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How the world sees Greece
Saturday, July 5, 2014
Greek Peak Fire continues to burn near Enterprise
fox13now.comGreek Peak Fire continues to burn near Enterprisefox13now.comENTERPRISE, Utah — A wildfire near Enterprise continues burn consuming about 840 acres, fire officials said Saturday. According to the Bureau of Land Management Arizona, the Greek Peak Fire is located about six miles southwest of the Enterprise ...Greek Peak wildfire still burning near EnterpriseDeseret NewsNew fire reported near Enterprise ReservoirDixie Press OnlineFire near Enterprise Reservoir continues destructionKCSGall 28 news articles »
Memphis Depay to start, injured De Jong sits for Netherlands against Costa Rica at World Cup
by
Associated Press
Memphis Depay starts for Dutch against Costa Rica
Associated Press - 5 July 2014 15:08-04:00
SALVADOR, Brazil (AP) — Netherlands forward Memphis Depay looks set to play as an offensive wingback when the team faces Costa Rica on Saturday in the World Cup quarterfinals.
Depay, who has come off the bench to score twice in Brazil, will make his first start of the tournament.
Also, defender Daley Blind will move into midfield to replace the injured Nigel de Jong, and veteran Dirk Kuyt will again start in the defense, but this time he is expected to play on the right.
Costa Rica called up Johnny Acosta to replace defender Oscar Duarte, who was sent off in the second-round victory over Greece.
Goalkeeper Keylor Navas will start despite a sore shoulder.
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Lineups:
Netherlands: Jasper Cillessen; Dirk Kuyt, Ron Vlaar, Stefan de Vrij, Bruno Martins Indi, Memphis Depay; Daley Blind, Georginio Wijnaldum, Wesley Sneijder; Arjen Robben, Robin van Persie.
Costa Rica: Keylor Navas; Giancarlo Gonzalez, Michael Umana, Johnny Acosta, Junior Diaz, Cristian Gamboa; Celso Borges, Christian Bolanos, Yeltsin Tejeda; Joel Campbell, Bryan Ruiz.
News Topics: Sports, 2014 FIFA World Cup, Athlete injuries, FIFA World Cup, Men's soccer, Soccer, International soccer, Events, Athlete health, Men's sportsPeople, Places and Companies: Memphis Depay, Daley Blind, Nigel De Jong, Dirk Kuyt, Jhonny Acosta, Oscar Duarte, Keylor Navas, Jasper Cillessen, Wesley Sneijder, Arjen Robben, Netherlands, Salvador, Brazil, Costa Rica, Western Europe, Europe, South America, Latin America and Caribbean, Central America
Copyright 2014 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.
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You can tell the nature of the Tory party by the company it keeps
Mainstream business and finance were absent from the Conservative fundraising ball. It was full of the new seekers of risk-free profit
Is the Tory party becoming the vehicle for a rootless, amoral global financial community with little loyalty to country or even to great business? I ask, in part, because of the character of the guest list at their parties.
Last year, the venue for the Tory summer fundraising dinner was the old Billingsgate fish market, this year a grand private members' club. Russian property developers, a Greek shipping tycoon, an Iranian investment banker, a Slovenian private equity magnate, Bermudan and Dubai-based financiers mingled with a medley of their British counterparts and stars of the Tory party. Guests worth together a cool £11bn were gathered to be tapped for cash, a skill at which the party has become a dab hand.
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Greek reform still way short of victory over old habits
Greek reform still way short of victory over old habitsFinancial TimesIt is no exaggeration to say that if these efforts falter, because of a failure to refashion parasitical and mistrustful attitudes to the state that go back to the early days of independence in the 1830s, the pain and suffering that Greek society has ...
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Ready for take-off: the former Athens International Airport is to be ...
