EU-Digest: Italy to veto new EU climate targets if there are no concessions - by Robin Pomeroy

EU-Digest: Climate changes - Pollution controls

Italy to veto new EU climate targets if there are no concessions-by Robin Pomeroy

(Reuters)Italy's environment minister said today his country will veto new European greenhouse gas limits for 2020 unless it gets concessions,suggesting the EU might have to wait a year before adopting new climate change policies. French President Nicolas Sarkozy wants a European Union summit he will chair next month to agree a 20 percent emissions cut, something the EU would use to press other countries for a new global treaty for when the Kyoto Protocol expires in 2012. Most EU diplomats believe Italy is posturing to try to eke out a better deal for its industry and that Berlusconi would not dare risk the stigma of torpedoing the EU's long-held and self-declared role as global leader in climate change policy.

Without a deal at the December 11-12 Brussels summit, there is practically no chance the EU could agree in time for a climate change conference in December 2009 where the world is supposed to define a post-Kyoto treaty.

Guardian.co.uk: Spain to present 2-yr plan to boost demand

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Spain to present 2-yr plan to boost demand

Spain's government will present a two-year plan on Thursday to boost demand in the country's flagging economy, the prime minister said on Tuesday. The measures would be aimed primarily at 2009 and 2010, Jose Luis Rodriguez Zapatero told a forum organized by The Economist magazine in Madrid. He also said any breaches of the European Union's Stability Pact should be temporary. His comments came after he said last week that Spain will exceed the European Union budget deficit limit of 3 percent as it spends more to tackle the economic crisis. Last week, an OECD survey said Spain's economy would contract in 2009 due to falls in house building and consumer spending and would make a slow recovery in 2010 as financial turmoil recedes and world growth resumes.

Fair Home: Portugal Commits To Huge Electric Vehicle Deal - by Alan Harten

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Portugal Commits To Huge Electric Vehicle Deal - by Alan Harten

Nissan and Renault France have signed a historic agreement with Portugal for the sale of electric vehicles, in order to reduce the country’s greenhouse gas emission levels by around 20%. This would assist the country in reaching the European Unions emissions regulations by 2020. The deal calls for the two car manufacturers to begin delivery of large numbers of electric vehicles at the beginning of 2011.

As part of the agreement, Portugal will build over 300 charging stations which will be completed in 2010 before the first vehicles arrive, avoiding the chicken and egg situation that is prevalent in most other countries where electric vehicle sales are held back by a lack of places to charge the cars.

M&C: Latvia's IMF handout could total euro 1.92 billion dollars

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Latvia's IMF handout could total euro 1.92 billion

Latvia could be in line to get around euro 1.92 billion(US$2.5b) from the coffers of the International Monetary Fund (IMF) and European Union (EU) according to an economic expert on the Baltic states. Over the weekend, the IMF confirmed that the Latvian authorities had asked it to provide 'technical and financial support' and that it stood 'ready to rapidly assist their efforts in the context of a comprehensive economic program.'

Twin City: Automotive Industry: The Czechs do it with Skoda, so should Detroit - by Bernard Avishai

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Automotive Industry: The Czechs do it with Skoda, so should Detroit - by Bernard Avishai

It has become conventional wisdom that the reeling U.S. auto industry desperately needs to innovate. The hard part for Detroit is working out how. There is hope, even for an entrenched, sprawling company such as General Motors. Take Skoda, the Czech auto manufacturer (slogan: "Simply Clever"), which in 1991 became a part of the Volkswagen Group, the largest car manufacturer in Europe. Skoda is thriving today because its elegance-minded Bohemian designers have learned to exploit the access VW management has given them to virtually the entire spectrum of the conglomerate's components. At first, Skoda also simply put a Czech skin around the German-engineered Golf. But today, the company creates original cars for low-end, low-tech markets whose boundaries are carefully negotiated with other VW Group members (it reportedly exports 80 percent of its vehicles to 92 countries). Skoda's former CEO, Detlef Wittig, told me that his firm's latest model, the adorable Roomster, would break even after selling only 60,000 units a year. He said that Skoda now accounts for about 20 percent of VW Group profits. (In case you're wondering: Yes, the Roomster may take some customers away from the VW brand, but the VW Group as a whole will be better off for it. And no, Skoda's competitive advantage is not cheap labor: Czech labor is no cheaper than South Korean.

Government — or, more precisely, governments — can help only if they grasp the way manufacturing companies work. The shakiest firms will need a tariff regime that permits an auto group to import components from the country where they are designed or most competitively produced. The European Union's trade rules were a huge help in making it possible for Skoda to acquire components from VW Group companies, including the Spanish firm SEAT. Federal and state governments should help jump-start a grid for electric cars, as Israel is doing. Most important, perhaps, Washington should move to stimulate innovation in entrepreneurial companies along the whole supply chain — companies aspiring to provide new generations of components.

Market Watch: Hungary unexpectedly lowers interest rates - by Polya Lesova

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Hungary unexpectedly lowers interest rates - by Polya Lesova

Hungary's central bank unexpectedly cut its benchmark interest rate on Monday, saying that economic growth and inflation may be both sharply lower than expected. Earlier this month, the International Monetary Fund approved a $15.7 billion loan for Hungary aimed at restoring confidence in its financial markets. The IMF loan is part of a $25 billion financing package to which the European Union has committed $8.4 billion and the World Bank $1.3 billion.
"The crisis hitting the international financial system has caused a fundamental change in the path of the Hungarian economy in recent months," the central bank said in a statement Monday.

EU-Digest: Romanian group to build euro60 million wind farm

EU-Digest - Windfarms

Romanian group to build euro60 million wind farm

(AP)Blue Planet, part of Romanian group Blue Investments Holding, is to build a euro60 million (US$77 million) wind farm in the east of the country by the end of next year, the company said Tuesday. It will be Romania's first wind farm and comes as the European Union sets targets for the country to provide more of its energy from renewable energy sources, said Emilian Jianu, general manager of Blue Planet. The wind farm will be located in the town of Baia, near the Danube Delta. The EU says that by 2012, 8.3 percent of Romania's energy consumption must come from renewable energy.

Bloomberg.com: Greenlanders Vote on Autonomy as Slump Clouds Independence Plan - by Christian Wienberg

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Greenlanders Vote on Autonomy as Slump Clouds Independence Plan - by Christian Wienberg

Greenlanders vote today on a proposal to wrest more autonomy from Denmark, an effort at increasing control over their natural resources that may founder in the face of the global economic slump. The referendum, which polls show is likely to be approved, would give the 56,000 mainly native Inuit citizens of Greenland full control over deciding whether they want to secede from Denmark. Currently, the government in Copenhagen would have to approve such a move. It would also for the first time mandate a division of income from natural resources with Denmark, which has ruled the territory since the 18th century.“The prospects that Greenland will become a natural resource-based economy certainly haven’t improved,” said Lars- Emil Johansen, former premier of Greenland, and one of the lawmakers who drafted the bill that’s up for vote. Greenland is also rich in diamonds, iron ore, lead, zinc and uranium. Greenland entered the then European Community -- now the European Union -- with Denmark in 1973. It quit the bloc in 1985 in a dispute over fishing quotas, making it the only region to ever withdraw from the EU, which now has 27 members. Passage of today’s referendum would presage a vote on full independence, government officials and trade union leaders say.

Premier Hans Enoksen has said Greenland may hold a referendum on full independence by 2020, while SIK, Greenland’s biggest labor union, has said it wants a vote in 2012.

EU-Digest - Largest ever Dutch Trade delegation visits Turkey - The Netherlands one of Turkey's most important investors

Largest ever Dutch Trade delegation visits Turkey - The Netherlands one of Turkey's most important investors

The Largest ever Dutch trade delegation is in Turkey this week - A truly Dutch economic invasion of Turkey. The delegation includes a total of 134 company representatives ranging from Personnel Management to Environmental Companies, and every other category in between. One newspaper reported that even some buses in Turkey are carrying banners with the slogan "Holland Pioneers in International Business".

The Dutch delegation is headed by his Excellency Frank Heemskerk, the Dutch State Secretary of Economic Affairs. Turkish PM his Excellency Recep Erdogan was so impressed by the size of the delegation that he changed his agenda to be able to receive the delegation later this week in Ankara.Yesterday the Dutch delegation cruised the Bosporus.

The Netherlands is one of the most important investors in Turkey. Last year Dutch investments in Turkey amounted to approximately euro 8.45 billion (US$11b. Turkey is also the 4th most important non-EU member trading partner of the Netherlands after Russia, Switzerland and the US.

The Turkish-Dutch who are citizens of the Netherlands of Turkish ancestry numbered 357,900 people in 2006, according to the Dutch Census Bureau. They make up 2.2% of the total population. The majority of Dutch Turks live in the four major cities of the Netherlands (Amsterdam, Rotterdam, The Hague and Utrecht). The first Turks arrived in the 1960s and 1970s as workers to fill up the labor shortage during that time in the Netherlands, as well as in other Western European countries. The majority of Dutch Turks adhere to Sunni Islam, although there is also a considerable Alevi fragment. A number of Turkish-Dutch writers have come to prominence. Halil Gür was one of the earliest, writing short stories about Turkish immigrants. Sadik Yemni is well known for his Turkish-Dutch detective stories. Sevtap Baycili is a more intellectual novelist, who's writing is not limited to migrant themes. Nebahat Albayrak (born April 10, 1968 in Şarkışla) is a Turkish-Dutch politician in the Netherlands. She is the current State Secretary of Justice in the Netherlands.

newsobserver.com: US economy: Gloom pervades AICPA business survey - by Alan M.Wolf

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Gloom pervades AICPA business survey by - by Alan M.Wolf

In a survey of 1,606 financial officials conducted by the American Institute of Certified Public Accountants and the University of North Carolina's Kenan-Flagler Business School showed that only 9 percent expect the economy to begin to improve before the second half of 2009. And 48 percent see no improvement until 2010 or later. They blame the credit crisis, increasing unemployment and declines in consumer spending and consumer confidence.

