An archaeologist investigating an ancient Greek tomb from Alexander the Great's era suggests it was a shrine for his closest friend Hephaestion.
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How the world sees Greece
Thursday, October 1, 2015
Greece doing all we can on migrant crisis, PM tells UN ...
United Nations (United States) (AFP) - Greece's prime minister told the United Nations on Thursday that Athens was doing all it could to help the refugee and migrant ...
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| READ THE ORIGINAL POST AT au.news.yahoo.com |
The Charleston Fall Greek Festival to be postponed due to heavy rain this weekend
… past the Lowcountry coast. The Greek Orthodox Church of the Holy … . The Fall Greek Festival is a celebration of Greek culture featuring authentic cuisine, wine and music of Greece. General …
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| READ THE ORIGINAL POST AT world.einnews.com |
Greece v Hungary facts
… 's brief spell as Greece coach. • Greece's record in … taking place the day after Greece goalkeeper Panagiotis Glykos turns 29 … Maniatis's 29th birthday. • Greek clubs' record in 25 …
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Six Greek Islands Lose Tax Breaks, See Tourism Decline, More Next Up
Now it is among six Greek islands that are seeing sales tax increase by 30 percent on Oct. 1 — one of a series of creditor-demanded reforms in return for Greece's third international bailout and fear it could hammer tourism and agricultural products. The post Six Greek Islands Lose Tax Breaks, See Tourism Decline, More Next Up appeared first on The National Herald.
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Greek Prime Minister Talks Refugee and Economic Crises at UN General Assembly
Greek Prime Minister Alexis Tsipras addressed the United Nations General Assembly for the second time in five days in the context of the United Nations General Assembly annual General Debate. Similar to his speech this past Sunday, Tsipras spoke on Greece’s experience in various crises including the refugee, the financial and security crises as well
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| READ THE ORIGINAL POST AT greece.greekreporter.com |
Athens Ranks 1st Among 25 Most Influential Cities in the World
Two Greek cities, that have always been a magnet for art and culture, were included on the list of the 25 cities with the greatest impact on the world. More specifically, the capital of Greece, Athens, ranked in first place in the list that was compiled by List25, the website that gathers and presents lesser-known
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Cyprus president says window for deal exists
NICOSIA (Reuters) - A settlement to Cyprus's long running division must address concerns of estranged Greek and Turkish Cypriots, the island's president said on Thursday, striking a conciliatory tone amid peace talks on the ethnically-split island.
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Freerunners defy gravity in competition on the GREEK island of Santorini
The competition pits freerunners from around the world against each other in a battle to wow the judges by navigating a complex terrain, all while ...
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| READ THE ORIGINAL POST AT www.dailymail.co.uk |
Pork Pita Pocket with GREEK Salad
Sauteed pork garnished with a refreshing cucumber sauce is stuffed in a pita bread to make this quick supper. For the GREEK Salad side dish, doctor ...
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| READ THE ORIGINAL POST AT www.theindependent.com |
Regling: Greece should not expect big debt write-down, not necessary to revive economy
Klaus Regling, the German managing director of the European Stability Mechanism played down Greece’s expectations for a large-scale debt write down. Speaking to the Financial Times, Regling said among others that Greece was already benefiting from generous loan terms that were the most concessionary “in world history”. “I think now […]
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Trouble in paradise as six Greek islands lose tax breaks
For years the Greek Aegean islands have benefited from a VAT rate 30 percent lower than the rest of the country. The rate was set to act as an…
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| READ THE ORIGINAL POST AT www.euronews.com |
Greek Olympic venue reopened to house refugees
More than a decade has passed since Greece ran up an astronomical debt on the 2004 Athens Olympics. Now some of what all that spending bought has found a new purpose ...
