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Welcome, 77 artists, 40 different points of Attica welcomes you by singing Erotokritos an epic romance written at 1713 by Vitsentzos Kornaros

Wednesday, May 11, 2016

‘My Big Fat Greek Wedding 2’ star finds student's ID, reaches out on social media

A student at California State University – Northridge would have been without her college ID had it not been for the help of Nia Vardalos and her Instagram followers. The “My Big Fat Greek Wedding 2” creator and star took to her social media account ...


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Greek Debt Heads to G7 Summit in Tokyo

Greek debt talks are due to take place at the Group of Seven (G7) summit of finance ministers at Tokyo, Japan, from May 18-20. The summit, ahead of the crucial Eurogroup meeting of Eurozone ministers on May 24, will bring together basic players involved in ...


READ THE ORIGINAL POST AT greece.greekreporter.com

OPINION: GREECE, the Punching Ball of Germany

ROME, May 11 2016 (IPS) - GREECE is again in the media, because a new negotiation is due between the embattled country and its creditors.


READ THE ORIGINAL POST AT www.ipsnews.net

ContiTech shuts down Greek conveyor belt plant

Volos, Greece – ContiTech Imas SA, the Greek subsidiary ContiTech AG, has stopped production of conveyor belts due what it said, to be “the continuing global economic downturn in the commodity market and particularly the lignite mining industry.”


READ THE ORIGINAL POST AT www.european-rubber-journal.com

Why Greece Still Needs Debt Relief

The Greek debt crisis is the crisis that never stops giving. More than six years have now passed since the crisis broke, and the country is still struggling to get its finances under control. In the latest installment, Greek lawmakers agreed early Monday ...


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Villagers to sue GREEK minister over refugee camp

Six people from the GREEK village of Idomeni close to the border with Macedonia have filed a suit against a government minister, accusing the state of ...


READ THE ORIGINAL POST AT aa.com.tr

The Latest: Man Gets 10 Years in Prison for Robbing Migrants

2:30 p.m. The Greek ambassador has returned to Austria, formally ending strains that began after the shut-down of the migrant route to central Europe left tens of thousands stranded in Greece. The closing of the West Balkan route was orchestrated in ...


READ THE ORIGINAL POST AT www.newsmax.com

Libya's ancient sites not exposed to same risk as in Syria, Iraq

By Aidan Lewis TUNIS (Reuters) - Libya has not faced the same risk to its antiquities as Syria and Iraq, though there is evidence Islamic Sate is involved in the smuggling of antiquities, Libyan and international experts said on Wednesday. The most famous classical sites have remained largely undamaged, though some illegally excavated artefacts are being smuggled out of the country and Islamist fighters have targeted mosques and Sufi shrines, the experts said on the sidelines of conference on how to protect Libya's cultural heritage. Libya is rich in ancient sites, including some of North Africa's finest Roman and Greek ruins as well as prehistoric rock art in the desert region of Fezzan.


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Water is the biggest risk to the global economy

