Pages

Welcome, 77 artists, 40 different points of Attica welcomes you by singing Erotokritos an epic romance written at 1713 by Vitsentzos Kornaros

Tuesday, July 16, 2013

Smoke Signals: Kapnos, where beasts meet smoke for a Greek take on barbecue


Smoke Signals: Kapnos, where beasts meet smoke for a Greek take on barbecue
Washington Post
Sure, he cooked whole lamb at Zaytinya, Jose Andres's Greek-inspired restaurant in Penn Quarter. But that was with gas. And he has cooked with wood at Graffiato, Mike Isabella's Italian restaurant. Beasts rotating on a spit over smoldering hickory ...


READ THE ORIGINAL POST AT www.washingtonpost.com

Germany wants to give Greek SMEs 100 mln euros in aid-newspaper

BERLIN, July 16 | Tue Jul 16, 2013 12:42pm EDT
BERLIN, July 16 (Reuters) - German Finance Minister Wolfgang Schaeuble will offer Greece 100 million euros to build up a support fund for small and medium-sized companies when he visits Athens on Thursday, German daily Handelsblatt cited financial sources as saying on Tuesday.
German state development bank KfW will give the so-called ...

READ THE ORIGINAL POST AT www.greekherald.com

Man 78 first to be seriously infected with West Nile virus this summer

A 78-year-old resident of Spata, eastern Attica, has become the first Greek to become seriously infected with West Nile virus this year, and has been hospitalized for treatment to his central nervous system.The man, who has not recently traveled abroad, according to reports, developed encephalitis after being infected by the virus which is carried by mosquitoes.The Center for Disease Control and ...

READ THE ORIGINAL POST AT www.greekherald.com

Since crisis began 16 police officers have taken own lives

Sixteen policemen have committed suicide in Greece since the start of the economic crisis in 2010 and five of those have killed themselves this year, Public Order Minister Nikos Dendias informed Parliament on Tuesday.Dendias was responding to a question from SYRIZA MPs in the wake of a policeman in Hania, Crete, shooting himself with his service revolver last month. The lawmakers suggested that ...

READ THE ORIGINAL POST AT www.greekherald.com

Papapetrou leads Greece to 70-47 win against Montenegro at U20 European ...


Papapetrou leads Greece to 70-47 win against Montenegro at U20 European ...
TexasSports.com
TALLIN, Estonia -- University of Texas sophomore forward Ioannis Papapetrou posted a game-high 17 points to lead Greece to a 70-47 victory against Montenegro in Group E Second Round action on Tuesday at the Sportland Under-20 European ...


READ THE ORIGINAL POST AT www.texassports.com

Greeks take to streets again amid general strike over job cut plans

Demonstrators fill Syntagma Square in Athens ahead of parliamentary vote on measures demanded by Troika

Tens of thousands of Greeks joined the country's fourth general strike this year on Tuesday, bringing the country to a standstill in protest at plans to cut 25,000 public sector jobs.

In one of the biggest anti-austerity outbursts since prime minister Antonis Samaras took power 13 months ago, demonstrators poured into Athens' central Syntagma Square to oppose the cuts, which will be put to a parliamentary vote on Wednesday.

"We are people, not numbers," many chanted against a backdrop of screeching whistles and beating drums. "Fire the troika," they screamed, referring to the triumvirate of creditors at the EU, ECB and IMF keeping bankrupt Athens afloat. The lenders have warned that unless the job cuts are voted through they will halt aid payments.

The political opposition backed teachers, municipal policemen, school guards and other local employees affected by the cuts in denouncing the layoffs, saying they would only exacerbate the plight of a nation ravaged by record levels of unemployment, recession and debt. At nearly 27%, Greece has the highest unemployment rate in the eurozone.

"The policy of mass firings, the dismantling of public institutions and the demolition of any notion of labour rights initiate a new, undemocratic governance of the country," railed ADEDY, the public sector union which organised the strike along with GSEE, the confederation of Greek workers representing private sector employees.

The sackings – part of a much-delayed campaign to overhaul a civil service widely blamed for Greece's woeful economic state – are the latest in a series of measures demanded by the troika.

