Today's Reuters World News Headlines - Yahoo! News:
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Greece claims success after strong bond swap take-up
Thu,8 Mar 2012 11:04 PM PST
Reuters -  ATHENS (Reuters) - Greece claimed a major success for its bond swap offer to private creditors on Friday after it won heavy acceptance for a deal that averts the immediate risk of an uncontrolled default on its massive public debt. The finance ministry said 85.8 percent of its 177 billion euros in bonds regulated under Greek law had been tendered, adding that the rate would reach 95.7 percent with the use of collective action clauses to enforce the deal on creditors who refused to take part voluntarily. ...
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Embattled Chinese leadership contender defends policies
Thu,8 Mar 2012 10:33 PM PST
Reuters -  BEIJING (Reuters) - A senior Chinese politician, whose prospects for Communist Party leadership are under a cloud, on Friday defended himself and his handling of an aide who fled to a U.S. consulate and sparked a political storm that has spilled into China's annual parliament. Bo Xilai, the telegenic and controversial Communist Party chief of the southwestern municipality of Chongqing, told a news conference that he was taken by surprise when the city's Vice Mayor Wang Lijun fled to the U.S. consulate last month. ...
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BofA in side deal with government on mortgage foreclosures: WSJ
Thu,8 Mar 2012 09:19 PM PST
Reuters -  (Reuters) - Bank of America, one of five banks in $25 billion settlement with the government over foreclosure practices, has struck a side deal that will allow it to reduce penalties in return for bigger cuts to borrowers' mortgage balances, the Wall Street Journal said. Bank of America will make deeper and broader cuts than other banks, which will allow it to avoid as much as $850 million in penalties and give more than 200,000 financially strapped households the opportunity to sharply reduce their mortgage balances, the paper said. ...
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Deal not sealed, Romney hits Santorum with big ad buys
Thu,8 Mar 2012 09:11 PM PST
Reuters -  WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Mitt Romney's presidential campaign would like to be focusing its attacks on Democratic President Barack Obama around now. But after failing to seize control of the Republican nomination race on "Super Tuesday," Romney cannot shake off rival Rick Santorum, whom he criticized on Thursday as a political insider. Opening up a new front against Santorum, the Romney campaign accused him of being a lobbyist in his home state of Pennsylvania even before he went to Washington in 1991. ...
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Syrian rebels reject Annan's call for dialogue
Thu,8 Mar 2012 08:44 PM PST
Reuters -  CAIRO/BEIRUT (Reuters) - Kofi Annan, the U.N.-Arab League envoy to Syria, said he would urge President Bashar al-Assad and his foes to stop fighting and seek a political solution, drawing angry rebukes from dissidents. "The killing has to stop and we need to find a way of putting in the appropriate reforms and moving forward," Annan said on Thursday in Cairo ahead of his trip to Damascus on Saturday. Syrian dissidents reacted with dismay and said government repression had destroyed prospects of a negotiated deal. ...
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Campaign against Ugandan warlord sweeps Internet
Thu,8 Mar 2012 07:39 PM PST
Reuters -  SAN FRANCISCO (Reuters) - A video calling for the arrest of Joseph Kony, the fugitive leader of the Lord's Resistance Army militia group in Uganda, swept across the Internet this week, attracting a wave of support on Twitter and Facebook along with a skeptical backlash against a little-known team of filmmakers based in San Diego. The 30-minute YouTube video was the centerpiece of a campaign that spread on Twitter beginning on Tuesday via hashtags such as #Kony2012 and #stopkony. By Thursday, the YouTube video had been viewed almost 40 million times, while Tweets about Kony had become the No. ...
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Clash with Iran could see use of huge, new U.S. bomb
Thu,8 Mar 2012 07:27 PM PST
Reuters - WASHINGTON (Reuters) - A 30,000-pound (13,600-kg) bunker buster bomb designed to smash through some 200 feet of concrete before exploding is a "great weapon" that could be used by U.S. forces in a clash with Iran over its nuclear program, an Air Force general said on Thursday. Lieutenant General Herbert Carlisle, Air Force deputy chief of staff for operations, said the massive ordnance penetrator, which the military began receiving only last year, is part of the U.S. arsenal available for strikes against countries like Iran, which has some buried nuclear facilities. ... Full Story | Top |
Briton, Italian die as Nigeria hostage rescue fails
Thu,8 Mar 2012 07:23 PM PST
Reuters -  SOKOTO, Nigeria (Reuters) - A Briton and an Italian held hostage in Nigeria were killed by their captors on Thursday as a joint British-Nigerian rescue mission stormed a compound to try to free the men, witnesses and security officials said. British Prime Minister David Cameron said he had authorised Britain's involvement in the rescue attempt after being told the men's lives were in "imminent and growing danger". ...
