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Human Trafficking, 11 arrested in Britain

British police have arrested 11 people during a series of raids conducted overnight, in the framework of a massive anti-trafficking operation. As the BBC announces in its online edition, people have been arrested in London, Birmingham and Gatshid. 

They are accused of being part of an organized criminal group that used modified vehicles to immigrate to the UK. Meanwhile, in parallel, 15 people were arrested in Bulgaria and Belgium. About 200 officers participated in the operation run by Home Office and codenamed "Halifax". Trafficked persons are mainly from Afghanistan, Pakistan and Vietnam. The criminal group used its vans and modified trucks to create hiding places for people traveling across Europe to Britain. 

Director of the Criminal and Financial Investigation Section, Steve Dann, stated that the network had made systematic efforts to avoid UK immigration officers' checks. "That of human beings is a cruel and dangerous traffic where vulnerable people are treated as goods. Many of them, after arriving, pass into the hands of other criminal groups who try to exploit them for purposes of modern slavery, including sexual or forced labor, "Dann said.

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Storm demolished the stadium in Ireland

From the hurricane it has turned into a tropical storm, but "Ophelia" continues to be considered quite dangerous as it snatched Irish shores, where it is reportedly a lost life. 

So far, the biggest consequences have been paid to the Iberian peninsula, faced with winds that reached speeds of 130km per hour, causing some powerful fires in the Spanish region of Galicia, numbering 3 dead. Today's powerful wind has also hit the staircase roof of the stadium in Cork, Ireland.

 Ireland has in the meantime been alerted by the storm approach, and to limit as much as its damages, authorities have decided to close schools all over the country.

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Elections in Austria, wins Kurz and the People's Party

The Conservative People's Party, led by 31-year-old Sebastian Kurz, will be the winner of the general elections in Austria. 

According to the first exit-polle, after the closing of ballot boxes, Kurz will become the newest leader of a country in the world. The Austrian media reported that the party of the people is expected to receive 30.2% of the vote, followed by the far-right Freedom Party, 26.8%, while the third-placed Social Democrats are 26.3%. If these results are even official, the Kurz party will not reach the required single majority and may seek an alliance with the Freedom Party, which campaigned against immigration. The latter was a key issue during the electoral campaign and provides the good opportunity for the People's Party to return after many years to the government. 

After more than a decade, in government with the Social Democrats, it seems that conservatives and all of Austria are moving right. Kurz, the Austrian foreign minister, significantly strengthened his party when it took its lead in May. He promised to close the migration routes in Europe, reduce benefits for refugees and not allocate them to those who live in Austria for less than five years. Elections in Austria were held as the immigrant issue is key in many countries and has led to serious electoral developments on the continent, including Germany, where the far right had success in the election.

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Tillerson: We want diplomatic solutions with North Korea

US Secretary of State Rex Tillerson insisted that President Donald Trump wants to resolve confrontation with North Korea through diplomacy. Efforts to come to an end will continue until the first bomb falls - Tillerson told CNN. 

According to the American Chief, sanctions and diplomacy have resulted in unprecedented international unity against North Korea's nuclear program. Tillerson's comments come as more and more international actors are convinced that the US has shared the mind about war with North Korea, especially after Trump's own word that advised his foreign secretary not to waste time seeking talks with the isolated state.

 In the CNN interview, Tillerson also rejected the question of calling the president an idiot, saying he did not intend to deal with such small things. In recent months, North Korea has challenged the whole world by launching missiles over Japan and carrying out the sixth nuclear test. The harsh language that Trump and Kim Jong un have used to each other has increased even more tension, making military confrontation a real opportunity.

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Trump signs executive order for health care

Frustrated by Republican efforts to hold "Obamacare," US President Donald Trump has signed an executive warrant for overthrowing the health law holding his predecessor's signature, which secured 20 million Americans. 

Trump introduced plans to allow small businesses and individuals to buy insurance that does not meet the minimum requirements of "Obamacare". "Seven years ago, Congressional Democrats hit the American health care system, imposing Obama's Obamacare obsession on Americans. He was really a nightmare, "Trump said at the White House signing ceremony. 

