Danish police rejects Sweden’s offer of up to 600 police officers to help at the climate conference
Although thousands of Danish police officers will have to work around the clock during the COP15 climate summit starting next week, National Police Commissioner Jens Henrik Højbjerg has given a polite ‘no thanks’ to the Swedish police’s offer of sending extra manpower to Copenhagen to assist with the event.
According to Politiken newspaper, the Swedish National Police have offered to send up to 600 officers across the Øresund Strait to help provide security at the conference.
Most of the 6500 or so Danish officers scheduled for COP15 duties will reportedly work up to 16-hour shifts for two weeks straight to provide security for the summit, which will be attended by hundreds of political leaders and, additionally, thousands of demonstrators.
But Højberg said he believed the Danish police could handle the situation without the help of their Scandinavian colleagues.
In January, the National Federation of Police Officers had suggested getting help from adjoining countries’ police forces, including Sweden’s. But Højberg said at the time that he did not want ‘Swedish officers working on Danish soil’.
Justice Minister Brian Mikkelsen issued a statement that said he had full confidence in the National Police’s administration and that the police would handle the situation.
But several parties in parliament expressed surprise that the Swedish offer was brushed aside.
‘Considering the very long shifts the police will have to work, I’m amazed that we’ve rejected a good offer from Sweden,’ said Peter Skaarup, justice spokesperson for the Danish People's Party.
Karen Hækkerup, legal spokeswoman for the Social Democrats, pointed out that the climate conference is going on during the Christmas party season, and that officers would have their hands full even without the summit.
‘It can end up being 10 turbulent days of protests, break-ins, drink driving and assaults,’ she said.
A number of local police unions also criticized the decision yesterday, saying officers would become physically and mentally exhausted dealing with the conference and that security would therefore be undermined during the summit.
Steffen Daugaard of the Funen Police Association called it a 'disaster' that the National Police refused help from Sweden.
‘It might have meant we could have got more tolerable working conditions for our officers,’ said Daugaard.
According to Björn Holck Clausen, division manager with the Swedish National Police, a dialogue did take place between the Danish and Swedish police leadership about whether the Swedes could assist during the summit.
‘We determined we could send between 400 and 600 Swedish policemen to Denmark who could handle surveillance functions,’ said Clausen.
‘But two to three weeks ago we were told by the Danish police it wasn’t necessary to send the officers.’
But according to Højbjerg, the Danish police have always assumed they could manage the summit themselves.
‘Our planning is sound and well-thought out,’ said Højberg. ‘And the officers won’t be working 16 hours straight. They’ll get rest periods and be able to eat their meals.
But he acknowledged there may be periods where officers were tired after long shifts.
‘We have thought about the situation, but I’m not about to say what we’ll do if things go worse than expected.’
Source:cphpost.dk/
Saturday, December 5, 2009
Goldstone Wins Human Rights Award from Sweden NGOs
Richard Goldstone, the South African jurist and author of a UN report which accused Israel of committing war crimes during the Israeli military offensive in the Gaza Strip last winter, will receive the Stockholm Human Rights Award, it was announced on Thursday.
"Richard Goldstone has made an outstanding career in the promotion of the rule of law and human rights, first in his home country South Africa and during the last fifteen years in various highly prestigious international fora," the International Legal Assistance Consortium, a Sweden-based umbrella group of non-governmental organizations which oversees the awarding of the prize, said on Thursday.
The UN General Assembly endorsed the report last month and submitted it to the Security Council.
The 192-member General Assembly adopted the resolution last month by a vote of 114-18, with others absent or abstaining. The resolution calls on the Security Council to act if either side fails to launch credible investigations within three months.
The report on the Gaza war was drafted by an expert UN panel chaired by Goldstone, and concluded that Israel committed war crimes and possible crimes against humanity. During that war, more than 1400 Palestinians were killed, including 420 children and over 5300 others were wounded.
The harshly worded UN draft resolution, composed by Arab member states, has not been softened despite U.S. and European efforts.
Israel's ambassador to the UN, Gabriela Shalev, told Haaretz before the vote that she did not plan to take part. "I won't lend a hand to a debate whose conclusions are predetermined. It was a predictable Arab game."
Source:champress.net/i
Sweden: recognize eastern Jerusalem as Arab capital
Sweden proposes recognizing eastern Jerusalem as the capital of a “democratic” Palestinian Authority (P.A.), if it declared independence. Sweden did not suggest recognizing the rest of Jerusalem as Israel’s capital. Sweden would overturn existing agreements, and give the Arabs their immediate demands without having had to negotiate peace and still being in a state of war.
Some Israelis interpret this as a result of allowing the legitimacy of Jewish residency in Judea-Samaria to be denigrated. They advise Europe that such a move would demonstrate not being an honest broker (http://www.israelnationalnews.com/ Arutz-7, 12/1).
I think that the connection alleged, for the issue of Jewish residency in Judea-Samaria, is that Israel’s appeasement in that area encouraged Sweden to press in more areas. Incidentally, a few years ago, population statistics confirmed that the majority in eastern Jerusalem are Jews. Jerusalem has had a Jewish majority for the past 150 years. Sweden would let the holiest Jewish sites fall into the hands of Muslims, who, when they control them, deny Jews access. Nor is the P.A. democratic, not only in Hamas, but in Judea-Samaria, where it is autocratic and more important, jihadist.
Europe has demonstrated its one-sidedness for some time. Israelis preferred deceiving themselves about the civilized world rescuing it rather than letting it be persecuted, just as Jews did during the Holocaust. (To see my piece on how European governments subvert Israel by subsidizing NGO, click here )
Sweden shows that the West’s goal is not some immediate issue, but the dismantlement of Israel into an indefensible rump. If there weren’t a Holocaust before, there would be after this. Then, undistracted by the Jewish state, the jihadists would pay more attention to Europe, already in an internal struggle by the growing Muslim population there. As the Muslim Arabs put it, “Today, Saturday’s people (the Jews), tomorrow, Sunday’s people (the Christians). Sweden’s long-term policy is suicidal, not ethical.
Source:examiner.com/
Some Israelis interpret this as a result of allowing the legitimacy of Jewish residency in Judea-Samaria to be denigrated. They advise Europe that such a move would demonstrate not being an honest broker (http://www.israelnationalnews.com/ Arutz-7, 12/1).
I think that the connection alleged, for the issue of Jewish residency in Judea-Samaria, is that Israel’s appeasement in that area encouraged Sweden to press in more areas. Incidentally, a few years ago, population statistics confirmed that the majority in eastern Jerusalem are Jews. Jerusalem has had a Jewish majority for the past 150 years. Sweden would let the holiest Jewish sites fall into the hands of Muslims, who, when they control them, deny Jews access. Nor is the P.A. democratic, not only in Hamas, but in Judea-Samaria, where it is autocratic and more important, jihadist.
Europe has demonstrated its one-sidedness for some time. Israelis preferred deceiving themselves about the civilized world rescuing it rather than letting it be persecuted, just as Jews did during the Holocaust. (To see my piece on how European governments subvert Israel by subsidizing NGO, click here )
Sweden shows that the West’s goal is not some immediate issue, but the dismantlement of Israel into an indefensible rump. If there weren’t a Holocaust before, there would be after this. Then, undistracted by the Jewish state, the jihadists would pay more attention to Europe, already in an internal struggle by the growing Muslim population there. As the Muslim Arabs put it, “Today, Saturday’s people (the Jews), tomorrow, Sunday’s people (the Christians). Sweden’s long-term policy is suicidal, not ethical.
Source:examiner.com/
Energy Policies of IEA Countries – Sweden -- 2008 Review
Aarkstore announce a new report " Energy Policies of IEA Countries – Sweden -- 2008 Review" through its vast collection of market reserach report.
Sweden is one of the leading IEA countries in the use of renewable energy and has a long tradition of ambitious and successful policies to improve energy efficiency. Compared to the other IEA countries, Sweden’s CO2 emissions per capita and per unit of GDP are low, partly owing to efficient and low-carbon space heating, and virtually carbon-free electricity generation. The country also remains a forerunner in electricity market liberalisation. Still, even if Sweden has continued to make progress in most areas of its energy policy since the IEA last conducted an in-depth review in 2004, there is room for improvement
As Sweden plans to further increase the use of renewable energy, it is crucial that these supplies are produced and used in the most sustainable manner for the environment and the economy as a whole. With regard to CO2 emissions, more can be done in all sectors, but as transport is the largest polluter and its emissions are increasing, it is the logical focus for Sweden’s efforts to reduce emissions further. This is a significant challenge.
Nuclear provides almost half of the electricity in Sweden, at a low cost and without CO2 emissions. But the future of nuclear power in the national power mix is still uncertain. To provide clear guidance to the electricity sector, Sweden will need to resolve the ambiguity about the future of nuclear power in the country.
This review analyses the energy challenges facing Sweden and provides critiques and recommendations for further policy improvements. It is intended to provide input to Swedish energy policy makers to help them identify a path towards a more sustainable energy future.
Source:prminds.com/
Sweden is one of the leading IEA countries in the use of renewable energy and has a long tradition of ambitious and successful policies to improve energy efficiency. Compared to the other IEA countries, Sweden’s CO2 emissions per capita and per unit of GDP are low, partly owing to efficient and low-carbon space heating, and virtually carbon-free electricity generation. The country also remains a forerunner in electricity market liberalisation. Still, even if Sweden has continued to make progress in most areas of its energy policy since the IEA last conducted an in-depth review in 2004, there is room for improvement
As Sweden plans to further increase the use of renewable energy, it is crucial that these supplies are produced and used in the most sustainable manner for the environment and the economy as a whole. With regard to CO2 emissions, more can be done in all sectors, but as transport is the largest polluter and its emissions are increasing, it is the logical focus for Sweden’s efforts to reduce emissions further. This is a significant challenge.
Nuclear provides almost half of the electricity in Sweden, at a low cost and without CO2 emissions. But the future of nuclear power in the national power mix is still uncertain. To provide clear guidance to the electricity sector, Sweden will need to resolve the ambiguity about the future of nuclear power in the country.
This review analyses the energy challenges facing Sweden and provides critiques and recommendations for further policy improvements. It is intended to provide input to Swedish energy policy makers to help them identify a path towards a more sustainable energy future.
Source:prminds.com/
Sweden refuses Saab bail-out
Sweden has ruled out rescuing Saab after talks with potential buyer Koenigsegg collapsed.
The Swedish prime minister, Fredrik Reinfeldt ruled out a government bail-out of the brand saying he would not put “taxpayer money intended for healthcare or education into owning car companies”.
