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How the world sees Greece
Tuesday, December 24, 2013
Greece police looking for missing man
Greece police looking for missing manRochester Democrat and ChronicleGreece Police are asking the community's help in locating an elderly man who went missing from the Fleming Point Independent Senior Living Center this morning. According to police, 89-year-old William Brodner was last seen around 6 a.m. today at the ...Greece Police searching for missing 89-year-old manNews 10NBCall 2 news articles »
Merry Christmas with a Free Greek Movie for the Whole Family
PameOdeon.gr and GreekReporter Wish You Merry Christmas with a Free Greek movie for the whole family!!! The Greek leading film distributor and producer, Odeon S.A., and Greek Reporter have teamed up to promote Greek cinema to a new worldwide ...
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High-jumper Baniotis tests positive for banned substance
High jump champion Costas Baniotis is the latest Greek athlete to test positive for a banned substance, the Greek track and field federation (SEGAS) confirmed on Tuesday.
Baniotis, who won gold in this year’s Mediterranean Games, was detected to have used... ...
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Eurobank Properties sells asset in Ukraine
Eurobank Properties announced on Tuesday the sale of one of its assets that is based in Ukraine.
The ground-floor store, with a basement, is in the capital Kiev and has a total surface of 541.6 square meters. It fetched the Greek blue-chip firm 3.3 millio... ...
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Greece: anarchist group threatens Coca Cola and Nestle
(ANSAmed) – ATHENS, DECEMBER 24 - The FAI/IRF anarchist militant group has sent zougla.gr an envelope containing a USB drive and a 500ml Coca Cola bottle, as daily To Vima online reports. Included on the USB stick is a six-page declaration and a video.
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Greek Defense Ministry: Scandal, Inc.
ATHENS – Former Greek Defense Ministry official Antonis Kantas provided more damning information about how the agency was used as a treasure chest by corrupt officials and businessmen who used it to rob taxpayers with dirty deals in contracts from foreign arms manufacturers. Finishing his long testimony before magistrates Gavriil Mallis and Yiannis Stavropoulos, Kantas […]
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Panathinaikos Upsets Olympiakos’ Run
ATHENS – The struggling Panathinaikos basketball team shocked European champion and league-leading Olympiakos’s unbeaten streak, defeating the favorites 67-59 in the Greek Cup semifinal between the two dominant powers to win a spot in the final against Thessaloniki’s Aris, which beat Panionios, 88-79. The championship will be played on Feb. 9 in Iraklio, Crete. The […]
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Las Vegas Sands Mulls Athens Gamble
ATHENS – With the Greek government scrapping plans to make the abandoned Hellenikon international airport site on the city’s southern coast the biggest park in Europe in favor of developing the land for commercial use, Las Vegas Sands Corporation owner Sheldon Adelson is eying the parcel for a giant casino. Adelson has turned to a […]
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Samaras Says No Snap Elections
ATHENS – With his coalition partner, the PASOK Socialists, in turmoil after backing a unified property tax and agreeing to partially lift a ban on foreclosures they imposed two years ago, Greek Prime Minister Antonis Samaras, the New Democracy Conservative leader, said his dual administration is still strong enough to survive any unpheaval and will […]
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Greek Budget Shows Primary Surplus of 2.778 Bln Euros Jan-Nov
Greek ReporterGreek Budget Shows Primary Surplus of 2.778 Bln Euros Jan-NovGreek ReporterGreek Budget The Greek budget recorded a primary surplus of 2.778 billion euros in the January-November period this year, surpassing an initial forecast for a surplus of 2.710 billion euros, including the return of profits from Greek bond holdings by ...and more »
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Greece to face Portugal in friendly on May 31
KathimeriniGreece to face Portugal in friendly on May 31KathimeriniPortugal will host Greece in a pre-World Cup friendly to take place on May 31, just two weeks before the national team's first game in the finals in Brazil, the Hellenic Football Federation announced on Tuesday. “This will be a very important test for ...
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EU approves subsidies for Greek electricity network projects
KathimeriniEU approves subsidies for Greek electricity network projectsKathimeriniThe European Commission has authorized the state aid of 36 million euros for investments in Greek electricity infrastructure after it found that the support to the seven projects aimed at improving and expanding the country's power network complies ...
