Stay Out of Syria's Inferno: Americans Want Peace, Not Another War

President Barack Obama surprised most everyone in America by making the right decision and asking Congress for authority to go to war in Syria. Now Congress should make the right decision and vote no. One of the impacts of being a superpower is that America has interests everywhere. However, most of those interests are modest, even peripheral. Conflicts and crises abound around the globe, but few significantly impact U.S. security. So it is with Syria. The bitter civil war obviously is a human tragedy. However, the conflict is beyond repair by Washington. Ronald Reagan's greatest mistake was getting involved in the Lebanese civil war, which at one point contained 25 warring factions. The U.S. invasion of Iraq sparked civil conflict which killed tens or even hundreds of thousands of civilians. Allied intervention in Libya prolonged that brutal low-tech battle and left terrorism and instability in its wake. Egypt, where America has successively backed dictatorship, democracy and military rule, seems headed towards growing violent conflict, with the possibility of terrorism and even civil war. Civil wars are particularly resistant to outside solution. The antagonisms run deep and there often are multiple parties, none of whom may want peace. In Syria the radical Islamists appear to be gaining influence. It is not obvious how the same government officials who have made such a mess of so many other countries would fix Syria. Nor would the fighting likely end even if the U.S. ousted the Assad regime. Insurgent factions then likely would fight for dominance of either the whole of Syria or breakaway regions. For many rebels revenge against those backing the regime, as well as members of groups noted for their support, such as Alawites and Christians, would become a top priority. Then the U.S. would have to intervene again -- or ignore the blood-letting, as it did in Kosovo when ethnic Albanians exacted retribution. Even if nation-building in Syria wasn't such a daunting task, the U.S. government should not risk the lives of its citizens in conflicts where Americans have no substantial stake. Policymakers have no warrant to be generous with fellow citizens' lives. Protecting this nation, its territory, people, liberty and prosperity, remains the highest duty for Washington. Far from advancing U.S. security, getting involved in Syria would ensnare Americans in a completely unnecessary conflict. Damascus has neither the ability nor the interest to attack the U.S. Any attempt by the Assad government to strike, including with chemical weapons, would trigger massive retaliation -- perhaps even with nuclear weapons, which are true weapons of mass destruction. While the Assad regime theoretically could target a U.S. ally, it has no incentive to do so. After all, its very survival remains threatened by a determined insurgent challenge. Israel, Saudi Arabia and Turkey all are well-heeled and well-armed. All are capable of deterring attack. The administration implausibly claims that striking the Syrian government would help protect Israel. However, President Bashar al-Assad is not suicidal, which he would be to attack Israel. Damascus did not even retaliate against Israel for destroying an apparent nuclear reactor. But Israel would be at risk if the Assad regime dissolves and insurgents, including radical Islamists, gained control of chemical weapon stockpiles. A more likely beneficiary of U.S. firepower would be Saudi Arabia, which has done more than any other nation to promote fundamental Islamic theology around the globe. Some war advocates hope that hitting Damascus would weaken Iran. However, the administration has emphasized that it does not intend to actually weaken the Assad regime, making the attack a nearly purposeless gesture. Moreover, to the extent that Iran feels more isolated, it may press for tighter ties with Shia-dominated Iraq, which faces an increasing challenge from militant Sunnis. Tehran's divided elites also likely would close ranks against any possible peaceful deal over its nuclear program, which would be the regime's only sure guarantee of survival. The Syrian conflict is destabilizing, but the Mideast never has been at rest. Most of the countries are artificial, created by British and French line-drawing a century ago. Most of the Arab states have been run by kleptocratic dictators, generals and monarchs. Revolution has swept Egypt, Iran, Libya and Tunisia while protests have shaken Bahrain. Iraq and Turkey confronted lengthy Kurdish insurgencies. Jordan forcibly suppressed Palestinian forces. War consumed Libya and united two Yemens into one, which now could fall apart. Lebanon dissolved into years of civil war and recovered, but is threatened by Hezbollah's dominant role. Iraq attacked Iran and conquered Kuwait, only to lose to a U.S.-led coalition. Later occupied by the U.S., Iraq dissolved into bitter internal conflict and now seems headed back in that direction. Israel has faced multiple wars with multiple opponents as well as resistance in the occupied territories. And people worry about Syria destabilizing the Middle East? The entire focus on chemical weapons is misguided. The travesty of the Syrian civil war is that more than 100,000 people apparently have died, not that some were killed with chemical weapons. The latter are not really weapons of mass destruction. They are difficult to deploy and not so deadly. Explained John Mueller of Ohio State University, in World War I "it took over a ton of gas to produce a single fatality. Only about two or three percent of those gassed on the Western front died. By contrast, wounds from a traditional weapon proved 10 to 12 times more likely to be fatal." At least 99 percent of the millions of battlefield deaths in that conflict were caused by other means. Banning the weapon that killed one percent while ignoring the weapons which killed the other 99 percent exhibited a strange moral sense. Entering yet another war against a Muslim nation in the Middle East is bound to create more enemies for America. The surest way to encourage future terrorists is to join other nations' conflicts and kill other nations' peoples. Washington is still fighting a traditional war in Afghanistan and "drone wars" in Pakistan and Yemen. The U.S. should avoid adding another conflict to the mix. It doesn't matter whether Americans believe their actions to be justified. Those on the receiving end of U.S. weapons would believe otherwise. Even if the administration is genuinely committed to only minor military action, Washington would find it hard to be only half in. The more limited the strikes, the less likely they are to achieve anything other than suggest the pretense of enforcement of the president's "red line." But even inconsequential missile attacks would represent increased U.S. investment in the Syrian civil war. Pressure on Washington to do more would steadily grow, with a warlike Greek Chorus intoning "U.S. credibility" at every turn. However, concern over credibility does not warrant making a bad decision to enter an unnecessary war. American presidents routinely put U.S. credibility on the line without backing up their threats -- how many times have we heard that North Korea cannot be allowed to possess nuclear weapons? However, the only policy worse than tolerating a North Korean nuclear weapon would be bombing Pyongyang. The real lesson of President Obama's throwaway comment on Syrian chemical weapons is that red lines should not be drawn unless they reflect overriding, even vital interests and are worth war to enforce. Other nations will respect American demands if Washington rarely issues ultimatums, and only for obviously core interests. Going to war for minimal, even frivolous stakes to enhance credibility is a fool's bargain. The president has placed the decision whether to go to war where it belongs, with Congress. Legislators should act on behalf of the American people, not the Obama administration. And the right decision is to keep the U.S. at peace. Britain's House of Commons has shown the way. After members rejected the government's war policy, Prime Minister David Cameron observed: "it is clear to me that the British parliament, reflecting the views of the British people, does not want to see British military action. I get that and the government will act accordingly." President Obama needs to "get that" and his government needs to "act accordingly." Syria is a tragedy. But it is not America's tragedy. Legislators should reject war with Syria. This was first posted on American Spectator online.

