Greek PM turns to negotiations for unity administration

Greek PM turns to negotiations for unity administration

A Greek referendum over the European Union (EU) aid package was more unlikely on Thursday, as Greek Prime Minister George Papandreou suggested during a crucial cabinet meeting that he was willing to withdraw the plan in exchange for the forming of a national coalition.

"The referendum was never a primary goal in itself. Even though we are not afraid of people's judgment, I am glad this discussion forced the main opposition to support the October 26 agreement on the new aid package," he said in a statement.

He would seek the creation of a national consensus administration in the coming hours with the main opposition conservative party New Democracy (ND), the prime minister said.

Amid a revolt by key cabinet ministers and lawmakers of the ruling PASOK party, Papandreou did not confirm the rumors that he intended to step down.cheap nfl jerseys china

He said he was forced to call a referendum on Monday to force the ND Antonis Samaras to shoulder his responsibilities.

Holding snap general elections at the moment would pose a danger of default for the country,,cheap adidas shoes, the prime minister warned.

He announced that he mandated his close aide Nikos Athanasakis and Transport Minister Dimitris Reppas to negotiate the creation of a national unity government with the ND.

He had a short telephone conversation with Samaras,Demeco Ryans white jerseysReplica Rolex watches who earlier Thursday had called for a transitional government and snap election in the coming weeks, according to a statement released by the prime minister's office minutes before he addressed PASOK's parliamentary group.

China's readiness to help EU politicized

China's readiness to help EU politicized

China's readiness to help the debt-ridden EU out of its quagmire has been unjustly politicized, as some Europeans fear China's assistance would come in exchange for EU political concessions on thorny issues.

The prejudicial assumption exaggerates China's pragmatism in international economic affairs and reflects EU mistrust with its strategic partner.

However, even if the debt crisis had not happened and the EU had not sought Chinese help, China would never stop demanding that the EU abandon its obsolete mentality and take a more open-minded approach on issues of currency disputes, high-tech export restrictions, arms sales embargo and human rights censure.

Simply put, China's goodwill deserves fair treatment from the EU.

China has reiterated its confidence in the EU to ride out its hardships and uphold the spirit of partnership with China. Yet the SOS sent by the 27-nation bloc has absurdly made its domestic audiences uncomfortable.

In response to criticism within the EU, Eurogroup Chairman Jean-Claude Juncker told German public broadcaster ARD last week that "this will not take place in the form of a tight political negotiation -- assuming that of China invests, we have to give China something back.,Cheap authentic nfl jerseys,"

It is becoming increasingly prominent that the issue of market economy status, which is, to a certain extent, a result of the lingering "Cold War" mentality, has become the EU's invisible bargaining chip.

Since the beginning, the notion of a non-market economy was coined by Western countries as the economic system implemented by a communist government, which underscores its strong ideological color.

The non-market economy status has long overstated export countries' production costs and dumping margins and gives exporters unfair trade disadvantages.

When China entered the World Trade Organization (WTO) 10 years ago, it was the only country among the 147 members to stay on the waiting list of the market economy countries. China has been persistently moving to loosen the state interference of the economy and to rectify the obsolete system impeding the fair play between state and private business, domestic and foreign-invested companies.

While the EU refused to do China a favor, saying China failed to meet technical criteria, it intentionally neglected the fact that a handful of other countries, including some EU nations that have been recognized by EU as full market economies, also fail to meet the standards. There is also the example of the EU recognizing a European country's market economy status even though it so far has not joined the WTO, which is apparently out of the normal practice.

These facts reflect the EU's selective standards toward different nations, which casts a shadow over its political integrity.

Even so, the non-market economy status has not dampened China-EU trade ties. On the contrary, China is the EU's second largest trading partner, and the EU is China's biggest overseas market.

It is not expected that granting China the full market economy status will be a tremendous blessing for China, because the anti-dumping duties cover a very meager share of Chinese exports to Europe. Also, it wouldn't be a panacea for all the trade frictions between the two sides.Sanyo Projector Lamp Worse-case scenario,,cheap adidas shoes, China will automatically gain full market economy status by 2016, according to WTO rules.

To recognize China's status as early as possible could be viewed as a manifestation of the EU's strategic trust with China and its political sincerity, wisdom and vision to expand bilateral relations. Otherwise, the one-sided trust cannot persist.

Admittedly,Demeco Ryans white jerseys political reciprocity is what China pursues at the international negotiating table. But it is not the case on the issue of market economy status, as well as other thorny issues between the two sides.

Smooth and balanced China-EU economic and trade ties are conducive to restoring the world's economic recovery and promoting long-term prosperity.

It is time for the EU and China to share the difficulties at this critical moment that offers a chance for the two sides to turn hardships into hopes and deepen their long-cherished mutual trust.

Pregnant mom's horrid sandwich ordeal

Pregnant mom's horrid sandwich ordeal

NICOLE Leszczynski couldn't imagine that two chicken salad sandwiches would land her and her husband in jail and her 2-year-old daughter in state custody. But it happened five days ago,Replica Rolex watches when the 30-weeks-pregnant American woman forgot to pay for her snack while shopping in Honolulu.Wholesale Monster Headphones

Leszczynski, 28, and her husband Marcin, 33, were handcuffed, searched then released on US$50 bail each. Their ordeal at the police station lasted a few hours,Christian Louboutin shoes but their daughter Zofia spent the night away from her parents in a case that has sparked nationwide outrage in the United States and forced the Safeway supermarket chain to review the incident.

"It was the most ridiculous chain of events that happened," the mother said while sobbing on Monday.

The family had moved to an apartment near downtown Honolulu in Hawaii from California two weeks ago. Still settling in, they ventured out last Wednesday to stock up on groceries, took the bus, got lost, and ended up at a Safeway supermarket.

Famished, the former Air Force staff sergeant picked up the two sandwiches that together cost US$5. She munched on one while they shopped, saving the wrapper to be scanned at the register later. But they forgot to pay for the sandwiches as they checked out with about US$50 worth of groceries.

"When the security guard questioned us, I was really embarrassed, I was horrified," she said. They were led upstairs, where the couple expected to get a lecture, pay for the sandwiches, and be allowed on their way. But store managers wouldn't allow them to pay for the sandwiches, she said.

Four hours later, a police officer arrived and read them their rights. A woman from the state Child Welfare Services arrived to take Zofia away.

The pregnant mother said she tried to keep her composure until Zofia, who turns three in December, left the store. "I didn't want Zofia to be scared because she's never spent a night away from us."

The national supermarket chain said it was looking into the incident.

"It was never our intent to separate a mother from her child. That was a very unfortunate consequence to this situation," said Susan Houghton, a spokeswoman for the California-based supermarket chain.

The couple was released after posting bail. A police officer escorted them back to the store - which banned them for a year, she said - where they picked up their groceries and walked home just before midnight.

"We basically stared at each other all night. We woke up at the crack of dawn and called (the state child welfare office)," Leszczynski said. While waiting, she vented about the experience on babycenter.com and contacted a lawyer for help with being reunited with Zofia. At the lawyer's suggestion, they took their story to the media.

Zofia was returned after an 18-hour separation from her parents.

The couple is charged with fourth-degree theft, a petty misdemeanor,Lions jerseys authentic and has a court date on November 28, the city prosecutor's office said.