World Today

China: Up to 26 million rural migrants now jobless

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Mon, 02 Feb 2009 20:58:00 +0000

BEIJING – The global economic crisis has taken hold deep in China's impoverished countryside, as millions of rural migrants are laid off from factory jobs and left to scratch a living from tiny landholdings — creating unsettling prospects for a government anxious to avoid social unrest.

With demand for Chinese toy, shoe and electronics exports evaporating overseas, as many as 26 million of China's estimated 130 million migrant workers are now unemployed, the government announced Monday. A day earlier, Beijing warned of "possibly the toughest year" this decade and called for development of rural areas to offset the economic fallout.

"The government should not sit idly and disappoint the farmers," said Liu Shanying, a political scientist at the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences.

"If they are unemployed for a long time, it will be a time bomb," Liu said.

The severity of the situation will become clearer in the weeks ahead, as workers eager to test their prospects return from spending the Lunar New Year with their families in the countryside.

But already, agencies that seek to match workers with factory managers say demand has plummeted.

Zhang Quanshou, an agency director in the southern manufacturing powerhouse of Shenzhen, said he had requests for only half the number of workers as last year.

"Orders are down, so there are comparatively fewer jobs for the migrant workers," Zhang said Monday, as a crowd of workers fresh from Henan province, central China's breadbasket, filled out forms outside his office.

Zhang said he was seeking to adjust to the situation by first providing factory jobs to young women, seen by employers as more efficient at assembly line work.

"Last year, the demand for workers was high, so it was OK to have male workers and more mature workers. But this year, we asked the male and more mature workers to come later and the young women to come first," he said.

Throughout the years of China's long economic boom, migrant work provided a sort of social pressure release valve, allowing millions of farmers to escape to factory jobs in better developed coastal regions.

Those jobs, however, have dried up quickly as China's economic growth — once red-hot — plunged to 6.8 percent in the final quarter of last year. Analysts have cut forecasts for whole-year economic growth in 2009 to as low as 5 percent, with the export sector particularly hard-hit.

Layoffs have already led workers in some cities to take to the streets in protest at factory shutdowns or to demand back pay. Authorities have moved quickly to placate them, in some cases using public funds to pay workers after factory owners run off.

Now, the fear among Communist leaders is that unrest could spread to the countryside, where jobs have always been scarce and migrant workers contribute 65 percent of the average rural family's cash income, according to research from the People's Bank of China.

"We have roughly 25 million to 26 million rural migrant workers who are now coming under pressures for employment," Chen Xiwen, director of the Central Rural Work Leading Group, a government advisory body, said at a news conference Monday.

"So from that perspective, ensuring job creation and maintenance is ensuring the stability of the countryside."

In comparison, U.S. statistics in December showed an estimated 11.1 million Americans were without jobs, a rate of 7.2 percent unemployment that represents a 16-year high.

Adding to the pressure in China are millions of urban workers laid off amid the reform of moribund state industries in recent years and college graduates soon to be entering the work force.

Chen outlined a number of policies aimed at helping migrants, including encouraging companies to retain workers, investing in public projects to absorb rural workers and helping returning migrants set up businesses in their hometowns.

Premier Wen Jiabao also said in comments published Monday that Beijing was considering new steps to boost economic growth. The report, in the British newspaper Financial Times, did not give details of possible plans, which would follow a 4 trillion yuan ($586 billion) package unveiled in November with heavy spending onpublic works projects.

Heavy snow fall disrupts UK transportation and communications

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Mon, 02 Feb 2009 20:55:00 +0000

The heaviest snow to fall for 18 years has caused transport problems in some parts of the United Kingdom.

Almost a foot (30cm) of snow has fallen in the southeast of England, halting train and bus services and making driving treacherous. Flights to and from London's Heathrow and City airports and the outer London Gatwick and Stansted airports are suffering delays and cancellations. In some affected areas, the majority of schools have been closed.

The centre of London, which usually sees no snow at all most years, has around 4" (10cm) of laying snow, whilst Kent, Sussex and Surrey have up to 10" (25cm). The snow reduces further north but has still disrupted travel, with England's Highways Agency advising against car journeys unless essential. The agency had 500 gritters clearing main roads during the night and 600 motorway patrols out in the morning. Stretches of motorway and main road have been blocked by jack-knifed lorries or closed as a preemptive measure.

The snow caused disruption to British transport websites, with National Rail Enquiries, Transport for London and South West Trains websites all brought down by heavy traffic. The Highways Agency's site was also unavailable and returned with interactive features turned off. People calling and texting during the abortive rush hour jammed the mobile telephone networks. Mobile network '3' said it had seen "a very steep jump in the number of picture message sent across the network" whilst T-Mobile UK reported 73% more calls, 21% more texts and 20% more broadband bandwidth being used than usual.

The Met Office has a severe weather warning in place for England, Wales and parts of Scotland, with further snow expected across the country later in the week.

