Thursday 4 Feb 2010 News
Delayed decision for Garry Mann
The European Court of Human Rights has delayed the decision on whether Garry Mann should be extradited to Portugal pending the result of a final judicial hearing at the High Court, which is due to be held at the end of March.. The 51 year old England football fan from Faversham, Kent was said to be frustrated by the decision. The Portuguese judicial system is seeking the extradition of Mann back to Portugal under a fast track European warrant because he did not serve his two year jail sentence in the UK.
Speculation about EU departures
The European Commission has approved plans by the Greek government to deal with its budget deficit but concerns have been raised long term about Greece and Portugal among others. Questions have been asked about the possibility of Greece, Portugal, Spain and Ireland leaving the EU altogether. While the president of the European Central Bank, President Jean-Claude Trichet, said: "I don't comment on absurd speculation", a working paper on the Central Bank’s website details comments by Phoebus Athanassiou about the possibility of secession from the EU and infers that he is not just referring to Greece. A voluntary departure from the euro could be advantageous as the country concerned would then be free to devaluate its currency and set its own interest rates to improve competitiveness but it obviously comes with major disadvantages as well.
Stefan GP is planning to test its new car on the new race track in Portimão this month while they wait for the possibility of a withdrawal from the sport by one of the other teams currently signed up to race in 2010, creating an opening in Formula One. The identity of drivers is yet to be disclosed creating speculation as to the identity. It has been confirmed that the first of the two drivers has had two years experience in F1.
Following months of speculation, it was announced yesterday that the Red Bull Air Race will be in Lisbon not Porto next year. In spite of intense objections from officials in Porto, a vote was taken and a majority reached by the council chamber in the capital.
Economic plans under the microscope
Greece’s economic proposals to reduce its deficit and balance the country’s finances over the coming few years have been supported by the European Commission but will be monitored closely.
The country’s deficit is over four times that permitted in the eurozone and it will have to find €53 mill just to finance its debt for one year. The European Commission’s actions represent the highest level of interference that the EU has ever experienced, but the fears are that with one country’s finances out of control, the financial markets may shun other eurozone countries in trouble.
The Commission has recognised that tackling Greece’s debt would be difficult politically as well as being technically complex. The monitoring will flag up when additional action might be necessary. It is recognised that figures submitted in previous years have not always been accurate and that the Commission failed to take action.
Current Greek plants are to reduce the budget shortfall from 12.7 per cent to under 3 per cent by 2012, although many fear this goal can not be reached. Analysts say that productivity must be enhanced, as well as reducing costs, while even the Greek prime minister has stated that widespread tax evasion in the public sector has dogged the country.
Public sector workers are planning a strike next week and fears are that future protests may turn violent.
No summit without Obama
The European Union has postponed its planned US-Europe summit in Spain following President Obama’s decision this week not to attend.
The event in Madrid was set to be the highlight of Spain’s presidency of the EU and the cancellation was viewed as humiliating, more so since Spain heard the news indirectly through the media. White House aides said President Obama had been on six European visits in 2009 including a US-EU summit in Prague as well as one in Washington DC.
Some analysts interpret events as a snub to EU hopes of boosting its global role, especially after the appointment of a president and foreign policy head to ensure that the 27 nation group speaks with one voice. Some European fear President Obama is lessening his interests in Europe and concentrating instead on China and Russia, but others say he simply has interests at home to attend to.
Webcam saves a life
A life was saved thanks to a woman 300 kilometres away who was viewing the sunset in the area on a webcam.
The German tourist, in his 40s, became lost after sunset on a frozen sea in northern Germany and in desperation flashed his camera. The woman viewer spotted the flashes and alerted authorities who were able to rescue the man.
The beach area of St Peter-Ording is a popular tourist destination because of its beaches and sailing. Residents are aware of the risk of disorientation after dark, but the frequently vivid sunsets over frozen landscapes lure tourists and photographers where they face the risk of freezing or falling into the ice. The coast, covered in snow, is difficult to discern after dark.
Toyota problems deepen
Drivers in both the United States and Japan have reported problems experienced with the brakes on Toyota’s latest version of the Prius auto.
Toyota, the world’s largest auto manufacturer, said it was investigating the claims from 100 individuals in the US and 14 in Japan. Three drivers said the brake problems caused crashes which resulted in injuries.
In recent weeks over eight million Toyota vehicles around the world have been recalled owing to potential problems with brakes or with accelerator pedals getting stuck in the floor mats, although the manufacturer claims the chance of finding a flaw remain slim. Nevertheless, the huge recall could cost it up to 1.25bn in lost output and sales. The most recent figures reveal that sales in the US plummeted by 16 per cent and its US market share fell to its lowest level since January 2006.
