Sweden records 11,014 new COVID-19 cases, 39 deaths since Friday

STOCKHOLM - Sweden, which has shunned lockdowns throughout the pandemic, has registered 11,014 new coronavirus cases since Friday, health agency statistics showed on Tuesday.

The figure compared with 11,804 cases during the corresponding period last week.

The country of 10 million inhabitants registered 39 new deaths, taking the total to 13,042. The deaths registered have occurred over several days and sometimes weeks.

Sweden's death rate per capital is many times higher than that of its Nordic neighbors' but lower than in several European countries that opted for lockdowns.

-reuters 

Europe steps up reopening, unveils plans for summer travel

Europe moved ahead with its emergence from coronavirus lockdown on Wednesday and laid out plans for summer tourism, but the pandemic gathered pace elsewhere.

Britain followed France, Italy and Spain in easing its lockdown but only in England, where people were given more freedom to leave their homes and return to their jobs if they cannot work remotely.

Austria said its borders with Germany would reopen from mid-June and Berlin said it aimed to end virus checks at its land borders in about a month.

Desperate to save millions of tourism jobs, the European Union set out plans for a phased restart of travel this summer, with EU border controls eventually lifted and measures to minimise the risks of infection, like wearing face masks on shared transport.

"Today's guidance can be the chance of a better season for the many Europeans whose livelihood depends on tourism and, of course, for those who would like to travel this summer," EU Commission executive vice president Margrethe Vestager told reporters.

- Second wave fears -

But with the global death toll from the coronavirus exceeding 292,000, the picture was grim in other parts of the world.

Russia, now the country with the second-highest number of virus cases, recorded more than 10,000 new infections after authorities this week eased restrictions to allow some people back to work.

Brazil registered its highest virus death toll in a single day, with 881 new fatalities bringing the total to 12,400, and the country was emerging as a new global hotspot despite President Jair Bolsonaro dismissing the pandemic as a "little flu".

Fears were growing of a second wave of infections in China, with the northeastern city of Jilin put in partial lockdown and Wuhan, where the virus was first reported last year, planning to test its entire population after clusters of new cases.

- 'Risk of uncontrollable outbreak' -

And the United States, which has confirmed more than 1.36 million cases, saw a sharp rise in fatalities, with 1,894 new deaths reported on Tuesday after daily tolls fell below 1,000.

The country's top infectious diseases expert Anthony Fauci issued a stark warning about the dangers of resuming normal life too soon, saying a run of 14 days with falling cases was a vital first step.

"If a community or a state or region doesn't go by those guidelines and reopens... the consequences could be really serious," he said Tuesday.


"There is a real risk that you will trigger an outbreak that you may not be able to control."

Fauci said the true number killed by the epidemic in the US is likely greater than the official toll of over 82,000 -- the world's highest.

Facing a re-election campaign later this year, President Donald Trump is pressing for rapid steps to get the US economy moving again, despite warnings from health officials.

Washington has increasingly blamed China for the global outbreak and on Wednesday authorities warned healthcare and scientific researchers that Chinese-backed hackers were attempting to steal research and intellectual property related to treatments and vaccines for the coronavirus.

"China's efforts to target these sectors pose a significant threat to our nation's response to COVID-19," a statement from the FBI and the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency said.

- Moves to reboot economies -

Countries around the world are grappling with how to reopen businesses after the pandemic forced half of the planet into some form of lockdown and ground the global economy to a near-halt.


Dire economic data from March and April have pointed to the worst downturn since the Great Depression of the 1930s after millions of people were thrown out of work.

Figures from Britain on Wednesday showed its economy shrinking by two percent in January-March, its fastest slump since 2008 and with a far worse contraction to come.

The Bank of England last week warned that the economic paralysis could lead to Britain's worst recession in centuries, with output forecast to crash 14 percent this year.

Federal Reserve Chair Jerome Powell said shutdowns in the United States would do "lasting damage" but "the economy should substantially recover once the virus is under control".

He said crisis measures, including spending beyond the nearly $3 trillion already approved in the United States, would be crucial to ensuring a strong recovery.

Health experts have warned of the potentially devastating consequences as the virus spreads through the developing world, where healthcare systems are under-funded and isolation regimes are often not possible.

- 'Tough old lady' -

In northern Nigeria, surging death tolls have sparked fears that the virus is spreading, with a team of government investigators saying hundreds of deaths were suspected to be linked to the pandemic.

Making the problem worse, hospitals have shut their doors to the sick out of fears over the virus -- meaning treatment for a raft of ailments has stopped.

Civil servant Binta Mohammed said she had to watch her husband die from "diabetic complications" after he was turned away for treatment.

"The four private hospitals we took him to refused to admit him for fear he had the virus," she said.

But there were stories of hope amid the gloom, including two centenarians who survived the virus.

In Spain, 113-year-old Maria Branyas fought off the illness during weeks of isolation at a retirement home where several other residents died from the disease.

And in Russia, 100-year-old Pelageya Poyarkova was discharged from a Moscow hospital after having recovered.

Russian television showed Poyarkova wearing a face mask and clutching a bouquet of red roses as she exited in a wheelchair, surrounded by doctors and journalists.

"She turned out to be a tough old lady," the hospital's acting director Vsevolod Belousov said.

burs-mm/jv

Agence France-Presse

Days from summit, May takes Brexit battle to Brussels

Brussels - Theresa May briefly escaped the Westminster bear pit to bring her Brexit battle to Brussels on yesterday, just four days before the divorce deal is to be signed.

After enduring another parliamentary grilling at prime minister's questions in London, the British leader crossed the Channel and met EU Commission president Jean-Claude Juncker.

The pair shook hands and posed briefly for photographers before heading into talks in the Commission's Berlaymont headquarters for what an EU spokesman had earlier called "afternoon tea".


Having seen off -- at least for now -- a potential leadership challenge by hardline Brexiteers in her own party, she hopes to wring out of Brussels a Brexit arrangement that she can sell to her parliament.

The withdrawal treaty itself is all but final, and preparations are under way for a summit on Sunday to sign it, but there remains the matter of a parallel 20-page political declaration on future EU-UK ties.

European diplomats and EU officials have been in intense talks on the declaration this week. One of them told AFP that they now expect to publish it on Thursday morning, after May's afternoon tea with Juncker.

Neither side has much wiggle room left to polish the text, but May must show that she has left nothing on the table if she is to convince British members of parliament to ratify the deal in the coming weeks.

May and Juncker were expected to cover fishing rights and the movement of goods after Brexit, as well as the duration of the transition period and the British territory of Gibraltar, which lies on an outcrop off Spain.

- Spain, N. Ireland pressure -

May faces pressure from her Northern Irish allies, who oppose a deal they say weakens British sovereignty in their province, and from Spain, which warned it might oppose the accord over Gibraltar.

Madrid wants a veto over applying any agreement on post-transition relations to Gibraltar, but May told MPs on yesterday that Britain "will not exclude Gibraltar from our negotiations on the future relationship".

There is frustration among some EU countries at Spain trying to play hardball so late in the game.

"We are following the latest developments with growing concern and incomprehension -- among the EU27 our Spanish friends are all alone on this," an EU diplomat told AFP.

Two of May's top ministers quit last week, including her Brexit secretary, while MPs from all parties came out against it -- increasing the chances that Britain will crash out of the Union on March 29 without an agreement.

A minister who opposed Brexit and who returned to May's cabinet in a reshuffle triggered by the resignations, tried to rule out this economically disruptive scenario.

"It is my view that the parliament, the House of Commons, will stop no deal ... There isn't a majority in the House of Commons to allow that to take place," Work and Pensions Secretary Amber Rudd told BBC radio.

