EUOBSERVER / WEEKLY AGENDA - MEPs will gather in Strasbourg for the first legislative session of 2009 with a debate with Czech prime minister Mirek Topolanek on Wednesday to fill the most seats in the chamber. MEPs are likely to grill Mr Topolanek, currently chairing the EU, on the state of play with the EU's Lisbon treaty.

MEPs will discuss air security issues in Strasbourg

The charter, containing several new rules on the institutional functioning of the bloc, has not yet been through parliament in the Czech Republic. It faces a difficult run having become embroiled in domestic politics. In addition, it has a high-profile critic in Vaclav Klaus, the outspoken eurosceptic and president of the ex-communist country.

Deputies are also set to quiz the Czech prime minister on his plans for relations with Russia as well as on the EU's approach to the on-going conflict in the Middle East.

Meanwhile, the tenth anniversary of the single European currency, the euro, will be marked on Tuesday with a debate attended by eurogroup president Jean-Claude Juncker, European Central Bank chief Jean-Claude Trichet and Joaquin Almunia, the economic affairs commissioner. Former president of France Valéry Giscard d'Estaing will also be present for the debate which will take place against the backdrop of the global financial crisis.

Fears were raised yesterday over a decision to restart a potentially dangerous decommissioned nuclear power plant in the centre of Europe because of a shortage of gas caused by Russia's dispute with Ukraine.

Slovakia, defying undertakings given when it joined the European Union, said that it would reactivate a Soviet-style nuclear generator that has a record of safety problems because it had received no Russian gas since last Thursday.

Russia again found a reason to delay turning the taps back on yesterday, despite an agreement brokered by Mirek Topolanek, the Czech Prime Minister, on behalf of the EU, which was signed by Russian and Ukrainian leaders at the weekend.

President Medvedev said last night that the agreement allowing EU monitors to check on the flow of gas was no longer valid because Ukraine had attached a hand-written document contradicting the deal.

Taxpayers are funding the repatriation of hundreds of homeless Eastern European immigrants who have been living on the streets.

Hundreds of thousands of pounds is being spent annually on travel costs for the immigrants, mainly Polish, who have been unable to find work in Britain and have no access to benefits.

Local authorities and charities are using government grants to fund one-way bus and air tickets, with one London council spending £100,000 on the scheme in the past year alone.

The strategy is to be widened this week in response to the recession, which has left increasing numbers in need of help.

European Union energy ministers will meet on Monday to discuss how to loosen Russia's gas stranglehold over Europe and what can be done to prevent any future repetition of this winter's energy crisis as millions of people continue to freeze.

Deep divisions are expected to surface over a decision by Slovakia to reactivate a Soviet-era nuclear power plant to tackle the crisis, a move that would in breach of the country's EU membership conditions.

Ed Miliband, the Energy and Environment Secretary, will hear the latest news on the Russia-Ukraine gas crisis which dragged on yesterday as some EU countries entered the fifth day without supplies.

"This is an opportunity to avoid a repetition of the latest crisis by looking at what can be done to reduce the EU's dependency in the medium and long term," said a British diplomat.

In a letter to Barack Obama, German Foreign Minister Frank-Walter Steinmeier offers the US president-elect a "new dimension of cooperation" in trans-Atlantic relations. He foresees the US and Europe standing shoulder to shoulder and says Germany will "step up its contribution" to help create a stable Iraq.

United States President-elect Barack Obama

Dear Barack Obama:

Last July, hundreds of thousands gathered before the Victory Column in Berlin to hear your vision of a better America and a more peaceful world. Your words moved millions of TV viewers. You rekindled the American dream for which countless people the world over have admired your country for more than 200 years, the dream of a society that has the power to change, that is open to new ideas, and that gives those with courage room to take their destiny into their own hands.

Hundreds of thousands marched in cities across the continent to protest Israel's war on Gaza over the weekend in the biggest pan-European demonstrations the continent has seen since those against the launch of the Iraq war in 2003.

The largest protests took place in Spain, with some 250,000 rallying in Madrid on Saturday (10 January) and another 100,000 in Barcelona, according to organisers. Police declined to give their own estimate for Madrid, but reckoned 30,000 marched through the Catalonian capital.

A girl in Brussels protests Israel's war on Gaza

Massive protests also took place in London, Brussels and throughout France. Sizeable demonstrations also took place in German and Italian cities, as well as Athens, Thessaloniki, Budapest, Bregenz, Oslo and Stockholm.

Spanish Prime Minister Jose Luis Zapatero, the first European leader to take part in such rallies, addressed a protest in Ourense.

"It is my duty to call on Israel to implement an immediate cease-fire," he told the protest, which as with others throughout the country, was organised by NGOs, trade unions and the prime minister's own Socialist Workers' Party, the PSOE.

