Saturday, January 31, 2015
Tuesday, January 27, 2015
Tuesday, January 20, 2015
Paris mayor to sue Fox News over ‘no-go zones’ slur
2015-01-20
"When we're insulted, then I think we'll have to sue, I think we'll have to go to court, in order to have these words removed," Paris’s Socialist mayor said. "The image of Paris has been prejudiced, and the honour of Paris has been prejudiced."
Hidalgo’s comments come despite an apology from Fox news following its incendiary interview with “National Security expert” Nolan Peterson in the wake of the Charlie Hebdo attacks, in which he claimed that certain districts of Paris were comparable with Baghdad.
His comments were echoed by Nigel Farage, the leader of Britain’s eurosceptic UKIP party, who told Fox that the so-called no-go zones matched a rise of “big ghettos” across Europe.
Fox was widely ridiculed for its comments on the French capital, with TV channels airing ironically sinister interviews with bemused residents of these districts who insisted that Fox’s negative portrayal of the city was laughably off the mark.
Paris Mayor Anne Hidalgo told CNN on Tuesday that her city intends to sue Fox News after it broadcasted interviews asserting that there are “no-go zones” in the French capital where police and non-Muslims fear to tread.
In an interview with CNN’s Christiane Amanpour, Hidalgo said Fox had “insulted” the city."When we're insulted, then I think we'll have to sue, I think we'll have to go to court, in order to have these words removed," Paris’s Socialist mayor said. "The image of Paris has been prejudiced, and the honour of Paris has been prejudiced."
Hidalgo’s comments come despite an apology from Fox news following its incendiary interview with “National Security expert” Nolan Peterson in the wake of the Charlie Hebdo attacks, in which he claimed that certain districts of Paris were comparable with Baghdad.
His comments were echoed by Nigel Farage, the leader of Britain’s eurosceptic UKIP party, who told Fox that the so-called no-go zones matched a rise of “big ghettos” across Europe.
Fox was widely ridiculed for its comments on the French capital, with TV channels airing ironically sinister interviews with bemused residents of these districts who insisted that Fox’s negative portrayal of the city was laughably off the mark.
Analysts Predict a Russian Descent Into Madness
By Ivan Nechepurenko
President Vladimir Putin cannot afford at this point to reform the political system he has built up, as doing so would undermine his grip on power, a panel of political analysts said at the Gaidar Forum on Friday.
They went on to warn that without fundamental change, Russia risks an eventual descent into "revolutionary chaos." The panel, which consisted of several analysts known for their vocal criticism of Russian government policy, spoke before a packed audience.
Such heated political rhetoric may seem out of place at a high-level economic policy conference co-organized by the Russian Presidential Academy of National Economy and Public Administration (RANEPA) and the Gaidar Institute for Economic Policy. But the final day of this year's forum was marked by departures from mainstream economics, with forays into everything from politics to education.
The political panel was moderated by Leonid Gozman, who has stood at the helm of some of Russia's most prominent liberal parties over the course of the past decade.
At one point Gozman asked the panel, which included seven Russian analysts and one American, to say something nice about the ruling elite. "We have to say something good about the government, or we won't be allowed to hold this session again next year," he said facetiously.
Most of the analysts agreed that Russia's political system will likely remain inert over the course of 2015, with Prime Minister Dmitry Medvedev expected to remain in his post. At the same time, the majority agreed that the system is fragile, and susceptible to rapid deterioration.
"We have entered a stage of fantastic instability," said Georgy Satarov, former aide to Russia's first President, Boris Yeltsin, and now an expert on political corruption in Russia.
According to Satarov, the current economic crisis may leave the government with only two options: launch dramatic political reforms or tighten the screws.
"The fact that everyday life in Russia is still stable prevents common people from understanding how fragile the political situation is," he said.
The second option — cracking down — could provoke widespread dissent, which could in turn propel Russia into "revolutionary chaos," Saratov said. "This is an absolutely realistic scenario," he urged.
Experts were divided on the question of where such revolutionary chaos could originate. Political analyst Dmitry Oreshkin, head of the Moscow-based Mercator political research group, suggested that momentum would likely start in Moscow, as the capital continues to grow increasingly gentrified and politically conscious in contrast to other Russian regions.
Nikolai Petrov, a political analyst with the Higher School of Economics, argued that such fervor could emerge in Chechnya, as its leader Ramzan Kadyrov grows increasingly independent and power-hungry.
