When Greece Police Chief Merritt Rahn, Greece Supervisor John Auberger, and Greece Police Sgt. Brian Ball met in 2009 to talk about the police ...
 |
| READ THE ORIGINAL POST AT www.democratandchronicle.com |
How the world sees Greece
Wednesday, December 31, 2014
Georgian Priest Reported Dead After Greek Ferry Fire
A Georgian priest has reportedly been confirmed dead after going missing when a Greek ferry caught fire in the Adriatic Sea. Georgian media reports ...
|
| READ THE ORIGINAL POST AT www.rferl.org |
Syriza surges ahead of January election as Greek voters reject austerity
But with the level of debt reaching 175% of Greek GDP in 2013 from 120% in 2010 when Greece entered the bailout, it is virtually impossible for an ...
|
| READ THE ORIGINAL POST AT theconversation.com |
'Fast Money' Recap: Greece Turmoil Shouldn't Weigh on U.S. Stocks
NEW YORK (TheStreet) -- Political issues continue to plague Greece shouldn't weigh on U.S. equities too much, Brian Kelly, founder of Brian Kelly ...
|
| READ THE ORIGINAL POST AT www.thestreet.com |
US and Chinese stocks come out on top in 2014
China’s CSI300 index ends 2014 with 50% gains after two blockbuster months while US dollar proves to be year’s star major currencyChinese and US stocks head the list of 2014’s top performers while markets elsewhere ended the year on a wary note as another sharp drop in oil prices and worries about Greece’s future served as an excuse to take profits.The US dollar lost a little of the recent gains that have made it the year’s star major currency on Wednesday, but European bond yields hit all-time lows following a shockingly sharp fall in Spanish inflation shown in data earlier this week. European stocks wrapped up the year 3.5% higher overall – though with some striking exceptions, such as near 30% losses for debt-strained Greece and Portugal. Continue reading...
|
| READ THE ORIGINAL POST AT www.theguardian.com |
Greek expulsion from the euro would demolish EMU's contagion firewall
“I believe that monetary union can today handle a Greek exit,” said Michael Hüther, head of Germany's IW institute. “The knock-on effects would be ...
|
| READ THE ORIGINAL POST AT www.telegraph.co.uk |
People power put to the test in Greek elections
With the radical left Syriza coalition tipped to form the next government in Greece following the announcement of early elections in the new year (The future has begun, says leftist Tsipras as he scents power, 30 December), liberal democracy is under scrutiny as it has never been before in the very heart of Europe. Will the Greek people and their democratic constitution be respected and upheld by the European and US establishments which have committed billions to foreign interventions in the name of democracy and human rights, or is Europe poised to experience the overthrow of a democratically elected government within its union?In connection with the possibility of Syriza forming the next government, one cannot help remembering US president Lyndon Johnson’s hubristic disregard for Greek democracy when he expressed himself with regard to the Greek ambassador’s concern with the US’s preferred solution on Cyprus: “Then listen to me, Mr Ambassador, fuck your parliament and your constitution. America is an elephant. Cyprus is a flea. If these two fleas continue itching the elephant, they may just get whacked by the elephant’s trunk, whacked good … We pay a lot of good American dollars to the Greeks, Mr Ambassador. If your prime minister gives me talk about democracy, parliament and constitutions, he, his parliament and his constitution may not last very long.”Russell CaplanLondon Continue reading...
|
| READ THE ORIGINAL POST AT www.theguardian.com |
Greece Dissolves Parliament, Sets Date for Pivotal Elections
Greece's parliament has been formally dissolved ahead of a general election that could end an era of austerity that has led to political and social ...
|
| READ THE ORIGINAL POST AT www.voanews.com |
Shrinking economies, growing expulsions. We need Greece's Syriza.
What takes extreme forms in some countries, including Greece, is actually taking place in milder ways in many developed countries considered to ...
|
| READ THE ORIGINAL POST AT www.opendemocracy.net |
'Greece has lost power to blackmail': German MP
Europe no longer needs to rescue Greece as the country has lost its "systemic relevance" to the eurozone and its power of political "blackmail," a ...
|
| READ THE ORIGINAL POST AT www.thelocal.de |
Court rejects Greek appeal over Holocaust funds held by Israel
A Tel Aviv court this week rejected a demand by the Greek Jewish community that an Israeli organization turn over shares in the Jewish Colonial Trust, ...
|
| READ THE ORIGINAL POST AT www.jpost.com |
First pictures from on board Greek ferry fire show passengers being airlifted
This is the moment the final passengers were winched to safety off of a burning Greek ferry after being trapped for nearly 36 hours adrift in the Adriatic ...
