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BBC News - Home         Afghans protest at Koran burning February 22, 2012 at 3:54 PM   22 February 2012 Last updated at 01:43 ET Anti-American demonstrations are under way in the Afghan cities of Kabul and Jalalabad over the burning of copies of the Koran by Nato troops. Shots have been fired in Kabul, where protesters have gathered outside a US military base. On Tuesday, the US commander in Afghanistan, Gen John Allen, apologised after soldiers put copies of the Koran in an incinerator at Bagram airbase. The charred remains of the books were found by local labourers. One person was wounded and five detained after troops at Bagram fired rubber bullets at protests on Tuesday. Reports suggest the Korans were seized because soldiers at the base believed Taliban prisoners were using the books to send messages. US Defence Secretary Leon Panetta said he and Gen Allen apologised to the Afghan people "and disapprove of such conduct in the strongest possible terms". Hundreds of people have gathered outside a military base on the main road linking Kabul and Jalalabad to the east, closing the main trade route, a Kabul police spokesman told the Associated Press. The US embassy in Kabul has tweeted that it is on lockdown and all travel is suspended.         Fox calling for business tax cuts February 22, 2012 at 12:49 PM   21 February 2012 Last updated at 23:49 ET Liam Fox said it was wrong that employment rights should remain untouched Liam Fox has called on Chancellor George Osborne to ease the tax burden on business in next month's Budget. The former defence secretary also wants changes to the labour market to make it easier to hire and fire employees. Writing in the Financial Times, Mr Fox argued for further public spending cuts to fund employment tax reductions. It is Mr Fox's first major political intervention since he left the cabinet four months ago over his working relationship with friend Adam Werritty. His call comes as business group the CBI has separately urged the government to give a £500m boost to business in the 21 March Budget, through a series of "targeted and modest" tax cuts. In its submission to the Treasury, the CBI called on the chancellor to deliver "Plan A plus" to bolster growth and investment. In the FT, Mr Fox said it was "intellectually unsustainable" that employment rights should stay untouched in the current economic climate. In his most significant foray into front-line politics since his resignation last October, he called for employers' national insurance contributions to be cut across the board. 'Clearly cyclical' Mr Fox wrote: "To restore competitiveness we must begin by deregulating the labour market. Political objections must be overridden. "It is too difficult to hire and fire, and too expensive to take on new employees. "It is intellectually unsustainable to believe that workplace rights should remain untouchable while output and employment are clearly cyclical." He added: "There is a strong argument for further public spending reductions - not to fund a faster reduction in the deficit, but to reduce taxes on employment. "Although the coalition agreement may require the chancellor to raise personal tax allowances, he should use the proceeds of spending reductions to cut employers' national insurance contributions across the board. "If that is deemed impossible, he should consider targeting such tax cuts on the employment of 16 to 24-year-olds, making them more attractive to employers." BBC political correspondent Iain Watson says Mr Fox has gone on the attack - ostensibly his message is aimed at those on the left who oppose further deregulation of the labour market. But he is also issuing a rallying cry for Conservative MPs, particularly those on the right of the party, who want the chancellor to cut business taxes in the Budget, our correspondent adds. 'Plan A plus' CBI director general John Cridland said of its call: "The chancellor must use this Budget to score the growth and investment policy goals he put forward in his Autumn Statement. "With our economy firmly under the international spotlight, there is no time to lose: Plan A plus must become a reality." On Sunday, shadow chancellor Ed Balls called for "decisive action" to boost economic growth and offered suggestions for tax cuts in the Budget. Mr Balls' ideas include a VAT cut, a 3p income tax cut for a year, bringing forward the planned personal allowance rise to £10,000 and higher tax credits. No tax cut could mean "a permanent dent in our nation's prosperity", he said. The Conservatives responded by saying excessive borrowing and debt under Labour had led to the current financial mess.         New Zealand remembers quake dead February 22, 2012 at 11:06 AM   21 February 2012 Last updated at 12:41 ET Continue reading the main story CLICKABLE Residents of the New Zealand city of Christchurch are set to mark the first anniversary of the 6.3 magnitude earthquake that killed 185 people. Memorial services are to be held across the country - in Auckland, Waimakariri, Selwyn, Wanganui and Wellington. The quake is considered the country's worst natural disaster in 80 years. A special cemetery for victims of the quake - Avonhead Park Cemetery - was officially dedicated on Tuesday, with hundreds gathered for the unveiling. Those in attendance included Prime Minister John Key, Governor-General Sir Jerry Mateparae and Christchurch Mayor Bob Parker. Thousands of people are expected to attend a memorial service in the city on Wednesday. The earthquake hit at 12:51 local time on 22 February 2011. Six months before that, the region was also hit by a 7.1 magnitude quake, but that did not cause major destruction. Christchurch has experienced at least 10,000 tremors since the September 2010 quake. Major quakes also struck the city in June and December last year. Rebuilding efforts Ahead of the anniversary, Christchurch Mayor Bob Parker told the BBC that "the big task of rebuilding is just getting under way now". Please turn on JavaScript. Media requires JavaScript to play. Christchurch Mayor Bob Parker: "I am amazed at the progress we have been able to make" "It has been a massive job and continues to be so," he said of recovery efforts. Immediately after the quake, it was believed that up to 10,000 homes would have to be demolished and 100,000 would need repairs. "In terms of where we have got to so far, there are many thousands of residential homes that needed to be examined," Mr Parker said. "New areas for residential growth opened up because we realised that some pieces of land were no longer suitable for people to live in. They were just unable to be strengthened in the appropriate way and we want to be the safest city in the world. "So any decisions that we make have to be well-judged decisions around the safety of land and the safety of buildings." The quake did not spare historic buildings like Christchurch Cathedral Almost two-thirds of the deaths during the quake happened when the six-story Canterbury Television (CTV) building collapsed. Those killed included people of many different nationalities because there was a language school in the building. An official report from the Department of Building and Housing released on 9 February stated that it did not meet requirements when it was built in 1986. The load-bearing columns were not sufficiently reinforced with steel, it said. After the quake struck, it was thought that people would start leaving New Zealand's second-largest city. According to Mr Parker, only 10,000 of the base population of 500,000 have actually left. He sees this as "the greatest vote of confidence". The city is now recruiting thousands of skilled workers to fuel its NZ$30bn ($24.4bn) rebuilding effort.         