… von der Leyen and European Council President Charles Michel signed … fundamental interests of the European Union and creates stability and … and companies.” The European Parliament also must sign off … between Britain and the EU as sovereign equals.” …
Buddhist Times News – Thousands march through Kathmandu against PM dissolving Parliament
Rival Nepal Communist Party faction hit street of Kathmandu in show of power,
In the past 30 years since 1990, no single Prime Minister of Nepal has served a full five-year term.
The country has seen the governance change hands over 25 times as none of the 14 prime ministers stayed on for the entire term.
Protestors led by Pushpa Kamal Dahal and Madhav Kumar Nepal of Nepal Communist Party’s rival faction marched through the streets of the capital Kathmandu on Tuesday against the dissolution of Parliament.
The march took place even as a delegation from China is in Nepal on a four-day visit to “assess the ground situation.”
Participating in the protest march were three former Prime Ministers – Pushpa Kamal Dahal, Madhav Kumar Nepal and Jhala Nath Khanal. Slogans were chanted against the latest “unconstitutional” move of dissolving parliament by now the now caretaker Government of Prime Minster KP Oli.
Cadres chanted slogans against Oli and President Bidhya Devi Bhandari and also against foreign intervention demanding them to stay away from the country’s internal political matters.
Earlier this week a four-member delegation led by Guo Yezhou, a vice minister in the International Department of Communist Party of China arrived in Nepal and met major political leaders of the Himalayan Nation.
“Presence of people on the streets of Kathmandu and protests all around the nation has truly proved that other political parties, civil societies, former Chief Justice, senior advocates along with other groups associated with the public have collectively denounced this step and called the step as autocratic, unconstitutional, against democracy and its norms,” Pushpa Kamal Dahal or Prachanda, the Chairman of rival Nepal Communist Party faction said while addressing the mass meeting held after the show of power on Tuesday.
Nepal President Bidya Devi Bhandari had dissolved the Lower House on Prime Minister K P Sharma Oli’s recommendation on December 20. The move has invited 12 petitions in the country’s apex court, claiming it to be “unconstitutional”, including one by Prachanda.
“If there is any kind of uneasy conditions, I want to appeal the court to understand protest and mass meeting which has commenced all around the nation. This is a symbiosis from people’s part not only our political party, but I also request them to understand it in that way,” the former Prime Minister appealed.
After dissolving the Parliament, Oli also proposed elections on April 30 and May 10, 2021, nearly two years ahead of the schedule. Seven cabinet ministers had submitted their resignations after the Parliament dissolution was ratified by the President.
Nepal’s Supreme Court on Friday issued a show-cause notice to the Oli-led government, asking it to submit a written clarification over its decision to abruptly dissolve Parliament.
Meanwhile, the other former Prime Minister and co-chair of Nepal Communist Party Madhav Kumar Nepal said that the latest move of Oli has prompted people to come onto the street fearing the rise of undemocratic forces in the nation.
“He (Oli) has taken the steps against federalism, constitution, democracy, democratic values and norms, people’s right and choice; this is why people now have hit the road,” Nepal said addressing the mass meeting.
Oli claimed of lack of support from party insiders and moves to oust him from post through impeachment as the reasons to dissolve the parliament which he exercised going beyond the constitutional rights.
Protests had since then erupted in the Himalayan Nation which in year 2017 voted for communist alliance hoping for stability as it always was marred with political changes and raging conflict.
The then Communist alliance- Communist Party of Nepal-Unified Marxist Leninist and Communist Party of Nepal- Maoist Center had scored nearly two-third majority and formed a single government after swooping the election.
Formally cutting off relations with Oli and taking actions against him for making the latest unilateral move, the rival faction within the ruling party on December 24 decided to take to the streets. Leaders of the rival faction have claimed it to be the first phase of protest and have vowed to make it stricter and stronger as it advances.
“From today, the fire of struggle has been ignited. The sky of Kathmandu Valley is echoing with deafening slogans the voice against regression has already set off,” Jhala Nath Khanal, a former Prime Minister and Senior Leader of ruling Nepal Communist Party, Dahal-Nepal faction said addressing the mass meeting.
The leaders on Tuesday’s protest vowed to fight to reinstate the parliament and correct the unconstitutional move of Oli. Rival faction leaders said they have formed an agitation mobilization committee to launch protests in various parts of the country.
The Lower House of Nepal’s Parliament, called the ‘Pratinidhi Sabha’, has a term of five years unless dissolved earlier. There is no provision in the Constitution that allows the Prime Minister to dissolve the Parliament unilaterally.
Oli’s opponents have now turned to the Supreme Court to challenge his dissolution of Parliament denouncing it as a “constitutional coup”, Reuters reported.
Supreme Court Spokesman Bhadrakali Pokharel told Reuters that three petitions against the dissolution were “in the process of being registered”.
Dinesh Tripathi, who is one of the petitioners, said that according to the Constitution, the prime minister should allow the formation of an alternate government to ensure stability.
If the court registers the petitions it could take about two weeks for a decision, Reuters quoted legal experts as saying.
