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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

Wednesday, January 21, 2015

University Of Michigan Frats Allegedly Trashed 2 Ski Resorts

Three University of Michigan fraternities allegedly did tens of thousands of dollars worth of damage to two nearby ski resorts, according to local news reports. The UMich chapter of Sigma Alpha Mu was allegedly responsible for a reported $50,000 worth of damage at Treetops Resorts, and two other, unnamed, fraternities caused thousands of dollars in damage to Boyne Highlands Resort, according to Northern Michigan news station 9 & 10 News.  "We had a group of a fraternity that was visiting and had an excessive party and did damage on the resort. Food, beer, alcohol, the walls, carpet damage, ceiling broken down and furniture damage," the Treetops general manager told 9 & 10 News. He also said that the students had to be led out of the hotel by police. Michigan news website MLive reports similar damage to 12 different condominium units at Boyne Highlands. A hotel spokesperson told MLive that the weekend's damage was the worst the resort had seen in 50 years. Check out some pictures of the reported destruction below: Before the cleanup at @TreetopsMich. Cleaners say looked like an earthquake after @umich frat left. #um #uofm #frat pic.twitter.com/amydmOFKNd — Alyssa Gambla (@AlyssaGambla) January 21, 2015 Destruction following alleged @umich #fraternity Sigma Alpha Mu party at Treetop ski resort. $50K+ in damages #local4 pic.twitter.com/ZesHn7uJVv — Priya Mann (@Local4Priya) January 21, 2015 Well here's the damage pic.twitter.com/iMqyw0nQ12 — Seth Koronka (@Koronka1) January 18, 2015 Both ski resorts are in contact with UMich, which is also investigating the damages. The university sent the following statement to 9 & 10 News: We are very disappointed in the behavior of some of our students during a weekend visit to two northern Michigan ski resorts. I want to assure you that the organizations and the individuals involved will be held accountable for their actions. While we are still gathering information, we understand that the damage at Treetops Resort and Boyne Highlands is expected to total in the thousands of dollars. U-M staff members in the Office of Greek Life have begun meeting with the presidents of the fraternities and sororities involved. We expect full payment for all damages. The local Greek chapters are in the process of notifying their national organizations, which could bring their own sanctions. We are confident the national organizations will take this seriously and will work through this situation in collaboration with the university. Additionally, these incidents will be addressed through the Greek Life student judiciary process on our campus. We have reached out to the University of Michigan and Sigma Alpha Mu for comment, and will update with any additional statements.SEE ALSO: UVA Student: Frats' Response To Rolling Stone Article Made Me Want To Rush Join the conversation about this story »


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Let Greece profit from German history

Greece accounts for a mere 2% of the eurozone economy and the EU population. This doesn't mean that Greece should be pushed around, still less ...


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The decline of catch-all parties

The Greek party landscape is more fragmented than it ever has been since the reinstatement of democracy in 1974. That's why the formation of a new government will be more difficult.


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EU Nervous Before Greek Election, but Prepared for Any Scenario

… cautiously observing the situation in Greece. The European Commission is prepared … exit of Greece is unlikely. The EIU's Greece forecast: * Syriza … what will happen in the Greek elections on Sunday. We are …


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ECB approves emergency funding line for Greek banks

The European Central Bank has approved an emergency funding line for Greek banks to be provided via the country's central bank, a banking source told Reuters on Wednesday. Last week, a tightening of liquidity ahead of elections on Jan. 25 prompted the Bank of Greece to ask the ECB to approve an emergency liquidity assistance (ELA) line for the country's top banks. The Bank of Greece put in the ...


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ELA approved for Greece’s four systemic banks

A request by Greece’s four biggest banks to use the ECB’s Emergency Liquidity Assistance (ELA) has been approved for two weeks, reports state. Any extension of the mechanism can be repeated in 15 days, during the next session of the ECB’s board of directors. The decision comes in the wake of a record outflow of […]


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Cohn-Bendit: If I were Greek I'd vote for POTAMI

"Red Dany" voices support for POTAMI in Greek election


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Can the eurozone afford a Greek exit?

Eurozone officials have spent the last four years building a financial buffer big enough to cope with a Greek exit. Ever since 2010 when Athens found ...


