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Negotiations between Greece and her creditors seem to have hit an
impasse, and could trigger new elections, a referendum or capital
controls on bank deposits, or even a default, warns Goldman Sachs this
morning........Greece may need new elections or default, warns Goldman Sachs
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Ban Ki-moon calls for Ramadan truce in Yemen...
ReplyDeleteU.N. chief Ban Ki-moon on Monday called for an immediate two-week humanitarian pause in Yemen to mark Ramadan as talks got underway in Geneva to try and resolve the conflict.
"I have emphasized the importance of another humanitarian pause for two weeks," Ban said, adding that "Ramadan begins in two days" and should be a period for "harmony, peace and reconciliation".
Ban had met with a Yemeni government delegation on Monday, kicking off peace talks held in Geneva, Al Arabiya News Channel reported.
The talks had been scheduled to start on Sunday but the United Nations announced they would go ahead in Geneva on Monday.....alarabiya.net
Hollande sounds alarm on Greek exit...
ReplyDeleteThe French President Francois Hollande said there was "little time" to prevent Greece from leaving the eurozone.
Mr Hollande said on Monday the ball was firmly in Greece's court.
"It's not France's position to impose on Greece further cuts to smaller pensions, but rather to ask that they propose alternatives," he said on a visit to Algiers.
"We have to get to work... Everything must be done in order that Greece remains in the eurozone."
Talks with Greek and EU officials in Brussels on Sunday failed to reach an agreement that would release bailout funds to Greece.
Eurozone finance minister will meet on Thursday, but Greece's Yanis Varoufakis said he did not plan to present new proposals at the meeting.
"The Eurogroup [of eurozone finance ministers] is not the right place to present proposals which haven't been discussed and negotiated on a lower level before," he told German newspaper Bild.....BBC
16/6/15
China says South China Sea island building work to be completed 'in the upcoming days'...
ReplyDeleteChina will complete land reclamation projects on its disputed South China Sea territorial claims as planned within days, the Foreign Ministry said Tuesday, in an apparent bid to reassure its neighbours over moves seen as sharpening tensions in the strategically vital region.
However, in a sign that developments were far from over, a statement posted to the ministry's website said China would follow up by building infrastructure to carry out functions ranging from maritime search and rescue to environmental conservation and scientific research.
"It is learned from relevant Chinese competent departments that, as planned, the land reclamation project of China's construction on some stationed islands and reefs of the Nansha Islands will be completed in the upcoming days," the statement said, using the Chinese term for the Spratly islands, which lie at the heart of the South China Sea territorial dispute........Associated Press......ctvnews.ca
16/6/15
Amnesty International criticized on Monday what it said was a "dismal" global response to the plight of Syrian refugees and urged neighboring countries struggling to cope with the influx of refugees to lift "deeply troubling" measures designed to keep them out...
ReplyDeleteThe human rights organization said the failure of the international community to adequately fund refugees' humanitarian needs or to support their host countries through settlement policies has left Syria's neighbors unable to cope with a "devastating effect."
In a report entitled "Global Refugee Crisis: A conspiracy of Neglect", Amnesty said Lebanon, Jordan and Turkey after having taken in over four million Syrians since the conflict started in 2011 were now closing their borders.
"All the main host countries have imposed severe restrictions on the entry of people fleeing the conflict - in many cases these restrictions have all but ended the ability of desperate Syrians to escape the ongoing crisis," Salil Shetty, Amnesty International's Secretary General, said at a press conference.....Reuters.....alarabiya.net
16/6/15
The European Court of Justice on Tuesday upheld the legality of the European Central Bank's bond-buying program...
ReplyDeleteThe court in Luxembourg said the ECB has the right to buy the bonds of countries when borrowing costs to member state governments are exceptionally high.
That policy, referred to officially as Outright Monetary Transactions (OMT), has been in place since 2012.
"The program did not run afoul of the central bank's monetary powers and did not violate any rules related to the financing of eurozone member countries," the court said.
A group of German lawmakers and economists had mounted a challenge to ECB bond-buying in crisis conditions, claiming that it amounted to illegal financing under the ECB charter.
The central bank is forbidden from providing monetary support to member states.
Confirming the legality of OMT also means that the ECB's current large-scale bond-buying program will be safe from legal challenges. ECB stimulus has been putting 60 billion euros ($67.4 billion) into the eurozone economy each month since March.
High borrowing costs can push a country into a bailout, as happened with Greece, Portugal and Ireland. While the ECB has not used the facility in the past, it is viewed by financial markets as a safety valve in case of an impending crisis.
aa.com.tr
Europäischer Gerichtshof EuGH erlaubt EZB-Anleihenkäufe...
ReplyDeleteDie Europäische Zentralbank (EZB) darf zur Euro-Rettung grundsätzlich Staatsanleihen kaufen. Das entschied der Europäische Gerichtshof (EuGH) am Dienstag in Luxemburg (Rechtssache C-62/14). Ein entsprechendes Programm der Notenbank von 2012 sei rechtmäßig, urteilten die Richter. «Das Programm überschreitet nicht die währungspolitischen Befugnisse der EZB und verstößt nicht gegen das Verbot der monetären Finanzierung von Mitgliedstaaten», teilte der Gerichtshof mit.
Konkret ging es um den EZB-Beschluss aus dem Sommer 2012, unter Bedingungen notfalls unbegrenzt Anleihen von Euro-Krisenstaaten zu kaufen, um diese zahlungsfähig zu halten. In der Praxis hat die EZB dieses Kaufprogramm mit dem Namen «Outright Monetary Transactions» (OMT) allerdings nie genutzt. Allein die Ankündigung beruhigte die Märkte, das räumen sogar Kritiker ein.
Das Urteil gibt EZB-Chef Mario Draghi Rückendeckung beim aktuellen Kaufprogramm, das seit März 2015 läuft und mit einem Volumen von 60 Milliarden Euro monatlich die Konjunktur anschieben soll.
Mit dem Kauf von Staatsanleihen drückt die EZB die Zinsen des betroffenen Landes, das dann weniger für Kredite zahlen muss und zahlungsfähig bleibt...........fr-online.de
16/6/15
EU officials denied reports Tuesday that plans were being made for an emergency summit of government leaders of the euro zone next Sunday to discuss the debt impasse with Greece...
ReplyDeleteThe officials said that if further talks were necessary after Thursday's scheduled meeting of the Eurogroup of the 19 euro zone finance ministers, then the ministers might meet again at the weekend, but no such session had been called so far.
"The next and hopefully decisive step is the Eurogroup on Thursday. Any further steps will be decided in light of the outcome from the Eurogroup," a senior EU official said.....Reuters.....dailystar.com.lb
16/6/15
Irish students killed in California balcony collapse...
ReplyDeleteA fourth-floor balcony of a San Francisco Bay Area apartment building collapsed early Tuesday, killing five Irish students and leaving eight other people injured, officials said.
Irish Foreign Minister Charlie Flanagan told reporters in Dublin that all five of the dead were in the U.S. on temporary visas. He said a 21st birthday party was underway in the building in the university town of Berkeley at the time of the accident.
Many of the wounded have critical, life-threatening injuries, said Officer Jennifer Coats, a Berkeley police spokeswoman.
Police received a call about the incident shortly before 1 a.m. PDT Tuesday, and officers arrived to find that the balcony on the fourth floor of the building on Kittredge Street had disintegrated.
Television footage of the scene showed that the fourth-floor balcony fell onto the one on the third floor...AP...ctvnews.ca
16/6/15
Les États membres de l'UE sont en pleins préparatifs pour lancer lundi une opération navale de lutte contre le trafic de migrants en Méditerranée, même si celle-ci sera limitée à une surveillance accrue des réseaux de passeurs en l'absence d'un feu vert des Nations unies...
ReplyDeleteLa chef de la diplomatie européenne, Federica Mogherini, espère que les ministres des Affaires étrangères des 28 lanceront formellement lundi à Luxembourg cette opération militaire sans précédent qui vise, selon ses services, à "rendre la vie impossible" aux trafiquants.
La décision nécessite un accord à l'unanimité des États membres de l'UE.
Les ambassadeurs des 28 se réunissent "mercredi, jeudi, puis à nouveau vendredi" à Bruxelles afin d'approuver le plan opérationnel de la mission, a indiqué une source diplomatique. "Le but est d'aboutir lundi", a-t-elle ajouté.
Le but: détruire les embarcations
Jeudi, les autorités militaires feront pour leur part le point sur les contributions en termes de matériel et d'hommes de chacun des 28. "Il y a plein de moyens très diversifiés provenant de nombreux États membres", a affirmé une source européenne.....rtbf.be
16/6/15
The U.S. ambassador to the United Nations on Tuesday rejected suggestions by a U.N. panel that Washington has kept silent about Iranian sanctions violations in order to avoid disrupting fragile negotiations on a nuclear deal with Tehran...
ReplyDeleteThe U.N. Security Council's Panel of Experts on Iran said in April that it has received no new confirmed reports of Iranian violations despite several media reports of Iranian weapons shipments to Syria, Lebanon, Iraq, Yemen and Hezbollah and Hamas militants in violation of a U.N. embargo.
U.S. Ambassador Samantha Power was asked during a congressional hearing in Washington whether the administration of President Barack Obama has deliberately withheld reports of Iranian violations from the U.N. panel, which monitors U.N. sanctions violations......reuters.com
16/6/15
Tsipras wirft IWF kriminelle Verantwortung vor...
ReplyDeleteEine Einigung der Eurogruppe mit Athen wird immer unwahrscheinlicher. Der griechische Staatsbankrott rückt näher, und Ministerpräsident Tsipras verliert in seiner Wortwahl wieder einmal das Maß.....faz.net
16/6/15
Palestinian president Mahmud Abbas announced Tuesday that the Ramallah-based government would resign within the next 24 hours, several senior Fatah officials told AFP...
ReplyDelete“Within 24 hours the Palestinian government will resign,” Abbas told members of the Revolutionary Council of his Fatah movement in Ramallah, according to several officials who attended the meeting.
Earlier, the Council’s secretary general had told AFP that the government would step down within 24 hours over its inability to act in the Gaza Strip.
“The government will resign in the next 24 hours because this one is weak and there is no chance that Hamas will allow it to work in Gaza,” said secretary general Amin Maqbul.....AFP.....alarabiya.net
Greek central bank warns of 'painful' euro and EU exit...
ReplyDeleteGreece's central bank has warned for the first time that the country could be on a "painful course" to default and exit from both the eurozone and the EU.
It comes as the Greek government and its international creditors blamed each other for failing to reach a deal over economic reforms.
That failure is holding up the release of €7.2bn (£5.2bn) in bailout funds.
About €30bn was withdrawn from Greek bank deposits between October and April, the central bank added.
The central bank also warned the country's economic slowdown would accelerate without a deal.
"Failure to reach an agreement would... mark the beginning of a painful course that would lead initially to a Greek default and ultimately to the country's exit from the euro area and, most likely, from the European Union," the Bank of Greece said in a report....BBC
Slovak finmin sceptical on agreement with Greece but 'miracle' can still happen...
ReplyDeleteSlovak Finance Minister Peter Kazimir said on Wednesday he expected no agreement between Greece and its euro zone partners on Thursday and the talks may fail completely, but a miracle could still happen and agreement be found.
Kazimir told a news conference that attacks by Greek government on its international partners were unparalleled, and the situation could end up in a break-up with the indebted country.
"Verbal attacks by the Greek government are unprecedented," Kazimir said. "It is unbelievable that the group that came into the Greek government knew how to put so much negative energy into the negotiations with creditors from euro zone countries and international institutions, and now all effort may fly out of the chimney."
"Still there are a few days for a miracle to happen and an agreement to be reached."....REUTERS.....channelnewsasia.com
17/6/15
Forecasts of Greek euro exit premature: Dijsselbloem...
ReplyDeleteEurogroup chairman Jeroen Dijsselbloem said Wednesday he is still working to keep Greece within the eurozone and that any predictions about a so-called Grexit are premature.
"My intention remains to keep Greece within the eurozone," Dijsselbloem told a Dutch parliamentary committee ahead of Thursday's crucial Eurogroup meeting where Greece is set to top the agenda.
In response to a question from a lawmaker about the likelihood of a messy Greece exit from the euro in the absence of a new bailout deal, Dijsselbloem, who is also Dutch finance minister, said "I find any predictions premature."
"We are all jumping to conclusions and that we should not do," he said.
Earlier Wednesday the Greek central bank warned that the cash-strapped country could crash out of the eurozone and even the European Union if it failed to reach a bailout deal with international creditors.....AFP.....dailystar.com.lb
Tsipras dénonce, Lagarde menace, Schäuble pessimiste: vers un Waterloo européen? ...
ReplyDeleteLa réunion de l’Eurogroupe ce jeudi ne part pas sur des a priori favorables. Le ministre des finances allemand Schäuble aurait peu d'espoir d’obtenir un accord avec la Grèce, le Premier ministre Tsipras refuse que l’on touche aux retraites et la patronne du FMI durcit le ton. C’est quand l’anniversaire de la bataille de Waterloo ?
Le ministre allemand des Finances Wolfgang Schäuble a peu d'espoir de parvenir à un accord avec la Grèce jeudi lors d'une réunion des ministres des Finances de la zone euro, a rapporté un député allemand.
S'exprimant devant les députés de la commission des Finances du Bundestag, chambre basse du Parlement allemand, M. Schäuble a dit que "rien n'était prêt pour arriver à une décision demain (jeudi)", a rapporté à des journalistes un participant à cette réunion, sous couvert d'anonymat.
Cette même source a estimé que le ministre allemand ne s'était pas exprimé "positivement" devant la commission parlementaire et ne s'imaginait pas une solution pour résoudre la crise grecque sans le Fonds monétaire international (FMI).