"CPAs are trained to be objective and analytical and are not prone to hype and emotion, so when they foresee our economic problems extending well into 2009 and beyond, it is a troubling forecast," said Arleen Thomas, AICPA senior vice president, in a prepared statement.

EUobserver: Mick Jagger in Brussels for online retailing chat with Neelie Kroes and Charlie McCreevy - by Leigh Phillips

Mike Jagger in Bruxelles

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Mick Jagger in Brussels for online retailing chat with Neelie Kroes and Charlie McCreevy - by Leigh Phillips

The original "street-fightin' man" Mike Jagger no longer needs to throw cobblestones to get the attention of the centers of power like his 1968 incarnation. These days he is warmly invited to the top floors of the EU Commission building for a friendly chat with Europe's competition guardian Neelie Kroes and a host of other key figures in the business of commerce on the web. Ms Kroes is worried that shoppers frequently find themselves up against barriers to buy what they want online, for items they would have little problem purchasing in the real world."Why is it possible to buy a CD from an online retailer and have it shipped to anywhere in Europe, but it is not possible to buy the same music, by the same artist, as an electronic download with similar ease?" Ms Kroes asked the knighted pop star and other guests.

Ms Kroes told the rock star and the merchants: "The world is always more complicated than we would like it to be. But that is no excuse for inaction," adding that she intends to look "very carefully" into online retailing practices.

SShe warned that the commission will step in if musicians, record labels and retailers do not overcome their differences and produce a more consumer-friendly environment for the distribution of digital music.

rationalrevolution: Trickle Down economics was (and still is) a Trojan Horse - by David Stockman

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Trickle Down economics was (and still is) a Trojan Horse - by David Stockman

"The most important issue is that, even if you take the Reagan “Trickle-Down” policy at face value it’s still horribly flawed as a policy that will provide economic growth that benefits everyone. There is no realistic way for "Trickle-Down" economics to work and increase the income of the working classes of America. In fact I am certain that the developers of the theory of "Trickle-Down" economics were fully aware of this and that "Trickle-Down" has in fact worked as intended. This means that the intent behind implementing "Trickle-Down" was to benefit the wealthiest Americans at the expense of working class Americans. "Trickle-Down" hasn't failed, as many modern economists have suggested, it has succeeded in its goals, which is the increase of economic inequality and the shift of a greater portion of America's wealth into the hands of the wealthiest Americans.

The general economic policy of "Trickle-Down" that was put in place by Reagan has gone fundamentally unchanged since it was adopted by the country in the 1980s. The claim of Reagan was that "all boats would rise" by giving huge tax cuts for the wealthy. This did not happen. The majority of boats stayed the same or sank, while only between 5% and 1% of the boats actually rose. The effects of "Trickle-Down" policy are evident. As would be expected from the policy, the largest beneficiaries of the "Trickle-Down" system have been the wealthy.

Note EU-Digest: The trickle-down theory, which is supported neither by theory nor evidence continues to be applied by the governments in the US and Europe. It does not work and needs to be abandoned today, rather than tomorrow.

IHT: Europe is waiting to see how Obama plays Iran - John Vinocur

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Europe is waiting to see how Obama plays Iran - John Vinocur

What worries the Europeans, but particularly the French, who hold the European Union's rotating presidency until Jan. 1, is what Obama intends to do once he is in the White House.Wary of challenging Obama's current reservoir of international prestige and support, the European leadership's concerns on Iran are only half-articulated.But they go to fears of being cut out of the process in the direct U.S.-Iran talks Obama has promised and losing a means to bring pressure against eventual military action.

What do Obama's campaign pledges about talking to Iran "directly" and "without preconditions" mean now? And how influential are U.S. experts who argue he should run around Russia's chokehold on the UN Security Council's initiatives and sanctions by starting head-on, "all options on the table" negotiations with the mullahs?

Multi-National Monitor/Alternet: The 10 Worst Corporations of 2008 - by Robert Weissman

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The 10 Worst Corporations of 2008 - by Robert Weissman

There never has been a year like 2008. The financial crisis first gripping Wall Street and now spreading rapidly throughout the world is, in many ways, emblematic of the worst of the corporate-dominated political and economic system that is exposed in the annual 10 Worst corporations list. The "winners" this year are:

AIG: "Money for Nothing" (USA)
Cargill: "Food Profiteers" (USA)
Chevron: "We can't let little countries screw around with big companies" (USA)
Chinese National Petroleum Corporation (CNPC)."Fueling Violence in Darfur" (CHINA)
Constellation Energy: "Nuclear Operators" (USA)
Dole: "The Sour Taste of Pineapple" (USA)
GE: "Creative Accounting (USA)
Imperial Sugar: "13 Dead" (USA)
Philip Morris International: Unshackled. Philip Morris USA sells cigarettes in the US and
Philip Morris International tramples over the rest of the world. (USA)
Roche: Saving Lives is Not Our Business (Swiss)

Corporations dominate the policy-making process, from city councils to global institutions like the World Trade Organization. Over the last 30 years, and especially in the last decade, Wall Street interests leveraged their political power to remove many of the regulations that had restricted their activities. There are at least a dozen separate and significant examples of this, including the Financial Services Modernization Act of 1999, which permitted the merger of banks and investment banks. In a form of corporate civil disobedience, Citibank and Travelers Group merged in 1998 - a move that was illegal at the time, but for which they were given a two-year forbearance - on the assumption that they would be able to force a change in the relevant law.

What is most revealing about the financial meltdown and economic crisis, however, is that it illustrates that corporations - if left to their own worst instincts - will destroy themselves and the system that nurtures them. It is rare that this lesson has been so graphically illustrated. It is one the world must quickly learn, if we are to avoid the most serious existential threat we still have to face: climate change.

EurActiv.com - EU prepares massive growth plan worth €130 billion

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EU prepares massive growth plan worth €130 billion

The 27 EU countries will be asked to give away 1% of their GDP to contribute to a Europe-wide economic stimulus package, including loans for automakers, aimed at helping restart the economy and weather the effects of the recession, it emerged yesterday.Speaking on German television on Wednesday (19 November), Michael Glos, the German economy minister, said the package would involve contributions by member states of about 1% of their Gross Domestic Product (GDP).

A decision on the precise nature and amount of the package will be taken by EU heads of states and government during a summit in Brussels on 11-12 December.

Washington Post: Georgian, Polish Presidents Say They Were Shot At Near Russian Checkpoint - "Most people doubt the validity of the report" by P.P.Pan

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Georgian, Polish Presidents Say They Were Shot At Near Russian Checkpoint - "Most people doubt the validity of the report" - by P.P.Pan

The presidents of Georgia and Poland said they encountered gunfire while attempting to visit a Russian checkpoint near the South Ossetian border on Sunday, an assertion Russia immediately denied and described as a provocation and "wishful thinking."

"It seems to be another attempt by Georgian President Mikheil Saakashvili to shore-up his dwindling credibility at home and in the EU", said a European diplomat stationed in Georgia.

Forbes: US Economy - Uncle Sam Pumps Up CitiGroup - Forbes.com

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US Economy - Uncle Sam Pumps Up CitiGroup

The federal government stepped in Sunday night to bail out Citigroup and restore confidence in the financial system, promising to protect the banking giant against losses on hundreds of billions of dollars worth of troubled assets. The U.S.Treasury guarantees the bank against losses on $300 billion of its riskiest assets and injected another $20 billion in capital.

Telegraph: Europe - Winter arrives and temperatures plunge below freezing - by Caroline Gammell

"A snowy scene in the Netherlands"

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Winter arrives and temperatures plunge below freezing - by Caroline Gammell

"The big change will be caused by these winds coming straight down from the Arctic that will bring with them the chance of some of the white stuff. "If people are watching sporting events outside, it is definitely worth putting on an extra layer - winter is on its way." Snow fell all over Europe this weekend.

Religious Intelligence - Dutch take Islamic festival Ramadan as their own - by Paolo Gallini

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Dutch take Islamic Ramadan festival as their own - by Paolo Gallini

According to a new poll, the Dutch have adopted the Sugar Feast, which marks the end of the Islamic fasting month Ramadan, as one of their favorite cultural traditions.The choice of the festival followed a poll by the Dutch Center for Folk Culture. It came 14th in the list of 100 top traditions. The center (Nederlands Centrum voor Volkscultuur, NCV) asked several thousand people to name traditions that they considered important for themselves or for the Netherlands as a whole. No shortlist of options was drawn up in advance. Queen Beatrix in Hilversum unveiled the top 100 at the opening of the Year of the Traditions. Perhaps unsurprisingly, the top choice in the poll was the feast of Sinterklaas. This Dutch precursor of Santa Claus, celebrated each year on December 5, is followed on the list by the decoration of a Christmas Tree. In third place is Queen's Day on April 30.