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Commission drives Gambling to Las Vegas NV?

by  Kassandra

“Now you see it, now you don't.”  Reminiscent of monks “fasting” by baptising meat to fish, the European Commission managed to change its mind on a European state company at a very critical stage, potentially affecting the whole of Europe's Gambling Industry and opening Pandora's box for all kinds of shady interests to invade one of the most sensitive areas for European Societies.  The Greek state Gambling company, “OPAP” was always considered to be a “public undertaking”. During the past few years, the Commission itself (DG MRKT) conducted a series of in – depth investigations on OPAP, considering the company to be a “public undertaking”.   The “miracle” of meat to fish transformation manifested itself last July, while the OPAP privatization procedure, part of the general privatization drive Greece has undertaken under the EU/ECB/IMF gentle directions, is at it's latest stage, with final conclusion of a deal to sell a major part of OPAP's equity stumbling on the resolution of criminal judicial procedures regarding 2 tenders.   And then comes a “Deus ex Machina”, a quite common conclusion in classical Greek Tragedy.  Replying to a question by  Theodoros Skylakakis MEP (ALDE) and prominent Greek politician,  the Commission informed the European Parliament that it has come to the conclusion that OPAP “does not fulfill the criteria established  by the directive 2004/18/EC in order to be considered as a public undertaking in the meaning of this Directive”on the coordination of procedures for the award of public works contracts, public supply contracts and public service contracts. In such situation, contracts signed between this company and technology providers would not be covered by EU public procurement rules.”   But it is not just a “Greek Tragedy”. It can develop into a European Tragedy, where the “Chorus” will be Europe's youth, caught by the song of gambling “Sirens”, with public and EU oversight marginalized by a surprising and inexplicable change of attitude towards “public undertaking”.  Given the Social ramifications of such a sudden leap and in a effort to explain miracles, New Europe has asked for the release of documents under Regulation 1049/2001 (access to documents) . Perhaps the Legal Opinion ruling the change of status of OPAP and all other related documents will shed some light on yet another mystery. Even if this is not just a legal issue.

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Barroso sails into history

by  Kassandra

This summer, I had a long break from Brussels and for some three months I was working remotely, with all kind of internet technologies. This gave me time to enjoy the Mediterranean and have time to meditate and write. I was thinking mostly of Europe.  What we got from our fathers  compared to what we will be giving our children makes me feel ashamed. Indeed, what I got from the Europe of my father Alexandros, were the grounds for hope, freedom, belief and progress for a better life and the Europe I will be giving to my son, Alexandros, is a structured corporate gang. The Greek sun, can melt rocks, revive in the minds our philosophical roots, and made me think and write. I thought that our Europe, in the seventies, with progress and democracy blooming, was in harmony with its philosophical and pragmatic essentials, Greek philosophy, Roman law and the French Revolution.  Because this is Europe, or, to put it better, this is what Europe should be. Thus I decided to write. I wrote a book about Europe, to make Europeans understand Europe and open the eyes of politicians in the 28 Member States as to how they should be handling the issue of the new Commission and take control of the “system” under the shadow of which, under the present artificial barriers, grows nothing political. I have finished the “hot” part of the book and now I am writing one of its chapters, ten scandals which define the way the “State within the State” operates.  This week I was working on the exception until the year 2050 of any carbon dioxide tax over the Maritime industry. This is a scandal with several ambiguities. First, thanks to this exception which nobody has ever explained why it was granted and under whose political responsibility, the EU budget is losing billions of Euros every year. This begs the question of who is benefitting from this exception. The Maritime industry. The only industry on the earth without any tax reference, based completely on offshore operations. Indeed offshore exists because it serves the shipping industry. Each vessel  is one company, in most cases a Liberia offshore one, based in 85 Moncerado Street, Monrovia, Liberia, and in selling the vessel, one is passing the shares of the Compania Naviera which owns the ship. Thus no tax base, which means plenty of cash which gives to industry wide margins to spent money in PR exercises and Lobbying. As I would like to have some explanation, which I will provide in my book, I will remind readers of some of my questions, in the hope that someone will have the sensitivity to reply, if not for any other reason than to make clear his involvement in this affair. I will be specific. Directive 2009/29 amending Directive 2003/87 stipulates that if the International Maritime Organization IMO (ICAO did not have the same treatment but we disregard this for the moment) does not adopt internationally binding rules on CO2 emissions reductions by the shipping Industry, the European Commission is obliged to submit a legislative proposal to the Parliament and the Council (co-decision) to introduce an EU Directive on the matter by 31 December, 2011. We now are in September 2013 and nothing has happened yet.  What we wish to know first, is who is politically responsible.  Connie Hedegaard is in charge of the Climate Change portfolio but she is limited to aviation pollution. Maritime pollution is handled by Transport Commissioner Siim Kallas who somehow took the matter from Hedegaard.  Then Kallas practically abolished, Directive 2009/29, which as far as we know it is still Community law.  Last but not least, President Jose Barroso. For the first time in EU history, two Commissioners, Hedegaard and Kallas, speak different languages over the same matter and the President of the Commission pretends that he does not know. We know that this is the second and last term of Jose Barroso in the Presidency of the Commission. What we do not know, as yet, is how Barroso will be remembered in history.  For the dismissal of Commissioner John Dalli, which cost him the third term in office, or for being the President of the Commission, which exempted the ship-owners from any Carbon Dioxide tax until the year 2050?

 

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Liechtenstein vs. Greece, Final Score 0-1: Greece Scrap Through Again

Liechtenstein vs. Greece, Final Score 0-1: Greece Scrap Through AgainSB NationFollowing their most recent trend, Greece narrowly defeated lowly Liechtenstein 1-0 in Vaduz with a late goal from Kostas Mitrogolou. The visitors lacked the pace and momentum to convincingly dominate the match. At times it looked as though the home ...and more »

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Italy proves too good for Greece at Eurobasket

KathimeriniItaly proves too good for Greece at EurobasketKathimeriniGreece suffered a painful 81-72 loss to Italy on Sunday, its first in Eurobasket 2013 in Slovenia, that not only deprives it from winning its group but will also count for the second group stage, too, as Italy will be in the same group as Greece. Still ...Majestic Greece dwarfs Turkey's '12 Giant Men' in EuroBasket 84-61Hurriyet Daily NewsGreece Beats Turkey 84-61 in EuroBasketGreek Reporter2013 FIBA EuroBasket scores and schedule: Turkey, Russia falter in Group DSB Nationall 7 news articles »

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Greek Food Festival draws hundreds for traditional fare

KERO-TV 23Greek Food Festival draws hundreds for traditional fareKERO-TV 23BAKERSFIELD, Calif. - Bakersfield residents enjoyed food, fun, and music during tonight's 41st annual Greek Food Festival Friday and Saturday. It's set up to support St. George's Greek Orthodox Church on Truxton Avenue. This year some of the proceeds ...Greek fest offers food, fun, musicToledo BladeWorld Cup 2014 : Thinking about the contenders at the Staten Island Greek ...SILive.comSt. Catherine's holds its annual Greek festival in BraintreeThe Patriot LedgerFayetteville Observer -Spartanburg Herald Journal -Albany Times Unionall 19 news articles »

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Worst of Greece's recession is nearly over, says prime minister

Antonis Samaras says economy is regaining its competitiveness and is on track to return to pre-crisis levels

Greece's prime minister Antonis Samaras has insisted the worst is almost over for his country and reassured Greeks that the debt-stricken nation's longest recession would soon be consigned to the dustbin of history.

Boosted by figures showing the economy contracting by 3.8% in the second quarter – its smallest decline since the outbreak of Athens's worst financial crisis in modern times – the leader said the country's dependency on foreign lenders was also nearing an end.

"Greece is turning a page … all the international organisations agree that next year, 2014, will be the year of recovery for the Greek economy," he told industry and business leaders attending the annual Thessaloniki trade fair. "Last year most abroad were predicting that Greece would exit the euro. Now they are predicting the exact opposite. That Greece will exit the recession and stay in the euro," he said promising that the progress would hail the end of unpopular austerity.

The fair is traditionally used by Greek prime ministers to outline their economic policies. Using the keynote speech to list the achievements of his 14-month government, Samaras said Athens had not only made the biggest fiscal adjustment "in world history", but emerged with an economy that in regaining its competitiveness was on track to return to pre-crisis levels. Much of the rebound is due to an unexpectedly good tourism season. If Greece kept up the progress – the condition of rescue funds worth €240bn from its "troika" of creditors at the EU, ECB and IMF – Samaras said the country would also succeed in shaving its debt mountain, at €320bn the biggest in the eurozone.

"After the end of the year, we will achieve a new lightening of the debt burden," he insisted reminding international lenders they had "committed to" making Greece's debt load sustainable if Athens posted a primary surplus [before interest payments on debt] by the end of 2013.