Instead ever hopeful of finding a buyer for the carmaker, the Swedish government has agreed to grant loans to support the sale.
However according to Bloomberg.com, GM could now plan to sell the Swedish brands assets and discontinue the brand. Those rumoured to be planning to snap up assets including production machinery include Beijing Automotive.
The Swedish government said it would not interfere if GM chose to liquidate Saab.
According to The Guardian, the prime minister said: “You cannot save jobs just by pushing in taxpayers’ money if you don’t have the competitiveness to survive in a tough industry with overcapacity.”
GM’s board of directors are expected to meet today to determine the future of Saab.
Source:contracthireandleasing.com/
The Swedish prime minister, Fredrik Reinfeldt ruled out a government bail-out of the brand saying he would not put “taxpayer money intended for healthcare or education into owning car companies”.
Instead ever hopeful of finding a buyer for the carmaker, the Swedish government has agreed to grant loans to support the sale.
However according to Bloomberg.com, GM could now plan to sell the Swedish brands assets and discontinue the brand. Those rumoured to be planning to snap up assets including production machinery include Beijing Automotive.
The Swedish government said it would not interfere if GM chose to liquidate Saab.
According to The Guardian, the prime minister said: “You cannot save jobs just by pushing in taxpayers’ money if you don’t have the competitiveness to survive in a tough industry with overcapacity.”
GM’s board of directors are expected to meet today to determine the future of Saab.
Source:contracthireandleasing.com/
Sweden claims breakthrough on EU patent impasse
Business groups hailed a landmark political deal in Brussels on Friday (4 December), as EU industry ministers agreed a package of measures which could pave the way for a European Community patent. However, there are concerns that the thorny issue of translation costs has merely been set aside and will be dealt with separately.
Sweden, which holds the EU's six-month rotating presidency, pulled off a major political coup by securing unanimous backing for its plan to establish a single EU patent and a European patent court.
Patent reform has been on the Brussels agenda for several years but attempts to streamline a complex system have failed repeatedly.
The deal should help slash the cost of protecting new innovations in Europe, something small businesses have been particularly vexed by in recent years.
The cost of filing and protecting patents in Europe is substantially higher than in the US and Japan, and business organisations have consistently complained about the fragmented and inconsistent decisions handed down by European courts.
Companies often have to fight legal actions in several European countries at once, and national courts regularly come to conflicting conclusions on identical cases. The plans for a single patent court will make litigation cheaper and more predictable, diplomatic sources said.
The court will include local and central chambers under a common European appeal court. In the initial stages, companies will be able to continue to use national courts, allowing confidence in the new system to build up gradually.
A common understanding has also been reached on renewal fees and the cooperation between patent offices.
Jury still out on translation costs
Another perennial bugbear for innovative businesses has been the high cost of translating patents into all European languages. This has been a major factor in making it more expensive to protect new technologies in Europe.
The new agreement stopped short of resolving this issue, deciding instead that a proposed new patent regulation should be accommanied by a separate regulation on translation arrangements.
Business lobbies have highlighted the burden of translation costs which, they say, is a major deterrent to small businesses considering filing for patent protection. Patents typically cost three times as much in Europe as in the US.
The new reforms should cut the costs of protecting intellectual property in the EU at a time when the incoming European Commission is preparing a new innovation act, which is likely to stress the importance of SMEs for the knowledge economy.
Positions:
Eurochambres Secretary General Arnaldo Abruzzini welcomed the agreement, hailing it as a "victory for businesses striving to develop innovation and maintain competitiveness".
However, he said an additional push will be needed to solve the outstanding language issues. "We have won an important battle, but not yet the war. Translating into all EU languages currently impacts enormously on the overall cost of patenting invention in Europe. It is not sustainable that a company cannot protect an invention on the whole EU territory for less than €70,000 while this costs around €20,000 in the US and even less in Japan," he said.
Vice-President Günter Verheugen, the EU's commissioner for Enterprise and Industry, welcomed the breakthrough, which he said would make the patent system more efficient and cost-effective. "Today's agreement cannot be overestimated. It comes at a moment when it is most needed," he said.
Internal Market and Services Commissioner Charlie McCreevy also welcomed what he called a "very strong signal from the Council that the EU is committed to achieving a true single market for patents".
He said the EU executive will work closely with governments and MEPs to work out a final package that will meet the trust and confidence of users.
UK Minister for Higher Education and Intellectual Property David Lammy said the agreement was "a significant step towards a single EU-wide patent," which will spell good news for business.
"If Europe is serious about our knowledge economy being key to economic recovery, then patent reform is the essential underpinning. This business-friendly deal will make patenting and innovating easier and more affordable for British companies. In particularly, innovative SMEs will have more flexibility when choosing how to patent across Europe," he said.
Lammy said he would push hard for "business-friendly solutions to the language arrangements" next year.
Source:euractiv.com/
Sweden, which holds the EU's six-month rotating presidency, pulled off a major political coup by securing unanimous backing for its plan to establish a single EU patent and a European patent court.
Patent reform has been on the Brussels agenda for several years but attempts to streamline a complex system have failed repeatedly.
The deal should help slash the cost of protecting new innovations in Europe, something small businesses have been particularly vexed by in recent years.
The cost of filing and protecting patents in Europe is substantially higher than in the US and Japan, and business organisations have consistently complained about the fragmented and inconsistent decisions handed down by European courts.
Companies often have to fight legal actions in several European countries at once, and national courts regularly come to conflicting conclusions on identical cases. The plans for a single patent court will make litigation cheaper and more predictable, diplomatic sources said.
The court will include local and central chambers under a common European appeal court. In the initial stages, companies will be able to continue to use national courts, allowing confidence in the new system to build up gradually.
A common understanding has also been reached on renewal fees and the cooperation between patent offices.
Jury still out on translation costs
Another perennial bugbear for innovative businesses has been the high cost of translating patents into all European languages. This has been a major factor in making it more expensive to protect new technologies in Europe.
The new agreement stopped short of resolving this issue, deciding instead that a proposed new patent regulation should be accommanied by a separate regulation on translation arrangements.
Business lobbies have highlighted the burden of translation costs which, they say, is a major deterrent to small businesses considering filing for patent protection. Patents typically cost three times as much in Europe as in the US.
The new reforms should cut the costs of protecting intellectual property in the EU at a time when the incoming European Commission is preparing a new innovation act, which is likely to stress the importance of SMEs for the knowledge economy.
Positions:
Eurochambres Secretary General Arnaldo Abruzzini welcomed the agreement, hailing it as a "victory for businesses striving to develop innovation and maintain competitiveness".
However, he said an additional push will be needed to solve the outstanding language issues. "We have won an important battle, but not yet the war. Translating into all EU languages currently impacts enormously on the overall cost of patenting invention in Europe. It is not sustainable that a company cannot protect an invention on the whole EU territory for less than €70,000 while this costs around €20,000 in the US and even less in Japan," he said.
Vice-President Günter Verheugen, the EU's commissioner for Enterprise and Industry, welcomed the breakthrough, which he said would make the patent system more efficient and cost-effective. "Today's agreement cannot be overestimated. It comes at a moment when it is most needed," he said.
Internal Market and Services Commissioner Charlie McCreevy also welcomed what he called a "very strong signal from the Council that the EU is committed to achieving a true single market for patents".
He said the EU executive will work closely with governments and MEPs to work out a final package that will meet the trust and confidence of users.
UK Minister for Higher Education and Intellectual Property David Lammy said the agreement was "a significant step towards a single EU-wide patent," which will spell good news for business.
"If Europe is serious about our knowledge economy being key to economic recovery, then patent reform is the essential underpinning. This business-friendly deal will make patenting and innovating easier and more affordable for British companies. In particularly, innovative SMEs will have more flexibility when choosing how to patent across Europe," he said.
Lammy said he would push hard for "business-friendly solutions to the language arrangements" next year.
Source:euractiv.com/
Sweden and Italy close in on Ireland
Sweden, the defending champions, and Italy's Molinari brothers closed to within a shot of the leaders Ireland after the third round fourballs at the World Cup in China on Saturday.
Ireland, leading by three strokes overnight, were unable to repeat their first-round heroics in front of sizeable galleries at Mission Hills in southern China, their 64 leaving them at 26 under after 54 holes.
Franceso Molinari holed an 18ft putt on the par-four 18th for a 61 to lie one shot adrift of Ireland's Rory McIlroy and Graeme McDowell, before Sweden's Henrik Stenson also birdied the last to draw level in second place.
Ireland, who started the $5.5million tournament with a 58 in the opening fourballs Thursday, were off to a strong start with a McDowell birdie at the second before McIlroy holed a 12-ft putt for a birdie at the 3rd but were unable to maintain their cushion.
McIlroy and McDowell set World Cup alight
McIlroy, ranked no 10 in the world, said Ireland were still positive despite seeing their lead cut, adding that they had not taken full advantage of the fourball format.
"We seem to play the holes that we played well, we both played them well," he said. "That sometimes doesn't work in fourball too well. You just sort of dovetail a little bit.
"We played well and we probably left a couple of shots out there, but we are still in a great position going into tomorrow and that's the main thing. So still very positive."
Both players said a win would be the highlight of their careers so far. "You know, it's very special to win an event, but to win it with a partner and to win it with a friend would make it even more special," said McIlroy, who finished second on the European money list.
The Molinaris finished strongly with six birdies on the back nine after lying four shots off the pace overnight.
Edoardo Molinari, who defeated Sweden's Robert Karlsson in a play-off to win the Dunlop Phoenix men's golf tournament last weekend, rolled in a 20-foot putt at the par-three 17th before his brother birdied the last.
"We played very well today," Edoardo said. "He was probably a little bit better than I was today. Both of us we managed to make a lot of birdies and hole the putts in the right moments.
"It was definitely a good score out there today because the pins were quite difficult, and even the other teams are not shooting as low as the first round. So I think 61 today is a great score."
Sweden hit four consecutive birdies on the back nine including at the 15th, where world No 7 Stenson missed a six-foot putt for an eagle. The Swedes have yet to drop a shot at this year's World Cup.
"We are right in the mix tomorrow and it's going to be I think Ireland and Italy in the last group," Stenson said.
"We have the recipe from last year with a 63 in the [final round] foursome. If we can get anything close to that tomorrow, I think we have a good chance."
Japan and South Africa lie a further six shots back on 19 under, ahead of England and Wales, on 18 under.
Last year's runners-up Spain, led by Sergio Garcia, are on a total of nine under despite coming into the tournament as one of the favourites.
