Prism scandal: the NSA had intercepted 56,000 private emails per year

 

The National Security Agency (NSA) may have "inadvertently" and illegally intercepted private emails to 56,000 per year between 2008 and 2011 as part of a program that a secret court found that may have violated the laws and the Constitution of the United States, show documents published Wednesday, August 21.

These previously classified secret documents were declassified by the White House, trying to fall the scandal caused by revelations of Edward Snowden computer on the extent monitoring programs for U.S. intelligence agencies. 

According to U.S. officials, the documents show that programs to collect information that led the NSA to intrude "inadvertently" on the private lives of Americans were identified , s and corrected.

The interception of emails between U.S. citizens should normally be authorized by a warrant.

But this was not the case, which led to the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Court (FISC), a secret court that oversees intelligence activities in question in 2011 on the legality , shares of the NSA. 

The extrajudicial collection of tens of thousands of emails seemed "in certain respects, lacking legal and constitutional basis," has found John Bates, a magistrate of the FISC, in October 2011, we read in one of declassified documents Wednesday.

According to U.S. officials and a court document declassified by the White House, the NSA has decided to "destroy" these collected "inadvertently" and strengthen its procedures.

"When there is a complex operation in terms of technology, in which thousands of people are involved, there are bound to be mistakes," pleaded one American intelligence official. 

NSA happen annually screened some 250 million emails in the world and millions of telephone conversations.

Reuters

PRESIDENTIAL MALI: Mali: the challenges facing the next president

 

Who Ibrahim Boubacar Keita or Soumaila Cisse will be called to preside over the destinies of Mali? This Sunday, August 11, some 6.9 million voters Mali will have to decide between the two finalists in the presidential election, which, in the absence of pre-program cis, seem to further highlight their personality as their vision of the country for the five years to come.

The burning issues, however, are not lacking in this country economically paralyzed from the military coup of 22 March 2012 that toppled President Amadou Toumani Toure (ATT). Endemic corruption, disobedience of the army, Tuareg separatists jolts northern and jihadist threat … The ability of the next head of state to quickly address these questions depends longevity in power.

Economic reconstruction

These are the reins of a nation just emerging from war that inherit the future Malian leader. Pointing country before the war, the 175th (out of 187) of the classification developed by the United Nations Program for Development (UNDP), Mali's GDP to contract by 1.5% during the events of 2012. A decline would have been even more so without revenues, including the exploitation of gold mines in South untouched by the fighting.

"The reconstruction especially for the north, where the Islamist insurgency and the French intervention destroyed the entire infrastructure of the three major cities of Gao, Timbuktu and Kidal, observes Michel Galy, professor of gen , opolitique the Institute of International Relations in Paris. But after reconstruction comes time development. For over 30 years, if not 50, nothing has been done to the north, where thousands of CFA francs invested were scattered in the sands of corruption. In this region, especially in the Tuareg villages, there are no schools, no wells, no roads, no health centers. Everything is done. "

"Malians expect the next president homogenization of wealth between the center and the outskirts of the north and south of the country abounds Emmanuel Dupuy, a specialist in international relations in the prospective Institute and Security in Europe (IPSE) he leads. The new government will work towards the development of Mali basement designate foreign companies can operate and then distribute the windfall across the country . "

Aware that regional inequalities are a source of instability, the international community has also conditioned the granting of its 3 billion euros of aid that they are equitably distributed s, especially in the North.

It is also necessary that the northern half, cut the rest of the country during the Islamic occupation, or with institutions capable of managing money. "The economic recovery through the restoration of administrative bases throughout the country. This is one of the major challenges of the future head of state ", Emmanuel Dupuy analysis.

