BELGRADE, March 18 (Xinhua) — Serbia\’s possible boycott of the Western Balkans conference this weekend in protest against the invitation of Kosovo threatens to spoil the first meeting of all the political leaders in the region in 18 years.
The joint organizers Slovenia and Croatia have so far failed to secure the presence of both Serbia and Kosovo, the former Serbian province which declared independence in 2008.
The absence of Serbia would undermine the conference\’s goal of resolving regional disputes before European Union accession talks.
Serbian President Boris Tadic said earlier that Serbia would take part in the conference if Kosovo \”participates within the format defined by Resolution 1244 of the UN Security Council,\” or UNMIK Kosovo, the acronym for the UN mission in Kosovo..
The ethnic Albanian-dominated Kosovo unilaterally declared independence on Feb. 17, 2008. Serbia has said it would never recognize Kosovo\’s independence, regarding the move as contrary to international law.
However, Kosovo Prime Minister Hashim Thaci said he would only attend the meeting as a representative of a sovereign state, not UNMIK Kosovo.
Croatian Prime Minister Jadranka Kosor said Wednesday that \”I believe that everything will be arranged and that all those whom we, as organizers, are expecting at this conference will be there.\”
Earlier, Slovenian Prime Minister Borut Pahor described the prospects of getting Serbian and Kosovo officials together at the conference as \”an impossible mission.\”
Pahor\’s surprise trip to Belgrade on March 17 in a bid to salvage the regional conference was unsuccessful in convincing Tadic to relent.
The conference, under the name \”Together for the European Union: Contribution of the Western Balkans to the European Future,\” is to be held on Saturday in Slovenia.
The Slovenian foreign ministry said Wednesday that the meeting would go ahead this weekend regardless of a possible boycott by Serbia.
Related:
UN war crimes tribunal for former Yugoslavia needs more time: Ban
UNITED NATIONS, March 16 (Xinhua) — The United Nations war crimes tribunal set up in the wake of the Balkan conflicts in the 1990s will need more time to complete its work after originally being scheduled to wind down at the end of this year, UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon said here Tuesday.
The secretary-general told reporters at the United Nations Headquarters in New York that \”there is some broad agreement now that the ICTY (International Criminal Tribunal for the former Yugoslavia) may need at least a few more years, to 2013 or so,\” before it can finish its work.? Full story
Slovenia and Slovakia want Western Balkans in EU
BELGRADE, March 15 (Xinhua) — The Western Balkans is important for peace in Europe and should be included in the European Union, Slovenian President Danilo Tuerk and his visiting Slovakian counterpart Ivan Gasparovic agreed at their meeting in Brdo Pri Kranju, Slovenia on Monday. Efforts to improve trade and the EU accession of Western Balkan countries, topped talks between Tuerk and Gasparovic.
President of European Commission Jose Manuel Barroso (R) and visiting Greek Prime Minister George Papandreou attend a press conference after their meeting at the EU headquarters in Brussels, Belgium, March 17, 2010. (Xinhua/Wu Wei)
by Liang Yeqian, Maria Spiliopoulou
ATHENS, March 18 (Xinhua) — Labor unions across Europe will take action as Greece is left alone in the economic crisis by other short-sighted European Union member states, Yannis Panagopoulos, president of umbrella labor union GSEE, told Xinhua in an interview.
\”The solidarity of other European labor unions has been impressive. We witness the phenomenon of German labor unions denouncing their government\’s unwillingness to back Greece,\” Panagopoulos said, referring to the fact that Berlin, together with other EU member states, is still not offering Greece enough support to solve its fiscal crisis.
Apart from making pledges of support, EU labor unions, especially those from Southern European countries, will join forces in the near future, perhaps in May, he said.
Panagopoulos believed that EU member states should give Greece more help for their own development.
\”The Portuguese, Spanish and Italian people understand that we share the same destiny; they all know that when Greece gets through this adventure, it will be their turn next,\” he said.
Panagopoulos stressed that over 70 percent of the Greek debt is owed to British, French and German banks.
\”You see that if Greece will not be able to pay, the European financial system will be greatly affected,\” he said.
\”The current stance of some European political leaders is unacceptable. The problem is not only Greek, it\’s European,\” he added. \”If they do not support Greece, there will be a domino effect across the continent.\”
Speaking to Xinhua in the GSEE headquarters, Panagopoulos echoed a request made by Greek state officials, analysts, economists and citizens these past few weeks.
\”What we ask for is that Greece will be able to take loans on the same interest rates as others,\” he said, urging the EU to crack down on speculative trading blamed for aggravating the Greek debt crisis.
Moreover, he warned that the EU might become a puppet of the United States and other markets if Europe doesn\’t reform its mechanism to balance inequalities across the EU.
Commenting on what went wrong in Greece, Panagopoulos pointed to the structural weaknesses of the Greek national economy and a series of mistakes made by previous governments.
He claimed the EU member states which hesitate to support Greece should also share the responsibility.
\”Part of Europe\’s political elite knew what was going on, that the previous conservative government was hiding the truth, but due to ideological links, nobody would speak,\” Panagopoulos said.
Police search for clues around the offices of a Greek far-right group \”Golden Dawn\”, where a bomb attack occurred, in Athens, capital of Greece, March 19, 2010. No injuries were reported as there had been a warning phone call a few minutes before the time bomb blast. (Xinhua/Marios Lolos)
ATHENS, March 19 (Xinhua) — An explosion occurred at the office of a far-right group named \”Golden Dawn\” in the centre of Athens early on Friday morning.
No injuries were reported, but only minor damages, as there had been a warning telephone call to a Greek newspaper a few minutes before the time bomb blasts.
The bomb which had been placed outside the offices of \”Golden Dawn,\” at the corridor of the 5th floor of a building near the crowded Omonia square in the centre of Athens, exploded at 08:46 local time, according to the police.
Exactly 22 minutes earlier an unidentified person had made the warning call to \”Eleftherotypia\” daily, a common practice for Far-Left, anarchist and terrorist groups that operate in Greece.
