November 09, 2009 Nº 839 - Vol. 7
"Paris is always Paris and Berlin is never Berlin!"
Jack Lang
French former culture minister, in 2001
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"Niemand hat die Absicht, eine Mauer zu errichten!" ("Nobody intends to put up a wall!") said Walter Ulbricht, Leader of the GDR, June 15th 1961 - 2 months before the Berlin Wall was built.
Berlin celebrates demise of Wall
From the safe distance of 20 years, the opening of the Berlin Wall can be seen as inevitable - the natural consequence of changes that were reshaping Europe. But for most of 1989 it was unthinkable. And the decision itself was an accident - intended neither to happen the way it did nor to spark off the tumultuous changes that followed. World leaders are due to join thousands of people to mark 20 years since the Berlin Wall's fall, an event that paved the way for the end of the Cold War. The main celebrations in the city will be at the Brandenburg Gate - the symbol of German reunification in 1990. Giant dominoes will be toppled to show how Communist governments in Eastern Europe fell one after another in 1989. Communist East Germany erected the 155km (96-mile) concrete Wall in 1961 to encircle West Berlin. It was put up to prevent East Germans from fleeing into the capitalist enclave. The barrier was unexpectedly opened on 9 November 1989, following weeks of pro-democracy protests. The travel restrictions - the laws which banned most East Germans from leaving the country and which had sparked off the popular discontent. At the end of it the party leader, Egon Krenz, suddenly produced a new set of regulations. From now on it would be much easier for East Germans to travel. But then came a blunder that would bring down the Berlin Wall and the East German state with it. The intention was to announce the changes overnight and phase in the new rules the next morning. Instead one of the Politburo members, Gunter Schabowski, blurted out the plans during a televised press conference - and compounded his error by adding the new rules would come into force "immediately". Schabowski's announcement was complicated and bureaucratic, and like many others that evening I puzzled over it before concluding that it signaled free travel. If this was true it would mean the end of the Berlin Wall because the whole fearsome structure with its watchtowers, barbed wire and guard dogs had become redundant. East Berliners were rather quicker off the mark. Tens of thousands of them started turning up at the border demanding to be let across. Schabowski said that he did not regret his so-called blunder because it led to the divided Germany being reunited peacefully. German Chancellor Angela Merkel said the fall of the Wall was "the happiest day in recent German history".
Controversy over U2's Berlin wall
A U2 show marking the 20th anniversary of the fall of the Berlin Wall ran into controversy after organizers built a wall around the venue. A two meter barrier was erected around the Brandenburg gate to keep out people without tickets for the show. "It's a shame that a barrier has been set up. It's stopping many Berliners from hearing the concert," local politician Frank Henkel said.
Obama says health vote 'historic'
Obama has hailed as "historic" the approval of a health bill by the House of Representatives. He said he was "absolutely confident" the Senate would pass its own version, and that healthcare reforms would become law by the end of the year. Passed in a narrow 220-215 vote by the House, the bill aims to extend coverage to 36 million more Americans and provide affordable healthcare to 96%. Democrats have little time to savor the narrow passage of their historic heath care overhaul in the House of Representatives as attention turns to the deeply divided U.S. Senate.
Is Brazil finally set to reach its full potential?
Brazil has often been derided as the eternal country of the future. But now, it seems, that future has a date: 2026. At present, Brazil is the fifth-largest country in the world and has the fifth-largest population as well. But in 17 years' time, it will also be the fifth-largest economy in the world, says its finance minister, Guido Mantega. "These figures are from the Economist Intelligence Unit," he told an audience of businessmen and journalists in London. As he spoke, a slide showing a series of league tables outlined exactly how Brazil is expected to achieve this. According to these projections, it will leapfrog the UK, France and Italy as early as 2011, before reaching the number five slot in 2026 with a gross domestic product of $5.721tn in purchasing power parity terms. "If we took the World Bank figures, we would already be in fifth place in 2014," he said. "We were more modest and took statistics that put us there in 2026, when China will already be the number one world economy."
