French postal service is back on the rails

The French postal service La Poste has reached agreement with SNCF, the national rail company, to create a joint rail-based high-speed courier service.  The planned joint venture was announced on Monday by the two state-owned businesses.

La Poste's return to rail was prompted by stiff competition and rulings of the European Commission.  In the late 1990s, mail train services were largely replaced by road and air shipment.  Faced with European prohibitions on night flights, and the harmful effects of carbon emissions, La Poste changed its policy.

There will be 3 TGV high-speed mail trains in the new fleet, soon expanding to 10.  Environmentally speaking, the trains will contribute a reduction in atmospheric pollution from fossil fuels.


La Poste française revient au rail

Publié le 21 novembre 2006  La Poste et la SNCF viennent de décider de créer un opérateur commun de transport ferroviaire de courrier à grande vitesse. La concurrence se faisant de plus en plus âpre, face aux « ukases » de la commission européenne, l'opérateur postal a décidé de revenir au rail.

Les services postaux disposaient jadis du service des « ambulants. » Des postiers triaient les différents objets de correspondance dans des wagons postaux pour les différentes villes desservies par le train. Ce service triait du simple courrier ordinaire aux objets recommandés ou chargés[1] en cabine des chargements.

Ce service a été supprimé dans la seconde moitié des années 90 au profit du transport routier à 85 % et du transport aérien.

Devant les exigences européennes d'interdire le transport de nuit des marchandises par air, et la hausse conséquente du prix des carburants, la Poste change de politique.

Le parc TGV postal actuellement de 3 rames, passera bientôt à 10. Entièrement écologiques, ces trains contribueront à limiter la pollution atmosphérique par les énergies fossiles.


French Workers stay at home for Whit Monday

In France, workers by the millions stayed at home during the Whit Monday holiday despite the government's cancellation of the traditional Pentecost public holiday.  Some acted in defiance of the government's decision, while some took leave or were put on forced leave by their employers due to uncertainties of public transportation.

Following the 2003 heat wave, which caused the deaths of an estimated 13,000 elderly people in France, the administration of prime minister Jean-Pierre Raffarin has proposed the suppression of one day of public holiday in order to use the supplemental generated tax for a fund for the caring of the elderly.

Whit Monday was selected because, in normal years, France has several public holidays in May.  Furthermore, attendance of religious celebrations is low, so holidays of a religious origin are nowadays generally mere family reunions.

However, the reception of this new working day was mixed.  The administration says it promotes solidarity with the elderly. Trade unions and opposition groups argue that the measure is an ill-conceived stunt aimed at hiding the government's bad handling of the problems of the elderly.

For instance, many remember that in 1956, the government created a tax (the vignette) on motor vehicles, allegedly for funding measures for the elderly.  But in 1973, the products of this tax came, as any other tax, into the government's general fund.

With this measure, the French government intends to raise 2 billion € to be donated to a new public establishment, the "national fund for solidarity for autonomy."  The new fund would be chartered to deal with losses of self-sufficiency of elderly or handicapped people. 1.2 billion € are earmarked for elderly people, 0.8 for the handicapped.

Trade unions had called for strikes in urban public transportation and paralyzed traffic in 27 cities, including Clermont-Ferrand, Lille, Montpellier ou Strasbourg. However, SNCF (the national railway operator) did not strike and RATP (the Paris transportation authority) suffered only minor disturbances, though both are normally known for their frequent and disturbing strikes.

SNCF considered the day as a holiday for payroll purposes and instead increased the work day by 1'52", a measure that majority leader Nicolas Sarkozy considered shocking and contrary to the objectives of the government.

The protests are also widely considered to be motivated by the unpopularity of the administration of president Jacques Chirac and prime minister Jean-Pierre Raffarin. Recent statistics show a five year-high for unemployment at 10.2%.

This discontent may result in a majority of "no" in the vote for the ratification of the Treaty establishing a Constitution for Europe.


Ein verrückter Pfingstmontag in Frankreich: Werk- und Feiertag zugleich

Paris (Frankreich), 16.05.2005 - Während in Deutschland mit Ausnahme Sachsens der Buß- und Bettag gestrichen wurde, um die Finanzierung der Pflegeversicherung für die Arbeitgeberseite kostenneutral zu gestalten, gibt es in Frankreich verbreitet Widerstand gegen die Abschaffung eines Feiertags.

Die Regierung hatte den Tarifpartnern aufgegeben, den zusätzlichen "Solidaritätstag" selbst zu bestimmen, es solle nur kein Sonntag und nicht der 1. Mai sein. Und es müsse der Pfingstmontag sein, wenn keine Einigung zustande käme. Der gesamte Arbeitslohn dieses Tages und eine jährliche Sonderabgabe der Arbeitgeber in Höhe von 0,3%, entsprechend dem an diesem Tag erwirtschafteten Zuwachs an Mehrwert, sollen zusammen zwei Milliarden € erbringen und verwendet werden für Leistungen der neu errichteten "Nationalen Solidaritätskasse für Autonomie" (Caisse nationale de solidarité pour l'autonomie, CNSA) an Senioren und Behinderte, um die bisherigen Leistungen der "Beihilfe für Pflegebedürftige" (Allocation personnalisée d'autonomie, APA) zu ergänzen. Die Idee der Abschaffung des Feiertags zugunsten der CNSA kam auf, nachdem im Rahmen einer langanhaltenden, intensiven Hitzewelle im Sommer 2003 (frz. „la canicule“) viele gesundheitlich angeschlagene Alten- und Pflegeheimbewohner gesundheitliche Schäden erlitten bzw. sogar gestorben sind.

Protest hatte sich zuerst geregt unter Katholiken, die zu Pfingsten nach Chartres pilgern, und unter Besuchern der Stierkämpfe in Nîmes. Dann schlossen die 168.000 Eisenbahner eine Vereinbarung mit der SNCF, die in den Augen der französischen Öffentlichkeit den Solidaritätstag der Lächerlichkeit preisgibt: Bei der SNCF wird kein Feiertag entfallen, die sieben Arbeitsstunden, die das neue Gesetz zusätzlich verlangt, werden auf das Jahr verteilt, so dass die normale tägliche Arbeitszeit eine Minute und 52 Sekunden länger wird. Zahlreiche private und öffentliche Arbeitgeber erklärten danach und angesichts der großen Vorbehalte in der Bevölkerung sowie angedrohter Streiks am Pfingstmontag, sie würden die Zahlung der Solidaritätsbeiträge übernehmen und auf die Mehrarbeit verzichten.

Auch weil ziemlich unklar ist, welche Behörde oder welches Geschäft heute geöffnet haben wird, wird das öffentliche Leben sich vermutlich eher wie an einem Feiertag abspielen. Zwar haben die Schulen geöffnet, es wird aber damit gerechnet, dass Schulbusse und -kantinen zu einem großen Teil bestreikt werden und viele Lehrer nicht zum Unterricht erscheinen, alle für diesen Tag angesetzten Prüfungen wurden daher verschoben. Auch sonst wird ein etwas verrückter Tag erwartet, an dem sich Taxifahrgäste mit dem Fahrer streiten, ob das Entgelt für einen Werktag oder das um 50 Prozent höhere für eine Fahrt am Feiertag zu zahlen ist.


French workers use threats in compensation demand

Following similar threats by workers at New Fabris and Nortel, workers at  JLG in Tonneins, France, threatened to blow up several platform cranes. The JLG factory announced in April 2009 that it will fire 53 of its 163 workers by the end of 2009, while the remaining 110 jobs will not be secure over the next 2 years.

JLG Tonneins was acquired in 2006 with its parent JLG Industries, a maker of aerial work platforms, by the U.S.-based Oshkosh Corporation. Despite being hugely profitable in the past, production has been much reduced since 2008 with the contraction of the construction industry and lower demand for its products. Despite excellent past results the new American management demanded sweeping cuts at the company.

In the view of locals, "the company's actions are a disgrace given the expensive perks, such as official cars, for its corporate fat cats, compared to the sacrifice, silence, and dignity demanded by the company of those it has made redundant."

The management offered severance pay of € 3,000 (US $4,200), however the workers demanded a severance package commensurate with "the wealth that their labor has generated." Worker's delegates requested a "supra-legal" payment of € 30,000, on Thursday 16 of July the management responded with a counter offer of € 16,000. On Thursday night the worker's actions secured the € 30,000 settlement initially demanded.

A JLG Tonneins worker who wished to stay anonymous spoke to Wikinews.

Can you explain what inspired the workers at JLG to make these threats?

((JLG worker)) After four months of negotiations with very little progress, we saw the need for a media coup in our dispute. Similar threats in recent disputes, reported by the mainstream media, have proven to be productive. We were spurred on by redundancy pay of 3,000 Euro, derisory in view of the wealth that our labour has generated in previous years and the threat that these lay-offs pose to our families. Responsibility must also lie with the refusal by the management, these last four months, to negotiate an appropriate severance package; the movement in our company has therefore resorted to the media with a visually striking example. Machines designed and built at our workshops were therefore surrounded by two and four canisters of gas. The visual effect was created.

((WN)) You have demanded a large severance payment. In the context of the crisis in the building industry, can JLG afford it?

((JLG worker)) JLG is part of the Oshkosh Corporation, the group brought JLG in 2007 because of its very good economic health, 2006 was a very good year, and the fiscal year of 2007-2008 was excellent for JLG, our best figures ever. So yes, with regards to the figures for 2007-2008 the results to come 2009, 2010 are very poor. But only in comparison with exceptionally profitable years! The crisis appears to be a belt-tightening one. This is not the optimal solution, almost exclusively the solution chosen is to lay off technicians and employees at the sites, when they are the least expensive [part of the work force]. Yes, JLG France has other ways to better manage this crisis. This would require that all tighten their belts, which does not appear to be the strategy chosen by the management. Hence the accumulation of tension in the company.

((WN)) What is your take on the present situation and the rising tensions, is it morally justified?

((JLG worker)) The experience of these lay-offs is of punishment, while those who have made mistakes at higher levels are always protected. Executives with high salaries unfortunately seem to be more concerned with their own careers, to satisfy instructions from abroad, then with efficiency and pragmatism. The perception of supine obedience to directives from the U.S. is difficult to accept.

Things must change in the future, in order for the course to be corrected to ensure the good health of the JLG company, we are well aware of it. The changes involved, the massive dismissals, give the semblance of a brutal and symbolic pruning of the wage bill of the company, without touching and reducing costs or increasing the efficiency of the better-paid.

The best paid ten at JLG France obtained a 17% increase [in salary] for the year of 2008. The case of an expensive car park facility, that it is not planned to be reduced, is another strange case given the current crisis. Bizarrely, on the part of the technicians and employees on site, we are not offered similar increases: we are offered redundancies with a € 3,000 payoff.

While this is legal, it is not morally acceptable. A company is an organism, it is not just legal contracts and wages that ensure the loyalty of employees, but also the moral contract, of good governance, equity, efficiency. These moral conditions do not seem to have been offered to us. The proposal for a € 3000 payoff was ridiculous. There is a willingness on the part of employees to work, and behind these to-be dismissed employees, families who want to continue to progress, to educate their children, to continue living in their homes, to live with dignity.

The tension created is deplorable. We would all have preferred an amicable agreement from the beginning of the dispute. The tensions are the result of two forces, both equally responsible:

We are pleased that the situation defused that night with dignified exits and fairness to all.

((WN)) Had you considered other forms of pressure, are others in the movement you are in contact with as "hardball" as you are?

((JLG worker)) Yes, for sure! But we are trapped in a situation of general apathy, low unionisation, and the psychology of a media who are interested only in the spectacular! We first tried 3 months of negotiations in which we achieved almost nothing. In a second step, we embarked on 3 weeks of strikes and a blockade of the premises with calm and without overspill, however we did not achieve much more, all this has driven up tensions

As a last resort, we surrounded 4 machines with canisters of gas...and alerted the local media. That the cannisters were empty or full is of no importance: the visual effect was there. Radio and television (and the law) were on the spot within 45 minutes. The big boss in the United States was on the phone within an hour, for three months he had not wanted to hear of French labour movements. That evening, Thursday, 16 July, negotiations resumed and were finally resolved on the night of Thursday-Friday 16-17 July, instead of the original € 3000, an agreement for a redundancy payment of  € 30,000 was signed. This will cover our backs.

