În total: 25 de falimente bancare în SUA

Inca doua banci americane se adauga pe lista falimentelor de institutii financiare, ridicand astfel numarul total al „victimelor” la 25. Haven Trust Bank din Georgia a fost preluata de agentia Federal Deposit Insurance Corp. si vanduta catre BB&T din Carolina de Nord, care a fost de acord sa preia o parte din activele acesteia, ceea ce ar reprezenta doar 55 milioane dolari din totalul de 572 milioane. Restul, raman in posesia FDIC, care va decide ulteior ce va face cu ele. Din toate sucursalele, noul proprietar va redeschide doar patru situate in Atlanta, acolo unde nu avea reprezentante.

A doua banca ce a fost inchisa este Sanderson State Bank din Texas. Banca a fost preluata de Pecos County State Bank care va redeschide o singura sucursala a acesteia si va prelua active de doar 3,8 milioane de dolari din totalul de 37 milioane. In ambele cazuri, preluarea si redeschiderea se vor efectua foarte rapid, deoarece bancile au fost inchise vineri seara, iar luni vor fi deschise deja o parte dintre sucursalele cu active netoxice sau situate in zone in care insitutia care le-a preluat nu avea sucursale.

Dupa cum se poate observa din valorile activelor, bancile sunt relativ mici, iar perioada falimentelor de rasunet din septembrie si octombrie pare sa se fi dus. S-a ajuns in acest punct deoarece institutii bancare precum cele doua inchise vineri au avut probleme cu creditele imobiliare. In primul rand, s-au expus pe piata derivatelor financiare bazate pe ipoteci de tip subprime, dar au si clienti care au luat credite imobiliare si care au intrat in incapacitate de plata.

cele mai rasunatoare falimente au fost Washington Mutual, banca de economii achizitionata de JPMorgan Chase in septembrie dupa ce depunatorii au retras 16,7 miliarde de dolari in doua saptamani, si Wachovia, a sasea banca americana care a fost nevoita sa fie preluata de Wells Fargo pentru 11,7 miliarde de dolari in vederea evitarii falimentului. De mentionat ca in SUA, FDIC, care joaca rolul fondului de garantare, asigura pana la 250.000 de dolari pe deponent.

Goldman Sachs: petrolul va atinge 30 de dolari la începutul anului următor

Potrivit estimarilor facute de analistii grupului Goldman Sachs, petrolul ar putea sa scada pana la 30 de dolari barilul in primului trimestru al anului viitor. Principalul motiv ar fi reducere a cererii ca urmare a crizei globale si a recesiunii din unele state puternic industrializate care au un consum ridicat de petrol.

In nota trimisa clientilor, Goldman Sachs a mai precizat ca este de asteptat ca OPEC sa mai reeduca productia si la inceputul anului uramtor cu doua milioane de barili pe zi in plus fata de reducerea asteptata pentru aceasta luna. Totusi, piata s-ar „rebalansa” numai daca si tarile din afara OPEC ar urma sa reduca productia cu 600.000 de barili pe zi.

Previziunile Goldman Sachs de acum au valori mai mici decat ultimele estimari facute in primul semestru al acestui an. Acele date indicau o cotatie a barilului de 60 de dolari pentru primul trimestru al lui 2009. De asemenea, in ultimul raport, valoarea medie a petrolului pentru anul urmator ar fi de 45 de dolari, asta in timp ce in analiza anterioara se prognoza o valoarea de 80 de dolari.

In prezent, petrolul este cotat la 46,28 de dolari la New York si de 46,41 de dolari la Londra. Valorile sunt cu aproape 100 de dolari mai mici decat cotatia record din iulie, de 147,27 de dolari.

EU split over response to economic woes

Europe’s deepening economic problems dominate the EU summit in Brussels. But big differences of opinion have emerged on how to respond. Germany has criticised countries for rushing into untested economic rescue packages,but in Brussels Chancellor Angela Merkel took a more conciliatory tone.

She said: “We support all necessary efforts to stimulate and strengthen the economy, we support the European Commission’s proposal to devote 1.5 percent of Europe’s gross domestic product to that. We think every country should do what it thinks necessary. Germany has already taken a first step. On that we’re in full agreement with the Commission. The most important thing for us in Germany is protecting jobs.”

Moves by British leader Gordon Brown have not found favour with Germany’s Finance Minister Peer Steinbrueck. Brown’s decision to slash value added tax in the UK was strongly criticised by Steinbrueck in an interview with Newsweek magazine. He said: “All that will do is raise Britain’s debt to a level that will take a whole generation to work off.”