|
| READ THE ORIGINAL POST AT www.dailymail.co.uk |
These Are the Elections to Watch Around the World in 2015
From Greece to Argentina, elections could transform the international political landscape
|
| READ THE ORIGINAL POST AT time.com |
A Smarter Strategy Against Jihadists and the Lone Wolves They Inspire
The caliphates of Muslim antiquity that ISIS and other Jihadist groups hope to restore could not have been more different than their self-appointed Jihadist successors of today. The former were devoted to this world, to promoting exchange, diversity, and understanding. Their leaders were not democrats, but they believed in restoring and proliferating knowledge, whatever its origins. They competed to build schools and communities, not tear them down. Today, the caliphate in Nigeria attacks schools and kidnaps young girls. The caliphate in Iraq and Syria rounds up religious minorities and gives them a stark choice between death and conversion. The Taliban fighters of the "Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan" survive on extortion of the local population and the opium trade. Its sister organization in Pakistan recently butchered 132 school children in Peshawar. And the list goes on. Libya. Mali. Somalia. Yemen. The Caucasus. Are these functioning regimes or merely ruthless gangs competing to top the next news cycle with their brutality? We know that one thing unites them: they appropriate the symbolism and history of Islam to provide the legitimacy and allegiance they require to grow and attract followers. We also know their common ambition: to establish territorial states that emulate the caliphates of the first years of Islam in the 7th century. But do these movements truly represent the Islamic tradition they seek to reestablish? Let's look at the history, un-sanitized by selective memories and political agendas. In my historical novel, God's Banquet: A Tale of Muslim Spain, I look at one of these medieval caliphates, but during the Golden Age of Islam there were many of them, first in Arabia, then Syria, and later in Egypt, Iraq and Spain. Like the caliphates of today, they also competed for allegiance and legitimacy within the broader Muslim world, each claiming they were the rightful heirs to the Prophet Muhammad's ideal community. Here, however, we should remind ourselves, and the rest of the world, that the nature of that competition was quite different. Beheadings, forced conversion and marriage, and ethnic cleansing were not points of pride for these medieval Muslim rulers. On the contrary, at a time when Europe was butchering minorities such as the Jews, the caliphates were welcoming them and allowing them to worship freely and govern themselves. At this time, Muslim civilization was a far more diverse global society than the western world, relying on a mosaic of inter-faith trading communities embedded in cosmopolitan cities to fuel a vast trade in material wealth and science across three continents. It was this emporium and the prosperity it created that spawned the translation movement that began in Baghdad's House of Wisdom in the 9th century. Ancient texts of Greek, Indian and Persian science and philosophy were preserved and traded as luxury goods, eventually making their way to Europe to germinate the seeds of our own Enlightenment. Muslim rulers competed to build the largest libraries, endow astronomers to comb the skies and physicians to study the human body, leading to the first hospitals and the Arabic names we still use today for the stars that litter our horizon. Muslim cities vied to host literary salons convening the greatest poets and mystics of both sexes, lubricated by so much wine that an entire class of poetry was named after the drink. Innovation flourished and our concepts of the algorithm, trade finance, and the very numeric system we use today were born. We could continue to fight the Islamic franchises of today wherever they appear across a large swath of Muslim lands in turmoil stretching from Morocco to China. Given the spiraling cost and limited success of our experience over the past decade, this seems like a one-dimensional strategy. Even if we completely destroy all of them, their ideology will live on, inspiring lone-wolf attacks such as the recent mass casualty incidents in France and the Sydney café hostage stand off. It's not enough to disable their physical infrastructure and capabilities. We must neutralize the ideas that underpin their legitimacy and recruiting. A smarter strategy would exploit a key weakness: the complete disconnect between the Islamic past Jihadists invoke and the bloodthirsty, closed societies they have created. This is the authentic counter-narrative that should be amplified across digital channels like Facebook, YouTube and Twitter that until now have been used against us to recruit Jihadist sympathizers. These conduits work both ways, and perhaps it is time to fully harness them and redirect our own unparalleled openness back at our adversaries. A reminder of the real history of Islam and how different it was from today's Caliphal pretenders will resonate with a billion Muslims across the globe, because it is their own history. Strip away the Islamic veneer and all you have is gangs. Criminal gangs. Despite the clear cost-benefit of this strategy, it will be a challenge to implement. It takes time and patience to change minds, something that is in short supply in the halls of power today. It is far easier for a leader to appear strong with the immediate results of a drone strike, or for a congressman to reward his district with a costly weapons program that does little to address the real problem. How can a fully organic communications strategy that harnesses the local history and culture of the target population against our enemies compete? Like our adversaries, it is often far easier for us to destroy than to be patient and build.
