Approval from the Committee on Foreign Investment in the United States

T-Mobile US (NASDAQ: TMUS) and Sprint Corporation (NYSE: S) today announced that the companies have successfully received approval from the Committee on Foreign Investment in the United States (CFIUS) for their proposed merger transaction. Additionally, the U.S. Department of Justice, Department of Homeland Security, and Department of Defense, collectively referred to as Team Telecom, submitted a filing with the FCC that it has reviewed the transaction pertaining to potential national security, law enforcement, and public safety issues. Team Telecom confirmed it has no objections to the merger and has withdrawn its request to defer action on the transaction.“We are pleased to achieve both of these important milestones in the journey to build the New T-Mobile. We are a step closer to offering customers a supercharged disruptor that will create jobs from day one and deliver a real alternative to fixed broadband while delivering the first broad and deep nationwide 5G network for the United States,” said John Legere, Chief Executive Officer of T-Mobile. “These approvals assure the strong partnership both companies have with the U.S. government will continue with the New T-Mobile. We look forward to continuing our discussions with the remaining regulatory agencies reviewing our transaction to share our story and subsequently achieve similar positive results.”The completion of the combination remains subject to regulatory approvals and certain other customary closing conditions, and is expected to occur during the first half of 2019. Additional information regarding T-Mobile’s merger with Sprint can be found at: http://www.NewTMobile.com.

Reply Acquires a Majority Share in Valorem and Extends Its Presence in the United States

REPLY [MTA, STAR: REY] has strengthened its presence in the North American market with the investment in Valorem (www.valorem.com), a US-based company that specialises in Digital Strategy consulting and the implementation of Cloud, Analytics, and differentiated User Experiences.
Valorem, with more than 300 people distributed among the main offices in Kansas City, Seattle St. Louis and Kochi (India) is a leader in the cloud design and value-added Digital Strategy and execution services based on Microsoft’s Cloud Offerings, with major international groups such as Boeing, Intel, Jeppesen, Microsoft and Red Bull among its customer portfolio.The investment in Valorem further enhances Reply’s international growth strategy, particularly in the United States where the Group already has offices in Chicago and Detroit.Justin Jackson and Domnick Parretta, will take on the role of Partners at Reply and will focus their efforts on expanding Valorem and the Reply Group’s presence in North America.“Valorem”, stated Mario Rizzante, Chairman of Reply “is characterised by a strong entrepreneurial drive and a constant focus on technological innovation. Together, we will create an optimal platform that will allow Reply to further develop its business presence in the United States, the leading global market for IT services”. Domnick Parretta, CEO of Valorem, commented “We are incredibly excited to join the Reply Network. Reply’s clear focus on People, Customer Success, and Digital Innovation fit perfectly with our culture and mission at Valorem. We have an opportunity to deliver truly transformational value to our clients”.

The United States and the Middle East in historical and political perspective Roma

Lunedì 5 Giugno 2017, ore 10:00 / 7 Giugno 2017 Dipartimento di Scienze Politiche Via Chiabrera 199. Il seminario, tenuto dal prof. Yossi Shain e realizzato nell’ambito del corso The United States and the World in the 20th and 21st centuries, vuole offrire agli studenti del percorso magistrale in International Studies la possibilità di approfondire un tema centrale nelle relazioni internazionali oggi.Yossi Shain, docente di Scienze Politiche all’ Università di Tel Aviv e alla Georgetown University di Washington, approfondisce l’analisi sulla politica degli Stati Uniti in Medio Oriente sia in prospettiva storica che in quella delle relazioni internazionali. Gli incontri seminariali non prendono in esame solo il conflitto israelo-palestinese, ma affrontano più in generale le tensioni e i problemi che attraversano i paesi del MO nella attuale difficile fase storica, con particolare riferimento al cambio radicale che la nuova amministrazione americana sembra voler imprimere alle relazioni internazionali, e in particolar modo nei sui rapporti con Israele e i paesi arabi.

