EU-DIGEST

Beijing seven minutes from destruction when a 2.5 ton satellite crashed to Earth at 300mph - by Allan Hall and Katie Silver

2012-01-31T14:12:00.004-05:00

Seven minutes saved huge areas of Beijing from destruction last year when a 2.5 ton satellite hurtled towards earth, it has been revealed.

The Chinese capital was directly in the flight path of Germany's research satellite Rosat when it plunged into the Bay of Bengal last October, two decades after it's launch.

The consequences of chunks of the 2.5 ton satellite falling into the city would have been catastrophic; huge craters, shattered fuel lines, explosions, wrecked buildings and untold human casualties in a metropolis of 20 million people.

For more: Beijing seven minutes from destruction¿ when a 2.5 ton satellite crashed to Earth at 300mph | Mail Online

US Presidential Elections - Florida primary polls: Romney wins over Gingrich after dumping $ 14 million there

2012-01-31T13:59:00.001-05:00

The former Massachusetts governor had a solid double-digit lead in eve-of-vote opinion polls in the Sunshine State. The swing state, which could prove pivotal in November's election, is the fourth and largest state so far to hold a nominating contest.

Correspondents say Romney's win today would be unlikely to kill the Gingrich candidacy, but could give the former governor unstoppable momentum.

For more: BBC News - Florida primary: Romney eyes win over Gingrich

France - its all about liberté, égalité, fraternité - France's Armenia genocide law put on hold

2012-01-31T12:25:00.003-05:00

France's new law punishing denial of the Armenian genocide was put on hold Tuesday after politicians opposed to the legislation demanded that its constitutionality be examined.

On Tuesday two separate groups of French politicians who oppose the legislation -- from both the Senate and the lower house of parliament -- said they had formally requested the constitutional council to examine the law.

The groups said they each had gathered more than the minimum 60 signatures required to ask the council to test the law's constitutionality.

"This is an atomic bomb for the Elysee (Sarkozy's office) which didn't see it coming," said deputy Lionel Tardy, who said that most of the 65 signatories from the lower house were, like him, from Sarkozy's UMP party.

Note EU-Digest: whatever the arguments are about this proposed and controversial law - the issue mainly relates to, on the one hand, constitutionally established French laws on freedom of speech, and on the other hand, the infringement this law could have on it. Passing this so-called genocide law would certainly put a blemish on what the rest of the world considers one of the highest ideals embodied in the French revolution: liberté, égalité, fraternité. This famous phrase obviously also greatly impacts on the right to freedom of speech. By throwing this undemocratic genocide law off the table France would not only show the World it still respects its hard fought revolutionary and democratic ideals, but in the same breath also teach the two countries in question ( Armenia and Turkey) a lesson or two about the importance of freedom of speech.

For more: AFP: France's Armenia genocide law put on hold

Eurozone unemployment hits Euro-era high of 10.4%

2012-01-31T11:48:00.001-05:00

Unemployment in the 17-nation eurozone ended 2011 at 10.4 per cent, a new record high for the single currency since its launch at the start of 1999, official figures showed Tuesday.

Eurostat, the EU's statistics office, said the rate in December was unchanged, as November's was revised upwards from a previous estimate of 10.3 per cent. Unemployment has been steadily rising over the past year — in December 2010, it stood at 9.5 per cent — largely because of Europe's debt crisis. The agency said just under 16.5 million people were unemployed in the eurozone, up 751,000 on the year before.

The highest unemployment rate remains in Spain, where 22.9 per cent of the working population were without work, though Greece is nearing with 19.2 per cent rate. The lowest rate in the eurozone is Austria's 4.1 per cent.

For more: Eurozone unemployment hits Euro-era high - Business - CBC News

While temperatures rise, denialists reach lower

2012-01-31T11:03:00.001-05:00

Over the weekend, two amazingly bad articles were published about climate change. Both were loaded with mistakes, misinterpretations, and outright misinformation, and are simply so factually wrong that they almost read like parodies.

Just so we’re clear here. The first was in the Wall Street Journal. The article, called No Need to Panic About Global Warming, is a textbook example of misleading prose. It’s laden to bursting with factual errors, but the one that stood out to me most was this whopper: "Perhaps the most inconvenient fact is the lack of global warming for well over 10 years now."

