Saturday, May 16, 2015

Juniphone Global News in brief (June 2015 - A)

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U.S. commandos mounted a rare raid into eastern Syria overnight, killing a senior Islamic State commander in a firefight, capturing his wife and rescuing a Yazidi woman held as a slave, the Pentagon said Saturday.......US special forces in Syria raid
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164 comments:

  1. Etats-Unis: vers une suspension de la collecte des données téléphoniques par la NSA...

    (Belga) Le Sénat n'a pas réussi à trouver un accord pour éviter l'expiration du programme controversé de collecte des données téléphoniques par la NSA, prévue à 00h01 (06h01 HB) lundi, ont indiqué des sénateurs dimanche.

    Le texte de loi prolongeant ce programme ne pourra pas être adopté d'ici dimanche soir, ouvrant la voie au minimum à une suspension de la collecte des métadonnées, selon ces sénateurs. (Belga)
    rtl.be
    1/6/15

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  2. Britain: New Russian Travel Ban Shows Western Sanctions Working ...

    Former British Foreign Secretary Malcolm Rifkind says Russia's entry ban on 89 European politicians and military leaders shows Western sanctions imposed on Moscow for its March 2014 annexation of the Crimean peninsula are working.

    Rifkind told British radio Sunday that Russian officials "would not have reacted unless they felt very sore at what happened."

    Rifkind spoke a day after the European Union issued a statement saying it considers the new ban, which was disclosed last week, as "totally arbitrary and unjustified in the absence of further clarification."

    The Russian list includes scores of European lawmakers and heads of government who last year backed several waves of European and U.S. sanctions aimed at penalizing Moscow for its role in the ongoing Ukraine crisis...........http://www.voanews.com/content/britain-says-new-russian-travel-ban-shows-western-sanctions-working/2802606.html

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  3. Petraeus: 'Politics can defeat ISIS'...

    Ex-CIA Director David Petraeus has told the BBC that Islamic State militants can only be defeated through a dual military and political approach.

    "Industrial-strength" extremists cannot be dealt with "just with force of arms", he said in a rare interview.

    During the Iraq war, Mr Petraeus devised the strategy that saw a "surge" in US troop numbers and secured support from Sunni tribesmen against al-Qaeda.

    Iraq's US-backed army is now battling to retake territory seized by IS.

    Gen Petraeus described the group as "a formidable enemy".

    "It is really a conventional army that also has elements of an insurgency, and indeed significant terrorist elements as well," he said.

    But when asked to compare IS with its predecessor, al-Qaeda in Iraq - which Gen Petraeus was instrumental in defeating - he said the latter "had much greater roots in Iraq and much greater numbers than IS".....BBC

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  4. China to hold live-fire military drills along its volatile southwestern border with Myanmar...

    China's military will hold live-firing exercises this week along its volatile border with Myanmar near where Chinese civilians were killed by stray bombs from fighting between rebels and Myanmar's government.

    The Defence Ministry said the exercises starting Tuesday in Yunnan province will include both ground and air elements. It didn't say how many troops would be involved or how long the exercises would last. Aircraft were warned to stay away.

    The drills will be held in jungle-covered mountains along China's southwestern border, directly across from where Myanmar troops have been battling ethnic Kokang rebels......AP......ctvnews.ca

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  5. Greece may need new elections or default, warns Goldman Sachs...

    Negotiations between Greece and her creditors seem to have hit an impasse, and could trigger new elections, a referendum or capital controls on bank deposits, or even a default, warns Goldman Sachs this morning.

    Huw Pill, Goldman’s chief European economist, fears it will be “very challenging” for the two sides to reach a deal to unlock the final €7.2bn of Greece’s bailout aid.

    And although his “base case” is still that a compromise will ultimately be reached, the situation could become a lot worse first.

    Pill argues that the platform on which the current Greek government was elected – to ­­ retaining the Euro but with no further adjustment and/or external oversight ­­– is “irreconcilable” with the demands of lenders.

    And without a deal, Greece’s remaining government cash reserves will soon be exhausted.

    Facing this reality, a new political mandate ­­ and thus a new government, a referendum or new elections ­­ will be required in Greece.

    Not only is it possible that we may need to see sovereign technical default and/or blocked Greek bank deposits in order to come to an accommodation between Greece and its official creditors, it may be necessary to do so in order to break the current impasse in negotiations.............http://www.theguardian.com/business/live/2015/jun/01/greece-crunch-month-bailout-creditors-manufacturing-pmi-live
    1/6/15

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  6. Griechenlands Schuldenkrise: Tsipras setzt auf Machtwort Merkels...

    Heute trifft die Kanzlerin Frankreichs Staatspräsident Hollande und EU-Kommissionschef Juncker. Es geht um Griechenland. Gerade dessen Regierungschef veröffentlicht überraschend einen großen Zeitungsbeitrag....faz.net
    1/6/15

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  7. Greece's Tsipras attacks creditors over 'absurd' reforms ...

    Greece's Prime Minister Alexis Tsipras on May 31 attacked its creditors for insisting on what he described as absurd reforms which have only held up progress in negotiations for a deal aimed at preventing his country from defaulting.

    "The lack of an agreement so far is not due to the supposed intransigent, uncompromising and incomprehensible Greek stance," Tsipras wrote in a column published by French newspaper Le Monde.

    "It is due to the insistence of certain institutional actors on submitting absurd proposals and displaying a total indifference to the recent democratic choice of the Greek people," he added.

    Greece has been locked in talks with its creditors -- the European Union, the International Monetary Fund and the European Central Bank -- in a bid to unlock 7.2 billion euros ($7.9 billion) in bailout funds.

    However, a deal has so far proved elusive as the creditors are demanding greater reforms in return for the cash, which Tsipras's government -- elected on an anti-austerity bill -- has refused to match..........AFP.........hurriyetdailynews.com
    1/6/15

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  8. Islamic State suicide attack kills 38 Iraqi policemen...

    Islamic State militants drove a tank rigged with explosives into a base south of the Iraqi city of Samarra on Monday, killing 38 policemen, military and police sources said.

    A further 46 people were wounded in the attack on the Muthanna bases in an area from which security forces and Shi'ite paramilitaries have been fighting to drive out the insurgents.

    Security forces seized the complex from the militants several days ago and were using it as a foothold in an offensive aimed at cutting Islamic State supply lines from the Samarra area to the western province of Anbar.

    Anbar's capital, Ramadi, was overrun by the insurgents two weeks ago in the most significant setback for Iraqi forces since a U.S.-led coalition began bombing the militants last summer......reuters.com
    1/6/15

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  9. Tsipras' Undank brüskiert Slowenien...

    Kürzlich sah es noch so aus, als müsste Slowenien unter den Euro-Rettungsschirm. Doch dann rettete es sich selbst – und half zudem Athen. Nun beschwert sich der Premier über Tsipras' Undankbarkeit.

    Knapp 1000 Kilometer Luftlinie trennen Slowenien von Griechenland. Es gab eine Zeit, da bemaß sich die gefühlte Distanz zwischen den beiden Euro-Ländern geringer. Vor eineinhalb Jahren taumelte die slowenische Wirtschaft am Abgrund, das Land drohte der nächste Fall für den Euro-Rettungsschirm zu werden. Der Bankensektor war in Schieflage geraten, die Gefahr eines staatlichen Bankrotts rückte bedrohlich nah.
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    Doch anders als Athen wusste Ljubljana sich selbst aus der Krisenlage zu befreien – ohne die Hilfe der europäischen Partner, die es nur im Gegenzug für strenge Auflagen gegeben hätte. Inzwischen ist das Land wieder auf Erfolgskurs. Trotz der eigenen Probleme zeigte es sich während der Erholung sogar noch solidarisch mit dem krisengeplagten Athen.

    Griechenlands Dankbarkeit dafür wird in Slowenien inzwischen offen angezweifelt. "Der griechische Ministerpräsident Tsipras ist noch nie zu mir gekommen, stattdessen geht er nach Berlin oder Paris", beklagt sich der slowenische Regierungschef Miro Cerar. Das kleine Alpen-Adria-Land hat Griechenland Kredite und Garantien im Wert von 1,55 Milliarden Euro gegeben, was 3,1 Prozent des Bruttoinlandsprodukts (BIP) entspreche.

    Die slowenischen Garantien lägen damit deutlich höher als etwa jene aus Deutschland und Frankreich, die jeweils nur 2,4 Prozent ihres BIP bereitgestellt haben. Und trotzdem gelten Berlin und Paris als die größten Gläubiger, denen Tsipras Zugeständnisse abzutrotzen versucht. "Ich bin enttäuscht von Griechenlands Premier Tsipras", sagt Cerar und gibt damit offen zu, dass sich Ljubljana bei den Bemühungen um die Rettung Griechenlands von der Regierung in Athen brüskiert fühlt. "Es ist sehr schwierig für mich, vor den Slowenen einen Schuldenschnitt für Athen zu rechtfertigen, während die Hälfte meines eigenen Landes weniger entwickelt ist als Griechenland", so Cerar weiter...........http://www.welt.de/wirtschaft/article141753849/Tsipras-Undank-brueskiert-Slowenien.html
    1/6/15

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  10. Syrisch-türkische Grenzregion: IS und Rebellen kämpfen um Vorherrschaft...

    Die Stadt Aleppo samt Umland gehört zu den meist umkämpften Gebieten im syrischen Bürgerkrieg. Große Teile der Region stehen unter Kontrolle der Regierung, andere Viertel werden von Rebellen gehalten. Nun sind in der syrisch-türkischen Grenzregion offenbar heftige Kämpfe zwischen der Terrormiliz "Islamischer Staat" (IS) und syrischen Rebellen ausgebrochen.

    Laut Angaben der Syrischen Beobachtungsstelle für Menschenrechte versuchten die Dschihadisten, die Oppositionskämpfer von der Grenzregion nahe der Stadt Asas zu vertreiben. Das sagte der Leiter der Beobachtungsstelle, Rami Abdel Rahman, der Nachrichtenagentur dpa. Dort liegt eine wichtige Versorgungsroute zur Metropole Aleppo.

    Syrien steht für die IS-Miliz vorerst wieder im Fokus: Die Dschihadisten haben am Wochenende einen Checkpoint erobert auf der Autobahn, die von Palmyra nach Damaskus führt. Mittelfristig haben sie die syrische Hauptstadt im Blick.

    Im Norden von Aleppo haben die Dschihadisten mehrere Dörfer von syrischen Rebellen erobert. Die Stadt selbst wird derzeit zum Teil von den Rebellen, zum Teil vom syrischen Regime kontrolliert. Am Wochenende meldete die Syrische Beobachtungsstelle, bei Luftangriffen der Regierungstruppen seien mindestens 71 Zivilisten getötet worden. Aus Hubschraubern der Armee seien am Samstag Fassbomben über der Ortschaft Al-Bab und über Aleppo abgeworfen worden, melden die Aktivisten..........http://www.spiegel.de/politik/ausland/syrien-is-und-rebellen-kaempfen-um-tuerkische-grenzregion-a-1036608.html
    1/6/15

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  11. At least 5 killed in eastern Ukraine despite ceasefire...

    At least two civilians and three Ukrainian troops have been killed in eastern Ukraine despite the ongoing ceasefire, officials on both sides of the conflict said Monday.

    The hostilities have subsided since the September ceasefire, but fighting between Russia-backed separatists and government troops still continues across the front line.

    In a new report released Monday, the UN human rights office said that the number of people killed in more than a year of fighting in the east has risen to more than 6,400 people......AP......ctvnews.ca
    1/6/15

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  12. Vietnam, US sign Joint Vision Statement on Defense Relations ...

    The statement was signed by Vietnamese Defense Minister Phung Quang Thanh and the U.S. Secretary of Defense Ashton Carter.

    Speaking at the press conference after the signing ceremony, the Vietnamese defense minister said the statement will guide defense relationship on the basis of the Memorandum of Understanding for Advancing Bilateral Defense Cooperation signed by the two parties in 2011, including cooperating in dealing with war legacies, sharing experience in search and rescue, and launching bilateral dialogues and discussions.

    The joint vision statement will enhance friendship, understanding and confidence building between the two countries, deepen the comprehensive partnership for the interests of the two peoples, and contribute to the maintenance of peace and stability in the Southeast Asia and Asia-Pacific region, Phung said.

    Carter, for his part, claimed that the statement is to further strengthen the defense relationship between the two countries for the years to come, adding that the U.S. will support the operation of U.N. peacekeeping center established in Hanoi and the participation of Vietnem in UN peacekeeping activities..............http://www.china.org.cn/world/2015-06/01/content_35708704.htm
    1/6/15

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  13. Treffen in Berlin: Merkel und Hollande kämpfen gegen den Grexit...

    Die Kanzlerin und der französische Präsident übernehmen die Verhandlungen mit Athen. Offenbar steht ein letzter Kompromissvorschlag kurz bevor, am Montagabend findet ein Krisentreffen in Berlin statt. Es könnte eine Nachtsitzung werden.....faz.net

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  14. No deal in Greece-creditor talks as debt deadline nears...

    PM Tsipras is trying to quell opposition from within his own party as the talks continue ahead of Friday's IMF payment.

    Greece's cash-strapped government has failed to deliver on a promise to reach an agreement with rescue lenders over the weekend.

    With a debt repayment looming on Friday that Greece cannot afford, the government is trying to quell an internal squabble as it continues talks with the creditors.

    Prime Minister Alexis Tsipras is still struggling to reach a deal with bailout creditors to get more bailout loans, without which it cannot afford debt repayments it owes the International Money Fund this month, starting on Friday.

    However, Tsipras faces opposition from within his own party to any agreement with creditors that would extend budget austerity measures that creditors have been demanding............aljazeera.com
    1/6/15

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  15. Chinese ship capsizes on Yangtze with hundreds missing...

    Hundreds of people are missing after a cruise ship carrying more than 450 people capsized in a storm on the Yangtze River in China's southern Hubei province, says state media.

    Xinhua news agency said rescuers have heard sounds coming from the upturned boat. At least one person is dead.

    The boat reportedly did not send out an SOS signal before sinking.

    Media reports say several people who had swum to shore alerted the police with the help of fishermen.

    Only about 10 people have been rescued so far, and some with minor injuries have been take to hospital, said state media. Rescue work has been hampered by strong winds and heavy rain.

    Hundreds of soldiers have been dispatched, and a high-powered salvage ship is on the way to pull the boat upright, reported China Central Television (CCTV).....BBC

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  16. A passenger ship carrying 458 people, many elderly Chinese tourists, sank in the Yangtze River in a storm late on Monday and only about 20 had been rescued so far, state media said, in what could be one of China’s worst disasters for years...

    Chinese President Xi Jinping has ordered that no efforts be spared in rescue work, although the official Xinhua news agency said bad weather was making rescue efforts more difficult.

    Premier Li Keqiang was heading to the scene of the accident in central Hubei province, Xinhua said on Tuesday.

    Xinhua, citing the Yangtze River navigation administration, said those rescued from the Eastern Star included the ship’s captain and engineer, who said the vessel sank quickly after being caught in what it said was a cyclone......Reuters........france24.com

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  17. Israel Accuses UN Committee of Recognizing Hamas-Linked NGO ...

    Israel has accused a United Nations committee of recognizing a Palestinian non-governmental organization (NGO) that it says is linked to Hamas, the terrorist group that governs Gaza.

    The committee on NGOs voted 12-3 to approve the British-based Palestinian Return Center's request for accreditation.

    Israel, Uruguay and the United States voted no while the yes votes include Iran, Sudan, and Venezuela. India, Russia and Greece abstained.

