London

“There is no doubt that many populist, Euroskeptic and even nationalistic parties are entering the European Parliament,” said German Foreign Minister Frank-Walter Steinmeier after all the votes in last Sunday’s, May 25, election for the European Union’s Parliament had been counted.

By Stathis Kousounis

As the peak of the tourism season approaches, charter flights to Greek destinations are on the rise, even from countries that until recently had no direct connections.

LONDON - The devastating floods in Serbia and Bosnia and Herzegovina have already damaged their economies and will hit growth and inflation in the future as well, believes the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD), adding that some very rough preliminary estimates put the damage in Serbia at around EUR 1.5-2 billion.

World Cup tickets are being listed on the secondary market for as little as $15.48, 89 percent below face value, as soccer fans snub games outside Brazil’s southern cities.

The separate meetings with Turkish and Greek Cypriot negotiators held by French Foreign Ministry executives in Paris created some nerve on the Greek Cypriot side. In the very near future, negotiators Kudret Özersay and Andreas Mavroyannis will travel to London, for talks at the foreign office there…

Stockbrokers, finance executives, bank officials and pension fund managers are among the 13 people who were handed jail sentences of up to 25 years on Thursday for their part in the 2007 sale of 280 million euros in structured bonds that led to the funds paying around 20 million euros over the odds for the paper.

Already a regular visitor to Romania’s Transylvania region, Prince Charles on Wednesday started his latest tour there by visiting the Gothic 14th-century Black Church built by the Germans in the city of Brasov.

Prince Charles also visited the St Nicholas Orthodox church and a museum in Brasov, according to news agency Agerpres.

By Paul Taylor & Luke Baker

European Union leaders, stunned by a big Eurosceptic protest vote in European Parliament elections, agreed on Tuesday to seek a package deal of appointments to top EU jobs with an economic agenda to win back public confidence.

Bulgaria is on the top 10 list of most preferred summer vacation spots for Russian tourists, who do not travel in organized groups, reports Interfax. 

The top three positions are taken by Spain, Italy and Portugal. The list is completed by Greece, Turkey, Bulgaria, France the Czech republic, Germany and Great Britain. 

A Council of State decision that raises obstacles to the privatization of the Athens Water Company (EYDAP) and the election of a new Piraeus mayor who is against the sale of the OLP port authority failed to dampen investors’ relief on Monday at Greece’s European and local election results, which appear to have reduced the chances of an early general election, for now at least.