Greenpeace activists clash with Japanese whaling fleet in Southern Ocean

The environmental activist group Greenpeace has attempted to disrupt Japan's Southern Ocean "scientific" whaling fleet. After searching for the whaling fleet for nearly a month, the Greenpeace ships, MY Esperanza and MY Arctic Sunrise, are floating alongside the Japanese mothership in Australia's Antarctic territorial waters, directly south of Tasmania.

The Japanese whaling fleet has an expected catch of over 900 minke whales – more than double its previous catch. The fleet - owned by Kyodo Senpaku and part-owned by Nissui, Japan's second-largest marine products firm - is also targeting endangered fin whales for what they claim is a scientific program. Fin whales are the second largest creatures on earth.

Greenpeace say they have asked the whalers to stop whaling immediately and return to Japan, but have received no response from the vessels. In inflatables carrying banners which read "defend the whales" and "stop the whaling," crew from the two ships declared their intention to stop the hunt.

Leader of the Greenpeace expedition, Shane Rattenbury said their eight small boats have begun to "interfere" with the whaling process.

"We positioned our two ships to the stern of the Japanese mother ship in order to prevent the whale being transferred on to the ship and we were successful in stopping that process for about 45-minutes," said Mr Rattenbury, describing a capture boat ramming the Greenpeace ship in an attempt to push it clear.

He said the Japanese boat fought back with water cannons and one of several Greenpeace inflatables capsized in the wash. All crew were retrieved without injury.

"We're going to do everything we can over the coming weeks to interfere with the whaling process, and stop the whales being killed," he said, "our small boats will be putting themselves between the harpoon and the whale.

In a radio call to the whaling vessels, from the bridge of the Arctic Sunrise, Yuko Hirono, of Greenpeace Japan called upon the whalers to stop killing whales "and leave the internationally recognised Southern Ocean Whale Sanctuary." Japan's scientific whaling has been the subject of repeated criticism by the International Whaling Commission.

The Japanese Institute of Cetacean Research, claim the amount of scientific data gathered by Japan's research program (JARPAII) is extensive and that Japan's whale research programs are conducted in accordance with the International Convention for the Regulation of Whaling. The Institute of Cetacean Research say their research does not involve illegal whaling.

Greenpeace say over the next 2 years, 40 more fin whales will be added to the annual kill, along with 50 humpback whales.

"This whale hunt is unnecessary, unjustified, and unwanted," said Rattenbury. "Once the whales have been measured and weighed by the 'scientists' the butchers get to work and the whales are cut up and boxed for market. This is all about money and not science."

The area in which the Japanese fleet is hunting has been designated as the Antarctic Whale Sanctuary, in an effort to allow whale populations to recover after stocks were depleted during the commercial whaling of the last century.

Seventy crew and campaigners from 19 countries are on board the two Greenpeace vessels, including the UK, Netherlands, Canada, Australia, Ghana, Russia, Norway, Denmark, USA, France, Italy, Japan, Ireland, India, New Zealand, Spain, Sweden, Austria and Argentina.

Japan's whaling program is expected to kill nearly one thousand whales this season.


Activistes de Greenpeace s'enfronten amb vaixells baleners japonesos en aigües antàrtiques australianes

El grup ambientalista Greenpeace va intentar trastornar les activitats de la flota balenera "científica" japonesa al Pacífic Sud. Després de buscar la flota per gairebé un mes, els vaixells MY Esperanza i MY Arctic Sunrise, pertanyents a l'organització ecologista, es van trobar amb el buc d'abastiment de la flota japonesa en aigües antàrtiques australianes, directament al sud de Tasmània.

La flota balenera havia caçat prop de 900 rorquals ali blancs – més del doble de la caça anterior-. Els vaixells, pertanyents a Kyodo Senpaku i en part a Nissui, la segona major companyia de productes marins de Japó - també estan darrere de l'anomenat rorqual comuna, per a un suposat programa científic. Els rorquals, una espècie declarada en perill d'extinció, són les segones criatures més grans del planeta.

Greenpeace afirma que van demanar als baleners aturar la cacera immediatament i tornar al Japó. En llanxes inflables amb pancartes dient "Defensant les balenes" i "Parin la caça de balenes", la tripulació dels vaixells ecologistes declaraven les seves intencions d'aturar la cacera.

Shane Rattenbury, líder de l'expedició de Greenpeace, va dir que vuit petites llanxes van començar a "interferir": "Posicionem els nostres dos vaixells en la popa del vaixell d'abastiment japonès a fi d'evitar que les balenes siguin introduïdes a la nau i ho aconseguim per prop de 45 minuts". Va afegir que els baleners japonesos van respondre amb canons d'aigua i amb arponazos. Una de les llanxes inflables es va bolcar pel doll d'aigua, però els seus ocupants van sortir il·lesos. "Farem tot el que poguem durant les pròximes setmanes per a interferir amb la cacera de balenes i evitar que les matin. Les nostres llanxes es posaran entre l'arpó i la balena".

Yuko Hirono, de Greenpeace Japó, va realitzar una advertència radial als vaixells baleners des del pont de l'Arctic Sunrise, demanant que paressin de caçar i "deixessin el Santuari Balener de l'Antàrtida, reconegut internacionalment". La cacera científica de balenes de Japó ha estat motiu d'insistents crítiques per part de la Comissió Balenera Internacional.

El Institut d'Investigació en Cetacis de Japó afirma que la quantitat de dades científiques recol·lectades pel programa d'investigació balenera d'aquest país (JARPAII) és extensiva i que aquests programes són executats en concordança amb la Convenció Internacional per a la regulació de la caça de balenes. L'institut diu que les seves investigacions no involucren cacera il·legal.

Per la seva banda, Greenpeace assenyala que durant els pròxims anys 40 rorquals comuns seran afegits a la quota anual de caça, juntament amb 50 balenes geperudes.

"Aquesta cacera de balenes és innecessària, injustificada i supèrflua. Una vegada que les balenes han estat amidades i pesades pels 'científics', els carnissers arriben a treballar i les balenes són tallades i empacades per al mercat. Tot això és per diners i no per la ciència", va assenyalar Rattenbury.

L'àrea en la qual la flota japonesa realitza la cacera ha estat declarada Santuari Balener de l'Antàrtida, en un esforç per a permetre que les minades poblacions de balenes es recuperin després que la seva quantitat disminuís per la cacera comercial del segle passat.

Setanta tripulants i activistes de 19 països es troben a bord dels dos vaixells de Greenpeace. Provenen principalment del Regne Unit, Holanda, Canadà, Austràlia, Ghana, Rússia, Noruega, Dinamarca, Estats Units, França, Itàlia, Japó, Irlanda, Índia, Nova Zelanda, Espanya, Suècia, Àustria i Argentina.

Es calcula que el programa balener del Japó caci al voltant de 1.000 balenes durant aquesta temporada.


Activistas de Greenpeace se enfrentan con barcos balleneros japoneses en aguas antárticas australianas

P

El grupo ambientalista Greenpeace intentó trastornar las actividades de la flota ballenera "científica" japonesa en el Pacífico Sur. Después de buscar la flota por casi un mes, los barcos MY Esperanza y MY Arctic Sunrise, pertenecientes a la organización ecologista, se encontraron con el buque nodriza de la flota japonesa en aguas antárticas australianas, directamente al sur de Tasmania.

La flota ballenera había cazado cerca de 900 rorcuales aliblancos – más del doble de la caza anterior-. Los barcos, pertenecientes a Kyodo Senpaku y en parte a Nissui, la segunda mayor compañía de productos marinos de Japón - también están detrás del llamado rorcual común, para un supuesto programa científico. Los rorcuales, una especie declarada en peligro de extinción, son las segundas criaturas más grandes del planeta.

Greenpeace afirma que pidieron a los balleneros detener la cacería de inmediato y regresar a Japón. En lanchas inflables con pancartas diciendo "Defendiendo las ballenas" y "Paren la caza de ballenas", la tripulación de los barcos ecologistas declaraban sus intenciones de detener la cacería.

Shane Rattenbury, líder de la expedición de Greenpeace, dijo que ocho pequeñas lanchas empezaron a "interferir": "Posicionamos nuestros dos barcos en la popa del barco nodriza japonés a fin de evitar que las ballenas sean introducidas a la nave y lo conseguimos por cerca de 45 minutos". Añadió que los balleneros japoneses respondieron con cañones de agua y con arponazos. Una de las lanchas inflables se volcó por el chorro de agua, pero sus ocupantes salieron ilesos. "Haremos todo lo que podamos durante las próximas semanas para interferir con la cacería de ballenas y evitar que las maten. Nuestras lanchas nos podrán entre el arpón y la ballena".

Yuko Hirono, de Greenpeace Japón, realizó una llamada radial a los barcos balleneros desde el puente del Arctic Sunrise, pidiendo que pararan de cazar y "dejaran el Santuario Ballenero de la Antártida, reconocido internacionalmente". La cacería científica de ballenas de Japón ha sido motivo de insistentes críticas por parte de la Comisión Ballenera Internacional.

El Instituto de Investigación en Cetáceos de Japón afirma que la cantidad de datos científicos recolectados por el programa de investigación ballenera de ese país (JARPAII) es extensiva y que dichos programas son ejecutados en concordancia con la Convención Internacional para la regulación de la caza de ballenas. El instituto dice que sus investigaciones no involucran cacería ilegal.

Por su parte, Greenpeace señala que durante los próximos años 40 rorcuales comunes serán añadidos a la cuota anual de caza, junto con 50 ballenas jorobadas.

"Esta cacería de ballenas es innecesaria, injustificada y superflua. Una vez que las ballenas han sido medidas y pesadas por los 'científicos', los carniceros llegan a trabajar y las ballenas son cortadas y empacadas para el mercado. Todo esto es por dinero y no por la ciencia", señaló Rattenbury.

El área en la que la flota japonesa realiza la cacería ha sido declarada Santuario Ballenero de la Antártida, en un esfuerzo para permitir que las minadas poblaciones de ballenas se recuperen después de que su cantidad disminuyera por la cacería comercial del siglo pasado.

Setenta tripulantes y activistas de 19 países se encuentran a bordo de los dos barcos de Greenpeace. Provienen principalmente del Reino Unido, Holanda, Canadá, Australia, Ghana, Rusia, Noruega, Dinamarca, Estados Unidos, Francia, Italia, Japón, Irlanda, India, Nueva Zelanda, España, Suecia, Austria y Argentina.

Se calcula que el programa ballenero de Japón cace alrededor de 1.000 ballenas durante esta temporada.


環境保護団体グリーンピース、南極海で日本の捕鯨船団と衝突

P


Groups prepare for December WTO talks

Members of the WTO have made statements in preparation of the next WTO meeting in December.

Peter Mandelson, the EU's trade commissioner, has proposed a six-point package to help poor countries. The package includes guarantees of access to cheap drugs, special help for the 40 least-developed nations, compensation for poor countries affected by the loss of their access to Europe for bananas and sugar, relief for African cotton producers, and assistance to help countries build their capacity to trade.  The EU is holding strong on its agriculture position while keeping internal dissent in check.  Mandelson warned France not to veto any agreement saying that failure of the talks would be a "huge missed economic opportunity and a huge setback for multilateralism. Those who want to frustrate us, throw logs at us and impose vetoes on us - even from within our own ranks - will not find me giving up." Resistance is expected from the US, especially in the areas of textiles, and drugs.  These two areas have been a areas of contention between the US and other WTO members.

