UN: North Korean regime crimes must be punished

A panel of experts mandated by the UN's Human Rights Council said North Koreans had suffered "unspeakable atrocities".

The panel heard evidence of torture, enslavement, sexual violence, severe political repression and other crimes.

North Korea has rejected the report's conclusions.

The UN commission said leader Kim Jong-un had refused to respond to an advance copy of the report, which warned him he could be held responsible for abuses.

"It is a report which speaks of the great wrongs that have been done to the people of North Korea and calls for attention from the international community," said Michael Kirby, chairman of the independent Commission of Inquiry, as he launched the report in Geneva.

The findings recommend an inquiry be launched by an international court or tribunal.

"The suffering and tears of the people of North Korea demand action, and that is the proposal," said Mr Kirby.

Testimony to the panel included an account of a woman forced to drown her own baby, children imprisoned from birth and starved, and families tortured for watching a foreign soap opera.

The full report contains hundreds of pages of further evidence of a nationwide policy of control through terror.

"In many instances, the violations of human rights found by the commission constitute crimes against humanity," said the report.

"These are not mere excesses of the state; they are essential components of a political system that has moved far from the ideals on which it claims to be founded."

The BBC's Imogen Foulkes in Geneva says the report is one of the most detailed and devastating ever published by the United Nations.

North Korea "categorically and totally rejects" the report into its human rights record, it said in a two-page statement sent to Reuters from its diplomatic mission in Geneva.

"The DPRK [North Korea] once again makes it clear that the 'human rights violations' mentioned in the so-called 'report' do not exist in our country."

Credit to BBC

Uk floods set to continue as more rain hits

The prime minister is urging the insurance industry to deal with flood claims as quickly as possible.

David Cameron is also calling on insurers to offer more help to dry out homes. More than 5,000 homes and businesses are estimated to have been flooded since the start of December.

No 10 will hold a meeting with industry representatives on Tuesday.

The Met Office has issued a yellow "be aware" warning for rain in south-west England.

Sixteen severe flood warnings are also in place in southern England.

Cornwall, parts of Somerset and Devon have already seen moderate bursts of rain on Monday, while around 800 people are still without power across southern England and parts of Wales after cuts due to storms last week.

The prime minister, who is visiting Upton upon Severn in Worcestershire to meet residents who have been hit by floods, will chair another meeting of the Cobra emergency committee later.
 

David Cameron is visiting flood-hit communities

Meanwhile, members of his cabinet office will chair Tuesday's meeting with insurance representatives.

Mr Cameron's official spokesman said the insurance industry should do its best to maximise help to flood-hit victims, including the "speedy" processing of claims and the provision of dehumidifiers to dry properties out.

He declined to say whether the sector should be offering "premium holidays" to those who have been flooded.
Credit to BBC

Peter Schiff: The Dollar Will Collapse First….

Bank Of America Warns "The US Dollar Is In Trouble"

Global financial and commodity markets are warning that the US Dollar is in for a bout of trouble, warns BofAML's Macneil Curry. Across asset classes, Curry points out that Gold was the first to make its low against the US Dollar, doing so back on Dec-15. The second market to turn against the US Dollar was US Treasuries, with Ten year note futures turning bullish back on Dec-26. Currently, the FX market - most specifically GBP - is breaking out and pressuring the US Dollar. Finally, the Japanese stock market continues to suffer, putting downward pressure on USDJPY and thus US Dollar weakness.

Via BofAML's Macneil Curry,

Gold breaks pivotal resistance

Across assets gold has been the lead market against the US $; having forged its base back in mid December. Now, it has broken above its 150d average (1295) for the 1st time since Jan’13. This average has been an excellent barometer of the medium term trend and points to further gains. We target the confluence of resistance between 1355/1374 and potentially beyond.

US Ten Year Notes futures set to make new highs

The TYH4 corrective pullback from its Feb-03, 126-16 high, coupled with the hold of its 21d moving average (now 125-10) says the year-to-date uptrend remains intact. When combined with an increasingly bullish backdrop for risk, this is bearish the $.

£/$ is on the edge of a major breakout

A closing break of the1.6748, Apr’11 high, would mark the end of a 4yr contracting range and target further upside towards long term pivots at 1.7145/1.7167. This could also prove to be the catalyst for €/$ to break key resistance at 1.3737 and the US $ Index to break key support at 79.68; all of which would be very bad for the $.

A bearish Nikkei is trouble for $/¥

The Nikkei remains in a medium term bear trend, with the break of the 100d (now 14,988) pointing to further near term weakness. We continue to target the summer 2013 lows at 13,388/14,415 before the long term bull trend can resume its footing. This Nikkei weakness is likely to maintain downward pressure on $/¥ given their strong positive correlation. For the currency pair, watch the Feb-07 post NFP low at 101.54. Through here opens the 200d at 100.21 and below.

Credit to Zero Hedge

Netanyahu Warns World Over Iran Aggression

Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu opened his weekly Cabinet meeting Sunday with more words of warning to the West over Iran.

"The major powers' talks with Iran will resume this week. Until now, it must be said, it is Iran which has gained without giving anything significant," he began. "It has received a major easing of sanctions and the Iranian economy is already responding appropriately. Iran is also continuing its aggressive policy both inside Iran and outside Iran."

"Inside Iran, it is executing innocent people," Netanyahu continued. "Outside Iran, it supports the continued killings by the Syrian regime, which would be unable to act without it, without its support."

"Iran is also continuing to arm terrorist organizations with advanced, deadly weapons and, of course, it is continuing to call for the destruction of the State of Israel. At the same time, Iran is continuing with advanced research and development of centrifuges. Iran is not prepared to concede even one centrifuge."

"Israel's policy is clear and is active on two tracks: First, to expose Iran's unchanging aggressive policy. Second, to demand the dismantling of Iran's enrichment capacity," the Prime Minister reiterated. "Iran does not need any centrifuges for nuclear power for civilian purposes."

On Tuesday, Iran's atomic chief Ali Akbar Salehi announced that new centrifuges were being developed that are 15 times more powerful than what Iran currently uses for its uranium enrichment.

Salehi insisted that the development was not in violation of a November 24 agreement between Iran and six world powers that has imposed curbs on Tehran's nuclear drive and states that Iran cannot increase its number of centrifuges.

Iran currently has nearly 19,000 centrifuges, including 10,000 of the so-called first generation being used to enrich uranium. Some 1,000 second generation machines, three to five times more powerful, have been installed but are not in service.


Credit to Israel National News

Training for Treason: US Military Trains for Taking Over America

We've Been Snookered!