Chinese Spacecraft Program - The Shenzhou VIII Succeeded his Rendezvous

On the night of Wednesday to Thursday, China passed its first "kiss" space. The Shenzhou VIII launched on 1 November docked successfully test module Tiangong-1 which will remain attached for about 12 days.

Chinese Spacecraft Shenzhou 8

The successes keep coming to China and its space program. It has indeed to do a step by passing its first space rendezvous. Wednesday at 5:36 p.m. GMT, Shenzhou VIII, who had taken off on November 1, the base of Jiuquan was united without difficulty to test module Tiangong-1, itself launched on 29 September. Both devices were moored "to a speed of about 28,000 km / h to 343 km above the Earth" , said Thursday the spokesman for the Chinese manned space flight program, Wu Ping.

It was the first time that China was conducting such an operation which is very delicate and requires a good mastery of craft. For the event, the Chinese leaders, including Prime Minister Wen Jiabao had moved to the control center in Beijing to attend at night to the retransmission of the stowage described as a "fucking space" by the media.Cannes in France, President Hu Jintao has sent a congratulatory message to the teams. 

Shenzhou VIII and Tiangong-1 will remain docked for about 12 days before separating to come together again for two days. After their second separation, " Shenzhou VIII to return to Earth on November 17 in the afternoon , "said the spokesman quoted by AFP. If the mission is a success, while China plans to launch next year two other ships to join Tiangong-1, Shenzhou IX and Shenzhou successively X, of which at least will be inhabited.

A "heavenly palace" China by 2020

However, the first docking of two spacecraft has been a crucial step in the conquest of space , crossed by the Russians and Americans in the 1960s. This allows China to position itself as a potential future major space power. Although it is performed a phase of cooperation with Russia around the year 2000, the country has indeed itself developed the technology that has made ​​this the first space rendezvous. 

This is part of the program to develop by 2020, China in a space station in which a crew can live independently for several months, as the old Russian space station Mir and the current International Space Station (ISS).

Earthquake in Turkey: Boy Rescued after 108 Hours, the Homeless in the Snow

Rain and snow worsen the situation of homeless people since the earthquake in eastern Turkey whose record is now 576 dead, but of miracles still happen, like a boy rescued after 108 hours .

Boy Rescued after 108 Hours

Teams of rescuers extracted from the rubble a 12 year old boy in the night from Thursday to Friday Ercis, the city most devastated by the earthquake of magnitude 7.2 occurred Sunday in the province of Van, has announced the Anatolia news agency.

Ferhat Tokay was stuck under the rubble of a building that collapsed in this city of 75,000 inhabitants.

In total, 187 people were removed alive from the rubble by rescuers after the disaster, which was 576 dead and 2,608 wounded, according to a new official count provided Friday.

A few hours earlier, was Aydin Palak, a student of 18, which had been extracted from the rubble of a building in Ercis.

The first snowfall Thursday morning and saved in the freezing cold at night exacerbate the situation for residents and rescue workers.

Rainfall slow relief and are at risk of hypothermia for people who are still under the rubble.

Bulldozers and other equipment demolition began Thursday in Van, the regional capital, the work of clearing, putting an end to the hopes of rescue in this new city.

A Ercis, dozens of rescue workers were still hard at work.

Thousands of cattle, one of the main sources of income of the local population, perished in the earthquake, before the Muslim festival of sacrifice, which begins November 6 in Turkey.

The Agriculture Minister Mehdi Eker has promised compensation to farmers.

Residents were again formed early Friday long queues at the sub-prefecture of Ercis. For now, around 25,000 tents have been sent to the region.

Soldiers began to accompany the trucks to help, after the sacking of several vehicles of the Turkish Red Crescent by angry survivors consider themselves left to their own.

Turkish President Abdullah Gul said Friday the cancellation of the festivities planned as part of the celebration of National Day Saturday, commemorating the founding of the Turkish Republic, October 29, 1923. He criticized the lack of controls, leading to the construction of buildings "poor quality".