|
| READ THE ORIGINAL POST AT www.huffingtonpost.com |
Girl Scouts Get Trendy With Gluten-Free, Greek Yogurt Cookies
In other words, Girl Scouts may have been selling cookies for nearly 100 years, but they can still whip up treats that fit the latest gluten-free or Greek ...
|
| READ THE ORIGINAL POST AT www.entrepreneur.com |
Third Greek Casualty Confirmed on ‘Norman Atlantic’ Ferry Fire
The third Greek casualty in the Norman Atlantic fire was confirmed today by the Embassy of Greece in Rome. The victim was 59-year-old Nickolaos Paraschis. The list of Greeks who died in the ship’s fire has grown by one, while the list of Greek survivors has not been confirmed yet. So far, the first two Greek victims of the accident were Giorgos Doulis and Kostas Koufopoulos. Paraschis was a truck driver and he was a native of Zakynthos. His brother, Zisis Paraschis, said that according to testimonials by fellow surviving passengers, Paraschis jumped into the sea to save himself when he heard people screaming, “we are getting burned, we are getting burned.” However, even though the rescue operations by the Italian and Greek coast guards were completed on Monday, there are no confirmed list of survivors yet. The main reason is that there is no complete list of passengers. So far, Norman Atlantic owner, ANEK, has given authorities three different lists of passengers. The third list contains 474 passenger names. Indicative of the confusion is the fact that until last night, information given by the rescue ship of the Italian Navy San Giorgio that arrived in Brindisi spoke of 130 Greek survivors. When the ship arrived in Brindisi, the number of Greek nationals on board was 106. The prosecutor of Bari, Giuseppe Volpi said, “we still do not know what has happened to 98 passengers, adding that in the last few hours 80 survivors arrived in Greece by helicopter and a merchant ship, but there is nothing to suggest that there is a second boat that picked up survivors.”
|
| READ THE ORIGINAL POST AT greece.greekreporter.com |
Piraeus Red Light District Revived for New Year’s Eve
Trouba, the infamous red light district of old in Piraeus, Greece, will relive its “glory” moments tonight as part of the New Year’s Eve celebrations. The most infamous neighborhood of Piraeus that went down in history for its brothels, cabarets and seedy bars, will see the red lights turned on once more as two bars that currently operate in the area will stage a theme night for tonight’s turn of the year. The theme is, of course, a revival of the 1950s and 1960s where the cabarets of the area were at full swing and seafarers jumped from one seedy joint to another. Entitled “Red Light District New Years Eve 2015,” the event is sponsored by Mahayana Records and the area will glow with red lights. Troubar and Lola’s Bar are the two bars where people can welcome the new year dancing and drinking. The history of Trouba began a little after the German occupation with the appearance of the first brothels. The port of Piraeus and the ever-changing rabble of seafarers was conducive to creating a red light district in the area. Trouba flourished in the 1950s and the 1960s with most common visitors being seafarers, shady characters and the sailors of U.S. 6th Fleet. Cabarets such as the famous “John Bull” or “Black Cat” promised all kinds of pleasures to hungry seamen. The brothels of the area made many panderers rich and generated folk-lore stories of suffering prostitutes with hearts of gold. The 1963 movie “The Red Lights” is a good depiction of Trouba and the characters who inhabited it. The arrival of the military junta in 1967 changed all that. Piraeus Mayor Aristides Skylitsis shut down all the seedy places, Trouba was reconstructed and most new buildings started housing shipping companies.
|
| READ THE ORIGINAL POST AT greece.greekreporter.com |
Pomegranates, Onions and Other Greek New Year’s Eve Customs
New Year’s celebrations in Greece include some customs and superstitions that may seem strange, but they go back ages. The big difference in celebrations between Greece and other countries is that New Year’s Day is also a Christian holiday, and specifically Saint Vasilios day. Saint Vasilios is the Greek version of Santa Claus. And while the internationally known Santa delivers his presents on Christmas Eve, Saint Vasilios waits a few days and puts the presents under the Christmas tree on New Year’s Day. Hence the Vasilios cake, or vasilopita in Greek: a sweet, round cake in which the head of the family ceremoniously cuts at the turn of the year. Each piece is designated to members of the family and the first three pieces are offered in order to Jesus, the Virgin Mary and Saint Vasilios, while the fourth piece goes to the family home. The rest goes to family members in order of age. Inside the cake there is a hidden coin, which is often a token of value, that will go to the lucky person who gets that piece. In some parts of Greece, the vasilopita is cut at the family table in the afternoon of January 1st. New Year’s Eve is also a day when Greeks try their luck. They believe that if they win playing cards or the lottery, they will have good luck all year long. Lotteries and card games at home or in clubs and coffee shops are ongoing when the year turns. On New Year’s Day, who is going to enter your home first is often considered a sign of luck. It is called podariko. You usually choose who to invite first, depending if you consider him or her a lucky person And if you are invited, you have to enter the house with the right foot first. Usually, Greeks want children to enter their home first, since children are pure of heart and innocent. Many Greeks invite nephews, nieces and grandchildren and they give them the “good hand,” which can be money, toys or sweets. In the Cyclades islands, it is considered a good omen to have north winds on New Year’s Day. If a dove lands in the yard that day, it brings good luck. But if a crow flies over a house, then it is a bad omen for the new year. The wild onion that grows on the island of Crete looks like a big onion. It is poisonous and causes skin rash. If you uproot it, it will still grow new leaves and flowers. For the people of Crete, this rare quality signifies great natural power and they hang wild onions in their homes on New Year’s Day. The pomegranate is a symbol of abundance, fertility and good luck. In many areas of Greece they hang a pomegranate in their home in autumn. After the New Year’s Eve church service, they smash the pomegranate at the door while wishing “Happy New Year!”