The withdrawal deal covers Britain's financial settlement, expatriate citizens' rights, contingency plans to keep open the Irish border and the terms of a post-Brexit transition.

Officials are now racing to agree the accompanying outline statement on the future trading and security relationship for after Britain leaves the EU's single market and customs union in March.

- 'Show our displeasure' -

Opposition to the agreement is also building in the pro-Brexit camp.

On Monday, MPs from Northern Ireland's Democratic Unionist Party (DUP) abstained on three budget votes in the Commons and voted against a fourth, despite their deal to back the government on finance matters.

Anti-Europe Conservatives have also savaged the divorce deal, which they say keeps Britain too close to the EU.

Rebels led by MP Jacob Rees-Mogg failed in their attempt to force an immediate confidence vote in May's leadership, but warned they would keep trying.

The withdrawal agreement sets out plans for a 21-month transition after Brexit, in which Britain and the EU want to turn their outline agreement on the future relationship into a full trade deal.

But controversially, it says that if that deal is not agreed in time, Britain will adopt a "backstop" arrangement to keep open its land border with Ireland.

This would keep all of Britain in the EU's customs union, and Northern Ireland also in parts of the single market.

source: philstar.com

Can Europe create the next Google?

LONDON, ENGLAND — Europe is making major strides to eliminate barriers that have held back the region from developing tech firms that can compete on the scale of global giants Alphabet Inc’s Google, Amazon.com Inc or Tencent Holdings Inc , a report published on Thursday shows.

The region has thriving tech hubs in major cities, with record new funding, experienced entrepreneurs, a growing base of technical talent and an improving regulatory climate, according to a study by European venture firm Atomico.

While even the largest European tech ventures remain a fraction of the size of the biggest U.S. and Asian rivals, global music streaming leader Spotify of Sweden marks the rising ambition of European entrepreneurs. Spotify is gearing up for a stock market flotation next year that could value it at upward of $20 billion.

“The probability that the next industry-defining company could come from Europe – and become one of the world’s most valuable companies – has never been higher,” said Tom Wehmeier, Atomico’s head of research, who authored the report.

Top venture capitalists and entrepreneurs in the region told Reuters they are increasingly confident that the next world-class companies could emerge from Europe in fields including artificial intelligence, video gaming, music and messaging.


“What we still need to develop is entrepreneurs who have the drive to take it all the way – I think we are starting to see that now,” said Bernard Liautaud, managing partner at venture fund Balderton Capital, who sold his software company Business Objects to SAP for $6.8 billion a decade ago.

The Atomico report is being published in conjunction with the annual Nordic technology start-up festival taking place in Helsinki this week and set to draw some 20,000 participants.

Stronger fundamentals

Capital invested in European tech companies is on track to reach a record this year, with $19.1 billion in funding projected through the end of 2017 – up 33 percent over 2016, according to investment tracking firm Dealroom.co.

The median size of European venture funds nearly tripled to around 58 million euros (£51.1 million) in 2017 compared with five years ago, according to Invest Europe’s European Data Cooperative on fundraising investment activity.

Beyond the availability of funding, Europe has a range of technical talent available to work more cheaply than in Silicon Valley, enabling start-ups to get going with far less funding.

With a pool of professional developers now numbering 5.5 million, European tech employment outpaces the comparable 4.4 million employed in the United States, according to data from Stack Overflow, a site popular with programmers.

London remains the top European city in terms of numbers of professional developers, but Germany, as a country, overtook Britain in the past year with 837,398 developers compared with 813,500, the report states, using Stack Overflow statistics.

While median salaries for software engineers are rising in top European cities Berlin, London, Paris and Barcelona, they are one-third to one-half the average cost of salaries in the San Francisco Bay Area, which is more than $129,000, based on Glassdoor recruiting data.

Pushing up against the limits

Big hurdles remain. A survey of 1,000 founders by authors of the report found European entrepreneurs were worried by Brexit, with concerns, especially in Britain, over hiring, investment and heightened uncertainty in the business climate.

Although Europe has deep engineering talent, many big startups focus on business model innovation in areas such as media, retail and gaming rather than on breakthrough technology developments that can usher in new industries, critics say.

Regulatory frameworks in Europe put the brakes on development on promising technologies such as cryptocurrencies, “flying taxis” and gene editing, while autonomous vehicles and drones face fewer obstacles, the report says.

A separate study by Index Ventures, also to be published on Thursday, found that employees at fast-growing tech start-ups in Europe tend to receive only half the stock option stakes that are a primary route to riches for their U.S. rivals. Yet their options are taxed twice as much.

The Index report said employees in successful, later-stage European tech start-ups receive around 10 percent of capital, compared with 20 percent ownership in Silicon Valley firms.

“There is quite a gap today between stock option practices in Europe and those in Silicon Valley,” Index Ventures partner Martin Mignot said in an interview. “There are other issues where Europe is behind, but we think stock options should be at the top of the agenda.”

Another factor holding back Europe is that regional stock markets encourage firms to go public prematurely, Liataud said.

“Europe has markets for average companies. In the U.S., going public is hard. You have to be really, really good. You have to be $100 million, minimum, in revenue,” the French entrepreneur-turned-investor said. “Nasdaq and the New York Stock Exchange have not lowered their standards.”

source: interaksyon.com

WATCH | At least 19 killed in blast at Ariana Grande concert in UK arena

A blast on Monday night at a concert in the English city of Manchester where U.S. singer Ariana Grande had been performing left at least 19 people dead and about 50 injured in what British police said was being treated as a terrorist incident.

Police said they were responding to reports of an explosion and that there were a number of confirmed fatalities and others injured at the arena, which has a capacity for 21,000 people.

A witness who attended the concert said she felt a huge blast as she was leaving the arena, followed by screaming and a rush as thousands of people trying to escape.

WATCH REUTERS TV REPORT ON THE INCIDENT:


“We were making our way out and when we were right by the door there was a massive explosion and everybody was screaming,” concert-goer Catherine Macfarlane told Reuters.

“It was a huge explosion — you could feel it in your chest. It was chaotic. Everybody was running and screaming and just trying to get out.”

Witnesses reported that many children were at the concert.

Manchester Arena, the largest indoor arena in Europe, opened in 1995 and has a capacity for 21,000 people, according to its website. It is a popular concert and sporting venue.

A spokesman for Ariana Grande’s record label said that the singer was “okay”. A video posted on Twitter showed fans screaming and running out of the venue.

Britain is on its second-highest alert level of “severe” meaning an attack by militants is considered highly likely.

Following is a Reuters summary of what is known and not about the incident.

* Death toll: British police said 19 people were killed and 59 people had been treated in hospital. A total of 60 ambulances attended the incident.

Many of the fans at the concert were young people. The blast sparked panic as thousands of people rushed for the exits, witnesses told Reuters.

* US singer Ariana Grande had just finished a concert at the Manchester Arena, the largest indoor arena in Europe that can hold 21,000 people, when the blast occurred.

Grande, 23, later said on Twitter: “broken. from the bottom of my heart, i am so so sorry. i don’t have words.”

* Parents hunted for missing children after the blast. Many turned to social media to seek loved ones.

“Everyone pls share this, my little sister Emma was at the Ari concert tonight in #Manchester and she isn’t answering her phone, pls help me,” said one message posted alongside a picture of a blonde-haired girl with flowers in her hair.

* Police said they were called at 10:33 pm (2133 GMT) after reports of an explosion.

Manchester Chief Constable Ian Hopkins said police were treating the blast as a terrorist incident and were working with counter-terrorism police and intelligence agencies. They gave no further details on their investigation.

* It is unclear where exactly the blast occurred, but initial reports indicated it happened either just outside the Manchester Arena or near a foyer.

