Soros: The EU Is Falling Apart, Greece Is Still a Problem

Jan. 21 -- Billionaire investor George Soros comments on the state of the European Union during an interview with Bloomberg's Francine Lacqua at the World Economic Forum in Davos. The Wall Street Journal.

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Concert review: Wooden Cities with Greece Olympia students

On Friday, January 15, the Greece Olympia School cafeteria doubled as an informal music venue when the Buffalo-based ensemble Wooden Cities along with Olympia students -- led by their teacher, Aaron Staebell -- presented "an evening of experimental music.

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10 rules for being an exceptional leader from 'philosopher king' Marcus Aurelius

The Roman emperor Marcus Aurelius ruled from 161 to 180 A.D. and has maintained the reputation for being the ideal wise leader whom Plato called a "philosopher king." His book "Meditations" has inspired leaders for centuries because of its timeless wisdom about human behavior. It's a collection of personal writings from the chaotic last decade of his life. This turmoil inspired him to develop his interpretation of Stoic philosophy, which focused on accepting things out of one's control and maintaining mastery over one's emotions. We've taken a look at a section from Book 11 in which Marcus reminds himself of leadership lessons he learned. Using Gregory Hays' accessible translation of the ancient Greek (Marcus used the language of his philosophical heroes), we've broken down his 10 points into further simplified language, contextualized by the rest of Marcus' ideology. [BI_Graphics_Rules for being an exceptional leader from Marcus Aurelius]Mike Nudelman/Business Insider NOW WATCH: 'Shark Tank' star Robert Herjavec knows what to do when everything is against you

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Marina Abramović Announces New Participatory Performance Project In Athens

_This article originally appeared on artnet News. _ Marina Abramović is slated to have a busy spring. The artist will lead a large-scale performance project at the Benaki Museum in Athens beginning March 10. Athens-based non-profit arts organization NEON, Marina Abramović Institute (MAI), and Abramović herself will join forces in a program of “Performance and Immaterial Art" at the museum. “NEON-MAI Lab" will run in tandem with a second program of events also at the museum, which uses the Abramović Method to engage viewers, who quickly become participants. “We live in a world of constant distraction, where taking the time to connect to ourselves is becoming more and more difficult," said Abramović of the project. "I have designed this experience to give the public the opportunity to be free from these distractions and to be connected with themselves, with each other, and with the present moment. Never has this been more relevant, than in Greece in these trying times." "We are all working around the clock to produce an amazing experience for the audience," NEON's director Elina Kountouri told artnet News. She explained that "Abramović and her team" trained a group Greek performance artists in the Abramović Method. As a result, "the whole building at the Benaki Museum will be transformed into a vivid performance space where people examine human boundaries, strength and possibly trust."  Kountouri feels the collaboration is a natural one. "Our aim with NEON is to bring contemporary culture closer to the general public, not only the connoisseurs, and support and present the potential of Greek creativity."  NEON-MAI Lab will consist of Abramović herself working with the handpicked emerging artists on the principles of her artistic method. Developed over 40 years of practice, the series of exercises that make up the Abramović Method are designed to push the boundaries of the body and mind. The resulting work is intended to blur the line between the public and the art being created. Abramović has had her hands full in recent months while in legal dispute with ex-husband Ulay and penning her autobiography, so this project may provide a welcome artistic outlet for the artist. _NEON-MAI Lab will be on view from 10 March – 24 April 2016 at the Benaki Museum in Athens; public participatory events will also take place at the museum._ _Follow artnet News on Facebook._ _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.

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GREECE'S ELA cap lowered on improved liquidity

The move reflected an improvement in liquidity conditions in GREECE'S banking sector, helped by the stabilization of private sector deposit flows, the ...

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Syrian refugee child dies trying to reach GREECE, says BC volunteer

A Coquitlam, B.C., man volunteering on the Greek Island of Lesbos says a three-year-old Syrian refugee died of hypothermia Wednesday trying to ...

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Lagarde and Tsipras Meet in Davos; IMF Reaffirms its Support of Greece During Crisis

Greece’s Prime Minister Alexis Tsipras meeting the Managing Director of the International Monetary Fund (IMF), Christine Lagarde (R), today. Photograph: Jean-Christophe Bott/EPA On the second day of the World Economic Forum in Davos, where leaders in ...

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Union of GREEK Shipowners dismisses EC tonnage tax complaints

The Union of GREEK Shipowners (UGS) today responded to the European Commission's recently published allegations claiming that some provisions ...

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Thousands protest pension reforms in GREEK capital

Thousands of people have poured onto the streets of the GREEK Athens to voice their outrage at the government's planned pension reforms demanded ...

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GREECE steps up tax evasion fight with revenue body appointment

GREECE has appointed a French-trained tax lawyer to head the country's independent revenue authority, the fourth appointment to the politically ...

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Tax lawyer to head Greece’s revenue body

Fourth appointment made to politically sensitive post in five years after job left empty for months

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Davos 2016: Greece Promised New IMF Loans At Meeting With Lagarde And Tsipras

Greece was promised fresh International Monetary Fund loans Thursday during a meeting between Greek Prime Minister Alexis Tsipras and IMF Managing Director Christina Lagarde on the sidelines of the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland, according to ...

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Despite Cold, Record-Breaking Numbers of Refugees Arrive in Greece

Refugees are traveling from Turkey to Greece by sea in record numbers despite the winter cold and the first snow to hit some islands in years. Aid workers say they struggle just to keep people alive and healthy before they depart for the next leg of their ...

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Davos 2016: Lagarde and Tsipras discuss Greek reforms and debt relief

Rolling coverage of the second day of the World Economic Forum in Davos, and the ECB’s governing council meeting. * IMF: Greece needs debt relief and reforms * Protests in Athens over pension reforms 7.05pm GMT The Greek government says the talks between Lagarde and Tsipras were “sincere”. 6.50pm GMT CHRISTINE LAGARDE, HEAD OF THE IMF, HAS MET WITH ALEXIS TSIPRAS AT THE SIDELINES OF THE WORLD ECONOMIC FORUM. “The managing director reiterated that the IMF stands ready to continue to support Greece in achieving robust economic growth and sustainable public finances through a credible and comprehensive medium-term economic program. “Such a program would require strong economic policies, not least pension reforms as well as significant debt relief from Greece’s European partners to ensure that debt is on a sustainable downward trajectory.” Continue reading...

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Austria does Angela Merkel’s dirty work

Fewer migrants will travel on to Germany, and Greece will be forced to accept EU help.

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Cyprus: UN chief holds first joint meeting with Greek Cypriot and Turkish Cypriot leaders

In his first joint meeting with the Greek Cypriot and Turkish Cypriot leaders today, United Nations Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon urged them to “capitalize on the current positive momentum” to reunite the island under a federal government.