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Greeks protest after 150 Syrian refugees disappear from northern village
Activists say group was likely forced back into Turkey by police as part of campaign of enforced deportation
Not much happens in Praggi. So when 150 Syrian refugees arrived in the village, high in the flatlands of far-flung north-eastern Greece, it was not something residents were likely to forget.
Some of the Syrians were huddled against the biting cold in the courtyard of the church; others had congregated beneath the trees of a nearby forest. All had made the treacherous journey from Turkey – crossing the fast-flowing waters of the Evros river – in a bid to flee their country's war. Then came the white police vans and the Syrian men, women and children were gone.
"Ever since we have lost all trace of them," said Vasillis Papadopoulos, a lawyer who defends the rights of migrants and refugees. "They just disappeared. Our firm belief is that they were pushed back into Turkey."
Activists, lawyers, human rights groups, opposition MPs, immigration experts and international officials are becoming increasingly concerned about the heavy-handed tactics Greek authorities use to keep immigrants away.
In a recent report released by Amnesty International, Greece was strongly criticised for its "deplorable treatment" of would-be refugees, especially Syrians desperate to escape their nation's descent civil war.
Enforced deportations – highlighted by an alarming rise of migrant deaths – have spurred the criticism.
In contravention of international conventions signed by Athens, coastguard officials and police officers have waged a concerted campaign to stop thousands from accessing EU territory via Greece. Illegal pushbacks have been the focus of those efforts, according to human rights groups.
The drive has intensified as Greece – long seen as the EU's easiest backdoor entrance – has struggled to keep its economic and social fabric together in the face of the country's worst crisis in modern times. Since prime minister Antonis Samaras's conservative-led coalition assumed power in the midst of the crisis last year, authorities have faced charges of violently apprehending migrants, beating them and stripping them of their belongings. Special coastguard units – often masked and dressed in black – have been accused of dumping migrants, without any consideration for their safety, in Turkish territorial waters.
"The number and scale of these alleged incidents raises serious concerns," said Ketty Kehayioylou at the Greek outpost of the UN refugee agency, UNHCR. "We still don't know what happened to the two groups in Praggi," she said. "No one was ever registered at the First Reception Centre as foreseen by national law and we've demanded an investigation."
The claims come as Amnesty International urged Greece to launch an inquiry into comments by the country's police chief, Nikos Papagiannopoulos, in which it is alleged he ordered his officers to make the lives of immigrants unbearable.
"If they told me I could go to a country … and would be detained for three months and then would be free to steal and rob … it would be great," Papagiannopoulos, the highest security official in the land after the public order minister, was quoted as telling officers during a secretly recorded meeting. "We must make their lives unbearable." The comments were published by the investigative magazine, Hot Doc, on 19 December.
John Dalhuisen, Amnesty's director for Europe and Central Asia, said: "If accurate, the deeply shocking statements attributed to the Greek chief of police would expose a wilful disregard for the rights and welfare of refugees and migrants seeking shelter and opportunity in the European Union."
With allegations of torture also on the rise, two senior coastguard officials were jailed last month after a military court found them guilty of subjecting an asylum seeker to a mock execution and water-boarding.
The discovery of ever more bodies – in the Aegean Sea and around the land border Greece shares with Turkey – have also raised the alarm. The German NGO, Pro Asyl, recently estimated that 149 people had died this year – an increase attributed mostly to the enormous risks refugees were prepared to take since Greece sealed its land border with Turkey in August 2012.
Following the construction of the fence – a six-mile barricade topped with thermal and sonar sensors – traffickers have focused on ferrying their human cargo to Greek islands in the Aegean Sea.
"The shift of escape routes has led to the deaths of many people … mostly Syrian and Afghan refugees, among them many children and pregnant women," said Pro Asyl in a report documenting the problems faced by those fleeing persecution and war. (pdf)
"The brutality and extent of violations are shocking," it claimed. "Refugees are being brutally pushed back by Greek authorities. This is happening systematically with the complicity of other European authorities despite the fact that it is against international law."
According to the EU border agency, Frontex, detections of illegal immigrants in the Aegean Sea have increased by 912% since the barbed-wire barrier went up.
"It is a wall of shame, a hair-raising element of Fortress Europe," said Aphrodite Stambouli MP of the radical left main opposition Syriza party. "It is outrageous that people in need of international protection should be obstructed from getting it in this way."
Last week, she travelled to the remote Evros region – passing signs emblazoned with the words "danger: mines" and guards posted at checkpoints – to learn for herself what had happened in Praggi.
