Activities for the weekend of Oct. 10-12, 2014, include St. Demetrios Greek Festival, Duwamish Indigenous Peoples Day and Fire Day at MOHAI. Films opening include “Alexander and the Terrible, Horrible, No Good, Very Bad Day” and “The Judge.”
Welcome, 77 artists, 40 different points of Attica welcomes you by singing Erotokritos an epic romance written at 1713 by Vitsentzos Kornaros
Thursday, October 9, 2014
Ebola quarantines mount in Spain, as nations add airport screenings
Madrid (AFP) - Worries over the worldwide spread of Ebola grew Thursday after three more health workers were quarantined in Spain and North America threw up border controls at main ports of arrival from the plagued African states.The United States and Canada announced new screening measures at major airport hubs to check travellers for symptoms of the deadly disease, and pressure grew for other nations to follow their lead.The Madrid hospital treating infected Spanish auxiliary nurse, Teresa Romero, also announced her condition had worsened on Thursday.Romero, the first person known to have been infected with Ebola outside of Africa, has said she may have caught the deadly virus after touching her face with an infected glove after cleaning the Madrid hospital room of an elderly Spanish missionary. The man, who contracted Ebola in west Africa, later died.Three more health workers in Madrid were admitted to hospital for monitoring for Ebola late on Wednesday, including a hospital emergency room doctor who attended Romero. EU officials have rushed to reassure citizens Europe is well armed to prevent an Ebola epidemic, but experts pointed to some gaps in public health systems which could be called upon to ward off contagion of the tropical fever."The majority of big countries have equipped themselves with the required measures, but the mesh in the net is still too loose to exclude errors," said Professor Nathan Clumeck, a specialist in infectious diseases at a Brussels hospital.Notable concerns, he said, were countries which have endured the biggest public spending cuts, like Greece and Spain, and where staff and resources are lacking.Germany took in a third UN employee infected with Ebola on Thursday -- a Sudanese doctor who had been working in Liberia, and was admitted to a clinic in the eastern city of Leipzig.Meanwhile, an Australian woman, who recently returned from working with Ebola patients in Sierra Leone, was being assessed in Brisbane for the disease, which has no known cure and kills nearly half of all infected.The world's largest outbreak of Ebola has killed 3,865 people out of 8,033 infected so far this year, mainly in Liberia, Sierra Leone and Guinea, according to the World Health Organization's latest count. - Focus on Spain infection - Questions over Spain's handling of the affair have been raised after it emerged that the nurse, Romero, began to feel ill on September 29 while on leave after treating the missionaries, but she was not admitted to hospital until seven days later.One of the doctors who first attended her at a hospital at Alcorcon on the outskirts of Madrid, Juan Manuel Parra, complained in a report published Thursday in daily newspapers El Pais and El Mundo that the sleeves of his protective suit "were too short".He said he learned that Romero had tested positive for Ebola through the media, and said the patient spent hours at the hospital in poor health waiting to be transferred to the Madrid hospital where she works and which is specially equipped to deal with Ebola cases.Parra described her health status at the time as "unstable, with a high risk of complications and the need for round-the-clock attention, with diarrhoea, secretion, vomit and menstruation."He was admitted to Madrid's La Paz-Carlos III hospital for monitoring for Ebola late on Wednesday along with another doctor and a nurse, the hospital said in a statement.In total there are now six people in quarantine at the hospital, but only Romero has been diagnosed with Ebola. - Stepped-up screenings - Among Ebola's latest victims is Thomas Eric Duncan, the first patient cared for in the United States to die of the disease.Just as his death was announced US officials also ordered increased screening at five major airports including in New York, Washington, Chicago, Atlanta and New Jersey.French Health Minister Marisol Touraine said she was working with the authorities in countries badly affected by Ebola "to see in which conditions we can reinforce departure controls.""Why Won't UK Test Air Travellers For Ebola?", read the front-page headline in Britain's Daily Mail.But leaders of the most afflicted nations -- Guinea, Liberia and Sierra Leone -- are pressing the global community for more help on the frontline of the virus battlefield.Sierra Leone President Ernest Bai Koroma assailed the response to the epidemic thus far, saying it was moving more slowly than the spread of the disease."This slower-than-the-virus response needs to change," he told the heads of the United Nations, World Bank and International Monetary Fund in Washington. Join the conversation about this story »
Loukanikos dead: News of Greek riot dog's death prompts outpouring of tributes
Loukanikos, the much-loved Greek riot dog who became internationally famous for appearing on the front line of anti-austerity protests in Greece, has sadly passed away.
