How the world sees Greece
Greece's deputy finance minister said on Monday Germany owes Greece nearly 279 billion euros ($305.17 billion) in reparations for the Nazi occupation of the country. Greek governments and also private citizens have pushed for war damages from Germany for decades but the Greek government has never officially quantified its reparation claims. A parliamentary panel set up by Prime Minister Alexis ...
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Should Greece fail to cough up on Thursday, the country will still have another 30 days grace in which to pay the arrears before it is technically in ...
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Yesterday, he told the troubled country's creditor nations that Greece intends to “meet all obligations”, and that includes a €450m (£332m) loan ...
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A new survey has found that the image of the imaginative and persisting Greek businessman is not a totally unscientific stereotype, showing Greeks to have great start-up skills.
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Defense Minister Panos Kammenos Monday defended a decision to sign a 500-billion-euro contract for the upgrade of five P-3B Orion aircraft, saying that the move, which he claimed was key to Greece’s participation in NATO surveillance missions, had been rubber-stamped by two separate inner-cabinet meetings.
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The Greek stock market will open on Tuesday after a four-day recess due to the holidays for most bourses in the European Union.
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Greek Foreign Ministry spokesman Constantinos Koutras (photo) on Monday responded to Turkish press reports suggesting that Greece may somehow be connected to a recent terrorist attack in Istanbul that resulted in the death of a senior prosecutor.
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So the Greek politicians and the rest of the politicians of the European Union play this pretend game that Greece will make good on its debts, if just ...
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Greek Deputy Finance Minister Dimitris Mardas told Parliament Monday that, according to official estimates, Germany owes Greece €278.7 billion ($306 billion) in connection with the Nazi Germany's occupation of Greece during WWII, from April 1941 to October 1944, and a ...
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When Alexis Tsipras visits Vladimir Putin’s Kremlin on Wednesday there is a chance the Greek premier’s eastern manoeuvre will immediately bear fruit: kiwis, peaches and strawberries to be precise. Athens is hopeful that Moscow will lift a retaliatory ban on Greek ...
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With Greece saying it's about to go broke, but pay its lenders, doubts are rising whether it can do both or either, world press reports say. The post World Press View: Down To The Wire For Greek Default appeared first on The National Herald.
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It took more than just a spoonful of perseverance for Greece Arcadia to land one of Disney's most revered musicals. "I wanted Mary Poppins, and look ...
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The Russian president has mended issues with Cyprus and has courted Greece as Moscow seeks to assert influence in some of Europe’s most troubled corners.
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Greek Combating Corruption Minister Panagiotis Nikoloudis has recently proceeded to an alarming statement, explaining that all contracts signed in the past between the Greek state and companies included kickbacks ranging from 2% to 2.5%. “In the large contracts for the purchase of weaponry signed by the Defense ministry of this country it is fully verified that illegal commissions that were being given to Greek officials were on average 4%,” Mr. Nikoloudis characteristically stated. Addressing the meeting for the composition of the committee for the investigation on the debt, he underlined finally that “in the contracts for the supply of medical supplies by public hospitals and government agencies the common supply rate was as much as 23%.” Moreover, the Greek Minister said there can be no doubt that one of the main reasons the country has come down to the state of economic crisis, “is the corruption which appeared as an endemic in all procurement contracts and especially in the contracts which this country for decades — mainly in the first decade of the new century, from 2000 to 2010 — signed with companies that were primarily based abroad.” As Mr. Nikoloudis highlighted that it takes two to tango. “There cannot be someone who takes money if previously there isn’t anyone who has the desire to offer the illegal money. And this is a key element, which if we do not point out from the beginning, it is very likely that we will always be led to wrong conclusions,” he said. Finally, the Greek official stressed that the country has been characterized as a corrupt country, both justifiably and unreasonably. “If a country is corrupt, i.e. if the citizens are corrupt, if one half corrupts the other half, in a sense the country is right to pay for its own weaknesses. However, from this point on begins the questioning of some basic facts and the need to highlight some features of this concept we call corruption,” he concluded.
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The Greek Foreign Ministry spokesperson Konstantinos Koutras has responded to Turkish press allegations linking Greece with a recent terrorist attack in Istanbul that resulted in the death of a senior prosecutor. “The heavy death toll Greece has paid due to terrorism precludes even commenting on such reports, which have long and far surpassed the limits of the most imaginative and bizarre conspiracy theories,” Mr. Koutras categorically said. It is reminded that on Tuesday March 31 Istanbul prosecutor Mehmet Selim Kiraz died from his wounds after security forces stormed the office where members of an extreme left Turkish group took him hostage, killing both his captors. The prosecutor was investigating the death of a teenager who was hit by a police gas canister fired during the nationwide anti-government protests that shocked the world in 2013. Kiraz was taken hostage by two individuals, suspected members of the illegal Marxist group, Revolutionary People’s Liberation Party-Front (DHKP-C). Hospital officials said his death was a result of severe injuries he suffered during the shootout. Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan said Kiraz was shot three times in the head and twice in the body and he didn’t make it despite being rushed to the hospital for emergency surgery. The prosecutor was investigating the death of 15-year old Berkin Elvan, who died 269 days after being hit by a tear-gas canister and left in a coma following the Gezi protests in June 2013. His death in March 2014 caused a second wave of outrage in Turkey as the teenager was on his way to the bakery when he was hit. He was not among the protesters. It should be noted that Turkey has accused Greece in the past of harboring Kurdish guerrillas in various areas, among of which are training camps in the region of Attica, in the suburbs of Athens.