He underlined that the warrant represents the first step to assist millions of Americans. Trump said the changes would add to the choice of buying health insurance, allow co-workers to come together and buy insurance policies across state borders, and will also have lower prices by allowing short-term health insurance policies covering fewer areas. But critics say that all this will do nothing but raise more prices, damaging elderly Americans or those who are in poor health conditions.

 The executive order asks the agencies to review and rewrite the rules for the proposed changes, but it can be challenged in court by opponents questioning whether or not the president has the legal authority to make those changes. The Trump plan allows insurance companies and other agencies to sell cheaper policies that provide less coverage than currently required by "Obamacare", excluding for example maternity insurance or drug abuse. 

Americans can buy short-term policies for longer periods, while insurers can charge groups and businesses with payments to sick employees, more than others. Those who benefit from reform are healthy, nursing Americans, who do not earn much money. For them, a basic insurance policy will be cheaper every month, but they face greater costs if they get sick.

Those who lose are older Americans with great medical expenses. Some have applauded the plan, but others have warned that it will increase the cost of health care. Democratic leader of the House of Representatives, Nancy Pelosi described him as a sabotage of the Affordable Medical Care Act, or otherwise known as "Obamacare".

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Berlusconi: gift to Putin for 65th anniversary

Russian President Vladimir Putin is undoubtedly a difficult man to make a birthday present, but former Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi has certainly come up with an original gift in the form of a headgear with a big image of both men.

The gift was made on the occasion of Putin’s 65th anniversary, which he celebrated on Saturday. The two early political allies have spent time together, both in Russia and Italy, with a picture of their giant chapels on the head of the Berlusconi villa in Sardinia, which conquered the first pages of the international press.

After the former Italian prime minister resigned from office, amongst a series of scandals, Putin backed him by saying he would not have been treated so unfair if he had been gay.

Berlusconi’s original gift comes after Putin himself had donated to the 81-year-old a double bed in 2008, where Patrizia D'Adario, a prostitute, supposed to have slept with Berlusconi. The move is likely to strengthen relations between Italy and Russia if Berlusconi follows his plan to return to the post of prime minister during the upcoming elections in Italy.

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Turkey, another warrant in confronting the US

Turkey issued a warrant for a US consulate employee, the second within a week. The arrest of a member of the US Consulate in Istanbul last week triggered a diplomatic confrontation between Ankara and Washington, causing the two countries to almost completely abolish the visa service.

The first cleric was arrested for allegedly relating to cleric Fetullah Gulen, Turkey’s main defendant for the 2016 failed coup of 2016. But Ankara did not give any explanation for the reasons for the second term of the arrest.

Diplomatic confrontation with the United States has cost dearly to Turkey, as Turkish stockpiles and scholarships suffered serious losses. Turkey urged Washington earlier to review its decision to ban all visa-free visas that did not have to do with immigration, measures taken as a reprimand to the first arrest.

But as Turkey issues a second term of arrest, it is unlikely that America will meet the demand. Turkey has long demanded the extradition of Fetullah Gulen from the US, and experts say the arrest of civil servants appears to be Ankara’s attempt to press, though Turkey has suffered losses by far.

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Senator Corker: Trump is leading america to WW3

Donald Trump’s tough rapport with the Republican elite reached a strange level recently when Senator Bob Corker described the White House as a garden for adults, while warning the president that he is threatening to deploy the United States on the path of the War of Independence Third World.

The intense exchange of criticisms between Trump and the chairman of the Senate Committee on Foreign Relations began when the president accused the Republican senator, who is leaving office, that he has no courage to re-run.

In response, Corker replied to “Twitter”:

"How sorry the White House has become a garden for adults. Someone has not been at work this morning, “Corker wrote.

Corker was once a strong supporter of Trump, but is already one of his greatest critics. In an interview with the New York Times, Corker said he was alarmed because of a president behaving as if he was still on TV.

Corker said that during the last 15 months he will be the most important service for the country in his career, implying that it is about the president’s opposition.

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Catalonia declares independence (suspended), Puigdemont: Still time for dialogue

“I have never planned any threat or insult to someone. We are all part of the same community, "were the first words of Catalan President in the long-awaited address to address the issues of independence of the northeastern northeastern region of Spain.

