HSBC appoints ex-MI5 chief Sir Jonathan Evans to board

bbc.co.uk

Now, 007's boss Mr. M  will join HSBC to help combat financial crime.

Is he against British's clause of  revolving door ? 

Or HSBC as a personalized organism can evolve like 

rats have “double view” of world,

good for de­tect­ing preda­tors.

Sir Jonathan Evans spent 33 years at MI5, where he was the director-general for six years

 31 May 2013 Last updated at 17:58 GMT

The former director-general of MI5 is to join HSBC's board as a non-executive director in August.

Sir Jonathan Evans, who spent three decades at the intelligence service, will be paid £125,000 to work 40 days a year at the bank.
He will also become a member of a special committee HSBC created to help combat financial crime.
The unit was set up after the bank was fined $2bn (£1.3bn) in the US over money laundering and sanction breaches.

Rats have “double view” of world

world-science.net

May 28, 2013
Courtesy of Max-Planck-Gesellschaft
and World Science staff

If you’ve ev­er ex­pe­ri­enced how hard it is to sneak up on a fuzzy but un­wanted lit­tle ro­dent, here may be your ex­plana­t­ion.

Rats see the world very dif­fer­ently from us, re­search­ers say, be­cause they’re able to keep the world above them in per­ma­nent view—but ap­par­ently can’t merge the views from both eyes in­to one im­age.

With hawks and the like trail­ing ro­dents at ev­ery op­por­tun­ity, na­ture seems to have just de­cid­ed the first abil­ity is im­por­tant enough to sac­ri­fice the sec­ond, said the sci­en­tists.

富比世公布台灣50大富豪

Taiwan's new Great Firewall

internetfreedom.org

Taiwan proposes China-style block on overseas Internet services that infringe copyright

thenextweb.com/asia 

China is famous for its unique Internet censorship policy — known as the Great Firewall — which restricts content, and in particular sites and services from overseas, preventing its 500 million-plus Internet users from having free reign online. Now that policy could be duplicated in Taiwan, where officials have proposed a list of sites that will be blocked.

Founders of ‘PayPal for criminals’ Liberty Reserve are charged with money laundering

independent.co.uk
New York lawyers say $6bn of ill-gotten gains were processed though money-transfer service

A federal grand jury in the United States has charged the operators of a digital currency and money transfer business with running a sprawling enterprise that allegedly helped criminals to launder some $6bn in ill-gotten gains over the past seven years.

The allegations against Costa Rica-based Liberty Reserve, its founder, Arthur Budovsky, and six other men connected to the business, were made in an indictment unsealed in New York. The accusations follow a series of arrests late last week in Costa Rica, New York and in Spain, where authorities detained Mr Budovsky.

Liberty Reserve had described itself as being the internet’s “oldest, safest and most popular payment processor... serving millions all around a world”. But prosecutors claim that the business, which was established in 2006 and was shut down last week, was “one of the principal means by cyber-criminals around the world to distribute, store and launder the proceeds of their illegal activity”. One law enforcement official told The New York Times that Liberty Reserve, which allowed users to transfer large sums money without ever identifying themselves, was “really PayPal for criminals”.

Jason Furman will be Obama's next chairman of the Council of Economic Advisers

台南兩劇毒：毒澱粉與燒電纜毒氣致命

 

除了製作致命毒澱粉外

台南(多半在安平安南沿海地區)人還會燒電纜線抽取其中金屬賺錢

許多業者因此致命(燃燒的氣體有劇毒)

這項燒電纜賺錢行業

甚至在十多年前台灣因環保意識抬頭禁止後

台南相關業者遷移到中國大陸沿海如福建廣東等地繼續燒電纜賺大錢

很早就有地方市井傳言

有不少中老年業者從事此一行業致命

正如同有不少人士以在山上攔截勒索賽鴿為業

也是後來因此得罪相關人士致命

這是後話

......................................
2013-05-26
王老師學生代出面 指當年不知毒澱粉原料有害 【21:40】
libertytimes.com.tw



王老師學生出面，表示王老師也很難過，指當年並不知研發的是毒

澱粉。（圖片擷取自TVBS-N新聞台）

日本人眼中的台灣女孩是母老虎?

