Showing posts with label The Kingdom of Germany. Show all posts
Showing posts with label The Kingdom of Germany. Show all posts

Friday, 14 February 2014

Exports give German economy boost in Q4

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Exports give German economy boost in Q4

 

Frankfurt (AFP)

 

Growth of the German economy, Europe's biggest, picked up fractionally at the end of last year, propelled by buoyant exports, official data showed on Friday.

 

German gross domestic product (GDP) grew by 0.4 percent in the period from October to December, slightly faster than analysts' expectations and also up from growth of 0.3 percent in the preceding three months, the federal statistics office Destatis said.

 

"Positive impulses came primarily from net foreign trade," Destatis explained.

 

"According to preliminary calculations, exports grew much more strongly than imports. By contrast, the signals from domestic demand were more mixed," the statisticians said.

 

Public spending stagnated and consumer spending was down slightly, but positive developments were seen in investment.

 

Investment in both construction and equipment was up strongly, but companies also sharply reduced their stockpiles "and that put the brakes on growth," Destatis said.

 

Taking 2013 as a whole, Destatis confirmed a preliminary estimate from last month which showed that German growth slowed to just 0.4 percent last year, the slowest growth for four years.

 

Copyright © 2014 AFP. All rights reserved.

 

(Agence France-Presse, 14 Friday February 2014 The Roman)

 

 

Wednesday, 12 February 2014

The Berlin Film Festival

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The Berlin Film Festival

 

[caption id="attachment_12250" align="alignnone" width="400"]b40788874cec8191858d60ed29e6d25718dfd5c7 (Photo AFP - PATRIK STOLLARZ)[/caption]

 

Musa

 

A atriz americana Uma Thurman, no tapete vermelho do Festival de Berlim.

 

Muse

 

American actress Uma Thurman, the red carpet at the Berlin Film Festival.

 

(AFP - PATRIK STOLLARZ)

 

(Agence France-Presse, 11 Tuesday February 2014 The Roman)

(Text Translated: R.S.F. toshiki speed news press, Agence France-Presse, 13 Thursday February 2014 The Roman)

 

 

 

Tuesday, 11 February 2014

Vogt wins first women's ski jump gold, Takanashi fourth

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Vogt wins first women's ski jump gold, Takanashi fourth

 

Rosa Khutor (Russia) (AFP)

 

Germany's Carina Vogt made history on Tuesday, winning the first ever women's ski jumping event at an Olympic Games in a nail-biting finale that left favourite Sara Takanashi off the podium.

 

Vogt, who had led after the first run, grabbed a total 247.4 points with jumps of 103 and 97.5 metres, and sank to her knees after seeing the results.

 

Austrian favourite and 2011 world champion Daniela Iraschko-Stolz was second with 246.2 points, ahead of France's Coline Mattel at 245.2 points.

 

(Agence France-Presse, 11 Tuesday February 2014 The Roman)

 

 

Geisenberger wins Germany's second luge gold

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Geisenberger wins Germany's second luge gold

 

Rosa Khutor (Russia) (AFP)

 

Germany's Natalie Geisenberger won her first Olympic gold medal in women's luge singles on Tuesday and the second for her country in three days.

 

Another German, Tatjana Huefner, who came to Sochi as reigning champion, was second, 1.139sec behind the winner, while Erin Hamlin finished in third place winning the US team's first singles medal after 50 years of trying.

 

The 26-year-old three-time world champion Geisenberger, who had a commanding 0.766sec lead after the first two races on Monday, finished with a combined time of three min 19.768sec after the four runs.

 

The third run featured a new track record.

 

Compatriot Felix Loch won the men's event on Sunday.

 

(Agence France-Presse, 11 Tuesday February 2014 The Roman)

 

 

Wednesday, 5 February 2014

Putin takes Olympic officials to meet Sochi leopards

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Putin takes Olympic officials to meet Sochi leopards

 

[caption id="attachment_11926" align="alignnone" width="375"]BfpuWOtCUAAuaj4.jpg-large (Russia’s President Vladimir Putin caresses a Persian leopard cub as he visits the Persian leopard breeding and rehabilitation centre in the National Park in the Black Sea resort of Sochi on 4 Tuesday February 2014 The Roman (AFP Photo/Alexei Nikolsky))[/caption]

 

Sochi (Russia) (AFP)

 

President Vladimir Putin on Tuesday took senior members of the IOC to meet leopards that are to be re-introduced in the Sochi region, in an attempt by Russia to show the Games are positive for the environment.

 

However one of the leopards called Grom (Thunder) took none to happily to the arrival of the large group of guests and attacked two journalists inside the cage, state Russian media said.

 

Putin took Jean Claude Killy, the French skiing legend who has been the International Olympic Committee's pointman for Sochi, and IOC Executive Director Gilbert Felli in his own jeep to the nature reserve above Sochi.

 

Russia is working to reintroduce the Persian leopard to the mountains above the city as part of measures aimed at showing that the Olympic Games will benefit and not hurt the environment.

 

"The ecological situation has improved many times over," said Putin.

 

"According to some estimates, it has improved by a factor of four."

 

"There are questions which always crop up during such huge construction but in general the situation has not worsened but improved."

 

However environmentalists scoff at such claims, saying that the Games have irreversibly damaged once virgin environments by the sea and in the mountains.

 

After six-month old Grom had lashed out at journalists, state television noted that the media left the cage and Putin went in himself to calm the animal.

 

One reporter was scratched on the hand and one lightly bitten in the knee, the RIA Novosti news agency said.