Créancier de la Grèce, aux côtés de l'Union européenne, le FMI, dont la directrice générale Christine Lagarde sera présente jeudi à Luxembourg, a ces derniers jours durci le ton tant à l'égard d'Athènes que des Européens.
"Y aller avec des attentes réalistes"
Lors d'un point presse régulier du gouvernement allemand, le porte-parole de M. Schäuble, Martin Jäger, a toutefois affirmé que "cela est et reste notre objectif, de faire un pas en avant" lors de cette réunion de l'Eurogroupe jeudi. Mais "nous y allons avec des attentes réalistes", a-t-il ajouté............rtbf.be
17/6/15
Wachsende Zahl an Flüchtlingen: Ungarn plant Grenzzaun nach Serbien ...
ReplyDeleteUngarns Regierung hat die Schließung der Grenze zu Serbien angeordnet. Damit soll die Zuwanderung von Flüchtlingen verhindert werden, die zuletzt in großer Zahl nach Ungarn kamen. Viele Flüchtlinge nutzen das Land als Durchgangsstation nach Westeuropa.
Mit einem vier Meter hohen Zaun will Ungarns rechts-nationale Regierung die Grenze zum südlichen Nachbarland Serbien für Migranten schließen. "Die Regierung hat Innenminister Sandor Pinter angewiesen, bis zum kommenden Mittwoch die Abriegelung der ungarisch-serbischen Grenze vorzubereiten", erklärte Außenminister Peter Szijjarto am Rande einer Kabinettssitzung in Budapest.
"Die Regierung ist dazu entschlossen, Ungarn und die ungarischen Menschen vor dem Einwanderungsdruck zu schützen", fügte er hinzu. Ungarn ist eines der Transitländer für die Flüchtlingsströme aus Nahost und Afrika in den Westen Europas.
Das ungarische Parlament erörterte den von der Regierungspartei Fidesz eingebrachten Entwurf einer Novelle des Asylgesetzes. Dieser würde die Regierung dazu ermächtigen, beliebige Länder, darunter auch Serbien, als "sichere Drittstaaten" einzustufen, womit von dort eintreffende Schutzsuchende wieder in die betreffenden Staaten abgeschoben werden könnten.........http://www.tagesschau.de/ausland/ungarn-serbien-101.html
17/6/15
Hungary said Wednesday it was building a barrier on its border with Serbia to keep out migrants, as the EU struggles to deal with the massive flow of people trying to reach Europe....
DeleteSerbian Prime Minister Aleksandar Vucic said he was "surprised and shocked" by the plan. "We will discuss this decision with our Hungarian colleagues," he added.
The move was announced as Pope Francis hit out at nations that "close the door" to those seeking a safe haven from war, poverty and persecution.
And France said it was "doing its part" by creating 10,500 new housing units for asylum seekers and immigrants.....AFP
17/6/15
Sans accord avec ses créanciers, la Grèce ne pourra rembourser le FMI...
ReplyDeleteEn l'absence d'accord sur les réformes budgétaires et fiscales exigées par ses créanciers, Athènes pourrait ne pas honorer le remboursement de 1,6 milliard d'euros au Fonds monétaire international le 30 juin, a averti la banque centrale grecque.
La Grèce risque de s'engager sur "un chemin douloureux" si elle ne parvient pas à un compromis avec ses créanciers, a averti, mercredi 17 juin, sa banque centrale, à la veille d'une réunion des ministres des Finances de la zone euro qui menace de se solder par un nouveau constat d'échec.
Athènes pourrait être incapable d'honorer un remboursement de près de 1,6 milliard d'euros au Fonds monétaire international (FMI) le 30 juin, en l'absence d'accord sur les réformes budgétaire et fiscale et sur l'aide financière avec le FMI, l'Union européenne (UE) et la Banque centrale européenne (BCE).....france24.com
Greece has a "political and moral duty" to reach an agreement with creditors over its debt crisis, Finance Minister Yanis Varoufakis has said...
ReplyDeleteBut he said Thursday's meeting of eurozone finance ministers was unlikely to bring an immediate solution.
In return for more funding, creditors want further reforms from Greece.
But the ruling Syriza party is resisting those demands and, with talks deadlocked, fears are growing that Greece may default on its debts.
The European Commission, the European Central Bank (ECB) and the International Monetary Fund (IMF) could extend fresh finance, but are insisting on reform and further austerity measures.
Mr Varoufakis, when asked if there could be an agreement at the meeting of eurozone finance ministers in Luxembourg on Thursday, said: "I do not believe so."
"Tomorrow we will set the scene for what we consider to be our political and moral duty, and that is to reach an agreement very, very quickly with our partners and the institutions," he said.
On Wednesday Greece's central bank warned that the country could be on a "painful course" to default and exit from both the eurozone and the EU....BBC
UN says global refugee numbers hit record levels...
ReplyDeleteSyria overtook Afghanistan to become the world's biggest source of refugees last year, while the number of people forced from their homes by conflicts worldwide rose to a record 59.5 million, the United Nations' refugee agency said Thursday.
Pointing to crises in Syria, Iraq, Yemen, Burundi and elsewhere, UN High Commissioner for Refugees Antonio Guterres said he doesn't expect any improvement in 2015.
“There is a multiplication of new crises,” he said. “The Iraq-Syria crisis gained the dimension of a mega one ... and at the same time the old crises have no solutions.”........AP...ctvnews.ca
18/6/15
A gunman opened fire Wednesday evening at a historic African-American church in downtown Charleston, South Carolina, killing nine people in what police have called a "hate crime"....
ReplyDeleteCharleston Police Chief Gregory Mullen said eight victims were killed inside the Emanuel AME Church, the ninth died in hospital.
“I do believe it was a hate crime,” said Mullen, speaking to reporters at a news conference hours after the shooting. "It is unfathomable that somebody in today's society would walk into a church when people are having a prayer meeting and take their lives."
Police are searching for a white male suspect in his 20s........france24.com
18/6/15
China on Thursday said it would welcome only an anti-independence candidate at Taiwan's presidential election in January, offering its first comment on the likely contender for the island's pro-China ruling Nationalist Party...
ReplyDeleteTaiwan is one of the most sensitive of all policy issues for the Communist Party in Beijing, which claims the island as its own and views it as a renegade province, to be bought under its control by force if necessary.....channelnewsasia.com
Am Ende ist ein Deal besser als die Spaltung Europas...
ReplyDeleteVor dem Treffen der Euro-Finanzminister scheint bereits klar, dass man Athen am Ende ohne Gegenleistungen wird nachgeben müssen. Das schmerzt – nicht nur aus finanziellen Gründen. Sondern aus Prinzip....welt.de
Schuldenkrise; Weidmann warnt Griechen vor „schwerwiegenden Konsequenzen“...
ReplyDeleteDie Eurozone könne einen Grexit im Gegensatz zu Griechenland verkraften, warnt der Bundesbank-Chef. Doch vor dem wichtigen Treffen am heutigen Donnerstag zeigen sich Griechen und Gläubiger kaum kompromissbereit.
Kurz vor der möglicherweise entscheidenden Sitzung der Eurogruppe am heutigen Donnerstag hat Bundesbank-Chef Jens Weidmann Griechenland vor einem Grexit gewarnt. Ein Ausstieg Griechenlands gefährde nicht die Existenz des Euro. Er bedeute aber vielmehr „schwer zu kontrollierende Konsequenzen für Griechenland“. Allerdings seien Ansteckungeffekte der Eurozone „sicher nicht auszuschließen“, sagte Weidman in einem Interview mit der französischen Zeitung „Les Ecos“, „El Mundo“ aus Spanien und der italienischen Zeitung „La Stampa“.
Weidmann warnte die EU-Staats- und Regierungschefs, im Streit mit Griechenland klein beizugeben. „Wir müssen aufpassen, dass wir nicht die Prinzipien der Währungsunion als eine stabile Union untergraben“, sagte Weidmann. „Hilfen und Solidarität gehören dazu genauso wie die Anerkennung von Vereinbarungen.“.....faz.net
18/6/15
German Chancellor Angela Merkel said she was convinced it was still possible to reach an accord with Greece on its crippling debt crisis, ahead of crunch EU talks Thursday...
ReplyDelete"It remains the case that Germany's efforts are aimed at keeping Greece in the eurozone," she told the Bundestag lower house of parliament.
"I am still convinced -- where there's a will, there's a way. If the political leaders in Greece demonstrate this will, then a deal with the three institutions is still possible."......AFP...ahram.org.eg
Colombie: quatre soldats tués dans des attaques imputées aux Farc ...
ReplyDeleteUne attaque à l'explosif attribuée aux Farc a endommagé un important oléoduc en Colombie, provoquant une pollution pétrolière, tandis qu'une autre offensive de la guérilla marxiste a provoqué la mort de quatre soldats, ont annoncé mercredi les autorités.
Dans la province du Caqueta (sud), un fief des Farc, quatre soldats ont été tués et quatre autres blessés mercredi, a annoncé l'armée, dans un communiqué. Les militaires effectuaient une patrouille lorsqu'ils sont tombés dans un terrain piégé où des rebelles présumés ont activé des explosifs.
Deux explosions criminelles ont été provoquées dans la nuit de mardi à proximité de l'oléoduc Caño Limon-Coveñas, le second du pays avec une longeur totale de 780 km, dans la province de Norte de Santander (est), une région frontalière avec le Venezuela où sont fortement implantées les Forces armées révolutionnaires de Colombie (Farc).
"Les Farc ont interrompu le flux normal du pétrole en utilisant des explosifs artisanaux", a indiqué l'armée colombienne, déplorant "des dégâts importants pour la population civile" dans un communiqué....AFP......rtbf.be
Hong Kong Rejects China-backed Electoral Reforms...
ReplyDeleteHong Kong lawmakers have overwhelmingly rejected a controversial, Beijing-backed electoral reform package that had divided the territory's opposition and pro-government forces.
Camps of pro-democracy protesters erupted in cheers Thursday after opposition lawmakers united to defeat the bill. Just 8 lawmakers voted for the legislation, while 28 voted against it.
"We used our sacred vote today to veto a fake universal suffrage proposal,” said Civic Party leader Alan Leong. "We helped the Hong Kong people send a clear message to Beijing that we want real choice."
China, which formulated the reform proposal, reacted negatively to the news....voanews.com
18/6/15
Angst vor Ausbluten griechischer Banken...
ReplyDeleteDie Regierung in Athen dementiert Gerüchte, wonach in Kürze sogenannte Kapitalverkehrskontrollen verhängt werden sollen. „Auf keinen Fall wird es Kapitalkontrollen geben. Die Geldeinlagen sind gesichert und das Banksystem ist stark“, sagt der Regierungssprecher Gabriel Sakellaridis im Fernsehsender MEGA. Am Vortag hatte die Zentralbank Griechenlands bekanntgegeben, dass die Bürger und Unternehmen des Landes in den ersten fünf Monaten des Jahres 29,4 Milliarden Euro von ihren Konten abgehoben haben. Damit fielen die Geldeinlagen auf rund 128 Milliarden Euro. Mit Kapitalverkehrskontrollen soll der Geldabfluss beschränkt werden. Der größte Teil der abgehobenen Gelder – rund 20 Milliarden – sei vermutlich in Safes und Truhen versteckt, berichtete die griechische Presse. Der Trend hält an: Allein am Mittwoch wurden schätzungsweise 950 Millionen Euro abgehoben, hieß es aus Bankenkreisen...........http://www.welt.de/wirtschaft/article142560102/Boerse-in-Athen-faellt-auf-Drei-Jahres-Tief.html
Ukraine's parliament Thursday fired the powerful head of the SBU state security service after he fell foul of President Petro Poroshenko and became embroiled in a conflict with the nation's chief prosecutor...
ReplyDelete"The Verkhovna Rada (parliament) supported my proposal to dimiss Valentyn Nalyvaychenko from his post as head of the SBU," Poroshenko tweeted after 248 lawmakers in the 450-seat chamber supported the president's formal request.
Ukraine's State Security Service enjoys sweeping powers that it inherited from the domestic branch of the Soviet-era KGB......AFP......dailystar.com.lb
Police Arrest Jewish Settlers Following Israel Church Attack ...
ReplyDeleteIsraeli police say they have arrested 16 Jewish settler youths after a Catholic church near the Sea of Galilee was heavily damaged by an arson attack Thursday.
A fire broke out at the Church of the Multiplication in the middle of the night, causing extensive damage to the inside and outside of the building, said Israel police spokesman Micky Rosenfeld.
A passage from a Jewish prayer, calling for the elimination of idol worship, was found scrawled in red spray paint on a wall outside the church.
The nationalist crimes unit of the Israeli police's West Bank settlement division is investigating the incident. The youths arrested are all religious Jewish seminary students from West Bank settlements. Their lawyer, Itamar Ben Gvir, told Israeli Army Radio the police had no evidence against the youths and that they were under suspicion simply for looking like young settlers.......AP........voanews.com
18/6/15
Russia examines Brussels' legal move to seize state assets...
ReplyDeleteThe Kremlin said on Thursday it was carefully examining moves to seize Russian state property in Belgium to cover a court settlement compensating shareholders in the now defunct oil company Yukos.
An international arbitration court ruled last July that Russia must pay $50 billion for expropriating the assets of Yukos, which was once Russia's biggest oil producer and was run by Mikhail Khodorkovsky, a businessman who used to be Russia's richest man but fell out with the Kremlin.
The GML group of former shareholders who made the claim said then it would be hard to get Moscow to pay, so it started "recognition proceedings" in Britain, the United States, Belgium and France to enforce the decision in their capitals.....reuters.com
18/6/15
Eurogroupe - Les ministres se quittent sans accord sur le dossier de la dette grecque...
ReplyDelete(Belga) Les ministres des Finances de la zone euro ont mis fin à leur réunion jeudi soir vers 19h. Ils se sont quittés sans parvenir à un accord sur l'épineux dossier de la dette grecque, a annoncé le commissaire européen en charge de l'Euro Valdis Dombrovskis, rapprochant un peu plus Athènes d'un défaut de paiement à la fin du mois.
