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Saturday, March 1, 2014

United We Stand 74: Andy Mitten travels to Greece to see Manchester United's ...

Mirror.co.ukUnited We Stand 74: Andy Mitten travels to Greece to see Manchester United's ...Mirror.co.ukAndy Mitten travels to Greece, where he watches Manchester United's wretched performance against Olympiakos in Piraeus. He speaks to Greek football radio and TV journalist Vasilis, plus English journalist Martin Samuel. We hope you enjoy the podcast ...and more »

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New Poll on Upcoming Greek Elections

Greek ReporterNew Poll on Upcoming Greek ElectionsGreek Reporterpoll2 A recent poll conducted on behalf of Greek pollster Metron Analysis for the newspaper “To Ethnos tis Kiriakis,” reveals marginal differences in voting intentions with regards to Greece's two leading parties, New Democracy and SYRIZA, with the ...

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Xanthi beats Levadiakos 4-1 in Greek league

Xanthi beats Levadiakos 4-1 in Greek leagueYahoo NewsATHENS, Greece (AP) — Esteban Solari scored twice to lead Xanthi to a 4-1 home win over Levadiakos and gained some breathing space on Saturday in the fight to avoid relegation from the Greek league. Solari scored in the third minute and added a ...and more »

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Greek foreign minister to visit Ukraine March 2

ATHENS, March 01, /ITAR-TASS/. Evangelos Venizelos, the foreign minister of Greece, which holds the rotating European Union presidency, will visit Ukraine on Sunday, March 2.

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Map Credit: Enchanted

Map Credit: Enchanted Learning.comCare2.comGreece is a fascinating country with more history than just about any other and breathtaking natural landscape. The Greek culture is rich with mythology, delicious cuisine, and stunning architecture, among many other things. Take a step into ancient ...

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As Invasion Looms, Venizelos Heads For Ukraine

