US unemployment rate reaches 9.8%

Companies in the United States are shedding more jobs, pushing the country's unemployment rate to a 26-year high of 9.8%.

The US Labor Department said on Friday that employers cut 263,000 jobs in September, with companies in the service industries — including banks, restaurants and retailers — hit especially hard.  This is the 21st consecutive month of job losses in the country.

The United States has now lost 7.2 million jobs since the recession officially began in December 2007. The new data has sparked fears that unemployment could threaten an economic recovery. Top US officials have warned that any recovery would be slow and uneven, and some have predicted the unemployment rate will top 10% before the situation improves.

"Continued household deleveraging and rising unemployment may weigh more on consumption than forecast, and accelerating corporate and commercial property defaults could slow the improvement in financial conditions," read a report by the International Monetary Fund's World Economic Outlook, predicting that unemployment will average 10.1% by next year and not go back down to five percent until 2014.

Mark Zandi, chief economist at Moody’s Economy.com, said that “it’s a very fragile and tentative recovery. Policy makers need to do more.”

"The number came in weaker than expected. We saw a lot of artificial involvement by the government to prop up the markets, and now that that is starting to end, the private sector isn't yet showing signs of life," said Kevin Caron, a market strategist for Stifel, Nicolaus & Co.

Also on Thursday, the US Commerce Department said factory orders fell for the first time in five months, dropping eight-tenths of a percent in August.  Orders for durable goods — items intended to last several years (including everything from appliances to airliners) — fell 2.6%, the largest drop since January of this year.

The US government has been spending billions of dollars — part of a $787 billion stimulus package — to help spark economic growth.  There have been some signs the economy is improving.

The Commerce Department said on Thursday that spending on home construction jumped in August for its biggest increase in 16 years. A real estate trade group, the National Association of Realtors, said pending sales of previously owned homes rose more than 12 percent in August, compared to August 2008.

A separate Commerce Department report said that consumer spending, which accounts for more than two-thirds of US economic activity, rose at its fastest pace in nearly eight years, jumping 1.3 percent in August.

Other reports have provided cause for concern. A banking industry trade group said Thursday the number of US consumers making late payments, or failing to make payments, on loans and credit cards is on the rise. A survey by a business group, the Institute for Supply Management, Thursday showed US manufacturing grew in September, but at a slower pace than in August when manufacturing increased for the first time in a year and a half.

Stock markets reacted negatively to the reports. The Dow Jones Industrial Average fell 41 points in early trading, reaching a level of 9467. This follows a drop of 203 points on Thursday, its largest loss in a single day since July. The London FTSE index fell 55 points, or 1.1%, to reach 4993 points by 15.00 local time.


Desocupación en EE.UU. crece a un 9,8%

Con la supresión de 263.000 puestos de trabajo en el mes de septiembre, la tasa de desempleo en los Estados Unidos creció más de lo previsto. Según informó el Departamento del Trabajo en Washington, la economía norteamericana registró un aumento de 7.6 millones de desempleados desde el comienzo de la recesión a finales de 2007.

Sin embargo, pese a la alta tasa de supresión de empleos registrada en septiembre, los funcionarios de la cartera laboral norteamericana destacaron que es menor a la registrada entre los meses de noviembre de 2008 y abril de 2009, cuando el promedio de supresión de empleos fue de 645.000 puestos por mes.

Los sectores más afectados por la pérdida del empleo fueron la construcción, la manufactura, las ventas al por menor y el sector público.


USA lifts remaining sanctions on Serbia and Montenegro

U.S. President George W. Bush suspended all sanctions on Serbia and Montenegro by a decree yesterday. Serbia and Montenegro was under various degrees of economic and other sanctions by the United Nations and individual countries since 1992.

Serbia and Montenegro will now enjoy the U.S. Generalized System of Preferences which includes allowing duty-free import of more then 4600 products. Economic relations between two countries were stabilized in 2003 when Serbia and Montenegro gained a status of most favoured nation.

"We did a study and came to a conclusion that free market exists in Serbia, that there are laws to protect American investors, and we based our decision on that," the U.S. ambassador in Belgrade Michael Polt said.

The President of Serbia and Montenegro, Svetozar Marović, wrote a letter to Bush thanking him for his move.


USA zawiesza sankcje gospodarcze wobec Serbii i Czarnogóry

Wczorajszy dekret prezydenta USA, George Busha, zawiesił wszystkie sankcje gospodarcze wobec Serbii i Czarnogóry. Dzięki temu dawna Jugosławia będzie mogła skorzystać z Amerykańskiego Ujednoliconego Systemu Preferencji (U.S. Generalized System of Preferences), który pozwala między innymi na zawieszania ceł za import ponad 4600 towarów.

Organizacja Narodów Zjednoczonych oraz wiele krajów wprowadzały różnorakie sankcje gospodarcze wobec Serbii i Czarnogóry (do niedawna istniejącej pod nazwą Jugosławia) od 1992 roku.

"Doszliśmy do wniosku, że w Serbii istnieje wolny rynek, ponieważ powstało ustawodawstwo, chroniące amerykańskich inwestorów. Przez to nasza decyzja może wejść w życie" - powiedział amerykański ambasador w Belgradzie, Michael Polt. Stało się to również możliwe dzięki ociepleniu się stosunków gospodarczych między USA a Serbią w 2003 roku.

Prezydent Serbii i Czarnogóry, Svetozar Marović, napisał list do Georga Busha, dziękując mu za tę decyzję.


USA raises tariffs on inexpensive Chinese solar panels

This Wednesday, the United States Department of Commerce issued a ruling to set tariffs on Chinese-made solar panels ranging from 18% to 250% for different solar panels manufacturers. China protested against the new tariffs on Thursday claiming that they make export of solar panels to the USA unprofitable.

A US-German company SolarWorld and a group of other companies complained and initiated the tariffs change. Some manufacturers claimed China's subsidies are an unfair advantage for the Chinese solar panel manufacturers, and challenged whether China's economy is a free market.

Wang Shuai, a spokesman for the Yingli solar energy company, commented that 30% tariffs are unprofitable. He claimed that in the solar industry, gross profit margins are about 10 percent. "A tax rate of 30 percent is the same as 200 percent. Both of them mean the door is closed for exporting to the United States. No one does business to lose money."

The tariffs would not go into effect until the International Trade Commission confirms the Chinese pricing hurts the U.S. solar industry.

The tariffs occur as the Chinese solar panel manufacturers have reported losses this year of hundreds of millions of dollars, according to AP.


USA erhebt Zölle auf billige chinesische Solarmodule

Washington D.C. (Vereinigte Staaten), 18.10.2012 – Am Mittwoch vergangener Woche hat das US-Handelsministerium entschieden, Zölle auf in China hergestellte Solarmodule in Höhe von 18 Prozent bis 250 Prozent für die verschiedenen Hersteller zu erheben. China protestierte gegen die neuen Tarife am darauffolgenden Donnerstag und erklärte, damit würde der Export von Sonnenkollektoren aus China in die USA unrentabel gemacht.

Die US-Tochter des deutschen Unternehmens SolarWorld und eine Gruppe anderer Unternehmen hatten sich bei der US-Regierung über die chinesische Billig-Konkurrenz beschwert und eine Änderung der Zolltarife gefordert. Einige Hersteller behaupten, Chinas Subventionen verschafften den chinesischen Solar-Panel-Herstellern einen unfairen Vorteil, und sie bezweifeln, dass in Chinas Wirtschaft ein freier Markt herrsche.

Wang Shuai, Sprecher des chinesischen Unternehmens Yingli, mit über 6000 Mitarbeitern eine der größten Solarenergie-Firmen der Welt, sagte dazu, bereits ein Zoll von 30% sei unwirtschaftlich. Er behauptete, dass in der Solarindustrie Rohertragsmargen von etwa 10 Prozent üblich seien. Weiter sagte er: „Ein Steuersatz von 30 Prozent ist der gleiche wie 200 Prozent. Beide bedeuten, dass die Tür für den Export in die Vereinigten Staaten geschlossen wird. Niemand macht Geschäfte, um Geld zu verlieren.“

Die Zolltarife werden erst in Kraft treten, wenn die International Trade Commission bestätigt, dass die chinesischen Preise der US-Solarindustrie schaden. Nach Berichten der Nachrichtenagentur AP, rechnen die chinesischen Solarmodulhersteller bereits in diesem Jahr mit Verlusten von Hunderten von Millionen Dollar, und zwar noch vor der Erhöhung der Zolltarife.


Venezuela bans Coke Zero over unspecified health problems

Coke Zero, a product of the Coca-Cola Company has been banned in Venezuela by the government. Jesús Mantilla, the health minister for Venezuela stated the ban is to preserve the health of Venezuelans but did not specify what problems could be caused with consuming Coke Zero. Coca-Cola agreed to abide by the ban but claimed that Coke Zero contained no harmful ingredients.

"Coca Cola Zero is made under the highest quality standards around the world and meets the sanitary requirements demanded by the laws of the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela," said Coca Cola in a statement.

Coke Zero, which was first sold in 2005 in the United States, was launched in Venezuela in April and Coca-Cola Femsa, the Mexican company who bottles the drink, hoped to increase the market share for low calorie drinks by up to 200 percent. Coke Zero contains no sugar and was created to be an alternative to Coca-Cola Classic.

Venezuela is currently in the process of nationalizing much of its economy. Earlier in the year the government seized a rice mill and a pasta factory owned by American food production company, Cargill. Legal action has also been threatened against pharmaceutical company Pfizer.


Venezuela se queda sin Coca-Cola Zero

El gobierno de Venezuela ordenó que la empresa Coca-Cola deje de vender su bebida Coca-Cola Zero. El ministro de Salud, Jesús Mantilla, dijo que “el producto deber ser retirado del mercado para salvaguardar la salud de los venezolanos”.

El alto funcionario habría dicho que la bebida contiene ingredientes que podrían ser perjudiciales para la gente, sin embargo no mencionó cuáles eran.

Posteriormente, la empresa de bebidas gaseosas emitió un comunicado diciendo que Coca-Cola Zero no contiene ningún ingrediente que pueda perjudicar la salud humana. Sin embargo dijo que cumplirá con la orden de suspender la venta de la bebida en Venezuela.

El ministerio de Salud dijo que la medida considera “evitar las próximas ventas del producto, así como ordenar la recolección de todas las Coca Cola Zero que se encuentran en los establecimientos comerciales”, lo que fue acatado de inmediato, dijo Coca-Cola. Coca-Cola Zero fue lanzada en Venezuela en abril de este año.

La empresa Coca Cola tiene su sede en Estados Unidos pero sus operaciones en Venezuela son administradas por el Grupo Femsa de México. La empresa sufrió una costosa y dilatada huelga que paralizó sus operaciones en el país y fue resuelta a finales del 2008, y además tuvo un conflicto con Chávez, quien pidió el desalojo de un terreno propiedad de la firma en Caracas.


Venezuela: il ministero della Salute ordina il ritiro dal commercio della "Coca-Cola Zero"

«Contiene degli elementi che possono risultare pericolosi per la salute umana». Con questa motivazione, il Ministero della Salute del Venezuela ha disposto che la Coca-Cola Zero venga ritirata dal mercato. Il prodotto, a bassissimo contenuto calorico e privo di zuccheri (da cui il nome Zero), sarà ritirato da tutte le imprese commerciali che lo vendono, secondo quanto ordinato dal titolare del dicastero, Jesús Mantilla.

Mantilla afferma «il prodotto deve uscire dalla circolazione affinché si preservi la salute dei venezuelani»; oltre al sequestro delle confezioni già in vendita, se ne impedirà inoltre la vendita in futuro.

Si tratta di una decisione dai contorni non ben definiti in quanto il ministro non ha annunciato quale sia l'ingrediente incriminato. Il Venezuela è noto da tempo per le decisioni anti-americane del presidente Hugo Chávez.


Ministério da Saúde da Venezuela proíbe comércio da "Cola-Cola Zero"

Coca-Cola Zero, um produto da empresa dos Estados Unidos, a Coca-Cola Company, foi banida na Venezuela pelo governo e ministério da saúde. Jesús Mantilla, o Ministro da Saúde venuezelano tomou a decisão de banir e proibir o comércio do refrigerante para preservar a saúde da população, mas ele não especificou quais problemas podem ser causados pelo consumo da bebida. A Coca-Cola aceitou a decisão do governo em proibir a venda, porém, a companhia emitiu uma nota dizendo que a Coca-Cola Zero não contém ingredientes que prejudicam o corpo humano.