World Population Projections

The current world population of 7.3 billion is expected to reach 8.5 billion by 2030, 9.7 billion in 2050 and 11.2 billion in 2100, according to a new United Nations report, “World Population Prospects: The 2015 Revision”, launched today. “Understanding the demographic changes that are likely to unfold over the coming years, as well as the challenges and opportunities that they present for achieving sustainable development, is key to the design and implementation of the new development agenda,” said Wu Hongbo, UN Under-Secretary-General for Economic and Social Affairs. Most of the projected increase in the world’s population can be attributed to a short list of high-fertility countries, mainly in Africa, or countries with already large populations. During 2015-2050, half of the world’s population growth is expected to be concentrated in nine countries: India, Nigeria, Pakistan, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Ethiopia, United Republic of Tanzania, United States of America (USA), Indonesia and Uganda, listed according to the size of their contribution to the total growth. China and India remain the two largest countries in the world, each with more than 1 billion people, representing 19 and 18 % of the world’s population, respectively. But by 2022, the population of India is expected to surpass that of China. Currently, among the ten largest countries in the world, one is in Africa (Nigeria), five are in Asia (Bangladesh, China, India, Indonesia, and Pakistan), two are in Latin America (Brazil and Mexico), one is in Northern America (USA), and one is in Europe (Russian Federation). Of these, Nigeria’s population, currently the seventh largest in the world, is growing the most rapidly. Consequently, the population of Nigeria is projected to surpass that of the United States by about 2050, at which point it would become the third largest country in the world. By 2050, six countries are expected to exceed 300 million: China, India, Indonesia, Nigeria, Pakistan, and the USA. With the highest rate of population growth, Africa is expected to account for more than half of the world’s population growth between 2015 and 2050. During this period, the populations of 28 African countries are projected to more than double, and by 2100, ten African countries are projected to have increased by at least a factor of five: Angola, Burundi, Democratic Republic of Congo, Malawi, Mali, Niger, Somalia, Uganda, United Republic of Tanzania and Zambia. “The concentration of population growth in the poorest countries presents its own set of challenges, making it more difficult to eradicate poverty and inequality, to combat hunger and malnutrition, and to expand educational enrolment and health systems, all of which are crucial to the success of the new sustainable development agenda,” said John Wilmoth, Director of the Population Division in the UN’s Department of Economic and Social Affairs. While there is always some degree of uncertainty surrounding any projection, the large number of young people in Africa, who will reach adulthood in the coming years and start having children of their own, ensures that the region will play a central role in shaping the size and distribution of the world’s population over the coming decades. Future population growth is highly dependent on the path that future fertility will take, as relatively small changes in fertility behaviour, when projected over decades, can generate large differences in total population. In recent years, fertility has declined in virtually all areas of the world, even in Africa where fertility levels remain the highest of any major area.
The slowdown in population growth, due to the overall reduction in fertility, causes the proportion of older persons to increase over time. Globally the number of persons aged 60 or above is expected to more than double by 2050 and more than triple by 2100. A significant ageing of the population in the next several decades is projected for most regions of the world, starting with Europe where 34 % of the population is projected to be over 60 years old by 2050. In Latin America and the Caribbean and in Asia, the population will be transformed from having 11% to 12% of people over 60 years old today to more than 25% by 2050. Africa has the youngest age distribution of any major area, but it is also projected to age rapidly, with the population aged 60 years or over rising from 5% today to 9% by 2050. Life expectancy at birth has increased significantly in the least developed countries in recent years. The six-year average gain in life expectancy among the poorest countries, from 56 years in 2000-2005 to 62 years in 2010-2015, is roughly double the increase recorded for the rest of the world. While significant differences in life expectancy across major areas and income groups are projected to continue, they are expected to diminish significantly by 2045-2050. Progress in reducing under-five mortality, one of the MDG targets, has been very significant and wide-reaching in recent years. Between 2000-2005 and 2010-2015, under-five mortality fell by more than 30% in 86 countries, of which 13 countries saw a decline of more than 50%. In the same time period, the rate decreased by more than 20% in 156 countries. Populations in many parts of the world are still young, creating an opportunity for countries to capture a demographic dividend
Populations in many regions are still young. In Africa, children under age 15 account for 41% of the population in 2015 and young persons aged 15 to 24 account for a further 19%. Latin America and the Caribbean and Asia, which have seen greater declines in fertility, have smaller percentages of children (26 and 24 %, respectively) and similar percentages of youth (17 and 16%, respectively). In total, these three regions are home to 1.7 billion children and 1.1 billion young persons in 2015. These children and young people are future workers and parents, who can help to build a brighter future for their countries. Providing them with health care, education and employment opportunities, particularly in the poorest countries and groups, will be a critical focus of the new sustainable development agenda.
The 2015 Revision of World Population Prospects is the 24th round of official UN population estimates and projections that have been prepared by the Population Division of the United Nations Department of Economic and Social Affairs. The 2015 Revision builds on the previous revision by incorporating additional results from the 2010 round of national population censuses, as well as findings from recent specialized demographic and health surveys that have been carried out around the world. The 2015 Revision provides the demographic data and indicators to assess population trends at the global, regional and national levels and to calculate many other key indicators commonly used by the UN system.

Panel: EU-US trade talks should remove unfair tax bite on European brewers

English: Constituency for the European Parliament election in 2009 Español: Mapa por el Elecciones al Parlamento Europeo de 2009 Français : Circonscriptions aux élections européennes en 2009 (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

BRUSSELS, EU-US trade talks should create a more level playing field by removing taxes on European brewers from which their American competitors are exempt, said panellists at the 4,500-strong Brewers of Europe’s annual Beer Serves Europe gala highlighting a sector that supports 2 million jobs.Whilst the EU sets a level playing field and the reduced excise tax rate permitted by the EU for small brewers is available also to small US brewers importing to the EU, the equivalent small brewer tax relief in the US only applies to domestically-produced beer, putting EU brewers exporting to the US at an important disadvantage, Brigid Simmonds OBE, Chief Executive of the British Beer & Pub Association, told the gathering on Wednesday.“If you are an EU small brewer, you get nothing when you go to the US,” said Simmonds. “And we’re clearly asking our own governments and the EU that we would like this to change, and as part of TTIP,” she said, referring to the talks toward a Transatlantic Trade and Investment Partnership (TTIP).“This is a very good example where industry needs to help us to make that case stronger in the discussions,” said panellist Salvatore D’Acunto, Head of Unit, Food and Health Care Industries, Biotechnology, at the European Commission’s DG Enterprise and Industry. “So we are absolutely open to take that on board, and to open the discussions with the US counterparts on this.” A representative of the European Economic and Social Committee told the gathering that cash-strapped governments should think twice about higher taxes on the brewing sector, a message from the EESC’s Opinion released in October.“I think the brewing industry is one of the thumping bags of governments,” said Edwin Calleja from Malta. “It’s the easy way how a government can really pick up a lot of money in a financial year through a slight increase in the excise tax. This industry is very vulnerable.”Representatives from the EU Institutions, industry and the media also discussed the new EY report on ‘The Contribution made by Beer to the European Economy’, which says that the EU brewing sector is responsible for 2 million jobs, representing 1% of all EU jobs. Beer is a vital part of a long value chain; around 1.4 million jobs in the hospitality sector are sustained by beer, with a further 600,000 jobs being created in other interdependent sectors such as retail, farming and services.“Beer is a driver for the European economy and a major job creator that goes far beyond breweries. For every 1 job in a brewery, there is 1 in agriculture, 1 in packaging and logistics, 1 in marketing, 1 in retail and 11 in the hospitality sector,” Demetrio Carceller, President of The Brewers of Europe, said in his keynote speech.Whilst there are signs of the sector returning to health, with both EU production and consumption showing slight growth over the last two years, beer market value growth still lags behind inflation whilst a further 4% of the jobs sustained by brewing were lost. This loss of almost 84,000 jobs was driven by sharp increases in VAT (+9%) and excise duty (+9%) taxes levied across EU Member States, pushing an increasing proportion of beer consumption away from the labour-intensive hospitality sector.