Greek Foreign Minister Evangelos Venizelos will go to the embattled Ukraine on March 2, to meet the Greek community amid reports they had been targeted and attacked by the far-right group Pravy Sektor. He said there hadn’t been any assaults, although Ukraine is on the verge of chaos with Russian troops massed near its border after Russian President Vladimir Putin got parliamentary approval to move into the country that’s been torn apart politically since rebels ousted president Viktor Yanukovych, who is in Russia. Venizelos is sure to head to Mariupol, directly from Rome, where he was on an official visit. Unless matters change, he is then scheduled to head to Kiev to meet the country’s current leadership. EU foreign ministers will hold an emergency meeting in Brussels on Monday to discuss the situation in Ukraine, an EU diplomat said. “There will be an extraordinary meeting on Ukraine on Monday. Most likely after 1 PM,” said the diplomat. A SYRIZA lawmaker had accused the government of failing to protect the Greek community in Ukraine and referred to comments allegedly made by the head of the Greek community, Alexandra Protoshenko, that they were being attacked. Venizelos said that was incorrect and that Dourou should have checked with his ministry first. He said the Greek Embassy and consulates in Ukraine were in close contact with the Greek community there. The uprisings in Kiev and the political events following the riots, as well as the invasion of Russian troops in the Crimea, have caused many worries to Greeks living in Mariupol. Mariupol has a permanent population of 500,000 people and a port to the Sea of Azov, linked by a narrow strait to the Black Sea. Around 100,000 Greeks live in the Ukrainian city, organized in several different communities. “There are no records of attacks targeting the Greek community of Mariupol, even by extremists,” stated the Greek Consul to Mariupol, Dimitris Papandreou, adding, “Greeks are united. They are peaceful and law-abiding citizens. We are in constant contact with them and coordinating anything they need, while also speaking with our European counterparts.” The Consul also mentioned that the Greek-Ukrainians share the same concerns with every other citizen about the recent political developments taking place in their country, but aren’t engaging in any activities that would threaten their well-being or create worries to the Consulate. “The Greeks here were always peaceful and committed to educational activities. Their level of Hellenism is very elevated and this is recognized by everyone. Greeks here never participated in extremist political groups or organizations, so as to be targeted,” said Consul Papandreou. Greece ‘s Deputy Foreign Minister, Kyriakos Gerontopoulos, commenting on the recent developments in the country, said, “There have been neither talks about relocating or repatriating the Greeks living in Ukraine nor chartering more flights.” He added, “The existing plans by the Foreign Ministry are implemented in case there is a problem for Greeks living all around the world, so that we can meet their needs. So, don’t think that there is a special plan being put through just for Ukraine,” explained the minister. Αbout Ukraine Ukraine, is the second largest country in Europe after Russia. It borders Moldova, Romania, Hungary, Slovakia, Poland, Belarus, Russia and the Black Sea in Eastern Europe. Area: 603,550 sq km (slightly smaller than Texas) Population: 44,573,205 (July 2013 est.) Median age: 40.3 years Capital: Kiev (Kyiv) Ethnic Groups: Ukrainian 77.8 percent, Russian 17.3 percent, Belarusian 0.6 percent, Moldovan 0.5 percent, Crimean Tatar 0.5 percent, Bulgarian 0.4 percent, Hungarian 0.3 percent, Romanian 0.3 percent, Polish 0.3 percent, Jewish 0.2 percent and other 1.8 percent (2001 census) Religion: Ukrainian Orthodox – Kyiv Patriarchate 50.4%, Ukrainian Orthodox – Moscow Patriarchate 26.1%, Ukrainian Greek Catholic 8%, Ukrainian Autocephalous Orthodox 7.2%, Roman Catholic 2.2%, Protestant 2.2%, Jewish 0.6% and other 3.2% (2006 est.) GDP: $331.6 billion (2012 est.) GDP per capita: $7,300 (2012 est.) Unemployment: 7.5 percent (2012 est.) Other Facts: Prior to the 20th century, Ukrainian territories were controlled at different times by Russia, Poland, Lithuania, Mongols, Cossacks and others. From the 18th to 20th centuries, Russia and Soviet authorities carried out a program of Russification to discourage Ukrainian national identity. Timeline: 1917-1920 – Following the 1917 Russian Revolution and toward the end of World War I, Ukraine is briefly an independent nation. 1920s – Ukraine becomes part of the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics. 1921-1922 – A famine kills more than one million people. 1932-1933 – Soviet leader Joseph Stalin’s policy of collectivization leads to the Great Famine (Holodomor) in which millions of Ukrainians die of starvation. 1941 – During World War II, Germany invades Ukraine. More than six million Ukrainians die. 1944 – Russia regains control of Ukraine and expands its borders to include territory taken from Romania, Poland and Czechoslovakia. April 26, 1986 – Reactor number four explodes at the Chernobyl, Ukraine, nuclear power plant, releasing large amounts of radiation into the atmosphere. Over 100,000 people are evacuated from their homes. Authorities say the disaster directly killed about 30 people. July 16, 1990 – Ukraine declares sovereignty. August 24, 1991 – The Ukrainian Parliament declares independence, pending a referendum on December 1. December 1, 1991 – The referendum for independence passes with 90 percent approval. December 8, 1991 – Ukraine joins the new Commonwealth of Independent States, along with Russia and Belarus. 2004 – President Leonid Kuchma declines to run for a third term and endorses Prime Minister Viktor Yanukovych. Russia President Vladimir Putin also supports Yanukovych’s campaign. September 2004 – Opposition candidate Viktor Yushchenko develops a mysterious illness which leaves his face pock-marked. Medical tests later show he is suffering from dioxin poisoning.

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Mandatory Email Service for Greek Taxpayers

Greek taxpayers will be required to submit a valid email address to the Greek tax authorities by this May, when the Greek Ministry of Finance will launch a new e-service for citizens. The Ministry will use the new service to inform citizens about any administrative issue regarding their tax payment, such as fines, additional taxes, pending debts and various notices. Greek taxpayers who don’t submit an e-mail address on time will have to pay a minimum fine of 100 euros. This requirement even applies to the elderly, who may be computer illiterate and don’t have access to a computer, and to taxpayers who don’t have an internet connection and those who live in rural and remote regions. The service will be implemented in an attempt to optimize tax payment services, limit bureaucracy, tackle tax evasion and prevent delayed or undelivered notices.