|
| READ THE ORIGINAL POST AT greece.greekreporter.com |
First Week of BUD February 2015 Options Trading
Source: blogs.forbes.com - Wednesday, December 31, 2014 Investors in Anheuser-Busch Inbev SA ( NYSE: BUD ) saw new options begin trading this week, for the February 2015 expiration. At Stock Options Channel , our YieldBoost formula has looked up and down the BUD options chain for the new February 2015 contracts and identified one put and one call contract of particular interest. The put contract at the $110.00 strike price has a current bid of $1.80. If an investor was to sell-to-open that put contract, they are committing to purchase the stock at $110.00, but will also collect the premium, putting the cost basis of the shares at $108.20 (before broker commissions). To an investor already interested in purchasing shares of BUD, that could represent an attractive alternative to paying $112.92/share today. Because the $110.00 strike represents an approximate 3% discount to the current trading price of the stock (in other words it is out-of-the-money by that percentage), there is also the possibility that the put contract would expire worthless. The current analytical data (including greeks and implied greeks) suggest the current odds of that happening are 64%. Stock Options Channel will track those odds over time to see how they change, publishing a chart of those numbers on our website under the contract detail page for this contract . Should the contract expire worthless, the premium would represent a 1.64% return on the cash commitment, or 11.71% annualized — at Stock Options ChannelAll Related
|
| READ THE ORIGINAL POST AT www.forbes.com |
Eurozone No Longer Obligated to Save Greece, German Politician Says
Eurozone is no longer obligated to rescue Greece and the country is of no “systemic importance” to the common currency bloc, said Michael Fuchs, deputy parliamentary floor leader of Angela Merkel‘s Christian Democrats. The comments were made in a Rheinische Post interview that was republished by Reuters and they were in response to fears that a SYRIZA-led government would renege on previous agreements with the troika and seek to overturn the existing austerity policy. Fuchs said that SYRIZA cannot “blackmail” their European partners in the common currency bloc now. “If Alexis Tsipras of the Greek left party SYRIZA thinks he can cut back the reform efforts and austerity measures, then the troika will have to cut back the credits for Greece,” said the German politician. “The times where we had to rescue Greece are over. There is no potential for political blackmail anymore. Greece is no longer of systemic importance for the euro,” Fuchs said also. The remarks sound like a clear warning to Greek voters from a senior German politician that Athens might lose support from Germany and the EU in general if it challenges the terms of its 240 billion euro EU/IMF bailout after snap elections next year, the Reuters report says. Fuchs has often expressed the frustration felt by many politicians and the German public about the pace of reform and political hold ups in twice-rescued Greece. Meanwhile, the head of Germany’s influential Ifo economic research institute, Hans-Werner Sinn, said that Grexit is an option. “Further debt cuts will be needed again and again, unless the country is released from the euro zone and allowed to regain its competitiveness by devaluation,” Sinn told German daily Tagesspiegel.
|
| READ THE ORIGINAL POST AT greece.greekreporter.com |
Touching Images as Ship Survivors Reunite with Their Families
Tears of relief, cries of joy, tight hugs and hysterical laughter are shown in the pictures of the Norman Atlantic ferry fire survivors, while victims are reunited with their families. The first wave of Greek survivors of the fatal sea tragedy were transferred to the ports of Patras and Igoumenitsa and in the Elefsina airport. Their families rushed to meet their loved ones, after days of terrible worry and fear. Europa Cruise arrived in Igoumenitsa late Monday night. Four unaccompanied children were among the rescued. Their parents were part of another rescue mission. Two of them are from Thessaloniki and their uncle was to take them to their hometown. The other two are from Patras and their grandfather was to take them home. There, they will be waiting for their parents. A woman gets off the ship carrying her two children and are embraced by their relatives. The woman’s husband is still in Italy.