National reconciliation

Halved after the coup jihadists, which was then associated with the Tuareg rebellion, Mali has again its territorial sovereignty since the military intervention French in early 2013. Nevertheless, in some parts of the North, including in Kidal, the Tuareg irredentism experiencing some turbulence. "The Tuareg rebels were present in five countries in Mali but they represent only a residual military force, says Michel Galy. They remained neutral during the campaign mainly because they expect the release of new negotiations that the future president will have to organize, under the terms of the preliminary peace agreement, within 60 days after election to define the status of the Azawad claimed by the rebels. "area

Weakened, divided, the Tuareg separatist movement has much to do for the autonomy of the region. "It will be difficult for the new president to give their view of the nationalist turn What made the campaign. At best, the MNLA [National Liberation Movement of Azawad] may benefit from decentralization, which would apply to the whole country. "

For experts, the Tuareg issue, however, is only part of the reconquest of national unity. "The head of state should make an extra effort vis-à-vis all the Malian people and not just Touareg MNLA says Emmanuel Dupuy. From a political point of view, it must involve the losers of the election. In view of the irregularities that took place during the first round, it may be that the president is elected with a number, after all, limited voice. The weakness of the score so the force to agree with the representatives of other political parties to form a government. To meet the country and meet its challenges, the president whatsoever must find a way to reach some sort of national consensus. "

This strategy may prove to be risky. "If the new president based his power on the consensus, then enroll in the right policy of former President ATT online. And it is this that caused his fall, says André Bourgeot, director of research at CNRS. Meanwhile, Malians ask the next president to establish strong institutions capable, for example, to fight corruption. But this does not happen on the political mégotage. "

The role of the army

Although they quickly left office after the coup, the military, who love nothing less than to feel abandoned by the state, remain a source of instability in a country accustomed , to coups. "The new government will have to consider how to restore the concept of a republican army, which is not yet complete. It is a work reorganization can take time, "says André Bourgeot. "The real challenge is to remind the military obligations and duties of protecting the sovereignty of Mali," insists his part Emmanuel Dupuy.

But then, the Malian armed forces are not the only ones to carry out this mission. Since the war, some 12,000 foreign soldiers, including 3,000 French still are deployed on the territory under the International Support Mission in Mali (Misma). Support which, for many observers, can be interpreted as a trusteeship Malian military. "The president must show that his army can perform the same tasks that foreign troops and will work for a better division of labor between international forces and soldiers Malian, "said Emmanuel Dupuy.

But for the researcher, rather than the army, is a Malian youth who might oppose frontally new power. "It is feared that this impromptu election inadequately prepared and organized in a hurry does not meet the challenges of rejuvenation and urbanization of its population . Discontent may occur otherwise, not necessarily by a coup. I think qu'IBK as Cissé know that if they are elected, their terms will not be a mandate that will lead to an end. "

UNITED STATES: SNCF in the U.S. elected viewfinder for his role in the Holocaust

 

Several elected Republicans and Democrats in the U.S. Congress introduced a new bill to allow prosecutions against SNCF for its role in transporting Jews to the camps of death during the Second World War. If approved, the law would counter the argument that the French company can not be prosecuted in the United States because of a U.S. law that guarantees the immunity as a controlled foreign corporation.

"For a long time the survivors and relatives of those who died trying to establish the liability of the railway for the active role it played in the Holocaust, but until Now the company has managed to wrap themselves in immunity and thus avoid proceedings before U.S. courts, "said Sen. Chuck Schumer said in a statement. 

SNCF, "a cog in the Nazi extermination machine"

This law "would allow survivors and relatives [of the victims] to be accountable to the French railway company to court for sending thousands of people to death during World War II," says there. If adopted, the text must be sent to President Barack Obama for promulgation.

In 2011, SNCF president Guillaume Pepy had recognized corporate responsibility in the deportation of Jews. The railway was "a cog in the Nazi extermination machine," he declared then, pointing out that more than 2,000 railway had been executed by the Nazi occupiers. Far from any ethical consideration, many felt that the train had to present his "apology" to preserve its chances of obtaining overseas contracts.

Requisitioned by the French Vichy government at the request of the German occupation authorities, SNCF transported 76,000 Jews from France in freight cars across the country and to extermination camps between 1942 and 1944.

