previously dominated Greek politics for decades, saw their combined share of the vote drop from about 77% to about 33% on 6 May. On Tuesday, Greece said it would make a “timely payment” on 435 million Euros’ worth of debt due on 15 May. …
…aking part in the unrest, said she objected to “the decisions taken at European meetings where Merkel manipulates the participants”. “I have a doctorate and I make 900 euros a month, 400 less than before. We have children that go hungry and most of the parents are unemployed,” she told AFP news agency. Vana Koronaiou, a shop owner selling German-made handbags near Syntagma…
Greek main parties have suffered dramatic losses in the parliamentary election, according to exit polls. The latest polls put centre-right New Democracy in the lead with 19-20.5% of the vote, down from 33.5% in 2009. Centre-left Pasok is put in third place with 13-14%, down from 43.9%. Syriza, a left-wing coalition, is put ahead of it in second place with 15.5-17%. Pasok and New Democracy, in coa…
hing that caused the addiction is gone – it’s as if there has been a tobacco blight, and the tobacco is gone,” he says. “My wife is happy to have me back more full-time.” 4. All the news is about this cliff thing Lots of things get put on ice during election season, but this one will have to come out of the freezer soon. The “fiscal cliff” refers to a dead…
…ently receiving the second of two bailouts. Last week, Greece started to receive the latest tranche of the bailout funds from the European Union and International Monetary Fund. They agreed to release 49.1 billion euros ($57 billion) after continuing austerity work by Greece, and a buyback of some of its debt. A total of 240 billion euros has been earmarked for Greece from the two bailout loans. S…
…re banned in the two weeks before the election. Tough austerity measures were attached to the two international bailouts awarded to Greece, an initial package worth 110 billion Euros ($138 billion) in 2010, then a follow-up last year worth 130 billion Euros. While five of the seven main political groups reject the last bailout, only one – the Communists – wants the country to abandon t…
…no presidential election ever being postponed, some are pointing to past precedents where voting has been delayed. New York City was holding its mayoral primary when terrorists struck on September 11, 2001, and the city rescheduled the election. After Hurricane Katrina in 2005, Louisiana’s governor postponed municipal elections in New Orleans after elections officials said polling places wou…
…weeks, called after a 6 May vote proved inconclusive. On that occasion, each of the main parties tried but failed to form a coalition government. New Democracy is thought to have polled between 28 and 30% of votes, with 27-28% for Syriza, one exit poll carried out jointly by five polling companies for the main TV channels showed. An earlier version of the poll only 80% complete had the two parties…
pen question but the Romney campaign thinks so. “What’s going on here is when you have intensity and momentum,” said the Romney adviser. “You ask voters who they’re voting for and they say 48, 47 points Obama. And then you look at the people who are eight, nine,10 on the intensity scale, Republicans have a high single digits to low double digits advantage. “That’s what you see in…
coalition came to power in June. The savings are a pre-condition to Greece receiving its next tranche of bailout funds, without which the country could face bankruptcy in weeks. Greece needs the next 31 billion-euro installment of its international bailout, but with record unemployment and a third of Greeks pushed below the poverty line, there is strong resistance to further cuts. Police have fi…
Eurozone finance ministers and the IMF have agreed on a deal on emergency bailout for debt-laden Greece. They have agreed to cut debts by 40 billion euros ($51 billion) and have paved the way for releasing the next tranche of bailout loans – some 44 billion euros. Greek Prime Minister Antonis Samaras welcomed the deal, saying “a new day begins for all Greeks”, but it was condemn…
ity demonstrations are also planned. Greek trade unions have begun the first general strike since the country’s conservative-led coalition government came to power in June Greece needs the next 31 billion-euro installment of its international bailout, but with record unemployment and a third of Greeks pushed below the poverty line, there is strong resistance to further cuts. The government…
ed them with petrol bombs and flares. Protests also took place in other big cities across Greece. The Greek unions were staging what they described as the “mother of all strikes” – a 48-hour walkout which culminated on Wednesday. The third major strike in just two months brought public transport to a halt and shut schools, banks and government buildings. Measures in austerity pac…
ose in education. According to Greece’s statistics agency the total unemployment rate rose from 24.8% in June. In July 2008, a year before Greece’s financial crisis broke, there were about 364,000 registered unemployed. “This is a very dramatic result of the recession,” said Angelos Tsakanikas, head of research at Greece’s IOBE economic research foundation. He did not…
