Ireland’s austerity measures and spending cuts is a model that all European countries should adopt – or is it?

About three years ago, Ireland was granted 85 billion Euros by the Eurogroup and the IMF. As a part of the deal, the government of Ireland was obliged to take over all liabilities of the country’s banks to prevent an economic collapse.

Later, on a panel of the premiers, the current Prime Minister of Finland Jyrki Tapani Katainen said: “The Irish model is the one we all need. I don’t see that we have any choice… there is no short cut to heaven.” For some time now, Ireland’s implementation of the austerity package has been considered a role model for the rest of the Eurozone.

By measures which include increasing the state pension age and cutting public sector jobs and pay, Ireland turned 10 years of budget deficits into a surplus. David Begg, the general secretary of the Irish Confederation of Trade Unions, says: “We were the poster child for globalisation. Now we are the poster child for austerity.”

Recently, the Financial Times called Ireland’s minister of finance one of the best in Europe. Irish banks can borrow again on the open market, and the interest rates on sovereign bonds are rapidly falling. Indeed, that can be an indicator of the faith international capital has in the country’s future.

Added to this, Ireland is still a heaven for international companies searching for low taxes. On one hand the austerity measures seem to be working. The country’s budget deficit fell, unemployment rate is also slightly down. What is even more important: Ireland has avoided downgrades by Fitch and S&P, unlike many others.

But despite S&P reaffirming Ireland’s ‘BBB’ rating, it did not change its negative outlook. The agency explained that negative outlook is justified by the high risks to the stability of the financial sector and “uncertain growth prospects.” At the same time, according to Fitch, negative outlook also persist in countries like Belgium, France, Italy, Portugal, Spain and not least the United Kingdom.

So let us not forget that Europe is in deep need of a success story. The truth is, it is not all sunshine and rainbows. The economy is still weak, the growth the country is experiencing now is mostly due to the substantial fall in the labor cost.

Due to the small domestic market, almost all manufacturers are exporting to the Eurozone, the United Kingdom and the United States. Those destinations have the big problems of their own and probably even more to come.

Without further substantial economic growth, it will be impossible to reduce the government deficit and debt in the future. And without further reforms, the crisis could start all over again.

Image Courtesy :  Jpmpinmontreal

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Diana Vitan is a 32 year-old Romanian public speaker and the owner of Diana Vitan Consulting & Training, a company specializing in personal and business development programs. At the end of 2012, she became the first woman to win the Best Public Speaker Award in Romania, running against an all-men competition made up of experienced speakers.

Click here to view the first part of this interview.

Toonari Post (TP): How do male public speakers react to you?

Diana Vitan (DV): Men react the way anyone does: If they didn’t react, they wouldn’t be men, right? I’m just kidding. Actually, I wouldn’t divide this one up by sexes. There are people who know how to win by losing with grace and people who are willing to lose by winning dirty, it all depends on what you choose.

I chose to take the positive out of each experience and to enjoy each plus. I remember the movie ‘The Pursuit of Happyness‘ when Will Smith’s character told his son, “Don’t ever let anyone tell you what you can’t do. Not even me!”

The first four speakers designated by the online poll were all named public speaking champions, but I would have given this distinction to the entire top fifteen. They’re all strong names that have helped shape Romanian business development, and it’s an honor for me to be the lady in this extraordinary group. We’re all winners.

TP: Are you a trendsetter for Romanian women?

DV: Fortunately, there are many female public speakers in Romania, so I’m not. I may have more experience and I am unique because of the structure of my activity, because I’ve spoken in front of more than 50,000 people and I’ve worked with big names such as Paul Martinelli, Roddy Galbraith and Christian Simpson.

I also stand out by having founded one of the first personal development schools in Romania and by running a program called “Keep your head up!” the first one of its kind in the country. But I wish to support any woman who resonates with me and with my speaking style and, at the same time, I’d like to take part in events organized by other women public speakers in order to learn new things.

TP: Paul Martinelli, one of the most renowned public speakers in the world, became your coach. How did that happen?

DV: Yes, I am Paul’s only apprentice in Europe and I’m proud of it. Furthermore, after two years of apprenticeship, I am his teaching partner in Europe. It first happened when I started leading the personal development school that I mentioned. I teamed up with my colleagues, Milan Menghesi and Sorin Popa and we asked him to participate, and he said yes!

He saw me on the stage and told me he’d like to see me speak in front of a smaller group (20-30 people), speaking on a subject of his choice, which I did. And he told me I was part of the two percent of the native public speakers in the world. For me, this was a huge compliment and a yes after a huge amount of work. What followed was a period of two years of online collaboration five days a week, and me appearing on stage with him for the next six times he came to Romania, as well as working with him on his “Power Principles” in London where I met Roddy Galbraith and Christian Simpson.

TP: Was it easy to be taught by Mr. Martinelli?

DV: I am proud to have learned from a master of this caliber. Paul is an extraordinary friend and a tough teacher, as well as an exceptional motivator. During our “scrambling eggs” sessions, as he called his private coaching, I felt like giving up many times, but I realized it was just his way of making me become more driven. I am certain that no Romanian or European school could have given me the kind of intensity that his teachings gave me.

I learned to discover myself, to be a professional and to educate others. The success of my projects shows that his plan worked. My style, which was neither European nor Balkan, challenged him to “break me” and to teach a student who thought she knew it all, the most important lesson of all: to learn to forget, and then to learn again. After being a tough teacher, Paul has remained a good friend and a role model who is proud of my every accomplishment.

TP: What do you have in store for this year?

DV: For 2013 I have some surprises for the Romanian public! That is all I want to let you in on! Because the Romanian public deserves surprises and because we wouldn’t exist without them, without a public that takes us in, loves us and follows us!

Image Courtesy : Diana Vitan

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Diana Vitan is a 32 year-old Romanian public speaker and the owner of Diana Vitan Consulting & Training, a company specializing in personal and business development programs. At the end of 2012, she became the first woman to win the Best Public Speaker Award in Romania, running against an all-men competition made up of experienced speakers.

Although always on a tight schedule, she managed to squeeze in a little time to talk to Toonari Post about her experience and key moments in becoming Romania’s top public speaker.

Toonari Post (TP): How would you describe public speaking?

Diana Vitan (DV): Like any other aspect of life, I can really say that “beauty is in the eye of the beholder.” The art of speaking in public is a general notion, which can translate either into a job, a necessity or a terrible fright – it mainly depends on who you ask. For me it has definitely been a passion turned into a job. I consider public speaking to be the art of delivering a message in the most beautiful, clean and appealing way.

TP: How is this profession evolving nowadays?

DV: In the 21st Century, the era of technology and speed, communication has new meaning, new form and new priorities. People feel more comfortable communicating through email, chatting or socializing online, so one might think that live interaction is more and more scarce.

However, for public speaking, this is actually a step forward. You see, my grandfather taught me that it is not the new that is to blame for the loss of the traditional, but the lack of imagination and persuasion in adapting the traditional to the new. I firmly believe that this century is the time for strong speeches, for concentrated communication, that combines the technical and the emotional in the most efficient way.

You have to be better, more concise and more connected in order to deliver the best message. The best people are those that keep reinventing themselves.

TP: Is there a difference between Europe and the U.S., regarding your area of expertise?

DV: Let me ask you a question in return: Have you noticed the difference between the Academy Awards and the Cannes Festival? The U.S., the land of motivation and positive messages vs. Europe, the Old Continent of theatrical art and artistic detail? Each style has its own pulse and, although I really do appreciate the elegance and reasoning of the European speech, I’ve nurtured myself with American motivational literature and American public speaking role-models.

Lately, I’ve rejoiced at seeing Europe make more and more room for the wave of personal development initiative, that needed to successfully complete the public speaking family – and this trend has swept Romania as well! Here, the transition from sales training, to business coaching, to life coaching, and finally to personal development has happened in a natural and beautiful way.

The Romanian audience is becoming more and more receptive to personal as well as business development through guidance (events, books, consultants) – and this has translated into a market demand and a success story at the same time.

TP: What does your audience look like?

DV: I get to talk in front of students, young entrepreneurs, corporate players, freelancers, people in need of personal and professional development – people who want more.

TP: More of what?

DV: More clear objectives, this before anything else! Because if you start with a wrong “why,” i.e. a wrong motivation, you end up setting wrong objectives that you can either not reach – and that’s when you become frustrated – or reach  only to find yourself dissatisfied and constantly searching for more.

TP: How do you work with your audience?

DV: You start to touch people’s lives the moment you help them discover two magical buttons: : “potential” and “passion” – this is where it all begins. I’ve noticed something strange: While people search for passion, they forget to live passionately. How can that be? Most people are searching for their area of genius, of excellence, for their way. Unhappy for not getting there soon enough, they become dissatisfied and frustrated.

When I ask them “What is your passion?” I can see it in the eyes of many that they’re confused and sometimes downright angry for not having found it – and I ask them this: “How can you discover your great passion if you’re not doing everything you do with great passion?” If you’re a telephone switch operator – be the best telephone switch operator in the world and you’re not going to be stuck there for much longer.

TP: You’re the first woman to win the Best Public Speaker Award in Romania!

DV: This is true! But this is also the first Romanian contest of its kind, organized at a national level within the Business Days circuit of events by Laszlo Pacso, the president of the Online Communication Solution Developers Association (ADESCO). There were more than one hundred Romanian speakers talking in front of more than one thousand participants in a two-day event that toured the major cities in the country.

The feedback from the public helped trim the number of the speakers to a top fifteen, and these top speeches were posted on YouTube, where a voting poll decided the winners. I came up on top after the online poll, but I don’t believe that it necessarily means I am the absolute best speaker. I have a lot of respect for all the other speakers, some of whom have a lot more experience than me.

The best speaker is the one that resonates with a specific audience and the one that adapts the fastest and in the best way. I intend to continuously work and improve myself for the people that choose the hear me.

Click here to read the second part of this interview.

Image Courtesy : Diana Vitan

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Incorrect conceptions about Africa are common in the West. Some TV shows and media news communicate an erroneous image of Africa to their citizens despite a powerful tool of research, such as the Internet, which holds much accurate information. Western media typically only covers the negative aspects of Africa, and TV programs display the lack of knowledge about other cultures. Here are five typical fallacies about Africa.

Africa is a country. Many citizens around the globe mistakenly categorize Africa as a country. But Africa is a continent, which has 54 independent countries each with their own currency, flag, anthem, food, music, and history. Africa is home to 1 billion inhabitants, who belong to 3,000 different ethnic groups There are thousands of indigenous languages and dialects spoken. Africa’s size is three times bigger than the USA.