"What we know is that 150 Syrians crossed the border because relatives they called, both in Greece and other European capitals, have confirmed that that is what happened," she said.
"They told them clearly, 'We are in a village called Praggi, some of us are in the yard of a church, some of us in a forest.' The police version of events, that only 13 [refugees] were found that day does not add up and that is because they were obviously pushed back over the border."
Immigration experts say blame lies partly with the rise of xenophobia in Greece, where the virulently anti-immigrant, neo-fascist Golden Dawn party is now the country's third biggest political force.
But they add that Greek authorities are under immense EU pressure to do the "dirty work" of buttressing what is widely seen as the bloc's most porous border. "From as far back as 1990, northern Europe's policy has always been that the south has to assume the burden of stopping irregular migration," said Martin Baldwin-Edwards, who heads the Mediterranean Migration Observatory in Athens. "That, growing xenophobia, and the disrespect Turkey and Greece have historically shown for migrants' human rights account for the push-backs."
Last week Turkey signed a deal with the EU promising to repatriate immigrants who illegally enter the 28-nation bloc in return for its citizens being granted visa-free travel across the union.
"It's hugely important," said Baldwin-Edwards. "Turkey is the main point of entry from Asia and the Middle East. The more it is brought into the European ambit and assumes the responsibility of managing Europe's south eastern borders it will lessen the pressure on Greece."
In the forlorn villages of squat one-story homes that dot the frontier's heavily militarised zone, the push-backs have caused consternation even if residents – many hard-bitten nationalists – have welcomed the erection of the wall.
"The fence may have made us feel safer but we also know that all these people want is to pass through," said Nikos Dollis ,who runs a cafe in Nea Vyssa, the last settlement before the frontier in one of Greece's most secretive corners. "Their intention is never to stay here. They want to get out, go to other countries in Europe."
Demonstrators recently protested outside the police headquarters in Orestiada, the gritty town that is the region's biggest metropolis, in a display of outrage over the incident in Praggi. Among them was Natasa Gara, a human rights campaigner who edits Orestiada's weekly newspaper, Methorios.
"We want to know what really happened to the 150 Syrians, whose only crime was to want to escape the war," she said after spending days investigating the affair.
"Are the police saying that everyone in Praggi is mad, that they just thought they saw 150 men, women and children? Because if they are, they are not telling the truth."
GreeceRefugeesAmnesty InternationalGolden Dawn partyTurkeyEuropeHelena Smiththeguardian.com © 2013 Guardian News and Media Limited or its affiliated companies. All rights reserved. | Use of this content is subject to our Terms & Conditions | More Feeds |
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AFM crew return from Frontex operation in Greek waters
AFM crew return from Frontex operation in Greek watersTimes of MaltaA specialized team of the Armed Forces of Malta Maritime Squadron has returned from a Frontex migration operation in Greece. 'Joint Operation Sea 2013' was spread over two months and took place in Greek territorial waters as part of European effort to ...and more »
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Stocks slide further ahead of holidays
There was little in the way of a festive mood at the Greek bourse on Monday as stocks continued to slide for the eighth trading day out of the last nine. The benchmark had slipped by as much as 2.52 percent at mid-session, although it managed to recover s... ...
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Greece's Antenna Group snaps up Romanian TV, radio channels
German broadcaster ProSiebenSat.1 has agreed to sell its East European TV and radio stations, the group said on Monday, without disclosing the financial details of the transaction.
In Romania, ProSieben sold a portfolio of TV and radio channels to Greece’... ...
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Britain's Neilson Active Holidays buys Greek hotel
British travel firm Neilson Active Holidays is adding a fifth hotel unit in Greece to its portfolio as of 2014 with the acquisition of the five-star Messini Beach Club, scheduled to open at Messinia in the southwestern Peloponnese.
It already controls fou... ...
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Greece's Eurobank Properties expands its portfolio
Eurobank Properties continued its buying spree on Monday, announcing the acquisition of another portfolio of real estate properties for 17 million euros, thereby taking the total amount invested in the last month to 67 million euros, following the recent ... ...
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Hospital admission fee to go up from January 1, as planned
Plans to charge patients 25 euros each time they are admitted to a public hospital and to ask Greeks with social insurance to pay 1 euro each time they are prescribed medicines will go ahead as planned from January 1, sources confirmed on Monday.
Kathimer... ...
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Erdogan's choice: Democratization or Putinization?
