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Friday, May 15, 2015

Greece's Tsipras insists "very close" to deal with lenders

ATHENS, Greece (AP) — Greek Prime Minister Alexis Tsipras late Friday said his country's left-wing government is "very close" to reaching a vital deal with bailout lenders, but insisted there was "no possibility" of giving in to key demands including further cuts to pensions and wages.


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Greek PM says won't back down from red lines in EU/IMF talks

ATHENS (Reuters) - Greek Prime Minister Alexis Tsipras on Friday vowed that his government would not back down from its red lines in negotiations with its foreign lenders but said a deal must be reached soon following months of talks. Athens is fast ...


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Olympiacos in Euroleague Final after Beating CSKA

In an unexpected turn just a few moments ago, Olympiacos stunned CSKA with a swift victory of 68-70 in the Euroleague final four. CSKA opened the score and dominated for the first 3 quarters, however, Olympiakos went on to completely own their Russian opponents in the last few minutes of the game. Playmaker Vassilis Spanoulis scored 11 of his 13 points in the last five minutes of a rip-roaring contest as Olympiakos continued to haunt its more fancied Russian rival. Around 1,500 hundred Greeks cheered the Greek giants in Madrid and many more are ready to buy tickets for the Euroleague Final on Sunday, hopefully to accompany Olympiacos to another European cup win. The quarters: 20-17, 36-35, 51-47, 68-70


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The ISIS Strategy to 'Seize Rome' Unfolds

Back in February of this year the terrorist organization ISIS announced that it intended to invade Rome. The International Business Times reported that: As the Islamic State group expands its reach into Libya, the group also known as ISIS sits on the doorstep of a nation that has one of the largest Muslim populations in Europe: Italy. The militant group threatened to seize Rome in a video released this week showing the beheadings of 21 Coptic Christians from Egypt in Libya. Although the number of foreign fighters from Italy operating in Iraq and Syria, where ISIS has established its so-called caliphate, is on the lower end among Western European nations, Islamic extremism in Italy may grow as ISIS makes an effort to recruit in the country. When I heard about that bold statement, I thought that was a bit too much. True, ISIS successes have exceeded the expectations of virtually everyone, but this pronouncement had a ring of hubris to it. How in the world could they successfully attack Rome? Events in Libya and southern Europe are beginning to show how such an event could happen. Libya is relatively close to Italy geographically, and since the terror group has occupied much of the North African country, people are leaving Libya in a mass exodus. This mass migration has created a new growth industry in Libya -- the illegal smuggling of people to southern European destinations to flee ISIS. How significant is this new business? NPR noted that "it's a booming business. A report released yesterday by the Global Initiative Against Transnational Organized Crime -- that's a network of law enforcement and development groups -- says the smuggling trade is worth up to $323 million a year in Libya alone." NPR recently reported that the EU is trying to develop a strategy to deal with this mass migration, noting that, The proposal calls for a mandatory quota system, under which migrants who are currently in the EU would be relocated to other member states based on what the population, GDP and jobless rate is in each of those states. Italy, which has borne the brunt of the recent influx, has more than 80,000 migrants registered in its reception centers, in addition to an unknown number of unregistered migrants. And Greece and Malta are the other two front-line states in this crisis. As indicated, Italy has taken the brunt of this migration and the majority of the 80,000 new immigrants in that country are a direct result of the spread of ISIS in north Africa. One of the many interesting story lines is the fact that ISIS itself is one of those forces moving people from Africa to Italy. According to NPR, "much of that money is being funneled into terrorist groups, including the self-proclaimed Islamic State." It is an interesting business model -- destroy and kill property and people in mass and for those who survive -- get paid by them to relocate to a safer place. It is actually pretty clever, in a sadistic sort of way. ISIS has been like a cancer wherever it goes. Whenever it invades an area, there is always an instant dispersion in the thousands. It is interesting that ISIS predicted a future invasion of Italy following the capture of Libya. It was as though they knew how immigrants would flee. Furthermore, with the terrorist organization playing a principal role in moving these refugees, it cannot help but beg the question, is this how ISIS is setting the stage for a future invasion of Rome? Think about it, in a chaotic migration of thousands each month, what prevents ISIS making sure that many of those are part of a future army poised for such an invasion? This is pure speculation at this point, but it is also the type of projecting that simply makes sense. Only time will tell. -- This feed and its contents are the property of The Huffington Post, and use is subject to our terms. It may be used for personal consumption, but may not be distributed on a website.


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Greece won't sign debt deal unless it helps the country out of the crisis, says finance minister Yanis Varoufakis

Greece’s controversial finance minister last night said he will reject any deal with its international lenders that does not bolster the chances of an economic recovery. Athens looks set to run out of money in the coming weeks – resulting in a possible ...