Ready for take-off: the former Athens International Airport is to be ...Financial TimesGreece is enjoying a record year for tourism, with popular resorts booked to capacity in July and August and international cruise ships queueing up to call at Aegean Island ports. Visitor numbers jumped by 30 per cent to 1.9m in the first four months ...and more »
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Greek power workers threatened with state strikebreaking
Greek power workers threatened with state strikebreakingWorld Socialist Web SiteThe strike is in protest against government plans to create a so-called “small PPC” by selling off 30 percent of the PPC to private investors. According to the bill put before the Greek parliament this week, as part of the deal the “small PPC” will ...
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| READ THE ORIGINAL POST AT www.wsws.org |
Greek technology entrepreneurs win funds for start-ups
With the jobless rate among young graduates approaching 40 per cent, the incentive for skilled Greeks to travel abroad to find work is strong. Yet several hundred young entrepreneurs are testing their abilities by founding technology start-ups at home.
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Return to global capital markets marks turnround for Greece
In just a few hours one day in early April, Greece demonstrated just how much the tide of global investor sentiment had turned in its favour. The country’s first foray into global capital markets in four years saw about €20bn of orders for €3bn of ...
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Signs of revival for Greece after years of pain
Signs of revival for Greece after years of painFinancial TimesGreece's successful return to international capital markets in April has boosted confidence in the country's medium-term prospects, encouraging hedge funds and private equity groups to take a closer look at Greek companies that have survived the crisis.
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Greece's deputy health minister writes to thank ‘Wee Jay’
Greece’s Deputy Health Minister Katerina Papacosta has written to 11-year-old Jay Beatty from Northern Ireland, an ardent fan of Greek soccer player Giorgos Samaras (pictured with Jay), to thank him for raising awareness about Down Syndrome in Greece.
Jay... ...
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Greek police probe launched after officers accused of abduction
Three policemen are under investigation for allegedly kidnapping and assaulting a 35-year-old man.
One of the policemen works at Athens security police headquarter, another is stationed at the Aghios Dimitrios precinct in southern Athens and the other at ... ...
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Judges to hear from Lolos after GD supporters attack photographers
The head of the Greek Union of Photojournalists, Marios Lolos, is expected to give evidence on Monday regarding injuries suffered by two photographers covering the court appearance of Golden Dawn leader Nikos Michaloliakos and other party MPs on Friday.
S... ...
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Colombia defender Pablo Armero ‘wanted by Arsenal and Southampton’
Source: metro.co.uk - Saturday, July 05, 2014 Colombia’s Pablo Armero wants to return to the Premier League next season (Picture: AP) Arsenal and Southampton are reportedly interested in signing Colombia left-back Pablo Armero this summer – with the player keen on returning to the Premier League next season. The 27-year-old Udinese man spent the second part of last term on loan at West Ham and made five Premier League appearances for the east London outfit. With the defender impressing for his national side Colombia at the World Cup in Brazil, ESPN have now reported that several English clubs – including Arsenal and Southampton – are keen on recruiting Armero. The player himself is said to be ‘desperate to get back to the Premier League on a permanent basis’ and could well swap Italy for England in the coming months. Armero – who scored in Colombia’s 3-0 opening World Cup win over Greece in Brazil – was bought outright by Udinese last month after previously being co-owned with Napoli. MORE: Ashley Cole ‘on the brink of Roma deal’ after Chelsea departureAll Related
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Brussels red tape holds up gas operator deal
The deal for Azeri natural gas company Socar to buy a controlling stake in Greece’s Natural Gas Transmission Network Operator (DESFA), which was agreed last year, is not near completion yet because of the European Commission’s reservations, diplomatic sou... ...
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PPC unions vow to defy government's back-to-work orders
Exacerbating a standoff between the government and striking employees of the Public Power Corporation (PPC), Greece’s electricity monopoly, worker unions on Saturday vowed to defy a civil mobilization decree issued by authorities.
The coalition resorted t... ...
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Norway food producers spar over Greek yoghourt / News / The Foreigner
The Foreigner is an online publication for English speakers living or who have an interest in Norway. Whether it’s a glimpse of news or entertainment you’re after, there’s no need to leave your linguistic armchair. You don’t need to cry over the ...