 


無論透過日本或台灣網站
都找不到這個節目
希望神通廣大的台灣媒體
能找出來報導這個日本八卦綜藝節目
一定很有趣
比起幾年前的娶櫻花妹真的比較幸福嗎
這篇文章

愛恋桜花妹

引發台日男女網路論戰
應該同樣有趣
facebook日本妹真的比較溫柔嗎？
這是從一位留學日本的台灣男生FACEBOOK上
看到的留言
他說:

 (2013年)5月19日
 ok！剛剛看了一個日本節目（チリチリ、バナナ）
這節目就介紹了很多國家的文化，包含台灣！

在台灣家庭裡作主的是誰？是媽媽，台灣女生非常強勢，所以被稱作母老虎，我快笑死了！！！這是台灣人自己講的，半夜把男友叫起床去買東西，男友犯錯要下跪道歉，我看真的只有台灣妹妹做的出來！！笑

這就是為何台灣男生憧憬大和撫子的原因嗎？？？
 

龍應台真要鬧國際醜聞？

 

 簡單講就是

2008年國民黨重新執政後

就積極想要爭奪與掌控媒體

包括應該廢除的中央社

(現在已經變成國民黨中央社兼人民日報發言社:居然以大陸稱中國)

尤其是獨立行使的公共電視

身陷貪污案風暴的014林益世

當初曾對著公視高層指罵說

我知道你們公視多半是綠的

有點無知於中立的媒體特性

一派不是朋友就是敵人之嘴臉


龍應台現在也差不多了

竟會說出廢公視這種蠢話

何不廢掉文化部呢

民主國家何須政府來掌控文化與文化政策呢
 ................................................
2013-5-24http://www.libertytimes.com.tw自由時報


文化部成立一年，部長龍應台自評施政績效，宣稱最不滿意公共電視董事會難產，且此事已成國際醜聞， 如情況持續，她贊成廢除公視。龍應台這一發言，立即招致各界撻伐，有立委批她沒能力、不負責，公視工會理事長要她「做不來、就換人」，前董事長認為公視如 係醜聞，「也是龍應台製造出來的」。

成人專區 網拍A片…無罪

釋字第 617 號 : 憲法第十一條保障人民之言論及出版自由，旨在確保意見之自由流通，使人民有取得充分資訊及實現自我之機會。性言論之表現與性資訊之流通，不問是否出於營利之目的，亦應受上開憲法對言論及出版自由之保障。惟憲法對言論及出版自由之保障並非絕對，應依其性質而有不同之保護範疇及限制之準則，國家於符合憲法第二十三條規定意旨之範圍內，得以法律明確規定對之予以適當之限制。


2013-5-24http://www.libertytimes.com.tw自由時報
〔記者王定傳／新北報導〕新北市李姓男子在拍賣網站「成人專區」販賣無碼色情光碟，被依刑法妨害風化罪起訴；新北地院合議庭認定，李男販售的光碟屬「軟蕊」（內容猥褻但卻不算變態的資訊）猥褻物品，但他在成人區內販售，已採取適當安全隔絕措施，判他無罪，可上訴。

台酒板橋地上權 新光人壽近15億得標

 

 

自由時報【2013/5/23 22:32】

〔本報訊〕台灣菸酒公司新北市板橋區新板段地上權開發案，今（23）天二度標售，最後由新光人壽以14.888億元得標取得727坪的地上權，據了解，新 光人壽未來將在該處打造其新北市企業總部大樓，拆算每坪地上權單價約204萬元，溢價率約20%，創下新北市地上權價格新高，行情直逼台北市地上權行情。

Amazon Is Building A Biosphere For Its Employees

fastcoexist

seattletimes ： Amazon’s plan for giant spheres gets mixed reaction The three glass-and-steel spheres Amazon.com has proposed as the “heart” of its high-rise complex in Seattle’s Denny Triangle drew mixed reviews Tuesday.

Amazon’s proposed new office building will be a little different from most.

Who needs a boring office park when you have a 65,000-square-foot glass dome?


If you’ve ever dreamed of working in a lush, greenery-filled dome, consider moving to Seattle. That’s where Amazon is building a biosphere (made out of three intersecting domes) alongside a new skyscraper project. Plans for the 65,000 square foot structure, unveiled earlier this month, call for a general temperature range of 68 to 72 degrees and plants from high-elevation climates (that’s the "montane ecologies" below) that can thrive in the weather.
From Amazon’s planning document:

This Is Your Body On A Can Of Soda

fastcoexist.com

The "copy cat" terrorists in London

They are not only "copy cat" terrorists ,as Richard Barrett says,

they are cowerdly desperate about their wrongly beliefs 

that can't be fulfilled in this secular modern world.