Eurovision '82 winner Nicole talks about 'Ein bißchen Frieden', her success and the Contest today

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Mon, 02 Feb 2009 20:51:00 +0000

It has been nearly 27 years since Nicole, then a high school student from the Saarland in extreme western Germany, sang a heartfelt plea for world peace on the stage at the Eurovision Song Contest held in Harrogate, North Yorkshire in the United Kingdom. That simple message was wrapped with success; she became the first German in Contest history to take home the grand prize. The song was a brainchild of her former record producer, Ralph Siegel, and would be their greatest achievement in their nearly three-decade partnership.

Afterward, she was propelled to stardom across Europe by recording versions of her winning song, "Ein bißchen Frieden" (A little peace), in many European languages. To this day, it was the last winning Eurovision song to top the charts in the United Kingdom; it also has the distinction of being the 500th #1 single on the British charts.

This newfound fame brought her music to audiences across Europe, and in time, into Asia as well. By the end of the 1980s, however, her fame subsided somewhat and she refocused her career domestically. Since 1980, she has released over 30 albums in Germany; her most recent offering, Mitten ins Herz (Right into your heart), was accompanied by a three-month "unplugged" tour that ended in the third week of January.

Now off the road, Nicole spoke with Wikinews' Mike Halterman about her past success, her life and career today, and her overall impressions of the Eurovision Song Contest, both past and present. This is the first in a series of interviews with past Eurovision contestants, which will be published sporadically in the lead-up to mid-May's next contest in Moscow.

More power needed behind renewable energy push

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Thu, 29 Jan 2009 04:22:00 +0000

Abu Dhabi, UAE - WWF has told an audience of energy experts and senior government officials from more than 20 countries that the world’s leading governments and businesses must lead the planet towards the benefits of renewable energy and a sustainable future.

At the second World Future Energy Summit in Abu Dhabi last week delegates were told that if everybody in the world consumed resources like the average person in a G8 country then another three planet Earths would be needed to sustain them.

Attending the summit were Professor Lord Nicholas Stern, author of the Stern Review on the Economics of Climate Change, and Dr Rajendra Pachauri, Chairman of the Nobel Peace-prize winning Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change. The closing speaker was former British Prime Minister Tony Blair.

“If we are to change the paradigm then governments with unsustainable ecological footprints must set verifiable targets for reducing their carbon, water and commodity footprints,” Eduardo Gonçalves, International Coordinator for WWF’s One Planet Living initiative, told the delegates.

“They must remove the regulatory barriers to those businesses investing in a sustainable future. They must promote civic awareness of the impending ecological credit crunch.

“Businesses must reform their practices and look at the products they bring to the market. They must lobby governments for a level playing field for sustainable corporate practice, and promote sustainable consumer behaviour.

“And consumers must look again at their own choices and tell governments and business leaders that they demand a new paradigm.”

He went on to outline the fact that globally we are now outspending our natural income – the renewable natural resources the planet produces and replenishes – by 30 per cent and that figure is growing so fast that in another 25 years we are going to need another planet to live on.

WWF’s One Planet Living programme represents a radical shift from wasteful and inefficient consumption and production to an understanding of the natural limits of our ecosystems and the services they provide.

Gonçalves also went on to praise the work of summit hosts United Arab Emirates in the field of sustainability.

At the summit Abu Dhabi alone announced the first firm commitments from an Opec member to produce 7 per cent of its energy from renewables. It has also plendged $15bn to developing its Masdar low carbon city initiative and the establishment of a solar power joint venture.

“The government has signed an agreement with WWF to work with us and our partners to research the country’s national ecological footprint – the flows of energy, consumption of resources, and production of waste,” said Gonçalves, “and to work with us in mapping out a sustainable future for the country and its citizens.

“It is an example that should be followed, particularly by governments in North America and the European Union. The G8 countries may account for only 13 per cent of the world's population but they represent one third of humanity's total ecological footprint.”

In his closing remarks former Prime Minister Blair urged world leaders not to allow the current financial crisis to get in the way of the fight against climate change. He called for a new global agreement setting tough interim targets up to 2020 to transform countries into low-carbon economies.

“It is right now, at the instant when our thoughts are centred on the economic challenge, that we must not set to one side the challenge of global warming, but instead resolve to meet it and put the world on the path to a sustainable future,” he said.

“It needs not just a 2050 target but an interim target to get there, for example a target for 2020 that shows seriousness of intent and gives business a clear, unequivocal signal to invest in a low-carbon future.”

Global economy could lose up to 51 million jobs this year, says UN agency

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Thu, 29 Jan 2009 04:08:00 +0000

The International Labor Organization (ILO), a branch of the United Nations concerned with labor and workers' rights issues, issued a report Wednesday explaining how the global economic crisis could create a global employment crisis by the end of the year.

"By the end of 2008 working poverty, vulnerable employment and unemployment were beginning to rise as the effects of the slowdown spread," the report states. "If the recession deepens in 2009, as many forecasters expect, the global jobs crisis will worsen sharply." Even for those who keep their jobs, the report predicts that "earnings and other conditions of employment will deteriorate."