"It was the first time a vote took place under police attack, which is because the Spanish government has been aggressively brought to us. However, more than two million people overcame fear and went out to vote, "Carles Puigdemont further said.

"The Catalan issue is not just ours, but of all Europe. Since Frank’s overthrow of dictatorship, Catalonia has always contributed to democracy and peace, because that is the only way to move forward. We always wanted to sit in talks with the Madrid government, "Puigdemont further emphasized.

And shortly after this speech came the long-awaited decision for the Catalans, and highly criticized by the Spanish central government, for declaring independence of the autonomous region of Spain. "The decisive moment for Catalonia has already come, and I, as president, pursue the will of the people to proclaim the Catalan independence. But I want to take time to give dialogue, suspending the effects of the declaration of independence. ”

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Fukushima incident, Japan government responsible

A court in Japan ordered the government and operator of the Fukushima nuclear plant to pay $ 4.4 million in damages to the area’s residents affected by the November 2011 nuclear incident.

The Fukushima Court ruling follows an earlier decision , which also blamed the disaster government in which large amounts of radioactive radiation were released, forcing tens of thousands of people to abandon their homes.

The collective indictment, which includes 3,800 claimants, is the largest of the thirty such complaints filed by 12,000 Fukushima residents who say their lives were destroyed by the triple nuclear meltdown and its consequences.

In March, a court first ruled that state negligence contributed to events at the Fukushima nuclear power plant, the world’s largest nuclear accident since Chernobyl 25 years ago.

The “Tepko” company, which manages the plant, has been ordered by three courts to pay compensation, and the Japanese government is now added to the culprits.

According to the court in Fukushima, the government did not order “Tepkon” to improve security measures, despite the persistence of experts. Almost 7 years after the catastrophe, some 50,000 evacuees still live outside their homes, many say they will not be able to ever return there.

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France, the national public sector strikes against Macron

Millions of public sector employees in France are participating in a one-day national strike in protest of President Emmanuel Macron’s economic reforms. As a result of the strike, many schools were closed, rail services were restricted and one third of the flights canceled.

The French government plans to cut 12,000 jobs in the public sector over the next 5 years.

The strike followed last month’s protest that was made against new employment laws. Tuesday’s strike was organized by 9 public sector unions in the country, in the form of solidarity against job cuts and other plans to freeze wages.

Trade unions representing 5.4 million workers said that the demonstrations send a clear message that they are not in agreement with Macron’s plans.

Marching in the strike, apart from Paris, took place in cities such as Nantes and Lyon. According to the unions, the extreme measures strategy being applied by Macron doubts the existence of the public sector.

Representatives of the demonstrators said they are concerned by the possibility of transferring services, such as nurseries and hospitals, to private sector hands. Protests were also joined by numerous students, who say that cuts in people and funds directly affect the quality of education.

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Erdogan slams during the conference with Poroshenko

There is no doubt that politics is tedious, and this is well demonstrated by Turkey’s President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, who seems to have slept during a joint press conference with his Ukrainian counterpart, Petro Poroshenko.

Erdogan arrived in Kiev for an official visit and to strengthen co-operation between the two countries, but it seems that negotiations could have been quite tedious, as the Turkish leader appears several times closing his eyes and sagging.

The plan for co-operation, of course, was signed, and Erdogan clearly appears ready for a good sleep after the tedious work he did. In the social media, the video made quite a rage, and there were those who said that Erdogan could be upset by the long word of his counterpart, which perhaps did not seem very interesting.

After all, little sleep seems justified, as the Turkish president knew what his Ukrainian counterpart would say.

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South Africa, the sudden storm strikes Durban

A sudden and powerful storm surged residents and authorities in the city of Durban, South Africa, who faced major flooding in urban areas and almost total paralysis of the movement.

As water has covered everything, authorities rushed to warn residents not to leave the homes or where they are until the storm is over, but the sights clearly show that the main problem of residents is to get out of the flooded streets.

Local police said dozens were injured, but fortunately there are no reports of casualties, while emergency teams are trying to cover as many areas of the city as possible.