    The Palestinian Return Center says its mission includes working for a Mideast settlement that guarantees the Palestinians their rights, and publicizing across Europe what it says is the suffering of the Palestinian people.

    But Israel accuses the group of promoting terrorism and being the European coordinating wing for Hamas. It said the group's members are senior Hamas officials.........http://www.voanews.com/content/israel-accuses-un-committee-of-recognizing-hamas-linked-ngo/2803938.html

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  18. Some passengers still alive in capsized Chinese ship - People's Daily,,,

    Some passengers are still alive inside a ship that capsized in China's Yangtze River on Monday night, the microblog of the official People's Daily newspaper said.

    The ship carrying 458 people sank during a storm and only 12 people had been rescued so far, state media reported on Tuesday, in what could be one of China's worst disasters for years.
    (Reporting by Michael Martina; Editing by Paul Tait)
    - Reuters

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  19. Letztes Angebot für Tsipras..

    Die Geldgeber Griechenlands haben in einem Spitzentreffen in Berlin offenbar einen Kompromissvorschlag ausgelotet. Weitere Angebote wird es vermutlich nicht mehr geben......zeit.de
    2/6/15

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  20. Griechenland-Krisentreffen: Merkel beendet den Nachtgipfel der letzten Chance...

    Bis nach Mitternacht berieten im Kanzleramt Angela Merkel, François Hollande und weitere prominente internationale Vertreter über den Schuldenstreit mit Griechenland. Offenbar soll Athen eine ultimative Chance bekommen...........faz.net

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  21. U.S. says John Kerry's broken leg won't hinder Iran nuclear talks...

    U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry returned to Boston Monday for surgery on his broken leg, as officials insisted his injury would not hinder his participation in nuclear negotiations with Iran.

    With an end-of-June deadline for an Iranian deal fast approaching, the 71-year-old Kerry left Geneva aboard a U.S. military plane accompanied by his orthopedic surgeon, Dennis Burke, and additional medical personnel. Officials said Burke is expected in the coming days to perform surgery on Kerry's right femur, which Kerry fractured Sunday in a bicycle accident when he struck a curb and fell on a regular Tour de France route located southeast of the Swiss city.

    He had been receiving treatment at Geneva's main medical centre, HUG, and was taken to Massachusetts General Hospital after he returned home to Boston. Kerry, an avid cyclist, had hip replacement surgery several years ago. The fracture was near the hip, leading to speculation that his recovery would be lengthy and prevent him from being as involved in the Iran negotiations as he has been over the past two years.......AP............ctvnews.ca

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  22. Anti-ISIS allies to press Iraq on military strategy...

    Ministers from Western and Middle Eastern countries fighting ISIS will tell Iraq on Tuesday to be more inclusive of its Sunni minority as they reassess their strategy against the jihadists after major setbacks.

    The meeting in Paris, which about 20 ministers from countries including Saudi Arabia and Turkey will attend, will focus on helping Iraq reverse its biggest military defeat in nearly a year - the fall of Ramadi, capital of Anbar province, just 90 km (55 miles) west of Baghdad.

    "Ramadi was a big blow," said a French diplomatic source.

    "We're not going to change the fundamentals of our strategy - air strikes and support for Iraqi forces - but it's crucial that everybody in Iraq is part of the fight against ISIS."....alarabiya.net
    2/6/15

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  23. MH17: Russia ‘photoshopped’ evidence, independent group claims...

    Russia’s defence ministry has tampered with two satellite images in order to blame Ukraine for the downed Malaysia Airlines flight MH17 last year, an independent investigative group has alleged.

    According to the group called Bellingcat, Russia had used the Adobe Photoshop CS5 software to digitally alter the images, including to show that Ukraine’s “Buk” M-1 missile launcher were purportedly in the range of the crash.
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    “Our forensic analysis of all three images clearly and unequivocally shows that these images have been altered. In each of the pictures, significant image content has been digitally modified with a high level of probability,” Bellingcat said in its report titled “Forensic Analysis of Satellite Images Released by the Russian Ministry of Defence”.

    The group also said that the photos, which Russia claimed was taken on July 17, 2014 when the plane crashed, were actually taken at least two days earlier......todayonline.com
    2/6/15

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  24. Griechenland liefert Gläubigern Reformplan...

    Kommt der Durchbruch im Schuldenstreit mit Griechenland? Laut Regierungschef Tsipras wurde den Gläubigern eine Liste mit "realistischen" Reformvorschlägen präsentiert.....zeit.de

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  25. l'ex-chancelier Helmut Kohl hospitalisé en soins intensifs...

    L'ancien chancelier allemand Helmut Kohl, artisan de la Réunification, a été hospitalisé en soins intensifs à Heidelberg, affirment mardi des médias allemands en citant ses proches....rtbf.be
    2/6/15

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  26. The US-led coalition of powers battling the Islamic State group on Tuesday urged a rapid UN-backed political solution to the crisis in Syria, where the jihadists are wreaking havoc...

    In a joint statement, the 20 or so representatives called for the "speedy launch of a UN-facilitated, genuine and inclusive political process" in Syria.
    AFP

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  27. Grecia, Tsipras presenta proposta di accordo: «Ora la decisione spetta ai leader europei» ...

    Il primo ministro greco Alexis Tsipras ha annunciato che la Grecia ha presentato una proposta di accordo con i creditori nella notte di ieri.
    Tsipras non ha dato dettagli sul documento presentato limitandosi a dire che contiene «proposte realistiche». Parlando all'emittente statale Nerit Tv - riferisce Bloomberg - Tsipras ha ribadito che ora la «decisione spetta alla leadership politica dell'Europa» e si è detto convinto che i leader europei saranno realistici.

    Intanto il portavoce del gruppo parlamentare di Syriza, Nikos Filis, aveva dichiarato in un'intervista che il governo greco non avrebbe accettato ultimatum né firmato con i creditori internazionali alcun accordo che sia incompatibile con il suo programma antiausterity. «Se parliamo di un ultimatum, che non è nel contesto del mandato popolare, è chiaro che il governo non può firmarlo ed accettarlo».

    Le dichiarazioni di Filis seguono quelle del ministro del Lavoro Panos Skourletis, secondo cui Atene non può fare ulteriori concessioni rispetto a quelle già fatte e i creditori devono assumersi le loro responsabilità. «Non c'è spazio per altri compromessi - ha avvertito - Stiamo aspettando che l'altra parte si assuma le proprie responsabilità». Duro anche il commento del vice premier Yiannis Dragasakis, noto per i suoi toni concilianti. Parlando nel corso di un incontro politico ad Atene, ha detto: «Non cederemo al ricatto, non accetteremo ultimatum».
    ilmessaggero.it
    2/6/15

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  28. IMF economists say some countries can 'just live with' high debt...

    Some countries with high public debt levels might be able to "just live with it," because cutting back carries its own risks, three IMF officials said in a paper that disputes decades of dogma about the benefits of austerity.

    The euro zone and other advanced economies have struggled with ballooning debt in the wake of the 2007-09 global financial crisis. Some have faced pressure to satisfy markets through fast fiscal consolidation.

    The International Monetary Fund has already cautioned that cutting back on spending or raising taxes too quickly after the crisis could hurt growth.

    Now, IMF economists Jonathan Ostry, Atish Ghosh and Raphael Espinoza take that advice a step further, arguing that countries able to fund themselves in markets at reasonable costs should avoid the harmful economic impact of austerity.

    "A radical solution for high debt is to do nothing at all," they write in a blog accompanying a Staff Discussion Note, which does not represent the IMF's official position, but could help shape its policies....REUTERS.....channelnewsasia.com

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  29. Warum der "Grexit" einen "Spexit" auslösen könnte...

    Top-Ökonomen raten Griechenland, aus der Euro-Zone auszutreten und versprechen blühende Landschaften. Doch das könnte für andere Länder attraktiv sein – und den Anfang vom Ende der Euro-Zone einläuten.....welt.de

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  30. European Commission, ECB and IMF agree details of deal to be put to Greece...

    Greece's creditors have drafted the broad lines of an agreement to put to the leftist government in Athens in a bid to conclude four months of acrimonious negotiations and release aid before the cash-strapped country runs out of money.

    The joint effort by the European Commission, the European Central Bank and the International Monetary Fund to set out the terms for a cash-for-reforms deal came after the leaders of Germany and France held emergency talks with those institutions in Berlin yesterday to press the lenders to bridge their own differences and find a solution.

    "It covers all key policy areas and reflects the discussions of recent weeks. It will be discussed with (Greek prime minister Alexis) Tsipras tomorrow," a senior EU official said..........http://www.rte.ie/news/2015/0602/705256-greece-economy/

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  31. Tsipras reist mit Kompromissvorschlag nach Brüssel...

    Griechenlands Premierminister will am Abend mit Kommissionschef Juncker über eine Lösung im Schuldenstreit reden. Die Geldgeber sprechen von einem "allerletzten Angebot"........zeit.de

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  32. Multiple bomb threats target flights in US ...

    Four of the five threatened flights, including each one from U. S. Airways, Delta Air Lines, United Airlines and the Mexican carrier Volaris, had already landed. The fifth, Korean Air Flight 23 from Seoul, was scheduled to land Tuesday afternoon in San Francisco, according to U.S. TV network NBC News.

    Quoting anonymous government sources, the report said that the threats were not deemed credible.

    Earlier on Tuesday, U.S. Airways flight 648, with 88 passengers and five crew on board, were searched when it landed at Philadelphia International Airport due to a possible security threat, the airline said.

    The series of bomb threats came just hours after news emerged late Monday about serious security failures at dozens of the nation's busiest airports............http://www.china.org.cn/world/2015-06/03/content_35723771.htm

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  33. US-Senat sagt Ja zu Obamas NSA-Reform...

    Der US-Senat hat für die NSA-Reform gestimmt. Damit können Festnetz- und Mobilanschlüsse von US-Bürgern weiter überwacht werden. Doch die Daten sollen künftig nicht mehr bei der NSA, sondern bei den Telefonanbietern gespeichert werden. Die Aufzeichnungen sollen nur noch mit richterlicher Anordnung herausgegeben werden dürfen....tagesschau.de

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  34. Schuldenkrise in Griechenland: Tsipras will Juncker eigenen Reformplan vorstellen...

    Griechenlands Geldgeber warten auf Antwort aus Athen: Wie wird Alexis Tsipras auf die Reformvorschläge der Gläubiger reagieren? Der Syriza-Chef will EU-Kommissionspräsident Juncker nun einen eigenen Plan vorlegen.

    Griechenlands Gläubiger haben sich auf ein neues Reformprogramm für Athen geeinigt - nun ist Ministerpräsident Alexis Tsipras am Zug. Der Syriza-Chef will am Mittwochabend EU-Kommissionspräsident Jean-Claude Juncker in Brüssel einen eigenen Reformplan präsentieren. Das verlautete aus Regierungskreisen in Athen.........spiegel.de

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  35. German finance minister accuses Greece's ruling party of misleading voters...

    German Finance Minister Wolfgang Schaeuble accused Greece's ruling Syriza party of misleading voters at the last election by promising they could stay in the euro without having to face major reforms.

    The pointed words, in an interview published on Wednesday, will do little to soothe tensions building up between Athens and its international creditors as they try to agree on a deal to unlock remaining bailout funds.

    "Europe is based on mutual trust. You have to act sensibly, that is what makes the current talks with Greece so tiring," Schaeuble told Wirtschaftswoche weekly.

    "In the last election, Syriza succeeded in talking Greeks into believing there is a simpler way to stay in the euro - a way without major reform efforts that are actually in Greece's interests," said Schaeuble.

    "Perhaps they shouldn't have made promises like that," he said, adding he had repeatedly tried to find a way to let Greece stand on its own feet.

    Greek Prime Minister Alexis Tsipras heads to Brussels on Wednesday to meet European Commission President Jean-Claude Juncker in efforts to clinch a deal before the country runs out of cash....REUTERS.........http://www.channelnewsasia.com/news/business/international/german-finance-minister-a/1889730.html
    3/6/15

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  36. Philippine President Benigno Aquino made a veiled comparison on Wednesday between China's activities in the South China Sea and Nazi Germany's expansionism before World War Two, echoing similar remarks he made last year that outraged Beijing....

    Aquino, who is expected to agree beefed up defense ties with Japan when he meets Prime Minister Shinzo Abe on Thursday, also urged Beijing to rethink its land reclamation projects in the disputed waters.

    China has been taking an increasingly assertive posture in recent years in the South China Sea, building artificial islands in areas where Manila and other Southeast Asian countries have rival claims.
    JPOST.COM BY REUTERS
    3/6/15

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  37. Greece will not make a June 5 repayment to the International Monetary Fund if there is no prospect of an aid-for-reforms deal with its international creditors soon, the spokesman for the ruling Syriza party’s lawmakers said on June 3. ..

    The payment of 300 million euros ($335 million) is the first of four this month totaling 1.6 billion euros from a country that depends on foreign aid to stay afloat.

    Greece owes a total of about 320 billion euros, of which about 65 percent to euro zone governments and the IMF, and about 8.7 percent to the European Central Bank.

    On June 2, Greece’s creditors drafted the broad outlines of an agreement to put to the leftist government in Athens in a bid to conclude four months of negotiations and release aid before the country runs out of money.

    “If there is no prospect of a eal by Friday or Monday, I don’t know by when exactly, we will not pay,” Nikos Filis told Mega TV.

    Greek Prime Minister Alexis Tsipras heads to Brussels on Wednesday to meet European Commission President Jean-Claude Juncker.........Reuters.......hurriyetdailynews.com

    ReplyDelete
  38. Cameron's idea of Europe is far from ours: Germany's Gabriel...

    German Vice-Chancellor Sigmar Gabriel hit out at British Prime Minister David Cameron's plans for European Union reform on Wednesday, saying his vision of Europe was better suited to corporate interests than to people.

    The criticism, which Gabriel made after talks with fellow center-leftists in Paris, is a foretaste of the resistance the conservative Cameron can expect as he pushes for changes he says are needed to keep Britain inside the 28-nation bloc.

    "Our idea for Europe is quite the opposite of the idea of Mr Cameron," Gabriel, who is also economy minister in Berlin's coalition between his Social Democrats and the Christian Democrats of Chancellor Angela Merkel, told reporters.
    ADVERTISING

    "Mr Cameron wants to reduce Europe back to a single market," he said in English. "Mr Cameron wants to have a level playing field for companies but no level playing field for people. (Yet) Europe is made for people." .........reuters.com

    ReplyDelete
  39. Kremlin disagrees with the term "annexation" that the German chancellor used about reunification of Russia and Crimea, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said in comments on an article by Angela Merkel article published by media of G7 nations...

    "If my memory serves me right, Mrs Merkel made one terminological mistake in her statement using the word ‘annexation’ instead of ‘joining’," he said. "We consider this definition wrong," Peskov added.....TASS

    ReplyDelete
  40. Violence flares up in east Ukraine...

    Fierce fighting is raging between Ukrainian government forces and pro-Russian rebels in eastern Ukraine, officials on both sides say.

    The clashes - said to involve heavy artillery and tanks - are taking place in Maryinka and Krasnohorivka, outside the rebel-held city of Donetsk.

    There were reports of multiple injuries in the towns held by Ukraine's army.

    Clashes between government troops and the rebels have recently intensified despite a ceasefire signed in February.