Greece: Qatar invest 125 mln euros in commercial properties
(ANSAmed) - ATHENS, OCTOBER 9 - Investors from Qatar acquired a portfolio of commercial properties in Greece worth 125 million euros a few ...
Euro 2016 Odds and Predictions: Finland vs Greece
On Saturday evening Finland and Greece will play their next Euro 2016 qualifying match at the Helsingin Olympiastadion in Helsinki. These teams ...
George Osborne issues eurozone warning, as German exports tumble
UK chancellor says Britain is already being affected by the problems in Europe, as German exports tumble 5.8% in AugustThe Agenda: Bank of England interest rate decision, more IMF news... 1.15pm BST So, is George Osborne right to say that Britain is already being affected by the eurozone?Well, there certainly are signs that the strong UK recovery seen earlier this year has faded a little. 12.42pm BST In a BBC int Britain's Chancellor of Ex Osborne calls on ECB to help eurozone economy. Says its weakness already affecting British economy 12.37pm BST Here are some more newsflashes from George Osbornes warning about the eurozone; the chancellor appears to be chivvying the European Central Bank to do more: 12.32pm BST UK chancellor George Osborne has warned that the weakening eurozone economy is already hurting the UK.This is a critical moment for the British economy. The eurozone risks slipping back into crisis. Britain cannot be immune from that. Its already having an impact on our manufacturing and our exports, We need to send clear message out around the world that we have a stable economy, that our economic plan is working, and that we are not going to deviate from that economic plan so that people around the world know that, while Britain is not immune from what is going on the world, we can take steps to protect ourselves.Chancellor warns UK is past peak of growth in this phase of recovery, in interview with me, blames eurozone http://t.co/Pt3hkhnvu3After gross domestic product contracted in the second quarter and likely stagnated in the third quarter, the economic engine is finding it difficult to get going. 12.16pm BST We have to wait a fortnight to find out how many Bank of England policymakers (if any) wanted to raise interest rates at this weeks meeting.IHS Global Insights Howard Archer reckons the MPC was split 7-2, for the third month running: We doubt that any more MPC members joined Martin Weale and Ian McCafferty in voting for an interest rate hike at the October meeting. There has been little indication that any of the other seven MPC members are leaning towards an immediate tightening of policy. 12.04pm BST The @bankofengland decision itself actually happened yday as three MPC members (Carney, Shafik & Cunliffe) came out to DC last night for IMF 12.01pm BST Least surprising news of day: @BankofEngland leaves rates and QE unchanged 12.00pm BST The Bank of England has voted to leave UK interest rates unchanged at 0.5%.That means borrowing costs have been at their current record low since March 2009. 11.47am BST Sad news from Greece Loukanikos, the valiant dog who faced down Greek riot police during the height of the eurozone crisis, has died.Corr.: checked with the family that took care of Athens riot dog #Loukanikos. The dog died last May, not recently. CC @asteris | #GreeceAccording to Avgi journalist Petros Katsakos, the dogs health was adversely affected by tear gas and from being kicked from police, forcing him to retire from active protest about two years ago.He was on the couch sleeping, when suddenly his heart stopped beating, Loukanikos carer told Avgi.Loukanikos, #Greece's famous riot dog, breathes his last http://t.co/DiWKuz0hOw http://t.co/tnCwEU8eEtI'm touched to see foreign corros remember Loukanikos. #Greece's stray dogs loved by most everyone (except the sick thugs who poison them).#Athen's much loved riot dog #Loukanikos (Sausage) has reportedly died. RIP little friend #Greece won't forget you. pic.twitter.com/VvbiPfVWHFShot I took of riot dog Loukanikos resting in front of parliament at sunset in October 2011. RIP old boy. #Greece pic.twitter.com/irh1rZ1FqN'Sausage' was Greece's Riot Dog who faced down cops at many Athens anti-austerity protests http://t.co/dThGlcrFhQ pic.twitter.com/y3rZvgnUS0 11.11am BST One of the European Central Banks favoured measures of inflation expectations just hit a new all-time low:$$ Eurozone 5y5y swaps hit new low at 1.88% pic.twitter.com/ZP8I7HZ70D (via @SantManukyan ) 10.38am BST Elstat has also reported that prices continued to fall in Greece last month, and at a faster pace.The Greek consumer prices index fell to -0.8% in September, showing that deflation accelerated after Augusts -0.3%. 10.16am BST And heres a chart showing how Greeces labour market has changed over the last year: 10.15am BST Just in: Greeces unemployment rate has fallen, but still remains extremely high.The jobless rate dipped to 26.4% in July, down from 26.7% in June. 9.45am BST Heads-up. Activist investor Carl Icahn has promised to release an interesting open letter to Apple today.Tmrw well be sending an open letter to @tim_cook. Believe it will be interesting.Just over 1yr ago we tweeted our large position in $AAPL & belief the company extremely undervalued. Since then, stock is up 50.6% 9.38am BST Holger Sandte, euro economist at Nordea Markets, is less pessimistic than ING about the German economy. Sandte reckons Germany can avoid slipping into recession, if exports and private consumption rebound in September after the August slowdown.