Macron says cost to Russia will be ‘very high’ if it attacks Ukraine | Euronews

Speaking alongside Chancellor Scholz, the French president also said France and Germany were united in seeking to defuse the crisis.

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Putin is living in the past as he assumes that he and Russia have a right to dictate to another independent country what they can do. I was lead to believe that WW2 took place to stop these attitudes and that the UN was created to ensure and retain peace. But the UN is not mentioned here and will not be as the UN Security Council contains Russia and needs  agreement of all members to provide actions. Well Russia will never agree to actions against themselves and will most likely have the support of China in this matter, in fact who does listen to the UN.

By Putin’s actions he could very well cause the start of WW3 from which there will be no return for anyone just so that he looks good to the population of Russia, but he has no opposition as he has seen to that by either arresting them or murdering them.

On another matter the supporters of the EU say that the EU was created and is responsible for peace in Europe, so where is the EU  in this matter, some could say that France and Germany are involved, but they are only 2 of the 26 in the EU, but they believe they are the EU.

The EU started as a Trading Block and is morphing into, what it hopes to be, a United States of Europe, but without Russia. Ukraine wishes to join the EU, but then Russia is against this.

Nato was formed to provide peace, but their hands are also tied.

So, we are in the hands of Putin, well in that case God, help us.

Source: Macron says cost to Russia will be ‘very high’ if it attacks Ukraine | Euronews

Police Acquire New anti-Riot Equipment for this Autumn’s Demonstrations

The rights to free speech, demonstrate and generally oppose authority appear to be being withdrawn in Spain, how many more freedoms will be withdrawn in time.

Josep Goded

The Mossos (Catalan police) have acquired new anti-riot equipment to use in the demonstrations which are expected in the aftermath of the announcement of the Independence Trial verdict in October.

New Equipment 

– Pepper Spray: It has never been used by Mossos. It is directly thrown into the eyes of the demonstrators, causing a strong burning feeling. Although Mossos affirms that this doesn’t cause injuries at all, several human rights organizations have pointed out that it can actually provoke serious permanent injuries, especially for those who suffer from illnesses such as asthma.

– Anti-Riot Police Fences: They are used to separate demonstrators from anti-riot police officers. The fences are 150cm high and have a platform which makes it hard for protesters to get up and jump over them. They also have doors from which anti-riot police officers can enter and leave.

– Anti-Riot Nets: These nets are reinforced…

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Poverty in the UK is violating human rights. So…What’s next?

The report has been created and issued,but the Government disputes its findings, but the finding tend to show that the views of the population are correct.

The Government needs to accept the report and put their own ‘house’ in order.

The Government is proceeding on a a denial, they wish to believe their own misguided views rather than those of an independent enquiry.

This goes to prove that this Government does not care for the population of the UK, but only care for themselves and their immediate friends.

Trump pulling U.S. out of U.N. arms treaty, heeding NRA – Reuters

Trump told members of the gun lobby at an annual meeting he intends to revoke the status of the United States as a signatory to the Arms Trade Treaty, which was never ratified by the U.S. Senate.

“We’re taking our signature back,” Trump said to thousands of cheering attendees, many wearing red hats emblazoned with the Republican president’s “Make America Great Again” slogan.

 

Source: Trump pulling U.S. out of U.N. arms treaty, heeding NRA – Reuters

Millions in Europe drink contaminated water: UN | Euronews

Millions of people across Europe drink contaminated water, often without knowing it, a new United Nations’ report warned on Tuesday.

Some 57 million people across Europe and North America do not have piped water at home, the UN estimates in its latest annual World Water Development report released on Tuesday.

A further 21 million people lack access to basic drinking water services while another 36 million do not have access to basic sanitation, relying instead on unsafe, shared or unsustainable sanitation.

The situation is most severe in rural areas and in Central Asia and the Caucasus where 72% of the people have no access to basic water services.

But the UN warns that “many citizens in Western and Central Europe, as well as in North America, also suffer from the lack of or inequitable access to water and sanitation services.”

“Inequities are frequently related to socio-cultural differences, socio-economic factors and the geographical context,” it explains.

14 deaths per day

The European Commision estimated last year that water scarcity affects at least 11% of the European population.

Inadequate water bears strong human, ecologic and economic costs. The World Health Organisation (WHO) estimates that every day, 14 people die of diarrhoeal disease caused by unsafe water.

According to WHO statistics, 480 people died in Germany in 2016 because of exposure to unsafe water, sanitation and hygiene. It was followed by France, which recorded 172 such deaths and the UK with 130 fatalities.

Lack of access also forces people to buy bottled water. Improving access to safe water would thus help European households to save more than €600 million per year, the EU Commission calculated. It would also, it noted, help to achieve one of the objectives from the Paris Climate Agreement as reducing the consumption of bottled water from 100 to 88 litres per year by 2050, can reduce greenhouse gas emissions by 1.2 million tonnes CO2.

