"The Greek God Hermes is shown leading, for he is the traditional guide to the spirits of the dead, into the underworld of Hades," according to the ...
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How the world sees Greece
Sunday, October 12, 2014
Archaeologists Find More Artifacts at Antikythera Shipwreck
Greek diver Alexandros Sotiriou discovers an intact table jug and a bronze rigging ring. Image credit: Brett Seymour / Return to Antikythera.
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Greek leaders to tell Christine Lagarde they want an end to IMF aid
Largest rescue programme in global financial history had aimed at preventing debt crisis from spreading through the eurozoneGreek leaders will tell the International Monetary Fund (IMF) that the crisis-stricken country can quit its multi-billion-dollar rescue programme more than a year early when officials meet the bodys managing director in Washington on Sunday.The Greek finance minister, Gikas Hardouvelis, will argue in talks with the IMF boss, Christine Lagarde, that Athens can do without further loans provided by the Washington-based lender of last resort that have propped up the countrys economy since it came close to crashing on a mountain of deficit and debt in 2010. Continue reading...
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| READ THE ORIGINAL POST AT www.theguardian.com |
Lagarde reiterates IMF's support to Greece
Lagarde also commended the Greek authorities for "significant improvement" in Greece's fiscal position and "encouraged them to implement ...
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Archaeologists in Greece uncover mosaic dating back to Alexander the Great
A handout picture released by the Greek Culture Ministry on October 12, 2014 shows a mosaic found at a tomb in northern Greece. Photo by AFP.
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Exchange of bank data with the US
In certain cases, the US authorities also include foreign banks that are Greek subsidiaries in the local credit system and incorporate their results in ...
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GREEK CYPRUS SIGNALS ENERGY COOPERATION FOLLOWING SOLUTION
NICOSIA — In an interview with Daily Sabah, Greek Cypriot government spokesman Nicos Christodoulides said the Greek Cypriot administration was ...
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Greece’s Shadow Economy Hides Tax Cheats Who Don’t Trust The Government
Prime Minister Antonis Samaras' self-touted “success story” for Greece hasn't worked to cull tax cheats, a Bank of Greece adviser says. Two out of three Greek workers either understate their earnings or fail to disclose them, bank consultant Stephen Hall has found, according to a report in The Economist. The post Greece’s Shadow Economy Hides Tax Cheats Who Don’t Trust The Government appeared first on The National Herald.
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Frans Timmermans Hearing
Frans Timmermans - First EC Vice-President designate, in charge of Better Regulation, Inter-Institutional Relations, the Rule of Law and the Charter of Fundamental Rights. After one week of monotonously disastrous appearances, Frans Timmermans on Tuesday 7 October was hailed almost as a Saviour, the superhero with a warm but authoritarian smile, the Grail in one hand, a whip in the other. At ease in six languages, cracking jokes, fending off (mostly unconvincing) attacks, just a tad severe, with conviction and charisma, he showed himself to be indeed the second president of the Commission. He knew everything, all the dossiers, he avoided traps and pitfalls, he showed no hesitancy and was, together with Federica Mogherini, one of the few who seemed to genuinely enjoy the hearing. He didn’t even take offence when his compatriot, the very tough Liberal MEP Sophia In’t Veld asked him whether he will be the “lapdog of the governments”. He talked straight and seemed not to hide anything: “There are serious shortcomings, and the Juncker Commission will have to show that it is able to tackle them.” He promised he will retreat, after agreement with the Parliament, a whole series of useless regulations. He even gave a concrete example of a piece of legislation that should be repealed: — “One of the biggest blows to the credibility of the EU was the oil can episode.” (This was the failed initiative, last year, that would have forced restaurants to use only labelled, traceable, bottles of oil on tables.) He promised to push tough legislation in the case of young Europeans fighting in Syria-Iraq and who might come back as hardened jihadists, while maintaining all present civil rights. -- “It is mind-boggling”, he says. “Society has the right to protect itself. But we cannot disregard the fundamental rights. We cannot limit rights in fighting terrorism.” He also promised to be inflexible with the Hungarian autocrat Viktor Orban (not a difficult position, they are from different political camps). At the same time, he didn’t accept the suggestion that the troika infringed the rights of Greek citizens. He said: — “The situation in Greece today is almost miraculous. Greece overcame the crisis. Some Greeks lost their jobs and homes, but I wouldn’t say that the troika violated fundamental rights in Greece.” He was repeatedly applauded. About the Romas he said: “I worked in the OSCE on the Roma issue. Little has improved in the last 20 years. We all failed in the EU in a horrible way. And, yes, there is a big temptation of illegality, because illegality is better than starving…” Timmermans was more than convincing, although one would be hard put to distinguish anything “Socialist” in his rigorous, polyglot discourse. He proved to be indeed Juncker’s shadow, éminence grise, âme damnée and alter ego.