It is also unclear whether it was a bomb. Police have so far not said what caused the blast.

* US officials told Reuters that the timing and venue suggested a terror attack, possibly by a suicide bomber.

“This does not appear to have been a carefully planned attack involving multiple actors, extensive surveillance of the target or exotic materials,” said another US official.

“That is what is so worrisome about this kind of thing – how simple it is to indiscriminately kill, wound and terrorize innocent people. With our partners, the US has begun the process of combing through the available intelligence to see if anything was missed.”

* Prime Minister Theresa May said authorities were working to establish the full details of what police were treating as “an appalling terrorist attack.” She said her thoughts were with the victims and the families of those who have been affected.

* What about the June 8 election? PM May’s ruling Conservative Party, which has a big lead in opinion polls, is preparing to suspend election campaigning due to the blast.

* No militant group has claimed responsibility so far but Islamic State supporters celebrated on social media. Twitter accounts affiliated to the militant Islamist group have used hashtags referring to the blast to post celebratory messages, with some users encouraging similar attacks elsewhere.

* The blast occurred on the anniversary of the murder of soldier Lee Rigby, who was hacked to death on a London street on May 22, 2013.

Rigby’s gruesome murder gained international notoriety when Michael Adebolajo was filmed by passers-by standing in the street with blood-soaked hands trying to justify the attack.

source: interaksyon.com

Lionel Messi named UEFA Best Player in Europe

Lionel Messi was Thursday voted UEFA’s best player in Europe for 2014-2015 with Germany’s Celia Sasic winning the women’s award.

The Argentina star, who won the Champions League, Spain’s La Liga and Spanish Cup with Barcelona, claimed the award for the second time ahead of Cristiano Ronaldo and Luis Suarez.

“I am happy to win the award. I thank all my teammates because they deserve part of it. I depend a lot on the team like everyone else,” the 28-year-old said.

Messi also won in 2010-2011 and succeeds Real Madrid rival Ronaldo who won last year.

FFC Frankfurt’s Sasic, 27, was voted the best women’s player ahead of France’s Amandine Henry and fellow German Dzsenifer Marozsan.

Sasic, who retired last month, was the top scorer in the Champions League which Frankfurt won, the Bundesliga and at the Women’s World Cup in Canada where she won the Golden Boot award.

source: interaksyon.com

Greece does about-face, pledges big privatization push

ATHENS — Work was supposed to begin next year on a 7 billion euros ($7.6 billion) waterfront urban renewal project almost twice the size of New York's Central Park that could have poured nearly a billion euros into Greece's depleted coffers. The plans stalled late last year after the far-left Syriza party took power and promised to halt attempts at putting the private sector in control of state assets, both on ideological grounds and because leaders believe rampant corruption must be addressed before any sell-off.

Now, in an attempt to get a third European bailout and prevent the Greek economy from collapsing, the ruling party has done an about-face. It has pledged to fast-track the waterfront project, plus sell government assets and allow for private development of state-owned property, all to generate cash that will help reduce Greece's 320-billion-euro national debt and pay back money lent by European nations to prop up ailing banks.

Experts say the goal set by Greece's European counterparts for the country to raise 50 billion euros in privatizations and private use of state property is probably impossible — but that Greece must make a better effort than it has in the past.

"There can be absolutely no backpedaling or unwinding with the privatization effort," said Mujtaba Rahman, European director for the Eurasia Group political and business risk consulting firm. "This is about testing the government's appetite to liberalize the economy and move forward with pro-market reforms."

Big money assets that Greece could sell include state-owned stakes in Athens' new airport, energy company Hellenic Petroleum and electrical utility Public Power Corp., plus offshore oil or natural gas drilling parcels. Greece also has stock in banks valued at 7.5 billion euros, but the true value of the stake is unknown because the Athens stock market stopped trading at the end of June as the country descended into financial chaos.

The Hellenic Republic Asset Development Fund, charged with matching state assets in deals with the private sector, also has parcels of land on beautiful islands available for long-term leases and a castle on the island of Corfu, plus buildings throughout Athens and across the country.


It was formed in 2011 following demands by Greece's creditors to embark on a privatization wave, but has collected only 3.5 billion euros so far. Efforts have been complicated by constantly changing laws for asset sales, court challenges, local opposition, financial upheaval that makes it difficult to value assets, and criticism that prices have dropped so much that assets aren't worth selling.

Proponents of privatization say it can help boost investment and the economy flourish by unleashing market forces. It was particularly popular in countries like the United Kingdom in the 1980s, when Margaret Thatcher sold state-owned assets including water and gas. Though privatizations have taken place elsewhere in Europe, they've been far less prevalent.

But over the past few years during Europe's debt crises, privatizing assets has been a key demand placed on countries being bailed out. Greece notably failed to meet initial targets.

The privatizations have met with varying degrees of resistance, with some arguing that stressed governments such as Greece's are selling assets at below-market prices. Opponents also say privatization reduces job security and transfers wealth to a rich elite.

Greece's development fund doesn't publicly disclose the estimated value of assets it has to offer, but the deal it negotiated for the waterfront renewal project would give Greece 950 million euros in return for a 99-year lease on the property.

A Greek company with backing from Chinese and Arab investors would then build a huge park, a shopping center, a marina, 1,000 hotel rooms and a skyscraper apartment building on what's billed as Europe's largest undeveloped waterfront tract. Multimillion-euro yachts dock at a marina within the parcel that was built for the 2004 Olympics, but a crumbling, two-block-long building with a leaky roof bakes in the sun. It was built for athletes but never used after the games.

The project has been held up by a delay in approval from Parliament, which angers Jiorgos Kourtelis, a boat captain who sees money lost every time he drives by the unused buildings where he'd like to open a coffee shop for marina workers and boat crews.

"Right now it's a waste," said Kourtelis, 45. "They've been trying to solve this and they haven't done very much."

Conflicts between local and state authorities frequently block privatization projects. The Hellenic fund has been unable to sell an 800-slip facility nearby, in part because local officials and a businessman raised objections.

The state-owned marina hadn't paid trash collection fees to the local government for decades, Kourtelis said, so the local government was allowed to build a public swimming pool on the marina's grounds. When the fund tried to sell the marina, local officials didn't want to give up the pool and a businessman with several nightclubs on the premises didn't want to leave either.

Even if Greece could resolve the conflicts that prevent assets from being privatized, the total amount revenue would probably be in the 15-20 billion euros range, said Manos Giakoumis, chief analyst at the Macropolis economic and political analysis website in Athens.

"You have to take into account that market conditions at the moment are very unfavorable," he said. "Even if you say the value of an asset was worth 300 million euros this does not mean this is the actual value of the asset. There are a lot of real estate properties that could be privatized but no one knows the amount that can be raised from this."

Giakoumis believes Greece's need for European financing is now so dire that it will be forced to step up privatizations and deals to allow the private sector use government land and assets.

"If you asked me the same question five months ago I said it would be difficult," he said. "Now I think there is no way for the current government to continue opposing these privatizations. They need to accelerate the final process of approval."

source: philstar.com

Greece faces D-Day after 'difficult' bailout talks halted

BRUSSELS, Belgium - Greece on Sunday faced a final EU summit to clinch a deal that would stop Athens crashing out of the euro after divided eurozone ministers halted "very difficult" talks on a new bailout overnight.

Saturday's meeting of the Eurogroup, comprising finance ministers from the 19-nation single currency area, was supposed to pave the way for all 28 European Union leaders to sign a final agreement at an emergency summit the following day, billed as the last chance to keep Greece in the euro.

