Anton chekhov the bet analysis

Dead homeless man’s secret property portfolio
An Italian homeless man has taken a valuable secret to the grave. Giovanni Valentin died on Christmas Eve from burns received when he lit a fire to keep warm on the streets of Bulzano. The 66-year-old kept quiet about roughly half a million euros in cash and property that his mother had left him a year earlier. A family friend told a local newspaper that Valentin thought that living on the streets was the only way he could feel free. It is hoped Valentin’s estate will now be used to help other homeless people. More about: Death, Italy, Poverty

France suspends Afghan training as four soldiers are killed
France is suspending military operations in Afghanistan, and may accelerate its planned troop withdrawal after the killing of four French soldiers. The shootings were the latest of several in which western soldiers have been killed by members of the Afghan security forces they are helping to train. President Nicolas Sarcozy said he has sent the defence minister and the head of the armed forces to Afghanistan, and until they arrive all training operations and combat help from French forces will be halted. “We are friends with the Afghan people, we are the allies of the Afghan people, but I cannot accept that Afghan soldiers shoot French soldiers,” he said. It is reported that along with the four soldiers who were killed, 17 more were wounded by a rogue soldier. This incident takes the total number of French deaths in Afghanistan to 82. More about: Afghanistan, French politics, Military, troops withdrawal

Monti calls on EU to do more to boost growth
European leaders must do more to boost growth, according to Italian Prime Minister Mario Monti. He said that once new budget rules are in place on fiscal discipline, the 26 EU leaders involved must focus on how to use economic governance effectively. Britain has decided to stay outside of any new deal. “We have to exploit the full potential of an integrated continent to grow more. And this has not been done up until now. It has not been done by the European institutions or by the biggest member states”, he said. Yesterday, the former European commissioner met with German Chancellor Angela Merkel, who praised Monti’s debt-cutting efforts. His technocratic government pushed through an austerity budget after coming to power in November. Former leader Silvio Berlusconi was forced out by a parliamentary revolt amid investor panic over Italy’s finances. More about: Economic growth, EU Budget, European economy, Mario Monti

Samsung loses one of many patent cases with Apple
Samsung has suffered a setback in its tablet and smartphone battle with Apple. A German court has ruled against the South Korean company in a patent case, which is another leg in the lengthy legal struggle between the two technology giants. Samsung said the ruling covers one patent out of the three mobile technologies it claims Apple infringed. Rulings on the other two will be made by the Mannheim court in the next couple of weeks. Samsung said it has yet to decide whether to appeal against this ruling. Samsung, which passed Apple in the third quarter of 2011 as the world’s top maker of smartphones, is locked in a patent fight with the US firm in 10 countries including the United States, Australia, France and Japan. Apple first sued Samsung in April, claiming that the maker of the Galaxy range of smartphones and tablets “slavishly” copied Apple’s iPhone and iPad models. More about: Apple, Mobile Telephony, Patents, Samsung

EU launches legal action against Hungary
Brussels has begun legal proceedings against Hungary which aim to force it to undo changes to its controversial new constitution. Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban’s government has come under heavy fire both at home and abroad for a series of reforms that opponents describe as anti-democratic. The EU Commission said changes, especially concerning the judiciary, data protection and the central bank, violated EU law. ‘‘The decisions we have taken today are a reflection of our determination to make sure that EU law, both in letter and in spirit are fully respected and a stable legal environment exists in all of our member states,’‘ said EU Commission President Jos?� Manuel Barroso. The start of the infringement proceeding means Hungary must modify the controversial laws or face lengthy legal action in the European Court of Justice. The IMF has also said Hungary needs the EU’s blessing before stalled talks on a new financial rescue package can resume. Despite Orban dismissing the criticisms at home as politically motivated, in recent weeks Budapest has shown signs it may be willing to compromise on certain elements of the new laws. More about: Barroso EU Commission, European politics, Hungary, Law

‘Shoe’ protesters urge German president to quit
It is a sign of contempt from the Arab world. But it was in Germany, outside the presidential palace, that footwear was flashed to say the man in office must go. Saturday’s shoe-waving sit-in was the latest sign of pressure on President Christian Wulff, dogged by a private loan scandal, although he looks determined to stay put. “He seems to want to sit it out,” said demonstrator Ute Ettenfelder. “He has got absolutely no understanding of the situation. If you don’t have a political instinct, you should not be in politics. You can climb the ladder, maybe, but you shouldn’t stay.” On television, Wulff has acknowledged his mistake in leaving a voicemail message for a newspaper editor in a bid to stop the damaging story being published. But the German paper ‘Bild’ went ahead and reported that Wulff had received a home loan in 2008 at cheap rates from the wife of a wealthy businessman friend. The scandal dates from Wulff’s time as Lower Saxony’s conservative state premier. An ally of Chancellor Angela Merkel, he is accused of misleading the state parliament by failing to reveal the private loan. More about: German politics, Germany, Protest, Resignation

