Page 8 - atoday sept 24
P. 8
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WORLD NEWSThursday 24 September
Divided EU holds emergency summit on migrant crisis New Greek govt.
sworn in, pledges
MIKE CORDER of the arguments and the his way into the meeting. front line of the crisis. Euro- focus on reforms
LORNE COOK chaos we have witnessed His remarks came after four pean officials said the vote
Associated Press in the last weeks.” eastern European nations was binding on all coun- ATHENS, Greece (AP) —
BRUSSELS (AP) — The mi- French President Francois — the Czech Republic, Slo- tries, including those that Greece’s new coalition
grant crisis overwhelm- government formally as-
ing the European Union European Council President Donald Tusk addresses the media as he arrives for an emergency EU sumed its duties Wednes-
tugged at the very fabric of heads of state summit on migration at the EU Council building in Brussels, Wednesday, Sept. 23, day, pledging to enforce
the 28-nation bloc Wednes- 2015. The European Union hopes to provide more funds for refugees and agree short and long creditor-demanded
day with bitter divisions term measures to confront the migration crisis. spending cuts and reforms
casting a shadow over an while softening the pain on
emergency summit aimed (AP Photo/Martin Meissner) an austerity-weary popula-
at staunching the flow of tion.
asylum-seekers. Hollande was more blunt. vakia, Hungary and Roma- voted against it. Labor Minister George Ka-
Leaders meeting in Brussels “Those who don’t share our nia — voted against a plan Slovak Prime Minister Rob- trougalos said the new
were looking at long-term values, those who don’t adopted Tuesday to relo- ert Fico said his country administration elected
ways to tackle “the dra- even want to respect those cate 120,000 asylum-seek- will try to block the deal in Sunday has to focus on
matic situation at our exter- principles, need to start ask- ers to other member states an EU court. the reforms that were a
nal borders and strengthen ing themselves questions over the next two years to “We won’t implement this key condition for the lat-
controls at those borders,” about their place in the Eu- ease the strain on Italy and decision because we think est in a series of interna-
according to a draft text ropean Union,” he said on Greece, which are on the it can’t work,” Fico said.q tional bailouts keeping the
seen by The Associated country afloat. “Until now
Press. the people knew us and
Proposals included deploy- backed us as a force of
ing more personnel to pa- resistance to neoliberalism,
trol EU borders, donating establishment politics and
at least $1.1 billion (1 billion corruption,” he said at a
euros) to international aid swearing-in ceremony for
agencies to help refugees Prime Minister Alexis Tsipras’
in camps near conflict new government. “Now
zones like Syria and boost- we must prove that we are
ing support to Lebanon, also a force for reform.”
Turkey and Jordan to help Tsipras, at 41 Greece’s
them cope with the millions youngest prime minister in
fleeing the fighting in Syria. about 150 years, won re-
European Union President election in the early elec-
Donald Tusk urged divid- tion despite a rebellion in
ed EU nations to set aside his party after his remark-
their differences and work able policy U-turn in the
together to hammer out summer, when he broke
a concrete plan “in place key promises to fight bail-
out-linked austerity and in-
Russia: stead signed a new bailout
with even more tax hikes
New US nukes in Germany would draw response and income cuts.
“It would be naive to say
MOSCOW (AP) — The U.S. to station B61-12 nu- the Life Extension Program. tablish the balance.” that our path will be strewn
Kremlin says Russia will take clear bombs at Buechel Air The National Nuclear Safe- with flowers,” Deputy Prime
countermeasures if the U.S. Base in Germany. ty Administration said in July He didn’t specify what Minister Yiannis Dragas-
places new nuclear weap- ZDF said its information was that the upgrade included sakis said. To secure the
ons at a base in Germany. based on examination of a new tail-kit assembly and those measures might be. 86-billion-euro ($96 billion)
Kremlin spokesman Dmi- U.S. federal budget reports. would improve the bomb’s rescue loans, Greece has
try Peskov’s comments, re- The claim couldn’t immedi- reliability and security. The U.S. military responded committed to further re-
ported Wednesday by Rus- ately be confirmed. Peskov said “unfortunately, duce pension spending,
sian news agencies, came The B61-12 is an upgraded if this step is implemented that the weapons could overhaul the pension and
in response to a report by version of weapons that ... it may disrupt the strate- social security system, dou-
Germany’s ZDF television. have been in the US arse- gic balance in Europe and not be considered as new. ble taxation on farmers,
The report said that prepa- nal for decades, devel- therefore will clearly make open restricted markets
ration is underway by the oped under what is called Russia take corresponding Pentagon spokesman, to competition and push
countermeasures to re-es- ahead with a large privati-
Army Lt. Colonel Joe Sow- zation program. q
ers, said “life-extended
weapons are not ‘new’
weapons. LEPs will not pro-
vide new capabilities or
meet new military require-
ments.” q
