EU-DIGEST

9/11/13

Syria: Obama Keeps Campaign Promise - Diplomacy Preferable Over War - Watch Live: Presidents Address to the Nation

President Obama

President Obama said in his speech he will use diplomacy to remove Syria's chemical weapons. However, he warned that the United States must be prepared to take military action if diplomatic efforts fail.

An international survey of speech-watchers conducted immediately after the conclusion of Obama's Tuesday address indicates that 61% support the president's position on Syria, with 37% opposing his response to the Syrian government's alleged use of chemical weapons against its own citizens.

The poll indicates that nearly two-thirds of those who watched the speech think that the situation in Syria is likely to be resolved through diplomatic efforts, with 35% disagreeing ... According to the poll, those who watched the president were divided on whether Obama made a convincing case in his speech for U.S. military action in Syria, with 47% saying he did and 50% saying he didn't."

Watch Live: President Obama's Address to the Nation on Syria | The White House

9/10/13

The Netherlands: Health Insurers saw their profits double last year to 1,4 billion euros but premiums remain high

Dutch insurance companies nearly all doubled their profits last year, but industry business leaders said they are doubtful that they can reduce their customers premiums in 2014..

Last year Dutch health insurers saw their profits more than double to 1,4 billion euros. In response to the figures, the Minister for Health Edith Schipper said was that there was a "social imperative" to conclude that higher income leads to lower premiums.

Roger van Boxtel, CEO of insurance company Menzis, said that he wants nothing more than to lower premiums, but that any further decrease in premium costs depends very much on the measures that the government presents in the Budget.

As to the large profit figures made by the health insurers, van Boxel said, "Many people have been saying over the last few months ‘that we made large profits’. But if you want to be a healthy company, you need to have buffers."

The Dutch health insurance system (January 1st, 2006) is a combination of private health plans with social conditions built on the principles of solidarity, efficiency and value for the patient.

Health insurance in the Netherlands is mandatory if you are on a long-term stay and is designed to cover the cost of medical care. As a rule, all expats must have a Dutch health insurance even if they are insured for healthcare in their homeland also.

Dutch insurance companies are obliged by law to offer you the basic package. They can not deny coverage because of gender, age or health profile.

Almere-Digest

Germany: the Frankfurt Auto Show - photos

It was media preview day at the Frankfurt Motor Show in Germany.

The International Auto Exhibition is the world’s biggest auto show and will be open to the public September 14-22, 2013.

It features the latest releases and concept automobiles from Porsche, BMW, Mercedes, Audi, Lamborghini, Bugatti and much more.

Read more: Updated: New photos from the Frankfurt auto show - The Globe and Mail

Syria conflict: Disputes flare over UN resolution

A Russian plan for Syria's chemical weapons to be put under international control has sparked immediate disputes over resolutions at the United Nations.

The UK, US and France want a timetable and consequences of failure spelt out, and Washington has warned it will "not fall for stalling tactics".

Russia said any draft putting the blame on Syria was unacceptable and urged a declaration backing its initiative.

Syria has said it accepts the Russian proposal on its chemical stockpile.

Foreign Minister Walid al-Muallem said on Tuesday that Damascus was willing to become a party to the Chemical Weapons Convention, Russian Interfax news agency reported,

Read more: BBC News - Syria conflict: Disputes flare over UN resolution

World Championship Soccer: Netherlands beats Andorra 2-0 and qualifies for Brazil

Netherlands are the first European side to qualify for the 2014 World Cup in Brazil after a double from Robin van Persie saw them beat Andorra 2-0.

The Netherlands won’t be happy with their performance, especially the first half, but they are now assured of their place in Brazil next year, thanks to Turkey’s 2-0 win over Romania, meaning no side in group D can catch them.

The real work for Dutch trainer Louis van Gaal now begins as he seeks the best eleven to take to next summers World Cup.

Read more: Andorra 0-2 Netherlands Match Report - Football Oranje

NSA - Of Course The NSA Should Be Spying On Petrobras - editorial - by Christopher Helman

Over the weekend the Guardian, New York Times and others wrote about Glenn Greenwald’s disclosure of Edward Snowden’s top secret NSA docs revealing that the U.S. government had been monitoring the phone calls and emails of Petrobras executives as well as of Brazilian President Dilma Rousseff.

Rousseff said she was so offended that she is considering cancelling her state visit to the U.S. in October. Former President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva said the NSA spying violates Brazil’s national sovereignty. “If the facts reported by the press are confirmed, it will be evident that the motive for the spying attempts is not security or the war on terrorism but strategic economic interests,” Rousseff said in a statement. “Clearly, Petrobras is not a threat to the security of any country.”

Aren’t you just shocked, shocked that the National Security Agency has been spying on Brazilian oil giant Petrobras? I’m not. In fact it would be more shocking if the NSA weren’t gathering every fact it could on Brazil and Petrobras, a bloated, state-controlled behemoth reportedly rife with corruption.

The company is Brazil’s biggest. Brazil relies on it to supply low-cost, subsidized fuel for its growing economy, even though that subsidy policy has forced the company to eat $8 billion a year in foregone income and sell assets and bonds to make ends meet. Efforts to rein in those subsidies to limit refining losses were met with riots this summer. Meanwhile, the Brazilian real has been falling against the U.S. dollar, dramatically pushing up Petrobras’ costs of servicing its $75 billion in mostly dollar-denominated debt — more than any other oil company.

A weakened Petrobras means a weakened Brazil, which means a less stable South America. Shouldn’t this be directly in the NSA wheelhouse?

Note EU-Digest: Of course Mr.Christopher Helman - if you believe that spying of one country over another is legitimate.

Read more: Of Course The NSA Should Be Spying On Petrobras - Forbes

NSA Spying: Europe needs a "Boston Tea-Party" as EU politicians seek suspension data-sharing deal with US

European politicians on Monday called for the immediate suspension of a data-sharing agreement between the U.S. and the European Union following more revelations of spying by the U.S. National Security Agency.

The Terrorist Finance Tracking Program (TFTP) provides the U.S. Treasury with data stored in Europe by the international bank transfer company Swift. However documents leaked by former NSA contractor Edward Snowden and reported by The Washington Post indicate the NSA spied on Swift.

The company is included in an NSA training manual for new agents on how to target private computer networks, according to the documents.

“I think there is more than enough evidence to call for a suspension,” said Dutch Member of the European Parliament Sophie In’t Veld. “Formally, it is for the Commission to propose the suspension and then for the Council to decide. But we in Parliament can call for the suspension in the strongest terms.”

German MEP Jan Philipp Albrecht agreed. “The revelations about NSA surveillance of Swift make a mockery of the E.U.’s agreement with the U.S. The NSA surveillance is an open breach of the agreement and further undermines the already insufficient data protection given to European citizens under the deal,” he said in a statement.

The TFTP agreement was controversial from the start with the EU Parliament only reluctantly agreeing to it in 2010.