A Brown ally, former Treasury specialist Ed Balls, replied that Germany’s ability to respond to the global economic downturn is being hampered by domestic politics. He added: “Once the politics in Germany is resolved they will be acting with us too.”

Greens say climate pact up in smoke

Some politicians boast the EU now has unrivalled credibility in environmental policy. Others say the bloc has betrayed its ambitions. World talks on climate change are scheduled one year from now. At least the EU can claim a clear negotiating position. It is telling other major polluters, the US first, ‘you can do it too’.

The main greenhouse gas reduction targets are, by 2020, to cut the EU’s emissions by a fifth, compared to 1990 levels, draw 20 percent of energy from renewable sources and improve efficiency by 20 percent.

Industries which use heaps of energy pleaded for mercy, saying care-free rivals abroad would outperform them. Therefore, under the plan approved by the leaders, European industries exposed to international competition will receive free emissions permits if they face a five percent increase in costs. That is not much of an emission-cutting incentive, the critics say. Brussels answers, ‘It is just for starters, the limits will tighten up gradually, not to worry.’

But one of the European Parliament’s most vocal green campaigners, Claude Turmes, said something is wrong: “Ninety-six percent of industrial manufacturers in Europe won’t have to pay for their pollution! Four percent will apply the polluter pays principle! It’s just not logical!”

The measures need the European Parliament’s approval to become law. Some of its members will push to reject them as too weak. Certain environmentalists are describing them as an embarrassment.

Câştigătorii crizei financiare: condamnaţii la moarte

Condamnatii la moarte se numara printre cei care au beneficii de pe urma crizei financiare din SUA. Ei au de castigat… o viata mai lunga, deoarece bugelele unor state americane au tot restrans din cheltuieli, astfel incat nu mai au bani sa finanteze executiile.

Concret, dupa sentinta de condamnare la moarte, este de la sine inteles ca urmeaza un apel, care in majoritatea cazurilor presupune repetarea procesului judiciar in speranta apararii ca va putea obtine o sentinta mai usoara, precum condamnarea pe viata. Astfel, se ajunge in situatia bizara in care efectuarea unei pedepse de zeci de ani in penitenciar devine o solutie mai ieftina decat executia (reluarea procesului plus executia propriu-zisa).

Statele puse in dificila situatie de a repinge o condamnare la moarte sunt New Mexico si Utah. Ca un exemplu al dimensiunii financiare, statul California a cheltuit pana acum 200 milioane de dolari pentru a executa 671 de infractori.

Greek shop owners count cost of riots

Greek shop owners are counting their losses after nearly a week of riots in the capital Athens and the rest of the country.

The violence has turned the capital’s entire commercial centre into a mess of smashed glass, burnt plastic and vandalised stores. The damage is estimated at around 200 million euros.

The managing director of the Sprider Stores chain said the cost was huge: “The store suffered great damage, between four and five million euros’ worth. It was completely burnt. Nothing has been left standing, even the roof collapsed. The merchandise and equipment were burnt. There is nothing left,” said Haralambos Xylouris.

The riots were sparked by the fatal police shooting of a 15-year old boy last weekend. Two police officers charged over the killing say the shot was fired in self-defence at rock-throwing youths.

“Since Monday, the shops have been empty in Athens,” said the vice-president of the Athens Trading Association, Andreas Triantafilidis. “If it goes on like this, I can’t imagine the damage to small-and medium-sized businesses. Combined with the economic crisis and the problems faced by the banks, the damage is unimaginable.”

A survey published before the riots showed nearly 40 percent of businesses were planning personnel cuts due to the economic crisis. The government has said it will compensate the shop-owners affected and pay the salaries of employees forced out of work in the weeks ahead.

EU leaders move on climate, recession and Lisbon

Europe has proudly adopted the strictest rules in the world to reduce carbon emissions and get smart with energy. Although green groups were horrified at the exemptions granted to push the deal through, French President Nicolas Sarkozy said: “This is quite historic.” He and the other EU leaders at a summit in Brussels also agreed on concessions aimed at getting the Irish to vote again on the Lisbon Treaty. “The process is relaunched,” Sarkozy said. “The Irish will be consulted once again. We have all decided that if the Lisbon Treaty is ratified by all the member states, each one will have a Commissioner.”