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Jyrki Katainen Hearing
The Finnish former Premier is to be the commissioner for the economic miracle; or as Berlaymont puts it “Vice-President for Jobs, Growth, Investment and Competitiveness. “ his duties will be to co-ordinate the commissioners with financial portfolios. The big questions were about the €300bn investment package, which may or may not have any funding. There were no answers. However, Katainen was on the defensive over strict austerity measures, including Finland’s strict terms for Greek loans as well as those in Portugal and Spain. MEPs from the south gave the Finn a tough time and he was reduced to pleading “Let’s stop remembering what has happened in the past and look to the future.” He argued for fiscal discipline and growth, but he was less clear on how this might happen. “We need a fresh impetus for jobs, growth and investment, without creating new debt, and for that we will need to mobilise both public and private money in a new way,” he said. In the end, it was enough, but the left and Greens were far from impressed.
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Ranieri satisfied with Greece's showing
Greece coach Claudio Ranieri voiced his satisfaction with the performance of the national team in Helsinki's 1-1 draw with host Finland on Saturday ...
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Greece says IMF to maintain routine post-bailout review after exit
WASHINGTON, Oct 12 (Reuters) - Greece has begun talks for ending International Monetary Fund aid to the country, but will continue to have routine post-bailout reviews by the Washington-based group, a Greek official said after talks with the IMF's chief on ...
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Meeting Between Greek FinMin Hardouvelis and IMF's Lagarde Concluded
Gikas Hardouvelis IMF The meeting between Greece's Finance Minister Gikas Hardouvelis and IMF Chief Christine Lagarde at the Funds' ...
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Mosaic uncovered in Greece's largest antique tomb
A mosaic of a man driving a chariot has been uncovered in the largest antique tomb ever found in Greece, in Amphipolis in northern Macedonia.
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Greece vs Northern Ireland preview: O'Neill's table toppers head to Greece, searching for another win
Northern Ireland sit atop Group F, ahead of their trip to Greece. The hosts have been unable to find form so far and will be keen to notch up their first ...
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EU pushes Belgrade to reconsider South Stream plans
The European Union said Serbia needs to get in line with regional energy regulations, notably as they relate to the Russian-backed South Stream gas pipeline. Belgrade and Brussels begin formal discussion on accession in January. In a status report, the EU said the Serbian government has made progress in aligning itself with European governance, but it’s lacking in key foreign policy and economic areas. “Serbia needs to step up its efforts towards alignment with the EU acquis in particular in the fields of energy -- including on the South Stream gas pipeline,” it said on October 8. Serbian Foreign Minister Ivica Dacic met with Russian officials in Moscow last week to discuss South Stream, which Russia views as a means to diversify a gas transit network bypassing Ukraine. Serbian Prime Minister Aleksandar Vucic said it “makes no sense” to start construction of the South Stream gas pipeline without an agreement on its legal status between Russia and the EU. Ukraine hosts more than half of all Russian natural gas bound for European markets. With Europe concerned over not only the crisis in Ukraine, but also the role of state-controlled companies like Russian gas monopoly Gazprom, Dacic said lingering questions over South Stream should “be settled between Russia and Brussels”. “It’s a matter of political agreements,” he said in Moscow. Dacic reaffirmed Belgrade’s commitment to the project. “Everything is fine with the South Stream. We are ready to build it. All preparatory works are running as planned,” he said. European Energy Commissioner Guenther Oettinger in June said South Stream should be put on hold because it’s not in compliance with legislation passed in the EU. Last month, members of the European Parliament passed a resolution calling on “EU countries to cancel planned energy sector agreements with Russia, including the South Stream gas pipeline”. European regulators in February ruled Serbia hasn’t taken the steps necessary to keep natural gas suppliers out of the pipeline transit sector. The South Stream pipeline route is expected to come ashore in Bulgaria and continue to Serbia, where it is to split in two, with the first branch going through Hungary to Austria and the second through Hungary and Slovenia to Italy. Under the plan, branches are also to be constructed in Croatia and the Bosnian Serb Republic. Intergovernmental agreements were earlier signed with Serbia, Bulgaria, Hungary, Greece, Slovenia, Austria and Croatia in order to implement the construction of the pipeline’s onshore sections.