"The Van earthquake reminded us that our country is prone to earthquakes, it has also shown that the destruction caused by the negligence and irresponsibility," said the head of the Turkish state.

The earthquake also disrupted the lives already difficult for asylum seekers, mostly Asian.

"No father, no brother (...) Only three sisters and a mother," said Foziye Muhammed, an Afghan girl, who found refuge in a tent with the rest of his family.

"Turkey is a beautiful country, more beautiful than Afghanistan. But after the earthquake, it is so difficult to live here," she added.

To cope with the consequences of the disaster, Turkey has accepted offers of Wednesday d'aide a dozen countries, including Israel and Armenia, two countries with which it has a strained relationship.

"We are grateful for all these aids," said Friday told AFP the spokesman of the Turkish Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Selçuk Ünal, who however said that this spirit of solidarity of the countries with which Ankara is cold should not change Turkish policy towards them.

Earthquake in Turkey - Earthquake Survivors in Turkey are Camping in the Cold

In freezing cold, tens of thousands of people spent a second night under canvas tents, in cars or clustered around a few fires in eastern Turkey devastated by an earthquake Sunday .

Monday night, the record of this earthquake of magnitude 7.2 was increased to 279 dead, but hundreds of people are still missing.

The victims are particularly numerous in the cities of Van and Ercis, the regional capital, while the authorities are struggling to get numbers in the surrounding villages.

Grieving families prepare to bury relatives on Tuesday, while others continue to watch with heaps of ruins in the hope that rescue teams search for survivors.

The Turkish Red Crescent has distributed 13,000 tents up and he was prepared to provide shelter to about 40,000 people, although it is unclear exactly how many people have lost everything.

The agency, however, was criticized for its inability to help the people most in need, especially in remote villages, while the nights are frigid.

"We received 25 tents for 150 houses. Everyone is waiting outside, we have young children and we are left with nothing," complained Ahmed Arik, leader Amik, a village reduced to rubble in the vicinity Van.

Images on television, you could see men playing violently elbows behind a truck Crescent to try to get a tent.

"I do not think the Red Crescent has been sufficiently effective in the distribution of tents. There is a problem," responded Huseyin Celik, vice president of the AKP, the ruling party, the antenna CNN Turkey. "I apologize to the people."

Shortly thereafter, the President of Turkish Red Crescent said that 12,000 additional tents would be distributed on Tuesday.

"From today, our people will want for nothing," promised the Deputy Prime Minister Besir Atalay, who oversees relief efforts in Van, became a ghost town despite its million inhabitants.

In the regional capital as Ercis, further north, the aftershocks continue to shake the earth regularly cause panic among the survivors of the earthquake.

With Seda Sezer Ece and Toksabay, Bertrand Boucey for the French service.

Libya Update: Gaddafi Corpse will be Buried Today in the Libyan Desert

The National Transitional Council would prefer that the exact location remains secret, to prevent his tomb became a place of pilgrimage for his followers.

Mustafa Abdul-Jalil, chairman of the CNT, Photo credits: ABDULLAH DOMA

Muammar Gaddafi will be buried Tuesday in a simple religious ceremony in the Libyan desert a place that will remain secret, said Monday an official of the National Transitional Council (CNT), stating that "no agreement was found for her tribe buried. " The former Libyan leader, who was killed Thursday while attempting to flee the city of Sirte, will be buried with her ​​son, Mouatassim, killed the same day under circumstances also disorders.

In his will, the "Guide" had asked to sit in Sirte, his hometown, but the leaders of the CNT wanted him buried in a secret location to prevent his grave became a place of pilgrimage for his followers.
Since Thursday, thousands of Libyans flocked to Misrata, north-west of Sirte, to see for themselves the body of the former leader, set up Monday night in a cold room.

