Today in the News:
– Cyprus scraps bank levy in new plan
– Rockets hit Israel as Obama meets Palestinians
– Sanjay Dutt: Bollywood actor sent back to jail for 1993 Mumbai blasts
Political leaders in Cyprus have dropped an unpopular levy on bank deposits in a new bailout plan, while banks remain closed until next week Tuesday, to prevent mass withdrawals. Cyprus is required to find $9bn in order to get a 10bn-euro EU-IMF loan, but there are no exact details yet on what new proposals Cyprus has for finding that money. I swear these numbers keep changing everytime I read the news. The European Central Bank has warned it may halt emergency funding on Monday if Cyprus fails to come up with a viable rescue plan by then. It is not yet clear if the new plan will be ready to be put to a parliamentary vote on Thursday. Something about a solidarity fund, with state assets, which would be used for an emergency bond issue. Hmmmm stay tuned for more updates.
U.S. President Barack Obama is meeting Palestinian officials on the second day of his Mideast tour to emphasize the importance of reaching an Israeli-Palestinian peace deal, a message apparently misunderstood, as Palestinian militants in Gaza launched rockets into southern Israel. Obama headed to the West Bank to tell the Palestinians that the creation of a Palestinian state remains a priority for his administration. He is not bringing a new plan to relaunch peace talks, but in meetings with Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas and a speech to Israeli students later in the day, he will appeal to both sides to stop doing things that make negotiations more difficult, I think rocket launching would fall into that category.
India’s Supreme Court has ruled that Bollywood actor Sanjay Dutt must return to prison for his connection with the 1993 Mumbai blasts. The actor has been on bail since 2007 when he appealed against his original sentence of six years. On Thursday, the Supreme Court reduced it to five years. Dutt was convicted in 2006 of buying weapons from bombers who attacked Mumbai. He spent 20 months in jail. The serial bombings killed 257 people and wounded 713 others. Dutt, one of Bollywood’s most bankable stars, is hugely popular for his role of a loveable gangster in Munnabhai movies. He has also dabbled in politics. Dutt, the most high-profile among the convicts, was originally charged with five offences, including criminal conspiracy and possession of illegal weapons. The trial court had found him guilty of illegally possessing a rifle and a pistol but cleared him of conspiracy.
Today in the News:
– Cyprus scraps bank levy in new plan
– Rockets hit Israel as Obama meets Palestinians
– Sanjay Dutt: Bollywood actor sent back to jail for 1993 Mumbai blasts
Political leaders in Cyprus have dropped an unpopular levy on bank deposits in a new bailout plan, while banks remain closed until next week Tuesday, to prevent mass withdrawals. Cyprus is required to find $9bn in order to get a 10bn-euro EU-IMF loan, but there are no exact details yet on what new proposals Cyprus has for finding that money. I swear these numbers keep changing everytime I read the news. The European Central Bank has warned it may halt emergency funding on Monday if Cyprus fails to come up with a viable rescue plan by then. It is not yet clear if the new plan will be ready to be put to a parliamentary vote on Thursday. Something about a solidarity fund, with state assets, which would be used for an emergency bond issue. Hmmmm stay tuned for more updates.
U.S. President Barack Obama is meeting Palestinian officials on the second day of his Mideast tour to emphasize the importance of reaching an Israeli-Palestinian peace deal, a message apparently misunderstood, as Palestinian militants in Gaza launched rockets into southern Israel. Obama headed to the West Bank to tell the Palestinians that the creation of a Palestinian state remains a priority for his administration. He is not bringing a new plan to relaunch peace talks, but in meetings with Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas and a speech to Israeli students later in the day, he will appeal to both sides to stop doing things that make negotiations more difficult, I think rocket launching would fall into that category.
India’s Supreme Court has ruled that Bollywood actor Sanjay Dutt must return to prison for his connection with the 1993 Mumbai blasts. The actor has been on bail since 2007 when he appealed against his original sentence of six years. On Thursday, the Supreme Court reduced it to five years. Dutt was convicted in 2006 of buying weapons from bombers who attacked Mumbai. He spent 20 months in jail. The serial bombings killed 257 people and wounded 713 others. Dutt, one of Bollywood’s most bankable stars, is hugely popular for his role of a loveable gangster in Munnabhai movies. He has also dabbled in politics. Dutt, the most high-profile among the convicts, was originally charged with five offences, including criminal conspiracy and possession of illegal weapons. The trial court had found him guilty of illegally possessing a rifle and a pistol but cleared him of conspiracy.