Civil Liberties Committee Inquiry on electronic mass surveillance of EU citizens

The emblem of the PACE (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

Meeting on Monday 9 December from 19.30 to 21.30 Strasbourg Room: Louise Weiss(LOW) N1.3The hearing will be webstreamed here
SESSION I: Rebuilding trust on EU-US data flows
19:30 – 19:50 Presentation by Ms Viviane Reding, Vice President of the European Commission, of:
The Commission Communications on the EU-US data flows, the functioning of US Safe Harbour and the report on Transatlantic Group of Experts
State of play on the Data Protection Package
19:50 – 20:45 Questions & Answers
SESSION II: Council of Europe Resolution 1954 (2013) on “National security and access to information”
20:45 – 20:55 Statement by Mr Arcadio Díaz Tejera, Member of the Spanish Senate, Member of the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe and rapporteur on its Resolution 1954 (2013) on “National security and access to information”
20:55 – 21:15 Questions & Answers
SESSION III: Presentation of working documents (Part II)
21:15 – 21:25 Presentation of the working document on “Scope of International,
European and national security in the EU perspective” co-authored by the rapporteur, Mr Claude Moraes (S&D, UK), and by Mr Timothy Kirkhope (ECR, UK), shadow rapporteur
21:25 – 21:30 Concluding remarks and follow-up

Michael Wildes Secures for Visa Rabbi Lord Jonathan Sacks Former Chief Rabbi of the United Kingdom and Commonwealth

Rabbis in temple (Photo credit: Boston Public Library)

New Yor

k, NY (http://www.myprgenie.com) — Managing Partner Michael Wildes, of Wildes & Weinberg, P.C., America’s preeminent immigration law firm and O visa experts, today announced that he secured an O-1 visa for Rabbi Lord Jonathan Sacks. The Rabbi is scheduled to be a Visiting Professor at two noteworthy American educational institutions, Yeshiva University and New York University. In addition, he will be a featured scholar-in-residence and keynote speaker in other Jewish institutions throughout the United States.
“The O-1 visa to the United States is available to an individual who possesses “extraordinary ability” in the sciences, arts, education, business, or athletics or who has a demonstrated record of extraordinary achievement in the motion picture or television industry and has been recognized nationally or internationally for those achievements,” said Michael Wildes, Managing Partner of Wildes & Weinberg, P.C. “To qualify for an O-1 visa, an applicant must demonstrate extraordinary ability by showing that the individual has reached a level of expertise that is shared by only a small percentage of people, prove sustained national or international acclaim, and must be coming temporarily to the United States to continue to work in the area of his or her extraordinary ability.””Rabbi Lord Sacks held a position of distinction as Chief Rabbi of the United Hebrew Congregations of the Commonwealth from 1991 to 2013. He was the sixth incumbent since the role was formalized in 1845. Prior to this, he served as Principal of Jews College as well as Rabbi of the Golders Green and Marble Arch synagogues, both located in the United Kingdom. No stranger to academia, he holds 14 honorary degrees, including a Doctor of Divinity, and has been a visiting professor at several universities throughout Britain, the United States and Israel. Moreover, the Rabbi has merited numerous prizes and received substantial recognition above that which is ordinarily encountered. As a prominent author of more then 24 books, the Rabbi is a frequent contributor to radio, television, and national press,” said Wildes.The attainment of an O-1 visa for Rabbi Lord Jonathan Sacks represents yet another success for Wildes & Weinberg, P.C. as the firm has served as immigration counsel to an esteemed roster of renowned clientele who wish to pursue careers in the United States, including former Beatle John Lennon and his artist wife Yoko Ono. Other notable clients of the firm include soccer icon Pele and other professional athletes such as Eric Cantona, Greg Norman, Virginia Wade, Billy Smith, Al Arbour, and Kwame James, the former professional basketball player who subdued the would-be “shoe bomber” Richard Reid on a trans-Atlantic flight. Other notable clients of the firm include Joe Cocker, Brian Dennehy, Johnny Rotten, Paloma Picasso, the 2011, 2010, 2009 and 2008 Miss Universes, supermodel Giselle Bundchen and Sarah Brightman, the world’s bestselling female classical artist of the twenty-first century.”For over 50 years our law firm has worked tirelessly to secure Visas for our clients. We have brought many preeminent experts in their fields to the United States, some of whom have gone on to paths of citizenship. Helping Rabbi Lord Jonathan Sacks obtain a visa to share his knowledge and expertise has incredible value to the many students, scholars,members of the Jewish faith and other faiths who will attend his lectures,” concluded Wildes.

