NewLife

Uruguay was the first country to legalize cannabis trade

 

Uruguay became Wednesday 11 décembbre, the first country to legalize cannabis for recreational use. In the wake of MPs, senators approved the law regulating the production and consumption of marijuana, the Netherlands, Spain or the U.S. states of Colorado and Washington already tolerant culture under certain conditions.

The novelty of the Uruguayan provision takes in that it will allow the state to take control of the production and sale of the product. Specifically, the text provides three ways to access cannabis self-cultivation (six plants maximum) culture in clubs members (including a maximum of 45 people and 99 plants) and pharmacy sales, public oversight (40 grams maximum per month). Any farmer or user must register on a national register and the sale will be reserved for adults residing in Uruguay. All advertising will remain prohibited, and cultivation of marijuana out of the box system will remain illegal.

By October, even before the law goes before the Senate, the government of Montevideo and had indicated a desire to fix the price of 0.75 euro per gram, the current index and in the street.

"Greater availability also for children"

With this regulation which he instigated, Uruguayan President José Mujica, who came to power in 2009, aims to undermine the powerful networks of drug trafficking. "When you legalize, you allow anyone to consume or plant under state control. The user can thus benefit from a guaranteed price and the quality of the product. There will be more interest in using an underground market, says Christian Tharel, administrator Lyon Information and cannibique Research Collective (IARC), which advocates the legalization cannabis.

The Act also provides, according to the government, to limit the risks associated with marijuana use and divert its fans dealers that could lead to harder drugs. "In terms of prevention, authentication mode set by Uruguay has been cleverly thought because it will allow consumers to have access to information concerning the product sold, note Meanwhile Christian Tharel. It is claimed that the prohibition preserves youth, but those who do consume no matter how they have no information on what they smoke. "

Uruguayan opposition to the legalization of market risk to facilitate access to marijuana for young people. "Law defective in form and substance, challenged on Monday , AFP Senator Alfredo Solari opposition. Certainty that there will be a greater availability of cannabis [...] makes me fear greater availability also for children and adolescents, which is the most serious "consequence of this law control.

"Uruguay is trying to strike a blow"

Providing a complete "experience for the world," the head of the Uruguayan State hopes to convince him the international community of the merits of the initiative. Several former Latin American presidents have also provided his support, arguing that political repression conducted previously against drug trafficking have been e failure.

"Uruguay is trying to strike a blow, says Christian Tharel. The challenge of this law is to determine whether cannabis is a drug which can only manage consumption, such as alcohol. "To calm opposition, President José Mujica s' is already committed to "back off" if the experiment was turning wimpy. But the executive may take his first lessons at the end of next year. According to Montevideo, the decrees of the law, supposed to kick off the production will be ready in April 2014.

SOUTH AFRICA: More than 50 heads of state will attend the funeral of Mandela

 

They will pay tribute to the memory of the South African icon. Fifty-three Heads of State or Government, including Barack Obama, Hollande, confirmed Sunday, December 8 their presence in South Africa for the funeral of Nelson Mandela announced Minister of Foreign Affairs of South Africa.

Among the guests will also find the Brazilian Dilma Rousseff, British Prime Minister David Cameron, but Nicolas Sarkozy - invited by the French president - and former presidents U.S. George W. Bush and Jimmy Carter. Secretary General Ban Ki-moon will also attend.

Other figures such as Prince Charles, former Secretary General Kofi Annan, the musician Peter Gabriel, entrepreneur Richard Branson also will travel.

The Dalai Lama, however, who was twice refused a visa for South Africa in recent years, said he would not attend these events .

Some of these guests will speak during an official memorial ceremony, Tuesday, Dec. 10 at Soccer City stadium in Johannesburg, from 11:00 (09:00 GMT), has de ; clared Minister in the Presidency Collins Chabane, recalling that the body of the first black president of South Africa will not be exposed in the stadium. 

Other personalities will visit later in Qunu, the village of his childhood in the south of the country for his funeral scheduled for Sunday 15th December.

A week of national mourning began Sunday in South Africa. Around the country, South Africans have gathered in the streets, churches, synagogues, mosques, to salute the memory of the "Father of the nation arc rainbow ".