Brief recession
You might think Brazil is still taking an intolerably long time to get there, bearing in mind that it has consistently punched below its weight for decades. But as last week's Financial Times-hosted Investing in Brazil Summit demonstrated, the country's main movers and shakers are in buoyant mood, elated at how strongly it emerged from recession. While many countries, including the UK, are still feeling the impact of the global financial crisis, Brazil had just two quarters of contraction before bouncing back with 1.9% growth in the April-to-June period. As far as Brazil's President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva is concerned, the outcome is a vindication of his time in office, which now has little more than a year left to run. "From the first moment of my government, we worked to prove that it was possible to combine economic growth with redistribution of wealth," he said in the event's keynote speech. Lula cited the success of his Bolsa Familia welfare programme, which has lifted more than 11 million families out of poverty in Brazil. He said that governments practising such policies were often accused of being populist or of creating a dependency culture. "Some people said in Brazil, 'Why are you investing in the poor? You could build bridges, roads or viaducts,'" he added. "I'd like to build bridges, viaducts and roads. But the bridge can wait a month, the road can wait two months. Any investment can wait. People who are hungry can't wait."
Common wealth
As it happens, Brazil has not had to choose between infrastructure and the well-being of its people: it has made progress on both. Research in Brazil's six biggest cities shows that the percentage of the population considered middle-class has risen from 42.4% to 52.9% in the past six years. Those figures, produced by the Getulio Vargas Foundation and the government's IBGE statistics office, include all households earning between 1,115 reais ($619) and 4,807 reais, or $2,671 a month.
Not much by developed-world standards, perhaps, but enough to give a lot more purchasing power to a lot more people - and, according to Lula, all part of "a silent revolution" that is helping Brazilian society to recover its self-esteem. At the same time, since 2007, Brazil has been pursuing what it calls the Programme for the Acceleration of Growth (PAC).
This is an ambitious $290bn scheme to overhaul the country's infrastructure, including more than 100 projects. In the words of Lula's chief of staff, Dilma Rousseff, it is designed to overcome "years of stagnation". The most glamorous of these is a high-speed train linking Rio de Janeiro and Sao Paulo, but others involve power stations, airports, housing, sewage systems and public transport. Ms Rousseff called on international investors and big firms to pick up on these "opportunities that have never before arisen in Brazil and are rarely found worldwide".
War of the technocrats
Lula and his left-wing Workers' Party (PT) are justified in claiming much of the credit for this "transformation" of Brazil, as he describes it. However, the process really began under his predecessor, Fernando Henrique Cardoso, who won the presidency in the 1990s on the back of his success as finance minister in taming Brazil's runaway inflation. Now, interestingly, the PT and Mr Cardoso's PDSB look set for a battle royal at the next presidential election in October 2010. Ms Rousseff clearly hopes that her role at the helm of the PAC infrastructure scheme will secure her the right to contest the election as the PT candidate. But she struggles to shake off her reputation as a rigid technocrat, with little of Lula's charm. Her only moment of passion at the London summit was when she responded angrily to a questioner who based his point on experience of living in Brazil 10 years ago. "You can't compare today with that period of stagnation," she snapped. Fortunately for Dilma, her likely adversary from the PSDB, Jose Serra, offers a similar kind of charisma-free competence. However, he arguably has a stronger political track record, as a former health minister and current governor of Sao Paulo state. Whoever inherits Brazil's current healthy economy and whatever happens on the way to 2026, Lula is adamant that his country's days of being considered second-rate are over. As he told his London audience: "We got tired of being the country of the future. We got tired of so many promises in the 20th Century and now we don't want to miss a single opportunity in the 21st Century."
Story by Robert Plummer from BBC NEWS:
https://news.bbc.co.uk/go/pr/fr/-/2/hi/business/8345071.stm
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China pledges $10bn Africa loans
China has pledged to give Africa $10bn in concessional loans over the next three years, Chinese Premier Wen Jiabao said. "We will help Africa build up financing capacity". China's state owned Global Times newspaper wrote "The West is envious of China and Africa drawing closer," and quoted one Chinese Africa expert as saying "Europeans view Africa as their own backyard."
