Panama Canal upgrade remains at standstill amid $1.6 bn cash gap

Panama Canal upgrade remains at standstill amid $1.6 bn cash gap

 

Panama City (AFP)

 

Work on expanding the Panama Canal is unlikely to resume Saturday as local officials face negotiations with foreign builders after the project was halted in a dispute over cost overruns.

 

The multi-billion-dollar plan to build larger locks on the 80-kilometer (50-mile) waterway linking the Atlantic and Pacific Oceans stopped Friday in a row over who will pay an additional $1.6 billion (1.2 billion euros) bill.

 

The independent Panama Canal Authority (ACP) and GUPC consortium -- a group of international builders headed by Spain's Sacry Vallehermoso -- exchanged proposals throughout the day, but without a deal.

 

"We keep open the possibility of reaching an agreement, and we are making an effort towards that goal," said ACP chief Jorge Quijano.

 

According to the builders, "talks with the ACP are ongoing and are expected to continue next week."

 

Bankers financing the 3.2 billion contract (2.3 billion euros) to expand the canal visited the worksite on Friday.

 

The project is designed to widen the canal so that massive cargo ships can pass through.

 

It is one of the world's most ambitious biggest civil engineering projects and was due to be completed next year.

 

The builders have said completion may be delayed by up to five years.

 

The consortium has accused the Panama Canal Authority of breaking off negotiations.

 

It says the authority failed in obligations to pay a $50 million bill and to help pay workers and subcontractors.

 

GUPC had offered to split the cost of finishing the dig with the Canal Authority and then let arbitrators decide who pays for the overrun.

 

The Panamanians suggest a deal could be reached if the builders commit to specific dates for stages of the job to be ready.

 

There would also be a ban on further cost overruns.

 

The GUPC claims unforseen geological difficulties have forced them to spend much more on cement than expected.

 

They say that they based their estimates on data provided by the Canal Authority that was incorrect.

 

The consortium of builders includes Italy's Impreglio, Jan de Nul from Belgium, and Panama's Constructora Urbana.

 

The original canal, built by the United States mostly with workers brought in from the Caribbean, was completed in 1914.

 

It offers a shortcut and safer journey for maritime traffic, is used by 13,000-14,000 ships each year, handling five percent of world sea trade.

 

The canal generates $960 million a year for Panama, nearly 10 percent of the country's total annual income

 

(Agence France-Presse, 8 Saturday February 2014 The Roman)

 

http://www.afp.com/en/news/topstories/panama-canal-upgrade-remains-standstill-amid-16-bn-cash-gap

 

First Sochi medals up for grabs after opening ceremony

First Sochi medals up for grabs after opening ceremony

 

[caption id="attachment_12087" align="alignnone" width="400"] (Norway's biathlete Ole Einar Bjoerndalen, seen during a training session at the Laura Cross Country Skiing and Biathlon Centre in Rosa Khutor, near Sochi, on 5 Wednesday February 2014 The Roman (AFP/File, Kirill Kudryavtsev))[/caption]

 

By Stuart Williams (AFP)

 

Sochi — Olympic athletes were on Saturday competing for the first medals of the Sochi Winter Games after Russia staged a thrilling opening ceremony that impressed even foreign sceptics.

 

President Vladimir Putin late Friday declared open the 22nd Winter Olympics in a ceremony that took 40,000 people in the Fisht Stadium and TV viewers around the world on a lightning tour through Russian history.

 

Thousands of fireworks exploded above the venue on the Black Sea coast in the ceremony.

 

"We missed this for so many years... a pride for our country, a feeling for her power, unity and greatness. Yesterday, we felt it," the Moskovsky Komsomolets daily said.

 

Five gold medals are up for grabs.

 

The first gold will likely come in the women's cross-country skiathlon, while Norwegian biathlete Ole Einar Bjoerndalen, 40, will become the joint highest medal winner in Winter Olympics history if he makes the podium in the sprint.

 

Women will seek gold in the spectacular moguls freestyle event, the men's snowboard slopestyle will be decided after a succession of spectacular crashes while the endurance kings of speed skating will face off in the lung-busting men's 5,000 metres.

 

The high-octane ceremony, devised by the powerful boss of Russia's Channel One television Konstantin Ernst, got off to a rocky start when one of five illuminated artificial snowflakes that were supposed to morph into the Olympic rings failed to open, leaving just four rings.

 

But organisers brushed off the mishap, admitting that they covered up the glitch on Russian state television by quickly inserting footage of the segment they had recorded days earlier.

 

"There is a saying that you have to kick out the uneven part of a perfectly polished ball to understand how perfect it is," he said.

 

The Russian team won huge cheers as they entered to the song "Nas Ne Dogonyat" ("Not Gonna Get Us") by female pop duo Tatu.

 

In towards Russia's proud sporting past, the Olympic cauldron was lit by two triple gold-winning Soviet winter sports icons -- figure skater Irina Rodnina and ice hockey legend Vladislav Tretyak.

 

The flame had been brought into the stadium by US-based Russian tennis star Maria Sharapova and the final relay included Olympic rhythmic gymnastics champion Alina Kabayeva.

 

Even the foreign press, which have been hugely critical of Russia in the days up to the Games, heaped praised on the ceremony.

 

"For Russia last night it marked its revival as a post-Soviet powerhouse, confident of its seat at the top table after two decades of doubt and despondency," Britain's Daily Mail wrote.

 

'Keep politics out of Olympics'

 

But IOC President Thomas Bach made an impassioned call for politics to stay out of sport, saying "have the courage to address your disagreements in political dialogue and not on the back of your athletes".

 

The security concerns that have shadowed these Games were underlined when a Ukrainian man attempted to hijack an airliner en route from Ukraine to Turkey and divert it to Sochi.

 

But Turkish military jets forced the plane to land in Istanbul, where security teams overpowered the man, said to be drunk.

 

The United States has already announced a temporary ban on liquids and gels in hand luggage on Russia-bound flights, following a warning that militants could stuff explosives into toothpaste.

 

Copyright © 2014 AFP. All rights reserved.

