Latest News from Greece
IOM: More Than 49,000 Migrants are Arriving in Europe, Using the Mediterranean Sea
The International Organization for Migration (IOM) has announced that the total number of migrants arriving in Europe, using the Mediterranean Sea since the beginning of 2017 is more than 49,000, BGNES reported.
Neue Zürcher Zeitung points to prospects for another record-setting tourism season in Greece for 2017
“Greeks are hoping for a super summer”, is the headline of the German-language Swiss daily Neue Zürcher Zeitung this week, which cited last year’s record-setting figure of 27.5 million tourists in the country and forecasts for even a 30-million-visitor record for 2017.
Ten pct tax on pay TV stopped sector's growth in its tracks
The special tax on pay-TV services introduced last year has damaged what had been one of the country's few flourishing sectors, to the extent that growth in Greece's pay-TV market ground to a virtual halt in 2016, posting a negligible increase of 0.2 percent over the 2015 level.
FM to brief parties on Greek energy plans in Eastern Mediterranean
The National Council on Foreign Policy will convene on Wednesday for a briefing by Foreign Minister Nikos Kotzias and Energy Minister Giorgos Stathakis on Greece's energy plans in the Eastern Mediterranean in light of the recent developments in the region.
EBRD funds to Greece to reach 2 bln euros in 2018
The European Bank for Reconstruction and Development expects its financing in Greece to keep growing and to reach the 2-billion-euro mark by 2018, one of its top officials said on Tuesday.
Sports Digest: Marinakis speaks of '10 Nottinghams'
SOCCER: In a statement that will not go down well with English Championship club Nottingham Forest's supporters, Olympiakos owner Vangelis Marinakis assured the Olympiakos fans on Sunday - upon celebrating his team's seventh consecutive league title in Greece - that "even if I buy 10 Nottinghams, Olympiakos is above everything. There will soon be an announcement.
Giannis and Kostas Antetokounmpo train in Athens gym (photo)
The NBA season might be over for Giannis Antetokounmpo, but the “Greek Freak” is not missing a beat, as he hit the gym during his stay in Greece. Giannis and his younger brother Kostas trained together. The NBA star and Kostas, who many believe, including Giannis, will grow up to be better than the Greek Freak visited a gym in Maroussi, Athens to shoot some hoops.
Turkey issues NAVTEX blockading Greek island of Kastellorizo!
Tensions between Greece and Turkey are rising after the latter issued an international warning Navigational Telex signal (NAVTEX) effectively blockading access around the Greek island of Kastellorizo. Military sources in Athens note that the Navtex signal has completely encircled the Greek isle, which is located only 2km off the western coast of Turkey.
Albanian Bear Cub Starts New Life in Bulgaria
Dancing Bears Park Belitsa, a sanctuary in south-west Bulgaria for the rehabilitation of mistreated bears, has announced that its first Albanian resident arrived successfully from Tirana on May 4.
Tsipras: Greek debt relief deal 'closer than ever'
Greece is "closer than ever" to reaching a deal with its international lenders that will help ease its debt mountain, Prime Minister Alexis Tsipras said on Tuesday.
"We are closer than ever to a substantial solution on debt relief and the solution has to do mainly with our lenders' clear obligation," Tsipras told reporters. "Τhe ball is no longer in our court."
Mitsotakis slams gov't for setting Greece on 'disastrous path'
Opposition leader Kyriakos Mitsotakis on Tuesday attacked Greece's left-led government for signing up to a fourth bailout agreement with creditors without securing any funding.
Full text of draft preliminary agreement between Greece, creditors
The full text of the draft preliminary agreement between Greece and its creditors has been obtained by German finance newspaper Handelsblatt.
The 53-page document lists all 140 prior actions that the Greek government must carry out by the May 22 Eurogroup meeting.
The full document can be seen by opening the PDF file below.
A defining victory?
The victory of centrist Emmanuel Macron in France's presidential election, in which he beat far-right candidate Marine Le Pen by a particularly wide margin, is a very positive development on a number of fronts.
Fosun eyes vacation packages for Chinese tourists in Greece, report says
Fosun International Ltd., China's largest private conglomerate, wants to use its stake in UK-listed tour operator Thomas Cook Group to offer vacation packages in Greece tailored to the needs and preferences of the Chinese market, Senior Vice President Jim Jiannong Qian has told Bloomberg.
The final Greece-creditors agreement: Primary Surplus 3,5% from 2019 until 2022 (read full MoU)
The German newspaper Handelsblatt has published the full agreement between Greece and the creditors. In the 53 pages of the final text the most important elements are:
– An up to 18% cut in the pensions from 1/1/2019, with the average reduction being 9%. This means that the losses for the pensioners will be starting from around 300 Euros.