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Syrians, Lebanese produce wine in ferment of war
By Diaa Hadid,Associated Press In his high-rise office in Beirut, Sandro Saade carefully chews a merlot grape from a vineyard hundreds of miles away in war-ravaged Syria, trying to determine if it is ripe enough to order the start of the harvest. It’s too dangerous for him to travel to the vineyards of Domaine de Bargylus, which is nestled in verdant hills where wine has been produced since ancient times. But despite the bloody conflict and the threat of Islamic extremists, he is determined to produce world-class wines, and to help preserve a Levantine cosmopolitanism imperilled by decades of war. In Syria and Lebanon, boutique wineries mainly run by Christians have endured despite decades of unrest and the fact that Islam — the majority faith in the region — forbids both the production and consumption of alcohol. The challenges have mounted since the eruption of Syria’s conflict in 2011 and the rise of the Islamic State extremist group and other jihadist organisations. For families like the Saades, the production of wine is not only a business but an affirmation of their roots in a region increasingly hostile to Christians and other minorities. Their winery’s name derives from the classical Greek for the Syrian mountains overlooking the Mediterranean, and the tradition of wine-making stretches back to ancient times, when it flowed at bacchanalian festivals that would horrify today’s dour jihadists. “We are passionate about this, and we aren’t stopping. We will continue as much as we can,” Saade said. “The challenge is not just to make wine, but to maintain a high quality wine.” The winery is in a relatively secure part of Syria still controlled by the President Bashar Assad’s secular government, which tolerates alcohol. But stray mortars occasionally crash into the vineyards, including one that destroyed 15 chardonnay vines in June. Transportation presents other obstacles. As well-off businessmen, the Saades are at risk of being kidnapped by militants or brigands on the increasingly perilous roads crossing the Syrian-Lebanese border. The grapes are shuttled back and forth by taxi drivers, who are occasionally forced to turn back when security forces close the crossings. The Islamic State extremist group is far from the wineries, but it has captured a third of Syria and Iraq, including in lightning advances that took much of the region by surprise. Other powerful Islamic militant groups, including a local Al-Qaeda affiliate, are much closer. As a security precaution, the winery keeps most of its finished product in a Belgian warehouse. The enterprise is tiny, with Bargylus producing just 45,000 bottles a year. Like its Lebanese competitors, it tries to market premier boutique wines for around $35 a bottle. In a 2012 article discussing Bargylus wines, international expert Jancis Robinson was “particularly impressed by the 2007 Bargylus red, a well-judged blend of syrah with cabernet sauvignon and merlot with real savour and depth of flavour.” Lebanon’s own wineries have thus far been spared from the conflict in neighbouring Syria, but the war is never far off. In August, it spilled across the border when militants from Syria briefly overran the border town of Arsal, killing and abducting several police and soldiers. Two were later beheaded by the Islamic State group. The Lebanese wine industry is concentrated in the eastern Bekaa region, a sweeping plain framed by Syria’s mountains that has long been a stronghold of the militant Shiite Hezbollah movement. More recently, the religiously mixed region has come to host hundreds of thousands of Syrian refugees, fuelling tensions. Lebanon is fiercely divided over the war in Syria, and outbreaks of violence have seen Sunni and Shiite villagers in the Bekaa block roads and engage in tit-for-tat kidnappings. “The situation is abnormal,” said Zafer Chaoui, head of Lebanon’s official association of wine producers, and the director of Chateau Ksara, the country’s largest winery, one of 47 that produced some 8 million bottles last year. Most wineries emerged after Lebanon’s civil war ended in 1990, but here too wine-making is an ancient tradition. The nearby Roman complex at Baalbek features a temple to Bacchus, the god of wine and mirth. Lebanon’s sizable Christian community drinks, as do many liberal Muslims, but local sales have declined 10-20% this year as part of a larger economic downturn. In the vineyards of Chateau Kefraya, just a few miles from the Syrian border, women with scarves across their faces — protection against flies — snip dark bunches of syrah grapes. Most of the women are Syrian refugees who fled from the eastern city of Raqqa, the de facto capital of the Islamic State group’s self-styled caliphate. There the punishment for drinking is 100 lashes. “This keeps my children alive,” said 21-year-old Hiam, a mother of two, speaking of her $4 daily wage to pick 16 boxes of grapes. The war is never far behind. Sometimes explosions from across the border echo like approaching thunder, and armed men conduct nightly patrols of the nearby village, fearing Islamic State militants might cross the border. The supervisor at Chateau Kefraya, 53-year-old Nabhan Nabhan, takes it all in stride. “From the time I was born, it’s been like this,” he said, ticking off the long list of conflicts that have darkened this bucolic region during his lifetime. Others are more fearful. “Who can say we will not be next?” asks Fabrice Guiberteau, the French technical director and a long-time resident of Lebanon. “The situation is dramatic.”
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Large mosaic uncovered by archaeologists in ancient Greek tomb
ATHENS -- Archaeologists digging through a vast ancient tomb in Amphipolis in northern Greece have uncovered a floor mosaic that covers the whole ...