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Hundreds of migrants have packed themselves in an area that is meant to host only 35 people. There are 236 people heaped in the Kos Police Department, which is housed in an old Italian building dating back to the ’30s — some have sought refuge in the courtyard and others inside. Boxes on the floor, blankets next to garbage, toilets covered in dirt and stench, make up the third world images emerging from one of Greece’s most popular islands. Greek daily newspaper Eleftheros Typos reported that a few days ago the officer in charge fainted, while on the same day numerous migrants piled outside the building in order to secure a place to sleep. This incident brought the officers to their limits as they recently stated that they are determined to refuse arrested migrants, except the 35 the Police Station building can host. “We have nothing against the migrants. On the contrary. But this situation is unacceptable. A few days ago, when 119 migrants were released, others who were outside the building forcibly invaded its inner courtyard, resulting in an informal occupation of the Police Station,” one of them explains. The photos below, published by Eleftheros Typos, reveal the unacceptable conditions.
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A recent opinion poll conducted by Public Issue for the daily newspaper Avgi shows that the Greek Prime Minister and SYRIZA leader Alexis Tsipras’ popularity has reached an impressive 78%, while 63% of those questioned are in support of the government’s negotiation strategy. At the same time, 55% of the Greeks are approving the Finance Minister Yanis Varoufakis, who has lately gained publicity both within Greece and abroad. Those disapproving the government’s handling in the negotiations with the country’s creditors consist of 28% of the public opinion, while 3% do not take sides and 6% have no opinion on the matter. Moreover, 82% of the respondents say the feeling the government’s negotiating stance gave them is “national pride,” although 39% believe the winners in this tie are the lenders. Similarly, 22% see the negotiations as a win-win case, 21% say no side has benefited and only 14% believe that Greece is coming out on top. Regarding Greece’s outspoken Finance Minister Yanis Varoufakis, 55% of respondents say they trust him as the chief negotiator, while 43% do not. The Finance Minister’s popularity, though, has dropped 4% compared to the previous month. Asked about the party leaders and their suitability for the premiership, 62% see Mr. Tsipras as the most appropriate, against only 20% of former Prime Minister and New Democracy leader Antonis Samaras. Specifically, the second most popular political leader is the National Defense Minister and junior coalition government partner Independent Greeks (ANEL) leader, Panos Kammenos with 46%, followed by To Potami leader Stavros Theodorakis with 45%, the Communist Party of Greece (KKE) secretary-general Dimitris Koutsoumpas with 35%, Antonis Samaras with 28%, PASOK leader Evangelos Venizelos with 19% and neo-nazi inspired Golden Dawn — recently released from custody — leader Nikos Michaloliakos with only 9%.
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The Greek Finance Ministry has denied a report by German press agency DPA that IMF chief Christine Lagarde demanded from Greek Minister Yanis Varoufakis tax increases and pension cuts. The ministry says there was some discussion around the ...
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The Greek Atheists’ Union slams the expense of flying the “Holy Light” from Jerusalem to Athens at Easter. In a letter to all ministers in charge – finance, foreign, defense and religion – the Union questions the necessity to bring the Holy Light to Greece at a time of economic […]
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Greek finance minister meets with senior officials in hope of shoring up support from the US to protect country from expulsion from eurozoneYanis Varoufakis, the Greek finance minister, has continued efforts to drum up support in the US for his debt-stricken country as speculation mounted over the ability of the Athens’ government to survive in its current form.Extending his Washington DC charm offensive on Monday, the flamboyant finance minister held talks with senior administration officials after his meeting with Christine Lagarde, head of the International Monetary Fund, attempting to allay fears of an imminent Greek default. Related: Greek government takes desperate measures in battle to stay afloat Related: Alexis Tsipras looks to Moscow but risks becoming Putin’s useful idiot | Natalie Nougayrède Continue reading...
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April 6 (Infostrada Sports) - Results and standings from the Greek championship matches on Monday Monday, April 6 Atromitos Athinon 2 Kerkyra 1 Sunday, April 5 Ergotelis 2 Panthrakikos 1 Levadiakos OFI Crete Postponed Panionios 3 Panaitolikos Agrinion 0 PAOK Salonika 2 Xanthi 1 PAS Giannina 3 Olympiakos Piraeus 1 Saturday, April 4 Kalloni 3 Niki Volos 0 awd. ...
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The troubled eurozone, facing a sharp slowdown, may slip into a full blown crisis if debt-ridden Greece runs out of cash later this week. A statement ...
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Greece Finds Money to Meet Debt Deadline. The IMF's Christine LaGarde welcomes confirmation that a $505 million payment would beat Greece's ...
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Greece's credit ratings woes are not yet over. It turns out that Fitch Ratings has downgraded the key Greek banks, following its downgrade of Greece's ...
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Greece’s cash crunch is getting serious. Investors will be closely watching a Greek Treasury bill auction on Wednesday.
