Midday Roundup: Greeks refuse more austerity, await EU reaction

Greek drama. Greece wades neck-deep into uncharted waters after voters said “no” to the nation’s creditors. The European creditors propping up the bankrupt country wanted more reforms and belt-tightening in return for more cash. Voters soundly rejected those demands, with 61 percent voting “no” in Sunday’s referendum. Prime Minister Alexis Tsipras insisted a “no” vote would strengthen his hand to negotiate a better deal with creditors. But German Chancellor Angela Merkel said today she saw no need to talk about forgiving any of Greece’s debt. European leaders will meet tomorrow to discuss the Greek crisis. And they’ll have to deal with at least one new negotiator. Greek Finance Minister Yanis Varoufakis, who had a contentious relationship with European leaders, abruptly resigned today, saying other eurozone finance ministers had requested he not attend future meetings. Meanwhile, Greek banks remain closed, with account-holders limited to withdrawing the equivalent of $67 per day. Tsipras promised to quickly reopen banks, but unless the European Central Bank agrees to supply more cash, which it so far has not done, the restrictions on withdrawals will only get worse.

Terror rampage. Suicide bombers left a trail of destruction and misery in Nigeria over the weekend. On Sunday morning, a woman blew herself up in the middle of a church service in the northeastern city of Potiskum. At least five people died. And today, two bombers blew themselves up at a crowded mosque and a Muslim restaurant frequented by the country’s elite in the central city of Jos. Officials say at least 44 died in those blasts, and 67 were wounded. The three attacks cap a deadly week for Boko Haram militants, who have killed more than 250 people in the last seven days. The death toll from Monday’s attack is expected to rise. Also on Sunday, fighters with the militant Islamic group returned to several northeastern villages, where they killed nine people and burned down 32 churches and 300 homes. A local self-defense group killed three of the attackers.

Flag fracas. South Carolina lawmakers will begin debate today on several different proposals to remove the Confederate flag from the state Capitol grounds, where it currently flies over a memorial to soldiers killed during the Civil War. Calls for the flag’s departure gained new momentum last month after a gunman apparently motivated by racism shot and killed nine people at a Bible study meeting at a historically black church in Charleston, S.C. Dylann Roof had a Confederate flag on his car’s license plate and posed for photos with the flag and symbols of white supremacy. Gov. Nikki Haley led the charge to remove the flag, and according to a new poll, she has the support she needs to get it done: State law requires two-thirds of lawmakers vote to change the flag’s position. But they still have to work out the details, and that could be tricky.

Nuke negotiations fizzle. The outcome of nuclear talks with Iran “could go either way,” U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry said yesterday. “Everybody is negotiating hard,” he said. “That’s what makes this difficult. But our hope is that we get an agreement that is fair, that gets the job done.” Kerry also told reporters that despite the recent claim of a top European Union official that a deal was close, there’s still plenty of daylight between the two sides. Nine days into the latest round of negotiations, Kerry said, “We are not yet where we need to be on several of the most critical issues.” And Kerry restated the Obama administration’s assurance that the United States is prepared to walk away from talks if the deal isn’t right. “This is something that the world will analyze,” he said. “Experts everywhere will look at, and none of us are going to be content to do something that can’t pass scrutiny.”

World winners. The U.S. Women’s Soccer team won the World Cup last night with a decisive victory over Japan, 5-2. Team captain Carli Lloyd scored three of the goals, helping her teammates bring home the coveted gold trophy for the first time since 1999. While enjoying Olympic success, the U.S. women struggled to win soccer’s biggest tournament. “I’m so proud and so zapped at the same time,” Lloyd said after the game. “It’s a surreal moment. It’s been amazing. We just wrote history and brought this World Cup trophy home.”

Dino domination. At the box office this past weekend, Terminator Genisys and Disney/Pixar’s Inside Out both made a strong push, but it’s tough to beat genetically engineered dinosaurs. Jurassic World once again held the top spot, raking in another $31 million for the weekend. Added to the $1.4 billion in tickets already sold worldwide, Jurassic World is now the fifth biggest movie of all time.

WORLD Radio’s Kent Covington and the Associated Press contributed to this report.