 

(Agence France -Presse, 8 Saturday February 2014 The Roman)

 

 

 

Spain-led venture halts work on Panama canal over $1.6 bn overrun

Spain-led venture halts work on Panama canal over $1.6 bn overrun

 

[caption id="attachment_12031" align="alignnone" width="400"] (View of halted expansion works at Panama Canal locks, in Cocoli, near Panama City, on 5 Wednesday February 2014 The Roman (AFP, Rodrigo Arangua))[/caption]

 

By Katell Abiven (AFP)

 

Madrid — A Spanish-led consortium said Friday it has halted work on expanding the Panama canal, which handles five percent of world sea trade, in a row about cost overruns.

 

The multi-billion-dollar project to build extra locks on the 80-kilometre (50-mile) waterway linking the Atlantic and Pacific Oceans ground to a halt because of a dispute over who will pay for $1.6 billion (1.2 billion euros) in overruns.

 

"While awaiting an agreement to enable the finalisation of construction, work has been suspended on the project," said a statement by the GUPC consortium, led by Spanish construction group Sacyr.

 

The project to widen the canal so massive cargo ships can pass through it -- one of the biggest civil engineering operations in the world -- was due to be completed next year.

 

But GUPC has said completion may be delayed by up to five years, as each side has accused the other of breaking the deal.

 

The European Union's industry commissioner, Antonio Tajani, who has mediated the dispute, warned that the interruption of the dig would be "bad news" for the world economy.

 

The consortium accused the Panama Canal Authority of breaking off negotiations.

 

It says the authority failed in obligations to pay a $50 million bill and to help pay workers and subcontractors.

 

GUPC had offered to split the cost of finishing the dig with the canal authority and then let arbitrators decide who pays for the overrun.

 

It said late Thursday it had submitted a further new proposal to settle the dispute.

 

"The GUPC continues as always to seek an agreement on co-financing in line with the contracts and relevant legislation, with the aim of a joint and immediate resolution," the consortium said.

 

The canal authority had claimed on Wednesday that the builders had already stopped work, but Sacyr denied that at the time, insisting it was seeking to avoid a shutdown.

 

The canal is being widened to permit the passage of ships carrying up to 12,000 containers, twice the current limit.

 

But the disputed contract to build a third set of locks, due initially to be completed this year, was already running nine months late and since the beginning of this year work has slowed down further.

 

GUPC is in dispute with the canal authority in part over geological difficulties which have obliged the builders to spend much more on cement than expected.

 

The canal, completed in 1914 to offer a short cut and safer journey for maritime traffic, is used by 13,000-14,000 ships each year.

 

Copyright © 2014 AFP. All rights reserved.

 

(Agence France-Presse, 7 Friday February 2014 The Roman)

 

 

BoE cyber attack exercise shows banks unprepared

BoE cyber attack exercise shows banks unprepared

 

Simulated three–day attack on Britain's financial system reveals problems

 

[caption id="attachment_11878" align="alignnone" width="400"] (The scenario simulated an attack on Britain's financial system, including denial of service attacks on the global websites of major banks, the penetration of secure networks by hackers, and problems with core payment systems. (Photo: EPA))[/caption]

 

A Bank of England–led exercise simulating a major cyber attack on the British financial system has revealed a lack of knowledge among banks about how and when to report security breaches, as well as problems with coordinating the response to any incident.

 

In a series of findings published yesterday, the Bank said its exercise had revealed "considerable progress" since a previous test but that there was a need for a single body to coordinate communications in the event of a real crisis.

 

The British Bankers' Association was recommended as the official mouthpiece of the financial system in the event of a cyber attack.

 

If handed the role, the BBA would be expected to manage the response of the banking industry if it were hit by a sustained and widespread attempt to disrupt the financial system.

 

"It was noted that there was no central industry coordination for financial sector information–sharing and communication to the wider public," said the Bank in its report.

 

Operation Waking Shark II was run by the Bank last year to test the readiness of the UK's financial infrastructure in the event of a hostile country launching an all–out cyber attack on critical financial infrastructure.

 

The scenario involved simulating a three–day long attack on Britain's financial system, including denial of service attacks on the global websites of major banks, the penetration of secure networks by hackers, and problems with core payment systems.

 

To add to the realism, the exercise assumed an attack coincided with the so–called "triple witching" period in which a series of important financial contracts, such as index futures and stock options, expire.

 

About 220 people were involved in the war games, which included 14 investment banks and major lenders, six providers of financial infrastructure, as well as represenatives of the Bank of England, the Prudential Regulation Authority, the Financial Conduct Authority and the Treasury.

 

The first Operation Waking Shark took place in 2011 and, with the increased focus on cyber threats, the number of future exercises is expected to increase.

 

Regulators will hold shorter but more frequent war games.

 

With the threat increasingly coming from abroad and the impact of a major attack likely to have international ramifications, the authorities have been asked to widen the scope of future war games to allow more foreign participants.

 

Cyber attacks have been identified as one of the biggest problems for the banking industry and major financial services groups face regular attacks on their systems from a variety of sources, including both criminal gangs and foreign governments.

 

Most of these attacks are relatively small–scale but some have led to severe security breaches and the collapse of core systems.

 

(The Telegraph, 6 Thursday February 2014 The Roman)

 

Dubai’s DP World says consolidated volumes slip 3.8 percent in 2013

Dubai’s DP World says consolidated volumes slip 3.8 percent in 2013

 

[caption id="attachment_11863" align="alignnone" width="400"] (The world’s third biggest port operator said its consolidated container volumes dropped 3.8 percent in 2013. (File photo: Reuters))[/caption]

 

Dubai's DP World, the world's third biggest port operator, said on Wednesday its consolidated container volumes slipped 3.8 percent in 2013, but rose 0.7 percent on a gross like-for-like basis.

 

DP World, one of the more profitable assets of Dubai World, said terminals controlled by the company handled 26 million TEU - or twenty-foot equivalent container units - during the year.

 

This compares to 27.1 million TEU in the year-earlier period.

 

But gross volumes - which include more terminals - rose slightly in like-for-like terms, DP World said.

 

The port operator has been selling assets globally, exiting markets where it does not have a significant presence and seeking to redeploy funds in fast-growing markets.

 

(Reuters, Dubai)

 

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

 

Twitter developing e-commerce service

Twitter developing e-commerce service

 

Washington (AFP)

 

Twitter is exploring ways to sell products directly from the 140-character missives the one-to-many text messaging service site is famous for, a technology news site has reported.