China hosts anti-piracy meeting
China is hosting a two-day international conference to co-ordinate anti-piracy escorts for cargo vessels in the Gulf of Aden off Somalia. Representatives from Russia, Japan, India, the EU and Nato are focusing on how best to co-ordinate their navies in the escort missions. It is an indication of how deeply China is getting involved in the operation. The Chinese were cautious when they first joined the escort mission in the Gulf of Aden. But their co-operation, according to EU officials, has far exceeded expectations.
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Iraq MPs approve election reform
The Iraqi parliament has approved a crucial election law ahead of national polls due in January 2010. The reform was passed by a wide margin after weeks of deadlock, which had raised fears that the parliamentary election might have to be delayed. There have been concerns that such a postponement could undo recent progress towards greater stability.
Chavez steps up Colombia rhetoric
Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez urges his armed forces to be prepared for a possible war with Colombia.
Deal over Honduran crisis 'dead'
A deal to resolve the political crisis in Honduras is "dead", ousted Zelaya has said. He was speaking after interim leader Roberto Micheletti said he was forming a "unity government" without Zelaya's representatives. The US government has expressed its disappointment over the breakdown of the accord, which they helped broker. Honduras has been shaken by a political crisis that began when Zelaya was forced out of the country on 28 June.
Fannie Mae asks for another $15bn
US mortgage finance firm Fannie Mae has asked for another $15bn in state aid after announcing losses of $19bn between July and September. The losses stemmed from the increased costs of buying up bad mortgage-backed loans as part of the government's efforts to support the housing market. This is the fourth time that the firm has requested state aid. Both Fannie Mae and fellow mortgage giant Freddie Mac were taken under government control last year.
Bashir cancels visit to Istanbul
Sudanese President Omar al-Bashir, indicted by the International Criminal Court, has pulled out of an Islamic summit in Istanbul, officials say. The Turkish government had previously welcomed the attendance of President Bashir at the meeting and said that he would not be arrested. But the EU, which Turkey hopes to join, wanted the invitation to be withdrawn.
Kraft's hostile bid for Cadbury expected
The company is expected to officially begin its bid to create an international food giant after more than two months of posturing.
Refining the Twitter explosion
Does Twitter have a T.M.I. (Too Much Information) problem? And, no, I don't just mean the Twitter users who share too much information about their lives, social, medical or otherwise. Simply put, there is way too much information on Twitter — lately, it defies navigation. In January, there were 2.4 million tweets a day. By October, there were 26 million tweets a day. Why should we care about information overload at Twitter? Isn't Twitter about the individual experiences — a Tweeter and her followers — not the totality of millions of Tweeters around the world? Perhaps this is true for most users. But the promise of Twitter — the reason Google and Microsoft have paid to be able to search millions of Tweets — is that it gives the best approximation of the pulse of the world. The idea is to take advantage of global positioning systems on cell phones to allow Twitter users to include a precise location with each tweet. Users would be able, right off the bat, to limit their searches to tweets from a particular location. Improvements like geo-location have the potential to make the Internet suddenly relevant to society as it is lived, not just relevant to what happens online. There is the fear of loss of privacy and loss of security as once-local chats become globally public. Twitter would require two "opt in" decisions — at the profile level and again through the application. For the technological optimists, the cures for information overload, in essence, are better filters and greater context. The more you know about a message — who sent it and why — the better you understand it.
Hedge-fund giant surfaces in trading probe
The widening probe of insider trading on Wall Street is expected to examine transactions at Steven A. Cohen's SAC, one of America's largest and most successful hedge funds.
Justices to study patents on business methods
Microsoft Corp., Bank of America Corp. and L.L. Bean Inc. are just some of the companies that have flooded the Supreme Court with advice as it prepares for Monday's arguments over one of the biggest questions involving intellectual property: When can a business method be patented? There has been a surge in companies receiving patents for ways of doing business, from Amazon.com Inc.'s one-click checkout to Priceline.com Inc.'s reverse auctions, since a 1998 court decision expanded the scope of processes that could be patented. The Supreme Court must now determine whether such swaths of modern business activity deserve patent protections, thereby opening the door to infringement lawsuits, or belong in the public domain, depriving their inventors of monopoly profits.