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'Brain drain' sets in on Greek universities as thousands study abroad
More and more Greeks are moving to Germany to complete their university studies in the hope of improving their chances in the job market. Radical cuts continue to threaten the quality of teaching in Greece.
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Is SYRIZA the New PASOK?
In October 1981, a major transformation occurred in Greek politics. It was the first time in Greece’s history that a socialist party won the elections and came to power. The victory of the Panhellenic Socialist Movement (PA.SO.K.) over the conservative New Democracy party was powered by the concept of “change.” PASOK leader Andreas Papandreou promised a new Greece and a new Greek society, his foremost promise being to cleanse Greece of decades of right-wing rule. In his pre-election rhetoric, Papandreou spoke openly of his socialist ideas and his intention to withdraw Greece from the NATO alliance and ultimately the European Union, just a year after Greece had become its 8th member. His slogan, “Greece belongs to the Greeks,” was music to the ears of all those who insisted that foreign powers were culpable for Greece’s problems. Of course all that pre-election talk was just that – pre-election talk. Andreas Papandreou never materialized his intentions. Greece remained in NATO. He had no qualms with reaping EU economic support. In fact, it was mainly the European funds that Papandreou handed out to Greeks that made him so immensely popular – so popular that, despite dying 18 years ago, his picture still holds a prominent place on all PASOK posters. This October, the general feeling is uncannily similar to those pre-election days of 1981: Once again, we have a leftist party ready to take the reigns from conservative New Democracy, itself allied with PASOK in a coalition government of once-sworn enemies. Recent polls show New Democracy appealing to barely 20% of all Greeks, PASOK sitting around 5% and SYRIZA climbing in the polls – 28% as of mid-October. Party chief Alexis Tsipras is raking in popularity, virtually a prime minister in waiting. The SYRIZA leader layers promises on a society that has suffered irrecoverably from the current government’s austerity measures. Yet, a close look at Tsipras‘ words and outlook today brings to mind those boundless promises once used by Andreas Papandreou – and later, by his son George Papandreou, whose short-lived rule began in October 2009 and ended less than two years later with the economic crash. First of all, in a speech at the Thessaloniki International Trade Fair, Tsipras promised that he will restore salaries, pensions and bonuses to their pre-memorandum levels. He swore to put an end to the memoranda. He demanded that the troika prepare to write off a major chunk of the debt. He discussed social benefits for the needy – free electricity, food handouts – and vowed to abolish the property tax (ENFIA). When questioned as to where he will find the funds for all these measure, his answer recalls that notorious George Papandreou phrase: “There is money.” At the same time, as Andreas Papandreou did in the past, Tsipras acts like he has one foot in the European Union and the other in some imaginary, rich sovereign Greek state equipped with a safety net to rectify all wrongs. As for the memoranda and debts owed to the European Central Bank, the SYRIZA leader insists that he will re-negotiate for “the benefit of the people, not for the benefit of the banks.” At the same time, one can’t help but notice that, beyond the Andreas Papandreou rhetoric, Tsipras‘ very tone of voice and intonation brings to mind that of the PASOK founder. Indeed, on multiple occasions, the SYRIZA chief has convincingly imitated the Andreas Papandreou voice. This has potential to act subconsciously on older voters who used to revere the Papandreou family. George Papandreou won the 2009 elections based on his father’s strategy. Present the opposition as the enemy of the people; act as the saviors of the people. Create easily-defined camps; position yourself on the righteous side. SYRIZA employs the same polarization strategy. They have demonized the coalition government by calling them “corrupted,” “traitors,” “subservient to the Germans,” “slaves to the bankers,” “fascists” and so on. The fierce attack SYRIZA voters have unleashed against the new party To Potami (River) shows that they don’t want any political power clouding the clear, convenient divide between the Left and the Right. In the past, this polarization strategy has worked very well for both those in power and those in the opposition. “Vote for me to stay in power because the enemy is at the door.” Or, “Vote for me and I will kick out the enemy in power.” Blanket divisions – the “rightists” on one side, the “leftists” on the other – work wonders for professional politicians. After all, Greek voters have shown repeatedly in the past that they have short-lived political memories. They have also shown an eagerness to use their vote to punish ruling governments. And, seeing as every government since the seven-year dictatorship has more or less failed, it is time for this coalition government to be punished as well. The SYRIZA motto – “enough is enough” – was exactly that which George Papandreou used in 2009 to secure electoral victory. Yet the similarities between PASOK and SYRIZA do not end there. The ranks of SYRIZA are full of previous PASOK ministers, MPs, and unionists. Sophia Sakorafa, Panayiotis Kouroublis, Dimitris Tsoukalas, Antonis Kotsakas, Alexis Mitropoulos, Theodora Tzakri are just the most prominent. Even the most emblematic figure of the Greek Left, Manolis Glezos, was once a PASOK MP. This means that Alexis Tsipras has plenty of valuable advise at his disposal. And previous PASOK members have plenty of potential to serve in a ruling cabinet. It is now certain that, in the next elections, Greek voters will punish a coalition government that has thus far failed. SYRIZA, the rising political power, will replace a once mighty PASOK that used to represent the middle-left. Tsipras has claimed that SYRIZA is “left of the left,” but the closer he gets to power, the more conciliatory he behaves. We can be confident that, once the election dust settles, SYRIZA will take PASOK’s place in the old bi-partisan political structure.
