NEWS,31.01.2012.

More than 60 dead in Eastern Europe cold snap

       A woman carries fire wood on a street in Bucharest as she deals with the cold snap 

More than 60 people have died in a cold snap across Eastern Europe, authorities said on Tuesday, forcing some countries to call in the army to help secure food and medical supplies and set up emergency shelters for the homeless. The temperature in Ukraine sank to minus 33 degrees Celsius, the coldest in six years, while eastern Bosnia experienced lows of minus 31C and Poland, Romania and Bulgaria minus 30C.Forecasters said the cold spell would last until Friday with further heavy snow expected across the region on Wednesday. At least 30 people, most of them homeless, have died in Ukraine in the past five days, the Emergencies Ministry said. Another 500 people were treated in hospital for frostbite and other cold-related ailments. January temperatures in Ukraine do not normally sink below minus 15C. The ministry said 1600 centres had been set up to provide shelter and hand out food for the homeless. Five people died in Bulgaria and eight in Romania, where troops were called in last week to rescue hundreds of people stranded in cars by blizzards. The Black Sea was frozen around the Romanian resort of Mamaia, and across the border in Bulgaria a salt lake froze for the first time in 58 years. Five people were reported dead in Poland overnight, bringing to 15 the number to have died since temperatures dropped at the weekend. Several suffered carbon monoxide poisoning from old or faulty heaters, the Interior Affairs Ministry said. At least three people have died in heavy snow in Serbia's mountain regions to the south and southeast. Authorities declared a state of emergency in 13 municipalities and deployed the army and fire-fighters to get supplies to remote villages.” The situation is gradually being restored to normal," said Predrag Maric, head of the Interior Ministry's emergency situations department. Dozens of villages were cut off by two metres of snow in eastern Bosnia, where the frozen body of a man was found at the weekend.

NEWS,30.01.2012.

Iran will stop oil sales to 'some countries'

Iran has sent conflicting signals in a dispute with the West over its nuclear ambitions, vowing to stop oil exports soon to "some" countries but postponing a parliamentary debate on a proposed halt to such sales to the European Union. The Islamic Republic declared itself optimistic about a visit by UN nuclear experts that began today but also warned the inspectors to be "professional" or see Tehran reducing cooperation with the world body on atomic matters. The International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) inspection delegation will seek to advance efforts to resolve a row about nuclear work which Iran says is for making electricity but the West suspects is aimed at seeking a nuclear weapon. Tensions with the West rose this month when Washington and the European Union (EU) imposed the toughest sanctions yet in a drive to force Tehran to provide more information on its nuclear programme. The measures take direct aim at the ability of OPEC's second biggest oil exporter to sell its crude. In a remark suggesting Iran would fight sanctions with sanctions, Iran's oil minister said the Islamic state would soon stop exporting crude to "some" countries. Rostam Qasemi did not identify the countries but was speaking less than a week after the EU's 27 member states agreed to stop importing crude from Iran from July 1."Soon we will cut exporting oil to some countries," the state news agency IRNA quoted Qasemi as saying. Iranian lawmakers had been due to debate a bill today that could have cut off oil supplies to the EU in days, in a move calculated to hit ailing European economies before the EU-wide ban on took effect. But Iranian MPs postponed discussing the measure."No such draft bill has yet been drawn up and nothing has been submitted to the parliament. What exists is a notion by the deputies which is being seriously pursued to bring it to a conclusive end," Emad Hosseini, spokesman for parliament's Energy Committee, told Mehr. Iranian officials say sanctions have had no impact on the country.” Iranian oil has its own market, even if we cut our exports to Europe," oil minister Qasemi said. Another lawmaker, Mohammad Karim Abedi, said the bill would oblige the government to cut Iran's oil supplies to the European Union for five to 15 years, the semi-official Fars news agency reported. By turning the sanctions back on the EU, lawmakers hope to deny the bloc a six-month window it had planned to give those of its members most dependent on Iranian oil - including some of the most economically fragile in southern Europe - to adapt. The Mehr news agency quoted Foreign Minister Ali Akbar Salehi as saying during a trip to Ethiopia: "We are very optimistic about the outcome of the IAEA delegation's visit to Iran ... Their questions will be answered during this visit.” We have nothing to hide and Iran has no clandestine (nuclear) activities.” Striking a sterner tone, Iran's parliament speaker, Ali Larijani, warned the IAEA team to carry out a "logical, professional and technical" job or suffer the consequences.” This visit is a test for the IAEA. The route for further cooperation will be open if the team carries out its duties professionally," said Larijani, state media reported.” Otherwise, if the IAEA turns into a tool (for major powers to pressure Iran), then Iran will have no choice but to consider a new framework in its ties with the agency."Iran's parliament in the past has approved bills to oblige the government to review its level of cooperation with the IAEA. However, Iran's top officials have always underlined the importance of preserving ties with the watchdog body. Before departing from Vienna, IAEA Deputy Director General Herman Nackaerts said he hoped the Islamic state would tackle the watchdog's concerns "regarding the possible military dimensions of Iran's nuclear programme”. The head of the state-run National Iranian Oil Company (NIOC) said late on Saturday that the export embargo would hit European refiners, such as Italy's Eni, that are owed oil from Iran as part of long-standing buy-back contracts under which they take payment for past oilfield projects in crude.

"The European companies will have to abide by the provisions of the buyback contracts," Ahmad Qalebani told the ISNA news agency. "If they act otherwise, they will be the parties to incur the relevant losses and will subject the repatriation of their capital to problems.” Italy’s Eni is owed $1.7-1.8 billion in oil for contracts it executed in Iran in 2000 and 2001 and has been assured by EU policymakers its buyback contracts will not be part of the European embargo, but the prospect of Iran acting first may put that into doubt.Eni declined to comment today. The EU accounted for 25% of Iranian crude oil sales in the third quarter of 2011. However, analysts say the global oil market will not be overly disrupted if parliament votes for the bill that would turn off the oil tap for Europe. Potentially more disruptive to the world oil market and global security is the risk of Iran's standoff with the West escalating into military conflict.Iran has repeatedly said it could close the vital Strait of Hormuz shipping lane if sanctions succeed in preventing it from exporting crude, a move Washington said it would not tolerate. The IAEA's visit may be an opportunity to defuse some of the tension. Director General Yukiya Amano has called on Iran to show a "constructive spirit" and Tehran has said it is willing to discuss "any issues" of interest to the UN agency, including the military-linked concerns. But Western diplomats, who have often accused Iran of using such offers of dialogue as a stalling tactic while it presses ahead with its nuclear programme, say they doubt Tehran will show the kind of concrete cooperation the IAEA wants. They say Iran may offer limited concessions and transparency to try to ease intensifying international pressure, but that this is unlikely to amount to the full cooperation required. The outcome could determine whether Iran will face further isolation or whether there are prospects for resuming wider talks between Tehran and the major powers on the nuclear row. Salehi said Iran "soon" would write a letter to the EU's foreign policy chief Catherine Ashton to discuss "a date and venue" for fresh nuclear talks.” Iran’s top nuclear negotiator Saeed Jalili in this letter, which may be sent in the coming days, also may mention other issues as well," Salehi said, without elaborating. The last round of talks in January 2011 between Jalili and Ashton, who represents major powers, failed over Iran's refusal to halt its sensitive nuclear work."The talks will be successful as the other party seems interested in finding a way out of this deadlock," Salehi said.

NEWS,29.01.2012.

