...The proposal has already been condemned by the National Farmers Union as risking a doubling in the price of vegetables....A compromise hammered out between EU governments and MEPs means a reduced number of 22 toxic substances would be banned from use as crop chemicals. But SNP MEP Alyn Smith said even the compromise was too much. Urging his colleagues to "reflect over the holiday period", he went on: "The proposals which will be presented in January go too far. "Alternatives to many of the chemicals which the legislation proposes to ban have not been fully developed, and are mainly highly-targeted niche options. This often makes them expensive and impracticable, and we can ill afford to make farming more expensive at a time of rising input costs."
...The proposal has already been condemned by the National Farmers Union as risking a doubling in the price of vegetables.
...A compromise hammered out between EU governments and MEPs means a reduced number of 22 toxic substances would be banned from use as crop chemicals.
But SNP MEP Alyn Smith said even the compromise was too much. Urging his colleagues to "reflect over the holiday period", he went on: "The proposals which will be presented in January go too far.
"Alternatives to many of the chemicals which the legislation proposes to ban have not been fully developed, and are mainly highly-targeted niche options. This often makes them expensive and impracticable, and we can ill afford to make farming more expensive at a time of rising input costs."
Russia has once again shut off its gas supply to Ukraine over a price dispute. This time Europe says it's ready with stockpiles, but the dispute is far from over: Russia swears to verify on Friday that Ukraine has not siphoned gas bound for Europe
The European Union's brand new Czech presidency was forced to urge Moscow Friday evening to resume full gas deliveries after the bloc's fears of drop in vital gas supplies became a reality. "The European Union calls for an urgent solution to the commercial dispute on gas supplies from the Russian Federation to Ukraine, and for an immediate resumption of full deliveries of gas to the EU member states," the EU presidency said in a statement. "Energy relations between the EU and its neighbors should be based on reliability and predictability. Existing commitments to supply and transit have to be honored under all circumstances," it added. Pipeline pressure is down in the main pipes leading from Ukraine into EU members Hungary, Poland and Slovakia, the Czech Republic's energy envoy, Vaclav Bartuska, told German new agency dpa.
The European Union's brand new Czech presidency was forced to urge Moscow Friday evening to resume full gas deliveries after the bloc's fears of drop in vital gas supplies became a reality.
"The European Union calls for an urgent solution to the commercial dispute on gas supplies from the Russian Federation to Ukraine, and for an immediate resumption of full deliveries of gas to the EU member states," the EU presidency said in a statement.
"Energy relations between the EU and its neighbors should be based on reliability and predictability. Existing commitments to supply and transit have to be honored under all circumstances," it added.
Pipeline pressure is down in the main pipes leading from Ukraine into EU members Hungary, Poland and Slovakia, the Czech Republic's energy envoy, Vaclav Bartuska, told German new agency dpa.
The research by the Department for Communities and Local Government found that white working-class communities felt they had been "betrayed" and abandoned by the establishment, which no longer had their concerns at heart. The Communities Secretary, Hazel Blears, said that politicians had to start engaging with the disenchantment among poorer, white sections of society in order to combat growing "myths" over the treatment of immigrants. Her department's report suggested, she said, that the resentment, unfairness and disempowerment perceived by the group together with the absence of an "open and honest discussion" about immigration had created fertile ground for the far-right to exploit.
The research by the Department for Communities and Local Government found that white working-class communities felt they had been "betrayed" and abandoned by the establishment, which no longer had their concerns at heart.
The Communities Secretary, Hazel Blears, said that politicians had to start engaging with the disenchantment among poorer, white sections of society in order to combat growing "myths" over the treatment of immigrants.
Her department's report suggested, she said, that the resentment, unfairness and disempowerment perceived by the group together with the absence of an "open and honest discussion" about immigration had created fertile ground for the far-right to exploit.
From highlighting all the refugees who hitch hike across europe unmolested to claim asylum in the UK, through the scandalous reporting of the migrations of the EU accession states, what other conclusion could they arrive at ?
