Tuesday, June 2, 2015

JuniSos and Symphony Flash news (June 2015 - B)

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Perhaps the most baffling thing about the current Greek crisis is the sheer stubbornness of the country's leaders: Don't they understand they are committing economic suicide by refusing to make more concessions to the country's creditors? What are they playing at?........Does Greece Have a Diabolical Plan B?
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120 comments :

  1. Kurds claim capture of ISIS-held town...

    Syrian Kurdish-led forces said they had captured a town at the Turkish border from Islamic State of Iraq and Syria (ISIS) on Monday, driving it away from the frontier in an advance backed by U.S.-led air strikes that has thrust deep into the jihadists' Syria stronghold.

    The capture of Tel Abyad by the Kurdish YPG and smaller Syrian rebel groups means the Syrian Kurds effectively control some 400 km (250 miles) of the Syrian-Turkish border that has been a conduit for foreign fighters joining ISIS.

    While the advance has brought the well-organized YPG deep into ISIS stronghold of Raqqa province, it has also concerned Turkey, which is worried the expansion of Kurdish sway risks inflaming separatist sentiment among its Kurdish minority.....Reuters......alarabiya.net

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  2. Time running out to stop Greece leaving euro: Hollande...

    The 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

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  3. Amnesty condemns failure of global refugee response...

    The world’s largest human rights organization admonished the international community for its failure to address the global refugee crisis and specifically condemned Lebanon’s increased restrictions on Syrian refugees, in a pair of damning reports released Monday.

    “The world has not seen so many people forcibly displaced from their homes since the Second World War,” said Salil Shetty, secretary-general of Amnesty International, speaking during a news conference at Lebanon’s Press Federation.

    A Lebanon-exclusive report, “Pushed to the Edge: Syrian Refugees Face Increased Restrictions in Lebanon,” singled out the worsening conditions faced by those who have fled here. Lebanon has the highest number of refugees per capita in the world.

    Amnesty officials acknowledged the enormous strain placed on the Lebanese economy and infrastructure by the crisis, which has been exacerbated by a lack of assistance from abroad.

    “It’s really important to stress how much Lebanon has done,” Sherif Elsayed-Ali, Amnesty International’s Head of Refugee and Migrants’ Rights, told The Daily Star.......dailystar.com.lb
    16/6/15

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  4. Tests will confirm if al Qaeda-linked leader was killed in Libya: Pentagon...

    Pentagon officials say they believe they hit their target -- the one-eyed, al Qaeda-linked commander who is accused of masterminding a 2013 terror attack on a gas plant in Algeria in which two Canadians were involved.

    But uncertainty still surrounds the U.S. airstrike in eastern Libya, and whether Mokhtar Belmokhtar was actually among the militants said to have been killed in the bombing.

    Belmokhtar, an Algerian national, is also believed to have played a central role in the kidnapping of veteran Canadian diplomat Robert Fowler, who was working in Niger as a United Nations special envoy..........Associated Press........ctvnews.ca
    16/6/15

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  5. There have been signs that Kurdish forces have sought to "bring together cantons" in Syria, a Turkish deputy prime minister said Monday...

    Deputy Prime Minister Bulent Arinc’s statement came after the Free Syrian Army and the Syrian-Kurdish People’s Protection Units (YPG) gained control from Daesh of the city of Tal Abyad, which borders Turkey.

    Syrian Democratic Union Party (PYD), of which the YPG is the military unit, announced in November 2014 that all Kurdish areas in northern Syria would declare the regions autonomous, as cantons, which is not internationally recognized.

    Turkey considers PYD to be an offshoot of the Kurdistan Worker's Party, or PKK, which has for decades waged a bloody insurgency in the country. PKK is listed as a terrorist group by Turkey, the U.S. and the European Union.

    "This time people of the bombed places were ethnically cleansed by the PYD and YGP, as well as Daesh, these are strange relationships and alliances [...] We are seeing signs of a work that is underway on a formula to bring together the cantons," said Arinc.....aa.com.tr

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  6. Putin says Russia to receive 40 new ICBMs this year...

    Russia's military this year alone will receive over 40 new intercontinental ballistic missiles capable of piercing any missile defences, President Vladimir Putin said Tuesday in a blunt reminder of the nation's nuclear might amid tensions with the West over Ukraine.

    Putin made the statement at the opening of an arms show at a shooting range in Alabino just west of Moscow, a huge display intended to showcase the nation's resurgent military might.

    Russia-West relations have plunged to their lowest point since Cold War times over Moscow's annexation of Ukraine's Crimean Peninsula and support for a pro-Russia separatist insurgency in eastern Ukraine. The U.S. and the EU have slapped Russia with economic sanctions, and Washington and its NATO allies have pondered an array of measures in response to Russia's .....AP....ctvnews.ca
    16/6/15

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    Replies
    1. The Russian military’s nuclear forces will receive 40 new intercontinental ballistic missiles, President Vladimir Putin announced Tuesday...

      The Russian leader, who spoke at the opening ceremony of the Army-2015 Expo, an international military technology exhibition, said Moscow attached importance to the development of military forces.

      "This year 40 new intercontinental ballistic missiles, able to exceed any air defense system, will be added to the nuclear inventory," he said.

      The Russian army’s weapons are being renewed in a scheduled program and by 2020 at least 70 percent of the army will be using new generation weapons, Putin said.

      He added that a new radar system controlling "the western strategic area" would be tested in the upcoming months and a similar system would be established for operations in the east.
      www.aa.com.tr
      16/6/15

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  7. Strong momentum for Cyprus peace: UN envoy...

    There is strong international and domestic momentum behind UN-brokered peace talks aimed at reuniting Cyprus after 41 years, an "encouraged" U.N. envoy said Tuesday.

    "We are on a good track right now. and the international support is remarkably strong," Norwegian diplomat Espen Barth Eide told reporters after meeting Cypriot President Nicos Anastasiades.

    "I don't really know about any peace process anywhere where the international alignment is so strong as in this case," he added.

    The U.N. Security Council is "fully aligned," and the European Union is "on board," as are Greece and Turkey, who are guarantor powers for the island's security....AFP
    16/6/15

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  8. UN says 23,000 refugees fled to Turkey from Syria this month...

    Some 23,000 people have fled from Syria to Turkey between June 3 and 15, the UN refugee agency said Tuesday.

    "New fighting in northern Syria has seen 23,135 refugees fleeing across the border into Turkey's Sanliurfa province," during that period, spokesman William Spindler said, citing figures given by Turkish authorities on Tuesday.

    "Some 70 percent are women and children," he said.

    "Most of the new arrivals are Syrians escaping fighting by rival military forces in and around the key border town of Tal Abyad, which was controlled by militants and faces Akcakale across the border," he said.

    "But they also include so far 2,183 Iraqis from the cities of Mosul, Ramadi and Fallujah," he added.

    "UNHCR staff say most refugees are exhausted and tired and arrive carrying just a few belongings. Some have walked for days," Spindler said.....AFP

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  9. Refugees Strain Greek Islands ...

    Refugees are arriving every day in inflatable dinghies and wooden boats. U.N. refugee agency spokesman William Spindler GAVE the numbers and locations:

    “More than 55,000 refugees have arrived in the Greek islands since the beginning of the year. They are arriving in some 10 different islands, but the main ones are Lesvos, Chios, Samos, Leros and Kos. They are all very close to the Turkish coast and in some cases only a couple of nautical miles, which makes it easier for people to cross. And they have been doing so in increasing numbers.”

    But the islands do not have the infrastructure to cope with the new arrivals and conditions have deteriorated.

    “In the case of Lesvos, about 300 people are arriving every day. And some of the smaller islands, over a hundred people are arriving every day. And this is creating a huge strain on the resources of these small communities,” said Spindler........voanews.com
    16/6/15

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  10. The US ambassador to the United Nations on Tuesday rejected suggestions by a UN panel that Washington has kept silent about Iranian sanctions violations in order to avoid disrupting fragile negotiations on a nuclear deal with Tehran....

    The UN 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 UN embargo.

    US 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 UN panel, which monitors UN sanctions violations..........jpost.com by Reuters
    16/6/15

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  11. Griechenland vor der Pleite: Was hinter Alexis Tsipras' Blockadehaltung steckt...

    Alexis Tsipras stellt sich stur, Zugeständnisse will er keine mehr machen. Um Griechenland zu retten, hofft er offenbar auf Schützenhilfe aus Deutschland. Doch damit könnte er sich verrechnet haben.

    Die Stimmung kippt. Wochenlang berichteten Unterhändler in Berlin und Brüssel über eine bessere Verhandlungsatmosphäre zwischen den Griechen und ihren europäischen Partnern, auch über Fortschritte in den Verhandlungen selbst. Seit dem Abbruch der Gespräche durch EU-Kommissionspräsident Jean-Claude Juncker ist es damit vorbei. Das Klima ist eisig. Berlin und Brüssel sind enttäuscht. So enttäuscht, dass sie ein Scheitern der Verhandlungen und damit die Pleite Griechenlands immer offener in Erwägung ziehen......n24.de

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  12. EU nations divided on plan to take in migrants crossing the Mediterranean...

    European Union nations failed to bridge differences Tuesday over an emergency plan to share the burden of the thousands of refugees crossing the Mediterranean Sea, while on the French-Italian border, police in riot gear forcibly removed dozens of migrants.

    Around 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. Italy and Greece have borne the brunt of the surge, with many more migrants expected to arrive from June through to September.

    At talks in Luxembourg, EU interior ministers disagreed over how 40,000 new refugees arriving in Italy and Greece should be split up equitably among the 28-nation bloc to ease the load on the two southern nations....AP......ctvnews.ca

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  13. North Korea says it is suffering worst drought in century...

    North Korea says it has been hit by its worst drought in a century, resulting in extensive damage to agriculture.

    The official Korean Central News Agency said the drought has caused about 30 per cent of its rice paddies to dry up. Rice plants normally need to be partially submerged in water during the early summer.....AP......ctvnews.ca

    “Water level of reservoirs stands at the lowest, while rivers and streams (are) getting dry,” it said in a report Tuesday......

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  14. Migrants: la Hongrie ordonne la fermeture de sa frontière avec la Serbie...

    (Belga) Le gouvernement hongrois a décidé de fermer sa frontière avec la Serbie en raison de l'afflux de migrants et va entamer les travaux de construction d'une clôture, a annoncé mercredi le ministre des Affaires étrangères, Peter Szijjarto.

