German media group mulls Turkish channel for ethno-marketing

With about three million Turkish-speaking residents living in Germany, tailor-made marketing for this large community should offer great business opportunities. At least that's what German private media company Pro7Sat1maintained in a Tuesday interview for the business daily 'Handelsblatt.'

The group's Katja Hofem confirmed her company was currently investigating the chances of starting a Turkish-language channel as a platform for what's come to be called ethno-marketing.

'The non-German-language market seems to be full of enormous opportunities,' Hofem commented.

Missed opportunities

Studies have shown that residents with Turkish roots living in Germany spend twice as much time in front of the TV than ethnic Germans. But in 80 percent of all cases they watch Turkish-language channels coming directly from Turkey via satellite.

What's also interesting for a media company hoping to make money by placing advertisement in between shows, films and serials is that people with a Turkish background have been found to be showing much more brand awareness than their ethnic German co-citizens.

The German media are rather late in trying to tap into the economic potential of making special offers to residents with a migrant background.

Others have been quicker to react to the steadily growing number of migrants now counting about 16 million people. Knowing that every fifth Turkish-speaking resident in Germany drives a Mercedes, Daimler recruited many Turkish migrants to work in its showrooms and boost sales that way.

The Targobank lender also employs many people with Turkish roots and has offered free transactions to Turkey to lure more clients.

Cambodia, Belize and Guinea facing EU bans on fish imports

The EU Commission called on the bloc's 28 governments to ban fisheries imports from Belize, Cambodia and Guinea for failing to address the problem of illegal fishing in their territorial waters, the European Union's executive body announced Tuesday.

The three countries had not made credible progress after they had been shown 'yellow cards' last year, the Commission said.

It added that Fiji, Panama, Sri Lanka, Togo and Vanuatu, by contrast, had made sufficient progress to avoid trade sanctions.

'These decisions show our steadfast commitment to tackling illegal fishing,' EU Fisheries Commissioner Maria Damanaki said in a statement.

The three countries facing bans had been warned a year ago, Damanakii said. Appeals had delivered no results, she said, 'because they don't have effective control of their fleets.'

She also stressed that the EU executive Commission would continue to put pressure on countries accused of fuelling the supply chain through illegal fishing.

Massive depletion

The EU has estimated that up to 26 million tons of fish were caught illegally worldwide each year, massively depleting global stocks. International rules to avoid this were agreed in 2001.

The sanctions, which still need to be approved by the 28 EU governments, ban all fish deliveries from alleged offenders to the world's largest market for fresh and frozen fish and seafood.

According to EU statistics, the bloc imported more than 50 million tons of fisheries products in 2011, worth about 18.5 billion euros ($25 billion).

In the past, West Africa had been a main source of illegal fishing, Damanaki said. But the focus was now shifting to the Pacific region, she added.

Once approved, the restrictions would also prohibit EU vessels from fishing in the affected countries' waters.

Apart from imposing bans on the three countries, the EU Fisheries Commissioner also put South Korea, Ghana and the Caribbean Island of Curacao on a blacklist of nations allegedly not complying with international rules against overfishing. They could face sanctions next year.

Greenpeace said the EU decision would 'motivate all six countries to improve fisheries management and help create a better future for their seas and fishermen.'

WTO trade talks fail, next stop Bali

Director-general Azevedo (pictured above) said on Tuesday negotiators for the WTO's 159 member nations 'cannot cross the finish line here in Geneva.' The process required 'political calls' by trade ministers, he said.

The Bali conference, starting on December 3, had previously been billed as the venue for ministers to sign a deal that would streamline customs procedures and speed up global trade.

Such a deal would add 1 trillion dollars (740 billion euros) to the world economy, according to the International Chamber of Commerce.

Speaking at a press conference in Geneva Tuesday, Azevedo said at 'ambassador level' the talks had become deadlocked over the details.

'The process in Geneva is over,' Azevedo said. 'If we had two more weeks here in Geneva we would not do it.'

Setback for WTO status?

Azevedo warned that without a global trade deal the WTO could end only being seen as a court to resolve trade disputes and no longer as a forum to negotiate trade agreements.

The proposed draft deal would include elements of the so-called Doha round of trade talks, which began in 2001 but which repeatedly failed to culminate in a signed agreement.

Diplomats said one of the main issues they had was whether to pay subsidies for agricultural produce. Poor and emerging nations wanted the US and EU to lower subsidies on their agricultural exports.

