Ireland
Gay marriage pressure builds on Australian government
Australian Prime Minister Tony Abbott July 2 brushed off mounting pressure for a parliamentary vote on same-sex marriage from within his conservative coalition, saying he was more focused on the economy and security.
Tsipras insists on referendum, ‘no’ vote… but he’ll return to talks for solution!
Greek Prime Minister Alexis Tsipras on Tuesday repeated his call for a “no” vote in Sunday’s hastily called referendum over creditors’ proposals, as he again took to the airwaves for a third time since shocking European partners with the snap plebiscite.
'Frustrated' Ireland urges Greeks to keep negotiating
The Irish government on Monday urged Greece to follow its example and keep working with its international creditors on averting a default and possible exit from the euro.
Deputy finance minister Simon Harris said he was "frustrated" by the hard-left Greek government's refusal to accept proposed reforms because it was elected earlier this year on an anti-austerity ticket.
50 shades of Greek crisis: From 'debt slavery' to promised …salvation! (photos)
“It was the best of times, it was the worst of times,” wrote Charles Dickens in “A Tale of Two Cities” and this quote may well apply to Athens right now, as two worlds are on a collision course:
Yes vs. No, Greece vs. Creditors but NOT Drachma vs. Euro (though it could be!)
Greek MPs approve referendum as lenders see difficulties ahead
Greek lawmakers on Sunday authorized Prime Minister Alexis Tsipras' proposed July 5th bailout referendum, setting Greece on course for a plebiscite that has enraged international creditors and increased Greece's chances of exiting the euro zone.
Greek math whiz at Irish hedge fund tells the tale of two crises
Dara Doyle
Konstantinos Drakakis sips an espresso next to his hedge-fund office in Dublin and says any deal to keep aid flowing to his Greek homeland will make little difference.
Merklande herds the Grexit, but Madame Frexit is being difficult
The euro debt crisis has spawned its own vocabulary. Right at the outset we had the PIIGS (Portugal, Italy, Ireland, Greece and Spain) being herded by Merkozy. Then came Merlande or Merkellande (dubbed for German Chancellor Angela Merkel and French President Fraancois Hollande)… But what will come after the Grexit?
It's 'Armageddon' was how one govt source described IMF counter-proposal
“It’s not a (counter) proposal, it’s Armageddon; they sent it to us at 5 in the morning”, was the response by a high-ranking but unnamed Greek government spokesman to reported demands for a higher (23 percent) VAT rate on most goods as a well as an end to practically all early retirement schemes in the country.
Tsipras flies to Brussels to try to bridge gaps with Greece's creditors
Greece's international lenders demanded on June 24 that it improve proposed tax and reform measures in a last-minute race to clinch a deal to unlock aid and avert a debt default next week.
Tsipras: Creditors 'Did Not Accept' Debt Deal Proposals
Greek PM Alexis said on Wednesday some of the international lenders have not accepted the latest package of reform proposals to which unlocking aid for the country is tied.
"The insistence of certain institutions of not accepting parametric measures has never happened before -- not in Ireland, nor in Portugal," he wrote on Twitter prior to his meeting with creditors in Brussels.