But skeptical nations demanded more commitments from Athens, amid claims Berlin had drawn up an "internal paper" for Greece to leave the eurozone for five years, while Finland reportedly decided not to accept any new rescue plan for debt-laden Greece.

Eurogroup chief Jeroen Dijsselbloem said the "issue of credibility and trust was discussed" by ministers, who are wary of the Greek government's commitment to enacting the new reforms which closely resemble those rejected by voters in a surprise referendum.

"We haven't concluded our discussions. It is still very difficult but work is still in progress," said Dijsselbloem after nine hours of grueling talks, adding that they would resume Sunday morning at 0900 GMT.

Finnish Finance Minister Alexander Stubb was more upbeat, despite reports that Finland's parliament has decided it will not allow the government to accept any new bailout deal for Greece.

"We are making good progress," he said.

EU Commissioner for economic affairs Pierre Moscovici, who has been among the most sympathetic to Greece's plight, said: "I am always hopeful."

'Climate not easy'

Creditor institutions have called a new reform plan from leftist Greek Prime Minister Alexis Tsipras for a third bailout worth more than 80 billion euros ($89 billion) a positive step forward after months of wranglings.

The proposals, including pension cuts and tax hikes, were approved by the Greek parliament in the early hours of Saturday despite opposition within Tsipras's ruling radical Syriza party.

But Germany's hardline Finance Minister Wolfgang Schaeuble poured cold water on early optimism at the start of the talks, accusing Athens of repeatedly reneging on its commitments.

"Definitely we cannot trust promises," Schaeuble said. "In the last months hope has been destroyed in an incredible way, even up to just a few hours ago."

A European source said the German finance ministry had even drawn up an "internal paper" for Greece to leave the eurozone for five years if it fails to improve its bailout proposals, but added it was not distributed at Saturday's meeting.

Another source close to the negotiations said the "climate is not easy" and Greek Finance Minister Euclid Tsakalotos was in contact with Athens to see how to restore eurozone confidence in Greece.

The Athens News Agency, meanwhile, reported that Greek government sources believed "some countries, for reasons that have nothing to do with the reforms and the program, don't want an agreement." The sources did not name specific countries.

Even if an agreement is reached, at least eight parliaments will have to weigh in on a final accord, with Germany's Bundestag having to vote twice.

Debt mountain

Tsipras won the backing of 251 out of 300 deputies in the Greek parliament for his reform plans, even though they are similar to the ones that Greeks rejected in last week's referendum.

Athens's creditors fear it will not keep its promises after two previous bailouts worth 240 billion euros merely added to a debt mountain, now worth nearly 180 percent of the country's GDP.

Greece dived deeper into the mire when it became the first developed economy to default on a huge payment to the International Monetary Fund on June 30, the same day as its EU bailout expired.

In Greece, there is growing alarm at capital controls that have closed banks and rationed cash at ATMs for nearly two weeks, and Economy Minister Giorgos Stathakis warned the restrictions will likely stay in place for "months."

Queueing Saturday at a cash machine in Athens, Vassilis Papoutsoglou, 52, said: "We still don't know what will happen tomorrow. Can we expect something better, or is it Armageddon?"

The Greek government hoped the parliamentary vote would give it a mandate to continue the talks with creditors -- but it also revealed the depth of opposition to fresh austerity.

Three senior government figures were among 10 MPs who abstained or voted against, and several others from the ruling leftist Syriza party stayed away, prompting commentators to predict a government shake-up.

Tsipras told parliament the plan was "marginally better" than the proposals put forward by the creditors last month and that Greeks would "succeed not only in staying in Europe but in living as equal peers with dignity and pride."

source: interaksyon.com

Europe tensely awaits Greek voters' decision

BERLIN - German Chancellor Angela Merkel and other EU leaders await with trepidation the outcome of a referendum in Greece Sunday that is already dividing opinion in Europe and could even shape its future.

After months of fruitless talks with its creditors, Greece's dramatic bid to place a bailout decision in the hands of its people will have an impact far beyond the heavily-indebted country's borders, analysts warn.

The vote on whether to support Greece's radical left-led government in its tough anti-austerity line is a "signpost" for future negotiations, said Julian Rappold of the German Council on Foreign Relations.

With fears a "No" vote could lead to Greece exiting the eurozone -- a so-called "Grexit" -- Pawel Tokarski of the German Institute for International and Security Affairs said its impact would reach much further.

It will "determine the future trajectory of European integration," he said.

Merkel, seemingly sanguine last week in remarking that Europe could "calmly" await the result of the referendum because the bloc was "strong," has been at the forefront of efforts to resolve the crisis.

Now, the head of Europe's biggest economy is "faced with a dilemma," Rappold said.

If Greece were to leave the euro, it would signify the failure of Europe's crisis management that Merkel has championed though years of economic turbulence.

"She would not like it to be said that she pushed Greece out of the euro," Rappold added.

She also fears unforeseen economic consequences, a boost for anti-euro groups in some countries and that a "No" vote would be seen as a sign of weakness by nations such as Russia or China, he added.

But if Greek voters defy Tspiras and vote "Yes," Merkel must win parliamentary approval for negotiations on a new aid program for Greece amid growing dissent within her conservative party on the Greece issue.

She would also have to win over a bailout-weary public tired of picking up a lion's share of the bill.

'Nein', 'Oxi'

But the referendum is not just dividing Greeks.

Germany's Bild mass-market daily, which has taken a tough line with Athens since the start of the crisis, held its own referendum, asking readers if they wanted to go on supporting Greece with billions of euros.

It said the response indicated that 89 percent of the 200,000 people who took part said "Nein."

Thousands of Greece supporters meanwhile took to the streets of Barcelona, Paris, Dublin, and Frankfurt to show solidarity with the Greek people and hit back at European policies.

Merkel was greeted by placards stating "Oxi" (no, in Greek) at an event in Berlin Saturday for her Christian Democratic Union party's open day.

In Spain, which has endured its own economic crisis, allies of Greece's Syriza party see the referendum as an historic opportunity to change Europe, months before the country holds its own polls.

Parties on the political right however fear a spread of radical leftist policies.

If Italians were called to vote like the Greeks, 51 percent would support tough measures imposed by Europe to avoid crashing out of the euro, while 30 percent would vote against, according to a recent poll by Ipsos.

And Britain, too, where voters will be called to decide on its future in Europe, sees a particular resonance in the Greek bid.

Different interpretation

Elsewhere among Europe's leadership, European Central Bank chief Mario Draghi will also dread a "No" vote.

He is not accountable to voters but nevertheless is in "an extremely difficult situation," Tokarski said.

Through its emergency funding, the ECB is keeping Greek banks afloat. If it were to stop these loans, it would risk pressing the "Grexit" button -- a decision its chief wants to leave to the politicians.

For now though, the post-referendum scenario is far from clear, especially as the question being posed is open to wide interpretation.

Athens argues it means saying "No" to new austerity measures proposed by creditors in return for aid.

But this proposal has in the meantime expired, leaving others to interpret the referendum as a vote for or against the euro.

"Whatever the result, it will be interpreted differently by political forces in Greece and in the eurozone," Tokarski warned.

source: interaksyon.com

GAY WORLD | 19 countries with same-sex marriage

PARIS, France - Ireland has voted to legalize same-sex marriage, official results showed on Saturday, joining 18 countries which have made, or are in the process of making the change, 13 of them in Europe.

Referendums have previously been held in Croatia and Slovenia, and in both cases voters rejected legalizing gay marriage. In Slovenia same-sex marriages were, however, legalized by parliament in March 2015.

Europe

IRELAND: A constitutional amendment to allow gay marriage is passed in a May 22 referendum by 62 percent in favor to 38 percent against.