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As Elections Loom Greece Wants To Be EU’s Energy Catalyst

- As Greece prepares for crucial vote on January 25 which could put radical leftwing Syriza into power, the Mediterranean country is pursuing a number of energy projects that could boost the energy ...


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Greeks Abroad Await Election Results with Bated Breath

Greeks who have left their homeland because of the economic crisis and Greeks of the diaspora await Sunday’s election results with bated breath, according to a Guardian report. For some, the January 25 ballot is so important, they make plans to return to Greece to vote. Others want to but cannot afford it, while Greek diaspora members say that only those who live in the homeland should vote. Ikaros Matsoukas, a 34-year-old management consultant in Britain, is one of the 200,000 young, talented Greeks who left their crisis-stricken homeland. He feels so strongly about Sunday’s elections that he belongs to the first category. With SYRIZA leading opinion polls, he is excited to fly home and cast his ballot. “I believe it is the most important [election] in recent times in Greece,” Matsoukas said. “The coalition parties, with the same politicians, have been ruling the country for the last 40 years and have led Greece to this dire situation so I believe it is time for someone new… The current policies are leading Greece straight into an iceberg.” Stefanos Livos, a 30-year-old distance learning coordinator in Britain, will also fly home to Zakynthos for the elections but has not decided who to vote for yet. “I was leaning towards SYRIZA,” he said. “But I don’t feel happy with my vote. But at the same time, I don’t think there is anything out there to vote for that will make me feel happy and satisfied. It’s difficult because the parties’ differences are not that big and even SYRIZA is becoming more moderate. This is why people feel uncomfortable voting for SYRIZA, because they can see what’s going to happen,” he told The Guardian. Further away, in New York City, Eleni Xar and her husband Titos are working in a food market. They would vote for SYRIZA but they cannot afford to fly to Greece. “All the people my age are leaving Greece,” Xar said. As a student, she had worked for the New Democracy party but she became very disappointed. “The basic salary for a person my age is 400 euros. You can’t live on that. And the politicians make a big amount of money.” All her friends back in Greece, she said, have had to move in with their parents and most of them are unemployed. In Australia, Greeks of the diaspora watch the recent political developments with great concern. Greek-speaking media fervently analyze election campaigns. “I’ll never forget Athens in 2012,” said George Vardas, secretary of the Australian Hellenic Council. “I couldn’t believe how depressed the place was.” He believes Sunday’s election will be pivotal, with SYRIZA ready to form the first left-wing government in Greece. “I think SYRIZA would be more conservative in governance than they are in opposition, because once they have the power of government, they’ll realize it comes with great responsibilities,” he told The Guardian. Nicholas Pappas, honorary secretary of Australia’s Greek Orthodox Archdiocesan Council, is on the same wavelength. “I’m not as fatalistic as others, who are seeing it as the end of the world as we know it if SYRIZA is elected,” he said. “Everyone agrees that Greece needed some measure of austerity. But I think it’s been applied unfairly and somewhat crudely to a nation that isn’t accustomed to an efficient taxation system,” Pappas added. Dual citizen Chrissie Verevis is not allowed to vote but she doesn’t object to that. “I think only those who are going to fully live the result should be allowed to vote,” she said. “But if I was in Greece, I would feel that [current Prime Minister Antonis] Samaras has had his chance. People say [SYRIZA leader Alexis] Tsipras doesn’t have much of a plan. I don’t believe that. But we know what Samaras’ plan is, and we’ve seen the result: little short of a humanitarian crisis.”


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Greece holds its breath as Syriza tops election polls

Greek voters go to the polls again this Friday after the collapse of the current coalition government with opinions polls pointing to a victory for ...


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SYRIZA Candidate Varoufakis’ Comments Cause Greek PM Samaras’ Reaction

