ISDEI Instituto de Seguridad, Defensa y Estudios Internacionales

El Vaticano se blinda para prevenir futuros ataques a su sistema de su seguridad. A partir de ahora los empleados de la Santa Sede tendrán  una tarjeta de identidad con un dispositivo de rastreo  implantado en un microchip. También se han incluido controles más estrictos para aquellos que vengan del exterior y pretendan ingresar fotocopias de los archivos de la Santa Sede, expedientes o documentos, explica «The Telegraph».  Cordón de seguridad en torno al Papa Los apartamentos papales que incluyen las viviendas del Papa Benedicto XVI y las oficinas del estado mayor personal, se encuentran en el interior del Palacio Apostólico y han quedado totalmente fuera de límites a ninguna persona sin autorización estricta. Además, el Vaticano cuenta con el sacerdote esloveno Mitja Leskovar,  un experto anti-espionaje apodado «Monseñor 007 », encargado de implementar los nuevos procedimientos de seguridad con los documentos de identidad previstos para ser introducidos a partir de 1 de enero. Leskov

  Nearly 65 feet beneath the icy surface of a remote Antarctic lake, scientists from NASA, the Desert Research Institute (DRI) in Reno, Nev., the University of Illinois at Chicago, and nine other institutions, have uncovered a community of bacteria existing in one of Earth's darkest, saltiest and coldest habitats.Lake Vida, the largest of several unique lakes found in the McMurdo Dry Valleys, contains no oxygen, is mostly frozen and possesses the highest nitrous oxide levels of any natural water body on Earth. A briny liquid, which is approximately six times saltier than seawater, percolates throughout the icy environment where the average temperature is minus 8 degrees Fahrenheit. The international team of scientists published their findings online Nov. 26, in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences Early Edition. Scanning electron micrograph of very small and numerous bacterial cells inhabiting icy brine channels in Antarctica’s Lake Vida, which lies in the Victor

Within the euro-area, the focus will be on the 'blueprint' of measures proposed by European Commission President Jose Manuel Barroso on November 28. Some of these measures, like the strengthening of macroeconomic policy coordination, are already in progress and require only minor adjustments to be completed. Others, like the movement toward a comprehensive banking union with common deposit insurance, banking resolution, and supervisory mechanisms , are more controversial and are likely to be achieved only in part. Still others, like the centralisation of treasury facilities in the European Commission and the introduction of short-term euro-bills, are much harder to imagine. The new Dutch government has already expressed its opposition to more centralisation of powers in the EU, an attitude consistent with its recent and challenging coalition negotiations. Other governments facing similar challeng

The fall in borrowing costs since last summer has brought relief to European sovereign debt markets. The 5.34% yield on Spanish ten-year sovereign debt is lower than at any point since March; the 4.50% yield on Italian ten-year debt is the lowest in more than a year. Moreover, the benefit is not limited to countries in the euro-area. The Hungarian government can now borrow at less than 7%, compared to more than 8% last July; Polish ten-year bond yields are now just over 4.2% from just under 5.2%; and the Czech government borrows at just under 2.0%, compared to a mid-July peak of close to 3.5%. The relaxation of tensions is a good sign, particularly against a backdrop of weakening economic growth forecasts both in the euro-area and worldwide . Last week, the OECD joined the chorus of international economic organisations in publishing a sharp downward revision of its estimates for future economic performance. However, the tensions in European sovere

TEHRAN, Dec. 2 (Xinhua) -- Iran's former foreign minister, Manouchehr Mottaki, said that Iran will not enter negotiations with the United States under pressures, semi-official Fars news agency reported on Sunday. Iran is under a number of unilateral Western sanctions on its oil and financial sectors over its controversial nuclear program. The U.S. Senate on Friday overwhelmingly approved expanded sanctions on Iran's energy, port, shipping and ship-building sectors. The sanctions will penalize transactions with Iran's energy, port, shipping and ship-building sectors and target individuals who sell or supply materials, such as graphite, aluminum and steel, to Iran. The measures will also slap sanctions on those who purchase Iran's oil with precious metals, including gold, in an effort to prevent Tehran from circumventing the existing economic sanctions. "The Americans think that pressures can sway Iran and they can bring the Iranian nation and government

DAMASCUS, Dec. 2 (Xinhua) -- At least 15 people were killed and 24 others wounded when a car bomb went off in a street in the central Syrian province of Homs on Sunday, Syria's local media said. The initial information has revealed that a car bomb went off near Omar Bin al-Khattab mosque at al-Hamra neighborhood, the state-run SANA news agency said, adding that at least 15 people were killed in the blast and huge damage has also been caused to nearby buildings. Blasts in Syria have become daily occurrences, as the armed radical rebels have seemingly resorted to such tactics to overstretch the Syrian troops as part of the war of attrition which they have waged against the Syrian administration. Meanwhile, SANA said that army troops have clashed with al- Qaida terrorists at al-Sabkha and al-Karama at the province of al- Raqqa and inflicted heavy losses on them. It added that the clashes have resulted in the killing and wounding of tens of terrorists while the others have fl

TOKYO, Dec. 1 (Xinhua) -- Japan will postpone talks with the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK) as the latter announced a satellite launch plan on Saturday, Japan's Kyodo News Agency reported. The decision was made by Japan's Prime Minister Yoshihiko Noda after a meeting with Foreign Minister Koichiro Gemba, Defense Minister Satoshi Morimoto and Chief Cabinet Secretary Osamu Fujimura. Noda said that he has informed the DPRK of his decision and added that it will be "quite regrettable" if the DPRK carries out the launch. Morimoto also issued a destroy order to the Self-Defense Forces, requiring them to be prepared for the satellite launch, according to Kyodo. Japan and the DPRK planed to hold a new round of high-level talks on Wednesday and Thursday in Beijing. After the DPRK's announcement, Noda had ordered the country's ministries to take every possible measure to secure public security, adding he will seek cooperation with the United

BEIJING, Dec. 2 (Xinhua) -- China on Sunday expressed its concern about the satellite launch plan of the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK), saying it hopes relevant parties can act in a way that is more conducive to the stability of the Korean Peninsula. Foreign Ministry spokesman Qin Gang said the DPRK has the right to peaceful uses of outer space, but that the right should be exercised within limitation of UN Security Council resolutions. China hopes all parties concerned can act in a way that is more conducive to the peace and stability of the Korean Peninsula and can exercise calmness so as to avoid further escalation of the situation, according to the spokesman. With the DPRK announcing on Saturday that it plans to launch another satellite in December after a failed attempt in April, Qin said that China had also took note of the responses of other parties. The second version of Kwangmyongsong-3 will be launched from the Sohae Space Center in Cholsan County,