Eurozone finance ministers were to confer by telephone on Saturday after 12 hours of talks in Athens failed to produce a breakthrough on a deal to bail out Greece, the Greek finance minister said. Evangelos Venizelos added that a planned meeting by eurozone ministers on Greece originally scheduled for Monday would now be held on Wednesday. "I will participate in a Eurogroup telephone conference at 1230 GMT" to discuss details of a rescue deal for Greece worth 130 billion euros ($171 billion) which officials have been trying to seal since October, the minister said in a statement. "Critical issues pertaining to the country's ...
Australia's flood crisis deepened Saturday as authorities braced for waters to peak in Queensland where one woman is missing after being swept away while elsewhere thousands remain stranded by the surge. Prime Minister Julia Gillard said eight military helicopters would help in search, evacuation and resupply missions in the eastern state, where days of heavy rainfall have prompted hundreds of evacuations and dozens of rescues. "The helicopters will be available to assist in rescue operations as required until the immediate crisis has passed," Gillard said in a statement. In the inland Queensland town of Charleville authorities are on alert amid fears a temporary ...
Tens of thousands people are braving the bitter cold at two major rallies in downtown Moscow on Saturday as a power play between champions of political liberalization and supporters of Prime Minister Vladimir Putin continues to unfold. The first demonstration demands fair elections at the March 4 presidential polls, at which Putin is expected to secure a third term in the Kremlin. It also calls on Russians “not to give a single vote” to Putin. The opposition rally is widely seen by analysts as a litmus test of protesters’ ability to maintain momentum after two earlier protests against alleged vote fraud in favor of ...
German Chancellor Angela Merkel on Saturday wrapped up a visit to China where she tried to reassure her hosts on the strength of the euro and Europe's ability to overcome its debt crisis. During her three-day trip to the world's second largest economy, Merkel praised the advantages of the single currency and urged China to put pressure on Iran and to condemn Syria at the United Nations. Merkel, who was prevented from meeting journalists and a human rights lawyers, ended her official visit in the southern city of Guangzhou, Xinhua news agency reported. Merkel, who held talks with Premier Wen Jiabao and President ...
Norway’s government has said it wants non-European immigrants to carry residency cards equipped with data chips bearing their fingerprints. In a proposal presented on Friday, the justice ministry said the new identity cards would help tackle illegal immigration. “The residency card system will increase security surrounding residency permit documentation, thereby contributing to the prevention of illegal immigration and illegal residency,” said Justice Minister Grete Faremo (Labour Party) in a statement. The move follows pressure from the European Union to ensure that immigrants from outside the European Economic Area, of which Norway is a member, are provided with residency cards that include fingerprint details. Faremo ...
Greece expects its 2011 budget deficit will be smaller than expected at between 9.1 and 9.4 percent of GDP, thanks to an emergency property tax, a finance ministry official said on Friday, a development that could help Athens in its bailout talks with the EU and IMF. Greece, which is racing to complete talks with the EU and the IMF on a second bailout worth 130 billion euros, had previously estimated that the deficit would be above 9.5 percent of GDP. "The numbers aren't final yet but we believe the deficit will come in at between 9.1 and 9.4 percent (of GDP)," ...
China has rejected Japanese protests over alleged improper exploration of gas deposits in the East China Sea. The Foreign Ministry said Friday the recent activity had taken place within Chinese-controlled waters and was completely normal. A ministry statement said China was strongly dissatisfied with recent comments from Japanese officials. Japan's chief Cabinet secretary on Wednesday said Japan protested to China after a flare was seen a day earlier at a Chinese structure at an undersea gas deposit. The deposit, known as Kashi in Japan and Tianwaitian in China, sits near a median line in the countries' overlapping exclusive economic zones. Japan and China agreed ...
The leader of Russia's Islamist rebels ordered a halt to attacks on civilians, saying mass opposition protests showed the public no longer supported Vladimir Putin, according to a video posted Friday. Doku Umarov, whose Caucasus Emirate group claimed atrocities including a deadly Moscow airport bombing in 2011 and a metro attack in 2010, said from now only security objects and officials would be targeted. "I order all special groups that are carrying out or plan to carry out special operations in Russia to put a halt to these operations that could hurt the peaceful population," Doku Umarov said in a video address ...
