Pages
Wednesday, January 29, 2014
Chobani v Fage: What do the lawyers say on the Greek yoghurt war?
'Greek' yoghurt firm loses battle
John Stamos strips down and shows off Greek yogurt underwear on Good ...
UT sophomore launches Greek-focused social media app
Greek Bank Deposits Post First Annual Increase in Four Years
Firefighters battle apartment fire in Greece
French magazine suspected of 'censorship' by Greek voluntary health clinic
Chobani loses ‘Greek yogurt’ legal battle in UK
Greece: Parliament OKs sale of 66% of power operator
Greece crews battle fire and bitter weather
What Foucault Would Have Said About Social Media
Kosta's is more pizza, less Greek
Greece: Troika success story or a warning against too much austerity?
The Greek Yogurt Ad Wars Get Bitey
Venizelos: EU presidency an opportunity to promote a new image of Greece
Ukraine considers amnesty as former president warns of civil war
Leonid Kravchuk urges deputies to act with 'great responsibility' before parliament vote on granting amnesty to protesters
Ukraine's parliament is considering measures to grant amnesty to those arrested during weeks of protests, but possibly with conditions attached that would be unacceptable to the opposition.
Two amnesty proposals are up for a parliamentary vote on Wednesday, one of which says amnesty would be granted only if demonstrators left the streets and vacated buildings that they occupy.
Over the course of two months, anti-government protesters have established a large tent camp in the main square of Kiev and seized three buildings that they use as operations centres and sleeping quarters. They have also put up barricades of ice, wood and other materials.
Leonid Kravchuk, Ukraine's first-post independence president, urged deputies to come to an agreement on the amnesty issue, warning that the country was "on the brink of civil war".
"It is a revolution. It is a dramatic situation in which we must act with the greatest responsibility," Kravchuk – president from 1991 to 1994 – said to applause and a standing ovation.
One group of protesters clashed with another on Wednesday in an attempt to free a government building in the centre of Kiev, which they had seized. At least two protesters were injured.
Andriy Khoronets, an activist with the Svoboda party which represents more moderate protesters, tried to force members of the more militant Spilna Sprava group to vacate the agriculture ministry building as part of a compromise with the government.
"We must be seen as people who can fulfil one's obligations," Khoronets told the Associated Press outside the building. "There should be no anarchy."
On Tuesday, in what appeared to be a significant concession to the opposition, Yanukovych accepted the resignation of his hardline prime minister, Mykola Azarov, and his government. It remains to be seen whether the pro-Russian president will seek to include opposition figures in a new government and whether the opposition would agree. The central demand from the protesters is Yanukovych's resignation and early presidential elections.
Yanukovych also caved in on Tuesday to pressure from the opposition, Europe and the US by promising to scrap repressive legislation passed a fortnight ago curbing freedom of speech and assembly. Critics suggested they in effect ushered in a dictatorship.
The moves came after four rounds of talks between the embattled president and three opposition leaders.
Ukraine's parliamentary vote comes after the Nato secretary general, Anders Fogh Rasmussen, weighed into the tug of war for influence in the country on Wednesday morning, criticising Russia for pressuring Kiev not to sign a free trade pact with the EU.
"An association pact with Ukraine would have been a major boost to Euro-Atlantic security. I truly regret that it could not be done," Rasmussen told Le Figaro daily. "The reason is well known: pressure that Russia exerts on Kiev."
Rasmussen also condemned police violence against the protesters and pressed Ukraine's leaders to assert their independence, urging closer ties with Nato and the EU.
His comments came a day after the Russian president, Vladimir Putin, warned Europe to keep its hands off Ukraine, as Brussels sent its top foreign policy envoy, Catherine Ashton, to Kiev to try to mediate in the standoff.
Putin told a meeting of EU leaders: "The more intermediaries there are, the more problems there are. I am not sure Ukraine needs intermediaries." He pointedly noted that European leaders would have complained if Russia had sent envoys to mediate in the Greek crisis of the past four years.
"I can only imagine what the reaction would be if in the heat of the crisis in Greece or Cyprus, our foreign minister came to an anti-European rally and began urging people to do something. This would not be good," Putin said.