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| READ THE ORIGINAL POST AT touch.latimes.com |
Jumbo: A Greek Retailer Sailing In The Southeastern European Waters
… in Greece, Cyprus and Romania and Bulgaria, the gradually stabilising Greek economy … the Greek economy will lead to improvements in consumer confidence in Greece … fiscal year, Greek sales constituted 75% while sales in Greece and Cyprus …
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'Jean Anouilh's Antigone,' Greek mythology for the selfie era
Those ancient Greeks knew a thing or two …
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Turkey’s Finansbank Said to Attract Bids as Greece Prepares Sale
… owned by National Bank of Greece, has attracted bids from Qatar … a bailout agreement, and compelled Greece’s largest lender to reduce … 12 months. National Bank of Greece, Finansbank and Fibabanka declined to …
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| READ THE ORIGINAL POST AT world.einnews.com |
IMF's botched involvement in Greece attacked by watchdog
… Central Bank chief Jean-Claude Trichet. Greece later underwent the biggest debt … haircut for Greek bonds In addition to its findings on Greece, the … March 2016. Diplomatic cables between Greece's ambassador to Washington …
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Evangelos Meimarakis Officially a Candidate for New Democracy’s Presidency
New Democracy Interim president Evangelos Meimarakis announced that he is running for the party’s presidential seat in the conservative party’s upcoming elections. Meimarakis has lead New Democracy since early July, when former party president and former Greek Prime Minister Antonis Samaras stepped down from the president’s seat. “I have been serving since it [New Democracy]
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| READ THE ORIGINAL POST AT greece.greekreporter.com |
Live: Europa League matchday two
Join DW Sports for matchday two of the UEFA Europa League. Augsburg and Schalke kick off early, while Borussia Dortmund are in Greece later. Elsewhere, Liverpool, Celtic, Fiorentina and Spurs are in action.
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South Market reopens after flooding; weather cancels Farmers Market, GREEK Festival
The Charleston Farmers Market will be closed Saturday because of potentially hazardous weather conditions. The Charleston GREEK Festival that was ...
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| READ THE ORIGINAL POST AT www.postandcourier.com |
Syrian refugees land on GREEK island of Lesbos
A Syrian refugee woman and a girl make their way out of the water after as they arrive on a dinghy from the Turkish coast to the northeastern GREEK ...
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| READ THE ORIGINAL POST AT darkroom.baltimoresun.com |
Tsipras: GREEK People Help Migrants Despite Their Own Crisis
GREEK Prime Minister Alexis Tsipras addresses attendees during the 70th session of the United Nations General Assembly at the U.N. Headquarters in ...
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Wine with a purpose: Monks get in the spirits at Original GREEK Festival
This weekend marks the return of the Original GREEK Festival. Now in its 49th year, the formula should be familiar to most Houstonians: Thousands of ...
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| READ THE ORIGINAL POST AT houston.culturemap.com |
Prices surge for tourists, locals as GREEK islands lose tax break
30, 2015, a waitress carries dishes outside a restaurant on the GREEK Aegean island of Naxos. For decades, Greece's Aegean islands enjoyed a value ...
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“Where to” with the thousands of refugees? Greece cannot solve the crisis alone
Tension grew this morning around Victoria Square in central Athens, when local businessmen staged a protest about the situation in their area with hundreds of refugees and migrants to find a stop-over there before moving forward. As no otherwise expected, right-extremists joined the local businessmen and anti-authoritarian groups came in […]
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Greece's abandoned Olympic stadiums get a second life: Housing refugees
Galatsi Olympic Hall, built at a cost of $61 million for the 2004 Olympic Games, is now receiving busloads of refugees and migrants.
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| READ THE ORIGINAL POST AT www.washingtonpost.com |
Hellenism must stay united, says Greek Defence Minister
Nicosia, October 1, 2015/Independent Balkan News Agency By Kyriacos Kyriacou Hellenism must stay united in order to achieve the immediate withdrawal of Turkish occupation troops from Cyprus and put an end to the “mockery” of guarantees, Greek National Defence Minister Panos Kammenos said on Thursday. Speaking after the military parade, in Nicosia, marking the 55th […]
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| READ THE ORIGINAL POST AT www.balkaneu.com |
The Latest: Greece PM says reforms are 'devastating ...
