Wer die Situation in Portugal vor den jetzt anstehenden Streichungen und Kürzungen kennt, kann sich nicht einmal vorstellen, wie es in dem südwesteuropäischen Land weitergehen könnte, wenn man einen Bürgerkrieg lieber nicht als Alternative in Betracht ziehen möchte.

Almost three years after Greece narrowly avoided bankruptcy with its first bailout from the EU and IMF, the country‘s relations with its international creditors have taken an unexpected turn for the wors

The troika is also concerned about the size of the new lender that will be created when National Bank and Eurobank merge and are sceptical about the deal. The Greek side is adamant that the merger should go ahead. The troika also wants to see what plans Greece has for Hellenic Postbank and Proton Bank, which were recently split into “good” and “bad” banks.

The newspaper To Vima reported that the frustrated Stournaras, who has been the point man in tough and long negotiations with envoys from the Troika of the European Union-International Monetary Fund-European Central Bank (EU-IMF-ECB) said if they didn’t like dealing with him they could wind up talking to Alexis Tsipras, head of the major opposition party Coalition of the Radical Left (SYRIZA) who vehemently opposed austerity measures attached to $325 billion in two bailouts to save the Greek economy.

Former military ruler has nomination papers accepted in Chitral, after rejections in two other constituencies.

A day after former president Nelson Mandela was released from hospital, South Africans are happy to see the anti-apartheid leader back home.

The Pentagon has delayed an intercontinental ballistic missile test due to take place in California next week amid soaring nuclear tensions with North Korea, an official said.

Von John Vandiver
STARS AND STRIPES

Ein Rückzug aus Europa hätte zwar strategische Folgen für die US-Streitkräfte, deren Kommandeure diese Region als Sprungbrett und Drehscheibe für Krisenreaktionseinsätze in Afrika und im Mittleren Osten ansehen; einige Experten sind aber der Meinung, die Europäer könnten dort auch sehr gut selbst eingreifen, wenn die US-Truppen in Europa noch weiter reduziert würden.

A spokesman for the German government made clear that, while Berlin would back treaty changes if deemed necessary, it felt it would be better to avoid such an inevitably lengthy process.

„If these steps cannot be realised without a treaty change, we‘ll go for it.“

The Prime Minister‘s strategy is based on the premise that Angela Merkel will agree to a new treaty.

Cameron’s strategy is based on a false premise. The mood has changed in Berlin. Recent meetings there with government officials and politicians have convinced me that Germany will not push for the kind of treaty that Cameron wants, at least not in time for his 2017 deadline.

Perhaps the greatest calamity of the conservative counter-revolution has been the energy it invested in arguing that virtue, whatever its private importance, has no public value. The paradox, the new conservatives claim, is only through the pursuit of self-interest can the economy and society work best. Responsibilities to the commonweal are to be avoided.