[india drought]Amit Dave/Reuters It doesn't take long to draw up some crisis that could damage the global economy. China's slowdown, ever-increasing emerging market debt, political instability in the Middle East, and the breakup of the European Union all pose serious risks. None of those worries compare to the real danger according to Joe Quinlan, strategist at Bank of America Merril Lynch's US Trust. "They all represent known unknowns—or externalities already acknowledged and discounted by the capital markets," wrote Quinlan. "That’s the good news. The bad news: NONE OF THE HAZARDS JUST MENTIONED ARE AS REMOTELY AS THREATENING TO THE GLOBAL ECONOMY AS WATER-RELATED CLIMATE CHANGE RISKS, a dynamic little understood by investors." Quinlan believes that climate change will decrease the supply of water available not only for human consumption but also industrial use to dangerously low levels. Without the water, which he calls the "lifeblood of the global economy", it will be impossible for economies to function from the human toll to the simple fact many industries are water-intensive Quinlan cited a World Bank report that lays out just how dire the situation is. 1.6 billion could be subject to serious water scarcity within 20 years, while global water demand could shoot up as much as 50% by 2050. Industrial water demand could increase 50-70% by 2050, according to World Bank estimates. India's difficult water situation over the past two years is the perfect example of this trend, according to Quinlan. Here's his breakdown (emphasis added): None other than India, the newly anointed growth champion of the world economy, is in the grips of a two-year drought that threatens the economic livelihood of more than 300 million people. Because water levels in India’s 91 reservoirs are at their lowest levels in decades, agricultural output has declined, while electricity generation has plummeted. Dams are parched, factories are operating below capacity, and the lack of safe drinking water has put the health of millions of people at risk. Water wars have erupted between states, making the crisis all that more acute for the national government. ADD IT ALL UP AND THE WORLD’S STRONGEST EMERGING MARKET IS BEING LAID LOW BY A CLIMATE-INDUCED WATER CRISIS. In order to alleviate these concerns, Quinlan said, governments and private firms will need to invest extensively in conservation and means to combat the global crisis, or risk it totally decimating growth. According to Quinlan's estimates, the world water industry already generates around $450 billion a year and that is poised to increase as the globe confronts this issue. If that doesn't happen, there could be dire consequences. "Global climate change—or the increasing frequency and severity of droughts, floods and violent storms—has added another dangerous element and layer to the world’s mounting water crisis," concluded Quinlan. "This slow-motion crisis of the past few decades is now accelerating, creating plenty of risks to global growth but also multiple investment opportunities." NOW WATCH: FORMER GREEK FINANCE MINISTER: The single largest threat to the global economy


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Dow down 200

[argra]http://www.investing.com/indices/us-30 Stocks traded lower on Wednesday after a number of key stocks were dragged down by weak earnings. It's a quiet day for economic data. Disney shares tumbled by as much as 5% after the company missed on earnings for the first time in five years.  Disney's decline was the most on the Dow and dragged down the index. Near 2:50 p.m. ET, it was down 209 points (1.17%), the S&P 500 was down 17 points (0.8%) and the Nasdaq was down 39 points (0.8%).  Stocks finished strong on Tuesday, with the Dow gaining 222 points, or 1.3%. Macy's tanked 9% after the retailer cut its guidance for profits this year, and confirmed that retail is still a tough business to be in right now. Other retail stocks were getting crushed in trading, and the XRT exchange-traded fund that tracks the sector fell by as much as 3.6%. West Texas Intermediate crude futures gained 3% to $46.30 after the Energy Information Administration reported an unexpected draw in oil inventories last week by 3.4 million barrels.  Staples fell by as much as 15%, and Office Depot cratered 34% after both companies scrapped their planned merger. A federal judge had paused the deal on antitrust concerns. NOW WATCH: FORMER GREEK FINANCE MINISTER: The single largest threat to the global economy


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GREECE'S good Eurogroup meeting and Facebook bias allegations

A very good Eurogroup meeting for GREECE and a very good Eurogroup meeting for Europe – that's how Euclid Tsakalotos described Monday's ...


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A glossary, so it's not all GREEK to you at GREEK Fest

Father Andrew Koufopoulos pondered the question for scarcely a second, mental calculations whirring toward a total. How much of GREEK Fest's draw ...


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Rare copy of Aristotle's De animalibus to be auctioned for first time in 125 years

The 15th-century edition of the Greek philosopher’s examination of zoology has not been up for sale since 1891 and is estimated to fetch up to $500,000 The rediscovery of a 15th-century illuminated edition of Aristotle’s De animalibus (On Animals) in Tennessee late last year was “pretty incredible”, said Christina Geiger, director of fine books and manuscripts at Bonhams auction house in New York. Not only is the book an “incunable” – printed before 1501, when the ink was still wet on moveable type – but this deluxe copy was printed on vellum, or animal skin. Only one other copy exists and it belongs to the Bibliothèque Nationale in Paris. Aristotle, who lived from 384 to 322 BC, was a keen observer of natural history, and the three texts that comprise De animalibus reveal his aptitude for zoology, physiology, and embryology; he describes more than 500 species. He explains, for example, the development of a chick embryo and makes astute deductions about the anatomy of marine animals, such as whales, dolphins, octopi, and crustaceans that have been called “remarkably accurate”. Even paper copies of this edition of De animalibus are scarce; only three have come to auction since 1978. Continue reading...


