Greek Prime Minister bids to seal debt deal June 24, 2015 - 15:47 AMT PanARMENIAN.Net - The Greek Prime Minister, Alexis Tsipras, is to hold fresh talks with his country's creditors as he tries to secure an urgent deal on Athens' debt, BBC News reports. Greece must repay €1.6bn to the International Monetary Fund (IMF) by the end of the month, or face default and possible exit from the EU. European Union leaders have broadly welcomed Greece's latest proposals for reforms - but obstacles remain. Eurozone finance ministers are due to finalise a deal on Wednesday, June 24 evening. The agreement being formed is believed to include: • New taxes on businesses and the wealthy • Selective increases in VAT • Savings in pensions linked to curbing early retirement and increasing pension contributions • No further reductions in pensions or public-sector wages - "red lines" for Greece's Syriza government On Wednesday, the ECB again increased additional emergency funding for Greek banks to stave off fears of a bank run - the fifth time in eight days it has done so as fearful savers withdraw up to €1bn a day from domestic banks. Only once agreement is reached will creditors unlock the final €7.2bn tranche of bailout funds. Related links:   Top stories Authorities said a total of 192 Azerbaijani troops were killed and 511 were wounded during Azerbaijan’s offensive. In 2023, the Azerbaijani government will increase the country’s defense budget by more than 1.1 billion manats ($650 million). The bill, published on Monday, is designed to "eliminate the shortcomings of an unreasonably broad interpretation of the key concept of "compatriot". The earthquake caused a temporary blackout, damaged many buildings and closed a number of rural roads.   Partner news |  Latest news Cyprus parliament honors Armenian genocide victims  Acting House President Zacharias Koulias noted that April 24 marks the “black anniversary” of the Armenian genocide.Armenia PM, France envoy discuss regional matters Issues related to the consistent development of Armenia-France cooperation were discussed.Azerbaijan razes historic Armenian church to ground Azerbaijan has demolished the historic Armenian Church of St. John the Baptist (known as Kanach Zham).Russia to begin assessing migrant workers' speaking skills Rosobrnadzor is planning to change the Russian language exam for migrant workers and include an assessment of speaking skills |