The Latest: Greece PM says reforms are 'devastating' Posted 2 minutes ago Updated A minute ago
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| READ THE ORIGINAL POST AT www.wral.com |
I'm starting to think a 'Brexit' is a good idea and I never thought I'd ever say that
Britain is going to have to decide whether the UK stays in the European Union by the end of 2017 – and for the first time ever, in my view, the arguments for us breaking ties with Brussels are looking more appealing. Britain exiting the EU – "Brexit" – wasn't something that I've ever thought was a good idea, either financially or politically. After all, each of the 28 nation members are in it together, working under a single market ideal, where policies and laws are enacted for the good of all countries and do not give a distinct advantage to one more than any other another. Right? Well, I don't think so anymore. Seeing how the markets and politicians have dealt with the eurozone sovereign debt crisis, the worst refugee problem since World War II and constant squabbles over EU lawmaking that wrecks national sovereignty, I've become fully unstuck from the mud of the pro-EU camp and will sit on the fence until we vote. THE EU REFERENDUM IS NOT THE SAME AS THE SCOTTISH REFERENDUM Naturally people will ask why I believe the Britain potentially leave the EU but still believe Scotland should be part of the UK. Mainly, as with most of my arguments, it's the economics – cold, hard numbers. Scotland had a much better case decades ago for breaking off from the rest of the UK without cutting their nose to spite their face. Scotland massively depends on oil for revenue and in the 1980s it would have probably been able to argue that the country's economy was strong enough to sustain jobs and its own balance sheet. However, the landscape has changed and the resource that the Scottish National Party highlighted as a jewel in the country's crown doesn't fly anymore. The North Sea oil industry is in dire straits. OPEC statistics show that average oil output in 2013 from the North Sea clocked its lowest level since 1977, and prices have plunged. Scotland depends on the rest of the UK for its pensions, its welfare and for jobs. Leaving the UK would've been horrific. However, Britain is not in the same boat as Scotland, and we shouldn't treat both referendums the same way. The political and economic situation is far more complex. NO SINGLE MARKET We are meant to be operating under the bloc's Single Market mechanism as an EU member. The EU describes it as "one territory without any internal borders or other regulatory obstacles to the free movement of goods and services." It's basically meant to stimulate competition and trade, improve efficiency, and helps cut prices. We are meant to operate as one. Basically it only works if all countries are identical and work as a hive, like the Borg in Star Trek. That sounds like a Utopian ideal, and it has not worked at all. Take a look at the complete schism between the economic growth of the UK, Germany and the rest of the Eurozone. Britain's performance has more in common with the economic recovery in the US than the Eurozone. It doesn't really look like we need the EU, it needs us. Britain is sitting pretty at the moment despite what political camp you hail from. Unemployment is just 5.5%, which is pretty much as close to "full employment" as we can get. Inflation is low, real wages are rising at a solid pace and more people are able to get on the housing ladder. We are also one of the key financial centres in the world. Now compare it to these countries and the rest of the Eurozone as a whole: Doesn't really look like a Single Market right? Certain countries are propping up Europe's economic figures, while others are still stagnant or practically in recession. At the beginning of September, my colleague Oscar Williams-Grut pointed out that the so-called Single Market has a massive problem – Germany. German manufacturing is a booming behemoth, while almost every other nation bar Greece is at some sort of low. Britain's manufacturing sector is not he same as it was back in 1950s and we now depend a lot on imports and exports (I will come to this later). Greece's rebalancing towards exports has been achieved simply by imports collapsing. All you need to do is take one look at that country and realise there is nothing about that nation that is rebounding at the moment. AT THE MERCY OF GERMANY Concerns over the Single Market being a whole load of poppycock are more relevant than ever, especially since the eurozone debt crisis of 2009. First and foremost, even though we are meant to be part of one big unit, the EU, we have no fiscal union to address underperforming areas. In Britain, for example, London may generate greater amounts of wealth than certain regions in the country. If somewhere like Nottingham was struggling, the money is redistributed to pay for welfare or prop up the local economy. Infrastructure, like new railway lines, could be installed to link cities and create greater connection for people working or looking to expand business. In the EU, we don't have this. Just look at Greece and the sorry mess it is. Sure, we lend money and force them to gut their country from the inside out, but a loan is not a re-distribution of wealth. Countries that need to devalue their currency to help the economy can't. The bloc is not a "single" anything. The EU isn't doing as well as it used to and it's really down skewed economic reporting that suggests the eurozone is doing great. As demonstrated before, Germany is propping up manufacturing growth figures. Take a look at how the EU really isn't as well-positioned as it was when Britain entered the bloc in 1973: The EU's economy is "shrinking relative to other countries across the globe" and its population is ageing. In 2020, the ratio of working age people to pensioners in the EU will be 3:1, while in 2050 it'll be 2:1. This is according to a Business for Britain report published in June, which had Mark Littlewood of the Institute of Economic Affairs, John Mills of JML, and fund manager