#GDP decline in #Germany in Q3 far from done deal: foreign trade and consumption could save the quarter. Plus some industrial rebound in Sep 9.34am BST The slide in German exports shows how geopolitics is hurting Europes economy, says Kit Juckes, foreign exchange expert at Société Générale:Soft German export data really hammer home the impact of the Ukraine crisis on the heart of Europes economy. Were going to see more of this, and mounting pressure on the ECB to act. Nothing good for the euro here, needless to say. 9.16am BST Heres a couple more charts, putting the 5.8% tumble in German exports (details start here) into context:#Germany's exports -5.8% in Aug after +4.8% July. Still running +2% in Q3 v Q2 but PMI signals more weakness to come pic.twitter.com/nlTBjznEx2 8.56am BST The roller-coaster ride in the stock markets continues. Europes stock markets are all rallying in early trading, after last nights Federal Reserve minutes were more dovish than expected. 8.53am BST If only there were a German word for those taking pleasure in #Germany's sudden economic downturn... 8.34am BST German government debt is strengthening again this morning, driving down the yield (or interest rate) on 10-year bunds to just 0.88%.Thats a remarkable low yield -- in comparison, UK 10-year gilts are yielding 2.21%.My Japanification chart becomes more scary by the day. 10yr Bund yld drops to 0.88% following Japan experience of 90s pic.twitter.com/zgHW0ZYAvr 8.22am BST In the UK, the clampdown on payday lenders continues.The Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) has announced that such firms must put the products on display on price comparison websites. Its worried that, without transparency, all lenders will simply charge the highest repayment rate permissible. 8.17am BST It appears that the slump in German exports was partly due to weak demand from outside Europe.This chart shows how exports to third countries, was 4.7% lower in August than a year ago: (alas, theres not a month-on-month number)so who has a problem, Germany or... ? pic.twitter.com/5a29v2Fo40 8.02am BST Jamie McGeever of Reuters sums up why August was a cruel month for Germany: August was a pretty dire month for German economy: industrial orders -5.7%, industrial output -4.0%, exports -5.8%. All worst in 5+ years 8.00am BST INGs Carsten Brzeski says Germany will need a small miracle to avoid sliding into recession.Augusts slide in exports, along with unexpectedly poor industrial production and factory orders, suggest an extremely sharp stand-still in AugustNo more summer miracle but rather a summer horror story in Germany. August trade data just added to the devastating evidence that the entire German economy took a pause in August.Looking ahead, this weeks German data show that in spite of the soccer miracle in the summer, there definitely wont be any economic miracle. On the contrary, the economy seems to need a small miracle in September to avoid a recession in the third quarter.No more Sommermaerchen but rather a German summer horror story. Exports dive by 5.8% MoM, strongest decline since Jan 2009. 7.46am BST A rather stunning 5.8 pct drop in #German exports in August. Sharpest fall since Jan 2009 (though summer vacation effects played a role) 7.41am BST Starting the day w/ poor German data: #Germany exports fell by -5.8%MoM, biggest monthly drop since Jan2010. pic.twitter.com/mE8CsfjQxr 7.39am BST Germany has suffered another dose of bad economic news; exports have fallen at their fastest rate since the early months of the financial crisis.German exports tumbled by 5.8% month-on-month in August, data released by the Federal Statistics Office shows. Thats the biggest fall since January 2009."Sharpest fall since January 2009" seems to be the new style. German exports tank 5.8% in August. Bad things come in 3s.German exports plunged 5.8% in August, biggest drop since January 2009 7.36am BST Good morning, and welcome to our rolling coverage of the financial markets, the world economy, business and finance.A relief rally is sweeping the markets today, after the US central bank revealed it is not as close to hiking interest rates as investors had expected.After a long period of underperformance as markets priced in a greater possibility of a rate hike, the Fed minutes seem to have temporarily poured cold water on this notion and given some relief to struggling equities. The main points from the minutes were that the Fed downgraded its growth outlook slightly in the short and medium term due to a stronger projected USD and a slower rate of home price appreciation. Continue reading...
Greek 'riot dog' has died
A dog who became one of the "stars" of the Greek anti-austerity protests has died, his owners have said. Loukanikos, whose name means sausage, died peacefully after "retiring" from protests in 2012. But his presence on the "front lines" of anti-austerity ...
