Scottish independence: BA boss Willie Walsh 'positive' about impact

British Airways boss Willie Walsh said he was not making contingency plans for Scottish independence. The company employs about 1300 people in Scotland.

Scottish independence could be a "positive development" for British Airways, according to the boss of the company which owns the airline.

Willie Walsh said the Scottish government recognised the "huge impact" air passenger duty had on the economy.

The Scottish government has pledged to reduce, then possibly abolish, the duty after a "Yes" vote in the referendum.

The pro-Union Better Together campaign said the "tax on holidays" was not the "strongest argument" for independence.


Mr Walsh's comments come after Standard Life announced it had drawn up contingency plans around independence, including the possibility of moving some of its operations out of Scotland.

The pensions and investments giant, which is based in Edinburgh, said it had concerns over a number of issues related to independence, including the currency and the tax regime.

On Friday, BA's owner IAG posted a profit of 527m euros (£433m) in 2013, compared with losses of 613m euros the previous year.

Interviewed on BBC Breakfast, group chief executive Willie Walsh was asked whether the airline was also making contingency plans for independence.

He answered: "No, because we'll continue to fly to Scotland.

"If anything, it might be marginally positive because I suspect the Scottish government will abolish air passenger duty, because they recognise the huge impact that that tax has on their economy.

"So no, it's probably going to be a positive development, if it does happen, for British Airways."
'Boost to tourism'

The company employs about 1,300 staff in Scotland, including aircraft engineers and cabin crew.

Mr Walsh has previously criticised the UK government, saying that its policies have discouraged tourism and foreign investment.

In its White Paper on independence, the Scottish government said air passenger duty (APD) would cost Scotland "more than £200m a year" in lost tourism expenditure.


It said an independent Scotland would reduce APD by 50% in the first instance, with the complete abolition of the tax "when public finances allow", in a bid to make Scottish airports more competitive.

AG chief executive Willie Walsh said he welcomed plans to reduce air passenger duty

Scottish Transport Minister Keith Brown welcomed Mr Walsh's intervention, saying it recognised that Scotland was being "penalised" by Westminster policy.

He added: "Willie Walsh can clearly see the opportunities of independence. A boost to tourism and travel in Scotland will have a positive impact on growth.

"Mr Walsh's comments further underline the UK government's duty to engage properly with the issues of the independence debate.

"Instead, the self-styled 'Project Fear' are intent on wasting time engaging in their 'dambuster' strategy of scaremongering and attempting to bully people in Scotland to vote 'No'."
Scottish tourism

However, the pro-Union Better Together campaign said APD was not the "strongest argument" for independence, and that jobs would be lost if Scotland voted "Yes".

A spokesman said: "Breaking up the most successful economic, political and social union in history for the sake of a tax on holidays doesn't seem like the strongest argument.

"As the intervention from Standard Life made abundantly clear, leaving the UK would cost jobs here in Scotland.

"Alex Salmond's failure to tell us what will replace the pound means companies like Standard Life and RBS, which employ thousands of people in Scotland, have warned about the big risks involved in going it alone."

Speaking on BBC Radio Scotland's Newsdrive programme, Michael O'Leary, chief executive of Ryanair, said he supported the position of the Scottish government in relation to the abolition of APD which he said "has done untold damage to Scottish tourism and particularly to traffic on domestic routes to and from Scotland".

He added: "It's not a narrow or small issue. Traffic in Scotland has declined in the past five years since travel tax has been imposed."

But Mr O'Leary said he didn't want to get involved in the debate about Scottish independence.

He said: "Speaking as an Irishman, that's a matter for the Scottish people. But certainly, if the air travel tax were repealed by the UK government or an independent Scottish government, you'd see visitors to Scotland double over a five to ten year period."

Contingency planning

Elsewhere, the body which represents engineering firms in Scotland has told the BBC that its members have "major concerns" about the impact of independence.

Engineering Scotland chief executive Bryan Buchan said the currency, tax rates and EU membership were the main areas of concern.

He said some big firms had drawing up contingency plans, although none had threatened to move operations from Scotland to England.

"We are seeing activity and we are, as a body, participating in assisting companies [with] contingency planning, particularly those which are foreign owned, where the parent is seeking to establish the landscape the business is operating in," he added.

