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

Thursday, May 8, 2014

PAOK Plays Off Penalty Points

PAOK's soccer team, which was penalized three points for fan hooliganism, erased it with a 3-0 victory over Atromitos in Greek Super League play.

The post PAOK Plays Off Penalty Points appeared first on The National Herald.


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Environment Ministry aims to create more flexible rules for building activity

Greece’s zoning laws are to be made much more flexible, according to draft legislation prepared by the Environment Ministry and put to public consultation on Thursday. The most significant change is that the national zoning plan is being scrapped and repl... ...

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Greek education ranked worst in the EU

Greece has the worst education system in the 28-member European Union, according to a global league table compiled by the Economist Intelligence Unit for the British publishing firm Pearson which shows Asian countries overtaking Scandinavian nations that ... ...

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Young Syrian refugees fleeing to Greece to get polio vaccines

Greece is to begin vaccinating young refugees from Syria against polio because of fears that the infectious disease, which was officially wiped out more than a decade ago, may be reintroduced to the country by people fleeing the war-torn state. The head o... ...

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'Neighbors': My big fat Greek fretting

'Neighbors': My big fat Greek frettingChicago Sun-Times'Neighbors': My big fat Greek fretting. By RICHARD ROEPER Movies Columnist May 8, 2014 1:48PM. New parents Kelly (Rose Byrne) Mac (Seth Rogen) are alarmed when fraternity. New parents Kelly (Rose Byrne) and Mac (Seth Rogen) are alarmed when ...and more »

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Arab priest sacked for backing service in Israel army

The Greek Orthodox church in the Holy Land has dismissed an Israeli Arab priest who publicly voiced support for Christian Arabs serving in Israel's army, a church spokesman said Thursday. Spokesman Issa Musleh told AFP that ecclesiastical authorities decided Tuesday to fire Father Gabriel Nadaf from his post in Nazareth, but were only now making their decision public.


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Greece to sign three oil, gas concession deals May 14

The three blocks will be awarded to groups including Greece's biggest refiner Hellenic Petroleum (Athens: ELPE.AT - news) and its sole oil producer Energean Oil & Gas, the energy ministry said on Thursday. Encouraged by big gas finds in nearby Cyprus and Israel, bailed-out Greece invited oil companies to explore the areas two years ago, at the height of its debt crisis. Greece imports almost all ...

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The view from Greece: Meteor? Flare? UFO?

The view from Greece: Meteor? Flare? UFO?Rochester Democrat and ChronicleMontanus, who lives in Greece, was standing on a dock that juts out into the bay toward the northwest, and the objects were in that direction. The frames in which they appear were recorded at 9:34 pm, he said. He was shooting 15-second exposures, so ...

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Joseph Ficalora on the Passing of Voutsinas and the Search for a Successor

NEW YORK –  Joseph R. Ficalora, President and Chief Executive Officer of New York Community Bancorp, Atlantic Bank’s parent company, in his first interview with The National Herald after the passing of Spiros Voutsinas, the president of Atlantic Bank, characterized him as a “great man.” Through its recent advertisements in TNH, the bank, in addition […]

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Schäuble Praises Greece's Surplus But Warns Work Still To Do

Greek ReporterSchäuble Praises Greece's Surplus But Warns Work Still To DoGreek ReporterGerman Finance Minister Wolfgang Schäuble has acknowledged Greece's progress but underlined that, unless Greeks continue their efforts, they won't achieve their goals. To accomplish that, he pointed out, Greeks should not get carried away by ...

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Greek man who contracted MERS remains in critical condition

The 69-year-old Greek man who contracted the potentially fatal Middle East respiratory syndrome (MERS) while working in Saudi Arabia remains in a critical condition in an Athens hospital almost three weeks after being admitted for treatment. Doctors at th... ...

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Kasidiaris's claims of secret meetings false, says chief of Greek judges

The head of the National Union of Judges and Prosecutors, Vassiliki Thanou-Christofilou, on Thursday rebuked claims by Golden Dawn spokesman Ilias Kasidiaris that Justice Minister Haralambos Athanasiou and judges aim to turn the trial of MPs of the ultra-... ...

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Extra 1,500 firefighters to be hired for summer season in Greece

The general secretary of the Public Order and Citizens Protection Ministry, Patroklos Georgiadis, on Thursday announced that an additional 1,500 temporary firefighters are being hired to boost the ranks of the service, which currently employs around 8,000... ...

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Two held over fatal beating of woman in northern Attica

A Greek and a Bulgarian national who are believed to be behind the fatal beating of a woman in Kantza, northern Attica, earlier this month, have been arrested, police said on Thursday. According to police investigators, the woman was beaten by the two men... ...