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These are all the things governments and businesses will need to think about when everyone begins living past 100

[grandparents]J.Elliot/Flickr Chances are, most of us haven't asked ourselves the question: What if I live until 2100? Most people would probably pin the average human lifespan at somewhere around 70 to 80 years old. The World Health Organization said the average expectancy was 72 in 2013. But within academia there are some serious discussions being had about what the world will look like when the average person lives past 100. But those discussions are only just beginning to permeate governments and the business world. Hence why the "What If You Are Still Alive in 2100?" panel session at the World Economic Forum's Annual Meeting in Davos — the yearly who's who of the business, political, and academic elite — made for such an interesting an eye-opening debate. Turns out, living past 100 won't be a rarity very soon. Vitality global chief health officer Derek Yach said on the panel that the population in 50 to 100 years from now will be between 10 and 11 billion people because of it. People have already lived to more than 120 years old. It's not unfathomable that more of us could celebrate our centenaries. YET THE DECISION MAKERS OF THIS WORLD ARE NOT MOVING FAST ENOUGH TO KEEP UP [lynda gratton]J.Elliot/FlickrLondon Business School professor of management practice Lynda Gratton said: "What's clear is the major restructuring of life that we think is going to happen with regards to longevity — corporations are not prepared for this. Governments are not prepared for this. It will rest with the individual both working on their own and collectively who will be the agents of change. I expect to see and we are certainly monitoring some amazing experiments occurring over the next decade as people come to terms with what it really means to live 100 years." So what kind of things should governments and corporations be preparing for? SOME OF THE INEVITABLE SIGNS OF AGEING WILL BEGIN TO BE WIPED OUT Salk Institute for Biological Studies president and co-recipient of the 2009 Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine Elizabeth Blackburn said medically and scientifically we will soon have a real understanding that much of what is attributed to aging as an inevitable process — the slow decline, the increase in heart disease, cancers, dementia's and so on — will be avoidable. Sadly, they won't be solved with someone wonderful magic pill that can counteract certain genes. It's a complex system, Blackburn said. For example, we already know cardiovascular disease can largely be attributed to lifestyle: Eating lots of red meat, smoking, not keeping fit. All those things are modifiable. With dementia too, there is research to suggest exercise and social support structures can stave off some of the effects. [A child touches her pregnant mother's stomach at the last stages of her pregnancy in Bordeaux April 28, 2010. REUTERS/Regis Duvignau ]J.Elliot/FlickrMeanwhile, governments should be providing more funding for pre-natal and childcare education. Blackburn said there are already "excellent" studies, looking at people pre-natally, then looking at the offspring who were deprived in some form in pregnancies. Those deprived in some during pregnancies were found to have a higher likelihood of diabetes and hyper-tension. The ageing process starts far earlier than old age and that investment can pay off decades later. THERE'S NO WAY PEOPLE CAN TAKE THEIR PENSIONS AS EARLY AS THEY DO NOW For the last three years, Gratton, alongside economist Andrew Scott, have been researching what life will look like when everybody lives to 100. If you live until 100 and want to retire on 50% of your income, as most people do, you'll need to be working until 79-to-82-years-old, according to Gratton.  It's clear the idea of pushing people out of work at 60 is already behind the times. THERE WILL BE A WHOLE NEW SET OF LIFE STAGES [UK pensioners]J.Elliot/FlickrIf we're working longer, we're going to need to keep on learning. So Gratton thinks there'll be a shift among people at an older age from a notion of leisure and recreation to a notion of recreation. In an elongated life, there will be new life stages. The idea of leisure, work, and retirement will be turned on its head. Individuals will take their own individual paths and have the capacity to transform themselves. "Explorer" is one stage. Gratton said: "Why would you want to make all your big career decisions at 20 when you could explore and create more choices?" "Individual producers," is another stage — the idea of using all the readily available technology to build their own companies. Portfolios will become much more important too, she added. THE LEAST-PREPARED COUNTRIES ARE THREE OF THE LARGEST COUNTRIES IN THE WORLD  [India]J.Elliot/FlickrSoon there will be three billion additional people in Africa, a population rising from a very low base, with a relatively low level of wealth, according to Yach.  A large proportion of older people will be situated in three of the largest and most populated countries on Earth: India first, then China, and Nigeria, he said. While all this happens, climate change isn't going away — it's going to steadily get worse. Yach predicted that some major epidemics, such as the near 15,000 heatstroke-related deaths in France in 2003, will become more widespread as some countries are not prepared to take care for vulnerable people during extreme weather. PENSIONS ARE UNDER THREAT [A pensioner supporting the communist-affiliated trade union PAME cries out during a demonstration against a set of government's planned pension reforms in Athens, Greece, January 8, 2016. REUTERS/Alkis Konstantinidis]J.Elliot/FlickrGratton said that the UK government predicts that a child born today will live to 85. She says that's "obviously ridiculous" but there's a clear reason why governments are sticking to these kinds of estimates, rather than extending life expectancy forecasts to nearer 100. "The reason why they are doing that is that all our pension schemes would go under water and would look more and more like a Ponzi scheme," she added. Corporations and individuals need to realize employees need to work into their 70s and mid-70s — and they'll have to save. THE RELATIONSHIP WORKERS WILL HAVE WITH THEIR CORPORATIONS WILL CHANGE As people work for longer, the "intangible assets" an employer will offer will become more important. Gratton said questions like "how much are you going to train me?" will become just as important as "how much are you going to pay me?" The idea of a working week is probably going to change too. Perhaps companies will get more productivity from their older workforces if they ditch the traditional five-day working week, Blackburn suggested. Instead, companies may offer a two days on, one day off model. Work-life balance too might need to be re-balanced over a longer period. Thinking about her own life as a professor, she said she has certain periods when she wants to be intensely involved in her research, then other times when she wants to give family her full attention — not half-baked for both over decades and decades.  NOW WATCH: A North Korean defector tells us what life was like under a dictatorship

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GEORGE FRIEDMAN: Eurasia's in crisis, and there won't be a solution for a while