For some years, with Turkey’s rise, political analysts in Greece’s neighbor posed the question whether Recep Tayyip Erdogan would stay on the path of greater democratization or whether he would abuse his great popularity and try to mimic the autocratic wa... ...
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Smog from fireplaces in Greek cities causes political headache
The smog created when unfavorable weather conditions meet an increased use of fireplaces to warm homes became a political, as well as environmental, issue on Monday, with the government coming under pressure from its own MPs to reduce the tax on heating o... ...
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Panathinaikos beats Olympiakos to face Aris in cup final
Panathinaikos put an end to Olympiakos’s unbeaten run this season to win 67-59 in the Greek Cup semifinal between the two Greek giants on Monday and book a spot in the final against Aris at Iraklio on February 9, after the Thessaloniki team defeated Panio... ...
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Average Greek retires before 58
The average retirement age in Greece stands at just 57 years and eight months according to a survey conducted by the Hellenic Statistical Authority (ELSTAT).
The survey used a sample from the quarterly work force report from the April-June 2012 period for... ...
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Nicholas Bouras, Philanthropist and Steel Man, Mourned by Community
SUMMIT , NJ – Nicholas J. Bouras, businessman and philanthropist died at the age of 93 on December 22. He grew up in Chicago and was born in Pontiac, Michigan and graduated from Northwestern University. A highly decorated WW II veteran, he was also very active in the Greek Orthodox Church and became an Archon […]
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A Greek Christmas Dinner, Part 4: Gingery Cranberry Relish
Gingery Cranberry Relish Cranberries are not limited to a turkey dinner. The tartness combined with the ginger works well with this Christmas meal. Serves 8 Ingredients: 3 1/2 cups fresh cranberries (a 12 ounce bag) 1 cup raw sugar 1 tablespoon finely chopped candied ginger Directions: Combine the cranberries, sugar, ginger, and ½ cup water […]
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Flavors of Greece abound at Filos Greek Taverna in downtown Northampton
Flavors of Greece abound at Filos Greek Taverna in downtown NorthamptonGazetteNETNORTHAMPTON — Stepping into the new Filos Greek Taverna on Main Street is like walking into a sun-splashed village in Greece with its striking colors and white-washed stucco facades. A bright blue pergola draped with faux bougainvillea flowers ...and more »
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What Is the Greek Neo-Nazi Group Golden Dawn Doing in the US?
VocativWhat Is the Greek Neo-Nazi Group Golden Dawn Doing in the US?VocativGolden Dawn, the far-right Greek political party that some lawmakers in Greece have branded a “neo-Nazi criminal gang,” has quickly emerged from the shadows there. But in other countries where it is starting to have a presence, Golden Dawn still has an ...
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Greek cop shoots himself in double tragedy
NEWS.com.auGreek cop shoots himself in double tragedyNinemsnGreek cop shoots himself in double tragedy. ninemsn staff. 11:02am December 24, 2013. A Greek policeman has ended his own life moments after killing an elderly woman in a traffic accident in Athens. Geelong AFL player Billie Smedts taking a photograph ...Greek policeman kills himself after fatal accidentZee Newsall 12 news articles »
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Athens Smog Levels Concern Doctors
The Athens Medical Association has expressed its concern about the high levels of smog over Greece’s largest cities. Doctors have warned citizens to limit their use of fireplaces, especially now that the weather conditions are such that the smog will not easily be dispersed. Recent measurements have shown that air pollution levels have surpassed the warning […]
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Famous Greek Artist Chryssa Passes Away
Internationally renowned Greek sculptor and painter Chryssa passed away on Monday morning at the age of 84. The Greek artist had initially studied social welfare in Athens, but on the advice of a leading art critic, in 1953 she went to Paris where she studied in the Academie de la Grande Chaumiere for a year before moving to the […]
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Academy of Athens Awards Manos Eleftheriou
Manos Eleftheriou was honored this year by the Academy of Athens for his important artistic contribution. The notable Greek poet, songwriter and novelist Manos Eleftheriou said, “It is a pleasure and honor that I am honored by the upper spiritual institution of Greece, which consists of great people.” He was born in Syros and has […]
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Greek Finance Ministry Amplifies School and Hospital Heating Funding
The Greek Ministry of Finance announced today that the State Treasury has approved a 51.5 million euro fund packaged to cover the increased heating oil needs of hospitals and schools. The Deputy Minister of Finances, Christos Staikouras, noted that 37.5 million euros were used in advance payments for the heating benefit, ten million euros were […]
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Traditional Christmas Fires Lit in Northern Greece
Every year on December 23 in Florina, Greece, thirty five fires are lit as part of an ancient custom. The largest fire is lit in the center of the main square near Sakouleva river. It only takes five minutes for the flaming arrows to be fired. Early in the day, Florina’s Brass Bands begin their […]
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Italy: Greek Statues Back on Display
After four years of national controversy concerning two 2,500 year-old Greek statues, Italy’s Minister of Culture has decided to put them on exhibit once more. The Riace Bronze statues are two life-like, magnificent Greek warriors of Magna ...
