Germany backs revamped euro bailout fund
Merkel pushes through rescue package in step towards tackling the eurozone's sprawling debt crisis
Angela Merkel has successfully corralled her government into voting for the revamped euro bailout fund, asserting her authority as chancellor by pushing through the bill without needing to rely on opposition help.
Of 611 MPs present in a highly-charged sitting at the Bundestag on Thursday morning, 523 voted in favour of expanding the powers of the European Financial Stability Facility (EFSF).
Under the plan, the EFSF will be enlarged to €440bn (£382bn). It will also be given the ability to give "precautionary loans" to struggling European countries, buy EU government debt, and provide funding to shore up the capital reserves of European banks.
Syria slips towards civil war as sanctions bid fails
UN resolution diluted after veto threat from China and
Russia
Fears are mounting that Syria may be on the verge of civil war as reports emerged yesterday that hundreds of army deserters were battling Bashar al-Assad's forces in the first major confrontation against the regime.
Click HERE to view graphic (135k jpg)
With an intensification of violence looking increasingly likely, Britain and its EU allies have been forced to drop calls for immediate UN sanctions against Syria after major powers failed to agree upon a suitable course of action.
She's Gonna Blow
Canary Island Evacuated Amid Volcano Fears
Thousands of tiny earthquakes have rattled the island of El Hierro since this July. But recently the tremors have grown stronger, prompting concern from officials, who fear that a volcano on El Hierro, one of the Canary Islands, could be about to erupt.
Some 8,000 tremors have been registered on the island since July 19, according to the Spanish National Geographic Institute (IGN).
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By Larry Jagan
BANGKOK - An emerging rapprochement between Myanmar President Thein Sein and opposition leader Aung San Suu Kyi has set a new tone over the country's historically military dominated political landscape. The two met on August 19 and details now emerging from that closed-door encounter indicate that major concessions could be in the cards in the weeks ahead.
Suu Kyi, a Nobel Peace Prize laureate who has spent 15 of the last 21 years under house arrest, recently told a small group of supporters outside of her National League for Democracy (NLD) party headquarters she believes there is an "opportunity for change". She has met and made public appearances with top government officials and insiders say that more meetings are imminent, perhaps as early as next week.
Suu Kyi, a Nobel Peace Prize laureate who has spent 15 of the last 21 years under house arrest, recently told a small group of supporters outside of her National League for Democracy (NLD) party headquarters she believes there is an "opportunity for change". She has met and made public appearances with top government officials and insiders say that more meetings are imminent, perhaps as early as next week.
Zimbabwe to introduce cash transfer scheme
Sep 29 201
The money will come from the Zimbabwean government and donors, including the United Kingdom, the European Commission and the UN children's agency, Unicef. About $45-million of the money for a child protection fund has been raised from donors, leaving a $30-million shortfall that will need to be covered before full national coverage can be ensured.
The scheme is part of a national action plan for orphans and vulnerable children that involves education assistance, child protection and cash transfers to the poorest families.
The scheme is part of a national action plan for orphans and vulnerable children that involves education assistance, child protection and cash transfers to the poorest families.
Mexico drug war: Zetas' biggest rival may be social networks
The Mexican border town of Nuevo Laredo has seen three brutal killings in an apparent campaign by the Zetas cartel against social media websites. What is it about these sites that makes the Zetas so angry?
The first two victims were found hanging from a bridge on September 13, with signs warning that “this will happen to all Internet snitches,” and naming the websites Frontera al Rojo Vivo, Blog del Narco, and Denuncia Ciudadano. One of the signs was marked Z, for the Zetas.
Less than two weeks later, the head and decapitated body of a woman were left close to another busy road in the city, with a message addressed to Nuevo Laredo en Vivo (NLV) “and social media sites,” saying “this happened to me because of my reports, and yours.” It was signed with the nickname that she used online -- “La Nena de Laredo” (the girl from Laredo), followed by “ZZZ.”
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