Budget

Eurozone leaders meet “conclude talks on Greece,” EU summit cancelled
A summit of all EU leaders scheduled for Sunday has been cancelled with eurozone leaders only meeting to "conclude talks on Greece" On Saturday, a meeting of Eurogroup finance ministers was adjourned without reaching any conclusion. Early on Sunday, Donald Tusk, the president of the European Council, tweeted that the eurozone leaders’ meeting will start at 14:00 GMT. [...]
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Greek banks to go bankrupt Monday if no debt deal – FT
As cash withdrawals from Greek banks reach €100 million a day the country’s banking system will end up bankrupt on Monday if no deal with creditors is reached over the weekend, some senior bank executives told the Financial Times (FT) on Friday. Cash withdrawals are at a high rate despite capital controls imposed by the Greek government. [...]
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“Our dignity is no game”: Greece not “visitor”, does not need EU permission for referendum – PM
As an equal member of the EU, Greece does not need to ask permissions from anyone to let the Greek people speak and have their voices heard, PM Tsipras told his parliament, promising that the state's sovereignty and future will be decided via referendum. Referendums have been used all across Europe as a way for people to directly express their will and have their voices heard, and Greece is ful [...]
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“Impeach Poroshenko!” Massive anti-govt rally held in central Kiev
A massive march took place in the streets of Kiev to protest against the policies of the current Ukrainian government, calling for its resignation and economic reforms. According to TASS news agency, up to 3,000 people took to the streets in Kiev on Saturday to protest against lack of reform and economic instability. [...]
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“If Syriza goes back on its promises to end austerity, its finished”
A fundamental problem for Greece is that at the end of the day it wants to be in Europe but doesn’t want to have austerity policies, Mark Blyth, professor of political economy at Brown University, told RT’s “In the Now.” Greece has delayed its IMF debt payment until the end of June. [...]
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Russia unimpressed with NATO’s “We are the War” performance
Let's consider for a moment what the response would be from Washington if Russia announced the start of international war games near American borders. Impossible you say? Yet that is almost exactly what the Pentagon has announced near Russia. “The Russian Ministry of Defense has announced that over 350 Russian soldiers and 80 armored vehicles with Air Force cover will begin a 300-mile march a [...]
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Finland: Exhibiting strain of northern independence
Finland has struck a blow for genuine exceptionalism in Europe. Anti-NATO parties dominated polls while Euroskeptic cred was championed not only by the longstanding anti-EU party, but also, uniquely within the eurozone, by the Social Democratic party. Depending on your perspective, Finland may conjure recollections anywhere from Sibelius’ exquisitely lyrical Karelia Suite to the speedy monosy [...]
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US acts in Ukraine as if it is its 51st state
Washington has been implementing its policy in Ukraine like it is part of the US even it is half way around the world, Richard Becker from the anti-war Answer coalition told RT. The Minsk agreements demand that both sides stop fighting and withdraw heavy weapons. But the US State Department suggested that supplying weapons to Kiev doesn't violate the spirit of the agreements.   [...]
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Ukraine in “full-blown financial crisis” – National Bank head
Ukraine's GDP shrank by 7.5 percent from January till November 2014, as foreign exchange reserves fell to their lowest level since 2009, and inflation jumped to 21 percent by November, admits the head of the Ukraine's National Bank, Valeriya Gontareva. The country’s foreign exchange reserves shrank to $9.9 billion, as Kiev gave Naftogaz an estimated $8.6 billion to buy gas and settle state gu [...]
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Saudi Arabia braces for $39bn deficit to cut wages due to low oil prices
The number one crude oil exporter, Saudi Arabia, has projected a $39 billion deficit in 2015. The impact of lower oil prices, along with the decision not to cut production, is putting pressure on the country’s finances. The figure was part of the endorsed 2015 budget, which was made public in a statement read out on state-run television on Thursday. [...]
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Euromaidan 1st birthday: How the Kiev coup grew (Op-Edge)
It's been a year since thousands of peaceful protesters took part in the initial Euromaidan rallies in Kiev, hoping for a brighter future. Since that optimistic start, the state has been torn to shreds and now its very future is in doubt. Ironically, Maidan was the cause, although it's probable that, eventually, Ukraine would have come to conflict by other means. [...]
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“EU may become an increasingly declining part of the world”
The eurozone has huge problems and is holding back the global economy from growing, however the world in general is doing ok, Jim O'Neill, former chairman of Goldman Sachs Asset Management, told RT. Europe's had a hard time economically in the last few years, with 2014 seeing an especially sharp slowdown in growth. What's behind this poor performance? [...]
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House of Perks: MPs claim record £103mn in expenses
MPs’ staff, travel and accommodation costs reached £103 million last year, up from £99 million the previous year and £95 million in 2009 – the peak of the parliamentary expenses scandal. More than £80 million was spent on staff salaries and £11 million on office costs. The bill for accommodation, covering hotels, rented homes and utility bills, was £6.9 million, while £4.5 mill [...]
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Nuclear costs Britain a bomb? Cleanup bill reportedly spikes £6 billion
The cost of decommissioning Britain's nuclear sites, and particularly the Sellafield complex, has increased by billions of pounds with both regulators and the government being accused of incompetence by anti-nuclear campaigners and union leaders. The estimated cost of decommissioning the UK’s nuclear legacy over the next century has rocketed from £63.8 billion ($104.1 billion) two years ago [...]
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Canada opposes NATO budget boost – sources
The NATO chief wants member states to agree to increase their defense spending at next week's summit. But Canada is determined to block the move, Reuters reports, citing anonymous sources familiar with negotiations on the issue. NATO would like to see its member states commit to raising their defense spending to 2 percent of GDP over the next 10 years. In 2013, only four countries - the US, Bri [...]
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US Federal Debt to reach 106% of GDP by 2039
America’s public debt will rise to 106 percent of GDP in the next 25 years, a level seen just once in US history - just after World War II, the US Congressional Budget Office (CBO) warned. US debt has skyrocketed to over $17 trillion, and is now about 74 percent of total gross domestic product, the CBO said on Tuesday. [...]
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Germany’s failed attempts to get its gold back from the US ‘opens question of its sovereignty’
There is neither real criticism from German politicians, nor any visible efforts to return German gold held in the US, so it seems that US controls Germany, economic analyst Michael Mross told RT. In one of its recent reports Bloomberg claimed that Germany decided not to repatriate its gold reserves from the US, instead the Bundesbank issued an official statement that underscores it’s "trust" in [...]
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Obama blasts Republicans, blames GOP for shutdown during White House address
In an address from the White House Rose Garden Tuesday afternoon, President Barack Obama blamed Republican lawmakers for triggering the first government shutdown in nearly two decades. Obama spoke roughly 12 hours after a longstanding budget stalemate on Capitol Hill caused a midnight shutdown, impacting a number of government agencies and initiatives across the board. [...]
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