READ THE ORIGINAL POST AT www.theguardian.com

Low and slow is the way to go with this Greek chicken dinner

… first time I prepared this Greek chicken dish, I hoped it … in the details. Slow cooker Greek chicken Start to finish: 5 …


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acquires stake in Greek insurance company European Reliance

… of further restructuring of the Greek financial sector, the European Bank … top 10 insurance companies in Greece. With this investment the EBRD … EBRD's activities in Greece. Our investment will support a …


READ THE ORIGINAL POST AT world.einnews.com

Ben Needham abducted from Kos, GREECE, in black speedboat by Nikos

COPS have been told missing tot Ben Needham was snatched, renamed Andreas, and taken away from the Greek holiday island he disappeared on.


READ THE ORIGINAL POST AT www.dailystar.co.uk

WATCH: Disappointed Migrants Swim Back To Turkey From GREECE

Four so-called 'refugees', ostensibly fleeing war and persecution, have attempted to swim back to Turkey from GREECE shortly after arriving in Europe.


READ THE ORIGINAL POST AT www.breitbart.com

TUI AG to acquire Transat's French, GREEK units

German tour operator, TUI AG, has offered to purchase Transat France and Tourgreece from Canadian travel specialist, Transat A.T. Inc., for an ...


READ THE ORIGINAL POST AT www.ch-aviation.com

GREEK politicians' wealth declarations made public

Golden Dawn leader Nikos Michaloliakos and his wife and party MP Eleni Zaroulia declared a joint annual income of 271,000 euros in 2013, the ...


READ THE ORIGINAL POST AT www.ekathimerini.com

Clinton's Son-In-Law To Close GREEK Hedge Fund After 90 Percent Drop

Hillary Clinton's son-in-law, Marc Mezvinsky, is about to shut down the GREEK-focused hedge fund that he founded two years ago. Mezvinsky is ...


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1st Trilateral Political Consultations between Secretaries General of the Ministries of Foreign ...

JOINT STATEMENT 1st Trilateral Political Consultations between Secretaries General of the Ministries of Foreign Affairs of Greece, Cyprus and Lebanon, Athens, May 11, 2016 Following the meeting of the Foreign Ministers of Cyprus, Lebanon and Greece in Brussels, on the 15th of February 2016, the 1st Trilateral Political Consultations at the level of the Secretary General of the respective Ministries of Foreign Affairs were hosted in Athens on the 11th of May, 2016, by the Secretary General of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Greece,  Ambassador Dimitrios Paraskevopoulos,  and attended by the Permanent Secretary, Ambassador Alexandros N. Zenon,...


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Joint press conference of Foreign Minister Kotzias and the Foreign Minister of Austria, ...

S. KURZ: Ladies and gentlemen, a heartfelt welcome. Dear ladies and gentlemen, dear Mr. Minister of Foreign Affairs, I welcome you cordially to our press conference.Today we had a very in-depth conversation. I am happy to have welcomed you inVienna, on your first bilateral visit, and at the same time I extend to the Ambassador, who returned once again to Austria, a warm welcome to Vienna.I am very pleased that we had this exchange of opinions today, as Greece and Austria are two states that are collaborating in the European Union, and they are also two states that, on many...