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'Christians in Turkey are second-class citizens'

Turkey's small Christian population doesn't enjoy all the same rights as the Muslim majority. The Greek Orthodox Church has a particularly difficult relationship with the state, says religion expert Walter Flick.

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Greek Fire gets 'LOST' with upcoming fan-funded EP

Perhaps it is fated that Greek Fire, one of Saint Louis' favorite homegrown rock bands, should put together an extended play (EP) titled “LOST” this year. After all, ten years ago was the airing of the pilot for the ABC cult TV program by the same name.

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Juliette Binoche returns to London stage in new adaptation of Antigone

Actor best known for screen roles in The English Patient and Chocolat to star in Sophocles's tragedy at the Barbican

Oscar-winning actor Juliette Binoche is set to return to the London stage in a new adaptation of Antigone.

Binoche, known for her on-screen roles in The English Patient and Chocolat, will take a starring role in the new translation of Sophocles's Greek tragedy at London's Barbican centre in March 2015.

Continue reading...

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Baton Rouge Greek Festival celebrates three years

The Belle of Baton Rouge Atrium hosts the third annual Baton Rouge Greek Festival Saturday at 11 a.m. The local event will feature Greek music, dancing, arts, crafts and maybe even Mayor Kip Holden appearing in a toga. A big draw for festival-goers will ...

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Survey Finds Greece’s Education System the Worst in Europe

A recent survey conducted by the U.K. research and analysis institution Economist Intelligence Unit for the British publishing house Pearson, found that

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Continued signs of stabilisation in Greek unemployment

euronewsContinued signs of stabilisation in Greek unemploymenteuronewsIt is another sign that the Greek economy is emerging from a crippling six-year slump, during which the unemployment rate has more than tripled. But even when Greece's economy starts growing again it will take many years to produce enough jobs to ...Greek unemployment eases in February for fifth straight month [Update]KathimeriniGreek unemployment rate eases to 26.5 per cent in FebruaryEurope Online MagazineGreece Unemployment Dips to 26.5 Percent in FebruaryGreek Reporterall 11 news articles »

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UW administration weighs Greek recruitment changes

Talks of moving Greek recruitment from the first weeks of fall semester to later in the year have caused debates between Greek organizations, shared governance committees and the administration. The University of Wisconsin’s Greek Recruitment Advisory ...

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Greek Student Found Hanged in Rhodes

Today, at 7am a 23-year-old student was found hanged in Rhodes, Greece, by passing citizens. According to Greek news she was from Athens and was studying in Crete. The young girl’s relatives had been looking for her since last Tuesday (May 6, 2014 ...

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Samaras Takes Aim at SYRIZA

Prime Minister Antonis Samaras said the country is on a comeback and has to leave the past behind, taking a shot at the major opposition SYRIZA Leftists.

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Greenpeace Rips Greek Coast Building

The environmental group Greenpeace said Greece should withdraw a bill that would let developers run amok on Greece's coastline and build where they want.

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Rise of an Empire Demeans Greek History

By John Syragakis The over-the-top Greek fantasy film 300: Rise of an Empire begins with the historically accurate account of Xerxes after the battle of Thermopylae seeking out Leonidas on the battlefield and beheading him. In the film’s opening shot Xerxes carries out the act astride a mount and swinging down a battle axe to […]

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Tradition Alive in Metsovo

Nestled on a Pindus Mountain slope in Northern Greece is the quaint town of Metsovo. Home to less than 3,000 residents, Metsovo offers visitors a chance to experience an authentic Greek village lifestyle. With well-preserved traditions, guests may be pleasantly surprised to discover that some of the town’s oldest residents still dress in customary Greek […]

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Greek PSI victim takes own life

A 57-year-old man from Thessaloniki, in northern Greece, has been found dead after committing suicide by hanging himself, reports said Thursday. The man was reportedly found dead by his wife at their holiday house in Halkidiki, east of Thessaloniki. The v... ...

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National Bank of Greece 2.5 bln euro share issue priced at 2.20-2.30 euros

National Bank of Greece will price its 2.5 billion euros ($3.48 billion) share placement at between 2.20 and 2.30 euros a share, two sources familiar with the transaction told Reuters. The range for the over-subscribed issue was initially set at 2.00 to 2... ...