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With Its Economy Hobbled, Greece's Well-Educated Drain Away
NPR (blog)With Its Economy Hobbled, Greece's Well-Educated Drain AwayNPR (blog)Before the debt crisis hit Greece in 2010, Ntoumanis was an army psychiatrist with a modest salary — less than $2,000 a month — and also had a private practice that brought in a bit of extra money. He and his American wife lived in a cottage nestled ...and more »
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Church Of The Nativity Repairs Underway: Collaboration Brokered Between Latin, Greek Orthodox, And Apostolic Armenian Churches
BETHLEHEM, West Bank (RNS) Two weeks before Christmas, one of the most powerful storms to hit the Middle East in a century dumped several inches of snow on the hills of Bethlehem.
In addition to shuttering schools and businesses, the storm caused runoff to trickle down the walls of the Church of the Nativity, built above the traditional birthplace of Jesus.
Fortunately, the water damage was relatively minor, church officials say, thanks to a rare cooperative venture already underway to repair the basilica’s roof, leaky windows and old wooden beams, some 1,500 years old.
“There were still leaks, but thanks to the scaffolding that was erected for the restoration work, the damage was controlled,” said the Rev. Pierbattista Pizzaballa, custodian of the Holy Land for the Roman Catholic Church.
In what some are calling the biggest miracle in Bethlehem since the birth of Jesus, the three churches that share responsibility for the Nativity church put aside centuries of tense relations this past year to ensure the job gets done.
In an act of diplomatic prowess, the Palestinian Authority persuaded the Latin (Roman Catholic), Greek Orthodox and Apostolic Armenian churches to sign an agreement permitting the restoration of the church, whose basilica was built by the Byzantine Emperor Justinian about 600 A.D.
The original Church of the Nativity, built in A.D. 330 by the Roman Emperor Constantine, was mostly destroyed 200 years later. The existing church was built on the same site.
Rainwater has been damaging the church’s infrastructure and artwork for more than a century, but infighting over which church has authority prevented a resolution.
The repairs, being carried out by an Italian restoration company, will cost about $2.6 million. Various governments and donors will foot the bill. But “money was never the main problem,” Pizzaballa insisted.
“The problem was taking personal responsibility,” he said.
The Palestinian Authority launched efforts to bring the churches together after it persuaded UNESCO, the cultural wing of the United Nations, to designate it an “endangered” world heritage site in 2012. The designation is intended for sites that are in imminent danger of collapse.
Israel, which captured the West Bank in the 1967 Middle East war, said UNESCO used the designation to strengthen Palestinian claims over the disputed territory. The Nativity church is the first site under Palestinian control to receive heritage status.
Politics aside, no one disputes that the basilica is in a sorry state. Inside the stone church, the towering walls and 18-foot high columns are discolored and peeling, and the windows let in rain and cold air.
But the most pressing problem is the roof, said the Rev. Peter Vasko, president of the Franciscan Foundation for the Holy Land, a church agency that provides scholarships, subsidized housing and jobs to Christians.
Standing just outside the church where busloads of Christians and some Muslims were waiting patiently for their turn to enter the basilica the Sunday before Christmas, Vasko said “leaks have weakened the roof, and we are taking precautions to prevent it from toppling on pilgrims.”
Despite the scaffolding, the church itself was packed with thousands of faithful from dozens of countries. Hundreds of other visitors posed for photos in front of a giant Christmas tree and Nativity scene erected in adjoining Manger Square.
David Nour, a Palestinian Christian who had brought his wife and two daughters to Bethlehem from nearby Beit Sahour, said the repairs “are very important because this is our legacy to our children.”