One senses, based on the sentiments expressed around us in Europe, and also from spontaneous public reactions, which flare-up on occasions, such as the news about the NSA spying on European Citizens, Governments and Industry data, the Middle East crises, or revelations about US financial and corporate entities exploiting Europe as a tax haven, that whatever way you look at it, the US has too much of an engrained influence on every level of European life. This might be beneficial to the US, but it is not helpful to the European Union in finding its own independent identity

The Genie, however, is starting to come out of the bottle and will hopefully push the European political establishment in taking a more independent posture when dealing with the US and in forging a stronger European Union.

As a European politician said: "Europe is in dire need of their own Boston Tea-Party".

EU-Digest

9/9/13

Education: France unveils new school 'secularism charter'

France on Monday unveiled a new charter designed to reinforce rules banning religion from schools which have been a recurring cause of tension with Muslims and other faiths.

The "Charter for Secularity in School," is to be displayed in poster form in every state-funded school in the country in a move pioneered by the Socialist government's education minister, Vincent Peillon.

The 15-point statement contains nothing new in legal terms.

Instead, Peillon says, it represents an attempt to promote better understanding, and more consistent enforcement, of long-established principles which have their roots in the anti-clericalism of the French revolution and the country's 1905 law enforcing a strict separation of church and state.

Peillon's initiative was greeted coolly by leaders of France's five million Muslims, some of whom see the aggressive promotion of secularity as an assault on their culture and traditions.

Recent years have seen a string of legal disputes arising from the exclusion from school of girls wearing headscarves in defiance of a 2004 law which prohibits the wearing of "ostentatious" religious symbols.

Read more: France unveils new school 'secularism charter' - FRANCE - FRANCE 24

Almere: Asian tiger mosquito found in seven Dutch locations, clean-up underway

The Asian tiger mosquito has been identified at seven locations in the Netherlands and efforts are underway to eradicate it, government safety experts said recently.

The mosquito, which can carry dangerous diseases such as yellow fever, has been identified at used tyre import companies in Oss, Weert, Montfort, Almere, Lelystad, Emmeloord and Harderberg, the NVWA inspectorate said in a statement.

The European centre for infectious diseases said earlier this year the tiger mosquito, an aggressive, day-time biting mosquito which can transmit some 20 viruses and parasites, had made its home in the Netherlands, but that was denied at the time by local officials.

Read more: DutchNews.nl - Asian tiger mosquito found in seven Dutch locations, clean-up underway

Poland: Warehouse market: still plenty of room for growth - by Radosław T. Krochta

Lokale Immobilia sits down with Radosław T. Krochta, vice president of MLP Group, to discuss the development potential of the Polish warehouse market, current trends and the most popular locations in Poland

The majority of the investments are located in Silesia, the historic center of Polish industry, especially in towns such as Katowice, Mysłowice, Gliwice and Sosnowiec.

We have also been observing the revival of the Poznań market that was expected a few years back, when the Poznań ring road was completed. The improved road access didn’t attract investors right away, but it seems like they are starting to see opportunities there. A significant number of German investors are heading to the Wielkopolskie voivodship.

Poland is still attractive to our German neighbors for its lower rents, short travel times (Silesia is only a few hours’ car ride from most German cities), good infrastructure, and more importantly, a cheaper, qualified workforce.

Read more: Warehouse market: still plenty of room for growth - Warsaw Business Journal - Online Portal - wbj.pl

UK growing at fastest pace since 2010, but non-EU exports plunge - by Ben Chu

The British economy is growing at its fastest pace since 2010 according to the National Institute for Economic and Social Research (NIESR) think tank.

In the latest indication that the recovery is gathering pace, NIESR estimates that GDP expanded by 0.9 per cent in the three months to August, up from 0.7 per cent in the three months to July.

Official figures yesterday showed that output from Britain’s manufacturing sector expanded by 0.2 per cent, following an impressive 1.9 per cent surge in June. But a dampener was put on rapid recovery hopes with disappointing broader industrial production figures and a widening of Britain’s stubbornly high trade deficit in July.

Syria crisis: Russia urges Assad to give up chemical weapons

Russia has asked Syria to put its chemical weapons stockpiles under international control and then have them destroyed, in an attempt to avoid US military strikes.

Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said the offer was made during talks with his Syrian counterpart, Walid Muallem, who welcomed the initiative.

The US said it was sceptical, but would have a "hard look" at the plan. The US accuses Damascus of war crimes, allegations denied by the regime.

US Secretary of State John Kerry, in Europe to garner support for the military action, has once again warned that taking no action is riskier than launching strikes.

When asked at a news conference whether there was anything Syrian President Bashar al-Assad could do to avoid military action, Mr Kerry replied that he could hand over his entire stockpile of chemical weapons within the next week.

Read more: BBC News - Syria crisis: Russia urges Assad to give up chemical weapons

9/8/13

Internet encryption protocols compromised by US - NSA and British - GCHQ, according to leaked documents - by James Vincent

Intelligence agencies from Britain and the US have cracked many of the encryption protocols used to secure communications on the internet, according to documents leaked by the NSA whistleblower Edward Snowden.

The fresh information reveals that the US National Security Agency has worked in collaboration with the the UK's GCHQ to compromise online privacy.

"For the past decade, NSA has lead [sic] an aggressive, multi-pronged effort to break widely used internet encryption technologies,” reads a GCHQ document from 2010. "Vast amounts of encrypted internet data which have up till now been discarded are now exploitable."

Various methods have been pursued in order to break or circumvent the security protecting the personal data of billions of people.

These include breaking encryption with “brute force” attacks conducted by super computers; using court-orders to force companies into handing over master keys to their software, and one program that “actively engages US and foreign IT industries to covertly influence and/or overtly leverage their commercial products' designs”.

This latter scheme, named the Sigint Enabling Project, costs the NSA $254.9m a year according to a 2013 budget document provided by Snowden. Sigint stands for "signal intelligence". An internal memo from the agency records the reaction from British analysts: “Those not already briefed were gobsmacked!”

“These frightening revelations imply that the NSA has not only pursued an aggressive program of obtaining private encryption keys for commercial products […] but that the agency has also attempted to put backdoors into cryptographic standards designed to secure users' communications,” said the Electronic Frontier Foundation in response.

“Additionally, the leaked documents make clear that companies have been complicit in allowing this unprecedented spying to take place, though the identities of cooperating companies remain unknown.”
In response to the leaked documents - which were handed from Mr Snowden to The Guardian, The New York Times and the non-profit news site Pro Publica - Google have claimed that no such "active engagement" has taken place.

Note EU-Digest: Strange and maybe even suspicious is that the EU Parliament and EU Commission seem to be taking these allegations for granted and so far have hardly said anything about it .

As for the US foreign policy team, they might benefit to take note of the biblical quote "And why beholdest thou the mote that is in thy brothers eye, but considerest not the beame that is in thine owne eye?" Matthew 7, verse 3

Read more: Encryption protocols compromised by NSA and GCHQ, according to leaked Edward Snowden documents - UK - News - The Independent

Germany: Thousands protest NSA spying in Berlin (VIDEO)

Thousands of people took to the streets of Berlin, Germany on Saturday to protest against NSA surveillance activities and fight for their right to privacy.

Demonstrators carried banners which read, “Stop spying on us,” along with the phrases “NSA killed by internet” and “Thanks to PRISM the government finally knows what the people want.” The event was organized under the slogan “Freedom Rather Than Fear.”