One paragraph - nine hours

Late on Sunday, one participant quoted by the news agency Reuters said: 'We spent nine hours on one paragraph this morning. Once again, a near-death experience.'

Unresolved differences also include an Indian crop stockpiling plan that is exempt from WTO subsidy rule and a challenge to the US economic embargo on Cuba.

Turkey also had concerns about new rules proposed for goods in transit. There was also Central American resistance to demands to stop using customs brokers to handle trade.

China knocking at Europe’s back door

Sixteen government heads from eastern and central Europe, one Chinese prime minister and about 1,000 business leaders, including 300 from China are gathered in the Romanian capital, Bucharest, to kick-start their economic ties.

There is a long wish-list of favorite projects worth billions of euros to be signed, sealed and financed by China. The hosts were already toasting the success of the business forum as a new chapter in economic relations, even before the summit got under way on Tuesday (26.11.2013).

The meeting is the third of its kind so far, following Budapest in 2011 and Warsaw in 2012.

China's money

The business forum is also an important meeting for the Chinese leadership.On the website of the Chinese foreign ministry the summit is described as a sign of improving relations between China and the region.

The official Chinese media have also taken note that the eastern and central European region - like China - is currently going through a phase of economic transition and consolidation and that the dialogue between the two is driven by mutual and complementary issues.

The partners in central and eastern Europe are looking for more Chinese investment to make their economies more competitive and to overcome the consequences of the global economic crisis, according to Chinese media.

An initial injection of capital was first discussed by former Chinese Prime Minister Wen Jiabao at the business forum in Warsaw last year. China expressed its willingness then to provide some $10 billion (6.6 billion euros) in loans for infrastructure projects, environmental technology and other technological upgrades in Eastern Europe.

According to the Romanian website cursdeguvernare.ro, the volume of trade between China and the 16 former communist states of eastern and central Europe grew from three billion euros in 2000 to more than 40 billion in 2010.

And the need and desire for investment is far from exhausted. The current trade volume is still only roughly equivalent to that between China and Italy. Chinese investment in the region is lower than in Sweden and the total investments of the 16 central and eastern European countries in China is less than Austria's.

Irritation and rivalry in Brussels

Despite all the economic potential, Chinese forays into Eastern Europe are viewed with concern in Brussels. EU Trade Commissioner, Karel de Gucht, said during the last bilateral EU-China summit that Beijing was playing one side off against one another in Europe.

'We have the duty to defend our interests,' de Gucht said at that summit in mid-November in Beijing.

Earlier, the British daily, 'Financial Times', quoted an unnamed European diplomat as saying that the business forum in Bucharest was part of China's strategy 'to divide and conquer' Europe.

For the Romanian political scientist Claudiu Degeratu from the Center for Security Analysis and Prevention in Prague,the Brussels position is the result of rivalry within the EU itself.It is essentially an attempt by some EU countries to control the European-Chinese dialogue, says Degeratu. 'In reality, there is no risk of any 'divide and conquer' strategy from Beijing's side,' he said. Evidence of that, he stressed, is the wide open door for Chinese and South Korean firms in the Visegrad Group of countries (Hungary, Czech Republic, Slovakia and Poland). And this has 'not led to any economic invasion into the EU,' said Degeratu.

Key role for Romania

Speaking ahead of the Bucharest forum, Romanian Prime Minister Victor Ponta called the planned arrival of Chinese Premier Li Keqiang 'a historic visit.' Romania, he said, wanted to become China's most important partner in Europe, both economically and politically.

During his visit to Beijing last summer, Ponta labeled the bilateral partnership as 'strategic.' Now, the Romanian side has presented projects worth some 8.5 billion euros that could be realized with an infusion of Chinese money. Among those projects are reactors 4 and 5 of the Cernavoda nuclear power facility on the Black Sea. Technology parks producing for the European market are also on Romania's list.

Since 2012, the Chinese foreign ministry has been operating a special secretariat for cooperation with central and eastern Europe – a clear sign that Beijing intends to intensify its relations with this part of Europe.

German Man Elected for UNION Leader

Former IG Metall vice chairman Detlef Wetzel was elected as the new metalworking union leader on Monday, after receiving 333 votes, or 75.5 percent of ballots, from the 458 delegates to the trade union congress.

Wetzel takes over from Berthold Huber, who has led Europe's biggest labor union for the past six years. Wetzel was Huber's right-hand man in a reform drive aimed at rejuvenating IG Metall's image and halting a decline in membership.