In a worst-case scenario, the ILO says 51 million jobs could be lost in 2009, meaning that 7.1% of the world's working population would be out of a job. In a more realistic scenario, the report foresees a loss of 30 million jobs, with a global unemployment rate of 6.5%. The unemployment rate has increased in recent years, from 5.7% in 2007 to an estimated 6% in 2008.

Even the report's most optimistic scenario for this year, a loss of 18 million jobs at an unemployment rate of 6.1%, is not much different than the ILO's October 2008 prediction of 20 million jobs lost this year due to the financial crisis.

The report warns that developing countries in South Asia and Subsaharan Africa will be harshly affected by the economic crisis. Although working poverty - defined as having daily wages of US$2 or less - is on an overall decline, these regions are still characterized by poor working conditions, low salaries, and an insecure job market. This will only worsen in 2009, according to the ILO.

"Taking into account that a wage and salary job in poor regions may still not ensure all the components of a decent job, it becomes understandable that only a minority of working people have a job that is well paid, respects their fundamental rights and ensures some security in case of job loss, personal or family illnesses, or other difficulties." The report says that by the end of 2008, nearly 53% of workers around the world could be in "vulnerable employment".

In terms of actual unemployment, however, developed countries are the ones most likely to be affected by the downturn, as they are more tied to the global financial system. The unemployment rate in the European Union and other developed economies increased by 0.7 percentage points in 2008, the largest increase of all regions. "Globalization combined with rapid technological advances is another challenge for labour markets in the region," the ILO says. "It is important for workers and employers to be ready and able to adjust quickly to change and to stiffer competition."

Still, the unemployment rate of 6.4% in these developed countries is far less than in North Africa and the Middle East, which had unemployment rates of 10.3% and 9.4% respectively. East Asia had the lowest unemployment rate of the regions at 3.8%.

The report urged global economies to take cooperative measures, including working with the United Nations, in order to stem the economic crisis. It also asks governments to address the "negative social consequences of globalization" by placing on emphasis an social justice-based programs targeted toward women, youth, and other "vulnerable groups".

In particular, the ILO says governments should establish public infrastructure projects such as road construction, expand health insurance and unemployment benefits, and focus on the creation of green jobs when devising their stimulus plans. "When governments design fiscal stimulus packages, it is important that they consider employment-related goals, including explicit employment growth targets," the report concluded.

"In the world, there remains a huge untapped labour potential, and economic growth and development could be much higher if everyone was given the chance of a decent job."

Sources: Wikinews

Earth Hour 2009

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Fri, 23 Jan 2009 16:42:00 +0000

On 28 March 2009 millions of people around the globe will unite for one hour and switch off their lights to show that they care about our living planet.

Cities already listed to participate in Earth Hour 2009 include Cape Town, Chicago, Copenhagen, Dubai, Hong Kong, Istanbul, Las Vegas, Lisbon, London, Los Angeles, Manila, Mexico City, Moscow, Nashville, Oslo, Rome, San Francisco, Singapore, Sydney, Toronto, and Warsaw.

On this special night, the world will witness some of the most recognisable landmarks on the planet dim the lights in support of decisive action on climate change. Icons switching off include the world’s tallest hotel building in Dubai - the Burj Dubai, the tallest free-standing structure in the Americas - the CN Tower in Toronto, Moscow's Federation Tower and in Rome - Quirinale - the official residence of the President of the Italian Republic, Giorgio Napolitano.

Auckland's Sky Tower - the tallest tower in the Southern Hemisphere will go dark, joined by Australia’s iconic sails of the Sydney Opera House and across in Cape Town, South Africa, the iconic Table Mountain will mark Earth Hour by turning off its flood lights.

Earth Hour 2008

Where did the lights go off?
From the President of Fiji to the residents of Santa Cruz in Bolivia, individuals around the world turned off the lights off in their homes and businesses.
Major participation took place in more then 25 major cities, on 6 continents, including Chicago, Copenhagen, Manila, Tel Aviv, Bangkok, Dublin and Toronto.

In total more than 400 more cities signed up to support this event in 2008.

Lights off at The Sydney Opera House, San Francisco's Golden Gate Bridge and Toronto's CN Tower meant world-famous city skylines disappeared for an hour while celebrities like Nelly Furtado hosted acoustic concerts for fans

Russia and Ukraine reach gas deal

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Sun, 18 Jan 2009 08:16:00 +0000

MOSCOW – Negotiations dragged into the early hours Sunday, but in the end the prime ministers of Russia and Ukraine announced a deal to settle the gas dispute that has drastically reduced supplies of Russian gas to Europe for nearly two weeks.

Russian Prime Minister Vladimir Putin said Ukraine will pay 20 percent less than the European price for this year. This means a substantial increase for Ukraine in the first quarter but the price could fall significantly later in the year as gas prices are expected to drop.

"The negotiations were difficult but we reached an agreement that will allow for a contract to be signed," Tymoshenko said, standing by Putin's side.

Ukraine's Prime Minister Yulia Tymoshenko said natural gas supplies would resume once the two countries' gas companies sign a contract. It was not clear how soon this would happen. But Russia's Gazprom and Ukraine's Naftogaz, both state controlled, were told to prepare the documents by Monday, she said.