[china crowd nervous panic ]Jason Lee/Reuters The Chinese stock market fell dramatically a few weeks ago. That sounds significant, but it actually isn’t. First, the Chinese stock market doesn’t serve the same function as Western markets. The equities sold there don’t allow shareholders to control companies. Nor do the underlying values of these companies correlate with the price of the stocks in any way. Second, the percentage of China’s wealth that flows through the markets is relatively small compared to the size of China’s economy. Market capitalization has little to do with the value of Chinese companies. The really significant news that week was related to China’s foreign exchange reserves. The People’s Bank of China revealed that the country ended 2015 with lower reserves than it started the year with. It’s been the first time FX reserves shrank over the course of a year since 1992. In effect, China has seen its first decline in reserves since the Chinese boom really got under way. The surprising part of this development is not the contraction that has been going for at least a year, but the fact that it was announced. A NEW, UNSTABLE ERA FOR CHINA This announcement told us that China entered a new era in 2015 and is now in uncharted waters. There are more important implications of the decline in reserves than the Chinese stock market’s panic. Aggressive assertions of confidence, demands for greater discipline, and increased arrests of Chinese officials, businessmen, and others have revealed the government’s anxiety. Indeed, the government has been worried for several years, and President Xi Jinping has been trying to maintain social stability in the face of a sea of change in China’s economy. Now, as he attempts to reform and control the People’s Liberation Army—which is the key to China’s regime—China is in the witching hour. The question is whether the regime can maintain stability in the country while it undergoes managed change. EURASIA IN CRISIS I wrote not so long ago about China’s reality and strategy in anticipation of this sort of crisis. The task this week is to step back and take a look at the global reality. China is not the only nation in Eurasia facing social and political instability as a result of economic shifts. Almost all of Asia, with the major exception of India, is undergoing growing instability of different sorts. The Europeans struggle to deal with massive economic and political divergences within the European Union. The Russians simultaneously attempt to deal with an economic crisis stemming from declining oil prices, but rooted in their inability to use oil revenues to build a more robust economy. The Middle East is in political and military chaos due to reasons ranging from US attempts at disengaging from the region to deep animosity between Shiite and Sunni Muslims. While Central Asian countries, caught between Russian and Chinese dysfunction and the lapping waters of Muslim discontent, struggle to contain the resulting unrest. [middle east riyadh oil]Jason Lee/Reuters What we see is a region—from the Atlantic to the Pacific, and from the Arctic to the Indian Oceans—destabilizing. Of the seven billion souls alive today, five billion live in this region. In most of Eurasia, the realities that have been taken for granted for the past generation are no longer certain. There has been a belief in much of the region that, at some point, everything will go back to normal. It was assumed that China’s economy would flourish; that Europe would sort out its problems; that conflicts in the Middle East would subside without the US presence; and that Russia would accommodate itself to its new liberal democratic principles. However, none of those things are going to happen. Instability, uncertainty, and increasingly impotent regimes trying to find their way out of the crises they stumbled into are the new normal. The different parts of Eurasia will not experience the same type of crisis. China’s problems are not the Middle East’s, and the Middle East’s are not Europe’s. These regional crises, however, have a common cause and interact with each other, making things worse… THE ROOTS OF THE EURASIAN CRISIS I wrote a recent article for Mauldin Economics about an emerging crisis for major exporting countries. I want to expand on this so we can understand the underlying cause of the Eurasian crisis—interdependence. Interdependence has been seen as a panacea for humanity’s problems. However, it solves problems, but also creates them. Its most important weakness is that a systemic failure in one region rapidly spreads to other regions. Attempts to solve problems in some nations also affect other countries. Therefore, a byproduct of an interdependent system actually turns into the most dangerous reality of all. This byproduct is conflict among nations as they struggle to stabilize their own crises and are constrained by the behavior of other countries. The conflicts brought on by interdependence are the most dangerous because they breed the greatest desperation. The current Eurasian crisis began in 2008, a crisis that resulted in recessions that had a global impact. The United States and Europe reduced the amount they imported from around the world. China was in a particularly vulnerable position because its economy was heavily dependent on exports. It had been expanding dramatically for over a generation and such an expansion wasn’t always sustainable. By 2008, China was reaching the limits of its economic model. But China still sought to extend the model, not so much out of greed as out of fear of what slow growth might mean socially The Chinese sought to sustain the economy through various forms of subsidies that continued to support growth in GDP—although not at the same level as before—but also increased irrationalities of the economy. [Construction China]Jason Lee/Reuters Financial reserves cushioned it, but that couldn’t last long. China’s economy has continued to slow. The last update from China’s official statistics agency reported a 6.8 percent annualized growth rate in the fourth quarter of 2015. I suspect, although can’t prove, that the real growth rate is substantially less than what Beijing claims. And assuming the growth was real, it was likely not very profitable. China has many competitors who sell the same products at a lower price. Because of the slowing growth, the amount of industrial commodities China could buy (from iron ore to oil) declined. There was a common failure of the markets to grasp that the Chinese economy was not going to return to the old normal and, therefore, commodities prices were irrationally high. The inability of markets to see that a new normal had been in place for several years was critical over those years. But this is a normal feature of financial markets, which struggle to identify discontinuities. It is the true irrationality of markets, but a dangerous one to try to exploit. The market’s ability to delude itself collectively for extended periods of time is part of one of the fundamental realities of geopolitics: the interaction between economics, politics, and war. It’s the place we all live our lives and certainly where Eurasia is now. THE CONSEQUENCES OF FALLING OIL PRICES  The illusion of China, which I once called the China Bubble, burst in 2014. I should emphasize that this was not the result of China’s economic shift. That had been going on for years. Rather, 2014 was when the markets realized that China’s downturn was now a permanent feature of the international system. Interestingly, the positive effects of lower oil prices on consumers were important, but not nearly as significant as they would have been 30 years ago. Efficiencies and alternatives had decreased the importance of oil to consumers. But they did not decrease oil’s importance to producers. The economic consequences of declining profits have been significant for mineral producers (it’s important to go beyond oil). But their political consequences have been critical. A few weeks ago, the son of the Saudi king said that Saudi Arabia was interested in selling part of the state-owned oil firm Saudi Aramco. The only reason to put this on the table is that the Saudis need money badly. The potential political consequences of the sale of Aramco are enormous. [Saudi Aramco Chief Executive Officer Khalid al-Falih speaks to the media at the company's booth during Petrotech 2014 (a petrochemicals conference) at the Bahrain International Exhibition Centre in Manama May 19, 2014. REUTERS/Hamad I Mohammed ]Jason Lee/Reuters For decades before the 1970s, European and American interests had owned most of the region’s oil. This had been a sore point in the region; however, the Saudis and others changed this dynamic following the 1973 oil embargo. Nevertheless, the hostility toward the West in the Arab world has increased. More importantly, the two groups are fighting a war in the region. For the Saudis, to raise the possibility of selling part of Saudi Arabia’s oil resources (however small the amount) back to Western interests, reveals the deep crisis that falling oil prices have created. A similar problem exists for Russia. The Russians fumbled the Ukrainian crisis. They went from having a light but real control of all of Ukraine, to seeing the country governed by a pro-Western government while Russia clings to Crimea and a small strip of support in the east. They were in the middle of confronting the West on this issue when the oil crisis hit. Oil revenues were a major component of Russia’s national budget and the driver of the economy. Their dramatic contraction led to a significant financial and economic crisis for which the Russians have no solution. There are many reasons for why they became more assertive in their foreign policy, but maintaining domestic confidence in the government is the key. The decline of oil prices and its impact on the economy will remind most Russians of the events prior to the fall of the Soviet Union. By appearing to be a major player in Syria (Russia actually has deployed relatively few aircraft and fewer troops), the government has maintained its popularity in spite of the emerging hardships. THE NEW EURASIA  The point here is that not only is Eurasia as a whole in crisis, but the crises in individual countries and regions are increasingly interacting. The Middle East crisis is interacting with Russia. It is also interacting with Europe, both in terms of the refugee crisis and European deployments in the Middle East. The refugee crisis—with an extra million people on a continent of about 700 million people—has revealed deep fault lines within Europe over the question of borders. Borders are the single central issue of the European Union, and it was thought to be settled. [A Turkish Coast Guard fast rigid-hulled inflatable boats tow refugees and migrants in a dinghy on the Turkish territorial waters of the North Eagean Sea, following a failed attempt of crossing to the Greek island of Lesbos, off the shores of Canakkale, Turkey, November 9, 2015. REUTERS/Umit Bektas ]Jason Lee/Reuters In addition, Europe’s ongoing inability to solve its economic malaise—and I don’t expect a solution for a long time—has intensified China’s problems. After all, Europe was China’s largest customer. Also, the crisis in Ukraine has focused Poland and Romania on the perceived threat from the east, much to the indifference of the rest of Europe, but drawing in the United States as the guarantor of the eastern frontiers. And as mentioned, our forecasting model at Geopolitical Futures points to serious instability in Central Asia as a result of Russian, Chinese, and Middle Eastern problems. Trade is another potential source of disruption brought on by interdependence. Exports constitute about 23 percent of China’s GDP. They make up almost 50 percent of Germany’s GDP and 30 percent of Russia’s. In Saudi Arabia, it’s 52 percent. However, in Japan it’s 16 percent. And, in the United States, exports are only 13.5 percent of GDP and only about 8 percent is attributed to countries outside of NAFTA. When we look at the export levels, we are measuring a nation’s vulnerability to the international system. I would draw the boundary of excessive dependence on exports at about 20 percent of GDP. It is important to add that I evaluate the consequences of dependence not so much in economic terms, but in their impact on social and political stability. High exporters are not necessarily unstable, but their risk is higher. Based on this, and looking only at a handful of major powers, we can see one of the drivers of the crisis in Eurasia. We can also see why economically hard-pressed Japan has not destabilized. In looking at the American numbers and at the geography of its exports, it is also evident why the United States—which may have triggered 2008—has generally not suffered much of the social chaos. It is least exposed to what happens in Eurasia because it depends least on those markets. There are other reasons, of course, but it is important to bear these export numbers in mind. George Soros said recently that we are heading for a crisis similar to 2008. I disagree with him to this extent. First, the 2008 crisis never ended. It just merged with political, social, and military processes and became part of them. Second, the economic crisis, while there may be one, is trivial compared to the conflicts within Europe and along the European-Russian borders. It is trivial compared to the chaos in the Middle East and the economic dysfunction in China. Ultimately, the 2008 crisis never ended. Indeed, it defines the new Eurasia, a place where most human beings live and where stability is increasingly hard to find. SUBSCRIBE TO_ THIS WEEK IN GEOPOLITICS_ George Friedman provides unbiased assessment of the global outlook—whether demographic, technological, cultural, geopolitical, or military—in his free publication _This Week in Geopolitics_. Subscribe now and get an in-depth view of the forces that will drive events and investors in the next year, decade, or even a century from now. NOW WATCH: What this Navy SEAL's '40% rule' can teach you about success