"Kadyrov has 20,000 people that swore allegiance to him and Putin. In case there is a difficulty in Moscow, they would defend them," Petrov said. "Russia is hostage to the regime; the regime is hostage to Putin; while Putin is hostage to his decisions, which have left him without an exit strategy."
At the same time, she opined, the current structure is rooted in Putin. "I don't believe the regime can be preserved without Putin," said Vorozheikina. "The process of a negative selection among the elites did not leave anybody prominent and authoritative in the establishment, who would be able to assume power during the transition period."
Regardless of the likelihood of impending change, Vorozheikina argued that Russia's political power players are not primarily to blame for bringing about the country's current economic crisis.
Poll results published last week by the independent Levada Center revealed that 55 percent of Russians would like to see Putin remain Russia's president after the next election in 2018. Tellingly, 54 percent of respondents said they see no alternative to Putin. The poll was conducted among 1,600 respondents with the margin of error not exceeding 3.4 percent.
According to Alexei Levinson, senior researcher at the Levada Center, approval of Putin and approval of the Russian leadership overall are two very different issues.
"Over the past 15 months, Putin has come to be seen as a symbolic and sacred figure who is not responsible for the economic situation in the country, but is responsible for the country's greatness," Levinson told the Gaidar Forum audience.
"The more Russians feel that they are threatened by the outside world, the more they will consolidate around Putin," he said.
Most experts recommended that Putin introduce fair competition into the political system, in particular by allowing possible "successors" to emerge.
"Russia must find a mechanism that would introduce rotation into government … No regime can survive without rotation at the very top," said Timothy Colton, professor of government and Russian studies at Harvard and chairman of the university's department of government.
As for the coming year, most experts were grim, predicting that the crisis in Ukraine will likely escalate over the course of 2015, and that protest activity in Russia will likely remain small-scale and localized, even if it intensifies.
Gozman said that most of the last year's predictions failed to materialize, and that the prize — a bottle of booze — would therefore not be awarded to any of the panelists. However, next year's winner will get two bottles to distract from the dismal realities he or she correctly predicted this year — that is, if the Presidential Academy allows the same experts to hold such a panel again, he added.
President Vladimir Putin cannot afford at this point to reform the political system he has built up, as doing so would undermine his grip on power, a panel of political analysts said at the Gaidar Forum on Friday.
They went on to warn that without fundamental change, Russia risks an eventual descent into "revolutionary chaos." The panel, which consisted of several analysts known for their vocal criticism of Russian government policy, spoke before a packed audience.
Such heated political rhetoric may seem out of place at a high-level economic policy conference co-organized by the Russian Presidential Academy of National Economy and Public Administration (RANEPA) and the Gaidar Institute for Economic Policy. But the final day of this year's forum was marked by departures from mainstream economics, with forays into everything from politics to education.
The political panel was moderated by Leonid Gozman, who has stood at the helm of some of Russia's most prominent liberal parties over the course of the past decade.
At one point Gozman asked the panel, which included seven Russian analysts and one American, to say something nice about the ruling elite. "We have to say something good about the government, or we won't be allowed to hold this session again next year," he said facetiously.
Rapid Deterioration
Jokes aside, the speakers had a tough time finding any silver linings in what they saw as the many challenges Russia is presently facing due to the decisions Putin has made during his 15 years as Russia's central political figure.Most of the analysts agreed that Russia's political system will likely remain inert over the course of 2015, with Prime Minister Dmitry Medvedev expected to remain in his post. At the same time, the majority agreed that the system is fragile, and susceptible to rapid deterioration.
"We have entered a stage of fantastic instability," said Georgy Satarov, former aide to Russia's first President, Boris Yeltsin, and now an expert on political corruption in Russia.
According to Satarov, the current economic crisis may leave the government with only two options: launch dramatic political reforms or tighten the screws.
"The fact that everyday life in Russia is still stable prevents common people from understanding how fragile the political situation is," he said.
The second option — cracking down — could provoke widespread dissent, which could in turn propel Russia into "revolutionary chaos," Saratov said. "This is an absolutely realistic scenario," he urged.
Experts were divided on the question of where such revolutionary chaos could originate. Political analyst Dmitry Oreshkin, head of the Moscow-based Mercator political research group, suggested that momentum would likely start in Moscow, as the capital continues to grow increasingly gentrified and politically conscious in contrast to other Russian regions.