    The Ukrainian government, Western leaders and Nato all say there is clear evidence that Russia is helping the rebels in the Donetsk and Luhansk regions with heavy weapons and soldiers. Independent experts echo that accusation..........BBC
    3/6/15

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov on Wednesday blamed fresh outbreak of fighting in east Ukraine on "provocations" by the Ukrainian armed forces and said Moscow was deeply concerned with the shelling of civilians there...

      "In Moscow, we are following very closely and are deeply concerned with the provocative actions by the Ukrainian armed forces that are, as far as we can see, provoking the situation," Peskov told journalists.

      He also called for an "unconditional" implementation of peace agreements reached February that include what is now a badly-strained ceasefire for east Ukraine.
      Reuters

      Delete
    2. East Ukraine battle tests fragile ceasefire to breaking point...

      A major battle erupted Wednesday on the western edge of the main separatist rebel stronghold in eastern Ukraine, leaving more than a dozen dead and threatening to tip the country back into full-blown war.

      Rebels in the city of Donetsk reported 15 dead between civilians and combatants in territory under their control.

      The Ukrainian Interior Ministry said at least one person was killed in Marinka, the government-held town where fighting was centred. Ukrainian presidential adviser Yury Biryukov cited the General Staff as saying three Ukrainian soldiers died in combat and that another 30 were wounded.

      Each side is blaming the other for sparking this round of unrest.

      Ukraine's General Staff said in a statement that rebels deployed around 1,000 fighters and dozens of tanks and self-propelled artillery systems in a major offensive that started before dawn.

      The statement said the attack was a flagrant violation of a February cease-fire agreement.

      The head of the separatist armed forces, Vladimir Kononov, said his fighters had engaged only in defence measures after an all-out assault by the Ukrainian army........AP.....ctvnews.ca
      3/6/15

      Delete
  41. Jordanie: des centaines de réfugiés syriens bloqués dans le désert ...

    L'organisation de défense des droits de l'Homme Human Rights Watch a accusé mercredi Amman de bloquer des centaines de réfugiés syriens dans le désert jordanien près de la frontière avec la Syrie, avec un accès limité à l'aide humanitaire.....rtbf.be
    3/6/15

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  42. Plan d'aide : Bruxelles veut imposer ses conditions à la Grèce...

    Alexis Tsipras et le chef de l'exécutif européen Jean-Claude Juncker se retrouvent, mercredi, à Bruxelles, pour tenter d'aplanir in extremis les divergences entre Athènes et ses créanciers, alors qu'Athènes est au bord du gouffre financier.

    Les propositions sont sur la table. Alexis Tsipras, le Premier ministre grec, doit poursuivre les discussions, mercredi 3 juin à Bruxelles, avec le président de la Commission européenne, Jean-Claude Juncker, afin de débloquer une dernière tranche de 7,2 milliards d'euros d'aide internationale.

    Un rendez-vous qui pourrait donner lieu à un nouveau bras de fer. En effet, les créanciers publics - la Banque centrale européenne (BCE), le Fonds monétaire internationale (FMI) et l'Union européenne (UE) - se sont mis d'accord, mardi soir, sur une liste de propositions de réformes à soumettre à Athènes. Il s'agirait, d'après le "Financial Times" britannique, de l'ultime proposition. En cas de refus d'Alexis Tsipras, les créanciers se résigneraient à laisser la Grèce faire faillite et probablement sortir de la zone euro.....france24.com
    3/6/14

    ReplyDelete
  43. China on Wednesday rejected certain parties' misinterpretations of international law on territorial disputes in the South China Sea, saying its activities in the region were "legitimate and reasonable."...

    Foreign Ministry spokesperson Hua Chunying was responding to the words of U.S. President Barack Obama, who on Monday said China should "throwing elbows" in the South China Sea. Japanese Chief Cabinet Secretary Yoshihide Suga also said China should abide by international norms.

    "Even if these interpretations are not double standards, they come with ulterior motives," Hua said at a regular press briefing.

    "What [international] law forbids China to conduct reasonable construction on its own islands and reefs? What law allows close reconnaissance by warships and planes of another country's islands and reefs? What law allows the infringement of sovereignty and legitimate rights and interests in the name of freedom of navigation?" Hua asked............http://www.china.org.cn/world/2015-06/03/content_35732141.htm

    ReplyDelete
  44. President Juncker receives Prime Minister Tsipras today at 20:30 CET to discuss the state of play in the negotiations between Greece and its international partners. It will be a private meeting, on the personal invitation of President Juncker, and it will be followed by a working dinner...

    There will be an opportunity to photograph or film the handshake between the two leaders at 20:30 CET at the VIP press corner in the Commission’s Berlaymont building.

    No press statements are foreseen.
    http://europa.eu/rapid/press-release_STATEMENT-15-5116_en.htm?locale=en

    ReplyDelete
  45. Meeting of HRVP Federica Mogherini, UK Foreign Secretary Philip Hammond, Italy Foreign Minister Paolo Gentiloni and Libyan Foreign minister, Mohammed al-Dairi in the context of the preparation of maritime operation EUNAVFOR MED...

    'Together with UK Foreign Secretary Philip Hammond and Italian Foreign Minister Paolo Gentiloni, the High Representative/Vicepresident Federica Mogherini met with Libyan Foreign Minister Mohammed al-Dairi today in Brussels. They discussed the situation in Libya, notably the urgency of Libyans reaching an agreement on a National Unity Government under the auspices of the UN-led dialogue process and the need to co-operate to address common challenges such as migration and tackling terrorism.

    The meeting, part of regular on going contacts with Libyan authorities, took place in the context of the preparations of the maritime operation EUNAVFOR MED, which will focus on dismantling the business model of those involved in human smuggling and is led by an Italian Commander, and of the UNSCR process of which the UK is pen holder.
    The meeting was very constructive and contacts with Libyans, the UN and key partners in the region will continue."
    http://eeas.europa.eu/statements-eeas/2015/150603_03_en.htm
    3/6/15

    ReplyDelete
  46. Russia wants accountability for chlorine attacks in Syria...

    The U.N. Security Council should make sure that the people allegedly responsible for chlorine attacks in Syria are brought to justice, Russia's U.N. ambassador said Wednesday.

    Vitaly Churkin said council members need to look at the best way to do that, including a legally binding resolution as one option.

    "There are ideas -- not yet on the table, but floating around,'' Churkin told reporters after a closed-door briefing by the new acting U.N. disarmament chief Kim Won-soo on efforts to eliminate Syria's chemical weapons.

    The United States has been promoting Security Council action to assess blame for alleged chlorine attacks, which Syrian activists and doctors say have been increasingly used in recent weeks.

    The Organization for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons, the global chemical weapons watchdog based in The Hague, Netherlands, has condemned the use of chlorine in Syria as a breach of international law. But the OPCW does not have a mandate to determine responsibility for the use of chemical weapons.....AP....timesofindia.indiatimes.com
    4/6/15

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  47. Israel beschießt Hamas nach Raketenangriff durch IS-Unterstützer...

    Verbündete der Terrormiliz IS machen sowohl Israel als auch der Hamas zu schaffen. Die Extremisten bekennen sich zu einem Angriff. Die Vergeltung trifft aber andere.

    Als Vergeltung für zwei aus dem Gazastreifen abgefeuerte Raketen hat das israelische Militär Ausbildungsstätten der palästinensischen Hamas angegriffen. Dies sei die israelische Antwort auf das Raketenfeuer auf den Süden Israels wenige Stunden zuvor gewesen, sagte Militärsprecher Peter Lerner am Donnerstagmorgen. Eine der Terrormiliz Islamischer Staat nahestehende Gruppierung übernahm die Verantwortung für den Raketenbeschuss. Laut Angaben der Hamas gab es keine Toten oder Verletzten. Die radikalislamische Organisation, die seit 2007 im Gazastreifen regiert, hatte ihre Kämpfer aus Angst vor der israelischen Vergeltung von ihren Posten in Sicherheit gebracht.

    Auch die vorherigen Raketenangriffe hätten keine Menschen verletzt, hatte das israelische Militär am Mittwochabend mitgeteilt. Sirenen hätten die Bewohner vor den Geschossen gewarnt. "Als die Sirenen an diesem Abend in Israel heulten, waren die Leben von mehr als 140.000 Israelis in Gefahr", sagte Lerner. "Israelis und Palästinenser verdienen es, normal zu leben, aber stattdessen hat die Hamas gewählt, den Gazastreifen als Abschussrampe für Raketenangriffe zu benutzen." Raketenbeschüsse waren seit dem 50-tägigen Gazakrieg im vergangenen Sommer weitgehend ausgeblieben, zuletzt aber wieder gelegentlich verübt worden...............http://www.zeit.de/politik/ausland/2015-06/israel-hamas-raketenangriff-gaza
    4/6/15

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  48. At least two rockets have been launched from Gaza into southern Israel, the Israeli police has said...

    The police said on Wednesday that they were fired at the towns of Netivot and Ashkelon, near the Gaza border. Warning sirens were heard in the area, but no injuries have been reported.

    A group calling itself the Omar Brigades has claimed responsibilty for Wednesday's attack, prompting Israeli fighter jets to bomb three empty fields used by Hamas fighters in the southern Gaza strip.

    A week ago Gaza fighters launched their deepest strike at Israel since a 50-day war of last year, striking near the port city of Ashdod.

    Israeli warplanes launched strikes in response at four targets and then the tensions subsided.

    Israel blamed Islamic Jihad fighters for that attack, and media reports said that Hamas, which governs Gaza, had arrested rebels behind that strike.........aljazeera.com
    4/6/15

    ReplyDelete
  49. NATO will continue to identify and intercept Russian planes as the country has increased its activity in much of the area around the alliance, NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg said Wednesday...

    "We will continue to identify and intercept Russian planes. But we should behave normally. As long as NATO is orderly, predictable and clear, it is good for everyone," Stoltenberg, who was on his first official visit to Norway as NATO chief, told the Norwegian public broadcaster NRK.

    "We see increased Russian activity in much of the area around NATO," Stoltenberg said. "It reaffirms the importance that we are present. Nobody wants in a situation that we see Russian planes and military forces operate without being identified."...........http://www.globaltimes.cn/content/925326.shtml
    4/6/15

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  50. China sinking: Yangtze rescuers find dozens of bodies....

    Rescuers have pulled dozens of bodies from a capsized cruise ship in China's Yangtze River, as authorities promised "no cover-up" over the disaster

    Hundreds of people are thought to have died, with only 14 of the 456 passengers known to have survived.

    Rescue workers cut open the hull of the upturned vessel but divers have been hampered by near-zero visibility.....BBC

    ReplyDelete
  51. China and Russia Wednesday reiterated their opposition to any attempts to distort history or whitewash fascism and militaristic aggressions during World War II...

    During a meeting of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) Council of Foreign Ministers in Moscow, Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi called on the bloc members to remember history, commemorate martyrs, cherish peace and work together to create a better future while jointly celebrating the 70th anniversary of the victory of the World Anti-Fascist War.

    Wang also called on all the bloc members to firmly oppose words and actions that try to distort history and beautify aggressions during World War II.

    While meeting Wang and other foreign ministers of the bloc at the Kremlin, Russian President Vladimir Putin said the international community needs to have a better understanding about the enormous national sacrifice the Chinese people had made in their fight against foreign aggressions.............http://www.china.org.cn/world/2015-06/04/content_35739620.htm

    ReplyDelete
  52. An Egyptian appeals court on Thursday annulled a decision to drop a murder charge against former president Hosni Mubarak over the deaths of hundreds of protesters during the 2011 uprising...

    The Court of Cassation accepted the prosecution's appeal against the dismissal of the murder charge against Mubarak, who had initially been sentenced to life.
    AFP
    timesofindia.indiatimes.com

    ReplyDelete
  53. Lawmakers from Greece's ruling Syriza party reacted with dismay and fury on Thursday to a package of reforms creditors offered Prime Minister Alexis Tsipras in return for cash, with one senior party official calling it a "murderous" proposal....

    Opposition to the plan was voiced by lawmakers on both the hardline left as well as more moderate voices in the party, like Labour Minister Panos Skourletis, who said Greeks could be sure that no agreement that adds burdens on them would be signed.
    ADVERTISING

    The starkly negative reaction points to a growing risk of an outright revolt within the radical leftist party, which could prompt Prime Minister Alexis Tsipras to resort to early elections to overcome divisions should he accept the deal.....http://www.todayonline.com/world/creditors-offer-prompts-anger-dismay-greece
    4/6/15

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  54. Russia temporarily banned imports of canned fish from Latvia and Estonia on Thursday on health grounds, prompting Latvian accusations that Moscow was trying to apply political pressure on the Baltic region...

    Relations between the Baltic states of Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania have been tense since the crisis over the pro-Russian separatist conflict in Ukraine erupted last year, stirring East-West tensions unseen since the Cold War.

    The crisis has made Moscow uneasy about the Baltic trio's membership of NATO and the euro zone. Latvia, Lithuania and Estonia are all former Soviet republics bordering on Russia......REUTERS.....voanews.com

    ReplyDelete
  55. Chinese hackers are suspected of carrying out a "massive breach" affecting the data of millions of US government workers, officials said...

    The Office of Personnel Management (OPM) confirmed on Thursday that almost four million current and past employees have been affected.

    The breach could potentially affect every federal agency, officials said.

    Susan Collins, a member of the Senate Intelligence Committee, said the attack was thought to originate in China.

    The Chinese embassy in Washington warned against "jumping to conclusions".

    Embassy spokesman Zhu Haiquan told Reuters news agency that the accusations were "not responsible, and counterproductive"....BBC

    ReplyDelete
  56. The United States and India signed a new defense pact and a 10-year defense cooperation framework this week that officials say represent a new dynamic in their efforts to speed up their security relationship....

    They also say the recent aggressive maritime moves by the Chinese in the South China Sea have helped countries in the region align closer with the U.S.

    U.S. Defense Secretary Ash Carter and his Indian counterpart Manohar Parrikar signed the 2015 Framework for the India-U.S. Defense Relationship, which builds on the previous framework and successes to guide the bilateral defense and strategic partnership for the next 10 years, officials said. The agreement noticeably included co-production and co-development of naval defense capabilities. According to the agreement, the U.S. will help India build and design an aircraft carrier and jet engines.

    Days earlier, Vietnam also signed an agreement with the U.S. to seek military hardware to better protect its maritime assets..........http://www.voanews.com/content/us-india-sign-defense-pact-countering-chinese-influence/2808540.html

    ReplyDelete
  57. The Chinese Embassy in Washington, responding to reports that China was behind a massive cyberattack on U.S. government computers, said on Thursday that jumping to conclusions was "not responsible, and counterproductive."..

    Embassy spokesman Zhu Haiquan said China had made great efforts to combat cyberattacks and that tracking such events conducted across borders was difficult.

    "Jumping to conclusions and making hypothetical accusation is not responsible, and counterproductive," Zhu said in emailed comments to Reuters.
    REUTERS

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  58. Die Personalverwaltung der US-Regierung ist das Ziel einer groß angelegten Cyberattacke geworden....

    Hacker sollen demnach Daten von vier Millionen Staatsbediensteten erbeutet haben. Berichten zufolge soll der Angriff seinen Ursprung in China haben.

    Unbekannte Hacker haben sich Zugriff auf das Computersystem der US-Behörden verschafft und dabei die persönlichen Daten von mindestens vier Millionen Regierungsangestellten erbeutet. Wie das US-Heimatschutzministerium mitteilte, sind neben dem Office of Personnel Management (OPM) auch das Datenzentrum des Innenministeriums betroffen, das auch von anderen Behörden genutzt wird.....tagesschau.de

    ReplyDelete
  59. ISIS militants advance on Syria’s Hassakeh...