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Extended Hours for Greek Museums and Archaeological Sites

According to travel agents, more than 18.5 million tourists are expected to visit Greece this year, so the Greek Ministry of Culture has decided to extend the opening hours of 33 major museums and archaeological sites from April until late October in an attempt to attract more visitors. From April 1 until the end of October tourists will be able to visit Greek museums and sites from 8am to 8pm, seven days a week to admire Greek civilization and culture. In 2013, 17.8 million tourists visited Greece and about 12 million of them visited Greek museums and archaeological sites. Record tourist arrivals are expected for 2014 and so travel agents have been urging the Greek authorities to extend opening hours. Tourists will benefit from the fair weather in Greece during spring and autumn and Greece’s tourist season will be extended, resulting in more visitors and earnings. Among the 33 museums and archaeological sites that will launch the new opening hours are the Acropolis of Athens, Ancient Olympia in the Peloponnese, Knossos in Crete, the royal tombs of Vergina in northern Greece, Delos and Spinalonga islands, Akrotiri in Santorini and the Archaeological Museum of Thessaloniki. Executives from the Ministry of Culture are also discussing ways to optimize the facilities of the museums and sites and the services offered to tourists.

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Red Bull Arena to host Greece v. Bolivia

Empire Of SoccerRed Bull Arena to host Greece v. BoliviaEmpire Of SoccerThe New York Red Bulls' home ground will play host to Greece as they take on Bolivia on June 6th. The match is part of a ten team tour of the U.S. dubbed “The Road to Brazil.” World Cup bound teams Greece, Spain, Honduras, Bosnia & Hersegovina, Ivory ...INTERNATIONAL FRIENDLY Greece vs. Bolivia at Red Bull Arena June 6Big Apple Soccerall 3 news articles »

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The penny drops

The representatives of the European Commission, European Central Bank and International Monetary Fund in charge of supervising the Greek program have finally realized that there is absolutely no leeway for additional fiscal measures. Greeks simply don’t h... ...

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EU foreign ministers to hold emergency Ukraine talks on Monday

EU foreign ministers will hold an emergency meeting in Brussels on Monday to discuss the situation in Ukraine, an EU diplomat said. "There will be an extraordinary meeting on Ukraine on Monday. Most likely after 1 PM,» said the diplomat. Greece currently ... ...

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European bonds rise on ECB easing bets, debt-crisis confidence

European government bonds rose this week as speculation the European Central Bank will expand monetary stimulus combined with optimism that the region is exiting its sovereign crisis to boost demand for its assets. Greece’s 10-year yields fell yesterday t... ...

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A Greek Gem Below Investors' Radar

Disclosure: I own CMRE stock

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First Contemporary Greek Art Jewelry Exhibition Held in Athens

The first exhibition of contemporary Greek art jewelry entitled “A Jewel Made in Greece” held in Athens, Greece, this week proved that creativity and art cannot be defeated by the economic crisis. The exhibition set up by artist Maria Samoli ...

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Utility Bill Break For Big Business

While Greek households continue to struggle with utility bills hiked during a crushing economic crisis, big businesses are going to get discounts up to 20 percent for one year with the option of a 12-month extension, the Public Power Corporation (PPC) said. The government is trying to find ways to ease energy costs for industries that are founding, particularly steelmakers, two of which could close down. The government is defying its international lenders to slash rates for its PPC’s biggest clients because the economy will begin to improve this year, officials said, and they want to help speed the recovery. The government, as a PPC stakeholder, announced that “taking into account the Greek economy’s long and deep recession, and the fact that after several years [it appears to be entering a phase of gradually returning to expansion], as well as that industries, particularly energy-intensive ones, form a crucial part of the country’s production capacity,” it has resorted to the measures because of what it said were extraordinary conditions. The state has therefore “proposed to the PPC board and approved an extraordinary discount of 10 percent on PPC rates for one plus one year for high-voltage enterprises, starting from January 1, 2014. For companies with an annual consumption in excess of 1,000 gigawatt hours in particular, a discount of 10 percent will apply in addition to the above discount.” The government is hoping that the expected losses of some 75 million euros ($103.5 million) from the discounts will be offset by the industries’ increase in consumption, along with production units restarting operations, as well as timely payment of bills. As an extra incentive to increase power consumption, PPC will also offer an additional discount of 25 percent on its rates for nights and weekends for all high-voltage clients apart from those with an annual consumption of more than 1,000 GWh. One of PPC’s unions, Spartakos, protested the decision, saying in a letter to the finance minister that it constitutes a direct subsidy to energy-intensive industries and “the killing blow for PPC,” threatening to take recourse to the European competition authorities.