Helena Morrissey of Newton on its editorial board. They added that tax payments to the EU, the level of bureaucracy, and the changing population are all contributing to greater cost for the nation. DESTROYING NATIONAL SOVEREIGNTY Relinquishing national sovereignty sounds a lot like right-wing hooey, but having a look at how the EU has operated in the worst of times hasn't resolved any of these concerns. Sovereignty is meant to be when a state is has the absolute power to govern itself, make, execute and apply laws and impose and collect taxes. Of course being part of a union means we should all technically share that burden and have a say in what laws are enacted, while also making sure others aren't penalised to the advantage of other nations. It shouldn't be all bad. Take a look at Greece again. The country has teetered on the brink of collapse so many times, it might as well jump off the cliff. But it can't because it's stuck with loans that seem near impossible for it to pay back. The one thing it did to show some semblance of sovereignty or power is conduct a referendum on its bailout — where the public voted for or against the extremely harsh (and arguably necessary) conditions in exchange for emergency cash. And we all know how that turned out – an utterly pointless exercise. The nation overwhelmingly voted against the conditions in July this year but all that happened is that Greece wound up its creditors so much that they used it against them for their next round of negotiations. German finance minister Wolfgang Schaeuble said radical left-wing Greek finance minister Yannis Varoufakis "strains the solidarity of European partners" shortly before his departure from the government. And what happened to Greece – well the referendum didn't make a difference and it still had to go back to its creditors with its tail between its leg and be smashed by more austerity pain. RENEGOTIATIONS LOOK IMPOSSIBLE There are a few things that Britons are getting really tired of, and a growing mountain of examples to show how the UK doesn't really have much of a say in what happens within the bloc. Since 2010, the EU has introduced over 3,500 new laws affecting British business. Business for Britain highlighted in its report in June that the sheer volume of red tape that affects the UK is costing billions. "The British Chambers of Commerce has shown that the total cost of EU regulation is £7.6 billion ($12 billion) per year," said the report. "Since the Lisbon Treaty came into force in December 2009, it has cost British businesses £12.2 billion ($19.3 billion) (net) in extra regulation." Furthermore, Britain doesn't really as much of a say as I thought. "The Commission proposes new laws in the EU, but the UK’s representation has declined dramatically and many officials are adamantly opposed to the sort of changes that the UK seeks," says the report. "When the UK joined the EU in 1973, we had 20% of the votes. Today we only have 9.5% of the votes. British MEPs voted against 576 EU proposals between 2009 and 2014, but 485 still passed and became law." While the UK Prime Minister David Cameron has publicly said that he and George Osborne would prefer to stay as part of the EU but under renegotiated terms, genuine reform seems highly unlikely to happen. He is reportedly being repeatedly snubbed and major issues and a growing number of voters are going unheard. ZERO SAY OVER POLICIES Britain shouldn't leave the EU because of fears of immigration and shut the borders, but the position the country has been put in is an extremely uncomfortable one. As demonstrated, Britain's economy and society is unique and doesn't fall into a hive mind of Europe. No country within the European Union does, that's why a Single Market doesn't actually exist. However, the way Brussels has handled the worst refugee crisis in over half a century is not making it easy to bat away concerns over sovereignty and understanding of the different needs of a country. The United Nations said on October 1 that it was expecting 700,000 migrants and refugees to reach Europe via the Mediterranean sea this year. The same amount again in 2016. Britain, as well as the rest of Europe has to tackle this but by forcing countries to blanket quotas, which is what was bandied around over the last month, it js only making it even more apparent that there is one way – their way or the highway. Economically, take a look at the financial transactions tax (FTT) proposal. The FTT, more commonly known as the Robin Hood Tax, places a 0.05% on trades involving stocks, bonds, foreign currency, and derivatives. However, the European Commission is aiming to launch the FTT in January 2016 with slightly different tax calculations — 0.1% on shares and 0.01% on bond transactions where at least one of the parties was based in the EU. The Conservative government, the financial sector, and various business groups are heavily against the FTT. The Tory-led government hates the tax proposition so much that UK Chancellor George Osborne even had to go through the length of launching a legal suit against the FTT plan which was adopted by 11 EU states. Basically, even if Britain doesn't sign up for it, the UK would be still financially penalised if it does business with other countries that sign up for FTT. Now, I am still not fully up for Britain leaving the European Union – there are still a huge amount of advantages of staying in. But the argument for leaving is not looking as scary as I first thought. We are a nation that depends on imports for energy and goods and in turn of being part of the EU we have a decent mechanism for trade. Severing links could easily make it more expensive to import or ship goods. But, at the moment, if Cameron is unable to renegotiate Britain's terms of membership under the EU, I fear I may have do the previously unthinkable and vote for a Brexit. Join the conversation about this story » NOW WATCH: These are the watches worn by the smartest and most powerful men in the world
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Euro Area May Set Greek Demands on Friday, Official Says ...