The WSJ OpEd makes a lot of hay from having 16 scientists sign it, but of those only 4 are actually climate scientists. And that bragging right is crushed to dust when you find out that the WSJ turned down an article about the reality of global warming that was signed by 255 actual climate scientists. In fact, as Media Matters reports, more of the signers of the WSJ OpEd have ties to oil interests than actually publish peer-reviewed climate research.

When I read it, I thought that OpEd was really scraping the bottom of the barrel. But then the Daily Mail chimed in and I discovered that barrel gets a lot deeper.

They printed an article by David Rose called Forget global warming — it’s Cycle 25 we need to worry about (and if NASA scientists are right the Thames will be freezing over again).

By "Cycle 25" he’s referring to the solar activity cycle — which I’ll get to in a moment. But first, the most egregiously awful thing about the Mail article is the angle it takes on new results released by The Met Office, the National Weather Service for the UK. The subheadline for the Mail article is "Met Office releases new figures which show no warming in 15 years", which is a bit odd given that the very first two paragraphs of the Met’s press release say: 2012 is expected to be around 0.48 °C warmer than the long-term (1961-1990) global average of 14.0 °C, with a predicted likely range of between 0.34 °C and 0.62 °C, according to the Met Office annual global temperature forecast.

The middle of this range would place 2012 within the top 10 warmest years in a series which goes back to 1850.

For more: While temperatures rise, denialists reach lower | Bad Astronomy | Discover Magazine

Investments: Is China really the best place to invest? - by Larry Swedroe

2012-01-31T10:04:00.003-05:00

One of my major focuses is demonstrating that so much of the "conventional wisdom" of investing is wrong. One of the more persistent beliefs held by investors is that if you want high returns, you should invest in countries experiencing rapid economic growth.

Antti Ilmanen, in his book Expected Returns, reports that from 1993 through 2009, China's GDP growth rate averaged more than 10 percent. If ever there was a test that would demonstrate that high rates of economic growth translate into high investment returns, this should have been it. Yet, Ilmanen found that U.S. dollar-based investor would have earned negative returns over the period. The negative return has now been extended to 19 years as the iShares Trust FTSE China 25 Index Fund (FXI) returned just 2.1 percent in 2010, and then lost 17.7 percent in 2011.

If the Chinese example doesn't convince you that the conventional wisdom is wrong, perhaps the cumulative weight of the evidence from the following studies will: One study found that for the period 1900-2000, the real return from stocks and a country's growth rate was negatively correlated (-0.27); another study ranked 83 countries and found that the lowest growth countries outperformed the fastest growing countries by almost 7 percent a year.

Note EU-Digest: "therefore, based on the above - and your investment security: invest in Europe. It will pay off, in addition to giving you, the investor, the security of knowing your capital is invested in a democratic society, which can not suddenly change the rules on foreign investments without due process."

For more: Is China really the best place to invest? - CBS News

IRAN: DRUMS OF WAR BEATING LOUDER: U.S. Mounts Further Military Build-Up in Persian Gulf - by Ben Schreiner

2012-01-31T09:30:00.002-05:00

With the drums of war beating ever louder against Iran, the U.S. military has quickly moved to reestablish a war footing in the Persian Gulf. The preparations for a looming military confrontation thus continue apace.

According to the Washington Post (1/27), “The Pentagon is rushing to send a large floating base for commando teams to the Middle East.” As the paper reports, the USS Ponce, a 40-year old amphibious transport dock previously set for decommission, will now be converted into a special ops hub, and then likely sent to the Persian Gulf.

The Pentagon, the Post reports, is seeking to retrofit the USS Ponce on an accelerated timeline. In fact, the military has gone ahead and waived “normal procurement rules because any delay presented a ‘national security risk.’” At the same time, the Wall Street Journal reports (1/28) the Pentagon has notified Congress that it will divert an additional $82 million to refine the Massive Ordinance Penetrator (MOP). (The MOP is a 30,000-pound “bunker-buster” bomb “specifically designed to take out the hardened fortifications built by Iran and North Korea to cloak their nuclear programs.”)

Yet despite the ongoing military preparations, the power elites in both Washington and Tel Aviv remain divided as to whether to go ahead with a strike against Iran. As Jim Lobe noted, this growing debate has actually led to "a number of influential members of the [U.S.] foreign policy establishment - including several prominent liberal interventionists who had supported the Iraq war - to warn against any further escalation either by the US or Israel."

