… expressed his disappointment “because Greece has not exit the … chat” during which the Greek side expressed its discomfort … Greek Foreign Ministry reminded the Czech Republic that it was also Greece … Koutras, spokesman of the Greek Foreign Ministry told dpa, …
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Tuesday, December 22, 2015
Greece, Croatia, and Italy Chart a Course to More Solar Power
… installed, notably Spain and Greece. However, today Italy, Greece, and Germany have … Exporting Countries. The former conservative Greek government signed a preliminary agreement … Turkey and Greece. Like many other nations, including Croatia, Greece is also …
GREECE Gets Further Kicking from Brussels Over Shipping Taxes
However, the Greek tax system applying to is fleet dates back to 1975, which is before GREECE'S accession to the European Union. The Commission ...
Creditors hand out Greece One Billion Euro bailout tranche
Greece’s European creditors gave the green light for the disbursement of the one billion euro in the context of the third bailout program. According to some news agencies, the creditors have already even “handed over” the one-billion-euro. The bailout tranche release has been made after creditors came to conclusion that […]
River in Epirus has Frozen
The temperature in the mountainous region of Epirus, Greece, fell to -7 degrees Celsius during the night. The river Voidomatis that flows through the traditional villages of Zagori that are famous for its arch bridges froze. Although the snow has not yet made its appearance in the area, the hotel reservations in the picturesque villages and the
Election Results in Spain Are a Stinging End to Europe’s ...
Chancellor Angela Merkel of Germany and Prime Minister Alexis Tsipras of Greece at a meeting in Brussels in October. Eric Vidal/Reuters
Tighter Borders Create Migrant Bottleneck in Greece
Tighter Borders in Europe Create Migrant Bottleneck in Greece Athens struggles to cope with thousands of new arrivals blocked from moving north
Everyone is back in the My Big Fat GREEK Wedding 2 poster
My Big Fat GREEK Wedding premiered in 2002, and by the time we get around to its 14th anniversary, the sequel will be in theaters. After the release of ...
21 Can't-Miss Stories On World Affairs From This Year
The Syrian refugee crisis, Greece's debt saga and brutal attacks by militants from the self-declared Islamic State are just a few of the complex topics that have dominated international headlines this year. Throughout 2015, journalists have tried to make sense of these events by writing deep dives that explore those stories. Some of their pieces have distilled global crises by looking at the experiences of individuals, while others have taken stripped them of their international context and then used them to ask universal questions. All of them exhibit impressive, time-consuming effort by writers, editors and artists to create stories that matter. Here are our favorite longreads on world affairs this year. EXTREME CITY _By Michael Specter_ A look at the vast inequality that has emerged in oil-rich Angola, where wealthy elites can spend $1,000 on a single bag of groceries while half of the country lives on less than $2 a day. THE MIXED-UP BROTHERS OF BOGOTÁ _By Susan Dominus_ An unbelievable story from Colombia details the divergent paths of two sets of identical twins that each had a brother switched at birth and raised by another family. The unlikely event separates the twins into vastly different economic classes, and the article examines the immense ramifications of the hospital's mistake. A THOUSAND MILES IN THEIR SHOES _By Sophia Jones_ The WorldPost's Sophia Jones and Syrian-American Journalist Hiba Dlewati spent weeks traveling with refugees as they journeyed into Europe, across seven countries. Jones' account of the refugees' path and those who help along the way is an in-depth look at one of the defining crises of 2015. THE DESERT BLUES _By Joshua Hammer_ The story of two friends who built a pillar of Mali's internationally renowned music scene called the Festival in the Desert, and how the nation's turbulent politics tore them apart. The festival has been canceled for the past three years, in part due to the violent Islamist insurgency that one of the two friends is helping to lead. THE AVENGER _By Patrick Radden Keefe_ In 1988, the bombing of a Pan Am aircraft over Lockerbie, Scotland, killed 270 people. Patrick