 

State television showed Putin cradling Grom on his knee with the animal now seemingly at ease.

 

"I like animals, it seems I have a feeling for them," said Putin.

 

"We liked each other."

 

Putin is well known for his meetings with wild animals which he uses to burnish his hardman image.

 

As well as leopards, in the past he has met beasts including a tiger and a polar bear.

 

Three pairs of adult leopards being kept in the big cages of the reserve have already given birth to four leopards in the last months.

 

Leopards have been extinct in this part of Russia since the 1950s.

 

To start the reintroduction programme, Russia received two male leopards as gifts from Turkmenistan and two females from Iran.

 

The first two offspring come from another leopard pair who came from Lisbon zoo.

 

But then a Turkmen-Iranian partnership then produced two more leopards.

 

(Agence France-Presse, 4 Tesday February 2014 The Roman)

Morocco says investors lining up for $9 bn solar project

Morocco says investors lining up for $9 bn solar project

 

[caption id="attachment_11790" align="alignnone" width="400"]To match feature ENERGY-MAGHREB/SOLAR (Workers build a thermo-solar power plant in Beni Mathar 20 Thursday August 2009 The Roman. (Reuters))[/caption]

 

Morocco has recruited foreign investors to fund $9 billion solar power project, even though some European lenders have balked due to the location of some planned plants in the disputed Western Sahara, its foreign minister said.

 

Lending sources at German state-owned banks and at multi-lateral lenders such as the World Bank, the European Investment Bank and the European Union have told Reuters they would not finance projects based in Western Sahara.

 

“That is their problem. We have no financing problems. We have several (investors); there are Japan, Gulf countries,” Foreign Minister Salaheddine Mezouar told Reuters on Tuesday in an interview in Madrid, where he was meeting with Spanish business leaders.

 

He declined to give details on the financing contracts with specific parties.

 

Morocco, a net energy importer, wants to develop renewable power to reach 20 percent of its energy supply in 10 years, up from 8 percent now, Mezouar said.

 

The solar project involves five plants, two of them planned in Western Sahara, that would produce a total of 2,000 Mega Watts.

 

Morocco has controlled most of the sparsely populated Western Sahara, former Spanish colony, since 1975.

 

European investor sources told Reuters earlier this year they did not want to support any project in Western Sahara, because it would mean abandoning a neutral position over the conflict.

 

The solar project is focussed on building the first of the five plants.

 

“The other four plants will also happen. The goal is to achieve 2,000 Mega Watts, and we will continue with our plan. The Western Sahara issue has nothing to do with it. The financing is not conditioned on whether plants are in Sahara or not,” the minister said.

 

“Western Sahara needs renewable energy, and the investment will be made. If some people don't want to come, others will.”

 

Saudi Arabia's Acwa Power International won the $1 billion contract for the first solar plant, which is scheduled to start operating next year in Ouarzazate with a capacity of 160 Mega Watts.

 

It awarded the construction to a consortium of three Spanish companies - Sener, Acciona and TSK.

 

Hundreds of Spanish companies do business in Morocco, and more than half of Spain's entire investment in Africa is in Morocco, according to Moroccan figures.

 

Overall, Morocco aims for 15 to 20 percent growth in foreign direct investment a year in the economy, up from 13 percent last year, Mezouar said.

 

Mezouar said that Morocco, which has been more stable than most of its neighbours during the so-called Arab spring in recent years, offers yet more potential for Spanish investors as a base for textile and automotive manufacturing and as a springboard for trade to the rest of Africa.

 

(Fiona Ortiz, Reuters - Madrid)

 

(Al Arabiya News, 5 Wednesday February 2014 The Roman)

 

 

Monday, 3 February 2014

France and Germany rebuild ties but EU waits for old axis

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France and Germany rebuild ties but EU waits for old axis

 

Brussels (AFP)

 

With France and Germany apparently patching up their economic differences, their decades-old axis could retake its place at the heart of Europe, but analysts are waiting for actions to back up the rhetoric.

 

French President Francois Hollande's recent promises of economic reform have been welcomed by Chancellor Angela Merkel's coalition as a step away from socialist policies towards Berlin's austerity-minded approach.

 

The eurozone's two biggest economies have meanwhile launched a series of measures to jumpstart stalled ties after the financial crisis exposed major differences in approach to budgetary discipline and growth.

 

"There is a chance this is a real one (rapprochement)," Janis Emmanouilidis of the Brussels-based European Policy Centre think tank told AFP.

 

"Each side knows that they have to interact with each other for many years to come."

 

Paris and Berlin have struggled to reconcile their policies on recovering from the eurozone debt crisis ever since Hollande took office in 2012 promising to spend France's way out of trouble.

 

The previously strong bond between Merkel and Hollande's centre-right predecessor Nicolas Sarkozy -- dubbed "Merkozy" -- has been replaced by a lack of communication, exacerbated in 2013 by Merkel spending months building a new left-right coalition after elections.

 

But earlier this month Berlin warmly welcomed what Hollande called "social democratic" reforms to spur the beleaguered French economy.

 

They included 50 billion euros ($68 billion) in public spending cuts and a 30-billion-euro reduction in corporate payroll charges.

 

Since then it has been a veritable love-in between the former foes.

 

Germany offered logistical support to the French operation in the Central African Republic, while their foreign ministers are considering joint trips to some of Europe's troubled neighbours.

 

'Franco-German phoenix'

 

"It's a social-democratic convergence which reconciles supply-side reforms with a reduction in social inequality," said Claire Demesmay, of the German Council on International Relations.