    "Le gouvernement hongrois a ordonné au ministère de l'Intérieur de fermer physiquement la frontière avec la Serbie", a déclaré le ministre lors d'un point-presse à Budapest. La Hongrie prévoit la construction d'une clôture de 4 mètres de haut sur les 175 km de tracé frontalier entre les deux pays, a-t-il précisé. (Belga)
    rtl.be

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  15. Notenbank warnt vor unkontrollierbarer Krise...

    In der entscheidenden Phase des Schuldenstreits schlägt die griechische Zentralbank Alarm. Von einer schnellen Lösung des Problems geht man in Brüssel jedoch nicht aus.....zeit.de

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  16. Hamas rejects decision to dissolve Palestinian unity government ...

    After senior Palestinian officials confirmed that Mahmud Abbas was planning to dissolve the current Palestinian unity government within 24 hours, Hamas announced Wednesday that they reject any unilateral decision taken by the Fatah leader to resign.

    "Hamas rejects any one-sided change in the government without the agreement of all parties," Hamas spokesman Sami Abu Zuhri told AFP.
    JPOST.COM
    17/6/15

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  17. France to add thousands of housing units for asylum seekers...

    France unveiled plans on Wednesday to add 10,500 additional housing spots for migrants as European nations grapple with how to handle a wave of people crossing the Mediterranean.

    The government plans 5,000 housing units for people granted asylum in France, 4,000 for asylum seekers and 1,500 emergency slots for illegal immigrants.

    In seven years, the number of asylum seekers has nearly doubled in France to reach more than 66,000 cases in 2013.

    As a result, there is a severe lack of housing facilities and half of all asylum seekers have to fend for themselves, resorting to living in slums, squats or sleeping rough.

    Processing these asylum requests takes an average of two years, and legislation proposed in July aimed to shorten the wait to nine months by 2017, giving authorities dealing with the cases more funding and staff.....france24.com

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  18. Arbitary detention and torture widespread in eastern Libya: HRW...

    Libya's internationally recognized government and its forces have carried out widespread arbitrary detentions and torture in prisons in the east of the country, Human Rights Watch said on Wednesday.

    Four years after the fall of Muammar Gaddafi, Libya is in turmoil with two rival governments -- the recognised one based in the east and a self-declared administration controlling Tripoli -- fighting on several fronts.

    In a report released on Wednesday, the New York-based group said in January and April 2015 it gained rare access to detention facilities in al-Bayda and Benghazi controlled by the Libya Army and Justice and Interior ministries, and interviewed 73 detainees individually without guards present.

    "Many detainees said that interrogators had forced them under torture to 'confess' to serious crimes," the report said....REUTERS

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  19. Serbian PM 'shocked' Hungary's plan for migrant fence...

    Serbia's prime minister has said he is "shocked" by Hungary's plan to erect a border fence to keep out migrants.

    Aleksandar Vucic said the four-metre (13ft) fence was "not the solution" to migrants entering Hungary from Serbia.

    Hungarian authorities announced the plan on Wednesday, saying the wall would run the length of the 175km (109-mile) border between the countries.

    Foreign Minister Peter Szijjarto said Hungary could not wait for the EU to find a solution to immigration.

    Speaking on TV during a visit to Oslo, Mr Vucic said: "I am surprised and shocked. We will discuss this decision with our Hungarian colleagues.

    "Building walls is not the solution. Serbia can't be responsible for the situation created by the migrants, we are just a transit country. Is Serbia responsible for the crisis in Syria?"

    Mr Vucic said he intended to discuss the move with Serbia's partners in the EU.

    There has been a sharp rise in the number of migrants and asylum seekers entering Hungary in 2015.

    The government said about 54,000 migrants entered the country so far this year, compared to 43,000 people in 2014.....BBC

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  20. A white man opened fire during a prayer meeting inside a historic black church in downtown Charleston on Wednesday night, killing nine people in an assault that authorities described as a hate crime...

    The shooter was still at large.

    The shooting took place at the Emanuel AME Church, Police Chief Greg Mullen said. He said there were survivors, but would not say how many, or how many were inside at the time of the shooting. He also would not confirm whether the pastor, state Sen. Clementa Pinckney, was one of the victims.

    Mullen described the suspect as a white male in his early 20s. He said he believed it was a hate crime, but would not elaborate...........AP......ctvnews.ca
    18/6/15

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  21. ISIS says shot down Iraqi fighter jet in Anbar ...

    The Islamic State of Iraq and Syria (ISIS) said on Thursday it had shot down an Iraqi fighter plane north of the city of Ramadi in Anbar Province, according to Reuters news agency.

    It was not immediately possible to independently confirm the claim made on one of the group’s Twitter accounts.

    The ISIS Twitter site said the fighter jet had been shot down as it conducted a raid on areas north of Ramadi, the provincial capital of Sunni heartland Anbar.

    A member of an anti-ISIS Sunni force called Sahwa (Awakening) said an Iraqi fighter jet, a Russian-made Su-25, was seen in flames as it crashed after being shot down north of Ramadi, according to Reuters.

    Iraq’s government relies on a U.S.-led coalition and Iranian-backed Shi’ite militias in its fight against ISIS, which holds a third of the country as well as parts of neighboring Syria.

    ISIS militants seized Ramadi last month and the city is a focal point of efforts to slow the group’s advances in Iraq, a major oil producer and OPEC member.
    alarabiya.net

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  22. La sortie de l'euro, inéluctable tragédie grecque ?...

    "Si l'Europe insiste sur les retraites, elle devra en accepter le prix." Par cette déclaration, prononcée mercredi en milieu de journée, le Premier ministre grec Alexis Tsipras résume assez bien l'état des négociations : au point mort. Depuis qu’il est au pouvoir, son gouvernement tente de renégocier les conditions de financement de la Grèce auprès de ses créanciers, le Fonds monétaire international (FMI) et les Européens, afin d'épargner aux Grecs de nouvelles coupes budgétaires douloureuses, que les créanciers exigent en échange de leurs prêts.....nouvelobs.com

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  23. Greece's future in EU at stake as ministers gather for talks...

    Eurozone finance ministers were set to hold crunch talks over Greece Thursday, after a barrage of warnings that the country risks a damaging exit from the EU if it fails to strike a deal with its creditors.

    As negotiations between Athens, the EU, ECB and IMF over the last 7.2 billion euro ($8.1 billion) tranche of Greece's massive international bailout grew increasingly acrimonious this week, officials started openly discussing the prospect of Greece crashing out of the euro.

    On Wednesday, a day ahead of the Luxembourg meeting of the eurozone's 19 countries, Greece's central bank warned for the first time that the country could suffer a "painful" exit from the single currency area - and even the European Union - if it fails to reach a deal.

    And in a sign the EU's top financial brass are also seriously considering the possibility of a "Grexit," the head of Germany's central bank, Jens Weidmann, said it would "change the character of the monetary union" - but not destroy it.....AFP......dailystar.com.lb

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  24. Le nombre de déplacés et réfugiés dans le monde atteint le chiffre record de 60 millions ...

    Le Haut Commissariat des Nations unies pour les réfugiés (HCR)a dévoilé jeudi dans son rapport annuel que le nombre de déplacés et de réfugiés avait atteint en 2014 le chiffre record de 60 millions de personnes.

    Le rapport annuel du Haut Commissariat des Nations unies pour les réfugiés (HCR) fait état d'un triste record : le nombre de déplacés et de réfugiés suite aux multiples conflits dans le monde a atteint son plus haut niveau, avec 60 millions de personnes en 2014. Une "accélération saisissante" du nombre de personnes forcées à fuir, "avec 59,5 millions de déracinés à la fin 2014, en comparaison de 51,2 millions de l'année précédente", peut-on lire sur le document....AFP...france24.com

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  25. Greek deal depends on what Athens proposes: Belgian finance minister...

    Belgian Finance Minister Johan Van Overtveldt said on Thursday that a deal between Greece and its international creditors depended on whether Athens brought something new to the table.

    "We'll see what the Greek government comes up with. It all depends on them," Van Overtveldt told reporters before a Eurogroup meeting of euro zone finance ministers.

    "We'll see what they bring to the table. I don't know what Mr Varoufakis is coming up with. If there are reasonable proposals we will discuss them."
    REUTERS
    channelnewsasia.com

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  26. Athener Börse fällt auf neues Tief...

    An der Börse in Athen geht es mit den Aktienkursen weiter bergab: Der Leitindex fällt um 4,3 Prozent auf 651,78 Punkte. Das ist der niedrigste Stand seit September 2012. Der Bankenindex sinkt um 5,8 Prozent. Am Rentenmarkt behaupten sich die Kurse der zweijährigen Staatsanleihen in etwa auf dem Vortagesniveau. Die zehnjährigen brechen allerdings um bis zu 58 Ticks ein, was die Rendite auf 13,171 von 12,993 Prozent am Vorabend treibt...........http://www.welt.de/wirtschaft/article142560102/Boerse-in-Athen-faellt-auf-Drei-Jahres-Tief.html
    18/6/15

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  27. Lagarde: no grace period for Greece after June 30 ...

    There won't be a grace period for Greece if it misses its payment to the International Monetary Fund on June 30, the IMF's Managing Director, Christine Lagarde, said Thursday in Luxembourg.

    This means Greece will be officially considered to be in default on July 1, if it does not make the payment.

    Lagarde added that the IMF continues to participate in the creditors' talks with Greece and defended the credivility of the international organization's program, saqyingthat it is backed by the international community and inbvestors.

    Earlier this month, Greece became the first country to defer a payment to the IMF since the 1980s, when it decided to bundle four payments due to the fund in June into a single one, worth about €1.6 billion, to be paid on June 30.

    As talks with creditors have stalled, Greece is threatening not to meet that payment date, saying it must give priority to pay wages and pensions, instead.
    enikos.gr

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  28. The United Nations on Wednesday extended stalled Yemen peace talks taking place in Geneva, with both the exiled government and the Iran-backed Yemeni militias accusing each other of trying to sabotage the process, diplomatic sources told Al Arabiya News channel....

    The extension comes hours after the end of the initial 48 hours planned for the talks.

    The sources said that the Iranian-backed Houthi delegation in Switzerland spoke about a ceasefire that would limit air strikes without mentioning anything about a cessation of hostilities on the ground.