The police had managed to evacuate the area, when the bomb exploded and windows of nearby buildings broke in rush hour.
Police cordone off the offices of a Greek far-right group \”Golden Dawn\”, where a bomb attack occurred, in Athens, capital of Greece, March 19, 2010. (Xinhua/Marios Lolos)
No group has claimed responsibility yet, as police investigate, gathering evidence that could lead to the perpetrators.
In a first comment from the government, government spokesperson George Petalotis condemned the attack, stressing that \”whichever is the purpose, is cancelled by the fact that occur in crowded areas.\”
\”Golden Dawn\” is the most known far-right group in Greece. It was created in the early 1980s and its members have been accused and sentenced to prison terms for a series of attacks against immigrants.
Police investigate at the offices of a Greek far-right group \”Golden Dawn\”, where a bomb attack occurred, in Athens, capital of Greece, March 19, 2010. (Xinhua/Marios Lolos)
http://www.gtrip.net
BERLIN, March 19 (Xinhua) — A high-speed German train ran over a man on Thursday late-night when whooshing from Frankfurt to Cologne, causing the busy line to be closed for hours, operator Deutsche Bahn and police reported Friday.
The accident happened at late night near Idstein, a northeastern town of Hesse state. Police said it is not known weather the man had commit a suicide.
The Inter City Express (ICE) train, which had 630 passengers at that time, had to disembark and waited in the dark until a group of buses arrived to transport passengers to Cologne.
More than a dozen other trains were canceled or forced to change the route when clearance were underway, a Deutsche Bahn spokesperson said. It took about four hours before the line was re-opened.
The railway between Frankfurt to Cologne is one of the busiest lines in Germany, with an average of eight trains per hour travelling along the track.
Germany\’s ICE train, which started in the 1980s, has an average speed of 200 km per hour, and its record speed is over 400 km per hour.
http://www.znnw.com
MOSCOW, March 19 (Xinhua) — The United States and Russia were \”on the brink\” of clinching a new nuclear arms control deal, U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton said Friday.
After meeting Russian President Dmitry Medvedev on Friday, Clinton said the two countries had resolved all major issues concerning a new nuclear arms reduction treaty.
\”There are some technical issues that remain. But we are on the brink of signing a new agreement between the United States and Russia,\” she said at a joint news conference with Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov.
But Clinton did not specify a date or venue for the signing of the pact.
Lavrov said a reset in Russia-U.S. relations had materialized and both sides should not stop in their steps forward. \”This movement requires ongoing dialogue, without any pauses,\” he said.
Russia and the United States have been working on a new arms treaty since Medvedev and Obama met in April last year, in an effort to rebuild their ties, which plunged to an unprecedented low during the final days of former U.S. Bush administration.
Despite rounds of negotiations, the two sides failed to reach a pact before the original 1991 START expired in December last year.
An outline of the new accord, agreed by both presidents, includes slashing nuclear warheads to 1,500-1,675 and delivery vehicles to 500-1,000.
Related:
Russia, U.S. close to clinch new START deal
MOSCOW, March 18 (Xinhua) — After holding crunch talks to help seal a new strategic arms reduction treaty (START) here on Thursday, top diplomats of Russia and the United States, Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov and U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, all voiced confidence to clinch the deal in the near future.?? Full story
New START treaty to combine offensive, defensive weapons: Lavrov
MOSCOW, March 16 (Xinhua) — Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov reassured Tuesday that the new strategic arms reduction treaty (START) with the United States will combine offensive and defensive weaponry.
Lavrov reiterated Russia\’s stance concerning the issue in a joint press conference with his Ukrainian counterpart Konstantin Grishchenko broadcast live by local TV station Russia Today. Full story?
http://www.marconimedical.com
BRUSSELS, March 19 (Xinhua) — The European Union (EU) top economic official called on Friday for a concrete deal at a summit next week on possible aid for Greece amid its debt crisis.
\”It is important that the EU in the course of next week comes to a more specific conclusion, specific political conclusion about the European framework for coordinated and conditional action, if needed and required,\” EU Economic and Monetary Affairs Commissioner Olli Rehn told reporters.
EU leaders were scheduled to meet in Brussels on March 25-26, with the Greek debt crisis set to top the agenda.
Rehn said it was important for the EU to politically conclude work that had been done.
At a monthly meeting earlier this week, EU finance ministers agreed on technical arrangements on how to aid Greece if necessary, leaving the final decision on a detailed plan to EU leaders.
Greek Prime Minister George Papandreou said on Thursday his country would resort to help from the International Monetary Fund if it failed to receive a concrete aid promise in Europe.
http://www.gtrip.net
PARIS, March 19 (Xinhua) — European Commission President Jose Manuel Barroso has told a French radio channel the European Union would aid Greece if demanded, according to a transcript released by the channel Friday.
The whole European Union, including Germany, \”is ready in case Greece needs (the aid) and so far, Greece hasn\’t asked for any financial support,\” Barroso confirmed in an interview with France 24, recorded at the European Summit on Thursday at Brussels.
Eurozone countries should prepare \”some kind of mechanism\” as soon as possible in case Greece asks for finanical aid, the president said, adding the EU would try all measures to restore the financial stability of Greece.
Barroso also said the EU would bring forward \”a mechanism of coordinated systems\” that was \”based on bilateral loans but within the European framework\” provided that all members agrees on it.
However, he didn\’t exclude the possibility that Greece would turn to International Monetary Fund for help, adding the IMF\’s help wouldn\’t harm the prestige of the EU.
\”What I want to remind is that Greece and all the member states of the EU are members of the IMF … EU member states are by far the biggest source of revenue for the IMF,\” Barroso said.
\”So it\’s not a question of prestige. It\’s a question of seeing what is the best way to respond to the situation,\” he said in the interview, which France 24 confirmed would be broadcast on Saturday.
Greece\’s government has launched austerity measures to save public revenue, but with a debt of 20 billion euros (27 billion U.S. dollars) at term between April and May, Greek Prime Minister George Papandreou has been anxious for support from peers.
