Young Diplomats

Beyond the Nuclear agreement the purely technical terms is also played the issue of return of Iran in the concert of nations. And by extension: the rebalancing of alliances in the Middle East, noted L’Orient le jour few hours before the announcement of the signing of an agreement.

Nuclear, nuclear nothing? To believe the various statements of diplomats in Vienna, the negotiations between Iran and the 5 + 1 (US, France, Britain, Russia and China – plus Germany) concern only the nuclear issue. At that level, the deal is very clear although rather technical: Iran is unable to acquire nuclear weapons in return for which the 5 + 1 agree to lift the various sanctions in place against him. A perfect “win-win situation”, as the Americans say.

The many technical details such as the number of centrifuges, the pace of the lifting of sanctions and the possibility for members of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) to monitor the Iranian sites are all guarantees of guarantees of one side or the other. But they are not enough to understand what actually plays in Vienna, beyond the nuclear deal, namely the return of Iran in the concert of nations. And by extension: the rebalancing of alliances in the Middle East. Nuclear

New means

Marginalized since the 1979 Islamic revolution, Iran could, if agreed, rejoin the international community and become, in the medium term, a new strategic partner for Washington. This rebalancing in the US foreign policy in the Middle East seems to be emerging for the past few months. The joint struggle against the Islamic State, the election of Hassan Rouhani to the Iranian presidential, the prospect of energy independence for the United States but also their desire to disengage from the Middle East are all reasons why the two capitals to want to get closer, after 36 years marked by deep mutual distrust. Nuclear

But the prospect of this rebalancing strongly displeases the two most faithful allies of the US in the region, Israel and Saudi Arabia. The two states have repeatedly criticized the possibility of a nuclear deal because of the consequences that this would have on the region. Beyond their inflammatory statements about the danger of Iran having a nuclear bomb – a hazard which, according to experts, would be totally ruled out if agreed – quite the new means offered by the lifting of sanctions that worry Riyadh and Tel Aviv. The end of the embargo on Iran will allow Tehran to recover a substantial financial windfall thanks to the sale of its oil. Israel, like Saudi Arabia, fear that Iran is using the money to feed – even more than it already does – its proxy wars on several fronts: Gaza, Iraq, Syria, Yemen and Lebanon.
Riyad complex

If a nuclear agreement would have no real impact on the covenant with Israel, which appears as a structural fact of American policy in the Middle East, it is not the same for the alliance between Washington and Riyadh. Although the United States will not let go overnight their Saudi ally, which remains their main buyer of weapons, the fact remains that this alliance could be reconsidered based on new US interests in the region and the new configuration of power relations. In their war against Sunni extremism, the United States might be tempted to rely on two regional gendarmes: firstly Saudi Arabia, the heart of Sunni Islam, and also Iran, heart of Shiite Islam. A rebalancing that would play very clearly to the detriment of Riyadh, which already has a lot more harm than Tehran to justify its war against the Islamic state (EI).

Riyadh suffers – rightly – a complex real inferiority vis-à-vis Tehran. Iran has a diplomatic power, military, scientific and demographic resources unique to Saudi Arabia. In other words, a nuclear deal between Iran and the 5 + 1 would mean the failure of the hegemonic will – revived by the war in Yemen – Riyadh in the region: the decline of the Arab world in favor of the Persians.

Carte blanche?

A nuclear deal would not mean as much as the United States offer a carte blanche to Iran in the region. Tensions between the two countries are such that they can not be erased overnight. The Iranian regime is likely to continue to use the argument of the fight against imperialism to justify a repressive and expansionist policy. In contrast, the US will try to reassure allies and persevere, probably, in their criticism of the regime.

In the short term, the nuclear deal is not expected to fundamentally change the regional order. In the medium and long term, however, it could completely upset with opportunities for negotiations on Lebanese issues, Syrian, Iraqi, Yemeni and Palestinian-Israeli.