Parliament will now have to vote for the change to become law -- a formality since all the political parties were in favor.

THE NETHERLANDS: In April 2001, the Netherlands became the first country to allow gays and lesbians to marry in a civil ceremony and adopt children.

BELGIUM: Same-sex marriage was made legal in June 2003, but some restrictions apply. Homosexual couples were allowed to adopt children in 2006.

SPAIN: The country's socialist government made same-sex marriage legal in July 2005. Homosexual couples were also allowed to adopt, regardless of their marital status.

NORWAY: Homosexuals and heterosexuals were put on the same legal footing in January 2009 and allowed to marry, adopt and resort to assisted reproductive technologies.

SWEDEN: Same-sex couples were allowed to marry in civil or Lutheran Church ceremonies in May 2009. Adoptions for all have been legal since 2003.

PORTUGAL: Same-sex marriage has been legal since June 2010 but adoptions by homosexuals are not.

ICELAND: Same-sex marriages were legalized in June 2010, adoptions by homosexuals in 2006.

DENMARK: Since June 2012, gays and lesbians are allowed to marry in Lutheran Church ceremonies. Denmark was the first country in the world to legalize civil unions for gays and lesbians in 1989.

FRANCE: Same-sex marriage and adoptions by homosexuals were legalized in May 2013.

ENGLAND AND WALES: A law authorizing same-sex marriage was adopted in July 2013, followed by SCOTLAND in February 2014. British-controlled NORTHERN IRELAND remains deeply divided on the issue and is the only part of the United Kingdom not to make the change.

LUXEMBOURG: Parliament approved same-sex marriage in June 2014 and, just months after the law came into force, Prime Minister Xavier Bettel married his gay partner in May 2015.

SLOVENIA: Parliament voted in March 2015 to legalize gay marriage, three years after Slovenians voted against the measure in a referendum.

FINLAND: Voted for gay marriage in 2014, with the law set to come into effect in 2017.

North America

CANADA: A law authorizing same-sex marriage and adoptions entered into force in July 2005.

UNITED STATES: Same-sex marriage is legal in 37 states as well as the capital Washington DC. In a landmark decision in June 2013 the US Supreme Court found that couples in same-sex marriages are entitled to the same benefits and protections as their heterosexual counterparts. Judges are due to rule on the status of gay marriage nationwide in June.

MEXICO: The country's federal capital has allowed same-sex marriage since 2009.

South America

ARGENTINA: In July 2010, Argentina became the first Latin American country to legalize same-sex marriage. Homosexual couples can also adopt.

URUGUAY: In April 2013, Uruguay became the second Latin American country to approve same-sex marriage. It had legalized adoptions by same-sex couples in 2009.

BRAZIL: It has de facto authorized same-sex marriage since May 14, 2013, after the National Council of Justice ordered clerks to register all marriages pending the adoption of a law by parliament.

Africa

SOUTH AFRICA: In November 2006, it became the first African country to legalize same-sex civil partnerships or marriage, also allowing couples to adopt.

Asia-Pacific

NEW ZEALAND: Marriage between homosexuals was legalized in April 2013, around 27 years after homosexuality was decriminalized in the first such decision in the Asia-Pacific region.

source: interaksyon.com

Pope leads global praise for 'historic' thawing of US-Cuba ties

PARIS, France -- Pope Francis led a chorus of global plaudits for Wednesday's breakthrough in US-Cuban relations, hailed as "historic" in Europe and South America and prompting celebrations on the streets of Havana.

In a personal coup for the pope, it emerged that the Vatican had played a central role in bringing together the global capitalist superpower and the tiny communist island.

The Argentinian pontiff sent "warm congratulations" to the former arch-foes for overcoming "the difficulties which have marked their recent history."

The Vatican said the pope had appealed to US President Barack Obama and his Cuban counterpart Raul Castro to end the standoff, offering negotiators his offices in October, paving the way for "solutions acceptable to both parties."

Canadian Prime Minister Stephen Harper noted that his country -- which never broke off ties with Cuba -- had also played its part by hosting the first secret talks in 2013, and welcomed the "overdue development."

The European Union, which is itself moving to normalise ties with Cuba, hailed the announcement as a "historical turning point."

"Today another Wall has started to fall," said EU foreign affairs head Federica Mogherini, adding that the 28-member bloc hoped ultimately to be able to "expand relations with all parts of Cuban society."

In South America, the detente elicited a euphoric response from leaders of the five-nation Mercosur bloc meeting in Argentina, who broke into applause at the news.

Best birthday present

"We're living a historic day," said Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro, leader of Cuba's closest ally and one of its biggest benefactors, at the Argentina summit.

Maduro, whose forerunner Hugo Chavez was a close confidant of Fidel Castro, immediately claimed the thaw as "a moral victory" and "a victory for Fidel."

Praising Pope Francis, who turned 78 on Wednesday, Maduro noted: "It was with his help, and it's the best birthday present."

In Bogota, Colombian President Juan Manuel Santos saluted "the audacity and courage" of the US and Cuban leaders in helping further "the dream of a continent where there will be absolute peace between nations and within them."

And Chile's Foreign Minister Heraldo Munoz spoke for those in Latin America who were frustrated by the diplomatic divide, declaring: "This is the beginning of the end of the Cold War in the Americas."

In Europe, Spain's Foreign Minister Jose Manuel Garcia-Margallo said the move was "of great significance" and seized the opportunity to urge Cuba to improve its rights record.

"This future can only be built on the basis of respect for democracy and human rights," he told reporters in Madrid.

German Foreign Affairs Minister Frank-Walter Steinmeier called the breakthrough "very good news in these times rich with conflict."

Celebrations and anger

In Havana's historic center, overjoyed Cubans took to the streets to celebrate the news, voicing hopes that the breakthrough would lead to an economic revival.

"I have goosebumps all over," said 52-year-old cafeteria worker Ernesto Perez. "It's very important news that will change all our lives."

But among Cubans in Miami's Little Havana, the reaction was one of anger and dismay.

Dozens of people gathered outside Cafe Versailles, a Little Havana landmark, to protest the rapprochement.

"It is a betrayal. The talks are only going to benefit Cuba," said Carlos Munoz Fontanil in Calle Ocho, the heart of an exile community that has long pined for the fall of the Castro regime in Havana.

Some Republican and Democratic lawmakers in Washington took a similar view and warned Congress would block efforts to lift the trade embargo.

"The White House has conceded everything and gained little," said Republican Senator Marco Rubio, blasting the deal as "inexplicable."

source: interaksyon.com

Which European capital wears the WiFi crown?

RIGA, Latia — The Estonian tech-hub city of Tallinn has long laid claim to the title of WiFi capital of Europe – but now it has a challenger.

A Baltic rival has emerged in Latvia, whose capital Riga launched a war of words this week as it seeks to overtake its neighbour in all things Internet.

City authorities teamed up with Latvia’s state-owned Lattelecom telecoms company to buy billboards leading into Riga with the words “European capital of WiFi” cheekily emblazoned across the front.

Statements from city hall followed, pointing out that Riga has one free Wifi zone for every 750 residents, compared to one for every 1,263 in Tallinn.

At the unveiling of the billboards, Riga Mayor Nils Usakovs crowed that his city has “surpassed other European cities in free WiFi coverage”.

Lattelecom CEO Juris Gulbis hailed Latvia as an emerging European “WiFi superpower” for the 4,000 free points dotted across the country of two million.

While the sheer numbers of free WiFi points in European metropolises like London or Paris dwarf those in both Baltic capitals, Riga now claims to trump the rest — especially its northern neighbour — on a per capita basis.

Officials in the Estonian capital are not amused.