Euro-area finance ministry officials will try on Friday to reach agreement on a list of measures that Greece needs to take before it can receive the next portion of ...
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Greek Taverna coming to The Castle on Charles
ROCHESTER — This could be a match made in Ouranos (the aerial heavens of ancient Greece): to catch some Greek fire and a lively evening of Mediterranean ...
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The families of missing migrants and refugees may never know their fates
chartno3/Flickr, CC BY-NC-SA In 2015, almost 3,000 people died trying to cross the sea and start a new life in Europe. It was the shocking images of three-year-old Aylan Kurdi – who drowned as his family tried to flee the Syrian conflict for the safe haven of the EU – that sparked a global outcry over this tragedy. International media attention made it possible for Aylan to be identified, his family informed and his body repatriated to Syria for a decent burial. But the vast majority of migrants and refugees who drown in the Aegean and Mediterranean seas are never identified. Their unnamed bodies are deposited without ritual or respect in graveyards on Europe’s periphery. This is hardly a new phenomenon. The inhabitants of Greek and Italian islands have been dealing with the human tragedy of finding bodies on their beaches for many years now. One result of this epidemic of anonymous death is that migrants simply disappear from the lives of the families they have left behind. For every body that is washed ashore in Italy or Greece, there is a family waiting for news from their missing loved one. Families want to know what has happened to those who left for Europe: they want to know whether their loved ones are dead or alive. SEARCHING FOR ANSWERS As it stands, the states of Europe have consistently failed to provide such answers. That’s why we decided to investigate the outcome of shipwrecks, in an effort to understand what’s being done to arrange the collection, identification, burial and repatriation of migrant bodies at the EU frontier. Our research focused on the Greek island of Lesbos, which is now the leading entry point to the EU for sea-borne refugees and migrants. What we found was a fundamental lack of planning about how to deal with the problem of dead and missing migrants. Both EU and national authorities seek to avoid responsibility for the identification or proper burial of the dead by using language that deflects blame. By characterising deaths as “accidents”, or dead migrants as “victims” of smuggling networks national and EU authorities deflect any legal or moral responsibility for the identification or proper burial of the dead. They devote more rhetoric and resources to targeting alleged traffickers than to preventing deaths or addressing their consequences. It’s difficult to imagine that this lack of accountability would be acceptable if the bodies found on beaches were those of Europeans. Rather than dedicate its considerable political and economic power to this humanitarian challenge, we found that the EU relegates responsibility to local municipal authorities. Although there needs to be a local response, these authorities do not have the resources or capacity to deal with the task at hand. This is where national governments and EU authorities have a responsibility to step in and help to collect data from bodies or contact families who are waiting for news. And there is no consular aid available to most migrants. While living migrants are some of the most heavily-monitored individuals in the EU, dead migrants merit almost no attention from the authorities. These factors have led to shocking scenes in cemeteries in Lesbos and Lampedusa. The bodies of unidentified migrants are buried in common graves, only lightly covered by earth. The only markers are broken stones – often recycled from older graves – on which is written the purported nationality of the deceased, a number, and a date. An unnamed grave in Mytilene, Lesbos. Author provided Since most bodies are unidentified, this nationality is typically based on an informed guess or information from survivors, rather than any real investigation. The techniques of forensic anthropology and DNA identification, which have proven so valuable in identifying those who have disappeared in conflict and political violence in the past, are largely absent here. We found that in some contexts, authorities may collect samples from bodies. But there is rarely anything to compare them with, so this useful tool is largely neglected. The management of the missing in the aftermath of the war in Bosnia is a good example. In 2001, the International Committee on Missing Persons (ICMP) started using DNA-based identification of the victims of the Srebrenica massacre. Since then, it has identified almost 80% of the approximately 7,000 people who went missing in the biggest mass killing in post-World War II Europe. Austrian authorities are using similar techniques to identify the 71 migrants who suffocated to death in an abandoned lorry earlier this year. To identify the migrant dead, information needs to be collected from bodies: these data include both documents and information taken from the body - such as identifying marks, and tissue samples that can be used for DNA testing, which can be matched with that of family members. Those who made the journey with them, and survived, may also have valuable information about their identity. Next, there must be a route for families in migrants' countries of origin to report missing people and provide details about them to the