The agreement is similar to an American clearly bet. A gamble, since there is no guarantee that Iran will change its foreign policy. Instead, she might feel in a strong position and let go the temptation to hubris. Three elements are nevertheless qualify this possibility. A: If Iran is reintegrated into the international community, it must respect the rules. Two: the reform wing (Rohani / Zarif) will also be strengthened if agreed and could eventually take over the conservative wing, especially represented by General Qassem Soleimani. Three: the Iranian people, in application modernization but impoverished by sanctions, would certainly a very dim view of the fact that the new financial entries are only meant to finance wars across the region.

Ankara is satisfied with the agreement on the Iranian nuclear program. For security reasons, certainly, but above all for the economic benefits that will result.

“The world is relieved,” headlines this morning Hürriyet, which echoed the general feeling dominant in Turkey as a result of this agreement. “Iran, partner or opponent?” Asks Erdal Saglam in the columns of the newspaper. According to him, no doubt the Iranian market is an incredible opportunity for Ankara, which starts with a considerable advantage over the West because of its geography and cultural ties that the two countries have.

The end of a black series

“Libya, Egypt, Iraq, Syria, Ukraine, Greece and Russia in recent years, all countries with which Ankara has close trade relations have faced crises, which have had a negative impact on the Turkish economy. Finally some good news, “rejoices Habertürk.

Among the areas in which Ankara should find profit, Hürriyet quotes the banking sector, the tourism and hospitality industry, agriculture, the construction industry, mining and appliances. Ankara may also hope to satisfy its growing need for oil and gas through the Islamic Republic.

$ 30 billion

“In 2014, despite the embargo imposed on Iran, trade between the two countries were valued at $ 3.9 billion. For 2016, the goal is set at $ 30 billion, “said the pro-government Yeni Safak newspaper.

Following the announcement of the agreement, the Turkish lira rose nearly 4% against the dollar, a first for many weeks.

The Italian Parliament is currently considering legalizing cannabis. La Stampa welcomes it: it is time to understand that the repressive policies have failed.
The Italian Parliament is currently considering legalizing cannabis. La Stampa welcomes it: it is time to understand that the repressive policies have failed.

Cannabis-counter? This is what the bill proposes that just arrived in the Italian Parliament and is supported by 218 MPs. If passed, the sale of marijuana will be legal and organized in stores with a license from the state. The adults will be able to hold up to 15 grams home, 5 grams on the outside, and grow up to 5 plants for their own use. However, consumption will remain prohibited in public places as well as for minors. In short, “a revolution in the galaxy of soft drugs,” said La Repubblica.

Parliamentarians who support the project from all sides, but mainly left and center-left “with some small incursions” in the centrist party of Mario Monti (Scelta Civica) and that of Silvio Berlusconi (Forza Italia), reports the Corriere della Sera. The Under Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs, Benedetto della Vedova, originally the project, said he was confident this support should extend.
Refusal, by cons, the New Law Centre and the Northern League. The chairman of the far-right party, the thundering Matteo Salvini, explained in these words: “I would favor the legalization and regulation of prostitution, because, until proven otherwise, sex do no harm. Cannabis, though. ”

For a columnist for La Stampa, the question is not there. Ravi Parliament finally take up the issue, he exclaims, quoting Victor Hugo: “There is nothing more powerful than an idea whose time has come.” The debate is old, does explains -he, but the novelty is that we now have evidence for “beyond ideological considerations. Not to argue that soft drugs do no harm. But because, in a perspective of damage reduction, it is demonstrated that legalization is the most effective strategy to tackle the problem. ”
This is shown by current developments in countries like the United States and Portugal, the newspaper but also the national anti-mafia directorate: observing “an exceptional increase in the consumption of hashish” in Italy, she concluded that the “total failure of law enforcement.”

It was the culmination of a high-stakes preoccupation for world leaders. We rank those who gained from the historic pact – and those who will likely be ruing it.

Negotiating an international agreement to curb Iran’s nuclear programme in exchange for sanctions relief has been a high-stakes preoccupation for leaders around the world. The Guardian ranks the main winners and losers in one of the most significant diplomatic deals of modern times.