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Anarchists disrupt Golden Dawn trial

The trial of Greek neo-Nazi party Golden Dawn was interrupted Friday by a noisy incursion by anarchists, prompting an adjournment to June 4.


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Next Greek bailout will be all about protecting Italy from contagion

Another Greek bailout is essential, all the more so since fresh data released Wednesday showed that the country, after a flirting with growth last year, ...


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Guide to the 2015 Greek Festival in Wormleysburg

43rd annual Capital Region Greek Festival at theHoly Trinity Greek Orthodox Cathedral in Camp Hill. Sean Simmers, PennLive.com. May15 2015.


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Citizenship bill to attract migrants to Greece, says New Democracy

New Democracy on Friday slammed a new citizenship bill put up for public consultation as constituting an “open invitation” to undocumented migrants.


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Foreign Ministry enraged by ex-US Secretary of State's comments on FYROM

Officials at the Greek Foreign Ministry were enraged yesterday at reports in the Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia (FYROM) that ex-US Secretary of State Madeleine Albright had suggested Greece may have been involved in deadly incidents last weekend in the town of Kumanovo.


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EBRD investments in Greece to depend on talks with creditors

The terms of investments pledged to Greece by the European Bank of Reconstruction and Development will depend on the outcome of Athens’ talks with its creditors, the bank said on Friday.


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Greek Alternate Finance Minister Sues German Tabloid Bild For Liber

Greece’s Alternate Minister of Revenue Dimitris Mardas filed a lawsuit against German newspaper Bild on Friday in order to restore “the truth, his honor and his reputation concerning the defamatory article that was published on May 6,” he noted.


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Varoufakis rules out new austerity, says differences are 'political'

Greek Finance Minister Yanis Varoufakis said that there a rift with Europe should be avoided, stressing at the same time that the government will not accept austerity measures similar to the ones contained in the infamous proposals of the former ...


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Greece Changes Tune on Marbles

Greece's Culture Minister says he has not ruled out court action to try and force the return of the ancient Parthenon Sculptures from the British Museum. The post Greece Changes Tune on Marbles appeared first on The National Herald.


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Amal Clooney Loses In Greece's Battle For The Elgin Marbles

Neither legal reasons, nor celebrity support, has been enough to convince the battered Greek government to sue the U.K. over the controversial Elgin ...


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Tsipras Mandate Main Barrier to Greek Deal, Scicluna Says

Prime Minister Alexis Tsipras's mandate from the Greek people is the biggest stumbling block to a deal with the country's creditors to help avert a ...


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Another 'Greek Freak' on the rise

If there's one basketball family blessed with good genes, it has to be the Antetokounmpo family. There's the "Greek Freak," 20-year-old Giannis, who ...


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DBRS Cuts Greece’s Rating

Ratings service DBRS Inc. on Friday cut its rating on Greece, citing uncertainty over whether the country will be able reach an agreement with its creditors and stay current on its debt. DBRS cut its long-term foreign and local currency issuer ratings to ...


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Why one Cornell professor wants you to get over the 'BRICs'

Andrew Karolyi, a finance professor at Cornell University and an expert in investment management, wants to get over the idea of the BRICS. He says that isolating countries into rich/poor categories with cute acronyms is unhealthy – not only for those countries, but also for investors who might overlook great opportunities based on a name. In his first book, "Cracking the Emerging Markets Enigma," Karolyi developed a framework to measure the risks of investing in countries around the world. It's intended to help investment industry folk better understand what emerging markets are ("underfunded growth opportunities with problems," he says) and how they stack up next to one another. What he found is that the line between "good" and "bad" destinations for investment is beginning to blur. Karolyi ranked 33 countries traditionally considered "emerging markets" against 24 "developed" countries, based on these six indicators: Market capacity constraints Operational inefficiencies Foreign accessibility restrictions Corporate opacity Limits to legal protections Political instability The he built radar diagrams to show how different countries measured up. Some ranked a lot better on certain indicators than others. Here are a few examples: *Karolyi built the diagrams from data on investment flows, not returns, because of the infrequency of data on returns in many countries. You can see diagrams for the nearly 60 countries he measured here. The idea behind the diagrams was to give a more holistic view of countries' strengths and weaknesses, but he also took the average of each country's scores and laid them out next to one another. That's where things get really interesting. A handful of emerging markets actually ranked higher than some of the developed countries. Meanwhile, six "developed" countries, traditionally considered to be safe, are actually riskier destinations for investment than some of the best emerging markets. Check out the average scores: According to this data, Taiwan, South Korea, Slovenia, Malaysia, South Africa, and Israel were less risky places to invest in 2012 than Portugal. Some were even better than Austria and France. And look at Greece – fully 16 emerging markets ranked higher. So, investment managers, it may be time to rethink those old distinctions. You could be missing out if you don't.Join the conversation about this story » NOW WATCH: 6 shortcuts in Excel that will save you a ton of time