|
| READ THE ORIGINAL POST AT greece.greekreporter.com |
Greece: Election campaign starts with dispute between politicians over bailout debt payments
The campaign for Greece's general election next month is now underway, with the country's conservative prime minister claiming his anti-bailout opponents would "lead the country to default." Antonis Samaras was responding to televised remarks by an official of the left-wing Syriza party that it would freeze interest payments on international bailout loans unless Greece was granted better terms on its 240 billion euro ($291 billion) rescue program.
|
| READ THE ORIGINAL POST AT feeds.foxnews.com |
“Bill Pie” (Vasilopita)
Of course, no Greek New Year’s celebration would be complete without a vasilopita, fondly referred to in our house as Bill Pie. I like this Chian recipe that is more like a cake than a bread. Ingredients: 1 cup butter 1 cup sugar 3 eggs Grated rind of 2 large oranges 2 teaspoons crushed/powdered Greek mastiha […] The post “Bill Pie” (Vasilopita) appeared first on The National Herald.
|
| READ THE ORIGINAL POST AT www.thenationalherald.com |
Authorities: More bodies will be found on burned Greek ferry
BRINDISI, Italy — Italian authorities warned yesterday that more bodies will likely be found when the blackened hulk of a Greek ferry is towed to Italy, ...
|
| READ THE ORIGINAL POST AT www.nj.com |
Greece: Election campaign starts with clash over debt
ATHENS, Greece (AP) — The campaign for Greece's general election next month is now underway, with the country's conservative prime minister claiming his anti-bailout opponents would "lead the country to default."
|
| READ THE ORIGINAL POST AT news.yahoo.com |
Can Greece really defy austerity?
On Monday, the Greek parliament failed to elect a new president. Stavros Dimas, the candidate backed by coalition parties PASOK and New Democracy, did not receive the 180 votes he needed. The parliament is dissolved and snap elections need to be called ...
|
| READ THE ORIGINAL POST AT www.telegraph.co.uk |
10 Things You Need To Know Today (DIA, SPY, SPX, QQQ)
Good morning! Here are the major stories in markets you should know about today. China Is Slowing. China's HSBC manufacturing PMI fell to 49.6 in December from 50.0 in November. This was just marginally higher than the flash (preliminary) reading of 49.5. This was the first sub-50 reading since May, and any reading below signals contraction. German Minister Jorg Asmussen Has Been Meeting With Syriza Figures In Greece. German chancellor Angela Merkel has been preparing for weeks for a new, radical left-wing government in Athens, according to the Italian newspaper La Stampa. Labour minister and former ECB board member Jorg Asmussen has been visiting Athens for talks with the coalition. And Greece's Prime Minister Says Greece's Future In Europe Rests On The Upcoming Election. Greece's prime minister, Antonis Samaras, warned Tuesday the financially-stricken nation may be forced out of the eurozone if January's parliamentary election hands hard-left party Syriza power to reverse years of austerity measures. Saudi Arabia's King Abdullah Has Been Hospitalized. "Saudi King Abdullah has been admitted to a hospital in the capital Riyadh where he is undergoing medical tests, state media reported on Wednesday, citing a royal court statement," Reuters reported. He's 91 years old. Markets Are Mixed. In Europe, Britain's FTSE 100 is flat, France's CAC 40 is up 0.6%, and Spain's IBEX is down 0.1%. Japan's Nikkei closed down 1.57%, ending the year 8.91% higher than it began in January 2014. US futures are up a hair with Dow futures up 8 points and S&P futures up 2.4 points. Initial Jobless Claims Are Coming. It's a light day for economic data, but US figures on official jobless claims in the week to December 19 are out at 8.30 p.m. ET. Economists are expecting 290,000 initial applications for unemployment benefits. Chicago Purchasing Managers Index Is Coming. This regional activity index will be released at 9:45 a.m. ET. Economists estimate this activity index fell to 60.0 in December from 60.8 in November. "The Chicago business barometer index has been volatile recently, but has remained over 60 for the past four releases," Nomura economists noted. "The new orders and order backlog sub-indexes remained elevated in November, providing support for future activity." Home Sales Data Is Coming. We'll get the November pending home sales report at 10:00 a.m. ET. Economists estimate pending sales climbed by 0.5% in November. "MBA applications for purchase rose 4.5% m/m in November, and the NAHB buyer traffic measure rose to 45 (from 41), both indicating a rise in pending home sales on the month," Barclays economists said. Regional Fed President Naranya Kocherlakota Says The US Deflation Risk Is Serious. The chance of US inflation falling below 1% in 2015 is at a five-year high, and the risk of deflation is growing more likely, an analysis of market data released by Kocherlakota and the Minneapolis Federal Reserve Bank showed. Venezuela Is Plunging Even Deeper Into Recession. Venezuela's economy saw its third consecutive quarter of contraction, with a 2.3% drop in output during the three months to September. The oil-producing nation is also recording dramatic official inflation of close to 5% per month.Join the conversation about this story »
|
| READ THE ORIGINAL POST AT www.businessinsider.com |
Prospect of a 'Grexit' could have implications for more than just Greece
Syriza's victory will be the start of a great national effort to save society and restore Greece – a national effort with international repercussions, since ...