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Why we don't follow through on what we set out to do - and how to fix it

[Victor Hugo]Wikimedia Commons/PD-1923 By the summer of 1830,  was facing an impossible deadline. Twelve months earlier, the famous French author had made an agreement with his publisher that he would write a new book titled, "The Hunchback of Notre Dame". Instead of writing the book, Hugo spent the next year pursuing other projects, entertaining guests, and delaying his work on the text. Hugo’s publisher had become frustrated by his repeated procrastination and responded by setting a formidable deadline. The publisher demanded that Hugo finish the book by February of 1831 — less than 6 months away. Hugo developed a plan to beat his procrastination. He collected all of his clothes, removed them from his chambers, and locked them away. He was left with nothing to wear except a large shawl. Lacking any suitable clothing to go outdoors, Hugo was no longer tempted to leave the house and get distracted. Staying inside and writing was his only option. The strategy worked. Hugo remained in his study each day and wrote furiously during the fall and winter of 1830. "The Hunchback of Notre Dame" was published two weeks early on January 14, 1831. THE ANCIENT PROBLEM OF AKRASIA Human beings have been procrastinating for centuries. Even prolific artists like Victor Hugo are not immune to the distractions of daily life. The problem is so timeless, in fact, that ancient Greek philosophers like Socrates and Aristotle developed a word to describe this type of behavior: _Akrasia_. _Akrasia_ is the state of acting against your better judgment. It is when you do one thing even though you know you should do something else. Loosely translated, you could say that _akrasia_ is procrastination or a lack of self-control. _Akrasia_ is what prevents you from following through on what you set out to do. Why would Victor Hugo commit to writing a book and then put it off for over a year? Why do we make plans, set deadlines, and commit to goals, but then fail to follow through on them? WHY WE MAKE PLANS, BUT DON’T TAKE ACTION One explanation for why _akrasia_ rules our lives and procrastination pulls us in has to do with a behavioral economics term called "time inconsistency." Time inconsistency refers to the tendency of the human brain to value immediate rewards more highly than future rewards. When you make plans for yourself — like setting a goal to lose weight or write a book or learn a language — you are actually making plans for your future self. You are envisioning what you want your life to be like in the future and when you think about the future it is easy for your brain to see the value in taking actions with long-term benefits. When the time comes to make a decision, however, you are no longer making a choice for your future self. Now you are in the moment and your brain is thinking about the present self. And researchers have discovered that the present self really likes instant gratification, not long-term payoff. This is one reason why you might go to bed feeling motivated to make a change in your life, but when you wake up you find yourself falling into old patterns. Your brain values long-term benefits when they are in the future, but it values immediate gratification when it comes to the present moment. This is one reason why the ability to delay gratification is such a great predictor of success in life. Understanding how to resist the pull of instant gratification — at least occasionally, if not consistently — can help you bridge the gap between where you are and where you want to be. [standing desk]Wikimedia Commons/PD-1923 THE AKRASIA ANTIDOTE: 3 WAYS TO BEAT PROCRASTINATION Here are three ways to overcome akrasia, beat procrastination, and follow through on what you set out to do. STRATEGY 1: DESIGN YOUR FUTURE ACTIONS. When Victor Hugo locked his clothes away so he could focus on writing, he was creating what psychologists refer to as a "commitment device." Commitment devices are strategies that help improve your behavior by either increasing the obstacles or costs of bad behaviors or reducing the effort required for good behaviors. You can curb your future eating habits by purchasing food in individual packages rather than in the bulk size. You can stop wasting time on your phone by deleting games or social media apps. You can reduce the likelihood of mindless channel surfing by hiding your TV in a closet and only taking it out on big game days. You can voluntarily ask to be added to the banned list at casinos and online gambling sites to prevent future gambling sprees. You can build an emergency fund by setting up an automatic transfer of funds to your savings account. These are commitment devices. The circumstances differ, but the message is the same: commitment devices can help you design your future actions. Find ways to automate your behavior beforehand rather than relying on willpower in the moment. Be the architect of your future actions, not the victim of them. STRATEGY 2: REDUCE THE FRICTION OF STARTING. The guilt and frustration of procrastinating is usually worse than the pain of doing the work. In the words of Eliezer Yudkowsky, "On a moment-to-moment basis, being in the middle of doing the work is usually less painful than being in the middle of procrastinating." So why do we still procrastinate? Because it’s not being _in_ the work that is hard, it’s_starting_ the work. The friction that prevents us from taking action is usually centered around starting the behavior. Once you begin, it’s often less painful to do the work. This is why it is often more important to build the habit of getting started when you’re beginning a new behavior than it is to worry about whether or not you are successful at the new habit. You have to constantly reduce the size of your habits. Put all of your effort and energy into building a ritual and make it as easy as possible to get started. Don’t worry about the results until you’ve mastered the art of showing up. STRATEGY 3: UTILIZE IMPLEMENTATION INTENTIONS. An implementation intention is when you state your intention to implement a particular behavior at a specific time in the future. For example, "I will exercise for at least 30 minutes on [DATE] in [PLACE] at [TIME]." There are hundreds of successful studies showing how implementation intentions positively impact everything from exercise habits to flu shots. In the flu shot study, researchers looked at a group of 3,272 employees at a Midwestern company and found that employees who wrote down the specific date and time they planned to get their flu shot were significantly more likely to follow through weeks later. It seems simple to say that scheduling things ahead of time can make a difference, but as I have covered previously, implementation intentions can make you 2x to 3x more likely to perform an action in the future. FIGHTING AKRASIA Our brains prefers instant rewards to long-term payoffs. It’s simply a consequence of how our minds work. Given this tendency, we often have to resort to crazy strategies to get things done — like Victor Hugo locking up all of his clothes so he could write a book. But I believe it is worth it to spend time building these commitment devices if your goals are important to you. Aristotle coined the term _enkrateia_ as the antonym of _akrasia_. While _akrasia_ refers to our tendency to fall victim to procrastination, _enkrateia_ means to be "in power over oneself." Designing your future actions, reducing the friction of starting good behaviors, and using implementation intentions are simple steps that you can take to make it easier to live a life of _enkrateia_ rather than one of _akrasia_. _Sources_ _1. The story about Victor Hugo locking away his clothes has become embellished over the years. Most versions claim that he had a servant routinely lock away his clothes while he wrote naked each day. As best I can tell, this embellishment is a myth. The true version that I describe in this article originally comes from a book by Hugo’s wife: "Victor Hugo Recounted by a Witness of His Life" by Adele Foucher._ _2. Thanks to my friends at Beeminder for some of the ideas I mention here. You can see their full article on commitment devices to overcome akrasia for more ideas._ _3. "Using implementation intentions prompts to enhance influenza vaccination rates" by Katherine L. Milkman, John Beshears, James J. Choi, David Laibson, and Brigitte C. Madrian. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences: Vol. 108 No. 26._ _4. Thanks to my friend Nir Eyal for originally pointing me toward the term akrasia._ NOW WATCH: 4 ways to make your workday more productive