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Greece swap numbers "look promising": IMF's Lagarde
Thu,8 Mar 2012 07:13 PM PST
Reuters - WASHINGTON (Reuters) - A historic bond swap aimed at reducing Greece's crushing debt and averting default looks promising, International Monetary Fund Managing Director Christine Lagarde said on Thursday. In an interview with Charlie Rose on PBS television, Lagarde said it appeared the participation rate of private creditors in the restructuring deal would be high. "As we speak, it looks like it's going through, and it looks as if the numbers will be promising," Lagarde said. Lagarde also said she believed the risk of an acute crisis in the Euro zone had been removed for now. ... Full Story | Top |
Ecuador's Correa rallies supporters against opposition
Thu,8 Mar 2012 06:23 PM PST
Reuters -  QUITO (Reuters) - Ecuador's leftist president, Rafael Correa, rallied supporters on Thursday in a show of force against street protests by opponents who he said were trying to destabilize his government ahead of the 2013 election. High government spending and robust economic growth have made Correa popular among the poor, who make up a majority of Ecuador's population. His opponents complain about high inflation and taxes and say the president's hardball governing style has stifled media freedom. "Those that today called for the marches with the aim of destabilizing ... ...
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Syrian rebels reject Annan's call for dialogue
Thu,8 Mar 2012 05:35 PM PST
Reuters - CAIRO/BEIRUT (Reuters) - Kofi Annan, the U.N.-Arab League envoy to Syria, said he would urge President Bashar al-Assad and his foes to stop fighting and seek a political solution, drawing angry rebukes from dissidents. "The killing has to stop and we need to find a way of putting in the appropriate reforms and moving forward," Annan said on Thursday in Cairo ahead of his trip to Damascus on Saturday. Syrian dissidents reacted with dismay and said government repression had destroyed prospects of a negotiated deal. ... Full Story | Top |
Keystone oil pipeline bill fails in Senate
Thu,8 Mar 2012 05:25 PM PST
Reuters -  WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Senate Democrats on Thursday defeated a Republican proposal to give a permit to the Keystone XL crude oil pipeline in a vote that will give Republicans more ammunition to criticize President Barack Obama's energy policies on the campaign trail. Republicans argue the pipeline, which would ship oil from Canada and northern states to Texas, would create jobs and improve energy security at a time of surging gasoline prices. Obama put TransCanada's $7 billion project on hold earlier this year pending further environmental review. ...
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Powers urge Iran to open site to nuclear inspectors
Thu,8 Mar 2012 04:51 PM PST
Reuters -  VIENNA (Reuters) - Six world powers demanded Iran keep its promise to let international inspectors visit a military installation where the U.N. nuclear watchdog believes explosives tests geared to developing atomic bombs may have taken place. The joint call demonstrated unusual unity among the powers on Iran before a planned revival of high-level talks as well as widening disquiet about the nature of Tehran's nuclear ambitions, with Israel threatening last-ditch military action. Iran's Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei welcomed comments by U.S. ...
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Powers urge Iran to open site to nuclear inspectors
Thu,8 Mar 2012 04:48 PM PST
Reuters -  VIENNA (Reuters) - Six world powers demanded Iran keep its promise to let international inspectors visit a military installation where the U.N. nuclear watchdog believes explosives tests geared to developing atomic bombs may have taken place. The joint call demonstrated unusual unity among the powers on Iran before a planned revival of high-level talks as well as widening disquiet about the nature of Tehran's nuclear ambitions, with Israel threatening last-ditch military action. Iran's Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei welcomed comments by U.S. ...
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Proview Shenzhen asks China distributors to halt iPad sales
Thu,8 Mar 2012 03:41 PM PST
Reuters -  HONG KONG (Reuters) - Proview Technology, which is battling Apple over the iPad trademark in China, has asked Chinese distributors to stop selling the popular tablet PC after the U.S. technology giant launched the latest version of its iPad. The move is the latest twist in a long-running lawsuit between the world's most valuable technology company and the Chinese firm, a unit of near-bankrupt Proview International Holdings Ltd, but was expected to have little impact on the case. ...
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Israel asks U.S. for arms that could aid Iran strike
Thu,8 Mar 2012 02:40 PM PST
Reuters -  JERUSALEM (Reuters) - Israel has asked the United States for advanced "bunker-buster" bombs and refueling planes that could improve its ability to attack Iran's underground nuclear sites, an Israeli official said on Thursday. "Such a request was made" around the time of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's visit to Washington this week, the official said, confirming media reports. ...
