Colombia signs FTA with Mercosur

President Alvaro Uribe signed, on December 30, 2005, a law that ratifies a FTA with Mercosur and gives Colombian products preferential access to a market of 230 million people. Colombian entrepreneurs will also be able to import materials and capital goods from Mercosur at lower costs due to reduced tariffs resulting from the agreement.

The agreement’s asymmetry clauses favor Colombia because it allows the gradual and progressive reduction of tariffs and likewise gives Colombia the opportunity to gradually reform its production system to adapt it to the requirements of future negotiations within the scheme of Mercosur and the South American Community of Nations

This agreement along with previous treaties signed with the Andean Community, Mexico, Chile and the  FTA with the United States currently under negotiation, highlight the geographic position of Colombia as a center for investment.


Colombia ratifica acuerdo de libre comercio con el Mercosur

El presidente colombiano Álvaro Uribe sancionó el pasado viernes (30) una ley que ratifica un acuerdo de libre comercio con el Mercosur, el cual le brinda a los productos colombianos acceso preferencial a un mercado de cerca de 230 millones de personas. Los empresarios colombianos podrán también importar materias primas y bienes del Mercosur a costos menores debido a la reducción en las tarifas aduaneras en virtud del acuerdo.

El acuerdo había entrado en vigor el 1 de febrero del año anterior con el decreto 141. La ley sancionada con la firma presidencial es la número 1.000 del 30 de diciembre de 2005.

Las cláusulas de asimetría del acuerdo favorecen a Colombia porque permite la reducción gradual y progresiva de los aranceles e igualmente le da a Colombia la oportunidad de reformar su sistema de producción para adaptarlo a los requerimientos de las futuras negociaciones dentro del esquema del Mercosur y de la Comunidad Sudamericana de Naciones.

Este acuerdo, junto con tratados previos con la Comunidad Andina, México, Chile y la actual negociación del TLC Andino con Estados Unidos, resalta la posición geográfica de Colombia como centro para la inversión.


Colômbia ratifica acordo de livre comércio com o Mercosul

O Presidente colombiano Álvaro Uribe Vélez sancionou  sexta-feira passada (30)  uma lei que ratifica o  acordo de livre comércio com o Mercosul. Pelo acordo os produtos colombianos terão acesso preferencial a um mercado de cerca de 230 milhões de pessoas. Os empresários colombianos poderão também importar matérias-primas e outros bens  a custos menores devido à redução nas tarifas aduaneiras em virtude do acordo.

O acordo já tinha entrado em vigor em  1 de fevereiro do ano passado, através do  decreto 141. A lei sancionada com a assinatura presidencial é a número 1000 de 30 de dezembro de 2005.

As cláusulas de assimetria do acordo favorecem a Colômbia  porque permitem a redução gradual e progressiva das tarifas,  dando   oportunidade para o país reformar seu sistema de produção, a fim de adaptá-lo às  exigências das futuras negociações com o Mercosul e com a  Comunidade Sul-Americana de Nações.

Este acordo, junto a outros tratados  feitos com o  Pacto andino, México, Chile, mais  a atual negociação do  Tratado de Livre Comércio (FTA) com os Estados Unidos da América, evidencia a posição da Colômbia como lugar para  investimentos.


Construction for Romania-Italy pipeline to start in 2007

Bucharest, Romania — The construction of the oil pipeline linking Constanţa, Romania with Trieste, Italy could commence as soon as 2007, claims Eugen Tapu, the Romanian State Secretary in the Economy and Trade Ministry. The exact date will depend on how fast the countries involved in the project can sign the project.

The pipeline will run from Constanţa, Romania's largest port on the Black Sea, through Romania, Serbia, Croatia, Slovenia before ending up in Trieste, northern Italy. Tapu named Chevron Texaco, British Petroleum and OMV among the companies interested in the project.

The oil pipeline is expected to cost Romania 1.9 billion euro.


Oljeledning mellan Rumänien och Italien planeras till 2007

Bukarest, Rumänien –
Byggandet av en oljeledning mellan Constanta i Rumänien och Trieste i Italien kan inledas så snart som under 2007 enligt Eugen Tapu, vid rumänska Handels- och ekonomiministeriet. Exakt vilket datum som projektet kan inledas beror på hur snabbt länderna kommer att underteckna avtalet.

Oljeledningen kommer att sträcka sig från Constanta på den rumänska svarta havskusten genom Rumänien, Serbien, Kroatien, Slovenien för att slutligen nå Trieste i norra Italien. Tapu nämnde Chevron Texaco, British Petroleum och OMV som företag som var intresserade av projektet.

Oljeledningen förväntas kosta Rumänien 1.9 miljarder euro.


Continental and United Airlines to merge

Continental Airlines and United Airlines officially announced Monday their plans to merge after both companies' boards of directors approved the plan on Sunday afternoon. The joint company, branded as United Airlines, will take its livery from both airlines, acquiring the United name and using the Continental Globe and colors, giving it a co-branded look. This merger will allow Continental and United to surpass the recent Delta and Northwest merger, becoming the largest airline in the world when the merger is finalized.

The two airlines failed to reach an agreement on a separate merger several years ago when Continental dropped out of the talks. Some experts cited United's poor financial status as being one of the contributing factors for the breakdown in talks. This led United to begin merger talks with alliance partner US Airways, which also failed to come to fruition.

The stock price of both companies rose when news of their merger was announced. Unlike most mergers, this one is relatively even in terms of what each company receives as a result. United Airlines is taking 55% control of the combined company and keeping its name, as well as becoming the main base for the group in Chicago. Continental’s Chief Executive Officer will become the CEO of the combined company, known as United Continental Holdings Inc, and will gain control of the other 45% of the new airline.

Since base operations are moving to Chicago, the city of Houston recently submitted proposals arguing for not cutting Continental’s over 1,000 jobs in Texas. Little has been said as to what will happen to regional carriers, like ExpressJet Airlines, that work closely with the two companies. For now, the companies will remain operating independently pending a United States Department of Justice anti-trust review which will set the stage for finalization of the merger later this year.


Egyesül a Continental és a United Airlines

A két légitársaság hétfőn jelentette be a tervezett fúziót, miután mindkét vállalat vezetősége jóváhagyta azt a megelőző nap délutánján.

Bár a létrejövő vállalat United Continental Holdings Inc. névre fog hallgatni, külsőleg tovább használja majd a United Airlines nevét, ugyanakkor pedig átveszi a Continental arculati elemeit. Gazdasági erejét tekintve az új cég felülmúlja majd a nemrégiben egyesült Deltát és Northwestet, s ezzel a világ legnagyobb légitársasága lesz. A létrejövő vállalatban 55-45 lesz a tulajdoni részarány a United javára, s a cég központjaként Chicagót (a United jelenlegi székhelyét) jelölték meg. A cég irányítását a Continental jelenlegi főigazgatója veszi kézbe.

A Continental székhelyéül szolgáló Houston aggodalmát fejezte ki, mivel a központ áthelyezése miatt a cég ezer ott dolgozó alkalmazottjának majdani elbocsátását jelentette be. A mindkét nagycéggel együttműködő regionális szerepű ExpressJet Airlines sorsa egyelőre szintén bizonytalan. A hír hatására mindenesetre a Continental és a United részvényárai emelkedtek.

Az egyesülésről egyébként már néhány évvel korábban is tárgyalt a két fél, de akkor a Continental kihátrált a szerződés elől, vélhetően nem kis részben a United rossz anyagi helyzete miatt. A United ezután a US Airwaysszel kezdett egyeztetni, de később ebből sem lett fúzió. A vállalatok jelenleg az Amerikai Igazságügyi Minisztérium trösztellenes bizottságának állásfoglalására várnak.


Crude oil passes US$94.00 a barrel; sets new all-time record high

Another record has been set in crude oil prices. The price of oil soared past US$94.00 a barrel. New York Mercantile Exchange (NYMEX) crude oil for December delivery closed at US$94.23 per barrel, after peaking at $94.74, the highest price on record. In after hours trading futures have crossed over the $95.00 per barrel mark.

On the IntercontinentalExchange (ICE), December Brent Crude also rose to a record $90.63 after touching an all-time high of $90.94 with current futures are trading at over $91.00 a barrel.

Today's rise is said to be mainly caused by the United States Department of Energy's inventory report that showed an unexpected drop in crude oil stockpiles. Last week, U.S. stockpiles were down nearly four million barrels of oil.

Tropical Storm Noel is also believed to be a cause of rising prices. Because of the storm, one-fifth of Mexico's oil production was suspended while the storm passed, but production is expected to resume by the end of today.


El crudo pasa los 94 dólares por barril e impone un récord inédito

Otro récord ha sido impuesto en los precios del petróleo crudo. Este mismo sobrevoló los US$94.00 por barril. El petróleo en el New York Mercantile Exchange (NYMEX) cerró en US$94.23, habiendo llegado a un pico US$94.74 por barril, el precio más alto registrado.

En el IntercontinentalExchange, el Petróleo Brent cerró en récord US$90.63 luego de registrar un pico inédito de US$90.94.

Se estima que la subida de precios fue causada primordialmente por el reporte de inventario del Departamento de Energía de Estados Unidos, que mostró una caída inesperada en las reservas de petróleo. La semana pasada, las reservas estadounidenses eran de cerca de 4 millones de barriles.

Además, también se cree que la tormenta tropical Noel es otro detonante de la subida de precios. Debido a la tormenta, la producción de petróleo de México fue suspendida mientras la tormenta se disipaba, pero se espera que la producción se reinicie hoy.


Crude oil price reaches new high

Crude oil prices in New York rose to a new record of US$102.59 per barrel on Thursday, although the figure increased even more during after hours trading. In less than a month, prices have risen $10, leading the inflation adjusted prices above the record highs set during the 1980s. Information provided by the International Energy Agency has said that the previous record was $102.53, with the figures being adjusted according to inflation levels.

While the weak dollar is seen as a major cause of this rise, Congressman Ron Paul of Texas, pointed out to Federal Reserve chairman Ben Bernanke in a committee meeting this week that despite the rapid ascent the of price of oil, it had remained flat when compared to the price of gold.

Increasing demand for oil has also been cited as the cause for this increase. Violence in Nigeria earlier this year has led to a drop the country's production by almost a quarter. The most recent information produced by the Energy Information Administration has shown an increase in gasoline prices for all but one of the areas surveyed.

There have also been suggestions that reports of a fire at a National Gas Terminal may have contributed to the rising oil price. Tim Evans from Citigroup Futures said he believes "that this fire at the UK natural gas terminal is creating a strong push in the European market, and that is translating here [the US]."


Der Ölpreis erreicht neue Höchststände

New York (Vereinigte Staaten), 01.03.2008 – Die Rohöl-Preise in New York stiegen am Donnerstag, dem 28. Februar 2008, auf den neuen Rekordwert von 102,59 US-Dollar. Der Preis erhöhte sich sogar noch in den Stunden nach Handelsschluss. In weniger als einem Monat sind die Preise somit um zehn US-Dollar gestiegen, diese Werte liegen unter Berücksichtigung der Inflation über den Rekordhöhen in den  1980-er Jahren. Nach Informationen der Internationalen Energie-Agentur betrug der bisherige Rekordpreis 102,53 US-Dollar, ebenfalls unter Berücksichtigung der Inflation.

Der schwache Dollar wird als eine wesentliche Ursache für diesen Anstieg gewertet. Der Kongressabgeordnete Ron Paul aus Texas stellte gegenüber dem Federal Reserve chairman Ben Bernake während eines Kommissionstreffens in dieser Woche heraus, dass der Ölpreis im Vergleich zum Goldpreis nur schwach gestiegen sei.

