Thursday 9 July 2015

Dunya TV

Dunya TV

US 'heartbreak, horror' on South Sudan anniversary

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WASHINGTON (AFP) - A top aide of President Barack Obama spoke of her heartbreak and horror at the plight of South Sudan, which marked four turbulent years of independence Thursday under the shadow of civil war.The worlds newest nation was thrust into turmoil 18 months ago when President Salva Kiir accused former vice president Riek Machar of planning a coup, setting off a cycle of retaliatory killings that has split the poverty-stricken country along ethnic and tribal lines.In a heartfelt and deeply personal statement, National Security Advisor Susan Rice contrasted the joy around the world at South Sudans independence four years ago with the current predicament the young country finds itself in.Rice, directly addressing the traumatized people of South Sudan, recalled being in the capital Juba with her 13-year-old son to witness the birth of a new nation.Four years later, those happy memories are a horrifying reminder of all that has been lost, she said.It breaks my heart to see what South Sudan has become today.Massive and widespread violence has returned. Human rights abuses are rampant. The government and rebels are committing appalling crimes against innocent women, children and the elderly.She pointed the finger of blame squarely at Kiir, Machar and their cronies, and said only they could end the cycle of violence that has killed tens of thousands.Yet President Kiir and Riek Machar would rather haggle over personal power and wealth than agree on solutions.Rice warned the fighting threatened to destabilize the wider region and called for the warring parties to urgently forge a transitional government.The United States will not abandon the people of South Sudan and their right to live freely and at peace in their own country, Rice vowed.We will hold accountable those who abuse the people of South Sudan. And the United States along with the international community will punish those determined to drive South Sudan into the abyss.Her sentiments were echoed by State Department spokesman John Kirby.We urge all sides to finally put the people of South Sudan first and demonstrate the leadership necessary to forge a lasting peace, he said in a statement.The United States along with our Troika (Britain and Norway) and EU partners stand steadfast in our support to the people of South Sudan on todays anniversary and for the long term.No official death toll has been kept in the conflict.In November 2014, the International Crisis Group think tank estimated that as many as 50,000 had died, but killing has continued unabated in the meantime, while hunger and disease have added even more to the toll.

UN announces humanitarian truce in Yemen as of Friday

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UNITED NATIONS (AFP) - A humanitarian truce will begin in Yemen on Friday to allow urgently needed aid to reach civilians in the war-torn country facing the threat of famine, the United Nations said.The pause in fighting is scheduled to go into effect at 23:59 local time (2059 GMT) on Friday until the end of Ramadan on July 17.The announcement came eight days after the United Nations declared Yemen a level-3 humanitarian emergency, the highest on its scale, with nearly half of the countrys regions facing a food crisis.It is imperative and urgent that humanitarian aid can reach all vulnerable people of Yemen unimpeded and through an unconditional humanitarian pause, UN spokesman Stephane Dujarric said Thursday.UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon has received assurances from exiled President Abedrabbo Mansour Hadi, the Huthi rebels and other parties that they will respect the pause, he added.But the UN spokesman did not specifically state that a Saudi-led coalition which has been bombing Yemen for over three months had pledged to abide by the pause.We have the expressions necessary from all parties to announce the start of this pause on Friday, July 10th, said Dujarric.It will be very clear come Friday evening whether this pause is respected.Yemen slid deeper into turmoil when the Saudi-led coalition launched air strikes in late March to stop an advance by the Iran-backed Huthi rebels who drove the president into exile.Saudi Arabia and its Gulf allies are demanding that the Huthis pull back from territory seized in their offensive and that Hadi be restored to power.No bombing, no shootingThe UN spokesman highlighted that Hadi had told the Saudi-led coalition that he accepts the pause to ensure their support and collaboration.Discussions on the truce have been tough going for days, with Hadi and the Saudi coalition putting forward a list of demands before agreeing to the pause, diplomats said.A humanitarian pause means no fighting. It means no bombing. It means no shooting. It means no fighting. It means exactly that, said the spokesman.Dujarric added that confidence-building steps such as the release of prisoners and a monitoring of the Huthi rebel withdrawal would be needed to strengthen the truce.More than 21.1 million people -- over 80 percent of Yemens population -- are in need of aid, with 13 million facing food shortages.Access to water has become difficult for 9.4 million people, according to the UN.More than 3,200 people have been killed and 1.26 million displaced in Yemen since the air campaign began in March, according to the UN.On Thursday, fighters allied with Hadi killed 15 rebels in an attack on their checkpoints in the countrys southern Abyan province, a military source said.In the second city of Aden, 17 rebels were killed also on Thursday in air strikes by coalition warplanes, according to pro-Hadi military sources.The fighting followed a car bomb attack outside a mosque in Sanaa on Tuesday claimed by the Islamic State group, three weeks after a similar attack on a mosque also claimed by the extremist group.