Winners

Hassan Rouhani

Iran’s president is by a long way the biggest winner to emerge from the nuclear agreement between his country and six world powers. Rouhani highlighted the way in which Iran’s right to develop peaceful nuclear energy has been recognised, as has its status in the region. Ending Iran’s international isolation is a historic achievement that looks likely to win him a second term in 2017. But he faces resistance from suspicious hardliners who fear that even limited rapprochement with the US and the west will promote demands for domestic change that could undermine a regime dominated by the supreme leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei.

Barack Obama

The US president’s achievement has to be measured against the position of George Bush, who declared in 2002 that Iran was a member of an “axis of evil” that included Saddam Hussein’s Iraq and North Korea. “This deal demonstrates that American diplomacy can bring about real and meaningful change,” he said. “Let us never negotiate out of fear. But let us never fear to negotiate.” Obama hasvowed to veto opposition in Congress. If all goes well, the agreement will likely be the centrepiece of his foreign policy legacy and vindicate what many considered to be the premature award of a Nobel peace prize.

Bashar al-Assad

The Syrian president quickly hailed the agreement as a “major turning point” in the history of Iran, the region and the world, calling it a “great victory”. Assad has received military and financial support from Iran since the uprising against him erupted in 2011. Tehran’s enhanced regional position in the wake of the deal will strengthen its demands for recognition as a key player in the Middle East, including in any negotiations about the future of Syria. Assad’s Syrian and Arab enemies, contemplating a war that has already left 210,000 dead and made millions of people homeless, are horrified by the nuclear deal – for exactly these reasons. Opposition activists branded the agreement#Munich2Vienna.

Vladimir Putin

The Russian president said the world had “breathed a huge sigh of relief” when the deal was finalised. The lifting of sanctions against Iran could make the easing of western sanctions against Russia over its role in the Ukraine crisis more likely. An eventual end to the arms embargo against Iran would also be in the interest of the country’s $15bn arms industry. Moscow has argued that the embargo should be completely lifted so Iran can help fight Isis.

Losers

Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi

The self-proclaimed caliph of the Islamic State may fear a more coherent international effort against his forces in Iraq and Syria given the new possibilities for cooperation between the US and Iran. Iran has said in the past that the US is not serious about fighting terrorism, and complained that Washington’s close Arab allies – Saudi Arabia, Qatar and other Gulf states – as well as Turkey have promoted jihadi groups. It has already signalled that it may now be prepared to help.

King Salman bin Abdulaziz

Saudi Arabia’s initial silence about the agreement suggests deep anxiety about a rapprochement between the US and Iran, its greatest rival in the region, and a pivot away from the Gulf. The view in Riyadh, Abu Dhabi and nearby capitals is that Washington is appeasing Tehran and ignoring their own security concerns – despite the Gulf states’ far greater expenditure on defence. Salman strongly dislikes Iran’s role in Iraq, Syria, Bahrain and Yemen, where the Saudis are attacking Houthi rebels they say are backed by Tehran. Sunni-Shia sectarianism is an alarming new element of a long-hostile relationship between Arabs and Persians.

Binyamin Netanyahu

Israel’s prime minister had vowed to stop a nuclear agreement between the US and Iran. Not only did he fail to do that but he caused serious damage to Israel’s prized strategic relationship with Washington. Critics at home say he exaggerated the extent of an Iranian threat, some calling for his resignation. Iran has been notoriously hostile to the Jewish state since the 1979 revolution, and Tehran highlights its support for the Palestinians, including Hamas, and Lebanon’s Hezbollah. Nothing in the Vienna agreement suggests that will change. Israel also fears Iran may be emboldened. Lifting sanctions gives “Iran a jackpot, a cash bonanza of hundreds of billions of dollars, which will enable it to continue to pursue its aggression and terror in the region and in the world”, Netanyahu claimed. The focus on Iran’s nuclear programme has also drawn attention to Israel’s undeclared nuclear arsenal – outside the nuclear non-proliferation treaty.

