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Sunday, 29 November 2020

Latest illegal NOTAM by Erdogan’s Turkey’s again aims at eastern Aegean’s isles’ defense

Official Turkey issued another NOTAM – notice to aviators – over the weekend essentially trying to suspend any military activity on and around Greece’s eastern Aegean islands – essentially a…

Covid-19 outbreak: Intubated patients in Greece hover at 600 on Sun.; figures ease day after record single-day fatalities, 121

Single-day Covid-19-related figures eased slightly in Greece on Sunday, a day after a record 121 related fatalities were reported on a 24-hour basis. Nevertheless, the number of intubated acute Covid-19…

Friday, 27 November 2020

S&P raises PPC’s credit rating to B from CCC+

State-run and ATHEX-listed power utility PPC received a bit of welcome news on Friday, as S&P raised its credit rating from CCC+ to B, up by two grades, with its…

Covid-19 outbreak: Nearly half of confirmed single-day infections in Athens, Thessaloniki

Of the 2,013 new confirmed single-day Covid-19 cases on Friday, nearly half were recorded in the greater Thessaloniki and Athens areas, 545 and 319, respectively. A surge was also noted…

Covid-19 outbreak: Intubated patients remain above 600 on Fri., but without significant hike

The number of acute Covid-19 cases being treated in hospital ICUs around Greece continued to exceed 600 on Friday (607), while related coronavirus deaths reached 101 over the previous 24-hour…

Thursday, 26 November 2020

EP adopts resolution condemning Turkey’s illegal activities in Varosha

A majority of European Parliament deputies on Thursday approved of a resolution condemning Turkey’s illegal activities in the closed-off Varosha coastal strip near the Turkish-occupied Cypriot city of Famagusta, warning…

Ruling ND continues to field double-digit % point lead over main opposition SYRIZA

Ruling New Democracy (ND) party fields a nearly 17-percentage point lead over main opposition SYRIZA – in an extrapolation of valid responses – in a latest prime-time opinion poll unveiled…

Reports: Cosco seeks to activate clause to purchase another 16% of Piraeus port authority; delays plague foreseen projects

A. Tsimplakis Atsimp@naftemporiki.gr Chinese multinational Cosco has initiated action to acquire another 16 percent of the Piraeus Port Authority (PPA), which would raise its total of shares to 67 percent,…

Athens announces four ‘axes’ of actions to absorb billions of euros in emergency EU funding

By T. Tsiros ttsiros@naftemporiki.gr   The Greek government’s plan to absorb pandemic-related emergency Community funding is based on four axes and 18 different sectors, including a so-called “Green transition”, budgeted…

Covid-19 outbreak: Number of intubated patients exceeds 600 in Greece; lockdown extended by a week

The number of acute Covid-19 cases being treated in Greek hospitals’ ICUs exceeded 600 on Thursday, for the first time since the beginning of the pandemic. Along with 608 intubated…

Covid-19 outbreak: Nationwide lockdown in Greece to continue for another week until Dec. 7

The Greek government on Thursday announced a one-week extension – until Dec. 7 – of a Covid-19 “lockdown”, which was set to expire on Nov. 30, given that the number…

Tuesday, 24 November 2020

Ankara ups provocations with 3 new Navtexes demanding demilitarization of Greek isles; all previously threated by Turkey

Official Turkey on Tuesday issued another three Navtexes (notifications to mariners, aviators) demanding the demilitarization of several Greek islands in the eastern Aegean, something that Athens considers as a provocation…

Covid-19 outbreak: Number of intubated patients in Greece continue to rise, with 562 reported on Tues.

