European Politics > UK still decolonizing as it hands over island archipelago to Mauritius; EU sues Orban for resisting EU's self-destructive policies

 

U.S. praises U.K. deal to cede archipelago to Mauritius,

retain control of military base

By Don Jacobson

A group of Chagossians demand a return to their former home of Diego Garcia as they attend a mass hosted by Pope Francis in Port Louis, Mauritius, on Sept. 9, 2019. Under an agreement announced Thursday, the United Kingdom will cede its Chargos Archipelago colony to Mauritius but retain control of Diego Garcia, home to a vital British-U.S. naval base in the Indian Ocean. File Photo by Dai Kurokawa/EPA-EFE

Oct. 3 (UPI) -- The United Kingdom says it has reached a "historic" deal to cede the Chagos Archipelago in the Indian Ocean to the Republic of Mauritius, thus surrendering the final colony of Britain's once-sprawling African empire.

In a joint statement issued Thursday by the British and Mauritian governments, the two sides said sovereignty over the Chagos island chain will be transferred to Mauritius, including its largest island, Diego Garcia, which has been home to a highly strategic joint U.S.-British naval base since the 1960s.

Under the agreement, the United States and the U.K. will retain the rights to the base under a 99-year lease, while the thousands of native Chagossians who were controversially removed during its construction and subsequently prevented from returning will remain barred from resettling on Diego Garcia due to security concerns.

However, the remainder of the archipelago's 57 islands comprising what had been known as the British Indian Ocean Territory will be thrown open for settlement under the new jurisdiction of Mauritius. None of those islands are currently inhabited.

The deal marks a turning point in decades of legal disputes over the fate of the displaced Chagossians, whose removal from their homes was condemned by Human Rights Watch last year as a crime against humanity and an example of "appalling colonialism."

Beginning in 1998, the islanders pursued a series of lawsuits against the British government, seeking additional monetary compensation and the right to return to the territory. In 2019 the U.N. General Assembly demanded in a non-binding resolution that the British government end its "colonial administration" of the Chagos Archipelago and that they be returned to Mauritius.

The U.K., under the Conservative Party government of former Prime Minister Boris Johnson, launched multiple rounds of negotiations in 2022 in the face of growing international pressure to surrender its final African colony.

British Foreign Secretary David Lammy said Thursday the agreement succeeds in securing the country's vital national interests.

"This government inherited a situation where the long-term, secure operation of the Diego Garcia military base was under threat, with contested sovereignty and ongoing legal challenges," he said.

"Today's agreement secures this vital military base for the future. It will strengthen our role in safeguarding global security, shut down any possibility of the Indian Ocean being used as a dangerous illegal migration route to the U.K., as well as guaranteeing our long-term relationship with Mauritius, a close Commonwealth partner," he added.

U.S. President Joe Biden similarly praised the deal, calling it "a clear demonstration that through diplomacy and partnership, countries can overcome long-standing historical challenges to reach peaceful and mutually beneficial outcomes.

"This agreement affirms Mauritian sovereignty over the Chagos Archipelago, while granting the United Kingdom the authority to exercise the sovereign rights of Mauritius with respect to Diego Garcia," he said.

The heavy handedness of the EU is liable to trigger its collapse

EU sues Hungary for criminalising groups

that receive foreign funding, including NGOs

The European Commission said on Thursday it was suing Hungary over a law that imposes jail terms for groups that accept foreign funds for political causes, which rights groups say is aimed at silencing critics of the government by targeting civil society organisations, media outlets and journalists. 

By:NEWS WIRES

The EU said Thursday it was referring Hungary to the European Court of Justice over laws passed by Budapest to curb foreign influence in the country, which critics say aim to silence government opponents.

The European Commission said the legislation passed last year by Prime Minister Viktor Orban's nationalist government violated fundamental rights and other regulations. 

"The European Commission decided to refer Hungary to the Court of Justice because it considers its national law on the 'Defence of Sovereignty' to be in breach of EU law," the EU's top executive body said.

Hungary's laws criminalise foreign funding of election campaigns and establish a new Sovereignty Protection Office that has broad investigative powers.

The commission said the wide discretion granted to the new office disproportionately affected civil society organisations, media outlets and journalists.

The court referral comes after the commission twice wrote to Budapest, first to air its concerns and then to ask for them to be addressed – but was rebuffed. 

The court can order a country to comply with EU laws and impose penalties. 

The move is likely to further raise tensions between the European Union and Orban, who is frequently at loggerheads with Brussels. 

Budapest regularly claims that the EU and other countries, in particular the United States, back domestic opposition groups with funding to influence voters in Hungary.

And that is exactly what it's about. Orban is resisting the one-world government plans of the EU, US, NATO, WEF and George Soros, and they have to break him, just like they have to eliminate Trump in America. Nationality must be destroyed.