I repeat, achieving it this way is really silly and a pity. But negotiations resumed and an appropriate agreement was signed on the night of Thursday to Friday. Within the circle of leaders of the company, the faction advocating negotiation finally prevailed. It is a great relief to us all.

It is to be noted that no political party or trade union has supported or have hijacked our movement, all employees have remained united behind our DSU representative.

According to AFP, the French authorities, after its threat of sending in the police, has announced that it "understands the plight of employees affected by this recession..." and suggests that the  recent tactics are a radical media stunt rather than a real threat. In an Asiaone.com article Amadio Christian, leader of the labour movement at JLG Tonneins is reported as saying "It is ridiculous that we have had to come to this to get this result."

The police checked the gas cylinders to ensure that they were all empty.


JLG France : les employés menacent d'exploser plusieurs machines

Après New Fabris et Nortel, les salariés de JLG à Tonneins en France (47) menacent de faire sauter des machines. Cet article est issue de sources journalistiques ainsi que de l'interview par Wikinews d'un employé de JLG, ayant souhaité resté anonyme.

Un plan social annoncé en avril implique le licenciement de 53 des 163 employés, tandis que le sort des 110 autres n'est pas assuré.

JLG tonneins, largement bénéficiaire les années précédentes et rachetée en 2007 par un grand groupe américain, a depuis l'été 2008 une production très réduite du fait de la crise du secteur de la construction. Aussi, malgré les excellents chiffres des années passées, la direction américaine a ordonné de larges coupes dans l'entreprise.

Les pratiques de l'entreprise, renouvelant de très couteux avantages comme des voitures de fonctions pour ses plus haut salaires, font taches, comparées aux sacrifices, au silence, et à la dignité demandée par la direction aux licenciés.

La direction proposait une prime de 3.000 €. Les salariés, conscient des larges bénéfices produit par leur travail, souhaitent des primes de départ en rapport avec la richesse qu'ils ont produits. Leur délégation réclamait une prime "supra-légale" de 30.000 euros. Les négociations se sont rendues à 16.000 € Jeudi 16 juillet. Dans la nuit de jeudi à vendredi, un accord aurait été signé pour 30.000€ de prime au départ.

Selon l'AFP, le gouvernement français, après avoir menacé d'envoyer les forces de police, a annoncé « comprendre la détresse des employés frappés par cette récession », suggérant qu'il perçoit la tactique radicale récente comme un coup médiatique plutôt qu'une menace réelle. Christian Amadio, leader du mouvement chez JLG Tonneins mentionne « Il est ridicule que nous ayons du en arrivé là pour obtenir ce résultat. »[1]

Les policiers ayant vérifiés les bonbonnes de gaz assurent qu'elles étaient toutes vides.


G7 says "all available tools" will be used to solve crisis

In the midst of the intensifying global financial crisis, finance ministers and central bankers of the G7 nations – Canada, France, Germany, Italy, Japan, the United States, and the United Kingdom – met in Washington, D.C. and released a joint statement.

With failures of large financial institutions in the United States, the crisis rapidly evolved into a global crisis resulting in bank failures in Europe and the Americas, and sharp reductions in the value of stocks and commodities worldwide. The crisis further lead to a liquidity problem and the de-leveraging of world assets, which further accelerated the problem. The crisis has roots in the subprime mortgage crisis and is an acute phase of the financial crisis of 2007–2008.

After the meeting, a joint statement was released with a commitment to "stabilize financial markets and restore the flow of credit." The statement outlined five steps to achieve these goals:

"Central banks from around the world have acted together to provide additional liquidity for financial institutions, taking the necessary steps to support the global economy," said US Secretary of the Treasury Henry Paulson in a statement after the meeting.

"We have taken a lot of actions," said European Central Bank President Jean-Claude Trichet. "My experience of markets is that it always takes a little time to capture the elements [of the decisions taken]."

The Governor of the Bank of England Mervyn King said: "Central banks will work together as we demonstrated this week, to ensure sufficient short term liquidity is provided to stabilise banking systems. But it is also vital that governments work together to ensure their banking systems are recapitalised to enable them to lend to finance spending in the real economy."


G7 implementará plan de acción 'urgente' para hacer frente a la crisis financiera

11 de octubre de 2008Washington DC, Estados Unidos —

En el contexto de una crisis financiera global, los ministros de finanzas y banqueros centrales del G7 –Canadá, Francia, Alemania, Italia, Japón, Estados Unidos y Reino Unido– se reunieron en Washington y dieron un comunicado conjunto.

Con el fracaso de las grandes instituciones financieras de Estados Unidos, la crisis rápidamente ha evolucionado en una crisis global que ha causado problemas financieros en bancos de Europa y América, y asimismo caídas fuertes en el valor de las acciones y de los commodities.

La crisis, surgida de la crisis de las hipotecas subprime y fase aguda de la crisis financiera de 2007-2008, ha causado una crisis de liquidez y un desapalancamiento de los activos mundiales, que aceleró el problema.

Luego de la reunión, las naciones del G7 dieron un comunicado conjunto en el cual se comprometían a "estabilizar los mercados financieros y restaurar el flujo de crédito". Para alcanzar estas metas, se marcaron cinco medidas necesarias:

"Los bancos centrales globales han actuado conjuntamente para proveer liquidez adicional para las instituciones financieras, tomando las medidas necesarias para apoyar la economía global", declaró el Secretario del Tesoro de los Estados Unidos, Henry Paulson, tras la reunión.

"Mi experiencia en los mercados es que que siempre toma algo de tiempo atrapar los elementos [de las decisiones tomadas]", explicó el Presidente del Banco Central Europeo, Jean-Claude Trichet.

Por su parte, el gobernador del Banco de Inglaterra, Mervyn King, señaló: "Los bancos centrales trabajarán conjuntamente como lo demostramos esta semana, para asegurar que suficiente liquidez a corto plazo sea provista para estabilizar los sistemas bancarios. Pero también es vital que los gobiernos trabajen conjuntamente para asegurar que sus sistemas bancarios sean recapitalizados para permitirles prestar al gasto financiero en la economía real".


G7聲明要力保主要金融機構免倒閉

七大工業國(G7)的財政部長與央行總裁，於美國華盛頓召開會議，討論金融危機，會後發表聯合聲明稱，會用所有工具，避免重要金融機構倒閉。

七大工業國包括美國、日本、德國、英國、法國、加拿大與義大利，會議後發表聯合聲明指，各國同意在當前形勢下，需要採取緊急且例外行動，包括動用一切方法，避免對全球金融體系有重要影響的機構倒閉，又承諾各國將持續通力合作，穩定金融市場，並回復信用流動。

不過有關聲明並沒有任何具體的救市計劃提出。但美國財政部長保爾森指，G7 財經首長完成了一項「激進行動計劃」，用以處理全球金融市場動盪，與金融機構壓力。

會上，法國代表斥美國拒絕拯救雷曼兄弟，才導致全球金融危機急速惡化。法國代表呼籲各國制定一套共同準則，以穩定金融市場。

英國則建議各國效法英國做法，由政府直接注資給有問題銀行，及為同業拆借作擔保，但德國和一些歐洲國家都反對這個建議。

亦有建議成立一個全歐洲的共同救市基金，但法國總統薩爾科齊認為難以執行，不贊成有關建議。


G8 finance ministers agree on deal to relieve debts of 18 poorest nations

The finance ministers of the G8, the world's eight richest countries, after years of pressure from wide coalitions of human rights campaigners, such as the Committee for the abolition of third world debt (CADTM), have agreed to a deal to relieve the debts of 18 of the poorest countries in the world, but have not yet published the full details.

The International Monetary Fund (IMF), the World Bank (WB), and the African Development Fund will write off all of the money owed to them by the selected countries. However, the Inter-American Development Bank (IDB) and the Asian Development Bank (AsDB) will not cancel debts owed to them by heavily indebted poor countries (HIPCs) such as Bolivia, Nicaragua, Honduras, Guyana, Vietnam, and Laos.

The countries to receive debt cancellation from the IMF, WB and the African Development Fund are Benin, Bolivia, Burkina Faso, Ethiopia, Ghana, Guyana, Honduras, Madagascar, Mali, Mauritania, Mozambique, Nicaragua, Niger, Rwanda, Senegal, Tanzania, Uganda, and Zambia.

The deal, devised by the United Kingdom, could potentially free up government revenue for domestic spending on things such as education and health services.

The World Bank, the International Monetary Fund and the African Development Fund will write off all of the money owed to them by the above listed nations. A total of $40bn will be cleared, which will save debt repayments of $1.5bn a year.

CADTM argues that this is a negligible effort by the rich countries, since $1.5bn a year is extremely small compared to the $350bn the G8 devote to farming subsidies or the $700bn they spend in military expenditure each year. Moreover, these 18 countries only represent about 5% of the population of developing countries.

Another twenty countries may become eligible to have their debts cleared if they meet criteria decided by G8 finance ministries.

According to G8 representatives, the main criteria are the reduction of corruption and better government. According to critics, such as the CADTM, the criteria include the privatisation of natural resources and of strategic economic sectors to the benefit of transnational corporations, higher costs of health care and education through privatisation, a rise in VAT, free flow of capital, which leads to capital leaving the country as shown by several UNCTAD reports, lower tariff protection, which leads to thousands of small and middle producers losing their livelihoods because they cannot compete with imported goods.

The CADTM claims that the G8 agreement can solve neither the issue of the debt nor the issue of poverty since it bears on only 2% of the external debt of developing countries and demand an immediate and complete cancellation of the public external debt of all developing countries, the burden of the debt being a major obstacle to meeting fundamental human needs.

Other groups, including charities, have similarly stated that the debts of 62 countries need to be cleared if the UN wants to meet its target of halving world poverty.

Fourteen of the countries to receive debt relief are in sub-Saharan Africa.

The alleviation of third world debt has been a lifelong ambition of Gordon Brown, the current UK chancellor, and he has used all of his political power and status to push for this agreement in the G8 group.


G8-Gipfel beschließt umfangreichen Schuldenerlass

London (Vereinigtes Königreich), 11.06.2005 – Für achtzehn der ärmsten Länder der Welt beschlossen die Finanzminister der sieben führenden Industriestaaten und Russlands (G8) heute einen vollständigen Erlass ihrer Schulden. In einem zweiten Schritt würden bis zu zwanzig weitere Länder in die Maßnahme einbezogen. Daran seien allerdings Bedingungen geknüpft wie die Umsetzung demokratischer Reformen und die Korruptionsbekämpfung. Dabei gehe es um einen Betrag von insgesamt 55 Milliarden US-Dollar, wie der britische Schatzkanzler Gordon Brown auf der Pressekonferenz nach dem Gipfel in London mitteilte. Deutschland, Frankreich und Japan hatten lange auf einer nach Ländern differenzierten Verfahrensweise - und auch nur unter Beachtung bestimmter Kriterien - beim Schuldenerlass bestanden, erklärten sich heute jedoch mit dem Kompromiss einverstanden, weil eine solide Gegenfinanzierung gesichert worden sei. Bestandteil der Gegenfinanzierung ist auch die in der EU bereits diskutierte Abgabe auf Flugtickets. Der deutsche Finanzminister Hans Eichel (SPD), der die Vereinbarung als „historischen“ Beschluss lobte, erklärte, auf Deutschland kämen durch die Beschlüsse des Gipfels in den nächsten drei Jahren Mehrbelastungen von 130 bis 150 Millionen Euro zu.

