ATHENS, May 21 (Xinhua) -- Greek Prime Minister Alexis Tsipras arrived at Riga, Latvia, on Thursday for the EU Eastern Partnership summit seeking ...
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How the world sees Greece
Thursday, May 21, 2015
Greek PM seeks political momentum during Latvia EU summit to reach debt deal by June
Greek island of Samos feels strain of migrant influex
Searching for a better life, many migrants increasingly find death in the Mediterranean. Italy's prime minister has threatened to raise a migrant boat that ...
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| READ THE ORIGINAL POST AT www.euronews.com |
EU Mulling Greek Bailout Extension, German Paper Says
Eurozone ministers could extend the Greek bailout terms, averting an exit from the Eurozone for now, according to a fresh German newspaper report.
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| READ THE ORIGINAL POST AT blogs.barrons.com |
Merkel, Hollande and Tsipras meet to discuss Greek bailout woes at sidelines of summit
French President Francois Hollande says he will huddle with his German and Greek counterparts to pave the way for a special eurozone meeting of finance ministers late this month or early June about Greece's bailout woes.
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| READ THE ORIGINAL POST AT feeds.foxnews.com |
Spain confident of Greek debt deal
Spanish Economy Minister Luis de Guindos said on Thursday he expects Greece will reach an agreement with its bailout creditors in the "coming days" which would save the cash-strapped country from default. "The central scenario we are working with ...
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| READ THE ORIGINAL POST AT en.enikos.gr |
Fed's Fischer: Very likely eurozone will survive Greek crisis
WASHINGTON (MarketWatch) - "Courageous and effective" policy actions taken by the European Central Bank have made it very likely that the ...
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AJC Celebrates 25th Anniversary of Enhanced Greek-Israeli Relations
"Indeed, the trajectory has been quite remarkable since Greek Prime Minister Constantine Mitsotakis, joined by Foreign Minister Antonis Samaras, ...
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| READ THE ORIGINAL POST AT www.prnewswire.com |
Merkel, Hollande and Tsipras Talk About Greek Bailout Woes
French President Francois Hollande says he will huddle with his German and Greek counterparts to pave the way for a special eurozone meeting of ...
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| READ THE ORIGINAL POST AT abcnews.go.com |
Hollande Says Tsipras Talks to Pave Way for Greece Deal
Hollande's comments build on the signs of determination to end the stalemate that has ruffled Greek markets since Tsipras's election in January at the ...
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| READ THE ORIGINAL POST AT www.bloomberg.com |
Angela Merkel, Francois Hollande to meet Greek PM in Riga: German official
RIGA: Greek Prime Minister Alexis Tsipras will meet German Chancellor Angela Merkel and French President Francois Hollande on Thursday, ...
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| READ THE ORIGINAL POST AT economictimes.indiatimes.com |
Greece debt: Varoufakis 'taped confidential EU meeting'
Greek Finance Minister Yanis Varoufakis has caused a fresh furore after telling a newspaper he taped a private meeting of his eurozone counterparts.
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Fight to save the Greek pension takes centre stage in Brussels and Athens
Former welder Manolis Rallakis is leading the fight against pension cuts. He has to, he says – the elderly population is literally feeding the Greek ...
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| READ THE ORIGINAL POST AT www.theguardian.com |
Greek default risks loom, but why this is not euro negative remains a mystery
Yesterday Fed chairwoman Yellen said “I believe that the appropriate time has not yet arrived, but I expect that conditions may warrant an increase in ...
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Intralot proposes formation of Greek National Lottery
Socrates Kokkalis, group chairman of Intralot, has revealed that the gaming and lottery provider has put forward a proposal to the Greek Government ...
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| READ THE ORIGINAL POST AT www.igamingbusiness.com |
Thomas Cook makes 'sincere and heartfelt apology' over death of children
Parents of Christi and Bobby Shepherd, who died of gas poisoning in Greek holiday villa, say they believe time may have come ‘to look to the future’Thomas Cook has made a “sincere and heartfelt apology” to the parents of two children who died of carbon monoxide poisoning at a holiday cottage in Corfu and offered them “a financial gesture of goodwill”. Peter Fankhauser, the travel company’s chief executive, spoke privately with Neil Shepherd and Sharon Wood, parents of Christi and Bobby Shepherd, on Thursday afternoon. Related: Thomas Cook should 'hang its head in shame' over deaths of children in Corfu Continue reading...
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Agreement on Greece possibly by end of May, Greek gov't sources at Riga say
Based on the progress made thus far in the negotiations between Greek authorities and the institutions representing the creditors (European Central Bank, European Commission and International Monetary Fund), the two sides could be ready for an agreement by ...
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Eurogroup talks are confidential but recordings for own use not expressly forbidden
The discussions at the Eurogroup are confidential and participants are expected to respect this confidentiality, a spokesman for Eurogroup President Jeroen Dijsselbloem said here on Thursday. He was responding to an ANA-MPA question regarding press reports alleging that Greek ...
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Varoufakis 'taped Greece debt talks'
Greek Finance Minister Yanis Varoufakis causes a fresh furore after telling a newspaper he taped a private meeting of his eurozone counterparts.
