Geneva Auto Show: The new 4door 2013 Fiat 500L - by Huw Evans

A new entry into the hotly contested multi-purpose vehicle market in Europe, the 500L is considerably bigger than its siblings, much in the same way the original, pioneering 1956 Fiat 600 Multipla was compared with the Seicento that spawned it.

As for Fiat’s latest compact MPV, it will go on sale in Europe this fall, powered by a choice of 1.4-liter regular and Twin Air four-cylinder engines, plus a 1.3-liter turbocharged MultiJet series II motor. As with most vehicles in the segment in Europe, the 500L will be available with both manual and automatic transaxles and possibly the semi-auto Dualogic found in other Fiat 500 models.

With the new Fiat 500 representing the first vehicle from the Italian automaker to arrive on North American shores since 1982 (1985 if you count the Pininfarina 124 Spider), there’s definitely a chance the L model will make it to the US also, though with US Fiat sales so far having fallen short of estimates, it might be a while before you see the L in North American showrooms.

For more: 2013 Fiat 500L, a Prettier Multipla but Still Ugly: 2012 Geneva Motor Show | AutoGuide.com News

The Netherlands: Geert Wilders please take note: There are far more Christian than Muslim migrants worldwide including Europe

Tom Heneghan at Reuters reported today that of the world's 214 million people who have moved from their home country to live in another, about 106 million (49 percent) are Christians while around 60 million (27 percent) are Muslims, the study by the Pew Forum on Religion and Public Life said.

Many experts think that, on the whole, economic opportunities - better jobs and higher wages - have been the single biggest driver of international migration," it said. 
The United States is the leading destination for Christian migrants, who account for 32 million (74 percent) of its 43 million-strong foreign-born population. Two-thirds of them are from Latin America. 

"Perhaps contrary to popular perception, ... Christian immigrants outnumber Muslim immigrants in the European Union as a whole," the report said, indirectly referring to far-right parties that have long campaigned against Muslim newcomers.

Of the 47 million migrants in the EU, 26 million (56 percent) are Christians, double the 13 million Muslim migrants, who make up only 27 percent of the total, it said.

This report should make interesting reading material for Dutch anti-Muslim parliamentarian Geert Wilders and his political friends around Europe?  

EU-Digest

Namibia: EU Engages Country On Trade

The European Union (EU) is Namibia's second commercial partner after South Africa and well ahead of countries such as China or the United States of America, the Head of EU Delegation in Namibia, Raul Fuentes, said.

Fuentes spoke at the opening of a one-day EU-Namibia Political Dialogue that was attended by Foreign Affairs Minister Utoni Nujoma, EU and other senior government officials.

"The EU is arguably the first development partner in Namibia, with EU and Members States aid amounting to 70 percent of aid channeled to Namibia since independence," he said.

According to Fuentes, the EU current development programme amounts to over euro 131 million (N$1.3 billion), which makes the EU the leading donor in education, water and sanitation.

"Deep historical and social ties underpin these relations," said the EU official

allAfrica.com: Namibia: EU Engages Country On Trade

KOSOVO: Normal traffic flow restored in northern Kosovo

After a several hour blockade of roads leading to Zubin Potok (northern Kosovo), the normal traffic flow has been restored around 4 p.m., after KFOR allowed vehicles to pass.

KFOR blocked the road Zvecan- Zubin Potok and Kosovska Mitrovica-Ribarice in the villages of Zupce and Jagnjenica for several hours, after Serbs stopped the convoy of EULEX vehicles.

The blockades resulted in long columns of vehicles heading for Zubin Potok from the direction of Zvecan and Kosovska Mitrovica.

For more: Normal traffic flow restored in northern Kosovo :: EMG :: Business news from Serbia 2010

China investment in Europe a 'win-win' situation - by Clifford Coonan

China remains confident in Europe and is willing to keep investing in the euro zone, foreign minister Yang Jiechi told a news conference yesterday during the annual meeting of China’s parliament, the National People’s Congress.

“The euro zone has encountered quite a lot of difficulties, but we believe Europe and the euro zone have the capability and wisdom to overcome the temporary difficulties, tackle the debt problems and achieve new development,” Mr Yang told a news conference during the legislative gathering.

Mr Yang’s upbeat comments reflect the positive view of ties with Europe since the visit to Ireland last month by vice-president Xi Jinping, heir-apparent to president Hu Jintao. The trip also included visits to Turkey and the United States.

“We have been supporting the stability of the euro and European finance in our own ways. We are willing to continue to invest in Europe for mutual benefits and win-win results,” he said.
The EU is China’s largest export market and it wants to ensure stability to help keep growth on track.

For more: China investment in Europe a 'win-win' situation - The Irish Times - Wed, Mar 07, 2012

Brazil overtakes Britain to become seventh-largest economy in the world - by Rob Cooper

Brazil's economy has overtaken Britain's for the first time to become the seventh largest in the world, figures have revealed.

But despite the Latin American powerhouse's dramatic rise UK taxpayers have been forking out millions of pounds in aid to support them.

Brazil's total output last year was worth euro 1.86 trillion - compared with euro 1.82 trillion in Britain, think-tank Cebr said.

For more: Britain's economy falls behind Brazil's to become just seventh-largest in the world | Mail Online

Eurovison Song Festival 2012: The 10 finalists first rehearsal on the stage in Globen

Today, Thursday, the Swedish finalists will rehearse on stage in the Globen arena for the first time.

Also tonight, the Russian national selection took place in the concert hall Academic, Moscow. 25 talented artists fought for the honour to represent Russia in the 2012 Eurovision Song Contest in Baku.

Buranovskiye Babushki won the hearts of the TV viewers and jurors with their song Party For Everybody! Thus, they scored the highest number of points and won the Russian national final.

For more: Eurovision

UK: Russia and China are paying ‘a diplomatic price’ in Arab world over stance on Syria

Russia and China are paying “a diplomatic price” across the Arab world for their opposition to international action against Syria’s ruling regime, Britain’s foreign secretary said Thursday.

As William Hague pressed the two nations to drop their objections, the presidents of Turkey and Tunisia also urged a diplomatic resolution to the Syrian government’s bloody crackdown and said they remain opposed to outside military intervention in the country.

China and Russia have vetoed two United Nations resolutions condemning the Syrian regime and calling for President Bashar Assad to step down. Diplomats hope the nations may agree to a new U.N. Security Council resolution focused on the need for humanitarian aid and an end to violence — but which does not address Assad’s future.

For more: UK: Russia and China are paying ‘a diplomatic price’ in Arab world over stance on Syria - The Washington Post

Anger over Sweden's 'secret' Saudi arms plant

Sweden has been secretly helping Saudi Arabia plan the construction of an arms factory to produce anti-tank missiles, the Swedish national broadcaster has reported.

The Swedish Defence Research Agency (known by its Swedish acronym FOI) has co-operated with Saudi Arabia since 2005, though construction on "Project Simoom" has yet to begin, Swedish Radio reported on Tuesday, citing hundreds of classified documents and interviews with key players.
Denying the existence of the project, Jan-Olof Lind, the FOI director general, told the radio station: "We do not have a project agreement with that country."

While Sweden has sold weapons to Saudi Arabia in the past, classified government documents show that the current project "pushes the boundaries of what is possible for a Swedish authority", the radio reported. Foreign Minister Carl Bildt, a member of the largest coalition party, the Moderates, told public radio that he supported continuing co-operation with Saudi Arabia.

Saudi Arabia is Sweden's largest trading partner in the Middle East.

For more: Anger over Sweden's 'secret' Saudi arms plant - Europe - Al Jazeera English

Iran: Khamenei Says Obama’s Iran Comments on Use of Diplomacy Are ‘Good Words’ - by Andrew J. Barden

Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei said President Barack Obama’s comments that there is room for diplomacy in the international community’s standoff with Iran are “good words.”