. On Friday, Ahmed Shafiq promised to “address chaos and return stability”. He came second in last month’s first round, in which turnout among the 52 million eligible voters was only 46%. Official results gave Mohammed Mursi 24.8% and Ahmed Shafiq 23.7%. Polling stations are due to open on Saturday and Sunday at 08:00 and close at 19:00, but voting is likely to be extended on bot…
…onally, Sunday’s election will not change the balance of power, whatever the outcome. But opposition leaders warned it could send an important signal ahead of national elections expected in late 2013. …
mpossible to carry out. It has, however, agreed to carry out a partial audit, which is expected to take until June. During the audit, 56% of the votes cast will be examined. The CNE says the remaining 44% had been checked immediately after the election. On Monday, Henrique Capriles said Nicolas Maduro had “illegitimately stolen the presidency”. He has until May 6 to lodge his request w…
Representatives from the troika of international lenders arrive in Greece on Tuesday to assess its progress towards reducing its huge debts. They must decide whether Greece is eligible to receive 31.5 billion Euros – the last tranche of a 130 billion Euro ($158 billion) aid package agreed in March. Athens is behind in its plans to cut spending and debt because its economy is shrinking faste…
…years. It is also being asked to put in place economic and structural reforms, including changes to the labor market and a renewed privatization drive. The measures are needed to qualify for the next 33.5 billion-euro installment of its second 130bn-euro bailout. Angela Merkel and Francois Hollande are set to hold talks in Berlin on whether to give Greece more time to make the cuts required by i…
Greece is braced for a 48-hour general strike across public and private sectors in protest at a proposed new wave of spending cuts. Protest marches – which regularly end in running battles with police – are planned for the centre of Athens. The action coincides with a debate in parliament on the austerity measures, with a vote by MPs due on Wednesday. Greece must back the measures, an…
one, raised the pressure on Greece, calling on the government to demonstrate it could implement planned reforms “by 18 October at the latest” to qualify for the next bailout installment of 31.5 billion euros. He was speaking as the eurozone’s new permanent fund to bail out struggling economies and banks was formally launched at the finance ministers’ meeting. There has been…
ter a particularly brutish campaign for a US Senate seat, 2.25% of voters chose “None” rather than pick incumbent Democrat Harry Reid or Republican challenger Sharon Angle. Harry Reid won. 4. Thumb jab Featured in the three presidential debates were Mitt Romney, Barack Obama and… Obama’s thumb. At the debates, the president frequently jabbed his hand, with his thumb resting…
…s perceived flip-flopping on the issue have also affected his popularity. Latest figures indicate that the LDP will win a clear majority, together with its traditional ally, the New Komeito Party. All 480 lower house seats are up for grabs in the election. Polls opened at 07:00 and are due to close at 20:00. Japan election: Key parties Democratic Party of Japan, in power since 2009 but seen as in…
aid in recent days he had decided that Barack Obama was the best candidate to tackle climate change, which the mayor cited as a contributory factor to the violent storm that took the lives of at least 38 New Yorkers and brought carnage costing billions of dollars. “The devastation that Hurricane Sandy brought to New York City and much of the Northeast – in lost lives, lost homes and lost bus…
. My involvement in the life of my country will now be different.” During the campaign, he had said he would leave politics if he lost the election. Nicolas Sarkozy, who has been in office since 2007, had promised to reduce France’s large budget deficit through spending cuts. He becomes the latest European leader to be voted out of office amid widespread voter anger at austerity measur…
Venezuela's toilet paper shortage ended after National Assembly backs importVenezuela's National Assembly has backed the country’s plans to import 39 million rolls of toilet paper, in an effort to relieve a chronic shortage. Lawmakers voted to…
Efrain Rios Montt genocide and crimes against humanity conviction overturnedEfrain Rios Montt, Guatemala's former military leader, has had his conviction for genocide and crimes against humanity overturned. The constitutional court said the trial…
Brazilian husband caught cheating wife as lover escapes from windowA video has surfaced from Brazil depicting the hilarious struggle of a man attempting to escape a cheating woman’s bedroom after her husband has come home. And it’s out…
Alberto Fujimori: Peru jailed ex-president's health worseningA senior doctor treating Peru's ex-President Alberto Fujimori has said that the jailed former leader has severe and worsening health problems. Dr. Alejandro Aguinaga said…
Jorge Rafael Videla: Argentina’s former military leader dies in prison aged 87General Jorge Rafael Videla, Argentina’s former military leader, has died aged 87 while serving a life sentence for crimes against humanity. Jorge Rafael Videla is…
Efrain Rios Montt sentenced to 80 years in jail over genocide and crimes against humanity in GuatemalaGuatemala’s former military leader Efrain Rios Montt has been found guilty of genocide and crimes against humanity and a three-judge tribunal sentenced him to 80 years in…
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