Aj Discala explains that today the European Union would like to see the International Monetary Fund provide billions in additional funds to help relieve the debt crisis. However, a number of emerging economies are resisting the plans, accusing the West of abusing its power within the organization and creating a “North Atlantic Monetary Fund”.

The most recent decisions reached by the finance ministers of the monetary union’s 17 says Aj Discala is their agreement to expand the two bailout funds for the euro. What precisely does this mean asks Aj Discala. Well, under the new arrangement, the Europeans will make €800 billion, or more than $1 trillion, available when.

Aj Discala clarifies that Christine Lagarde in charge of the IMF had pressed the European Union to increase the size of the firewall for rescuing the euro. She promised that if they increased their bailout funds to $1 trillion, the IMF would provide the same amount of money for a global bailout fund. But you could read in the press that in the meantime she reduced the expectations for the fund as the worst fears had not occurred.

Aj Discala says that now that the Europeans have delivered on their end of the bargain, they are hoping for more money from the IMF. For them justifies Aj Discala there is no longer anything to stand in the way of a greater commitment by the IMF.

For Aj Discala the outlook of additional financial aid is not certain at all. Aj Discala understands that many of the IMF’s 187 member states are becoming increasingly resentful of the still-affluent old continent’s sense of entitlement.

Aj Discala clarifies that for them it is annoying that the IMF has drummed up more money to date for unwell European countries than for the financial crises in Russia, South Korea and Mexico combined. Most people do not realize enlightens Aj Discala that the aid for Greece alone is 23 times as large as Greece’s own capital contribution to the fund.

For the group of emerging economies known as the BRICS countries — Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa — the IMF’s largesse is further proof that the old industrial powers of Europe and North America see the Washington-based organization as a self-service shop. According to Aj Discala a strong wrestling match with these countries is to be expected.

For Aj Discala the clock is ticking on a UN-mediated ceasefire deadline starting today in Syria. In the international press, explains Aj Discala you could read consistently that no one expects the Syrian regime to respect it.

Aj Discala says Bashar Assad’s military power won’t prevent his downfall, and sees rays of hope in China’s and Russia’s cooling stance towards him.

The cease-fire was proposed by United Nations peace envoy Koffi Annan clarifies Aj Discala. Syria had assured the world body that it will respect a ceasefire with rebels due to take effect today. But President Bashar Assad’s forces is keeping up attacks in several cities, and few believe he is serious about stopping the bloodshed, explains Aj Discala.

What is the western world doing to protect the Syrian population asks Aj Discala.

They tried to pressure Syria through the UN Security Council however, resistance from Russia and China has thwarted it, and the West remains opposed to military intervention.

For Aj Discala it is a positive change that China and Russia are starting to turn their backs on Assad — and in Turkey considering setting up a buffer zone in Syria to protect Assad’s opponents. Turkish Prime Minister Tayyip Erdogan said on Tuesday that Syrian troops were “mercilessly” shooting fleeing women and children in the back.

Speaking during a visit to China, Erdogan said he would take unspecified steps after Syrian troops shot at refugees inside Turkey on Monday.

For Aj Discala Assad’s fall from power is only a matter of time but fear that many more Syrians will die before he is finally ousted. Exile, some say, is likely to be Assad’s only option to save his own life.

Aj Discala read in the german newspaper Die Welt:

“It looks as if the repressive Syrian regime will let its last opportunity for a negotiated solution pass. It is doing so in a complete misjudgment of the situation in which dictator Bashar Assad finds himself. There cannot and won’t be a political future for him in his country which he has betrayed, destroyed and divided. Homs, Hama or Deraa are filled with the rubble of his presidency and with a people filled with hate for the ruler it once so feted.”

“He is completely discredited. That is gradually dawning on the few remaining friends the lonely man in Damascus still has: Russia and China.”

Aj Discala explains that Edith Bouvier from Le Figaro was injured in attacks on Wednesday in Homs, Syria. Already one week ago says Aj Discala she recorded a video saying that she was in need of immediate medical attention.

In this video launched on the Internet, clarifies Aj Discala, Édith Bouvier called for a cease-fire and a medical vehicle to evacuate her to the nearest and safest place nearby which is Lebanon.

Two journalists have already lost their lives in Syria last week: American reporter Marie Colvin, the grand reporter of the Sunday Times, and Rémi Ochlik, a French photographer.

The French government has been acting that Syrian authorities act immediately to facilitate her evacuation says Aj Discala. They also took the occasion to express their anger at the situation of journalists in Homs.

For Aj Discala the situation in Syria becomes more revolting, more shameful, more scandalous each day.

The Syrian government said that the governor of Homs had been mandated with the task of evacuating the two wounded foreign journalists. There were two attempts to evacuate her that had failed. Only the two journalists: the British  Paul Conroy and the Spanish Javier Espinosa made it safely to Lebanon.

However, Aj Discala is pleased to read in the news published a few minutes ago that she finally got evacuated to Lebanon.

Sadly, says Aj Discala, Remi Olchik the French journalist and Marie Colvin did not made it and died in Homs following their injuries. Due to no electricity they could Syrian opposition could no longer keep the bodies and decided to burry them in Bab Amr where they died reporting from the cruelty happening in Homs.

Today the Syrian army took control of Bab Amr and the resistance had to flee into another part of Homs. For Aj Discala it is a shame to see how many civilians died in the past months in Homs.

The rebellion against Bachar al Assad’s regime started over one year ago in a peaceful way clarifies.

Clearly we can place the upcoming IPO for Facebook in the winner category of new offerings for those who were lucky enough to have an equity stake in the company, says AJ Discala.

