The EU needs “tangible and clear results on the ground” in the next 10 days to find a solution to the migration crisis, Migration Commissioner Dimitris Avramopoulos said after a meeting of EU justice and home affairs ministers in Brussels on Thursday. "Otherwise there is a danger, there is a risk that the whole system will completely break down," Avramopoulos told the media. Faced with increased migratory pressure, several countries within the Schengen zone have reintroduced checks at their internal borders since late 2015 in a move that threatens to destroy the EU’s area of passport-free travel. German Interior Minister Thomas de Maiziere said that by March 7, the EU would like to see“a significant reduction in the number of refugees at the border between Turkey and Greece." "Otherwise, there will have to be other joint, coordinated European measures," de Maiziere added. EU leaders will hold talks with Turkey on March 7 and their own summit on migration on March 18-19 before improving weather conditions allow for a rise in the number of migrant arrivals from Turkey to Greece across the Mediterranean. The ministers discussed the current migratory situation, including the monitoring of implementation of the measures already agreed at recent EU meetings on the migration issue. Particular attention was devoted to current developments on the Western Balkans route. A working breakfast took place in the margins of Thursday's Council with those member states most concerned and the ministers of non-EU Macedonia and Serbia. The Council said in a statement that it examined measures to prepare for the possible humanitarian consequences of the unilateral adoption of border controls. Over lunch, ministers discussed cooperation with Turkey in the presence of the Turkish Deputy Minister of Interior. Dutch Migration Minister Klaas Dijkhoff has said, as quoted in the statement: "We can solve this crisis if all member states are ready to work together, as well as work with the countries on the Western Balkan route and with Turkey. Today we confirmed again the importance of cooperating with each other through the exchange of information, by implementing what has already been agreed, and by assisting each other to do so." The Council also said that it agreed its negotiating position on the proposed regulation to reinforce checks against relevant databases at the EU’s external borders. On the basis of this mandate, the Netherlands presidency will start negotiations with the European Parliament as soon as the legislative body has adopted its position. "Strengthening our common external borders by reinforcing border controls is an important means to fight terrorism and protect the safety of European citizens", Dijkhoff said. The proposal obliges member states to carry out systematic checks on all persons, including persons enjoying the right of free movement under EU law (i.e. EU citizens and members of their families who are not EU citizens) when they cross the external border against databases on lost and stolen documents, as well as in order to verify that those persons do not represent a threat to public order and internal security. This obligation shall apply at all external borders (air, sea and land borders), both at entry and exit, according to the statement.
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Thursday, February 25, 2016
Migrants walk Greece roads north as borders clog, close; pair try suicide
IDEMITSU, GREECE – Groups of frustrated migrants, including families with small children, walked along northbound Greek highways Thursday hoping to reach Macedonia after authorities stopped their buses to ease a bottleneck on the practically blocked border.
Exploring GREEK Life
About a quarter of University of Miami students are involved in GREEK Life, but this week all of the campus is sporting the GREEK Week “Mix It Up” logo ...
Greek striker wants Socceroos switch
One of the Greek Super League's top strikers Apostolos Giannou could turn out for the Socceroos in their World Cup qualifiers against Tajikistan and Jordan in March. Born in Greece but raised in Melbourne, Giannou played for Greece in a 0-0 draw against ...
Greece fumes over Austria’s ‘hostile’ migration policy
Austria’s tough stance on migration is undermining the EU’s response to the refugee crisis, Greece’s interior minister told euronews on Thursday. Yiannis Mouzalas branded Vienna’s decision not to invite Greece to a mini-summit on the topic as ...
Why GREECE is angry about being excluded from migrants meeting
GREECE recalled its Austrian ambassador on Thursday, and expressed displeasure with a meeting of Balkan nations outlining a strategy for migration ...
Refugees attempt suicide by hanging from tree in Greece
Two men have attempted to commit suicide by hanging themselves from a tree in a central Athens square, in one of the latest scenes of desperation as thousands of refugees remain stranded inside Greece after being blocked from continuing their journey.
