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A UN conference on risks relating to genetic engineering in the agricultural sector opened in the former West German capital of Bonn on Monday amid differences among the delegates. The world's leading gene technology companies want a voluntary agreement instead of internationally binding rules on liability and redress in respect of damage resulting from the handling and use of living modified organisms, non-governmental organizations at the meeting said. Some 2,000 representatives from governments and non-governmental organizations are attending the five-day conference, the outcome of which was unclear in view of the divergent positions. Protesters from 80 agricultural and environmental organizations demonstrated against hunger, species extinction and genetic engineering outside the hotel where the conference is taking place. The meeting of the parties to the Cartagena Protocol on Biosafety is seeking to work out a system of rules on protection rights and liability relating to the cross-border movement of genetically modified organisms such as rice, corn or soy.
The world's leading gene technology companies want a voluntary agreement instead of internationally binding rules on liability and redress in respect of damage resulting from the handling and use of living modified organisms, non-governmental organizations at the meeting said.
Some 2,000 representatives from governments and non-governmental organizations are attending the five-day conference, the outcome of which was unclear in view of the divergent positions.
Protesters from 80 agricultural and environmental organizations demonstrated against hunger, species extinction and genetic engineering outside the hotel where the conference is taking place.
The meeting of the parties to the Cartagena Protocol on Biosafety is seeking to work out a system of rules on protection rights and liability relating to the cross-border movement of genetically modified organisms such as rice, corn or soy.
The Baltic nation of Lithuania agreed to lift its veto on the launching of a new European Union partnership agreement with Russia, local media reported on Monday, May 12. "Solidarity, demonstrated by the 27 EU nations and the European Commission, is not an empty word," said Lithuanian Foreign Minister Petras Vaitiekunas, according to delfi.lt news portal. Vaitiekunas met in Vilnius on Sunday with three EU foreign ministers: Sweden's Carl Bildt, Poland's Radoslaw Sikorski and Slovenia's Dimitrij Rupel, whose country chairs the EU presidency until June. Vilnius had threatened to veto the opening of talks in protest at Russia's closure - allegedly for technical reasons - of the pipeline feeding Russian oil to Lithuania's only oil refinery. "We have found ways to reflect in the mandate of the talks the issues of the Druzhba pipeline, issues of legal cooperation with Russia, and frozen conflicts," a statement by the four foreign ministers said. "The success of the negotiations with Russia will directly depend on the renewal of supplies via the Druzhba pipeline," Vaitiekunas said.
"Solidarity, demonstrated by the 27 EU nations and the European Commission, is not an empty word," said Lithuanian Foreign Minister Petras Vaitiekunas, according to delfi.lt news portal.
Vaitiekunas met in Vilnius on Sunday with three EU foreign ministers: Sweden's Carl Bildt, Poland's Radoslaw Sikorski and Slovenia's Dimitrij Rupel, whose country chairs the EU presidency until June.
Vilnius had threatened to veto the opening of talks in protest at Russia's closure - allegedly for technical reasons - of the pipeline feeding Russian oil to Lithuania's only oil refinery.
"We have found ways to reflect in the mandate of the talks the issues of the Druzhba pipeline, issues of legal cooperation with Russia, and frozen conflicts," a statement by the four foreign ministers said.
"The success of the negotiations with Russia will directly depend on the renewal of supplies via the Druzhba pipeline," Vaitiekunas said.
VILNIUS, Lithuania: Lithuania has agreed to drop its objections to European Union talks with Russia on a new strategic partnership. Lithuania had previously blocked the negotiations because it first wanted Moscow to improve its ties with immediate neighbors. But Petras Vaitiekunas, the Baltic country's foreign minister, said Sunday that the EU has agreed to include Lithuania's concerns in the mandate for the negotiations planned for next month. His comments came after a meeting with Slovenian Foreign Minister Dimitrij Rupel, whose country currently holds the rotating EU presidency. "After today's negotiations we may say that the EU may rely on Lithuania and your country may rely on the EU," Rupel told reporters in Vilnius. The EU wants a new strategic partnership to redefine the way it imports much of its oil and gas from Russia and to persuade it to open its vast energy sector to investors from western Europe. The new agreement would replace a decade-old deal with Moscow.