The Omega Mission Hills World Cup, taking place near Shenzhen, is a 72-hole event with each team comprising two players.
The first and third days are fourball, in which four balls are used and the player with the fewest shots takes the hole for their team. The second and final days involve foursomes play, where the teams compete using only one ball per pair.
190 Ireland (Graeme McDowell/Rory McIlroy) 58, 68, 64
191 Italy (Edoardo Molinari/Francesco Molinari) 64, 66, 61;
Sweden (Robert Karlsson/Henrik Stenson) 64, 65, 62
197 South Africa (Rory Sabbatini/Richard Sterne) 65, 70, 62;
Japan (Hiroyuki Fujita/Ryuji Imada) 62, 71, 64
198 England (Ian Poulter/Ross Fisher) 66, 69, 63;
Wales (Stephen Dodd/Jamie Donaldson) 66, 68, 64
199 Venezuela (Alfredo Adrian/Jhonattan Vegas) 67, 67,65
200 South Korea (Charlie Wi/Yang Young-Eun) 64-75-61
Australia (Stuart Appleby/Robert Allenby) 68-70-62)
Argentina (Tano Goya/Rafael Echenique) 61-75-64
India (Jyoti Randhawa/Jeev Milkha Singh) 67-68-65
201 Chile (Hugo Leon/Martin Ureta) 69-67-65
202 Denmark (Soren Kjeldsen/Soren Hansen) 66-70-66
Singapore (Lam Chih Bing/Mardan Mamat) 66-70-66
203 Canada (Graham Delaet/Stuart Anderson) 64-74-65
Germany (Alex Cejka/Martin Kaymer) 66-71-66
204 Philippines (Marciano Pucay/Angelo Que) 68-72-64
Thailand (Prayad Marksaeng/Thongchai Jaidee) 67-70-67
China (Zhang Lianwei/Liang Wenchong) 65-71-68
205 New Zealand (Danny Lee/David Smail) 67-68-70
206 Scotland (David Drysdale/Alastair Forsyth) 69-73-64)
USA (Nick Watney/John Merrick) 67-72-67
207 France (Christian Cevaer/Thomas Levet) 67-73-67
Spain (Gonzalo Fernandez Castano/Sergio Garcia) 69-71-67
208 Pakistan (Muhammad Munir/Muhammad Shabbir) 69-75-64)
Taiwan (Lin Wen-tang/Lu Wei-chih) 67-74-67
211 Brazil (Rafael Barcellos/Ronaldo Francisco) 68-75-68
Source:timesonline.co.uk/
Ireland, leading by three strokes overnight, were unable to repeat their first-round heroics in front of sizeable galleries at Mission Hills in southern China, their 64 leaving them at 26 under after 54 holes.
Franceso Molinari holed an 18ft putt on the par-four 18th for a 61 to lie one shot adrift of Ireland's Rory McIlroy and Graeme McDowell, before Sweden's Henrik Stenson also birdied the last to draw level in second place.
Ireland, who started the $5.5million tournament with a 58 in the opening fourballs Thursday, were off to a strong start with a McDowell birdie at the second before McIlroy holed a 12-ft putt for a birdie at the 3rd but were unable to maintain their cushion.
McIlroy and McDowell set World Cup alight
McIlroy, ranked no 10 in the world, said Ireland were still positive despite seeing their lead cut, adding that they had not taken full advantage of the fourball format.
"We seem to play the holes that we played well, we both played them well," he said. "That sometimes doesn't work in fourball too well. You just sort of dovetail a little bit.
"We played well and we probably left a couple of shots out there, but we are still in a great position going into tomorrow and that's the main thing. So still very positive."
Both players said a win would be the highlight of their careers so far. "You know, it's very special to win an event, but to win it with a partner and to win it with a friend would make it even more special," said McIlroy, who finished second on the European money list.
The Molinaris finished strongly with six birdies on the back nine after lying four shots off the pace overnight.
Edoardo Molinari, who defeated Sweden's Robert Karlsson in a play-off to win the Dunlop Phoenix men's golf tournament last weekend, rolled in a 20-foot putt at the par-three 17th before his brother birdied the last.
"We played very well today," Edoardo said. "He was probably a little bit better than I was today. Both of us we managed to make a lot of birdies and hole the putts in the right moments.
"It was definitely a good score out there today because the pins were quite difficult, and even the other teams are not shooting as low as the first round. So I think 61 today is a great score."
Sweden hit four consecutive birdies on the back nine including at the 15th, where world No 7 Stenson missed a six-foot putt for an eagle. The Swedes have yet to drop a shot at this year's World Cup.
"We are right in the mix tomorrow and it's going to be I think Ireland and Italy in the last group," Stenson said.
"We have the recipe from last year with a 63 in the [final round] foursome. If we can get anything close to that tomorrow, I think we have a good chance."
Japan and South Africa lie a further six shots back on 19 under, ahead of England and Wales, on 18 under.
Last year's runners-up Spain, led by Sergio Garcia, are on a total of nine under despite coming into the tournament as one of the favourites.
The Omega Mission Hills World Cup, taking place near Shenzhen, is a 72-hole event with each team comprising two players.
The first and third days are fourball, in which four balls are used and the player with the fewest shots takes the hole for their team. The second and final days involve foursomes play, where the teams compete using only one ball per pair.
190 Ireland (Graeme McDowell/Rory McIlroy) 58, 68, 64
191 Italy (Edoardo Molinari/Francesco Molinari) 64, 66, 61;
Sweden (Robert Karlsson/Henrik Stenson) 64, 65, 62
197 South Africa (Rory Sabbatini/Richard Sterne) 65, 70, 62;
Japan (Hiroyuki Fujita/Ryuji Imada) 62, 71, 64
198 England (Ian Poulter/Ross Fisher) 66, 69, 63;
Wales (Stephen Dodd/Jamie Donaldson) 66, 68, 64
199 Venezuela (Alfredo Adrian/Jhonattan Vegas) 67, 67,65
200 South Korea (Charlie Wi/Yang Young-Eun) 64-75-61
Australia (Stuart Appleby/Robert Allenby) 68-70-62)
Argentina (Tano Goya/Rafael Echenique) 61-75-64
India (Jyoti Randhawa/Jeev Milkha Singh) 67-68-65
201 Chile (Hugo Leon/Martin Ureta) 69-67-65
202 Denmark (Soren Kjeldsen/Soren Hansen) 66-70-66
Singapore (Lam Chih Bing/Mardan Mamat) 66-70-66
203 Canada (Graham Delaet/Stuart Anderson) 64-74-65
Germany (Alex Cejka/Martin Kaymer) 66-71-66
204 Philippines (Marciano Pucay/Angelo Que) 68-72-64
Thailand (Prayad Marksaeng/Thongchai Jaidee) 67-70-67
China (Zhang Lianwei/Liang Wenchong) 65-71-68
205 New Zealand (Danny Lee/David Smail) 67-68-70
206 Scotland (David Drysdale/Alastair Forsyth) 69-73-64)
USA (Nick Watney/John Merrick) 67-72-67
207 France (Christian Cevaer/Thomas Levet) 67-73-67
Spain (Gonzalo Fernandez Castano/Sergio Garcia) 69-71-67
208 Pakistan (Muhammad Munir/Muhammad Shabbir) 69-75-64)
Taiwan (Lin Wen-tang/Lu Wei-chih) 67-74-67
211 Brazil (Rafael Barcellos/Ronaldo Francisco) 68-75-68
Source:timesonline.co.uk/
Greener landings in climate-aware Sweden
At 9,000 metres, the pilot idles the engines and begins gliding the Airbus toward Stockholm's Arlanda Airport in a fuel-slashing "green landing".
By pulling back the engines, pilot Henrik Ekstrand is saving his charter company, Novair, 300 litres (66 gallons) of fuel -- cutting costs and carbon emissions in an industry under financial and environmental pressure.
His flight is also an experiment in a new innovation to combine idling with a curved approach to the runway that shortens distance and landing time -- another environmental saving that takes green landings to a new level.
Novair pilots have carried out 10 of these flights over Sweden in the past months in a combination that is a first for Europe.
Environmentally conscious Sweden is a pioneer in greener flying with the Scandinavian airline SAS carrying out its first fuel-saving landings in 2006 and Arlanda Airport pushing other airlines to follow the trend.
Using less fuel by idling the engines, the landing approach is less expensive, less noisy and emits less carbon dioxide than the conventional way of bringing planes to the runway. But it also takes longer.
The aim is "to fly slower, especially on the descent, which means a long time idling," says SAS pilot Ulf Martinsson.
The longer duration is an issue tackled with the innovation used by Novair that shortens landing time with a satellite-guided approach in a downward curve.
The new approach shortens flight distance by up to 32 kilometres (20 miles) and also trumps traditional gas-guzzling landings by three or four minutes.
"It's the beginning of an evolution from a system based on rules to a system based on efficiency," says Lars Lindberg, head of Swedish aerospace company Avtech that developed the technique.
Although impossible in poor visibility, it also fixes an accurate touchdown time and passengers offer good reports.
"It's very quiet, we can really hear the noise difference. It's very comfortable, less jerky," said Mathias Klarowski, a 23-year-old German aeronautics student at Stockholm University on board the Novair test flight.
The cash-strapped airline industry is under pressure to reduce fuel consumption as well as carbon emissions which are blamed for global warming that could herald rising sea levels and other environmental disasters.
The industry is responsible for two percent of the carbon dioxide emitted worldwide and up to three percent of emissions linked to climate change, according to the UN-backed Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change.
It's a weighty issue that will be debated by world leaders at December 7-18 climate talks in Copenhagen.
Ahead of the summit, members of the airline industry group IATA pledged in October to improve fuel efficiency by 1.5 percent a year until 2020, and called on governments worldwide to provide incentives to speed biofuel development.
Representatives from the International Air Transport Association, which represents the world's largest airlines, also agreed to reduce carbon emissions by 50 percent from 2005 levels by 2050.
There have been more than 2,000 green landings into Stockholm's Arlanda Airport since the first in January 2006, with SAS carrying out the lion's share.
About 17 other carriers, including Air France, Nav Portugal, TAP Portugal, Icelandair and Iberia are also exploring new ways to save fuel and reduce emissions, says SESAR, which coordinates European airspace.
Arlanda is meanwhile hoping that by 2012 around 80 percent of its arrivals will be on green landings.
Source:http://www.google.com/hostednews/afp/article/ALeqM5j2eZoQBDHdX31gZiXTy68R4-CNqA
Writers to cement Pak-Sweden ties’
LAHORE
SWEDISH poet Peter Curman has said that the friendship of writers and intellectuals of Sweden and Pakistan will further strengthen the relations between the two countries.