Africa is unsafe. It is true that there are conflicts, civil wars, and pirates who kidnap tourists in some countries. But if bigger cities like New York, Madrid, London were rated by their crime rates, not many tourists would visit them. Violent crime against visitors in most African countries is uncommon. In the last two years the Travel State Department in the US has issued countries which are considered risky to travel for American citizens. These are the African countries to avoid: Libya, Kenya, Chad, Burundi, Eritrea, Somalia, Central African Republic, Cote D´Ivoire, Nigeria, Sudan, Republic of Sudan, Congo, Mali, Mauritania, Guinea and Niger.

Africa is extremely poor. Many visitors will be shocked with the poor conditions around them. The problem of the African continent is the distribution of wealth, where there is a lack of middle class (people are either very rich or very poor) in many countries. Many African countries such as Egypt, Nigeria, Algeria and South Africa have many natural resources, good education systems and developed business areas.

Africa has many diseases. The lack of babyhood vaccination programs and basic health care take millions of African lives every year. But that is not the case for tourists, who are up to date with the vaccines recommended by their origin countries. The most common immunizations are Hepatitis B, diphtheria, tetanus, measles, mumps, rubella and polio. The way to avoid malaria is to take prophylactics and sleep under a mosquito net.

African politicians are corrupt and incompetent. There are some African countries that are not well governed, just like in Europe and the Americas; and there are many countries that are democratic and well-led which are experiencing economic progress. On the other hand, there are also democratic countries that are not growing, and non-democratic countries that are developing.

Many political crises in Africa can be blamed on colonial legacy, but most of it reveals political power and corruption on the part of incumbent presidents and political parties. To characterize all of Africa based on outliers like Mugabe, President of Zimbabwe, would be like generalizing about Europe based on Berlusconi, the Former Prime Minister Italy.  Nelson Mandela showed the world that Africa is capable of producing an honest leader.

Image Courtesy of   meunierd / Shutterstock.com

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Kyiv, Ukraine — The World Newspaper Congress will take place in Kyiv on September 2-5, 2012 and is expected to bring up to 1,200 delegates, representatives of influential international media. The event will also feature the World Editors Forum as well as the annual Info Services Expo 2012.

Now that millions of European football fans and the leading international media discovered Ukrainian hospitality during the EURO 2012, it is high time to establish a deeper and more comprehensive cooperation between Ukrainian and foreign journalists, stated Oleksandr Kurdinovych. Number one objective of the World Association of Newspapers and Publishers (WAN-IFRA) congress is insuring that objective information on developments in Ukraine reaches the “western world,” he mentioned.

According to Ukrainian media the upcoming congress is going to be the second largest international event in Ukraine after EURO 2012 championship.

In preparation to the sports tournament Ukraine drastically improved its infrastructure and, according to Michel Platini, UEFA President, the country’s success was extraordinary. He also noted that the Ukraine’s infrastructure leaped 30 years into the future after having built and renovated airports, built new roads, constructed and renewed 290 hotels. In addition, Ukraine was listed as number one among CIS countries regarding railroad infrastructure development, according to the World Economic Forum’ latest Global Enabling Trade Report.

World Association of Newspapers and News Publishers is a global organization of the world’s newspapers and news publishers that represents over 18,000 publications and 15,000 websites in 120 countries. It has a status of an official consultant, which represents the interests of newspaper industry in UNESCO, United Nations and the European Council.

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London, United Kingdom — June proved to be a bullish month for stock markets, with investors buying back into the market after three previous months of declines as Central Banks looked to stimulate a slowing global economy.

In June, the FTSE 100 gained 251 points or 4.7%. However, having hit resistance at the 5700 level at the end of last week, will the FTSE’s charge start to run out of steam? By close of play in the UK on Friday (July 6), all the major indices were firmly in the red, with the Dow Jones leading the way as it fell by over 150 points (over 1%) by 4.40pm (BST). Major indices in the UK and Europe recorded falls too, with the FTSE 100 shedding 30 points and Germany’s DAX 30 sliding by over 125 points to close the week at 5662.6 and 6410.1 respectively.

Luckily for some, spread betting is a viable alternative to conventional trading, making it possible for traders to profit from rising as well as falling markets – an excellent option during volatile market conditions such as the present.

More falls expected this week?

Last Friday’s dip in market sentiment was caused largely by the release of worse than expected non-farm payroll data in the US, which showed the country’s unemployment rate remaining unchanged at 8.2% in June but the number of new jobs was disappointing, with a total of 80,000 new payrolls being added to the economy against expectations of 90,000. Private payrolls also failed to recover, adding just 84,000 jobs against expectations of 102,000.

In the UK, meanwhile, the Barclays Libor scandal continued to fray nerves after the Serious Fraud Office launched an official investigation into the rate-fixing controversy.

Globally too, sentiment was sombre, with International Monetary Fund chief Christine Lagarde revealing that the IMF will be revising its growth forecast for the global economy lower from the current 3.5%.

With spread betting, it is possible to profit irrespective of whether the markets are moving up or down, meaning that traders can net a profit even when markets are on the decline.

All you have to do is determine whether you expect market prices to rise or fall in the coming days. If  prices are expected to rise, one should take a long position and if the prices are expected to fall, one should go short.

Spread betting is a leveraged product which can result in losses greater than the initial deposit. Individuals should be sure that they fully understand the risks.

*Spread betting is exempt from UK stamp duty and Capital Gains Tax (CGT). However, tax laws are subject to change and depend on individual circumstances.

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Brussels, Belgium- A youth summit bringing together more than 60 young social entrepreneurs— aged between 18 and 25 years—from Africa and Europe came to an end on June 27, 2012 with the participants gaining hands on skills in project management. The Euro-Africa Youth Summit organized by the Global Changemakers (GCM) Organization in collaboration with British Council sought to introduce young people working as volunteers or owners of non governmental organizations to the environment that they work in and equip them with skills to effectively manage and run their projects.

Involving discussions and presentations from already established social entrepreneurs, the summit also explored the existing relations between Africa and Europe. Enlightening the participants on the Africa- Europe financial environments, Sean Cleary, Founder of the Future World Foundation said it is not about politicians but rather about individuals and how they behave that will shape the future. He urged the participants to take charge and affect the change they want to see in their communities.

Speaking on the kind of partnerships that Euro-Africa is engaged in, Ambassador Ajay Kumar Bramdeo noted that long gone are the days when partnerships were subjected to weighing scales and it was time to welcome participatory democracy. He lamented about the double standards currently applied by the European Union when they react to various issues happening in Europe and Africa.

“When Israel kicks out African immigrants no one says anything, yet when Africa speaks out about sexual orientation there is someone to say something,” Bramdeo quipped. The EU should not be selective when preaching about human rights.

In conclusion, he noted that it is cumbersome for Africa to carry out its regional mandate as a union as it only has had about ten years of evolving against the European Union’s 60 years of evolution.

“Give us time to find our way of evolution. Listen to us and treat us as equals,” Bramdeo implored.

To strengthen their understanding about legislation and the European Union’s policy on the youth, the 60 participants had a rare moment when they visited the European Economic and Social Committee parliament where they were further enlightened on how the EU carries out the legislation. They were also introduced to the world of campaigning for social causes by speakers drawn from various organizations including Oxfam, Climate Action Network, European Youth Press, Friends of the Earth among many other independent social entrepreneurs.

Did the participants have a new look at things?

They sure had learned a lot. And in his speech during the closing ceremony, Oliver Rieche, a Law student from Germany said:

“I’ve been to a few conferences, but for the first time I have met so many Africans at once, which has been one of the most genuine and sincere encounters thus far. I think it is not Africa that needs to learn a lot from Europe, as we Westerners often arrogantly believe, but it is us, Europeans, who need to rethink the way we run our societies and get rid of that elbow society which I experience back home in Germany.”  Thanking the British Council he further said, “You have given us the tools to become the leaders we want to be in the future, now it is time for us to grab those tools and make it happen.”

Global Changemakers is a British Council funded by the global youth network of social entrepreneurs and community activists from 126 countries worldwide. Its mission is to empower youth to catalyze positive social change, something which it achieves through learning and teaching, global and regional summits, community and personal capacity building, supported by free online curriculum.

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Brussels, Belgium - During a few days in mid-June, a delegation of over 50 crop protection industry and authority representatives together with farmers from various European countries gather in Sinaia, Romania, for a conference on the safe and sustainable use of pesticides.

Each year the conference is organized in one of the countries implementing ECPA’s European crop protection industry-initiated Safe Use Initiative (SUI) – a program designed to provide farmers and operators with an easy to use toolbox to successfully increase crop protection user safety. This year the conference has been organized by AIPROM (The Romanian Crop Protection Association) together with the Romanian Ministry of Agriculture.

Participants will have the opportunity to learn and exchange views and experiences on all aspects of applying plant protection products in a safe and sustainable way. The conference also includes a farm visit in the region, where participants will have the chance to see the practical implementation of the SUI principles.

“SUI has enjoyed continued success over the past years. “In Romania, the SUI training manual produced by the AIPROM was endorsed with the logo of the Romanian Ministry of Agriculture and University of Agronomy in Bucharest. This will increase SUI awareness and hopefully have an enormous impact on farmer’s uptake of the recommendations” said Yves Picquet, President of AIPROM.

In Slovakia, where the SUI program is also established, the Slovakian Crop Protection’s Association’s video- guide comprising of 16 clips[1] on how to properly use pesticides has been endorsed by the Slovakian Ministry of Agriculture and is now the official video-manual from application techniques to proper Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) and disposal of the containers.

The SUI recommendations have not only been appreciated by European authorities. In France, during the 2012 International Exhibition of Agriculture, farmers awarded UIPP (The French Crop Protection Association) and partners for its risk awareness campaign ‘un tel outil de travail, ca se protege’. “This campaign highlights not only one of the key elements of basic Personal Protective Equipment, i.e. the need of gloves when handling crop protection products, but also risk management and prevention on farm. We are very proud to have received this award and of being positively recognized by the farming community” – commented Jean-Charles Bocquet, the Director General of UIPP.

“In the ten years that our network has been running the Safe Use Initiative project we have seen a great impact and uptake of the recommendations. Today we are running SUI it in 12[2] countries and the intention is to share the SUI principles with all Member States. Farmer and operator health is key, and the easy to apply measures of the SUI contribute to a vibrant sustainable agriculture sector” – Friedhelm Schmider, Director General of the European Crop Protection Association (ECPA) concluded.

