ECB’S ASMUSSEN REJECTS SCHAEUBLE PROPOSAL FOR BANK UNION: WELT

zerohedge‏@zerohedge7 min
ECB’S ASMUSSEN REJECTS SCHAEUBLE PROPOSAL FOR BANK UNION: WELT
Russian Market‏@russian_market7 h
Schäuble criticizes ECB’s work and calls it “undercovered state-financing” – Spiegel
Russian Market‏@russian_market7 h
Germany expects further recession in Eurozone in the next months: “many important problems in Eurozone still not solved” – Bundesregierung

Schaeuble wants to phase in banking union in two steps while amending the EU Treaty, an arduous process. Apparently Asmussen wants it all in one bite, according to an article in Die Welt, the German daily.
http://www.fxbriefs.com/forex/fundamental-analysis/ecbs-asmussen-rejects-two-step-banking-union-proposal-by-schaeuble/
‘Germany will not accept Eurobonds’ – President of the Ifo Institute
In a harsh rebuttal to George Soros, the President of the Ifo Institute for Economic Research Hans-Werner Sinn accused the speculator of “playing with fire” and stated that “Germany will not accept Eurobonds” in spite of the pressure from the investing community.
Read more: http://english.ruvr.ru/2013_05_13/Germany-will-not-accept-Eurobonds-President-of-the-Ifo-Institute/
http://english.ruvr.ru/2013_05_13/Germany-will-not-accept-Eurobonds-President-of-the-Ifo-Institute/

Saifuddin: Suicidal for Umno to bring down Najib or leave moderate path

 

By Ida Lim

KUALA LUMPUR, May 13 — Umno will be committing suicide if it attempts to bring down its president Datuk Seri Najib Razak or leaves the moderate path, Datuk Saifuddin Abdullah, the Umno politician seen as among the most progressive in the party, has said.
The outspoken Umno politician said the Barisan Nasional (BN) component party should stop complaining about the ruling coalition’s failure to recapture a two-thirds parliamentary majority, explaining that this scenario would not happen in a democratic country.
“If because of this (you) want to ask the prime minister to step down, that is a wrong KPI (key performance indicator)!” Saifuddin (picture) said, referring to Najib, who is also the prime minister and BN chairman.
“Furthermore, Umno obtained a better result than in the March 8 elections, Umno members should acknowledge, Najib’s performance was far better than former Prime Minister Tun Abdullah Badawi,” the former Umno deputy minister was quoted as saying in an exclusive interview published by the Sin Chew Daily today, referring to the March 8, 2008 general election.
On May 5, Najib led Umno to a win of 88 federal seats, an improvement from the 79 seats during his predecessor Abdullah’s rule in 2008.
But BN only won a total of 133 federal seats, down from its 140-seat win in 2008 and the 148 seats required for a two-thirds majority. The coalition also lost the popular vote despite forming the federal government — the first time since the 1969 elections where it had contested as the Alliance Party.
Despite the less-than-heartening polls results for BN, Saifuddin reminded Umno members not to forget that Najib was BN’s best product and had aided the coalition’s victory, saying that any attempt to bring the leader down would be suicide.
Najib was seen by observers to have driven the BN and Umno election campaign with his personal popularity, as he remained more popular than the parties in opinion polls.
Saifuddin also said that Umno has to continue taking the moderate path, saying it would be suicidal for the BN lynchpin party to lean towards the right.
“Umno’s future direction and path will be decided by the composition of the supreme council after this year’s party elections,” the Umno supreme council member said.
He explained that currently the Umno supreme council could be divided into three groups, namely the “Yes, President” group, a small group of “Malay extremists” and a even smaller group of progressives.
With the “Yes, President” group being the largest in the Umno supreme council, Saifuddin said it was likely that the prime minister’s policies would continue to receive great support.
Although Najib had introduced the inclusive concept of “1 Malaysia”, right-wing elements within Umno had at times openly contradicted the policy.
The struggle between conservative and progressive forces in Umno was also illustrated by BN’s fielding of Perkasa vice-president Datuk Zulkifli Noordin, while former Umno leader Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad had openly backed Perkasa president Datuk Ibrahim Ali. Both leaders from the Malay right-wing group lost in the May 5 polls.
All eyes will now be on the Umno party elections, where the party that won 240 out of BN’s 275 state seats will decide on whether Najib will stay on as president, or whether 66-year-old Deputy Prime Minister Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin will be challenging the 59-year-old for the post.
In an interview with Sinar Harian, Saifuddin again raised the proposal that members be accepted directly into BN instead of having to join the coalition’s component parties.
“Now we already have ‘friends of BN’ but I think that is not enough, they want to be BN members, they want to carry cards as BN members.
“All the arrangements have to be thought of, it means that component parties can continue to operate as usual, no problem; I will also stay in Umno, no thoughts of leaving, but there are some people like my child, or other youths, they don’t want to be Umno members, they want to be BN members.”
He explained that youths saw that most of the parties in BN were ethnic-based parties and viewed it as a model that was suitable for the independence era.
The younger generation now wanted a new model where they could be direct members of BN, Saifuddin said.

