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Football: 'Red Devils' rallying point in divided Belgium

March 29, 2013 22:00
The success of their 'Red Devils' is a rare rallying point for football mad Belgium, otherwise deeply divided between its Flemish-speaking north and a Francophone south ahead of general elections next year. Starved of success since reaching the World Cup semi-finals in 1986, a golden generation of players featuring such stars as Eden Hazard, who plays for Chelsea and Manchester City's Vincent Kompany, jointly lead their group with Croatia on the qualifying road to the 2014 World Cup in Brazil.

Bulgaria seeks EU help for energy sector reform

March 28, 2013 07:00
Bulgaria said Thursday it had asked the European Commission for expert help to reform its troubled energy sector as sanctions loom owing to lagging liberalisation of the country's energy market. During talks in Brussels with European Council president Herman van Rompuy, Bulgaria's caretaker premier Marin Raykov asked Wednesday for "a thorough analysis of (Bulgaria's) energy issues by the specialised units in the European Commission -- the Directorates-General for Energy and Competition," a government statement said.

EU's Van Rompuy urges implementing Cyprus deal as soon as possible

March 25, 2013 07:47
Herman Van Rompuy, who chairs the European Union Council, on Monday urged the financial rescue deal clinched after tough overnight talks between Cyprus and its international creditors be enacted "as soon as possible." Welcoming the agreement "to ensure a sustainable future for Cyprus in the euro area", Van Rompuy said "it is now for all parties to ensure its implementation as soon as possible."

URGENT ¥¥¥ EU's Van Rompuy urges implementing Cyprus deal 'as soon as possible'

March 25, 2013 07:46
Herman Van Rompuy, who chairs the European Union Council, on Monday urged that a financial rescue deal clinched after tough overnight talks between Cyprus and its international creditors be enacted "as soon as possible." Welcoming the agreement "to ensure a sustainable future for Cyprus in the euro area", Van Rompuy said "it is now for all parties to ensure its implementation as soon as possible." ccr/rl

March 25, 2013 07:31
EU's Van Rompuy urges implementation of Cyprus deal 'soon as possible' ccr/wai

Japan, EU launch FTA talks

March 25, 2013 07:16
Japan and the European Union launched talks on a free trade agreement Monday with a telephone summit held between their leaders, a Japanese minister said. The telephone talks were in place of a face to face meeting between EU Council and Commission heads Herman Van Rompuy and Jose Manuel Barroso, and Japan's Prime Minister Shinzo Abe, which were shelved while Europe grappled with debt problems in Cyprus.

Japan, EU to launch FTA talks: EU trade chief

March 25, 2013 04:45
Japan and the European Union were readying to launch talks on a free trade agreement Monday, with a telephone summit expected to be held later in the day, the EU's trade chief said. The talks, from 6:30 pm (0930 GMT), are in place of a face to face meeting between EU Council and Commission heads Herman Van Rompuy and Jose Manuel Barroso, and Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe, which were shelved while Europe grappled with debt problems in Cyprus.

Japan, EU to hold phone talks on Cyprus, free trade

March 25, 2013 00:15
The Japanese and European Union leaders will hold telephone talks Monday to discuss the Cyprus bailout deal and plans to launch free trade negotiations, the government said. The summit, which will begin at 6:30 pm (0930 GMT), comes after EU leaders postponed their visit to Japan because of the mounting debt crisis in bankruptcy-threatened Cyprus. "We will hold a telephone summit so that we can secure close communications between the two leaderships," Chief Cabinet Secretary Yoshihide Suga told a news conference.

EU, Japan postpone summit over Cyprus crisis

March 23, 2013 00:00
European Union leaders have announced the indefinite postponement of a key summit with Japan intended to launch crucial free trade negotiations next week because of the mounting debt crisis in bankruptcy-threatened Cyprus. "It is with regret that we have decided to postpone next week's EU-Japan summit," EU Council and Commission heads Herman Van Rompuy and Jose Manuel Barroso said in a surprise statement late Friday.

Flanders leader tells Quebecers independence too costly

March 18, 2013 17:31
Greater autonomy for Flanders would boost its economy, but outright independence for the northern region of Belgium would be costly for all, its leader said Monday. Kris Peeters, the minister-president for the Dutch-speaking Belgian region, was speaking to AFP during a visit to Quebec, which twice rejected a split from the rest of Canada in referendums. "I don't support Flanders independence," he said, "I'm convinced that our region needs more powers in different areas, such as taxation, etc, but I also believe that Flanders needs Belgium."
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