Lawrow zufolge gehören dazu unter anderem Mitglieder der an das Terrornetzwerk Al-Kaida verbundene Gruppierung Jabhat al-Nusra, die in den USA auf der Liste von Terrororganisationen steht.
Daily Archives: 29. April 2013
Israel gets 5th German submarine
An official ceremony was held in the German city of Kiel Monday to mark the handover of a fifth submarine to Israel‘s Navy. The ceremony was attended by Defense Ministry Director Udi Shani, Navy Commander Gen. Ram Rotenberg and other Israeli officials, along with their German counterparts.
Söldnereinsatz von Bundeswehrsoldaten belegt Führungsversagen erster Güte
„Die Geister, die die Bundesregierung mit der Öffnung des Söldnermarkts auch für deutsche Unternehmen gerufen hat, wird sie nun nicht los“, kommentiert Paul Schäfer, verteidigungspolitischer Sprecher der Fraktion DIE LINKE, Meldungen über die wachsende Zahl aktiver und ehemaliger Soldaten und Polizisten im Dienst privater Sicherheitsfirmen.
Premier Enrico Letta wins confidence vote in House
Will face Senate on Tuesday
Russia and Japan create joint investment pot with $1bn entry ticket
Russia and Japan have launched a new tool for the development of mutual investments. The new Russo-Japanese investment platform involves injections starting from $1 billion and is aimed at boosting Russia’s Far East.
CIA and MI6 ghost money may fuel Afghan corruption, say diplomats
The Guardian understands that the payments by British intelligence were on a smaller scale than the CIA‘s cash handouts, reported in the New York Times to have been in the tens of millions, and much of the British money has gone towards attempts to finance peace initiatives, which have so far proved abortive.
M5S hurl insults at Letta and proposed government
„It is all a family plot,“ Colletti said, referring to Enrico Letta‘s relation to his uncle, Gianni Letta, who has been Berlusconi‘s longtime chief of staff.
Letta to meet Merkel on Tuesday
New Italian premier to travel to Berlin
Letta gets standing ovation from PD, PdL
Speech pleases leftwing, rightwing parties
Letta to remove Senate power
Majority only needed in House, new premier says
Analysis: Italy‘s politics turned upside down by election aftermath
If Letta succeeds in maintaining unity in the uncomfortable left-right coalition, pushes through pro-growth policies, repeals the electoral law and makes other vital constitutional changes, he could pick up powerful momentum that would be bad news for Grillo.
Napolitano has given us last chance says Letta
Live up to Constitutional role he says
100 billions step walk on the digits of pi
100 billions step walk on the digits of pi
Rätselhafte Kreiszahl: In Pi könnte ‚Goethes „Faust‘ stecken
Falls die unendlich vielen Ziffern von Pi zufällig verteilt sind, wovon viele Mathematiker ausgehen, steckt in Pi jede beliebige Ziffernfolge, die wir uns ausdenken können. Nehmen wir zum Beispiel 00000000 – also acht Nullen hintereinander. An Position 172.330.850 nach dem Komma tauchen die acht Nullen tatsächlich auf. Und an Position 184.688.988 gleich noch mal. Dort aufgespürt hat sie übrigens die Webseite Pi-Search, die auf Knopfdruck die ersten 200 Millionen Stellen der Kreiszahl durchsucht.
US Unveils Iraq WMD `Curveball-Style` Lies Vs. Syria
As NATO terror front collapses in Syria, US attempts to justify intervention by drumming up familiar WMD lies.
After Casting Key Fifth Vote For Bush, Justice O’Connor Now Regrets Bush v. Gore
Looking back, O’Connor said, she isn’t sure the high court should have taken [Bush v. Gore].
Netanyahu ordnet absolutes Schweigen zu Syrien an
Der israelische Brigadegeneral Itai Brun streute am Donnerstag das Gerücht, dass syrische Regierungstruppen chemische Waffen in ihrem Kampf gegen die Aufständigen eingesetzt hätten, nachdem Präsident Obama vom Überschreiten einer “roten Linie” bei derartigen Vorfällen gesprochen hatte. Nur glaubt es Brun plötzlich keiner.
Santander chief Alfredo Sáenz resigns
The shock replacement of 70-year-old Sáenz by internal candidate Javier Marín comes just two weeks after the Bank of Spain ordered a review into whether or not he would meet new rules governing bank executives with criminal convictions.
Santander’s Chief Executive Resigns
Alfredo Sáenz, chief executive of Banco Santander, resigned on Monday, less than a week after the Spanish bank reported that first-quarter net profit fell 26 percent.
