Latest News from Greece
Greece still not out of the woods
Greece is the laggard in a list of the eurozone countries ranked according to their economic strength by the European Stability Mechanism (ESM).
Ankara issues another NAVTEX, putting Athens on heightened alert
As the trilateral naval exercise Noble Dina 2017, with the participation of Greece, the US and Israel, came to a close Thursday afternoon with a ceremony at the Israeli Navy headquarters in Haifa, Greek military authorities were put on heightened alert after Turkey issued another navigational telex (navtex) saying that one of its research vessels will conduct "scientific exploration" on Friday
Tsipras confident of deal at Eurogroup, lenders less so
Friday's Eurogroup in Malta is expected to reveal whether there will be a breakthrough in Greece's months-long bailout talks with creditors or a renewed period of ominous uncertainty will be ushered in.
Greek PM promises rent subsidies
Greek PM Alexis Tsipras presented some of his party’s plans to boost employment and support young people, during his address of SYRIZA’s 1st Youth Conference, Thursday night. Mr. Tsipras outlined a plan that included rent subsidies, the utilisation of public buildings to house young people, as well as the creation of “tens, hundreds” of child care centres to support young couples.
Reuters: Greece’s dark age: how austerity turned off the lights
Reuters news agency writes of the devastating impact harsh austerity measures have had on the lives of everyday Greeks, as four in ten citizens have had their electricity cut off due to their inability to cover their bills.
Unemployment rate unchanged in January
Greece's jobless rate remained unchanged at 23.5 percent in January from the previous month, statistics agency ELSTAT said on Thursday.
December's reading was upwardly revised to 23.5 percent.
The number of officially unemployed reached 1.1 million people.
Turkish President Erdogan to pray at Hagia Sofia on Good Friday (video)
Just a day after Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan bragged about the defeat of the Greeks by the Turkish army in 1923 in Asia Minor, a book authored by a pro-Erdogan historian and claiming the transformation of the Orthodox Christian Cathedral Hagia Sofia into a museum in 1935 was the result of American diplomats to prevent the historic Church from being turned into a Mosque and did not ta
ECB keeps Greek ELA ceiling at 46.6 bln euros
The European Central Bank maintained the cap on emergency liquidity assistance (ELA) Greek banks draw from the domestic central bank at 46.6 billion euros, the Bank of Greece said on Thursday.
The move reflected liquidity conditions in Greece's banking system, taking into account private sector deposit flows, it said.
The ELA ceiling is valid up to April 27.
Greece seeks adviser for OTE stake sale
Greece is seeking a financial adviser for the sale of a 5 percent stake in its biggest telecoms operator OTE, its privatization agency (TAIPED) said on Thursday.
The sale is a condition of Greece's international bailout.
OTE, a former national monopoly, is now 40 percent owned and managed by Germany's Deutsche Telekom.
[Reuters]
Documenta art exhibition opens in Athens this weekend
Documenta, one of Europe's most important modern art exhibitions, opens in Athens on Saturday, the first time in its history it is being held outside the German city of Kassel.
Turkish F-16s violate Greek airspace 5 times
Turkey is continuing its belligerent stance towards Greece, as two more Turkish F-16 fighter jets and a military helicopter violated Greek airspace on five occasions. The Turkish aircraft were armed during their flights into Greek airspace and two engaged in dogfights with Greek F-16 fighters. Two infringements of the Athens FIR were also recorded on Thursday.
Kotzias, Johnson meet in Athens
Greek Foreign Minister Nikos Kotzias and British Foreign Secretary Boris Johnson fix their ties before posing to photographers at the Foreign Ministry in Athens, Thursday. Talks between the two men focused on the latest United Nations-mediated drive for reunifying Cyprus and on increasing concerns about Turkey, sources indicated.
Greece among top choices for American travelers
Greece is ranked 11th in the preferences of American travelers as a tourist destination, according to online platform “TripHobo”. The data was collected based on the choices of 700,000 users and revealed that American holidaymakers picked Greece as one of their most popular choices over the last six months. Canada took first spot, followed by Mexico, Italy and Britain.
Tsipras hails tunnel opening as proof of Greek recovery
Prime Minister Alexis Tsipras attended the inauguration ceremony of the newly developed tunnel at Tempi in central Greece on Thursday and hailed the completion of the project as a symbol of the country's ability to stand on its own two feet and succeed.
Merkel to Tsipras: I am working for a solution on Greek matter at Malta Eurogroup
German Chancellor Angela Merkel reportedly reassured Greek PM Alexis Tsipras that she would push for a technical staff level agreement between Greece and its creditors, according to Greek government sources. The two leaders spoke Wednesday over the phone following Mr.