Several South American WTO members complained about the current sluggishness of talks.  Brazil's WTO ambassador, Clodoaldo Hugueney, said earlier this week, "We are seriously concerned about the current state of the negotiations. The burden of adjustment is being placed on developing countries."

The IMF also released a policy discussion paper titled "Africa in the Doha Round". In the paper, written by IMF Africa Department Senior Economist Yongzheng Yang, states that the representatives of Africa in the current round of WTO talks may be too fixated on the markets of wealthy nations. Yang writes, "African negotiators may have overlooked the potential market access gains in developing countries, where trade barriers remain relatively high and demand for African imports has expanded substantially." According to the paper Africa has primarily sought access of wealthiest nations including the US and the EU while limiting it's attention to China and other countries who imported 30 percent of Africa's exports. Recent trade issues Africa has pushed have included cotton exports, an area that has met much resistance to the wealthier WTO members.  IMF policy discussion papers describe research in progress and are not opinions of the IMF.

The WTO has also agreed to extend an exemption for members classified as "least developed" from intellectual property rules until July 2013.  These members already have an exemption, valid until 2016, for pharmaceutical products.  The new extension applies to trademarks, copyrights, trade secrets, and geographical names indicating goods' place of origin.  If a country improves out of the classification, the exemption will no longer apply.


Ståndpunktsangivelser inför WTO-förhandlingar i december

30 november 2005 Flera medlemmar i Världshandelsorganisationen WTO har nu gjort uttalanden inför toppmötet i december.

EU:s handelsminister Peter Mandelson har föreslagit ett sex-punkts-paket för att hjälpa fattiga länder. Paketet omfattar garanterad tillgång till billiga mediciner, särkild hjälp till de 40 minst utvecklade länderna, kompensation till banan- och sockerproducerande länder som tillgången till Europamarknaden, lättnader till Afrikas bommullsproducenter och bistånd för att hjälpa länder utveckla sin egen handel. EU håller hårt på sin linje i jordbruksfrågan och ser till att hålla sina medlemsländer i schack. Mandelson varnade Frankrike för att använda sin vetorätt, och sa att ett misslyckande på WTO-mötet skulle innebära att man gick misste om "en stor ekonomisk chans och ett bakslag för multilateralismen. De som har för avsikt att hindra oss, håna oss och betvinga oss med sina veton – även i våra egna led – kommer inte att få sig mig ge upp". Motstånd väntas dock från USA, i synnerhet vad gäller textil och medicin – två områden som orsakat spänningar mellan USA och övriga medlemsländer.

Flera sydamerikanska medlemsländer har klagat över förhandlingarnas långsamma framåtskridande. Brasiliens WTO-ambassadör, Clodoaldo Hugueney sa tidigare i veckan: "Vi är allvarligt beskymrade över förhandlingarnas tillstånd. Den börda det innebär att anpassa sig läggs på utvecklingsländerna".

Även Internationella valutafonden IMF har inför mötet kommit med ett debattinlägg kallat "Africa in the Doha Round". I dokumentet, som författats av IMF:s ledande ekonom i Afrika-frågor Yongsheng Yang, sägs att de afrikanska länderna i de nuvarande överläggningarna kan vara för fixerade vid de rika ländernas marknader. Yang skriver: "Afrikanska förhandlare kan ha förbisett de potentiella vinster som finns i tillgången till marknader i utvecklingsländer där handelshinder fortfarande är relativt höga och efterfrågan på afrikanska importvaror ökat kraftigt". Enligt debattartikeln har Afrika främst siktat in sig på de rikaste ländernas marknader, som USA och EU, samtidigt som man i mindre omfattning brytt sig om Kina och andra länder som importerar 30% av Afrikas exportvaror. En av de handelsfrågor som Afrika betonat är bomull, ett område som möter starkt motstånd från de rikaste WTO-medlemmarna. Debattartikel beskriver en pågående utredning och återspeglar inte organisationens officiella ståndpunkter.

WTO har också accepterat att förlänga undantagsregler för "intellektuell egendom" för de "minst utvecklade länderna" fram till 2013. Dessa länder åtnjuter redan undantagsregler för farmaceutiska produkter fram till 2016. Det nya tillägget kommer att omfatta varumärken, upphovsrätt, handelshemligheter och geografiska namn som representerar varors ursprung. Om utvecklingen i ett land gör att det faller utanför definitionen "minst utvecklade" upphör undantagsreglerna att gälla.


GSK rejects three Unilever bids to buy consumer healthcare arm, says unit was "fundamentally undervalued"

United Kingdom-based pharmaceutical giant GlaxoSmithKline (GSK) confirmed January 15 it had rejected three "unsolicited, conditional and non-binding proposals" by Unilever to acquire its Consumer Healthcare division, including one bid of GBP50 billion in value made on December 20, believing Unilever "fundamentally undervalued" the business and its potential.

News that Unilever attempted to buy GSK Consumer Healthcare for 50 billion pounds, split between GBP41.7 billion in cash and 8.3 billion in Unilever shares, was first reported by The Sunday Times, and subsequently confirmed by both companies. Had the latest acquisition offer gone through, it would have been the largest deal since the beginning of the Covid-19 pandemic, and one of the biggest ever among companies listed on the London Stock Exchange.

A deal would likely mean integrating the GSK division into Unilever's own beauty and personal care business, which has seen profit margins struggle under Covid-19 lockdowns and higher costs for plastics and petrochemicals.

A brief response on the Unilever website confirmed it "had approached GSK and Pfizer about a potential acquisition", and adds GSK Consumer Healthcare "would be a strong strategic fit" as the company looks to rework its portfolio. GSK indicated the proposals were "carefully evaluated" by its board of directors, but unanimously rejected under the conclusion they "were not in the best interests of GSK shareholders" and "failed to reflect the intrinsic value of the business and its potential".

The Sunday Times have indicated the latest deal did not include an acquisition premium or recognition of corporate synergies; the joint venture between GSK and healthcare firm Pfizer, which holds a minority stake in the company, was initially projected to generate GBP500 million in cost savings by this year and realise "substantial cost synergies". The BBC's business editor Simon Jack wrote that a standard takeover premium would be about 30%, but could be reduced over the GBP10 billion in debt GSK was predicted to "leave on the books", of the GBP22 billion net debt GSK reported for Q3 2021.

The deals were assessed by the Board respective of a proposed demerger of GSK Consumer Health into a separate PLC in the middle of this year. Jack wrote GSK "always" had "an open mind to a trade sale to another party if the price was right." Unilever did not take into account the standard takeover premium, the value of cost savings and Board confidence Consumer Health could deliver "superior organic sales growth" of between four and six per cent in the medium term. This was despite valuations of about GBP50 billion by Goldman Sachs and Barclays analysts, and a lower GBP45 billion valuation by Jeffries Group.

There are no current talks between Unilever and either Pfizer or GSK, and the Unilever statement reads: "There can be no certainty that any agreement will be reached." Under CEO Alan Jope, Unilever has focused its investments and marketing on brands which "communicate a strong environmental or social purpose" by streamlining its holdings in items like beauty products and tea. Jope previously said Unilever would concentrate on smaller takeovers in industries like luxury beauty and wellness.

However, Russ Mould, investment director at AJ Bell, told the BBC this would be a "high risk deal" at a time investors are cautious about GSK's performance, but also a time of rising inflation he says encourages "consumer goods with loyal customers". Mould added despite strong cashflow, Unilever had recently missed targets on sales and profit margins, putting pressure on the CEO.

Pressure by activist shareholders Elliott Management Corporation and Bluebell Capital Partners have also mounted against GSK CEO Emma Walmsley over the unit's failure to develop a Covid-19 vaccine and Walmsley's own lack of scientific experience. GSK has been involved in the ongoing development of a Covid-19 vaccine with French biopharmaceutical company Sanofi, and announced preliminary results from Phase 3 trials last month.

In 2018, Unilever bought several consumer nutritional products from GSK, including its flagship product Horlicks, and merged its Indian subsidiary, Hindustan Unilever, with GSK Consumer Healthcare India.


incubator:Wn/hu/Az Unilever három ajánlatot tett a GSK egyik egészségügyi üzletágára: a GSK mindet elutasította

A brit GlaxoSmithKline (GSK) gyógyszeripari vállalat szombaton megerősítette, hogy egyik üzletágukra az Unilever három, nem kötelező érvényű ajánlatot is tett. A vény nélkül értékesíthető egészségügyi termékekkel foglalkozó Consumer Healthcare üzletágra legutóbb december 20-án 50 milliárd angol fontot ajánlottak, a GSK szerint „nagyságrendileg alábecsülve”[1] ezzel annak értékét és potenciálját.

A hírről elsőként a Sunday Times számolt be, s azt mindkét cég megerősítette. Az összeg 41,7 milliárd készpénzből és 8,3 milliárd font értékű Unilever-részvényből állt volna össze. A Reuters riportja szerint ez a legnagyobb értékű megállapodás két, a Londoni Értéktőzsdén jegyzett cég között a COIVD-19 pandémia kezdete óta, ha megvalósul.

A járványügyi lezárások, illetve a műanyagok és petrolkémiai termékek áremelkedése visszavetette az Unilever szépségápolási és személyi higiénés üzletágának jövedelmezőségét.

Az Unilever a honlapján egy rövid írásban elismerte, hogy „megkereste a GSK-t és a Pfizert egy lehetséges adásvétel ügyében”[2], és hogy a GSK üzletága „stratégiailag jól illeszkedne”[3] a cégbe. A másik fél szerint az ajánlatokat a GSK igazgatótanácsa „alaposan mérlegelte”[4], de egyhangúlag utasította el mindet, mert „nem kedveztek volna a részvényeseknek”[5], és mert „nem tükrözték az üzletág értékét és potenciálját”.[6]

A Sunday Times kifejtette, hogy a legutóbbi ajánlat sem ment az üzletág becsült értéke fölé, és hogy nem árazták be a GSK üzletági együttműködései miatti megtakarításokat. A GSK és a Pfizer közös vegyesvállalatától a szinergiák kiaknázását, számszerűsítve idén 500 millió font megtakarítást várnak. A vegyesvállalatban a Pfizer kisebbségi tulajdonos. Simon Jack, a BBC üzleti rovatának szerkesztője szerint 30%-kal szokás a piaci érték fölé menni az árban, de ha a vevő a GSK veszteségeiből is átvállal, azzal a vételár csökkenthető. A harmadik negyedévben a GSK adósságállománya 22 milliárd font volt.

Az üzletág leválasztása egy külön cégbe egyébként az év közepére eleve ütemezve van. Jack kiemelte, hogy a GSK „jó árért mindig is hajlott az eladásra.”[7] A GSK-vezetőség az üzletággal kapcsolatban derűlátó: az organikus termékek piacán középtávon 4-6%-os bővülést vár – az Unilever ezt sem vette számításba. Ugyanakkor az üzletág értéket a Goldman Sachs és a Barclays 50 milliárd, míg a Jeffries Group 45 milliárd fontra becsülte.

Az Unilever, illetve a Pfizer-GSK páros között most nem folynak tárgyalások, s az Unilever közleménye szerint „bizonytalan, hogy lesz-e bármilyen megállapodás.”[8] Az Unilever Alan Jope vezérigazgató alatt a befektetéseit és marketingjét az „erős ökológiai vagy társadalmi értékeket közvetítő”[9] termékekre koncentrálta, és visszább lépett a teák és szépségápolási termékek piacán. Jope korábban úgy nyilatkozott, hogy az Unilever kisebb felvásárlásokkal bővítene a szépségápolás és wellness luxus szegmensében.