VILNIUS, Lithuania: Lithuania has agreed to drop its objections to European Union talks with Russia on a new strategic partnership.
Lithuania had previously blocked the negotiations because it first wanted Moscow to improve its ties with immediate neighbors.
But Petras Vaitiekunas, the Baltic country's foreign minister, said Sunday that the EU has agreed to include Lithuania's concerns in the mandate for the negotiations planned for next month. His comments came after a meeting with Slovenian Foreign Minister Dimitrij Rupel, whose country currently holds the rotating EU presidency.
"After today's negotiations we may say that the EU may rely on Lithuania and your country may rely on the EU," Rupel told reporters in Vilnius.
The EU wants a new strategic partnership to redefine the way it imports much of its oil and gas from Russia and to persuade it to open its vast energy sector to investors from western Europe. The new agreement would replace a decade-old deal with Moscow.
That's the least one should expect given that Lithuania is an EU member state. When the capital development of a country becomes a by-product of the activities of a casino, the job is likely to be ill-done. — John M. Keynes
Regardless whether Obama, Clinton or McCain enters the White House, the next US government will demand greater support from Germany on the international stage, especially in Iraq. But the government in Berlin is poorly prepared for this inevitability -- and that's a serious failure. At the end of February, Barack Obama became the first American presidential candidate to say he would demand more engagement in Afghanistan from America's allies if he were elected to the White House. It's fairly certain this demand would also apply to Iraq, where the problems are far worse than in the Hindu Kush, despite improvements seen in the military situation there in 2007. Obama's contender Hillary Clinton or John McCain would also confront their allies in the West with new demands. A US soldier with a peace symbol on his helmut: A visit by Germany's foreign minister to Iraq is long overdue. Germany doesn't need to worry about getting any requests to send troops to Iraq, but it will likely be asked to make a substantial contribution to help rebuild the country. If the Europeans and the Germans don't want to be faced with unpleasant surprises in 2009, then they need to determine today how far they are willing to go to support the new US government.
Regardless whether Obama, Clinton or McCain enters the White House, the next US government will demand greater support from Germany on the international stage, especially in Iraq. But the government in Berlin is poorly prepared for this inevitability -- and that's a serious failure.
At the end of February, Barack Obama became the first American presidential candidate to say he would demand more engagement in Afghanistan from America's allies if he were elected to the White House. It's fairly certain this demand would also apply to Iraq, where the problems are far worse than in the Hindu Kush, despite improvements seen in the military situation there in 2007. Obama's contender Hillary Clinton or John McCain would also confront their allies in the West with new demands.
A US soldier with a peace symbol on his helmut: A visit by Germany's foreign minister to Iraq is long overdue.
Germany doesn't need to worry about getting any requests to send troops to Iraq, but it will likely be asked to make a substantial contribution to help rebuild the country. If the Europeans and the Germans don't want to be faced with unpleasant surprises in 2009, then they need to determine today how far they are willing to go to support the new US government.
Why would the US bother with a more friendly policy when they get away with being completely unilateral? In the long run, we're all dead. John Maynard Keynes
will demand greater support from Germany on the international stage, especially in Iraq
I think Spiegel is off base here. While predicting U.S. misactions in the Mid East cannot be underestimated, the practical options for Obama seem perhaps two:
Yes, this goes against bi-partisan U.S. foreign policy of long standing, but when you've failed so spectacularly, your options are reduced.
A withdrawal would lead to giving up any claim on oil or income from oil, which might lead to chaos in the US.
But that's a different issue.
The "chaos" will not materialize. Iraq as it stood previously will not survive as it never made much sense anyhow. The real danger comes from the possible Turkish reaction to a new Kurdish state.
