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 ...
Today is Saturday, July 31, the 212th day of 2010. There are 153 days left in the year. Today’s Highlight in History: On July 31, 1910, Dr. Hawley Harvey Crippen, whose wife, Cora, had disappeared from their London home, was arrested along with his mistress, Ethel Le Neve (posing as Crippen’s son), aboard the steamship SS Montrose upon its arrival in Quebec, Canada. (Crippen was later convicted by a British court of murdering... [more]
European shares were little changed in early trade on Friday, with concerns over U.S. economic growth and downbeat comments from a Federal Reserve official prompting investors to stay cautious. At 8:15 a.m., the FTSEurofirst 300 index of top European shares was flat at 1,046.88 points after opening lower and falling in the previous two sessions. The index was on track to record its best monthly gain since March. “What I see in this... [more]
The United States has closed indefinitely its consulate in the violence-hit Mexican city of Ciudad Juarez while it carries out a “security review,” officials said Friday. “The US consulate general in Ciudad Juarez has closed to review its security posture,” said a statement released by the US embassy in Mexico City. “The facility will be closed all day on Friday, July 30, and remain closed until the security... [more]
Ellen DeGeneres is leaving American Idol after one season – and Jennifer Lopez is poised to step in. A person familiar with negotiations for Lopez said she is close to signing a deal to join Fox TV’s hit singing contest as a judge. The person spoke on condition of anonymity. Actor-singer-dancer Lopez, whose films include Selena and The Back-Up Plan, has appeared as a mentor on American Idol. DeGeneres announced she is leaving... [more]
Norway is critical to what it calls irresponsible fishing for mackerel by Iceland and the Faroe Islands, and underlines the ban on landings of mackerel in Norway by vessels from the two nations. - The irresponsible fishing for mackerel which Iceland and the Faroe Islands have initiated as an attempt to secure future quota shares is a serious threat to the mackerel stock, and undermines the cooperation to secure the necessary conservation... [more]
The chance is increasing that the Netherlands will have its first post war minority government, the Volkskrant reports on Friday, quoting sources close to the formation talks. The paper says ‘a serious option’ to come out of this week’s informal talks is a decision to proceed with a VVD CDA cabinet which has the formal support of the anti-Islam PVV in parliament. This will allow the CDA to get round objections to ruling... [more]
With Germany industry facing a looming skills shortage, Economy Minister Rainer Brüderle revealed on Friday he was planning a major recruitment drive to attract skilled migrants. That included encouraging German firms to pay cash incentives to lure foreign workers, he told daily Handelsblatt. “The question of how Germany becomes lastingly attractive to skilled migrants is right at the top of my agenda,” he said. That included encouraging... [more]
Today is Friday, July 30, the 211th day of 2010. There are 154 days left in the year. Today’s Highlight in History: On July 30, 1945, during World War II, the Portland class heavy cruiser USS Indianapolis, which had just delivered components for the atomic bomb that would be dropped on Hiroshima, was torpedoed by a Japanese submarine; only 316 out of some 1,200 men survived the sinking and shark-infested waters. On this date: In 1792,... [more]
Kate Hudson and Muse frontman Matt Bellamy are house-hunting together. The ‘Fool’s Gold’ actress and the British rock star are looking for a property in New York after dating for just four months. The couple have been inseparable since meeting at the Coachella Festival in California earlier this year and believe the time is right to set up home. A source told The Sun newspaper: “They’re very loved-up, they just... [more]
Italian Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi has rebuffed a peace offering from a party rival, potentially bringing forward a final showdown in his strife-torn centre-right government. Berlusconi has been locked for months in open conflict with Gianfranco Fini, the lower house speaker and co-founder of his People of Freedom party, prompting growing speculation that his government could fall well before its term ends in 2013. The prime minister... [more]