A commission of inquiry into the death of the "Guide"

Mustafa Abdul-Jalil, chairman of the CNT, announced Monday the opening of an investigation into the death of Colonel , whose circumstances are the subject of conflicting reports.
Initially, government officials had estimated that he was killed during a shootout between his followers and the revolutionary forces. But Abdul-Jalil raised the possibility that the former strong man of Tripoli was shot by one of his relatives to prevent them involved in the atrocities committed by the regime. "Let us ask us to find out who was interested in what Gaddafi is not found? The Libyans wanted to try him for what he did to them, executions, imprisonment, corruption, "has listed the president of CNT. "The Libyans wanted to keep free Gaddafi in jail and humiliate him as long as possible.""Those who wanted to kill him were those who were faithful to him or who had played a part under him, his death is their advantage," commented Abdul-Jalil.
The United States has in turn asked the Libyan authorities Monday to investigate also alleged summary executions of fighters loyal to Muammar Gaddafi. The organization Human Rights Watch (HRW) has indeed said that 53 people, a priori supporters of the deposed president, had probably been summarily executed in a hotel in Sirte, the last bastion fell Thursday to be loyal to Libya.
As Seif el-Islam Gadhafi's son sought, it would be in the extreme south-western Libya, near the border with Algeria and Niger, where he would prepare his flight. "He has a false Libyan passport which was issued in the region of Mourzouk", told Reuters an official of the CNT. The flight would be prepared by the former head of intelligence, Abdullah al Senussi.

Protests of "OUTRAGED": The EU Reaffirms Adjustments Despite the Growing Social Rejection

The European Union insisted yesterday defending the austerity measures and adjustments as the only path to growth and job creation, but for the first time recognized the "legitimacy" of the movement of the outraged and suggested concrete measures against the irresponsibility of the financial sector.

After the Social Summit held yesterday in Brussels, the presidents of the European Council and European Commission (EC), Herman van Rompuy and Jose Manuel Durao Barroso, echoed some of the claims of the movement of indignation and, in particular, criticisms of the role played in the crisis by some financial institutions.

Protesters gather in London's financial district on Wednesday ahead of the G20 summit.

Besides these two Community institutions participated in the social summit representatives of employers and unions in Europe.

During the meeting, community leaders and the European employers stressed the message that austerity will restore confidence in the economy, which in his opinion the basis for growth and job creation.

When asked about the manifestations of "outraged" that took place on Saturday around the world, Barroso and Van Rompuy said they understood their claims and were legitimate.

Meanwhile, social unrest, strikes and announcements of new mobilizations were continued yesterday amid the continent.

Thus in Greece, the ferry service to the islands was yesterday arrested and piles of garbage piled up in the streets of Athens to meet its 16 th day of strikes that paralyzed the country. Meanwhile, the new unions were protesting cuts to start a decisive week for the future not only of Greece but also the 17-nation eurozone.

The tax collectors and customs officers abandoned their jobs and employees occupied the buildings of the ministries of Labour and Finance in the capital. Greece faces a crucial vote on Thursday for new measures of adjustment, while other eurozone countries are racing to find a solution to the debt crisis for the weekend.

Another country with their red bills and gloomy forecasts is Portugal, which looks to 2012 with economic forecasts increasingly pessimistic, pointing to a decline in its economy by 2.8 percent, six percentage points more than expected to now. Meanwhile, the growing social pressure and there is a general strike by trade unions announced yesterday.

Portugal's conservative government released the bleak macroeconomic forecast in recent history, which also reflected a significant increase in the unemployment rate of 12.5 estimated for this year to 13.4 percent for the next.

Finance Minister, Vítor Gaspar, presented these projections, included in the 2012 State Budget, the harder the last few decades.

"Injustice" and "violence" of the plan have caused the General Confederation of Portuguese Workers (CGTP, communist-oriented) and the General Union of Workers (UGT, socialist) yesterday agreed to call a general strike, which date announced tomorrow. The two plants, which have about a million members in a country of 10.5 million inhabitants, and jointly called for a general strike for the first time in 22 years last November 24, that time was against policy of the socialist government of Jose Socrates.

European Economy Crises: How much Money my bank has provided the European States?

Four years after the outbreak of the financial crisis, the 'turbulence', the buzzword in 2008, have not subsided.

