Today’s the 18th of January, and Wikipedia is blocking their english page due to SOPA.
Too bad you haven’t scheduled your daily work around the blackout, but you still need to get access to wikipedia’s helpful information, so here’s how you do it.
Go to google.com
Type in what you want and also add ‘wikipedia’ to that result, so you would type things like ‘soap wikipedia’ , ‘new york wikipedia’ and so forth.
Click on the google result
Just as the page starts to load , click the stop button on your browser (to the right of the URL bar).
If you do this quick enough the entire page will load without being blacked out!
Macmillan Publishers has been ordered to pay £11.3m for “unlawful conduct” related to its education division in East and West Africa.
The High Court order was made after the Serious Fraud Office (SFO) began an inquiry last year following a report from the World Bank.
The report said Macmillan had made “bribery payments” to secure a deal to print textbooks in South Sudan.
Macmillan said it “deeply regretted” what had happened.
“Fortunately, it has been established that these issues were confined to a limited part of our education business in East and West Africa,” said Macmillan chief executive Annette Thomas.
“The company deeply regrets what has passed, but has learned from the experience and has emerged stronger as an organisation.”
Six-year ban
The World Bank set up a trust fund in 2006 to finance the rebuilding of South Sudan’s economy, government, health and education systems devastated by decades of civil war.
The SFO said that the initial report from the Bank had said that an agent for Macmillan had made an attempt “to pay a sum of money with the view in mind of persuading the award of a World Bank funded tender to supply educational materials in Southern Sudan”.
“The company did not win the contract,” the SFO said.
As a result of the World Bank report, in March 2010 Macmillan referred the case to the SFO and was later banned from taking up any contracts financed by the World Bank for six years.
Macmillan said it had co-operated with the World Bank and the SFO by instructing external lawyers to conduct an independent investigation into publicly tendered contracts won by the company in Rwanda, Uganda and Zambia between 2002 and 2009.
After working with the World Bank and the City of London Police, the SFO completed its investigations, saying: “It was plain that the company may have received revenue that had been derived from unlawful conduct.”
Following an accounting examination the SFO determined that £11.26m should be recovered, which the High Court ordered.
Macmillan will also pay the SFO’s costs of pursuing the High Court order, which amounts to £27,000.
The World Bank welcomed the latest news.
“Today’s announcement is testament to the importance of unified global action against corruption to ensure efforts to educate the children of Sudan and other developing countries are not undermined by corruption,” said Stephen Zimmermann from the Bank.
Republican House Speaker John Boehner has walked away from crunch debt ceiling talks at the White House with US President Barack Obama.
Mr Obama said Mr Boehner had rejected an “extraordinarily fair deal” that would have included $ 650bn (£400bn) of cuts to entitlement programmes.
Mr Obama said he had been willing to take “a lot of heat” from his party.
Mr Boehner said in a letter circulated to the Republican rank and file: “In the end, we couldn’t connect.”
“I have decided to end discussions with the White House and begin conversations with the leaders of the Senate in an effort to find a path forward,” the letter said.
The talks have been aimed at avoiding what analysts say would be a catastrophic US debt default on 2 August.
“It is hard to understand why Speaker Boehner would walk away from this kind of deal,” the president said at a news conference on Friday evening.
“There are a lot of Republicans who are puzzled as to why it couldn’t get done,” he added.
Meanwhile, senior Republican aides have said President Obama and congressional Republicans had been close to reaching a deal to raise the debt ceiling early last week, but said the White House had changed its demand to call for higher taxes.
Stock markets have continued to rise following the eurozone’s comprehensive agreement designed to resolve the Greek debt crisis.
UK, French and German markets gained more than 0.5% in early trading, while Japan’s Nikkei closed up 1.2%. The euro also rose further against the dollar.
Eurozone leaders agreed a further 109bn euros ($ 155bn, £96.3bn) aid package.
Private lenders will contribute to the package, which will give Greece decades more to repay its debts.