    The proposal was rejected by the legitimate government delegation which insisted on a full ceasefire.

    Yemen's warring parties have agreed on the need for a ceasefire but the details remain under discussion......alarabiya.net

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  29. Israeli Police Detain 16 Settler Youths over Fire at `Miracle` Church...

    Israeli police said Thursday they had detained 16 youths from Zionist settlements over a suspected arson attack at a shrine where many Christians believe Christ performed the miracle of the feeding of the 5,000.

    "In an area near the church, 16 youths were detained for investigation in order to check their involvement in the incident before dawn," police spokeswoman Luba Samri said in a statement, referring to the Church of the Multiplication at Tabgha in northern 'Israel'.

    She said all 16 were from settlements in the occupied West Bank, including 10 from Yitzhar, which is known as a bastion of extremists and where some residents have been involved in previous hate crimes.
    AFP
    almanar.com.lb

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  30. La Grèce sommée de revenir à la raison pour éviter un « sort catastrophique »...

    La réunion de l’Eurogroupe n’a pas permis de progresser, jeudi. Un Conseil européen est convoqué lundi.

    La discussion sur la Grèce aura duré un peu plus d’une heure. Le temps d’un long monologue de Yanis Varoufakis. Pour rien ou presque. L’Eurogroupe de jeudi au Luxembourg n’a permis aucune avancée dans les négociations entre la Grèce et ses créanciers. Et il a été demandé sèchement au ministre des Finances grec de revoir sa copie, avant un sommet exceptionnel des dirigeants de la zone euro, convoqué pour lundi soir à Bruxelles.

    L’Eurogroupe perd patience et ses responsables ne cachaient pas leur agacement après une réunion à nouveau stérile. Il demande à la Grèce de laisser de côté la rhétorique pour se concentrer sur les négociations techniques. Le commissaire aux affaires économiques Pierre Moscovici regrettait l’absence de propositions nouvelles des Grecs, et jugeait que la fin de partie approchait, à l’issue de la réunion.

    « Je lance un appel au gouvernement grec pour revenir sérieusement à la table des négociations », a-t-il déclaré. Il faut que la partie grecque « accepte de faire des compromis raisonnables » pour « éviter un sort qui serait tout à fait catastrophique. » Jeroen Dijsselbloem , président de l’Eurogroupe, ajoutait : « Malheureusement (...) des progrès insuffisants ont été accomplis. Un accord n’est pas en vue ». « Il nous manque un dialogue », et « l’urgence est de rétablir le dialogue, avec des adultes dans la salle », a conclu la directrice générale du FMI Christine Lagarde.
    La BCE douterait de la capacité des banques grecques à ouvrir lundi, croit savoir l’agence Reuters

    La Banque centrale européenne aurait déclaré lors d’une réunion des ministres des Finances de la zone euro qu’elle n’était pas sûre que les banques grecques, sous le coup de retraits quotidiens très importants, seraient en mesure d’ouvrir lundi, croit savoir l’agence Reuters citant des responsables qui seraient au fait des discussions.........http://www.lesechos.fr/monde/europe/021148236720-a-luxembourg-la-grece-sommee-une-nouvelle-fois-de-revoir-sa-copie-1129620.php?S2BvtdG6ECFVgVrW.99#xtor=RSS37
    18/6/15

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  31. Nouvel échec de l’Eurogroupe sur la Grèce...

    La réunion des 19 ministres des Finances de la zone euro, qui était présentée depuis longtemps comme la dernière échéance possible d'un accord entre la Grèce et ses créanciers internationaux, s'est achevée à Luxembourg sur un échec.

    C'est un tweet du vice-président dela Commission européenne Valdis Dombrovskis qui l'a annoncé: « Pas d'accord à l'Eurogroupe. Signal fort à la Grèce de s'engager sérieusement dans les négociations. L'Eurogroupe est prêt à se réunir à nouveau à tout moment ». Un sommet de la zone euro aura lieu lundi à Bruxelles.....lesoir.be

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  32. The 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.

    EU foreign ministers meeting in Luxembourg on Monday are expected to agree to launch the mission, diplomats said, but will authorise only a first phase using ships and planes to gather intelligence about the migrant traffickers' activities in international waters.

    A second phase envisages boarding ships, arresting smugglers and disabling boats on the high seas, while a third could involve similar operations in Libyan waters or special forces missions on land against smugglers' boats.

    EU governments will not agree to move beyond the intelligence-gathering phase without Libyan authorities' consent to the mission and a U.N. Security Council resolution - neither of which has so far been obtained......Reuters....channelnewsasia.com

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  33. EU beruft Krisengipfel zu Griechenland ein...

    Das Treffen der Euro-Finanzminister hat keinen Fortschritt gebracht, nun müssen die Chefs ran. Am Montagabend treffen sie sich, um auf höchster Ebene über Griechenland zu beraten. Dessen Regierungschef Tsipras wollte das schon die ganze Zeit.....faz.net

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  34. Russian fury at Belgium asset seizure in Yukos oil case...

    Russia has protested to the Belgian ambassador over the seizure of Russian state assets in Belgium - a move triggered by a court ruling over the now-defunct Yukos oil firm.

    The ambassador was told that the asset seizure was "an openly hostile act" that "crudely violates the recognised norms of international law".

    Last year a court told Russia to pay Yukos shareholders $50bn (£32bn) in compensation, after Yukos's break-up.

    A Russian state firm took over Yukos.

    Last July an international arbitration court in The Hague said Russian officials had manipulated the legal system to bankrupt Yukos, and jail its boss, the oligarch Mikhail Khodorkovsky.

    France has also seized Russian state accounts in about 40 banks, along with eight or nine buildings, AFP news agency reports.......BBC
    19/6/15

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  35. Griechenland fordert Milliarden von der EZB...

    Die Europäische Zentralbank hat offenbar für heute eine Sondersitzung ihres Rats anberaumt. Sie wollen über die sich verschlechternde Liquiditätslage der griechischen Banken sprechen. Dabei soll über einen griechischer Antrag beraten werden, die Notfall-Liquiditätshilfe um mehr als drei Mrd. Euro aufzustocken, sagte eine mt dem Vorgang vetraute Person..

    Bankkunden ziehen in Griechenland weitere Milliarden ab..

    Mit 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

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  36. French President Francois Hollande said on Friday he thought commitments by individual EU member states offered a better way of resettling African and Middle Eastern migrants rather than the imposition of national quotas by Brussels...

    Hollande spoke after joining a meeting of prime ministers of the Visegrad group of countries within the EU - Slovakia, the Czech Republic, Hungary and Poland, which jointly oppose quotas.

    "We need to address the reasons that have led to and that have caused the migration," Hollande told a news conference held with the central European leaders in the Slovak capital Bratislava...........aljazeera.com

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  37. SPIEGEL: If Tsipras continues to reject additional spending cuts, he would only be doing what he promised to do during the campaign. Do you fault him for that?...

    Juncker: I, too, am of the opinion that, following an election, a politician should do what he or she promised before the vote. For that reason, politicians have to think carefully, before the election, whether they will be able to fulfill their campaign promises. European countries make up a community of destiny -- one which only works if the members can depend on each other. Unfortunately, prior to taking over the government, Mr. Tsipras adopted positions, which, in part, are in conflict with the rules governing this union. That is why his campaign promises cannot be 100 percent implemented. Mr. Tsipras should have known that...........http://www.spiegel.de/international/europe/eu-commission-president-juncker-on-greece-and-tsipras-a-1039738.html

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  38. Weißes Haus ruft Griechenland und Gläubiger zu Kompromiss auf...

    Die amerikanische Regierung appelliert an Gläubiger und Griechen, sich anzunähern. Während sich der Streit zwischen Griechenland und dem Internationalen Währungsfonds zuspitzt, gibt die Organisation Zypern weitere Hilfen.....faz.net
    20/6/15

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  39. US President Barack Obama has voiced confidence that a "shocked and heartbroken" nation would eventually tighten permissive gun laws after the deadly Charleston shooting....

    He told US mayors in San Francisco that change would come one day, as he took on detractors who accused him of politicising the deaths of nine black worshippers in South Carolina.....rte.ie

    ReplyDelete
  40. Greece to step up efforts to reach debt deal...

    Greece will try to bring more to the table in negotiations for a debt deal and Prime Minister Alexis Tsipras will probably speak with European Commission chief Jean-Claude Juncker by phone today to try to end the deadlock, a Greek minister said.

    Time is fast running out for Greece to secure a cash-for-reforms deal with its international creditors to avoid a default at the end of June that could turf it out of the eurozone.

    With nervy depositors pulling billions out of Greek banks, Athens may have to impose capital controls within days to staunch the flow....rte.ie

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  41. Sunni tribes, abandoned by Iraqi forces at Ramadi, now seen as key to ISIS fight...

    Parading across a desert base, hundreds of Sunni tribesmen who graduated a crash training course stood ready to take on the Islamic State group on behalf of a government that many believed left them to die at the hands of the extremists.

    Among them were tribesmen who watched as Iraqi forces abandoned Ramadi a month ago to the Islamic State group. Their suspicions toward the Shiite-led government in Baghdad could be seen as they pushed forward to receive their first government salary in 18 months, with one brandishing a Kalashnikov assault rifle as he neared the front.

    "For a year and a half we told them we need weapons, we need salaries, we need food, we need protection, but our requests were ignored until the disaster of Ramadi happened," said Sheikh Rafa al-Fahdawi, one of the leaders of the Al Bu Fahad tribe of Anbar province........ctvnews.ca

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  42. Germany Detains Al Jazeera Reporter on Egyptian Warrant ...

    Germany has arrested a prominent journalist from the pan-Arabic Al Jazeera network on an Egyptian warrant.

    The Qatar-based broadcaster said Ahmed Mansour, a senior reporter with its Arabic service, was detained Saturday at an airport in Berlin while trying to board a plane for Doha.

    A German police spokesman later acknowledged the arrest of the 52-year-old Egyptian-British journalist. German prosecutors were expected to review the detention by early Sunday.

    The network's website also said an Egyptian court last year sentenced Mansour in absentia to a 15-year prison term "for torturing a lawyer in 2011 in [Cairo's] Tahrir Square." That location was the epicenter of an anti-government uprising that toppled former President Hosni Mubarak....voanews.com

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  43. Islamic State crisis: 'Mines planted in Syria's Palmyra'...

