Würth is concerned that Europe divided within itself will be torn apart by the United States and China, Neue Zürcher Zeitung reported.
Not surprisingly then, Würth wants to see greater integration of the European Union.
In line with clear thinking, gaining more ground in the West, the businessman expressed a lot of understanding with regard to Russia’s attitudes towards the Ukrainian crisis in an interview with a Swiss daily newspaper.
The 80-year-old, ranking among Germany’s richest people, is angry with US President Barack Obama for calling Russia a regional power. “Such remarks humiliate Russia,” Neue Zürcher Zeitung cited the entrepreneur as saying.
Würth was not shy about sharing his opinion on Crimea’s reunification with Russia, however unpopular in Europe it might be. According to the businessman, the majority of the peninsula’s residents voted for joining Russia.
Indeed, over 96 percent of Crimeans expressed a desire to reunite with Russia in the 2014 referendum that was conducted in accordance with international law.
Würth is not the only one thinking this way. “Therefore, it is not self-evident why Chancellor Merkel still keeps a rigid stance on Putin in line with the US position and why Berlin still maintains sanctions,” the daily said.
Reinhold Würth turned a small two-man family screw business into a billion dollar company employing 67,000 people. The Adolf Würth Group is one of the most inspiring success stories in Germany’s economic history.
Würth is also known for his affection for fine art, including painting, graphic art and sculptures created in the late 19th century. The Würth Collection currently boasts more than 16,000 works of art on display at venues scattered all across Europe.
Source

Italy demands EU to take in more Immigrant Invaders

Posted: 14 Jun 2015 10:15 AM PDT

How easy is it to become an EU citizen? As easy as 1, 2, 3! You just get in a boat, head towards Italy and voila, you’re now a “European”! No need for paperwork, work experience, high education, budget for self-sustaining for at least 1 year, clean background, language proficiency, none of that is required in the borderless EU land of insanity.

Italy’s Prime Minister Matteo Renzi has warned that his administration will turn to a new plan other than EU’s proposal to deal with a huge influx of migrants should the European states fail to help Rome settle the crisis.
“If Europe chooses solidarity, good. If it doesn’t, we have Plan B ready. But it would first and foremost hurt Europe,” Renzi said in an interview with Italy’s Corriere della Sera daily on Sunday, without providing further details on the new initiative.
He further described the migrant crisis in his country as “a serious issue,” emphasizing, “Let me be clear, Europe’s answers so far have not been good enough.”
Italy wants the European Union to provide greater assistance to Rome in curbing the growing number of immigrants, especially from violence-hit North African states.
The EU has so far failed to reach consensus on its proposed migrant distribution plan, which requires each member state to take in 24,000 refugees. However, Italy still hopes that the EU will reach an agreement on even a larger figure during its upcoming summit on June 25-26.
This year alone over 57,000 asylum seekers and illegal immigrants were rescued at sea and brought to Italy, according to the Italian prime minister. He is now demanding that other EU countries take some of the immigrants and house them in their countries.
The crisis “should not be underestimated,” added Renzi in the interview, warning that the dire situation poses a threat not only to Italy but the entire European Union.
Renzi’s administration is under pressure from political groups, which blame the Rome government for the inaction of EU member states over the migrant crisis.
The Five Star campaign group has called on the government to halt its financial contributions to the European Union unless it helps Rome with the issue of immigrants.
Source

12 killed, zoo animals escape, several shot dead in Georgia flood

Posted: 14 Jun 2015 09:51 AM PDT

The city of Tbilisi has suffered an incessant and torrential downpour that resulted in flooding of the low-land areas of the Georgian capital at the foot of the Caucasus Mountains. The death toll has been climbing, with numerous buildings deluged.
The death toll so far stands at 12, while 24 people are missing, TASS reports. Bodies were found mostly in flooded private households. There have been reports of landslides in Tbilisi’s suburbs.
The Georgian PM announced June 15 to be a day of mourning for the Tbilisi flood victims.
The water has filled hundreds of basements, underground walkways, squares and roads, and damaged electrical and technical infrastructure. The House of Justice has suffered the most among the federal buildings. Some 22,000 Tbilisi citizens remain without electricity.
Prime Minister Irakly Garibashvili announced that an emergency headquarters for damage control and recovery had been set up.
All rescue teams available have been deployed to Tbilisi to bring the situation under control.
Prague Zoo along with other Czech zoos is set to send a team of at least five specialists to Tbilisi on Monday.
“After consultation with Tbilisi Zoo’s management we will send a team of skilled keepers, who have experienced floods in Prague. Keepers are going there to help with the current situation in Tbilisi,” Miroslav Bobek, director of Prague Zoo, told RT. “As a president of UCSZOO (Union of Czech and Slovak Zoological Gardens) I have already initiated a public collection to financially support Tbilisi Zoo and its recovery.”

“The situation is rather difficult. We haven’t seen anything like this in the capital before,” Garibashvili said. The Georgian PM reported that rescuers and police are doing their job well and have already saved dozens of people. “All problems will be solved,” Garibashvili promised.
The Kura River that passes through the city broke its banks and flooded Tbilisi’s Zoo, causing over 30 wild animals to flee, among them a hippo, 7 bears, six lions, six tigers, jaguars, 13 wolves and others.
Three people were found dead in the zoo’s grounds.

These were employees trying to save the animals from the flood, among them Guliko Chitadze, a woman who had worked in the zoological garden for over 25 years and who had had her arm amputated a fortnight ago after a tiger attacked her.
Out of a total of 17 penguins housed in the Zoo only three survived.
The upper part of the zoological garden suffered minor damage and the animals there, elephants, zebras, various horses and ponies and also the snake terrarium, stayed out of harm’s way.
Some creatures are now roaming the streets of Tbilisi.
SWAT teams are trying to catch them using tranquilizer darts where possible, but they have killed some that became aggressive because of the disaster, including six wolves cornered near a children’s hospital, Interfax reported.