UPDATE 1-Greece pushes for austerity deal as time runs short

Tue Oct 2, 2012 3:22pm EDT

By Renee Maltezou

Oct 2 (Reuters) - Greece held a new round of talks with foreign lenders to bridge differences over 2 billion euros of disputed austerity cuts on Tuesday, with time running short to clinch a deal before a meeting of euro zone ministers next week.

Mitt Romney's Terrible Wall Street Journal Op-Ed

It's official: The Republican nominee has no new ideas for the Middle East.

From http://www.foreignpolicy.com

Greece to stay in recession for 6th year, 2013 draft budget shows

The Washington Post

By Associated Press, Published: October 1

ATHENS, Greece — Greece’s brutal recession is set to extend into a sixth year in 2013, when the economy will contract by another 3.8 percent, according to forecasts in the draft budget submitted to Parliament on Monday.

Global Factory Weakness Spreads as Debt Crisis Persists

By Simone Meier and Michelle Jamrisko on October 01, 2012 

From Bloomberg Buisinessweek

 (Corrects euro-area unemployment rate in third paragraph.) For more on Europe’s debt crisis, see TOP CRIS.)

Manufacturing from Europe to China contracted in September as the euro region’s fiscal crisis eroded investor confidence and clouded global growth prospects.

Greek Economy to Shrink More Than Expected Next Year

By STELIOS BOURAS

The Wall Street Journal

ATHENS—Greece's economy will contract more than projected in 2013, its sixth year of recession, under the weight of the next round of austerity measures demanded by international creditors, according to a draft budget the government will submit to parliament Monday, two senior officials said.

Μίσος σε φόντο σκοτεινό

20/09/2012

http://www.protagon.gr/?i=protagon.el.8emata&id=18346

του Γ. Σιδέρη

Ήταν δραματική η περιγραφή του αντισυμβατικού βουλευτή, ενός από τα δύο μικρότερα κόμματα τα οποία στηρίζουν την κυβέρνηση Σαμαρά. Βρέθηκε σε μπαράκι, στέκι από τα παλιά, με δυο φίλους, τους οποίους γνώριζε τουλάχιστον από εικοσαετίας.

Syrian children speak of beatings, burnings, electric shocks

(Reuters) - Khalid, 15, said he was hung by his arms from the ceiling of his own school building in Syria and beaten senseless. Wael said he saw a 6-year-old starved and beaten to death, "tortured more than anyone else in the room".

Exclusive: IMF, EU clash over Greece's bailout prospects

By Dina Kyriakidou and Lesley Wroughton

ATHENS/WASHINGTON | Wed Sep 26, 2012 5:48pm EDT

A Fragile Euro System Still Needs a Genuine Banking Union

By the Editors Sep 24, 2012 1:30 AM GMT+0300

Bloomberg

As recently as a couple of weeks ago, it seemed that Europe’s governments had reached agreement on the need for a banking union. This consensus, if it ever existed, is unraveling, and that’s dangerous.

Greece May Seek ECB Debt Rollover to Plug Financing Gap

Published: Tuesday, 25 Sep 2012 | 6:33 AM ET

From http://www.cnbc.com

Greece may seek a rollover of its bonds held by the European Central Bank or try to raise additional short-term debt to plug a possible financing gap in the coming years, a deputy finance minister said in a document released on Tuesday.

Berlin Seeks to Push Back New Euro-Crisis Aid Requests

The Wall Street Journal

By MARCUS WALKER

BERLIN—Progress on two of the euro zone's most pressing concerns—containing the crises in Greece and Spain—faces holdups up in Germany, where Chancellor Angela Merkel is reluctant to ask parliament to vote on measures that are likely to raise fierce opposition from within her own coalition.

Greece Looks for More Budget Cuts

September 20, 2012, 10:37 AM

The Wall Street Journal

By Alkman Granitsas

As Greece’s coalition leaders meet Thursday on what is likely to be their penultimate meeting before signing off on billions of euros worth of budget cuts demanded by the troika (another meeting may come Sunday), the countdown clock is ticking loudly in Athens.