EU could face long-term oil ban from Iran

Iran is considering banning all oil exports to the European Union (EU) for five to 15 years, a senior Iranian lawmaker was quoted as saying, while its deputy oil minister said prices would surge if the EU stopped importing Iranian crude. Iranian lawmakers had been expected to debate a bill today to ban exports of Iranian crude to Europe in a move calculated to hit ailing European economies before an EU-wide ban on any Iranian oil comes into effect in July.Emad Hosseini, a member of Iran's Energy Commission, told the semi-official Mehr news agency no draft bill had been drawn up but that lawmakers were considering a preemptive ban on oil exports to the EU, while a member of Iran's National Security and Foreign Policy Commission said any ban would last at least five years."We will change the threat into an opportunity for Iran and cut Iran's oil supplies to the Europeans for five to 15 years," Mohammad Karim Abedi was quoted as saying by the semi-official Fars news agency today.” We will not leave enemies' sanctions unanswered and we will impose other sanctions on them in addition to closing Iran's oil supplies to Europe.

"EU imports of Iranian crude rose to about 700,000 bpd in the third quarter Last year, up more than 7% from the second quarter, with some of Europe's most fragile economies among the biggest buyers.” Banning oil imports from the Islamic Republic of Iran, but delaying the implementation of this ban for six months indicates Europe's fear," the Vice-Chairman of the parliament's National Security and Foreign Policy Commission, Hossein Ebrahimi, told Fars.Escalating tensions between Iran and Western allies over Tehran's nuclear programme, particularly Iranian threats to close the vital Straits of Hormuz Gulf oil export route, have helped push up Brent crude prices by about $15a barrel since mid December. Benchmark Brent crude prices rose to around $150,00 a barrel on Friday on expectations Iran's parliament could vote to halt exports to the EU next week and Iran's deputy oil minister said on Sunday oil prices could hit $182 a barrel because of the EU ban.” Although a precise prediction cannot be made on oil prices, it seems we will witness a $120  to $150 oil price per barrel in future," Ahmad Qalebani was quoted by the official IRNA news agency as saying. But analysts say the world is likely to have more oil this summer - thanks to additional output from Saudi Arabia, Iraq and Libya that will make up for any lost from Iran under the EU ban - which could weigh on oil prices.At the same time, demand for cheap Iranian oil from China and other Asian countries that do not back Western sanctions may mean world oil flows are merely diverted rather than cut, although some of Europe's shakiest economies may have to pay more for alternative supplies. China and India have made clear they are keen to soak up any spare Iranian oil, even as US Treasury measures to choke Tehran's dollar trade make it harder to pay for supplies.Qalebani said Iran would have no problem selling any oil it does not export to Europe and that India would remain a good customer of Iranian oil despite running up debts of $9.7 billion dollars due to US efforts to block oil payments to Tehran. Europe and the United States hope that tougher sanctions aimed at starving Iran of oil revenues can force Tehran to stop a nuclear development programme that Iran says is purely for energy purposes but which the Western allies suspect includes a weapons programme. It is now unclear when Iranian lawmakers will vote on Iran's response to the January 23 decision by the 27 EU member states to stop all their imports of Iranian oil from July 1.Hosseini said any proposal would first have to be discussed by the Energy Commission and then other key government officials before being submitted to parliament for approval.

NEWS,28.01.2012.

 Spain demands new 'realism' from EU over austerity

Spain's prime minister, Mariano Rajoy, 

meets German chancellor Angela Merkel.Spanish unemployment breaks through the 5 million barrier, the new government of Mariano Rajoy has begun to put pressure on the European Union to ease Spain's deficit targets, which are sending the country hurtling back into recession.Rajoy's government is demanding greater "realism" from Brussels as it struggles to rein in a deficit that ended more than two percentage points, or €20bn, above its EU-set 6% target last year.EU officials are unlikely to greet his message with enthusiasm after continued wrangling in Athens over a deal with private creditors and a torrid day on the bond markets that pushed Portugal closer to needing a Greek-style rescue. Brussels indicated that talks in Greece would take at least another 48 hours.And on Friday, ratings agency Fitch downgraded five countries – Spain, Italy, Belgium, Cyprus and Slovenia – with Spain pushed down by two notches. The move came two weeks after Standard & Poor's downgraded nine eurozone countries, including France, which lost its coveted AAA status.Rajoy's attempt to strike a more relaxed deal on debt echoes that of Italy's new technocrat prime minister, Mario Monti, who has been telling German policymakers that austerity alone may not be the answer to the eurozone's problems.EU leaders will meet in Brussels on Monday: the agenda will include tweaking policies to promote jobs and growth. A draft of the summit statement obtained by the Guardian says: "Growth and employment will only resume if we pursue a consistent and broad-based approach, combining fiscal consolidation, sound macroeconomic policies as well as an active employment strategy. We will stay the course and emerge from this crisis stronger.” José Manuel Barroso, the European commission's president, said: "We cannot resort to fiscal stimulus to boost growth.” Spain, which already boasted Europe's worst unemployment rate, recorded a further 350,000 job losses in the last quarter of 2011.That rate now stands at 22.8% of the population and is set to worsen as Rajoy's conservative People's party government pursues a €40bn (£33bn) budget adjustment, most of it in spending cuts, to meet the EU's deficit target of 4.4% this year.Pressure for Brussels to review Spain's deficit came as bond investors began to abandon neighbouring Portugal, with 10-year bond yields soaring to 15%. Bonds expert Gary Jenkins of Swordfish said: "They may have crossed the Rubicon in the eyes of the market". He believes the talks between the Greek government and its bondholders might "become a template for Portugal in how to deal with their debt, which would not be good news for investors." S&P already rates Portugal's bonds as "junk", along with Greece's.With a record 5.3m unemployed, Spain is facing a spiral of decline. The IMF, led by a former euro-area finance minister, Christine Lagarde (pictured below), has already predicted that the economy will shrink by 1.7% this year, with a further decline in 2013.Further evidence that public austerity programmes were damaging the wider Spanish economy came from figures on company closures. Around 35,000 companies folded in the second half of the year – a third of all those to have shut since Spain's economy ran into trouble at the end of 2008.

While Rajoy, who met Germany's chancellor, Angel Merkel, in Berlin on Thursday, publicly maintains his target of reducing the deficit to 4.4% from more than 8% last year, his ministers are now letting it be known that they want substantial adjustments to Brussels's programme.Budget minister Cristóbal Montoro was explicit about the need for the EU to adjust its predictions – and, logically, its targets. "I am sure that no one, in Europe or anywhere else, is interested in including growth estimates that are not going to be met," he said, adding he was convinced change would come. That, he said, would help the government to be "realistic" about its options.The socialist opposition, meanwhile, is already complaining that Rajoy has not persuaded Brussels to relax the pressure. "The rope is tightening around our neck," said Carme Chacón, one of two candidates to succeed former prime minister José Luis Rodríguez Zapatero as party leader.Rajoy's government has already announced a combination of income tax rises and spending cuts that will bring a €15bn adjustment, but that is less than half of what is needed.

NEWS,27.01.2012.

Germany pushing for Greece to give up budget controls

 
Germany is pushing for Greece to relinquish control over its budget policy to European institutions as part of discussions over a second rescue package, a European source said today.” There are internal discussions within the Euro group and proposals, one of which comes from Germany, on how to constructively treat country aid programmes that are continuously off track, whether this can simply be ignored or whether we say that's enough," the source said. The source added that under the proposals European institutions already operating in Greece should be given "certain decision-making powers" over fiscal policy.” This could be carried out even more stringently through external expertise," the source said. The German demands for greater control over Greek budget policy come amid intense talks to finalise a second 130-billion euro rescue package for Greece, which has repeatedly failed to meet the fiscal targets set out for it by its international lenders. Greece needs to strike a deal with creditors in the next couple of days to unlock its next aid package euros in order to avoid a chaotic default.