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Greek Ambassador Returns to Vienna

VIENNA— The Greek Ambassador Chryssoula Aliferi returned to Austria on Wednesday, formally ending the strain in the relationship between the two nations that began after the migrant route to central Europe was shut down, leaving thousands of refugees stranded in Greece. The closing of the West Balkans route was orchestrated in Austria, and Greece reacted by pulling its ambassador back to Athens […]


READ THE ORIGINAL POST AT www.thenationalherald.com

Greek Graffiti: The Anti-Austerity Writing’s on the Wall

ATHENS – Graffiti – whether erotic or angry scrawled and artistic rages against society or rulers – is as ancient as Greece itself. Indeed, the word originates from the Greek γράφειν — graphein — meaning “to write” and the first known example survives in the ancient Greek city of Ephesus, in modern Turkey. Local guides […]


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Spain is the most popular destination for Brits this summer but the best bargains are in Greece, according to TripAdvisor

Spain is the most popular destination for Brits this summer according to a new report by TripAdvisor. Coming top of the list was the Spanish island of Majorca, followed by Tenerife and Ibiza. Greece and Portugal were also featured but New York was the only ...


READ THE ORIGINAL POST AT www.dailymail.co.uk

One paragraph nails everything wrong with big-box retailers like Gap and Macy's

[abandoned department store mall]Chaiwat Subprasom/Reuters Retail companies are struggling. On Wednesday, Macy's reported dismal earnings and the entire industry is sinking in the markets. As if there needed to be anything else, Fitch Ratings cut the grade on mega-retailer Gap's debt into junk territory at BB+. In the decision, the rating agency did an impressively succinct job at describing the massive amounts of problems facing big-box retailers right now. Here's Fitch: Gap operates in a challenging mid-market apparel sector, which has been characterized by lack of a strong product cycle and sales bifurcation to higher-end aspirational brands and lower-end fast fashion and off-price channels. Gap and its peers have seen volatile sales results and have needed to use significant omnichannel investments and higher-than-expected markdowns to drive sales. Let's break that down. First, there's product problems. Consumers have been increasingly spurning the product mix offered at large department stores like Macy's and mid-market retailers such as Gap. Tastes, and wallets, have instead shifted to cheaper fast fashion products and high-end stores. In turn, this has hurt Gap and others bottom lines and spurred costly investments in stores in order to attract more customers. In fact, stores such as Macy's, Nordstrom, and others have all attempted to attract customers at different, more popular price points by creating fast fashion-type stores such as Nordstrom Rack and Macy's Backstage. Additionally, these retailers are also being forced to invest in growing their online segment as more shoppers are shifting online. The problem is, online sales have a lower profit margin and the technology investments needed are costly. Basically, one solution to slower sales has been to spend more on capital investments to chase where customers are actually shopping, whether it be destination or price point. The other solution that Fitch hits on is markdowns. In order to move the large back-up of inventory many of these companies have built up, they've been forced to mark down prices to move the products. This leads to lower margins and worse results. Fitch hits all of these issues in one paragraph: changing tastes, costly investments, and necessary markdowns. Thus, the carnage in retail stocks. NOW WATCH: FORMER GREEK FINANCE MINISTER: The single largest threat to the global economy


READ THE ORIGINAL POST AT www.businessinsider.com

Police want to hear from caller who rang in 1993 about missing Ben Needham

Detectives are in Greece trying to solve the mystery of what happened to British toddler Ben Needham, who vanished on the island of Kos in 1991. They have offered a 12,500 euros reward.


READ THE ORIGINAL POST AT www.dailymail.co.uk

Family friendly: It's all GREEK to us

Houston GREEK Fest. Held on the grounds of St. Basil the Great Cathedral, this annual festival is filled with traditional music and dance, an outdoor ...


READ THE ORIGINAL POST AT www.chron.com

Austria, Greece bury the hatchet after migrant spat

[Foreign minister of Greece Nikos Kotzias (R) and his Austrian counterpart Sebastian Kurz give a press conference in Vienna, Austria on May 11, 2016]Austria and Greece's foreign ministers said Wednesday that they have buried the hatchet after differences over Europe's migrant crisis prompted a chill in relations.