He stated during a meeting with while visiting the Pakistan Academy of Letters PAL) in a meeting with Fakhar Zaman, the chairman of the Pakistan Academy of Letters here on Tuesday. Curman is in Pakistan to receive the Quaid-e-Azam International Award for Literature.
Speaking on the occasion, Fakhar Zaman said that the “Peace tree” planted by Curman had made the friendship of Sweden and Pakistan a valuable asset.
During the meeting, the exchange of writer’s programme and translations of the literatures of both countries were discussed. Peter Curman saw various departments of PAL while Lovisa Curman, daughter of Peter Curman, was also present.
Source:thenews.com.pk/
SWEDISH poet Peter Curman has said that the friendship of writers and intellectuals of Sweden and Pakistan will further strengthen the relations between the two countries.
He stated during a meeting with while visiting the Pakistan Academy of Letters PAL) in a meeting with Fakhar Zaman, the chairman of the Pakistan Academy of Letters here on Tuesday. Curman is in Pakistan to receive the Quaid-e-Azam International Award for Literature.
Speaking on the occasion, Fakhar Zaman said that the “Peace tree” planted by Curman had made the friendship of Sweden and Pakistan a valuable asset.
During the meeting, the exchange of writer’s programme and translations of the literatures of both countries were discussed. Peter Curman saw various departments of PAL while Lovisa Curman, daughter of Peter Curman, was also present.
Source:thenews.com.pk/
Gustavus Semester In Sweden 2011 Information Session
Want to know how you can fulfill 4 area requirements (NASP, NWEST, LARS and SOSCI) AND a January interim requirement all in ONE semester? Do you want to explore Sweden? Is the idea of spending four months experiencing a different country with fellow Gusties appealing to you? Then stop by the Gustavus Semester in Sweden 2011 Information Session to learn more!
Past participants from the 2009 program, and 2011 program Faculty Leader, Professor Eric Eliason, will host this informal gathering designed to provide interested students with more information about what to expect for the 2011 program and an opportunity to ask questions. Pictures will be shown, an overview of the program will be given, and students will be able to chat with the 2009 participants who LIVED this experience. Don't miss out on this chance to learn more! Application deadline is March 1, 2010.
Questions or if interested but you can't make it, please contact Jill Fischer, Study Abroad Advisor in the Center for International and Cultural Education, ext. 7545, jfische4@gustavus.edu.
Source:gustavus.edu/
Past participants from the 2009 program, and 2011 program Faculty Leader, Professor Eric Eliason, will host this informal gathering designed to provide interested students with more information about what to expect for the 2011 program and an opportunity to ask questions. Pictures will be shown, an overview of the program will be given, and students will be able to chat with the 2009 participants who LIVED this experience. Don't miss out on this chance to learn more! Application deadline is March 1, 2010.
Questions or if interested but you can't make it, please contact Jill Fischer, Study Abroad Advisor in the Center for International and Cultural Education, ext. 7545, jfische4@gustavus.edu.
Source:gustavus.edu/
Sweden to cut aid to Uganda over anti-gay law
Ms Gunilla Carlsson, Sweden’s development assistance ministerSweden has joined the growing list of countries heaping pressure on Uganda to discard a proposed law that would severely punish homosexuality.
According to comments attributed to Gunilla Carlsson, Sweden’s development assistance minister, the Swedish government says it would cut aid to Uganda over an anti-gay law they find “appalling”.
“My number two at the ministry, who has direct contact with the Ugandan government, has brought it up,” Ms Carlsson recently told Swedish Radio News. “We’ve talked about it in Uganda, and I’ve also tried to speak to the kind of organisations in Uganda that are the target of the legislation.” Uganda receives about $50 million in development aid from Sweden annually.
Swedish Radio News reported online, in a November 30 article, that the Scandinavian country would consider discontinuing development aid to Uganda if the law was introduced.
“I’m doubly disappointed, partly because Uganda is a country with which we have had long-term relations and where I thought and hoped we had started to share common values and understanding,” the minister is quoted as saying.
“The law is wretched, but it’s also offensive to see how Ugandans choose to look at how we see things, and the kind of reception we get when we bring up these issues.”
Ndorwa West MP David Bahati, who brought the Anti-Homosexuality Bill (2009), has denied accusations that he is in a hate campaign, insisting he is defending the heterosexual family. Mr Bahati has the tacit support of President Museveni, who has made strong anti-gay statements in recent times. If passed in its current form, the law would create a felony called “aggravated homosexuality”.
Death penalty
Offenders would face death for having sex with a minor or a disabled person, or for infecting their partners with HIV. It would also punish attempted homosexuality as well as the failure of a third party to report homosexual relationships.
Critics of the proposed law say it is not needed, as the Penal Code Act already punishes homosexuality, and that it is based on unproven claims that European gays are clandestinely recruiting in Uganda.
In Canada, Prime Minister Stephen Harper’s conservative government called the proposed law “vile and hateful”, while Britain’s Gordon Brown raised the issue with President Museveni during the recent Commonwealth summit in Trinidad and Tobago. Ms Carlsson said the law would make it “much more difficult” for Sweden to continue helping Uganda.
Source:monitor.co.ug/
Molinari brothers hold off Sweden and Ireland to win World Cup at Mission Hills
Forza Italia. First the 16-year-old Matteo Manassero became the youngest man to win the Amateur Championship and now the Molinari brothers have won the World Cup at Mission Hills in China by a shot from defending champions Sweden and Ireland.
Winners: Edoardo Molinari of Italy celebrates making the winning putt on the 18th green with his brother and playing partner Francesco Molinar Photo: GETTY IMAGES
The English pair of Ross Fisher and Ian Poulter moved up to finish fourth after rounds of 63 and 64 at the weekend.
The younger brother, Francesco, was the man who took Italy home. He holed long birdie putts across the 12th and 13th greens and then played a brilliant bunker shot at the last to close out Ireland and Sweden.
Sport on television He said: "It's a big story, for a few days everybody will notice golf in Italy as well." Well as Italy played, the Irish duo of Rory McIlroy and Graeme McDowell will feel that they blew it. Having led all the way, they played their final 11 holes in one over par. Italy played the same stretch, with its three par-fives, in four under par.
Ireland's finish again raised questions about McIlroy's ability to close out tournaments down the stretch. For all the young man's ball-striking genius, he has not won as much as you would expect either as an amateur or a pro. Yesterday he hooked his driver, pushed his short irons and missed a short putt.
McIlroy said: "We both played pretty average today to be honest."
The 20 year-old then spoke of future plans to make the World Cup a two yearly event in order to double the prize money and pull in the best players. McIlroy said: "Hopefully it can get back to the way it was a few decades ago."
Source:telegraph.co.uk/
Winners: Edoardo Molinari of Italy celebrates making the winning putt on the 18th green with his brother and playing partner Francesco Molinar Photo: GETTY IMAGES
The English pair of Ross Fisher and Ian Poulter moved up to finish fourth after rounds of 63 and 64 at the weekend.
The younger brother, Francesco, was the man who took Italy home. He holed long birdie putts across the 12th and 13th greens and then played a brilliant bunker shot at the last to close out Ireland and Sweden.
Sport on television He said: "It's a big story, for a few days everybody will notice golf in Italy as well." Well as Italy played, the Irish duo of Rory McIlroy and Graeme McDowell will feel that they blew it. Having led all the way, they played their final 11 holes in one over par. Italy played the same stretch, with its three par-fives, in four under par.
Ireland's finish again raised questions about McIlroy's ability to close out tournaments down the stretch. For all the young man's ball-striking genius, he has not won as much as you would expect either as an amateur or a pro. Yesterday he hooked his driver, pushed his short irons and missed a short putt.
McIlroy said: "We both played pretty average today to be honest."
The 20 year-old then spoke of future plans to make the World Cup a two yearly event in order to double the prize money and pull in the best players. McIlroy said: "Hopefully it can get back to the way it was a few decades ago."
Source:telegraph.co.uk/
Fewer obese children in Sweden: report
A study commissioned by the National Public Health Institute has found that the number of obese and overweight ten-year-olds is higher in Bollnäs, Västerås and Ystad than in Karlstad and Umeå.
Sweden's 'obesity epidemic' shows signs of slowing: study (25 Nov 09)
No insurance for new mother who 'didn't lose weight fast enough' (14 May 09)
Swedish study links stress to childhood obesity (13 Mar 09)
The report compared the incidence of obese and overweight ten-year-old children across all Swedish municipal councils. The findings suggest that there is a connection between children becoming overweight and the education level of their mothers.
The difference in the incidence of child obesity between the council areas disappears if the educational level of women of the same age as the mothers of the children involved in the study is taken into account.
The comparison also reaches back in time and shows that the number of Swedish children with obesity has fallen since 2003, while the number of overweight children has remained constant over the same period.
Source:thelocal.se
Sweden's 'obesity epidemic' shows signs of slowing: study (25 Nov 09)
No insurance for new mother who 'didn't lose weight fast enough' (14 May 09)
Swedish study links stress to childhood obesity (13 Mar 09)
The report compared the incidence of obese and overweight ten-year-old children across all Swedish municipal councils. The findings suggest that there is a connection between children becoming overweight and the education level of their mothers.
The difference in the incidence of child obesity between the council areas disappears if the educational level of women of the same age as the mothers of the children involved in the study is taken into account.
The comparison also reaches back in time and shows that the number of Swedish children with obesity has fallen since 2003, while the number of overweight children has remained constant over the same period.
Source:thelocal.se
Sweden’s Olofsson Warns Against Government Aid ‘Race’ for Opel
Dec. 4 (Bloomberg) -- Swedish Industry Minister Maud Olofsson warned General Motors Co. against seeking government aid in Europe for its Adam Opel GmbH unit that would preserve jobs in one European Union nation at the expense of those in other EU states.
“We will not allow GM to go to each and every country to negotiate about state aid,” Olofsson told reporters today in Brussels before a meeting with her EU counterparts. The EU must “stick to the rules -- no state-aid race.”
EU governments are awaiting details of the Opel turnaround plan while European regulators led by Competition Commissioner Neelie Kroes are seeking to ensure that any national aid for the carmaker won’t distort competition in the 27-nation bloc. Olofsson is leading the gathering because Sweden holds the EU’s rotating presidency.
GM wants to contribute 600 million euros ($905 million) to the 3.3 billion-euro restructuring plan for its Opel and Vauxhall brands, while European taxpayers would be asked to shoulder the remainder, German Economy Minister Rainer Bruederle said on Dec. 2.
