Germany, France Say November Key to Keeping Greece in Euro

By Tony Czuczka and Brian Parkin on October 30, 2012

France and Germany will strive over the next four weeks to stop Greece from unsettling markets as officials work to put the country’s faltering bailout plan back on the rails, French Finance Minister Pierre Moscovici said.

'EU Should Admit that Greece Will Need Debt Cut'

http://www.spiegel.de/international/europe/german-press-comments-on-report-that-greece-will-need-more-aid-a-864010.html

Greece's international creditors have proposed that the country receive another debt writedown, this time from EU governments. That, say German media commentators, is hardly a surprise. Fresh aid for Athens, they argue, has been inevitable for months, but leaders have shied away from telling the truth.

Greece to vote on labor reform despite coalition split

ATHENS | Sat Oct 27, 2012 2:30pm EDT

(Reuters) - Greece's government plans to put labor reforms demanded by foreign lenders to a parliamentary vote despite a junior coalition partner's refusal to back them, the finance minister said on Saturday.

Europe's carmaking crisis

Forward and reverse

Oct 24th 2012, 11:54 by P.C.

The Economist

 CAR sales in the European Union have been falling for five years, and there seems no end in sight to the slump. Official figures out a few days ago showed that registrations were down almost 11% in September compared with a year earlier. In France the fall was 18%, in Italy 26% and in Spain a staggering 37%. Britain was the only significant market to enjoy a small rise.

Euro zone seeks to give Greece more time to cut, find more money

By Jan Strupczewski

BRUSSELS | Thu Oct 25, 2012 7:13am EDT

(Reuters) - Euro zone officials are expected to press ahead on Thursday with plans to give Athens two more years to meet its budget goals as well as examine ways of closing the yawning gap in Greece's finances.

Racist attacks in Greece hit "alarming" levels: UNHCR

ATHENS | Tue Oct 23, 2012 1:29pm EDT

(Reuters) - Racially motivated attacks have risen to alarming levels in Greece and authorities are doing little to tackle the problem, the U.N. refugee agency said in a report on Tuesday.

Greece Earns A Laurel From The World Bank

By Sudeep Reddy

The Wall Street Journal

Greece has won plenty of unpleasant distinctions while struggling to right itself over the course of its three-year debt crisis. Now it has a modest achievement: It’s among the world’s most improved economies in easing the path for businesses in the country, according to a new World Bank report.

Greek savings are a 'sensational achievement'

EUROZONE CRISIS

DW.DE

http://www.dw.de/greek-savings-are-a-sensational-achievement/a-16322050

European parliament member Jorgo Chatzimarkakis explains why the Greek government has done a good job in handling the state debt crisis so far - but why it also needs more time.

Money edges back to Greece as euro exit fear wanes

By Tom Bill and Chris Vellacott

LONDON | Mon Oct 22, 2012 9:49am EDT

(Reuters) - After scrambling to get their money out of Greece as the economy collapsed, Greeks abroad are regaining an appetite for shares and property at home, spurred on by bargain prices and a bet that their country will stay in the euro zone after all.

Greece Austerity Diet Risks 1930s-Style Depression: Euro Credit

Bloomberg

By John Glover and Radoslav Tomek - Oct 22, 2012 11:23 AM GMT+0300

Greece is spiraling into the kind of decline the U.S. and Germany endured during the Great Depression, showing the scale of the challenge involved in attempting to regain competitiveness through austerity.

DER SPIEGEL: Germany Is Considering A Buy-Back Plan To Slash Greece's Huge Pile Of Debt

Alexandra Hudson, Reuters   | Oct. 21, 2012, 8:11 AM

BERLIN (Reuters) - Germany's Finance Ministry is considering a debt buy-back as a possible way of reducing Greece's huge debt pile which threatens to rise well above a target level of 120 percent of GDP by 2020, according to German news magazine Spiegel.

EU leaders clash on fiscal powers as Greeks protest

Nikolia Apostolou and Sumi Somaskanda Special for USA TODAY

http://www.usatoday.com/story/news/world/2012/10/18/eu-debt-crisis-greece-protest/1641571/

European leaders meet to discuss fiscal unity amid disagreement over how to achieve it and protests over budget cuts in Greece.

Greek Euro Exit Unavoidable if IMF, Euro Zone Can't Agree

The Wall Street Journal

By COSTAS PARIS

The International Monetary Fund and Europe are still far from finding a common formula to tackle Greece's explosive debt crisis, with the IMF insisting on a "haircut" on the principle that Athens owes its creditors, while euro-zone governments dismissed the proposal because of political repercussions.

