12, May 2017
President Putin says Israeli–Palestinian conflict to be resolved only through negotiations 0
Russian President Vladimir Putin says the conflict between the Israeli regime and Palestinians could only be resolved through political means based on international law. “As a member of the Middle East quartet, Russia together with the US, the UN and the European Union, will continue to prove the necessity of direct dialogue between Palestinians and Israelis,” Putin added at a joint press conference with his Palestinian counterpart Mahmoud Abbas in the Black Sea resort of Sochi on Thursday.
Putin also cautioned against taking “one-sided steps” and called for making “mutually acceptable decisions” to try to resolve the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. The last round of Israeli-Palestinian talks collapsed in 2014. Among the major sticking points in those negotiations was Israel’s continued settlement expansion on Palestinian territories.
Since the January inauguration of US President Donald Trump, who is a steadfast supporter of Israel, the regime in Tel Aviv has stepped up its construction of settler units on occupied Palestinian land in a blatant violation of international law.
Less than a month before Trump took office, the United Nations Security Council adopted Resolution 2334, calling on Israel to “immediately and completely cease all settlement activities in the occupied Palestinian territories, including East Jerusalem” al-Quds.
About 600,000 Israelis live in over 230 illegal settlements built since the 1967 Israeli occupation of the Palestinian territories of the West Bank and East Jerusalem al-Quds. Palestinians want the West Bank as part of a future independent Palestinian state, with East Jerusalem al-Quds as its capital.
Abbas, for his part, briefed Putin on the latest Israeli violations of Palestinians’ rights, including continuous settlement building activities, “policies of economic suffocation, and persistence to hold thousands of detainees in Israeli prisons.”
The Palestinian leader added that the Israeli violations will eventually “lead to destroying the chance to create peace in the (Middle East) region,” and “abolish the idea of a two-state solution.”
He further highlighted the importance of fulfilling the humanitarian needs of hundreds of Palestinian inmates, who continue to be on hunger strike in Israeli jails, stating that the Ramallah-based Palestinian Authority will exert all efforts possible to secure their release.
Since April 17, more than 1,600 Palestinian prisoners have joined the protest action, dubbed the Freedom and Dignity Strike. The strikers are demanding basic rights, such as an end to the policies of administrative detention, solitary confinement and deliberate medical negligence.
Source: Presstv
12, May 2017
Biya regime makes public a new code of conduct for success in End-of-Course Exams in Southern Cameroons 0
Secondary Education Minister yesterday instructed special measures to accommodate students who did not register for 2017 examinations. Messages to build hope towards the so-called hitch- free 2017 end-of-course examinations in the North West region was the subject of a frank exchange between the visiting Minister of Secondary Education, Jean Ernest Ngalle Messena Bibehe and CPDM experts in Bamenda on May 10, 2017. The stakes featured security concerns, preparedness of students in some confessional schools, movements of students to and from accommodation Centers and logistics for credible examinations schedule to begin on May 15 with practicals and June 12, 2017 for the written session.
In the region to asses and follow up the state of preparedness, Minister Jean Ernest Ngalle Massena Bibehe reassured all technical collaborators of government’s responsibility to ensure the proper organization and management of the examination in times like this when the social crisis that haunt the North West and South West Regions did not help matters for the 2016/2017 academic year. The visiting Minister, North West Governor, Adolphe Lele Lafrique, the Director of Examinations, GCE and BAC Board authorities took turns to abate worries which include appeals to reinforce security in accommodation schools and concerns about students who, either did not prepare or missed out on registration for the examinations.
It was against this backdrop that in a late hour move, the Minister instructed the Registrar of the GCE Board to give a listening ear with special measures to accommodate such students who show up for examinations. He stressed that all students ready for the examinations will be given a chance and that the government will help matters for movement concerns. Governor Adolphe Lele Lafrique reassured that security will be stepped up and stressed the need for stakeholders to be part of special security measures and readily denounce any threats for action.
Minister Jean Ernest Ngalle Massena Bibehe challenged stakeholders to play their roles and revealed special communications measures to enhance vigilance and probity. The stakes are high and the Minister urged all to showcase a high sense of patriotism for the success of the examination in the supreme interest of children’s right to education. It also emerged from the working session which assembled heads of Accommodation Centers, Principals, Educational Secretaries of Confessional and Lay private education sectors , trade union leaders, that some 40,573 candidates registered for the GCE in the North West, 1,651 for BAC and some 12,277 for technical education.
Source: Cameroon Tribune