Nikolai Petrov, a political analyst with the Higher School of Economics, argued that such fervor could emerge in Chechnya, as its leader Ramzan Kadyrov grows increasingly independent and power-hungry.
"Kadyrov has 20,000 people that swore allegiance to him and Putin. In case there is a difficulty in Moscow, they would defend them," Petrov said. "Russia is hostage to the regime; the regime is hostage to Putin; while Putin is hostage to his decisions, which have left him without an exit strategy."
Perestroika Impossible
Tatiana Vorozheikina, a political scientist specializing in Latin American affairs, argued that fundamental political change remains an unlikely scenario for the foreseeable future in Russia, as such change would threaten the standing of the present-day political elite.At the same time, she opined, the current structure is rooted in Putin. "I don't believe the regime can be preserved without Putin," said Vorozheikina. "The process of a negative selection among the elites did not leave anybody prominent and authoritative in the establishment, who would be able to assume power during the transition period."
Regardless of the likelihood of impending change, Vorozheikina argued that Russia's political power players are not primarily to blame for bringing about the country's current economic crisis.
Putin's Rating
Despite the panelists' conclusions on the Kremlin's hurdle-laden road ahead, it does not appear that Russia's economic downturn will necessarily force Putin's hand with regard to reforms. Recent statistics reveal that his approval ratings are no longer tied to the country's overall prosperity.Poll results published last week by the independent Levada Center revealed that 55 percent of Russians would like to see Putin remain Russia's president after the next election in 2018. Tellingly, 54 percent of respondents said they see no alternative to Putin. The poll was conducted among 1,600 respondents with the margin of error not exceeding 3.4 percent.
According to Alexei Levinson, senior researcher at the Levada Center, approval of Putin and approval of the Russian leadership overall are two very different issues.
"Over the past 15 months, Putin has come to be seen as a symbolic and sacred figure who is not responsible for the economic situation in the country, but is responsible for the country's greatness," Levinson told the Gaidar Forum audience.
"The more Russians feel that they are threatened by the outside world, the more they will consolidate around Putin," he said.
Predictions and Advice
As the session drew to a close, Gozman asked the participants to offer words of advice to Putin, and to hypothesize about the coming year.Most experts recommended that Putin introduce fair competition into the political system, in particular by allowing possible "successors" to emerge.
"Russia must find a mechanism that would introduce rotation into government … No regime can survive without rotation at the very top," said Timothy Colton, professor of government and Russian studies at Harvard and chairman of the university's department of government.
As for the coming year, most experts were grim, predicting that the crisis in Ukraine will likely escalate over the course of 2015, and that protest activity in Russia will likely remain small-scale and localized, even if it intensifies.
Gozman said that most of the last year's predictions failed to materialize, and that the prize — a bottle of booze — would therefore not be awarded to any of the panelists. However, next year's winner will get two bottles to distract from the dismal realities he or she correctly predicted this year — that is, if the Presidential Academy allows the same experts to hold such a panel again, he added.
Monday, January 19, 2015
Alaska lawmakers will scrutinize budget, pot and Medicaid
JUNEAU, Alaska — There’s big question as the Legislature convenes Tuesday: How low will oil prices go?
Plunging prices have contributed to massive budget deficits that cuts alone can’t erase. Alaska has billions of dollars in its constitutional budget reserve, but oil prices and spending will dictate how long that cushion lasts.
Here are five things to watch for over the next 90 days:
It’s the top priority of leaders who have spent the past month or so warning of rough times ahead. Many lawmakers aren’t expecting much in the capital budget beyond the federal-match projects generally found in the placeholder budget put out by Gov. Bill Walker two weeks after he was sworn in. Walker is scheduled to address the budget situation in a special speech Thursday night.
The size of the budget hole is unprecedented, according to Legislative Finance Director David Teal. The current year deficit is estimated at $3.5 billion, up $2.1 billion from May, when the 2015 budget was signed. Next year’s deficit is forecast to be comparable.
A number of lawmakers want to focus this session on cuts, prioritizing spending and looking at ways to deliver services more efficiently or differently. Incoming Senate Democratic Leader Berta Gardner said she will consider it a win if education, a major driver of the state’s operating budget, isn’t cut. But she said the way education is funded is open to change, including taking a look at the current per-pupil funding formula.