Government contractor fraud probe February 22, 2012 at 9:27 AM   21 February 2012 Last updated at 18:53 ET Four people have been arrested on suspicion of fraud at government contractor A4e, police have confirmed. Two women, aged 28 and 49, and two men, aged 35 and 41, were arrested last month and bailed until mid-March. A4e, which is based in Slough, Berkshire, has millions of pounds worth of government contracts for welfare-to-work schemes. The company said the alleged fraud dated back to 2010 and was uncovered by its own internal investigations. A4e said it was co-operating fully with the police. Thames Valley Police visited the company's offices as part of the investigation on Friday. On Monday, Margaret Hodge, Labour chairwoman of the Public Accounts Committee, called on the government to suspend its welfare-to-work contracts with A4e until the investigation was complete.         Adele gesture sours Brits success February 22, 2012 at 9:03 AM   20 February 2012 Last updated at 20:17 ET Sheeran (l) and Adele are both nominated in the best album category Ed Sheeran is in the running for four awards at the 32nd Brits later, while Adele - fresh from winning six Grammys - and Jessie J are up for three each. Sheeran, 21, is up for best male, breakthrough act, best single for The A Team, and best album for his record +. Adele, who has said last year's rendition of Someone Like You "kick-started my album into what it's become", will perform again. Blur will pick up a lifetime achievement prize at the O2 Arena. Speaking at the Brit nominations announcement last month, Sheeran tipped Adele to win best British album. "This exact time last year, I was signing my record deal," he said at the time. "So I think it's been a good year." Adele is odds-on favourite with bookmakers to win best British album, going up against Sheeran's +, Coldplay's Mylo Xyloto, Florence & The Machine's Ceremonials and PJ Harvey's Let England Shake. Sheeran competes with rapper Professor Green, James Blake, James Morrison and Noel Gallagher for best male. Adele is also odds-on favourite to beat Jessie J, Florence & The Machine, Kate Bush and Laura Marling to be named best female. But for best single - voted for by listeners of Capital FM - bookmakers suggest One Direction's What Makes You Beautiful will beat Adele's Someone Like You. Adele will perform for the second time since recovering from throat surgery. Jessie J is up for three awards this year, including best female She made her comeback performance at last weekend's Grammys, performing her song Rolling in the Deep. Picking up album of the year, for 21, she said it had been "inspired by something that is really normal and everyone's been through it, just a rubbish relationship". "It's gone on to do things I can't tell you how I feel about it. It's been the most life-changing year." Lifetime achievement winners Blur will perform at Tuesday's awards. Singer Damon Albarn and guitarist Graham Coxon performed a three-track warm-up set on Sunday in a concert at London's Shepherd's Bush Empire in aid of the War Child charity. Sheeran headlined the concert and was joined on stage by fellow best single contender Example, who performed his nominated track Changed The Way You Kissed Me. Comic actor James Corden will host the Brits for the second time, 12 months on from his debut outing in the role.         Adele cut short at Brits triumph February 22, 2012 at 9:03 AM   20 February 2012 Last updated at 20:17 ET Sheeran (l) and Adele are both nominated in the best album category Ed Sheeran is in the running for four awards at the 32nd Brits later, while Adele - fresh from winning six Grammys - and Jessie J are up for three each. Sheeran, 21, is up for best male, breakthrough act, best single for The A Team, and best album for his record +. Adele, who has said last year's rendition of Someone Like You "kick-started my album into what it's become", will perform again. Blur will pick up a lifetime achievement prize at the O2 Arena. Speaking at the Brit nominations announcement last month, Sheeran tipped Adele to win best British album. "This exact time last year, I was signing my record deal," he said at the time. "So I think it's been a good year." Adele is odds-on favourite with bookmakers to win best British album, going up against Sheeran's +, Coldplay's Mylo Xyloto, Florence & The Machine's Ceremonials and PJ Harvey's Let England Shake. Sheeran competes with rapper Professor Green, James Blake, James Morrison and Noel Gallagher for best male. Adele is also odds-on favourite to beat Jessie J, Florence & The Machine, Kate Bush and Laura Marling to be named best female. But for best single - voted for by listeners of Capital FM - bookmakers suggest One Direction's What Makes You Beautiful will beat Adele's Someone Like You. Adele will perform for the second time since recovering from throat surgery. Jessie J is up for three awards this year, including best female She made her comeback performance at last weekend's Grammys, performing her song Rolling in the Deep. Picking up album of the year, for 21, she said it had been "inspired by something that is really normal and everyone's been through it, just a rubbish relationship". "It's gone on to do things I can't tell you how I feel about it. It's been the most life-changing year." Lifetime achievement winners Blur will perform at Tuesday's awards. Singer Damon Albarn and guitarist Graham Coxon performed a three-track warm-up set on Sunday in a concert at London's Shepherd's Bush Empire in aid of the War Child charity. Sheeran headlined the concert and was joined on stage by fellow best single contender Example, who performed his nominated track Changed The Way You Kissed Me. Comic actor James Corden will host the Brits for the second time, 12 months on from his debut outing in the role.         Arrests at government contractor February 22, 2012 at 8:59 AM   21 February 2012 Last updated at 18:53 ET Four people have been arrested on suspicion of fraud at government contractor A4e, police have confirmed. Two women, aged 28 and 49, and two men, aged 35 and 41, were arrested last month and bailed until mid-March. A4e, which is based in Slough, Berkshire, has millions of pounds worth of government contracts for welfare-to-work schemes. The company said the alleged fraud dated back to 2010 and was uncovered by its own internal investigations. A4e said it was co-operating fully with the police. Thames Valley Police visited the company's offices as part of the investigation on Friday. On Monday, Margaret Hodge, Labour chairwoman of the Public Accounts Committee, called on the government to suspend its welfare-to-work contracts with A4e until the investigation was complete.         