Russ Mould, az AJ Bell befektetési igazgatója a BBC-nek nyilatkozva kiemelte, hogy a vétel „veszélyes”[10] lenne, s hogy a befektetők óvatosak a GSK teljesítménye miatt, de ugyanakkor az emelkedő infláció felértékeli a „lojális vásárlóréteggel rendelkező árukat”.[11] Hozzátette még, hogy a GSK a közelmúltban nem érte el kitűzött forgalmi és nyereségcéljait, ami nyomást helyez a vezérigazgatóra, Emma Walmsleyre.

Az Elliott Management Corporation és a Bluebell Capital Partners – a GSK aktív részvényesei – amiatt is kritizálták a vezérigazgatót, mert nincs természettudományos háttere, és mert a cég nem tudott COVID-vakcinával a piacra lépni. A cég a francia Sanofival közösen fejleszt vakcinát, és a klinikai tesztek harmadik fázisáról a múlt hónapban adtak ki előzetes értékelést.

Az Unilever 2018-ban már megvett a GSK-tól néhány táplálékkiegészítő márkát, például a húzónévnek számító Horlicks italport, és a GSK Consumer Healthcare indiai részlegét, amit aztán integrált a saját indiai leányvállalatába, a Hindustan Unileverbe.


Heavy selling leads to shortened session at Tokyo stock exchange

Heavy selling in internet firm livedoor sparked a sharp selloff in Japanese stocks Wednesday. The exchange had to shorten the trading session as the number of transactions threatened to exceed the system capacity. The Tokyo stock exchange has a capacity to handle 4.5 million trades per day.

Wednesday's trading problems have added to recent woes with the trading system at the exchange. A glitch halted trading for almost a full day late last year. Tokyo stock exchange plans to offer its own shares for listing.

Prosecutors raided the Tokyo offices of livedoor on Monday, following allegations the company had violated Japanese securities laws.
livedoor has denied that the company broke market rules by giving misleading information to shareholders. Shares in the company dived on Tuesday, dragging the overall index lower. One of Japan's best known internet companies, livedoor has grown rapidly through a series of takeovers and stock splits before Tuesday's share price fall.


Un inusitado volumen de ventas obliga al cierre anticipado en la Bolsa de Tokio

Una avalancha de ventas accionarias debido una investigación por presunto fraude a la compañía de internet Livedoor obligó al cierre anticipado de la Bolsa de Valores de Tokio este miércoles (18). La Bolsa de Tokio tiene una capacidad de 4,5 millones de transacciones diarias, cantidad que fue excedida y que forzó al cierre a las 05:40 UTC, 20 minutos antes de lo normal. Esta es la primera vez en la historia que un hecho de esta naturaleza ocurre en el mercado bursátil nipón.

El lunes (16), las autoridades judiciales registraron las oficinas de Livedoor en Tokio, porque la compañía presuntamente violó las leyes de seguridad japonesas. La empresa, dirigida por Takafumi Horie, negó que hubiera roto alguna regla de mercado al dar información engañosa a los accionistas con el fin de inflar sus acciones, que se hundieron el martes (17), lo que ocasionó la caída general del índice bursátil Nikkei, que cerró en 15.341,18 (-2,94%), después de haber caído durante la sesión de transacciones a 15.059,53.

Antes de este incidente, Livedoor había crecido merced a una serie de compras y repuntes accionarios. Horie había incluso intentado comprar una cadena de televisión y un equipo de béisbol y participar en las elecciones parlamentarias de septiembre pasado.

En diciembre pasado, el director de la Bolsa y varios miembros de la junta directiva tuvieron que renunciar debido a un error tipográfico y a varias fallas en el sistema.


東京証券取引所で株式売買全面停止

1月18日のアスキー24の報道によると、東京証券取引所は同日、株式の売買注文、並びに約定件数が増加し、システムの処理可能件数を越える可能性があるため、午後2時40分以後株式の売買を業務規定第29条第4号に基づいて全面停止した。午後2時25分時点では注文が700万件程度、約定は400万件程度あった。

この売買停止は前日の17日、インターネットの関連企業であるライブドアが証券取引法違反容疑による強制捜査を受けたことで「ロウバイ売り」によるものとみられている。

また、徳島新聞は1月18日、1月19日以後の午後（後場）の取り引きを通常の12:30から30分ずらして午後1:00から開始し30分短縮することを報道した。


High definition anti-piracy DRM possibly hacked

Several companies that designed the encryption system for DVDs with a high definition are currently analyzing the claim of a hacker, who said to have cracked the code protecting new generation DVDs from illegal copying. This was stated by a representative of one of the companies on Thursday, December 28.

Muslix64 is the name of the hacker that announced the details of the process he performed in order to unlock the encryption. The purpose of the Advanced Access Content System (AACS) is to prevent pirate copying. It is supposed to restrict the devices that are able to play the DVDs.

Such companies like Walt Disney Co., Intel Corp., Microsoft Corp., Toshiba Corp. and Sony Corp. were the ones to create the encryption so to defend the high-definition formats. The latter encompass HD-DVD format developed by Toshiba, with a series of other corporations, and Blu-ray format developed by Sony and its partners in this enterprise.

The hacker launched on a famous hacker website his decryption codes and posted a short film on a video site. The film displayed the process of copying several films, like "Full Metal Jacket" by Warner Bros and "Van Helsing" brought by Universal Studios.

Muslix64 also mentioned that he is going to post some more source codes on the second day of the New Year. According to his words the codes will allow copying a wider variety of titles.

The inability of companies to protect their production could find themselves in a difficult situation. This concerns especially those that have the goal of boosting their revenues. They are aware of the fact that the standard DVD format is not as popular as it was. The sales of DVD movies in 2005 gained around 24 billion dollars for the industry of movie making.

The technology expert Adrian Kingsley-Hughes wrote on the ZDNet.com (tech-site) that the decryption code developed by Muslix64 looks quite genuine. He also mentioned that the decryption code for HD-DVD might give some advantages for those that look forward to backup discs. However in general none of the rival formats will be in advantage of this possible hack.


Anti-Piraterie-Kopierschutz für hochauflösende Speichermedien möglicherweise gehackt

Vereinigte Staaten, 30.12.2006 – Mehrere an dem Verschlüsselungssystem der hochauflösenden DVD-Nachfolgermedien beteiligten Firmen analysieren gegenwärtig die Behauptungen eines Hackers, der behauptet, den für den Schutz der neuen DVD-Generation zuständigen Code vor illegaler Vervielfältigung gecrackt zu haben. Dieses wurde von einem Repräsentanten einer dieser Firmen am Donnerstag, dem 28. Dezember 2006, angegeben.

Der unter dem Spitznamen „Muslix64“ auftretende Hacker gab Details über den von ihm durchgeführten Prozess bekannt, um die Verschlüsselung zu entschlüsseln. Zweck des eingesetzten Kopierschutzes Advanced Access Content System (AACS) ist es, illegales Kopieren zu verhindern. Es soll die Geräte einschränken, die fähig sind, die DVDs abzuspielen.

Zu den Firmen, die die Verschlüsselung entwarfen, um damit die hochauflösenden Formate zu schützen, gehören unter anderem Walt Disney Co., Intel Corp., Microsoft Corp., Toshiba Corp. und Sony Corp.. Diese hochauflösenden Formate umfassen das von Toshiba und einer Reihe anderer Firmen entwickelte HD-DVD-Format und das von Sony und dessen Partnern in diesem Vorhaben entwickelte Blu-ray-Disc-Format.

Der Hacker veröffentlichte seine Entschlüsselungscodes auf einer bekannten Hackerinternetseite und einen Kurzfilm auf einer Videointernetseite. Der Kurzfilm zeigt den Ablauf des Kopierens mehrere Filme, wie „Full Metal Jacket“ von Warner Bros. und „Van Helsing“ von Universal Studios.

„Muslix64“ erwähnte auch, dass er weiteren Quellcode am zweiten Tag des neuen Jahres veröffentlichen werde. Gemäß seiner Aussage werden die zusätzliche Codes es erlauben, eine breitere Auswahl an Spielfilmtiteln zu kopieren.

Die Firmen könnten sich wegen der Unfähigkeit, ihre Filmproduktionen zu schützen, in einer schwierigen Situation wiederfinden. Dieses beunruhigt besonders diejenigen, die das Ziel verfolgen, ihr Erlöse anzutreiben. Sie sind sich der Tatsache bewusst, dass die Standard-DVD nicht mehr so zugkräftig ist, wie sie es einst war. Mit dem Verkauf von DVD-Filmen erwirtschaftete die Filmindustrie im Jahr 2005 einen Erlös von rund 24 Milliarden US-Dollar.

Der Technologieexperte Adrian Kingsley-Hughes schrieb auf der englischen Internetseite ZDNet.com, dass der von „Muslix64“ geschaffene  Entschlüsselungscode recht authentisch aussehe. Er schrieb weiter, dass der Entschlüsselungscode für HD-DVDs denjenigen nutzen könne, die ein Back-Up ihrer Scheiben erstellen wollen. Allerdings wird insgesamt gesehen keines der rivalisierenden Formate wegen dieses möglichen Hacks im Vorteil sein.


Хакер сообщает, что он раскрыл шифр высококачественных DVD

Представитель одной из компаний, которые разрабатывали систему кодирования высококачественных DVD, сказал, что они изучают сообщение о том, что хакер взломал этот код.

Хакер, известный как Muslix64 опубликовал в Интернете детали того, как он расшифровал код известный под именем Advanced Access Content System (AACS), и который предназначен для защиты от незаконного копирования высококачественных DVD путём ограничения устройств, которые могли воспроизводить запись на диске.

Система AACS была разработана компаниями: Уолт Дисней (Walt Disney Co.), Интел (Intel Corp.), Майкрософт (Microsoft Corp.), Тошиба (Toshiba Corp.) и Сони (Sony Corp.), чтобы защитить высококачественные форматы записи дисков, включая HD-DVD Тошибы и Blu-ray Сони.

Muslix64 опубликовал в популярном среди хакеров интернет блоге видео и описание кодов, показывающие, как копировать фильмы, например, фильм "Full Metal Jacket" компании Уорнер Бразерс и фильм "Van Helsing" студии Универсал (Universal Studio).

Хакер также обещал опубликовать 2 января больше подробностей о коде, что позволит копировать ещё больше фильмов.

Представитель одной из компаний AACS сказал, что они изучают требования, но не добавил ни каких подробностей.

Уязвимость кода может поставить под угрозу киностудии, которые ищут способы повысить доход, поскольку продажи DVD стандартного формата не оправдывают себя.

Если код был взломан, то любой высококачественный DVD, выпущенный до сих пор может быть незаконно скопирован, используя ключ Muslix64.

Выясняется, что между кодами HD DVD и Blu-ray, которые ведут борьбу за превосходство, нет большой разницы. Код HD DVD имеющий временное преимущество, будет теперь уравнен с Blu-ray, так как оба кода используют раскрытую защиту AACS.

29 декабря 2006 года


Hundreds of Air Canada flight attendants to lose jobs

632 Air Canada flight attendants will lose their jobs in November as the airline is eliminating flights and routes. 332 of the jobs will be lost due to the closure of flight attendant base offices in Halifax and Winnipeg. Another 300 jobs will be lost at Vancouver due to major reductions in Air Canada's Pacific-based international flights.