    Islamic State (IS) militants have planted landmines and explosives around the ancient Palmyra ruins, according to a group that monitors the war in Syria.

    Activists said it was unclear whether IS had laid the bombs to destroy the ruins or make the site secure from Syrian government forces.

    IS fighters seized the city, which is one of the most important historic sites in the Middle East, in May.

    Government forces are reported to be planning a bid to recapture the site.

    The director of the UK-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, Rami Abdel Rahman, told reporters that Syrian soldiers outside the city have brought in reinforcements in recent days, "suggesting they may be planning an operation".

    He said government forces had also launched heavy air strikes against the residential part of Palmyra in the past three days, killing at least 11 people.

    The group relies on a network of sources inside Syria for its information...........BBC

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  44. "Hors de l'euro, la Grèce pourrait sombrer dans la guerre civile" ...

    Les chefs d'Etats et de gouvernements de la zone euro se réunissent lundi pour décider du sort de la Grèce. Pour Roland Gilet, professeur d'économie à l'ULB et invité de Mise au Point ce dimanche, le Grexit aurait des conséquences dramatiques pour la Grèce, qui se trouverait incapable de subvenir à ses besoins et donc à ceux de sa population. Mais les conséquences ne seraient pas que financières. Elles seraient aussi géopolitiques. "Vladimir Poutine est déjà à l'oeuvre dans la région pour accroître l'instabilité", s'inquiète Philippe Maystadt, ancien président de la Banque européenne d'investissement.

    "Va-t-on compromettre l'avenir d'un continent pour un problème de liquidités?" Philippe Maystadt est inquiet: beaucoup de ministres des Finances, dans la zone euro, sont prêts à en faire sortir la Grèce. "Il y a une certaine lassitude, certains disent ne plus vouloir payer pour un pays qui ne remet de toute façon pas son économie en ordre", dit-il. "Les Espagnols, parmi beaucoup d'autres, voient mal pourquoi des gens qui ont fait moins d'efforts qu'eux devraient continuer à être aidés...", ajoute Roland Gilet.

    Mais mené à son terme, donc traduit par une sortie de la Grèce de la zone euro, le raisonnement aurait des conséquences tragiques. De trois ordres.

    Financières, bien sûr: "On ne sait pas comment les marchés réagiront s'ils voient que l'intégration européenne peut faire machine arrière", explique Philippe Maystadt. "La Grèce doit payer sept milliards pour les intérêts de sa dette. Si elle sort de l'euro, son déficit primaire deviendra incontrôlable", avance, lui, Roland Gilet..............http://www.rtbf.be/info/article/detail_hors-de-l-euro-la-grece-pourrait-sombrer-dans-la-guerre-civile?id=9012400

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  45. Louka Katseli, chair of the National Bank of Greece, told the BBC that banks were not under immediate threat of running out of money....

    But 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.........BBC

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  46. Heatwave in Pakistan's Sindh province leaves 120 dead...

    More than 120 people have died during a heatwave in Pakistan's southern Sindh province.

    Health officials say most of the deaths have been in Karachi, which has seen temperatures as high as 45 degrees Celsius (113 deg F) in recent days.

    The city has seen power cuts, caused by an increased demand for electricity caused by the extreme weather.

    The head of the emergency department at Jinnah Hospital in Karachi said the majority of the victims were elderly.

    "Patients with heat stroke brought to the hospital had high-grade fever, altered state of consciousness, dehydration and fits," said Dr Semee Jamali,

    "Since Saturday 114 people have died in Karachi and eight others in three districts of Sindh," provincial health secretary Saeed Mangnejo told the Agence France-Presse news agency.

    According to Pakistan's metrological office, very hot and humid weather is likely to continue on Monday, but cooler weather is forecast from Tuesday.

    The all-time record temperature in Karachi is 47 degrees Celsius (117 degrees Fahrenheit), recorded in 1979.

    Nearly 1,700 died in a heatwave in neighbouring India last month....BBC
    22/6/15

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    Replies
    1. Pakistan heatwave death toll climbs to 122: officials...

      A heatwave in Pakistan's largest city Karachi and other districts of southern Sindh province has killed at least 122 people, health officials said June 21.

      "Since Saturday 114 people have died in Karachi and eight others (have died) in three districts of Sindh," provincial health secretary Saeed Mangnejo told AFP.

      He said the provincial government had imposed a state of emergency at all hospitals, cancelling leave for doctors and other medical staff and increasing stocks of medical supplies.

      The southern port city of Karachi saw temperatures reach as high as 45 degrees Celsius (111 degrees Fahrenheit) on June 20, just short of an all-time high in the city of 47 C in June 1979.

      Dr Seemin Jamali, the head of the emergency department at state-run Jinnah Hospital said more than 100 people had died at the hospital.

      "They all died of heat stroke," she said.

      Officials said all the deaths had occurred since June 20 evening.....hurriyetdailynews.com
      22/6/15

      Delete
  47. The Philippines will hold separate naval exercises with U.S. 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, U.S. and Japanese navies to hold combined exercises on Palawan island, 160 km (100 miles) 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...........reuters.com

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  48. The head of the European Commission president's cabinet, Martin Selmayr, said on Twitter that Greece's latest offer had been received by its creditors...

    He said it represented a "good basis for progress" before comparing the discussions on a deal to a "forceps delivery" childbirth.....INTMEDIA

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  49. Eurozone Officials Focus on Greek Debt as Repayment Deadline Nears ...

    Officials in the 19-nation eurozone are focusing on debt-ridden Greece in a series of meetings Monday as they work to prevent the country from defaulting on its loan payments at the end of the month.

    Greek Prime Minister Alexis Tsipras is holding talks with the heads of the International Monetary Fund, the European Central Bank and the European Commission after unveiling a proposal Sunday that his office called a "mutually beneficial agreement that will give a definitive solution" to the problem.

    Greece will also be a main topic as eurozone finance ministers have their own meeting and the leaders of those countries hold a summit......voanews.com
    22/6/15

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  50. Die linksliberale Turiner Tageszeitung «La Stampa» warnt am Montag vor den Folgen eines möglichen Austritts Griechenlands aus der Eurozone...

    "Wenn man die Schwierigkeiten in der Türkei bedenkt, die Schwere der Krise im Mittelmeer und die weiter bestehende Zerbrechlichkeit der Balkan-Region, wäre es ein Luxus, den Europa sich nicht erlauben kann und die USA für unvernünftig halten, jetzt auch noch Griechenland zu verlieren und es damit de facto Wladimir Putin zu schenken.".....fr-online.de

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  51. Malaysia, Australia and Netherlands to mark MH17 anniversary...

    The Australian, Malaysian and Dutch governments will hold services on July 17 to mark the first anniversary of the shooting down of a Malaysia Airlines plane over Ukraine with the loss of 298 lives, Australia's prime minister said Monday.

    Australian lawmakers would be recalled to Parliament House for the national service and a plaque would be unveiled in the House of Representatives' gardens inscribed with the names of all victims, Prime Minister Tony Abbott said.

    Australian flags will be flown at half-staff on all government facilities throughout the country, he said.

    "We continue to support families who deal with the pain of loss and who have a deep yearning for justice," Abbott told Parliament.

    The victims included 39 Australian citizens and permanent residents.......AP..........ctvnews.ca
    22/6/15

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  52. Ukraine: l'UE prolonge de six mois les sanctions économiques contre la Russie ...

    Les chefs de la diplomatie de l'UE ont formellement prolongé lundi, jusqu'à fin janvier 2016, les lourdes sanctions économiques décrétées contre la Russie pour son rôle dans le conflit en Ukraine, a-t-on appris de source officielle.....rtbf.be
    22/6/15

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  53. Les ministres des Affaires étrangères de l'Union européenne ont lancé lundi une mission navale de lutte contre le trafic de migrants en Méditerranée, qui sera limitée dans un premier temps à une surveillance accrue des réseaux de passeurs, a indiqué une porte-parole....

    Les premiers déploiements de navires, sous-marins, d'avions patrouilleurs et de drones européens sont attendus dans une semaine. La décision a été prise par les chefs de la diplomatie de l'Union européenne à l'ouverture de leur réunion mensuelle à Luxembourg, selon cette porte-parole. (Belga)
    rtl.be

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  54. The European Union launched a naval operation Monday to try to stop human traffickers 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, which was officially launched by EU foreign ministers meeting in Luxembourg, will operate in international waters and airspace until the EU can secure a U.N. Security Council resolution endorsing its effort and permission from the Libyan authorities to enter their territory.........voanews.com
    22/6/15

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  55. Greece's coast guard says it rescued more than 1,000 migrants from the eastern Aegean Sea between Friday morning and Monday morning...

    The coast guard said it had rescued 1,161 people in 37 search-and-rescue operations off the islands of Samothraki, Lesbos, Chios, Samos, Agathonisi and Farmakonisi.

    Greece is facing a massive migrant crisis, with more than 55,000 people, many from Syria, reaching Greek islands from the nearby Turkish coast since the beginning of the year. The vast majority don't want to stay in Greece but to head on to more prosperous European Union countries.

    Greece has long called for the other EU countries to share the burden of the crisis.
    Associated Press

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  56. Both Israel and Palestinian militants may have committed war crimes during the 2014 Israel-Gaza conflict, UN investigators have said...

    In a long-awaited report, the UN team said there was evidence of "serious violations" by both sides.

    Israel dismissed the investigation as "politically motivated and morally flawed", while Hamas said it wrongly equated "the victim and executioner".

    The conflict lasted for 50 days between July and August, and ended in a truce.....BBC

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  57. EU sees 'opportunity' for a debt deal with Greece after emergency talks ...

    Eurozone finance ministers were cautiously optimistic on Monday that a deal on Greece's bailout was finally within reach this week, amid fears the country might otherwise default on its debts and fall out of the euro.

    With leaders from the 19 single currency nations gathering in Brussels, financial officials gave a tentative endorsement to new Greek proposals for spending cuts and reforms they would make in exchange for billions of euros in fresh loans.

    "It's an opportunity to get that deal this week," said Jeroen Dijsselbloem, the Dutchman who chairs the eurozone finance minister meetings.

    He said the technical experts who are evaluating the Greek plan believe it "is broad and comprehensive but they really need to look at the specifics to see whether it adds up in fiscal terms."........AP........france24.com
    22/6/15

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  58. Syrian army advances in ISIS-held Palmyra...

    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.

    “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.”

