How the world sees Greece
The news reports about progress in the UN’s Cyprus talks continue apace. For readers not familiar with what is at stake, the TNH website will occasionally feature articles by people who are not necessarily experts, but who have been there. Zoe Andris participated in the seventh annual AHIF Foreign Policy College Student Trip to Greece […] The post “How Fortunate is the Person…” appeared first on The National Herald.
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Ahead of a harsh winter, Greece, with the support of its EU partners, is stepping up efforts to better tackle the refugee crisis in 2016, which has tested ...
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Greek and Turkish Cypriot leaders on the divided island of Cyprus for the first time give a joint TV address to wish residents a happy holiday.
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The wooden boat capsized near the town of Dikili in Turkey killing 19 people including six children as they tried to make their way to the Greek island of Lesbos to enter Europe.
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GREECE has enacted a human rights bill which allows civil partnership agreements between same-sex couples, despite opposition from political parties ...
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The Association of Greek Mariculture (FGM) has said the Greek industry should focus on doubling its production in order to maintain its lead ...
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Just in times for the New Year Holidays GREECE became the 26th European country to recognize same-sex partnerships. Same-sex couples will now ...
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The Colossus of Rhodes - one of the Seven Ancient Wonders Of The World - may be resurrected as part of a bold new £183million plan. The original ...
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JERSEY CITY -- In the spirit of giving, the Hudson County chapter of the American Hellenic Education Progressive Association donated $1,000 and ...
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According to GREEK Tourism Confederation (SETE), tourism revenue grew from 14.3 billion in 2014 to 14.5 in 2015 and 2016 may well prove to be ...
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For the first time, the Greek and Turkish Cypriot leaders of the ethnically divided Mediterranean island of Cyprus took to the airwaves together to send out holiday wishes in both Greek and Turkish.
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The Greek and Turkish Cypriot leaders have delivered a televised address wishing the ethnically divided island a happy holidays and peace in the New Year. The two sides are on the cusp of reuniting the island.
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The Greek parliament is the latest of many in Europe (including the British and French) to recognise Palestine as a state, which means Greece has now joined the ...
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While Greek officials have repeatedly claimed that GREECE could show signs of recovery in the latter stages of 2016, a report by CNBC appears less ...
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NICOSIA, Cyprus (AP) — For the first time, the Greek and Turkish Cypriot leaders of the ethnically divided Mediterranean island of Cyprus took to the airwaves together to send out holiday wishes in both Greek and Turkish.
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Countless strays spend the entire winter exposed to the elements. Luckily there's one cafe in Lesbos, GREECE that's opening their doors and their ...
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There’s a beautiful 16-year-old girl sitting against a wall, atop a pile of possessions. Night is falling fast, but she is calm. Her husband is off getting food. They have arrived recently by sea and will now join the four-deep queue that stretches blocks to register. I smile and approach her, but without a translator our conversation is basic and friendly. She takes the bundle next to her and opens it up to me. Inside is a perfect, rosy newborn. Five days old, she tells me with her fingers. “Beautiful,” I say. She is beaming and so proud. How did this young girl, just having given birth, manage that trip at sea? How did she do all that walking? Where did she give birth? Wasn’t Mary just a kid too when she and Joseph took to the road? So far, there is no manger for this Syrian baby -- no room at the inn. I run to inform the clinic. Later, they tell me they tried to bring her inside but she wouldn’t leave her spot, afraid to loose her place in line. _RYOT and The Huffington Post are teaming to up present "The Crossing," an immersive reporting series hosted by Susan Sarandon chronicling the refugee crisis as it unfolds in Greece. _ _Want to read more? Join us here for__ more coverage, including virtual reality and 360 films about the people making