So let‘s go for it at long last—a Transatlantic Free Trade Agreement, or TAFTA. It‘s doable—and it‘s suddenly sexy. (…)
It could expand the European Union‘s single market to include North America and cover half of today‘s global output and 800 million high-end consumers—or 950 million, if Canada and Mexico join in.

In den vergangenen Tagen hatten sich Kanzlerin Merkel und einige andere EU-Partner für ein Freihandelsabkommen mit den USA ausgesprochen.

I wonder what are the EU criteria for picking up Commissioners. It’s must be according to what they drink or smoke… I really see no other explanation.

… and wait until Malta seeks bailout

Locals flee amid heavy gunfire after a rogue unit of paratroopers began attacking fellow Malian soldiers and civilians.

President Obama‘s administration has clearly built a drones program that they use as a first, not last, resort

Die Anhörung für den CIA-Chefposten geriet im US-Senat zum Verhör über Amerikas Drohnenkrieg. Der Kandidat John Brennan steckte harsche Kritik ein. Pakistan spricht von 3000 Toten. Aus Washington berichtet Sabine Müller.
Lautstarker Protest gegen Drohneneinsätze
Amerikaner protestieren gegen Drohnenkrieg in Pakistan (Bild: DPA)

Wütende Proteste gegen den Einsatz von Drohnen

Zu Beginn der Anhörung, die Kern des Bestätigungsverfahrens für Brennan als CIA-Chef ist, kam es zu Tumulten. Die Vorsitzende des Ausschusses, Dianne Feinstein, musste den Saal von der Polizei räumen lassen, nachdem Demonstranten mehrfach lautstark gegen die tödlichen Drohneneinsatze der USA im Ausland protestiert hatten.

Scahill went on to say, „[Brennan] has served for more than four years as the assassination czar, and it basically looked like they were discussing purchasing a used car on Capitol Hill. I mean, it was total kabuki oversight. And that’s a devastating commentary on where things stand.“

“Remember he was the cheerleader for some of these onerous policies — particularly renditions and extraordinary renditions. So for John Brennan, today, to say he read the Senate committee intelligence report on torture and he learned things he never knew before and that he was shocked with what he learned — this is a case of incredible willful ignorance,” says Melvin Goodman, former CIA and State Department analyst.

Therefore, Minister of Public Order and Citizen Protection, Nikos Dendias, was absolute right to say the photoshop was necessary otherwise the public could not recognize the robbers suspected of terrorism.

Not to mention the shock that these pictures would have caused to the public…

pictures in protothema.gr, zougla.gr and all Greek media and television channels.

Senegalese novelist Boubacar Boris Diop says war was intended to boost Hollande‘s image and further French interests

By the standards of how these things traditionally are done, the emerging EU Budget deal really does represent a significant shift of emphasis and momentum.

(04.02.) Europe and America are bracing for a Comprehensive (Free) Trade Agreement (TAFTA). There is a lot of coming and going between the EU Commission, its governing body, and the U.S. administration these days, pointing towards the probability that the negotiations will soon begin. Elites across the great blue water suddenly look with excitement at one another, rediscovering — surprise surprise — that we are after the closest of close relatives.

Moreover, signing both the TPP and TAFTA would have deep strategic implications. Both deals would reaffirm liberal norms and a leading U.S. role in setting the global rules of the road.

(04.02.) Experten warnen angesichts solcher Verhandlungen davor, scharfe Schutzmaßnahmen über den Umweg internationaler Verträge einzuführen, weil das eine nötige Reform des Urheberrechts erschwere oder gar unmöglich mache. Unter dem Einfluss einer starken Unterhaltungsindustrie wird dabei gerade US-Unterhändlern nachgesagt, dass sie für Maximalforderungen im Urheberrecht eintreten.

(05.02.) Am Rande der Münchner Sicherheitskonferenz wurde bekannt, dass im Zuge der Verhandlungen rund um ein transatlantisches Freihandelsabkommen zwischen den USA und der EU auch Änderungen an Urheberrecht bzw. Copyright behandelt werden sollen. Über den konkreten Verhandlungsstand ist in bester ACTA-Tradition jedoch nichts bekannt.

More details are starting to come out as the main EU negotiator for ACTA, Karel de Gucht, came to DC to see about getting things kicked off, on an agreement that‘s being called TAFTA — the Trans Atlantic „Free Trade“ Agreement. Of course, instead of recognizing the lessons from previous failed efforts to push for broken maximalist policies, it appears that the plan is to try, try again. Some are already saying that this is „the opportunity to try to set the gold standard“ in copyright, patent and trademark protection.

(06.02.) Staats- und Regierungschefs von Ländern der Organisation für Islamische Zusammenarbeit (OIC) treffen heute zu einem zweitägigen Gipfel in der ägyptischen Hauptstadt Kairo zusammen.

Abbas and Meshaal to discuss reconciliation dialogue

Hamas and Fatah, the two rival Palestinian political factions, are in talks about forming a unity government, with Hamas leader Khaled Meshal claiming long-stalled elections in the occupied territories are also being planned.

POE-OTA, union of workers at Greek municipalities called for a 48-hour strike on February 13-14, 2013. The strike decision comes as expression of solidarity to workers at social services offered by local governments.