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Keystone oil pipeline bill fails in Senate
Thu,8 Mar 2012 02:29 PM PST
Reuters -  WASHINGTON (Reuters) - U.S. Senate Democrats on Thursday defeated a Republican proposal to take quick action on the Keystone XL crude oil pipeline, in a vote that will give Republicans more ammunition to criticize President Barack Obama's energy policies on the campaign trail. TransCanada's $7 billion project has been supported by some Democrats in the past, but Obama took the unusual step of calling some senators personally and asking them to vote against the proposal, drawing immediate fire from Republican leaders. The measure needed 60 votes to pass, but fell four short. ...
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Massive take-up of Greece bond swap offer
Thu,8 Mar 2012 02:18 PM PST
Reuters -  ATHENS (Reuters) - Greece secured an overwhelming acceptance of a bond swap offer to private creditors and beat its own most optimistic forecasts, a senior official said on Thursday after the deadline expired on a deal needed to avoid a chaotic debt default. A government official, speaking on condition of anonymity, said take-up on the offer was around 95 percent an hour before the offer closed at 2000 GMT with responses still coming in. ...
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Briton, Italian die as Nigeria hostage rescue fails
Thu,8 Mar 2012 01:28 PM PST
Reuters -  SOKOTO, Nigeria (Reuters) - A Briton and an Italian held hostage in Nigeria were killed by their captors on Thursday as a joint British-Nigerian rescue mission stormed a compound to try to free the men, witnesses and security officials said. British Prime Minister David Cameron said he had authorised Britain's involvement in the rescue attempt after being told the men's lives were in "imminent and growing danger". ...
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Take-up on debt under Greek law tops 85 percent in swap: official
Thu,8 Mar 2012 01:06 PM PST
Reuters - ATHENS (Reuters) - Over 85 percent of bondholders holding debt under Greek law have signed up to a bond swap to ease Greece's debt burden, a Greek government official close to the process said on Thursday. The deadline to take part expired at 2000 GMT. About 177 billion euros of the 206 billion euros of debt eligible for the swap are regulated under Greek law. (Reporting by George Georgiopoulos, Writing by Deepa Babington) Full Story | Top |
Obama, Karzai note progress on long-term deal: White House
Thu,8 Mar 2012 12:26 PM PST
Reuters -  WASHINGTON (Reuters) - U.S. President Barack Obama and Afghan President Hamid Karzai noted progress on Thursday in long-stalled efforts to broker an agreement guiding U.S.-Afghan relations after most foreign troops withdraw, the White House said. White House spokesman Jay Carney said the two leaders spoke in a video call. "The leaders noted progress toward concluding a strategic partnership that reinforces Afghan sovereignty while addressing the practical requirements of transition," Carney said, referring to the deal that would lay out U.S. ...
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Four more generals defect from Syrian army: rebels
Thu,8 Mar 2012 12:17 PM PST
Reuters -  BEIRUT/PARIS (Reuters) - Four more high-ranking officers have defected from the Syrian armed forces and joined the year-old uprising against President Bashar al-Assad's rule, two rebel groups said on Thursday. The men fled over the past three days to a camp for Syrian army deserters in southern Turkey, according to Lieutenant Khaled al-Hamoud, a spokesman for the Free Syrian Army (FSA). He told Reuters by telephone from Turkey the desertions bring to seven the number of brigadier generals who have defected. ...
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Annan urges end to Syria violence
Thu,8 Mar 2012 12:15 PM PST
Reuters - CAIRO/BEIRUT (Reuters) - Kofi Annan, the U.N.-Arab League envoy to Syria, said on Thursday he would urge President Bashar al-Assad and his foes to stop fighting and seek a political solution, drawing angry rebukes from dissidents. "The killing has to stop and we need to find a way of putting in the appropriate reforms and moving forward," said Annan, who is due in Damascus on Saturday. One Syrian opposition activist voiced alarm at Annan's call for dialogue, saying it sounded "like a wink at Bashar" that would only encourage Assad to "crush the revolution". On a separate mission to Syria, U.N. ... Full Story | Top |
Justice Dept warns Apple, publishers over e-books
Thu,8 Mar 2012 12:12 PM PST
Reuters -  (Reuters) - The U.S. Justice Department has warned Apple and five major U.S. publishers that it plans to sue them, accusing them of colluding to raise the prices of electronic books, a person familiar with the probe said on Thursday. Several parties have held talks to settle the potential antitrust case, said the person, who was not authorized to speak publicly on the matter. It is not yet clear what such a settlement might look like. ...