Kerry won't be 'rushed' into Iran deal

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VIENNA (AFP) - US Secretary of State John Kerry said Thursday major powers wont be rushed into a nuclear deal with Iran, adding he was prepared to walk away from the talks if tough decisions are not made soon.Speaking just hours from a deadline to present a deal to the US Congress, Kerry told reporters in Vienna that because the stakes are very, very high, we will not rush and we will not be rushed.Were here because we believe were making real progress, Kerry said.But he warned we are not going to sit at the negotiating table forever.If the tough decisions dont get made, we are absolutely prepared to call an end to this process.French Foreign Minister Laurent Fabius, announcing he would stay in the Austrian capital Thursday night to continue the talks, said meanwhile that things are going in the right direction.British Foreign Secretary Philip Hammond also stayed in Vienna, while his German counterpart Frank-Walter Steinmeier was returning to Berlin. Sources said he would be back early on Friday.We are very close, but if the important, historical decisions are not made in the next hours we wont have an agreement, EU foreign policy chief Federica Mogherini told CNN.On the other side its clear that for everybody that making the decisions in one week, two weeks, or three weeks from now will not be easier, but more difficult for everybody, she said.The mooted deal between Iran and the P51 group -- Britain, China, France, Germany, Russia and the United States -- is aimed at ending a 13-year standoff by curbing Irans nuclear activities in exchange for sanctions relief. If the US Congress does not receive the text by early Friday morning Vienna time -- midnight in Washington -- it will likely delay its implementation by doubling the review period to 60 days.But an Iranian official insisted to AFP: For us, no date is sacred if it means sacrificing a good accord.And Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif shouted to reporters from the balcony of the Coburg hotel where the talks were being held: We will stay as long as necessary.Two deadlines have already been missed during this round of negotiations alone which have now stretched into their 13th day. Kerry met with Zarif for just under an hour late Thursday, US officials said.All sides say huge progress has been made in the past days of negotiations -- the final stage of marathon talks first launched in September 2013 -- with most of the accord written.The text is done. Its already there. Its a matter of yes or no... the parties have the political space to take political decisions, Mogherini said.Some of the thorniest issues such as a time frame for lifting sanctions and a UN probe into allegations that Iran in the past sought to develop nuclear weapons, also appear close to resolution.But Irans demand that a UN arms embargo be lifted has thrown a spanner in the works. Western nations have balked at the idea, with Tehran still accused of fomenting violence in the Middle East.Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov, who was Thursday in the Russian city of Ufa at a summit with emerging economies, threw Moscows weight behind Tehran on the issue.We are in favour of lifting the embargo as soon as possible and will support a decision made by Irans negotiators, Lavrov told reporters.The UN Security Council arms embargo had been imposed to force Iran to negotiate, a goal that had long been reached, he stressed.Resuming arms deliveries would help Iran combat terrorism and radicals from the Islamic State group, he added.There were no insurmountable problems left to tackle at the talks, unless somebody tried to deliberately stall the negotiations, Lavrov insisted.

Obama, Kerry in tribute to Saudi FM Prince Saud al-Faisal

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WASHINGTON (AFP) - US President Barack Obama and Secretary of State John Kerry paid heartfelt tribute to Saudi Arabias Prince Saud al-Faisal, saying he had left a legacy that would live on despite his death Thursday.Prince Saud was one of the highest profile members of Saudi Arabias ruling elite and formerly the worlds longest-serving foreign minister, overseeing four decades of turbulent diplomacy for the oil-rich kingdom.Obama described him as a committed and accomplished diplomat.Generations of American leaders and diplomats benefited from Prince Sauds thoughtful perspective, charisma and poise, and diplomatic skill, he said in a statement.He was committed to the importance of the US-Saudi relationship and the pursuit of stability and security in the Middle East and beyond, and his legacy will be remembered around the world.Kerry called Prince Saud a man of vast experience, personal warmth, great dignity and keen insights who served his country loyally and well.The longevity of his term in office -- he served with 13 US secretaries of state -- is a sign of the universal respect with which he was viewed, Kerry said in separate statement from Obama.I personally admired him greatly, valued his friendship and appreciated his wise counsel. His legacy as a statesman and diplomat will not be forgotten.A statement from the Royal Court said Prince Saud, who was born in 1940, died in the United States.