 

Re/Code on Friday posted a screen shot of what this new service could look like, integrated into the site's familiar baby blue interface.

 

It said it found the image posted on e-commerce site Fancy.com, which appeared to be working on a partnership with Twitter.

 

In the screenshot, which is no longer able to be viewed, certain tweets are tagged "Twitter Commerce" and, when expanded, show a green "Buy with Fancy" button.

 

The purchaser would then be able to enter their payment and shipping information on another screen, all without leaving the Twitter app or site.

 

It was not clear what fees or commissions Twitter would charge for products sold within its social network.

 

Nor was it clear whether Fancy.com was the only site with which Twitter was apparently considering a partnership.

 

Neither site responded to requests for comment from Re/Code.

 

Twitter has become massively popular around the world and it had a sizzling Wall Street debut in November, gaining nearly 73 percent over its first day of trading on the New York Stock Exchange.

 

But some analysts are skeptical about its ability to boost usage and revenues to become profitable.

 

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

Gates shifts role at Microsoft, new CEO named

Gates shifts role at Microsoft, new CEO named

 

Washington (AFP)

 

Microsoft moved Tuesday to reboot for a mobile future, naming Indian-born Satya Nadella chief executive as founder Bill Gates shed his title of chairman for a more hands-on role.

 

Gates "will devote more time to the company" in his new role on the board as "founder and technology advisor," a company statement said.

 

Nadella, 46, who becomes the third CEO at Microsoft, has been executive vice president of its Cloud and Enterprise group.

 

The moves come with Microsoft losing ground to rivals like Apple and Google amid a shift away from the traditional personal computer to mobile devices and cloud services.

 

"As the industry changes we have to innovate and move forward," Gates said in a video released on the Microsoft website.

 

"I'm thrilled that Satya has asked me to step up. I'll have over a third of my time available to meet with product groups."

 

The 58-year-old Gates said that "during this time of transformation, there is no better person to lead Microsoft than Satya Nadella."

 

He called Nadella "a proven leader with hard-core engineering skills, business vision and the ability to bring people together."

 

Gates stepped down as CEO in 2000 and left day-to-day operations in 2008 to devote more time to his multibillion-dollar Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation.

 

Microsoft said John Thompson, lead independent director, will assume the job of chairman at the tech giant.

 

Nadella, who takes over from the retiring Steve Ballmer, said, "Microsoft is one of those rare companies to have truly revolutionized the world through technology, and I couldn't be more honored to have been chosen to lead the company."

 

He added, "The opportunity ahead for Microsoft is vast, but to seize it, we must focus clearly, move faster and continue to transform. A big part of my job is to accelerate our ability to bring innovative products to our customers more quickly."

 

The shake-up at Microsoft drew positive responses from analysts.

 

"I think this is a terrific development for the company," said Greg Sterling at Opus Research.

 

"Nadella also seems to have encouraged the new Gates role, which will be good for the company too. Personally, Nadella is a more humble and understated figure than Ballmer, which will be good for the company's image. I also think Nadella brings a strong mix of business and technology expertise to the role."

 

Frank Gillett at Forrester Research said Nadella has shown "a willingness to shake things up, so that seems positive to us."

 

Gillett added that by using Gates as a key advisor, "he's reaching for Gates's experience in running the company but also in the successes in that era. But by having him in an informal role, it also says we are in a new era. All in all, it seems quite positive."

 

Roger Kay at Endpoint Technologies Associates said Nadella will need to articulate a vision for Microsoft, which under Ballmer was undergoing a transformation from software to "devices and services."

 

"Nadella has to come up with the vision," Kay said. "Gates's vision was appropriate for the 1970s and 1980s."

 

Kay said Nadella "admits that he is green in asking support from Gates but that's OK. I think people can come into a job green and grow into it."

 

Nadella "has been the enterprise guy, so I would expect him to go in that direction. They may even spin off the consumer business."

 

Deutsche Bank analyst Karl Keirstead said Nadella was a "good choice."

 

"Although Microsoft is a big ship to turn, in our view Nadella will push to make Microsoft more innovative and agile, more like Apple and less like IBM," Keirstead said in a research note.

 

Matthew Hedberg at RBC Capital Markets called Nadella "a safe choice" and said his background "could mean a bigger emphasis on cloud and enterprise than Microsoft has had in the past."

 

Hedberg added that the shift in roles for Gates would be a "bigger positive for investor sentiment."

 

In late morning trading, Microsoft shares were up 0.33 percent at $36.60.

 

Nadella heads the team that runs the public, private and service provider clouds for Microsoft.

 

Previously, Nadella was president of Microsoft's $19 billion server and tools business.

 

He is a native of Hyderabad, India and earned degrees from Mangalore University, the University of Wisconsin in Milwaukee and the University of Chicago.

 

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

Yellen inherits US Federal Reserve chairman as Bernanke departs

Yellen inherits US Federal Reserve chairman as Bernanke departs

 

Washington (AFP)

 

Respected economist Ms. Janet Yellen was sworn in Monday as the first woman chair of the Federal Reserve, taking on the burden of winding down the Federal Reserve's stimulus without spurring more turmoil.

 

Ms. Janet Yellen inherits the mantle of the world's most powerful central banker from Ben Bernanke, who guided the US and the global financial system through its deepest crisis since the 1930s during his eight years in the job.

 

Nominated to the job last October by President Barack Obama, she will serve a four-year term concurrent to her ongoing 14 year term on the Federal Reserve's board of governors.

 

The respected economist has worked closely with Bernanke during her three-plus years as Federal Reserve vice-chair, and is not expected to depart from his policies aimed at helping lower still-high unemployment levels as long as inflation remains tamed.

 

Janet Yellen, 67, has served in a number of positions in the Federal Reserve, including head of its San Francisco branch, and also has held academic positions at Harvard University and University of California at Berkeley.

 

She is married to economics Nobel prize winner George Akerlof.

 

Bernanke will return to academia, meanwhile, including joining the washington-based think tank the Brookings Institution as a resident fellow.

 

"He will be a major contributor to the task of understanding the momentous events of the past eight years and crafting imaginative, pragmatic strategies to ensure the stability of the national and global economy," said Brookings president Strobe Talbott.