"A primary surplus will mean that the country can stand on its feet [and] will be the first decisive step towards exiting the policies of the memorandums," he said referring to the two loan agreements Athens has signed up to since the start of the crisis. By returning to capital markets and breaking free of creditors, Athens could use the surplus to "lighten the injustices" of Greeks on low pensions and public sector employees hit by cuts.

With German elections looming, Greece is under immense pressure to continue paring back the bloated public sector – the root of the country's financial woes.

But the government also faces the herculean task of keeping the social peace at a time when most Greeks, struggling with draconian cuts and tax increases, are bracing for their hardest winter yet. Driving home a message of hope is central to the campaign.

In Thessaloniki over the weekend it was quite clear that many disagreed with that message just as they do in Athens and other parts of the nation. Police estimated that around 50,000 took to the streets to decry the record levels of unemployment and poverty associated exclusively with almost four years of austerity driven recession.

The radical left main opposition leader, Alexis Tsipras, accused Samaras of lambasting Greeks with "a primary surplus of deceit."

There is mounting speculation that Greece, whose economy had shrunk by nearly 25% since 2010, is heading for a third bailout in what EU mandarins hope will finally be the end of the eurozone crisis. The IMF has indicated that the country will face a €11bn funding gap when the country's current rescue program ends next July.

On Sunday, the German finance minister Wolfgang Schäuble repeated that Berlin was "always ready" to help as long as Athens fulfilled its side of the deal. But Germany, which has provided the bulk of Greece's bailouts to date, rejected the notion that Athens would receive any kind of debt relief – a move that would cost German tax payers up to €30bn .

Greece was forgiven €145bn in debt by private creditors last year. "It would upset investors and creditors," Schäuble wrote in the German magazine Focus. "A second haircut is not the right step for Greece … and whoever discusses it, puts everything in danger."

GreeceEuropeEurozone crisisEuropean UnionEuropean monetary unionEuropean banksFinancial crisisEuroEconomicsHelena Smiththeguardian.com © 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

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Wrestling wins IOC vote for place in 2020 Olympics, beating baseball-softball and squash

by  Associated Press Wrestling wins IOC vote for place in 2020 Olympics Associated Press - 8 September 2013 12:18-04:00

BUENOS AIRES, Argentina (AP) — Seven months after losing its Olympic place, wrestling was reinstated for the 2020 Olympics on Sunday as the IOC overturned a decision that many members thought was a mistake.

Wrestling easily defeated bids from baseball-softball and squash for a spot on the program of the 2020 Games, which were awarded Saturday to Tokyo.

Wrestling, which was surprisingly dropped from the list of core sports in February, received 49 votes to win in the first round of secret balloting by the International Olympic Committee. Baseball-softball got 24 votes and squash 22.

The decision capped a frantic six-month campaign by wrestling body FILA to revamp the organization and reshape the sport to save its Olympic status.

"With this vote, you have shown that the steps we have taken to improve our sport have made a difference," FILA President Nenad Lalovic said. "I assure each of you that our modernization will not stop now. We will continue to strive to be the best partner to the Olympic Movement that we can be."

The vote followed final presentations by all three sports, with Lalovic promising the delegates that wrestling had learned its lesson.

"Today is the most important day in the 2,000-year history of our sport," Lalovic said. "We feel the weight of that history. Remaining on the Olympic program is crucial to wrestling's survival."

Wrestling goes back to the ancient Olympics in Greece and has been on the program of every modern games except 1900. The sport was caught off guard when it was axed by the IOC executive board — a decision that surprised even most IOC members.

"We have made mistakes," Lalovic told the IOC members Sunday. "We admitted but we decided to listen and learn. This is the only way to be a partner of the IOC. We are aware of our mistakes and they will not happen again. We have to update our sport, like any other sport, every day."

The result was welcomed by IOC members as rectifying a mistake.

"We cannot imagine the games without wrestling," said Sheik Ahmad Al-Fahad Al-Sabah, the influential Kuwaiti who heads the Association of National Olympic Committees. "Wrestling is a founder. Today was a great result."

Squash was trying to make the Olympics for the third time. Men's baseball and women's softball merged into a single federation to try to return after being dropped for the 2012 and 2016 Games.

Raphael Martinetti resigned as FILA president within days of the IOC vote and was replaced by Lalovic.

FILA revamped its structure, giving women and athletes a role in decision making. It added two weight classes for women. It adopted rule changes to make the sport easier to understand and more fun to watch, and reward more aggressive wrestling.

Powerful countries and unlikely political allies like the United States, Iran and Russia threw their weight behind the campaign.

"Wrestling is new in virtually every way," FILA official Jim Scherr told the delegates.

Each sport had 20 minutes to make its case to the IOC.

Don Porter, the American co-president of the World Baseball Softball Confederation, choked up and had tears in his eyes as he talked about receiving letters from young girls who were distraught when softball was dropped.

"We want to give every little girl and boy in the world a chance to play our game," Porter said.

Antonio Castro, the son of former Cuban leader Fidel Castro, played up baseball's global appeal.

"Today we are the most popular sport in the world which is not part of the Olympic program," he said. "As everyone knows, baseball is not just a sport, it's a business."

Squash federation chief N. Ramachandran said his sport would represent the future, not the past, an apparent dig at wrestling.

"We would be a partner you can trust," he said. "Squash has never been in the Olympic games. And we know what a great honor it would be for squash to join the sport program and add something new to Olympic experience."

The whole process has been controversial. Wrestling's return means no new sport will make the 2020 program, defeating the original intention.

Earlier Sunday, the IOC rejected a proposal by Canadian member Dick Pound to postpone a decision for five months to allow a new sport to get in.

"It seems to me the result of the exercise to date has been to remove wrestling, which is one of the truly traditional Olympic sports in the program, but then to add it back on to a list of possible new sports," Pound said. "That seems to me to be somewhat self-contradictory.

"My sense is there's a very strong feeling that wrestling should be retained. If that is expressed by the session then we're back to where we started. There's been no new sport added to the program."

Pound suggested the IOC board should propose a new list at the next meeting in February on the eve of the Winter Games in Sochi, Russia.

IOC President Jacques Rogge defended the process, saying members had agreed unanimously — "I repeat unanimously" — to the system in 2007.

"We should act now," Rogge said. "I think we should respect our own decision."

The IOC members then approved the list of 25 core sports to allow the vote to go ahead.

News Topics: Sports, Women's sports, 2020 Olympic Games, Squash, Olympic games, Summer Olympic games, Sports governance, Wrestling, Baseball, Softball, Events, Men's sports

People, Places and Companies: Fidel Castro, Dick Pound, Jacques Rogge, Argentina, South America, Latin America and Caribbean

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Wrestling Reinstated For 2020 Olympics In IOC Vote, Edging Baseball-Softball And Squash