Dramatic increases in fuel prices are widely blamed for the airline's cutbacks. The flight attendant layoffs are part of an overall plan to reduce 2000 jobs at Air Canada.

Airline union CUPE learned of the flight attendant cutbacks from the airline on Wednesday. Representatives of the labour association gave critical responses to this news.


מאות דיילות תפוטרנה ממשרותיהן ב"אייר קנדה"

632 דיילות בחברת "אייר קנדה" תאבדנה את משרותיהן בחודש נובמבר הקרוב בשל ביטולי קווים וטיסות עליהם החליטה החברה. 332 מהמשרות תאבדנה בגין סגירת המשרדים הראשיים של הדיילות בהאליפקס ובוויניפג. 300 משרות נוספות תתבטלנה בונקובר מחמת הירידה הניכרת בכמות הטיסות הבינלאומיות שהחברה מפעילה מעל האוקיינוס השקט.

עליות דרמטיות במחירי הדלקים זוכות לרוב למרבית הטחות האשמה בגין הקיצוצים בחברות-התעופה. הצמצומים הנוכחיים בתחום הדיילות אינם אלא חלק קטן מתכנית הבראה כוללת של החברה שבמסגרתה יופחת מספר המשרות בה בכ-2000.

ב-CUPE, האיגוד המקצועי של עובדי חברות-התעופה, שמעו בראשונה על דבר הפיטורין ביום רביעי האחרון. נציגי האיגוד המקצועי העבירו לאמצעי-התקשורת תגובות ביקורתיות וחריפות על המהלך.


IBM and National Geographic to launch DNA database project

Genetics researchers announced today that they will beginning a five-year plan to create a map of human migrations based on DNA mapping. The "Genographic Project" will be funded by the Waitt Family Foundation, IBM Corporation, and the National Geographic Society, and plans to collect 100,000 samples of DNA from people all over the world in order to sequence how related to each other they are.

Details on data collection have not yet been specified, but there are implications that some of the data will come from field work among indigenous groups, and that other individuals may purchase kits to submit their own DNA in order to learn about their own genes.

The project has drawn immediate comparison with the failed Human Genome Diversity Project from the 1990s, which ended after controversy over the patenting of the DNA of indigenous peoples. The Genographic Project leaders say that they will make the information from their project public and will not patent genes. Whether or not researchers using the data will be subject to licensing guidelines, or whether they can patent their own discoveries using the data, remains to be answered.

In the last decade, the role of IBM tabulating machines in the Holocaust has been explored and criticized by a number of historians, and National Geographic has often been a target of critical theorists who have seen it as often representing the "gaze" of imperialism and Orientalism.

Previous genetic mapping projects which focused on specific ethnic groups have met with continuous controversy, with allusions often made to the projects of racial anthropometry of the early 20th century which served as the "scientific" backbone to scientific racism and eugenics legislation. Though the Genographic Project participants have tried to emphasize that their project will be to look at the "similarities" between different groups of people rather than the "differences," it seems likely to remain a controversial issue.


IBM i National Geographic tworzą genetyczną mapę świata

Stowarzyszenie National Geographic w porozumieniu z IBM i fundacją rodziny Waitt ma plany stworzyć genetyczną mapę świata, aby dowiedzieć się, jak wyglądały wędrówki prehistorycznych ludzi po naszym globie.

Projekt, początkowo nazwany genograficznym, ma zamiar zebrać ponad 100 tysięcy próbek genetycznych od różnych osób z całego świata, aby prześledzić migrację ludzi z Afryki na cały świat. Większość próbek została już wybrana, jednak wszyscy zainteresowani mogą wysłać do projektu swoje własne DNA w zabezpieczonej poczcie.

Projekt genograficzny ma pochłonąć 40 milionów USD i trwać 5 lat. Uczestniczą w nim jedni z najlepszych naukowców świata, a także eksperci w dziedzinach starożytnych DNA, lingwistyki i archeologii.

"Widzimy to jako możliwość ludzkości przejścia do przyszłości. Istnieje możliwość stworzenia przez nas największej bazy genetycznej w historii", powiedział doktor Spencer Wells, główny naukowiec projektu, w wywiadzie dla BBC News.

Projekt ten ma także odpowiedzieć na wiele innych pytań, m.in. jakie są najstarsze rody w Afryce, czy armie Aleksandra Wielkiego pozostawiły po sobie ślady genetyczne, a także, czy możliwe jest uzyskanie kodu DNA ze szczątek homo erectus i innych wymarłych dawno humanoidów.


Pesquisadores pretendem criar mapa de migração baseado no DNA

Pesquisadores de genética anunciaram hoje que eles estão a começar um plano de cinco anos para criar um mapa de migrações humanas baseadas no mapeamento de DNA. "O Projeto de Genografia" será financiado pela Fundação da Família Waitt, Corporação  IBM, e pela National Geographic Society. O projeto planeja colher 100 mil amostras de ADN da população  em todo o mundo.


Iceland nationalises Kaupthing Bank

Iceland's Financial Services Authority has nationalised the Kaupthing Bank as a response to the financial crisis which may result in a total collapse of the nation's economy.

Kaupthing, together with Glitnir Bank and Landsbanki, owe a total of US$61 billion, which is twelve times the estimated size of the economy of the Nordic country. The Financial Services Authority says Iceland will guarantee all domestic deposits and aims to provide a "functioning domestic banking system" by management of the banks.

Iceland has asked for aid to Russia and the International Monetary Fund for loans to help guarantee these deposits. Icelandic equity markets have been closed until October 13 due to "unusual market conditions" and the Icelandic krona now appears to have itself failed after the collapse of an attempt to fix the exchange rate at 131 Krona to the euro.

According to Nordea Bank, Scandinavia's biggest lender, there was no trading of krona on the spot market today. The most recent figure for exchange is 340 to the euro, compared to 122 last month. Thomas Haugaard Jensen, an economist of Svenska Handelsbanken in Copenhagen, indicated the Icelandic economy seems to be at the verge of a "total collapse," and predicted it will take several years before Iceland's economy recovers enough for it to return to growth.

Kaupthing itself requested the national takeover, which leaves most of the nation's banking sector under state control. The bank's board have resigned and left the authorities in control of the bank. The bank also has affiliates both in Sweden and Finland. Swedish Kaupthing Bank Sverige claimed to be unaffected, but Finland's Financial Services Authority temporarily shut down the Finnish affiliate.


Islandia nacionaliza sus tres mayores bancos

9 de octubre de 2008Reikiavik, Islandia —

Las autoridades de Islandia han nacionalizado la primera entidad financiera del país, el banco Kaupthing, después de haber hecho lo propio ayer con el segundo y el tercero, Landsbanki y Glitnir, respectivamente.

Islandia emitió un decreto a principios de semana para permitir a sus autoridades financieras la intervención de los bancos ante la situación de quiebra de la mayoría de sus entidades.

El sector financiero islandés representa ocho veces el Producto Interior Bruto del país dadas sus fuertes inversiones en el exterior. Sus bancos se expandieron en el extranjero y los inversores apostaron por su moneda, la corona islandesa, que tenía un alto rendimiento. Las empresas y particulares extranjeros inyectaron fondos en la banca y las autoridades no tienen capacidad para garantizar los fondos, dado su volumen.

El primer ministro, Geir Haarde, advirtió: "Estamos ante la posibilidad de que toda la economía nacional sea arrastrada a las profundidades por la crisis bancaria global y que la nación se declare en bancarrota".

El Banco Nacional de Suecia salió al rescate del banco Kaupthing con 500 millones de euros, aunque la cuantía fue insuficiente.

Las autoridades islandesas han decidido suspender las cotizaciones bursátiles ante la amenaza de bancarrota y la moneda nacional se ha depreciado considerablemente mientras buscan una ayuda de 4.000 millones de euros en Rusia, que está considerándola.

La decisión ha ido aparejada de un conflicto diplomático con el Reino Unido al no proteger Islandia los depósitos de 300.000 británicos en Icesave, una filial de Landsbanki. ING ha afirmado que comprará por valor de más de 3.900 millones de euros los fondos británicos de las cuentas de Icesave, en un intento de salvarlas de la situación.


Interwencja rządu Islandii

Islandzki rząd przejął całkowitą kontrolę nad największym bankiem w kraju - Kaupthing. Gospodarce Islandii grozi załamanie, a władze zapowiadają, że kraj latami będzie wychodził z kryzysu finansowego.

W ostatnich dniach islandzkie banki mocno odczuły skutki globalnego kryzysu. Kurs tamtejszej korony potrafił zmieniać się o 20 procent w ciągu zaledwie jednego dnia, a w ciągu ostatniego roku stracił wobec euro około 70 procent wartości. Eksperci mają wątpliwości, czy środków z państwowej kasy wystarczy na ustabilizowanie zagrożonego sektora bankowego.

Natomiast szef Europejskiego Banku Centralnego uspokaja nie tylko Islandczyków. Według niego, po wczorajszej, skoordynowanej przez sześć banków centralnych, obniżce stóp procentowych rynki finansowe powinny "odzyskać przytomność". "Pesymizm jest przesadzony, wspólnymi siłami możemy go pokonać" - stwierdził Trichet. Dodał, iż wierzy, że Międzynarodowy Fundusz Walutowy podejmie decyzje, które uspokoją rynki. Spotkanie członków MFW planowane jest w najbliższy weekend w Waszyngtonie.


Iceland's coalition government falls in economic crisis

The coalition government in Iceland has collapsed following the international banking crisis.

Prime Minister Geir Haarde of the conservative Independence Party had begun talks with coalition partner party Social Democratic Alliance in the run-up to an early general election planned for May. It was reported yesterday that these talks had failed and the coalition was dissolved. The centre-left Social Democrats will now try to build a coalition with opposition parties, according to the BBC.

The Independence Party currently has 25 of the 63 seats in the country's unicameral Althing (parliament), and the Social Democratic Alliance holds 18 seats. The remainder of the government consists of the Left-Green Movement (9 seats), the Progressive Party (7) and the Liberal Party (4).

The coalition was formed after the election in 2007, but became uneasy after the global financial crisis caused Iceland to nationalise its banking system and ask for help from the International Monetary Fund, with Social Democrats seeking closer ties with the European Union and the replacement of the head of the central bank. Social Democrat leader and Foreign Minister Ingibjörg Gísladóttir has suggested Jóhanna Sigurðardóttir, the Social Affairs and Social Security Minister, as the next prime minister.

Iceland's interest rate is now 18%, with GDP expected to fall 9.6% this year. Inflation has reached 13.1%.


La coalición que gobierna Islandia cae por la crisis económica mundial

La coalición política que gobierna ese país ha caido por la crisis bancaria internacional.

El primer ministro Geir Haarde del conservador Partido de la Independencia inició conversaciones con la otra parte de la coalición, la Alianza Socialdemócrata previo a las elecciones planeadas para el mes de mayo. Ayer se conoció que las conversaciones habían fracasado y se disolvió la coalición. Según la BBC el partido de centro-izquierda, la Alianza Socialdemócrata, ahora trata de construir una coalición con los partidos de oposición.

El Partido de la Independencia tiene en la actualidad 25 de los 63 escaños en el Alþingi (el Parlamento unicameral del país), y la Alianza Socialdemócrata tiene 18 escaños. El resto del gobierno consiste en el Movimiento de Izquierda-Verde (9 escaños), el Partido Progresista (7) y el Partido Liberal (4).

