Watched the re-run on S4C on Saturday: Interviewer to Shane Williams: “Sut wyt ti’n teimlo Shane ?” (How do you feel Shane?) – “Gutted” To Jamie Roberts – “Beth oedd y teimlad yn yr ystafell newid?” (What was the feeling in the changing room?) – “Roedd y bechgyn yn “gutted”. (The boys were gutted) My sister phoned me after the game – we go halfway round the world, play like heroes and can’t even have a game against the All-Blacks. I’m …
OK – off to the Millenium Stadium – along with 60,000 others. Let me know how we are doing. In the meantime: Jonathan’s a fan again… Enjoy! DewiWelsh Nationalist. Rugby Fan. Know a bit about History and Railways…
2 Fairly big games this weekend in Auckland. On Sunday New Zealand face Australia. Is McCaw fit? Will the all Blacks risk Cruden or play Weepu first five eighth? (Where on earth does “first five eighth” come from?) Here’s the NZ Herald – Graham Henry will be trying to stay awake…it’s a 9pm start in New Zealand – which is a bit different for the players. In Australia they are working on those Sonny Bill Williams voodoo dolls…might be working – …
Oh dear… RTÉ reports Taoiseach Enda Kenny sticking his head in the sand insisting that the status quo is perfectly adequate to deal with the eurozone crisis. Speaking in Warsaw, Mr Kenny admitted there had been a lot of discussion among eurozone leaders about where the crisis was headed, and that there would be a good deal more discussion before heads of government meet in mid October. When asked if he supports Treaty change in order to facilitate a deeper …
Ok – let’s eliminate absurdites and look at the more realistic scenarios for the Six Nation Teams: 1. In Pool D – Barring losing to Fiji by 62 39 points or more Wales are through the Group of Death in second behind South Africa. 2. In Pool B – Scotland need to beat England by 8 points and restrict England to less than 4 tries to get through in second. If they do Argentina win the group, providing they secure …
Credit ratings agency Moody’s has downgraded two major French banks ahead of crisis talks between President Nicolas Sarkozy, German Chancellor Angela Merkel, and Greek Prime Minister, George Papandreou. BBC business editor, and still everyone’s hero, Robert Peston explains why. And Greece isn’t their only concern. Nor are they the only ones taking an interest. [Adds – More on the interest elsewhere]. The Guardian’s business blog is live-blogging today’s events… And, even though they “know how difficult a treaty change will be”, that’s precisely what …
A quick update from Brussels on the crisis in the euro-zone where Finland’s demand for collateral in return for financial aid to Greece is, as the New York Times reported, threatening the “fragile consensus”. [Offer them an island or two! – Ed] I don’t think that would cover it… The BBC reports that European Central Bank (ECB) president, Jean-Claude Trichet, wants European governments to get back to work quickly. “The full and timely implementation of the July 21 agreement between heads …
The BBC are reporting that New York prosecutors have asked for the case against Dominique Strauss-Kahn to be dropped. Mr. Strauss-Kahn’s lawyers have maintained throughout that any sexual encounter was consensual: “We also maintained that there were many reasons to believe that Mr Strauss-Kahn’s accuser was not credible…. Mr Strauss-Kahn and his family are grateful that the district attorney’s office took our concerns seriously and concluded on its own that this case cannot proceed further.” Ms Diallo’s lawyer Kenneth Thompson …
Frau Bundeskanzlerin and the French President, Nicolas Sarkozy, emerged from their bunker yesterday to call for “true economic governance” for the eurozone. As Derek Scally reports in the Irish Times Mr Sarkozy and Chancellor Angela Merkel presented joint proposals for further reforms and euro zone integration after meeting in Paris yesterday, calling them essential steps to end ongoing instability. “To strengthen the euro as our common currency, it is clear that we will need a closer interlocking of economic and financial …
The Italian government is facing internal dissent over the terms and conditions of the European Central Bank’s “sticking plaster”. Meanwhile, in the Irish Times, another supporter of the “European Project”, Thomas Klau, referencing the recent FT article by Otmar Issing I mentioned, at least identifies the fundamental area for discussion. In the English-language debate particularly, the relationship between democracy and European integration is often most vigorously argued about by Eurosceptics. It is essential for advocates of deeper European integration not …
