The International Monetary Fund on Thursday refuted reports that it would be hosting a meeting of Greece’s creditors to discuss the country’s state debt this fall. Asked whether a meeting on the sustainability of Greece’s debt would be held in the US capi... ...
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Thursday, September 11, 2014
Jobless rate remained high in July
The jobless rate in Greece posted a marginal decline in June, according to Hellenic Statistical Authority (ELSTAT) figures released on Thursday, as its seasonally adjusted level came to 27 percent compared with 27.1 percent in May 2014 and 27.6 percent in... ...
Johnstonians play major part in Cranston Greek Festival's success
In short, Johnston residents played a major role in the success of last weekend's 29th annual Cranston Greek Festival, which helped the Church of the ...
Nana Mouskouri to Celebrate Birthday With New Tour
A month before her 80th birthday, Nana Mouskouri, one of the most famous Greek singers worldwide, announced that she would be returning to the ...
Greek man defrauded developers, including West Springfield adviser who stole money from his ...
BOSTON - A Greek man was sentenced Tuesday in Boston for his involvement in a scheme that defrauded developers of $7.9 million, part of which ...
Greek Orthodox and Muslims of Australia Against Golden Dawn
In fact, the Chairman of the Federation of Ethnic Communities' Councils of Australia, Joe Caputo, has announced that the Greek Orthodox community ...
Multicultural Greek Council recruiting new members
The members of Sam Houston State University's Multicultural Greek Council have been working to recruit new members to their organizations this ...
Attack against Greek consulate in Zürich (Switzerland)
We attacked the Greek consulate in Zürich on September 8 as a delayed ... These are the reasons why we chose the Greek consulate for our attack.
Caryatids at Amphipolis tomb fully exposed
Archaeologists working at the site of a vast ancient tomb in Amphipolis, northern Greece, on Thursday uncovered the bodies of two sculpted female figures, or caryatids, whose heads were unearthed over the weekend. The life-sized marble statues flank the e... ...
Attention All Greek-American Students: Philotimo Scholarship Competition
The Washington Oxi Day Foundation, whose film titled “The Greek Secret” on the topic of philotimo has gone viral, has announced that it is offering the following five scholarships to the Greek-American students (grades 6-12) who best describe “philotimo.” First Place: $2,000 scholarship and invitation to the Foundation’s October 23 black tie gala in Washington, […] The post Attention All Greek-American Students: Philotimo Scholarship Competition appeared first on The National Herald.
Fahadh-Nazriya off to Greece and the US for honeymoon next month
As soon as the work for the film is done next month, the couple will be heading to Greece, and from there to the US, informed Nazriya's father Nazim.
Greece: over 900 public employees fired in last three years
(ANSAmed) - ATHENS, SEPTEMBER 11 - A total of 913 public employees have been fired in Greece between 2012 and 2014 for gross misconduct, ...
Greek economy in dire need of reforms
Greece is in need of radical reforms to its pension system if it is to cease being a burden on longer-term fiscal sustainability, and to prevent a rise in pension costs that would otherwise see ...
Ukraine is Flowing With Blood Say Ukrainian Greek-Catholic Bishops
The world's Ukrainian Greek-Catholic bishops, meeting in Lviv for their annual Holy Synod, have appealed to the international community to help restore peace in the ...
The Greek islands to visit in 2015
2014 has been a big year for travelling to Greece with many of the best known Greek Islands filling up early! With those that missed out this year already looking to book 2015, next year looks likely ...
Hotel insider New Hotel Athens Greece
The hotel is right in the centre of the city, a few hundred metres from Syntagma Square, overlooked by the parliament building and a short walk to the Acropolis. In a few hours, I manage to navigate ...
Ex-candidate for Golden Dawn sues party leaders for slander
Ilias Stavrou, a former Golden Dawn candidate, has filed slander charges against the jailed leader of Greece’s neofascist party Nikos Michaloliakos, MP Ilias Kasidiaris and the administrator of the GD website after online posts described him as “mentally ... ...
Stocks lose ground as investors lose interest
Unmoved by the prospect of a likely credit rating upgrade for Greece by Standard & Poor’s on Friday, investors in local stocks were rather bearish on Thursday, while the trading volume was the lowest observed in the last eight sessions. The Athens Exchang... ...
Dip in suicides this year suggests trend has ‘peaked’
The number of suicides recorded in Greece in the first eight months of this year was marginally down from the same period last year, according to two nongovernmental organizations which provide support to depressed and homeless citizens. A total of 209 pe... ...