 

Emmanouilidis said there was time for Germany and France to find common ground on changing the EU's treaties to strengthen joint economic governance in the 28-nation bloc.

 

But the negotiations would be "complex" and there were also a host of differences on technical issues such as banking union, the financial transactions tax and others.

 

The two leaders also face different situations at home.

 

The main problems in France are youth unemployment, competitiveness and the bloated state, whereas Germany faces issues with internal consumer demand.

 

Others were more sceptical that the relationship between France and Germany could return to the heady days when they effectively built the European Union together.

 

"I'm not sure how much rapprochement there actually is between France and Germany," Mats Persson, director of Open Europe, a eurosceptic think-tank based in London, told AFP.

 

"One senior German told me recently that they are far more worried about France than about Italy."

 

One EU official was cautious.

 

"The rebirth of the Franco-German phoenix is a recurrent phenomenon," the source added on condition of anonymity.

 

"For citizens, words have to be translated into lasting actions."

 

But Persson said the relationship was still "relevant and important for Europe."

 

"In the grand scheme of things it is good that France and Germany get on," he said.

 

Britain and other northern European countries could in particular benefit from the alliance, despite appearances to the contrary.

 

Prime Minister David Cameron has been wooing Germany in a bid to win support for his quest to renegotiate Britain's relationship with the EU before putting the new terms to a national referendum in 2017.

 

But close ties between Merkel and Hollande would not necessarily scupper this, particularly as there is appetite for treaty change from Berlin.

 

"A Franco-German axis on the whole is more open to reform than the sum of its parts," Persson said.

 

"It could therefore be more sympathetic to the UK's reform agenda."

 

(Agence France-Presse, 31 Friday January 2014 The Roman)

 

 

Sunday, 2 February 2014

Brocken Railway

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Brocken Railway

 

[caption id="attachment_11680" align="alignnone" width="400"]80bd9a1b0cfb2038d4c6258eaf3a65cf7d705ab1_0 (Photo DPA/AFP - Stefan Rampfel)[/caption]

 

Brockenbahn unterwegs

 

Sieht aus wie eine Spielzeugbahn: Die Brockenbahn fährt auf den 1142 Meter hohen Brocken im Oberharz.

 

Strahlend blauer Himmel und Sonnenschein lockten viele Menschen in den Harz.

 

Am Wochenende sollen die Temperaturen im Oberharz um Null Grad liegen.

 

Brocken Railway road

 

Looks like a toy train: The Brocken Railway moves to 1142 meter high Brocken in Oberharz.

 

Bright blue skies and sunshine attracted many people in the trees.

 

At the weekend, the temperatures should be around zero degree in Oberharz.

 

(DPA/AFP - Stefan Rampfel)

 

(Agence France-Presse, 2 Sunday February 2014 The Roman)

(Translated: R.S.F. toshiki speed news press, Agence France-Presse, 3 Monday February 2014 The Roman)

 

Saturday, 1 February 2014

49. Verleihung der Goldenen Kamera in Berlin 49th Presentation of the Golden Camera in Berlin

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49. Verleihung der Goldenen Kamera in Berlin

 

Berlin (AFP)

 

Nationale und internationale Stars werden heute Abend in Berlin zur 49. Verleihung der Goldenen Kamera erwartet.

 

Die Fernsehzeitschrift "Hörzu" vergibt den Preis in diese Jahr unter anderem an die Hollywood-Stars Diane Keaton und Matthew McConaughey.

 

Außerdem sollen Sänger Tim Bendzko, Schauspieler Bruno Ganz und Designer Guido Maria Kretschmer eine Trophäe erhalten.

 

Als beste nationale Schauspielerin sind Katharina Schüttler, Josefine Preuß und Nadja Uhl nominiert.

 

Aussichten auf eine Ehrung als bester deutscher Schauspieler haben Jörg Hartmann, Edgar Selge und Thomas Thieme.

 

Erstmals findet die live im ZDF übertragene Gala auf dem Gelände des ehemaligen Flughafens Tempelhof statt.

 

(Agence France-Presse, Samstag Februar 2014 Der Roman)

 

 

49th Presentation of the Golden Camera in Berlin 

 

Berlin (AFP)

 

National and international stars are tonight in Berlin for the 49th Presentation of the Golden Camera expected.

 

The TV magazine "Hörzu" awards the prize in this year among others, the Hollywood stars Diane Keaton and Matthew McConaughey.

 

In addition, singer Tim Bendzko, actor Bruno Ganz and designers should Guido Maria Kretschmer receive a trophy.

 

As a national best actress Katharina Schuettler, Josefine Preuss and Nadja Uhl are nominated.

 

Prospects for a ceremony as the best German actors Jörg Hartmann, Edgar Selge and Thomas Thieme.

 

For the first time the streamed live on ZDF Gala held on the grounds of the former Tempelhof Airport.

 

(Agence France-Presse, 1 Saturday February 2014 The Roman)

(Translated: R.S.F. toshiki speed news press, Agence France-Presse, 1 Saturday February 2014 The Roman)

 

 

Friday, 31 January 2014

Elbe River

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Elbe River

 

[caption id="attachment_11599" align="alignnone" width="400"]86f9e7b26650daa06c51cb123814e52b698fa636_0 (Photo DPA/AFP - Bodo Marks)[/caption]

 

Mit Eisschollen bedeckt

 

Einige Schiffe bahnen sich ihren Weg über die mit Eisschollen bedeckte Elbe im Hamburger Hafen.