Ebenso wurde die steigende Nachfrage nach Öl als Grund für den Preisanstieg genannt. Ein Ausbruch von Gewalt in Nigeria Anfang des Jahres hatte dazu geführt, dass das Land einen Rückgang der Produktion um fast ein Viertel zu verzeichnen hatte. Die letzten Informationen der Energy Information Administration haben gezeigt, dass es unter anderem eine Erhöhung der Benzin-Preise gab.

Es wurde auch vermutet, Berichte über ein Feuer an einem nationalen Gas-Terminal könnten zu dem steigenden Ölpreis beigetragen haben. Tim Evans vom Unternehmen Citigroup Futures glaubt, „dass das Feuer am britischen Erdgas-Terminal einen starken Druck auf den europäischen Markt ausgeübt hat, und das ist hier [in den Vereinigten Staaten] die Auswirkung.“


Cuba to use open-source software

The government of Cuba decided to change the OS on thousands of its computers. These will run on GNU/Linux instead of Windows. This step made by the Cuban government raises tensions between the country and the U.S. - based company Microsoft.

The idea was welcomed by several Cuban ministers. This includes Ramiro Valdez, communication minister, who at a technology conference stated his position towards moving to free software.
Richard Stallman, heading the Free Software Foundation, criticized the proprietary software saying that today it is rather insecure, and that unlike
proprietary software, free software develops democratically under the control of its users.

Heading one of the largest universities in Cuba, Hector Rodriguez also showed his positive attitude towards the migration of the country to free  software. He outlined that Cuban customs service has already moved to Linux and several ministries are still to migrate. Among them are the ministries of culture, of higher education and of communication.

Although it will take some time for Cuba to move to free  software, Rodriguez, as quoted by the Associated Press, declined to state the time it will take for the government of Cuba to move entirely to GNU/Linux. The pace of migrating to free software and open source software is very fast in Cuba.

GNU/Linux has been adopted as an operating system by millions of computer enthusiasts around the world, and a number of local, regional and national governments have also advocated its adoption.


Cuba va passer à l'open-source

Le Gouvernement cubain a décidé de changer les systèmes d'exploitation sur des milliers de ses ordinateurs. Ils tourneront désormais sous GNU/Linux plutôt que sous Windows. Cette décision prise par Cuba augmente les tensions entre le pays et la firme américaine Microsoft.

L'idée a été bien accueillie par plusieurs ministres cubains, y compris Ramiro Valdés, le ministre des communications, qui avait indiqué lors d'une conférence sur les technologies sa position sur la migration vers les logiciels libres. Richard Stallman, dirigeant de la Fondation pour le logiciel libre, a critiqué quant à lui le logiciel propriétaire, arguant de son manque de sécurité actuel.

Dirigeant d'une des plus grandes universités cubaines, Hector Rodriguez a aussi montré une position bienveillante vis-à vis de la migration du parc informatique du pays vers le logiciel libre. Il a souligné que les services de douanes ont déjà complètement migré vers Linux, comme sont sur le point de le faire plusieurs ministères, dont ceux de la Culture, de l'Éducation supérieure et de la communication.

Bien que cela prenne du temps pour migrer vers le libre, Rodriguez, cité par l'Associated Press, a refusé d'indiquer le délai que cela prendrait pour que le gouvernement migre entièrement vers GNU/Linux. Le délai de migration vers le logiciel libre et l'open source est très rapide à Cuba.

GNU/Linux a été adopté comme système d'exploitation par des millions de personnes dans le monde entier et de nombreux gouvernements locaux, régionaux ou nationaux plaident aussi pour son adoption.


Cuba apre ai software open source

Il governo di Cuba ha deciso di cambiare i sistemi operativi su migliaia dei suoi computer. Il sistema operativo Windows, infatti, verrà sostituito con sistemi operativi basati su Linux. Questo passo  fatto dal governo cubano aumenta le tensioni tra il Paese e la società Microsoft, che ha sede negli Stati Uniti.

L'idea è stata accettata con piacere da alcuni ministri cubani. Fra questi il ministro delle comunicazioni, Ramiro Valdez, che in una conferenza sulla tecnologia ha confermato la sua posizione, ovvero la volontà di procedere verso l'open source. Richard Stallman, a capo della Free Software Foundation, ha criticato il software proprietario, dicendo che oggi esso è piuttosto insicuro.

Hector Rodriguez, presidente di una delle maggiori università cubane, ha dimostrato il suo parere positivo per la migrazione verso l'open source. Rodriguez ha sottolineato che alcuni servizi pubblici cubani sono già passati a Linux e che alcuni ministeri stanno per iniziare la migrazione. Tra di loro c'è anche il ministero della cultura, dell'istruzione superiore e delle comunicazioni.

Sebbene servirà ancora del tempo per compiere la migrazione, Rodriguez, come citato dall'Associated Press, non ha risposto alla domanda sui tempi che occorreranno per completare la conversione. In ogni caso, il ritmo di migrazione verso l'open source a Cuba è molto veloce.

L'idea di usare Linux invece che Windows è ampiamente in discussione in molti altri Paesi, fra cui Venezuela, Cina, Russia e Brasile.


Rząd Kuby chce wyposażyć administrację w Linuksa

Rząd Kuby chce wprowadzić w swojej administracji zamiast używanego obecnie kosztownego Windowsa, oparty na wolnej licencji Linux. Kubański naukowiec Hector Rodriguez zakłada, że w ciągu trzech lat połowa urzędów administracji publicznej zaopatrzona zostanie w systemy operacyjne Linux.

Mimo, że niewielka część Kubańczyków korzysta z oprogramowania open source (jest ich zaledwie ok. 3 000), to jednak wolne oprogramowanie jest coraz bardziej popularne, a liczba jego użytkowników szybko rośnie.

Także rządy Wenezueli, Chin, Brazylii i Norwegii są określane jako te, które częściowo lub całkowicie przyjmą oprogramowanie open source.


CyanogenMod: Open-source smartphone OS goes commercial

The developers of CyanogenMod, an open source free Android-based operating system for smartphones, announced yesterday their incorporation following a successful venture capital campaign which netted the open-source project a US$7 million nest egg, and plan to roll out a simple installation app on Google Play for their Android firmware.

Android runs nearly 80% of new mobile devices; CyanogenMod operates on at least 7 or 8 million of those. CyanogenMod replaces the read-only-memory image in android devices which have been 'rooted' —control acquired of the device's superuser account— allowing continuing development for, and backporting abilities of new generations of the operating system to, older devices.

Investor Mitch Lasky wrote on his blog "We believe that CM is poised to become one of the largest mobile operating systems in the world." Benchmark Capital and Redpoint Ventures are part of the capital providers to form Cyanogen Inc.

"The only limitation we have right now is with the number of engineers and designers we currently have. As we hire more people and build this company, we’ll be able to work on so many cool things", said Koushik 'koush' Dutta, who took questions alongside Steve 'cyanogen' Kondik and team social media manager Abhisek "ciwrl" Devkota in a Reddit Ask Me Anything event shortly after making the announcement on the CyanogenMod blog. The team of 17, including Boost co-founder Kirt McMaster as CEO, are in Palo Alto, California and Seattle.

Kondik says Cyanogen mod is named after him. "I'm terrible with names, so I just slapped 'mod' onto the end of my handle and ran with it", he explained in the incorporation announcement.

An early question raised in the Reddit event concerned profit-making: "Monetization isn't an immediate concern and our investors [...] feel the same", said Dutta, adding "Creating disruption in a multibilion dollar market is enough to make any investor raise their eyebrow." This means CyanogenMod would continue to be free. Follow questions asked if the company was planning to release their own model of android device. "We certainly couldn't take on the monumental task of building/testing hardware [right now]. Hardware would be one of many potential very long term paths we could take", said Dutta.

The firm's first announced step is to improve the process of installing the software on owner's devices, which Kondik described as "hideous".  A new installer app is planned to be released "in the coming weeks" on Google Play. The installer app will not require rooting the device, instead installing by simply clicking a button.

A further step, broadly described without any details, is a project with an unnamed original equipment manufacturer (OEM). "We have a least one OEM partnership in the works, there will be an announcement next week regarding our plans there", said Kondik. The team mentioned OEM licensing several times during the Q&A session on Reddit.

In addition to these corporate steps, there were questions regarding the roadmap for development of the ROM, which already has improvements regarding privacy and security over the native android loader. With "plenty of things in the product pipeline already" Dutta lists additional security features, AirPlay mirroring, screen recording, and Voice+ as upcoming. The mood throughout the event was jovial, with humourous questions such as "can you guys PLEASE release a CM build for my toaster? I'm not sure what model it is, but it's white and I got it at Savers." Kondik promised "Ship it to me and I'll duct tape a G1 running CM to it". Dutta said his "10 of your favorite lines of source code" are "The ones that worked when they shouldn't have."


CyanogenMod, el sistema operativo de código abierto para teléfonos inteligentes, se vuelve comercial

Los desarrolladores de CyanogenMod, un sistema operativo gratuito y de código abierto para smartphones basados en Android, anunció este 18 de septiembre su incorporación financiera, tras una campaña exitosa de capital de riesgo que le otorgó al proyecto de código abierto un capital de 7 millones de dólares americanos, y planea lanzar una aplicación en Google Play para la instalación simplificada de su firmware para Android.

Android corre en cerca del 80% de los dispositivos móviles más recientes; CyanogenMod opera en al menos 7 a 8 millones de ellos. CyanogenMod reemplaza la imagen de sólo lectura en dispositivos Android a los que se les haya hecho "root" (consiguiendo control de la cuenta de superusuario del dispositivo) permitiendo tanto el continuo desarrollo como el backport de capacidades de nuevas generaciones del sistema operativo a dispositivos antiguos.

El inversionista Mitch Lasky escribió en su blog: "Creemos que CM está destinado a volverse uno de los mayores sistemas operativos móviles del mundo." Benchmark Capital y Redpoint Ventures son parte de los proveedores de capital para formar Cyanogen Inc.

"La única limitante que tenemos ahora es con el número de ingenieros y diseñadores que tenemos actualmente. Mientras contratemos más gente y construyamos esta compañía, podremos trabajar en tantas cosas geniales", dijo Koushik 'Koush' Dutta, quien respondió preguntas junto con Steve 'Cyanogen' Kondik y el gestor de redes sociales Abhisek "ciwrl" Devkota, en una sesión de preguntas en Reddit poco después de hacer el anuncio en el blog de CyanogenMod. El equipo de 17 personas, que incluye al cofundador de Boost Mobile, Kirt McMaster, como director ejecutivo, está en Palo Alto, California, y en Seattle.

Kondik dice que CyanogenMod lleva su nombre. "Soy terrible con los nombres, así que le metí un 'mod' al final de mi nombre de usuario y seguí con eso", explicó en el anuncio de la incorporación.

Una pregunta temprana consultada en el evento de Reddit respecto a la generación de ganancias: "La monetización no es una preocupación inmediata y nuestros inversionistas [...] se sienten igual", dijo Dutta, añadiendo que "crear disrupción en un mercado de múltiples miles de millones de dólares es suficiente para hacer que cualquier inversionista levante sus cejas [en señal de duda]." Esto significa que CyanogenMod seguiría siendo gratuito. Preguntas posteriores consultaron si la compañía planeaba lanzar su propio modelo de dispositivo Android. "Ciertamente no podríamos tomar la tarea monumental de construir/probar hardware [en este momento]. El hardware sería uno de muchos potenciales caminos a muy largo plazo que podríamos tomar", dijo Dutta.

El primer paso anunciado por la firma es mejorar el proceso de instalar el software en los dispositivos para el usuario, lo que Kondik describió como "horrible". Una nueva aplicación de instalación se planea lanzar "en las próximas semanas" en Google Play. El instalador no requerirá realizar el proceso de "root" al dispositivo, y en vez de eso podrá instalarse con pulsar un simple botón.

Un paso siguiente, descrito sin mayor detalle, es un proyecto on un fabricante de equipo original (OEM), aún sin nombre. "Tenemos al menos una alianza OEM en proceso, habrá un anuncio la próxima semana respecto a nuestros planes allí", dijo Kondik. El equipo mencionó el licenciamiento para OEMs varias veces durante su sesión de preguntas y respuestas en Reddit.

