Latest News from Greece
Facebook: “Call no man Father – even if he’s ordained!”
Last month, social media giant Facebook cracked down on the Christian clergy by demanding the removal of the title “Father” from user profile names. Facebook administrators showed a lack of understanding that priests are actually called Father when others refer to them in real life.
Greece cannot accept deal terms proposed by Juncker, says deputy minister
Greece cannot accept a cash-for-reform deal under the terms that European Commission President Jean-Claude Juncker was reported to have proposed on Wednesday to Prime Minister Alexis Tsipras, the country's Deputy Shipping Minister said.
Thodoris Dritsas said Athens would not "surrender" to demands by its international creditors in the negotiations.
It's all politics
By Costas Iordanidis
Athens said to be concerned over exclusion from TurkStream pipeline
As a spokesman for the TurkStream pipeline said Wednesday that construction of the Gazprom-backed project will start by the end of the month, diplomatic sources in Athens suggested the Greek government was concerned that Moscow was mulling alternative routes which could potentially exclude Greece from the plans.
Greek stalemate persists as crunch talks don't break impasse
By Jonathan Stearns & Ian Wishart
Another round of top-level talks failed to resolve the standoff between Greece and its international creditors as Prime Minister Alexis Tsipras rejected proposals that would unlock bailout funds necessary to avert a default.
Greek PM stands firm in “constructive” meeting with EC (video)
Greek Prime Minister Alexis Tsipras said that Greece was close to a deal with creditors after late-night talks on Wednesday night. Early on Thursday, he emerged confident that Greece would make the payment to the International Monetary Fund (IMF) on Friday despite earlier reports that this had been hanging in the balance.
Tsipras, lenders point to progress after talks but differences remain
After around five hours of talks in Brussels aimed at sealing an agreement with Greece's creditors, Prime Minister Alexis Tsipras told reporters early on Thursday that there had been progress, particularly vis-a-vis Greece's primary surplus targets, noting however that talks would continue over the "next days."
The land of Greece from prehistory to 2007 (Watch the video)
Combining sound and image immenseblue.gr has created a 10-minute video detailing the milestones in the prehistory of the land where Greece is located and the history of Hellenism up to 2007 (…not much positive occurred, on a national basis, since then)
Fuel products aside, exports are soaring
The increase in olive oil exports and the decline in exports of fuel products were the main factors that affected the course of external trade in the first quarter of the year, according to official data. There was also a significant shift in the main exporting products as well as the markets they head to.
Specific timetable to pen agreement on table in Juncker-Tsipras meeting
A specific timetable to achieve a long-sought agreement between Greece and its creditors will be the focus of this evening’s face-to-face talks in Brussels between EU Commission president Jean-Claude Juncker and Greek PM Alexis Tsipras.
A high-level Eurozone “source” noted that the procedure and timetable for a “compromise at the technical level” will be discussed.
Portion of Elliniko site to accommodate trash, says alternate finance minister
The prospects for one of Greece?s few privatization projects, the development of the old Athens Airport plot at Elliniko, appeared unclear Wednesday, after Alternate Finance Minister Nadia Valavani said a small portion of the plot would be set aside to create waste management facilities for four municipalities.
Two graft convicts released as Stamati waits [Update]
An Athens court on Wednesday ordered the conditional release of Dinos Michaelides, a former Cypriot minister jailed in February in connection with a money-laundering scheme centered around Greece?s ex-Defense Minister Akis Tsochatzopoulos, currently appealing his own conviction.
Tsipras, Juncker meet in bid to break deadlock
Prime Minister Alexis Tsipras and European Commission President Jean-Claude Juncker held high-stakes talks in Brussels on Wednesday where the Greek premier was expected to defend his proposal for a deal with creditors aimed at restoring crucial liquidity to the debt-racked country while creditors push a rival proposal that contains tough measures.
Almost 1 bln euros left Greek bank accounts last Friday
Greek bank deposit outflows surged about fourfold over daily levels to nearly 1 billion euros last Friday on fears of capital controls, two bankers told Reuters on Wednesday, underscoring the increasingly precarious state of the country?s banking system.