Radden Keefe profiles fellow journalist and brother of one of the victims, Ken Dornstein, who has spent much of his life obsessively dedicated to finding who was really behind the bombing. Dornstein's amazing three-part documentary that followed the release of the article is a must-watch. WHAT ISIS REALLY WANTS _By Graeme Wood_ The most-read article in _The Atlantic_'s history caused intense debate this year after it assessed the apocalyptic beliefs of Islamic State militants, and discussed the group's relation to Islam. THE DRONE PAPERS _By The Intercept Staff_ An eight-part series based on secret documents leaked to The Intercept that offers a stark look at the realities of drone warfare. The articles range from detailed descriptions of how targets are chosen for drone strikes to the human cost of such operations. THE DEADLY BUSINESS OF HUMAN SMUGGLING _By Der Spiegel Staff_ The refugee crisis in Europe is rife with human smugglers who illegally transport people across borders and into the continent. Der Spiegel examines the dangerous underground economy of human smuggling and those who profit off it. AMERICA'S BEST ALLIES AGAINST ISIS ARE INSPIRED BY A BRONX-BORN LIBERTARIAN SOCIALIST _By Akbar Shahid Ahmed_ Syria's Kurds are one of the key actors in the attempt defeat and degrade the Islamic State. As Kurds seek to control and govern territory of their own, they are taking inspiration from an unlikely source: a Bronx-born, Vermont-based philosopher who has been dead for over a decade. WHAT THEY MISSED: THE ANTI-TERROR RAID THAT ASKED ALL THE WRONG QUESTIONS _By Joshua Hersh_ A nuanced report on a deadly raid in Belgium that took place 10 months before the terror attacks in Paris, and on Brussels' immigrant neighborhood of Molenbeek where the attackers grew up. ISIS AND THE LONELY YOUNG AMERICAN _By Rukmini Callimachi_ The sad story of an isolated 23-year-old woman in rural United States and the predatory Islamic State members who attempted to recruit her. FIVE HOSTAGES _By Lawrence Wright_ A behind-the-scenes account of how media power player David Bradley led a largely doomed attempt to rescue five hostages held in Syria, and how their families coped with the tragedy. THE BELIEVER _By Will McCants_ A profile of Islamic State militant leader Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi by one of the top experts studying the group. The rise of Baghdadi from a stoic young soccer fan to a powerful fanatic is the most complete picture of the reclusive terrorist figure to date. THE OUTLAW OCEAN _By Ian Urbina_ A sprawling five-part investigative report on the varying human rights abuses and crimes committed at sea. The articles detail illicit practices ranging from slavery in the fishing industry to murders that go unreported. THE DEATH AND LIFE OF THE GREAT BRITISH PUB _By Tom Lamont_ An examination of the changing face of London through one of its iconic institutions: the local pub. ISIS WOMEN AND ENFORCERS IN SYRIA RECOUNT COLLABORATION, ANGUISH AND ESCAPE _By Azadeh Moaveni_ In a rarely heard side of the conflict in Syria, women who formerly worked with ISIS speak about their past and contemplate their future. HOW THE RED CROSS RAISED HALF A BILLION DOLLARS FOR HAITI AND BUILT SIX HOMES _By Justin Elliot and Laura Silverman_ A stirring indictment of misused international aid and how good intentions can go wrong when it comes to development. DISPLACED IN THE DR _By Rachel Nolan_ Hundreds of thousands of people were suddenly made stateless in the Dominican Republic after the nation changed its immigration laws. This story is an extensive look at the brutal humanitarian fallout of that decision. THE AGENCY _By Adrian Chen_ A fascinating plunge into the bizarre world of paid Russian Internet trolls, and their surprising reach into the real world. THE GREEK WARRIOR _By Ian Parker_ A profile of Yanis Varoufakis, who rose from obscurity to become one of the central figures in Greece's debt crisis and a controversial political figure across Europe. THE MYTH OF THE ETHICAL SHOPPER _By Michael Hobbes_ Hobbes' piece takes aim at the persistent myths around how people can ethically buy consumer goods without contributing to sweatshops and other labor abuses. Through detailed analysis and illustrative examples, the piece makes a strong argument that it's time to re-evaluate how activism works. _ALSO ON HUFFPOST:_ -- 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.