Saya mahu pilihan raya bebas dan adil, jawap Kit Siang kepada Utusan

Oleh Amin Iskandar
Penolong Pengarang Berita

KUALA LUMPUR, 13 Mei — Lim Kit Siang (gambar) menjadikan pilihan raya bersih, bebas dan adil sebagai salah satu daripada lima perkara yang beliau mahukan bagi menjawab artikel Utusan Malaysia hari ini bertajuk “Apa lagi Kit Siang mahu?”.
Menurut Lim, sekiranya pilihan raya bersih, bebas dan adil, perdana menteri Malaysia hari ini adalah Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim dan bukannya Datuk Seri Najib Razak, kerana Pakatan Rakyat (PR) tidak mempunyai masalah untuk menang 125 kerusi Parlimen dengan PKR 45, masing-masing PAS dan DAP 40 dengan majoriti selesa 128 daripada 222 kerusi Parlimen.
Selain daripada pilihan raya bersih, penasihat DAP itu juga mahukan Malaysia sebagai negara demokrasi normal; pemulihan kedaulatan undang-undang;  pendidikan bertaraf dunia dan Malaysia yang bersatu, selamat, hijau, dan sihat.
Di bawah tajuk “Apa lagi Kit Siang mahu?”, pengarang kanan Utusan Malaysia Zulkiflee Bakar menuduh Lim dan DAP membahayakan keselamatan rakyat Malaysia dengan melanggar undang-undang berikutan penganjuran perhimpunan haram beberapa hari lalu.
“Apa lagi Kit Siang mahu? Tidak puas lagikah selama ini ketika kempen pilihan raya berlangsung Kit Siang yang kononnya memperjuangkan demokrasi tulen dan kebebasan bersuara membiarkan pemimpin-pemimpin DAP memaki hamun pemimpin-pemimpin Barisan Nasional (BN)? Belum gembirakah lagi beliau apabila DAP berjaya menentang habis-habisan usaha perjuangan Islam oleh PAS termasuk hukum hudud?” soal Zulkiflee di kolumnya.
Ahli Parlimen Gelang Patah baru itu turut diserang oleh Naib Presiden Perkasa Datuk Zulkifli Noordin semalam yang menuduhnya sebagai orang di belakang tragedi berdarah 13 Mei.
“Saya bersedia untuk mengadakan satu debat yang rasional dengan Utusan Malaysia atau sesiapa berkenaan apa yang terbaik untuk masa depan negara, akan tetapi Utusan Malaysia tidak berminat dengan debat rasional sedemikian tetapi hanya menjalankan agenda Umno untuk memburuk-burukkan saya,” kata veteran DAP itu dalam satu kenyataan hari ini.
“Utusan telah mengingkari semua etika dan standard kewartawanan. Apakah mereka boleh menjadi lebih teruk lagi?” tambah beliau.
Dalam Pilihan Raya 2013, Barisan Nasional (BN) menang pilihan raya tetapi hilang undi popular.
Najib mencadangkan “tsunami Cina” menyebabkan BN mendapat keputusan pilihan raya terburuk dalam sejarah pada awal pagi 6 Mei selepas menerima keputusan Pilihan Raya 2013.
Utusan Malaysia, akhbar dimiliki Umno, juga mencadangkan pengundi Cina cuba melakukan provokasi kaum dengan mengundi menentang BN, dengan satu tajuk muka depan akhbar berbunyi, “Apa lagi Cina Mahu?”.
Akhbar, yang dilihat bersekutu dengan Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad, dan pemimpin parti lain secara konsisten berhujah undi menentang Umno yang mengetuai BN sama dengan undi menentang Melayu.
Ini berlaku apabila secara faktanya parti PR PAS dan PKR sebahagian besarnya ahlinya Melayu-Muslim. DAP turut meletakkan calon Melayu dalam pilihan raya.
Semalam, Najib mempertahankan partinya daripada pertuduhan perkauman, sebaliknya menuduh DAP yang bersikap perkauman.
Di sebalik dakwaan Umno, analisis keputusan Pilihan Raya 2013 menunjukkan perpecahan bandar-luar bandar berbanding perpecahan Melayu-Cina dalam corak pengundian rakyat Malaysia minggu lalu.
Walaupun majoriti daripada Cina menyokong parti PR, terdapat angka signifikan undi Melayu terhadap parti pembangkang, terutamanya di kawasan bandar.