 

(Agence France-Presse, 3 Monday February 2014 The Roman)

Navy admiral to run US spy agency NSA

Navy admiral to run US spy agency NSA

 

Vice Admiral Rogers' appointment comes amid pressure on the NSA after revelations by whistleblower Edward Snowden.

 

[caption id="attachment_11567" align="alignnone" width="400"] (Vice Admiral Michael S. Rogers was trained as a intelligence cryptologist [US Navy/File])[/caption] 

President Barack Obama has nominated a US Navy officer, Vice Admiral Michael Rogers, to take over as head of the National Security Agency (NSA) that has recently come under fire over its practises.

 

"This is a critical time for the NSA, and Vice Admiral Rogers would bring extraordinary and unique qualifications to this position as the agency continues its vital mission and implements President Obama's reforms," Defence Secretary Chuck Hagel, who recommended Rogers for the post, said in a statement on Thursday.

 

Rogers would also take over as head of the military's Cyber Warfare Command.

 

Rogers, 53, would take the helm at a difficult moment for the spy agency, which has been rocked by former analyst Edward Snowden's disclosures of its secret surveillance programmes that collect phone and internet data around the world and now faces enormous pressure to change its ways.

 

Spy agency reforms

 

In response to the furore triggered by the leaks, Obama proposed reforms to rein in the NSA's spying authority in some areas.

 

Hagel said he was "confident that Admiral Rogers has the wisdom to help balance the demands of security, privacy and liberty in our digital age".

 

Rogers, who trained as an intelligence cryptologist and is a former intelligence director for the Joint Chiefs of Staff, would succeed General Keith Alexander, who has served in the top job since 2005, and plans to retire mid-March.

 

He currently heads the US Fleet Cyber Command, overseeing the navy's cyber warfare specialists.

 

In more than 30 years in the Navy, Rogers has worked in cryptology, eavesdropping or "signals intelligence" and cyber warfare.

 

Like Alexander, the naval officer would not only run the powerful NSA but would also serve as chief of the US military's Cyber Command.

 

Obama has decided to keep the "dual-hatted" arrangement, even though some top officials recommended splitting up the two jobs.

 

The president has rejected suggestions to name a civilian as NSA director.

 

(Source: Agencies)

 

(Al Jazeera, 30 Thursday January 2014 The Roman)

 

 

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

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"] (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)

 

Merkel makes first appearance on crutches after ski fall

Merkel makes first appearance on crutches after ski fall

 

[caption id="attachment_11021" align="alignnone" width="720"] (German Chancellor Angela Merkel stands with crutches during a meeting with young Carol singers as part of the traditional Epiphany charity "Three Kings Action" at the Chancellery in Berlin on January 7, 2014 (AFP, Odd Andersen))[/caption]

 

(AFP)

 

Berlin — German Chancellor Angela Merkel appeared publicly on crutches Tuesday for the first time since it emerged she had fractured her pelvis in a ski accident, to join children for carol singing.

 

Smiling broadly and looking relaxed, the 59-year-old chancellor, dressed in a smart teal jacket and dark trousers, negotiated a few steps to stand, leaning on her two crutches, among the 100 or so youngsters from across Germany.

 

The annual event at the chancellery, in which youngsters don "Three Wise Men" costumes and sing carols as part of an Epiphany fundraising effort for needy children, is one of only a couple of appointments that Merkel will keep this week.

 

After a fall over the Christmas holidays while cross-country skiing in Switzerland, Merkel suffered a fractured pelvis and has been advised by doctors to remain lying down as much as possible for three weeks, her spokesman revealed Monday.

 

She will work mainly from home while she recovers, he said.

 

Merkel is however also due to lead the first cabinet meeting of 2014 of her hard-won, new "grand coalition" Wednesday, but a scheduled foreign trip and meetings with the Polish and Luxembourg prime ministers later this week have been called off.

 

Merkel, who was re-elected chancellor for a third term by deputies in December following September's elections, sang along while a girl wearing a costume crown and cloak held the words and music for her to follow.

 

The German leader referred to the fact that she cannot stand too well due to her injury and is supposed to lie down more as she spoke to the youngsters, whose fundraising will go towards helping refugee children around the world.

 

Copyright © 2014 AFP. All rights reserved.

 

(Agence France-Presse, 7 Tuesday January 2014 The Roman)

Nelson Mandela is buried in Qunu, mourned by more than 4,500 who hail South Africa's "greatest son"

Nelson Mandela is buried in Qunu, mourned by more than 4,500 who hail South Africa's "greatest son"

 

The Thembu tribe look to their ancestors for advice in times good and bad.

 

Now, they have the best adviser of all.

 

Nelson Mandela was buried on Sunday in a ceremony that was not really like him, a thing full of pomp and martial display, the first state funeral of the new South Africa, inevitably stocked full of people endowed with that rarely-accurate abbreviation, VIP.

 

Mandela was truly a very important person but he also made a point of not showing it, wearing jazzy shirts instead of suits, thanking kitchen staff personally after official dinners and exchanging gossip with ordinary people in the village of Qunu, the scattering of huts and kraals in which he grew up.

 

He often retreated to Qunu in later years, finding peace among his people, the Thembu, of whose royal house he was a member.

 

The settlement is not that picturesque, squalid in part, and there are much grander vistas to be had in the Transkei, the region in which it sits, but for Mandela it was home, a haven from a world that devoured his time and privacy.

 

It is also where some of his loved ones lie, his mother, sister, two sons and infant daughter.

 

Yet, the first black president of the Republic of South Africa, hailed yesterday as "South Africa's greatest son", would hardly have recognised the place.

 

A vast marquee, cathedral-like in scale, had been imported to house more than 4,500 mourners, among them princes, chiefs, actors and communists, together with a host of smaller tents and stands.

 

The military was everywhere – this being the funeral of a former commander-in-chief, after all – lining routes, firing field-gun salutes and buzzing overhead in helicopters and fighter jets.

 

Mandela the peacemaker, who managed to kill apartheid without killing South Africa, was also, as mourners were often reminded during speeches, Mandela the freedom fighter.

 

The gun carriage, that of an old British 25-pounder, on which his coffin rode was therefore anything but inappropriate.