While Nour lauded the monumental efforts to salvage the church, he said that without jobs and the ability to traverse Israeli checkpoints, the tiny community of West Bank Christians — whose numbers have been decimated by emigration over the decades — will eventually disappear, leaving only the churches.
“Bethlehem is a small place, and without the ability to get to enter Jerusalem without a special permit, or to travel freely within the West Bank, business suffers,” said Nour, who owns a design and printing company.
“Repairing the church is important but improving our living conditions is even more important,” he said.
Still, as Christmas approaches, the first baby steps provided a sign of hope.
The effort to restore the church has helped “unblock the complicated relations” that have existed between the various churches for centuries, said Pizzaballa, the Catholic Church’s custodian of the Holy Land.
“We were each into our own way of doing things,” he said. “This forced us to find a solution together.”
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PIGS CAN FLY: It's hard to believe, but Portugal, Ireland, Greece and Spain ...
PIGS CAN FLY: It's hard to believe, but Portugal, Ireland, Greece and Spain ...This is MoneyNot all the weaker eurozone countries, or the PIGS as they were known – Portugal, Ireland, Greece and Spain (Italy was added only later to the list) – have seen the same recovery in share prices seen in Greece and Ireland, but they have all fared ...and more »
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Greece to Syrian refugees: Don't get too comfortable
Christian Science MonitorGreece to Syrian refugees: Don't get too comfortableChristian Science MonitorAs Syria's refugee crisis mounts, host countries in Europe and the Middle East have grown uneasy over new arrivals. But even by these standards, candid comments by Greece's top police official reveal a particularly hostile welcome for thousands of ...and more »
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10 Things You Need To Know This Morning (SPX, SPY, DIA, DJI, QQQ, AAPL)
Good morning. Here's what you need to know.
Markets in Asia were higher in overnight trading. Japan was closed for the emperor's birthday holiday, but the Hong Kong Hang Seng advanced 0.5% and the Shanghai Composite rose 0.2%. European markets are mostly higher with the exception of France and Spain. In the United States, futures point to a positive open. Across other asset classes, Treasuries, gold, and oil are all lower to begin the week, while the euro and the yen are both appreciating against the U.S. dollar. Trading is thin as many market participants are on holiday this week. China's 7-day repo rate — which serves as the benchmark for interbank lending there — surged to 9.8% Monday. The rate stands at the highest level since the liquidity crunch that gripped Chinese financial markets over the summer and is indicative of heightened stress despite large cash injections by the PBoC into the financial system last week. Apple announced a deal Sunday to bring the iPhone to China Mobile, the world's largest cellular carrier. The iPhone 5S and iPhone 5C will be available on China Mobile beginning January 17, 2014. Shares of Apple are up more than 3% in pre-market trading this morning. The International Monetary Fund will raise its forecasts for U.S. economic growth, according to IMF managing director Christine Lagarde, who cited progress on a budget deal in Washington. The imminent revisions mark a departure from the common pattern in recent years of disappointing growth developments prompting the Fund to continually revise forecasts lower. The parliamentary majority enjoyed by the party of Greek prime minister Antonis Samaras has dwindled to only three from the 26-seat majority established in the wake of the June 2012 elections. Over the weekend, conservative lawmaker Byron Polydoras was expelled from the majority coalition after he refused to back a new law extending property taxes to farmland demanded by Greece's international lenders at the IMF, EU, and ECB. "Lenders' greed and poor judgement is leading us straight towards humanitarian crisis," Polydoras said. Core PCE, the Federal Reserve's favorite measure of inflation, is released at 8:30 AM ET. In October, core PCE was 1.1% higher year on year. Market participants will be watching to see when this starts turning up. A wide array of indicators suggest that inflationary pressures may finally build again in 2014. Also out at 8:30 AM are November personal income and consumer spending data. Economists predict incomes jumped 0.5% last month after falling 0.1% in October, while spending growth is projected to have accelerated to 0.4% from 0.3%. The Chicago Fed releases the monthly reading of its National Activity Index at 8:30 AM as well. In October, the index crossed into negative territory, falling to -0.18. The University of Michigan releases the final results of its monthly consumer confidence survey at 9:55 AM. Preliminary results published earlier in the month suggest that the index surged to 82.5 from November's 75.1 reading. Economists predict the final survey results will show an even bigger gain to 82.6. Follow all of the data LIVE on Business Insider » DON'T MISS: THE MOST IMPORTANT CHARTS OF 2013 »Join the conversation about this story »
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