European authorities. Finally, data from families – potentially including DNA – must be matched to the information collected from and about bodies found at the EU’s Mediterranean shores. AFFRONT TO HUMAN DECENCY The current, ad-hoc approach means that even when a family can confirm that their relative has died in a shipwreck, they have no way of locating their loved one’s remains among the unnamed graves. The very few families who have been able to claim remains are those with significant political or economic influence. One local from Lesbos who we interviewed told us that of one shipwreck in which 22 migrants died, only two bodies were repatriated. This was the result of their family relationship to an Afghan minister, who mobilised the Afghan embassy in Athens. The other victims were buried at the local cemetery. As an 18-year-old from Afghanistan aptly put it: “Only the rich get back, the poor stay here.” Most governments are now agreed: the images of European cemeteries filling with unidentified bodies are an affront to the conscience of humanity. Both the EU and the national authorities of its member states have a moral and legal obligation; not only to stop the deaths, but also to identify and appropriately manage the dead at their borders. This can and should be decoupled from the broader and more contentious issue of border control. Organisations such as the International Committee of the Red Cross and the International Commission for Missing Persons have the experience, means and capacity to support EU states to address this urgent humanitarian issue. Now, they must be given the mandate and the resources to do so. _Iosif Kovras & Simon Robins received funding from British Academy/Leverhulme (Small Research Grants)_ _Simon Robins receives funding from The Economic and Social Research Council of the UK. _
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| READ THE ORIGINAL POST AT theconversation.com |
The Two Faces Of Greece's Response To The Refugee Crisis
ATHENS, Greece -- The two pictures above were shot on the same day in the Greek capital. They could well carry the title "before and after." The photo on the left was taken by SOOC photographer Alexandros Michailidis in Victoria Square, where many migrants and refugees stop before continuing their journey across Europe toward a better life. It's a photo like countless others, depicting the despair of people who have lost everything. The photo on the right was shot in the house of Athens local Ariadni Theodosiadou, in Sepolia neighborhood. The same family that was getting drenched in Victoria Square, Theodosiadou welcomed into her home, offering them food, a warm bath and, most importantly, compassion. Theodosiadou published the photos on her personal Facebook account. "[If you like them] you should take refugees home with you! Well, I actually did!” she replied to those who responded to her post. Theodosiadou told HuffPost Greece her aim was to set an example for others. > “It all started when I was sitting at home one night when it was > raining, when, watching the news, I realized that while I was cozy > at home, right next to me there were people in very difficult > conditions. I thought it was completely inhuman to sit around not > being able to help. So, the next morning, I went to Victoria Square, > got clothes from my house and some food from the supermarket. What I > saw was overwhelming: children of all ages, mothers, all of them > wet, in a terrible state ... I handed out the clothes and food and > then a kid from Syria came over. He appeared to be living in Greece > because he spoke Greek and he was probably there to help out, too. I > asked him to tell these people that a family could come over to my > place if they wanted to. It was completely spontaneous. I thought it > was the least I could do in this situation.” The boy came back with 30 to 40 people. “I thought at that moment that maybe my first priority should be the children," Theodosiadou explained. "So I took this family I saw, a mother with a 21-year-old son and a daughter of around 20, who had two daughters herself, one 6 months and the other about 7 years old.” At Theodosiadou's home, no one communicated with words -- her guests didn't speak English and she didn't speak their language. She couldn't ask about them, about their story, what had forced them to embark on such a harsh journey, how such a young woman had a 7-year-old child, what they had been through and where they were going. “We were communicating with gestures but our understanding was perfect. When they started feeling more comfortable, something magic came out of this, ” Theodosiadou said. She doesn't even know where they came from. “I didn't ask and I didn't care. Asking would have been racist and pointless," Theodosiadou said. "If you want to offer help you don't ask for an ID. I saw babies who were wet, I am not going to ask where they are from, I will try to protect them.” > I saw babies who were wet, I am not going to ask where they are > from, I will try to protect them. Theodosiadou said her spontaneous action made her feel good. "I managed to put a smile on the faces of people who had been through so much. The kids didn't stop laughing.” “The reason I made it public was because I thought that more people should do the same," Theodosiadou added. "What came to me spontaneously, others could also do. Just one person won't change anything. But if others did it too, there would be no kids staying on the street." She said she was never worried about her safety. "What's to fear when dealing with mothers and babies?" Theodosiadou said. "I just tried