 

The service, the culmination of 10 days of mourning after he died on December 5, was modern and traditional, a global televised event attended by the likes of Sir Richard Branson and Oprah Winfrey, the stage lit by 95 candles, one for each of the great man's years.

 

But also, in its final stage, a more private ceremony, involving the ritual slaughtering of an ox in the compound built for Mandela's retirement.

 

A select group of 450 relatives, friends and dignitaries witnessed the sacrifice as the dead leader's body was interred near to those of his sons.

 

President Jacob Zuma told South Africa to carry on Mandela's legacy, calling on the country to "continue to rise".

 

"Tata," said Jacob Zuma, president of South Africa, "whilst your long walk to freedom has ended in the physical sense, our own journey continues.

 

"You forgave those who had taken away most of your adult life and who had dehumanised the majority of your compatriots. We learned from you."

 

The audience was eclectic.

 

Gerry Adams and Jessie Jackson attended and were applauded warmly when their names were read to the assembled guests, many from the ruling African National Congress, Mandela's party and the dominant, if increasingly corrupt, force in South African politics.

 

The Prince of Wales, representing the former colonial power, received no such accolade.

 

There was a distinct anti-colonialist theme to many of the speeches, harking back to the militant Mandela of the 1960s, whose career was to suffer a 27 year interruption courtesy of white South Africa's prison system.

 

The audience were reminded by Jakaya Kikwete, the president of Tanzania, of his country's role as a 'front line state' in the guerrilla war against apartheid South Africa.

 

He was followed by that old warhorse, Kenneth Kaunda, former president of Zambia, who insisted on referring to the old Afrikaner-dominated regime as "the Boers".

 

His long diabtribe contributed to the ceremony overrunning by two hours and the funeral missing a noon burial, said to be ideal hour for an chief, the sun being at its highest and the shadows at their shortest.

 

Desmond Tutu, Anglican Archbishop emeritus and Mandela's ally in the anti-apartheid campaign, was there, having initially seemingly been snubbed by the organisers.

 

Mr Zuma, who suffered a public relations disaster on Tuesday when he was booed in front of world leaders by ANC supporters angry at his alleged corruption, sought to play the crowd, singing a song that will only serve to increase concern in South Africa's Anglo-Afrikaner community.

 

"We, the black nation, are crying for our land which was taken by the white people," went the lyrics.

 

Great speeches there were none, and Mandela's widows, Graca Michel and Winnie Madikizela-Mandela, smiled not once at fond anecdotes about the man they shared.

 

At times, Mr Zuma appeared to be dropping off to sleep.

 

A genuinely moving contribution came from Ahmed Kathrada, an anti-apartheid fighter and friend of Mandela who served 26 years in jail, 18 of them with the future president on the penal colony of Robben Island.

 

He remembered a tall, healthy man who "easily wielded the pick and shovel when the rest of us couldn't", the prisoner who "vigorously exercised" every morning.

 

"What I saw in hospital was a man helpless and reduced to a shadow of himself," said the 84-year-old tears welling in his eyes.

 

"Farewell my dear brother, my mentor, my leader.

 

"Now I've lost a brother, my life is in a void and I don't know who to turn to.

 

"We are deeply grateful that dignity has been restored to all South Africans."

 

After the ceremony, George Bizos, Mandela's defence lawyer, said: "We have known each other for 65 years. Now he is gone.

 

"It has been a difficult 10 days."

 

Another inmate of Robben Island waited outside the compound.

 

Derrick Grootboom had driven for 15 hours with his wife Marika and two daughters, aged nine and five, for 15 hours to be present.

 

A lawyer, he was detained after taking part in a campaign of sabotage against infrastructure organised by Mandela.

 

"All of the things I have achieved are because of the influence of this man," he said.

 

"Just to be close to the place where he is being put to rest is enough. We have been telling our daughters about his life on the journey. Last night was the first night they have ever spent in a hotel."

 

Antjie Berger, 42, had come further, flying from her home in Berlin to Cape Town before driving for 12 hours to Qunu with her eight-year-old son, Aaron.

 

"He saved South Africa but I think he might have even saved the world," she said.

 

"His ideals are made for the world. He is such a role model. You see someone like that every thousand years."

 

Enclosed behind compound walls, Mandela's grave will not be allowed to evolve into a national shrine, at least for the moment.

 

In any case, there is no need.

 

The monument to the greatest ancestor of the Thembu walks and talks and can be seen all around: a free people, equal under a system law that does not discriminate on grounds of colour.

 

(The Telegraph, 15 Sunday December 2013 The Roman)

 

 

World's most expensive book sells for $14 mn

World's most expensive book sells for $14 mn

 

NEW YORK (AFP)

 

The first book printed in what is today the United States sold for nearly $14.2 million at auction in New York on Tuesday, Sotheby's said, becoming the world's most expensive book.

 

The translation of Biblical psalms "The Bay Psalm Book" was printed by Puritan settlers in Cambridge, Massachusetts in 1640 and was offered at a one-lot auction by Sotheby's.

 

(Agence France-Presse, 27 Wednesday November 2013 The Roman)

 

News: Novak Djokovic

News: Novak Djokovic

 

[caption id="attachment_9874" align="alignnone" width="400"] (Photo AFP - Glyn Kirk)[/caption]

 

Best one

 

Le Serbe Novak Djokovic porte le trophée du Masters de Londres après sa victoire en finale face à l'Espagnol Rafael Nadal, le 11 novembre 2013.

 

 

Holding the trophy

 

Serbia's Novak Djokovic poses with the Brad Drewett Trophy after beating Spain's Rafael Nadal in the singles final on the eighth day of the ATP World Tour Finals tennis tournament in London.

 

(AFP - Glyn Kirk)

 

(Agence France-Presse, 12 Tuesday November 2013 The Roman)

(Edited: R.S.F. toshiki speed news press, Agence France-Presse, 13 Wednesday November 2013 The Roman)

 

 

Sarajevski proces, 30-godišnja državna tajna Sarajevo Process, 30-year-old state secret

Sarajevski proces, 30-godišnja državna tajna

 

Suđenje muslimanskim intelektualcima u Sarajevskom procesu još uvijek ima karakter 'vrlo tajne' informacije.

 

Prije tačno 30 godina održano je jedno od najpoznatijih političkih suđenja u bivšoj Jugoslaviji - Sarajevski proces.