Además de esos pasos corporativos, se hicieron preguntas respecto a los planes para desarrollar el ROM, que ya tiene mejoras respecto a la privacidad y seguridad con respecto al cargador nativo de Android. Con "bastantes cosas en la línea de ensamblaje de productos ya", Dutta lista capacidades adicionales de seguridad, espejado de AirPlay, grabación de pantalla, y Voice+ como los cambios que siguen. El ánimo durante el evento fue jovial, con preguntas humorosas tales como "¿Podrían POR FAVOR lanzar una versión de CM para mi tostadora? No sé qué modelo sea, pero es blanca y la conseguí en Savers." Kondik prometió: "Envíamela y la voy a pegar con cinta a una G1 que corre CM". Dutta dijo que "10 de sus líneas favoritas de código fuente" son "aquellas que funcionaron cuando no deberían haberlo hecho."


Cyprus and Malta adopt the euro

Today at midnight, the Republic of Cyprus and the Republic of Malta, both small island states in the Mediterranean and former British colonies, adopted the euro as their official currency; less than four years after their accession to the European Union. Because Cyprus and Malta are in different time zones, Cyprus adopted the euro one hour before Malta did the same. In both countries the euro was welcomed with outdoor celebrations, including a fireworks display in Malta's capital Valletta. According to the BBC Cypriot Finance Minister Michalis Sarris has said the euro "will benefit consumers and businesses alike because of the eurozone's low inflation, low interest rates and large market."

The BBC reports that Cypriot and Maltese leaders "made symbolic withdrawals of euros from cash machines just minutes into the New Year." TIME reports that Maltese Prime Minister Lawrence Gonzi had to wait a little while before getting his hands on the new currency because "an automated teller machine did not work when Gonzi tried to withdraw euros, and he was obliged to use a different ATM."

The Cypriot pound (CYP) and the Maltese lira (MTL) will remain in use during a dual circulation period that will last until the end of this month, at which point they will cease to be legal tender. However, it will still be possible to exchange them for Euro free of charge after the end of this period. Commercial banks in Cyprus will exchange Cypriot pounds for Euro until 30 June, but only for amounts up to CYP 1000 per customer and per transaction in banknotes and up to CYP 5O in coins. The Central Bank of Cyprus will exchange coins until the end of 2009 and banknotes until the end of 2017. Maltese commercial banks will exchange Maltese lira for Euro until the end of March, with a limit for non-customers of MTL 250, whereas the Central Bank of Malta will exchange coins until 1 February 2010 and banknotes until 1 February 2018.

The single currency has replaced the Cypriot pound and the Maltese lira at a rate of one euro to 0.585274 Cypriot pound and 0.4293 to the Maltese lira, or 1.71 euro per Cypriot pound and 2.33 per Maltese lira. This conversion rate had been fixed on 10 July 2007 by Ecofin, the council comprising the finance ministers of the EU Member States.

Cyprus and Malta are the 14th and the 15th country to join the Eurozone, which already includes Austria, Belgium, the Netherlands, Finland, France, Germany, Ireland, Italy, Luxembourg, Portugal, Spain, Greece and Slovenia. All EU Member States are required to join the Eurozone once certain conditions are fulfilled, except Denmark and the United Kingdom which have negotiated a so-called opt-out that allows them not to adopt the single currency.

The Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus, the de facto independent Turkish-controlled area in the north of Cyprus, will not join the Eurozone. Northern Cyprus is not part of the European Union and is recognised only by Turkey. As a result, the Turkish lira will remain the official currency in the north of the island; however, TIME reports that "many Turkish Cypriot merchants will also accept euros along with Turkish lira." Cypriot Euro coins are inscribed in both Greek and Turkish.

The euro will also be legal tender in the Sovereign Base Areas, British military bases in Cyprus.

The national sides of the Cypriot Euro coins feature three separate designs for the three series of coins. The 1, 2 and 5-cent coins feature the mouflon, or wild sheep, the 10, 20 and 50-cent coins feature the Kyrenia ship, the wreck of a 4th century BC Greek merchant ship discovered in 1967 and salvaged closed to Kyrenia, and the €1 and €2 coins feature the Idol of Pomos, a prehistoric sculpture from the village of Pomos, three national symbols of Cyprus. The designs were jointly created by Tatiana Soteropoulos and Erik Maell.

The Maltese euro coins' national sides will also feature national motifs. The 1, 2 and 5-cent coins will feature the altar of the Mnajdra temple grouping, a complex of three Neolithic temples on the southern coast of Malta and one of the oldest free-standing temple groupings in the world, the 10, 20 and 50-cent coins will feature the Coat of Arms of Malta, and the €1 and €2 coins will bear the Maltese cross, a symbol associated with an order of Christian warriors known as the Knights Hospitaller or Knights of Malta, which was based on Malta for more than 250 years after they had been given the islands by Charles V, Holy Roman Emperor. The designs of Maltese engraver Noel Galea Bason were selected after two rounds of public consultations in which people were invited to vote via SMS.

Both Cyprus and Malta have taken a number of steps to address fears of undue price rises. 7,130 Cypriot companies have subscribed to a Fair Pricing Code launched by the authorities and the Cypriot government urged companies to round their prices down. In Malta, the FAIR initiative, a fair pricing scheme, was put in place in January 2007. This scheme, which provides for administrative fines for those failing to respect their commitment, now involves 80% of all retail outlets. Malta, according to the BBC, has also signed 12 price stabilisation agreements with importers, which will last until March 2008.

In both countries, the authorities will monitor retailers to ensure they do not exploit the changeover for unfair gain by rounding up their prices, contributing to inflation.


Malta und Zypern führen den Euro ein

Nikosia (Zypern) / Valletta (Malta), 04.01.2008 – Die europäischen Staaten Zypern und Malta haben zum 1. Januar 2008 den Euro eingeführt. Dadurch werden das zyprische Pfund und die maltesische Lira ersetzt. Noch bis zum 1. Februar sollen beide Zahlungsmittel offiziell gelten, bis der Euro dann alleiniges Zahlungsmittel wird.

In den Geldkreislauf wurden von der Europäischen Zentralbank 150 Millionen Banknoten eingebracht, die zusammen einen Wert von 3,3 Milliarden Euro haben. Zypern bekommt 395 Millionen Münzen im Wert von 100,3 Millionen Euro und Malta 200 Millionen Münzen.

Die Einführung wurde möglich, nachdem die Europäische Kommission im Mai 2007 in einem offiziellen Bericht festgestellt hatte, dass die Maastricht-Kriterien erfüllt sind. Anschließend begrüßte der Europäische Rat im Juni 2007 den Entschluss der Länder, der Währungszone Euro beitreten zu wollen.

Nach Einschätzung der EZB ist die Einführung des Euro gut verlaufen. So habe es in Zypern keine Probleme gegeben. Die Spitzenpolitiker des Landes, Präsident Tassos Papadopoulos, Finanzminister Michalis Sarris und Zentralbankpräsident Athanasios Orphanides, begrüßten die Einführung der neuen Landeswährung. Nach Einschätzung der Beobachter wird der Euro in der Bevölkerung eher skeptisch gesehen, vor allem die Angst vor höheren Preisen sei ausgeprägt. Der Onlinedienst „ERT online“ hingegen berichtet von einer anderen Grundstimmung. Demnach sei die Einführung mit einem Feuerwerk gefeiert worden. Außerdem zitiert er den Präsidenten Tassos Papadopoulos, der den Euro als „Wunderwerk“ bezeichnet. Eine kleine Kuriosität am Rande: Da in Zypern sowohl Türkisch als auch Griechisch Amtssprache ist, kommt die türkische Sprache in Form des Schriftzuges „Kibris“ in lateinischen Buchstaben auf die Münzen. Trotzdem bleibt im türkischen Teil Zyperns die türkische Lira die offizielle Währung.

EU-Kommissionspräsident José Manuel Barroso erklärte zur Einführung des Euros in Malta: „Heute ist ein weiterer stolzer Tag in Maltas stolzer Geschichte.“ Mit der Einführung des Euro würde Malta Ja sagen zu Stabilität, Reform sowie freiem Handel und Reisen für Geschäftsleute und Bürger.


Chipre y Malta adoptan al euro como su moneda oficial

Desde hoy Chipre y Malta adoptaron como moneda oficial de ambos países el euro; según se informa, esto es por un temor de población a un alza de la inflación.

Chipre, a las 22:00 (hora local), y Malta, a las 23:00 (hora local maltenese), se convirtieron así en los 14º y 15º países que usan como moneda oficial el euro. También se espera que Eslovaquia en el 2009 adopte el Euro como su moneda oficial.

Los dos países han emitido más de 100 millones de billetes de euros y más de 500 millones de monedas, según informa los bancos centrales de cada país.

La Comisión Europea destacó la decisión de ambos países, ya que estos llevan menos de cuatro años en la Unión Europea.

La mayoría de las poblaciones temen que suban los precios por el uso de la nueva moneda.


Chypre et Malte adoptent l'euro comme monnaie officielle

Aujourd'hui, Chypre et Malte ont adopté comme monnaie officielle l'euro : selon certaines sources, ce passage crée une crainte des populations de ces pays quant à une hausse de l'inflation.

Chypre, à 22 h (heure locale), et Malte, à 23 h (heure locale maltaise), sont ainsi devenus les 14e et 15e pays à utiliser l'euro comme monnaie officielle. La Slovaquie devrait également adopter l'euro comme monnaie officielle en 2009.
Les deux pays ont émis plus de 100 millions de billets en euros et plus de 500 millions de pièces de monnaie, selon les informations données par les banques centrales de chaque pays.
La Commission européenne a accordé son autorisation aux deux pays bien qu'ils soient membres de l'Union depuis moins de quatre ans.
La majeure partie des populations de ces pays craignent une augmentation des prix en raison de l'introduction de la nouvelle monnaie.


Cyprus en Malta krijgen de euro

Tijdens de europese top van 21 juni 2007 in Brussel hebben de staatshoofden en regeringsleiders van de EU-landen ingestemd met de invoering van de euro op Cyprus en Malta. De invoering zal plaatsvinden op 1 januari 2008.

De twee EU-landen worden het veertiende en vijftiende land met de Europese eenheidsmunt. In totaal betalen dan 320 miljoen mensen met de euro.


Cyprus and Malta to adopt the euro

The European Union's Council of Ministers has approved the entry of Mediterranean islands Cyprus and Malta into the Eurozone. They will begin to use the euro from January 1, 2008.

European finance ministers (collectively known as Ecofin) set fixed rates of one euro to 0.585274 Cypriot pounds and 0.4293 to the Maltese lira. Slovenia was the first new country to join, which adopted it in January of 2007. No other country has yet met the strict entry criteria into the Eurozone, including inflation, which prevented the entry of states such as Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania.

The news comes amid a rising value of the euro, on the same day it reached a new all-time high of 1.37 U.S. dollars.


Chypre et Malte acceptés dans la zone euro

Le Conseil des Ministres de l'Union européenne a approuvé l'entrée des iles méditerranéennes Chypre et Malte dans l'Eurozone. Ils utiliseront donc l'euro à partir du 1e janvier 2008.
Les ministres des finances européens (collectivement surnommés Écofin) ont fixé les taux de change à 0,585274 livre chypriote pour un euro et 0,4293 euro pour la lire maltaise. La Slovénie a été le premier des nouveaux entrants à adopter l'euro en janvier 2007. Aucun autre pays n'a encore rempli les critères stricts d'entrée, dont ceux sur l'inflation qui ont empêché l'entrée des états comme l'Estonie, la Lettonie et la Lituanie.
La nouvelle arrive alors que la devise continue à se renforcer, atteignant un nouveau niveau record de 1 euro pour 1,37 USD.