La coalición se formó después de las elecciones en 2007, pero se fue quebrando después de la crisis financiera mundial, cuando Islandia se decidiera a nacionalizar su sistema bancario y pidiera ayuda al Fondo Monetario Internacional, mientras que por otro lado los socialdemócratas buscaban estrechar los lazos con la Unión Europea y la sustitución de la jefe del banco central. El líder de los socialdemócratas y Ministro de Relaciones Exteriores Ingibjörg Gísladóttir ha sugerido como el próximo primer ministro a Jóhanna Sigurðardóttir, Ministra de Asuntos Sociales y Seguridad Social.

La tasa de interés en Islandia es ahora del 18% y un PIB con una expectativa de una baja de 9,6% para este año. La inflación ha alcanzado el 13,1%.


IJslandse regering door kredietcrisis ten val

De regering van IJsland is gevallen, zo deelt premier Geir Haarde mee. IJsland verkeert vanwege de kredietcrisis in grote financiële problemen. De bancaire sector neemt een grote plaats in de IJslandse economie in en juist deze werd in hevige mate door de kredietcrisis geraakt. Om de bancaire sector te redden, had de regering in oktober 2008 de drie grootste banken van het land genationaliseerd. De bevolking heeft veel kritiek op de regering omdat veel IJslanders door de crisis hun baan en spaartegoeden hebben verloren. Twee dagen geleden was er een grote betoging waarin het vertrek van de regering werd geëist.

De regering betrof een coalitie van de Onafhankelijkheidspartij, een grote centrumrechtse partij, en de Alliantie, een kleine sociaaldemocratische partij. Premier Haarde behoort tot de eerstgenoemde. Drie dagen geleden had hij al vervroegde verkiezingen aangekondigd en daarbij aangegeven vanwege medische problemen niet herkiesbaar te zijn.


Icelandic Internet bank suspends UK accounts

The Icelandic internet bank, Icesave, has suspended all 300,000 of its UK customer accounts, leaving account holders in the United Kingdom unable to withdraw or deposit any funds.  A message on its website posted this morning states:

"We are not currently processing any deposits or any withdrawal requests through our Icesave internet accounts. We apologise for any inconvenience this may cause our customers. We hope to provide you with more information shortly."

The internet bank, owned by the Icelandic bank, Landsbanki (Landsbankinn), which was recently nationalised in an attempt to rescue it,  has been hit by the global financial crisis. Reports from the United Kingdom suggest that the traders and city are preparing for the parent company to be declared insolvent, leaving customers to recover their monies through a financial compensation scheme being backed by the Icelandic Government. The plan will cover the first € 20,887 (Approx £16,300 / $28,720), the remainder of the customers funds being recovered through the UK's own financial compensation system.

Following the decision to nationalise Landsbanki, the Icelandic Prime Minister, Geir Haarde, who introduced and signed the emergency legislation into law, stated:

In describing and explaining its actions in nationalising the bank, the Icelandic Financial Supervisory Authority issued this brief statement:

In response to the deepening world financial situation, the Dutch government has this afternoon increased its savers protection from €38,000 to €80,000 effective immediately, to help secure the financial status of its savers within Holland. Icesave also has a Dutch branch, icesave.nl - their website was unreachable at the time of this article.


Islannin talous katastrofin partaalla

Islannin keskuspankin mukaan se ei kykene enää hillitsemään maan valuutan jyrkkää alamäkeä. Keskuspankki sitoi Islannin kruunun kurssin euroon kaksi päivää sitten, jolloin eurolla sai 131 kruunua. Kurssi jatkoi kuitenkin jyrkkää syöksyä markkinoilla, minkä johdosta euro maksoi jo 265 kruunua. Käytännössä tämä merkitsi vakavaa iskua Islannin taloudelle. Maa ei tule selviämään tilanteesta ilman massiivista ulkomaista apua.

Eilen ilmoitettiin Islannin neuvottelevan neljän miljardin euron lainasta Venäjän kanssa. Rahat on tarkoitus käyttää Islannin horjuvan pankkijärjestelmän ylläpitoon. Islantia uhkaa joutuminen Kansainvälisen valuuttarahaston holhoukseen. Viimeksi samanlainen kriisi koettiin Isossa-Britanniassa 1970-luvulla, jolloin sen talousjärjestelmä oli vaarassa kaatua.

Islannissa on viime päivien aikana kansallistettu useita maan suurimpia pankkeja kuten Glitnir ja Landsbanki. Maan taloudellinen tilanne on ollut huolestuttava koko kuluneen vuoden maan inflaatiouhkien ja Yhdysvalloista alkaneen ns. subprime-lainakriisin seurauksena.

Islantilaispankkien ulkomaiset tytärpankit ovat myös ajautuneet vakaviin ongelmiin. Isossa-Britanniassa viranomaiset ovat ottaneet haltuunsa islantilaisen Kaupthingin tytäryhtiön Singer & Friedlanderin, sillä sen ei katsottu kykenevän selviävän ongelmistaan itse. Landsbankin brittiläinen tytäryhtiö Icesave on jäädyttänyt asiakkaittensa tilit, jonka johdosta maan pääministeri Gordon Brown on uhannut oikeustoimilla jotta brittiläiset tallettajat saisivat rahansa takaisin.


IMF: World on brink of recession; prepares special loan program

The head of the International Monetary Fund (IMF) says the world is on the brink of a global recession but predicts the economy will begin to recover by late 2009.

Dominique Strauss-Kahn, Managing Director of the IMF, stressed nations must work together to avert a global recession and warns there is "no domestic solution" to the crisis. He also said this week's coordinated interest rate cuts around the world are a good example of the international cooperation needed to restore faltering economies.

Furthermore, he announced the IMF has activated an emergency program Wednesday that allows the fund to provide loans more easily and quickly to emerging countries in economic trouble. This program was first used during the 1997 Asian crisis.

The program might be used in Iceland, which has seen major problems hitting the financial sector. Iceland has been forced to nationalize the three largest banks and, most recently, Kaupthing Bank.

The IMF chief made these remarks in Washington D.C. on Thursday, as top officials from IMF nations and the G-7 industrialized countries are gathering for meetings on economic issues. U.S. President George Bush is set to meet with G-7 finance ministers at the White House on Saturday.


FMI: el mundo está al borde de una recesión

9 de octubre de 2008Washington DC, Estados Unidos —

El director gerente del Fondo Monetario Internacional, Dominique Strauss-Kahn, afirmó que el mundo está al borde de una recesión global, aunque predijo que la economía comenzará a recuperarse a finales del año 2009.

Strauss-Kahn señaló que las naciones deben trabajar juntas, para evitar una recesión global y advirtió que no hay "una solución doméstica" a la crisis.

Asimismo, agregó que los recortes de tasa coordinados que aplicaron esta semana los bancos centrales son un buen ejemplo de la cooperación internacional que se necesita para restablecer la condición de las economías en dificultades.

Adicionalmente, indicó que la entidad multilateral también activó un programa de emergencia el miércoles, que permite al fondo proporcionar préstamos de manera más fácil y rápida a las economías emergentes que se encuentran en problemas; Strauss-Kahn hizo las declaraciones este jueves en Washington, en momentos que autoridades de las naciones miembro del FMI y del G-7 se reúnen para estudiar los problemas económicos.

El Fondo Monetario Internacional aseguró que la crisis económica no impactará de manera tan gravemente a Latinoamérica. Por eso, según la entidad, no se escuchará hablar de una gran crisis en esa región del continente. Lo que es más, predijo que habría desaceleración del crecimiento económico, pero habrá crecimiento.

El subdirector del departamento de investigación del FMI, Charles Collyns, aseguró que el próximo año Latinoamérica crecerá un 4,5 por ciento.

"Ellos han podido fortalecer los presupuestos de su sector público significativamente. Eso les da más espacio que en el pasado para permitir que los estabilizadores automáticos entre en funcionamiento en el contexto de una desaceleración", informó.

Collyns destacó que México es uno de los países más firmes de la región, pero sus autoridades tendrán que tomar medidas para superar la crisis con éxito.

"El crecimiento ciertamente ha disminuido, pero ellos también están conscientes de las tasas más altas de inflación en México. Necesitamos ver que éstas bajen y eso dará espacio para una acción de política monetaria si fuera preciso", dijo.

En cuanto a Brasil, el funcionario del FMI dijo que la caída de valor del real, la divisa brasileña, acrecienta las presiones inflacionarias, pero el bajo crecimiento ayuda a contrarrestar ese efecto.

"Brasil, es también una economía grande y relativamente cerrada, por eso el principal efecto posiblemente será el impacto de la reducción del crecimiento económico antes que la desvalorización monetaria. Y eso podría permitirle al banco central cambiar su política anti-inflacionaria del último año", concluyó.


Crise financière : un redressement reste possible malgré les risques de récession, estime le FMI

L’économie mondiale est au bord de la récession, mais elle devait se redresser, d’ici la fin de l’an prochain. C’est ce qui ressort des prévisions du Fonds monétaire international. Les pays doivent agir, ensemble, pour éviter une récession mondiale et il n’y a pas de solution nationale à la crise, a averti Dominique Strauss-Kahn, le directeur général du FMI.

La baisse coordonnée des taux directeurs décidée par les grandes banques centrales, est un bon exemple de la coopération internationale nécessaire au redressement des économies qui battent de l’aile, a dit en substance Dominique Strauss-Khan. Il a fait une déclaration à Washington, mercredi, alors que de hauts responsables des États membres du FMI et du G7 (les pays les plus industrialisés) sont réunis pour discuter des grands problèmes économiques de l’heure.

Pour sa part, le président de la Banque mondiale, Robert Zoellick demande aux grands argentiers de ne pas oublier les pays pauvres quand ils mettent au point des solutions pour répondre à la crise financière. Robert Zoellick fait observer que la crise constitue un sérieux coup dur pour certains pays en développement déjà éprouvés par la flambée des prix des denrées alimentaires et du carburant.


India and U.S.A. work toward nuclear fuel agreement

With U.S. President George W Bush preparing for a March 2 visit to India, the two countries' diplomatic teams are pressing hard to reach agreement on a landmark nuclear fuel agreement.

India's booming economy, with 8% annual growth, has led to large expenditures to both its civilian and military infrastructure but few of those contracts have fallen to U.S. firms. The U.S. trade deficit with India nearly doubled between 2001 and 2005, to $10 billion.

A trade agreement between India and the United States regarding nuclear fuel, a key for India's rapidly expanding economy and for U.S. corporations - the deal would pave the way for expanded high-tech trade - appears to be stalled over agreement as to which of India's reactors are civilian and which are military.

"We are doing very hard bargaining," Indian Foreign Secretary Shyam Saran told reporters on Monday.

The agreement aims to reassure the U.S. Congress that nuclear technology sharing will not be used to produce nuclear weapons. The two parties have been working to separate India's civilian and military nuclear programs.

"The decision of what facilities may be identified as civilian will be made by India alone and not by anyone else," Prime Minister Manmohan Singh told lawmakers Monday.

DNA India reports a late-night call between India's Prime Minister Manmohan Singh and U.S. Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice on Monday night may have carried information the Indian administration was waiting for; their government sources indicate a declaration of intent will be signed by Mr. Singh and Mr. Bush, who will arrive in India on Wednesday.

Indian-U.S. relations have been poor throughout the cold war period and up to present. When India detonated a nuclear device in 1998, effectively announcing it was a nuclear power, the U.S. applied economic sanctions, further complicating the relationship.