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Until I began to research a novel about a young clergyman's search for the language Adam spoke in the Garden of Eden, I had no idea that my character's eccentric quest had roots in the earliest civilizations. For as long as tales have been told about how the world began, there have been stories of a Golden Tongue spoken in a Golden Age -- a language that perfectly expressed the nature of what it named, clear as water, free of muddy ambiguity, shared by all humans and, in some versions, animals. Then, after a divine decree or catastrophic event, the universal tongue shattered into fragments and people could no longer understand one another. The result? The chaotic and clamorous world we know. It's no wonder that seekers have been trying to recover that Holy Grail of verbal harmony for millennia. The search began centuries before Genesis was written. According to the Greek historian Herodotus, Pharoah Psammetichus, who ruled Egypt around 664 BC, had such curiosity about the origin of language that he sequestered two infants in a mountain hut with only a silent shepherd to nurture them. When one of the children cried out syllables that sounded like the Phrygian word for bread, the pharaoh had to conclude, perhaps reluctantly, that Egyptian wasn't the oldest language after all. The callous experiment was repeated several times in different eras. In the thirteenth century, the Holy Roman Emperor Frederick II placed babies in the care of foster mothers who were forbidden to talk to them. He spoke six languages himself, and was eager to discover which one God had given to Adam and Eve. Sadly, the poor children died before they could utter words in any tongue. With a poignancy that echoes through the ages, the monk Salimbene wrote that they "could not live without clappings of the hands, and gestures, and gladness of countenance, and blandishments." Another multi-lingual monarch, James IV of Scotland, engaged a mute to look after his little prisoners. Well-read in the Bible, the king must have been gratified when they burst into flawless Hebrew. The Scottish king wasn't the only one whose convictions overcame his reason. Scholars who searched for the language of paradise tended to arrive at the outcome they were looking for. Their speculations were bounded by their own beliefs, which, until the middle of the nineteenth century, were firmly grounded in the Bible. Christopher Columbus, embarking on his first voyage to find a route to the Orient, took along a Jewish convert who spoke Hebrew and Aramaic. He reasoned that the interpreter could converse in God's own tongue with any descendants of the Ten Lost Tribes of Israel who might have wandered to the New World. In the days when America was still considered the new Eden, the fiery Puritan minister Cotton Mather devoted his Master's thesis at Harvard to a scholarly defense of Hebrew as the first language. Even philologists were not immune. A spiritual awakening in 1808 moved Noah Webster to abandon work on his dictionary for years to pursue the ur-language from Eden. He arranged dictionaries of twenty languages on a circular desk, and spent his days in a state of rotation, stalking the roots of words from one tome to another. Darwin's theories changed the study of language origins, as they changed the prevailing view of the world. Language was not a gift given by a Creator at the dawn of time but a faculty that developed slowly as the human species adapted to a changing environment. It wasn't a true instinct, as proponents of natural language claimed, but an artful tool for prolonging survival. In a new spin on the old myth of a tongue shared by men and beasts, Darwin drew parallels between animal and human communication, comparing birdsong to the babbling of infants and speculating that singing might have come before speaking. "Do monkeys howl in harmony?" he asked, and imagined an early man bawling melodically to attract the ladies. The debate -- and the contention -- has been going on ever since. In the late nineteenth century, the linguistic societies of Paris and London threw up their collective hands and banned all discussion of language origins. By 1970, when the subject became respectable again in academia, linguists were still locking horns over old questions, bolstering their arguments with new research. Is language innate, a structure in the brain as Chomsky's universal grammar suggests, or an acquired skill, as evolutionists believe? Is it unique to humans, or can animals be taught complex communication? Nowadays, the pharoah's isolated hut has been replaced by the laboratory, where scientists of many disciplines probe the mysteries of the brain and tongue and larynx. The Holy Grail they seek is no longer the first language, but the reason we have language at all. I wonder if writers of fiction are among the few still searching for that elusive Golden Tongue. We begin with an idea -- a virgin landscape populated by characters we make from scratch -- and then we struggle to render the world that lives so vividly in our minds with equal precision in words. The clergyman in my novel is obsessed with finding a pure language, a perfect vessel for meaning. In a sense that's a classic writer's quest: the mandate we wake up to each morning, even if we know that much of the time we're going to fall short. Barbara Klein Moss is the author of The Language of Paradise (W.W. Norton and Company).
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In case our German friends have been wondering how much money the Greeks want for World War II atrocities and damages committed by the Nazis and the “loan” Greeks were enforced to hand out to the Nazis in order to finance the occupation of their country and the war against […]
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“People may get killed in Skouries if we don’t deal properly with the issue,” said Citizen Protection Minister Yiannis Panousis after new clashes between miners and local residents on Sunday resulted in several injuries. Later at night protesters threatened miners to leave the area and damaged two cars. Earlier on Sunday, both sides carried out demonstrations over the operation of the controversial Hellas Gold mining operation in Skouries in northern Greece. The demonstrations culminated with the two sides throwing rocks at each other. Residents of the nearby Ierissos village have complained that they were assaulted by riot police and miners, with four protesters reported to have been injured. The citizen protection minister said that the situation at Skouries has gotten out of hand and police must deal with the issue differently and be more drastic, otherwise there might be deaths. The two sides blame each other for the violence. SYRIZA MP Katerina Iglezi who was present in support of the protesters accused the riot police for colluding with miners and attacking local residents with tear gas leaving four injured. Iglezi told Greek radio that it is inconceivable that three hundred miners broke the police block, including seven police buses, and attacked protesters with sticks and stones without any reaction from the police. The miners on their behalf claim to have been assaulted by hooded individuals, which resulted in two miners being injured. At the same time, Giorgos Chatzis, president of the Hellas Gold miners’ union said that hooded protesters attacked first by throwing stones at them and injuring three miners. Also, miners say that protesters marched to their homes late in the night and threatened them and their families to leave the area. According to the miners, protesters proceeded with damaging two cars that belong to Hellas Gold employees.
