Sweden stunned by third night of rioting

worldnews

By Johan Sennero and Johan Ahlander, Reuters

STOCKHOLM - Hundreds of youths set fire to cars and attacked police and rescue services in suburbs of Stockholm Tuesday night in Sweden's worst disorder in years.

A police station in the Jakobsberg area in the northwest of the city was attacked, two schools were damaged and an arts and crafts center was set ablaze, despite a call for calm from Prime Minister Fredrik Reinfeldt.

It was the third night of unrest, mainly in suburbs where many immigrants live.

The riots, in one of Europe's richest capitals, have shocked a country that prides itself on a reputation for social justice, and fuelled a debate about how Sweden is coping with both youth unemployment and an influx of immigrants.

"We've had around 30 cars set on fire last night, fires that we connect to youth gangs and criminals," Kjell Lindgren, spokesman for Stockholm police, said on Wednesday.

He said eight people had been arrested on Tuesday night, but there were no reports of injuries.

The riots appear to have been sparked by the police killing of a 69-year-old man wielding a machete in the suburb of Husby this month, which prompted accusations of police brutality.

Riot police spent a second night outside Stockholm trying to control protesters angry about a recent police shooting, NBCNews.com's Dara Brown reports.

"Everyone must pitch in to restore calm - parents, adults," Reinfeldt told reporters on Tuesday.

After decades of practicing the "Swedish model" of generous welfare benefits, Sweden has been reducing the role of the state since the 1990s, spurring the fastest growth in inequality of any advanced OECD economy.

While average living standards are still among the highest in Europe, governments have failed to substantially reduce long-term youth unemployment and poverty, which have affected immigrant communities worst.

The left-leaning tabloid Aftonbladet said the riots represented a "gigantic failure" of government policies, which had underpinned the rise of ghettos in the suburbs.

"We have failed to give many of the people in the suburbs a hope for the future," Anna-Margrethe Livh of the opposition Left Party wrote in the daily Svenska Dagbladet.

An anti-immigrant party, the Sweden Democrats, has risen to third in polls ahead of a general election due next year, reflecting unease about immigrants among many voters.

Some 15 percent of the population is foreign-born, the highest proportion in the Nordic region. Unemployment among those born outside Sweden stands at 16 percent, compared with 6 percent for native Swedes, according to OECD data.

Among 44 industrialized countries, Sweden ranked fourth in the absolute number of asylum seekers, and second relative to its population, according to U.N. figures.

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Sweden stunned by third night of rioting

Unhappy Italian climbs onto dome of St Peter’s in protest - again

photoblog

Andreas Solaro / AFP - Getty Images

Italian businessman Marcello De Finizio stands on the dome
of St Peter's basilica to protest against austerity measures on
May 21, 2013 at the Vatican.

By Reuters

A man climbed onto a ledge on the dome of St Peter's Basilica on Monday and unfurled a banner protesting against a "political horror show," an apparent reference to Italy's embattled coalition struggling with recession and high unemployment.

Identified by police as Marcello Di Finizio, the man unfurled a white banner reading "Stop this massacre!" in English, scrawled in black and red ink, with "Help us Pope Francis" in Italian.

Di Finizio, who was still on the ledge on Tuesday, has staged similar protests in the past. Last October he stayed overnight on the dome with a banner criticizing multinationals, Europe, and former Prime Minister Mario Monti. Read the full story.

Unhappy Italian climbs onto dome of St Peter’s in protest - again

Antunez: Comienza la Jornada Boitel y Zapata Viven en toda Cuba

antunezcuba

Antunez: Comienza la Jornada Boitel y Zapata Viven en toda Cuba

House Republicans swiftly announce hearing on IRS targeting conservative groups

Fox News

The IRS acknowledging that it targeted conservative political groups during the 2012 election season has sparked bipartisan calls for investigation -- with House Republicans already saying they will hold a hearing on the issue.

House Majority Speaker Eric Cantor said Friday the Republican-led chamber would investigate the tax-collecting agency for flagging the groups for additional review to see whether they were violating their tax-exempt status.