    Pro-government forces recaptured Jazal, which lies about 20 kilometres northwest of Palmyra, from ISIS forces last week.

    It is one of the few Syrian oil fields still in government hands......AFP.........alarabiya.net

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  59. Kurdish forces in northern Syria say they have captured a key military base from Islamic State (IS) north of the militants' self-declared capital of Raqqa....

    The Kurdish Popular Protection Units (YPG) were backed by US-led air strikes and other rebel groups.

    It comes a week after Kurdish forces seized a Syrian border crossing with Turkey from the jihadists.

    The move cut off a major supply route for IS.............BBC

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  60. Les dernières propositions d'Athènes suscitent une lueur d'espoir...

    Les dirigeants de la zone euro étaient réunis lundi à Bruxelles pour examiner de nouvelles propositions grecques, jugées encourageantes mais pas encore suffisantes pour arracher un accord qui éviterait un défaut de paiement d'Athènes.

    Ce lundi 22 juin s'est tenu un sommet crucial de la zone euro à Bruxelles pour éviter à la Grèce un défaut de paiement. Depuis plusieurs heures, les échanges entre le Premier ministre grec Alexis Tsipras, son ministre des Finances Yanis Varoufakis et les dirigeants européens se sont multipliés......france24.com

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  61. South Korean President Park Geun-hye attended a ceremony hosted by the Japanese embassy in Seoul as the two nations marked the 50th anniversary of Japan and South Korea normalizing relations after Japan's colonisation and World War II conquest...

    Japanese Prime minister Shinzo Abe reciprocated by attending a ceremony at the South Korean embassy in Tokyo to mark the event.

    Leaders from both sides promised to work together to mend ties strained by a territorial dispute and a feud over South Korean "comfort women" forced to work in Japan's wartime military brothels.

    Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe says a frank discussion at the highest level was needed to resolve these thorny issues.

    "Japan and South Korea being neighboring countries have various problems to resolve. And because we have problems to resolve, I believe it is important to be able to talk frankly with each other."

    But Park and Abe have not met one-on-one since both of them took office more than two years ago, a sign that relations between the two Asian powerhouses are still at a low..............http://www.china.org.cn/world/2015-06/23/content_35883916.htm

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  62. At least 22 extremists were killed and 30 others seriously injured on Monday during security raids on their hideouts in Egypt's North Sinai province, security sources told Xinhua.....

    According to the sources, the armed forces dealt with the militants from dawn time until the afternoon, using military Apaches and tanks to target their gatherings in three villages where they were planing terrorist operations against new military checkpoints in Sheikh Zuweid.

    "The three cells of militants planned terrorist attack with suicide bombers, car bombs and explosive devices and belts, but the armed forces successfully foiled their attempts by a prior counterattack," said the sources, noting the militants belonged to the Sinai-based, al-Qaida-inspired Ansar Bayt al-Maqdis (ABM) militant group.

    Earlier on Monday, three policemen and three civilians were injured as two explosive devices targeted two buildings mostly inhabited by policemen in North Sinai's Arish city.............http://www.globaltimes.cn/content/928382.shtml

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  63. Pakistan: le nombre de morts de la canicule grimpe à plus de 450 ...

    La vague de chaleur affectant le sud du Pakistan a fait plus de 450 morts ces trois derniers jours, ont annoncé mardi les autorités locales, un bilan qui a plus que doublé par rapport à la veille.

    La plupart des décès ont été recensés à Karachi, la plus grande ville du pays avec ses quelque 20 millions d'habitants, où la température étouffante a atteint 45 degrés et où les pannes d'électricité se multiplient, freinant l'adduction d'eau.

    Ce pic de mortalité dû à la chaleur intervient un mois après celui qui a fait près de 2000 morts dans l'Inde voisine, la seconde la vague de chaleur la plus importante de l'histoire de ce pays.

    "Plus de 450 personnes sont mortes en raison des fortes chaleurs ces trois derniers jours", a déclaré à l'AFP le docteur Sabir Memon, un haut responsable gouvernemental de la province pakistanaise du Sind, dont Karachi est la capitale. Ce bilan a été confirmé à l'AFP par un autre responsable des services de santé provinciaux, Saeed Mangnejo.......AFP...........rtbf.be
    23/6/15

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  64. Australia's Most Wanted Terrorists Reported Killed in Iraq ...

    Australia is trying to confirm reports that two of its most wanted Islamic State fighters have been killed in Iraq. The families of Khaled Sharrouf and Mohamed Elomar have told Australian media the pair died in a drone attack in the city of Mosul in the past week.

    Khaled Sharrouf and Mohamed Elomar have become the faces of Australian extremism in the Middle East. The men left Sydney for Syria in 2013, and Australia issued warrants for their arrests a year later.

    Ten years ago, Sharrouf was jailed for his part in the biggest terrorism conspiracy Australia has ever seen, although almost four years in prison did nothing to dampen his radicalism.........voanews.com
    23/6/15

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  65. Death toll from Pakistan heat waves reaches 474: state TV ...

    Death toll from the heat waves in Pakistan's southern parts has reached 474, state television reported early Tuesday.Nearly 300 have died in four major hospitals in the port city of Karachi, the provincial capital, a senior health official, Saeed Mangnejo, told the media.

    Meteorological officials say the temperature in Karachi reaches 45 degrees which is a record since 1979.

    Head of the Karachi's main state-run Jinnah Hospital, Dr Semi Jamal, said 200 people died in her hospital. She said a vast majority of those dead were above 50 years of age.

    She said over 3,000 affected people were brought to hospital over the past three days. Around 200 were stated to be in critical condition.

    On Monday, scattered rains had to some extent decreased the temperature.............http://www.globaltimes.cn/content/928387.shtml
    23/6/15

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    Replies
    1. Deadly heat wave in Pakistan's Karachi overwhelms hospitals...

      A scorching heat wave across southern Pakistan's city of Karachi has killed at least 436 people, authorities said Tuesday, as morgues overflowed with the dead and overwhelmed hospitals struggled to aid those clinging to life.

      Temperatures reaching 45 degrees Celsius (113 degrees Fahrenheit) began roasting Pakistan's port city of Karachi over the weekend. Hourslong power outages, typical in Pakistan, also struck the city, leaving fans and air conditioners inoperable as the majority of people in this Muslim country abstain from food or water in daylight hours during the holy fasting month of Ramadan.

      The power outages also affected the sporadic water supply in the city, where those who can afford it rely on tankers of water being delivered to their homes...AP......ctvnews.ca
      23/6/15

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    2. An extreme heat wave that cause temperatures to soar past 43 degrees celcius in Pakistan's southwestern Sindh province has left hundreds dead, mostly in the port city of Karachi...

      Emergency rooms at local hospitals are full of patients suffering from heat stroke. Doctors warn that old people, those suffering with diabetes or kidney disease are particularly vulnerable.

      The Sindh provincial government has issued a state of medical emergency.

      A statement issued by the office of Pakistan Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif said the National Disaster Management Authority had been ordered to start relief measures.

      Anwar Kazmi, a spokesman for the Edhi Foundation, says the charity handled more than 700 bodies in its morgues or ambulances over the past six days..............http://www.voanews.com/content/hundreds-dies-in-pakistan-heat-wave/2833725.html

      Delete
  66. US military pays Syrian rebels up to $400 per month: Pentagon...

    Syrian rebels receiving US military training to battle the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (ISIL) militants are being paid $250 to $400 per month, depending on their skills, performance and leadership position, the Pentagon said on June 22.

    It was not immediately clear how many Syrian rebels were currently being paid. Army Colonel Steve Warren, a Defense Department spokesman, said last week that up to 200 Syrian fighters were undergoing training. A further 1,500 have completed the necessary screening.

    Defense Secretary Ash Carter said in May that Syrian fighters participating in the US-led mission would receive "some compensation," but he gave no figures...............hurriyetdailynews.com

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  67. The air force commander of Libya's internationally recognised 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....REUTERS

    ReplyDelete
  68. Islamic State destroys ancient shrines in Syria's Palmyra city...

    Islamic State militants have blown up two ancient shrines they consider sacrilegious in Palmyra, a 2,000-year-old UNESCO World Heritage site in central Syria, the ultra hardline Sunni Muslim group said on Tuesday.

    The report was the first of any damage being done by the militants to buildings in Palmyra since they seized control of the city, also known as Tadmur, in May. Syrian forces have bombed the city, and the militants camped within it, since then.

    Before-and-after pictures showed several militants carrying explosives and the shrines, which are not among the city's monumental Roman-era buildings, reduced to rubble.
    ADVERTISING

    The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, a Britain-based monitoring group, said this week that the militants had planted mines in Palmyra but that it was not clear whether it was preparing to destroy the site or wanted to deter government forces from advancing towards it................reuters.com
    23/6/15

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  69. Ungarn nimmt keine Flüchtlinge mehr auf...

    Die Dublin-Verordnung verpflichtet Ungarn, Asylbewerber zurückzunehmen, die von dort in andere EU-Staaten wie Deutschland weitergereist sind. Es geht um zigtausende Flüchtlinge. Nun hat Budapest das Abkommen vorerst ausgesetzt. „Ungarn ist voll“, sagt ein Regierungssprecher.....faz.net

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. La Hongrie suspend sa participation au programme de l'UE pour les réfugiés ...

      La Hongrie a annoncé mardi qu'elle suspendait l'application des règles de l'UE sur le droit d'asile et n'accepterait plus le retour de migrants arrivés sur son sol puis arrêtés dans un autre pays membre. La Commission exige des explications.

      Le gouvernement hongrois a annoncé, mardi 23 juin, qu'il suspendait unilatéralement l'application de règles de l'Union européenne en matière de droit d'asile, en cessant d'accueillir des demandeurs d'asile en provenance d'autres États de l'Union européenne.

      Quelques heures plus tard, la Commission européenne a sommé la Hongrie de s'expliquer immédiatement sur ce qui constitue une infraction aux règles communautaires.

      Le règlement européen de Dublin contraint en effet les migrants à faire leur demande d'asile dans le premier pays d'entrée lorsqu'ils arrivent sur le territoire de l'Union européenne. S'ils se rendent dans un autre pays de l'Union, ils doivent être renvoyés dans le premier pays d'arrivée...........france24.com

      Delete
  70. Die USA haben nach Informationen der Enthüllungsplattform Wikileaks die drei französischen Präsidenten Jacques Chirac, Nicolas Sarkozy und François Hollande abgehört. Das geht aus Wikileaks-Dokumenten hervor, über die die französische Zeitung "Libération" und die Enthüllungsplattform Mediapart am Dienstag berichteten....

