FSP-Microcosm News-Global Community Report: February 2014

Thursday, February 27, 2014

Russia : It has been announced that Yanukovych would give a press conference on Friday. How did Yanukovych get to Russia?

The New Zealand Herald

Former Ukraine president turns up in Russia - in a 5-star hotel

10:31 AM Friday Feb 28, 2014

The Ukrainia hotel, where Viktor Yanukovych is said to be staying, is seen against the twilight Moscow sky. Photo / AP

Ukraine's fugitive president may be enjoying VIP treatment under Moscow's protection, said to have been spotted at an opulent five-star hotel and a Kremlin country retreat.

But beneath the surface, the embrace has been chilly: State-run TV has portrayed him as a coward who betrayed those who stood by him.

The conflicting messages indicate that while Russia still considers him the legitimate president of Ukraine, it is far from happy with his handling of Ukraine's crisis.

Yanukovych made his appeal for protection in a written statement released simultaneously by two Russian state news agencies: "I have to ask Russia to ensure my personal safety from extremists," he wrote. Shortly afterward, the same agencies quoted an unidentified government official as saying that the request had been "satisfied on the territory of Russia." The ITAR-Tass and RIA Novosti news agencies often are used by the government to issue official statements......
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How did Yanukovych get to Russia?
It is still far from clear. Ukraine issued an arrest warrant for him and border guards were instructed to stop him leaving. Most likely he was evacuated out of Kiev by helicopter at the weekend and taken to pro-Russia Crimea, where Russia has its Black Sea naval base in the city of Sevastopol. He could then have inconspicuously travelled by boat onto Russian territory proper.
"I think he came from Sevastopol on a vessel," said Konovalov.
From Russia's Black Sea coast he could have moved on anywhere in the country. Unconfirmed reports had sighted him at a Moscow hotel or an out-of-town health spa.
However Russian news agencies said late Thursday he will give a news conference Friday in the southern Russian city of Rostov-on-Don which lies close to the Black Sea, making it unlikely that he has been to Moscow......

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Ousted Ukrainian leader Viktor Yanukovych reported to be in Russia

Deposed president who still claims to be leader to hold press conference in southern city of Rostov on Friday

Shaun Walker in Kiev
theguardian.com, Thursday 27 February 2014 09.04 EST

The Russian government sanatorium where Viktor Yanukovych was reportedly staying on Wednesday

The Russian government sanatorium where ousted Ukrainian president Viktor Yanukovych was reportedly staying on Wednesday night. Photograph: Yuri Kochetkov/EPA

Ukraine's ousted president, Viktor Yanukovych, has surfaced in Russia and is still claiming to be the legitimate ruler of his country, according to Russian media reports quoting top government sources.
"Given that President Yanukovych appealed to Russian authorities with a request to guarantee his personal safety, that request has been granted on Russian territory," a government source told Interfax.
An appeal to Ukrainian citizens from Yanukovych said: "My allies and I were being threatened with revenge and so I was forced to ask the Russian authorities to guarantee my personal safety from the actions of extremists."
Yanukovych said he continues to believe he is the legitimate president of Ukraine and wants to achieve a compromise that would enable Ukraine to exit the crisis. The deposed president called the current session of Ukraine's parliament – which among other things is electing a new government – "illegitimate".
"There is an orgy of extremism on the streets of many cities," wrote the president. "I am certain that in these conditions all the decisions taken [by the parliament] will be ineffective and not carried out.
"In this situation, I officially declare that I am determined to fight to the end for the implementation of important compromise agreements that will bring Ukraine out of the deep political crisis."
On Thursday evening it was announced that Yanukovych would give a press conference on Friday afternoon in the southern Russian city of Rostov on Don – contradicting earlier claims that he was in the Moscow region staying at a top government sanatorium that has previously hosted officials such as Leonid Brezhnev and Boris Yeltsin. No other details about the press conference were immediately available.

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NBC News

Ousted Viktor Yanukovych: I'm Ukraine's 'Legitimate Leader'

By Alexander Smith and Maria Stromova

MOSCOW - Ousted Ukrainian President Viktor Yanukovych still sees himself as his country's legitimate head of state, according to a statement by him published by Russian news agencies on Thursday.

Yanukovych fled his residence near the Kiev on Saturday after months of deadly protests and a deal with his opposition giving many of his powers over to parliament.

NBC News was unable to confirm a report by Russian news organization RBK that Yanukovych had been spotted in Moscow. But in his statement published by Interfax and Itar Tass, the Kremlin-backed former leader said he has asked for protection from Russia "to ensure my personal security from extremists' actions."

Interfax quoted a source as saying Russia had granted this appeal. NBC News could not immediately verify that claim.

Hmmmm Factor : So why has the US government finally given farmers the right to legally grow industrial hemp? Could it be because hemp plants ‘eat’ radiation?