The street revolt against Yanukovych erupted in November after he reneged on free trade and political integration pacts with the EU, turning to Moscow, which offered him $15bn (£11bn) in loans and reduced energy prices.
UkraineEuropeProtestOksana Grytsenkotheguardian.com © 2014 Guardian News and Media Limited or its affiliated companies. All rights reserved. | Use of this content is subject to our Terms & Conditions | More FeedsUPDATE 1-Greek private sector credit shrinks faster than in rest of euro zone
Fulham set to beat Arsenal, Liverpool & Chelsea to Greek sensation ...
Funding from Unlawful Activities for Greek Student Housing Needs
Fulham in talks to sign £11m Greece striker Mitroglou
Greece: EU lawmakers probe bailout enforcers
Inspecting the inspectors: European lawmakers in Greece to check up on troika
Greek bank deposits rise in Dec. for second month in a row
Court Says Athens Mall Illegal
Budget Office to Govt, Opposition and Troika: “Change, Or Else”
New 3.8 Earthquake Near Patras
Greek Primary Surplus Seen 1B Euros
PART 3: Greece resorts to food handouts as the Greek exit from the euro (Grexit) looms again
Europe bounces on Turkey rate hike; miners up 1.4%; Greek stocks up 3%
Troika made mistakes but was necessary for Greece, says MEP heading inquiry
Greece as Political Time Bomb
Greek yields drop as Turkey eases emerging market tensions
European Union demands more austerity in Greece
Putin warns Ashton not to take part in opposition rallies in Ukraine
Free Yogurt! Yoplait invites you to a Greek Taste-Off in spirit of Super Bowl
Paspalas, Greece's all-day egg dish
Volatility Is Coming! Here's How to Hedge National Bank of Greece
Samsung exec to visit Athens, possible expansion suggested
Anti-smoking campaign planned for Greek schools
Greek gov't says cash recovered from bribes to go to health, education
The Mall in Maroussi is illegal, deems Council of State
In Brussels, Samaras urges Putin to cut gas prices for Greece
Slide continues in Athens bourse
Primary surplus of 2013 ‘over 1 bln’
FAGE wins court battle against Chobani
Chobani gets Fage fright, loses 'Greek Yogurt' appeal
Chinatown in Greece: a bridge between the culture gap
Vladimir Putin tells Brussels to stay out of Ukraine's political crisis
Russian president dismisses EU decision to send envoy to Kiev: 'The more intermediaries there are, the more problems there are'
President Vladmir Putin warned Europe to keep its hands off Ukraine on Tuesday, as Brussels sent its top foreign policy envoy to Kiev to try to mediate in the 10-week stand-off between President Viktor Yanukovych and the opposition on the streets.
Russia's intervention in Brussels followed Yanukovych's biggest concession to the opposition, the sacking of his hardline prime minister and government and a promise to repeal draconian laws criminalising protest and freedom of speech.
Putin met EU leaders for the first time since November's clash between the Kremlin and Europe over the future of Ukraine triggered the crisis in Kiev. Catherine Ashton, the EU foreign policy chief, took part in the meetings with Putin in Brussels then travelled to Kiev to try to mediate between the opposing sides.
"The more intermediaries there are, the more problems there are," Putin said. "I am not sure Ukraine needs intermediaries." He pointedly noted that European leaders would complain if Russia sent envoys to mediate in the Greek crisis of the past four years.
"I can only imagine what the reaction would be if in the heat of the crisis in Greece or Cyprus, our foreign minister came to an anti-European rally and began urging people to do something. This would not be good," Putin said. "I'm sure the Ukrainian people will sort this out and Russia is not going to interfere."
The president of the European council, Herman Van Rompuy, insisted Lady Ashton would seek to reconcile the two sides in Kiev on the basis of "democratic rules" and aim to prevent an escalation of violence.
Earlier, in what appeared a significant concession to the opposition, Yanukovych fired his hardline prime minister, Mykola Azarov, and his government. It remains to be seen whether the pro-Russian president would seek to include opposition figures in a new government and whether the opposition would agree. The central demand from the protesters is Yanukovych's resignation and early presidential elections.
Yanukovych also caved in to pressure from the opposition, Europe and the US by promising to scrap repressive legislation passed a fortnight ago curbing freedom of speech and assembly.