to maintain rules of safety and hygiene.” After posting her photos to Facebook, Theodosiadou got dozens of responses. Some people were touched and asked her how they could help and where they could take stuff. “It gave me enormous joy. I thought this country has hope,” she said. Others asked her why she didn't help Greeks in need. “Us Greeks should give a good example for those in need, in the tradition of ancient Greek hospitality," she told them. "For Greeks who don't have food to eat, for refugees who don't have shelter, for stray animals tortured on the street. Let's not always judge and let's find the compassion within. Only in this way can this country move forward. With love.” Would she do it again? “Of course. In fact, I h > te class="pull-quote"> > Let's not always judge and let's find the compassion within. Only > in this way can this country move forward. With love > Theodosiadou isn't the only one opening up her home to refugees. Alkis Paspatis from the island of Lesbos also welcomed people in need into his home. And, like Theodosiadou, he posted pictures on Facebook. Although volunteers and organizations have stepped up to offer food and basic items in the past few months, these cases are few and far between. Stereotypes describing the people in Victoria Square as “illegal migrants” who will “steal from us” remain deeply held beliefs. Greek photographer and activist Yannis Androulidakis described a recent example of this on Facebook: Last Saturday, when we we > ack home around 1 a.m., it was pouring with so much rain, you > couldn't see anything. Fifty refugees were sqeezed under the tiny > tent of the local fruit shop in our neighborhood, among them many > mothers with babies in their arms. The door of our house opened, and > with one gesture the refugees got in. Fifty people on the stairs, > from the front door up to the mezzanine. Outside our door, a family > with kids -- the little girl had a fever. We gave them some medicine > and bananas, made them some toast and gave them some blankets and > pillows. Around 2:30 a.m. we heard a police car siren. A young guy, > not older than 30, who lived on the fourth floor, had called the > police to kick them out. We were surprised to hear the policemen > asking him to show some understanding and let them spend the night > at the entrance, saying, 'They are mothers with children, they are > not going to steal from you.' The man insisted saying that 'it > wasn't his problem.' We went down, we had a fight with him. He left > when the refugees left ... I wonder if the guy that called the > police realized that society isn't in danger from that woman but > from people like him. > > Androulidakis said that wh at Victoria Square is over, he will write about all the people he came across who "did so much to help out, against all odds, against their neighbors' prejudice and hatred." "I would like to write about that woman from Afghanistan who caressed her baby daughter who had a fever in the rain and when the morning came she left us the pillows and blankets we had given her, intact and folded," Androulidakis said. On Tuesday, Greek authorities began transporting about 1,000 migrants and refugees camping in Victoria Square, using public busses, and took them to a sheltered gymnasium in the area of Galatsi, in the center of Athens -- Minister of Migration Giannis Mouzalas oversaw the operation. The group has been told that they can stay there for as long as they need to. Their transfer took place amid demonstrations by local residents opposed to the "outsiders" being in their area. Those who support the plight of the migrants and refugees also turned out. The two faces of Greek society seem to spell love and hate simultaneously. However, one observation from Androulidakis offers some hope: “These past few days have confirmed that our world is full of wonderful people who, in the end, will change it.” _This story was originally published on HuffPost Greece and translated into English. It has been edited for clarity and context. Danae Leivada contributed to this report._ _RELATED ON HUFFPOST: _ -- 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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Capitalism and its discontents
DAVE SPART has been a stalwart of _Private Eye_, a British satirical magazine, since the 1970s. The bearded Bolshevik has never wavered in his enthusiasm for denouncing capitalism (“totally sickening”). But in recent years the _Eye_’s editors gave their fictional columnist progressively less space as the left made its peace with free markets and consumerism. Now, Mr Spart is back—not only on the pages of _Private Eye_ but in the corridors of power. Britain’s main opposition Labour Party this week held its first conference under a new, hard-left leader, Jeremy Corbyn. In Greece and Spain new left-wing parties have emerged. Greece’s Syriza has come out on top in two successive elections and Spain’s Podemos is set to make big advances in December’s general election. In the United States, Bernie Sanders, a self-described independent socialist, is making a spirited run for the Democratic nomination. And in the Vatican Pope Francis denounces the “invisible tyranny of the market” and recommends “returning the economy to the service of human beings”. Why is anti-capitalism gaining ground?...
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Greece Could Remove Capital Flow Control by 2016
… Agency. The head of the Greek Banks Association stressed the importance … real economy", she added. Greek banks took a three-week holiday … restriction on cash withdrawals in Greece remains in place.