For more: IRAN: DRUMS OF WAR BEATING LOUDER: U.S. Mounts Further Military Build-Up in Persian Gulf

Another US Opinion About Europe "FAQ: The treaty that could save Europe. Or not." - By Brad Plumer:

2012-01-31T09:18:00.002-05:00

"It’s been awhile since we looked at the mess in Europe, but this is a big week. European leaders are meeting in Brussels to adopt a new deficit treaty. And depending on whom you ask, talks over Greek debt restructuring are either progressing nicely — or threatening the continent.

So Europe is still a mess? It sure seems that way. The European Central Bank has managed to ease the short-term market turmoil through its backdoor bailout scheme. But various euro zone countries are still trying (and failing) to cut their debt loads with growth-suppressing austerity. And there’s still very much the possibility that the Greek debt talks could break down. If Greece ends up leaving the euro zone, which would be terrible for everybody."

For more: FAQ: The treaty that could save Europe. Or not. - The Washington Post

"J'accuse!" - How 'Europe' became a dirty word in the US election

2012-01-31T01:22:00.003-05:00

As Florida goes to the polls in its primary election for the Republican presidential candidate, how did Europe-bashing become such an issue?

"J'accuse!"

There is only one presidential contender fluent in the French tongue. But if Mitt Romney wins the US Republican nomination, he is likely to stick to plain English when he delivers what he hopes will be a killer blow against President Barack Obama in November's general election.

For more: BBC News - How 'Europe' became a dirty word in the US election

How Swedes and Norwegians Broke the Power of the '1 Percent'

2012-01-31T00:59:00.001-05:00

While many of us are working to ensure that the Occupy movement will have a lasting impact, it’s worthwhile to consider other countries where masses of people succeeded in nonviolently bringing about a high degree of democracy and economic justice. Sweden and Norway, for example, both experienced a major power shift in the 1930s after prolonged nonviolent struggle. They “fired” the top 1 percent of people who set the direction for society and created the basis for something different.

For more: How Swedes and Norwegians Broke the Power of the '1 Percent' | World | AlterNet

Syrian troops retake control of suburbs outside Damascus - Is Assad ready to pack his bags?

2012-01-30T19:58:00.004-05:00

Syrian troops reasserted control Monday of rebellious suburbs outside Damascus, retaking some districts amid stiff resistance as the opposition reported dozens killed in fierce fighting.

Armed rebels were falling back to avoid the government’s onslaught, said opposition activists, as regime tanks and troops pulled into rebel bastions near the capital.

“We’ve entered the stage of street war,” said an opposition activist in the Damascus suburb of Duma, who asked not to be named for security reasons. “Today, one side is gaining control, tomorrow the other side. Today, the regime is in control.” The increase in violence came as diplomats in New York prepared to debate Syria’s future.

On Tuesday, the United Nations is scheduled to consider an Arab League plan, backed by Western nations, that calls for Syrian President Bashar Assad to relinquish power as part of a transition to a unity government and the holding of new elections. The Syrian government has condemned the blueprint as an affront to its sovereignty.

For more: Syrian troops retake control of suburbs outside Damascus - latimes.com

Europe signs up to German-led fiscal pact

2012-01-30T18:47:00.002-05:00

Only Britain and the Czech Republic refused to sign a fiscal compact in March that will impose quasi-automatic sanctions on countries that breach European Union budget deficit limits and will enshrine balanced budget rules in national law.

The accord was eagerly greeted by the European Central Bank which has long pressed euro zone governments to put their houses in order.

"It is the first step towards a fiscal union. It certainly will strengthen confidence in the euro area," ECB President Mario Draghi said.

For more: Europe signs up to German-led fiscal pact | Reuters

China's view on how Europe can get back to work

2012-01-30T18:40:00.002-05:00

Beyond the shadow of a doubt, the reform of labor markets is ultimately the most critical part of the reform process, in the eurozone and across the European Union(EU). Only successful measures in this arena can bring about a lasting, future-oriented turnaround for Europe. The European heads of state have a much-needed opportunity to focus their Jan 30 summit meeting on strategies to reduce unemployment.

While the goal is clear - growth must be stimulated everywhere and unemployment must be brought down - we must resist the temptation to believe that there is any one-size-fits-all solution. Far from it. Each country can, and each country must, develop its own strategy for labor market reform. Each country, not Brussels or anybody else, is thus in charge of its own destiny. That is so for a very simple reason. Labor market conditions, requirements, options and challenges differ from one country to the next, often significantly.