"Intelligence agencies like the NSA shamelessly spy on telephone conversations and Internet connections worldwide [and] our government, one of whose key roles is the protection from harm, sends off soothing explanations," Kai-Uwe Steffens from the German Working Group on Data Retention said, as quoted by AFP. Steffens was one of the speakers on stage at the rally.

The protest was put on by Germany’s Green party, along with the Left and Pirate parties. The event hosts claimed the rally was attended by around 20,000 people. However, police declined to confirm the numbers, only stating that their “tally differs from that of the organizers.”

“The Europeans have been outraged by the amount of their personal details that have not only being obtained through spying scandal, but also just handed over [to the US intelligence] by certain companies,” RT’s Peter Oliver reported from Berlin.

Documents leaked by whistleblower Edward Snowden revealed close cooperation between the NSA and internet giants such as Facebook and Google.
Read more: Thousands protest NSA spying in Berlin (VIDEO) — RT News

US urges EU to postpone Israel settlement ban

US Secretary of State John Kerry has urged the European Union to postpone a planned ban on EU financial assistance to Israeli organisations in the occupied Palestinian territories, a US official said.

Kerry made the request at a meeting with EU foreign ministers on Saturday at which he also called on them to support Israeli-Palestinian negotiations, which resumed on July 29 after a nearly three-year hiatus.

The EU imposed restrictions in July, citing its frustration over the continued expansion of illegal Jewish settlements in territory captured by Israeli forces in the 1967 Middle East War.

A senior US State Department official told reporters in the Lithuanian capital Vilnius that Kerry called on the Europeans to consider postponing the implementation of EU guidelines on aid.

Note EU-Digest: these are illegal Israeli settlements in the occupied West Bank. Why should the EU lift the financial assistance to Israeli organizations in the occupied Palestinian territories?

Syria: Obama’s Syria Plan May Not Have the Votes – Will He Attack Anyway?

Suggesting an uphill fight for President Barack Obama, House members staking out positions are either opposed to or leaning against his plan for a U.S. military strike against Syria by more than a 6-1 margin, a survey by The Associated Press shows. The Senate is more evenly divided ahead of its vote next week.

Still, the situation is very fluid. Nearly half of the 433-member House and a third of the 100-member Senate remain undecided.

By their statements or those of aides, only 30 members of the Republican-led House support intervention or are leaning in favor of authorizing the president to use force against Syrian President Bashar Assad’s government in response to a chemical weapons attack last month. Some 192 House members outright oppose U.S. involvement or are leaning against authorization, according to the AP survey.

The situation in the Democrat-controlled Senate is better for Obama but hardly conclusive ahead of a potential vote next week. The AP survey showed those who support or are leaning in favor of military action holding a slight 34-32 advantage over those opposed or leaning against it.

Health: Lung diseases cause one in 10 deaths across Europe

Lung conditions are the cause of one in 10 of all deaths in Europe and smoking is a major factor, says a report from the European Respiratory Society.

It says deaths from lung cancer and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) will rise over the next 20 years because of past smoking rates.

But a British lung charity says lung disease kills one in four in the UK.
Yet it does not receive priority when it comes to prevention, treatment or research funding, it says.

Read more: BBC News - Lung diseases cause one in 10 deaths across Europe

9/7/13

Tokyo to host 2020 Olympic Games

Tokyo has been chosen to host the 2020 summer Olympic Games by the event's organizing committee, beating out Istanbul and Madrid in the final vote tally.

All three cities made impassioned pleas to the International Olympic Committee during presentations on Saturday.

Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe emphatically promised the crippled Fukushima nuclear plant would have no negative effect on Tokyo, while his Turkish counterpart Recep Tayyip Erdogan urged the IOC to choose Istanbul and help "send a strong message of peace to the whole world".

Madrid emphasised it was ready, dependable and safe, with Prime Minister Mariano Rajoy telling members "numbers don't lie".

Tokyo's win comes after two years of intense lobbying and tens of millions of dollars in campaigning by all three candidate cities.

Madrid was initially knocked out, with Istanbul and Tokyo advancing to the second round of voting.

Read more: Tokyo to host 2020 Olympic Games - Olympics - Al Jazeera English

‘Globesity’: US junk food industry tips global scales

From Mexico to Qatar, obesity rates are soaring to unprecedented levels. The alarming trend is damaging economic performance, as well as the health of millions of consumers worldwide.

Take our increasingly sedentary lifestyles, mix in a generous portion of American fast-food and dubious agricultural practices, add a dash of corporate duplicity and you have a recipe for high obesity rates across the planet.

The newly released United Nations report on global nutrition does not make for very appetizing reading: Amid an already floundering global economy, the reality of a fattening planet is dragging down world productivity rates while increasing health insurance costs to the tune of $3.5 trillion dollars per year - or 5 percent of global gross domestic product (GDP).

31.8 percent of US adults are now considered clinically obese. This is a remarkable figure, especially considering that it is approximately double the US obesity rate registered in 1995, according to data from the Center for Disease Control and Prevention .

Read more: ‘Globesity’: US junk food industry tips global scales — RT USA

9/6/13

Syria: Naval Confrontation Russia - US In The Making ? - by RM

Russian Navy Ships In Mediterranean Manoeuvres

Sixteen months into an uprising that has now grown increasingly chaotic over the course of this year and the possibility of a political solution to the crisis in the offing seems more grim than ever.

In the background of the ongoing drama in this key Middle Eastern country now also looms the shadow of escalating naval tensions in the eastern Mediterranean.

The West and its Arab and Turkish allies are demanding concessions from Russia on its position in Syria, concessions which Moscow finds far too lopsided.

Consequently Russia and China wielded their third veto on Thursday on a Syria resolution which Russia fears could be interpreted as an authorization for military action. Moscow wants to hold on to political negotiations and is groping for ways to keep the dialogue on Syria alive. In the meantime, it is strengthening its naval power in the region.

Even though most military experts doesn’t foresee a deliberate clash between the two major powers in the Eastern Mediterranean, one should not underestimate legitimate concerns about the possibility of an accidental mistake resulting in a clash which spirals out of control.

Unfortunately the Syrian crisis could than boil-over into a naval face-off that could destabilize the Middle East and pose a potential threat to world peace.

The relationship between Russia and Syria can be compared to that of the US and South Korea. So just like the US would strike back at every aggressor which attacks South Korea, Russia can be expected to do the same when it concerns Syria..

"Playing chicken" is a very dangerous game when it concerns Russia and its partner Syria.

EU-Digest

The Rise of the Antiwar Libertarians - by Nick Gillespie

If the House and Senate vote against authorizing war next week, the efforts by these two guys will have been instrumental. Indeed, their outspoken, principled pushback is part of the reason that President Barack Obama—the 2009 Nobel Peace Prize winner—hasn’t already pursued some sort of strike “just muscular enough not to get mocked” by the world while not inciting retaliation by Bashar al-Assad’s allies, Russia and Iran.

Paul and Amash consistently take on their own party when it comes to limiting executive power, rolling back the surveillance state and other war-on-terror excesses and redefining foreign policy.