Image Courtesy of   Herald Post

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Kyiv, Ukraine — Ukraine intends to build transport and energy infrastructure facilities in Afghanistan, as well as help repair military equipment produced in the USSR, said the President of Ukraine Viktor Yanukovych at the meeting with Hamid Karzai, the Afghani President. The meeting took place in the framework of the 2012 NATO Summit in Chicago.

Ukraine also aims to continue providing NATO with air transport support to finish the peacemaking campaign in Afghanistan by 2014, mentioned the Ukrainian leader. In addition to the listed intentions, President Yanukovych supported the security transition in Afghanistan by 2014, as outlined in the Lisbon Roadmap.

As a nation contributing to the NATO-led International Security Assistance Force (ISAF), Ukraine also supports the 2014-2024 strategic partnership that involves the USA and NATO and is set to help establish peace on the territory of the Central Asian country.

Addressing the summit, Ukrainian leader also expressed the country’s readiness to join the Danish initiative Coalition of Committed Contributors. The so-called 3C-initiative will help fund Afghani security forces after 2014. So far 23 nations joined the initiative, reported Stephen J. Flanagan, PhD, at the U.S. House of Representatives Subcommittee on Europe and Eurasia hearing on April 26, 2012.

Ukraine has already joined the Central Asia Counternarcotics Initiative, countering threats of stability from Afghan and Pakistani violent extremist groups which use drug trafficking to fund their activities.

Currently, 22 Ukrainian peacekeepers are stationed in Afghanistan. The team from Ukraine features mine clearance experts, medics, army aviation advisors, and staff officers. It was recently announced that Ukraine planned to add to its ISAF mission a dog handler who specializes in mine and explosives detection.

Ukraine sent its first ISAF representatives to Afghanistan in May of 2007. A team of 10 to 30 Ukrainians (depending on the stage of the mission) performed tasks along with the peacekeepers from Denmark, Croatia, Georgia, and Lithuania. Among other peacekeeping jobs, Ukrainian team helped construct a mosque in a refugee camp in Chaghcharan.

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Power plant services represent a growing market that offers steady revenues and solid growth, in contrast with the much more cyclical market for new-build power stations. Fastest growing regions of China, India and ASEAN to account for almost quarter of the market by 2017, but China will not overtake the USA before 2025.

In the developed regions of Europe and North America, the main drivers are ageing power capacities that need replacing and, linked to this, the growing adoption of gas-fired generation.

Key drivers in emerging markets are rapid electricity demand growth, and industry privatization and liberalization which, in turn, push outsourcing of services. In the developed world, meanwhile, utilities struggling with skills shortages are also increasingly relying on outsourced services.

New analysis from Frost & Sullivan World Power Plant Services Markets finds that the markets earned revenue of $27.40 billion in 2011 and estimates this to reach$35.41 billion in 2017.

“Global growth in electricity demand is a key driver behind the growth of the power plant services market,” notes Frost & Sullivan Industry Director Harald Thaler. “As electricity demand rises, new generating capacities are added to the system, which in turn, require servicing.”

The services market is, however, forecast to grow somewhat more rapidly than electricity demand. The global correlation, comparing forecast growth for both indicators, is 1.55.

Whilst the services market is forecast to grow by 4.2% between 2010 and 2017, world electricity demand growth will be 2.7% over that same period. Greater outsourcing and the increasing proliferation of gas-fired technology, where reliance on the equipment providers for servicing is high, are major contributory factors.

“Geographically, the balance of power in the power plant services market will gradually shift towards the emerging economies, as they progressively liberalize not only their power but also their gas markets,” remarks Thaler. “Such trends will allow for a much greater penetration of modern gas-fired plants which attract higher outsourced maintenance spend.”

The fastest-growing regions will be the emerging Asian giants of China, India and the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN). Their combined share will rise from 18.1% in 2010 to 23.4% in 2017.

Gas turbines account for the largest share of the services market, globally. Their share will expand, albeit slowly, as ongoing coal-fired investments based on increasingly sophisticated supercritical technology fuel growth in emerging economies. This will partly offset the strong growth in gas-fired generation in some other parts of the world.

“Unlike in the market for new-build power plants, where China has been the leading world market for some time, the country’s position in the power plant services market is much more modest,” concludes Thaler. “Frost & Sullivan forecasts that in the lucrative services market, China will not overtake the USA before 2025.”

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Ukrainian Cabinet of Ministers adopted the 2012 plan of immediate measures concerning the country’s integration to the European Union. The document deals with internal reform issues (the likes of gas transporting system modernization, institutional reform in Ukraine, and hosting EURO 2012), as well as questions of deepening Ukraine-EU ties: visa liberalization, cooperation with EU police and justice offices, expanding trade cooperation, etc.

Besides the listed domestic reforms, the document stipulates measures to enhance regional development of the country, restructuring of the national gas managing company Naftogaz, as well as preparations to the Association Agreement implementation.

Ukraine also plans to enhance cooperation with the EU in the areas of nuclear safety, research and technology, defense, space exploration. Additionally, the new document sets the agenda for creating the common airspace with the EU. According to the plan, Ukraine intends to join the European Network of Transmission System Operators for Electricity.

Ukraine and the EU share a 1,391 kilometer long border and have established close cooperation in a number of areas. Ukraine is EU’s strategic gas transit partner. Its gas transporting system services 70% of the Russian gas export to Europe. The EU is one of Ukraine’s key trade partners with the trade volume in 2011 constituting USD 44 billion and demonstrating a 36% growth.

European integration has been a long-term foreign policy goal for Ukraine. The country began negotiations with the EU in 1999. Various officials of the EU member states, including Czech Republic, Finland, and Lithuania, backed Ukraine’s European ambition.
By 2007 the sides agreed to eventually sign the Association Agreement. After 21 rounds of negotiations over the Association Agreement, Ukraine and the EU finalized the negotiating process on December 19, 2011.

The Association Agreement will regulate political cooperation of the partners, as well as introduce the Deep and Comprehensive Free Trade Area between Ukraine and the EU. Initialing of the political and, partly, economical sections of the document took place in Brussels on March 30, 2012.

Currently the sides are working on the technical aspects of the document preparation for signing and further ratification. Meanwhile, the President of Ukraine Viktor Yanukovych stated that Ukraine perceived the Association Agreement as comprehensive program of reforms.

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A matter on many minds is whether the young generation is ready to take up positions of power and live up to society’s expectations. Francesca Martonffy, director at Global Changemakers, says “there is often a misconception, that ‘matters that affect the world’ are something discussed by people ‘in charge,’ in the halls of power of distant world capitals.”

In this exclusive interview with Toonari Post, Martonffy says what the young people do or say is as relevant to the world as the latest meeting of G8 finance ministers. She also speaks about Global Changemakers’ mission to empower young people to create social impact on the societies of the world.

Toonari Post (TP): Tell us about yourself, your studies and your work.

Francesca Martonffy (FM): I come from a family of five sisters and grew up with a sense that what mattered most was using your unique set of skills to give back to the world.

Not surprisingly, I studied political science in university and international security and political economy in graduate school because I thought learning as much about the world as I could was probably a good first step in figuring out how to give back. I’ve worked across sectors – in Washington DC where I helped run an NGO focused on international affairs education, in the policy sphere, at the World Economic Forum, where I was a Global Leadership Fellow and now as Director of Global Changemakers.

While I’ve worked across a large number of issues from foreign policy to education to social entrepreneurship, what drives me continues to be the same values I learned from my mother – learn, give, and grow as much as you can. And never take yourself too seriously!

TP: Global Changemakers was inspired by the fact that young people were not being given a voice at major world events such as the World Economic Forum. Are young people now given a chance to participate in matters that affect the world?

FM: I think there is often a misconception that ‘matters that affect the world’ are something discussed by people ‘in charge’ in the halls of power of distant world capitals. Yet, there are three billion individuals under the age of twenty-five today. Surely, what these individuals learn, experience, and create on a daily basis is as relevant to affecting the world as the latest meeting of G8 finance ministers.

We all – young and old alike – decide on a daily basis how we interact with the world and what kind of impact we make on it. In terms of whether young voices are being heard at major world gatherings, I think institutions are broadening the set of stakeholders with whom they engage and generally doing a better job across the board.

Due to a number of factors, including social media, institutions are finding themselves being held accountable to wider and more diverse sets of stakeholders than ever before.

TP: What is the scope of The Global Changemakers movement?

FM: Global Changemakers is a British Council funded global youth network of social entrepreneurs and community activists from 126 countries worldwide. Its mission is to empower youth to catalyse positive social change, something which it achieves through:learning and teaching; Global and regional summits, community and personal capacity building supported by free online curriculum.

TP: What difference has Global Changemakers made since it came into existence in 2007?

FM: There are currently nearly 800 Changemakers, more than 200,000 young people involved in Global Changemakers activities each year, and four million beneficiaries of projects developed and run by Changemakers. Since its inception in 2007, Global Changemakers has organised and run over 20 regional and global youth workshops across the world – in Amman, Beirut, Cape Town, Doha, Delhi, Gaborone, Harare, Mexico City, Rio de Janeiro and London, among others.

Global Changemakers have been invited to participate in World Economic Forum events in Cartagena, Dar es Salaam, Sharm el Sheikh, Cape Town, Rio de Janeiro and Davos, the Clinton Global Initiative, G20, UN World Climate Conference, UNESCO Peace Summits, Women Deliver, and the launch of the World Bank’s Youth Anti-Corruption network, among others.

Individual and group projects address key global issues and facilitate joint working and create shared values: 193 projects in 78 countries supported to date. The Global Changemakers community is represented at high-level events and disseminates best practices in youth-led development

TP: What challenges have you faced in bringing together young people together from all over the world?

FM: Of course, there are the administrative challenges of tickets and passports and visas which can quickly become all-consuming and quite complex when you’re trying to physically bring together individuals from so many different countries, some of whom have never travelled before. But generally speaking, we haven’t faced too many challenges.

It doesn’t mean that the journey of becoming a Changemaker is an easy one. We’ve had many Changemakers tell us that attending a Global Changemakers summit has been quite difficult because they have been forced to confront certain issues or had their views or beliefs challenged in fundamental ways.

The challenge for us as the organizers has been to ensure that we create an environment of respect and openness where all views are fairly heard and where individuals can draw their own conclusions.