Some countries have a very high share of services in their national economy, and thus depend greatly on domestic demand. Others rely heavily on exports and must prepare themselves from possible slowdowns on that front. Then there are also those who still have to evolve from an over-reliance on agrarian structures. Yet again others must focus especially on reducing dramatic levels of youth unemployment.

For more: How Europe can get back to work|Comment|chinadaily.com.cn

Dutch ISPs refuse to block The Pirate Bay

2012-01-30T11:01:00.001-05:00

In a battle reminiscent of the UPC vs the record industry of 2010 and a foreshadow of what may happen in Ireland once a new statutory instrument amending the Copyright Act 2000 is signed into law, two of the largest ISPs in The Netherlands, KPN and T-Mobile, have said they will not be blocking subscriber access to The Pirate Bay.

This is despite the Court of the Hague ruling two weeks ago that ISPs Ziggo and rival XS4ALL have to block access to The Pirate Bay after a successful case by Hollywood-supported anti-piracy group BREIN.

According to torrent blog TorrentFreak, both KPN and T-Mobile argue that blocking websites is a threat to the open internet.

For more: SOPA in Europe – Dutch ISPs refuse to block The Pirate Bay - New Media - New Media | siliconrepublic.com - Ireland's Technology News Service

Iran may vote EU oil sales ban - Possible oil price spike to $150 seen

2012-01-30T00:49:00.002-05:00

Iran sent conflicting signals in a dispute with the West over its nuclear ambitions on Sunday, vowing to stop oil exports soon to “some” countries but postponing a parliamentary debate on a proposed halt of sales to the European Union.

The Islamic Republic declared itself optimistic about a visit by UN nuclear experts that began on Sunday but also warned the inspectors to be “professional” or see Tehran reducing cooperation with the world body on atomic matters.

For more: Iran may vote EU oil sales ban - Oil price spike to $150 seen

Europe ready to end crises and legislate on deficits

2012-01-30T00:43:00.001-05:00

Heads of state and government from the 27 European Union states gather from today from 3:00 pm (1400 GMT) in Brussels, with Belgium on strike against further spending cuts envisaged after yet another credit rating downgrade.

For once, there is no need for "crisis" adjectives -- the rhetoric on Europe has changed much in the two years since the scale of the problems in Athens threw the eurozone into political chaos. "Imminent, very, very soon," was how senior EU sources described on Sunday night the prospect of agreement on the conditions required to underpin a fresh willingness to fix a new international bailout.

At the summit, leaders want to focus on new treaty obligations for minimal deficits -- in theory, ending ever-rising government debt -- plus the legal framework for a rescue fund dubbed a financial "firewall."

EU-Digest

Twitter: please dump this new censorship policy immediately

2012-01-29T18:56:00.001-05:00

On January 28th, and until further notice, EU-Digest suspended the publishing of selected reports on Twitter (https://twitter.com/#!/EU_Digest ) in view of Twitter's plans to allow country-specific censorship of tweets that might break local laws.

We believe this new Twitter policy is a complete role reversal for this innovative and young company, which from its start-up has always prided itself to promote uncensored expression, 140 characters at a time.

Twitter's decision to align itself with local censors is depriving cyber dissidents in repressive countries around the world of an indispensable tool for information and organization.

We urge Twitter to dump this undemocratic censorship policy immediately.

The Arab Spring Revisited: How Arab Monarchies Can Survive - by Prof. Dr. Ludger Kuehnhardt

2012-01-29T17:47:00.003-05:00

"Revolutions are not processes of social engineering. They unfold as an intrinsically unpredictable flow of events. Structurally, revolutions will go through phases, often through contradictory periods. Hardly any revolution will evolve without turbulances and phases of consolidation. And: Revolutions do not happen without moments of stagnation, surprising advancement and unexpected transformation.

How can one explain the almost paradoxical phenomenon that hereditary monarchies – at least for the time being – seem to be less affected by the protest against personal rule and patrimonial authoritarianism that has resonated across the Arab world? One initial observation is undeniable: Saudi-Arabia is particularly interested in supporting Arab monarchies and it is doing so with an enormous amount of money. In fact, Saudi Arabia may even be interested in preventing too far-reaching democratization in Arab republics. But the vested interests of the Saudi family alone do not explain why Arab monarchies tend to be more resilient to the current wave of protest to be heard all over the Arab world. One has to go beyond the obvious and look for structural explanations. Most evident – and well beyond the Arab world – is the fact that power based on traditional legitimacy continues to play a stabilizing role in the transformation of societies and their political systems.