The UN recommends that inequities in access should focus on reducing geographical disparities by addressing specific barriers faced by marginalised groups and people living in vulnerable situations and by reducing affordability concerns.

It highlighted efforts made in the Greater Paris area as well as in North Macedonia to assess the level of equity of access to water and sanitation. It also praised Armenia’s 2017 action plan to improve access for the 579 rural communities not serviced by centralised water supplies.

Some 2.1 billion people worldwide do not have access to clean drinking water with 4.3 billion lacking access to safe sanitation facilities, according to the UN.

 

Source: Millions in Europe drink contaminated water: UN | Euronews

Catalonia Poll: Over 80% of Catalans Are in Favor of a Mutually Agreed Self-determination Referendum

Spain are part of the EU, who are renowned for their refusal to accept any results from voting that do not agree with own views.

Even if it was 100% in favour of Catalonia independence the result would not be honoured, not how democracy is supposed to work.

More like a dictatorship than democractic process..

Josep Goded

Last week, Spanish PM Sánchez affirmed that most Catalans don’t support the independence of Catalonia and urged the Catalan government to present him a proposal supported by at least 75% of Catalans. The last poll carried out by the Ara newspaper shows that 80% of Catalans are in favor of a mutually agreed self-determination referendum, a proposal that Sánchez should accept in order to keep his words and fulfill his often hollow promises. 

Ara Newspaper Poll

80.4% of Catalans are in favor of an agreed self-determination referendum according to a survey published by the Ara newspaper this Sunday. By parties, the trend is the same, 71% of those who voted the “Socialist” Party (PSC) on Dec. 21 agree with a mutually agreed referendum.  In fact, the only ones who are most opposed are the PP and C’s voters, although 24% of C’s voters also show their support for a referendum.

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UN Says Solution to UK Austerity is to Make Poverty Illegal : Global Citizen

After a 12-day tour of the UK, a report from UN envoy Philip Alston has said the UK government’s policy of austerity has inflicted “great misery” on the public.

Alston is what’s known as a “rapporteur,” an independent expert appointed by the UN Human Rights Council to objectively examine how a country is performing on a certain issue.

During a press release on Friday, Alston said the UK was in potential breach of four UN human rights agreements: women, children, people with disabilities, and economic and social rights.

 

Source: UN Says Solution to UK Austerity is to Make Poverty Illegal : Global Citizen

It took a UN envoy to hear how austerity is destroying lives

This is all good that the UN envoy is listening and including it in the forthcoming report, but what guarantee is there that our Government will listen and then react accordingly.

When you are a member of an organisation there should be penalties when members disregard recommendation, etc.

Is there, in fact any country or organisation that really listens and then acts accordingly to any part of the UN, where is its teeth.

UN turns its gaze on the UK over ‘extreme’ poverty and benefit changes : Welfare Weekly

The UN Special Rapporteur on extreme poverty and human rights, Philip Alston, has begun a fact-finding visit to the United Kingdom from 5 to 16 November 2018 to investigate Government efforts to eradicate poverty.

“The United Kingdom is one of the richest countries in the world, but millions of people are still living in poverty there,” said Alston, designated by the UN Human Rights Council in Geneva to monitor, report and advise on extreme poverty and its intersection with human rights.

“I have received hundreds of submissions that make clear many people are really struggling to make ends meet.”

During his two-week visit, the Special Rapporteur will travel to England, Northern Ireland, Scotland, and Wales, and visit Belfast, Bristol, Cardiff, Edinburgh, Essex, Glasgow, Jaywick, London, and Newcastle.

He will meet with Government officials, including at the devolved and local level, to discuss efforts to eradicate poverty.

He will also meet with individuals affected by poverty to hear about their experiences and with civil society organisations working on poverty and human rights, academics, and national human rights institutions.

 

Source: UN turns its gaze on the UK over ‘extreme’ poverty and benefit changes : Welfare Weekly

The Trial Against Catalan Political Prisoners Gets Closer

Josep Goded

The countdown to the trial against Catalan political prisoners has already begun. This week itself ended the deadline for the defenses to ask for the revocation of the instruction, which will surely be dismissed by the Second Chamber of the Supreme Court. Thereafter, the trial court can present its conclusions from the investigations and the opening of the trial can be decreed.However, the prisoners’ defense will seek to block it until their appeals are resolved.

The defense estimates that the trial will begin in January.And that this could last for about two months, just before the campaign for local and European elections begin.However, they suspect that the Supreme Court could intend to initiate the trial in November in order to take the defense by surprise and undermine their strategy.

Until now, the opening of the trial has been delayed because the defense has appealed the instructions of Judge Llarena and the provisional orders of imprisonment. The recusations…

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