With AFP

UKRAINE: Three former leaders of the Ukrainian State support challenge

 

In an open letter, three former presidents of Ukraine Leonid Kravchuk, Leonid Kuchma and Viktor Yushchenko on Wednesday brought their support for the pro-European opposition. They emphasize all three the risk of "serious consequences" from the crisis for the sovereignty of the former Soviet republic torn ente EU and Russia.

"We express our solidarity with the peaceful actions of hundreds of thousands of young Ukrainians," wrote the former heads of state. "The political crisis that developed in Ukraine could have serious consequences for the territorial integrity, sovereignty and independence of Ukraine," they continue.

"Their commitment to the European choices, democratic values, fosters respect," still write about the three presidents of the demonstrators.

These comments came before a ministerial meeting of the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE), long-planned for Thursday and Friday in Ukraine, which has been maintained despite the crisis.

With news (AFP)

Croatia says no to gay marriage referendum

 

They said no to gay marriage. Croatians voted Sunday 1 December against marriage between two persons of the same sex. Voters had to decide on a revision of the Constitution which so far does not contain a definition of marriage. They had to answer the question of whether marriage must be established by the Constitution as "a union between a man and a woman."

According to the first partial official results on the ballots counted in 33% of polling stations, 64.84% Croats responded "yes" to this question and therefore chose not to pave the way for gay marriage.

This consultation was launched by a conservative group called "on behalf of the family," which managed to collect a petition with 700,000 signatures, enabling Parliament to convene a referendum. Gay marriage is not allowed in Croatia, but these movements near Catholic circles, wanted to block such an eventuality. They rallied after the announcement by the government of a new legislation.

"We believe that marriage, children and family are so important that the whole society must decide to change their definition," has said from the & rsquo , AFP Zeljka Markic, President "On behalf of the family."

At 15:00 GMT, three hours before the closing of the polling stations, the turnout was low: 26, 75%. It was even much lower than that recorded at the same time (33.79%) in the referendum on Croatia's accession to the European Uni , enemies in 2012, and at the end of the vote was only 43%.

"Vote for your dignity"

The center-left government has tried to prevent the referendum by legal means, but without success. "President Ivo JosipoviÄ? and Prime Minister Zoran MilanoviÄ? Croats had called out thinking. If Croatia accepts this restrictive view of marriage it goes against European values ​​of respect for minorities, "said Laurent Rouy our antenna, FRANCE 24 correspondent in Belgrade.

Faced with this vote, the center-left activists of human rights and civil society figures had called Croats vote no and defend the right of homosexuals . More than a thousand people had thus demonstrated Saturday in Zagreb against the revision of the Constitution, holding placards that read "Homosexuality is not a choice, but the hatred is a "or" vote for your dignity. "

"It's like if you were forced to ask permission to marry four million people. This is exactly how my fiance and I live in this situation, "for his part told Ljubomir Mateljan, a gay activist.

Despite this result, the attitude towards homosexuals has improved considerably in recent years in this country that has acceded to the European Union last July. While in 2002 the first gay pride was marked by aggression, a year later, Croatia was granted to same-sex couples the same rights as hey , térosexuels cohabiting.

With AFP news

TUNISIA: Tunisia: Islamist party Ennahda headquarters burnt by protesters

 

Several hundred protesters attacked Wednesday, November 27 the headquarters of the Islamist party Ennahda in Gafsa in central Tunisia. The demonstrators attacked the party headquarters after trying at first to force the entrance of the headquarters of the governor's office and be dispersed by police .

Protesters have released records local Islamist party in power as well as furniture and burned in the street. The police were absent for part of its premises. The protesters also prevented firefighters from accessing the site.

As two other regions, Gafsa was paralyzed by a general strike Wednesday to protest poverty and regional disparities, key factors re revolution of 2011. The catalyst for the strike was the government's decision not to include the area in the list of governorates where medical schools and teaching hospitals will be built in the coming years.

In previous protests over the past two years, Ennahda regional headquarters have been targeted across the country, including Gafsa. In 2008, the Gafsa region strategic because of its phosphate mines but among the poorest in the country, was the scene of an insurgency fueled by poverty and re , winning in the blood.

With AFP news