the perilous journey from the Middle East toward safety._ READ MORE -- Two Babies. Two Mothers. Worlds Apart. -- Susan Sarandon Joins Sea Rescue Team On Search For Refugees Headed To Greece -- Lesbos' Lifejacket Graveyard: Susan Sarandon Visits The Frontlines Of The Refugee Crisis -- Susan Sarandon Is Welcoming Refugees To Greece -- At Lesbos, Children's Pool Toys Are Evidence Of Dangerous Journey -- This Group Is Bringing A Much Needed Resource To Refugees In Greece: Clean Laundry -- Susan Sarandon Answered Your Questions About The Refugee Crisis. Here Are Her Best Replies. _ALSO 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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Melomakarona and kourambiedes are two Greek deserts that scream Christmas. Dimitris Stathakopoulos, Dr. of Sociology History at Panteion University, in Athens, as well as musicologist and lawyer decided to gather data and determine the etymological roots of the two words. Qurabiya in Azeri, Kurabiye in Turkish and kourambiedes in Greek come from the word “Kuru”
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MAMJODH/Flickr Bright stars top Christmas trees in Christian homes around much of the world. The faithful sing about the “Star of Wonder” that guided the wise men to a manger in the little town of Bethlehem, where Jesus was born. They’re commemorating the Star of Bethlehem described by the Evangelist Matthew in the New Testament. Is the star’s biblical description a pious fiction, or does it contain some astronomical truth? PUZZLES FOR ASTRONOMY To understand the Star of Bethlehem, we need to think like the three wise men. Motivated by this “star in the east,” they first traveled to Jerusalem and told King Herod the prophecy that a new ruler of the people of Israel would be born. We also need to think like King Herod, who asked the wise men when the star had appeared, because he and his court, apparently, were unaware of any such star in the sky. These events present us with our first astronomy puzzle of the first Christmas: How could King Herod’s own advisors have been unaware of a star so bright and obvious that it could have led the wise men to Jerusalem? Next, in order to reach Bethlehem, the wise men had to travel directly south from Jerusalem; somehow that “star in the east” “went before them, ‘til it came and stood over where the young child was.” Now we have our second first-Christmas astronomy puzzle: how can a star “in the east” guide our wise men to the south? The north star guides lost hikers to the north, so shouldn’t a star in the east have led the wise men to the east? And we have yet a third first-Christmas astronomy puzzle: how does Matthew’s star move “before them,” like the taillights on the snowplow you might follow during a blizzard, and then stop and stand over the manger in Bethlehem, inside of which supposedly lies the infant Jesus? WHAT COULD THE ‘STAR IN THE EAST’ BE? The astronomer in me knows that no star can do these things, nor can a comet, or Jupiter, or a supernova, or a conjunction of planets or any other actual bright object in the nighttime sky. One can claim that Matthew’s words describe a miracle, something beyond the laws of physics. But Matthew chose his words carefully and wrote “star in the east” twice, which suggests that these words hold a specific importance for his readers. Can we find any other explanation, consistent with Matthew’s words, that doesn’t require that the laws of physics be violated and that has something to do with astronomy? The answer, amazingly, is yes. ASTROLOGICAL ANSWERS TO ASTRONOMICAL PUZZLES Astronomer Michael Molnar points out that “in the east” is a literal translation of the Greek phrase en te anatole, which was a technical term used in Greek mathematical astrology 2,000 years ago. MAMJODH/FlickrIt described, very specifically, a planet that would rise above the eastern horizon just before the sun would appear. Then, just moments after the planet rises, it disappears in the bright glare of the sun in the morning sky. Except for a brief moment, no one can see this “star in the east.” We need a little bit of astronomy background here. In a human lifetime, virtually all the stars remain fixed in their places; the stars rise and set every night, but they do not move relative to each other. The stars in the Big Dipper appear year after year always in the same place. But the planets, the sun and the moon wander through the fixed stars; in fact, the word “planet” comes from the Greek word for wandering star. Though the planets, sun and moon move along approximately the same path through the background stars, they travel at different speeds, so they often lap each other. When the sun catches up with a planet, we can’t see the planet, but when the sun passes far enough beyond it, the planet reappears. And now we need a little bit of astrology background. When the planet reappears again for the first time and rises in the morning sky just moments before the sun, for the first time in