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| READ THE ORIGINAL POST AT www.bbc.co.uk |
Greece’s Bathing Waters of ‘Excellent Quality’
“The quality of water in Greece’s seas and lakes is known and constitutes a competitive advantage of the country,” Alternate Environment Minister Yiannis Tsironis said. From the 1540 bathing waters, 1518 were assessed, as 22 points were monitored for the first time in 2014. The new points have not been evaluated for 2014 since the minimum number of samples required by the Directive has not yet been collected. However, from the initial results of 2014 it is evident that the concentration of microbiological parameters remain below the respective criteria values of excellent quality. 1495 bathing waters are classified as “excellent quality.” One of them is located in inland waters and 1494 in coastal waters. 23 bathing waters are classified as “good quality,” one of which is located in inland waters and 22 in coastal waters. None of the bathing waters was classified as “sufficient quality” or “poor quality.” “It is everyone’s care and obligation – the state and the citizens – to continuously protect our seas and coasts in the best possible way. It is up to us to maintain the quality of our waters forever,” Tsironis added. Bathing water quality for 2014 was monitored and assessed in the framework of the Monitoring Program of Bathing Water Quality that was implemented under the supervision of the Special Secretariat for Water of the Greek Ministry of Reconstruction of Production, Environment and Energy. (Source: ANA-MPA)
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German FinMin Says Greek Deal not Imminent
German Finance Minister Wolfgang Schaeuble told Reuters the Greek government's optimism about clinching a cash-for-reforms deal with its lenders ...
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| READ THE ORIGINAL POST AT www.marketpulse.com |
Restaurant review: Koble Greek-Italian Grill has many upsides, pesky downsides
Their resumes include prominent positions at Easy Street Cafe, Anna's Greek Cuisine and two Greek Corners. That experience wasn't for naught.
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| READ THE ORIGINAL POST AT dispatch.com |
Parliament wants Greek theater
Leaders of the assembly's political groups are demanding a hearing with the key players in the financial crisis drama, and have asked Greek Prime ...
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| READ THE ORIGINAL POST AT www.politico.eu |
The fascinating cultural reason why Westerners and East Asians have polar opposite understandings of the truth
Starting the spring of my 23rd year, I spent 13 months straight in East Asia, teaching English and traveling through South Korea, Japan, and China. As a 6'3'' blonde guy, it was pretty obvious that I looked different than just about everybody else. What was less obvious is that as a Westerner, I thought different than my new East Asian friends. Contracts, agreements, appointments — the cultural differences were huge. According to cultural philosophers, Westerners and East Asians have had contrasting views about the concept of truth and how it works, for thousands of years — and it shows up in present-day psychology. It all goes back to the cradles of two civilizations: Ancient Greece and Ancient China. It comes down to two different "laws": • The Greeks followed the "law of the excluded middle," which states that if two people are debating, then one of them must be exclusively right and the other exclusively wrong. • The Chinese followed the "doctrine of mean," which states that if two people are debating, then they're probably both partly right and partly wrong — the truth probably lies somewhere in the middle. These things have deep roots. The doctrine of the mean dates back to Confucius, who lived some 2500 years ago. It is "widely considered as the highest ideal in Confucianism," write scholars Li-Jun Ji, Albert Lee, and Tieyuan Guo in "The Oxford Handbook of Chinese Psychology." "Accordingly, Chinese are encouraged to argue for both sides in a debate (i.e. both arguments are correct), or to assign equal responsibilities in a dispute (i.e. no party is at complete fault)," they write. "This presents an interesting contrast with the law of the excluded middle in Western philosophies, according to which one ought to eliminate ambiguity or inconsistency by selecting one and only one of the conflicting ideas. Unlike the Chinese tradition, it assumes no merit in the middle ground." The "law of the excluded middle" has a very fancy Latin name: principium tertii exclusi. Aristotle wrote about it in his "Ethics" about 2300 years ago. "There cannot be an intermediate between contradictories," he wrote, "but of one subject we must either affirm or deny any one predicate." Incredibly, those ancient takes on truth show up in present-day psychology experiments. In a widely cited 1999 paper, psychologists Kaiping Peng and Richard E. Nisbett gave Chinese and American college students a range of scenarios describing conflicts between people and asked for advice about how to resolve them. As Confucianism would suggest, the Chinese students were more likely to give "dialectical" responses, or seeing truth and fault in both parties. One prompt was a family conflict: Mary, Phoebe, and Julie all have daugthers. Each mother has held a set of values which has guided her efforts to raise her daugther. Now the daugthers have grown up, and each of them is rejecting many of her mother's values. How did it happen and what should they do? The responses were remarkably different: • 72% of Chinese students gave compromise-oriented responses, like "both the mothers and the daugthers have failed to understand each other" • 74% of Americans found fault on one side, with responses like "mothers have to recognize daugthers' rights to their own values." Just as the differences between Confucious and Aristotle would suggest, Easterners and Westerners had different approaches to conflict. But those approaches didn't fall from the sky. They came from culture. In his 2004 book "The Geography of Thought," Nisbett describes the evolution. Here's Nisbett on China: The ecology of China, consisting as it does