A new poll suggests that a majority of Irish voters may back the Lisbon Treaty in a second referendum set to be held this year.

The Sunday Independent / Quantum Research survey carried out last Friday showed that 55 percent of the 500 people asked would support the treaty while 37 percent said they would oppose it and 15 percent said they were undecided.

A second referendum is to be held this year

These latest figures showed a strong rise in support (plus 16%) for the charter when compared to a survey carried out by the same newspaper in December. Those saying they would vote against the treaty decreased by seven percent.

The poll comes after EU leaders in December agreed to give Ireland guarantees that the treaty would not affect issues such as tax and neutrality.

Ireland's deteriorating economy is likely to be an important factor behind the change of heart, with many still shocked and angered by last week's announcement that 1,900 jobs at the Dell plant in Limerick are to be transferred to Poland.

The poll also shows a steep decline in support for the government and Prime Minister Brian Cowen and a corresponding rise in support for opposition parties and in particular Labour leader Eamon Gilmore.

The European Commission has admitted that the European Union citizens feel that collective decisions are better for the EU in general but especially in the field of science and technological research. Citing a new qualitative study regarding the image of science and the perceptions and attitudes on the European research policy of the EU citizens, the Commission said,

"The study shows that the predominant hopes and fears are concentrated on subjects that are perceived as concretely affecting peoples' daily lives or likely to affect them." "These results are particularly encouraging: they prove science matters to people and that the Commission's objective to build the European Research Area is going in the good direction" said European Science and Research Commissioner Janez Potocnik. "European citizens believe in science as a tool of progress and support a more cooperative European approach to science and technology policy. Pooling brains and resources is key to make the EU competitive globally: we are more intelligent together than on our own!".

Catholics who claim they have seen the Virgin Mary will be forced to remain silent about the apparitions until a team of psychologists, theologians, priests and exorcists have fully investigated their claims under new Vatican guidelines aimed at stamping out false claims of miracles.

The Pope has instructed the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith, formerly the Holy Office of the Inquisition, to draw up a new handbook to help bishops snuff out an explosion of bogus heavenly apparitions.

[...]

The visionaries will then be visited by a team of psychiatrists, either atheists or Catholics, to certify their mental health while theologians will assess the content of any heavenly messages to see if they contravene Church teachings.

A supplementary budget by the German government to stimulate the economy is expected to breach a cap on public spending imposed by the European Union, some officials in Berlin said Sunday.

Speaking a day before the three parties in Chancellor Angela Merkel's coalition meet to discuss injecting 50 billion euros ($68 billion) into the economy, a finance ministry spokesman said whatever was decided would be promptly put into effect.

 

The federal government is expected to spend somewhat less than 50 billion euros, but argues that grants and tax cuts could seed that amount in additional spending during this year and next.

 

While the ministry offered no comment on the effects of the supplementary budget, research staff of the Christian Democratic caucus in parliament reportedly suggested the bill this year might be 30 billion euros.

 

The return on savings dived to a record low last month as figures showed deposit accounts pay average interest of less than 1 per cent.

Figures from the Bank of England revealed that the interest paid on notice accounts, tax-free Individual Savings Accounts (Isas) and bonds last month was the lowest since records began in 1995.

And the average return on instant access accounts was just 0.81 per cent, it said.

It is the latest evidence of how savings rates have fallen drastically following consecutive cuts in the Bank rate.

It comes as The Daily Telegraph campaigns for savers, particularly pensioners, to be offered tax cuts on the income they earn on their savings.

GERMAN automaker Volkswagen set a sales record in 2008 and expanded its market share in key markets the United States and Germany despite a global economic crisis.

And the company is aiming for another banner year in 2009, said executives at the North American International Auto Show, where VW unveiled its first two-seater roadster with much glitz and fanfare.

"We have kept our promise,'' said chair Martin Winterkorn. "The Volkswagen Group delivered more vehicles than ever before in the difficult year of 2008.

"With growing shares on the world market and major single markets, including Germany and the USA, we expanded our position further.

"This shows that our group's multi-brand strategy is paying off and our young and attractive model range is popular with customers all over the world.''

'GBP' Erased, Is this common knowledge in the UK? |  Telegraph | 12 Jan 2009

Reform plan raises fears of Bank secrecy

he Government is set to throw out the 165-year old law that obliges the Bank to publish a weekly account of its balance sheet - a move that will allow it theoretically to embark covertly on so-called quantitative easing. The Banking Bill, which is currently passing through Parliament, abolishes a key section of the law laid down by Robert Peel's Government in 1844 which originally granted the Bank the sole right to print UK money.