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Briton, Italian die as Nigeria hostage rescue fails
Thu,8 Mar 2012 12:01 PM PST
Reuters - LAGOS (Reuters) - A Briton and an Italian held hostage in Nigeria were killed by their captors on Thursday as a joint British-Nigerian rescue mission stormed a compound to try to free the men, witnesses and security officials said. British Prime Minister David Cameron said he had authorized the Britain's involvement in the rescue attempt after being told the men's lives were in "imminent and growing danger". ... Full Story | Top |
U.S. adds Vatican to money-laundering 'concern' list
Thu,8 Mar 2012 11:05 AM PST
Reuters -  VATICAN CITY (Reuters) - The Vatican has for the first time appeared on the State Department's list of money-laundering centers but the tiny city-state is not rated as a high-risk country. The 2012 International Narcotics Control Strategy Report was made public on Wednesday and Washington's list of 190 countries classifies them in three categories: of primary concern, of concern and monitored. The Vatican is in the second category, grouped with 67 other nations including Poland, Egypt, Ireland, Hungary and Chile. ...
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Bin Laden widows charged with illegal stay in Pakistan
Thu,8 Mar 2012 10:56 AM PST
Reuters -  ISLAMABAD (Reuters) - Pakistani authorities have brought charges against Osama bin Laden's three widows for illegally entering and living in the country, the interior minister said on Thursday. The al Qaeda leader was killed in a secret raid by U.S. Special Forces in the garrison town of Abbottabad in May last year after a decade-long manhunt. His three wives and an undisclosed number of children were among the 16 people detained by Pakistani authorities after the raid. "They (the wives) were presented before the court. ...
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UK and Italian hostages killed in Nigeria
Thu,8 Mar 2012 10:51 AM PST
Reuters - LONDON (Reuters) - A Briton and an Italian held hostage in Nigeria were killed by their captors before they could be freed by a rescue mission, Prime Minister David Cameron said on Thursday. Cameron said he had authorised the failed operation, conducted with the Nigerian government, after being told the men's lives were in "imminent and growing danger". Cameron said Briton Chris McManus and Italian Franco Lamolinara had been taken hostage in Northern Nigeria in May 2011. "Preparations were made to mount an operation to attempt to rescue Chris and Franco. ... Full Story | Top |
Solar storm has minor impact on Earth
Thu,8 Mar 2012 10:43 AM PST
Reuters -  WASHINGTON (Reuters) - A solar storm that shook the Earth's magnetic field on Thursday spared satellite and power systems as it delivered a glancing blow, although it could still intensify until early Friday, space weather experts said. The geomagnetic storm surging from the sun was initially expected to be strong enough to disrupt power grids, airplane traffic and space-based satellite navigation systems. But government scientists on Thursday downgraded their prediction on the intensity of the storm - a big cloud of charged particles spawned by two solar flares. ...
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UK and Italian hostages killed in Nigeria
Thu,8 Mar 2012 10:35 AM PST
Reuters -  LONDON (Reuters) - A Briton and an Italian held hostage in Nigeria were killed by their captors before they could be freed by a rescue mission, British Prime Minister David Cameron said on Thursday. Cameron said he had authorized the failed operation, conducted with the Nigerian government, after being told the men's lives were in "imminent and growing danger". Cameron said Briton Chris McManus and Italian Franco Lamolinara had been taken hostage in Northern Nigeria in May 2011. "Preparations were made to mount an operation to attempt to rescue Chris and Franco. ...
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Obama, Netanyahu did not discuss bunker buster bombs: White House
Thu,8 Mar 2012 10:32 AM PST
Reuters - WASHINGTON (Reuters) - President Barack Obama and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu did not discuss in their meetings this week an Israeli request for advanced U.S. military technology that could be used against Iran, the White House said on Thursday. "In meetings the president had there was no such agreement proposed or reached," White House press secretary Jay Carney told reporters. Obama and Netanyahu meet in the Oval office for two hours on Monday and then had lunch together. ... Full Story | Top |
Libya PM "not aware" of arming, training Syria rebels
Thu,8 Mar 2012 10:18 AM PST
Reuters - WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Libya's prime minister on Thursday denied Russian accusations that his country was running camps to train and arm Syrian rebels but expressed strong support for Syrians "who are raising their voice asking for freedom." Libyan Prime Minister Abdurrahim El-Keib, speaking to reporters after meeting U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton in Washington, said his country had been the first to recognize Syria's national opposition council. "We did it because we felt that the Syrian cause is a good cause. It's people who are raising their voice asking for freedom," El-Keib ... Full Story | Top |
Apple unveils 4G iPad
Thu,8 Mar 2012 10:16 AM PST
Reuters -  SAN FRANCISCO (Reuters) - Apple Inc's latest iPad sports a crisper display and an array of technology advances that, while less than revolutionary, may prove enough for now to keep rivals like Amazon.com Inc and Samsung Electronics Co Ltd at bay. While stopping short of vaulting ahead of Motorola and Samsung, the device -- which comes 4G-ready and boasts a quad-core graphics processor -- is capable enough to help safeguard its two-thirds market share. "The screen is a notable feature for non-techie customers, as is the faster connectivity. ...