Les espérances placées en ce rendez-vous n'étaient pas élevées. Le président de l'Eurogroupe, Jeroen Dijsselbloem avait même évoqué une réunion "sombre". Les discussions relatives à la dette grecque étaient le dernier point à l'ordre du jour, mais celles-ci n'ont pas duré longtemps. Après à peine une heure, la salle de presse se voyait annoncer que les négociations avaient pris fin. Selon le commissaire Dombrovskis, aucun accord n'a pu être trouvé. Il a qualifié cela de "signal fort pour la Grèce de s'engager sérieusement dans les négociations". L'Eurogroupe reste prêt à se réunir à nouveau. (Belga)
rtl.be
EU to launch limited naval operation against migrant-smugglers...
ReplyDeleteThe EU is set to launch a naval mission on Monday against gangs smuggling migrants from Libya but it will be limited to intelligence-gathering for now because of a lack of U.N. authority or Libyan consent.
The operation is part of a stepped-up European response to a wave of thousands of people from Africa and the Middle East making the dangerous crossing from Libya to Europe.
Many have drowned in the Mediterranean, including around 800 killed in a shipwreck in April.
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EU foreign ministers meeting in Luxembourg on Monday are expected to agree to launch the mission, diplomats said, but will authorize only a first phase using ships and planes to gather intelligence about the migrant traffickers' activities in international waters.........reuters.com
EU parliament chief Schulz says UK's EU debate driven by lies...
ReplyDeleteEuropean Parliament President Martin Schulz on Thursday lashed out at Britain, saying its debate over Europe was driven by hateful lies, national resentment and the scapegoating of Romanian and Bulgarian immigrants.
Schulz made his remarks in a speech in London after holding talks with Prime Minister David Cameron, who has promised to renegotiate Britain's ties with the EU before holding an in-out EU membership referendum by the end of 2017......Reuters......todayonline.com
Griechenland-Krise: EZB hat offenbar Angst vor einem Bankrun...
ReplyDeleteEin Treffen der Euro-Finanzminister brachte kein Ergebnis im Schuldenstreit. Nun soll auf einem Sondergipfel am Montag erneut verhandelt werden. Die EZB weiß nicht, ob dann die griechischen Banken öffnen können.
Die Europäische Zentralbank (EZB) ist sich Insidern zufolge nicht sicher, ob die griechischen Banken am Montag öffnen können. Während der Sitzung der Euro-Finanzminister in Luxemburg habe Eurogruppen-Chef Jeroen Dijsselbloem EZB-Ratsmiglied Benoit Coeure gefragt, ob die griechischen Banken am Freitag öffnen könnten, sagten mit der Sache Vertraute am Donnerstag der Nachrichtenagentur Reuters. Coeure habe geantwortet: „Morgen ja. Montag – ich weiß es nicht.“...........handelsblatt.com
A 21-year-old man suspected of killing nine people at a historic African-American church in Charleston, South Carolina, has been arrested....
ReplyDeletePolice said Dylann Roof, of Lexington, South Carolina, was detained during a traffic stop in Shelby, North Carolina.
The gunman is reported to have sat in on a Bible study meeting for a full hour before opening fire on the group.
Six women and three men, including the church pastor, were killed. A hate crimes investigation has been launched.....BBC
Lors de la réunion des ministres des Finances de la zone euro (Eurogroupe) à Luxembourg jeudi, la Banque centrale européenne a indiqué ne pas être sûre que les banques grecques puissent ouvrir leurs portes lundi, vu l’accélération de la fuite des capitaux...
ReplyDeleteLa perspective d’une ruée sur les guichets devrait dès lors pousser les autorités helléniques à décider d’un contrôle des capitaux, afin de stopper les transferts hors de Grèce et les retraits aux guichets, auxquels les banques ne pourraient ne plus faire face.
Vu l’échec de la réunion de l’Eurogroupe, le président du Conseil européen Donald Tusk a quant à lui convoqué un sommet urgent de la zone euro pour lundi......lesoir.be
Fears grow over Greek banks' health...
ReplyDeleteFears are growing over the health of Greek banks after indications that savers have withdrawn billions of euros in the past week.
Capital flight from beleaguered Greek banks this week alone could be more than €3bn (£2.1bn), reports say.
Savers are moving funds as time runs out to resolve Greece's debt crisis.
It is understood the European Central Bank (ECB) will hold a telephone conference later to discuss more emergency assistance for the banks.
The pace of withdrawals has gained speed as talks between the government and its creditors have collapsed.
Greece has less than two weeks remaining to strike a deal or face defaulting on a €1.6bn (£1.1bn) loan repayment due to the International Monetary Fund (IMF)........BBC
19/6/15
ECB holds emergency meeting amid Greek bank fears...
ReplyDeleteThe European Central Bank's governing council called an emergency session Friday to discuss a request from the Bank of Greece for an increase in liquidity to Greek banks, amid reports of growing capital flight.
The council was due to discuss a possible increase in emergency funds as deposit withdrawals from Greek banks have accelerated in recent days......france24.com
Bankkunden ziehen in Griechenland weitere Milliarden ab..
ReplyDeleteMit der nahenden Gefahr eines Staatsbankrotts kehren immer mehr griechische Sparer den heimischen Banken ihren Rücken. Nach Angaben von drei hochrangigen Bankenvertretern seien allein am Donnerstag von Kunden Einlagen im Umfang von mehr als einer Milliarde Euro abgehoben worden. Von Montag bis Mittwoch waren Insidern zufolge insgesamt zwei Milliarden Euro abgezogen worden. Die allein in der laufenden Woche bereits abgeflossenen Kundengelder belaufen sich auf etwa 2,2 Prozent der von griechischen Banken Ende April gehaltenen Einlagen von Privatpersonen und Unternehmen. „Es gibt keine Schlangen oder Panik, es handelt sich um eine ruhige und schrittweise Phase von Abhebungen“, sagt einer der Banker...........welt.de
19/6/15
Juncker zur Griechenland-Krise: "Ich verstehe Tsipras nicht"...
ReplyDeleteEU-Kommissionschef Juncker zeigt sich frustriert von den Griechenland-Gesprächen - und enttäuscht vom Athener Premier. "Das Vertrauen ist nicht ebenbürtig erwidert worden", sagt er im neuen SPIEGEL.
Die Fronten zwischen den Geberländern und der griechischen Regierung sind verhärtet, nun soll ein Sondertreffen der Staats- und Regierungschefs der Euroländer den erhofften Durchbruch zur Lösung der Schuldenkrise bringen.
Doch EU-Kommissionspräsident Jean-Claude Juncker ist von den Verhandlungen mit Griechenlands Premier Alexis Tsipras frustriert. "Ich verstehe Tsipras nicht", sagte Juncker dem SPIEGEL. "Das Vertrauen, das ich in ihn gesetzt habe, ist nicht immer ebenbürtig erwidert worden."
Statt über die Kommission zu schimpfen, solle Tsipras in Griechenland erzählen, dass die Kommission ihm für die Jahre 2015 bis 2020 ein Investitionsprogramm in Höhe von 35 Milliarden Euro in Aussicht gestellt habe. "Wäre ich griechischer Ministerpräsident, würde ich es als Erfolg verkaufen", sagte Juncker, aber "ich höre davon nichts"..........spiegel.de
19/6/15
Nouveau sommet sur la Grèce lundi: "Un Grexit signerait le début de la fin de la zone euro" ...
ReplyDeleteUne sortie de la Grèce de l'euro (Grexit) signerait "le début de la fin de la zone euro", estime le Premier ministre grec, Alexis Tsipras, dans une interview parue vendredi dans le quotidien autrichien Kurier, avant un sommet exceptionnel à Bruxelles lundi. "Le fameux Grexit ne peut pas être une option, ni pour les Grecs, ni pour l'Union européenne. Ce serait un processus irréversible, ce serait le début de la fin de la zone euro", déclare-t-il dans cet entretien présenté comme exclusif. "Jusqu'à présent, l'Europe s'est toujours orientée vers davantage d'unité. Prendre la direction opposée signifierait l'échec de l'idée européenne", estime le dirigeant grec.
Selon lui, le débat autour d'un Grexit, qui a pris de la consistance ces derniers jours faute d'accord entre Athènes et ses créanciers, "a commencé quand on a commencé à appliquer le programme rigide d'économies imposé par l'UE et le Fonds monétaire international".
Malgré les sacrifices consentis par sa population, "la Grèce n'est pas devenue plus compétitive, et la dette de l'Etat ne s'est pas réduite. Le concept tout entier doit être revu", souligne M. Tsipras.....rtbf.be
19/6/15
The European Central Bank (ECB) has agreed to increase its emergency support for Greece's banking sector after fears of a Greek exit from the euro led to a run on the banks...
ReplyDeleteThe Bank of Greece insisted on Friday that the country's banking system was stable, but sources said it appealed to the ECB.
The new ECB funding is believed to be worth up to $3.4bn, and is expected to tide the banks over only until Monday, when more may be needed.
That's still less than the $4.2bn that customers have withdrawn from Greek banks in the last week.
And it's almost twice the amount of money currently at the centre of the impasse - the $1.8bn repayment the Greek government is due to make to international lenders by the end of the month..........aljazeera.com
SPIEGEL: Do you have the impression that Tsipras understands the stakes for his country?...
ReplyDeleteJuncker: I have described for him in detail what an exit from the euro zone would mean for his country on the short-, medium- and long-term.
SPIEGEL: And that is?
Juncker: Greece has experienced deep cuts to its social safety net. The result has been an unacceptable humanitarian crisis. Every morning, many people in Athens or Thessaloniki are actually faced with the question as to how they are going to feed themselves that day. The problem, though, is that the crisis would only become worse in the case of a Grexit. On the other hand, there are people in Greece who are filthy rich. I have called upon Mr. Tsipras to raise taxes on wealth in his country. Shockingly, his response to my request was not as enthusiastic as I had expected.........http://www.spiegel.de/international/europe/eu-commission-president-juncker-on-greece-and-tsipras-a-1039738.html
China reaffirms war on poverty after suspected rural suicides...
ReplyDeleteChinese President Xi Jinping reaffirmed his commitment to alleviating China's persistent rural poverty, only weeks after four children in a poor countryside area appeared to have killed themselves, sparking a national debate.
State media quoted Xi speaking on Thursday at a Communist Party conference about the 13th Five-Year Plan, which will set policy priorities for 2016-2020.
"The most arduous task for achieving a well-off society in an all-round way lies in the rural areas, especially the impoverished ones," he said.
Despite the rapid economic growth of the last two decades, poverty remains an issue in China, especially in rural areas where a lack of jobs drives able-bodied adults to work elsewhere, leaving children and the elderly behind..........reuters.com
Die USA haben sich mit einem eindringlichen Appell in den eskalierenden Schuldenstreit zwischen Griechenland und seinen Geldgebern eingeschaltet...
ReplyDeleteKurz vor dem für Montag angesetzten Krisengipfel rief die US-Regierung beide Seiten zu einem Kompromiss auf.
"Wir glauben, dass für Griechenland und seine internationalen Partner eine Notwendigkeit besteht, Schritte in Richtung Kompromiss zu unternehmen", sagte Regierungssprecher Eric Schultz am Freitag........spiegel.de
20/6/15
L’Europe et la Grèce peuvent-elles encore s’entendre ?...
ReplyDeleteAlors que les dirigeants européens se préparent pour un nouveau mini-sommet de la dernière chance sur la question de la dette grecque, prévu lundi, les signes que le torchon brûle entre Athènes et ses créanciers se multiplient.
Le ministre britannique des Finances, George Osborne, a le sens de la formule. "Il est minuit moins une dans la crise grecque", a-t-il déclaré, vendredi 19 juin. La situation est, il est vrai, propice aux envolées mélodramatiques.
Athènes et ses créanciers ont échoué, une énième fois, à se mettre d’accord sur une solution pour la dette grecque, jeudi 18 juin. Une réunion de crise des principaux dirigeants européens a été prévue, en urgence, pour lundi prochain, - la piste d'un défaut y sera même envisagée, a-t-on appris vendredi - tandis que la Grèce n’a pas l’ombre d’un début de solution pour payer les 1,5 milliard d’euros que le pays doit rembourser au Fonds monétaire international (FMI) avant le 30 juin......france24.com
20/6/15
A Greek minister has said new proposals will be put to creditors ahead of an emergency EU summit planned for Monday...
ReplyDeleteState Minister Alekos Flambouraris also told Greek media he believed the European Central Bank (ECB) would not allow Greece's banks to collapse.
Reports say billions of euros have been withdrawn from Greek banks in the past week....BBC
New Orleans police officer killed while transporting suspect; manhunt underway...
ReplyDeleteA veteran New Orleans police officer was shot and killed early Saturday while transporting a suspect to the city jail, authorities said. The suspect escaped and was being sought by law enforcement officers.
The New Orleans Police Department said Officer Daryle Holloway was shot while transporting the suspect, who managed to get his handcuffed hands from behind his back to the front, grab a firearm and shoot the officer. The police vehicle then crashed into a utility pole and the suspect, Travis Boys, fled.
Emergency medical teams arrived at the scene and found Holloway in the front seat of the vehicle with an apparent gunshot wound. He was taken to a local hospital, where he died a short time later...AP....ctvnews.ca
Plusieurs milliers de personnes ont manifesté samedi à Bratislava contre les quotas d'immigrants que l'Union européenne envisage de repartir entre les pays membres pour résoudre le problème de milliers de migrants affluant en Europe via la Méditerranée, a constaté un journaliste de l'AFP....
