Small explosion near NATO facility in Turkey; no injuries

Ankara, 22 June 2017 (MIA) - Turkish media say a small explosion at a graveyard close to the grounds of a NATO-owned military facility in western Turkey has damaged the installation's perimeter walls, but caused no injuries, AP reports.
The private Dogan news agency says the explosion occurred Thursday in the city of Izmir.
The report says that police have cordoned off the area and are investigating the cause of the explosion. sk/10:30
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Romanian lawmakers oust PM Grindeanu in no-confidence vote
Bucharest, 21 June 2017 (MIA) - Romania's ruling leftists overwhelmingly voted to oust Prime Minister Sorin Grindeanu's six-month-old government on Wednesday, opening the way for a new cabinet with a comfortable parliament majority over the next few weeks, Reuters reports.
Lawmakers voted 241-7 against Grindeanu in a no-confidence motion, a week after his ruling Social Democrat Party (PSD) and a coalition partner withdrew their support from him, accusing him of failing to roll out a range of programs.
"The government is dismissed," Senate speaker Calin Tariceanu told parliament after the result, which lifted the leu currency.
Independent observers said the PSD is likely unhappy with Grindeanu's failure to relax anti-corruption rules earlier this year and wanted to oust him to ensure a different premier does more to protect party seniors facing graft charges.
Romania is seen as one of the European Union's most corrupt states and Brussels has kept its justice system under special monitoring since it joined the bloc in 2007.
The PSD and its junior coalition partner ALDE are expected to nominate a replacement for Grindeanu later in the week.
The leu firmed about 0.3 percent on the day after the vote to trade at about 4.5870 at 1050 GMT (6.50 a.m. ET).
"Passing this motion means the PSD and ALDE are continuing to govern in the way Romanians elected in December," PSD leader Liviu Dragnea said. lk/17:05
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PM Tsipras fails to win opposition party backing for Eurogroup deal
Athens, 21 June 2017 (MIA) - Greece's Prime Minister Alexis Tsipras Tuesday finished briefing the leaders of opposition parties in Greece on last week’s Eurogroup deal in talks that also sought to consolidate a common position on ongoing Cyprus talks, Kathimerini reported.
According to sources, all parties were basically in agreement on Cyprus but Tsipras failed to win any opposition backing for his government’s Eurogroup deal which all party leaders dismissed as a further burden on Greeks.
Although the mood in talks between Tsipras and conservative New Democracy leader Kyriakos Mitsotakis was said to be good, Mitsotakis stressed that the agreement be discussed in Parliament next week so that “the Greek people can know the truth.”
The mood was significantly less cordial in talks between Tsipras and PASOK leader Fofi Gennimata earlier in the day. In a televised exchange, Tsipras declared that the Eurogroup deal “gives our country a year without any pressure, a breath for us to be able to consider the country’s future.” Gennimata fired back, saying, “I don’t know how much of a breath we can take as you’ve put a noose around our neck,” a comment which in turn prompted Tsipras to respond: “You put us in the memorandums. I am going to get you out.”
Tsipras is expected on Wednesday to talk up the Eurogroup deal at a cabinet meeting with his ministers.