Greece wants to regain investment grade status in early 2023, said Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis, who pledged not to deviate from fiscal targets.
“I want to return to investment grade in the first months of 2023,” Mr Mitsotakis said in an interview with Skai TV broadcast on Saturday. That would unlock billions in funds that can be invested into the country, he said.
Greece needs to stick to its reform agenda and address imbalances such as high debt and the banking sector’s problems to regain investment grade status, Martin Bijsterbosch, the European Central Bank’s mission chief for Greece, told Bloomberg News this week.
In the interview, Mr Mitsotakis reiterated his commitment to meeting the fiscal targets set in the budget despite tax relief measures he is taking and economic support provided as energy prices increase.
The Greek government has so far spent some €2 billion ($2.27bn) to help households, businesses and farmers mitigate high energy prices, and the support will continue in March and April, he said.
Mr Mitsotakis also said that he intends to abolish a solidarity tax, first imposed during Greece’s bailout programmes and currently suspended for private sector workers, for everyone in 2023.
It was crucial to meet Greece’s fiscal targets and to be sure about budget execution, he said, adding, “There are no money trees.”
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- Particle size: Larger, heavier sand grains
- Visibility: Often dramatic with thick "walls" of sand
- Duration: Short-lived, typically localised
- Travel distance: Limited
- Source: Open desert areas with strong winds
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- Visibility: Hazy skies but less intense
- Duration: Can linger for days
- Travel distance: Long-range, up to thousands of kilometres
- Source: Can be carried from distant regions
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Mainz 0
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- Start with a simple recipe such as yogurt or sauerkraut
- Keep your hands and kitchen tools clean. Sanitize knives, cutting boards, tongs and storage jars with boiling water before you start.
- Mold is bad: the colour pink is a sign of mold. If yogurt turns pink as it ferments, you need to discard it and start again. For kraut, if you remove the top leaves and see any sign of mold, you should discard the batch.
- Always use clean, closed, airtight lids and containers such as mason jars when fermenting yogurt and kraut. Keep the lid closed to prevent insects and contaminants from getting in.
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Anxiety and work stress major factors
Anxiety, work stress and social isolation are all factors in the recogised rise in mental health problems.
A study UAE Ministry of Health researchers published in the summer also cited struggles with weight and illnesses as major contributors.
Its authors analysed a dozen separate UAE studies between 2007 and 2017. Prevalence was often higher in university students, women and in people on low incomes.
One showed 28 per cent of female students at a Dubai university reported symptoms linked to depression. Another in Al Ain found 22.2 per cent of students had depressive symptoms - five times the global average.
It said the country has made strides to address mental health problems but said: “Our review highlights the overall prevalence of depressive symptoms and depression, which may long have been overlooked."
Prof Samir Al Adawi, of the department of behavioural medicine at Sultan Qaboos University in Oman, who was not involved in the study but is a recognised expert in the Gulf, said how mental health is discussed varies significantly between cultures and nationalities.
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“Someone will say that I have physical complaints rather than emotional complaints. This is the major problem with any discussion around depression."
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Sole survivors
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- Do not submit your application through the Easy Apply button on LinkedIn. Employers receive between 600 and 800 replies for each job advert on the platform. If you are the right fit for a job, connect to a relevant person in the company on LinkedIn and send them a direct message.
- Make sure you are an exact fit for the job advertised. If you are an HR manager with five years’ experience in retail and the job requires a similar candidate with five years’ experience in consumer, you should apply. But if you have no experience in HR, do not apply for the job.
David Mackenzie, founder of recruitment agency Mackenzie Jones Middle East
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Name: Timothy Husband
Nationality: New Zealand
Education: Degree in zoology at The University of Sydney
Favourite book: Lemurs of Madagascar by Russell A Mittermeier
Favourite music: Billy Joel
Weekends and holidays: Talking about animals or visiting his farm in Australia