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University in Ohio plans new Greek housing village
University in Ohio plans new Greek housing villageFOX19BOWLING GREEN, Ohio (AP) - A university in northwestern Ohio is planning a new housing village to help promote fraternities and sororities on campus. The planned Greek housing village at Bowling Green State University will replace fraternity and ...and more »
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Greece off to good start in water polo's Samartzidis Cup
Water Polo World: July 5, 2014 - The teams from Croatia and hosts Greece posted their first wins in the early session of opening day at the Samartzidis Cup in Nea Makri, near Greece's capital Athens on Friday. Croatia rallied in the second half to overcome ...
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| READ THE ORIGINAL POST AT boxscorenews.com |
Greek government moves to end power utility employees' strike over privatization plans
by
Associated Press
Greek government moves to end power union's strike
Associated Press - 5 July 2014 08:46-04:00
ATHENS, Greece (AP) — The Greek government is forcing employees of a state electricity utility company back to work by issuing a "civil mobilization decree" usually reserved for national emergencies.
Public Power Corporation unions launched rolling 48-hour strikes Thursday to protest plans to privatize the company, forcing it to resort to short regional blackouts. The strikers have taken several production units off the grid.
A lower Athens court found the strike "illegal and abusive" on Friday.
Striking PPC employees will be served mobilization papers over the weekend. Those who refuse to report to work can be dismissed.
Greece's international creditors have demanded the sale of PPC, which involves carving out a new subsidiary accounting for about 30 percent of PPC's output, and selling it to private investors.
News Topics: Business, General news, Strikes, Privatizations, Labor unions, Labor issues, Social issues, Social affairs, Ownership changes, Corporate news, Government and politicsPeople, Places and Companies: Greece, Athens, Western Europe, Europe
Copyright 2014 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.
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Student flows
Analyzing students’ grades after the Greek university entrance exams is somewhat of a national ritual. However, in doing so, what is at stake is parents’ expectations even more than the efforts made by their offspring students. Not to mention the expectat... ...
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Greek government moves to end power union's strike
The Greek government is forcing employees of a state electricity utility company back to work by issuing a "civil mobilization decree" usually reserved for national emergencies. Public Power ...
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| READ THE ORIGINAL POST AT news.yahoo.com |
Greece orders power strikers back to work
Sky News AustraliaGreece orders power strikers back to workSky News AustraliaGreece's government is ordering striking electricity workers back to their posts to ensure a vital public service after an Athens court ruled their industrial action 'illegal'. Saturday's demand sought to end a rolling stoppage launched on Thursday by ...Greece orders electricity workers back to their jobsReutersGreece rules against anti-privatization strikePress TVPower cuts hit parts of Greece as electricity workers strikeGlobalPostInSerbia News -Novinite.comall 25 news articles »
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| READ THE ORIGINAL POST AT www.skynews.com.au |
Greece orders electricity workers back to their jobs
Press TVGreece orders electricity workers back to their jobsReutersThe move came after workers at Public Power Corp (PPC) , Greece's biggest power producer, defied a court ruling issued late on Friday deeming their strike action illegal. Protesting against government plans to sell part of PPC in 2015, workers had ...Greece orders striking power employees back to workYahoo!7 NewsGreece rules against anti-privatization strikePress TVGreece: Power cuts as electricity workers strikeInSerbia NewsNovinite.comall 23 news articles »
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| READ THE ORIGINAL POST AT in.reuters.com |
Arsenal 'eye Greek defender Kostas Manolas as Thomas Vermaelen replacement'
MetroArsenal 'eye Greek defender Kostas Manolas as Thomas Vermaelen replacement'MetroArsenal are interested in Olympiacos defender Kostas Manolas and could move for the 23-year-old of Thomas Vermaelen departs this summer. The Gunners are prepared to lose club captain Vermaelen, with his contract running out and Manchester United ...and more »
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| READ THE ORIGINAL POST AT metro.co.uk |
Greece orders striking power employees back to work
Greece's government said Saturday it was ordering striking electricity workers back to their posts to ensure a vital public service, after an Athens court ruled their industrial action "illegal". The demand sought to end a rolling stoppage launched Thursday by employees of the state-controlled Public Power Corporation (PPC) in anger at government plans to break up the country's main electricity ...