Republicans ready for Iowa caucuses
A high turnout is expected among Republican voters in Iowa – the first US state to cast its choice over who will represent the Grand Old Party in the race for the White House. Mitt Romney leads the field of seven candidates according to the latest polls but there is little difference between them, making the outcome too close to call. The former Massachusetts governor has largely ignored the midwestern state but the changing fortunes of his rivals have seen him emerge as the slight frontrunner. But Ron Paul, the small government, anti-war libertarian Texan Congressman enjoys widespread support in the largely rural community. Some forecasters are expecting Texas governor, Rick Santorium to spring a suprise though as a result of his huge leap in popularity over the last few days. Tea party favourite Michele Bachmann could be among the biggest losers if she ends up out of the top three places as the also-rans often then lack the money and momentum to push on. ABC news correspondent Aaron Katersy told euronews why it is such a close contest: “The Republican party is divided : there are the social conservatives, the cultural conservatives, the fiscal conservatives. There is not one unifying candidate that seems to have emerged as the one to gather everyone under the umbrella.” All of which could favour the US President Barack Obama come November when the contest becomes a straight two horse race. More about: American politics, Barack Obama, Presidential elections, Republicans, USA

Italy turns on cruise captain
Italy is transfixed by the Costa Concordia tragedy, and in the eye of the media storm are Captain Francesco Schettino, being painted by everyone as the villain, and Gregorio de Falco of Livorno’s harbourmaster’s office, the hero of the hour. Italy’s press has been scathing; “Captain Coward” was one headline among many seemingly convinced of where the blame lies. The leaked recording of the harbourmaster’s office pleading with the captain to return to his ship has created a lot of comment among Guilio locals. “This person…. and that phone call… were unbelievable and shocking,” said one woman. “Even our boys went there to help as the disaster happened, how could he leave the ship? Leaving the ship, that’s the worst single thing he’s done,” said another. The exchange between the two men is now one of the most seen and heard subjects on the internet and in news broadcasts worldwide. The harbour master asks, “What are you doing there?” The captain says, “I’m here to coordinate the rescue.” “What are you coordinating from there? Get on board. Coordinate the rescue from on board. Are you refusing?” the harbour master asks. “No,” the captain says. “Are you telling me that you are refusing to re-board Captain? Tell me why you cannot go back.” “I’m going but there’s another lifeboat blocking our way.” The harbour master screams: “You go back on board. That’s an order. There is nothing else for you to consider. You sounded ‘abandon ship’. Now I am in charge. There are already bodies.” “How many bodies are there?” “I don’t know. I heard talk of one dead but that’s for you to tell me. Jesus!”, says the audibly increasingly exasperated harbourmaster. More about: Accident, Costa Concordia, Italy, Shipwrecks, Victims

French sound alpine glacier alarm
Around the globe, in all latitudes, at all altitudes, glaciers are receding and disappearing at a rapid pace. At a speed that often exceeds even the most alarmist previsions made a few years ago. This tendency has been recently confirmed by a study of the French Alps carried out by researchers of the University of Savoie, located near Chambery. When we talk about melting glaciers and global warming we often think of faraway polar regions. But here we are in the heart of Europe, close to Mont Blanc, and the surface area of glaciers is shrinking remarkably. According to the new research, glaciers in the French Alps have shrunk by a quarter in the past 40 years. In the late 1960s/early 1970s, the ice fields creeping down Mont Blanc and the surrounding mountains of the Alpine range covered some 375 sq km. By the late 2000s, this area had fallen to about 275 sq km. This mirrors findings of glacial retreat in other sectors of the Alps which sit across the borders of several nations, but predominantly Switzerland, Austria, Slovenia, Germany, France, and Italy. The new French Alps Glaciers Inventory by the University of Savoie was produced by researcher Marie Gardent, and colleagues. “We’re standing in front of the Bossons glacier, that starts 1500 metres up, but 40 years ago it was almost down to the valley floor. The general retreat of the glaciers is due to the global warming we all talk about. Summer temperatures are higher, and there’s less snow in winter. The consequences for the glaciers will directly impact on our water resources. The glaciers around the Alps are huge freshwater reservoirs. Another consequence is that sudden pockets of water and lakes can appear which, when they rupture, can cause floods. A glacier retreating frees up unstable rock debris and mud that can slide dangerously at any tim.,” says Gardent. The University of Savoie has one of Europe’s leading centres devoted to the study of the Alpine environment, with around 60 researchers. The recent study assessed around 600 glaciers. Marie Gardent used map archives, satellite imagery and aerial photographs. “This is the glacier that provides the river Isere with its source. The violet line shows how big it is was in 1850, then in 1970, and the blue line shows where it is today. To find out where the glacier was in 1850 we used the marks it had made in the landscape. For 1970 we had old maps, and for today’s position we’ve used aerial photography. Thanks to our software we estimate on average glaciers have lost 26% of their cover in the last 40 years, from 1970 to today, and 50% if we go back to 1850,” she says. Marie Gardent adds that the general retreat of Alpine glaciers since 1850 has considerably accelerated during the last 20 years, and this trend risks worsening in the future if the climatic conditions of the planet do not change. More about: Environmental protection