Almost four years into the debt crisis – and with bailout loans due to end next May – creditors have become increasingly impatient with the slow pace of progress in streamlining the 800,000 strong public sector. Almost all the approximately 130,000 Greeks who have left the service have been retirees – in sharp contrast to the private sector where job losses have soared.

In a move adding to pressure on the government, the German finance minister, Wolfgang Schauble, will visit the country on Thursday.

Greece has received €240bn in emergency rescue funds, the biggest bailout in history, since the eruption of the crisis in late 2009. By the end of the year its debt-to-GDP ratio is expected to reach 180%.

Last week, after a round of frequently fraught negotiations between the country and visiting Troika chiefs, eurozone finance ministers agreed to disburse an additional €8.1bn vital to paying salaries and pensions. But the conditions attached have raised fears that the crisis-hit nation is being pushed too far.

Last month the conservative-dominated administration almost collapsed after Samaras attempted to cut the public payroll by shutting down the state broadcaster, ERT, overnight.

In the upheaval that followed the small Democratic Left party abruptly withdrew its support leaving the coalition with 155 seats in the 300-seat house.

Commentators questioned the wisdom of inflicting further austerity on a nation where more than 1.3 million are out of work, salaries have been cut by an average 25%, and poverty has been imposed on more than a third of the entire population.

"I can understand, in principle, where the Troika is coming from and the pressure the government is under but the timing is very unfortunate," said Dr Thanos Dokos, director general of Eliamep, Greece's leading thinktank. "If they had done this two years ago it might have been acceptable but not now."

Under the scheme some 25,000 public employees will be placed on reduced wages in a so-called "mobility pool" by the end of the year. They will then have eight months to find work in another department or lose their jobs altogether. A further 15,000 dismissals will be made in 2014.

Critics argue that entire institutions – including the municipal police who patrol the streets of an increasingly crime-ridden capital – will be abolished in the process.

"Instead of only looking at the numbers, both the Troika and the government should also look at the social and political consequences of laying off so many," Dokos added. "There's a time to pick battles and it's definitely not now."


guardian.co.uk © 2013 Guardian News and Media Limited or its affiliated companies. All rights reserved. | Use of this content is subject to our Terms & Conditions | More Feeds

    



READ THE ORIGINAL POST AT www.guardian.co.uk

How Are Spain and Greece Different from Ireland?


Bloomberg

How Are Spain and Greece Different from Ireland?
Bloomberg
People reach out to receive free bags of leftover vegetables handed out by striking street vendors in Athens, Greece. In another sad dispatch from the front lines of the European crisis, Bloomberg's Maria Petrakis yesterday looked at the plight of ...
The European Debt Story No One Is Telling YouSeeking Alpha

all 18 news articles »

READ THE ORIGINAL POST AT go.bloomberg.com

Greek unions stage fourth strike this year

Unions opposing austerity measures in Greece are staging their fourth general strike this year as the government prepares to start axing public sector jobs.The walkout is disrupting flights, public transport, state hospitals and other services, while demonstrations are planned throughout the day.The public sector has so far been spared from the job cuts that have hit the rest of the Greek economy ...

READ THE ORIGINAL POST AT www.greekherald.com

Greek Strike Against Austeritys Poverty and Wretchedness

On Monday night, teachers and education workers protested against layoffs and school closures, ahead of Tuesday's general strike. (Photo: Nikolas ...

READ THE ORIGINAL POST AT www.greekherald.com

CAS upholds Greek clubs Europa League suspension

LAUSANNE, Switzerland (AP) Greek club PAS Giannina lost its urgent appeal to enter the Europa League this week after UEFA barred it for tax debts and inaccurate accounts. The Court of Arbitration for Sport says it dismissed the club's appeal against a June ruling by the UEFA panel which monitors club licensing and "Financial Fair Play" rules. UEFA acted after Greece's football association ...