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5 factors that are giving the US an edge over other major economies
by
Associated Press
What's making US economy a world beater? 5 factors
by PAUL WISEMAN, Associated Press - 5 July 2014 03:01-04:00
WASHINGTON (AP) — How does the U.S. economy do it?
Europe is floundering. China faces slower growth. Japan is struggling to sustain tentative gains.
Yet the U.S. job market is humming, and the pace of economic growth is steadily rising. Five full years after a devastating recession officially ended, the economy is finally showing the vigor that Americans have long awaited.
Last month, employers added 288,000 jobs and helped reduce the unemployment rate to 6.1 percent, the lowest since September 2008. June capped a five-month stretch of 200,000-plus job gains — the first in nearly 15 years.
After having shrunk at a 2.9 percent annual rate from January through March — largely because of a brutal winter — the U.S. economy is expected to grow at a healthy 3 percent pace the rest of the year.
Here are five reasons the United States is outpacing other major economies:
AN AGGRESSIVE CENTRAL BANK
"The Federal Reserve acted sooner and more aggressively than other central banks in keeping rates low," says Bernard Baumohl, chief global economist at the Economic Outlook Group.
In December 2008, the Fed slashed short-term interest rates to near zero and has kept them there. Ultra-low loan rates have made it easier for individuals and businesses to borrow and spend. The Fed also launched three bond-buying programs meant to reduce long-term rates.
By contrast, the European Central Bank has been slower to respond to signs of economic distress among the 18 nations that share the euro currency. The ECB actually raised rates in 2011 — the same year the eurozone sank back into recession.
It's worth keeping in mind that the Fed has two mandates: To keep prices stable and to maximize employment. The ECB has just one mandate: To guard against high inflation. The Fed was led during and after the Great Recession by Ben Bernanke, a student of the Great Depression who was determined to avoid a repeat of the 1930s' economic collapse.
Janet Yellen, who succeeded Bernanke as Fed chair this year, has continued his emphasis on nursing the U.S. economy back to health after the recession of 2007-2009 with the help of historically low rates.
STRONGER BANKS
The United States moved faster than Europe to restore its banks' health after the financial crisis of 2008-2009. The U.S. government bailed out the financial system and subjected big banks to stress tests in 2009 to reveal their financial strength. By showing the banks to be surprisingly healthy, the stress tests helped restore confidence in the U.S. financial system.
Banks gradually started lending again. European banks are only now undergoing stress tests, and the results won't be out until fall. In the meantime, Europe's banks lack confidence. They fear that other banks are holding too many bad loans and that Europe is vulnerable to another crisis. So they aren't lending much.
In the United States, overall bank lending is up nearly 4 percent in the past year. Lending to business has jumped 10 percent.
In the eurozone, lending has dropped 3.7 percent overall, according to figures from the Institute of International Finance. Lending to business is off 2.5 percent. (The U.S. figures are for the year ending in mid-June; the European figures are from May.)
A MORE FLEXIBLE ECONOMY
Economists say Japan and Europe need to undertake reforms to make their economies more flexible — more, in other words, like America's.
Europe needs to lift wage restrictions that prevent employers from cutting pay (rather than eliminating jobs) when times are bad. It could also rethink welfare and retirement programs that discourage people from working and dismantle policies that protect favored businesses and block innovative newcomers, the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development has argued.
Prime Minister Shinzo Abe has proposed reforms meant to make the Japanese economy more competitive. He wants to expand child care so more women can work, replace small inefficient farms with more large-scale commercial farms and allow more foreign migrant workers to fill labor shortages in areas such as nursing and construction.
Yet his proposals face fierce opposition.