A Coca-Cola Zero, que foi lançada em 2005 nos Estados Unidos, chegou a Venezuela em abril e a Femsa, um companhia Mexicana que ajuda na fabricação do produto, esperava uma incrível marca de vendas pela baixa quantidade de calorias do refrigerante. Coca Zero não contém açúcar e foi criada como uma alternativa para a clássica Coca-Cola.


Venezuela opens granite processing facility in Bolívar

Venezuela's government has opened a granite processing plant in the state of Bolívar, with the intention of providing about 25% of the granite required nationwide.

Ricardo Menéndez, vice president of the Productive Economic Area, said Venezuelan President Hugo Chávez has yearned for the creation of this project to empower Venezuelan construction. Granito Bolívar is reportedly the most modern Venezuelan granite plant, not consuming community water or electricity, and is also the largest, with a daily capacity to supply enough material for use in construction of about 820 houses.

Menéndez said, "These granite blocks are the natural resources of our country, are the wealth we have as a country and often [some] simply decided to remove this richness from our country and take them to other countries" ((es))Spanish language: Esos bloques de granito son la riquezas naturales de nuestro país, son las riquezas que tenemos como patria y que muchas veces sencillamente esas riquezas decidieron sacarlas de nuestro territorio nacional y llevarlas a otros países.

According to Menéndez, with the help of a state plan, Venezuela intends to exploit its 40,000 million cubic meters or more of granite reserves, generating a set of factories. "[T]he central theme is that these plants, all these factories, are for the construction of socialism; that means using our potential, develop the value chain within the country and of course that yields benefits from the point of view of the production system's organization.... [Granito] Bolívar is not only the vision that historically we had of exposing richness, but the industries, basic industries we have, that level of our workers in the basic industries and in addition the development of the potential we have in the state" ((es))Spanish language: el tema central es que estas plantas todas estas fábricas son para la construcción del socialismo, eso significa utilizar nuestras potencialidades, dessarrollar la cadena de valor dentro del país y por supuesto que eso genere beneficios desde el punto de vista de la organización del sistema productivo ... Bolívar no solamente es la visión que históricamente se tuvo de exponer las riquezas, sino que son las empresas, las empresas básicas que tenemos, ese nivel de nuestros trabajadores de la empresas básicas y adicionalmente el desarrollo del potencial que tenemos en el estado.

For the construction of the plant, supplied by 23 quarries, the government of Bolívar provided about 30 million bolívares (US$4.7 million) and the national government €2.3 million (US$3 million). Bolívar reportedly has reserves of about 40,000 million tons of red, black, pink and white granite, sufficient for domestic demand for 200 years.


Venezuela inaugura planta para el procesamiento de granito en Bolívar

16 de febrero de 2013Bolívar, Venezuela —

El gobierno de Venezuela inauguró la planta de procesamiento Granito Bolívar en el estado homónimo con la intención de proveer el 25% del granito que se requiere en todo el país. Ricardo Menéndez, vicepresidente del Área Económica Productiva, indicó que el presidente venezolano Hugo Chávez ha anhelado la creación de este proyecto para generar todas las cadenas productivas para la construcción del país. Esta planta de granito es la más moderna de Venezuela (la cual no consume el agua ni la electricidad de la colectividad), y la más grande, con una capacidad diaria para producir material suficiente para la construcción de 820 casas.

Según Menéndez, con la ayuda de un plan estatal se pretende aprovechar los recursos de los 40 000 millones de metros cúbicos de las reservas de granito del territorio nacional y así generar un conjunto de fábricas. “El tema central es que estas plantas, todas estas fábricas, son para la construcción del socialismo; eso significa utilizar nuestras potencialidades, desarrollar la cadena de valor dentro del país y por supuesto que eso genere beneficios desde el punto de vista de la organización del sistema productivo. Bolívar no solamente es la visión que históricamente se tuvo de exponer las riquezas, sino que son las empresas, las empresas básicas que tenemos, ese nivel de nuestros trabajadores de la empresas básicas y adicionalmente el desarrollo del potencial que tenemos en el estado”.

Para la construcción de la planta (compuesta de 23 canteras), el gobierno de Bolívar aportó 30 millones de bolívares ($4,7 millones) y el gobierno nacional dio €2,3 millones. Granito Bolívar tiene reservas de granito rojo, negro, rosado y blanco, sumando un total de 40 000 millones de toneladas. La materia prima de esta planta es suficiente para abastecer la demanda nacional durante 200 años.


Verizon to acquire Yahoo!

On Monday, US telecom giant Verizon announced acquisition of Yahoo! for a reported amount of US$4.83 billion (€4.36 billion). Per the all-cash deal, Verizon would own only the core web business — in particular, Yahoo! Japan and Alibaba would not be acquired by Verizon.

Going public in 1996, Yahoo! provided e-mail service a year later. Once having a worth of US$ 125 billion, Yahoo!'s value on Friday's closing was about $37 billion. Eight years ago, Microsoft offered US$44 billion for Yahoo!'s acquisition. The deal is expected to complete next year.

Last year, Verizon gained ownership of Huffington Post, TechCrunch, and Engadget as it purchased their owner America Online (AOL) for US$4.4 billion. Acquisition of Yahoo! means Verizon would own micro-blogging website Tumblr which was purchased by Yahoo! under ex-Google employee and Yahoo! CEO Marissa Mayer in 2013. Tumblr was formed by school dropout David Karp in 2007. Verizon would also own photo sharing site Flickr, acquired by Yahoo! in 2005.

Yahoo! received bids from the owner of The Daily Mail as well as from AT&T — another American telecom giant. After handing over ownership to Verizon, Yahoo! would be selling about 3,000 patents at auction.

Though Mayer has expressed she would like to remain the CEO, CNBC reported Verizon CEO Marni Walden is yet to decide the leadership team. Mayer said it was a big day for Yahoo!.

This acquisition would end Yahoo!'s 20 years as an independent company and an early-emerging company in Silicon Valley, California. The company started as "Jerry and David's Guide To The World Wide Web" in 1994, by Jerry Yang and David Filo based at Stanford University.


Verizon купил Yahoo!

25 июля 2016 года одна из двух крупнейших телекоммуникационных компаний США Verizon Communications официально объявила о покупке основного бизнеса одного из крупнейших мировых порталов Yahoo! за 4,83 млрд долларов США, тем самым подтвердив слухи, циркулирующие на рынке на протяжении нескольких месяцев.

Verizon заплатит наличными после закрытия сделки после одобрения акционеров и регуляторов в начале 2017 года.
Все полученные средства планируется выплатить акционерам Yahoo!

Руководить слиянием будет не глава Yahoo! Марисса Майер, а исполнительный вице-президент Verizon Марни Уолден (англ. Marni Walden).

По условиям соглашения, Yahoo! продаст американскому оператору основной бизнес, сохранив за собой долю в Alibaba Group (15 %, стоимость — $31,2 млрд на 22 июля 2016 года) и Yahoo Japan (34 %, стоимость — $8,3 млрд), а также финансовые вложения, ряд непрофильных патентов, выведенных в Excalibur LLC, и некоторые другие активы.

Verizon получит такие активы компании, как Yahoo Sports, Yahoo Finance, Tumblr, Flurry, Gemini и другие.
Кроме того, покупателю перейдёт название бренда и головное здание корпорации, находящееся в Калифорнии.

Таким образом оригинальная компания Yahoo! сменит свое название и будет преобразована в публичную инвестиционную компанию.
Вплоть до закрытия сделки Yahoo! продолжит работу как самостоятельная компания.

Verizon же намерена интегрировать бизнес Yahoo! с купленной за 4,4 млрд долларов США в мае 2015 года медийной компанией AOL.

Исполнительный директор AOL Тим Армстронг сообщил, что интеграция Verizon, AOL и Yahoo! позволит создать нового мощного игрока в сфере мобильных медиа, пояснив:

Глава Verizon Лоуэлл Макадам сказал:

Ожидается, что после преобразований новая компания будет конкурировать с лидерами — Google и Facebook — на рынке интернет-рекламы.

Ранее сообщалось о том, что на Yahoo! претендуют такие компании, как Twitter, Google, The Daily Mail, Microsoft и Berkshire Hathaway.
В последние годы интернет-компания публиковала слабые финансовые отчеты, в 2015 году ее убытки составили $4,3 млрд.
По итогам I квартала этого года компания получила чистый убыток в размере 99,2 млн долларов.

Рыночная стоимость Yahoo! на момент закрытия торгов в пятницу составляла около $37,4 миллиарда.

25 июля 2016 года


Verizon傳以約50億美元收購雅虎

【2016年7月27日讯】美國電信運營商Verizon準備在周一宣佈以大約50億美元收購雅虎的搜索引擎及網路廣告工具。

吸引世界各地眾多網絡用戶的雅虎公司今年2月宣佈將為它的互聯網核心業務尋找“戰略性替代方案”。

過去幾年，雅虎一直在努力趕上網絡廣告生態變化的步伐。但一些分析人士提出，它未能保持住市場的關聯性。

瑪麗莎梅耶爾2012年離開谷歌就任雅虎首席執行官，她在讓公司轉虧為盈方面收效甚微。上星期，雅虎通報說它第二季度損失了4.4億美元。

據報雅虎的收購價格遠低於它在互聯網泡沫時期的高峰市價1250億美元。2008年，微軟曾試圖以440億美元收購雅虎，但遭到雅虎拒絕。

Verizon的收購計劃可以使雅虎把其主要資產從它在中國網絡巨頭阿里巴巴所持股份中剝離出來，這筆資產佔雅虎370億美元市場價的一大部分，同時可以使Verizon把雅虎和它收購的美國在線合併起來組成一個集團，與谷歌和臉書這類公司抗衡。

收購預計在星期一美國金融市場開市時宣佈。


Vestas occupation continues; left-wing political parties voice support

National Union of Rail, Maritime and Transport Workers

Morale is "fine" inside the Vestas plant in Newport, Isle of Wight, England, as an industrial occupation of the wind turbine factory finished entered its fourth night, says one of the occupiers.

"Mark," who prefers not to give his last name for fear of management reprisals, spoke to Wikinews and gave an update on the situation inside the plant, where 30 of the 525 workers whose jobs are slated to be lost at the end of July occupied management offices on Monday evening and issued a call for the British government to nationalise the plant.

A double fence now rings the plant, surrounded by police in riot gear. Five people have been arrested for attempting to enter the plant grounds. According to Mark, while police are now letting food onto the plant grounds, Vestas' private security have been halting it at the gate; food for the occupiers is now being provided by Vestas management after the occupiers accused Vestas in the press of violating the Human Rights Act; commenting on the quality of the food, Mark said "it's not been that good". According to the BBC, the content has been mostly sausage rolls, pasties and crisps.

The occupiers were informed yesterday that if they did not leave the plant by 10:30 p.m. on July 22, they would be fired. They have since been served with papers charging them with aggravated trespass and are seeking legal representation; the court papers give them until July 29 to vacate, but according to Mark, the occupiers have no plans to leave: "we're going to be in here for a while".

Vestas has given no comment to the press about the occupation.

Political parties in Britain have begun responding to the Vestas situation, with the Green Party adding its support to the occupation following the early declarations of support, previously reported here, by the Socialist Party and Socialist Workers Party. Green Party Leader Dr Caroline Lucas MEP gave her "full support", and said in an online statement, "We should be seizing the opportunity to create a renewable energy revolution through a favourable policy environment and massive investment in the new technologies that can see us through a transition towards a more environmentally and economically stable economy. The Government can make a genuine start along this road by pledging financial aid to help keep the Isle of Wight's Vestas plant open for business". The Greens held a demonstration in London supporting the Vestas workers on July 22. Environmentalist protesters have established a climate camp with dozens of people outside the perimeter of the fence and a mass demonstration is planned for Friday evening in Newport's St Thomas's Square.

In parliament, meanwhile, five MPs of the ruling Labour Party have signed a motion protesting the Vestas plant's closure and Liberal Democrat leader Nick Clegg stated, "This closure exposes the hollow truth of Labour's climate change strategy". Labour Party left-wing veteran Tony Benn is expected to appear with RMT general secretary Bob Crow and address a rally at the factory Thursday night. Opposition leader David Cameron of the Conservative Party has not yet commented on the Vestas situation, but Conservative MP Andrew Turner, who represents the Isle of Wight, held a confidential meeting with Vestas management, after which he said that nationalisation was "not on the table". Earlier in parliament, Turner said that he found Vestas's lack of negotiations with its employees "totally unacceptable".