Iran lashes out at Western powers in nuclear talks

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VIENNA (AFP) - Iran accused Western powers late Thursday of changing positions in nuclear talks, saying the crunch negotiations in Vienna could still go either way.US Secretary of State John Kerry said meanwhile as a 13th day of talks went late into the night that he was prepared to walk away if tough decisions are not made soon.We see certain changes in the positions particularly just last night ... on a lot of issues unfortunately, a senior Iranian official said on condition of anonymity.The official also accused Western countries of going back on parts of a framework accord agreed in April, which the current talks are aimed at finalising, and of not being united.The emerging deal between Iran and the P51 group -- Britain, China, France, Germany, Russia and the United States -- is aimed at ending a 13-year standoff by curbing Irans nuclear activities in exchange for sanctions relief.There is one red line for the US, one red line for the UK, one red line for France, one red line for Germany, the Iranian official said.It could go either way, this can be a small bridge in the negotiations, it can be a major setback, he said.I believe that a comprehensive agreement is within reach, it just requires people to abandon unnecessary or illusional objectives and just move forward with what is at hand and what is achievable.Earlier Kerry said after talks with the foreign ministers of France, Germany and Britain -- as well as lower level Russian and Chinese officials -- that he will not be rushed into a deal.If an accord is not presented to the US Congress before early Friday Vienna time, the review period doubles to a potentially more problematic 60 days.Were here because we believe were making real progress, Kerry said.But he warned we are not going to sit at the negotiating table forever.The right directionFrench Foreign Minister Laurent Fabius, announcing he would stay in the Austrian capital Thursday night, said meanwhile that things are going in the right direction.British Foreign Secretary Philip Hammond also stayed in Vienna, while his German counterpart Frank-Walter Steinmeier was returning to Berlin. Sources said he would be back early on Friday.We are very close, but if the important, historical decisions are not made in the next hours we wont have an agreement, EU foreign policy chief Federica Mogherini told CNN.On the other side its clear that for everybody that making the decisions in one week, two weeks, or three weeks from now will not be easier, but more difficult for everybody, she said.All sides say huge progress has been made in the past days of negotiations -- the final stage of marathon talks first launched in September 2013 -- with most of the accord written.The text is done. Its already there. Its a matter of yes or no... the parties have the political space to take political decisions, Mogherini said.Some of the thorniest issues such as a time frame for lifting sanctions and a UN probe into allegations that Iran in the past sought to develop nuclear weapons, also appear close to resolution.But Irans demand that a UN arms embargo be lifted has thrown a spanner in the works. Western nations have balked at the idea, with Tehran still accused of fomenting violence in the Middle East.Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov, who was Thursday in the Russian city of Ufa at a summit with emerging economies, threw Moscows weight behind Tehran on the issue.We are in favour of lifting the embargo as soon as possible and will support a decision made by Irans negotiators, Lavrov told reporters.