"Europe and Japan remain less well-positioned for durable long-term growth, as they have only recently begun to tackle their deep-rooted structural problems, and a lot remains to be done," says Eswar Prasad, a professor of trade policy at Cornell University.
China is struggling to manage a transition from an economy based on exports and often wasteful investment in real estate and factories to a sturdier but likely slower-growing economy based on more consumer spending.
LESS BUDGET-CUTTING
Weighed down by debt, many European countries took an ax to swelling budget deficits. They slashed pension benefits, raised taxes and cut civil servants' wages. The cuts devastated several European economies. They led to 27 percent unemployment in Greece, 14 percent in Portugal and 25 percent in Spain. The United States has done some budget cutting, too, and raised taxes. But U.S. austerity hasn't been anywhere near as harsh.
A ROARING STOCK MARKET
The Fed's easy-money policies ignited a world-beating U.S. stock market rally. Over the past five years, U.S. stocks have easily outpaced shares in Europe, Japan and Hong Kong. That was one of Bernanke's goals in lowering rates. He figured that miserly fixed-income rates would nudge investors into stocks in search of higher returns. Higher stock prices would then make Americans feel more confident and more willing to spend — the so-called wealth effect.
Most economists agree it's worked.
News Topics: Business, General news, Economic growth, Labor economy, Economy, Financial crisis, Central bank interest rates, National budgets, Stock prices, Employment figures, Banking and credit, Recessions and depressions, Central banking, Financial markets, Monetary policy, Economic policy, Government business and finance, Government and politics, Government policy, Government budgets, Government finance, National governments, Leading economic indicators, Financial services, IndustriesPeople, Places and Companies: Ben Bernanke, Janet Yellen, Shinzo Abe, Europe, United States, Japan, North America, East Asia, Asia
Copyright 2014 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.
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Fundraising sends group to Italy, Greece
Fundraising sends group to Italy, GreeceReedsburg Times PressEleven Reedsburg Area High School students and five adults recently returned from a tour of Rome, Pompeii, Olympia, Athens and other historical sites in Italy and Greece. “The travelers would like to thank everyone who supported their fundraising ...and more »
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NATO signals it's taking no new members for the present, but says its door 'remains open'
by
Associated Press
NATO signals no new members for the present
by JOHN-THOR DAHLBURG, Associated Press - 5 July 2014 02:22-04:00
BRUSSELS (AP) — Faced with a newly aggressive Russia, NATO has been mulling how to react, but it is ruling out one option: rapid expansion.
Four would-be members, including the former Soviet republic of Georgia, have been informed that admission to NATO isn't in the cards anytime soon. For some, that means dashed hopes. Macedonia's foreign minister told The Associated Press in a statement it was a "step backward."
The bottom line: The North Atlantic Treaty Organization, celebrating important anniversaries this year of a dozen nations joining its ranks, will welcome no new members when President Barack Obama and other leaders convene for a summit in Wales in early September.
Analysts say that NATO members are worried about granting, or being perceived as granting, security guarantees that could quickly be tested by Russia. That's particularly true of Georgia, which has been waiting since 2008 for the U.S.-led military alliance to make good on its promise of admission.
Before taking over Crimea from Ukraine, Russia invaded and occupied two regions of Georgia nearly six years ago — and NATO is reluctant to take any action that might provoke a riposte from Moscow.
"The conflict over Ukraine has made it clear to them at NATO they have to be careful, both about security commitments and credibility," said Liana Fix, an associate fellow at the German Council on Foreign Relations. "If you give Georgia their membership action plan but don't defend them if something happens, what does it say about your credibility?"
NATO won't publicly hang up the "No Vacancy" sign.
Anders Fogh Rasmussen, the alliance's secretary general, proclaimed recently that "NATO's door remains open. And no third country has a veto over NATO enlargement."
But even before Crimea's annexation, some NATO countries were experiencing "enlargement exhaustion" and had become reluctant to increase the alliance's membership rolls, said Jorge Benitez, senior fellow for trans-Atlantic security at the Atlantic Council, a Washington, D.C.-based think tank.