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The Greek government expects the procedure for the bad loans settlement to be concluded in about six months, according to a document by Economy, Infrastructure, Shipping and Tourism Minister George Stathakis and was sent to the Parliament on April 2. According to the minister, there will be a legislative amendment aimed at the radical relief of debtors and a comprehensive settlement of private debts with solid social criteria and with a view to creating the conditions so that bad loans can become performing and be serviced in the best way possible. The minister said this plan includes two parts: the setting up of a fund to which the loans of over-debted poor households will be transferred and the reform of the current law on the business loans of small and medium-sized companies. However, the “technical aspects and requirements of this regulation are being considered while a consultation with all involved parties is underway. There procedures are expected to be completed in approximately six months.” The document was a response to a query submitted by New Democracy deputy Anna Karamanli on whether businesses that hold Greek government bonds which underwent a “haircut” can make use of the bad loans settlement. Moreover, the minister noted that the government has submitted a proposal for the setting up of an investigation committee that would look into the events that led up to the country’s entry in the two bailout agreements as well as into the conditions under which the PSI was carried out, a development that led to the write down of the reserves of the social security funds, the economic catastrophe of small bondholders and to the need for the recapitalization of the banks. He also noted that there would be an investigation into the banks’ mergers and acquisitions, the selection criteria for the systemic banks and any other relevant issues including the operation of the Hellenic Financial Stability Fund (HFSF). In a separate document signed by the minister and submitted to parliament on April 1, following a query by SYRIZA MP Ilias Kostopanagiotou on property foreclosures, Stathakis reiterated that a legislative amendment on the issue is imminent. (source: ana-mpa)
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Young people sit in front of the National Library of Athens on Monday, April 6. Greece and its international creditors are still struggling to agree on a list ...
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A proposal by Athens to create a parliamentary committee to assign blame over Greece's bailout programs is a part of Prime Minister Alexis Tsipras' ...
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European diplomats concerned over Greek PM’s visit to Moscow
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At least six people have drowned after a boat carrying migrants to a Greek island sank in the Aegean Sea on April 6, Turkish officials have said.
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Few issues sum up the confusion of leftist Greek Prime Minister Alexis Tsipras's first two months in office better than the bewildering saga of the ...
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Greece's finance minister on Sunday told the International Monetary Fund chief that his country will repay a substantial loan from the organization that is due this week. IMF Managing Director Christine Lagarde and Yanis Varoufakis met in Washington for an ...
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Greek anarchists are needling the country's new far-left government with a series of high-profile occupations in support of jailed radicals.
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Greece has given an assurance that it intends to repay its debts. Speaking after a meeting with the International Monetary Fund in Washington, the Greek finance minister, Yanis Varoufakis, said his government was, "intent upon reforming Greece deeply".
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Here's what you need to know. Friday's jobs report was a flop. US companies added just 126,000 nonfarm payrolls in March, which was well short of the 246,000 that was expected. The unemployment rate held at 5.5% while hourly earnings rose 0.3% month-over-month. Markets are in the red. In the US, Dow and S&P futures are down 0.7%, suggesting it could be a rough trading session. Markets across Europe and much of the rest of the world remained closed for Easter Monday. Japan's Nikkei (-0.2%) slipped in a lackluster trade. Greece intends to meet its debt obligations. Greek Finance Minister Yanis Varoufakis announced the government "intends to meet all obligations to all its creditors, ad infinitum." This includes the approximate 450 million euro loan repayment due to the International Monetary Fund on April 9. The troubled country must still secure its next tranche of bailout money by showing it's serious about making reforms. Spanish unemployment dropped sharply. The number of people registering for unemployment in Spain fell by 60,214 versus the previous month. The strong reading marked the biggest decline in unemployment registration for the month of March since 2002. Crude oil is back above $50 per barrel. West Texas Intermediate crude oil is higher by 2.8% at $50.52 per barrel as traders price in the likelihood it will take some time before Iranian oil is back on the market. The Feds are investigating Herbalife. CNBC reports federal investigators are looking into the business practices of "10 or so" of Herbalife's top members. It remains unclear as to the specifics of the investigation. Chinese bank profits are slowing. Nine of the 11 banks that have reported quarterly results have posted single digit profit growth. According to China Construction Bank CFO Xu Yiming, "The slowdown in profit growth is primarily due to two reasons. One is the pressure on asset quality caused by the economic downturn, and the other is the pricing issue. A significant asymmetric rate adjustment by the People's Bank of China last year caused us 8 billion yuan for the year." Disney has invested $250 million in daily fantasy sports site Draft Kings. The investment values the company at $900 million. As part of the deal, Draft Kings has agreed to spend more than $500 million advertising on ESPN. NHTSA has reopened its investigation of Ford sedan lighting failures. The U.S. National Highway Traffic Safety Administration investigation will cover 517,945 cars, encompassing Ford Crown Victoria and Mercury Grand Marquis sedans manufactured between 2003 and 2005. The prior investigation occurred from November 2008 to March 2009 concluding, “a safety-related defect has not been identified at this time and further use of agency resources does not appear to be warranted.” US economic data is light. ISM Non-Manufacturing PMI will cross the wires at 10 a.m. ET. Economists estimate this services index slipped to 56.5 in March from 56.9 in February. "West coast ports are running more smoothly, following disruptions in the beginning of the year, and the harsh winter weather is abating," BNP Paribas economists said. "Downside risks include likely continued disappointment from the oilfield services sector."Join the conversation about this story » NOW WATCH: 14 things you didn't know your iPhone headphones could do
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Greece has confirmed it will make a 460 million euro ($505 million) debt payment to the International Monetary Fund this week as it seeks to allay concerns over the country's solvency. IMF chief Christine Lagarde said late Sunday that Greek Finance Minister Yanis Varoufakis had pledged to make the payment on time in a meeting Washington. “Minister Varoufakis and I exchanged views on current ...