In an article entitled “Greece can force Europe to change,” the online edition of French financial newspaper La Tribune hosted an interview with economist and SYRIZA parliamentary candidate in Athens’ second electoral constituency, Giannis Varoufakis, who underlined that the proposals his party is ready to make will force Greman Finance Minister Wolfgang Schaeuble to accept them. Asked to describe those proposals, Varoufakis said that SYRIZA will ask for a 10 to 15 days deadline to complete the project, which its economic staff saying it is detailed and thorough. Furthermore, he explained that the plan will be based on four basic pillars, the first of which will be addressing the Greek debt. “We want to make proposals to Wolfgang Schaeuble, he won’t be able to refuse,” while the “idea is that Europe should be our partner in development and not bet on our misery.” In addition, the Greek economist, who has been approached by SYRIZA leader Alexis Tsipras in 2010 in order to participate in the main opposition party, strongly criticized the project of European Commission President Jean-Claude Juncker but also the one of European Central Bank (ECB) President Mario Draghi. “I cannot cease to be amazed by the stupidity of the Juncker project. It is like giving an aspirin to a dead man. Similarly, Mario Draghi’s quantitative easing is not a very good idea. Undoubtedly, it will feed bubbles to financial markets. And if Mario Draghi wants to buy government debt, it will be more useful to do so in the secondary market of the European Investment Bank shares. It would be much more useful from the repurchase of the German debt,” Varoufakis said. Although, the phrase that caused the fierce reaction of Greek Prime Minister, Antonis Samaras, who issued a response through his press office, was the one referring to the possibility of a German refusal on SYRIZA’s proposals: “Whatever it does or says, Germany always pays at the end,” the SYRIZA candidate said.


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42 Greek ‘Norman Atlantic’ Rescuers Receive Medal

The men who responded to the distress signal sent by passenger ferry “Norman Atlantic” on December 28 when it caught fire, received a medal for their service and bravery by the Greek Minister of Mercantile Marine, Miltiadis Varvitsiotis, and the Greek Minister of National Defense, Nikos Dendias. In a ceremony held at the Defense Ministry, 42 Greek men, members of the Greek Navy and Air Force, as well as the Greek Coast Guard who aided in the rescue mission, received official medals for their service. “Our thoughts are with the victims and missing persons’ families, who are the reason we keep working so that we can bring them news about their loved ones. The search mission is still ongoing, led by the Italian authorities and the assistance of Greek vessels, both aircraft and boats, because we think that the families deserve a clear answer,” said Varvitsiotis. “Our Armed Forces and Coast Guard have once again shown their high level of operational readiness, professionalism, skills and sense of duty,” noted Dendias, adding that he hoped that with the help of Italian authorities, they would soon be able to determine what went wrong. The Italian-flagged passenger ferry, which belongs to Greek ferry line ANEK, sailing from Patras, western Greece, to Ancona, Italy, sent a distress signal on December 28. At least 11 people were killed, while more than 400 passengers and crew members were rescued in a huge operation, amid bad weather conditions with low temperatures, rough seas and strong winds.


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Greece takes Crescent Beach owners to court over debris

The town of Greece is looking to fine developers $2,500 a day if they don't clean up piles of debris at the former Crescent Beach Restaurant on ...


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As Greece Elections Near, the Left Syriza Party Is Poised to Take Power

Greece has suffered significantly from the recession, with extremely high unemployment rates of 25%, and severe pressure from the European Union ...


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Cypriot Parliament President: We Need to Begin a Campaign to Annul Turkish Plans

The President of the Cypriot House of Representatives, Yiannakis Omirou, has denounced statements of Turkish President Recep Tayip Erdogan earlier today on the Cyprus problem and the hydrocarbons reserves in the island’s Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ). At the same time, Omirou called all political forces in Cyprus to proceed with a more intense campaign on a European and international level. “Mr. Erdogan’s comments confirm Turkey’s policy and strategy to seize the Cypriot natural resources and abolish the Republic of Cyprus,” the President of the House of Representatives underlined in a written statement issued today. According to Omirou, Turkish and Turkish-Cypriot officials’ statements of the past few days prove that they have put a “plan B” in effect, which has been priory approved by Turkey’s National Council, aiming to upgrade the status of the illegal entity in Cyprus’ northern Turkish-occupied areas and at the same time downgrade the Republic of Cyprus to a so-called “Greek-Cypriot administration.” Furthermore, the Cypriot statesman expressed his worry on the latest developments, while addressing the island’s political forces, he said that “we all need to be aware and begin a campaign on a European and international level in order to annul the Turkish plans.” Cyprus, which is a part of the European Union since 2004, has been violently divided since 1974, after a brutal Turkish invasion and the following occupation of its northern lands or 37% of its territory. On its part, Turkey has repeatedly denied to recognize the Republic of Cyprus, despite numerous calls by international institutions and the European Union, which Ankara aims to join. At the same time, all United Nations-backed negotiations in order to reunite the island under a federal government have failed. In October 2014, the President of the Republic of Cyprus, Nicos Anastasiades, suspended his participation in the peace talks following a NAVTEX (Navigational Telex) issued by Turkey for the conduction of hydrocarbons research in Cyprus’ EEZ by seismic vessel”Barbaros,” escorted by a number of Turkish Navy ships.