US backs Red Cross call for Syria February 22, 2012 at 6:46 AM   21 February 2012 Last updated at 15:24 ET Activists in Homs say government troops have stepped up their bombardment Continue reading the main story Sliding into civil war? Complex and bloody drama Homs maps and videos Army under pressure The US has backed calls by the Red Cross for a humanitarian ceasefire in Syria to allow aid to reach the worst affected areas. The White House said "reprehensible actions" by the Syrian government meant basic supplies were "very scarce". The Red Cross says it is negotiating with both sides for a daily truce of at least two hours. Meanwhile, Syrian activists say 80 people have been killed in the latest clashes, mainly in northern Syria. Witnesses say Syrian forces loyal to President Bashar al-Assad have also intensified their attacks on rebel-held areas of the restive city of Homs. Responding to the Red Cross appeal, White House spokesman Jay Carney said: "The fact is, the reprehensible actions taken by the Assad regime, the brutal violence perpetrated by the Syrian leader against his own people has led us to this situation where humanitarian supplies are very scare, and therefore action needs to be taken. "So we would certainly support the calls for those kinds of ceasefires." US State Department spokesman Victoria Nuland said Washington wanted the violence to stop completely. "If a pause is the best we can do, then we obviously want to get humanitarian aid and we want international organisations to be able to get humanitarian aid to those who are suffering from Assad's onslaught." Bombardment Asked about the possibility of arming the rebels, Ms Nuland said: "We don't believe that it makes sense to contribute now to the further militarisation of Syria. "That said... if we can't get Assad to yield to the pressure that we are all bringing to bear, we may have to consider additional measures." Syrian opposition activists said at least 45 people died during a heavy bombardment of Homs on Tuesday and dozens more were killed when government forces attacked villages in Idlib province. Violence was also reported in the suburbs of Damascus. Opposition groups says the army is reinforcing its presence around Homs in preparation for a ground assault that rights groups have warned could turn into a massacre. But the BBC's Jim Muir, monitoring events from neighbouring Lebanon, says it is unclear if the bombardment is the precursor to a ground assault. World and Arab leaders are due to meet in Tunisia on Friday to discuss Syria's future. But Russia, a key ally of the regime, says it will not attend the "Friends of Syria" meeting because the Syrian government would not be represented. Russia and China have faced Western and Arab criticism for blocking a UN Security Council resolution that would have backed an Arab League peace plan for Syria. Mr Assad has been trying to quell unrest for several months. Unarmed protesters are now being backed by rebel fighters who have defected from government forces and call themselves the Free Syrian Army.         Olympic tickets chance for 20,000 February 22, 2012 at 6:40 AM   21 February 2012 Last updated at 17:40 ET By James Pearce BBC sports news correspondent The Games organisers have been criticised by some for a perceived lack of transparency about ticketing Tickets for some of the most popular London 2012 events are to be made available for 20,000 people who were mistakenly told they had tickets. They will be given an exclusive 24-hour window to buy some of the final million tickets when they go on sale in April. They were told they had secured tickets during the second round sales, only to learn days later that they had not. They will be able to choose from sessions such as the opening ceremony and the men's 100m final. It has yet to be decided if those 20,000 people will be able to buy two or four tickets each. Tickets will be sold on a first come, first served basis. A day later the process will be opened up to the 1.2 million people who originally applied for tickets and have so far been unsuccessful. London 2012's policy will be greeted with delight by the lucky 20,000 and also by many of those who will be entitled to purchase tickets after that first 24-hour period. However, there will be anger amongst many of those who settled for what they will consider lesser events, unaware that this would deny them the chance to get hold of tickets for the most popular sessions at a later date. For example, somebody who applied for a number of different events in the first ballot, but was only successful in obtaining tickets to a football match for which there was little demand, has been shut out from the remainder of the ticketing process. It is only after the remaining tickets have been on sale for a week that those who already have tickets will be able to buy more. By this stage it is likely that there will be tickets only for football remaining. Those who did not apply at all in the first ballot will also be excluded for the first week of sales. Ticketmaster, the company which runs the London 2012 ticketing site, has had a number of technical problems since tickets went on sale last April. The sports on sale will be staggered throughout the week in order to reduce the strain on the website once it has been opened up to the 1.2 million people. Between five and eight different sports will be made available each day. No customer will be able to purchase tickets to more than one session. The Games organisers have come in for heavy criticism for refusing to be more transparent about the ticketing process but insist they will provide a complete breakdown once the process is completed - although they have refused to comment on when this will be. Games organiser Locog has said 75% of the 8.8 million Olympic tickets would go on general sale to the British public, but it has not clarified how many were made available for showcase events. Continue reading the main story Olympic ticket allocations: 75% - General sale in GB 12.5% - International sale through National Olympic Committees 8% - Sponsors/stakeholders 4% - hospitality providers More than half of the 1.9 million British people who applied for tickets in the first public ballot opted for the evening athletics session on 5 August, which includes the men's 100m final and the women's 400m final. More than two million applied for seats at the opening ceremony. Locog has said some 29,000 tickets out of a total 80,000 (36%) were being made available to the public for these events. Locog's chief executive, Paul Deighton, has previously said only 30-40% of tickets to the opening ceremony would be sold through the application process, with just as many tickets available at £20.12 as at £2,012. But with seven million tickets sold so far, such breakdowns have not been provided for other major events, such as the track cycling, for which tickets are highly prized due to a combination of strong British medal prospects and the Velodrome's limited 6,000-seat capacity.         Adele on song at the Brit Awards February 22, 2012 at 6:03 AM   20 February 2012 Last updated at 20:17 ET Sheeran (l) and Adele are both nominated in the best album category Ed Sheeran is in the running for four awards at the 32nd Brits later, while Adele - fresh from winning six Grammys - and Jessie J are up for three each. Sheeran, 21, is up for best male, breakthrough act, best single for The A Team, and best album for his record +. Adele, who has said last year's rendition of Someone Like You "kick-started my album into what it's become", will perform again. Blur will pick up a lifetime achievement prize at the O2 Arena. Speaking at the Brit nominations announcement last month, Sheeran tipped Adele to win best British album. "This exact time last year, I was signing my record deal," he said at the time. "So I think it's been a good year." Adele is odds-on favourite with bookmakers to win best British album, going up against Sheeran's +, Coldplay's Mylo Xyloto, Florence & The Machine's Ceremonials and PJ Harvey's Let England Shake. Sheeran competes with rapper Professor Green, James Blake, James Morrison and Noel Gallagher for best male. Adele is also odds-on favourite to beat Jessie J, Florence & The Machine, Kate Bush and Laura Marling to be named best female. But for best single - voted for by listeners of Capital FM - bookmakers suggest One Direction's What Makes You Beautiful will beat Adele's Someone Like You. Adele will perform for the second time since recovering from throat surgery. Jessie J is up for three awards this year, including best female She made her comeback performance at last weekend's Grammys, performing her song Rolling in the Deep. Picking up album of the year, for 21, she said it had been "inspired by something that is really normal and everyone's been through it, just a rubbish relationship". "It's gone on to do things I can't tell you how I feel about it. It's been the most life-changing year." Lifetime achievement winners Blur will perform at Tuesday's awards. Singer Damon Albarn and guitarist Graham Coxon performed a three-track warm-up set on Sunday in a concert at London's Shepherd's Bush Empire in aid of the War Child charity. Sheeran headlined the concert and was joined on stage by fellow best single contender Example, who performed his nominated track Changed The Way You Kissed Me. Comic actor James Corden will host the Brits for the second time, 12 months on from his debut outing in the role.         