BUENOS AIRES, Argentina -- Seven months after losing its Olympic place, wrestling was reinstated for the 2020 Games on Sunday when the IOC overturned a decision many members thought was a mistake. The sport, which has ancient roots in the Olympics, easily defeated bids from baseball-softball and squash. It will now join the program of the 2020 Games, which were awarded to Tokyo on Saturday. Wrestling, which was surprisingly dropped from the list of core sports in February, received 49 votes to win in the first round of secret balloting by the International Olympic Committee. Baseball-softball got 24 votes and squash 22. The decision capped a frantic six-month campaign by the wrestling body FILA to revamp the organization and reshape the sport to save its Olympic status. "With this vote, you have shown that the steps we have taken to improve our sport have made a difference," FILA President Nenad Lalovic said. "I assure each of you that our modernization will not stop now. We will continue to strive to be the best partner to the Olympic movement that we can be." The vote followed final presentations by all three sports, with Lalovic promising the delegates that wrestling had learned its lesson. "Today is the most important day in the 2,000-year history of our sport," Lalovic said. "We feel the weight of that history. Remaining on the Olympic program is crucial to wrestling's survival." Wrestling goes back to the ancient Olympics in Greece and has been on the program of every modern games except 1900. The sport was caught off guard when it was axed by the IOC executive board – a decision that surprised even most IOC members. "We have made mistakes," Lalovic told the IOC members Sunday. "We admitted but we decided to listen and learn. This is the only way to be a partner of the IOC. We are aware of our mistakes and they will not happen again. We have to update our sport, like any other sport, every day." The result was welcomed by IOC members as rectifying a mistake. "We cannot imagine the games without wrestling," said Sheik Ahmad Al-Fahad Al-Sabah, the influential Kuwaiti who heads the Association of National Olympic Committees. "Wrestling is a founder. Today was a great result." Squash was trying to make the Olympics for the third time. Men's baseball and women's softball merged into a single federation to try to return after being dropped for the 2012 and 2016 Games. Raphael Martinetti resigned as FILA president within days of the IOC vote and was replaced by Lalovic. FILA reworked its structure, giving women and athletes a role in decision making. It added two weight classes for women. It adopted rule changes to make the sport easier to understand and more fun to watch, and reward more aggressive wrestling. Powerful countries and unlikely political allies like the United States, Iran and Russia threw their weight behind the campaign. "Wrestling is new in virtually every way," FILA official Jim Scherr told the delegates. Each sport had 20 minutes to make its case to the IOC. Don Porter, the American co-president of the World Baseball Softball Confederation, choked up and had tears in his eyes as he talked about receiving letters from young girls who were distraught when softball was dropped. "We want to give every little girl and boy in the world a chance to play our game," Porter said. Antonio Castro, the son of former Cuban leader Fidel Castro, played up baseball's global appeal. "Today we are the most popular sport in the world which is not part of the Olympic program," he said. "As everyone knows, baseball is not just a sport, it's a business." Squash federation chief N. Ramachandran said his sport would represent the future, not the past, an apparent dig at wrestling. "We would be a partner you can trust," he said. "Squash has never been in the Olympic Games. And we know what a great honor it would be for squash to join the sport program and add something new to Olympic experience." The whole process has been controversial. Wrestling's return means no new sport will make the 2020 program, defeating the original intention. Earlier Sunday, the IOC rejected a proposal by Canadian member Dick Pound to postpone a decision for five months to allow a new sport to get in. "It seems to me the result of the exercise to date has been to remove wrestling, which is one of the truly traditional Olympic sports in the program, but then to add it back on to a list of possible new sports," Pound said. "That seems to me to be somewhat self-contradictory. "My sense is there's a very strong feeling that wrestling should be retained. If that is expressed by the session then we're back to where we started. There's been no new sport added to the program." Pound suggested the IOC board should propose a new list at the next meeting in February on the eve of the Winter Games in Sochi, Russia. IOC President Jacques Rogge defended the process, saying members had agreed unanimously – "I repeat unanimously" – to the system in 2007. "We should act now," Rogge said. "I think we should respect our own decision." The IOC members then approved the list of 25 core sports to allow the vote to go ahead.

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Chobani Yogurt Recall 2013: Company Says Some Greek Yogurt Cups Affected ...

Latinos PostChobani Yogurt Recall 2013: Company Says Some Greek Yogurt Cups Affected ...Latinos PostThe Muller Quaker dairy facility offered tastings in Batavia, New York, June 3, 2013. PepsiCo Inc - best known for Pepsi-Cola and Frito-Lay chips - is taking its Muller yogurt brand nationwide expanding its portfolio of healthier foods at a time that U ...Greek Tragedy: Chobani's Tasteless RecallMotley FoolMold Leads Chobani to Recall Greek YogurtPatch.comChobani recalls some Greek yogurt cups because of moldSan Jose Mercury NewsTheDay.com (blog) -KQED (blog)all 42 news articles »

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After Crete New Earthquake Hits Thessaloniki

After Crete a new earthquake occurred in Northern Greece, in the area of Thessaloniki. The earthquake was mostly felt in the western regions of the city. The weak earthquake measuring 3.6 on the Richter scale (according to the Euro-Mediterranean Seismological Centre) took place at 13.35 in Pikrolimni of Kilkis, northern Greece. The epicenter of the vibration is detected within 24 kilometers ...

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Troika to Shut Down OSE

Greece’s European lenders estimate that the country needs an even smaller government and a new tax system, and for this reason they are hardening their measures in view of the quarterly audit which will be the ';key'; to the third rescue plan for Greece. According to Greek media, Greece’s lenders are prepared to consider as a prerequisite the shutting down of Greek railways ...

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Delacroix Meets Nietzsche in Thessaloniki Reflections on Greek Economic Figures

Special to The National Herald It seems that the Greek economic drama is taking a new turn. In 1862 Delacroix painted Medea when she was about to kill her children, because Jason (her husband) abandoned her for the sake of Glauce (the daughter of King Creon from Corinth). My fear is that as the numbers unfold in Greece, a new Medea is emerging that refuses to see reality, and in her cyclothymic ...

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Concert Dedicated to Great Greek Figures

On September 9, the Herodium will be filled with composers, poets, singers and actors in favor of the establishment of the Museum of Immigrant Hellenism. At the same there is also another goal to be achieved, the creation of a sculpture statue for the Greek Diaspora in Makrisia of Olympia, Greece. Greeks who left Makrisia, returned to their homeland, shone in many fields and until today continue ...

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What Winning Tokyo 2020 Olympics Means For Japan

TOKYO -- A half-century after the 1964 Tokyo games heralded Japan's reemergence from destruction and defeat in World War II, the city's triumphant bid to host the 2020 games is giving this aging nation a chance to revive both its sagging spirits and its stagnating economy. "In most competitions, if you don't win a gold medal, you can also win maybe a bronze one," Tokyo Gov. Naoki Inose told reporters in Buenos Aires after the International Olympic Committee chose his city to host the 2020 summer games. "In this battle, there was only the gold." Hundreds of Japanese athletes and officials gathered downtown for the early morning announcement shouted "Banzai!" jumping up and down and hugging in unusually demonstrative reactions to the announcement the International Olympic Committee had opted for Tokyo's guarantees of safety and stability, despite the festering nuclear crisis in its northeast. Japan's capital defeated Istanbul in the final round of voting at the International Olympic Committee meeting in Buenos Aires, after Madrid was eliminated in the first round. The decision suggests IOC members were convinced by Prime Minister Shinzo Abe's reassurances that radiation leaks from the nuclear plant wrecked in the March 2011 earthquake and tsunami disaster pose no threat to Tokyo or the games. The 1964 games were relatively bare bones by today's standards. "There were no facilities, no food to eat; no barbells; no place to practice. That was what it was like," said Yoshinobu Miyake, a featherweight weightlifting gold medalist at the 1964 games who recalls walking the streets of Tokyo with a crooked barbell in hand, looking for a place to practice. "But still, we had to win – so it was a country that managed to go on with just a hungry spirit, a Japanese spirit," he said. To prepare for the 1964 games, Japan rushed to build expressways and introduced its first high-speed "Shinkansen" bullet trains. The games won it worldwide recognition for its growing affluence and economic power, and were a turning point for the country's athletics, as it captured 16 golds, 29 medals in total, trailing only the United States and Soviet Union. This time, many here consider the Olympics a symbol of recovery both from economic stagnation and from the 2011 earthquake and tsunami that left more than 19,000 people dead or missing on Japan's northeast coast. "From here on, things will get better," said Yoko Kurahashi, 65, whose high school was just across the street from Tokyo's Metropolitan Gymnasium, the site for the 1964 games gymnastics and water polo competitions. "This will help invigorate us," Kurohashi said as she stood outside Tokyo city hall with her 94-year-old mother-in-law watching hundreds of other Tokyo residents celebrating with gold streamers and balloons. Japan is counting on the games to boost both the economy and morale. Two decades after its economic ascent was cut short by the bursting of its financial bubble, its population shrinking and rapidly aging, it can use all the help it can get, said Yukio Takahashi, who was jubilant as he took his morning walk with his wife in a suburban park that was a main 1964 Olympic venue. "This will help us to not lose confidence," Takahashi said. "It gives us a goal, something to strive for." Surveys showed 70 percent of Tokyoites favored the bid. Hosting the 2020 games could yield positive economic effects of over 4 trillion yen ($40.4 billion) and create more than 150,000 jobs, according to some estimates, more than half of it new demand for construction, sales of Olympics-related goods and purchases of new televisions and other appliances. Hosting the Olympics offers a strong excuse for pork-barrel-style construction projects. In reality, greater Tokyo, home to 35 million people, is facing a major overhaul of its aging infrastructure anyway, nowhere more so than in crumbling sports venues due to be refurbished for the 2020 Games. The government hopes to boost visits by foreign tourists to 30 million a year by then, from the 8.36 million who came to Japan last year. Improving consumer confidence is vital for the success of Abe's economic recovery strategy, which hinges on stimulating inflation by pumping more money into the economy, keeping interest rates near zero and improving Japan's competitiveness through a wide range of reforms. Already, Olympics hopes have lifted share prices in construction, real estate and tourism-related companies. Whether the Olympics, seven years away, would bring the sort of boost needed right now remains to be seen. Unless Japanese companies, long wary of betting on a shrinking domestic market, step up investments and raise wages, price hikes are more likely to discourage rather than spur more spending in the long run. The ultimate economic impact from holding the games varies from city to city. The 2008 games were a strong plus for Beijing, yielding an impressive new airport, subway lines and other welcome infrastructure. London's 2012 games likewise were a boost for the British economy. But the Bird's Nest stadium, the centerpiece of the 2008 games, stands neglected as a $500 million souvenir. In Athens, many of the venues from the 2004 Olympics are desolate and weed-infested, and the Greek economy is in crisis. Although Japan has a national debt amounting to twice the size of its economy, Tokyo itself has a $4.5 billion "reserve fund" for infrastructure projects for the games. Japan's status as the world's third-biggest economy and its strong links to Olympic sponsors were additional strengths. The huge Asian market was another draw for the IOC. Such assets outweighed concerns over leaks of radioactive water from the tsunami-crippled Fukushima Dai-Ichi nuclear plant. But they also will add to pressures on Tokyo to resolve the crisis. "We have made promises," Abe said after the decision. "Now we have a responsibility to meet those expectations." __ Associated Press writer Emily Wang contributed to this report.