Obama said that there’s a “window of opportunity where this can still be resolved diplomatically.” Sanctions may also compel Iran to give up any effort to develop nuclear weapons, he told reporters at the White House yesterday.

The U.S. and the European Union have ratcheted up economic sanctions against Iran over concerns that the government in Tehran is pursuing atomic weapons. Iran says its nuclear program is for peaceful purposes.

Nuclear powers said they are ready for sustained talks with Iran and want the Persian Gulf nation to grant United Nations inspectors access to its secret Parchin military installation.

For more: Khamenei Says Obama’s Iran Comments on Use of Diplomacy Are ‘Good Words’ - Bloomberg

France: No Face Time for French Front-Runner - by Gabrielle Parussini and William Boston

French presidential front-runner François Hollande is taking the lead of a coalition of European left-leaning parties pushing for growth-boosting measures to revive the Continent's flagging economy and balance calls for austerity from conservative leaders, many of whom are refusing to meet him.

As Europe's center-right leaders close their doors to the French Socialist candidate amid fears he will want to scale back fiscal measures painfully agreed to in December, Mr. Hollande has traveled to Madrid, Brussels, Berlin, Rome and London in recent months, interweaving a thick network of alliances with the Continent's opposition leaders.

Some of them—including Pier Luigi Bersani, head of Italy's Partito Democratico, and Sigmar Gabriel, who leads Germany's main opposition Social Democrats—will join Mr. Hollande at a two-day seminar in Paris next week to voice their support for him and the need for propping up the economy, according to the Socialist Party schedule.

For more: No Face Time for French Front-Runner - WSJ.com

Health: Asthma likely to be a lifetime condition

Anyone with asthma has a high likelihood of having the chronic lung disease for life, a new Canadian study suggests.

The study of more than 613,394 people identified as having asthma in 1993, and tracked over 15 years, found that most were dealing with the lung problem most of the time, although that was interspersed with periods when the condition seemed to be in remission and they weren't getting medical help.

In fact, of the 613,394 individuals, 504,851 (82.3 per cent) had active asthma during the 15-year followup.

For more: Asthma likely to be a lifetime condition - Health - CBC News

Time for Ireland to play hardball in Europe - Ireland's referendum on the European Fiscal Stability Treaty

The big news here last week was that we are to have a referendum on the European Fiscal Stability Treaty. Which will be about as exciting as watching paint dry. I bet you're really looking forward to the debate, just like me.

Will the Irish people vote yes? Will they vote no? Will it make any difference?  We'll be torturing ourselves with this stuff for the next couple of months. So before it gets too impenetrable and soporific, here's your easy-to-follow guide to what it's all about.

Why does Europe need a new fiscal treaty anyway? Mainly it's to reassure the Germans that the money they are pouring into bailing out bankrupt Eurozone countries like Greece, Ireland, Italy, Portugal and Spain won't vanish down the plughole with nothing to show for it.  It's all about saving the Eurozone and the euro as a currency.

What does the treaty do?  It ties the states in the Eurozone to financial rectitude in the future. Gone will be the days when politicians held on to power by promising voters all kinds of goodies and then borrowing huge amounts to pay for them. Irish politicians wrote the book on this -- they've been at it for years.  Which is why we now have a massive welfare state here that we can't afford and a resulting massive budget deficit that has to be bridged by an EU-IMF bailout because no one else will lend to us.

For more: Time for Ireland to play hardball in Europe - Ireland's referendum on the European Fiscal Stability Treaty | Ireland Calling | IrishCentral

Turkey: Minister expects turnover of Turks in Europe as 90 bln by 2020

Turkey's European Union Minister and Chief Negotiator for accession talks Egemen Bagis said Tuesday that investments of Turks living in Europe was estimated to reach 90 billion euros by 2020 and their number would increase to 6.5 million.

"We are in the European Union already. Turnover of our investors in the EU has reached 50 billion euros with 5.5 millon Turks living in Europe. The figure is estimated to soar to 90 billion euros by 2020 and the number of Turks in Europe will increase to 6.5 million," Bagis told reporters in a dinner hosted in his honor in Genk, Belgium.

"EU has the highest per capita income today, that is why you live here," Bagis told Turks attending the dinner. "EU is a union of values and it is the biggest peace project of the humanity. And the accession of Turkey will strengthen that project to a global level. That is why we want to be an EU member," Bagis said.

For more: Minister expects turnover of Turks in Europe as 90 bln by 2020 | Diplomacy | World Bulletin

French, Cuban Businesspeople Meet, Explore Opportunities

 A large delegation from the Business Movement of France (MEDEF) attended a business forum in Havana with their Cuban counterparts to strengthen trade links and identify business opportunities.

The French delegation represents the sectors of tourism, construction, transport, energy and agriculture, sugar and others.

The meeting at the Havana-based Parque Central Hotel, was organized by the Ministry of Foreign Trade and Investment (MINCEX), the Chamber of Commerce of Cuba and MEDEF.

France is Cuba's fourth trade partner in Europe after Spain, Holland and Russia.

For more: French, Cuban Businesspeople Meet, Explore Opportunities

Cuba: Fort Lauderdale company denied license by US to run ferry to Cuba, plans to appeal - by Doreen Hemlock

Just two weeks after a Fort Lauderdale company publicly complained of government delays on its application for ferry service to Cuba, a U.S. Treasury agency has denied the request.

Officials at Havana Ferry Partners say they will appeal. Its executives see no reason why U.S. authorities allow planes to carry U.S. passengers to Cuba but not ferries. Current U.S. regulations allow both "aircraft and vessels" to serve Cuba as an exception to the U.S. embargo against the communist-led island.

The denial came from the Treasury's Office of Foreign Assets Control, which oversees the 50-year-old U.S. embargo against Cuba. Its Feb. 27 letter said ferry service to Cuba is "beyond the scope of current policy."

"We're not going away," said Leonard Moecklin Sr., Havana Ferry's managing partner.

Note EU-Digest: the 50 year old US embargo against Cuba is not only outdated but it has even hampered political change and Democracy in Cuba. Far more so than if an open free trade policy had been instituted between Cuba and the United States. Its high time to do away with this archaic embargo and let the free market system do its work.

For more: Fort Lauderdale company denied license to run ferry to Cuba, plans to appeal - South Florida Sun-Sentinel.com

"The Wall Street Casino": Oil slides to $106 on global growth concerns "but pump prices remain high" - by Alex Kennedy

Oil prices slid to near $106 a barrel Tuesday as concerns about global economic growth and crude demand outweighed the supply risks posed by the prolonged tensions over Iran’s nuclear program.
By early afternoon in Europe, benchmark oil for April delivery was down 69 cents to $106.03 in electronic trading on the New York Mercantile Exchange. The contract rose 2 cents to settle at $106.72 per barrel in New York on Monday.

In London, Brent crude was down 68 cents at $123.12 per barrel on the ICE Futures Exchange.
On Monday, China lowered its official growth target to 7.5 percent from 8 percent, cementing concerns that the Asian exporter — a bellwether for global economic activity — will see business slow down.

For more: Oil slides to $106 on global growth concerns - DailyHerald.com

Israel: Benjamin Netanyahu is bluffing about an imminent attack on Iran. - by Janine Zacharia

Israel is on the verge of bombing Iran. Discussions of whether Israel has the bunker-busting bombs or planes to destroy underground Iranian nuclear facilities, abound. Loose talk of when such a strike could take place frequently refers to a matter of months.

The head of Israel’s Mossad spy agency recently traveled to Washington to ask what the U.S. reaction would be if Israel disregarded American objections and started bombing.

The United States is so worried about a forthcoming Israeli attack that the chairman of the U.S. military’s Joint Chiefs of Staff went on CNN to say a military strike now would be “premature.”