The hereditary rulers in the Arab world may not have so much time. What is truly new of the events of 2011 is the spirit of the Arab Spring: self-empowerment of Arab societies, bringing back dignity and hope to frustrated and marginalized societies, enabling millions of citizens to act as proud, self-confident and open partners of their neighbors. This might only be the first step in a long, complex and often vexed journey. Currently, the main focus among transatlantic partners is on the future of Arab republics which are torn between the most extreme possible scenarios. Some may think that Arab monarchies will be the last to reform and hence can be neglected right now. There are good reasons to argue for the opposite. Unreformed Arab monarchies could undermine any progress currently made in Arab republics. But reformed, transformed and consolidated Arab monarchies could become reliable agents for change and legitimacy in a renewed Arab world."

For more: The Arab Spring Revisited: How Arab Monarchies Can Survive - Analysis

China, world economy dragon mummy to Europe

2012-01-29T17:30:00.001-05:00

The Chinese People’s Republic has opened up to negotiations in the international arena. In official documents they have substituted the term ‘peace rise’ when referring to the country’s model of development with the more harmonious slogan ‘peace development’. 30% of its foreign investment has already been 'China's scramble for Europe' on ecfr.eu" directed to the Mediterranean countries otherwise known as the PIIGS "Greece, Spain, Portugal and Italy, countries most troubled by the economic crisis. They actually look forward to doing more business with central and eastern Europe.

All of this growth has led to a growing consumption amidst the young Chinese generation. Take the case of Guo Jingming. In Europe the teenage romance novel author is known for accusations of plagiarism in three of his bestsellers. However in China the 28-year-old’s status remains elevated to that of ‘hero’, perhaps also in light of the some twelve million euros (9.94 million pounds) he has earned since the beginning of his literary career. He represents this kind of ‘Chinese dream’ of ‘living fast and loving hard’ in a life sauce which smacks of Asian sweet-and-sour. ‘Europe is regarded by many Chinese as a continent of intellectuals, which is too conservative and too focused on its own affairs,’ explains the French Courrier International. In a word, Europe is ‘boring’. Meanwhile, European literature and culture has brought our attention to China via the works of the late Polish and Italian journalists Ryszard Kapuściński and Tiziano Terzani, or the director Bernardo Bertolucci’s outstanding film The Last Emperor (1987).

For more: China, world economy dragon mummy to Europe

Human Rights Watch: West should do more to support democracy

2012-01-29T16:46:00.001-05:00

Western countries should do more to support democracy and human rights in the Arab world, Human Rights Watch (HRW) said today at the release of its 2012 World Report.

The 676-page report was launched for the first time in Cairo, “because it is the capital of the Arab world,” said Kenneth Roth, HRW’s executive director. He was present alongside Heba Morayef, HRW’s Cairo-based Middle East and North Africa (MENA) researcher. The annual review looks at more than 90 countries, but this year’s report focuses on the international community’s reactions to the Arab Spring.

Roth said the report “reaches the sad but unavoidable conclusion that western policy for the Arab world has been one of containment. The West has treated Arab people as if they are to be feared, while promoting democracy elsewhere. In the MENA, they supported an array of autocrats as long as they supported western interests.” These Western interests include limiting the rise of political Islam, protecting Israel, maintaining the flow of oil, and stemming migration to Europe, Roth added.

For more: Human Rights Watch: West should do more to support democracy | Al-Masry Al-Youm: Today's News from Egypt

Europe 'deserves to elect its leaders' - by Joe Coney.

2012-01-29T16:32:00.003-05:00

There is an important democratic gap in the EU. At Stronger Europe we believe the president of the European Commission should be directly elected.

The Commission president currently determines the agenda in the Commission and he appoints the 27 commissioners who staff its ministries. The person who fills this role should have the legitimacy which the European electorate conferred on him.

There are some who disagree with the need for change, pointing to the fact that the Commission is approved by the democratically European Parliament.

An elected Commission president would be responsible for the actions and policies of the commissioners he appoints. His election would grant him the mandate to do this, a mandate that is lacking in European politics. Currently the technocratic functioning of the major European institutions may have some advantages: flexibility, rapidity of decision-making and quality of analysis, but we have also seen its limits of it.

Decisions made in the early hours, at summits detached from the reality of Europe, by a handful of European politicians, some elected, but significantly some not, have failed repeatedly.

