ATHENS — In a surprise move that jolted Europe and put his political future in play, Prime Minister George A. Papandreouannounced late Monday that his government would hold a referendum on a new aid package for Greece, putting austerity measures — and potentially membership in the euro zone — to a popular vote for the first time.
The announcement sent tremors through Europe’s see-sawing markets in early trading on Tuesday, with bank stocks taking a particular hammering because of their exposure to Greek debt. French and German indexes were down by more than 3 percent while, in Britain, which is not a member of the euro zone but trades heavily with continental Europe, the FTSE 100 index was down by around 2 percent.
Mr. Papandreou’s surprise promise of a vote on the austerity package introduced a note of uncertainty in what had seemed to be a done deal, threatening a comprehensive agreement reached by European leaders last week to shore up the euro zone. A rejection by the voters would also be likely to be treated as a vote of no confidence in the government and lead to early elections.
The anxiety stirred up by those fears hammered United States financial markets on Monday, showing once again how the domestic politics of even the smallest members of the European Union can create troubles that not only threaten the currency but reverberate around the globe.
Addressing lawmakers on Monday evening, Mr. Papandreou said the decision on whether to adopt the deal, which includes fresh financial assistance, debt relief and deeply unpopular austerity measures, properly belonged to the Greek people.
“Let us allow the people to have the last word, let them decide on the country’s fate,” he said.
It was unclear how the referendum would be worded, but Mr. Papandreou said it would be a vote on whether or not Greeks supported the debt deal and the program of austerity measures in exchange for foreign aid.
The stakes are extremely high. A no vote could break the deal between Greece and its so-called troika of foreign lenders — the European Union, European Central Bank and International Monetary Fund — which have demanded structural changes and austerity measures in exchange for aid.
Without the aid, Greece would not be able to meet its expenses and would default on its debt, sending shock waves through the euro zone and the world economy.
A yes vote, on the other hand, would move the package forward, effectively shifting responsibility for the nation’s painful economic choices from Mr. Papandreou’s Socialist Party onto the public. That outcome would help Mr. Papandreou shore up his political fortunes and avoid the instability of early elections.
The center-right opposition has opposed the bulk of the austerity program, and the prime minister’s popular support has dwindled as Greeks have been hit by a seemingly endless series of tax increases and wage and pension cuts. On Sunday, the center-left newspaper To Vima reported that a majority of Greeks viewed the deal negatively.
At a time when Mr. Papandreou is under intense political and social pressure, including from members of his own Socialist Party, the move was seen as the last card he could play.
It also appeared to give the Greek government a bit more leverage in negotiations with Europe. The terms of the deal, in which banks have been asked to voluntarily take a 50 percent write-down on Greek debt, have not been finalized and must still be accepted by the banks. Putting the package up for a vote, with the distinct possibility of rejection, could induce banks to agree to the deal rather than face greater losses if Greece defaults.
“It’s not motivated by the intention of some sort of brinkmanship with Europe, but it may have this sort of positive or negative effect,” said George Pagoulatos, a professor of European politics and economy at Athens University of Economics and Business. “It raises the stakes. It’s about, ‘Will we remain in the euro with a lower public debt, or will we lose everything that we will achieve?’ ”
Mr. Papandreou also said that he would seek a parliamentary vote of confidence in his administration, just four months after winning a similar vote before pushing an earlier batch of austerity measures into law. The vote of confidence is expected to be held on Friday, and he is expected to squeak by with his narrow three-vote majority in Parliament.
The referendum will probably be held in January, government officials said, essentially buying the government time while the details of the deal are hammered out.
Addressing lawmakers on Monday evening, Finance Minister Evangelos Venizelos framed the debate as one of Greece’s staying in the euro zone, the group of 17 European Union countries that use the euro, or not. “It’s for the people to decide to stay in Europe or go back to the drachma,” he said.
While the austerity measures have proved incendiary for much of the public, setting off widespread strikes sometimes accompanied by episodes of street violence, being part of the euro zone generally meets with high approval.
Takis Michas, a political analyst with Forum for Greece, an Athens research institute, said posing the question this way was “a master stroke on behalf of Papandreou in the sense it is forcing the various parties to take a very responsible position.”
“If he succeeds in framing the issue as being one of remaining in the euro zone, obviously he is going to get a huge yes,” Mr. Michas added. “But it depends on whether he can frame the question in those terms.”
Under the Greek Constitution, the government must propose the language of the referendum, which would need to be approved by Parliament and then by the president.
Some analysts said the referendum was an invitation for instability. “When the debate is very passionate and things are tense, holding a referendum could be risky,” said Alexis Papahelas, the editor of the center-right daily Kathimerini.
If the referendum fails, he said, “we have a very big chance that the country would go into a disorderly default.”
The snow-bearing Nor’easter cannot be blamed on climate change and probably isn’t the type of storm that will increase with global warming, four meteorologists and climate scientists said. They agree more study is needed. But experts on extreme storms have focused more closely on the increasing numbers of super-heavy rainstorms, not snow, NASA climate scientist Gavin Schmidt said.
Studies also have predicted more intense monsoons with climate change. Warmer air can hold more water and puts more energy into weather systems, changing the dynamics of storms and where and how they hit.
Chris Field, one of the leaders of the climate change panel, said he and other authors won’t comment because the report still is subject to change. The summary chapter of the report didn’t detail which regions of the world might suffer extremes so severe as to leave them marginally habitable.
“Some grown men cried,” La Russa said, joking that, “I kind of liked that because they made me cry a few times.
Leyland said La Russa was the “total package” as a manager, obsessing over the lineup card, outfoxing opponents during games and refusing to bend to public opinion.
Battlefield 3 has quickly become the fastest-selling game in the history of Electronic Arts. The first-person military shooter sold 5 million copies in its first week, according to EA internal estimates. Previously, EA announced that it had shipped 10 million copies globally.
Shah Rukh Khan’s manic marketing campaign for his new film “Ra.One” culminated with a whirlwind tour of the globe. The Hindi-film star, who acted in and co-produced the superhero movie, traveled first to Dubai, then went on to London before landing in Toronto. His 1,000-watt charisma appeared to suffer no jet lag. No wonder Cameron Bailey, co-director of the Toronto International Film Festival, which hosted Mr. Khan and his movie “Ra.One,” declared on Twitter that Mr. Khan is the hardest-working man in show business.
Prakash Singh/Agence France-Presse — Getty ImagesA Force India-Mercedes pit crew puts together the front wing unit of a Formula One car adorned with a poster of Ra.One on Thursday, ahead of India’s maiden Grand Prix at the Buddh International Circuit, Greater Noida.
CANCUN, Mexico — Tropical Storm Rina battered Mexico’s Caribbean coast with winds and rain Friday, knocking out power and downing trees in some areas but sparing the resort-studded region the major hurricane that many had feared.
Playa de Carmen, a resort town across from the island of Cozumel, was left without electricity and streets were largely empty as Rina swept along the coast.
NASA cut short an undersea laboratory mission near Key Largo, Florida, bringing the crew back to land, and schools were closed in communities along the coast, as were ports.