EU-Digest: The Netherlands: Sinterklaas comes to Almere

Sinterklaas and his helpers arrive in Almere, Europe's most modern City"

Special report on Sinterklaas

Sinterklaas, or St. Nicholas, is an annual European event which has been uniquely Dutch and Flemish for centuries. The actual St. Nicholas' celebration, December 6th, is observed in most Roman Catholic countries primarily as a feast for small children. But it is only in the Low Countries - especially in the Netherlands - that on December 5th, the eve of his birthday, it is celebrated nationwide by young and old. Christian and non-Christian all having fun, without any religious overtones. The Sinterklaas celebrations on December 5, when St Nicholas visits children accompanied by his Moorish servants called Zwarte Piet, is the most important Dutch tradition, according to a poll for the Dutch folk culture centre NCV. Although Sinterklaas always wears the clothes of the bishop he once was, his original status as a canonized saint has little to do with what the Dutch think of him. To them he represents a kind benevolent old man, whose birthday is observed by exchanging gifts and making good-natured fun of each other. It so happens that the legend of St. Nicholas is based on historical facts. He did actually exist and lived from 271 A.D. to December 6th, 343. People still visit his 4th century tomb in the town of Myra, near the city of Anatolia in present-day Turkey, which was recently excavated has by archaeologists. Santa Claus the fat, jolly man wearing a red coat and trousers with white cuffs and collar, and black leather and who became popular in the United States in the 19th century is a commercial offshoot of ST.Nicolas, maintained and reinforced through song, radio, television, and films. In Europe he is called Father Christmas.

In the Netherlands, Sinterklaas made his early appearance at the end of November in Europe's most modern City Almere, to the delight of the children and of course the shopkeepers.

Maltamedia.com: Wealthy South Africans choose Malta as stepping stone to EU

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Wealthy South Africans choose Malta as stepping stone to EU

Malta is becoming the gateway for wealthy South Africans to secure quick residency in the European Union, according to South African online news site IOL. The website, probably referring to Malta’s permanent residence scheme for foreign nationals, reported that South Africans can bypass red tape when applying for permanent residence in the EU through Malta. The website said that well off South Africans who earn at least EUR 22,792 per year or have a net worth of at least EUR 341,873 can get permanent EU residency in just four months, and that successful applicants do not even have to live in Malta for a minimum amount of time to qualify. The applicants will also be required to lease or buy property in Malta and bring a certain amount of money into the island each year. The Schengen treaty, which Malta is a signatory to along with 26 other European countries, allows people who have permanent residence in one country to move freely across all signatory countries without having to apply for visas.

Europe, Turkey and the Debate on Values - OhmyNews International

Europe, Turkey and the Debate on Values - OhmyNews International:

"Europe, Turkey and the Debate on Values
[Analysis] Overcoming the difference by dialogue

Published 2008-11-23 11:11 (KST)

In terms of football, Turkey is already a European country. Turkey participated in the UEFA European Championship in June, although Turkey's participation in Europe's political and economical body, the European Union, is controversially being discussed both within the EU-member states and in Turkey. To understand this debate, it seems important to reconsider the cultural gap between Europe and Turkey, that rises from divergences in religion and tradition. I want to address this topic, focusing on the important question of human rights, emanating from a certain concept of human dignity, that can be called 'European' due to its roots in Christian religion and in enlightened philosophy."

TechCrunch: EUROPEANA - EU Presents Ambitious Open-Source Library Digitization Project -Site Promptly gets 10 million hits per hour and crashes

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EUROPEANA - EU Presents Ambitious Open-Source Library Digitization Project - Site Promptly gets 10 million hits per hour and crashes

A cadre of European politicians gathered Thursday at the Museum of the 18th century in Brussels to launch Europeana, a digital museum that allows visitors to explore classic paintings, photos, recordings and texts in the same manner in which it is possible to search, say, Amazon.com. Trying to access Europeana on the day of its launch, though, was akin to navigating the Vatican Museums in the tourist-thick month of August. It was impossible to see anything, as the project’s three servers were totally overwhelmed. The Commission said Saturday in a press release that the site received about 10 million hits per hour throughout Thursday - double server capacity.

The site was taken down Friday evening and is expected to be back up in mid-December.

Technical challenges included harvesting and normalizing metadata from more than 1,000 different museums and libraries from around Europe. Half of participating cultural heritage institutions so far are French. The Louvre in Paris, the Institut National de l’Audiovisuel (which contributed footage shot on French battlefields in 1914) and the Rijksmuseum in Amsterdam are three of the biggest participating museums.

Europeana, which is still in beta, was programmed using only open source applications. Everything on Europeana is allowed to be downloaded. Europeana’s three servers are located in the Hague, where the project is headquartered, but programmers plan eventually to put mirror servers around the world.

Alternet: US economy - America in Free Fall - by Robert L. Borosage

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US economy - America in Free Fall-by Robert L. Borosage

The U.S. has lost private sector jobs for 10 straight months. One quarter of all businesses in the U.S. plan to cut payroll over the next year. Retail sales fell in October by the largest monthly drop on record. Auto sales have collapsed, driving the auto companies towards the precipice. Unemployment is up to 6.1 percent, with most analysts predicting it will soar past 8 percent over the next year. (That translates into unemployment among young minority men at rates of 50 percent or more). States are now facing $100 billion in deficits in operating budgets for the next fiscal year. Twelve million homes are "under water," worth less than their mortgages.

A stunning report by Eric Lotke at the Campaign for America's Future details the staggering investment deficits that have accumulated over the last 30 years. For decades, we've chosen to cut taxes on the wealthy while starving vital public investments. The result is an America that is literally falling apart, while much of the private wealth was squandered in the speculative frenzy that now has leveled our economy. Rather than adding to that folly, we should be focusing on strategic public investments that will put people to work in the short term while contributing to a more competitive economy, a better-educated citizenry and a cleaner environment.

BBC: Kennedy shot dead in Dallas - November 22 , 1963

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Kennedy shot dead in Dallas

Remembering November 22, 1963 - The President of the United States has been assassinated by a gunman in Dallas, Texas. John F Kennedy was hit in the head and throat when three shots were fired at his open-topped car.Dallas Times Herald photographer Bob Jackson was in the motorcade close behind the Democrat leader's car and heard the shots as it entered Dealey Plaza. "As I looked up I saw a rifle being pulled back from a window - it might have been resting on the windowsill - I didn't see a man," he said.The president was alive when he was admitted, but died at 1400 local time (1900 GMT) - 35 minutes after being shot.

Note EU-Digest: "There are crazy and fanatic people out there and it pays more than ever to be vigilant".

Time: Europe's Road Ahead - "Europe needs to get over its crush on Obama" - by Michael Elliott

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Europe's Road Ahead - Europe needs to get over its crush on Obama - by Michael Elliott

"In the case of Turkey, the question for Europe is not, as with Russia, how to avoid a dangerous rivalry. It is, rather, how to institutionalize relations with Turkey so that it can be Europe's partner in a dangerous neighborhood. At a recent World Economic Forum conference in Istanbul, I was struck both by how creative Turkish diplomacy now is in the whole ring of instability to its east and south, from Armenia right round to Syria, and how much Turks wanted to work with Europeans to extend the area of peace and economic integration which has, since the Treaty of Rome 51 years ago, steadily moved from the North Sea eastwards.

It will take skillful diplomacy and sustained political and economic engagement for Europe to find new and better relations with Russia and Turkey. And here is the key thing: the U.S., however charismatic its new President may be, will be little or no help.

Russia and Turkey are Europe's neighbors, not America's. Washington will always see relations with its former superpower rival differently from the way Europe does — as, indeed, was demonstrated in its reaction to the Georgian war.And that, perhaps, is the best of all reasons why Europe needs to get over its crush on Obama. In the things that really matter to Europe, it doesn't help. Love is a fine thing; but as all who have loved know, it does not solve all the problems that life throws our way."

TIME: Europe's Road Ahead - by Michael Elliott

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Europe's Road Ahead - by Michael Elliott

If Obama is as wise as he seems, non-Americans will appreciate soon enough that he has just been elected President of the United States, not Secretary-General of the United Nations. For Europe's great and good, this will not be easy. Europeans love thinking about America, part in longing, part in envy, part in disdain. You could spend a nice year trotting from Ditchley Park in Oxfordshire to Salzburg, from the Italian lakes to German castles, doing nothing but ponder in earnest detail the state of the Atlantic alliance. It's a monumental waste of time. Nearly six years after those passionate disagreements on the invasion of Iraq, U.S.-Europe relations are just fine, with a clutch of Atlanticists heading the governments of Britain, France and Germany — and leading the European Commission in Brussels, too. The thing now is to figure out what the world's collection of rich democracies can do with their substantial power. U.S. Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice told the New York Times recently that she once said to European leaders, "Can we take the trans-Atlantic relationship off the sofa? And stop analyzing it and analyzing whether it's healthy, and actually put it to work in common causes?" She has a point.