Regardless, to imply that what is happening NOW in Iraq is not 'chaos' is laughable. The truth is that people fear an islamic-based government taking over Iraq and the word "chaos" is used as a euphemism to that. If we had a problem with that well we should have avoided deposing the secular government that was there before us.
Realistically the Iraqi's will not support a heavy-handed religious government, their society has been secular for far too long. Muqtada_al-Sadr is not very religious for a "cleric," don't believe the hype.
EU ministers in Tbilisi reaffirmed their backing of Georgia's "territorial integrity" amid fears that growing hostilities with Russian-backed separatists regions could lead to open conflict. "The European Union reiterates its support for Georgia's sovereignty, independence and territorial integrity within the internationally recognized borders," Slovenia's Foreign Minister Dmitrij Rupel, whose country currently chairs the EU presidency, was quoted by Itar-tass as saying on Monday, April 12. The foreign ministers of five European states - Latvia, Lithuania, Poland, Sweden and Slovenia - were in the Georgian capital Monday to probe into escalating tension between Moscow and Tbilisi over Russia's support for the breakaway region of Abkhazia. Georgian President Mikhail Saakashvili pleaded for the EU and NATO's support against what it called Russia efforts to annex part of its territory since Moscow strengthened diplomatic and economic ties to the area last month.
"The European Union reiterates its support for Georgia's sovereignty, independence and territorial integrity within the internationally recognized borders," Slovenia's Foreign Minister Dmitrij Rupel, whose country currently chairs the EU presidency, was quoted by Itar-tass as saying on Monday, April 12.
The foreign ministers of five European states - Latvia, Lithuania, Poland, Sweden and Slovenia - were in the Georgian capital Monday to probe into escalating tension between Moscow and Tbilisi over Russia's support for the breakaway region of Abkhazia.
Georgian President Mikhail Saakashvili pleaded for the EU and NATO's support against what it called Russia efforts to annex part of its territory since Moscow strengthened diplomatic and economic ties to the area last month.
Despite predictions to the contrary, the pro-European party of President Boris Tadic won the parliamentary election in Serbia, according to preliminary estimates. However, Tadic still lacks a clear majority to form a government. His opponent, Tomislav Nikolic, wants nationalist parties to join forces to govern. Female voters in the village of Stara Pazova in Serbia Serbian President Boris Tadic's pro-European party has won snap parliamentary elections in Serbia in what election observers are calling a "very convincing victory." A projection by the monitoring organization Center for Free Election and Democracy (CESID) shows Tadic's Democratic Party taking 38 percent of the vote. The outcome came unexpectedly, after polls and analysts predicted his party would lose. Tadic declared victory for his Democratic Party (DS) on Sunday evening. "Serbs have undoubtedly confirmed a clear European path. This is a great victory," he said. At the same time, he warned: "The government we are building will not recognize Kosovo." Ultranationalist Tomislav Nikolic of the Serbian Radical Party (SRS), which favors closer ties to Moscow, warned Tadic that the pro-Europe camp hadn't won yet. He said his party also had very clear possibilities for creating a coalition that would not include the Democratic Party.
Despite predictions to the contrary, the pro-European party of President Boris Tadic won the parliamentary election in Serbia, according to preliminary estimates. However, Tadic still lacks a clear majority to form a government. His opponent, Tomislav Nikolic, wants nationalist parties to join forces to govern.
Female voters in the village of Stara Pazova in Serbia Serbian President Boris Tadic's pro-European party has won snap parliamentary elections in Serbia in what election observers are calling a "very convincing victory." A projection by the monitoring organization Center for Free Election and Democracy (CESID) shows Tadic's Democratic Party taking 38 percent of the vote. The outcome came unexpectedly, after polls and analysts predicted his party would lose.
Tadic declared victory for his Democratic Party (DS) on Sunday evening. "Serbs have undoubtedly confirmed a clear European path. This is a great victory," he said. At the same time, he warned: "The government we are building will not recognize Kosovo."
