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Price war knocks UK mortgage costs: report

Written By Unknown on Sabtu, 17 Agustus 2013 | 18.16

UK mortgage payments for new borrowers are at their most affordable in 14 years after a price war erupted between lenders, according to a new report.

Payments for both first-time buyers and home movers accounted for just 27 per cent of average incomes in the second quarter of this year, marking the lowest proportion seen since 1999, Halifax found.

Lenders slashing their mortgage rates, along with house prices having fallen in recent years, were said to be the main factors behind improved affordability.


18.16 | 0 komentar | Read More

Amnesty urges full probe into Egypt crisis

AMNESTY International has called for a full and impartial investigation into the bloodshed in Egypt, saying the authorities' response to the protests has been "grossly disproportionate".

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18.16 | 0 komentar | Read More

Hundreds besieged in Egypt's Fateh mosque

A BESIEGED mosque in central Cairo is the site of a tense standoff between Egyptian security forces surrounding it and hundreds of backers of toppled president Mohamed Morsi trapped inside.

Television footage showed riot police standing outside the al-Fateh mosque in Ramses Square.

Those inside the mosque were afraid of being detained if they left, a man inside the mosque told Qatari broadcaster al-Jazeera.

"The hope is that the Egyptian people will take to the streets in order to force an end to this siege," he said.

"The besieged people include women and children, some of them need medical assistance."

The state Middle East News Agency reported that the people inside the mosque had opened fire extinguishers at the police, who did not respond.

Irish citizen Omaima Halawa, 21, who is the daughter of the imam of Ireland's biggest mosque in Dublin and was in Cairo with her two sisters and brother, described the scene as very frightening.

"We are surrounded in the mosque both inside and outside," she told Irish broadcaster RTE.

"The security forces broke in and threw tear gas at us."

She said they had been warned they could be shot if they tried to leave.

At one entrance to the mosque, security forces stood between the besieged protesters and angry residents, who tried several times to force their way into the mosque.

Ahmed Sami came to al-Fateh to look for friends inside.

"I'm afraid for their safety. I fear they will be brought out dead," he said.

Mahmoud, a supporter of the Muslim Brotherhood who took part in a march against Morsi's ouster by the military, said protesters had come under fire and sought refuge inside the mosque.

In the large square outside al-Fateh, residents confronted bearded men, and women in Islamic headscarves.

In several parts of Cairo, residents detained people they deemed suspect and handed them over to security forces, in a sign that vigilante justice was beginning to take hold.

Television footage showed troops inside the mosque apparently trying to persuade the protesters to give themselves up.

One of the protesters said by telephone that they were demanding they not be arrested, or attacked by hostile civilians outside.

An estimated 700 Morsi supporters took refuge in the mosque following clashes with security forces in the area.

More than 50 people were killed on Friday in violence across Egypt, according to security sources.

The Muslim Brotherhood said at least 200 people were killed in the unrest, the latest since Morsi's ouster on July 3.

Police said they had arrested 1004 Muslim Brotherhood followers suspected of involvement in Friday's violence.

The Muslim Brotherhood and its Islamist allies vowed to hold a "week of departure" protests through next week against the military-backed government, raising fears of further bloodshed.

Some 630 people were killed in a security crackdown on two major pro-Morsi vigils in Cairo and the ensuing violence in the country on Wednesday.

Under emergency rules declared by the government earlier in the week, police are allowed to use firearms in self-defence and against demonstrators who attack state buildings.

The army's overthrow of Morsi, after protests by millions demanding he step down, has deeply divided Egypt, which is the Arab world's most-populous country.

The clampdown on pro-Morsi protesters has drawn international condemnation, mainly from Europe and the United States.

However, the Gulf countries have expressed support for Egypt's interim rulers.


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Turkey, Egypt recall envoys over crackdown

Written By Unknown on Jumat, 16 Agustus 2013 | 18.16

TURKEY has recalled its ambassador to Cairo as tensions with Egypt worsen dramatically following a bloody crackdown on supporters of the country's ousted Islamist president.

Egypt retaliated by recalling its envoy to Turkey, whose Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan has condemned what he called the "massacre" of peaceful protesters.

Erdogan, a supporter of former president Mohamed Morsi and his Muslim Brotherhood movement, has infuriated the interim government in Cairo by terming his ouster a military "coup".