Acute Covid-19 cases being treated in hospital ICUs continued to increase on Tuesday, rising to 562 from 549 a day earlier, as the “second wave” of the coronavirus pandemic in…

Monday, 23 November 2020

Pandemic-battered Aegean Airlines in final talks with Greek govt to receive state support

Aegean Airlines, Greece’s flag carrier, confirmed on Monday that it was in the final stages of talks with the Greek government in order to receive urgent state support, as the…

Greek govt deflects opposition criticism, says health ministry spending up 20% in 2020 due to pandemic

The Greek government on Monday announced that spending by the relevant health ministry increased by 788 million euros in 2020, compared to 2019, or roughly 20 percent. The finance ministry,…

Deadline for EOI for state-run Larco on Jan. 8, 2021

A special liquidator for debt-laden and loss-making Larco, a large state-run ferro-nickel producer, has set a deadline of Jan. 8, 2021 for Expressions of Interest (EOI). A tender for Larco’s…

Covid-19 outbreak: Intubated patients continue to rise, slighly; new cases now 50% since last week into 3rd week of lockdown

Single-day coronavirus-related fatalities eased on Monday, to a reported 84, while the number of patients suffering from the virus in hospital ICUs again rising, with the number at 549 on…

898 tax exemptions, breaks result in 9.6 bln€ in less revenues for Greek state; companies with properties holdings the big winners

By G. Palaitsakis gpal@naftemporiki.gr The number of individual tax breaks and reductions/discounts implemented or set for implementation by the Greek government tally an eyebrow-raising 898, with the impact on state…

Covid-19 outbreak: Single-day fatalities again above 100 on Sun.; confirmed infections fall, ICU patients rise

Single-day coronavirus-related fatalities again exceeded 100 on Sunday, reaching 103, while the number of acute Covid-19 cases being treated in hospital ICUs again posted another ominous record, at 540. Nevertheless,…

Friday, 20 November 2020

Extra welfare benefit calculated for 256K families in Greece at end of Dec.

Only distressed households in Greece, as defined by objective economic criteria, will be eligible for an extra end-of-the-year monthly welfare payment. At last estimate, eligible households are calculated at more…

Marathon Venture Capital to offer up to 40mln€ in funding to start-up ecosystem

Funding of up to 40 million euros is earmarked for Greece’s start-up ecosystem Marathon Venture Capital, especially in the hi-tech sectors, and in particular software designers. The Marathon Fund II…

Ergose announces rail network projects worth 133.5 mln€

Ergose, the construction arm of Hellenic Railways Organisation (OSE), Greece’s state-run  railway infrastructure owner and manager, this week announced contracts worth 133.5 million euros for upgrades in various patches of…

Covid-19 outbreak: Single-day fatalities, intubated patients in Greece reach new pandemic highs on Friday

Single-day fatalities linked with Covid-19 as well as the highest number of afflicted patients in ICUs both posted morbid records on Friday in Greece, with 72 related deaths over the…

Thursday, 19 November 2020

Krystallopigi border crossing ordered closed due to pandemic

Greece on Thursday announced the closing of one of the country’s northern border crossings, part of emergency measures to contain the ‘second wave’ of the coronavirus pandemic in the east…

Greek FM to EU counterparts: Turkey’s recent actions show there’s no room for ‘positive dialogue’

Greek Foreign Minister Nikos Dendias on Thursday briefed EU counterparts on the Foreign Affairs Council  – via teleconference – over what Athens charges are continuing Turkish provocations and belligerence in…

Church of Greece Primate tests positive for Covid-19; condition stable in hospital ICU

Archbishop of Athens and All Greece Ieronymos was admitted to a central Athens hospital early Thursday morning after being diagnosed with Covid-19, with the Archdiocese saying his transfer to an…

Gov’t threatens to requisition private clinics’ facilities in case of refusal to hand over beds for Covid-19 cases

The relevant health ministry on Thursday issued a same-day ultimatum – which expired at 9 p.m. local time – to private clinics in the Thessaloniki area to immediately make available…

Asylum-seeking Syrian man, 27, arrested in Athens and charged with crimes committed while serving with ISIS

A 27-year-old Syrian national was arrested by the anti-terrorism squad in central Athens on Thursday morning on charges of joining and participating in a terrorism group, in the case the…

Covid-19 outbreak: Number of intubated patients in Greece steadily up, now 499

The worrying rise in the number of Covid-19 patients being treated in hospital ICUs reached another serious milestone on Thursday, one shy of 500, as the “second wave” of the…

Wednesday, 18 November 2020

Mitsotakis to NATO Parliamentary assembly regarding Turkey: Allies cannot cooperate with jihadist groups, or deploy S-400 missiles

Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis used the NATO venue on Wednesday to directly point at neighboring Turkey as an unreliable ally for Athens and even as an undermining force within…