primarily of relatively fertile plains, low mountains, and navigable rivers, favored agriculture and made centralized control of society relatively easy. Agricultural peoples need to get along with one another ... This is particularly true for rice farming, characteristic of southern China and Japan, which requires people to cultivate the land in concert with one another. But it is also important wherever irrigation is required... In addition to getting along with one's neighbors, irrigation systems require centralized control and ancient China, like all other ancient agricultural societies, was ruled by despots. Peasants had to get along with their neighbors and were ruled by village elders and a regional magistrate who was the representative of the king. The ordinary Chinese therefore lived in a complicated world of social constraints. Way different than Greece. Again, Nisbett: The ecology of Greece, on the other hand, consisting as it does mostly of mountains descending to the sea, favored hunting, herding, fishing, and trade (and — let's be frank — piracy). These are occupations that require relatively little cooperation with others. In fact, with the exception of trade, these economic activities do not strictly require living the same stable community with other people. Settled agriculture came to Greece almost two thousand years later than to China, and it quickly became commercial, as opposed to merely subsistence, in many areas. The soil and climate of Greece were congenial to wine and olive oil production, and by the sixth century B.C., many farmers were more nearly businessmen than peasants. The Greeks were therefore able to act on their own to a greater extent than were the Chinese. Not feeling it necessary to maintain harmony with their fellows at any cost, the Greeks were in the habit of arguing with one another in the marketplace and debate one another in the political assembly. Nisbett's argument continues from there. The geography shaped the way people interacted with one another. The Ancient Greek could decide to move his goat heard with little consideration of what other people thought — unless his livestock invaded somebody else's property. But if the Ancient Chinese were to make the most of his rice harvest, he'd need cooperation from neighbors. That's where you get the Greek emphasis on the individual and debate, and the Chinese emphasis on the collective and harmony. The takeaway: While those cultural differences have their seed in the craggy mountains of Greece and the open plains of China, they're present with us today. SEE ALSO: 5 American habits I had to give up when I traveled for 22 months straight Join the conversation about this story » NOW WATCH: Scientists figured out how to avoid making a bad first impression
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Tsipras’ tweet on EU Summit in Riga – PHOTO
Greek Prime Minister Alexis Tsipras posted on his official Twitter account that he arrived in Riga for the EU Summit. Arrival in Riga, Latvia for the Summit, Tsipras posted on Thursday. Read also: Merkel, Tsipras ...
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Kammenos: I was asked to support the prolongation of the sanctions – RT
Greek Defence Minister Panos Kammenos revealed Athens is been asked by the United States to prolong anti-Russia sanctions. However, Athens stressed Russia is a strategic ally and the “sanction war” is causing it an estimated loss of €4 billion ...
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A Frat Guy Reflects on the Greek System's White Privilege Problem
If the Greek system could offer such immediate access to parties, networks of friends, and esteem on campus, then why, I wondered, did so many ...
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Papa John's Greets Summer with Greek Pizza, the Flavorful Fan Favorite Straight from the ...
The delicious Greek Pizza features Papa John's fresh, never frozen, original hand-tossed pizza dough and is layered with both its signature pizza ...
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Tsipras Hopes to Agree Outlines of Fresh Aid Deal in Riga
Greece’s Prime Minister Alexis Tsipras is expected to meet German and French leaders in Riga this week to try to win consent for a joint statement that could give him more leeway in talks with international lenders and give a breath of air to his cash-strapepd government. Tsipras is expected to meet with German Chancellor Angela Merkel and French President Francois Hollande on the sidelines of the EU’s 4th Eastern Partnership summit in Latvia’s capital on Thursday and Friday to press Greece’s demand for a statement that will clearly point to an agreement on bailout extension between Athens and its creditors, according to international news outlets. Greek daily Vima said that such reference would enable the European Central Bank to resume lending to the Greek economy by allowing Greek banks to buy Treasury bills that will serve like cash injections. According to The Guardian, Merkel and Tsipras are likely to discuss “a four-month extension of Greece’s current bailout” in exchange for reforms by the Greek government. The British daily quoted “well-placed German officials” as saying the prospect of Athens being given “a four-month breather” that would allow it to draw a detailed list of reforms “is now being studied seriously.” Athens hopes to strike a deal on bailout extension in days but its creditors are less upbeat and say talks are moving too slowly for that. Negotiations have been stalled by Greece’s demand to roll back labour and pension reforms. Greece could not make a debt payment to the International Monetary Fund on 5 June unless foreign creditors disbursed fresh aid, Reuters quoted a senior lawmaker from Tsipras’ SYRIZA party as saying on Wednesday. The summit in Riga will bring together top EU officials and leaders of the member states and those of Armenia, Azerbaijan, Belarus, Georgia, Moldova and Ukraine.
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Sunday's Spain Elections: Bellwether Of An Approaching Populist Storm?
Major regional elections are set to be held on Sunday, May 24 in Spain. Could the results of the elections send Spain down the same path as Greece?