...........................................
What we can learn from Ingrid Loyau-Kennet's grace under pressure In Woolwich, a seemingly ordinary woman did something extraordinary. Her humanity may well have saved lives 

london-attack-betrayal-islam-cameron tvnz

British Prime Minister David Cameron said the brutal killing of a soldier who was hacked to death in London by two men shouting Jihadist slogans was a betrayal of Islam.
"We will never give in to terror or terrorism in any of its forms," Cameron told reporters outside his Downing Street residence.
"This was not just an attack on Britain and on the British way of life, it was also a betrayal of Islam and of the Muslim communities who give so much to our country.



There is nothing in Islam that justifies this truly dreadful act."

Kevo revolution of the key

New Electronic Door Lock: Just Touch To Open

Look Ma, no key! UniKey electronic door lock can be opened or locked by touch; keys 'sent' via smartphone app

tech.lifegoesstrong 

 By: Stewart WolpinMay 6, 2013

It may have a key hole, but this revolutionary but otherwise orginary-looking UniKey electronic lock does't need a key – you lock and unlock it by simply touching it.

A fellow called Phil Dumas has seemingly done the impossible – he's actually invented a better mousetrap or, more specifically, a better door lock.

Teen creates gadget that could charge your cellphone in 20 seconds

卡雷介紹她獲獎的這項發明為「超級電容」，基本上是一種電力儲存裝置。（取自每日郵報網站）

nydailynews.com

California 18-year-old Esha Khare amazed judges at the Intel International Science and Engineering Fair. Next stop: Harvard.
Monday, May 20, 2013, 10:28 AM



This futuristic gizmo developed by a California teen in her spare time could revolutionize cellphone technology.

Esha Khare is being courted by Google and other tech giants after she wowed the world with a device that may soon be able to charge a phone in 20 seconds flat.

The 18-year-old, from Saratoga, scooped a $50,000 prize at the Intel International Science and Engineering Fair in Phoenix last week.

何清漣：習近平以毛式鐵腕捍衛權貴資本主義Xi Jinping's Chinese dream：protect redCrony capitalism

習近平龍袍照被禁︰他控制了槍桿子和筆桿子(圖)《經濟學人》Xi Jinping and the Chinese dream的封面圖

voa
何清漣

05.14.2013
何清漣：以毛式鐵腕捍衛權貴資本主義 - 習近平的執政藍圖(1)

習近平執政已逾半年，給出的執政藍圖已經非常清晰：他以做“紅色政權守護者”為自己的政治使命。面對事實，再頑強的造夢者也難以繼續謳歌習近平將從事所謂“政治民主化改革大業”。

*9號文件展示習近平政治藍圖*

最近，中共中央辦公廳印發的《關於當前意識形態領域情況的通報》在網上流傳，因其文件編號為（中辦發【2013】9號），簡稱為“9號文件”。據傳，該文件已下發至縣團級，重慶、吉林等省市已有學習9號文件的相關報導。這一通報指出：宣揚“普世價值”的核心目的是排除黨的領導，逼黨讓步；“公民社會”主張的要害是，在基層黨組織之外建立新的政治勢力；“新自由主義”理念反對國家進行宏觀調控；提倡“西方新聞觀念”，是反對黨一貫堅持的“喉舌論”，要擺脫黨對媒體的領導，搞蘇聯當年改革時推行的“公開化”，用搞亂輿論來搞亂黨、搞亂社會；“歷史虛無主義”的要害是針對黨領導下的歷史問題，否認人們已經普遍接受的事實，其突出表現是極力貶損和攻擊毛澤東及毛澤東思想，全盤否定毛澤東領導時期中國共産黨的歷史作用，目的是削弱甚至推翻黨的領導的合法性；歪曲改革開放的種種説法則認為，改革中出現了官僚資産階級、國家資本主義，認為中國改革不徹底，只有進行政治改革才能完善經濟改革，等等。

網上轟傳一時並經幾位知識分子證實的“七不講”，實際上就是上述“9號文件”精神的濃縮。

HSBC's 14,000 new layoffs: When will Gulliver stop cutting jobs?

hartfordbusiness.com
HSBC's 14,000 new layoffs: When will Gulliver stop cutting jobs? May 16, 2013

By Ramy Inocencio, for CNN

HSBC, Europe's largest bank by market capitalization, will lay off 14,000 employees around the world to save $2 billion to $3 billion by 2016, the company announced Wednesday.