Making the EU more attractive to foreign students and researchers

European flag outside the Commission (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

The EU would offer better working and living conditions for non-EU students, researchers, trainees, volunteers, school pupils and au pairs, as a way to boost member states’ competitiveness, thanks to draft rules amended by the Civil Liberties Committee on Tuesday. MEPs propose that researchers and students should be able to stay in the EU one and a half extra years to set up a firm or search for a job. They also propose stricter deadlines for deciding on applications.According to the European Commission, each year Europe spends 0.8% of GDP less than the US and 1.5% less than Japan on Research and Development (R&D). Many of the best researchers and innovators are moving to countries where they get better conditions. This update of current EU rules would introduce fairer conditions and make the EU more attractive to third-country nationals seeking opportunities to do research, study, take part in a student exchange, or do paid or unpaid training, voluntary service or au pairing.”This vote shows that Parliament understands the need for better and simplified rules for students and researchers from third countries, to enable them to start a life in an EU country after completing their studies or research. We need these people and we have to be more competitive on the global market in order to attract foreign students and researchers to the EU. Today’s vote strengthens the Commission proposal and I now urge the Council to finalise its position as soon as possible to enable us to reach an agreement”, said rapporteur Cecilia Wikström (ALDE, SE).

Europe and Central Asia Second to OECD in Implementing Good Business Regulatory Practices

Washington, D.C., A new World Bank Group report finds that the pace of regulatory reform in Europe and Central Asia remains strong, with 19 economies implementing 65 reforms to improve business regulation in the past year.Doing Business 2014: Understanding Regulations for Small and Medium-Size Enterprises shows that efforts to strengthen legal institutions and reduce the complexity and cost of regulatory processes have paid off for entrepreneurs in Europe and Central Asia. The region has overtaken East Asia and the Pacific as the second most business-friendly after the high-income economies in the Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD).The report finds that since 2009, 92 percent of economies in Europe and Central Asia have improved their process for starting a business, a higher share than in any other region. Thanks to these efforts, today it is the easiest region for business entry, ahead of the OECD high-income economies. In response to the financial crisis, 73 percent of the region’s economies reformed insolvency proceedings over the same period, and 85 percent made it easier to pay taxes.“Joining the European Union (EU) in 2004 was a great motivator for some economies in the region,” said Augusto Lopez-Claros, Director, Global Indicators and Analysis, World Bank Group. “Our report finds that these economies have continued on a path of comprehensive and ambitious economic and institutional reform even after EU entry, ensuring that they could compete with their more developed high-income partners. Beyond that, the report finds that there is encouraging news across Europe and Central Asia. Of the 20 economies narrowing the gap with better business regulatory practices the most since 2009, nine are in the region: Armenia, Belarus, Georgia, Kosovo, the former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia, Moldova, Poland, the Russian Federation, and Ukraine.”The Russian Federation was among the global top 10 improvers in the past year, with reforms in five areas tracked by Doing Business. Builders dealing with the permitting process in Moscow now face fewer delays, more streamlined approvals, and lower fees thanks to the adoption of the national urban planning code and a time limit for registering new buildings.Poland continues to make regulations more business-friendly and in this year’s report is at 45 in the global ranking of 189 economies on the ease of doing business. In the past year the government simplified business registration and construction permitting.
Croatia improved in five areas. In the area of trading across borders, for example, the government invested in improvements at the port of Rijeka and streamlined export customs procedures in preparation for accession to the EU Common Transit Convention.Singapore tops the global ranking on the ease of doing business. Joining it on the list of the top 10 economies with the most business-friendly regulations are Hong Kong SAR, China; New Zealand; the United States; Denmark; Malaysia; the Republic of Korea; Georgia; Norway; and the United Kingdom.In addition to the global rankings, every year Doing Business reports the economies that have improved the most on the indicators since the previous year. The 10 economies topping that list this year are (in order of improvement) Ukraine, Rwanda, the Russian Federation, the Philippines, Kosovo, Djibouti, Côte d’Ivoire, Burundi, the former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia, and Guatemala. Yet challenges persist: five of this year’s top improvers—Burundi, Côte d’Ivoire, Djibouti, the Philippines, and Ukraine—are still in the bottom half of the global ranking on the ease of doing business.