Papandreou called for a united decision at Thursday\’s EU summit, saying solidarity in Europe was necessary for the debt-plagued country.
Government leaders and heads of states will get together to discuss this issue at the next summit in Brussels on March 25.
Related:
EU official calls for concrete deal on aid for Greece
BRUSSELS, March 19 (Xinhua) — The European Union (EU) top economic official called on Friday for a concrete deal at a summit next week on possible aid for Greece amid its debt crisis.
\”It is important that the EU in the course of next week comes to a more specific conclusion, specific political conclusion about the European framework for coordinated and conditional action, if needed and required,\” EU Economic and Monetary Affairs Commissioner Olli Rehn told reporters. Full story
Greek labor union: Unions in Europe to take action if EU fails to help
ATHENS, March 18 (Xinhua) — Labor unions across Europe will take action as Greece is left alone in the economic crisis by other short-sighted European Union member states, Yannis Panagopoulos, president of umbrella labor union GSEE, told Xinhua in an interview.
LONDON, March 19 (Xinhua) — British Prime Minister Gordon Brown said Friday that 2010 would be a make-or-break year to address the five global challenges.
The challenges were cementing the global recovery, halting climate change, fighting terrorism, reducing nuclear proliferation and turning the tide against poverty.
Brown told the foreign press association that 10 important global meetings to be held this year could shape what the world faces in the next decade and would be determining moments for the fortunes of millions and testing moments for the world\’s commitment and resolution to work together.
\”The truth we have learned in the last two years is that global problems cannot be answered by national or even regional solutions alone; global problems need global solutions: because we need more, not less, global cooperation,\” Brown said.
On the economic front, Brown said it was now the time to take the next steps, to complete the task of rebuilding the global economy and strengthening financial supervision in the coming months — at the G20 and G8 summits in Canada and in South Korea, and at the spring and annual meetings of the International Monetary Fund and World Bank.
He also called for a fresh collective commitment to fully implement the G20 framework for strong, balanced and sustainable growth, to coordinate more effectively the regulation of world financial systems, and to build a coordinated approach to levies on the banks to deliver a fairer balance between risk and reward.
On climate change, Brown said: \”We must implement the Copenhagen Accord. That means fast-start finance for developing countries for the 2010-12 period.\”
\”So I want to announce that, on March 31, we will hold in London the first meeting of the Climate Finance Group, the advisory group on climate financing established by the U.N. Secretary General.\”
\”We must also re-establish negotiations towards an internationally binding global agreement, using the important meetings in Germany and Mexico this year to accelerate this goal,\” Brown said.
He said Britain must drive towards creating a low-carbon economy and plans would be announced to promote investment in clean energy and in the thousands of new green jobs they would create.
On security, Brown said the challenges were changing, noting that \”today we face a new kind of terrorism, climate change and potential conflicts over resources, cyber crime, piracy and global increases in illegal migration.\”
Britain had continued to increase investment in strong borders and counter-terrorism at home — from 1 billion pounds (1.6 billion U.S. dollars) a year on domestic counter-terrorism in 2001 to more than 3 billion pounds (4.8 billion dollars) now.
Brown said, \”Our priority remains the Afghan-Pakistan border areas. We look forward to the Kabul Conference.\”
In addition, the prime minister said relevant countries would hold discussions in Washington next month and in New York the month after on nuclear security and proliferation, the fourth challenge.
MOSCOW, March 19 (Xinhua) — Russian President Dmitry Medvedev had not excluded the possibility of imposing reasonable sanctions on Iran, Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said on Friday.
\”As President Medvedev said, sanctions seldom work but sometimes they are inevitable,\” Lavrov said at a news conference after talks between Medvedev and U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton.
However, the president said that \”sanctions must be reasonable, unaggressive and not paralyzing and should have no negative impact on the Iranian people but should be imposed on those who make decisions on cooperating with the international community,\” Lavrov said.
Clinton hoped the sides would soon reach consensus on the Iranian nuclear issue.
Russian Prime Minister Vladimir Putin announced Thursday the first reactor of Iran\’s long-delayed Bushehr nuclear power plant would be launched in summer.
Iran\’s move to produce high-grade uranium with a purity of 20 percent stoked a wave of international criticism, with the United States leading the calls for harsher sanctions against the Islamic Republic.
The West accuses Iran of secretly developing nuclear weapons under the guise of a civilian program, but Iran insists its nuclear program is only for peaceful purposes.
Russia, which has long been saying it prefers to resolve the Iranian nuclear issue through diplomatic means, is showing growing frustration with Iran\’s refusal to cooperate with the international community.
http://www.znnw.com
LONDON, March 19 (Xinhua) — British Airways (BA) cabin crew will start a three-day strike early Saturday after talks between the airline and the Unite union collapsed on Friday.
British Airways Chief Executive Willie Walsh (C) speaks to reporters after talks with the Unite union broke down at the trade union congress headquarters in central London March 19, 2010. (Xinhua/AFP Photo)
Local media reported the strike will start from midnight, with a second scheduled for March 27.
BA cabin crew are striking over changes to pay and staffing levels imposed by the airline last November. BA suffered heavy losses in recent years and is trying to cut its annual cost by 62.5 million pounds.
The airline\’s chief executive, Willie Walsh, said the strike was \”deeply regrettable\”. \”Tens of thousands of BA people stand ready to serve our passengers and BA will be flying and will continue to fly through these periods of industrial action,\” he said.
Tony Woodley, general secretary of Unite, the union representing BA\’s cabin crew, said: \”BA does not want to negotiate and ultimately wants to go to war with this union.\”
BA has announced contingency plans that will allow it to fly 65 percent of its customers during this weekend\’s strike. A total of 1,100 flights out of the 1,950 scheduled to operate during the first three strike dates will be cancelled.