A Scottish government spokesman insisted Scotland would keep the pound after independence, as part of a formal currency union.


He added: "An independent Scotland will continue in EU membership, and the only threat to that is Westminster's proposed in/out referendum which risks taking Scotland out of the EU against its will, with huge consequences for jobs, investment and prosperity."

UK: Major employer warns it may quit Scotland if region votes for independence from England

               

A major employer has warned it may move some of its operations outside Scotland if nationalists win a referendum over independence from England.

Insurance and pensions heavyweight Standard Life said it was setting up registered companies in England “as a precautionary measure”.

It came as the Royal Bank of Scotland conceded a vote for independence would probably significantly hit its credit ratings, impacting its costs.

Scotland will vote on whether to split from England on September 18.

“Standard Life and RBS’s comments will have an impact on the debate as they are totemic institutions that represent a really important part of the Scottish economy,” said Simon Clark, head of the school of economics at the University of Edinburgh.

Their comments come as a dispute over currency has ignited the debate, with Scottish leader Alex Salmond wanting to share the pound in a currency union with the rest of the United Kingdom but the major British parties rejecting this plan.

The Scottish government said the comments backed its argument that a monetary union was best for businesses both sides of the border, calling for talks with the UK government.

But the UK government, represented by Treasury Chief Secretary Danny Alexander, said Standard Life and RBS’s foray into the ring showed the risks of independence becoming clearer.

Standard Life said it was setting up registered companies in England “as a precautionary measure” into which it could transfer operations if Scots ended a 307-year tie to England to ensure its competitiveness and interests of its stakeholders.

Chief executive David Nish said this was necessary due to uncertainty over how an independent Scotland would work, such as its currency and if it would join the European Union.

“We have started work to establish additional registered companies to operate outside Scotland into which we could transfer parts of our operations if it was necessary to do so,” said Nish, stressing the company was politically neutral.

Scotland is home to the second largest financial services industry in the United Kingdom, accounting for about 150,000 jobs.

RBS, once the world’s largest bank with 12,000 staff in Scotland, said in the risk section of its annual results on Thursday that independence could impact its credit ratings and the fiscal, monetary, legal and regulatory landscape.

But chief executive Ross McEwan said the bank had yet to make plans for a “yes” vote, saying the company was neutral and “won’t do anything to raise the temperature of that vote”.

Compatibility Issues in Somalia: Governance and Economics

A truck drives through Bakara market in Mogadishu, October 5, 2013. (Feisal Omar/Courtesy Reuters)

by Guest Blogger for John Campbell

This is a guest post by Alex Dick-Godfrey, program coordinator, Studies administration for the Council on Foreign Relations Studies program. 

Somalia continues to improve after a nearly a quarter century of war, but integrating economics and governance remains difficult.

IRIN identifies five core challenges for Somalia’s economic reconstruction. Potentially, the country offers interesting prospects to investors, including vast herds of livestock, bountiful fisheries, oil and gas reserves, and a long coastline with natural deep water ports. However, IRIN highlights such brakes on investment as security uncertainty, inconsistent trade and financial policy, and an unstable currency. These problems are not insurmountable. As the report shows, by formalizing institutions, increasing transparency, and generating cooperation between federal, regional, and tribal administrations, progress can be made.

A second report, “Decentralization Options for Somalia,” published by African Arguments, focuses on governance. It lays out various forms of decentralization as options for Somalia. Little enthusiasm exists for a return to a centralized government structure after the fall of the Siad Barre regime in 1991 and federalism is already endorsed by the Provisional Constitution of Somalia. The report also explains that distrust in and among the political elite, animosity between Mogadishu and the hinterlands, and the desire for widespread political participation have driven Somalia towards decentralization. Diffusing power to the regional states is the most stable way forward, and the most likely one.

Separately, these recommendations make sense. However, when considered together, they may prove difficult to integrate into a coherent political system and economic structure. Many of the economic changes required to build an economy, like trade agreements with other countries or oil and gas revenue sharing, require agreement and consolidation on a national level. To achieve a robust federal system, there will need to be strong states that can effectively govern their territory and provide basic services to the population. However, as investment increases, often so does corruption and cronyism, which can have devastating effects on governance and confidence in government. As power diffuses amongst states, so does momentum in national endeavors like infrastructure development, national unity, and defeating al Shabaab.