Former Saudi FM Prince Saud al-Faisal dies

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RIYADH (AFP) - Saudi Arabias Prince Saud al-Faisal, formerly the worlds longest-serving foreign minister who oversaw four decades of turbulent diplomacy for the oil-rich kingdom, died on Thursday.A statement from the Royal Court said Prince Saud, who was born in 1940, died in the United States.It did not give the cause of death but said funeral prayers would be held on Saturday night in the Muslim holy city of Mecca.Prince Saud was one of the highest profile members of the kingdoms ruling elite before stepping down in April for health reasons.He oversaw Saudi Arabias emergence as a major diplomatic player, facing successive regional crises and maintaining a focus on relations with the West.He was a symbol of honesty and hard work, the Royal Court said.Relatives earlier announced Sauds death on social media.May God accept him in paradise, a nephew, Saud Mohammed al-Abdullah al-Faisal, wrote on Twitter.I wish I could deny the rumour of the news of your death, foreign ministry spokesman Osama Nugali tweeted. Arab League Chief Nabil al-Arabi expressed his condolences in a statement, as did Germanys embassy in Riyadh calling Prince Saud a respected statesman.French Foreign Minister Laurent Fabius said in a statement that the top diplomat had worked tirelessly for peace and stability in the Middle East.Saud was replaced as foreign minister in April by Washington ambassador Adel al-Jubeir in a major shake-up of the Saudi royal family and cabinet.His departure came as Saudi Arabia leads a coalition of Arab states bombing Iran-backed rebels in Yemen and takes part in the US-led campaign against the Islamic State group in Syria and Iraq.In his last public address in the Saudi capital, Prince Saud in April said the Sunni kingdom was not at war with Tehran but called on its Shiite regional rival Iran to stop arming rebels in Yemen.Iran has denied giving weapons to the Huthi rebels.Saud served under four monarchs, and took his final oath of office in March after King Salman acceded to the throne following the January death of King Abdullah, when Saud was in the US for back surgery.He was first named foreign minister in October 1975, seven months after his father, King Faisal, was assassinated by a nephew.He was closely involved in efforts to end the 1975-1990 civil war in Lebanon and led the kingdoms foreign policy during the 1980-1988 Iraq-Iran war, Iraqs 1990 invasion of Kuwait and the 1991 Gulf War in which US-led forces used Saudi Arabia as a launchpad.But ties with Riyadhs longtime ally Washington were sometimes strained, including after the September 11, 2001 attacks on the US, in which 15 of 19 plane hijackers were Saudi.Tensions eased after Riyadh began waging its own war on suspected Al-Qaeda militants who launched a spate of bombings and shootings in the kingdom in 2003.While Saud frequently visited Washington or received US officials in Saudi Arabia, he was believed to be closer to European diplomats.The prince often swapped his traditional Saudi thobe and checkered shemagh headdress for elegant suits when on missions in Western capitals.Born in the southwestern mountain resort of Taif, Saud graduated with an economics degree from Princeton University in New Jersey in 1964.He came to the foreign ministry after stints at state oil product firm Petromin and the ministry of oil and mineral resources.The prince was married with three sons and three daughters.

Little respite for Central Americans fleeing to Mexico

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TENOSIQUE (AFP) - When her frightened nephew came to her home after murdering a gang member, the Honduran woman took her three-year-old son, fled to Mexico and applied for refugee status.Oneylda, 35, is among a growing number of Central Americans who are applying to be accepted as refugees in Mexico after escaping gang violence back home.The number of refugee applications has nearly doubled, from 1,296 in 2013 to 2,137 last year, according to figures from the Mexican Commission of Refugee Help (COMAR) obtained by AFP through a public information request.Nearly 83 percent of the applicants are from the so-called Northern Triangle nations of Honduras, El Salvador and Guatemala.Minors accounted for 28.4 percent of total applications, up from 22.6 percent the previous year, as children continue to flee the violent region.But Mexico only approved 35.8 percent of the applications in 2013 and even fewer, 32.9 percent, last year.Oneylda, who fled Honduras in January, was not among the fortunate ones.She left Honduras with her three-year-old son in January, just days after her nephew committed the crime.But after a four-month wait, Mexican authorities rejected her refugee application.Five months pregnant now, she is among dozens of migrants staying at the La 72 shelter in the town of Tenosique, in southern Tabasco state, who are seeking refugee status.I think that (the Mexican authorities) dont have a heart to look at the problems of others. Theyre not conscious of what we go through, she said, resting at the shelter because doctors say she has a high-risk pregnancy.Fear and lack of informationThe United Nations refugee agency says around 3,000 Central Americans are refugees in Mexico, most of them because they are victims of gangs but also gender violence.Jose Sieber, a Mexico-based official for the UN High Commissioner for Refugees, said violence was the cause behind the surge of applications last year.According the agencys figures, the applications surged in October, after the Mexican government launched its South Border Plan, a crackdown on illegal crossings that has nearly doubled detentions of migrants and made their path to the United States more difficult.But many Central Americans are not seeking refugee status because they lack information or they didnt get access to the right government agencies, Sieber said.Juan, a 21-year-old Honduran who spent years moving around his country after the M18 gang killed some of his family members, wanted to go to America but ended up applying for refugee status with the help of a shelter in Mexicos southern Chiapas state.Beforehand, he said, he didnt even know that it was possible for him to do so.In the government and in civil organizations, migration is the dominant narrative, when in reality we need to reinforce the fact that many Central Americans are, in reality, refugees, the UN official said.Another problem is that Central Americans are often afraid to apply for refuge at the National Migration Institute (INM), whose agents have been hunting for illegal migrants across the southern border.COMAR, meanwhile, only has three offices in the vast country.Migrant rights groups say Central Americans are sometimes quickly deported without being told by officials that they have the right to apply for refugee status.We are working with COMAR and INM on the need for their staff to be aware of the issue, to know the reality that (Central Americans) are returned to in their countries, Sieber said.COMAR declined to comment to AFP.In the documents obtained by AFP, the government entity stressed that it always follows the law.Staying in MexicoMexicos emerging economy and the increased difficulty in reaching the United States has prompted many migrants -- especially Hondurans -- to simply stay in Mexico.Nelson, for instance, is a guard at a supermarket parking lot in Tenosique. Mario, who fled the ultra-violent city of San Pedro Sula, is waiting for a friend to join him in eastern Mexico to work at a taco joint. Jose plans to work at a lumberyard in the Mayan Riviera.Mexico is now a second option, said Mariano Castillo, the Honduran ambassador to Mexico.Castillo estimates that 14,000 Hondurans, or 20 percent of those who migrate, stay in Mexico each year.Mexico is no longer just a transit country, he said. It is a destination for those who, maybe, cant get to the United States.