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Police Arrest Man for Transporting Undocumented Migrants in Northern Greece
On Sunday, a police immigration unit in northern Greece arrested an Albanian national for attempting to traffic migrants down the Egnatia highway. The 27-year-old man, suspected of being a member of a migrant trafficking ring, was driving a lorry in which police found 16 undocumented migrants. According to the investigation, the lorry belongs to a Bulgarian national. The migrants boarded it in Evros, a Greek prefecture bordering Turkey and Bulgaria. Each migrant appears to have paid 2,500 euros for the transport, which was planning to travel from Greece to other European countries. The man will appear before a prosecutor this week. Authorities are expected to start deportation procedures for the migrants shortly.
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Greece v Northern Ireland: O´Neill looks to build on strong start
Michael O'Neill is determined to ensure Northern Ireland continue their promising start to Euro 2016 qualifying against Greece in Athens. O'Neill's men go into their third Group F fixture on Tuesday off the back of two wins, having beaten Hungary and the ...
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Greece archaeologists uncover Amphipolis floor mosaic
Archaeologists unearthing a huge ancient burial site at Amphipolis in northern Greece have uncovered a large floor mosaic. The mosaic - 3m (10ft) wide and 4.5m (15ft) long - depicts a man with a laurel wreath driving a chariot drawn by horses and led by ...
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4th Spetses Mini-Marathon Concludes Successfully
The fourth annual Spetses Mini-Marathon concluded successfully today, Sunday, October 12, with the event’s overall participation exceeding organizers’ expectations. The scenic island of Spetses hosted the race for the fourth straight October. In a competition that places sportsmanship in the highest regard, amateur and professional athletes vied together in races of five and 25 kilometers. In the five kilometer race, the first male to cross the finishing line was Kostas Nakopoulos, the first female Roi Apostolopoulou. Konstantinos Poulios came in second and Kostas Drossos won third place. Greek medalist Athanasia Tsoumeleka participated in the 25 kilometer race, which saw Giorgos Valavanis finishing first, followed by Stelios Vassiliadis and Ioannis Vafiadis. The air was filled with excitement during the prize ceremony, in which the organizers and athletes announced a Spetses Mini-Marathon for 2015, the event’s fifth consecutive appearance on the island. The 4th Spetses Mini-Marathon was organized by Communication Lab under the auspices of the Greek National Tourism Organization and the Municipality of Spetses.
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Two Out of Three Greeks Commits Tax Evasion
Even in the current climate of economic reform overtaking Athens, tax evasion rates remain startlingly high in Greece, with an estimated one in four economic transactions going unrecorded. In fact, a recent reported conducted by Stephen Hall, an adviser to the Bank of Greece, finds that two out of three Greek employees are declaring figures less than their actual incomes – and, in some instances, aren’t declaring anything at all. This is not a new or peculiarly Greek phenomenon. In Europe generally, about 19% of all economic activity goes unrecorded. But based on research dating back to the 1990s, “tax morality” among Greeks is particularly low – the 22nd lowest among 26 European countries. Furthermore, Transparency International finds that the Greek public sector is more corrupt than that of any other European Union member state. Unsurprisingly, Greeks are reluctant to blindly fulfill their tax obligations. Greece has a remarkably high percentage of self-employed citizens – a key facilitator of tax evasion. The incentive for Greeks to remain self-employed is self-evident; the Greek government collects a staggering 43% of total labor costs, compared to a 26% average in other countries of the developed world. The shadow economy helps Greeks profit individually, but it also severely limits the state’s ability to properly collect taxes and provide public services. Before Greece joined the Eurozone, the country was capable of reducing the level of debt through higher inflation. This option is no longer available; the country has submitted to the monetary policy set by the European Central Bank (ECB). Furthermore, the shadow economy also hinders business development. The productivity of “gray” companies is strangled because they do not have easy access to loans. Non-productive companies, meanwhile, pay low wages. The Economist recently featured an extensive article on tax evasion in Greece. “The best cure, though, would be a sustained economic expansion. According to the European Commission, Greece will grow by 0.6% this year and 2.9% next. Unemployment in the second quarter of 2014 was 3.6% lower than a year before. As unemployment falls and wages rise, the urge to go underground will wane. At any rate, that is what happened from 1993 to 2003, when growth averaged 2.5% a year and the shadow economy shrank by a third,” concludes the piece.