ReplyDeleteA la fin de la manifestation des incidents se sont produits entre plusieurs petits groupes et les forces de l'ordre, qui ont interpellé 140 personnes, selon l'agence slovaque TASR citant des sources policières. Un de ces groupes avait détruit six voitures de police. Les personnes interpellées seront interrogées et pourraient être poursuivies pour trouble à l'ordre public, destruction de biens et attaque contre représentant de l'autorité publique, a-t-telle ajouté.........rtl.be
Louka Katseli, chair of the National Bank of Greece, told the BBC that banks were not under immediate threat of running out of money...
ReplyDeleteBut she said the situation was serious, and without a deal would become severe.
Her remarks came as Mr Tsipras presented a Greek proposal for a deal during a conference call with German Chancellor Angela Merkel, French President Francois Hollande and EU Commission President Jean-Claude Juncker.
"The prime minister presented the three leaders Greece's proposal for a mutually beneficial agreement that will give a definitive solution and not postpone addressing the problem," Mr Tsipras's office said in a statement.
'Lack of leadership'
The proposal comes amid attempts to prevent Greece defaulting on a €1.6bn (£1.1bn) IMF loan repayment.
Greece has until the end of June to make the payment or risk crashing out of the single currency and possibly the EU.
The European Commission, the IMF and the European Central Bank (ECB) are unwilling to unlock bailout funds until Greece agrees to economic reforms they want to see introduced......BBC
Al-Jazeera journalist held in German custody as prosecutors weigh extradition...
ReplyDeleteA prominent Al-Jazeera journalist will remain in German custody for a second night, prosecutors said Sunday, adding they have not yet decided whether to extradite him to Egypt or set him free.
As dozens of supporters protested Sunday in front of the Berlin court building where Ahmed Mansour was being held, his lawyer, Fazli Altin, called for the journalist's immediate release, saying that Germany was getting involved in a politically tainted case.
Mansour, 52, a well-known journalist with the Qatar-based broadcaster's Arabic service, was detained at Berlin's Tegel airport on Saturday on an Egyptian arrest warrant, his lawyers said. Mansour, who holds dual Egyptian-British nationality, was trying to board a Qatar Airways flight to Doha, the station reported........AP....ctvnews.ca
Syrie: "L'EI a truffé d'explosifs le site antique de Palmyre"...
ReplyDeleteLes jihadistes du groupe Etat islamique (EI) ont truffé de mines et d'explosifs le site antique de Palmyre, en Syrie, a indiqué dimanche l'Observatoire syrien des droits de l'Homme.
Située dans le centre de la Syrie, Palmyre est tombée aux mains des jihadistes le 21 mai, faisant craindre pour son inestimable patrimoine archéologique, alors que l'EI a détruit des sites antiques en Irak.
Mais il n'était pas clair dans l'immédiat si l'intention des jihadistes était de faire sauter le site antique ou bien d'empêcher les force syriennes d'avancer, a précisé l'OSDH.
Appelée la "perle du désert", la cité de Palmyre est inscrite par l'Unesco au patrimoine mondial de l'humanité. Située à 210 km au nord-est de Damas, elle est réputée pour ses colonnades torsadées romaines, ses temples, et ses tours funéraires.
L'ONG a précisé que le régime syrien avait mené de nombreuses frappes aériennes contre les quartiers résidentiels de Palmyre ces dernières 72 heures, faisant au moins onze morts............rtbf.be
Greece races to offer new proposals ahead of emergency summit...
ReplyDeleteGreek Prime Minister Alexis Tsipras made a new offer on a reforms package to foreign creditors on Sunday, signalling eleventh-hour concessions to break a deadlock that has pushed Greece to the brink of bankruptcy.
After months of wrangling and with anxious depositors pulling billions of euros out of Greek banks, Tsipras’s leftist government showed a new willingness this weekend to make concessions that would unlock frozen aid to avert default.
French President François Hollande, on a visit to Milan, confirmed Greece had submitted new proposals. EU diplomats said the proposal had not arrived but representatives from the country’s European and IMF creditors were set to meet at 1500 GMT on Sunday to discuss it.
It was not immediately clear how far the new proposal yielded to creditors’ demands for additional spending cuts and tax hikes, but the offer was a ray of hope that a last-minute deal may yet be wrangled before Athens runs out of cash............france24.com
Tsipras spricht von„endgültiger Lösung“, Brüssel weiß von nichts...
ReplyDeleteKurz vor dem Krisengipfel der Euro-Staaten am Montag legt Griechenlands Regierungschef Tsipras nach eigenem Bekunden den Gläubigern neue Vorschläge vor. In Brüssel heißt es, davon sei nichts bekannt.......faz.net
EZB-Geld für griechische Banken: Berliner Politiker fordern Sofort-Stopp der Notfallhilfe...
ReplyDelete..............Die Nothilfen haben aus Sicht vieler Koalitionspolitiker in Berlin jedoch einen fatalen Effekt: Sie nehmen Druck raus und verschaffen der Regierung in Athen die Möglichkeit, weiter gegenüber den Verhandlungspartnern auf Zeit zu spielen. Bis zum 30. Juni läuft die Frist - kommt es zu keiner Einigung zwischen EZB, EU-Kommission und IWF über die Auszahlung von 7,2 Milliarden Euro aus der zweiten Hilfstranche, droht dem Land die Insolvenz.
Kurz vor dem Krisengipfel der Eurofinanzminister und der Euro-Staats- und Regierungschefs in Brüssel am Montag werden die Forderungen aus Union und SPD lauter, die EZB solle die Ela-Hilfe nicht mehr weiter gewähren. Manche halten es für unwahrscheinlich, dass der neueste Reformplan von Ministerpräsident Alexis Tsipras den Durchbruch schafft.
Der Unionsobmann im Bundestagsfinanzausschuss, Hans Michelbach (CSU), etwa sieht keine realistische Chance mehr für einen Verhandlungserfolg. Die Folgen eines Ausscheidens - des Grexit - seien zumindest für die Eurozone verkraftbar, glaubt er und verlangt von der EZB, die Nothilfekredite für Griechenland "sofort" zu stoppen............http://www.spiegel.de/politik/deutschland/griechenland-politiker-fordern-sofort-stopp-der-ezb-notfallhilfe-a-1039966.html
21/6/15
European leaders have intensified their efforts to reach a deal over the Greek debt crisis, ahead of an emergency Brussels summit to break the deadlock...
ReplyDeleteFrench President Francois Hollande has warned that "everything must be done" to keep Greece in the eurozone.....BBC
Italy’s Renzi says no tension with France over migrant crisis...
ReplyDeleteItaly’s prime minister and France’s president put on a show of unity on Sunday, dismissing suggestions of tensions between their countries over handling the waves of migrants landing on southern Europe’s shores.
Ministers in Paris and Rome have exchanged barbs after France began turning back migrants at the French-Italian border earlier this month, invoking EU rules requiring refuge seekers to do so in the first European country where they set foot.
Italy has long argued that it and Greece cannot cope alone with the influx just because they are the closest landing points for refugees and economic migrants from Africa and the Middle East streaming toward the European Union in rickety boats.
Following a meeting with France’s Francois Hollande at the Expo 2015 world fair in Milan, Italy’s Matteo Renzi said the two saw eye-to-eye and would push for an agreement with other European Union states at a summit scheduled for June 25-26.
“Were there tensions to defuse? No,” Renzi told a joint news conference. “Ministers have been making statements ... it’s like couples who have been together for a long time.”....france24.com
Le destin de la Grèce se joue ce lundi...
ReplyDeleteL’avenir de la Grèce dans la zone euro se joue ce lundi soir lors d’un sommet exceptionnel de la zone euro. Aucune solution n’a été trouvée ce week-end et à l’heure de boucler cette édition, les dirigeants européens attendaient toujours de recevoir d’Alexis Tsipras les nouvelles propositions grecques. Selon nos informations, les négociations téléphoniques allaient néanmoins dans le bon sens.
Un accord vraisemblablement conclu lundi soir
Une réunion est prévue ce lundi matin à 11 heures entre Alexis Tsipras (Premier ministre grec), Jean-Claude Juncker (président de la Commission européenne), Donald Tusk (président du Conseil européen et de la zone euro), Jeroen Dijsselbloem (président de l’Eurogroupe), Christine Lagarde (la patronne du Fonds monétaire international) et Mario Draghi (le président de la Banque centrale européenne). C’est, selon toute vraisemblance, à cette réunion que pourrait être conclu un accord de base entre la Grèce et ses créanciers. Lequel serait, le cas échéant, soumis ensuite à l’Eurogroupe, qui est l’instance formellement compétente. Celui-ci préparera le dossier ou les différentes options, qui seront soumises ensuite aux 19 chefs d’Etat ou de gouvernement lors du sommet proprement dit de la zone euro. Car tout accord devra être approuvé par chacun des 18 Etats membres de l’eurozone............lesoir.be
22/6/15
Philippines steps up drills with US, Japan forces near South China Sea....
ReplyDeleteThe Philippines will hold separate naval exercises with US and Japanese forces this week on a Philippine island that is not far from the disputed Spratly archipelago, where China's rapid creation of seven island outposts is stoking regional tensions.
Manila, which has one of the weakest navies in Asia, has stepped up its security cooperation this year in the wake of Chinese assertiveness in the South China Sea, not just with ally Washington, but also with Japan and Vietnam.
A Philippine military official said there was no plan for the Philippine, US and Japanese navies to hold combined exercises on Palawan island, 160km from the Spratlys, although the drills could intersect because Manila had limited naval assets.
"At some point all three forces could merge in one activity because we only have two ships and limited aircraft to take part in these exercises," said the official, who declined to be identified.
Late on Sunday, reporters could see two P3C-Orion maritime surveillance planes, one belonging to the United States and the other Japan, parked on a military airfield in Puerto Princesa City, the Palawan capital.....Reuters......http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com
22/6/15
EU-Kommission lobt Tsipras' Liste...
ReplyDeleteBeim Sondergipfel in Brüssel geht es am Abend wieder darum, die griechische Pleite zu verhindern. Gestern hatte Athen Pläne für eine "endgültige Lösung" präsentiert. Lange gab es keine Reaktion - bis sich die EU-Kommission mitten in der Nacht meldete.
Die EU-Kommission hat die neuen Vorschläge der griechischen Regierung zur Beilegung des Schuldenstreits in der Nacht vor dem Krisengipfel als "gute Grundlage" bezeichnet. Die Liste sei bei der Kommission, beim Internationalen Währungsfonds und der Europäischen Zentralbank (EZB) eingegangen, bestätigte der Kabinettschef von EU-Kommissionspräsident Jean-Claude Juncker, Martin Selmayr auf Twitter. Lange Zeit hatte es geheißen, in Brüssel habe bislang niemand die Liste bekommen.
Das überarbeitete griechische Angebot sei eine "gute Grundlage für Fortschritte" beim EU-Sondergipfel am Montagabend. Auf Deutsch fügte Selmayr offenbar mit Blick auf das zähe Ringen mit der linksgerichteten Regierung in Athen hinzu: "eine Zangengeburt". Zum Inhalt machte er keine Angabe............http://www.tagesschau.de/wirtschaft/griechenland-739.html
22/6/15
Que va-t-il se passer si la Grèce ne rembourse pas sa dette d'ici au 30 juin?...
ReplyDeleteCe lundi dans la chronique Bel RTL Eco, il était question de la situation économique de la Grèce: Bruno Wattenbergh examinait pour nous le calendrier de ce qui va se passer dans les prochains jours.
Quel est le calendrier qui va rythmer les événements qui concernent la Grèce et possible Grexit – une sortie de la Grèce de la Zone Euro ?
D’abord la date critique c’est le 30 juin, date de l’échéance de remboursement du prêt au FMI. Si la Grèce ne rembourse pas ce prêt-là, nous plongeons dans une aventure inconnue. Première date, aujourd’hui, ce soir, avec un sommet européen exceptionnel consacré à la Grèce.........rtl.be
22/6/15
Taliban attack forces evacuation of Afghan parliament...
ReplyDeleteTaliban suicide bombers and gunmen launched an attack on Afghan parliament during a morning session on Monday.
Fatullah Qaisari, a lawmaker from northern Faryab province, told Anadolu Agency that several explosions were heard outside the compound but the gunmen were not able to enter the building.
"The attackers have stationed in a building opposite the parliament compound and are firing toward the house," Qaisari said.
He said the lawmakers had been taken to a safehouse and that some had been wounded by broken glass.
Interior Ministry spokesman Sediq Sediqqi said the explosions were outside the compound and that special forces had been deployed.
The Afghan Second Vice President Sarwar Danish was at parliament to introduce a new nominee for the defense ministry and the Taliban, in a statement claiming responsibility, suggested this was the reason for the attack.
"Suicide bombers attacked the parliament building when they were preparing to give a vote of confidence to nominee for the Ministry of Defense," they said.
aa.com.tr
22/6/15
Bundeswirtschaftsminister Sigmar Gabriel hat vor dem Sondergipfel der Staats- und Regierungschefs zur Lösung des Griechenland-Schuldenstreits vor zu hohen Belastungen der Bürger gewarnt....
ReplyDeleteEs gelte "die kleinen Leute in Deutschland und Griechenland zu schützen", sagte der SPD-Chef der "Bild"-Zeitung vom Montag....fr-online.de
EU launches navy operation against migrant traffickers...
ReplyDeleteThe European Union has launched a naval operation to try to stop human traffickers from bringing migrants across the Mediterranean to Europe in unseaworthy boats.
More than 100,000 migrants have entered Europe so far this year, with some 2,000 dead or missing during their perilous quest to reach the continent. Dozens of boats are launched from lawless Libya each week, with Italy and Greece bearing the brunt of the surge.
The naval operation will begin operating in international waters and airspace until the EU can secure permission to enter Libyan territory.
EU foreign policy chief Federica Mogherini said Monday "there are things that we can do ... in international waters that we can begin with already now."
AP
dailystar.com.lb
22/6/15
EU foreign ministers formally agreed Monday to prolong to January 2016 damaging economic sanctions against Russia to ensure it fully implements Ukraine peace accords, officials said...
