Greece and its creditors’ disagreements: Pensions, VAT and budget deficit will be the sticking points June 23, 2015 The challenging negotiations between Greece and its international creditors may well be entering the final throes – but no one is kidding themselves that the saga is over just yet. Although the latest proposals appear to be paving the way forward, there are three main sticking points – pensions, VAT and government spend against receipts [...]
Greece will only have a fighting chance of revival if it leaves the Eurozone June 22, 2015 There are, apparently, still hopes that some deal can be done with Greece this week so that the final €7.2bn tranche of the current €240bn bailout can be released. If this is the case then, presumably, talks will go ahead for a third bailout and thus the Greek saga struggles on. Sadly, however, all this [...]
Has the Greek government been its own worst enemy during debt negotiations? June 22, 2015 Dr Holger Schmieding, chief economist at Berenberg, says Yes Rarely has a new government done so much damage so fast. Without actually passing many laws, the left-right radicals in Athens have scared Greek savers and entrepreneurs so badly that about €60bn in capital has fled the country within six months, equal to one third of [...]
Don’t bank on Greece giving in: The Eurozone has far more to lose than it thinks June 18, 2015 Every good story has its dark moment, a crisis that comes before a resolution. The Greek debt saga appears to be reaching such a crunch point. Both sides are refusing to compromise further and are insisting the other is to blame, while Greece’s impossible IMF repayment at the end of the month looms. But amid [...]
Greece wants to delay its payments to the IMF by six months June 16, 2015 Greece wants to delay paying the €1.55bn (£1.1bn) it owes the IMF by six months, according to a report in the German newspaper Bild. This wouldn't be the first time Greece has looked to put off paying creditors – it had originally said it would bundle its debts to the IMF rather than pay in [...]
Former IMF chief Dominique Strauss-Kahn acquitted of “aggravated pimping” charges June 12, 2015 Former head of the International Monetary Fund (IMF) chief Dominique Strauss-Kahn has been acquitted of "aggravated pimping" charges by a French court today. Read more: Prosecutor calls for pimping charges to be dropped against former IMF chief It brings to a close a four-year saga during which Strauss-Khan was accused of a procuring a number of prostitutes [...]
I’m finally convinced – a Grexit really could happen June 11, 2015 The prospect of Greece leaving the Eurozone never really seemed to be on the cards, even during the darkest days of 2011 and 2012. There were two reasons for this: firstly, the ease with which the country and its creditors could kick the can down the road. This was helped by the relatively small size [...]
Star Wars: The Empire Strikes Back returns to UK box office top 10 thanks to Secret Cinema June 10, 2015 Star Wars has re-entered the top 10 at the UK box office – 35 years after it was first screened in cinemas. The Empire Strikes Back, "episode five" in the Star Wars saga, was the eighth-best performing film in the UK this weekend thanks to Secret Cinema screenings which delivered a total take just over £300,000. [...]
Fifa film United Passions flops as it takes just $607 at US box office June 8, 2015 After arrests, resignations and allegations, Fifa's hellish fortnight got even worse this weekend with a box office bomb. United Passions, the Fifa-financed film which tells the story of the governing body and the World Cup, made a measly $607 on its opening weekend in the US – a pathetic return that looks even worse in [...]
Top Gear: Chris Evans is making a “secret film” for car show as BBC looks for Jeremy Clarkson, James May and Richard Hammond replacements June 7, 2015 Chris Evans, the Radio 2 DJ and host of the soon-to-return TFI Friday TV show, has revealed he is "secretly filming" for Top Gear, despite having previously ruled out any involvement in the show. Appearing on Channel 4's Sunday Brunch show, Evans said: “Not started yet, but we are doing a secret Top Gear film on Tuesday,” [...]