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Why the Greek crisis matters
… below 3 percent — which placed Greece second in the world behind … of Greece from the left-wing Syriza party. In effect, the Greek people … that are rated junk status. Greece, Puerto Rico, Illinois and Chicago …
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No good deed goes unclaimed
FROM the Bodrum peninsula in Turkey the Greek island of Kos is only four kilometres (2.5 miles) away. European tourists can make the 45-minute crossing comfortably for $19, while those fleeing evil in Syria and elsewhere must pay smugglers a minimum of $1,000 for a perilous night journey in a crowded boat. Turkey generously opened its borders after the Syrian civil war erupted in 2011. Nearly two million refugees are currently registered in the country, of which about 200,000 are housed in official camps, mostly in the south. A growing number are seeking a better life in the EU and are crossing over to Greece by the thousand every day, causing severe anxiety in parts of Europe and creating tensions along borders farther north. Not unreasonably EU leaders have turned to the Turkish government for help to stem the flow of migrants. President Recep Tayyip Erdogan will visit Brussels in early October to discuss security issues including borders. But his government has rejected an EU offer to reassign €1 billion ($1.12 billion) in aid for refugees. It also opposes opening new camps or setting up processing stations. Instead Turkey calls for the...
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More Greek Coffins Than Cribs
ATHENS – There are so many more deaths than births in Greece that four in 10 people will be over the age of 60 by the year 2050. That was the data shown by the Hellenic Association of Gerontology and Geriatrics ahead of International Day of Older Persons on Oct. 1. Over-60s make up 27 […] The post More Greek Coffins Than Cribs appeared first on The National Herald.
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Greek Island of Naxos Gets the Anthony Bourdain Treatment; Famous American Chef
Famous US chef Anthony Bourdain chose to shoot an episode of his show “Anthony Bourdain: Parts Unknown” which will air on CNN, later this year, on Naxos, Greece, the largest Cyclades island. According to the local newspaper Cyclades Voice, the show’s production agents reached out to a Greek production agency in Athens long before their
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Greece to Know Required Prior Actions for Bailout Funds on Friday
The list of prior actions related to the disbursement of the 2 billion euro tranche is expected to be determined on Friday, once determined, these actions will be presented to the Eurogroup, on October 5th. This information was received from a senior eurozone official, on Thursday adding that the first evaluation of terms will start in
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AP News
ATHENS, Greece (AP) — Authorities in Greece have reopened a disused Olympic venue to house migrants and refugees camped out in central Athens.
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Office of Fraternity and Sorority Life debuts new mission for GREEK life
The University of Connecticut Office of Fraternity and Sorority Life (OFSL) announced a new vision and mission for the GREEK community Wednesday ...
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GREEK businessman's son released after arrest for unpaid taxes
The son of GREEK businessman Thomas Liakounakos was released from custody on Thursday after being arrested over unpaid taxes earlier in the day ...
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Supreme Court revives suit over GREEK role in election
TUSCALOOSA, Ala. (AP) - The Alabama Supreme Court is reviving a lawsuit over the role of sorority and fraternity members in a Tuscaloosa city ...
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National Bank of Greece receives bids for Finansbank
A sale could help the crisis-hit GREEK lender meet eurozone demands to raise fresh capital. The leading bidder is Qatar National Bank, the acquisitive ...
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Watford ready to ditch GREEK international defender Jose Holebas
Ruthless Watford head coach Quique Sanchez Flores could ditch £1.8 million GREEK international Jose Holebas in January – after just three ...
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IMF Allegedly Pushes EU to Reduce GREEK Debt
IMF The International Monetary Fund allegedly put pressure on the European Union to reduce the GREEK state debt by 100 billion euros, according to ...
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5th Russian Cinema Festival to Take Place on GREEK Island of Rhodes
“In 2016 we will celebrate Russian and GREEK culture,” said the Deputy Culture Mayor, during his speech, also noting that an exhibition of Nikos ...
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Foreign Minister Kotzias meets with representatives of American Jewish Organizations (New York ...
Foreign Minister Nikos Kotzias met and held substantial talks in New York City today, on the margins of the UN General Assembly, with representatives of the major American Jewish Organizations (Conference of Presidents of Major American Jewish Organizations, American Jewish Committee, B’nai B’rith, World Jewish Congress, Anti-Defamation League και American Israel Public Affairs Committee).During the meeting Mr. Kotzias referred to the historical ties of friendship between the Greek and Jewish peoples and to the importance of continuing cooperation between the Greek and Jewish Diasporas, as well as between Greece and Israel.
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‘We don’t want to be Greece’
Portuguese MEPs comment on Sunday’s election, where polls put the ruling center right ahead.
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