Amash is not only conducting an exemplary districtwide listening tour on Syria, he’s documenting it via his Twitter feed and the Facebook page he uses to explain all his votes and positions. Paul added an amendment to the Senate resolution on Syria that declares the president in violation of the Constitution if he launches attacks without congressional authorization. Unlike the flip-flops by Republicans who were hawks on Iraq—and in-the-GOP-tank organizations such as the Heritage Foundation—no one assumes these guys will reverse their stances on bombing Arabs the second that the Party of Lincoln regains the White House.

You may not like their positions on abortion or gay marriage (I don’t particularly—and I’m a libertarian), but Amash and Paul’s intense ideological consistency is precisely why they are effective in limiting fighting overseas. They are never afraid to take on the president—or their own party. Sen. John McCain has denounced them by name as “wacko birds,” and they’ve been called everything from racists to assholes.

Compare their adamantine spine to rollover Republicans such as Eric Cantor and Speaker John Boehner, or any of the 35 House Democrats (with Nancy Pelosi leading the charge like a latter-day Molly Pitcher!) that Think Progress figures will vote yes on military action.

Then there’s the bipartisan Senate resolution, which was spearheaded by Bob Corker (R-TN) and Robert Menendez (D-NJ), and hews to Obama’s bizarre, pathetic insistence that he wants to send an unambiguous message to the Assad regime without actually toppling it. As First Things editor R.R. Reno devastatingly argues, “Launching cruise missiles or airstrikes simply to ‘show resolve’ or ‘send a message’ cannot be justified. At the end of the day, these rationales authorize symbolic killing, which is fundamentally immoral.”

Netherlands liable for deaths of three Bosnian Muslims killed at Srebrenica: says Dutch supreme court

The Dutch Supreme Court ruled Friday that the Netherlands was liable for the deaths of three Bosnian Muslim men during the 1995 Srebrenica massacre, even though its forces there were part of a U.N. peacekeeping mission.

The decision upheld a 2011 appeals court judgment that was seen as setting a worrying precedent for countries providing troops for United Nations peacekeeping forces, because it held the Dutch state responsible for events that happened during a UN mission.

The case was brought by Hasan Nuhanovic, an interpreter who lost his brother and father, and relatives of Rizo Mustafic, an electrician who was killed. They argued that all three men should have been protected by Dutch peacekeepers. Mustafic and Nuhanovic were actually employed by the Dutch, but Nuhanovic’s father and brother were not.

The victims were among thousands of Muslims who took shelter in the UN compound as Bosnian Serb forces commanded by Gen. Ratko Mladic overran Srebrenica on July 11, 1995. Two days later, the outnumbered Dutch peacekeepers bowed to pressure from Mladic’s troops and forced thousands of Muslim families out of the compound.

Bosnian Serb forces sorted the Muslims by gender, then trucked the males away and began executing some 8,000 Muslim men and boys. Those bodies were plowed into hastily made mass graves in what international courts have ruled was genocide.

The slaying was the worst massacre on European soil since World War II.

Read more: Netherlands liable for deaths of three Bosnian Muslims killed at Srebrenica: supreme court - The Globe and Mail

Syria: Brutality of Syrian Rebels Posing Dilemma in West - by C. J. CHIVERS

The Syrian rebels posed casually, standing over their prisoners with firearms pointed down at the shirtless and terrified men.

The prisoners, seven in all, were captured Syrian soldiers. Five were trussed, their backs marked with red welts. They kept their faces pressed to the dirt as the rebels’ commander recited a bitter revolutionary verse.

“For fifty years, they are companions to corruption,” he said. “We swear to the Lord of the Throne, that this is our oath: We will take revenge.”

The moment the poem ended, the commander, known as “the Uncle,” fired a bullet into the back of the first prisoner’s head. His gunmen followed suit, promptly killing all the men at their feet.

This scene, documented in a video smuggled out of Syria a few days ago by a former rebel who grew disgusted by the killings, offers a dark insight into how many rebels have adopted some of the same brutal and ruthless tactics as the regime they are trying to overthrow.

Note EU-Digest: unfortunately these are the people the US, Turkey, France and some other EU countries are supporting and willing to risk the consequences of a military intervention for.

G20 summit: Syria divides deepen during dinner hosted by Putin - majority skeptical of bombing - by Patrick Wintour

G20 leaders have failed to agree on any punitive action against the Assad regime in Syria, or even that it had been responsible for the chemical weapons attack east of Damascus in August.

The majority of leaders at a summit dinner on Thursday evening in Peterhof, near Saint Petersburg, were not in favour of any punitive action unless it was agreed by the UN security council, although strong calls for the UN to live up to its responsibilities were made by the Americans, the Turkish, Canadians, French and British.

The UK prime minister, David Cameron, described the debate at the four-hour dinner as passionate, but said the summit was never going to reach agreement on Syria due to the depth of divisions.

He expressed his frustration with the insistence by Russia's president, Vladimir Putin, that the chemical attack that may have claimed more than 1,000 lives was undertaken by rebel forces rather than the government. He said Putin "was miles away from what I think the truth is and miles away from what many of us believe".

Cameron expressed scepticism that Putin could be persuaded by any evidence that the chemical attack was launched by the government's forces. Cameron reported Putin "said to me he would like to see further evidence of regime culpability and we will go on providing him evidence, but I think it will take a lot to change his mind, let me put it that way".

During the dinner, Putin told Barack Obama and François Hollande that the chances of reviving peace talks soon after a punitive bombing strike would be minimal.

The Russian leader won the support of the Chinese, a long-term ally of Putin on Syria, but backing also came from the UN secretary general, Ban Ki-moon, Argentina, Brazil and several European leaders, including Angela Merkel. One German diplomat said "Putin did not need to toughen his tone at the dinner. There were enough skeptics."

Desperate efforts by the French delegation to establish at the least a common European position appear to have failed, with French fury aimed at the EU president of the council, Herman Van Rompuy, for criticising an attack without first consulting EU foreign ministers on his position.

Read more: G20 summit: Syria divides deepen during dinner hosted by Putin | World news | theguardian.com

9/5/13

Aircraft Industry: Delta chooses Airbus over Boeing for 40 plane order - by Karen Jacobs

Airbus A321

Delta Air Lines Inc announced an order for Airbus jets on Wednesday worth almost $6 billion at list prices, softening its reliance on Boeing for the first time in two decades as it looks for plane bargains.

The order, crowning a months-long competition between the transatlantic plane-making rivals, includes 30 A321 narrowbody planes to be used on domestic flying as well as 10 A330-300 widebody aircraft for international routes. Deliveries will be between 2015 and 2017.

The list price for the deal is $5.6 billion, but analysts said Delta may have won a steep discount after holding out longer than most of its rivals for lower prices as Europe's Airbus seeks to expand recent successes in Boeing's home market.

"I would be surprised if Delta didn't get a phenomenally good deal," said Adam Pilarski, senior vice president at U.S.-based aviation consultants Avitas.

Both the aircraft types and the delivery schedule - between 2015 and 2017 when both major plane makers are keen to keep up production of existing models before switching to new variants - underscores the probability of competitive pricing, he said.