Kit Siang nafi slogan ‘Malai-seh’, gelar Zul Noordin ‘penipu tak bertanggungjawab’

OLEH CLARA CHOOI
PENOLONG PENGARANG BERITA

KUALA LUMPUR, 13 Mei — Lim Kit Siang menafikan hari ini beliau dan DAP mahu kematian orang Melayu dengan menggunakan terma “Malai-seh”, mengatakan Datuk Zulkifli Noordin melakukan hasutan dan jenayah fitnah dengan petuduhan itu. Lim seringkali menjadi sasaran pemimpin berhaluan kanan Melayu — menuduhnya di belakang rusuhan kaum terburuk dalam sejarah, mengatakan kenyataan Zulkifli adalah penipuan oleh seorang yang ditolak rakyat dalam Pilihan Raya 2013.
“Selepas ditolak di Shah Alam oleh orang Melayu, beliau terus mengatakan penipuan yang tidak bertanggungjawab,” kata Lim kepada The Malaysian Insider apabila dihubungi di sini.
“Sekarang dia bercakap tentang 13 Mei, menuduh saya bertanggungjawab terhadap rusuhan dan slogan ‘Malai-seh’. Semuanya tidak semuanya benar, saya tiada di Kuala Lumpur pada ketika itu.”
Ahli Parlimen Gelang Patah itu mengatakan pertuduhan itu hanyalah “khayalan” dalam minda Zulkifli dan menerangkan perkataan “Malai-seh” tidak pernah dikaitkan dengan dirinya atau mana-mana pemimpin DAP dalam Kertas Putih mengenai insiden 13 Mei 1969.
Beliau menambah Kertas Putih telah menyatakan perarakan haram telah diadakan dan slogan “Malai-seh” dilaungkan pada ketika itu akan tetapi ia tidak pernah dikaitkan dengan mana-mana individu.Dalam beberapa siri tulisan di Twitter semalam, Zulkifli menuduh Penasihat DAP Lim Kit Siang di belakang rusuhan 1969, dikala pemimpin Umno terus-menerus menyalahkan keputusan pilihan raya minggu lepas sebagai “tsunami Cina” yang disebabkan oleh Pakatan Rakyat (PR).