Greece faces anti-austerity shutdown as EU meets

By Karolina Tagaris

ATHENS | Wed Oct 17, 2012 6:09pm EDT

(Reuters) - Greek workers will walk off the job for the second time in three weeks on Thursday, hoping to show EU leaders meeting in Brussels that a new wave of wage and pension cuts will only worsen the plight of a people worn down by five years of recession.

Greece close to €31bn bailout deal

http://www.guardian.co.uk/business/2012/oct/17/greece-close-31bn-bailout-deal

As European leaders prepare for summit, troika says broad outlines agreed on austerity measures Greece must impose

Greece, lenders declare progress as inspectors depart

By Renee Maltezou

ATHENS | Wed Oct 17, 2012 9:33am EDT

(Reuters) - Inspectors from Greece's international lenders will leave Athens after making substantial progress on talks to unlock aid for the near-bankrupt country but without agreement on crucial labor reforms, officials said on Wednesday.

"Grexit" could spark global economic crisis: German think tank

(Reuters) - A Greek exit from the euro zone could trigger a global economic crisis of dire proportions and must be avoided at all costs, a respected German think tank said in a study published on Wednesday.

Greece, troika talks hit snag on labour reforms

ATHENS | Tue Oct 16, 2012 2:04pm EDT

(Reuters) - Greece's labor minister and international lenders briefly suspended talks on austerity cuts on Tuesday to confer with their leaders on the thorny issue of labor reforms, which raised objections among government coalition partners.

Greece prepares second wave of privatizations

(Reuters) - Greece plans to launch tenders to sell or lease a string of state assets, including its biggest refiner and two largest ports, as it battles to pay down debt and meet the terms of an international bailout.

Greece Will Probably Leave Euro Within Six Months, Borg Says

By Johan Carlstrom and Josiane Kremer on October 13, 2012

As European Union leaders prepare for a summit next week devoted to saving the euro, Swedish Finance Minister Anders Borg said Greece may quit the common currency within the next six months.

Greece Is Not Poor; Has Abundance Of Uptapped Reserves Of Gold, Oil And Natural Gas

October 15th, 2012

Michael Snyder: It turns out that the poster child for the European debt crisis is not actually poor at all.  In fact, the truth is that the nation of Greece is sitting on absolutely massive untapped reserves of gold, oil and natural gas.  If the Greeks were to fully exploit the natural resources that are literally right under their feet, they would no longer have any debt problems. 

Greece and Troika deal after EU summit

http://community.nasdaq.com/News/2012-10/greece-and-troika-deal-after-eu-summit.aspx?storyid=181478

FXstreet.com (San Francisco) - "It is difficult to reach an agreement by the EU Summit" said Greece's Finance Minister Giannis Stournaras on Monday after meeting with Troika's officials. "There is still the issue of the debt sustainability and the financing gap," Stournaras added and pointed that "all show that we are heading towards an emergency Eurogroup" meeting.

Softening stance on Greece, Merkel rules out default

(Reuters) - Chancellor Angela Merkel has ruled out letting Greece default on its debt, in the latest sign Berlin is softening its stance towards Athens ahead of an eagerly awaited report on its reform progress from the "troika" of international lenders.

Germany holds firm on Greece as IMF pressure mounts

By Antoni Slodkowski and Julien Toyer

TOKYO | Fri Oct 12, 2012 4:34am EDT

(Reuters) - Germany held firm on Friday in insisting it was too soon to say Greece deserved more time to meet its budget-cutting goals even as the head of the IMF laid out the case for leniency.

Greece's Coca Cola Hellenic to switch main listing to London

ATHENS | Thu Oct 11, 2012 3:34am EDT

Oct 11 (Reuters) - Coca Cola Hellenic, Greece's biggest company by market value, said on Thursday it would switch its main bourse listing to London, where it hopes to tap more liquidity from investors.

IMF’s Lagarde Says Greece Needs More Time to Meet Targets

By Sandrine Rastello - Oct 11, 2012 7:36 AM GMT+0300

Oct. 11 (Bloomberg) --International Monetary Fund Managing Director Christine Lagarde said Greece should get two years to meet fiscal targets and suggested debt reductions are needed before a 130 billion-euro ($167 billion) bailout can proceed.

Greece Welcomes Gold Miners to Rank First in Europe: Commodities

Bloomberg News

For three years, Steve Sharpe’s company prodded Greek officials for permission to drill for gold. Before approval was finally granted this year, European Goldfields Ltd.’s battered share price attracted a takeover bid.

IMF Singles Out European Debt Crisis as Key Threat

http://www.cnbc.com/id/49351411

source: Reuters

The International Monetary Fund urged European policymakers to deepen the financial and fiscal ties within the euro area with some urgency to restore sagging confidence in the global financial system.