    The Islamic State of Iraq and Syria group attacked the predominantly Kurdish city of Hassakeh in northeastern Syria, threatening to take their second governorate capital, according to a UK-based monitoring group.

    The Syrian regime has already lost Raqqa to ISIS militants and Idlib to other rebel factions.

    According to Rami Abdel-Rahman, director the Syrian Observatory for Human rights, ISIS militants are “500 meters away from the entrance of Hassakeh, after fierce clashes against regime forcers south of the city.”

    Control of the city is divided between regime and Kurdish forces who have confronted ISIS in other areas of the province of Hassakeh.

    A dozen explosive-packed trucks have been blown up by ISIS bombers at Syrian army checkpoints around Hassakeh over the past five days, the governor said on Thursday according to Reuters.....alarabiya.net

    ReplyDelete
  60. Dutch foreign minister to discuss MH17 prosecution in Russia...

    Dutch Foreign Minister Bert Koenders will discuss efforts to prosecute suspects in the downing of Malaysia Airlines flight MH17 while in Moscow on Friday, his office said in a statement.

    Koenders will also discuss a Russian blacklist of European politicians during a meeting with his counterpart Sergei Lavrov, it said.

    Roughly two-thirds of the 298 victims of the airline disaster on July 17 were Dutch. Suspects have yet to be identified by Dutch prosecutors.
    ADVERTISING

    The plane is widely believed to have been shot down with a surface-to-air missile launched by pro-Russian forces in Ukrainian territory, but Moscow denies involvement......reuters.com
    5/6/15

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  61. Μία νέα εκστρατεία προπαγάνδας εναντίον της Ρωσίας έχει ξεκινήσει η Δύση, σύμφωνα με τον πρόεδρο της Κρατικής Δούμας, Σεργκέι Ναρίσκιν...

    Σε άρθρο του που δημοσιεύεται σήμερα στην εφημερίδα Izvestiya ο πρόεδρος της Κρατικής Δούμας ανέφερε ότι «είναι απολύτως σαφές ότι τις τελευταίες ημέρες η Δύση έχει επεκτείνει την εκστρατεία της για συκοφαντική δυσφήμηση της Ρωσίας, υποστηρίζοντας ότι η χώρα έχει κάποια σχέση με την κατάρριψη του αεροσκάφους της Μαλαισίας, τα ρωσικά στρατεύματα φέρεται να μάχονται στην ανατολική Ουκρανία και την διακαή επιθυμία μας να έχουμε μία αντιπαράθεση με την Δύση».

    Επιπλέον κατηγόρησε τις δυτικές κυβερνήσεις ότι χρησιμοποιούν κατηγορίες με θυμό από ορισμένα ελάχιστα γνωστά άτομα στις πρώην σοβιετικές δημοκρατίες της Βαλτικής προκειμένου να κάνουν τους Ευρωπαίους να φοβούνται την Ρωσία.

    «Πλέον είναι ξεκάθαρο το γεγονός ότι η τρέχουσα εκστρατεία για να δυσφημίσουν τη Ρωσία, συμπίπτει χρονικά με τη σύνοδο κορυφής του Ιουνίου της Ε.Ε., όπου το θέμα των κυρώσεων θα μπορούσε να τεθεί και πάλι. Δημιουργείται (η εκστρατεία) ξανά από τις ΗΠΑ και συντονίζεται από εκεί», έγραψε ο Σεργκέι Ναρίσκιν......http://gr.rbth.com/news/2015/06/05/i_dysi_eksapelyse_nea_antirosiki_propaganda_37475.html
    5/6/15

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  62. Explosions meurtrières lors d'un meeting du parti pro-kurde HDP en Turquie....

    Deux explosions d'origine inconnue a fait deux morts et plus de 100 blessés, vendredi, lors d'un meeting électoral du parti d'opposition pro-kurde HDP. Un incident de plus dans une campagne qui a été émaillée de nombreuses violences.

    Deux personnes ont été tuées et plus de 100 personnes ont été blessées par deux explosions d’origine indéterminée lors d'un rassemblement électoral du parti d'opposition pro-kurde HDP dans le sud-est de la Turquie, vendredi 5 juin, à deux jours des élections législatives, a annoncé le ministre turc de l'Agriculture Medhi Eder, cité par l'agence de presse progouvernementale Anatolie.

    Les circonstances de cet incident demeurent peu claires pour l'instant et le Premier ministre Ahmet Davutoglu a déclaré qu'il n'avait pas été établi si les explosions avaient été provoquées par un accident ou par un attentat.

    "Nous ne savons pas pour l'instant s'il s'agit d'un attentat ou d'un accident. Mais nous découvrirons quelle en est la cause", a dit Ahmet Davutoglu lors d'un rassemblement de ses partisans à Gaziantep.........france24.com

    ReplyDelete
  63. Two dead, 100 hurt in blasts at Kurdish rally in Turkey...

    Two blasts ripped through a Kurdish rally in Turkey on Friday, killing two people and injuring more than 100 in what President Tayyip Erdogan described as a "provocation" designed to undermine peace before Sunday's parliamentary election.

    The explosions occurred as tens of thousands of people gathered for the pro-Kurdish Peoples' Democratic Party (HDP) election rally in Diyarbakir, the largest city in mainly Kurdish southeast Turkey.

    Initial reports said there had been one explosion but a senior security source told Reuters there were two blasts. Officials initially blamed a faulty power transformer at the rally site but later ruled that possibility out..........reuters.com

    ReplyDelete
  64. Ukraine's Finance Ministry said on Friday the debt restructuring offer from the country's biggest group of creditors was unacceptable and asked bondholers to enter into more constructive dialogue to reach a deal...

    Kiev and a creditors' committee led by Franklin Templeton had earlier held a teleconference aimed at reaching a debt deal that will enable Ukraine to meet targets attached to a US$40 billion International Monetary Fund-led bailout package.
    REUTERS
    channelnewsasia.com
    5/6/15

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  65. The G7 summit in Germany starting Sunday will discuss extending European Union sanctions on Russia, probably for six months, a senior EU official said Friday...

    EU economic sanctions on Russia, imposed over the Ukraine conflict, are due to expire in July.

    EU leaders agreed in March that the sanctions would stay until the Minsk cease-fire agreement is fully implemented, effectively extending them to the end of the year, but a formal decision yet to be taken.
    http://www.globaltimes.cn/content/925626.shtml

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  66. President Barack Obama spoke to Ukraine President Petro Poroshenko on Friday about a surge in violence in eastern Ukraine ahead of a G7 summit, where leaders were slated to discuss the crisis...

    Obama and Poroshenko "once more called on Russia and the separatists it backs to abide strictly by the terms of the February Minsk implementation plan," the White House said in a statement.
    REUTERS

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  67. Islamic State seizes another town in Libya...

    Islamic State militants have seized another town in Libya, the group and a military source said on Friday, expanding the territory they control in the strifetorn country.

    The militant group, which controls large parts of Iraq and Syria, has exploited a security vacuum in Libya as two rival governments struggle for power, four years after the ousting of Muammar Gaddafi.

    Islamic State took over the city of Sirte on Libya's central Mediterranean coast in stages this year, occupying government buildings and last month the city's airport.

    The group has now also taken over the town of Harwa to the east of Sirte, according to a statement posted on social media. A military source confirmed militants were controlling Harwa, adding they had taken over government buildings.......REUTERS......ahram.org.eg

    ReplyDelete
  68. US facing 'dedicated' hacking enemy...

    The US says it faces a "dedicated adversary" and an "ever evolving threat" to the nation's cyber security, after a major data breach.

    The hacking of federal government computers may have compromised the records of four million employees.

    US officials have blamed China for the attack, but the Chinese have denied any involvement.

    Four million current and former US government employees are being told to take precautions.....BBC

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  69. Saudis 'shoot down' Yemeni missile...

    Saudi Arabia has shot down a Scud missile fired from across the border by Yemen's Houthi rebels and its allies, the state Saudi Press Agency says.

    It was intercepted by a Patriot missile battery near the south-western city of Khamis Mushait in the morning.

    On Friday, four Saudi soldiers and many Yemeni rebels died in fighting on the border, the Saudi-led coalition says.

    It says forces loyal to Yemen's former president, backed by the Houthis, attacked several Saudi positions.

    In a separate development, the Houthis have agreed to attend peace talks in Geneva.

    The UN-brokered meeting on 14 June in Switzerland is aimed at ending weeks of war that has claimed more than 2,000 lives......BBC

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  70. Quatre soldats saoudiens tués par les rebelles yéménites...

    La rébellion yéménite restée fidèle à l'ex-président a lancé plusieurs attaques dans la zone frontalière saoudienne. Quatre soldats saoudiens ont été tués dans ces combats.

    Quatre soldats saoudiens ont trouvé la mort lors d’une attaque lancée vendredi 5 juin dans la zone frontalière par les forces fidèles à l'ancien président yéménite Ali Abdallah Saleh et les rebelles houthis. Ces affrontements ont également fait plusieurs dizaines de morts côté yéménite.

    Selon la coalition arabe intervenant au Yémen, cette offensive l'offensive a été "coordonnée, planifiée et mise à exécution par une formation de la Garde républicaine rattachée à l'ancien président Ali Abdallah Saleh avec le soutien des milices (chiites) houthies".

    L'Arabie Saoudite a également annoncé avoir abattu samedi un missile Scud tiré en direction de son territoire par les Houthis chiites yéménites et leurs alliés. Il a été lancé à l'aube en direction de Khamis al Mouchaït, une ville située dans le sud de l'Arabie saoudite, et a été intercepté par un missile Patriot. Cette zone abrite la principale base militaire aérienne du sud de l'Arabie Saoudite........france24.com

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  71. Taiwan coast guard launches new ships as South China Sea tensions rise...

    Taiwan's coast guard Saturday commissioned its biggest ships for duty in the form of two 3,000-ton patrol vessels, as the island boosts defences amid concerns about China's growing footprint in the disputed South China Sea.

    The new vessels will be able to dock at a new port being constructed on Taiping Island, the largest of the naturally occurring Spratly Islands in the South China Sea, before the end of this year.

    Taiwan's coast guard has had direct oversight of the 46-ha (114-acre) island, also known as Itu Aba, since 2000.

    "Taiping Island's defence capabilities will not be weak," said Wang Chung-yi, minister of the Coast Guard Administration, referring to recent upgrading done on the 1,200-meter (yards) long airstrip on Taiping and the building of a new port, which he said could be completed as early as October this year........REUTERS..........dailystar.com.lb

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  72. Griechenlands Gläubiger zeigen sich genervt...

    Alexis Tsipras hat den Syriza-Linken Tribut gezollt und die Forderungen der Gläubiger abgeschmettert. Die Lage wird verfahrener. Politiker in Brüssel, Berlin und Straßburg zeigen sich genervt. Einige Top-Ökonomen fordern dagegen: Schluss mit dem Spardiktat....faz.net
    6/6/15

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  73. Tsipras nachzugeben, würde radikale Kräfte ermutigen...

    Alexis Tsipras verschiebt eine Zahlung an den IWF, das Hilfsangebot der Troika lehnt er ab. Athens Premier geht weiter, als es manch Grieche geglaubt hätte. Aus Tsipras' Sicht ist das nur logisch.....welt.de
    6/6/15

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  74. Turkey votes in crucial election...

    Turks are voting in a general election on Sunday which will determine whether the ruling party can change the constitution.

    President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, who first came to power as prime minister in 2003, is seeking a big enough majority to turn Turkey into a presidential republic.

    However the pro-Kurdish HDP may cross the 10% threshold and enter parliament.

    Explosions at its election rally in Diyarbakir on Friday killed four.

    Officials said the blasts were caused by improvised bombs.

    HDP leader Selahattin Demirtas criticised Mr Erdogan's response to the killings..........http://www.bbc.com/news/world-europe-33035456
    7/6/15

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  75. Référendum : le Luxembourg se prononce pour ou contre le vote des étrangers ...

    Dimanche, les Luxembourgeois sont appelés aux urnes pour accorder - ou non - le droit de vote aux étrangers. En cas de victoire du "oui", le Grand-Duché serait pionnier au sein de l'Union européenne.

    "Jo" ou "nee". Lors d'un référendum, les électeurs luxembourgeois sont appelés dimanche 7 juin à répondre par oui ou par non à l’abaissement de l'âge légal à 16 ans, à la limitation de la durée des mandats ministériels et, surtout, au droit de vote des étrangers. Une dernière question qui concentre à elle seule tous les débats.

    Avec plus de 44 % de résidents étrangers, le Luxembourg est l’un des pays européens où le nombre d’habitants immigrés est le plus élevé. L'obtention du droit de vote pour les personnes non luxembourgeoises concernerait surtout les très nombreux Européens, et en tout premier lieu les Portugais et les Français qui représentent respectivement 16,4 % et 7 % de la population étrangère de ce petit territoire......http://www.france24.com/fr/20150607-luxembourg-droit-vote-etranger-referendum-immigration

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Luxemburgers rejected on Sunday extending voting rights to foreigners, a move that would have been unprecedented in Europe and that could have expanded the electorate of the tiny but cosmopolitan grand duchy by as much as 50 percent...

      With 82 percent of a referendum count completed, only about one in five voters supported allowing long-time foreign residents to vote in national elections, part of a modernising agenda backed by liberal Prime Minister Xavier Bettel.

      There were also clear majorities against lowering the voting age to 16 from 18 and introducing 10-year term limits for ministers, following the 19-year rule of Bettel's conservative predecessor Jean-Claude Juncker, now the EU's chief executive...Reuters.....channelnewsasia.com
      7/6/15

      Delete
  76. Greece and Ukraine crises drown out G7 summit agenda...

    Leaders from the Group of Seven (G7) industrial nations meet on Sunday in the Bavarian Alps for a summit overshadowed by Greece's debt crisis and ongoing violence in Ukraine.

    Host Angela Merkel is hoping to secure commitments from her G7 guests to tackle global warming to build momentum in the run-up to a major United Nations climate summit in Paris in December. The German agenda also foresees discussions on global health issues, from Ebola to antibiotics and tropical diseases.

    But on the evening before the German chancellor welcomes the leaders of Britain, Canada, France, Italy, Japan and the United States, she and French President Francois Hollande were forced into their fourth emergency phone call in 10 days with Greek Prime Minister Alexis Tsipras to try to break a deadlock between Athens and its international creditors.
    ADVERTISING

    The two sides have been wrangling for months over the terms of a cash-for-reform deal for Greece. Without aid from euro zone partners and the IMF, Greece could default on its loans within weeks, possibly forcing it out of the currency bloc.......reuters.com

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  77. Jordan and Palestine plan to establish a logistics zone to facilitate bilateral trade, Jordan's Minister of Industry and Trade Maha Ali said Saturday.

    At the opening of the 2nd Silk Road Conference, held by the Palestinian Businessmen Forum, the minister said Jordan and Palestine are working on implementing several projects to enhance mutual trade.

    She added that a meeting for the Palestinian-Jordanian Higher Committee will be held soon to discuss these projects.

    The minister highlighted several business opportunities in Jordan during the forum, which attracted more than 400 businesspersons from more than 15 Arab and non-Arab countries.

    She added that the fields for cooperation between Jordan and Palestine include agriculture, industry and many other fields.

    On Saturday, Palestinian Prime Minister Rami Hamdallah met with Jordanian Prime Minister Abdullah Ensour, where he stressed the need for removing all obstacles and facilitating bilateral trade exchange and boosting partnerships in the economic field.
    http://www.globaltimes.cn/content/925696.shtml

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  78. Obama says G7 will discuss 'Russian aggression'...