UN announces humanitarian truce in Yemen as of Friday

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UNITED NATIONS (AFP) - A humanitarian truce will begin in Yemen on Friday to allow urgently needed aid to reach civilians in the war-torn country facing the threat of famine, the United Nations said.The pause in fighting is scheduled to go into effect at 23:59 local time (2059 GMT) on Friday until the end of Ramadan on July 17.The announcement came eight days after the United Nations declared Yemen a level-3 humanitarian emergency, the highest on its scale, with nearly half of the countrys regions facing a food crisis.It is imperative and urgent that humanitarian aid can reach all vulnerable people of Yemen unimpeded and through an unconditional humanitarian pause, UN spokesman Stephane Dujarric said Thursday.UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon has received assurances from exiled President Abedrabbo Mansour Hadi, the Huthi rebels and other parties that they will respect the pause, he added.But the UN spokesman did not specifically state that a Saudi-led coalition which has been bombing Yemen for over three months had pledged to abide by the pause.We have the expressions necessary from all parties to announce the start of this pause on Friday, July 10th, said Dujarric.It will be very clear come Friday evening whether this pause is respected.Yemen slid deeper into turmoil when the Saudi-led coalition launched air strikes in late March to stop an advance by the Iran-backed Huthi rebels who drove the president into exile.Saudi Arabia and its Gulf allies are demanding that the Huthis pull back from territory seized in their offensive and that Hadi be restored to power.The UN spokesman highlighted that Hadi had told the Saudi-led coalition that he accepts the pause to ensure their support and collaboration.Discussions on the truce have been tough going for days, with Hadi and the Saudi coalition putting forward a list of demands before agreeing to the pause, diplomats said.A humanitarian pause means no fighting. It means no bombing. It means no shooting. It means no fighting. It means exactly that, said the spokesman.Dujarric added that confidence-building steps such as the release of prisoners and a monitoring of the Huthi rebel withdrawal would be needed to strengthen the truce.More than 21.1 million people -- over 80 percent of Yemens population -- are in need of aid, with 13 million facing food shortages.Access to water has become difficult for 9.4 million people, according to the UN.More than 3,200 people have been killed and 1.26 million displaced in Yemen since the air campaign began in March, according to the UN.On Thursday, fighters allied with Hadi killed 15 rebels in an attack on their checkpoints in the countrys southern Abyan province, a military source said.In the second city of Aden, 17 rebels were killed also on Thursday in air strikes by coalition warplanes, according to pro-Hadi military sources.The fighting followed a car bomb attack outside a mosque in Sanaa on Tuesday claimed by the Islamic State group, three weeks after a similar attack on a mosque also claimed by the extremist group.