Many in Europe know just what to do with this peace and prosperity: lie back and enjoy it. As Gideon Rachman argued in a provocative column in the Financial Times in May, Europe has become a "giant Switzerland." Its people do not consider themselves threatened by the turmoil in the world around it, and see little point in going out looking for dragons to slay. Barack Obama may be Europe's darling, but he will find that his suitor's ardor cools pretty quickly the moment he asks European parents to volunteer their sons and daughters to beef up NATO forces in Afghanistan.

NYT - US political Developments: Obama Tilts to Center, Inviting a Clash of Ideas - by David Sanger

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US Political developments: Obama Tilts to Center, Inviting a Clash of Ideas - by David Sanger

President-elect Barack Obama won the Democratic nomination with the enthusiastic support of the left wing of his party, fueled by his vehement opposition to the decision to invade Iraq and by one of the most liberal voting records in the Senate.Now, his reported selections for two of the major positions in his cabinet — Senator Hillary Rodham Clinton as secretary of state and Timothy F. Geithner as secretary of the Treasury — suggest that Mr. Obama is planning to govern from the center-right of his party, surrounding himself with pragmatists rather than ideologues. The reason, several of Mr. Obama’s transition team members say, is that they believe that the new administration will have no time for a learning curve. With the country facing a deep recession or worse, global market turmoil, chaos in Pakistan and a worsening war in Afghanistan, “there’s going to be no time for experimentation,” a member of the Obama foreign policy team said. That explains Mr. Obama’s first selection: Rahm Emanuel, another centrist Democrat and former member of the Clinton White House, as his chief of staff.

In some ways, the choices made so far are reminiscent of the way the last senator to be elected president, John F. Kennedy, chose a cabinet. As president-elect, Kennedy soon picked three top officials significantly more conservative than he was: Dean Rusk as secretary of state, Robert S. McNamara as secretary of defense and C. Douglas Dillon, a Republican, as secretary of the Treasury. They helped him navigate the Cuban missile crisis, but also got him bogged down in Vietnam.

NIC: Global Trends 2025: A Transformed World

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Global Trends 2025: A Transformed World

Some of the NIC preliminary assessments are:
* The whole international system—as constructed following WWII—will be revolutionized. Not only will new players—Brazil, Russia, India and China— have a seat at the international high table, they will bring new stakes and rules of the game.
* The unprecedented transfer of wealth roughly from West to East now under way will continue for the foreseeable future.
* Unprecedented economic growth, coupled with 1.5 billion more people, will put pressure on resources—particularly energy, food, and water—raising the specter of scarcities emerging as demand outstrips supply.
* The potential for conflict will increase owing partly to political turbulence in parts of the greater Middle East.

Bloomberg.com: Netherlands to Spend EU6 Billion to Stimulate Economy

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Netherlands to Spend EU6 Billion to Stimulate Economy - by Fred Pals and Jurjen van de Pol

The Dutch government will spend more than 1 percent of gross domestic product, or about 6 billion euros ($7.5 billion), to stimulate the nation's economy. The government measures will include temporarily subsidizing company payrolls and speeding up infrastructure spending, Prime Minister Jan Peter Balkenende said at a press conference in The Hague. ``A lot needs to be done, and it is a tough time,'' Balkenende said today. ``Europe has been hit by the financial crisis and there's clearly an influence on the real economy now.''

The Dutch economy came to a standstill in the second and third quarters. It still outpaced the economy of the 15-nation euro region, which slipped into its first recession since the 1999 introduction of the single currency. The European Union is working on a 130 billion-euro ($163 billion) stimulus package to bolster growth, German officials have said.

BBC NEWS: Sweden ratifies EU Lisbon Treaty

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Sweden ratifies EU Lisbon Treaty

Sweden has become the 24th of the EU's 27 member states to ratify the controversial Lisbon Treaty. Sweden's parliament backed the new reform treaty after a late-night debate, with 243 votes in favour, 39 against and 67 deputies absent or abstaining.

Businessweek: EU/France - All Aboard: High-Speed Train Gets Wi-Fi - by Nathasha Lomas

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EU/France - All Aboard: High-Speed Train Gets Wi-Fi - by Nathasha Lomas

French train operator SNCF is to roll out onboard wi-fi across its entire TGV Est fleet by the end of 2010, following a successful trial of the technology. SNCF said a paid-for wi-fi service for first and second class passengers will launch in autumn 2009 on a number of trains, with a full rollout on all TGV Est departures in France, Germany, Luxembourg and Switzerland by the end of 2010.

Earlier this year the operator trialled a free wi-fi service on three TGV trains, travelling at speeds of up to 320km/h, including an international service to Switzerland.

EU-Digest: EU-35 years of successful Eurobarometer polling

35th anniversary

A special EU-Digest report on the 35th anniversary of Eurobarometer

EU-35 years of successful Eurobarometer polling

To mark this important event, the European Commission (with the support of the EC Representation in Paris), in cooperation with the French Presidency, the European Parliament and Sciences Po is organizing the anniversary conference in Paris today November 21 and tomorrow.

The main objective of Eurobarometer as a polling tool, founded in 1973, is to identify and analyze trends in public opinion in all Member States and in the Candidate Countries. The Paris conference aims to discuss the role of public opinion polls in developing a European public sphere. The conference will focus on several crucial topics, like: the upcoming EP elections, lessons learned from European referenda, public debate on tomorrow's Europe, Eurobarometer's methodological challenges.

The event today brings together representatives of significant influence and expert knowledge from EU institutions, EU member states, politicians, academics and journalists. Among the many confirmed keynote speakers are: Margot Wallström, Jean-Pierre Jouyet, Nicole Fontaine, Jacques Santer, Noëlle Lenoir, Henning Christophersen, Gijs de Vries, Thierry Saussez, and Jacques-René Rabier.

EurActiv.com - EU ministers reject ban on free downloading | EU - European Information on InfoSociety

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EU ministers reject ban on free downloading

EU culture ministers yesterday (20 November) rejected French proposals to curb online piracy through compulsory measures against free downloading, instead agreeing to promote legal offers of music or films on the Internet.The gradual response, which would turn Internet service providers into a sort of police of the net, was ruled out in the legislative process to review EU rules governing electronic communications too. The European Commission never proposed such an instrument, while the European Parliament blocked several amendments aimed at introducing these measures.

Europe: a hobbled giant

FT.com | Westminster Blog:

"Europe: a hobbled giant
November 21, 2008
by Alex Barker

The US National Intelligence Council has a distinctly unflattering forecast of Europe’s future in its Global Trends 2025 report.

The finest US intelligence analysts conclude that, according to current trends, the European Union is in danger of being left behind as “a hobbled giant distracted by internal bickering and competing national agendas”. The title of the section says it all: “Europe: Losing Clout in 2025″."

Counter Punch: US Auto Industry - The Jurassic Auto and Idea Park - by P. Sainath

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US Auto Industry - The Jurassic Auto and Idea Park - by P. Sainath

The logic of "too big to fail" keeps Big Auto and others of its like going. There is never any debate here of whether they should have been allowed to get as big as they did. President-elect Obama says he will aid the auto oligarchs who he calls "the backbone of American manufacturing." Sure, with that many jobs at stake, any government must worry about the consequences of letting them sink. No question about it. It's on the basis of that very fear that the Terrible Metal Lizards are able to bargain for handouts from public money. The US economy has lost close to a quarter of a million jobs in the month of October alone. So the thought of many more simply vanishing is scary. The US has already lost over 1.2 million jobs this year. Close to half of those in the past three months alone. So there is a good chance that more public money will be thrown at the auto giants, and that, without larger strategic shifts being imposed on them. Yet, everyone knows this does not mean an industry saved. They could be back soon with demands for still more. At which time, with things being even worse (quite likely) the pressure to save jobs by pouring in public money will be still greater. This is the United States. The money given out in the bailout so far has delighted the tuxedo dinosaurs -- CEOs and senior executives.

As The New York Times notes ruefully in a lead editorial: "Just weeks after the Treasury Department gave nine of the nation's top banks $125 billion in taxpayer dollars to save them from unprecedented calamity, bank executives are salting money away in billionaire bonus pools to reward themselves for their performance." Other bailout bandits have held meetings at resorts costing hundreds of thousands of dollars.

The Associated Press: Putin grabs spotlight, vows Russia will thrive

Putin grabs spotlight, vows Russia will thrive

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Russian Prime Minister Vladimir Putin used a meeting of his powerful political party to take center stage Thursday, casting himself as an indispensable leader even as the global financial meltdown threatens the achievements of his boom-time presidency. At the first congress of his United Russia party since May, when Dmitry Medvedev succeeded him as Russia's president, Putin eclipsed his protege with a rousing speech to party faithful in a massive atrium off Red Square. He acknowledged that Russia could not escape the effects of the international economic turmoil, but said it was well insulated by the riches accrued during his eight-year presidency. He also expressed confidence Russia would do more than just weather the storm.

The EU's failed asylum rules

International Herald Tribune

"The EU's failed asylum rules
By Bill Frelick
Published: November 20, 2008

ATHENS:

It's easy to see why Iraqis overwhelmingly sought asylum in Sweden last year. The country had granted 91 percent of their asylum requests the year before. But why would the next-largest number apply in Greece, which had a zero approval rate for Iraqis? And why did relatively few Iraqis, the largest group of asylum seekers in the European Union, seek asylum in Britain, with troops on the ground in Iraq - or Germany, with Europe's largest population and strongest economy, or other EU countries?"

