The US company Microsoft is taking over the Internet telephone service Skype for the enormous sum of 8.5 billion dollars, which the liberal daily Le Temps finds truly amazing: "The price seems exaggeratedly high. The deal will have no consequences for users, but it does make one suspect there is a new speculative bubble in the Internet sector. ... The price is all the more difficult to assess in that it anticipates future earnings. The fact is, however, that integrating Skype looks to be relatively complicated for Microsoft. The users of the telephone service don't have to worry, the company won't modify its services. By contrast, Microsoft's shareholders could question how much energy it will cost Steve Ballmer's company to get the most out of Skype. But in the end, perhaps this is a purely defensive manoeuvre to prevent Google or Facebook from getting their hands on Skype. In that case the price is almost irrelevant." (11/05/2011)

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More from the press review on the subject » Corporations, » Consumers, » U.S.
All available articles from » Anouch Seydtaghia

The takeover of Skype by Microsoft shows that the Internet firm business is once again flourishing, writes the business paper De Tijd, but urges caution: "Investors are once again jostling to ride the wave of their darling companies' stock market boom. This is driving up the value of the most hyped firms. The social network Linked In is listed at three billion dollars on the market. ... Facebook is estimated to be worth between 50 and 100 billion. These are huge sums for companies that haven't even proven that they are based on a realistic and sustainable business model. The current evaluations for these Internet companies are not as crazy as during the Internet hype a few years back, but they are pretty high. The companies must first prove that they can fulfil these high expectations." (11/05/2011)

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More from the press review on the subject » Online media, » Global
All available articles from » Stefaan Michielsen

The purchase of the VoIP service provider Skype makes Microsoft a serious competitor of the IT companies Apple and Google, writes the business paper Cinco Días: "Although the operation was expensive - more than nine times as much as Skype's annual income - Microsoft naturally recognises the enormous strategic advantage that this investment will bring. By buying Skype, which has over 170 million users, the company is positioning itself as a major player in the Internet sector. It is reacting to the demands of its investors who for a long time have been pushing for a diversification of the company's area of business, as well as to the critics who say Microsoft has performed poorly in this market segment. With this purchase the software company, which makes most of its profits with traditional products like Windows and Office, is taking a big step forwards on a market where it competes with Apple and Google and is betting on cooperation, mobility and the 2.0 firm."  (11/05/2011)

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More from the press review on the subject » Online media, » Corporations, » U.S.

The purchase of the Internet telephone service Skype makes sense for Microsoft for two reasons in particular, writes the online edition of the news magazine Polityka: "Firstly because Skype has a huge customer base and benefits from extensive trust on the part of its users. Microsoft senses that its position in the new digital economy is slowly weakening. ... And secondly because Microsoft has finally recognised the trend that all communication is shifting to the Internet. Businesses that now offer telephone connections will slowly disappear into the commercial void. ... The only question is whether Skype will maintain the high quality of its services and the good will of its customers once it's been integrated into the structures of a huge mega-company." (11/05/2011)

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More from the press review on the subject » Online media, » Corporations, » Europe, » U.S.
All available articles from » Piotr Stasiak

Nato carried out major air strikes against the central commando of Libyan ruler Muammar al-Gaddafi in Tripoli on Monday night. But the news that native tribes are switching their allegiance to the rebels gives even more hope than the Nato attacks that there will soon be an end to the conflict, writes the liberal daily La Stampa: "Perhaps there a decisive turning point will be reached in the next few hours that would lead to the collapse of Muammar al-Gaddafi's regime. For now the people of Tripoli are rising up against him. ... For the first time a barracks in the capital has supplied weapons to the rebels. This means the power of the regime is crumbling. Now it remains to be seen whether the rebellion in the hinterland will spread to the capital. We know for sure that the Berbers who live in the mountains between Tripoli and the Tunisian border have taken sides with the rebels. ... They have a good army, perhaps the best available to the rebels. As soon as the time comes this army could quickly start marching towards Tripoli." (11/05/2011)

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More from the press review on the subject » International Relations, » Crises / War, » Libya
All available articles from » Guido Ruotolo