The layoffs -- representing more than 5% of its 254,000 workers worldwide -- will come on top of some 42,000 job cuts in the past two years as the bank has sought to reorganize its operations to increase profits and efficiency in the wake of the 2008 global financial crisis.
"HSBC in my view is terribly bloated," says Christine Houston, Managing Director of Executive Search Group International in Hong Kong. "If you compare them to Citi, UBS, a lot of the American banks who did their layoffs closer to 2008, HSBC is just an anomaly. The number of staff is just incredible."

freeportlng

freeport-lng-export-terminal-approved-what-does-it-mean

Freeport LNG Export Terminal Approved; What Does it Mean?

by Michael Levi
May 17, 2013

The Department of Energy (DOE) announced this afternoon that it had conditionally approved the application of Freeport LNG Expansion LP and FLNG Liquefaction LLC to export up to 1.4 billion cubic feet of liquefied natural gas (LNG) to countries with which the United States does not have special free trade agreements. I’ve written at some length before about the potential consequences of LNG exports in general. But what might the exports from this particular facility mean?
First things first: This is just a DOE approval. Freeport will still need to get a permit from FERC. And, more important, it will still need a solid market for its LNG. There are a lot of credible people out there who believe that U.S. LNG exports will be very small – so small, perhaps, that Freeport will never ship any fuel despite having a permit and a set of contracts (PDF) lined up.
What would be the impact, though, if Freeport ultimately did sell LNG at its full approved capacity?

Phillips Exeter Academy

菲利普艾斯特中學Phillips Exeter Academy 全美第3名 

達文西密碼The Da Vinci Code作者丹．布朗Dan Brown畢業的學校

exeter.edu 

美國升學

 

Phillips Exeter Academy 實力與經費 220年歷史的學校，圖書館藏書量共145,000冊，是世界中學之冠，圖書館同一 時間可容納全校一半學生，從95年至99年，送超過1050人進入美國首屈一指的 超級名牌大學，88人入哈佛，77人入耶魯，55人入賓大，45人去史丹福，34人 去普林斯頓，26人去麻省理工，21人去了芝大。入其他大學的未算數。 學校有一筆高達5億美元的發展基金，有教無類是學校的教育宗旨，學生有來自名門望族，也有通過助學金入讀的普通家庭的子女，校長的學士﹑碩士﹑ 博士三個學位都是哈佛畢業的。 學校名叫Phillips Exeter Academy，它是1781年由Phillips夫婦創辦的，位於New Hampshire 的Exeter，距離波士頓一小時的車程。

Bloomberg Billionaires Index 2013：Bill Gates Retakes World’s Richest Title

bloomberg billionaires 2013-05-16

Billionaire Bill Gates, chairman and founder of Microsoft Corp.

................................................................
bloomberg.com

Bill Gates Retakes World’s Richest Title From Carlos Slim

Bill Gates is once again the world’s richest person. 

cyber warfare between Taiwan and Philippine

Taiwan authority failed to defend the attack 
from a third world country Philippine.

How and why ?








libertytimes台菲網軍大戰有贏嗎？台灣竟然不堪來自三流國家的攻擊
自由廣場
2013-5-15    
台菲網軍大戰有贏嗎？台灣竟然不堪來自三流國家的攻擊

Associated Press says U.S. government seized journalists' phone records

That's why power should always check power ,
Montesquieu  said .
so, why not the press secretly seize phone records
of the officials of the government.

Associated Press probe adds to Obama's woes
With IRS, Benghazi and AP, is Obama under siege? 
....................................................................



reuters.com

By David Ingram

WASHINGTON | Mon May 13, 2013 6:48pm EDT

(Reuters) - The Associated Press on Monday said the U.S. government secretly seized telephone records of AP offices and reporters for a two-month period in 2012, describing the acts as a "massive and unprecedented intrusion" into news-gathering operations.

The differences between sino-japan and taiwan -japan fishing rights agreement around Senkakus

 

The crucial one is in taiwan -japan agreement , 
Senkakus islands soverenty controversy does 
not exit.