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Greece could get more EU aid to cut debt: PM

Greece could get more EU aid to cut debt: PMeNCAATHENS - Prime Minister Antonis Samaras said Sunday he did not rule out Greece receiving more European aid, and hoped it could return to the bond markets in 2014 to plug a gap in the national finances. Samaras told Greek daily Ethnos that the European ...

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Greece-Bulgaria Traffic Intensifies End of Weekend

Bulgarian border authorities have informed of heavy incoming traffic from Greece Sunday, at the end of a 3-day-long weekend in Bulgaria. Between Thursday and Sunday noon, over 48,000 vehicles and 169,000 people have crossed the border, informed authorities. Over 50% of that traffic has passed through the Kulata - Promachonas checkpoint. Sunday afternoon the traffic on the E-79 international ...

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Joe Thorpe #

Joe Thorpe #Thought LeaderBob #. The following should be mentioned: The reason for above average military spending in Greece: Turkey. The fact that Greece has already defaulted, albeit in a controlled and selective manner. And lastly, Germans have no interest in 'owning' Greece.

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Greece will need more rescue funds after 2014: EU official

Press TVGreece will need more rescue funds after 2014: EU officialPress TVA European Union official says Greece will need more rescue funds from its international creditors as the current rescue loan program expires at the end of 2014, amid economic slump in the European country. “Greece's trouble will not have been ...Euro official: Greece to need more aid after 2014Idaho State Journalall 2 news articles »

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Greek drama takes the Silver Lion at Venice

KathimeriniGreek drama takes the Silver Lion at VeniceKathimerini"Miss Violence," a contemporary Greek drama, walked away from the Venice Film Festival on Saturday night with the Silver Lion for director Alexandros Avranas, awarded by an international jury headed by acclaimed Italian filmmaker Bernardo Bertolucci.“Miss Violence” Scoops Awards at Venice Film FestivalGreek Reporterall 20 news articles »

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Chobanis Ulukaya Steve Jobs Of Greek Yogurt

NEW YORK - Hamdi Ulukaya, the Kurdish immigrant who has become a billionaire selling Greek yogurt to Americans, is sitting in his modern New York City office pining for "home". The founder of runaway success story Chobani is living the American dream, jet-setting around the world to pick up awards and sit on industry panels with politicians and celebrities. And yet all Ulukaya wants is ...

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More Greek anger as PM expresses optimism

There has been a massive protest in the Greek city of Thessaloniki against the government's austerity programme. Thousands of people, led by unionists, came together in the country's second largest city on Saturday. The main complaints were against cutbacks and layoff of public workers and the potential closure of state-owned defence companies. Four thousand riot police were deployed to ...

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Greece Beats Turkey 84-61 in EuroBasket

Despite that the Greek team was deprived from its virtuoso playmaker, Vassilis Spanoulis, Greece hammered Turkey 84-61 in Slovenia and qualified to the next round of Eurobasket 2013. Greece was superior from the beginning in all aspects of the ...

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Greeces economy to improve in 2014

(MenaFn) Greece's prime minister expects the country's growth to improve in 2014 after a recession began in 2007, according to Saudi Gazette.All the international organizations expect the new year to be an economic-recovery year to Greece and the end of the country's austerity.The Prime Minister said: "Greece is turning the page on six years of recession and the economy is ...

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Greece to exit recession next year

(MENAFN) Greek Prime Minister, Antonis Samaras, said that his country would exit the recession and go back to growth next year, Saudi Gazette reported.He also said that he will push to ease the austerity measures implemented during the six-year long recession the country suffered from.Initial estimates said that the country's economy would contract by 4.6 percent year-on-year in the ...

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Greeks Snapping Up Store Brands

With many brand name labels refusing to lower prices – or raising them – during Greece’s crushing economic crisis, customers are fleeing toward supermarket brands to take advantage of far cheaper costs and say they haven’t noticed any difference in quality. That could spell bad news for the big companies who may never get back many of those who pick other brands, and good ...

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Greek Teachers Strike Fizzling Out

The regional secondary school teacher unions (ELME ... Accusing the government of embarking on “an assault against state education,” OLME said it was lodging a legal suit in a bid to reverse the enforcement of the mobility scheme, one ...

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Spartanburg Greek Festival focuses on food, culture

Lots of food. Weeks before locals congregate ... were preparing traditional Greek dishes, drinks and desserts. As early as May the cooks began working on the pastries. Kiki Couchelle, co-chair of the festival and former chair of the pastries ...

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Annual Bellingham Greek Festival runs all weekend

Bellingham HeraldAnnual Bellingham Greek Festival runs all weekendBellingham HeraldKanella Fotopoulosw (left) and Eleni Zourkos (right) make loukoumades or Greek donuts at Bellingham Greekfest, Thursday, Sept. 5, 2013 at Saint Sophia Greek Orthodox Church in Bellingham. Loukoumades are Greek donuts made with honey syrup and ...

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How to claim for holiday disasters

From being taken ill to being stuck in a room by the bins, if your dream holiday is ruined you can claim compensation

Anyone whose summer holiday memories are fading quicker than their tan could be among the lucky ones: for some unhappy travellers the after-effects live on and the fight for compensation is only just beginning.

Steve Cannon's family holiday in Turkey went wrong early on when he was struck down by a stomach bug that lasted for the rest of the break. Sales rep Steve, 44, and his wife Chloe, who works in human resources, booked a 10-day stay at the Sentido Parissia, a "deluxe resort" in Side, Turkey, through Thomas Cook.