Governance and economics together are essential to the stability and sustainable success of the country. The drivers for decentralization are already in place, and hostility or suspicion of centralized economic policy may be a brake on growth.

Source: blogs.cfr.org

Live Q&A: risk management for NGOs

Development organisations often face dangers that can impinge on safety and effectiveness. Join our live chat on how to assess and manage risk on Thursday 6 March at 2.30pm

Anna Leach
Guardian Professional,

Médecins Sans Frontières decided to stop working in Somalia last year after assessing the risks to staff. Photograph: Mohamed Sheikh Nor/AP
Attacks on aid workers are increasing according to several reports. Once considered neutral parties, a more complex and unpredictable world has seen 120 NGO staff (national and international) killed, 103 wounded and 113 kidnapped in 2013, says data from the aid worker security database.

In light of this, assessing risks becomes ever more important, so that all staff (not just expatriates) remain safe. But as well as stepping up to their duty of care to protect human life, NGOs must factor in risk to capital assets (damage or loss), which can seriously impact upon their ability to work.

But how much preparation is necessary to significantly reduce risk? And given the expensive and time-consuming nature of risk management, how can small organisations handle the costs - could technology help?

And when do NGOs make the call - like Médecins Sans Frontières did in Somalia last year - that the risk is too great for them to carry out their work?

Join us on Thursday 6 March to share your experiences, concerns and questions with our expert panel. Please note that the time of this week's chat is 2.30-4.30pm GMT.

The live chat is not video or audio-enabled but will take place in the comments section (below). Get in touch via globaldevpros@theguardian.com or @GdnGlobalDevPro on Twitter to recommend someone for our expert panel. Follow the discussion using the hashtag #globaldevlive.

Schools and Universities Violently Attacked In War-Torn Countries, Survey

 (Photo : Getty) Schools and Universities Violently Attacked In War Torn Countries, Survey.

By Stephen Adkins, UniversityHerald Reporter

A recent international study shows an increase in violent attacks on higher educational institutions in across the world. The US-based Global Coalition to Protect Education from Attack (GCPEA) conducted the survey of in 70 countries between 2009 and 2013.

The researchers revealed a total of 9,600 schools were either smashed or shattered by assaults including air and missile strikes, burnings, bombings, shootings and raiding during the study period. Students, staff and education trade union officials were reported to have been abducted and held captive. There were also reports of forced seizures of education institutions in war-struck zones.

Pakistan was the worst affected country followed by Afghanistan, Colombia, Somalia, Sudan and Syria, where at least 1,000 attacks or armed seizures were documented in each country between 2009 and 2012. In Pakistan, more than 800 schools were attacked, mainly through explosions during the same period.

Most of the attacks were reported in civil unrest or war-torn countries. At least 500 cases of attacks were recorded in Ivory Coast, Democratic Republic of Congo, Iraq, Israel and Palestine, Libya, Mexico and Yemen. However, in Mexico, drugs trade was the main cause of the attacks.

Diya Nijhowne, the director of the GCPEA, said that students were not only trapped in the crossfire in many countries but were targeted on purpose.

"Many individuals are bombed, burned, shot, threatened or abducted for attending classes or doing their job at school or university," Nijhowne said. "Many schools and universities are deliberately attacked because they are soft, easy targets, or to undermine government control - a tactic of war," the Guardian reports.

The researchers urged the governments, United Nations and other peacekeeping organisations to improve protection for educational institutions. They should also prevent schools and universities to be used for military purposes.

In the survey, the researchers found that school buildings were used as bases for weapons caches, prisons and torture chambers in 24 countries for several years.

"More schools and universities could be protected from attack if state military forces and armed groups agreed to stop using them as military facilities," Nijhowne said.

A similar study was conducted by UNESCO in 2010. When compared to the recent survey, the study comprised of just 30 countries.

Source: universityherald.com

In reputable edition Le Monde French MPs call to recognize independence of Nagorno-Karabakh

To support the Nagorno-Karabakh Republic is to help to establish an ultimate peace in the South Caucasus, reads the joint article of the French national Assembly MPs François Rochebloine, René Rouquet and Guy Teissier. The article is placed in the reputable French daily Le Monde.