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ATHENS—Greece’s latest promise to repay its creditors on time has reduced fears about an imminent default but while the government lives from hand to mouth, the Greek economy is slipping back toward recession, businesses and analysts say. Slow progress ...
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Swiss banker Jean-Claude Oswald, one of the key suspects in the Siemens cash-for-contracts scandal and in connection to allegedly corrupt arms deals is in custody in Greece, Greek media report on Monday. Although Oswald holds the French citizenship and the Swiss refused to extradite him to Greece, the Greek authorities […]
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Greece’s public officials had apparently turned the kickbacks collection into a “science”, while an unofficial but institutionalize price list could cut a nice portion from the total pie for private pockets. Under the hand. Illegally. Tax-free. The bribes percentage was something between 2% and shocking 23% depending on the sector […]
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Twenty Greek food production companies will be given the “green light” to export products to the Russian market, when the embargo is lifted, Assistant chief of Rosselkhoznadzor (Federal Service for Veterinary and Phytosanitary Surveillance) Alexey Alekseenko said on ...
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The meeting between Greek Prime Minister Alexis Tsipras and Russian President Vladimir Putin on Wednesday in Moscow will not resolve Greece’s bailout problem, says a Financial Times report. There is speculation that after the impasse in negotiations between Greece and lenders and the country’s serious liquidity problem, Tsipras is going to Moscow to put in effect a possible Plan B: Greece defaults on creditors and bondholders, exits the euro zone and receives short-term funding from Moscow in order to keep the Greek banking system afloat. In exchange, Greece vetoes European Union sanctions against Russia and boycotts the gas transatlantic pipeline that would help Caspian gas reach Europe through 500 kilometers of Greek territory, thus bypassing Russia. However, according to writer of the report Wolfgang Munchau, such a scenario is unlikely for several reasons. The first reason is that Russia’s economy is in bad shape at the moment, and it will decline by 3.8 percent in 2015, mainly due to the fall of oil and gas prices. Investments in Russia have declined significantly. Foreign exchange reserves are also falling noticeably. A continuation of sanctions will make the Russian economy more vulnerable. Greece will need to consider to what extent it would want to be tied to a country that will be clearly focused on its own economic crisis management. Russia is also aware of the tens of millions of euros from euro zone members that have sunk into the Greek economy and Moscow would not likely take the risk. Second, Greece cannot have bilateral relations with Russia because it will be out of the EU and lose all rights of member states. And Greece would not want to be on its own and have Putin as its creditor, Munchau says. Third, in case Russia and the EU re-establish relations by coming to an agreement over Ukraine and sanctions are lifted, Greece will not be able to have a special relationship with Russia. And finally, the political dynamics within the EU are such that it is not in Greece’s benefit to collide with them. Athens is still receiving European funds and it will be disastrous if no more subsidies are forthcoming for the Greek economy. The writer concludes that Tsipras should forget about allying with Putin and focus on an economic plan that would help Greece come out of the crisis. He also says that Europe and Greece should avoid the danger of miscalculation: “The EU might underestimate the political and economic consequences of a Grexit. And the Greeks might overestimate the potential of Russian Plan B.”
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Greece might end up turning to China as a last resort to find financial aid if negotiations with creditors fail, a BBC report says. According to a report from Shanghai by John Sudworth, the recent tightening of Greece-China relations might indicate that Athens is looking to Beijing for more than trade deals. The recent visit of Deputy Prime Minister Yiannis Dragasakis and Foreign Affairs Minister Nikos Kotzias to Beijing and the invitation Prime Minister Alexis Tsipras received to formally visit Beijing in the next few months enhance the scenario that China might lend Greece the much needed funds. The reporter says that these visits might simply mean that China is interested in buying Greek state assets at a good price now that Greece is strapped for cash and is in need of privatizations. However, rumors that Athens might ask China for financial aid have reached Beijing. China has expressed interest in investing in Greece, with Chinese company Cosco already owing a part of Piraeus Port. Cosco is interested in buying the rest of the shares if the Greek government decides to sell. Also, China’s economic interests lie in Greece remaining in the euro zone. Chinese officials have expressed worry about Greece’s possible exit from the common currency bloc. A Grexit would create political and economic turmoil that will upset China’s investment plans. Thereby, it is also in Beijing’s interest to aid Greece at this critical moment.
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The Greek-Cypriot pediatric Surgery Clinic director, Andreas Markou described the girl's case to Greek media, as well as what occurred on the ...