Brit Awards celebrate music stars February 22, 2012 at 4:01 AM   20 February 2012 Last updated at 20:17 ET Sheeran (l) and Adele are both nominated in the best album category Ed Sheeran is in the running for four awards at the 32nd Brits later, while Adele - fresh from winning six Grammys - and Jessie J are up for three each. Sheeran, 21, is up for best male, breakthrough act, best single for The A Team, and best album for his record +. Adele, who has said last year's rendition of Someone Like You "kick-started my album into what it's become", will perform again. Blur will pick up a lifetime achievement prize at the O2 Arena. Speaking at the Brit nominations announcement last month, Sheeran tipped Adele to win best British album. "This exact time last year, I was signing my record deal," he said at the time. "So I think it's been a good year." Adele is odds-on favourite with bookmakers to win best British album, going up against Sheeran's +, Coldplay's Mylo Xyloto, Florence & The Machine's Ceremonials and PJ Harvey's Let England Shake. Sheeran competes with rapper Professor Green, James Blake, James Morrison and Noel Gallagher for best male. Adele is also odds-on favourite to beat Jessie J, Florence & The Machine, Kate Bush and Laura Marling to be named best female. But for best single - voted for by listeners of Capital FM - bookmakers suggest One Direction's What Makes You Beautiful will beat Adele's Someone Like You. Adele will perform for the second time since recovering from throat surgery. Jessie J is up for three awards this year, including best female She made her comeback performance at last weekend's Grammys, performing her song Rolling in the Deep. Picking up album of the year, for 21, she said it had been "inspired by something that is really normal and everyone's been through it, just a rubbish relationship". "It's gone on to do things I can't tell you how I feel about it. It's been the most life-changing year." Lifetime achievement winners Blur will perform at Tuesday's awards. Singer Damon Albarn and guitarist Graham Coxon performed a three-track warm-up set on Sunday in a concert at London's Shepherd's Bush Empire in aid of the War Child charity. Sheeran headlined the concert and was joined on stage by fellow best single contender Example, who performed his nominated track Changed The Way You Kissed Me. Comic actor James Corden will host the Brits for the second time, 12 months on from his debut outing in the role.         Greece 'averts nightmare outcome' February 22, 2012 at 1:58 AM   21 February 2012 Last updated at 09:58 ET Blind people were protesting against the cuts in Athens on Tuesday The Greek cabinet is to meet for talks on launching the painful reform process stipulated by creditors in return for a massive bailout and debt write-down. Loans of more than 130bn euros (£110bn; $170bn) and a write-down of at least 107bn were agreed overnight at marathon talks in Brussels. Eurozone leaders said the deal had saved Greece from a default. But Greeks face new spending cuts and state sector job losses in order to slash national debt within eight years. Austerity measures implemented under the 2010 bailout, which was worth 110bn euros, sparked violent protests. News of the deal was greeted with a mix of resignation and anger among the Greek public, correspondents say. Continue reading the main story Gavin Hewitt BBC Europe editor Among European officials and ministers, there is a huge sigh of relief. The country that has been at the heart of the eurozone's debt crisis has, for the moment, been taken off the critical list. But it comes at a price. Permanent monitors from the EU, the IMF and the ECB will be placed on the ground in Athens to ensure there is no back-sliding. It is a humiliating and unprecedented intrusion into Greece's sovereignty. To the question of whether growth will return to this battered economy, there is a shaking of heads. Perhaps in a decade, I am told. The risk is that the new cuts will only deepen an existing recession. And the question remains: is Greece's future secure, or has this deal just bought time for the eurozone to build greater protection around its banks and around potentially vulnerable countries like Spain and Italy? Buying time for the eurozone Who loses out? Greece: Europe's press responds Responding to a remark by Prime Minister Lucas Papademos that it was a "historic day for the Greek economy", blogger Zoe Mavroudi tweeted: "Every time our unelected banker PM Papademos says 'historic day' please replace 'historic' with 'black'." International financial experts have warned that Greece will need more help if it is to meet its debt reduction target. Under the deal hammered out in Brussels Greece will undertake to reduce its debt from 160% of GDP to 120.5% by 2020 Private holders of Greek debt will take losses of 53.5% on the value of their bonds, with the real loss as much as 70% Greece's economic management will be subjected to permanent monitoring by eurozone experts on the ground Greece will amend its constitution to give priority to debt repayments over the funding of government services Greece will set up a special account, managed separately from its main budget, that must always contain enough money to service its debts for the coming three months 'Embarrassed to be Greek' The country has just over a week to approve a round of spending cuts of more than 3bn euros tied to the bailout. Continue reading the main story What went wrong in Greece? Greece's economic reforms, which led to it abandoning the drachma as its currency in favour of the euro in 2002, made it easier for the country to borrow money. Greece went on a big, debt-funded spending spree, including paying for high-profile projects such as the 2004 Athens Olympics, which went well over its budget. The country was hit by the downturn, which meant it had to spend more on benefits and received less in taxes. There were also doubts about the accuracy of its economic statistics. Greece's economic problems meant lenders started charging higher interest rates to lend it money. Widespread tax evasion also hit the government's coffers. There have been demonstrations against the government's austerity measures to deal with its debt, such as cuts to public sector pay and pensions, reduced benefits and increased taxes. Eurozone leaders are worried that if Greece were to default, and even leave the euro, it would cause a major financial crisis that could spread to much bigger economies such as Italy and Spain. In 2010, the EU, IMF and ECB agreed a bailout worth 110bn euros (�92bn; $145bn) for Greece. Prime Minister George Papandreou quit the following year while negotiating its follow-up. Lucas Papademos, who succeeded Mr Papandreou, has negotiated a second bailout of 130bn euros, plus a debt writedown of 107bn euros. The price: increased austerity and eurozone monitoring. BACK {current} of {total} NEXT Tax and pensions will be affected, Finance Minister Evangelos Venizelos told reporters. A meeting of the Greek coalition cabinet has been called for Tuesday evening, after which the cuts may be tabled to parliament for a vote on Wednesday. While the cuts should be passed by the current parliament, it is unclear how the constitutional amendment on debt repayment will fare when it comes before MPs within the next two months. An early general election is expected to be held in April, putting pressure on Greece's mainstream socialist and conservative parties. Trade unions have called for new street protests on Wednesday and the head of the opposition Communist party has vowed to oppose new cuts. "We insist on daily struggle to thwart the measures and this struggle cannot be a defensive one," said Aleka Papariga. The prospect of permanent eurozone monitoring is also seen by many Greeks as a blow to national pride. "We are like drug addicts who have just been given their next dose, this is what they've reduced our country to," retired nurse Ioulia Ioannou, 70, told Reuters news agency in Athens. "For the first time, I'm embarrassed to say I'm Greek." 