After all, their city gave birth to Skype, hosts NATO’s elite cyber-defence centre and claims to offer the highest number of public e-services on the planet.

Vaino Olev, Tallinn City Council’s head of IT services leapt to defend his city’s high tech credentials.

In a subtle dig at Riga’s supposed modernity, Olev also suggested that free WiFi is actually yesterday’s news.

“This sounds more like Riga has set an ambitious goal for itself,” he told AFP.

“Due to the booming popularity of smart devices among city residents, the number of WiFi areas in Tallinn has stabilised rather than increased – interest in public free WiFi has diminished,” he said.

“This, of course, is mainly due to the local mobile phone operators offering low prices on smart phone packages. The main WiFi users in Tallinn now are tourists,” Olev said.

Estonia, with its population of just 1.3 million people, has made a name for itself for being a trailblazer in technology and notably pioneered e-voting in 2005.

After five decades of Soviet rule ended in 1991, Estonia opted to use existing computer engineering facilities to go hi-tech as quickly as possible.

It earned the nickname “E-stonia” as it outstripped most other members of the European Union, which it joined in 2004.

Officials in Latvia have watched Estonia’s success closely, and have responded by investing heavily in infrastructure in a bid to spur growth.

source: interaksyon.com

How US supplanted WWI-ravaged Europe as economic center

PARIS - The dollar's supremacy and the United States' global economic dominance were built on the ruins of a Europe devastated by World War I, which dramatically ended a virtual stranglehold on world power that had lasted four centuries.

The US had been the main industrial power since the end of the 19th Century -- in 1913 its per-capita GDP was nearly 30 percent higher than that of Europe's richest country, Britain.

But thanks to American isolationism Europe remained the world's banker, with all the political power that went with that position.

On the eve of war, the combined foreign investments of Britain, France, and Germany were worth 10 times those of the US, according to French historian Antoine Prost.

Within just five years, the situation had been completely reversed. Europe's coffers had been bled dry by a conflict whose long duration it had not foreseen, and which had cost 50 times more than experts had predicted in 1914.

In ruining Europe, the conflict had "gone some way toward redefining the hierarchy of global economic powers -- with the US at the top -- along lines that remain largely unchanged today," said economic historian Olivier Feiertag.

French historian and economist Alain Plessis estimates the direct cost of the war for the six main belligerents at between 150 and 170 billion dollars, or between three and four times their GDP.

In addition, Europeans had to deal with the massive cost of reconstruction, of pensions for millions of war wounded, widows and orphans, and for industrial reconversion.

The war had also cost the European powers the bulk of their gold reserves. Much of this was lost to the US, which doubled its stock of the precious metal between 1913 and 1919.

When war broke out, it held 40 percent of world gold reserves; by 1923, that figure had swelled to 50 percent.

"There can be scarcely any doubt that World War I, by changing the division of metal reserves in a durable way, is the starting point for the international supremacy of the American currency that marked the whole of the 20th Century," said Feiertag.

Debt-based global economy

This new supremacy was reinforced by the fact that by the end of the war the US was the world's biggest lender, having supplanted its European allies who had borrowed more than 10 billion dollars to finance the conflict.

"Between 1914 and 1919 Europe went from net creditor to the rest of the world to the biggest debtor," said Feiertag.

Debt -- both foreign and domestic -- would in turn weigh down Europe's major economies. In 1931, 52 percent of the French state's budget went on servicing public debt taken on during and after the war and paying war pensions.

This, combined with a major increase in public spending, fed into inflation rates unheard of before the war.

Prices had doubled in France and Britain and quadrupled in Germany and Austria-Hungary during the war.

After it ended, they went sky-high, permanently weakening Europe's currencies -- with the notable exception of sterling.

Britain had invested heavily in North America before the war. Spared any direct action on its soil, it did not have reconstruction costs, and it had relied more than its neighbors on taxes to fund the fighting.

It therefore came out of the war in better financial shape than other nations in Europe. Even victorious France had lost the bulk of its foreign capital -- held in central Europe and Russia -- and had to deal with destruction on a massive scale.

The French franc was to lose two-thirds of its value between 1919 and 1928, while the German mark collapsed in a bout of hyperinflation that plunged the economy into crisis in 1922 and 1923.

Economic and monetary chaos proved just as lasting in most of the countries that succeeded Europe's defeated empires -- among them Bolshevik Russia, Hungary, Austria, Czechoslovakia, and Finland.

The conflict also laid the foundations for a debt-based global economy that persists to this day, according to Feiertag.

For the US, the war "marked its arrival on a global stage that not only would it not leave, but that it would come to lead," ending centuries of European dominance, said French historian Jean-Jacques Becker.

source: interaksyon.com

China, Europe to drive telecom network investment in 2014

STOCKHOLM/PARIS — Telecoms network operators are expected to spend more on equipment for the second straight year in 2014, with China and Europe bringing a fresh spurt of growth as service providers need to build out high speed 4G mobile broadband networks.

Market research group Gartner sees global sales of network equipment to carriers rising 6 percent to $85.4 billion this year, up from 3 percent last year. Asia, excluding Japan, should grow 7 percent, and Europe and North America 6 percent.

Specialist telecoms forecaster Dell’Oro is less bullish but still expects 3 percent growth, compared with 2 percent in 2013.

The predictions are good news for Europe’s network equipment makers – Sweden’s Ericsson, Finland’s Nokia and Franco-American group Alcatel-Lucent – but analysts do not expect a softening of brutal price competition with low-cost Chinese rivals.

Nor will all the vendors fare the same. China Mobile’s huge roll-out of 4G will be more of a boon for domestic firms Huawei and ZTE that won two thirds of the work. But China is a mixed bag for Ericsson, Alcatel and Nokia, boosting sales but dragging on margins since sales there commanded lower prices.

In Europe, Ericsson and Huawei are best positioned to benefit from growth because they are major suppliers to Vodafone, which is due to spend 7 billion pounds under its ‘Project Spring’ program by March 2016 to increase the speed and coverage of its networks.

“Ericsson has higher exposure to Europe, so that will largely offset the weight from China contracts and protect the margins, while Alcatel-Lucent is more at risk because of its smaller scale in Europe,” said Bernstein analyst Pierre Ferragu.

U.S. slowdown

Analysts are less certain how much United States operators will spend this year as market leaders Verizon and AT&T have largely finished building their 4G networks, leaving them to add further capacity when customer demand requires it.

However, others want to catch up on 4G to compete. Third-largest operator Sprint plans to spend $8 billion this year and next on a major network upgrade. Backed by Japan’s Softbank, Sprint chose Alcatel, Nokia and Samsung as suppliers, dropping long-time vendor Ericsson.

T-Mobile US, which is owned by Deutsche Telekom, also spent $3.3 billion in January to buy mobile spectrum from Verizon to beef up its coverage.

Gartner predicts North American operators will spend 9 percent more on mobile gear this year, from 6 percent last year. But investment bank UBS expects capital expenditures on mobile networks to rise only 1 percent and Bernstein sees it as flat.

Gartner analyst Akshay Sharma said Sprint’s plan showed that upside surprise was possible. “That could be a game changer, if you are all of a sudden spending billions on network roll-outs,” he said.

However, if Sprint and T-Mobile merge, as sources have said Softbank is currently working on, it could throw operators’ network investment plans into question.

Europe could also grow faster than expected if Telefonica, Telecom Italia and Deutsche Telekom react to Vodafone splashing out on its networks.

“Vodafone is putting pressure on everyone. We could end up with a pretty good year in Europe in mobile equipment,” said Exane BNP Paribas analyst Alexandre Peterc.