Μια αλήθεια για την αγορά από τον κ. Tσίπρα

17/09/2012

Από τον ιστότοπο www.protagon.gr

Χτες στη Θεσσαλονίκη ο Αλέξης Τσίπρας είπε μια μεγάλη αλήθεια: Όταν τον ρώτησαν για τα παράνομα και αδήλωτα ιδιαίτερα μαθήματα που κάνουν οι εκπαιδευτικοί του δημόσιου σχολείου, απάντησε: "Οταν τον εξαθλιώνεις πρέπει να βρει έναν τρόπο να ζήσει."

Germany's big worry: China, not Greece

By Michael Stott

BERLIN | Wed Sep 19, 2012 1:18am EDT

(Reuters) - Berlin, not Brussels, will decide the future of the ailing eurozone because Germany's economic power and its status as the European Union's main paymaster give it an effective veto over key decisions.

The blasphemy law in Pakistan

Contemptuous

For once, the government pushes back on intolerance

Sep 8th 2012 | ISLAMABAD | from the print edition

The Economist

Edito 404

Του Φώτη Γεωργελέ, από τον ιστότοπο athensvoice.gr

Νύχτα, το αυτοκίνητο παίρνει αργά τις στροφές στο σκοτεινό δρόμο. Μέσα στο αμάξι, τσακωνόμαστε. Θέμα, το αγαπημένο των διακοπών. Οι αποδείξεις. Πάλι δεν μας έδωσαν, πάλι ακούσαμε το αντιμνημονιακό ποίημα.

Greece's budget gap narrows in January-August, but revenues off track

11 SEP, 2012, 05.57PM IST, REUTERS

Economic Times

ATHENS: Greece's budget deficit narrowed by 34 per cent year-on-year between January and August, helped by cuts in public spending and investment, the finance ministry said on Tuesday.

Greece's lenders object to parts of its austerity plan

By Lefteris Papadimas

ATHENS | Sun Sep 9, 2012 4:24pm EDT

(Reuters) - Greece's foreign lenders have rejected parts of a nearly 12-billion-euro austerity package prepared by the government, Greek officials said on Sunday as the two sides resumed talks after a month-long hiatus.

Αλέξης Τσίπρας: Μας οδηγείτε σε κατάσταση χειρότερη από την Αργεντινή

 (Σημ. του blog. Το άρθρο είναι από την εφημερίδα ΑΥΓΗ. Είναι η επίσημη εφημερίδα του ΣΥΡΙΖΑ. Η φράση του κ. Τσίπρα έγινε αφορμή για καταγγελίες για «διαστρέβλωση» των όσων είπε. Στο άρθρο θα βρείτε την εκδοχή της δήλωσης που, κατά τεκμήριο υποστηρίζει την επίσημη άποψη του κόμματος. Δεν θα βρείτε πουθενά την διατύπωση του τίτλου του άρθρου … Μας οδηγείτε σε κατάσταση χειρότερη από την Αργεντινή… γιατί απλούστατα ποτέ δεν διατύπωσε ο κ. Τσίπρας μια τέτοια άποψη. Οι οπαδοί του κ. Τσίπρα, φυσικά, είναι ελεύθεροι να πιστεύουν ότι μπορεί να μην το είπε αλλά σίγουρα το εννοούσε…Θα βρείτε όμως το περίφημο …Μακάρι να είχαμε γίνει Αργεντινή… γιατί απλούστατα αυτό είπε! Τα σχόλια είναι  ευπρόσδεκτα!)

Is Grexit the new Y2K?

From http://www.mindfulmoney.co.uk

At first glance it seems that a 50 page plus academic paper from the University of Chicago -Booth School of Business - is a statement of the obvious. Tax evasion is rife in Greece and it is led by doctors, engineers, private tutors, financial services agents, accountants and lawyers - all occupations where there is substantial self-employment and limited or non-existent paper trails.