The 60-year-old Wetzel opened the metalworker's union to employees in more modern industrial sectors such as information technology and renewable energies, as well as boosting IG Metall representation in industry-related services.

Moreover, Wetzel successfully slashed red tape and the workforce at the union headquarters, freeing up funds and staff for recruiting new members.

As a result, IG Metall membership has stabilized at 2.26 million members after a decade of steadily declining numbers in the 1990s.

Following his election, Wetzel said he wanted to strengthen labor participation at company level as well as have more democracy in political decision-making.

5 Realistic Reasons Why Women Cheat

As far as stereotypes go, a wandering eye and the urge to jump into bed with multiple partners seems to be built into a man's DNA, but when it comes to cheating, the sexes are created more equally than we think. 

Renee Lee, a relationship expert with a masters in psychology, dishes out five reasons why women cheat.

Going Through A Transition

"If it is graduating, turning a certain age, losing a parent or advancing the relationship status, women become introspective," explains Lee. "Even if it is something she wants, such as just getting engaged or graduating, the transition can stir up an array of emotions about where her life is going or where she is in it. The discomfort of change can trigger an impulsive desire to find someone to take her focus off the change and be a diversion for what she is going through."

Not Feeling Adequately Celebrated

We've all been here: "May it be getting a promotion, organizing a fundraiser, or making Thanksgiving dinner for a party of 20, men often make the misstep of "not complimenting their partner's achievements," Lee says. "Women seek an emotional connection that their partner notices them, is proud of their achievements, and appreciates what they do, so when they aren’t getting this at home the residual effects lead to feelings of frustration, dissatisfaction, depression, and restlessness."

And that's when they could go looking for it elsewhere. "When you are living in the day to day with someone, it is challenging to step outside a situation and notice the things that do matter to someone," adds Lee "As this wears down over time, so as soon as the woman encounters someone who ignites the spark they are lacking at home, they equate it to an emotional connection and seek companionship with someone else."

Feeling A Relationship Ending

"When a woman feels that uneasy sense that a relationship is on the outs, by either her doing or his, she will often look to fill the void externally to soften the blow," Lee reasons for a woman's infidelity. "If she is the one considering the breakup, she may be using this tactic as a challenge to herself both testing the waters, and then gauge if she can go through with it."

It's Just Not Fun Anymore

...But it's too hard to pull the plug. "When you don’t laugh, you don’t love. Laughter is one of the key elements in a relationship that often gets overlooked," Lee explains, simply. "When stresses of day to day life become the dominant factor in a relationship, women feel unhappy. When they come across a coworker, or friend that they have a good time with, it suddenly brings to light what is missing in their own relationship and becomes tempting to act upon."

It's Boring In The Bedroom

Men aren't the only ones who need to spice things up. "Women need to feel desired!" Lee declares. "If she is not getting any, enough, or nothing to talk about, women start to feel a sexual void. With the popularity of books such as Fifty Shades of Grey, television shows, or listening to friends talk about their fun single trysts, women have that moment when they compare their love life at home to what the rest of the world seems to be experiencing." And that's when she may start to wonder what she's missing.

"Though it is easy to pinpoint the flaws in one's sex life, it is often hard to make the changes needed to correct them," adds Lee. "This creates a temptation in women to seek sexual satisfaction elsewhere with someone they don’t have the baggage with and can be more uninhibited."

Now you know why women cheat. But we say, if you're thinking about cheating, just break up with the guy, before you move on to a new one.

Getting Married after Divorce

Divorce might seem like the end of the life you had imagined for yourself – happily married to a great man and being a fulfilled stay-at-home or working mom of beautiful children. However, divorce is not the end of world. While it might not be your first thought after finalizing your divorce, there’s nothing that says you cannot find happiness with another man. Life does go on; in fact a much better one might lie right ahead of you. Keeping the following tips in mind however before thinking about getting married again will help keep things in perspective.

Give yourself time
The end of a marriage, whatever the reason, is a traumatic experience and you will need time to heal. Don’t rush into the first relationship that comes your way, thinking that it will make up for the pain and disappointment you have endured. Keep yourself busy and do all the things you neglected while you were caught up in a negative relationship. Focus on feeling better about yourself – join a gym, take a course or pursue a hobby that you never had the time for. It might also help to talk to a professional therapist.