But all long-haul flights and more than half of short-haul flights from London\’s Gatwick airport are expected to operate as normal. At Heathrow, more than 60 percent of long-haul flights will operate, though only 30 percent of short-haul flights are expected to operate with the help of aircraft leased from eight rival airlines.
http://www.nmgmzbwg.com.cn
VIENNA, March 24 (Xinhua) — European Union leaders were not able to reach a decision on concrete measures aimed at aiding Greece\’s financial difficulties, Austrian Chancellor Werner Faymann said Wednesday.
The prime minister made the remarks after the day\’s EU summit.
Some Austrian politicians even criticized the EU inactivity.
Alexander van der Bellen, former chairman of Austria\’s Green Party, said the EU summit usually finds it hard to come to an agreement.
Wolfgang Schussel, former Austrian prime minister, said the EU summit is more like a \”commonplace.\”
Up until now Greece has not applied for concrete assistance from the union, only to leave bilateral assistance to the International Monetary Fund.
While addressing the EU summit, Austrian Prime Minister Faymann said that his government would focus more on achieving the five major objectives of the new EU prosperity strategy \”Europe 2020,\” on research and development, climate change and clean energy, education and poverty reduction.
Related:
Greece to seek but not beg for a European solution to debt crisis
ATHENS, March 23 (Xinhua) — Greece said Tuesday it would seek a European solution to its financial problems but will not appear as a beggar during the forthcoming EU summit on Thursday.
\”Greece will not appear at the Brussels meeting begging for support. We did not ask for financial aid from anybody,\” Finance Minister George Papaconstantinou told a forum in Athens. \”We do not wait for saviours. We can solve our problems on our own.\”?? Full story
Germany faces mounting pressure on Greek bailout
BRUSSELS, March 22 (Xinhua) — Germany faces mounting pressure from the European Union (EU) to agree on a bailout plan for debt-hit Greece at an EU summit later this week.
\”We need a decision at this summit so that we know how we are going to manage (the Greek debt crisis),\” European Commission President Jose Manuel Barroso told German daily Handelsblatt.?? Full storoy
Greek Bank governor warns about economy shrinking further
ATHENS, March 22 (Xinhua) — The Greek economy will shrink by two percent this year, more than the earlier expectation of between 0.3 percent and 1.2 percent, Bank of Greece Governor Giannis Provopoulos warned here on Monday.
\”The Greek economy has fallen into a vicious circle. Unfortunately the developments of the past few months have verified the negative projections and damaged confidence to the future of our economy,\” Provopoulos said.? Full story
http://www.tbogg.com
ANKARA, March 19 (Xinhua) — A Polish aircraft on Friday violated Turkey\’s air space over the Aegean Sea, a Turkish military statement said.
Polish M-28 aircraft, which took off from Kos island of Greece, violated Turkish air space over the Aegean province of Aydin three times early on Friday, said the statement posted on the General Staff website.
The statement said the Polish aircraft had violated the Turkish air space for a total of 11 minutes.
http://www.pq365.com
Video: UK unveils pre-election budget
? Britain\’s Prime Minister Gordon Brown leaves after a Budget cabinet meeting at Downing Street in central London March 24, 2010. Britain\’s Labour government looks set on Wednesday to use its last budget before an election that is just weeks away to cut borrowing in an effort to calm investors and voters nervous about a record budget deficit. (Xinhua/Reuters Photo)
LONDON, March 24 (Xinhua) — British government departments announced, on Wednesday, a round of spending cuts totaling 11 billion pounds (about 16 billion U.S. dollars) as their first contribution towards cutting the record public sector borrowing requirement (PSBR).
The announcements came on Wednesday afternoon, after Chancellor of the Exchequer Alistair Darling revealed the figure as he unveiled his last budget before the coming election. The figure had first been announced in his Pre-Budget Report in early December, 2009.
Darling revealed that the PSBR would be 167 billion pounds ( about 249 billion U.S. dollars) this year, and vowed to halve that over four years. These cuts are the first step towards that, but far more savage cuts will be necessary from whichever government wins the general election, which is due before the first week in June and is likely to be on May 6.
The lion\’s share of the cuts will be made in the National Health Service, Britain\’s free hospital and healthcare system. The Department of Health said it would save 4.35 billion pounds (about 6.5 billion U.S. dollars), with savings being made in energy use, and 1.5 billion pounds (about 2.2 billion U.S. dollars) saved by driving down the cost of procurement. An additional 550 million pounds (about 819 million U.S. dollars) would be saved from better staff productivity, lower sickness rates and using fewer agency workers.
The Department of Children Schools and Families said it would make 1.1 billion pound (about 1.6 billion U.S. dollars) cuts, with 950 million pounds (about 1.4 billion U.S. dollars) from schools.
? Britain\’s Chancellor of the Exchequer Alistair Darling holds Gladstone\’s old Budget box for the cameras outside 11 Downing Street, before delivering the annual Budget to the House of Commons in central London March 24, 2010. Britain\’s Labour government looks set on Wednesday to use its last budget before an election that is just weeks away to cut borrowing in an effort to calm investors and voters nervous about a record budget deficit. (Xinhua/Reuters Photo)
The Ministry of Justice said it will save more than 340 million pounds (about 510 million U.S. dollars) by closing 19 court buildings in England.
Some savings across government departments will be achieved by closing or merging quasi-autonomous non-governmental organizations (quangos). The Ministry of Justice said it would merge the Meat Hygiene Service and the Food Standards Agency.
THE HAGUE, March 25 (Xinhua) — Dutch troops might be forced to stay in Afghanistan until 2011 due to a longer withdrawal procedure than planned, caretaker defence minister Eimert van Middelkoop told Dutch TV Wednesday.
The Netherlands\’ military mission comprising 1,800 soldiers and supporting staff in Uruzgan province is set to end by Aug. 1 2010.
\”The withdrawal is a difficult and complex operation,\” the minister said, adding that a lot of equipment would be transported back to the Netherlands by air or by land, while some soldiers would stay till next year.
Dutch F-16 fighters and Apache helicopters would also remain in Uruzgan at least until the end of 2010 to cover the withdrawal, he said.
According to the minister, the deadline for the full withdrawal depends on who will take over the Netherlands\’ role in Uruzgan.