Angela Merkel is regaining mission, it multiplies the communication operations to improve its image. On July 16, she answered questions from students in Rostock [Mecklenburg-Vorpommern].

Challenged by a young Palestinian refugee who must return to Lebanon after living four years with his family in Germany, the Chancellor gave an answer at least pragmatic. “I understand, politics is sometimes tough. But if we say, ‘You can come from Africa, you can all come’, we can not do, “she said. The girl collapsed in tears and the Chancellor headed to her to console her.

A move that makes a lot of noise in Germany. On Twitter, the hashtag #Merkelstreichelt – literally, “Merkel caress” – is leading all trending topics.

Die Zeit indignant reaction of Angela Merkel and asks: “Who said that all Africa was getting” Accustomed to “smiles answers,” the German daily, the Chancellor seemed embarrassed. For its part, Die Welt focuses more on the behavior of Merkel deemed “cold and unable to show his feelings.” A “gap”, a “hitch” in the image of the Chancellor, the German daily newspaper believes that “Merkel has failed to explain the German asylum policy to a child.”

If Russia is not involved in the destruction of the Malaysian Boeing above Ukraine, why is she so stubbornly opposed to the creation of an international tribunal to try those responsible? asks the Ukrainian newspaper.

There is one year, July 17, 2014, above the city of Thorez, a missile put an abrupt end to the existence of the 298 passengers and crew members of the flight MH17 left Amsterdam to Kuala Lumpur . Now if the bloody traces of this terrible catastrophe clearly back to Russia, Moscow, in his defense, continues cynically to present evidence falsified, if not shameful.

While the Dutch Security Council, who oversaw the investigation into the tragedy of Boeing, is preparing to publish its findings, the Russian side, it continues to place obstacles in the way of the formation of a supposed court judge those responsible for the death of 298 people in the sky of Donbass.
Access to limited crash site

A year after the tragedy, the question arises: why the investigation has she lasted that long [the final report will be released in October]. This slowness has several causes. Firstly, access to the crash site is limited because it is in an area controlled by the militants [pro-Russian separatists].
Proof that the MH17 was shot by pro-Russian?
The experts came together unit debris to determine the origins of the disaster have experienced the worst difficulties. Local looters were able to make use of, and some elements had been hastily dispatched to Russia. Dutch prosecutors say it took them handle more than one million documents, photos and videos. It is no coincidence that the Russian special services tried to hack data during the investigation, including by striving to penetrate the computer networks of the police and justice in the Netherlands.

Russia has played a big role in the delays in the investigation, while Russian experts regularly offered new versions of the drama and exhibited new witnesses cans. At the same time, Moscow has done everything to hide the traces of his involvement. The online message militants who boasted at the time of shooting an Antonov transport plane An-26 (confirmed by telephone conversations between separatists, intercepted by the Ukrainian secret service) have been cleared.

Evidence “trafficked”

Meanwhile, Russian sources have aired evidence “trafficked” (false radar recordings and satellite photos retouched) intended to demonstrate that the Boeing had in fact been shot down by a Ukrainian fighter-bomber Su-25. Hypothesis one voice belied by experts: the Su-25 is a device physically unable to destroy a target flying at ten thousand meters, since it is designed to intervene at low and medium altitudes. In addition, Boeing has disintegrated, which lends support to the use of a surface to air missile rather than air-air.

When it became clear that the Russian version of the destruction of the aircraft Malaysian online was absurd, Moscow then slurried evidence to support another fable of the Kremlin. The new version is as follows: the MH17 has been shot down by an anti-aircraft missile. But neither Russia nor the “militia” of Donbass there are for something: the murderer missile was fired by the Ukrainian army.
A “war crime”

Since then, the Russians claim that everything suggests that Boeing was not destroyed from the territory controlled by the separatists. When the Western media began to suggest that the findings of the Dutch experts finally ensured that the Boeing had indeed been destroyed by a missile “Buk” fired from Russian territory held by the militants, the Russian Foreign Ministry gave the voice. The Deputy Russian Foreign Minister Gennady Gatilov, said that the Russian side does not agree with the content of the report and that it demanded modifications.