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The Huffington Post Is Hiring A World Social Media Editor
Location: New York or San Francisco Position Type: Full Time About the Role: The Huffington Post is looking for a skilled and energetic social media junkie to promote its international news coverage across social media platforms. Ideal candidates will have demonstrated social media experience, strong writing skills and a profound understanding of international affairs. The editor will develop a dynamic voice for the social media accounts of The WorldPost -- HuffPost’s collaboration with Berggruen Institute. He or she will help create and implement a successful social strategy for international news and will experiment with emerging platforms, as both a way to expand our audience and to grow traffic. The editor will help develop a strategy to incorporate video and multimedia elements into The WorldPost's overall social strategy and will mine social media platforms and the dark web for story ideas and sources. Requirements for Success: * Have 2-4 years of demonstrated social media expertise. * Follow major developments around the world. Be as passionate about US-Cuba relations as you are about Vladimir Putin’s latest bare-chested picture. * Have rock-solid news judgment. Know when a story matters, when it doesn't -- and why. * Have a high-level BS detector, a healthy dose of skepticism and steadfast gut instincts. Know how to spot an imposture, a hoax or spin from a mile away. * Be level-headed and detail-minded during even the most fast-moving, high-pressure news events. * Be creative. Know how to craft original, shareable and clickable updates. * Be persistent and goal-oriented. Know how to use analytics tools to spot trends and develop strategies that lead to social growth. * World news doesn’t follow office hours. Know that going in and be willing to follow an important storyline as necessary. * Be a team player and a joy to work with. Teamwork is core to who we are at HuffPost. Interested? Email a resume and cover letter to careersworldsocial@huffingtonpost.com with "World Social Editor" in the subject line. Huffington Post Media Group is an AOL company. AOL is an equal opportunity employer and does not discriminate on the basis of age, color, disability, marital status, national origin, race, religion, sex, sexual orientation, veteran status or any other classification prescribed by applicable law. About HuffPost: The Huffington Post is a Pulitzer Prize-winning source of breaking news, commentary, entertainment, features and lifestyle content, as well as a platform for a highly engaged community of opinion and conversation. With nearly 130 million unique visitors each month (comScore), it is the largest news site in the US. The site has more than 85,000 bloggers -- from politicians, students and celebrities to academics, parents and policy experts -- who contribute in real time on the subjects about which they are most passionate. HuffPost is a global publication, with editions in the UK, Canada, France, Spain, Italy, Japan, Maghreb, Germany, Brazil, South Korea, Greece and India and more on the way, including Australia. -- This feed and its contents are the property of The Huffington Post, and use is subject to our terms. It may be used for personal consumption, but may not be distributed on a website.
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The Huffington Post Is Hiring A Reporter Based in Madrid, Spain
Location: Madrid Position Type: Full Time About the Role: The Huffington Post is looking for a reporter who is fluent in Spanish and English to embed with the HuffPost Spain team in their Madrid office. This journalist will monitor Spanish-language coverage of Spain and Latin America in order to create English-language multimedia content including -- but not limited to -- hard news, analysis, features, expert interviews, timelines, infographics, viral content, photo posts and videos. The reporter will work alongside the HuffPost Spain team, often to co-byline pieces, and report back up to the HuffPost team in the United States to supply coverage for our 14 editions around the globe in Brazil, Canada, Germany, Greece, France, India, Italy, Japan, Korea, Maghreb, Spain, the United Kingdom and the U.S. Requirements for Success: * Fluent in Spanish and English * Follow major developments in Spain, South and Central America; be equally passionate about international affairs and the latest social media buzz. * Have rock-solid news judgment. Know when a story matters, when it doesn't -- and why. * Have a high-level hoax detector, a healthy dose of skepticism and steadfast gut instincts. Know how to spot an imposture or spin from a mile away. * Be level-headed during even the most fast-moving, high-pressure news events. * Write and edit impeccably. Honor the value of clarity, accuracy and speed. * Always, always, always strive to move a story forward. * Use videos, images, graphics and interactives as key tools. Have a demonstrated track-record of visual storytelling. * Understand how to write an engaging story that gets to the core of who, what, when and why it matters. Spot little details that make a story stand out. * Obsess over new storytelling techniques. Experiment and innovate. * Use analytics tools to spot trends. * Know how to craft a shareable and clickable headline. * World news doesn’t follow office hours. Know that going in and be willing to follow an important storyline when necessary. * Be able to balance both daily and enterprise projects. * Be a team player and a joy to work with. Teamwork is core to who we are at HuffPost. Interested? Email a resume and cover letter to careersworldspain@huffingtonpost.com with "World Reporter - Spain" in the subject line. Huffington Post Media Group is an AOL company. AOL is an equal opportunity employer and does not discriminate on the basis of age, color, disability, marital status, national origin, race, religion, sex, sexual orientation, veteran status or any other classification prescribed by applicable law. About HuffPost: The Huffington Post is a Pulitzer Prize-winning source of breaking news, commentary, entertainment, features and lifestyle content, as well as a platform for a highly engaged community of opinion and conversation. With nearly 130 million unique visitors each month (comScore), it is the largest news site in the US. The site has more than 85,000 bloggers -- from politicians, students and celebrities to academics, parents and policy experts -- who contribute in real time on the subjects about which they are most passionate. HuffPost is a global publication, with editions in the UK, Canada, France, Spain, Italy, Japan, Maghreb, Germany, Brazil, South Korea, Greece and India and more on the way, including Australia. -- This feed and its contents are the property of The Huffington Post, and use is subject to our terms. It may be used for personal consumption, but may not be distributed on a website.
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The Huffington Post Is Hiring Editors And Reporters To Cover World News
The Huffington Post is hiring for the following positions covering international news: * A World Editor based in Europe * World Reporters based in New York City, San Francisco, Los Angeles, London or Sydney * A World Social Media Editor based in New York City or San Francisco * A World Reporter based in Athens, Greece * A World Reporter based in Madrid, Spain * A World Reporter based in Istanbul, Turkey * An Associate International Editor based in New York City Click through to see job descriptions, requirements and how to apply. Huffington Post Media Group is an AOL company. AOL is an equal opportunity employer and does not discriminate on the basis of age, color, disability, marital status, national origin, race, religion, sex, sexual orientation, veteran status or any other classification prescribed by applicable law. About HuffPost: The Huffington Post is a Pulitzer Prize-winning source of breaking news, commentary, entertainment, features and lifestyle content, as well as a platform for a highly engaged community of opinion and conversation. With nearly 130 million unique visitors each month (comScore), it is the largest news site in the US. The site has more than 85,000 bloggers -- from politicians, students and celebrities to academics, parents and policy experts -- who contribute in real time on the subjects about which they are most passionate. HuffPost is a global publication, with editions in the UK, Canada, France, Spain, Italy, Japan, Maghreb, Germany, Brazil, South Korea, Greece and India and more on the way, including Australia. -- This feed and its contents are the property of The Huffington Post, and use is subject to our terms. It may be used for personal consumption, but may not be distributed on a website.