About 5,400 of the 9,000 jobs GM may cut across Europe will be lost in Germany, Nick Reilly, Opel’s acting chief, said on Nov. 25 after presenting a restructuring plan to labor officials. Opel, based in Ruesselsheim, near Frankfurt, employs about 24,300 workers in Germany.
Olofsson said Reilly will brief ministers about the recovery plan.
Saab Plant
Ministers want to get a global view of how GM will restructure Opel with government aid so that “we can share the difficulties” between small and big countries, Olofsson said.
Olofsson said, “We don’t know yet” whether GM’s Saab unit can find a new buyer after Koenigsegg Group AB dropped a takeover bid on Nov. 24. “We hope that they will have a chance to find a new buyer, but we are not sure, of course.”
There are about 3,000 jobs at stake at a Saab plant in Sweden, as well as other workers at supply companies that are affected, she said.
“We are working very hard to get a new buyer, but the new buyer needs to have a lot of money and a strong business plan,” she said. “We hope that it will be possible, but it’s short of time.”
The sale of Saab as well as the Saturn and Hummer brands was part of GM’s plan to return to profit after a U.S.-backed bankruptcy reorganization. GM came out of bankruptcy in July and the U.S. government holds a 61 percent stake in the Detroit- based company.
Source:bloomberg.com/
“We will not allow GM to go to each and every country to negotiate about state aid,” Olofsson told reporters today in Brussels before a meeting with her EU counterparts. The EU must “stick to the rules -- no state-aid race.”
EU governments are awaiting details of the Opel turnaround plan while European regulators led by Competition Commissioner Neelie Kroes are seeking to ensure that any national aid for the carmaker won’t distort competition in the 27-nation bloc. Olofsson is leading the gathering because Sweden holds the EU’s rotating presidency.
GM wants to contribute 600 million euros ($905 million) to the 3.3 billion-euro restructuring plan for its Opel and Vauxhall brands, while European taxpayers would be asked to shoulder the remainder, German Economy Minister Rainer Bruederle said on Dec. 2.
About 5,400 of the 9,000 jobs GM may cut across Europe will be lost in Germany, Nick Reilly, Opel’s acting chief, said on Nov. 25 after presenting a restructuring plan to labor officials. Opel, based in Ruesselsheim, near Frankfurt, employs about 24,300 workers in Germany.
Olofsson said Reilly will brief ministers about the recovery plan.
Saab Plant
Ministers want to get a global view of how GM will restructure Opel with government aid so that “we can share the difficulties” between small and big countries, Olofsson said.
Olofsson said, “We don’t know yet” whether GM’s Saab unit can find a new buyer after Koenigsegg Group AB dropped a takeover bid on Nov. 24. “We hope that they will have a chance to find a new buyer, but we are not sure, of course.”
There are about 3,000 jobs at stake at a Saab plant in Sweden, as well as other workers at supply companies that are affected, she said.
“We are working very hard to get a new buyer, but the new buyer needs to have a lot of money and a strong business plan,” she said. “We hope that it will be possible, but it’s short of time.”
The sale of Saab as well as the Saturn and Hummer brands was part of GM’s plan to return to profit after a U.S.-backed bankruptcy reorganization. GM came out of bankruptcy in July and the U.S. government holds a 61 percent stake in the Detroit- based company.
Source:bloomberg.com/
Sweden admits hope for a Saab rescue deal is receding
Sweden's government admitted yesterday that time was running out to save Saab Automobile from liquidation after the collapse of a rescue deal for the lossmaking carmaker.
While General Motors could still find a buyer for Saab, analysts and company insiders said the likeliest scenario was that the 60-year-old carmaker would be wound up.
Saab was known in its heyday for the sleek and distinctive design of its cars, which earned a loyal following among customers wanting a sportier alternative to more mainstream family vehicles.
Saab split from its parent defence and aviation group in 1990, when GM took a
50 per cent stake. The US carmaker gained full control a decade later but the losses continued.
Maud Olofsson, Swedish enterprise minister, said Stockholm had not given
up hope that GM would find a new buyer, but added: "For every day that passes, the challenge gets bigger and bigger."
GM's board is due to discuss scenarios for Saab, alongside other issues facing the US governmentcontrolled carmaker, at a meeting on Tuesday.
Saab's future was thrown into doubt on Tuesday when Koenigsegg Automotive, the Swedish sports car maker, pulled out of a provisional deal to buy it after months of negotiations at the head of a consortium that also included China's Beijing Automotive Industry Holding Corp.
The bid fell apart after tensions between Koenigsegg and BAIC and problems securing a Swedish government guarantee for a €400m ($603m) European Investment Bank loan needed to close the deal, two people close to the talks said yesterday.
Saab said yesterday that it and GM were "now assessing the situation and we expect direction as to the next steps next week".
People close to the situation said there did not appear to be any alternative bidders, raising the prospect that GM could choose to put the company into liquidation.
"They've got bigger things on their plate," a person briefed on GM's thinking said, mentioning its €3.3bn plan to restructure its much larger Opel/Vauxhall business.
Sweden's government says it is willing to offer credit guarantees to help a private buyer acquire Saab, but has ruled out a public bail-out for the company if GM fails to strike a deal.
GM said in February that it would sell Saab, or close it down in 2010 if it failed to find a buyer. Saab soon after filed for reorganisation in Sweden.
When cutting loose Saab, GM equipped it with a dowry of $500m, including about $150m to produce a version of its 9-5 model unveiled in September.
The company would not confirm yesterday how much cash it now had, but noted that it had cut its debt by 75 per cent during the reorganisation, which it exited on August 21.
Analysts said that GM would struggle to find a buyer for Saab, given the length a fresh negotiation would take with an investor, the Swedish government and the EIB.
"They can't find investors if [GM] are talking about pulling the plug on December 31," said Tim Urquhart, senior analyst with IHS Global Insight.
US financial investor Ira Rennert's Renco Group earlier this year expressed tentative interest, as did a group of Wyoming-based investors. Fiat also said it would acquire Saab as part of a now-shelved plan to take over Opel and merge it with Fiat Auto and Chrysler.
Saab's market share and sales have dwindled in recent years as its model portfolio aged, the byproduct of GM's financial problems in the US.
In Europe, Saab sold fewer than 24,000 cars in January to October of this year, a 59 per cent drop on a year ago. It sold slightly more than 98,000 worldwide last year - small volumes even for premium carmakers commanding higher prices.
In the event of a liquidation, Saab's manufacturing assets or intellectual property might be of interest to BAIC or another Chinese carmaker for use in their home market.
BAIC, which was talking to Saab about producing its cars in China before the deal collapsed, said yesterday that it was reviewing its options and remained interested in overseas assets.
"BAIC states that becoming more international . . . has always been our strategic focus."
"With regard to Koenigsegg's withdrawal, we will carefully evaluate this project anew and make appropriate arrangements."
A person close to rival Chinese carmaker Geely, which toured Saab's facilities early this year and is in talks to buy Volvo from Ford Motor for nearly $2bn, said it was "absolutely not" interested in buying the carmaker or its assets.
Source:ft.com/
While General Motors could still find a buyer for Saab, analysts and company insiders said the likeliest scenario was that the 60-year-old carmaker would be wound up.
Saab was known in its heyday for the sleek and distinctive design of its cars, which earned a loyal following among customers wanting a sportier alternative to more mainstream family vehicles.
Saab split from its parent defence and aviation group in 1990, when GM took a
50 per cent stake. The US carmaker gained full control a decade later but the losses continued.
Maud Olofsson, Swedish enterprise minister, said Stockholm had not given
up hope that GM would find a new buyer, but added: "For every day that passes, the challenge gets bigger and bigger."
GM's board is due to discuss scenarios for Saab, alongside other issues facing the US governmentcontrolled carmaker, at a meeting on Tuesday.
Saab's future was thrown into doubt on Tuesday when Koenigsegg Automotive, the Swedish sports car maker, pulled out of a provisional deal to buy it after months of negotiations at the head of a consortium that also included China's Beijing Automotive Industry Holding Corp.
The bid fell apart after tensions between Koenigsegg and BAIC and problems securing a Swedish government guarantee for a €400m ($603m) European Investment Bank loan needed to close the deal, two people close to the talks said yesterday.
Saab said yesterday that it and GM were "now assessing the situation and we expect direction as to the next steps next week".
People close to the situation said there did not appear to be any alternative bidders, raising the prospect that GM could choose to put the company into liquidation.
"They've got bigger things on their plate," a person briefed on GM's thinking said, mentioning its €3.3bn plan to restructure its much larger Opel/Vauxhall business.
Sweden's government says it is willing to offer credit guarantees to help a private buyer acquire Saab, but has ruled out a public bail-out for the company if GM fails to strike a deal.
GM said in February that it would sell Saab, or close it down in 2010 if it failed to find a buyer. Saab soon after filed for reorganisation in Sweden.
When cutting loose Saab, GM equipped it with a dowry of $500m, including about $150m to produce a version of its 9-5 model unveiled in September.
The company would not confirm yesterday how much cash it now had, but noted that it had cut its debt by 75 per cent during the reorganisation, which it exited on August 21.
Analysts said that GM would struggle to find a buyer for Saab, given the length a fresh negotiation would take with an investor, the Swedish government and the EIB.
"They can't find investors if [GM] are talking about pulling the plug on December 31," said Tim Urquhart, senior analyst with IHS Global Insight.
US financial investor Ira Rennert's Renco Group earlier this year expressed tentative interest, as did a group of Wyoming-based investors. Fiat also said it would acquire Saab as part of a now-shelved plan to take over Opel and merge it with Fiat Auto and Chrysler.
Saab's market share and sales have dwindled in recent years as its model portfolio aged, the byproduct of GM's financial problems in the US.
In Europe, Saab sold fewer than 24,000 cars in January to October of this year, a 59 per cent drop on a year ago. It sold slightly more than 98,000 worldwide last year - small volumes even for premium carmakers commanding higher prices.
In the event of a liquidation, Saab's manufacturing assets or intellectual property might be of interest to BAIC or another Chinese carmaker for use in their home market.
BAIC, which was talking to Saab about producing its cars in China before the deal collapsed, said yesterday that it was reviewing its options and remained interested in overseas assets.
"BAIC states that becoming more international . . . has always been our strategic focus."
"With regard to Koenigsegg's withdrawal, we will carefully evaluate this project anew and make appropriate arrangements."
A person close to rival Chinese carmaker Geely, which toured Saab's facilities early this year and is in talks to buy Volvo from Ford Motor for nearly $2bn, said it was "absolutely not" interested in buying the carmaker or its assets.
