Chaos-Wahl in Italien..... Die Angst vor der Euro-Krise ist zurück

Riesen-Fragezeichen nach der Chaos-Wahl in Italien: Große Koalition oder Neuwahlen? Das Krisenland scheint unregierbar. In Europa schürt das Patt die Angst vor dem Aufflammen der Euro-Krise.

Das Patt nach der Protest-Wahl in Italien schürt Ängste vor einem Wiederaufflammen der Euro-Schuldenkrise. Die drohende Regierungsunfähigkeit schockierte am Dienstag Politik und Börsen. Bundeskanzlerin Angela Merkel appellierte an das Verantwortungsbewusstsein der italienischen Politiker. Sie seien in der Pflicht, die richtigen Entscheidungen zu treffen und für das Land und Europa das Beste aus dem knappen Ergebnis zu machen.

Греческие археологи начинают раскопки древнего театра в Сикионе/Το αρχαίο θέατρο της Σικυώνας ξανά στο φως

 Театр в Сикионе был одним из крупнейших в древности - здесь было около 10 тысяч мест, в театре проходили не только соревнования на лучшую драму, но и собрания граждан.
МОСКВА, 23 фев — РИА Новости. Центральный археологический совет Греции согласовал программу раскопок, восстановления и защиты древнего театра в Сикионе — городе на северо-западе Пелопоннеса, сообщает Афинское агентство новостей. Предполагается, что после завершения проекта театр вновь будет работать.

German industry, government planning for resource wars

By Peter Schwarz
20 February 2013

A year ago, leading German industrial companies launched the Resource Alliance (Rohstoffallianz) for the purpose of securing the supply of selected raw materials for its shareholders and corporate members. To achieve this goal, it is calling for the use of military assets.
In an interview with Reuters on Monday, the manager of the Resource Alliance, Dierk Paskert, called for “a strategically oriented foreign economic and security policy” to ensure the supply of raw materials for German business.
Although this policy should be guided by the “objective of free and transparent commodity markets,” Paskert said, “it would be naive to take this for granted in the near future.” Developments had moved in “exactly the opposite direction, unfortunately.” Therefore, Paskert concluded, “we [Germany], together with our partners in the EU and NATO, must take on more responsibility in foreign economic and security matters.”

Human intelligence is declining according to Stanford geneticist

Ever can’t help but think you’re surrounded by idiots? A leading scientist at Stanford University thinks he has the answer, and the bad news is things aren’t likely to get any better.
Dr. Gerald Crabtree, a geneticist at Stanford, has published a study that he conducted to try and identify the progression of modern man’s intelligence. As it turns out, however, Dr. Crabtree’s research led him to believe that the collective mind of mankind has been on more or a less a downhill trajectory for quite some time.
According to his research, published in two parts starting with last year’s ‘Our fragile intellect. Part I,’ Dr. Crabtree thinks unavoidable changes in the genetic make-up coupled with modern technological advances has left humans, well, kind of stupid. He has recently published his follow-up analysis, and in it explains that of the roughly 5,000 genes he considered the basis for human intelligence, a number of mutations over the years has forced modern man to be only a portion as bright as his ancestors.

La NASA descarta que el meteorito y el asteroide estén relacionados....

Según los científicos de la NASA, “la trayectoria del meteorito que ha caído en Rusia es significativamente diferente de la trayectoria del asteroide 2012 DA14, lo que supone que se trata de objetos que no tienen ninguna relación”. Todavía se está recopilando información del primero y los análisis son aún preliminares, añade la agencia espacial estadounidense. “En los vídeos se ve cómo el meteorito pasa de izquierda a derecha frente al Sol elevándose, lo que significa que estaba viajando de Norte a Sur, mientras que la trayectoria del asteroide 2012 DA14 va en la dirección opuesta, de Sur a Norte”.

Los datos que van obteniendo los científicos se inclinan claramente hacia descartar que se trate de objetos relacionados y se han hecho estimaciones de la masa y tamaño del meteorito de Siberia.

МИД: Россия готова обсуждать в СБ ООН новые санкции против КНДР

Россия готова обсуждать в Совете безопасности ООН введение дополнительных санкций в отношении КНДР в связи с проведением Пхеньяном ядерных испытаний. Об этом 14 февраля заявил на брифинге официальный представитель МИД РФ Александр Лукашевич.
По его словам, на данный момент каких-либо конкретных проектов резолюций по КНДР с предложением дополнительного санкционного воздействия на обсуждение в Совбезе ООН не предлагалось. «Если они появятся, то будем рассматривать с учётом той жёсткой реакции, которая была сформулирована на внеочередном заседании Совета безопасности после произведённого ядерного испытания», — сказал дипломат.

DPRK calls nuclear test "self-defense" against U.S. hostility

PYONGYANG, Feb. 12 (Xinhua) -- The Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK) said Tuesday that its nuclear test was an act of self-defense against the United States' hostility.
It is "natural just measure for self-defense to react to the U.S. ever-increasing nuclear threat with nuclear deterrence," a spokesman for the DPRK's Foreign Ministry said in a statement released by the official news agency KCNA.
The DPRK's patience has "reached its limit as the U.S. intensified such hostile act", the spokesman said, warning to "take the second and third stronger steps in succession" if the U.S., its "sworn enemy," continues hostility.

Was the euro ever "about to collapse"?

Hong Kong (CNN) -- Less than six months ago, eurozone watchers had been predicting the breakup of the 17-member bloc of nations as the euro plunged to a 25-month low against the U.S. dollar last July.

Even as recently as November, Warren Buffett, the famed CEO of Berkshire Hathaway, said of the eurozone's future that "it's hard to tell exactly how it comes out."