Don’t lose faith in yourself
Sometimes running back to your ex-husband to get back together might seem tempting and if you can truly work on your problems and get counseling, it could even be an option. Don’t forget though, why you got divorced in the first place – it was probably the right decision.

At the same time, if you meet Mr. Right and truly feel like he is the “one,” don’t let other people discourage you or cause you to doubt yourself. Go ahead and take the leap.

Know what counts
Every marriage comes with its own set of challenges – the key is to know the kind of problems you can deal with, and the ones that you cannot handle. That should be the most important and valuable lesson you walk away with from your previous marriage. Which personality traits are really important to you? No one is perfect, but you can try and make sure that you both share the same principles and ethics for example, as well as some common interests.

Be honest with yourself
While you don’t have to admit it to anyone else, be honest with yourself about the reasons behind your divorce. If you had an unfaithful husband, one who had an addiction of some kind or simply an unbearable human being, think about why you chose him in the first place. Where there some warning signs you ignored? Did you realize too late that he was not the “one” but didn’t have the courage to get out of the relationship? Were you too obsessed with getting married that you didn’t want to look beyond the surface? If the two of you just grew apart and fell out of love, could it have been avoided? How much of it was your fault?

Be realistic
By being honest with yourself about the reasons behind the failure of your marriage, you can help yourself be more realistic about your second marriage. Don’t expect your second marriage to make up for your failed first one and try not to repeat the same mistakes. That said, with the experience you bring along and the strength you have gained, there’s no reason not to fall in love again, to be loved in return, and have a great second marriage.

When you have children…

Thinking about getting married may be complicated enough if you’re single. If you have children, it just gets more complex. However, this shouldn’t keep you from getting into a new relationship and remarrying.

Get counseling first
Depending on the age of your child and the nature of your divorce, you might want to consider attending some counseling sessions with your child before meeting a new person. Children tend to feel that all events revolve around them and need extra attention and re-assurance during and after the divorce. Counseling will also help you put things in perspective and make the right decision second time around.

Be honest
When starting a new relationship, be honest and tell the man you are getting involved with that you are a divorced, single mother. This way, the cards are on the table from the very beginning and the relationship will develop or end depending on his reaction and your gut feeling.

Children are very sensitive and realize so much more than we give them credit for. If your child asks you whether or not you are seeing someone, be honest without getting into too much detail. It is a vulnerable time for your child, so do not lie because this will cause your child to lose trust in you.

Your child’s father
This might be the most difficult challenge for you, but depending on the circumstances of your divorce, try and let your ex-husband know that you are planning on remarrying. It is better for him to hear the news of your remarriage from you instead of outsiders. After all, the decision that you are taking is ultimately affecting his children as well. Also, having an amicable relationship with your ex-husband will help your child adjust to the new situation in a better way.

If this is not at all possible and you are faced with hostility and threats, get help from someone he respects. You have the right to marry again without having to endure unacceptable behavior from your ex-husband.

Choose the right time
Get to know your future husband well enough before introducing him to your child. Choosing the right timing will be tricky because while you don’t want to introduce this new person too soon because he may not be the “one,” you don’t want to wait too long because you need to see how they will accept each other and you definitely want your child to hear about this relationship from you. Take it step by step and pay attention to your child’s general mood. If he seems well-balanced and adjusted and you feel that the time is right, try a casual get together and take it from there. If your child reacts negatively, wait and give him some more time. There will be other chances. Your child is recovering from the divorce as well and while you might be ready to move on, he may not be.

Choose the right environment
When arranging a first meeting, try and keep it informal and casual. Having other family members present and choosing a public place, like the club or a restaurant, can re-assure your child and make it less formal than a one-on-one at home. Do not expect too much from the first encounter, you must give it time.

Be patient
It’s normal for your child to not like the person you are involved with at first or even hate him. Be prepared to deal with these feelings in an understanding and patient way. Many children hope their parents will get back together and it can take some time for them to come to the often painful realization that this is not going to be the case.

Let them be
You might be tempted to be involved in every detail of your husband-to-be and your child’s time together. Don’t. Let them get to know each other at their own pace and try not to force them to act in one way or another. They have to figure it out by themselves at some point.

Your life is not over just because you are divorced with children; this is reality for many of today’s women. When you decide to remarry, make a wise decision, take your time and concentrate on what’s really important. A stable home is what’s really important to a child, so if you can provide him with that with a second husband, you’re giving him something truly valuable