Ban Ki-moon, the United Nations secretary-general, has blamed the
government of Bashar al-Assad, the Syrian president, for much of the
"unacceptable levels of violence and abuses" occurring every day in the
14-month-long crisis in Syria.
In a report to the UN Security Council, issued on Friday, Ban cited
the government's continued use of heavy weapons, reports of shelling and
"a stepped-up security crackdown by the authorities that has led to
massive violations of human rights by government forces and
pro-government militias".
Ban, who is scheduled to brief the Security Council on Wednesday,
said there has only been "small progress" on implementing the six-point
joint UN-Arab League plan brokered by international envoy Kofi Annan
Euro plunges as Bankia shares are suspended
Spain's economic crisis intensified yesterday as Madrid prepared to
pump at least €15bn (£12bn) into the country's fourth-biggest bank,
sending the euro plunging on a fresh day of turmoil for the eurozone.
Shares in Bankia, which has already been propped up by the Spanish
taxpayer, were suspended on the Madrid stock exchange ahead of the move.
Spain's cost of borrowing on international money markets also soared as
Catalonia – the country's wealthiest region – said it may need a
handout from the central government to pay its bills.
When Modern Cities Become Ghost Towns
Urban researchers in Berlin are exploring an eerie phenomenon --
the modern ghost town. From a deserted Cypriot holiday resort to a
brand new Chinese city devoid of inhabitants, they are asking why people
abandon their communities and exploring the stories that make these
empty places so compelling.
The Japanese island of Hashima was once among the most densely
populated areas in the world. But with the decline of the coal industry,
the island was deserted in the 1970s. Now history enthusiasts like to
explore it in hopes of discovering remnants of the mining town it once
was. The desolate ruins of the settlement also inspire filmmakers to
replicate the haunting setting in their movies.
Hashima is just one example of a number of modern "ghost towns" around
the world that has drawn the attention of urban researchers, who opened
an exhibition on the topic on Thursday in the German capital of Berlin.
American CEOs hauled in record pay in 2011
Typical CEO made $9.6M last year, AP study finds
By BERNARD CONDON, CHRISTINA REXRODE
Profits at big U.S. companies broke records last year, and so did pay for CEOs.
The head of a typical public company made $9.6 million in 2011,
according to an analysis by The Associated Press using data from
Equilar, an executive pay research firm.
That was up more than 6 percent from the previous year, and is the
second year in a row of increases. The figure is also the highest since
the AP began tracking executive compensation in 2006.
Companies trimmed cash bonuses but handed out more in stock awards. For
shareholder activists who have long decried CEO pay as exorbitant, that
was a victory of sorts
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