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Greek Peach Farmers Request Meeting With PM Samaras

Greek peach farmers, who during the summer of 2014 suffered significant loses due to the Russian embargo imposed on European Union products, demanded a meeting with Prime Minister Antonis Samaras, while they have already warned that if the 33-million-euro EU subsidies are not given to them within a certain period, they will escalate their actions. Earlier today, the peach farmers have closed off the Kouloura junction in Egnatia Odos highway in northern Greece, displaying their disappointment over the unreceived EU subsidies. Farmers from Pella, Imathia, Florina and Larissa demonstrated and then departed at noon, underlining, though, that their actions have not yet been complete. According to Veria Farming Association President Tasos Halkidis, the farmers demand to receive the EU subsidies by Friday, January 23, two days ahead of the critical Greek general elections. In any different case, as Halkidis warned, they will escalate their actions, even within election centers on Sunday. Last year, the Greek peach producers were majorly affected by the adverse weather conditions, which saw hale and heavy rainfall destroying many of their trees, but also from the Russian embargo on Greek peaches, as part of the EU products’ embargo. Thousands of tons of peaches were wasted in storage at the time, while some of the farmers did not even collect the fruits from their fields, as they knew they would have to keep them in storage due to the Russian embargo. As they reported, almost six months later and a few months ahead of the new cultivation season, not a single euro has been given to them from the EU subsidies.


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La Repubblica: The Troika Saved the Banks, Not the Greek People

To the Greek banking system ended up more than 90% of the bailout loans given to Greece, while less than 10% ended in those really in need; the people of Greece, Italian newspaper La Repubblica argued in a direct attack against the Troika policies. Based on the findings of UK-based Jubilee Debt Campaign NGO, the Italian newspaper, with an article published in its online edition, accused the European Union, European Central Bank (ECB) and International Monetary Fund (IMF) Troika of saving the Greek banks, rather than the Greek people. As the author, Ettore Livini, highlighted, the Greek bailout program aimed to save the country’s financial sector, by transferring the debt from the private to the public sector. According to Jubilee Debt Campaign, which is cited by the newspaper, out of a total of 240 billion euros loaned to Greece, less than 24 billion ended to Greek people’s hands, as the majority of them were spent in support of the banking sector and later in the repayment of interest rates. In addition, Livini argued that the British NGO’s report supports Greek main opposition SYRIZA for the upcoming Greek general elections, as the leftist party has proclaimed a debt write-off as its primary target in an attempt to boost the country’s troubled economy. At the same time, the British NGO claimed that a Debt Conference is seen as necessary, although if it fails, Athens will find itself facing the danger of a default. Finally, the article made reference to Greece’s own mistakes that lead the country to its current critical situation, while it underlined that without Troika’s funding it would have already defaulted, long ago. Closing, Former Italian Prime Minister and Foreign Affairs Minister Massimo D’ Alema underlined that the Greek people will react against the unjust policies they have been subjected to.


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21 Million Tourists Visited Greece in 2014

Some 21.4 million tourists visited Greece between January and November 2014. According to provisional data released by the Bank of Greece (BoG), during the eleven-month period, the number of incoming tourists rose by 22.7%, reaching a total of 21.497 million passengers, a significant increase compared to the 17.517 million passengers that traveled in the country during the same period in 2013. As a result, the country’s tourism revenue increased by 10.8% compared to the same period in 2013, reaching a total of 13.262 billion euros. A 15% revenue increase was also recorded in tourists originating from EU countries, which stood at 8.164 billion euros, and secondarily by revenue coming from residents of other countries outside the EU, which amounted to 4.694 billion euros between January and November 2014, resulting in a 5.8% increase compared to the same period in 2013. The total revenue stemming from Eurozone residents amounted to 5.364 billion euros (11.9% increase), while revenue from residents of EU countries that are not part of the Eurozone showed a 21.7% increase compared to 2013. Specifically, in 2014 German tourists spent 4.7% more money during their stay in Greece, while French tourists spent 25.1% more, which amounted to 1.125 billion euros. In contrast, Russian tourists spent less this year. The total travel revenue stemming from Russians dropped by 13.2%, reaching 1.158 billion euros, while revenue from U.S. tourists increased by 15.5%, reaching 644 million euros.