EU-Digest/International Business Times: Internet-Driven Pop Festival Integrates Europe

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Internet-Driven Pop Festival Integrates Europe

The organization of the European Cyber music Festival (ECF) invites professional and amateur musicians in Europe to pre-subscribe to the 2009 edition of this festival.The ECF is a brand new European pop festival with a unique and very challenging formula: European musicians from different countries and of different nationalities play together in a pop group, and produce their music by using the Internet!
The ECF aims at all professional and amateur musicians in Europe (17years and older), who are able to sing, or play guitar, bass, keyboard,drums, or any other instrument. On the ECF website(http://www.cybermusic-festival.eu), participants are offered the possibility to search for other musicians in Europe and to create a new music group.However, if the group wants to join the ECF competition, its members must have must have different nationalities and live in different countries.

Current home recording technology makes it possible to exchange music files via e-mail or internet. Participating musicians therefore don't need to travel and meet with their pop group in order to produce music in a recording studio; they rather could use their own recording equipment at home.Participants with no such possibilities at home could make their own arrangements with a local recording studio.

SFGate: US Economy - The case for Chapt. 11 bankruptcy for carmakers - by Kathleen Pender

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US Economy - The case for Chapt. 11 bankruptcy for car makers - by Kathleen Pender

Auto executives have painted a dire picture for their companies and the economy if they are denied $25 billion in federal loans and forced into bankruptcy.Yet many legal experts say that Chapter 11 bankruptcy, which lets a company restructure its operations and shed or rework many of its contractual obligations, is the best option for the automakers and for taxpayers if federal money is involved.Instead of lending to the Big Three car makers outside of bankruptcy, where the government would have little control and a low priority claim on the companies' assets, it would be better to let them file Chapter 11 and then provide debtor-in-possession financing.

DIP financing helps companies restructure their business and emerge from bankruptcy. It is usually senior to other debt and comes with a lot of strings attached. It would give the government a much higher claim on the companies' assets and more control over how taxpayer money is spent.

Forbes.com: Recession Bites Europe - by Lionel Laurent

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Recession Bites Europe - by Lionel Laurent

European stocks suffered a predictably gloomy performance Thursday morning, as engine maker Rolls Royce unveiled job cuts and Air France-KLM's quarterly profits were virtually wiped out. Dutch retailer Royal Ahold beat expectations with its quarterly results, thanks to a long-term price reduction program. Shares gained 6.9%, to 8.55 euros ($10.70), in Amsterdam.

Sports Illustrated: European Soccer - Netherlands beats Sweden 3-1 in friendly

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European Soccer - Netherlands beats Sweden 3-1 in friendly

Robin Van Persie scored two goals Wednesday to give the injury-depleted Netherlands a comfortable 3-1 win over Sweden in an international friendly.

Wesley Sneijder took a short corner and then exchanged passes with Ryan Babel on the left flank before crossing for Van Persie, who put the Netherlands in front with a header in the 33rd minute. Van Persie scored his second in the 48th, beating Sweden goalkeeper Andreas Isaksson from 15 meters (yards) after he was played in by substitute Rafael van der Vaart. Kim Kallstrom pulled one back for Sweden in the 50th, scoring from the edge of the box, but Dirk Kuyt headed in Tim de Cler's cross in injury time to wrap up the win.

E! Online: Megan Fox on Barack Obama: "He's Very Sexy" - by Mark Malkin

"Megan Fox a big fan of Obama"
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Megan Fox on Barack Obama: "He's Very Sexy" - by Mark Malkin

"I think he's very sexy," the sultry starlet said at last night's party celebrating GQ's annual Men of the Year list (Obama is among the honorees). "And God help me because I hope I don’t get in trouble for saying this, but I think he's so articulate and so intelligent and so charismatic when he delivers speeches, that there is something very sexy about that—very! And he's also very slim and lean."

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Guardian.uk: China's President Latin America tour cements Beijing's trade clout

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China's President Latin America tour cements Beijing's trade clout

China's president, Hu Jintao, is leading scores of Chinese business people on a sweep through Latin America to reinforce Beijing's growing economic clout in the region. Hu launched free trade talks on a visit to Costa Rica, before flying to a rapturous reception in Cuba. This week he will also be one of the stars at a Pacific rim summit of 21 nations in Peru. By then, Beijing's delegation will have grown to 600 people, including 12 ministers."China's relations with Latin America and the Caribbean have never been so close," Hu told Peru's El Comercio newspaper. In contrast to Russia's politically charged push into the region - which involves selling arms and challenging US influence - Beijing's focus is on agriculture, raw materials and markets for its exports.

The Associated Press: SolarWorld offers $1.26B for Adam Opel's assets - by George Frey

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SolarWorld offers $1.26B for Adam Opel's assets - by George Frey

German solar energy company SolarWorld AG said Wednesday it plans to offer euro1 billion ($1.26 billion) in cash and credit for some assets of car maker Adam Opel GmbH, the German subsidiary of financially strapped General Motors Corp. GM said it wasn't selling. Bonn-based SolarWorld said in a statement it was planning to offer GM euro250 million ($350 million) in cash and another euro750 million ($945 million) in credit lines in a bid for four German production facilities and Opel's Ruesselsheim development center and headquarters, to make it Europe's first true "green" auto company.SolarWorld said it would develop a new generation of energy efficient and reduced emissions automobiles alongside successful models that Opel currently produces, should a deal work out. "With the restructuring of the product pallet, the traditional German auto builder would offer in future especially electric and hybrid automobiles and the newest technology combining extended-range electric and combustion motors highly efficiently," SolarWorld said.

Happiest Europeans are in Nordic countries

Happiest Europeans are in Nordic countries

"Happiest Europeans are in Nordic countries
By Zoë Casey
19.11.2008 / 17:41 CET
Dutch join the EU's northernmost states at the top of quality-of-life rankings that correlate closely with health, work and wealth.

People living in the Nordic countries and the Netherlands are among the most content in Europe, while happiness levels are the lowest in the newer member states and Portugal, according to a new quality-of-life survey."

The Independent: The media must not allow government to proscribe free speech - by David Mamet

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The media must not allow government to proscribe free speech - by David Mamet

The so-called Fairness Doctrine, the enforcement of the doctrine that any broadcast medium, voicing one political opinion must voice another, dissenting opinion will be the beginning of the end of free speech. Here's why: Who is to say what is political opinion? The line between political opinion and reportage is so blurred now as to be almost indistinct. Should such a pernicious doctrine become widespread, energy will be devoted to persuading and inevitably suborning those authorities who seek to rule on any utterance.

DW: EU, NATO Helpless Against Piracy as Hijacks Become More Daring

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EU, NATO Helpless Against Piracy as Hijacks Become More Daring

Efforts by the European Union and NATO to fight pirates off the coast of Somalia have proven futile. With a limited mandate, their ships cannot keep armed bandits from seizing merchant vessels and taking hostages. Pirates off the coast of Somalia captured another ship on Wednesday, Nov. 19. It is the third vessel since the spectacular hijacking of the Saudi supertanker "Sirius Star" last weekend. Although NATO, European and US vessels are stationed in the region, they are helpless in effectively battling the increasing problem of piracy -- though single operations are sometimes successful.

Note EU-Digest: the EU and Nato should follow the recent action of the Indian Navy by destroying pirate crafts or even doing a special combat mission to the area and clean out the pirates stronghold. The Sudan Government is too weak to do it themselves. Right now it seems the naval forces of Russia, the EU and the US are being held ransom by rag-tag pirates - this is ridiculous to say the least

NPR: EU Leaders Urge New Approach To Russia : by Michele Kelemen

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EU Leaders Urge New Approach To Russia

The Bush administration pushed hard to get former Soviet states Georgia and Ukraine on a path toward NATO membership earlier this year, but Europeans are divided on the issue and don't want to see Obama push the same idea at his first NATO summit in April. The EU ambassador to the U.S., John Bruton, says the United States and Europe will want to avoid antagonizing Russia while giving some reassurances to former Soviet bloc countries now in the EU and NATO.

Newswire: Nikki Beach Hotels Partners with Dolphin Capital Investors Five-star Resort & Beach Paphos Cyprus

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Nikki Beach Hotels Partners with Dolphin Capital Investors Five-star Resort & Beach Paphos Cyprus

Nikki Beach EMEA Hotels and Resorts Limited (“Nikki Beach”), announces the signing of a management agreement with Dolphin Capital Investors, the leading residential resort developer in South East Mediterranean. Through this partnership Nikki Beach, one of the world’s most recognizable lifestyle and entertainment brands, will operate a five-star luxury resort within ‘Venus Rock Golf Resort’ in Paphos, Cyprus. Expected to open in mid 2012, the Nikki Beach Resort and Spa will provide 80 sea view rooms and suites, a Nikki Beach Club and pool bar, spa and fitness facilities, an Ultra VIP Lounge/Club, and signature restaurants. Enhanced by its stunning natural setting, thematic architecture and the turquoise waters that surround it, the new Nikki Beach Resort and Spa at Venus Rock will combine five-star service, glamorous accommodation, distinctive design and a unique ambiance to provide a haven for the most discerning of travelers.

The Nikki Beach resort will also house a residential community consisting of 50 lifestyle villas offering unique benefits, such as priority access and VIP treatment to all the hotel’s facilities and outlets, 24 hour “Nikki Sensations” concierge service, carefree maintenance 24-7 and many other global privileges.

