Spain - Violent protests erupt over austerity measures

Uploaded by telegraphtv on Mar 29, 2012

Police make dozens of arrests as hundreds of demonstrators take to the streets in cities across Spain protesting against government labour reforms

Europe - euronews I talk: Is the European Commission just another red tape brigade in the EU?

Published on Mar 29, 2012 by Euronews

http://www.euronews.com/ Alex Taylor "We all hate annoying bureaucracy and a mindless filling out of useless forms, whether it be on paper or on the net. Is the European Commission doing anything to reduce red tape from our daily lives or is it part of the problem? Here to answer your questions is the EU Commissioner for Inter-Institutional Relations and Administration
Maroš Šefčovič. Did I pronounce your name right?"

Maroš Šefčovič: "Perfect, very good, very good pronunciation."

Alex Taylor: "You say Maroš....?"

Maroš Šefčovič: "Cheftchovitch"

Alex Taylor: "Cheftchovitch. OK right. You're ready to answer our citizens' questions?"

Maroš Šefčovič: "Absolutely, yes."

Alex Taylor: "First question to you from Rafael."

"I want to know why the administration is so burdened with paperwork. There's so much of it in relation to the administration; unemployment, the school enrolment of children.... there's just too much! There are plenty of Municipalities, lots of jurisdictions, regional and federal and it's very difficult to understand it all here in Brussels."


Alex Taylor: "We all thought that the internet was going to make things much easier, less paper and so forth. It's not the case, why?"

Maroš Šefčovič: "Not always but I have to agree with our citizen here that sometimes we still have overlapping competencies, especially between the local and national level and sometimes even the European one."

Alex Taylor: "Can't you do anything about that?"

Maroš Šefčovič: "Yes of course. I think when I was in Westminster we had a discussion how on we could reduce the bureaucracy and there was a suggestion that we should use the British approach: one directive in and one out. I said that we could have an even better approach: let's put 27 national laws in and replace them with one European law."

Alex Taylor: "Haven't we already been down that road?"

Maroš Šefčovič: "I think that this is a concept that we have to follow in the future because we can use European laws to replace most of the national laws and to use e-government much better than we do right now and I'm sure that the citizens would appreciate that."

Alex Taylor: "Well good luck on imposing that on the government. Second question from Alain."

"My name is Alain, I am Belgian. I would like to ask the following question: all European states have been requested by the European Commission to make serious efforts to reduce public spending, particularly in terms of operating costs and personnel costs. I wonder if the European authorities are ready to make the same effort? Thank you."

Alex Taylor: "Do you practice what you preach Mr Šefčovič? I mean the European Commission last year asked for a 4.9% increase in its budget."

Maroš Šefčovič: "Yes and you know why? Because 94% of our budget goes back to the member states. So actually now we have a big problem with unpaid receipts because we knew that in December we would receive the invoices coming from the member states for good executions of the program."

Alex Taylor: "Yes that's true but all psychologically when you ask everybody else to make reductions...."

Maroš Šefčovič: "I think we would really appreciate the help of the media and also the help of national politicians, to explain why we are asking for the 4.6% increase, because now we have a complaint from the national government that, 'how come the receipts cannot be paid?' When actually, by the end of the year we will be short by 11 billion euros, which we have to pay back to the member states.

"But I think that the question the gentleman was asking about is what we do in the administration, how big an effort we show. I think that the very important thing to underline is that the administrative budget is only less than 6% of the overall budget, so 94% goes back to the member states. But nevertheless we appreciate how important this is and what I have suggested is a 5% cut in the personnel. I have also suggested prolonging working hours without pay increases and increasing the pension age - all the measures which are actually taking place on a national level as well."

Alex Taylor: "OK let's have a third question here on I talk and it's from Ignacio Martin."

"Good morning. My name is Ignacio Martin, I'm Spanish. I would like to ask the Commissioner: about the possibility of improving the integration of the administrative systems on a European level, so that relations between the European citizens will be easier and the bureaucratic barriers between us can be reduced. Thank you very much."

USA - Sanford Couple in Fear After Spike Lee Tweet

Published on Mar 29, 2012 by AssociatedPress

Elaine and David McClain say they have a son named William George Zimmerman who once lived in their Sanford-area house. They were forced from their home after Spike Lee retweeted their address as that of a man who shot an unarmed teenager. (March 29)

USA - Raw Video: Lindsay Lohan in Court

Published on Mar 29, 2012 by AssociatedPress

Lindsay Lohan appears visibly relieved and hugs her attorney after Los Angeles Superior Court Judge Stephanie Sautner informs her she has met all probation requirements and is not expected in court again. (March 29)

Germany - jobless rate falls further

Published on Mar 29, 2012 by Euronews

http://www.euronews.com/ Germany's jobless rate has fallen to its lowest since the reunification of East and West as unemployment dropped for a fifth consecutive month in March.

Just 6.7 percent of the workforce is without a job according to official figures, adjusted for seasonal factors such as weather.

That is in contrast to other eurozone countries, and will likely lead to higher wages boosting consumption in Europe's largest economy.

The unadjusted rate -- which is the headline figure used in Germany -- fell to 7.2 percent from February's 7.4 percent.

The data is good news for German Finance Minister Wolfgang Schaeuble whose budget plans are based on strong tax revenues.

USA - President Barack Obama: End Tax Breaks for Big Oil

Published on Mar 29, 2012 by AssociatedPress

President Barack Obama says Americans are getting hit twice _ once at the gas pump, and once more by sending billions of dollars in tax subsidies to oil companies. (March 29)

Facebook to Announce Its IPO in May which could value the company at $100 billion.

Uploaded by FinancialNewsOnline on Mar 29, 2012

The most popular social networking site is hitting the public market very soon.

Facebook just announced that it will be halting the trading of its shares on secondary markets this Friday at noon as it prepares to finalize everything for its initial public offering.

According to the Wall Street journal, the website's IPO will be in May which could value the company at $100 billion.

Also recently there's been trouble with Facebook's CEO Mark Zuckerberg, who wants at least $5 billion more from Wall Street investors to finalize the IPO. However, he didn't give them much face time by skipping the company's first major briefing for analysts and bankers last week.

The lead underwriter for the IPO is investment bank Morgan Stanley which will be featured in an upcoming video that will be shown when Facebook begins courting investors.

North Sea - Total says no blast risk as North Sea gas leak drama

Published on Mar 29, 2012 by Euronews

http://www.euronews.com/ The French oil giant, Total, has dismissed the risk of a blast at its Elgin North Sea platform despite efforts continuing to stem leaking natural gas.

The firm says a flame on the rig off the east coast of Scotland has to remain burning to prevent excess gas pressure from building up.

According to Total's spokesman Pierre-Emmanuel Saulnier the material being thrown into the atmosphere is not dagerous or excessive: "it's around 30 cubic metres. That's about the size of half an articulated lorry. It's too much of course, but it's not going to have a significant impact on the environment."

Total is said to be considering drilling a relief well that would allow the flow of gas to be shut off, or blocking the well with heavy mud. Either way, some experts say an "explosion is waiting to happen."

Environmentalist, Benoit Hartman, from France Nature said: "Hydrocarbons are becoming more and more difficult to find as they're drying up. So we're having to look for non-conventional hydrocarbons which are difficult to extract and normally aren't profitable. But now they're becoming so because fuel prices are increasing. This means we can expect more accidents like this."


The Scottish government has called for more information from Total as memories are still raw in the North Sea industry of the Piper Alpha platform fire 24 years ago, when 167 people were killed in the world's deadliest offshore oil disaster.