According to the publication, soon the 20th anniversary of armistice agreement, signed to stop a long and brutal war in Nagorno-Karabakh, will be marked. The agreement was signed in 12th of May in 1994. As a result of this war for independence a new state was born, located between Armenia and Azerbaijan, on the Armenian territories, at the crossroads of Russian, Turkish and Iranian cultures.

"Twenty years – it is one whole generation; generation of young Azerbaijanis and Karabakh people, who were to see only peace and whose inalienable right for life and security was to be recognized. However, it should be state that even if the war is over, the peace is still needed to be achieved: the truce is extremely shaky in the absence of a document of mutual recognition and even a direct dialogue between the parties. Therefore, Azerbaijan, as well as Nagorno-Karabakh, is deprived of prospects of normal and peaceful development," note the parliamentarians. 

In their opinion, the peace must be achieved. This means that the existing facts should be recognize and a transparent dialogue should consciously and voluntarily by initiated, with an ultimate goal to fix the mistakes. However, this requires pluralism and democracy in each of the countries.

"We, the members of France-Karabakh friendship group, are for the peace in the South Caucasus; we call on the parties to perform realism and pragmatism: neither threats, nor militaristic rhetorics and the military activities will not persuade the former colony, Karabakh, to return to the "bosom" of Azerbaijan. After 20 years of signing ceasefire provocations are being repeatedly performed almost every month which lead to deaths of soldiers and civilians in Karabakh from the fire of Azerbaijani soldiers, whose attacks are being prevented. Recurrence of identical tragedies holds away the prospect of peaceful coexistence every day. For us, recognition of Karabakh does not mean becoming an enemy to Azerbaijan. We, like other people who visited Karabakh, are recognized persona non grata by the Azerbaijani regime. This is ridiculous and destructive behavior," the material states. 

The French parliamentarians noted that the acquisition of the peace first of all means healing the wounds of the past. Crimes have been committed during the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict, which need to be uncovered. Armenians were their victims in Sumgait, Kirovabad and Maragha, and Meskhetiana in Khojalu.

"Sumgait pogroms organized on the 27th February in 1988, where hundreds of people became a victim, served a cause for the conflict. This, surely, led to the arrests and judicial verdicts by the Soviet authorities, however only the executors were punished. The real organizers were not brought to justice, and the fact that the murders were premeditated, was also ignored. This is the power of democracy – to be confident in your abilities, to establish the necessary commissions, which will expose and convict the real culprits, softening the pain and promoting the reconciliation," stressed the authors of the statement.

They note that "having witnessed an obvious progress achieved by the Nagorno-Karabakh Republic, they are happy to know that the non-governmental organization Freedom House in its final report on the human rights and freedoms has assessed it as a partly free country."

"We are in full solidarity with the former NKR President Arkady Ghukasyan, who recently noted that "the purpose of conflict settlement is not only in the official refusal of hostility, but also in establishment of historic reconciliation between the two peoples ... for preventing the further conflicts" and that contacts between civil societies can outline the way," the statement reads.

The parliamentarians expressed hope that their appeal will be responded by the Azerbaijani civil society, and that the "new forces that are born there, will renounce propaganda of hatred and will look into the future."

"If these forces show up, if dialogue initiatives and contacts are born, then make sure that our modest group will be supporter and comrade-in-arms for them," concluded Rochebloine, Rouquet and Teissier.

Sourc: panorama.am

European Parliament condemns use of U.S. drones

The European Parliament (EP) adopted a resolution Thursday that prohibits the use of drones against U.S. civilians in countries like Afghanistan, Pakistan, Yemen, Libya, Iraq, Somalia and Uganda.

ENTORNOINTELIGENTE.COM / Telesur / The European Parliament (EP) adopted a resolution Thursday that prohibits the use of drones against U.S. civilians in countries like Afghanistan, Pakistan, Yemen, Libya, Iraq, Somalia and Uganda.

Considering "a flagrant violation of the Charter of the United Nations.

"Resolution passed by an absolute majority -534 votes for and 49 against, calls on the Council and its states parties "categorically prohibit the drone operations that are intended to assassinations , and reject prevent extrajudicial executions and work for international prohibition of combat drones.