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Electric Discount For Greek Companies

Greece's big businesses are getting a big break on their energy bills to help them get back on their feet during a crushing economic crisis.

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A 20-Year Recovery For Greek Jobs

A labor report shows it will take Greece at least two decades to recover the one million jobs lost since an economic crisis began in 2009.

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Fenerbahce Dumps Olympiakos, 78-74

After being beaten by Panathiniakos, European basketball champions Olympiakos lost 78-74 at Fenerbache/Ulker in Turkey,

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Hellenic Foundation of Culture Operations Suspended Worldwide

The Hellenic Foundation for Culture Board of Directors announced yesterday that they would temporarily suspend all operations of the foundation’s 13 annexes from around the world. With an urgent letter they informed the heads of all the annex offices in order to regulate their expenses and proposed to the heads of each office to work without a salary. The Foundation’s new president, Christodoulos Yiallouridis and the Board decided to proceed with the active solution of suspending all operations – instead of a gradual process of consolidation with under-active annexes – in order to proceed with the regulation that will focus primarily on the reduction of rents and fees. Especially after one of the annexes was paying 11,000 euros per month for rent. The Foundation’s annexes in Alexandria, Odessa, Berlin, London and Washington as well as the branches in Belgrade, Bucharest, Sofia, Tirana, Trieste and Melbourne will be closed until March 31, 2014. The regulation will include a reduction in fixed and recurring costs of operation of the Foundation’s branches through the establishment of honorary, unpaid services by the heads of each department and of course the reduction of rent costs after negotiations or change of location. Among the plans of the Hellenic Foundation for Culture, is the reconstruction and establishment of new annexes in Beijing, Moscow, Istanbul and Cyprus. The stakes are high for the Foundation in Greece that is required to redefine its role and mainly be faithful to its mission of promoting Greek culture and spreading the teaching of the Greek language.

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Greek Joblessness Long-Term Woe

Political promises aside, it will take at least 20 years for Greece to recreate the one million jobs lost during an economic crisis that saw the rate soar to a record 28 percent in a four-year period, the Labor Institute of the General Confederation of Greek Labor (INE/GSEE) said in its monthly report. While Prime Minister Antonis Samaras said he’s creating a “success story,” and will turn around the battered economy this year, and has promised to create jobs, the analysts said otherwise, at least in terms of getting people back to work. The rate for those under 25 has hovered from 60-65 percent but Samaras’ promise to put 75,000 of them to work by January came and went without another word. The report said the unemployment rate will still be a disastrous 17 percent in 2026, even if the economy grows 3.5-4 percent a year, although it’s still shrinking and nearly 1.4 million people are without a job. The analysts said the problem is that the joblessness is entrenched in the structural problems of Greece, a service-oriented country where most people hoped to find work in the public sector, which is being cut on the orders of international lenders. For the economy to recreate the jobs lost since 2009, when the unemployed numbered just 450,000, it will need at least 20 years with an annual job creation rate of 50,000, INE/GSEE explained, basing its estimate on recent forecasts by the European Commission. It added that this year the number of employed will come to 3.53 million, lagging the total of unemployed and financially inactive people by 1.1 million.

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Can Greece exit the eurozone?

Can Greece exit the eurozone?Cyprus MailIs there another way for Greece? According to Mr Varoufakis there is. He has paradoxically been supportive of SYRIZA's decision to use the veto, despite the fact that he proposes a far more effective proposal for giving the Greek state some leeway in ...

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Table tennis club, Greek restaurant among new tenants at Penobscot Building

Table tennis club, Greek restaurant among new tenants at Penobscot BuildingCrain's Detroit BusinessSouthfield-based Pendeli Inc. leased 4,000 square feet on the first floor of the building to open a second location for its Athens Souvlaki Greek restaurant. Athens will be located at the Fort Street entrance of the building, said Steve Apostolopoulos ...