The U.S. sanctions were lifted in 2001 when the White House searched for partnerships following the 9/11 attacks. This helped begin new dialogues between New Delhi and Washington. An agreement signed in July 2005 on nuclear technology sharing laid the groundwork for the accord being worked on now.

The current accord has the support of Mohamed ElBaradei, the NATO head of the International Atomic Energy Agency. India has never been known to have sold or traded nuclear technology.


L'Inde et les États-Unis travaillent sur le nucléaire

Avec le président américain George W Bush qui se prépare à visiter l'Inde le 2 mars, les deux équipes diplomatiques pays travailleront d'arrache-pied pour produire un accord sur les limites du développement nucléaire.

L'économie de l'Inde fait un bond fou, avec 8 % de développement annuel, has led to large expenditures to both its civilian and military infrastructure but few of those contracts have fallen to U.S. firms. Le déficit commercial américain avec l'Inde a quasiment doublé entre 2001 et 2005, pour être aujourd'hui à 10 milliards de $.

Un accord de commerce entre les Américains et l'Inde concernant les centrales nucléaires, une clé pour la croissance économique rapide de l'Inde et pour les entreprises américaines - le traité  facilitera le développement pour une expansion de la haute technologie - apparaissent confiantes quand aux choix que fera l'Inde sur l'utilisation militaire ou civile des réacteurs.

L'accord a pour but de rassurer le congrès américain sur la non-utilisation de la technologie militaire pour produire des armes nucléaires ou de destruction massive. Les deux parties travaillent pour séparer le civil du militaire.

Les relations indo-américaines étaient au plus bas depuis la guerre froide jusqu'à aujourd'hui. Lorsque l'Inde a terminé ses travaux de mise au point de son propre armement nucléaire, en 1998, les États-Unis avaient pris des sanctions économiques, ce qui avait compliqué grandement les relations entre les deux pays.


USA og India nærmar seg atomkraft-avtale

Målform: Nynorsk - Dato: 1. mars 2006 - Oppdater siden - Rediger artikkelen - Flere nyheter

USA: / India: Når presidenten i Sambandsstatane (USA), George W. Bush no førebur seg på ei vitjing til India den 2. mars, arbeidar diplomatar frå begge land hardt for å verte samde om ein USA-Indisk atomkraft-avtale på førehand.

Den kraftige veksten i indisk økonomi, med heile 8 % årleg vekst, har ført til store utgifter for både den sivile og militære infrastrukturen i landet, men få av dei indiske kontraktene har hamna hos verksemder med hovudsete i USA. Sambandsstatane sit med eit handelsunderskot til India som nærast vart dobla mellom 2001 og 2005, og no ligg på om lag 10 milliardar USA-dollar.

Ein handelsavtale som omfattar atomkraft vil vere viktig for både indisk og amerikansk økonomi, og kan føre til ei sterk auke i handelen med høgteknologi mellom dei to landa. Likevel ser det ut til at avtalen har låst seg i ein diplomatisk strid om kva for atomreaktorar i India som er sivile, og kva for reaktorar som er militære.

- Vi sit i harde forhandlingar forhandlingar, sa den indiske utanriksministeren Shyam Saran måndag.

Forhandlingane tek sikte på å trygge den amerikanske kongressen om at ei framtidig deling av atomkraft-teknologi mellom dei to landa ikkje vert nytta til å produsere atomvåpen. Dei to partane har arbeidd lenge med å skilje mellom det sivile - og det militære atomprogrammet i India.

- Avgjerda om kva for anlegg som kan identifiserast som sivile kjem til å verte avgjorde av India åleine og utan innblanding frå andre, sa statsministeren i India, Manmohan Singh i ein tale til parlamentet måndag.

Den indiske nettavisa DNA India melder om at Singh skal ha fått stadfesta av Condolezza Rice, i ein telefonsamtale måndag natt, at George W. Bush kjem til å skrive under på ein føremålsavtale om atomkraft-samarbeid når han vitjar India onsdag.

Forholdet mellom Sambandsstatane og India har ikkje vore særleg god verken under eller i den kalde krigen. Det vart heller ikkje betre då India, i 1998, gjennomførte ei vellukka atomprøvesprenging, og etablerte seg som ei atommakt. Den gongen innførte den amerikanske administrasjonen økonomiske sanksjonar mot landet som ligg i ulmande strid med nabolandet Pakistan om grenseområdet Kashmir.

I 2001 avgjorde administrasjonen i det Kvite Hus at sanksjonane mot India skulle opphevast, som ein del av arbeidet med å skaffe nye partnarar og støttespelarar etter terrorangrepa i New York 11. september same året. På det viset vart forholdet mellom dei to landa lettare, og i januar 2005 vart det inngått ein førebels avtale om deling av atomkraft-teknologi. Det er den avtalen som ligg til grunn for dei noverande forhandlingane.

Fredsprisvinnaren og leiaren for det internasjonale Atomenergi-byrået (IAEA), Mohamed ElBaradei har gått ut med støtte til avtaleframlegget. I motsetnad til USA, har India aldri vorte anklaga eller mistenkt for å spreie atom-teknologi.

Den pakistanske presidenten Pervez Musharraf oppmoda òg den amerikanske presidenten om å presse på for å få fortgang i å finne ei løysing på Kashmir-striden i løpet av vitjinga i India. Det kan òg verte eit tema under forhandlingane om ein atomhandelsavtale, sidan både India og Pakistan er atommakter.


Inflation in Zimbabwe becomes world's highest at 11,000% and rising

Inflation in Zimbabwe is now the world's highest at 11,000 percent and rising. Reports first came in that the value of the Zimbabwean dollar had reached an all-time low two days ago, at which point the official inflation rate was 4,500 percent. Even though this was already high enough to be the world's highest, to make matters worse, independent financial sources estimated the figure to be closer to 9,000 percent. Yesterday, reports came in that inflation had risen to 11,000 percent.

US Ambassador to Zimbabwe Christopher Dell is reported to have told The Guardian newspaper over the telephone that he believes inflation "will hit 1.5 million percent by the end of 2007, if not before," adding that he "know(s) that sounds stratospheric but, looking at the way things are going, I believe it is a modest forecast." Dell went on to predict that president Robert Mugabe would be forced out of power by the hyperinflation, a prediction also made by opposition leader Morgan Tsvangirai.

Dell added that he felt Mugabe would be out in "a matter of months, if not weeks" and justified his comments with the rationale that "It destabilises everything. People have completely lost faith in the currency and that means they have completely lost faith in the government that issues it." Tsvangirai comments to the Associated Press were that: "He's got an economy that's down on its knees, he knows he cannot sustain it." Despite this, Mugabe has expressed intentions to stand for the next election.

Exchange rates for the U.S. dollar have reached an official 15,000-1, but on the black market, according to one anonymous illicit money trader, deals have reached 140,000-1 in cash, with a shortage of bank notes creating a 200,000-1 premium on bank transfers and large overseas deals reaching as much as 300,000-1. Meanwhile, in the course of a week the black market exchange for the UK£ has risen from 160,000-1 to 400,000-1. Despite these increases, Mugabe remains adamant that his currency should not be devalued, and is keeping official exchange rates fixed, with the rate for the US$ fixed at 250-1.

The dealer said that added uncertainty had arisen from talks held between the current government and the opposition party, the Movement for Democratic Change. The official press services published propaganda describing the talks as the opposition negotiating "in bad faith" for its own political gain.

Shops are running out of goods due to the huge cost of imported goods and the lack of local ones due to the closure of inflation-crippled factories. "If it goes on like this, we'll have nothing to sell, we'll have no staff and we'll have to close down completely," said one store manager, who was unnamed because he feared retaliation by the state for being a "prophet of doom". Other shops have been closing down temporarily to change their prices.

Hyperinflation is also worsening already crippling poverty in Zimbabwe, with people unable to afford the necessary goods for survival. State regulations limit bank money withdrawals to Z$1.5 million per day, hopelessly inadequate given current currency values. One person's pension company informed him he would no longer receive statements because the value of his pension fund had decreased to less than that of a postage stamp.

The state daily Chronicle in the second city of Bulawayo reported that Western countries were planning to become involved with the situation upon Mugabe's departure with a rescue package valued at US$3 billion. Western officials have confirmed that budget proposals exist relating to, according to the Associated Press, "food support, public services reform and the rebuilding of agriculture and general infrastructure over five years in a new political landscape led by reformist Zimbabwean politicians." However, state media again ran propaganda-based stories, saying that Western powers and their close political friends, who state media call the "Fishmongers Group", were "working overtime to destroy the economy, mutilate the Zimbabwe dollar, foment civil unrest and then dangle a rescue package to win the support of gullible politicians."


Inflacja w Zimbabwe najwyższa na świecie

Inflacja w Zimbabwe jest obecnie najwyższa na świecie, wynosi 11 000% i rośnie nadal. Dwa dni temu donoszono, że dolar Zimbabwe (ZWD) spadł do najniższej wartości w historii, przy inflacji według oficjalnych źródeł wynoszącej 4500% (niezależne źródła finansowe szacowały inflację na 9 000%). Wczoraj jednak nadeszły do niesienia o wzroście inflacji do 11 000%.

Amerykański dyplomata Christopher Dell powiedział brytyjskiemu dziennikowi Guardian, że uważa iż inflacja w Zimbabwe sięgnie 1,5 mln% do końca roku. Dell przewiduje, że prezydent Robert Mugabe może zostać odsunięty od władzy z powodu hiperinflacji, tak samo uważa lider opozycji Morgan Tsvangirai.
Dell dodał, że sądzi że Mugabe może zostać odsunięty "w ciągu miesięcy, jeśli nie tygodni. Naród stracił całkowicie zaufanie do waluty, a to znaczy że stracił całkowicie zaufanie do rządu który ją emituje."

Oficjalny kurs wymiany to 15 000 dolarów Zimbabwe za jednego dolara USA, ale na czarnym rynku według anonimowego nielegalnego handlarza walutą płaci się 140 000 dolarów Zimbabwe za dolara USA.


Intel ends partnership with One Laptop Per Child program

Microprocessor company Intel Corporation has quit the board of directors for the One Laptop Per Child association (OLPC), a non-profit organization that aims to provide children in developing countries with inexpensive laptops. An Intel spokesman cited a "philosophical impasse" as the reason for the split.

Intel joined the OLPC board in July 2007, agreeing to give financial and technological support to the project. Development began on a new laptop using an Intel processor rather than the current processor made by Advanced Micro Devices, a rival of Intel. A prototype of this machine was expected to be unveiled at the Consumer Electronics Show in Les Vegas, Nevada, which begins in a few days.

According to Intel spokesman Chuck Mulloy, OLPC had repeatedly asked Intel to abandon its support for the Classmate PC, a similar laptop designed for children in developing countries, and focus entirely on the OLPC program. "At the end of the day, we decided we couldn't accommodate that request," Mulloy said.

OLPC President Walter Bender said in an interview that Intel's resignation will have "no impact" on the program. "We never really got much going with Intel to have an impact," Bender said. He criticized Intel for a "seemingly half-hearted effort" in developing the new laptops and for using the agreement to make "marketing statements".


Intel abandonó el proyecto del computador de 100 dólares

La empresa Intel, uno de los mayores fabricantes de chips para computadores, informó que abandonó el proyecto "un portátil para cada niño" (en inglés: One Laptop Per Child -OLPC-). Este proyecto sin fines de lucro es guiado por el profesor del MIT, Nichlas Negroponte, que pretende vender computadores portátiles en 100 dólares a los niños más pobres del mundo.