Alaska doesn’t have a state sales or personal income tax, and Sen. Peter Micciche, R-Soldotna, said he’d like to keep it that way.
“In order to do that, we have two choices, and that is to cut services or ask Alaskans how they want to pay for those services that are outside of our core constitutional responsibility as a state,” he said.
MEDICAID EXPANSION: This is likely to come up as part of the budget debate. As a candidate, Walker pledged to expand Medicaid coverage in Alaska if elected. Medicaid is a program that helps cover health care cost for lower-income people and, like education, is a major budget driver. Walker’s health commissioner, Valerie Davidson, sees expanded coverage as an important investment in the health care of Alaskans and a catalyst for reforming the system to ensure it’s sustainable.
The feds are expected to cover the full cost of expansion through 2016 and the bulk of costs indefinitely, with the state contributing.
This will be Walker’s first session in office and his relationship with the GOP-led Legislature will be watched.
He defeated Republican incumbent Sean Parnell in November. Walker changed his party affiliation from Republican to undeclared in joining forces with Democrat Byron Mallott as part of an “Alaska first” unity ticket. The state Democratic Party has lauded Walker, and Democrats see in him a partner. Walker’s shakeup of the board of the Alaska Gasline Development Corp. riled some Republican lawmakers. But GOP legislative leaders say they’re willing to work with Walker’s administration.
Lawmakers will have to sign off on Walker’s new appointments, including new members of the Cabinet and those he picks to fill the three empty gas line board seats.
Questions about the state’s handling of sexual assault and other allegations of misconduct within the Alaska National Guard overshadowed last year’s gubernatorial race. The Walker administration plans to hire a special investigator to look into the issue. Legislative hearings are also expected.
Voters in November approved legalizing recreational use of marijuana by those 21 and older. Pot consumption becomes legal Feb. 24, but the state has another nine months after that to come up with regulations for the sale of marijuana. Proposals dealing with who oversees the regulation of the industry and the location of shops should get scrutiny this session.
Plunging prices have contributed to massive budget deficits that cuts alone can’t erase. Alaska has billions of dollars in its constitutional budget reserve, but oil prices and spending will dictate how long that cushion lasts.
Here are five things to watch for over the next 90 days:
It’s the top priority of leaders who have spent the past month or so warning of rough times ahead. Many lawmakers aren’t expecting much in the capital budget beyond the federal-match projects generally found in the placeholder budget put out by Gov. Bill Walker two weeks after he was sworn in. Walker is scheduled to address the budget situation in a special speech Thursday night.
The size of the budget hole is unprecedented, according to Legislative Finance Director David Teal. The current year deficit is estimated at $3.5 billion, up $2.1 billion from May, when the 2015 budget was signed. Next year’s deficit is forecast to be comparable.
A number of lawmakers want to focus this session on cuts, prioritizing spending and looking at ways to deliver services more efficiently or differently. Incoming Senate Democratic Leader Berta Gardner said she will consider it a win if education, a major driver of the state’s operating budget, isn’t cut. But she said the way education is funded is open to change, including taking a look at the current per-pupil funding formula.
Alaska doesn’t have a state sales or personal income tax, and Sen. Peter Micciche, R-Soldotna, said he’d like to keep it that way.
“In order to do that, we have two choices, and that is to cut services or ask Alaskans how they want to pay for those services that are outside of our core constitutional responsibility as a state,” he said.
MEDICAID EXPANSION: This is likely to come up as part of the budget debate. As a candidate, Walker pledged to expand Medicaid coverage in Alaska if elected. Medicaid is a program that helps cover health care cost for lower-income people and, like education, is a major budget driver. Walker’s health commissioner, Valerie Davidson, sees expanded coverage as an important investment in the health care of Alaskans and a catalyst for reforming the system to ensure it’s sustainable.
The feds are expected to cover the full cost of expansion through 2016 and the bulk of costs indefinitely, with the state contributing.
This will be Walker’s first session in office and his relationship with the GOP-led Legislature will be watched.
He defeated Republican incumbent Sean Parnell in November. Walker changed his party affiliation from Republican to undeclared in joining forces with Democrat Byron Mallott as part of an “Alaska first” unity ticket. The state Democratic Party has lauded Walker, and Democrats see in him a partner. Walker’s shakeup of the board of the Alaska Gasline Development Corp. riled some Republican lawmakers. But GOP legislative leaders say they’re willing to work with Walker’s administration.