(AFP)

Migrants on the Move > France Deporting Congolese Migrants from Indian Ocean Island of Mayotte

 

France orders more deportation flights to Africa

from Indian Ocean island of Mayotte

French Interior Minister Bruno Retailleau has ordered local officials in the overseas territory of Mayotte to deport illegal migrants from the Democratic Republic of Congo and return them to their home country, taking a hard line as he aims to address the social unrest roiling the Indian Ocean island.

By:NEWS WIRES

France's interior minister said Wednesday that he had ordered authorities in the French overseas department of Mayotte to arrange deportation flights for African migrants, as Paris seeks to clamp down on illegal immigration. 

Mayotte, an Indian Ocean island that is the poorest French department, has long struggled with social unrest and a crippling migration crisis linked to the arrival of thousands fleeing poverty and corruption on the African mainland.

"From October, the prefect of Mayotte... will arrange group flights to escort illegal immigrants back to the Democratic Republic of Congo," Bruno Retailleau, who says his priority is "restoring order", told parliament.

A member of Retailleau's team told AFP that four such flights had already been arranged since February and that "at least three" were planned for October to help empty detention centres in Mayotte.

Cooperation with the authorities in DR Congo over the issue was "excellent", the member of the team added.

Every year thousands of people from the neighbouring Comoros archipelago or mainland Africa try to reach Mayotte, often aboard small "kwassa kwassa" boats, and migrants are now estimated to make up nearly half of Mayotte's population of around 320,000.

The influx has caused major tensions including protests, with many locals complaining about crime and poverty. 

Retailleau also announced bilateral security agreements with countries in Africa's Great Lakes region, including Burundi and Rwanda, to "stop the influx" of migrants. 

Retailleau, a hardline conservative whose recent appointment reflects the rightward shift in French politics, has said he does not think immigration presents "an opportunity" for France and vowed to use "all levers at our disposal" to bring it under control.

"My only obsession is to be useful to France," he told French daily Le Figaro in an interview published Wednesday. "That is, for me, the only thing that matters."

(AFP)

Bits and Bites From Around the World > Zuckerberg Colonizing Hawaii; New Years: Car-Burning Celebration in France; Riots in Germany; In NYC, Something Very Different

..

Zuckerberg continues to ‘colonize’ Hawaii

The Facebook founder expands his not-so-virtual empire with his latest land purchase

FILE PHOTO: Hanalei Beach, Kauai, Hawaii, US, August 22, 2018. © REUTERS/Sue Horton

Facebook founder Mark Zuckerberg has bought another 110 acres of land on the Hawaiian island of Kauai, assuming ownership of territory that includes a reservoir and a pristine forest, despite protests from locals.

The social media tycoon and his wife now own 1,400 acres of land on the island, much of it protected agricultural and conservation land. The latest addition to their $100 million Ko’olau Ranch includes the Ka Loko reservoir, where a dam collapsed in 2006 after 40 days of rain, killing seven people, local media reported this week. The disaster was blamed on the previous owners, from whom the Zuckerbergs bought the property in November for $17 million.

The billionaire has previously faced accusations of trying to “colonize” Kauai. The couple’s actions on purchasing their first mansion on the island in 2014 were hardly neighborly, with the billionaire opting to build a wall around the 707-acre property to block locals from accessing Pila’a Beach, which had been a spot loved by locals and travelers alike. Zuckerberg was subsequently accused of attempting to force tenant farmers from their land – a quest he finally gave up three years later, apologizing in the local paper for his attempted takeover. 

The Zuckerbergs also own most of Kahu’aina Plantation and Larsen’s Beach, having acquired an additional 600 acres in April for $53 million. The security team assigned to protect the pair and their investments costs more than half as much, running to $23 million, according to local media.

That team is probably worth the money, given how many signatures have been accrued on a Change.org petition asking the Department of Hawaiian Home Lands to “Stop Mark Zuckerberg from colonizing Kauai.” Over a million people have signed the petition at the time of writing.

The Zuckerbergs are far from the only tech billionaires expanding their footprints across Hawaii’s tropical paradise islands. Amazon founder Jeff Bezos bought a $78 million estate on Maui in November after leaving his wife, staking claim to a marine fishing reserve with his partner Lauren Sanchez. 

His presence can’t be sitting too well with the locals, as even they are not permitted to fish or conduct commercial activity in the area. He also recently snapped up a huge piece of property for his parents on the island. Meanwhile, Oracle’s Larry Ellison owns almost the entire island of Lanai.

**Happy New Year**

In France, instead of fireworks they celebrate by burning cars

Hundreds of vehicles torched on New Year’s Eve

France’s interior minister praised the ‘decrease in violence’ despite

damage to hundreds of cars

FILE PHOTO. ©  Global Look Press / Keystone Press Agency / Sadak Souici

A total of 847 cars were set ablaze in France in the early hours of the first day of the new year, the Interior Ministry said, with hundreds of people detained over the destruction.

The mass burning of parked vehicles has become an infamous and much lamented ‘tradition’ in France, where hundreds of vehicles are torched almost every New Year’s Eve. 