There’s little doubt that Israel is making preparations for the possibility. But there’s also a better chance that Netanyahu is bluffing, hoping that all the media hype about an attack will somehow prod the United States and its allies to take stiffer action or perhaps scare Tehran into compliance with international demands. Netanyahu’s language remains tough. But unless the Israeli government is trying to keep the element of surprise — certainly a possibility—there isn’t much evidence that an attack is actually imminent.

Amid all of this, there is truly something farcical—and dangerous—about all the hyperbolic discussion over an Israeli strike. The Obama administration clearly feels spooked enough about the prospect that it sees the only surefire way to halt it is to preach against a strike publicly. Israel believes to be feared it needs to speak often and loudly about its readiness to bomb. But the trouble here is that Israel’s leaders have resorted to such talk so often that it is hard to know when they are serious. If they are indeed on the verge of war, portions of the Iranian government probably see it as more bluster. Or worse, if they take it on its face, it may have the inadvertent effect of provoking a war that never had to happen.

For more: Benjamin Netanyahu is bluffing about an imminent attack on Iran. - Slate Magazine

US Republican Primaries - Analysis: Romney fails to deliver knockout blow on Super Tuesday - by Paul West

After contests in 22 states, Mitt Romney is still the favorite to become the Republican presidential nominee. He's got the money. He's got the machine. And increasingly, and most importantly, he's got the delegates.

But despite a good showing on Super Tuesday, he hasn't put the race away by any means. And he's unlikely to do that anytime soon. By some authoritative estimates, he can't secure a mathematical lock on the nomination until sometime in May, at the earliest.

More worrying for Romney, and a Republican establishment that desperately wants the race over with, is how the campaign will play out over the next month or two.

For more: Analysis: Romney fails to deliver knockout blow on Super Tuesday - latimes.com

Obama shuns talk of war with Iran as U.S., Europe set new meetings in nuclear dispute - by Ali Akbar Dareini, Anne Gearan and Bradley Klapper

Alarmed by rising talk of war, the United States, Europe and other world powers announced Tuesday that bargaining will begin again with Iran over its fiercely disputed nuclear efforts. Tehran, for its part, invited inspectors to see a site suspected of secret atomic weapons work.

In Washington, U.S. President Barack Obama declared he had been working to avert war with Iran during intensive meetings with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu this week. Israel, fearing the prospect of a nuclear Iran, has been stressing a need for possible military action, but Obama said sanctions and diplomacy already were working.

The president rebuffed Republican critics, who say his reluctance to attack Iran is a sign of weakness, holding up the spectre of more dead Americans in another Middle East war.

“When I see the casualness with which some of these folks talk about war, I’m reminded of the costs involved in war,” Obama said. “This is not a game. And there’s nothing casual about it.

For more: World News: Obama shuns talk of war with Iran as U.S., Europe set new meetings in nuclear dispute - thestar.com

US Super Tuesday Presidential Primaries - Romney and Santorum Neck and Neck

As the general election approaches, the practical goal of beating Mr. Obama appears to be trumping the ideological goal of electing a true conservative.

Back in January, when caucus-goers in Iowa were asked which one of a short list of candidate qualities mattered most in their voting decisions, 31 percent said that being able to defeat Mr. Obama mattered most, followed by 25 percent who wanted a true conservative.

Since then, the importance of the practical goal has increased, with 4 in 10 respondents in Massachusetts, Ohio, Georgia and Tennessee saying that defeating Mr. Obama was their priority, while the goal of ideological purity has declined in perceived importance.

For more: Super Tuesday Results - Live Results - Election 2012 - NYTimes.com

Europe Has One Trillion Reasons to Keep Greece in the Euro Zone - by Matthew O'Brien

Here's how the IIF breaks down the costs of a disorderly default: $498 billion to stabilize Portugal and Ireland, $459 billion to do the same for Spain and Italy, a $232 billion capital hit to the ECB, $209 billion to recapitalize European banks, and $96 billion in losses for Greek bondholders. The below chart breaks down how these figures fit into the overall picture.

Clearly, the bulk of the costs would come from containing financial contagion in the rest of Europe's periphery. If Greece unexpectedly withdraws from the euro, investors will justifiably wonder if Portugal and Ireland or Spain and Italy are next, and likely dump those bonds. Overwhelming financial force -- i.e., gobs and gobs of money -- would be necessary to end the panic. The IIF price tag for such overwhelming financial force is even larger than TARP.

Europe Has One Trillion Reasons to Keep Greece in the Euro Zone - Matthew O'Brien - Business - The Atlantic

Iran: Dr. Doom expects Israel - Iran clash and recommends to buy precious metals

Political risk in the Middle East has increased significantly with war between Iran and Israel almost inevitable, and precious metals and equities investments offer some safety, Swiss money manager and long-term bear Marc Faber said on Tuesday.

“Political risk was high six months ago and is higher now. I think sooner or later, the U.S. or Israel will strike Iran – it’s almost inevitable,” Faber, who publishes the widely read Gloom Boom and Doom Report, told Reuters on the sidelines of an investment conference.

Brent crude traded near $123 per barrel in volatile trade on Tuesday on fears of a disruption in Iranian supplies. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu showed no signs of backing away from possible military action against Iran following a Monday meeting with U.S. President Barack Obama.

For more: Business Newswires : euronews : the latest international news as video on demand

EU's Ashton accepts Iranian offer of nuclear talks

European Union foreign policy chief Catherine Ashton wrote to Iran's chief nuclear negotiator Tuesday, accepting an offer to meet to discuss Tehran's nuclear program.

Ashton represents six powers - the United States, Russia, China, France, Britain and Germany - in dealings with Iran, and her offer of talks came after weeks of consultations with them.

It follows the expansion of sanctions by Europe and the United States to exert economic pressure and force Tehran to hold back on its nuclear program, which they fear aims to produce atomic weapons. Iran says it is enriching uranium for peaceful purposes only.

For more: EU's Ashton accepts Iranian offer of nuclear talks | Reuters

For Egypt’s women, equality will take a second revolution - by Patrick Martin

A year ago, on International Women’s Day, a few hundred Egyptian women paraded through Cairo’s Tahrir Square only to be booed, spat on and jostled by several dozen men. “Go home and look after the children,” some taunted them, mocking their presence in the iconic heart of Egypt’s popular uprising.

How quickly the tables had turned for them.

The incident occurred less than a month after Hosni Mubarak, the country’s ruler for almost 30 years, had been ousted from power, a seismic moment that owed as much to the passion and action of Egypt’s women as to its men.

For more: Egypt’s women, equality will take a second revolution - The Globe and Mail

Automobile Industry: Austerity brings smaller cars to Geneva auto show

After years marked by environmental concerns, then the economic downturn and now European austerity measures, car manufacturers have honed their products to cater to cost-conscious buyers.

And it's not just compacts and SUVs that are getting smaller. Even premium automakers are downsizing.
At the Geneva Motor Show, which opens to the media on Tuesday, Audi will unveil a new A3, Mercedes-Benz its rejuvenated A-Class, and Volvo its V40.

GM's European unit Opel received a boost on Monday, when its Ampera, an electric car with an extended range of 500 kilometers (300 miles), was named European Car of the Year by automotive journalists from 23 countries on the eve of the motor show.

For more: The Associated Press: Austerity brings smaller cars to Geneva auto show

The Netherlands: Dutch treats, spicy and sweet

There is more to this capital cityof Amsterdam  than potatoes and Gouda. Much of the best food here arrived via former Dutch colonies in Suriname, the Antilles, and Indonesia (as in rijsttafel, the multicourse feast). But really good Dutch food is sold on the street, too, everything from barely pickled herrings to the dreamiest sweet waffle sandwiches you can imagine.

You’ll find them at the popular Albert Cuypmarkt and lesser-known Dappermarkt. Eating your way through these open-air markets is worth the risk of getting rained on. Albert Cuypmarkt, located in the neighborhood known as De Pijp (pronounced “pipe’’), has been humming along the same half-mile or so stretch of Albert Cuypstraat since the early 20th century. The market and street are named for Aelbert Cuyp, the 17th-century artist. Albert Cuypmarkt sees a lot of tourists, and Dappermarkt feels more like it caters to locals.