Before walking out, Putin promised that gas supplies would be restored soon. Both countries had blamed the other for the shutoff of European-bound gas.

The two leaders reached the agreement in talks that stretched into the early hours of the morning after a meeting Saturday with leaders from the 27-nation European Union ended without a resolution.

The EU normally receives about one-fifth of its gas supplies through Ukraine. Nations in eastern Europe that rely on Russia have been left with virtually no new supplies.

The EU threatened to review its relations with both countries if their dispute is not resolved this weekend. EU spokesman Ferran Tarradellas said Saturday that the EU delegation was "encouraged by the discussions" because Russia and Ukraine were seeking solutions rather than just blaming each other, but "what matters are results."

Ukraine paid $179.50 per 1,000 cubic meters of gas in 2008, less than half the price paid by European countries. The European price for the first quarter of 2009 is about $450, but is expected to fall to reflect the decline in world oil prices from more than $140 in July to below $40 in recent trading. Gas prices fluctuate more slowly than oil because gas is generally sold under long-term contracts.

Before talks broke down on Dec. 31, Russia had offered Ukraine a price of $250 for 2009, which Ukraine refused.

The two countries also reached a deal Sunday on the price Russia will pay Ukraine for transporting gas to Europe through its pipelines. Ukraine had insisted that if it paid more for gas, Russia should pay market prices for transit.

But Putin said Sunday that Russia offered Ukraine the "20 percent discount" on the condition that the discounted transit price remain in place for 2009. Beginning on Jan. 1, 2010, however, Ukraine will pay full price for gas and Russia will pay market prices for transit, he said.

Russia currently pays $1.7 to transport 1,000 cubic meters of gas for 100 kilometers (62 miles), which last year amounted to close to $3 billion. Putin has said the market price is about double this.

The global economic crisis has hit Russia hard. With the dramatic fall in the price of oil — the country's main source of revenue — Russia is facing a budget deficit this year for the first time in a decade. Industrial production has slowed and the ruble has come under huge pressure, losing nearly 30 percent of its value since the summer.

Ukraine's economy, however, is in much worse shape. It has been battered by the drop in world prices for steel, the heart of its export-oriented economy, and is heading into a painful recession this year.

Ukraine is heavily dependent on Russian gas and it is not clear how it will manage to pay for the huge amount needed to run its outdated heavy industries and heating systems.

Putin and Tymoshenko made no mention of the more than $600 million that Gazprom claims Ukraine still owes for 2008 supplies.

Russia stopped shipping gas to Ukraine for domestic use on Jan. 1 when the countries could not agree on a price. It then accused Ukraine of siphoning off gas bound for Europe and turned off the taps entirely on Jan. 7.

Russia resumed piping a limited amount of gas toward Ukraine on Tuesday after the EU secured a deal for its monitors check flows, but the gas did not reach Europe. Russia says Ukraine is blocking shipments to European consumers, while Kiev says Russia wants to send gas along a route that would disrupt supplies to Ukrainian consumers.

Geopolitical struggles over Ukraine's future and export routes for the energy riches of the former Soviet Union underlie the commercial dispute.

Russia and Ukraine have been at odds since the 2004 Orange Revolution brought Yushchenko to power. His avid push for Ukraine to join NATO and the EU has angered Moscow.

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Wall Street hopes for economic recovery in the second half of 2009 after terrible 2008

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Thu, 01 Jan 2009 07:10:00 +0000

NEW YORK (AP) -- The last trading day of 2008 on Wall Street provided a merciful end to an abysmal year -- the worst since the Great Depression, wiping out $6.9 trillion in stock market wealth. Six years of stock gains disappeared as the economy crumbled and markets crashed around the globe, shaking the confidence of professional and individual investors alike.

But the year's chaos went far beyond the stock market. Credit markets that drive lending became paralyzed, plunging the country further into recession and touching off an unprecedented rush for the safety of Treasury bills, notes and bonds. Commodities markets, usually ignored by most investors, soared on speculative buying and then collapsed when it became clear that the world economy was in trouble and that record high prices, including oil's peak above $147 a barrel, were unjustified.

"It was a feeling of flailing," said Jerry Webman, chief economist at Oppenheimer Funds Inc. "People couldn't get a grasp because there were not obvious historical precedents."

By the year's end, many market analysts were predicting that 2009 would be better, but that recovery would be slow as investors, shaken by the devastation to their portfolios, U.S. companies and the overall economy, remain reluctant to buy.

"I think this may be much more of a show-me market than we're used to. The market is going to be looking for some stabilization, increases in earnings, a few more positives before it begins to recover," said Webman.

Wall Street's stats for 2008 provide evidence of how stunningly terrible the year was:

-- The average price of a share listed on the New York Stock Exchange plunged 45 percent to $41.14 by the end of the year from $75.01 a year earlier.