Source:ft.com/
Sweden mulls med licenses for murderers
STOCKHOLM, Sweden, Dec. 4 (UPI) -- Swedish officials said a convicted murderer's admission to medical school sparked debate about whether a medical license can be denied over a criminal past.
The Swedish Medical Society said it investigated the matter on behalf of the government and concluded that a patient's confidence in the Swedish medical system must be the top priority, but the individual's legal rights must also be taken into consideration, The Local reported Friday.
"The question of whether or not to accept or reject a student due to certain circumstances like a serious crime which makes him/her unsuitable for the profession, is a very serious issue for us, and is being assessed on an ethical basis as well as looking at it from a patient's perspective," Peter Aspelin, chairman of the society, and Niels Lynoe, head of the committee for medical ethics, said in a letter to the Ministry for Higher Education and Research.
The minsitry is giving the matter further consideration.
The questions arose from the revelation that a man admitted to the Karolinska Institute in 2007 had been convicted on a hate murder charge seven years prior. The school said it was unaware of the man's criminal record at the time of his admission and he remains a student.
Source:upi.com/
The Swedish Medical Society said it investigated the matter on behalf of the government and concluded that a patient's confidence in the Swedish medical system must be the top priority, but the individual's legal rights must also be taken into consideration, The Local reported Friday.
"The question of whether or not to accept or reject a student due to certain circumstances like a serious crime which makes him/her unsuitable for the profession, is a very serious issue for us, and is being assessed on an ethical basis as well as looking at it from a patient's perspective," Peter Aspelin, chairman of the society, and Niels Lynoe, head of the committee for medical ethics, said in a letter to the Ministry for Higher Education and Research.
The minsitry is giving the matter further consideration.
The questions arose from the revelation that a man admitted to the Karolinska Institute in 2007 had been convicted on a hate murder charge seven years prior. The school said it was unaware of the man's criminal record at the time of his admission and he remains a student.
Source:upi.com/
Wolves to be hunted again in Sweden as pack numbers increase
Wolves are to be hunted in Sweden this winter for the first time in 45 years.
It is expected that 20 to 40 animals will be culled next month and in February as the Swedish Environmental Protection Agency tries to limit the population to keep the public happy.
The number of wolves has increased to between 182 and 217 in the country after almost dying out in the 1970s.
Their increase has raised concerns because they have been seen near towns and cities, including Stockholm, and there have been reports of attacks on pets.
Source:timesonline.co.uk/
It is expected that 20 to 40 animals will be culled next month and in February as the Swedish Environmental Protection Agency tries to limit the population to keep the public happy.
The number of wolves has increased to between 182 and 217 in the country after almost dying out in the 1970s.
Their increase has raised concerns because they have been seen near towns and cities, including Stockholm, and there have been reports of attacks on pets.
Source:timesonline.co.uk/
KLIMMATTING ETT: World youth gather in Sweden for climate
A significant event about one of the world’s most important problems, climate change, took place in Lund, Sweden from Nov. 13 to 15 with the cooperation of Lund University and the Lund Youth Council. Klimatting ETT, or climate gathering, was a gathering for youth between the ages 12 and 25. More than 300 people from 13 countries participated in the event.
My teammate Nil Döğerlioğlu and I took part in the event with our teacher Elif İnkaya. We were a part of the world youth and we were also there as representatives of Turkey.
Global, local and individual facts of global warming were discussed for three days. The nine most-voted solutions and recommendations were listed at the final declaration.
One of the resolutions was that the participants will present a proposal to introduce a global bank for Climate Action, to which all countries must pay 2 percent of their GDP, or gross domestic product.
The young people stressed most of all the importance of education in climate and sustainability issues. Most votes received a proposal that recommended a strategic investment in education for sustainable development, ranging from nursery, primary and secondary schools to politicians, adults and seniors in the community. Formal, informal and non-formal education for sustainable development are all crucial pieces in order to establish this.
Legally binding regulations were another resolution included in The Climate Gathering Recommendations. Other recommendations contained campaigns on the theme “Plastic bag kills,” green canteens in schools and an Eco Week. Levying taxes on all environmentally harmful products and an education system from kindergarten to seniors in environmental behavior were other recommendations.
In addition to these proposals came several other ideas that might become a reality. For example, how about a system equivalent to Weight Watchers points, but on greenhouse gases?
The recommendation on early childhood education system was narrated by me, Gülşah Akkay, to all participants and had its strong place in the declaration.
The declaration will be sent to COP15, or the 15th United Nations Climate Change Conference in Copenhagen, to be submitted to the leaders as suggestions of the youth.
During these discussions, we were one voice, even though we were coming from completely different places. For all of us, the important thing wasn’t the money in our bank account, but the happy years that we can live with our children. Discussions made me tolerant to what others thought. Lectures made me aware that there is still too much to learn. Narrating our team’s decisions in the general assembly as a speaker in front of 300 people made me self-confidant. It was such an event that made me believe it is time to “take action.” The result may vary from, “at least you will get some satisfaction,” to at most, “you can rule the world.” So being a voice from Turkey was an honor for me. Representing Turkey and at the same time being an individual, being myself, were beatific.
As world youth, we did what we should be doing. We combined different thoughts to create awareness especially in politicians. Because, I believe they are the only ones who can make a difference. In this gathering, we had this strong feeling that we are the only ones who can push them to make a difference!
Source:hurriyetdailynews.com/
My teammate Nil Döğerlioğlu and I took part in the event with our teacher Elif İnkaya. We were a part of the world youth and we were also there as representatives of Turkey.
Global, local and individual facts of global warming were discussed for three days. The nine most-voted solutions and recommendations were listed at the final declaration.
One of the resolutions was that the participants will present a proposal to introduce a global bank for Climate Action, to which all countries must pay 2 percent of their GDP, or gross domestic product.
The young people stressed most of all the importance of education in climate and sustainability issues. Most votes received a proposal that recommended a strategic investment in education for sustainable development, ranging from nursery, primary and secondary schools to politicians, adults and seniors in the community. Formal, informal and non-formal education for sustainable development are all crucial pieces in order to establish this.
Legally binding regulations were another resolution included in The Climate Gathering Recommendations. Other recommendations contained campaigns on the theme “Plastic bag kills,” green canteens in schools and an Eco Week. Levying taxes on all environmentally harmful products and an education system from kindergarten to seniors in environmental behavior were other recommendations.
In addition to these proposals came several other ideas that might become a reality. For example, how about a system equivalent to Weight Watchers points, but on greenhouse gases?
The recommendation on early childhood education system was narrated by me, Gülşah Akkay, to all participants and had its strong place in the declaration.
The declaration will be sent to COP15, or the 15th United Nations Climate Change Conference in Copenhagen, to be submitted to the leaders as suggestions of the youth.
During these discussions, we were one voice, even though we were coming from completely different places. For all of us, the important thing wasn’t the money in our bank account, but the happy years that we can live with our children. Discussions made me tolerant to what others thought. Lectures made me aware that there is still too much to learn. Narrating our team’s decisions in the general assembly as a speaker in front of 300 people made me self-confidant. It was such an event that made me believe it is time to “take action.” The result may vary from, “at least you will get some satisfaction,” to at most, “you can rule the world.” So being a voice from Turkey was an honor for me. Representing Turkey and at the same time being an individual, being myself, were beatific.
As world youth, we did what we should be doing. We combined different thoughts to create awareness especially in politicians. Because, I believe they are the only ones who can make a difference. In this gathering, we had this strong feeling that we are the only ones who can push them to make a difference!
Source:hurriyetdailynews.com/
Sweden’s swine flu response wins EU praise
Two European-wide health bodies have praised Sweden’s response to the swine flu pandemic, particularly the country's mass vaccination programme. Nearly half of all Europeans to have been vaccinated are Swedes.
Spread of swine flu in Sweden slowing down: official (26 Nov 09)
Sweden confirms 15 swine flu deaths (23 Nov 09)
Swine flu vaccine suffers delay (22 Nov 09)
The European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control (ECDC) praised Sweden’s campaign to combat the spread of the flu. “ECDC considers that Sweden is among the best in Europe when it comes to vaccinations,” a spokesperson told the Svenska Dagbladet newspaper.
Monika Benstetter, information officer at the European-wide public health body, the European Medicines Agency (EMEA), praised the Swedish Government’s openness about the influenza, and commended the Government for keeping the public informed about the side effects of the vaccine in a timely manner. “The vaccine was made quickly available and many have been willing to vaccinate themselves, which is different from many other European countries,” she told the paper.
Over 40 percent of Swedes – nearly four million people – have been vaccinated against swine flu, according to the Swedish Institute for Infectious Disease Control (Smittskyddsinstitutet), and Sweden’s municipal councils and health authorities. This compares with the total number of EU residents vaccinated, around 10 million.
Source:thelocal.se/
Sweden woman's 'murder' committed by elk not husband
A Swedish man who was arrested on suspicion of murdering his wife has been cleared, after police decided she was probably killed by an elk.
Ingemar Westlund, aged 68, found the dead body of his wife Agneta, 63, by a lake close to the village of Loftahammer in September 2008.
He was immediately arrested and held in police custody for 10 days.
Now the case has been dropped after forensic analysis found elk hair and saliva on his wife's clothes.
Mr Westlund told Expressen newspaper: "My family and I have been dragged through a nightmare."
His wife had last been seen taking the family dog out for a walk in the forest. When she failed to return her husband went out to look for her.
Although the murder investigation was dropped five months ago, details have only just emerged and the police plan to hold a news conference next week to explain what happened.
The European elk, or moose, is usually considered to be shy and will normally run away from humans. But Swedish Radio International says the animals can become aggressive after eating fermented fallen apples in gardens.
Source:bbc.co.uk/
Sweden: A Model for the Broadband Future?
Sweden’s telecoms regulator recently issued a report detailing how openness in broadband infrastructure affects competition, and I thought it would be good to highlight since the FCC is embarking on a similar effort focused on the wireless industry. Sweden is a leader in broadband penetration, has some of the lowest average monthly high-speed Internet costs, and is boosting its fiber penetration, according to data from the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development. Most of the 134-page report is in Swedish, but the English abstract provided a good framework for thinking about competition in broadband.
This report takes the market stakeholders as its starting point and is structured around a value chain for the production of broadband-based Internet access and services. The value chain is divided into five levels — natural resources (use of and access to land, ducts and spectrum), infrastructure (passive cables and masts), transmission (equipment for transportation of bit-streams), IP/Internet (equipment for traffic direction and IP addressing) and content and services (content, services and end user equipment). The report identifies — on each level of the value chain — challenges to openness.