Portugal to take JPMorgan, Santander to court over swap deals
(27.04.) Treasury Secretary Maria Luis Albuquerque said the government had failed to reach a deal with US bank JPMorgan and Spanish bank Santander’s local unit to overhaul so-called “toxic swap” contracts that are weighing down public companies and threatening Portugal’s debt-slashing efforts.
Drosselung: ‚Telekom werden Kunden in Scharen davonlaufen‘
Die geplanten Tarifänderungen der Telekom bezeichnet Obermann als „fair“. Damit gelinge es, für rund „97 Prozent der Kunden die Preise stabil zu halten“. Von der vorgesehenen Preisänderung seien nur „drei Prozent der Kunden betroffen. Diese Kunden nutzen in unserem Netz 10- bis 20-mal größere Datenmengen als ein durchschnittlicher Kunde, der 15 bis 20 GByte pro Monat verbraucht“, so der Telekom-Chef.
BFWrecordings : Image to sound 2: earth
Burning Artist is the ambient/experimental sound artist alter ego of the Burning Artist(s) Sale. Work on this album started sometime late in 2010, when images of earth were used to create MIDI/musical elements for the two longer pieces. This is the type of geek stuff that Burning Artist thrives on.
The Zero Hour #32 Lost in Music (2013-04-28)
Hosted by Steve Morell, The Zero Hour is going to present, introduce and point out to the listeners new music.
Music which is worth to be presented and introduced to a new wasted generation.
Resilienz – ja, bitte! Nur wie?
Ob in Stromnetzen, im Luftverkehr oder in Computernetzen: wo als alternative Vorbeugung gegen unliebsame Überraschungen Entkopplung und Entflechtung vorgeschlagen wurde, werden etablierte technische und ökonomische Pfade beibehalten; nicht auf eine Reduktion von Komplexität, sondern auf komplexere Kontrolle wird gesetzt. Ähnlich auch verkürzt das ingenieurstechnische „Security by design“ die Strukturfragen auf das Problem der „Härtung“ von Systemen durch avancierte Anlagendesigns, Materialien und Überwachungstechnologien. Wo die alternativ gespeiste Resilienzdiskussion Widersprüche zwischen Sicherheit und ökonomischer Effizienz im Infrastrukturbetrieb betonte, werden nun an betriebswirtschaftlichen Gesichtspunkten orientierte Leitlinien zur business continuity ausgegeben.
This World We Must Leave – An idea of revolution
Århus Kunstbygning
19.11.2010 – 9.1.2011
Concept: Mikkel Bolt and Jakob Jakobsen
Director: Jakob Jakobsen
Script: Mikkel Bolt
Actors: Misja Thirslund Krenchel, Greta Jiménez, Bendt Ulrich Sørensen, Ellen Nyman, Jan Stricker
Cinematographer: Fredrik Sundbye
B-Cinematographer: Mads Hoppe
Sound: Kjetil Mørk
Music: Snöleoparden
Production: Maria Kristensen
Graphic design: Tina Helen and Jakob Jakobsen
Stage design: Raphael Solholm
Archive design: Thomas Bo Østergaard
Website: Jakob Jakobsen
Assistance: Henriette Heise, Andreas Johansen, Valdemar Silverstein Markussen
Snöleoparden musicians: Snö (hanhao), Henning Frimann (percussion, saw), Tais (guitar), Elisabetta (shakers, windpipe), Natacha (guitar), Hjalte (sound recording)
Thanks to The Camel Collective (Anthony Graves, Robert M. Ochshorn, Carla Herrera-Prats, Lasse Lau), Louis F. Jensen, Kim Borch, Nis Rømer, Solvej Heise, Dansk El-Forbund København, Red Rental and the employees at Århus Kunstbygning.
Bank of Cyprus enforces 37.5% haircut on uninsured deposits
Bank of Cyprus has enforced a conversion of 37.5% of uninsured deposits (over €100,000) to shares as part of an agreement between Cyprus with the Euro area and the IMF over a €10 billion financial assistance to the island.
Greek austerity measures could violate human rights, UN expert says
The United Nations independent expert on foreign debt and human rights warned today that the austerity measures and structural reforms proposed to solve Greece’s debt crisis may result in violations of the basic human rights of the country’s people, the Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR) reported.
“The implementation of the second package of austerity measures and structural reforms, which includes a wholesale privatization of state-owned enterprises and assets, is likely to have a serious impact on basic social services and therefore the enjoyment of human rights by the Greek people, particularly the most vulnerable sectors of the population such as the poor, elderly, unemployed and persons with disabilities,” said Cephas Lumina, who reports to the UN Human Rights Council in Geneva.