'Greek problem' The German and Dutch parliaments will vote on the bailout next week, amid strong reservations over lending more money to Greece. Please turn on JavaScript. Media requires JavaScript to play. Jose Manuel Barroso: "I am aware of the heavy burden that the Greek people are having to bear" German Finance Minister Wolfgang Schaeuble recently caused an outcry by suggesting that Greece was a "bottomless pit". But European Commission chief Jose Manuel Barroso said on Tuesday the new loans package would prevent "an uncontrolled default with all its grave economic and social implications". Greece, he added, had no alternative but to pursue fiscal consolidation and structural reform. Jean-Claude Juncker, who chairs the Eurogroup of finance ministers, said the bailout would "secure Greece's future in the euro area". Italian Prime Minister Mario Monti, himself a technocrat brought in to turn around his country's finances, said: "It's an important result that removes immediate risks of contagion." Swedish Finance Minister Anders Borg said that while the Greeks remained "stuck in their tragedy" the talks had "reduced the Greek problem to just a Greek problem". The agreement was thrashed out over 13 hours at talks involving the international "troika" of the IMF, the European Central Bank and the European Commission.         'Sex gang plied girls with drink' February 22, 2012 at 1:25 AM   21 February 2012 Last updated at 10:58 ET A group of 11 men plied girls as young as 13 with drink and drugs so they could use them for sex, a court has heard. The offences are said to have happened in and around Rochdale, Greater Manchester, in 2008 and 2009. Liverpool Crown Court heard how the men, who are between 22 and 59 and from Oldham and Rochdale, "acted together to sexually exploit the girls". All deny conspiracy to engage in sexual activity with a child under 16. Rachel Smith, opening the case for the prosecution, said: "No child should be exploited as these girls say they were." Girls paid The court heard that some of the girls were raped and physically assaulted and some were forced to have sex with "several men in a day, several times a week". The court was told that some of the defendants paid the girls and took payments from other men to whom they supplied the girls for sex. Kabeer Hassan, 24, Abdul Aziz, 41, Abdul Rauf, 43, Mohammed Sajid, 35, Adil Khan, 42, Abdul Qayyum, 43, Mohammed Amin, 44, Qamar Shahzad, 29, Liaquat Shah, 41, and Hamid Safi, 22, have all pleaded not guilty along with a 59-year-old man who cannot be named for legal reasons. He also denies two counts of rape, aiding and abetting a rape, one count of sexual assault and an allegation of trafficking within the UK for sexual exploitation. Mr Hassan, of Lacrosse Avenue, Oldham, and Mr Shahzad, of Tweedale Street, Rochdale, also deny rape. Mr Aziz, of Armstrong Hurst Close, Rochdale, denies two counts of rape and one allegation of trafficking for sexual exploitation. Mr Khan, of Oswald Street, and Mr Rauf, of Darley Road, both in Rochdale, have also pleaded not guilty to trafficking for sexual exploitation. Mr Sajid, of Jepheys Street, Rochdale, denies trafficking, two counts of rape and one allegation of sexual activity with a child. Mr Amin, of Falinge Road, Rochdale, denies sexual assault. Mr Shah and Mr Safi, both of Kensington Street, Rochdale, each denied two counts of rape and Mr Safi has also pleaded not guilty to trafficking. Mr Aziz, Mr Khan, Mr Safi and the 59-year-old are remanded in custody. Mr Qayyum, of Ramsay Street, Rochdale, and the rest of the defendants are on bail.         Stores air work scheme concerns February 22, 2012 at 1:09 AM   21 February 2012 Last updated at 11:10 ET Nick Clegg said the scheme would help protect the unemployed from loneliness and depression Deputy Prime Minister Nick Clegg has dismissed criticism that a government work experience scheme amounts to "slave labour". The "sector-based work academy scheme" allows people on unemployment benefit to work for firms and charities for a period without losing payments. Critics claim large companies including Tesco are using it for cheap Labour. But Mr Clegg said he had "no qualms", as the scheme had succeeded in getting many young people into permanent jobs. He added that they could "retain their payment through their benefits". The comments come on a day when the government has launched a separate £126m scheme which gives companies cash incentives to take on and train more teenagers with poor qualifications. The number of 16 to 24-year-olds who are out of work has risen above one million for the first time, leading to concerns they could become a "lost generation" in employment terms. The sector-based programme offers the long-term unemployed work experience or training, while providing financial incentives to employers. If jobseekers refuse to take part, they could lose benefit payments. 'Celebrate' The scheme has attracted adverse publicity recently. Tesco posted a job advert looking for permanent night-shift workers at its branch in Bury St Edmonds, Suffolk, in exchange for jobseeker's allowance "plus expenses". However, it removed this from the Jobseekers' Plus website after an outcry. The company said the advert had been placed due to an IT error. Despite this, campaigners have continued to attack the government scheme, arguing that young people are effectively being coerced into joining it. Several companies and charities, including Sainsbury's, have pulled out. But, in an interview with BBC political editor Nick Robinson, Mr Clegg said: "I think it is ridiculous when people condemn a programme of work experience which is helping hundreds if not thousands of young people to get into work. "I think anyone who wants to condemn a scheme that helps people into work at a time of high unemployment really needs to think hard about their priorities. It is not slave labour. It is not compulsory. It is entirely voluntary." Mr Clegg added: "It is very simple. We say to employers, 'Please take on these young people. We will pay them, through benefits, but could you please keep them on for a few weeks because it increases their chance of finding work'. "Fifty per cent of youngsters on the work experience scheme so far have found permanent work. That is something that I celebrate. Other people might choose to condemn it. I don't." Asked if he had any concerns about young people being asked to work a night shift stacking shelves in a supermarket for free, Mr Clegg said: "I have absolutely no qualms at all about the idea that rather than have a young person sitting at home, feeling cut off, lonely and getting depressed because they don't know what to do with their lives. "It is better to give them the opportunity for a few weeks to actually work, and of course retain their payment through their benefits." Meanwhile, Tesco has suggested to the Department of Work and Pensions that, to avoid any misunderstanding about the voluntary nature of the scheme, the risk of losing benefits that currently exists should be removed. It has also announced that from now on any young person accepted for work experience with Tesco will be offered a choice. 