” No country has put forward such a proposal at the Eurogroup," a Greek finance ministry official said on condition of anonymity, adding that the government would not formally comment on reports based on unnamed sources. The German demands are likely to prompt a strong reaction in Athens ahead of elections expected to take place in April.” One of the ideas being discussed is to set up a clearly defined priorities on reducing deficits through legally binding guidelines," the European source said. He added that in Greece the problem is that a lot of the budget-making process is done in a de-centralised manner.” Clearly defined, legally binding guidelines on that could lead to more coherence and make it easier to take decisions - and that would contribute to give a whole new dynamic to efforts to implement the programme," the source said.” It is clear that talks on how to help Greece get back on the right track are continuing," the source said.” We’re all striving to achieve a lasting stabilisation of Greece," he said.” That’s the focus of what all of us in Europe are working on right now."

NEWS,26.01.2012.

Mahmoud Ahmadinejad brushes off EU sanctions on Iran oil

President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad has brushed off the threat posed to the Iranian economy by tighter sanctions including a European oil embargo even as he demanded the resumption of talks on its nuclear ambitions.

Mahmoud Ahmadinejad's comments strengthened fears that Iran would unilaterally halt oil sales to Europe. Iran's hardline leader said sanctions would not damage an economy that has dramatically reduced its exposure to European trade in favour of Asian trade. Sanctions measures adopted by the EU on Monday raised the prospect that Iran would loose some of its main markets for oil exports. European foreign ministers embraced the embargo to increase pressure on Iran to return to negotiations over its nuclear programme. But the Iranian leader claimed the measure would only hurt the European economy. "There was a time when 90 per cent of our trade was with the Europeans. It has now dropped to 10 per cent. We didn't call for this. Cut it (trade) and let's see who will incur the loss," he said. "It is the West that needs Iran and the Iranian nation will not lose from the sanctions." The comments strengthened fears that Iran would unilaterally halt oil sales to Europe, upending a compromise struck in Brussels that allowed Greece and Spain and other exposed economies to continue taking Iranian supplies for six months. A bill to be brought before parliament on Sunday would ban the sale of oil to Europe, a move that would disrupt the continent's most vulnerable economies. "All European countries that made Iran the target of their sanctions will not be able to buy even one drop of oil from Iran and oil taps will be turned off to them so that they will not play with fire again," said Nasser Soudani, an MP. Mr Ahmadinejad painted Iran as the wronged party in the dispute, claiming it was open to talks with Europeans and permanent members of the Security Council. "They claim that Iran doesn't want negotiations but it isn't so," he said. "Every time they seek pretexts and as we approach talks they issue resolutions so that perhaps negotiations don't take place." However Germany and Israel claim Iran has not sincerely responded to its demands that the talks be held with preconditions. German Chancellor Angela Merkel and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu urged Iran to "accept the outstretched hand of the international community" in a phone call. Gulf officials issued fresh assurances to international markets that the flow of oil from the region can continue even if Iran carries out its threat to disrupt the Straits of Hormuz. "Iran is capable of fomenting tension in the region," said Dahi Khalfan, Dubai's chief of police. "We in the Gulf have cards in our hands that allow us to marginalise the role of the strait and undermine its importance." "We tell Iran if you try to close this place, we will open the other gates and nullify the importance of the Strait of Hormuz," he added. Carl-Henric Svanberg, the chairman of BP, said there should be no need for European countries to tap strategic oil reserves after the embargo cuts off supplies from Iran at midyear. "Generally the industry, including all the oil-producing nations, has shown the capability of adjusting for moments of up and down and I think that's what you're going to see this time as well," Mr Svanberg said

NEWS,25.01.2012

            The $100 billion question of 2012

IF it ever happens, Facebook will be the frenzied float of 2012, with a possible valuation of $100b (£64.4bn).
But as Mark Zuckerberg considers the options on whether to publicly list the social media site which has 800m users, senior technology figures are asking how much Facebook will learn from the flotation of another internet giant in 2004. The question on everyone’s lips is will Facebook “do a Google” – largely shunning the Wall Street banking community and creating a retail offer via an auction?
Facebook is considering a flotation in New York that would raise about $10bn (£6.5bn) and value the company at $100bn, making it the largest initial public offering (IPO) by an internet company in history and one that’s likely to be accompanied by a record amount of hype.
Should anything close to these numbers be reached, an IPO will make Zuckerberg one of the world’s richest men and many of Facebook’s 3,000 employees exceedingly wealthy. “Zuckerberg has sought to delay an IPO for as long as possible.”      

As 2012 begins, the clock has almost stopped ticking for Facebook’s 27-year old founder to delay further.
Facebook will have to disclose its financial results by the end of April to comply with a US regulation requiring any company with more than 500 shareholders to do so.
While an IPO isn’t a legal requirement of disclosing results, most expect a Facebook float to follow shortly after the company opens its results up to the world.
Whatever a flotation means for Facebook’s long-term future, the company’s far more pressing challenge will be to execute the IPO without any hitches. That’s where David Ebersman, who joined Facebook as its chief financial officer from US biotechnology company Genentech in 2009, stepped in.
The early noises suggested that a Facebook IPO would consign Wall Street banks to a supporting role at best, echoing what Google did almost a decade earlier.
Facebook isn’t yet believed to have picked advisers, and Ebersman is said to have drafted the S-1 registration form, a critical document usually produced by banks, that doubles as a disclosure form for regulators and a marketing brochure for the company selling shares.
“There’s a tendency in the aggregate for Silicon Valley to be sceptical and cynical about Wall Street,” says Lise Buyer, who helped Google organise its IPO when she worked there and now advises companies that are going public on their relations with banks. “A banker’s seal of approval can help persuade an investor but if you’re Facebook you don’t need that.”
The muscle that Facebook brings to the table - the users themselves and revenues estimated to be close to $4bn this year - has led to predictions that Facebook might follow the example Google set in 2004 and sell shares by auction.
The idea, in part, would be to open the sale up to retail investors and sell the shares at a price that reflected true demand, rather than engineering a first day surge for those investors – who are also often clients of the banks – lucky enough to buy the shares at the IPO.
As speculation intensifies about when Facebook will file its S-1 – the moment when the public starting gun on the IPO process is fired – there would be considerable risks in completely avoiding Wall Street.
For a start, Google’s flotation is not seen as an unequivocal success. Google’s shares surged almost 20pc on the first day of trading, prompting accusations the auction system failed to accurately match the amount of shares sold with demand from investors.
Also, Facebook has already used banks to raise funds. In December 2010, Goldman Sachs drummed up $1bn for the company from its wealthiest clients. Even those technology bankers who believe the IPO process needs improving say you need very strong motivation to go public using a system every banker on Wall Street is hoping blows up.
“If you begin to introduce that [the auction] as a mechanism, you erode the value that Wall Street thinks it adds,” said Eric Risley, who was a technology banker at Bank of America and is now a partner at boutique adviser Architect Partners in Silicon Valley. “Wall Street was very pleased that the Google auction failed.”
It will be a surprise if Sheryl Sandberg, Facebook’s chief operating officer, doesn’t use her annual trip to the World Economic Forum at Davos at the end of the month to meet the Wall Street bankers who will also be at the gathering of business leaders in the Swiss ski resort.
The fees generated from taking technology companies public was a rare bright spot for Wall Street in 2011, with Morgan Stanley, Bank of America, JPMorgan Chase and Goldman Sachs making up the four biggest earners, according to Dealogic.
But analysts say that the flotation of video game pioneer Zynga in early December holds cautionary lessons for Facebook. Best known for the games Farmville and Cityville that are played on Facebook, Zynga’s shares ended their first day down 5pc and have yet to reach the $10 mark they were sold for.
Some put the blame on Zynga trying to sell too many shares. It sold 15pc of its stock, almost double the amount offered by professional networking site Linked-In last May. LinkedIn’s shares are now 40pc higher than the $45 they were first sold for.
“A busted Facebook IPO that trades underwater would seriously harm Facebook’s momentum and reputation, with everyone from major advertising agencies to valuable talent Facebook wishes to hire,” says Sam Hamadeh, managing director of PrivCo, a US firm that analyses privately held companies.