Late on Thursday, Ed Miliband, the Energy and Climate Change Minister, published an editorial in The Guardian, writing:

Milliband went on to promise £120 million in government investment in offshore wind power production and £60 million in marine manufacturing.

Vestas attributes its pullout from the UK to difficulty in obtaining planning permission for wind farms. The Independent quotes a senior company executive as saying, "We needed a stable long-term market and that was not there in the UK. We have made clear to the Government that we need a market. We do not need money." Vestas's income is up 59% in the last quarter, although its stock has dropped 4.4% on the Copenhagen Stock Exchange since the occupation began.

Meanwhile in the United States, Massachusetts governor Deval Patrick cut the ribbon at the opening of a 300-turbine, 800-megawatt capacity wind farm built by Vestas in Holden, Massachusetts. Vestas is a finalist in a multi-million dollar government contract to build a new offshore wind farm to be constructed in Nantucket Sound by 2012.


Продолжается блокирование деятельности завода Vestas; партии левого крыла поддерживают рабочих

Мораль «отличная» на заводе Vestas в Ньюпорте, столицы Острова Уайт, Англия, где четвёртую ночь продолжается захват производства фабрики, изготавливающей ветрогенераторы, сказал один из захватчиков.

Марк, предпочитающий не называть свою фамилию, боясь репрессий со стороны руководства, рассказал Викиновостям свежие новости о ситуации на заводе, где 30 из 525 рабочих, планируемых к увольнению в конце июля, заняли кабинеты руководящих сотрудников вечером понедельника и призвали британское правительство национализировать производство.

Двойное кольцо изгороди вокруг завода окружено полицией в экипировке по борьбе с уличными беспорядками. Пятеро были арестованы за попытки проникнуть на территорию фабрики. Согласно Марку, пока полиция позволяет доставлять на фабрику еду, служба безопасности Vestas задерживала её на пути; после того, как захватчики обвинили Vestas в нарушении Human Rights Act еда для захвативших завод работников стала предоставляться руководством Vestas. Комментируя качество пищи, Марк отметил, что она так себе. Согласно BBC, это преимущественно булки с сосиской, пирожки и чипсы.

Позавчера захватившие завод были проинформированы, что если они не покинут завод до 22:30 22 июля, они будут уволены. Затем они были ознакомлены с документами с обвинениями в противоправном нарушении владения и ищут помощи в представлении их юридических интересов; судебные документы даны им до 29 июля, но, согласно Марку, рабочие не планируют покидать завод: «мы пока остаёмся здесь».

Vestas о захвате завода не даёт никаких комментариев прессе.

Политические партии Великобритании начали реагировать на ситуацию с Vestas. Партия зелёных присоединилась к поддержке позиции захвативших завод работников к Социалистической партии и Социалистической рабочей партии Британии, о позиции которых ранее сообщали Викинвости. Лидер Партии зелёных доктор философии Каролина Лукас заявила в онлайн-обращении: «Мы должны ухватиться за возможность произвести революцию в области восполняемой энергетики посредством политике благоприятствования окружающей среде и значительным инвестициям в новые технологии, которые могут нас привести к более экологичной и экономически стабильной экономике. Правительство может неподдельно начать двигаться по этому пути, оказав финансовую поддержку, дабы сохранить работающим бизнес Vestas на Острове Уайт». Зелёные предприняли демонстрацию в Лондоне с поддержкой рабочих Vestas 22 июля. Протестующие защитники окружающей среды установили климатический лагерь с дюжинами людей вне периметра окружения и массовой демонстрацией, планируемой на вечер пятницы на площади Томаса в Ньюпорте.

Тем временем в парламенте пятеро членов парламента правящей лейбористской партии подписали прошение, протестующее против закрытия завода Vestas и лидер либерал-демократов Ник Клегг отметил, что «это закрытие раскрывает низкую правду о стратегии изменении климата лейбористов». Появление ветерана левого крыла лейбористской партии Тони Бенн с генеральным секретарём RMT Бобом Крауожидалось на митинге в ночь на четверг. Лидер оппозиции Дэвид Кэмерон из консервативной партии ещё не комментировал ситуацию в Vestas, но член парламента из этой партии Эндрю Тёрнер, представляющий остров Уайт, встречался с руководством Vestas, после чего он сделал заявление, что национализация «не обсуждается». Ранее Тёрнер заявил в парламенте, что он находит «совершенно неприемлемым» нежелание Vestas вести переговоры с рабочими.

Позднее в четверг Эд Милибэнд, министр департамента энергетики и изменения климата, в опубликованной в The Guardian колонке, написал:

Милибэнд пообещал 120 миллионов £ государственных инвестиций в производство ветряной энергии и 60 миллионов фунтов в береговые постройки.

Vestas отмечает трудности достижения разрешений в планировании ветряных электростанций в Великобритании. The Independent цитирует слова топ-менеджера компании: «Нам нужен стабильный в долговременной перспективе рынок, а его в Великобритании нет. Мы прояснили правительству, что нам нужен рынок. Нам не нужны деньги». Доход Vestas за последний квартал повысился на 59%, хотя акции на Копенгагенской фондовой бирже упали на 4,4% с момента захвата завода.

Тем временем в Соединённых Штатах губернатор Массачусетса Девэл Патрик перерезал ленту, открывая 300-турбинный 800-мегаваттную ветряную электростанцию, построенную Vestas в Холдене. Vestas вошёл в число финалистов мультимиллионного правительственного конкурса на постройку новой ветряной электростанции в Нантукет Саунд в 2012 году.

24 июля 2009 года


Vodafone buys Connex and Oskar

Vodafone, the world's largest mobile telephone company, has bought Romanian operator Connex and Czech operator Oskar in a deal worth 2.6 billion euro. Both Connex and Oskar were majortarily owned by Telesystem International Wireless Group, a Canadian corporation. While officials from the companies did not make public the individual value of the two operators, it is expected that most of the 2.6 billion euro was paid for Connex, which has a market value of 1.5 to 2.3 billion euro.

The takeover of Connex is said to be the biggest deal in Romania in 15 years. Before the takeover, Vodafone owned 20.1% of the company, while now it owns 99.1%, the remaining 0.9% being owned by a Cypriot company.

Arun Sarin, the CEO of Vodafone, said "I am delighted that [Connex] and Oskar, both fast growing mobile operators, will become part of Vodafone."

Connex is Romania's second-largest mobile telephony operator, with more than 4.9 million customers at the end of 2004 and nearly 50% market share. It is also one of Romania's most recognised and successful corporations, and one of Europe's fastest growing mobile phone operators. Oskar has 1.83 million customers and is also growing at a fast rate.


2005/03/16: Vodafone köper upp mobiloperatörer i Centraleuropa

Vodafone, världens största mobiltelefonföretag, har köpt den rumänska operatören Connex Romania och den tjeckiska operatören Oskar för motsvarande 2,6 miljarder euro varav Connex tros ha kostat den större delen. Båda företagen ägdes tidigare av det kanadensiska företaget Telesystem International Wireless Group.

Uppköpet, det största i Rumänien på 15 år, innebär att Vodafone nu ökar sin andel i företaget från 20,1% till 99,1%. Övriga 0,9% ägs av ett cypriotiskt företag. Den rumänska teleoperatören Connex är rumäniens näst största mobiloperatör och ett av landets mest framgångsrika företag med omkring 50% av den nationella marknaden och 4,9  miljoner kunder. Oskar har 1,83 miljoner kunder och har också växt stadigt.


Volvo announces all new car models electric or hybrid from 2019

On Wednesday, automobile company Volvo announced all of its cars to be released in 2019 onwards are to use some form of battery-powered engine, leaving conventional petrol-only vehicles altogether. The decision comes after Volvo announced in May their intent to cease production of diesel vehicles.

The chief executive of Volvo Cars, Håkan Samuelsson, said, "People increasingly demand electrified cars". Volvo aims to release five new electric vehicle models between 2019 and 2021. While little has yet been revealed about them, the company has stated two of them are to be high-performance electric vehicles, branded as Polestars.

Other car models from 2019 may be plug-in hybrid or 48-volt "mild hybrid" systems. Audi and Mercedes-Benz are also releasing mild hybrid cars for the European market.

"This announcement marks the end of the solely combustion engine-powered car. Volvo Cars has stated that it plans to have sold a total of 1m electrified cars by 2025. When we said it we meant it. This is how we are going to do it," Samuelsson said. Volvo is owned by Chinese automotive giant Geely, and China's Ministry of Industry and Information Technology has said by 2025 they want new vehicle sales to be 20 percent "new energy vehicles".


Volvo anuncia que todos sus modelos a partir de 2019 serán eléctricos o híbridos

El pasado miércoles, la compañía sueca de automóviles Volvo anunció que todos sus carros lanzados de 2019 en adelante usarán alguna forma de motor impulsado con baterías, abandonado por completo a los vehículos convencionales que usan derivados del petróleo. La decisión se hizo pública luego de que en mayo pasado Volvo anunciara su intención de detener la producción de vehículos a diésel.

El jefe ejecutivo de Volvo Cars Håkan Samuelsson afirmó que "las personas demandan cada vez más autos electrificados". Volvo apunta al lanzamiento de cinco nuevos modelos de vehículos eléctricos entre 2019 y 2021, y aunque ha revelado poco acerca de ellos, la compañía afirmó que dos de ellos serán vehículos eléctricos de alto rendimiento, etiquetados como Polestars (en español, Estrellas polares).

Otros modelos de 2019 podrían tener sistemas híbridos enchufables o "híbridos suaves de 48 voltios. Los alemanes Audi y Mercedes-Benz, también de gama alta, han estado lanzando coches híbridos en el mercado europeo.

En palabras de Samuelsson, "este anuncio marca el fin del carro con exclusivamente motor de combustión. Volvo Cars ha declarado que planea haber vendido un total de un millón de carros electrificados para 2025, y cuando lo dijimos teníamos esa intención. Así es como vamos a hacerlo." Si bien la compañía es de origen sueco y en ese país se encuentra su sede central, es propiedad del gigante chino Geely, y el ministerio chino de Industria y Tecnologías de la Información ha dicho que para 2025 buscan que las ventas de carros sean en un 20% "vehículos de nuevas energías".


Volvo wil vanaf 2019 alleen nog elektrische en hybride automodellen

Autoproducent Volvo Car Corporation kondigde vandaag aan dat al hun auto's vanaf 2019 op een of andere manier worden aangedreven door een batterij. Hiermee is de afscheid van de conventionele benzinemotor weer een stap dichterbij. Het besluit komt nadat Volvo in mei al de intentie uitsprak om afscheid te nemen van de dieselmotoren.

Volgens de bestuursvoorzitter van het concern, Håkan Samuelsson, vragen mensen in toenemende mate naar geëlektrificeerde auto's. Volvo wil tussen 2019 en 2021 vijf nieuwe elektrische modellen uitbrengen.

Terwijl er nog niet veel over deze modellen bekend is, is wel al naar buiten gebracht dat twee ervan elektrische modellen van het type Polestars zijn. Andere modellen zullen dan systemen hebben die worden voortgedreven met plug-in hybrid of 48-volt mild hybrid. Audi en Mercedes hebben inmiddels ook al modellen die met het laatste systeem zijn uitgevoerd.

Volvo's bericht markeert het eind van een tijdperk van de brandstofmotor. De fabrikant wil tegen 2025 één miljoen geëlektrificeerde auto's hebben verkocht. Volvo is eigendom van de Chinese automobielgigant Geely.


Warner Brothers ban movie previews in Canada

Due to a large amount of unauthorised movie recording in Canada, Warner Brothers Canada has decided to put a ban for movie previews in the country.

According to their press release the ban will come into effect on June 8, 2007, when Ocean's Thirteen comes into theaters. It also states that an estimated 70% of their movies have been camcorded in Canada.

"We regret having to cancel our screenings in Canada but our studio must take steps to protect not only our branded assets but our commitment to our filmmakers and to theaters all over the world,” said Dan Fellman, President of Warner Bros. domestic distribution. "We've been working collaboratively with the exhibitors to encourage the government to put additional measures in place to deter and stop camcording."