Greece says offering pension and tax reforms in return for debt relief, aid

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ATHENS (AFP) - Greece has submitted to its eurozone creditors a new bailout plan proposing a pensions overhaul and tax hikes in return for debt relief and a three-year rescue loan, a government source said early Friday.The Greek proposal... includes funding of the countrys financing needs... for three years, debt adjustment and a front-loaded investment package of 35 billion euros ($38 billion), the source said.The government released a 13-page document detailing its new bailout plan, with proposals that closely resembled those put forward by Greeces international creditors before talks broke down last month.Athens had already on Wednesday formally submitted a request for a three-year loan programme from the European Stability Mechanism (ESM), the EUs lender of last resort, but has yet to specify how much it has asked for.And the 35-billion-euro package -- earmarked for growth-enhancing measures -- had already been set aside for Greece by the European Commission.On Friday, the Greek parliament will be asked to authorise Prime Minister Alexis Tsipras and other senior officials to negotiate with the creditors on the basis of this latest bailout plan, state news agency ANA said.Greece had been given a final chance to submit new bailout proposals by midnight on Thursday to save the countrys collapsing economy and stave off a humiliating exit from the eurozone.As demanded by its EU-IMF creditors, the radical left government has agreed to discourage early retirement and ask for higher health contributions from pensioners.Athens also pledges to raise sales tax revenue by 1.0 percent of gross domestic product (GDP).Tax on shipping, corporate tax and a luxury tax will be increased and a crackdown will be energetically pursued against tax evasion, according to the document.On the privatisation front, Athens has given in to demands to sell the states remaining shares in telecoms giant OTE, and will announce binding bid dates for the privatisation of the ports of Piraeus and Thessaloniki for no later than October.In contrast, whereas the creditors had demanded a 400-million-euro reduction in military spending, Athens is offering to cut 100 million this year and 200 million in 2016.And instead of abolishing a 30-percent tax break on all its islands, as requested by creditors, the government said for right now it only wants to scrap the measure on the wealthiest islands and those most popular with tourists.Greece had earlier in the talks persuaded its creditors to accept primary surplus targets of one percent of annual GDP this year, followed by 2.0 percent in 2016 and 3.0 percent in 2017.On Friday, the government noted that these targets would be re-examined owing to worsening economic conditions.The 28 leaders of the European Union will discuss the proposals at a make-or-break summit on Sunday.

Erdogan asks Turkey PM to form new government

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ANKARA (AFP) - Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan on Thursday asked Prime Minister Ahmet Davutoglu to form the next government, over a month after elections where the ruling party lost its overall majority.Opposition parties have lambasted Erdogan for the delay in even trying to form the government after the June 7 elections, a lag unprecedented in modern Turkish political history.Erdogan asked Justice and Development Party (AKP) chief Davutoglu to form the new government in talks at his presidential palace in Ankara, the presidency said in a short statement on its website.The ruling AKP, co-founded by Erdogan and led by Davutoglu, won the most seats in the elections but lost its overall majority for the first time since coming to power in 2002.The AKP have 258 seats in the 550-seat parliament, the Republican Peoples Party (CHP) 132, and the Nationalist Movement Party (MHP) and pro-Kurdish Peoples Democratic Party (HDP) hold 80 apiece.The loss of the AKPs majority was seen as a blow for the ruling party as well as the authority of Erdogan himself, who dominated Turkey from 2003-2014 as premier and since August last year as president.Analysts have seen an AKP-MHP coalition as the most likely option, with an AKP-CHP grand coalition also possible. The HDP has ruled out taking part in a coalition with the AKP.An anti-AKP coalition between the opposition was seen as a non-starter, as the nationalist MHP refuses to work with the HDP.NTV television quoted sources in the prime ministers office as saying Davutoglu would seek to hold an initial round of talks with all of the opposition parties by next Wednesday to sound them out on a coalition.Davutoglu early Thursday said he expected to conduct initial talks on forming a coalition in the next week before official business in the country winds up on July 17 for the post-Ramadan holidays.Speaking to his party earlier Thursday, Davutoglu promised to be constructive and not to deprive Turkey of a government.But in a television interview late Wednesday the premier had again refused to rule out early elections if the need arises.If we need to once more go to the people then we are ready for new elections, Davutoglu said.In the days after the voting, markets had been reassured by conciliatory signals from the parties that they would work to form a coalition.But in recent days there have been new signs that early elections remain a real possibility.Erdogan can call new elections if Davutoglu fails to form a coalition within a 45-day deadline.Some commentators believe that this in reality is the AKPs preferred option and the pro-government press have in the last days been full of opinion polls suggesting its vote would rise in a snap poll.Meanwhile, the opposition is in no hurry to associate itself with the AKP after a bitter election campaign.MHP leader Devlet Bahceli and CHP leader Kemal Kilicdaroglu on Wednesday both gave separate newspaper interviews suggesting that the other would make a better coalition partner for the AKP.Meanwhile, a major stumbling block in front of a coalition between the AKP and MHP is the nationalist partys entrenched opposition to the peace process with Kurdish rebels.There is still a chance to form a coalition, but the probability of a new vote is now more likely than two weeks ago, said Deniz Zeyrek, the Ankara bureau chief of the Hurriyet daily.