Ultranationalist Tomislav Nikolic of the Serbian Radical Party (SRS), which favors closer ties to Moscow, warned Tadic that the pro-Europe camp hadn't won yet. He said his party also had very clear possibilities for creating a coalition that would not include the Democratic Party.
BELGRADE: Serbia braced Monday for a protracted political showdown after the pro-Western coalition that declared victory in Sunday's parliamentary elections immediately faced a challenge from nationalist rivals who vowed to team up to form a government. President Boris Tadic, leader of the moderate Democratic Party, which supports Serbia's integration into the European Union, said Monday he had received a strong mandate after winning about a 10 percent lead over the far-right Radical Party, led by Tomislav Nikolic, which wants Serbia to strengthen ties with Moscow and China. The surprise win by pro-European forces - in the first election since Kosovo declared independence from Serbia in February - was enthusiastically welcomed by Serbian liberals and the European Union as vindication that Serbs had chosen economic prosperity and political liberalism over the virulent nationalism of the past. It came just three months after Serb protesters set part of the U.S. Embassy in Belgrade on fire to vent their anger over western backing for an independent Kosovo. Analysts said the election had swung in favor of pro-EU parties because of the EU's decision in late April to sign a pact with Serbia ahead of the vote that had helped clear the way for its future membership. They said the election illustrated that the EU's so-called "soft power" - its ability to dangle the prospect of EU membership to countries in return for their promise to embrace political and economic change - had become a powerful foreign policy tool in the post-Cold War world.
BELGRADE: Serbia braced Monday for a protracted political showdown after the pro-Western coalition that declared victory in Sunday's parliamentary elections immediately faced a challenge from nationalist rivals who vowed to team up to form a government.
President Boris Tadic, leader of the moderate Democratic Party, which supports Serbia's integration into the European Union, said Monday he had received a strong mandate after winning about a 10 percent lead over the far-right Radical Party, led by Tomislav Nikolic, which wants Serbia to strengthen ties with Moscow and China.
The surprise win by pro-European forces - in the first election since Kosovo declared independence from Serbia in February - was enthusiastically welcomed by Serbian liberals and the European Union as vindication that Serbs had chosen economic prosperity and political liberalism over the virulent nationalism of the past. It came just three months after Serb protesters set part of the U.S. Embassy in Belgrade on fire to vent their anger over western backing for an independent Kosovo.
Analysts said the election had swung in favor of pro-EU parties because of the EU's decision in late April to sign a pact with Serbia ahead of the vote that had helped clear the way for its future membership. They said the election illustrated that the EU's so-called "soft power" - its ability to dangle the prospect of EU membership to countries in return for their promise to embrace political and economic change - had become a powerful foreign policy tool in the post-Cold War world.
European Tribune - Serbia's Election: Get Ready to Declare Fraud!!!
Just a brief comment on Serbia's election since no one else seems to have diaried it. One of many stories on the election outcome can be read here: http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/news/world/europe/article3917988.ece A game is at play that reminds me of the Pres. election in Florida circa 2000.
Just a brief comment on Serbia's election since no one else seems to have diaried it.
One of many stories on the election outcome can be read here:
http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/news/world/europe/article3917988.ece
A game is at play that reminds me of the Pres. election in Florida circa 2000.
MOSCOW: Prime Minister Vladimir Putin reshuffled the Russian government Monday in his first major action since leaving the Kremlin, bringing in some high-profile figures from his presidency but leaving prominent ministries unchanged. The hawkish Sergei Ivanov, once seen as a possible successor to Putin as president, was named deputy prime minister -- a step down from his previous position as first deputy premier. Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov, Defense Minister Anatoly Serdyukov and Finance Minister Alexei Kudrin retained their posts. The ministry of energy and industry was split into two separate Cabinet positions, the most major structural change to the new government. The move reflects both the growing importance of oil and gas exports to Russia's budget and concerns that the country's industrial sector is underdeveloped, making Russia vulnerable to energy price fluctuations.