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Greek Food Festival thrives on food, dancing and fun
Tim Kreta still remembers the warm greeting he received from the Greek community in Lewisburg after traveling hundreds of miles from Alaska to ...
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Giant mosaic unearthed in mysterious Greek tomb
An imposing mosaic of a man driving a chariot has been uncovered in the largest antique tomb ever found in Greece, in Amphipolis in northern ...
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Lyndon LaRouche’s Greek Connection
LITITZ, PA – Driving home on a sunny, mid-October Saturday afternoon, I noticed a good deal of commotion going on in the quaint and usually tranquil town of Lititz in Central Pennsylvania. A sign, causing a number of motorists to beep their horns, roll down their windows and yell supporting praises, caught the corner of […] The post Lyndon LaRouche’s Greek Connection appeared first on The National Herald.
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Study Finds That Greece Has Secured 37.6 Billion Euros in Investments
Between June 2012 and June 2014, Greece attracted a total of 37.6 billion euros in investments, finds a new study published by the Centre of Planning and Economic Research (KEPE). The study, which remains ongoing, was recently discussed by KEPE’s president, Nikolaos Filippas, in an interview with the Greek daily Eleftheros Typos. Filippas noted that the 37.6 billion figure doesn’t even accurately reflect the amount that has been invested into Greek markets in the last two years. “We have many examples, like those of (former) Hellenikon (airport) and Oxia (island) properties, which have been postponed due to court proceedings,” he said. “Concerning privatizations, there were definitely significant delays while the interest was limited, mainly because of the increased risk and low credit rating of the country.” Regarding the growth rate of the economy, Filippas says that KEPE’s estimates are similar to those presented in the government’s draft budget for 2015 – 2.9 percent. For the first two quarters of 2015, KEPE anticipates growth rates of 1.85 percent and 2.07 percent, respectively. The GDP growth rate will have substantial psychological effects on markets and on Greek society generally; people will come to believe that their sacrifices were not in vain, says Filippas. The KEPE president also praised Greece’s successful return to international markets in 2014 and its “twin” surpluses – the country’s first since 1948.
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Stunning Mosaic Floor Uncovered in Greece's Mystery Tomb
A large section of a stunning mosaic floor showing a chariot in motion has been unearthed in the burial mound complex at Amphipolis in northern ...
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1951: Dior Photoshoot on the Acropolis
Sixty-three years ago, in 1951, the famous French haute couture designer Christian Dior chose the Acropolis of Greece to photo-shoot his latest fashion collection. Dior’s models posed in front of the Caryatids, mirroring their grace and taking a cue from their impressive outerwear. The photographer responsible for the photo-shoot – one of Dior’s most iconic – was Jean-Pierre Pedrazzini of the renowned French magazine PARIS MATCH. Pedrazzini, a famous French-Swiss photographer, was born in 1928 in Paris and died in 1956 at the clinic of Neuilly-sur-Seine from injuries he suffered in Budapest, Hungary, during an uprising against the Soviets. His photos from the Hungary Uprising would earn him world fame. At the time of the Acropolis photo-shoot, Dior was 46 years old. He had just established his own fashion line in Paris and had help revive haute couture in the City of Light, which had suffered significant losses after World War II. The famous designer died in 1957 from a heart attack.
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Stunning Mosaic Floor Revealed in Amphipolis Tomb
Archaeologists have publicized photos of a stunning mosaic floor recently excavated within the ancient tomb of Amphipolis in northern Greece. According to the Greek Ministry of Culture, the beautiful mosaic was discovered in the second chamber of the tomb, the site of the Caryatids‘ discovery. The colorful floor was laid with white, black, grey, blue, red and yellow pebbles and depicts a chariot in motion. Hermes, the messenger of the gods, is pictured in front of the chariot. “The central theme is a chariot in motion, pulled by two white horses and driven by a bearded man, crowned with a laurel wreath,” the Ministry said in a statement. The mosaic showcases the artist’s ability to portray the figures, horses and colors in exquisite detail. The stunning artwork, which has yet to be fully uncovered, spans the entire floor of the second chamber. It currently measures 4.5 meters in width and 3 meters in length. The central scene is surrounded by a decorative frame, 0.60 meters in width, featuring a double meander, squares and a wave-curl design. According to archaeologists, a section of the mosaic floor has been destroyed. The Amphipolis team was able to recover the disturbed pebbles during the excavation process, however, and plans on being able to eventually piece the mosaic back together.