Naib presiden Perkasa kontroversi, calon langsung Barisan Nasional (BN) dalam Pilihan Raya 2013, membuat pertuduhan dalam mesej yang dihantar di Twitter pada malam ulangtahun ke 44 rusuhan tersebut.
“Esok 13 Mei ... ulangtahun ke 44 rusuhan kaum d M’sia angkara cauvinis trmsuk parti Kit Siang yang membawa slogan Malai-Seh!Mampos Melayu!,” tulis Zulkifli melalui akaun Twitternya @zulkiflinoordin lewat malam tadi.
Akan tetapi bekas ahli Umno Tamrin Ghafar telah membersihkan Lim semasa kempen Pilihan Raya 2013 dengan mengatakan Umno sendiri di belakang rusuhan tersebut.
Anak bekas timbalan perdana menteri Tun Abdul Ghafar Baba mengatakan beliau diberitahu oleh bekas menteri dalam negeri, Tun Ghazali Shafie, insiden 13 Mei disebabkan oleh rampasan kuasa dalaman Umno terhadap Bapa Kemerdekaan Negara Tunku Abdul Rahman.
Menurut rekod polis, 196 orang terbunuh dalam rusuhan diantara kumpulan Melayu dan Cina, beberapa hari selepas keputusan pilihan raya umum.
Dalam pilihan raya 1969, gabungan Perikatan Umno, MCA dan MIC hilang undi popular tetapi menang pilihan raya.
Lim mengatakan beliau menganggap kenyataan Zulkifli itu sebagai “kenyataan menghina” akan tetapi tidak mengatakan sama ada akan mengambil tindakan terhadap bekas ahli Parlimen Kulim Bandar Baharu itu dan melabelnya sebagai “terdesak”.
“Jika beliau mengatakannya semasa kempen, tindakan serta merta saya sudah pasti mengambil tindakan saman dan laporan polis boleh dibuat, atau tindakan undang-undang diambil.
“Sekarang saya menganggapnya sebagai perkataan menghina,” katanya.
Apabila dihubungi, Setiausaha Publisiti DAP Tony Pua mengatakan Zulkifli telah hilang hak untuk mewakili rakyat Malaysia selepas kalah di kerusi Parlimen Shah Alam di tangan penyandang Khalid Abdul Samad dari PAS.
Ahli Parlimen Petaling Jaya Utara itu menambah, kenyataan Zulkifli “mencerminkan Umno hari ini”.
“Umno menjadi semakin kanan kerana mahu menyelamatkan undi mereka yang semakin kurang,” katanya.
Presiden Umno Datuk Seri Najib Razak mencadangkan “tsunami Cina” menyebabkan BN mendapat keputusan pilihan raya terburuk dalam sejarah.
Walaupun majoriti daripada Cina menyokong parti PR, terdapat angka signifikan undi Melayu terhadap parti pembangkang, terutamanya di kawasan bandar.
Semenjak DAP menjadi sasaran serangan Umno, ia telah disokong oleh rakan PR PKR dan PAS yang sebahagian besarnya adalah Melayu.

Obamacare: Taxpayers Must Report Personal Health ID Info to IRS

When Obamacare’s individual mandate takes effect in 2014, all Americans who file income tax returns must complete an additional IRS tax form.

