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Roger Federer (38) möchte in Basel seinen zehnten Titel an den Swiss Indoors gewinnen. Der Lokalmatador ist bereit für den Heimauftritt, der am Montag mit einem Auftritt von Anastacia beginnt.

436409 Communication and Media Relations Section

An advanced training course aimed at increasing border guards’ operational awareness to detect forged documents concluded on 18 October 2019 in Skopje.

This five-day training course was organized by the Border Security and Management Unit of the OSCE Transnational Threats Department in co-operation with the OSCE Mission to Skopje and the Ministry of Interior of the Republic of North Macedonia. 

The course was held at the Police Training Centre in Idrizovo and was conducted by document experts of the Austrian Federal Ministry of the Interior.

Twenty-one second-line officers had the opportunity to examine travel documents security features, printing techniques and security substrates. They also learned how to better detect imposters.

Exercises focused on the differences between genuine and forged documents, as well as on the effective use of equipment; such as magnifying lenses. High-quality magnifiers were donated to the participants by the OSCE.

This course will be followed by a Train-the-Trainers course in November. This is  part of a series of trainings on the detection of forged travel documents that have been organized by the OSCE Border Security and Management Unit since 2015 in different countries.

Esther Friedli stand lange im Schatten von Lebenspartner Toni Brunner. Nun zieht die 42-Jährige für die SVP in den Nationalrat ein und verdrängt gleich zwei Bisherige. Die Politologin hat eine Ochsentour hinter sich - im eigenen Gasthof und in der politischen Arena.

Le Ministre des Infrastructures et des Transports, Hervé Hêhomey s'est rendu tôt ce lundi 21 Octobre 2019 sur le pont de Djonou reliant Calavi et Godomey. L'objectif de sa visite est de constater l'état de l'ouvrage suite au débordement des eaux sur la route inter-Etat Cotonou-Niamey.
La montée des eaux liées aux pluies diluviennes enregistrées ces derniers jours, a entraîné l'inondation de la voie rendant la circulation difficile dans les deux sens à l'entrée du pont.
Après les constats, le ministre rassure les usagers de la route que sur le plan technique, la stabilité du pont n'est pas menacée et que la situation est '‹‹sous contrôle››. « Nous allons prendre des mesures urgentes », a indiqué Hervé Hêhomey. Il invite les usagers à suivre les indications des forces de l'ordre et de sécurité et surtout faire preuve de prudence au cours de leur traversée. Plus de peur que de mal. La situation n'est donc pas critique.

G.A.

Le chiffre d’affaires d’Air Algérie s’est établi à 53,5 milliards de dinars durant les sept premiers mois de 2019, soit une hausse de 5% par rapport à la même période de 2018, a indiqué hier son P-DG Bakhouche Allèche. Ce résultat permet à la compagnie aérienne nationale d’être en cash-flow « positif » et à […]

The post Transport aérien : Air Algérie réfute l’idée d’une faillite appeared first on .

Diesen Tag wird Mike Künzle so schnell nicht vergessen. Beim Bieler Sieg im Cup gegen Ambri (4:3 n.V.) schiesst der Stürmer alle vier Treffer der Seeländer. Und sorgt wegen einer anderen Szene für rote Köpfe.

De Fortes averses orageuses commenceront à s’abattre dés ce lundi sur huit wilayas de l’Ouest du pays, informe un bulletin météo spéciale. Ces pluies parfois sous formes d’averses orageuses seront accompagnées par des rafales de vents et affecteront les wilayas de  Ain Temouchent, Oran, Sidi Bel Abbes, Tlemcen, Relizane, Mascara, Naâma (Nord) et Mostaganem, précise le […]

The post Alerte météo: Fortes averses orageuses attendues dans plusieurs wilayas de l’Ouest appeared first on .

RFI Afrique - En Mauritanie, l’Assemblée nationale tient une session pour procéder au renouvellement des présidents de commissions et des cinq...

Mancher Parlamentarier hat wohl nicht mit seiner Abwahl gerechnet - auch finanziell nicht. Wer keinen angemessenen Ersatz für sein Einkommen als Rat hat oder bedürftig ist, kann Überbrückungshilfe beantragen. Es könnte das letzte Mal sein, dass das Angebot gilt.