ReplyDelete"EU has extended economic sanctions against Russia until 31 January 2016, with a view to complete implementation of (the) Minsk agreement," an EU spokeswoman said in a tweeted message.
AFP
ahram.org.eg
EU foreign ministers have formally agreed to prolong to January 2016 damaging economic sanctions against Russia to ensure it fully implements Ukraine peace accords, officials said this morning...
ReplyDelete"EU has extended economic sanctions against Russia until 31 January 2016, with a view to complete implementation of [the] Minsk agreement," an EU spokeswoman said in a tweeted message.
The 28-nation bloc initially imposed travel bans and asset freezes against Russian and Ukrainian figures for their part in the crisis but reacted sharply after Malaysia Airlines flight MH17 was shot down in July over territory held by pro-Moscow rebels.
The EU hit Russia's banking, oil and defence sectors hard and, along with the United States, has warned more sanctions could follow unless Moscow lives up to its Minsk commitments to withdraw support for the rebels and use its influence with them to implement the accord............http://www.rte.ie/news/world/2015/0622/709680-ukraine-russia/
22/6/14
Greece's economy minister has spelled out the terms of new proposals to end deadlock on its debt crisis, amid hopes a deal can now be struck this week...
ReplyDeleteIt includes new taxes on businesses and the wealthy, Giorgios Stathakis told the BBC in an exclusive interview.
The Eurozone's top official said the plan was a positive step and ministers hoped to reach a deal this week.....BBC
Même s'il est acquis que l'on n'obteindra pas d'accord entre la Grèce et ses partenaires de la zone euro ce lundi, les dernières propositions formulées par le gouvernement grec laissent entrevoir la possibilité d'un accord avant la fin de la semaine, a indiqué lundi après-midi le président de l'Eurogroupe Jeroen Dijsselbloem, à l'issue d'une courte réunion des ministres des Finances de la zone euro....
ReplyDeleteLes ministres ont "écouté les impressions à chaud des institutions" chargées de négocier avec Athènes la prolongation de l'aide financière au pays en échange de réformes structurelles. Les propositions présentées lundi matin forment "un paquet relativement complet, de prime abord", mais il faudra voir si ce paquet sera suffisant pour relancer la croissance, ont indiqué M. Dijsselbloem et le commissaire européen aux Affaires économiques et monétaires Pierre Moscovici.
"Une bonne base"
La réunion des ministres des Finances de la zone euro s'est achevée lundi à Bruxelles après un peu plus de deux heures, et le travail technique va se poursuivre dans la semaine pour parvenir à un accord entre Athènes et ses créanciers, UE et FMI, ont indiqué plusieurs responsables européens.
"Fin de l'Eurogroupe. Le travail continue. Les institutions (créancières, ndlr) étudient les propositions" d'Athènes, a indiqué Alexander Stubb, le ministre finlandais des Finances, sur son compte Twitter.
Les ministres des Finances vont "se retrouver dans la semaine", a ajouté le vice-président de la Commission européenne, Valdis Dombrovskis dans un autre tweet. "Nous avons besoin d'un accord dans les jours qui viennent", a-t-il ajouté.....rtbf.be
Yanukovych regrets bloodshed in Kiev...
ReplyDeleteUkraine's former president Viktor Yanukovych has said he accepts some responsibility for the killings that led to his overthrow in February 2014.
"I don't deny my responsibility," he told BBC Newsnight, when asked about the shooting of demonstrators in Kiev's Maidan Square.
He never ordered the security forces to open fire, he said, but admitted he had not done enough to prevent bloodshed.
It is his first Western media interview since the civil war erupted last year.
"I did not give any orders [to use firearms], that was not my authority… I was against any use of force, let alone the use of firearms, I was against bloodshed.
"But the members of the security forces fulfilled their duties according to existing laws. They had the right to use weapons," he said....BBC
Syria’s army advanced this weekend west of the ancient city of Palmyra, reopening a key supply route for oil and gas to the capital, a newspaper and monitoring group said Monday...
ReplyDelete“The infantry has made tangible progress in the area of west Biyarat,” said the Al-Watan daily, which is close to the government.
It said the army had “intensified” its operations against the Islamic State of Iraq and Syria (ISIS) in Palmyra and the surrounding area.
“This weekend, the regime ousted IS jihadists from al-Biyarat and is now about 10 kilometres (six miles) from Palmyra,” said the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights monitoring group.
Observatory head Rami Abdel Rahman said the capture of the area “allows the regime to secure a transport route for oil from the Jazal field... to other Syrian cities under its control.” ......alarabiya.net
Iraqis return to Tikrit after Islamic State group routed...
ReplyDeleteAbdel Mowgood Hassan climbs over toppled bricks and a torn-away front door to enter his uncle's house in Tikrit, the first of his relatives to make a cautious return home since Islamic State militants were driven out.
"It's safe," Hassan calmly says. "I checked for booby traps."
He is one in a trickle of civilians to return to Saddam Hussein's hometown in recent days after Iraqi forces and allied militias captured the city in April from the Islamic State group. But while police now patrol the streets, its Sunni civilians are worried about the future, apprehensive about the Shiite militias that liberated Tikrit and fearful the Islamic State group could come back........AP......ctvnews.ca
23/6/15
China is mounting a serious effort to challenge U.S. military superiority in air and space, forcing the Pentagon to seek new technologies and systems to stay ahead of its rapidly developing rival, Deputy Defense Secretary Robert Work said Monday.
ReplyDeleteThe Pentagon’s chief operating officer, speaking to a group of military and civilian aerospace experts, said China was “quickly closing the technological gaps,” developing radar-evading aircraft, advanced reconnaissance planes, sophisticated missiles and top-notch electronic warfare equipment.
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While hoping for a constructive relationship with China, the Pentagon “cannot overlook the competitive aspects of our relationship, especially in the realm of military capabilities, an area in which China continues to improve at a very impressive rate,” he said......japantimes.co.jp
23/6/15
Japanese plane circles over China-claimed region in S.China Sea...
ReplyDeleteA Japanese military patrol plane circled over disputed parts of the South China Sea on Tuesday at the start of an exercise with the Philippine military that has irked China.
According to Japanese and Philippine officials, the Japanese P3-C Orion surveillance plane, with three Filipino guest crew members, flew at 5,000 feet (1,524 m) above the edge of Reed Bank, an energy-rich area that is claimed by both China and the Philippines. It was accompanied by a smaller Philippine patrol aircraft.
The disputed waters are close to the Spratly Islands, which the Philippines also claims, where China is building a series of man-made islands.
"We practiced search and rescue patterns, which are essential in any humanitarian assistance and disaster response operations," Marine Colonel Jonas Lumawag said at Puerta Princesa International Airport on Palawan island, the operations base for the drill 50 miles (80 km) to the west.
"This is our first time here and also with this kind of activity with the Philippines," Maritime Self Defense Force Commander Hiromi Hamano, head of the Japanese navy contingent, said after the P3-C returned to Palawan.
Japan's presence in what it considers international waters may be seen by Beijing as tacit support for ownership claims made by the Philippines............reuters.com
23/6/15
Naval drill in South China Sea may lead to larger role for Japan...
DeleteA tiny military exercise in the Philippines this week may presage something much bigger: the entry of Japan into the tussle for control of the South China Sea.
A Maritime Self-Defense Force surveillance plane and about 20 personnel conducted the first of two days of joint training with the Philippine navy on Tuesday off the coast of Palawan, a strategically important island not far from contested islands claimed by several countries, including China and the Philippines.
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While the P-3C plane was being used for maritime search and rescue drills and disaster relief drills, the aircraft is also a mainstay of Japan’s anti-submarine and other aerial surveillance efforts. In theory, it could help the U.S. keep an eye on the Chinese navy in the South China Sea. Some experts think that’s a possibility in coming years.
“It’s likely we will see Japan doing joint surveillance and reconnaissance in the South China Sea in the coming years,” said Narushige Michishita, a defense expert at the National Graduate Institute for Policy Studies in Tokyo. “It is going to be with the U.S., Australia, the Philippines and others.”...AP.......japantimes.co.jp
23/6/15
Libya's air force warns Europe over naval plan for migrants...
ReplyDeleteThe air force commander of Libya's internationally recognized government has warned European countries that any vessels entering Libyan waters without permission would be targeted by air strikes.
The warning came after European Union foreign ministers agreed on Monday to launch a naval operation to combat people-traffickers who have brought thousands of migrants on perilous journeys across the Mediterranean Sea to Europe.
Securing consent from Libya, where two rival governments and their armed forces are battling for control, has been a major concern for European powers trying to stem an increasing flow of migrants from Libya's shores.
"Any vessel found in Libyan waters without previous cooperation or permission will be targeted by the air force," Libyan air force commander Saqr Al-Jaroushi told Reuters late on Monday..........reuters.com
23/6/15
"Boot ist voll": Ungarn nimmt keine Flüchtlinge zurück...
ReplyDeleteDie ungarische Regierung hat noch selten einen Konflikt mit der EU gescheut. Nun geht Premier Viktor Orbán auch in der Flüchtlingskrise auf Konfrontationskurs. Er ließ am Dienstag einseitig die Dublin-III-Verordnung suspendieren. Ungarn wird fortan keine Flüchtlinge mehr zurücknehmen, die über die ungarische Grenze in die EU gekommen sind und danach in andere Mitgliedstaaten weitergezogen sind.....diepresse.com
23/6/15
Hungary unilaterally suspends EU asylum rules...
DeleteHungary’s anti-immigration government said Tuesday it has unilaterally suspended European Union rules on asylum seekers that state a migrant's claim should be processed in the EU country that they first set foot in.
Known as the Dublin Regulation, the EU rule means that member states are required to take back refugees who arrive in the country but then travel on elsewhere.
Hungary is in Europe's passport-free Schengen zone, which means that once migrants have arrived in the country, they can travel freely in the other 25 nations in the bloc.
The EU commission said immediately after Hungary’s announcement that it has asked the country’s government to explain the suspension...........france24.com
Iran talks to continue in Vienna (EEAS)...
ReplyDelete"In the context of the E3/EU+3's efforts to complete work on a comprehensive, long-term solution to the Iranian nuclear issue within the agreed timeframe, EU Political Director Helga Schmid and Iranian Deputy Foreign Ministers Abbas Araghchi and Madjid Takht Ravanchi will meet again today, 23 June, in Vienna.
It follows a political meeting in Luxembourg yesterday between the E3 Foreign Ministers (Franz-Walter Stenmeier, DE; Laurent Fabius, FR; Philip Hammond, UK) and the Iranian Foreign Minister, Javad Zarif, chaired by EU High Representative Federica Mogherini.
They will be joined by E3+3 Political Directors later this week. Technical experts from the E3/EU+3 and Iran are continuing to meet in parallel to reach agreement on the technical annexes, which will form part of any comprehensive agreement.
We also thank the Austrian government for hosting the negotiations at political level in Vienna.'
http://eeas.europa.eu/statements-eeas/2015/150623_01_en.htm
23/6/15
US 'spied on French presidents' - Wikileaks...
ReplyDeleteThe US National Security Agency (NSA) spied on French Presidents Jacques Chirac, Nicolas Sarkozy and Francois Hollande in 2006-12, WikiLeaks says.
The whistleblower website cites "top secret intelligence reports and technical documents" from the NSA.
The US would not confirm the veracity of the documents, while Mr Hollande called a defence council meeting on the issue for Wednesday, an aide said.
In 2013 the NSA was accused of spying on German Chancellor Angela Merkel....BBC
24/6/15
WikiLeaks published documents late Tuesday that it says show the U.S. National Security Agency eavesdropped on the last three French presidents, releasing material which appeared to capture officials in Paris talking candidly about Greece's economy, relations with Germany -- and, ironically, American espionage...
ReplyDeleteThe release caused uproar among French politicians, although it didn't reveal any huge surprises or secrets. France itself is on the verge of approving broad new surveillance powers, and is among several U.S. allies that rely heavily on American spying powers when trying to prevent terrorist and other threats.
There was no instant confirmation of the accuracy of the documents released in collaboration with French daily newspaper Liberation and investigative website Mediapart, but WikiLeaks has a track record of publishing intelligence and diplomatic material. It appeared serious enough to prompt an emergency meeting of President Francois Hollande's defence council, according to presidential aides. The council, convening Wednesday morning, includes top French security officials.
WikiLeaks spokesman Kristinn Hrafnsson told The Associated Press he was confident the documents were authentic, noting that WikiLeaks' previous mass disclosures -- including a large cache of Saudi diplomatic memos released last week -- have proven to be accurate.........AP.......ctvnews.ca
Σε περίπτωση που δεν επιτευχθεί λύση για μια συμφωνία με την Ελλάδα ως την Κυριακή, δεν είναι δυνατόν να προβλεφθεί τι θα συμβεί στη συνέχεια, δήλωσε στον ραδιοφωνικό σταθμό ORF ο Αυστριακός υπουργός Οικονομικών, Χανς Γεργκ Σέλινγκ...
ReplyDeleteΓια να συμφωνήσουν οι θεσμοί των πιστωτών και οι υπουργοί Οικονομικών της ευρωζώνης ως προς τις τελευταίες προτάσεις της Αθήνας, χρειάζεται ένα συγκεκριμένο χρονοδιάγραμμα εφαρμογής των μεταρρυθμίσεων, δήλωσε.
huffingtonpost.gr
Παράταση για τις φορολογικές δηλώσεις...
ReplyDeleteΠαράταση της προθεσμίας υποβολής των φετινών φορολογικών δηλώσεων (που κανονικά έληγε στις 30 Ιουνίου) μέχρι τις 20 Ιουλίου αναμένεται να ανακοινώσει το υπουργείο Οικονομικών, καθώς τα στοιχεία δείχνουν ότι η υποβολή των δηλώσεων προχωρά με ρυθμούς χελώνας......ethnos.gr
President Barack Obama is clearing the way for families of U.S. hostages to pay ransom to terror groups without fear of prosecution, as the White House seeks to address criticism from those whose loved ones have been killed in captivity...
