Κορίτσι με Authority..τρομάρα της....[ 728 ]

ΠΟΛΥ ΜΙΚΡΗ ΓΙΑ ΤΗ ΘΕΣΗ

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δηλ.:

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You have been banned for the following reason:
10 μερες μηπως και συμμορφωθεις

Date the ban will be lifted: 26-03-10, 20:00

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EU-Greece, possibility for aid.... [ 727 ]

EU to discuss Greek aid, no firm figures seen

Pete Harrison

BRUSSELS

Mon Mar 15, 2010 6:00am EDT

Greek bailout tops EU finance ministers' agenda

Sanitary workers protest outside Greece's General Accountants office against government austerity measures in central Athens March 10, 2010.

Credit: Reuters/Yiorgos Karahalis

BRUSSELS (Reuters) - Euro zone finance ministers are expected to agree a way of providing Greece with financial aid to tackle its debts on Monday, but France warned not to expect any hard figures and there remained barriers to a deal.

The 16 countries that use the euro single currency have provided strong verbal and political support to Greece since its debt and deficit problems exploded three months ago, but have not agreed on the need for a package of financial aid.

Germany, Europe's biggest economy and the country that would be the linchpin of any financial support, is reluctant to bail out Greece, saying the country's priority must be to get its own finances in order and make deep structural adjustments.

The 16 finance ministers are scheduled to gather in Brussels for the meeting from around 1700 (11:00 a.m. ET).

Greece this month unveiled a new set of austerity measures, including cutting public sector pay and raising taxes, and a poll on Sunday showed most Greeks saw that as a step in the right direction, despite the street protests they have provoked.

But in order to further insulate Greece against financial market pressures and the threat of default, which have dented the value of the euro, finance ministers are expected to assess the possibility of providing Greece with financial support.

A senior EU source told Reuters at the weekend that among the means under consideration were bilateral loans and loan guarantees, although no value has been put on the support.

Under EU rules, neither the bloc as a whole nor individual member states can assume the debts of other countries, but loan guarantees would circumvent those restrictions.

French Economy Minister Christine Lagarde said she did not expect any figure for aid to be announced at Monday's monthly meeting of the Eurogroup finance ministers in Brussels.

"I'm certainly not expecting any decision being made, or any button being pressed, or any button being selected to be pressed, because it's totally premature," she told reporters.

Despite that, she said Greece had "delivered enormously" with its austerity steps which include promised spending cuts equal to 2 percent of gross domestic product.

Germany, whose banks are among the largest owners of Greek sovereign debt, said Athens was taking the right steps to deal with the crisis and said no deal on financial aid was needed.

"The Greek government deserves great respect for its savings efforts," Finance Minister Wolfgang Schaeuble told the German newspaper Bild. "But there are no new factors. Therefore, there is no reason to take decisions on financial aid on Monday."

On Saturday, Britain's Guardian newspaper quoted sources as saying Monday's meeting would agree to make up to 25 billion euros of support available.

NO SPECIFIC NUMBERS

The senior EU source told Reuters no figures were likely at this stage and played down the focus on specifics.

"I think we should be able to agree on principles of a euro area facility for coordinated assistance. The (executive) European Commission and the Eurogroup task force would have the mandate to finalize the work," the source said.

He said they would discuss the principles and parameters of a facility or mechanism that could be activated if needed and requested, but no figure had been agreed.

"You would have a framework mechanism and you would have blank spaces for the numbers because there has been no request (from Greece) yet," the source said.

Greece hopes to reduce its budget deficit this year to 8.7 percent of GDP from 12.7 percent in 2009, a plan that has led to protests and strikes.

But just over half the 1,008 people surveyed for the Greek newspaper Ethnows said last week's 4.8 billion euro ($6.6 billion) package went in "the right direction," while 41.9 said it did not. Many said unions should tone down their opposition.

The austerity plan has reduced market concern over whether Greece will be able to service its debt and helped Athens sell its bonds with ease on debt markets earlier this month.

But policymakers are still searching for ways of making its cost of borrowing -- still far above that of other European and eurozone countries -- more sustainable.

They are also concerned that the problems in Greece could further undermine confidence in the euro and spread to other heavily indebted euro zone countries such as Portugal or Spain.

Discussing reforms needed to shore up the group's rules, Schaeuble reiterated that it should eventually be made possible, in extreme cases, for a state to leave the euro zone if it fails to manage its finances.

"We need tighter rules," he said. "That means in an extreme case, the possibility that a country that does not get its finances in order at all leaves the euro group. Such a prospect alone would ensure a totally different kind of discipline."