TP: What is your opinion on the current efforts of female empowerment in developing countries?

FM: I think it’s important to start by recognizing how much things have progressed for women in the last fifty years – in developed and developing world alike. Yet women still bear the brunt of many of the issues facing the developing world – lack of access to quality education, poor health, poverty, and limited economic mobility.

In terms of the present efforts, one would have to break it down country-by-country to see what is working, where, and why. Generally, however, most of the new data from development institutions like the World Bank is encouraging. Things are getting better for many women. But there is still much work to do.

TP: Tell us a bit about the forthcoming Euro-Africa Youth Summit in Brussels.

FM: The Euro-Africa Summit in Brussels will bring 60 new Changemakers from 34 countries into the Global Changemakers family. We’re planning five intense days of activities where participants will learn about the key economic, political, and social issues facing Africa and Europe, gain concrete skills like project management and fundraising to better design and deliver their grass-roots work, and connect to other young activists in order to exchange knowledge and best practices.The summit is designed to amp up the current skill set of participants so they return to their home countries able to do even more.

TP: Are there specific requirements for someone to become a member of the Global Changemakers?

FM: Yes. In order to become a Global Changemaker, an individual must be selected for one of our events. Selection criteria are:

• Age (we work with those between the ages of 16 and 25, though different ones of our events target different subgroups in that bracket)
• Track record (individuals must have a proven track record of social entrepreneurship, community activism or volunteer work)
• English (individuals must possess good spoken command of English so that they can share ideas and best practices with their fellow Changemakers)

However, to be active in the larger Global Changemakers community – as over 15,000 are already either on our website and/or Facebook – all you need is an interest in making a positive change. While we will never be able to meet the demand – we have 10-20 times more applications than places available for our events– our wider community and online curricula are a great way for all who are interested to engage and to make effective change in their local communities.

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The 2012 edition of IREX’s Media Sustainability Index (MSI) for Europe and Eurasia measures the struggles and triumphs of the media sector in 21 transitioning countries from Croatia to Kazakhstan.

Evidence from local media experts shows overall stability in the media sector. Increasing use of digital and social media gives hope for expanding freedom of expression. However, reported backsliding in several countries, partly due to the increased political control of media, concerns the experts. See www.irex.org/msi for the full report.

Croatia received the highest score overall. Kyrgyzstan returned to the top spot in Central Asia as the political situation there stabilized. Among Caucasus countries, Armenia maintained its leading score despite a slight slide. Georgia regained lost ground and made a stronger showing in news plurality.

Albania, Bulgaria, and Macedonia’s lower scores reflect politicized editorial policies at respected media outlets caught in a wave of divestment by west European media conglomerates. Bought by local tycoons, these media began to promote political causes.

Despite pro-Putin dominance of Russian media, after opposition protests over elections, independent and state media found more leeway. “After December 10, things started to move. Even federal television channels started to show faces that had not been approved officially,” said MSI panelist Boris Timoshenkofrom the Glasnost Defense Foundation.

Media experts expressed cautious optimism for the future, although difficult obstacles remain and the post-election period will determine the relationship between the regime and the media. Belarus, Turkmenistan, and Uzbekistan, whose governments impose strict controls on free expression and other human rights, ranked at the bottom again this year.

The MSI’s unique methodology measures journalism quality, media management practices, news plurality, press freedom, and supporting institutions. Journalists, media advocates, academics, and related professionals evaluate the media in their own country. “From a correspondent in rural Tajikistan, to a blogger in Baku, or a Tirana marketing analyst,” said Leon Morse, managing editor of the MSI, “MSI panelists are selected to present a multi-faceted perspective of the media sector.”

The U.S. Agency for International Development funds IREX’s publication of three regional editions of the MSI covering Europe and Eurasia, Africa, and the Middle East. It is a trusted evaluation of global media health, providing donors, media advocates, local professionals, and scholars a decade-plus of rich data.

Image Courtesy of   http://www.irex.org/msi

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A new report published on April 3, by Transcrime, the Joint Research Centre on Transnational Crime, warns that policy options being considered by the European Commission as part of the revision of the Tobacco Products Directive (TPD) carry a significant risk of increasing crime and the illegal trade in tobacco.

The report by Transcrime uses a widely endorsed crime proofing methodology that assesses opportunities for crime inadvertently created by regulation.

Analyzing all the proposed policy options for the revision of the TPD, Transcrime found three major policy areas which are likely to increase crime: generic packaging for tobacco products, implementation of a “polluter pays principle” and a ban on the display of tobacco products at the point of sale.

“The crime proofing exercise we have conducted has shown that some of the policy options envisaged by the European Commission carry significant risks of creating unintended opportunities for the illicit trade in tobacco products.

In particular, there is a high risk that a measure such as generic packaging may increase the counterfeiting of tobacco products and make it difficult for consumers to distinguish legitimate products from illegitimate ones,” said the report’s author, Professor Ernesto Savona.

Available information on the currently on-going impact assessment for the revision of the TPD indicates that the Directorate General for Health and Consumer Protection (DG SANCO) paid almost no attention to the potential impacts on the illegal trade in tobacco products.

“Contrary to their own guidelines, European policymakers rarely consider the crime risk implications when drafting new legislation and the revision of the Tobacco Products Directive by DG SANCO seems to confirm this,” continued Professor Savona.

In the report, Transcrime emphasizes the need for further research and attention by policy makers to assess, among the many consequences, also the crime impact of proposed tobacco policy measures, something that has been systematically overlooked so far.

“Regulation should be thoroughly proofed against the risk of creating opportunities for criminals. We know that the EU tobacco market is already extremely vulnerable to illicit trade and so greater caution should be exercised when considering the introduction of new policy measures in the tobacco market,” concludes Professor Savona.

The report “Crime proofing of the policy options for the revision of the Tobacco Products Directive” is available online: http://www.transcrime.unitn.it/tc/664.php

About Transcrime:

Transcrime (http://www.transcrime.it) is the Joint Research Centre on Transnational Crime of the Universita Cattolica del Sacro Cuore of Milan and the Universita degli Study of Trento. Founded in 1994, its Director is Ernesto U. Savona, Professor of Criminology at the Universita Cattolica del Sacro Cuore in Milan.

Transcrime analyses criminal phenomena and strategies for preventing and combating crime and identifies innovative solutions for improving the efficacy and effectiveness of policies to prevent and combat criminal activities at local, national and international level.

Transcrime’s initiative to conduct crime proofing research on potential tobacco policy was welcomed by Philip Morris International who agreed to contribute financially to the research. Transcrime retained full control and stands guarantor for the independence of the research and its results.

About crime proofing of legislation:

Crime proofing is a scientific approach used to assess the impact of legislation on crime, a key element of which is Crime Risk Assessment.

The Crime Risk Assessment consists of three steps:

1) The Initial Screening based on a checklist of 7 risk indicators revealing

legislation requiring further assessment.

2) The Preliminary Crime Risk Assessment identifies crime risks unintentionally

created by regulation, focusing on the vulnerability of the market and the possible

risks arising from specific options

3) The Extended Crime Risk Assessment provides an analytical assessment based on

a set of indicators that assess the likely impact of the possible policy options on

the crimes, the perpetrators, the victims and the social costs.

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Leaders from business, political and religious life are falling desperately short of expectations around the world – with Europeans and Americans the most disillusioned according to a 12-country survey by global communications firm Ketchum. More people globally believe leadership will actually get worse in 2012. Quite startling the report found a 28% gap between expectations of leaders and their delivery against those expectations

The study reveals leadership credibility in 2012 and beyond requires a combination of decisive action and honest, transparent communication – most effectively achieved through a leader’s personal presence and involvement.

“Our study reveals for the first time the full extent of the world’s disappointment with its leaders across every category of human endeavor,” said Rod Cartwright, Director of Ketchum’s Global Corporate Practice. “What is clear is that effective leadership and effective communication are inextricably linked

Perhaps unexpectedly, the Ketchum Leadership Communication Monitor found that business leaders were seen as the most effective over the past year – beating politicians, not-for-profit bosses and even religious leaders. More than a third of respondents said they were more confident in business leaders than a year ago, with 36% viewing business as providing effective leadership (receiving an “excellent” rating of 8 or above on a scale of 0-10) and 48% seeing them as effective communicators.

This compared with just 25% of politicians and religious leaders, who achieved the same “excellent” rating. Although expectations of politicians to provide effective leadership in difficult times were higher than any other group (63%), they suffered the lowest vote of confidence, with 47% expecting worse political leadership in 2012.

Within the business community, knowledge-based industries were perceived as having the most effective bosses. Ranked highest on leadership effectiveness was technology, with a 44% approval rating, followed by media (39%) and telecommunications (36%). Banking chiefs came in fourth overall in the poll worldwide with 32%. The energy sector and financial services leaders were ranked fifth (31%) and sixth (30%) respectively. Consumer business leaders lagged far behind on leadership, with consumer packaged goods placed lowest at 20%.

Perhaps most significant for the business community, the research underlines a direct link between positive perceptions of leadership and business-critical decisions such as a willingness to buy stock, goods and services or recommend working at a company. This explains crisis response being seen as the most important area for business leaders to communicate personally (53%), followed by financial results (48%) and the state of the business (40%).

Clear, transparent communication topped the table of key leadership behaviors. For 84%, effective communication is extremely important to strong leadership, while 48% rated it as the number one factor. However, action matters – with tough decision-making, leading by example and calm crisis-handling following immediately behind.

The study also revealed that globally, the number one action leaders should take to restore confidence in 2012 is to be open and honest about the nature and scale of the challenge ahead (57% US; 52% Europe vs. 43% China). By contrast, only 17% indicated a preference for leaders to spare them the full picture to avoid panic.

Trustworthiness was seen as the number one source of leadership credibility for corporations, placed above quality of management and financial strength. In order to win that trust, the report found that the personal “presence” and involvement of a leader in communicating was vital. As a result, communication via face-to-face and traditional media left social media trailing. Face-to-face contact provided the greatest source of leadership credibility (50%), followed by televised speeches (43%), broadcast media (41%) and print media (38%). Digital platforms and social media were well off pace, with blogs at 20%, Facebook at 16%, advertising at 13% and Twitter at just 8%.

Cartwright said: “It is clear that mainstream media still carries a great deal of credibility. When it comes to digital and social media, the message is that most people don’t believe that the leader is actually involved. This doesn’t mean we should conclude that these channels are redundant as a vehicle for establishing credible leadership – quite the contrary. Rather, it underlines the absolute imperative of making the ‘presence’ of the leader shine through.”