Greek crisis: Key events since referendum

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ATHENS (AFP) - Following is a timeline of events in the Greek crisis since Sundays referendum:Sunday, July 5:- Greek voters reject terms of a bailout proposition with 61.31 percent voting No, boosting Prime Minister Alexis Tsipras.- Tsipras says the vote is not an mandate of rupture with Europe, but a mandate that bolsters our negotiating strength to achieve a viable deal. He warns creditors: This time, the debt will be on the negotiating table.Monday, July 6:- Yanis Varoufakis resigns as Greek finance minister to improve relations with eurozone creditor countries, and is replaced by Euclid Tsakalotos, who has been steering talks with European Union and International Monetary Fund (IMF) creditors.- The European Central Bank (ECB) maintains a crucial cash lifeline to Greek banks but with tougher conditions.Tuesday, July 7:- Eurozone finance ministers meet in Brussels ahead of an extraordinary summit of eurozone heads of state and government. Both meetings end without a detailed proposal from the Greek government. Athens is given until Thursday to present a convincing programme of reforms.- European Commission head Jean-Claude Juncker, who had said he is opposed to Greece withdrawing from the 19-nation eurozone, warns that such a scenario has nonetheless now been prepared in detail.Wednesday, July 8:- Tsipras addresses the European Parliament, saying Greece will submit credible reform plans on Thursday, and wants to prevent a divided Europe. His speech draws a mix of boos and cheers from European MPs.- EU President Donald Tusk warns MPs: This is really and truly the final wake-up call for Greece and for us, our last chance.- Athens formally submits a request for new aid from the European Stability Mechanism, the eurozones bailout fund, offering to start pension and tax reforms next week in return for a three-year eurozone loan.- French premier Manuel Valls calls the Greek request balanced, positive. It shows a real willingness to move forward and reform, he adds.- Greek banks, closed since June 28, will remain closed until Monday, while withdrawal limits will remain unchanged at 60 euros ($66).- The ECB leaves its cash lifeline to Greece, known as Emergency Liquidity Assistance (ELA), unchanged at 89 billion euros.- IMF chief Christine Lagarde says a new bailout would require creditors to restructure Greeces debt.Thursday, July 9:- Tusk says Greeces creditors must make a realistic proposal for managing its debt, while German Chancellor Angela Merkel repeats that she opposes a debt write-down.- Greece submits a new bailout plan in Brussels two hours before a midnight deadline. It includes funding of the countrys financing needs... for three years, debt adjustment and a front-loaded investment package of 35 billion euros ($38 billion), a Greek government source says.Friday, July 10:- Athens releases a 13-page document detailing the new proposals, which closely resemble an offer put forward by Greeces international paymasters last month. In it Greece says it will bow to creditors demands to discourage early retirement and seek higher health contributions from pensioners, while raising corporate, luxury and shipping tax. Greece also pledges to raise sales tax revenue, sell the states remaining shares in telecoms giant OTE and privatise the ports of Piraeus and Thessaloniki by October.- The Greek parliament will be asked to authorise new talks on the new bailout offer later in the day, ahead of a Eurogroup meeting on Saturday and a full EU summit the day after.

36 rebels killed in south Yemen attacks, air strikes

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ADEN (AFP) - Yemeni fighters allied with exiled President Abedrabbo Mansour Hadi killed 15 rebels in a Thursday attack on their checkpoints in the countrys southern Abyan province, a military source said.In second city Aden, 17 rebels were killed in air strikes by Saudi-led coalition warplanes, according to pro-Hadi military sources.Fighters belonging to the pro-government Popular Resistance Committees in Abyans Zinjibar attacked checkpoints of the 15th Infantry Brigade, which has defected and joined Iran-backed Shiite Huthi rebels, the military source said.The southern fighters also besieged the headquarters of the brigade, which was later hit by warplanes from the coalition that launched an air campaign in March backing Hadi.Southern tribesmen meanwhile killed four Huthi rebels in an ambush Thursday near Ataq, in Shabwa province, a local security source said. Troops loyal to former president Ali Abdullah Saleh have sided with the Huthis, who overran the capital in September and went on to seize control of several regions.The rebels forced Hadi into exile when they advanced in March on the port city of Aden, where he had taken refuge after escaping house arrest in Sanaa. Adens health chief Al-Khader Laswar said 19 civilians, including three children and a woman, were killed and 115 others wounded since Tuesday in rebel rocket attacks on the city.AFP could not confirm the tolls from medical sources.The UN says more than 3,200 people have been killed and 1.26 million displaced in Yemen since fighting broke out in March.