This year, however, fewer cars were damaged than before, according to Interior Minister Gerald Darmanin, who attributed the decrease to a bigger police presence and speedy action by relevant public services.

Darmanin thanked police and civil security personnel on Twitter for the “decrease in violence.” Despite the efforts of security officials, hundreds of cars were still set ablaze – but Darmanin noted the number was smaller than in 2019, when more than 1,300 vehicles were torched.

Some 95,000 police officers and gendarmes were deployed to the streets of the French cities on Saturday night to maintain law and order, as well as enforce the government’s Covid-19 restrictions that put a cap on participants at gatherings. Around 32,000 firefighters and civil security officials also aided in dealing with the nighttime incidents.

In the French city of Strasbourg alone, 87 cars were set on fire, around 30 people were arrested and four police officers were injured, according to the French media. The city saw the rioters mounting particularly fierce resistance and clashing with law enforcement, including by pelting the officers with firecrackers.

The total number of detentions and arrests was also slightly higher than in 2019, with 441 people arrested throughout France.

The practice of car-torching became popular among youths in poor French neighborhoods in the 1990s and it became particularly widespread on New Year’s Eve. It also reached an unprecedented scale during three weeks of riots that engulfed the suburbs of the French capital, Paris, and other cities back in 2005. At that time, 8,810 vehicles were burned.

Chaos spreads from France into Germany on New Years Eve

City descends into violence & chaos on New Year’s Eve

Police in Germany are tallying damage and searching for suspects

following celebrations that spiraled into riots

©  Global Look Press / Sebastian Willnow

The German city of Leipzig saw its streets turn into an arena for intense clashes between police and rioters on New Year’s Eve as hundreds gathered in the city’s east.

Soon after the clock struck midnight, the Leipzig police began receiving the first reports about violence and property damage. Officers had to respond to almost 170 calls in Leipzig and its surrounding areas in just over two hours on Saturday (Friday???) night, police said in a statement. They called it a “sharp increase” in comparison to an “ordinary Friday night.”

A crowd comprising “hundreds” of people gathered at Eisenbahnstrasse Street in the city’s east, with the area quickly becoming an arena for clashes between rioting revelers and law enforcement. Police vehicles were pelted with various objects, including firecrackers. The rioters also set up barricades from shopping carts and set them on fire. 

Photos from the scene showed officers in riot gear moving through thick smoke coming from the burning barricades. The Eisenbahnstrasse has previously gained notoriety due to local crime rates and the drug trade. It was even dubbed Germany’s “worst street.” 

So, it sounds like this is the domain of Muslim migrant street gangs. But, European media would never make that distinction.

Police said several of their vehicles were damaged but that the clashes resulted in no injuries and were under control at around 2am local time. It is still unclear who initiated the violence and what motivated the rioters.

It is not the first time Leipzig has seen clashes on New Year’s Eve. The city has for some time been known as a center of left-wing violence. Last year, unknown assailants set vehicles belonging to the German Army – the Bundeswehr – on fire. Two years ago, the city saw riots in the Connewitz district – an area which saw a massive police deployment this year and remained largely peaceful on Saturday night.

Leipzig was not the only German city that witnessed clashes between rioters and police on New Year’s Eve, as similar incidents were reported in Stuttgart and Dresden but they were smaller in scale. 

And in America, CNN hosts celebrate New Years

by getting drunk on live TV

Anderson Cooper tries to stop colleague’s drunken rant

against NY Democrat mayor

Andy Cohen refused to stop talking despite his uncomfortable co-host’s attempts

to end the conversation

Fireworks are set off at midnight during the Times Square New Year's Eve celebration © AP / Ben Hider

CNN host Anderson Cooper awkwardly tried to shut down his co-host’s drunken rant about New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio during the network’s New Year’s Eve coverage.

After Cooper and fellow CNN New Year’s Eve Live co-host Andy Cohen downed shots – presumably with tequila – on live television, Cohen unloaded on the Democratic mayor as Cooper repeatedly tried to get him to stop.

“Let me tell you something. Watching Mayor de Blasio doing his victory lap dance after four years of the crappiest term as the mayor of New York… The only thing that Democrats and Republicans can agree on is what a horrible mayor he has been,” Cohen shouted with slurred words, as Cooper begged, “Don’t go on a rant. Don’t, don’t, don’t… Is that how you want to start the new year?”

Cooper became increasingly uncomfortable as Cohen refused to cease the rant, grabbing his co-host by the coat as Cohen celebrated the fact that he wouldn’t have to watch the outgoing mayor celebrate “as the city comes apart” next New Year’s Eve.

Actually, he didn't look all that uncomfortable to me at any time in the sequence. He looks too drunk to be uncomfortable. Have you ever seen a live program where the hosts are drunk? A national program? Take a look for yourself.

After serving two terms as mayor of New York City, de Blasio was succeeded by fellow Democrat Eric Adams on January 1. De Blasio has been described as one of the worst mayors in the city’s history for overseeing a significant rise in crime and disorder in the city after taking over from the previous mayor, Mike Bloomberg.