Cuypmarkt isn’t just food stalls. You can find anything from vintage clothing to old Dutch comics among the bustle. One thing that stands out is the purple Bob’s Vlaamse Frituur truck, which sells addictive Flemish-style French fries. Locals top a small cone of fries with rich oorlog sauce (literally, war sauce), which is half mayonnaise and half spicy peanut sauce. You could also just get ketchup.

For more: Dutch treats, spicy and sweet - Boston.com

Netanyahu tells Obama: Israel must have right to remain 'master of its fate' - by Chris McGreal

Binyamin Netanyahu, the Israeli prime minister, has responded to Barack Obama's call for an end to "loose talk of war" and bluster over Iran by reiterating Israel's "right to defend itself".

At the start of what appeared to be an uneasy meeting at the White House – at which Obama was expected to press the Israeli leader to stall any military action against Iran until sanctions have had an opportunity to persuade Tehran to open up its nuclear program– Netanyahu did not waver from his insistence that he will decide whether to attack.

"When it comes to Israel's security, Israel has the sovereign right to make its own decisions. I believe that's why you appreciate, Mr President, that Israel must reserve the right to defend itself," he said.

Note EU-Digest: Obviously Israel has the sovereign right to make its own decisions, but it does not have the right to force the US and other countries into battle with Iran as a consequence of that sovereign right.

For more: Netanyahu tells Obama: Israel must have right to remain 'master of its fate' | World news | guardian.co.uk

Results EU-Digest monthly poll: " Do you believe Iran presents a threat to the Middle East?

The results to the question in the February EU-Digest poll which closed today - Do you believe Iran presents a threat to the Middle East? were: 

59% do not believe so
41% believe they do

Votes in  our polls come from EU-Digest readers around the world.

Vote in our new March poll:  Should Turkey be a member of the EU

EU-Digest

Is Geert Wilders talking nonsense again when he says Netherlands should exit Euro" ?

Obviously Wilders is talking nonsense to further his own cause. If the Netherlands went out of the euro all it would do is make the banks richer while exchanging guilders for euro's or other currencies, make the Netherlands less competitive, cut off some of the Netherland's lucrative trade with European partners, increase the risk of inflation, and cut off some, if not all EU subsidies.

“The Netherlands can exit the euro, but you have to be honest, it’ll cost money,” Wilders told reporters in The Hague today, citing the findings of a report by London-based Lombard Street Research commissioned by his party.

Wilders, whose lawmakers support the minority coalition of Liberal Prime Minister Mark Rutte on most subjects, said a referendum is needed on whether the Netherlands should stay in the euro area. The ruling Liberals and Christian Democrats rely on the opposition Labor Party to back their European policy as self centered Wilders opposes further financial aid to debt-ridden euro countries.

“The importance of the euro zone can’t be underestimated and one shouldn’t make the calculations in the first five or 10 years,” European Union President Herman Van Rompuy said in an interview with Dutch television program Buitenhof yesterday, before the report was published. “I haven’t seen this study, but I assume that you can always find a research institute to prove what you want to be proven.”

Some of Rutte's coalition including CDA party members are suggesting that Mark Rutte should reshuffel his coalition government by bringing in one or two more moderate opposition parties and get rid of Geert Wilders and his PVV as  "pesty" supporter of his cabinet.

EU-Digest

European Union eyes quotas for women on company boards - by Gabriela Steinhauser

The European Union is moving closer to introducing mandatory quotas for the number of women on company boards after businesses failed to make sufficient progress in gender equality over the past year.

The EU’s Justice Commissioner, Viviane Reding, said Monday that at the current rate it would take more than 40 years for women to hold 40 percent of board positions in Europe’s publicly traded companies.

“One year ago, I asked companies to voluntarily increase women’s presence on corporate boards,” Reding said. “However, I regret to see that despite our calls, self-regulation so far has not brought about satisfactory results.”

The European Commission, the EU’s executive arm, said that over the past 12 months only 24 companies had signed a pledge to ensure that 30 percent of their board positions are held by women by 2015. By 2020, that figure should increase to 40 percent.

For more: European Union eyes quotas for women on company boards | The Salt Lake Tribune

Russia: Putin Wins Russia Presidential Elections, Opponents Allege Fraud

Vladimir Putin won a resounding victory in Russia's presidential election on Sunday, exit polls showed, securing a new six-year term in the Kremlin and a mandate to deal with opposition protests after a vote that opponents said was marred by fraud.

Two television exit polls, released after voting ended at 1700 GMT, forecast the prime minister would win 59.3 and 58.3 percent of the votes, easily enough to make a runoff against the second-placed candidate unnecessary.

His nearest rival, Communist Party leader Gennady Zyuganov, fell short of 20 percent in both exit polls. Zyuganov said his party would not recognise the official results of the election, calling it "illegitimate, dishonest and untransparent."

Note EU-Digest: The victory of Vladimir Putin in the Russian election is a reflection of his leadership qualities in bringing Russia back from the brink of disaster after the break-up of the Soviet Union .

For more: Putin Wins Russia President Elections, Opponents Allege Fraud

Thank Wall Street for rising gas prices - by Robert Reich

Nothing drives voter sentiment like the price of gas – already up nearly 30 cents from the start of the year and hitting $4 in many places. The last time gas topped $4 was 2008.

And nothing energizes Republicans like rising energy prices. House Speaker John Boehner is telling Republicans to take advantage of voters’ looming anger over rising prices at the pump. House Republicans have passed a bill to expand offshore drilling and pressure the White House into issuing a permit for the Keystone XL pipeline. The tumult has already prompted the Interior Department to announce expanded oil exploration in the Arctic.

But the current surge in gas prices has almost nothing to do with energy policy. It doesn’t even have much to do with global supply and demand. It has most to do with America’s continuing failure to adequately regulate Wall Street. In other words, a relatively few players with very deep pockets are placing huge bets on oil — and you’re paying.

For more: Reich: Thank Wall Street for rising gas prices - Dedham, Massachusetts - The Dedham Transcript

Israeli Poll: Netanyahu Iran plans not supported in Israel on the eve before meeting Obama

On the eve of a critical set of meetings this week between top U.S. and Israeli officials, a new survey finds little backing among the Israeli public for a military strike against Iranian nuclear facilities by Israel without Washington’s approval. According to the poll, released at a briefing at the Brookings Institution Wednesday, only about one in five Israelis (19%) favor a unilateral strike without U.S. support.

The poll, which also found that more than two-thirds of respondents (68%) believe that such an attack will provoke retaliation by Lebanon’s Hezbollah, is likely to bolster those in the administration of President Barack Obama who hope to persuade Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu when the two men meet next week to shelve any plans his security cabinet may have for carrying out such an attack this year.

Netanyahu will be to speak before the annual convention of the powerful American Israel Public Affairs Committee (AIPAC), which has been the main domestic lobbying force pushing for a hawkish policy and congressional passage of a series of ever-tougher sanctions against Iran. Thus, AIPAC, presumably with Netanyahu’s encouragement and support, is lobbying for a pending Senate resolution that would take the “containment” option from the table and declare that it is a “vital national interest” of the U.S. to prevent Iran from acquiring a “nuclear weapons capability.”

Two other co-sponsors, John McCain and Lindsey Graham, met with Netanyahu in Israel last week, while three of the four remaining Republican presidential candidates are expected to endorse it when they address AIPAC next week. The resolution so far has 37 co-sponsors, roughly equally divided between Republicans and Democrats, in the 100-seat Senate, but AIPAC is expected to make an all-out push for passage when its 10,000 activists arrive in Washington this weekend.

