New Caledonia: French Pacific territory rejects independence

BBC - Voters in the French Pacific territory of New Caledonia have rejected a bid for independence.

Final results showed that 56.4% chose to remain part of France while 43.6% voted to leave - a tighter result than some polls had predicted.

Turnout was about 81%. The vote was promised in a 1988 deal that put an end to a violent campaign for independence.

President Emmanuel Macron said it showed "confidence in the French republic".

"I have to tell you how proud I am that we have finally passed this historic step together," he added.

The referendum passed peacefully but some unrest was reported after polls closed.

Cars and a shop were set ablaze in the capital, Nouméa, local media reported, and the high commissioner's office said some roads were closed by protesters.

It is one of the UN's 17 "non-self governing territories" - where the process of decolonisation has not been completed.

About 175,000 people were eligible to vote in Sunday's referendum New Caledonia, east of Australia, where indigenous Kanaks make up 39.1% of the population.

French nationalism is strong among the territory's ethnic Europeans - constituting 27.1% of the population - and observers say even some Kanaks back staying part of France.

The remaining third of the population of New Caledonia's 268,000 inhabitants are also largely said to oppose independence.

New Caledonia referendum: call to reject 'colonising power' France

theguardian.com - The time has come for New Caledonia to throw off “colonising power” France and take its place on the world stage, the head of the country’s independence coalition has said on a visit to Australia ahead of a referendum to be held in November.

New Caledonian independence from France was inevitable and a “question of dignity” for the nation’s indigenous Kanak people, said Daniel Goa, spokesperson for the independence movement Front de Libération Nationale Kanak et Socialiste (FLNKS).

“For us it’s just a question of time, and you know that time in Oceania is measured differently,” Goa said in a speech to the Lowy Institute in Sydney last week.

The referendum will be held on 4 November asking long-term residents of the Pacific island whether they want it to become independent from France.

“This date is of capital importance and historic for the Kanak people, because it brings to an end 164 years of uninterrupted struggle for our people,” said Goa.

If successful, FLNKS has proposed the newly formed country might be called Kanaky Nouvelle-Caledonie (Kanak New Caledonia) and has suggested it also adopt FLNKS flag in place of the French flag.

“Internationally we’ll ensure our sovereignty is recognised and we’ll apply for membership of the UN,” said Goa.

Support for independence is split largely along ethnic lines, with indigenous Kanaks in favour and those of European origin opposed. Polls conducted in May suggested the no vote will win, though there is a significant proportion of the population still undecided.

Goa called the referendum a “question of dignity”, saying: “As long as a single Kanak person is standing, he will fight for his freedom. That should tell you the importance of this day, and the symbolism of this referendum.”

There was violent unrest in New Caledonia in the 1980s, as a result of pro-independence sentiment, which resulted in the deaths of 21 people during a hostage crisis in Ouvéa.

If it fails the New Caledonian people will be allowed to hold two further referenda on the question of independence: one in 2020, and if that is unsuccessful, another in 2023.

If successful the FLNKS would like to dismantle the current economic system, which Goa called the “French system”, saying it was “based on an economy of exploitation”.

“We will take back control of our natural resources and our key sectors, currently controlled by French multinational companies, to ensure a more equitable distribution of wealth by exploiting our main resource, nickel, from which we only draw salaries at the moment.”

New Caledonia, which is about two hours by plane from Brisbane, holds about a quarter of the world’s nickel deposits.

Goa also took aim at Emmanuel Macron, who visited New Caledonia in May, saying that “after 164 years of colonisation he recognised that New Caledonia was a jewel”.

However, Goa said that if it became independent he hoped New Caledonia could become “ambassadors for Oceania” to France and Europe and he wanted to “safeguard the status quo with the two regional powers, Australia and New Zealand”.

