Erstellt am: 19. 10. 2011 - 15:02 Uhr

Greek Chaos and Austrian Stability

Reality Check: a growing health hazard in Greece amid more strikes; Finance Minister Fekter presents her first budget; tension as Turkey goes after Kurdish rebels in Iraq

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Rubbish lies on the side of the street in Athens. Photo: DPA/Friso Gentsch

More Greek Strikes

Strikes and protests seem to be a regular occurrence in Greece these days, but as the parliament votes on a painful new round of austerity measures, much of the country is shut down by a general strike. The consequences of the crisis are becoming increasingly visible and dangerous, with uncollected rubbish on the streets and health services crippled. Our Athens correspondent Helena Smith describes the situation:

Fekter’s First Budget Speech

No surprises, but then no-one was expecting any. “A stable budget for a secure future” is how the finance minister described her financial plant. But what message was she trying to send? Chancellor Faymann called it “an example for the entire EU” but is the mood in the coalition over the budget as harmonious as the government has been making it out to be? An assessment from political commentator Thomas Hofer:

Turkey, the Kurds and Iraq
Reports of a Turkish military incursion into Iraq has raised the spectre of heightened tensions in the region. Turkey was retaliating after Kurdish rebels killed 24 Turkish soldiers in multiple attacks along the border. How significant are these Kurdish attacks? Elizabeth Alcock spoke to our international security analyst Paul Rogers:

Russian Politics

No-one was surprised when it was announced that the Russian Prime Minister Vladimir Putin would seek a return to the presidency next year. Lilia Shevtsova chairs the Russian Domestic Politics and Political Institutions Program at the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace, with offices in Washington, D.C. and Moscow. She told Chris Cummins that she is very alarmed at what she sees as a further step backwards for Russian democracy:

Scientists develop a “flying carpet”

It’s only small and moves more like a hovercraft than a flying carpet, but it’s a scientifically exciting invention with potential to take off. Joanna Bostock spoke to its creator, PhD student at Princeton University, Noah Jafferis: