EgyptAir passenger plane crash over Mediterranean: no theory should be ruled out at the moment as the investigation is ongoing

EgyptAir airplane
(Image: The Telegraph)

Ahram-Online materials - CAIRO: An EgyptAir flight vanished early this morning en route from Paris to Cairo. Radar signals from flight MS804 were lost at 2:30am Cairo time, EgyptAir have said, around the time the flight entered Egyptian airspace over the Mediterranean.

The commercial flight left Paris at 11:09pm GMT and was due to land at Cairo airport at 03:15am local time.

Sources told Al-Ahram Arabic website that air traffic controllers in Athens had failed to establish communication with the pilot after the plane went off the radar.

Greek parliament votes to recognize the State of Palestine during Abbas visit

Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas and Greek Prime Minister
Alexis Tsipras
(Image: The Independent) 

Independent - ATHENS: The Greek parliament has voted unanimously in favour of recognising the state of Palestine during a visit from Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas.

The government of Alexis Tsipras had previously been urged by the parliamentary Foreign Affairs and Defence Committee to make the move, removing references to "the Palestinian Authority".

Parliament voted on the motion on Tuesday following an address by President Abbas, who held talks with Mr Tsipras on Monday night.

Greek Summit: EU welcomes with caution reforms proposed by Greece

EU and Greek flags
(Image: Consillium Europe)

Emergency summit of EU countries regarding the Greek crisis was held in Brussels on Monday, 22 June, as the Eurozone leaders and Greece’s creditors arrived to this meeting with cautious optimism and hopes of an agreement with the Greek government.

Greek government presented during the Summit the new plan of economic and financial reforms to be implemented in the country in order to prolong financial help of EU creditors. The reforms’ plans include higher taxes, abolition of the preferential VAT treatment for Greek Islands, increase in taxes on corporate profits that are above 500 Million Euros and rising of retirement age up to 67 years and curbing early retirement in the country.

European Commission is for the Greece membership in EU

European Commission building

Greece has to remain in EU and within the currency union, stated European Commission representatives. The government of Germany also reminded about the necessity to wait for the report of “troika” of Greece creditors before taking any important decisions.

This decision is common for German ministers, according to Georg Streiter, representative of German government. German Minister of finances Philipp Rössler also agreed with this line and told in an interview for the channel ARD that he waits for the report of Greece donors to estimate the current financial situation in the country.

It is worth mentioning that after Rössler’s statement the new debates about the membership of Greece in EU sparked with the new power in Germany and within the European community. According to Minister and Vice Chancellor Greece has almost no chances for remaining in EU and could soon leave the currency union and return to its own currency. German Chancellor Angela Merkel made the similar statement but she focused more on economical conditions in Greece and its ability to fulfill all the demands of austerity-program.

Philipp Rössler

The representatives of European Commission, International Monetary fund (IMF) and European Central Bank (EZB) will continue on 24 July the inspection of the current situation in Greece and the fulfillment of the obligations within the framework of the program of financial help for the country. The report of “troika” to be announced at the beginning of September.