International Illicit Documents Ring Arrested in Greece
Six members of an international ring of forgery and illegal documents trafficking, such as passports and identities, were arrested in Greece. Greek Police collaborated with authorities in France, Spain, Portugal, Sweden and the Czech Republic. The ...
President and Deputy CEO of State-Owned Broadcaster Resign
The New Hellenic Radio, Internet and Television (NERIT) has received a strong hit after the resignation of the Board’s Chairman Antonis Makridimitris and deputy CEO Rodolfos Moronis. Yesterday, Moronis posted the following comment on Twitter: “If you announce that you want to make something independent, objective and qualitative but you don’t mean it, then don’t assign it to someone who means it.” NERIT, the state-owned public broadcaster in Greece, is the successor to the defunct Greek Broadcasting Service (ERT). NERIT started broadcasting on May 4, 2014. On June 11, 2013, the Greek government announced its intention to close ERT with immediate effect and open the new organization, causing the strong reaction of the employees and a large part of Greek society.
Can "Eating Like a Greek" Lead to Healthier Workplaces and Schools?
Two and one-half millennia ago, the ancient Greek physician, Hippocrates, taught his students that diet and lifestyle directly impact health and the risk ...
ECB funding to Greek banks drops slightly in August
... (Reuters) - European Central Bank (ECB) funding to Greek banks fell in August by 60 million euros, Greek central bank data showed on Thursday.
Archaeologists unveil marble female statues inside huge ancient tomb in northern Greece
This photo released on Thursday, Sept. 11, 2014 by the Greek Culture Ministry shows two approximately life-sized female statues on a wall leading to ...
Turkish foreign ministry reacts to Greek parliament's Genocide bill
PanARMENIAN.Net - Turkish foreign ministry reacted to Greek parliament's adoption of a bill criminalizing denial of the Armenian Genocide and other ...
My Big Fat Greek Party rescheduled at Oceanfront
My Big Fat Greek Party will be held at 17th Street Park at the Oceanfront from 5 to 10 p.m. on Sept. 19; noon to 11 p.m. on Sept. 20 and noon to 6 p.m. ...
Ancient Greek tomb dig finds marble statues
ATHENS, Greece (AP) — Archaeologists slowly digging through a huge 2,300-year-old tomb in northern Greece have uncovered two life-sized marble female statues flanking the entrance to one of three underground chambers.
Eurozone governments challenged to increase spending, shake up over-regulated economies
by Associated Press European states struggle with Draghi's challenge by DAVID McHUGH and JUERGEN BAETZ, Associated Press - 11 September 2014 13:03-04:00 FRANKFURT, Germany (AP) — European Central Bank head Mario Draghi made the first move in his grand plan to rescue the economic recovery. Now it's over to the governments of the 18 countries that use the euro. Eurozone finance ministers gather Friday and Saturday for the first time since the ECB president sketched out what has been dubbed "Draghinomics:" a three-pillared strategy including more stimulus from the central bank, added government spending and pro-business reforms to cut bureaucracy and make economies more productive. Problem is, Draghi as an unelected central banker only controls the monetary pillar, while governments hold sway over the other two. The finance officials meeting in Milan, Italy, now have a chance to show Europe's politicians are ready to help, too. The case for action is pressing: Europe's economy showed no growth in the second quarter. That followed four quarters of unsatisfying recovery from a crisis over high government debt. Unemployment remains at a painful 11.5 percent. The ECB on Sept. 4 did its part by cutting its benchmark interest rate to a record low 0.05 percent. It also said it would buy bonds backed by bank loans — a step aimed at increasing bank lending to companies. And it held out the possibility of broader bond purchases, a move that would aim to make credit cheaper still. But Draghi's challenge to governments remains a tough sell. Some of the key reasons: —With tight EU rules on public deficits, there's little room for more government spending on projects that would help economic growth. —The push for pro-business reforms in two of the more troubled countries, France and Italy, faces political headwinds. —Germany, the dominant eurozone country, has backed calls for more investment spending, but excluded borrowing money to do it, at least at the national level. —There is talk of an EU-level investment fund to pay for infrastructure such as roads and bridges, but the details are far from filled in. Guntram Wolff, director of the Bruegel think tank in Brussels, said Draghi "doesn't have any direct handle on the member states and on their structural and fiscal policies. All