Prices fall

Despite a positive outlook for growth, few executives or investors expect an end to a decade-long price war launched by the Chinese vendors when they were trying to conquer foreign markets. Industry leader Ericsson’s margins have dropped below 10 percent from more than 20 percent in 2005, while Alcatel-Lucent has posted an annual profit only once – in 2011 – since it was formed in a transatlantic merger in 2006.

Although some price pressure has faded as Huawei has stopped fighting for market share to focus on margins, equipment prices look set to keep falling, according to a UBS survey of purchasing managers.

Some 42 percent of respondents expect telecom equipment prices to drop even more than usual over the next year, whereas 30 percent expected a “typical” decline of 10 to 15 percent. This was a shift from the last survey when 80 percent expected prices to fall at their normal rate or less.

Nokia’s network equipment business NSN could sacrifice margins to win contracts this year because it needs to boost revenues, which analysts say fell by around 17 percent last year.

“They will be aggressive, but I don’t think it will totally kill pricing in the sector, because there simply aren’t enough new contracts up for bid this year,” said Exane’s Peterc.

Nokia is first to report earnings for the fourth quarter and full year, on January 23, with Ericsson following a week later and Alcatel-Lucent two weeks later, on February 6.

source: interaksyon.com

European bookshops unite vs. Internet

FRANKFURT - European bookshops are taking a stand against competition from the Internet, boosted by a renaissance in independent stores and their enhanced know-how despite still facing a difficult climate, industry players say.

"The findings are the same everywhere: it's difficult," Matthieu de Montchalin, president of the national trade union of French bookshops, said.

"France is one of the only countries in Europe, with Germany, which is succeeding in stemming the fall in the book market," he added after participating in an event on Europe's book sector at the Frankfurt Book Fair.

He said independent book stores were doing better than chain stores. "The independent shops are succeeding in keeping their customers and their sales are stable even if they are not going up," he added.

The book market continues to drop off but Internet sales are increasing at a slower pace than in the past, allowing traditional book shops to limit the damage.

France has 20,000 points of sale for books -- and 2,500 bookshops -- and the figure is not waning, according to the bookshops' union.

Meanwhile in Germany, book store sales alone rose by 0.9 percent in January to September compared to a year earlier.

That was slightly more than the 0.8-percent increase for all book distribution methods, according to the German Publishers and Booksellers Association.

Its president Gottfried Honnefelder said although the figures were small, they showed a "trend", with book stores projecting a "new self-confidence" in Germany.

And he vigorously warned that a fixed price agreement on new books, used by Germany and 10 other European countries, must continue, not least to save the bookshops.

"If this is sacrificed during the planned free trade negotiations between the EU Commission and the US, under pressure from the large Internet providers such as Amazon, Apple and Google, the anonymous, entirely manipulative power of money will gain ascendancy over the intellect," Honnefelder told the fair's inauguration this week.

"It would be the death knell for the high street bookshop."

New ways for supporting bookshops have recently been initiated, including a bill approved unanimously by French lawmakers last week to restrict the likes of Amazon from combining free delivery with discounts of up to five percent on books, the maximum allowed under existing French legislation.

"We look at France actually in many matters as an example," said Juergen Boos, director of the Frankfurt fair this week.

And around 100 regional independent book stores in France have grouped together to form an internet site -- Leslibraires.fr -- to make their collective stock of 750,000 more visible and offer a delivery service to customers.

"Books Are My Bag" is a campaign, meanwhile, to promote bookshops in Britain and Ireland, launched in September by publishers, bookshops and authors.

"In fact, 56 percent of all book-buying decisions are made by consumers in a bookshop and high street bookshops -- both chains and independents -- still account for almost 40 percent of books bought by consumers," the campaign says.

"Yet, many high street bookshops are under threat."

source: interaksyon.com

Merkel wins absolute majority in Germany

BERLIN - Chancellor Angela Merkel clinched a surprise absolute majority in her winning bid for a third term in German elections Sunday, estimates on public television indicated.

Voters turned out in droves to reward Merkel, often called the world's most powerful woman, with another four years at the helm for steering them unscathed through the debt turmoil that engulfed the eurozone's southern flank.

But in one of the tightest races in German history, they punished her pro-business partner, the Free Democrats, kicking them out of parliament for the first time since 1949, according to preliminary results on two public television networks.

Merkel's stunning 42.5 percent score -- the conservatives' highest result since national reunification in 1990 -- means that she may become the only chancellor to govern without a junior partner since Germany's first post-war leader, Konrad Adenauer.

"Together we will do everything in the next four years to again make them successful years for Germany," Merkel told cheering members of her Christian Democratic Union (CDU) in Berlin.

"The party leadership will discuss everything when we have a final result but we can already celebrate tonight," a beaming Merkel told supporters, including her chemist husband Joachim Sauer, a music fan who so rarely appears in public he is nicknamed "The Phantom of the Opera".

An upstart anti-euro party, AfD, appeared to fall just short of the five-percent hurdle to representation with their bid to tap into anger over German contributions to bailout packages for stricken eurozone partners.

Exit polls had initially pointed to an awkward left-right "grand coalition" between Merkel's Christian Democrats and their traditional opponents, the centre-left Social Democrats (SPD), which scored around 26 percent.

Merkel led a fractious grand coalition during her first term in 2005-2009, with the SPD's chancellor candidate this time around, Peer Steinbrueck, as her finance minister.

Political scientist Nils Diederich said Merkel had a tendency to bleed her coalition partners dry.

"You can compare Ms Merkel to a spider that feeds on the flies it captures," he told AFP.

"That is what she did to the Social Democrats in 2009 and that is what she is doing now with the FDP."

A physicist by training, Merkel is only the third person to win a third term in Germany after Adenauer and Helmut Kohl, the father of German unity.

If she serves at least until 2017, she will become Europe's longest serving female leader, besting Margaret Thatcher who was Britain's prime minister for 11 years.

While Merkel became Germany's most popular post-war chancellor, the eurozone crisis laid waste to the careers of leaders in hard-hit countries such as Ireland, Portugal, Italy, Greece, Spain and France.

In contrast to Merkel's austerity-driven response to the eurozone crisis, the SPD called for a bit more generosity and patience with nations as they pay back their debts.

But voters handed Merkel a landslide, fully endorsing her strategy of demanding biting reforms in exchange for funding bailouts.

The near success of the AfD, which advocates ditching the single currency and an "orderly dissolution" of the 17-member eurozone, sent a jolt through German politics, where a eurosceptic party has never gained a foothold.

In a last-minute appeal for votes at a Berlin rally Saturday, Merkel had urged voters not to succumb to the AfD's siren call.

"The stabilisation of the euro is not just a good thing for Europe but it is also in Germany's fundamental interest," she said.

Nearly 62 million people were called to the polls after a campaign many voters complained was largely superficial and personality-based.

Economic growth is steady, unemployment at below seven percent -- its lowest level in two decades -- and the political culture is dominated by a long post-war tradition of consensus rather than red-blooded jousting.

That left few issues to separate the main candidates.

"I think we have a good standard of living in Europe, and for me, this must remain stable. So, to me, voting for the extremes, on the left or the right, isn't an answer," Sister Elisabeth Bauer, a nun, told AFP as she cast her vote in Berlin.

The ecologist Greens party, the SPD's preferred coalition partner, scored around a disappointing eight percent in Sunday's poll.

And the far-left Die Linke, which has roots in former East Germany's ruling communist party, also tallied about eight percent but the SPD has repeatedly ruled out forming a coalition with it at the national level.

The brash, gaffe-prone Steinbrueck stumbled again in the home-stretch of the campaign with a front-page magazine photo of him making a surly middle-finger reply to a question on his limping candidacy.

He had zeroed in on a growing low-wage sector, but it was not enough to dislodge Merkel from the top job.