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Greece 'in Talks' with Bulgaria over F-16 Fighters
Specialized Bulgarian pan.bg cites Kathimerini website's Greek-language version [GR], according to which the deal with Greece will soon be carried ...
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Euro 2016 Odds and Predictions: Greece vs Northern Ireland
On Tuesday night Greece and Northern Ireland will play each other in their next Euro 2016 qualifying match at the Stadio Georgios Karaiskaki.
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ISIS Driving Mideast Refugees To Greece
The so-far unstoppable advance of ISIS n Syria and Iraq is sending soaring numbers of refugees and illegal immigrants heading to Greece. The post ISIS Driving Mideast Refugees To Greece appeared first on The National Herald.
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Kostas Mitroglou was a flop at Fulham but Northern Ireland should be wary of Greek striker, says ...
Carroll also has plenty of insight into the mentality of the Greek fans and believes Northern Ireland could take advantage of their fickle nature with a ...
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| READ THE ORIGINAL POST AT www.dailymail.co.uk |
Step show highlights Greek tradition
"A step show is basically a Greek celebration," said Clifford Charles, of Marshall's National Pan-Hellenic Council. "Stepping is a form of dance, a form ...
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| READ THE ORIGINAL POST AT www.herald-dispatch.com |
Large mosaic in ancient tomb uncovered in Greece
ATHENS, Greece (AP) — Archaeologists digging through a vast ancient tomb in Amphipolis in northern Greece have uncovered a floor mosaic that covers the whole area of a room seen as the antechamber to the main burial ground. The mosaic, 3 meters (10 feet ...
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| READ THE ORIGINAL POST AT www.dailymail.co.uk |
Large mosaic in ancient tomb uncovered in Greece
ATHENS, Greece (AP) — Archaeologists digging through a vast ancient tomb in Amphipolis in northern Greece have uncovered a floor mosaic that covers the whole area of a room seen as the antechamber to the main burial ground.
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| READ THE ORIGINAL POST AT news.yahoo.com |
University of Athens Organizing Double Degree Programs
The University of Athens is preparing a double degree track which will allow students to study two separate subjects and acquire two different degrees in 4-6 years. The initiative of UoA’s Rector, Theodoros Fortsakis, awaits final approval for the program in the Senate. The concept of double degree programs is very common abroad. Students are able to earn degrees in two different disciplines in as few as four years, depending on the field of study. The programs may also include the cooperation of different universities within the same or across different countries. Therefore, students can finish their studies in multiple subjects in less time – combining studies in law, public health, health administration, medicine, biology, economics, and nursing, for instance. According to Fortsakis, this initiative will allow students to choose from various different courses of study. He is confident that his proposal will win the assurance of the governing bodies of the University of Athens. The program could mobilize and strengthen Greek universities’ relationships with institutes of higher education throughout the world. Hundreds of universities – from Europe to the United States to China to Australia – cooperate in dual degree exchange programs.
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| READ THE ORIGINAL POST AT greece.greekreporter.com |
3D Representation of Thessaloniki’s Byzantine Fortifications
An impressive 3D representation of the coastal wall that once protected Thessaloniki – based on Byzantine descriptions and illustrations of the fortification before it was demolished by invading Turks – has been recently uploaded to YouTube. According to Ioannis Artopoulos, the man who uploaded the clip, the Turks’ primary reason for destroying the wall was the beautification of the northern Greek city and the need to “cleanse” the lower part of the harbor. Indeed, the demolition subsequently yielded economic benefits to the Ottoman invaders, since it cleared the way for new real estate and greater trading capacities. The outer Byzantine fortifications used to extend across the entire city; the coastal wall, however, began at Top Hane and ended at the White Tower.