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Lesprom Network: Latvia exported 2.9 million tonnes of timber in the first nine months of 2008

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Latvia exported 2.9 million tonnes of timber in the first nine months of 2008

Latvia exported 2.9 million tonnes of timber from its ports in the first nine months of 2008, Latvian Central Statistical Bureau reported. Latvia's state forestry management company Latvijas Valsts Mezi made LVL 92.67 million (euro130.44m /$165m) in 2007 putting it just behind Swdbank, reports the Baltic Course. The study, which ranked 500 companies in order of performance, also indicates that last year was the most successful for Latvian business in terms of profitability since the restoration of independence.

Last year, companies in Latvia made a total of more than LVL 1.98 billion (euro2.76b/$3.5b), which equates to around 1.2 times more than they did in 2006.

GozoNews.com: In 2006, about three million foreign immigrants settled in a country in the EU27

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In 2006, about three million foreign immigrants settled in a country in the EU27

In 2006, about three million foreign immigrants settled in a country in the EU27. These immigrants can be divided into two groups based on their citizenship: citizens of EU27 Member states (1.2 million persons) and non-EU27 citizens (1.8 million). EU27 citizens migrating to a Member State, of which they were not citizens, accounted for 40% of foreign immigrants. The remaining 60% of foreign immigrants were almost equally divided between citizens of countries in Europe outside the EU27, Asia, America and Africa, with each accounting for about 15%. In 2006, the largest foreign immigrant groups in the EU27 were citizens of Poland (about 290 000 persons), Romania (about 230 000), Morocco (about 140 000), the United Kingdom, Ukraine and China (each about 100 000) and Germany (about 90 000).

In 2006, the largest number of foreign immigrants was recorded in Spain (803 000 persons), Germany (558 500) and the United Kingdom (451 700), who together received 60% of all foreign immigrants in the EU27.

Time Magazine: Automakers bailout: Why the Dems' Drive to Aid Detroit is Stalling Out - by Jeff Haynes

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Automakers bailout: Why the Dems' Drive to Aid Detroit is Stalling Out - by Jeff Haynes

Although they have presided over the largest expansion of the U.S. government since the Johnson administration, the GOP has apparently reached its line in the sand when it comes to economic bailouts. Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid Monday introduced legislation asking that $25 billion of the $700 billion bailout fund Congress approved in September be redirected for use by General Motors, Ford and Chrysler in the hopes of helping the faltering industry avoid going under, but Republicans immediately balked at the idea. "It does no good for taxpayers to pour $25 billion into the car companies and find that a year later that money has been spent and yet nothing has changed to diminish their obligations. Where will they get the next $25 billion? And the $25 billion after that?" Senator Jon Kyl, an Arizona Republican, said on the Senate floor. "The reality is that they've got to change the way that they're doing business in order to, I think, warrant asking taxpayers for anything."

Note EU-Digest: why don't the automakers request Shell, Mobil and Exxon to bail them out? After all they were the ones who enjoyed the benefits of the gas guzzling cars Detroit produced.?

Christian Science Monitor: Consumers close their wallets - by Ron Scherer

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The economic Meltdown: Consumers close their wallets - by Ron Scherer

Retail sales plunge a record 2.8 percent in October, suggesting a dismal outlook for holiday spending.

With only a few weeks to go before the holiday season officially kicks off, retailers are saying this is the worst consumer environment since World War II. Big box retailers are fighting for survival, department stores are preparing massive promotions, and some stores are asking manufacturers to take back their products even before Thanksgiving. An unenthusiastic consumer has wide ramifications for the US economy because 70 percent of the nation's production of goods and services is oriented toward consumption. Economists are lowering their estimates for economic growth for this year, expecting a sharp contraction of at least 3 percent in the fourth quarter. By early December, some observers think the Federal Reserve will be forced to lower interest rates to below 1 percent for the first time since the Eisenhower administration. "Horrific is the best word to describe what's going on out there," says Fred Dickson, chief investment strategist at D.A. Davidson & Co. in Lake Oswego, Ore.

Who can blame consumers for putting on their slippers and watching football games? The volatile stock market seems to have a black cloud over it. Home prices have yet to bottom out. Pink slips are proliferating. And, the credit card companies want payment even while the ink dries on your statement.

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The Guardian: Holding Obama's feet to the fire in respect Guantánamo as his legal advisors are said to be drafting plans- by Suzanna Goldenberg

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Holding Obama's feet to the fire in respect Guantánamo as his legal advisers are said to be drafting plans-by Suzanna Goldenberg

Hopes that Obama would move swiftly to dismantle the detention facility rose after the Associated Press reported today that his legal advisers were drafting plans to ship scores of inmates from the offshore prison to the mainland to stand trial in US courts. Under plans drawn up by Obama's advisers, between 60 and 80 detainees would be put on trial in the US in a mix of civilian criminal courts and the court martial system. About 17 high-level detainees, such as Khalid Sheikh Mohammed, would also go on trial but before a new version of a national security court - not the Bush administration's much criticised military tribunals. The American Civil Liberties Union immediately called on Obama to ban torture and rendition as well as close down Guantanámo.Also pressure has been coming on this issue from the European Union.

Pakistan Observer: al Qaeda strike imminent? - Is a similar 9/11 conspiracy in the making? - by Akhtar Jamal

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al Qaeda strike imminent? - Is a similar 9/11 conspiracy in the making? - by Akhtar Jamal

Is a similar 9/11 conspiracy in the making - by Akhtar Jamal

An Israeli intelligence site claimed Sunday that “US president-elect Barack Obama, European and Russian heads of states in Washington G20 conference were briefed over the weekend about a probable early al Qaeda attack.” Isreali intelligence news site, “Debka”, also claimed that “Obama and his team have been advised that a new al Qaeda strike is highly probable in the United States or against a key US target in Europe, North Africa or the Middle East.” However, there was no indication from the American official or media about such a possible attack or conspiracy. The “Debka” claim coincided with a regional intelligence report that Israeli Mossad and Indian RAW regional chiefs have held an important meeting in a European capital and discussed “possible preparatory reaction” to a new mystery yet to unfold. Regional watchers have also cautioned against fast growing strategic and secret cooperation between certain foreign elements in the neighorbood of Pakistan.

The DEBKA report claimed that al Qaeda’s Yemen base, a reliable barometer for Osama bin Laden’s schemes, issued a Directive to All Fighters in Arabia on Nov. 9 presaging a major operation in the United States that will “change the political and economic world” and be “far bigger than 9/11.”

Boston Globe; European soccer - Why Karl Marx would love America's sports -- and hate Europe's - by Steven Stark

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European soccer - Why Karl Marx would love America's sports -- and hate Europe's - by Steven Stark

When it comes to big-time sports, it's Europeans who are the real free-market meritocrats - rewarding success, leaving failure behind, and letting every man fend for himself. By comparison, American professional sports is organized as a giant welfare state, where wealth is shared, luxury spending is taxed and passed to the poor, and even the weakest are never allowed to fail.

The contrast is most striking in football. To many abroad, the National Football League is America. And the NFL is about as redistributive an enterprise as one can imagine - a living example of "share and share alike." The league's revenue-sharing provisions mean that its massive television revenues go into a huge pot, which is handed out evenly regardless of success - the bigger, successful teams essentially subsidizing the smaller failures. There are also salary caps, and scheduling and draft mechanisms that empower the poor at the expense of the rich - all in the name of equality, otherwise known as "parity."

Alibaba.com: EU Trade Chief: Russia More Than 90% There To Joining WTO - by Sharon Li

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Russia More Than 90% There To Joining WTO - by Sharon Li

Russia is more than 90% on the way to joining the World Trade Organization, the European Union's trade chief said in a statement Friday. The E.U. and Russia held talks in Nice, France, this week. The E.U. has refused to support Russia joining the WTO until Russia removes export duties it has imposed on timber shipments. The duties are hurting E.U. paper companies in Finland and the Baltic region. Russian Prime Minister Vladimir Putin agreed this week to delay planned increases in the tariffs while negotiations continue.

New Vision Online : Global crisis reason to rethink market economies - Andrew Ojede

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Global crisis reason to rethink market economies - Andrew Ojede

In the 1930s, the US banks were the flagships of American economic might, and emulation by other nations of the fiercely free market financial system in the United States was encouraged. The recent financial crisis in the US and currently propagating through the entire global financial systems has its roots in the previous global financial crises that occurred in the 1990s and early 2000s. Capital movements were directed toward the US market with low interest rates, but with little or no regulation. Many American consumers, even those without sound credit history, became over-leveraged. There was explosion in sub-prime mortgage lending – lending at an adjustable interest rate to American consumers without sound credit and amidst uncertain future income. The financial turmoil threatens to put the banks, at the heart of the US financial system, partly in the hands of the government.

An economy based on the free market cannot function that way. It is reasserting itself in the lives of American citizens in ways that were unthinkable in the era of market-knows-best thinking. The hands-off brand of capitalism in the US is now being blamed for the easy credit that sickened the housing market and allowed a freewheeling Wall Street to create a pool of toxic investments. Many critics now view the heavy intervention in the market as further robbing Washington of the moral authority to spread the gospel of laissez-faire capitalism.