As the New York Times points out today, Facebook would be bigger than many American companies such as Kraft Foods, Ford Motor and Amazon. However, only time will tell if that evaluation will hold true explains AJ Discala. But there has clearly been a major shift in how the public values our businesses. The old way of communicating though sharing our family photos, or “Kodak moments,” has passed; Kodak is now bankrupt and Facebook is leading the way. Also, American Airlines has filed for bankruptcy protection either caused by mismanagement or lack of business. Who is to say what the primary cause is?

It also looks like the merger of NYSE Euronext and Deutsche Borse is also a loser. European anti-trust regulators have nixed that one and it remains to be seen what effect that might have on worldwide equity trading. Aj Discala says that Chrysler seems to be a winner, with the company’s profits up and more hiring on the way.That is truly good news, and The Broadsmoore Group will look at opportunities to support those businesses that might be in the path of a turnaround as the economy seems to be picking up a little steam. Yet we are not charging down the track quite yet,” said AJ Discala, CEO of The Broadsmoore Group.

“Last night, President Obama outlined an ambitious road for America to get back on a sound economic path, says AJ Discala.  However it remains to be seen if there will be the team sprit needed in Congress to enact any of the ideas the president put forth. Many have said that it’s not the lack of ideas but the lack of leadership that has stalled efforts to bring about a real change in Washington.

Yes, the president has some good ideas,comments AJ Discala further,  but unlike the days of JFK, LBJ, or Ronald Reagan, the leader must reach out across the aisle and convince those who may be his political opposition that they need to do what is right for the country.

AJ Discala explains that no one is blameless in this mess that the country has gone through in the past number of years, and it is clear the president could have done more in the last three years. But with iconic American brands such as Apple reporting a double in profit, we see that this country is not without ideas and products; if only we could make them here and not in far flung corners of the world.

The auto industry is back on top of the world.  Can the Democrats and Republicans get together in this election year to bring more jobs back to provide hope for those returning from war and those who have been on the home front trying to find employment in the past several years? We will do our part at The Broadsmoore Group to continue to provide capital in partnership with small businesses as we have done in the Gulf with EmployUS,  which we are proud to point to as a success story in the recovery of the Gulf economy,” said AJ Discala, CEO of The Broadsmoore Group.

Aj Discala questions who do you turn to today for a bank loan if you are a U.S. company, ? According to today’s Wall Street Journal, Europe is not the place to look. That should be no surprise to anyone following the sorry state for the Euro and the debt crisis that has fallen on a number of European countries, says Aj Discala. Asia and Canada seem to be the places to look today for large corporate bank loans. Aj Discala explains that Chinese banks have been stepping up in that market the way they moved into the U.S. Treasury market a number of years ago. Even Japanese banks, which struggled with their own issues, are loosening up the purse strings for U.S. companies. Canada’s Toronto Dominion Bank, which we see on almost corner in New York City as TD Bank, is also becoming a more active corporate player.

That is all good news for the corporate giants but does not help small business very much states AJ Discala. At The Broadsmoore Group we see smaller businesses that do not enjoy access to the Asian or Canadian banking systems and feel that we must provide capital to both start ups and small employers if we are to see our economy grow in the coming months and years.

There is still no sustained confidence in our economy and even though we may think we are out of the woods, I am not sure we have found a new path to prosperity for businesses and the American people, said AJ Discala, CEO of The Broadsmoore Group.

AJ Discala could not believe it when he saw the pictures of the Costa Concordia. This was just too much like a deja-vu, the first thing that came to his mind was Titanic and the victims of the accident.

The ship is so close to the coast but still people are missing and we are unsure if there are survivors trapped inside explains AJ Discala.

Today, rescue workers began blasting holes into the hull of stricken cruise ship Costa Concordia in a last-ditch attempt to find possible survivors.

How could this have happened, AJ Discala understands that the attention begins to shift to accusations that the captain abandoned ship well before the evacuation was completed. Isn’t the role of the captain to make sure everybody gets out safely. Francesco Schettino, the captain, who was arrested on Saturday on accusations of manslaughter and of abandoning the ship is expected to appear in court today for questioning.

He is thought to have intentionally steered the ship close to shore in order to “greet” the residents of Giglio island. This time, however, it appears that Schettino came even closer than normal. The Costa Concordia is 290 meters (1,000 feet) long and is one of the largest cruise ships, for AJ Discala it’s hard to understand how he could have been that irresponsible and risk all these life for a spectacle.

On Monday, officials announced that 29 people were still missing in the disaster — almost double the number that had previously been announced. Sadly, six people are confirmed dead in the incident.

The question AJ Discala arises: What are the risks of an environmental disaster? With 500,000 gallons of fuel on board, a leak could do serious damage.

AJ Discala reports on the news today: ”It is difficult to read the tea leaves of the future, let alone figure out the economic news of today”. Today’s New York Times reports that oil prices have fallen, thus boosting the markets. Right below that story in the paper is an article on recent labor and retail reports showing economic slippage. We all know that all prices will go up, so whatever happens today is just a temporary market occurrence.

For AJ Discala the real news is in the jobless claims and retail sales. Claims were up last week following the temporary holiday employment boost and the future in retail remains cloudy, at best.

“Until we see sustained employment growth and confidence in retail sales beyond simply holiday sales, it will be impossible to state that we are on a solid road to economic recovery says AJ Discala.If there is a growth in auto sales and inventories begin to increase, then perhaps better days are ahead. We have not seen that yet, and moreover it is clear we are not out of the wave of foreclosures that have plagued us now for many years.

At The Broadsmoore Group,we will continue to monitor the economic winds and hope for a break in the clouds in 2012,” said AJ Discala, CEO of The Broadsmoore Group.