|
| READ THE ORIGINAL POST AT fullcomment.nationalpost.com |
Greek Cypriots must come to talks 'without precondition'
The Greek Cypriot administration should return to the negotiating table without preconditions, the president of the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus said on Wednesday. "We cannot give up our rights so that the Greek Cypriots can return to the talks ...
|
| READ THE ORIGINAL POST AT www.worldbulletin.net |
Greece dissolves parliament for January vote
Greece's parliament has been dissolved ahead of an early election that will be warily watched by markets and international creditors concerned that ...
|
| READ THE ORIGINAL POST AT www.aljazeera.com |
Greece dissolves parliament for January vote
Greece's parliament has been dissolved ahead of an early election that will be warily watched by markets and international creditors concerned that ...
|
| READ THE ORIGINAL POST AT www.aljazeera.com |
Presidential Decree for the Dissolution of Greek Parliament
The presidential decree for the dissolution of Greece ‘s Parliament and the declaration of general elections was posted on Wednesday morning outside the parliament building. According to the decree, the first session of the new Greek parliament will take place on Thursday February 5, at 11 a.m.
|
| READ THE ORIGINAL POST AT greece.greekreporter.com |
17 Unusual Ways People Around The World Celebrate The New Year
Happy New Year's Eve! Many of us will be celebrating with champagne, dancing, and kissing loved ones when the clock strikes midnight. But what about the rest of the world? January 1st may be the de facto beginning of the New Year in the Western hemisphere thanks to the Gregorian calendar, but some cultures believe the New Year takes place at a different time altogether. The Chinese New Year is in late January or early February. Rosh Hashanah — the Jewish New Year — is in autumn, and some cultures follow the Julian lunar calendar and celebrate in mid-January. How people start off a brand new year varies regionally from country to country — though most do tend to have the standard fireworks display.In Spain, they eat 12 grapes for luck. Spaniards eat a grape with each of the twelve chimes of the midnight countdown while making a wish. The tradition dates back to 1895 when some savvy vine farmers realized they had a surplus of grapes and started the tradition to get more customers. Many then celebrate with a late-night family dinner before heading out to Spanish nightclubs after midnight until 6 AM. In Belgium, children write New Year's letters to their parents. In Belgium, New Year's Eve is called Sint Sylvester Vooranvond. Besides toasting with the customary champagne, Belgian children write New Year's letters to their parents or godparents on New Year's day. They decorate the cards with fancy paper complete with cherubs, angels, and colored roses and then read them aloud. In Greece, people hang an onion on their doors. It's believed that hanging an onion, or "kremmida" on your door on New Year's eve as a symbol of rebirth in the coming year. The following morning, parents traditionally tap their children on the head with the kremmida to wake them up before church. Greeks also commonly break a pomegranate on their doorstep before entering their houses on New Year's Day, another symbol of prosperity and good luck. See the rest of the story at Business Insider
|
| READ THE ORIGINAL POST AT uk.businessinsider.com |
Germany sends warning to Greece not to cancel economic reforms
Germany sends warning to Greece not to cancel economic reforms ... Germany is sending a clear signal to Greece that if voters put the communists in ...
|
| READ THE ORIGINAL POST AT www.americanthinker.com |
Eurozone 'no longer has to rescue Greece' – German MP
BERLIN, Germany — Europe no longer needs to rescue Greece as the country has lost its "systemic relevance" to the eurozone and its power of political "blackmail," a senior German lawmaker said on Wednesday, December 31. (FAST FACTS: Greeky economy) Fears ...