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The greatest European military leaders of all time

Over centuries of inter-state conflict on the continent Europe has seen a number of remarkable military leaders come and go. The common thread linking all those who reached the very top of that profession is a genius for tactics and an ability to adapt mid-way through a battle in order to secure victory. From the ancient Greeks to the modern day the tools of the game have changed dramatically but the aim remains the same for all great military commanders — to leave their mark on history. Those that have succeeded leave behind not only the tales of extraordinary feats of bravery and skill, but also the tactical know-how passed down and used by future generations. Of these, a few names stand out from the rest. These people helped shape the history of Europe in a way that few other individuals can claim.8. Alexander Farnese was born in 1545 to Duke Ottavio Farnese of Parma and Margaret, the illegitimate daughter of the King of Spain, and Habsburg Emperor Charles V. In 1579 Philip II of Spain sent Farnese to Flanders to regain control of the region from the Dutch. The siege of of the heavily-defended Antwerp began in 1585 and, due to Farnese's tactical brilliance in building a bridge to cut off the defenders from the Scheldt river, it soon fell. 7. Maarten Tromp was born on April 23, 1598 in Brielle, Holland and became the highest ranking naval commander during the during the 17th century Dutch wars with Spain and England. See the rest of the story at Business Insider


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Greece pays public sector wages to avert fresh economic crisis

Mid-May payment of €500m-worth of wages and pensions comes as country’s credit rating plunges further into junk statusGreece avoided another financial crisis by paying about €500m-worth of wages to public sector workers, but suffered another downgrade of its credit rating. “The mid-May payments of wages and pensions ... were made within the scheduled timeframe,” the finance ministry said. They had been due on Friday. Continue reading...


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Drachmae: Could bitcoin-inspired currency be the answer to Greece's economic woes?

A new system has been proposed to use bitcoin's underlying blockchain technology to solve Greece's economic troubles, while still keeping the ...


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Solving Greece's Debt Troubles with Bitcoin Technology

In addition to the numerous applications of bitcoin technology on payments and storing identity, a new proposition has been raised by CNBC ...


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Greece's Pinched Pennies

Tax payments had fallen off dramatically between December and February, when citizens began to worry that Greece might fall out of the eurozone.


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Russia ready for cooperation to ensure progress and talks on Cyprus problem — ForMin

The leaders of the Greek and Turkish communities in Cyprus agreed to resume on May 15, 2015 the United Nations-brokered negotiations to solve the island’s longstanding problem


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Greece says court bid for Parthenon Marbles still an option

ATHENS, Greece (AP) — Greece's culture minister says he has not ruled out court action to try and force the return of the ancient Parthenon Sculptures from the British Museum in London, but diplomacy still seems to be the most effective option.


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Greek official sues German paper over claim

Greek official sues German paper over claim. The Associated Press. First Published 3 hours ago • Updated 3 hours ago ...


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Columbia Undergrads Say Greek Mythology Needs a 'Trigger Warning'

The Metamorphoses, like most of Greek and Roman literature, details certain rapes that were central to the ancient mythology. In one story, a woman ...


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To-Do List: Greek Fest, AHEC top spots this weekend

Hundreds of people fill the main hall at the Holy Trinity Greek Orthodox Cathedral, Camp Hill, during the annual Captial Region Greek Festival.


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Rice Village Greek Restaurant Helen Won't Serve 'Typical' Greek Salad

Wine Expert Evan Turner has signed the paperwork and gotten the keys to his forthcoming dream restaurant Helen Greek Food and Wine. As noted by ...


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Greece: Relics of 3rd century Saint Barbara displayed at cancer hospital despite protests

Hundreds of worshippers have gathered at a chapel on the grounds of Greece's largest cancer hospital to view a silver chest with the remains of a 3rd century saint that has been put on display there despite protests.


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Four Dead in Mysterious Savopoulos Home Fire

WASHINGTON, DC – Investigators continue to try to make sense out of a fire on May 14 that took the lives of four people (still unidentified as of this writing) – three adults and one child – in the home of Greek-American Savas Savopoulos, CEO of American Ironworks, the Daily Mail reported. The fire at […] The post Four Dead in Mysterious Savopoulos Home Fire appeared first on The National Herald.


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Greece's 'red lines' will not fade

"Under no circumstances will the government sign an agreement that will violate SYRIZA's policy statements. The red lines do not fade," Alternate Insurance Minister Dimitris Stratoulis underlined speaking on Friday to private ANT1 TV. He also noted that in this context, ...