The latest Greek bailout by the 17 eurozone governments and the International Monetary Fund is part of a comprehensive package to shore up the single currency unveiled on Thursday.
Eurozone leaders hailed the comprehensive agreement.
Dutch Prime Minister Mark Rutte said: “We have sent a clear signal to the markets by showing our determination to stem the crisis and turn the tide in Greece, thereby securing the future of the savings, pensions and jobs of our citizens all over Europe”.
Doubts will remain as to whether, having won a second bail-out, Greece will remain committed to unpopular austerity measures and privatisations”
End Quote
Gavin HewittBBC Europe editor
The Institute of International Finance – a global trade body representing big banks and other major lenders – said the planned debt restructuring would target participation by 90% of Greece’s private sector lenders.
French President Nicolas Sarkozy said private lenders will contribute a total of 135bn euros of financing to Greece.
The plan is expected to provide some 50bn euros of debt relief to Greece.
Three of the four options offered to lenders to swap or relend existing debts would extend Greece’s repayment terms by 30 years, while the fourth would do so by 15 years.
They all offer a much lower interest rate than Greece’s current 15%-25% cost of borrowing in financial markets.
Two of the options would also involve “haircuts” – reducing the amount of debt Greece has to repay.
The terms of the deal imply a loss to Greece’s lenders equivalent to 21% of the market value of their debts, said the IIF.
First default
The restructuring is widely expected to be declared by credit rating agencies to be a default by Greece on its debts – something European leaders have been at pains to avert until now.
Herman Van Rompuy: “This situation was… threatening the stability of the eurozone”
The ECB and France had been particularly opposed to a default, but it was ultimately insisted on by Germany.
German Chancellor Angela Merkel said: “I strongly welcome the voluntary contribution from the banks. I believe that this is the right signal coming at a difficult time”.
Mr Sarkozy played down the significance of the banks’ participation in the aid package.
“If the rating agencies are using the word you just used (default), it is not part of my vocabulary. Greece will pay its debt,” he told reporters.
The deal would make Greece the first ever EU country to default, and could have a number of serious repercussions:
banks would be forced overnight to recognise in their financial accounts billions of euros in losses on Greek debts they own
these losses could in turn leave banks short of capital – making it difficult for them to lend – and could leave the Greek banks insolvent
Greek banks would also be unable to use their government’s debts as security to borrow cash from the ECB
the ECB itself stands to make major losses on Greek debts it has bought or accepted as collateral from the Greek banks
separately, the debt restructuring could also trigger payouts on billions of dollars of credit derivative contracts, used by financial markets to hedge against or speculate on a Greek default
The Greek bail-out package will be used to soften the blow to the Greek banks, with 20bn euros being used to recapitalise them, and 35bn euros to facilitate their continued borrowing from the ECB.
Irish interest rates
The biggest fear of European leaders is that imposing losses on Greece’s lenders could lead to contagion – a sharp increase in the rate at which markets are willing to lend to other eurozone borrowers, in particular Italy and Spain.
Source: Eurostat. Government debt expressed as a percentage of economic output.
“We would like to make it clear that Greece requires an exceptional and unique solution,” the eurozone leaders said in a statement following their meeting.
Despite their fears, markets rallied as details of the new bail-out emerged, with the cost of borrowing for all of Europe’s heavily-indebted borrowers falling.
However, the borrowing costs of Portugal and the Republic of Ireland still remain at levels that suggest markets think they too are likely to default in the next five years.
Mr Sarkozy said on Thursday there will be no imposition of losses on private sector lenders to the Irish Republic or Portugal.
Thursday’s announcement should make life easier for both countries, with the repayment dates of their rescue loans being doubled to 15 years.
It also included a 2% reduction in the Irish Republic’s interest payments, something that the Republic’s Prime Minister, Enda Kenny said would save it a “substantial” 600-800m euros a year.
Investment projects
Among the other changes announced on Thursday were plans to ultimately turn the Eurozone’s bail-out fund into a European equivalent of the IMF.