NEWS,24.01.2012

U.S. lauds EU for embargo on Iranian crude oil

Move could spur rise in gas prices

U.S. leaders praised the European Union’s embargo on Iranian oil Monday, even though it triggered a jump of more than $1 per barrel in global oil prices and signaled the potential for a rise in U.S. gasoline prices in the weeks ahead. Iranian officials called the embargo an act of “psychological warfare,” and lawmakers renewed threats to block the Persian Gulf’s Strait of Hormuz, through which one-fifth of the world’s crude oil is transported. The EU’s move showed significant widening of international support for the U.S.-led effort to choke off the Iranian economy to pressure Iranian leaders to abandon a nuclear program that the Islamic republic claims is peaceful. Western nations and Israel fear Iran is trying to make an atomic weapon. By agreeing to the oil embargo, the EU’s 27 foreign ministers delivered “another strong step in the international effort to dramatically increase the pressure on Iran,” 

Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton and Treasury Secretary Timothy F. Geithner said in a joint statement. With EU nations buying about 25 percent of the 2.5 million barrels exported by Iran daily, analysts say the embargo’s impact will be felt on both sides, especially among EU members already struggling under austerity measures tied to the Continent’s economic crisis. Iran remains the second-largest producer in the Organization of Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC), and the embargo’s ultimate impact on global oil prices remains to be seen. President Obama authorized new sanctions on Iran’s oil sector and the central bank when he signed the Defense Authorization Act on Dec. 31. However, implementation of those sanctions was delayed for six months to prevent a sudden increase in global oil prices. News of the EU’s move Monday sent the New York stock market price of crude oil to $99.58 per barrel, an increase of $1.25 from Friday. A joint statement issued by the leaders of the EU’s most powerful nations said that while “the door is open to Iran to engage in serious and meaningful negotiations,” Iranian leaders have “failed to restore international confidence in the exclusively peaceful nature of its nuclear program.” Until Iran comes to the table, we will be united behind strong measures,” said the statement by British 

Prime Minister David Cameron, German Chancellor Angela Merkel and French President Nicolas Sarkozy.Mrs. Clinton and Mr. Geithner noted that the EU embargo bolsters the new U.S. sanctions with the goal of “targeting transactions with the Central Bank of Iran and by providing strong incentives to reduce Iran’s ability to earn revenue from its oil exports.” The stakes are high for such measures because a further jump in oil prices could threaten the EU’s delicate economic recovery.In the U.S.,average gasoline prices have hovered at $3.85 per gallon this month. Analysts say that gradual increases in the cost of crude take about a week to impact prices at the pump. The oil embargo’s overall impact on global crude prices may be more difficult to calculate.” At this point, there’s at least some short-term confidence that there’s an excess in the market to absorb any disruptions in Iranian supply, but there’s a lot of uncertainty and ultimately the key player will be China,” said Suzanne Maloney, a senior foreign policy fellow focused on Persian Gulf and Middle East energy policy at the Brookings Institution.

NEWS,23.01.2012

Iran calls EU oil ban 'psychological warfare'

EU foreign policy chief Catherine Ashton holds a news conference at the end of a European Union foreign ministers meeting in Brussels January 23, 2012 - Source: Reuters
Iran has accused Europeans of waging "psychological warfare" after the EU banned imports of Iranian oil, joining the United States in new sanctions aimed at preventing Tehran from getting nuclear weapons. The Islamic Republic, which denies trying to build an atom bomb, scoffed at efforts to choke its oil exports, as Asia lines up to buy what Europe scorns. Some Iranians also renewed threats to stop Arab oil from leaving the Gulf and warned they might strike US targets worldwide if Washington used force to break any Iranian blockade of a strategically vital shipping route. Yet in three decades of confrontation between Tehran and the West, bellicose rhetoric and the undependable armoury of sanctions have become so familiar that the benchmark Brent crude oil price edged only 0.8% higher, and some of that was due to unrelated currency factors.” If any disruption happens regarding the sale of Iranian oil, the Strait of Hormuz will definitely be closed," Mohammad Kossari, deputy head of parliament's foreign affairs and national security committee, told Fars news agency a day after US, French and British warships sailed back into the Gulf."If America seeks adventures after the closure of the Strait of Hormuz, Iran will make the world unsafe for Americans in the shortest possible time," Kossari added, referring to an earlier US pledge to use its fleet to keep the passage open.The United States, which imposed its own sanctions against Iran's oil trade and central bank on December 31, welcomed the EU move, as did Israel which has warned it might attack Iran if sanctions do not deflect Tehran from a course that some analysts argue could potentially give Iran a nuclear bomb next year.US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton said in a statement with Treasury Secretary Timothy Geithner: "This new, concerted pressure will sharpen the choice for Iran's leaders and increase their cost of defiance of basic international obligations."

Calls for talks

Germany, France and Britain used the EU sanctions as a cue for a joint call to Tehran to renew long-suspended negotiations on its nuclear programme. Russia, like China a powerful critic of the Western approach, said talks might soon be on the cards.Iran, however, said new sanctions made that less likely. It is a view shared by some in the West who caution that such tactics risk hardening Iranian support for a nuclear programme that also seems to be subject to a covert "war" of sabotage and assassinations widely blamed on Israeli and Western agents. European Union foreign ministers who agreed an anticipated ban on imports of Iranian crude at a meeting in Brussels were so anxious not to penalise the ailing economies of Greece, Italy and others to whom Iran is a major oil supplier that the EU embargo will not take full effect until July 1. And the strategy will be reviewed in May to see if it should go ahead.Curbing Iran's oil exports is a double-edged sword, as Tehran's own response to the embargo clearly showed.Loss of revenue is painful for a clerical establishment that faces an awkward electoral test at a time of galloping inflation which is hurting ordinary people. But since Iran's Western-allied Arab neighbours are struggling to raise their own output to compensate, the curbs on Tehran's exports have driven up oil prices and raised costs for recession-hit Western industries.A member of Iran's influential Assembly of Experts, former intelligence minister Ali Fallahian, said Tehran should respond to the delayed-action EU sanctions by stopping sales to the bloc immediately, denying the Europeans time to arrange alternative supplies and damaging their economies with higher oil prices."The best way is to stop exporting oil ourselves before the end of this six months and before the implementation of the plan," the semi-official Fars news agency quoted him as saying.

"Psychological warfare"

"European Union sanctions on Iranian oil is psychological warfare," Iranian foreign ministry spokesman Ramin Mehmanparast said. "Imposing economic sanctions is illogical and unfair but will not stop our nation from obtaining its rights.” Deputy Foreign Minister Abbas Araqchi told the official IRNA news agency that the more sanctions were imposed on Tehran "the more obstacles there will be to solve the issue”. Iran’s oil ministry issued a statement saying the sanctions did not come as a shock. "The oil ministry has from long ago thought about it and has come up with measures to deal with any challenges," it said, according to IRNA.Mehmanparast said: "The European countries and those who are under American pressure, should think about their own interests. Any country that deprives itself from Iran's energy market, will soon see that it has been replaced by others.” China, Iran's biggest customer, has resisted US pressure to cut back its oil imports, as have other Asian economies to varying degrees. India's oil minister said today sanctions were forcing Iran to sell more cheaply and that India planned to take full advantage of that to buy as much as it could.The EU measures include an immediate ban on all new contracts to import, purchase or transport Iranian crude and petroleum products. However, EU countries with existing contracts can honour them up to July 1, and there will be a review of the plans before then.EU officials said they also agreed to freeze the assets of Iran's central bank and ban trade in gold and other precious metals with the bank and state bodies.EU foreign policy chief Catherine Ashton said: "I want the pressure of these sanctions to result in negotiations.” I want to see Iran come back to the table and either pick up all the ideas that we left on the table ... last year ... or to come forward with its own ideas." Iran has said it is willing to hold talks with Western powers, though there have been mixed signals on whether conditions imposed by both sides make new negotiations likely.