Read more: Delta chooses Airbus over Boeing for 40-plane order - chicagotribune.com

Putin warns Russia could come to Syria's aid over US strike

As he touched down in St. Petersburg on Thursday morning, President Obama greeted his host Vladimir Putin with a handshake and a smile.

But the cordial greeting belies the tinderbox the two leaders are sitting on, as they posture and deliberate over a potential U.S. strike on Syria -- one of Russia's closest Mideast allies.

Putin escalated concerns about the fallout from any strike when he indicated in an interview published Wednesday that his country could send Syria and its neighbors in the region the components of a missile shield if the U.S. attacks.

U.S. Gen. Martin Dempsey, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, testified this week that the Russians might even replace any military assets the U.S. destroys in a strike.

The warnings raise the possibility of a supposedly "limited" strike on Syria turning into a proxy tit-for-tat between Russia and the U.S.

Rep. George Holding, R-N.C., went further during a hearing on Syria on Wednesday, pressing military officials on what the U.S. would do "if Russia decided to strike at us in that theater."

"We can certainly say that Russia would have options to strike us in that theater in retaliation for us striking their ally," he warned.

Read more: Putin warns Russia could come to Syria's aid over US strike | Fox News

Canada: Baird faults Russia on Syria as G20 leaders gather - Alison Crawford

Prime Minister Stephen Harper and Foreign Affairs Minister John Baird of Canada have arrived in St. Petersburg, Russia, ahead of a G20 summit that is bound to focus nearly as much energy on the crisis in Syria as on the global economy.

World leaders are arriving for meetings meant to tackle global economic uncertainty, but overshadowed by international disagreement over what to do about the worsening conflict in Syria.

The likelihood that Syria and the use of chemical weapons there will be a major topic in the corridors of the G20 meetings was underscored Tuesday by the late announcement that Baird would join Harper and Finance Minister Jim Flaherty at the summit.

Baird will meet separately with his counterparts from the United States, Brazil, China, Russia and Turkey, The Canadian Press reported.

Read more: Baird faults Russia on Syria as G20 leaders gather - Politics - CBC News

Syria: The Obama gamble : Give Assad two choices: the negotiating table or bombed to the stone age - by RM

President Obama

It is very difficult to imagine that the US Congress will resolve the Syria issue in a couple of days of debate.

The House will be inclined to write and debate its own resolutions, several committees will be dying to hold hearings, and most members will want to take time on the floor to explain their positions, etc, etc.

While the local politicians are discussing Syria you can be sure the White House staff will also be making their pitch to US and friendly foreign political leaders.

Obama's gamble has already had one important success, no matter how the cards finally fall in place, it has shifted the emphasis and control of the Syrian debate back into the hands of the President.

It has also given the Obama Administration more time, which, without doubt, will eventually leave Mr. Assad with only two choices, either he immediately shows up at the negotiating table and makes a deal, or he gets bombed into the stone age. Its a gamble, but certainly a brilliant one.

EU-Digest

The Netherlands-Almere: Grass Mowers Replaced By Sheep

Sheep instead of lawn mowers?

Starting today a herd of some 300 sheep will take over from the gas guzzling and noisy grass mowers in Almere Harbor ( Almere Haven) to keep all public "green" areas trimmed and proper during a three year trial period.

The local city council says they believe this is an environmentally friendly way to keep public grass areas not only trimmed, but also to protect certain plant species, which sheep don't eat, from extinction.

The Council also expressed the hope that the grazing sheep will create additional interest among the local inhabitants as to the ecology and wildlife surrounding them.

Almere-Digest

9/4/13

Suriname leader Bouterse distances himself from jailed son

President Desi Bouterse of Suriname distanced himself Tuesday from his son following the younger man's arrest and quick extradition to the United States to face drug and weapons charges.

The president told reporters that Dino Bouterse is an adult and no longer holds a government position with the South American country.

"When people talk about Dino sometimes it sounds like they are talking to me about a 12-year-old," the president said. "But he is a grown man, with 13 children, who will turn 41. He is responsible for his own actions."

Still, Bouterse, who said he was in shock when he first got word of the arrest, stressed that he was not abandoning his son and is making sure he has the legal assistance he needs. "I am the president, but I'm also Dino's father, and news like that does not leave you cold or unmoved," he said.

The remarks were the first from the president since his son was arrested Thursday in Panama and quickly extradited to New York to face charges in a cocaine smuggling case. News of the younger man's arrest came as Suriname hosted UNASUR, the organization of South American nations.

Bouterse has had frosty relations with the U.S. government over his own past, which includes presiding over a military dictatorship and being convicted in absentia in the Netherlands of drug trafficking, and he said the arrest was intended to "disrupt the UNASUR summit," though he did not explain what or who might be behind it.

The president said he had asked his fellow South American leaders not to discuss his son's case. "I wanted to avoid the UNASUR being dragged into this whole matter," Bouterse told reporters.

Desi Bouterse won the presidency of the ethnically diverse country, a former Dutch colony of about 500,000 people in May 2010 in a parliamentary vote after cobbling together a coalition that included former enemies in Suriname's bitter civil war. At the time, he was still a defendant in an off-again-on-again murder trial in the killing of 15 political opponents in 1982 and faced arrest at Netherlands' request following his conviction in absentia there for drug trafficking in 1999.

In April 2012, the president's supporters in parliament pushed through amnesty legislation that put the murder trial on indefinite hold.

Europe Dominates Top Global Competitiveness Report 2012-2013

The Global Competitiveness Report 2012-2013 assesses the competitiveness landscape of 144 economies, providing insight into the drivers of their productivity and prosperity. The Report series remains the most comprehensive assessment of national competitiveness worldwide. Access the data platform to visualize and download the data.

This year’s report findings show that Switzerland tops the overall rankings in The Global Competitiveness Report for the fourth consecutive year. Singapore remains in second position with Finland, in third position, overtaking Sweden 4th). These and other Northern and Western European countries dominate the top 10 with the Netherlands, Germany and United Kingdom respectively ranked 5th, 6th and 8th. The United States (7th), Hong Kong (9th) and Japan (10th) complete the top 10.

The Report emphasizes persisting competitiveness divides across and within regions, as short-termism and political deadlock continue to hold back the economic performance of many countries and regions. Looking forward, productivity improvements and private sector investment will be key to improving global economies at a time of heightened uncertainty about the global economic outlook. Read the full report, press release and access the full rankings

Read more: Global Competitiveness Report 2012-2013 | World Economic Forum - Global Competitiveness Report 2012-2013

US Economy: Jobless rate is worse than you think - by Heidi Shierholz

On Labor Day, the US celebrated the American worker. And more than four years since the Great Recession ended in June 2009, the unemployment rate is 7.4%, a big improvement from the high of 10% in the fall of 2009. Unfortunately, the rate is hugely misleading: Most of that improvement was for all the wrong reasons.

Remember, jobless workers are not counted as being part of the labor force unless they are actively looking for work, and the decline in the unemployment rate since its peak has mostly been the result of workers dropping out of -- or not entering -- the labor force.

