Cojiendo con caballos

G20 seeks deal on imbalances, unsure of success
French Economy Minister Christine Lagarde has said that it will not be a drama if finance ministers and central bankers from the world’s 20 biggest developed and developing economies fail to reach an agreement this week on guidelines to measure global economic imbalances. Under discussion is an EU plan to identify those imbalances using an agreed set of economic indicators and then analyse their causes and possibly make policy recommendations on how to deal with them. G20 finance ministers and central bankers are due to hold a summit in Paris at the end of the week. Such imbalances, reflected in the current account balance, private and public savings, debt and capital flows, can trigger or augment crises, destabilising the world economy. G20 leaders agreed in November to find a way to tackle them. Lagarde added that there was also “a long debate on whether to include the trade balance with its flows of products and whether to include flows of services.” Bank of France Governor Christian Noyer said that the debate was not intended to be an exercise in point fingers at countries with large deficits. Copyright © 2011 euronews

Brazil great Ronaldo hangs up his boots
Brazilian star Ronaldo has announced he is retiring from football at the age of 34. He is one of only two players – the other being Zinedine Zidane – to be named FIFA world player of the year three times. In a glittering goal-filled career, Ronaldo Lu?�s Naz??rio de Lima was a member of two World Cup-winning sides in 1994 and 2002. He told a packed press conference in Sao Paulo that injuries had forced him to put an end to his career. “I came here to say today that I’m ending my career as a professional player…Four years ago at Milan I discovered I was suffering from a complaint called hypothyroidism, which slows down your metabolism and to control it I would have to take some hormones that are not permitted in football because of anti-doping.” He added that “it has been a beautiful, emotional, marvellous career.”?� He had been expected to retire at the end of this season but with his club, Corinthians, making an early exit from the Copa Libertadores, he decided that now was the time to call it a day. Ronaldo’s glittering career began at Cruzeiro in his native Brazil where a dazzling goalscoring streak brought the teenager to the attention of some of Europe’s biggest clubs.?�Later that season, he was named as non-playing member of his country’s 1994 World Cup squad.?�Ronaldo joined PSV Eindhoven after the competition. In two seasons in Dutch football, he hit 54 goals in just 57 games. ?�That rich vein of form alerted Spanish giants Barcelona, who were coached by Englishman Bobby Robson at the time.?�Robson only coached Ronaldo for one season but he once referred to him as “the best player I have ever worked with.”?�Robson said: “Ronaldo was lean, mean, as quick as an Olympic sprinter and some of the goals he scored had me shaking my head in disbelief.”?�Ronaldo stayed just one season at the Camp Nou where he netted 47 goals in 49 matches ??� a return which saw him named the youngest ever winner of the FIFA World Player of The Year at the age of just 20.?�After one season with Barca, Inter Milan snapped him up for a world record fee and Ronaldo went on to score 59 goals in 99 appearances for the Italian giants.?�But it was with the Nerazzuri that injuries began to hamper Ronaldo’s career. He damaged his knee in 1999 and then again during his comeback in February 2000, which kept him out of the game for another two years.?�Nevertheless, Real Madrid were willing to part with 39 million euros in 2002 to secure Ronaldo’s signature. He paid them back with 98 goals in 164 games and a record number of replica shirts sold with his name. Four seasons later, he was back at the San Siro, this time with AC Milan. He played just 20 matches there, scoring nine goals, before moving back to Brazil to play with Corinthians. He also made a huge impact on the international stage and holds the record for the number of goals scored in World Cups, with 15. In 97 international matches, he scored 62 times for Brazil. Copyright © 2011 euronews