L'euro conquista Cipro e Malta

Dal 1 gennaio 2008, l'eurozona si arricchirà di due nuovi stati, portando così a 15 il numero delle nazioni che usano la moneta unica.

Cipro e Malta infatti, grazie alla approvazione definitiva del Consiglio Europeo riunitosi ieri (21 giugno, n.d.r.), potranno cominciare le operazioni necessarie per adottare la moneta unica.

Grande soddisfazione è stata mostrata dagli stati interessati, nell'UE dal momento del grande allargamento europeo del 2005, e che sono il secondo e terzo stato nell'ambito di questo allargamento che decidono di adottare la moneta unica europea, istituita nel 1999.
Prima di Malta e Cipro infatti, anche la Slovenia, dal 1 gennaio 2007, aveva sostituito la vecchia valuta nazionale (Tallero) con l'Euro.

Un nuovo ampliamento avverrà nel 2009 con l'ingresso della Slovacchia.
Secondo il Trattato di Maastricht, tutti gli altri stati della UE dovrebbero confluire nella zona euro (ad eccezione di Gran Bretagna e Danimarca), portando così a 25 il numero di stati adottanti l'Euro. Tale passaggio però potrebbe richiedere parecchi anni per alcuni importanti stati europei, come ad esempio la Svezia.


DaimlerChrysler plans to cut 13,000 jobs

International car company DaimlerChrysler announced today it would cut 13,000 jobs in North America. It could part ways with the loss-making business.

It also plans to cut two Chrysler plants in an attempt to make Chrysler business profitable by 2008.

About 9,000 production jobs will be cut in the U.S., 2,000 production jobs in Canada, and 2,000 salaried jobs.

"It's hard to say if it's enough ... but the stock is reacting nicely, which is further verification that this is a favorable restructuring move and a much-needed one at Chrysler," said chief investment officer at Solaris Asset Management, Tim Ghriskey.

Following some speculation that the companies Daimler-Benz (Mercedes-Benz) and Chrysler, which merged together in 1998 to make DaimlerChrysler, would split, chairman Dieter Zetsche denied allegations.

"We do not exclude any option in order to find the best solution for both the Chrysler Group and DaimlerChrysler."


Chrysler ontslaat 13.000 arbeiders

Autofabrikant Chrysler heeft een slecht jaar gehad. Van de tweede plaats in de lijst van best verkochte auto's in de VS daalt Chrysler naar de vierde. Door dit verlies zal het bedrijf de komende twee jaar 11.000 arbeiders en nog eens 2.000 ambtenaren ontslaan.

Niet alleen in de VS, maar ook in Canada zullen 2.000 mensen hun job verliezen. Door het verlies aan werkkracht zal Chrysler een 400.000 auto's per jaar minder kunnen produceren. Chrysler hoopt vanaf 2008 echter alweer winst te gaan maken.


Danish PM pushes for new referendum on euro

Anders Fogh Rasmussen, the Prime Minister of Denmark, said on Tuesday that he will seek broad parliamentary support for a national referendum on joining the euro, the common currency of the Eurozone.

"I'm convinced that we need broad support in parliament to hold a referendum, because it's about the Danish currency and about stability and safety," he said, speaking at his weekly press conference. "Recent events have shown the necessity to give the population the opportunity to vote on Denmark joining the euro."

Berlingske Tidende is reporting that Rasmussen is meeting with political leaders to negotiate support for the referendum.

In 1992, Danish voters rejected the Maastrict Treaty in a referendum. It was only able to pass the following year after the Edinburgh Agreement granted Denmark an opt-out of the third stage of the Economic and Monetary Union of the European Union (EMU).

In 2000, Denmark again rejected the common currency in a euro referendum. The current currency of the Scandinavian country is the Danish krone. As part of stage two of the EMU, the exchange rate of the krone is allowed to fluctuate within a ±2.25% range to the euro.

In order to maintain this peg Danmarks Nationalbank, the central bank, adjusts interest rates and performs foreign exchange operations by buying and selling currency. To do this, Danmarks Nationalbank has had to raise rates twice, even as other central banks, including the European Central Bank (ECB), were lowering rates to deal with the current economic crisis.

As a result, interest rates in Denmark are now 175 basis points higher than the ECB's rates. As recently as May, the difference was only 25 basis points.

Rasmussen heads the Venstre party which leads a minority coalition government. The main opposition party, the Social Democrats, also support adopting the euro as the nation's currency.

While there has long been support among the politicians, the euro has failed when it has been put before the voters. However, recent opinion polls have shown a growing support for the euro among Danes. The most recent of these have seen those in favor just topping the 50% level needed to pass a referendum.

Rasmussen has said he wants a referendum put before voters before 2011. His government had originally planned to hold a referendum this past September to abolish the EMU opt-outs, but that was scrapped when Ireland voted down the Treaty of Lisbon.

On October 30, while in Stockholm, Sweden, Rasmussen said: "The euro ensures political and economical stability in Europe and the current financial turmoil makes it evident that Denmark has to join the Euro."

Analysts consulted by Berlingske Tidende have said that an endorsement from the Socialist People's Party (SF) could prove to be the tide-turner.

"If there was a vote, then I would vote Yes. But I am of the opinion that it is stupid to hold a vote unless we first have a real debate. We haven't had a debate in eight years and all arguments need to be tested," said Margrete Auken of SF.


Dánský premiér chce vyhlásit referendum k přijetí eura

Anders Fogh Rasmussen, předseda vlády Dánského království, prohlásil v úterý, že bude hledat v dánském parlamentu širokou podporu pro referendum v otázce přijetí eura, společné měny eurozóny.

„Jsem přesvědčen, že potřebujeme širokou podporu napříč parlamentem pro vyhlášení referenda, protože se jedná o dánskou měnu a o stabilitu a bezpečí,“ prohlásil během své pravidelné tiskové konference. „Nedávné události ukázaly nutnost dát dánským občanům možnost hlasovat o přijetí eura.“

Dánský deník Berlingske Tidende napsal, že Rasmussen připravuje setkání dánských politiků k projednání jejich případné podpory referendu.

V roce 1992 dánští voliči odmítli v referendu Maastrichtskou smlouvu. Smlouva byla nakonec schválena v referendu o rok později po přijetí Edinburské dohody, která poskytla Dánsku opt-out pro třetí etapu zavádění Evropského měnového systému (ERM II).

V referendu organizovaném v roce 2000 Dánsko opět odmítlo společnou evropskou měnu. V současnosti je v této skandinávské zemi v oběhu dánská koruna. V rámci druhé etapy zavádění Evropského měnového systému (EMS) se smí směnný kurz dánské koruny pohybovat v pásmu ±2.25 % vůči euru.

V rámci plnění tohoto cíle Dánská centrální banka upravuje úrokové míry a nakupuje a prodává cizí měny. Kvůli udržení směnného kurzu musela Dánská centrální banka již dvakrát zvýšit úrokové míry, přestože ostatní centrální banky, včetně Evropské centrální banky (ECB), snížily úrokové míry, aby čelily současné finanční krizi.

V důsledku toho jsou nyní úrokové míry v Dánsku o 175 bazických bodů vyšší než úroky ECB. Ještě letos v květnu byl rozdíl pouhých 25 bazických bodů.

Rasmussen je předsedou dánské liberální strany Venstre, která je nejsilnější stranou v menšinové vládní koalici. Nejsilnější opoziční strana, dánská sociální demokracie, také podporuje přijetí eura namísto národní měny.

Přestože politici přijetí eura již dlouho podporují, dánští voliči jej dosud odmítali. Nicméně nedávné průzkumy veřejného mínění ukazují rostoucí podporu eura mezi dánskými občany. Nejnovější průzkum ukázal podporu euru vyšší než 50 %, která je potřebná ke schválení v referendu.

Rasmussen řekl, že chce vyhlásit referendum do roku 2011. Jeho vláda původně plánovala na letošní srpen referendum o zrušení opt-out z Evropské měnové unie, ale z toho sešlo po odmítnutí Lisabonské smlouvy Irskem.

Během své návštěvy ve Stockholmu 30. října Rasmussen řekl: „Euro zaručuje politickou a hospodářskou stabilitu v Evropě a současný finanční chaos dokazuje, že Dánsko musí přijmout euro.“

Analytici, které oslovil dánský deník Berlingske Tidende, prohlásili, že podpora Socialistické lidové strany (Dánska) by mohla zamíchat kartami.

„Pokud by došlo k hlasování, pak bych hlasovala 'ano'. Ale zastávám názor, že to je hloupost uspořádat referendum, pokud nebudeme mít první opravdovou debatu. V posledních osmi letech neproběhla diskuze a všechny argumenty je třeba prozkoumat,“ řekla pro Berlingske Tidende Margrete Auken (Socialistická lidová strana).

Tato zpráva byla založena zčásti nebo zcela překladem zprávy Danish PM pushes for new referendum on euro na anglických Wikizprávách.


Dell to offer Ubuntu Linux on some computers

Dell Inc. (Dell) announced Tuesday that, due to public demand, they will be offering an alternative to Microsoft Windows on a selection of their desktop and laptop computers. Dell will partner with Canonical Ltd. to pre-install the recently released Ubuntu 7.04 distribution of the Linux operating system.

Until recently, Linux distributions have not been adopted by mainstream computer makers due to concerns over ease-of-use. Newer distributions, such as Ubuntu 7.04, have become much more user-friendly, with features such as automatic updates and software installation.

Ubuntu director of business development Chris Kenyon told the BBC that one of the reasons Ubuntu was selected was its support features and hardware compatibility. "Dell are going to work with us to make sure Ubuntu works fully on its hardware," said Kenyon. A Dell representative suggested that the Ubuntu distribution was chosen due to public demand as expressed on a Dell-run forum website, IdeaStorm. "It was overwhelming, the response we got to the survey," said Jeremy Bolen, a Dell spokesman.

Tuesday's announcement was not the first for Dell's Linux offerings. They have offered servers and workstations with an optional enterprise version of Red Hat Linux for some time now. The chairman and CEO of Dell, Michael Dell, is reported to have Ubuntu installed on his own laptop.

Perry Donham, an analyst with Aberdeen Group of Boston, suggested that the Dell-Ubuntu partnership will benefit Ubuntu more than it will Dell. "It's going to be a small part of [Dell's] market," said Donham. "But it's a great win for Ubuntu and for Linux in general."

Dell indicated that the Ubuntu-based computers would be available in the next few weeks, from Dell USA only for the time being. The pricing structure has not been revealed, or when such computers would be available in countries other than the United States.


Informatique : accord entre Dell et Ubuntu

Dell a annoncé mardi 1er mai qu'à la suite de la demande sur l'un de ses site internet ideastorm.com, l'entreprise vendra certains de ses ordinateurs (de bureau et portables) destinés au grand public avec un système d'exploitation alternatif à Microsoft Windows pré-installé. Le partenariat de Dell se fera avec Canonical Ltd pour la pré-installation de la version la plus récente de sa distribution nommée Ubuntu 7.04 (Feisty Fawn ou le Faon Téméraire en français) sortie en avril dernier et fonctionnant sur le système d'exploitation Linux.

Les distributions Linux n'avaient encore jamais été adoptées par les grands constructeurs d'ordinateurs pour les particuliers à cause de la facilité d'utilisation qui n'était pas au rendez-vous jusqu'à récemment. Mais depuis peu, les nouvelles distributions, comme par exemple la version Ubuntu 7.04, sont devenues très facile à utiliser par un non-informaticien (le jargon informatique utilise l'expression user-friendly) avec par exemple un programme qui peut réaliser seul à la fois les mises-à-jour de sécurité mais aussi celles des programmes utilisés par l'utilisateur. L'installation de programmes se fait elle aussi en quelques clics.
Le directeur pour les questions de développement économique de la fondation Ubuntu Chris Kenyon a déclaré à la BBC que l'une des raison pour laquelle Ubuntu fut choisie est son système de mise à jour très simple d'utilisation et très complet et la compatibilité matérielle qui reste la faiblesse de Linux. Il affirme par ailleurs que « Dell va très bientôt travailler avec nous pour être certain qu'Ubuntu fonctionnera parfaitement sur le matériel qu'ils utilisent ». Un représentant de Dell ajoute que la distribution Ubuntu fut celle choisie sur le site IdeaStorm par les internautes eux-mêmes qui devaient répondre à une enquête d'opinion. « Ce fut, et de loin, la réponse que nous avons la plus recueillie sur notre enquête d'opinion » renchérie Jeremy Bolen, un porte-parole de Dell.