READ THE ORIGINAL POST AT www.greekherald.com

Eat Like A Greek And Live Longer

Where diet meets delicious, Greek-style: fish with lentils. The "How do I eat?" thing has become increasingly combative and confusing. Do you give up carbs, or fat, or both? Do you go vegan or paleo? No. You eat like a Greek, or like a Greek used to eat: a piece of fish with a lentil salad, some greens with olive oil and a glass of wine. It's not onerous. In fact, it's ...

READ THE ORIGINAL POST AT www.greekherald.com

Greek Tax Returns Lag Again

With technical problems handling tax returns which now must be submitted online, Greek tax authorities said they’ve received only 30 percent of those that are due as the government will likely be forced to extend the deadline as it has done previously. The forms go through the Internet on Taxisnet but the system has been plagued with problems since opening on May 24 and it can’t ...

READ THE ORIGINAL POST AT www.greekherald.com

Greek Job Cuts Protest Fizzles Out

Thousands of protesters took to the streets of Athens on July 16 during a 24-hour general strike called by the country’s two largest labor unions, ADEDY representing public workers and GSEE representing private workers. It came a day ahead of a scheduled vote in Parliament on a package of more than 100 reforms, key among them a plan to shed 15,000 jobs by the end of 2014 and put another ...

READ THE ORIGINAL POST AT www.greekherald.com

Anti-austerity strike brings Greece to a halt

NEW: Police: 16,000-17,000 people take part in a peaceful protest march on parliament A general strike affects public transit, flights, garbage collection and hospital staffing Parliament is to vote Wednesday on further austerity measures Greece has to reform its public sector in order to receive international bailout ...

READ THE ORIGINAL POST AT www.greekherald.com

Greece grinds to a halt as major public sector layoffs loom

Greek workers went on strike in protest at thousands of planned public sector job cuts, just days before a high-profile visit to the country by Germany's finance ...

READ THE ORIGINAL POST AT www.greekherald.com

Mass strikes and economic crisis have got Greece's government on the run ...


Socialist Worker

Mass strikes and economic crisis have got Greece's government on the run ...
Socialist Worker
Workers across Greece joined a general strike on Tuesday of this week as the government prepares to face two crucial votes in parliament. This is the 27th general strike since the austerity attacks began. But there's a difference. This time the strike ...


READ THE ORIGINAL POST AT www.socialistworker.co.uk

Greek protests amid general strike over austerity job cuts

Thousands march through Athens during fourth big walkout of 2013, as MPs and unions struggle to reach agreement over plans to cut thousands of civil service jobs


    



READ THE ORIGINAL POST AT www.guardian.co.uk

Greece broadly on the right track

The IMF says it expects Greece will not face a financial gap before August next year.

READ THE ORIGINAL POST AT wap.news.bigpond.com

6 Tips That Will Get You the Best Food in Greece


Huffington Post

6 Tips That Will Get You the Best Food in Greece
Huffington Post
Now I personally like the ambience of being in a touristy area in Greece. It usually is pretty (e.g. Plaka) and lively, but if you want to eat there, make sure you choose the right things so you are not disappointed. Safe (yet common) choices (dishes ...


READ THE ORIGINAL POST AT www.huffingtonpost.com

Greek public TV resumes broadcasts

Greek public TV has returned to air screening a movie, a month after the govt stopped the state broadcaster.

READ THE ORIGINAL POST AT wap.news.bigpond.com

Greek govt submits fresh reforms bill

The Greek government has submitted a bill containing reforms in exchange for a new tranche of bailout loans.

READ THE ORIGINAL POST AT wap.news.bigpond.com

Greece country profile

Provides an overview of Greece, including key events and facts about this European country

READ THE ORIGINAL POST AT www.bbc.co.uk

Euro Financial Officials Plan July 24 Call on Greek Rescue Aid


Euro Financial Officials Plan July 24 Call on Greek Rescue Aid
Bloomberg
Euro Financial Officials Plan July 24 Call on Greek Rescue Aid. By Patrick Henry - 2013-07-16T12:16:25Z. Senior euro-area financial officials plan a conference call on July 24 to discuss the latest bailout aid payment for Greece, a European Union ...

and more »

READ THE ORIGINAL POST AT www.bloomberg.com

Sports court upholds Europa League ban for Greek club PAS over tax debts, inaccurate accounts



by 











CAS upholds Greek club's Europa League suspension


Associated Press - 16 July 2013 11:10-04:00



LAUSANNE, Switzerland (AP) — Greek club PAS Giannina lost its urgent appeal to enter the Europa League this week after UEFA barred it for tax debts and inaccurate accounts.