Two Romanian soldiers were killed last week during Taliban attacks in Afghanistan, bringing the number of Romanians who have died in the Nato mission up to 19. The daily Adevărul takes a dim view of the mission: "When we joined Nato we opened ourselves up to such risks. But we also hoped to benefit from accession. However apart from countless expressions of thanks from the US all we've got in return is dead soldiers. We were also lured into Iraq with promises, and were supposed to receive huge reconstruction contracts. But of course we've received nothing of the sort. ... Now we're being given a missile defence shield. And apparently the Americans are going to pay for it. The fact that we won't be paying for it even makes us proud. Because almost all of our foreign partners are by now used to buying us for cheap, or even for nothing at all." (11/05/2011)

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More from the press review on the subject » Crises / War, » Domestic Policy, » U.S., » Romania, » Afghanistan
All available articles from » Mihai Duţă

The EU decided on Monday to freeze the accounts of 13 relatives of Syrian President Bashar al-Assad and impose a ban on their entering the EU as well as a weapons embargo against Syria. These sanctions come too late, writes the liberal daily Sme: "How is it possible that these sanctions against some of the highest representatives of the Syrian regime are only being imposed now and that they don't apply to President Assad himself? How is it possible that the EU's weapons embargo was passed only on Monday even though the unrest began two months ago? Both are just gestures, but they should have come earlier, as the clear signals that European politicians are always talking about. ... The reason for this delay lies paradoxically in the so-called common European foreign policy. It has had a negative impact on the EU's capacity to act at an international level because agreements among the major member states must always be laboriously negotiated before any action is taken." (11/05/2011)

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More from the press review on the subject » International Relations, » Crises / War, » Europe, » Syria
All available articles from » Peter Morvay

The European Court of Justice (ECJ) on Tuesday granted same-sex couples the same pension rights as heterosexual married couples in a principle-establishing judgement. The business daily Financial Times Deutschland welcomes the decision: "Gays and lesbians, particularly those in registered partnerships, shouldn't have to ask for equal treatment, they have a right to it. Putting gay and lesbian partnerships on an equal footing with the traditional heterosexual marriage is a laborious, patchwork task which is constantly being blocked by conservative systems of values. ... If the EU politicians were really concerned about rewarding people for having children they shouldn't make that reward contingent on being married. After all, there are many other forms of cohabitation beyond the state of being married or not. ... The traditional preference for a marriage certificate no longer applies to today's models of living." (11/05/2011)

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More from the press review on the subject » EU Policy, » Gender equality, » Justice, » Germany, » Europe

Conspiracy theories, particularly of an anti-Semitic nature, can be observed in all societies and are especially popular following disasters, writes the political scientist Péter Krekó in the cultural magazine Kritika: "Their biggest advantage lies from a psychological point of view in providing answers for events that are difficult to explain, unexpected and shocking. It's no coincidence that these theories spring up after crises, natural disasters and suicide bombings. Psychologically they are convenient because they help to separate the 'good from evil'. ... Is there a distinction between anti-Semitic theories and other conspiracy theories? Yes, in the sense that a conspiracy is inherent to the stereotypes about Jews that have been passed down the generations and have become deeply entrenched in European culture: the Jews are controlling world events through secret networks. ... There is practically no negative social or political event of major significance that hasn't been attributed to a conspiracy driven by Israel or the Jews." (11/05/2011)

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More from the press review on the subject » Minorities, » Weltanschauung, » Society, » Hungary, » Global
All available articles from » Péter Krekó

Rumours in the wake of last Friday's secret meeting of several EU finance ministers have prompted stock market speculation against Athens. But investors who hope Greece's debts will be restructured are fooling themselves, writes the business paper Les Echos: "Ultimately it is not very likely that Greece will set a bad example and restructure its debt, because too many interests of the Eurozone are at stake. In addition the country has not yet used all the resources at its disposal to get out of this tough spot. ... But the most difficult thing for Greece at the moment is rekindling economic growth. The low point of the Greek recession lies behind us. [Finance Minister] Giorgos Papakonstantinou is counting on a one to two percent rise in the GDP in 2012, an estimate that concurs with that of international lenders. If it is correct, the markets will have speculated wrongly." (11/05/2011)

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More from the press review on the subject » EU Policy, » Economy, » Greece
All available articles from » Massimo Prandi