Warner Bros. isn't the only company concerned about unauthorised movie recording. Twentieth Century Fox, last year, said they would ban film releases in Canada as a threat to consumers.

Warner Bros. says the lack of Canadian government legislation to make videotaping directly off theater screens illegal is the main source.

"Canada is the number one priority in terms of anti-camcording legislation," Darcy Antonellis, Senior Vice President of Warner Bros. Worldwide Anti-Piracy Operations. "Within the first week of a film's release, you can almost be certain that somewhere out there a Canadian copy will show up. Within the last 12 to 18 months we've seen a significant increase in terms of first-source proliferation that shows up on the Internet and subsequently shows up as hard goods elsewhere."

The press release said that Warner Bros. along with the Canadian Motion Picture Distributors Association (CMPDA) have teamed up together to make unauthorised movie recording in theaters illegal in all countries, including Canada.

This ban does not affect film critics, who have separate screening dates.


Warner Bros. interdit les avants-premières au Canada

De par de nombreux enregistrements non autorisés au Canada, la Warner Bros. a décidé d'arrêter toutes projections en avant première dans ce pays.

Cette interdiction a pris effet le 8 juin 2007, quand Ocean's Thirteen est sorti. Selon le communiqué de presse du studio, près de 70 % de leurs films avait été enregistré au caméscope. « Nous regrettons d'avoir à en arriver jusque là, mais nous devons protéger les droits d'auteurs » a déclaré Dan Fellman, président des studios. « Nous avons travaillé en collaboration avec les projectionnistes du Canada pour encourager le gouvernement à prendre des mesures ».

La Warner Bros. n'est pas le seul studio à être concerné, mais également la Twentieth Century Fox qui a d'ailleurs déclaré, en 2006, qu'ils arrêteraient les avants-premières canadiennes si les enregistrements non autorisés se perpétuaient.

Cette interdiction, cependant, n'affectera pas les critiques, qui ont leur propre projection.


Warren Buffett to donate $37 billion (USD) to Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation

Warren Buffett, the billionaire investor of Berkshire Hathaway Inc., announced on June 25 to Fortune magazine that he would be donating a total of $37 billion (USD) to the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, which is already worth over $29 billion, and other charities. Buffett, at 75, is one of the richest people on the planet with a fortune estimated at $44 billion. Buffett previously stated that he would give a mass portion of his wealth away to philanthropic purposes in his will when he died.


沃伦·巴菲特将捐370亿美圆给慈善事业

这个世界上第二富有的人－伯克希尔·哈撒韦集团的创始人沃伦·巴菲特, 致信給全球首富比尔·盖茨，表示将把其所有的伯克希尔·哈撒韦集团1000万股股票赠送给盖茨伉俪基金会, 按照目前的市价估算，这笔善款总值约有370億美圆，这是美国歷史上最大的慈善捐款。

盖茨伉俪基金会目前已经有超过$290亿美圆基金.

沃伦·巴菲特,今年75岁,是世界上最富有的人之一,估计个人拥有资产440亿美圆，巴菲特先前就曾表示他将在遗嘱中将大部分财产捐献给慈善事业。

比尔·盖茨此前也宣布打算逐渐淡出微软公司，将精力转向盖茨伉俪基金会，并希望在两年后可以开始全力以赴基金会的工作。盖茨伉俪基金会致力于提升世界教育水平和与疾病做斗争。巴菲特表示他非常钦佩盖茨伉俪基金会所作的工作。此次捐赠的唯一一个条件是，盖茨夫妇必须有一人继续介入基金会的运作。

盖茨夫妇盖茨-米兰达基金会网站表示对巴菲特的捐赠深感“敬畏”。


Web browser Firefox increases market share in Europe

The French web survey provider XiTiMonitor reports that in their study conducted from Monday, July 2 to Sunday, July 8, 2007 on 95,827 websites, web browser Mozilla Firefox reached a 27.8% share in Europe, compared to 21.1% during the same period last year.

Firefox has its biggest market share in Slovenia and Finland where it amounts to 47.9% and 45.4%, respectively, while only 14.6% of people from the Netherlands and 15.2% of surfers in Denmark used Firefox in this survey. The share rose most in Ireland: from 24.9% to 38.6% (i.e. +13.7 points).

Microsoft's web browser Internet Explorer remains the most used browser in Europe with a market share of 66.5%. Opera and Safari have a 3.5% and 1.7% share respectively, with other browsers at less than 1%.

Oceania remains the region with the highest usage of the freely licensed and open source software browser Firefox, with 28.9%. The continent with the strongest relative increase in market share is South America, where there is a 30% increase compared to last March. Numbers from the U.S.-based company Net Applications Inc. last month showed a fall in Firefox's share from 15.42% in April to 14.54%.

Categroy:Europe


Le navigateur Firefox menace la suprématie d'Internet Explorer en Europe

XitiMonitor, une entreprise réalisant des enquêtes au sujet d'internet, indique dans une étude mené sur 95 827 sites internet, entre le lundi 2 juillet et le dimanche 8 juillet que le navigateur internet Firefox a atteint 27,8% de part de marché en Europe, contre 21,1% pour la même période l'année précédente.
Les plus grandes parts de marchés de Firefox ont été obtenues en Slovénie et Finlande où elles s'élèvent respectivement à 47,9% et 45,4%. Cependant, seuls 14,6 des Néerlandais et 15,2% des Danois ont surfé avec Firefox selon l'enquête. C'est en Irlande que les part de marché ont le plus crû, passant de 24,9% à 38,6%, soit une hausse de 13,7 points.
Le navigateur Internet Explorer de Microsoft, reste toutefois le plus utilisé en Europe avec une parte de marché de 66,5%. Opera et Safari possèdent respectivement une part de 3,5% et 1,7%. Les autres navigateurs occupent moins de 1% des parts de marché.
L'Océanie, avec 28,9% des parts de marché, demeure la région qui utilise le plus Firefox, le navigateur gratuit et sous licence libre. L'Amérique du Sud qui a connu une croissance de 30% par rapport à mars dernier est le continent avec la plus grande croissance relative.


Wikinews interviews academic Simon Ličen about attitudes towards US Paralympics

On Thursday, with 110 days until the start of the 2014 Winter Paralympics in Sochi, Russia, Wikinews interviewed Assistant Professor in Educational Leadership, Sport Studies and Educational/Counseling Psychology at Washington State University Simon Ličen about attitudes in United States towards the Paralympics.

Licen has recently joined the Sport Management Program at Washington State University to develop its sport media and communication research and teaching contents.   Originally from Slovenia, he served as the Director of Media and Communications of a WTA Tour event and was a member of the UNESCO Slovenian National Commission.  He was also the Team Manager of the Slovenian wheelchair basketball national team.

((Wikinews)) : Why do you think the Paralympic movement has so little visibility in the US compared to other countries like Australia, the United Kingdom and even Canada?

((WN)) :  What do you think the impact will be for the Paralympic movement will be with the Games being televised live in the United States for first time?

((WN)) : What role should the media be playing in promoting the Paralympic Games? Why does the US media provide so little coverage of the Paralympics compared to other sports?

((WN)) :  What role does the fact that the Paralympics are about people with disability competing at sport play in the American public's reception of the Paralympics?

((WN)) : Is the fact the US Olympic Committee is the national Paralympic Committee a hinderance or help in the development of the Paralympic movement in the US?

((WN)) : What conditions need to exist in the US for Paralympic athletes to get sponsorship similar to their Olympic counterparts?

((WN)) : Many countries provide federal money to support their Olympic and Paralympic athletes.  Should the US consider this as a way of increasing visibility for the Paralympics, supporting increased opportunities for people with disabilities and increasing the US Paralympic medal count?


Саймон Лічен поділився з Вікіновинами своїми міркуваннями щодо Паралімпіади

Редакторка англомовних Вікіновин LauraHale продовжила серію інтерв'ю, присвячену Паралімпіаді 2014 в Сочі. Пропонуємо переклад її діалогу з Саймоном Ліченом (Simon Ličen), дослідником і викладачем Університету в Вашингтоні. Хоча темою розмови стало ставлення американського суспільства та ЗМІ до спортивних змагань осіб з обмеженими можливостями, сказане є актуальним та зрозумілим і з огляду на українські реалії.

Асистент-професор у галузях лідерства в освіті, досліджень спорту і освітньої/консультаційної психології [1], Саймон Лічен недавно долучився до Програми Спортивного Менеджменту задля розвитку досліджень у галузі спортивних медіа, комунікацій, та змісту освіти. Словенець за походженням, він був Директором з комунікацій і роботи зі ЗМІ одного з WTA-турів, та членом Словенської національної комісії UNESCO. Також він менеджер національної збірної Словенії з баскетболу на візках.

Вікіновини: Чому, на вашу думку, Паралімпійський рух США настільки менш помітний, в порівнянні з іншими країнами, як-то Австралія, Об'єднане Королівство чи навіть Канада?

ВН: Яким ви передбачаєте вплив на Паралімпійський рух того, що в Штатах уперше відбудуться телетрансляції Паралімпійських ігор?

ВН: Якою буде роль ЗМІ в пропагуванні Паралімпіади? Чому медіа США так мало розказують про паралімпійський спорт у порівнянні з іншими змаганнями?

ВН: Як позначається на громадській думці про Паралімпійські ігри те, що в них беруть участь люди з обмеженими можливостями?

ВН: Чи сприяє, чи заважає розвиткові Паралімпійського руху той факт, що Олімпійський і Паралімпійський комітет США — це, по суті, єдина установа?

ВН: Які мають скластися умови в США, щоби паралімпійці отримали спонсорське фінансування, співставне з фінансуванням їх колег-олімпійців?

ВН: Багато країн витрачають бюджетні кошти на підтримку своїх олімпійців та паралімпійців. Чи повинні США розглянути цю практику як можливість зробити популярнішим Паралімпійський рух, розширити можливості для неповносправних та наростити кількість паралімпійських медалей США?

16 листопада 2013


Wikinews Shorts: October 14, 2007

A compilation of brief news reports for Sunday, October 14, 2007 .

Oil prices in the United States briefly hit a new all-time high at US$84.05, but later fell to just under that to $83.69. Brent Crude also rose to $80.55, up 40 cents in the United Kingdom.

The high prices are amid fears that Turkey is planning to attack Iraqi Kurdish militants that killed 13 Turkish soldiers last Sunday. 60,000 Turkish troops are stationed at the Iraq-Turkey border.

Sources

A1 Team New Zealand won sprint and feature A1GP race at Brno, Czech Republic.

Jonny Reid's Black Beauty stayed in the lead for all 10-laps of the sprint race. Robbie Kerr managed to resist an Irish rooky Adam Carroll, finishing second for Team Great Britain.

In the feature race starting from seventh place Jonny Reid finished on top of the podium. Second place was owned by Jeroen Bleekemolen, competing for Team Netherlands and Neel Jani for Team Switzerland.

Sources

Senator Edward M. Kennedy was released from Massachusetts' Hospital yesterday. Kennedy was admitted to the hospital for a one hour operation to remove a blockage in an artery in his neck. The surgery was to prevent a stroke in the future.


Noticias breves 14 de octubre 2007


Brèves : 14 octobre 2007


Wikipedians support the Great Orchestra of Christmas Charity by bidding on Wikipedia DVDs

On Thursday, January 3, a special Allegro.pl auction for the benefit of the Great Orchestra of Christmas Charity featured items donated by Stowarzyszenie Wikimedia Polska, the local polish chapter of the Wikimedia Foundation. Among the items were ten DVD's containing the Polish language edition of Wikipedia. Most of the offers in the online auction came from people who actually helped to create the contents of the DVD.

One of the discs reached the "Featured Items" status on the same day when the item was offered for sale. Each of the ten DVDs has been autographed by a number of Wikipedians, mainly those who helped in creating the edition, together with Helion Publishing House. The release contains 238,000 articles whose quality had been checked by a panel of editors, complete with illustrations. It is the first stable version of the Polish-language Wikipedia.

The decision to offer the ten copies at the auction was taken in September 2007. Since then, the covers of the auction items have been circulating throughout Poland, in order to collect as many Wikimedians' signatures as possible during a number of Wikimedia events. All of the autographs are nicknames that the editors use in their daily work. Among them is e.g. the signature of the founder of Polish Wikipedia. Krzysztof Jasiutowicz, nicknamed Kpjas.