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Greek Trains To Reopen Routes to Skopje, Belgrade and Sofia

Greece’s rail operator, TRAINOSE, will resume daily services between Thessaloniki, Skopje, Belgrade and Sofia from May 10.  TRAINOSE, the operating arm of the Hellenic Railways Organization

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Samaras Lashes Out at SYRIZA

Amping up the campaign vibes ahead the looming elections for Greek municipalities and the European Parliament, Prime Minister Antonis Samaras said the

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First Greek Muslim Candidate Standing in EU Elections

Anna Stamou is standing to represent Greece at the upcoming European elections on May 25, the first Muslim to do so. Stamou seeks to prevent anti-Muslim

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Decline of Greek Real Estate Market Means Bargains Abound

The Greek real estate market has declined considerably during the economic crisis. Estate agents say property prices have fallen to 1980s level, with some houses being

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Greenpeace Blasts Greek Coastal Development Bill

The environmental group Greenpeace has joined in criticism over a bill that would let developers run amok on Greece’s coastline and build

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Greece’s Caryatids Getting Extreme Makeover

The Acropolis’ famed Caryatids, Greece’s most celebrated ancient beauties, are currently undergoing an extreme makeover to clean the centuries-old statues from pollution,

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Greek Org of Football Prognostics : Greece: games of chance; OPAP debuts new instant lottery

<1m ago GREEK ORG OF FOOTBALL PROGNOSTICS: Combine Solicitation - Lumber / Keel Blocks 11m ago GREEK ORG OF FOOTBALL PROGNOSTICS: Greece: games of chance; OPAP debuts new ins.. 2d ago Greece investor spring breathes life into privatisation drive 2d ago ...

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Cyprus’ Islam’s Sufi Leader Dies

NICOSIA — Sheikh Muhammad Nazim Adil al-Qubrusi al-Haqqani, a leading figure of Sufism, the mystical branch of the Islamic faith, died May 7 at the age of 92 in the north of ethnically-divided Cyprus. Imam Shakir Alemdar, the vice grand mufti of Cyprus, confirmed the death. The imam hailed the Cypriot-born Sheikh Nazim as one […]

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I'll be voting Green in the European elections and here's why

Immigration is just the starting point for why I'm backing a party with eminently sensible and progressive policies

Whenever I see the turnout for European and local elections, my heart sinks. It peaked at 38.5% in 2004. Last time in 2009 it was 34.7%. I find myself unable to reconcile so many people perpetually complaining about the EU and the democratic deficit which exists in its institutions, with two-thirds of the population failing to register their political preference. Mixed in with that is a cultural difference. Having been born in Greece, four years into a crushing junta, I grew up to perceive democracy as precious and voting as a civic responsibility, rather than an optional perk.

There is another important factor, however. These are the only elections in which I am allowed to vote. As a non-British European, I get no say in the general election, along with the many millions of Europeans (including 2 million Britons) who chose to make a life for themselves somewhere other than the country of their birth. So, the European and local elections have come to mean a great deal to me.

Continue reading...

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Greek State Owed €62.5bn in Back Taxes, Owes €4.7bn

The inability of the Greek citizens to meet their tax obligations has created a 62.5 billion euros backlog, 3.5 billion euros of which was accrued in the first quarter of 2014, according to official figures. Meanwhile, the Greek state itself is also ...

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Cosco Favorite to Win Greek Port Stake Sale

Wall Street JournalCosco Favorite to Win Greek Port Stake SaleWall Street JournalChina Ocean Shipping Group Co., the parent of shipping and ports giant China Cosco Holding Co., has emerged as an early favorite in an auction to buy a majority stake in the operator of Greece's main port of Piraeus, according to people familiar with ...and more »

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Greek unemployment eases in February for fifth straight month [Update]

Greece's jobless rate improved in February to its lowest rate in more than a year, data showed on Thursday, in another sign the Greek economy is emerging from a crippling six-year slump. Unemployment dropped for a fifth consecutive month, to 26.5 percent ... ...

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Greece Jobless Rate Eases

Unemployment in Greece retreated for the fourth straight month in February but remained the highest in Europe, signaling that a job-creating recovery is still some time away.

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10 Things You Need To Know Before The Opening Bell (DIA, SPY, SPX, QQQ, TSLA, FDX)

Good morning! Here's what you need to know.

Chinese Exports Surge. China's exports climbed by 0.9%, beating expectations for a 3.0% decline. The growth rate, however, is most likely much high as experts agree that last year's stats were artificially boosted by false trades largely to Hong Kong. "Export growth data was inflated by around 10pp in April last year based on our estimations," said Bank of America Merrill Lynch's Ting Lu. "So actual export growth could be around 10% in April if we adjust for this distortion, compared to 4-5% of adjusted exported growth in March." Meanwhile, imports increased by 0.8%, which was much stronger than the 2.1% drop expected. China's trade surplus increased to $18.5 billion.

Big Bank Woes. Five years after the global financial crisis, we continue to hear about banks scrambling to restructure and reinvigorate their operations. Earlier today, Barclays confirmed speculation that the it would be cutting its headcount. Management expect to let go of 19,000 employees over the next three years in its plan to boost long-term profitability.