 

Međutim, arhiva jugoslovenske Službe državne bezbjednosti (SDB) o tom slučaju, a koju je u Bosni i Hercegovini naslijedila Obavještajno-sigurnosna agencija (OSA) i dalje je strogo čuvana državna tajna.

 

Džemaludin Latić je pjesnik.

 

Danas slobodno može recitovati svoje pjesme i sevdalinke.

 

Ali prije 30 godina, upravo je zbog ovakvih stihova završio iza rešetaka.

 

''Većina inkriminacija su bile iste, u verbalnom deliktu, a moja posebna inkriminacija, na koju se i danas ponosim, jeste da sam tvrdio da je sevdalinka najljepša ljubavna pjesma na svijetu“, kaže Latić.

 

On je osuđen 1983. godine zajedno sa još 12 muslimanskih aktivista na šest godina teške robije.

 

To suđenje, za koje bivši osuđenici, ali i brojni historičari, kažu da je bio montirani politički proces, postat će poznato kao ''Sarajevski proces''.

 

Dio istrage bio je povjeren SDB-u.

 

U podrumu zgrade Obavještajno-sigurnosne službe BiH smještena je tajna arhiva SDB-a, koja, i 20 godina nakon pada komunizma, i dalje nije dostupna javnosti.''

 

Cenziriran dosje

 

Latić je zatražio svoj dosje od OSA-e, ali je dobio tek manji dio.

 

Crnim flomasterom bila su iskrižana imena obavještajaca i doušnika.

 

Reporter Al Jazeere Harun Karčić je također zatražio pristup istoj arhivi, i dobio sljedeći odgovor: ''Uvidom u dokumentaciju utvrđeno je da ista nosi oznaku tajnosti 'Državna tajna', što po članu 86. Zakona o zaštiti tajnih podataka (Službeni glasnik BiH, broj 54/05 i 12/09) odgovara stepenu tajnosti 'vrlo tajno' te bi otkrivanje traženih informacija, koje sadrže imena osoba i izvora, predstavljalo kršenje odredbi Zakona o zaštiti tajnih podataka.''

 

Midhat Izmirlija izučava tranzicijsku pravdu u zemaljama istočne Evrope.

 

Za njega je odgovor Obaviještajno-sigurnosne agencije iznenađujući.

 

''To je stvarno iznenađujuće da se radi o zaštićenim dokumentima. Naravno, osobe koje bi imale potrebe ili želju da znaju da li su bile pračene, da li su bile špijunirane, da li su njihova prava kršena, imale bi svakako pravo pristupa tim arhivama. Gledajući iskustva drugih zemalja, recimo Istočne Njemačke i njihove tajne službe Stassi, te su arhive svakako dostupne'', kaže Midhat Izmirlija sa Pravnog fakulteta u Sarajevu.

 

Lustracija nije provedena u Bosni i Hercegovini.

 

Bivši saradnici SDB-a, ali i čelnici komunističkog vrha koji su davali naređenja za politička suđenja, danas slobodno hodaju ulicama BiH.

 

Džemaludin Latić smatra da mu nijedan zakon neće vratiti godine provedene u teškoj robiji zbog verbalnog delikta.

 

(Izvor: Al Jazeera)

 

(Al Jazeera Balkans, 20 nedjelja oktobar 2013 Rimski)

 

Sarajevo Process, 30-year-old state secret

 

Trial of Muslim intellectuals in the Sarajevo process still has the character of 'very secret' information.

 

Exactly 30 years ago held one of the most famous political trials in the former Yugoslavia-Sarajevo process.

 

However, the archives of the Yugoslav State Security Service (SDB) on the case, which was in Bosnia and Herzegovina inherited Intelligence and Security Agency (OSA) remains a closely guarded state secret

 

Džemaludin Latić poet.

 

Today is free to recite songs and singers.

 

But 30 years ago, it was because of these verses behind bars.

 

''Most incrimination were the same, the verbal act, and my special incrimination, to which it still proud of, is that I argued that Sevdalinka beautiful love song in the world," says petals.

 

He was convicted in 1983, together with 12 other Muslim activists to six years' hard labor.

 

This trial, in which former prisoners, and many historians, say it was rigged political process, it will become known as the ''process'' Sarajevo .

 

Part of the investigation was entrusted to the SDB.

 

In the basement of the Intelligence and Security Service of Bosnia and Herzegovina is located in the secret archives of SDB, which, 20 years after the fall of communism, and still is not available to the public. '

 

Cenziriran record

 

Latić requested his file from OSA, but got only a small part.

 

Black felt were mongrelized names of agents and informers.

 

Reporter Al Jazeera Harun Karčić also requested access to the same archive, and got the following response : ''After examining the record shows that it bears the mark of secrecy ‘State secret', as per Section 86. Law on the Protection of Classified Information (Official Gazette, No. 54 /05 and 12/ 09) corresponds to the degree of secrecy 'top secret ' and the disclosure of the requested information, which contain the names of people and resources, in violation of the provisions of the Law on the protection of classified information.''

 

Midhat Izmirlija studying transitional justice in countries in Eastern Europe.

 

For him, the answer to the intelligence and security agencies surprising.

 

''It's really amazing that the documents were protected. Of course, people would have no need or desire to know whether they were followed, whether they were bugged, if their rights are violated, they would have certainly a right of access to their archives. Looking at the experience of other countries, like East Germany and their secret services Stassi, and the archive is certainly available,'' said Midhat Izmirlija the Law Faculty in Sarajevo.

 

Lustration is not carried out in Bosnia and Herzegovina.

 

Former associates of SDB, and the top communist leaders who gave orders for a political trial, now free to walk the streets of BiH.

 

Džemaludin Latić considers that no law will not come back years in prison due to severe verbal assault.

 

(Source: Al Jazeera )

 

(Al Jazeera Balkans, 20 Sunday October 2013 The Roman)

(Translated: R.S.F. toshiki speed news press, Agence France-Presse, 21 Monday October 2013 The Roman)

 

U.N. sued in U.S. court over Haiti's cholera epidemic

U.N. sued in U.S. court over Haiti's cholera epidemic

 

UNITED NATIONS (Reuters) - Human rights lawyers filed a class action lawsuit against the United Nations on Wednesday to seek compensation for Haitian victims of a cholera epidemic they blame on U.N. peacekeepers.