The ostensible reason for the reform, which means the Bank will not have to print details of its own accounts and the amount of notes and coins flowing through the UK economy, is to allow the Bank more power to overhaul troubled financial institutions in the future, under its Special Resolution Authority. ...

The Bank said it will still publish details of its balance sheet, but, significantly, the data - the main indicator of the extent of quantitative easing - will not be presented until more than a month has elapsed. For instance, under the new terms of the law, if the Bank were to have embarked on a policy of quantitative easing last month, the figures on this would not be published until the end of this month.

Israeli forces are moving slowly into Gaza's most densely populated areas, reports say, as they continue air and ground attacks on Hamas militants.

Some reservists are in action on the ground, but the army denied escalating the war to a "third phase" - an all-out push on Gaza City and other towns.

Air strikes also continued through the day against 25 "targets" across the Gaza Strip, the Israeli military said.

Nearly 30 rockets or mortars were fired on Israel from Gaza.

Overnight on Sunday fewer air strikes were carried out - 12 compared with as many as 60 on previous nights.

Israeli spokesman Mark Regev said Hamas's military machine was taking "serious punishment" and Israel was "advancing towards the end game".

Berlin psychologists have begun offering web-based therapy to Iraqi victims of war-related events and crimes.

Berlin psychologists believe the impersonal medium will prompt victims of rape or kidnap to disclose more personal information than they would in a face-to-face encounter with a specialist.

 

"The Internet method is soothing for many victims because they do not have to speak to anyone specific or sit opposite someone," said Christine Knaevelsrud, a psychologist at Berlin's center for the treatment of torture victims (BZFO)

 

The free service, called Interapy, consists of three stages. First, victims must write four e-mails detailing what they saw and felt during their ordeal.

 

Barack Obama, the US president-elect, has appeared to soften his election campaign promise to shut the US detention camp in Guantanamo Bay as one of his first acts as US president, saying its closure would be "a challenge".

"It is more difficult than a lot of people realise ..." Obama said during an interview aired on Sunday with US broadcaster ABC.

"I think it's going to take some time ... but I don't want to be ambiguous about this - we are going to close Guantanamo," he told the This Week programme.

Sunday also marked the seventh anniversary of the first prisoners arriving at Guantanamo.

* Iran offered engagement with 'certain expectations'
* Report reveals mission to disrupt atomic ambitions

The US president-elect, Barack Obama, said yesterday that he would act swiftly once in power to confront Iran, vowing to take a new approach focused on dialogue but warning Tehran that there were limits beyond which it should not go.

Speaking on network television nine days before taking office, Obama said Iran was going to be one of the biggest challenges his incoming administration faced. He said Tehran's "exporting of terrorism through Hamas and Hezbollah" and its pursuit of an atomic weapon could trigger a nuclear arms race in the Middle East.

A new US approach would be adopted, with engagement as its starting point, said Obama, adding that he would send out a signal "that we respect the aspirations of the Iranian people, but we also have certain expectations of how an international actor behaves."

One of the earliest decisions for Obama and his foreign policy team, led by Hillary Clinton, will be to decide whether to continue the covert operations programme started by the Bush administration last year. The mission is designed to block any attempt by Iran to build a nuclear weapon by breaking its supply chain of essential parts from abroad and by applying experimental techniques to disrupt essential computer and electrical systems. Details of those operations were disclosed by the New York Times yesterday.

President Bush today passionately defended his turbulent eight years in office and lashed out at the "elites" and "opiners" who claim he has damaged America's moral standing in the world.

At a final and often gripping White House press conference, in which he veered from nostalgia to outright aggression, Mr Bush was largely unrepentant. He defended his economic and foreign policy record, including Iraq, the current financial crisis and Guantanamo Bay.

"You know, there's plenty of critics in this business. I know that. And I thank you for giving me a chance to defend a record that I am going to continue to defend because I think it is a good, strong record," Mr Bush declared, nine days before he leaves office. He departs with an approval rating of 27 per cent, the lowest since Richard Nixon resigned from office in 1974.

Mr Bush was inevitably asked to list the mistakes he has made in office. He conceded several, describing the Abu Ghraib prison abuse scandal as a "huge disappointment" and the failure to find weapons of mass destruction in Iraq as a "significant disappointment".

The United States, Israel's main ally, had initially been expected to voted in line with the other 14 but Rice later became the sole abstention.

"In the night between Thursday and Friday, when the secretary of state wanted to lead the vote on a ceasefire at the Security Council, we did not want her to vote in favour," Olmert said

"I said 'get me President Bush on the phone'. They said he was in the middle of giving a speech in Philadelphia. I said I didn't care. 'I need to talk to him now'. He got off the podium and spoke to me.

"I told him the United States could not vote in favour. It cannot vote in favour of such a resolution. He immediately called the secretary of state and told her not to vote in favour."