Die Maßnahme kommt vor allem den ärmsten Ländern Afrikas zugute wie Äthiopien, Burkina Faso und Ghana. In Südamerika kommen Bolivien und Guyana in den Genuss dieser Übereinkunft. Die Schulden bestehen zur Zeit bei der Weltbank, dem Internationalen Währungsfond (IWF) und der Afrikanischen Entwicklungsbank.

Zu den Mitgliedern der G8 gehören die Vereinigten Staaten, Kanada, Großbritannien, Frankreich, Deutschland, Italien, Japan und Russland.


El G-8 condonará la deuda de los 18 países más pobres

11 de junio de 2005Londres, Reino Unido — Los ministros de finanzas del G-8, los ocho países más ricos del mundo (Estados Unidos, Japón, Alemania, Francia, Italia, Canadá, Rusia y el Reino Unido), han acordado aliviar las deudas de 18 de los países más pobres del mundo, 14 africanos y 4 en América.

El Fondo Monetario Internacional, el Banco Mundial y el Fondo de Desarrollo para África cancelarán todo el dinero que los países seleccionados les deban, suma que estaría cerca de los 40 mil millones de dólares. Estas instituciones deberán aprobar el acuerdo.

La lista de países beneficiados está conformada por Benín, Bolivia, Burkina Faso, Etiopía, Ghana, Guyana, Honduras, Madagascar, Malí, Mauritania, Mozambique, Nicaragua, Níger, Ruanda, Senegal, Tanzania, Uganda y Zambia.

El acuerdo fue hecho por Gordon Brown, ministro de Finanzas del Reino Unido, quien declaró que "este no es un momento para la timidez, sino para la osadía". "El acuerdo es que, a cambio, el alivio de la deuda sea invertido en salud, hospitales, enfermeras, educación, escuelas, maestros e infraestructura", agregó. La propuesta es apoyada por Estados Unidos.

Otros veinte países podrían beneficiarse si cumplen con metas de reducir la corrupción y lograr mejores gobiernos.

Otra propuesta británica es el aumento del presupuesto de la ayuda internacional. La idea es duplicar la suma, que en la actualidad es de 50 mil millones de dólares, y será presentada en la cumbre del G8 de julio en Escocia.


L'annulation de la dette de dix-huit pays très pauvres est conclue par les ministres du G8

Gordon Brown, chancelier de l'Échiquier (ministre des Finances) britannique a annoncé au cours d'une conférence de presse en début d'après-midi à Londres que les ministres représentant les huit grandes puissances étaient parvenu à un accord concernant l'annulation totale de la dette de certains pays pauvres. L'accord entre les États-Unis, la Grande-Bretagne, la France, l'Allemagne, le Japon, le Canada, la Russie et l'Italie a été conclu pendant une rencontre de préparation en vue du sommet de Gleneagles (Écosse) qui commencera début juillet.

Les dix-huit pays d'Afrique et d'Amérique latine (Bénin, Bolivie, Burkina Faso, Éthiopie, Ghana, Guyana, Honduras, Madagascar, Mali, Mauritanie, Mozambique, Nicaragua, Niger, Rwanda, Sénégal, Tanzanie, Ouganda et Zambie) pourraient rapidement être suivis par neuf autres nations dont la dette serait épongée, selon M. Brown.

L'effacement des dettes envers le FMI, la Banque mondiale et la Banque africaine d'investissement des pays concernés sera totale (« 100% » selon le ministre des finances (The G8 finance ministers have agreed to 100 percent debt cancellation for Heavily Indebted Poor Countries)) et se chiffre aux alentours de 48 milliards de dollars.

Malgré les réticences de Paris qui redoutait que la capacité de prêt des organisations financières mondiales soit fortement réduite a finalement accepté l'accord prévoyant que les dettes non payées seraient épongées en intégralité par la contribution des pays « développés » dans le cas où les réserves du FMI ne suffiraient pas. Les États-Unis avaient écarté la possibilité de vendre les réserves d'or du FMI pour financer cette annulation.

Le ministre des finances allemand, M. Eichel considère cette décision comme « historique» (einen historischen Beschluss) et se félicité qu'elle soit « financé sur des bases solides » (es war ganz entscheidend, dass er [der Beschluss] solide finanziert ist). Il se réjouit également que l'« impôt volontaire » sur les billets d'avion fasse partie du programme futur du G8. M. Eichel a indiqué que l'effort total a fournir par les pays « développés » s'élèverait à plus de 55 milliards de dollars sur quarante ans, lorsque la dette de plus de trente pays serait progressivement annulé. Selon le ministre, l'Allemagne aurait environ un milliard de dollars à payer dans les dix années qui suivent, dans le cadre de suppression par étapes de la dette des pays pauvres.


George Bush proposes economic growth package worth up to US$150 billion

George W. Bush, the president of the United States has suggested an economic growth package that could be worth almost 1% of the United States' GDP (the US GDP is appoximately US$15 trillion). The package is expected to come in the form of tax cuts.

In a speech which took place yesterday Mr.Bush said that the economy is an area of "real concern," to the US government. He added that the US "economy is still creating jobs, though at a reduced pace."

Democrats want the tax refunds to cover payroll taxes paid by lower-income groups and be combined with more unemployment benefits, food stamps and federal aid to states. It warned against bundling proposals to make Bush's first term tax cuts permanent with the stimulus package, and the Bush administration has separated the two in this proposal.

When announcing the proposal George Bush said that "as Congress considers such a plan, there are certain principles that must guide its deliberations: This growth package must be big enough to make a difference in an economy as large and dynamic as ours -- which means it should be about 1 percent of GDP." He added that "this growth package must be built on broad-based tax relief that will directly affect economic growth -- and not the kind of spending projects that would have little immediate impact on our economy. This growth package must be temporary and take effect right away -- so we can get help to our economy when it needs it most." He also added that he believed the package "must not include any tax increases."

In the speech George Bush also made it clear that he believes the package should be passed through congress quickly. He said that his belief was that by passing the package through congress quickly would "provide a shot in the arm to keep a fundamentally strong economy healthy. And it will help keep economic sectors that are going through adjustments, such as the housing market, from adversely affecting other parts of our economy."


Bush propõe um pacote de crescimento de 150 bilhões de dólares

George W. Bush, o presidente dos Estados Unidos sugeriu um pacote de crescimento económico que poderia ser útil para quase 1% dos Estados Unidos "PIB (o PIB americano de é appoximadamente 15 trilhões de dólares). O pacote esperado chegará sob a forma de reduções fiscais.

Em um discurso, que ocorreu ontem, Bush disse que a economia é uma área de "grande preocupação", do governo. Ele acrescentou que a "economia americana continua a criar postos de trabalho, embora a um ritmo reduzido."


German Adidas buys American Reebok

Adidas, the second largest sports clothes manufacturer in the world, has announced it has struck a deal with the American company Reebok for EUR 3.1 billion. The deal has to be agreed by the Reebok shareholders.

Adidas is doing this to increase its share in the US market and to compete with Nike, the largest sports brand in the world. Even after the merger, Nike will still be larger than the combined companies.

Reebok's shares have risen by 16% to $51. Adidas is offering $59 a share.

Herbert Hainer, Adidas CEO, said "This is a once in a lifetime opportunity to combine two of the most respected and well-known companies in the worldwide sporting goods industry". If the companies combine their sales will be a staggering EUR 9 billion a year.

Winning a bigger share of the North American market is important for Adidas because it accounts for about 50% of the global sporting good market.

When, or if, the bid does go through Adidas will own many well known brands, most noticeably Adidas and Reebok but also Taylormade, Rockport, Greg Norman Collection, Maxfli, CCM, Jofa and Koho.

Earlier this years Adidas profits rose 39%, to EUR 94 million.


Adidas kauft Reebok

Herzogenaurach (Deutschland), 03.08.2005 – Wie der deutsche Sportartikelhersteller Adidas-Salomon am Morgen bekannt gab, wird er den US-Konkurrenten Reebok im kommenden Jahr für einen Preis von etwa 3,1 Milliarden Euro übernehmen.

Die Reebok-Aktionäre sowie die Kartellbehörden müssen dem Geschäft noch zustimmen. Für die Übernahme erhalten die Aktionäre pro Aktie 59 US-Dollar in bar. Dieser Betrag liegt 34,2 Prozent über dem Schlusskurs der Reebok-Aktie vom Dienstag.

Europas größter Hersteller von Sportartikeln verdoppelt damit seinen weltweiten Marktanteil auf etwa 20 Prozent. Marktführer Nike hält derzeit einen Anteil von rund 30 Prozent.
Adidas-Vorstand Erich Stamminger, zuständig für das US-Geschäft, hatte bereits im Juni angekündigt, sein Geschäft in den Vereinigten Staaten stärken zu wollen.
Im Mai wurde bekannt, dass die Wintersportsparte Salomon an die finnische Amer Sport verkauft und das Unternehmen in 2006 wieder in Adidas AG umbenannt werden soll.

Gleichzeitig überraschte Adidas-Salomon mit einem Gewinn im zweiten Quartal von 67 Millionen Euro gegenüber 44 Millionen im gleichen Zeitraum des vergangenen Jahre. Die Analysten hatten mit 62 Millionen Euro gerechnet.


German hotels step up boycotts against online travel agency HRS

A third call for boycott and second boycott hit the German online travel agency Hotel Reservation Service (HRS) this week. After a recent boycott against HRS in Münsterland, a boycott in Bremerhaven was next and is soon to be followed by the next round in Bremerhaven starting in the middle of March.

Hotels in the city of Bremerhaven already have to pay a new "bed tax" to the state of Bremen of 2.14 euro per person per night, whilst HRS is trying to increase their commission payments for its service from thirteen to fifteen percent. Further criticism of HRS focused on a preferential treatment clause that denied hotels the right to offer better prices through any other booking channel. The European umbrella organization of the catering facilities HOTREC had already criticized this type of clause and similar contract clauses in May 2011 in a position paper.

Piet Rothe, hotel owner and second chairman of the German Hotel and Restaurant Association (DEHOGA) Bremerhaven, explained that in his hotels the boycott hat not decreased bookings, merely shifted their volume to other channels such as, for instance, booking.com, who would only ask for twelve percent commission.

Rüdiger Magowsky, manager of the boarding house in Jaich, confirmed the observation that the volume of bookings had not decreased.
Martin Seiffert, manager of the hotel Haverkamp, explained HRS had denied his hotel access to the system because he participated in the boycott. The access has been restored but he is considering participation in the next round of the boycott anyway.

On February 15 the higher regional court of Düsseldorf had ordered HRS in a preliminary injunction not to enforce its preferential treatment clause. Already on February 10 the German Federal Cartel Office had admonished the company for violating §§ 1 and 20 of the German Act against Restraints of Competition.

Meanwhile Markus Luthe, the CEO of the German International Hotel Association (IHA), recommended establishing a "Hotelwiki" as a yellow pages directory of the hotel industry.


Boykott gegen HRS in Bremerhaven

Bremerhaven (Deutschland), 06.04.2012 – Ein dritter Aufruf zum Boykott und zweiter Boykott traf das Online-Reisebüro Hotel Reservation Service (HRS) in der zweiten Hälfte des März. Nach einem Boykott gegen HRS im Münsterland war der Boykott in Bremerhaven der zweite Boykott gegen HRS.

Die Hotels in der Stadt Bremerhaven müssen bereits eine neue Beherbergungsabgabe im Land Bremen von 2,14 Euro pro Person und Nacht zahlen, und HRS möchte die Provisionszahlungenen der Hotels für seinen Service von dreizehn auf fünfzehn Prozent erhöhen.
Die Kritik der Hoteliers wurde auch durch eine Meistbegünstigungsklausel hervorgerufen, die Hotels das Recht verweigert in anderen Buchungskanälen bessere Preise anzubieten.
Der europäische Dachverband des Gaststättenwesens HOTREC hatte diese und ähnliche Klauseln bereits im Mai 2011 in einem Positionspapier kritisiert.
[1]

Piet Rothe, Hotelbesitzer und der zweite Vorsitzende des Deutschen Hotel-und Gaststättenverbandes (DEHOGA) Bremerhaven, erklärte, dass in seinen Hotels durch den Boykott das Buchungsvolumen nicht abgenommen, sondern sich lediglich verschoben hätte, booking.com beispielsweise würde auch nur zwölf Prozent Kommission verlangen. Rüdiger Magowsky, Geschäftsführer des Boardinghouse in Jaich, bestätigte die Beobachtung, dass das Volumen der Buchungen nicht abgenommen hätte. Martin Seiffert, Manager des Hotels Haverkamp, erklärte HRS hätte seinem Hotel den Zugang zum System verweigert, weil er am ersten Boykott in Bremerhaven teilgenommen hatte.