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Greeks From All Walks Of Life Unite Against Austerity Measures

Farmers in tractors, lawyers in ties, engineers in hard hats and hundreds of other workers across industries united in massive protests around Greece this week. On Wednesday and Thursday, people demonstrated against the Syriza government's long list of proposed economic reforms that included cutting pension costs, and raising tax rates and social security contributions. The debt-ridden government had promised to institute the reforms in exchange for 86 billion euros ($93 billion) in bailout funds from the Eurozone. The tax increases could take away over three-quarters of some workers' incomes, the Associated Press reported. On Wednesday, farmers used hundreds of tractors to block key roads and highways, including one that links the Greece's north to its south. And in the northeastern city of Komotini, police fired tear gas at farmers who had barricaded the office of Vangelis Apostolou, the country's agricultural minister. Greek Prime Minister Alexis Tsipras is due to meet many several world leaders at the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland, this week, for further discussions on Greece's economic progress. These leaders include International Monetary Fund chief Christine Lagarde, European Central Bank President Mario Draghi and German Vice Chancellor Sigmar Gabriel. _Take a look at the protests in the photos below:_ _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.

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Harsh Living Conditions for Many Greeks in Poor Neighborhoods Across the Country

While the rich at Davos are imagining ways to make the world even more unequal and German Finance Minister Wolfgang Schäuble demands from the Greek Prime Minister more doses of the same medicine that has destroyed the Greek economy, living conditions for the majority of Greek citizens in poor neighborhoods across the country resemble those

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More Refugee Bodies Wash Up on Turkish Shores

According to Turkish news agencies, at least 12 people, have drowned on the coast of Turkey when their boat capsized while on its way to Greek islands. Among the dead there were also young children. The Turkish coast rescued 28 people aboard the boat, but another 10 are missing, according to Turkish nationwide television news channel

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Government Appoints Lawyer Pitsilis as Head of Public Revenue Directorate

The Greek Finance Ministry issued an act of the cabinet, on Wednesday that named lawyer Giorgos Pitsilis as the new general secretary for public revenue. According to the press release, Pitsilis was born in the United States in 1975 and has followed a successful career in law, after graduating from Athens Law School. He also received

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S&P Says Successful Implementation of Greek Program Could Lead to Credit Rating Upgrade

Greece’s credit rating could be upgraded to B, from CCC+ after completion of a first review of the Greek economic adjustment program, disbursement of loans according to a ESM schedule and probably combined with an ECB decision to begin accepting Greek state bonds as collateral again, Standard & Poor’s said on Thursday. In a report

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GREEKS fire back in tax spat with Brussels

The commission's core concern was that the GREEK regime, which ... Under the GREEK tonnage tax system, owners and investors are exempted from ...

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GREEK shipowners slam EU tax plans saying they could disrupt 20 years of growth

GREEK shipowners have slammed the renewed European Union (EU) attack on shipping tax claiming Commission moves would “seriously disrupt the ...

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Gluten-free crêpes with banana and GREEK yogurt

Yogurt in the batter makes the flour more digestible when the mixture is left to stand overnight; it also makes for silky pancakes. Sorghum produces a ...

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Home Greek news economy At Davos, Greek PM Reiterates GREECE'S Acceptance of IMF Role in ...

Tsipras_Davos1 A few days ago, Greek Finance Minister Euclid Tsakalotos said that GREECE was not opposed to IMF's participation in the new bailout ...

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Mamma Mia’ Inspired Greek Taverna Welcomes Former Members of ABBA

Internationally recognized pop group, ABBA were a Swedish band formed in Stockholm in 1972. The four former members of the iconic Swedish group made a rare joint appearance for the opening of a Stockholm restaurant inspired by the “Mamma Mia!”

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Greek Shipers Disagree with EC on Tax Issues

The European Commission recently published Decision (C(2015)9019 final / 18-12-2015) alleging that some provisions of the Greek shipping taxation regime are in breach of EU state aid provisions and, in particular, the conditions set out in the current ...

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Greek Shipowners Reject European Commission Call for Tax Reform

ATHENS, Jan 21 (Reuters) – Greece’s top shipping lobby on Thursday rejected a European Commission call for the government to reform its shipping tax system, saying this could hurt a key driver of the crisis-hit economy. Shipping is a vital generator of ...

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She's still free and single! Princess Olympia of Greece steps out in London for the first time since rumors about her 'dating Prince Harry' were denied by royal sources

Princess Olympia of Greece was spotted out in London yesterday for the first time since rumors surfaced that she has been secretly dating Prince Harry. Australian magazine New Idea alleged that the 31-year-old royal was dating his distant cousin after ...

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Deputy FM Mardas meets with representatives of the Greek textile and clothing sector (Athens, ...

The Deputy Foreign Minister for International Economic Relations, Dimitris Mardas, met at the Foreign Ministry today with representatives of the textile and clothing sector. The meeting, which was aimed at expanding the potential for strengthening the extroversion of the textile and clothing sector, was also attended by Dimitris Velanis, Special Advisor to the Prime Minister.Given that 2016 has been officially declared a “Greek Year” in Russia and a “Russian Year” in Greece, there was an in-depth consideration of the prospects for broad activation of Greek enterprises in the Russian market. More specifically, there was a discussion of issues such as...

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Macedonia closes border with Greece as more countries take matters in own hands

… Macedonia's border with Greece remains closed for all refugees … and close the border with Greece.   MIA correspondent from Athens reports … provides heating, sanitation and food. Greek media also report that, despite …

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An ill wind

IN BERLIN they speak of “Plan B”; in Brussels the fear is of the U-turn. Whatever the term, the prediction is the same: that Angela Merkel is on the brink of reversing the generous policy towards asylum-seekers that saw more than a million of them reach Germany last year. For now, Mrs Merkel sticks to her well-worn line: _Wir schaffen das_(“We will handle this”). Over the past six months she has slowly assembled a hard-headed, coherent migration strategy. But each of its elements is starting to give way. First, numbers. The winter weather has dented the refugee flows to Greece from Turkey, but not as quickly as hoped. Over 1,600 a day have reached Greece this month, a higher rate than last July when the crisis was already in full swing. Border controls erected along the migratory route since then complicate the journey, but determined migrants still make it to Germany. Wrong-footed by the explosion in arrivals last autumn Mrs Merkel’s government tightened asylum rules, but few were put off. A growing number of Moroccans and Algerians, hailing from poor but peaceful countries, are coming to Germany, exploiting the trail blazed...

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COSCO's higher bid for Piraeus port accepted by GREEK fund

Chinese COSCO Group's improved bid for the acquisition of Piraeus port, the largest port in Greece, has been accepted by the GREEK privatization ...

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GREECE Agrees to IMF Involvement in Bailout Program – Prime Minister

Athens has agreed to have the International Monetary Fund (IMF) involved in the country's bailout program, despite believing that Europe could tackle ...

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Eldorado Gold Can Mine in GREECE, After All

GREECE'S highest court overturned its government's decision to stop Eldorado Gold's mining operation and Johnson-Matthey has lifted its estimate of ...