For more: Europe 'deserves to elect its leaders' | New Europe

USA - 99 versus the 1% movement: More than 100 Occupy activists arrested in Oakland after clashing with police

2012-01-29T00:05:00.001-05:00

Occupy activists tossed pipes, bottles, burning flares and other objects Saturday at Oakland police, who responded by using tear gas and smoke grenades and arresting more than 100 demonstrators, city and police officials said.

Oakland has been a flash point of the Occupy movement since October when police used tear gas to break up demonstrators who refused to leave downtown. One demonstrator, a Marine veteran of the war in Iraq, suffered a skull fracture after being hit with a police projectile, according to a veteran's group. Police said they acted after the crowd threw paint and other objects at officers.

On Saturday, police made mass arrests following an afternoon clash with protesters near the Kaiser Convention Center and then later outside a downtown YMCA, according to a police statement.

Go to: More than 100 Occupy activists arrested in Oakland after clashing with police - CNN.com

Car industry: Chrysler, Fiat CEO Sergio Marchionne to add 1,600 jobs in Illinois - by Brent Snavely

2012-01-28T22:22:00.001-05:00

Chrysler and Fiat CEO Sergio Marchionne is planning to announce plans to add 1,600 jobs at the automaker's assembly plant in Illinois next week, according two people familiar with the plans.

Earlier this week, Chrysler confirmed that it plans to hire 400 to 500 part time and temporary workers at the plant. The additional 1,100 workers would be for a third crew at the plant to support production of the Dodge Dart, a new compact car, as well as Jeep Compass and Jeep Patriot.

The new Dodge Dart to be available in 2013 is expected to be the first credible small car for any Chrysler brand in years. It also is the first to combine Fiat and Chrysler technology and is built on a widened and lengthened version of the Alfa Romeo Giulietta.

For more: Chrysler, Fiat CEO Sergio Marchionne to add 1,600 jobs in Illinois | Detroit Free Press | freep.com

To be free,Twitter must not be free - by Faisal J. Abbas

2012-01-28T17:25:00.005-05:00

What makes social media an interesting field to study and follow is that you simply can’t predict what will happen next; it’s a world where things change every moment, where a simple ‘tweet’ could reach millions with a press of a button and a Facebook page could help bring down governments.

Of course, there were always the ‘acceptable’ measures which very of us ever complained about, such as the removal of graphic or obscene content (e.g., pornography or France and Germany banning Nazi content ─ an example used by Twitter to justify their policy). Every now and then, there would be a particular page or tweet removed but this just didn’t occur enough to become an issue. This was all true until the recent Twitter announcement that tweets can now be censored on a country-by-country basis, allowing posts that may be deemed problematic in one country to still appear in another.

As soon as the news broke, many ‘tweeps’ expressed their severe disappointment with the decision and have accused the site of censorship. The hashtags #twittercensorship and #twitterblackout were quickly formed by users who are planning to protest by not tweeting on Jan. 28 in a stand against what they see as a threat to freedom of expression and information.

Now, what will be the outcome of such a boycott movement and whether or not it will be successful in reversing Twitter’s decision is something which only time will be able to tell.

What is certain is that users would have had much more impact if they were paying for the service, as only then would Twitter be forced to listen to their demands; at the end of the day, no business would ever risk upsetting its customers.

Note EU-Digest: Mr. Abbas is right on target. Corporations moral is based on money. Threaten their income flow and you can start negotiating with them.

For more: To be free, Twitter must not be free

Turkey Loses Ground Again in World Press Freedom Index

2012-01-28T17:02:00.002-05:00

Reporters Without Borders (RSF) announced the 2011-2012 World Press Freedom Index on 25 January.

While Turkey was on 138^th position out of a total of 179 surveyed countries last year, the country fell back a further ten places to rank no. 148 this year. The RSF report claims that Turkey is "back to old habits".

"Turkey continued its descent, this time falling 10 places to 148th. Despite the diversity and energy of its media, 2011 saw a dramatic escalation in the judicial harassment of journalists. Under the pretext of combating terrorism, dozens were jailed before being tried, above all in the investigations into the Ergenekon conspiracy and the KCK, an alleged political offshoot of the outlawed Kurdistan Workers Party. The unprecedented extension of the range of arrests, the massive phone taps and the contempt shown for the confidentiality of journalists' sources have helped to reintroduce a climate of intimidation in the media", the report summarized.

For more:Turkey Loses Ground again in World Press Freedom Index - Bianet