Das Resilienz-Paradox: Zwischen Ohnmacht und Allmacht
In dieser Situation wird der Resilienz gegenwärtig der Status eines Allerheilsmittels zugesprochen, das nicht nur eine andere und neue Art von Sicherheitsgefühl zulässt, sondern auch den komplexen Raum der Unsicherheit mit der Illusion einer neuen Art der Kontrolle über komplexe Systeme zu füllen vermag. Was sicherheitspolitische Akteure sich in letzter Instanz wünschen, ist eine Gesellschaft, die schnell und ohne Probleme zu machen zum „business-as-usual“ zurückkehrt; egal, was passiert.
UN says Greek austerity is taking a toll on human rights
Austerity measures are hitting Greece’s human rights record, a international expert warned on Friday while slamming the “excessively rigid” demands dictated by the debt-wracked nation’s rescue program.
UN worried over human rights in Greece under „excessively rigid“ troika demands
More specific, mr. Lumina stressed that a growing number of Greeks is left without health insurance and about 10% of the population is living in „extreme poverty.“ Moreover, the number of homeless increased by about 25% reaching to 20,000 people. In addition, he pointed that about 470,000 illegal immigrants are often victims of labour exploitation and other abuses.
Israel: Peres meets with Pope, neo Italian Premier Letta
Issues on the agenda: “the Iranian threat, diplomatic and economic sanctions against Iran, European involvement in the peace process and boosting relations between Israel and Italy“, the communique said.
Economic-related suicides up 20-30% in Italy in four years
The number of suicides that can be linked to economic factors has increased in Italy by „20% to 30%“ in the last four years
Merkel calls Letta, supports coalition with Berlusconi‘s PdL
German Chancellor Angela Merkel called new Italian Premier Enrico Letta to congratulate him
Greece moves forward: 15,000 lay-offs, minimum wage at €490/month, retroactive property levy
So surreal as Borat…
Fall Kurnaz: Steinmeier ist sich keiner Schuld bewusst
(29.03.2007) Auch Schily beteuerte, er habe keine Kenntnis davon, dass es im Jahr 2002 ein Freilassungsangebot der USA gegeben habe. (..) Von US-Seite sei jedoch bestritten worden, dass im Häftlingslager Guantánamo gefoltert würde. Im Gegenteil sei sogar geäußert worden, dort könnten die Gefangenen eine Berufsausbildung machen.
Guantánamo hunger strikers treated like animals, says lawyer – video
David Remes who represents 17 Guantánamo prisoners, has strongly criticised the pain inflicted on his clients. He says the number of men on hunger strike has reached 130, that is 30 higher than the number given by the US military. Prisoners began the hunger strike in February to protest against conditions and indefinite confinement
CIA soll Karsai mit Rucksack-Millionen versorgt haben
Nach dem Abzug der Kampfeinheiten sollen die afghanischen Streitkräfte und die Polizei für die Sicherheit verantwortlich sein. Beide erhalten jedes Jahr Milliardenhilfen von internationalen Geldgebern.
Wir zeigen Ihnen und ihrer 150 Jahre alten miesen Tante in aller Ruhe den Weg zum Müllhaufen der Geschichte…
…
Genösschen Gabriel, bevor Sie sich auch noch verrechnen.
#zurHöllemitSPDundPaneuropa
Rede Sigmar Gabriel zum erweiterten Euro-Rettungsschirm
(8. September 2011) Sehr geehrter Herr Kollege Schäuble, Sie sind ein ebenso konservativer wie leidenschaftlicher und überzeugter Europäer. Und weil ich Ihnen Ihre europäische Überzeugung abnehme, weil ich vieles, von dem, was Sie hier vorgetragen haben, richtig finde, frage ich mich: Und warum haben Sie zugelassen, dass die gesamte europäische und internationale Politik und vor allem die Finanzmärkte so sehr über die deutsche Haltung zur Lösung der Krise irritiert und verunsichert wurden? (…)
Für uns Sozialdemokraten ist klar: Diesen Schub oder Neustart Europas werden wir brauchen. Er ist unausweichlich, und er ist sicher schmerzhaft für diejenigen, die künftig politische Souveränität abzugeben haben aus ihren nationalen Hauptstädten nach Europa.