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| READ THE ORIGINAL POST AT greece.greekreporter.com |
China's economic rise challenges the IMF's relevance
Washington (AFP) - The International Monetary Fund was launched in 1944 with the world's new superpower, the United States, in position as the key force and shareholder in the global crisis bank.Today, China is on the verge of becoming the world's largest economy. But its voice at the IMF -- wrapping up its annual meeting this weekend in Washington -- remains that of a minor country, and some worry this could undermine the crucial, 70-year-old institution.The IMF estimates that by the end of this year, China's economy will surpass the US in size: $17.63 trillion versus $17.42 trillion, based on the purchasing power parity standard.On a more traditional basis, linked to current prices, the clearly much more affluent United States still leads by a wide margin.But there is no debate about China's rise to power in the industrial world. And its growth rate, at 7.4 percent this year, still far outpaces that of the rest of the advanced economies.The IMF has had difficulty conforming to this new global power balance. The US holds 16.7 percent of the voting power in the Fund, which gives it an effective veto over any major changes in its structure and activities.China meanwhile has a 3.8 percent voting share, not far from Italy's, which has an economy one-fifth the size. And the US Congress's repeated refusal to ratify a four-year-old set of reforms that would boost China, India and other emerging powers at the institution is beginning to cut into the Fund's stature."The risk for the IMF is that it will become less and less relevant and increasingly illegitimate," said Paulo Nogueira Batista, the IMF representative of Brazil and 10 other countries, speaking on his own behalf. - Overdue IMF reform - The 2010 reforms would change quotas, effectively their voting power, for shareholders and also sharply increase the IMF's overall financial resources, crucial for conducting huge operations like the rescue of Greece and Ireland and, most recently, support for Ukraine.The reforms have been endorsed by all other major economies. But to be implemented, they need US backing.The administration of President Barack Obama has endorsed them from the beginning, but repeatedly has been unable to persuade Congress to ratify the pact.The problem has gone on for so long that some are talking of seeking an alternative to the current governance.Clearly frustrated, IMF Managing Director Christine Lagarde said Thursday that she would perform a belly dance in front of the US Congress if they were to ratify the reforms."It was due in 2012. It is overdue in 2014," she said.Agustin Carstens, Mexico's central bank governor and a former IMF deputy managing director, highlighted the importance of the Fund maintaining legitimacy."It's important because the IMF provides policy advice. And for it to be followed, it needs to come from a legitimate institution," Carstens said.Another former IMF official, Peter Doyle, told AFP: "The rise of China and India have rendered the IMF voting rights allocation not just unfair and illegitimate, but ridiculous."Lagarde stressed that, even with the skewed voting rights, China, India and other emerging powers are generously represented in the top management circle of the Fund.That includes Chinese economist Min Zhu as a deputy managing director.Some say even the 2010 reforms won't rectify the situation. For one, China's voting share will only rise to 6.1 percent."Even the delayed 2010 quota reform represents only a modest step towards changing the governance structure of the IMF to reflect shifting economic realities," Eswar Prasad, a former IMF official, told AFP.According to Nogueira Batista, there is still stiff resistance to change inside the institution, including from Europeans."The US has been incapable of delivering, and the Europeans have been hiding behind this lack of delivery on the part of the US to postpone the other elements of the process," he said. Join the conversation about this story »
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How Amal Alamuddin Clooney became involved in the Parthenon Marbles case
But this excitement is hardly associated with the reason why the lawyers are coming to Greece, which is to explore the legal route for the return of the ...
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| READ THE ORIGINAL POST AT www.ekathimerini.com |
Less haste, more focus
I recently spoke with an experienced politician who has a very clear picture of political developments in Greece. He raised a very interesting question: ...
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| READ THE ORIGINAL POST AT www.ekathimerini.com |
Privatization Bids For Greek Airports
Greece’s privatization fund (TAIPED) announced it received three binding offers from three consortia to manage 14 regional airports. The post Privatization Bids For Greek Airports appeared first on The National Herald.
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Athens: Best of classical and modern worlds
Greek city Athens's charm lies in the fact that it is a living museum. Kalpana Sunder writes about the city, which offers the best of classical and modern ...
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First Coast Happenings Calendar
St. Augustine Greek Festival, 11 a.m.-5 p.m., Francis Field, 29 W. Castillo Drive, St. Augustine. Festival celebrates the Greek heritage that began when ...
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Lemon Rice Pudding with Figs
Ahhh, a few Greek combinations . . . lemon (that’s in everything), rice (that’s next to everything), and figs (that come after just about everything)! What’s not to love? Serves 4 Ingredients: 1 cup uncooked long-grain rice 1 tablespoon powdered sugar 7 cups whole milk 3/4 cup evaporated sugar cane 1 tablespoon lemon zest 1/2 teaspoon salt 1 vanilla bean, split 1 pt. […] The post Lemon Rice Pudding with Figs appeared first on The National Herald.
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Samaras To Meet Marbles Lawyers
Greek Prime Minister Antonis Samaras is set to meet lawyers - including George Clooney's wife - fighting for return of the Parthenon Marbles. The post Samaras To Meet Marbles Lawyers appeared first on The National Herald.
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No Confidence in Greek Confidence Vote For Coalition
Greek Prime Minister Antonis Samaras got the vote of confidence he wanted - but only from those who already supported him, a pyrrhic victory. The post No Confidence in Greek Confidence Vote For Coalition appeared first on The National Herald.
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