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Detroit is the largest American city to go bankrupt

 

Last act of the agony of the "Motor City". The city of Detroit, the birthplace of the American automobile industry, declared Thursday, July 18 bankrupt – the largest bankruptcy of a city in the history of the United States . The debt of the largest city in Michigan is estimated at 18.5 billion dollars (14 billion euros)! Governor Snyder has found that there was no other solution.

"I take this difficult decision so that the people of Detroit have access to basic public services and for Detroit to start over on a solid financial foundation that will allow it to grow the future, "said Rick Snyder, Governor of the State of Michigan, in a statement.

Before Detroit, major cities such as New York, Cleveland and Philadelphia found themselves on the brink of bankruptcy, but Detroit is the first American city to officially seek the protection of bankruptcy. 

U.S. President Barack Obama told by a spokesman for the White House that he was following the situation closely. But, unlike what happened with the great crisis of 2008, during which the federal government decided to bail out manufacturers General Motors and Chrysler , with billions of dollars, the president did not promise this time.

Detroit was once synonymous with industrial know-how. The giants of the automobile industry had developed from 1941 to 1945 to produce tanks, planes and ammunition, which had earned the city the nickname "arsenal of democracy" ,. Now synonymous with decline, ruin, crime, the city has seen its population melt gradually from 1.8 million in 1950 to 700,000 today. Now a third of the population lives in poverty and 20% are unemployed.

City destroyed

The loss of manufacturing jobs, the exodus of white residents to the suburbs, which accelerated after the race riots of the 60s, have left the city devastated. Today, Detroit has more than two for active retirees. With a quarter of abandoned buildings in some areas, no other American city has focused more heavily the burden of de-industrialization.

In addition, the city was rocked by corruption scandals over the years. Kwame Kilpatrick, the former mayor of Detroit and ex-rising star of the Democratic Party, is in prison after being convicted of several corruption, including rigging bids, then his tenure.

The murder rate is at its highest level in nearly 40 years, only one third of the ambulance fleet was commissioned in the first quarter of 2013, and some 78,000 abandoned buildings in the city created , ent "problems additional public safety and reduce the quality of life in the city," said Michigan Governor in his letter.

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DR CONGO: Fighting murderers around Goma, the UN ready to use "military force"

 

These are the heaviest fighting for nine months. At least 130 people died in 24 hours in clashes between the Congolese army and rebels of the Movement of 23 March (M23) around Goma. According to the UN mission in the DRC (MONUSCO), the M23 has strengthened its positions around the city using the "heavy artillery" and shielded. Given the intensity of the violence, the UN said they were ready to use Monday, July 15th "armed force" to halt a rebel advance.

Monday noon, shots were heard from the northern districts of Goma, the regional capital of North Kivu. Several Congolese army tanks fired at the positions of the M23, found a photographer from AFP. This reporter has also crossed a thousand refugees crowded into Goma.  

By late morning in Kinshasa, the government spokesman, Lambert Mende, had assured the press that the army had "inflicted heavy losses" to the rebels. According to him, 120 rebels M23 and 10 soldiers were killed. But no record could be obtained from the M23 or from independent sources.

Rebels and government reject the initiative of fighting

The M23 is made up of former Congolese soldiers mutinied and found, according to the DRC and the UN support – in men and ammunition – from Ugandan and Rwandan governments. But these two neighboring countries deny any assistance M23.

The new fighting began early Sunday afternoon at a dozen kilometers from Goma, in the villages and Mutaho Kibati. But since rebels and Congolese government rejected the initiative of new fighting.

Lambert Mende assured that the Congolese rebels, "backed by Rwandan regular troops" had "attacked" the positions of the armed forces. For its part, the M23 said he condemned "in the strongest terms the resumption of war initiated by the Congolese government," in a statement released at night .