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Syriza administration is running out of cheap money and good ideas
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Over half of Greek citizens are ready to leave their country if they find better jobs abroad, a new survey has established. Data revealed that 55% of people in Bulgaria's southern neighbor are ready to emigrate, as unemployment is constantly increasing on account of the financial crisis, local newspaper Vima reported. In 2014 a total of 341,334 Greek citizens have created European-style resumes that would allow them to apply for jobs in the EU market. The survey established that the majority of people ready to leave Greece were aged 21 to 35. The number of people ready to leave the country is even higher than that of Italy, Spain, Germany and UK. A different study showed that 55% of Greeks stated their intention of leaving the country to seek jobs and professional development. Among the top three preferred emigration destinations for the Greeks were Great Britain ( 18%), Switzerland (13%) and the US (12%). The primary reasons for leaving Greece were stated to be the opportunities for career and successful professional development. Meanwhile, a survey conducted by the Greek agency ICAP has showed that 47,3% of office workers in Greece are ready to emigrate only if conditions abroad are better -higher wages in a nice country and also if the job involves qualified labor. Additionally, 16,8% stated that they are extremely likely to emigrate, while 35,9% were firm in their decision to stay in their home country.
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Alternate Minister for Citizens’ Protection Yiannis Panousis warned on Monday that protests regarding the Skouries gold mine in northern Greece could lead to someone being killed.
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Goals from Troy Deeney and Odion Ighalo catapulted Watford to the top of the Championship table at the expense of their visitors 2.23pm BST Peep! Peep! Peeeeeeeeeeep! It’s all over and Watford replace their visitors at the top of the table courtesy of goals from Troy Deeney and Odion Max Meyer 2.21pm BST 90+3 min: Watford have Boro penned in their own half in these closing stages. Miguel Layun and Grant Leadbitter both get booked, the former for a foul on the latter, who was carded for retaliation. 2.18pm BST 90+2 min: Watford substitution: Miguel Layun on for Adlene Guedioura, who’s had a fine game. 2.17pm BST 90 min: Kike is put through on the Watford goal when he latches on to an Adam Forshaw ball over the top. He gets the ball caught under his feet a little and when he finally gets a shot away, Gomes gets down to save smartly. 2.16pm BST 89 min: Alkbert Adomah curls a cross into the Watford penalty area, but his outswinger is too high for Kike at the far post. 2.15pm BST 88 min: Apologies, that defeat at the hands of Bournemouth was the previous weekend. Boro have beaten Wigan since. 2.14pm BST 85 min: Middlesbrough have had well over 60% of the possession in this match, but failed to muster a single shot on target. By all accounts, their defeat at the hands of Bournemouth over the weekend was spookily similar. 2.11pm BST 84 min: Boro substitution: Adam Forshaw on, Adam Clayton off. 2.11pm BST 83 min: George Friend cuts in from the left flank and drags a low right-footed cross-come-shot across the Watford penalty area. 2.09pm BST 80 min: Standing on the edge of a penalty area for a Watford corner, Adlene Guedioura goes close to scoring a goal straight from the top drawer. The ball drops for him and with the outside of his foot, he steers it towards the top right-hand corner. It takes a fine save to deny him, goalkeeper Dimi The Greek stretching every sinew to claw the ball clear. 2.05pm BST 77 min: Adomah and Kallas link uop well down the right flank and the Chelsea loan-signing (it was he who likened his role at the Premier League club to that of a training cone) whips in a cross that’s a mite too high for its intended target, Kike. The Spaniard gets his head to it but can’t do anything more than send it high and wide. 2.04pm BST 75 min: Guedioura crosses from the right touchline for Watford, but his delivery is too close to Dimitrios Konstantopolous, who grabs it under no pressure whatsoever. 2.02pm BST 74 min: Moments previously, George Friend was forced to pass up what might have been a decent shooting opportunity through the intercession of Irish under-age international Tommie Hoban. 2.01pm BST 73 min: With Watford on the attack, Ben Watson tries to play Guedioura down the inside left channel, but makes a dog’s breakfast of his pass and any chance goes begging. 1.59pm BST 71 min: As the ball is crossed into the Watford penalty area by Albert Adomah, Kike takes a tumble and claims a penalty on the grounds that Matthew Connollly had an arm around his neck. He’s not wrong. 1.57pm BST 70 min: Adlene Guedioura gets booked for a foul on George Friend. 1.56pm BST 68 min: Watford substitution: Matej Vydra on, goalscoring’s Odion Ighalo off after scoring his 16th goal in 14 league matches. 1.55pm BST 66 min: Another goal for Watford on the back of more comedy defending from Middlesbrough, who gave the ball away cheaply on the edge of their own penalty area. Ben Watson picked out Ighalo just to the left of the D on the edge of the area and the in-form striker shifted the ball on to his left foot and rifled the ball goalwards. In the Boro goal, Konstantantopolous got his hand to it, but couldn’t keep it out. 1.52pm BST Odion Ighalo doubles Watford’s lead with a fine strike into the top right-hand corner from the edge of the penalty area. 1.51pm BST 64 min: A Ben Watson shot from distance takes two deflections for fizzing wide of the Boro goal. 1.50pm BST 63 min: Middlesbrough substitutions: Tomas Kallas on for Dwight Tiendalli. Kike on for Lee Tomlin. 