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Sad tale of Greece lurches on
London - So the tale of Greece lurches on, with some sort of denouement expected in the next couple of weeks. It is not possible to call that outcome. Our experience of countries that get themselves into this sort of mess suggests that the situation is binary.
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These investors are getting killed in Greece
Meet the Greekoholics: The investors who are losing big money in Greece but can't kick the habit. Most international investors shunned Greece a long time ago, scared off by its never-ending debt crisis. But a bunch of brave -- or possibly shrewd -- fund ...
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Use of Plastic Money Has Favorable Growth Prospects in Greece
The use of plastic money has very favorable growth prospects in Greece, while helping in the battle against tax evasion, as the use of credit/debit cards significantly lags behind the Eurozone and EU average rates. An Athens-Macedonian News Agency report, based on bank figures, showed the number of credit and debit cards in Greece totaled 12,610,623, of which 9,845,258 debit and 2,765,365 credit. The figures do not include pre-paid cards and cards issued by cooperative banks. According to European Central Bank (ECB) figures for 2013, Greece ranked at the bottom of EU member-states’ list in electronic payments, with just 18 such payments per person, sharply down compared with an average rate of 197 payments in the EU. Portugal has 172 payments, Cyprus 106, Italy 73, Spain 129, Finland 451, Sweden 375 and Denmark 339. The value of non-cash payments in Greece was 199 million euros in 2013, 78 million of which were card transactions. Non-cash payments in Greece (per person) are 11.5 times less compared to the average Eurozone rate (202). Expanding the use of electronic payments will have positive results in the Greek economy by reducing “black economy” and combating tax evasion, Nikos Kampanopoulos, Visa Europe managing director for Greece, Cyprus and Bulgaria said. “Cash is the driving force of black economy.” A Visa survey showed that black economy in Europe was 18.5% of GDP (around 2.0 trillion euros). In Greece it was 24% (around 40 billion euros). Around 10% of black economy in Europe (200 billion euros) could be wiped out through electronic payments,” Kampanopoulos said. “Offering incentives to consumers and enterprises to choose electronic payments and plastic money instead of cash would lead to higher revenues for the state,” he said while presenting a package of measures recommended by Visa to boost card payments, such as: tax deductions, lower VAT for use of credit/debit cards, expanding the use of electronic payments, abolishing the use of cash throughout the public sector and municipal authorities and launching a promotion campaign. (Source: ANA-MPA)
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Polish Poet Zagajewski: ‘Being Optimistic Today is Rather Naive’
Ιn an interview to the Athens-Macedonian News Agency on Thursday, Polish poet Adam Zagajewski spoke of optimism, beauty, young people migrating to seek a better life and the importance of reminiscence. “Being optimistic today would be rather naive,” Zagajewski, who has been nominated for the Nobel Prize in Literature, said. “Over the last one or two years, the world has become darker and one should be blind to ignore it,” he said citing the crisis in Ukraine, the tragedy in Syria, the African refugees drown “in the beautiful Mediterranean,” the rise of the Islamic State, the economic crisis in Europe, “including the Greek drama.” Although “these can be solved or improved. Hope for me lies elsewhere, our reality is mysterious and porous. There are things that are beyond mundane realism,” he noted. His work is focused on contemporary Europe: The daily life of mobile phones, the metro, newspapers, laptops and kiosks selling bottles of water close to museums and cathedrals. “What can I say on the Greeks of ‘bleeding brains’ of the last years?” he wondered. “I feel sympathy for them although some of them can really see it as a way of adventure,” he added. Zagajewski will read some of his poems at the Athens Concert Hall on Friday, May 22. It is his third visit to Athens. “I am coming to Athens as though I am coming to a city of reminiscence. You have no room to expect something else from Athens, this is what Athens pays for the glory of its past,” he underlined. (Source: ANA-MPA)
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Shares tread water and euro falls on Greek fears
Elsewhere in Europe, the euro slid to a two-week low and a rally in European shares stalled after a Greek official said the country may not make an ...
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| READ THE ORIGINAL POST AT www.independent.ie |
Greek stopper equipped to handle expectation
TEN years on from appearing in his previous play-off final, Middlesbrough keeper Dimi Konstantopoulos accepts the expectation levels are somewhat ...
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| READ THE ORIGINAL POST AT www.yorkshirepost.co.uk |
Greek Defense Minister: ‘United States Ask for Our Support on Russian Sanctions’
Greek Defense Minister Panos Kammenos said that the United States attempted to encourage Greece to support a new round of Russian sanctions but Athens still enjoys sharing religious and economic bonds with its “friend” and “ally,” Moscow. After his meeting with US Under Secretary of Defense for Policy (USDP) Christine Wormuth on Wednesday, Kammenos told reporters: “I was asked to extend the sanctions, particularly in connection with Crimea. I explained [to Wormuth] that the Ukrainian issue was very sensitive for Greece as some 300,000 Greeks live in Mariupol and its neighborhood, and these people feel safe near the [Russian] Orthodox Church.” He, also, added that Greece has already lost more than €4 billion due to the Russian sanctions. Greece’s Defense Minister has often stated in the near past that his country continues to preserve strong ties with Russia, mainly in the sector of defense contacts. In April, Kammenos revealed to Russian news agency Sputnik that Greece plans to continue military-technical collaboration with Russia while he shared Greece’s desire to settle new agreements, if the EU sanctions against Russia end soon.