Among the people who placed an offer to buy one of the ten copies in the initial 24 hours of the auction were the  Polish Wikipedians known as Zureks, Jersz, Pimke, Vindicator, Rdrozd, Paterm, Bartekbas, Airwolf, Mathel, Nemo5576, Wyksztalcioch, Wpedzich and Kotasik.

Earlier, Stowarzyszenie Wikimedia Polska, a local chapter of The Wikimedia Foundation, decided together with Helion for those DVDs which have not been sold yet to be donated to various communities that would find them useful, mainly schools. Although currently Wikipedia contains about twice as many articles as the DVD version and it is freely available online, the income from the auction will add to the budget of a much older organisation, which is one of Poland's charity NGOs.

Stowarzyszenie Wikimedia Polska will prepare a special website for those people who offer the highest bids for the ten Wikipedia DVD copies, where they will be able to put their photos (together with the discs they have acquired), if they wish.

The auctions will end on the day of the Grand Finalé of the Great Orchestra of Christmas Charity, January 13th, at 20:00 CET.


Wikipedyści wspomagają akcję WOŚP licytując płyty DVD z Wikipedią

W czwartek 3 stycznia na specjalnej aukcji Allegro przeznaczonej dla Wielkiej Orkiestry Świątecznej Pomocy Stowarzyszenie Wikimedia Polska do licytacji przeznaczyło 10 płyt DVD z polskojęzyczną Wikipedią. Po pierwszym dniu licytacji okazało się, że większość licytujących to twórcy tejże internetowej encyklopedii.

Jedna z płyt trafiła na stronę aukcji specjalnych WOŚP już pierwszego dnia. Na każdej z 10 płyt znajdują się podpisy kilkudziesięciu wikipedystów, głównie osób biorących udział w przygotowaniu samej płyty do wydania przez Helion. Na płycie znajduje się 238 tysięcy haseł poprawionych przez grono kilkudziesięciu redaktorów wraz z ilustracjami. Jest to pierwsza stabilna wersja polskiej Wikipedii.

Decyzja o przeznaczeniu tych płyt DVD na WOŚP zapadła już we wrześniu 2007 roku. Od tego czasu okładki krążyły po kraju, aby w trakcie kilku imprez organizowanych dla wikimedian zebrać jak największą liczbę podpisów. Wszystkie osoby podpisywały się swoimi nickami, jakich używają w Wikipedii. Wśród nich znajduje się m.in. podpis współzałożyciela polskiej edycji tego projektu Krzysztofa Jasiutowicza, tworzącego pod pseudonimem Kpjas.

Wśród licytujących w ciągu pierwszych 24 godzin znaleźli się wikipedyści: Zureks, Jersz, Pimke, Vindicator, Rdrozd, Paterm, Bartekbas, Airwolf, Mathel, Nemo5576, Wyksztalcioch, Wpedzich i Kotasik.

Wcześniej Stowarzyszenie Wikimedia Polska podjęło wspólnie z wydawnictwem Helion decyzję, aby płyty z encyklopedią, które nie zostały sprzedane przekazać dla różnych środowisk, w których byłyby one przydatne, głównie do szkół. Mimo, że obecnie Wikipedia zawiera prawie dwa razy więcej haseł niż na płycie i jest ona nieodpłatnie dostępna w internecie, dochód z aukcji przeznaczony będzie na akcję prowadzoną przez znacznie starszą organizację zajmującą się wolontariatem w Polsce.

Dla osób, które wygrają aukcje stowarzyszenie utworzy specjalną stronę, na której będą mogli oni, jeśli zechcą, zamieścić własne zdjęcia z wylicytowanymi przez siebie płytami.

Aukcje zakończą się w dniu Finału Wielkiej Orkiestry Świątecznej Pomocy, 13 stycznia o godzinie 20:00.


WiMAX Forum will endorse M-Taiwan WiMAX Application Lab in Hsinchu and shows the highlights from WiMAX Forum PlugFest in Taipei

2007 WiMAX Forum Taipei Showcase & Conference

During the 2007 WiMAX Forum Taipei Showcase and Conference, WiMAX Forum announced the highlights from WiMAX Forum PlugFest in Grand Hyatt Taipei last week and announced that WiMAX Forum will endorse the M-Taiwan WiMAX Application Lab (MTWAL) in Hsinchu Science Park at the Press Conference yesterday and the General Assembly of the WiMAX Forum Taipei Member Conference today. With this laboratory located in Hsinchu, the WiMAX infrastructure in Taiwan will be enhanced more with the cooperation between academics (especially National Tsing Hua University and National Chiao Tung University in Taiwan), governmental organization, and companies in networking industry.

This laboratory provided an open environment where world-wide innovators can experiment and test WiMAX-related products and the stability of application solutions at Hsinchu Science Park. Currently, equipment and application developers will have the 1st priority in testing for the quality evaluation and knowing the sanctification of consumers before bringing them to market.

"Members of WiMAX shows the latest innovations at this showcase (WiMAX Forum Taipei Showcase), I believed that MTWAL will provide a complete product testing environment and applications in the WiMAX access area with the support from governmental and industrial organizations in Taiwan."

"WiMAX is a brand new wireless network different from other similar industries, this service must be dominated with lots of different operators to maintain the basic infrastructure of WiMAX." Ron Resnick (Chairman of WiMAX Forum) remarked at the Press Conference.

"WiMAX Forum chose Hsinchu Science Park as the development basis of WiMAX with a unique characteristic in networking industry in Taiwan. We held a PlugFest last week for brand new WiMAX products with 200 engineers participating this test to evaluate the performance and test the quality. With this PlugFest, participants experienced rich services and good quality of new products. The PlugFest also had numbers of milestones including testing the leading advanced antenna technologies delivering the fastest speeds and broadest coverage."

"MIMO setups aren't achieved until mid-week historically, but in this PlugFest, lots of vendors completed this high-risk testing and demonstrated the data flow ability between different matrices, as well as several beam-forming IOP set ups." Ed Agis (Chairman of the WiMAX Forum Certification Working Group) said.

According to WiMAX Forum, lots of vendors also participated the exhibition of 2007 WiMAX Forum Taipei Showcase and demonstrated WiMAX technology solutions. Ron Resnick also remarked this information at the 2nd day Keynote of 2007 WiMAX Forum Taipei Conference. Mei-yueh Ho (Chairman of Council for Economic Planning and Development, Executive Yuan, R.O.C. Taiwan) also looked this MTWAL set up as a bright idea, and Steve Ruey-long Chen (Minister of Economic Affairs, R.O.C. Taiwan) praised this set up as a boost of WiMAX infrastructure in Taiwan.


WiMAX論壇 在台灣授權成立應用實驗室 並展現插拔大會成果

在「2007年台北WiMAX論壇展覽暨會議」持續進行的同時，昨（22）日中午的中外記者會中，WiMAX論壇除了發佈上周在台北君悅大飯店進行的「第四次WiMAX論壇行動WiMAX插拔大會」的成果外，也宣布將授權台灣成立首座WiMAX應用實驗室（M-Taiwan WiMAX Application Lab，簡稱MTWAL），地點敲定在新竹科學園區，未來會和國立交通大學、國立清華大學、工業技術研究院與相關產業等，加強台灣WiMAX建設與產業發展。

這個名為MTWAL的實驗室，提供一個開放的環境，讓全球創新者可以來到竹科進行實驗，以測試WiMAX相關產品與應用的穩定性，目前，設備廠商和應用服務發展業者，將會有測試的優先權，以利產品上市前的品質評估，讓消費者得以藉由產品測試，了解產品的滿意度。

「WiMAX的會員廠商，在這次的會展中，展示最新的創新產品，並且，相信台灣的政府與產業支持的應用實驗室，能夠藉由WiMAX技術提供的無線網路存取環境，完善產品的應用與測試。

「WiMAX是一個新的無線網路標準，這項產業與其他產業完全不同，而且這種服務必須要由多個營運商來維持這項技術的基礎建設。」WiMAX論壇主席朗‧雷斯尼克（Ron Resnick）在記者會中表示。

「我們選擇竹科做為MTWAL的基地，是考量到台灣網路產業的特性，在上周，我們針對WiMAX技術的新產品，舉辦了一項插拔大會，讓各家參與的業者，進行產品性能的測試，這次有超過200位的工程師參與，也讓參與者及使用者體驗到新產品的高品質與豐富的服務，而且我們也達成了很多里程碑，像是天線技術測試，就有達成最快傳輸速度宇涵蓋範圍最廣的成果。

「多輸出多輸入（MIMO）的架構，以往這類的測試需要等到一週後才開始，但這次插拔大會，第一天就有很多廠商成功地完成這項風險極高的測試，並展示出不同矩陣間的資料傳輸能力，也證明同樣的測試，在波束形成互通性測試架構中，可以獲得相同的效果。」WiMAX論壇認證工作小組主席艾德‧艾及斯（Ed Agis）在記者會中表示。

根據WiMAX論壇表示，多數參與上週插拔大會的廠商，在這次的展會中也有進行相關技術的展示，而在WiMAX論壇會議第二天，主席雷斯尼克也將這項訊息，透過今日的技術論壇主題演講，向會議的參與者做發佈，而經建會主委何美玥，也藉由「行動台灣」計畫的簡介，呼應與看好這項MTWAL的成立，而經濟部陳瑞隆部長也表示，MTWAL的成立，將成為台灣加速WiMAX建設的助力。


WiMAX Forum: WiMAX usage anticipated to increase significantly over next four years

In the opening day of 2008 WiMAX Expo Taipei (June 2), WiMAX Forum and Industrial Technology Research Institute (ITRI) held the "WiMAX Forum Operator Summit" for global WiMAX operators at Far Eastern Plaza Hotel to examine and forecast the opportunity of WiMAX. In addition, WiMAX Forum released the "Executive Summary of the WiMAX Forum Global WiMAX Subscriber & User Forecast" during a press conference at Taipei Show Hall 2.

Besides of the announcements and M-Taiwan Pavilion showcase, the WiMAX Forum Taiwan Chapter also held the "Open House of M-Taiwan WiMAX Application Lab" to demonstrate the R&D achievements in Hsinchu on June 3 - 4, driving more discussions between industrial businesspeople especially in Taiwan.


WiMAX Forum：WiMAX使用率 四年後將大幅提升

在2008年台北WiMAX展開幕首日（6月2日），WiMAX Forum就專為營運商，在台灣的遠東飯店，舉行兩日的「WiMAX營運商高峰會」，探討WiMAX的發展與商機，同時，WiMAX Forum的高層，也在開幕典禮後的對外記者會中，進行WiMAX用戶與使用者趨勢的分析報告說明。

記者會中，WiMAX Forum發表了全球WiMAX用戶與使用者趨勢分析報告摘要，當中，WiMAX Forum的主席Ron Resnick表示：「隨著WiMAX產業的發展，使用率預估可在2012年，達1.33億人，其中會以亞太、北美地區為最大宗。目前，有260家業者開始佈建WiMAX網路服務，預估在四年後可望突破500家，而服務商會以非洲與中東兩地為眾。」

在WiMAX展覽中，除了行動台灣主題館，工業技術研究院為了展現WiMAX產業在台灣的研發成果，也在展覽期間，舉辦WiMAX Forum應用實驗室的參訪活動，引起設備測試廠商、網路相關業者的高度興趣，另外，中國電視公司也在展館外側，設置eSNG車，進行WiMAX轉播的實際模擬。


Windows Vista delayed until January 2007

Microsoft plans to delay the consumer versions of its next operating system, Windows Vista. Originally due out by the end of 2006, Windows Vista Home Basic, Home Premium, and Ultimate editions now have a release target of January 2007. Business editions will continue to be released in November 2006. Two different reasons for this have been given in interviews; the first reason being a six-week delay in completing security related work on the operating system and the second reason is that, as a result of this delay, computer hardware manufacturers and resellers will generally not have enough time to prepare for a holiday 2006 launch.  Analysts have said this could put some computer manufacturers into turmoil, though a number of the largest resellers of Windows XP have made public statements supporting Microsoft's decision to delay the consumer release of Vista to January.

Currently, Windows XP has been the longest-current operating system from Microsoft, debuting in 2001.