he can do is push them. That's the problem — we are having a real coordination problem." And even if financially stronger countries are willing to spend more, it might not give the economy the push it needs: "They need a fiscal plan at the EU level," Wolff said. "I don't think fiscal loosening at the national level will do the trick. " European Union rules restrain countries from borrowing excessive amounts of money to boost spending. That is a key condition to ensure stability of the shared currency. And Germany and the EU's executive commission have pressed for countries that needed bailouts — Greece, Portugal, Ireland, Spain, Cyprus — to keep spending down in return for rescue loans. Yet those policies can choke off growth that is needed both to shrink debt and reduce unemployment. A senior EU official said the finance ministers will on Friday discuss the bloc's fiscal policies in the wake of Draghi's call in a speech Aug. 22 to loosen the belts in some eurozone economies to boost growth. The official spoke on customary condition of anonymity. Italy and others want to change how the EU calculates member states' deficits so that governments are allowed to keep some spending as long it helps economic growth, the EU official added. That idea has been opposed, however, by Jyrki Katainen, the new vice-president of the European Union's executive commission, and by German Chancellor Angela Merkel. More growth could come from shrinking the bureaucracy and paperwork that makes it hard to a business, and more flexibility in hiring and firing. Yet Italian Prime Minister Matteo Renzi has slowed his reform efforts. There's not much cash to spare from government budgets for Draghi's plan, said Raoul Ruparel, head of economic research at the Open Europe think tank in London. "I'm skeptical about how much he'll really get," he said. "This is all enshrined in law and there is very little appetite to change that law." Still, "there is widening acceptance that the ECB is reaching the end of its tether, and an acceptance that the pressure is shifting to member states." ___ Baetz reported from Brussels. News Topics: Business, General news, Economic growth, Economy, Fiscal policy, Government and politics, Government spending, Political organizations, Economic policy, Government business and finance, Government policy People, Places and Companies: Mario Draghi, Jyrki Katainen, Angela Merkel, Matteo Renzi, Europe, Italy, Germany, Western Europe Copyright 2014 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.
Greek broadcaster's president, deputy quit in fresh upheaval
The president and managing director of overhauled state broadcaster NERIT, Antonis Makrydimitris, and his deputy Rodolfos Moronis resigned on Thursday just four months after the former replaced Giorgos Prokopakis at the helm of the organization. The new w... ...
ECJ rules in favor of Greek national in Italian discrimination case
The European Court of Justice has reversed an earlier ruling by an Italian court against the appointment of Iraklis Haralambidis, a Greek national, as president of the port authority in Brindisi, Italy. Haralambidis had been placed at the helm of the orga... ...
Volos man faces charges for killing dog with unlicensed gun
A 59-year-old man has been arrested and faces charges of animal cruelty and illegal weapon possession in Volos, central Greece, after allegedly killing a dog. The suspect is said to have shot the dog with a hunting rifle for which he does not have a licen... ...
Return of Byzantine Manuscript to Mount Athos
After many decades, an important Byzantine manuscript was returned to Mount Athos in Greece. The manuscript that was stolen in 1960 by the Dionysiou Monastery in Mount Athos and was bought from a private collector by the Getty Museum in California, in 1983, will be on display at the Byzantine Museum in Athens from September 15 to October 30. According to the Greek Culture Ministry, the manuscript is a codex of the four gospels (Tetraevangelion), made in Constantinople in the 12th century and was first listed by Spyridon Lambrou in his opus “Catalogue of the Greek Manuscripts on Mount Athos.” The manuscript’s creator, Theoktistos, decorated it with beautiful illuminations. The 12th century is characterized by the production of ornate codices that were destined for members of the Komnenos dynasty or for the major monasteries of Constantinople. The Culture Ministry said that under a collaboration framework signed in 2011 with the Getty Museum, the museum agreed to return the manuscript to the Greek state. The Byzantine manuscript will be exhibited at the Byzantine Museum for a short period, along with a page depicting the 12 Apostles that was bought separately and was exhibited at the Kanellopoulos museum in Athens. Following the exhibition, both items will be returned to Dionysiou Monastery in Mount Athos.
Greek Parliament Ratifies ENFIA Tax Amendment
The debate over the unified property tax (ENFIA) amendment resumed this morning in Parliament for voting. The third summer session ratified the amendment, after a roll-cast vote called by main opposition SYRIZA party. The amendment was ratified with 51 votes in favor (coalition government), 38 against (SYRIZA, DIMAR, Golden Dawn and Independent Greeks) and six “present” votes (KKE and two independent MPs). Parliament is still in its summer session and only 100, instead of the House’s elected 300 MPs, were required for the vote. The amendment introducing changes to the ENFIA prompted a heated debate in Parliament on Wednesday, however it was not “enough” to stop the government from implementing its financial policy measures. New Democracy MP Adonis Georgiadis called on the MPs to vote in favor of the new amendment, which he said corrects injustice, and pointed out that people will otherwise have to pay more. New Democracy MP Lefteris Avgenakis and PASOK MP Nikos Sifounakis both said they would not vote for the amendment as it was deemed insufficient to make the new tax fairer. SYRIZA parliamentary spokesman Thodoris Dritsas spoke of an ‘occupation’ tax and overtaxation of people who are unable to pay, while Independent Greeks spokesman Pavlos Haikalis called on people “not to pay”. “It is an unfair and anti-growth law, and the amendment introduced corrects blatant mistakes instead of injustice,” Democratic Left (DIMAR) spokesperson Assimina Xirotiri said, while Greek Communist Party (KKE) spokesman Nikos Karathanassopoulos characterized the amendment as anti-popular. On his part, Finance Minister Gikas Hardouvelis stated that he understands and respects the MPs’ reactions, however he called the amendment a just and necessary step to safeguard the country’s positive course.
Ridge Road Fire District marks 9/11 anniversary
"It doesn't get any easier," said Lt. Rodd Riesenberger of Ridge Road Fire District in Greece. "Yesterday was an extremely difficult day that opened up ...
Ridge Road Fire District marks 9/11 anniversary
"It doesn't get any easier," said Lt. Rodd Riesenberger of Ridge Road Fire District in Greece. "Yesterday was an extremely difficult day that opened up ...
Athens pleased with migration portfolio, 'hot potato' says the opposition
Greece's coalition government seems to be pleased with the appointment of Dimitris Avramopoulos. As a commissioner of migration, it is considered a ...
There Are No Jobs In Greece
Greece was one of the countries hit hardest by the 2008 economic crisis. If it's experiencing a recovery, as some measures indicate, it's a largely ...
Greece Officially Bans Holocaust Denial and Trivialization
Greek lawmakers have passed a law that bans Holocaust denial and also imposes stricter penalties for hate speech. The Greek government had been ...
School Year Starts Today in Greece
The school year for primary and secondary students starts today across Greece. Priests and politicians visit schools for the ceremonious first-day holy blessing event. Students will receive their books and meet their teachers. However, this school year starts with a shortage of teachers. According to elementary school teacher unions, there is a shortage of approximately 12,000 teachers. The Education Ministry announced that 4,900 substitute teachers have been hired in addition to a total of 127,033 teachers who started work on September 1. Another 10,000 substitute teachers will be hired by the end of the month and 1,000 will be on standby. Greek Police announced an integrated security program to be implemented in schools across the country. The program includes 24-hour surveillance by undercover law enforcement agents as well as regular patrols by the DIAS motorcycle squad. Traffic police will also be checking regularly on the safety of school buses. For the first time this year, a road safety program titled “I Travel Safely, I Win Life” will also be in effect at select schools across the country. The initiative aims to educate young students and their parents on traffic awareness and prevent accidents. Furthermore, the Health Ministry will intensify checks in school canteens for compliance with health regulations.
Greek Cyprus condemns Turkish ministerial visit to the UK
The conflict over divided Cyprus spread to London this week when Britain was denounced for discussing the island’s peace process with a Turkish Cypriot politician. Özdil Nami, the Turkish Cypriot foreign minister, met the UK’s Europe minister David ...
17th annual Greek festival
It’s that time of year when WSU brings together all the different aspects of Greek culture. The 17th annual Greek festival will be presented from Sept. 15-17....