According to Congressional Budget Office estimates, if the labor market were healthy, the labor force would number about 159.2 million. But the actual labor force numbers just 155.8 million. That means about 3.4 million "missing workers" are out there -- jobless people who would be in the labor force if job opportunities were strong.

Given the weak labor market, they're not actively looking for work and so aren't counted. If those missing workers were actively looking, the unemployment rate would be 9.4%.

The Netherlands: Almere Harbor Festival - 3 days of fun for the whole family and free parking

This weekend the Almere Harbor Festival in Almere Haven, Province of Flevoland kicks off with free activities for the whole family, including an open air classical concert of the Gelderland Province Philharmonic Orchestra conducted by Gijs Leenaars on Saturday, September 7, 8.30 pm.

Also a special performance by the Almere Youth Symphony Orchestra on Friday, September 6, 8.00 pm, conducted by Hans Welle, with guest performances by Almere's Elise Doorn, Elise de Koning and Iris Lommerse.

The 3 day festival will also include boat rides on the century old classic Dutch fishing boats known as "botters", food and beer tasting events, circus Corrosia, and a two day antique market.

Parking during the 3 day festival at Almere Haven is free.

Festival Program

Friday Deptember 6

11.30-16.00 Botterrace
16.00-22.00 Havenkom Proeverij
16.00-22.00 Bierproeverij
19.45-21.30 Jeugdorkest AJSO

Saturday 7 september
11.00-17.00 Kunstmarkt
12.00-17.00 Circus Corrosia12.00-16.00 Botterfestival
13.00-23.00 Havenkom Proeverij
13.00-23.00 Bierproeverij
20.00-22.00 Yakult Havenkom Concert

Sunday 8 september
11.00-17.00 Kunstmarkt 12.00-17.00 Circus Corrosia 11.00-18.00 Brocante en Antiekmarkt
12.00-16.00 Botterfestival
11.30-18.00 Shantykoren
12.00-18.00 Havenkom Proeverij
12.00-18.00 Bierproeverij

Almere-Digest

Sweden: Obama tries to reassure Europeans over US NSA spying programs

President Barack Obama is reassuring Europeans that the U.S. is not snooping through their emails or eavesdropping on their telephone calls.

Obama says U.S. surveillance programs that became public knowledge after a government contractor leaked details about them are meant to help improve America's understanding of what's happening around the world.

He acknowledged that the programs haven't always worked as intended and said steps have been taken to "tighten them up."

Europeans, who place a premium on privacy, were outraged by the programs.

At a news conference Wednesday on his first visit as president to Sweden, Obama assured Europeans that the U.S. isn't spying on them. He says additional changes to the programs may be required and that his national security team along with an independent board is reviewing everything.

Note EU-Digest: not only Europeans place a premium on privacy, everyone in the world does and those who don't are just plain ignorant

Read more here: http://www.miamiherald.com/2013/09/04/3605011/obama-reassures-europeans-over.html#storylink=cpy

9/3/13

The Tallest People In The World: Germany, Denmark and the Netherlands hit the heights in European growth study

Germans, Danes and the Dutch are standing tall today after coming out top in a European height survey.
Men from these countries grew at the fastest rate over the century to 1980, according to a new paper published in Britain by Oxford Economic Papers.

Males from the Netherlands increased in height by 1.41cm per decade between 1871 and 1980, with Germany (1.25cm), Denmark (1.24cm) and Spain (1.19cm) next in the list. The slowest growers were Ireland (0.80cm), followed by France (0.91cm), Great Britain (0.93cm) and Norway (also 0.93cm).

Overall, the average size of men in Europe grew by 11cm between 1871 and 1980, topping 1m 78cm.

Professor Timothy Hatton, professor of economics at the University of Essex, said: “Increases in human stature are a key indicator of improvements in the average health of populations. The evidence suggests that the improving disease environment, as reflected in the fall in infant mortality, is the single most important factor driving the increase in height. The link between infant mortality and height has already been demonstrated by a number of studies.”

Read more: Germany, Denmark and the Netherlands hit the heights in European growth study | euronews, world news

The Netherlands: Dutch PM Rutte Says Netherlands in Difficult Times, Unemployment to Rise - by Fred Pals

The Netherlands is going through extraordinarily difficult economic times and unemployment will continue to rise for some time, Prime Minister Mark Rutte said.

“Radical changes will come to the Netherlands,” Rutte said in a lecture in Amsterdam yesterday. “We stand for fundamental choices, and we need to make the right ones.”

Read more: Almere-Digest: Dutch PM Rutte Says Netherlands in Difficult Times, Unemployment to Rise - by Fred Pals

Syria: After Russia detected ballistic objects Israel says it conducted missile tests in Mediterranean

Tensions over Syria ratcheted up a notch on Tuesday after Russia's Defense Ministry said it detected traces of ballistic "objects" — now claimed by Israel — launched from an area in the central Mediterranean and moving in an easterly direction.

After some initial confusion over who was responsible, the Israeli military said it was behind the launch, saying it was carrying out a joint missile test with the United States, reports from the BBC and Reuters said.

However, it was not immediately clear to what extent the U.S. was involved in the missile test. Earlier, CBS News tweeted that a U.S. official confirmed that American ships or planes were not involved in the missile launches.

Separately, Pentagon spokesman Navy Commander William Speaks told the Associated Press: "I have nothing to confirm those reports whatsoever."

Israel's Defense Ministry told the AP that a single missile was fired but gave no other details. It said the test was "successful."

Russia's state-run Interfax news agency said the "targets fell into the sea."
The Russian embassy in Syria said there was no sign of a missile attack or explosion inDamascus.

Read more: Reports: Israel says it conducted missile tests in Mediterranean

Global Shipping: Lower demand may quash shipping rates: experts

Global container shippers may find it challenging to raise freight rates this month because of oversupply problems caused by slow seasonal demand this quarter, according to reports issued by brokerage houses.

Major container shipping companies in Taiwan, including Evergreen Marine Corp and Wan Hai Lines Ltd, have announced their rate hike programs, or rate restoration plans, which took effect yesterday.

Evergreen Marine, the owner of the nation’s largest container shipper fleet, is set to hike rates for its Far East and Indian subcontinent to Europe and the Mediterranean region by US$450 per twenty-foot equivalent unit (TEU), or by US$900 per forty-foot equivalent unit (FEU).

Read more: Lower demand may quash shipping rates: experts - Taipei Times

Syria: France to hold debate but no vote on military action in Syria - NATO not participating in operation

The French prime minister has been showing leaders of parliament evidence which he says proves President Assad’s forces used chemical warfare.

The French parliament is due to debate the Syria crisis on Wednesday, although the government has said it won’t hold a vote.

Prime Minister Jean-Marc Ayrault said: “On wednesday there will be a debate without a vote, because in law the ultimate decision can only be taken by the president of the republic alone, once the coalition is formed, to lead an action which will send this strong message: It is no longer possible for the dictator Bashar Al Assad to use chemical weapons in Syria against his own people.”