“The IRS cannot target or intimidate any individual or organization based on their political beliefs,” the Virginia Republican said.

Cantor’s comments were followed within minutes by House Ways and Means Committee Chairman Dave Camp saying he would hold a hearing.

The IRS on Friday apologized for targeting groups, but Camp, R-Mich., argued the agency had “repeatedly denied” such activity.

“The admission by the agency that it targeted American taxpayers based on politics is both shocking and disappointing,” he said.

The committee has jurisdiction over IRS, but it remains unclear whether other House committees also will investigate the issue, in which roughly 300 groups were flagged.

Republicans were joined by a leading Senate Democrat in the call for congressional investigations.

Michigan Sen. Carl Levin, chairman of the Senate Permanent Subcommittee on Investigations, said members have already been looking into the IRS's failure to make sure tax-exempt groups engage only in social welfare activities -- not partisan politics.

“Today’s announcement by the IRS raises a second issue: whether the IRS, to the extent it has enforced its rules, has been impartial in doing so,” Levin said Friday. “Both issues require investigation.”

Lois Lerner, who heads the IRS division that oversees tax-exempt groups, said that organizations were singled out because they included the words "tea party" or "patriot" in their applications for tax-exempt status.

In some cases, groups were asked for their list of donors, she said.

"That was wrong. That was absolutely incorrect, it was insensitive and it was inappropriate," Lerner said. "The IRS would like to apologize for that."

Republican lawmakers appeared vindicated in part by the announcement, after complaining about the suspected harassment more than a year ago.

A dozen Republican senators wrote to the IRS in March 2012 expressing concerns about various accounts that the agency inquiries were "perceived to be excessive."

However, IRS Commissioner Douglas Shulman told Congress in March 2012 that the agency was not targeting groups based on their political views.

"There's absolutely no targeting. This is the kind of back and forth that happens to people" who apply for tax-exempt status, he told a House Ways and Means subcommittee.

Among Capitol Hill Republicans already raising further concerns or calls for investigations are California Rep. Darrell Issa, Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell, Kentucky; Utah Sen. Orrin Hatch, Georgia Sen. Johnny Isakson and Florida Sen. Marco Rubio.

“The IRS’s political targeting of select groups based on their political leanings is reprehensible, and it should trouble every American to know that a federal government agency could abuse its power so outrageously,” Rubio said. “We need immediate congressional hearings.”

Lerner said the practice was initiated by low-level workers in Cincinnati and was not motivated by political bias. She said no high-level IRS officials knew about the practice. She did not say when they found out.

The IRS has put out a written statement saying protocol was changed at the Cincinnati office in response to the rising number of applications for so-called 501(c)(4) groups. This classification grants tax-exempt status to social welfare groups. Unlike other charitable groups, these organizations are allowed to participate in political activities but their primary activity must be social welfare.

The agents tried to "centralize work" in response to the applications, the IRS said, leading to problems the agency claims have since been fixed.  Lerner said the number of groups filing for the tax-exempt status more than doubled from 2010 to 2012, to more than 3,400. To handle the influx, the IRS centralized its review of these applications in the office in Cincinnati. As part of the review, staffers look for signs that groups are participating in political activity. If so, IRS agents take a closer look to make sure that politics isn't the group's primary activity, Lerner said.

In all, about 300 groups were singled out for additional review, Lerner said. Of those, about one-fourth were singled out because they had "tea party" or "patriot" somewhere in their applications.

House Republicans swiftly announce hearing on IRS targeting conservative groups

Cuba: Central azucarero no hará zafra, los obreros se niegan a trabajar

Economía Cubana

Central Ramon Lopez-Peña/ EcuRed

Yosvani Anzardo Hernández
San Germán, Cuba – www.PayoLibre.com – Los obreros del central azucarero
López-Peña en el municipio Báguanos, Holguín, se niegan a trabajar.
Exigen mejoras salariales, equipos de protección, ropa y zapatos, pues
muchos de ellos han trabajado descalzos.

El central no hizo zafra este año y aseguran que tampoco trabajará el
próximo año pues la industria está siendo saqueada por los vendedores de
materia prima.