As for the will to set up an international tribunal to judge what would eventually be treated as a “war crime” – project which is the subject of a preliminary examination by the United Nations Security Council – Moscow denounces as a move “illogical and politically against-productive.” “This idea does not please us, Gatilov said. First, the investigation is ongoing, no definitive conclusions have been made. The Netherlands presented an intermediate version of the report, the story does not end there. They themselves recognize that they will complete the investigation and report towards the end of the year. We must wait until the investigation is completed and not vote for early resolution to establish the tribunal. ”
MH17, a drama for nothing
According to the Russian Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Vladimir Putin would meanwhile telephoned Prime Minister of the Netherlands Mark Rutte. The Kremlin leader would have been indignant to see that the Dutch media evoked the version “politicized” of a “war crime.” And he would have also criticized the decision to create an international tribunal, which would be premature and against-productive.

One can not help wondering what would have been the reaction of Moscow on this court if the preliminary report had made Ukraine responsible for the crash.

The court of Letpadan in Burma , has indicted students for their participation in protests againsta new law on Education last month. They face up to nine years of jail. Their mistakes: having participated in demonstrations against the new education law which, last month, were dispersed by the security forces of Letpadan, a city located 145 km north of Rangoon, the Capital.

69 people have been charged, including illegal assembly and rioting, the website The Asian Correspondent. Burma’s students ask that the law be amended. They fear that the text adopted last September limit the autonomy of higher education institutions and the freedom of students and teachers.

Three fingers raised

“What’s interesting,” said the site information, “is the fact that many detainees were photographed making the salvation of three fingers raised.”
This gesture is a silent sign of defiance against an oppressive regime inspired by the American movie The Hunger Games. Thai students have taken this symbol in the months following the seizure of power by the military junta in Burma in May 2014.

“While the Thai authorities appear fully aware of the symbolism behind the three fingers hello, this does not seem to be the case with the Burma authorities,” concludes the article.

The accused students are kept in custody until their next hearing.

To avoid paying fines and local taxes, more and more Italians are registering their car in Bulgaria. Specialized sites to help them in this combination are growing.

The car registered in Sofia which combines the tickets in the city center of Milan or Rome might not be that of a Bulgarian came indelicate seek a better life in Italy, much less that of a tourist come from “city of roses”. It is indeed an Italian car, owned by an Italian. According to the transalpine media, tend to register his vehicle abroad experiencing a dramatic rise in Italy. And the favorite destination is Bulgaria, for the simple reason that taxes and insurance are paid in Sofia ten times cheaper than if the car was registered in Italy.

Also, every year some 15,000 tickets issued in the boot remain unpaid because they concern vehicles registered abroad: it is very difficult to trace the owner. Add to this, according to many accounts, the unwillingness of the authorities in some countries to collaborate with the Italian police.

The trick is this. Many small Italian companies buy their vehicles in Italy prior to register them at the other end of the European Union, in Sofia. Then these vehicles back in Italy and are available for rent. With a dual advantage: significant savings on taxes and insurance and a certain “invulnerability” on violations of the highway code.

Cars difficult to control

Many Italian Internet sites devoted to formalities Bulgaria testify to the popularity of this dirty trick. We consulted one of them, only in Italian, but with phones and contact addresses in Sofia. The site mentions that although says Italian law on the matter, in particular Article 132 which stipulates that owners of cars registered abroad have a year to register their vehicles in place; beyond that, they face between 80 and 318 euros fine. But considering the benefits, all prefer to take the risk, according to the many testimonials on the site.

Also, it is very difficult or impossible to control the length of stay on the floor of the European Union whose citizens are free to come and go as they please, regardless of borders and nationality. There is also the trick to register the car on behalf of a friend – or most often a girlfriend – resident in Bulgaria. But the site in question goes further, proposing a sustainable solution to circumvent the law for Italian citizens who want to benefit from a Bulgarian registration: register a company in Bulgaria, a very easy process and transfer (or rent) their vehicle This new Bulgarian SMEs.

