Samaras Rules Out More Austerity

Anxiously hoping to hold to his vow not to administer any more austerity measures, Greek Prime Minister Antonis Samaras has instructed his top ministers he is unequivocally opposed to additional pay cuts, tax hikes and slashed pensions and for them to do whatever it takes to make sure he can stick to it. While there have been some encouraging signs for the economy, particularly a drive toward a ...

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AHEPAs 91st Convention Shines in Florida

ORLANDO, Fla. - The Order of AHEPA held its 91st annual Supreme Convention at the Loews Portofino Bay Hotel at Universal Orlando, in Orlando, Florida from Aug. 18-24 welcoming participants from across the United States, Canada, Greece, Australia and Bulgaria and culminating with a Grand Banquet on elections. The mission of the AHEPA Family is to promote Hellenism, Education, Philanthropy, Civic ...

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Get a taste of Greece: Months of food preparation lead up to annual ...

San Mateo Daily JournalGet a taste of Greece: Months of food preparation lead up to annual ...San Mateo Daily JournalThis Labor Day weekend, if you're looking for your fill of handmade sweet treats, you will want to make your way to the Belmont Greek Festival. For the past few years, Marian Peris, 63, has been the person behind all those treats and other Greek ...and more »

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Greece rejects EU plan to sell assets through overseas agency

Economic TimesGreece rejects EU plan to sell assets through overseas agencyEconomic TimesATHENS: Greece dismissed a proposal by euro zone officials to hand over the management of its real estate assets to a holding company based overseas, saying on Saturday the country would stay in charge of its privatisation programme. The euro zone's ...and more »

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Air Force Grounds Chobani Over Hemp Seeds

Top Greek yogurt maker Chobani cracked under the sonic boom created by the U.S. Air Force banning its Blueberry Power Flip flavor because it came packaged with hemp seeds. Although that's the only flavor that has the seeds in it, Chobani said it will henceforth remove them from its yogurt. Air Force Times reports the hubbub started because the military wing's drug-testing policies say ...

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Percy Jackson Takes On Greek Myths Again

Percy (Logan Lerman) and Annabeth (Alexandra Daddario) on a boat, looking off into the distance before taking off in pursuit of The Golden Fleece like Jason. Following in the lucrative footsteps of a first installment called Percy Jackson and the Olympians: The Lightning Thief, VERY loosely based on Greek mythology but designed to appeal to tweenagers - those just coming into adolescence - the ...

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Greece Fears Attack On Troika Envoys

Greece’s Counter-Terrorism unit is reportedly expecting that an unknown financial target is the next aim of terrorists choosing capitalist symbols to vent their anger over the coming transfer and firings of scores of thousands of public workers. The site newsit reported that the fears are that this time anarchists or terrorists will go after a person and not a building, while the newspaper ...

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Mickey Mouse Mag Stops 48-Year Run

The magazine which generations of young Greeks grew up with, Mickey Mouse – in Greek, of course – is stopping publication after 48 years. Publisher Christos Terzopoulos wrote on his page on Facebook: "Some things, like the government reshuffle, the currency devaluation and the closure of the magazines, are not announced in advance. The stoppage of the issuing of the magazines ...

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PM seeks to avert new round of austerity

As the political opposition scales up its anti-austerity rhetoric ahead of the scheduled return to Athens next month of troika inspectors, government officials are said to be working on a strategy to ensure that Greece is not obliged to impose additional painful measures amid fears that such a move could prompt early elections.The ...

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Campsite mulled for farm hands in Nea Manolada

Regional authorities in Western Greece are mulling plans to create a campsite for seasonal laborers in the area of Nea Manolada, southwest of Patra, where mainstay agricultural production is almost exclusively carried out by migrant ...

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Opposition slams gov’t preparations for Syria hit

As the government scrambled to prepare for a US strike against Syria, following reports that Greece has been asked to provide a supporting role by offering its military bases and air and sea access, the main leftist opposition slammed authorities for taking a submissive role despite strong opposition to a Syria intervention in the UK, France and the US itself.In an address to the central ...

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Imvros Greek School Opens Without Greek

Avci announced that the Ministry accepted the demand to re-open the school for the Greek minority in the same building it was housed. Tafar, in an article headlined entitled Education in Greek Prohibited on the Island” said despite the ...

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One dead four injured in Preveza car crash

One man has died and four people are receiving treatment for injuries sustained during a head-on collision between two vehicles on the Archangelos-Neraida provincial road in the area of Kanalaki in Preveza, northwestern Greece, on Friday.According to reports, the victim, aged 56, was driving one of the vehicles involved in the crash, which is being investigated. The driver of the second car ...

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Woman dies in motorcycle tractor collision

Police in Messolonghi, western Greece, were investigating a collision between a motorcycle and a tractor which resulted in the death of a 27-year-old woman in the village of Evinochori late on Friday.According to reports the woman was riding on a motorcycle driven by a 29-year-old friend, also a woman. The latter was injured in the crash and was being treated at a local hospital over the ...

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Husband accused of trying to kill wife

A 48-year-old man was expected to face a prosecutor over the weekend in the port city of Patra, western Greece, after being arrested on charges of attempted manslaughter.According to reports, the ...

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Former PASOK minister in stable condition to undergo surgery

Former PASOK minister Alekos Papadopoulos was expected to undergo surgery at the Metropolitan Hospital on the southern coast of Athens on Monday, after suffering a serious heart attack on Friday. According to reports, his attending doctors defined his condition as stable.The 64-year-old veteran politician, who was born in Thesprotia in northwestern Greece, has served as finance, health and ...

