Greece: Act II of Greece’s debt tragedy
17 Jul 2015
On Friday, Greece asked for 53.5 billion euros to help cover its debts until 2018, a review of primary surplus targets and ‘re-profiling’ the country’s long-term debt. Greece’s future is in the hands of the European Central Bank, the International Monetary Fund and the European Commission, France and Germany. With Greece and Germany at loggerheads, France has found itself caught in the middle. The country’s role is a pivotal one; it must help them to look beyond their past disputes. Germany’s Chancellor Angela Merkel is in a tricky situation. She can’t ignore the fact that most German politicians and a portion of the public are tired of hearing about Greece. The International Monetary Fund has been unpredictable since Christine Lagarde took over in 2011, its interests sometimes aligning with Greece, at other times with its creditors. Some have questioned whether the Greek debt crisis has undermined the European Commission instead of reinforcing its role at the heart of Europe’s institutions.
A French ‘cleantech’ company will study the possibility of installing marine turbines on the seabed in British waters off Gibraltar. The Gibraltar government has signed a memorandum of understanding with Blue Shark Power, a company that is developing patented technology for the manufacture of high power marine renewable energy turbines. Gibraltar’s Minister for the Environment said, ‘The sea provides a vast source of potential energy resources and as renewable energy technology develops, investments in ocean energy are likely to grow. Given our unique and strategic location within the Strait, it is only right that Gibraltar forms part of the global drive to harness our oceans. This agreement is the first step in what could be one of Gibraltar’s major renewable energy sources in future.’ Initial surveys are expected to commence in autumn this year, in different areas of British Gibraltar Territorial Waters.
Germany: Merkel summons US envoy over spy claims
17 Jul 2015
‘We confirm that US ambassador John Emerson was invited to the chancellery to talk’, a German government source told AFP. New documents released by WikiLeaks show that the United States did not just tap German Chancellor Angela Merkel's phone but also eavesdropped on several ministers in the ministries of finance, economy and agriculture. WikiLeaks revealed a list of 69 phone numbers that were targeted, belonging to ministers and senior officials dating back to 2010 and 2012. Current Economy Minister and Vice Chancellor Sigmar Gabriel was among those spied on by the NSA. Merkel herself phoned US President Barack Obama over the revelations and in public told Germany's traditional post-war ally and NATO partner that ‘spying between friends just isn't on’.
The man being held in France under suspicion of beheading his boss and trying to blow up a chemicals plant has told investigators there was no religious motivation behind the attack, according to a source close to the inquiry. Yassin Salhi told investigators he was not a jihadist and repeated earlier statements that he committed the act outside the southeast city of Lyon on Friday after a row with his wife the day before and his boss a few days earlier. Examination of one of Salhi's phones revealed he had taken a picture of himself with the severed head before his arrest and sent the image to a number belonging to a French national last traced to the Islamic State stronghold of Raqqa in Syria. Friday's attack stirred new security fears in France. Prime Minister Manuel Valls said the threat facing France, a member of the international coalition fighting Islamic State in Iraq, has never been greater.
The Finnish foreign ministry has barred six Russian officials, including the speaker of parliament's Duma lower house Sergei Naryshkin, from attending an Organisation for Security and Co-operation in Europe (OSCE) meeting in Helsinki on 5-9 July. It is the first time Naryshkin, one of the most prominent of 150 Russians and Ukrainians placed on an EU blacklist over their role in the Ukraine crisis, has been barred from entering the EU. The OSCE meeting is commemorating the 40th anniversary of the Helsinki accords, which improved relations between eastern and western Europe. ‘Finland has concluded, after thorough consultations and analysis, that the grounds for making the exemption for the entry into Finland of the persons that are on the EU Council's sanction list are not applicable,’ said the chief legal counsel for the Finnish foreign ministry. Naryshkin is on the blacklist because he publicly supported the deployment of Russian forces in Ukraine.
Top ministers from the Faroe Islands and Greenland want to renegotiate their countries’ rights to act independently of Denmark when it comes to fishing. They plan to discuss this issue with the newly-appointed Danish Prime Minister, Lars Løkke Rasmussen, at the summer’s national assembly. Currently, Denmark represents all three countries in international negotiations about fishing quotas. Due to climate change, the oceans are getting warmer and large shoals of fish are streaming north, seeking colder waters. In the Faroe Islands and Greenland fishing is the main industry and the two countries want to increase the amount of fish they are allowed to catch. However, the same goes for other European as well as Asian countries, who all want to get their share in the new big fishing areas in the North Atlantic and eventually, as the ice melts, near the North Pole.
‘The best defence against a possible surprise attack by Russia would be NATO units already based in countries on a scale sufficient to prevent Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania from being overrun’, writes Martin Hurt, Deputy Director of International Centre of Defence and Security (ICDS). After the occupation of Crimea in 2014, NATO ramped up its military presence in new member states, including Estonia. The first deployments were a temporary measures, intended to reassure the population and show Moscow that the alliance looks out for its members. The objective was not to increase deterrence in countries bordering on Russia (the forces deployed are too small to do that). He says, ‘The recently stated intention to stockpile a brigade’s-worth of equipment in six Central and Eastern European countries is a positive step toward increasing NATO’s credibility.’
Denmark: New Age doors opening to Jesus
17 Jul 2015
A Danish pastor tended to confront head-on the growing number of New Age adherents and seekers in his country, without much success. Despite his obvious heart for the lost he was met by suspicion, mistrust, and closed doors. Then he changed his approach. ‘What I’ve learned is the need to move from a more defensive or even hostile attitude towards New Agers and new spiritual seekers, to dialogue and most of all, presence in their setting.’ He meets them on their terms and on their turf and has learned to speak their language as he presents the truth of the gospel, with uncommon compassion. This month his ministry ‘In the Master’s Light’ celebrates twenty years of outreach and bridge building. Pastor Madsen and his co-workers are regulars at New Age fairs, engaging and praying for seekers. They also offer accessible YouTube videos and other social media touchpoints.