Not once, NOT ONCE, has a government minister said anything to challenge the public's perceptions. They have accepted this bilge as the status quo becuase, undoubtedly, focus groups decided that to challenge this by doing the right thing, wouldn't go down with target racist groups. So they sowed the breeze... and here we are, keep to the Fen Causeway
There's a lot of emphasis on "competition for council houses" but distortions of the private rental stock are problematic too. Of course, the government are much more interested in "cracking down on benefit fraud" than looking into this kind of illegality...
Sarkozy said he had asked authorities to be "uncompromising" with vehicle arsonists and said those caught burning other people's cars should lose their own licences until the damage had been paid for. "There is no reason why honest people should have to pay the consequences of the behaviour of delinquents," he said in an address to emergency service staff who worked over the evening of Dec. 31. Car burnings are regular occurrences in France, where some 36,700 were recorded in the first 11 months of 2008, according to interior ministry figures. But registering the New Year's Eve total has become something of a tradition since rows of blazing vehicles became one of the most potent images of the violent rioting that shook many of France's poor suburbs in 2005. Authorities said 1,147 cars were burned on Dec. 31, up from 878 last year, with a regional breakdown showing the Seine-Saint-Denis region near Paris the most heavily affected.
"There is no reason why honest people should have to pay the consequences of the behaviour of delinquents," he said in an address to emergency service staff who worked over the evening of Dec. 31.
Car burnings are regular occurrences in France, where some 36,700 were recorded in the first 11 months of 2008, according to interior ministry figures.
But registering the New Year's Eve total has become something of a tradition since rows of blazing vehicles became one of the most potent images of the violent rioting that shook many of France's poor suburbs in 2005.
Authorities said 1,147 cars were burned on Dec. 31, up from 878 last year, with a regional breakdown showing the Seine-Saint-Denis region near Paris the most heavily affected.
(Oh, one would think he already 'won' against the racaille two years ago...) *Lunatic*, n. One whose delusions are out of fashion.
1,147 cars were burned on Dec. 31, up from 878 last year
Earlier in 2008, President Sarkozy prompted the government to pass a law dramatically improving the compensation and relief conditions for the victims of car arson, many of whom were left without any transportation for going to, you know, "work more to earn more", and were therefore the perfect symbolic victims for our hyper-active president.
Looks like the improved compensation was a little bit too tempting: journalists had a field day finding kids who readily confessed having been told to "burn this car" for a couple of euros... (I mean, 30% up? Come on!)
This "France, land of the car arsonists" fantasy has been often deconstructed here on ET: year in, year out, the figures aren't much different from other European countries, and -- surprise -- all too often, it burns down to good ol' insurance fraud (no pun intended).
But, hey, it's all in the story telling -- an art our president has perfectly mastered. After all, what's the use of telling everybody and their mother in law what you're gonna do to the arsonists if you aren't able to catch them in the first place? Europeans think a hundred miles is a long way. Americans think a hundred years is a long time.
AFP- A bomb exploded near the headquarters of the Basque television network in the city of Bilbao Wednesday, minutes after the area was evacuated following a warning call in the name of the separatist group ETA, police said. There appeared to be no casualties in the blast, which took place at 11:05 am (1005 GMT), a police spokesman said.
AFP - Kosovo's president appealed for calm Saturday after seven firefighters were injured in one of two explosions that shook this ethnically divided northern city, police said. NATO's KFOR peacekeeping force and the European Union's EULEX mission to Kosovo also reinforced their presence in the city's ethnic Albanian Bosnjacka Mahala neighbourhood where the second explosion took place, police spokesman Besim Hoti told AFP. The first blast -- which occurred after 10:00 pm (2100 GMT) on Friday near a cafe in the northern half of Kosovska Mitrovica -- damaged several cars but caused no injuries, Hoti said.