FT.com - Oman in talks with BAE over Eurofighters purchase - by Sylvia Pfeifer

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Oman in talks with BAE over Eurofighters purchase - by Sylvia Pfeifer

BAE Systems is in talks to secure a second multi-billion euro export order from the Middle East for Eurofighter Typhoon aircraft. The British defense contractor is in early-stage negotiations with the government of Oman to sell them the aircraft, sources familiar with the negotiations confirmed.Sources said the Oman government was looking to replace the Jaguars with Typhoons by around 2012 in a deal that could be worth an initial euro 1.64b (US$ 2.6b), although that would not include the billions of pounds BAE could net to maintain and support the aircraft.The Typhoon would give Oman a boost in terms of its air defence capability, although the sources cautioned that Oman could yet postpone any decision.

dailypress.com: US Auto Industry - No to Detroit

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US Auto Industry - No to Detroit

What's good for General Motors is not, in fact, necessarily good for America. The assertion that their interests are one in the same, uttered 55 years ago by a company executive, reflected a time when U.S. automakers' dominance was in its heyday. Today, a taxpayer-funded bailout might be good for General Motors — or Ford or Chrysler — but it would not be good for America.Detroit's trouble isn't a temporary economic downturn. It's a business model that's unsustainable.

Using taxpayer money to prop up a business model that's not viable is like treating an abscessed tooth by giving the patient more potent painkillers. That may get you through the night, but the only real solution is to go in and clean out the mess. That's what bankruptcy does. It doesn't mean the company operating in bankruptcy — as Circuit City is currently doing, and as airlines and others have done before — goes out of business. Rather, it provides breathing room and an opportunity to clean out the mess that businesses have made through untenable cost structures, inefficient organizations and unappealing products. It's a back-to-boot-camp way to get lean and strong. If a lifeline needs to be thrown using public money, it should be in forms that are appropriate for government: transitional help for laid-off workers and training for new jobs.

EU-Digest/ Journal live: Alternative ergy EU - Offshore windparks: Sea breezes whip up jobs bonanza - by Adrian Pearson

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Alternative energy EU - Offshore windparks: Sea breezes whip up jobs bonanza - by Adrian Pearson

EU civil servants have produced a Strategic Energy Review which will see billions of euros spent creating the supergrid in order to reduce dependency on Russian fuel and meet renewable energy commitments. The plan will see all wind farms off the coast linked up to one supply chain, making it easier and cheaper for developers to build offshore turbines.

Business leaders meeting at the influential North East Economic Forum’s energy seminar were told yesterday the European Commission was opening up the way for massive regional investment. Derek Taylor, senior energy adviser at the commission, yesterday told The Journal the changes “may take time, but they will produce jobs in this region”. He said: “The North Sea offshore grid is one of the six priority projects identified by the new strategy.

EU-DIGEST/EB : Bush Calls G20 Meeting Successful, More Meetings Needed he says - Public at large (73%) not hopeful about results CNN Poll shows

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Bush Calls G20 Meeting Successful, More Meetings Needed he says - Public at large (73%) not hopeful about results CNN Poll shows

Outgoing President Bush said the G20 discussed making financial regulations more consistent worldwide, reform of financial regulations and the desire to avoid protectionist responses to the crisis, among other matters.
The president, whose second term ends in January, said he will work "tirelessly" to make sure the U.S. government transition to a new presidential administration is smooth. He also said President-elect Barack Obama's leadership team has been fully briefed on the goals of the G20 meeting that was just concluded.

Contrary to the positive words coming from most of the participants in the G20 summit a CNN poll showed the public at large does not share that enthusiasm when asked.

CNN Poll: Are you optimistic that G-20 leaders can fix the economy?

Yes 27% 2371
No 73% 6311
Total Votes: 8682

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Spiegel OnLine: EU Prepares to Get to Work: Europe Wants to Cooperate Closely with Obama

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EU Prepares to Get to Work: Europe Wants to Cooperate Closely with Obama

The European Union is seeking a close working relationship with US President-elect Barack Obama, but it wants to do so with equal footing. In a strategy paper developed by EU foreign ministers, Europe says it is ready for closer cooperation on a number of difficult issues. The proposal is seven pages long and states: "The world order has changed. In it, the Europeans want to play their role alongside the Americans." The plan, created under the auspices of the European Union rotating presidency of French President Nicolas Sarkozy, is to be discreetly delivered to the Obama team.

The real Truth: The Future of Newspaper, Magazine Industry Grows Dim

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The Future of Newspaper, Magazine Industry Grows Dim

growing number of people reading news on the Internet has caused a downward spiral in the circulation of daily newspapers and magazines, and generated concern among industry professionals anxious about how to make a profit. “The numbers reflect a continuation of a trend that began in the 1980s, as younger people turn to cable TV and the Internet to learn about current events. ‘It used to be a truism that the only thing a newspaper had to do to improve circulation is produce a better newspaper,’ says industry analyst John Morton. ‘Now, young people aren’t any more inclined to pick up a good newspaper than a bad one. That isn’t likely to change’” (USAToday).Lay-offs, buyouts and downsizing have been reported at many large papers, including the Los Angeles Times, Dallas Morning News, Time Magazine and the Boston Globe. Former U.S. Vice-President Al Gore’s independent television network, Current Media, was the most recent to report lay-offs (CNET News). However, the effects have not only been experienced through downsizing, but also in the quality of the product itself. Newspapers evidence fewer pages, less content, a higher newsstand subscription price and losses in advertising revenue. This has created challenges for the industry, and caused several newspapers to abandon print production to focus solely on their online content.

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FT.com : Russia - Medvedev backs plan for Europe security summit - by Tony Barber and Stefan Wagstyl

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Russia - Medvedev backs plan for Europe security summit - by Tony Barber and Stefan Wagstyl

The European Union and Russia backed plans yesterday for a pan-European security summit next year to ease tensions raised by the Georgia crisis and a dispute over missile systems in eastern Europe. Nicolas Sarkozy, France's president, and Dmitry Medvedev, his Russian counterpart, said the summit could take place next June or July, bringing together the US, Russia and the EU's 27 member states under the auspices of the Organisation for Security and Co-operation in Europe (OSCE). The fate of the proposal is likely to hang on the stance taken by Barack Obama, the US president-elect, after he takes office in January and conducts a review of US national security and defence policy.

EU-Digest - Press TV - Chavez: G20 summit a waste of time

Press TV - Chavez: G20 summit a waste of time

Chavez: G20 summit a waste of time

Hugo Chavez says that G-20 summit in Washington is a waste of time, because it excluded the poor and is hosted by the people who caused the problem. "Really, I don't know what they are going to do in Washington, the host is to blame," Chavez said, referring to Saturday's meeting of the world's 20 richest countries to tackle the problems of world economy. "They are going to waste their time," Chavez said in a television speech to supporters.

Note EU-Digest: Probably not a complete waste of time. It will provide an opportunity for some of the major economic players in the world to exchange ideas, say goodbye to President Bush and to issue a positive statement. However, without the key player, President elect Obama, who is not yet sworn in as the leader of the USA, which deregulated financial system caused this whole problem in the first place, no decisions of any importance can be made. It's also interesting to see that the British PM Gordon Brown, who fought his country's participation in a common European currency and close regulatory and monetary cooperation, has now suddenly become an advocate of a more structured global financial system. In this respect, it seems that the only world leader who has come up with well thought out plan for a badly needed restructured capitalist system is Mr. Nicolas Sarkozy, the President of France, presently also holding the Presidency of the EU.

Times Online: Nicolas Sarkozy calls for rethink over US missile defence system in Europe - by David Charter

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Nicolas Sarkozy calls for rethink over US missile defence system in Europe - by David Charter

Barack Obama was handed an early foreign policy hot potato yesterday when President Sarkozy proposed a truce in the row over US plans for a missile defence system in Europe. Taking it upon himself to make the EU’s first intervention in the debate – and getting the backing of Russia, which has threatened to position missiles in Kaliningrad – Mr Sarkozy proposed a summit next year on a new pan-European security system, after a suspension of activity from both Moscow and Washington. The French President’s latest piece of off-the-cuff diplomacy caught most of the main players by surprise and raised eyebrows for seemingly trying to bounce the next US President into a policy change as well as talks about a security organisation to rival Nato

Note EU-Digest: compliments to Mr. Sarkozy. The "missile project" was an initiative by the Bush administration, against the wishes of a majority of the citizens in the countries involved and the EU. The missile shield plan also turned into a major stumbling block for Russia and the EU to develop neccesary closer ties. Mr. Obama once in the White House does best to scrap it.

The Bulletin - UN General Assembly President Omitted From G-20 Guest List? - by Michael Brasky

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UN General Assembly President Omitted From G-20 Guest List?

UN General Assembly President Omitted From G-20 Guest List? - by Michael Brasky

For Fr. Miguel d'Escoto Brockmann, president of the U.N. General Assembly, the guest list of the G20 is far too exclusive. On Thursday, when asked what Fr. d'Escoto's position was on the Washington summit, his spokesperson responded: "President d'Escoto believes, that the solutions and the dialogue should not come only from the G-8. And it should not come only from the G-20, or the G-40, for that matter. That it should come from the G-192, which is the General Assembly of the United Nations." Unanswered in the exchange was whether Fr. d'Escoto himself would be attending.