Did the Government Give Industrial Hemp a Pass to Clean Up Radiation in the States?

Christina Sarich

NationofChange / News Analysis

Published: Friday 14 February 2014

Hemp has numerous uses and could replace many crops that require heavy irrigation and pesticides, but the most interesting fact about hemp is that it “eats” radiation.

Activists have been shouting they want an end to GMO foods for more than a decade now, and Cannabis Sattiva L. supporters have been at it for even longer, so why has the US government finally given farmers the right to legally grow industrial hemp, the non-hallucinatory, sister plant of medical marijuana?
It is safe to say that industrialized hemp should have been legalized years ago. With THC levels so low, you would have to smoke more of it than Snoop Dogg to get ‘high’ – and that’s a lot of Cannabis, it is ridiculous that it was classified as a drug at all. It has numerous uses and could replace many crops that require heavy irrigation and pesticides, like cotton, for example. Here’s the most interesting fact though – hemp plants ‘eat’ radiation.
When the Chernobyl Nuclear Plant Reactor 4 accident caused severe radioactive contamination in 1986, families within a 30-kilometer area of the site had to be evacuated. Radioactive contamination was later found at 100 kilometers from the accident site, and Fukushima radiation levels are still to be determined, with the Japanese government planning on dumping their overflowing radiated water tanks into the Pacific as we speak.

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Animal Rescue Stories : Port Charlotte rescue workers save dog stuck in culvert

Cheryl Hanna

Pet Rescue Examiner

February 24, 2014

A curious golden retriever chasing another animal, found himself stuck in a compromising position when he ran into a "too-tight" culvert on Sunday evening while on his walk in Port Charlotte, Fla. reported Wink News.
Rescued just a few months ago, the 93 pound dog named Bo, had become a very important part of the Von Holden family, and when the couple couldn't coax their dog out of the storm drain, they panicked and called authorities to help.
Fire rescue, the sheriff's department, and the Port Charlotte Animal Control all came out to rescue Bo. The men had to dig up a neighbor's yard, use cameras, and some careful drilling to spot the scared pooch.

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A tender 11 year old Jack Russell Terrier x Chihuahua in need of help.

Help Tika Eat Without Pain

If each of us gives just $1 it will go a long way to help this poor old girl be pain free

13days left$50raised of $1,200 goal

Organizer: Sharon Kilby Beneficiary: Tika

A tender 11 year old Jack Russell Terrier x Chihuahua whose seal eyes break my heart as I know she is in pain

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Tika came to me in need of a home as her previous heart breakingly couldn't keep her. In September 2013, Tika had her physical which revealed that at some point she would need dental work.

Another heartbreak is that Tika's previous owner who I kept in touch with suddenly passed away and I made a promise to keep Tika in good health. I am on disability and that is a meager income. Unfortunately I don't have insurance to cover the expenses of her surgery.

Tika needs about $1,200 to cover the high side of her surgery costs. It is expected she will have more than one extraction. Being a senior dog, she may take longer in recovery.
If her goal is not reached, what portion is reached will go towards her bill. Giving Tika this surgery will help her to be free of pain and discomfort . Your donations will make a substantial difference to her quality of life.
- Tika's fur friend Lexi who she lived with, had a similar fundraiser with wonderful success. http://www.youcaring.com/medical-fundraiser/let

I want to help Tika, but I don’t have any money to donate.
That’s okay! You can help in lots of other ways. You can send me suggestions for fundraising ideas and you can share Tika’s story with all of your friends.
Tell all your friends on Facebook/Twitter and Instagram. Share Tika’s story and hopefully people who can afford to contribute will do so. Let’s all help Tika eat without pain again.
Thank you so much for all of your support. xx

Animal Rescue Stories : Update on Suzy, the elderly dog whose guardian died

Penny Eims

Dog News Examiner

February 26, 2014

It is a happy day for one elderly dog named "Suzy."
Suzy, an elderly Jack Russell terrier mix, found herself at the Los Angeles County Animal Care and Control facility in Baldwin Park, Calif., on Feb. 7 after her guardian died.
Today - she is free, safe and loved once again.
The rescue agency, Synergy, saved Suzy from the animal control facility and they posted this heartwarming update on Wednesday:

F R E E D O M
Welcome to our brood, Suzy -
Today is a happy day for this sweet little gem. She’s enjoying her newfound freedom and looking forward to a life of love and snuggles. Suzy is a Jack Russell terrier mix, and it’s rumored that her favorite place to spend time is in your lap. There’s nothing more relaxing than cradling a tranquil li’l nugget in your arms. If you’ve never tried it, we highly recommend this, as it’s pretty much the secret to everlasting happiness and well-being.

