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WORLD NEWSFriday 12 February 2016

French government reshuffle makes Ayrault new FM

SYLVIE CORBET office. bers are joining the govern- counts 18 ministers and 20 for his experience and
Fabius, who helped clinch ment as well in an appar- junior ministers in addition knowledge of international
Associated Press a landmark climate ac- ent effort to quell tensions to Prime Minister Manuel issues.
cord in Paris last year and within Hollande’s camp Valls and as many women Ayrault was Hollande’s first
PARIS (AP) — Former Prime played a prominent role in ahead of next year’s presi- as men. prime minister from 2012 to
negotiations on a nuclear dential election. “This is a government that 2014.
Minister Jean-Marc Ayrault, accord with Iran, Other leading ministerial must act, that must reform, He is generally considered
is going to become chief of positions are unchanged, that must move forward,” a hard worker, discreet
a low-key veteran of the the Constitutional Council, including Defense Min- Hollande told the TF1 and and even shy. He is a for-
France’s top court which ister Jean-Yves Le Drian, France 2 TV channels, refus- mer teacher of German,
Socialist Party much ac- makes sure that legislation Finance Minister Michel ing to say if he will stand for a skill considered a key
complies with the constitu- Sapin and Economy Minis- re-election next year. “We advantage in conducting
quainted with German cul- tion. ter Emmanuel Macron. The must have results.” French-German diplomatic
A few green party mem- French government now He said he chose Ayrault relations.q
ture, will become France’s

new foreign minister.

Ayrault, 66, replaces Lau-

rent Fabius in a government

reshuffling announced

Thursday by French Presi-

dent Francois Hollande’s

NATO orders warships into Aegean to help ease migrant crisis

U.S. Secretary of Defense Ash Carter speaks during a media conference at NATO headquarters in migrants. many and Greece — for
Brussels on Thursday, Feb. 11, 2016. NATO defense ministers met for a second day on Thursday to The arrival of more than a alliance participation in an
discuss Turkey’s request to help deal with Europe’s ongoing migrant crisis and the current situation million people in Europe international effort target-
in Iraq and Syria. in 2015 — mostly Syrians, ing the smugglers.
Iraqis and Afghans — has “This is not about stop-
(AP Photo/Virginia Mayo) plunged the 28-nation Eu- ping or pushing back refu-
ropean Union into what gee boats,” Stoltenberg
JOHN DAHLBURG lum-seekers across the wa- General Jens Stoltenberg. some see as the most seri- stressed at a news confer-
Associated Press ters from Turkey to Greece. Yet even after the ships ous crisis in its history. ence. “NATO will contrib-
BRUSSELS (AP) — In a dra- “This is about helping were told to get under- Despite winter weather, ute critical information and
matic response to Europe’s Greece, Turkey and the way, NATO officials ac- the onslaught of refugees surveillance to help coun-
gravest refugee crisis since European Union with stem- knowledged uncertainties crossing the Aegean has ter human trafficking and
World War II, NATO ordered ming the flow of migrants about the precise actions not let up. The International criminal networks.”
three warships to sail imme- and refugees and coping they would be performing Organization for Migration In a related effort, the mili-
diately Thursday to the Ae- with a very demanding — including whether they said this week that 76,000 tary alliance will also step
gean Sea to help end the situation ... a human trag- would take part in opera- people — nearly 2,000 per up its intelligence, surveil-
deadly smuggling of asy- edy,” said NATO Secretary- tions to rescue drowning day — have reached Eu- lance and reconnaissance
rope by sea this year and activities on the Turkish-
409 of them have died try- Syrian border, Stoltenberg
ing, most drowning in the said. The vessels of NATO
cold, rough waters. Standing Maritime Group 2
The number of arrivals in “will start to move now” on
the first six weeks of 2016 is orders from U.S. Air Force
nearly 10 times as many as Gen. Philip Breedlove,
the same period last year. NATO’s top commander in
Most come from Turkey to Europe, Stoltenberg said.
Greece and then try to Breedlove said the ships
head north through the should be at their Aege-
Balkans to the EU’s more an destinations by Friday.
prosperous countries such NATO’s website says the
as Germany and Sweden. flotilla is composed of a
The decision Thursday by German navy flagship, the
NATO defense ministers in Bonn, and two other ships,
Brussels came in response the Barbaros from Turkey
to a joint request by three and the Fredericton from
members — Turkey, Ger- Canada.q

Portugal’s fellow euro states keep wary eye on its budget

RAF CASERT the European Commission, tive Commission cleared markets rose, a sign inves- 3 percent of GDP. Portu-
Associated Press German Finance Minis- Portugal’s budget, which tors are somewhat more gal’s new budget is ex-
BRUSSELS (AP) — Portugal’s ter Wolfgang Schaeuble aims to undo the previous worried about its state fi- pected to achieve a defi-
fellow states in the 19-na- said Thursday that straying government’s cuts and nances. The 10-year bond cit of 3.4 percent this year,
tion eurozone are keeping from the path of fiscal rigor privatizations, but only after rate rose 0.38 percentage according to the Commis-
a wary eye on its new gov- “would be very dangerous extracting a promise for al- points to 3.9 percent, by far sion’s estimates.
ernment’s plans to roll back for Portugal.” most $1 billion in additional the biggest rise in the euro- The EU Commission has in-
budget austerity measures, Jeroen Dijsselbloem, chair- savings. zone. sisted that budgetary rigor
with the bloc’s top execu- man of eurozone group Schaeuble said it’s a Dijsselbloem said the rise in is needed to keep econo-
tive and Germany both of finance ministers, said bad time to make dras- interest rates is another rea- mies healthy and make
warning the country not to Portugal “needs to stand tic changes in the budget son “to be committed to sure nations are not bur-
miss deficit targets. ready if necessary to do since “the markets are al- the economic policy of the dened by excessive debt,
Although Portugal has re- more to stay within the ready nervous.” monetary union.” which helped cause finan-
ceived conditional ap- pact.” On Thursday, Portugal’s Eurozone states are meant cial crises in several coun-
proval for its budget from Last week, the EU’s execu- borrowing rates in bond to keep their deficits under tries, notably Greece. q