Related:  'We live in misery': New Caledonia's indigenous people fight for independence from France

Strength!: Trump's 'zero tolerance' immigration policy sparks outrage in Central America

WASHINGTON — The Trump administration's "zero tolerance" immigration policy — which has separated more than 2,000 children from their parents as they crossed the U.S.-Mexico border — has sparked outrage in the Central American countries that most of the immigrants are fleeing.

In Honduras, La Prensa newspaper featured a political cartoon Thursday with the title "Nation of Immigrants" that showed the Statue of Liberty using her flame to burn an immigrant. A front page story earlier in the week proclaimed "Separation of Families is Cruel and Inhumane."

In El Salvador on Friday, the No. 1 most-viewed story in La Prensa Gráfica was about the Time magazine cover showing President Trump looking down on a crying 2-year-old Honduran girl, with the headline "Welcome to America."

In Guatemala, an editorial in La Hora newspaper denounced the "xenophobia" of the Trump administration.

"Trump has called our people rapists, criminals, drug dealers and gangsters, among other things," an editorial said.

And, in Mexico, the newspaper El Universal said: "The United States treats migrant children as Taliban" — a reference to the Afghan terrorist group.

The presidents of Guatemala, Honduras and El Salvador have all condemned the U.S. policy.

"When a policy...ends up in the separation of the family and in the pain of so many human beings, especially children, not only must it be revised, it must be corrected as soon as possible," Guatemalan President Jimmy Morales said on his Facebook page this week.

Immigrants from the three Central American nations have been fleeing their homelands because of the high murder rates and widespread violence by gangs and drug cartels.

Central American leaders generally praised Trump's announcement Wednesday that U.S. officials would no longer separate children from their families, but wanted to know more details about what would happen to the more than 2,000 children already separated from their parents. It's not clear when or if all those children will be reunited with their mothers and fathers.

Spain's Basques form 202-km human chain to call for independence vote

MADRID (Reuters) - Tens of thousands of people from Spain’s Basque Country joined hands to form a human chain running some 202 kilometers (125 miles) on Sunday to call for the right to hold a regional independence vote.

Spain’s Constitution, created in 1978 after the end of dictator Francisco Franco’s regime, states that the country is indivisible and last-year’s attempt by Catalonia to hold a secession referendum was met with a harsh legal crackdown.

Former Prime Minister with the conservative People’s Party (PP) Mariano Rajoy, who has been roundly criticized for his handling of the Catalan crisis, was ousted by Socialist leader Pedro Sanchez in a no confidence vote June 1.

Sanchez, who now heads the government following the vote, has called for renewed talks with the Catalan leadership.

While most from the Basque Country, which already has a high level of self-determination and, like Catalonia, has its own language and culture, do not support independence, many believe the population should be given the right to vote.

The human-chain protest was organized by Basque group Gure Esku Dago (In Our Own Hands) and ran from Donostia (also known as San Sebastian) to the Basque parliament in Gasteiz (Vitoria).

The Spanish government, backed by the constitutional court, maintains that any ballot on regional independence is illegal.

Spain plans new elections in Catalonia to end independence bid: opposition

MADRID (Reuters) - The Spanish government has secured opposition support for dissolving Catalonia’s parliament and holding new elections there in January in its bid to check the regional government’s push for independence.

The Socialists, the main opposition, said on Friday they would back special measures to impose central rule on the region to thwart the secessionist-minded Catalan government and end a crisis that has unsettled the euro and hurt confidence in the euro zone’s fourth-largest economy.

Prime Minister Mariano Rajoy, who wants opposition support to be able to present a united front in the crisis, has called an emergency cabinet meeting on Saturday to pave the way for Madrid establishing central control in the region.

The government would not confirm whether January elections formed a part of the package, with Rajoy saying only that the measures would be announced on Saturday.

However a government spokesman saw regional elections as likely. “The logical end to this process would be new elections established within the law,” said government spokesman Inigo Mendez de Vigo at a weekly government press conference.

It will be the first time in Spain’s four decades of democracy that Madrid has invoked the constitution to effectively sack a regional government and call new elections.