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Greek Cyprus cabinet members resign as bailout deal fails

The resignations came a day after the Greek Cypriot parliament voted down a plan for the privatization of state assets - one of several conditions attached to the country's international bailout. Four members of the Council of Ministers of the Greek ...

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Popular Greek restaurant relocating to downtown Raleigh

Popular Greek restaurant relocating to downtown RaleighWNCNA popular Greek restaurant will move to downtown Raleigh after more than 10 years on Glenwood Avenue. Taverna Agora will relocate late this summer to 326 Hillsborough Street. The 4,900-square-foot restaurant will sit between Second Empire Restaurant ...

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PPL Park to host Greece-Nigeria World Cup tune-up on June 3

Philly.com (blog)PPL Park to host Greece-Nigeria World Cup tune-up on June 3Philly.com (blog)Greece and Nigeria will meet in Chester on Tuesday, June 3. The game is part of a series of World Cup tune-ups organized by Major League Soccer's commercial arm, Soccer United Marketing. It will be a rematch of a game from the 2010 World Cup in South ...

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Fort Myers goes Greek this weekend

Island Sun and River WeeklyFort Myers goes Greek this weekendWink NewsAnnunciation of the Virgin Mary Greek Orthodox Church is hosting its 38th annual Greek Fest Friday, Saturday and Sunday, February 28 through March 2. The church is located at 8210 Cypress Lake Drive, Fort Myers. Festival hours are 11 a.m. to 11 p.m. ...Fort Myers 39th Annual Greek FestIsland Sun and River Weeklyall 2 news articles »

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Journey to Cultural Ioannina

The beautiful nature, historic streets, and medieval castle of Ioannina make this city a magical place to visit in northwestern Greece. Reminiscent of a bygone era, Ioannina is a place rich in history, local tradition and culture, including Christian, Jewish and Islamic influence. The essence of Ali Pasha and his love for the beautiful and […]

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New St. Nicholas Breathes the Spirit of Aghia Sophia

  NEW YORK – There is a touch of the poetic to the story of how the renowned architect Santiago Calatrava came to be the design architect for the new church of St. Nicholas at Ground Zero, whose function is contribute to the renaissance of both the downtown community and the parish, to help visitors […]

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Sicilian Mafia Put a Hit on Giuliani, NY’s Gambino Family Said No

Salvatore Riina, Capo di Tutti Capi (Boss of Bosses) of the Sicilian mafia, sent a hitman to the United States in the 1980s to kill then-U.S. Attorney Rudy Giuliani, the New York Post reported, because of Giuliani’s friendship with Giovanni Falcone, a staunch opponent of organized crime in Sicily. The hitman, Bendetto Villico, arrived from […]

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Greek-Australian Ross Konidaris Acquitted of Murder

Greek-Australian Ross Konidaris, 26, was acquitted of murdering his grandparents on the grounds of mental impairment. Judge Terry Forrest of the Supreme Court of Victoria said that he was convinced Konidaris has been suffering from paranoid ...

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Operation Costs for Greek Schools in Germany

The Ministry of Education spent 3.908 million euros in 2013, on operation expenses for Greek schools in Germany and the salaries of contract teachers. According to a document of the Ministry of Education, the Greek State provides free Greek ...

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Europe's Boom Cities Are Still Busted