1.49pm BST 61 min: Just before that free-kick, Watford made a substitution: Craig Cathcart off, Matthew Connolly on. Daniel Tozser’s inswinger for the corner is vicious, but George Friend does well to head the ball clear under extreme pressure from Troy Deeney. 1.47pm BST 59 min: A shove in Troy Deeney’s back earns Watford a free-kick on the inside right flank, in line with the right side of the penalty area. Daniel Tozser puts his foot through the ball, which is deflected wide for a corner. 1.46pm BST 58 min: Ikechi Anya attempts to scurry down the left wing for Watford, but is tracked and stopped by Albert Adomah. 1.45pm BST 57 min: Huerelho Gomes is forced to dash out of his penalty area to head a Lee Tomlin through-ball clear under pressure from Patrick Bamford. The pair clatter into each other as the Boro striker catches Gomes with a high foot in the face. The Brazilian doesn’t make a big deal of it and Bamford escapes serious censure for his enthusiasm. 1.42pm BST 55 min: Albert Adomah fails to get a cross in due to the diligence of Ikechi Anya, but wins a corner. Grant Leadbitter takes it, but Watford clear. 1.41pm BST 54 min: Interesting Opta stat: Middlesbrough have had just four touches of the ball in the Watford penalty area in little under an hour. Small wonder Patrick Bamford is cutting such a forlorn figure - he reminds us he’s still in the game by conceding a free-kick for a petulant foul that looks borne out of frustration. 1.40pm BST 53 min: Another fine pass from Adlene Guedioura, who picks out a Odion Ighalo run across the edge of the Boro penalty area. Woodgate shepherds the player wide, forcing him to shoot first-time and his weak effort fails to trouble Konstantopolous. 1.38pm BST 50 min: George Friend gets on the ball again and plays it inside to Adam Clayton in the centre of Boro’s midfield. He plays it wide to the right, where Watford clear their lines courtesy of Parades. 1.37pm BST 49 min: George Friend curls a cross in towards Watford’s near post, where Albert Adomah gets a touch on the ball but is unable to steer it goalwards. Goal-kick for Watford. 1.36pm BST 48 min: Boro are enjoying plenty of possession, but struggling to get the ball to Patrick Bamford up front. Grant Leadbitter is looking frustrated and roars encouragement at his team-mates. 1.34pm BST 46 min: Lee Tomlin and Grant Leadbitter combine in midfield as Boro try to get the ball into the final third. Tomlin picks out George Friend on the left flank, but his pass fails to reach Adam Reach. 1.33pm BST Watford kick off, with no changes to either side at the break. Jonathan Woodgate gets on the ball and plays it forward out of the Middlesbrough defence towards the goal behind which his team’s travelling fans are assembled. Gabriele Angella concedes a throw-in. 1.20pm BST It’s been a decent 45 minutes of football and Watford go in for their half-time brew a goal to the good. Troy Deeney scored his 20th league goal of the season after capitalising on a Jonathan Woodgate error and as things stand, his team will go top of the Championship table unless Middlesbrough score in the second half. 1.18pm BST 44 min: Having been camped inside their own half for about two minutes, Boro finally get on the ball, only to concede a throw-in on the back of some sloppy play. George Friend finally hoofs the ball out of Boro’s half, as the crowd pays tribute to their fallen comrade Nic Cruwys, who was attackled after his team’s match at Wolves several weeks ago. The 44-year-old remains in a specialist care unit as a result of head injuries sustained in the attack. 1.14pm BST 40 min: Middlesbrough look a little rattled by that setback, having dominated possession for long spells of the first half without ever taking control of the game. Now Watford are looking comfortable on the ball as they pass and probe in a bid to turn the screw. Guediora plays another good pass up the inside right to Odion Ighalo, but George Friend dispossesses him. 1.11pm BST 38 min: Jonathan Woodgate will be feeling rather glum about that goal, as he was largely responsible for gifting the opportunity to Deeney. With Adlene Guedioura sending in a splendid cross from the right, he misjudged the flight of the ball and completely missed his header. Lurking behind him in acres of space, Deeney was waiting to capitalise and made no mistake, shooting left-footed through the legs of Dimitrios Konstantopolous from a tight angle. 1.08pm BST The home side take the lead, with an opportunist strike from Troy Deeney, who scores his 20th goal of the season for the third consecutive season. 1.07pm BST 35 min: Boro win a free-kick wide on the right, which Leadbitter curls into the penalty area. Watford clear and embark on one of their lightning fast counter-attacks and almost get a lucky break when the nervy looking Tiendalli makes a mistake. Adomah bales out his team-mate. 1.05pm BST 32 min: Chance for Middlesbrough. An unmarked Lee Tomlin ghosts into the Watford penalty area to stick out a leg and get his toe on the end of a cross from George Friend on the left flank. His poked effort is well saved by Huerelho Gomes 1.03pm BST 31 min: Boro win a corner and Leadbitter arrows the ball towards the back post. Watford clear. 