Debido a un problema de intereses de Intel, se decidió solicitar la salida del directorio a la compañía, ya que se encontraba dedicado a otros sistemas similares como Classmate PC, lo cual supuestamente, impedía que Intel se concentrará en el proyecto de OLPC.

OLPC se ha comenzado a distribuir en una fase de donantes a 200 dólares para poder financiar los computadores definitivos, pero Intel había introducido Classmate meses antes del primer lanzamiento de OLPC.


Le fabricant Intel abandonne le projet d'ordinateur à 100 USD

L'entreprise Intel, un des fabricants majeurs de puces pour ordinateurs, a indiqué qu'il abandonnait le projet « un portable pour chaque enfant » (en anglais : One Laptop Per Child - OLPC). Ce projet à but non lucratif qui est dirigé par un professeur du MIT, Nichlas Negroponte, a pour but vendre des ordinateurs portables à 100 USD pour les enfants les plus pauvres du monde.

En raison d'un conflit d'intérêts pour Intel, il a été décidé de demander la sortie du projet à la compagnie, qui est déjà engagée dans des projets de systèmes similaires comme le Classmate PC, qui, probablement, empêche qu'Intel se concentre sur le projet OLPC.

OLPC a commencé à être distribué lors d'une phase de dons à 200 USD pour pouvoir financer les ordinateurs définitifs, mais Intel a lancé son Classmate plusieurs mois avant la sortie du premier OLPC.


Intel encerra parceria no programa "One Laptop Per Child"

A empresa de Microprocessadores Intel Corporation se retirou do programa da One Laptop Per Child (OLPC), uma organização sem fins lucrativos, que visa proporcionar aos filhos de países em desenvolvimento com Laptops com baixo custo. Um porta-voz da Intel diz que um "impasse filosófico", foi o motivo da separação.

Intel aderiram à idéia da OLPC em julho de 2007, concordando em dar apoio financeiro e tecnológico para o projeto. O Desenvolvimento começou em um novo laptop usando o processador Intel, em vez de o atual processador feita pela AMD, um rival da Intel. Um protótipo desta máquina era esperado a ser revelada na Consumer Electronics Show de Les Vegas, Nevada, que começa em Poucos dias.

Segundo o porta-voz Chuck Mulloy, da Intel, A Intel havia pedido para a OLPC repetidamente para abandonar o seu apoio à Classmate PC, um semelhante laptop projetado para crianças em países em desenvolvimento, e concentrar-se inteiramente no programa OLPC. "No final do dia, nós decidimos que não podia acomodar a solicitação", disse Mulloy.

O Presidente da OLPC Walter Bender disse em uma entrevista que a demissão da Intel terá "nenhum impacto" sobre o programa. "Nós realmente nunca obtivemos muito com a Intel, e isso não vai ter um impacto", disse Bender. Ele criticou Intel para um "aparentemente esforço semi-humano" no desenvolvimento de novos laptops e para usar o acordo para fazer "declarações de marketing".


Interview with US political activist and philosopher Noam Chomsky

Noam Chomsky is a professor emeritus at Massachusetts Institute of Technology in Linguistics and Philosophy. At the age of 40 he was credited with revolutionizing the field of modern linguistics. He was one of the first opponents of the Vietnam War, and is a self described Libertarian Socialist. At age 80 he continues to write books; his latest book, Hegemony or Survival, was a bestseller in non-fiction. According to the Arts and Humanities Citation Index Professor Chomsky is the eighth most cited scholar of all time.

On March 13, Professor Chomsky sat down with Michael Dranove for an interview in his MIT office in Cambridge, Massachusetts.

((Michael Dranove)) I just wanted to know if you had any thoughts on recent NATO actions and the protests coming up at the 60th NATO conference, I know you’re speaking at the counter-conference.

Could be I give so many talks I can’t remember (laughs).

On the NATO conference, well I mean the obvious question is why should NATO exist? In fact you can ask questions about why it should ever have existed, but now why should it exist. I mean the theory was, whether you believe it or not, that it would be a defensive alliance against potential Soviet aggression, that’s the basic doctrine.  Well there’s no defense against Soviet aggression, so whether you believe that doctrine or not that’s gone.

When the Soviet Union collapsed there had been an agreement, a recent agreement, between Gorbachev and the U.S government and the first Bush administration. The agreement was that Gorbachev agreed to a quite remarkable concession: he agreed to let a united Germany join the NATO military alliance. Now it is remarkable in the light of history, the history of the past century, Germany alone had virtually destroyed Russia, twice, and Germany backed by a hostile military alliance, centered in the most phenomenal military power in history, that’s a real threat. Nevertheless he agreed, but there was a quid pro quo, namely that NATO should not expand to the east, so Russia would at least have a kind of security zone. And George Bush and James Baker, secretary of state, agreed that NATO would not expand one inch to the east.  Gorbachev also proposed a nuclear free weapons zone in the region, but the U.S wouldn’t consider that.

Okay, so that was the basis on which then shortly after the Soviet Union collapsed. Well, Clinton came into office what did he do? Well one of the first things he did was to back down on the promise of not expanding NATO to the east. Well that’s a significant threat to the Soviet Union, to Russia now that there was no longer any Soviet Union, it was a significant threat to Russia and not surprisingly they responded by beefing up their offensive capacity, not much but some. So they rescinded their pledge not to use nuclear weapons on first strike, NATO had never rescinded it, but they had and started some remilitarization. With Bush, the aggressive militarism of the Bush administration, as predicted, induced Russia to extend further its offensive military capacity; it’s still going on right now. When Bush proposed the missile defense systems in Eastern Europe, Poland and Czechoslovakia, it was a real provocation to the Soviet Union. I mean that was discussed in U.S arms control journals, that they would have to regard as a potential threat to their strategic deterrent, meaning as a first strike weapon. And the claim was that it had to do with Iranian missiles, but forget about that.

Take say on Obama, Obama’s national security advisor James Jones former Marine commandant is on record of favoring expansion of NATO to the south and the east, further expansion of NATO, and also making it an intervention force. And the head of NATO, Hoop Scheffer, he has explained that NATO must take on responsibility for ensuring the security of pipelines and sea lanes, that is NATO must be a guarantor of energy supplies for the West. Well that’s kind of an unending war, so do we want NATO to exist, do we want there to be a Western military alliance that carries out these activities, with no pretense of defense? Well I think that’s a pretty good question; I don’t see why it should, I mean there happens to be no other military alliance remotely comparable — if there happened to be one I’d be opposed to that too. So I think the first question is, what is this all about, why should we even be debating NATO, is there any reason why it should exist?

((Michael Dranove)) We’ve seen mass strikes all around the world, in countries that we wouldn’t expect it. Do think this is a revival of the Left in the West? Or do you think it’s nothing?

It’s really hard to tell. I mean there’s certainly signs of it, and in the United States too, in fact we had a sit down strike in the United States not long ago, which is a very militant labor action. Sit down strikes which began at a significant level in the 1930’s were very threatening to management and ownership, because the sit down strike is one step before workers taking over the factory and running it and kicking out the management, and probably doing a better job. So that’s a frightening idea, and police were called in and so on.  Well we just had one in the United States at the Republic Windows and Doors Factory, it’s hard to know, I mean these things are just hard to predict, they may take off, and they may take on a broader scope, they may fizzle away or be diverted.

((Michael Dranove)) Obama has said he’s going to halve the budget. Do you think it’s a little reminiscent of Clinton right before he decided to institute welfare reform, basically destroying half of welfare, do you think Obama is going to take the same course?

There’s nothing much in his budget to suggest otherwise, I mean for example, he didn’t really say much about it, about the welfare system, but he did indicate that they are going to have to reconsider Social Security. Well there’s nothing much about social security that needs reconsideration, it’s in pretty good financial shape, probably as good as it's been in its history, it's pretty well guaranteed for decades in advance. As long as any of the famous baby boomers are around social Security will be completely adequate. So its not for them, contrary to what’s being said. If there is a long term problem, which there probably is, there are minor adjustments that could take care of things.

So why bring up Social Security at all? If it’s an issue at all it’s a very minor one. I suspect the reason for bringing it up is, Social Security is regarded as a real threat by power centers, not because of what it does, very efficient low administrative costs, but for two reasons. One reason is that it helps the wrong people. It helps mostly poor people and disabled people and so on, so that’s kind of already wrong, even though it has a regressive tax. But I think a deeper reason is that social security is based on an idea that power centers find extremely disturbing, namely solidarity, concern for others, community, and so on.

The fundamental idea of Social Security is that we care about whether the disabled widow across town has food to eat. And that kind of idea has to be driven out of people’s heads. If people have a commitment to solidarity, mutual aid, support, and so on, that’s dangerous because that could lead to concern for other things. Like, it’s well known, for example, that markets just don’t provide lots of options, which today are crucial options. So for example, markets today permit you to buy one brand of car or another. But a market doesn’t permit you to decide "I don’t want a car, I want a public transportation system". That’s just not a choice made available on the market. And the same is true on a wide range of other issues of social significance, like whether to help the disabled widow across town. Okay, that’s what communities decide, that’s what democracy is about, that’s what social solidarity is about and mutual aid, and building institutions by people for the benefit of people. And that threatens the system of domination and control right at the heart, so there’s a constant attack on Social Security even though the pretexts aren’t worth paying attention to.

There are other questions on the budget; the budget is called redistributive, I mean, very marginally it is so, but the way it is redistributive to the extent that it is, is by slightly increasing the tax responsibility to the extremely wealthy. Top couple of percent, and the increase is very marginal, doesn’t get anywhere near where it was during the periods of high growth rate and so on. So that’s slightly redistributive, but there are other ways to be redistributive, which are more effective, for example allowing workers to unionize. It’s well known that where workers are allowed to unionize and most of them want to, that does lead to wages, better working conditions, benefits and so on, which is redistributive and also helps turn working people into more of a political force. And instead of being atomized and separated they’re working to together in principle, not that humans function so wonderfully, but at least it’s a move in that direction. And there is a potential legislation on the table that would help unionize, the Employee Free Choice Act. Which Obama has said he’s in favor of, but there’s nothing about it in the budget, in fact there’s nothing in the budget at all as far as I can tell about improving opportunities to unionize, which is an effective redistributive goal.

And there’s a debate right now, it happens to be in this morning's paper if Obama’s being accused by Democrats, in fact particularly by Democrats, of taking on too much. Well actually he hasn’t taken on very much, the stimulus package; I mean anybody would have tried to work that out with a little variation. And the same with the bailouts which you can like or not, but any President is going to do it.  What is claimed is that he’s adding on to it health care reform, which will be very expensive, another hundreds of billions of dollars, and it’s just not the time to do that. I mean, why would health care reform be more expensive?  Well it depends which options you pick. If the healthcare reforms maintain the privatized system, yeah, it’s going to be very expensive because it's a hopelessly inefficient system, it's very costly, its administrative costs are far greater than Medicare, the government run system. So what that means is that he’s going to maintain a system which we know is inefficient, has poor outcomes, but is a great benefit to insurance companies, financial institutions, the pharmaceutical industry and so on. So it can save money, health care reform can be a method of deficit reduction. Namely by moving to an efficient system that provides health care to everyone, but that’s hardly talked about, its advocates are on the margins and its main advocates aren’t even included in the groups that are discussing it.