MOSCOW: Prime Minister Vladimir Putin reshuffled the Russian government Monday in his first major action since leaving the Kremlin, bringing in some high-profile figures from his presidency but leaving prominent ministries unchanged.
The hawkish Sergei Ivanov, once seen as a possible successor to Putin as president, was named deputy prime minister -- a step down from his previous position as first deputy premier.
Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov, Defense Minister Anatoly Serdyukov and Finance Minister Alexei Kudrin retained their posts.
The ministry of energy and industry was split into two separate Cabinet positions, the most major structural change to the new government.
The move reflects both the growing importance of oil and gas exports to Russia's budget and concerns that the country's industrial sector is underdeveloped, making Russia vulnerable to energy price fluctuations.
PARIS: First, President Nicolas Sarkozy's party accused Agence France-Presse of "censorship" for not publishing one of its press releases. Ten days later, the government suggested that the news agency create a service dedicated to publishing press releases. Press freedom has long been an uneasy subject in France, a country where many newspapers rely on government subsidies and where defense contractors control large swaths of the print and broadcast media. But the latest episode in a simmering standoff between Sarkozy and French journalists has led to an unusually drawn-out and public confrontation. "It's rather amusing, even for France," that the government accuses the media of censorship, Pierre Louette, chief executive of AFP, said in an interview by telephone Monday.
PARIS: First, President Nicolas Sarkozy's party accused Agence France-Presse of "censorship" for not publishing one of its press releases. Ten days later, the government suggested that the news agency create a service dedicated to publishing press releases.
Press freedom has long been an uneasy subject in France, a country where many newspapers rely on government subsidies and where defense contractors control large swaths of the print and broadcast media.
But the latest episode in a simmering standoff between Sarkozy and French journalists has led to an unusually drawn-out and public confrontation.
"It's rather amusing, even for France," that the government accuses the media of censorship, Pierre Louette, chief executive of AFP, said in an interview by telephone Monday.
The UMP, a political party, wants to trump up a piece against Royale that was already well hashed out the month before...but they thought it would be nice to rehash it on Mother's Day.
So, it wends its way up the chain to the point where the former minister of communications and now President makes it a matter of State...suggesting that the press create a bulletin board for party propaganda.
The article goes on to describe the cozy relationship that the president has with the leading press and industrial titans, then closes with:
Still, he has some loyal allies: In this week's edition of Paris Match, Sarkozy is on the front page with his wife, Carla. The first lady was allowed to pick the photographs and write the captions for the article, according to a journalist at the magazine, who declined to be identified. In one of those captions, she described herself as the president's "ray of sunlight."
The first lady was allowed to pick the photographs and write the captions for the article, according to a journalist at the magazine, who declined to be identified. In one of those captions, she described herself as the president's "ray of sunlight."
I hope there is an innocent explanation for this, or are we being lead up a path to when the president takes up quarters in Versailles? It's a wonder that people wonder why the aristocracy lose their heads in revolutions.
To have the President of the Republic be stupid enough to openly and outright claim censorship on part of media because they won't print his press release is just too surreal for words. Sarkozy has truly lost his mind.
British finance minister Alistair Darling will urge the European Union to extend the suspension of import tariffs on grains and re-think its biofuels policy to help ease soaring food prices in the 27-nation bloc. In a letter to his European counterparts, Darling will say the EU must ensure its policies are not unnecessarily inflating the cost of food. European Union finance ministers meet in Brussels on May 14 and rising global food and energy prices are expected to be high on the agenda. "The EU has a clear responsibility to play a full role in the international community's collective efforts to address the consequences of spiralling food prices by tackling the causes," Darling wrote. "It is unacceptable that at a time of significant food price inflation the EU continues to apply very high import tariffs on many agricultural commodities."
British finance minister Alistair Darling will urge the European Union to extend the suspension of import tariffs on grains and re-think its biofuels policy to help ease soaring food prices in the 27-nation bloc.
In a letter to his European counterparts, Darling will say the EU must ensure its policies are not unnecessarily inflating the cost of food.