Am 15. Februar hat das Oberlandesgericht Düsseldorf HRS in einer einstweiligen Verfügung aufgefordert, seine Meistbegünstigungsklausel nicht durchzusetzen. Bereits am 10. Februar hatte das Bundeskartellamt das Unternehmen wegen Verstoßes gegen §§ 1 und 20 des Gesetzes gegen Wettbewerbsbeschränkungen abgemahnt.
Währenddessen empfahl Markus Luthe, Geschäftsführer des Hotelverbandes Deutschland (IHA), ein Hotelwiki als Gelbe Seiten Verzeichnis der Hotellerie zu etablieren.


Getty taps into Flickr snappers

Flickr and Getty Images have announced an extension on their one year partnership. The new deal will grant Getty Images access to all 40 million registered users images. To protect privacy, users must opt into the project, though details are yet to emerge.

To ensure that Getty Images doesn't get free photographs, the owner of the image will be given a fee, however neither Flickr nor Getty Images have yet confirmed what those rates will be. It is believed it will be an industry standard rate, currently averaging between US$150 and US$240 per image.

One such success story of the partnership is Hal Bergman. He joined Flickr in 2006 and has said the partnership, which he originally had been part of, had helped his career take off.

"I have been doing this for six years on the side and a year and a half ago I gave up my day job in website development," Mr. Bergman told BBC News, "I am working as a freelance and getting a lot of commission work and I would say this deal brings in about a third of my income".

Bergman has a total of 200 images used by Getty Images, and over 2,500 on another site, which he did not specify.

The new alliance is said to help encourage people to retry Getty Images, as well as making Getty Images a far more competitive alternative to microstock photo sites. The move should also benefit Flickr, by making it more appealing to professional photographers to post their images on the site. It is still unclear what standards Getty Images will use for the licensing program when a customer wants a photo.


Kibővíti együttműködését a Flickr és a Getty

A fényképészeket tömörítő Flickr és a professzionális felhasználókat kiszolgáló Getty Images[1] bejelentette, hogy egy olyan opcióval bővítik ki az egy éve fennálló együttműködésüket, amely a Getty részére hozzáférhetővé teszi mind a 40 millió Flickrre feltöltött képet. Jogvédelmi okokból a lehetőséggel élni kívánó Flickr-felhasználóknak nyilatkozniuk kell majd arról, hogy részt kívánnak venni a programban. A részletek egyelőre nem tisztázottak.

Az bizonyos, hogy a Getty az általa átvett képek tulajdonosainak jogdíjat fizet majd, de ennek nagyságrendje egyelőre nem ismert. Ha ezek igazodni fognak az iparági standardhoz, akkor egy kép ára hozzávetőleg 150 és 240 dollár között lesz majd.

A megállapodás mindkét fél számára előnyös: a Flickr vonzóbbá válhat a professzionális fotósok számára, míg a Getty egy csapásra jelentősen bővítheti kínálatát; összességében tehát mindkét fél gyarapíthatja felhasználóinak táborát.


Global markets plunge

Stock markets across the world have fallen sharply with several seeing the biggest drop in their history.

Asian markets saw the biggest sell-off. The Nikkei dropped 9.62% to reach a 20 year low. Japan also saw a collapse of a mid-size insurance company, Yamato Life Insurance Company, which declared bankruptcy.  The Hang Seng, which was one of the few markets that was positive yesterday, fell 7.19%. Australia dropped by 8.4% and South Korea saw a 9% fall.

In Europe, markets dropped at the open with the FTSE losing 11%. They have recovered only sightly with all European markets losing more than 5%. The European sell off was more about the Asian lows then any specific news. European banks and financial institutes saw the most selling. Also, oil related companies saw large drops as an result of an expected decrease in oil consumption.

The U.S. markets opened lower with the Dow Jones Industrial Average falling below 8,000, before recovering slightly.  President George W. Bush made an address on the economy and said markets were being "driven by uncertainty and fear."

Oil has seen losses of more than US$6 in trading with the current price of a barrel of oil less than $80. This is a year low for oil. News also came out that OPEC will hold an emergency meeting on November 18 to discuss the falling price of oil.

Charities, such as Cats Protection, today said that they have lost much of their funds in collapsing banks. Cats Protection had a total of £11.2 million saved in the now-collapsed Kaupthing bank.

The British National Council for Voluntary Organisations said that 60 of its 6,500 have lost money due to the collapse of banks.

The Dow Jones Industrial Average fell to its lowest level in five years at 8,579.19, falling 679 points in one day. This, at 7.3%, is the eleventh largest percentage fall in the history of the index. The growth then continued, with the index being up over 150 points on the start of the day at one point.

The index, did however, recover, and as of 19:30 UTC was up 17.68 points, or 0.21%, pushing the index up to almost 8600.

Peter Cardillo, chief market economist at Avalon Partners, commented on these massive falls. "What we've seen here was one big margin call that just kept feeding on itself, so the opposite could happen. But you need a catalyst," he said. "I'm more convinced now than ever that this market has made a bottom. The capitulation came when we breached 8,000," he continued. "It doesn't mean we can't go back and revisit that level."

The UK's FTSE 100 index fell dramatically to close below 4000, in the index's worst week in history. This is despite the fact that just a few days ago the index was above 5000, and the index peaked above 5500 in September.The FTSE 100 index has fallen by 41% this year.

Barclays Wealth analyst Henk Potts commented on this massive fall. “We are drowning in a sea of red numbers,” he claimed. “Investors are concerned about the exacerbation of the credit crunch and the gloomy forecasts for economic growth. The reality is that most investors have been spooked by the sheer pressure that the credit crunch is putting on the global economy.”

The Japanese Nikkei 225 has recorded it's third biggest drop in history with a massive sell-off in the exchange that has resulted in USD 250 billion being knocked of the index's value.

Toyota, which is the second largest carmaker in the world, fell by the largest amount in 21 years, while Elpida Memory, the world's largest manufacturer of computer memory, dropped in value to a record low.

Masafumi Oshiden, a fund manager in Toyota commented on the drop."It's capitulation," he said. "There are lots of forced sellers. If you're a fund that's going bust you need to close out all your positions."

George W. Bush commented on the financial situation earlier today. "Over the past few days, we have witnessed a startling drop in the stock market -- much of it driven by uncertainty and fear," he said. "This has been a deeply unsettling period for the American people. Many of our citizens have serious concerns about their retirement accounts, their investments, and their economic well-being."

Bush then continued by promoting the government's plan's to get through the crises. "Here's what the American people need to know: that the United States government is acting; we will continue to act to resolve this crisis and restore stability to our markets. We are a prosperous nation with immense resources and a wide range of tools at our disposal. We're using these tools aggressively."

Gordon Brown, the UK Prime Minister, also spoke on the economy. “I think we quickly realised that we cannot solve the problems we have got as a result of the sub-prime market collapse simply by improving liquidity," he said speaking in Birmingham to business leaders earlier today. “That would simply not be enough to deal with the bigger problem of rebuilding the banking system for the future and restoring trust is a fundamental element of that.”

Jim Flaherty, the Canadian minister for finance, also commented today on the recent incidents in the economy. "It is important to underline that Canada's banks and other financial institutions are sound, well capitalized and less leveraged than their international peers," he claimed. "Our mortgage system is sound. Canadian households have smaller mortgages relative both to the value of their homes and to their disposable incomes than in the U.S."

""However, it is becoming increasingly clear that the continuing disruption of global credit markets, which has been severe and protracted, is making it difficult for our financial institutions to raise long-term funding. This is beginning to affect the availability of mortgage loans and other types of credit in Canada," he continued. "The Government has therefore decided to act to address the current scarcity of private sector lending to Canadian mortgage markets and lending markets overall. This is going to make loans and mortgages more available and more affordable for ordinary Canadians and businesses."


Los mercados mundiales se derrumban

10 de octubre de 2008Nueva York, Estados Unidos —

Los mercados en todo el mundo vieron sus acciones depreciarse en una nueva jornada negra; muchos de ellos han registrado su peor caída en toda la historia.

Los mercados asiáticos resultaron extremadamente afectados: el Nikkei descendió 9,62% en su menor registro en 20 años, mientras que la compañía japonesa de seguros Yamato Life Insurance Company se declaró en bancarrota.

Toyota, que es la segunda compañía de autos más importante, vio sus acciones perder valor y cayó a sus peores niveles en 21 años, mientras que la mayor compañía de manufactura de memoria de computadoras, Elpida Memory, registró su peor nivel en toda la historia.

"Es capitulación", opinó Masafumi Oshiden, un gerente de Toyota. "Hay muchos vendedores forzados".

El Hang Seng, de Hong Kong, que había sido uno de los pocos índices en cerrar con ganancias el día de ayer, se desplomó hoy en 7,19%, al paso que el All Ordinaries de Australia perdió 8,4% y la bolsa en Corea del Sur también cerró en un 9% negativo.

Los mercados europeos siguieron la tendencia, y el FTSE 100 abrió perdiendo 11%, y recortó pérdidas para cerrar en baja de 8,85%. El resto de las plazas europeas también cerraron en fuerte baja: el DAX en 7,01%, el CAC 40 en 7,73% y el IBEX 35 en 9,14%.

Esta semana ha sido la peor en la historia para el FTSE 100, cerrando debajo de los 4000 puntos. En los que va del año, el índice británico ha perdido un 41% de su valor, a pesar de que en septiembre había alcanzado un máximo de 5500.

"Nos estamos ahogando en un mar de números rojos", comentó un analista de Barclays Wealth sobre esta masiva caída. "Los inversores están preocupados por la exacerbación del credit crunch y los sombríos pronósticos del crecimiento económicos. La realidad es que la mayoría de los inversores han sido espantados por la escarpada presión que el credit crunch posa sobre la economía global".

Por su parte, las Américas resultaron menos afectadas. El Dow Jones abrió en baja, pero se recuperó y perdió 1,49% hacia la tarde; el Nasdaq cerró en alza del 0,17% y el S&P 500 cedió 1,18%. El Presidente George W. Bush dio una declaración este viernes, en la cual afirmaba que los mercados estaban siendo "conducidos por incertidumbre y miedo".

El petróleo también descendió en $6 dólares, por lo que cotizaba en menos de los $80, un mínimo anual para el oro negro. Este rápido descenso había causado ayer que la OPEP convocara a una reunión de emergencia en noviembre para discutir la fuerte baja.

El Presidente George W. Bush dio una declaración sobre la situación financiera. "Durante los últimos días, hemos sido testigos de una caída alarmante en la bolsa de valores, gran parte de ella propiciada por la incertidumbre y el temor", exclamó.

"El pueblo estadounidense debe saber lo siguiente: que el gobierno de Estados Unidos está tomando medidas al respecto; continuaremos tomando medidas para resolver esta crisis y reestablecer la estabilidad de nuestros mercados".

Asimismo, continuó apoyando el plan gubernamental para tratar la crisis.

El Primer Ministro del Reino Unido, Gordon Brown, también emitió sus declaraciones.

"Creo que nos dimos cuenta rápidamente que no podemos resolver los problemas que tenemos debido al colapso del mercado subprime simplemente con mejorando la liquidez", declaró a líderes economistas en Birmingham. "Eso simplemente no sería suficiente para lidiar con el problema de reconstruir el sistema bancario para el futuro y restaurar la confianza es un elemento fundamental de aquello".