NATO has confirmed it won’t be taking part in any action but reaffirmed its support for the American position:

Note EU-Digest: Poll in France showed 73 % of population wants no involvement in military operation

Read more: France to hold debate but no vote on military action in Syria | euronews, world news

9/2/13

US-Brazil tensions flaring after report that NSA spying program also targeted Brazil’s president

The Brazilian government condemned a U.S. spy program that reportedly targeted the nation’s leader, labeled it an “unacceptable invasion” of sovereignty and called Monday for international regulations to protect citizens and governments alike from cyber espionage.

In a sign that fallout over the spy program is spreading, the newspaper Folha de S.Paulo reported that President Dilma Rousseff is considering canceling her October trip to the U.S., where she has been scheduled to be honored with a state dinner. Folha cited unidentified Rousseff aides. The president’s office declined to comment.

The Foreign Ministry called in U.S. Ambassador Thomas Shannon and told him Brazil expects the White House to provide a prompt written explanation over the espionage allegations.

The action came after a report aired Sunday night on Globo TV citing 2012 documents from NSA leaker Edward Snowden that indicated the U.S. intercepted Rousseff’s emails and telephone calls, along with those of Mexican President Enrique Pena Nieto, whose communications were being monitored even before he was elected as president in July 2012.

Mexico’s government said it had expressed its concerns to the U.S. ambassador and directly to the U.S. administration.

Brazilian Foreign Minister Luiz Alberto Figueiredo said, “We’re going to talk with our partners, including developed and developing nations, to evaluate how they protect themselves and to see what joint measures could be taken in the face of this grave situation.”

Read more: US-Brazil tensions flaring after report that NSA spying program targeted Brazil’s president - The Washington Post

Sweden, US unveil $25 mln clean water technology grant

The US Agency for International Development and the Swedish government announced a $25 million grant program Monday to increase access to clean water for farming.

Read more at: http://phys.org/news/2013-09-sweden-unveil-mln-technology-grant.html#jCp

he Securing Water for Food program is intended to fund innovators and help their businesses take root in countries where the technology is desperately needed.
"Almost three billion people on the planet right now live in areas impacted by water scarcity," USAID Global Water Coordinator Chris Holmes told AFP.
"We want to take technology that has already proven it works and use the grant money to overcome hurdles to get it into countries that no one has bothered or been able to get into, like Sub-Saharan Africa."
Grants were expected to range from $250,000 to a million dollars for winning proposals.
"It is not just putting up cash; it is making a commitment that we will work closely with them to overcome obstacles in a developing country to try to build out a new technology," Holmes said.
Grants will be awarded in categories such as improving water reuse and countering intrusion of salt water into rivers, streams, deltas or underground aquifers.
"In a finite biosphere, solutions to pressing water challenges require new thinking and innovative financing," Swedish Minister for International Development Cooperation Gunilla Carlsson said in a statement.
"Through a catalytic use of aid, Securing Water for Food will be able to capture and support the implementation of innovative ideas and new technologies for better water efficiency and sustainable development."
Water scarcity affects more than 40 percent of the world's population, and approximately 70 percent of fresh water is used for agriculture, according to USAID.

Read more at: http://phys.org/news/2013-09-sweden-unveil-mln-technology-gran

Sweden and the US have unveiled a $25 million clean water technology grant to help solve the ever greater problem of clean water on our planet. This as more than 40% of the world's population does not have clean drinking water.

Read moreL US, Sweden unveil $25 mln clean water technology grant

Poland first to get gas from 'fracking' in Europe

Poland has begun a test extraction of shale gas in amounts not seen in Europe before. Eager to reduce energy dependency on Russia, Poland has succeeded after three international firms quit drilling in the country.

Lane Energy Poland, controlled by ConocoPhillips, is now extracting some 8,000 cubic metres of shale gas per day at a test well in the northern city of Lebork in Poland, Reuters quotes a polish newspaper. Although the productivity of the site is lower than at gas fields in the US or Canada, it is still a breakthrough and marks the first positive result for shale gas extraction in Europe, according to the Poland's Chief Geologist Piotr Wozniak.

Another Polish refiner PKN Orlen is also expected to announce the production results of tests at its well in Syczyn in eastern Poland, one of the most promising in the country.

Three international majors, Exxon Mobil, Marathon Oil, and Talisman Energy, dropped out of the programme after they failed to hit their targets. According to a June report by US Energy Information Administration (EIA), the estimates for Poland's shale gas resources have fallen from 187 trillion to 148 trillion cubic metres.

Read more: Poland first to get gas from 'fracking' in Europe — RT Business

Britain is Europe's 'addictions capital', says think tank

The UK has become the drug and alcohol "addictions capital of Europe", a think tank has warned.

The Centre for Social Justice - set up by Work and Pensions Secretary Iain Duncan Smith - said drink and drug abuse cost the UK £36bn a year.

Its report warned that the UK has become a hub for websites peddling potentially dangerous "legal highs".
The CSJ also criticised the government for failing to tackle heroin addiction and cheaply available alcohol.

The report, No Quick Fix, found that last year 52 people in England and Wales died after taking legal highs, up from 28 the previous year.

The substances, sometimes referred to as club drugs and including Salvia and Green Rolex, are often marketed as bath salts or research chemicals.

But the drugs can be sold legally as long as they are clearly marked "not for human consumption", but have been known to cause permanent bladder damage, blood poisoning and death.

According to the Centre for Social Justice (CSJ), there are now more than 130 UK-registered websites selling the products cheaply by mail order - making postal service workers unwitting drug mules.

Read more BBC News - UK is Europe's 'addictions capital', says think tank

USA: Negotiation, Not War Is Solution for Syria

The US will seek a "tailored" military response to alleged use of chemical weapons in Syria, stated Secretary of State John Kerry Friday.

However, Kerry did not give further details regarding the size and timing of the intervention.

He also stressed that the US believes that the only working solution to the situation can come through negotiations.

The special Friday press event was expected to reveal America's plans for intervention, after the British Parliament voted against taking part in a military operation against Syria.

In his speech, the US Secretary of State was resolute that US intelligence sources have established beyond doubt that the forces of Syrian President Bashar Al-Assad had used chemical weapons on August 21.
He stated that although the US is "tired" of war, it does not have the moral right to leave the use of weapons of mass destruction unanswered.

Note EU-Digest: Maybe the Syrian question should be seen as a moral one for the US where it can finally come to grips with the concept of solving International conflicts by diplomatic means, and if need be by the large range of economic sanctions at their disposal, rather than by military intervention.

US readers of EU-Digest are encouraged to write, e-mail, call their state representatives in Congress, to vote against any sort or form of military action in Syria by the US.

A " no" vote on military intervention in Syria would show all the world that democracy is alive and well in the USA and that the power of the US democracy still lies anchored in the will of the people.

Read more: John Kerry: Negotiation, Not War Is Solution for Syria - Novinite.com - Sofia News Agency

9/1/13

Syria: Britain sold nerve gas chemicals to Syria 10 months after war began

Britain allowed firms to sell chemicals to Syria capable of being used to make nerve gas, the Sunday Mail revealed today.

Export licences for potassium fluoride and sodium fluoride were granted months after the bloody civil war in the Middle East began.

Yesterday, politicians and anti-arms trade campaigners urged Prime Minister David Cameron to explain why the licences were granted.