Frost & Sullivan: Cost Efficiency and Convenience Convince Residents in Select European Cities To Consider Car Sharing

LONDON – 21st October, 2013 – Frost & Sullivan’s recent customer research study on car sharing in select European cities reveals that the market is fast gaining ground. Residents in a number of cities in France, Germany as well as in the United Kingdom, are currently multi-modal transport users. While only one out of four claim familiarity with the car sharing concept, once familiar, the interest levels in these services zip to 38 percent.(http://www.automotive.frost.com), Car Sharing End User Analysis in Selected European Cities, finds that traditional car sharing will increase from 0.7 million members in 2011 to more than 15 million members in 2020. The major interest groups include the young, the well-educated, the office goers, and university students, with no children.
The rising popularity of car sharing services has expectedly eaten into the share of other modes of transportation, but that is not to say it will nudge them out. Potential car sharers reported that they would – for the time being – consider replacing one out of three trips with car sharing. Between 25 to 40 percent of current drivers claimed they would give up their cars and about 60 percent of non-owners said they would refrain from buying a car.The growing of the trend can further be observed in the Frost & Sullivan forecast that traditional car sharing in Europe will reach nearly 0.24 million vehicles by 2020. Basic and small vehicles are currently popular options among car sharing operators (CSO).The future of the market however, will be determined by Peer-to-peer (P2P) car sharing. Though only 18 percent of respondents seem willing to share their own cars, P2P car sharing has been growing rapidly since 2008, having recorded 100 percent growth between 2010 and 2011. As a result, the market is expected to have nearly 0.31 million vehicles in operation and more than 0.74 million members by 2020. While there is little doubt that the car sharing model is a hit in Europe, it has not reached its optimum potential due to attitudinal and operational issues such as the unavailability of a vehicle within short notice, the loss of flexibility, and customers’ reluctance to pay an up-front membership fee.“To expand the scope of car sharing services, CSOs could direct their marketing and educational campaigns at the younger demographic. Liasing with universities to build awareness among students prior to the start of their careers would be a wise move,” noted Moreira. “Further flexibility using location-based services could also be built into the service to attract a larger pool of customers.”If you are interested in more information on Frost & Sullivan’s latest customer research Car Sharing End-user Analysis in Selected European Cities, please send an email to Katja Feick, Corporate Communications, at katja.feick@frost.com, with your full contact details.Car Sharing End-user Analysis in Selected European Cities (M9D5-18) is part of the Automotive & Transportation Growth Partnership Service program. Frost & Sullivan’s related research services include: 2013 United States Automotive Technicians’ Choice, 2012 European Customer Desirability and Willingness to Pay for Infotainment, HMI and Telematics Features and Services, and 2012 United States Telematics, Connectivity, Apps, and HMI. All research services included in subscriptions provide detailed market opportunities and industry trends evaluated following extensive interviews with market participants.

Mass storage of data breaches EU and international laws,experts tell EP inquiry

European Union (Photo credit: ana branca)

Mass storage of EU citizens’ personal data contravenes international, Council of Europe and EU laws, experts told the Civil Liberties Committee on Monday, at the 7th inquiry hearing on US and EU countries’ surveillance schemes. MEPs debated various means of redress for citizens and heard from European privacy organisations that have brought those behind surveillance activities to justice.”There is grave danger that it becomes publicly accepted that privacy is dead”, said former UN special rapporteur on the promotion and protection of human rights while countering terrorism, Martin Scheinin, pointing out that the US and UK practices of electronic mass surveillance are in breach of Article 17 of the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights (ICCPR).The EP should consider pushing for an “inter-state complaint mechanism” against both countries for not respecting the legal text. “I would not be surprised if certain Latin-American countries considered an inter-state complaint, so why shouldn’t the Europeans do the same thing?”, said Mr Scheinin. Replying to a question by MEP Axel Voss (EPP, DE), he also clarified that the EU, not being part of the covenant, cannot lodge a complaint and, therefore, it is up to individual states to do so.

American Chemical Society: Federal shutdown undermines US innovation and critical services

WASHINGTON.American Chemical Society President Marinda Li Wu, Ph.D., said the budget impasse is effectively choking America’s science innovation pipeline, strangling new discoveries, future economic growth and job creation.As a result of the shutdown, the National Science Foundation (NSF) will issue no new grants or cooperative agreements for innovative scientific research, and no continuing grant increments for existing projects will be provided, effectively suspending or completely halting critical research efforts. NSF recalled scientists from the U.S. Antarctic Research Stations on Tuesday; they will lose an entire season of research, which stands to impact hundreds of research projects in which we have already invested millions of dollars.The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has had to recall furloughed workers to deal with an outbreak of salmonella that was traced to a poultry producer in California and has sickened hundreds of people in 18 states.The National Institutes of Health has closed its cancer clinics, interrupting the treatment of hundreds of cancer patients.And reports indicate that many of the Department of Energy national laboratories will be closing, beginning as early as Oct. 13, if Congress cannot agree to a continuing resolution or a budget.

Enjeux et perspectives d’une zone de libre-échange transatlantique

Policy paper par Bertrand de Largentaye Texte intégralTexte intégral Ce Policy paper de Bertrand de Largentaye revient sur les enjeux et perspectives de l’accord de libre-échange en discussion entre les États-Unis et l’Union Européenne.La négociation visant à créer une zone de libre-échange entre les États-Unis (US) et l’Union Européenne (UE) a commencé en juillet 2013. Deux objectifs économiques prévalent : chercher un second souffle économique pour sortir de la crise et contourner l’obstacle du blocage des négociations multilatérales de Doha. L’enjeu central concerne les barrières non tarifaires, essentiellement règlementaires.Avant de s’interroger sur les contours de la négociation à venir, ce Policy paper plante le décor en dressant un état des lieux des principaux enjeux. Il porte ensuite quelques appréciations critiques sur les perspectives ouvertes par le partenariat, pour conclure sous forme de scénarios et de recommandations.