-- The Dow Jones industrial average fell 33.8 percent for the year and 38 percent from its record close of 14,165.53 in October 2007, making it the Dow's worst year since 1931, when the country was in the midst of the Great Depression.

-- The Standard & Poor's 500 index, the indicator most watched by market pros, slumped 38.5 percent in 2008 and 42.3 percent from its 2007 high of 1,565.15.

-- Investors lost $6.9 trillion as relentless selling reduced the value of stocks across the market. That amount, measured by the Dow Jones Wilshire 5000 Composite Index, represented 38 percent of the total value of U.S. stocks at the start of 2008.

Yet the last week of the year was almost serene.

On Wednesday, the Dow rose 108.00, or 1.25 percent, to 8,776.39.

Broader stock indicators also rose. The Standard & Poor's 500 index gained 12.61, or 1.42 percent, to 903.25. The Nasdaq composite index rose 26.33, or 1.70 percent, to 1,577.03 and ended the year down 40.5 percent. It's down 44.8 percent from its recent peak in October; the Nasdaq's record high close of 5,048.62 came in March 2000 just before the end of the dot-com boom.

The Russell 2000 index of smaller companies rose 16.68, or 3.46 percent, to 499.45.

The tranquility was a welcome change in a year that was rocky from the start as worries about the financial system were fed by reports that banks had suffered billions of dollars in losses on securities tied to defaulting mortgages. The forced-sale of Bear Stearns Cos. in March unnerved Wall Street, yet it still managed to right itself through the spring.

The surging price of oil and other commodities dealt another blow to the market. As a barrel of crude leaped from $112 at the beginning of May to a once-unthinkable $147.27 on July 11. With retail gasoline prices soaring above $4 a gallon, stocks fell amid fears that consumers would have to cut back their spending because of higher energy prices.

But the market again stabilized -- until the September bankruptcy of one of the most venerable Wall Street investment firms, Lehman Brothers Holdings Inc., set off a panic on Wall Street and in the credit markets. Banks, fearing that other financial institutions would be unable to repay, stopped lending to each other. The market for short-term corporate debt known as commercial paper was frozen. Interest rates soared.

The only thriving part of the credit markets was government debt. Investors desperate for safety poured money into Treasury issues, particularly short-term bills. The yield on the three month bill plunged to zero, and briefly to a negative return, as investors decided no return or a slight loss was better than the losses on Wall Street or in commodities.

Wall Street's crash in 2008 didn't come in one day like the famous 22.6 percent plunge of Oct. 26, 1987. In many ways it was more nightmarish than Black Monday because there wasn't a quick end to the selling and record volatility.

From Sept. 15 to Nov. 20, when the Dow fell to a close of 7,552.29, the depths it had reached in the bear market of 2002, the blue chips rose or fell by triple digits 41 trading days out of 49.

Relative stability returned to the market during December. But Wall Street's horrific performance has cast a new mold for modern bear markets, often defined as a decline of more than 20 percent, and made expectations for 2009 so low that any reduction in the economic bloodletting would be considered a victory.

"Everyone is so down in the dumps about everything that I do think it gives you the opportunity to have a positive surprise if maybe the economy does turn quicker," said Bill Stone, chief investment strategist at PNC Wealth Management.

Wall Street is hoping for signs of recovery by the second half of 2009, including evidence the housing market has hit bottom, increased lending by banks and a drop in unemployment accompanied by increased consumer spending.

But for the near future economists and market experts predict more bad news.

"I have yet to see anyone who anticipates that the first half of next year is going to be rosy," said Dean Junkans, chief investment officer at Wells Fargo Private Bank.

But even a modest improvement in the economy, which has been in recession since last December, could help stocks extend their recent run.

"If you're standing still, walking is a pickup of speed," said Alan Levenson, chief economist at T. Rowe Price Associates Inc.

The government has helped calm markets with a $700 billion rescue of the financial sector and by agreeing to provide financing to the major U.S. automakers. The Federal Reserve slashed its benchmark interest rate to near zero to reduce borrowing costs.

Cheaper oil prices -- it settled at $44.60 a barrel on Wednesday -- are expected to help bolster the economy, draining less money away from consumers and businesses. The declining prices of other commodities, which have come down in response to rapidly waning demand for raw materials around the world, should also help.

In addition, some analysts believe the market will improve because so many investors have pulled out, leaving little room for more selling.

"Given the nasty carnage how much further risk is there?" said David Darst, chief investment strategist for Morgan Stanley's global wealth management group.

Still, the credit markets remain nearly stagnant as banks continue to be anxious about lending.

Corporate forecasts in January could help shape investor sentiment, even as expectations are modest.

David Kelly, chief market strategist at JPMorgan Funds, said the prospects for the market are "exceptionally uncertain."

For the market to hold its advance from November he contends the calmer trading of the past month must continue and president-elect Barack Obama's plan to boost the economy with spending on infrastructure must show it is working quickly.

"The great risk is we are in a wait-and-see economy," Kelly said. "What Obama needs to do is turn this into a do-it-now economy, give people a reason to buy."