In this context, the latest poll should strengthen Obama’s hand. In addition to the lack of support in Israel for a unilateral strike that isn’t approved by Washington, it also found that a large majority of Israelis — and especially Israeli Jews — believe that Hezbollah, which is believed to have tens of thousands of rockets targeted on Israel, would join Iran in retaliating against any attack on Tehran.


EU-Digest

US Presidential Elections: US Jews allied with Democrats for decades are now coveted by Republicans

The Fort Lauderdale Sun Sentinel reports: "The decades-long allegiance of Jewish voters to the Democratic Party is under unprecedented stress, threatened by a combination of changing demographics and the concerted Republican effort to depict President Barack Obama as unfriendly to Israel.Nowhere are the stakes higher than South Florida, home to 490,000 Jews who make up a voting bloc powerful enough to influence national elections. Though a small percentage of the overall population, Jews vote at a higher rate than virtually every other slice of the electorate.

More than three-quarters of Jewish voters went for Obama in 2008. If Republicans are even moderately successful in eroding that support and Democrats can't stanch the leakage, it could help push the state's 29 electoral votes – more than 10 percent of the 270 needed to win the presidency – away from Obama and into the Republican column this year.

Seeking to inoculate the president from Republican attacks, the Democratic Party distributed an Internet video last week that included a clip of Netanyahu praising Obama's commitment to Israel's security, a key concern for many American Jews in light of Iran's ongoing nuclear program.

In Florida and beyond, U.S. Rep. Debbie Wasserman Schultz, D-Weston, has been visiting Jewish communities, penning articles in Jewish publications and taking to Twitter to diffuse Republican claims that the president, as the Republican catchphrase goes, has "thrown Israel under the bus." As chairwoman of the Democratic National Committee, the 45-year-old Jewish South Floridian is one of Obama's top emissaries to the Jewish community.

The Pew Research Center reported that 65 percent of American Jews identified themselves as Democrats or said they leaned toward the Democratic Party in 2011. Republicans got 29 percent."

EU-Digest

Energy Prices: Plateau Oil meets 125m Chinese cars - by Ambrose Evans-Pritchard

Oil is not supposed to ratchet defiantly upwards in a downturn, which is what we have with the Euro zone facing a year of contraction in 2012, and much of the Latin bloc sliding into full depression. Japan‘s economy shrank in the fourth quarter.

Asia’s emerging powers of Asia - the key force driving the commodity boom of the last decade - are in various stages of “soft-landings” after hitting the monetary brakes last year to check property bubbles and curb inflation. China’s manufacturing has been bouncing along near contraction levels through the winter. So what happens when it recovers?

The issue is not whether Iran has the military kit to close the Straits of Hormuz and cut off 18pc of global oil shipments for more than a few days (probably not), but whether an Israeli/US attack on the regime’s nuclear facilities would later set off an uncontrollable chain of events in the Middle East.

The West has the disquieting experience of watching crude soar even as we languish in stagnation. This never used to happen. If we faltered, energy costs would fall too, acting as a stabilizer. This harsh new reality is going to become uncomfortable when the emerging world enters a new cycle of growth, leaving us behind. Rising utility costs have already raised the numbers of householdsfrom Britain in poverty from a fifth to a quarter.


For more: Plateau Oil meets 125m Chinese cars - Telegraph

Russian Presidential Elections: Russian Patriarch Votes For 'Stability'

The head of Russia's Orthodox Church said he was hoping for a continuation of the country's "peaceful development" as he cast his vote in presidential elections today.

“Let Our Fatherland continue its peaceful, calm, purposeful and consistent development both in the spiritual and material fields as a result of the elections,” Patriarch Kirill of Moscow and All Russia said.

Kirill voted from his working residence in Chisty Pereulok in Moscow, where he also voted last December during Russia’s disputed parliamentary elections.

For more: Russian Patriarch Votes For 'Stability' | Russia | RIA Novosti

North Africa: Morocco braces for lower crops

Morocco will have to import more cereals and raw sugar as drought and an unusually long cold spell have curbed crop cultivation, the head of the agriculture industry said on Friday. 

The shortage comes at a sensitive time for the North African country's $100-billion economy, which relies for 14 percent of its output on agriculture. Ahmed Ouayach, who heads the Moroccan Confederation of Agriculture, said rain shortage this year meant Morocco would import more cereals and raw sugar than in the previous year. 

Agriculture employs 40 percent of the 11-million workforce in Morocco, one of the world's biggest cereal importers, which relies heavily on rain due mostly to the predominance of subsistence and rudimentary farming. 

For more: Morocco braces for lower crops - International | IOL Business | IOL.co.za

Syria: One Woman’s Proposal to Halt the Violence there - by Azmat Khan

As more bodies pile up in Syria’s besieged protest hubs, the international community has failed to find a solution to end the violence the U.N. estimates has killed more than 7,500 Syrians since an anti-government uprising broke out almost a year ago.

Over the past few months, one woman has driven the debate over whether and how the international community should intervene in the Syrian crisis. Former State Department Director of Policy Planning Dr. Anne-Marie Slaughter, in writing and in media appearances, has offered one of the clearest outlines for a possible foreign intervention in Syria.

"The first thing to say is the international community should support the Arab League and Turkey in assisting the Free Syrian Army [a loosely organized rebel force made up of disparate groups, including Syrian Army defectors] to create as many safe zones as possible alongside Syria’s borders, and defend them before the Syrian Army tries to overrun them."

For more: One Woman’s Proposal to Halt the Violence in Syria | Syria Undercover | FRONTLINE | PBS

Russians are stuck in the ‘middle-income trap' - but Putin will win the Russian presidential election tomorrow - By Doug Saunders

Vladimir Putin will win the Russian presidential election on Sunday. That is one of the safer predictions I could make. He has guaranteed that outcome not just by crushing the opposition and gagging the media, but also by doing things that should make people happy.

He has increased pension payments by 9.4 per cent, boosted welfare payments, cut the cost of housing by 30 per cent, paid to freeze utility bills and gasoline prices, given big raises to university professors, doubled the wages of soldiers, more than doubled the salaries of police officers.

So people will vote for him. But, unlike the last time he won an election, they are far from pleased with him, or with their lot in life. The protests that followed December’s Duma elections were only a small indicator: Polls show that 70 per cent of Russians are either utterly indifferent or completely antipathetic to the leader they once adored. To maintain their affections – or at least keep them from staging a complete revolt – he has had to buy off their insecurities with great tranches of petroleum money. According to Citibank, his new spending commitments will be affordable only if oil rises to $150 a barrel.

For more: Russians are stuck in the ‘middle-income trap’ - The Globe and Mail

US Republican Primaries: Making the United States More Like Greece - by Simon Johnson

One of the big problems in Greece over the past decade or so is that the government was not honest with its data. Various people assisted in the matter -- including Goldman Sachs with respect to some debt issues -- but ultimately this was a political decision at the highest level. The people running the country decided to conceal the true nature of their budget and their debt. This deception ended up costing the country dearly -- completely undermining its credibility under pressure and making it much harder to turn the fiscal and economic situation around.

Republicans want to cut taxes - there is no secret about that. All four remaining presidential candidates have fiscal proposals with major tax cutting elements. The problem for them and for their congressional colleagues is that we have an honest broker in the fiscal arena -- the nonpartisan Congressional Budget Office (CBO) -- that "scores" fiscal proposals according to their likely impact. (The CBO scores official proposals; it does not score candidates - but its approach to scoring is influential and largely followed by others, such as the Committee for a Responsible Federal Budget, CRFB.)

In the modern United States, cutting taxes leads to lower revenue and larger budget deficits. There are no two ways about this -- as Ronald Reagan discovered in the early 1980s.

For more: Simon Johnson: Fiscal Affairs: Making the United States More Like Greece

The Netherlands: There's a gaping hole in the Mark Rutte national budget

Very bad news for the Netherlands Government of Mark Rutte and his PVV ( Geert Wilders) supporters - there's a gaping hole in the budget and how Rutte will fix it remains a mystery.