IAEA Inspectors visit 

The Islamic Republic insists it is enriching uranium only to produce electricity and for other civilian uses. The start this month of a potentially bomb-proof - and once secret - enrichment plant has deepened scepticism abroad, however.The United Nations' nuclear watchdog, the International Atomic Energy Agency, confirmed plans for a visit next week by senior inspectors to try and clear up questions raised about the purpose of Iran's nuclear activities. Tehran is banned by international treaty from developing nuclear weaponry."The Agency team is going to Iran in a constructive spirit, and we trust that Iran will work with us in that same spirit," IAEA chief Yukiya Amano said in a statement announcing the December 29-31 visit.Iran, whose 'great power' ambitions face a setback from the difficulties of its Arab ally, Syrian President Bashar al-Assad, has powerful defenders in the form of Russia, which has built Iran a reactor, and China. Both permanent UN Security Council members argue that Western sanctions are counter-productive.Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov, classifying the EU embargo among "aggravating factors", said Moscow believed there was a good chance that talks between the six global powers and Iran could resume soon and that Russia would try to steer both Iran and the West away from further confrontation. His ministry issued an official statement expressing "regret and alarm": "What is happening here is open pressure and diktat, an attempt to 'punish' Iran for its intractable behaviour.” This is a deeply mistaken approach, as we have told our European partners more than once. Under such pressure Iran will not agree to any concessions or any changes in its policy."But that argument cuts no ice with the US administration, for which Iran - and Israel's stated willingness to consider unilateral military action against it - is a major challenge as President Barack Obama campaigns for re-election against Republican opponents who say he has been too soft on Tehran."We and the EU are looking at ways to increase the pressure on Iran not because we want to go to war, not because we are looking for a military resolution but because we are looking for a resolution that has been a problem for a decade," Ivo Daalder, the US ambassador to NATO said today in London.” We are ready at any time to sit down with them and have a serious conversation about how to resolve this issue through negotiations ... Let's just try to continue to go down this path. The alternatives are much more difficult."

NEWS, 22.01.2012

        CROATIANS VOTE YES OR NO TO EU


Croatia holds a referendum on Sunday on whether to join the European Union in 2013, with its leaders making clear the small Adriatic country has no better option despite the economic turmoil in the bloc.

Eurosceptic protesters demonstrate against Croatia's signing of the European Union (EU) accession treaty at Zagreb's main square January 14, 2012. 

Opinion polls suggest the vote will pass, with the last one, released Saturday, putting support at 61 percent. Supporters say a "No" vote would leave Croatia stuck with struggling fellow ex-Yugoslav republics in the western Balkans, which was ravaged by war in the 1990s and is the only part of south-eastern Europe still outside the EU.But some Croats fear a loss of sovereignty if the country joins now, after just two decades as an independent state."Croatia will not lose its sovereignty or natural resources, nor will it be ruled by the EU," President Ivo Josipovic said in a written statement to the nation Saturday."Europe will not solve all our problems, but it's a great opportunity.” The European Union has said Croatia can become its 28th member on July 1, 2013 after completing seven years of tough entry talks in June last year. It would become the second former Yugoslav republic to join, following Slovenia in 2004.The "No" camp is playing on fears of a wave of foreigners buying up Croatian companies and property. Some say the timing is all wrong and that the EU is not what it once was given the debt crisis that is threatening the single currency.Many complain they are unsure what membership will mean for the country of 4.3 million people.

                                           CHURCH BACKING
"My son is all excited and in favour, but I'm not," said Jasna, a 46-year-old hairdresser from the capital, Zagreb. "There are just so many things I don't know and don't understand about the EU that I cannot vote 'Yes’.” The "Yes" camp this week won the endorsement of Croatia's powerful Roman Catholic church as well as a former wartime general on trial for war crimes but regarded by many Croats as a national hero.” I will vote for membership of the EU because that's where we belong," Ante Gotovina told state news agency Hina through his lawyers from the U.N. war crimes tribunal in The Hague. Croatia broke away from Yugoslavia in a 1991-95 war, and then saw strong growth on the back of foreign lending and waves of tourists to its stunning Adriatic coast. But its economy has been hit hard by the global economic crisis. Analysts and government officials warn a rejection of EU accession Sunday would bring down the country's credit rating, deter investors and further dampen any prospect of a quick economic recovery. If the referendum passes, all EU member states must ratify Croatia's accession before it can join. It will not join the euro zone yet. Croatia’s current GDP per capita is 61 percent of the EU average. It expects some 450 million euros, or 1 percent of its GDP, from EU funds for development projects in the first year alone."Croatia does not have, and will not have any time soon, the money to build infrastructure, develop rural areas and finance labour market reforms," said Zdravko Petak, a professor of political science in Zagreb.” The only things that can kick-start Croatia's growth is European money," he said.
Voting starts at 7 a.m. (0600 GMT) and ends at 7 p.m. (1800 GMT). First results are expected around an hour after polls close.

NEWS 21.01.2012

Britain admits 'fake rock' plot to spy on Russians

Tony Blair's former aide Jonathan Powell says UK was behind plot to spy on Russians with device hidden in fake plastic rock Britain was behind a plot to spy on Russians with a device hidden in a fake plastic rock, a former key UK government official has admitted. Jonathan Powell, former chief of staff to prime minister Tony Blair, admitted in a BBC documentary that allegations made by the Russians in 2006 - dismissed at the time - were in fact true.” The spy rock was embarrassing," he said in the BBC2 documentary series, Putin, Russia and the West. "They had us bang to rights. Clearly they had known about it for some time and had been saving it up for a political purpose.” A diplomatic row was sparked six years ago after Russian state television broadcast a film claiming British agents had hidden a sophisticated transmitter inside a fake rock left on a Moscow street. It accused embassy officials of allegedly downloading classified data from the transmitter using palm-top computers. The TV report showed a video of a man slowing his pace and glancing down at the rock before walking quickly away; another man was shown kicking the rock, while another walked by and picked it up. The Russian security service, the FSB, broadcast X-rays of a hollowed-out rock filled with circuitry and accused four British men and one Russian of using it to download information. The FSB alleged that British security services were making secret payments to pro-democracy and human rights groups.

Soon after the incident, then President Vladimir Putin forced the closure of many non-governmental organisations (NGOs) after introducing a law restricting them from receiving funding from foreign governments.” We have seen attempts by the secret services to make use of NGOs. NGOs have been financed through secret service channels. No one can deny that this money stinks," said Putin. "This law has been adopted to stop foreign powers interfering in the internal affairs of the Russian Federation.” Britain’s ambassador in Moscow at the time, Tony Brenton, denied the government had been involved in covert activities.” All of our activities with the NGOs were completely above board," he said. "They were on our website, the sums of money, the projects. All of that was completely public.” The revelation comes at a sensitive time, with Putin renewing attacks on human rights and opposition activists as hostility to his premiership grows. He has repeatedly accused the west, namely the US, of using activists to plot to bring regime change to Russia."Putin, as a former spy and KGB agent, is trying to discredit us with the only methods he knows," said Lev Ponomaryov, a prominent human rights activist. "For any thinking person this rock meant nothing – it was simply a provocation, a cheap trick used by a former KGB agent."At the time Blair attempted to play down the allegations, and the Foreign Office denied any irregular relations with Russian NGOs. When asked about the incident, Blair smiled as he told journalists: "I think the less said about that, the better."

