News archive of September 2016

Greeks cut back on vacations in 2015 in response to increased tax and other obligations, a trend that has continued into this year. The biggest reduction, according to figures released by the Hellenic Statistical Authority (ELSTAT), concerns those aged 25-44.

Ermou Street appears to be staging a comeback as the main attraction for shoppers in central Athens, with chains such as Funky Buddha, American Eagle, Tezenis, H&M, Moytzi, Pandora, Lynne and Folli-Follie opening stores there.

In January a new Goody's Burger House will open on nearby Filellinon Street, while American firm Forever 21 is about to open its first store on Ermou.

September deducted 2.05 percent from the value of the Greek bourse's benchmark as Friday was another day of decline for the majority of blue chips.

Law enforcement authorities are raising the alarm as the number of robberies across the country has risen significantly in the first half of 2016 compared to last year, according to police data.

A total of 2,456 robberies were recorded in the period stretching from January to June, compared to 2,203 incidents in the same period last year.

Greek authorities face a range of problems in dealing with the refugee crisis, Immigration Policy Minister Yiannis Mouzalas admitted in comments to Parliament on Friday while calling on opposition parties to back the government's efforts to tackle the crisis.

Prime Minister Alexis Tsipras has described Thursday's comments by Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan that expressed regret over the Lausanne Treaty, signed in 1923, as "dangerous."

BELGRADE - There can be no referendum in Serbia's Vojvodina province as those who are proposing a referendum do not have the majority for the decision to call one, Serbian FM Ivica Dacic said Friday.

Greece is likely to meet by next week the conditions for the release of a 2.8-billion-euro loan from the eurozone, concluding a first phase of an aid and reform plan agreed with international lenders, senior eurozone officials said on Friday.

The Greek and international banking systems are "safe" and tools are in place to protect them from any impact from the crisis engulfing Deutsche Bank, Greek central bank chief Yannis Stournaras said on Friday.

Cyprus recorded its best ever monthly revenues from tourism in July, scooping more than 400 million euros, official data showed on Friday.

"It is the best month for tourism income ever recorded by the statistical service," said an official statement.