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VAT Rates Will not Change in Current Tourist Season
Greek Finance Minister Yanis Varoufakis promised to Alternate Minister for Tourism Elena Kountoura that VAT rates will not change in the current tourist season, said a Tourism Ministry announcement on Thursday. “Any change occurs in the tourist package in the future will be designed so that Greece can remain competitive in the tourism sector,” Varoufakis underlined. Any speculations over VAT rates while negotiations are underway hurt tourism and Greece’s image, according to the Tourism Ministry announcement. The Greek government plans radical changes in the VAT system with the introduction of a single VAT rate of 15% for transactions using credit or debit cards and 18% for cash transactions, along with maintaining a low VAT rate of 6.5% for drugs and other first priority items. (Source: ANA-MPA)
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The BBC gives a tour of Syria's ancient Palmyra ruins, before ISIS bulldozers roll in
Source: theweek.com - Thursday, May 21, 2015 On Wednesday, Islamic State fighters are believed to have taken control of the Syrian city of Palmyra from Syrian forces. The city is just north of the ancient Palmyra ruins, home to 2,000-year-old temples , tombs, and other structures influenced by Greek, Roman, and Persian cultures. Syria has removed what it can from the site, but given ISIS's track record with antiquities, this is very bad news for the U.N. world heritage site, as well as for anyone who likes history and beauty. In the video below, BBC News provides what may be a last glimpse at Palmyra's immovable treasures. —Peter WeberAll Related
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Parliament speaker Konstantopoulou launches attack on Greek media
Speaker of the Greek Parliament Zoi Konstantopoulou launched an attack against the media when journalists asked her to comment on the incident when she rebuked a police officer for stopping demonstrators approach the parliament building. Konstantopoulou was surrounded by ...
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In photos: Tsipras flying to Riga for the EU Summit
Greek PM Alexis Tsipras has flown to the Baltics for the EU Summit on a C-130 military aircraft. Tsipras is seen flanked with his closest advisers hours before his private meetings with French president Francois Hollande and German chancellor Angela ...
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SYRIZA’s Minister Spirtzis explains Greece’s overcharged projects and cancels Samaras’ “Free Wi Fi” for all
New Greek coalition government and moreover Deputy Minister for Infrastructure Christos Spirtzis announced the cancellation of former Prime Minister Antonis Samaras’ project for Free Wi Fi for all. Speaking to several media Thursday morning, Spirtzis justified the cancellation decision saying that “the public procurement initiated by the previous government has […]
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Greece, creditors not in talks on extending bailout: Commission
MUNICH, Germany (Reuters) - Greece and its creditors are not in talks on extending the country's bailout until the autumn, with negotiations focused on meeting the program's conditions by the time it expires in June, a senior European Commission official said.
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Coming up: Annual Annapolis Greek Festival
The annual Annapolis Greek Festival will be held from May 28-31 at Saints Constantine & Helen Greek Orthodox Church, 2747 Riva Road. Capture a ...
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The Medusa Nebula Looks Way Prettier Than Its Namesake In Luminous New Photo
Way out in space, some 1,500 light-years from Earth in the constellation Gemini, lies the Medusa Nebula--so named because its glowing snakelike filaments of gas resemble the serpents that crown the head of the the hideous Gorgon of Greek mythology. Just have a look: Whoops, wrong Medusa. But do have a look at the right Medusa (below) as it appears in a stunning new photograph taken by the European Southern Observatory's Very Large Telescope in Chile. One look at the image--said to be the most detailed ever taken of the planetary nebula--and you'll know right away why astronomers gave it that name: OK, maybe it's not entirely obvious why such a lovely nebula got such an ugly name. No matter. At least we can all agree that it's easier to remember the nebula by the name "Medusa" than by its other monikers, Abell 21 and Sharpless 2-274. Whatever you call it, with a span of some 4 light-years the Medusa Nebula is as big as it is beautiful. It was discovered in 1955 by American astronomer George O. Abell. Beautiful work, George. We'll never know exactly what it felt like to discover the nebula--but the zoom sequence below just might be the next best thing. -- This feed and its contents are the property of The Huffington Post, and use is subject to our terms. It may be used for personal consumption, but may not be distributed on a website.
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Greece's Varoufakis courts controversy anew with taping remark
By Lefteris Papadimas and Deepa Babington ATHENS (Reuters) - Greek Finance Minister Yanis Varoufakis has raised a fresh furore by telling a newspaper that he taped a confidential meeting of euro zone finance ministers, drawing criticism that he was undermining Greece's efforts to secure aid from lenders. Since assuming his post in January, the outspoken Varoufakis has often found himself in the midst of controversy over his brash style and sharp-tongued barbs against creditors at a time when Greece needs their help to avert bankruptcy. In an interview with the New York Times magazine, Varoufakis denied his peers lashed out at him or called him names in Riga.