According to estimates by the International Monetary Fund (IMF), European institutions need between 100,000 and 200,000 million euros to recapitalize. The last known case, the Belgian Dexia , highly exposed to the public debt of Greece and Italy and has had to be rescued twice by public money.

Several Bank Branches in a Street Crowd.

Markets wary of the euro area and from the crisis that started in May 2010 have reduced their lending to European banks . A key problem is the high weight of debt in their portfolios GIIPS (Greece, Italy, Ireland, Portugal and Spain, as the acronym 'soft' the Bank for International Settlements, the Anglo-Saxon is PIIGS, 'pigs')

Europe

French and German institutions are much more tied to the Greek and Italian destinations than the Spanish, whose loans are concentrated in Spain. The Hellenic debt burden in the portfolios of the first two countries is around 5% and 3.4% respectively, compared to 2.9% and 0.8% of the U.S., for example.

Foreign banks had exposure of $ 138.356 million in the public (45.001 million) and private (93,355,000) Greeks in the first quarter. Of this, 56.942 million corresponded to 23,770 million to France and Germany.

The Greek government had billions in late 2010 to Société Générale (2.837 million), BNP Paribas (5239), Deutsche Bank (1,773), Commerzbank (3065), for example, in some cases the loans given to Japan United Kingdom.

In the case of Ireland , the problem is exposure to banks and enterprises: 473 047 000 debt with foreign banks, only 18.248 million in the public sector.

In Italy , 912,110 million dollars of exposure to foreign banks, were 281.635 million of debt. Only France accumulates just under half: Debt 410 238 000 105 045 000 total public debt.

The problem is that the Alpine country most of its debt, the largest in the world after the U.S. and Japan, are held by Italian banks, Intesa Sanpaolo (60,152,000), UniCredit (49.071 million), Banca Monte del Paschi di Siena (32.473 million) and Banco Popolare (11 770 million), to name a few.

Spain

Spanish exposure in portfolios of foreign banks was 726.198 million dollars in the first quarter, according to BIS. Of this amount, 109,370 million are public sector banks 216 699 000 Spanish, once exposed to their country.

German banks (29.389 million dollars) and France (32.581 million) were the most exposed to the Spanish public debt.

At the obligations of public authorities must add the credits given to households and businesses, many of them in the heat of the housing bubble. In Spain, the sovereign and private debt amounting to a 355% of Gross Domestic Product (GDP) in 2010. Of this amount, just over 60 points were obligations of the government, 90 of its citizens, and 193 companies.

Spanish banks

This is the radiograph of the Spanish financial system published in July, the European Banking Authority (EBA), the respondents stress test Dexia agreed to intervene.

To pass, required a 'capital cushion' (core capital) of 5%. That is, your available funds without risk (core capital, shares and other reserves) represent 5% of its assets considered risky. Five of the eight suspended were Spanish .

Data from core capital and risk assets are those obtained by the EBA until April this year. Exposure to sovereign debt is recorded at the end of 2010, although the crisis has been reduced gradually. In alphabetical order:

Civic Banking

It had a 5.6% core capital 46.657 million compared to risk-weighted assets.

Exhibition of 4,756 million in the entire European Economic Area. In the periphery: Spain (4.747 million), Portugal (0), Italy (0) Greece (5 million) and Ireland (0).

Received 977 million euros of Frob during its merger in exchange for preference shares.

Banca March

Available 23.5% of core capital 9.521 million against risk-weighted assets.

Exhibition of 150 million throughout the European Economic Area. In the periphery: Spain (150 million), Italy (0), Portugal (0), Greece (0) and Ireland (0).

Banking Mare Nostrum

It had a 6.1% core capital 40.484 million compared to risk-weighted assets.

Exhibition of 3.731 million across the European Economic Area. In the periphery: Spain (3.619 million), Portugal (88 million), Italy (0) and Greece (0) and Ireland (0).

In 2010 he was injected with 915 million in exchange FROB preference shares.