ReplyDeleteThe hostage policy review to be released Wednesday will also state that the U.S. government can help facilitate communications with terrorists on behalf of the families, according to U.S. officials. However, a prohibition on the U.S. government directly paying ransoms or making other concessions to terrorists will remain in place.
Obama will speak about the policies shortly after meeting with the families of Americans who have been held captive. The president ordered the review last year after families complained about their dealings with the administration, saying they were threatened with criminal prosecution if they pursued paying ransom in exchange for their loved ones' release.....AP.......ctvnews.ca
24/6/15
Bomb attack in restive Xinjiang and police response kill at least 18: Radio Free Asia...
ReplyDeleteEthnic Uighurs attacked police with knives and bombs at a traffic checkpoint in China's far western Xinjiang region, Radio Free Asia reported on Wednesday, and at least 18 people were killed.
The attack occurred at the beginning of the Muslim fasting month of Ramadan on Monday in the southern city of Kashgar, where tensions between Muslim Uighurs that call the region home and the majority Han Chinese have led to bloodshed in recent years.
Hundreds have been killed in violence across the region, blamed by Beijing on Islamist militants.
Suspects killed several police officers with knives and bombs after speeding through a traffic checkpoint in a car in Kashgar's Tahtakoruk district, U.S.-based Radio Free Asia said, citing Turghun Memet, an officer at a nearby police station.
Armed police responded to the attack and killed 15 suspects "designated as terrorists", Radio Free Asia cited Memet as saying...........reuters.com
Iran nuclear talks: Khamenei rejects key US demands...
ReplyDeleteIran's supreme leader has hardened his stance on the nuclear negotiations with world powers, with the deadline for a comprehensive agreement only days away.
In a speech on Tuesday night, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei insisted Iran would only dismantle its nuclear infrastructure if economic sanctions were lifted first.
He also ruled out a freeze on research and development for 10 years, as well as inspections of military sites.
The demands appear to undercut a framework deal announced in April.
They could also limit the ability of Iran's negotiating team to make key concessions as the self-imposed 30 June deadline approaches.
As supreme leader, Ayatollah Khamenei has final say on all state matters...........BBC
Iran's constitutional watchdog has ratified legislation banning access to military sites and scientists as Tehran and world powers approach a deadline for reaching a comprehensive nuclear deal...
ReplyDeleteState TV says the Guardian Council ratified the bill Wednesday. All bills have to be approved by the council to become a law.
The bill would allow for international inspections of Iranian nuclear sites within the framework of the Nuclear Non-proliferation Treaty....AP......ctvnews.ca
La Grèce a rejeté "une contre-proposition" des créanciers ...
ReplyDeleteLe gouvernement grec a rejeté mercredi une contre-proposition soumise par les créanciers à Athènes, comprenant surtout des souhaits du FMI, a indiqué une source gouvernementale grecque.
"Cette contre-proposition" qui insiste, selon Athènes, sur la hausse des recettes de la TVA et sur des coupes plus importantes dans les dépenses publiques, intervient deux heures après que le Premier ministre grec Alexis Tsipras eut déploré que le FMI n'accepte pas "les mesures compensatoires" proposées par Athènes lundi, lors d'une réunion des dirigeants des pays de la zone euro à Bruxelles, jugées alors positives par les créanciers.
De son côté, le ministre grec des Finances Yanis Varoufakis s'est dit optimiste sur l'issue des négociations entre la Grèce et ses créanciers, soulignant que les discussions entraient "dans la dernière ligne droite" en vue de la conclusion d'un accord avec l'UE et le FMI......rtbf.be
24/6/15
Mr Tsipras held several hours of talks but officials said there was little sign of a breakthrough, with differences over whether the reform plan should have an emphasis on tax rises or pension and spending cuts...
ReplyDeleteThe negotiations reconvened in the evening but again ended without a deal....BBC
Tsipras und die Geldgeber vertagen sich ergebnislos...
ReplyDeleteDie Hängepartie um eine Lösung der griechischen Schuldenkrise geht erneut in die Verlängerung. Die Beteiligten geben sich entschlossen, doch noch zu einer Einigung zu kommen. Die Chancen sind gering......welt.de
25/6/15
Late night talks between the Greek government and its creditors in Brussels have ended and were expected to resume on Thursday morning ahead of a meeting of euro zone finance ministers, a source familiar with the talks said...
ReplyDeleteThere were no immediate details of the outcome.
Negotiations to avert a Greek debt default stumbled on Wednesday and euro zone finance ministers accused Athens of refusing to compromise despite a deadline next week that could put it on a path out of the euro zone.
jpost by Reuters
Portugal diz que "troika" está unida quanto à Grécia...
ReplyDeleteA ministra das Finanças portuguesa explicou que o Eurogrupo entendeu suspender a reunião na quarta-feira à noite e retomá-la na quinta-feira, para "dar mais umas horas" ao Governo grego e às instituições para concluírem as discussões em curso.
"As discussões entre as instituições e as autoridades gregas ainda estão em curso e não estavam ainda suficientemente avançadas para que pudéssemos ter hoje uma discussão e, como tal, entendeu-se que era mais produtivo interromper a reunião, dar mais umas horas para estas conversações continuarem e amanhã às 13 horas (12 em Portugal continental) retomamos os trabalhos, para analisarmos as conclusões que essa discussão entretanto venha a produzir", afirmou Maria Luís Albuquerque, quarta-feira à noite, à saída do encontro, em Bruxelas.........jn.pt
ISIS re-enters Kurdish held town of Kobane...
ReplyDeleteIslamic State fighters have entered the Syrian town of Kobane, months after being driven out in a long battle with Kurdish troops, activists say.
The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights says a number of people were killed in fierce clashes in the centre of the town on the Syrian-Turkish border.
The battle made international headlines - heralding what some saw as a symbolic defeat for the IS.
IS has suffered a string of defeats to Kurdish forces since then.
Early this week, Kurdish Popular Protection Units (YPG) forces said they had captured a key town, Ain Issa, just 50km (30 miles) from the IS headquarters at Raqqa, days after seizing Tal Abyad and cutting a major supply line for IS.................http://www.bbc.com/news/world-middle-east-33266399
Syriza wirft Gläubigern Erpressung und Barbarei vor...
ReplyDeleteIn Brüssel wird auf allen Ebenen über Griechenland verhandelt. Die Partei von Tsipras aber ist unzufrieden mit dem Premier und sauer auf die Geldgeber.....zeit.de
25/6/15
Twelve people were killed and 70 wounded in a car bomb blast and attacks by Islamic State militants in the Syrian Kurdish town of Kobani on Thursday, hospital officials in the town told Reuters by telephone....
ReplyDeleteKurdish forces, helped by U.S. and allied air support, retook control of Kobani five months ago following a four-month siege by Islamic State fighters, who have seized large parts of Syria and Iraq.
jpost.com by Reuters
25/6/15
NATO warns of risk of heavy fighting in Ukraine...
ReplyDeleteNATO head Jens Stoltenberg warned Thursday there was still a risk of heavy fighting in Ukraine and urged Russia to halt its support for pro-Moscow rebels.
A February ceasefire brokered in Minsk by France and Germany has largely held but in recent weeks there has been an upsurge in fighting, threatening to undo the accord as the death toll tops 6,500.
"Ceasefire violations persist. There is still a risk of a return to heavy fighting," Stoltenberg said.
"Russia continues to support the separatists with training, weapons and soldiers; it has a large number of forces stationed on it's border with Ukraine," he added.
"The best chance for peace is the full implementation of the Minsk agreements. I urge all parties to do so and Russia has a special responsibility in this regard."
Russia denies that it is directly involved in the 15-month conflict in Ukraine.......dailystar.com.lb
25/6/15
Une roquette tirée depuis le sud de la Syrie s'abat en Jordanie...
ReplyDeleteUne roquette tirée depuis la Syrie voisine s'est abattue jeudi sur Al-Ramtha, une ville du nord de la Jordanie, faisant un mort et quatre blessés. La localité est située seulement à quelques kilomètres de la ville syrienne de Deraa.
Une roquette tirée depuis le territoire syrien s'est abattue jeudi sur un marché de la ville d'Al-Ramtha, dans le nord de la Jordanie. L’explosion a fait un mort, un vendeur de rue âgé de 20 ans, et quatre blessés, selon plusieurs sources officielles jordaniennes.
Al-Ramtha est située à quelques kilomètres seulement de la ville syrienne de Deraa, épicentre de la révolte contre le président Bachar al-Assad en 2011, et théâtre de combats entre une coalition de rebelles et les forces du régime syrien........france24.com
25/6/15
U.S. intelligence chief: China top suspect in hack of U.S. agency: WSJ...
ReplyDeleteThe United States' intelligence chief said on Thursday that China was the top suspect in a hack of a U.S. agency that compromised the personnel records of millions of Americans, the Wall Street Journal reported on Thursday.
The comments from Director of National Intelligence (DNI) James Clapper marked a departure of sorts for the Obama administration, which has avoided publicly pointing to Beijing, even as officials said privately China likely was behind the attack.
"You have to kind of salute the Chinese for what they did," given the difficulty of the intrusion, the Journal quoted Clapper as saying at a Washington intelligence conference.
In a statement, the Clapper's office said: "The DNI was clear China remains a leading suspect, though the USG continues to investigate," using an acronym for the U.S. Government. It referred any other questions on the investigation to the FBI.......reuters.com
25/6/15
Russia always seeks to settle disputes through political approaches, President Vladimir Putin said Thursday...
ReplyDelete"We do not and cannot have any aggressive plans. We are not threatening anyone and we seek to resolve any disputes exclusively by political methods under international laws and considering the interests of other countries," Putin told graduates of military academies.
"Russia is a country that is open to the world and willing to strengthen cooperation with all countries that are ready for this, " an online official transcript quoted Putin as saying.
During his speech, Putin vowed to further strengthen the development of Russian armed forces and to speed up the structural reforms of military management systems and decision-making mechanisms.
"A strong army equipped with advanced weapons is a guarantee of Russia's sovereignty and territorial integrity, a guarantee of the peaceful and stable life of millions of our fellow citizens," the president said...........Xinhua
Japan, China to agree on procedures for unexpected military encounters: source...
ReplyDeleteJapan and China will next month conclude an agreement to define procedures for communication between their naval vessels and military aircraft during unexpected encounters to reduce the risk of confrontation, a source told Reuters.
As China's military grows and as Japan looks to expand its Self Defense Force operations beyond home waters to regions such as the South China Sea, encounters between their armed forces are on the rise........Reuters.....todayonline.com
EU leaders holding late-night talks in Brussels have agreed to relocate tens of thousands of migrants who have arrived in Italy and Greece...
ReplyDeleteSummit chairman Donald Tusk said 40,000 would be relocated to other EU states over the next two years.
However, there will be no mandatory quotas for each country......BBC
EU's Oettinger gives Athens five days to avoid a 'Grexit'...
ReplyDeleteA Greek exit from the euro zone will be inevitable if Athens and its lenders do not come up with a solution within the next five days, Germany's EU Commissioner Guenther Oettinger said on Friday.
"We will do everything up until the 30th so that the Greeks show they are prepared to reform," Oettinger told Deutschlandfunk radio.
"A 'Grexit' is not our aim but would be unavoidable if there is no solution in the next five days," he said.
(Reporting by Caroline Copley; Editing by Shri Navaratnam)
- Reuters
Morgen soll sich Athens Zukunft entscheiden...
ReplyDeleteNach dem erneuten Abbruch der Verhandlungen hat der EU-Gipfel der griechischen Regierung abermals eine Frist gesetzt - es soll die letzte sein. Morgen beraten erneut die Euro-Finanzminister. Dem Treffen komme "entscheidende Bedeutung" zu, sagte Kanzlerin Merkel.
Nach der erneuten Vertagung der Verhandlungen in der griechischen Schuldenkrise erwarten die EU-Staats- und Regierungschefs die Entscheidung über Griechenlands Zukunft beim morgigen Sondertreffen der Euro-Finanzminister. "Der Eurogruppe am Samstag kommt eine entscheidende Bedeutung zu. Denn die Zeit drängt", sagte Bundeskanzlerin Angela Merkel in der Nacht auf dem laufenden EU-Gipfel in Brüssel. Die Staats- und Regierungschefs seien sich in dieser Einschätzung einig gewesen. "Wir setzen darauf, dass eine Einigung erreicht werden kann", fügte Merkel hinzu..............http://www.tagesschau.de/wirtschaft/griechenland-verhandlungen-127.html
26/6/15
Greece's commitment to euro zone 'absolute' - Varoufakis...
ReplyDeleteGreek Finance Minister Yanis Varoufakis has said that Greece has a moral responsibility to reach agreement not only for his country but for the euro zone also.
Mr Varoufakis was speaking to RTÉ's Morning Ireland as talks between the Greek government and international creditors remain deadlocked.
He said it was not a game of guessing chances and that Greece was obliged to find a viable solution for the benefit of the whole of the euro zone...............http://www.rte.ie/news/business/2015/0626/710721-greece-euro-zone/
26/6/15
One killed, others hurt in French factory attack ...
ReplyDeletePolice arrested a man suspected of carrying out a deadly attack on a factory in eastern France killing one person and wounding several others on Friday.
The attacker carried an Islamist flag as he stormed the factory and set off several small explosive devices, a source told AFP.
A decapitated body was found nearby the factory, another source said adding that Arabic writing was found on the severed head pinned to French factory gates.
French Prime Minister Manuel Valls ordered that security be tightened on “sensitive” sites.
“According to the initial findings of the enquiry, one or several individuals on board a vehicle, drove into the factory. An explosion then took place,” said one of the sources.