(Editing by Patrick Graham)

Crisis between USA & Istael ..[ 726 ]

Ties between Israel and US 'worst in 35 years'

Michael Oren made the remark to Israeli diplomats BBC,last updated at 10:55 GMT, Monday, 15 March 2010 Israel's ambassador to the US has said that relations between the two countries face their worst crisis for 35 years, the Israeli media reported. Last week Israeli officials announced the building of 1,600 new homes in occupied East Jerusalem while US Vice-President Joe Biden was visiting. Since the announcement, Palestinian leaders have said that indirect talks with Israel are now "doubtful". Previously the Israeli government had played down the strain in relations. But the Ambassador to the US, Michael Oren, told a conference call with Israeli consuls general in the US that "the crisis was very serious and we are facing a very difficult period in relations", the Israeli media reported on Monday. Israel's ties with the US are in the most serious crisis since 1975 Michael Oren Quoted on Ynet News On Friday Mr Oren was summoned to the State Department and was reprimanded about the affair, Ynet reported. The Israeli Ynet News website quoted the ambassador as saying "Israel's ties with the US are in the most serious crisis since 1975". The Haaretz newspaper said the quote had been reported to them by four of the Israeli consuls general following the conference call on Saturday. Mr Oren had appeared "tense and pessimistic", the consuls general told the newspaper. They were instructed to lobby members of congress and Jewish community leaders and tell them Israel had not intended to cause offence. "These instructions come from the highest level in Jerusalem," Haaretz quoted Mr Oren as saying. The Israeli embassy in Washington has not yet commented publicly on the story. In 1975, US-Israeli relations were strained by a demand from then US Secretary of State Henry Kissinger that Israel's Prime Minister Yitzhak Rabin partially withdraw its troops from the Sinai Peninsula, where they had been since the 1967 Six-Day War. 'Insult' On Sunday a top aide to US President Barack Obama said Israel's announcement of plans to build 1,600 homes for Jews in East Jerusalem was "destructive" to peace efforts. David Axelrod says Israel's move 'calculated' - courtesy ABC news/This Week David Axelrod said the move, which overshadowed Mr Biden's visit to Israel, was also an "insult" to the United States. Just hours before the announcement Mr Biden had emphasised how close relations were, saying there was "no space" between Israel and the US. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has tried to play down the unusually bitter diplomatic row between the two allies. He said the announcement was a "bureaucratic mix-up" and that he "deeply regretted" the timing of the announcement. Under the Israeli plans, the new homes will be built in Ramat Shlomo in East Jerusalem. The Palestinians are threatening to boycott newly agreed, indirect talks unless the Ramat Shlomo project is cancelled. Close to 500,000 Jews live in more than 100 settlements built since Israel's 1967 occupation of the West Bank and East Jerusalem. The settlements are considered illegal under international law, although Israel disputes this. POINTS OF TENSION IN JERUSALEM 1 Gilo: 850 homes approved for publication and planning objections in Nov 2009 2 Pisgat Zeev: 600 homes approved for publication and planning objections in Jan 2010 3 Sheikh Jarrah: Several Palestinian families evicted in past 18 months to make way for Jewish settlers after court ruled in ownership dispute 4 Ramat Shlomo: 1,600 homes approved for publication and planning objections in Mar 2010 5 Silwan: Demolition orders on 88 Palestinian homes built without difficult-to-get permits - Israel planning controversial renewal project 6. West Bank barrier: Making Palestinian movement between West Bank and Jerusalem harder - Israel says it's for security

Cape Canaveral: launch vehicle lifts off....[ 725 ]

GOES-P Mission

3-2-1 and Liftoff of GOES-P!
The Delta IV carrying GOES-P lifted off at 6:57 p.m. EST from Launch Complex 37B at Cape Canaveral Air Force Station in Florida.

After reaching orbit, GOES-P will become GOES-15. The satellite will be used to monitor and predict weather, measure ocean temperatures, perform climate studies, and detect hazards with its emergency beacon support and Search and Rescue Transponder.

GOES-P was built by Boeing for NASA and the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, or NOAA.


Image above: A Delta IV launch vehicle lifts off carrying GOES-P into orbit. Image credit: NASA/Kenny Allen

Geostationary Operational Environmental Satellite-P, or GOES-P, is the latest in a series of meteorological satellites designed to watch for storm development and weather conditions on Earth. From its location in Earth orbit, GOES-P's state-of-the-art instrumentation will supply data used in weather monitoring, forecasting and warnings. It also will detect ocean and land temperatures, monitor space weather, relay communications and provide search-and-rescue support.

Portugal,,the same trouble as Greece, [ 724 ]

Portugal passes austerity budget

The government's tough budget went unopposed by other parties BBC,23:22 GMT, Friday, 12 March 2010, Portugal's parliament has approved an austerity budget aimed at cutting its deficit to the level permitted for countries using the euro currency. The government hopes that by reducing the country's debt it will also restore investor confidence. Prime Minister Jose Socrates described the vote as a political victory for the country. But trade unions have threatened to strike over plans for a public sector wage freeze and pension cuts. There have been concerns that Portugal could run into the same trouble as Greece, where an enormous budget deficit has unsettled financial markets. "This is the budget the country needs," Mr Socrates said after the vote. The minority socialist government has portrayed this year's budget - and a medium-term austerity programme yet to be submitted to parliament - as key to restoring Portugal's credibility with investors. The budget foresees a cut in Portugal's public deficit by one basis point to 8.3% in 2010. The government says it wants to return to below the EU-mandated threshold of 3% by 2013. Although the socialists lack an outright majority, the outcome of Friday's vote was not in doubt after two right-of-centre parties said they would abstain because of the huge challenges facing the country.