€ 9,000,000,000 or €15,000,000,000? the NRC newspaper heads an analysis of macro economic advisory agency CPB’s gloomy budgetary forecast. The government will have to find €9b if the Netherlands is going to conform to the 3 percent budget deficit rule imposed by Brussels. The paper writes that the amount may well climb to €15b because of the costs involved in cutting back.

This may well spell trouble for the Rutte cabinet, writes the paper. The prime minister needs political space in order to keep Wilders on his side. And so the Netherlands, instead of demanding that other European countries to watch their budgets, will have to go to Brussels themselves to beg, cap in hand: ‘Please help us, just this once, we are  not able to meet the new European rules?’

A €15b cutback would mean more expensive health care, a zero increase of civil servants salaries and benefits and that still wouldn’t cover it, the NRC writes.

EU-Digest

Spain warns it will miss 2012 deficit target

Spain's prime minister said Friday that his recession-ridden country will miss its deficit goal for this year, risking sanctions from the European Union.

The announcement came as the government reported more grim economic news: a big rise in claims for jobless benefits last month and a new forecast that Spanish economic output will fall 1.7 percent this year, worse than the 1 percent forecast recently by the EU and the 1.5 percent predicted just weeks ago the Bank of Spain.

Unemployment now at 22.9 percent will hit an average 24.3 percent this year, the government said.

For more: Spain warns it will miss 2012 deficit target

Oil Price Europe: Oil falls below $108 in Europe after Saudis deny pipeline explosion report

Oil prices retreated to below $108 a barrel Friday after Saudi Arabia denied an Iranian media report of a Saudi pipeline explosion.

By early afternoon in Europe, benchmark oil for April delivery was down 98 cents to $107.86 in electronic trading on the New York Mercantile Exchange. The contract rose $1.77 to $108.84 per barrel in New York on Thursday.

For more: Oil falls below $108 in Europe after Saudis deny pipeline explosion report - The Washington Post

EU Heads Call For End To Israeli Blockade Of Gaza

European Union (EU) Heads of Mission in Jerusalem and Ramallah on Wednesday called on Israel to end its blockade imposed on the Gaza Strip since 2006 and allow free movement of goods and people to and from Gaza.

In a statement issued following their first joint visit to Gaza this year, the EU Heads of Mission called for "further efforts and complementary measures to achieve a fundamental change of Israeli policy that allows for the reconstruction and economic recovery of Gaza including through the resumption of exports."

"The EU reiterates again its calls for an immediate, sustained and unconditional opening of crossings for the flow of humanitarian aid, commercial goods and persons to and from Gaza," said the statement. Denmark, Belgium and Sweden signed a lease agreement for a joint EU consular office in Gaza.

For more: BERNAMA - EU Heads Call For End To Blockade On Gaza

IRAN: Yet Another War for Israel? - by William A. Cook

Being Israel’s “only friend” has made the U.S. a pariah among nations in the world and made its touted “Democratic freedoms” a laughing stock as the other nations in the UN watch America “support” the Zionists’ agenda to attack Iraq and Lebanon and Gaza, abort international law as it, like Israel, commits extrajudicial executions in foreign states, equips Israel when it invades its neighbors to the north and attacks peace activists aboard vessels from peaceful nations including Turkey, and, ironically sits silently by as Israel dismantles what little of a democracy existed in that nation by creating new laws that deny full citizenship to anyone not a Jew.

Thus have we become a nation supportive of a militaristic Theocracy while we continue to mouth the principle of separation of church and state, a principle founded on tolerance, concealing the truth that there are more than 20 great religions with well over a billion people who accept no religion (Adherents.com) all of whom deserve recognition and, as necessary, support from America.

Clearly Israel’s needs are not America’s needs if we mean by that more war in the mid-east. Have we pulled our troops from Iraq just to move them into Iran? Does any sensible person believe that the Iranians have a “need” or desire to attack the people of the United States? Our forces completely surround Iran. We are the nation with atomic weaponry, not Iran. What possible good would Iran achieve by having a nuclear weapon? Hasn’t Iran signed the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Agreement while Israel, who damns Iran for its nuclear “ambitions,” has an arsenal of nuclear bombs and has refused to sign the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Agreement. Which of these nations is to be feared? Iran has never attacked a neighbor; Israel attacks and occupies its neighbors at will.

For more: Yet Another War for Israel? » Counterpunch: Tells the Facts, Names the Names

Europe signs fiscal pact, hails Greek progress

European leaders on Friday signed a new fiscal pact aimed at strengthening budget rules across the euro zone, hailed progress by Greece toward finally receiving its second bailout and signaled a willingness to speed up the funding of the euro zone’s permanent bailout fund.

As expected, the leaders made no commitment to boosting the size of the euro zone’s firewall, but did agree to speed payments of capital into the region’s permanent rescue fund, the 500 billion euro European Stability Mechanism. The ESM will replace the temporary European Financial Stability Facility at midyear. 

“As expected, the latest EU summit proved to be a non-event, and was characterized by a rare show of harmony. With the more difficult discussions centered on foreign policy issues, such as Syria, there was little to set the pulse racing on the economic policy front,” wrote strategists at Daiwa Capital Markets. 

For more: Europe signs fiscal pact, hails Greek progress - MarketWatch

European Soccer: US soccer team defeats Italy for first time - by Daniella Matare

The United States beat Italy for the first time in 11 games over 78 years, a 1-0 victory in an exhibition Wednesday night on Clint Dempsey’s goal in the 55th minute.

Dempsey took a short pass from Jozy Altidore following Michael Bradley’s cross and put a right-footed shot from just inside the penalty area just past an outstretched hand of goalkeeper Gianluigi Buffon. It was his 25th goal in 83 international appearances.

A native of Nacogdoches, Texas, who turns 29 on March 9, Dempsey has had the most accomplished season by a U.S. attacking player in European soccer. He’s scored 16 goals this season for Fulham, becoming the American career scoring leader in England’s Premier League with 43 goals.

For more: US soccer defeats Italy for first time - Peoria, IL - pjstar.com

Sarkozy: Europe Is Turning Page On Financial Crisis - by Gabriele Parussini

-French President Nicolas Sarkozy struck an upbeat tone Friday, saying the euro zone had found the path out of the financial crisis. Earlier Friday, 25 of the European Union's 27 leaders signed the region's new fiscal pact, which imposes stricter rules on deficits and debts.

"We're turning the page on the financial crisis," Sarkozy told a press conference after an EU summit in Brussels. "The strategy we've implemented is bearing fruit." Still, the fiscal accord will need to be complemented by measures to boost growth, Sarkozy added.

"The solution can't only be in budgetary discipline," he said. "It must be found in economic growth and [by] boosting competitiveness."

For more: UPDATE: Sarkozy: Europe Is Turning Page On Financial Crisis - WSJ.com

Syria Reported to Take Homs on Rebels’ Retreat as Russia Backs UN Stance - by Nicole Gaouette

Syrian rebel fighters retreated from the city of Homs as government troops overran the center of anti-regime resistance after almost a month of artillery bombardment, according to reports by the Washington Post.

The Syrian military offensive came as the International Committee of the Red Cross announced that Syria had given it permission to enter Homs, under its 27th day of bombardment, to deliver supplies and evacuate the wounded. Troops were moving through the city’s Bab Amr neighborhood detaining all males older than 15, according to opposition activists cited by the Post.

Hours earlier, the United Nations Security Council issued its first unified statement on Syria in seven months, demanding that President Bashar al-Assad allow access for humanitarian aid. The Security Council statement was backed by Russia, possibly signaling a shift from its steady defense of Assad.
President Vladimir Putin told a British newspaper his country has no special relationship with Assad and Syrians should decide who leads them. Russia yesterday also backed a Security Council statement deploring “the rapidly deteriorating humanitarian situation.” The non-binding measure avoided citing the Syrian regime as responsible for the “growing number of affected civilians.”