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Berlin must be careful what it wishes for

There is no good alternative to helping the Greeks in the task before them, writes Mark Mazower


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Migrant deal in question as Turkey refuses terror law change

[A woman walk with her baby on fields as a group of refugees and migrants leave the northern Greek border point of Idomeni, Greece, on Tuesday May 10, 2016. About 54,000 refugees and migrants are currently stranded in Greece as 10,000 are camped in Idomeni, after the European Union and Turkey reached a deal designed to stem the flow of refugees into Europe’s prosperous heartland. (AP Photo/Petros Giannakouris)]BRUSSELS (AP) — Turkey has officially refused to change its anti-terror laws to satisfy European Union demands as part of its efforts to secure visa-free travel to Europe for Turkish citizens, raising questions about the future of the EU's migrant deal with Ankara.


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There's A Little Pocket Of Heaven Hiding In Greece

I recently discovered a secret Greece has been hiding from the … Empire's reign over Greece at risk by Turkish raiders … aptly named Meteora which in Greek means "suspended in the … heavily tourist inundated country like Greece, you just have to be …


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Greek evangelical leader urges churches to unite in service of refugees

Churches must form a united front in response to the refugee crisis, leading by example rather than hiding behind politicians, according to the head of the Evangelical Church of Greece. "We cannot engage only in worshipping God without really helping ...


READ THE ORIGINAL POST AT www.christiantoday.com

Greece stocks lower at close of trade; Athens General-Composite down 0.81%

Investing.com – Greece stocks were lower after the close on Wednesday, as losses in the Retail, Utilities and Banking sectors led shares lower. At the close in Athens, the Athens General-Composite declined 0.81%. Falling stocks outnumbered advancing ones ...


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One Target is getting a Chobani Cafe (yes, the GREEK yogurt people)

The GREEK yogurt giant Chobani is getting a cafe – inside a Target. The Minneapolis-based retailer said Wednesday morning the Chobani Cafe will be ...


READ THE ORIGINAL POST AT bringmethenews.com

Hillary Clinton's Son-In-Law Lost Big on His GREEK Hedge Fund Bet

The son-in-law of presumptive Democratic presidential nominee Hillary Clinton is reportedly closing a hedge fund he started that bet on a GREEK ...


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Greek ambassador back in Austria after spat over migrants

VIENNA (AP) — The Greek ambassador returned to Austria on Wednesday, formally ending strains that began after the shut-down of the migrant route to central Europe left tens of thousands of people stranded in Greece.


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Hillary Clinton's son-in-law is shutting down one of his funds

[mark Mezvinsky] Marc Mezvinsky, Democratic presidential nominee Hillary Clinton's son-in-law, is shuttering one of his hedge funds according to the New York Times. The fund, Eaglevale Hellenic Opportunity, was betting on a possible Greek comeback in the depths of its years-long financial crisis. The fund had raised $25 million, which will now be returned to investors according to the report from the Times. Mezvinsky is married to Chelsea Clinton, Hillary and former President Bill Clinton's only child. The fund was first started in 2011, according to the report, and has produced disappointing performance due to the continuing economic issues in Greece as well as the difficult environment for hedge funds in general. The Times reported that the firm has sent a letter to clients in 2014 expressing confidence in an economic recovery in the country. Since that time, Greece has gone through another round of negotiations with the European Union and International Monetary Fund and faced more political turmoil. The fund was just one run by Mezvinsky's firm, Eaglevale Partners, which he formed with two former Goldman Sachs partners and counts Goldman CEO Lloyd Blankfein as one of its earliest investors. The firm now has around $400 million is assets, but has come under scrutiny for poor performance in the past. _READ THE FULL REPORT FROM THE NEW YORK TIMES HERE»_ SEE ALSO: THESE 5 HEDGE FUND MANAGERS MADE OVER $1 BILLION IN 2015 Join the conversation about this story » NOW WATCH: FORMER GREEK FINANCE MINISTER: The single largest threat to the global economy


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Greek minister: 'We're half-hearted' on some austerity measures

Can Greece deliver on its promises this time? Michel Friedman interviews Nikos Pappas, Greek Minister of State in Alexis Tsipras' government.