 

Angesichts des derzeitigen Dauerfrosts droht der Fluss zuzufrieren.

 

Covered with ice floes

 

Some vessels are making their way through the ice floes covered with Elbe in Hamburg's harbor.

 

Given the current permafrost threatens the river to freeze over.

 

(DPA/AFP - Bodo Marks)

 

(Agence France-Presse, 31 Friday January 2014 The Roman)

(Translated: R.S.F. toshiki speed news press, Agence France-Presse, 1 Saturday February 2014 The Roman)

 

 

Natur und Umweltpark in Güstrow

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Natur und Umweltpark in Güstrow

 

[caption id="attachment_11589" align="alignnone" width="400"]9bab46f81967b7ed6166f3c5660af8f423facd34 (Photo DPA/AFP - Bernd Wuestneck)[/caption]

 

Mach mich nicht nass!

 

Mach mich nicht nass!

 

Im Natur und Umweltpark in Güstrow sind die Bären trotz der eisigen Temperaturen aus ihrem Winterschlaf aufgewacht.

 

Do not make me wet!

 

Do not make me wet!

 

In Nature and Environment Park in Güstrow the bears woke up, despite the freezing temperatures of winter hibernation.

 

(DPA/AFP - Bernd Wuestneck)

 

(Agence France-Presse, 31 Friday January 2014 The Roman)

(Translated: R.S.F. toshiki speed news press, Agence France-Presse, 1 Saturday February 2014 The Roman)

 

Hungría asegura haber sido víctima de las escuchas de la NSA Hungary claims to have been the victim of NSA tracks

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Hungría asegura haber sido víctima de las escuchas de la NSA

 

(AFP)

 

[caption id="attachment_11560" align="alignnone" width="512"]ALeqM5g_UzsS-Bx-5Cv9eUQva5AZCdEPBw (El primer ministro húngaro, Viktor Orban, da una rueda de prensa en el Parlamento, en Budapest, el 29 de miércoles de enero de 2014 la Roman (AFP, Attila Kisbenedek)) (Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban gives a press conference in the Parliament in Budapest on 29 Wednesday January 2014 The Roman (AFP, Attila Kisbenedek))[/caption]

 

Budapest — Hungría aseguró este jueves que había sido víctima de las escuchas de EEUU y amenazó con posibles cambios "profundos" en sus relaciones con Washington.

 

"Es evidente que el servicio de inteligencia estadounidense posee informaciones sobre Hungría", declaró ante la prensa el secretario de Estado, Janos Lazar.

 

"El escándalo de las escuchas estadounidenses podría modificar profundamente la naturaleza de las relaciones entre Hungría y EEUU", añadió Lazar, encargado del gabinete del primer ministro, Viktor Orban.

 

El ministro húngaro de Asuntos Exteriores, Janos Martonyi, dijo por su parte que esperaba "poder restablecer el nivel de confianza" entre Hungría y EEUU, dos países "aliados" y "amigos".

 

Ambas autoridades hicieron estas declaraciones tras una reunión de la comisión parlamentaria creada para estudiar las eventuales actividades en Hungría de la Agencia Nacional de Seguridad (NSA) estadounidense, encargada de interceptar comunicaciones.

 

La comisión, cuyos debates son confidenciales, se estableció en diciembre, después de que salieran a la luz las revelaciones del exagente de la NSA Edward Snowden.

 

La próxima embajadora estadounidense en Budapest, Colleen Bell, ya ha sido convocada a declarar ante la comisión.

 

El programa de espionaje de la NSA y las protestas que desencadenó su revelación en Europa serán tratadas en la 50ª Conferencia de Seguridad de Múnich, que reunirá a finales de semana en el sur de Alemania a los nombres principales de la defensa y la diplomacia.

 

Copyright © 2014 AFP. Todos los derechos reservados.

 

(Agence France-Presse, 30 Thursday January 2014 The Roman)

 

 

Hungary claims to have been the victim of NSA tracks

 

(AFP)

 

Budapest - Hungary said Thursday they was the victim of tracks the United States and threatened with possible "profound" changes in its relations with Washington.

 

"It is clear that  the United States intelligence has information on Hungary," he told the press secretary of state, Janos Lazar.

 

"The scandal of the United States tracks could profoundly change the nature of relations between Hungary and  the United States," said Lazar, head of the cabinet of Prime Minister Viktor Orban.

 

Hungarian Foreign Minister Janos Martonyi said on his part that he hoped "to restore the level of trust" between Hungary and  the United States, two countries "allies" and "friends".

 

Both officials were speaking after a meeting of the committee set up to study the possible activities in Hungary of  the United States National Security Agency (NSA), responsible for intercepting communications.

 

The commission, whose proceedings are confidential, was established in December, after which came to light of the revelations of the NSA exagente Edward Snowden.

 

The next  the United States ambassador to Budapest, Colleen Bell, has been called to testify before the commission.

 

The spy program of the NSA and the protests that triggered disclosure in Europe will be discussed at the 50th Security Conference in Munich, who meet later this week in southern Germany to the leading names of the defense and diplomacy.

 

Copyright © 2014 AFP. All rights reserved.