    US President Barack Obama has said world leaders at the G7 (Group of Seven) summit in Germany would discuss standing up to Russian aggression in Ukraine amid an upsurge in violence there.

    European monitors have blamed recent bloodshed in eastern Ukraine on Russian-backed separatists.

    Russian President Vladimir Putin was frozen out of what used to be the G8 after Moscow's annexation of Crimea last year.

    Mr Obama was speaking at the start of the two-day summit of the world's leading industrial nations.........rte.ie
    7/6/15

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  79. Ukraine: Obama et Merkel pour le maintien des sanctions contre Moscou...

    (Belga) Le président américain Barack Obama et la chancelière allemande Angela Merkel ont estimé dimanche en Bavière que les sanctions contre la Russie devaient être maintenues jusqu'à ce que Moscou "respecte la souveraineté de l'Ukraine".

    "Les deux dirigeants (...) se sont mis d'accord sur le fait que la durée des sanctions devrait être clairement liée à la mise en oeuvre complète par la Russie des accords de Minsk et au respect de la souveraineté de l'Ukraine", a indiqué la Maison Blanche, à l'issue d'une rencontre entre les deux dirigeants en marge du sommet du G7. Dès son arrivée en Allemagne dimanche matin, M. Obama avait une nouvelle fois dénoncé "l'agression russe" dans l'est de l'Ukraine.........rtl.be

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  80. Patrol boat blows up, sinks off Ukraine's Mariupol: border guards...

    A search operation was underway on Sunday for a border guard official missing after a patrol boat sank off Ukraine's port city of Mariupol following an explosion, border guard authorities said. Six crew members were injured.

    The cause of the explosion was not immediately clear, authorities said......reuters.com
    7/6/15

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  81. Initial results show ruling AKP majority on knife's edge...

    More than 53.7 million Turkish voters head to the polls on June 7 for a crucial parliamentary election.

    The ruling Justice and Development Party (AKP) has framed the June 7 election in Turkey as a key hurdle on the path to the powerful presidential system that President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan wants to introduce.

    However, if the Kurdish problem-focused Peoples’ Democratic Party (HDP) crosses the 10 percent election threshold, the number of AKP lawmakers will decrease considerably, making it almost impossible to reach the 330 seats necessary for a constitutional change.......hurriyetdailynews.com
    7/6/15

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  82. Murderers escape from maximum security New York prison ...

    Two convicted murderers who used power tools to break out of a maximum security New York prison may have had help, and they left a taunting note for their jailors to “Have a nice day,” authorities said on Sunday.

    More than 200 local, state and federal law enforcement officials set up roadblocks, took to the air and went door-to-door in their search for Richard Matt, 48, and David Sweat, 34, who went missing early Saturday morning from the Clinton Correctional Facility in Dannemora, about 20 miles (30 km) south of the Canadian border.

    “We are leaving no stone unturned. They could be literally anywhere,” New York State Police Major Charles Guess told a news conference.

    New York is offering a $100,000 reward for information leading to the apprehension of the men it describes as dangerous and have notified law enforcement in Canada and Mexico about the fugitives....france24.com

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Police hunt escaped killers along U.S.-Canada border...

      As the manhunt for two convicted killers who broke out of a northern New York state maximum security prison over the weekend continues, police on both sides of the Canada-U.S. border are on high alert.

      David Sweat and Richard Matt made a daring escape Saturday from the Clinton Correctional Facility in Dannemore, N.Y. It’s just over 30 kilometres from Quebec's border.

      The manhunt stretched into a third day Monday, with police questioning drivers and searching vehicles at checkpoints near the 3,000-inmate prison....ctvnews.ca

      Delete
  83. EU says no Iran nuclear deal without UN probe...

    The European Union is telling Iran to co-operate with a stalled UN probe of suspicions that it worked on atomic arms if the country wants a nuclear deal that will see removal of sanctions.

    The cautionary EU statement comes ahead of a June 30 target date for such an agreement. It was obtained by The Associated Press ahead of its delivery at a meeting of the U.N's International Atomic Energy Agency that opens Monday.

    Iran denies any work on - or interest in - nuclear arms and has fended off IAEA demands for co-operation with its investigation. The EU statement says getting to the bottom of the allegations “will be essential” to a nuclear deal.
    AP
    ctvnews.ca
    8/7/15

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  84. A new study published online last week in the journal Science finds that the rate of global warming during the last 15 years has been as fast as or faster than that seen during the latter half of the 20th Century...

    The study refutes the notion that there has been a slowdown or "hiatus" in the rate of global warming in recent years.

    The study is the work of a team of scientists from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration's (NOAA) National Centers for Environmental Information* (NCEI) using the latest global surface temperature data.

    "Adding in the last two years of global surface temperature data and other improvements in the quality of the observed record provide evidence that contradict the notion of a hiatus in recent global warming trends," said Thomas R. Karl, L.H.D., Director, NOAA's National Centers for Environmental Information. "Our new analysis suggests that the apparent hiatus may have been largely the result of limitations in past datasets, and that the rate of warming over the first 15 years of this century has, in fact, been as fast or faster than that seen over the last half of the 20th century."..........http://www.china.org.cn/environment/2015-06/08/content_35762755.htm

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  85. Jurgen Fitschen and Anshu Jain, Co-Chief Executive Officers of the Deutsche Bank, both have decided to step down early from their roles, which was confirmed by that German biggest commercial bank on Sunday....

    The Supervisory Board of Deutsche Bank had held an extraordinary meeting before they declared Sunday afternoon the appointment of John Cryan, the currently fifty-four years old member of the bank's Supervisory Board, to succeed Fitschen and Jain.

    Paul Achleitner, Chairman of the Supervisory Board, expressed his respect and appreciation for the contributions made by the two Co-CEOs to the bank.

    "Their decision to step down early demonstrates impressively their attitude of putting the bank's interests ahead of their own,"he said.

    Fitschen will continue to serve in his role until the conclusion of the Annual General Meeting on May 19 next year to help ensure a smooth transition, while Jain has been ask to remain as a consultant till January 2016, according to Achleitner.

    "Upon Mr Fitschen's departure on May 19, 2016, Mr Cryan will become sole CEO,"he added......http://www.globaltimes.cn/content/925844.shtml

    ReplyDelete
  86. Turkish lira near record low after AKP fails to win majority...

    The Turkish lira traded near a record lows on June 8 as nervous investors reacted to the prospects of a minority or coalition government after the ruling Justice and Development Party (AKP) failed to win a majority in a parliamentary election.

    The lira, already one of the worst performing emerging market currencies this year, hit a record low in out-of-hours trade on June 7, after results showed the AKP had taken just short of 41 percent of the vote.

    The result is likely to leave it struggling to form a stable government for the first time since it came to power more than a decade ago.....hurriyetdailynews.com

    ReplyDelete
  87. US-led airstrikes kill family in Syria: activists...

    A couple and their five children were killed overnight in Syria's northern Aleppo province in strikes by the U.S.-led coalition fighting ISIS, activists said Monday.

    The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, a Britain-based group, said the deaths raised to 148 the number of civilians killed in U.S.-led strikes in Syria since they began in September.

    The Observatory said the family was killed in a coalition strike on the village of Daly Hassan, in the northeast of Aleppo province.

    Their deaths "bring the number of Syrian civilians killed in coalition airstrikes since Sept. 23 to 148, including 48 children and 32 women," the group said.

    In May, the Observatory reported at least 64 civilians - nearly half of them children - had been killed in U.S.-led airstrikes in the village of Birmahle in Aleppo province.........AFP.......dailystar.com.lb

    ReplyDelete
  88. G-7 ‘strongly opposes’ China’s land reclamation...

    The leaders of the Group of Seven industrialized countries expressed “strong opposition” to massive land reclamation in disputed waters in the South China Sea as part of China’s attempts to change the status quo by force.

    The leaders also agreed Sunday that the G-7 will not lift sanctions on Russia unless it fully implements a cease-fire agreement struck in Minsk, Belarus, in February, a senior Japanese official said after the first day of their two-day summit at Schloss Elmau, a resort in the Bavarian Alps in southern Germany.

    They agreed to “strongly condemn” North Korea’s continuation of nuclear and missile development and human rights violations, including its abduction of Japanese nationals decades ago, Deputy Chief Cabinet Secretary Hiroshige Seko said..........japantimes.co.jp

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. China escapes G-7 blame in sea row...

      The leaders of the Group of Seven industrialized countries released a statement Monday expressing “strong opposition” to massive land reclamation in disputed waters in the South China Sea and called for a thorough implementation of the cease-fire in Ukraine.

      The G-7 leaders said they are concerned by the situation in the East and South China seas, although they stopped short of singling out China in referring to the reclamation work.........Kyodo
      8/6/15

      Delete
  89. Britain could once again host US nuclear missiles amid growing tensions with Russia, Philip Hammond indicated yesterday...

    The Foreign Secretary said the Government ‘would look at the case’ for cruise missiles to be sited in the UK.

    He added that Britain needed to send ‘clear signals’ to Vladimir Putin amid ‘worrying signs’ of increased military activity by Russian forces – including the installation of missiles in Kaliningrad, an enclave on the Baltic Sea....http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-3114774/US-nuclear-missiles-return-Britain-Russian-threat-Foreign-Secretary-says-Government-consider-hosting-weapons-time-Cold-War.html#ixzz3cT4HNRDl

    ReplyDelete
  90. Kremlin sees nothing new in G7 tough line on Russia ...

    Russia said on Monday it saw nothing new in comments by leaders of the Group of Seven (G7) taking a tough line on Russia over sanctions and suggested there were differences among its member states.

    British Prime Minister David Cameron and European Council President Donald Tusk both said they hoped the G7, meeting in Germany, would present a united front on sanctions towards Russia over the Ukraine crisis.
    ADVERTISING

    "Yes we paid attention to the latest declarations on sanctions. These are not new theses," Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov told reporters. "We also drew attention to the fact that among the participants of this meeting there are nuances in their approaches. Some talk about the need for dialogue with Russia and the impossibility of solving serious problems without this dialogue, so we continue watching closely."
    Reuters
    channelnewsasia.com

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  91. G7 ready to toughen sanctions on Russia if needed — Merkel...

    The Group of 7 countries are ready to toughen sanctions on Russia, if necessary, German Chancellor Angela Merkel told a news conference on Monday following G7 summit in Elmau.

    "We are prepared to toughen the sanctions, if the situation makes it necessary," she said.

    G7 share a common position on the situation in Ukraine, Merkel said.

    The crisis in Ukraine can be resolved only by political means on the basis of the Minsk agreements, she said.
    TASS

    ReplyDelete
  92. Obama calls on Greece to take tough choices...

    Obama replies that he believes the G7 partners, the IM and other institutions feel “a sense of urgency” towards finding a path to resolve the situation.

    “It is going to require Greece being serious about making some important reforms”, says Obama, adding:

    Not only to satisfy creditors, but also to create a platform where the Greek economy can start growing again and prospering.

    And Obama then gives Athens a clear nudge:

    The Greeks are going to have to follow through and take some tough political choices that are going to be good in the long term.

    But the institutions also need to do their bit, Obama adds.

    In conclusion:

    If both sides show sufficient flexibility, we can get this problem resolved....but it will need tough decisions from all involved.
    theguardian.com

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    Replies
    1. Merkel says time is running out for Greece deal...

      German Chancellor Angela Merkel has warned that time is running out for a deal to keep Greece in the eurozone.

      Speaking after the G7 summit in Germany, she said Europe would show solidarity but only if Greece "makes proposals and implements reforms".

      Earlier, Greek Finance Minister Yanis Varoufakis said it was time to stop finger-pointing and find an agreement....BBC

      Delete
  93. The Greek government is reportedly redrafting the bailout proposal it made to creditors last week....

    After a report in the Athens newspaper Kathimerini on Monday, Minister of Labor and Social Solidarity Panos Skourletis would neither confirm nor deny the redrafting, in an interview on private channel Mega.

    Skourletis said that it is "possible" that Athens is revising its own 47-page bailout proposal, faced with the intransigence of the creditors. He added that the SYRIZA-led government will resort to elections if it fails to reach an agreement with Greece’s lenders.

    The move comes after European Commission President Ernst Juncker criticized the Greek government for lack of responsiveness on Sunday, and demanded a new offer.

    Meanwhile, State Minister Nikos Pappas and Alternate Foreign Minister for International Economic Relations Euclid Tsakalotos are headed for Brussels, where they will lead the government’s delegation in negotiations with the Eurogroup on Wednesday -- reportedly with the new draft of proposals in hand.

    The new proposal reportedly offers new fiscal measures so that the government could achieve the primary budget surplus demanded by lenders.

    New VAT proposals are also reportedly part of the new package.........http://www.aa.com.tr/en/news/533551--greek-government-reportedly-redrafts-bailout-proposal

    ReplyDelete
  94. Forget bailouts or austerity riots. The hot topic now in Greece is toilets...

    Police guarding Greece's parliament say they are no longer being allowed inside the building to use its bathrooms.

    The Police Officers Association in Athens said in a statement Monday that uniformed officers have been recently banned from entering parliament. It urged the Public Order Ministry to intervene to stop police from being treated as "third-class citizens" in the building they have protected from numerous violent protests.

    Greece's governing left-wing Syriza party, which came to power in January, often sided with anti-austerity demonstrations outside parliament while condemning any violence.

    Parliament refused to comment on the complaint. It later issued guidelines saying officers providing security at the building would in the future be dressed in civilian clothes with badges.
    AP
    ctvnews.ca
    8/6/15

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  95. EU-Vertreter: Noch keine annehmbaren Vorschäge von Athen...

    Im Schuldenstreit zwischen Griechenland und seinen Gläubigern zeichnet sich vorerst keine Lösung ab. EU-Währungskommissar Pierre Moscovici habe sich zwar zum Wochenauftakt mit griechischen Repräsentanten getroffen, sagte ein EU-Vertreter am Montag. Athen habe aber keine neuen Vorschläge unterbreitet, die die internationalen Geldgeber akzeptierten könnten. Das Treffen habe auf Bitte der griechischen Behörden stattgefunden. Eine Lösung sei nur möglich, wenn alle drei Institutionen IWF, EZB und EU-Kommission zustimmten....diepresse.com

    ReplyDelete
  96. In Donetsk, Frequent Shelling Fuels Distrust ...

    Yekaterina Ivanovna had just fallen asleep in her home here Saturday when a boom outside her door jarred her.

    Shells fall almost every night in this part of town, north of the city’s train station, according to residents. Ivanovna said she didn’t know where this one came from and was relieved it hurt no one. But there’s no guarantee for the next one.

    "How can I stay alive, how can I survive in this small house?" Ivanovna said in Russian, standing in a wall-papered room strewn with rubble. "I do not have any basement. I cannot run to the summer kitchen because I am old."

    The ongoing fighting in eastern Ukraine threatens a February cease-fire and strains war-weary civilians like Ivanovna who are caught in the crossfire.....voanews.com

    ReplyDelete
  97. 40 die of sunstroke in eastern India ...

    At least 40 people have died of sun stroke over the past few days in the eastern Indian state of Orissa, said officials on Monday.

    Meanwhile, the national capital Delhi registered an average of 42 degrees Celsius on Monday, and hot weather was also reported in many other parts of the country despite the arrival of the Monsoon rains in south India last weekend.

    At least 2,360 have died of heat wave across the country since late May, mostly in southeastern India, said officials.