The moves came after four rounds of talks between the embattled president and three opposition leaders. The laws severely curtailed freedom of assembly, with critics suggesting they in effect ushered in a dictatorship.
"We revoked the laws against which all the country has revolted," Arseniy Yatseniuk, a prominent opposition leader, said after the parliamentary vote. He called on Yanukovych to immediately sign the repeal of the legislation into law.
The street revolt against Yanukovych erupted in November after he reneged on free trade and political integration pacts with the EU, turning to Moscow which offered him $15bn (£11bn) in loans and reduced energy prices.
While Van Rompuy and the EU commission president, Jose Manuel Barroso, stressed yesterday there was no contradiction between Ukraine's agreements with Brussels and Moscow, Putin made plain that his deal with Yanukovych was incompatible with Kiev's signing up to the EU's offers.
"We would most likely fail to maintain the preferential agreements with Ukraine if it signs the [EU] association agreement," he said. He added that Moscow's deal with Kiev did not depend on the shape of the new government to be formed, but stressed that the Kremlin would need to make sure it would be able to recoup the loans.
"We can't pretend that everything's all right when it's not allright," said Barroso.
The Russians and the Europeans agreed to set up a working group of experts to discuss the detail of the agreements being offered to Kiev by Brussels. That appeared to be a concession to Moscow since it was an early demand by Yanukovych rejected by the EU in November.
Azarov, who has described protesters as "terrorists", had offered his resignation. He said he hoped the move would help achieve a peaceful resolution to the crisis that has gripped the country for more than two months.
"The conflict situation which has come about in the country is threatening the economic and social development of Ukraine, creating a threat to the whole of Ukrainian society and to each citizen," he said.
The opposition responded cautiously, saying it was unclear who would replace him.
A former Ukrainian foreign ministry official said the Kremlin was exerting huge pressure on Yanukovych behind the scenes, urging him to deal more harshly with anti-government protesters. "Ukraine is out of money. If Russia stops financing Yanukovych, he will be unable to pay his loyal supporters," the official said.
It was Yanukovych's decision to accept Russian money – and to reject a partnership agreement with the European Union – that first prompted massive pro-European street demonstrations two months ago. Radical groups have since joined the protests, which have resulted in violent clashes, at least four civilians killed and parts of central Kiev transformed into a battle zone. Dozens of activists have been arrested and several prominent leaders have disappeared. Over the weekend the government mooted the idea of imposing a state of emergency.
On Tuesday, opposition leaders said they would not abandon their uprising until their main demands were met. The demands include Yanukovych's resignation, fresh presidential elections, and an amnesty for those rounded up by police in street protests.
"It's not a victory. It's just a step towards victory," Vitali Klitschko, leader of the UDAR party and former world boxing champion, said of Azarov's resignation. Klitschko also reaffirmed his wish not to work in a new cabinet. Yatseniuk had earlier turned down an offer by Yanukovych to become prime minister. "Under no circumstances will I ever agree to work in Yanukovych's government," Klitschko said, adding that a change of prime minister would not change the government system, which needed "to get a restart".
Pro-Yanukovych politicians did not support the sacking of Azarov, who has been head of the government since 2010 when Yanukovych took power. "This will lead to additional destabilisation in the country," said Oleg Tsariov, of the ruling Party of Regions.
Parliament was due to vote late on Tuesday on an amnesty for hundreds of arrested protesters. Yanukovych sought to tie the amnesty to opposition pledges that the protest would be called off. It seems unlikely that the decisions would placate the tens of thousands of protesters and prompt them to leave the streets and destroy dozens of barricades that protect the Kiev protest camp, now known as Euromaidan (Eurosquare), from thousands of police. "I'm sure our fight will go on," said Klitschko.
The leaders of four central European EU countries bordering Ukraine are to meet in Budapest on Wednesday to discuss the crisis.
UkraineEuropeRussiaVladimir PutinEuropean UnionViktor YanukovychIan TraynorOksana Grytsenkotheguardian.com © 2014 Guardian News and Media Limited or its affiliated companies. All rights reserved. | Use of this content is subject to our Terms & Conditions | More Feeds