A good critical essay.
....................................................
appledaily.com
台日漁業協議的真相（蔡孟翰、陳宜中）2013年05月13日4月10日


台日雙方在台北賓館簽下漁業協議。長達17年關於釣魚台海域的漁業談判，總算有「結果」。但何以過去16次談判皆流產，直到最近才有所成？
一般皆以為日本懼怕兩岸聯手保釣，所以才簽此協議。這個解釋不算錯，但流於表面。這次迅速談成，主因有三。其一，美國不希望台日釣魚台之爭影響其重返亞洲的戰略，故急於促成此事。
求先「安台」再攘外

應當廢除國民健康局──世界上唯一以調高(香菸)價格追求健康目標之極權組織

 

 

 

 新頭殼

凸的很不雅？ 國健局花10萬改局徽

作者： NewTalk 新頭殼 | 新頭殼 – 2013年5月13日 下午7:15

新頭殼newtalk 2013.05.13 林朝億/台北報導

對於美國商業雜誌Business Pundit網站將衛生署國民健康局「3人行」局徽列為全球15大不雅LOGO，國民健康局今（13）日上網公開招標，希望以10萬元預算為組織改造後的「衛生福利部國民健康署」爭取新設計的識別標誌。

根據Business Pundit網站日前選出全球15家不雅企業機構標誌，台灣的國民健康局的「三人行」標誌，出現「男凸女凹」模樣，被列為全球第6大的不雅標誌，引發網友熱傳。

對此，國民健康局今日發布招標公告指出，適逢政府組織改造，將徵求新的「衛生福利部國民健康署」LOGO識別標誌，以利後續宣傳及行銷目的，經費新臺幣10萬元整。

國民健康局對於先前局徽的設計理念指出，1、這是以國民健康英文字首「BHP」作為局徽設計的主要元素，構圖簡潔易明。2、運用3個字母構成，三人互相關 懷且展現出 「珍愛生命，傳播健康」的意象。3、徽誌以圓為外形，表示天圓地方，象徵該局推展業務無遠弗屆的精神。4、局徽以「黃綠」，代表國人健康和諧與歡喜的涵 義。以「綠色」表示全民健康成長和活力的象徵。三個人在一起有三人成眾的意思，也有增進健康（Promotion）、預防疾病（Prevention）及 安全防護（Protection）的意涵。

A Fukien grandma caught swat teamate福建阿婆造反 擄警遊街

http://www.appledaily.com.tw/appledaily/article/international/20130513/35014246/
中國防暴警察出動維穩，卻反遭手無寸鐵的民眾挾持，弄得一臉衰樣！福建泉州市惠安縣南湖村上千名村民，因不滿當地政府強徵土地，計劃蓋高污染的煉油廠，前天圍攻村委會，並向到場的防暴警察投擲石塊和磚頭，最後還「俘虜」了一名警察。據稱當地縣長、鎮長和兩名女公務員也被扣押，兩名女公務員還被脫光衣服，以防逃跑。

Banks buy HK office towers to dodge ever rising rents

Housing Vacancy Rate in Hong Kong: a Panel Analysis  We have discussed about housing vacancy rate in Hong Kong, and both a Cross-Section Analysis: http://blog.yahoo.com/ecyyiuu/articles/165216, and a Time-Series Analysis: http://blog.yahoo.com/ecyyiuu/articles/165531, have been reported.  However, recently some practitioners contend that the very low vacancy rate of housing in Hong Kong (4.3%) implies NO HOUSING BUBBLE! I think a panel analysis may help refute such a contention.  A Chinese version has been published in today's Headline at http://news.hkheadline.com/dailynews/headline_news_detail_columnist.asp?id=192625§ion_name=wtt&kw=222

房產學人——用空置率判斷泡沫的危險

2012-05-29...首先，上次泡沫爆破正是在空置率最低時發生：1996和1997年的樓宇空置率是整個90年代中（1991-2000）最低的兩年，分別是3.7%和3.8%，比現時4.3%還要低，按以上邏輯，理應沒有泡沫，樓價卻下跌五成；這清楚推翻「低空置率代表沒有泡沫」。

相反，若大家仔細分析空置率數據，不難發現現時4.3%的空置率，只不過是平均化後的誤導數據。其實某類住宅空置率非常高，而且升幅異於其他類別住宅。

... 大家會發現方差由1%一直上升至4%，顯示平均空置率的數據愈來愈不可信。...戊類住宅空置率升幅已經升至雙位數，2010年時更破歷史紀錄升上 12.9%，是乙類的3倍；丁類住宅空置率比1997年上升足足1倍。若果『高空置率代表有泡沫』，以上數據可能說明炒家就在豪宅，而且泡沫正在膨脹。

The contention, I suppose, points out that as the vacancy rate is low, it means the demand for occupation is real rather than speculation.  However, this hypothesis (that low vacancy rate implies no bubble) is refuted by facts. The previous 97 bubble was burst when the vacancy rate was one of the lowest in the 1990s (3.8% only).