L'annonce de mardi n'est par contre pas synonyme de l'entrée de Dell dans le monde du logiciel libre. En effet depuis plusieurs années déjà, l'entreprise propose en option pour les entreprises la version Red Hat Linux (principalement pour les serveurs informatique mais aussi pour les postes de travail). Le Président-directeur général et fondateur de Dell Michael Dell note en substance qu'il utilise lui-même une distribution Ubuntu sur son ordinateur portable personnel.

Perry Donham, un analyste économique de l'entreprise Aberdeen Group de Boston, pense que le partenariat Dell-Ubuntu sera plus bénéfique à Ubuntu qu'à Dell. « Cela représentera dans un futur proche une toute petite partie du chiffre d'affaire de Dell », affirme-t-il. « Néanmoins, c'est une grande victoire pour Ubuntu et pour Linux en général », rajoute-t-il.
Dell indique que les ordinateurs équipés d'Ubuntu seraient disponibles dans les prochaines semaines, dans un premier temps uniquement pour les ventes aux États-Unis. Le prix et les ordinateurs sélectionnés n'ont pas encore été révélés, tout comme la date à partir de laquelle cette offre serait disponible dans les autres pays.


Delta Air Lines to cut up to 9,000 jobs

Atlanta-based Delta Air Lines announced plans to cut 7,000 to 9,000 jobs by the end of 2007, approximately 17% of its employees.

CEO Gerald Grinstein will take a 25% pay cut. Executives have their pay cut by 15%. Other employees will have their pay reduced by 7 to 10%. Employees that make less than $25,000 a year will not be affected by these pay cuts.

Delta has already cancelled leases on 40 aircraft and they plan to reduce its fleet by at least 80 more. They plan to reduce domestic capacity by 15 to 20 percent and increase international capacity by 25 percent.

Delta is the third-largest airline in the US. They have lost 10 billion dollars since 2001 and are 14 billion dollars in debt.  Delta Air Lines and Northwest Airlines filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection last Wednesday, joining United Airlines and US Airways. Four of the seven largest US carriers are operating under bankruptcy protection. Chapter 11 protection gives companies time to rearrange its finances while continuing to operate.

Delta CEO Gerald Grinstein said they intended "to move from being an unprofitable airline today to a profitable airline in just over two years". "This means we will become a smaller, more cost-efficient airline, with a strengthened network and a stronger balance sheet." These cuts should help save Delta up to $3 billion dollars.


Delta Air Lines se restructure en profondeur

Delta Air Lines, la troisième compagnie aérienne américaine basée à Atlanta a annoncé des plans de restructuration drastiques. Entre 7 000 et 9 000 (soit 17% des effectifs totaux) postes sont concernés.

Les salaires seront également réduits : le PDG Gerald Grinstein verra ses revenus réduits de 25%, les cadres de 15%, et les autres employés entre 7 et 10 %. Les salariés qui gagnent moins de 25 000 par an ne seront pas affectés.

Delta avait déjà réduit sa flotte de 40 avions, et projette de la réduire encore du double. Le marché sera davantage tourné vers l'international (+25%) au dépens des lignes nationales (-15%).

Depuis mercredi, Delta Air est sous la protection de la loi sur les faillites, comme sa consœur Northwest Airlines, qui a rejoint United Airlines et US Airways, également en cours de restructuration. Le chapitre onze de la loi sur les faillites permet aux entreprises de continuer leur activité pendant le redressement financier.

Le PDG de Delta a annoncé que la compagnie allait devenir « plus petite, plus efficace [...] profitable [...] en deux ans ». Après l'annonce de ce plan de redressement qui permettrait de réduire les coûts de 3 milliards de dollars US, l'action de Delta a gagné 2,60% à la bourse de New York.


Demonstration in Hong Kong denounces WTO

Anti-globalization protesters in Hong Kong began a series of demonstrations on Sunday to denounce this week's World Trade Organization (WTO) meeting.

Around 3,000 protesters with signs reading "Junk the WTO" and "Life is not for sale", took to the streets in a carnival atmosphere. "We feel very frustrated with multinational enterprises," said Kenzo Sasaki, owner of a 20-cow dairy farm north of Tokyo. "Our main message is for food sovereignty. Junk the WTO."

Some 10,000 anti-globalization protesters, including groups of South Korean farmers angry at the prospect of more agricultural imports, are converging on Hong Kong. Police hope to avoid the violent clashes that marked the last WTO conference in Cancun, Mexico, in 2003, where a protester was killed by police.

Supporters of the talks say a trade deal may generate billions of dollars in benefits and possibly lift millions out of poverty, but many opponents say it would largely benefit rich nations at the expense of developing countries.

Deep divisions between developed and developing countries, particularly over agriculture, have forced WTO states to lower their goals for their sixth ministerial conference, which is being held this week amid tight security.

To avoid trouble, Hong Kong has blacklisted some people. Officials have also glued down loose pavement stones and welded shut sewer grates to prevent protesters from using them as projectiles and pedestrian overpasses have been covered in mesh to prevent objects being thrown.

Elizabeth Tang, head of the Hong Kong Peoples' Alliance coordinating the demonstrations, said she expected any violence to be on a very small-scale and easily handled by police. "People all over the world are feeling that the WTO and the way it has been functioning so far has failed to lift the poor out of poverty," Tang said.

Han Dongfang, a fellow marcher who led workers at the 1989 Tiananmen Square pro-democracy protest, said workers' rights had languished. "The WTO is a double-edged sword for China," said Han. "Chinese workers have no right to organize unions, so how can you protect yourself or get benefits."

Spokespeople for the group of 1,500 South Koreans protesters said they would demonstrate legally and peacefully, according to a statement by the Korean Struggle Mission, which represents several activist groups.

The Koreans oppose the WTO's aim to lower trade barriers for agricultural imports, saying such moves will flood the Korean market with cheap rice and bankrupt Korean farmers. Joo Jei-jun, general coordinator of the Korean Struggle Mission, on Monday told reporters, "We will be escalating the level of struggle on December 17. "Any hindrance to our freedom of expression - either by the Hong Kong government or the police - will be dealt with in an affirmative manner," he added.

Yang Kyeong-kyoo, of the Korean Confederation of Trade Unions, said the groups were still discussing protest tactics. "But generally, we will mobilize as many people as we can because December 17 is the last day to make decisions," he said.


Massdemonstration i Hong Kong mot WTO:s toppmöte

Tusentals antiglobaliseringsaktivister demonstrerade under söndagen i Hong Kong med anledning av det årliga WTO-mötet som börjar på tisdag där.

Fyratusen personer deltog i en karnevalslik demonstration, och ytterligare en demonstration planeras på tisdagen, och en sista på söndag, konferensens sista dag. Polisen i Hong Kong hade befarat att demonstrationen skulle urarta och hade ett tusental poliser i tjänst. Marchen varade i två timmar och förblev fredlig.


Despite passage of bailout bill, two US states may need loans

Despite the passage of a 700 billion USD bill by the United States House of Representatives on Friday and the Senate on Wednesday, two U.S. states may need loans totaling over 14 billion dollars.

California and Massachusetts are seeking at least 7 billion dollars each from the federal government as loans. Officials and lawmakers in both states say that the loans would be temporary.

According to Massachusetts' state treasurer, Timothy P. Cahill, the state was unable to borrow money last week on a short term loan. He also states that the state can afford to pay its bills and debts for the next few weeks, but not beyond that without a short-term loan from the government. Cahill has asked the federal government for a loan similar to the recent one passed by Congress and the Senate.

"That's all we would ask them to do: Treat us like the investment banks," said Cahill to the Associated Press.

Officials in California say they need an emergency loan, or they will run out of money by the end of October. California's governor, Arnold Schwarzenegger said the state is "not out of the woods" and needs a short term loan from the government.

"California and other states may be unable to obtain the necessary level of financing to maintain government operations and may be forced to turn to the federal treasury for short-term financing," said Schwarzenegger in a letter to the Treasury Department, which is taking the letter under consideration.

On Friday, the U.S. House of Representative voted to pass a revised bailout bill which included raising the FDIC insurance cap to $250,000, a move designed to please progressives. However, the $110 billion in tax breaks, earmarks and what has been called pork barrel spending is not offset by any increases in revenues and has added opposition to the bill from some Representatives in the House. Earmarks added into the bailout bill included $192 million in tax rebates for the Virgin Islands rum industry, $148 million in tax cuts for the wool industry, $100 million tax cuts to the auto racing industry, and $48 million in Hollywood tax incentives, among others.


A pesar del plan de rescate, dos estados necesitarán préstamos federales

A pesar de la aprobación del plan de rescate de $700.000 millones de dólares el viernes por la Cámara de Representantes el viernes y por el Senado el miércoles, dos estados podrían necesitar préstamos federales de hasta $14.000 millones.

California y Massachusetts pidieron del gobierno federal $7.000 millones para cada uno; oficiales y legisladores aclararon, no obstante, que los préstamos serán temporales.

De acuerdo con el tesorero de Massachusetts, Timothy P. Cahill, su estado fue incapaz de conseguir préstamos a corto plazo. También declaró que el estado puede pagar sus deudas en las próximas semanas, pero no más allá sin un préstamo a corto plazo del gobierno. Cahill pidió un préstamo similar al plan de rescate aprobado por el Congreso.

"Eso es todo lo que les pedimos que hagan: que nos traten como a los bancos de inversiones", dijo Cahill a la Associated Press.

Por su parte, California también pidió fondos, lamentando que podría agotar el dinero en sus arcas para fines de octubre. El gobernador de California, Arnold Schwarzenegger, dijo que el estado "no está fuera del bosque" y necesita un préstamo del gobierno federal.

"California y otros estados pueden ser incapaces de obtener los niveles necesarios de financiamiento para mantener operaciones del gobierno y puede verse forzado a pedir financiamiento corto plazo por parte del tesoro federal", decía Schwarzenegger en una carta al Departamento del Tesoro, que está considerando el pedido.


Diamonds: Anglo American to pay US$5.1 billion for 40% of De Beers

Anglo American PLC has negotiated a price of US$5.1 billion to buy 40% of diamond giant De Beers from the Oppenheimer family. Anglo's stake will jump from 45% to either 75% or 85%; the Botswanan government has an option to increase its own stake.

"This has been a momentous and difficult decision as my family has been in the diamond industry for more than 100 years and part of De Beers for over 80 years," said De Beers chairman Nicky Oppenheimer. The Oppenheimers are selling their entire remaining stake in the company they took over in the 1920s. They retain 2% of Anglo, founded in 1917 by Sir Ernest Oppenheimer. Until Nicky's resignation this year Anglo's board has always featured an Oppenheimer.

As-of June De Beers assets totalled US$8.2 billion with US$1.2 billion pre-tax profit over the prior six months, compared to a US$863 million pre-tax profit last year. The firm owns two Canadian mines and one in South Africa, along with joint ownership with Botswana in two of the world's biggest diamond mines.

Part of the sale deal promises the Oppenheimers will be given part of any value increase if the firm is floated within two years. Nonetheless, Anglo CEO Cynthia Carroll denied this means a flotation is planned. She also said there is no connection between the purchase, which is set to be finalised next year, and Chilean state-owned copper firm Coldeco's recent major purchase of 49% of various Anglo property. The Oppenheimers receive 20% of any price increase if a float occurs within a year, and 10% if one happens the year after.