Ex minister to the prosecutor
Athens, December 22, 2015/Independent Balkan News Agency By Olga Mavrou The Greek Parliament handed to the prosecutor the file concerning an ex minister of Finance, Gikas Hardouvelis, for not declaring the source of his revenues as he should during past years and for submitting a false declaration to the Greek tax authorities -the amounts he declared […]
GREECE recalls its Czech ambassador after Eurozone comments
GREECE on Tuesday recalled its ambassador to the Czech Republic back to Athens for consultations following a sharp increase in tension with Prague.
'My Big Fat GREEK Wedding 2' producers reveal movie's poster
The poster features all of the stars who appeared in the 2002 box office hit, including lead actress Nia Vardalos, who wrote the film, and Berks County ...
Hope and fear in the endless GREEK crisis
The GREEK economic crisis has blighted the country and the eurozone for six years. The election last January, which brought Alexis Tsipras and his ...
My Big Fat GREEK Wedding 2 Movie Poster Is All Too Familiar: See the Photo!
Same family, same headache! Toula Portokalos' loved ones are evidently nosier than ever in My Big Fat GREEK Wedding 2. Nia Vardalos shared the ...
GREEK Peak partners' strategy: No business like snow biz
Winter tourism in the Southern Tier can be pricey. Just ask Marc Stemerman and John Meier. GREEK Peak Mountain Resort cost the duo $7.6 million ...
Greece recalls its ambassador to Prague, after Czech President’s unacceptable remarks on Grexit
A diplomatic incident with unknown outcome has occurred between Greece and the Czech Republic after the provocative statements made against Greece by President Milos Zeman. As consequence to Zeman’s statements, the Greek Foreign Ministry ordered its its Ambassador to the Czech Republic to return back to Athens “for consultations” as […]
Greek Parliament unanimously adopts resolution for recognition of Palestine
The Greek Parliament unanimously voted a resolution recognizing the state of Palestine on Tuesday. the voting took place during a special parliamentary session attended also by Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas currently on an official visit to Athens. PM Tsipras, President Abbas, Greek Parliament Speaker Voutsis “[The Greek parliament pledges] to […]
Canadian Fairfax buys Greece’s 3rd largest insurer Eurolife from Eurobank
Toronto-based Fairfax bought 80% of Greece’s third largest insurer Eurolife that sells insurance products through Eurobank, where Fairfax holds a stake. It is the second acquisition announcement today, after Qatar National Bank announced it acquired Turkish Finanzbank from the National Bank of Greece. “After riding out the Greek banking crisis […]
Cosco Reportedly the Sole Bidder For Piraeus Port Authority Stake
The race for a controlling a stake in the Piraeus Port Authority (OLP) may not be that much of race after all. Cosco Pacific is the only country to have made an offer for 51% of OLP on Monday, Kathimerini newspaper reported. The company already has a 35 year deal with the Greek government on the operations of Piers II and
Turkey, Greece to Resume Contacts over Aegean Border Dispute on Wednesday
Turkey and Greece will resume discussions aimed at resolving their dispute over their official border in the Aegean Sea following a pause of more than a year, hurriyetdailynews.com reported on Tuesday. The 59th round of 'exploratory contacts' between diplomats from Turkey and Greece would take place in Istanbul on Wednesday, the Turkish newspaper said, citing a statement from the country’s Foreign Ministry. The previous round of exploratory contacts took place in September 2014 in the Greek city of Thessaloniki. NATO allies Turkey and Greece have been at odds over the borders of their territorial waters, continental shelf and airspace in the Aegean Sea since the 1970s. Talks on resolving the dispute began in the early 2000s.
Refugees v migrants: the desperate battle to stay in Europe
Arriving at a gateway to Europe, boats packed with migrants and refugees continue to land on the shores of the Greek island of Lesbos. Almost…
GREEK growth turns to divestment in Jan-Oct period
The economic shift from growth in 2014 back to recession in 2015 is evident from the divestment recorded this year in Greece, amounting to 371.6 ...
GREEK PM's UN trip cost less than in previous years
It cost GREEK taxpayers 38,000 euros to send Prime Minister Alexis Tsipras and his advisers to the United Nations General Assembly in New York in ...
Turkey, GREECE to Hold Talks Over Aegean Border Dispute
MOSCOW (Sputnik) — The decades-long dispute between GREECE and Turkey over boundary delimitation in the Aegean Sea will be the subject of ...