 

The decision to file suit in New York comes after the United Nations said earlier this year that it would not pay hundreds of millions of dollars in compensation claimed by cholera victims in impoverished Haiti, where the epidemic has killed over 8,300 people and sickened more than 650,000 since October 2010.

 

"Haiti today has the worst cholera epidemic in the world," said Miami attorney Ira Kurzban, who announced the lawsuit at a joint news conference with the human rights groups Bureau des Advocats Internationaux (BAI) and Institute for Justice and Democracy in Haiti (IJDH).

 

"Before these events, Haiti did not know of cholera for 100 years. Cholera was brought to Haiti by U.N. troops," Kurzban said.

 

The lawyers filed the suit in the U.S. District Court in New York's Southern District, seeking $2.2 billion (1.3 billion pounds) for the Haitian government to eradicate cholera along with unspecified damages for as many as 679,000 victims for personal injury, wrongful death, emotional distress, and loss of use of property and natural resources.

 

The lawsuit filed on behalf of Haitians and Haitian-Americans maintains that the cholera was introduced by U.N. troops brought to Haiti from Nepal, "a country in which cholera is endemic and where a surge in infections had just been reported."

 

The troops were stationed near a tributary of the Artibonite River and discharged raw sewage that carried a strain of cholera into Haiti, sparking the epidemic, the lawsuit said.

 

"The U.N. knew or should have know that its reckless sanitation and waste disposal practices posed a high risk of harm to the population, and that it consciously disregarded that risk, triggering an explosive epidemic," the civil rights groups said in a joint press release.

 

Asked to comment on the suit, U.N. spokesman Farhan Haq said: "We don't discuss claims brought against the U.N."

 

The United Nations was working on the ground in Haiti to provide assistance to those affected, he added. The United Nations was committed to do all it can do "to help the people of Haiti overcome the cholera epidemic," Haq said.

 

DIPLOMATIC IMMUNITY

 

U.N. human rights chief Navi Pillay said in Geneva on Tuesday that Haiti's cholera victims should be compensated, though she did not say who should compensate them.

 

"I still stand by the call ... of those who suffered as a result of that cholera be provided with compensation," Pillay said.

 

An independent panel appointed by U.N. Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon to study the epidemic issued a 2011 report that did not determine conclusively how the cholera was introduced to Haiti.

 

But the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said evidence strongly suggested U.N. peacekeepers from Nepal were the source.

 

Cholera is an infection that causes severe diarrhoea and can lead to dehydration and death.

 

It occurs in places with poor sanitation.

 

In November 2011, the Boston-based IJDH filed a petition at U.N. headquarters in New York seeking a minimum of $100,000 for the families or next-of-kin of each person killed by cholera and at least $50,000 for each victim who suffered illness or injury from cholera.

 

Ban launched a $2.2 billion initiative in December 2012 to stamp out cholera over the next decade in Haiti.

 

Ban's spokesman Martin Nesirky said in February of this year that the world body advised the representatives of the cholera victims that "the claims are not receivable pursuant to Section 29 of the Convention on the Privileges and Immunities."

 

The IJDH said at the time it was disappointed by the U.N. decision and would pursue the case in court.

 

Under Section 29 the United Nations is required to make provisions for "appropriate modes of settlement" of private law disputes to which the world body is a party or disputes involving a U.N. official who enjoys diplomatic immunity.

 

It was not immediately clear how the issue of diplomatic immunity for the United Nations would impact the lawsuit.

 

Kurzban said the lawsuit seeks to clean up the waterways and sanitation systems.

 

"Cholera is treatable, easily treatable, if the country has clean water and sanitation."

 

"We feel the U.N. has an obligation to clean up the mess that they made."

 

(The Star Online, 10 Thursday October 2013 The Roman)

 

For wider use of information security measures

For wider use of information security measures

 

情報セキュリティ対策の一層の普及について ～情報セキュリティ国際キャンペーンの実施に当たって～

 

近年、情報通信技術の技術革新は目覚ましく、私たちの生活は飛躍的に便利になりましたが、ウィルス感染や個人情報漏洩などの事例も後を絶ちません。自分は大丈夫だと思っていても、気がつかないうちに、このような問題に巻き込まれていることがあります。誰もがきちんと情報セキュリティ対策を行うことが不可欠な時代となっています。

 

インターネットの利用が世界に拡がる中で、対策が適切に行われていないパソコンなどがウィルスに感染し、国境を越えたサイバー攻撃の踏み台とされるなど、情報セキュリティ上の課題はグローバル化し、世界共通の課題となっています。もはや、一か国の取組のみでは十分な対応が困難となっており、国内の取組のみならず、国際的にも協力して情報セキュリティ対策に取り組むことが重要です。

 

このため、政府では、10月に、各国と協力・連携して情報セキュリティ対策の一層の普及を図るための「情報セキュリティ国際キャンペーン」を実施し、国際連携の推進に資する行事の開催や情報セキュリティ対策に関する情報提供を集中的に行います。

 

インターネットを利用する個人や企業等のあらゆる主体が意識を高めて自ら情報セキュリティ対策を行うとともに、関係者が一体となって、国際連携を図りつつ取組を進めることが重要です。この機会に、広く国民の皆様が情報セキュリティ対策をより一層進めていただきますよう、お願いいたします。

 

平成２５年９月３０日
内閣官房長官　菅　義偉

 

（首相官邸、２０１３年９月３０日）

 

 

“Churches and Christian Sites in Nagasaki”, the World Heritage, the Minister of Education, Culture, Sports recommend certainly in the next years

“Churches and Christian Sites in Nagasaki”, the World Heritage, the Minister of Education, Culture, Sports recommend certainly in the next years

 

長崎教会群は来年度確実に推薦と文部科学大臣

 

世界文化遺産推薦が見送りの「長崎の教会群とキリスト教関連遺産」は来年度に確実に推薦と文部科学大臣。

 

（神奈川新聞、2013年9月17日）

 

 

“Churches and Christian Sites in Nagasaki”, the World Heritage, the Minister of Education, Culture, Sports recommend certainly in the next years

 

“Churches and Christian Sites in Nagasaki”, the World Heritage nomination, the Education, Culture, Sports, Science Minister to recommend certainly in the next year.