Meteorologists said the weather deterioration was predicted, but no one could imagine the colossal amount of rainfall that spilled onto the city in a matter of hours. In addition to dense rainfall, there are also no winds that reach in some cases up to 90 km per hour

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‘’Goodbye’’ Big Ben

The famous London clock tower, Big Ben, will undergo a full reconstruction. And for this reason, “Elizabeth Tower” is surrounded by scaffolding, which will hinder the appearance not only of Londoners, but also of many tourists in the English capital.

Four years are projected to extend the works in one of the world’s most famous buildings, and the total cost will reach 68 million euros.

Built in 1859, Big Ben, was officially known as the “Clock Tower”, a name that he held until 2002, when he was replaced in “Elizabeth Tower” in honor of the current Queen of Britain Elizabeth II.

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Catalonia, Foreign Affairs: Spain mistaked!

From all the ways that history offers as examples of how a government must face a separatist movement, Spain seems to have chosen the “Serbian” method. Thus, it starts an analysis of the Foreign Affairs, which interprets the actions of the Madrid government to prevent the unilateral declaration of Catalonia’s independence.

"It now threatens to abolish the Catalan regional government, as Serbia did with Kosovo in 1990, and since 1 October, when a referendum took place, it preserves a large police presence sent to Catalonia by other regions of Spain, despite apologizing for the episodes of violence, “Foreign Affairs writes.”

Another similarity between Milosevic’s behavior in 1990 and the Spanish government, the article that the author of Joseph Huddleston finds the army’s move. “Since Last Thursday, numerous military troops were set up in Catalonia, also copying r the eagnification of the Serbian government after the declaration of independence from Kosovo.

For the Catalans, this is more like an invading force than the necessary presence of security forces to maintain peace in the region, "the author notes. Foreign Affairs calls excessive response to the Spanish government’s response, which if escalated could bring other consequences, including the war.

"This has also sparked the Catalan allies of Madrid, who today no longer oppose their independence as much as they did before numerous police and army forces were sent to the region,” goes further.

According to Foreign Affairs, Madrid’s excessive reaction was not argued either by holding a referendum, which did not have legal guarantees.

“Only 42 per cent participated in the vote, and if Madrid were to adhere to its statements and actions, most Catalans would have ignored this referendum and the outcome itself,” the prestigious American magazine writes.

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Turkey softens tones: Improving relations with Germany

Turkey has mitigated ruthless rhetoric against Germany and Angela Merkel and, according to Ankara, there is now no reason to have problems between the two countries. In a recent interview with Der Spiegel, Turkish Foreign Minister Mevult Çavusoglu commented on the official reports between Berlin and Ankara that culminated in mutual accusations and counter-accusations during the electoral campaign in Germany.

"Turkey itself has never sought a clash with Germany. President Erdogan has responded to the attacks that have come from Germany, so if you approach one step we will approach two, “said Chavusoglu.

The Turkish chief diplomat says the German government must learn to respect Turkey, while expressing readiness to co-operate with a Turkish-German Foreign Minister, such as Cem Ozdemir. Ozdemir is the head of the German "Greens” and Erdogan’s fierce critic. A week ago, Turkish Prime Minister Binali Yildirim spoke of “a new chapter in relations with Berlin and their upgrading.”

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The Peninsula “Hacker” steals the American plan for Kim Jong’s assassination

North Korea’s “Hackers” reportedly stole a large number of neighboring South Korean military secret documents, including a plan to killing its leader Kim Jong-un.

The information is believed to come from the South Korean Defense Ministry itself. The compromised documents include warfare plans jointly drawn up by Washington and Seoul, as well as reports of top Allied forces’ military leaders. Among them there are also information on important power stations and military bases.

The South Korean Ministry of Defense has not received so far an official comment on the matter. In total, about 235 GB (gigabytes) military documents have been stolen from the Integrated Data Protection Center, and 80% of them have yet to be identified.

The episode took place last September, and in May, Seoul said a huge amount of data had been stolen, but it is now only time to find out what contained the fallen documents in the hands of the “hackers” of the North. Penian, however, denies such allegations.