Challenges and prospects of a transatlantic free trade area

Policy paper – Bertrand de Largentaye Download the fileDownload the file. This Policy paper by Bertrand de Largentaye analyses the challenges and perspectives of the transatlantic agreement under discussion between the European Union and the United States of America.
Negotiations with a view to setting up a free-trade area between the United States and the European Union got off the ground in July 2013 with two major economicgoals, namely: to seek a fresh boost for the economy in order to allow it to emerge from the crisis; and to circumvent the obstacle of the deadlock over the multilateral negotiations in Doha.The central issue concerns regulatory non-tariff barriers essentially of a regulatory nature.Before discussing the outlines of the upcoming negotiations, the author starts by setting the scene and looking at the current situation. He then makes some critical observations on the prospects opened up by the partnership. To conclude, he formulates possible scenarios and make recommendations.

La crisi dei quotidiani italiani nel mondo

Chi non capisce molto di editoria, vede magari che i quotidiani in lingua italiana all’estero percepiscono contributi pubblici (in tutto il mondo civile la stampa è sovvenzionata) e si immagina proprietari di giornali che si arricchiscono vivendo felici e contenti. Se così fosse, ci sarebbe la corsa a fondare nuovi giornali in ogni parte del globo. Ma, siccome così non è, assistiamo ad un triste, inarrestabile stillicidio di chiusure.I numeri sono drammaticamente esplicativi.
Un anno fa i quotidiani italiani nel mondo erano 8: uno in Europa: La Voce del popolo (Croazia), due in Nord America: America Oggi (USA) – Il Corriere Canadese (Canada) , tre in Sud America: La Voce d’Italia (Venezuela) – Gente d’Italia (Uruguay) – L’Italiano (Argentina), 2 in Australia: Il Globo (Melbourne) e La Fiamma (Sidney).
Oggi sono esattamente la metà (4): La Voce del Popolo (Croazia) al suo 69mo anno di vita, America Oggi (USA) al suo 26mo anno, Gente d’Italia (Uruguay), al suo 14mo anno e L’Italiano (Argentina) al suo 7mo anno.
Il Corriere Canadese ha sospeso le pubblicazioni nel maggio 2013. Recentemente la testata è stata acquistata dall’ex ministro Joe Volpe che vorrebbe tentare di rilanciarla. La Voce d’Italia (Venezuela) è solo online da luglio 2012, Il Globo e La Fiamma, entrambi di proprietà dell’Italian Media Corporation, sono diventati bisettimanali (escono lunedì e giovedì).Perdendo la metà dei suoi quotidiani all’estero, l’Italia è diventata più povera, ha perso molto. Perché i quotidiani italiani nel mondo sono il collegamento tra l’Italia e le sue comunità, il veicolo principale dell’internazionalizzazione del prodotto italiano e del made in Italy, lo strumento di preservazione e diffusione della lingua italiana.Che fare? Il quotidiano più giovane di tutti, L’Italiano, sta tentando la strada della comunicazione globale già percorsa da testate illustri specie negli USA. Al tradizionale cartaceo, che serve la zona a più alta concentrazione di italiani al mondo (la Gran Buenos Aires dove vivono quasi 400mila connazionali) ha affiancato la possibilità di sfogliare in abbonamento le edizioni del giornale sui tablet e sui computer. Ha infatti un’App sull’Apple Store per iPad ed Iphone e su apparati Android è leggibile con il medesimo sistema con il quale è leggibile su computer. E naturalmente ha anche un suo portale sul web.Per quanto riguarda la strategia editoriale, L’Italiano ha scelto di essere il quotidiano “locale” della grande comunità italiana di Buenos Aires ed è ormai diventato il punto focale delle attività legate all’italianità. Solo nell’ultimo mese il giornale è stato adottato come strumento didattico nei corsi di lingua italiana dell’Istituto di Cultura ed è stato co-organizzatore di eventi culturali, scientifici e gastronomici di grande successo.

RE/MAX: Bilancio positivo per la stagione estiva di vendita in USA

“Nonostante le basse scorte e l’aumento dei tassi di interesse, la domanda di case è forte, e sia le vendite di immobili che prezzi rimangono più alti rispetto ad un anno fa. Ora che ci siamo lasciati alle spalle la stagione estiva più attiva nelle vendite, i risultati sono chiari – il 2013 continua la ripresa iniziata nel 2012 “. – ha dichiarato Margaret Kelly, CEO di RE/MAX, LLLa stagione estiva 2013 di vendite immobiliari in USA si conclude con una nota positiva, sia per le vendite di case che per i prezzi significativamente più elevati rispetto allo scorso anno. Agosto è il 19° mese consecutivo in cui entrambi i parametri sono stati superiori a quelli dello stesso mese dell’anno precedente. Ad agosto le vendite di case sono aumentate del 6,5% e il prezzo medio è stato di $ 188.450 del 12,9% più elevato rispetto all’agosto 2012.Il National Housing report stilato da RE/MAX offre una panoramica di dati di andamento immobiliare in 52 aree metropolitane USA. La diminuzione degli immobili sul mercato è stata del 17,4%, rispetto al calo del 20,7% osservato nel mese di luglio.L’inventario torna a un livello più normale, i prezzi delle case andranno probabilmente stabilizzandosi. A questo ritmo di vendite, il numero di mesi necessari per spostare l’intero inventario è stato di 4.4, ancora al di sotto dei 6 mesi considerati come un mercato in equilibrio tra compratori e venditori.