    Bei den als streng geheim eingestuften Dokumenten handelt es sich demnach unter anderem um fünf Berichte des US-Geheimdienstes NSA, die auf abgefangener Kommunikation basierten........kurier.at

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  71. NSA spied on French presidents: WikiLeaks...

    The United States National Security Agency spied on French presidents Jacques Chirac, Nicolas Sarkozy and Francois Hollande, WikiLeaks said in a press statement published on Tuesday, citing top secret intelligence reports and technical documents.

    The revelations were first reported in French daily Liberation and on news website Mediapart, which said the NSA spied on the presidents during a period of at least 2006 until May 2012, the month Hollande took over from Sarkozy.

    WikiLeaks said the documents derived from directly targeted NSA surveillance of the communications of Hollande (2012–present), Sarkozy (2007–2012) and Chirac (1995–2007), as well as French cabinet ministers and the French ambassador to the U.S.

    According to the documents, Sarkozy is said to have considered restarting Israeli-Palestinian peace talks without U.S. involvement and Hollande feared a Greek euro zone exit back in 2012.....reuters.com

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  72. Les Etats-Unis ont espionné Sarkozy, Hollande et Chirac...

    Les Etats-Unis ont espionné, au moins entre 2006 et 2012, les trois derniers présidents français, Jacques Chirac, Nicolas Sarkozy et François Hollande, selon des documents du lanceur d’alerte Wikileaks, dévoilés mardi soir par Libération et Mediapart.

    Ces documents, classés « Top-Secret », consistent notamment en cinq rapports de l’agence de renseignement américaine NSA basés sur des « interceptions de communication ». Ils étaient destinés à la « communauté du renseignement » américaine et à des responsables de la NSA, selon Libération.

    Ils émanent d’un bureau identifié comme étant celui des « Summary Services », le « service des synthèses ».
    Le fonctionnement et la prise de décision des présidents expliqués

    Sans révélation fracassante, ils éclairent le fonctionnement ou la prise de décision de M. Hollande et de ses deux prédécesseurs.

    Ils montrent par exemple comment M. Sarkozy se percevait en 2008 comme le « seul homme capable » de résoudre la crise financière. L’ancien ministre des Affaires étrangères de Jacques Chirac, Philippe Douste-Blazy, est lui perçu comme ayant une « propension (…) à faire des déclarations inexactes et inopportunes ».

    Le document le plus récent date du 22 mai 2012, soit quelques jours après l’entrée en fonction de François Hollande. Il fait état de réunions secrètes destinées à discuter d’une éventuelle sortie de la Grèce de la zone euro.

    Un autre document de la NSA consiste en une liste de numéros de téléphone dont ceux des présidents, de leurs plus proches conseillers mais aussi de téléphones fixes comme le standard du ministère des Finances ou de celui de l’Agriculture...........lesoir.be

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  73. Hungary reverses decision to suspend EU asylum rules...

    Hungary on Wednesday reversed its decision to suspend a key EU rule on the processing of asylum claims, a day after it said it would no longer abide by the regulation because the country had become “overburdened” by migrants.

    "(Foreign) Minister Peter Szijjarto has informed his Austrian counterpart that Hungary was not suspending any rule of the European Union," the foreign affairs ministry said in a statement.

    The right-wing government of Prime Minister Viktor Orban had caught Brussels by surprise on Tuesday when it announced it was indefinitely opting out of the so-called Dublin Regulation.

    The provision requires a migrant's claim to be processed in the EU country they first arrive in. It means that EU countries are obliged to take back migrants that arrive in their state but then travel on elsewhere...........france24.com

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  74. Greece holding late-night talks with EU and IMF to reach debt deal...

    Greek Prime Minister Alexis Tsipras is engaging in late-night talks with key officials from the EU and IMF to try and reach a deal that would unlock €7.2bn in bailout funds.

    The head of the eurozone finance ministers, Jeroen Dijsselbloem, told reporters: "We will work through the night if we have to."

    An earlier meeting of ministers was suspended after just 90 minutes, because not enough progress had been made on achieving a compromise.......http://www.rte.ie/news/2015/0624/710264-greece/
    25/6/15

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  75. Tauziehen um Griechenland; Abreise ohne Kompromiss...

    Die nächtlichen Gespräche zwischen Griechenlands Regierungschef Tsipras und den Kreditgebern haben keinen Durchbruch gebracht. Bereits am Morgen soll es weitergehen. Für eine Einigung bleiben nur wenige Stunden.......faz.net

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  76. Greece debt crisis: Crunch talks to avert default...

    Greek PM Alexis Tsipras is due to resume negotiations with international creditors with time running out to find a solution to Greece's debt crisis.

    A late-night session with the European Commission, the European Central Bank (ECB) and the International Monetary Fund (IMF) failed to close the gaps.

    Eurozone finance ministers hope to endorse a deal when they meet again, ahead of a summit of EU leaders.

    Greece must repay a €1.6bn (£1.1bn) IMF loan by next Tuesday or face default.

    That could lead to Greece exiting the eurozone, with possible repercussions for the rest of Europe and the world economy.

    Only once agreement is reached will creditors unlock the final €7.2bn tranche of bailout funds for cash-strapped Greece.

    "The Greek government remains firm on its positions," a Greek official told reporters after two hours of overnight talks - following a seven-hour session earlier - in Brussels................http://www.bbc.com/news/world-europe-33265923
    25/6/15

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  77. Des jihadistes de l'EI à nouveau dans la ville kurde syrienne de Kobané ...

    Des jihadistes du groupe terroriste État islamique sont entrés jeudi dans la ville kurde syrienne de Kobané (nord), dont ils avaient été chassés en janvier après avoir passé quatre mois à tenter de s'en emparer, indique l'Observatoire syrien des droits de l'Homme.

    Toujours selon l'OSDH, l'EI est également entré dans la nuit de mercredi à jeudi dans la ville syrienne de Hassaké (nord-est), s'emparant de deux quartiers auparavant sous contrôle du régime.

    Des dizaines de jihadistes et de soldats ont été tués lors des violents affrontements dans cette ville dont le régime syrien et les forces kurdes se partagent le contrôle.
    rtbf.be
    25/6/15

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  78. Schuldendrama: Griechen pokern bis zuletzt...

    Unmittelbar vor dem EU-Gipfel versuchen die Europäer mit allen Mitteln, die gefährliche Griechenland-Krise zu entschärfen. Die Euro-Finanzminister kommen am Donnerstag (13.00 Uhr) zu einem neuen Sondertreffen zusammen, um den Streit um neue Milliardenhilfen für das Krisenland beizulegen. Beratungen der Ressortchefs am Mittwochabend waren nach 90 Minuten ohne Ergebnis zu Ende gegangen.

    Der griechische Ministerpräsident Alexis Tsipras will am Vormittag erneut mit Spitzenvertretern der Geldgeber über sein Reform- und Sparpaket beraten, wie aus EU-Kreisen verlautete. Ohne eine Abmachung zu dem Paket können 7,2 Milliarden Euro blockierte Hilfen nicht fließen. Und ohne frisches Geld droht Griechenland bald die Staatspleite.

    Der Linkspolitiker Tsipras hatte bereits in der Nacht in der Spitzenrunde beraten. Beteiligt waren dem Vernehmen nach EU-Kommissionschef Jean-Claude Juncker, die Chefin des Internationalen Währungsfonds (IWF), Christine Lagarde, der Chef der Europäischen Zentralbank (EZB), Mario Draghi, sowie Eurogruppenchef Jeroen Dijsselbloem und der Chef des Euro-Rettungsschirms ESM, Klaus Regling..............abendzeitung-muenchen.de
    25/6/15

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  79. At least eight people have been killed and 38 others wounded in an explosion in the Syrian border town of Kobani amid renewed fighting between Kurdish forces and Daesh...

    A statement released by the anti-Bashar-al-Assad Syrian Revolution Coordinators' Union (SRCU) said Daesh militants mounted the attack with two bomb-laden vehicles while disguised as Kurdish fighters.

    The SRCU also reported fierce clashes in Kobani following the blast.

    Local Turkish government officials told Anadolu Agency that clashes between Daesh and Syrian-Kurdish fighters from the YPG – the military wing of the Syrian Democratic Union Party – have recently intensified in central Kobani.

    They stated that the bomb blast occurred near Turkey's Mursitpinar border crossing in the Suruc district of southeastern Sanliurfa province in the early hours of Thursday............aa.com.tr
    25/6/15

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  80. Grèce : toujours pas d'accord en vue à cinq jours d'un défaut de paiement...

    À cinq jours d'un défaut de paiement de la Grèce, les négociations piétinent. Jeudi, Athènes et ses créanciers n'ont pas trouvé de terrain d'entente. L'Eurogroupe s'est également réuni sans parvenir à un accord.

    Les négociations sur la dette grecque piétinent. Alors que l'échéance approche, le Premier ministre grec Alexis Tsipras, le président de la Commission européenne Jean-Claude Juncker, la directrice générale du FMI Christine Lagarde et le président de la BCE Marifinanceo Draghi n'ont pas trouvé de terrain d'entente lors d'une réunion à Bruxelles et ont donc présenté des documents séparés aux ministres des Finances de la zone euro. Cette réunion de l'Eurogroupe s'est elle aussi terminée sans accord, jeudi en fin d'après-midi.

    Le président de l'Eurogroupe, Jeroen Dijsselbloem, a déclaré que la porte restait ouverte pour que la Grèce accepte les propositions des créanciers. Une nouvelle réunion de l'Eurogroupe est prévue samedi matin, a indiqué à Reuters un responsable de la zone euro........france24.com
    25/6/15

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  81. EU to take in 40,000 migrants from Italy, Greece: draft communique...

    EU leaders will agree on Thursday to take in 40,000 asylum-seekers from Italy and Greece to confront a growing migrant crisis in the Mediterranean but delay a decision on how to share them out, according to a draft final summit statement.

    Stung by the deaths this year of almost 2,000 migrants trying to reach Europe by boat, the European Union has promised an emergency response but not national quotas for housing people fleeing war and poverty in Africa and the Middle East.