The EFSF was granted new powers to buy up bonds – necessary for it to carry out the Greek debt restructuring – and to make credit available to countries such as Spain and Italy that are not at immediate risk of insolvency.
EU development funds and loans from the European Investment Bank would be used to finance Greek infrastructure and development projects.
The move responds to criticisms from some economists that the eurozone’s previous approach of insisting that Greece implement deeper and deeper budget cuts was killing the Greek economy, and therefore self-defeating.
European Commission President Jose Manuel Barroso also indicated plans to rein in the power of the credit rating agencies.
“We… endorsed the plan of reducing overreliance on external credit ratings,” he said, adding that policymakers would come forward in the autumn “with further proposals”.
German Chancellor Angela Merkel and French President Nicolas Sarkozy have hammered out a common position on the euro debt crisis.
A statement by the French president’s office said agreement had been reached after seven hours of talks in Berlin.
It comes ahead of a crunch meeting of eurozone leaders to resolve the Greek debt crisis and prevent further contagion to other eurozone economies.
Details of the deal have not yet been released.
Jean-Claude Trichet, the European Central Bank president, was also brought into the discussions, according to a spokesman for Mrs Merkel.
Germany had previously insisted that Greece’s lenders should be forced to take losses as part of any further rescue deal for Athens.
But this had been opposed by France and the ECB, who fear it could spark a Europe-wide banking crisis, push Spain and possibly Italy into trouble, and even jeopardise the solvency of the ECB itself.
‘Very serious’
Policymakers are set to discuss a range of measures at the meeting later on Thursday, including a new loan package to Greece and the role of private investors in any debt restructuring.
Reports suggest a new tax on banks will also be debated.
But German Chancellor Angela Merkel has cautioned against over optimism.
Greece received its first aid package in May last year, but the debt crisis continues to undermine confidence in global financial markets, with some commentators suggesting it threatens the future of the euro itself.
Politicians and investors are calling for decisive action to help bring the crisis to an end.
“Nobody should be under any illusion; the situation is very serious,” European Commission President Jose Manuel Barroso said on Wednesday.
“It requires a response. Otherwise, the negative consequences will be felt in all corners of Europe and beyond.”
The Governor of the Bank of England, Sir Mervyn King, has said that the crisis in the eurozone posed the most serious and immediate risk to the UK’s financial system.
President Barack Obama has also weighed in, calling Mrs Merkel on Tuesday night to stress the importance of tackling the debt crisis in sustaining the global economic recovery.
The International Monetary Fund has also called on European leaders to take swift and decisive action.
Delaying such action further would be “very costly” for the world economy, it said.
Spending cuts
However, there are divisions among policymakers about the best way to resolve the crisis.
There appears to be consensus on the need for a new loan agreement, analysts say, thought to be similar in size to the 110bn euro ($ 156bn; £97bn) package agreed last year.
However, there is also a growing consensus that this will merely act a sticking plaster, and that the fundamental problem of Greece’s indebtedness needs to be addressed.
Athens has already implemented a raft of wide ranging austerity measures, including spending cuts and tax rises, and earlier this month agreed to further drastic action to cut its debt.
Bank tax
But there is a growing sense that these will not be enough. The only way to resolve the problem is to restructure Greece’s debts, many observers argue.
Germany has proposed allowing Athens more time to repay, effectively rolling over existing debts into new bonds.
It wants private investors, largely banks, to participate in this restructuring.
But the European Central Bank has strongly opposed this plan, arguing that such a rollover would constitute a default in the eyes of the international credit ratings agencies and, as such, would undermine investor confidence and the euro itself.
An alternative way get private investors to contribute to any aid package would be to introduce a new bank tax.
Reports suggest leaders will discuss precisely such a tax, even though this would prove hugely unpopular with the banks.
It is these divisions that explain Mrs Merkel’s attempts to dampen expectations ahead of the summit.
The summit will take place in Brussels at 1300 local time (1100 GMT).