Nearly 600 people were killed in the violence that erupted on Wednesday when security forces moved in to break up pro-Morsi protest camps, the worst unrest in the country since the 2011 uprising that unseated Hosni Mubarak - causing international criticism to poured in.

Erdogan, who heads Turkey's ruling Islamic-rooted Justice and Development Party (AKP), had forged a close alliance with Morsi since he was elected in the country's first free election in June 2012.

The Islamist leader was invited to the AKP's annual congress last September where Erdogan positioned Turkey as a regional standard-bearer.

"We have shown everyone that an advanced democracy can exist in a predominantly Muslim country," Erdogan told the congress.

"We have become a role model for Muslim countries."

Turkish leaders hinted they would not break ties with the new leadership emerging in Egypt after the military uprising, despite their criticism of the army's actions.

Analysts, however, said the bloody crackdown on demonstrators was a breaking point for Turkey, which would make it very hard for Erdogan's government to reconcile with the military regime in Egypt.

Turkey invested both politically and financially in Egypt after Morsi's election, aiming to bolster Ankara's influence and show that Turkey was not the only country where Islam and democracy could coexist.

Erdogan said his country served as a "very important reference" to Egypt on why military uprisings must not be tolerated.

This week's unrest in Egypt is expected to hit around 260 Turkish businesses operating in the Arab world's most populous country.

Turkish investment in Egypt amounts to nearly $US2 billion ($A2.2 billion), mostly in the textile and clothing industries.


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Panama may fine N. Korean arms ship $1m

THE Panama Canal authority says it will impose as much as a $1 million fine on the North Korean freighter caught with an undeclared shipment of Cuban weapons.

"It is a flagrant violation of safe passage through the Panama Canal and we have little tolerance for this kind of activity," canal administrator Jorge Quijano said on Thursday.

"It is going to be sanctioned," he said, adding that authorities were still mulling the size of the fine.

"It's obvious that there were containers that had not been declared, not to mention what was inside them."

The ship, the Chong Chon Gang, was boarded and searched July 10 on suspicion it was smuggling drugs.

Authorities instead uncovered 25 containers of military hardware, including two Soviet era MiG-21s, air defence systems, missiles and command and control vehicles, buried under tons of sugar.

Havana said they were obsolete Cuban arms being shipped to North Korea for refurbishment under a legitimate contract.

A team of UN experts had travelled to Panama to inspect the weapons and determine whether the shipment violated a UN ban against arms transfers to North Korea.

According to the Panamanian government, the experts wrapped up their visit on Thursday.

However, officials did not provide any details on possible findings.

Quijano said fines imposed by the canal authority range from $10,000 to $100,000 for serious violations and up to $1 million for "very serious" violations.

"The case of the North Korean freighter is very serious," he told AFP.

Warships and ships carrying military or nuclear material routinely go through the canal, allowed passage even at times of war.

The only requirement is that canal authorities be given prior notice so that local authorities can take appropriate security precautions.


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Ecuador vows to resolve Assange situation

LIVE: Friday Night NRL

Inglis

FOLLOW the rolling coverage as the South Sydney Rabbitohs take on the Manly Sea Eagles in a blockbuster and the Broncos face the Eels.

When 3D printing fails beautiful things can happen

When 3D printing fails beautiful things can happen

WITH 3D printing still in its infancy, mistakes are common. But great lessons can come from great failure as these designers found out.

The kind of souvenir you really don't want

The kind of souvenir you really don't want

FOR most of us, the only kind of souvenir we expect to find on a beach is a shell. But one unlucky boy got a lot more than he'd hoped for, with a sea snail finding its way inside his leg.

Anorexic Holly gives birth to girl

Anorexic Holly gives birth to girl

JUST weeks before giving birth, Holly Griffiths weighed little more than 50 kilograms. Yet despite struggling with anorexia throughout her pregnancy, she has given birth to a healthy 2.4 kilogram girl.

This is how to make a fortune from crowdfunding

This is how to make a fortune from crowdfunding

SO YOU have an amazing idea. And you want people to pay for it. Here are the golden rules to ensure your pet project doesn't wither and die online.


18.16 | 0 komentar | Read More

Audi developing a plug-in hybrid for China

Written By Unknown on Kamis, 15 Agustus 2013 | 18.16

AUDI has announced plans to jointly develop a plug-in hybrid vehicle with its Chinese partner, First Automotive Works (FAW) based in the southern city of Foshan.