'Excellent scheme' They can either participate in the government's scheme, which protects their benefits for the duration of the four-week placement. Or they can be paid by Tesco for the four-week placement, with a guaranteed permanent job at the end of it, provided they complete the placement satisfactorily. Tesco UK's chief executive Richard Brasher said: "We know it is difficult for young people to give up benefits for a short-term placement with no permanent job at the end of it. "So this guarantee that a job will be available provided the placement is completed satisfactorily, should be a major confidence boost for young people wanting to enter work on a permanent basis." But a Department for Work and Pensions spokesman said: "We have a excellent scheme that we know is making a real difference to the job prospects of young people. "Tesco have said that they are continuing to be a part of the government's work experience scheme. What they have also said is that there will be delivering an additional offer to young people that will help more people find permanent employment. That has to be a good thing."         Music stars set for Brit Awards February 22, 2012 at 1:07 AM   20 February 2012 Last updated at 20:17 ET Sheeran (l) and Adele are both nominated in the best album category Ed Sheeran is in the running for four awards at the 32nd Brits later, while Adele - fresh from winning six Grammys - and Jessie J are up for three each. Sheeran, 21, is up for best male, breakthrough act, best single for The A Team, and best album for his record +. Adele, who has said last year's rendition of Someone Like You "kick-started my album into what it's become", will perform again. Blur will pick up a lifetime achievement prize at the O2 Arena. Speaking at the Brit nominations announcement last month, Sheeran tipped Adele to win best British album. "This exact time last year, I was signing my record deal," he said at the time. "So I think it's been a good year." Adele is odds-on favourite with bookmakers to win best British album, going up against Sheeran's +, Coldplay's Mylo Xyloto, Florence & The Machine's Ceremonials and PJ Harvey's Let England Shake. Sheeran competes with rapper Professor Green, James Blake, James Morrison and Noel Gallagher for best male. Adele is also odds-on favourite to beat Jessie J, Florence & The Machine, Kate Bush and Laura Marling to be named best female. But for best single - voted for by listeners of Capital FM - bookmakers suggest One Direction's What Makes You Beautiful will beat Adele's Someone Like You. Adele will perform for the second time since recovering from throat surgery. Jessie J is up for three awards this year, including best female She made her comeback performance at last weekend's Grammys, performing her song Rolling in the Deep. Picking up album of the year, for 21, she said it had been "inspired by something that is really normal and everyone's been through it, just a rubbish relationship". "It's gone on to do things I can't tell you how I feel about it. It's been the most life-changing year." Lifetime achievement winners Blur will perform at Tuesday's awards. Singer Damon Albarn and guitarist Graham Coxon performed a three-track warm-up set on Sunday in a concert at London's Shepherd's Bush Empire in aid of the War Child charity. Sheeran headlined the concert and was joined on stage by fellow best single contender Example, who performed his nominated track Changed The Way You Kissed Me. Comic actor James Corden will host the Brits for the second time, 12 months on from his debut outing in the role.         Greece gears up for tough reforms February 22, 2012 at 1:00 AM   21 February 2012 Last updated at 09:58 ET Blind people were protesting against the cuts in Athens on Tuesday The Greek cabinet is to meet for talks on launching the painful reform process stipulated by creditors in return for a massive bailout and debt write-down. Loans of more than 130bn euros (£110bn; $170bn) and a write-down of at least 107bn were agreed overnight at marathon talks in Brussels. Eurozone leaders said the deal had saved Greece from a default. But Greeks face new spending cuts and state sector job losses in order to slash national debt within eight years. Austerity measures implemented under the 2010 bailout, which was worth 110bn euros, sparked violent protests. News of the deal was greeted with a mix of resignation and anger among the Greek public, correspondents say. Continue reading the main story Gavin Hewitt BBC Europe editor Among European officials and ministers, there is a huge sigh of relief. The country that has been at the heart of the eurozone's debt crisis has, for the moment, been taken off the critical list. But it comes at a price. Permanent monitors from the EU, the IMF and the ECB will be placed on the ground in Athens to ensure there is no back-sliding. It is a humiliating and unprecedented intrusion into Greece's sovereignty. To the question of whether growth will return to this battered economy, there is a shaking of heads. Perhaps in a decade, I am told. The risk is that the new cuts will only deepen an existing recession. And the question remains: is Greece's future secure, or has this deal just bought time for the eurozone to build greater protection around its banks and around potentially vulnerable countries like Spain and Italy? Buying time for the eurozone Who loses out? Greece: Europe's press responds Responding to a remark by Prime Minister Lucas Papademos that it was a "historic day for the Greek economy", blogger Zoe Mavroudi tweeted: "Every time our unelected banker PM Papademos says 'historic day' please replace 'historic' with 'black'." International financial experts have warned that Greece will need more help if it is to meet its debt reduction target. Under the deal hammered out in Brussels Greece will undertake to reduce its debt from 160% of GDP to 120.5% by 2020 Private holders of Greek debt will take losses of 53.5% on the value of their bonds, with the real loss as much as 70% Greece's economic management will be subjected to permanent monitoring by eurozone experts on the ground Greece will amend its constitution to give priority to debt repayments over the funding of government services Greece will set up a special account, managed separately from its main budget, that must always contain enough money to service its debts for the coming three months 'Embarrassed to be Greek' The country has just over a week to approve a round of spending cuts of more than 3bn euros tied to the bailout. Continue reading the main story What went wrong in Greece? Greece's economic reforms, which led to it abandoning the drachma as its currency in favour of the euro in 2002, made it easier for the country to borrow money. Greece went on a big, debt-funded spending spree, including paying for high-profile projects such as the 2004 Athens Olympics, which went well over its budget. The country was hit by the downturn, which meant it had to spend more on benefits and received less in taxes. There were also doubts about the accuracy of its economic statistics. Greece's economic problems meant lenders started charging higher interest rates to lend it money. Widespread tax evasion also hit the government's coffers. There have been demonstrations against the