 

(Agence France- Presse, Thursday 30 January 2014 The Roman)

(Translated: R.S.F. toshiki speed news press, Agence France-Presse, 31 Friday January 2014 The Roman)

Thursday, 30 January 2014

German Chancellor Angela Merkel

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German Chancellor Angela Merkel

 

[caption id="attachment_11504" align="alignnone" width="320"]7d382f21cd2625855745c8e0cc0bd58e1cb80cae (Photo AFP - John Macdougall)[/caption]



 


Hilfe für die Kanzlerin

 

Ein Saaldiener bringt Bundeskanzlerin Angela Merkel (CDU) nach Beendigung ihrer Regierungserklärung im Bundestag ihre Krücken.

 

Als erster deutscher Regierungschef trug Merkel eine Regierungserklärung im Sitzen vor.

 

Sie hatte sich beim Skilaufen verletzt.

 

Help for the chancellor

 

An usher brings German Chancellor Angela Merkel (CDU) after their government statement in parliament their crutches.

 

As the first German head of government, Merkel argued a government statement in the seats.

 

She had been injured while skiing.

 

(AFP - John Macdougall)

 

(Agence France-Presse, 30 Thursday January 2014 The Roman)

(Translated: R.S.F. toshiki speed news press, Agence France-Presse, 30 Thursday January 2014 The Roman)

 

Wednesday, 29 January 2014

Plus belle voiture de l'année : l'Alfa Romeo 4C triomphe Most beautiful car of the year: The Alfa Romeo 4C triumph

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Plus belle voiture de l'année : l'Alfa Romeo 4C triomphe

 

Le Festival de l'automobile a remis ses prix sous le dôme des Invalides à Paris et révélé le choix des internautes pour la plus belle voiture 2013.

 

[caption id="attachment_11430" align="alignnone" width="400"]ar-russia-2383641-jpg_2049317 (La 4C a été un ouragan dans le monde de la voiture sportive car elle met une approche radicale du pilotage à la portée de (presque) toutes les bourses. Ses lignes ont été justement distinguées pour le prix de la Plus belle voiture 2013. © Alfa Roméo) (4C was a hurricane in the world of sports car because it puts a radical approach to control the scope of (almost) every budget. Lines were distinguished for just the price of the Most Beautiful Car 2013. © Alfa Roméo)[/caption]

 

AUTO-ADDICT

 

Voilà l'exemple même du classement subjectif, celui qui concerne les goûts et les couleurs de chacun et ne fait pas forcément l'unanimité.

 

Mais cela peut faire une majorité, comme on va le voir.

 

Élire la plus belle voiture de l'année relève de ce défi, répété depuis 29 ans par Rémi Depoix, l'auteur de l'idée et promoteur du Festival qu'il a porté avec la foi intacte du passionné.

 

D'une initiative privée, le Festival est devenu un événement dans le milieu automobile, mais aussi une manifestation publique qui rencontre aujourd'hui une vraie considération internationale.

 

Aux côtés de l'exposition des concept cars, qui est une manifestation en soi (voir notre article) et dont les portes s'ouvriront au grand public jusqu'à dimanche, le Festival proprement dit a réuni mardi soir aux Invalides les plus belles carrosseries de l'année, régulièrement commercialisées auprès du grand public.

 

Le jury expert réuni par Rémi Depoix et comprenant des membres venus du monde des arts, de l'architecture et de la communication - dont Étienne Gernelle, le directeur de la rédaction du Point, étroitement associé avec Auto-Addict à l'événement - a jeté les bases du classement.

 

Une voiture à l'internaute gagnant

 

Le jury s'est penché sur les nouveautés surgies dans l'année 2013 et a sélectionné, ce qui est une gageure, huit voitures dignes de figurer dans le palmarès.

 

Pour concourir, les critères d'inscription sont simples : la voiture doit avoir été commercialisée pour la première fois dans l'année en cours et afficher un prix public inférieur à 55 000 euros.

 

Le constructeur gagnant emporte une campagne d'affichage d'une valeur de 100 000 euros offerte par JCDecaux.

 

Mais surtout, un votant a été tiré au sort en fin de concours pour gagner une voiture de la marque victorieuse d'une valeur de 30 000 euros, mais pas le modèle couronné, afin de ne pas fausser les votes.

 

C'est déjà une victoire à part entière de figurer à ce stade, parmi les nommées.

 

Après de longues délibérations du jury, ont été retenues les Alfa Romeo 4C, BMW Série 4 Coupé, Jeep Grand Cherokee, Lexus IS 300 h, Mazda3, Mercedes CLA, Peugeot 308 et Renault Captur.

 

À partir de cette liste, le jury n'intervenait plus, et c'était au tour des internautes d'entrer en lice pour manifester leurs préférences.

 

Pas moins de sept mini-sites dédiés, dans six langues différentes, ont permis en deux mois à plus de 100 000 personnes dans 52 pays de choisir leur voiture préférée.

 

Une sélection intermédiaire avait éliminé les deux françaises, la Lexus et la Jeep pour ne laisser aux prises que deux berlines de grande diffusion (Mazda3 et Mercedes CLA) et deux coupés (BMW Série 4 et Alfa Romeo 4 C).

 

Aucune voiture dénuée de mérites, comme on peut le voir.

 

Mini-supercar

 

Celle qui a rassemblé le maximum de suffrages autour de la planète est finalement l'Alfa Romeo 4C, un petit coupé très performant et dont la constitution et les techniques de fabrication renvoient aux supercars.

 

Son moteur est certes plus modeste avec ses 240 ch que celui de la prestigieuse et très confidentielle 8C dont le V8 titre 200 ch de plus.

 

Mais, les votants ne s'y sont pas trompés, la 4C est la voiture qui réhabilite les valeurs de la marque au trèfle à quatre feuilles tout en restant (relativement) accessible.