The Guardian view on the EU and the refugee crisis: stop arguing, and fix it
Europe knows what needs to be done. But fragmentation across the continent is making it harder to do Just in the last two months, over 100,000 people have fled to Europe. That’s already three times more than during the same period last year. Winter temperatures in the Mediterranean have not slowed the exodus, nor have measures taken by some EU member states aimed at discouraging arrivals, such as confiscating money from refugees or raising barbed wire. The greatest push factor is the Syrian war, recently heightened with the assault on Aleppo, which stubbornly grinds on. Thousands of families continue to find it preferable to attempt deadly crossings across Aegean waters, rather than to struggle in Turkey or be exposed to relentless air raids and sieges. Whatever small hopes may rest on the “cessation of hostilities” deadline in Syria – set for this Saturday – it is unlikely to stem the migration flows in the near future. Against this backdrop, the pressing need in Europe is for unity. But in meeting the challenge, every pressure seems to be pushing the other way. European divisions are growing, not being reduced. Athens on Thursday recalled its ambassador from Vienna, in effect accusing Austria of teaming up with other countries in the region to – in the words of the Greek migration minister – transform Greece into “Europe’s Lebanon”. The comparison was meant to highlight the possibility that, with borders closing to its north on the migrant trail, Greece could end up becoming a bottleneck for refugees on Europe’s south-eastern flank. If Greece were to welcome refugees in the same proportions that Lebanon has reached in recent years (one in five people in the country), it would be looking at an inflow of 2.2 million people. It is a far-fetched scenario, at this stage. Continue reading...
Case Study of Success: Virginia MBA Students Work With GREEK Winemaker to Introduce Product ...
Three American graduate business students visited Greece last year as part of their university's “Global Challenges” program. They met a GREEK ...
Chief appointed for GREEK privacy watchdog
Christos Zampiras was appointed head of the Hellenic Authority for Communication Security and Privacy (ADAE) on Thursday after a vote in ...
GREECE Recalls Austria Ambassador Amid Rift Over Migrant Crisis
BRUSSELS—European officials clashed Thursday over how to reduce the migrant influx into the continent, as GREECE recalled its ambassador to ...
20th Anniversary of the GREEK Chair at UMSL
On the occasion of the 20th anniversary of the establishment of the GREEK Chair at the University of Missouri in St. Louis, I am pleased to mail you a ...
Europe's free travel will end unless Turkey halts migrant flow, officials say
BRUSSELS (Reuters) - Europe's cherished free-travel zone will shut down unless Turkey acts to cut the number of migrants heading north through Greece by March 7, European Union officials said on Thursday.
ADEDY Will Join GSEE’s March Protest on March 9
The General Confederation of Greek Workers (GSEE) has scheduled a protest march for March 9 against the government’s plan for the reform of the pension system. Today, the executive committee of The Civil Servants’ Confederation (ADEDY) announced that Greece’s largest public sector union will also take part in the protest march organized by Greece’s largest
The Majority of Greeks Declared Incomes Less Than 10,000 Euros for 2015
According to a report by the Hellenic Federation of Enterprises seeking to analyze the distribution of tax burdens, 1.2 million taxpayers filed zero income for 2015, while 4.6 million taxpayers (the equivalent of 53.6% of the nation’s taxpayers) declared income of no more than 10,000 euros and contributed 7.5% of government revenues from individual income
Judges give insight on Greek Awards decisions
Being a judge for the Greek Awards was an easy choice for junior Jenny Nguyen, president of the Panhellenic Council. However, picking the Outstanding Fraternity was not. “Each chapter has really grown throughout 2015, and each chapter displays their ...
Pupils go potty over ancient Greek art
CAMELSDALE Primary School pupils has been working closely with Grayshott Pottery with its Year 6 ancient Greeks art and design project. The children have been learning about and writing their own Greek myths. They also studied ancient Greek pattern work ...
