Alex Salmond has branded the UK Government “thieves” who have plundered Scotland’s “black gold” as he and David Cameron clashed over the future of North Sea oil and gas reserves.

http://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/politics/

Just 72.5 percent of French adults aged 25 to 64 have completed high school, the study by France’s national statistics body Insee found, compared to an average of 74.2 percent across the European Union. And the country lags far behind some of the best European performers.

http://www.france24.com/en/20140225-france-education-schools-ranking-europe/

British prime ministers often remark on the deceptive impotence of the job. They announce a policy and nothing comes of it. They draw up plans, which succumb to events. They wonder where the “real power” lies, usually settling upon some nexus of the media, civil service and high finance. And they assume foreign counterparts to be truly mighty.

http://www.ft.com/intl/cms/s/0/509a0a0a-9d42-11e3-83c5-00144feab7de.html#axzz2uKzimAWS

In January, US president Barack Obama banned national spying on the leaders of nations that are close allies, but that doesn’t mean the US has stopped spying in friendly countries. Rather than target German chancellor Angela Merkel, the US National Security Agency is now spying on over 300 German politicians and businesspeople, including some of her top aides, German newspaper Bild am Sonntag reported reported over the weekend, citing an unnamed NSA employee.

http://qz.com/180313/the-us-wont-spy-on-angela-merkel-but-everyone-around-her-is-fair-game/

For almost 50 years Germany has worked “shoulder to shoulder” with Israel to secure its future, and “part and parcel” of a secure future is a Jewish state of Israel living alongside a Palestinian state, German Chancellor Angela Merkel said Monday.

http://www.jpost.com/Diplomacy-and-Politics/Merkel-two-state-solution-is-part-and-parcel-of-securing-Israels-future-342428

Israel Bonds, a Zionist stalwart that fosters the country’s economic development, is registered in the British Virgin Islands, without the organization ever making the fact known in its English- or Hebrew-language documents.

http://www.haaretz.com/business/.premium-1.576203

¿Es Portugal el verdadero héroe de la recuperación de la Eurozona? Esta idea, apuntada por el diario Financial Times esta misma semana contrasta con las ideas de los técnicos del Fondo Monetario Internacional (FMI), quienes se mantienen escépticos sobre el alcance de sus avances en materia de competitividad.

http://www.periodistadigital.com/mundo/europa/2014/02/20/portugal-es-el-verdadero-heroe-de-la-recuperacion-de-la-eurozona.shtml

Former Republican presidential candidate Mitt Romney is throwing his support behind a Count My Vote initiative in Utah, saying that he prefers direct primaries to caucuses.

http://www.newsmax.com/newswidget/Mitt-Romney-primary-caucus-Count-My-Vote

South Korea's President Park Geun-hye, has announced a committee to prepare for reunification with North Korea. President Park said unifying with the north would be an economic bonanza, but analysts say the south would face a heavy financial and legal burden.

http://www.voanews.com/content/south-korea-forming-committee-to-prepare-for-reunifcation-with-north-korea/1858571.html

CABINET ministers are preparing to give Qantas their “reluctant” approval for emergency help as the airline launches a radical overhaul to stem mounting losses to be revealed within days.

http://www.theaustralian.com.au/business/aviation/reluctant-ministers-line-up-to-help-qantas/story-e6frg95x-1226837724640#