But since then, the euro has appreciated nearly 11% as its member countries battled to contain sovereign debt crises, rising unemployment and social unrest. The euro now stands at a 13-month high against the greenback.

"Benoît XVI avait évoqué à deux reprises l'hypothèse d'une démission"

Dans un chat au Monde.fr, Stéphanie Le Bars, qui suit les religions pour Le Monde, a répondu aux questions des internautes du Monde.fr sur la renonciation du pape.
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Cette renonciation crée-t-elle un précédent ?
Stéphanie Le Bars : Cela crée un précédent que ses successeurs pourront reprendre à leur compte s'ils partagent la même conception que Benoît XVI ; comme l'a dit André Vingt-Trois, l'archevêque de Paris, "le pape a brisé un tabou, sa démission constitue un acte libérateur pour l'avenir et pour ses successeurs".

2012 DA14: Too close for comfort

It's an asteroid, it's called 2012 DA14, it was only discovered last year, it is going to pass by Earth on Friday of next week (February 15) and it is going to set a record for a close miss of a space object. This monster is approaching at 4.8 miles per second. However, there is good news. It isn't going to hit... so they say.
The Russian Federal Space Agency (Federal'noe Kosmicheskoe Agentsvo) confirms that the object will fly near the Earth on February 16 MSK time, between approximately twenty to twenty-five miles from our planet (nearest point 17,200 miles). This is lower than some geostationary satellites and even closer than the upcoming near-impact with the Doomsday Asteroid, Apophis, scheduled for 2029.

N Korea threatens ‘stronger’ measures than nuclear test

SEOUL — North Korea’s state media said yesterday that its authoritarian regime may do something “stronger than a nuclear test” to respond to what it called signs that it is about to be attacked by the United States.
North Korea routinely warns its people that the US and South Korea are on the verge of invading it.

But yesterday’s statement adds to a series of criticisms and warnings directed at the US that have escalated steadily over the past two weeks.

China frigate locked radar on Japan navy/Ο κινεζικός στόλος σημάδεψε ιαπωνικό σκάφος-Senkaku/Diaoyu issue

A Chinese military frigate locked weapons-targeting radar on a Japanese navy vessel, Tokyo's defence minister said Tuesday, in an apparent upping of the stakes in a bitter territorial row. The move, described by the minister and a Japanese analyst as "dangerous", marks the first time the two nation's navies have locked horns in a dispute that has some commentators warning about a possible armed conflict. "On January 30, something like fire-control radar was directed at a Japan Self-Defense Maritime escort ship in the East China Sea," Itsunori Onodera told reporters in Tokyo. "The defence ministry today confirmed radar for targeting was used." Onodera said a Japanese military helicopter was also locked with a similar radar on January 19. He did not specify whether the helicopter was airborne or on the deck of a ship at the time.

USA und Südkorea starten dreitägiges Manöver

Nordkorea testet eine Langstreckenrakete. Die Sanktionen folgen prompt. Nun kündigt Pjöngjang verklausuliert einen Atomtest an - und der Westen reagiert erneut: Eine Militärübung wird angesetzt.

Vor dem Hintergrund der jüngsten Atomtestdrohung Nordkoreas starten die USA und Südkorea am Montag ein gemeinsames Marine-Manöver. Die auf drei Tage angesetzte Militärübung soll im Japanischen Meer nahe der südkoreanischen Hafenstadt Pohang beginnen. An der Übung ist nach Angaben aus Seoul auch ein Atom-U-Boot der USA beteiligt. 

Turkish PM slams Israel over Syria attack

Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan accused Israel of waging "state terrorism" after it struck targets in Syria.
Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan has accused Israel of waging "state terrorism" as he condemned the air
strike on Syria as an unacceptable violation of international law.
"Those who have been treating Israel like a spoilt child should expect anything from them, at any time," said Erdogan on Sunday.
"As I say time and again, Israel has a mentality of waging state terrorism. Right now, there is no telling what it might do and where it might do it," he told reporters.

"Krieg gegen Terrorismus" Mali? Uran aus Niger und Erdgas aus Algerien

Frankreich wird wegen seines Militäreinsatzes in Mali vorgehalten, es gehe dabei im Grunde um handfeste wirtschaftliche Interessen. Paris bestreitet das. Droht ein Flächenbrand?

Frankreich wird wegen seines Militäreinsatzes in Mali häufig vorgehalten, es gehe dabei im Grunde um handfeste wirtschaftliche Interessen. Paris bestreitet dies vehement, verteidigt seinen "Krieg gegen den Terrorismus" aber mit dem Hinweis, dass die Islamisten in Mali eine Gefahr für die Stabilität der gesamten Region seien. Vor allem das Nachbarland Niger ist für Frankreich wegen seiner Uranvorkommen von strategischer Bedeutung. Aber auch in Algerien oder Libyen, wo es regelmäßig Attacken von Islamisten gibt, stehen westliche Wirtschaftsinteressen auf dem Spiel.

Chinese fishing boat captain nabbed for illegal fishing in Japan EEZ/Japan coast guard says detains Chinese fishing boat near Okinawa

(Reuters) - Japan's coast guard detained a Chinese fishing boat near the southern Japanese island of Okinawa on Saturday and arrested the captain for collecting coral illegally, a coast guard official said.
The vessel was detained off Miyako Island, some 150 km (95 miles) from islands in the East China Sea at the centre of a territorial dispute between the two countries, and about 400 km (250 miles) east of Taipei.
A long-simmering row over the East China Sea islands, known as the Senkaku in Japan and the Diaoyu in China, has in recent months escalated to the point where both sides have scrambled fighter jets while patrol ships shadow each other in nearby seas.