The decision not to extend the Dutch mission in Afghanistan led to the fall of the Dutch government in February and a new round of elections will be held in June.
Related:
Australian forces in Afghanistan facing major challenge as Dutch withdraw
CANBERRA, March 18 (Xinhua) — Australian forces in Afghanistan are facing a major challenge in Afghanistan as Dutch forces withdraw, Australian Associated Press reports Thursday.
The Dutch withdraw will take with them their hospital and other key support elements.? Full story
Dutch troops to leave Afghanistan as scheduled: PM
BRUSSELS, Feb. 21 (Xinhua) — Dutch Prime Minister Jan Peter Balkenende said Sunday the Dutch troops will leave Afghanistan as scheduled, local media reported.
On Saturday, the Dutch government coalition collapsed over a NATO request to extend the country\’s military mission to Afghanistan.? Full story
Dutch government falls over Afghanistan mission
BRUSSELS, Feb. 20 (Xinhua) — The Dutch government coalition collapsed early Saturday over a NATO request to extend the country’s military mission to Afghanistan, Radio Nethelands Worldwide reported.
In a statement announcing his cabinet’s fall，Prime Minister Jan Peter Balkenende said he would visit Queen Beatrice later in the day to offer the resignation of the Labour Party members of his government.? Full story
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BRUSSELS, March 19 (Xinhua) — President of the European Commission Jose Manuel Barroso said on Friday that the Commission is ready to propose an instrument for coordinated assistance to Greece.
\”Such an instrument would be constituted by a system of coordinated bilateral loans and would be compatible with the no bail-out clause and with strict conditionality,\” Barroso said in a statement issued on Friday night.
But he said that creation of the instrument does not mean it would be activated immediately.
\”Our objective is an instrument designed within the euro area, with conditions and management established by the euro area and its institutions,\” Barroso said.
\”We cannot prolong any further the current situation,\” he said, \”I urge the EU\’s leaders to agree on this instrument as soon as possible.\”
http://www.minamik.com
PRAGUE, March 19 (Xinhua) — The Czech police must continue to investigate alleged bribe-taking that could have taken place during the talks about buying JAS-39 Gripen fighter planes for Czech Air Force, Supreme State Attorney\’s Office speaker announced on Friday.
Police has already twice stopped the investigation, as it had not found enough evidence to confirm the allegations of corruption voiced not only at home but also in the United States and Britain.
\”The previous investigation did not refute the suspicion that criminal conduct could have been involved,\” State Attorney speaker said. The decision to dismiss the case was unlawful and premature, she noted.
Czech Air force wanted to buy Sweden\’s Saab and Britain\’s BAE Systems in April 2002, but later it decided only to lease 14 of them. British BAE recently paid fines to settle the claims of bribery involving contracts not only with the Czech Republic, but also with Hungary.
http://www.cne.cc
MADRID, March 26 (Xinhua) — Two freight trains collided in the central Avilla province in Spain early Friday, killing a driver on one of the trains, the European News Agency reported.
The collision took place when a freight train struck another cargo train which was waiting for stop signal to enter Arevalo station in northern Avilla, said a spokesman of the rail infrastructure administration.
The driver was killed on the spot, he said.
The rail links between Madrid and Paris was temporarily disrupted due to the accident and the cause was under investigation.
http://www.cne.cc
Related Clinton expects new START deal to be signed soon Russia says new START treaty almost complete UN chief optimistic about new START deal
MOSCOW, March 20 (Xinhua) — Russia and the United States probably will sign a long-awaited new strategic arms reduction treaty (START) in April, the Russian daily Kommersant reported Saturday.
The treaty will be signed in the Czech capital of Prague before Washington hosts the Nuclear Security Summit on April 12-13, a diplomatic source told the newspaper.
After Friday\’s talks between U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton and Russian Prime Minister Vladimir Putin, Yuri Ushakov, deputy head of the Russian government office, said the two sides would \”most probably\” sign the treaty in April in Europe.
Russia and the United States have been working on a new treaty since Russian President Dmitry Medvedev and U.S. President Barack Obama met last April in an effort to \”reset\” ties that had plunged to an unprecedented low during the final days of the Bush administration.
Despite rounds of negotiations, the two sides failed to reach a pact before the original 1991 START expired in December.
An outline of the new treaty, agreed to by both presidents, includes slashing nuclear warheads to between 1,500 and 1,675 and delivery vehicles to between 500 and 1,000.
The source said negotiators in Geneva are finalizing the document\’s wording, \”taking into account the nuances of Russian and English.\”
He also said the document acknowledges a linkage with planned U.S.missile defense elements in Europe.
Moscow has repeatedly demanded that a link between missile defense and offensive weapons cuts be included in the new START treaty.
Previous reports said Ukraine had suggested the signing to be held in Kiev, a proposal welcomed by Russia, but the source said the United States rejected that suggestion.
http://www.ceshq.com
LONDON, March. 20 (Xinhua) — British Airways (BA) cabin crew started strike on Saturday morning that will cause severe disruptions to flights for the next three days.
BA said that 65 percent of passengers would still be able to reach their destination during the first three-day strike, even though a total of 1,100 BA flights out of the 1,950 scheduled to operate would be canceled.
At Heathrow, more than 60 percent of long-haul flights will operate, thought only 30 percent of short-haul flights are expected to do so, with the help of aircraft leased from rival airlines, BA said.
At Gatwick, all long-haul flights and more than half of short-haul flights are expected to operate as normal, it said.
But uncertainty still exists about just how many BA crew will go on strike after BA said any staff who took part in strike action would lose perks, including heavily-discounted travel fares.
BA said that it is confident it can handle 49,000 passengers on each of Saturday and Sunday, compared with around 75,000 on a normal weekend day in March.
The talks between BA and the Unite Union, which represents the cabin crew, collapsed on Friday. A further four days of strike are set to begin on March 27. Cabin crew is striking over pay and working conditions.
http://www.cne.cc
by David Harris
JERUSALEM, March 31 (Xinhua) — While Britain has given Israel reassurance that the recent passport forgery scandal is a thing of the past, members of the House of Commons are insisting the British government look closely at arms sales to Israel.