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President-elect Barak Obama plans to announce his top environmental advisors, and greens should have something positive to look forward to in the next four years.

Halting the problems associated with climate change and promoting renewable energy were part of Obama's campaign, and in a recent video message, he emphasized his plans to make government buildings more energy efficient. His new team will be well-positioned to advance all of these issues.

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AIDS: Rund 3.000 Neuinfektionen im Jahr 2008 in Deutschland

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Tue, 02 Dec 2008 03:40:00 +0000

Berlin (Deutschland), 01.12.2008 – Anlässlich des Welt-Aids-Tages am 1. Dezember informieren die Massenmedien in aller Welt ausführlich zum Stand der Ausbreitung der tödlichen Immunschwächekrankheit, die durch das HI-Virus ausgelöst wird. In Deutschland leben im Jahr 2008 zwischen 60.000 und 67.000 Menschen, die entweder entweder durch HIV infiziert sind oder bereits an AIDS erkrankt sind. Im laufenden Jahr kamen in Deutschland rund 3.000 Neuinfizierte hinzu. Diese Zahlen legte das Robert Koch-Institut in Berlin anlässlich des Welt-Aids-Tages vor. In Deutschland steigt die Gesamtzahl der lebenden HIV-Infizierten seit 1995 durch die Einführung der erfolgreichen antiretroviralen Kombinationstherapien wieder an; der Gleichgewichtszustand zwischen der Zahl an Neuinfizierten und den an AIDS gestorbenen Patienten, der sich zuvor herausgebildet hatte, wurde damit beendet. Die verbesserten therapeutischen Möglichkeiten führten zu einer Verringerung der Zahl von AIDS-Todesfällen (AIDS-Mortalität), wodurch die Zahl der insgesamt lebenden HIV-positiven und an AIDS erkrankten Menschen zunahm. Trotz der (oder gerade wegen der) steigenden Zahl der HIV-Infizierten in Deutschland lassen sich also Erfolge des medizinischen Kampfes gegen die Immunschwächekrankheit nachweisen. Trotzdem bleibt die Tatsache, dass in Deutschland seit dem Ausbruch der Seuche (etwa Ende der 1970-er Jahre) rund 27.500 Menschen an AIDS starben. Im Jahr 2008 starben in Deutschland 650 Infizierte an AIDS.

Red Ribbon, das rote Band des Welt-Aids-Tages

Für Europa fällt die Bilanz der Weltgesundheitsorganisation (WHO) deutlich negativ aus. Seit dem Jahr 2000 stieg die Zahl der in Europa erfassten Neuinfektionen von 21.787 (im Jahr 2000) auf 41.949 (2007) jährlich an. Die niedrigsten Infektionsraten weisen Ungarn und Tschechien auf (11,8 pro einer Million Einwohner). Das Schlusslicht bilden drei Länder: Estland (472), die Ukraine (185) und Portugal (217). Deutschland liegt mit 20,5 Fällen pro einer Million Einwohner im Mittelfeld dieser Tabelle. Besonders schwierig ist die Entwicklung in der Ukraine einzuschätzen, wo sich die Epidemie nahezu ungebremst ausbreitet. Nach Angaben der WHO beträgt die Zahl der HIV-Infizierten in der Ukraine 440.000, darunter sind 190.000 Frauen. Der Fernsehjournalist Karsten Hein beschreibt die Ursachen dafür in einem Interview mit „Zeit online“ so: „Man kann die Aids-Epidemie nicht den Spezialisten der Medizin und Entwicklungshilfe überlassen, falls ich die Ursachenkette der Epidemie halbwegs richtig herleite: Gleichgültigkeit, Armut, Tuberkulose, Verwahrlosung und eine epidemische Drogensucht sind zu nennen.“

Vergleicht man die Verteilung der HIV-Infizierten nach anderen Gesichtspunkten, wie dem Geschlecht, so sind nach wie vor Männer die Hauptbetroffenen. Aber auch Frauen sehen sich in wachsendem Maße mit dem Risiko, an AIDS zu erkranken beziehungsweise sich mit dem HI-Virus zu infizieren, konfroniert. In Deutschland sind rund ein Fünftel der Infizierten Frauen. Eine weitere Risikogruppe sind inzwischen auch Kinder unter 15 Jahren, von denen laut WHO und UNAIDS etwa zwei Millionen mit dem Aidsvirus infiziert sind. Im Jahr 2007 infizierten sich etwa 370.000 Kinder neu mit dem HI-Virus.

Hauptgrund für die Ausbreitung von AIDS aus medizinischer Sicht ist nach wie vor der ungeschützte Geschlechtsverkehr zwischen Männern. Fast drei Viertel der Neuinfizierten infizieren sich auf diese Weise mit dem Erreger. Für diese Ursachenanalyse spricht auch das parallel beobachtete Ansteigen solcher sexuell übertragbarer Krankheiten wie Syphilis oder Gonorrhoe.