Head of state King Felipe used a prizegiving ceremony in the northwestern region of Asturias to indicate support for the government and affirm the unity of Spain, of which he said “Catalonia is and will remain an essential part.”

“Spain needs to face up to an unacceptable secession attempt on its national territory, which it will resolve through its legitimate democratic institutions,” said the monarch, a ceremonial figure who sharply criticized Catalan leaders earlier this month.

Rajoy wants as broad a consensus as possible before taking the step, which has raised the prospect of more large-scale protests in Catalonia, where pro-independence groups have been able to bring more than one million people out onto the streets.

Catalan leader Carles Puigdemont, a former journalist who is spearheading the secession campaign, has refused to renounce independence, citing an overwhelming vote in favor of secession at a referendum on Oct.1.

Regional authorities said around 90 percent voted for independence though only 43 percent of voters participated. Opponents of secession mostly stayed home. (ontinueReading

Further Reading: Spain, Bolivia, Iraq, and the Fallacy of Nation-Sate

After Brexit, U.S. Congressman Promotes #Amexit from UN

The USA is a failed state

- As the pro-national sovereignty movement continues to surge in Europe following the historic British “Brexit” vote to exit the European Union, a growing push for a United States “Amexit” from the United Nations and other international institutions is gaining steam. After the Brexit, Kentucky Republican Congressman Thomas Massie (shown being sworn in), a leading constitutionalist, pointed to his support for the American Sovereignty Restoration Act and asked if it is now “Time for #amexit?” Yes, he says. Conservative commentator Sarah Palin also called for a U.S. withdrawal from the UN following Brexit, saying Americans should take a lesson from the British on restoring independence and stopping "special-interest globalists." Former Congressman Ron Paul, meanwhile, the author of the original legislation to get the United States out of the UN, called for getting out of NATO and the “various phony 'free trade' agreements” that benefit the elite but harm everyone else. And the movement to restore self-government is only growing.

Britain votes to leave EU, Cameron quits, markets rocked

(Reuters) - Britain has voted to leave the European Union, forcing the resignation of Prime Minister David Cameron and dealing the biggest blow since World War Two to the European project of forging greater unity.

Global stock markets plunged on Friday, and the British pound saw its biggest one day drop in history, as results from a referendum defied bookmakers' odds to show a 52-48 percent victory for the campaign to leave the bloc Britain joined more than 40 years ago.

The United Kingdom itself could now break apart, with the leader of Scotland, where nearly two-thirds of voters wanted to stay in the EU, saying a new referendum on independence from the rest of Britain was "highly likely".

German Chancellor Angela Merkel will meet French, German and Italian leaders in Berlin on Monday to discuss future steps, and the foreign ministers of Germany, France, Italy, Belgium, the Netherlands and Luxembourg, will meet on Saturday morning.

U.S. President Barack Obama on Friday tried to limit the fallout from Britain's vote to leave the European Union which threatens to harm the U.S. economic recovery and distract U.S. allies from global security issues. Obama, who had argued passionately against the UK leaving the EU in a trip to the Britain this year, vowed that Washington would still maintain both its "special relationship" with London and close ties to Brussels.

In an emotional speech on Friday, UK Prime Minister Cameron, who led the campaign to remain in Europe to defeat, after promising the referendum in 2013, said he would leave office by October.

"The British people have made the very clear decision to take a different path and as such I think the country requires fresh leadership to take it in this direction," he said in a televised address outside his residence.

"I do not think it would be right for me to be the captain that steers our country to its next destination," he added, choking back tears before walking back through 10 Downing Street's black door with his arm around his wife Samantha.