“The decapitated body of a person was found nearby the factory but we do not yet know whether the body was transported to the place or not,” added this source, adding that a “flag with Arabic writing on it was found on the scene.”.............alarabiya.net
26/6/15
Tunisia attack on Sousse beach 'kills 28'...
ReplyDeleteAt least 28 people, mostly foreigners, have been killed in an attack on a beach near two tourist hotels in the Tunisian resort town of Sousse, according to the interior ministry.
Officials say one gunman has been shot dead and another is being pursued.
Interior Ministry officials said Tunisians, Britons, Germans and Belgians are among the dead.
In March militants killed 22 people, mainly foreign tourists, in an attack on a museum in the capital Tunis.
Officials say six people have been injured in the attack.....BBC
Two gunmen rushed from the beach into a hotel in the Tunisian resort town of Sousse Friday, killing at least 28 people and wounding 36 others in the latest attack on the North African country's key tourism industry, the Interior Ministry said...
DeleteWielding Kalashnikovs, the gunmen entered the Imperial Marhaba hotel from the beach, said Interior Ministry spokesman Mohammed Ali Aroui said. Security forces responded, killing one of the attackers, while the hunt for the second attacker is still ongoing, he said.
"A terrorist infiltrated the buildings from the back before opening fire on the residents of the hotel, including foreigners and Tunisians," he told the state news agency............AP............ctvnews.ca
The death toll from the shooting attack on a Tunisian seaside resort hotel on Friday has risen to 37, the health ministry said in a statement carried by state news agency TAP.
DeleteWhite House condemns 'heinous' attacks in Tunisia, France, Kuwait...
DeleteThe White House condemned "heinous attacks" Friday in France, Kuwait and Tunisia, expressing solidarity and efforts to "fight the scourge of terrorism."
"We stand with these nations as they respond to attacks on their soil today and we have been in contact with appropriate counterparts in all three countries to offer any necessary support," a statement said.
AFP
ahram.org.eg
Greece debt crisis: Tsipras announces bailout referendum...
ReplyDeleteGreece will hold a referendum on 5 July on a controversial bailout deal with foreign creditors, Prime Minister Alexis Tsipras has announced.
In a televised address, he described the plan as "humiliation" and condemned "unbearable" austerity measures demanded by creditors.
The Greek government earlier rejected the proposals, aimed at avoiding the country defaulting on its debt........http://www.bbc.com/news/world-europe-33296839
Die Griechen sollen entscheiden, ob die Regierung in Athen das Sparprogramm der Gläubiger akzeptieren soll...
ReplyDeleteDies kündigte Regierungschef Alexis Tsipras in einer Fernsehansprache in der Nacht auf Samstag an. Er habe bereits Staatspräsident Prokopis Pavlopoulos sowie die größte Oppositionspartei, die konservative Nea Dimokratia, informiert. Die Volksabstimmung soll am 5. Juli stattfinden. Deshalb werde er die Geldgeber um einige Tage Aufschub bitten, so Tsipras. Denn das aktuelle Hilfsprogramm läuft eigentlich schon am 30. Juni aus......diepresse.com
27/6/15
Tsipras sieht Referendum als "historische Frage"...
ReplyDeleteDie Griechen sollen in einer Volksabstimmung über das Sparprogramm der Geldgeber entscheiden. Premier Alexis Tsipras sieht darin nicht weniger als eine "historische Frage".
Ministerpräsident Alexis Tsipras will das griechische Volk am 5. Juli über die von den internationalen Geldgebern verlangten Reformen abstimmen lassen. Er werde die Gläubiger bitten, das Ende Juni auslaufende Hilfspaket um einige Tage zu verlängern, sagte Tsipras am Freitagabend. Das Volk solle entscheiden, ob es die Vorschläge der Euro-Partner akzeptieren könne.
Ohne weitere Hilfen der Gläubiger steht Hellas vor der Staatspleite. Die verlangten Einsparungen und Steuererhöhungen, mit denen die Wirtschaft wettbewerbsfähiger gemacht werden soll, sind in dem hoch verschuldeten Land verhasst. Tsipras wurde mit dem Versprechen gewählt, den Sparkurs zu beenden..............http://www.welt.de/wirtschaft/article143157013/Tsipras-sieht-Referendum-als-historische-Frage.html
O primeiro-ministro grego, Alexis Tsipras, anunciou, na noite desta sexta-feira, a convocação de um referendo para dia 5 de julho sobre se deve, ou não, ser aceite o acordo com os credores internacionais...
ReplyDelete"A consulta será realizada a 5 de julho" e a questão será "sim" ou "não" para as últimas propostas dos credores, disse Tsipras já depois da meia-noite (na Grécia), numa mensagem televisiva e após uma reunião de emergência do Governo.
Para sábado, em Bruxelas, está prevista mais uma reunião do Eurogrupo para as 14 horas (13 horas em Portugal continental).
Este novo encontro dos ministros das Finanças da zona euro - o quarto na mesma semana e o quinto em dez dias - tem como objetivo chegar a um acordo com a Grécia quanto às medidas a adotar pelo país e acontece a três dias do final do prazo para Atenas pagar cerca de 1,6 mil milhões de euros ao Fundo Monetário Internacional (FMI).
Segundo fontes diplomáticas, se houver acordo e se o Parlamento grego passar as medidas no domingo ou na segunda-feira, serão desbloqueados imediatamente para a Grécia 1.800 milhões de euros de lucros que o Banco Central Europeu (BCE) fez com a dívida pública helénica, a tempo de Atenas pagar o dinheiro devido ao FMI, cujo prazo termina a 30 de junho, na terça-feira..............jn.pt
Greece debt: Crisis meeting over bailout referendum...
ReplyDeleteGreece's creditors are holding a crisis meeting with the Greek finance minister after Athens called a referendum on the terms for a fresh bailout.
Greek PM Alexis Tsipras called the referendum for 5 July, but Greece's current bailout expires on Tuesday.
The country's creditors are expected to decide whether to extend that bailout until after the vote is completed.
As the Greek parliament debates whether to ratify the referendum, queues have formed outside banks in Athens.
Many fear that Greece's central bank might start restricting withdrawals.
It is unclear what would happen if Greece does not get a temporary extension....BBC
Argentine Judge Orders Seizure of Falklands Drillers' Assets ...
ReplyDeleteAn Argentine judge has ordered the seizure of assets of oil drilling companies operating in the Falklands Islands, including property held by U.S. firm Noble Energy, as the country takes a firmer line on the disputed territory ahead of October elections.
Lilian Herraez, a federal judge in Tierra del Fuego, ordered the seizure of $156 million in bank accounts, boats and other property, the government said Saturday. The companies named in the order were Premier Oil Plc, Falkland Oil and Gas Ltd., Rockhopper Exploration Plc, Noble Energy Inc. and Edison International Spa.
A source with knowledge of the situation said the companies in question do not generally hold any assets in Argentina or use Argentine waters.
But the public prosecutor's office said in a statement that investigators "had identified the assets of the foreign companies and discovered that one of them, U.S. firm Noble Energy, has a local office registered in Argentina." Authorities would move to freeze those assets, it said....Reuters........voanews.com
ELA to Greek banks maintained at its current level...
ReplyDeleteECB takes note of decision on Greek referendum and the non-prolongation of the EU adjustment programme
ECB will work closely with Bank of Greece to maintain financial stability
Emergency liquidity assistance maintained at Friday’s (26 June 2015) level
Governing Council stands ready to review decision
Governing Council closely monitoring situation and potential implications for monetary policy stance
The Governing Council of the European Central Bank today welcomed the commitment by ministers from euro area Member States to take all necessary measures to further improve the resilience of euro area economies and to stand ready to take decisive steps to strengthen Economic and Monetary Union.
Following the decision by the Greek authorities to hold a referendum and the non-prolongation of the EU adjustment programme for Greece, the Governing Council declared it will work closely with the Bank of Greece to maintain financial stability.
Given the current circumstances, the Governing Council decided to maintain the ceiling to the provision of emergency liquidity assistance (ELA) to Greek banks at the level decided on Friday (26 June 2015).
The Governing Council stands ready to reconsider its decision.
Mario Draghi, ECB President, said: “We continue to work closely with the Bank of Greece and we strongly endorse the commitment of Member States in pledging to take action to address the fragilities of euro area economies.”
Yannis Stournaras, Governor of the Bank of Greece, said: “The Bank of Greece, as a member of the Eurosystem, will take all measures necessary to ensure financial stability for Greek citizens in these difficult circumstances.”
The Governing Council is closely monitoring the situation in financial markets and the potential implications for the monetary policy stance and for the balance of risks to price stability in the euro area. The Governing Council is determined to use all the instruments available within its mandate.
For media enquiries, please contact William Lelieveldt, tel.: +49 69 1344 7316
https://www.ecb.europa.eu/press/pr/date/2015/html/pr150628.en.html
28/6/15
Greek debt crisis: Banks 'to stay shut on Monday'...
ReplyDeleteGreek banks will be closed on Monday, the head of the Piraeus Bank has said after an emergency meeting of the country's Financial Stability Council.
The Greek cabinet is due to meet later, with an announcement to follow.
Earlier, the European Central Bank (ECB) said it was not increasing emergency funding to Greek banks.
Greece is due to make a €1.6bn (£1.1bn) payment to the International Monetary Fund (IMF) on Tuesday - the same day that its current bailout expires.
Without new emergency funds, Greece risks defaulting and moving closer to a possible exit from the eurozone.
Greeks have been queuing to withdraw money from cash machines over the weekend, and Greece is now expected to impose capital controls as it tries to avert a financial collapse.
Asked if capital controls were inevitable, Greek Finance Minister Yanis Varoufakis told the BBC earlier on Sunday: "This is a matter that we'll have to work overnight on, with the appropriate authorities both here in Greece and in Frankfurt [where the ECB is based]."
http://www.bbc.com/news/world-europe-33305019
28/6/15
Information from the European Commission on the latest draft proposals in the context of negotiations with Greece...
ReplyDeleteIn the interest of transparency and for the information of the Greek people, the European Commission is publishing the latest proposals agreed among the three institutions (European Commission, European Central Bank and International Monetary Fund), which take into account the proposals of the Greek authorities of 8, 14, 22 and 25 June 2015 as well as the talks at political and technical level throughout the week.
Discussions on this text were ongoing with the Greek authorities on Friday night in view of the Eurogroup of 27 June 2015. The understanding of all parties involved was that this Eurogroup meeting should achieve a comprehensive deal for Greece, one that would have included not just the measures to be jointly agreed, but would also have addressed future financing needs and the sustainability of the Greek debt. It also included support for a Commission-led package for a new start for jobs and growth in Greece, boosting recovery of and investment in the real economy, which was discussed and endorsed by the College of Commissioners on Wednesday 24 June 2015.
However, neither this latest version of the document, nor an outline of a comprehensive deal could be formally finalised and presented to the Eurogroup due to the unilateral decision of the Greek authorities to abandon the process on the evening of 26 June 2015.
http://europa.eu/rapid/press-release_IP-15-5270_en.htm?locale=en
28/6/15
Tunisia beach attacker 'had help'...
ReplyDeleteThe gunman who killed 38 at a beach near the Tunisian city of Sousse had help in carrying out the attack, officials say.
Interior ministry spokesman Mohamed Ali Aroui said authorities were "sure" that Seifeddine Rezgui had had accomplices.
The government has announced increased security measures after the attack claimed by Islamic State (IS).
On Sunday the BBC learned that at least 30 of the dead were from the UK, the majority of those killed.
UK police say that 16 police officers have been deployed to Tunisia and hundreds more were working on the case in the UK in one of the largest counter-terrorism investigations since the 2005 London bombings......BBC
Iran nuclear talks to miss target, Zarif heads home...
ReplyDeleteA senior U.S. official acknowledged Sunday that Iran nuclear talks will go past their June 30 target date, as Iran’s foreign minister prepared to head home for consultations before returning to push for a breakthrough.
Iranian media said Mohammad Javad Zarif’s trip was planned in advance. Still, the fact that he was leaving the talks so close to the Tuesday deadline reflected his need to get instructions on how to proceed on issues where the sides remain apart – among them how much access Tehran should give to U.N. experts monitoring his country’s compliance to any deal.
The United States insists on more intrusive monitoring than Iran is ready to give. With these and other disputes still unresolved, the likelihood that the Tuesday target deadline for an Iran nuclear deal could slip was increasingly growing even before the U.S. confirmation............http://www.dailystar.com.lb/News/Middle-East/2015/Jun-29/304227-iran-nuclear-talks-to-miss-target-zarif-heads-home.ashx
Grèce : Moscovici voit "des marges pour la négociation", Juncker va faire des propositions ce midi ...
ReplyDeleteLe commissaire européen aux Affaires économiques, Pierre Moscovici, a estimé lundi qu'il subsistait encore "des marges pour la négociation" entre la Grèce et ses créanciers et annoncé pour la mi-journée de nouvelles "propositions" de la Commission.
Le président de la Commission, Jean-Claude Juncker, "fera des propositions ce midi", a indiqué M. Moscovici sur la radio française RTL.
"Juncker va indiquer la voie à suivre, je souhaite que tout le monde s'engage dans la voie du compromis", a-t-il déclaré.
"Il faut qu'on continue à discuter", a insisté M. Moscovici, en soulignant que pour l'exécutif communautaire, "la porte est toujours ouverte aux négociations".
Selon lui, Athènes n'était qu'à "quelques centimètres" d'un accord avec ses créanciers, lorsque les pourparlers ont été rompus entre les deux parties samedi après l'annonce fracassante par le Premier ministre grec Alexis Tsipras d'un référendum le 5 juillet.........rtbf.be
Moscovici et Sapin: il existe encore des marges de négociation avec Athènes...
ReplyDeleteLa négociation entre la Grèce et ses créanciers, interrompue ce week-end, "peut reprendre à tout moment", selon le ministre des Finances, Michel Sapin, alors qu'il existe encore "des marges" pour avancer, a affirmé lundi le commissaire européen aux Affaires économiques, Pierre Moscovici.