many months after having been hidden in the sun’s glare for those many months, that moment is known to astrologers as a heliacal rising. MAMJODH/FlickrA heliacal rising, that special first reappearance of a planet, is what en te anatole referred to in ancient Greek astrology. In particular, the reappearance of a planet like Jupiter was thought by Greek astrologers to be symbolically significant for anyone born on that day. Thus, the “star in the east” refers to an astronomical event with supposed astrological significance in the context of ancient Greek astrology. What about the star parked directly above the first crèche? The word usually translated as “stood over” comes from the Greek word epano, which also had an important meaning in ancient astrology. It refers to a particular moment when a planet stops moving and changes apparent direction from westward to eastward motion. This occurs when the Earth, which orbits the sun more quickly than Mars or Jupiter or Saturn, catches up with, or laps, the other planet. Together, a rare combination of astrological events (the right planet rising before the sun; the sun being in the right constellation of the zodiac; plus a number of other combinations of planetary positions considered important by astrologers) would have suggested to ancient Greek astrologers a regal horoscope and a royal birth. WISE MEN LOOKING TO THE SKIES Molnar believes that the wise men were, in fact, very wise and mathematically adept astrologers. They also knew about the Old Testament prophecy that a new king would be born of the family of David. MAMJODH/FlickrMost likely, they had been watching the heavens for years, waiting for alignments that would foretell the birth of this king. When they identified a powerful set of astrological portents, they decided the time was right to set out to find the prophesied leader. If Matthew’s wise men actually undertook a journey to search for a newborn king, the bright star didn’t guide them; it only told them when to set out. And they wouldn’t have found an infant swaddled in a manger. After all, the baby was already eight months old by the time they decoded the astrological message they believed predicted the birth of a future king. The portent began on April 17 of 6 BC (with the heliacal rising of Jupiter that morning, followed, at noon, by its lunar occultation in the constellation Aries) and lasted until December 19 of 6 BC (when Jupiter stopped moving to the west, stood still briefly, and began moving to the east, as compared with the fixed background stars). By the earliest time the men could have arrived in Bethlehem, the baby Jesus would likely have been at least a toddler. Matthew wrote to convince his readers that Jesus was the prophesied Messiah. Given the astrological clues embedded in his gospel, he must have believed the story of the Star of Bethlehem would be convincing evidence for many in his audience. _David A Weintraub, Professor of Astronomy, Vanderbilt University_ _This article was originally published on The Conversation. Read the original article._ NOW WATCH: Animated map shows the history of immigration to the US
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GREEK Finance Minister Euclid Tsakalotos claimed during an interview with Spanish newspaper “El Mundo” that the GREEK government does not agree ...
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The Director of the IMF's European Department, Poul Thomsen, as well as other Fund executives are recommending that it withdraws from the GREEK ...
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Athens, December 24, 2015/Independent Balkan News Agency By Olga Mavrou Unhealthy smog is back because of fireplaces in Athens and other cities, due to the crisis. With the fall of temperatures many Greeks who can not afford electric heating or gas and heating oil, turn to wood and biomass. Since 2009 stoves and fireplaces increased firewood […]
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Athens, December 24, 2015/Independent Balkan News Agency By Olga Mavrou Hellenic Petroleum (ELPE) and Energean Oil & Gas, two Greek corporations, discussed with Energy Minister Panos Skourletis about the project of Arta-Preveza hydrocarbon block in western Greece. Skourletis said that their offers were equal, so the best solution, would be for them to cooperate. The problem […]
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At least 20 migrants, including eleven children, drowned when their overloaded boat sank in the Aegean Sea early yesterday while heading for the Greek island of Lesbos
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The GREEK prime minister also noted that big tax evaders will be given the opportunity to admit to their crime and pay up what they owe before the ...
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The thesis of this brief article is that reformism does not work and only leads to even greater sociopolitical conformity. This is as much the case today in ...