The climate pact comes with exemptions, to avoid hurting European industries. To cushion the impact on nine eastern European countries, notably Poland – highly dependent on coal – the EU’s emissions trading scheme will subsidise the modernisation of their power sectors. Otherwise, they argued, the curbs’ rebound on consumers would be devastating.

Sarkozy said: “A country like Poland, with 38 million people, 95 percent reliant on coal… if we didn’t give the country a chance to spread the effort out over time, Poles would face a two-to-three-hundred percent rise in electricity prices. That’s not possible. That’s not socially acceptable.”

The easterners’ power sectors will only pay for a portion of their emissions quotas starting in 2013, rising to 100 percent in 2020. Britain secured more funding to research burying carbon in old gas fields. National economic stimulus plans totalling 200 billion euros got the green light, some of that from EU funds, plus five billion for the car sector.

Bechtel scandalizează Albania cu preţul mare solicitat pentru construirea unei autostrăzi

Numele companiei Bechtel se afla in mijlocul unui scandal in ceea ce priveste constructia unei autostrazi si in alta tara din regiune. In Albania, procuratura l-a acuzat pe un fost ministru al Transporturilor de abuz in serviciu in procesul de selectare a constructorului. Lulzim Basha (in prezent ministru de Externe) este suspectat de selectarea ilegala a consortiului Bechtel-Enka pentru constructia unui segment din autostrada Durres-Kukes.

Acuzatiile sunt destul de grave, deoarece castigarea contractului de catre Bechtel-Enka pentru cea mai scumpa portiune din autostrada a cauzat bugetului de stat albanez pierderi de 114 milioane euro. Suma este imensa pentru puterea financiara a micii tari balcanice. Fostul ministru al Transporturilor a afirmat ca este nevinovat si ca procesul care i s-a intentat este unul politic.

Ca o coincidenta, informatia vine dupa stirea de ieri din Macedonia, potrivit careia fostul premier a primit trei ani si jumatate de inchisoare pentru frauda si abuz in serviciu.

Surse: Shqip, Gazeta Shqiptare, Tema (Albania)

Merkel, înfrântă la Bruxelles?

Cu doar cateva zile in urma, cancelarul german Angela Merkel declara ca normele de poluare nu vor fi puse in aplicare sub nicio forma daca acest lucru va afecta sectoarele cheie din industria germana.

Astazi, la Bruxelles, Merkel a spus „da” planului privind reducerea cu 20% a emisiilor de CO2 pana in 2020, adaugand ca intalnirea de astazi a constituit un summit „bun, plin de succese si interesant”.

Presa germana a observat ca in toata aceasta perioada de 6 luni, cat a durat presedintia franceza a Uniunii Europene, Merkel isi facuse un obicei de a se pune impotriva propunerilor facute de Franta prin vocea lui Sarkozy, motiv pentru care a si fost numita „Doamna Nu”.

La randul sau, Nicolas Sarkozy a declarat: „Toti am reusit sa ne punem de acord cu privire la un plan”, adaugand ca „incepem sa schimbam modul in care realizam unele lucruri in Europa – vorbim mai putin si muncim mai mult”.

De la 1 ianuarie 2009, Cehia va prelua de la Franta presedintia Uniunii Europene, functie pe care o va detine timp de 6 luni.

Sursa: thelocal.de

„Acord istoric” privind climatul

Un „acord istoric” a fost incheiat astazi intre cele 27 de state membre privind pachetul „energie-climat”, a declarat Nicolas Sarkozy.

Acest consiliu european „va ramane in istoria Europei”, a aratat presedintele in exercitiu al Uniunii Europene.

Referindu-se la deciziile luate astazi in cadrul consiliului, presedintele Romaniei, Traian Basescu, a afirmat la rnadul sau, ca a reusit sa serveasca interesul national.

Denumita si „20/20/20“, initiativa Comisiei Europene (CE) se refera la angajamentul UE de a reduce, pana in 2020, cu 20%, emisiile de gaze cu efect de sera, fata de anul 1990 (respectiv cu 14% fata de 2005), de a utiliza energie regenerabila in proportie de 20% din consumul total de energie si de a creste cu 20% eficienta energetica. Dar aplicarea setului de masuri implica anumite costuri atat pe plan economic, cat si social.

Industriile care emit cele mai mari cantitati de emisii de CO2 vor trebui sa-si cumpere dreptul sa polueze pe o piata financiara.

Pachetul legislativ aferent acestui acord va trebui sa treaca prin Parlamentul European in cursul saptamanii viitoare.