 

La 4C, écrivions-nous lors de notre essai, ouvre une nouvelle ère pour Alfa Romeo.

 

Renouant avec le glorieux passé du constructeur italien, elle dépoussière son image afin de mieux préparer son redéploiement sur les marchés américains et asiatiques.

 

Conçue à Turin, mise au point à Balocco sur le site d'essai historique d'Alfa Romeo, assemblée chez Maserati à Modène, et en partie construite dans une nouvelle usine spécialisée dans la fibre de carbone récemment inaugurée près de Naples par le patron de Ferrari, Luca di Montezemolo, la 4C joue à fond la synergie du groupe Fiat pour proposer l'excellence technique au meilleur prix.

 

À partir de 51 500 euros au tarif, la 4C suscite immédiatement la passion mais n'en fait pas payer le prix.

 

(Le Point.fr - Publié le 28/01/2014 à 23:05 - Modifié le 29/01/2014 à 09:51)

 

 

Most beautiful car of the year: The Alfa Romeo 4C triumph

 

Festival of automobile gave its prices under the dome of the Invalides in Paris and found the choice of users for the most beautiful car of 2013.

 

AUTO-ADDICT

 

That is the epitome of subjective ranking, one concerning the tastes and colors of each and does not necessarily unanimity.

 

But it can make a majority, as we shall see.

 

Elect the most beautiful car of the year this challenging, repeated for 29 years by Rémi Depoix, the author of the idea and sponsor of the Festival he wore with the passionate faith intact.

 

From a private initiative, the Festival has become an event in the automotive industry, but also a public event today encounters a true international recognition.

 

Alongside the exhibition concept cars, which is an event in itself (see article) and the doors will open to the public until Sunday, the festival itself was held Tuesday evening at the Invalides most beautiful bodies of the year, regularly sold to the general public.

 

The expert panel convened by Rémi Depoix and comprising members from the world of art, architecture and communication - which Gernelle Stephen, the editor of Le Point, closely associated with Auto-Addict at the event - a laid the foundations of ranking.

 

A car to win the Internet

 

The jury considered the new arisen in 2013 and selected, which is a challenge, eight cars worthy to figure in the charts.

 

To compete, the criteria for inclusion are simple: the car must have been marketed for the first time in the current year and display a price of less than € 55,000.

 

The winner wins a display manufacturer worth 100 000 euros offered by JCDecaux campaign.

 

But above all, a voter has been drawn at the end of the contest to win a car brand victorious worth € 30,000, but not crowned model so as not to distort the votes.

 

This is a victory in its own right to appear at this stage, among the appointees.

 

After much deliberation the jury were chosen the Alfa Romeo 4C, BMW 4 Series Coupe, Jeep Grand Cherokee, Lexus IS 300 h, Mazda3, Mercedes CLA, Peugeot 308 and Renault Captur.

 

From this list, the jury not intervened, and it was the turn of the users to enter the fray to express their preferences.

 

No less than seven mini-sites dedicated in six different languages, allowed two months to more than 100,000 people in 52 countries to choose their favorite car.

 

An intermediate selection had eliminated two French, and the Lexus Jeep to leave struggling two sedans widely (Mazda3 and Mercedes CLA) and two cut (4 BMW and Alfa Romeo 4 C).

 

No car devoid of merit, as you can see.

 

Mini-supercar

 

One that has gathered the most votes around the world is finally Alfa Romeo 4C, a small high-performance coupe and whose construction and manufacturing techniques refer to supercars.

 

Its engine is certainly more modest with 240 hp than the prestigious and highly confidential 8C whose title V8 200 hp more.

 

But voters do not make a mistake, the 4C is the car that rehabilitates brand values to four-leaf clover while remaining (relatively) accessible.

 

4C, we wrote during our test, opens a new era for Alfa Romeo.

 

Reviving the glorious past of the Italian manufacturer, she dusted her image to better prepare its redeployment in the U.S. and Asian markets.

 

Designed to Turin, developed at Balocco on the historical test Alfa Romeo site meeting with Maserati in Modena, and partly built in a new factory specializing in carbon fiber recently opened near Naples by boss Ferrari, Luca di Montezemolo, 4C plays the synergy of the Fiat group to provide technical excellence at the best price.

 

From 51,500 euros costs, 4C immediately arouses passion but does not pay the price.

 

(Le Point, 28 Tuesday January 2014 The Roman)

(Translated: R.S.F. toshiki speed news press, Agence France-Presse, 29 Wednesday January 2014 The Roman)

 

Britain posts fastest annual growth

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Britain posts fastest annual growth



London (AFP)



Britain's economy grew at the fastest rate last year since before the financial crisis but output dipped in the final quarter of 2013, official data showed on Tuesday.



Gross domestic product expanded by 1.9 percent in 2013, the biggest expansion since 2007, the Office for National Statistics (ONS) said in a statement.



GDP had grown by only 0.1 percent in 2012, while the IMF recently said it expected the British economy to grow by 2.4 percent this year.



Economic output meanwhile grew by 0.7 percent between October and December last year compared with the third quarter of 2013, when GDP increased by 0.8 percent, the ONS added.



Chancellor of the Exchequer George Osborne said that overall, Tuesday's data was "more evidence that our long term economic plan is working".



He added in a statement: "But the job is not done, and it is clear that the biggest risk now to the recovery would be abandoning the plan that's delivering jobs and a brighter economic future."