Audi chief executive Rupert Stadler said the company was determined to bring plug-in-hybrid technology to China soon.

He gave no specific details, confirming only that the model will use a combustion engine and an electric motor that "work together effectively".

The model's batteries will be replenished using a conventional electric socket rather than a custom-made charger,

Audi parent company Volkswagen has already developed a hybrid electric car especially for the Chinese market and both Mercedes-Benz and BMW are working on similar projects.

Stadler was tight-lipped about an introduction date for the Audi plug-in but said the petrol-electric car was an "important milestone" that would strengthen Audi's "international competitive position" and help the company achieve the goal of selling 2 million vehicles annually by 2020.


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Death toll in Egypt crackdown now 464

AT least 464 people have been killed in nationwide violence sparked by a crackdown on the protest camps of supporters of ousted Islamist president Mohamed Morsi, government officials say.

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18.16 | 0 komentar | Read More

Former Speaker Slipper to run in election

Former Speaker Peter Slipper announced he will recontest his Queensland seat. Source: AAP

FORMER Speaker Peter Slipper says he faces a David and Goliath contest to retain his federal seat of Fisher after vowing to fight for a ninth term in office.

Mr Slipper announced on Thursday he will recontest his Queensland seat as an independent, up against former Howard minister Mal Brough, who was accused of conspiring to bring sexual harassment claims against him to court.

"It is a David and Goliath effort, every election is a challenge," he told reporters outside his Sunshine Coast electorate office on Thursday.

"This is my most difficult election ever because I'm up against the major parties but one of the reasons I'm standing is to provide real choice for local people."

Mr Slipper admits his family has felt the toll of the past 18 months in which he's been accused of sexually harassing staffer James Ashby, charged with misusing expenses and resigned as Speaker over offensive text messages.

"We've all made mistakes and I'm sure that you've made mistakes, and any mistake I've made, you guys have tried to report. But we all make mistakes as we go through life," he told reporters.

His wife Inge-Jane Hall stood by him throughout the time and was with him again on Thursday, speaking up for her husband and their marriage.

"You just don't understand him and I think that's really sad," she said.

"I do want to say to people that our marriage is real, I've had to listen to rumours spread throughout this community about how our marriage is not real, that we've divorced and all those sorts of things.

"I do love my husband ... he's a really good guy."

The sexual harassment case was thrown out by Federal Court Justice Stephen Rares, who found Mr Ashby's predominant purpose for bringing the case was to pursue a political attack against his former boss.

"The LNP candidate Mal Brough and other LNP and Liberal Party figures were deeply involved," Mr Slipper said on Thursday.

Mr Slipper resigned from the Liberal National Party (LNP) in 2011 after then prime minister Julia Gillard appointed him speaker of the House of Representatives.

Despite being at long odds to keep the seat he has held since 1993, Mr Slipper was optimistic.

"I'm very confident to be judged by the people of Fisher," he said.

"The messages that I get back from the community, particularly since the Justice Rares decision, is that people have seen through the plot that was set up against me."

Mr Slipper was coy when asked who he would direct his preferences to.

"One doesn't decide what happens with preferences until nominations close. They have closed, but of course those who have nominated will not be announced until tomorrow," he said.

"I'll be making the appropriate decisions at the appropriate time."


18.16 | 0 komentar | Read More

Asian shares mixed following US gains

Written By Unknown on Rabu, 14 Agustus 2013 | 18.16

ASIAN markets were mixed following gains on Wall Street, as investors awaited fresh numbers that will give an indication of the health of the US economy.

Tokyo shares closed up 1.32 per cent, or 183.16 points, at 14,050.16 because of bargain-hunting in late trading on Wednesday and with a weak yen continuing to support the bourse.

Seoul closed up 0.57 per cent, or 10.88 points, at 1,923.91. Sydney closed flat at 5,157.4 after a choppy session in which Commonwealth Bank shares fell despite posting the biggest-ever profit by an Australian bank.

Shanghai finished down 0.29 per cent, reversing earlier gains as worries resurfaced over the domestic economy. Trading on the Hong Kong stock exchange was suspended for the day following disruption caused by Typhoon Utor.

Dealers cited improved economic data in the US, Europe and China for buoying investor sentiment, along with a Japanese media report saying that Tokyo was mulling corporate tax cuts to help offset an expected rise in sales tax.