According to The Print, if the court rules Oli’s decision to be unconstitutional, he will have to resign as prime minister. If not, the interim government will continue till the next elections scheduled on 30 April and 10 May.
source — ANI
European Union leaders formally sign post-Brexit UK trade deal
Issued on:
EU leaders Ursula von der Leyen and Charles Michel signed the post-Brexit trade deal agreed with Britain in a brief ceremony on Wednesday.
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The texts were then to be flown to London in a British Royal Air Force jet for the signature of UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson, on the eve of Britain’s departure from the EU single market.
Speaking in parliament on Wednesday, Johnson vowed that Britain would work closely with the European Union after this Brexit deal takes full effect from January 1, as MPs debated the two sides’ mammoth trade pact.
“With this bill we are going to be a friendly neighbour, the best friend and ally the EU could have,” he told parliament.
London and Brussels will work “hand in glove whenever our values and interests coincide, while fulfilling the sovereign wish of the British people to live under their own sovereign laws made by their own sovereign parliament”.
The government intends to ram all stages of the 85-page European Union (Future Relationship) Bill through the Commons and the House of Lords in one day, before the EU trade deal takes effect at 11pm GMT on Thursday.
At that hour – midnight in Brussels – the UK will be entirely out of the EU, following an 11-month transition period in place since Brexit took legal effect and more than four years after Britons voted to leave in a divisive referendum.
The agreement averted the prospect of a cliff-edge separation that would have seen quotas and tariffs slapped on all cross-Channel trade, exacerbating strains in the middle of the coronavirus pandemic, which has hit Britain harder than most.
Consequences taking shape
But not everything in the trade deal was well received in the UK. For one, British fishermen accused the government of selling them out. Secondly, services, which account for 80 percent of the UK economy, were largely omitted, and the City of London faces an anxious wait to learn on what basis it can continue dealing with the Europe Union in the future.
But a faction of arch-Brexiteers in Johnson’s ruling Conservative party gave their blessing to the EU agreement on Tuesday, and the main opposition Labour party signalled its reluctant backing, ensuring the legislation will pass.
Despite misgivings among some of his own MPs, who plan to abstain in Wednesday’s vote, Labour leader Keir Starmer said neutrality was not an option given the stakes for Britain as it unwinds nearly five decades of integration with the European mainland.
“But the consequences of it are yours, and yours alone,” he said, addressing Johnson’s government. “We will hold you to account for it, every second you are in power.”
Indeed, the full consequences of the agreement will only play out in the coming months, and UK businesses will still be grappling with the kind of customs red tape they have avoided for decades in trading across the Channel.
From January 1, there will no longer be free movement of people from Britain to the EU or vice versa.
The UK government is pulling out of the European student exchange programme, Erasmus, that has benefited tens of thousands of young people over the years.
Under the EU deal, musicians are not covered by exemptions allowing for free passage of short-term business visitors, sparking warnings that continental tours by UK bands will become unviable.
The many British owners of European holiday homes are finding that unless they apply for residency permits, they will face limits on how often they can visit their properties.
And Britons will face new bureaucracy if they want to take their pets with them to the EU.
Under the compressed legislative calendar, the European Parliament will only debate the Brexit deal after the New Year.
Pending that, EU member states gave their green light on Monday for the accord to take provisional effect before Thursday’s deadline.
(FRANCE 24 with AFP)
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Eddie Cross: Freedom of Religion
… the issue of freedom of religion. Our Zimbabwe delegation was two … . Even today conflicts based on religion affect vast areas of the … was not so much on religion but on tribe and race …
Algernon Pharmaceuticals Provides Year End Summary of Key Activities
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EU mobilises emergency assistance for Croatia in the aftermath of devastating earthquake
European Commission Press release Brussels, 30 Dec 2020 The EU Civil Protection Mechanism has been activated to assist Croatia in the aftermath of a 6.4 magnitude earthquake, following a request for assistance from Croatian authorities on 29 December
European Union humanitarian aid brought by UNICEF to Kazakhstan
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Press release: Signature of the EU-UK agreement, 30 December 2020
On behalf of the European Union, the President of the European Council and the President of the European Commission signed this morning the EU-UK trade and cooperation agreement. This agreement will now be brought to the United Kingdom to be signed by Prime Minister Boris Johnson, before being provisionally applied as of 1 January 2021.
The agreement that we signed today is the result of months of intense negotiations in which the European Union has displayed an unprecedented level of unity. It is a fair and balanced agreement that fully protects the fundamental interests of the European Union and creates stability and predictability for citizens and companies.
Charles Michel, President of the European Council
This agreement will then be examined by the European Parliament and the Council, before it can be ratified by the European Union.
In this context, it is of the utmost importance for the European Union and the United Kingdom to look forward, in view of opening a new chapter in their relations.
Charles Michel, President of the European Council: “On major issues, the European Union stands ready to work shoulder to shoulder with the United Kingdom. This will be the case on climate change, ahead of the COP 26 in Glasgow, and on the global response to pandemics, in particular with a possible treaty on pandemics. On foreign affairs, we will seek cooperation on specific issues based on shared values and interests.