Anglo American купила 40 % акций компании De Beers

Компания Anglo American заключила сделку в 5,1 миллиардов долларов США, посредством которой произошла покупка 40 % акций промышленного гиганта в области добычи бриллиантов, компании De Beers, у семьи Оппенгеймер. Доля акций компании Anglo American в результате сделки поднимется с 45 % до 75—85 %, таким образом доведя свой пакет до контрольного (остальная часть будет принадлежать правительству Ботсваны).

«Это было важное и трудное решение, так как моя семья была в алмазной промышленности уже более 100 лет и была частью De Beers более 80 лет» (англ. "This has been a momentous and difficult decision as my family has been in the diamond industry for more than 100 years and part of De Beers for over 80 years"), сказал председатель De Beers, Ники Оппенгеймер. Оппенгеймеры продали весь свой оставшийся пакет акций компании, которые они получили в 20-х годах XX века. При этом они сохраняют 2 % акций компании Anglo American, основанной в 1917 году сэром Эрнестом Оппенгеймером. До отставки Ники в этом году директором компании Anglo American всегда были люди из семьи Оппенгеймер.

На июнь этого года активы De Beers составили 8,2 млрд долларов США с 1,2 млрд прибыли до налогообложения. Фирма является владельцем двух канадских и одной южноафриканской шахт, а также обладателем в совместной собственности с Ботсваной двух крупнейших в мире алмазных шахт.

14 ноября 2011 года


Dow Chemical to buy Rohm and Haas

United States chemical giant Dow Chemical has announced that it is to buy Philadelphia-based rival Rohm and Haas.

Dow is paying US$78 per share, a 74 percent premium, which makes the agreement worth around $15.3 billion, or $18.8 billion after adjustments are made for assumed debt.  The deal has been agreed unanimously by the boards of both companies, and will be partially funded by Warren Buffett's Berkshire Hathaway and the Kuwait Investment Authority.

In the short term, Dow's share price may suffer as analysts downgrade the company's stock rating. However, the purchase of Rohm and Haas will help to expand Dow's presence in the specialty chemical market, which helps to provide more revenue stability through the entire business cycle.  Dow expects to see "significant revenue synergies", leaving it in "an excellent position in a number of industry segments that are poised for significant growth given long-term market megatrends, most notably in the electronic materials and coatings segments."

Dow plans to set up an advanced materials business unit at the Rohm and Haas headquarters in Philadelphia, and this unit will retain the Rohm and Haas name.  Two Rohm and Haas directors will join Dow's board, which will expand to 14.


דאו כמיקל תרכוש את רוהם והאס

ענקית הכימיקלים האמריקאית דאו כמיקל הכריזה כי תרכוש את יריבתה - חברת רוהם והאס, שמקום מושבה בפילדלפיה.

דאו תשלם 78 דולר למניה, מחיר המשקף פרמיה של 74 אחוז, מה שהופך את שווי ההסכם לכ-15.3 מיליארד דולר, או 18.8 מיליארד דולר יחד עם חובות החברה הנרכשת. העסקה זכתה להסכמה פה-אחד בחבר-המנהלים של שתי החברות, ותמומן באופן חלקי באמצעות חברת ההשקעות ברקשייר התאוויי של איל-ההון וורן באפט, וכן על-ידי מרכז ההשקעות הכוייתי.

בטווח הקצר, מחיר המניה של דאו עלול לספוג מכה קשה שכן תחזית האנליסטים לשווי המניה היא "הערכת חסר". ברם, רכישתה של רוהם והאס תסייע לחברה להרחיב את פעילותה בשוק הכימיקלים המיוחדים, דבר שיגדיל את יציבות הפדיון של החברה בכל מחזור העסקים שלה. דאו מצפה לראות "סינרגיית פדיונות משמעותית" בין החברות, שתותיר אותה ב"עמדה מצוינת במספר מגזרי תעשייה המוכנים לצמיחה משמעותית בהתאם למגמות ארוכות הטווח של השוק, ובעיקר - מגזר החומרים האלקטרוניים ומגזר חומרי הבידוד."

דאו מתכננת להקים יחידה עסקית לחומרים מתקדמים שתשכון במטה של רוהם והאס בפילדלפיה, ויחידה זו תוסיף לשאת את השם רוהם והאס. שניים ממנהלי רוהם והאס יצטרפו לחבר-הנאמנים של דאו כמיקל, שיורחב אפוא ויכלול ארבעה-עשר מושבים.


Dow Jones Industrial closes above 14,000 for first time ever

The Dow Jones Industrial Average (DJIA), one of the main stock indices in the United States, has broken an all-time closing record, to close at 14,000.41 points which is up 82.19 points (0.59%) from its last close. Just 59 days before, the Dow hit an all-time high when it passed 13,000.

This is the first time the DJIA has ever closed above 14,000 since its debut on May 26, 1896.

The Standard & Poor's 500 Index closed at 1,553.08 points which was up 6.91 points (0.45%) and the NASDAQ Composite Index closed at a six-year high to 2,724.74 points, which was up 20.55 point (0.76%).


El Dow Jones cierra sobre 14.000 por primera vez

Las acciones estadounidenses subieron y por primera vez en la historia, el Dow Jones cerró por sobre los 14.000 tras reportarse que los resultados en el sector tecnológico e industrial superaron toda estimación. Tan sólo 59 días antes, el Dow Jones había aumentado toda expectativa al sobrepasar las 13.000 unidades.

El promedio industrial del Dow Jones subió al menos un 0,59% (82,19 puntos) y cerró en 14.000,41 unidades.

Entre tanto, las acciones de IBM (International Business Machines) subieron un 4,3% después de que se anunciara que las ganancias trimestrales de la empresa habían mejorado. Las acciones de Google cayeron en un 5%, luego de que la compañía anunciara que las ganancias estuvieron debajo de lo esperado.

El Standard & Poor's 500 Index cerró en 1.553,08 puntos, logrando un avance de 6.91 puntos (0,45%) y el Nasdaq cerró en 2.724,74 puntos, que sería un aumento de 20,55 puntos (0,76%)


Dow Jones przekroczył 14000 punktów

Trwa hossa na światowych giełdach. Na Nowojorskiej Giełdzie Papierów Wartościowych (NYSE) w wtorek, 17 lipca, najstarszy indeks giełdowy – Dow Jones Industrial Average (DJIA) – ustanowił nowy rekord w histori notowań. Na zakończenie sesji giełdowej indeks Dow Jones zamknął się na poziomie 14 000,41 pkt; wzrastając o 0,59 % ustanowił nowe maksimum. Indeks zdołał pokonać psychologiczny opór – 14 000 pkt.

Dow Jones po raz pierwszy został opublikowany 26 maja 1896 roku. Składał się wtedy z akcji 12 spółek. Podczas pierwszej publikacji kurs indeksu wyniósł 40,94 punktów. 14 listopada 1972 roku Dow Jones osiągnął po raz pierwszy poziom 1.000 punktów, a 29 marca 1999 roku przekroczył 10.000 punktów. Najwyższą wartość osiągnął 14 stycznia 2000 roku – 11.722,98 punktów i gdyby nie zamach na World Trade Center i Pentagon 11 września 2001, nie musielibyśmy czekać 7 lat na przebicie 14.000 pkt.

Również wskaźnik Standard & Poor's 500 zyskał 6,91 pkt. (0,45 proc.) i zakończył sesję na rekordowym poziomie 1553,08 punktów.

Natomiast technologiczny indeks Nasdaq wzrósł o 20,55 pkt. (0,76 proc.) do 2724,74 punktów, to jest do poziomu nie notowanego od ponad sześciu lat.


Dubai receives bailout from Abu Dhabi

The government of Abu Dhabi in the United Arab Emirates has agreed to give US$10 billion to its neighboring emirate, allowing the state-owned Dubai World conglomerate to repay its immediate debt obligations. Dubai says more than $4 billion of the injection will be given to Dubai World's property firm, Nakheel, to repay its Islamic bond that matures Monday. The remaining funds will go towards additional expenses.

News of the last-minute bailout caused Asian stocks to rebound and pushed European shares up, which saw gains for a third straight session. Markets in the UAE also rose, with Dubai's index moving up by 10 percent and Abu Dhabi's jumping by seven percent. Despite the good news, Algebra Capital Managing Director Dino Kronfol says Dubai is not out of the woods yet. "This is not something that is going to be resolved in a matter of weeks. It's going to take some time," Kronfol said. "It's going to involve restructuring and we'll have to see how that transpires. But nonetheless, this is a positive development today."

The situation is completely different from just a few weeks ago, when Dubai World shook up global markets by asking for a standstill on its $26 billion debt. The government of Dubai made matters worse when it announced it would not guarantee the state-owned company's bills.

Dubai World's creditors still need to approve the standstill and effectively have until December 28 to make a decision. That is when the grace period of Nakheel's bond ends. The government of Dubai has issued a new law allowing the conglomerate to file for bankruptcy if its restructuring is not successful. But Kronfol says, if the process focuses on necessary aspects, it will succeed.

"If the restructuring actually deals with Dubai's contingent liabilities," Kronfol said, "as a long-term solution, this actually really will help put the whole debt situation of Dubai behind us and really allow the markets to look more positively at 2010 and beyond."

Government sources say Dubai World's restructuring process could include asset sales, but they would be limited to the Nakheel and Limitless companies and not include Istithmar World, which owns U.S. Luxury retailer Barneys.


Abu Dabi alivia la deuda financiera de Dubái

Abu Dabi ofrecerá 10.000 millones de dólares estadounidenses -6.800 millones de euros- al emirato vecino Dubái para afrontar, entre otras obligaciones, parte de la deuda del conglomerado estatal Dubai World, que el mes pasado solicitara un aplazamiento en el pago de su deuda, que asciende a 26.000 millones dólares -17.700 millones de euros-.

"Estamos aquí hoy para asegurar a inversores, prestamistas financieros y comerciales, empleados y a nuestros ciudadanos que nuestro gobierno actuará siempre de acuerdo a los principios de mercado y prácticas de negocios internacionalmente aceptadas", afirma el jeque y mandatario de Dubái Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum en un comunicado oficial.

El comunicado, que ha cogido por sorpresa a los expertos, ha sido un alivio para la Bolsa de Dubái que subía más del 10% al conocerse la noticia, igualmente, la Bolsa de Abu Dabi escalaba un 7,46% tras hacerse público el comunicado.

De los 10.000 millones de dólares, 4.100 millones -2.800 millones de euros- están previstos para el pago de las deuda de Dubai World que vence hoy mismo.

Abu Dabi, es integrante de los Emiratos Árabes Unidos junto con Dubái y otros 5 emiratos de menor tamaño, desde 1971 y cuenta con las mayores reservas petrolíferas de la unión y ha seguido una política de crecimiento menos agresiva que la de Dubái.


Dubai'ye ekonomik yardım

28 Kasım'da yaptığı açıklamada 60 milyar $ borç için erteleme isteyen Dubai yönetimine Abu Dabi Emirliği 10 milyar $ acil yardım gönderdi. Gönderilen paranın %42'sine denk gelen 4,2 milyar $ kısmın Dubai World'ün emlak şirketi Nakheel'in borç ödemesi için kullanılacağı öğrenildi. Yardım haberinin duyulmasının ardından Dubai borsası %10'un üzerinde değer kazandı.

Öte yandan Dubai emirliğinin toplam borcunun 80 milyar $ ulaştığı belirtiliyor. Ayrıca Dubai yönetiminin bu ay 4,3 milyar $ borç ödemesi bulunuyor.