"According to the text, drone attacks by a State in the territory of another, without the consent of the latter, "are a violation of international law, territorial integrity and sovereignty of the country.

"In addition, the resolution calls on the European Union and its Member States' commitment to that in case of unlawful killings, action is taken against the culprits and identified the culprits be punished. "; 

Similarly, parliamentarians consider the use of deadly force with drones "implies an intensification of the arms race", why reject any funding to date or future research aimed at this type of military projects. 

Finally, the President to forward the legislative resolution to the Council, the parliaments of the Member States, the General Assembly of the UN and the European Commission is responsible drone attacks U.S. military began during the time of former President George W. Bush (2000-2008) and intensified during the administration of his successor, Barack Obama. U.S. has launched numerous drone attacks, leaving countless victims. Although claims that its main objectives are "terrorist factions", official sources in the affected countries reported that most of the victims are civilians

Liban Abdi: - Teams Management not provided - Player stuck in Turkey, ignored by the national leadership.

Player stuck in Turkey, ignored by the national leadership.

 How “Thou Shalt Not” became “Thou Shalt.”

HEAR NOTHING FROM NATIONAL TEAM MANAGEMENT: Liban Abdi player stuck in the Turkish league, but are not yet rewarded by national team games.

—By Karen Greenberg

While Morten Gamst Pedersen sits on the bench in Antalyaspor, Liban Abdi is a fixture in the starting of Rizespor.

Nevertheless, the former inside national heat, while Abdi has not heard anything from the national leadership.

The notified Akers Avis Groruddalen Friday.

And he admitted to online newspaper that he is starting to look tired that he constantly gets overlooked.

He does not think national leadership must follow what he accomplishes in Turkish football day.

- They have absolutely no oversight.

- It's not so long ago they barely enough did not know who I was, said Liban Abdi online newspaper.

Has impressed

Abdi, who signed for the Turkish club in January, has impressed big in their first weeks in the new club.

He has already made wide left position of his own, and he plays solid in a league with many large profiles. Worth mentioning is Didier Drogba and Wesley Sneijder (Galatasaray) and Dirk Kuyt and Raul Meireles (Fenerbache).

While several Norwegian foreign professionals struggling to get playing time, is thus Abdi about to establish itself as a safe bet in Rizespor XI.

Un-Norwegian-play

and Abdi even think he definitely has something to bring the Norwegian national team.

- There is no doubt that I can contribute something Norway does not have too much of. I have great speed, good technique and a style of play that is very un-Norwegian.

- Do you mean that you are on par with those who play on the edge of Norway?

- First and foremost I want to say that I have great respect for national team our players. There are good football players in question here.

- However, I feel that I'm at least the same level as them, says Abdi diplomatically.

Unknown to most of

those football experts around the pretty country, Abdi known as the Norwegian foreign pro no Norwegians know.

The Somali-born Norwegian, moved to England after high school, and at age 17 he received a professional contract with Sheffield United.

Abdi never got the chance in the traditional English club, but impressed when he was on loan for two years in the Hungarian league club Ferencvaros.

The transition to Hungarian football was made permanent in 2010, and Abdi spent two more seasons in the Ferencvaros before the road went on to Olhanense and Portuguese football.

- Not good enough

in the Portuguese club Abdi impressed enough that he should have been on the block for several big clubs. Porto should have been one of those clubs.

It was at this time Egil Olsen sports coaches were made aware of Batman's qualities.

The former national coach admitted at the time that he had never seen Abdi in action.

Sports coaches so however Norwegian-Somali playing on three occasions in autumn 2012, and the conclusion was crystal clear.

- He's not good enough for the national team at present, said sports coaches to VG.

Academica

Abdi played only one season for Olhanense before the road went on to league rival Academica last summer.

The stay was terminated after only six months, when 25-year-old signed for Rizespor in January this year.

Abdi is so far very happy with the state of affairs in his new club, and now hopes the national leadership finally open their eyes to him.

- It had been a great experience to play for Norway. Although I was born in Somalia, it is Norway is my country, he told online newspaper.

The Norwegian national team management has not answered the online newspaper inquiries Friday.

Source: nettavisen.n