'Fake rock' Russian spy plot: anti-Putin activists left between rock and hard place

Russian leader Vladimir Putin previously exploited spy caper to discredit non-governmental organisations

An image broadcast by Russian state-run Rossiya TV in January 2006 shows an x-ray image of the rock, with transmitter. It was the moment that British spycraft became the laughing stock of Russia. The decision by MI6 to place a fake rock rigged with a hidden transmitter to communicate with agents in Moscow was more Johnny English than James Bond, with Russian state-run television airing a programme dissecting the rock with x-rays and showing grainy footage of British diplomats giving it a gentle kick when it seemed to be out of order.
Thursday's admission by Jonathan Powell, former chief of staff to the then prime minister, Tony Blair, that the rock was indeed the work of British intelligence might seem like a small footnote in history to a forgotten scandal. But inside Russia there was a bigger game at play."The spy rock was embarrassing … they had us bang to rights," Powell told BBC2 in its new documentary series Putin, Russia and the West. The Kremlin had known about the rock "for some time, and had been saving it up for a political purpose", he added.That political purpose emerged two days after the scandal came to light when Vladimir Putin, then president, said: "It has now become clear to many why Russia passed a law regulating NGO activities."Less than two weeks earlier Putin had quietly signed a new law tightening state control over non-governmental organisations, including clauses that gave the government power to shut them down and force greater monitoring of foreign funding. The new regulations followed pro-democracy revolutions in neighbouring Georgia and Ukraine, which Russia argued were orchestrated by the west via foreign-funded NGOs.The new law, Putin explained, was "designed to block foreign governments from interfering in the internal politics of the Russian Federation". Critics said it was the latest step in Putin's growing authoritarianism, a further crackdown on Russia's struggling civil society. International organisations loudly condemned the law. That’s when the rock dropped into the narrative. According to the Kremlin, a British diplomat used communications technology in the fake rock to send and receive information and had dealings with Russian NGOs; ergo, went the Kremlin's argument, the west was funding NGOs to cause the downfall of the Putin regime. A justification for Putin's new law had been found. Since the law was implemented thousands of NGOs have been harassed, denied registration or shut down, according to Human Rights Watch. The climate of suspicion has only intensified, particularly in the past month as Putin battles a growing movement against his rule as he seeks to return to the presidency in March.In the lead-up to Russia's parliamentary election on 4 December, Putin said again outside powers were seeking to use NGOs to subvert the country. Within days of his remarks an all-out campaign had been launched against Golos, an independent election-monitoring group that receives foreign funding – bureaucratic investigations, a smear campaign in the press, the hacking of employees' email accounts. When tens of thousands of Russians began taking to the streets in the wake of the vote – spurred on by widespread allegations of fraud of the type Golos was designed to monitor – Putin promptly accused them of being agents of the west. That’s what for some Russians makes the timing of Powell's revelation so precarious. "I would not be surprised if Putin and his team actually used it again to assert their old platitudes discrediting leading human rights activists," said Tanya Lokshina, of Human Rights Watch Russia.

NEWS,20.01.2012.

 Obama rejects Keystone pipeline

U.S. President Barack Obama said on Wednesday that his administration had decided to reject the proposed Keystone pipeline between Canada and the United States.

In a statement released by the White House, Obama said the " rushed and arbitrary deadline insisted on by Congressional Republicans prevented a full assessment of the pipeline's impact, especially the health and safety of the American people, as well as our environment."
"As a result, the Secretary of State has recommended that the application be denied. And after reviewing the State Department's report, I agree," he said.Obama emphasized that the rejection was "not a judgment on the merits of the pipeline," blaming the "arbitrary nature of a deadline" for preventing the State Department from gathering information necessary to make a decision.” I’m disappointed that Republicans in Congress forced this decision, but it does not change my Administration's commitment to American-made energy that creates jobs and reduces our dependence on oil," he said, vowing to continue to work with the oil and gas industry to increase America's energy security. The 7-billion-U.S.-dollar Keystone XL pipeline, proposed by Trans Canada, an energy giant based in Canada, would run 1,700 miles (2,720 km) to connect Canada's oil sands to refineries around Houston and the Gulf of Mexico.Due to intense opposition from environmentalists as well as public officials in the United States, the Obama administration had tried to delay potential approval of the Keystone XL pipeline until 2013.But the Republicans are pressing Obama to accelerate the project, saying the pipeline could significantly reduce U.S. dependence on Middle Eastern oil while providing thousands of jobs. In December last year, the U.S. congress forced the administration to made a final decision before Feb. 21.

NEWS,19.01.2012.

In signal to Israel, US delays war games

The postponement of a massive joint United States-Israeli military exercise appears to be the culmination of a series of events that has impelled the Barack Obama administration to put more distance between the United States and aggressive Israeli policies toward Iran.
The exercise called "Austere Challenge 12" and originally scheduled for April, was to have been a simulation of a joint US-Israeli effort to identify, track and intercept incoming missiles by integrating sophisticated US radar systems with the Israeli Arrow, Patriot and Iron Dome anti-missile defence systems. United States participation in such an exercise, obviously geared to a scenario involving an Iranian retaliation against an Israeli attack on its nuclear facilities, would have made the US out to be a partner of Israel in any war that would follow an Israeli attack on Iran.

Obama and US military leaders apparently decided that the US could not participate in such an exercise so long as Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu refused to give the administration any assurance that he would not attack Iran without prior approval from Washington. The official explanation from both Israeli and US officials about the delay was that both sides agreed on it. Both Israeli Foreign Minister Avigdor Lieberman and Mark Regev, spokesman for Netanyahu, suggested that it was delayed to avoid further exacerbation of tensions in the Gulf. The spokesman for the US European Command, Captain John Ross, and Pentagon spokesman John Kirby told Laura Rozen of Yahoo News on Sunday that the two sides had decided on the postponement to the second half of 2012 without offering any specific reason for it. However, Rozen reported on Monday that "several current and former American officials" had told her on Sunday that the delay had been requested last month by Israeli Defense Minister Ehud Barak. One official suggested privately that there was concern that the alleged Barak request could be aimed at keeping Israel's options open for a strike on Iran's nuclear facilities in the spring. But it would make little sense for Netanyahu and Barak to commit Israel to war with Iran before the shape of the US presidential election campaign had become clear. And Barak would want to have knowledge gained from the joint exercise in tracking and intercepting Iranian missiles with the US military before planning such a strike. Moreover, the Israeli Air Force was still touting the planned manoeuvres as recently as Thursday and, according to Israeli media, was taken by surprise by Sunday's announcement. 