    A delay of the arrival of the Monsoon which hit the country's southern state Kerala last weekend was partially blamed for the unusual heat waves, but experts say the climate change and global warming are the major factors for the extreme weather conditions here.

    Indian Meteorological Department predicted rains or thundershowers in a few places in the next 24 hours, but the heat is not expected to see any relief in coming days.
    http://www.china.org.cn/world/2015-06/09/content_35772944.htm

    ReplyDelete
  98. The Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE) is ready to increase the number of its observers in Ukraine if tensions in eastern regions would escalate further, a senior OSCE official said Monday.

    "The size of our mission could be ramped up to 1,000 monitors if a need arises," Alexander Hug, deputy chief monitor of the OSCE special monitoring mission to Ukraine, told a meeting of the Ukraine-NATO Inter-Parliamentary Council.

    He said that a total of 465 observers have been deployed in Ukraine, with 375 of them working in the conflict zone in Donetsk and Lugansk regions to monitor the ceasefire between government troops and pro-independence insurgents.

    Noting that currently the observers are experiencing various restrictions on their work, Hug stressed that the number of monitors could be increased only if the confronting sides grant them security guarantees and full access to the conflict area.

    "I want to emphasize that there is little sense in placing additional observers, if our team would not get an access to the entire territory," Hug said.

    The OSCE sent its special observer mission to Ukraine in March 2014, following a request by the Ukrainian government.
    globaltimes.cn - Xinhua

    ReplyDelete
  99. Emergency crews are battling a fire outside the Ukrainian capital, Kiev, following a huge explosion at a fuel depot on Monday...

    Officials say at least eight petrol storage tanks with a total capacity of 900 cubic metres (32,000 cu ft) are ablaze.

    Interior Minister Arsen Avakov tweeted: "There has been an explosion at the oil depot near Vasylkiv. A huge one."

    He said firefighters had been killed, although he did not specify how many. The casualties have not been confirmed.....BBC

    ReplyDelete
  100. Oil depot fire near Kiev kills four people — media...

    At least four people died in the oil depot fire in the Kiev region, the UNN Ukrainian news agency reports citing a source in the State Emergency Service of Ukraine.

    According to the source, all the four were firefighters.

    According to the State Emergency Service of Ukraine, firefighters extinguished one fuel tank, while 16 more are still burning.

    "As of 07:00 June 9 the fire of one 900-cubic-meter fuel tank has been put out, fire fighters continue extinguishing 16 more tanks," the State Emergency Service of Ukraine said.

    The prosecutor’s office of the Kiev region has opened a criminal investigation into the incident under the article "Violation of safety rules in explosive facilities or in explosive workshops."
    http://tass.ru/en/world/799641

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  101. Russian Defense Ministry asks Pentagon for explanations over Dempsey’s statements...

    The Russian Defense Ministry has requested explanations from the Pentagon over recent statements by the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, General Martin Dempsey, to the effect the United States might deploy in Europe and Asia its cruise and ballistic missiles that might be targeted against Russia, Deputy Defense Minister Anatoly Antonov said.

    "The Russian Defense Ministry is conducting scrupulous analysis of information regarding compliance with the INF treaty coming from different sources. Certainly, we took note of these publications in the Western press. In order to obtain official reaction from the American side we have dispatched a request through military-diplomatic channels for explanations of the Pentagon’s positions regarding statements reportedly made by the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, General Martin Dempsey.

    "The measures mentioned by US sources would be tantamount to the United States’ walkout from the INF treaty," he added....http://tass.ru/en/russia/799671
    8/6/15

    ReplyDelete
  102. Athen präsentiert neue Reformliste...

    Griechenland hat den Gläubigern neue Reformvorschläge vorgelegt. Das bestätigte die Regierung in Athen. Die Liste wird derzeit von der EU geprüft. Die Reformen sind nötig, damit Athen dringend benötigte Finanzhilfen bekommt.

    EU-Kommissions-Chef Jean-Claude Juncker hatte auf die Reformliste aus Athen bereits Ende vergangener Woche gehofft. Dass die griechische Regierung diese aber nicht lieferte, war ein Grund dafür, warum Juncker beim G7-Gipfel in Elmau während einer Presse-Konferenz spürbar und hörbar verärgert wirkte: "Griechenlands Regierungschef Tsipras ist mein Freund. Aber um eine Freundschaft aufrecht zu erhalten, muss man ein paar Mindestregeln einhalten", erklärte Juncker gereizt.

    Nun ist die Liste aus Athen eingetroffen. Sie wird aktuell von den Geldgebern geprüft. Die Gläubiger hatten neue Vorschläge von der griechischen Seite gefordert, weil die Vorstellungen bislang in einigen Punkten noch weit auseinander lagen....tagesschau.de
    8/6/15

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  103. Israel's defence minister said on Tuesday he did not believe a stable peace agreement could be reached with the Palestinians in his lifetime - one of the bleakest assessments from a top-level cabinet member since talks collapsed last year...

    Moshe Yaalon, one of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's closest allies, accused the Palestinians of having "slammed the door" on efforts to keep discussions going, and said they had rejected peace-for-land deals for at least 15 years.

    His comments, in a speech to a strategic conference, were dismissed by a Palestine Liberation Organization official who told Reuters that Netanyahu's administration bore the blame for the impasse.

    Peace negotiations broke off in April 2014, with disputes raging over Israeli illegal settlement building in occupied land Palestinians seek for a state and Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas's unity deal with Hamas Islamists who rule Gaza and do not recognise Israel's right to exist.

    "As for the possibility of reaching an agreement ... there is someone who says he doesn't see one during his term," Yaalon said, referring to remarks U.S. President Barack Obama made in an Israeli television interview last week.

    "I don't see a stable agreement during my lifetime, and I intend to live a bit longer," Yaalon told the Herzliya Conference, held annually near Tel Aviv.....REUTERS

    ReplyDelete
  104. Ukraine: un gigantesque incendie meurtrier menace une base militaire...

    Un gigantesque incendie meurtrier s'est déclaré mardi dans un dépôt pétrolier près de Kiev, obligeant les autorités ukrainiennes à évacuer les civils de la zone envahie par une épaisse fumée noire, les flammes menaçant désormais un aérodrome militaire....rtbf.be
    9/6/15

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  105. U.S.-Turkey dispute on Syria to persist after Erdogan setback...

    Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan’s loss of his parliamentary majority is unlikely to end disagreements between Washington and Ankara, particularly over the conflict in Turkey's southern neighbor Syria, U.S. officials said on Monday.

    Erdogan's AK Party lost the majority it has enjoyed for more than a dozen years, ushering a period of uncertainty as parties jockey to form a coalition government.

    Whatever the outcome, officials and analysts said that the main lines of Turkish foreign policy are unlikely to shift dramatically. The AK Party is still by far the biggest party and Erdogan maintains enormous influence.

    Ankara and Washington have disagreed sharply on Syria, where Erdogan has argued for buffer zones inside the country to halt the flow of refugees fleeing the civil war into Turkey and for robust U.S. action to unseat Syrian President Bashar al-Assad......REUTERS
    9/6/15

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  106. Libyan government rejects UN-proposed unity administration ...

    Libya's elected parliament rejected a UN draft proposal to form a unity government and withdrew from talks aimed at ending the country's crippling power struggle, a senior lawmaker said on Tuesday.

    The decision will be a blow to efforts by United Nations Special Envoy Bernardino Leon, who had only on Monday presented a new proposal to form a unity government after hosting negotiations between the factions for months.

    Libya is in chaos, with two governments and parliaments fighting for territory and oil resources.

    The official administration has been based in the east since a rival faction seized Tripoli in August, setting up a rival government.......http://www.globaltimes.cn/content/926221.shtml
    9/6/15

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  107. Ukrainian troops have opened intense artillery fire at the Donetsk airport and a bridge linking the airport and the city, a spokesman for the defence ministry of the self-proclaimed Donetsk People’s Republic (DPR) said on Tuesday...

    "Ukrainian troops are shelling Donetsk;s Kremlevsky avenue, Artyomovskaya street, Putilovsky bridge and the airport from the area of the settlement of Peski and Opytny. They are using 120mm mortars and 152mm artillery," the Donetsk News Agency quoted him as saying.

    Earlier on Tuesday, the spokesman said a shell had hit a high-rise residential house in Donetsk’s Kuibyshevsky district causing fire in four apartments........http://tass.ru/en/world/799836

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  108. The State Department said on Tuesday it will not meet a Muslim Brotherhood group visiting Washington for a private conference but said its policy remained to engage Egypt’s entire political spectrum....

    The department announced the decision a day after sources told Reuters that the U.S. ambassador to Egypt had been summoned by Egyptian authorities because of their unhappiness about the private visit by Brotherhood figures to Washington......alarabiya.net

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  109. Russian Security Council Secretary Nikolai Patrushev warned on Tuesday that the international community is facing with the same problem of expanding terrorist recruitment...

    Information analysis showed that new hotbeds of terrorism are springing up, which could lead to expanded recruitment of international terrorist organizations, Patrushev told reporters.

    The warning came as two Russian students recently were detained with different charges on terrorism.

    Investigation showed that one of the detainees, Saida Khalikova, collected and donated money to an online charity foundation allegedly helping Muslim orphans, which turned out to be gathering financial support for the Islamic State (IS).....http://www.china.org.cn/world/2015-06/10/content_35785252.htm

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  110. The Pentagon is drawing up plans to expand the training of Iraqi forces and Sunni tribal fighters in a step that could mean deploying hundreds of additional US troops, officials said on Tuesday...

    But President Barack Obama's administration is not contemplating a radical change in war strategy or sending American forces into ground combat -- despite advances by the Islamic State group on the battlefield.

    "We've determined it is better to train more Iraqi security forces. We are now working through a strategy on how to do that," Pentagon spokesman Colonel Steven Warren told reporters....AFP....timesofindia.indiatimes.com

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    Replies
    1. US Close to Decision on Sending More Military Trainers to Iraq ...

      President Barack Obama will decide as early as this week on a plan to send hundreds of additional military trainers to Iraq, U.S. officials said Tuesday, as the Pentagon continues in its bid to bolster Iraqi troops in their fight against the Islamic State group.

      The new set of up to 500 personnel would join the 3,000 trainers and advisers Obama authorized last year after the militants seized large parts of northern and western Iraq in an offensive that dealt repeated blows to the Iraqi military.

      Officials said the plan would also include establishing a new training base in Anbar province and give greater support to Sunni fighters that are seen as critical in efforts to recapture control of Anbar. Iraqi security forces supported by militias have been trying to reclaim areas near Ramadi, the provincial capital, since it fell to the militants last month..........http://www.voanews.com/content/us-close-to-decision-on-sending-more-military-trainers-to-iraq/2815427.html
      10/6/15

      Delete
  111. Griechenland-Hilfen: "Union und Regierung sind gespalten"...

    Die Union hadert mit dem Griechenlandkurs ihrer Kanzlerin. SPD-Finanzpolitiker Schneider sieht eine Kluft beim Koalitionspartner - Kanzlerin Merkel habe ihren Finanzminister Schäuble "entmachtet".

    SPD-Fraktionsvize Carsten Schneider sieht bei der Griechenland-Rettung große Differenzen zwischen Bundeskanzlerin Angela Merkel und Finanzminister Wolfgang Schäuble. "Festzustellen ist, dass die Unionsfraktion gespalten ist und auch die Regierung", sagte Schneider dem Deutschlandfunk.

    Zwischen Merkel und Schäuble gebe es "fast so ein Verhältnis wie zwischen Herrn Tsipras und Herrn Varoufakis". Griechenlands Regierungschef Alexis Tsipras hatte kürzlich Finanzminister Gianis Varoufakis Verhandlungskompetenzen bei der Lösung des Streits zwischen Griechenland und seinen Gläubigern entzogen.

    Im einem weiteren Interview sagte Schneider, Schäuble sei in der Griechenland-Frage entmachtet worden. "Er darf Interviews geben, aber nicht mehr verhandeln." Jetzt würden die Regierungschefs Alexis Tsipras und Angela Merkel verhandeln.......spiegel.de

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  112. Les eurodéputés devaient fixer mercredi leurs exigences aux négociateurs du Traité de libre-échange entre l’Europe et les Etats-Unis (TTIP). Face aux divisions, le président du Parlement a reporté le vote....

    Pour savoir ce que le Parlement européen peut bien penser du Traité de libre-échange entre l’Europe et les Etats-Unis , il faudra attendre. Les eurodéputés auraient pourtant dû voter ce mercredi sur cet accord connu sous l’acronyme anglais de TTIP. L’idée était de déterminer les « lignes rouges » à ne pas franchir, qu’ils voulaient assigner aux négociateurs. Las ! Le vote a été repoussé à la dernière minute, mardi, signe que ce traité divise profondément l’hémicycle de Strabourg.

    Officiellement, Martin Schulz a argué d’un nombre trop élevé d’amendements (plus de 200) pour tenir sereinement le vote. Officieusement, la raison est encore moins glorieuse : le président du Parlement européen avait trop peur que le texte ne soit pas voté, compte tenu de la cacophonie sur le sujet au sein des eurodéputés. « Il y a un vent de panique au Parlement européen », raille Yannick Jadot, l’eurodéputé Verts grand opposant au TTIP......lesechos.fr

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  113. Greek Prime Minister Alexis Tsipras is scheduled to meet in Brussels Wednesday with German Chancellor Angela Merkel and French President Francois Hollande for negotiations on new bailout funds for the debt-ridden country....

    Greece has three weeks to come up with enough cash to avoid a default on its obligations to the International Monetary Fund when its international rescue package expires at the end of June.

    On Tuesday, Greece offered a new economic reform plan to its international creditors -- the International Monetary fund, the European Central Bank, and Greece's European neighbors.

    Details of the new ideas Greece sent to its lenders were not disclosed, but some officials said they focused on revised fiscal targets for Greece's beleaguered government and new ways to generate revenue.......http://www.voanews.com/content/greek-pm-to-talk-debt-with-german-french-leaders/2815470.html

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  114. Griechenland sammelt am Kapitalmarkt fast drei Milliarden ein...

    Das von der Pleite bedrohte Griechenland hat am Mittwoch erfolgreich den Kapitalmarkt angezapft. Bei der Ausgabe von drei- und sechsmonatigen Geldmarktpapieren - im Fachjargon T-Bills genannt - sammelte das Land insgesamt 2,925 Mrd. Euro ein. Die Auktion war 1,3-fach überzeichnet. Für das frische Geld wurden Zinsen in Höhe von 2,97 Prozent für die sechsmonatigen Papiere fällig.

    Damit blieben die Zinsen gegenüber der jüngsten Auktion im Mai unverändert. Die drei Monate laufenden Anleihen warfen eine Rendite von 2,7 Prozent ab. Griechenland wird seit Jahren von seinen europäischen Partnern und dem IWF mit Milliarden-Krediten über Wasser gehalten.........diepresse.com

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  115. EC: Juncker has no plans to meet Tsipras...

    The EC’s top spokesman, Margaritis Schinas, is facing the Brussels press pack now.

    They’re eager to ask about Greece, and he’s equally keen not to give too much away.

    Asked about the state of play with negotiations, he says that the ball is “clearly” in Greece’s court, and says the latest proposals fall short of what Greece has promised.

    Schinas declines to say whether the EC is insisting on a 1% budget surplus this year. That’s a matter for the negotiating table, not the press room, he says.

    Will president Juncker meet with Alexis Tsipras today?