Quelle : © Europäische Union, 2019 - EP

Written by Marcin Szczepanski,

© doidam10 / Fotolia

It has been a decade since the financial crisis erupted and changed the world in 2008. Few at the time guessed what would be its magnitude and long-term consequences. The interconnectedness of the economy and the financial sector facilitated the spread of the crisis from the United States to Europe. First, the EU faced the Great Recession in the 2008-2009 period and then, after a short recovery, several Member States succumbed to the sovereign debt crisis. The combined crises had catastrophic consequences for economic growth, investment, employment and the fiscal position of many Member States. The EU engaged in short-term ‘fire-fighting’ measures such as bailouts to save banks and help stressed sovereigns, while at the same time reforming the inadequate framework. While signs of moderate recovery showed in 2014, the risk of falling into deflation or secular stagnation remained high, and it was only in 2017 that the EU economy returned to a state similar to that of before the crisis. The signs in 2019 are not so promising however.

Many efforts have been made to improve resilience in the EU and the euro area. These have included improving the stability of the financial sector, strengthening economic governance, creating a safety net for sovereigns in distress and carrying out structural reforms, particularly in the countries most affected. In addition, the European Central Bank (ECB) has taken unconventional policy measures. Nonetheless many argue that the pace of the reforms has slowed down considerably since 2013 when the economic situation began to improve.

The legacy of the crisis is still present and many challenges persist. These include the absence of a clear and agreed vision for the future of economic and monetary union (EMU), perennial macroeconomic imbalances and high public deficits in a number of Member States, and the ongoing risk of a doom loop between sovereigns and the banking sector. Post crisis vulnerabilities also include rising inequalities, youth unemployment and high in-work poverty risk levels.

See also our infographic, A decade on from the financial crisis: Key data.

Read the complete briefing on ‘A decade on from the start of the crisis: Main responses and remaining challenges‘ in the Think Tank pages of the European Parliament.

Le Représentant Résident de Catholic Relief Service (CRS), M. Sean GALLAGHER,
était au cabinet du ministre des Enseignements Maternel et Primaire, Salimane Karimou vendredi 18 octobre 2019.
Son organisation intervient dans les cantines scolaire à travers le Programme d'alimentation scolaire par approvisionnement auprès des coopératives locales de producteurs et transformatrices.
Plusieurs sujets ont été abordés au cours de cette audience.
Le Représentant Résident du CRS a entre autres rappelé au ministre que le programme est arrivé à son terme pour la fin du mois d'octobre 2019. Il a sollicité son intégration au projet PNASI dont le ministère à la charge.
Depuis sa mise en œuvre en octobre 2018, le programme a permis de servir quotidiennement aux élèves de 80 écoles ciblées, des repas chauds et nutritifs préparés par les cuisinières de la communauté. Il a aussi permis d'approvisionner les cantines scolaires en vivres entièrement achetés auprès des petits producteurs et transformatrices locaux et testés conformes aux standards internationaux "codex alimentarius".
Sans oublier la construction de magasins et cuisines dans les écoles d' intervention puis la formation des Comités de Gestion Scolaire (COGES) dans 80 écoles primaires du Borgou.
Pour que ces acquis ne soient délaissés à la fin du programme, le Représentant Résident du CRS a sollicité qu'ils soient intégrés au projet PNASI. Tout en remerciant son hôte, le ministre Salimane Karimou a salué la démarche et le travail abattu par son organisation à travers ce programme. Il a souhaité un renouvellement de ce programme qui est financé par le Département d'Agriculture des États-Unis (USDA). Ce qui permet la poursuite du partenariat entre le CRS et le Bénin.

G.A.

In an interview with EURACTIV Croatia, German Federal Economy Minister Peter Altmaier spoke about the forthcoming EU presidencies of Croatia and Germany, the controversial zero growth ('Schwarze Null'), and the cooperation with the Western Balkan states.

By African Development Bank
WASHINGTON DC, Oct 21 2019 (IPS-Partners)

Rapid urbanization has provided most cities in the world with opportunities to provide more sustainable, vibrant, and prosperous centers for their citizens. But they must first address challenges such as inadequate infrastructure investments, pollution and congestion, and poor urban planning, according to a new report released today.