Prime Minister David Cameron's coalition government has embarked on a massive austerity drive since coming to power in 2010, two years after the start of the financial crisis, in a bid to bring down a record deficit inherited from the previous Labour administration.



The fourth-quarter slowdown meanwhile took the shine off Britain's recent recovery.



"The 0.7-percent rise in UK GDP in the fourth quarter is a touch disappointing given the recent strength of the business surveys," said Martin Beck, economist at Capital Economics research group.



"But it still takes full-year growth in 2013 to 1.9 percent, the best performance since 2007 and possibly the strongest growth in the G7", which comprises also the United States, Germany and Japan.



In the fourth quarter, Britain achieved increases in output from the industrial and services sectors, while construction fell, according to the ONS data.



The slowdown could meanwhile dampen expectations of the Bank of England raising its main interest rate this year, analysts said on Tuesday.



Bank of England chief Mark Carney last week played down speculation that its key rate was due to rise from a record-low British level of 0.50 percent following a shock fall in unemployment.



The possibility of a rise in the bank's key rate rose after official data showed that British unemployment fell to 7.1 percent, just above the 7.0 percent threshold that Carney set as a potential trigger for a tightening of monetary policy.



(Agence France-Presse, 28 Tuesday January 2014 The Roman)

Friday, 24 January 2014

Snowy landscape

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Snowy landscape

 

[caption id="attachment_11305" align="alignnone" width="400"]0a77c994d0aa2537e9bf2e25fde8eaddf8279b5c_0 (Photo dpa/AFP - Maurizio Gambarini)[/caption]

 

Farbtupfer im Schnee

 

Auch der Winter hat seine bunten Seiten: In Brandenburg leuchten farbenprächtige Früchte in der verschneiten Landschaft.

 

Splash of color in the snow

 

Even winter has its colorful pages: In Brandenburg shine colorful fruits in the snowy landscape.

 

(dpa/AFP - Maurizio Gambarini)

 

(Agence France-Presse, 23 Thursday January 2014 The Roman)

(Translated and Edited: R.S.F. toshiki speed news press, Agence France-Presse, 24 Friday January 2014 The Roman)

 

Wednesday, 22 January 2014

Spain claims tourism world number three spot

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Spain claims tourism world number three spot

 

[caption id="attachment_11254" align="alignnone" width="400"]ALeqM5jqtbzXQ7zM0KlCGStkp4mZIukUOA (Tourists leave the Carihuela beach in Torremolinos, southern Spain, on 3 August 2009 The Roman (AFP/File))[/caption]

 

By Ingrid Bazinet (AFP)

 

Madrid — Spain announced Tuesday it has retaken the number three spot in world tourism in 2013, by luring a record 60.6 million international visitors.

 

Foreign tourist arrivals surged by 5.6 percent in the year, the government said, boosting the eurozone's fourth largest economy after a long, job-wrecking recession.

 

"The new figures for 2013 allow our country to retake the number three position in this indicator," Prime Minister Mariano Rajoy boasted.

 

Spain now stood behind only France with 83 million international tourist arrivals and the United States with 67 million, Rajoy said.

 

Income from foreign tourists hit record levels, too, a significant contribution to the Spanish economy, which has just emerged from five years of stop-start recession that left the nation with a 26-percent unemployment rate.

 

Spending by international tourists in the first 11 months of 2013 surged by 8.7 percent from the same period last year to 55.9 billion euros ($76 billion), government figures showed.

 

Even without the official figures for the whole year, it is already possible to say that 2013 was a record in terms of tourism spending, Rajoy said.

 

"The implications of these figures are clear to everyone," Rajoy said.

 

The tourism industry accounted for 10.9 percent of Spain's total economic output in 2012, and 11.9 percent of all jobs, the prime minister said.

 

British tourists led the way to Spain in 2013, with some 14.3 million of them accounting for 23.6 percent of all foreign tourists, said the report by Spain's Industry, Energy and Tourism Ministry.

 

Next came Germany with 16.2 percent of the total, France with 15.7 percent, and Nordic countries with eight percent.

 

Russian tourists accounted for 2.6 percent of the total, but their numbers showed the biggest leap, soaring by 31.6 percent from the previous year.

 

The top destinations in Spain were Catalonia, which drew 15.5 million foreign visitors, or 25.7 percent of the total, followed by the Balearic Islands such as Majorca with 11.1 million international arrivals, or 18.3 percent of the total.

 

Spanish tourism industry association Exceltur predicts the tourism industry will grow by 1.8 percent in 2014.

 

Besides Spain's attractions, such as its beaches, the tourism industry said it benefited last year from misfortune in Egypt, where political turmoil scared away visitors.

 

Egypt lost 2.5 million tourists from June up to the end of the year, estimated Exceltur vice president Jose Luis Zoreda.

 

"Curiously, Spain's tourists grew by 3 million," he added.

 

Many of the visitors diverted from Egypt were budget tourists, however, Zoreda said.

 

Spain's economy emerged from a two-year downturn by posting 0.1-percent growth in the third quarter of 2013.

 

The economy expanded by 0.3 percent in the final quarter, Spain's prime minister said, confirming an estimate by his finance minister ahead of the release of official data.

 

The Spanish government is tipping an overall economic expansion of 0.7 percent in 2014.

 

Copyright © 2014 AFP. All rights reserved.

 

(Agence France-Presse, 21 Tuesday January 2014 The Roman)

 

German investor sentiment stalls, but recovery intact

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German investor sentiment stalls, but recovery intact

 
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Frankfurt (AFP)



 

Investment sentiment in Germany stalled unexpectedly in January after rising to a seven-year high the previous month, but recovery of Europe's top economy remains intact, a survey found on Tuesday.