Even if the hypothesis is correct, then if you analyze the vacancy rates of the 5 classes of housing, then it may imply that a big housing bubble is now expanding in the luxury housing sector.  It is because the average vacancy rate does not truly reflect the vacancy situations of different classes of housing, the standard deviation of the vacancy rates among the 5 classes has been increasing from 1% to 4% in the past 25 years, implying that the average is more and more unreliable. 

In fact, the vacancy rates of Classes D and E have been swiftly increasing in the past 5 years.  When that of Classes A and B are steadily at about 2% and 4% respectively, the vacancy rates of Classes D and E have been escalating from about 4.5% to 10%, a 100% increase! Class E's vacancy rate in 2006 and 2010 had broken the records and reached 13.1% and 12.9%!! Thus, in other words, if the hypothesis is correct, then the panel data indeed implies a housing bubble in the luxury housing.

Yet, I pointed out (but was not published in the Chinese newspaper) that the vacancy rates estimated by RVD are not trustworthy.  As stated in its Technical Explanations, the vacancy rates are estimated by just a 3% sample, and are based on the responses of property management offices, among others.
...............................................
bloomberg.com
Banks buy HK office towers to dodge ever rising rents
Record HK$18.8b in deals over 16 mths; occupancy costs 2nd highest globally
Published May 09, 2013

The Agricultural Bank of China building, center, purchased last year for HK$4.9 billion, stands in the central business district of Hong Kong on May 4, 2013.

Seeking to hedge against rising rents and a shortage of space, banks and insurers are on a record spree of buying office buildings in Hong Kong, where occupancy costs are the second-highest in the world.



Manulife Financial Corp, Canada's biggest insurer, and Hang Seng Bank Ltd this year bought office towers in the city, joining financial firms such as AIA Group Ltd and Agricultural Bank of China Ltd in spending more than HK$18.8 billion (S$3 billion) on commercial properties from January 2012 to last month, according to Cushman & Wakefield. That's the most for a 16-month period on record, the broker's data show.
Companies are looking to secure space in the city where new office supply will fall a third short of demand by the end of the decade, according to Rhodri James, executive director for office services at CBRE Group Inc. The office vacancy rate in Hong Kong fell to 3.3 percent in the first quarter, the lowest in Asia behind Beijing, according to the broker.

UPM-Kymmene's CEO Discusses Q1 2013 Results - Earnings Call Transcript

UPM-Kymmene's CEO Discusses Q1 2013 Results - Earnings Call Transcript

UPM-Kymmene Corporation (UPMKF.PK) Q1 2013 Earnings Call April 25, 2013 6:15 AM ET

Jussi Pesonen

Ladies and gentlemen, welcome to UPM’s first quarter 2013 result webcast. My name is Jussi Pesonen and I’m the CEO of UPM-Kymmene. I’m here with our CFO, Tapio Korpeinen.

Tapio Korpeinen

Good afternoon, everyone.

Jussi Pesonen

Let’s then move to the highlights of the first quarter this year. Q1 was well in line with our expectations. Our results were underpinned by continued good performance in our growth businesses. Pulp improved its profits as we had a normal clean run in the quarter in terms of production, and of course, the sales were solid as well.

In Energy, our profits continued to be on a good level, even though the hydro volumes normalized, and Label continued with stable performance. While it’s positive that in plywood and timber we achieved some improvements with our own measures, even though there was little improvement in the Wood products markets, our prices are up on both areas.

In Paper, the market situation was just as challenging as we expected and explained. Publication paper prices decreased in Europe during the Q1 currencies and current development was against us, and paper demand continued to decrease in Europe as we were guiding earlier this year. As a result of the EBITDA, the Paper business decreased significantly and operating profit was just about breakeven.

Of course, it is a pleasure to also comment that our fixed costs were down from that of last year. We have been able to save our fixed cost over EUR30 million, understanding that that couldn’t offset the result decline, especially in paper.

And now, we are in the situation where the challenges are, as we all know, we are fast implementing the cost-saving plan that we announced 17th of January. We are targeting future annual fixed cost savings of EUR90 million, and that benefit will start to materialize in the second half of this year. But I will come back to that.

Next page I would skip and then move to the kind of economic outlook, page 4, so exactly this two-speed world where we are living in. In Europe, the economy continues to be contract and negative for most of the businesses. In our case, it is posting additional challenges for the European graphic paper business, in particular.

In the US, positive GDP growth continues, but still on a low level. Only in the emerging markets the economy growth continues to be relatively solid, as we can see here, and that is visible also in our business in China, especially.