Greeksphone: A Phone Specifically for Greek Australians
The ΙΤ company “OKnetTV” has launched a new smartphone that is specifically designed for the Greek expatriates in Australia and specifically for those who are not that familiar with technology. “Greeksphone” is launched in collaboration with ASUS ...
Migrants stranded on Greece's highways as borders close
IDOMENI, Greece (AP) — Groups of frustrated migrants, including families with small children, walked along north-bound Greek highways Thursday hoping to reach Macedonia after authorities stopped their buses to ease a bottleneck on the practically blocked ...
Europe's Refugee Crisis Splits Members; GREECE Recalls Austrian Ambassador for “Unfriendly Act”
One would think a conference on Europe's refugee crisis would include GREECE— the nation that saw 1 million refugees pass through its borders last ...
Europe braces for major 'humanitarian crisis' in GREECE after row over refugees
A child holds a Greek flag as riot police look on during a protest on a highway at Tempe valley near the city of Larissa, GREECE. Photograph: Giorgos ...
Greece pulls Austria envoy as migrant crisis nears breaking point
Brussels (AFP) - Greece furiously recalled its ambassador from Austria and Brussels warned the bloc's migration system could collapse within ten days as Europe's refugee crisis neared breaking point on Thursday. Further chaos loomed as a French court ...
In Athens, thousands of Afghan refugees are living in public parks as their path north is blocked
Thousands of Afghans are again languishing in public parks in Greece after being turned away from neighboring Macedonia in a decision that intensifies the spotlight on Europe’s efforts to stanch an influx of refugees. Macedonia — a pathway to northern Europe — declared Sunday that it would allow...
Gazprom set to team up with Italy, Greece in Europe-bound natural gas deliveries
Russian energy giant has signed a memorandum of understanding with Italian energy firm Edison and Greek gas company DEPA on natural gas deliveries from Russia to the future gas pipeline ITGI
Pros and Cons of Going Greek
With the campus buzzing about rush, you might be wondering whether Greek life is for you. You might hear members discuss their experiences within their organization or new members talkabout what it was like to go through the process of joining. Deciding ...
Greece: Eurovision stars join pro refugee campaign
Greek Eurostars join their voices with 54 personalities from Youtube, Artists and Athletes in order to raise awareness over the Refugee Crisis in Greece. The first Greek Youtube campaign aims to raise awareness over the Refugee Crisis which Europe is ...
Photo Gallery: Engineering, Greek Weeks combine
The Miami Hurricane is the student newspaper of the University of Miami in Coral Gables, Fla. The newspaper is edited and produced by undergraduate students at UM and is published semi-weekly on Mondays and Thursdays during the regular academic year.