Economia: crollano le borse asiatiche, Tokyo perde quasi il 10%

Ennesima giornata al cardiopalma sui mercati asiatici, per quella che ormai si delinea come la peggiore crisi finanziaria dal 1929. I principali indici azionari del continente hanno fatto registrare cali estremamente pesanti, a cominciare dal Nikkei, il principale indice azionario del Giappone, che non ha beneficiato dell'intervento della Banca centrale del Giappone con l'immissione totale di 41 miliardi di euro nel sistema finanziario, chiudendo in calo del 9,6%.

Nel dettaglio che segue, tutte le variazioni registrate delle piazze asiatiche:

Contrariamente alle altre nazioni, l'Indonesia ha chiuso i propri indici azionari «a tempo indeterminato per evitare il panico», dopo che le contrattazioni erano state sospese mercoledì, in previsione di una riapertura odierna, ma che è stata posticipata.


環球股災股市骨牌式暴跌

環球股市今日骨牌式暴跌，五日已累積下挫近兩成，蒸發市值近四萬億美元，是自1970年以來表現最差的一日。美國股市急跌700點後，觸發環球股市骨牌式暴跌；歐洲股市繼續拋售，英國、法國開市已跌8%；亞洲股市全線暴跌，部份更跌超過一成。

新加坡連續兩季經濟出現負增長，新加坡貿易部今天發表的聲明說，第三季按年率計算的國內生產總值較前季萎縮6.3%。4月至6月修正後的數據為萎縮5.7%。正可被介定為經濟衰退。當地政府今年來第三次下調經濟增長預測，並宣布結束傾向貨幣升值的政策，以幫助出口商，並且放鬆貨幣政策。

環球股市骨牌式暴跌，亞洲股市全線暴跌，其中日本為重災區，日經平均指數收報8,276，跌881點，跌幅達9.62%，是自87年股災以來，單日跌幅最大的一天。日本有98年歷史的大和生命保險申請破產，成為在信貸危機下首間破產的日本金融機構。市場擔心是金融海潚已經蔓延至日本，市場因而失去信心，出現恐慌性拋售，導致股市暴跌。

而印尼股市已連續3日停市；新加坡股市跌至近4年低位，跌幅達7%；

銀行銀根緊張，銀行批出貸款越來越審慎，許多企業都借不到錢，加上銀行倒閉潮，還有美國財政部長保爾森透露可能會再有銀行倒閉，市場在許多不明朗因素下，比出貸款變得保守，銀行和銀行之間又失去信任，銀行之間借錢亦困難，導致經濟疲弱。而銀行目前都希望等美國的救市措施有所成效之後，才能回復信心，但至於要等到甚麼時候，銀行運作才會回復正常，則沒有人能預測。

美國股市已經連跌7日，跌至5年低位，港股今日再跌8%，跌至近3年低位，本周已錄得17%的跌幅。美國財政部正考慮效法英國的救市方案，向出現財政困難的銀行直接注資，購入銀行股份，令銀行有充裕資金向外貸款，但不會派政府官員加入銀行董事局。

美國多個州政府都出現財政困難，加州州政府第一季收入比預期少11億美元，假如到下周仍無法售出70億美元短期債券，當局可能因現金短缺而要向聯邦政府求救。

國際貨幣基金組織7大工業國，以及世界銀行將會開會討論金融危機。


Global markets surge in value

Markets worldwide have surged in value following efforts by governments to ease the effect of the ongoing financial crisis, which has recently caused a massive decline in the value of stock markets.

On Sunday, the fifteen countries from the Eurogroup – that is, those countries which use the euro as official currency – had agreed on a joint plan to face the crisis, which would consist in supporting financial institutions and by guaranteeing interbank loans.

The Eurogroup meeting was the last of many which took place during the weekend. The G7 nations had met in Washington at the same time that the International Monetary Fund and the World Bank held their Autumn meetings.

The Dow Jones Industrial Average index is one of the indexes that have done particularly well today, and it closed up 11.08%, well over 9,000 points. General Motors was the best performer in this index, with its value rising by 31.49%. The Nasdaq rose by 11.81%.

The FTSE 100 has today gone up in value by 8,26%, to take the index back over the four thousand mark. TUI Travel was the best performing company in this index. It went up by 41.25 points (21.48%), to take it to a new share price of 233.25. Some shares in the FTSE, however, have continued to fall dramatically. HBOS today dropped in value by 31.48%.

The Brazilian Bovespa index today went up by 14,66%, while the Hang Seng and Singapore Straits Times went up by 10.24% and 6.57% respectively.

Stocks exchanges in Tokyo, Buenos Aires and Toronto were closed due to national holidays.


Las bolsas en alza tras los anuncios del Eurogrupo y del G7

13 de octubre de 2008París, Francia —

Las bolsas mundiales europeas abrieron la sesión de hoy al alza después de las medidas adoptadas por los países de la zona euro ayer y de la declaración del G7 el viernes.

El domingo, los 15 países que integran el Eurogrupo –es decir, aquellos que utilizan el euro como divisa– habían acordado un plan conjunto para frenar la crisis, que consistiría en apoyar entidades financieras, incluso mediante recapitalizaciones, y también en garantizar los préstamos interbancarios.

Esta reunión del Eurogrupo fue la última de las varias que tuvieron lugar este fin de semana. En Washington, también se había congregado las naciones del G7 al paso que el Fondo Monetario Internacional y el Banco Mundial sostenían sus reuniones de otoño.

Al cierre de la tarde, el FTSE-100 de Londres trepó un 8,26%, mientras que la Bolsa de Fráncfort lo hizo de forma más generosa con una subida del 11,40%, París del 11,18% y Milán del 10,93%. El IBEX-35 español cerró con la mayor subida de su historia al ganar un 10,65%.

Wall Street también cerró en fuerte alza: el Dow Jones aumentó 11,08%, de las mayores en lo que va del año; el tecnológico Nasdaq crecía en 11,81% y el S&P 500 lo hacía en 11,37%. La bolsa de San Pablo también participaba en la tendencia y el Bovespa cerró en un alza del en un 14,66%.

Estas alzas ocurren luego de que las bolsas asiáticas registraran subidas aún mayores. El Hang Seng de Hong Kong cerró con ganancias del 10,24% mientras que el All Ordinaries australiano trepó 5,14%.

Las bolsas de Buenos Aires, Tokio y Toronto no abrieron hoy por ser feriados nacionales.

Antes de la apertura, el comisario europeo de Asuntos Económicos, Joaquín Almunia, señalaba que el mensaje lanzado por los países de la zona euro era "muy preciso y han dado la imagen de unidad y determinación que necesitan los mercados para recuperar la confianza".

Mientras, el Euribor descendía al 5,425%, lo que representa su mayor caída en los últimos nueve meses. Este miércoles y jueves, los 27 países de la Unión Europea se reunirán en Bruselas para discutir los términos de la intervención bancaria.

Muchos países europeos han fijado montos que serán utilizados para el sector bancario. Alemania ha anunciado que utilizaría € 480.000, € 400.000 para garantías de préstamos interbancarios y otros € 80.000 para el refinanciamiento de entidades. En Francia, el monto estimado es de € 300.000, según comunicaba Le Monde; España empleará € 100.000, y Portugal unos € 200.000.

No obstante, las decisiones tomadas en París no será hacer "regalos a los banqueros".

"No se trata de hacer regalos a los banqueros, se trata de hacer lo necesario para que los consumidores, los inversores puedan seguir funcionando de manera racional", manifestó el presidente del Eurogrupo, Jean-Claude Juncker. "Los bancos a los que se ayudará deberán pagar".

Los bancos centrales más importantes de Europa –el Banco Central Europeo (BCE), el Banco de Inglaterra y el Banco Central de Suiza– realizarán subastas en dólares a un plazo de 7, 28 y 84 días, a un tipo de interés fijo para aumentar la liquidez de los mercados, según anunció el presidente del BCE, Jean Claude Trichet, lo que ha provocado una subida del euro frente a la moneda estadounidense, cotizándose a 1,363 dólares.

Entre tanto, Estados Unidos "llevará a cabo un programa de compra de acciones en una vasta gama de instituciones financieras" en el contexto del plan Paulson de $700.000 millones de dólares.


Global stock markets plunge

Stock markets around the world have fallen dramatically today. This is following the ongoing events in the financial world and related statements by several United Kingdom politicians, including Prime Minister Gordon Brown.

The British FTSE 100 index was one the indices that today suffered from large falls. It fell by 5.00% to slip below the four thousand mark, at 3,883.36 points.

Two of the major United States indices saw falls of over two per cent. The Dow Jones Industrial Average fell by 252.01 points (2.90%) to 8,439.24 by 17:30 UTC, while the Nasdaq Composite index experienced a 2.30% drop.

South American markets performed particularly badly today. By 17:30 UTC, the Argentinean MERVAL index had fallen by almost six per cent to 906.160 points, while the Brazilian Bovespa fell by 6.89% (2,328.45 points) to a value of 31,490.04.

David Buik of BGC Partners commented on today's falls. "It's carnage," he said. "Confidence is shot to ribbons. We need action now. It is a catastrophe that we have got to recession, but we have got to learn to live with it, and that means saving the markets."


Bolsas se zambullen en números rojos tras cúmulo de malas noticias

24 de octubre de 2008Londres, Reino Unido —

Con un miedo sin fin de que el mundo entre en recesión, las bolsas en todo el mundo se derrumbaron. Wall Street siguió la tendencia de Europa y Asia y cotizaba en terreno negativo durante el mediodía. Los inversores estaban preocupados por el descenso desmesurado de las acciones y que las compañías se declaren en default con sus deudas.

El petróleo continuó cayendo en su valor pese al anuncio de la Organización de Países Exportadores de Petróleo (OPEP), que controlan el 50% de la producción del oro negro en el mundo, de recortar su producción diaria en 1,5 millones de barriles.

Esta decisión, lograda en la cumbre de emergencia de la organización celebrada en Viena, será efectiva a partir del 1 de noviembre.

Entre tanto, líderes europeos y asiáticos se reunían en Pekín, China, para decidir cómo enfrentar la crisis juntos en la VII Reunión Asia-Europa (ASEM 7).

Durante las declaraciones de apertura, el presidente francés Nicolas Sarkozy, quien co-presidirá la reunión junto al primer ministro chino, Wen Jiabao, declaró que la situación estaba mal y que empeoraría.

Asimismo, los países en desarrollo están en la mira. "Los avances de nuestros países corren riesgos. La crisis financiera mundial puede afectar, de forma injusta y particularmente dura, a los países en desarrollo", señaló el presidente de Brasil, Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva.

El cúmulo de malas noticias publicadas este viernes asaltaron la confianza de los inversores.

Por un lado, Gran Bretaña registró una contracción de un 0,5% de su Producto Bruto Interno (PBI), la primera caída desde 1992, mientras que el índice de desocupación en España alcanzó 11,33% de la población activa, su peor registro desde el primer trimestre de 2004.

También la libra y el euro se depreciaron frente al dólar. La libra registró su peor caída histórica en un día desde 1992 luego de caer a $1,52, su peor nivel en casi seis años, pero logró recortar pérdidas para cerrar en $1,58. Por su parte, el euro se derrumbó a $1,25, su nivel más bajo en dos años, ya que se espera que la Eurozona recorte las tasas de interés.

Air France-KLM, que admitió que su meta de 1.000 de euros en ganancias para este año "será muy difícil" de alcanzar, perdió 9% en el valor de sus acciones. El sector de aviación comercial en su conjunto se ha convertido en un sector vulnerable a la crisis, evidenciado por la caída en el número de pasajeros en septiembre, en 2,9%.

También los gigantes de automóviles franceses PSA Peugeot-Citroën y Renault anunciaron el cese de la producción. De acuerdo a un portavoz de Renault, la medida es tomada ya que "estamos en un periodo en el que, sin duda, los mercados se están hundiendo y para evitar una brutal degradación de la situación de la compañía, debemos manejar los stocks de producción de una forma muy rígida".