Access to dark fiber is a key roadblock to openness and thus, innovation, the report found, and suggests that the government take a complementary role in promoting a fiber infrastructure. It also suggests that the lock-in periods and high fees for terminating a broadband contract slow innovation because unhappy consumers can’t “vote with their feet.” The final roadblock is a lack of spectrum for mobile broadband access. These issues are all important today in the U.S., so if anyone on Julius Genachowski’s team reads Swedish, it’s probably worth picking it up.
Reply
Richard Bennett
Thursday, December 3 2009
Earlier this week, I had the privilege of participating at an “Openess” discussion in Brussels at the behest of the Swedish telecoms operator, Telia-Sonera. One advantage that Sweden has over most other countries is an innovative operator who happens to be committed to enhancing the opportunities for innovation and widespread deployment of next-generation network services, is looking beyond the telecom era, and fully embracing the all-IP future in which telephony is software.
It’s also quite nice for high-speed broadband that so many Swedes have chosen to live in high-rise buildings in Stockholm, thereby ensuring that the costs of optical interconnection are among the lowest in the world. Koreans have been similarly prudent.
Reply
Anders Comstedt
Saturday, December 5 2009
Mr Bennet makes a few interesting observations, but unfortunately the conclusions are based upon a mix of false logic. True, population density is THE main factor, more important than purchasing power etc. We can also agree upon that Telia was one of the earliset to transform from the traditional PTT style (ATT/Ma Bell style for US readers) to what they are today. Where Mr Bennet totally misses the mark are the rest of his reasoning and conclusions. The easy thing, and likely the main reason for the FCC to seriuosly considering looking deeper and more at Sweden than any other country in the OECD is related to, yes, population density. With an average population of 20 per sq km, vs 200 for EU in average, his remark re “so many Swedes have chosen to live in high-rise buildings in Stockholm” is not only misleading but blatantly wrong. The critical element is instead that muni driven fiber deployment has taken place in +190 of the 292 local administrations, enabling competition.
As for the reasons why Telia is more apt than several of its siblings, FT, DT et al, I can only refer to competitive pressure. This is a much more complex reasoning than could be expanded upon in a short comment, but it is still a fact that not even the laggards in the PTS can neglect this anymore. They are now playing catch up, not leading the way. Myths around infrastructure competition are crumbling, a common open fiber infrastructure is unavoidable. It is just a matter of how. Telia knows this too and are playing a careful, controlled retrenching game maximising its position as far as possible under the slow policy changes they like to see and lobby for in Brussels. Most likely, Telia’s infrastructure arm, Skanova, will soon be at arms length and consolidating lots of local fiber builds.
I trust your big telco sponsored stay in Brussels was to your liking and fitted you view of the world. Most welcome to see more of the realities behind the EU, and not least Swedish, transformation of the telecom market.
Source:gigaom.com/
This report takes the market stakeholders as its starting point and is structured around a value chain for the production of broadband-based Internet access and services. The value chain is divided into five levels — natural resources (use of and access to land, ducts and spectrum), infrastructure (passive cables and masts), transmission (equipment for transportation of bit-streams), IP/Internet (equipment for traffic direction and IP addressing) and content and services (content, services and end user equipment). The report identifies — on each level of the value chain — challenges to openness.
Access to dark fiber is a key roadblock to openness and thus, innovation, the report found, and suggests that the government take a complementary role in promoting a fiber infrastructure. It also suggests that the lock-in periods and high fees for terminating a broadband contract slow innovation because unhappy consumers can’t “vote with their feet.” The final roadblock is a lack of spectrum for mobile broadband access. These issues are all important today in the U.S., so if anyone on Julius Genachowski’s team reads Swedish, it’s probably worth picking it up.
Reply
Richard Bennett
Thursday, December 3 2009
Earlier this week, I had the privilege of participating at an “Openess” discussion in Brussels at the behest of the Swedish telecoms operator, Telia-Sonera. One advantage that Sweden has over most other countries is an innovative operator who happens to be committed to enhancing the opportunities for innovation and widespread deployment of next-generation network services, is looking beyond the telecom era, and fully embracing the all-IP future in which telephony is software.
It’s also quite nice for high-speed broadband that so many Swedes have chosen to live in high-rise buildings in Stockholm, thereby ensuring that the costs of optical interconnection are among the lowest in the world. Koreans have been similarly prudent.
Reply
Anders Comstedt
Saturday, December 5 2009
Mr Bennet makes a few interesting observations, but unfortunately the conclusions are based upon a mix of false logic. True, population density is THE main factor, more important than purchasing power etc. We can also agree upon that Telia was one of the earliset to transform from the traditional PTT style (ATT/Ma Bell style for US readers) to what they are today. Where Mr Bennet totally misses the mark are the rest of his reasoning and conclusions. The easy thing, and likely the main reason for the FCC to seriuosly considering looking deeper and more at Sweden than any other country in the OECD is related to, yes, population density. With an average population of 20 per sq km, vs 200 for EU in average, his remark re “so many Swedes have chosen to live in high-rise buildings in Stockholm” is not only misleading but blatantly wrong. The critical element is instead that muni driven fiber deployment has taken place in +190 of the 292 local administrations, enabling competition.
As for the reasons why Telia is more apt than several of its siblings, FT, DT et al, I can only refer to competitive pressure. This is a much more complex reasoning than could be expanded upon in a short comment, but it is still a fact that not even the laggards in the PTS can neglect this anymore. They are now playing catch up, not leading the way. Myths around infrastructure competition are crumbling, a common open fiber infrastructure is unavoidable. It is just a matter of how. Telia knows this too and are playing a careful, controlled retrenching game maximising its position as far as possible under the slow policy changes they like to see and lobby for in Brussels. Most likely, Telia’s infrastructure arm, Skanova, will soon be at arms length and consolidating lots of local fiber builds.
I trust your big telco sponsored stay in Brussels was to your liking and fitted you view of the world. Most welcome to see more of the realities behind the EU, and not least Swedish, transformation of the telecom market.
Source:gigaom.com/
Tourism a net gain for Sweden
STOCKHOLM, Sweden, Dec. 4 (UPI) -- For the first time, foreign tourists spent more money in Sweden last summer than Swedish tourists spent abroad, the government said.
The reversal is due to the combination of a slow economy and a weak currency, a government analyst told the Swedish news agency TT.
"Sweden as a destination has had an advantage of the global financial crisis and slow economy," said Peter Terpstra of the Swedish Agency for Economic and Regional Growth. "The weak Swedish krona has also benefited tourism in Sweden."
Terpstra said during the third quarter foreign visitors spent $14.4 million more in Sweden than Swedish tourists spent abroad.
© 2009 United Press International, Inc. All Rights Reserved.
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Source:upi.com/
The reversal is due to the combination of a slow economy and a weak currency, a government analyst told the Swedish news agency TT.
"Sweden as a destination has had an advantage of the global financial crisis and slow economy," said Peter Terpstra of the Swedish Agency for Economic and Regional Growth. "The weak Swedish krona has also benefited tourism in Sweden."
Terpstra said during the third quarter foreign visitors spent $14.4 million more in Sweden than Swedish tourists spent abroad.
© 2009 United Press International, Inc. All Rights Reserved.
Order reprints
Source:upi.com/
Sweden announces women's Olympic hockey roster
The Swedes have announced their women's hockey roster for the 2010 Olympic Winter Games on Thursday.
Coach Peter Elander will count on the exact same players for the Olympics that competed in the 2009 IIHF World Women's Championship, where the team finished in fourth place.
While the team has five 18-year-olds, it also has veterans, like Gunilla Andersson, 34, who has played 271 games for Sweden and will be playing in her fourth Olympics.
All team members currently play in the Swedish league except for goalie Kim Martin, who plays American college hockey at the University of Minnesota-Duluth.
Sweden will open the tournament at the Vancouver Olympics with a game against Switzerland on February 13. Their other opponents in the preliminary round are Canada and Slovakia.
In their last Olympic appearance in 2006, the Swedes were the surprise team, beating USA in the semi-finals, 3-2, in shootout. It was the first, and only, time a European team made it to the final of an Olympic women's ice hockey tournament or the World Women's Championship, which is normally a North American affair. Sweden won the silver medal after a 4-1 loss to Canada in the gold medal game.
Sweden's Olympic roster:
Goalkeepers: Sara Grahn (Linköpings HC), Kim Martin (U. Minnesota Duluth, USA), Valentina Lizana (AIK Solna).
Defencemen: Frida Nevalainen (MODO Örnsköldsvik), Jenni Asserholt (Linköpings HC), Emilia Andersson (Segeltorps IF), Emma Eliasson (Brynäs Gävle), Gunilla Andersson (Segeltorps IF), Emma Nordin (MODO Örnsköldsvik).
Forwards: Elin Holmlöv (Segeltorps IF), Maria Rooth (AIK Solna), Erika Holst (Segeltorps IF), Tina Enström MODO Örnsköldsvik), Cecilia Östberg (Leksands IF), Isabelle Jordansson (AIK Solna), Erica Udén Johansson (Segeltorps IF), Katarina Timglas (AIK Solna), Pernilla Winberg (Segeltorps IF), Klara Myrén (Leksands IF), Frida Svedin Thunström (MODO Örnsköldsvik), Danijela Rundqvist (AIK Solna).
Source:ctvolympics.ca
Coach Peter Elander will count on the exact same players for the Olympics that competed in the 2009 IIHF World Women's Championship, where the team finished in fourth place.
While the team has five 18-year-olds, it also has veterans, like Gunilla Andersson, 34, who has played 271 games for Sweden and will be playing in her fourth Olympics.
All team members currently play in the Swedish league except for goalie Kim Martin, who plays American college hockey at the University of Minnesota-Duluth.
Sweden will open the tournament at the Vancouver Olympics with a game against Switzerland on February 13. Their other opponents in the preliminary round are Canada and Slovakia.
In their last Olympic appearance in 2006, the Swedes were the surprise team, beating USA in the semi-finals, 3-2, in shootout. It was the first, and only, time a European team made it to the final of an Olympic women's ice hockey tournament or the World Women's Championship, which is normally a North American affair. Sweden won the silver medal after a 4-1 loss to Canada in the gold medal game.
Sweden's Olympic roster:
Goalkeepers: Sara Grahn (Linköpings HC), Kim Martin (U. Minnesota Duluth, USA), Valentina Lizana (AIK Solna).