Taiwan high court rules prostitution law unconstitutional
The Constitutional Court of Taiwan ruled Friday that a law penalizing prostitutes and not their clients is unconstitutional because it undermines equality under the country's constitution. The Social Order and Maintenance Act will have to be amended to meet constitutional fairness requirements, but will remain in effect two years from the date of the decision. Taiwan is currently reevaluating treatment of prostitution under the laws of the island, and perhaps including such measures as establishing zones in which prostitution would be legal.
EU agrees on rules to reform telecommunications markets
The European Parliament and the Council of Ministers on Thursday unanimously reached an agreement on rules to increase competition between telecommunications providers and protect the consumer rights of Internet and mobile phone users. The agreement on the European Union (EU) Telecoms Reform package was reached after intense negotiations by the conciliation committee, which was arranged by the European Commission (EC) and composed of representatives of the 27 member states, Parliament, the Council of Ministers, and the EC. EU Commissioner for Information Society and Media Viviane Reding praised the agreement.
Time
The State of Hillary: A Mixed Record on the Job. She is the star of the Obama Cabinet and an international celebrity--and after nine months of staying out of the limelight, Hillary Clinton has arrived on the global stage. An intimate portrait of the diplomat and her world.
Newsweek
How we won in Vietnam. The Surprising Lessons of Vietnam. Unraveling the mysteries of Vietnam may prevent us from repeating its mistakes.
Business Week
Why This Real Estate Bust Is Different. Unrealistic assumptions, layers of investors, sky-high prices, and possible fraud will make it hard to clean up the mess in commercial real estate.
The Economist
Twenty years after the Wall. Over the past 20 years economic freedom has outpaced political liberty. Neither should be taken for granted.
Le Nouvel Observateur
Le vrai pouvoir des francs-maçons. Leur rôle dans la vie publique continue à déchaîner les passions et à nourrir les fantasmes. Les «affaires», leurs rapports avec le pouvoir, la transparence, la place des femmes... Jean-Michel Quillardet, qui a été grand maître du Grand Orient...
Der Spiegel
Gymnasium. Warum sich ein deutscher Bildungsmythos neu erfinden muss.
Fatah al-Islam Connected to Israeli Elements- Lebanese Security Source
Asharq Al-Awsat, Pan-Arab daily, London, England
Jordan: World must stop Israel settlement building
Haaretz, Liberal daily, Tel Aviv, Israel
MIDEAST: The 'Unknown' Fight the Illegal
IPS Middle East, International cooperative of journalists, Rome, Italy
Analysis: Coalition agreement not withstanding, Hizbullah will continue to hold sway in Lebanon
JPost, Conservative, Jerusalem, Israel
Shaikh Saif to Head Emiratisation Council: Cabinet
Khaleej Times, English-language daily, Dubai, United Arab Emirates
Oman for Under-13 Asian tennis in Jordan
Middle East North African Network, Online financial portal, Amman, Jordan
Chavez Readies Army for War, Colombia to Seek U.N. Help
Nahamet, Online news portal, Beirut, Lebanon
Panel formed on Lebanon poll law
Saudi Gazette, English-language daily, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia
Iraqi lawmakers approve election law, Obama hails 'milestone'
The Daily Star, Independent daily, Beirut, Lebanon
Stop seeking compromise with Israel: Hamas leader
Times of Oman, English-language daily, Muscat, Oman
Berlin celebrates demise of Wall
BBC News, Centrist newscaster, London, England
Bullard: We want Brown to stay
BreakingNews.ie, Online news portal, Cork, Ireland
US pilots killed in Iraq crash
Daily Express, Conservative tabloid, London, England
Branded an abuser for telling off my children in a supermarket: Mother trailed by police and 'chastisement put on record' for at least 14 YEARS
Daily Mail, Conservative daily, London, England
Zeelandnet to offer 80 Mbps in 2010
DMeurope, Online news portal, Amsterdam, Netherlands