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The European smart meter market is at a growing stage. While smart meter developments are taking place in countries like Denmark, Finland and Norway, large scale rollout has been planned in countries such as UK, France, Spain and Portugal to meet the energy targets and environmental policies set by the EU. Currently Sweden and Italy are the only mature markets in Europe.

New analysis from Frost & Sullivan (http://www.energy.frost.com), European Smart Meter Markets, finds that the smart meter revenue in Europe is expected to grow from $318.4 million in 2010 to $1.93 billion in 2017 at a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 29.3 per cent.

The smart meter installed base in Europe is expected to grow from 43.90 million in 2010 to 200.43 million in 2017 at a CAGR of 24.2 per cent. The market foresees larger growth post 2012 with the publishing of the standardisation mandate. Standardisation will affect the future development and innovation of smart meters.

Europe is a push market where the smart meter and smart grid markets are legislation driven. There is region-wise disparity due to the different regulatory challenges faced by each country, thus having a direct impact on implementation.

“The smart meter market is expected to prosper, owing to the recent impetus from renewable energy and smart grid implementation,” says Frost & Sullivan Research Analyst Neha Vikash.  ”Smart meters are required for integration of renewable energy. Europe is focussed on meeting the 20-20-20 targets which is a necessary driver for increase in renewable energy and the third energy directive targets 80 per cent smart meter penetration in the residential sector by 2020.”

Currently, the European smart meter market has less than 20 vendor companies. The competition among manufacturers, utilities, ICT, network, remote monitoring and automation companies is high and it is forecast to increase along with new participants entering the market. In particular, Chinese and other Asian companies will start to make their appearance in this market during the next 1-2 years.

If you are interested in more information on this study, please send an e-mail with your contact details to Chiara Carella, Corporate Communications, at chiara.carella@frost.com.

European Smart Meter Markets is part of the Energy & Power Growth Partnership Services program, which also includes research in the following markets: Asia-Pacific Substation Integration and Automation Market, Analysis of the Wind Turbine Components Market, Strategic Analysis of the Opportunities in the Brownfield and Marine Support Services, European Cogeneration Market, and European Low Voltage Switchgear Markets.

All research services included in subscriptions provide detailed market opportunities and industry trends that have been evaluated following extensive interviews with market participants.

Image Courtesy of   http://www.flickr.com/photos/miheco/

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Srdja Trifkovic, has said that the US and Russia must work together to fight aggression in the world, despite the recent unveiling of the US’ new Defense Strategy.

Trifkovic said: “The Obama Administration’s “Defense Strategic Guidance” (DSG) was unveiled on January 5 as part of the broader programmatic document, Sustaining US Global Leadership: Priorities for 21st Century Defense. Presenting the DSG, President Obama spoke of “enduring national interests” in maintaining the unparalleled U.S. military superiority, “ready for the full range of contingencies and threats” amidst “a complex and growing array of security challenges across the globe.”

“The DSG further asserted that in the decades ahead it will be the task of the United States to “confront and defeat aggression anywhere in the world.” The ideological framework behind the concept was evident in Obama’s State of the Union address three weeks later, when he repeated Madeleine Albrigtht’s irritating dictum that “America remains the one indispensable nation in world affairs.”

“As long as I am President,” he added sternly, “I intend to keep it that way.” This is some light years away from candidate Obama bewailing “the consequences of a foreign policy based on a flawed ideology, and a belief that tough talk can replace real strength and vision.”

“The implications of the DSG for Russia’s strategic planners are clear: the rhetoric in Washington may vary from one administration to another, but the substance is constant. Obama made no attempt to support his claim that the security threats to America are growing, or to provide his own definition of “enduring national interest,” because he sees the entire world as a legitimate sphere of interest of the United States.

The DSG is intrinsically a challenge to Russia and other powers outside the U.S. orbit, and that challenge may only become more acute if Mitt Romney wins in November. A sober reassessment of the “reset” will be needed soon after V.V. Putin’s expected return to the helm of the Russian Federation. U.S.-Russian relations over the past two decades reveal a remarkable role reversal.

The Soviet Union came into being as a revolutionary state that challenged any given status quo in principle, starting with the Comintern and ending three generations later with Afghanistan. Since the collapse of the Soviet Union in 1991, however, Russia has been trying to define her policies in terms of traditional national interests: stable domestic institutions, secure borders, friendly neighbors.

The old Soviet dual-track policy of having “normal” relations with America, on the one hand, while seeking to subvert her, on the other, gave way to sometimes naive attempts to forge a “partnership” with Washington.

“By contrast, the early 1990′s witnessed America’s strident attempt to assert her status as the only global “hyperpower.” This ambition was inimical to post-Soviet stabilization. Washington refused to accept that Russia has any legitimate interests in her near-abroad, while reserving the right to meddle in her internal affairs. In essence, America adopted her own dual-track approach.

“Contemporary U.S. strategic doctrine is reminiscent of an old blueprint for Soviet policy: the Brezhnev Doctrine. It was defined by its author as the principle that the sovereignty of a socialist country is limited by the will of the Kremlin: “The norms of law cannot be interpreted narrowly, formally, in isolation from the general context…”

The key difference between Brezhnev and the leaders of modern America is the limited scope of the Soviet leader’s self-awarded outreach. His doctrine applied only to the “socialist community,” as opposed to the unlimited scope of meeting “security challenges across the globe” by the “indispensable country.” No “interests of world socialism” could beat “universal human rights” when it came to determining where and when to intervene.

The “socialist community” led by Moscow stopped on the Elbe. It was replaced by the “International Community,” led by Washington, which stops nowhere. ”Under President Obama, this remains the self-referential framework for the policy of permanent global interventionism.

Sooner or later, however, U.S. foreign policy will collide with reality-Iraq and Afghanistan appear not to have been sufficient wake-up calls-and Washington, shorn of its ideological blinkers, will finally embrace the foreign policy imperative of the 21st century: Solidarity and strategic cooperation between the United States, Europe and Russia on the basis of their shared moral, intellectual and cultural foundations, as they face similar challenges in the years to come.”

Srdja Trifkovic is Foreign Affairs Editor of Chronicles: A Magazine of American Culture, and Executive Director of The Lord Byron Foundation for Balkan Studies

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Madonna is having a huge party and everyone’s invited. The Madonna 2012 World Tour begins May 29th 2012 in Tel Aviv, Israel it was officially announced by Live Nation Entertainment, the tour’s international promoter.

The shows will include arenas, stadiums and special outdoor sights including the Plains of Abraham in Quebec and a return visit to South America as well as Australia where she has not performed in 20 years. The tour will stop in 26 European cities including London, Paris, Milan and Berlin.

The first of 26 North American shows is scheduled for August 28th in Philadelphia and includes a September 6th show in NY’s Yankee Stadium and an October 10th performance at LA’s Staples Center. Tickets are scheduled to go on sale beginning February 10th in Tel Aviv and the United Kingdom, with North American tickets going on sale beginning February 13th. Tickets for North America are available at Ticketmaster.com and LiveNation.com. A complete itinerary of Madonna 2012 follows this release.

Madonna’s previous tour, the phenomenally successful “Sticky & Sweet” Tour reaffirmed her status as one of the most successful touring artists of all time. The historic tour included such incredible touring feats as a 70,000 seat sell-out in Werchter, Belgium, an 85,000 sell-out in Helsinki (the largest show ever in the Nordic countries by a solo artist), a 40,000 ticket sell-out in Oslo, Norway, and 72,000 tickets sold out in one day in Tallinn Estonia.

Other record breaking ticket sales around the globe include 650,000 tickets sold in her series of South American dates, 72,000 tickets at Zurich’s Dubendorf Airfield – the largest audience ever assembled for a show in Switzerland, 75,000 tickets in London and four sell outs inNew York’s Madison Square Garden (60,364 tickets).

The announcement of Madonna’s 2012 World Tour follows an extraordinary week which included a monumental extravaganza of a performance at the Bridgestone Super Bowl Halftime which was seen in over 200 countries by over a billion people. Last week also saw the release of Madonna’s new single, “Give Me All Your Luvin” from her highly anticipated new album MDNA on Live Nation Entertainment/Interscope Records – scheduled to be released on March 26th.

Pre orders have already catapulted MDNA to No. 1 on iTunes in 51 countries including the US, UK, Germany, France, Spain,Canada, Italy, Sweden and the Netherlands. The single’s  video directed by Megaforce which also stars Nicki Minaj and MIA previewed on American Idol. Additionally, the Madonna directed Golden Globe Award winning film “W.E.” opened in NY and LA with other markets to follow later in the month.

“Madonna’s track record as a world class entertainer and touring artist speaks for itself. Her artistry, talent and creative productions get bigger and better with each tour and Madonna 2012 will be no exception. We are thrilled to have her back on the road and know her fans feel the same,” commented Arthur Fogel, CEO Live Nation Entertainment Global Touring and Madonna tour promoter.

In the course of her phenomenal career, Madonna has a record breaking 37 Top 10 hits on Billboard’s Hot 100 Singles Chart along with a record breaking 40 Number 1′s on Billboard’s Dance/Club Play Song Charts. No other act has more Top 10′s on the Hot 100 or Number 1′s on the Club Chart.

Madonna has sold over 300 million albums and holds the record for the most successful tour by a solo artist in history. She is a seven time Grammy winning singer, songwriter, producer and Rock & Roll Hall of Fame inductee. Her last CD “Hard Candy,” debuted at Number 1 in 37 countries including US, UK, Canada, France and Australia. Madonna 2012 World Tour is the Material Girl’s 9th Tour. Her first tour was the 1985 Virgin Tour.

Madonna’s recent Golden Globe winning song “Masterpiece” from The Weinstein Company film  “W.E.” as well as “W.E. Music From The Soundtrack “W.E.” film have both been released digitally on Interscope Records. A physical release will be in stores in the UK on February 6th and on February 14th in the US.

US residents ordering tickets online to a US performance will receive their choice of a digital or physical copy of Madonna’s new MDNA album with every ticket purchased.

Citi is the official credit card of the US leg of Madonna’s upcoming world tour. Citi cardmembers will have access to presale tickets beginning Wednesday, Feb. 8th at 10am through Citi’s Private Pass Program. For complete presale details visit www.citiprivatepass.com.