In a 2004 interview, he condemned President Reagan as "the butcher of my people" in reference to the Contra War in Nicaragua. This struck a nerve with many Bush administration officials who are devout adherents to the ethos of the Reagan era. Fr. d'Escoto has called American democracy a farce. "When they talk democracy, they mean a country that has submitted to them and that would comply with whatever they say," he was reported as having said. "When they apply the name democracy to another country, they mean it is an obedient country."

Daily Express : Secret plot to let 50 million African workers into EU - by Nick Fagge

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Secret plot to let 50 million African workers into EU - by Nick Fagge

More than 50 million African workers are to be invited to Europe in a far-reaching secretive migration deal, the Daily Express can reveal today.  A controversial taxpayer-funded “job centre” opened in Mali this week is just the first step towards promoting “free movement of people in Africa and the EU”. Brussels economists claim Britain and other EU states will “need” 56 million immigrant workers between them by 2050 to make up for the “demographic decline” due to falling birth rates and rising death rates across Europe. The report, by the EU statistical agency Eurostat, warns that vast numbers of migrants could be needed to meet the shortfall in two years if Europe is to have a hope of funding the pension and health needs of its growing elderly population.

Bloomberg.com: Germany - Alternative energy:: Plambeck 2009 Profit to Rise on Subsidy for offshore wind energy

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Germany - Alternative energy:: Plambeck 2009 Profit to Rise on Subsidy for offshore wind energy

Plambeck Neue Energie AG, the German wind-park developer founded in 1995, will post higher profit next year as clients take delivery on projects in time to collect higher subsidies, Chief Executive Officer Martin Billhardt said. Customers are delaying accepting finished parks until next year, when a government payment for wind power at onshore sites will be raised to 9.2 euro cents (11.70 cents) per kilowatt hour from 8 cents, Billhardt said. For offshore parks, the subsidy will increase to 13 cents from 8.92 cents.

Germany is seeking to increase renewable energy to 30 percent of the total by 2020 from 10.6 percent in 2006, according to the environment ministry. Plambeck predicts pretax profit will rise to as much as 32 million euros in 2009, according to a company presentation this month. Pretax profit will be 19 million euros to 24 million euros this year. Earnings per share may rise to as much as 69 cents from as much as 51 cents.

DutchNews.nl - Alternative Energy - Eneco applies for third offshore wind park

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Alternative Energy - The Netherlands: Eneco applies for third offshore wind park

Energy concern Eneco has applied for a licence to build its third off-shore wind park in the North Sea, 17 kms to the south of IJmuiden. In a statement released on Thursday, Eneco said it hopes the turbines (enough electricity for 200,000 households), will be operational in 2013. No financial details were disclosed. Eneco already operates the Princess Amalia offshore wind park at IJmuiden and applied for a licence for another facility at Callantsoog, close to Den Helder, in June.

The Nation: "US economic Leadership: Incompetence at exstraordinary levels- Paulson Plays While the World Pays" - by Nicholas von Hoffman

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"US economic Leadership: Incompetence at exstraordinary levels- Paulson Plays While the World Pays" - by Nicholas von Hoffman

In the past couple of months Bernanke has loaned out $2 trillion to unnamed companies under eleven different programs, all but three of which have been slapped together in the past fifteen months of financial crisis. To repeat, we do not know who got this money or what collateral was put up in return for the loans or what conditions were attached to them. In the past couple of months Bernanke has loaned out $2 trillion to unnamed companies under eleven different programs, all but three of which have been slapped together in the past fifteen months of financial crisis. To repeat, we do not know who got this money or what collateral was put up in return for the loans or what conditions were attached to them.

Paulson appears to have given away, invested, loaned or lost about $300 billion of the first $700 billion Congress gave him, but he has lost more than money: nobody believes him or Bernanke anymore. Every day another company steps forward with its handout--American Express, Chrysler, GE Financial--and every day it appears Paulson and Bernanke are prepared to accommodate these corporate mendicants.

AFP: World recession deepens ahead of G20 Washington crisis summit

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World recession deepens ahead of G20 Washington crisis summit

The economies of all 27 EU countries contracted by 0.2 percent in the third quarter, escaping recession only because second-quarter growth was zero and not negative. Another sign of the brutal economic climate came from the Organization of Petroleum Exporting Countries which said it would hold a special meeting in Cairo on November 29 to discuss how to respond to the slump in prices. Some members want a new production cut to hold prices up despite the acceleration this might give to the downturn. French President Nicolas Sarkozy, European Commission head Manuel Barroso met Russian President Dmitry Medvedev in Nice, France, to work on proposals for the summit.

Mr.Sarkozy, current president of the European Union, said on Thursday: "I leave for Washington tomorrow to explain that the dollar, which at the end of World War II was the only world currency, can no longer claim to be the sole world currency. The world changes. We are in the 21st century and the French view is that we cannot continue into the 21st century with a system (established) in the 20th century," he said.

ABCNews: France stands strong against economic crisis

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France stands strong against economic crisis

The French economy has confounded expectations by not following Germany into recession. The French Economy Minister, Christine Lagarde, says the economy grew by 0.4 per cent in the third quarter of the year. Everyone, including the official statistics office had been predicting that economic activity in France would shrink in the third quarter, as it did in the second quarter, thus ushering in a technical recession. Instead France's economy grew, only by a tiny 0.14 per cent, but that was enough.

Bloomberg.com: EADS Returns to Profit on Airbus Deliveries, Raises Forecast - by Andrea Rothman

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EADS Returns to Profit on Airbus Deliveries, Raises Forecast - by Andrea Rothman

European Aeronautic, Defence & Space Co., the continent's largest aerospace company, returned to profit in the third quarter as it delivered more Airbus A380 superjumbo airliners. It raised its full-year profit forecast. Net income was 679 million euros ($865 million) compared with a 776 million-euro loss a year earlier, Paris- and Munich- based EADS said in a statement released by the German stock exchange. Last year's loss included charges for delays of the A400M military transport plane.

M&C: Romania's trade deficit soars

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Romania's trade deficit soars

Romania's current account deficit grew by nearly 15 per cent in the first nine months of the year, authorities said Wednesday, the latest sign of a possible economic crunch for the European Union newcomer. Goods imports running far ahead of exports were the main reason for the 12.7-billion-euro (16.1-billion-dollar) shortfall in the nation's broadest measure of international trade, central bank data showed.

Could a Person of Color from an Immigrant Family Be Elected in Europe?

AlterNet: Could a Person of Color from an Immigrant Family Be Elected in Europe?:

"Could a Person of Color from an Immigrant Family Be Elected in Europe?
By Sanjay Suri, IPS News
Posted on November 13, 2008, Printed on November 13, 2008
http://www.alternet.org/story/106768/

Nobody quite remembers the first name of that relative of Colin Powell. Or his second, for that matter.

Their families had left Jamaica about the same time. Colin Powell's moved to the U.S., the other to Britain. Colin Powell retired as U.S. secretary of state, the other as a bus conductor."

Who Will Lead the 'Next Europe', and To Where?

SAIS Next Europe: PostGlobal on washingtonpost.com:

"Who Will Lead the 'Next Europe', and To Where?

By Brian Stout

Last month I received a phone call from my eleven-year-old cousin, who wanted my thoughts for a class paper on 'what it means to be American.' The last two years have borne witness to an often rancorous debate over that very subject, a debate that played out on a global stage. Discussions of 'American exceptionalism' prompted proud proclamations from this side of the Atlantic and engendered skepticism abroad. After all, what does make America so special?"

Globalization Is Good for Europe - SPIEGEL ONLINE - News - International

"Globalization Is Good for Europe

By Peter Mandelson

Europe is nervously watching the dramatic changes under way in the world economy. The suspicion is: If it is good for the Chinese, then it is bad for us. But protectionism is not the answer, argues the former EU Trade Commissioner."

More:Opinion: Globalization Is Good for Europe - SPIEGEL ONLINE - News - International

edie.not: Irish company to develop wind farms in Chile

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Irish company to develop wind farms in Chile

Developing wind farms in Chile is to be the latest energy venture of Airtricity founder Eddie O'Connor. Mr O'Connor sold his Airtricity businesses in the US and Europe last year for €50 million and with a portion of the money set up a new company in February called Mainstream Renewable Power. Now, the relatively new company has signed into a €785 million joint venture deal with Chilean company Anders Energy to develop wind farms in the South American country. It is hoped that the wind farms created will generate enough power for around 217,000 homes, with a 35MW wind farm planned to be ready in two years in the Valparaiso region of Chile.

Eastern Europe Economy Watch: Massive Foreign Reserves Outflow Puts Russia's Ruble Trading Band Under Threat

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Massive Foreign Reserves Outflow Puts Russia's Ruble Trading Band Under Threat

Russia's currency reserves, the third-biggest in the world, are falling steadily as tumbling oil prices and an exodus of capital are piling the pressure on the central bank and government policymakers to accept a devaluation in the ruble. Oil prices which are now down 60% from their july peak, slowing economic growth and increasing investor concern are steadily draining Russia's foreign exchange reserves, which fell 19 percent (to $484.6 billion) in the 12 weeks through Oct. 31. This is down from $598.1 billion in the week before the invasion of Southern Ossetia. Russia had been using the reserves to try and contain the upward movement in the ruble was thought to present a threat to the competitiveness of exports. But resistance is now becoming increasingly difficult in the fact of a 13 percent drop against the dollar since August 1.