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8. April 2017, 21:58

European Parliament meets on Greek debt crisis

The Greek debt crisis topped the agenda today at a meeting of the European Parliament in Strausbourg. European Council President Donald Tusk told MEPs that Greece faces insolvency if Athens and its creditors fail to reach a deal: “There’s now a race against time. Our inability to find an agreement may lead to the bankruptcy of Greece. We have only four days left to find an ultimate agreement. I have to say loud and clear that the final deadline ends this week.” European Economy Minister Pierre Moscovici has said the future of the euro is at stake in the talks between Athens and its lenders. Eurozone members have given Greece until the end of the week to come up with fresh proposals for reforms in return for loans which will keep Athens inside the single currency union. The European Council and Commission have called a summit meeting of EU leaders for this Sunday to discuss the next moves in confronting the Greek debt crisis. Also speaking this morning to the European Parliament was Greek Prime Minister Alexis Tsipras. He said his efforts to secure a fair agreement were affirmed in last weekend’s referendum in which over 60 percent of Greeks rejected IMF and EU demands for more austerity: “We have been given a mandate to get a socially just solution to the Greek problem without repeating the mistakes of the past which condemned the Greek economy to a period of never-ending austerity; this was a courageous choice by the Greek people.” Following the Greek leader’s speech, it was announced that Greece has requested a new bailout from the European Union, the IMF and the ECB.

Merkel visits the Balkans

German Chancellor Angela Merkel begins a tour of the Balkans today. The trip will take her to Albania, Serbia and Bosnia-Herzegovina. All three countries are seeking membership in the European Union.

Memorial march begins in Bosnia

In Bosnia-Herzegovina, a march has begun from Sarajevo which will end on Friday in the town of Srebrenica. The event is commemorating the massacre of up to 8,000 Muslim men and boys by Bosnian Serb forces in July of 1995 during the final months of the Bosnian war.

Afghan peace talks take a break

Afghanistan’s government and Taliban rebels have concluded peace talks in Pakistan. They say they will resume talks following the Muslim fasting month of Ramadan. It is the first time the two sides have publicly admitted they are negotiating with each other. Officials from China and the United States also attended the talks as observers.

Wildfires in Canada

In western Canadian, soldiers have arrived to help fight wildfires in the province of Saskatchewan. 10,000 people have been evacuated in recent days because of the fire.

The weather

The heatwave ends today. The afternoon will be cloudy with rain and thunderstorms.Afternoon high temperatures are expected to drop to between 15 and 23 degrees.

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