Finally, Rwanda accused Monday night the DRC army and MONUSCO have "deliberately" bombed two villages Rwandan border. According to General Joseph Nzabamwita, spokesperson of the Rwandan army, two shells landed in villages and Kageshi Gasiza, no injuries, and it was of "a deliberate act of provocation. " UN troops in a state of "alert" In November 2012, the M23 Goma had occupied for ten days after the army quickly defeated yet supported by UN peacekeepers . The rebels withdrew from the town under pressure from countries in the region in exchange for the opening of negotiations with the government of Laurent-Désiré Kabila.

But these discussions started in December in Kampala have not advanced much since they are denying the government expanded the political and social level.

The UN, which maintains 17,000 peacekeepers in the DRC, had been taken to the end of 2012 for its failure to protect the people of North Kivu. The United Nations has since imposed a framework agreement signed in Addis Ababa on 24 February: all countries of the region committed themselves not to support rebel movements operating in the eastern DRC.

Monday, spokesman Martin Nesirky UN issued a warning from New York: MONUSCO has "placed its troops on alert. (She) is ready to take all necessary measures and this includes the use of military force to protect civilians, "he said. "Any attempt by the M23 heading towards Goma will be considered a direct threat against civilians," he added.

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Egypt: The army launched a 48-hour ultimatum to Egyptian President Mohamed Morsi

 

Abdel Fattah al-Sisi, the chief of staff of the Egyptian army, gave Monday a "last chance" for political leaders to "take their responsibilities to historical circumstances in which the country faces. " In a message read on television message, the military command said that within 48 hours, the people's demands to be satisfied, saying the country could not afford to lose time.

The army could announce his own road

If this deadline is not met, the armed forces announce their own roadmap and measures to overcome the crisis, said Al-Sissi. He also said that the army, which has managed the transition from the fall of Hosni Mubarak in February 2011 and the election of Mohamed Morsi summer , last, no longer wished to be involved in politics or government.

This statement was greeted by an explosion of joy on the part of anti-Morsi gathered in Tahrir Square, the nerve center of the dispute. "Morsi is not our President, Sissi with us," chanted the demonstrators.

General Abdel Fattah al-Sisi, however, did not explicitly ask for the resignation of President Mohamed Morsi, main claim millions of opponents who showed Sunday, June 30

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SENEGAL: Obama pays tribute to Nelson Mandela, a "hero to the world"

 

The head of the U.S. state, Barack Obama, Wednesday, June 26 began its first tour in Dakar in sub-Saharan Africa since his re-election to the presidency. Accompanied by his wife Michelle and their two daughters, Malia and Sasha, he was welcomed by his Senegalese counterpart, Macky Sall and his wife Marème.

Barack Obama has made such a family to Goree Island, off Dakar, landmark memory of the slave trade and its infamous " , house slaves "which preceded two other U.S. presidents Bill Clinton and George W. Bush.

A joint press conference with the President of Senegal was an opportunity for the U.S. president to pay tribute to former South African President African Nelson Mandela, a "hero to the world" when he is fighting for its survival. Mandela was hospitalized for three weeks in Pretoria, "is one of my heroes. I think he is a hero to the world, and the day he left this earth, his legacy will live on through the ages ", told Barack Obama .

Support for African gay

Asked by American journalists, President Obama also hailed as "a victory for American democracy" the decision of the Supreme Court's decision in favor of marriage before gay in the United States. He took the opportunity to provide support to homosexuals persecuted in the overwhelming majority of African countries except South Africa, where gay marriage is allowed Africa. "My opinion is that, regardless of race, religion, gender, sexual orientation against the law, everyone should have the same rights," he said.

But, at her side, Senegalese President Macky Sall replied that although "very tolerant", his country was "not yet ready to decriminalize homosexuality." He recently excluded the adoption of a law allowing homosexuality in Senegal, required by organizations defending human rights.

Apart from this difference, MM. Obama and Sall said they share the same values ​​about "democracy" and "good governance".

South Africa

On Friday, the U.S. President has to go to Johannesburg for a weekend of talks and a joint press conference with President Jacob Zuma in Pretoria. A program that depend on the health of Nelson Mandela, former South African President hero of the anti-apartheid that soon 95 years was hospitalized for nearly three weeks Pretoria.