About 200 members of the far-right National Democratic Party marched on Saturday, gathering in front of police headquarters in Passau and protesting what they called the "arbitrary" conduct of police and a "media smear campaign." However, the right-wing participants were far outnumbered by counter demonstrators, who numbered around a thousand. "We have to tap into the virtues of our able-bodied democracy," Mayor Juergen Dupper told the crowd, saying Passau was a city of tolerance which disdained right-wing violence. Some 1,000 police officers were also on duty to prevent outbreaks of violence. Ten people were arrested.Citizens of Passau carry placards reading "Brown filth? Passau is flushing"Members of right-wing groups march past a banner reading "Extreme right-wingers not welcome"
About 200 members of the far-right National Democratic Party marched on Saturday, gathering in front of police headquarters in Passau and protesting what they called the "arbitrary" conduct of police and a "media smear campaign."
However, the right-wing participants were far outnumbered by counter demonstrators, who numbered around a thousand.
"We have to tap into the virtues of our able-bodied democracy," Mayor Juergen Dupper told the crowd, saying Passau was a city of tolerance which disdained right-wing violence.
Some 1,000 police officers were also on duty to prevent outbreaks of violence. Ten people were arrested.
Citizens of Passau carry placards reading "Brown filth? Passau is flushing"
Members of right-wing groups march past a banner reading "Extreme right-wingers not welcome"
(This is standard practice in West Germany, but I think still newsworthy as this is how it should be done.) *Lunatic*, n. One whose delusions are out of fashion.
*Lunatic*, n. One whose delusions are out of fashion.
Police have dispersed crowds of demonstrators who gathered near the Israeli embassy in London, following a day of protests across the UK. Up to 5,000 protesters were involved in a stand-off with police in Kensington while some burned Israeli flags and threw missiles at officers. Scotland Yard said several people had been arrested. Earlier, thousands of people marched through central London and other cities in protest at Israeli attacks on Gaza.
Up to 5,000 protesters were involved in a stand-off with police in Kensington while some burned Israeli flags and threw missiles at officers.
Scotland Yard said several people had been arrested.
Earlier, thousands of people marched through central London and other cities in protest at Israeli attacks on Gaza.
And aren't we supposed to feel fools for not being part of it? Sterling, thanks to the idiotic economic policies of Gordon Brown, is a basket case. [...] If only we'd signed up for the euro: then we'd be smug too. Actually, I fear we wouldn't. [...] Exports from the eurozone are cripplingly expensive. France's aerospace business is tottering. Even its luxury marques like Chanel are having to lay people off. Before too long, there is going to be chaos in the eurozone, mark my words.
Actually, I fear we wouldn't. [...] Exports from the eurozone are cripplingly expensive. France's aerospace business is tottering. Even its luxury marques like Chanel are having to lay people off. Before too long, there is going to be chaos in the eurozone, mark my words.
Oh yes, let's not forget:
The confrontation between rhetoric and reality cannot be long delayed. [...] The bending of those rules cannot long escape the currency markets. They have picked off sterling and the dollar - the time cannot be far off when the short sellers go after the euro.
[Europe.Is.Doomed™ Alert] (Boy, do I feel better...) Europeans think a hundred miles is a long way. Americans think a hundred years is a long time.
BWAHAHAHAHA!!! LOL! ROTFLMAO!!!
<excuse me for a moment before I read beyond the title> *Lunatic*, n. One whose delusions are out of fashion.
We only do shouting and self-importance here - reality is something that never made it across the Channel.
An interesting point: whereas you can simply sell short a stock (in return for the currency it trades in, if you so wish), when it comes to currencies, well, you can only be short in a currency relative to another one. Dollar and sterling cannot fall in isolation, at least that's not what is being reported (you never see sterling value measured in units of Footsie -actually that would be an indicator that could be seen as going up, pick up on it Telegraph).
So, for the Euro to fall, you need to say against which currency. Sterling? Pray tell what in the "confrontation between rhetoric and reality" would lead to a rise in Sterling against the Euro?
Possibly the 8-9% UK government deficit, which as Sarkozy would explain is the vibrant sign of a healthy future (we were told in no uncertain terms that France's lower indebtedness compared to the UK or the US was due to our low confidence in the future. The UK must be truly sanguine these days, using that as an indicator). "Few can believe that suffering, especially by others, is in vain. - Galbraith"