And if you look through it case after case there are a lot of questions like that. I mean, take unionization again, this isn’t in the budget but take an example. Obama, a couple of weeks ago, wanted to make a gesture to show his solidarity with the labor movement, which workers, well that’s different (chuckles) with the workers not the labor movement. And he went to go visit an industrial plant in Illinois, the plant was owned by Caterpillar. There was some protest over that, by human rights groups, church groups, and others because of Caterpillar’s really brutal role in destroying what’s left of Palestine. These were real weapons of mass destruction, so there were protests but he went anyway. However, there was a much deeper issue which hasn’t even been raised, which is a comment on our deep ideological indoctrination. I mean Caterpillar was the first industrial organization to resort to scabs, strikebreakers, to break a major strike. This was in the 1980’s, Reagan had already opened the doors with the air controllers, but this is the first in the manufacturing industry to do it. That hadn’t been done in generations. In fact, it was illegal in every industrial country except apartheid South Africa. But that was Caterpillar’s achievement helping to destroy a union by calling in scabs, and if you call in scabs forget about strikes, in other words, or any other labor action. Well that’s the plant Obama went to visit. It’s possible he didn’t know, because the level of indoctrination in our society is so profound that most people wouldn’t even know that. Still I think that it’s instructive, if you’re interested in doing something redistributive, you don’t go to a plant that made labor history by breaking the principle that you can’t break strikes with scabs.

((Michael Dranove)) I live out in Georgia, and a lot of people there are ultra-right wing Ron Paul Libertarians. They’re extremely cynical. Is there any way for people on the left to reach out to them?

I think what you have to do is ask, what makes them Ron Paul Libertarians? I don’t happen to think that makes a lot of sense, but nevertheless underlying it are feelings that do make sense. I mean the feeling for example that the government is our enemy. It’s a very widespread feeling, in fact, that’s been induced by propaganda as well.

So pretty soon it will be April 15th, and the people in your neighborhood are going to have to send in their income taxes. The way they’re going to look at it, and the way they’ve been trained to look at it is that there is some alien force, like maybe from Mars, that is stealing our hard earned money from us and giving it to the government. Okay, well, that would be true in a totalitarian state, but if you had a democratic society you’d look at it the other way around  You’d say "great, it's April 15th, we’re  all going to contribute to implement the plans that we jointly decided on for the benefit of all of us." But that idea is even more frightening than Social Security. It means that we would have a functioning democracy, and no center of concentrated power is ever going to want that, for perfectly obvious reasons. So yes there are efforts, and pretty successful efforts to get people to fear the government as their enemy, not to regard it as the collective population acting in terms of common goals that we’ve decided on which would be what have to happen in a democracy. And is to an extent what does happen in functioning democracies, like Bolivia, the poorest country in South America. It’s kind of what’s happening there more or less. But that’s very remote from what’s happening here.

Well I think Ron Paul supporters can be appealed to on these grounds, they're also against military intervention, and we can ask "okay, why?" Is it just for their own security, do they want to be richer or something? I doubt it, I think people are concerned because they think we destroyed Iraq and so on. So I think that there are lots of common grounds that can be explored, even if the outcomes, at the moment, look very different. They look different because they’re framed within fixed doctrines. But those doctrines are not graven in stone. They can be undermined.


Entrevue de la Wikinews anglophone avec Noam Chomsky

Le 13 mars 2009 le contributeur anglophone à Wikinews Michael Dranove a interviewé le professeur Noam Chomsky dans son bureau du MIT. Il a publié son entretien le samedi 4 avril 2009 sur wikinews anglophone.


Iran and Russia: Economic discussions to start December 11

It is reported that The Head of RosAtom Russia’s Federal Atomic Agency, Sergei Kiriyenko, will meet Iran’s Foreign Minister, Manouchehr Mottaki, in Tehran December 11 to discuss economic affairs of mutual interest.

Kiriyenko, former Russian Prime Minister, had proposed in February this year, that Russia  would provide Iran with enriched uranium for its nuclear power plants, thus avoiding the need for Iran to build plants that might be used for weapon production.  Since then there have been Security Council resolutions and threats of economic sanctions against Iran which has persisted in building an enrichment plant.

Russia has been building a light water reactor for Iran at Bushehr but there have been delays in completion, ‘for technical reasons’. The original reactors at Busheh, contracted to be built by Siemens in 1975, were bombed in 1985 and 1988 by Iraq.

Now, having trained Iranian troops in their use, Russia is delivering a consignment of Tor-M1 missiles to Iran. These are ground to air missiles for defence purposes with a range of about 18,000 feet.


Irã e Rússia: discussões econômicas agendadas para 11 de Dezembro

Foi divulgado pelas agências de notícia internacionais que o Chefe da RosAtom - Agência Federal Russa de Energia Atômica, Sergei Kiriyenko, encontrará o Ministro das Relações Exteriores do Irã, Manouchehr Mottaki, em Teerã em  11 de dezembro para discutir acordos econômicos de interesse mútuo.

Kiriyenko, ex-primeiro ministro russo, propôs em fevereiro deste ano, que a Rússia proveria o Irã com urânio enriquecido para suas usinas de energia nuclear, deste modo evitando a necessidade de o Irã construir instalações que também poderiam ser usadas para produção de armas. Desde então tem havido resoluções do Conselho de Segurança das Nações Unidas e ameaças de sanções econômicas contra o Irã que insiste em construir instalações  para enriquecimento de urânio.

A Rússia está construindo um pequeno reator a água  para o Irã em Bushehr mas tem havido demoras no término da construção sob a alegação de "razões técnicas". Os reatores originais em Busheh, que foram comprados da Siemans em 1975, foram bombardeados em 1985 e 1988 pelo Iraque.

A Rússia tem também ajudado no treinamento das tropas iranianas para segurança interna e está entregando  projéteis Tor-M1 para o Irã. Estes mísseis são projéteis de defesa do tipo  terra-ar  com um alcance de cerca de 5,5 quilômetros.


Iran shuts down Al-Jazeera bureau

The Iranian Ministry of Culture and Islamic Guidance issued an order banning Al Jazeera from working in Iran starting Monday, April 18, 2005.

The 'suspension' comes after Arab Iranians protested in the city of Ahvaz. The Iranians claim that Al Jazeera incited the protests. Al Jazeera has stated that it will "continue to cover Iranian affairs objectively, comprehensively and in a balanced way, and calls on the relevant Iranian authorities to reconsider the decision to suspend its bureau's activities."

This is not the first time Al Jazeera has crossed paths with governments in the Middle East. Iraq and Saudi Arabia currently do not allow the channel to operate within their borders.

The International Federation of Journalists (IFJ) has condemned Iranian ban on Al-Jazeera as "Spiteful Act of Censorship".

Aidan White, IFJ's General Secretary wrote, "This closure is a spiteful act of censorship and a blatant attempt by the authorities to make media the scapegoat for civil unrest. If Iran has complaints about media standards it should seek professional redress, not take action that undermines press freedom and pluralism."

While there is a diverse range of internal Iranian media, including 64,000 blogs, press freedom is not absolute, for example, the reformist newspaper Shargh was banned from publishing from February 18, 2004 to February 28, 2004, and the newspaper Khordad was formally banned but was recreated with the new name of Fath.

Al Jazeera, is an Arab satellite network. In the United States it is best known for broadcasting Osama bin Laden's videotapes.


Irão acusa e expulsa al-Jazeera do país

O governo do Irão expulsou a rede televisão árabe al-Jazeera  do país sob a alegação de que ela estaria a estimular protestos violentos entre a população árabe do Irão.

"Se ficar provado que a al-Jazeera cometeu um crime, eles serão autuados", disse o Ministro da Cultura e Guia Islâmico Mohammad Khoshvaght.


Iran to reduce nuclear enrichment in exchange for sanctions reduction

Yesterday in Geneva, Iran and the P5+1 nations — the five permanent members of the UN Security Council; United States, United Kingdom, China, France, and Russia; plus Germany — reached a six-month deal over Iran's nuclear enrichment programme. Iran is to reduce its nuclear activities in return for a lifting of some economic sanctions.

Iran has agreed to not build any new enrichment facilities, to halt enrichment of uranium past a purity of 5%, to "neutralise" a stockpile of nearly 200kg of enriched uranium of a purity of nearly 20%, to not install new centrifuges, and to disable a number of existing centrifuges. They also have to allow access for inspections by the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) to a number of sites including Natanz and Fordo, as well as information on the reactor at Arak.

In return, the P5+1 is to provide "limited, temporary, targeted, and reversible" relief from economic sanctions including removal of specific trade sanctions on precious metals, including gold; the automotive sector; and oil. The sanctions relief is worth around US$7 billion (about €5 billion).

In Tehran, Iran's negotiators were welcomed home at the airport by a gathering of supporters holding placards. Hundreds of thousands of Iranians reportedly watched coverage of the negotiations through the Iranian night.

Hassan Rouhani, the Iranian president, told reporters, "[i]n this agreement, the right of [the] Iranian nation to enrich uranium was accepted by world powers". The United States contests this.

US president Barack Obama welcomed the deal: "For the first time in nearly a decade, we have halted the progress of the Iranian nuclear program, and key parts of the program will be rolled back." He said the provisions of the deal "cut off Iran's most likely paths to a bomb".

British prime minister David Cameron said the deal was an "important first step" and Iran was "further away from getting a nuclear weapon".

John Kerry, the United States Secretary of State, appeared with British foreign minister William Hague at a press conference in London. Kerry told reporters: "Now the really hard part begins, and that is the effort to get the comprehensive agreement, which will require enormous steps in terms of verification, transparency and accountability".

Benjamin Netanyahu, prime minister of Israel, said the deal was a "historic mistake" and said the Iranians had agreed only to "cosmetic concessions" that "can be undone by the Iranians within weeks".  "Israel", he said, "is not bound to this agreement while Iran is committed to the destruction of Israel. Israel has the right to protect itself in the face of any threat. I wish to reiterate that as the prime minister of Israel — Israel will not allow Iran to develop nuclear military capabilities."  He also said: "Iran is receiving billions of dollars in relief in the sanctions without paying any sort of price. Iran is receiving written approval to violate UN Security Council resolutions".

Naftali Bennett, the Israeli economic minister, warned of the prospects of a nuclear Iran: "If in another five or six years a nuclear suitcase explodes in New York or Madrid, it will be because of the agreement that was signed this morning".

A spokesman for President Obama stated: "the United States will remain firm in our commitment to Israel, which has good reason to be skeptical about Iran's intentions". Obama phoned Netanyahu on Sunday to try and reassure him.


이란, 핵협상 타결

이란 핵협상이 4일간의 협상 끝에 타결됐다. 5% 미만의 농축 우라늄만을 생산하고, 중수로 발전소를 가동하지 않으며, 현재 보유한 고농축 우라늄을 모두 희석하기로 했다.

현지 시각으로 24일, 이란과 5개 유엔 상임위,독일은 이란 핵과 관련해 합의에 도달했다고 EU 캐서린 에슈턴 외무·안보 고위대표와 자바드 자리프 이란 외무장관이 공식적으로 발표했다. 그러나, 이번 합의는 6개월간의 단계적 이행을 조건으로 하고 있어, 양측의 신뢰가 요구된다

이러한 합의에 따라 이란은 기존에 동결된 석유 관련 자산 42억 달러를 회수할 수 있게 되었다. 수출이 동결된 석유화학 제품, 차량 관련 품목 19억 달러도 내다 팔수 있게 됐다. BBC등은 이를 통해 얻게 될 돈을 다음 6개월 동안 70억 달러 등으로 분석하고 있다.