Lesbos is swept by wave of compassion as refugees continue to arrive by sea
On the north coast of this Greek island, activists have launched their own humanitarian operation. But the welcome is less warm at the registration centres in the south In the hills high above the north coast of Lesbos, an incongruous mass of orange surges for hundreds of metres across a craggy plateau. It could be the crater of a seething volcano. But this is not lava. On Tuesday, the number of asylum seekers to reach Europe this year passed 1 million. Nearly half of them did so via the beaches of this Greek island – and the eerie hilltop is where the residents of Lesbos have piled hundreds of thousands of their discarded orange lifejackets. Elsewhere, the islanders are building a second graveyard to house the bodies of the drowned. This silent swath of orange – 3.7 metres (12 ft) tall in places, and rolling like the sea – is just as apt a tombstone for the scale and tragedy of the European refugee crisis. Continue reading...
21 heartbreaking photos of the ongoing refugee crisis
Alexandros Avramidis/Reuters Instability throughout large parts of the world in 2015 have furthered exacerbated a growing refugee crisis in Turkey, parts of the Middle East, and throughout Europe. Coming from war zones in Syria, Iraq, Afghanistan, Libya, and portions of sub-Saharan Africa, the refugees have been driven towards Europe with the hopes of finding a better life for themselves and their families. The scope of the crisis is almost impossible to grasp: in 2015, over 1 million refugees have entered Europe alone. To give an idea of the struggles that so many have faced, we have compiled 21 of the most heartbreaking images of the ongoing refugee crisis. A SYRIAN REFUGEE KISSES HIS DAUGHTER AS HE WALKS THROUGH A RAINSTORM TOWARDS GREECE'S BORDER WITH MACEDONIA, NEAR THE GREEK VILLAGE OF IDOMENI, SEPTEMBER 10, 2015. REUTERS/Yannis Behrakis A LOCAL MAN HELPS A SYRIAN REFUGEE WHO JUMPED OFF BOARD FROM A DINGHY AS HE SWIMS EXHAUSTED AT A BEACH ON THE GREEK ISLAND OF LESBOS ON SEPTEMBER 17, 2015. REUTERS/Yannis Behrakis A GIRL HOLDS HER TOYS AS MACEDONIAN POLICEMEN BLOCK REFUGEES AT THE GREEK-MACEDONIAN BORDERS, NEAR THE VILLAGE OF IDOMENI, GREECE NOVEMBER 20, 2015. Alexandros Avramidis/Reuters SEE THE REST OF THE STORY AT BUSINESS INSIDER
Creditors hand Greece 1 billion euros
Brussels (AFP) - Greece's international creditors on Tuesday handed over a payment of 1.0 billion euros under the terms of its third bailout programme after Athens ...
EU probes GREEK border gaps in Schengen threat
The six-month limit can be lifted but only after EU institutional procedures and evaluations determine the gaps on the GREEK frontiers somehow pose a ...
EC: GREECE Should Better Target Tonnage Tax
The European Commission has said that GREECE'S tonnage tax may breach European Union state aid rules by allowing shareholders of shipping ...
EUobserver Looks into Sales of Bulgarian Babies in GREECE
Officials estimate that dozens of Bulgarian women – the vast majority of them from the Roma minority - are known to have sold their babies to couples ...
Spain has Fallen – not like GREECE – but Fallen all the Same
Spain, a country like GREECE, where neoliberal troika policies cut minimum wages, pensions, increased retirement age, privatized the health system ...
ESM authorizes disbursement of 1 billion euros to GREECE
The Board of Directors of the European Stability Mechanism (ESM) has authorized the disbursement of 1 billion euros to GREECE subsequent to the ...
European Stability Mechanism Authorizes $1Bln Tranche to GREECE
The Eurozone's bailout fund has approved the allocation of the remaining 1 billion euro ($1.09 billion at the current exchange rate) to GREECE as part of ...
The Latest: 11 Migrants Drown off Turkey, 7 Others Rescued
The Latest: 11 migrants seeking to reach Greece drown off Turkey; 7 others rescued
Israel criticises Greek parliament’s vote for Palestinian ...