Post-Crimea, "the issues are much bigger," Benitez said. "The question is, how much insecurity would you add to the alliance versus how much security would you bring to the alliance?"
To try to tilt the balance in its favor, Georgia has been an enthusiastic NATO partner, and until recently, had been fielding the largest non-NATO contingent of soldiers in alliance-led operations in Afghanistan.
In Wales, Georgia had been hoping to receive a formal action plan for membership, but instead will be given a "substantive package" to help move it closer to NATO, Rasmussen said. He declined to give details. But Fix said the package was likely to include stepped-up training programs, increased military cooperation and advice, and a detailed checklist of what NATO wants Georgia to do to qualify for membership.
The small Balkan nation of Macedonia was also assured of a membership invitation by NATO leaders six years ago, but will have to wait for the foreseeable future. The deal-breaker is an unresolved conflict over the country's name, which duplicates that of a Greek region. Since Greece is a NATO member and all 28 members must give their assent to admit a new nation, Athens has effective right of veto.
"Greece is acting from a position of power because it is a full member state," Macedonian Foreign Minister Nikola Poposki said in the written statement. Lamenting the "step backward," he said Macedonia will keep trying "to introduce sense into the Greek-Macedonian dialogue."
Another former Yugoslav republic, Montenegro, is widely considered the candidate closest to achieving membership. Rasmussen said that by the end of 2015, NATO foreign ministers will assess whether "the time is ripe" to invite Montenegro to join. That deadline was the only one to come out of the July 24-25 Brussels meeting of foreign ministers that reviewed NATO's "open door" policy.
What was not spoken about publicly was the reason for NATO's delay: the reported penetration of Montenegro's intelligence service by the Russians.
"That was the sticking point," a NATO official told AP. He spoke on condition of anonymity because he was not authorized to speak on the record. He estimated the number of Montenegrin intelligence agents with links to Russia at between 25 and 50. Steps are already under way to neutralize their activities, he added, but that "it will take some time to manage."
Prime Minister Milo Djukanovic told his country's parliament that the decision on enlargement had been postponed because of "geopolitical reasons Montenegro cannot influence."
Drasko Djuranovic, an analyst, predicted a rise in anti-Western feeling in the small Balkan country.
"The majority of people who support Montenegro's membership in NATO will feel betrayed," he said.
The fourth country classified as a NATO aspirant, Bosnia-Herzegovina, has been unable to pass a key condition set by the alliance: transfer of 63 defense facilities from local authorities to the central government, NATO officials said.
At a Monday news conference, White House deputy national security adviser Ben Rhodes encouraged the would-be alliance members to "stay on that track," even it if takes time.
"There's a reason that NATO is the best and strongest alliance that we've had in history, and the reason is that there's a very high standard of membership and there are very strong commitments that come with membership," Rhodes said. "So it's natural that there be an extended period in which nations work through those issues."
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AP correspondents Misha Dzhindzhikhashvili in Tbilisi, Konstantin Testorides in Skopje and Predrag Milic in Podgorica contributed to this story.
News Topics: General news, Territorial disputes, Government and politics, International relations, War and unrestPeople, Places and Companies: Barack Obama, Anders Fogh Rasmussen, Milo Djukanovic, Macedonia, Georgia, Crimea, Montenegro, Russia, Podgorica, Greece, Eastern Europe, Europe, Ukraine, Western Europe
Copyright 2014 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.
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Greece brings back fireworks
Greece- An all-out celebration, the town brought back its 4th of July festivities with a bang Friday night. A $20,000 fireworks show lit up the sky over thousands of people in Greece and it didn't cost taxpayers a dime. âThatâs always a bonus,â said Phillip OâBrien who was there with son for the 18-month-oldâs first fireworks show. ...