Graham Sankey held over attack on Joe Anderson
icLiverpool, Online news portal, Liverpool, England
Afghanistan heroes lead Manchester tributes
Manchester Online, Independent daily, Manchester, England
News 11.8.2009
Radio Prague, Online news portal, Prague, Czech Republic
Brown Blunder Over Fallen Soldier's Name
Sky News, Independent newscaster, Middlesex, England
US National Security Adviser James L. Jones on Afghanistan: 'We Will Not Solve the Problem with Troops Alone'
Spiegel International, Liberal newsmagazine, Hamburg, Germany
Pressure builds for radical reform of tax system
The Guardian, Liberal daily, London, England
German exports rise 5.8%
The Irish Times, Centrist daily, Dublin, Ireland
El Salvador death toll from Hurricane Ida reaches 124
The Telegraph, Conservative daily, London, England
Fisherman Dean Brougham tells of lucky escape after shark attack
Times Online, Conservative daily, London, England
Indonesia joins World Travel Market in London
Antara News, News agency, Jakarta, Indonesia
10th Seoul International Financial Forum Kicks Off
Chosun Ilbo, Conservative daily, Seoul, South Korea
Imran Khan's surgery successful
Dawn, English-language daily, Karachi, Pakistan
Yeddyurappa says he will complete five year term
India Express, News portal, Mumbai, India
Naga girl molested at Gurgaon mall
India Times, Conservative daily, New Delhi, India
Student dies from archery arrow wound
Japan Times, Independent centrist, Tokyo, Japan
Chinese president to visit Malaysia Tuesday
Malaysian Star, Online news portal, Selangor Darul Ehsan, Malaysia
Alleged gunman tied to mosque of 9/11 hijackers
New Zealand Herald, Conservative daily, Auckland, New Zealand
Who's richest in Obama's administration?
People's Daily Online, English-language, Beijing, China
Growing apart: Australia v the world
Sydney Morning Herald, Centrist daily, Sydney, Australia
Crisis over; Yeddyurappa, Reddys to work together
The Hindu, Left-leaning daily, Chennai, India
Poor show won't deter Mingfa
The Standard, Business daily, Hong Kong
Financial Fair concludes week of activities
Antigua Sun Online, Independent daily, St. John's, Antigua
Jah Cure arrested in Trinidad and Tobago
Caribbean News Portal, Online news aggregator
Jagdeo condemns teen torture
Caribbean360, Online news portal, St. Michael, Barbados
Dart power for port
Cayman Net News, Online news portal, George Town, Cayman Islands
Dominicans have a holiday to commemorate Constitution Day
Dominican Today, Independent daily, Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic
URUGUAY: White Concrete Block Replaces Mud, Wattle and Thatch
IPS Latin America, International cooperative of journalists, Rome, Italy
Cutter-in-chief - PM names aide to slash gov't jobs
Jamaica Gleaner, Independent daily, Kingston, Jamaica
September trade had a surplus of US$ 566 millions
Living in Peru, News portal, Lima, Peru
Robert Smith goes where other bond investors fear to tread
The Globe and Mail, Centrist daily, Toronto, Canada
Smitherman declares run for mayor
Toronto Star, Liberal daily, Toronto, Canada
Prisons officers brace for more attacks
Trinidad Guardian, Independent daily, Port-of-Spain, Trinidad
Bashir cancels visit to Istanbul
BBC News, Centrist newscaster, London, England
Mazembe clinch Champs League title
CongoPlanet.com, Independent online news aggregator
Bukenya's son dies in car crash
Daily Monitor, Independent daily, Kampala, Uganda
Simwa wins Salver despite dropping shots
Daily Nation, Independent daily, Nairobi, Kenya
VEEP Laments Exodus of Doctors
GhanaWeb, Online news portal, Amsterdam, Netherlands
Bennett trial begins
iafrica, Online news portal, Cape Town, South Africa
Has anything changed in 15 years?
Independent Online, News portal, Cape Town, South Africa
Four Ethiopian Maids commit suicide in 2 weeks
Jimma Times, Online news portal, Jimma, Ethiopia
Sappi full-year profit drops, sees better 2010
Mail & Guardian Online, Liberal, Johannesburg, South Africa
Yar'Adua, Fashola, others for Transparency Nigeria Award
Vanguard, Independent daily, Lagos, Nigeria
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