News archive of January 2019

From left to right Prime Minister of Malta Joseph Muscat, Greek Prime Minister Alexis Tsipras, French President Emanuel Macron, Greek Cypriot President Nicos Anastasiades, Italian Prime Minister Giuseppe Conte, and Portuguese Prime Minister Antonio Costa attend a south EU summit in Nicosia, Cyprus on Jan. 29.

Archaeological excavations near the village of Topola, allegedly the oldest necropolis in the Balkans, will not start this year, Kavarna Mayor Nina Stavreva told Focus Radio. She explained that at present the municipality was focused on two other historical sites - the Kaliakra Archaeological Reserve and the Prehistoric, Antiquity and Medieval Settlement in the Chirakman area.

Threats growing from the use of drones and unmanned aerial vehicles (UAV) for spying and eavesdropping purposes have rapidly increased the demand for anti-drone jammer systems, with Turkish defense firm ASELSAN commencing research to develop such technology.

Greek retail sales by volume rose 3.2 percent in November compared to the same month last year after an upwardly revised 4.1 percent drop in October, statistics service ELSTAT said on Thursday.

Retail sales were led higher by books and stationery.

The Panhellenic Association of Paramedics has announced a five-hour work stoppage (10:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m.) on Friday to protest over their right to a special 10-day leave, which is granted to other hospital employees.

The national union of public hospital workers (POEDIN) said it is supporting the labor action and called for a protest rally outside the Health Ministry at 12.30 p.m. 

President Klaus Iohannis said Thursday that Romania is committed to spending 2 percent of GDP on defence and is ready to carry out the army's endowment programs, but said that, not having enough the exercise of wide-scale strategic endowment programs, things move somewhat slower.

Italian non-performing loan management company Cerved Group said on Thursday it had agreed to buy the property services arm of Greek lender Eurobank for up to 13 million euros ($15 million).

The car of Koridor 10 company director Zoran Babic was involved, and is among one of the five injured. Babic is receiving help in Nis for open fractures.

None of the injured persons are in danger of dying.

The three cars collided for as of this moment unknown reason near the toll booth on the Nis-Leskovac highway near Doljevac.

Internal discussions over the selection process of mayoral candidates are just a result of democracy and not a reflection of an in-house chaos, the leader of the main opposition party has said, criticizing President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan for distancing himself and Turkey away from democracy.

A 17-year-old Turkish boy living in London was fatally stabbed to death with a "Rambo knife" for refusing to give up his bike in the Islington borough late Jan. 29.