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Jamie Dimon: «Τhere is significant opportunity to invest in Greek assets»
«I was really looking forward to my trip to Athens, Greece and disappointed to postpone my visit. Your country has made good progress in its return to economic stability. And I look forward to rescheduling this trip to Greece and reaffirming J.P. Morgan's ...
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| READ THE ORIGINAL POST AT www.tanea.gr |
What to watch at World Cup: Argentina plays Belgium, Dutch face Costa Rica in quarterfinals
by
Associated Press
What to watch in last 2 World Cup quarterfinals
by MATTIAS KAREN, Associated Press - 4 July 2014 19:16-04:00
RIO DE JANEIRO (AP) — The world's best player goes up against perhaps the world's best goalkeeper. The highest-scoring lineup in the World Cup takes on the tournament's most surprising team.
There are two remaining quarterfinals to be played Saturday at the World Cup and both create intriguing matchups as Argentina faces Belgium and the Netherlands plays Costa Rica.
The winners will meet in the semifinals next week.
What to watch on Saturday:
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ARGENTINA vs. BELGIUM
Lionel Messi has faced Thibaut Courtois plenty of times in club competitions, and the Belgium goalkeeper has a habit of getting the better of the four-time player of the year.
In fact, Courtois has kept Messi scoreless the last seven times his Atletico Madrid faced Barcelona. If he can do it again, Belgium will have every chance of reaching the semifinals for the first time since 1986 — when it was eliminated by Argentina.
Messi has scored four of Argentina's seven goals in the tournament so far and set up two of the others — including Angel Di Maria's extra-time winner against Switzerland in the second round.
Belgium is hoping a collective effort will be able to outshine one outstanding individual.
"I don't want to depend on a single player, I want to depend on many," Belgium coach Marc Wilmots said. "That is one of our strengths."
Argentina coach Alejandro Sabella also insists there are more players who can make the difference for his team, even though striker Gonzalo Higuain is scoreless in Brazil and Sergio Aguero is injured.
"Obviously he (Messi) is the best player in the world but there is teamwork," Sabella said. "It's a team that supports Messi, makes him stronger, makes him feel well. And, therefore, Messi performs as he's doing."
And while Argentina vs. Belgium is about much more than Messi vs. Courtois, the winner of that matchup will go a long way toward deciding which team reaches the last four.
Venue: Brasilia. Kickoff 1 p.m. local time (noon in New York, 5 p.m. London, 1 a.m. Tokyo)
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NETHERLANDS vs. COSTA RICA
Few outsiders give Costa Rica much of a chance of knocking off the free-scoring Netherlands and extending its best-ever run at a World Cup. Then again, few people gave it much of a chance of getting out of the group stage, much less into the quarterfinals.
Costa Rica has been the little team that could at this World Cup, beating Uruguay and Italy to advance from a tough Group D and then ousting Greece in a penalty shootout.
Can it pull off yet another upset win?
"We want to keep writing history," Costa Rica midfielder Johnny Acosta said. "In 90 or 120 minutes, we will see which is the better team."
Most would say that's the Netherlands, which reached the final in 2010 and stunned defending champion Spain with a 5-1 win in their opening match in Brazil. While the Dutch haven't been quite as rampant since then, they've racked up a tournament-leading 12 goals so far despite often playing in a formation with five defenders.
Costa Rica, though, has only allowed two goals en route to its first quarterfinal appearance, despite facing three former world champions in the group stage.
"We should not underestimate Costa Rica at all. I think it's going to be a very tough match," injured midfielder Nigel de Jong said. "Costa Rica got here with a lot of passion and belief and, of course, they're playing without pressure, so we should not take them lightly."
Venue: Salvador. Kickoff 5 p.m. local time (4 p.m. in New York, 9 p.m. London, 5 a.m. Tokyo)
News Topics: Sports, 2014 FIFA World Cup, Men's sports, Athlete injuries, FIFA World Cup, Men's soccer, Soccer, International soccer, Events, Athlete healthPeople, Places and Companies: Thibaut Courtois, Marc Wilmots, Alejandro Sabella, Gonzalo Higuain, Sergio Aguero, Jhonny Acosta, Nigel De Jong, Brazil, Belgium, Netherlands, Costa Rica, Spain, Argentina, South America, Latin America and Caribbean, Western Europe, Europe, Central America
Copyright 2014 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.