Britain maintains relatively warm relations with the Jewish state, but a series of events in recent months suggests some English parliamentarians and grassroots activists are less than happy with the close ties with Israel.
London expelled an Israeli diplomat earlier this month after Britain accused Israeli spies of using fake British identification papers in order to carry out an assassination of a Palestinian Hamas commander in the United Arab Emirates.
A report published this week by the House of Commons Committees on Arms Export Controls took a hard look at Britain\’s weapons sales to Israel. The cross-party group believes it is \”almost certainly\” the case that British weaponry was used during Israel\’s military campaign in Gaza more than a year ago, which left over 1, 400 Palestinians dead.
While members of Parliament are slamming arms sale to Israel, analysts believe a complete embargo on Israel is not likely to be adopted by the British government.
\”POLICY IS TO ALLOW EXPORTS\”
The arms export controls committee\’s report was the latest in a series that question the nature of British arms sales to Israel. It reportedly heard that the government is looking at arms deals on a case-by-case basis with five licenses being halted in the wake of the Gaza war.
However, that is far from satisfactory for organizations such as the London-based Campaign Against Arms Trade (CAAT). The nonprofit organization submitted a deposition to the lawmakers before they compiled their latest document.
\”The British government has continued to license exports to Israel and is also supplying parts that are then incorporated into weapons and exported by United States suppliers,\” Sarah Waldron, the core campaign coordinator for CAAT, told Xinhua on Wednesday.
\”Britain cannot be sure that those parts are not going to be used in attacks on civilians or attacks on the occupied territories,\” she added.
The organization argued the fact that the British government is studying its licensing policy on \”a case by case basis\” means that the general policy is to sanction exports.
\”It has to be quite an extreme example before they refuse licenses,\” said Waldron.
Since the end of the Gaza fighting in January 2009, British government ministers have made several comments on the issue.
Foreign and Commonwealth Office Minister Ivan Lewis wrote a memorandum to the Commons Committees on Arms Export Controls last July in which he said that 182 examples were looked into. Five of those were cause for concern.
They related to the exports of systems for the Sa\’ar 4.5 class missile boats of Israeli navy.
\”We had credible evidence from a number of sources that this vessel had been used to bombard coastal areas during the Operation, \” wrote Lewis.
ISTANBUL, March 20 (Xinhua) — Turkey announced Saturday to postpone the 29th Annual Conference on U.S.-Turkey Relations in response to the U.S. passage of a \”genocide\” resolution.
Foreign Economic Relations Board of Turkey said the conference, initially planned to be held in Washington on April 11-14, was postponed due to the approval of an Armenian resolution at the Foreign Relations Committee of U.S. Congress and the following developments.
The semi-official Anatolia news agency reported that the annual conference is organized by Turkish-American Business Council (TAIK) and American-Turkish Council (ATC) every year in April.
TAIK and ATC made the joint postponement decision. The two councils expressed sorrow over the postponement of the conference to a further date.
However, they said that they had full confidence in sound commercial and investment relations between Turkey and the United States.
On March 4, the U.S. House of Representatives Committee on Foreign Relations approved a resolution in support of the Armenian allegations regarding the incidents of 1915.
Turkey is facing hard times in its foreign policy about Armenian issue. In the United States and Sweden, two resolutions have called the killings in 1915 \”genocide.\”
Upon such development, Turkey temporarily recalled its ambassador in Washington Namik Tan to Ankara.
http://www.kphy.com
BRDO PRI KRANJU, Slovenia, March 20 (Xinhua) — Western Balkans nations have ended a conference here with an agreement to adopt a \”culture of dialogue\” in an effort to build greater regional trust, the respective prime ministers of Slovenia and Croatia, Borut Pahor and Jadranka Kosor, announced Saturday.
Seven prime ministers from the Western Balkans signed a joint declaration that reaffirmed their commitment to joining the EU, their respect for European standards and their commitment to pursue the necessary reforms. The declaration also called on the EU to \”maintain the enlargement process high on its agenda\”.
Along with the co-sponsors of Slovenia and Croatia, Nikola Spiric of Bosnia and Herzegovina (BiH), Nikola Gruevski of Macedonia, Hashim Thaci of Kosovo, Milo Djukanovic of Montenegro and Sali Berisha, prime minister of Albania, attended the conference, entitled \”Together for the European Union: Contribution of the Western Balkans to the European Future.\”
EU Enlargement Commissioner Stefan Fuele and Lamberto Zanier, head of the United Nations Interim Administration Mission in Kosovo (UNMIK), also attended.
At the press conference, Prime Minister Pahor said the leaders discussed, behind closed doors, a variety of problems from EU integration, to inter-regional disagreements and problems pertaining to the fact that certain regional states do not officially recognize each other.
There was speculation in the days preceding the conference that it would be cancelled when Serbian President Boris Tadic indicated he would not attend if Kosovo was recognized as an international state. Consistent with previous events, Serbia, which disputes the legality of Kosovo\’s self-declared independence, boycotted this conference. Bosnia and Herzegovina also does not recognize Kosovo.
Pahor praised the Bosnian prime minister for attending the conference, despite reservations and in spite of the fact that his country does not have diplomatic relations with Kosovo.
\”We need bridges of cooperation, interpersonal respect and a climate of dialogue and then problems become solvable,\” said Kosor, the Croatian co-host. The relationship between Slovenia and Croatia was cited by both hosts as an example for others in the region to follow. Despite a border dispute which led to Slovenia blocking Croatia\’s EU accession process, a model to overcome the impasse was eventually found through bi-lateral discussion.