Defencemen: Frida Nevalainen (MODO Örnsköldsvik), Jenni Asserholt (Linköpings HC), Emilia Andersson (Segeltorps IF), Emma Eliasson (Brynäs Gävle), Gunilla Andersson (Segeltorps IF), Emma Nordin (MODO Örnsköldsvik).
Forwards: Elin Holmlöv (Segeltorps IF), Maria Rooth (AIK Solna), Erika Holst (Segeltorps IF), Tina Enström MODO Örnsköldsvik), Cecilia Östberg (Leksands IF), Isabelle Jordansson (AIK Solna), Erica Udén Johansson (Segeltorps IF), Katarina Timglas (AIK Solna), Pernilla Winberg (Segeltorps IF), Klara Myrén (Leksands IF), Frida Svedin Thunström (MODO Örnsköldsvik), Danijela Rundqvist (AIK Solna).
Source:ctvolympics.ca
EU finance ministers seek deal on EU financial oversight agencies; Sweden says deal near
BRUSSELS, Belgium — European Union finance ministers sought to nail down an agreement Wednesday on new financial oversight agencies but faced resistance from Britain, which is worried these may overrule national regulators.
Swedish Finance Minister Anders Borg, whose country now holds the EU presidency, said Europe must by Dec. 31 approve new EU banking, insurance and financial market supervisory agencies as well as a European Systemic Risk Board to watch out for major potential threats to the economy.
That would replace the current messy patchwork of regulation, where it is unclear how several countries should rescue a bank that operates across Europe or where EU financial rules are not applied in the same way across the 27-nation bloc.
Britain's treasury chief Alistair Darling pleaded with other European nations not to adopt rules that could hurt the City of London, Europe's biggest financial centre, saying allowing it to "flourish" was "also in the interests of Frankfurt and Paris."
He wrote in the Times on Wednesday that national supervisors "must remain responsible for supervising individual companies" and asking a firm to answer to "more than one authority is a recipe for confusion."
Diplomats said Britain was fiercely opposed to any system where a government would be ordered to bail out a troubled financial institution - either by another country or by an EU agency. They spoke under condition of anonymity because talks are ongoing.
"Decisions taken by the new European supervisory authorities should not impact on national budgets," Darling wrote. "Living wills are now the agreed tool for ensuring that banks, not taxpayers, meet the cost of any future failures," he said, referring to rules requiring banks to hold extra capital.
On Tuesday, the 16 nations that use the euro set deadlines for most of them to reduce budget deficits that are well above the EU budget rules that underpin their currency.
It is the first major step most of the eurozone countries are making toward paying off the massive debt built up by spending billions of euros (dollars) rescuing banks and paying welfare to the growing number of the unemployed during the economic downturn.
The move would also come just days after Dubai's announcement that it is having trouble handling its debt shook financial markets and raised concerns about other heavily indebted economies, such as Greece.
EU officials tried to cool worries over Greece's ballooning debt and deficit. Luxembourg Prime Minister Jean-Claude Juncker said Greece "is not and will not be in a state of bankruptcy."
But eurozone nations are clearly worried, telling Greece on Tuesday that it needs to do far more to reduce a deficit that is expected to hit 12.5 per cent of gross domestic product this year - well above the EU maximum of 3 per cent.
EU Economy Commissioner Joaquin Almunia said the government needs to spell out new tax reforms, spending cuts and changes to the pension system. He said it was essential to keep up the pressure on Athens "because problems in Greece are problems of the euro area."
The EU's executive commission is predicting that the euro economy will start to recover slowly next year, allowing countries to start withdrawing government stimulus programs by 2011.
Associated Press writer Robert Wielaard contributed to this story.
Source:http://www.google.com/hostednews/canadianpress/article/ALeqM5g4NYSVtYoFau0v3ErXUKjbReCTcQ
Swedish Finance Minister Anders Borg, whose country now holds the EU presidency, said Europe must by Dec. 31 approve new EU banking, insurance and financial market supervisory agencies as well as a European Systemic Risk Board to watch out for major potential threats to the economy.
That would replace the current messy patchwork of regulation, where it is unclear how several countries should rescue a bank that operates across Europe or where EU financial rules are not applied in the same way across the 27-nation bloc.
Britain's treasury chief Alistair Darling pleaded with other European nations not to adopt rules that could hurt the City of London, Europe's biggest financial centre, saying allowing it to "flourish" was "also in the interests of Frankfurt and Paris."
He wrote in the Times on Wednesday that national supervisors "must remain responsible for supervising individual companies" and asking a firm to answer to "more than one authority is a recipe for confusion."
Diplomats said Britain was fiercely opposed to any system where a government would be ordered to bail out a troubled financial institution - either by another country or by an EU agency. They spoke under condition of anonymity because talks are ongoing.
"Decisions taken by the new European supervisory authorities should not impact on national budgets," Darling wrote. "Living wills are now the agreed tool for ensuring that banks, not taxpayers, meet the cost of any future failures," he said, referring to rules requiring banks to hold extra capital.
On Tuesday, the 16 nations that use the euro set deadlines for most of them to reduce budget deficits that are well above the EU budget rules that underpin their currency.
It is the first major step most of the eurozone countries are making toward paying off the massive debt built up by spending billions of euros (dollars) rescuing banks and paying welfare to the growing number of the unemployed during the economic downturn.
The move would also come just days after Dubai's announcement that it is having trouble handling its debt shook financial markets and raised concerns about other heavily indebted economies, such as Greece.
EU officials tried to cool worries over Greece's ballooning debt and deficit. Luxembourg Prime Minister Jean-Claude Juncker said Greece "is not and will not be in a state of bankruptcy."
But eurozone nations are clearly worried, telling Greece on Tuesday that it needs to do far more to reduce a deficit that is expected to hit 12.5 per cent of gross domestic product this year - well above the EU maximum of 3 per cent.
EU Economy Commissioner Joaquin Almunia said the government needs to spell out new tax reforms, spending cuts and changes to the pension system. He said it was essential to keep up the pressure on Athens "because problems in Greece are problems of the euro area."
The EU's executive commission is predicting that the euro economy will start to recover slowly next year, allowing countries to start withdrawing government stimulus programs by 2011.
Associated Press writer Robert Wielaard contributed to this story.
Source:http://www.google.com/hostednews/canadianpress/article/ALeqM5g4NYSVtYoFau0v3ErXUKjbReCTcQ
weden makes push to shake up EU policing of banks
BRUSSELS, Dec 1 (Reuters) - Sweden urged European Union countries on Tuesday to agree on setting up super-watchdogs to prevent a repeat financial crisis, as the bloc's finance ministers gathered for what promises to be tense talks.
The 27-country EU wants to establish three pan-European watchdogs to keep tabs respectively on banks, insurers and trading exchanges as well as setting up a Frankfurt-based agency to watch for bigger systemic risks to the economy.
Yahoo! BuzzOn banks, the ministers are to examine an EU blueprint that would create a London-based body to be the ultimate arbiter in the region and which would tackle problems that it judges national watchdogs have ignored.
But this bid to shake up the policing of financial services has divided opinion among the bloc's bigger countries. Sweden, holder of the EU presidency in the second half of this year, has been trying to bridge the divide.
'It's now time to come to agreement and start negotiations with the European Parliament,' Swedish Finance Minister Anders Borg told reporters.
'My assessment is that we are close on all the relevant paragraphs,' said Borg, speaking before Tuesday's meeting of finance ministers from the 16-country euro zone, who will be joined on Wednesday by their counterparts from the broader EU.
Source:forbes.com/
The 27-country EU wants to establish three pan-European watchdogs to keep tabs respectively on banks, insurers and trading exchanges as well as setting up a Frankfurt-based agency to watch for bigger systemic risks to the economy.
Yahoo! BuzzOn banks, the ministers are to examine an EU blueprint that would create a London-based body to be the ultimate arbiter in the region and which would tackle problems that it judges national watchdogs have ignored.
But this bid to shake up the policing of financial services has divided opinion among the bloc's bigger countries. Sweden, holder of the EU presidency in the second half of this year, has been trying to bridge the divide.
'It's now time to come to agreement and start negotiations with the European Parliament,' Swedish Finance Minister Anders Borg told reporters.
'My assessment is that we are close on all the relevant paragraphs,' said Borg, speaking before Tuesday's meeting of finance ministers from the 16-country euro zone, who will be joined on Wednesday by their counterparts from the broader EU.
Source:forbes.com/
ADL Calls On Sweden To Abandon Initiative To Adopt Palestinian Position On Jerusalem
New York, NY, December 2, 2009 … The Anti-Defamation League (ADL) today called on the government of Sweden to abandon its "misguided" initiative to adopt the Palestinian position on the status of Jerusalem as an explicit aspect of European Union policy.
"Sweden's initiative is out of step with the recent serious concessions made by Israel to help create an environment for the resumption of direct negotiations. If the European Union adopts this position, we believe it will no longer be able to play any role in the peace process," said Abraham H. Foxman, ADL National Director. "Peace will be the product of negotiations, not of external pressure and diktats from third parties."
In a letter to Swedish Foreign Minister Carl Bildt, the League called the government's proposal "a misguided step toward an imposed solution, a dangerous policy that can only end in failure and disappointment."
Sweden's initiative calls for Jerusalem to be made the Palestinian capital and for a halt to natural growth of Jewish communities in East Jerusalem. Sweden, which currently holds the rotating presidency of the E.U., is expected to present the new policy for adoption on December 7.
The League noted that Sweden's initiative contradicts the stated policy of the E.U., which for years has held that "all issues surrounding the status of Jerusalem" should be negotiated and resolved in the context of a comprehensive peace agreement with the Palestinians.
Source: adl.org/
"Sweden's initiative is out of step with the recent serious concessions made by Israel to help create an environment for the resumption of direct negotiations. If the European Union adopts this position, we believe it will no longer be able to play any role in the peace process," said Abraham H. Foxman, ADL National Director. "Peace will be the product of negotiations, not of external pressure and diktats from third parties."
In a letter to Swedish Foreign Minister Carl Bildt, the League called the government's proposal "a misguided step toward an imposed solution, a dangerous policy that can only end in failure and disappointment."
Sweden's initiative calls for Jerusalem to be made the Palestinian capital and for a halt to natural growth of Jewish communities in East Jerusalem. Sweden, which currently holds the rotating presidency of the E.U., is expected to present the new policy for adoption on December 7.
The League noted that Sweden's initiative contradicts the stated policy of the E.U., which for years has held that "all issues surrounding the status of Jerusalem" should be negotiated and resolved in the context of a comprehensive peace agreement with the Palestinians.
Source: adl.org/
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