Everything you should know about Elektra, the femme fatale of 'Daredevil' season 2
[elektra-mask]Netflix Netflix just released its second full trailer for "Daredevil," showing off Matt Murdock's deadly former flame, Elektra Natchios. Elodie Yung will star as Elektra, the mysterious assassin with a lot to hide. Who is Elektra and why should you care? She's deeply tied to Matt's past, his mentor, and the upcoming battle to save Hell's Kitchen. Don't know much about the Grecian femme fatale? Here's what you should know about Elektra before her Daredevil season two drops on March 18. ELEKTRA FIRST APPEARED IN 1981'S "DAREDEVIL #168" AS "ELECKTRA." SHE BEGAN AS A ONE-OFF CHARACTER, BUT WENT ON TO HAVE AN EXPANDED, COMPLICATED LOVE STORY WITH MATT. Marvel In the comics, Elektra Natchios is a Greek law student who Matt first meets at Columbia University in New York. She's the daughter of a Greek ambassador, but both she and her father are kidnapped and held for ransom. Matt tries and fails to rescue his then-girlfriend and her father is killed as a result. Elektra, feeling helpless, left school to begin training in martial arts, vowing to never be that weak again. THEY MAY BE HEADING DOWN A SIMILAR PATH IN THE SHOW. IN SEASON ONE, FOGGY ASKED MATT ABOUT A "GREEK GIRL" HE USED TO DATE. Marvel/Netflix Last season, during a flashback, Foggy references Elektra while he and Matt are still Columbia students. This seems like a nod to Elektra and Matt's original story, though we aren't sure yet how much will stay the same. IN THE COMICS, ELEKTRA WAS ALSO TRAINED BY MATT'S MENTOR. Netflix Interestingly, when Elektra began training her mentor was also Stick, Matt's blind mentor who appeared in the first season. In season one, Stick shows up unannounced (frustrating Matt, who felt like Stick abandoned him) and tells Matt of a war involving both Fisk's thugs and the Japanese mafia. In the new trailer, he returns and warns Matt that "The Hand" are even more powerful than he realizes. Stick's reappearance in Elektra's "Daredevil" trailer also implies that her training with him will also remain the same. Although she's debuting for the first time in season two, it's clear she has many ties to the first season and Matt's past. SEE THE REST OF THE STORY AT BUSINESS INSIDER
Hell is other people, for Swedes
EUROPEANS can sometimes seem like a miserable bunch. The continent has produced downbeat writers such as Jean-Paul Sartre (“hell is other people”) and philosophers such as Slavoj Zizek (“What does love feel like? Like a great misfortune”). But although there are many reasons for Europeans to feel gloomy at present—from a migration crisis stretching from Greece to Germany to the possibility that Britain, one of the fastest-growing economies in Europe, may leave the European Union—many, instead, seem to be becoming ever cheerier. Most Europeans are, on average, at their happiest since the financial crisis. In 2008 76% of EU citizens said they were satisfied with their lives. That number is now 80%, according to the Eurobarometer survey, which has tracked self-reported happiness for over four decades. Those in northern European countries, such as Denmark and Sweden, are consistently the most content. But some countries have bucked the trend. According to Ruut Veenhoven, a professor at Erasmus University in Rotterdam who has been analysing data on happiness for decades, people in Greece and Portgual have become gloomier over the past three...
Greek PM to Meet With Leader of Progressive Alliance of Socialists and Democrats
Greek Prime Minister Alexis Tsipras will meet tomorrow with the President of Progressive Alliance of Socialists and Democrats, Gianni Pittella, to discuss the refugee and migrant crisis. Mr. Pittella has been a strong supporter of Greece’s efforts to ...
Win Tickets To See Alabama Shakes At The Greek!
Alabama Shakes is already having quite the year. Not only did the group earn six GRAMMY nominations, they won four (Best Alternative Music Album, Best Rock Performance, Best Rock Song, and Best Engineered Album, Non-Classical) AND delivered one of the best ...
The Latest: Hungary increases razor wire production
The Latest: 400 migrants walk out of GREEK camp. Updated 3:22 am, Thursday, February 25, 2016. A migrant walks in the mud in a makeshift camp ...