Microsoft verschiebt Markteinführung von Windows Vista

Redmond (Washington) (Vereinigte Staaten), 23.03.2006 –

Der Software-Konzern Microsoft hat am Mittwoch die Verschiebung von „Windows Vista“ bekannt gegeben. Der Veröffentlichungstermin für Geschäfts- und Privatkunden wurde getrennt. Geschäftskunden erhalten Windows Vista im November, Privatkunden erst Anfang nächsten Jahres, also nach dem Weihnachtsgeschäft.

Microsoft begründet die Verschiebung damit, Sicherheitsfunktionen verbessern zu wollen. Außerdem gäbe es von den Computerherstellern kein zu großes Interesse, das inzwischen fünf Jahre alte „Windows XP“ zu ersetzen, ohne das neue Windows gut getestet zu haben. Zur Zeit testet zirka eine halbe Million Kunden „Windows Vista“, Microsoft will die Anzahl zum zweiten Quartal auf zwei Millionen erhöhen.

Ursprünglich sollte „Windows Vista“ schon Anfang 2005 erscheinen.


Ursprungligen var avsikten att släppa Vista under hösten, i lagom tid innan julhandeln.

Arbetet med förbättringar av säkerheten i operativsystemet har dock blivit försenat och Microsoft tvingas därför skjuta upp marknadsintroduktionen ett halvår.

För Microsofts många återförsäljare världen över kommer förseningen med största sannolikhet innebära ett betydande ekonomisk bortfall. Vista, tidigare kallat Longhorn, ska ersätta Windows XP och utvecklingen av efterföljaren har pågått i flera år.

Microsoft planerar totalt sex versioner av Vista varav tre är avsedda för privatmarknaden. En version för företag kommer att finnas tillgänglig i november i år.

Microsoft har inte givit någon information om hur mycket Vista kommer att kosta.

Denna artikel är en kort telegramartikel. Vet du mer om ämnet den beskriver kan du hjälpa till med att utvidga den.

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微软推迟新操作系统的发布

微软公司日前宣布将新的视窗操作系统Windows Vista的发布从预定的2006年下半年推迟到2007年初，而商业合作伙伴可能在今年11月份拿到最早的产品。据微软称，这次推迟是为了改善新系统的安全性能。

据世华财讯报道，受到该消息影响，纳斯达克期指跌0.5%。

说，Envisioneering Group分析师Richard Doherty表示，这对整个产业都不好，“周边厂商不好，显卡厂商不好，笔记本制造商也不好，PC厂商更不好，大家都在等着升级至Vista。”

微软表示Vista延后并不会影响第四季的PC销售。Solidot上则称Vista 的首席说：“我们只是要尽力做到负责而已”。而且说微软内部也有很多人不怎么欢迎这个消息。但是CNET科技资讯网的分析文章称Enderle Group分析师Rob Enderle对此并不乐观，“消费市场重点都是放在第四季，因此延后一定会造成杀伤力，不可能没影响。”

但是PC厂商普遍支持微软。惠普表示，“我们支持微软针对Windows Vista推出时间的决定...”戴尔则称，“只要Vista推出，我们随时可准备出货。”

Gartner分析师Michael Silver表示，“多数企业至少得花上18个月的准备与测试时间才能导入Windows Vista，因此延后对他们并没什么影响。”


Wolfowitz to quit as head of the World Bank

The Executive Directors of the World Bank have issued a statement to the effect that Paul Wolfowitz is to resign as President of the World Bank Group effective 30th June 2007, and that further meetings will take place tomorrow to deal with arrangements for the interim period.

Wolfowitz has faced a number of calls for his resignation in recent weeks after accusations that he had behaved improperly and overlooked a conflict of interest with regard to the pay rise given to his partner, Shaha Riza, an employee of the Bank at the time of his appointment as President, who was subsequently re-assigned to the US State Department.

In their statement, the Executive Directors indicate that having carefully considered the report of a board-member committee which had investigated Wolfowitz's actions, they accepted that all parties had acted ethically, in good faith, and in what were believed to be the best interests of the institution. However the conclusion had to be drawn that there is a need to review the governance framework of the World Bank Group and in particular procedural and other aspects of the Ethics Committee.

The Directors pay tribute to the service that Wolfowitz has given to the World Bank, citing a number of achievements, particularly a number of initiatives involving countries and relief programmes in Africa. They also added regret that the recent events had overshadowed his achievements at the Bank.

In a separate and lengthy statement, Wolfowitz outlined many of the achievements of the Bank during his time as President, and acknowledged the contribution of those working for the Bank in the delivery of its programmes and support for a wide range of organisations throughout the world. He considered however that his resignation was in the best interests of the Bank.

Wolfowitz had enjoyed considerable support from the US Administration, and particular endorsement from President Bush and Vice-President Cheney. However he had been less popular with other governments around the world, particularly in Europe.


وولفويتز يستقيل من رياسة البنك الدولي


Weltbank: Wolfowitz tritt zurück

Washington D.C. (USA), 18.05.2007 – Der Präsident der Weltbank, Paul Wolfowitz, wird sein Amt zur Mitte des Jahres aufgeben und zurücktreten. „Ich kündige heute an, dass ich als Präsident der Weltbank am 30. Juni zurücktrete“, sagte der ehemalige Vize-Verteidigungsminister und Vertraute von US-Präsident Bush nach dreitägigen Beratungen des Exekutivrats. Wolfowitz konnte dem erheblichen internationalen Druck nicht mehr standhalten, der seit dem Bekanntwerden einer Beförderungsaffäre aufgekommen war. Nach dem Wechsel zur Weltbank soll Wolfowitz seiner Lebensgefährtin, die zu dieser Zeit ebenfalls bei der Weltbank beschäftigt war, einen wesentlich höher dotierten Job im US-Außenministerium verschafft haben.

Sowohl George W. Bush als auch der Exekutivrat würdigten seine Verdienste und bedauerten die jüngsten Ereignisse. Während Europa traditionell die Spitze des Internationalen Währungsfonds (IWF) stellt, wird der Chef der Weltbank traditionell von den USA nominiert, weswegen der US-Präsident baldmöglichst einen Nachfolger für den 63-Jährigen vorschlagen soll. Wolfowitz hat die Weltbank nur zwei Jahre lang geleitet.


Paul Wolfowitz accepte de démissionner de la Banque mondiale

Le président de la Banque mondiale, Paul Wolfowitz a annoncé, aujourd'hui à son conseil d'administration, qu'il quitterait son poste le 30 juin prochain.

Paul Wolfowitz, qui était le Secrétaire adjoint à la Défense aux États-Unis, arriva le 1er juin 2005 à la présidence de la Banque mondiale. Trois mois plus tard, il obtenait un poste au Département d'État pour son amie Shaha Riza. Ex-responsable de la communication de la Banque mondiale pour le Moyen-Orient, elle restait néanmoins encore payée par la Banque Mondiale. Elle aurait reçu, selon des documents internes révélés par la presse, une promotion et plus de 60 000 dollars d'augmentation de salaire portant ses émoluments à quelque 200 000 dollars par an.
Lors de son retour à la Banque Mondiale, elle bénéficierait également de promotions la portant, à terme, au grade de vice-président. Ce fut le journal britannique le Financial Times qui révéla le 12 avril 2007 les augmentations étaient ordonnées par le président lui-même. Alors que le conseiller de M. Wolfowitz affirma que le conseil d'administration était parfaitement au courant et d'accord avec les augmentations de salaires de Mme. Riza, néanmoins, le 13 avril 2007, les administrateurs de la Banque mondiale démentirent cette affirmation et appelèrent à la démission le président de la Banque mondiale, dont le mandat n'expirait normalement qu'en 2010.[1]

Le personnel de la Banque était alors en rébellion contre son président au point de le huer en public, mais pour défendre cet ami de George Walker Bush, les proches du vice-président Dick Cheney alla jusqu'à affirmer que l'affaire avait été construite de toutes pièces par les Européens qui voulaient se venger de l'un des principaux artisans de la guerre en Irak. Cet argumentation tomba avec la publication d'un rapport le 14 mai écrit par le comité chargé d'enquêter sur l'avancement et les augmentations salariales consentis à M. Riza avant qu'elle ne soit détachée au département d'État. Il concluait que « M. Wolfowitz s'était placé de facto dans un conflit d'intérêts » et que « la crise de crédibilité et d'autorité » était très néfaste pour l'institution. M. Wolfowitz était alors tellement isolé que seuls les États-Unis et le Japon auraient encore voté en sa faveur contre les 22 autres pays donateurs de l'organisme en cas de vote de destitution, ce qui aurait humilié le gouvernement étasunien, déjà très divisé sur le sujet, pour la gestion de cette crise.

De plus, en janvier dernier, le conseil d'administration lui fit une remontrance au sujet de l'absence de stratégie claire pour la Banque mondiale. D'autres griefs se sont ajoutés comme l'alignement des décisions du président sur les intérêts américains (la réouverture d'un bureau à Bagdad est un exemple) et l'utilisation de conseillers venant directement de la Maison blanche ou du Pentagone.

Les appels à la démission sont donc venus d'Europe, mais aussi d'Amérique latine et des organisations non gouvernementales qui travaillent avec la Banque mondiale. Au fur et à mesure que la crise se durcissait, ces appels furent de plus en plus pressant.

Néanmoins, Paul Wolfowitz ne voulait pas démissionner en prenant toute les fautes à son compte, même s'il se reconnaissait responsable il refusait de se déclarer coupable. Le conseil d'administration accepta donc, après deux jours de négociations avec l'intéressé, de dire que M. Wolfowitz a agi « en toute bonne foi et qu'il pensait agir pour les intérêts de l'institution ». Celle-ci ajoute, toujours suivant la demande de M. Wolfowitz « un certain nombre d'erreurs ont été faite par plusieurs personnes sur ce dossier et le système de fonctionnement de la Banque a montré des faiblesses face aux contraintes sous lesquelles elle est placée ».
Les administrateurs ont ajouté que le combat de M. Wolfowitz contre la corruption et l'aide accordée à l'Afrique avaient été très importantes pour l'institution.
L'association qui représente les 7 000 employés à temps plein de l'organisation à Washington DC a annoncé « bien accueillir la nouvelle, mais la démission du président n'est pas acceptable sous les termes employés par le conseil d'administration » en ajoutant que « cela mine complètement les principes de bonne gouvernance et les principes de compétence ».

En revanche, rien n'a filtré concernant les possibles indemnités accordé pour ce départ prématuré même si beaucoup d'employés pensent que les tractations furent longues à cause de cela.
En effet, si son salaire est de 375 000 dollars (soit 278 000 euros), ce montant n'ayant pas changé depuis 2004 avant que M. Wolfowitz n'arrive à la présidence, il n'est payé en compensation en cas de rupture de contrat. Le tout est de savoir si cette démission peut être considérée comme une rupture de contrat ou non.
Les discussions sur cette démission ont principalement opposées Robert Bennett, l'avocat de M. Wolfowitz qui fut aussi celui de l'ancien président des États-Unis Bill Clinton lors de l'affaire Paula Jones avec le directeur britannique Thomas Scholar, un politique proche de Gordon Brown, l'actuel chancelier de l'Échiquier et très probable futur Premier ministre du Royaume-Uni.

Pour succéder à la place de M. Wolfowitz, le 30 juin prochain, une règle non-écrite qui est établi depuis 1944 veut que le président de la Banque mondiale soit un citoyen étasunien, même si les autres acteurs voudraient rendre cette règle caduque en établissant celle qui demande que « la nomination soit faite sur la base du mérite et dans le cadre d'un processus transparent ».
Donc comme l'a indiqué le porte-parole de la Maison blanche, Tony Fratto, c'est George Bush qui annoncera bientôt une candidature pour la succession de M. Wolfowitz, candidature qui dans les faits devient une simple nomination.
Les candidatures possible qui circulent actuellement à Washington sont celles de Stanley Fischer (le gouverneur de la Banque d'Israël mais citoyen étasunien), Robert Zoellick (un ancien représentant du commerce), Paul Volcker (ancien président de la Réserve fédérale des États-Unis) ou encore de Robert Kimmitt (actuel second secrétaire du Département du Trésor). La candidature, plus hypothétique de Tony Blair (premier ministre britannique sortant) a aussi été évoqué.


Work begins on world's longest underwater pipeline

Work began today on what will be the world's longest underwater pipeline. The pipeline, which is being built for Norsk Hydro ASA, will bring Norwegian natural gas to the UK.

Stretching 1,200 km from Nyhamna, Norway to Easington, Britain, the pipeline will eventually carry 70 million cubic metres per day. That equates to some 20% of Britain's gas supply.

