Africa
Memorials for miners begin across South Africa
Memorial events are taking place across South Africa to remember the miners who were killed in the biggest clash of its kind since the apartheid years. The miners were striking over pay, when Police are reported to have opened fire after failing to dissolve the strikers who were mostly armed with clubs and machetes. 2 of a totalling 44 individuals killed were police officers, with the majority of miners dying a week ago in a single clash. The recent violence has been followed by services at the British owned mine in Marikana as well as in other cities across South Africa. Attending the events are religious leaders, significant numbers of workers and members of the community as well as politicians, including senior members of President Zuma’s office. Police are reported to be keeping low profiles. President Zuma is currently responding to criticism that his response is diminishing the confidence of investors; despite platinum, the mine’s resource, being at an increasing high since May.
Nigeria issue warning over Mali intervention
Nigeria has said that military intervention of Mali will soon become a certainty if militant Islamists controlling the northern region fail in talks. The President of Nigeria, Goodluck Jonathan, said, “Diplomacy and negotiation is first. Military intervention is extreme,” however adding, “When negotiations fail, at that time you can talk about military intervention.” Mr. Jonathan said that the regional body, the Economic Community of West African States, would certainly deploy a West African Force if talks failed, however adding that they would only be deployed with the formal backing of the United Nations. Currently international prosecutors are investigating human rights violations by the region’s Islamist groups.
Europe
France increase opportunities for Roma population
The Hollande administration has announced plans to widen employment opportunities for Roma migrants, something that has included the cancellation of a tax that was previously levied against employers who hired them. Nearly half a million Romas live in France, excluding an estimated 12, 000 illegal immigrants. France has been heavily criticised of its handling of the Roma population who are often entrenched in poverty, with low literacy rates and high levels of discrimination. In 2009, the European Committee of Social Rights found France to violate the European Social Charter in respect to the population. Human rights groups have also shamed the deportation of the group back to Romania, where the largest EU population live. The most recent was by the Hollande administration that flew 240 Romas out of France for purposes relating to ‘sanitary concerns and tensions with working-class neighbours’.
Eurozone is now predicted recession
The Eurozone today has shown signs that it will fall into a recession. The Markit Flash Qurozone PMI Composite Output Index was 46.6 this month, indicating a contraction in the currency. It is set to contract 0.5%-0.6% in the current quarter which would make it the second recession for the currency in three years.
Middle East
The United Kingdom (UK) has echoed the United States’ warning to Syria that the use of chemical weapons would force them to “revisit their approach”. Talks were also held between the Prime Minister of the UK and President of France in a bid to possibilities of supporting opposition to al-Assad’s regime within the country. The UK has said officially that it believes the regime is ‘inevitably going to fall’. China has responded with its state media saying that the chemical weapons stance is being used to prompt military intervention.
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