Dunfermline and West Fife Labour MP Thomas Docherty, who sits on the House of Commons’ Committees on Arms Export Controls, plans to lodge Parliamentary questions tomorrow and write to Cable.

He said: “At best it has been negligent and at worst reckless to export material that could have been used to create chemical weapons.

“MPs will be horrified and furious that the UK Government has been allowing the sale of these ingredients to Syria. “What the hell were they doing granting a licence in the first place?

The chemical is capable of being used to make weapons such as sarin, thought to be the nerve gas used in the attack on a rebel-held Damascus suburb which killed nearly 1500 people, including 426 children, 10 days ago.

President Bashar Assad’s forces have been blamed for the attack, leading to calls for an armed response from the West.

British MPs voted against joining America in a strike. But last night, President Barack Obama said he will seek the approval of Congress to take military action.

The chemical export licences were granted by Business Secretary Vince Cable’s Department for Business, Innovation and Skills last January – 10 months after the Syrian uprising began.

They were only revoked six months later, when the European Union imposed tough sanctions on Assad’s regime.

Read more: Britain sold nerve gas chemicals to Syria 10 months after war began - Daily Record

Russian and Chinese ministers meet on missile defense

Russian Air Defense Missiles

Russian Deputy Defense Minister Anatoly Antonov and Chinese Defense Minister Chang Wanquan discussed missile defense issues on the sidelines of an international conference in Brunei on Thursday.

They gathered for the second conference of defense ministers of the Association of South-East Asian Nations, the Russian Defense Ministry’s press service said on Friday.

The two sides reviewed prospects for increased cooperation between their ministries, taking in preparations for the 18th meeting of the Russian-Chinese intergovernmental commission on military technical cooperation, to be held in Moscow in October.

They exchanged views on international issues, focusing on missile defense and security measures covering the Asia-Pacific region, the press service said.

Antonov also met Brunei's Energy Minister, Yasmin bin Umar, to exchange views on broadening bilateral military and technical cooperation and themes of regional and international security.

Read more: Russian and Chinese ministers meet on missile defense | Russia & India Report

The Netherlands: Almere : some EURO 86 million appropriated money for job creating projects still on the shelf

It has been reported that in Flevoland millions of euros in 2006 investment funds, which were earmarked for stimulating the economy there are still held back in the Province administration capital of Lelystad.

Consequently many projects did not get off the ground. This is the conclusion of a Court of Auditors report on the investment program Flevoland-Almere (IFA).

The IFA, which has a term of ten to fifteen years to administer Government funds, specially aimed at the 'unique urban climate of Almere' designed to develop and market the economic position of Almere in the North Wing of the Randstad.

The idea was also to encourage entrepreneurs and residents to come up with appealing ideas for Almere. For example social, cultural and economic focused projects.

The Suburban Court of Auditors and the Court of Auditors also examined individually and later in cooperation with the municipality of Almere the recommendations of previous evaluations, which for example included tighter control mechanisms.

But despite all this, the earmarked money is still on the shelf "somewhere". Originally the Province of Flevoland and Almere agreed that EUR 100 million would be made available in three tranches. This has now shrunk to around EURO 89 million.

Once these funds are released it will require to have hands-on projects available which can be put into immediate action. Unfortunately these projects are still on the drawing board and don't seem to have been thought through in any detail yet.

Almere=Digest .

Syria: France, following US and UK, applies brakes on Syrian war rhetoric

Following Washington and London’s lead, French President Francois Hollande said he would wait for a parliamentary vote before committing France to a military attack on Syria.

The announcement comes as NATO countries reconsider whether to take military action against the Syrian government over a chemical weapons attack that killed hundreds of people in Damascus, amid growing public opposition to a US-led military intervention.

Paris backed off immediate military action against Syria after MPs in the UK House of Commons defeated Prime Minister David Cameron’s proposal that British forces take part in military action over the alleged use of chemical weapons by Assad’s government. The war vote – the first lost by a British prime minister since 1782 – was followed by US President Barack Obama saying Saturday that he would wait until he receives authorization from the US Congress before taking military action on Syria.

Surprisingly, given France’s past hesitation to join in military adventures, Hollande has been the most vocal supporter of a US military operation, which Obama said would not include “boots on the ground.”

The French president, unlike the British prime minister, does not require permission from the country’s parliament, the National Assembly, to order military action.

Read more: France, following US and UK, applies brakes on Syrian war rhetoric — RT News

Why Netherlands Are a Better Bet Than Germany at World Cup 2014 - by Alex Richards

Ah, Netherlands and Germany—something akin to the Montagues and Capulets in Shakespeare's Romeo and Juliet: As far as nations being footballing foes, rivalries don't come much more fierce than that between the European pair.

Next summer—barring the most ridiculous set of unforeseen events—the duo will both embark to Brazil for the 2014 World Cup.

And the pair will likely represent Europe's greatest hope—outside reigning champions Spain and European Championship finalists Italy—of coming away from South America with the trophy.

Certainly, Germany's performances in recent years have seen them marked as the coming force of European football, with a plethora of outstanding talent available to coach Joachim Loew.

In contrast, following the Netherlands dismal showing at Euro 2012 under Bert van Marwijk, where they lost each of their three group matches, new coach Louis van Gaal has rejuvenated the Dutch setup, mixing fresh ideas with new personnel.

Read more: Why Netherlands Are a Better Bet Than Germany at World Cup 2014 | Bleacher Report

Miracles In Syria: Insurgents attacked by ‘chemical bombs’ walk freely in contaminated areas without any harm

Wow. The miracles of Allah are plenty. Especially during Muslim slaughter of their own people. Chemical “bombs” fall over victim terrorists in Syria, yet mainly children are killed while the rest of them seem to do well. Amazing!

Maybe the UN should do a couple of autopsies and chemical tests on all those ‘dead’ people.
Yesterday we reported on the fake ‘Assad did it!’ claim coming from Syria, where Sunni extremists who forced their way into the country from neighbouring Arab countries to commit jihad (exactly like the ‘palestinians’ when they occupied Gaza and West Bank), fake it and churn propaganda.

They have no qualms about killing their own people, and don’t even mind killing children because children look better dead on TV than adults.

Dead children tend to bring more sympathy and reaction from Europe, UK and the U.S., who then step in and do the the dirty work for these savages in the Muslim Brotherhood. And of course, the Saudi’s add a lot of pressures to encourage the “evil and meddling west” to remove their Shia enemy.

If Western powers had any sense at all, they would stay put and just leave them to handle their battles themselves and stay out of it. With no one to step in and support them, no one to give funds and military supplies, what are they to do? No one can stop them from killing anyways. Muslims have been murdering their own people on a daily basis since the birth of pedo-prophet Mohammed. They are always in quarrels with someone or the other. In fact, in fifty years Muslims have murdered around 10 million other Muslims. It’s not really a loss. Who mourns the loss of another Muslim in the world? Know anyone?? The more of their own they kill, the more reasons to celebrate.

Read more: Miracles In Syria: Insurgents attacked by ‘chemical bombs’ walk freely in contaminated areas without any harm |

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