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Curtains for Clinton Son-in-Law’s Hedge Fund for Greece

The hedge fund co-founded by Marc Mezvinsky, Bill and Hillary Clinton’s son-in-law, suffered losses following misplaced faith in Greece’s economic recovery. Just two years after it was launched, Eaglevale Partners LP, is rumored to be generating ...


READ THE ORIGINAL POST AT usa.greekreporter.com

Report: Firm Run by Clinton’s Son-in-Law to Close Greece Hedge Fund

Marc Mezvinsky, Hillary Clinton’s son-in-law, and his partners at hedge fund Eaglevale Partners will reportedly close the Greece-focused hedge fund they set up two years ago after it lost 90 percent of its value. The New York Times, citing two ...


READ THE ORIGINAL POST AT freebeacon.com

Watoto Afrika: Spreading Diverse African Culture Throughout Greece

From May 7-8, Watoto Afrika hosted their Annual Spring Festival at Syllogos Ellinon Archeologon in Thisio. The non-profit organization is responsible for Pan-African festivals in Greece promoting African music, dance, cuisine and art. As with their previous events, this years Annual Spring Festival had an atmosphere full of energy. Culture cuisine from Senegal, South Africa,


READ THE ORIGINAL POST AT greece.greekreporter.com

EU Report on FYROM and Greece: Overcrowded Camps, Child Detentions

  The Council of Europe’s new report addressing the situation of refugees and migrants in Greece and the Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia was published on Wednesday by Tomáš Boček, the Special Representative on Migration and Refugees of the Council of Europe’s Secretary General. The report, based on a fact-finding mission to the two countries


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European rights watchdog complains about Greek migrant camps conditions

[People queue for free food at a makeshift camp for migrants and refugees at the Greek-Macedonian border near the village of Idomeni]Urgent measures are need to address overcrowding and poor living conditions in refugee and migrant camps in Greece, Europe's top rights watchdog warned on Wednesday. The Council of Europe, which brings together 47 countries, said some facilities were "sub-standard" and able to provide no more than the most basic needs such as food, hygiene products and blankets. The Council described dire living conditions in several sites visited on a March 7-11 trip, just before the European Union and Turkey reached a deal that reduced arrivals but increased the number of people held in detention awaiting asylum decisions or deportation.


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Greece says Azerbaijan's SOCAR still looking to divest GREEK gas grid stake

ATHENS May 11 (Reuters) - Azerbaijan's state energy firm SOCAR is still looking for an investor to divest a stake in Greece's natural gas grid operator ...


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Dozens of terrorism suspects were among the recent flood of migrants into Germany

[angela merkel]Francois Lenoir/Reuters German authorities are investigating 40 cases in which Islamic militants are suspected of having entered the country with the recent flood of refugees from the Middle East, the federal police said on Wednesday. That represents a doubling of such cases since January and is likely to deepen concerns about the threat level in Germany, which has not suffered a large-scale Islamist attack like those that have rocked neighbours France and Belgium in recent months. In the past, the German government has played down the risks of Islamic State fighters entering Europe with the tide of migrants, in part to avoid exacerbating public concerns about the influx, which hit a record 1.1 million last year. But the head of Germany's domestic intelligence agency Hans-Georg Maassen told a conference last week that although there were more efficient ways to smuggle in fighters, Islamic State appeared to have sent some via the Balkan route from Greece in order to fan fears about refugees and "send a political signal". "I am not telling you a secret when I say that I am concerned about the high number of migrants whose identities we don't know because they had no papers when they entered the country," Maassen said. PARIS ATTACKS  The number of migrants entering Germany reached peaks of more than 10,000 a day last autumn, but has fallen dramatically in recent months due to the closing of the Greek border with Macedonia and a deal between the European Union and Turkey that has discouraged refugees from crossing the Aegean Sea. The reduction in the numbers has eased pressure on German Chancellor Angela Merkel, who came under fierce criticism last year for welcoming hundreds of thousands of migrants fleeing war in the Middle East with the optimistic slogan "We can do this". A spokeswoman for the Bundeskriminalamt (BKA), or federal police, said there had been 369 warnings about possible extremists entering the country since the influx of refugees accelerated last year, of which 40 merited further investigation by federal and state authorities. That represents a sharp increase from the 213 warnings and 18 investigations that the police had recorded in early January. [Germany migrants]Francois Lenoir/Reuters "German security officials have indications that members and supporters of terrorist organisations are being smuggled in with refugees in a targeted, organised way in order to launch attacks in Germany," the BKA spokeswoman said, noting however that there was no definitive confirmation of this. Two of the suicide bombers from the Nov. 13 attacks in Paris that killed 130 people came into Europe through the Balkan route and so did two men who authorities believe were meant to participate in those attacks but were delayed and arrested in a refugee centre in Salzburg in December. There is also evidence that Saleh Abdeslam, believed to be the lone surviving suspect from the attacks, picked up three unidentified militants who entered Europe with the refugees in the southern German city of Ulm in October of last year. In early February, German authorities arrested a 35-year-old Algerian man and his wife at a refugee centre in the town of Attendorn. The man, a suspected Islamic State member, reportedly posed as a Syrian when he entered Germany in the autumn of 2015. Days later, a 32-year-old man was arrested in the city of Mainz who is suspected of having fought with the militant group in eastern Syria before travelling to Germany via Turkey. _(Editing by Ralph Boulton)_