    There is nothing scheduled at the moment, Schinas replies. [reminder, there are reports that Juncker has lost patience with Greece now]........theguardian.com

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  116. Estlands Präsident stellt Griechenland-Hilfe infrage...

    Toomas Hendrik Ilves kritisiert die Haltung Griechenlands zu Russland. Warum diese zu Problemen für ein neues Rettungspaket führen kann und was er von der Nato erwartet...

    ......ZEIT ONLINE: Sollte der Westen die Sanktionen gegen Russland lockern, falls die Minsk-Vereinbarungen befolgt werden?

    Ilves: Im Minsk-Abkommen geht es nur um die Ostukraine. Die Sanktionen wurden wegen der Annexion der Krim beschlossen. Aber es gibt da eine andere Sache: In der EU droht womöglich eine Blockade der Sanktionen durch Griechenland. Für ein Land wie Estland ist die Griechenland-Krise noch problematischer als für Deutschland. Zwei Mal haben wir Hilfskredite beschlossen. Dabei liegt das estnische Durchschnittseinkommen zehn Prozent unter dem griechischen Mindestlohn. Und dann gibt es kurz nach dem Regierungsantritt von Syriza den etwas unbeholfenen Versuch, die damaligen Brüsseler Ratsschlussfolgerungen gegenüber Russland abzuändern. Darüber mache ich mir Sorgen.

    ZEIT ONLINE: Wollen Sie sagen, dass Estland einem dritten Hilfspaket für Griechenland nicht zustimmen wird?

    Ilves: Was ich sage, ist, dass es hier gewisse Schwierigkeiten gibt. Und wenn die Hilfe im Parlament ratifiziert werden muss, könnten die zu einem Problem werden......zeit.de

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  117. Two Russian frigates moved within sight of a Canadian vessel carrying Prime Minister Stephen Harper during NATO military exercises on the Baltic Sea...

    The Prime Minister's Office says the vessels were "tracking" HMCS Fredericton, with Harper onboard.

    The captain of the vessel said the frigates were spotted seven nautical miles away. He added that it's not unusual for Russian frigates to come that close to a Canadian vessel, and there was no discernable threat to HMCS Fredericton.

    It is not known why the Russian ships came that close......ctvnews.ca
    10/6/15

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  118. Standard and Poor’s abaisse encore la note de la Grèce...

    L’agence de notation Standard and Poor’s a abaissé encore davantage mercredi la note de la Grèce à «CCC», au lieu de CCC+ précédemment, soulignant que sans accord avec ses créanciers, Athènes devrait faire défaut sur sa dette dans les douze mois.

    La perspective de la note est négative ce qui implique que S&P pourrait l’abaisser encore davantage si aucun progrès n’est enregistré dans les négociations en cours entre le gouvernement grec et ses créanciers de l’Union européenne, la Banque centrale européenne (BCE) et le Fonds monétaire international (FMI).
    lesoir.be
    10/6/15

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    Replies
    1. Fitch gives Egypt 'B' rating for new US dollar bond...

      Credit rating agency Fitch Ratings has assigned a 'B' rating to a $1.5 billion ten-year US dollar bond set to be issued by Egypt this month.

      It will be the first time Egypt issues an international bond in five years, as the cash-strapped government of Egypt's president Abdel Fattah El-Sisi seeks to revive sources of financing following years of poltical turmoil that have stiffled the country's economy.

      The yield is expected in the 6.25 percent area, lead managers told Reuters last week.

      "The rating is in line with Egypt's long-term foreign currency Issuer Default Rating (IDR) of 'B' with a Stable Outlook," said Fitch.
      ahram.org.eg
      11/6/15

      Delete
  119. "Meinungsaustausch" von Tsipras, Merkel und Hollande...

    Und dann kamen sie doch noch zusammen. Lange war unklar gewesen, ob Kanzlerin Merkel, Präsident Hollande und Ministerpräsident Tsipras über die Schuldenkrise reden würden - am Abend war es dann soweit. Zuvor hatte es für Athen wieder schlechte Nachrichten gegeben.

    Am späten Abend hat es am Rand des EU-Lateinamerika-Gipfels in Brüssel ein Treffen in kleiner Runde von Kanzlerin Angela Merkel, Frankreichs Präsidenten François Hollande und dem griechischen Regierungschef Alexis Tsipras zur Schuldenkrise gegeben.

    Diskutiert wurde der Stand der Verhandlungen der sogenannten Institutionen mit Griechenland. Es werde allerdings nicht verhandelt, sondern es gehe um einen "Meinungsaustausch über den Stand der Gespräche" der Gläubiger-Institutionen EU-Kommission, Europäische Zentralbank und Internationaler Währungsfonds mit der griechischen Regierung, zitierte die Nachrichtenagentur AFP deutsche Delegationskreise......http://www.tagesschau.de/ausland/bruessel-griechenland-103.html
    10/6/15

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  120. Libyan peace talks aim for agreement before Ramadan...

    The first ever face-to-face talks between rival Libyan factions, held in Berlin on Wednesday, have been positive, the U.N. special envoy to Libya said.

    “From all sides, all cities there is a very strong call… We want to celebrate Ramadan in peace,” Bernardino Leon said at a joint press conference with German Foreign Minister Frank-Walter Steinmeier.

    "The Libyans have been working together, discussing, interacting. This has not been possible before."

    The talks are aimed at establishing a united national government in the conflict-ravaged nation that currently has two competing administrations with their own military capacity......aa.com.tr

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  121. France: Strikes must hit ISIS command centers ...

    The U.S.-led coalition carrying out air strikes against the Islamic State of Iraq and Syria (ISIS) group needs to target the jihadists’ command centers, but this is easier said than done, French army chief Denis Mercier said Wednesday.

    He compared operations in Iraq, where French warplanes are carrying out air strikes, and Syria, where the U.S. is bombing jihadist positions, to the 2011 international intervention in Libya.

    “In Libya we went after (Libyan leader Muammar) Qaddafi’s centers of gravity... it was by attacking these centers that we managed to topple Qaddafi, not by firing at 150 pick-up trucks a day. Otherwise we would still be there,” Mercier told journalists.

    “It is exactly the same problem in Iraq today. We are shooting at the frontline but behind that we need to concentrate on the centers of gravity.”

    He said the difficulty was that these command centers were mostly based in Syria.....AFP.....alarabiya.net
    11/6/15

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  122. French finance minister says no one can afford failure on Greece...

    Neither Greece nor its euro zone partners can afford for the cash-for-reform talks to fail, French Finance Minister Michel Sapin said on Thursday.

    Talks are now on the right track after a late-night meeting on Wednesday between the leaders of Greece, France and Germany, Sapin told reporters, saying that discussions were needed both at a technical and political level.

    "Time is pressing. Time is really pressing, a deal is absolutely necessary," he said. "No one can afford to fail."
    Reuters
    channelnewsasia.com

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  123. Zukunft der EU: Lasst lieber die Griechen gehen als die Briten!...

    Europa fürchtet einen Grexit. Doch der Ausstieg des Schuldenstaates aus der Währungsunion scheint verkraftbar. Viel schlimmer wäre der EU-Austritt eines liberalen Landes wie Großbritannien...........welt.de

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  124. Chinese border guards kill 1 person along border with North Korea...

    Chinese border guards shot and killed one person who was allegedly trying to illegally cross from North Korea on Thursday, authorities said.

    The incident took place shortly before 4:00 p.m. (0800 GMT) after the suspect attempted to evade arrest by border guards, according to a brief statement from the Helong city government in Jilin province. It said the shooting is under investigation.

    China's 1,416-kilometre border with North Korea is a key crossing point for refugees from the impoverished hard-line communist state....AP.....ctvnews.ca
    11/6/15

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  125. IMF withdraws team from Brussels, criticises Greece...

    Serious news from Washington. The International Monetary Fund has announced that its negotiating team in Brussels is heading home!

    Spokesman Gerry Rice has just told reporters that there are still “major differences” between the IMF and Greece on key issues, including pension reforms and tax rates.

    Bloomberg has the story:

    The IMF said that its team negotiating with Greece has left Brussels after failing to make progress on a debt deal that would help the country to avoid default.

    “The ball is very much in Greece’s court,” International Monetary Fund spokesman Gerry Rice told reporters at a media briefing in Washington on Thursday. “There are major differences between us in most key areas. There has been no progress in narrowing these differences recently,” he said.

    The IMF’s decision to withdraw its team comes amid increasingly sharp criticism from creditors at the Greek government’s continued refusal to bow to their demands, risking a default and ultimately an exit from the euro common currency.

    IMF Managing Director Christine Lagarde will attend a meeting of euro-area finance ministers in Luxembourg on June 18, Rice said.

    “As our managing director has said many times, the IMF never leaves the table,” he said.

    Another sign that creditors are losing patience with Greece.
    theguardian.com
    11/6/15

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  126. Griechenland....Gefangen in den eigenen Versprechen...

    Die Bilanz der Syriza-Regierung ist verheerend – sie hat viel angekündigt und nur wenig gehalten. Alexis Tsipras glaubt aber immer noch, am längeren Hebel zu sitzen......zeit.de

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  127. The militant group Islamic State said on Thursday it had blown up two warplanes at an air base that it had seized near the central Libyan city of Sirte...

    The group published pictures on social media that it said showed the two destroyed two military aircraft.

    The Islamist rebels fighters seized Sirte's military and civilian airport two weeks ago.
    jpost.com BY REUTERS

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  128. Espagne: l'illégalité du référendum indépendantiste en Catalogne confirmée...

    Le Tribunal constitutionnel espagnol a confirmé jeudi l'illégalité du vote symbolique sur l'indépendance de la Catalogne organisé le 9 novembre par le gouvernement régional, qui avait entraîné des poursuites contre son président....rtbf.be
    11/6/15

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  129. The body of Tariq Aziz, Saddam Hussein's former top aide who died last week in prison in Iraq, went missing on Thursday after it was snatched in Baghdad while en route to Jordan for burial, Aziz's daughter said...

    Aziz's daughter Zeinab said she was told by her mother -- who was in Iraq and waited to accompany the casket to Jordan -- that his body went missing at the Baghdad International Airport. No further details were immediately known.

    A Royal Jordanian official confirmed that the last flight left Baghdad on Thursday without Aziz's casket. The official spoke on condition of anonymity because he was not authorized to talk to reporters.....AP......ctvnews.ca

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  130. Pentagon repeats call for China to end island building, seeks more military contact...

    U.S. Defense Secretary Ash Carter met a top Chinese general on Thursday and repeated a U.S. call for a halt to land reclamation in the South China Sea while stressing that the Pentagon remained committed to expanding military contacts with China.

    In the meeting with General Fan Changlong, a deputy head of China's powerful Central Military Commission, Carter stressed his commitment to developing "a sustained and substantive U.S.-China military-to-military relationship," the Pentagon said.

    It said this would be based on a shared desire to deepen cooperation in areas, including humanitarian assistance, disaster response, peacekeeping, counter-piracy, as well as "constructive management of differences".
    ADVERTISING

    In reiterating U.S. concerns about tensions in the South China Sea, Carter called on China and all rival claimants to halt land reclamation and militarization of disputed territory, and to pursue a peaceful resolution in accordance with international law, the Pentagon statement said......reuters.com

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  131. Yémen: la coalition arabe dément avoir frappé la vieille ville de Sanaa...

    La coalition arabe conduite par l'Arabie saoudite, qui mène des raids contre des rebelles chiites au Yémen, a démenti vendredi que ses avions aient frappé un quartier historique de la capitale Sanaa.

    "Il est certain que nous n'avons pas mené d'opérations dans la ville", a déclaré à l'AFP le général Ahmed al-Assiri, le porte-parole de la coalition.

    Des témoins et des sources médicales avaient affirmé plus tôt que la coalition avait lâché un missile sur la vieille ville de Sanaa, faisant cinq morts et détruisant trois maisons dans ce secteur classé par l'Unesco au patrimoine mondial de l'humanité.

    "Nous savons que ces sites sont très importants", a ajouté M. Assiri.

    Il a suggéré par ailleurs que les dégâts et les morts pourraient avoir été causés par l'explosion d'une cache d'armes des rebelles.

    "Il y a plusieurs jours, il y a eu une explosion dans un de leurs lieux de stockage", a-t-il dit en parlant des rebelles. "Il pourrait s'agir ainsi de ça".
    rtl.be
    12/6/15

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  132. Athen läuft die Zeit davon, und Tsipras geht feiern...

    Es wird immer enger für Athen. Die Kanzlerin fordert von Tsipras, mit "Hochdruck" an einer Lösung zu arbeiten. Der IWF ist so verärgert, dass er Mitarbeiter abzieht – doch Tsipras bleibt locker....welt.de

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  133. Euroländer bereiten Griechenland-Pleite vor... Kein Wille - kein Weg? ...

    Jetzt wird's ernst: Die Euro-Staaten bereiten sich auf eine griechische Staatspleite vor. Dabei soll ein "Grexit", also ein Ausstieg Griechenlands aus dem Euro, verhindert werden. An eine Einigung mit Griechenland glaubt kaum noch jemand - außer in Athen.

    Und noch ein Versuch: Am Samstag wollen sich griechische Regierungvertreter in Brüssel mit den Gläubigern treffen. Man habe einen Gegenvorschlag im Gepäck, hieß es, und: Man sei einer Einigung näher denn je. Ein ziemlich exklusiver Blick auf die Dinge.
    Vorbereitung auf das Schlimmste

    Denn die Euroländer gehen mittlerweile vom Schlimmsten aus. In Bratislava berieten die Finanzstaatssekretäre der Mitgliedsstaaten, wie sich die Eurozone auf eine griechische Staatspleite Ende Juni vorbereiten kann. Mit einem Ergebnis bei den Verhandlungen über die griechischen Schulden rechnet hier niemand mehr: "Das würde einen Fortschritt innerhalb von Tagen voraussetzen, der innerhalb mehrerer Wochen nicht erreicht wurde", zitiert Reuters eine mit den Gesprächen vertraute Person.

    Wie genau sich die Staaten vorbereiten wollen, ist noch nicht klar. Auf jeden Fall aber soll offenbar ein "Grexit", also das Ausscheiden Griechenland aus dem Euro, vermieden werden...........http://www.tagesschau.de/ausland/griechenland-grexit-109.html
    12/6/15

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  134. Merkels Wille und Griechenlands Weg...

    Für Bundeskanzlerin Angela Merkel geht es bei der Frage des Verbleibs Griechenlands im Euro um weit mehr als um Währungspolitik. Was für sie zählt, ist die historische Dimension.

    Im verminten Gelände der Griechenland-Hilfen über einen „Plan B“ zu reden, das Ausscheiden Griechenlands aus dem Euroraum also, haben sich Bundeskanzlerin Angela Merkel und der Rest der Bundesregierung verboten. Bei öffentlichen Auftritten Merkels und erst recht ihrer Sprecher, aber auch in kleineren – da immer noch halböffentlichen – Runden, wird die Haltung verfochten, Griechenland im Euroraum zu halten. Nahezu gebetsmühlenartig geschieht es – gegenteiligen Spekulationen und vermeintlichen Analysen zum Trotz. Mithin pflegt Merkel auch zu versichern, mit dem griechischen Ministerpräsidenten Alexis Tsipras ein gutes Gesprächsverhältnis gefunden zu haben. Ein Foto aus nächtlichen Verhandlungen in Brüssel zeigt die beiden lachend nebeneinander. Freilich: Wenn Fotografen dabei sind, wird gerne freundlich gelächelt. Und: Die Berater schauen schon ernster drein. Viel bedeuten muss das nicht. Dass in Fragen wie diesen „Geheimhaltung“ das oberste Gebot für die Beteiligten ist, versteht sich von selbst. Zum Verlauf solcher Verhandlungsprozesse gehört auch der Umstand, dass die Gesprächsteilnehmer nicht immer mit offenen Karten spielen......faz.net
    12/6/15

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  135. Griechenland-Krise.....Euro-Länder sprechen Notfall-Szenarien durch...