Twenty percent of the population of Greece's second-largest city Thessaloniki is without work, and according to trade unions that figure is as high as 26 percent. This high level of unemployment is making its mark on the face of the city, writes the business paper Imerisia: "The city looks completely abandoned. Hundreds, if not thousands of offices and shops have been closed down. Entire streets stand empty. Each day more businesses close unexpectedly. Particularly striking is the fact that cafes, bakeries and fast food outlets appear to be the only new businesses. ... Such businesses generally reveal the desperation of the unemployed. Without an income, with little capital or credit, people open up a shop to earn at least a couple of cents. ... The people in Thessaloniki should be taking action to curb the spiralling unemployment instead of partying. We shouldn't expect solutions from the government and the ministers in question. We must be alert and develop new ideas also at a local level." (10/05/2011)

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More from the press review on the subject » Economic Policy, » Labour market, » Greece
All available articles from » Dimitris Diamantidis

The Belarusian singer Anastasia Vinnikova is representing her country in this year's European Song Contest with the song I love Belarus. This is just silly propaganda, the daily Dagens Nyheter writes: "One could interpret the Belarusian entry as scathing irony but the dictatorship in Minsk obviously has no sense of humour. It actually seems to believe Europe can be seduced by this monotonous propaganda pop. ... The EU should clearly and unequivocally repeat its demand that the [opposition leader] Neklyaev and all the others who were arrested after the presidential elections be released immediately. ... The Belarusian economy is already in freefall but sanctions against its key companies could be another means of getting rid of [President] Lukashenko. Hopefully this terrible song I Love Belarus won't get many points in the semi-final in Düsseldorf tomorrow." (11/05/2011)

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More from the press review on the subject » Stage, » Public Culture, » Germany, » Sweden, » Belarus
All available articles from » Annika Ström Melin

On May 9 Estonia celebrated the victory of the allies over Nazi Germany. On this day the foundation was also laid for the European Union, a fact that along with other aspects of the events is often forgotten, writes the daily Postimees: "Unfortunately for Eastern Europe the end of Hitler's regime also meant that it fell into the hands of Stalin and the communists for half a century. The consequence was a continuation of the suffering, rather than its end. But the idea of a union that transcended national borders also took root in post-war Europe. On May 9, 1950, the first steps were taken towards a European Union. On this day the French foreign minister Robert Schuman read a statement in Paris in front of the international press in which he called on Germany and other European states to merge their coal and steel production. ... The Estonians don't really think of May 9th as Europe Day but it's worthwhile to seek out those things that the different states have in common." (11/05/2011)

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More from the press review on the subject » EU Policy, » History, » Remembrance culture, » Europe

The UK, where more than one third of the population doesn't believe in God, is among the most atheist countries in the world. But weddings and funerals are nonetheless hard put to do without Him even if He's only present in hymns, as was the case at the burial of the sister of British writer Jon Canter. The author comments in the left-liberal daily The Guardian on how difficult it is to do without God on big occasions: "She may not have wanted Him at her funeral, but she needed Him. My sister, born in England in 1949, a singer of hymns in her primary school, grew up with Him. She knew that He elevates. God is the man for the big occasion. So, this is what I hope will happen before my own funeral: there'll be a great state occasion that is godless, to give hope and a kind of validation to all of us who want to live and die as non-believers. ... We are not a religiously observant nation - except when it really counts." (11/05/2011)

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More from the press review on the subject » Religion, » Weltanschauung, » Society, » United Kingdom, » Global
All available articles from » Jon Canter

After the accidental death of the Belgian cyclist Wouter Weylandt in the Giro d'Italia his team members have decided to withdraw from the race. The organisers commemorated Waylandt's death with a minute of silence and postponed the race for 24 hours. That shows sport has learned from previous impieties, the liberal conservative daily Neue Zürcher Zeitung writes: "'The games must go on!', Avery Brundage said in 1972 at the Munich Olympics a day after the attack on the Israeli team. ... The same attitude was demonstrated almost three decades later by high-ranking functionaries after the attack on the World Trade Center in New York. Although the images of the burning twin towers had been screened for hours on that September 11, the Union of European Football Associations didn't stop eight games from going ahead that very evening. It was only the next day that it back-pedalled and cancelled all other games for the next week. Even sports learns from mistakes. It is to be hoped that for once it will hardly ever - or better yet, never - have to practice what it's learned." (11/05/2011)

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More from the press review on the subject » Sport, » Italy
All available articles from » Christoph Fisch