East Timor - Australia problematic billion-dollar gas and oil accord

Australia and East Timor officials signed a billion-dollar gas and oil accord, which is necessary because of a current maritime border dispute between the countries, which covers a major oil field. Although the accord has to be ratified by East Timor's parliament which is ruled by Fretilin with 55 seats the biggest block in parliament, but all the smaller parties are said to be working together to veto the deal.

In 1975, Portugal abandoned East Timor and the people declared self-independence only to be invaded by Indonesia with out any intervention from Australia or the United States. Indonesia then agreed on no formal maritime boards but on a joint exploitation zone splitting profits 50/50. Indonesian rule in East Timor was marked by extreme violence and brutality and following a UN-sponsored agreement between Indonesia, Portugal and the US, East Timor held a referendum and gained independence, but violent Indonesian sponsored militia took hold. A peacekeeping force (INTERFET, led by Australia) then intervened putting a stop to the violence. The exploitation zone splitting profits was then changed to 60% in favour of Australia, but now a new deal has been proposed 90/10 in favour of Timor. In the mean time Australia has  been accused of profiting by up to 2 billion dollars between the deals by activist groups like http://www.timorseajustice.org/ whose campaigning saw Woodside suspended oil pumping in the affected area.

Contemporary International law asserts that the area under dispute belongs to East Timor. Australia has withdrawn from the maritime division of the International Court of Justice, which could have settled this matter, instead opting to try to settle the matter without the court.

The previous deal has caused political infighting within East Timor about why such a smaller percentage was accepted.


Australien och Östtimor sluter avtal om energikällor

Australien och Östtimor tycks ha nått en lösning på den långvariga dispyten om hur fyndigheter av olja och gas i havet mellan länderna ska fördelas. Australiens utrikesminister Alexander Downer säger att avtalets innehåll inte kommer att offentliggöras förrän det undertecknas officiellt i januari 2006. Enligt BBC antas dock avtalet innebära att Östtimor får 50 procent av resurserna i det största gasfältet, mot idag mindre än 20 procent, i utbyte mot att Östtimor inte längre ställer krav på ändring av havsgränsen mellan länderna. Den australiske utrikesministern sade sig vara nöjd med avtalet, som enligt honom är bra för båda länderna. Östtimor är ett av världens fattigaste länder och Australien har tidigare kritiserats för att hålla för hårt på sina intressen i frågan om naturresurserna i Timorsjön.

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eBay to acquire Skype

Online US-based auction company eBay, the world's largest online marketplace, agreed to buy Voice-over-IP (VoIP) firm Skype, the company providing the most popular internet telephony service, for $2.6 billion USD in cash, stock, and rewards, and may pay a further $1.5 billion if the company's financial targets are met in 2007 and 2008.

Skype technology is to be introduced on eBay's website, allowing sellers to receive calls or leads from the sites users, for a fee.

It is the biggest acquisition in eBay's history. The company hopes to diversify its profit sources and gain popularity in areas where Skype holds a strong position, such as China, Eastern Europe, and Brazil.

EBay expects to cut 2006 earnings per share by $0.12 due to the acquisition.


EBay kauft Skype

San José (Kalifornien) (Vereinige Staaten) / Luxemburg (Stadt) (Luxemburg), 12.09.2005 – Wie das Internet-Auktionshaus eBay heute mitteilte, wird es den Internet-Telefonieanbieter Skype für einen Kaufpreis von bis zu 4,1 Milliarden US-Dollar übernehmen. eBay kündigte an, die Skype-Technologie nutzen zu wollen, um Gespräche zwischen Käufern und Verkäufern bei Versteigerungen zu ermöglichen.

Skype bietet eine Software an, mit der derzeit weltweit rund 54 Millionen Nutzer kostenlos miteinander und darüber hinaus auch zu günstigen Preisen zu jedem normalen Telefonanschluss telefonieren können. Der Kaufpreis soll 1,3 Milliarden US-Dollar in bar und weitere 1,3 Milliarden US-Dollar in Aktien betragen. Eine weitere Zahlung bis zu 1,5 Milliarden US-Dollar wird leistungsbezogen im Jahr 2008 oder 2009 fällig. Dies ist die bisher größte Übernahme durch eBay. Vor drei Jahren hatte eBay den Anbieter von Zahlungslösungen PayPal für 1,5 Milliarden US-Dollar gekauft.

Finanzexperten sahen die Ankündigung mit Skepsis. Mark Main, Analyst bei der Beratungsfirma Ovum, sagte zu der Nachrichtenagentur Reuters: „Angesichts der Tatsache, dass eBay noch nicht auf dem Markt für Online-Kommunikation präsent ist, sehen wir keine unmittelbaren Synergien“. Anthony Noto von Goldman Sachs erklärte, dass eine Lizenzvereinbarung zwischen eBay und Skype möglicherweise ausreichend gewesen wäre. Es sei fraglich, ob der zu erwartende Nutzen des Kaufes den Kaufpreis rechtfertige. Im vorbörslichen Handel verlor die eBay-Aktie als Reaktion auf die Ankündigung 2,02 Prozent Wert und fiel auf 37,84 US-Dollar.


EBay compra a Skype

Ebay, el gigante de las subastas en línea, firmó por la compra de la empresa de telecomunicaciones por Internet (VoIP) Skype por un monto récord de 2.600 millones de dólares.

Este monto podría todavía crecer, dado que el acuerdo tiene previsto un pago adicional de 1.500 millones de aquí hasta 2008 de cumplirse ciertos objetivos de la empresa. En total, Ebay podría desembolsar hasta 4.100 millones por la muy reciente empresa que todavía no alcanza los 70 millones de dólares en ventas anuales.

La compra de la empresa registrada en Luxemburgo y que cuanta con unos 56 millones de clientes en todo el mundo se realiza en un sector en plena expansión, a diferencia del nicho de Ebay, que se ha estabilizado recientemente. Recientemente, con la llegada de programas cliente de telefonía por Internet ergonómicos y fáciles de utilizar, cada vez más los internautas prefieren este método de comunicación dado su menor costo.

Sin embargo, los analistas no ven con buenos ojos esta espectacular inversión. Particularmente hacen notar que Ebay todavía no está ubicada en esta área de negocios por lo que otros competidores podrían surgir. Las acciones de Ebay sufrieron una baja de 4% luego que se supo de las negociaciones con Skype.

Ebay piensa integrar servicios de telefonía en sus sitios de subastas.


EBay rachète Skype

Ebay le plus grand marché en ligne, a signé l'achat de la firme de télécommunication par Internet (VoIP), Skype pour la somme record de 2,6 milliards de dollars.

Ces 2,6 milliards pourraient encore être dépassés, car Ebay prévoit de verser 1,5 milliards supplémentaires jusqu'en 2008 si certains objectifs étaient accomplis. En tout, le géant de la transaction par Internet pourrait débourser jusqu'à 4,1 milliards pour la jeune « start-up » qui ne fait encore que 50 à 70 millions de dollars de chiffre d'affaires.

L'achat de l'entreprise basée au Grand-duché de Luxembourg et qui compte environ 56 millions de clients de par le monde se fait dans un secteur en pleine expansion, contrairement au secteur occupé par Ebay, qui est en stagnation depuis peu. En effet, depuis l'arrivée sur le marché de clients VoIP ergonomiques et simples à utiliser, de plus en plus d'internautes choisissent cette méthode en raison son faible coût.

Néanmoins, les analystes ne voient pas cet investissement spectaculaire d'un bon œil. Ils notent particulièrement le fait qu'Ebay n'est pas encore ancré dans le secteur de la téléphonie par Internet, et que, de ce fait, de nouvelles synergies ne pourraient être créées. Le cours en bourse d'Ebay avait d'ailleurs chuté de quatre pour cent après que des rumeurs eurent annoncé des négociations avec Skype.


EBay przejmuje Skype'a

Internetowy serwis aukcyjny eBay potwierdził informacje o zakupie firmy telekomunikacyjnej Skype Technologies. Koszt transakcji opiewa na kwotę 2,6 miliarda dolarów - 1,3 mld w gotówce, drugie tyle w akcjach. Do tego dochodzi jeszcze 1,5 mld na pensje dla udziałowców Skype'a: łącznie 4,1 miliarda dolarów.

eBay zamierza stworzyć przy pomocy komunikatora platformę handlowo-telekomunikacyjną. Głównymi zmianami ma być integracja Skype'a z portalem aukcyjnym oraz umożliwienie uiszczania opłat za dodatkowe usługi głosowe (np. SkypeOut, który umożliwia dzwonienie na telefony stacjonarne z poziomu programu) za pomocą PayPala.

Eksperci twierdzą również, że dzięki temu połączeniu możliwe będzie łatwiejsze komunikowanie się sprzedających i kupujących na aukcjach eBay'a.

Tym sposobem eBay rzucił rękawicę innym konkurentom w dziedzinie rozmów VoIP - Google, które niedawno wypuściło Google Talk, Microsoftowi, który wykupił firmę Teleo (cena zakupu nie została podana do publicznej wiadomości) a także Yahoo!.

Skype oferuje prowadzenie darmowych rozmów głosowych pomiędzy dwoma użytkownikami komputera niezależnie od ustawień połączenia (VoIP). Komunikator dostępny na kilku platformach systemowych na razie był pozbawiony jakichkolwiek reklam.


Economist Milton Friedman dies at 94

Nobel laureate Milton Friedman has died at the age of 94, his family announced. Friedman is considered to be one the most influential economists of the past century.

Friedman won the Nobel Prize in Economics in 1976 and essentially defined the theory of Monetarism. He served on U.S. President Reagan's Economic Policy Advisory Board and significantly influenced post-WWII economic policy in the U.S.

He was a leading figure in the Chicago school of economics.


Nobelpreisträger Dr. Milton Friedman gestorben

Boston (Vereinigte Staaten), 18.11.2006 – Am Donnerstag, den 16. November 2006 verstarb der Nobelpreisträger und US-Ökonom Dr. Milton Friedman in einem Krankenhaus in San Francisco im Alter von 94 Jahren. Die Todesursache wurde mit Herzversagen angegeben. Friedman war ein richtungweisender Ökonom des vergangenen Jahrhunderts. Die von ihm angestoßenen und vertretenen Theorien zur Wirtschaftsentwicklung dienten als Rechtfertigung größerer staatlicher Zurückhaltung in Wirtschaftsfragen. Der Staat könne, so Friedman, viele Prozesse nicht wirklich nachhaltig beeinflussen, die Lenkung der wirtschaftlichen Entwicklung solle dem Markt überlassen bleiben. Die Wirtschaftspolitik Ronald Reagans oder Margaret Thatchers fanden in den Theorien Friedmans ausgesprochen oder unausgesprochen ihre Rechtfertigung.

Von 1946 bis 1983 lehrte Friedman an der Universität von Chicago. Mit seinem Namen bleibt die so genannte Chicagoer Schule des „Monetarismus“ aufs engste verbunden. Die Theorien der Chicagoer Schule bildeten eine Gegenbewegung zu den Theorien des US-amerikanischen Ökonomen John Maynard Keynes, der die wirtschaftswissenschaftliche Theoriebildung am Anfang des 20. Jahrhunderts noch dominiert hatte.


Egypt cancels 15 year gas supply contract to Israel

According to Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, the termination of a natural gas contract between Egypt and Israel is a business matter and not a political issue between the two counties. Netanyahu's statement on Monday backs away from other officials' earlier responses to the action.

Egyptian Natural Gas Company announced Sunday, April 22 that it will stop supplying Israel with natural gas over a disagreement about payments. The company's leader claims the other side is in "breach of contract" as Gasco has not been paid for what has already been delivered.

In 2005, Israel and Egypt, under former president Hosni Mubarak, signed a 15-year trade deal whereby Egypt would supply natual gas at a discounted rate to the Israelis. Tensions between the two countries have made Israel cautious about relying on Egypt for its energy. Since the 2011 Egyptian revolution, the pipelines for transporting natural gas from Egypt to Israel have been damaged up to 14 times.