Icon is Madonna’s official fan club. Lifetime Legacy members of Icon will receive first access to tickets and VIP Packages starting February 7, 2012. Registered free Icon members will have the opportunity to purchase an “Icon Live Pass,” which gives them access not only to ticket & VIP Package pre-sales, but also to a tour devoted forum and an exclusive tour gift. Fans can sign up for a free Icon membership at Madonna.com today.

VIP Packages will are available through VIP Nation, including premium seats, exclusive merchandise and more. For more information please visit: www.VIPNation.com viagogo, Europe’s leading secondary ticketing company (www.viagogo.co.uk), has been named as the Official Premium and Secondary Ticketing Partner for Madonna’s 2012 summer tour dates across Europe.

Viagogo will handle premium tickets for select shows this summer, offering fans the chance to see one of the most anticipated concert tours of the year. Fans that can no longer use their tickets will be able to resell them to other fans through viagogo’s secure online platform, and, as always, all tickets are guaranteed.

photoproject.eu / Shutterstock.com

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Spanair the fourth biggest airline of Spain has collapsed. Frequented and known by its low costs,  and covering several routes from Spain to Europe and Africa, the airline has shut down living around 20,000 passengers without a flight and more than 4.000 have lost their jobs.

The Spanish government is the one currently taking the legal procedures, and communicated that the Spanair will face a 9 million fee due to its collapse.

Since 2010, the company has been facing enormous loses. In that precise year it had reported a total operational loss of 115 million.

The Cataluña government has injected around 150 million of euros in order to help the company stay on float. But on Friday it revealed that they won’t be financing anything more.

Several competitor companies have taken the lead, and have started to adopt the expected procedures to see this collapse as an opportunity.

Vueling has been the primary beneficiary.  Being Iberia´s partner it has taken the lead by assuming and offering a great amount of the routes that Spanair offered.  The company also revealed that it will be incorporation 33 new flight frequencies, offering five new routes.

One route will be from Barcelona to Berlin and Hamburg, another route will be from Bilbao, to Tenerife, Las Palmas y Lanzarote in the Canarias Islands.

Vueling also exposed : “This expansion of operations, will allow to continue with the  growing and expansion plans that Vueling has launched for this summer season, and wit will consolidate its leadership position in Barcelona.”

Another competitor such as Ryanair exposed on Monday that it was examining the opportunities ahead, the company commented: “ We  notoriously see it as an opportunity to expand our routes”. The vice president of the company Michael Cawley said : “ If the Government stops  once in for all wasting money on Spanair, we will be in position to catch some of their routes”.

According to the government of Cataluña , a total of 1.457 claims have been collected. Of those who 104 have been made on  Aena Counters and 1.353 in the offices of the Catalan Consumer Agency in El Prat Airport.

Several airlines have relocated around 12,000 Spanair’s passanger .  Vueling (4.145 passanger), Iberia (5.000 passangers), Air Europa 2.600 (passangers) y Lufthansa (500 passangers).

Spanair has posted a declaration on its website, to inform the procedures that will be taken to its customers.

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2012 looks set to be the best year yet as the European Commission offers new thinking and support to quit smoking with their innovative campaign, “Ex-Smokers are Unstoppable.”

A New Year is a new start – and the European Commission is dedicated to helping smokers across the European Union to become unstoppable; finally stopping smoking and enjoying a better life. According to a recent survey, nearly 80 percent of people who make New Year’s resolutions will fail to stick to them, as many lose motivation and focus instead on the downside of not achieving their goals.

Uniquely, “Ex-smokers are Unstoppable” offers an inspiring and motivating approach to quitting smoking, inviting smokers to think again about the benefits of giving up cigarettes, which include better health, better social interaction, more money, and of course, a better quality of life.

In less than half a year, over 150,000 smokers in the European Union have registered with the European Commission’s innovative digital tool iCoach, launched in June 2011. This step-by-step personalized support tool has already helped thousands of smokers across the EU to quit and aims to support thousands more to achieve their New Year’s resolutions and become unstoppable ex-smokers in 2012.

iCoach offers:

- Personalized tips and advice to support smokers to kick the habit

- Regular emails to provide support at every step of the journey to a smoke-free life

- A forum to allow smokers to support each other and share their own inspiring stories

- Graphs showing the user’s progress towards their end goal: Becoming an unstoppable ex-smoker

“I am delighted that “Ex-Smokers are Unstoppable” has helped 150,000 smokers so far,” said Commissioner Dalli. “We look forward to supporting many more thousands of smokers to achieve their goal of a smoke-free life in 2012.

As we enter this new year, there is an opportunity to make 2012 the best year it can be as the “Ex-smokers are Unstoppable” campaign will be even bigger and better. I gave up smoking myself some years ago, and I really understand just how great it feels to be an ex-smoker.”

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Scotland, a nation known for its feats of strength, is gradually sliding in a self-created tomb of poor health. High alcohol consumption, obesity, lack of adequate exercise, and eating junk food is leading to atrocious levels of illness in Scotland. The chief medical officer of Scotland, Dr. Burns, has warned in his annual report that poor diet, obesity, physical inactivity, and high alcohol consumption is leading to increased health problems in Scotland.

He pointed to figures reported in the Scottish Health Survey which indicated that 27 percent of men and 18 percent of women exceeded the recommended weekly amount of alcohol consumption. Smoking among adults is decreasing, but 25 percent of adults still smoke cigarettes, and 63.3 percent of adults are either overweight or obese. Only 22 percent of adults met the recommended daily intake of fruit and vegetables a day, and only 39 percent of adults met the recommended levels of physical activity.

Despite a reported reduction in consumption of alcohol from 28 percent in 1995 to 22 percent in 2010, the level of those who exceed the daily amount of alcohol consumption has risen among men from 43 percent to 45 percent, and for women, it fell from 37 percent to 33 percent. He also noted that the data on alcohol consumption is conflicting, i.e comparing purchase data and consumption data.

However, alcohol purchase data indicates that consumption is on the increase. New hospital admissions due to alcohol-related conditions for people under 75 has increased by 18 percent in the last decade. Alcohol-related deaths for those aged 45-74 was also reported to be nine times more in deprived areas than in affluent areas.

On a positive note, the mortality rates due to Scotland’s big three killers: cancer, coronary heart disease (CHD), and stroke for people under 75 have continued to decline. Premature death rates due to cancer, CHD, and stroke have been reduced by 22 percent, 60 percent, and 54 percent respectively .

Premature mortality rates due to all other cases for those under 75 have been reduced by 28 percent ( from 507 per 100,000 in 1995 to 365 per 100,000 in 2009). Increased survival rates from cancer have been influenced by effective treatment, early diagnosis, and more people have been cured of cancer. Five year survival from cancer over the last two decades rose from 26 percent to 44 percent for men and from 36 percent to 51 percent for women.

Less affluent areas were shown to display more of these risky behaviors. Mental health problems are also becoming worse in deprived areas and among the working class. The lower display of risky behavior among the affluent is largely due to available information from health promotion campaigns which has, for some reason, remained largely ignored in the other sections of the society. Dr. Burns warned, “Scotland continues to have a higher level of ill health than most of our immediate neighbors in Europe.”

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The European Commission decided to extend the list of goods subject to export controls, to prevent their use for capital punishment, torture or other cruel, inhuman, or degrading treatment or punishment. As of today, trade of certain anesthetics, such as sodium thiopental, which can be used in lethal injections, to countries that have not yet abolished the death penalty, will be tightly controlled. Furthermore, the scope of the European Union regulation has been enlarged to include other products such as spike batons that previously were not prohibited.

“I wish to underline that the European Union opposes the death penalty under all circumstances,” said Catherine Ashton, High Representative for the Foreign Affairs and Security Policy and Vice-President of the Commission. “The Charter of Fundamental Rights of the European Union states that no one shall be condemned to the death penalty, or executed. In this regard, the decision today contributes to the wider EU efforts to abolish death penalty worldwide. This is a first step in response to the calls of civil society organizations and the European Parliament to strengthen the EU legislation. It will be followed by a full review of the relevant regulation next year.”

Council Regulation, concerning trade in certain goods which could be used for capital punishment, torture, or other cruel, inhuman, or degrading treatment or punishment, was adopted on June 27, 2005. It comprises an import and export ban for certain goods listed in Annex II and an export control regime for certain other goods listed in Annex III.

In March 2010, Amnesty International published a report asking for a number of amendments to this regulation. The European Parliament repeated these requests in a resolution adopted on June 17, 2010. Since then, the Commission has examined possible ways to move forward in order to respond to these calls.

Today, the Commission adopted regulation amending the previous one, concerning trade in certain goods which could be used for capital punishment, torture, or other cruel, inhuman acts. As a result:

• exports of short and medium acting barbiturate anesthetic agents are subject to prior authorization by national authorities;
• imports and exports of spiked batons are prohibited;
• imports and exports of electric shock sleeves and cuffs are prohibited (electric shock belts were already banned before).

The Commission will carry out an in-depth review in 2012 which may result in a proposal for an amendment of the regulation to be adopted by the European Parliament and the Council. The lists of goods may be further amended in parallel, if other goods are identified as needing particular surveillance.

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Since it is such a common element in nature, until recently, nitrogen was ignored as being a pollutant. Nitrogen is a natural part of the ecosystem and helps to increase the rate of plant growth. Because of this benefit, nitrogen has been used frequently, during the last decades, as an agriculture fertilizer. However, there are negative effects brought on by nitrogen that many people aren’t aware of.

Agricultural fertilizers and burning fuels are sources of nitrogen pollution. These occurances involve the predominance of nitrogen in the atmosphere which lead to the greenhouse effect, pollution of waters and soil, and to breathing and heart problems for living creatures. Calculating the impact on health, by respiratory problems, asthma and cancer; the nitrogen pollution reduces life expectancy of any European by six months.

Accordingly to a recent study on European Nitrogen Assessment, in Europe each person pays between £130 and £650 per year for the cost of nitrogen pollution, while on average, the total amount rises to €70bn-€320bn: costs of pollution on air, soil, water, increased greenhouse gases and damage to wildlife.

BBC News announced that 80 percent of the nitrogen in crops feeds livestock, not people. Meat consume is heavily increasing the nitrogen pollution, especially in Europe. Dr. Mark Sutton, from UK’s Centre for Ecology and Hydrology, one of the leaders of the study, according to the Telegraph: “Amazingly, livestock consume around 85 per cent of the 14 million tones of nitrogen in crops harvested or imported into the EU; only 15 per cent is used to feed humans directly.