The idea that the Israelis wanted the postponement appears to be a cover story to mask the political blow it represents to the Netanyahu government and to shield Obama from Republican charges that he is not sufficiently supportive of Israel. Nevertheless, the signal sent by the delay to Netanyahu and Barak, reportedly the most aggressive advocates of a strike against Iran in Israel's right-wing government, could hardly be lost on the two leaders.
Obama may have conveyed the decision to Netanyahu during what is said to have been a lengthy telephone discussion between the two leaders on Thursday night. Iran policy was one of the subjects Obama discussed with him, according to the White House press release on the conversation. The decision to postpone the exercise may have been timed to provide a strong signal to Netanyahu in advance of this week's visit to Israel by Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff General Martin Dempsey. Dempsey reportedly expressed grave concern at a meeting with Obama last autumn about the possibility that Israel intended to carry out a unilateral Israeli attack on Iran's nuclear facilities without consulting with Washington in advance.
Obama has been quoted as responding that he had "no say" in Israel's policy, much to Dempsey's dismay. The coincidence of the announced delay with Dempsey's mission thus suggests that the new military chief may inform his Israeli counterpart that any US participation in a joint exercise like "Austere Challenge 12" was contingent on Israel ending its implicit threat to launch an attack on Iran at a time of its own choosing.
This apparent rift between the two countries comes in the wake of a series of moves by Israel and its supporters here that appeared aimed at racketing up tensions between the US and Iran.
In November and December, US neo-conservatives aligned with Netanyahu's Likud Party and what is sometimes called the Israel lobby engineered legislation that forced on the Obama administration a unilateral sanctions law aimed at dramatically reducing Iranian crude oil exports and "collapsing" its economy. The administration's reluctant embrace of sanctions against the oil sector and the Iran's central bank led in turn to an Iranian threat to retaliate by closing off the Strait of Hormuz. The risk of a naval incident suddenly exploding into actual military conflict suddenly loomed large. Netanyahu and Barak are widely believed to have hoped to provoke such conflict with a combination of more aggressive sanctions, sabotaging Iranian missile and nuclear facilities, and assassinations against individual scientists associated with the nuclear program. Amid tensions already reaching dangerous heights, Iranian nuclear scientist Mostafa Ahmadi Roshan was assassinated in Tehran in a bombing on January 11. Both Secretary of State Hillary Clinton and National Security Council spokesman Tommy Vietor immediately condemned the assassination and vehemently denied any US involvement in that or any other violence inside Iran. It was the first time the US government had chosen to distance itself so dramatically from actions that mainstream media has generally treated as part of a joint US-Israeli policy.United States officials told the Associated Press on Saturday that Israel was considered responsible for the killing, and the London Times published a detailed account of what it said was an Israeli Mossad operation. 

The killing of the nuclear scientist also came in the context of what appears to be an intensification of diplomatic activity that most observers believe is designed to lay the groundwork for another "Iran Six" meeting (the permanent members of the United Nations Security Council and Germany). It has been widely assumed for the past week or so that here another "Iran Six" meeting would be held with Iran by the end of this month or early next.
While recent published stories about Washington's communicating with Tehran through intermediaries stressed US warnings about its "red lines" in responding to any Iranian move to close the Strait of Hormuz, those same communications may also have conveyed greater diplomatic flexibility on the nuclear issue in the hope of achieving some progress toward an agreement. Mossad is believed to have assassinated at most a handful of Iranian nuclear scientists - not enough to slow down the Iranian program. And the timing of those operations has strongly suggested that the main aim has been to increase tensions with the United States and sabotage any possibility for agreement between Iran and the West on Iran's nuclear program, if not actually provoke retaliation by Iran that could spark a wider conflict.  The assassination of nuclear scientist Majid Shariari and attempted assassination of his colleague, Fereydoon Abbasi on November 29, 2010, for example, came just a few days after Tehran had reportedly agreed to hold a second meeting with the "Iran Six" in Geneva on December 6-7. A major investigative story published on Friday on the website foreignpolicy.com quoted former Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) officials as saying that Mossad operatives had been impersonating CIA personnel for several years in recruiting for and providing support to the Sunni terrorist organization Jundallah, which operated inside Iran. That Israeli policy also suggested a desire to provoke Iranian retaliation against the United States.

NEWS,18.01.2012.

'Ultra-realistic' Steve Jobs action figure pulled from market over 'immense pressure' from Apple lawyers

The company that began advertising for an incredibly lifelike Steve Jobs doll won't sell the figurines after all because of pressure from family and Apple lawyers.
Chinese firm In Icons had planned to offer the one-foot-tall, lifelike figure dressed in Jobs' trademark black mock turtleneck, rimless glasses and jeans.
But the company posted a statement on its website on Sunday saying it had received 'immense pressure' to drop the plan and made the decision out of 'heartfelt sensitivity to the feelings of the Jobs family'.

Legal battle: In Icons' decision to pull the figurine followed a reported threat of litigation from Apple

Lifelike: The 12in figurine retailed at $109.99 and was set for release in February
The San Jose Mercury News first reported the news.
The iconic Apple co-founder died October 5 of complications from pancreatic cancer.
The company website marketed the Jobs figurine using various Jobs quotes - including several relating to mortality such as 'Remembering I'll be dead soon is the most important tool I've ever encountered'.

The 'collectible figure' was modelled on a 1:6 scale and came with two Apple logos - a risky move that undoubtedly made In Icons model even more vulnerable to legal action.
The company had intended to start shipping the doll, which sold for $109.99, in February.

But their decision to pull the figurine followed a reported threat of litigation from Apple.
The report, in The Telegraph, did not list a source, but is reasonably credible as Apple has a long history of legal action against model-makers for alleged copyright infringement.
In the past, the company has been quick to take legal action against Steve Jobs models such as one featuring the Apple guru as a ninja - poking fun at Steve Jobs alleged attempt to take souvenir ninja 'shuriken' throwing stars on a plane.
Apple's lawyers said, 'Mr Jobs has not consented to the use of his name and/or image in the Product.'
In Icon boss Tandy Cheung had previously firmly refused to stop trading, saying, according to the newspaper: 'Apple can do anything they like. I will not stop.'
Cheung said then he had not taken any legal advice and that Jobs was not subject to the rules around likenesses of screen stars, 'Steve Jobs is not an actor, he’s just a celebrity… There is no copyright protection for a normal person. Steve Jobs is not a product… so I don’t think Apple has the copyright of him.'
In Icons has not released sales figures.
The company says any money received for pre-orders will be returned.

NEWS,17.01.2012.

Bad day if you're doing your homework! Wikipedia prepares to black out website for 24 hours on Wednesday in protest over online piracy bill

Blackout of English-version site expected from midnight EST on Tuesday until midnight on WednesdayFounder Jimmy Wales called the move an 'extraordinary action' against the endangerment of free speechExpected to affect 25million users


Wikipedia will black out its English-language website on Wednesday to protest against anti-piracy legislation under consideration in Congress.Wikipedia founder Jimmy Wales announced the move on Twitter. It's part of a widespread protest campaign orchestrated via social sites such as Reddit - and other internet heavyweights such as browser company Mozilla are to join in. A link to the formal announcement confirmed the decision after 1,800 Wikipedians discussed what action to take against the Stop Online Piracy Act (SOPA) and PROTECTIP (PIPA).

UP FOR DEBATE: THE BACKGROUND BEHIND SOPA & PIPA

The Stop Online Piracy Act and the Protect Intellectual Property Act in Congress - are designed to crack down on sales of pirated U.S. products overseas - has pit internet giants, consumer groups and freedom of speech advocates against film studios and record labels. The House bill (SOPA) would allow a private party to go straight to a website's advertising and payment providers and request they sever ties. Supporters include the film and music industry, which often sees its products sold illegally. They say the legislation is needed to protect intellectual property and jobs. Critics say the legislation could hurt the technology industry and infringe on free-speech rights. Among their concerns are provisions that would weaken cyber-security for companies and hinder domain access rights. The most controversial provision is in the House bill, which would have enabled federal authorities to 'blacklist' sites that are alleged to distribute pirated content. That would essentially cut off portions of the Internet to all U.S. users. But congressional leaders appear to be backing off this provision.
The Stop Online Piracy Act and the Protect Intellectual Property Act pending in Congress are designed to crack down on sales of pirated U.S. products overseas. Supporters say the legislation is needed to protect intellectual property and jobs. Critics say the legislation is too broad and could hurt the technology industry and infringe on free-speech rights. Wales said in a statement: 'Today Wikipedians from around the world have spoken about their opposition to this destructive legislation. 'This is an extraordinary action for our community to take - and while we regret having to prevent the world from having access to Wikipedia for even a second, we simply cannot ignore the fact that SOPA and PIPA endanger free speech both in the United States and abroad, and set a frightening precedent of Internet censorship for the world.' The foundation behind the site, Wikimedia, said it collected input from users over a period of 72 hours before making its final decision on Monday evening based on that feedback. 'This is by far the largest level of participation in a community discussion ever seen on Wikipedia, which illustrates the level of concern that Wikipedians feel about this proposed legislation,' a statement on the Wikimedia Foundation website reads.