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… a statement on Thursday the Greek parliament for having officially and …
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Secretary of State John Kerry says, "the time is now to stop the killing in Syria and lay the groundwork for a government that the long-suffering people of that battered land can support." Ending the civil war in Syria can bring relief to the over 13 million Syrians who have suffered from food and medicine shortages. Peace in Syria can rally all the necessary power to defeat the terrorist group ISIS (Daesh) which has thrived because of the chaos of the war. Clearly we all need peace in Syria. That would be the best holiday gift for the whole world. _A group of Syrian refugees arrive on the island of Lesbos after traveling in an inflatable raft from Turkey, near Skala Sykaminias, Greece. The civil war has caused millions of Syrians to flee in desperation, often risking their lives on the dangerous journey. Only a peace treaty can end the suffering of the refugees. (UNHCR/A.McConnell)_ Yet, there are differences to be resolved as to how to implement peace after years of a brutal civil war. Not every nation agrees on who is to be represented in the Syrian peace talks and what to do with the Syrian dictator Assad. But the peace process should start right away, this holiday season, with a nationwide ceasefire between the government and rebels. Putting down the guns and allowing humanitarian aid to flow freely will save lives and help peace talks. This holiday season can inspire that peace. We should remember that on Christmas Eve, 1814 the United States and Great Britain signed a treaty that would end its many chapters of warfare. Yet the Treaty of Ghent did not resolve key differences between the two countries. But the two sides ultimately never returned to war. They let negotiations resolve disputes. _The signing of the Treaty of Ghent on Christmas Eve which ended the War of 1812 between Great Britain and United States. (courtesy of the National Archives)_ Within a few years the "Peace of Christmas Eve" had led to other agreements. The Rush-Bagot treaty of 1817, for instance, disarmed British and American warships on the Great Lakes and Lake Champlain. These Lakes were the scenes of battles during the War of 1812. The Rush-Bagot treaty avoided a costly arms race and the tensions that go with it. It reduced the risk of armed collision on the Lakes, which would have threatened the northern border. The British and American dispute over the Oregon territory could have sparked a new war as well. Negotiations were used instead. It makes for quiet, but good and peaceful history. This holiday season Syria can make its own start toward peace with a ceasefire. This would allow for farming and the other basics of life to resume. As Secretary Kerry stated last week, "a ceasefire is critical to the capacity of the parties to come together and be able to negotiate and to begin to deal with the problem of refugees, displaced people, the humanitarian crisis of Syria." Secretary Kerry Delivers Remarks on Syria at a Press Conference in New York. (State Department Photo) The World Food Programme (WFP) had called for a Syrian ceasefire earlier this year. The WFP director Ertharin Cousin stated, "Farmers need peace to harvest and to move their produce to markets. I am urging all sides to allow this to happen." No peace will be built in Syria with civilians suffering from hunger and poverty. Kerry adds, "It's our hope that a nationwide ceasefire can go into effect, excluding only Daesh and al-Nusrah and any other group that we might decide at some time to designate." There is no alternative to peace in Syria. That is the best route to defeating ISIS. Let's make a beginning with a nationwide ceasefire. It's time for Syrians to settle differences at the negotiating table, rather than on the battlefield. -- 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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Eighteen people lost their lives on Thursday when a boat transporting migrants and refugees to Greece, capsized off the Turkish coast, Greek media reports. Among the 18 casualties, there were six children. The boat was reportedly heading for the Greek island of Lesvos when the bad weather overturned it. This latest mass casualty in the Aegean
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Children from the national kindergarten, the music school of Ilion and the association “Kostilata” from the city of Arta sang the Christmas carols to Greek Prime Minister Alexis Tsipras at the Maximos mansion on Thursday. The prime minister along with State Ministers Nikos Pappas and Alekos Flambouraris and government spokesman Olga Gerovassili welcomed the children
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Two suspects attempted to remove merchandise from a business on GREECE Ridge Center Drive. One was apprehended by loss prevention, and the ...
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Ahead of a harsh winter, GREECE, with the support of its EU partners, is stepping up efforts to better tackle the refugee crisis in 2016, which has tested ...
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Delta Air Lines did not get its name from the Greek letter used by mathematicians and engineers as the symbol for change. Yet Delta is well on its way to becoming the symbol for change in the airline business thanks to some major departures from industry norms it has made and to even more dramatic changes that appear to be in the works, including setting up an offshore company to reduce the company’s exposure to U.S. taxes.
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GREEK Prime Minister Alexis Tsipras has issued an unprecedented apology to the LGBT community - as he passed a law giving same-sex couples ...