The report, Creating Livable Cities: Regional Perspectives, looks at urbanization trends across emerging and developing economies in Africa; Asia and the Pacific; Eastern Europe, Southern and Eastern Mediterranean; and Latin America and the Caribbean. It is a joint publication by four regional development banks (RDBs) operating in these regions—African Development Bank (AfDB), Asian Development Bank (ADB), European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD), and Inter-American Development Bank (IDB).

“Cities offer access to key infrastructure, institutions, and services for a good quality of life,” ADB President Takehiko Nakao said. “They can be centers of innovation for a more livable future for all. But realizing that potential requires forward thinking and flexible planning, adequate capacity at the municipal level, and good governance.”

Nakao took part in a launch event at the IDB headquarters today in Washington, D.C., with the presidents of the other three development banks: Mr. Akinwumi Adesina of the African Development Bank, Suma Chakrabarti of EBRD, and Luis Alberto Moreno of IDB.

The world’s urban population has grown from just 750 million in 1950 (or 31% of the total population) to 4.2 billion in 2018 (55% of the total population)—a number that is estimated to reach 5.2 billion in 2030 (60% of the total population). While the majority of leading economic hubs are still in advanced economies, the center of economic activity is moving toward the developing and emerging markets, the report says. Asia and Africa will account for 90% of urban population growth between 2018 and 2050, with more than a third of this growth to happen in just three countries—the People’s Republic of China (PRC), India, and Nigeria.

Although large and still dominant, megacities of more than 10 million people and national capitals are not the fastest-growing urban areas. Urban areas with fewer than 1 million residents account for 59% of the world’s urban population and are experiencing a faster growth rate across the regions, the report says.

President of the African Development Bank, Akinwumi Adesina said, “We are helping to open up rural areas to development as a means of reversing migration trends. To do this, we are investing in skill upgrades, creating jobs, providing access to SME finance for young men and women. Ultimately, we need to create livable and workable cities for the younger generation.”

Cities need large scale investments to develop and maintain infrastructure and services such as urban transport, water supply, sanitation, and solid waste management. In the face of rapid growth, overstretched services, skills shortages, and increased vulnerabilities to disasters are adding to cities’ environmental stress.

The publication examines the types of policy interventions and approaches needed to promote competitive, inclusive, equitable, and environmentally sustainable and climate-resilient cities—four factors that taken together make cities “livable.”

“RDBs play an important role in identifying, distilling, and diffusing knowledge and actions that can accelerate progress toward creating more livable cities,” the report says. Making cities more livable is one of the seven operational priorities of ADB’s Strategy 2030. ADB’s Livable Cities approach puts people and communities at the center of urban development, and promotes strengthening urban institutions through holistic and participatory urban planning and sustainable financing, and use of data and digital technologies to improve urban services to the residents.

Adesina called for increased regional development bank cooperation in information sharing, shared learning from existing diagnostic tools, and a joint action plan and collective effort to help create sustainable and livable cities.

Contact: Emeka Anuforo, Communication and External Relations Department, African Development Bank, email: a.anuforo@afdb.org

The post African Development Bank and Three Regional Development Banks Launch Joint Report on Livable Cities appeared first on Inter Press Service.

Von Milieuanwalt Valentin Landmann über Bob-Olympiasieger Erich Schärer bis zu den Sportler-Gattinnen Valérie Favre Accola und Nadja Günthör reichte diesmal die Palette der Prominenten, die sich um einen Nationalratssitz bewarben. Gelangt hat es fast niemandem.

Si les principaux partis de gauche comprennent un nombre important de femmes parmi leurs représentants à Berne, c'est nettement moins le cas des partis bourgeois.

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan on Monday (21 October) lashed out at Western states, accusing them of "standing by terrorists" in failing to support Turkey's operation against Syrian Kurdish fighters.

Europe is prepared to step up its response to unfair trade practices and push for a renewed WTO, aiming to display a more assertive stance towards its partners in the future.

A highly original research on poverty reduction has won the Nobel for economics.