For more: Syria Reported to Take Homs on Rebels’ Retreat as Russia Backs UN Stance - Bloomberg

US Presidential elections: Model predicts Obama win in 2012 - Craig Patrick

We have a new prediction in the Presidential race. The Moody's election model predicts Republicans will win Florida, but not the White House.

The model is based on economic forecasts in each state , and would have correctly predicted the winner of the past seven elections. This year, Moody's election model predicts President Obama will lose the state of Florida, but win re-election.

Analysts have repeatedly said Republicans cannot win the Presidential election without winning Florida. But Democratic strategists say the president can lose Florida and still get the 270 electoral votes he needs.

"We can't just have a Florida strategy, but Florida is the easiest way to 270 electoral votes," said Obama campaign manager Jim Messina.

For more: Model predicts Obama win in 2012

The Netherlands: Tables turned on Mark Rutte: Dutch under EU pressure to cut budget

The tables turned on the Netherlands on Thursday as the nation, first in line to scold deficit sinners such as Greece, was told by EU authorities to clean up its own financial situation.

Dutch Prime Minister Mark Rutte, who has led a hardline movement to bring Athens to implement harsh savings in exchange for a financial bailout, vowed to reduce his country's own budget shortfall as he arrived in Brussels for a two-day European Union summit.

"We trust that the Netherlands will do the necessary to comply," said the spokesman for EU economic affairs commissioner Olli Rehn.

Rutte declared that his government would undertake budget cuts because it was important to do so, "not because Rehn wants it."

Note EU-Digest: Dutch PM Rutte's main problem is his coalition's entanglement with the PVV of Geert Wilders, who is more interested in being a populist and pushing for his party's nonsensical pet projects.

For more: Tables turned: Dutch under EU pressure to cut budget - FRANCE 24

Serbia moves closer to EU status - by Justyna Pawlak and Sebastian Moffett

The European Union gave Serbia the status of candidate for membership on Thursday in an attempt to promote better government in the western Balkans as the region struggles to emerge from the wars of the 1990s.

EU leaders took the decision at a summit in Brussels, launching a potentially lengthy process to bring the former Yugoslav republic into the bloc. It marks a turnaround for Serbia, once seen as the pariah of Balkans for its central role in wars that followed the collapse of Yugoslavia under the leadership of Slobodan Milosevic.

For more: Serbia moves closer to EU status - World News | IOL News | IOL.co.za

Europe Stocks Rise As Borrowing Costs Fall

European shares closed higher on Thursday, boosted by euro zone banks as newly available cheap cash from the European Central Bank helped some sovereign bond yields fall and further allayed default risks among corporates.

Euro zone banks rose 2.6% after France's and Spain's borrowing costs fell at auctions on Thursday and yields on Italian notes dropped on the secondary market.

Italian banks, which own the lion's share of the country's debt, led gainers, with Banco Popolare rising 10.5% and UniCredit up 5.8%, helping Milan's FTSE MIB index outpace its peers to close 2.9% higher. Italian lenders took a quarter of all the money available at the ECB


For more: Europe Stocks Rise As Borrowing Costs Fall - Investors.com

Internet Sex: Sites catering to 'discreet' encounters, cheating are thriving

Husbands and wives take note: If Valentine's Day expectations aren't met, your mate might soon be looking elsewhere for a little romance and appreciation.
That may sound like a cautionary tale, but for Noel Biderman and others who have founded dating websites for married people, it's a lucrative business.

"The day after Valentine's Day is one of our biggest days of the year," says Biderman, founder and CEO of Ashley Madison, a 10-year-old site that unapologetically caters to "discreet" encounters for the married or otherwise attached. "People are disappointed by their spouses' lack of effort, and they feel especially undervalued when there is a societal expectation of romance. Certain days of the year act as litmus tests for many people in relationships."

Websites designed to facilitate cheating appear to be thriving; some earn tens of millions of dollars a year, and competition is growing. In addition to Toronto-based Ashley Madison, there's a growing crop of copycats that equate affairs with romance, passion and adventure. Whether these sites promote cheating or just facilitate it is up for debate. Some of the sites are also based in Europe and increasingly have become international, with their eye on the USA.

"American people are really hypocrites about infidelity," says Teddy Truchot, co-founder of Gleeden, which launched in Europe in 2009, moved into Australia and entered the U.S. market last fall. Its headquarters are in New York, and it plans to start an ad campaign here March 1. "Everything from the U.S. which comes to Europe is about infidelity," says Truchot, 29, who moved to Los Angeles two years ago from Paris. "You see cheating all over TV and in real life. … Everyone is cheating here.

For more: Sites like Ashley Madison cater to 'discreet' encounters, cheating - USATODAY.com

Internet: How Three Germans Are Cloning the Web - Caroline Winter

Bamarang is the creation of Oliver, Marc, and Alexander Samwer, a trio of German brothers who have a wildly successful business model: Find a promising Internet business, in the U.S., and clone it internationally. Since starting their first dot-clone in 1999, a German version of EBay (EBAY), they’ve duplicated Airbnb, eHarmony, Pinterest, and other high-profile businesses. In total, they’ve launched more than 100 companies. Their Zappos (AMZN) clone, Zalando, now dominates six European markets and is estimated to be worth euro 751 million (US $1 billion) by Financial Times Deutschland. Through their venture capital firm, the European Founders Fund, they also invested in European knockoffs of Facebook and YouTube (GOOG), which sold for euro 84 million (US $112 million) and euro 27 million (US$36 million), respectively.

For more: How Three Germans Are Cloning the Web - Businessweek

Computer Industry: Tiny British inexpensive euro 27 Raspberry Pi computer becomes instant hit

A tiny British euro 27 (US $35) Raspberry Pi computer went on sale yesterday and just about immediately crashed its distributors' websites selling out the device within hours of its launch.

It's British-based designers at the Raspberry Pi Foundation hope the computer, which has been in the works for six years, will spark new interest in programming among children. "The primary goal was to build a low cost computer that every child could own, and one where programming was the natural thing to do with it," said co-founder Robert Mullins.

The computer's miniature uncased circuit board is crowded with an Ethernet connection for the internet, two USB ports and an SD card port for memory. The Raspberry Pi is powered by a standard USB mobile charger. Looking a little more than a credit card-sized chip of circuit board, the powerful, fully-programmable PC can plug into any TV and can power 3D graphics and Blu-ray video playback. The low-cost computer runs a free, open-source Linux operating system and does not include a monitor or keyboard.

The company gets its first batch of devices from China next week and the Raspberry Pi Foundation, a charity, limited sales to one per customer to avoid scalpers and to “get to as many people as possible,”  it said on Twitter. The British creators, made up of academics and industry experts , would like to see one of these in the hands of every kid, and there’s strong potential for that to happen. Thanks the price tag: euro 27 (US35) for the current version, and later this year an even cheaper model, for just euro 19  (about $25).

EU-Digest

Tourism: Sleep in Croatian presidential prison luxury as did Tito and Tudjman - by Paul Bradbury

A new attraction is about to be added to inland Croatia's diverse tourism offer, with the prison which incarcerated Presidents Tito and Tudjman set to offer accommodation.

It was once a monastery owned by the Pauline fathers before being turned into a prison and used by the Austro-Hungarian Empire, Kingdom of Yugoslavia, the Independent State of Croatia and Communist Yugoslavia. The latest twist in the rich history of Croatia's most notorious prison at Lepoglava, is the opening of the building as a tourist resort, according to a report in regional web portal E-Varazdin, on February 28, 2012.

The building, which became a prison in 1854, has held many high-profile figures in captivity over the years, from various political persuasions as the country was ruled by various different powers. Among the most famous 'guests' were President Josip Broz Tito (as Communists were rounded up during the Kingdom of Yugoslavia), Cardinal Alojzije Stepinac and the future President of Croatia, Franjo Tudjman (during the period of Communist Yugoslavia).