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My Big Fat Greek Crisis: an expat explains the critical Greek elections

Greece is now described as the most troubled economy in the developed world. And just trying to get to grips with what’s going on there is pretty troubling. So we sat down with Giorgos Samaras, a 24-year-old from Thessaloniki currently living in London ...


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Smaller Party Could Emerge as Kingmaker in Greek Election

The outcome could have lasting repercussions for the eurozone. The antiausterity Syriza party's front-runner status has revived fears of a Greek exit ...


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Scientists Recreate a Really Sad Greek Myth With Worms

This worm is in a Greek myth, and not the fun Greek myth where people get knocked up by rain. It's in a depressing, ironic Greek myth that instructs ...


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European shares gyrate as ECB keeps investors on tenterhooks

Trading volume in Greece remained 25 percent below the index's full-day average for the past three months. "We expect the market to remain nervous ...


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Landmark election in Greece 21.01.2015

Alexis Tsipras, leader of Greece's leftist opposition, has a good chance of winning Sunday's parliamentary elections. Voters are suffering in the ...


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EU Commissioner: Greece must sustain reforms

Greece is finally coming out of its long financial and economic crisis and needs to sustain the advances it has made and avoid further instability, the European Commission’s vice president for the euro said on Wednesday. On the sidelines of the ...


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CETA could become a casualty of Greek election

FREDERICTON, NB, Jan 21, 2015/ Troy Media/ – The Greek election scheduled for January 25 is likely to generate an economic tsunami in Europe and around the world. The wild card in this election is a new left-wing political party, SYRIZA, composed of a ...


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Syriza MEP Glezos says party is open to cooperation with Merkel

Manolis Glezos, a Greek resistance hero and at 92, the oldest MEP, said on Wednesday his party is open to cooperation with German Chancellor Angela Merkel, during a trip to Berlin to participate in ...


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Greek elections: the parties, their positions and policies

Profiles of the contenders and their leaders - Syriza, New Democracy, Golden Dawn and To Potami - in a momentous election, not only for Greece, but also for the eurozoneThe party whose name is a Greek acronym for Coalition of the Radical Left was relegated to the sidelines of politics before the explosion of the country’s debt crisis. An alliance of 11 factions – ranging form diehard Marxists, Maoists, Trotskyists, Socialists, Euro-communists and Greens - its popularity soared on the back of strident opposition to unpopular austerity measures demanded by the EU and IMF in exchange for emergency rescue funds to reinforce the insolvent Greek economy. Alexis Tsipras, its charismatic leader, wooed voters by pledging to “tear up” the bailout accords signed with creditors, reinstate laid off workers, raise the minimum wage, renationlise state assets and reduce the country’s debt – promises that, if acted on, would put Athens on a collision course with lenders and endanger its membership of the eurozone. After winning the European elections last May, he went further, warning he would light the fire of an “anti-austerity” blaze across the continent. In return Tsipras was described as an “unhelpful trouble maker” by the German chancellor, Angela Merkel. In 2013 Syriza’s dissonant groups united as a single force but ideological differences still exist. As the party has edged ever closer to power, it has softened its rhetoric, with Tsipras telling German taxpayers they have nothing to fear if Syriza comes to power. Militant leftists have not been impressed. Tsipras’s biggest challenge will be controlling far-left ideologues in his party. Continue reading...


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Excluding Greek bonds from ECB QE would be bad for Greek rating: agencies

LONDON (Reuters) - Excluding Greek bonds from any European Central Bank quantitative easing program would be bad news for the country's ...


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Agencies: QE exclusion bad for Greek rating

Excluding Greek bonds from any European Central Bank quantitative easing program would be bad news for the country's recently upgraded credit ...


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Greece: Prospect of Syriza victory raises workers’ hopes

On 19 January, six days before the Greek general elections, socialistworld.net spoke to Andros Payiatsos from Xekinima (CWI in Greece). Last time we spoke you told us of the campaign of fear by the establishment to try and prevent people voting for Syriza.