    Governments will agree to "...the relocation over two years from Italy and Greece to other member states of 40,000 persons in clear need of international protection, in which all member states will participate," according to a draft seen by Reuters.

    EU countries will take part on a voluntary basis. .....reuters.com

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  82. The White House on Thursday said efforts to have Israel charged with war crimes at the International Criminal Court were "counterproductive" and would be opposed by Washington...

    The United States has "made clear that we oppose actions against Israel at the ICC as counterproductive," National Security Council spokesman Alistair Baskey said after the Palestinian Authority submitted evidence to Hague prosecutors.
    AFP

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  83. EU leaders meeting in Brussels have agreed to speed up the relocation of thousands of migrants who have arrived in Italy and Greece...

    Summit chairman Donald Tusk said 40,000 would be relocated to other EU states over the next two years.

    No agreement on a proposed quota system has been reached at the summit.

    The Greek debt crisis is also on the summit's agenda. Greece and its international creditors remain deadlocked after talks on Thursday.....BBC

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    Replies
    1. Italy slams EU leaders for rejecting migrant quotas...

      Italian Prime Minister Matteo Renzi lashed out at fellow EU leaders Thursday for rejecting mandatory migrant quotas amid sharp divisions over how to halt the tide of humanity washing up on Europe's southern shores.

      Diplomatic sources said discussion at a late-running summit dinner became increasingly heated and "emotional" as Renzi accused his peers of looking after only their own interests.

      "If that's your idea of Europe, you can keep it," Renzi told his 27 counterparts, Italian sources told AFP.

      "Either give us solidarity or don't waste our time," they quoted him as saying............france24.com
      26/6/15

      Delete
  84. Prime Minister David Cameron said on Friday that he was delighted to have begun a renegotiation of Britain's membership of the European Union....

    Speaking to reporters in Brussels at around 1:00 AM local time after hours of talks with other EU leaders on Greece and the migration crisis, Cameron said:

    "It has been a long night and we have discussed some very important subjects, but above all I am delighted that the process of British reform and renegotiation and the referendum that we are going to hold - that process is now properly underway."

    "People always say to me: 'These things aren't possible. You will never get them done.' Well, once again we have proved we will get them done: We have started that process."
    jpost.com by Reuters

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  85. Günther Oettinger: "Ein Grexit wäre unvermeidbar"...

    Für EU-Kommissar Oettinger ist der Ausstieg Griechenlands sicher, falls es nicht bald eine Einigung gibt. Immerhin, es gebe Fortschritte – aber auch viele Differenzen.....zeit.de

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  86. In a surprise move, Greece's creditors have made a new compromise proposal Friday...

    The document, leaked to the Financial Times, makes significant changes to bring the negotiating positions of creditors closer to that of the Greek government.

    Major concessions have been made on pension reforms. A Greek government program which gives extra money to poorer pensioners was to be scrapped, according to Athens' proposal, by 2020.............aa.com.tr
    26/6/15

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  87. An attacker carrying an Islamist flag killed one person and injured several others at a gas factory in eastern France this morning, according to a legal source...

    The suspected attacker entered the factory and set off several small explosive devices, the source said.

    A decapitated body was found near the factory, another source said.

    "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".

    A man thought to be the person who carried out the attack has been arrested, according to sources close to the enquiry.

    French Prime Minister Manuel Valls has tightened security around sensitive sites following the attack.............http://www.rte.ie/news/2015/0626/710748-france-attack/
    26/6/15

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    Replies
    1. Few details of the killing have been released, but the man's head was reportedly found on a post at the factory, in Saint-Quentin-Fallavier, some 40km (25 miles) from Lyon.

      Mr Hollande said the decapitated body had "inscriptions" on it. The French interior minister said: "A flag with Arabic writing on it was found at the scene."

      France immediately launched a terror investigation as news of the attack emerged.....BBC

      Delete
    2. Victim in French terror attack was suspect's boss - source...

      A source close to the probe said the victim was the attacker's boss.

      Speaking from a European Union summit in Brussels, French President Francois Hollande described it as a terrorist attack and said all measures would be taken to stop any future strikes on a country still reeling from Islamist assaults in January.

      Interior Minister Bernard Cazeneuve said one suspect, named as Yassin Sahli, had been arrested, and police were holding other suspected accomplices.............rte.ie

      Delete
  88. Greek Finance Minister Yanis Varoufakis said his country has done everything it could to accommodate the "strange demands" made by its creditors, and was determined to remain part of the eurozone...

    Demands for tax increases and pension cuts that Greece's creditors are setting as conditions for the disbursement of financial aid are putting the country in an impossible position, Varoufakis told Irish national radio RTE on Friday.

    "I am against increasing the corporate tax, but then again I am against raising the tax on hotels and against cutting the pensions of people who live below the poverty line," he said.....aljazeera.com

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  89. Philippine officials say China has continued with its major island-making work in at least two reefs in the South China Sea's Spratly island chain, casting doubt on a Chinese pronouncement that some of its massive construction in seven sites there would end soon...

    Mayor Eugenio Bito-onon said Friday that he flew near the Subi Reef on a private plane as he was about to land at a nearby Philippine-occupied island more than a week ago and he saw that Chinese construction was in full swing with many dredgers and a huge crane visible on the emerging man-made island.

    Two senior Philippine military officials say that China's island-building has continued at another site, called Mischief Reef, based on recent surveillance flights......AP.....ctvnews.ca

    ReplyDelete
  90. British, German, Belgian victims among dead at Tunisia hotel shooting, ministry says ...

    The death toll from the gun attack on a Tunisia hotel has risen to 28, and includes British, German and Belgian nationals, the Tunisian health ministry said in a statement on Friday.
    jpost.com

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    Replies
    1. Statement of the HR/VP Federica Mogherini on the terrorist attacks in France, Tunisia and Kuwait (EEAS)...

      "The chain of attacks in France, Tunisia and Kuwait is a stark reminder that no country and no region can ignore the challenge posed by terrorists. They aim at destabilising our societies by spreading fear, suspicion, prejudice. Both Europe and the Arab world are targeted. Together we cry for our victims – and together we will stand against violence and sectarianism.

      The terrorists want to divide us: our response will be more unity. No nation, no power can carry out this fight alone. We need a truly global alliance, an alliance of civilisations. For this is not a fight among different worlds, the North versus the South, the West versus the Rest.

      We face the same challenge. We are witnessing an unprecedented attempt to manipulate religion to justify terrorism and to foster divisions inside our societies.

      We will not fall into the trap. Europe stays committed to defending the security of its citizens while safeguarding the diversity of our societies. The European Union will keep working with all its partners to fight terrorism and shore up peace and stability in our neighbourhood.

      I offer my condolences to the people of France, Tunisia, and Kuwait and to all the families of those killed and wounded today. My thoughts also go to the people of Syria, Iraq and also Nigeria, who are among the first victims of terrorist attacks almost every day."
      http://eeas.europa.eu/statements-eeas/2015/150626_03_en.htm

      Delete
  91. Lawmakers in Kosovo on Friday rejected Western pressure to create a special court to try ethnic Albanian ex-guerrillas for alleged crimes including organ harvesting during a 1998-99 insurgency to throw off Serbian rule...

    The parliament vote, which fell five votes short, represents a major snub to Kosovo's chief financial and political backers in the United States and European Union, which have lobbied hard for the young country to address the accusations.

    For several years, the now-disbanded guerrilla Kosovo Liberation Army has been dogged by allegations it removed organs from ethnic Serb captives, who were then killed and their organs sold on the black market........reuters.com

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  92. Greece 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
    27/6/15

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  93. Le Premier ministre Alexis Tsipras a annoncé dans la nuit de vendredi à samedi la tenue d’un référendum en Grèce sur le texte qui pourrait résulter samedi de l’Eurogroupe prévu à Bruxelles entre Athènes et ses créanciers...

    « Le peuple doit décider hors de tout chantage (…), le référendum aura lieu le 5 juillet », a déclaré le Premier ministre dans une allocution télévisée diffusée vers 01H00 locale (22H00 GMT) sur les chaînes de télévision grecques, à la veille d’une ultime réunion des ministres des Finances de la zone euro à Bruxelles avant un possible défaut de paiement de la Grèce au FMI le 30 juin.
    PUBLICITÉ

    « Il n’y a pas de raison qu’il n’y ait pas d’accord demain à l’Eurogroupe, nous avons le devoir de trouver une solution », a déclaré M. Varoufakis dans une interview à la chaîne de télévision Ant1, tout en donnant des justifications au refus grec de la proposition des créanciers dans l’après-midi.
    lesoir.be
    27/6/15

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  94. Tsipras kündigt Volksabstimmung über Gläubiger-Angebot an....

    Der griechische Regierungschef hat für den 5. Juli ein Referendum über das von den Euro-Partnern geforderte Sparprogramm angesetzt. Er spricht von Demütigung und Erpressung. Die Opposition in Athen zeigt sich besorgt. An den Geldautomaten bilden sich lange Schlangen...........faz.net

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  95. La banque de Grèce surveille de près l'approvisionnement des distributeurs...

    (Belga) La Banque de Grèce "fait tout pour assurer que les distributeurs sont bien équipés en billets", ont assuré samedi des sources internes à la banque centrale, alors que des files d'attente s'étiraient devant de nombreux distributeurs après l'annonce dans la nuit d'un référendum.

    La BCE est "prête à intervenir à tout moment" pour relever le plafond de l'aide d'urgence aux banques grecques (ELA), ont par ailleurs assuré des sources bancaires grecques depuis plusieurs jours. La BCE avait dû relever ce plafond cinq fois en huit jours récemment, avant de le laisser inchangé jeudi et vendredi, les retraits s'étant calmés. Mais dans la nuit de vendredi à samedi, le Premier ministre grec Alexis Tsipras a annoncé l'organisation d'un référendum le 5 juillet sur les propositions des créanciers (UE, FMI, BCE) dont il a dénoncé "l'ultimatum" posé selon lui dans leur projet d'accord formulé vendredi..........rtl.be
    27/6/15

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  96. The Greek parliament has voted in favor of holding a referendum on July 5 on creditor proposals. The prime minister’s motion was supported by 178 of 300 lawmakers, with 120 voting against it...

    "In accordance with the government’s proposal, during the proposed referendum the Greek people will have to decide by vote whether the government should accept or reject the draft agreement submitted by the European Commission, the European Central Bank and the International Monetary Fund at the Eurogroup meeting on June 25, 2015," the parliament meeting program said. The document consists of two parts - "Reforms for the completion of the Current Program" and "A preliminary analysis of debt sustainability."