Winding up at an animal control facility was beyond Suzy's control, and because of her advanced age, the odds of her finding an adopter put her at risk of never walking free from the facility again.
Thanks to a rescue organization which was willing to take her in, Suzy will now be able to enjoy her golden years as a beloved companion, rather than becoming a sad statistic at an over-crowded animal control facility.
Donations for Suzy's veterinary care can be made here.
If you would like to continue receiving the latest animal related news, tips and advice, please click the "Subscribe" icon which is located near the top, left portion of this column. It is free and anonymous to sign up.
Follow the National Dog News Examiner on Facebook and Twitter!

Queue for food in Syria's Yarmouk camp shows desperation of refugees

Huge crowd of Palestinians is photographed waiting for aid in Yarmouk, which has been under blockade for month

• Click here to see the full picture

Harriet Sherwood
The Guardian, Wednesday 26 February 2014 12.52 EST

Refugees queue for food parcels in Yarmouk. Photograph: Handout/Reuters

It is a vision of unimaginable desolation: a crowd of men, women and children stretching as far as the eye can see into the war-devastated landscape of Yarmouk refugee camp in Damascus.
A photograph released on Wednesday by the UN agency for Palestinian refugees, UNRWA, shows the scene when thousands of desperate Palestinians trapped inside the camp on the edge of the Syrian capital emerged to besiege aid workers attempting to distribute food parcels.
More than 18,000 people are existing under blockade inside Yarmouk, enduring acute shortages of food, medicines and other essentials. Much of the camp has been destroyed by shelling, and attempts to deliver aid to those inside have been hampered by continued fighting in Syria's three-year-old civil war.
United Nations workers have delivered about 7,000 food parcels over recent weeks, following negotiations between the Syrian government, rebel forces and Palestinian factions within the camp. The most recent delivery, of 450 parcels, was on Wednesday. The UN acknowledges that the level of aid is a "drop in the ocean".
Yarmouk has been cut off since last July. Many residents are now weak and severely malnourished, as well as being exposed to the risk of disease, or death and injury from fighting.
Filippo Grandi, the head of UNRWA, described the camp as a ghost town after visiting this week. "The devastation is unbelievable. There is not one single building that I have seen that is not an empty shell by now. They're all blackened by smoke," he told reporters.
He said he was even more shocked by the camp's residents, who flooded towards aid distribution points. "It's like the appearance of ghosts. These are people who have not been out of there, that have been trapped in there not only without food, medicines, clean water – all the basics – but also probably completely subjected to fear because there was fierce fighting … They can hardly speak. I tried to speak to many of them, and they all tell the same stories of complete deprivation."

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UN chief ‘deeply disturbed’ by refugee camp in Syria

Thursday, February 27, 2014

The chief of the UN relief agency supporting Palestinian refugees said he is “deeply disturbed and shaken” by the despair and destruction he had seen in a besieged camp in the Syrian capital.

By Albert Aji, Syria

The Yarmouk refugee camp, located in southern Damascus, is an opposition enclave under the tight blockade of forces loyal to President Bashar Assad.

More than 100 people have died in Yarmouk since mid-2013 as a result of starvation and illnesses exacerbated by hunger or lack of medical aid, according to UN figures.

Filippo Grandi, commissioner general of UNRWA, was visiting Yarmouk as the relief agency resumed food distribution there. Shipments to the camp have been disrupted for months, sometimes cut off for weeks at a time, and Yarmouk has suffered from crippling shortages of food and medicine.

“I am deeply disturbed and shaken by what I observed,” Grandi said. Palestinian refugees to whom he spoke in Yarmouk were “traumatised by what they have lived through.”

The extent of damage to the refugees’ homes was shocking, he also said, adding that many Palestinians in Yarmouk need immediate support, particularly food and medical treatment.

Yarmouk is the largest of nine Palestinian camps in Syria. Since the camp’s creation in 1957, it has evolved into a densely populated residential district just five miles from the centre of Damascus. Several generations of Palestinian refugees have lived there.

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Palestinians in Syrian camp are ‘traumatized’

More than 100 people have died in Yarmouk since mid-2013, some of starvation

ap
Published: 16:25 February 25, 2014

Damascus: The chief of the United Nations relief agency supporting Palestinian refugees said on Tuesday he is “deeply disturbed and shaken” by the despair and destruction he’d seen in a besieged camp in the Syrian capital.

The Yarmouk refugee camp, located in southern Damascus, is an opposition enclave under the tight blockade of forces loyal to President Bashar Al Assad. More than 100 people have died in Yarmouk since mid-2013 as a result of starvation and illnesses exacerbated by hunger or lack of medical aid, according to UN figures.

Filippo Grandi, the Commissioner General of UNRWA, was visiting Yarmouk as the relief agency resumed food distribution there. UNRWA shipments to the camp have been disrupted for months, sometimes cut off for weeks at a time, and Yarmouk has suffered from crippling shortages of food and medicine.