Lawmakers will have to sign off on Walker’s new appointments, including new members of the Cabinet and those he picks to fill the three empty gas line board seats.
Questions about the state’s handling of sexual assault and other allegations of misconduct within the Alaska National Guard overshadowed last year’s gubernatorial race. The Walker administration plans to hire a special investigator to look into the issue. Legislative hearings are also expected.
Voters in November approved legalizing recreational use of marijuana by those 21 and older. Pot consumption becomes legal Feb. 24, but the state has another nine months after that to come up with regulations for the sale of marijuana. Proposals dealing with who oversees the regulation of the industry and the location of shops should get scrutiny this session.
Richest 1% to own more than rest of the world by 2016: Oxfam
PARIS: Wealth accumulated by the richest one percent will exceed that of the other 99 percent in 2016, the Oxfam charity said on Monday, ahead of the annual meeting of the world's most powerful at Davos, Switzerland.
"The scale of global inequality is quite simply staggering and despite the issues shooting up the global agenda, the gap between the richest and the rest is widening fast," Oxfam executive director Winnie Byanyima said.
The richest one percent's share of global wealth increased from 44 percent in 2009 to 48 percent in 2014, the British charity said in a report, adding that it will be more that 50 percent in 2016.
The average wealth per adult in this group is $2.7 million (2.3 million euros), Oxfam said.
Of the remaining 52 percent, almost all - 46 percent - is owned by the rest of the richest fifth of the world's population, leaving the other 80 percent to share just 5.5 percent with an average wealth of $3,851 (3,330 euros) per adult, the report says.
Byanyima, who is to co-chair at the Davos World Economic Forum taking place Wednesday through Friday, urged leaders to take on "vested interests that stand in the way of a fairer and more prosperous world."
Oxfam called upon states to tackle tax evasion, improve public services, tax capital rather than labour, and introduce living minimum wages, among other measures, in a bid to ensure a more equitable distribution of wealth.
The 45th World Economic Forum that runs from Wednesday to Saturday will draw a record number of participants this year with more than 300 heads of state and government attending.
Rising inequality will be competing with other global crises including terrorist threats in Europe, the worst post-Cold War stand-off between Russia and the West and renewed fears of financial turmoil.
France's Francois Hollande, Germany's Angela Merkel and China's Li Keqiang will be among world leaders seeking to chart a path away from fundamentalism towards solidarity.
Italian Prime Minister Matteo Renzi and US Secretary of State John Kerry are also expected.
Beyond geopolitical crises, hot-button issues like the Ebola epidemic, the challenges posed by plunging oil prices and the future of technology will also be addressed at the posh Swiss ski resort.
"The scale of global inequality is quite simply staggering and despite the issues shooting up the global agenda, the gap between the richest and the rest is widening fast," Oxfam executive director Winnie Byanyima said.
The richest one percent's share of global wealth increased from 44 percent in 2009 to 48 percent in 2014, the British charity said in a report, adding that it will be more that 50 percent in 2016.
The average wealth per adult in this group is $2.7 million (2.3 million euros), Oxfam said.
Of the remaining 52 percent, almost all - 46 percent - is owned by the rest of the richest fifth of the world's population, leaving the other 80 percent to share just 5.5 percent with an average wealth of $3,851 (3,330 euros) per adult, the report says.
Byanyima, who is to co-chair at the Davos World Economic Forum taking place Wednesday through Friday, urged leaders to take on "vested interests that stand in the way of a fairer and more prosperous world."
Oxfam called upon states to tackle tax evasion, improve public services, tax capital rather than labour, and introduce living minimum wages, among other measures, in a bid to ensure a more equitable distribution of wealth.
The 45th World Economic Forum that runs from Wednesday to Saturday will draw a record number of participants this year with more than 300 heads of state and government attending.
Rising inequality will be competing with other global crises including terrorist threats in Europe, the worst post-Cold War stand-off between Russia and the West and renewed fears of financial turmoil.
France's Francois Hollande, Germany's Angela Merkel and China's Li Keqiang will be among world leaders seeking to chart a path away from fundamentalism towards solidarity.
Italian Prime Minister Matteo Renzi and US Secretary of State John Kerry are also expected.
Beyond geopolitical crises, hot-button issues like the Ebola epidemic, the challenges posed by plunging oil prices and the future of technology will also be addressed at the posh Swiss ski resort.
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