Bribes probe sears EU Parliament
Three European Parliament members are under investigation on corruption allegations. The Sunday Times says journalists posing as lobbyists offered 60 MEPs bribes to propose law amendments. The British paper said Austrian Ernst Strasser, of the European People’s Party, Slovenian Zoran Thaler and Romanian Adrian Severin — both in the parliament’s Socialists & Democrats group, took the bait, all three of them former government ministers. The first two have quit their MEP seats. The third has not. Former Romanian deputy prime minister Adrian Severin in Bucharest denied the allegations. So did the others, saying they had stepped down to give probes into the matter free rein. Severin said: “I have informed my colleagues about the whole situation and about my hope that an inquiry in the European Parliament will be started as soon as possible, so that everything will be clarified.” An alliance of transparency campaigners has urged a thorough overhaul of ethics rules for MEPs. Olivier Hoedeman, with ALTER-EU, said: “I am afraid it is not an isolated case. The fact that these three MEPs were so eagerly accepting the deal that was made I think is a very bad sign. It shows that there are MEPs who are corruptible, and I will be surprised that this is only those three.” Institutional reform group ALTER-EU said: “This scandal could be the tip of the iceberg.” Critics say many MEPs hold second jobs that lead to conflicts of interest and that current ethics rules are inadequate. Copyright © 2011 euronews

Foreigners flee Libya: ‘they’re shooting people randomly’
Thousands of foreigners from Libya’s neighbouring countries have been trying to flee across the borders. Cairo’s military rulers reinforced Egypt’s frontier but opened the main crossing 24 hours a day, especially to allow those needing medical treatment to cross. One group of Egyptians who made it back to home soil seemed more than relieved as they cheered and chanted. Some of their accounts describe a highly volatile situation – with mercenaries on the loose. “Everyone carries guns, weapons,” said one man, speaking in English. “Turmoil, no security. We can’t stay here, whatever it is, we can’t stay here so we come to our country because the situation there is very, very critical and very serious.” “We don’t know where they’re coming from,” said another man animatedly, referring to foreign mercenaries. “They’re not Libyans, they’re Africans… they’re shooting people randomly. The Libyans are trying to protect themselves from these mercenaries in several towns in the east: Tobruk, Benghazi, Al-Bayda and Darnah. These people have been flown in to shoot them.” Several countries are seeking to evacuate their citizens. In the east of the country Libyan guards have reportedly disappeared from the Egyptian border, replaced by armed men opposed to Colonel Gaddafi. To the west thousands of Tunisians have been flooding across the frontier. One man had to leave his car and finish the journey across the desert on foot to escape. He kissed the ground upon his arrival on the Tunisian side of the border. “People over there in that country, they risk death,” he said, pointing back over the frontier towards Libya. Tunisia – fresh from its own revolution – has some 30,000 nationals in Libya. Many have been threatened by the authorities in Tripoli, accused of taking part in the revolt. Copyright © 2011 euronews

Anger in Bahrain over further police crackdown
There has been panic on the streets of Bahrain, as soldiers used live rounds to break up?�anti-government demonstrations.?�At least 50 people are reported to have been injured in clashes with police, some with gunshot wounds.?�As night fell, security forces boosted their presence on the streets.?�The fresh violence came just hours after the country’s crown prince appealed for calm and dialogue.?�A young woman spoke to euronews from a hospital where the wounded are being treated.?�“We are in Salmaniyah hospital,” she said.?�“We’re away from the place where the clashes are happening. But we can hear the clashes, the explosions. A witness just came from there and said the ground was red. The ground is red, painted with blood.”?�Angry protesters gathered outside the hospital.?�The?�violence came on the same day that funerals were held for the four people killed when police broke up a protest camp on Thursday.More than 230 others were wounded in the raid. Copyright © 2011 euronews

Julian Assange to be extradited to Sweden
A British judge has ruled that WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange should be extradited to Sweden to face sexual offense charges. Assange denies the sexual assault and rape allegations against him and claims they are politically motivated. He has infuriated the United States government by publishing embarrassing secret diplomatic documents online. His lawyers had argued that he would not face a fair trial that is open to the public in Sweden and that he then risks being extradited to the US to face charges related to his whistle-blowing activities and could face the death penalty. A lawyer representing Swedish prosecutors said that the evidence in the sex offense trial would be heard behind closed doors but that the arguments would be then made public. Assange was arrested under a European Arrest Warrant in December before being released on bail nine days later. His lawyer says he will appeal the Swedish extradition ruling. Copyright © 2011 euronews