But for Steve and up to 100 other guests, the trip was ruined. "This wasn't just a routine stomach bug, this was a real 'Oh my God!' bug. Thankfully, Chloe and the kids were OK, but they just wanted to play with their daddy and there wasn't much I could do."

So what can you do if your holiday failed to live up to its promise?

If you fell ill

British travellers made 337,000 insurance claims for overseas medical treatment in 2012, according to the Association of British Insurers. The average claim was for £815 but one holidaymaker, who had to be flown home by air ambulance after suffering a heart attack, claimed £86,000.

You should receive free medical treatment in Europe if you carry the European Health Insurance Card, although there have been cases of Spanish, Portuguese and Greek hospitals charging.

If you had private medical treatment or fell ill outside the EU, you should be able to claim on your travel insurance. But you will need receipts, says Beth Macer, travel insurance expert at PayingTooMuch.com. "For claims above, say, £500 your insurer will expect you to have sought approval from its emergency assistance helpline. If you didn't, it may reject your claim."

If the illness was down to poor hygiene at a hotel booked through a travel agent or tour operator, you may be able to make a legal claim "for pain and suffering, lost earnings, private medical care at home or abroad, and loss of enjoyment," says Suki Chhokar, a specialist travel claims lawyer at Irwin Mitchell, which is now seeking compensation for Steve and 50 other guests. "Payouts can range from a few thousand pounds to hundreds of thousands."

If the accommodation was a let down

If you were promised a sea view but got a room by the bins, it helps if you complained to the holiday rep or hotel at the time. If you are still unhappy, act soon after you get home, says Bob Atkinson at Travelsupermarket.com. "Send a written complaint to the travel company within 28 days, setting out the problem, who you spoke to and what redress you expect," he says. "Keep a copy of all correspondence."

Your case will be strengthened if you took photo and video evidence and statements from other guests. Complaining should be more straightforward if you bought your holiday from an Abta member, says the organisation's spokeswoman, Daisy Parker. "They are bound by our code of conduct. We also offer a free helpline and complaints arbitration."

If your suitcase went missing

Travel insurance should cover any lost valuables or your entire suitcase. If you are claiming for a theft or crime, you need to have reported it to the local police at the time, says Peter Hayman at specialist travel insurer PJ Hayman. "If you can't produce a written police report and crime number, your insurer won't pay." It is extremely unlikely you will be able to get this once you get home, but your insurer may be sympathetic if you can show you made every effort to report the theft. It may be worth asking hotel reception or a holiday rep for back-up.

If you're unhappy with your travel insurer's response, you should first contact its in-house complaints procedure, then take the case to the Financial Ombudsman Service.

If you had problems with your flights

For delays and cancellations, you are entitled to compensation under the EU Denied Boarding Regulations scheme, which covers all flights out of the UK. Your airline should have arranged an alternative to a cancelled flight as soon as possible, plus any meals, transfers and hotels, or given you a refund.

You may also claim compensation on a sliding scale, depending on how far you were due to fly. This starts at €250 for under 1,500km, rising to a maximum €600 for more than 3,500km.

Contact the airline, giving as much information as possible. If you spent money on food and hotels and want to claim a refund make sure you have the receipts. You have six years from the delay date to make a claim.

If the airline doesn't resolve the matter, you should contact the Civil Aviation Authority. If it still refuses, you can take the matter to court.

If you arranged the elements of the holiday separately you have less protection. But you do have some back-up if you paid with your credit card. Under Section 75 of the Consumer Credit Act 1974, if you spent between £100 and £30,000, the issuer is equally liable for any losses. But it will only cover the cost of any services you didn't receive, such as a return flight home. There's no time limit, but there is no point hanging around. Ask your credit card provider for a Section 75 claim form. If you have any problems take your case to the ombudsman.

Meanwhile, Steve Cannon and the other guests are looking for a full refund plus compensation. Thomas Cook's director of service and quality UK, Alastair Brass says: "Preliminary indications suggested that this was of a viral nature and not due to poor hygiene standards. We know how important holidays are and how upsetting it can be when you're ill overseas. The Sentido Perissia management immediately put into place internationally recognised prevention of spread of infection procedures, while we moved new arrivals to alternative hotels. Those customers in the resort at the time were offered every assistance by our dedicated team. We are proactively contacting any customers to address their concerns."

Travel insuranceConsumer rightsInsuranceConsumer affairsTravel & leisureHarvey Jonestheguardian.com © 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

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Greek director Avranas tackles brutality in home violence at Venice

Greek director Alexandros Avranas poses at the photocall for the film "Miss Violence" during the 70th Venice Film Festival, in Lido of Venice, Italy, on Sept. 1, 2013. Photo - Xinhua/Xu Nizhi Violence, in the context of the actual social and moral crisis, was one of the key elements of the ongoing competition for the "golden lion" at the 70th Venice Film Festival. Scenes of ...

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The trailer for BBC's Atlantis is a Greek mythology mashup

The trailer for BBC's Atlantis is a Greek mythology mashupio9Misfits creator Howard Overman turns his talents toward swords and sandals in BBC One's upcoming series Atlantis. A guy named Jason teams up two fellows named Pythogoras and Hercules, and we can only assume legendary deeds ensue. It's hard to get ...and more »

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Pope Francis Leads Peace Prayer Vigil For Syria With 100,000 At St. Peter's Square At Vatican (PHOTOS)

VATICAN CITY -- Tens of thousands of people filled St. Peter's Square for a four-hour Syria peace vigil late Saturday, answering Pope Francis' call for a grassroots cry for peace that was echoed by Christians and non-Christians alike in Syria and in vigils around the world. The Vatican estimated about 100,000 took part in the Rome event, making it one of the largest rallies in the West against proposed U.S.-led military action against the Syrian regime following the Aug. 21 chemical weapons attack near Damascus. Francis spent most of the vigil in silent prayer, but during his speech he issued a heartfelt plea for peace, denouncing those who are "captivated by the idols of dominion and power" and destroy God's creation through war. "This evening, I ask the Lord that we Christians, and our brothers and sisters of other religions and every man and woman of good will, cry out forcefully: Violence and war are never the way to peace!" he said. "May the noise of weapons cease!" he said. "War always marks the failure of peace, it is always a defeat for humanity." In Damascus, a few dozen Syrian Christians attended a service in the al-Zaytoun Church, joining Francis' invitation for a global participation in the day of fasting and prayer and to oppose outside military intervention in the conflict. Greek Catholic Patriarch Gregorios III Laham of Antioch and All East presided, saying most countries supported a political solution to the crisis in Syria and few wanted military action. "This is the start of the victory," he told the Damascus faithful. "No to war. Yes for peace." In Washington, at least 150 protesters picketed in front of the White House and marched to Capitol Hill to voice their opposition to a U.S. military strike in Syria. Anti-war protests were also held in other U.S. cities, including one in New York City's Times Squares and a prayer vigil in Boston that echoed Saturday's massive gathering at the Vatican. Medea Benjamin, a founder of the anti-war group Code Pink, said a cross-section of Americans, many of whom disagree on a variety of issues, are united against military intervention. "We have suddenly found ourselves united as Americans, overwhelmingly saying we will not let you drag us into another war," Benjamin shouted into a megaphone in front of the White House. Francis announced the day of fasting and prayer Sept. 1, alarmed at the acceleration of U.S. threats to strike Syria after the chemical weapons attack. Since then, the Vatican has ramped up its peace message, summoning ambassadors for a briefing by the Holy See foreign minister this week. Francis appealed directly to world powers at the Group of 20 meeting in Russia, urging them to abandon the "futile pursuit" of a military solution in Syria and work instead for a negotiated settlement. Bishops around the world joined Francis in the daylong fast and organized similar vigils in their home dioceses. In Francis' native Argentina, human rights and religious groups held a vigil in Buenos Aires' Plaza de Mayo and in cities across the country. Vatican Radio reported similar initiatives were taking place throughout Italy, in Cuba and elsewhere. Even the grand mufti of Damascus, who thanked the pope for his initiative in a letter earlier this week, invited Muslims to join the fast in solidarity. Vatican officials have stressed that Saturday's event was religious, not political. But the gathering nevertheless took on the air of an anti-war rally, with protesters holding up Syrian flags and banners in the square reading "Don't attack Syria" and "Obama you don't have a dream, you have a nightmare." A few rainbow "Peace" flags fluttered in the breeze. But by the time the vigil got underway, the posters and flags had mainly disappeared as a more religious tone took over, with leaders from a variety of Christian and non-Christian denominations joining cardinals, politicians and ordinary folk for the evening of prayer, hymns and meditation. "This is already a success, the fact that all of us are here, Hindus, Christians, Buddhists, atheists," a Hindu believer named Anata said. Pilgrims "made an effort to fast, not to do many things, and come here from all over Italy and Europe. This is already a success." The pope entered the square from the basilica steps, foregoing his usual high-spirited drive through in his open car – an indication of the sobriety of the evening, which capped a day of fasting for the pontiff. The 76-year-old pope held up well throughout the four hours – lasting longer than many who by the vigil's 11 p.m. conclusion had already gone home. He thanked those who had stayed to the end for their company, and wished them a good night's sleep. The peace vigil marked something of a novelty for the Vatican: Nothing of its kind has ever taken place in St. Peter's Square, though popes past have participated in daylong peace prayers in places like Assisi, known for its peace-loving native son and the pope's namesake, St. Francis. That's not to say popes haven't taken vigorous anti-war positions in the past: Pope Paul VI famously uttered the words "War never again, never again war" at the United Nations in 1965 as the Vietnam War raged, a refrain that has been repeated by every pope since. Pope John Paul II sent an envoy to President George W. Bush on the eve of the 2003 U.S.-led invasion of Iraq urging him to stand down – to no avail. Francis has condemned the use of chemical weapons in Syria, but has been careful not to lay blame on any one side, exhorting world leaders instead to focus on the plight of Syrian civilians and the need in general to end the violence. Other church officials, both at the Vatican and in dioceses, have been more pointed in their criticism of any internationalization of the conflict, saying U.S.-French military strikes will only exacerbate the situation for civilians, particularly Christian minorities. ___ Albert Aji contributed from Damascus, Syria. ___ Follow Nicole Winfield at www.twitter.com/nwinfield