Y mientras que Samsung Electronics hacía público el retroceso interanual de sus ganancias en un 44%, la empresa de telecomunicaciones española ONO anunció que eliminaría cerca de 1.300 puestos de trabajo.

Como resultado, las bolsas se derrumbaron. El Dow Jones perdió 3,59% mientras que el Nasdaq y el S&P también retrocedieron en sus valores, 3,23% y 3,25% respectivamente. Latinoamérica también operaba en números rojos, con el Bovespa brasileño que cayó en 6,91% y el Merval argentino en 7,62%.

Las plazas europeas cerraron en fuerte baja, logrando antes del cierre recortar gran parte de sus pérdidas. Londres cedió 5%, París perdió 3,54% y Fráncfort se deslizó en 4,96%. El IBEX 35 español cerró en baja del 5,2%.

Esta caída fue seguida por otra en las bolsas asiáticas: el Nikkei japonés sufrió un derrumbe estelar al caer 9,6%, muy por debajo de los 8.000 puntos, en su peor nivel en cinco años. Por su parte, Hong Kong cedió 8,3%.


環球金融市場又再出現股災期指更跌停板

亞洲股市狂跌，美股開市後大跌，道指期貨更跌至停板。世界各主要金融市場都跌穿重要關口。

韓國股市跌約1成，首爾綜合指數跌穿1000點水平，是自2005年5月以來首次，本周已跌近2成。

日本亦跌約9%，日經平均指數收報7,649點，跌811點，跌幅9.6%。

香港股市跌穿13000點水平，為4年來最低。恒指本周累計跌了12.76%，今年以來已重挫54%。
新加坡海峽時報指數亦跌逾8%，收報1600點，跌145點，是自2003年9月以來最低。

港股暴跌，其中以「大笨象」匯豐控股跌幅最大，除失守100元，最低跌至95元水平，跌近半成。

香港的金融及國企股跌幅亦相當驚人，中移動60元亦失守，曾跌至58.5元，跌超過3%。

美股開市後大跌，道瓊斯工業指數期貨跌了550點，是每日可接納的最大跌幅點數，因此暫停交易。

而道瓊斯工業平均指數最新報8272點，跌419點，約4.82%。納斯達克指數報1500點，跌103點，約6.42%。標普500指數報864點，跌43點，約4.81%。

英國政府宣布，今年7至9月經濟收縮0.5%，是自1992年以來首次經濟收縮，已接近衰退邊緣。

受英國面臨經濟衰退消息影響，歐洲股市全面大跌7%，泛歐洲FTSEurofirst 300指數一度跌7%，其後跌幅收窄至6.2%。而匯控更跌近1成。


Google acquires Adscape

Friday, Google, Inc. announced on its official blog that it will be acquiring in-game advertiser Adscape Media, Inc, a San Francisco, California based company.

Ads that are placed in games through Adscape are targeted based on the plot and storyline that a gamer encounters within a game.  These ads are also targeted geographically and demographically.

Google, which is based in Mountain View, California, stated that the terms of the agreement and the price paid for Adscape will remain confidential, but the cost might be about $23 million, as informed the Red Herring magazine on 15th February.

Adscape is now fully controlled by Google and will provide the company with its first opportunity to use in-game advertising.  Google has stated that it will be working with Adscape's partners the same as the company had been before.


Google kupiło Adscape

Bernie Stolar ogłosił w piątek, że Google zakupiło firmę Adscape, zajmującą się reklamami w grach komputerowych. Nieznane są szczegóły umowy, jednak z wcześniejszych doniesień magazynu Red Herring wynika, iż cena mogła wynieść ok. 23 mln dolarów.


Google announces new operating system

Google announced today that they are developing Google Chrome OS. The operating system, announced on their official blog, will be based on their Chrome browser, which is now nine months old.

Google said that at first it will be targeted toward netbooks, but in the future, will eventually expand.  The company said that it will continue to be developed alongside Android, their operating system currently being used on mobile devices.

The system will run in a windowing system atop a Linux kernel and will be fully open source.  It is planned to be released in 2010.  On their blog, Google said, "Speed, simplicity and security are the key aspects of Google Chrome OS.  We're designing the OS to be fast and lightweight, to start up and get you onto the web in a few seconds," said the blog post written by Sundar Pichai, Vice President Product Management, and Google's engineering director, Linus Upson.

Both men said that "the operating systems that browsers run on were designed in an era where there was no web" and that the new OS is "our attempt to re-think what operating systems should be".


Google salta de la web a los sistemas operativos

Su proyecto se llama Google Chrome OS y pretende poner a disposición de los usuarios todas las ventajas de la web con velocidad, sencillez y seguridad.

Se veía venir desde hacía ya unos años: primero Google se convirtió en el buscador web por excelencia, poco más tarde logró uno de los mejores servicios de correo electrónico con Gmail y recientemente estrenó su sistema operativo para teléfonos móviles denominado Google Android.

Era sólo cuestión de tiempo que la compañía californiana anunciara su alternativa a Microsoft Windows y Mac OS X: Google Chrome OS, que se basa en el éxito que ha tenido en algunos mercados su explorador de Internet de nombre similar Google Chrome.

Un sector en el mundo de la tecnología que surgió hace dos años es el de los denominados "netbooks" o ultra-portátiles, computadoras de pequeño tamaño y prestaciones básicas pensados para navegar en Internet y trabajar con documentos sencillos en cualquier lugar. En muchas ocasiones los sistemas operativos actuales requieren demasiados recursos y no funcionan con toda la velocidad que se podría esperar en los ultra-portátiles.

Por ello Google Chrome OS hará su entrada inicial en este mercado. El objetivo principal del nuevo sistema operativo es poner la web al alcance de todos de forma rápida y sencilla, y los ultra-portátiles serán los primeros beneficiados.

El movimiento de Google en el sector no debería sorprender demasiado. Durante varios años el gigante de la web ha lanzado productos gratuitos que ponen en la web tareas que tradicionalmente se realizaban fuera de los exploradores de Internet, como recibir el correo electrónico, editar hojas de cálculo y documentos de texto o incluso almacenar fotos. Google Chrome OS se puede considerar como el paso más extremo en este camino al llevar todas las tareas de la computadora a la web.

De hecho se trata de una noticia que muchos llevaban esperando, en especial los entusiastas del software libre y de código abierto (FLOSS), es decir, que cualquier persona con conocimientos puede tomar el código original del programa y modificarlo para crear una nueva versión de su propia cosecha.

A pesar de su enfoque inicial en los ultra-portátiles Google tiene la intención de expandir su producto a las computadoras de sobremesa tradicionales en un futuro. Para ello cuenta con la ventaja de que las aplicaciones creadas específicamente para Google Chrome OS estarán basadas en los mismos estándares con los que se crea una página web, permitiendo que éstos funcionen también en Windows, Mac o cualquier distribución de GNU/Linux.

Google describe su sistema como una alternativa rápida, sencilla y fiable, basado en el Núcleo Linux (en inglés Linux Kernel). Ya se han iniciado tratos para incluir el nuevo software con algunas computadoras portátiles y se espera su primera aparición en la segunda mitad del 2010.


Google buys DoubleClick for $3.1 billion

Google has announced its intention of taking over the Internet advertising agency DoubleClick in a deal worth $3.1 billion. DoubleClick has also confirmed the deal and hopes it will be completed before the end of 2007.

Rumours of a takeover offer for DoubleClick had been circulating, with Microsoft, Time Warner and Yahoo! all reportedly interested in making an offer for the company.

Six months ago, Google bought YouTube for $1.65 billion. The current takeover is the largest in Google's history. In a press release, Google says the acquisition "will enable Google to extend our ad network and develop deeper relationships with our partners. This new partnership represents a tremendous opportunity for us at Google to broaden and deepen our inventory of available ads and to better serve both our publishers and users."

DoubleClick provides software for Internet advertising and brings together advertisers, advertisement agencies and website developers. DoubleClick is currently owned by the majority share-holders Hellman & Friedman, a private equity firm, with JMI Management also having a large stake in the company.


Google preuzima DoubleClick

Mountain View (SAD), 17. april 2007. –

Google je objavio da trenutno pregovara o preuzimanju agencije za Internet marketing DoubleClick iz New Yorka. Ponuđena suma iznosi 3,1 milijardu dolara. DoubleClick je potrdio informaciju i nada se da će preuzimanje biti završeno do kraja 2007. godine.

Prije šest mjeseci Google je kupio YouTube za 1,65 milijardi dolara. Kupovina marketing agencije koja treba da se odigra tokom godine biće najveća u historiji ove međunarodne kompanije. Ovom kupovinom Google pokušava učvrstiti svoju vodeću poziciju na polju internet reklama i marketinga. Već neko vrijeme se priča o prodaji DoubleClicka, a kao mogući kupci su, pored Googlea pominjani i Microsoft, Time Warner i Yahoo.

DoubleClick razvija softver za Internet reklamiranje i spaja reklamne agencije sa vlasnicima internet stranica. Trenutno je u vlasništvu većeg broja dioničara, a većinu dionica drži privatna firma Hellman & Friedman. Deoničari DoubleClicka su vjerovatno i najveći profiteri iz ove prodaje. Naime, ova firma je 2005. prodana za 1,1 milijardu dolara i za dvije godine joj se vrijednost utrostručila.

DoubleClick ima oko 1500 mušterija, godišnji promet od oko 300 miliona dolara i zaradu od oko 50 miliona dolara (prije plaćanja poreza). Veličina tržišta internet reklama i marketinga se procjenjuje na 29 milijardi dolara i tokom 2006. godine je porasla za oko 36 procenata.


Гугл преузима Дабл клик за 3,1 милијарду

Гугл (енг. Google) је објавио да тренутно преговара о преузимању агенције за Интернет маркетинг Дабл клик (енг. DoubleClick) из Њујорка. Понуђена сума износи 3,1 милијарду долара. Дабл клик је потрдио информацију и нада се да ће преузимање бити завршено до краја 2007. године.

Прије шест мјесеци Гугл је купио Ју тјуб (енг. YouTube) за 1,65 милијарди долара. Куповина маркетинг агенције која треба да се одигра током године биће највећа у историји ове међународне компаније. Овом куповином Гугл покушава учврстити своју водећу позицију на пољу интернет реклама и маркетинга. Већ неко вријеме се прича о продаји Дабл клика, а као могући купци су, поред Гугла помињани и Мајкрософт, Тајм Ворнер и Јаху.

Дабл клик развија софтвер за Интернет рекламирање и спаја рекламне агенције са власницима сајтова. Тренутно је у власништву већег броја дионичара, а већину дионица држи приватна фирма Хелман и Фридман (енг. Hellman & Friedman). Деоничари дабл клика су вјероватно и највећи профитери из ове продаје. Наиме, ова фирма је 2005. продана за 1,1 милијарду долара и за двије године јој се вриједност утростручила.

Дабл клик има око 1500 муштерија, годишњи промет од око 300 милиона долара и зараду од око 50 милиона долара (прије плаћања пореза). Величина тржишта интернет реклама и маркетинга се процјењује на 29 милијарди долара и током 2006. године је порасла за око 36 процената.


Google finds Microsoft bid for Yahoo 'troubling'

Google has said on its blog that it finds Microsoft’s attempt to buy Yahoo  "troubling," and that Google believes "this [the purchase of Yahoo] is about more than simply a financial transaction, one company taking over another."

"The hostile bid by Microsoft to Yahoo is worrying," said David Drummond, the chief legal officer for Google. He continued by saying the takeover is "about preserving the underlying principles of the Internet: openness and innovation."

Press agency Europa Press said that Eric E. Schmidt and Jerry Yang know that the "possibility of launching a counter is not possible for Google."

Yahoo said that their executives are examining the offer from Microsoft, a process that they said may take some time.

