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 ...
Spain’s King Juan Carlos I was doing well after surgery Saturday to remove a growth on his lung which turned out to be benign, a member of his surgical team said. A first analysis of the small nodule growth taken from his upper right lung showed “no malignancy,” Dr Laureano Molins said at a press conference, ruling out a threat of cancer. The 72-year-old king “is awake and doing very well,” Molins said, adding... [more]
Norwegian Minister of Finanse Sigbjørn Johnsen (Ap) fears an increased unemployment rate if the euro crisis continues. - If the crisis becomes prolonged and spreads to more countries, it may strike Norwegian jobs in the export industry, Johnsen said to VG. Johnsen and Minister of Government Administration, Reform and Church, Rigmor Assrud, asks for moderation in the coming state salary negotiations. - We have to avoid that the salary increase... [more]
Fifteen airports in northern Spain were closed Saturday because of the ash cloud from an Icelandic volcano, Spain’s airport and air traffic authority Aena announced. “The movement of the volcanic ash cloud coming from Iceland has forced us to close starting at noon (1000 GMT) the airports in Bilbao, San Sebastian, Vitoria, Saragossa, Pamplona and La Rioja,” Aena said in a statement. Nine other airports in northern Spain... [more]
Retired boxing champ Mike Tyson has been left “totally broke” after years of excessive spending and lives pay cheque to pay cheque to cover his monthly expenses. The sporting icon’s legacy has been marred by a series of alcohol and drug-related arrests throughout the years and his wild lifestyle away from the ring led to him filing for bankruptcy in 2003. He was inspired to turn his life around after landing a role playing... [more]
Spain’s King Juan Carlos I Saturday checked into a hospital in Barcelona to undergo surgery to remove a growth on his lung, the royal palace said. The nodule on the monarch’s right lung was detected on April 28 and doctors decided it was necessary to “extract and study” the growth, a palace statement said. The 72-year-old king “is currently undergoing a surgical procedure,” said the statement from... [more]
Flights to and from some UK and Irish airports could be about to face more disruption from Iceland’s volcanic ash cloud. Renewed activity in the Eyjafjallajokull volcano has sent ash up to heights of 20,000 to 30,000 feet earlier this week, according to the Met Office. Northerly winds over the UK could bring ash back over Ireland and western Scotland on Sunday or later in the week. Forecaster Victoria Kettley from MeteoGroup said:... [more]
The Prince of Wales and Duchess of Cornwall are to join war veterans and serving soldiers, sailors and airmen to mark the 65th anniversary of VE Day. A national service of commemoration will be held at the Cenotaph in Whitehall to remember the moment Second World War hostilities in Europe ended on May 8 1945. On that date Prime Minister Winston Churchill officially announced the end of the fighting in a message broadcast to the nation but... [more]
Secretary of State Hillary Clinton has warned Pakistan of unspecified “severe consequences” if it can be linked to a successful extremist attack on the US. She told CBS while Pakistan had become more helpful in tackling extremists, co-operation could still be improved. A Pakistani-born US citizen has been charged with the attempted bombing in Times Square in New York a week ago. Earlier, Defence Secretary Robert Gates said the... [more]
The homeless man who caused panic on Rembrance Day by screaming during the two minutes silence in Amsterdam has been remanded in custody for two more weeks. The judge in Amsterdam said there were enough grounds to consider the man had committed a criminal act. At least 50 people were injured in the stampede after the 39-year-old threw his arms in the air and shouted at the crowd. He was under the influence of alcohol at the time and has... [more]
Cash-strapped Portugal will loan Greece more than €2 billion as part of the €80 billion Eurozone bailout for Athens agreed at the weekend by the group’s finance ministers. “The Portuguese share corresponds to €2.064 billion, equivalent to our participation” in the European Central Bank, Lisbon’s finance minister, Fernando Teixeira dos Santos, told journalists in Brussels. “We will obviously have to assume this commitment... [more]