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Samaras Says Data Shows Austerity Easing

(AP Photo/Nikolas Giakoumidis) Greek Prime Minister Antonis Samaras says things are looking up for Greece, during the inauguration of the annual Thessaloniki International Trade Fair on Sept. 7, 2013. THESSALONIKI - Prime Minister Antonis Samaras of Greece seized on new economic data on Sept. 7 that indicated the country was on track to economic recovery and promised relief to Greeks weary of ...

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Greece Spanks Turkey At Eurobasket

(AP Photo/Thanassis Stavrakis) Turkey's Emir Preldzic (L) goes to score as Greece's Antonis Fotsis defends during the European Basketball Championship Group D match in Koper, Slovenia, Sept. 7. KOPER, Slovenia - After thumping the Olympic bronze medalists Russia, Greece's national team showed it's becoming a force to be reckoned with at the Eurobasket championships by pounding ...

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Greek festival on Staten Island is annual tradition for many

The annual six-day celebration, now in its 40th year, featured Greek-themed music and dancing, but the driving force of the event is the myriad Greek food offerings: specials such as souvlaki, gyros, baked eggplant moussaka, as well as lush and caloric ...

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Santa Cruz Greek Festival draws with food, culture

SANTA CRUZ -- While the 2013 Greek Festival is confined to one block on Church Street between Cedar and Center streets, it's packed with the country's culture. Walking down the block between the food tents, attendees are met with sounds of the ...

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Suddenly Germany may be in trouble – too little growth, two few babies

Its economy may be thriving now: but as elections loom, the country's vaunted industrial base faces a skills shortage of startling proportions

On the edge of deep green mountain forests in the centre of Germany – where east once met west – lies Germany's "toy town". As in every corner of Germany right now, smiling election candidates beam out from posters tied to lampposts in Sonneberg with snappy slogans promising "safe jobs" and to "keep Germany strong".

There is little mention of looming problems that many experts predict will send Germany tumbling down the economic league tables over coming years. Instead, they are playing on the strengths of Sonneberg's mix of small and family-owned companies – the kind that dominate the buoyant German business landscape. Toy town is, for now, enjoying the latest of many resurgences through the centuries.

"Sonneberg and the area around it has one of the highest employment levels in Germany," says Christian Dressel, who runs the local job centre. "Businesses have set up here … we have car industry companies, electronics firms making vacuum cleaners and TVs, toymakers and a training school for toymakers."

In its heyday at the turn of the 20th century, Sonneberg was the world's leading toy producer. Mothers and fathers, son and daughters, crammed into home workshops and, with their neighbours, made up production lines that churned out every fifth toy in the world. One house would make dolls' wigs, the next along stuffed the bodies and another would craft their faces.

When Sonneberg was swallowed up into the German Democratic Republic, the communist authorities merged its many toymakers into powerful co-operatives that made up 95% of the country's toy industry, exporting dolls, building blocks, trains and plastic trucks far and wide across the Soviet bloc and beyond. Little of that is left today. Rows of majestic villas and teddy-bear-shaped statues in the town square are testament to centuries of export might, but only a handful of toymakers remain.

"After the reunification those giant toymakers were no longer sustainable and collapsed very quickly," says Reinhild Schneider, director of the German Toy Museum in Sonneberg. "If you look at the massive scale of production in the past and the renowned toymakers, what we see is a story of decline. You have to accept it. The world is changing."

But in the place of Sonneberg's toymakers are industrial estates almost full to capacity with car parts manufacturers, mechanical engineering plants and plastics specialists.

These are the sorts of small businesses that make up 99% of all German firms, and generate more than half the country's economic output. Sonneberg, and its transformation after the fall of the Berlin wall into a base for such Mittelstand (small and medium-sized) companies, encapsulates the wave of economic success that chancellor Angela Merkel is seeking to ride into the elections in two weeks' time.

These companies, like many across Germany, have been enjoying growing exports as the eurozone finally emerges from recession. At 4.2%, Sonneberg's unemployment rate is among the lowest in the country and has halved in the past five years. Merkel's placards here promise more of the same for workers.

But rivals to her centre-right Christian Democrats seize on growing disquiet in Germany about the value of all those jobs and what many see as rising inequality. Germany has one of the largest proportions of low earners in Europe – a quarter are on less than €9.54 (£8.15) an hour – and for those at the bottom of the pay scale, wages have failed miserably to keep pace with inflation.

Merkel's main challenger, Peer Steinbrück of the Social Democrats, is promising top-ups for families on low incomes, while the leftwing Die Linke party is calling for a national minimum wage and a tax on millionaires under the slogan "It's fun to share".

Sonneberg and its neighbouring towns also offer glimpses of a longer-term problem facing Germany. Europe's growth engine is grappling with the costs of one of the lowest birth rates in the world, and here at its heart the resulting skills shortage is already being felt.

This is the biggest issue for more than 500 local Mittelstand bosses gathering for their Industrie- und Handelskammer (chamber of commerce and industry) gala, a short dash up the recently extended motorway in the town of Suhl. The chamber's latest survey showed a record number of businesses on good form, and there are high spirits at the annual knees-up, which features speeches, dance routines by a troupe draped in locally made LED lights, a prizegiving and a buffet of potato salad, schnitzels and sausages.

But there are nods of recognition when the chamber president for South Thuringia, Dr Peter Traut, highlights a worsening labour crunch. "When I started in this role 10 years ago there were 2,200 young people finishing their exams. Now there are 1,000 fewer. The maths is easy: it has virtually halved."