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Palestinian Authority's President Mahmoud Abbas on Monday announced plans to issue "State of Palestine" passports starting next year, replacing the ...
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Greece made a huge step towards civil rights, despite the fact that some Greek Bishop had the church bells ring in “mourning” for two days. Greece made a significant step to harmonize the country’s legislation with the legislation of other European countries and officially accept the realities of 21st century: […]
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Varoufakis’ fans across Europe, get ready! The former Finance Minister of Greece, Yanis Varoufakis plans to form a political party, a pan-european movement, as of February 2016. In an interview to Italian weekly magazine L’ Espresso, Varoufakis revealed his plans saying that his aim is to “democratize Europe.” Varoufakis said […]
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China Cosco Holding Co. is the sole bidder for a majority stake in Greece's Piraeus port, which is being privatized in a long-delayed deal, according to ...
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Wooden boat capsizes two miles off Bademli coast heading for Greek island of Lesbos At least 18 people have drowned after their overcrowded boat sank in the Aegean Sea on the way to the Greek island of Lesbos, in the latest tragedy involving refugees and migrants seeking to enter Europe. The wooden boat capsized in high waves two miles off the Bademli coast, the Dogan news agency reported. Related: Lesbos is swept by wave of compassion as refugees continue to arrive by sea Continue reading...
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Dear Compatriots,On the occasion of the Christmas and New Year holidays, I convey to you a message of optimism and hope from the homeland.In 2016 we continue united, with the common goal of bringing our country definitively out of the difficult straits of the economic and humanitarian crisis, implementing a programme for the reconstruction of our economy and society, with a focus on the individual and his needs. We are overcoming the entrenched problems and mistakes of the past in order to give the young generation the country we envision.In the certainty that you will stand as pioneers in this...
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Athens, December 24, 2015/ Independent Balkan News Agency By Olga Mavrou A boat with refugees sank early this morning near the west coasts of Turkey and while heading for the Greek island of Lesvos. The boat sank because of the bad weather conditions according to Turkish Dogan agency. Two adult refugees and 6 kids were […]
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Athens, December 24, 2015/Independent Balkan News Agency By Olga Mavrou The head of Eurogroup Jeroen Dijsselbloem admitted that in the early spring of 2015 he had asked the Greek Prime Minister Alexis Tsipras to remove the then Finance Minister of Greece Mr. Yanis Varoufakis from the negotiating team, but Mr. Tsipras had told him “this is up to the Greek government […]
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Athens, December 24, 2015/ Independent Balkan News Agency By Olga Mavrou Irish oil producer Petroceltic International Plc said it would sell its interests in projects in Egypt and Greece and that Merrill Lynch and Davy Corporate Finance are already appointed to begin negotiating with potential buyers. The oil and gas explorer Petroceltic is in distress […]
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Amnesty International said legalizing civil partnerships for gay couples was an “historic for Greece but more needs to be done yet. The post Amnesty Wants More Gay Rights appeared first on The National Herald.
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The Czech Republic is trying to soothe hard feelings created when President Milos Zeman took a shot at Greece's role in the Eurozone. The post Czechs Try to Mend Greek Ties appeared first on The National Herald.
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No one's been able to rein in big tax cheats in Greece but Prime Minister Alexis Tsipras again said he'll be the one to do it and warned them. The post Tsipras Warns Greek Tax Cheats appeared first on The National Herald.
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Greek voters surprised everybody, including all the experts, when they showed up en masse to vote for the new leader of the New Democracy Conservative party. The post New Democracy Brings New Hope appeared first on The National Herald.
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Still overwhelmed by migrants and refugees, Greece is setting up a special committee to work with volunteers and NGO's on islands. The post Greece Coordinates Refugee Mission appeared first on The National Herald.
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The Greek Orthodox Archdiocese of America issued a special announcement about two gifts honoring the memory of the late Archbishop Iakovos. The post Archdiocese Spotlights SNF’s Iakovos Donation appeared first on The National Herald.
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GREECE: MPs vote to legalise same-sex unions ... Communist Party of GREECE MPs joined the far-right Golden Dawn party in unanimously opposing ...
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