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Greek Professionals and Freelancers Take it to the Streets Over Security Fund Reforms

Thousands of Greek professionals and freelancers took it to the streets on Thursday protesting against the government’s planned security funds reform. About 7,000 lawyers, engineers, doctors, solicitors, pharmacists, tax accountants, architects, small ...

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How GREECE got through 2015

Despite the financial troubles and the refugee crisis that afflicted GREECE last year, the country somehow managed to enjoy a bumper tourism year.

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Young Sudburians heading to GREECE to help Syrian refugees

Lighthouse Refugee Relief assists refugees on the island of Lesvos, GREECE. Four young Sudburians will be volunteering with the organization for a ...

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A special type of storm is forming far sooner than it should across the US - here’s why

[image 20160120 26085 1eyj8zc]NASA Earth Observatory January hurricanes are extremely rare events. But this year, two have already formed – Alex in the northeastern Atlantic last week, and Pali in the central Pacific, south of Hawaii, a few days earlier. The last hurricane to form in January in the Atlantic did so in 1938. A January hurricane is almost as unusual in the Pacific. Many accounts have attributed these strange storms to El Niño, climate change, or both. Can atmospheric scientists like me pinpoint the cause of these January hurricanes? The answer is that El Niño can take some of the blame for Pali. For Alex, maybe a little. Regardless of its effect on these two storms, El Niño is the big climate signal out there at the moment, and what it does next will be important when the proper hurricane season of 2016 arrives in a few months. I don’t think this is a climate change story, on the other hand. There is a good scientific basis for the expectations that hurricanes should increase in intensity as the climate warms, and change in some other ways. But there’s no indication from existing climate science that they should start forming more often during winter (or even more often altogether). While I wouldn’t rule out anything categorically – all weather systems now are occurring in a climate altered by human influence, after all – there’s a better case that these January storms are attributable to what climate scientists call “natural variability.” WARM WATER, COLD AIR To put these events in context, it’s helpful to understand why hurricanes normally change with the seasonal cycles as they do. Hurricanes typically form over warm water, so they are most prevalent in the places, and at the times of year, where the oceans reach their highest surface temperatures. In the current climate, a rule of thumb is that the sea surface temperature has to be above 26.5 or 27 degrees Celsius, or 80 degrees Fahrenheit, for a hurricane to form. [image 20160120 26105 18vrtq0]NASA Earth ObservatoryIt isn’t quite that simple, though. Hurricanes are machines whose job is to move heat from the warm ocean to the cold atmosphere above. What really affects whether they can develop – and how strong they can get if they do – is the difference between the temperature of the sea’s surface and the temperature high up in the atmosphere. Either the ocean surface needs to be particularly warm, or the atmosphere needs to be particularly cold, or both. If something makes the atmosphere unusually cold, then a hurricane has a fighting chance even if it’s over unusually cold water. In fact, there are storms called “polar lows” that work a lot like hurricanes. As the name suggests, they can form over the Arctic ocean in winter – where the ocean is really cold, but the atmosphere above it is really, _really_ cold. Normal tropical hurricanes, though, usually go away in winter. The ocean surface gets too cold for them, even with the colder atmosphere above. Also, the winter jet stream – the strong belt of west-to-east winds in the upper atmosphere of the middle latitudes, between the tropics and polar regions – causes large vertical wind shear, or wind blowing at different speeds or in different directions at different altitudes. This disrupts hurricanes' circulation and squelches them. Instead, it favors the development of winter storms. WHAT GENERATED PALI AND ALEX Pali and Alex both seem to be results of unusual temperatures for this time of year. One was due to a warm ocean, the other to a cold atmosphere. The warm ocean is mostly due to El Niño. Sea surface temperatures in the central equatorial Pacific near where Pali formed are running as high as 3.5 C (7 F) above normal. That is a huge anomaly, whose shape and location exhibit the classic signature of a very strong El Niño. Events like this typically lead to active hurricane seasons in the eastern and central Pacific. This El Niño event has been in place for most of the last year, and the whole central Pacific hurricane season of 2015 was wildly active relative to normal, and maybe even more unusual than the Atlantic season of 2005. That year, after Katrina, Rita, Wilma and several other destructive hurricanes hit the United States, the storms kept coming, to the point that the alphabetical naming sequence ran out of letters. The last few were named with Greek letters. The last one, Zeta, formed in December and survived into January as a tropical storm – the last Atlantic tropical storm to exist in January until now. (Zeta didn’t reach hurricane strength, and didn’t form in January, so Alex beats it for freakishness on at least two counts.) Pali is reminiscent of Zeta, a late aftershock at the tail of an explosive hurricane season in the Pacific. [image 20160120 26105 2itqku]NASA Earth ObservatoryAlex, on the other hand, doesn’t owe its existence to an unusually warm ocean. On the contrary, it became a hurricane over sea surface temperatures that were well below the typical threshold. Instead, it reached hurricane status because the atmosphere above it was unusually cold. That upper-level cold isn’t obviously attributable to El Niño or any other larger-scale climatic factor, but just to the particular distortion of the jet stream that happened to be in place at that moment. We may be able to associate Alex with El Niño in another way, though, at least a little. El Niño events tend to drag the jet stream toward the equator, and the southern United States tends to become stormier in winter. Alex evolved from a winter storm that tracked to the northeast from offshore of Florida, in what has been a record rainy December and January down there. MORE TO COME? Does any of this mean anything about the coming hurricane season this summer and fall? Neither Alex nor Pali specifically does, because individual storms at the end of one season have no particular implication for the following season. But we can make a prediction based on the typical trajectories of strong El Niño events like the current one. The 2015 hurricane season was typical of El Niño: very active in the eastern and central Pacific, but on the quiet side in the Atlantic. El Niño events typically peak in the winter, though. When spring comes, they often end. The tropical Pacific returns to its normal state, or even reverses entirely into a La Niña event, the mirror image of El Niño. The current forecasts indicate that one of these two outcomes is likely and that by the opening of this year’s hurricane season, it’s likely that the current El Niño will be over. A neutral state in the tropical Pacific would give us no reason to expect either an unusually active or inactive hurricane season, while a La Niña is typically associated with an active Atlantic and quiet eastern Pacific. All that said, the state of the tropical Pacific is only one of the factors that influence hurricanes, and seasonal hurricane forecasts are not particularly accurate this far ahead of time. But the way things look now, we can say that it’s not very likely that we’ll have as extreme a season in the central Pacific as we did in 2015, and the Atlantic stands at least some chance to become more active. And come January 2017, it’s very unlikely that we’ll have two hurricanes, as we did last week. _Adam H. Sobel, Professor , Columbia University_ _This article was originally published on The Conversation. Read the original article._ NOW WATCH: The weather forecast for 2016 is terrifying

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Migrants, refugees still flow to Greek islands' shores

CHIOS, Greece (AP) — Half buried in the fine yellow sand of one of this Greek island's most popular beaches lies one of the few signs of the drama that has played out over the past year: The remains of two torn and deflated dinghies by the water's edge.