NSA inquiry: MEPs hear US privacy experts, whistleblowers and Snowden statement

NSA inquiry: MEPs hear US privacy experts, whistleblowers and Snowden statement The possibility suspending EU-US trade talks, the idea of creating international standards of privacy protection and the need for genuine parliamentary oversight of surveillance activities were among the issues discussed on Monday at the fourth hearing of the Civil Liberties Committee inquiry into US and EU countries’ spying on EU citizens.”You should not go forward with the new trade agreement [with the US] unless you have adequate assurance for the protection of privacy”, suggested Marc Rotenberg of the Electronic Privacy Information Centre, a US-based civil rights organisation. Some MEPs took note of his suggestion, but others rejected it. Members of the inquiry also discussed the possibility of establishing international standards for the protection of privacy.

Joint public-private stakeholder initiatives create smart parking solutions in European and US cities

London, The parking industry in Europe and North America is expected to witness a major growth phase this decade. Global automotive Original Equipment Manufacturers (OEMs) are investing in strategic growth partnerships with parking management companies, app providers, car sharing operators, and city governments to create an integrated journey experience for their drivers in the near future. On top of this, a different genre of market players is entering the parking industry. Telecom and IT companies, infrastructure management and mobility providers’ step into the road with smart sensor-based solutions, information management, smart infrastructure, and advanced analytical solutions.The industry is expected to witness investments and funding from Venture Capitalist (VC) firms, ranging from $200–$250 million in the next 3–5 years. This is made evident through the emergence of companies, such as Streetline (US and Europe), ParkatmyHouse (US and Europe), and GottaPark (US) which have introduced innovative parking apps providing real-time information on parking lots and spaces, and the option to book or reserve and pay for parking online.Parking is a $25-billion industry in the United States and a €50-billion industry in Western Europe (EU-15). “Primarily operated and managed in a traditional manner with very little focus on innovation and smart parking, the operational value chain was simple,” he says. “It included parking operators and their engagements with service providers. The new ecosystem however, is highly concentrated with a different genre of participants exploring numerous opportunities in parking.” By 2020, more than one million parking spaces and numerous smart parking meters are expected to deliver real-time parking information with the help of sensors to motorists and parking operators, simplifying parking operation and business.Automotive OEMs’ and technology companies’ foray into the smarter parking ecosystem is evident through the alliances between parking operators and parking app providers in the United States and Europe. Parking app companies which are backed by venture capitalist (VC) firms are complementing the parking industry, establishing more intelligence, accuracy, and efficiency of operation. In addition to dedicated parking services for car sharing operators (CSOs), dynamic parking facility is also made available as a result of parking sensing data which will allow car-sharing users to park vehicles as part of their journey in a floating car model.“A revolutionary trend is ‘Smart Parking’, a real-time parking system that helps drivers find a vacant spot,” explains Barua. “The system integrates street-level sensors, parking analytics, and a mobile app to reserve, navigate, and pay for the parking spot.” A number of parking app providers, such as Parker (Streetline), ParkatmyHouse, Parkmobile, and QuickPay, are providing services to simplify and redefine parking as a business and innovation hub for cities.A few technology start-ups in the UK leverage the collaborative or shared economy business model and offer completely online services designed to connect available vacant parking spaces with people looking to park their cars. ParkatmyHouse for example claims it has distributed more than £5 million to property owners who had let their parking space out. GottaPark, a parking start up, has helped more than 10,000 vehicle owners for the last six years in North America using a peer-to-peer parking business model with a recurring customer base. Streetline has combined technology and innovation to offer real-time parking solutions to on-street and off-street parking areas in the United States and Europe benefitting city councils, traffic management centres, and commuters. These new business models and innovative ideas are paving the way for futuristic vehicle parking solutions.In a bid to combat increasing parking charges, the UK government is thinking of developing legislations to allow property owners to rent their driveways to motorists, without it being considered a business. The parking industry is getting more integrated and converged, thus, transforming into a hot spot for mobility in cities and a dependable revenue generation model.Another example of such a partnership is what Audi and Lexus have developed with INRIX for in-vehicle integrated real-time parking services and traffic navigation for existing and new Audi and Lexus IS vehicles in Europe and North America. Renault on the other hand, has signed an agreement with Vinci Park, a European leader in parking management, to provide charging infrastructure and associated services for electric vehicles in car parks in France.In future finding a parking spot is going to be less of a hassle due to advanced technology, savvy users, and social media-based parking initiatives,” concludes Mr. Barua. “Real-time, smart parking and navigable parking lots will proliferate and become the future trends in parking along with autonomous parking services in cars.”Frost & Sullivan is organising a web conference, entitled Future of Vehicle Parking Management Systems in North America and Europe, taking place on Tuesday, 1st October 2013, at 4.00 p.m. BST. Research Manager, Praveen Chandrasekar, and Industry Analyst, Neelam Barua, will introduce emerging parking management systems, present new mobility business models in parking and offer a special focus on parking apps and solutions providers. They will also discuss growth opportunities and give a future outlook on the industry.To participate in this complimentary web conference, please email Katja Feick at katja.feick@frost.com with your full contact details. Upon receipt of the above information, a registration link will be e-mailed to you. You may also register to receive a recorded version of the briefing at anytime by submitting the aforementioned contact details.
Frost & Sullivan, the Growth Partnership Company, works in collaboration with clients to leverage visionary innovation that addresses the global challenges and related growth opportunities that will make or break today’s market participants.