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Envoy Annan warns against more force in Syria
Thu,8 Mar 2012 04:45 AM PST
Reuters -  CAIRO (Reuters) - Kofi Annan, the U.N.-Arab League special envoy on Syria, said on Thursday any further militarization of the crisis there would only make the situation worse, apparently rejecting any foreign intervention against President Bashar al-Asaad's government. Annan was speaking after talks with League Secretary-General Nabil Elaraby, who for his part said no one wanted a repeat of the Libya scenario in which NATO air strikes boosted the rebellion that toppled Libyan leader Muammar Gaddafi. "I hope no one is thinking very seriously of using force in this situation. ...
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China cyber capability endangers U.S. forces: report
Thu,8 Mar 2012 09:54 AM PST
Reuters -  WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Chinese cyberwarfare would pose a genuine risk to the U.S. military in a conflict, for instance over Taiwan or disputes in the South China Sea, according to report for the U.S. Congress. Operations against computer networks have become fundamental to Beijing's military and national development strategies over the past decade, said the 136-page analysis by Northrop Grumman Corp. It was released on Thursday by the congressionally created U.S.-China Economic and Security Review Commission. ...
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Exclusive: Gaddafi hid arms in Libyan embassies across globe
Thu,8 Mar 2012 09:23 AM PST
Reuters -  TRIPOLI (Reuters) - The administration of ousted Libyan leader Muammar Gaddafi was running a covert program to conceal weapons in Libyan embassies across the globe, a senior official in the new government said on Thursday. The weapons included handguns, grenades and bomb-making materials and were shipped using the diplomatic bag. They may have been intended for use in assassinations on Libyan dissidents abroad, or for operations against the embassies' host countries. ...
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Pentagon says aims to keep Asia power balance
Thu,8 Mar 2012 09:22 AM PST
Reuters - WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The United States is shifting more military muscle, including another aircraft carrier, to the Pacific to protect the status quo in a region facing China's growing clout, the Pentagon's second-ranking official said on Thursday. In coming years, 60 percent of U.S. Navy ships will be in the Pacific, up from 52 percent now, including a net increase of one carrier to six, Deputy Defense Secretary Ashton Carter told an industry conference hosted by Credit Suisse and McAleese and Associates, a consultancy. The U.S. ... Full Story | Top |
Powers to Iran: open army site to nuclear inspectors
Thu,8 Mar 2012 09:03 AM PST
Reuters -  VIENNA (Reuters) - Six world powers demanded on Thursday that Iran fulfill a promise to let international inspectors visit a military installation where the U.N. nuclear watchdog believes that explosives tests geared to developing atomic bombs may have taken place. The joint call demonstrated unusual unity among the powers on Iran ahead of a planned revival of high-level talks as well as widening disquiet about the nature of Tehran's nuclear quest, with Israel threatening last-ditch military action. Iranian Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei welcomed comments by U.S. ...
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U.N. draws up Syria aid plan to feed 1.5 million
Thu,8 Mar 2012 08:47 AM PST
Reuters - GENEVA (Reuters) - The United Nations is readying food stocks for 1.5 million people in Syria as part of a 90-day emergency plan to help civilians deprived of basic supplies after nearly a year of conflict. The world body awaited the results of a three-day visit to Syria by U.N. humanitarian chief Valerie Amos, who is seeking to gain access for its aid agencies which have been shut out. "More needs to be done," John Ging of the U.N. Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) told a one-day Syria Humanitarian Forum on Thursday. "There is a huge amount of concern. ... Full Story | Top |
Analysis: Question of balance as euro zone crisis mutates
Thu,8 Mar 2012 08:42 AM PST
Reuters -  LONDON (Reuters) - With Greece's second bailout seemingly in the bag at last, Spain is shaping up as the next big test of whether euro zone policymakers can keep striking the right balance between carrot and stick to reconcile the very different interests of lenders, debtors and markets. Fine-tuning incentives and getting policy sequencing right is key to tackling the euro zone's debt and banking crisis. Imposing losses on Greek bondholders before erecting a firewall to shield other vulnerable sovereigns was an example of how not to do it. ...
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