The Google blog cited Microsoft’s alleged "inappropriate and illegal influence over the PC," as the reasons for their concerns. They continued by saying that “Microsoft has frequently sought to establish proprietary monopolies."


Google vol evitar que Microsoft compri Yahoo!

El president de Google, Eric Schmidt va donar el seu suport al fundador de Yahoo", davant l'"oferta hostil" de l'empresa Microsoft. La companyia de Bill Gates va proposar 44.600 milions de dòlars per l'empresa Yahoo!.

"L'oferta hostil de Microsoft per Yahoo! és preocupant", va dir Davir Drummond, "És més que una simple transacció financera, una companyia n'adquireix una altra. Es tracta de preservar els principals subjacents d'Internet: Obertura i Innovació".

L'agència de premsa, Europa Press, sostenia que Schmidt i Yang saben que la "possibilitat de llançar una contraoferta no és possible de part de Google", l'alternativa serà "ajudar a altres companyies a llançar una oferta epr Yahoo!", per què el portal i el cercador mantinguin la seva independència.

Per la seva banda, Yahoo! diu que els seus executius estan analitzant l'oferta de Microsoft, un procés que "pot tardar un temps".

David Drummond, responsable de l'àrea de legalitat de google es va pregunta si Microsoft traslladarà a Internet "les seves pràctiques deslleials des dels cercadors i sistemes operatius".


Google quiere evitar que Microsoft compre Yahoo!

El presidente de Google, Eric Schmidt, dio su apoyo a los delegados y al fundador de Yahoo!, frente a la "oferta hostil" de la empresa Microsoft Corp. La compañía de Bill Gates había propuesto 44.600 millones de dólares por la empresa Yahoo! Inc.

"La oferta hostil de Microsoft por Yahoo es preocupante", dijo David Drummond. "Es más que una simple transacción financiera, una compañía adquiriendo otra. Se trata de preservar los principios subyacentes de la Internet: apertura e innovación".

La agencia de prensa Europa Press sostuvo que Schmidt y Yang saben que la "posibilidad de lanzar una contraoferta no es posible para Google", la alternativa será "ayudar a otras compañías a lanzar una oferta por Yahoo", para que el portal y buscador mantenga su independencia.

Por su parte, Yahoo! dice que sus ejecutivos están analizando la oferta de Microsoft, un proceso que "puede tardar un tiempo".

David Drummond, responsable del área de legales de Google, se preguntó si Microsoft trasladaría a Internet "sus prácticas desleales desde los buscadores y sistemas operativos".


Google launches web browser, dubbed Chrome

Google announced on Monday that it is launching an open source web browser, dubbed Chrome, to compete with browsers such as Internet Explorer from Microsoft, Firefox from Mozilla, and Safari from Apple.

In a post on the company's official blog, Sundar Pichai, vice president of product management, and Linus Upson, an engineering director at Google said Chrome would represent a "fresh take on the browser" and that it believes Chrome "can add value for users and, at the same time, help drive innovation on the web."

Google chose to announce the launch of Chrome through a comic book, through which the company hoped to help tell the "story" of the web browser.  Google said the browser supports a new JavaScript engine more advanced than is currently available in competing web browsers on the Windows platform, and said it was "hard at work building versions" for Mac and Linux.

The browser is said to be based on the WebKit framework, although Google only went so far as to say that they had "used components from Apple's WebKit and Mozilla's Firefox" in the blog entry announcing Chrome.


Google llança el seu navegador web

Google llançarà aquesta tarda el seu navegador web, anomenat Google Chrome. Es tracta d'un navegador lliure que vol competir amb l'Internet Explorer de Microsoft, el Mozilla Firefox de Mozilla (empresa amb molt bones relacions amb Google) i el Safari (amb el que comparteix motor de renderització) d'Apple.

Avui es llançarà la primera versió beta d'aquest navegador, de moment només compatible amb Microsoft Windows (tot i que en un futur també tindrà versions per a Mac OS i Linux. Inclourà navegació per pestanyes, que permetran que si una pàgina d'una pestanya es bloquegi, l'usuari pugui seguir navegant amb el Chrome normalment, excepte en la pestanya bloquejada. Inclourà un nou intèrpret de JavaScript, anomenat V8, que també serà programari lliure. Tindrà un mode de navegació anònima i protecció contra el programari maliciós i la pesca electrònica.

El navegador s'ha presentat mitjançant un còmic enviat a alguns autors de blocs.


Beta verze prohlížeče Google Chrome uvedena na trh

Softwarový gigant Google dnes uvedl na trh svůj vlastní prohlížeč Google Chrome. Ten je k dispozici zdarma a firma plánuje uvolnit zdrojové kódy pod otevřenou licencí. Chrome by měl být rychlejší než stávající prohlížeče, zejména v oblasti ajaxových aplikací a videa.

Prohlížeč běží na renderovacím jádru Webkit, které používá např. mobilní architektura Android. Krok Googlu však vyvolal také obavy komunity kolem prohlížeče Mozilla Firefox, jelikož Google právě nedávno podepsal několikaletou smlouvu u podpoře Firefoxu.


Google veröffentlichte erste Version des Browsers „Google Chrome“

04.09.2008 – Der US-amerikanische Internetdienstleister Google, Betreiber der gleichnamigen Internetsuchmaschine, hat am 2. September eine Beta-Version seines eigenen Internetbrowsers Google Chrome veröffentlicht. Chrome ist momentan nur für Windows XP und Windows Vista verfügbar. Eine Version für Linux und Mac ist aber in Planung. Ziel der Veröffentlichung ist unter anderem den Internet Explorer von Microsoft, den laut Studien etwa 70 Prozent der Internetbenutzer einsetzen, zurückzudrängen.

Mittlerweile wurde auch Kritik an Google und seinem neuen Browser laut. Neben einigen Sicherheitsmängeln, die in der Beta-Version gefunden wurden, wird im Internet auch kontrovers über die Vormachtstellung von Google diskutiert.


Google dévoile Chrome, son navigateur Internet

Bien que des rumeurs en parlent depuis des mois, le secret avait été bien gardé : ce n'est que hier, le jour de son lancement, que la société Google a dévoilé son navigateur web baptisé « Chrome ».

L'annonce en a été faite par l'envoi ce lundi, jour férié aux États-Unis d'Amérique, à certains bloggeurs d'une bande dessinée de 38 pages, réalisée par Scott McCloud et expliquant en détail le fonctionnement et les spécificités du logiciel. Peu de temps après, la bande dessinée était également en ligne sur le site web de Google ; le lendemain, à partir de 20 heures GTM, Chrome était téléchargeable dans une version bêta.

Les motivations avancées par l'équipe de développement, emmenée par Sundar Pichai et Linus Upson, concernent à la fois la rapidité et la sécurité des produits existants dont la conception, selon eux, ne répond plus aux besoins actuel d'Internet. Chrome est donc basé sur « les fondations d'un moteur capable de bien mieux gérer la complexité des applications web d’aujourd’hui ». Alors que beaucoup voient dans ce lancement une attaque frontale contre le logiciel Internet Explorer de Microsoft, les responsables de Google ont reconnu leur « grande dette » envers les logiciels Firefox et WebKit, sur lesquels le navigateur se base.

Parmi les innovations apportées par ce logiciel, l'isolation de chaque fenêtre par rapport aux autres a été particulièrement relevée par les premières réactions ; grâce à ce dispositif, un problème rencontré sur une page web n'impacte que la fenêtre sur laquelle il se produit et pas les autres sites actuellement consultés. D'autres commentaires relèvent la rapidité du navigateur et sa facilité d'installation, ainsi que la fonction « Incognito » qui permet de visiter un site sans qu'aucune trace ne soit conservée sur l'ordinateur.


Google lager nettleser

Målform: Bokmål - Dato: 2. september 2008 - Oppdater siden - Rediger artikkelen - Flere nyheter

USA:  Google kunngjorde mandag at de vil lansere en ny nettleser, Google Chrome, for å konkurrere med nettlesere som Internet Explorer, Mozilla Firefox, Safari og Opera.

I en post på Googles offisielle blogg skriver Sundar Pichai og Linus Upson at Chrome står for «en nytenkning innen nettlesere», og mener at Chrome vil være «verdifull for brukerne samtidig som den blir en drivkraft for innovasjon på internett».

Google valgte å kunngjøre Chrome i form av en 38-siders tegneserie som forteller hvordan og hvorfor nettleseren er nyskapende. Ifølge Google inneholder nettleseren en ny JavaScript-motor som er mye mer avansert enn den i andre nettlesere for Windows, og at de jobber med å lage versjoner for Mac og Linux.

Nettleseren er etter sigende basert på rammeverket WebKit, men Google har ikke sagt mer enn at nettleseren har «brukt elementer fra Apples WebKit og Mozillas Firefox». Nettleseren utgis som åpen kildekode.


Google Chrome

Drugiego września światło dzienne ujrzała beta wersja przeglądarki Google. Chrome, jak nazywa się najnowsze dzieło wyszukiwarkowego giganta, bazuje na WebKicie. W późniejszym czasie zostanie zintegrowana z projektem Gears.

Przeglądarka zawiera nowy silnik JavaScriptu nazwany V8. Każda karta jest uruchamiana jako osobny proces. Tradycyjny pasek adresu został zastąpiony podobnym do nowego paska w Firefoksie 3.0, który umożliwia posługiwanie się tagami.

To, co dopiero będzie zaimplementowane w Internet Explorerze 8, już teraz pojawiło się w Google Chrome – chodzi o możliwość całkowicie anonimowego surfowania w Internecie. By umożliwić bezpieczne przeglądanie Internetu, Google zaimplementowało filtr chroniący użytkowników przed malware'em, korzystając przy tym z własnych serwerów.


谷歌推出网页浏览器

美国谷歌公司宣布即将推出一款融合了Webkit核心、Mozilla和Safari部分源代码的开源网页浏览器，命名为Google Chrome。

谷歌全球产品管理副总裁Sundar Pichai、工程研发总监Linus Upson在该公司的官方Blog上撰文称，Chrome的发布将会是“浏览器的新视角”，并相信Chrome“不仅能为用户增加价值，同时还能促进互联网的创新”。他们还透露新浏览器的界面将延续谷歌一贯的简单、高效，而且将支持新的JavaScript引擎「V8」。

首先将会发布Windows操作平台的版本，Mac和Linux的版本仍在开发中。

【2008年9月2日讯】


Google purchases YouTube for $1.65 billion

On Monday, October 9, 2006, Google Inc. announced its decision to purchase YouTube, the popular video-sharing site, for $1.65 billion in stock. Following the closure of the deal, YouTube will operate independently, "to preserve" its user community and its brand, the announcement said.

Eric Schmidt, CEO of Google stated "The YouTube team has built an exciting and powerful media platform that complements Google's mission to organize the world's information and make it universally accessible and useful. Our companies share similar values; we both always put our users first and are committed to innovating to improve their experience. Together, we are natural partners to offer a compelling media entertainment service to users, content owners and advertisers."

"We are excited to have the resources to move faster than ever before," co-founder Chad Hurley, YouTube's 29-year-old CEO, told the Associated Press during a Monday interview.

100 million videos are watched on the YouTube's flash based site every day, including professional movie and TV clips and music videos, as well as amateur content.


Google compra Youtube

10 d'octubre del 2006, Califòrnia, Estats Units

Aquesta nit s'ha concretat el rumor que circulava des de feia dies i Google ha anunciat que compra YouTube. El cercador californià pagarà mil sis-cents milions de dòlars en accions pròpies pel popular lloc de vídeos a la xarxa. Segons que s'ha anunciat YouTube continuarà funcionant de forma independent. YouTube va ser fundat per Chad Hurley i Steve Chen el mes de març de 2005. Dins YouTube ja hi ha catalogats més d'un milió de vídeos.Google mantenia el seu propi servei de vídeo però els càlculs indicaven que només tenia un deu per cent de trànsit generat per aquest tipus de web. YouTube en canvi aconseguia ell sol el cinquanta per cent del trànsit. YouTube encara no ha aconseguit resultats econòmics positius i ni tan sols té una font de financiació clara però malgrat això, i degut a la seva popularitat, les darreres setmanes tot d'empreses del món d'internet i dels mitjans han intentat la seva compra. Com a part de l'acord, Google finançarà la compra amb accions pròpies. Els fundadors de YouTube, Chad Hurley i Steve Chen, així com els 65 treballadors de l'empresa, passaran a ser empleats de Google, tot i que YouTube seguirà operant com a marca independent.