For more: Sleep in Croatian presidential prison luxury as Tito and Tudjman

EU leaders set to endorse recommendation on Serbian candidacy for membership

European Union leaders are expected to formally grant Serbia the status of a candidate for membership in the bloc during their summit todayin recognition of its government’s efforts to round up war crimes suspects and normalize relations with Kosovo, its former province.

The move would represent a remarkable turnaround for Serbia, which spent much of the 1990s ostracized and isolated from the EU after its then-strongman Slobodan Milosevic started the wars in Croatia, Bosnia and Kosovo. When Milosevic agreed to a U.S.-brokered agreement to end the war in Bosnia in 1995, about 60,000 NATO troops — including about 30,000 Americans — were deployed to the nation to enforce the accord.

For more: EU leaders set to endorse recommendation on Serbian candidacy for membership - The Washington Post

Serbia and Romania reach agreement for the Vlach minority

Serbia and Romania have overcome their differences, concerning the Vlach minority in Serbia, the online edition of Serbian newspaper Blic reports. Inter-governmental committees reached an agreement on the issue, and as a result Romania would withdraw its conditions, which prevented Serbia from being granted an official EU candidate status.

The two countries have agreed the people from the Vlach minority to be allowed to have the freedom of self-determination of their nationality.

For more: Blic: Serbia and Romania reached an agreement for the Vlach minority - FOCUS Information Agency

Hungary Banks’ Credit Capacity Drops to 2008 Level, Says the Magyar Nemzeti Bank - by Edith Balazs

Hungarian banks’ lending capacity fell in the fourth quarter to a level last seen in September 2008, when the financial crisis engulfed the country, because of tighter and more expensive funding, the central bank said.

“The deterioration in lending capacity was last reported by such a proportion of banks upon the outbreak of the September 2008 crisis,” the Magyar Nemzeti Bank said in a survey published today in Budapest. The drop in lending capacity is driven by shrinking external funding and rising foreign-currency funding costs, it said.

Hungary’s banking industry turned unprofitable for the first time in 13 years in 2011 because of losses from foreign- currency mortgage repayments, rising bad loan provisions and a special industry tax. Regional competition for external funding is becoming more difficult for the Hungarian banks, the central bank said.

For more: Hungary Banks’ Credit Capacity Drops to 2008 Level, MNB Says - Bloomberg

Czech PM: "Czech Republic not ready for now to join EU fiscal pact limiting public debt levels"

The Czech Republic’s prime minister says he will not sign, for now, a new European treaty that is designed to limit public spending and restore investor confidence in the region.The agreement is expected to be signed by the leaders of nearly all the EU countries today at a summit in Brussels.

Petr Necas said his government agreed Wednesday on his mandate not to sign. The government, which is split on the issue, will discuss the deal further in the future. The leaders of 25 of the 27 European Union states agreed last month on the deal designed to stop overspending in the 17 countries that use the euro.

Only Britain and the Czech Republic, both of which don’t use the euro, decided not to endorse the accord.

For more: Czech PM: Czech Republic not ready for now to join EU fiscal pact limiting public debt levels - The Washington Post

Europe look for growth amid high unemployment

Europe's leaders travel to Brussels today, hoping to chart the continent's way back to growth as figures showing unemployment in the 17-country eurozone spiking to its highest level since the euro was established in 1999.

While the two-day summit is for once taking place amid relative calm on financial markets, Europe's population is only starting to feel the full impact of the massive budget cuts and economic uncertainty of the past three years.

New figures showed that unemployment in the 17-country eurozone hit 10.7 percent in January — the highest level since the currency union launched 1999. The situation in the 27-country European Union is not looking much better, with unemployment reaching 10.1 percent in the first month of the year.

For more: Europe look for growth amid high unemployment | ajc.com

"Politics at the Neanderthal level "- Will U.S. Election Madness Ever End?- by Ben Cohen

Watching the presidential election take shape in modern times is a painful process. I have been following U.S. elections closely for 12 years and each time have been astonished at the spectacle.

While half the country lives with chronic food insecurity, billions of dollars are poured into strategists, analysts, makeup specialists, advertisers, planners, managers, advisers and hangers on, all in the name of electing a faceless politician who sounds and looks exactly the same as their predecessors (the only exception being Obama's election in '08).

Gore, Kerry, Bush, McCain, Romney, Gingrich, etc. all blend into one grey mass of old white people with almost identical policies and identical rhetoric. While there is still a difference between the Democrats and the Republicans (one party is sane and the other isn't), their platforms vary only slightly in the scheme of things. Right now, those variations are important, particularly when the economy is so vulnerable. Electing a free market, deficit hawk into the White House this year could literally tank the economy completely. Having a vaguely Keynesian president has been the only thing propping the economy up for the past 3 1/2 years, and it would be a very wise choice to keep him in office.

But in the long term, a two-party duopoly funded by exactly the same financial institutions and beholden to the same corporate interests cannot be sustained. The public knows the election is a gigantic clown show, and that's why voter participation has declined year after year for decades. The scripted events, sound byte debating points and relentless image based advertising has an effect on the public -- they know that nothing will change, that no politician is telling the truth, and there's absolutely nothing anyone can do about it.

Note EU-Digest: this is politics at the Neanderthal level...
 
For more: Ben Cohen: Will U.S. Election Madness Ever End?

Turkey: 50,000 tickets sold out for Madonna's concert in Istanbul

The first European concert of Madonna’s 58-stop 2012 World Tour, which will start on May 29, will be in Istanbul. She will visit more than 26 European cities following Istanbul. She will also take the stage in South America and Australia, where she has not performed for 20 years.

Turkish ticket sales company Biletix announced all 50,000 tickets for Madonna's June 7 Istanbul concert were sold out as of Feb 27 afternoon.

Fifty percent of the concert was sold out in the first seven hours when tickets were released Feb. 24, according to Hurriyet Daily News. Some 50,000 people will view the concert at Şişli’s Türk Telekom Arena.

For more: 50,000 tickets sold out for Madonna's concert in Istanbul - PanARMENIAN.Net

European Soccer: Spain, France, Dutch post impressive friendly wins

With 100 days until this year's European Championship kicks off, Spain, France and the Netherlands continued their preparations with impressive friendly wins Wednesday.

Roberto Soldado scored a hat trick to lead defending European champion Spain to a 5-0 win over Venezuela in Malaga, and France extended its unbeaten run to 18 matches with Oliver Giroud and Florent Malouda scoring for a 2-1 win over Germany in Bremen.

The Netherlands, European champion in 1988 and a three-time World Cup runner-up, withstood a spirited comeback by a makeshift England team to win 3-2 at Wembley, while Italy lost an unbeaten record in Genoa stretching back to 1924 when it lost 1-0 to the United States.

For more: Spain, France, Dutch post impressive friendly wins

The French in London: Bienvenue, François Hollande?

Today, to the delight of some and no doubt the derision of others, François Hollande – the erstwhile leader of the Parti Socialiste and current frontrunner in the battle for the French presidency – is coming to London. He'll be lunching with Ed Miliband, categorically not lunching with David Cameron, giving a talk at King's College and generally raising his profile on this side of the Channel.

Why? Well, as anyone who has caught a whiff of croissant or crepe while strolling through South Kensington will know, there are quite a lot of French people here. Quite how many is difficult to pinpoint, but the consulate reckons that anything up to 400,000 people could be resident – a figure that would mean there are more French people here than in Nantes (population roughly 283,000) or even Nice (population roughly 341,000).

Wily political animal that he is, Nicolas Sarkozy realised what this could mean in electoral terms in 2007, when he paid a visit to the city of the Tamise (that's the Thames) and spoke to roaring crowds at the Old Billingsgate market. Now, it appears, his challenger for the Elysée is doing the same – and hoping for a similar recompense.

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