Folarin Balogun reveals truth behind Arsenal exit
Folarin Balogun reveals his conversations with Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta before his transfer to Monaco. Inter and Chelsea also showed interest in the 22-year-old USMNT international before his return to Ligue 1.
2023-10-13 19:30
Greece prime minister Mitsotakis hails election victory as ‘political earthquake’
Greek prime minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis hailed his party’s victory in the parliamentary elections as a “political earthquake” after the conservatives secured a smashing win but fell short of forming a majority. With most votes counted after the election on Sunday, the ruling New Democracy party has secured a commanding lead with 40.8 per cent of the votes, while the previous governing party, Syriza, trailed far behind with 20.1 per cent for the 300-seat Hellenic Parliament. However, Mr Mitsokais’s party fell just short of the majority required to form a government on its own, as the fate of the new government still hangs in limbo. According to projections by Greece's interior ministry, New Democracy is expected to win 145 seats in parliament, which is six seats shy of an absolute majority. Starting from Monday, Greek president Katerina Sakellaropoulou will give the top three parties - New Democracy, Syriza, and the Socialist PASOK – three days each to attempt to form a coalition government. If all three parties fail, Ms Sakellaropoulou will appoint a caretaker government to prepare for new elections to be held approximately a month later. Without Mr Mitsotakis, the numbers for potential coalitions do not add up, as Syriza has 72 seats, PASOK has 41 seats, the Communist KKE party has 26 seats, and the right-wing Hellenic Solution party has 16 seats. The KKE party has already stated that it will not participate in any alliance, while the Hellenic Solution party has been critical of both New Democracy and Syriza. Mr Mitsotakis, who served as prime minister and leader of the New Democracy leader, had expressed his desire for a strong one-party government, but he believes that the election results provide a clear mandate. Addressing supporters outside party headquarters in Athens, Mr Mitsotakis called his party’s victory a “political earthquake”. "The ballot results are decisive. They show that New Democracy has the approval of the people to rule, strong and autonomous." This victory for Mr Mitsotakis is quite significant, as his administration faced numerous challenges, including a wiretapping scandal, the Covid-19 pandemic, a cost of living crisis, and a fatal rail crash that sparked public outrage. However, it comes as a significant setback for Syriza and its leader Alexis Tsipras, who rose to power in 2015 on the wave of public dissatisfaction with other parties' handling of the debt crisis that severely impacted Greece's economy for over a decade. The MeRA25 movement, led by former Syriza finance minister Yanis Varoufakis, failed to secure any seats in parliament. Mr Tsipras, who congratulated Mr Mitsotakis on his win, noted that the race is not over and talked about the possibility of a second election. “Battles have wins, and losses,” he said. “The electoral cycle has not ended yet ... it is very possible there will be a second election.” Greece faced the threat of a eurozone exit during the height of its debt crisis in 2015, leading to the country accepting a third bailout under Mr Tsipras' leadership. Mr Mitsotakis, elected in 2019, focused his campaign on improving the financial conditions of the Greek people, promising to raise wages and pensions that were cut during the crisis. Panos Koliastasis, an adjunct assistant professor of politics at the University of Peloponnese, attributed Mitsotakis' victory to his emphasis on addressing financial concerns and his clear proposal for an autonomous government. “He also had a clear proposal of (how) he will be in power - that of an autonomous government,” he said. “The alternative of Syriza, of a coalition government, wasn’t that realistic because others refused to cooperate.” The elections in Greece are held every four years to determine the composition of the 300-seat parliament. Additional reporting by agencies Read More Focus on coalition horse-trading as Greek election looks unlikely to deliver a strong winner Out of bailout spotlight, Greeks feeling recovery pains at election Daughters’ desperate plea after British grandmother vanishes on Greek island Polls open in Greece's first election since international bailout spending controls ended Focus on coalition horse-trading as Greek election looks unlikely to deliver a strong winner Out of bailout spotlight, Greeks feeling recovery pains at election
2023-05-22 14:26
Tunisia-EU migration: Deal signed to strengthen borders
The memorandum of understanding includes $118m to stop smuggling and return irregular migrants.
2023-07-17 22:04
India's merchandise import jump in may signals stable local economy - economists
By Ira Dugal MUMBAI A sequential increase in merchandise imports in May that led to the trade deficit
2023-06-16 13:03
Jennifer Lopez blamed for forcing Ben Affleck to consider plastic surgery in order to look younger
'The truth is, he hated how old and tired he started to look,' said a source referring to Ben Affleck
2023-07-02 03:07
No fuss, no muss: Ivanka 'Iva' Trump makes incognito trip to Maui to help wildfire survivors
Ivanka Trump joined hands with CityServe International, a humanitarian organization, to reach out and help the beleaguered Maui community
2023-09-18 15:37
The US has decided that Southwest's customer service failed during flight cancellations last winter
The federal government may be preparing to penalize Southwest Airlines for thousands of flight cancellations that affected more than 2 million travelers last December
2023-10-30 22:22
No. 7 Texas stays atop Big 12 after pulling away from Iowa State for a 26-16 win
Quinn Ewers passed for 281 yards and two touchdowns and No. 7 Texas pulled away from Iowa State for a 26-16 victory
2023-11-19 12:36
Who is Jonathan Glazer? Cannes-winning British director
Jonathan Glazer, who won the runner-up prize at this year's Cannes Film Festival on Saturday for his Holocaust drama "The Zone of Interest", has made just a...
2023-05-28 03:53
'The Five' hosts Jessica Tarlov and Jeanine Pirro clash over 'trans identity' of offender in Loudoun County assault case
'He was wearing a skirt that day but there is no evidence that he has ever identified as a woman,' Jessica Tarlov said
2023-09-13 18:12
Asian investors resume selloff on rate fears as Powell speech looms
Asian markets sank Friday as a mini rally came to a juddering halt ahead of a keenly awaited speech by Federal Reserve boss Jerome Powell later in the day, with traders increasingly worried...
2023-08-25 10:55
Detroit Three strike deadline nears as sides remain far apart
By David Shepardson U.S. automakers and union negotiators offered little hope a deal would be reached on Thursday
2023-09-14 18:20
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