The British pound fell as much as 10 percent against the U.S. dollar on Friday to levels last seen in 1985 on fears the decision could hit investment in the world's fifth-largest economy, threaten London's role as a global financial capital, and usher in months of political uncertainty. The euro slid 2.0 percent against the U.S. dollar. [MKTS/GLOB]

World stocks saw more than $2 trillion wiped off their value. European stocks ended down 7.0 percent STOXX, the biggest one day fall since 2008. U.S. stocks fell suffered the largest selloff in ten months sharply, with the Dow Jones industrial average .DJI losing 3.4 percent. [.N]

Investors rushed to put their cash in the safety of gold which clocked up its biggest daily gain the global financial crisis of 2008, ending Friday up 5.0 percent at $1,315 an ounce. (Full Text)

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Related: (Reuters) EU's Tusk says 27 EU leaders determined to keep unity after Brexit

Shocker: US: Judge strikes Kansas ban on 'gay' marriage

DEMOCRACY!

KANSAS CITY Kan. (Reuters) – A Kansas ban on same-sex marriage violates the U.S. Constitution and must be overturned, a federal judge ruled on Tuesday.

U.S. District Court Judge Daniel Crabtree granted a preliminary injunction on behalf of same-sex couples who had challenged the state’s ban on gay marriage and put the ruling on hold until Nov. 11 to give Kansas an opportunity to appeal.

The decision, if upheld, would add to more than a dozen states where same-sex marriage has become legal since the U.S. Supreme Court said on Oct. 6 that it would not review recent U.S. appeals court decisions that struck down state bans.
Read the full story ›

Related: Missouri ban on same-sex marriage unconstitutional, court rules

Spanish court suspends Catalan self-rule vote

(TheLocalSpain) - Spain's Constitutional Court on Monday (9/30) suspended an independence referendum called by Catalonia for November 9th, although leaders of the rich north-eastern region vowed to press ahead anyway with preparations for the vote.

The unanimous and expected decision by the court's 12 judges came just hours after Spain's central government asked it to declare the non-binding independence referendum illegal on the grounds that it breaches the country's constitution.

The court said in a statement that it had accepted the appeal and had suspended the referendum while it considers the central government's arguments. The court had up to five months to give its ruling although it can request an extension.

The head of the regional government of Catalonia, Artur Mas, signed a decree on Saturday calling for the referendum.

Since then a luminous clock on Barcelona's historic Sant Jaume square has been ticking down the seconds to November 9th and television and radio stations in the region have aired ads informing the public of the vote.

Conservative Prime Minister Mariano Rajoy said he "deeply" regretted Mas's move, saying it "divides Catalans, alienates them from Europe and the rest of Spain and seriously harms their welfare".

In a televised address to the nation following an emergency cabinet meeting, Rajoy said the right to decide a region's status belonged to "all the Spanish people" under the country's 1978 constitution -- the keystone of Spain's democracy after the death of the dictator Francisco Franco.

"There is nothing and no one, no power nor institution, that can break this principle of sole sovereignty," he added. Full Story

Catalonia challenges Spain with independence vote

DEMOCRACY!

(USAToday) - The president of Spain's Catalonia region mounted a serious challenge to the Spanish state early Saturday when he signed a decree calling for a referendum on independence.

Catalan President Artur Mas wants to hold the vote on Nov. 9 and the move comes just a week after Scotland voted against breaking away from the United Kingdom.

"Like all the nations of the world, Catalonia has the right to decide its political future," said Mas. "We want to vote and we want to decide and now we have to means to do so."

However, unlike the recent independence vote in Scotland, which was backed by the U.K.'s central government in London, Catalonia's vote would not be legally binding and it does not have the support of the Spanish government in Madrid.

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Chechnya also comes to mind with its never ending struggle for independence from Russia. Let's hope Catalonia makes the right choice.

'The Simpsons' Groundskeeper Willie Has a Message on Scottish Independence

With the vote of the Scottish independence referendum only five days away, it's time to make a decision. Luckily, for any undecided voter out there, everyone's favorite Scottish groundskeeper has decided to share his thoughts. Take a look.

