Thursday, June 16, 2016

World News Briefs -- June 16, 2016



CNN: EgyptAir Flight 804: Cockpit voice recorder found damaged

(CNN)The cockpit voice recorder for EgyptAir Flight 804 has been found but is damaged, an Egyptian investigative committee said Thursday, a day after the government said it found the wreckage of the ill-fated flight.

"The device was damaged and the retrieval process was conducted in several stages," the committee said in a statement.

It said a vessel used equipment to pick up the memory unit, which is considered the recorder's most important part.

Read more ....

MIDDLE EAST

Russia announces renewed ceasefire in besieged Syrian city of Aleppo.

Advocacy group accuses UN of not being neutral in Syria.

Federal plan for northern Syria advances with U.S.-backed forces.

Civilians stuck inside IS-held Falluja at risk of disease: WHO.

Post-Islamic State Iraq should be split in three: top Kurdish official.

UAE announces end of Yemen military operations. UAE: 'War is over' for Emirati troops in Yemen.

Israeli official warns Hezbollah against another war.

EU allows Iran's state carrier to resume flights in bloc.

ASIA

The Taliban now hold more ground in Afghanistan than at any point since 2001.

US commander in Afghanistan submits his 3-month take on war.

Coalition concerned about Afghanistan, Pakistan border clashes.

Bangladesh crackdown: more than 14,000 arrests, yet machete attacks continue.

Incoming Philippines government says to resume talks with Maoist rebels.

North Korea reduces rations again for malnourished population.

Hong Kong bookseller: China TV confession was 'forced'.

AFRICA

EgyptAir MS804 crash: Voice recorder recovered from sea.

Ethiopian forces 'killed 400 Oromo protesters'.

Eritrea, Ethiopia trade blame after border clash.

Libyan forces killed in suicide attack outside Sirte. 16 Libyan militiamen killed in 2 IS attacks near Sirte.

Nine killed as Congo troops clash with ex-militia fighters: NGO.

African youth blame politicians for conflicts, crises: UN poll.

No $5 million African leadership award this year, group says.

S.Africa honours Soweto uprising 40 years on.

EUROPE

Police chief says attacked British lawmaker Jo Cox has died. Jo Cox MP critically injured amid shooting reports.

Polls show Britain's EU 'Out' campaign pulls ahead as referendum nears.

Brexiteers rejoice as Switzerland withdraws its EU application.

Brexit poses global financial risk, Bank of England warns.

Euro 2016: dozens arrested in Lille after England and Russia supporters clash.

France deports Russian football hooligans, fan chief.

Russia, EU pledge to continue dialogue despite sanctions.

Germans becoming increasingly xenophobic, study finds.

Spanish PM's anger at David Cameron over Gibraltar.

AMERICAS

Senate Democrats end marathon filibuster; leaders negotiating votes on gun control measures.

Venezuela sends in the army to deal with food shortage protesters. Venezuela police arrest 400 for looting in food shortage.

Haiti power vacuum looms as leader's mandate lapses.

Brazil President Temer drawn into Petrobras bribery scandal.

U.S. transfers imprisoned drug lord Hector 'El Guero' Palma to Mexican custody.

'El Chapo' prison guard killed; Mexico deploys 300 troops to guard prison.

Nearly 12,000 pregnant women in Colombia have Zika.

TERRORISM/THE LONG WAR

Wolf dens, not lone wolves, the norm in U.S. Islamic State plots.

UN: ISIL committing genocide against Yazidis.

House votes to ban all Gitmo transfers.

ISIS hacker pleads guilty to giving terrorists US military kill list.

ECONOMY/FINANCE/BUSINESS

Mossack Fonseca worker arrested over data theft.

Foreign selling of U.S. Treasuries in April was most since 1978: data.

Volkswagen bets on e-cars, self-driving vehicles.

3 comments:

RRH said...

Here is a position on Venezuela that echoes what Jay has postulated. There is validity in it, but hungry people are not generally interested in analysis. The government is the focus of the anger and isn't doing itself any favours.

https://nacla.org/news/2016/06/09/beyond-boliburguesía-thesis

War News Updates Editor said...

I mentioned that today's Venezuela reminds me of the old Soviet Union. Here is another reminder .... http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-3640941/Super-rich-quaff-champagne-Venezuela-country-club-middle-classes-scavenge-food-rubbish-dumps-DOGS-starving.html

RRH,

Living in two former communist states (Soviet Union and China), and knowing what life was like in Cuba decades ago (I have not been back to Cuba in years) .... I can say this without any hesitancy .... intelligence based on experience. On paper Socialism/Communism has a certain appeal. In reality .... human nature being what it is .... the abuse and corruption creeps in and then you have the situation that we are now seeing in Venezuela.

But these situations can always be reversed .... and here is the rub .... life for the Venezuelans will improve when the state intervention in the economy is reversed and/or rescinded, and entrepreneurs and business groups are permitted to prosper. For hard-core socialists who believe in their ideology .... for many this is a poison pill that they are reluctant to take .... and I have seen this dilemma in their eyes more than once. But I also know hard-core socialists/communists who did take the pill .... and are glad that they took it (Russia and China come to my mind) because they now have a better life .... this blogger included.

Jay Farquharson said...

Venezuela's not a Socialist State. It just plays one on TV.

The interal economy is mixed, with some State run industries, companies and services, and some Private and Corporate holdings.

A key part of Venezuela's problem is that the same 100 families, that owned 90% of Venezuela's wealth at the time of independence, control 80% of Venezuela's wealth today.

Venezuela's key economic problems right now are:

- the massive drought that is causing food shortages, clean drinking water shortages and the loss of electricity,

- the low oil prices, which has caused the Madero Government to cut social subsidies, ( pensions, wages, food) to the poor, and limits the Governments ability to simply buy food imports.

- economic sabotage by the 100 Families to ensure that the pain of the economic collapse is not just felt by the poor, but by the Middle Classes as well.

While the 100 Families can turn off the Economic Sabotage, they don't control the weather, or the price of Oil.

They can and will take out massive IMF and other "Aid Loans", which given their endemic corruption , will ensure that most of the money is wasted and stolen, and will insure that despite their "oil wealth", Venezwela will go back to being a debtor nation for generations.

Venezuela really has few "good options", because the political fight has always been between the Feudalists, and the small (s) Socialists.

Venezuela has never had a viable 3rd Way, because until Chavez, the Feudalists "owned" the Army and Police, and they "ran" the Moderate Democratic Parties as "fronts" against the popualist socialists and Peasant Parties. If they won, but decided to adress actual democratic issues, like land reform, economic development , education or medical care, the Feudalists would pull support, causing the collapse of the Coelition, or would simply have a Coup.

The Middle Class, which would normally "center" the politics, is divided. Half owe their positions, jobs and careers as Government Employees to Chavez, the other half owe their positions, jobs and careers to one of the 100 Families.

The Middle Class comprises only 15% of the population, the working poor are 23%, the extremely poor are 58%.