The European Central Bank’s “sticking plaster” appears to have had the desired effect of alleviating pressure on Spanish and Italian government bonds. For now. As BBC business editor, and still everyone’s hero, Robert Peston, observes It would have been utterly disastrous if there had been any other outcome. Because – for the avoidance of any doubt – the ECB is taking a substantial reputational and financial risk in buying the debt of these nations: many will see the ECB as …
Well, perhaps… Eurozone leaders emerged from their emergency summit yesterday offering a new €109billion bail-out for Greece with twice as long to pay it back [30 years] at a lower interest rate than before. It’s a “restricted default event”, according to ratings agency Fitch. The draft agreement in full is here [pdf file]. Ireland and Portugal get an interest rate cut too – Karl Whelan’s busy at Irish Economy calculating what it means for Ireland. But the private sector involvement in Greece …
Everyone’s got something to say ahead of tomorrow’s emergency EU summit on the existential European debt crisis. Whether you believe any of them is another matter entirely… Taoiseach Enda Kenny is echoing Frau Bundeskanzlerin. Taoiseach Enda Kenny has said he is also hopeful that Ireland will be on the agenda at tomorrow’s meeting. However, in a statement issued today, Mr Kenny said he did not believe the meeting would solve all of the euro zone’s problems. “The crisis in the euro area …
That’s the BBC economics editor Stephanie Flanders quoted above, by the way. Which brings me back to Thursday’s emergency summit called by European Council president, Herman Van Rompuy “Our agenda will be the financial stability of the euro area as a whole and the future financing of the Greek programme,” said Mr Van Rompuy in a brief statement last night. [Friday 15th July] Perhaps… But Frau Bundeskanzlerin, who reportedly wasn’t as keen on the summit being called, has been playing down expectations …
Once again, with apologies to Pierre Ranger… [It’s a tradition, we know… – Ed] Indeed! Play La Marseillaise! Pete Baker
So sayeth the President of the European Council, Herman Van Rompuy, as the BBC Europe editor Gavin Hewitt notes Europe’s leaders are unsettled, scratchy. Old certainties have given way to anxiety. The open road to ever closer union is now strewn with boulders. You can gauge the ebbing confidence from remarks that didn’t need to be made. “Europe is still sexy,” declared President of the European Council Herman Van Rompuy. “As long as a club attracts new members,” he added, “it is …
After the Greek parliament voted to give everyone more time to come up with a better solution, Eurozone finance ministers agreed to release the promised €12billion to Greece to avoid an immediate default. But those same finance ministers have now delayed discussions on the details of a second bail-out for Greece, thought to be around 120bn euros, needed to pay the bills until the end of 2014. According to an Irish Times report today, the Greek finance minister Evangelos Venizelos has stated, “Euro Group decided through a …
In the midst of a 48 hour general strike, and with police clashing with protestors on the streets, the Greek Prime Minister, George Papandreou, won the first of two crucial votes on the latest package of tax hikes, spending cuts, and privatisations. By 155 votes to 138. But as the BBC Europe editor, Gavin Hewitt, wrote before today’s vote But here’s the thing. No one in Greece believes the tax increases, lay-offs, privatisations will ever be fully implemented. This morning I …
Croatia got an invite to join the European Union party, as EU leaders cornered the under pressure Greek Prime Minister, George Papandreou, ahead of next week’s crucial Greek parliamentary vote on the latest bail-out. Arthur Beesley in the Irish Times FOR THE fourth time this year, EU leaders gathered in Brussels last night to plot the next step in the sovereign debt emergency. They have declared victory many times before. None is inclined to suggest they are winning now. The mood …
Eurozone finance ministers have withheld the release of a €12 billion loan to Greece in the hope that the Greek Prime Minister, George Papandreou, can secure a domestic political consensus. The BBC report quotes from the EU finance ministers’ statement A statement issued by the ministers called on all political parties in Greece to: “support the programme’s main objectives and key policy measures to ensure a rigorous and expeditious implementation”. “Given the length, magnitude and nature of required reforms in Greece, national unity …