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'Bravo Nicolas!': Papandreou gets his revenge against Sarkozy on Twitter

Former French President Nicolas Sarkozy got n ironic reply from former Greek PM George Papandreou when he claimed thta referendums are good for democracy. "If we want the public speech to regain its credibility, the only way to achieve that ...


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Greece asks its diplomatic missions to return reserves

Cash-strapped Greece has asked all its missions abroad to return unused funds, including money designed for the purchase of stationary. According to reports in the Greek press, Greek embassies and consulates throughout the world have been requested to return unused funds ...


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EBRD to invest more in Central Europe, ex-USSR, Greece

"The need (for investments) is there and that is why Greece became a country of operations for the EBRD this year," he said, adding that the bank has ...


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Greece avoids domestic default as cash scramble gets desperate

Greece scraped together enough funds to avoid a domestic default on Friday, as the near-bankrupt government bought itself vital breathing space ...


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See It First: Imam Baildi Puts New Spin on Old Greek Music

Answer: Imam Baildi, an urban blend of old Greek Music with new orchestration, production, and remixing techniques that has succeeded in bringing ...


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FTSE ends week on downbeat note with miners hit by US growth fears

Leading shares record worst weekly performance since mid-AprilLeading shares recorded their worst weekly fall since the middle of April, down 1.23% as last week’s election fuelled rally ran out of steam.The FTSE 100 finished 12.55 points lower on the day at 6960.49, losing its early gains as disappointing US industrial production and consumer confidence figures took the shine off shares, despite the weak data likely to delay any US rate rise. Initially investors were buoyed by a recovery in European bonds after European Central Bank boss Mario Draghi said on Thursday its QE programme would not end early. But Greece remained a concern as time runs out for a deal to be done with its creditors to release much needed bailout funds.We believe that Mears would be willing to add selectively to its Domiciliary Care business. However, there are lots of assets for sales including Saga, and potentially Mitie (bad acquisition at Mitie and lack of focus at Saga, now written down to zero). Competitors seem to be struggling due to operational issues, notably staff retention.We believe that Mears’s operational strength will allow it to consolidate this sector organically or through acquisition. Continue reading...


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Greece: Religious relics displayed at hospital causes spat

ATHENS, Greece (AP) — Hundreds of worshippers have gathered at a chapel on the grounds of Greece's largest cancer hospital to view a silver chest with the remains of a 3rd century saint that has been put on display there despite protests.


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Greece Teeters Towards Bankruptcy

LONDON—. Greece's finance minister said Thursday he wished his country had never joined the euro currency — and warned international creditors ...


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Greece's abandoned factories show how painful the country's seven-year depression has been

Greece fell into recession as the financial crisis spread around the world in 2008 — but until 2010, the country's growth figures weren't spectacularly ...


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IMF: Progress in process but not in substance related to Greece talks – TradeTheNews

FXStreet (Barcelona) - The TradeTheNews Team shares the key developments surrounding Greece – IMF Thomsen's view on Greece debt talks, and ...


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Twitter Watch: John Stamos Visits 'Greek Sis'

John Stamos, who will star in the new FOX comedy 'Grandfathered' this fall on FOX, stopped by Broadway's Fish In the Dark to visit his 'Greek sis' Rita ...


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7 foods to eat at Greek Fest 2015 in Wormleysburg

Holy Trinity Greek Orthodox Cathedral's three-day Capital Region Greek Festival kicks off, May 16, 2014. The festival presents homemade Greek ...


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Florio: Deflategate Has 'All the Elements of a Greek Tragedy'

Pro Football Talk's Mike Florio thinks Deflategate “has all the elements of a Greek tragedy.” “There is no one you could believe in any of this,” Florio ...


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How big is Greece's debt? In 60 seconds

How big is Greece's debt? The Telegraph Video Desk put it into understandable terms in this 60 second explainer


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Greece makes mid-May public sector wage payments

Greece has paid public sector wages due in mid-May, the finance ministry said on Friday, confirming scheduled payments as the country struggles to stay solvent. Athens, which had been expected to easily make Friday's payments, will find it harder to ...


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Traffickers swindle migrants, sending them back to Greece

THESSALONIKI, Greece (AP) — After a seven-month quest to escape war in Syria, Dia Kasam thought she and her two sons were finally on their way, headed by train into Serbia and from there on to Germany to reunite with her sick husband and their three other children.


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Athens message to Ankara: Let’s make use of our ‘lucky dice’

Turkey and Greece should resolve their problems peacefully by creating common interests in the region, making use of the “God-given” opportunity of being neighboring countries, Greek Foreign Minister Nikos Kotzias has said.  “Turkey and Greece; Allah has made the decision, they are together ...


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