When this decision was broadcast on Sunday night in Egypt, commentators for Egyptian news services discussed whether this decision was a blatant contractual infringement, a necessary commercial move, or an attack on the original peace treaty between Egypt and Israel made at Camp David in 1978.

In Israel, Yuval Steinitz, the finance minister, said, "This is a dangerous precedent that diminishes the peace treaty [between the two countries]."

Avigdor Lieberman, foreign affairs minister, had called on Egypt to reverse the decision and prevent the contractual dispute from escalating into a political issue. Since Netanyahu's more recent comment, Lieberman has also backed away from characterizing the issue as a political dispute.

Egypt’s natural gas exports once made up 40 percent of Israel's natural gas reserves, but Israel has looked for other options as the political atmosphere in Egypt changed. Israel is developing its own offshore fields, and it has begun to import other types of “dirty fuels,” like gas and diesel. As a result, Israeli consumers have seen a nine percent increase in electricity costs and Israel is preparing for the possibility of blackouts.


مصر تلغي اتفاقية تصدير الغاز إلى إسرائيل

ألغت الهيئة المصرية العامة للبترول والشركة المصرية القابضة للغازات الطبيعية (إيجاس) في 22 أبريل اتفاقية بيع الغاز الطبيعي إلى إسرائيل، وذلك بسبب عدم التزام شركة شرق المتوسط التي تصدّر الغاز إلى إسرائيل بالتزاماتها تجاههما. وقد أكد رئيس إيجاس محمد شعيب القرار وقال أن العمل بالاتفاقية قد توقف يوم الخميس الماضي، وهذا يعني إيقاف تصدير الغاز المصري إلى إسرائيل التي تعتمد على الغاز المصري لتوليد حوالي 40% من احتياجاتها من الكهرباء.

بدأت مصر بتصدير الغاز إلى إسرائيل في سنة 2008، وأثار هذا القرار احتجاجات في مصر قبل سقوط حكم مبارك، لا سيما أن أسعار بيع الغاز إلى إسرائيل كانت أقل من الأسعار العالمية. وقد تعهدت الحكومة المصرية بعد الإطاحة بحكم مبارك بإعادة النظر في عقود بيع الغاز إلى الأردن وإسرائيل.

يشار إلى أن شركة غاز شرق المتوسط شركة مصرية إسرائيلية خاصة، أنشئت من أجل من أجل تصدير الغاز المصري إلى إسرائيل، وأسسها رجل الأعمال المصري حسين مصري الذي يعتبر من المقربين من الرئيس السابق محمد حسني مبارك، وهو حالياً هارب في إسبانيا.

أكدت شركة أمبال أميريكان إسرائيل كوربوريشن، وهي شريك في شركة غاز شرق المتوسط وتدير أنابيب الغاز أنها تلقت إخطاراً من مصر بإنهاء الاتفاقية، وأن شركة غاز شرق المتوسط تعتبر الإلغاء غير قانوني وتطالب بالتراجع عنه وتدرس الخيارات لمخاطبة الحكومات ذات الصلة وللطعون القانونية. وتسعى أمبال وشركتان أخريان إلى الحصول على تعويضات مقابل خسائرها تصل إلى ثمانية مليارات دولار.

نقلت الإذاعة الإسرائيلية عن مصادر سياسية أنها تلقت توضيحات من الجانب المصري تفيد بأن إيقاف الاتفاق يعود إلى خلاف تجاري ولا يرتبط بالعلاقات السياسية المصرية الإسرائيلية، كما دعا وزير الخارجية الإسرائيلي أفيغدور ليبرمان إلى عدم تسييس هذه الخطوة، بينما عبر وزير المالية الإسرائيلي عن قلقه بشأن إيقاف الاتفاق ووصفه بأنه «سابقة خطيرة تلقي بظل على اتفاقيات السلام والمناخ السلمي بين مصر واسرائيل».

القرار المصري سببه خلاف حول حجم الأضرار الناجمة عن سلسلة تفجيرات لخط الأنابيب في سيناء التي أدت إلى انقطاعات في إمداد إسرائيل بالغاز في السنة الماضية، وقد نبهت إسرائيل مواطنيها إلى احتمال انقطاع الكهرباء في فترة ذروة الاستهلاك في الصيف، وأشارت إلى ضرورة البحث عن خطوط إمداد بديلة.


Elon Musk emails tell Tesla employees return to office, or "assume you have resigned"

Leaked correspondence between Tesla, Inc. boss Elon Musk and members of his executive team sent on Tuesday but published on Wednesday reveal his insistence that employees maintain an in-office presence for 40 hours per week "or depart Tesla."

One email first published by Electrek and corroborated by Reuters with the subject line "Remote work is no longer [acceptable]" read in part: "Anyone who wishes to do remote work must be in the office for a minimum (and I mean *minimum*) of 40 hours per week or depart Tesla. This is less than we ask of factory workers."

A second email reiterated: "Everyone at Tesla is required to spend a minimum of 40 hours in the office per week. Moreover, the office must be where your actual colleagues are located, not some remote pseudo office. If you don’t show up, we will assume you have resigned."

Though Electrek writes rolling back Covid-19 work-from-home policies is being considered by "every other company," Reuters reports major Silicon Valley, California companies do not require a full-time return to the office. Google announced a "hybrid working approach," where employees work in office three days per week but remain at home for two, effective since April.

In the second email, Musk justified his position: "There are of course companies that don't require this, but when was the last time they shipped a great new product? It's been a while [...] Tesla has and will create and actually manufacture the most exciting and meaningful products of any company on Earth. This will not happen by phoning it in."

He added his own experience having "lived in the factory so much" while production at his Fremont facility slowed between 2017-18. "If I had not done that, Tesla would long ago have gone bankrupt," he wrote.

Workers' health group Worksafe's executive director, Stephen Knight wrote to Reuters that, although employers "...are finding that mandating a return of all employees is a recipe for outbreaks," adding "Tesla's disregard for worker safety is well documented, including their flouting of the county public health department at the start of the pandemic."

In May 2020, Musk reopened a factory in Fremont despite local guidance, and the facility reported 440 coronavirus cases in the following seven months. Musk recently praised Chinese workers for "burning the 3 am oil," whilst Americans try "to avoid going to work at all."

A January Pew Research Center survey published February 16 found 61% of US adults currently working from home are doing so out of choice, and 77% reported teleworking at least some of the time.

In a tweet dated March 3, Twitter CEO Parag Agrawal wrote: "Wherever you feel most productive and creative is where you will work and that includes working from home full-time forever. Office every day? That works too. Some days in office, some days from home? Of course."

On May 13, Musk suspended a USD44 billion deal to acquire Twitter, citing a May 2 Reuters article that included an estimate of the percent of active users that were fake or spam accounts. CNN Business said Musk's reasoning to do so was unclear.


Elon Musk exige retorno ao presencial em email aos funcionários da Tesla

A correspondência vazada entre o chefe da Tesla, Elon Musk, e membros de sua equipe executiva revela sua insistência de que os funcionários mantenham uma presença no escritório por quarenta horas por semana “ou deixem a Tesla”.

Um e-mail publicado pela primeira vez pela Electrek e confirmado pela Reuters afirma que “o trabalho remoto não é mais [aceitável]”: “Qualquer pessoa que deseje fazer trabalho remoto deve estar no escritório pelo mínimo (e quero dizer *mínimo*) de 40 horas por semana ou sair da Tesla. Isso é menos do que pedimos aos trabalhadores da fábrica”.

Um segundo e-mail reiterou: “Todos na Tesla são obrigados a passar um mínimo de 40 horas no escritório por semana. Além disso, o escritório deve ser onde seus colegas estão localizados, não algum pseudo escritório remoto. Se você não aparecer, vamos supor que você renunciou”.

Embora a Electrek escreva que o retorno ao trabalho presencial após redução das mortes por COVID-19 está sendo considerada por “todas as outras empresas”, a Reuters relata que as principais empresas do Vale do Silício, na Califórnia, não exigem um retorno em tempo integral ao escritório. O Google anunciou uma “abordagem de trabalho híbrida”, em que os funcionários trabalham no escritório três dias por semana, mas permanecem em casa por dois, em vigor desde abril.

No segundo e-mail, Musk justificou sua posição: “Claro que existem empresas que não exigem isso, mas quando foi a última vez que lançaram um ótimo produto novo? Já faz um tempo […] a Tesla criou e vai criar e realmente fabricar os produtos mais empolgantes e significativos de qualquer empresa na Terra. Isso não acontecerá por telefone”.

Ele acrescentou sua própria experiência de ter “vivido tanto na fábrica” enquanto a produção em suas instalações de Fremont diminuiu entre 2017-18. “Se eu não tivesse feito isso, a Tesla já teria falido há muito tempo”, escreveu ele.

O diretor-executivo do grupo de saúde dos trabalhadores Worksafe, Stephen Knight, escreveu à Reuters, que empregadores “estão descobrindo que exigir o retorno de todos os funcionários é uma receita para surtos” e que “o desrespeito da Tesla pela segurança dos trabalhadores está bem documentado, incluindo o desrespeito à saúde pública do condado no início da pandemia”.

Em maio de 2020, Musk reabriu uma fábrica em Fremont, apesar das orientações locais, e a instalação registrou 440 casos de coronavírus nos sete meses seguintes. Musk elogiou recentemente os trabalhadores chineses por “queimar petróleo 3 [horas] da manhã”, enquanto os americanos tentam “evitar ir trabalhar”.

Uma pesquisa do Pew Research Center de janeiro, publicada em 16 de fevereiro, descobriu que 61% dos adultos norte-americanos que atualmente trabalham em casa o fazem por opção, e 77% relataram trabalhar online pelo menos parte do tempo.


Emaar Properties claims Burj Dubai as world's tallest building

United Arab Emirates (UAE) developer Emaar Properties has claimed that their Burj Dubai commercial and residential tower, currently under construction, has become the world's tallest building, reaching a height of 512.1 metres (or 1,680 feet) and 141 storeys.

The current official record holder, Taipei 101 of Taiwan, has a height of 508 metres and 101 storeys, and will retain the "tallest building" title for some time to come. The Council on Tall Buildings and Urban Habitat sets the criteria for achieving height records for buildings, and will not evaluate the Burj Dubai until construction is complete in late 2008. Although final height details have been kept secret by the developer, the Burj Dubai is expected to reach nearly 700 metres in height, with approximately 160 storeys.

The current record holder for the world's tallest free-standing structure is the CN Tower in Toronto, Canada. It has a height of 553 metres. The Burj Dubai, therefore, would claim both records when it is completed.

Once the Burj Dubai is completed, it will have required 330,000 cubic metres of concrete, 39,000 tonnes of steel and 142,000 square metres of glass, according to Emaar Properties. The building will have 56 lifts (elevators) that can move at a rate of speed of 1.75 to 10 metres per second.

Dubai is undergoing a construction boom currently with the Burj Dubai as the planned centrepiece of a $US20 billion project, which will eventually realize some 30,000 apartments and boast the world's largest shopping mall.

There have been criticisms of the working conditions for construction workers in the UAE. A majority of the estimated 500,000 construction workers in the UAE are foreign workers from India, Pakistan and Bangladesh.

In a 2006 report on the UAE's treatment of migrant workers, entitled Building Towers, Cheating Workers, Human Rights Watch documented abuses in UAE such as, "extremely low wages, several years of indebtedness to recruitment agencies for fees that UAE law says only employers should pay, the withholding of employees’ passports, and hazardous working conditions that result in apparently high rates of death and injury."

In October of last year, Human Rights Watch delivered specific recommendations to the UAE government for improvement of working conditions. The UAE government acted swiftly on the report and put in place several improvements, which were applauded by Human Rights Watch.

However, the salaries of migrant construction workers remain in the range from $106 to $250 per month, while the national average wage is over $2,000 per month. Trade unions remain illegal in the UAE.