Economists at Citi are (still) worried about a global recession (DIA, C, SPX, SPY, QQQ, TLT, IWM)
[bear globe on fire] Economists at Citi are still pretty worried about a global recession. Now, Citi defines global recession as GDP growth less than 2% globally. Which while maybe not fitting a recession definition that requires a contraction in economic output, is still pretty disappointing when you consider that for all of its problems, China — the world's second-largest economy — is set to grow more than 6% this year. (And I mean, sure, that's sort of the whole point: is China really growing at that pace?) Anyway, here's the case from a note Thursday out of Citi's economics team led by Ebrahim Rahbari, Willem Buiter, and Cesar Rojas (emphasis ours): WE BELIEVE THAT WE ARE CURRENTLY IN A HIGHLY PRECARIOUS ENVIRONMENT FOR GLOBAL GROWTH AND ASSET MARKETS AFTER 2-3 YEARS OF RELATIVE CALM. The most recent deterioration in the global outlook is due to a moderate worsening in the prospects for the advanced economies (AE), a large increase in the uncertainty about the AE outlook (notably for the US) and a tightening in financial conditions everywhere. Unlike most of the previous years, the most recent worsening in global growth prospects and global sentiment is therefore driven by the advanced economies rather than EM. THE GROWING THREAT TO THE GLOBAL OUTLOOK RESTS ON POOR FUNDAMENTALS, WHICH INCLUDE THE PRE-EXISTING FRAGILITIES RELATED TO THE STRUCTURAL AND CYCLICAL SLOWDOWNS IN CHINA AND ITS UNSUSTAINABLE CURRENCY REGIME, BROKEN [EMERGING MARKET] GROWTH MODELS, EXCESSIVE LEVERAGE ACROSS MANY COUNTRIES AND SECTORS, AND RISING REGIONAL RISKS (BREXIT) AND GEOPOLITICAL RISKS (INCLUDING IN RUSSIA, TURKEY AND SYRIA, THE SOUTH CHINA SEA, AND NORTH KOREA). These fundamental concerns are aggravated by a crisis of confidence that is in part fueled by a growing worry that, should conditions deteriorate, they may not elicit an effective policy response. The main ‘game changers’ in our view are the emerging belief that even the US economy is no longer bullet-proof and that policymakers (in the US and elsewhere) may not be there to come to the rescue of their own economies, let alone the world economy, by propping up asset prices and aggregate demand. IT IS LIKELY, IN OUR VIEW, THAT GLOBAL GROWTH WILL THIS YEAR ONCE AGAIN UNDERPERFORM (AGAINST LONG-TERM TRENDS AND PREVIOUS YEAR FORECASTS). CITI'S LATEST FORECASTS ARE FOR GLOBAL GROWTH OF 2.5% IN 2016 (BASED ON MARKET EXCHANGE RATES AND OFFICIAL STATISTICS) AND AROUND 2.2% (ADJUSTED FOR PROBABLE CHINESE MISMEASUREMENT). BUT IN OUR VIEW, THE RISK OF A GLOBAL GROWTH RECESSION (GROWTH BELOW 2%) IS HIGH AND RISING. So that's basically the whole laundry list of reasons to be worried about the global economy. And what stands out to us is Citi's contention that even a minor issue in the US economy could sink the whole thing. Citi again (and again, our emphasis): A MATERIAL SLOWDOWN IN THE US, EVEN SHORT OF A RECESSION, WOULD STILL BE A MAJOR HEADWIND FOR THE WORLD ECONOMY: AT THIS POINT, IT COULD MAKE A GLOBAL RECESSION ACCORDING TO OUR DEFINITION ALMOST UNAVOIDABLE. The damage to global growth conditions would come from three sources: deteriorating financial conditions globally, weaker demand from the US and weakening (consumer and business) sentiment more broadly (through contagion). And while economic growth in the US certainly slowed into the end of 2015, news from the economy in 2016 has been less bad, if still mixed. On Wednesday, for example, we got some very discouraging news about growth in the services sector 0f the economy — which accounts for about 85% of GDP. This, however, was bookended by positive housing data out Tuesday morning and a solid labor market reading out Thursday morning. Expect this debate to continue. SEE ALSO: PAUL KRUGMAN ON GREECE, EUROPE, BREXIT, THE US ELECTION, AND MONETARY POLICY Join the conversation about this story » NOW WATCH: There's something unsettling about these photos from NASA's Curiosity Mars rover
Austria responds to Greek ambassador recall
Austrians less willing to spend due to Greek... Responding to Athens' decision to recall the Greek ambassador to Vienna for "consultations", Austria’s Foreign Ministry on Thursday responded with renewed criticism of Greece and its handling of refugee ...