Eurozone leaders will meet on Thursday for a crunch summit to try to resolve the Greek debt crisis and prevent any further contagion to other so-called peripheral economies.
Policymakers will discuss a range of measures, including a new loan package to Greece and the role of private investors in any debt restructuring.
Reports suggest a new tax on banks will also be debated.
But German Chancellor Angela Merkel has cautioned against over optimism.
‘Very serious’
Greece received its first aid package in May last year, but the debt crisis continues to undermine confidence in global financial markets, with some commentators suggesting it threatens the future of the euro itself.
Politicians and investors are calling for decisive action to help bring the crisis to an end.
“Nobody should be under any illusion; the situation is very serious,” European Commission President Jose Manuel Barroso said on Wednesday.
“It requires a response. Otherwise, the negative consequences will be felt in all corners of Europe and beyond.”
The Governor of the Bank of England, Sir Mervyn King, has said that the crisis in the eurozone posed the most serious and immediate risk to the UK’s financial system.
President Barack Obama has also weighed in, calling Mrs Merkel on Tuesday night to stress the importance of tackling the debt crisis in sustaining the global economic recovery.
The International Monetary Fund has also called on European leaders to take swift and decisive action.
Delaying such action further would be “very costly” for the world economy, it said.
Spending cuts
However, there are divisions among policymakers about the best way to resolve the crisis.
There appears to be consensus on the need for a new loan agreement, analysts say, thought to be similar in size to the 110bn euro ($ 156bn; £97bn) package agreed last year.
However, there is also a growing consensus that this will merely act a sticking plaster, and that the fundamental problem of Greece’s indebtedness needs to be addressed.
Athens has already implemented a raft of wide ranging austerity measures, including spending cuts and tax rises, and earlier this month agreed to further drastic action to cut its debt.
Bank tax
But there is a growing sense that these will not be enough. The only way to resolve the problem is to restructure Greece’s debts, many observers argue.
Germany has proposed allowing Athens more time to repay, effectively rolling over existing debts into new bonds.
It wants private investors, largely banks, to participate in this restructuring.
But the European Central Bank has strongly opposed this plan, arguing that such a rollover would constitute a default in the eyes of the international credit ratings agencies and, as such, would undermine investor confidence and the euro itself.
An alternative way get private investors to contribute to any aid package would be to introduce a new bank tax.
Reports suggest leaders will discuss precisely such a tax, even though this would prove hugely unpopular with the banks.
It is these divisions that explain Mrs Merkel’s attempts to dampen expectations ahead of the summit.
The summit will take place in Brussels at 1300 local time.
French Finance Minister Francois Baroin has stressed the need for Europe to send a “strong message” that it will act decisively to contain the Greek debt crisis.
He said Thursday’s summit of European leaders should pave the way for further assistance to the debt-ridden country.
The International Monetary Fund has called on Europe to take strong action.
Mr Baroin’s comments came as European banking shares recovered strongly from sharp falls earlier this week.
In France, Societe Generale and BNP were up about 3%, while in Germany, Deutsche Bank climbed 2.8% and Commerzbank rose more than 2%.
Banking shares fell sharply on Monday on debt fears and concerns about the credibility of last Friday’s Europe-wide bank stress tests.
Debt rollover
All eyes are now on Thursday’s summit, with French President Nicolas Sarkozy travelling to Berlin to discuss the debt crisis with German Chancellor Angela Merkel ahead of the meeting.
“This meeting at the highest decision-making level should allow us to take a further essential step to establish the conditions of a new package for Greece, that will make Greece’s debt more bearable,” Mr Baroin said.
“A strong message should be made tomorrow.”
However, divisions remain among European leaders, and Mrs Merkel has played down the chances of Thursday’s emergency eurozone summit resolving Greece’s debt crisis.
Mrs Merkel wants private investors to contribute to any aid package by agreeing to roll over loans they have made to Greece.
However, the European Central Bank disagrees, arguing that such a rollover would constitute a default in the eyes of the international credit ratings agencies and, as such, would undermine investor confidence and the euro itself.