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‘For five years Greece has been like a patient slowly bleeding’

The sick man of Europe is dying and Sunday’s elections may be the tipping point. Helena Smith reportsGreek elections – the Guardian briefing“I will drive you to the wound of Greece. It won’t take long.” Tall, muscular and dark, Antonis is not a man given to hyperbole but he is, by his own admission, very angry. Now, staring into his rear-view mirror – only days before elections that could make or break Athens’ tumultuous ties with Europe – there is no hiding how incensed he is. “What has happened to this country is a catastrophe,” he fumes. “Our politicians, Europe, the IMF, they have stopped us having dreams.”The journey to the wound of Greece does not take long. For Antonis, a photographer with an eye for the unusual, it is not at the end of the pot-holed road we are driving down.It is the loss of hope. I see it every dayUnless they are stupid, or rich, no Greek has children anymoreThere are quite a few people now who can no longer afford to give their relatives a dignified funeralEveryone is exhausted. Forget about new taxes, we can’t pay them! Continue reading...


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Greek elections: Who's who?

Parties challenging for power for future of Greece


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Polls point to victory for Syriza as Greek election nears

ATHENS (Reuters) - Greece's Syriza party is set for a comfortable victory in Sunday's general election, according to opinion polls that show the radical leftists consolidating gains in the final days of campaigning.


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Greek elections: Main parties from Syriza to Golden Dawn explained

Greeks go to the polls in a snap general election on Sunday, with the radical left-wing party Syriza looking set to win the most votes. Syriza promises to end austerity measures, and roll back on cuts to jobs, pay and pensions. However, it is not expected ...


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Israel-Hezbollah War Unlikely ... for Now