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| READ THE ORIGINAL POST AT uk.news.yahoo.com |
Greece hopes for bailout extension breakthrough at EU summit
All the latest economic and financial news, as European leaders head to Riga tonight for a summitLatest: Insiders say Greek deal is on the tableBut Schäuble remains cautiousIntroduction: Merkel and Tsipras to meet tonight 2.25pm BST The Guardian has learned that a four-month extension of Greece’s current bailout is on the table, and will probably be discussed by Angela Merkel and Alexis Tsipras tonight.And despite Schäuble’s caution, the idea of giving Greece some leeway to draw up reforms is apparently being “very seriously” considered. “A very senior German official speaking in the most measured of ways and with a great deal of forethought described this as a possible outcome that was now very seriously being discussed,” “It would be entirely logical. If it doesn’t happen we’re looking at a scenario like Cyprus with capital controls and banks closed....as close as you can get to euro exit.”. “The big challenge is that it doesn’t look like a repetition of the extension we had in February. It would have to look a lot different because it is that solution that got us to where we are today. There’s only one point in creating a financial bridge like this and that is if the European side genuinely believes it will lead to reform.”“It’s the one scenario that brings the two of them [Merkel and Tsipras] together and I have no doubt they will be talking about it [tonight].”.“He still has to make the choice between staying in the euro zone and enforcing the necessary concessions or alleviating the suffering from austerity and leaving the euro zone.”“We owe it to the generations that are coming to pour onto the streets to prove to the profiteers that we have no more blood to give … and to say to our government that we are with it as long as it doesn’t take a step back. Now is the time to show to all that we have preserved the memory of freedom.” 1.58pm BST Journalist are already arriving in the Latvian capital:Surprise at #EasternSummit in #Riga: they named already a street after chancellor #Merkel! pic.twitter.com/ds6YLjuCPt 1.57pm BST The Eastern Partnership summit in Riga is due to kick off at 8pm local time (6pm BST) with an informal working dinner at the House of the Blackheads. 1.09pm BST Germany’s finance minister has cautioned that a Greek breakthrough is not imminent.“What I know from discussions with the three institutions does not back up the optimism arising from announcements from Athens.There is not yet any substance to the mere announcement that we are closer to an agreement. This is still within the realms of atmosphere.” 12.14pm BST Here’s a handy chart showing how Greece could reach a deal -- and all the different ways it could go wrong:Scenarios for #Greece in one chart. (via Barclays) pic.twitter.com/oTkRJ8muBw 11.28am BST The European Commission has refused to comment on last night’s report that a bailout extension is being worked on. Our focus is to conclude the current review as fast as possible, it says.Day 92: EU won't confirm or deny bailout extension programme - 'working to conclude current review as swiftly as possible' 11.19am BST Mujtaba Rahman, practice head at Eurasia Group, has predicted that Greece and her creditors will reach a short-term deal by early next month.In a new research note, Rahman suggests that officials will hammer out a short-term financing deal to cover Greece’s immediate needs.We remain of the view a short term financing deal that avoids these risks is likely. This will now probably happen in the first week of June. Moreover, we think this agreement will not fundamentally jeopardise the integrity of the governing coalition.This will be more likely, though not inevitable, in the context of a third bailout which could be subject to a referendum in September/October.Critically, we think it unlikely Tsipras will lose his parliamentary majority (meaning the number of defections will be less than 12 MP’s). Our belief is substantiated by the latest polls, which once again show Greek voters’ growing dissatisfaction with the negotiating strategy of the government. 11.16am BST Table settings are being shuffled in Riga....#EU official says #Merkel no longer sitting next to @atsipras at #Riga summit dinner tonight. 10.46am BST Angela Merkel has addressed the German parliament this morning, before heading to Latvia for the EU summit tonight.We see the G7 as a community of values. And that means working together for freedom, democracy, and for the rule of law. That means respecting the laws of nations and the territorial integrity of nations.”Russia’s actions in Ukraine are not compatible with that. A return to the G8 format is not imaginable as long as Russia doesn’t act according to those basic values.” 10.29am BST Shares are inching higher on the Athens stock market this mornings, on hopes that Alexis Tsipras can make some progress in his talks with Angela Merkel and Francois Hollande tonight.The main Athens index is up 0.5% this morning, outperforming the rest of Europe. ‘Last night’s Fed minutes all but ruled out a rate hike in June owing to the weakness of first quarterly growth and the lack of inflation. More recent weak macro data from the US would also imply that even this set of minutes is out-of-date and the market is now pricing in rate hike for early 2016. No surprises were to be found within the minutes. 10.04am BST US investment management giant BlackRock remains pretty confident that Greece and her creditors will reach a deal in time:*BLACKROCK SEES 20-25% CHANCE OF GREECE LEAVING EURO AREA 9.58am BST The jump in UK retail sales suggests Britain’s drop into negative inflation last month is not the start of a deflationary spiral:Retail sales up 4.7% year on year - well ahead of consensus. #NotWhatADeflationarySlideLooksLike 9.39am BST UK retail sales have just smashed forecasts, sending the pound jumping.Sales were up by 4.7% year-on-year in April, jumping by 1.2% month-on-month.Go the UK! retail sales in April 2015 are estimated to have increased by 4.7% compared with April 2014. #GBP #GDP*U.K. APRIL CLOTHES SALES RISE 5.2%, MOST IN FOUR YEARS - t-shirts, shorts and flippie-floppies 9.30am BST Dr Nick Spiro, managing director at Spiro Sovereign Strategy, is concerned by today’s PMI surveys from the Big Two European nations:It’s bad enough that France is struggling to recover, but even more concerning that Germany’s economy continues to slow - and fairly significantly at that, with the composite PMI falling from 54.1 to 52.8.Although still expanding, growth in the services and manufacturing sectors has lost considerable momentum. This suggests that economic weakness in the first quarter of this year has extended deep into the second. 