1.02pm BST 29 min: George Friend performs heroics to keep the ball in play as Middlesbrough go on the attack and his forced to hurdle an advertising hoarding in the process and land sprawling on the ground on the other side. In any other ground, he might have seriously hurt himself and an unfortunate spectator or two, but there’s a gap between the hoarding and the crowd on the sideline at Vicarage Road. 12.59pm BST 28 min: Ikechi Anya gallops down the left flank and tries to take on Dwight Tiendalli, but the Dutch debutant is equal to the task and doesn’t let him past. 12.58pm BST 27 min: Troy Deeney tries a shot from distance after having the ball played back to him from the edge of the penalty area by Odion Ighalo. He drags his effort wide. 12.57pm BST 26 min: Lee Tomlin wins the ball just outside his own penalty area but misdirects his pass to Adam Reach, who gets booked in his efforts to win it back. 12.55pm BST 24 min: Gabriele Angella goes close for Watford, leaping highest to win the ball in the Boro penalty area at a corner, only to steer his downward header wide of the left upright. 12.53pm BST 22 min: Watford have a shot on goal, with Anya taking advantage of a slip by Dwight Tiendalli to get on the ball, gallop towards goal and bring a good save out of Konstantopolous with his low drive. Great positioning by the goalkeeper. 12.52pm BST 20 min: Adam Clayton fouls Ighalo needlessly, with the striker heading back towards his own goal. 12.51pm BST 19 min: Speaking of weighty matters, Sky Sports commentator Daniel Mann reveals that Tomlin has lost a stone-and-a-half since joining Middlesbrough from Peterborough in a state of affairs “that probably raises more questions than it answers”. Nice. 12.49pm BST 17 min: Middlesbrough win a free-kick wide on the left courtesy of a Gabriele Angelia tug on Patrick Bamford. Rather than swing the ball into the penalty area, they play it across the field to Lee Tomlin, whose delivery into the box is too weighty. The ball rolls wide. 12.47pm BST 15 min: Amorebieta concedes a free-kick for a shove on Ighalo, who was struggling to control a bullet-pass from Parades. 12.45pm BST 13 min: Boro win a free-kick about 40 yards from the Watford goal, well right of centre. Despite the distance, Grant Leadbitter decides he fancies his chances and does enough to get Heurelho Gomes scampering across his line to save his sterling effort, which looked like it was going to go wide of the left upright, but not by much. 12.43pm BST 11 min: From midfield, Troy Deeney sends a long ball down the inside left channel for Ighalo to chase. Goalkeeper Konstantopolous is quick off his line to win the ball and avert the danger. 12.42pm BST 9 min: Guidioura sends a cross into the Middlesbrough penalty area from the right flank, but Amorebieta heads it clear. The ball is returned to the penalty area from the left, courtesy of Ikechi Anya, and Troy Deeney attempts to head it goalwards. Over the bar. 12.39pm BST 8 min: Troy Deeney wins a bouncing ball halfway inside the Boro half and hares towards goal, but Jonathan Woodgate is quickly out to dispossess him. 12.38pm BST 6 min: It’s a lively, entertaining start. Watson plays a long ball forward for Watford striker Odion Ighalo to chase, but Albert Adomah closes him down. Middlesbrough are looking pretty comfortable on the ball thus far. 12.36pm BST 5 min: Adomah picks up the ball in the centre and runs up a blind alley, but wins a corner for Boro. Grant Leadbitter sends the ball towards the edge of the penalty area and Watford clear their lines. The ball finds its way back to Leadbitter, who is flagged for offside. 12.35pm BST 3 min: George Friend picks out Bamford in midfield as Middlesbrough play the ball out from the back. With play swtiched to the right, Adomah gets in behind Parades, who was ball-watching and darts towards goal. Ikechi Anya slides in to rob him off the ball and spare his left-back’s blushes. 12.33pm BST 2 min: From a Dimitrios Konstantopolous hoof out of the Middlesbrough penalty area, Bamford wins the header in midfield and sends the ball skidding towards the Watford penalty area. After some minor dithering in the defensive ranks, it’s cleared before Adam Reach can pounce. 12.31pm BST 1 min: Middlesbrough get the ball rolling on what could be one of the most significant days in the season of both teams. Patrick Bamford and Lee Tomlin do the honours, with the former rolling the ball back to George Friend, who lumps the ball forward. Craig Cathcart wins the header for Watford. 12.28pm BST Not long now: The sun is shining and Vicarage Road is rocking as Troy Deeney and Jonathan Woodgate lead their teams out to the theme tune of Z Cars. Kick-off is imminent. 12.23pm BST Watford have scored 44 goals at home this season, a feat that hasn’t been bettered by any team in the English league. Odion Ighalo has been responsible for many of them and is currently on a scoring streak of 15 in his past 13 league games. He starts alongside Troy Deeney in a two-pronged attack. 12.14pm BST Dwight Tiendalli and Fernando Amorebieta start at right back and centre-back respectively for Middlesbrough this afternoon, in what one could argue might constitute a gamble for Aitor Karanka at this stage of the seasons. Amorebieta will play alongside Jonathan Woodgate, who makes back-to-back starts after returning from a toe injury. 11.58am BST Watford:Gomes, Cathcart, Angella. Hoban, Paredes, Tozser, Watson, Guedioura, Anya, Deeney, Ighalo.Subs: Connolly, Munari, Layun, Pudil, Vydra, Abdi, Bond. 11.50am BST Things could scarcely be tighter at the summit of the Championship table, where the top four sides are separated by just two points and the gap between Middlesbrough in first place and Wolves in eighth is just seven. With just six games each left, Fourth place Watford entertain Middlesbrough today and a home win would catapult the Hornets to the top of the table for a couple of hours at least ahead of this afternoon’s fixtures. Continue reading...
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