Quellen: Wikinews

Gran manifestación en Valencia contra Educación para la Ciudadanía en inglés

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Mon, 01 Dec 2008 07:36:00 +0000

29 de noviembre de 2008

Valencia, España – Miles de personas (40.000, según fuentes de la Policía Nacional), se manifestaron esta tarde en Valencia, España, en protesta contra la política educativa del presidente de la Generalidad Valenciana, Francisco Camps y la enseñanza de Educación para la Ciudadanía en inglés.

La decisión del gobierno valenciano de impartir la asignatura de Educación para la Ciudadanía (EpC) en inglés en los centros escolares ha sido el motivo, como en anteriores ocasiones: fianles de octubre y mediados de noviembre. La protesta fue convocada por la Plataforma por la Enseñanza Pública, y ha sido una de las más grandes registradas en Valencia desde las protestas contra la guerra de Irak en 2004.

Entre los asistentes se encontraban el secretario general del PSPV-PSOE, Jorge Alarte y la coordinadora general de EUPV, Glòria Marcos. También, los representantes de centenares de colegios de la Comunidad Valenciana aprovecharon para reclamar más financiación para la educación pública.

Los manifestantes han marchado bajo el grito "Con esta educación, Font de Mora dimisión", en alusión al consejero de Educación del gobierno valenciano, Alejandro Font de Mora.

fuentes - Wikinoticias

El primer ministro italiano Berlusconi aplicará el "porno-impuesto" para enfrentar la crisis

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Mon, 01 Dec 2008 07:22:00 +0000

30 de noviembre de 2008

Roma, Italia – El Consejo de Ministros aprobó ayer la propuesta del primer ministro, Silvio Berlusconi, para aplicar un impuesto del 25% a cualquier material artístico pornográfico, tales como publicaciones especializados, DVD y otros, para afrontar la crisis financiera.

Silvio Berlusconi retomó una propuesta que fue abandonada en 2002.

Según el artículo 31 de la resolución, el gravamen afectará a "toda obra literaria, teatral y cinematográfica, audiovisual o multimedia, también realizada o reproducida sobre soporte informático o telemático, en la que estén presentes imágenes o escenas con actos sexuales explícitos y no simulados entre adultos".

Para el actor porno Rocco Siffredi, criticó duramente la medida y acusó al Gobierno de moralista. "No recaudarán nada, lo único que podrán gravar serán los objetos. Ahora los DVDs ya no se venden, el sexo se encuentra en Internet (...) Es una vergüenza", declaró.

Lo que el Consejo de Ministros hizo fue, en realidad, desempolvar un proyecto que el ex diputado del partido Forza Italia –movimiento político fundado por Berlusconi en 1994– Vittorio Emanuele Falsita propuso en 2002 y que nunca se llegó a aplicar.

No obstante, el Gobierno tendrá que aprobar dentro de dos meses un decreto que indique claramente qué tipo de material será considerado pornográfico y, por lo tanto, se le aplicará el nuevo impuesto.

fuentes - Wikinoticias

Spain launches €11 billion stimulus package

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Sat, 29 Nov 2008 12:38:00 +0000

Spain has launched a €11 billion stimulus plan, which aims to boost the weakening economy and create 300,000 jobs. José Luis Rodríguez Zapatero, the Prime Minister of Spain, says that the money will be spent mostly in infrastructure and public works.

A portion of the package will aim to assist Spain's auto industry, which accounts for a fifth of Spanish exports and has been hit hard by the economic crisis, having seen sales plummet 54.6% since the beginning of the year.

The plan represents 1.1% of Spain's gross domestic product, and is a part of the €200 billion stimulus announced by the European Union.

Spain's economy is in a sharp downturn due to a crash in the construction sector. Spanish GDP shank 0.2% in the third quarter, the first such decline in fifteen years. Spain's unemployment rate reached 11.3% in September, a record for the European Union.

Germany launched a similar package worth €50 billion, and France is expected to launch economic measures worth €20 billion next week as well.

Standoffs remain after Mumbai attacks

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Fri, 28 Nov 2008 20:18:00 +0000

According to police, at least 151 people were killed and over 300 wounded in yesterday's attacks in Mumbai, India. The attackers, who were reportedly armed with AK-47 assault rifles and hand grenades, have taken hostages at three locations.

It is still unclear how many gunmen there were, but police say that at least nine of them have been killed in fighting. CNN-IBN quoted a source as saying there may have been 26 gunmen.

Commandos with the Rapid Action Force have stormed the Taj Mahal Palace & Tower and Oberoi Trident hotels. Ten hostages have been reported freed at the Oberoi, but it is unclear how many remain. Fresh explosions were heard at the Taj Hotel, but an official said that the situation is "almost sorted out."

Unconfirmed reports suggest one of the attackers is in custody.

"People who were held up there, they have all been rescued. But there are guests in the rooms, we don't know how many," said police chief A.N. Roy to Reuters.

A Jewish centre in Mumbai was also targeted by the attackers.

NSG has announced that the Taj hotel is now clear and all terrorists are killed. One cell phone with a foreign SIM card was found outside Taj hotel, which belonged to one of the terrorists.

