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France unveils 'harshest budget in 30 years'

François Hollande has described the 2013 plans as a 'combat budget'. Photograph: Andrew Gombert/EPA

Image: François Hollande has described the 2013 plans as a 'combat budget'. Photograph: Andrew Gombert/EPA

guardian.co.uk - September 28th, 2012 - Kim Willsher

To the dismay of a swath of French bankers, business leaders and the wealthy, President François Hollande has remained true to his word and unveiled €20bn (£16bn) in new taxes, including a 75% "supertax" band that will hit the rich.

In what Hollande has described as France's harshest budget in 30 years, business and personal taxpayers were asked on Friday to make an "unprecedented effort" to slash the country's public spending deficit.

However, the Socialist government sidestepped swingeing cuts in public spending, including pensions and state salaries, in its 2013 budget, which aims to find €36.9bn in savings.

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Protests puncture euro zone optimism

A protester runs from police in Athens on Wednesday. (Louisa Gouliamaki/AFP/Getty Images)

Image: A protester runs from police in Athens on Wednesday. (Louisa Gouliamaki/AFP/Getty Images)

globalpost.com - September 26th, 2012 - Paul Ames

Riot police fired tear gas at an angry mob throwing gasoline bombs during a general strike in Athens today, a day after Spanish police shot rubber bullets at leftist protesters attempting to storm parliament, where lawmakers were mulling more austerity.

Days after it seemed European policymakers may have finally launched a drive to save the continent’s single currency, the euro zone's battlefield is spreading from trading floors to the streets.

Now Spain’s richest region is calling for independence, part of the mounting political fallout from an economic crisis that is far from resolution.

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Cuba - Cholera - Unconfirmed Reports of New Cases Popping Up in Two Small Towns

Cuban government stays mum on new cholera reports

mcclatchydc.com - The Miami Herald - by Juan O. Tamayo - September 25, 2012

Four weeks after the Cuban government announced that an outbreak of cholera in the eastern part of the island was over, there are unconfirmed reports of new cases popping up in two small towns.

Twenty-seven cases were reported in the municipality of San Luis, in the eastern province of Santiago de Cuba, and 19 more in the Bahia Honda municipality 35 miles west of Havana.

Roberto Gonzalez, a dissident living in San Luis, said that area public health workers and residents have told him of the more than two dozen confirmed cases and 102 suspected cases of cholera in the municipality over the past two weeks.

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Spain Recoils as Its Hungry Forage Trash Bins for a Next Meal

In Spain, the unemployment rate is over 50 percent among young people (Samuel Aranda for The New York Times)

Images: In Spain, the unemployment rate is over 50 percent among young people (Samuel Aranda for The New York Times)

nytimes.com - September 24th, 2012 - Suzanne Daley

On a recent evening, a hip-looking young woman was sorting through a stack of crates outside a fruit and vegetable store here in the working-class neighborhood of Vallecas as it shut down for the night.

At first glance, she looked as if she might be a store employee. But no. The young woman was looking through the day’s trash for her next meal.

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100 Million Will Die by 2030 if World Fails to Tackle Climate Change: Report

Reuters - by Nina Chestney
September 27, 2012

(CLICK ON "READ MORE" AT THE BOTTOM OF THIS POST FOR LINKS TO THE REPORT )

LONDON: More than 100 million people will die and global economic growth will be cut by 3.2 percent of gross domestic product (GDP) by 2030 if the world fails to tackle climate change, a report commissioned by 20 governments said on Wednesday.

As global average temperatures rise due to greenhouse gas emissions, the effects on the planet, such as melting ice caps, extreme weather, drought and rising sea levels, will threaten populations and livelihoods, said the report conducted by humanitarian organisation DARA.

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Report - Climate Vulnerability Monitor: A Guide to the Cold Calculus of A Hot Planet
http://daraint.org/climate-vulnerability-monitor/climate-vulnerability-monitor-2012/report/

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Obama uses UN speech to condemn extremism

Barack Obama paid a personal tribute to Chris Stevens, the US ambassador to Libya who was killed in the attack on Benghazi. Photograph: Mary Altaffer/AP

Image: Barack Obama paid a personal tribute to Chris Stevens, the US ambassador to Libya who was killed in the attack on Benghazi. Photograph: Mary Altaffer/AP

guardian.co.uk - September 25th, 2012 - Julian Borger

President Barack Obama today sought to reset US relations with the Arab world in the wake of anti-American riots triggered by an amateur video insulting the prophet Mohamed, that led to the death of the US ambassador to Libya, Chris Stevens.

Obama used his speech to the UN general assembly, expected to be his last major foreign policy address before the November elections, to pay a personal tribute to Stevens, highlighting the murdered diplomat's passion for Arab culture and support for democracy, and present it a model for American-Arab relations.

The president also restated the US position on the Iran nuclear programme: that there was still time for diplomacy, but not "unlimited time".

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The G-20 and Food Security

Farmer with corn.Image: Farmer with corn.

submitted by Robert G. Ross

stanleyfoundation.org - September 2012

Spikes in the price of staple food commodities are pushing the issue of food security higher on the G-20 agenda. The Mexican finance ministry confirmed that the topic will be prominent for the next meeting of deputy finance ministers and central banks on September 23–24. The officials are mindful of the 2008 global crisis that sparked food riots in some 30 different countries, as well as the G-20’s own commitments to tackle price volatility. Prices rose by an alarming 10 percent earlier this summer, though the most recent reports have shown them stabilizing.

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2012 Innovation to Inspiration - i2i Awardees

submitted by Albert Gomez

techconnect.org

Congratulations to the 2012 i2i Awardees. Over 150 high quality submissions were vetted by the joint Investment & Corporate review committee based on the potential positive impact of the submitted innovations for the planet and society. Join us as these leading companies present their inspiring technologies to the SXSW Eco community, October 3-5, in Austin Texas!

http://www.techconnect.org/i2i/awardees.html

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[Research] Data on Nonprofit Cloud Computing: Anywhere, Anytime Technology for Social Change

submitted by Albert Gomez

bethkanter.org - by Beth Kanter - September 20, 2012

“Cloud Computing” is when you use software on the Internet versus your local hard drive or local computer network.  It makes your data and documents available anywhere, anytime.

TechSoup has just released the results of a global study of NGOs about cloud computing with some interesting findings.

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2012 Global Cloud Computing Translated Survey Results
http://www.techsoupglobal.org/translated-cloud-reports

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Wastewater Service Likely Culprit in Norovirus Outbreak

submitted by Albert Gomez

newstalkzb.co.nz - by Jacqui Stanford - September 21, 2012

An investigation has found Cardrona's wastewater service is the likely culprit in a norovirus outbreak that hit the snow resort town last month.

Over a 15 day period 66 people went down with the nasty bug.

After a boil water notice was put in place no new cases have been reported.

Public health officials say sampling shows the norovirus is likely to have come from wastewater systems in the area.

http://www.newstalkzb.co.nz/auckland/news/nbhea/1893145557-wastewater-service-likely-culprit-in-norovirus-outbreak

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