Moving to the deliveries and delivery volumes. This is a good picture to elaborate the kind of situation where we have and this is backdated up until 2008, and so we see the big drop in 2009 and the recession. Of course, these macro realities are affecting the demand for our products as well.

As you can see from this page that the most visible, it is in our publication paper deliveries, which decreased by 6% to 7% from last year. The decrease in deliveries from Q4 was 17%, which is of course probably a normal seasonal pattern for us. It has been typically on the level of 15% on average.

In Pulp, we had the normal clean quarter in terms of production and this was visible in our pulp deliveries as well as profits in the pulp business. We were able to generate more than EUR140 million of EBITDA and a good EBIT margin as well.

You may recall that in the latter part of last year, we had some production problems on top of the normal maintenance and downsize [ph] we had. So this was certainly run for a change.

In Plywood, as they speak themselves, we have been successful to actually, in our commercial strategy focusing on key customers, and especially what is visible here is that we have been able to sell our products outside of Europe, which has been our activity using the UPM platform to sell products also outside of Europe. European economy doesn’t support that kind of increase in plywood, as to kind of seen here.

IRS knew tea party targeted in 2011

ap-exclusive

WASHINGTON (AP) — Senior Internal Revenue Service officials knew agents were targeting tea party groups as early as 2011, according to a draft of an inspector general's report obtained by The Associated Press that seemingly contradicts public statements by the IRS commissioner.

The IRS apologized Friday for what it acknowledged was "inappropriate" targeting of conservative political groups during the 2012 election to see if they were violating their tax-exempt status. The agency blamed low-level employees, saying no high-level officials were aware.

But on June 29, 2011, Lois G. Lerner, who heads the IRS division that oversees tax-exempt organizations, learned at a meeting that groups were being targeted, according to the watchdog's report. At the meeting, she was told that groups with "Tea Party," ''Patriot" or "9/12 Project" in their names were being flagged for additional and often burdensome scrutiny, the report says.

The 9-12 Project is a group started by conservative TV personality Glenn Beck.
Lerner instructed agents to change the criteria for flagging groups "immediately," the report says.

余杰批龍應台：比江丙坤更危險

其實 龍應台就是白痴一枚
好當官 好為人師
傳統中國文人喜好舞文弄墨
對於政治小心翼翼
(以不得罪中共為前提 這是她之主子馬英九的作風)
對於行政一竅不通
所以開個莫名奇妙的李安回家座談
引發台灣影人大反彈

如今又引發中國維權人士批評
只因發言暗中擁護央視
(奇了 央視開放來台與文化部何干?)
難怪會遭余杰痛批
..............................................
appledaily.com.tw
中國作家余杰批龍應台：比江丙坤更危險
2013年05月11日19:30