European nitrogen use is therefore not primarily an issue of food security, but one of luxury consumption”. The advice is not to become all vegetarians, but at least to try a “demitarian” regime, to try a reduction of meat consumption. Other advice, to lesson the negative impacts seen by nitrogen, are being shared by the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA).

The Department said, in order to improve soil-management practices, using conservation-tillage, crop rotation, and cover crops as wheat, rye and other grasses will be neccessary. Among agricultural strategies through methods as “precision farming” (fertilizers calculated with precision for each surface), manure recycling, genetically modified crops (which absorb nitrogen from air), governments should adhere to a new set of policies, at least in Europe, said professor Bob Watson, Chief scientist at the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs.

Even though European Union statistics shows that the emission of nitrogen decreased from 13.84 million tones in 1997 to 10.94 in 2007, improvements are still required. “There have been and still are many attempts to control nitrogen but we believe the big challenge is to link existing policy areas and make them work together.” stated Sutton.

However solutions reside also in the hands of individuals by cutting down meat consumption, and choosing a responsible industrial and agricultural business.

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Bedfordshire and Hertfordshire Police rescued 24 people kept in “filthy and cramped” living conditions, on Sunday morning. They also arrested 5 persons under the Slavery and Servitude Act 2010.

Greenacre caravan site was disturbed by dog-handling officers, a helicopter and firearms support from local Major Crime units, and UK Human Trafficking Centre in search of 15 possible persons forced to live and work in harsh conditions.

According to Sean O’Neil, Detective Chief Inspector, police units have been aware, since 2008, of 28 persons who have made accusations of slavery. After searching the place, 24 people were found “living and working in a state of virtual slavery.”  The victims were from England, Poland and Romania, while LeightonBuzzardOnline stated Slovakians were involved as well.

“One man was found to be covered in dog excrement, while others were so malnourished that an intake of proper food may kill them,” LeightonBuzzardOnline said. People were recruited from soup kitchens and benefits offices, being promised to receive £80 per day, in addition to board and lodgings.

Instead, they had their hair cut off; they were kept in “horseboxes, dog kennels, and old caravans” and worked for nothing or for little food. The time they spent there ranged between a few months to 15 years, being forced to work for British and Scandinavian projects, detectives said.

In some cases, on Sundays, the prisoners’ only day of rest, they were obliged to get up at 6 a.m. to clean the travellers site. The individuals’ present mental conditions are poor. Immediately after the raid, they were given medical and professional assistance – a specialist in torture was there to offer support and assistance as well.

Most of them were among the most “vulnerable category of people in society, who can disappear and be held here without anyone knowing they were missing,” Sean O’Neil said, according to BBC UK. The five persons arrested are 4 men and one woman, being identified as Irish. Further interviews will be held and accusations established. Money, drugs and weapons were found at the location.

In light of such events, many believe it is necessary that Europe revisit it’s policy of respect for human. Migrants to Western Europe as well as nomadic population are still an issue for the European Community and their living conditions and working facilities are to be revised in order to avoid such inhumane cases of abuse and mistreatment from reoccurring.

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Contradicting Europe’s right-wing rise, the Danish Social Democrats have won the Danish Parliamentary election on September 15. The election have ended a decade of center-right majority in the Danish Parliament whilst electing their first female leader, Helle Thorning-Schmidt.

According to three polls released on the 14th September, voters were ready for a change as they prepared to cast their vote on the 15th, in order to elect the 179 members of Parliament. The Prime Minister in office Lars Loekke Rasmussen, who took over two years ago, replacing Anders Fogh Rasmussen who went on to be NATO Secretary General, was not taken too kindly by the Danish people as early voters cast their ballots and criticized his policies. Rasmussen lead a coalition composed of pro-market Liberals and Conservatives and was supported by the Danish People’s Party (DPP), a far-right and xenophobic party.

The election is expected to usher in the end of market reforms and strict border control, while the Socialist Democratic party will make a comeback as the majority leader in the Parliament, after 10 years in opposition.

Even though significant changes aren’t expected, Thorning-Schmidt, 44, hopes to protect the welfare system by raising taxes on banks and the rich and refrain from several austerity measures formulated by the government in order to avoid waves of contagion from debt-ridden countries. Altough Denmark did not hop on the Euro train, its economy relies on the export of national products to other European countries and its currency is subject to the uncertainty attached to the Eurozone.

According to a recent Associated Press interview, “We have a government that has believed that austerity was the right way to achieve more growth in Denmark,” Thorning-Schmidt said, “Austerity and tax cuts are not the right course for Denmark. What we want to achieve is to create more growth, kickstart the economy and then after that create the foundation for a new sustainable growth.”

The votes of Thurday’s election have been accounted for and resulted in a narrow win for the Social Democrats, with 92 seats, against the 87 seats won by Rasmussen’s coalition. Thorning-Schmidt must now manage a left-wing alliance consisted of former marxists, environmentalists, social democrats and liberals, who don’t see eye to eye in a small array of topics. There is some evidence of possible disagreement among the coalition parties. Margrethe Vestager, leader of the Socialist Liberal party, agreed to the austerity package presented by the previous government and is not backing away from that decision:

“We have made a deal which we believe is really good. It means that we will get more money in the chest and a sound economical starting point,” she said. Thorning-Schmidt’s toughest challenge has proved to be finding room in her Cabinet for the leaders of the Socialist Liberal Party and the Socialist People’s Party. According to political analyst Rune Stubager of the University of Aarhus “Her two coalition parties will try to almost tear her apart. The early retirement issue will be a big one for them to deal with.”

Hopefully, the election have created a turning point in immigration policy, as ten years of strict immigration and refugee legislation come to an end.

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Rioters in London and other cities around England over the past week have caused senseless violence and criminality on a scale that hasn’t been seen for decades.

Causing millions of pounds worth of damage, rioters have turned a number of English cities upside down, showing complete disregard for the safety of citizens.

The trigger
It began as a peaceful demonstration following the death of the 29-year old Mark Duggan from Tottenham who was shot death by police on Thursday August 4. Around 300 people gathered outside Tottenham police station on Saturday August 6 in their quest for justice for Duggan and his family. Later the same evening the violence broke out.

The scale
Gradually going completely out of control, the predominantly teenage part of the population of England set buildings on fire, smashed and looted shops, attacked policemen and caused chaos on the streets of English cities. The looters seemed to be always one step ahead of the stretched police forces, taking full advantage of the disorder.

Some of the cities outside London affected by the riots include Manchester, Salford, Wolverhampton, Birmingham, Liverpool, Nottingham, Gloucester, Leicester, Bristol and Leeds. Turning those cities into war zone, the rioters left people without homes and businesses.

Some of the most shocking disturbances included:

• Malaysian student Asyraf Haziq was attacked and injured by rioters in London and then mugged by a group of young men who at first appeared to try to help him.
• Haroon Jahan, 21, Shahzad Ali, 30, and Abdul Musavir, 31 died having been hit by a car in Birmingham after they tried to protect their neighbourhood.
• An estimated 60 people who were made homeless in London as a direct result of homes and businesses being burnt down.

These represent just a small portion of the consequences from the volatile acts of the looters. Eventually, it became clear that it was not about protesting – it was about robbery and pointless vandalism.

The clean-up action
During this week of distressing events, people have seen the worst of Britain – the angry and rather greedy youngsters destroying their own community — buildings being burned down, businesses being wrecked, property being stolen, innocent people being injured.

Nonetheless, following these disturbances, onlookers now see the best of Britain: the volunteers who gather on the streets of London and other affected cities to clean up the mess left by rioters.

“Bring gloves, heavy duty sacks, brooms, brushes and marker pens,” instructed a Twitter account, @RiotCleanUp. For just more than an hour, the Twitter account attracted more than 70,000 followers and brought together the people of England who got together to pick up the pieces and restore the order in their cities.

‘The fightback’
With regards to the rioters themselves, they will pay for their acts. Having seen “the most sickening scenes of his career,” Greater Manchester Police’s Assistant Chief Constable Garry Shewan made the following statement:

“Hundreds and hundreds of people, we have your image, we have your face, we have your acts of wanton criminality on film. We are coming for you, from today, and no matter how long it takes, we will arrest those people responsible.”

Prime Minister David Cameron also gave a speech warning the rioters that they “will feel the full force of the law” and if they are “old enough to commit these crimes” they are “old enough to face the punishment.” He further urged the country to pull together and promised to compensate anyone whose life has been affected by violence.

In fact, almost 2000 people have been arrested across the country using CCTV images. More than 600 have been charged. The offenses range from violent disorder (including robbery, assault, carrying a weapon and obstructing a police officer) to burglary and related offenses (including handling stolen goods), arson and drug-related offenses.

The events of the past week have been extremely overwhelming. Now that the cities are being cleaned up and offenders are being punished, a question arises as to why it happened in the first place. Cameron admits that the riots were caused mainly by social and cultural problems.

He blamed it on “children without fathers; schools without discipline; reward without effort; crime without punishment; rights without responsibilities; communities without control.” Seeing the riots as a “wake-up call for the nation,” Cameron gives a promise to “mend our broken society” by reviewing all aspects of policy, including education, welfare, parenting and drug addiction.

Padmayogini / Shutterstock.com

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Also this summer Europe is waiting for the annual edition of the Sziget Festival to come. Among the largest European music and cultural festivals, Sziget Festival is held annually in August in Budapest, Hungary’s capital, at Obuda Island on the Danube River.

For an entire week, from 8^th to 15^th of August, more than 1000 shows and performances will be held on this party island not far from the city center. A blend of music, theater, dance, visual arts, and much more will welcome almost 400.000 visitors coming from all around Europe.

From pop to rock, from folk to electro, and then metal, blues, world music, techno, hip hop, afro, reggae, alternative, jazz as well as other genres will alternate and mix over seven days of uninterrupted music and partying, delighting around 80.000 visitors per day.

Since the first edition in 1993, the Sziget Festival has become one of the favourite destinations for music and festival lovers of Europe and it also managed to attain a worldwide popularity which is constantly increasing. Over the past 18 years, the world’s greatest artists performed at the festival attracting fans that came throughout the European continent.

Among the bands we can mention Iron Maiden, Buena Vista Social Club, Sonic Youth, Korn, Faith No More, Foo Fighters, Green Day, Rammstein, Faithless, Placebo, Morcheeba, Massive Attack, The Cardigans, Franz Ferdinand, Radiohead, The Prodigy, R.E.M, Sex Pistols, Fatboy Slim, Gorillaz Sound System, Muse, Oasis and many others.