Greek Unemployment Rate Eases Marginally at 27%
Greece’s unemployment rate eased marginally at 27.0% in June from 27.1% in May, the Hellenic Statistical Authority (ELSTAT) said on Thursday. June’s reading was the lowest since January 2013, when it stood at 26.8%. At more than double the Eurozone average of 11.5% in July, the country’s unemployment rate remains near record highs despite signs of economic recovery, which is expected to emerge from recession and expand by 0.6% this year. The Greek Manpower Employment Organization (OAED) also announced on Thursday a slight rise of 1.84% in its unemployment register in July, with figures pointing at 835,282 people, as opposed to 820,156 people the previous month. The report showed that 444,665 people (53.47%) were registered for 12 months and over, while 388,617 people (46.53%) were registered for less than a year. The highest percentage of registered unemployed were Greek nationals aged between 30 and 54. They were high-school graduates, 38.85% male, and 61.15% female. Unemployment rate in Greece will remain persistently high until the end of 2015 and will continue to hover around the current record levels of 27%, the Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) forecast in its Employment Outlook 2014 report, AMNA reported. It was also noted that Greece has one of the highest rates of long-term unemployment among OECD countries, with the percentage of long-term unemployed rising from 49% in the fourth quarter of 2007 to 71% in the first quarter of 2014. OECD called this trend “particularly alarming” as a result of the suffering imposed on both the people affected and their families, and for the potential increase in structural unemployment due to a deterioration of skills and reduced incentives to seek work. “This could have a visible impact on the long-term career prospects of those experiencing long periods of unemployment,” the report stressed. The report showed that the reduction in real wages in Greece was among the highest among OECD countries (more than 5% annually on average since the first quarter of 2009), while productivity remained low. “Even though the great reduction in wages contributed to a partial reversal of the difference with Germany in terms of unit labor costs, the increase in labor productivity per hour remains stubbornly negative since the start of the crisis,” the report added. The report also suggested that further reduction of wages would be difficult and will increase the number of poor workers, calling for more actions to be taken to increase competitiveness in product markets and promote policies in the labor market that facilitate the movement of workers between employment sectors.
Amphipolis: Caryatids’ Full Body Revealed-New Photos
The new discoveries from the tomb of Amphipolis in Greece, that keep coming to light, have caused admiration across the world. Photos released by the Greek Culture Ministry on Thursday show that the archaeologists have revealed the whole body of the two Caryatids that were unearthed on Saturday. The Caryatids were “buried” in the ground between the septal wall and the tomb’s sealing. The face of the eastern Caryatid was found in the ground during excavations and will be attributed to the statue. On Thursday, the first wall, sealing the front of the Caryatids, was removed, revealing the continuity of the two sculptures’ robes. The robes’ folds are of great artistic value, while the Caryatids, from the outside, appear to slightly lift their chitons with the corresponding hand. The archaeological team found out that the inner arms of the Caryatids did not support the architrave, as there are no indications of lead mouldings or processing of the lower surface of the architrave. The project will proceed with the removal of the sandy soil in the area in front of and behind the wall with the caryatids. Up to the level of the marble roof, the two walls are covered with marble pillars, which mimic the enclosure wall.
Greek unemployment declines further in June:
The Greek labour market remains deeply distressed, but some improvement is noticeable nonetheless. In June the unemployment rate declined to ...
In Depth: Greek Festival
From good food to music and dancing this weekend it's all Greek at the annual Greek Festival at the State Fair park. Father Paul Christy and Mary ...
Students should reconsider choice to join Greek life
The fact of the matter is, college holds a vast array of experiences you could become involved in. Joining the Greek system is just one potential step.
State Audit Council Blocks Ellinikon Development Project
The privatization and utilization project for former Athens airport Ellinikon is in danger of getting lost in the labyrinth of Greek bureaucracy after the decision of the State Audit Council to temporarily freeze the signing of the contract between the Hellenic Republic Asset Development Fund (HRADF) and Lamda Development. The State Audit Council ruling blocked the sale of 100% of Ellinikon SA by HRADF on the grounds that rules of transparency, equal treatment and competition had been violated during the tender process. The ruling was issued after the court inspected the draft of the sale contract and the procedure to select the highest bidder in the property’s sale. The Council objected to a change to the tender’s terms in its second stage, compared to the terms in the invitation for expression of interest, and the wording of the conditions that only companies can enter the tender and not individual bidders. Such late changes in the terms of a contract put up for tender are forbidden by both Greek and European law. Also, regarding the condition on bidders, the Council said that there are no reasons to justify such an exclusion. Lamda Development issued a statement saying that it will submit a request for the revocation of the Council’s decision.
Greece: Human rights groups call for stronger LGBT discrimination protections
Human rights groups in Greece are calling for comprehensive discrimination protections as racist and homophobic incidents have rapidly increased in the country. An anti-discrimination bill will be voted on this week, almost three years after it was brought ...
The Editor of the Economist Looks At the World as a “Paranoid Optimist”
NEW YORK – The Hellenic American Bankers Association (HABA) kicked off the community’s fall season of events with a presentation by John Micklethwait, the Editor-in-Chief of The Economist magazine, on the state of the world with a special emphasis on Europe. He also responded to questions about the situation in Greece. When The National Herald […] The post The Editor of the Economist Looks At the World as a “Paranoid Optimist” appeared first on The National Herald.
Greece reopens exchange of state bonds for existing treasury bills
ATHENS, Sept. 11 (Xinhua) -- Greece reopened on Thursday the exchange of three-year and five-year state bonds issued earlier this year for existing ...