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Voice of America News: Europe

Europe - Voice of America Thu, 17 May 2012 09:24:10 +0200 Debate: How To Fix The Economy French and Greek voters, angered by austerity efforts, are the latest to push European governments out of power.   Although cuts in government spending and services are deeply unpopular and cause economic problems, those who favor austerity say government budget deficits are worse.  Economic experts are debating both sides of the issue. Austerity measures angered many Greeks, including some who threw gasoline bombs and rocks at police.   They protested plans to cut ... Wed, 16 May 2012 20:42:32 -0400 France Unveils New Cabinet; Half Are Women New French President Francois Hollande is putting the pieces in place to forge ahead with "a new path" for the European economic power.   Aides announced Wednesday the formation of the new French Cabinet, one day after the Socialist politician was sworn in as president during a rain-soaked ceremony in Paris. The new assignments include former Socialist prime minister Laurent Fabius as foreign minister and Pierre Moscovici as finance minister. Moscovici is a ... Wed, 16 May 2012 17:07:58 -0400 Moscow 'Occupy' Camp Shut Down MOSCOW - Police dispersed opposition activists camping out in a park in central Moscow Wednesday, acting on a court order issued a day earlier. Police arrived at the park, located in the capital’s Chistiye Prudy district, around 5:30 a.m., hours ahead of the noon deadline cited in Tuesday’s court order. A district court issued the ruling after several local residents filed a suit demanding the activists be evicted. The camp was set up after a May 6 protest against President Vladimir ... Wed, 16 May 2012 15:03:45 -0400 Turkey Flexes Muscles Before NATO Summit ISTANBUL - A last-minute deal has cleared away a dispute over the attendance of senior European Union officials at the NATO summit opening in Chicago Sunday.  Analysts saw the dispute as an example of Turkey flexing its growing diplomatic muscle within the military alliance. With only days to go before the NATO summit, the president of the European Commission, Jose Manuel Barroso, and the head of European Council, Herman Van Rompuy, finally received an official invitation to attend. ... Wed, 16 May 2012 14:58:59 -0400 Indonesia Predicts Slow Probe of Crashed Russian Jetliner Indonesia says it could take as long as a year to analyze equipment and flight data recovered from the crash site of a Russian jetliner that slammed into the side of a volcano last week near Jakarta, killing all 45 people on board. Aviation authorities, quoted in Indonesian media Wednesday, said the crash probe will at a minimum take four months - in part to ensure reliable results.  National Transportation Safety Committee chief Tatang Kurniadi also told the Jakarta Globe newspaper ... Wed, 16 May 2012 13:54:33 -0400 Europe Prepares for Dressing Down at G8 LONDON - With eyes firmly focused on the eurozone's debt crisis and its threat to global recovery, leaders of the Group of Eight (G8) major industrialized nations are preparing to meet Friday at Camp David, near Washington.  European Union leaders are unlikely to get much sympathy for their present economic predicament. It is Europe’s G8 members, notably France and Germany, who will face the scrutiny of fellow leaders at Camp David. With full military honors, Francois ... Wed, 16 May 2012 13:31:52 -0400 Afghanistan Top Agenda Item at NATO Chicago Summit Afghanistan will be at the top of the agenda when heads of state and government from the 28-member North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) meet in Chicago Sunday and Monday. NATO has been operating in Afghanistan since 2003, leading a 130,000 member United Nations-mandated contingent known as the “International Security Assistance Force,” or ISAF.  ISAF’s main goal has been to help Afghan authorities provide security and stability in order to create conditions for the country’s ... Wed, 16 May 2012 12:54:35 -0400 Greece Appoints Caretaker PM, Sets Date for New Elections Greece has sworn in a senior judge as the country's new caretaker prime minister. Council of State head Panagiotis Pikrammenos was appointed Wednesday after major political parties failed to form a coalition government following several attempts to broker a deal. The 67-year-old Mr. Pikrammenos will be tasked with organizing the country's repeat elections scheduled for June 17. Analysts say the new elections, like those held earlier this month, are also likely to produce ... Wed, 16 May 2012 11:27:06 -0400 Mladic Goes on Trial for War Crimes PARIS, France - War crimes tribunals in The Hague are hearing cases against former Bosnian-Serb military commander Ratko Mladic and former Liberian president Charles Taylor. ​​Two decades after the start of Bosnia-Herzegovina's civil war, Ratko Mladic -- the man accused of some of its worst atrocities -- went on trial Wednesday in The Hague.   Mladic's trial started with opening arguments by the prosecution. The former Bosnian-Serb general faces 11 counts of war crimes, ... Wed, 16 May 2012 05:48:16 -0400 Europe's Economic Woes Shadow G8 Summit ​​The leaders of the Group of Eight major economies plan to address Africa's food security when they meet at a mountain retreat near Washington, DC this week.  But, Europe's economic situation will demand much of the group's attention.   The European debt crisis, and its possible effects on the world economy, will be on the minds of the G8 leaders when they meet at the Camp David presidential retreat in Maryland. French President Francois Hollande will be among ... Tue, 15 May 2012 20:42:43 -0400