China's Premier Wen Jiabao said Friday the Asian giant had neither the ability nor the intention to "buy Europe", amid concerns over growing Chinese investment in debt-stricken eurozone economies. China is "willing to cooperate with Europe to fight the current crisis. Some people say this means China wants to buy Europe", Wen told a German-China business forum in the southern city of Guangzhou. "This a concern and doesn't fit reality. China doesn't have this intention and doesn't have this ability." German Chancellor Angela Merkel, in China for a three-day visit to boost her host's confidence in Europe, also attended the forum along with ...
Energy Secretary Chris Huhne is to resign from the Government after it emerged he is to face prosecution over allegations that he asked his ex-wife to take a speeding penalty for him. The Liberal Democrat MP has been charged with perverting the course of justice after an investigation into the 2003 incident by Essex Police. His former wife, the economist Vicky Pryce is also facing charges of perverting the course of justice. They are due to appear before Westminster Magistrates' Court on February 16. The maximum sentence for perverting the course of justice is life in prison, the CPS and the Sentencing ...
Europe moved within striking distance late on Tuesday of a deal to allow debt-laden Greece to send for IMF aid, with leaders due to announce an agreement within 36 hours. Greece’s partners in the 16-nation eurozone were “close” to concluding an accord giving the IMF the “central” role in granting Athens loans, in exchange for tough sanctions for eurozone budget transgressors, a European diplomatic source told... [more]
A U.S.-backed proposal to protect the heavily fished hammerhead sharks, prized for their fins, has been rejected by a U.N. conservation meeting. Populations of the scalloped hammerhead, great hammerhead and smooth hammerhead have dropped 85 percent due to rising demand for shark fin soup in China and other parts of Asia. Japan led the opposition at the 175-nation Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species, or CITES, arguing... [more]
Russia insists on the inclusion of U.S. missile defenses in Europe in a new strategic arms reduction treaty between the two countries in order to ensure nuclear parity, Russia’s top military commander said. Russia and the United States have been negotiating a replacement to the Strategic Arms Reduction Treaty since presidents Dmitry Medvedev and Barack Obama met in April last year, but finalizing a document has dragged on, with U.S.... [more]
At certain critical junctures of marital life, when things seem getting out of the hand, to make the situation worse, a state comes when the nuptial bond is almost on the verge of divorce, then the need for legal divorce advice cannot be undermined. To wash your hands of a bond is however not a petty thing that you can expressly manage on your behalf, yet you need to go through all-inclusive practical details before giving your approval... [more]
French teachers, train drivers and civil servants went on strike Tuesday, stepping up pressure on President Nicholas Sarkozy after his government reshuffle in response to a stinging regional election defeat. Most of France’s unions joined forces to organise strikes in dozens of cities to protest unemployment, wages, the high cost of living — and plans to change the pension system, the government’s next major reform project. Teachers... [more]
An Israeli air strike on the Gaza Strip overnight injured four people, Palestinian security officials and witnesses said Tuesday. The Israeli army confirmed the air raid and said it hit a weapons storage facility. The four casualties, including a woman, were slightly hurt by shell fragments when an Israeli aircraft fired a missile on a building in the east part of Gaza City, the security officials said. The building, which was empty at the... [more]
BA’s three-day strike has ended costing an estimated £21m – with all eyes now on a four-day walkout starting Saturday. The initial strike ended as planned at midnight but there have been no signs of reconciliation between BA and the union Unite. If Saturday’s strike goes ahead as planned passengers can expect more major delays. The company said contingency plans to cope with the strike had been “very successful”,... [more]
China’s government reacted testily Tuesday to Google Inc.’s decision to stop censoring its China-based search engine, calling the move “totally wrong” and accusing the company of violating promises. More than two months after it threatened to shut down Google.cn if it had to continue policing the site, Google made the shift early TuesdayBeijing time. Visitors to Google.cn are automatically redirected to the Chinese-language... [more]
Today is Tuesday, March 23, the 82nd day of 2010. There are 283 days left in the year. Today’s Highlight in History: On March 23, 1775, Patrick Henry delivered an address to the Virginia Provincial Convention in which he is said to have declared, “Give me liberty, or give me death!” On this date: In 1743, George Frideric Handel’s oratorio “Messiah” had its London premiere. (During the “Hallelujah... [more]
President Hamid Karzai has met delegates from Afghanistan’s second-biggest militant group and is studying their peace proposals, his spokesman said Monday, boosting hopes for reconciliation. Hezb-e-Islami is headed by warlord Gulbuddin Hekmatyar, who is blacklisted as a terrorist by the United Nations and United States. Both accuse him of carrying out attacks alongside the Taliban and of being allied to Al-Qaeda. Karzai has been pursuing... [more]
