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 ...
The number of people in the Netherlands who can’t pay for their health insurance is continuing to rise. Every day, hundreds of customers ask their insurance companies for help in paying their health insurance premiums. Insurers are usually flexible with people in difficulties but, if arrears continue for six months, customers are referred to the CVZ college of health insurers. Then the arrears are recovered directly from wages or benefits. At... [more]
A Swedish woman accused of trumping up rape accusations while on holiday in Greece exemplifies a persistant view in the Mediterranean country that Swedish women bring false rape complaints to get payouts from special ‘rape insurance’. In 2008, Swedish ‘Anna’ went on holiday to the Greek island of Samos. On her last night she claimed to have been brutally raped and beaten, according to Sweden’s TV4. After reporting... [more]
The Swedish government has proposed a number of changes to its reforms of the country’s health insurance system, admitting its current efforts have left some people in a jam. Sweden’s new, tougher health insurance rules, which were adopted several years ago, have been the subject of near constant criticism and in response, the government launched a review of its reform efforts last autumn. A memo is set to be circulated for... [more]
Call it biology, evolution or just testosterone, but chances are that the driver of the mangled vehicle wrapped around a lamppost is – or maybe was – male. Men drive more recklessly and cause more accidents than women. They also tend to live shorter, less healthy lives than women. These aren’t just broad gender generalizations but measurable statistics that insurers take into account when they draw up their policies. Which... [more]
The Liberal Party (Folkpartiet) has reiterated its call for a state-run unemployment insurance fund, party leader Jan Björklund has confirmed. The demand is a direct challenge to the Swedish Trade Union Confederation(Landsorganisationen - LO) which considers unemployment insurance (arbetslöshetsförsäkring – A kassa) to be a union matter. “It’s highly illogical that it is under union management, all the other... [more]
Airline Flybe is to offer passengers the opportunity to buy separate volcanic ash insurance, it has been announced. The £6.99 per person policy will reimburse passengers for costs for delays of more than 24 hours caused by closure of airspace. Flybe said it stands by its commitment to reimbursement as laid out in EU regulations, but “wanted to make sure our passengers have insurance to help pay for any additional costs” from... [more]
One of the world’s biggest reinsurers, Swiss Re, on Thursday reported a 506-million-Swiss-franc annual net profit in 2009, edging away from a record loss suffered a year earlier in the financial crisis. The net profit, equivalent to 472 million dollars or 345 million euros, was well within the range of analysts’ expectations. “Today, I am proud to say: we have come a long way,” said chief executive Stefan Lippe... [more]
Dutch Non-smokers should pay less for for their health insurance than smokers. This is the advice of the Council for Public Health Care RVZ is to advise ministers. The council wants to ensure the insurance premium dependents on the lifestyle of the insured and unhealthy Dutch should pay more for healthcare. People who don’t smoke and those who do sports and are not overweight should pay lower health insurance premiums the government is... [more]
AIG is set to begin paying $US100 million ($112.8 million) in bonuses, prompting fresh outrage a year after similar payments by the bailed-out insurance giant ignited a political firestorm. The government’s pay czar in charge of compensation at bailed-out companies, Kenneth Feinberg, said the payments were part of legally binding contracts that must be paid despite the outrageous nature of the bonuses. “These are old grandfather... [more]
Vandalism and fireworks caused damage totalling over €7m during the New Year celebrations, the insurance association said on Friday. The figures, which are preliminary, are done some €1m on 2008, the association said. In 2007, the damages bill totalled €12m, with an additional €20m in damage to schools. Insurers had been worried about a new cause of fires – Chinese lanterns – which were responsible for for destroying... [more]