Paral·lelament, les dues empreses han fet públics una sèrie d'acords amb discogràfiques per penjar els vídeos de manera legal. Google ha firmat amb Warner Music i Sony, i YouTube, també amb Sony Universal Music i la televisió CBS per difondre legalment els seus continguts.


Google acquista You Tube

Il colosso del web Google ha raggiunto l'accordo per l'acquisto di YouTube, un sito di distribuzione gratuita di video autoprodotti dagli stessi utenti. L'accordo siglato prevede da un lato l'acquisto per 1,65 miliardi di dollari (1,30 miliardi di euro), e dall'altro la possibilità per YouTube di continuare ad operare in perfetta autonomia, addirittura mantenendo gli stessi dipendenti. Per la company di Mountain View si tratta dell'operazione più onerosa messa a segno. La mozione per l'acquisto in azioni è stata votata stamatina da entrambi i consigli di amministrazione delle aziende.

La trattativa, inoltre, si è perfezionata in un clima tutt'altro che sereno per i vertici di Google, in quanto già da tempo eBay e Yahoo! avevano stretto accordi, anche a livello finanziario, per cercare di bloccare la compagnia del motore di ricerca per antonomasia.


米グーグル、動画投稿サイトのYouTubeを16億5000万ドルで買収

CNET Japanによると、検索サイト運営会社のGoogleは9日 (UTC-7)、動画共有サイトのYouTubeを買収することを発表した。買収は株式交換によって行われ、金額にして16億5,000万ドル相当となる。

YouTubeはオンライン動画市場においてシェアの45%を獲得しているという調査結果の出ているサイトで、今後もGoogle社の提供するサービスGoogle Videoとは独立して運営される。また、ITmediaによればカリフォルニア州サンブルーノにあるYouTube社の拠点や従業員に関しても現状通りとなる。

ITmediaによれば、これまで買収を否定し続けていたYouTubeが今回Googleへの売却を決めた理由に関して、9日の記者会見で同社CEO（最高経営責任者）のチャド・ハーリー氏は、Googleの買収であれば、独立したサービス提供が続行できるため、としている。

ITproによるとYouTubeには、チャド氏とCTO（最高技術責任者）のスティーブ・チェン氏がこの買収についてコメントするビデオが、チェン氏によって投稿されている[1]。

MYCOMジャーナルによると、YouTubeはGoogleによる買収によって海外市場への働きかけを強化させてゆくと見られる。YouTubeの今後における課題としては、著作権侵害となる動画の投稿に対する対策があげられている。


Google compra YouTube por $1,65 bilhão

Califórnia, Estados Unidos • 9 de outubro de 2006

Na segunda-feira, 9 de outubro de 2006, o Google Inc. anunciou sua decisão de compra YouTube, um popular site de compartilhamento de vídeo, por $1,65 bilhões em ações. Completado o fechamento da transação, YouTube operará independentemente, para preservar "sua comunidade de usuário e sua marca", disse o anúncio.

Eric Schmidt, CEO de Google declarou "O time do YouTube construiu uma excitante e poderosa plataforma de mídia que complementa a missão de Google para organizar a informação do mundo e fazê-la acessível e útil universalmente. Nossas companhias compartilham valores semelhantes; sempre pusemos primeiro nossos usuários e são envolvidos para inovar e melhorar a suas experiências. Junto, nós somos os parceiros naturais para oferecer um serviço de entretenimento de mídia atrativo aos usuários, donos dos conteúdos e anunciantes".


Google removes German BMW from search results

The search engine Google announced the removal of the official German BMW web site from its search results today. Google is reported to have removed the website due to the use of a trick to raise its website ratings in the search engine's results.

The online version of Forbes magazine reported that the German word for used car, Gebrauchtwagen, appeared 42 times in a doorway web page created by the German car manufacturer. Doorway web pages contain many keywords designed to attract search robots. The page presented to Google's robot for indexing was significantly different from the page presented to the site's visitors.

According to a recent blog post by Matt Cutts, one of Google's software engineers, this technique is "a violation of our webmaster quality guidelines."  These guidelines encourage webmasters to "avoid tricks intended to improve search engine rankings."

BMW reacted to the measure by claiming that it had no intention of manipulating the search results, but instead used the doorway pages with the objective of "offering a better service" to those looking for used cars.


Google entfernt einige BMW-Websites aus dem Suchindex

Mountain View (Vereinigte Staaten) / München (Deutschland), 07.02.2006 – Der US-amerikanische Suchdiensteanbieter Google hat Websites des bayerischen Autoherstellers BMW aus dem Suchindex entfernt. Seit Sonntag sind einige der bisher frei verfügbaren Seiten bei einer Suchanfrage nicht mehr zu finden.

Betroffen ist unter anderem die deutsche BMW-Webpräsenz „www.bmw.de“. Suchten Interessenten dort nach Neuwagen, kamen keine direkten Ergebnisse, sondern nur weiterreichende Links. „www.bmw.com“ hingegen wurde nicht gesperrt. Die drastischen Reaktionen hat Google damit begründet, BMW habe versucht, seinen Websites durch Manipulationen eine bessere Position bei der Suchabfrage zu verschaffen.

BMW hat sich bisher zu dem Regelverstoß und der Sperre öffentlich nicht geäußert. Die Firma muss jetzt einen Antrag zur Wiederaufnahme in die Googleseiten stellen. Darin muss sich BMW verpflichten, auf weitere Manipulationen zu verzichten. Auch muss BMW die Namen der verantwortlichen Mitarbeiter bekannt geben, die gegen die Regeln von Google verstoßen haben. Gibt Google dem Wiederaufnahmeantrag statt, wird die deutsche Website wieder in den Index aufgenommen.


«Гугл» удалил БМВ из результатов поиска

Поисковая машина «Гугл» объявила, что сегодня удаляет из результатов поиска официальную интернет-страницу немецкой автомобильной компании БМВ (BMW).

Это сделано в ответ на трюки, которые способствовали росту рейтинга интернет-страницы в результатах поиска.

Online-версия журнала Forbes сообщает, что немецкое слово для подержанных автомобилей (gebrauchtwagen), появляется 42 раза на doorway[1] интернет-странице, созданной немецким производителем автомобилей. Doorway интернет-страница содержит множество ключевых слов, для привлечения поисковых роботов. Страница, которая предоставлялась роботу «Гугла» для индексации, существенно отличалась от страницы предназначенной для пользователей интернета.

В соответствии с письмом Мэтта Кэттса (Matt Cutts), инженера-программиста фирмы «Гугл», такая техника является нарушением принципов фирмы. В письме он пишет, что их принципы предусматривают, чтобы создатели интернет-страниц избегали трюков, которые улучшают рейтинг в поисковых машинах.

BMW отреагировала на действия «Гугл», утверждая, что она не имело никакого намерения управлять результатами поиска, но вместо этого использовало страницы doorway с целью предложения лучшего обслуживания тем, которые ищут подержанные машины.

7 февраля 2006 года


Greek demonstrators protest austerity measures

Protestors in Greece, rallying against austerity measures, have clashed with police in the capital of Athens.

Some people participating in the rally — attended by thousands of teachers and students — threw stones at riot police, who responded by employing pepper spray, although the BBC described the protests as being generally peaceful.  Demonstrators say that a recent austerity proposal, which is to include pension cuts and an increase in taxes, will adversely affect the education sector.

Teachers, along with hospital workers and public servants, have started a two-day strike over the measures. Also present were 150 members of the armed forces, who protested having their bonuses lowered.

Meanwhile, earlier on Tuesday, approximately a hundred demonstrators with the Communist Party broke through locks at the Acropolis and hung up banners saying: "Peoples of Europe — Rise Up".

Communist Member of Parliament Nikos Papaconstantinou commented: "We want to send a message to the farthest reaches of Greece and Europe. Similar measures that eliminate social security are taken across Europe. But popular anger will rattle imperialist organisations."

The austerity plan comes shortly after the Greek government said it would introduce spending cuts to obtain a loan package by the EU and International Monetary Fund, aimed at helping Greece recover from a financial crisis.


Ateenan mielenosoituksessa sytytettiin rakennuksia ja kuoli ihmisiä

Hallituksen säästötoimia vastustavan mielenosoituksen mainingeissa on Kreikan pääkaupungissa Ateenassa syttynyt tuleen kolme rakennusta. Mielenosoittajia on poliisin mukaan liikkeellä 25 000. Mielenosoittajien tuleen sytyttämässä Marfin Egnatia -pankissa kuoli kolme ihmistä.

Noin 60 mielenosoittajan ryhmä yritti päästä parlamenttia ketjuna vartioineiden poliisien läpi ja heitti näitä kivillä. Poliisi vastasi kyynelkaasulla. BBC:n mukaan tuhansien opettajien ja opiskelijoiden mielenosoitusmarssi parlamentille sujui kuitenkin pitkälti rauhallisesti.

Pääministeri Georgios Papandreu on tuominnut mielenosoittajien väkivaltaisuudet. Uutistoimisto AFP:n mukaan poliisi on asetettu hälytystilaan. Kaikki poliisit on kutsuttu järjestystä palauttamaan.

Kreikassa on tänään keskiviikkona meneillään 24-tuntinen yleislakko. Lakko on reaktio hallituksen sunnuntaina julkistamille säästötoimille, jotka ovat ehtona euromailta ja Kansainväliseltä valuuttarahastolta saatavalle taloudelliselle tuelle. Ne antavat Kreikalle 110 miljardia euroa lainaa kolmen vuoden aikana. Lainaa saadakseen maan oli suostuttava muun muassa veronkorotuksiin ja julkisen sektorin palkkojen ja eläkkeiden leikkauksiin.


Greek workers strike over austerity measures

Workers in Greece have gone on strike in protest against the government's second round of austerity packages. Greek prime minister George Papandreou announced €28 billion in cuts Monday; loans worth up to €155 billion from the European Union and International Monetary Fund depend on the measures passing.

Tens of thousands of workers are planning to march through Athens and five thousand police officers have been brought into the capital to supervise the strike. Most public services in Greece are affected, including hospitals, ambulances, trains, buses, ferries and even air traffic control. The Athens metro will remain open "so as to allow Athenians to join the planned protests in the capital." Thanassis Pafilis, an MP with the Greek Communist Party, said that the budgetary measures "are a massacre for workers' rights," adding, "It will truly be hell for the working man. The strike must bring everything to a standstill."

With a sixteen percent unemployment rate in Greece, between 70 and 80 percent of Greek citizens oppose the cuts. The measures are "tough and in many respects unfair," said Greek finance minister Evangelos Venizelos, but the government continues to push for austerity measures, as failure to secure credit may force the government and banks of Greece to default as early as July on the €380 billion in debt owed to France, Germany, the United Kingdom, the United States, Italy, Switzerland, Japan and Spain.


Атина се не смирује

29. јун 2011.Атина/ Грчка Атина, 29. јун 2011. (Бета-АФП) - Скупштина Грчке је у среду изгласала пакет ригорозних мера штедње, а настављају се спорадични улични сукоби маскираних младих нападача и антидемонстрантских снага полиције.

Ватрогасна служба каже да је у згради Министарства финансија, прекопута Парламента, избио пожар. У том крају читав дан трају сукоби нападача који су се умешали међу демонстранте и полиције.

Само поподне су хоспитализоване 72 особе, међу којима 26 полицајаца, а приведена су три нападача, саопштили су полицијски и болнички извори.