Berlusconi’s party takes poll dive
Despite the hundreds of thousands of women who marched all over Italy calling for him to quit, Silvio Berlusconi again refused to budge today, again insisting it is all just a left wing plot to slander him, as the opposition cannot beat him in elections. However his former ally and co-founder of his party, Gianfranco Fini, has now formed a party of his own, ‘Future & Liberty’. He insists Berlusconi faces a revolt within his ‘People of Freedom’ party, and that criticism of the leader is now not confined to just the usual suspects on the left. He wants his immediate resignation and fresh elections. At the party’s launch Fini’s attacks were his most outspoken yet, and they have been picked up in today’s papers. In the latest opinion poll Berlusconi’s party has slumped to just 27.2 percent support, and tomorrow a court in Milan should rule on whether or not to indict Berlusconi on charges of paying for sex with a minor, and lying to police to obtain her release from custody. Copyright © 2011 euronews

Three more top London fashion tickets
In this fashion edition of ‘Le Mag’ Julien Macdonald, Burberry and Giles Deacon unveil their autumn/winter 2011 collections during London Fashion Week. Copyright © 2011 euronews

Libya: euronews reports from Brega
Although rebels are still in control of Brega, the situation in the town remains tense. Euronews has been hearing from journalist Francesca Cicardi, who is in Brega. She says: ‘‘The rebels in Brega are optimistic and confident after having fought off the forces of Gaddafi yesterday. They’re prepared to repel more attacks today. The rebels are not scared, they’re ready, they’re well-armed, and patrolling the streets of the city. Other men have joined them, mostly from Adjabiya which is the nearest city situated less than a hundred kilometres away, but also from Benghazi some 250 kilometres away. Like a young man who we spoke to this morning, who told us that he arrived yesterday from Banghazi to take part in the battle. This young man is an engineer who’s never fought before but in spite of that he said he’s ready to fight even if he only fired a gun for the first time two days ago.’‘ Copyright © 2011 euronews

Ex French army chief: “the Libyans must find a solution”
NATO members have been holding talks about taking command of the no-fly zone over Libya. Washington, London and Paris agreed on Tuesday that the alliance should play a key operational role, although a deal still has to be reached, largely due to Turkish reservations. To evaluate the situation, euronews interviewed Admiral Jacques Lanxade, former chief of defence of the French armed forces, and former ambassador to Tunisia. Pierre Ass?�mat, euronews: Paris talks of a technical role for NATO. Why has (agreement) taken so much time? Admiral Jacques Lanxade: I believe that the French position, but equally that of several other countries, was that NATO has an image in the Arab world which is an aggressive image – one of western nations against developing countries – which is a great exaggeration. So the idea was that this coalition was needed: that is a coalition of the international community comprising not only western forces but also Arab countries. So NATO didn’t seem to France to be very appropriate. Pierre Ass?�mat, euronews: Admiral, it’s very easy to start a war, it’s harder to end one. And it seems hard to imagine the Libyan regime collapsing from within. In your view what strategy is the international coalition going to pursue? Admiral Jacques Lanxade: My personal feeling is that we have two scenarios before us. The first being that Gaddafi, pushed by his entourage perhaps, leaves power – and today we hear about negotiations which are already underway for the “guide to the Libyan revolution” – as he calls himself – to go. I am not sure that things will happen like that. The other scenario unfortunately is that of the status quo, which means a partition of the country. Between on one side Cyrenaica under the control of the opposition – and Tripolitania under the control of the Gaddafi clan. I fear that the second scenario is the more probable. Pierre Ass?�mat, euronews: Now that the exclusion zone is in place, should (the coalition) launch a ground offensive? Admiral Jacques Lanxade: There should certainly not be a ground offensive, besides the United Nations resolution did not authorise one and I think that it would be extremely dangerous to do it. I think that it’s now up to the Libyans to find a solution, in other words for the opposition to see whether it’s in a position to shove events along and make sure that Gaddafi leaves, because there’ll be no definitive solution with Gaddafi in power. Pierre Ass?�mat, euronews: Can we envisage an indirect attack by the international community against Colonel Gaddafi, since a direct one is not allowed under the United Nations mandate? Admiral Jacques Lanxade: I don’t believe that Gaddafi can be hit, he is extremely careful, he has underground bunkers. It’s possible to get rid of certain things around him, and make his situation more difficult, but physically I think that barring an accident, it’s very difficult to hit him. Copyright © 2011 euronews