232 million international migrants living abroad worldwide–new UN global migration statistics reveal

New York.There are as many international migrants born in the South living in other countries in the South as in countries in the North, reflecting changing patterns of Asian migration, but globally the United States remains the most popular destination, according to new data presented by the United Nations today. More people than ever are living abroad. In 2013, 232 million people, or 3.2 per cent of the world’s population, were international migrants, compared with 175 million in 2000 and 154 million in 1990. The new estimates include breakdowns by region and country of destination and origin, and by sex and age. The North, or developed countries, is home to 136 million international migrants, compared to 96 million in the South, or developing countries. Most international migrants are of working age (20 to 64 years) and account for 74 per cent of the total. Globally, women account for 48 per cent of all international migrants.The data were released in advance of the upcoming High-level Dialogue on International Migration and Development, which will take place 3-4 October 2013 at UN Headquarters. The purpose of the High-level Dialogue is to identify concrete measures to strengthen coherence and cooperation at all levels, with a view to enhancing the benefits of international migration for migrants and countries alike and its important links to development, while reducing its negative implications.“Migration, when governed fairly, can make a very important contribution to social and economic development both in the countries of origin and in the countries of destination,” said Mr. Wu Hongbo, UN Under-Secretary-General for Economic and Social Affairs. “Migration broadens the opportunities available to individuals and is a crucial means of broadening access to resources and reducing poverty.”The data show that South-South migration is as common as South-North migration. In 2013, about 82.3 million international migrants who were born in the South were residing in the South, which is slightly higher than the 81.9 million international migrants originating in the South and living in the North.Asians and Latin Americans living outside of their home regions form the largest global diaspora groups. In 2013, Asians represented the largest group, accounting for about 19 million migrants living in Europe, some 16 million in Northern America and about 3 million in Oceania. Migrants born in Latin America and the Caribbean represented the second largest diaspora group with the majority, 26 million, living in Northern America.In 2013, South Asians were the largest group of international migrants living outside of their home region. Of the 36 million international migrants from South Asia, 13.5 million resided in the oil-producing countries in Western Asia. International migrants originating from Central America, including Mexico, represented another large group of migrants living outside their home region. About 16.3 million, out of 17.4 million Central American migrants lived in the US.
Europe and Asia combined host nearly two-thirds of all international migrants worldwide. Europe remains the most popular destination region with 72 million international migrants in 2013, compared to 71 million in Asia. Since 1990, Northern America recorded the largest gain in the absolute number of international migrants, adding 25 million, and experienced the fastest growth in migrant stock by an average of 2.8 per cent per year.“New sources and destinations of migrants are emerging, and in some cases, countries have become important points of origin, transit and destination simultaneously,” said John Wilmoth, Director of the Population Division in the UN’s Department of Economic and Social Affairs.Compared to other regions of destination, Asia saw the largest increase of international migrants since 2000, adding some 20 million migrants in 13 years. Mr. Wilmoth said this growth was mainly fuelled by the increasing demand for foreign labour in the oil-producing countries of Western Asia and in South-Eastern Asian countries with rapidly growing economies, such as Malaysia, Singapore and Thailand.International migration remains highly concentrated
In 2013, half of all international migrants lived in 10 countries, with the US hosting the largest number (45.8 million), followed by the Russian Federation (11 million); Germany (9.8 million); Saudi Arabia (9.1 million); United Arab Emirates (7.8 million); United Kingdom (7.8 million); France (7.4 million); Canada (7.3 million); Australia (6.5 million); and Spain (6.5 million).The US gained the largest absolute number of international migrants between 1990 and 2013—nearly 23 million, equal to one million additional migrants per year. The United Arab Emirates recorded the second largest gain with seven million, followed by Spain with six million.

Frost & Sullivan: Vehicle Parking Management Systems in North America and Europe Nurtures a New Ecosystem

LONDON The parking industry has transformed dynamics in its operation with a different genre of participants including automotive OEMs exploring numerous opportunities in parking and expected to witness a major growth phase in this decade. Bundled services with apps are helping parking operators to ease their operations, business and positioning. Early stage growth opportunities will attract more than 20 new start-ups in the parking industry providing real-time parking applications with investments ranging from $200-250 millions in the next three to five years.“Participating in this web conference will help to understand the new parking ecosystem which combines technologies and participants from automotive, telecom and IT industry in parking in Europe and North American cities.” says Mr. Barua. “It is crucial to understand the growing interest among automotive OEMs to invest in the parking industry and be aware of strategic alliances currently developing within the parking industry.”“The parking industry has witnessed a few technology start-ups (e.g., ParkatmyHouse) leveraging the collaborative or shared economy business model in the United Kingdom for parking and facilitating completely online services designed to connect available vacant parking spaces with people looking to park their cars. This initiative recorded more than £5 million earnings to property owners who had let out their parking space. GottaPark, a parking start up, has helped more than 10,000 vehicle owners in North America for the last six years by offering a peer-to-peer parking business model with a recurring customer base. Streetline (in the United States and Europe) has combined technology and innovation to offer real-time parking solutions to on-street and off-street parking areas benefitting the city councils, traffic management centres, and commuters. These new business models and innovative ideas are paving the way for futuristic vehicle parking solutions,” summarises Mr. Barua. This web conference will benefit core parking operators, parking management companies, automotive OEMs, parking app providers, parking automation companies, technology providers, infrastructure providers, governments and municipalities.“A new parking ecosystem has developed in the industry with a collaborative consumption of parking and futuristic real-time parking assistance systems in European as well as North American cities,” Mr. Barua concludes.