Aber die Alternative dazu ist noch schmerzliche: An wen soll ein hochverschuldeter Mitgliedstaat denn seine Kompetenzen abgeben – an unsere gemeinsame EU, die demokratisch legitimiert ist, oder an anonyme Finanzmärkte, die inzwischen gegen alles wetten, was schnellen Gewinn verspricht? (..)
In der Folge werden nun die Rechnungen für das Streben nach unbegrenztem Wirtschaftswachstum auf Pump, die Gier nach maximaler Rendite und nach maßlosen Profiten geschrieben.
Meet the 28-Year-Old Grad Student Who Just Shook the Global Austerity Movement
Most Ph.D. students spend their days reading esoteric books and stressing out about the tenure-track job market. Thomas Herndon, a 28-year-old economics grad student at UMass Amherst, just used part of his spring semester to shake the intellectual foundation of the global austerity movement.
Reinhart, Rogoff… and Herndon: The student who caught out the profs
This week, economists have been astonished to find that a famous academic paper often used to make the case for austerity cuts contains major errors. Another surprise is that the mistakes, by two eminent Harvard professors, were spotted by a student doing his homework.
The deficit hawks have no clothes
The past two weeks made me immensely proud to be part of the University of Massachusetts economics department. I would never have believed it is possible to get the media’s attention by writing an academic paper, but my colleague Thomas Herndon proved it could be done.
Inside the offbeat economics department that debunked Reinhart-Rogoff
Thomas Herndon (left), the UMass Amherst economist who debunked Reinhart (right) and Rogoff.
Is the evidence for austerity based on an Excel spreadsheet error?
Taken together, those three changes lead to a different analysis. Herndon, Ash, and Pollin conclude that “the average real GDP growth rate for countries carrying a public debt-to-GDP ratio of over 90 percent is actually 2.2 percent, not -0.1 percent as as published in Reinhart and Rogoff.”
It’s worth emphasizing, however, that the Excel coding error itself is only responsible for a small portion of this difference in results — about 0.3 percentage points.
American Economic Review: Vol. 100 No. 2 (May 2010):Growth in a Time of Debt
Reinhart, Carmen M., and Kenneth S. Rogoff. 2010. „Growth in a Time of Debt.“ American Economic Review, 100(2): 573-78.
Rolling Stones play surprise LA gig ahead of US tour – video
The Rolling Stones played a surprise gig at a small club in Los Angeles on Saturday night. The concert comes ahead of their 50 & Counting anniversary staring a week later on 3 May at the Staples Center.
New govt faces confidence vote at 20:00: Premier Letta to give speech in House at 15:00
Premier Enrico Letta‘s new government will face a confidence vote in the House at 20:00 Italian time on Monday
Milan bourse greets Letta government with gains
Milan‘s FTSE Mib index climbed 1.7% in less than an hour of business, with insurance firm Fonsai, ex-premier Silvio Berlusconi‘s Mediaset group and bank Intesa Sanpaolo leading the way with gains of 3.8%, 3.3% and 2.8% respectively.
MPS says repayment of govt bailout not certain: Profumo says he ‚believes‘ bank will return four billion euros
Monte dei Paschi di Siena (MPS) President Alessandro Profumo said Monday that it was not certain that the troubled Italian bank would be able to repay a four-billion-euro government bailout.
Judge Orders Lifting of Seizure Order for Monte dei Paschi Investigation
Judge Ugo Bellini dissolved the seizure order previously issued because he said he did not find evidence of fraud
Millions in CIA „ghost money“ paid to Afghan president‘s office: New York Times
Much of the money went to warlords and politicians, many with ties to the drug trade and in some cases the Taliban, the New York Times said.
Museum für George W. Bush: Vom Buhmann zum Vorbild
George W. Bush war einst der unbeliebteste US-Präsident – nun ehrt ihn Amerika mit einer großen Gedenkbibliothek und blickt milde auf sein Erbe. Zumal Obama den Krieg gegen den Terror mit den Mitteln fortführt, die ihm sein Vorgänger hinterließ.
A Drug War Informer in No Man’s Land
Mr. López played a leading role in what is widely considered the biggest drug-trafficking case in Mexican history. The episode — which inspired the 2000 movie “Traffic” — pitted the Mexican military against the United States Drug Enforcement Administration. Throughout the 1990s, Mr. López worked closely with them both. He served as a senior adviser to the powerful general who was appointed Mexico’s drug czar. And he was an informant for the D.E.A.
Mexican journalists march to protest violence against reporters
Chanting “Justice!” and “Solution!” the journalists demanded government authorities investigate a string of murders, kidnappings and threats suffered by reporters and media workers in recent years.