Among the singers David Bowie, Patti Smith, Iggy Pop, Coolio, Nick Cave, Alanis Morissette, Robert Plant , Eagle Eye Cherry, Omara Portuondo, Shaggy, Sean Paul, Manu Chao, Sinéad O’Connor, Natalie Imbruglia, Pink, Lilly Allen, Nouvelle Vague, and Tricky.

This year will be the 19^th edition of the festival and other great performances are awaited from thousands of fans. Some of the most resonant names of the world’s musical scene together with less-known and alternative artists from various countries will alternate on the several stages sited all around the 108 hectares island of Obuda. A collection of different stages from the Pop-Rock Main Stage to the World Music Main Stage, from the A38-WAN2 Stage to the Rock-Metal Stage, from the Party Arena to the Reggae Stage and World Village, and from the newest Europe Stage to many and many others.

Some of the main artists performing at the Sziget Festival 2011 will be Prince, Gotan Project, Skunk Anansie, The Chemical Brothers, The Prodigy, Kate Nash, 30 Seconds to Mars, Kasabian, 2 Many DJ’s, Judas Priest, Good Charlotte, Interpol, The National, Dizzee Rascal, Richie Hawtin, Manic Street Preachers, Goran Bregovic and The Wedding and Funeral Band, Gogol Bordello, Hadounken!, and also Pulp.  Many others, the less popular ones, are just to be known and discovered by all music lovers.

Besides the music there is much more to enjoy, for example theater performances, visual performative and literary arts, outdoor activities and sports. It’s like an entire world within an island, a city in the city on the Danube, the largest river of Europe.

For the ones who don’t want to miss even a minute of the festival and want to immerse themselves deeply  in its magical atmosphere, it’s possible to buy a camping ticket and camp on the island for the whole week. You just need to bring a tent and you may take advantage of the camping facilities. For the ones who want to enjoy the city as well there is the non-camping ticket which enable you to join all the concerts and shows and to freely go around the island. For those who want only to follow their favourite artist there is the day ticket that gives you access to the festival only for one day.

Are you craving for an unforgettable experience? Just go to Sziget Festival!

Image Courtesy of http://musica.tuttogratis.it/

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The European digital music service Spotify is now available in the United States. With the motto “Hello America. Spotify here”, users have since July 14 been able to sign up for a free, ad-supported version of the on-demand service, which is still invite-only for now. To register, visit Spotify.com and submit your email address. The company will distribute invitations in the coming weeks.

On July 6, Spotify surprised its users with the following message posted on its official website: “The award-winning music service that’s taken Europe by storm will soon be landing on US shores. Millions of tracks ready to play instantly, on your computer and your phone.”

In addition, as The Huffington Post reported two weeks ago “Amazon, Google, Apple, and now Facebook: The social network is reportedly preparing to launch a streaming music service in a partnership with music startup Spotify. Sources close to the deal add that Facebook users would see the Spotify icon on the left side of the newsfeed, and click to install.” They also added that the service will only be available in countries where Spotify is currently used, meaning that Americans would not have access until Spotify launches in the U.S.

In an interview earlier this year to The Huffington Post,  Facebook’s  ex-president, Sean Parker, called Spotify “the realization of the dream we had with Napster,” going on to add that he thought it was “really, really, really cool.”

As the Spotify CEO and co-founder Daniel Ek said once in a conference held by  tech blog AllThingsD, so far the problem has been partly that Spotify is not just a technology company that needed to build and release its product. It also had to make complex deals with recording companies and he added, “When it launches, it will cost $10 a month in the U.S.”

Since it was launched in Switzerland on October 2008, Spotify has spread through different Europeans countries. The service is, as of May 2011, only available in Finland, France, the Netherlands, Norway, Spain, Sweden, the UK, and soon Denmark and USA. In those countries you have three different account types; Spotify Open (10 hours per month for free), Unlimited( unlimited music on your computer for 4,99 Euros per month) and Premium (offline mode, mobile device support, enhanced sound quality and exclusive content for 9,95 Euros per month).

By the end of September 2010, a Spotify spokesperson announced that they had reached the 10 million users, and he also remarked that the service did indeed have 10 million tracks by that time. While Spotify’s catalog was rapidly approaching iTunes’ 11 million figure, it was still quite some distance short of Apple’s 160 million iTunes users. This fact could be due to the reason that so far Spotify was not available in the States, which is the world’s largest music market, and iTunes is.

Recently, Spotify has also announced a digital music service with Virgin Media that will enable users to stream music through their televisions. Clearly, Spotify is gaining support from music labels and mobile carriers as they know consumers will follow. Spotify could be a welcome competitor to iTunes.

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Yes, we all know this: right now is the best time of the year. For many of us in the northern hemisphere, the flowers are blooming as we’re taking out shorts and tank tops from the back of our closet after a long cold winter. The Caribbean’s, especially, are known to be a winter escape, packed with tourists from North America and Europe during the months of December through February. For many places along the Equator, it’s currently a storm season- making it difficult for water sports, and more importantly, possible delayed or canceled flights.

These islands on the list below come alive in summer, when events and major festivals sprung up while restaurants and cafes are bringing out chair and tables for outdoor seating. The weather just couldn’t be better.

Vancouver Island, British Columbia, Canada

Being the largest island off the west coast of North America, Vancouver Island is composed of many different ecosystems making it one of the best places for outdoor activities. Pacific Rim National Park Reserve, for instance, allows you to explore the incredible wilderness.  Central Island area allows visitors to enjoy water activities and fishing, since this region is primarily made up of sandy beaches, ocean, and lakes. If you’re more interested in the local gourmet scene, then head to the Cowichan Valley, where there are plenty of wineries, farmer markets, and fresh seafood docks. More of a city vibe fan? No problem, Victoria, a city located in the South Island, has all the things you’re looking for.

Iceland, Europe

Iceland, considered to be Europe’s largest national park, is indeed a great destination for both summer and winter. Moreover, it is an ideal place for photographers, painters, or those who are interested in a beautiful, unspoiled landscape. You won’t find much development in Iceland, comparing to major European cities, yet it has enough metropolitan city atmosphere for a comfortable and convenient stay as there are plenty of restaurants, hotels, bars, and attractions. Once in Iceland, try not to miss its famous thermal swimming pools or spas. Activities such as glacier trekking, whale watching, midnight golfing, and salmon fishing are also easily reached from Iceland’s capitol, Reykjavik.

Hong Kong, China

What could have been a better time to visit Hong Kong if not summer, when the goods go on sale and events are popping up everywhere. The Hong Kong Dragon Boat Carnival is one of the most anticipated annual festivals in the city. It’s a three day competition during mid-June in which each team races their dragon boat. Here, spectators can enjoy a party scene, where cold beverages and tasty snacks are served. Not your thing? Other hot events are Summer Pop Live in Hong Kong, Lan Kwai Fong Beerfest, and Hong Kong Restaurant Week. Most people I know, even myself, tend to go to Hong Kong for unbeatable shopping deals and mouthwatering Hong Kong style dishes. Don’t miss out on a bowl of roasted duck noodle soup or Hong Kong style congee. “It’s certainly the type of place you go for good food and shopping, and not so much about nature and outdoor activities.”

Bora Bora, South Pacific

First island on this list that has the kind of sand and sea most of us would look for, transparent blue ocean and white sand beach. Why visit Bora Bora in summer? Well, since the island is in the southern hemisphere, our summer is their winter when the weather is at its best: less rain, lower humidity, and not crazy hot. Though never have been there myself, a friend of mine who visited this incredible place told me “No doubt, it’s beautiful. It’s a place for a complete relaxation, but it comes at a price. We stayed at a hotel where our bungalow is built over the water. Couldn’t have asked for a better honeymoon location” Here, visitors can enjoy endless water activities (snorkeling, diving, canoeing, jet skiing – really, you name it) or, you can explore the island on foot. If you’re a little bit more adventurous, don’t miss out on the shark and ray feeding excursion, which was said to be the most popular activity in the island.

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A recent study conducted in the United States and published in the journal Health Affairs, shows that the approval process for cancer drugs is faster in U.S than in Europe.

The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has been often criticized for its slowness in new drugs approval, especially in regard to cancer drugs, in comparison to the European Medicines Agency (EMA).

Samantha A. Roberts, Jeff D. Allen, and Ellen V. Sigal, who are affiliated with Friends of Cancer Research, in Washington, D.C., found that the FDA new cancer drugs approval process is consistently faster than the one of its European counterpart. They conducted a drug-to-drug comparison of the two agencies, focusing on the period between 2003 and 2010, and analyzing the data available on FDA and EMA websites on official drugs reviews.

Among thirty-five new cancer drugs reviewed by FDA, thirty-two were approved, twenty of them within 184 days. EMA, on the contrary, approved only twenty-six of these new cancer drugs within a time average of 350 days. “Contrary to repeated public assertions, we found that new oncology medicines are consistently available in the United States before they are in Europe, and they are more likely to be approved by the FDA than by the EMA. ” wrote the authors.

“The FDA is often accused of being slow to approve oncology drugs. However, critics have not provided specifics, and our study plainly shows that such assertions are unwarranted.”

Two are the reasons indicated by the researchers about this difference in approval timing. The first concerns the submission of the clinical findings by pharmaceutical companies, which usually submit them to FDA prior than to EMA. The second regards the new oncology medicine review time, which takes a lot more time for EMA than for FDA.

This FDA review time shortening over the last two decades is mostly due to the Prescription Drug User Fee Act of 1992. This law gives FDA the authority to collect fees from companies which produce certain drugs and biological products, allowing to use the funds to accelerate approval times and safety and efficacy standards.

“Continued financial support, in the form of user fees and increased appropriations, will be crucial for the agency to keep pace with current scientific discovery – and to maintain and enhance the agency’s critical role of bringing new medicines from the stages of discovery into the clinic and ultimately improving the lives of patients,” the authors concluded the report.

The authors also suggested that the lack of new oncology medicines is due not to slow review processes, but rather to difficulties in carrying out clinical trials in the field of oncology.

“One challenge is the slow acquisition of patients for trials, a phenomenon with many contributing factors—such as patients’ or physicians’ lack of information about trials, patients’ fear of receiving placebo or a poor treatment, the rarity of some cancers, and confounding factors that may make a patient ineligible for a trial. A second challenge is the particularly long times needed to establish a drug’s efficacy, in part because of the slow acquisition of patients and also the need to measure survival over a period of years,” the authors explained.

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