Israel criticises Greek parliament’s vote for Palestinian recognition Palestine president Mahmoud Abbas plans to print “state of Palestine” on passports
GREEK parliament recognizes Palestinian state amid strong ties with Israel
The GREEK Parliament Tuesday voted for the recognition of Plaestinian statehood within the 1967 borders with East Jerusalem its capital. The GREEK ...
GREEK Foreign Ministry calls back ambassador from Czech Republic
The GREEK Foreign Ministry has called back the country's ambassador to the Czech Republic in reaction to comments made earlier this month by ...
Former Greek Finance Minister to Be Investigated Over Missing Tax Reports
Former Greek Finance Minister Gikas Hardouvelis will be investigated by a prosecutor for a failing to submit an asset declaration to the Greek parliament‘s committee for the 2011-2012 financial year. Chardouvelis, who served as finance minister between June 2014 and January 2015 under former Prime Minister Antonis Samaras, had previously served as advisor to Prime Minister Loukas
ESM Greenlights 1 Billion Euro Bailout Installment to Greece
The European Stability Mechanism approved the disbursement of the one billion euro bailout tranche to Greece on Tuesday afternoon. #ESM Board of Directors just authorized the disbursement of €1bn to #Greece, #ESM press release will follow shortly — ESM (@ESM_Press) December 22, 2015 The collection of the money by the Greek government will mark the conclusion of
Czech Republic President is Disappointed Greece is Still in the Eurozone
The Greek government has called the Greek ambassador to the Czech Republic back to Greece for deliberations, following remarks by the country’s president on Greece’s presence in the Eurozone, Greek media report. The dispute began when Czech Republic President Milos Zeman explicitly revealed his feelings about Greece, on the Slovakian News Agency TASR on December 15.
Greece recalls Prague ambassador after Czech president's Grexit talk
Greece on Tuesday recalled its ambassador to the Czech Republic for consultations after remarks by the Czech president that his country should not adopt the euro unless Greece left the single currency, a foreign ministry official said. Greece's leftist government held tough negotiations with its EU and IMF lenders for months before giving in to creditors' demands for more austerity measures and signing a third bailout in August to avert Greece's exit from the eurozone. "My only concern regarding adopting the euro under the current stabilization mechanism is, that Czech taxpayers would pay for Greek debts," Czech President Milos Zeman told Slovak news agency TASR last week.
Form 6-K NATIONAL BANK OF GREECE For: Dec 22
On 21 December 2015, National Bank of GREECE S.A. Board of Directors approved the divestiture to Qatar National Bank of NBG's 99.81% stake in ...
The story of a Syrian refugee who swam from Turkey to GREECE
A desperate Syrian refugee has revealed how he braved massive waves and deadly currents to swim for seven hours to reach GREECE from Turkey.
Fairfax buys 80% of GREECE'S 3rd largest insurer
After riding out the Greek banking crisis earlier this year with Eurobank Ergasias SA, Fairfax Financial Holdings is deepening its stake in GREECE by ...
Euro zone bailout fund approves 1 bln euro payout for Greece
The Euro zone bailout fund onTuesday approved the payment of a 1 billion euro ($1.10 billion)aid tranche for Greece following Athens' completion of a ...