The Court of Arbitration for Sport says it dismissed the club's appeal against a June ruling by the UEFA panel which monitors club licensing and "Financial Fair Play" rules.


UEFA acted after Greece's football association initially cleared PAS Giannina, which finished fifth in the league last season, to play in European competitions.


CAS says the club had outstanding tax debts at a March deadline, and "filed financial statements which did not properly reflect the club's true financial situation."


PAS Giannina's legal defeat allows seventh-place Skoda Xanthi to represent Greece in the Europa League's second qualifying round. The first leg is Thursday at home against Linfield.





News Topics: Sports, Sports governance, Men's soccer, Professional soccer, Soccer, Men's sports



People, Places and Companies: Switzerland, Greece, Western Europe, Europe



Copyright 2013 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.
This article is published under the terms of the News Licensing Group, LLC.
privacy policy, in addition to the terms of use and privacy policy for this website.






READ THE ORIGINAL POST AT www.neurope.eu

What is the meaning of the 'vampire graves' unearthed in Poland?

Decapitated skeletal remains in eastern Europe are often believed to be vampire bones, but there could be a less spooky explanation

The world's media have been getting their teeth into the story of a "vampire grave" uncovered last week by archaeologists at a roadside construction site in the town of Gliwice in southern Poland. When four skeletons were found with their skulls placed between their legs, speculation followed that these were suspected vampires that had been prevented from rising from the grave through the once-ritualistic local practice of decapitation.

"It's very difficult to tell when these burials were carried out," Dr Jacek Pierzak, the lead archaeologist, told the Dziennik Zachodni newspaper. Early indications, he said, suggested the grave could be dated to the 16th century. Other clues possibly suggesting a vampire burial included the skeleton's lack of any personal items, such as jewellery. Meanwhile, other local newspaper reports noted that an alternative theory suggested they were not vampires, but victims of an execution at a known nearby gallows.

Whatever the truth – the Guardian adopts a firmly sceptical position on the undead – the discovery of so-called vampire graves is not uncommon across eastern Europe. Last year, archaeologists in Bulgaria found two medieval skeletons with iron rods driven through their chest. According to Bozhidar Dimitrov, who runs the National History Museum in Sofia, about 100 such skeletons have been uncovered in Bulgaria, with the gruesome practice known across the Balkans, where fear of vampires has been at its strongest over the centuries.

The root of the vampire legend goes right back to ancient Egypt and Greece, says Dr Tim Beasley-Murray, a senior lecturer at UCL's School of Slavonic and East European studies who teaches on a course entitled Vampires, Society and Culture: Transylvania and Beyond. The myth, he says, then spread up through the Balkans into eastern Europe where it proved fertile during the pre-Christian era: "There is a strong Slavic belief in spirits. Romanian folklore has vampiric figures such as the moroi and strigoi. The word 'mora' means nightmare. But these are common to many cultures. We often see bird- or owl-like figures that swoop down and feed on you."

But beyond the specific dread of vampires, there has long been a fear of the dead rising up to terrorise the living. In 2008, archaeologists found a 4,000-year-old grave in Mikulovice in the Czech Republic in which the skeleton had been weighed down at the head and the chest by two large stones. "Remains treated in this way are now considered as vampiric," Radko Sedlacek, the director of the East Bohemia Museum, told reporters at the time. "The dead man's contemporaries were afraid that he might leave his grave and return to the world."


guardian.co.uk © 2013 Guardian News and Media Limited or its affiliated companies. All rights reserved. | Use of this content is subject to our Terms & Conditions | More Feeds


READ THE ORIGINAL POST AT www.guardian.co.uk