By Raghav Gaiha
MANCHESTER, Oct 21 2019 (IPS-Partners)

I met late professor T.N. Srinivasan (popularly known as TN) a couple of months before he passed away in November 2018. Despite his original contributions to trade theory, ¬development economics, inequality and poverty, he never won the Nobel in economics. His colleague at Yale had once ¬remarked that TN would get not one but two Nobels. I was too much in awe of TN to ask this question but my friend asked him directly if he could think of an Indian economist who might win the Nobel for economics in the near future. He said, “Abhijit but not so soon”. He was right but not entirely.

After studying at University of Calcutta, Abhijit Banerjee went to Jawaharlal Nehru University and Harvard, where he completed his doctoral research. He then took up faculty positions at Princeton and in quick succession at Harvard and later at MIT, where he is the Ford Foundation inter¬national professor of economics.

He is that rare economist who moves effortlessly from abstruse aspects of information theory to applied microeconomics in different regions of the developing world. Although highly regarded in all fields that he has worked in, he (along with Esther Duflo and Michael Kremer) is best known for pioneering research in formulating, refining and extending randomised control trials (RCTs) to understand and shed light on alleviation of global poverty. He and Duflo set up the Poverty Action Lab at MIT in 2003, which later became the Abdul Latif Jameel Poverty Action Lab. This network has engaged in impact evaluation, policy outreach and capacity building in 81 countries.

They planned, refined and ¬extended ¬randomised control trials to alleviate global poverty.

What is an RCT? Borrowing an example from Abhijit’s research, take an experiment to examine the impact of textbooks on students’ test scores. The textbook is distributed to half the class randomly on a certain day. Say, six months later, a test is held and students are graded. If the score of the treatment group—the students who got the textbook—is higher than that of those who did not, it is valid to infer that the higher score is due to the textbook. Neither textbook distribution nor adding teachers improved the performance of the students. The failure of these two variables to influence the results is neither interesting nor surprising. However, scant attention is given to teacher absenteeism, which is rampant in rural schools.

Another widely cited example is the randomised evaluation of a group-lending microcredit programme in Hyderabad. A lender worked in 52 randomly selected neighbourhoods, leading to an 8.4 percentage point increase in take-up of microcredit. Small business investments and profits of pre-existing businesses increased, but consumption did not significantly grow. Two years later, after control areas had gained access to microcredit, but households in the treatment area had borrowed for longer and in larger amounts, very few significant differences persisted. But whether these findings are generalisable to other contexts is doubtful. So the verdict that microcredit is not the miracle it is claimed to be seems doubtful.

Is RCT the magic wand it is widely believed to be? Multi¬lateral agencies, governments and donors were quick to embrace it as it offered a simple tool to ¬assess policy impact. It is not uncommon to get ¬seduced by the charms of RCTs if you are not aware of their limitations.

Angus Deaton, another Nobel laureate, made a succinct appraisal of RCTs. Consider hypertension. There are two different drugs that ¬improve the condition. In clinical trials, one performs better than the other on average. However, management of hypertension may be more difficult in some cases and thus, a drug that is more effective on average may not be in those instances. So, while it is useful to know which drug is better on average, it is not so helpful where specific treatment is required.

Failure of the two educational experiments is attributed to limited learning of the students. Instead of relying on this ex-post observation, it would have been more helpful to embed these experiments in a theory of learning. There are also serious concerns about the spillover effects of an experiment in one village. By word of mouth, good practices may spread to the control group and neighbouring villages, compounding the difficulty of attribution to an intervention. Scaling up may depend on how an intervention is implemented and the context. Macro interventions (such as interest rate ¬reductions to revive the Indian economy), however, are not amenable to RCT as there is no control group.

These comments are not meant to denigrate Abhijit’s highly original and pathbreaking research. He is a worthy recipient of the Nobel. The claim, however,that RCTs have saved millions from abject poverty is exaggerated, if not misleading.

(The author is [Hon.] Professorial Research Fellow, Global Development Institute, Manchester. Views are personal.)

This story was originally published by Outlook

The post Wielding The Magic Wand appeared first on Inter Press Service.

Excerpt:

A highly original research on poverty reduction has won the Nobel for economics.

The post Wielding The Magic Wand appeared first on Inter Press Service.