The construction of the pipeline will consume over 1 million tonnes of concrete and about the same amount of steel.

Called the Langeled pipeline, it is due to open in 2007.


Começou a construção do mais longo gasoduto subaquático do mundo

Começou sexta-feira, 22 de abril,  o trabalho sobre o que será o gasoduto subaquático  mais longo do mundo. O gasoduto, que está a ser construído para a empresa Norsk Hydro ASA, trará o gás natural da Noruega ao Reino Unido.

A estender-se por 1200 km,  de Nyhamna, da Noruega até Easington, na Grã-Bretanha, o gasoduto transportará provavelmente 70 metros cúbicos de gás, por dia. Isto é equivalente a aproximadamente 20% dor fornecimento de gás britânico.

A construção do gasoduto consumirá mais de 1 mega-tonelada de concreto e aproximadamente  o mesmo montante em aço.

Chamado de gasoduto Langeled, espera-se que ele esteja em funcionamento   em 2007.


Workers at England wind turbine plant stage occupation

About 30 workers at the Vestas wind turbine plant in Newport, Isle of Wight, England have occupied their factory in protest against the upcoming closure of the plant. The factory, the main site for the manufacture of turbines for wind power in the United Kingdom, is scheduled to close at the end of July, bringing with it the loss of 625 jobs; Vestas is a major employer on the Isle of Wight, which has a population of around 140,000.

The workers, most of whom are not affiliated with any union, began their occupation around 7pm.

Speaking via mobile phone from the factory, "Mark", a worker in Vestas's finishing shop who prefers not to give any last name for fear of management reprisals, called the atmosphere "really good." "It's all right, we're getting a lot of support", he said.

Calling Vestas the "world leader" in the manufacture of wind turbines, Mark stated that the goal of the occupation as "asking the government to nationalise us" as "Vestas aren't willing to keep our factory open". The plant is being closed despite rising profits at the company, which is focusing on sales in China in response to lower demand in Northern Europe. According to a report by the Guardian, the low demand in the United Kingdom is the result of the long and unpredictable planning process associated with constructing wind farms in Britain.

Mark told Wikinews that the workers at Vestas have received messages of support from members of the SWP, the TUC, and Unite. Members of the Socialist Party are also taking part in the industrial action and the party has announced its support for the occupation. According to Mark, the Vestas workers were "inspired" to occupy the factory through contacts with occupation organisers from the Visteon plant in Belfast, where workers staged a weeks-long sit-in in April of this year. Mark said that the Visteon workers told the Vestas workers that an occupation "is something we should do to stand up for ourselves."

Mark closed by thanking the public for its support, saying "we've got to keep on doing this sort of work — it's for all our futures"


Рабочие английского завода по производству ветрогенераторов остановили производство

Около 30 рабочих на заводе по производству ветрогенераторов Vestas, расположенном в Ньюпорте, столицы Острова Уайт, Англия захватили свой завод в знак протеста против его планируемого закрытия. Завод, занимающий лидирующие позицию по производству ветроэлектрических установок в Великобритании, планируется закрыть в конце июля, что повлечёт увольнение 625 человек. Vestas — основной работодатель на Острове Уайт с населением около 140 000 человек.

Рабочие, большинство которых не являются членами какого-либо профсоюза, начали свои действия около 7 вечера.

Разговаривая по мобильному телефону с завода, Марк, рабочий из цеха окончательной обработки Vestas, предпочевший не разглашать свою фамилию, опасаясь репрессий со стороны руководства, назвал атмосферу «на самом деле хорошей». «Всё отлично, мы получаем большую поддержку», сказал он.

Называя Vestas «мировым лидером» в производстве ветрогенераторов, Марк назвал целью захвата «требование правительству национализировать нас», поскольку «Vestas не желает сохранить наш завод работающим». Завод закрыт несмотря на растущие прибыли компании, фокусируясь на продажу в Китай в связи с падением спроса в Северной Европе. Согласно отчёту Guardian, низкий спрос в Великобритании является следствием затяжного и непредсказуемого процесса планирования, связанного с конструированием ветряных электростанций в Британии.

Марк рассказал Викиновостям, что рабочие в Vestas получили письма поддержки от Социалистической рабочей партии Британии, Конгресса профсоюзов и профсоюза Юнайт. Согласно Марку, «подбудили» рабочих Vistas захватить завод контакты с организаторами захвата завода Visteon в Белфасте, где рабочие устроили итальянскую забастовку, длящуюся неделями, в апреле этого года. Марк отметил, что рабочие Visteon рассказали рабочим Vestas, что захват «является тем, что мы должны сделать для того, чтобы защитить себя».

Марк завершил беседу размышлением о поддержке народа, сказав «мы принялись за сохранение этого вида работы — всё это для нашего будущего».

21 июля 2009 года


World Bank says more people are poor, but fewer are in extreme poverty

According to a new study released by the World Bank, more people than thought are considered to be poor in the developing world but the percentage of people in extreme poverty have decreased. The study finds that as of 2005, there are 1.4 billion people who are living for less than US$1.25 per day. This is down from 1.9 billion in 1981, which equals half of the population in the developing world. However, the new numbers have vastly increased from previous estimates. According to last estimate based on data from 1994, it was believed that there were only 985 million people in poverty in 2004 and 1.5 billion in 1981.

According to one of the report's authors Martin Ravallion, Director of the Development Research Group at the World Bank, "The new estimates are a major advance in poverty measurement because they are based on far better price data for assuring that the poverty lines are comparable across countries. Data from household surveys have also improved in terms of country coverage, data access, and timeliness."

The report concludes that the developing world is on track to meet its goal to cut poverty in half by 2015. However, drops in poverty will not be consistent worldwide.

East Asia has seen the biggest drop in poverty since 1981 when 80% of the population was poor. Currently, it's just 18%. South Asia has seen a drop of 20%, however the number of people in poverty has stayed the same due to an increase in population.

In India, for example, poverty at $1.25 a day increased from 420 million people in 1981 to 455 million in 2005. However, due to population growth, the poverty rate as a share of the total population dropped to 42% in 2005 from 60% in 1981.

The only region that has not seen any significant decrease in poverty is Sub-Saharan Africa where the percentage of people in poverty has stayed the same at 50%. Due to population increase, the number of people have nearly doubled to 380 million.

"The new data confirm that the world will likely reach the first Millennium Development Goal of halving the 1990 level of poverty by 2015 and that poverty has fallen by about one percentage point a year since 1981," said Justin Lin, Chief Economist and Senior Vice President, Development Economics at the World Bank.

"However, the sobering news that poverty is more pervasive than we thought means we must redouble our efforts, especially in Sub-Saharan Africa," added Lin.

The report, The Developing World Is Poorer Than We Thought, But No Less Successful in the Fight against Poverty by Shaohua Chen and Martin Ravallion, is based on data from 2005.


Segons el Banc Mundial, hi ha més pobres del que es pensava

Segons un estudi del Banc Mundial, 1.400 milions de persones viuen amb menys d'un dòlar i vint-i-cinc cèntims, el nou límit de la pobresa.

Això significa que el nombre de pobres va augmentar entre el 2004 i el 2005 en 415 milions de persones; cal tenir en compte, però, que al 2004 es considerava el límit de la pobresa en un dòlar.

Justin Lin, l'economista en cap i vicepresident superior d'economia de desenvolupament del Banc Mundial, va dir: "Les noves dades confirmen que el món arribarà probablement al primer Objectiu de Desenvolupament del Mil·lenni de reduir a la meitat el nivell de pobresa del 1990 al 2015, perquè aquesta ha caigut un punt percentual cada any des del 1981."


World Trade Organization allows Antigua to ignore US$21 million of US copyright per year

Arbitrators at the World Trade Organization (WTO) have granted the Caribbean country of Antigua and Barbuda a special dispensation to ignore United States copyright law.

In their report, the WTO panel stated that Antigua possessed "no effective trade sanctions against the USA" and agreed to allow the country to ignore up to US$21 million worth of US copyrights a year.  While this amount falls significantly short of the US$3.4 billion per year dispensation that Antigua was seeking, it is far higher than the US$500,000 per year allocation that US negotiators were pushing for.

The ruling comes at the end of a five year legal contest between Antigua and the USA regarding the USA's blocking of offshore online gambling sites.  Because many of these sites were located in Antigua, the Antiguan government filed a complaint with the WTO saying that the US prohibition constituted unlawful restriction of trade.  When the WTO agreed, Antigua pressed for US$3.4 billion in punitive damages.  They asked to have this penalty assessed as permission to copy US intellectual property, since there was no trade embargo that Antigua could impose on the US to collect the amount for itself.  The panel agreed that Antigua had no way to collect punitive damages through trade sanctions.  However, they lowered the amount of damages to US$21 million per year.


Organização Mundial do Comércio livra Antigua de uma dívida de 21 milhões de dólares devido a VDA's Americanos

Árbitros da Organização Mundial do Comércio (OMC, concedeu ao país caribenho Antígua e Barbuda uma dispensa especial para ignorar as leis autorais dos Estados Unidos.

Em seu relatório, o painel da OMC declarou que Antígua possuía "sanções não efetivas comerciais contra o E.U.A." e concordou em permitir que o país ignorar o E.U. $21 milhões de dólares por violação de copyright Americano por um ano . Embora esse valor cai significativamente curto do E.U. $ 3,4 bilhões por ano que Antigua foi dispensado a pagar, é muito superior a E.U. $ por 500.000 Ano de atribuição que os negociadores americanos estavam negociando.

A decisão vem no final de uma competição entre os cinco anos legais Antígua e as E.U.A. quanto ào bloqueio americano  de offshore online de gambling sites. Porque muitos destes sites foram localizados em Antigua, e o governo Atiguiano apresentou uma queixa junto da OMC dizendo que a proibição americana no país era ilegal, principalmente na restrição do comércio. Quando a OMC foi investigar o caso, Antigua foi pressionado a pagar cerca de E.U. $ 3,4 bilhões danos aos direitos autorais. Eles pediram para ter esta pena avaliada como permissão para copiar  propriedade intelectual americana, uma vez que não houve embargo comercial que Antígua poderia impor sobre os E.U. para arrecadar a quantia para si. O painel concordou que Antigua tinha nenhuma maneira de recolher punitivas através de sanções comerciais. No entanto, eles baixaram o montante da indemnização a E.U. $21 milhões por ano.

*Jones, K.C.. Antigua Wins Another Round in Online Gambling Fight Against US [inativa] — InformationWeek, 26 de dezembro de 2007. Página visitada em 29 de dezembro de 2007. Arquivada em 30 de dezembro de 2007

*Leo Cendrowicz. US Copyright Waived in Tiny Nation [inativa] — Hollywood Reporter, 25 de dezembro de 2007. Página visitada em 29 de dezembro de 2007. Arquivada em 16 de maio de 2008


Worldwide markets fall precipitously

Stock markets around the world have fallen dramatically today. This is following the ongoing events in the financial world, including the US Government's $700 billion bail out of the financial sector.

As of 14:48 UTC, the primary UK index, the FTSE 100, dropped in value by 6.50% (323.65 points) to a point even further below the 5000 mark at 4656.60. The Dow Jones, was down 3.76% at 16:08 UTC, a slight increase from earlier today. The Dow Jones currently has a value of 9936.94 points, below the ten thousand mark. The Nasdaq index has fallen by 100.12 points to 1847.27, while the DAX was 6.62% lower than the start of the day as of 16:08 UTC.

The Dow Jones index was one that fared particularly poorly today, as not one of its companies increased its share price. The same is true for the
CAC 40 index. The Merval index is another one that fared badly today. It dropped in value by 10.12%, while the affiliated Merval 25 index dropped by nearly as much, 10.03%. One of the worst faring indexes of the day was the Brazilian Bovespa index. It has already fallen by 14.45% today, despite the fact that it is not even half way through the trading day.


Finanzkrise: Dow-Jones stürzt unter 10.000 Punkte ab

New York (Vereinigte Staaten), 07.10.2008 – Gestern war erneut ein Schwarzer Montag an den Börsen der Welt zu verzeichnen: Der Dow-Jones-Index rutschte auf unter 10.000 Punkte ab – angetrieben von der Ölkrise und den Gewinnmitnahmen an den Börsen im Zuge der globalen Finanzkrise. Auch andere Indizes sanken drastisch.