Two Refugees Attempt to Hang Themselves in Victoria Square
Two refugees attempted to hang themselves from trees in Victoria Square, in Athens. Fortunately, both men are well in their health, as police officers and an ambulance rushed to the spot in order to provide them with medical assistance. The two refugees tried to commit suicide after feeling desperate that they are trapped in Greece
Economic Forum Opens on Friday in Delphi
The Delphi Economic Forum bringing together more than 140 speakers from Greece, Europe and the United States covering the fields of politics, academics, enterprises and journalism, will be held in the Delphi European Cultural Center February 26-28. The forum, held under the auspices of the President of the Republic Prokopis Pavlopoulos, will bring together top
MIG President Vgenopoulos Attacks Government of Cyprus, Greek Justice System, and Journalist Vaxevanis
The President of Marfin Investment Group (MIG), Andreas Vgenopoulos, accused the government of Cyprus in a press interview today with making outrageous financial claims against Greece. Specifically, he said that the now defunct Popular Bank had filed a ...
Flight Deal of the Day: U.S. to Greece for Under $625
Air France is betting big on spring travel to Greece, and they're promoting great deals from the United States to Athens. Flights from New York's JFK to the Greek capital begin at $622, flights from Baltimore-Washington begin at $652, and flights from Los ...
Diplomatic war over migrants escalates in Europe
Athens recalled its ambassador to Vienna to protest unilateral moves that are leaving a bottleneck of migrants in Greece.
NATO Agreement to Patrol Aegean Sea Is Done Deal, Says Greek Defense Minister
Greece’s Minister of Defense Panos Kammenos announced today that the NATO agreement for patrols in the Aegean Sea has been reached and that alliance vessels to participate in the operations are on their way over. “Regarding NATO, the agreement was ...
Ukrainian Greek Catholic head says Pope's meeting with Russian Patriarch start of a path
The head of the Ukrainian Greek Catholic Church, who was seen as critical of the efficacy of Pope Francis and Russian Patriarch Kirill signing a joint statement, has clarified his comments saying the meeting was of historical importance. "I agree to call ...
Refugee Tensions Deepen As GREECE Pulls Austrian Ambassador
26/05/2015_Kos Refugee A Syrian refugee prays on the beach on the Greek island of Kos, May 26, 2015. GREECE is rowing with other EU states over ...
Greece recalls Vienna envoy for consultations in migrant spat
Greece said on Feb. 25 it was recalling its ambassador in Vienna for consultations, in an ongoing spat with Austria over the handling of Europe's migration crisis
Breakfast Buzz spotlights Ari's Greek
ST LOUIS -- There's a corner in St. Louis where a Greek festival happens every weekend, in a way. Ari's Greek at Hampton and Arsenal is the focus of this week's Today in St. Louis "Breakfast Buzz". The family-owned restaurant offers an all-you-can-eat ...
The IMF and the new GREEK restructuring program
For Greece watchers, a recent article by Poul Thomsen, the director of the International Monetary Fund's (IMF) European Department, will have made ...
GREEK Council plans constitution rewrite
At the beginning of this month GREEK Council announced it would be reviewing and revising its constitution. GREEK Council has established a ...
European Commission: Any new gas pipelines should meet all EU standards
Om Wednesday, Gazprom, Edison and DEPA signed a memorandum on gas supplies from Russia over the Black Sea bottom from third countries to Greece and from Greece to Italy
Cyprus cuts military service for Greek Cypriot youth
Maltese- Cypriot Ministers to discuss over... In statements after the Council`s meeting, Defence Minister Christoforos Fokaides said that conscripts who joined in the summer of 2015 will serve 18 months, while new conscripts will serve 14 months.
Greece recalls envoy in migrant row
Greece recalls its ambassador to Austria amid sharp divisions among EU states over the migrant crisis.
GREEK capital buckling under pressure as the number of stranded migrants grows
The Hellenic Red Cross provides emergency relief to the Afghan migrants and those who are denied access in Greece to the rest of the migratory ...