More Than 1 Million Migrants And Refugees Enter Europe In 2015: IOM
GENEVA (AP) — More than 1 million refugees and "irregular migrants" have entered Europe in this record-breaking year, the International Organization for Migration said Tuesday, a symbolic milestone driven by war, poverty and persecution in the Middle East and Africa. With just days left in 2015, the Geneva-based intergovernmental organization said 1,005,504 people had entered Europe as of Monday, more than four times as many as last year. Almost all came by sea, while 3,692 others drowned trying to make the crossing. > W/ few days left, 2015’s EU migrant & refugee arrivals will > surpass 1M. https://t.co/cNek967FKQ #MigrationEurope > pic.twitter.com/C1ziKde5DY— IOM (@IOM_news) December 21, 2015 IOM director-general William Lacy Swing urged European governments to make migration safer. "We know migration is inevitable. It's necessary and it's desirable," he said, adding: "Migration must be legal, safe and secure for all — both for the migrants themselves and the countries that will become their new home." The IOM compiles the numbers from government records in Greece, Italy, Bulgaria, Spain, Malta and Cyprus, spokesman Joel Millman said. He noted that the real number of people entering Europe may be even larger, because authorities are struggling to track all arrivals given the sheer volume. Most of the people entered Europe via Greece, which took in more than 820,000 people this year, nearly all of them crossing from Turkey by boat across the Aegean Sea. Another 150,000 came into Italy across the Mediterranean from north Africa while smaller numbers crossed from Turkey by land into neighboring Greece and Bulgaria. Much smaller numbers arrived by boat to other Mediterranean countries. Others — not accounted for in the IOM tally — crossed into Europe across other borders, such as a route from Russia to Norway where a few thousand people have crossed by bicycle. About half of the people entering Europe were Syrians, while 20 percent were Afghans and 7 percent Iraqis, IOM said. Of the deaths, 2,889 were people traveling from north Africa to Italy, the IOM said, 706 drowned trying to cross the Aegean to Greece and 72 died trying to reach Spain. The war in Syria was particularly key in driving the numbers of people moving into Europe to levels not seen in half a century. European governments have struggled to agree on a response, arguing about how welcoming they should be and how best to manage the flows. Over the summer, eastern European countries in particular opened and closed their borders, leading to widespread confusion and frustration, before a relatively orderly system emerged in the fall. Germany and Sweden have welcomed the largest numbers of refugees. Germany has seen around 1 million migrants arrive this year, but that figure includes large numbers of people from eastern European countries. _RELATED ON HUFFPOST:_ -- 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.
Two Babies. Two Mothers. Worlds Apart.
LESBOS, Greece -- I am talking to people gathered around fires outside their tents on Afghan Hill in Moria, on the Greek island of Lesbos. Moria is a temporary camp for migrants and refugees waiting to be interviewed, vetted and processed by Greek authorities. The stay can be a few days or weeks. When it is crowded, families sleep outside on the ground. It's getting cold and crowded. Through an interpreter, I am speaking with some mothers, when, miraculously, unexpectedly, my cell phone rings. My daughter, Eva, who's in Los Angeles, is FaceTiming me with her 16-month-old daughter, Marlowe. Since I have been in Lesbos, I have not been able to reach them. At home, we speak every day. I am, to say the least, overjoyed. I show the women their faces and explain who they are, and the most amazing thing happens. Marlowe sees the child in the arms of a woman on my left. “Baby,” she says and she points. The Afghan child looks and waves back and for a moment, life is simple and sweet. Two babies. Two mothers. Worlds apart. Sharing a moment. Crazy. Beautiful. _RYOT and The Huffington Post are teaming to up present "The Crossing," an immersive reporting series hosted by Susan Sarandon chronicling the refugee crisis as it unfolds in Greece. _ _Watch our Snapchat (@HuffPost) and The World Post's Instagram feed (@TheWorldPost) for coverage this week, and check back for upcoming virtual reality and 360 films about the people making the perilous journey from the Middle East toward safety._ Read More -- Susan Sarandon Joins Sea Rescue Team On Search For Refugees Headed To Greece -- Lesbos' Lifejacket Graveyard: Susan Sarandon Visits The Frontlines Of The Refugee Crisis -- Susan Sarandon Is Welcoming Refugees To Greece -- At Lesbos, Children's Pool Toys Are Evidence Of Dangerous Journey -- This Group Is Brining A Much Needed Resource To Refugees In Greece: Clean Laundry -- 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.
Greek ambassador in Prague recalled
Athens, December 22, 2015/Independent Balkan News Agency By Olga Mavrou Athens called for consultations the Greek ambassador who is stationed in Czech Republic, Panayiotis Sarris, because of the Czech President’s Miloš Zeman insulting comments against Greece. A week ago Zeman had said that «the Czech Republic will join the euro the very day that Greece […]
Fairfax to pay $481.6 million for majority stake in GREEK insurer Eurolife
TORONTO - Fairfax Financial Holdings Ltd. (TSX:FFH) has an agreement to buy an 80 per cent interest in Greece's third-largest insurer for the ...
Ashrawi welcomes the vote of the GREEK Parliament to recognize Palestine
PLO Executive Committee member Dr. Hanan Ashrawi welcomed the GREEK Parliament's vote in favor of recognizing the State of Palestine and said:.