"The SPD did not lead a campaign devoid of content," Steinbrueck said late Sunday in a jab aimed at Merkel.

"But we did not achieve the result we wanted."

source: interaksyon.com

Germany votes with Merkel set for third term

BERLIN - Germany votes Sunday with Chancellor Angela Merkel poised to win a third term, making her Europe's only major leader to survive its financial crisis but potentially forced into governing with her main rivals.

After shepherding Europe's top economy through the debt turmoil, Merkel emerged more popular than ever due to her motherly reassurance as the crisis felled leaders in France, Greece, Italy, and Spain.

Pollsters suggest that voters will re-elect the 59-year-old, whose nickname "Mutti" ("Mummy") can seem incongruous with her other often-used description as the world's most powerful woman.

But the burning question will be with whom she will govern.

"Rarely was it so close. Merkel's coalition only has a razor-thin majority in the polls," the Sueddeutsche Zeitung daily said, adding that many of the near 62 million voters only make up their minds at the last minute.

Merkel boasts her current center-right coalition has been Germany's most successful since reunification in 1990, enjoying a robust economy and a jobless rate of less than seven percent.

But her stated aim for her conservative Christian Democratic Union (CDU) to stay in power with its junior partners, the pro-business Free Democratic Party (FDP), hinges on the smaller party's unpredictable fortunes.

"The continued governing by this coalition remains uncertain," Gero Neugebauer, a political scientist from Berlin's Free University said.

If the alliance fails to rally a ruling majority, Merkel could be forced back into the arms of her traditional rivals, the Social Democrats (SPD), with whom she governed in a loveless "grand coalition" during her first term.

Under the watchful eye of Germany's European partners, a new eurosceptic party, the Alternative for Germany (AfD) could also prove a wild card, either by clawing enough support to send MPs into parliament or wooing disgruntled centre-right voters away.

"For Chancellor Merkel the eurosceptics are becoming a problem," Spiegel Online commented on the eve of the vote.

"If the protest party manages to jump into the Bundestag (lower house of parliament), that may cost the black-yellow coalition power," it added, referring to the colour code for Merkel's current alliance.

Three polls in the run-up show the AfD, which advocates ditching the single currency and an "orderly dissolution" of the eurozone, falling below the five-percent hurdle needed to enter parliament.

But some analysts and pollsters have not ruled it out amid fresh Greek aid fears, stressing it is hard to assess the fledgling party's chances because it has no election track record and supporters may not own up to backing it in surveys.

Merkel again hammered home Europe's importance for Germany at a last-chance push for votes in Berlin Saturday, saying her country "can only do well in the long term if all of Europe does well."

"This is why the stabilization of the euro is not just a good thing for Europe but it is also in Germany's fundamental interest," she said, as a band belted out "Angie must save the world."

Supporters of stronger stimulus measures have pinned their hopes on the SPD whose gaffe-prone candidate Peer Steinbrueck, 66, has struggled to score points and still trailed Merkel's conservatives by 13 points in the last opinion poll.

A former finance minister in Merkel's 2005-2009 grand coalition, Steinbrueck has run into trouble during the campaign, most recently with a surly middle-finger front-page photo of him as a non-verbal reply to a question on his stumbling candidacy.

He has zeroed in on the growing low-wage sector and calls for an across-the-board minimum wage, while Merkel favors more flexible pay agreements hammered out between employers and unions, regionally and by sector.

In his final-day stump speech, he urged voters to remove "the most inactive government that has made the most reversals" in over two decades and mocked the famously ideologically flexible Merkel for "going round and round."

Polls open at 0600 GMT, with initial television estimates expected shortly after booths close at 1600 GMT.

source: interaksyon.com

EU proposes end to roaming charges in radical mobile shake-up

BRUSSELS — Europe’s Digital Agenda commissioner Neelie Kroes on Thursday proposed a radical shake-up of the mobile phone services market, including an end to roaming charges long denounced by consumer groups.

Kroes said the EU should show the way forward, creating a real single market for telecoms to deliver benefits which will boost economic growth and jobs.

Looking ahead to the 2014 EU elections, Kroes called on European Parliament lawmakers to show “citizens that the EU is relevant to their lives.

“I want you to be able to go back to your constituents and say that you were able to end mobile roaming costs,” she said, referring to the surcharges levied by telecoms operators when a customer uses a mobile phone or tablet outside their home country.

Kroes said she would also be pressing for “real action on cybercrime” and guaranteeing Internet neutrality.

The measures if agreed, would be implemented by 2015 or 2016.

“Markets must function, devices must function, networks must function and investment needs to happen … we can’t afford today’s countless, needless, artificial obstacles placed in the way,” Kroes said.

source: interaksyon.com

Lindsey Vonn and Tiger Woods say they're dating

ORLANDO, Florida (AP) - Sport has a new power couple: Tiger Woods and Lindsey Vonn confirmed they're dating.

Two months after rumours began circulating in Europe, Woods and Vonn posted separate items on their Facebook pages on Monday afternoon to announce their relationship. The posts include photos of golf's 14-time major winner and the Olympic and World Cup downhill ski champion.

"This season has been great so far and I'm happy with my wins at Torrey and Doral," Woods said. "Something nice that's happened off the course was meeting Lindsey Vonn. Lindsey and I have been friends for some time, but over the last few months we have become very close and are now dating."

Woods made a stop in Austria - where Vonn was competing in the Alpine skiing world championships - in January on his way to Abu Dhabi to start his season. Two weeks ago, after he won the Cadillac Championship at Doral for his second win this year, The Daily Mail published photos that showed a woman, who appeared to be Vonn, in a golf cart at the marina where Woods' yacht "Privacy" was docked.

source: straitstimes.com

Eurozone sinks further into recession

BRUSSELS  - The 17-nation eurozone sank further into recession in the last three months of 2012 as the debt crisis continued to exact a heavy price, official data showed Wednesday.

The eurozone economy shrank 0.6 percent in the fourth quarter of 2012 compared with the third quarter when it contracted 0.1 percent, the Eurostat data agency said, confirming initial estimates given in February.

For the full 27-member European Union, the economy was 0.5 percent smaller in the fourth quarter after a marginal gain of 0.1 percent in the third, Eurostat said.

A recession is counted as two consecutive quarterly economic contractions.

Compared with fourth quarter 2011, the eurozone economy was down 0.9 percent and the EU 27 off 0.6 percent.

Among the major economies, European powerhouse Germany shrank 0.6 percent in the fourth quarter after a gain of 0.2 percent in the third and France slipped 0.3 percent after growth of 0.1 percent.

Non-euro Britain lost 0.3 percent after sharp growth of 1.0 percent in the third quarter, boosted by the London Olympics.

Among the fourth quarter best performers were Estonia, which grew 0.9 percent and Lithuania, up 0.7 percent, while bailed-out Portugal was the weakest, with its economy shrinking 1.8 percent.

Eurostat said that for 2012 as a whole, the eurozone economy contracted 0.6 percent and the EU 0.3 percent.

Data so far for 2013 suggests the European economy is stabilising after a very bad 2012 but the outlook remains weak and uncertain.

Howard Archer of IHS Global Insight said the eurozone recession may have deepened in the fourth quarter but it should mark the bottom of the slump.

"The good news is that the fourth quarter of 2012 almost certainly marked the low point for eurozone economic activity as a significant easing of eurozone sovereign debt tensions underpinned by the European Central Bank's policy actions" has boosted confidence and the markets, Archer said in a statement.

"The bad news is that real economic activity is yet to show major improvement in many countries and it looks highly likely that growth will remain a major struggle for the eurozone for some time to come."

source: interaksyon.com