Investors are closely watching a series of data releases due this week from the United States, the world's biggest economy. On Tuesday, retail figures showed a lower-than-expected 0.2 per cent rise but some analysts pointed to overall strength in non-automobile purchases.

Figures for housing and industrial production are expected later in the week.

Wednesday's rise in Tokyo mirrored gains in the United States, after a US Federal Reserve official stressed that the Fed's expected tapering of its massive $US85-billion-a-month stimulus program would be cautious.

The American market was also buoyed after corporate raider Carl Icahn revealed he has a large stake in Apple, sending the technology titan 4.8 per cent higher.

The billionaire activist took to Twitter to disclose his "large" stake in the company, which he rated "extremely undervalued".

The Dow Jones Industrial Average gained 0.20 per cent while the tech-rich Nasdaq - which includes Apple - rose 0.39 per cent.

Analysts said investors would look for clues from the Fed when they meet next month.

"Investors will likely take a wait-and-see approach until September when the US Federal Open Market Committee meets and the Japanese government releases its growth strategies and makes decisions on sales and corporate taxes," Hideyuki Ishiguro, assistant manager of investment strategy at Okasan Securities, told Dow Jones Newswires.

The US dollar changed hands at Y98.35 on Wednesday afternoon, rising from Y98.22 in New York on Tuesday.

The euro stood at $US1.3264 and Y130.34 against $US1.3262 and Y130.26 in New York.

In oil markets New York's main contract, West Texas Intermediate for delivery in September, was down 40 US cents at $US106.39 a barrel in afternoon Asian trade. Brent North Sea crude for September shed 45 US cents to $US109.37

Gold was at $US1,323.10 an ounce at 1840 AEST, slightly down from $US1,319.88 late on Monday.

In other markets:

- Taipei fell 0.41 per cent, or 34.94 points, to 7,951.33. Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co was 0.41 per cent lower at $Tw96.8, while leading integrated circuit design house MediaTek dropped 0.82 per cent to $Tw363.0.

- Wellington ended flat, down just 0.03 per cent, or 1.23 points, at 4,524.59.

Sky City casino was down 4.15 per cent after an 8.1 per cent fall in annual net profit and Kathmandu Holdings rose 3.0 per cent to $NZ2.74.


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Eurozone exits recession with 0.3% growth

THE eurozone has climbed out of recession at last with surprisingly strong growth of 0.3 per cent in the second quarter led by Germany and France, the European Union says.

But the European Commission warned that tough structural reforms must be pursued without let-up and in the long term if the fruits of sustained growth are to be reaped.

The European Union data agency Eurostat said on Wednesday the 18-month downturn which has cost millions of jobs and crushed debt-laden governments ended thanks largely to surprisingly robust gains of 0.7 per cent in Germany and 0.5 per cent in France.

These figures were broadly comparable for the 0.6-per cent growth attributed to the non-euro neighbouring economy of Britain.

But the euro slipped to $US1.3248 from $US1.3262 late on Tuesday with one analyst at ING bank saying there was no cause for excitement since eurozone output was still 3.0 per cent below the level early in 2008 before the financial crisis.

Leading European stock markets showed slight gains in early trading but then lost their enthusiasm.

Analysts had tipped a 0.2-per cent increase for the 17-nation bloc, home to about 340 million people who have struggled through six consecutive quarters of falling output.

A lasting rebound is at hand but only if governments stick to reforms anchored in the tough austerity policies of the past few years, EU Economic Affairs Commissioner Olli Rehn said following the results release.

"A sustained recovery is now within reach but only if we persevere on all fronts of our crisis response," he said, claiming vindication for policies that made Rehn something of a hate figure for many Greeks, for instance.

"There is still a very long way to go before we reach our ultimate goal of a sustainable growth model that delivers more jobs," he added, keeping the focus firmly on the eurozone and EU's "mountain of debt, both public and private."

Fellow commissioner Michel Barnier, responsible for the internal market, said on Twitter that this did not mean ongoing austerity for all.

"Austerity is not the Commission's line - it's about far-reaching reforms, financial regulation and coordinating policies" across borders, the Frenchman stressed.

Behind the headline gains, the third- and fourth-largest eurozone economies of Italy and Spain pulled up short, with their economies shrinking 0.2 per cent and 0.1 per cent, respectively.