Grund für den Preisverfall ist nach Ansicht des Energieexperten Victor Shums in der Hauptsache die Sorge vor einer Überschreitung des Booms in Richtung einer Rezession. Natürlich ist auch das Finanzdebakel der Banken, die sich verspekuliert haben, hier mitzuberücksichtigen. Zuvor war es auch in Tel Aviv zu einem Börsencrash gekommen.


Las bolsas se hunden por temor a una crisis financiera mundial

6 de octubre de 2008Londres, Reino Unido —

Pese a los anuncios de rescate de los gobierno europeos, las bolsas de estos países cerraron este lunes con peligrosas bajas. El índice FTSE-100 británico perdió 7,85% –su mayor pérdida desde 1987– y el DAX alemán cedió 7,07% de su valor, a la par de un CAC 40 que se hundió en 9,04%, la mayor pérdida de la bolsa parisina en toda la historia.

El índice Dow Jones se encontró en terreno negativo desde que abrió la bolsa en Nueva York, y por primera vez desde 2004 cerró por debajo de los 10.000 puntos tras recortar pérdidas y cerrar con una baja en 9955,50, deslizando un 3,58%. El Nasdaq y el S&P 500 también llegaron a registrar pérdidas de más del 7%, pero lograron aminorarlas para cerrar el día con bajas del 4,54% y 3,85% respectivamente.

Los inversionistas temían que las medidas tomadas por los gobiernos no fueran lo suficientemente fuertes para palear la crisis.

La caída de las bolsas occidentales ocurre luego de que las bolsas asiáticas también se desplomaran. El Nikkei japonés perdió un 4,25% mientras que el Hang Seng de Hong Kong registró bajas de 4,97%. El All Ordinaries australiano perdió 3,36%.

Las mayores pérdidas fueron de los mercados rusos: el RTS sufrió una depreciación del 15%, por lo que se cerró la bolsa en el país. También se detuvieron las transacciones en Islandia.

Otras bolsas afectadas fueron las latinoamericanas: el Merval de Argentina llegó a perder más del 11%, por lo que la cotización de algunas acciones fue suspendida, hasta que recortó pérdidas y cedió 5,91%. Las empresas cuyas acciones sufrieron una gran depreciación en la bolsa de Buenos Aires fueron Tenaris, Petrobrás, TGS, Aluar, Grupo Financiero Galicia y Siderar.

El índice Bovespa de Brasil retrocedió 5,43% tras alcanzar un pico de pérdidas de 15%. La bolsa de San Pablo también tuvo que interrumpir sus transacciones luego de que su circuit breaker –mecanismo que interrumpe el accionar de la bolsa cuando cae más del 10%– se activara una primera instancia al perder un 11%, y la segunda cuando marcó aquel 15%. El Bovespa había caído más del 10% antes de 18 minutos pasados desde su apertura.

La soja perdió casi un 7% y el petróleo se depreció en 5,10%.

Pese al anuncio de rescate de $700.000 millones de dólares del gobierno de Estados Unidos, las bolsas respondieron escépticamente a esto y perdieron terreno por temores a una crisis financiera que ya se hace global.

"No repetiremos lo suficiente que incluso si la aplicación efectiva del plan Paulson marca muy probablemente una inflexión en la crisis actual, no implicará su final", exclamó un economista de BNP Paribas en las bolsa de París, refiriéndose a las "nuevas depreciaciones".

"El plan de rescate de la Fed puede haber sido aprobado el viernes pero hasta ahora no hay verdadera reacción en los mercados y por esto el supuesto natural será que las medidas no funcionarán, incluso si tal calificación sea bastante prematura", opinó Matt Buckland, de CMC Markets.

Por otra parte, ayer los líderes de la Unión Europea habían decidido tratar la crisis, pero no sería conjuntamente. Francia, Italia y Alemania están negociando un plan de rescate similar al de Estados Unidos.

Muchos analistas declararon que resultó alarmante la necesidad de aumentar el rescate alemán para con Hypo Real Estate de €50.000, por lo que varios inversores resultaron alarmados. Las acciones de Hypo Real Estate fueron las que arrastraron al DAX hacia abajo luego de que sufrieran una depreciación del 50%.

Como estaba esperado, el Banco Central Europeo (BCE) asignó $50.000 millones con vencimiento mañana para estimular la liquidez del mercado con un interés marginal del 4% en un intento para inyectar liquidez. No obstante, la medida no satisface a los 59 bancos involucrados, que pedían una inyección de $90.000.

Entre tanto, la Reserva Federal de los Estados Unidos (Fed) anunció que aumentaría por etapas las líneas refinancimiento de los bancos a través de una inyección total de $300 millones de dólares. Asimismo, anunció que empezaría remunerar en intereses las reservas de los bancos comerciales depositados en su poder.

La Casa Blanca seguía de cerca la situación. "Obviamente observamos muy de cerca la situación económica, no sólo de este país sino en todo el mundo y los funcionarios del Tesoro, de la Reserva Federal, la FDIC y otras agencias mantienen contacto regular con sus contrapartes externos para trabajar en cooperación a fin de promover la estabilidad de nuestros mercados", declaró su portavoz, Scott Stanzel.


Finanssikriisi: Hurja lasku pörssikursseissa ympäri maailman

Rahoitusmarkkinoiden kriisin kärjistyminen on pudottanut tänään pörssikursseja ympäri maailmaa. Moskovassa pörssikauppa keskeytettiin kolmesti liian kovan kurssilaskun takia. Helsingin pörssissä nähtiin tänään vuoden pahin pörssikurssien lasku, 7,6 %. New Yorkissa Dow Jones -indeksi laski alle 10 000 pisteen. Laskua on ollut myös Sydneyn ja Tokion pörsseissä sekä muualla Aasiassa. Säikähtäneet sijoittajat pyrkivät turvaamaan omaisuutensa vaihtamalla osakkeitaan kultaan ja muihin ”turvallisiin” sijoituskohteisiin.

Mullistukset markkinoilla näkyivät myös raaka-aineiden hinnassa. Esimerkiksi Pohjanmeren Brent-raakaöljyn ensi kuun toimitusten hinta laski yli neljä prosenttia reiluun 86 euroon tynnyriltä.

Euroopassa ovat laskeneet etenkin pankkiosakkeiden kurssit. Euroopan keskuspankki lainasi tänään pankeille 50 miljardia euroa nk. yliyönrahaa eli rahaa, jolla pankit tasaavat tilinsä. Euromaiden valtiovarainministerit kokoontuivat tänään Luxemburgissa käsittelemään Euroopan pankkikriisiä.

Suomen valtiovarainministeri Jyrki Katainen (kok.) peräänkuulutti EU-maille yhteistä talletussuojaa. Hänen mukaansa EU-maiden väliset erot talletussuojassa ovat ongelmallisia, koska ne vaikuttavat pankkien kilpailukykyyn. ”Tarvitsemme yhteisen päätöksen talletusten suojaamiseksi, ja järkevä taso pitää miettiä yhdessä”, hän sanoi. Useat EU-maat ovat nostaneet talletussuojaansa viime päivinä estääkseen pääomia pakenemasta pankeista. Suomessa talletussuoja on 25 000 euroa, eikä sen korottamiseen ole Kataisen mukaan tarvetta.

Maailmanlaajuinen finanssikriisi on painanut pörssikursseja jo vuoden ajan. Suurista suomalaisista yhtiöistä Metson, Outotecin ja Rautaruukin kurssit ovat pudonneet lähemmäs 70 prosenttia vuoden aikana, ja monen muunkin markkina-arvo on laskenut alle puoleen vuoden takaisesta. Lasku on ollut rajua vuoden aikana myös pienillä ja keskisuurilla yrityksillä.


I piani di salvataggio non piacciono alle Borse: crolli in tutto il mondo

Oggi si è verificato uno dei più spaventosi tracolli delle Borse di tutto il mondo, che ha bruciato in totale una cifra intorno ai 444 miliardi di euro solo in Europa, dove le sedute delle Borse si sono ormai chiuse.

Si è verificata una delle maggiori cadute degli ultimi 50 anni e oltre, hanno commentato gli esperti durante le sedute odierne.

Le borse non hanno accolto con favore il piano americano varato dal Congresso americano elaborato dal Dipartimento del tesoro statunitense nei giorni scorsi dopo la sua bocciatura da parte della camera dei Rappresentanti americana.

A fine giornata le Borse di Milano Mibtel ed S&P/Mib hanno chiuso con un ribasso di 8,24 punti percentuali, portandoli rispettivamente a 17 976 e 23 776 punti, mentre le altre borse hanno chiuso con un ribasso attorno al 5% per l'All Stars, dell'8,21% per il MIDEX e attorno al 8,40% per il MIB 30

La crisi delle borse si è verificata anche in altri paesi europei, che hanno chiuso con una caduta di circa il 7% in Regno Unito e Germania e una caduta del 6% in Svizzera e Belgio.

La situazione al di fuori dell'Europa è comunque in discesa, con gli Stati Uniti che registrano un calo del 7,12% per il NASDAQ e del 5,37% per il Dow Jones.

Questa mattina l'ondata di vendite era cominciata sulle Borse asiatiche: l'indice NIKKEI giapponese registra un ribasso del 4,25%, la borsa cinese si indebolisce del 5,23% e l'HANG SENG perde il 4,97%.

L'euro è scambiato a 1,3490 $, in discesa di 2 centesimi rispetto a ieri.

Non mancano le reazioni politiche in Europa: il Presidente francese Nicolas Sarkozy annuncia che «Tutti i dirigenti dell'Unione europea dichiarano che ognuno di loro prenderà tutte le misure necessarie per assicurare la stabilità del sistema finanziario», mentre il Presidente del consiglio Berlusconi assicura che «Tutti i leader dell'Unione Europea rendono noto che ciascuno di loro prenderà qualunque misura sia necessaria per mantenere la stabilità del sistema finanziario - sia attraverso l'immissione di liquidità tramite le Banche Centrali, sia mediante azioni mirate su singole banche, sia attraverso il rafforzamento degli schemi di protezione dei depositi. Continueremo ad adottare - conclude Berlusconi - le misure necessarie per proteggere il sistema affinché i singoli risparmiatori nelle nostre banche non subiscano alcuna perdita nei loro risparmi».

Il Cancelliere tedesco Angela Merkel ha già annunciato un piano straordinario per salvaguardare i risparmiatori tedeschi.


道指4年首次收市跌穿萬點

受信貸緊縮和全球經濟放緩的恐慌情緒蔓延，紐約股市再度大跌，道指收市跌破1萬點，創4年來最低收市記錄。

信貸危機蔓延至歐洲，市場擔心全球經濟衰退，受金融股沉重沽受壓力影響，帶動美股急跌，道指早段曾跌穿1萬點，是4年來首次。道指收報9,955.50點，跌369.88點。

油價亦急跌，令石油股亦有沽盤，令大市向淡，標普收報1,056.89點，跌42.34點，是五年來新低。

科技股亦向淡，eBay 計劃裁員1成，令eBay股價跌5.5%，納指收市報1,862點，跌84點，達4.3%。


Yahoo chooses Dublin as location of new European Headquarters

Dublin — Yahoo!, the internet portal, today announced it has chosen Dublin, Ireland as the location of its European Headquarters. Ireland beat off stiff competition from other European countries to win the investment. The move is expected to create over 400 jobs - two thirds of which are expected to be for graduates with skills in information technology, financial services, customer support and website editorial.

Earlier in the month, Ireland lost a potentially multi-billion euro investment by Dell for a new manufacturing facility to Scotland. This was a huge disappointment for IDA Ireland — the countries main development agency — which had offered heavy incentives to the US computer maker. This brought about fears that Ireland had lost its ability to attract high-value investments from foreign multinationals  — the driving force of Ireland's Celtic Tiger economy.

Speaking about the investment, the Irish Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Employment, Micheál Martin, said winning the Yahoo project was a "truly outstanding achievement for Ireland". Yahoo's Senior Vice President International, John Marcom, said the decision to locate its European operations headquarters in Ireland was influenced by a "number of factors" which included "the calibre and volume of graduates available in Ireland, the up to date cost competitive telecommunications and data centre infrastructure, and the assistance of IDA Ireland."

Yahoo is one of the world's largest internet companies. Its decision to locate in Ireland confirms Dublin's continued attractiveness to internet and technology companies - Google, Bell Labs, eBay, Microsoft, Amazon and Oracle all have significant Irish operations.