    Finanzexperten der Euro-Gruppe beraten bereits Notfallpläne für einen Grexit. Dazu zählen Kontrollen des Kapitalverkehrs. Athen gerät unter Druck – will aber Renten- und Lohnkürzungen nicht akzeptieren. .....handelsblatt.com

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  136. A Russian fighter jet flew dangerously close to an American reconnaissance aircraft during an "unprofessional" intercept in international airspace over the Black Sea last month, the Pentagon said Friday...

    The American RC-135 was conducting routine operations May 30 when a Russian SU-27 Flanker flew up from behind, passed underneath then crossed over to the American plane's right-hand side, spokesman Colonel Steve Warren said.

    "We don't know exactly why this intercept was conducted unprofessionally," he told reporters.

    "It may have been a lack of training on the part of the Russian pilot. It may have been just a general level of unprofessionalism of the individual who was flying the Flanker."

    CNN reported that the Russian plane came within just 10 feet of the US aircraft. Warren said only that the Russian jet passed at a "distance we felt was unprofessionally and unsafely close.".....AFP

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  137. Statement by the Spokesperson on the phone calls of Federica Mogherini with political leaders in Turkey (EEAS) ...

    "Following the elections on 7 June, High Representative/Vice-President Federica Mogherini is calling political party leaders in Turkey - and has already spoken to Ahmet Davutoğlu, Kemal Kılıçdaroğlu, Selahattin Demirtaş.

    She congratulated them for the results of the elections and enquired as to the next steps toward the formation of the new government.

    The High Representative/Vice-President stressed with her interlocutors that the EU is ready to cooperate with the new government in order to further strengthen and broaden the EU-Turkey relationship and to work closer together on addressing common international challenges."
    http://eeas.europa.eu/statements-eeas/2015/150612_03_en.htm
    12/6/15

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  138. Une milice prend en otage 10 employés au consulat de Tunisie à Tripoli...

    Des membres d'une milice ont lancé un assaut, vendredi, contre le consulat de Tunisie à Tripoli, retenant 10 de ses employés en otage. La Tunisie est l'un des derniers pays à avoir conservé une représentation diplomatique dans la capitale libyenne.

    Des membres d’une milice ont investi le consulat de Tunisie à Tripoli, vendredi 12 juin, où ils retiennent 10 des employés, a annoncé le ministre tunisien des Affaires étrangères. Ce dernier a vivement condamné, dans un communiqué, l’attaque contre la souveraineté internationale tunisienne et la violation des lois internationales.

    Le ministère n'a, par ailleurs, pas identifié les assaillants, alors que Tripoli est sous le contrôle des milices islamistes de Fajr Libya, en guerre contre celle des autorités élues réfugiées à Tobrouk (dans l'est du pays). Aucun responsable libyen n'était disponible dans l'immédiat pour commenter l'enlèvement...........france24.com

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    1. An armed group stormed the Tunisian consulate in the Libyan capital Tripoli and kidnapped 10 staff on Friday, the Tunisian Foreign Ministry said...

      The ministry did not identify the armed group, but called the assault a “blatant attack on Tunisian national sovereignty and a flagrant violation of international laws”.

      Tunisia is one of only a few countries which still has a mission in Tripoli, a city which is controlled by a group that has set up its own government, a rival to Libya’s internationally recognized leaders.....REUTERS.....alarabiya.net

      Delete
  139. Hackers with suspected links to China appear to have accessed sensitive data on US intelligence and military personnel, American officials say....

    Details of a major hack emerged last week, but officials have now given details of a potential second breach.

    It is feared that the attack could leave US security personnel or their families open to blackmail....BBC

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. USA: des hackers chinois volent des données ultra sensibles...

      Les pirates informatiques chinois, qui ont volé des données de millions de fonctionnaires américains, ont aussi réussi à récupérer des informations sur les personnels habilités à accéder à des données sensibles ou secrètes, affirme vendredi le Washington Post.

      Les pirates informatiques ont réussi à pénétrer la banque de données contenant les dossiers de demande d'habilitation, de type secret défense par exemple, des fonctionnaires ou de contractuels sur plusieurs dizaines d'années, affirme le Washington Post.

      "C'est une catastrophe potentielle en terme de contre-espionnage", a affirmé au quotidien, Joel Brenner, ancien haut responsable du contre-espionnage américain.

      Pour M. Brenner, les informations très intimes contenues dans ces demandes peuvent servir à faire du chantage sur les détenteurs d'habilitations, "et en fait des cibles plus aisées à recruter pour les services d'espionnage d'un pays étranger", a-t-il souligné.

      Cette banque de données contient aussi bien des détails sur la vie privée que sur les finances ou encore la famille, les voisins et les contacts avec des étrangers.

      Des informations sur des personnels de la CIA, l'agence de renseignement extérieur américaine, pourraient aussi avoir été compromises.

      Le gouvernement américain a reconnu la semaine dernière que les données concernant 4 millions de fonctionnaires fédéraux avaient été volées par des pirates informatiques, mais s'est gardé d'accuser publiquement la Chine.
      AFP
      13/6/15

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  140. North Korea accuses U.S. of targeting it with live anthrax...

    North Korea is accusing the United States of targeting it with anthrax and wants the U.N. Security Council to look into they called America's "biological warfare schemes."

    A letter from North Korea's U.N. ambassador to the council president and the U.N. chief, made public Friday, claims that the U.S. "possesses deadly weapons of mass destruction" that it is trying to use against them.

    U.S. defence officials disclosed in late May that low concentration samples of live anthrax were shipped to labs in 19 states and four countries, including a U.S. military facility in South Korea.......AP........ctvnews.ca

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  141. Iraq militias: We don’t need U.S. help in Anbar...

    Ali Ahsan paced back and forth carrying a rifle more than half his height in the searing heat as his militia convoy made a pit stop in the Anbar desert to rest and pray.

    Unlike the rugged men in fatigues around him, his prepubescent face has barely sprung a whisker. Now that school is out, the petite 14-year-old is spending his summer break fighting the Islamic State of Iraq and Syria (ISIS) group with his father and other members of Iraq’s Popular Mobilization Forces, which includes the Shiite militias.

    “I’m here because it’s my duty,” the stone-faced boy in blue jeans said, referring to an edict from Iraq’s highest Shiite religious authority last year. “The Popular Mobilization Forces are not sectarian forces. They represent all of Iraq, and I want to help them liberate Iraq.”

    Despite concerns over heightened sectarian strife, Shiite militiamen continue to pour into Iraq’s Sunni heartland of Anbar province with the initial hope of recapturing Fallujah, the first major Iraqi city to fall to ISIS last year..........alarabiya.net
    13/6/15

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  142. US defense chief invited to visit China this year ...

    China's Vice Chairman of the Central Military Commission Fan Changlong has invited U.S. Defense Secretary Ashton Carter for a visit to China this year as part of the efforts to promote bilateral military ties, a Chinese defense spokesman said Friday.

    The invitation was extended to Carter at their talks held at the Pentagon Thursday, said Guan Youfei, director of the Foreign Affairs Office of China's National Defense Ministry, at a news briefing on Fan's visit to the United States. This will be Carter's first visit to China since he was appointed the Pentagon chief in February.

    During the talks, the two military chiefs exchanged views in a candid and cordial manner on a wide range of issues, such as the military-to-military relationship and issues concerning maritime security, Taiwan, Japan, and the Korean Peninsula..........http://www.china.org.cn/world/2015-06/13/content_35813808.htm
    13/6/15

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  143. Egypt opens Rafah crossing into Gaza in sign of easing tensions...

    Egypt opened the Rafah border crossing on Saturday to allow Palestinians to travel in and out of the Gaza Strip for the first time in three months, in a possible sign of easing tension between Cairo and Gaza's dominant Islamist Hamas movement...Reuters...channelnewsasia.com
    13/6/15

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  144. Obama's trade agenda 'in serious doubt' after Congress defeat...

    The White House and Republican leaders in Congress face long odds in trying to revive trade legislation after a telling defeat engineered by President Barack Obama's fellow Democrats.

    Obama's ambitious trade agenda is in serious doubt, as is his quest for a capstone second-term achievement.

    Without the power to negotiate trade deals that Congress can approve or reject, but not amend, Obama has little chance of securing the Pacific Rim pact that his administration has worked toward for years....AP.......ctvnews.ca

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  145. A leading British newspaper says Russia and China have decrypted top secret files stolen by fugitive U.S. whistleblower Edward Snowden, forcing British authorities to pull spies from "live operations in hostile countries."...

    London's Sunday Times said the pullback was ordered after Moscow gained access to more than 1 million encoded files in Snowden's possession when he fled the United States in 2013.

    A short while later, he sought the protection of Russian President Vladimir Putin, who granted the American temporary Russian asylum. He later received a residency permit that allows him to travel freely in Russian territory.............http://www.voanews.com/content/russia-china-crack-encrypted-snowden-files/2821134.html

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  146. Tsipras lehnt Neuwahlen ab und will kämpfen....

    Alexis Tsipras gerät auch im eigenen Land zunehmend unter Druck. Zwar will er dem nicht nachgeben und seinen Kurs fortsetzen. Den Geldgebern gegenüber deutet er aber dennoch Kompromissbereitschaft an.....welt.de

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  147. Report: Britain pulls out spies as Russia, China crack Snowden files...

    Britain has pulled out agents from live operations in "hostile countries" after Russia and China cracked top-secret information contained in files leaked by former US National Security Agency contractor Edward Snowden, the Sunday Times reported.

    Security service MI6, which operates overseas and is tasked with defending British interests, has removed agents from certain countries, the newspaper said, citing unnamed officials at the office of British Prime Minister David Cameron, the Home Office (interior ministry) and security services..............JPOST.COM BY REUTERS
    14/6/15

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  148. Georgia flood: Tbilisi residents warned over zoo animals after devastating flood...

    Heavy flooding in the Georgian capital, Tbilisi, has killed at least 12 people, with officials warning people to stay indoors to avoid animals that have escaped from a zoo.

    The missing animals include tigers, lions, bears and wolves. Three of the dead people were found within the zoo.

    A hippopotamus was cornered in one of the city's main squares and subdued with a tranquiliser gun.

    Rescue workers are searching submerged homes to check for trapped residents.

    Dozens of people have been left homeless.
    'Hellish whirlpool'

    Tbilisi Zoo spokeswoman Mzia Sharashidze told InterPressNews agency that three bodies had been found in the zoo, including those of two employees..........http://www.bbc.com/news/world-europe-33125879
    14/6/15

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  149. Grèce : compte à rebours avant le défaut de paiement...

    Les négociations ont repris hier soir à Bruxelles.Les ministres des finances de la zone euro espèrent pouvoir prendre une décision jeudi.

    Les négociations entre le gouvernement grec et ses créanciers ont repris dans la douleur à Bruxelles pendant le week-end. Un nouveau rendez-vous était programmé hier soir. Le pays se rapproche désormais d’heure en heure du défaut de paiement. D’ailleurs, le vice-chancelier allemand et ministre de l’Economie, Sigmar Gabriel, avertissait dimanche que «  non seulement le temps commence à manquer, mais, partout en Europe, la patience également ». Ajoutant, selon un article du « Bild » : « De plus en plus de gens pensent qu’ils sont menés par le bout du nez par le gouvernement grec. […] A travers toute l’Europe, il y a un sentiment croissant : ça suffit. »...........http://www.lesechos.fr/monde/europe/021135884852-grece-compte-a-rebours-avant-le-defaut-de-paiement-1128075.php?KH7kRMMqUm7ulhyj.99#xtor=RSS37
    14/6/15

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  150. DPRK fires 3 short-range missiles ...

    The Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK) fired three short-range missiles, Yonhap News Agency reported Sunday.

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  151. The U.S military launched airstrikes Saturday targeting and likely killing an al Qaeda leader in eastern Libya who has been charged with leading the attack on a gas plant in Algeria in 2013 that killed at least 35 hostages, including three Americans...

    The Libyan government said warplanes targeted and killed Mokhtar BelMokhtar and several others in the eastern city of Ajdabiya. A U.S. official said two F-15 fighter jets launched multiple 500-pound bombs in the attack. The official was not authorized to discuss the details of the attack publicly so spoke on condition of anonymity.

    U.S. officials said they are still assessing the results of the strike, but Pentagon spokesman Col. Steve Warren said the military believes the strike was successful and hit the target.

    Officials said there were no U.S. personnel on the ground for the assault.....AP.......ctvnews.ca

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  152. Yemen Sides Set for UN-Led Peace Talks ...

    Yemen's warring sides are due to take part in U.N.-brokered peace talks Monday in Geneva in their first diplomatic bid to resolve the conflict since it escalated three months ago into a regional fight.

    Delegations from the exiled government of President Abdu Rabbu Mansour Hadi and the Houthi rebels who control the capital, Sanaa, are not expected to meet face-to-face. Instead, the U.N.'s envoy for Yemen, Ismail Ould Cheick Ahmed, will lead the talks by holding separate meetings with each side.

    U.N. spokesman Ahmad Fawzi said Sunday the hope is that the so-called "proximity talks" will develop into face-to-face negotiations.

    U.N. Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon is also in Geneva for the talks. He has called on both sides to enter the process with no preconditions and said he hopes the meeting will restart a peaceful political transition in Yemen.

    Yemen has been in political upheaval since 2011 when protesters forced longtime President Ali Abdullah Saleh from power. Saleh now backs the Houthis...........voanews.com
    15/6/15

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  153. Janis Varoufakis pocht auf einen Schuldenschnitt....

    Die Griechenkrise nähert sich ihrem Ende - und das sieht für Athen nicht gut aus. Nach dem Scheitern eines Vermittlungsversuchs fordert Finanzminister Janis Varoufakis nun einen Schuldenschnitt.

    Im festgefahrenen Schuldenstreit mit den internationalen Geldgebern pocht Griechenlands Finanzminister Giannis Varoufakis auf längere Laufzeiten zur Schuldentilgung und einen Schuldenerlass. Sein Land brauche "eine Umschuldung", sagte Varoufakis der "Bild". "Nur so können wir die Rückzahlung von so viel Schulden wie möglich garantieren und auch leisten", fügte Varoufakis hinzu. Er würde sofort "Ja" sagen und auf weitere Hilfsgelder verzichten, wenn die Gläubiger von EU, Europäischer Zentralbank (EZB) und Internationalem Währungsfonds (IWF) einen Schuldenschnitt anbieten würden. Auch der IWF wolle eine Umschuldung............n24.de

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  154. EZB lässt griechische Banken am Geldtropf...

    Die Liquiditätshilfen für die Geldhäuser würden fortgesetzt, solange diese solvent seien und über ausreichende Sicherheiten verfügten, sagt Mario Draghi, Präsident der Europäischen Zentralbank heute vor dem Wirtschafts- und Währungsausschuss im Europaparlament in Brüssel. Die Aufsicht sei der Auffassung, dass griechische Banken solvent sind. Draghi ergänzt, die Situation befinde sich in Entwicklung. „Daher müssen wir die Lage genau beobachten“, sagte er. Allein am Montag haben griechische Institute einem Insider zufolge Geldabflüsse von 400 Millionen Euro verzeichnet......welt.de

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