"Flickr - Israel Defense Forces - Apache Helicopters Overlooking Greece" by Israel Defense Forces from Israel - Apache Helicopters Overlooking Greece. Licensed under CC BY-SA 2.0 via Wikimedia Commons. Sunday's Israeli helicopter strike on a three-car Hezbollah convoy in Quneitra, southern Syria, was surprising given the seniority of the victims. Six Hezbollah members were killed in the attack, including Jihad Mughniyeh, the son of the slain iconic Hezbollah commander Imad Mughniyeh, as well as field commander Mohammad Issa. An Iranian news site, cited by Reuters, also confirmed Monday that Iranian general Mohammad Allahdadi was also killed in the attack. Israeli strikes on Hezbollah convoys in Syria have become a regular feature of the country's protracted civil war, but rarely have they deliberately taken out high-profile targets. An Israeli source claimed that they were unaware of the presence of the Iranian general, which is highly unusual given the Israeli intelligence activity in the area adjacent to its occupied zone in the Golan Heights. The previous Iranian general to be reportedly killed in an Israeli strike in Syria was Hassan Shateri on January 30, 2013, but the intended target of that attack was a weapons convoy heading to Hezbollah. The Israeli attack is undoubtedly a backhand to Hezbollah Secretary-General Hassan Nasrallah, three days after he warned the Israelis against making a "stupid move" in Syria. Nasrallah's widely reported three-hour interview with Al-Mayadeen was an attempt to deter Israeli attacks through threats of entering the Galilee, and by - uncharacteristically for Nasrallah - revealing information about Hezbollah's advanced missile arsenal. The attacks demonstrated Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's disregard for Nasrallah's attempts to rewrite the terms of engagement. Nasrallah has over the decades built a reputation for being a man who acts upon what he says, which is why the Israeli strike is intended to embarrass Nasrallah and dent his image in the eyes of his supporters. Nasrallah's threats to enter the Galilee and strike Israel should it carry out a "stupid move" will appear hollow in the aftermath of this major attack, as it is highly unlikely Hezbollah will respond in a manner that could ignite an open war with Israel. The Israelis carried out the attack with full confidence that Hezbollah would refrain from responding immediately, as it perhaps would have prior to the Syrian civil war. It seems their calculations were right, as the initial Hezbollah response has been to promise retaliation at a later date, but not with the intent of drawing Israel into a war. The Israeli attack exposes Hezbollah's constraints and vulnerability as a result of the Syrian war, which has left it with little room to manoeuvre vis-à-vis its frontline with Israel. But it would be a mistake to characterise Hezbollah's restraint as a sign of weakness. Rather, it is testimony to the changing dynamics the current regional turmoil has brought, which might indeed empower Hezbollah should the Syrian government triumph and Iran's power in the region grow through a nuclear deal with the United States. Indeed, these two factors have expanded Hezbollah's regional responsibilities, which in turn have affected its relationship with Israel. Hezbollah has outgrown its previous narrow role of a grassroots guerrilla outfit resisting an occupier, or even acting as a deterrent against a full-scale Israeli assault on Lebanon, which many would argue was established after the 2006 war. Hezbollah is no longer confined to merely being an irritant to Israel, but to fighting - what it sees - a greater existential war to determine the future of the Middle East. Specifically, it has other priorities, and must act in tandem with its allies, taking into consideration the interests and needs of Damascus and Tehran. The year 2015 will be the year the Syrian government, along with its allies, attempts to completely secure Damascus by taking the rebel bastions of Jobar and Douma. The Syrian army and Hezbollah will also work, with much difficulty given the rugged terrain, to completely secure the Syrian-Lebanese border, right through to the Homs-Damascus international highway beyond the anti-Lebanon mountains. There is also Aleppo, which many expect the Syrian army to completely besiege in a repeat of the crippling regime siege of Homs that saw rebels surrender in a ceasefire deal in May 2014. To put it frankly, the Golan and Israel are not an immediate priority for Hezbollah and the Syrian government, so long as the rebels in the south - who are reported to be assisted by Israel - don't push further north into Damascus, or cause Hezbollah trouble in south Lebanon. Then there is Hezbollah's obligation to its main patron, Iran. While an Israeli helicopter was firing at the Hezbollah convoy in Quneitra, US and Iranian diplomats were tirelessly scurrying to advance the nuclear talks in Geneva. This is the major prize that Iran is eyeing, and will avoid all external attempts to derail the talks. It refrained from responding to Israel when it killed General Shateri in 2013, and will do so again. Iran, Hezbollah and the Syrian government are in no position to venture into a full-scale war with Israel, a fact that the top brass in Israel is clearly aware of and exploiting with its regular attacks in Syria, and its flirtation with Jabhat al-Nusra in Syria's south. But Netanyahu must also be aware that an open war with Hezbollah would result in significant damage to Israel, unseen in any of its previous encounters with the Lebanese movement, and perhaps unseen in any of its previous wars in the seven-decade Arab-Israeli conflict, if the suspicions of Hezbollah's advanced missile arsenal prove true. The fear for Israel is that such repeated attacks may only invite Hezbollah - backed by Iran and the Syrian government - to ignite the Golan front at a later stage, when it is in a suitable position to do so. Nasrallah has previously indicated that his forces are prepared to extend the line of confrontation with Israel to the Golan Heights, and it is unlikely that Sunday's attack will deter Hezbollah from pursuing this objective. Nevertheless, with Hezbollah and its patrons preoccupied with more pressing concerns, the confrontation with Israel will be limited to a tit-for-tat short of a full-scale war. Although the rules of engagement might blur occasionally, as seen with the latest Israeli strike that hit senior targets, the clear understanding of avoiding an open war remains on both sides ... for now.


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Greek voters' crave education and health rescue

Education and health care are core institutions in any society. Greece has always had problems in these vital areas, the debt crisis only made them ...


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Lafazanis: “SYRIZA will put an end to the privatization program”

The port of Piraeus will be restored to its full functionality. It will remain public so as to be fully utilized in the best interest of the Greek people


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The ECB’s next steps on the Greek banking system’s ELA

Mario Draghi and his board of directors are expected to announce their decision tomorrow


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A Look at Greece's Debt Debate Before Elections

Greece goes to the polls Sunday with voters given a tough choice over how to handle the country's debt after six years of recession badly weakened ...


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Ex-Greek allies locked in political battle

Former allies head rival parties in Sunday’s national elections


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Carroll County's connection to Greece [Eagle Archives]

... Haramplus from the Peloponnese peninsula, and the Amprazis, Letras, Lefteris and Pappas families from the mountains of north central Greece.