In the official FOX-released clip, posted to YouTube on Friday, Groundskeeper Willie, the lovably Scottish and terrifyingly awesome groundskeeper of Springfield Elementary School in The Simpsons, shares his take on the situation.

Initially, Groundskeeper Willie doesn't want to commit his support to either side, "the right one or the obviously wrong one," and points out that, "both sides of this argument have valid points: The freedom-loving heirs of the Highland tradition, and those who enjoy crawling like worms beneath British boots."

From that point, it was on. And eventually, Groundskeeper Willie then takes it a step further by offering his own services as the candidate to lead the would-be independent Scotland.

"Vote Groundskeeper Willie, the sane and sensible choice."

North Korea 'backs Scottish independence'

Vote Yes because England suck

(Telegraph) - North Korea is quietly backing the Yes vote in Scotland and would be keen to increase trade with a newly independent Edinburgh, according to officials of the Pyongyang regime.

"I think that independence would be a very positive thing for Scotland," Choe Kwan-il, managing editor of the Choson Sinbo newspaper, told The Telegraph.

Supported by Pyongyang, the Tokyo-based publication provides news to an estimated 200,000 Koreans who live in Japan but swear allegiance – and send vast amounts of financial support – to North Korea.

"We have not reported on the vote in Scotland yet, but we will after it has happened," Choe said.

"I believe that every person has the right to be a member of an independent nation, to have sovereignty, to live in peace and to enjoy equality," he said. "And I believe that a majority of Scots feel the same and will vote for independence." Full

Washington's militarized land-grabs: Targeting the Sioux Indian Reservation in South Dakota

here we go again..

In the wake of a Bundy Ranch crisis sparked by a militarized federal land-grab effort in Nevada, it seems that the Department of Interior has set its sights on a new prize - this time targeting once protected Indian reservation land on Pine Ridge in South Dakota.

The Oglala Sioux and Lakota Sioux of the reservation have been told by the Federal Government that the National Parks Service will be taking land that comprises the South Unit of the Badlands National Park as a new 'Tribal National Park', only the wording in the bill clearly indicates that it will be a federally managed national park under the Department of Interior, giving mere lip service to its tribal title.

The Congressional bill has already been written, and if passed through Congress, both tribal members and non tribal members will be stripped of their deeded land - at a price set by the federal government. If owners do not accept Washington's offer (expected to be a meager one), the land can be acquired at no cost because the measure has waived all appraisal rights and stipulates that Washington can simply take Indian land by force under 'eminent domain'.

Full

Ron Paul in USA Today: ‘Crimea Secedes. So What?’

Chechnya did too, but Ron Paul has yet to comment.

Conspiracy: Crimea votes to Secede From Ukraine as Russian Troops Keep Watch

It was decided by a "Yes" or "No" vote. No other options listed.

SIMFEROPOL, Ukraine — With thousands of heavily-armed Russian troops occupying this perennially embattled peninsula, an overwhelming majority of Crimeans voted on Sunday to secede from Ukraine and join Russia, resolutely carrying out a public referendum that Western leaders had declared illegal and vowed to punish with economic sanctions.

The outcome, in a region that shares a language and centuries of history with Russia, was a foregone conclusion even before exit polls showed more than 93 percent of voters opting to break with Ukraine and join Russia. But it further inflamed tensions over Ukraine, as the United States and its European allies spent the day weighing how swiftly and forcefully to levy threatened sanctions against allies of President Vladimir V. Putin.

France: Mali's sovereignty To Be Restored 'In A Few Days'

Must be Spring or something. . . 

(Telegraph) - French President Francois Hollande last night said Mali's sovereignty over almost all of its territory would be restored within "a few days". "In the last phase where we are, almost the entire territory will return to Mali's sovereignty in a few days," Mr. Hollande said during a dinner with representatives of the Jewish community in France.

"Our intervention allowed us to obtain major results within two months: the offensive by terrorist groups was stopped (and) the towns were recaptured," Mr Hollande said.