Los obreros entrevistados aseguran ser comunistas, pero no pueden
continuar trabajando como si fueran esclavos del siglo XVII.

Manuel Valdez, operador de centrifuga, dijo: "en el siglo XIX, los
esclavos en Cuba tenían un bohío donde vivían con sus familias, criaban
cerdos y gallinas, cultivaban un conuco, les daban los harapos con los
que vestían, les entregaban 3 kilogramos diarios de tasajo y arroz y
hasta tenían un matasano para curarlos, pues era necesario que
estuvieran fuertes para el trabajo. En el siglo XX, los nuevos esclavos
recibían además un salario en papeles sin valor para que los gastaran en
las tiendas del esclavista. La esclavitud de hoy es la peor de todas las
que ha sufrido esta tierra".

De cualquier manera, el gobierno local los culpa de ser los responsables
de la destrucción paulatina de la industria y de la mala situación en
general. 

Cuba: Central azucarero no hará zafra, los obreros se niegan a trabajar

Cuba: Activistas se manifiestan en plena vía pública en Santa Clara

antunezcuba

Miembros de la Coalición Central Opositora protestan a pocos metros de la Plaza de la Revolución en la ciudad de Santa Clara para exigir la libertad de Sonia Garro, Ramón Alejandro Múñoz y de otros encarcelados.

Cuba: Activistas se manifiestan en plena vía pública en Santa Clara

Maduro: “Pido que me cuiden, me pudieron dar un tiro” [FOTOS]

lapatilla

Durante su alocución en el acto de juramentación como presidente electo de Venezuela, Nicolás Maduro fue sorprendido por un espontáneo que logró quitarle el micrófono para decirle.

“Nicolás”… fue lo único que se logró escuchar, luego de que la seguridad se lo llevara del recinto.

El presidente electo reclamó que había fallado el anillo de seguridad y dijo que le pudieron haber disparado. “Pido que me cuiden”, agregó.

Se presume que se trate o de Yendrick Sánchez, o de Juan Salas, los espontáneos venezolanos que lograron colarse hasta en el acto de Henrique Capriles en su discurso de Maracaibo.

Maduro: “Pido que me cuiden, me pudieron dar un tiro” [FOTOS]

Caos primer dia con Maduro de presidente [15 abril 2013]

animefanHD1993

Caos primer dia con Maduro de presidente [15 abril 2013]

Prohíben a ciudadano cubano en Austria visitar a su hija en Cuba

TVMartiNoticias

Fernando Delgado es un ciudadano cubano que reside en Austria. Hoy, se encuentra realizando una protesta frente a la embajada cubana en Viena, porque desde hace cinco años está intentando viajar a la isla de visita para poder ver a su hija, pero el gobierno castrista le niega su derecho de entrar a su propio país.

Prohíben a ciudadano cubano en Austria visitar a su hija en Cuba

Esc[R]ache a la espanola

Juan Abreu

En España se ha puesto de moda el escrache. ¿Qué es el escrache? Es un acto de repudio a la cubana. Es decir va el populacho ideológica y comunistamente embrutecido y organizado e insulta y coacciona a uno que no se comporta como el populacho desea. Va el populacho y le monta un acto de repudio en su casa. En su casa. Esto es importante. Lo que diferencia un acto de repudio a la cubana de una protesta legítima es que el propósito del acto de repudio a la cubana es dejar claro que el individuo ya no existe, que el individuo se ha convertido en un insecto (un gusano) que puede ser aplastado en nombre del pueblo.

Viva Fidel.

Esc[R]ache a la espanola

Topless protesters give Russia’s Putin an eyeful in Germany

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More on photoblog >>

Topless protesters give Russia’s Putin an eyeful in Germany

Paya Projected on Cuban Mission at U.N.

capitolhillcubans

Tonight, artist Geandy Pavon projected the image of deceased Cuban democracy leaders Oswaldo Paya and Harold Cepero on the Cuban Mission at the United Nations in New York.

