Syrian opposition victory possible, but at unacceptable price – Moscow

Syrian opposition victory possible, but at unacceptable price – Moscow

A Free Syrian Army fighter aims his weapon towards a Syrian military warplane (not pictured) in Aleppo's al-Amereya district December 12, 2012. (Reuters/Saleh Anadani)

Moscow has admitted the possibility that the Syrian opposition may emerge victorious as government forces continue to lose more territory as the conflict rages on, Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Mikhail Bogdanov said.
“We must face the facts: the current tendency shows that the government is progressively losing control over an increasing part of the territory,'' Bogdanov told the Public Chamber. “An opposition victory can't be ruled out."

Battle over Internet: US web authority challenged - report

Battle over Internet: US web authority challenged - report

Delegates at the first morning session of WCIT 2012, Dubai U.A.E., 3-14 December 2012 (Photo from flickr/itupictures)

Several countries including Russia, China and Saudi Arabia are reportedly seeking to reduce US dominance over the Internet. If successful the move will empower governments to silently eliminate troublesome websites.

US Senate bill to make Europe less energy dependent on Russia

US Senate bill to make Europe less energy dependent on Russia

Published: 13 December, 2012, 15:32

A drilling rig operates as a sign warns of underground natural gas pipelines outside Rifle, Colorado, June 6, 2012. (Reuters/George Frey)

The US seeks to lift limitations on its LNG deliveries to Europe and strengthen competition in European energy markets. It’s to break the EU’s dependence on Russian gas, as “the Russians overplayed their hand”, says US Senator Richard G. Lugar.
“In the past, Moscow showed itself quick to use energy as a club to punish and coerce its neighbors — but the Russians overplayed their hand,” The Washington Times quotes Indiana Republican Richard Lugar.

Putin on Magnitsky Act: Why do those behind Guantanamo lecture us on human rights?

Putin on Magnitsky Act: Why do those behind Guantanamo lecture us on human rights?

President Vladimir Putin (RIA Novosti/Mikhail Klimentyev)

Vladimir Putin has lashed out at the US’s Magnitsky Act dubbing it “a purely political, unfriendly move.” The President has approved the speeding up a counter list addressing American foster parents guilty of abusing Russian orphans.
“We should certainly react [to the bill] appropriately,” Vladimir Putin said, welcoming the State Duma’s initiative regarding the sanctions list against US nationals. “We should make sure that our decisions are adequate, but not exorbitant,” he underlined.

The vultures swooping on vulnerable nations

The vultures swooping on vulnerable nations

Could vulture funds be turning their sights on troubled eurozone countries like Ireland and Greece?

Their critics call them vulture funds because they prey on vulnerable countries that have defaulted on their debts - usually poor countries in Africa. But this time, a vulture fund has swooped on the Libertad, a ship belonging to the Argentine navy and now docked in a port in Ghana. A court there impounded the ship at the request of NML Capital, which is owned by a US hedge fund called Elliot Associates and run by Paul Singer, one of Mitt Romney's supporters. The dispute goes back almost a decade to when Argentina decided to default during its economic crisis.

French party in chaos over leadership row

French party in chaos over leadership row

Leadership crisis further divides France's UMP, with Francois Fillon alleging voter fraud and calling for a re-vote.

Jean-Francois Cope, who won the controversial vote, dismissed calls from his opponent for a re-vote [EPA]

France's opposition conservatives have sunken deeper into a leadership crisis that could split the party, as moderates demanded a new vote to replace the disputed election of a hardliner and formed a breakaway wing.

Ukraine's Chernobyl site reaches milestone

Colossal arch-shaped structure created to shelter exploded reactor raised to its full height by decontamination workers. inShare1

Construction of a shelter at the Chernobyl nuclear power plant reached a significant step on Wednesday [AFP]

Work to build a permanent shelter to secure the exploded reactor at the Chernobyl nuclear power plant in Ukraine has reached a key milestone when workers raised the arched section that will cover the destroyed unit. The explosion at reactor number four at the Chernobyl power plant on April 26, 1986 sent radioactive fallout into the atmosphere that spread from the Soviet Union across Europe. It remains the world's worst nuclear accident. The structure that was raised to its full height on Tuesday will be part of the so-called New Safe Confinement, a colossal arch-shaped structure which when completed will be slid on rails over the existing sarcophagus covering the reactor.

Farmers spray EU parliament with milk

Hundreds of angry farmers from across Europe protesting at falling dairy prices have sprayed fresh milk in Brussels.

Thousands of dairy farmers joined a demonstration to urge politicians to take action over the milk market [Reuters]

Dairy farmers sprayed thousands of litres of fresh milk at the EU parliament in Brussels in protest at what they say are excessive milk quotas and prices below the cost of production. Hundreds of farmers from across Europe took up position with tractors in a park near the European Commission and at a square in front of the parliament building in the early afternoon on Monday, after blocking traffic along several of Brussels' busiest streets. They then turned their hoses on parliament, a collection of vast marble, glass and steel buildings on a downtown city square, unleashing torrents of milk, some of it raining down on police and passers-by. Afterwards, they set alight barrels of hay and a pile of tyres, sending plumes of black smoke billowing into the sky. They planned to stay put outside parliament until Tuesday afternoon. Milk quotas The European Milk Board, which co-ordinated the two-day protest, said prices with current quotas were putting small farmers out of business. The EU is the world's largest milk producer and spends more than 40 per cent of its annual 130 billion euro ($173bn) budget paying subsidies and other forms of financial support to farmers, including those in the diary industry.In Belgium, for example, the board said the wholesale price for a litre of milk was 0.26 euros, but the cost of producing it is 0.40 euros. It sets an annual milk production quota - which sits at around 130 million tonnes, too much for EU-consumption - but has agreed to phase that out by 2015. Farmers have held similar protests in the past, including one in 2009 which led to a small increase in wholesale prices. On Monday, tractors came from across Belgium as well as neighbouring France, Germany, Luxembourg and the Netherlands. Among a total of nearly 2,500 farmers, around 100 came from Poland, with many other nationalities also present. Pretty amusing, but messing with the farms means no food.

Eurozone and IMF agree Greek bailout deal

Loans will be released to Greece in order to keep the near-bankrupt economy afloat and reduce debt by $51bn.

Greece will receive urgently needed loans to rescue its stricken economy after eurozone finance ministers and the International Monetary Fund agreed a deal on reducing the country's debt. The agreement was reached on Monday after 12 hours of talks at the third meeting of the finance ministers and the IMF in as many weeks. Lenders agreed on a package of measures to reduce Greek debt by $50bn, cutting it to 124 per cent of gross domestic product by 2020. In a significant new pledge, ministers committed themselves to take further steps to lower Greece's debt to "significantly below 110 percent" in 2022. This is the most explicit recognition so far that some write-off of loans may be necessary from 2016, the point when Greece is forecast to reach a primary budget surplus, according to Reuters. "When Greece has achieved, or is about to achieve, a primary surplus and fulfilled all of its conditions, we will, if need be, consider further measures for the reduction of the total debt," Wolfgang Schaeuble, Germany's finance minister, said. Jean-Claude Juncker, Eurogroup chairman, said ministers would formally approve the release of a major aid instalment needed to recapitalise Greece's ailing banks and enable the government to pay wages, pensions and suppliers on December 13.