Tesla Tumbles. Tesla shares are down by around 5% in premarket trading. The electric car maker announced Q1 adjusted earnings per share of $0.12, which was better than the $0.07 expected by analysts. The company delivered 6,457 models S during the period, which was also better than most analysts' forecasts. "We still plan to invest $650-850 million for the year in capital expenditures for increased production capacity, growth in our store, service center and Supercharger footprints, Model X and S development and start of Gigafactory construction," said Musk. "With all these initiatives, we expect to be slightly free cash flow negative in 2014, before considering the equity required for leasing."

Greece's Labor Market Nightmare. Greece's unemployment rate fell to 26.7% in February. Unfortunately, we can only say "fell" because January's unemployment rate was revised up to 27.2% from an earlier estimate of 26.7%. The unemployment rate for those 15 to 24 years old is at a horrific 56.8%.

Market Update. Markets around the world are in the green. In Asia, Japan's Nikkei closed up 0.9% and Hong Kong's Hang Seng climbed 0.4%. In Europe, Britain's FTSE, France's CAC 40, and Germany's DAX are all up by around 0.5%. U.S. stock market futures are modestly in the green.

Bank Of England Does Nothing. As expected, the BoE kept its benchmark interest rate unchanged at 0.5% and its asset purchase plan unchanged £375 billion.

European Central Bank May Tweak Its Policy. At 7:45 a.m. ET, the ECB announces its monetary policy decision. Economists expect the bank to keep its benchmark interest rate unchanged at 0.25%. "At today’s meeting, we expect the ECB to end SMP sterilisation, but do not look for action on rates or asset purchases," said Societe Generale economists. SMP sterilisation means that the ECB is offsetting its stimulative asset purchases with sales elsewhere. "In light of the data published since the last ECB meeting (robust business confidence, inflation figures close to expectations, and slightly better news from the ECB bank lending survey), the chances of ECB action on rates or asset purchases have fallen."

Jobless Claims. At 8:30 a.m. ET, the Department of Labor will publish its latest tally of weekly initial unemployment insurance claims. Economists estimate claims fell to 325,000 from 344,000 a week ago. "Initial jobless claims have trended higher in the past couple weeks," noted Nomura economists. "We need to observe claims in coming weeks to determine if this trend continues and if there has been any deterioration in labor market performance."

FedEx's New Price Plan. The WSJ's Laura Stevens reports that FedEx will charge its ground packages by size and dimensions instead of weight.

The Rise Of Alibaba's Jack Ma. The NYTimes' Neil Gough and Alexandra Stevenson have an interesting profile of Jack Ma, the found of Chinese e-commerce behemoth Alibaba. "The first time Jack Ma used the Internet, in 1995, he searched for “beer” and “China” but found no results," they report. "Intrigued, he created a basic web page for a Chinese translation service with a friend. Within hours, he received a handful of emails from around the world requesting information."

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Greek Benefit Costs Drop Below EU Average, Minister Says

The Greek government will bring social security costs for workers below the European Union average for the first time in July when it cuts contributions to the pension and health-care systems, Labor Minister Ioannis Vroutsis said. Social security ...

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EU accused of 'fiddling' with Greek deficit figures ahead of election

EU accused of 'fiddling' with Greek deficit figures ahead of electionEurActivThe Ifo Institute, one of Germany's most influential economic think tanks, has accused the EU institutions of “fiddling the figures” on Greece's public deficit figures in order to “embellish” the country's situation ahead of the May European elections.

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The Italian job

How Matteo Renzi is trying to fix Europe's fourth largest economy—and why his ambition might not be enough

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An Article of Faith

Popular Among Subscribers The Rise of Fake Pot Subscribe Millennials: The Me Me Me GenerationBarbara Brown Taylor Faces the DarknessRe “Unholy Choices” [April 21]: Congratulations to Time for your extremely well-written article, which described with such accuracy the plight of Middle Eastern Christians. A religious genocide is taking place in plain sight, and nobody really…

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Greece's Unemployment Rate Falls To A Level That's Still Painfully High

In Greece, the good news is that the unemployment rate is declining. Unfortunately, the unemployment rate is at the nosebleed level of 26.7%. This is according to newly released February data from the Hellenic Statistical Authority. January's uneployment ...

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Greek unemployment dips to 26.5 pct in February

Greece's unemployment rate dipped to 26.5 percent in February from a downwardly revised 26.6 percent in the previous month, the country's statistics agency ELSTAT said on Thursday. The reading, more than twice the euro zone's average of 11.8 percent in Fe... ...

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Greece Files First Veiled MP for EU Parliament

ATHENS – A hijab-clad Greek woman has become the first ever Muslim candidate to represent her country at the coming European Parliament elections, hoping to prevent anti-Muslim discrimination and ensure equality for the religious minority. "I have been ...

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Odeon of Herodes Atticus Voted Second Best Theater in the World

Odeon of Herodes Atticus in Athens Greece was placed second in the world’s top live performance theaters. The list was published by

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