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Retail stocks are trading like the entire industry is going under (XRT, M, JWN, GPS, TGT, KSS, JCP, SHLD, AEO, ANF, TJX, BKE)

[dead mall]Nicholas Eckhart Look: retail is hard. This week we saw Gap whiff on earnings and get crushed. Fitch also downgraded the company's debt to junk status.  On Wednesday, Macy's issued one of the most depressing press releases you'll ever read from a company. The stock was down 10% following the news.  Office Depot and Staples had their proposed merger halted by a judge, sending their stocks tanking.  And with all this doom and gloom, the entire industry is getting hammered on Wednesday.  The 'XRT' ETF which tracks the retail sector was down 3.5% early Wednesday and the carnage in some individual names was really stunning.  Here are some the highlights (or lowlights): * Macy's: -10% * J.C. Penney: -4% * Sears Holdings: -5% * Target: -4.4% * Nordstrom: -6.7% * Kohl's: -6% * American Eagle: -3% * Express: -4% * Abercrombie & Fitch: -2.4% * Buckle: -4.6% * Urban Outfitters: -5.6% * TJX Companies: -2.8% * Ross Stores: -4% * Office Depot: -38% * Staples: -17% * Best Buy: -4% * Bed Bath & Beyond -4.7% * Restoration Hardware: -6.6% * Pier 1 Imports: -7.7% * Williams-Sonoma: -4.9% And so on.  NOW WATCH: FORMER GREEK FINANCE MINISTER: The single largest threat to the global economy


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Greek Orthodox priest honored by Israel accused of sexual harassment

JERUSALEM (JTA) — A Greek Orthodox priest selected to light a torch at the Independence Day national ceremony in Israel has been accused of sexual harassment of the young people he has helped. The charges against Father Gabriel Naddaf surfaced this ...


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Hillary Clinton’s Son-in-Law Just Lost a Big Bet on Greece

Two years ago, Marc Mezvinsky and his partners made a big bet on Greece. Mezvinsky, who married potential second-time First Daughter Chelsea Clinton in 2010, raised $25 million for its Eaglevale Hellenic Opportunity fund, which bought Greek bank stocks and ...


READ THE ORIGINAL POST AT www.vanityfair.com

The Latest: Greek ambassador returns to Austria, ending spat

[Sebastian Kurz, left, Foreign Minister of Austria and his counterpart from Greece, Nikos Kotzias, right, address the media after a meeting at the foreign ministry in Vienna, Austria, Wednesday, May, 11, 2016. (AP Photo/Ronald Zak)]BRUSSELS (AP) — The Latest on Europe's migrant crisis (all times local):


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