International
Cyprus President Demetris Christofias and Turkish Cypriot leader Mehmet Ali Talat begin intensive talks aimed at achieving agreement on a deal to solve the Cyprus issue. They begin by discussing less contentious issues such as the economy and European Union-related items.
Greece and Bulgaria agree to open a new border crossing point at Zlatograd-Termes.
Cypriots are stunned by the assassination of Andy Hadjicostis, head of the Dias Group media corporation. Hadjicostis was shot dead outside his home by two gunmen who escaped on a motorcycle. The incident occurs a few weeks after authorities report that the body of former president Tassos Papadopoulos has been stolen from his grave near Nicosia.
Pakistan’s prime minister assures Greek Ambassador Dimitris Dollis that efforts are continuing to obtain the release of aid worker Thanassis Leorounis who was kidnapped by the Taliban from the Kalash Valley last September and is since being held captive in Afghanistan’s Nooristan province.
Media quote a Hamas official as saying that ancient Greek ruins, along with pottery fragments and coins, are discovered near the town of Rafah in the Gaza Strip.
Three Greek seamen and six Filipinos die in a fire on a Greek cargo ship off the Caribbean coast of Venezuela.
Greece
Andonis Samaras succeeds Kostas Karamanlis as leader of the conservative New Democracy Party, beating former foreign minister Dora Bakoyannis in a poll conducted among party members and friends. The central council of mayors starts discussion on the Callicrates plan which aims at reorganizing Greece’s 1,034 municipalities in no more than 370 local government authorities and replacing the 76 prefectures with thirteen provinces or regions. The government says it hopes to complete the administrative streamlining in time for the next municipal elections, which will be pushed back from October to November 14.
Parliament debates legislation aimed at changing the naturalization code to offer Greek nationality to children of foreign migrants born in the country. The main opposition New Democracy party says it will vote against the measure, proposing instead that children of illegal migrants born in Greece be offered citizenship upon reaching the age of majority and after having completed nine years in Greek school.
A time bomb placed under a trash can outside Parliament explodes, causing minor damage and no injuries. The explosion followed a warning call to a Greek daily about a quarter of an hour earlier. No group immediately claimed responsibility for the act. Three members of the Presidential Guard on duty outside Parliament are commended by President Karolos Papoulias for not abandoning their post despite police warnings.
Meantime, a twenty-six-year-old male is arrested and charged as a member of the Fire Conspiracy Cells terrorism group after police match his fingerprints with those found in a suburban apartment where a bomb and related material were found.
Magistrate Christos Hasiotis is appointed to investigate bribery allegations in the award of a state security contract to the German company Siemens. Among his first tasks will be to determine whether his predecessor had conducted the investigation in a thorough and proper manner.
Travel on the Athens-Thessaloniki highway is disrupted when a rock slide at the Vale of Tempe, outside Larissa, obstructs the road. During reconstruction work, road traffic is diverted through Eleoussa, adding about an hour to the journey.
Economy
Greece successfully completes its first debt auction, selling just over two billion euros of short-term Treasury bills.
Meantime, a team from the International Monetary Fund is expected to arrive in Greece to provide technical assistance to the government with its effort to reduce its budget deficit. The team is also expected to consult with senior officials on pension reform and taxes.
In a bid to collect revenue quickly, the government raises taxes on tobacco from 57.5 per cent to 70 per cent and taxes on alcohol from 11.4 euros per liter to 13.7 euros per liter. The tax will not apply to traditional Greek spirits–ouzo, tsipouro–or wine.
But the government denies rumors of a planned rise in Value Added Tax, or FPA, as part of efforts to trim the deficit.
Greek civil servants call a one-day strike for February 10 to protest against the government’s economic measures. The civil servants’ union ADEDY says the strike was decided “after considering the negative outlook for the public service.” The government, as part of its efforts to curb spending, has announced cuts in a range of civil service benefits.
A European Commission report notes that Greek deficit and debt data “will remain in question” unless proper checks and balances in reporting are introduced. Noting wrong methodological decisions, the reports cites as examples the “still unknown” total of Greece’s hospital liabilities and a 2.5-billion-euro addition to the 2008 deficit with no explanation.
Sports
Craig Moore, an Australia defender who has played with Rangers and Newcastle, signs with Kavala. He is the third Australia to join the Greek club whose roster includes Robert Stamboiziev and Greek-born, Melbourne-raised Paul Giannou.
American forward Eddie Johnson joins Aris FC on loan from Fulham, where he signed in 2008. The Thessaloniki football club also adds American international midfielder and striker Freddy Adu to its roster, on loan from Portugal’s Benfica.
Former Newcastle and Portsmouth forward Lomana Lua Lua returns to Olympiakos on a six-month loan deal, with the option of a two-year contract. Meanwhile, the Piraeus football club continues preparations for its first match in the Uefa Champions League final sixteen on January 23 in it first round, first leg match against Bordeaux.
Panathinaikos readies to face Roma on February 18 as two goals by Djibril Cisse in the last qualifying match against Dinamo Bucharest send the Athens football club into the Europa League’s last 32. |