Nobel for quantum "parlour trick" that could make super computers

(Reuters) - A French and an American scientist won the Nobel Prize in physics on Tuesday for finding ways to measure quantum particles without destroying them, which could make it possible to build a new kind of computer far more powerful than any seen before.

Greece’s biggest cheerleader: Angela Merkel

Posted by Anthee Carassava on October 9, 2012 at 3:53 pm

 The Washington Post

ATHENS, Greece – Last summer, as a team of top European leaders huddled in a Brussels ballroom to discuss the continent’s deepening debt crisis, Antonis Samaras walked into a hostile reception.

Greek anti-fascist protesters 'tortured by police' after Golden Dawn clash

Fifteen people arrested in Athens says they were subjected to what their lawyer describes as an Abu Ghraib-style humiliation

http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2012/oct/09/greek-antifascist-protesters-torture-police

Fifteen anti-fascist protesters arrested in Athens during a clash with supporters of the neo-Nazi party Golden Dawn have said they were tortured in the Attica General Police Directorate (GADA) – the Athens equivalent of Scotland Yard – and subjected to what their lawyer describes as an Abu Ghraib-style humiliation.

Athens Braces for Visit by Merkel

Security Is Boosted as Authorities Fear Protests Could Grow and Overshadow Mission to Show Unity

By PHILIP PANGALOS and JAMES ANGELOS

ATHENS—The Greek capital was bracing for a security clampdown as Prime Minister Antonis Samaras welcomed German Chancellor Angela Merkel on Tuesday on her first visit to Athens since the debt crisis began.

IMF, EU Press Greece on Reforms

The Wall Street Journal

Updated October 9, 2012, 5:41 a.m. ET

By RIVA FROYMOVICH, MATINA STEVIS and GEOFFREY T. SMITH

LUXEMBOURG—Greece's official creditors failed to make any visible headway Monday in averting the country's looming debt crunch, drawing a diplomatic veil over suggestions of heated exchanges at their latest meeting.

Euro Finance Chiefs to Give Positive Greece View, Rehn Says

By Kati Pohjanpalo on October 08, 2012

http://www.businessweek.com/news/2012-10-07/euro-finance-chiefs-to-give-positive-greece-statement-rehn-says

Euro-zone finance ministers meeting today are likely to make a positive statement on Greece’s progress toward meeting austerity targets needed to free the nation’s next bailout payment, European Union Commissioner for Economic and Monetary Affairs Olli Rehn said.

Sima Qian: China's 'grand historian'

By Carrie Gracie

BBC News, Beijing

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/magazine-19835484

Speaking truth to power has always been a high-risk strategy in China. Its rulers tend to prefer flattery, and writers who forget this do so at their peril. China's "grand historian" - 2,000 years ago - was one of many who have paid a terrible price.

Eurozone rescue fund launch due

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/business-19868868

The eurozone's new permanent fund to bail out struggling economies and banks will be launched later at a meeting of finance ministers.

Greece: Merkel's euro headache returns

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-europe-19868571

The moment will be watched closely. On Tuesday the German Chancellor, Angela Merkel, will visit Athens. It will be her first visit to Greece since the crisis erupted nearly three years ago.

Greece says still seeking more time to pay off debt

PARIS | Thu Oct 4, 2012 2:32pm EDT

(Reuters) - Greece is still hoping the European Central Bank will agree to give it more time to repay debt and allow euro zone rescue funds to be used to recapitalize its banks, Prime Minister Antonis Samaras said on Thursday.

Farmers, Shipyard Workers Protest in Greece

ATHENS, Greece October 4, 2012 (AP)

Greek police clashed with shipyard workers protesting pay arrears Thursday after they broke into the Defense Ministry grounds, while hundreds of farmers on tractors tried to invade the country's second-busiest airport on Crete during an anti-austerity protest.

Greece looks out to sea for gas wealth salvation

By Oleg Vukmanovic and Stephen Jewkes

LONDON/MILAN | Wed Oct 3, 2012 8:15am EDT

(Reuters) - Offshore natural gas could dramatically change Greece's fortunes, should early estimates of $600 billion worth of reserves be confirmed, according to a study presented to Prime Minister Antonis Samaras in June and seen by Reuters.

Greece's Piraeus Bank reaches deal to buy Geniki: sources

By Lefteris Papadimas and George Georgiopoulos

ATHENS | Tue Oct 2, 2012 2:42pm EDT

(Reuters) - Greece's Piraeus Bank (BOPr.AT) has struck a preliminary deal to buy French lender Societe Generale's (SOGN.PA) loss-making Greek unit Geniki (GHBr.AT) to strengthen its position amid a brutal debt crisis, two sources close to the talks told Reuters.

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.