government's austerity measures to deal with its debt, such as cuts to public sector pay and pensions, reduced benefits and increased taxes. Eurozone leaders are worried that if Greece were to default, and even leave the euro, it would cause a major financial crisis that could spread to much bigger economies such as Italy and Spain. In 2010, the EU, IMF and ECB agreed a bailout worth 110bn euros (�92bn; $145bn) for Greece. Prime Minister George Papandreou quit the following year while negotiating its follow-up. Lucas Papademos, who succeeded Mr Papandreou, has negotiated a second bailout of 130bn euros, plus a debt writedown of 107bn euros. The price: increased austerity and eurozone monitoring. BACK {current} of {total} NEXT Tax and pensions will be affected, Finance Minister Evangelos Venizelos told reporters. A meeting of the Greek coalition cabinet has been called for Tuesday evening, after which the cuts may be tabled to parliament for a vote on Wednesday. While the cuts should be passed by the current parliament, it is unclear how the constitutional amendment on debt repayment will fare when it comes before MPs within the next two months. An early general election is expected to be held in April, putting pressure on Greece's mainstream socialist and conservative parties. Trade unions have called for new street protests on Wednesday and the head of the opposition Communist party has vowed to oppose new cuts. "We insist on daily struggle to thwart the measures and this struggle cannot be a defensive one," said Aleka Papariga. The prospect of permanent eurozone monitoring is also seen by many Greeks as a blow to national pride. "We are like drug addicts who have just been given their next dose, this is what they've reduced our country to," retired nurse Ioulia Ioannou, 70, told Reuters news agency in Athens. "For the first time, I'm embarrassed to say I'm Greek." 'Greek problem' The German and Dutch parliaments will vote on the bailout next week, amid strong reservations over lending more money to Greece. Please turn on JavaScript. Media requires JavaScript to play. Jose Manuel Barroso: "I am aware of the heavy burden that the Greek people are having to bear" German Finance Minister Wolfgang Schaeuble recently caused an outcry by suggesting that Greece was a "bottomless pit". But European Commission chief Jose Manuel Barroso said on Tuesday the new loans package would prevent "an uncontrolled default with all its grave economic and social implications". Greece, he added, had no alternative but to pursue fiscal consolidation and structural reform. Jean-Claude Juncker, who chairs the Eurogroup of finance ministers, said the bailout would "secure Greece's future in the euro area". Italian Prime Minister Mario Monti, himself a technocrat brought in to turn around his country's finances, said: "It's an important result that removes immediate risks of contagion." Swedish Finance Minister Anders Borg said that while the Greeks remained "stuck in their tragedy" the talks had "reduced the Greek problem to just a Greek problem". The agreement was thrashed out over 13 hours at talks involving the international "troika" of the IMF, the European Central Bank and the European Commission.         Distant 'waterworld' is confirmed February 21, 2012 at 11:44 PM   21 February 2012 Last updated at 10:44 ET GJ 1214b is one of the most interesting exoplanets yet detected Astronomers have confirmed the existence of a new class of planet: a waterworld with a thick, steamy atmosphere. The exoplanet GJ 1214b is a so-called "Super Earth" - bigger than our planet, but smaller than gas giants such as Jupiter. Observations using the Hubble telescope now seem to confirm that a large fraction of its mass is water. The planet's high temperatures suggest exotic materials might exist there. "GJ 1214b is like no planet we know of," said lead author Zachory Berta, from the Harvard Smithsonian Center for Astrophysics. The planet was discovered in 2009 by ground-based telescopes. It is about 2.7 times the Earth's diameter, but weighs almost seven times as much. It orbits its red-dwarf star at a distance of just two million km, meaning temperatures on GJ 1214b probably reach above 200C. In 2010, astronomers released measurements of its atmosphere. These suggested that GJ 1214b's atmosphere was probably made up of water, but there was another possibility - that the planet was covered in a haze, of the type that envelopes Saturn's moon Titan. Hot ice Mr Berta and his colleagues used the Hubble Space Telescope's wide-field camera to study the planet as it crossed in front of its star - a transit. During these transits, the star's light is filtered through the planet's atmosphere, giving clues to the mixture of gases present. Hubble's observations can give clues to gases in the planet's atmosphere The researchers said their results are more consistent with a dense atmosphere of water vapour, than one with a haze. Calculations of the planet's density also suggest that GJ 1214b has more water than Earth. This means the internal structure of this world would be very different to that of our own. "The high temperatures and pressures would form exotic materials like 'hot ice' or 'superfluid water', substances that are completely alien to our everyday experience," said Dr Berta. The planet's short distance from Earth makes it a likely candidate for follow-up observations with the James Webb Space Telescope, which may launch by the end of this decade. The study has been accepted for publication by the Astrophysical Journal.         Syria steps up Homs bombardment February 21, 2012 at 10:24 PM   21 February 2012 Last updated at 03:46 ET Rebel-held areas of the central Syrian city of Homs are coming under intense bombardment from the Syrian army. Anti-government activists report that 12 people have been killed so far on Tuesday and 100 injured. This cannot be independently confirmed. Activists have been warning of reinforced government forces around Homs, ahead of a ground assault on the city. Thousands have died there in an 11-month uprising against the government. Human rights groups believe more than 7,000 people have been killed since the uprising began. The Syrian government says at least 2,000 members of the security forces have died fighting militants.         Giggs named as 'affair' player February 21, 2012 at 9:58 PM   21 February 2012 Last updated at 08:58 ET Ryan Giggs took out an injunction against the Sun newspaper and TV presenter Imogen Thomas Ryan Giggs can now be named as the footballer behind a legal order preventing the publication of details of an alleged extra-marital affair. Mr Giggs sought the injunction in April after a Sun article about an unnamed player's alleged affair with a model. His lawyer told the High Court that he now consented to the lifting of the anonymity part of the injunction. Mr Giggs is trying to claim damages for distress from the Sun, alleging it breached his right to privacy. Mr Giggs's lawyer - Hugh Tomlinson QC - said his client was claiming damages for the subsequent re-publication of information in other newspapers and on the internet. "He has suffered damage and distress by the chain of events that has been set off by the publication of the article in The Sun," he said. "We say the printing of information on the front page of a national newspaper can give rise to an action for misuse of private information." Mr Tomlinson said the Sun article had "generated a large media storm" and that the damages claim was about "providing effective protection" for Mr Giggs's right to privacy under the European Convention on Human Rights. But the newspaper said that Mr Giggs's claim was "dead in the water" and should be stopped. After hearing legal arguments at