Banco Caja 3 (Suspense in the stress test)

It had a 4% core capital 13.856 million compared to risk-weighted assets.

Exhibition of 1,523 million in the entire European Economic Area. In the periphery: Spain (1,514 million), Ireland (8 million), Portugal (0), Italy (0) and Greece (0).

Banco Pastor (Thriller)

It had a 3.3% core capital 18.461 million compared to risk-weighted assets.

Exhibition of 2.553 million across the European Economic Area. In the periphery: Spain (2.294 million), Portugal (116 million), Italy (103 million), Greece (41 million) and Ireland (0).

Banco Popular

It had a 5.3% core capital 95.396 million compared to risk-weighted assets.

Exhibition of 9.727 million across the European Economic Area. In the periphery: Spain (8.874 million), Portugal (643 million), Italy (210 million), Greece (0) and Ireland (0).

Banco Sabadell

It had a 5.7% core capital 56.503 million compared to risk-weighted assets.

Exhibition of 7.425 million across the European Economic Area. In the periphery: Spain (7.296 million), Portugal (91 million), Ireland (38 million), Italy (0) and Greece (0).

Banco Santander

It had a 8.4% core capital 650.979 million against risk-weighted assets.

Exhibition of 56.529 million in the entire European Economic Area. In the periphery: Spain (46.019 million), Portugal (3.682 million), Italy (716 million) Greece (177 million) and Ireland (0).

Bankinter

It had a 5.3% core capital 32.259 million compared to risk-weighted assets.

Exhibition of 3.595 million across the European Economic Area. In the periphery: Spain (3.594 million), Italy (1 million), Greece (0), Portugal (0) and Ireland (0).

BBK

It had a 8.8% core capital 29.299 million compared to risk-weighted assets.

Exhibition of 3.119 million across the European Economic Area. In the periphery: Spain (3.112 million), Ireland (4 million), Portugal (3 million), Italy (0) and Greece (0).

BBVA

It had a 9.2% core capital 322.744 million against risk-weighted assets.

Exhibition of 63.847 million in the entire European Economic Area. In the periphery: Spain (55.726 million), Italy (4.166 million), Portugal (661 million), Greece (127 million) and Ireland (0).

BFA-Bankia

It had a 5.4% core capital 216.318 million against risk-weighted assets.

Exhibition of 27.985 million in the entire European Economic Area. In the periphery: Spain (25.402 million), Greece (55 million), Italy (0), Portugal (0) and Ireland (0).

In 2010 he was injected with 4.465 million in exchange FROB preference shares.

Caixabank (La Caixa)

It had a 6.4% core capital 164.622 million against risk-weighted assets.

Exhibition of 36.864 million in the entire European Economic Area. In the periphery: Spain (35.463 million), Italy (1,322 million), Portugal (26 million), Greece (0) and Ireland (0).

Caixaontinyent

It had a 5.6% core capital compared to 666 million of risk-weighted assets.

Exposure of 6 million throughout the European Economic Area. In the periphery: Spain (6 million), Portugal (0), Italy (0) and Greece (0) and Ireland (0).

Caixa Pollensa

It had a 6.2% core capital as opposed to 182 million of risk-weighted assets.

Exhibition of 26 million throughout the European Economic Area. In the periphery: Spain (26 million), Portugal (0), Italy (0) and Greece (0) and Ireland (0).

Caja de Ahorros del Mediterráneo (Suspense and operated )

It had a 3% core capital 48.292 million compared to risk-weighted assets.

Exhibition of 6.079 million across the European Economic Area. In the periphery: Spain (5.589 million), Italy (20 million), Ireland (15 million), Portugal (5 million) and Greece (0).

The intervention of the Bank of Spain, with the consequent departure of the previous directive came backed with an injection of 2,800 million euros in exchange for shares of the entity and a credit of 3,000 million.

EspañaDuero Box

It had a 7.3% core capital 25.275 million compared to risk-weighted assets.