Before the crisis of 2008, Dublin was Europe's wunderkind: the 'Celtic Tiger' tech boom seemed to have slowed, but real estate was booming, prices were high, and people were spending. This Irish success story seemed to reverse an age-old narrative of famine, emigration, and degrading jobs abroad. And then it all went kaput. The financial crisis revealed the country's largest banks to be nearly insolvent, and the Dublin real estate market tumbled into the gutter faster than a drunk on St. Patrick's day, housing prices losing almost 50% in a single year. Yet the country was fast to act: the Dáil (the Irish parliament) made the banks whole despite their bad bets, in an unprecedented pro-business move that required 85 billion euros from the European Union. Now Ireland is the first country to pay back its EU loans, sparking a wave of enthusiastic praise from continental technocrats. Spain, another country beleaguered by bad banks and an imploded housing market, is poised to follow Ireland's lead. But one must only look to the current state of the real estate market and unemployment in the former boom cities of Ireland and Spain to know that 'recovery' is only a chimera cooked up by economists in Brussels. The recent celebration of Ireland's 'recovery' has not been lost on many commentators: the New York Times ran an opinion piece entitled "Ireland's Rebound Is European blarney." On the ground information from Dublin and other boom cities of the EU crisis confirms this sentiment. Dublin's once-thriving property market has been so decimated that new suburban homes are being torn down in an attempt to maintain the value of surrounding properties. Even the affluent are often upside down on their mortgages. Another good example of the purely theoretical nature of the recovery is the Spanish city of Valencia, once praised as a model of new urbanist principles where the starchitect Santiago Calatrava turned a dry riverbed into a landscaped cultural corridor with over a billion euros in public funds. The coastal zone around the city was quickly paved over for hotels and second homes during the height of the boom. Credit for home buying and construction financing was easier to come by than a café con leche. Yet this sector is now dried up. Because construction accounted for such an over-sized piece of Valencia's economic pie, the unemployment rate is now at 26%, and Santiago Calatrava has gone from golden boy to the man who "bled the city dry." Other cities in Spain, Portugal, Greece, Bulgaria, and Cyprus have similarly empty spaces built during the giddy moments of the boom when the faucet for private and public lending was gushing at full capacity. Some in Europe blame the technocrats in Brussels for not monitoring credit more closely and for over-emphasizing real estate development as an economic strategy for the poorer periphery. However, as in the United States, part of the blame must also go to the under-regulated banking sector, which financed public and private projects using a risk rubric that can only be categorized as reckless. The recent attempts to praise Ireland and Spain's new independence from EU lending is a wry little piece of magical thinking. The empty properties left from the hubris of the boom litter many of Europe's most troubled cities, where unemployment is the new normal. From abandoned suburbs like Seseña near Madrid to the never-used Ciudad Real airport to Dublin's bull-dozed 'ghost estates,' the remnants of the boom are still with us. The debt from these bad deals also haunts the pejoratively named PIGS countries (Portugal, Ireland, Greece, and Spain), and Brusselcrats would be far more honest and helpful if they included these numbers with any recent certificates of good health.

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Is Mary-Kate Olsen Engaged To Boyfriend Olivier Sarkozy?

Mary-Kate Olsen may be engaged to her boyfriend of two years, Olivier Sarkozy, Us Weekly exclusively reports. The 27-year-old actress-turned-fashion mogul has been dating the 44-year-old French banker since 2012. In March of last year, Us Weekly reported that Olsen was not yet ready to settle down, and though Sarkozy wanted to "lock her down for life," she was in no rush. This report came just weeks after Olsen was "spotted with a ring" on that finger and after GossipCop debunked Star magazine's reports that Sarkozy -- half-brother of the former French president -- had already popped the question. If the rumor this time around is true, it seems like a year was a long enough wait for the Olsen twin. HuffPost has reached out to Olsen's rep and will update with a comment once one comes through. Before Sarkozy, Olsen dated artist Nate Lowman, oil heir Max Snow, Greek shipping heir Stavros Niarchos and producer David Katzenberg. Sarkozy divorced his wife of 14 years, Charlotte Bernard, in 2011. They have two children together.

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Greek Government Cautiously Optimistic on Talks with Troika

The Greek government’s economic team on Friday, said it was cautiously optimistic over the course of negotiations with the troika. Speaking to ANA-MPA, after a meeting on Friday afternoon, a high-ranking official of the Finance ministry said ...

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Greece: 15% Gender Pay Gap

Working women in Greece are paid an average of 15% less than men; the same percentage on an EU level is 16.4%. This was highlighted by European Commission data on the wage gap between men and women in the EU. The data was released today on the ...

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Greek 'Golden Visa' is more competitive, says agency

OPP ConnectGreek 'Golden Visa' is more competitive, says agencyOPP ConnectAs the number of 'Golden Visas' issued in Greece starts to rise, interest is building from nations outside the European Union. Real estate agent Savvaidis & Associates, based in Rhodes, has just seen the first completion of an application from a ...

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