They were joined by Paya's courageous daughter, Rosa Maria.
Geandy Pavon

Paya Projected on Cuban Mission at U.N.

TeleCID

Miembros de la Delegacion Santa Clara del Partido Cuba Independiente y Democratica realizan un homenaje a Hermanos Al Rescate. Posterior a la actividad, salen a la calle para expresar publicamente su descontento con el regimen. La policía secreta vigila en todo momento el encuentro y detiene inmediatamente a todos los que salieron.

Cuba: Protesta opositora en el centro del Cotorro

Cuba: Protesta opositora en el centro del Cotorro

Motín en el Hospital Siquiátrico de La Habana

CIHPRESS

La Habana, 5 de marzo.- Un prisionero, ingresado en un pabellón habilitado para reclusos en el Hospital Psiquiátrico de La Habana, se amotinó y fue seguido por 8 de sus compañeros.

El hecho, ocurrió alrededor de las 8:00 de la mañana del pasado 24 de febrero, informó una fuente médica, que no quiere ser identificada por temor a represarias.

“Al pabellón, acudieron policías y bomberos; estos últimos, nuevamente aplicaron chorros de agua a presión, como ya se había hecho años anteriores con otros reos, y luego de tanta agua penetró el grupo de comando y de respuesta rápida, e inmediatamente sacaron a los reclusos esposados", explicó.

Según la fuente, que no precisó el nombre del recluso que inició el motín, el prisionero fue condenado a la pena máxima por asesinar a dos personas.

"Él, presenta problemas mentales graves, y es difícil de controlar cuando se altera", aseguró.

Los reos fueron trasladados al temido Técnico de Instrucción del Ministerio del Interior, 100 y Aldabó -conocido así por su ubicación-, donde se conoce que se aplican torturas a los detenidos.

El Hospital Psiquiátrico de La Habana, conocido por Mazorra, se halla en el municipio Rancho Boyeros, en La Habana.

Al menos 26 personas, la mayoría ancianos, murieron a mediados de Enero del 2010, en Mazorra, a consecuencia de un descenso en las temperaturas. Aunque activistas de derechos humanos denunciaron que murieron por mal nutrición y porque allí se aplican torturas que consisten en baños de agua fría y electroshock.

Motín en el Hospital Siquiátrico de La Habana

VIDEO/ Dissidents march for Human Rights in streets of Quemado de Guines, Cuba

pedazosdelaisla

Maydelis González Almeida, member of the dissident Cuban Reflection Movement and resident of Quemado de Guines, in Cuba’s central Villa Clara province, sent this brief video straight from the island today, Thursday February 28th, where various dissidents take to the street of that town to demand “human rights for all Cubans“.  The march coincided with the fifth anniversary in which the Cuban dictatorship signed the social, political, economic and cultural human rights covenants, of which none have been ratified or upheld.  In the activity, other activists such as Nosbel Jomolca and former political prisoner Jorge Vazquez Chaviano (Central Opposition Coalition) participated.

VIDEO/ Dissidents march for Human Rights in streets of Quemado de Guines, Cuba

South African medical students in Cuba may be deported

amsterdamnews

Medical students are pictured at East London airport in September, 2011,
as they prepare to depart for Cuba. Of the 1,200 South African students studying
medicine in Cuba, 187 have gone on strike, demanding that their monthly
stipend be increased. Picture: DAILY DISPATCH.