Exhibition of 7.602 million across the European Economic Area. In the periphery: Spain (7,575 million), Portugal (27 million), Italy (0), Ireland (0) and Greece (0).

In 2010 he was injected with 525 million in exchange FROB preference shares.

Caja Vital

It had a 8.7% core capital 6.272 million compared to risk-weighted assets.

Exhibition of 597 million throughout the European Economic Area. In the periphery: Spain (597 million), Ireland (0), Portugal (0), Italy (0) and Greece (0).

CatalunyaCaixa (nationalized Suspended)

It had a 4.8% core capital 49.754 million compared to risk-weighted assets.

Exhibition of 2,850 million in the entire European Economic Area. In the periphery: Spain (2,840 million), Italy (0), Ireland (0), Portugal (0) and Greece (0).

Received EUR 1,718 million Bank Restructuring Fund (Frob) in 2011 in exchange for the state controls a 89.74% of the entity. In 2010 he was injected with another 1,250 million in exchange for preference shares.

Effibank (Liberbank)

It had a 6.8% core capital 32.711 million compared to risk-weighted assets.

Exhibition of 2,994 million in the entire European Economic Area. In the periphery: Spain (2.941 million), Greece (37 million), Portugal (16 million), Italy (0) and Ireland (0).

Ibercaja

It had a 6.7% core capital 24.018 million compared to risk-weighted assets.

Exhibition of 3.502 million across the European Economic Area. In the periphery: Spain (2.909 million), Italy (384 million), Portugal (0), Ireland (0) and Greece (0).

Kutxa

Available 10.1% of core capital of 14.679 million against risk-weighted assets.

Exhibition of 1,512 million in the entire European Economic Area. In the periphery: Spain (1,512 million), Ireland (0), Portugal (0), Italy (0) and Greece (0).

Novacaixagalicia (nationalized)

It had a 5.3% core capital 54.958 million compared to risk-weighted assets.

Exhibition of 4,668 million in the entire European Economic Area. In the periphery: Spain (4370 million), Italy (164 million), Portugal (134 million), Ireland (0) and Greece (0).

Received 2.465 million euros from the Bank Restructuring Fund (Frob) in 2011 in exchange for the state controls a 93.16% of the entity. In 2010 he was injected with 1.162 million FROB others in exchange for preference shares.

Unicaja

It had a 9.4% core capital 20.136 million compared to risk-weighted assets.

Exhibition of 3.264 million across the European Economic Area. In the periphery: Spain (2.949 million), Italy (309 million), Greece (6 million), Portugal (0) and Ireland (0).

Unnim (Thriller)

It had a 4.5% core capital 17.232 million compared to risk-weighted assets.

Exposure from 2,598 million in the entire European Economic Area. In the periphery: Spain (2.574 million), Italy (11 million), Ireland (13 million), Portugal (0) and Greece (0).

Received EUR 568 million Bank Restructuring Fund (Frob) in 2011 in exchange for the state to control 100% of the entity. In 2010 it injected another 380 million in exchange for preference shares.

U.S drones Infected: A Virus Infects a Computer Network that Directs U.S. drones

mq-9 Reaper in Flight

A computer virus has infected the computer network that controls unmanned aircraft (drones) from the U.S. Air Force.

Wired magazine reported citing anonymous sources to three, a virus that logs keystrokes infected the network that pilots use to control these aircraft USA used to fly over areas of conflict and conduct precision operations .

The "malware" has infected computers Creech base in Nevada, which controls the aircraft, usually Predator and Reaper models used in remote missions in Afghanistan and other conflict areas.

The magazine said there had been no dissemination of confidential information from the data collected by aircraft, which have continued to carry out their missions without problem. It is not known yet whether the virus is part of an organized attack or if the infection occurred accidentally.

According to Wired, the virus was detected two weeks ago , and has entered into the database via computer hard drives used by pilots to transfer information from one position to another. The computer data base are finding it very difficult to clean the system.

The Air Force is under the supervision of a fleet of 150 Predator and Reaper, which monitors the different fronts in Iraq and Afghanistan.