The leaders in attendance also agreed to set up a similar conference for economic ministers in the region in the near future.
http://www.lersus.com
Italian Prime Minister and President of the \”Popolo della Liberta\” Silvio Berlusconi\’s (C-on stage) addresses supporters during a pre-electoral rally of his ruling center-right partyin Rome. Hundreds of thousands of people marched through the Italian capital Saturday in a massive show of support for embattled Berlusconi ahead of regional elections(Xinhua/AFP Photo)
ROME, March 20 (Xinhua) – - Thousands crowded San Giovanni Square here on Saturday to support Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi\’s centre-right People of Freedom Party at a national rally ahead of next week\’s regional elections.
On March 28 and 29 elections will be held in 13 out of Italy\’s 20 regions for the renewal of local governors and councils. The result is set to be crucial, a test for the governing body.
Voters of the People of Freedom Party came from all over Italy to express their support with flags, banners, posters, music and dances. The capital was completely jammed for several hours, while police helicopters flew over the square.
It was the biggest centre-right rally of the year, closing the electoral campaign. Most members of government were present and Berlusconi introduced the 13 candidates who will be running in next week\’s elections.
Repeatedly appealing to the slogan of the rally, \”Love wins over hatred and envy,\” the premier attacked the opposition and some \”politically\” involved judges whom he believes are leading a campaign against him.
Italy\’s Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi gestures as he speaks to supporters of the centre-right Popolo della Liberta (PDL People Freedom Party) during a rally in Rome March 20, 2010. (Xinhua/Reuters Photo) Italy\’s political scene has lately been rocked by fierce contrasts.
In some regions centre-right political lists, initially barred from the electoral campaign, have been readmitted by courts just a couple of days ago. The premier thus asked the judges to postpone the vote in the regions interested, including Latium.
Berlusconi condemned the recent telephone tapping where he is allegedly heard putting pressure on top officials to shut down critical television programs.
He described the tapping as \”ridiculous,\” adding they were misused by the judiciary.
\”We don\’t want a country where everyone is spied on but a country where there is freedom and individual rights are respected, \” he said at the rally.
The premier listed all the government\’s accomplishments, recalling that families had been sustained during the crisis and \”no one will ever be left behind by us.\”
The organizers had planned to attract more than a million people. According to the authorities, about 150,000 people were on the square. The supporters\’ enthusiasm was sky-high.
Marialuisa, 80 years old, came all the way from Ferrara, on the Adriatic coast, just to see the premier. \”I like him a lot,\” she told Xinhua, waving a pro-Berlusconi flag. \”He makes me feel safe. Go Silvio!\”
PRAGUE, March 20 (Xinhua) — Czech President Vaclav Klaus met British Prince Charles and his wife Camilla in a private meeting at Prague Castle Saturday.
Klaus praised Britain for taking a reserved stand on the transfer of more powers to the European Union just as the Czech Republic, in a toast at a gala dinner he and his wife hosted in honor of Charles and Camilla.
Klaus said that in the spirit of the British political tradition it is necessary to protect citizens\’ freedom against new collectivism even at present.
\”I am convinced that today, may be even more than ever before, we face the task of protecting human, civic and economic freedom from any new efforts at suppressing them, this time in the name of new collectivist ideologies and isms,\” Said Klaus.
Klaus also said he respects Prince Charles\’s opinion on global warming and environmental movements, but said no doctrine or environmentalism should lead to restricting the freedoms that Britain has traditionally defended.
Prince Charles is known for his strong belief in nature protection. He has supported bio-farming since the 1980s.
This is Prince of Wales\’s fifth visit to the Czech Republic and the first official for the Duchess of Cornwall. Before coming to Prague, Prince Charles and his wife had also visited Poland and Hungary.
http://www.cne.cc
This photo shows the volcano near the Eyjafjallajoekull glacier, the fifth largest glacier in Iceland, as it begins erupting early Sunday morning March 21, 2010.(Xinhua/AFP Photo) STOCKHOLM, March 21 (Xinhua) — A volcano in Iceland\’s southern area of the Eyjafjallajokull glacier erupted early Sunday, the country\’s civil protection agency said.
The eruption took place shortly after midnight. It is for the first time in almost 200 years that a volcano near Eyjafjallajokull, some 120 km east of Reykjavik, capital of Iceland, has erupt.
Despite no immediate report of danger or human casualties, hundreds of local residents were being evacuated for fear of flooding caused by melting glacier waters, the agency said.
The last eruption of a volcano in the same area occurred in the 1820s.
This photo shows the volcano near the Eyjafjallajoekull glacier, the fifth largest glacier in Iceland, as it begins erupting early Sunday morning March 21, 2010.(Xinhua/AFP Photo)
http://www.gtrip.net
LONDON, March 21 (Xinhua) — British Prime Minister Gordon Brown on Sunday spoke of the clear plan the British government has taken throughout the recession to secure recovery, growth and jobs and said he is confident that \”the economy is returning to health. \”
He said that it is business and private enterprise which are the engines of growth and they need a government confident to take bold decisions investing in national infrastructure.
Brown said: \”We\’ve reached a point in our economic recovery where we need decisions that will determine whether it takes root and we can go for growth- creating jobs and prosperity for all- or whether it withers and dies.\”
\”And it needs a government taking the tough decisions and not being reckless and I want to be clear- we have a plan and we are sticking to it,\” he added.
Brown also said that recovery goes \”hand-in-hand\” with steps to rebuild the public finances and spoke of the ambitious deficit- reduction plan which will reduce borrowing by more than 80 billion pounds (128 billion U.S. dollars).
He said the government\’s plan is driven by fairness with fair tax rises, tough measures on efficiency and public sector pay ensuring funding is protected for front line services like schools, the National Health Service and the police.
Brown said the budget is one of the most important for Britain for many years and throughout the economic recession, both he and Chancellor of the Exchequer Alistair Darling have been focused on the \”tough decisions\” needed to support \”you, your family, your job and your home.\”
The chancellor will deliver his Budget 2010 statement on Wednesday and said the budget would emphasize measures to encourage private sector investment and secure long-term economic growth and that a rise in VAT was \”not on the table.\”
http://www.cne.cc
? ?France\’s President Nicolas Sarkozy leaves the polling booth before casting his ballot at a Paris polling station in the second round of regional elections March 21, 2010. Sarkozy\’s centre-right UMP party is due to face heavy losses in regional elections on Sunday that could affect the pace of reform as manoeuvring begins before the 2012 presidential campaign.(Xinhua/Reuters Photo)
PARIS, March 21 (Xinhua) — Besides a record high abstention, the French ruling central-right party has to endure a near-wipeout in the runoff of the regional election on Sunday as initial results showed that the opposition left-wing took over all but one of 22 regions in metropolitan France.