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Automechanika Shanghai ensures position as premier Asian industry event after shattering records

Jan 21, 2016 Exhibitors elated with high-calibre buyers flooding the four-day event Visitors commend show as the must-attend exhibition for the industry Fringe programme is largest in history of show and shares comprehensive approach to automotive industry Deemed the world’s second largest Automechanika brand show, the 2015 edition of Automechanika Shanghai has once again shattered even more records for exhibitor and visitor attendance and fringe programme events. Held from 2 – 5 December 2015 at the National Exhibition & Convention Center (Shanghai), China, this year’s show continues the upward climb with a 23 percent increase in visitors and a 10 percent increase in exhibitors. The record-breaking figures for Automechanika Shanghai 2015 are as follows: • 5,395 exhibitors from 39 countries and regions attended representing a 10 percent increase on 2014. • 109,686 visitors from 140 countries and regions attended. The top 10 overseas visiting countries and regions were, in order of highest attendance first: Taiwan, Korea, Russia, Malaysia, Turkey, Iran, India, the United States, Japan and Thailand. • 280,000 sqm of exhibition space was required to accommodate the expansion covering 11 halls, representing a 27 percent increase on 2014. The 11th edition of Automechanika Shanghai was honoured to have Mr Wolfgang Marzin, President and Chief Executive Officer Messe Frankfurt GmbH, in attendance. He commented: “The growth of Automechanika Shanghai is astounding. It continues to grow in leaps and bounds and is testament to the strong development of not only the automotive industry in China and entire Asia, but also the high level of satisfaction experienced by the exhibitors and the buyers. The strong partnership between Messe Frankfurt (Shanghai) Co Ltd, the China National Automotive Industry International Corporation and 44 local and overseas supporters ensures not only professionalism, but also utilises the extensive international and local resources available through the vast network of the industry’s leading organisations and associations.” China National Machinery Industry Corporation’s Vice General Manager, Mr Ding Hongxiang conveyed considerable happiness with the results of the show. He commented: “The coordination between us is an ideal partnership and not only the melding of the two organisations but also the abundant supporters on the cutting edge of this industry, without which this show would not be possible. The professionalism and internationality of these organisations are beneficial to each prestigious association and company that joins the Automechanika Shanghai show.” Exhibitors elated with high-calibre buyers flooding the four-day event This year, five new countries joined Automechanika Shanghai – Ecuador, Finland, Israel, Liechtenstein and Morocco. This is a 16 percent increase from last year in the number of overseas exhibitors. Also 34 countries and regions returned this year – Argentina, Australia, Belgium, Brazil, Bulgaria, Canada, China, Denmark, France, Germany, Greece, Hong Kong, India, Indonesia, Iran, Italy, Japan, Korea, Malaysia, the Netherlands, Pakistan, Poland, Russia, Singapore, Slovakia, Spain, Switzerland, Taiwan, Thailand, Turkey, United Arab Emirates, United Kingdom, the United States and Vietnam. In addition, increased product categories were also included in this year’s show, drawing in even more global high-level buyers. The show serves the entirety of the industry chain of OE and aftermarket for the established sectors of Parts & Components, Repair & Maintenance, Accessories & Tuning, and the newly-added Electronics & Systems sector. Exhibitor Mr Pierre Touvier, General Manager Sales Asia & Eastern Europe with NTN – SNR of France, has been exhibiting at Automechanika Shanghai for four years. NTN – SNR exhibits at the show to expand the company’s customer base in China and to have a presence in the Chinese market. Mr Touvier said: “In the past, our company was not well-represented in Greater China. But thanks to the fair, we have gradually developed brand awareness within the region. Automechanika Shanghai is without a doubt our go-to platform to tap China’s auto aftermarket sector. We have come across a number of potential clients with great prospects and set up a few business meetings with a number of new clients, primarily distributors and agents within the auto aftermarket industry. We value high-quality customers from various regions and the show is able to meet our expectations. This is an event we cannot miss and will definitely be back again next year.” Several new brands joined Automechanika Shanghai this year realising the great potential of a vast network of industry organisational connections. Denso is one such brand newly exhibiting this year. Denso is a supplier of spare parts for vehicle manufacturers and knew the potential for increasing clientele during the show was tremendous. Mr Kyosuke Miura, General Manager, Aftermarket Sales Dept. of Denso (China) Investment Co Ltd Shanghai Branch said: “Automechanika Shanghai attracts many customers from around the world, including China, to come here to look for better products. Many buyers from different countries came to our booth and I think we’ve significantly promoted the goodwill of Denso. We’ve attended many exhibitions before, but in terms of exhibition scale and number of visitors, Automechanika Shanghai has a great advantage. I think it is a very good exhibition. China still has a large opportunity for growth in its car parts industry and the auto aftermarket has a great potential of development.” For over three years, garage equipment manufacturer Ravaglioli S.p.A of Italy has had a presence at Automechanika Shanghai. Ravaglioli S.p.A Sales Director Mr Ferdinando Moro said the company will continue to return to the show as they successfully promote their brand and products to the Chinese market and Asia Pacific region at the fair. He expressed: “We made connections with a significant number of domestic companies at the show this year who distribute to local workshops and garages. Not only did we generate a number of business leads among local Chinese distributors but also connected with potential buyers and distributors from the Middle East and Africa, particularly from Egypt, Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates, who all showed genuine interest in our products. We insist on participating in the show every year because it is known for drawing large numbers of professional buyers. We will not hesitate to come back again next year.” The sector that experienced the largest growth in Automechanika Shanghai this year was Accessories & Tuning. Returning exhibitor High-Tech (Shanghai) Trading Co Ltd, China’s official agent of Motul, which is the world famous engine oils and lubricants manufacturer, took advantage of Automechanika Shanghai to connect with distributors in the high-end market. Marketing Executive, Mr Win Wang said: “There are more visitors here than last year. Because of the many orders we received at the show last year we expanded our booth area to almost 200 square meters and we will keep attending this show in following years. We’ve met many regional distributors and agents who have rich industrial experience. We also met many overseas buyers from Africa, Morocco, the United States and Europe. We found the high-end products attracted more attention and can see the increasing demand of high-end products in the whole market. Automechanika Shanghai is the best way to promote our brand, expand new business and meet frequent clients.” Exceeding demand experienced at previous Automechanika Shanghai exhibitions produced the need for the new Electronics & Systems sector, which utilised over 40,000 sqm of exhibition space, approximately 15 percent of the total exhibition show space, housing 658 exhibitors at Automechanika Shanghai. Zhejiang Vie Science & Technology Co Ltd, General Manager, Mr Carl Yao was an exhibitor in the Electronics & Systems sector. His company, which has shifted its developing strategy to electronic control products due to the competitive market, got to know clients from developed countries whose businesses focus on OEM at Automechanika Shanghai. Mr Yao explained: “We brought our newly-launched high-end electric brakes such as EBS and ABS and subframe for passenger vehicles, which are our growth points in the future. We had quite a lot of visitors who came to our booth, especially many overseas buyers, most of them are highly professional. We met both new clients and frequent clients at the show. We also want to promote our new products and potential customer development. Automechanika Shanghai has gathered more professional visitors than the other industry fairs. It has become the biggest car parts and services trade fair throughout the Asia car aftermarket industry.” In addition to a new sector this year, Automechanika Shanghai welcomed two new pavilions from Israel and Russia for a total of 18 overseas pavilions, which also included France, Germany, Hong Kong, India, Italy, Japan, Korea, Malaysia, Pakistan, Poland, Singapore, Spain, Taiwan, Thailand, Turkey and the United States. Recognising the internationality and multi-faceted range of Automechanika Shanghai within the automotive aftermarket, as well as the rising popularity of New Energy technologies, Dr Lawrence Poon, Hong Kong Pavilion organiser and Principal Consultant of the Hong Kong Productivity Council (HKPC), said: “This is HKPC’s first year exhibiting and organising the New Energy Zone at Automechanika Shanghai. The fair is the most well-known and international platform in Asia for car parts, accessories and service. The exhibition results this year were outstanding. Through my interaction with the exhibitors, they all are very satisfied with the fair as it has generated large numbers of business leads. The synergy between exhibitors and visitors is high as many come to our booth for solutions. The fair has created unique partnerships and opportunities between different companies. In the coming edition, we hope to set up an even larger Hong Kong Pavilion at the fair.” Mr Jianjun Xie, Secretary General of the Remanufacture Committee of China Association of Automobile Manufacturers said: “Remanufacture and new energy are not only involved with products themselves, but a concept in the aftermarket industry and a project of recycling economy, and are sure to be an important part of the industry’s future development. Automechanika Shanghai is an influential trade fair in Asia.” Visitors commend show as the must-attend exhibition for the Asian market Automechanika Shanghai has become the must-attend event of the year within the automotive aftermarket sector. It is highly regarded among exhibitors and visitors for both Chinese and overseas business partnerships. The 2015 show expanded its efforts in including more local and overseas buyers and professional visitors’ groups from varying markets. Automan Director Mr Jan Wang was invited to attend Automechanika Shanghai as part of a professional buyer group and was primarily searching for the latest in the cutting-edge market of tools, equipment and accessories. He said: “We highly appreciated the organisation work of the Premium Buyers Club, I think it is a very good idea. We have over 600 members in our system and it’s really hard for us to gather together. Automechanika Shanghai provides us a valuable opportunity to get together and to discuss the industry issues face-to-face.” Chinese visitor, Mr Biao Tian, General Manager at Changsha Ench Service Co Ltd primarily handles sales and service for the global luxury cars such as Mercedes-Benz, BMW, Porsche, Land Rover, Toyota, etc and he and his clients found the internationality of the show very appealing. Mr Tian said: “I invited seven representatives from the biggest dealership groups in Hunan to Automechanika Shanghai, to learn, to understand, and to collect some industry-relevant information and the show impressed them very much. The degree of internationalisation here increases year by year; I see lots of international companies, especially German and Japanese enterprises. The show has increased in scale and the overall layout is more reasonable than previous editions. I think Automechanika Shanghai provides not only a procurement platform, but also a chance for us to realise cognitive advancement. This value is much higher than the actual purchases.” Visitors travel from all over the world to source at Automechanika Shanghai and experience the full scope of the Asian automotive aftermarket possibilities. Mr Mohamed Aly Mowena, Chairman, Mowena for Import & Export Co of Egypt, found the professionalism of exhibitors and the availability of quality products most impressive. He said: “I came to the show to source for European truck parts, components and air valves. The fair is excellent and this year I have made many business connections as there were many suppliers at the fair. For the first time, I have signed contracts with 4 – 5 companies onsite, marking my first time importing components from China. The fair is great and well established and I am particularly impressed with the number of professional and high-quality exhibitors. I really look forward to future editions of the fair.” Japanese visitor, Mr Takashi Akahoshi, Manager from Meiji Sangyo Company agreed, commenting: “I came to look for high-quality auto products to import to Japan, including sensors, hub bearings and motor components. Quality is very important to us and all products we source from China need to pass the US-grade quality inspection. I am happy to report that we have found 5 – 6 new business contacts. As always, the fair is great and even better with the new location. I will be back again next year.” Fringe programme is largest in history of show and shares comprehensive approach to automotive industry This year’s fringe programme for Automechanika Shanghai was the largest to date and a staggering success, with 53 exclusive events held over the 4-day show. That is an overwhelming increase of 40 percent from 2014. The fringe programme is an invaluable opportunity to experience beneficial educational, marketing and information exchange opportunities. The professionalism and high-level material continues to grow each year in the fringe programme. Not only were the event topics abundant and broad, but the attendees were plentiful, with many events overflowing with interested parties. The well-rounded fringe programme focused on auto parts supply chain, repair and maintenance chains, insurance, modification parts and technologies, new energy and remanufacturing. One of the spotlights was placed on the Summit: Merger and Acquisition Strategies for Chinese Automotive Corporations in the Overseas Markets, organised by Shanghai Anting Auto and Parts Export Base Development Co Ltd and Chamber of International Commerce Shanghai, and supported by Morning Whistle Group. Discussions were centred on case sharing of merger and acquisition in overseas markets by Chinese enterprises, as well as analysing global development strategies for Chinese brands. Many of the management executives of key local and international automotive leaders, financial institutes and consultancies were invited to offer profound insights at the Summit. Speaker, Mr Xuan YAN, President of Nielsen Great China commented: “Potential markets for Chinese enterprises are far beyond the BRIC countries. Enterprises have to take different crucial elements into account for mapping out their overseas plans” Other major functional and innovative events within the fringe programme this year included the Automotive Aftermarket Summit and the Autohaus China 4th International Dealer Summit. Several domestic and overseas organisations also utilise the Automechanika Shanghai platform to form strategic partnerships. Making the most of the emerging sector, New Energy Zone, within Automechanika Shanghai, the German Federal Association for eMobility (BEM) and Shanghai Zhida Technology Development Co Ltd performed a signing ceremony during the show to commemorate the official membership of the first Chinese company entering the Association. The support and recognition from these high-level associations and agencies has further underlined the show’s important role for the industry. Automechanika Shanghai is organised by Messe Frankfurt (Shanghai) Co Ltd and the China National Automotive Industry International Corporation (CNAICO). It is one of 15 Automechanika fairs held in Africa, Asia, Europe and North, Central and South America. The 2016 edition of the show will be held 30 November – 3 December 2016 at National Exhibition and Convention Center (Shanghai), China. - Distributed via http://www.AsiaToday.com Category:  Automotive Trade Show FeaturedNews:  Show in Featured News

