Activists Appeal to U.N. as Detroit Shuts Off Water for Thousands
Activists in Detroit have appealed to the United Nations over the city’s move to shut off the water of thousands of residents. The Detroit water authority says half of its 323,000 accounts are delinquent. It has begun turning off the taps of those who do not pay bills that total above $150 or that are 60 days late. The Detroit water authority carries an estimated $5 billion in debt and has been the subject of privatization talks. In a submission to the U.N.’s special rapporteur on the human right to safe drinking water and sanitation, activists say Detroit is trying to push through a private takeover of its water system at the expense of basic rights. The group Food & Water Watch said: “By denying water service to thousands, Detroit is violating the human right to water.”
Russian gov to dump Intel and AMD
Russian news outlet Kommersant has reported that the nation’s government wants to ditch Intel and AMD processors in favour of a locally-developed ARM effort. The reasons for that appear to be simple: they believe both the silicon giants might have a hand belonging to the NSA and CIA in their pockets. Three state-owned Russian companies are banding together to develop to be called “Baikal” that will use ARM’s 64-bit kernel Cortex A-57 as its base design, offer at least eight cores, be built with a 28nm process and run at 2GHz or more in PCs or servers. This also encourages local economy.
Israeli Civil Rights Leader, Former Politician Shulamit Aloni Dies at 85
The Israeli civil rights leader and longtime politician Shulamit Aloni has died at the age of 85. Aloni was a longtime champion of Palestinian and women’s rights in Israel. She served as a member of the Israeli Knesset for nearly three decades, holding a number of Cabinet posts. In 1991, Aloni helped found Israel’s Meretz Party after splitting with the Labor Party. Aloni called on the U.S. government to end its support of the Israeli occupation of Palestinian land.