Mr. Hollande spoke shortly after his Prime Minister Jean-Marc Ayrault told parliament that French troops would begin pulling out of troubled Mali "from the end of April".

Mr. Ayrault said a meeting next Monday between members of France's National Assembly and Senate would assess the involvement of French troops to help flush out Islamist rebels in the west African country "even if our troops will begin coming home from the end of April".

Source

Prime Minister Cameron Urges Scotland Not To Go It Alone.

(Reuters) - Prime Minister David Cameron conceded on Sunday that Scotland had what it takes to be an independent nation, but said it currently enjoyed "the best of both worlds", imploring it not to break the United Kingdom apart.

Stepping up his government's campaign to hold Britain together ahead of an independence referendum expected next year, Cameron urged Scotland not to sever a union with England that dates back 306 years.

"Put simply: Britain works. Britain works well. Why break it?" he wrote in an article published in Scottish newspapers.

"This big question is for Scotland to decide. But the answer matters to all of our United Kingdom. Scotland is better off in Britain. We're all better off together and poorer apart."

Full Story.

E.U 'Needs Britain' Says Swedish Finance Minister.

(Telegraph.co.uk) - Anders Borg said it was not realistic to think Frankfurt or Paris could compete with New York and Hong Kong, saying there was no practical alternative to the City.

“For Sweden, keeping Britain in the EU is a very high priority. We have a big banking sector and a lot of work goes through the City of London. If the UK leaves the EU it could create a lot of problems,” he said.

“It is important for Europe to have a financial hub. It is not realistic to think that Frankfurt or Paris can compete.”

He expressed some sympathy for David Cameron’s decision to hold an in-out EU referendum in 2017, but said Sweden would not be following suit. Like the UK, Sweden is a member of the EU but not of the euro.

“We see the euro countries moving in a direction we don’t believe in. To create a club within a club is not great for us. The British concerns are obvious – how are we going to find a long-term working relationship,” he said.

A number of EU leaders said they would be better off with Britain as a member. “The UK is a growth orientated country – and they share our values on openness and free trade. They help drive those agendas,” he said.

Dutch Prime Minister Mark Rutte, said: “Denmark, Sweden, the UK – we need them to stay in the union. They are focused on economic prosperity. We need that inspiration.”

Mr Rutte, Mr Borg and Irish Prime Minister Enda Kenny said enormous growth could be generated if the EU properly opened up its single market in services and digital technology, as well as finalising free trade agreements with North America and Japan.

The UK has been at the forefront of efforts to push those up the EU agenda.

Mr Borg added: “It is vital for all of us that the UK to stay in.”

Source.

White House Responds To B.S Secession Petitions.

- The White House has responded to the hundreds of thousands of Americans who signed digital petitions asking permission for states to peacefully secede from the union.

In a nutshell, the answer is no.

L.O.L!

Texas Secession Movent: Rally For Texas Independence To Be Held In Austin January 8.

Why Exactly Did Texas Join The Union Again? Rebellion Will Not Work Texas!

- The Texas Nationalist Movement plans to hold a rally for Texas independence on Tuesday, January 8th to support the secession movement in that state.

Texas Constitution, Article 1 Section 1: “Texas is a free and independent State, subject only to the Constitution of the United States, and the maintenance of our free institutions and the perpetuity of the Union depend upon the preservation of the right of local self-government, unimpaired to all the States.”

Texas Constitution, Article 1 Section 2: “All political power is inherent in the PEOPLE…”

Texans will gather at the north steps of the Capitol in Austin on Tuesday, January 8th (the opening day of the 2013 Legislative session) at Noon to show their support for the freedom and independence of Texas and to show that all political power is still inherent in the people.

TNM is calling on every Texan who supports the freedom and independence of Texas to rally up on the north side. Bring signs, Texas flags and flags from the Texas Revolution to show that they want their freedom and independence and want the Legislature to answer the call of the people.