WHO WILL BLACK OUT THEIR SITE ON WEDNESDAY?
Social news community Reddit has already announced that it will 'go dark' on Wednesday to protest against the bill.

High-profile blog BoingBoing has also announced that it will protest. Browser maker Mozilla has said that it also intends to protest by 'going dark' briefly and hosting anti-SOPA content, although copies of its Firefox browser will continue to work as normal. Comedy network Cheezburger (host of Failblog) also said it will join in. Several sites such as SopaStrike offer 'do it yourself' kits for smaller websites to 'go dark' in protest at SOPA. SopaStrike hosts a list of smaller sites that have said they will black out in protest. Not all sites that join the protest will 'switch off' entirely - some will host banners or turn the front page black instead. Both Google and Facebook have voiced opposition to the bill but neither has committed to any form of protest this week. Twitter will not join in - its CEO said that applying single-nation politics to a worldwide service was 'foolish’.’ The overwhelming majority of participants support community action to encourage greater public action in response to these two bills.' 'Of the proposals considered by Wikipedians, those that would result in a "blackout" of the English Wikipedia, in concert with similar blackouts on other websites opposed to SOPA and PIPA, received the strongest support.’ A large-scale blackout is expected from midnight Eastern Standard Time on Tuesday until midnight on Wednesday.’ We are looking at a powerful protest,' said Jay Walsh, spokesman for the foundation.Tech companies such as Google, Facebook, Yahoo and others have also questioned the legislation and said it poses a serious risk to the industry. Several online communities such as Reddit, Boing Boing and others have announced plans to go blackout in protest.Wikipedia is considering several different forms of response, from a banner across the top of the page to a blackout in certain areas, up to a worldwide shutdown, said Mr Walsh. If Wikipedia opts for a blackout, it would be the largest and most well-known website to do so.’ It’s not a muscle that is normally flexed,' added Mr Walsh.As the Washington Post reports, Mr Wales expects an estimated 25million daily visitors to be affected by a Wikipedia blackout. The Obama administration has also raised concerns about the legislation. The administration said over the weekend that it will work with Congress on legislation to help battle piracy and counterfeiting while defending free expression, privacy, security and innovation in the Internet.

NEWS,16.01.2012.

                      Warning over Europe debt crisis

Croatians rallied in Zagreb yesterday to call for a referendum on EU membership after the former Yugoslav republic signed up in December to join by mid-2013.

GERMAN chancellor Angela Merkel yesterday said the downgrading of the credit rating of nine European countries – including France – underlined the “long road” faced by the Eurozone and called for a new budget discipline pact and a permanent rescue fund.Germany kept its triple AAA rating but Standard & Poor stripped France, whose president Nicolas Sarkozy has co-piloted the Eurozone rescue drive with Merkel, of its top-notch status – fuelling concerns that the move could complicate Europe’s efforts to keep its weaker economies afloat.Merkel said she had “taken note” of S&P’s decision, but repeatedly stressed it was only one of three major rating agencies. “The decision confirms my conviction that we in Europe still have a long road ahead of us before the confidence of investors is restored,” she said at a meeting of her right-wing CDU party in the north German city of Kiel. “But I think it can be seen that we have set off with determination along this road to a stable currency, solid finances and sustainable growth.” Merkel stressed the importance of a new treaty enshrining tougher fiscal rules, for which Germany has pushed hard. Most European Union leaders agreed in early December to draw up the pact – Prime Minister David Cameron exercised the UK’s veto – and Merkel has said the pact could be signed as early as the end of this month, and at the beginning of March at the latest.“We are now called upon ... to implement quickly the fiscal pact and implement it decisively – without trying to water it down everywhere,” she said.The chancellor sought to allay concerns that the downgrade of France, the 17-nation Eurozone’s second strongest economy after Germany, would complicate the work of the bloc’s temporary rescue fund, the £463 billion European Financial Stability Facility.However, she did underline the urgency of putting its permanent successor, the European Stability Mechanism (ESM), in place. European leaders already have decided to get it up and running in July, a year ahead of the original schedule; Merkel and Sarkozy said on Monday they would consider speeding up payments into the ESM.The downgrades “won’t torpedo the work of the EFSF now – I see no need to change anything about the EFSF now,” she said. “I am convinced the EFSF can fulfil the needs it still has to fulfil in the coming months with the existing methods.”She added that “we will work to implement as quickly as possible the ESM – that is also important for investors’ confidence”.The ESM will be able to lend £330bn. In contrast to the EFSF, it will have paid-in capital from euro countries, similar to a bank, which makes it less vulnerable to downgrades of contributing states.Merkel said Europe needs the new fund, “which is underlaid by capital and will be independent from such [ratings] evaluations”. As for the current temporary fund, she suggested that its top rating isn’t so important. 

She said: “From the beginning, I wasn’t of the opinion that the EFSF absolutely has to be triple-A. Of course it isn’t easier to borrow money on the capital market if you have a somewhat worse rating, but as the French finance minister said yesterday, AA+ really isn’t a bad rating.” .She also said she didn’t expect Friday’s S&P decision to lead to “Germany having to do more in comparison with others.” Meanwhile, after it had downgraded nine of the Eurozone’s 17 countries, S&P said it saw continued risks from the debt crisis that has overshadowed Europe for the past two years and said the single currency area was heading towards recession.It also warned that France was at risk of further cuts if a recession further inflates its debt and budget deficit.“The policy response at the European level has in our view not kept up with the rising challenges in the Eurozone,” S&P credit analyst Moritz Kraemer said, forecasting a 40 per cent chance of Eurozone output contracting by up to 1.5 per cent in 2012.

NEWS,15.01.2012.

              ALL OPTIONS ON TABLE OVER IRAN

Britain is not ruling out military action against Iran, Foreign Secretary William Hague has said Foreign Secretary William Hague says Britain is not ruling out military action against Iran but remains focused on trying to secure peaceful negotiations.

He insisted all options remained on the table in relation to Tehran's "increasingly dangerous" development of nuclear weapons.
But he said the UK was not advocating military action and was instead intensifying sanctions in a bid to bring the Islamic republic to the negotiating table.
"We have never ruled anything out. We have not ruled out any option, or supporting any option. We believe all options should be on the table, that is part of the pressure on Iran,"
"But we are clearly not calling for or advocating military action. We are advocating meaningful negotiations, if Iran will enter into them, and the increasing pressure of sanctions to try to get some flexibility from Iran."
Western governments, including Britain, have moved to step up sanctions over Iran's nuclear programme, threatening an embargo on vital oil exports.
Tehran has threatened to block the Straits of Hormuz oil shipment route in response.
Prime Minister David Cameron, during a visit to Saudi Arabia on Friday, warned Iran that the world would "come together" to ensure the straits remained open.
Mr Hague said: "This is an increasingly dangerous situation that Iran is developing a military nuclear programme.
"Our sanctions are part of getting Iran to change course and to enter negotiations and we should not be deterred from implementing those."