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Twelve migrants drown trying to reach Europe from Turkey

Twelve bodies were found on Turkey's western coast and 26 people were rescued on Tuesday after a boat carrying migrants bound for Greece capsized, the Turkish coastguard said in a statement.  Responding to a distress signal sent in the early morning near Izmir, the coastguard found the bodies of at least five children according to Dogan News Agency. The coastguard said a helicopter and three boats were still searching for others. On Wednesday, Turkey's EU Minister Volkan Bozkir said the European Union must fulfil its promises as part of a deal struck at the end of November in which Turkey promised to help stem the flow of migrants to Europe in return for cash, visas and renewed talks on joining the European Union.

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Greek PM calls for solidarity & growth from Davos

Davos, January 21, 2016/ Independent Balkan News Agency By Zacharias Petrou Greek Prime Minister Alexis Tsipras sat on a the World Economic Forum panel on “The Future of Europe” along with French Prime Minister, Manuel Valls, Dutch Prime Minister, Mark Rutte, German Finance Minister, Wolfgang Schäuble and the chairwoman of Eni SpA, Emma Marcegaglia. The […]

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Greek doctors, sailors and farmers rally against pension reform

Thousands of doctors, lawyers and engineers have taken to the streets of Athens to decry new income cuts, with farmers blocking the roads across the country. The reform is a precondition for more international aid. The planned pension reform sparked ...

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Greece OKs Chinese buy into Athens port

Athens • Greece has approved an offer from China's Cosco group to buy a 67 percent stake in the country's largest port, a state privatization fund said Wednesday, in a process initially opposed by the left-wing government. The fund said it backed the ...

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12 Migrants Drown Near Turkey

A boat capsized in the water after heading towards the Greek islands

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Mass Protest against Greek Pensions Reform, lawyers hand their ties outside Parliament

Thousands of self-employed took to the streets of Athens on Thursday morning to protest the Greek Pension Reforms. Layers, doctors, engineers, pharmacists, notaries, accountants, young scientists and other self-employed professionals  move to downtown Athens to express their opposition against a s0-called Reform that will swallow up to 80% of their […]

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