Levy

One of the most prominent figures of the French intelligentsia for a good four decades, French philosopher Bernard-Henri Levy will be in Athens to stage his work "Looking for Europe" - a monologue about the future of the European idea which is threatened by the rise of nationalism - at the Pallas Theater on Monday, April 1, at 8 p.m..

Greece's left-led government will reconsider a controversial decision to impose a one-off 2 percent levy on electronic appliances such as smartphones, tablets and computers, Digital Policy Minister Nikos Pappas has said.

The levy,  included in an amendment tabled in Parliament Tuesday, is in favor of copyright holders.

The hi-tech market's worst fears proved true on Tuesday, as the government tabled an amendment in Parliament which foresees the imposition of a one-off 2 percent levy on electronic appliances, such as smartphones, tablets and computers, in favor of copyright holders.

The Finance Ministry on Thursday issued details on how the stayover tax is applied and who will have to pay it.

The tax, which was introduced in January, is a new levy that undermines the competitiveness of Greek tourism, which has been the driving force behind the country's moderate growth in recent quarters.

Smartphone buyers may soon have to pay the third-party levy that already applies to computers and tablets, as a bill by the Culture Ministry that became law last week has left the levy open for smartphones instead of exempting them. While the European Commission is probing this new charge, the association of apps producers is calling for the law's annulment.

The European Commission is probing the 2 percent levy the government has imposed on computers and tablets. The new tax is imposed in favor of copyright holders, with the government reintroducing the law that had been abolished in 2002.

French philosopher Bernard-Henri Levy said an incident in Belgrade, when he was hit in the face with a cake, was a picture of the "pressures, insults and intimidation" that democrats in Serbia face every day.

French philosopher Bernard-Henri Levy was hit in the face with a cake late on Wednesday, during the screening of his film Peshmerga at the BELDOCS festival.

The incident happened moments after he started addressing the audience in Belgrade's Cultural Center.

Representatives of Greece's international creditors were expected to leave the capital on Friday without having reached an agreement with government officials on contentious issues including pension reform and overhauls to labor rights and the tax system.

"Israel has right to peaceful life of its citizens"

BELGRADE -- Serbia respects the right of the state of Israel to existence and a peaceful life of its citizens, Serbian Prime Minister Aleksandar Vučić said on Wednesday.

He made a comment during a meeting with Israeli Ambassador in Belgrade Yossef Levy.