The funny Uber methods

With this arrangement, these cars registered in Bulgaria can ride without limitation residence on Italian roads, making significant savings on registration fees, insurance and taxes. Finally, if their owners are in bad faith, they can royally ignore violations, speed limits and other parking fees in major Italian cities. The fine will land – or not – one day to the address of a company registered in Sofia on the Internet, and will probably remain a dead letter.

However, as recalled in the Italian media, the risk for these riders remains considerable – provided they are physically controlled by the Italian police, which is increasingly rare due to the proliferation of virtual radar and other surveillance systems . But if the police find that it is systematic fraud, the perpetrators may heavy fines, confiscation of their vehicle and a misdemeanor passage for aggravated fraud. To date, no cases of this type was in front of the Italian courts, which is, unfortunately, the best encouragement for such practices.

If you pay 3 euros, you will receive a postcard of the Greek Prime Minister Alexis Tsipras. This is the proposal of a young Briton who wants to help Athens to repay the IMF over a crowfunding site.

If we give 3 euros, you will receive a postcard of the Greek Prime Minister Alexis Tsipras. By paying 6 euros is a salad of olives and feta. Ten euros qualify for a bottle of Ouzo. If we help the Greeks giving 160 euros, someone send you a Greek food basket. And if we give one million euros, it will not receive much more than what has been mentioned above, but “a lot of gratitude on the part of European citizens and especially the Greeks.”

The “Greek Bailout Fund” on IndieGoGo was launched on the night of Monday to Tuesday. The objective, collect the amount that Greece must pay to the International Monetary Fund (€ 1.6 billion) in the next seven days thanks to crowdfunding.

Two Nobel Prize in Economics fly emergency Tsipras

“1.6 billion is true that it seems a lot. But only 3 euros from every European, “wrote Thom Feeney, a young British 29 years behind the proposal. Nothing is known of him except that it works in a shoe store in London. He has not responded to letters of Time.
At the time of writing – Tuesday around 12.30 – 2700 people have already paid more than 41,000 euros [the sum is increasing]. The majority chose the postcard Tsipras, while the bottle Ouzo met with some success. “This is the best idea of ​​crowd funding ever made”, “That’s brilliant, brilliant”, “The best five euros spent in my life” … the Germans, Portuguese, Dutch; Donations come from all corners of Europe and the comments show great enthusiasm. crowdfunding

Politicians discussing it

Thom Feeney promises that he is not a joke. “I can understand that people believe that this is a joke, but this is not the case. […] I was tired of seeing the Greek crisis in circles, with politicians who procrastinate. This concerns real people! I thought I had to try it through this one. ”

The entire amount will go directly to the Greek people and all products will be produced in Greece and sent from Greece, promises Thom Feeney. If the amount is not met within seven days, all the money will be returned to generous donors.crowdfunding

An advertising Siberian company has launched a limited edition, really original of toilet paper … He sent some rolls at the German, American and British embassies. “Our response”. The Russian inventiveness knows no limits. The advertising Koliassine Kiril, who lives in Omsk in Siberia, has launched a limited edition of toilet paper on which are written the Western sanctions (2014) against Russia. For now, a thousand copies were manufactured. A room costs 450 rubles, or 4 euros.

“The printed text on the rollers corresponds to amendments of September 2014 on tighter sanctions on export, import and for some citizens and Russian companies,” says the Russian newspaper Rossiiskaya Gazeta.

Kiril Koliassine claims to have sent copies to several American embassies, British and German Moscow.

A product “fully in line with hygiene standards”

The packaging of each roller, carefully decorated box portraits of David Cameron, Angela Merkel and Barack Obama, said that the product rather intended to be offered as a souvenir. But its creator wishes to attest to its quality: “Paper is fully in line with hygiene standards and may well be used for its primary function. The paper, double thick, is designed entirely from cellulose and each roll has a length of 19 meters. ”

Brand Nach Otvet (“Our response”) of young advertising is negotiating with a local company to manufacture toilet paper to get into their catalog.