"Cette négociation a été interrompue samedi par la décision du gouvernement grec", a déploré M. Sapin sur France Inter en disant avoir "très mal" pris cette décision "alors que la France aidait et qu’on allait discuter la question du poids de la dette".
Le Premier ministre grec, Alexis Tsipras, a créé la surprise dans la nuit de vendredi à samedi avec l'annonce d'un référendum sur les exigences de ses créanciers, prévu le 5 juillet, après cinq mois de négociations avec l'UE, la BCE et le FMI. Il a appelé à voter non.
"C'est cette négociation qui permettra à la Grèce de surmonter ses difficultés immédiatement et de rester dans l'euro", a relevé M. Sapin.............rtl.be
EU chief feels 'betrayed' by Greece ...
ReplyDeleteThe European Commission chief, Jean-Claude Juncker, has said he feels "betrayed" by the "egotism" shown by Greece in failed debt talks.
He told a news conference that Greek proposals were "delayed" or "deliberately altered" and the Greek people "should be told the truth", but the door was still open to talks.
Greece has called a surprise referendum and Greek banks are closed for a week.
European stock markets saw big falls on Monday after the weekend's events.
The negotiations were not "a game of liar's poker", Mr Juncker said. "Either all win or all lose".
He said the talks were broken "unilaterally" by the announcement from the Greek Prime Minister Alexis Tsipras that he was calling a referendum for 5 July.
The Greek government responded to Mr Juncker's comments by saying: "An essential element in indicating good faith and reliability in negotiations is sincerity."
Mr Juncker said that he still believed a Greek exit from the euro was not an option and insisted that the creditors' latest proposal meant more social fairness.
German Chancellor Angela Merkel echoed those comments on Monday, saying Greece had received a "generous offer" but adding she would not be opposed to further talks with Greece after Sunday's vote, Reuters reports.....BBC
Reports that US President Barack Obama recently sent a letter to Tehran's leadership ahead of the looming deadline for talks on Iran's nuclear program "are not accurate," a senior US administration official said on Monday...
ReplyDelete"We have left the difficult work of the nuclear negotiations to our team on the ground in Vienna," the official said.
JPOST BY REUTERS
The United Nations must destroy hundreds of tonnes of substandard food it imported for distribution to survivors of the recent earthquakes in Nepal, a senior Nepali government official said Monday.
ReplyDeleteTwo quakes, on April 25 and May 12, killed 8,844 people, injured more than 22,000 and destroyed 500,000 homes forcing tens of thousands into temporary shelters and in need of food and medical care.
The U.N.'s World Food Program has distributed more than 6,500 tonnes rice, high energy biscuits, pulses and oil to more than two million people in areas hit by the disaster.
But Nepal's Food Technology and Quality Control Department said laboratory tests of some rice and pulse samples showed they were "unfit for human consumption."..............dailystar.com.lb
29/6/15
S&P abaisse la note de la Grèce après l'annonce du référendum...
ReplyDelete(Belga) L'agence d'évaluation financière Standard and Poor's (S&P) a abaissé lundi d'un cran la note de la Grèce à "CCC-", estimant que la décision d'Athènes de recourir à un référendum était un mauvais signal pour la "stabilité économique" du pays.
"La décision de la Grèce d'organiser un référendum sur la proposition des créanciers est un signe supplémentaire que le gouvernement Tsipras privilégiera la politique intérieure au détriment de la stabilité économique et financière (et) du paiement de la dette" détenue par les investisseurs privés, a estimé l'agence dans un communiqué. Le gouvernement grec a annoncé samedi l'organisation d'un référendum le 5 juillet sur la poursuite du plan d'aide international, provoquant la rupture des négociations avec les créanciers du pays (FMI, UE, BCE). S&P évalue à "50%" les risques de voir la Grèce quitter la zone euro et assure que sans "évolution favorable de la situation", le pays fera "inévitablement" défaut sur sa dette détenue par le secteur privé "dans les six mois".....rtl.be
Enda Kenny has written to the Greek Prime Minister tonight asking him to return to the negotiations to find a solution to the country's economic crisis.
ReplyDeleteMr Kenny was responding to a letter from Alexis Tsipras in which the Greek prime minister sought support for an extension of its bailout programme for one month.
Mr Tsipras is seeking support from European leaders for an extension to the bailout programme............rte.ie
Bourse de Tokyo: le Nikkei débute en petite hausse, malgré la crise grecque...
ReplyDelete(Belga) L'indice Nikkei de la Bourse de Tokyo progressait légèrement à l'ouverture mardi, les investisseurs se montrant sereins face aux développements de la crise grecque qui a fait chuter toutes les places financières lundi.
Un petit regain de l'euro semblait les rassurer. A la première minute des échanges, le Nikkei des 225 valeurs vedettes affichait un gain de 0,32% (+64,66 points) à 20.174,61 points. Il avait lâché près de 600 points lundi. L'indice élargi Topix de tous les titres du premier tableau prenait au même moment 0,09% à 1.626,21 yens. L'euro était remonté à 137,60 yens tandis que le dollar tournait autour de 122,7 yens. Les marchés financiers avaient été fortement secoués lundi par la crainte d'une hypothétique sortie de la Grèce de la zone euro à l'issue du référendum convoqué dimanche prochain à propos des propositions des créanciers d'Athènes. (Belga)
rtl.be
30/6/15
US will work together with its European colleagues to prevent Greece’s default and exit from the euro zone, the White House press service said on Monday after talks between US President Barack Obama, French President Francois Hollande and UK Prime Minister David Cameron...
ReplyDeleteThe leaders said their economic teams were in close contact and were monitoring developments in Greece and financial markets, the White House said.......http://tass.ru/en/economy/804798
Juncker hace una oferta de última hora a Grecia para intentar lograr un acuerdo sobre el rescate...
ReplyDeleteTsipras, tendría que enviar su aceptación antes del inicio de la reunión del Eurogrupo
Existen pocas señales que apunten a que Tsipras vaya a cambiar de postura
Por el momento no hay detalles sobre los términos de la propuesta de Juncker
El presidente de la Comisión Europea, Jean-Claude Juncker, ha hecho una oferta de última hora a Atenas en un intento por alcanzar un acuerdo sobre el rescate antes de que expire este martes la fecha límite, según fuentes de la Unión Europea (UE) y del Gobierno griego.
Según la oferta, el primer ministro griego, Alexis Tsipras, tendría que enviar su aceptación por escrito antes del inicio de la reunión de emergencia del Eurogrupo, que hará campaña a favor del 'Sí' en el referéndum que se celebrará en el país el 5 de julio.
Sin embargo, existen pocas señales que apunten a que Tsipras vaya a cambiar de postura respecto a la oferta de rescate, que ha tildado de "humillación" para el país heleno..............http://www.elmundo.es/economia/2015/06/30/55920acce2704eae6e8b456b.html
Greece expected to default on debt today...
ReplyDeleteGreece is expected to default on its debt to the International Monetary Fund and see its bailout deal expire later today.
By falling into arrears on its IMF debt it will mean it can no longer borrow from the fund.
The international pressure on Greece increased dramatically last night.
The head of the European Commission Jean Claude Junker made a last-minute offer to Athens in a bid to reach a bailout agreement before the deadline expires today...................http://www.rte.ie/news/2015/0630/711596-greece/
30/6/15
Europa convierte el referéndum de Grecia en un plebiscito sobre el euro...
ReplyDeleteUn país con un peso económico similar a Milán vuelve a poner en jaque el proyecto europeo. Los líderes de la UE salieron ayer lunes en tromba para tratar de convertir el referéndum de Grecia sobre la propuesta europea en un plebiscito sobre el euro. En un discurso salpicado de reproches hacia el primer ministro Alexis Tsipras, el presidente de la Comisión, Jean-Claude Juncker, subrayó que “un no de los griegos sería una negativa a Europa”. Berlín, París y Roma cierran filas: la canciller Angela Merkel y el presidente francés, François Hollande, secundan esa lectura. “Euro o dracma: ese es el dilema”, resumió el italiano Matteo Renzi..........http://internacional.elpais.com/internacional/2015/06/29/actualidad/1435612713_910920.html?ref=rss&format=simple&link=guid
30/6/15
Tsipras may resign if Greeks vote yes...
ReplyDeleteGreek PM Alexis Tsipras has threatened to resign over the result of a snap referendum on Greece's debt crisis due on Sunday.
Mr Tsipras said a clear vote against austerity would help Greece negotiate a better settlement to the crisis.
Otherwise, he warned, he would not stay in office to oversee more cuts.............BBC
Japan to enhance surveillance system over disputed islands...
ReplyDeleteThe Japanese government on Tuesday affirmed a new guideline to enhance its surveillance and guard system over its remote islands, as well as disputed territories with its neighboring countries, in line with Prime Minister Shinzo Abe's hawkish policies on territorial disputes.
The new guideline said that the government will continue to nationalize non-ownership remote islands and set up a system aiming at enhancing its surveillance over China's Diaoyu Islands, according to local report.
The new surveillance system included adopting large surveillance vessels to patrol surrounding areas of the disputed islands and a mechanism of 24-hour aircraft surveillance, despite the risk of further worsening Japan's ties with China and increasing possibility of contingency in the surrounding area.
Ties between China and Japan are strained since the Japanese government in 2012 unilaterally changed the status quo in the disputed islands by "nationalize" part of the Diaoyu islands that are the inherent Chinese territory.
Japan is at odds with China, South Korea and Russia on territories and its dispute with Russia prevents the two countries from reaching a peace treaty since the end of World War II....................http://www.china.org.cn/world/2015-06/30/content_35946236.htm
30/6/15
The Greek government is reportedly planning to request a new two-year bailout deal from the eurozone...
ReplyDeleteIt comes just hours ahead of a deadline to repay €1.6bn (£1.1bn) to the International Monetary Fund (IMF).
Reports of the move to call for aid from the European Stability Mechanism (ESM) emerged as Greek leaders held talks over the European Commission's latest proposal for economic reforms.
If Athens accepts the EC deal, it will free up cash to repay the €1.6bn.
Amid fears of a Greek default on its huge public debt of €323bn - and a possible exit from the euro - long queues of people are continuing to snake from many cash machines in Greece, where withdrawals are capped at just €60 a day..............BBC
European Commission chief Jean-Claude Juncker set out a possible last-minute solution to Greek Prime Minister Alexis Tsipras to reach a debt deal before a bailout referendum, the EU said on Tuesday...
ReplyDeleteJuncker, the head of the EU's executive and key powerbroker in Greek talks, spoke with Tsipras on Monday and asked him to provide an answer by midnight on the same day but was still awaiting a response.
"The door remains opened for a deal but time is running out quickly," European Commission spokesman Margaritis Schinas told a news briefing, confirming an earlier AFP report.
The EU revealed the offer just hours before Greece's bailout programme expires at midnight Brussels time (10pm GMT) with a huge debt repayment to the IMF also due later in the day, and Athens has confirmed it would not be able to make the deadline.....france24.com
Turkey Vows Retaliation, but Rejects Syria Intervention ...
ReplyDeleteTurkey has warned it will retaliate if it feels its security is threatened by either Islamic extremists or Syrian Kurds along its border, but it appears for now Ankara is not contemplating a broader go-it-alone intervention to establish a buffer zone inside Syria as some Turkish press reports suggested.
After a meeting of senior officials Monday, Turkey’s top security body expressed its concerns about “demographic changes” underway in war-torn northern Syria favoring Kurds over Arabs, and also about possible terror attacks by Islamic extremists. But the statement offered no indication that Turkey is about to mount a broad unilateral military intervention to carve out a buffer zone.
Some opposition politicians accused the Islamist government, which lost its parliamentary majority in elections this month, of stoking war fever to strengthen its hand in coalition negotiations or to improve its standing in a possible re-run election, if no coalition government can be formed..........voanews.com
Merkel rules out more Greek negotiations ahead of referendum....
ReplyDeleteGerman Chancellor Angela Merkel has ruled out new negotiations with Greece until after it votes on a proposal from creditors.
It leaves virtually no hope to avert a midnight default despite a plea from Athens for a last-minute bailout extension.
As the clock ticks down towards midnight, when billions of euros in locked-up bailout funds are due to expire, eurozone finance ministers called a conference call to discuss the Greek request.
The Eurogroup of eurozone finance ministers will hold another conference call tomorrow to discuss new proposals from Greece, a spokesman for Eurogroup President Jeroen Dijsselbloem has said.
"Another Eurogroup teleconference Wednesday morning after announcement of new letter Greek government," he tweeted.........http://www.rte.ie/news/2015/0630/711596-greece/
30/6/15
La Grèce prête à annuler son référendum si les négociations reprennent avec l’UE...
ReplyDeleteLa Grèce a proposé de suspendre son référendum prévu dimanche sur les propositions de ses créanciers (FMI, UE) si les négociations reprennent avec l’Union européenne, a indiqué mardi le Premier ministre maltais Jospeh Muscat, cité par le journal Times of Malta, ainsi que selon des informations du journal allemand die Welt.
Le ministre grec des Finances Yanis Varoufakis a indiqué à ses partenaires de l’Eurogroupe, lors d’une téléconférence ce mardi soir, que la Grèce était prête à suspendre son référendum « si ses collègues des finances s’entendent rapidement avec lui », selon le quotidien die Welt qui ne cite pas ses sources.
Durant cet échange téléphonique, il a également annoncé qu’Athènes allait adresser une nouvelle lettre au président de l’Eurogroupe, Jeroen Dijsselbloem, selon la même source allemande.
L’Eurogroupe a décidé de suspendre ses travaux ce mardi soir « car personne ne sait ce que contient cette lettre », poursuit die Welt, qui précise toutefois qu’elle devrait formuler par écrit la proposition faite oralement par M. Varoufakis............lesoir.be