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Greek PM Promises Immediate Compensation to Farmers

The compensation to Greek farmers and peach growers for the Russian embargo damages will be signed on Wednesday, Prime Minister and New Democracy leader Antonis Samaras said during his visit to a modern cattle breeding unit in Sindos, Thessaloniki, Greece. However, Samaras warned about the danger of an accident if citizens choose to clash with the EU by casting their vote to SYRIZA. On the European funds he said: “People must be aware that this money is mostly EU money and for this reason there must be a close and intrinsic relation with the EU. If we choose to clash, then the accident that we do not want to happen, will happen. We deeply believe that the Greek farmer, who has shown trust to the growth that the country’s participation in the EU has offered, will support us in order to avoid such an accident. Because if something wrong happens with the Common Agricultural Policy (CAP) and the National Strategic Reference Framework (NSRF), growth will not come.” The Premier underlined that the settlement regarding the overdue debt, the municipalities’ authorization to manage CAP funds and the decentralization gave a “breather” to the local administration and work has been done. While in the town of Sindos, he also held talks with representatives of sugar beet farmers. In statements to the Athens-Macedonian News Agency, the head of the Serres sugar beet exporters union, Christos Varoutis, said that they had raised the issue of 18 million euros of outstanding payments owed to sugar beet farmers by the Hellenic Sugar Industry. “Mr. Samaras spoke on the phone with members of the government and technocrats on the spot, asking them to settle the debt issue within the day,” Varoutis said. Varoutis noted that he was tentatively optimistic, adding that sugar beet farmers will continue occupying the Hellenic Sugar Industry main offices, which they occupied in protest last Thursday, and that a delegation of farmers will be in Thessaloniki where the Prime Minister is scheduled to deliver a speech. Samaras will address his party’s main pre-election rally on Wednesday at 7:00 pm, at the Thessaloniki International Fair (TIF) congress center. (source: ana-mpa)


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SYRIZA MP Dragasakis: We Will Not Accept the February 28 Deadline

A SYRIZA government in Greece will demand time to serve democracy, therefore the party will decline the February 28 deadline, when the Greek support program expires, said earlier today SYRIZA MP and parliamentary candidate Giannis Dragasakis. During an interview with “Vima FM,” the main opposition MP underlined that SYRIZA will ask for time in order to prepare its own proposals concerning the new financial objectives frame, the reforms’ national plan and the Greek debt. When asked to particularize that time, Dragasakis replied that this is something to be put under discussion, while he wondered “Is it possible for a new government to make concrete proposals without having the public treasury elements in its hands?” Furthermore, Dragasakis underlined that the negotiation has already began, although the country is trapped as it is getting loans to repay old debts. “We should escape this trap,” he added. Regarding the policy followed up until today, he said that it has been destructive, explaining, though, that SYRIZA is open to hear a different opinion on the matter. “On Sunday, the Greek people will have the chance to evaluate the progress so far” he said. “But a question is raised whether the principles of democracy and popular sovereignty are still in action”, he noted when asked to comment on a possible refusal from the European partners to negotiate with Greece. “From Monday, we will have a different day, a government with its own program and not a copy of the program imposed by the Europeans,” Dragasakis highlighted, adding that SYRIZA does not stand alone, neither Greece. Finally, answering a question on whether SYRIZA will table the issue of the forced Nazi occupation loan, he pointed out that the new government will primarily deal with the European problems, while the rest will depend on the progress of negotiations.


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Arm helps lift FTSE but Europe hit by Greek and QE concerns

Investors were also increasingly concerned about the outcome of this weekend's Greek election as anti-austerity party Syriza moves further ahead in ...


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Alexis Tsipras of Syriza is far from Greek orthodox: The Communist 'Harry Potter' who loves Che ...

If Tsipras assumes power on Sunday, he'll be the first unmarried Greek prime minister - a big change for a socially conservative country. The couple ...


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Suscribe to the Bulletin

In addition, Greek peoples' eligibility to receive public health insurance is currently linked to their employment status. As the researchers of The Lancet ...


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Renewed Greek Exit Debate Unfortunate, Says Euro Commissioner

Valdis Dombrovskis at a news in Vilnius, Latvia, earlier this month. He said that opinion polls showed a majority of Greeks wanted to stay in the euro.


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Torrent Site Blockades Are Disproportional, Greek Court Rules

A Greek anti-piracy group has lost its bid to have various torrent sites blocked by local Internet providers. The Athens Court ruled that barring access to ...


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In pictures: Greek financial crisis

After four years of economic sacrifices, political turmoil and mass protests, Greece is set for parliamentary elections this Sunday which could see ...


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