The Netherlands also shrank once more, by 0.2 per cent in the second quarter, but bailed-out Portugal posted a strong return with 1.1 per cent growth.

No figures were immediately available for bailed-out Greece or Ireland, both also bailed out during the debt crisis. Cyprus remains deep in recession, with a 1.4-per cent contraction.

But Portuguese authorities said that Portugal, also under a rescue program, emerged from recession with growth of 1.1 per cent in the quarter from output in the first quarter.

Eurostat noted that comparable figures for the United States and Japan came in at 0.4 per cent and 0.6 per cent, respectively.

IHS Global Insight analyst Howard Archer tipped an overall growth rate for the eurozone in 2013 of 0.5 per cent, with only minor improvement in 2014.

"It is likely that GDP growth of 0.3 per cent quarter-on-quarter overstates the region's economic health," Archer maintained.

At Capital Economics in London, chief European economist Jonathan Loynes said that the data showed that the eurozone had returned to growth for the first time for seven quarters.

However, referring to the bailed-out countries, he warned that "the return to modest rates of growth in the euro-zone as a whole won't address the deep-seated economic and fiscal problems of the peripheral countries."


18.16 | 0 komentar | Read More

Research tracks minke whales' journey

Voss walks away proud, unbowed

Michael Voss

Jon Ralph, Greg Davis UPDATE: MICHAEL Voss says he never lost the Brisbane players but is happy the board told him now it did not have faith in him.

Hey Girl, get more Gosling for your Google Chrome

Hey Girl, get more Gosling for your Google Chrome

WHEN it comes to Ryan Gosling there is no such thing as too much of a good thing, and a US web developer has created a drool-worthy plug in based entirely on that theme.

Stunning natural swim holes

Stunning natural swim holes

Wed Aug 14 08:00:00 EST 2013

There's nothing better than swimming au natural, as these stunning natural swim holes from around the world demonstrate.

Boozed-up Aussies drinking to excess

Boozed-up Aussies drinking to excess

HALF of Australia's drinkers consume alcohol in excess of the nation's health guidelines putting themselves at risk of violence and health problems.

Ten money habits to quit right now

money

SPOILER ALERT: Getting rich isn't about selling a tech-start up or winning Lotto, it's about saving and spending wisely. Here are ten money habits to ditch right away.


18.16 | 0 komentar | Read More

French Alps accidents kill four climbers

Written By Unknown on Selasa, 13 Agustus 2013 | 18.16

TWO Italian women have died in an avalanche and the bodies of two French climbers have been found in a crevasse after climbing accidents in the French Alps, local officials say.

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No Syria peace talks before October

A PROPOSED international peace conference on Syria that aims to bring together President Bashar al-Assad's allies and the opposition will probably not happen until October at the very earliest, a top Russian official says.

Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Gennady Gatilov said additional preparatory talks for the meeting will be held between Moscow and Washington at the end of August, and that the diplomatic schedule was already busy for September.

"It will probably not happen in September because there will be other events," Gatilov told the Interfax news agency late on Monday.

"We are in favour of holding the conference as soon as possible, but we have to take certain realities into account that may have an effect on when this forum is convened."

The so-called Geneva 2 talks were initially agreed in May by US Secretary of State John Kerry and Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov at a time when the Syrian rebels were making steady advances on the ground.

Russia, one of Assad's strongest international backers, had initially proposed having the meeting by the end of May.

But as Assad's forces mounted a counter-offensive, the talks were repeatedly postponed because of the opposition's failure on the need or terms under which they would attend.

Additional difficulties were sparked by Russia's insistence that Iran, which has provided the Assad regime with weapons and diplomatic support, also attend the negotiations.

Gatilov said the issue of Iran will be discussed by Russian and US officials when they meet at the end of August "in one of the European capitals that will probably not be Geneva".

Lavrov said after meeting Kerry on Washington on Friday that Russia and the United States were in agreement about the need to stage the talks "as soon as possible", but gave no specific date.


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Doctor steals heroin from patient's belly

POLICE in Russia have arrested a surgeon for stealing heroin from the stomach of a patient upon whom he was operating.

The unidentified doctor was found in possession of 5 grams of heroin after performing surgery on a man who had allegedly been smuggling drugs in his stomach, the police in the Siberian region of Krasnoyarsk said on Tuesday.