As the latest polls closed doors at 8:00 p.m., exit polls by the pollster the OpinionWay presented that the opposition Socialist-led left-wing finally took over Corsica, just missing Alsace for a \”grand slam.\”
Corsica and Alsace are the only two strongholds of the ruling UMP-led right-wing in 2004\’s regional election.
In the second round, the left-wing parties have won 54.3 percent of the vote, while the UMP, President Nicolas Sarkozy\’s party, just garnered 36.1 percent.
The far-right National Front won 8.7 percent in the runoff, less than the surprisingly good result of 11.42 percent in the first round, but enough to heal the trauma it suffered from the European election last year, during which less than 6 percent of voters cast for it.
? A young girl offers a flower to France\’s President Nicolas Sarkozy (C) and his wife Carla Bruni-Sarkozy (L) as they leave a Paris polling station after voting in the second round of regional elections March 21, 2010. Sarkozy\’s centre-right UMP party is due to face heavy losses in regional elections on Sunday that could affect the pace of reform as manoeuvring begins before the 2012 presidential campaign.(Xinhua/Reuters Photo)
The Greens party, known as Europe Ecologie, garnered 12.18 percent of votes in the first round, taking the third rank only after the leading Socialist and ruling UMP.
As the emerging political power promoted by last year\’s European election, the Greens has agreed to ally with the Socialist in the second round but aims for a bigger role at the future stage.
Compared with the last regional election six years ago, much more voters preferred staying at home than showing their power to reshape regional councilors.
Latest data presented that the participation rate reached 50.5 percent in the runoff, higher than the historical low of 46 percent in the first round but still well below the record-high 65 percent in the 2004 regional election.
TRIPOLI, March 21 (Xinhua) — Portuguese Prime Minister Jose Socrates arrived on Sunday night in the Libyan capital of Tripoli, the first leg of a North African tour that aims to boost energy ties with the country\’s major oil suppliers.
Besides Libya, Socrates, who is accompanied by a high-level delegation of officials and businessmen, will travel to Algeria, Tunisia and Morocco.
In Tripoli, Socrates will meet with Libyan leader Muammar Gaddafi and General Secretary of the General People\’s Committee al- Baghdadi al-Mahmudi. Talks are expected to explore means of balancing the trade balance between the two sides, which is in favor of Libya, one of Portugal\’s major oil suppliers, by 296.8 million euros.
Portuguese Minister for Economy Jose Vieira da Silva said Socrates\’ meetings will focus on promoting relations in energy, infrastructure, agriculture, and food industries.
Da Silva, who is accompanying the Portuguese premier, said the tour aims to broaden existing economic ties with Algeria and Tunisia, promoting neighborhood ties with Morocco, and bring more Portuguese companies to Libya.
On Monday, Socrates will head to Algeria where he will meet with President Abdelaziz Bouteflika and will take part in a seminar on renewable energy.
Algeria\’s state-owned oil and gas corporation, Sonatrach, and Galp Energia, Portugal\’s leading oil and natural gas company, had an agreement under which 61 percent of Galp\’s natural gas is sourced from Sonatrach in the form of piped natural gas. Algeria is also one of Portugal\’s main oil suppliers.
http://www.minamik.com
MOSCOW, March 22 (Xinhua) — A passenger plane with an eight-member crew on board made an emergency landing at an airport near Moscow on Monday, the Itar-Tass news agency reported.
All eight aboard were hospitalized after the plane, a Tu-204 flying in from Egypt, made the emergency landing at Moscow\’s Domodedovo airport, Itar-Tass said. Two of them were in grave condition.
The Moscow region\’s emergency department said the plane which was making a technical flight from the Red Sea resort town of Hurghada to Moscow landed about 1.5 km away from the runway.
\”The airliner fell down in the woodland belt area, fell apart, but there was no fire or blast aboard the aircraft,\” the department\’s press service said.
The cause behind the emergency landing was being investigated, but bad visibility and engine failure were most likely to blame, said Itar-Tass.
Earlier media reports said the plane crashed.
http://www.chinacourse.com
LONDON, March 31 (Xinhua) — The Mayor of London Boris Johnson unveiled the artist and design chosen to create a tallest tower in the UK on Wednesday, which would act as a spectacular new visitor attraction in the Olympic Park
The stunning artwork, to be entitled \”The Arcelor Mittal Orbit\”, will ensure the Olympic Park remains an unrivaled visitor destination following the 2012 Games, providing the key Olympic legacy Mayor of London Boris Johnson envisioned for the East End.
Boris Johnson said, \”long after the Games over our aim is to have a stunning spectacle in east London that will be recognized around the world. I\’m thrilled that when visitors from every corner of the globe plan trips to our must see attractions they will now eagerly include the Arcelor Mittal Orbit.\”
Standing at the tower, it will offer unparalleled views of the entire 250 acres of the Olympic Park and London\’s skyline from a special viewing platform. Visitors will be able to take a trip up the statuesque structure in a huge lift and will have the option of walking down the spiraling staircase.
The dark red 115-meter tower was designed by Turner Prize- winning artist Anish Kapoor. Anish Kapoor said, \”I am deeply honored to be invited to undertake this challenging commission. I am particularly attracted to it because of the opportunity to involve members of the public in a particularly close and personal way. It is the commission of a lifetime.\”
The 19.1 million pound cost tower will stand in the southern part of the Olympic Park between the Stadium and Aquatics Center and will open in time for the 2012 Games.
After completion, the Olympic Park Legacy Company will take ownership and run the visitor attraction.
http://www.gtrip.net
