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 Duke of Cambridge is beginning his six-week posting in the Falklands amid heightened tensions between Britain and Argentina over the disputed islands. William arrived in the archipelago on Thursday ahead of a tour of duty as an RAF search and rescue pilot. The Ministry of Defence (MoD) said the posting was part of a “routine operational deployment”, despite Argentina likening it to that of a “conqueror”. Tensions... [more]
Britain’s Foreign Secretary William Hague told Argentina to stop trying to intimidate the inhabitants of the Falklands, amid a war of words 30 years after the disputed islands sparked a real war. “If it (Argentina) is genuinely interested in progress it should stop these attempts to intimidate a civilian population,” Hague said in comments carried by The Times on Saturday. Buenos Aires “should agree to discuss how,... [more]
The IMF is seeking to more than double its war chest by raising $600 billion in new resources to help countries deal with the fallout of the euro zone debt crisis, but the plan faces roadblocks from the United States and other countries. The United States and Canada said on Wednesday Europe must put up more of its own money to resolve its sovereign debt crisis, raising doubts G20 talks in Mexico this week can lay the ground for a deal... [more]
Wikipedia has blacked out its English-language site for 24 hours to seek support against proposed US anti-piracy legislation it says threatens the future of the internet. The English version of the online encyclopedia receives an average of more than 25 million daily visitors globally, according to comScore research data. It is the highest profile name to join a growing campaign to black out pages so visitors only see information criticising... [more]
The World Bank warned Wednesday of a possible slump in global economic growth and urged developing countries to prepare for shocks that could be more severe than the 2008 crisis. The bank cut its growth forecast for developing countries this year to 5.4 percent from 6.2 percent and for developed countries to 1.4 percent from 2.7 percent. For the 17 countries that use the euro currency, it forecast a contraction, cutting their growth outlook... [more]
Joran van der Sloot has been given a 28 year sentence in prison in Lima for the aggrevated murder of 21 year-old Stephany Flores in May 2010. This means with a sentence reduction for the amount of time he has spent on remand, he will released in 2038. After which he will be deported from Peru. Earlier this week the Dutchman pleaded guilty to all charges hoping to be given a reduced sentence. The Public Prosecution had demanded 30 years in... [more]
ARGENTINA’s President Cristina Kirchner underwent surgery for thyroid cancer and emerged “without any problem,” her spokesman said. Kirchner had the surgery on Wednesday to remove her thyroid gland in the city of Pilar, 50 kilometers (30 miles) north of Buenos Aires. “The operation was performed on the president without any problem or complication,” spokesman Alfredo Scoccimarro said in front of Hospital Austral,... [more]
THE Australian dollar fell almost one US cent on growing concerns around the eurozone. At 12pm AEDT today, the local currency was at 100.55 US cents, down from 101.50 yesterday afternoon. IG Markets institutional trader Chris Weston said the Australian dollar was shaped by a drop in other currencies due to growing eurozone uncertainty. “Price action on the Aussie dollar is just mirroring what we’re seeing with the euro, which... [more]
ARGENTINE President Cristina Kirchner has thanked her Latin American peers for their support in her first public appearance since she was diagnosed with thyroid cancer. “I am going to continue working with the greatest commitment,” she said as she met the country’s governors at her presidential palace today, one day after her spokesman announced that she would have surgery next week. She said Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez,... [more]
ARGENTINA’S President Cristina Kirchner has been diagnosed with thyroid cancer and will undergo surgery on January 4, her spokesman says. Ms Kirchner, who was sworn in for a second four-year term earlier this month, was found to have cancer “on the right lobe of the thyroid gland” during a routine medical examination on December 22, said spokesman Alfredo Scoccimarro yesterday (today AEDT). “The illness has been contained,”... [more]