The drive to attract young trainees is something Karl-Heinz Sladek has been working hard at. He is general manager of HPT Pharma Packaging, based in Sonneberg, and says the tables have been turned on German employers. While their counterparts in eurozone countries such as Spain and Greece are inundated with applicants for every job, German bosses are left wondering where to find young people to meet the rising demand for their car parts, biotech innovations and other exports.

"It is no longer a case of young people applying to us; it's us applying for future trainees," he says.

Companies are wooing school leavers with golden hellos, petrol vouchers, gym memberships and help with childcare. But the numbers are not in the employers' favour. The regional employment agency in Suhl has just reported a record August for trainee demand. There were 869 unfilled training slots but just 336 applicants still looking for a placement.

At Sonneberg's job centre, Dressel has been trying to bring more workers into the area. He recently ferried a busload of potential Sonneberg settlers to a jobs fair from other, less buoyant parts of former East Germany. With his colleagues, he scouts around for companies elsewhere in Germany that are cutting staff or closing and then goes after the workers with brochures expounding the job opportunities and vaunting the quality of life in "toy town", with its vast forests, mountain-bike tracks and ski slopes.

The shrinking pool of school leavers is a worrying trend for a country that has long prided itself on a tradition of apprenticeships and skilled work in a specific Beruf, or trade. That and a push towards innovation have kept Germany competitive in an increasingly global economy, according to Stefanie Spanagel, who runs an engine parts plant in Sonneberg for manufacturer Mann+Hummel.

"There is a pride in skilled crafts," she says. "People don't just say I work at Mann+Hummel, they say I work as a tool maker at Mann+Hummel."

Her plant – the biggest industrial employer in Sonneberg, with 500 staff – keeps 95% of the apprentices it takes on. Others battling in the increasingly cut-throat market for youngsters are not so lucky.

Peter Stahlhut manages production at Glaswerk Ernstthal, on the edge of the town of Lauscha in the nearby Thuringia mountains. Workshops here have been crafting glass since the 16th century and claim to be the birthplace of the Christmas bauble. Lauscha is to Christmas decorations what Sonneberg is to toys.

Stahlhut's factory now produces decorative glass bottles for the spirits industry, more than a third of them for export. The plant has 30 trainees among its 500 staff. But holding on to them is tough.

"In our industry you need experience to do the job well… that means years of learning and doing," says Stahlhut. "But a glass works isn't the sexiest place to work. It's hot. It's noisy. You have to expect to lose 50% of the people you start training."

Economists say the skills shortage will become more acute as the German population continues to fall. The official projections are for drastic ageing: in 2060, every third person will be 65 or older.

Not only are people living longer, but when it comes to having children, Germans lag well behind most other OECD countries. There is anecdotal evidence among women that combining a job and a family is still frowned on. There is also research, including by the OECD, suggests that finding childcare remains a barrier to starting a family for some.

This demographic time bomb has received too little attention in the election campaign, say many economists. "They are not concentrating on structural reform, and that is what you need for women to have more kids," says Laurence Boone, chief European economist at Bank of America Merrill Lynch.

Analysts say that Germany also faces mounting pension and healthcare costs as the population ages and its advantageous economic position starts to crumble away.

"There are big implications for trend growth," says Boone. "The more people who work, the more you grow. And if you have to choose between kids and working, you take women out of the workforce. You need children being born and women working. Not only is Germany's trend growth going to be lower than it was before the crisis five years ago, it's going to be closer to Italian trend growth and below Spanish, UK and French trend growth."

Combining motherhood and work is an area where some western German states could learn a lesson from the former East Germany. Sonneberg's deputy mayor, Dr Heiko Voigt, recalls a time when things were different.

"In the old East Germany we had a very high female participation rate," he says. "We had excellent childcare, and the birth rate was much higher."

Sonneberg now offers care for every child that needs it. A full-time place with meals costs about £120 a month, with discounts for siblings. And toy town's family-friendliness is part of a wider push for business-friendliness in a place that initially suffered badly from the Wendeschock, when East and West Germany were reunited.

"After the wall came down, industry and business collapsed here," says Voigt. "Firms with 3,000 workers went down to 300; some closed altogether. It was akin to what happened in British mining." Business groups and local authorities responded by renewing pre-second-world-war links with neighbouring towns in Bavaria. They also lobbied for new transport links and created industrial estates, including on the "death strip" where the border once stood.

Voigt thinks the town's rebirth as one of the most economically active in Germany could be copied by struggling European neighbours.

"The toy industry is one of many legs that we stand on but not the most important one. You should always have several irons in the fire, be flexible, try unconventional ways of getting results."

CASE STUDIES

Krebs Glas Lauscha

In the little German mountain town of Lauscha it is Christmas 365 days a year. Glassblowers have been crafting their wares here for 400 years. They began with simple round windowpanes and over the generations went on to supply bottles to pharmacists, festive baubles to department stores and glass eyes to doctors' clinics.

Lauscha's steep high street is lined with a mix of Christmas shops, lampmakers and surgeries offering prosthetic eyes. But it is for its decorations the town is known in foreign markets.

Krebs Glas Lauscha sends out 6m decorations from here every year and distributes tens of millions more. It sells to Selfridges and Harrods, and also distributes to France, Japan and north America.

But as mass production has swept through the Christmas decorations market, the number of baubles handcrafted in Lauscha on the firm's order books has suffered. In 2011, Krebs Glas Lauscha closed its production plant here and now buys from workshops in the town for those customers who still want to spend big on Christmas.

Rich Russians are buying the handmade and painted baubles, says manager Gerd Ross. "In Russia, it's like it was in America in the 1960s,: you decorate a tree to show who you are."

Demand is also rising in Latvia, Lithuania, Kazakhstan and Mongolia. But Ross, whose father and grandfather made decorations in Lauscha, has seen drastic changes in most places. "The market for quality products has become quite small … People now get Christmas decorations in DIY stores and general stores. It is a shame that things developed that way but we couldn't stop that," he says.

"People's habits have changed too. There was a saying in Lauscha: when things are not working out for people, Christmas tree decorations work. People always decorated their trees, whatever. Today at Christmas … people eat well, they travel, they go to places where snow is guaranteed or perhaps even sunshine, and so the demand for Christmas decorations falls."

Piko

Jens Beyer is under no illusions about the image of his industry. "People don't out themselves as model railway enthusiasts," says the manager at Piko, one of Germany's biggest manufacturers of model trains.

And yet, sales growth has been close to double digits in the last few years for Piko, one of the few toymakers left in Germany's one-time toy capital, Sonneberg. Exports are strong, customers are loyal and its plants in Sonneberg and south China are serving a growing share of the market, he says.

Exports have always been important here. Set just over the Bavarian-Thuringian border in what was East Germany, Piko was made into a major toymaker under communism and became known to model buffs around the world as the go-to supplier for Soviet townscapes and trains. Today it still enjoys a strong following in the US, where it has a distribution centre, as well as rising demand in Russia.

But model trains are a labour-intensive business and pressure on margins is high. Against a backdrop of stiff competition and stagnating disposable incomes for many of its customers, Piko opened its Chinese plant five years ago and the 300 workers there now easily outnumber the 170 assembling trains and running the machines in Sonneberg.

The German toy town is still the workshop for 150 different PIKO products, which range from miniature cargo wagons to larger scale outdoor train sets.

It is a market that thrives on new releases.

"We have to invest in new technology but especially in new products," says Beyer.

PIKO pays €150,000 for a set of moulds for a single locomotive. Where possible it will use that mould for a number of variations by changing the plastic colour or logos to represent the variety of real-life rail operators. "Rail privatisations have been good for us," says Beyer.

Like most other manufacturers, Piko's bosses worry about skilled labour shortages and there is pressure too from rising energy costs – a constant point of tension between German business and the state since the government vowed to phase out nuclear power after the 2011 Fukushima disaster.

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