日前海基會前董事長江丙坤提議，引入鳳凰電視與中央台國際新聞

，文化部長龍應台也表示，如果中國有意願開放台灣的頻道登陸，

就可坐下來談，旅美中國作家余杰對此痛批「龍應台比江丙坤更危

險」。

余杰今天在香港《蘋果》刊文表示，「江、龍二人，是無知，還是

無恥？是引狼入室還是與狼共舞？江的言論，引起台灣各界人士的

痛斥，幾乎找不到支持者；龍的言論，則不那麼赤裸裸，先將台灣

民眾 的民主素質吹捧一番，然後提出所謂『對等』原則，似乎有理

有節、不卑不亢。但是，這也正是龍的言論比江的言論更有迷惑力

，也更加有害的地方」。

余杰說，「首先，龍說央視的國際新聞做得不錯，不知她是如何得

出這個結論的？她認真觀看和分析過嗎？她知道中國民眾對央視的

看法嗎？2009年，我與一批中國知識分子 發起『抵制央視，拒絕洗

腦』的網絡簽名聯署活動，得到眾多民眾熱烈響應，短短數日，就

有數萬人參與簽名。央視新樓發生大火，人們拍手稱快，可見央視

如何聲名狼藉。人們諷刺央視『新聞聯播』的內容永遠都是這三條

：『領導很忙，中國很好，外國很亂。』每當西方發生大大小小的

天災人禍，央視無不幸災樂禍地大肆渲染；而對北韓、利比亞、敍

利亞的獨裁政權，卻塗脂抹粉、傾力支持。央視只有宣傳，沒有新

聞」。

「其次，即便中共願意與台灣『對等』，難道就應當讓央視和由中

國國安特務組建的鳳凰台肆虐台灣嗎？」，「就好比台灣人手上有

一碗香噴噴的滷肉飯，中國人手上有一碗致命的毒奶粉，憑甚麼台

灣人就要同意用滷肉飯換毒奶粉呢」？

余杰說，「不可低估極權政府宣傳洗腦的可怕。正如納粹宣傳部長

戈培爾所說：『謊言重複一萬遍就成了真理。』」

余杰說，「對於香港風起雲湧的反國民教育運動，龍應台不置一詞

；對於共黨文化的大本營之一的央視，她卻不吝於獻上諂媚之詞。

難道她不滿足於當台灣的文化部長，而要當中國的文化部長嗎？」

8 New York Men Charged In $42 Million International Cyber Bank Heist

like the movie now you see me

 latinospost.com

By Bary Alyssa Johnson | First Posted: May 10, 2013 08:48 AM EDT

The United States government on Thursday charged eight men from New York for their participation in an international conspiracy involving a high-tech theft ring that launched cyber attacks on financial institutions around the world, resulting in losses estimated at $45 million.
Authorities today took into custody seven of the eight-man crew associated with the e-bank heist. The men are facing charges of alleged conspiracy to commit access device fraud, money laundering conspiracy and money laundering as part of a scheme dubbed the "unlimited operation." For their part in the plot, the men are accused of withdrawing nearly $3 million from ATM machines across New York City, according to an indictment filed by United States Attorney Loretta Lynch.

行政院長江宜樺繼續耍笨之「台灣什麼時候施行過撙節措施了？」

以前有人說
天哪
行政院長游錫堃他知道自己笨耶

現在
江宜樺是典型傳統中國文人
反自由主義之推崇極權主義思想家盧騷
(很難理解一堆評論誤讀說江是自由主義者──
他何時推崇堅持過自由憲政主義了?何時堅持過自由
經濟政策了?)
又以儒家這套反自由民主之思想潮流為榮

他在擔任院長大位後
終於開始施行中國儒家那套
官大學問大之首度接受報紙專訪
且是首度公開評論經濟政策

果然
錯誤百出
依然是傳統儒家那種
幾乎毫無經驗之行政官僚
一輩子唸書之學者
突然掌大權
開始大放厥辭了
...................................................
Forecast Error :台灣什麼時候施行過撙節措施了？ You Don't Spend Your Way to Prosperity 

 江宜樺表示，籌編中的103年度中央政府總預算將採擴張型預算，要讓外界明顯感受到政府不會採行撙節措施。這是江揆提出的第一個總預算案，相對於前任院長陳在全球財政撙節風潮下訂出的緊縮型預算，江揆擬以擴張型預算拚成長的決心展露無遺。

我看到這段的第一個反應是「什麼撙節措施」？台灣什麼時候施行過撙節措施了？

Toddler Born Without a Windpipe Gets Artificial Trachea

abcnews.go.com

By KATIE MOISSE (@katiemoisse)

April 30, 2013

In a groundbreaking feat of science and surgery, a Korean toddler born without a windpipe received an artificial trachea made from her own stem cells.
Hannah Warren, 2½, was born with tracheal agenesis, a rare and usually fatal birth defect. She had spent her entire life in a neonatal intensive care unit in a hospital in Seoul, South Korea, unable to breathe, swallow, eat or drink on her own. But after a nine-hour marathon operation to implant a windpipe made of nanofiber mesh coated with her own bone marrow cells, the girl in pigtails finally had her first lollipop.
"All we have ever wanted since Hannah was born was to be able to bring her home and be a regular family," Hannah's father, Darryl Warren, said in a statement from the Children's Hospital of Illinois, where an international team of doctors took on Hannah's unusual case.
Hannah is the first child to receive a tissue-engineered trachea devoid of any donor cells, according to the Peoria, Ill.-based hospital. Lead surgeon Dr. Paolo Macchiarini, professor of regenerative surgery at the Karolinska Institute in Stockholm, Sweden, said the transplant crosses frontiers by eliminating the need for a human donor and a lifetime of immunosuppressant drugs.

China’s economy：Perverse advantage

economist.com 

A new book lays out the scale of China’s industrial subsidies

 CHINA is the workshop to the world. It is the global economy’s most formidable exporter and its largest manufacturer. The explanations for its success range from a seemingly endless supply of cheap labour to an artificially undervalued currency. A provocative new book* by Usha and George Haley, of West Virginia University and the University of New Haven respectively, points to another reason for China’s industrial dominance: subsidies.