Feb. 26 (GIN) – South Africa’s Education Minister, Blade Nzimande, has called for the deportation of over a hundred South African medical students in Cuba who launched a hunger strike over conditions they considered unacceptable.
“The sense of entitlement and lack of gratitude displayed by these students who come from a country with such high levels of desperate need for higher education and training, and limited state resources, is totally unacceptable. I condemn it in the strongest terms,” Minister Nzimande said. “If they are threatening to come back home, then maybe they should do just that.”’
But emails sent to the South African daily City Press painted a different picture. A bottleneck apparently held up payment of student food bills which left the students without meals for four days. Meals are primarily pork, not acceptable to some students. The stipend is insufficient, they say, to cover incidental expenses and amounts to a third of what children of the South African diplomatic corps receive.
“The department of health might say our demands are unreasonable, but, honestly, we wouldn’t go to such lengths for something we didn’t believe in,” said one student who asked to remain anonymous.
“None of us are trying to be heroes here, and none of us want to go home and lose our careers,” he added in an email.
Some 2,000 South African medical students are enrolled in the 6 year program which includes one year of practical work in South Africa. This week, about 187 of the student doctors staged a protest outside the South African embassy in the Cuban capital of Havana and were arrested.
They were detained overnight but have refused to give up their fight over food and money.
Health Minister Aaron Motsoaledi’s spokesman, Joe Maila, initially promised a “fact-finding mission” to look into the complaints. “We really want to find out what is happening with the food. Where there are serious concerns we will do something immediately. We want these students to succeed. We need more doctors.” According to the students, the mission never arrived.
He defended the pork diet. “Our students are usually served alternate meals consisting of beef, chicken or pork but for the past two or three weeks the Cuban government had problems acquiring beef and chicken. They could only serve what was available, which was pork.”
The students responded: “Whenever we ask for change we are reminded of the fact that we are from poor families, squatter camps, that we are women and men with difficulties, children of the storm and we should be grateful for the little we have."
The father of a student detained this week told City Press it was unfortunate the department felt this way.
“When our kids complete their studies they return to serve South Africans. In many cases, they work in rural areas where local doctors refuse to go.

South African medical students in Cuba may be deported

More Than 400 'Life of Pi' Visual Effects Artists Protested The Oscars

businessinsider

By Kirsten Acuna 

"Life of Pi" may have been a big Oscar winner Sunday night, but those responsible for bringing the CGI-filled film to life aren't celebrating.  

During one of the oddest moments of the awards, VFX supervisor Bill Westenhofer was played off the Oscar stage to the "Jaws" theme while accepting his award for "Life of Pi." 

The gesture came off overtly rude to critics and VFX artists considering Westenhofer was only 45 seconds into his speech.  

The average speech of the past decade has clocked in at closer to two minutes.  

The "Jaws" music began playing during his mention of Rhythm & Hues VFX studio.  

Rhythm & Hues is the studio responsible for bringing the CGI-filled "Life of Pi" to life. It took 600 of its artists to bring Bengal tiger, Richard Parker, to life on screen.  

It's also known for its work on "Snow White And The Huntsman" and bringing a pig to life in "Babe." 

Earlier this month, the company filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy and laid off more than 200 employees without pay. 

It's not the first VHX company to have trouble in the past few months. 

Digital Domain Media Group (DDMG), the company responsible for helping to bring "Titanic" to life on the big screen, filed for bankruptcy back in September. They were soon bought for $37 million by Beijin's Galloping Horse and Mumbai-based Reliance Capital. 

Later in the press room, Westenhofer said he was trying to address a bigger issue on stage regarding the importance of VHX in films. 

"It’s ironic that when visual effects are dominating the box office, visual effects are struggling," said Westenhofer. "We’re artists, and if we don’t fix the business model we may lose something.” 

Earlier in the day, while the primary focus during the Oscars was on the red carpet, not far off, more than 400 VFX professionals protested the event. 

Called the "Piece of Pi" protest, plan, protestors held signs with slogans including "End The Subsidies War" and the one below: 

Read more: http://www.businessinsider.com/special-effects-artists-protest-the-oscars-2013-2#ixzz2M6pknWSh

More Than 400 'Life of Pi' Visual Effects Artists Protested The Oscars

Opositores nombran Orlando Zapata a un parque de La Habana

Roberto Guerra

Opositores nombran Orlando Zapata a un parque de La Habana

Cuba: Testimonio de la Dama de Blanco que protesto en el Parque Central

Roberto Guerra

La activista y Dama de Blanco Rosario Morales la Rosa, quien realizó una protesta en el Parque Central de La Habana el 14 de febrero y fue detenida, la liberaron el día 17. En una visita a Hablemos Press dio declaraciones.

Cuba: Testimonio de la Dama de Blanco que protesto en el Parque Central