Shanghai stocks jump more than 3%

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SHANGHAI (AFP) - Chinas main Shanghai stock index jumped more than three percent in morning trade on Friday, as sentiment turned for the better on government moves to boost the market, dealers said.The Shanghai Composite Index gained 3.07 percent, or 113.92 points, to 3,823.25 while the Shenzhen Composite Index -- which tracks stocks on Chinas second exchange -- surged 3.59 percent, or 70.18 points, to 2,025.53.The Shanghai market rocketed 5.76 percent on Thursday, after the government announced additional policies to curb a weeks-long market rout.They included a ban on big shareholders -- those holding at least five percent stakes -- and company executives from selling stock for the next six months and a police crackdown on short-selling.The market has not completely recovered yet, Haitong Securities analyst Zhang Qi told AFP.But in general it has started to rebound with blue chip companies more resilient than small company stocks, which will help stabilise the market, he said.More than 1,400 shares on the two markets remained suspended, Bloomberg News reported, almost half of all listed companies.Before Thursdays rebound, the market had fallen more than 30 percent after a spectacular bull run peaked on June 12, raising fears for the wider economy, the worlds second-largest.But the International Monetary Fund (IMF) said Thursday that there was no reason to lose faith in Chinas economy because of the bursting stock market bubble.There is no particular reason to have lost confidence, IMF chief economist Olivier Blanchard told a press conference in Washington.The spillover of the market rout into the economy is likely to be small, he added.

Tokyo stocks open slightly lower

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TOKYO (AFP) - Tokyo stocks opened slightly lower on Friday in cautious trade as investors remained concerned over the Greek debt crisis and the recent Chinese stock market rout.The Nikkei 225 index at the Tokyo Stock Exchange fell 0.04 percent, or 7.69 points, to 19,847.81 in the first minutes of trading.On Thursday, Tokyo stocks recovered as Beijing moved to stop a hair-raising drop in Chinese shares that sparked a regional sell-off and fuelled fears about the countrys economy.The euro changed hands at $1.1059 and 134.57 yen early Friday against $1.1035 and 133.88 yen in New York late Thursday .Greece has submitted to its eurozone creditors a new bailout plan proposing a pensions overhaul and tax hikes in return for debt relief and a three-year rescue loan, a government source said early Friday.The dollar rose to 121.69 yen from 121.34 yen in US trade.US stocks finished higher on Thursday, bouncing back from deep losses in the prior session following strong gains in Asian and European equity markets.The Dow Jones Industrial Average advanced 0.19 percent, while the broad-based S&P 500 rose 0.23 percent.

Outage shows NYSE's shrinking impact on stocks

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NEW YORK (AFP) - When the New York Stock Exchange halted trade Wednesday morning, broadcasters showed images of brokers on the legendary exchange floor suddenly stopping orders.Yet screens used by investors everywhere continued to flash new trade prices in red and green for ExxonMobil, JPMorgan Chase and other NYSE blue chip stocks, as fresh transactions were executed on other platforms, including the Nasdaq, the NYSEs cross-town rival.The nearly four-hour outage underscored just how diminished the once world-leading power of the NYSEs trading floor has become.It shows how the floor exchange of the NYSE has lost its preeminence, said Gregori Volokhine, president of Meeschaert Capital Markets.Today the NYSE accounts for perhaps 15 percent of stock trades, Volokhine said. All the rest are on other exchanges.US securities regulators have granted licenses to 26 exchanges in all, including the BATS Exchange, the Miami International Securities Exchange and the Arizona Stock Exchange, and their electronic platforms make it less and less important where trades take place.Wednesdays shift in trading of the shares of hundreds of NYSE-listed companies to these other platforms was seamless, said Themis Trading.Many of us at Themis, as well as our clients, remarked how smooth and uneventful the NYSE glitch was that was dominating the media airwaves, the brokerage said in its blog.On Thursday, the NYSE linked the stoppage, which ran at peak trading hours from about 1530 GMT until 1910 GMT, to a bumpy rollout of new software.The exchange decided to suspend trade after customers reported unusual system behavior, it said.Even as other exchanges have proliferated, the NYSE has remained a potent symbol of capitalism with its iconic column-fronted building near Wall Street.The outage was a non-issue for most low-frequency traders who could shift trades to other exchanges, Themis said.However, Themis said it likely had a greater impact on high-frequency traders, who can place orders for millions of shares and make cancellations and revisions in sub-second time periods.Moreover, the outage had the potential to cause much more profound disruption if the NYSE had been unable to reopen before the 2000 GMT close.Closing New York Stock Exchange prices are widely used to price mutual funds and portfolio statements, among other investment vehicles.The impact would also have been more significant on a busier day in terms of market-moving news, such as a major Federal Reserve announcement or a rebalancing of an index.And while most of you can easily afford to sit back and watch, and not play during a period of mayhem, some industry players will not know their trading positions, Themis said. And that uncertainty will exacerbate the outcome.
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