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FOOTBALL: Jose Mourinho returns to Chelsea for four years

 

Portuguese Jose Mourinho, who had led the club between 2004 and 2007, will be the next coach of Chelsea for the next four seasons, announced Monday the English club to win the Europa League.

"I am delighted to wish a return to Chelsea Jose. His ambition, his continued success and will make a perfect candidate, "said Ron Gourlay in a statement posted on the club website, the last third of England Championship.

"Our goal is to always move forward to achieve greater success in the future and José is our No.1 choice because we believe he is the right manager to do this work, "said Ron Gourlay.

Jose Mourinho, 50, was at the head of Real Madrid until Saturday. During his first visit, he had won two championships (2005, 06), one FA Cup (2007) and two English League Cups.

With the Real, in the last three seasons, Jose Mourinho has taken a particular Spanish League and King's Cup.

AFP

INTERNET: Yahoo! ready to get their hands on Tumblr for $ 1.1 billion

 

The board of Yahoo has approved the friendly takeover of the platform microblogging Tumblr for $ 1.1 billion (€ 857 million), announces the Wall Street Journal Sunday, citing sources close to the folder.

It would be the largest acquisition in the Internet portal since the arrival at its head Marissa Meyer, a former Google in July 2012.

Citing sources close to the situation, AllThingsD said that Yahoo, one of the oldest Internet names, is interested in the excitement by Tumblr youth.

Yahoo overshadowed for many years by new internet giants Google or Facebook, and wants his image and dust halting its activities. 

This comes after the failure of his plan to acquire 75% of the French online video site, Dailymotion, France Telecom.

Tumblr is one of the two social networks with the rage in recent months. The company hosts 108 million blogs and boasts 50.7 billion messages exchanged between them.

The network is just beginning to garner revenue through advertising.

Yahoo, which has declined to comment, has issued an invitation to the press conference for Monday in Manhattan "something special", without saying more.

REUTERS

The U.S. Senate vote to open debate on firearms

 

It is a small victory against Lobbie pro-gun. On Thursday, the U.S. Democrats have received the support of several Republican senators to win the vote for the opening of a historic debate on strengthening the legislation firearms. At a polling procedure with 60 votes out of 100 were required, 68 senators voted for the opening of discussions, 31 against

.

First win, therefore, both the Republican senators, fiercely opposed to any reform concerning firearms have increased this week procedural devices to prevent even holding a debate

.

Check psychiatric history buyers

The White House welcomed the vote, while stressing that it was only a "first step". Vote because it only gives the opportunity for senators to debate the issue. Now remains to convince them to vote on the bottom. More specifically, to vote in favor of one of the measures of the bill, led by Democrat Joe Manchin and Republican Pat Toomey, a history of verifying the , teeth judicial and psychiatric buyers of firearms in specialized fairs or online. For now, only stores are subject to mandatory control.

"We have an agreement […] to prevent criminals, the mentally ill and unbalanced to obtain weapons," said Joe Manchin. "If you visit frequently, you will be treated the same way as in a store, subject to audit," he added.

This measure, supported by nine out of ten Americans, however, denounced by lobbies such as the National Rifle Association (NRA), who see a risk of undermining the Second Amendment and the opportunity for the government to establish a national database of gun owners. The path to legislation could still be marked obstacles and fears Barack Obama to see most of his proposals rendered meaningless by a series of amendments.

"Their death must have meaning"

U.S. President relies on the trauma of the school massacre Sandy Hook, Newtown, in December 2012, the senators to convince of the merits of a stricter legislation on the control of firearms.

Thursday's election was also held under the gaze of several relatives of victims of the shooting. Earlier, during a press conference in an atmosphere heavy with emotion, they had testified before the cameras to call the Senate to take measures against arms violence.

"Their death deserves to have a meaning," he told Jillian Soto, the sister of a teacher killed in Newtown. "We are here to protect their heritage, to honor them and demand that something be done."

With despatches