These are major issues that will have to be discussed on a regular basis, like we do with our strategic partners, and I am looking forward to such a cooperation.“
Members of Armenian parliamentary committee on European integration meet with EU Ambassador
Members of the Standing Committee on European Integration of the National Assembly of Armenia, under the leadership of Chair of the Committee Arman Yeghoyan, had a meeting with Head of the Delegation of the European Union in Armenia, Ambassador Andrea Wiktorin.
The participants of the meeting discussed a broad range of issues on cooperation, particularly the prospects for the Armenia-EU cooperation, the situation created as a result of the war unleashed against Artsakh (Nagorno-Karabakh) and the developments and the opportunities to solve the social and economic crisis caused by the COVID-19 pandemic.
Wiktorin stated that the European Union is currently implementing various programs through the EU-backed Rapid Reaction Mechanism in order to provide support to families displaced from Artsakh.
Wiktorin reaffirmed the EU’s willingness to assist Armenia in the implementation of reforms and, in this context, informed about the importance of the EUR 9,000,000 grant disbursed to the Government of Armenia for support to reforms in the justice sector, as well as the additional EUR 24,000,000 grant disbursed to Armenia for support to the fight against COVID-19.
With satisfaction, the parties stated that the ratification by the 27 member states of the EU-Armenia Comprehensive and Enhanced Partnership Agreement has drawn to an end.
The European Union is killing Jewish life in Europe
Jews in Europe face new restrictions on religious freedom, says rabbi
Over the course of a single summer in 2020, Jewish graves in Worms, Germany, were vandalised, an Austrian Jew was attacked in the street and a calendar published in the Czech Republic that glorified Nazi leaders. It came in a year during which Europe and the world marked 75 years since the liberation of the Nazi concentration camp at Auschwitz.
Meanwhile, Belgium, Denmark and Poland have either proposed bans or actually banned ritual slaughter, the method by which millions of Jews and Muslims in Europe require their meat to be killed. In Iceland, Denmark and Norway, a furore has erupted over circumcision, with critics arguing that the practice is inhumane and should be banned for those under the age of 18.
“It is very frustrating, there is no question,” Rabbi Menachem Margolin, president of the European Jewish Association, told Euronews from his office in Brussels.
“You just think, […] why do we have to [do this] again […]. Three weeks ago it was the circumcision issue in Belgium […]. Two weeks ago it was circumcision in Denmark, this week it is ritual slaughter in Poland, I mean what is next?”
Kosher meat
Poland’s ban on kosher meat was pushed through by the governing Law and Justice Party (PiS) earlier in September against the objections of its two minority coalition partners, potentially bringing down the Polish government and paving the way for new elections.
The ban on kosher meat was part of a wide-ranging law on animal welfare, which will similarly outlaw Muslim halal slaughter and the production of fur. It is currently in a 14-day review period, but the fact that the PiS was willing to let its coalition collapse to pass it suggests it could stand.
Read more: ‘It’s a knife in our backs’: Confusion and anger in Poland over law on religious slaughter
Speaking to Euronews last week when the law was passed, Margolin told Euronews that the campaign for the animal welfare law had distinct antisemitic overtones, presenting the supporters of the law as “good Polish citizens” and its opponents, among them the Jewish community, as bad. But there will also be a practical impact on Europe’s Jewish community.
“Limiting the export of kosher meat from Poland will immediately impact Jewish people from all over Europe because many Jewish people from Europe consume kosher meat coming from Poland,” he said.
Margolin is keen to make the distinction between antisemitism, on the one hand, and a lack of respect for Europe’s religious minorities, including Jews, on the other. Being attacked in the street, he said, is unpleasant, but it is a crime and should be treated as such. The slow chipping away of religious freedoms is the bigger threat to Europe’s three million Jews, he said.
“Of course, governments have to be very tough with people who commit crimes against Jews. But much more important is to take care of the long term: education and a strong commitment to ensuring freedom of religion,” he said.
Key to beating both, he said, is education. As the events of the Holocaust, when six million European Jews died in the death camps of Europe, recede in the memory of Europeans, as the generation that remembers fascism in Europe is dying out, the history of Europe’s Jews must be made part of the curriculum in every school in every European state.
“Antisemitism is a very old disease. If you want to fight against anti-Semitism you have to educate,” he said.
‘Ignorance is an open door for populists’
“We have been pushing European governments to update the curriculum [to] include more information about the Jews, their customs, their history, the Holocaust, anti-Semitism, these are things that Europe has faced for two millennia. Every child needs to learn about that,” Margolin said.
Ignorance, he added, is “an open door” for the populist movements of both right and left, and it is from the right, left and the political centre that antisemitism is coming. He is reluctant to name and shame but said centrist parties have noticed the success that the far right and left have had using hatred to win votes, and are now adopting similar tactics.
“What we see is that mainstream political parties do not take the right direction in order to fight the extremists, they adapt themselves to part of that agenda, which is very dangerous,” he said.
“I prefer not to attack anyone in particular. It is a phenomenon that is all over Europe. All over the world. But when it comes to the Jewish situation it is a dangerous direction.”