It said that investigators found that some heroin was missing after the doctor had removed the drugs from the patient's stomach in the hospital of the city of Bogotol.

When they searched the surgeon, they found a pack of heroin hidden in his clothes. Police also said that the medic was high.

Investigators published a video showing the suspect being locked up in a police cell. They said that he might face up to 15 years in prison.

The statement said nothing on the situation of the purported drug courier or why anybody would swallow drugs for smuggling in a remote region some 4000 kilometres east of Moscow.


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Longer sentence for UK pedophile

Written By Unknown on Senin, 12 Agustus 2013 | 18.16

A PEDOPHILE who walked free from a British court after his 13-year-old victim was branded "predatory" by a prosecutor has had his sentence increased because of a technicality.

Neil Wilson was handed an eight-month suspended sentence after admitting engaging in sexual activity with the girl, as well as separate counts of making indecent images, at Snaresbrook Crown Court in east London last week.

News that prosecutor Robert Colover had labelled the young victim "predatory" and "sexually experienced" caused outrage and led to his suspension from prosecuting sexual offence cases pending a review by the Crown Prosecution Service (CPS).

Judge Nigel Peters QC is also being investigated by the Office for Judicial Complaints for remarking that his sentence took into account how the girl looked and behaved.

Judge Peters altered Wilson's sentence on Monday, at a brief hearing at Snaresbrook Crown Court, after admitting it needed correction.

Making no reference to the storm surrounding the case during the 10-minute hearing, the judge altered Wilson's total sentence to 12 months imprisonment, suspended for two years, but kept the sentence for sexual activity with a child the same, at eight months suspended for two years.

Explaining the decision to Wilson, who appeared via videolink from York Magistrates' Court, the judge told him: "I have had the matter listed before me today as part of the sentence, not that part relating to sexual activity with a child, requires correcting.

"It was not appreciated by the parties that I could not pass a community order with a supervision requirement for three years to run alongside a suspended sentence on the same indictment or indeed another indictment sentenced on the same occasion.

"In amending the sentence I have sought to ensure that all parts of the order will be complied with by the defendant and that any breach will be brought before a court and consideration given to further penalty, including immediate imprisonment."

He said he was revoking a community order and imposing additional suspended jail terms for two counts involving indecent photographs, and another indictment involving five counts of possessing extreme pornographic images.

The addition of the suspended sentences was commensurate with the reduction of the supervision element from three to two years, he said.

A sexual offences prevention order remains in place.

Wilson already faces having his sentence reviewed after Attorney General Dominic Grieve agreed to examine the case.

Prime Minister David Cameron has said the CPS was "absolutely right" to label Mr Colover's comments "inappropriate".


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Greek recession eases to 4.6%

THE Greek economy has shown improvement in the second quarter of the year, shrinking by 4.6 per cent from 5.6 per cent in the first quarter, official data shows.

This first estimate from the statistics authority comes in the sixth year of recession since the country was overwhelmed by a debt crisis.

"According to available data, gross domestic product shrank by 4.6 per cent in the second quarter of 2013 compared with the second quarter of 2012," the authority said on Monday.

The latest figure shows the recession in Greece is still dragging on but that it is less severe on a 12-month comparison.

Last year the economy shrank by 6.4 per cent from output in 2011.

The country has been bailed out by the International Monetary Fund and European Union in return for deep structural reforms to its economy, and its banking system is being underpinned by refinancing from the European Central Bank.

The government has estimated the economy will contract by 4.3 per cent this year, but the forecasts for the state budget are based on an assumption that at the end of 2014 the economy will show growth of 0.2 per cent.

The budget of the central government, which does not include the cost of interest on the debt, local authority spending and pension budgets, showed a surplus of 2.6 billion euros ($A3.80 billion) in the seven months from January to July, Deputy Finance Minister Christos Staikouras said on Monday.

He expressed satisfaction in a statement with what he called "the good results of the central government budget which demonstrates the improving trend of public finances".

"This performance proves that the target of achieving a primary surplus on the general government budget by the end of the year is achievable," he said.

A primary surplus is a surplus excluding the cost of interest on the debt.

Greece hopes to achieve a primary surplus this year in order to begin reducing the public debt of accumulated past deficits, the statement recalled.

However, on Sunday the German weekly publication Der Spiegel, citing an internal document from the German central Bundesbank, reported that Greece might need another rescue program because it was unable to pull itself out of the crisis, despite bailout funding from the IMF and EU.

