Greek extremist Christodoulos Xiros threatens government

20 January 2014 Last updated at 16:28 GMT

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-europe-25811535

BBC

A Greek fugitive who disappeared while on prison leave has threatened the government with armed action, accusing it of ruining the country with austerity measures.

Christodoulos Xiros, who was convicted in 2003 of belonging to the far-left November 17 organisation, has vowed to return to arms.

He was serving six life sentences for bombings and shootings.

He vanished in January while on leave from prison to visit his family.

Can Privatization Save the Treasures of Ancient Greece?

Greece

TIME

By Charlotte McDonald-Gibson/Ancient Nemea Jan. 18, 2014

In the wake of government austerity, some closest to Greece's treasures are advocating turning them over to private companies

Many objects dug from the earth or drawn from the legends of Nemea could be used to promote the ancient Greek site: the mythological Nemean Lion slain by Hercules in the first of his seven feats; weights lifted by competitors during its ancient athletics; the bronze statue of the baby Opheltes, whose death is said to have inspired the games which rivaled those at Olympia further west.

Greece’s Bond Plans May Be Wishful Thinking

January 16, 2014, 9:12 AM ET

ByEmese Bartha

The Wall Street Journal

Greece wants to make a new start.

Boasting its first primary budget surplus in a decade, the country at the center of the European debt crisis wants to sell government bonds–possibly in the second half of the year–for the first time since the spring of 2010.

Various high-ranking Greek officials have expressed their wish to bring the country back to the debt markets. Most recently, finance minister Yannis Stournaras spoke about this at a briefing with foreign journalists who visited Athens last week as Greece took over the European Union’s helm.

Canada's Eldorado does not see Perama approved before elections

Thu, Jan 16 2014

(Reuters) - Eldorado Gold Corp's Perama Hill project in Greece is not likely to be approved before local elections scheduled for mid-year, the gold miner said on Thursday.

The last time the Vancouver-based company gave an estimate for the project's environmental impact assessment, their timetable was the second half of 2013.

Insight: Gold mine stirs hope and anger in shattered Greece

Mon, Jan 13 2014

By Deepa Babington and Lefteris Papadimas

OURANOUPOLI, Greece (Reuters) - A Canadian quest to mine for gold in the lush forests of northern Greece is testing the government's resolve to prove Europe's most ravaged economy is open again for business.

The Skouries mine on Halkidiki peninsula - a landscape of pristine beaches and rolling hills dotted with olive groves - is among the biggest investments in Greece since it sank into a debt crisis four years ago.

But it has set Greece's desperate need for finance to rebuild the economy against the interests of its vital tourism industry, and aroused anger on the peninsula - site of the famed Mount Athos monasteries - over the environmental cost.

Greece Takes EU Helm, Still Focused on Self

Six-Month Presidency Could be Overshadowed by Demands of Bailout

By MATINA STEVIS

Updated Jan. 9, 2014 2:26 p.m. ET

Greece's turn at the helm of the European Union, a largely administrative role that rotates every six months, could find itself overshadowed by something close to home: Greece's own bailout.

According to EU etiquette, the country holding the presidency is expected to leave aside its national agenda and focus on managing legislative drafts and negotiations, wearing a neutral, EU hat. That option isn't available to Athens.

Greece Dreams of Bond Sale in Rally From Ireland to Portugal

By Neal Armstrong and David Goodman - Jan 9, 2014

Europe’s financial markets are picking up where they left off 2013, extending a rally in bonds and stocks that’s making the region’s sovereign debt crisis little more than a fading memory.

Ireland sold bonds this week, returning to financial markets after completing a three-year bailout program. Portugal -- another aid recipient -- is holding a sale today. Banks in Spain and other periphery countries have never been able to borrow as cheaply as they can now. The Stoxx Europe 600 Index of stocks closed at its highest level since May 2008 yesterday and the euro is about its strongest since 2011 against the dollar.

Greek Police Hunt for Convicted Terrorist Who Disappeared on Furlough

January 7, 2014

The New York Times

By NIKI KITSANTONIS

ATHENS — The Greek authorities on Tuesday began a nationwide search for a convicted member of the dismantled November 17 group, once the country’s deadliest guerrilla organization, after he failed to report to the police during a prison furlough, fueling fears of a resurgence of political violence.

Greece to overhaul defense buying after scandal

BY HARRY PAPACHRISTOU

ATHENS Fri Jan 3, 2014 12:15pm EST

(Reuters) - Greece will overhaul arms procurement to make it more transparent, Defense Minister Dimitris Avramopoulos said on Friday, after a wide-ranging corruption inquiry led to the arrest of a former defense official and two arms dealers.

Heavy arms spending was one of the reasons Athens piled up debt and had to be rescued with European Union and IMF bailouts totaling 240 billion euros ($328 billion) in 2010 and 2012.

These were accompanied by strict conditions that have increased poverty and unemployment, so the scandal has touched a raw nerve with many Greeks.

GREECE - Factors to Watch on January 3

Fri Jan 3, 2014 8:44am GMT

ATHENS, Jan 3 (Reuters) - Here are news stories, press

reports and events, which may affect Greek financial markets on

Friday:

   

    EUROBANK PROPERTIES BUYS COMMERCIAL REAL ESTATE IN ATHENS,

THESSALONIKI

Can Greece repair its reputation?

Is Greece, the country that nearly brought Europe to its knees, fit to take over the EU presidency?