The new form will require disclosure of a taxpayer’s personal identifying health information in order to determine compliance with the Affordable Care Act’s individual mandate.
As confirmed by IRS testimony to the tax-writing House Committee on Ways and Means, “taxpayers will file their tax returns reporting their health insurance coverage, and/or making a payment”.
So why will the Obama IRS require your personal identifying health information?
Simply put, there is no way for the IRS to enforce Obamacare’s individual mandate without such an invasive reporting scheme.  Every January, health insurance companies across America will send out tax documents to each insured individual.  This tax document—a copy of which will be furnished to the IRS—must contain sufficient information for taxpayers to prove that they purchased qualifying health insurance under Obamacare.
This new tax information document must, at a minimum, contain: the name and health insurance identification number of the taxpayer; the name and tax identification number of the health insurance company; the number of months the taxpayer was covered by this insurance plan; and whether or not the plan was purchased in one of Obamacare’s “exchanges.”
This will involve millions of new tax documents landing in mailboxes across America every January, along with the usual raft of W-2s, 1099s, and 1098s.  At tax time, the 140 million families who file a tax return will have to get acquainted with a brand new tax filing form.  Six million of these families will end up paying Obamacare’s individual mandate non-compliance tax penalty.
As a service to the public, Americans for Tax Reform has released a projected version of this tax form to help families and tax specialists prepare for this additional filing requirement. Taxpayers may view the projected IRS form at www.ObamacareTaxForm.com.  On the form, lines 3-4 show where taxpayers will disclose their personal health ID information.
View PDF here.

Read more: http://atr.org/obamacare-taxpayers-must-report-personal-health-a7611#ixzz2TF8mVRB9
Follow us: @taxreformer on Twitter

The Nation’s Deathbed (Full Version)

The Nation’s Deathbed is a documentary about the SPP (Security and Prosperity Partnership), the protest that occurred in Montebello Quebec in August of 2007 and how it all ties into the agenda for a North American Union. This film reveals the true story of the horrific events that transpired in Montebello including the now infamous agent provocateur incident and it also explores the growing resistance movement to the NAU agenda.

China’s Consumption of Gold and Acquisition of Gold Mines Continues

by GoldCore


Today’s AM fix was USD 1,429.75, EUR 1,102.52 and GBP 931.19 per ounce.
Friday’s AM fix was USD 1,449.25, EUR 1,114.12 and GBP 941.62 per ounce.

Cross Currency Table – (Bloomberg)
Gold fell $12.90 or -0.89% on Friday to $1,443.30/oz and silver finished with a gain of 0.42%. Gold and silver both traded down for the week at -1.76% and -1.25%.
The downward pressure on the gold price emanated from Comex where gold futures were off 1.9%.
Driving the sentiment was the report that U.S. jobless benefits decreased to their lowest rate since 2007. Philadelphia Fed President Charles Plosser forecasted that day unemployment will drop to 7% by December 2013 and he favours reducing the Fed’s $85 billion monthly bond purchases next month. Plosser however has no vote on Fed policy this year.
While hedge funds are seeing outflows of $20.8 billion from gold funds this year, BlackRock Inc. the world’ biggest money manager is still bullish, reported Bloomberg.

Gold in Dollars, 1 Year – (Bloomberg)
Asian countries are seeing unprecedented demand for the yellow metal after the dip in prices in April.
India imported $7.5 billion of gold bullion in the last month up from $3.1 billion a year earlier. The country’s trade deficit widened 70% with the increase in gold and silver imports.

Gold in Euros, 1 Year – (Bloomberg)
Analysts at Sprott Group highlight that China is using its gold import data to elevate import statistics even though the precious metal should not be classified with imports since they are not used for “goods and services” but rather primarily as investments.

The golden boost to the imports data has led some analysts to conclude that the Chinese manufacturing sector is strong. According to the Bejing Daily Newspaper, Chinese housewives or “aunties” have purchased 300 tons of the yellow metal in the past three weeks amounting in nearly $16 billion.  The impact of the run on physical gold in China may have a significant effect on import statistics.
Recently, China National Gold, a state-owned miner, was in talks to purchase Barrick Gold’s 74% stake in African Barrick, a major gold producer in Tanzania.
Although the deal has been shelved it shows China’s desire to acquire more mines. The Chinese purchased Norton Gold Fields in Australia last year for $240 million and in mid April bid for Kalgoorlie Mining Co.  Even with the price drop the Chinese saw the price for Barrick as too steep.
China is the world’s largest producer of gold.