“I am deeply disturbed and shaken by what I observed,” Grandi said in a statement. Palestinian refugees to whom he spoke in Yarmouk Monday were “traumatized by what they have lived through.”

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Qatar's foreign domestic workers subjected to slave-like conditions

Revelations of mistreatment of maids and cleaners add to picture of widespread labour abuse in World Cup host nation

Rebecca Falconer in Doha
The Guardian, Wednesday 26 February 2014 12.00 EST

Qatari women with their children and housemaid strolling in Doha. Photograph: Stock Connection/REX

Foreign maids, cleaners and other domestic workers are being subjected to slave-like labour conditions in Qatar, with many complaining they have been deprived of passports, wages, days off, holidays and freedom to move jobs, a Guardian investigation can reveal.
Hundreds of Filipino maids have fled to their embassy in recent months because conditions are so harsh. Many complain of physical and sexual abuse, harassment, long periods without pay and the confiscation of mobile phones.
The exploitation raises further concerns about labour practices in Qatar in advance of the World Cup, after Guardian reports about the treatment of construction workers. The maids are not directly connected to Qatar's preparations for the football tournament, but domestic workers will play a big role in staffing the hotels, stadiums and other infrastructure that will underpin the 2022 tournament.
Our investigation reveals:
• The Philippine Overseas Labour Office (POLO) sheltered more than 600 runaway maids in the first six months of 2013 alone.
• Some workers say they have not been paid for months.
• Many housemaids do not get days off.
• Some contracts and job descriptions are changed once the workers arrive in Qatar.
• Women who report a sexual assault can be charged with illicit relations.
The non-payment of wages, confiscation of documents and inability of workers to leave their employer constitute forced labour under UN rules. According to the International Labour Organisation, forced labour is "all work which is exacted from someone under the menace of any penalty and for which the said person has not offered himself voluntarily".
Lack of consent can include induced indebtedness and deception about the type and terms of work, withholding or non-payment of wages and the retention of identity documents. Initial consent may be considered irrelevant when deception or fraud has been used to obtain it.
"Menace of penalty" can include physical violence, deprivation of food and shelter, non-payment of wages, the inability to repay a loan, exclusion from future employment and removal of rights and privileges.
Modern-day slavery is estimated to affect up to 21 million people across the globe.
When the Guardian visited in January, at least 35 runaway maids had sought sanctuary at the POLO in the capital, Doha, which provides support to 200,000 Filipinos in Qatar. The welfare officer said most complained of pay being withheld, insufficient food, overwork and maltreatment. Some said they had endured verbal and physical abuse by sponsors of different nationalities.
Eight Filipino workers interviewed by the Guardian said they had not been paid for six months, were sometimes deprived of food while cleaning for long hours and had had their passports confiscated.
"We are afraid," said 28-year-old Jane*. "We don't really know what to do. We are trying to survive. That's why we do part-time jobs secretly." If they are caught breaching their contract, the maids face months in a deportation centre. The repatriation process is often delayed when people do not have their passports, according to James Lynch, Amnesty International's researcher on Gulf migrants' rights.
Qatar vigorously denies it is a "slave state" and is understood to be reviewing the controversial system that governs migrant labour, and to have stepped up inspections of businesses that use migrant labour. The Qatari labour ministry said in a statement: "We have clear laws and contractual terms in place to protect all people who live and work in Qatar and anyone found to have broken those laws will be prosecuted accordingly." It said that non-payment of wages and confiscation of passports were illegal in Qatar, and added: "The vast majority of workers in Qatar – domestic or otherwise – work amicably, save money and send this home to improve the economic situation of their families and communities in their home countries."
But the Philippines-based OFW (Overseas Foreign Workers) Watch, which supports Filipino migrant workers, said physical abuse, delayed and refused salaries, the misrepresentation of employers and contracts and passport confiscations were common issues in Qatar. The Guardian has already highlighted this malpractice in its investigation into the mistreatment of migrant workers as Qatar gears up for the 2022 World Cup.
As with the construction workers, the abuse of maids is systemic and brought into sharp focus by a lack of legal protection and the kafala sponsorship system, under which workers cannot leave the country or change jobs without their employer's permission, Lynch said.
"The women we've spoken to who have suffered abuses in the workplace, ranging from excessive working hours to physical violence, their employers came from a variety of countries," he added.
Many maids say they do not get any rest days and that employers confiscate their mobile phones.
Several recruitment agencies contacted by phone told a Guardian reporter pretending to be a would-be client that they routinely withheld the passports of their migrant workers. One agency volunteered that it was up to the sponsor whether the maid had a day off. "If you want to give an off day, let them rest at your house," an Al Hadeel Manpower representative said. "Don't give them free days outside because there is more problems outside."

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