 

The widely watched investor confidence index calculated by the ZEW economic institute inched down by 0.3 point to 61.7 points in January, ZEW said in a statement.

 

Analysts had been pencilling in a further increase after the barometer hit its highest level in more than seven years in December.

 

But ZEW president Clemens Fuest insisted the latest reading was no real setback.

 

"Hovering at a high level, economic expectations for Germany have moved sidewards in this month's survey," he said.

 

"For months, the surveyed financial market experts have expected an economic upswing. In this month's survey the clearly improved assessment of the current economic situation seems to confirm these expectations," Fuest said.

 

For the survey, ZEW questions analysts and institutional investors about their current assessment of the economic situation in Germany, as well as their expectations for the coming months.

 

The sub-index measuring financial market players' view of the current economic situation in Germany rose by 8.8 points to 41.2 points in January, its highest level since May 2012.

 

Investor sentiment is "still going strong," said ING DiBa economist Carsten Brzeski.

 

The strong equity market and the possibility of further action by the European Central Bank "have clearly kept German investors in a positive mood," the expert said.

 

"The ZEW index has not the best track record when it comes to predicting German economic activity.

 

"However ... over the last years, the current assessment component has become a rather good leading indicator for GDP growth. In this regards, today's sharp increase of the current assessment component is good news for the economy," Brzeski said.

 

"The fundamentals of the German economy remain strong. With a solid labour market, higher real wages, the gradual investment pick-up, filled order books and low inventories the German economy seems to be in the starting blocks for a growth acceleration this year," he added.

 

Natixis economist Johannes Gareis agreed.

 

"If there is one message to take away from today's ZEW index, it is that German analysts and investors remain overly optimistic and believe in the robustness of the German economic recovery, which is in line with our scenario of a marked acceleration in economic growth in this year," Gareis said.

 

"All in all, the January data confirm our picture of an economic upturn in the euro area at the turn of the year," said BayernLB economist Stefan Kipar.

 

"The German economy is benefiting from this stabilisation in the euro area," he said.

 

(Agence France-Presse, 21 Tuesday January 2014 The Roman)

 

Photo caption (Brokers work at Frankfurt stock exchange on 6 September 2012 The Roman (AFP/File, Johannes Eisele))

 

Friday, 17 January 2014

Agricultural Fair in Berlin

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Agricultural Fair in Berlin

 

[caption id="attachment_11172" align="alignnone" width="512"]3c5391bdbee3ebef08d83dea9dc74847efb6e3a3_0 (Photo DPA/AFP - Wolfgang Kumm)[/caption]

 

Zwischen Brokkoli und Kohl

 

Gestern noch im Innenministerium, heute bei der Grünen Woche: Der frühere Bundesinnenminister und jetzige Bundeslandwirtschaftsminister Hans-Peter Friedrich (CSU) informiert sich auf der Landwirtschaftsmesse in Berlin über heimische Gemüsesorten.

 

Between broccoli and cabbage

 

Yesterday, the Ministry of Interior, today at the Green Week: The former Interior Minister and current Federal Agriculture Minister Hans-Peter Friedrich (CSU) informed on the Agricultural Fair in Berlin about native vegetables.

 

(DPA/AFP - Wolfgang Kumm)

 

(Agence France-Presse, 17 Friday January 2014 The Roman)

(Edited and Translated: R.S.F. toshiki speed news press, Agence France-Presse, 17 Friday January 2014 The Roman)

 

Wednesday, 8 January 2014

EU lawmakers begin 'tough' talks on new bank oversight system

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EU lawmakers begin 'tough' talks on new bank oversight system

 

Brussels (AFP)

 

The European Parliament launched "tough negotiations" with EU member states on Wednesday on enacting a new bank regulatory system meant to prevent any repetition of the financial crisis.

 

An agreement is needed before elections in May.

 

A parliamentary statement, foreseeing that the talks would be "tough", said that "positions are far apart, with MEPs insisting that the system must not be cumbersome or vulnerable to political back-room deals."

 

European finance ministers agreed in December what is known as a Single Resolution Mechanism, designed to step in and close down a failing bank before it can do too much damage to the economy.

 

The crucial issue was who would run the SRM and how it would be paid for -- in the event, it is the most powerful EU states such as Germany which will likely have most say in any decision to close a bank.

 

Meanwhile, a back-up fund levied on the banks themselves will be phased in over 10 years until it totals 55 billion euros ($75.0 billion) but this arrangement will be covered by bilateral treaties and so will be beyond Parliament's oversight.

 

When the deal was approved by EU leaders last month, European Parliament head Martin Schulz warned that they would face "very long negotiations" as the proposal fell "very far" from what lawmakers wanted.

 

He specifically complained about the complex legal basis which could slow down the SRM's work when speed is essential, and of the way the SRM fund was set up, which he judged to be "unacceptable."

 

Wednesday's brief statement noted that Schulz and the MEP leading the negotiations, Elisa Ferreira, had stated that the new system had to be "truly European and the decision-making process must be able to work swiftly, free from political interference."

 

Parliamentary approval is required for the SRM which forms what is known as the "banking union" along with an already agreed new supervisory regime to be overseen by the European Central Bank.

 

It will be introduced from 2015 and be fully operational by 2025.

 

(Agence France-Presse, 8 Wednesday January 2014 The Roman)