|
| READ THE ORIGINAL POST AT www.rappler.com |
Italy Saves 970 Migrants Abandoned By Smugglers
ROME (AP) — The Italian Coast Guard has safely rescued 970 migrants after smugglers abandoned them on a cargo ship in rough seas. Coast Guard officials said the migrants, most of them believed to be Syrians, arrived in Gallipoli, southeastern Italy, before dawn Wednesday. More than 100 migrants were treated for hypothermia. Six Italian Coast Guard workers had been lowered by helicopter onto the Moldovan-flagged Blue Sky M after a passenger sent out a distress call while the ship was off the Greek coast. Coast Guard Cmdr. Filippo Marini said they found no crew aboard and the ship's engine shut off. The Italians then steered the ship to Italy. To avoid capture, smugglers frequently abandon migrants at sea. Tens of thousands try to cross the Mediterranean each year, fleeing conflict and poverty.
|
| READ THE ORIGINAL POST AT www.huffingtonpost.com |
Greece's parliament formally dissolved, January election called
Greece's parliament has been dissolved and a general election called for January 25. This comes two days after lawmakers failed in a third vote to approve a new head of state.
|
| READ THE ORIGINAL POST AT www.dw.de |
Greek Parliament Has Been Formally Dissolved
Thomson ReutersGreece's Prime Minister Samaras leaves the Presidential Mansion after a meeting with Greek President Papoulias in Athens ATHENS (Reuters) - Greece formally dissolved parliament on Wednesday ahead of a general election on Jan. 25 that has ...
|
| READ THE ORIGINAL POST AT www.businessinsider.com |
Could Greece set off a Euro crisis in 2015?
The label “Sick Man of Europe” has been awarded to many a European nation and empire since it was first used to describe the decrepit Ottoman Empire in the mid-19th century. With its economy tanking, there is little consensus on what Russia will look ...
|
| READ THE ORIGINAL POST AT legalinsurrection.com |
'Four dead' on cargo ship abandoned in Greek waters
At least four people have been found dead on a cargo ship carrying around 900 migrants, which was found adrift in Greek waters, the Red Cross says. The Blue Sky M had been abandoned and left on autopilot by its crew, believed to be people traffickers.
|
| READ THE ORIGINAL POST AT www.bbc.co.uk |
Greek Bank-Deposit Outflows Said to Grow as Poll Looms
Greece bank-deposit withdrawals accelerated this month after Prime Minister Antonis Samaras opened the way for snap national elections that risk severing the country's lifeline in the euro area. Net outflows ...
|
| READ THE ORIGINAL POST AT finance.yahoo.com |
Investigation on Causes of ‘Norman Atlantic’ Tragedy Begins
The investigation process to determine the causes of the Norman Atlantic sea tragedy has begun as all 22 crew members will be testifying to Italian authorities today. The ship’s crew has been transferred to the port of Brindisi by Italian warship San Giorgio. All members of the ship’s crew will testify today in Bari. Aboard the warship were also Greek passengers who survived the accident. As it became known by the Greek Embassy in Italy, the Greek passengers are in good health and are being accommodated in a hotel outside Brindisi. Their departure for Greece was originally set for today at 8:30 a.m. Italian time with an aircraft provided by Aegean Air. However, due to heavy snowfall during the night, the runway was covered with ice and take-off was impossible. The airplane will depart as soon as the runway is cleared from ice. Meanwhile, another 26 Greek passengers along with other survivors are expected to arrive at the port of Taranto by Italian ship “Aby Jeannette” at 2 p.m. today. On the issue of the Norman Atlantic fire, Italian media reports speak mainly of problems in coordinating the evacuation of the ship, especially the first few hours after the fire outbreak. Moreover, a tugboat crew member located in the area, told ANAmpa news agency that Norman Atlantic remains in the same place near the Albanian coast, surrounded by five tugs, four Italian and one Greek, while an Italian coastguard helicopter is constantly boarding specially trained men of the Italian coastguard on the ship. The Norman Atlantic is expected to be taken to Brindisi, Italy.
|
| READ THE ORIGINAL POST AT greece.greekreporter.com |
Show Must Go On For Greek Soprano Dimitra Theodossiou After Ferry Fire
RIMINI, Italy — Dimitra Theodossiou survived the Greek ferry disaster, but took no time off to recover from the traumatic evacuation: The Greek soprano was back at work Tuesday, rehearsing for her New Year’s Day debut in Giuseppe Verdi’s “Nabucco.” Theodossiou was one of the most vocal survivors of the Norman Atlantic fire, willingly recounting […] The post Show Must Go On For Greek Soprano Dimitra Theodossiou After Ferry Fire appeared first on The National Herald.
|
| READ THE ORIGINAL POST AT www.thenationalherald.com |
Vasilopita Cake With a Greek Flavor of Almonds and Citrus Fruits
Vasilopita is the Greek, traditional St. Basil's New Year's cake. On New Year's Day families cut the Vasilopita to bless the house and bring good luck ...