European Union finance ministers meet in Brussels on May 14 and rising global food and energy prices are expected to be high on the agenda.
"The EU has a clear responsibility to play a full role in the international community's collective efforts to address the consequences of spiralling food prices by tackling the causes," Darling wrote.
"It is unacceptable that at a time of significant food price inflation the EU continues to apply very high import tariffs on many agricultural commodities."
Someone go tell Campbell that many grain- and rice-exporting countries are now putting quantitative export restrictions on these commodities.
So what would increased demand from the EU do to the global market?
It's easy to be a neoliberal. You only think about the 'free market' in abstract without having to consider the actual workings of any concrete, existing market.
French Foreign Minister Bernard Kouchner said Monday he had held "very promising" discussions with Algerian President Abdelaziz Bouteflika on the creation of a Mediterranean Union. "We clarified a number of directions which, I think, from France's perspective, are very promising and I hope that President Bouteflika shares my feelings," Kouchner said after the two met in Algiers. Bouteflika "not only asked questions but brought answers to questions and problems between" Algeria and France, he added. Press reports here said Algeria was seeking clarification of the Mediterranean Union project to be announced officially on July 13 by France's President Nicolas Sarkozy at a summit of Mediterranean candidates eligible to join the proposed new bloc.
French Foreign Minister Bernard Kouchner said Monday he had held "very promising" discussions with Algerian President Abdelaziz Bouteflika on the creation of a Mediterranean Union.
"We clarified a number of directions which, I think, from France's perspective, are very promising and I hope that President Bouteflika shares my feelings," Kouchner said after the two met in Algiers.
Bouteflika "not only asked questions but brought answers to questions and problems between" Algeria and France, he added.
Press reports here said Algeria was seeking clarification of the Mediterranean Union project to be announced officially on July 13 by France's President Nicolas Sarkozy at a summit of Mediterranean candidates eligible to join the proposed new bloc.
A group of key EU finance ministers will today launch an assault on the rewards earned by bankers and top managers in a move that poses a potential threat to the City of London. A confidential document prepared for the gathering in Brussels finds the "short-term" pay structure of modern capitalism has become deformed, causing firms to take on "excessive risk" without regard to the interests of stakeholders or society. While there is no concrete legislation on the table, ministers are eyeing curbs on stock options, bonuses and golden parachutes. The move is a clear sign that the EU noose is tightening on bankers, funds and corporate elites that have enjoyed light-touch regulation.
A confidential document prepared for the gathering in Brussels finds the "short-term" pay structure of modern capitalism has become deformed, causing firms to take on "excessive risk" without regard to the interests of stakeholders or society.
While there is no concrete legislation on the table, ministers are eyeing curbs on stock options, bonuses and golden parachutes.
The move is a clear sign that the EU noose is tightening on bankers, funds and corporate elites that have enjoyed light-touch regulation.
...ministers are eyeing curbs ... The move is a clear sign ...
The move is a clear sign ...
They must be sipping unwatered drinks as they select the segments that the random phrase generator submits to them. -- eyeing curbs is a clear sign -- wow.
Talking about retroactive confiscation and penalties for the ramifications of their anti-social behavior might be a clear sign that there is someone serious about tackling the problem, but no amount of talk or eyeing amounts to much more than the moral equivalent of bad journalism.
EU governments are paying close attention to a law going to the Dutch parliament this month. It imposes a 30pc supertax on pay packages above €500,000 (£398,000) and limits bonuses and stock options to 100pc of pay - far below the windfalls made by UK-based traders and bankers at the height of the credit bubble.
Now that the bubble has burst and the money stolen, they are willing to talk about closing the barn door. Well, at least it will be something for the lobbyists and legislators to water down in the future, hopefully keeping them too busy to create war machines and other financial boondoggles. It's a wonder that people wonder why the aristocracy lose their heads in revolutions.
a move that poses a potential threat to the City of London.
Which apparently has declared de facto economic and legal independence from the UK and from Europe.
But I think we knew that already.