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EWG gives nod for bailout tranche
The Euro Working Group meeting of senior eurozone finance ministry officials on Friday approved the disbursement of the 1-billion-euro bailout sub-tranche from the bloc to Athens following the successful completion of the six prior actions Greece had prom... ...
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Major increase in travel receipts, tourism arrivals
Total travel receipts in Greece posted a 17.3 percent increase in the first quarter of the year compared with the same period in 2013, according to data released by the Bank of Greece.
The total came to 471.4 million euros, while the number of visitors fr... ...
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Disbursement of bond profits hits a snag
The disbursement to Greece of 2.1 billion euros from the profits of the Eurosystem from Greek SMP and ANFA bonds has hit a stumbling block due to timetable changes and different interpretations of existing agreements.
The original planning had provided fo... ...
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Troika-sponsored power sector privatisation leaves Greece in the dark
EurActivTroika-sponsored power sector privatisation leaves Greece in the darkEurActivParts of Greece were hit by power cuts yesterday evening (3 July) after electricity workers began one of a series of 48-hour strikes against government plans to sell off part of the country's biggest power producer. Some Athens districts, remote ...Power cuts in Greece amid anti-privatization strikeKathimeriniGreece threatened by power cuts as workers strikeBBC NewsGreece faces power outages as electricity workers strikeToday's ZamanAppeal-Democratall 133 news articles »
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Greece rules against anti-privatization strike
A court in Greece has declared a strike by electricity workers, which caused power cuts across the country, as illegal. The workers of Greece’s Public Power Corporation (PPC), the biggest power producer, started a 48-hour strike on Wednesday to protest ...
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Costa Rica coach urges referee to 'please watch out' for Robben in World Cup quarterfinals
by
Associated Press
Costa Rica worried about Arjen Robben's dives
by DUSAN STOJANOVIC, Associated Press - 4 July 2014 16:53-04:00
SALVADOR, Brazil (AP) — Costa Rica issued a plea to the referee on Friday to keep an eye on Arjen Robben's diving.
The Netherlands forward earned an injury-time penalty in the second round of the World Cup, giving his team a 2-1 win over Mexico. Costa Rica coach Jorge Luis Pinto is worried about more of the same when his team faces the Dutch in the quarterfinals on Saturday in Salvador.
"FIFA and referees, please watch out. That could be a crucial factor in the match," Pinto said. "This is very important, Robben's diving. ... That makes us worry a lot."
Throughout his career, the 30-year-old Robben has had a reputation for frequently falling and looking for a penalty or free kick. The Bayern Munich forward went down theatrically under a soft challenge late in the match against Mexico, but said the penalty was legitimate. He also said he dived in the first half.
"Robben is a great player, but he has this nasty reputation of frequently diving on the pitch," Pinto said, adding the Netherlands winger should be given a yellow card by referee Irmatov Ravshan if he dives.
"Well, that might be a logical solution," Pinto said. "He would start thinking about making another dive as he as he could leave the pitch with two yellow cards."
Costa Rica is one of the biggest surprises of the World Cup. The Central American team finished first in Group D, beating former champions Uruguay and Italy and holding England to a 0-0 draw.
Costa Rica then reached the World Cup quarterfinals for the first time by beating Greece on penalties in the second round.
"We want to keep writing history," Costa Rica midfielder Johnny Acosta said. "In 90 or 120 minutes, we will see which is the better team tomorrow."
News Topics: Sports, Men's soccer, Professional soccer, International soccer, Soccer, Men's sportsPeople, Places and Companies: Arjen Robben, Jorge Luis Pinto, Jhonny Acosta, Salvador, Costa Rica, Brazil, South America, Latin America and Caribbean, Central America
Copyright 2014 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.
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