|
| READ THE ORIGINAL POST AT www.huffingtonpost.com |
'Four dead' on migrant freighter
At least four people have been found dead on a cargo ship carrying an estimated 900 migrants, which was found adrift in Greek waters, the Red Cross says.
|
| READ THE ORIGINAL POST AT www.bbc.co.uk |
Greek Stocks Weak As Failed Vote Puts Austerity At Risk NBG NNA ANW
The nation that invented democracy has received a shake from the political process this month. Greece's market tumbled Monday after the Hellenic ...
|
| READ THE ORIGINAL POST AT news.investors.com |
Four migrants found dead on cargo ship in Italy
Greece sent emergency services to the Blue Sky M, carrying 900 migrants, after alarm call near Corfu coastFour migrants were found dead on a cargo ship which was taken to Italy after apparently being abandoned by its crew in Greek waters, the Italian Red Cross said on Wednesday.The Blue Sky M was carrying an estimated 900 migrants when it was spotted drifting near the coast of Corfu on Tuesday. Continue reading...
|
| READ THE ORIGINAL POST AT www.theguardian.com |
10 Things You Need To Know Before The Opening Bell (DIA, SPY, SPX, QQQ)
Good morning! Here are the major stories in markets you should know about today. China Is Slowing. China's HSBC manufacturing PMI fell to 49.6 in December from 50.0 in November. This was just marginally higher than the flash (preliminary) reading of 49.5. This was the first sub-50 reading since May, and any reading below signals contraction. German Minister Jorg Asmussen Has Been Meeting With Syriza Figures In Greece. German chancellor Angela Merkel has been preparing for weeks for a new, radical left-wing government in Athens, according to the Italian newspaper La Stampa. Labour minister and former ECB board member Jorg Asmussen has been visiting Athens for talks with the coalition. And Greece's Prime Minister Says Greece's Future In Europe Rests On The Upcoming Election. Greece's prime minister, Antonis Samaras, warned Tuesday the financially-stricken nation may be forced out of the eurozone if January's parliamentary election hands hard-left party Syriza power to reverse years of austerity measures. Saudi Arabia's King Abdullah Has Been Hospitalized. "Saudi King Abdullah has been admitted to a hospital in the capital Riyadh where he is undergoing medical tests, state media reported on Wednesday, citing a royal court statement," Reuters reported. He's 91 years old. Markets Are Mixed. In Europe, Britain's FTSE 100 is flat, France's CAC 40 is up 0.6%, and Spain's IBEX is down 0.1%. Japan's Nikkei closed down 1.57%, ending the year 8.91% higher than it began in January 2014. US futures are up a hair with Dow futures up 8 points and S&P futures up 2.4 points. Initial Jobless Claims Are Coming. It's a light day for economic data, but US figures on official jobless claims in the week to December 19 are out at 8.30 p.m. ET. Economists are expecting 290,000 initial applications for unemployment benefits. Chicago Purchasing Managers Index Is Coming. This regional activity index will be released at 9:45 a.m. ET. Economists estimate this activity index fell to 60.0 in December from 60.8 in November. "The Chicago business barometer index has been volatile recently, but has remained over 60 for the past four releases," Nomura economists noted. "The new orders and order backlog sub-indexes remained elevated in November, providing support for future activity." Home Sales Data Is Coming. We'll get the November pending home sales report at 10:00 a.m. ET. Economists estimate pending sales climbed by 0.5% in November. "MBA applications for purchase rose 4.5% m/m in November, and the NAHB buyer traffic measure rose to 45 (from 41), both indicating a rise in pending home sales on the month," Barclays economists said. Regional Fed President Naranya Kocherlakota Says The US Deflation Risk Is Serious. The chance of US inflation falling below 1% in 2015 is at a five-year high, and the risk of deflation is growing more likely, an analysis of market data released by Kocherlakota and the Minneapolis Federal Reserve Bank showed. Venezuela Is Plunging Even Deeper Into Recession. Venezuela's economy saw its third consecutive quarter of contraction, with a 2.3% drop in output during the three months to September. The oil-producing nation is also recording dramatic official inflation of close to 5% per month.Join the conversation about this story »
|
| READ THE ORIGINAL POST AT feedproxy.google.com |
Wintry weather brings Greece to a standstill as roads are closed
Greece is in the midst of a cold snap as temperatures plummet and heavy snowfalls sweep across the country.
|
| READ THE ORIGINAL POST AT www.independent.co.uk |
Stock market slips amid worry about Greece
Lingering concerns about the political future of Greece pushed US and global stock markets lower amid slow trading ahead of the holiday.
|
| READ THE ORIGINAL POST AT www.bostonglobe.com |