By Colin Freeman7:49PM GMT 02 Jan 2014

The Guardian

Brussels bureaucrats are not known for their humorous side, nor indeed are German politicians or Eurozone finance chiefs. But anyone wandering through Syntagma Square in Athens these days could be forgiven for thinking that someone in the EU hierarchy clearly has a sense of mischief.

In recent weeks, after five years as a battleground between Greek police and anti-austerity protesters, the square has been undergoing repairs to its marble. The refurb marks not the end of Greece’s austerity years – far from it – but the start of what many might otherwise assume was a drunken New Year’s prank by someone in Brussels’ protocol and scheduling department.

Greece takes charge of the European Union

For the next six months, Greece holds the presidency of the European Union. The country is virtually bankrupt, and has been bailed out several times by the EU. Now it's in charge of the EU's daily agenda.

Greece is still in serious economic crisis. Unemployment is at a record high of 27 percent. Taxes are rising, and public spending is down. The country is hundreds of billions of euros in debt. Konstantinos Karagkounis, a member of the Greek parliament, describes the situation as a "humanitarian catastrophe," and the situation is improving only very slowly.

More than 2,000 sign up to redundancy plan at Greece's NBG-source

ATHENS Mon Dec 30, 2013 2:46pm EST

Dec 30 (Reuters) - More than 2,000 people have signed up for a voluntary redundancy scheme at Greece's biggest lender, National Bank (NBG), aimed at shedding about 15 percent of its workforce to cut costs, an NBG official told Reuters on Monday.

Hammered by Greece's six-year recession, the country's four major lenders had billions pumped into them to prop them up after a sovereign debt restructuring last year and rising bad loans and are now restructuring to trim their cost base.

Greece: Former minister sentenced to 4-year suspended imprisonment

30/12 13:09 CET

Former Transport Minister Michalis Liapis was sentenced to four year suspended imprisonment, redeemable for 50 euros a day, after being arrested for driving an uninsured vehicle with fake number plates.

Greece Struggles to Outlaw Its Golden Dawn Fascist Party

Conservative Government Mounts Risky Effort to Declare Group a Criminal Organization

By MARCUS WALKER and MARIANNA KAKAOUNAKI

Updated Dec. 4, 2013 11:37 p.m. ET
The Wall Street Journal

PIRAEUS, Greece—At a dark crossroads here in September, Greek police kept a safe distance while black-clad activists from the fascist movement Golden Dawn chased and attacked Pavlos Fyssas, a 34-year-old rapper.

The police had long been in the habit of standing by while Golden Dawn's paramilitary squads rolled into action, mirroring the hesitance of Greece's political leadership to deal with the growing movement's muscle. Only after a Golden Dawn member fatally stabbed the rapper did police officers make an arrest, according to 15 police and witness depositions.

Where Is the Rule of the Troika Leading Greece?

Posted: 12/23/2013 10:06 am

Constantine TzanosNuclear engineer, PhD

The Huffington Post

Since 2010, Greece is under the rule of the Troika (IMF, European Commission [EC] , European Central Bank [ECB]), which rules under the terms of the Memorandum of Understanding (MoU), a document expounding what is expected to be executed by the Greek government.

The life and the future of eleven million people hang from the policies of the Troika, which are dominated by the German dictates of a severely punitive austerity characterized by deep cuts in wages and pensions and heavy taxation of individuals and businesses.

Glimmers of hope for Greek future

23 December 2013 Last updated at 00:56 GMT

By Mark Lowen

BBC News, Athens

With predictions of growth in 2014 and unemployment down slightly, there is a feeling of optimism from the government in Athens - but Greeks say they know there are still difficult days ahead.

They come just before sunset - those magical few minutes in which Athens bathes in a deep purple glow.

It is a light I have never seen anywhere else. I often wait for it, looking out at the late afternoon sun.

It sets behind the Acropolis, where the ancient Gods were worshipped, glinting onto the Aegean nearby. Rays dance across the mountains.

How Real Is Greece's Oil And Gas Future?

Forbes

If you’ve been watching Greece’s recent energy push lately, it’s been difficult not to get too excited about the country’s potential. From political commentators to Prime Minister Antonis Samaras himself, the message has been enthusiastic and clear – Greece is home to billions of barrels of oil, trillions of cubic meters of gas and most importantly for a country saddled with the longest recession in modern history, billions in potential revenue.

Greek Parliament Approves 2014 Budget

Move Comes As the County and Bailout Creditors Are at Odds Over Budget Cuts for Next Year

The Wall Street Journal

Greece's parliament early Sunday morning approved the government's 2014 budget, ahead of an important meeting of eurozone finance ministers next week and despite not having agreed with bailout creditors over further cutbacks needed for next year.

By Nektaria Stamouli

ATHENS—Greece’s parliament early Sunday morning approved the government’s 2014 budget, ahead of an important meeting of eurozone finance ministers next week and despite not having agreed with its bailout creditors over further cutbacks needed for next year.

Strikes in Greece

The Economist

University staff have been on strike for 13 weeks without an end in sight

Dec 7th 2013 | ATHENS |

WHAT a difference a crisis can make. The same Greek students who used to stage months-long sit-ins to press for a bigger say in running university affairs are now desperate to get back to studying. A strike by administrative staff has shut Athens University and the Athens polytechnic, the country’s best higher-education institutions, for 13 weeks. New undergraduates have been unable to register for courses, let alone attend classes. Striking administrators have locked lecture halls, libraries and laboratories and kept the keys. “We’ve effectively lost the first semester of this academic year…so dozens of my students won’t be able to take their degrees on time,” says a frustrated law professor.