The IMF, EU and ECB recently praised progress made on reform of the Greek economy and approved payment of the next slice of bailout funding.


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UK warships head to Gibraltar amid row

BRITISH warships are due to set sail for the Mediterranean for a naval exercise that will see one vessel dock in Gibraltar, as tensions rise with Spain over the British-held territory.

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Malians vote in presidential run-off

Written By Unknown on Minggu, 11 Agustus 2013 | 18.16

Polls are set to open across Mali for a presidential run-off election. Source: AAP

MALIANS are voting in a watershed presidential election run-off expected to usher in a new dawn of peace and stability in the conflict-scarred nation.

Almost seven million voters have a choice between former premier Ibrahim Boubacar Keita and ex-finance minister Soumaila Cisse to lead Mali's recovery following a military coup that ignited an Islamist insurgency and a French-led military intervention.

Both candidates declared themselves confident of victory in the run-off, called after none of the 27 candidates in the first round on July 28 achieved an outright majority.

The election, the first since 2007, is crucial for unlocking more than $US4 billion ($A4.42 billion) in aid promised after international donors halted contributions in the wake of last year's coup.

The run-up to the vote was largely uneventful, with cities and towns deserted as Malians - over 90 per cent of whom are Muslim - stayed at home to celebrate the Eid al-Fitr festival marking the end of the holy month of Ramadan.

The rivals have faced off before, losing the 2002 presidential election to Amadou Toumani Toure, who was overthrown by a military junta in March last year as he was preparing to end his final term in office.

The return to democratic rule will allow France to withdraw most of the 4,500 troops it sent to Mali in January to oust al-Qaeda-linked extremists who had occupied the north in the chaos that followed the coup, imposing a brutal regime of sharia law characterised by executions and amputations.

Keita, who is considered the favourite, was more than 20 percentage points ahead of his rival in the first round but Cisse has remained optimistic.

Cisse had complained about widespread fraud in the first round while more than 400,000 ballots from a turnout of around 3.5 million were declared spoiled.

Mali's Constitutional Court rejected the allegations, however, confirming that Keita, 68, had won 39.8 per cent, while Cisse attracted a 19.7 per cent share.


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Al-Qaeda attack kills five Yemen soldiers

AN attack by "al-Qaeda elements" at a gas terminal in Yemen has killed five soldiers, a military source says, as Washington kept its embassy in Sanaa closed.

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Morsi loyalists call fresh Egypt protests

Mohamed Morsi's turbulent year in power polarised Egyptians and his removal only deepened divisions. Source: AAP

SUPPORTERS of ousted Egyptian president Mohamed Morsi have called more rallies to demand his reinstatement, amid last ditch efforts for reconciliation ahead of a threatened crackdown on protests.

The Anti-Coup Alliance said 10 marches would take off on Sunday from various parts of the capital "to defend the electoral legitimacy" of Egypt's first freely elected president Morsi, ousted by the military on July 3.

His supporters, led by the Muslim Brotherhood, have kept up two huge protest camps in Cairo and said nothing short of his reinstatement will persuade them to disperse.

The call for fresh rallies comes as Al-Azhar, Sunni Islam's highest seat of learning, called for reconciliation talks in the latest of a string of attempts to find a peaceful solution to the political deadlock.

Al-Azhar's Grand Imam, Ahmed al-Tayyeb, is to begin contacts with political factions on Monday aimed at convincing them to sit down to talks later this week, state media reported.

"Al-Azhar has been studying all the proposals for reconciliation put forward by political and intellectual figures... to come up with a compromise formula for all Egyptians," Tayyeb's advisor, Mahmud Azab, told the state-owned al-Ahram.

Morsi's turbulent single year in power polarised Egyptians and his removal by the military only deepened divisions.

The army-backed leadership is under immense pressure at home to crack down on the protests, and immense pressure from the international community to avoid bloodshed.

Senior US, EU and Arab envoys flew into Cairo in recent weeks to try to persuade the two sides to find a peaceful way out of the crisis.

But the government vowed on Wednesday to clear the Islamist protest camps, saying foreign mediation had failed.

More than 250 people have been killed in clashes since Morsi's ouster by the military, following days of mass rallies demanding his resignation.

The government had already ordered police to end the pro-Morsi protests, which it described as a "national security threat."


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