    Tsipras announced his decision overnight on Saturday to hold a referendum on creditor proposals on July 5. According to him, Greek citizens will have to express their attitude towards the debt settlement plan prepared by the lenders in exchange for reforms.
    http://tass.ru/en/world/804437

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  97. Information from the European Commission on the latest draft proposals in the context of negotiations with Greece...

    "In 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

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  98. ELA to Greek banks maintained at its current level...

    ECB 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

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  99. Iranian nuclear talks are set to go on beyond Tuesday's formal deadline for a deal, a senior US official says...

    The admission came as Iran's Foreign Minister Mohammed Javad Zarif prepared to fly back to Tehran from Vienna, Austria, where talks are taking place.

    Observers said Mr Zarif probably needed to seek guidance over a stumbling block in negotiations - how much access Tehran will grant to nuclear monitors.

    Six world powers and Iran are taking part in the talks....BBC

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  100. Israeli naval forces boarded and took over an activist vessel seeking to break the Gaza blockade, and were escorting it to an Israeli port early Monday, the military said, saying that the navy did not use force....

    "In accordance with international law, the Israeli Navy advised the vessel several times to change course," it said in a statement. "Following their refusal the Navy visited and searched the vessel in international waters in order to prevent their intended breach of the maritime blockade of the Gaza Strip."

    "The forces have reported that use of force was unnecessary, and that the process was uneventful," it added. "The vessel is currently being escorted to Ashdod Port and is expected to arrive within 12-24 hours.".......AFP

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  101. pour Hollande, il y a encore la "possibilité d'un accord" sur la Grèce...

    Banques fermées, impasse des négociations entre Athènes et ses créanciers et Bourses chahutées en Asie comme en Europe : la semaine sera décisive pour la Grèce.

    Après un week-end marqué par la décision surprise du Premier ministre Alexis Tsipras d'organiser un référendum sur les conditions posées à la Grèce pour obtenir une aide financière précieuse, la situation était tendue, lundi 29 juin.

    Les banques grecques resteront fermées jusqu'au 5 juillet, tout comme la Bourse d'Athènes. Les déclarations des responsables européens devront se multiplier ce lundi pour tenter de trouver un moyen de sortir de cette crise à la fois économique et politique de la zone euro.....france24.com
    29/6/15

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  102. The 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

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  103. UK PM says ISIL planning attacks on British soil...

    British Prime Minister David Cameron has warned that Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (ISIL) fighters based in Syria and Iraq are planning specific attacks against the UK.

    Speaking to the BBC on Tuesday, Cameron said the group posed an existential threat to the West, but added that teaming up with Syrian President Bashar al-Assad to fight the organisation was "absolutely the wrong approach."

    "There are people in Iraq and Syria who are plotting to carry out terrible acts in Britain and elsewhere and as long as Islamic State exists in those two countries we are at threat," he said......aljazeera.com

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  104. L'objectif du référendum est de prolonger les négociations, selon Tsipras...

    Alexis Tsipras a justifié son référendum, lundi, en affirmant qu'il avait pour objectif de prolonger les négociations, tandis que le porte-parole du gouvernement grec a sévèrement mis en cause la sincérité du président de la Commission européenne.

    Le référendum de dimanche 5 juillet a pour objectif de prolonger les négociations entre la Grèce et ses créanciers et non de la faire sortir de la zone euro, a déclaré, lundi 29 juin, Alexis Tsipras.

    Lors d'une déclaration à la télévision d'État, le Premier ministre a appelé ses compatriotes à voter "non", disant espérer le rejet par les électeurs de la dernière proposition des créanciers par une majorité la plus nette possible afin que son gouvernement soit en position de force pour négocier.

    Alexis Tsipras a déclaré qu'il ne pensait pas que les créanciers souhaitent la sortie de la Grèce de la zone euro en raison du "coût considérable" qu'aurait une telle initiative. "Je ne pense pas que leur intention (celle des créanciers, NDLR) soit de pousser la Grèce hors de l'euro mais de mettre fin aux espoirs qu'il puisse y avoir une politique différente en Europe", a-t-il dit.............france24.com

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  105. Puerto Rico's governor is preparing to inform the rest of the US commonwealth that it cannot pay its $72bn (€64bn) debts...

    Alejandro Garcia Padilla's admitted as much in an interview with the New York Times - a move which rattled stock markets and knocked 10% off prices of Puerto Rican bonds.

    "The debt is not payable," Mr Garcia Padilla told the paper in comments reported on Sunday. "There is no other option. I would love to have an easier option. This is not politics, this is math."

    Mr Garcia Padilla and senior staff members told the publication last week during an interview that the island would likely seek concessions from its creditors, maybe all of them.

    This, the Times reported, could include deferral of some debt payment for up to five years or a lengthened timetable for repayment.

    Over the past decade, Puerto Rico's debt has doubled as investors grew increasingly worried that the government was running out of cash.

    "We have to make the economy grow," Mr Garcia Padilla told the Times. "If not, we will be in a death spiral."

    As a commonwealth, the island cannot file for bankruptcy, meaning a default could take years to resolve, the paper said............http://www.rte.ie/news/2015/0630/711618-puerto-rico/
    30/6/15

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  106. El BCE no excluye la salida de Grecia del euro, pero sería su culpa...

    El Banco Central Europeo (BCE) no excluye que Grecia salga de la zona euro, e insiste en que si eso ocurre sería responsabilidad del Gobierno de este país, que decidió poner fin a las negociaciones con sus acreedores, afirmó Benoît Coeuré, miembro de su directorio.

    "La salida de Grecia de la zona euro, que era un objeto teórico, ya no puede desgraciadamente excluirse", señaló en una entrevista publicada hoy por el diario económico francés "Le Echos" Coeuré, que añadió que "es el resultado del Gobierno griego".

    Insistió en que tanto el BCE como las autoridades europeas quieren que Grecia siga en la moneda única, y por eso hicieron su propuesta la semana pasada, que en particular rebajaba las exigencias en términos de superávit fiscal.

    "La decisión de interrumpir las discusiones la tomaron las autoridades griegas. Nos sorprendió porque estábamos al término de intercambios intensos y bastante fructuosos", argumentó.

    En cualquier caso, se mostró convencido de que si los griegos votan "sí" en el referéndum del domingo, "las autoridades de la zona euro encontraran la manera" de poner en marcha un programa de ayuda, aunque el actual expire hoy............http://www.elmundo.es/economia/2015/06/30/5592495a268e3eac508b4571.html

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  107. A patrol ship of the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK) was sent back Tuesday after " violating South Korea's territorial waters", the Joint Chiefs of Staff said...

    The patrol boat sailed about 1.5 km south of the Northern Limit Line (NLL), which the DPRK has never accepted as the inter-Korean maritime border as it was unilaterally drawn by the United Nations after the 1950-1953 Korean War.

    The ship came back after sailing in waters near the western border island of Yeonpyeong at around 10:22 a.m. (0122 GMT).

    The South Korean Navy issued warning messages and fired warning shots to force the ship back to the north.
    http://www.china.org.cn/world/2015-06/30/content_35945131.htm
    30/6/15

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  108. The Greek government is reportedly planning to request a new two-year bailout deal from the eurozone...

    It 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........BBC

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  109. The Islamic State of Iraq and Syria (ISIS) beheaded two women in Syria on accusations of "sorcery," the first such execution of women in Syria, the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights monitor said Tuesday, according to Agence France Presse...

    "ISIS executed two women by beheading them in Deir Ezzor province, and this is the first time the Observatory has documented women being killed by the group in this manner," Observatory chief Rami Abdel Rahman said.

    One of the women was beheaded along with her husband in Deir al-Zor city.

    In al-Mayadeen city to the south east, the group beheaded another woman and her husband.

    All of them were accused of sorcery, the monitor said.

    ISIS has beheaded local and foreign men in Syria, including enemy combatants, aid workers and journalists as well as people it has deemed as violating its hardline interpretation of Islamic law. ...alarabiya.net

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  110. Διαβουλεύσεις για Συμφωνία στο.. και Πέντε - Οι Τελευταίες Εξελίξεις...

    Παρασκηνιακές διαβουλεύσεις και αντικρουόμενες δηλώσεις συνθέτουν το σκηνικό των καταιγιστικών εξελίξεων, του ελληνικού ζητήματος, λίγες μόλις ώρες πριν από την λήξη της παράτασης του προγράμματος και ενώ το χρονοδιάγραμμα είναι ασφυκτικό.

    Σύμφωνα με τις τελευταίες πληροφορίες η ελληνική κυβέρνηση επεξεργάζεται μια νέα πρόταση στην οποία στηρίζεται στην πρόταση που κατέθεσαν οι θεσμοί, αλλά βάζει και το θέμα του χρέους, το οποίο για το Μαξίμου αποτελεί προϋπόθεση συμφωνίας.............http://www.energia.gr/article.asp?art_id=95559
    30/6/15

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  111. À Athènes, les Grecs dans le piège du référendum....

    Alors que les Grecs sont appelés à se prononcer, dimanche, sur les propositions des créanciers, les électeurs, tenaillés entre rejet de l’austérité et attachement à l’Europe, sont en plein désarroi. Reportage à Athènes.

    Le trentenaire Yiorgos, patron d’un café "Oxo Nou" rue Benaki, à Exarkia, en est certain : ce référendum n’est qu’une étape "démocratique". "Il va dans le sens du programme de Tsipras. Il avait proposé du changement. Les créanciers n'en veulent pas. Tsipras consulte le peuple pour valider sa position", résume-t-il simplement.

    Quelques mètres plus loin, dans la file d’attente d’un distributeur Alpha Bank, Nikolaos, un Athénien, est plus anxieux. Selon lui, la "question posée (au référendum) n’est pas claire". Si, sur le papier, l’interrogation est : "Êtes-vous pour ou contre les mesures des créanciers ?", en substance, "on ne sait pas si l’on vote pour ou contre l’euro, pour ou contre le gouvernement, pour ou contre l’austérité", se lamente Nikolaos. De nombreux Athéniens se retrouvent dans ce sentiment confus d’avoir à choisir entre euro ou drachme, le 5 juillet.............http://www.france24.com/fr/20150630-athenes-grecs-piege-referendum-reportage-union-europeenne-euro

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