9.23am BST Back in the UK, Tesco has suggested that it could potentially claw back the seven-figure payment handed to its former CEO, Phil Clarke.Tesco’s annual report, released this morning, contained this snippet: On termination of employment, in accordance with the terms of his contract, Philip Clarke was entitled to receive a termination payment of £1,217,000... Should it be determined in the future that there was gross misconduct the Company will seek recovery of the termination payment.Tesco says may recover £1.2m payoff for ex-CEO http://t.co/NqQmRhSTE0 9.13am BST Europe’s jobs crisis may finally be easing. Firms are hiring staff at the fastest pace since 2011, the early days of the eurocrisis, according to Markit’s PMI survey. #Eurozone hiring picks up: PMIs show employment rising at the fastest rate for 4 years in May pic.twitter.com/ZH5jfBqBWN ~@WilliamsonChris 9.11am BST Germany and France are now being outpaced by the rest of the eurozone, according to Markit’s monthly healthcheck of the region.Companies across the euro periphery are enjoying their best quarter since the credit crunch struck the global economy, with job creation and growth surging.The core is the periphery. The periphery is the core. pic.twitter.com/xHgIw71Ctg“The survey results suggest the German economy is on course for a reasonable expansion of 0.4% in the second quarter, but France is likely to struggle to see growth exceed 0.3%. However, it’s outside of these two ‘core’ countries where the main action appears to be, with the rest of the region enjoying its best quarter of economic growth and job creation for almost eight years.” 8.49am BST Greek PM Alexis Tsipras will meet with Francois Hollande in Riga tonight as well as Angela Merkel, in an attempt to reach a political solution to the crisis.That’s via the Kathimerini newspaper, which adds:Tsipras is hoping that his meeting with Merkel and Hollande will result in some kind of political gesture that will help the pace and direction of deliberations with the institutions. The Greek leader is expected to tell his counterparts that his government has made as many concessions as it can and that the lenders now have to find a way to move closer to Greece. Sources said the premier will stress that the agreement will have to show that there has been a change in Greece’s policy mix. 8.47am BST Not a good morning for the economy of #Germany as Markit composite #PMI falls to 52.8 with both services and manufacturing growth slowing 8.46am BST Growth across Germany’s companies has slowed to a five-month low, adding to concerns that Europe’s largest member is coming off the boil.The German Composite Output Index calculated by Markit has fallen to 52.8, down from 54.1 in April. Firms reported weak demand, and rising cost pressures.“While the survey data are consistent with further GDP growth heading into the middle of the year, it looks as if this rate of expansion of the German economy will remain sluggish in the months ahead. German PMIs on strike. https://t.co/9KO53SDY6q 8.31am BST France’s economy is strengthening this month, although its factories are still finding conditions quite tough.That’s the verdict from Markit’s latest assessment of the eurozone’ second largest economy. Its Flash France Composite Output Index rose to 51.0, up from 50.6, showing growth picking up [50 is the cut-off point between expansion and contraction].“The French private sector posted further modest output growth in May, suggesting that economic expansion is being maintained through the second quarter. The service sector remained the driver of growth, offsetting another contraction in manufacturing.” 8.25am BST The two-day Riga summit which begins tonight is also David Cameron’s first meeting with fellow leaders since winning the general election.The British have asked the EU to accept an architecture that demonstrably shows the UK is never heading to the same destination and has a different category of membership, otherwise the UK will end up outside the EU. 8.17am BST Is the eurozone considering throwing Greece a lifeline by extending its existing bailout over the summer?German newspaper Süddeutsche Zeitung claimed last night that EU policymakers are considering extending the existing programme until the autumn. At risk of looking silly in a few days - a Greek deal feels close. Tide over till Autumn with classic Euro-fudge on pensions/labour market? 8.02am BST Good morning, and welcome to our rolling coverage of the world economy, the financial markets, the eurozone and business.“We know that decisive decisions ultimately are taken at the level of finance ministers in the Eurogroup but at this critical moment a meeting between Tsipras and Merkel can only be helpful.”“The persistence of the architects of this regime and their insistence of keeping the country on the same track, is simply irrational. We want to stop the vicious cycle of debt and recession. Its not about stubbornness. Its about preserving Greece and its people.”@yanisvaroufakis tells #c4news "If we can pay the IMF and pensions and salaries, then we shall, if not, Greece faces difficult choices." Continue reading...
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‘The Days of Yanis Varoufakis are Numbered’
Greek Finance Minister Yanis Varoufakis has received yet another attack from the European press, this time from German financial newspaper Handelsblatt that talks about a “Varoufexit.” The German newspaper based its criticism on Varoufakis’ admission that he had secretly recorded the conversations of Eurozone Finance Ministers at the Riga Eurogroup. The Greek Finance Minister told the New York Times about wiretapping the meeting. Using the term “Riga Gate,” the Handelsblatt report said that if indeed he secretly recorded the meeting, it is very unlikely that he will maintain his post as Greece’s Finance Minister. The writer of the report argued that the relations between Varoufakis and his European Union colleagues are already at their worst state, and after his admission of the wire-tapping will become even worse. He also wondered if the Greek Finance Minister has secretly taped other Eurogroup meetings, while stressing that from now on it is very likely that European officials will be very cautious when speaking in front of Greeks. On Thursday morning, Varoufakis denied that he secretly recorded the Finance Ministers meeting. While entering the Greek Finance Ministry, reporters asked him if his statement to the New York Times was true. To that, the Varoufakis replied, “Fairy tales, fairy tales, fairy tales.”
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