24 bodies were found in the Oberoi Trident just a few minutes ago taking the number of dead from 125 to 149 confirmed and rising.

Detail map showing the eight attack sites in Mumbai

here are also hostages at Nariman House, the Indian headquarters for Chabad Lubavitch, an Orthodox Jewish group. Police have surrounded the building.

Manmohan Singh addressed his country on national television: "We intend to ensure the safety of our citizens. We salute the police and men who lay down their lives in fighting these terrorists."

"The well-planned and well-orchestrated attacks, probably with external linkages, were intended to create a sense of terror by choosing high-profile targets," he said.

An e-mail claiming responsibility by the Deccan Mujahideen has not been verified or confirmed.

"It's even unclear whether it's a real group or not," said Professor Bruce Hoffman, a terrorism scholar at Georgetown University.

Sources: WikiNews

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Large drop in US consumer spending

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Thu, 27 Nov 2008 11:37:00 +0000

United States consumer spending dropped one percent in in October, the largest decline since September of 2001. Consumer spending, which makes up approximately two-thirds of economic activity in the United States, rose by 0.3% in September.

Meanwhile, the Commerce Department has stated that the pace of new home sales in October dropped by 5.3% to a seasonally adjusted annual rate of 433,000, their lowest rates since January 1991.

Other figures released yesterday say that the number of new jobless claims last week dropped to 529,000 from a sixteen-year high of 543,000 in the previous week.

Sources: Wikinews

Los Angeles wildfires are nearly contained

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Sun, 23 Nov 2008 19:55:00 +0000

The recent wildfires in Los Angeles, California, have burned more than 42,000 acres (17,000 hectares) of land. Nearly 1,000 homes were destroyed, and more than 10,000 residents were evacuated.

Los Angeles Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa expressed concerns that Los Angeles was on the verge of a blackout, and California Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger has declared the situation a state of emergency. In terms of property damage, this fire is the worst since the Bel Air fire in 1961. Los Angeles County Supervisor Zev Yaroslavsky stated, "Whether you live in a mobile home park or you live in an estate, when you lose your home it's devastating."

In Montecito, a census-designated place in Santa Barbara County, the homes of many celebrities, including Steven Spielberg, Steve Martin, Eric Schmidt, and Rob Lowe, have been destroyed. This massive fire has caused millions of dollars of damage and 13 injuries. Rob Lowe declared that "it was just like Armageddon."

According to one official, the fire started when ten students lit a bonfire on a ridge but failed to extinguish it. Although Santa Barbara County Sheriff Bill Brown believes that "this fire was the result of carelessness, not criminal intent," the county district attorney will still have to review the case.

Santa Ana winds with gusts up to 70 mph exacerbated the Montecito fire, which destroyed over 100 buildings and damaged many others, including Westmont College. The college's 1000 students were forced to take shelter in the gymnasium.

A spokesman for the college, Scott Craig, described the scene: "I saw flames about 100 feet high in the air shooting up with the wind just howling. Now when the wind howls and you've got palm trees and eucalyptus trees that are literally exploding with their hot oil, you've got these big, red hot embers that are flying through the sky and are catching anything on fire."

Officials now report that firefighters are making some progress. Of the three major fires, the Montecito Tea Fire is 95% contained; the Sayre Fire, 70%; and the Triangle Complex Fire, 75%. Officials have lifted the evacuation order for Chino Hills as well.

Sources: Wikinews

YouTube hosts live music events in Japan and US

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Sun, 23 Nov 2008 18:42:00 +0000

The online video sharing site YouTube has today hosted the first official "YouTube Live" event, which featured many popular musicians and contributors to the site.

Two events took place, one in San Francisco, United States and one in Japan, with the event in the US featuring artists such as Joe Satriani, Akon and Katy Perry.

Another performer at the event, which started this morning at 0100 UTC, was will.i.am, who published his song "Yes We Can" on YouTube, with the video receiving millions of views on the site. The song was based on Barack Obama's concession speech after losing the New Hampshire Democratic Primary to Hilary Clinton. At the event will.i.am presented his song "In My Name," which calls for an end to child poverty.

"YouTube Live is the first time a broad variety of YouTube stars are scheduled to appear together under one roof," stated Chris Di Cesare, who works for YouTube as the Head of Marketing. "There have been so many wonderful talents that have emerged from YouTube and more established acts continue to recognize how invaluable YouTube is to building their audience. We felt it was only right to recognize them all in true YouTube fashion."

YouTube has stated that, between them, the more than 50 artists performing at the event have 2.5 billion views for their videos on its website.

The audience of the event was primarily notable contributors and partners to the video sharing site.

Sources: Wikinews

Highest Technorati Blog Listed

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Sat, 22 Nov 2008 21:14:00 +0000

Technorati is an Internet search engine for searching blogs. As of June 2008, Technorati indexes 112.8 million blogs and over 250 million pieces of tagged social media. Technorati is under Creative Commons with following CC License. Your can share any blog and sharing the story in this web. Its great.

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The site won the SXSW (South by Southwest) 2006 awards for Best Technical Achievement and also Best of Show.

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