the Royal Courts of Justice in London, Mr Justice Tugendhat reserved his decision on whether the case should go to trial. Breached by thousands Mr Giggs had been granted an injunction on the basis that TV presenter Imogen Thomas - the woman the Sun accused him of conducting an affair with - appeared to have been trying to blackmail him. However, the 2003 Miss Wales and former Big Brother contestant took legal action against him and, in December 2011, Mr Giggs accepted that she had not been blackmailing him. In court on Tuesday, Mr Giggs's lawyer - Hugh Tomlinson QC - said the injunction that had been supposed to stop his client being identified as the subject of the Sun's story had been breached by thousands of people on the internet. Mr Giggs, a former Welsh international who has played for Manchester United for 20 years, was widely identified on social networking sites and in a Scottish newspaper. In May, Lib Dem MP John Hemming also named Mr Giggs during an urgent Commons question on privacy orders. Using parliamentary privilege to break the court order, he said it would not be practical to imprison the 75,000 Twitter users who had named the player.         Strauss-Kahn held over 'sex ring' February 21, 2012 at 9:37 PM   21 February 2012 Last updated at 04:33 ET Former IMF head Dominique Strauss-Kahn is being questioned by French police as a suspect in a prostitution ring inquiry, a prosecutor says. Mr Strauss-Kahn, once a front-runner for the French presidency, is being held in custody at a police station in Lille, northern France. Police have questioned a number of prostitutes who have admitted having sex with Mr Strauss-Kahn. He insists he did not know that the women were prostitutes.         Firms paid to help jobless teens February 21, 2012 at 8:15 PM   20 February 2012 Last updated at 22:05 ET By Sean Coughlan BBC News education correspondent Nick Clegg is launching the plan to tackle rising levels of youth unemployment Firms and charities are to be invited to bid for a payment-by-results scheme to try to get "Neet" teenagers into work or training, in a project launched by Deputy Prime Minister Nick Clegg. The £126m scheme is aimed at 55,000 teenagers in England with poor qualifications who are currently not in education, employment or training. The aim is for long-term savings from an early intervention. Labour said the scheme would not help the vast majority of young unemployed. Ahead of the formal launch, Mr Clegg described the problem of youth unemployment as a "ticking time bomb". "Sitting at home with nothing to do when you're so young can knock the stuffing out of you for years," said Mr Clegg. "We urgently need to step up efforts to ensure some of our most troubled teenagers have the skills, confidence and opportunities to succeed. "Many of them will have complex problems: truancy, teenage pregnancy, a lack of GCSEs and health problems." Back to work The scheme, part of the Youth Contract announced in the autumn, will invite bids for contracts worth up to £2,200 for each teenager who can be sustained in work, education or training for 12 months. The target group will be 16- to 17-year-olds without any GCSEs at C grade or above. Almost one in five young people aged between 16 and 24 are classified as Neet - with the most recent figure standing at 1,163,000. This response from the government is aimed at teenagers at the lower end of this age range who are already at risk of "disengagement" from the world of work. The organisations that win these contracts will have a free hand to decide their approach - with the emphasis on rewarding a successful outcome. Payments will be staggered, so that the full amount will be paid only to contractors when young people have remained in work or training for a year. The funding will reflect the highest level of Neet youngsters in this age group - with £14m available in the West Midlands, where 11.5% of 16- to 17-year-olds are in this category. The project has been challenged by the ATL teachers' union, which accused the government of damaging the chances of teenagers "by dismantling the careers and advice service and abolishing the education maintenance allowance". "We have deep misgivings that getting charities and businesses to provide support for unemployed youngsters outside the education system will undermine the likelihood of success," said ATL officer Adrian Prandle. Shadow work and pensions secretary Liam Byrne also said the Youth Contract would not help most young unemployed people. Mr Byrne said of Mr Clegg: "He promised big answers to the problem of youth unemployment yet what we have got today is something that won't help 95% of Britain's young unemployed. "This is much too small and much too late to tackle a problem that is likely to cost our country £28bn over the next 10 years. "The government needs to bite the bullet and put in place a sensible tax on bankers' bonuses in the next budget to help get 100,000 young people back to work." 'Job snobs' Meanwhile, Work and Pensions Secretary Iain Duncan Smith has branded critics of the government's separate work experience scheme for young jobseekers as "job snobs". The scheme offers unpaid work placements in stores such as Tesco and Maplin to 18- to 24-year-olds who have been unemployed for more than three months. Mr Duncan Smith said in the Daily Mail: "The implicit message behind these attacks is that jobs in retail, such as those with supermarkets or on the High Street, are not real jobs that worthwhile people do. "How insulting and demeaning of the many thousands of people who already work in such jobs up and down the country. "I doubt I'm the only person who thinks supermarket shelf-stackers add more value to our society than many of those 'job snobs' who are pontificating about the government's employment policies."         Second bailout for Greece agreed February 21, 2012 at 8:04 PM   20 February 2012 Last updated at 22:42 ET Continue reading the main story Europe struck by growth slowdown Germany: Reasons to be cheerful Q&A: Greek debt crisis Timeline of crisis Eurozone finance ministers have reached agreement on a vital second bailout for Greece, officials involved in the negotiations say. The deal, which came after late-night talks in Brussels, is said to be worth 130bn euros (£110bn; $170bn). Athens needs the funds to avoid bankruptcy next month, when maturing loans must be repaid. In return, Greece will undertake to reduce its debts to no more than 121% of its GDP by 2020. After five straight years of recession, Greece's debts currently amounts to more than 160% of its Gross Domestic Product (GDP). The agreement would mean deeper cuts in public spending that Greece had planned to, the BBC's Stephen Evans in Brussels says. It also means that lender to Athens would get less of their money back, our correspondent adds. The euro rose to $1.3266 from $1.3185 on reports of the deal. Elections ahead Eurozone leaders and the IMF said in October that Greek debt should be reduced to a more sustainable level of 120% of GDP by 2020. Successive rounds of austerity measures, demanded by Greece's international creditors have failed to restore growth and have provoked clashes between protesters and police. The Greek government fell last year after ex-Prime Minister George Papandreou called for a referendum on the eurozone rescue package. He was replaced by Lucas Papademos, an unelected technocrat who is expected to lead Greece until parliamentary elections in April. Measures passed by parliament last week set out 3.3bn euros' worth of cuts to salaries and pensions, and health and defence spending.             This email was sent to newsathell@gmail.com. Delivered by Feed My Inbox PO Box 682532 Franklin, TN 37068 Account Login Unsubscribe Here