 

(Kanagawa Shimbun, 17 Tuesday September 2013 The Roman)

(Translated: R.S.F. tohiki speed news press, Agence France-Presse, 18 Wednesday September 2013 The Roman)

 

L'iPhone au coeur d'un évènement Apple prévu le 10 septembre The iPhone in the middle of an Apple event scheduled 10 September

L'iPhone au coeur d'un évènement Apple prévu le 10 septembre

 

(AFP)

 

[caption id="attachment_8271" align="alignnone" width="400"] (L'iPhone 5 présenté à Paris, le 21 septembre 2012 le Roman (AFP/Archives, Martin Bureau)) (The iPhone 5 shown in Paris on 21 September 2012 The Roman (AFP / File, Martin Bureau))[/caption]

 

 

Washington — Le géant de l'informatique Apple a annoncé mardi l'organisation d'un évènement le 10 septembre où il pourrait dévoiler une nouvelle gamme de son iPhone, dont un modèle à bas prix destiné aux pays émergents.

 

La marque à la pomme a conservé le mystère, précisant seulement dans son invitation que l'événement aurait lieu à son siège en Californie (ouest) et qu'il devrait "illuminer la journée de tout un chacun".

 

Selon des rumeurs insistantes, Apple a l'intention de dévoiler une version actualisée de son iPhone 5 et d'annoncer la sortie d'un modèle "low cost" de son smartphone afin de faire face à la concurrence.

 

Parsemé de petits points colorés, le carton d'invitation d'Apple suggère également que la marque pourrait élargir la gamme de couleurs de son téléphone vedette.

 

Mi-août, le Wall Street Journal affirmait qu'Apple avait demandé à son fournisseur taïwanais Foxconn de commencer à lui livrer début septembre deux nouveaux modèles d'iPhone, dont un haut de gamme et un d'entrée de gamme.

 

Le lancement d'un modèle à bas prix marquerait une rupture pour la marque à la pomme.

 

Si l'iPhone reste une vache à lait pour Apple, sa part sur le marché mondial des smartphones s'érode face à la concurrence de modèles moins coûteux opérant avec Android, le logiciel d'exploitation de Google, et fabriqués par plusieurs groupes emmenés par le sud-coréen Samsung.

 

Copyright © AFP 2013. Tous droits réservés.

 

(Agence France-Presse, 3 septembre 2013 le Roman)

 

 

The iPhone in the middle of an Apple event scheduled 10 September

 

(AFP)

 

Washington - The computer giant Apple announced Tuesday the organization of an event on 10 September where they could unveil a new range of its iPhone, including a cheap model for emerging countries.

 

The Apple brand has kept the mystery, saying only in its invitation that the event would take place at its headquarters in California (west) and should "brighten the day of everyone."

 

According to persistent rumors, Apple intends to unveil an updated version of its iPhone 5 and announce the release of a model "low cost" of its smartphone in order to compete.

 

Dotted with small colored dots, Apple's invitation also suggests that the brand could expand the range of colors of its flagship phone.

 

Mid-August, the Wall Street Journal claimed that Apple had asked its Taiwanese supplier Foxconn to start delivering them early September two new iPhone models, including a high-end and entry-level.

 

The launch of a cheap model mark a break for the Apple brand.

 

If the iPhone is still a cash cow for Apple, its share of the global smartphone market is eroding face competition from cheaper models operating with Android, Google's operating software.

 

Copyright © 2013 AFP. All rights reserved.

 

(Agence France-Presse, 3 September 2013 The Roman)

(Translated: R.S.F. toshiki speed news press, Agence France-Presse, 4 Wednesday September 2013 The Roman)

 

 

 

Nasdaq blames massive trading halt on software bug

Nasdaq blames massive trading halt on software bug

 

The Nasdaq's massive trading halt last week was due to a software bug and other internal technology issues triggered by problems at NYSE Euronext's Arca exchange that led a key backup system to fail, the exchange operator has said.

 

[caption id="attachment_7648" align="alignnone" width="400"] (Nasdaq said it was in the process of identifying potential design changes (Photo: AFP))[/caption]

 

Nasdaq said it was "deeply disappointed" by the three-hour outage on August 22, and while it pointed to connection problems between rival NYSE's electronic exchange Arca and the Nasdaq-run system that receives all traffic on quotes and orders for Nasdaq stocks, it took ultimate responsibility for the glitch.

 

"Our backup system did not work," Bob Greifeld, Nasdaq's chief executive, told Reuters in an interview.

 

"There was a bug in the system, it didn't fail over properly, and we need to work hard to make sure it doesn't happen again," he said, referring to the inability of the system to fully revert to backup mode.

 

New York Stock Exchange parent NYSE declined to comment.

 

Nasdaq said it was in the process of identifying potential design changes to make the Securities Information Processor, or SIP, more resilient, "including architectural improvements, information security, disaster recovery plans and capacity parameters".

 

The exchange plans to present its initial recommendations for change to the SIP governing committee, made up of US exchanges and the Financial Industry Regulatory Authority, within 30 days.

 

Nasdaq said that on the morning of August 22, Arca connected and disconnected to the SIP more than 20 times, eating up capacity.

 

It said the SIP's capacity was further eroded as Arca sent a stream of inaccurate stock symbols to the SIP, generating numerous rejection messages.

 

Each data port connecting to the SIP can handle 10,000 messages per second, Nasdaq said.

 

But in this case, the traffic from Arca was more than double that, the exchange said.

 

"The confluence of these events vastly exceeded the SIP's planned capacity, which caused its failure and then revealed a latent flaw in the SIP's software code," the Nasdaq report said.

 

This software flaw prevented the processor's built-in backup system from resetting properly, delaying the return of data.

 

With the system degraded, the exchange said it decided to halt trading to ensure fair market conditions.

 

Nasdaq said it took 30 minutes to resolve the problem and then nearly three more hours to test and evaluate scenarios to reopen the market in a fair and orderly manner.

 

"Nasdaq OMX is deeply disappointed in the events of August 22 and our performance is unacceptable to our members, issuers and the investing public," the exchange said.

 

"While getting to 100pc performance in all of our activities, including our technology is difficult - it is our objective."

 

(The Telegraph, 29 August 2013 The Roman)