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Banks confident about new stress tests

BlackRock auditors are expected next week to finalize the methodology they will use in their new stress tests for Greek banks, following their recent recapitalization.The ...

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96th annual Greek Fest kicks off in Forest Park

This year marks the 96 th annual event for the St. Louis Tradition. Festival chairman Nick Tharenos dropped by the KMOV studios this morning to talk to News 4’s Diana Zoga about what patrons can expect at the festival. The St. Nicholas Greek ...

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Greek Tax Inspectors Face Tough Crowd

Riot police had to be called to Hydra last year to keep customers from going after tax agents trying to cite a taverna owner for violations rampant on Greek islands. Restaurant and tavern owners and customers are increasingly harassing tax inspectors at a time when Greece has intensified a long-overdue crackdown on tax evasion, but officials are determined to enforce the tax laws. Residents in a ...

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IMF Says Austerity Didnt Work Wants More

It's been a while since Greece has seen violent protests against austerity, and there's worry they could return if the government has to impose more reforms. The International Monetary Fund, one of Greece's three official foreign creditors, has admitted in a new working paper that it overestimated the impact of austerity in Greece and the prospects for growth in the recession-hit ...

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Unpaid 1.1 Million Greek Workers

Greece’s crushing economic crisis, which has created a record 27.6 percent unemployment rate apparently has so many workers scared of losing their jobs that they are working without being paid for months. The shocking data came from IKA’s Labor Inspectorate which said it found only 700,000 of 1.8 million workers in the private sector are receiving their regular – albeit reduced ...

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Investment collapse bodes ill

By Dimitris Kontogiannis Greece may have made substantial progress in cutting its twin deficits, mainly thanks to the sharp drop in domestic demand, but has little to show on another front: the rebalancing of its economy from a consumption-based to an export-oriented, investment-driven model. This cannot be done overnight but the results to date are far from satisfactory, raising concerns about ...

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THE Dish: Rick Moonen's Lamb Osso Bucco, Greek style

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23rd annual Greek Festival celebrating all things Greek

This is our home now, and we are delighted to share it. "We are a small community with a big heart." The festival has become a three-day cultural celebration set at the church on Oakridge Avenue in Haymount. It begins with a visit from hundreds ...

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Former St. Marys star to play pro basketball in Greece

The former St. Mary's High and USC guard will play for Panathinaikos, considered one of the most successful basketball clubs in Greece and among the best in ...

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Making 5th bid, Istanbul hopes to carry 2020 Olympics to crossroads between Asia and Europe

by  Associated Press Istanbul hopes to bring 2020 Olympics to new area by DESMOND BUTLER and SUZAN FRASER, Associated Press - 31 August 2013 05:34-04:00

ISTANBUL (AP) — With the promise of modern venues and the Olympics being staged on two continents, including marathon runners crossing a bridge over the Bosporus from Asia to Europe, Turkey insists Istanbul's 2020 bid "shines like a diamond."

But the government's crackdown on anti-government protests in June, concerns over human rights, a slew of recent doping scandals and the country's inability to fill seats at football's Under-20 World Cup have taken away some of Istanbul's luster.

Bid leaders are, however, confident that Istanbul has a good chance of hosting the games on its fifth attempt because of its unique charms.

"Istanbul is a truly magical city and I believe that it will be successful," Hasan Arat, the chairman of Istanbul's bidding committee, told The Associated Press.

He notes that Istanbul would take the games to a new region in a city straddling both Asia and Europe and a country that is considered a bridge between cultures. Turkey would also be the first predominantly Muslim country to host the games.

"Istanbul is a city that presents a series of firsts to the world. For the first time the games would be staged in a country with such a young population, for the first time the games would be staged on two continents at the same time," he said.

Istanbul, a city of about 15 million, is competing against Madrid and Tokyo for the games. The International Olympic Committee will vote by secret ballot for the host city on Sept. 7 in Argentina, after the three cities make their final presentations on the day of the vote. Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan is scheduled to travel to Buenos Aires to make Istanbul's case.

But he will be doing it just months after Istanbul burst on to the world's consciousness with images of police using tear gas on protesters in the heart of the city.

Unrest broke out in June after police cracked down on a group of peaceful environmental protesters and it quickly spread to other cities, turning into an unprecedented mass protest against Erdogan's government. At least five people — four protesters and a police officer — were killed in the protests and human rights groups have accused the country's police of using excessive force.

Turkey's minister in charge of ties with the European Union, Egemen Bagis, caused a storm earlier this month when he suggested that anti-government protesters would be to blame if Istanbul lost the bid — a charge the country's main opposition party said was an attempt to "camouflage" any possible failure.

Turkey's international sporting image has also been hit by a spate of doping cases in recent weeks. Earlier this month, the Turkish Athletics Federation suspended 31 track and field athletes for two years each for doping violations. Two-time European 100-meter hurdles champion Nevin Yanit has also been suspended for two years while the federation is investigating the case against Olympic 1,500-meter champion Asli Cakir Alptekin. Others recently caught doping include eight Turkish weightlifters.

Turkey puts a positive spin on the development, arguing that it is a sign that the country is serious about combatting doping.

"The fact that so many doping tests are being conducted and athletes are being exposed is having a positive impact on the Olympic world. It is a show of Turkey's determination to stamp out doping and its determination to clean up sports," Arat said. "We are determined to go into the 2020 Games with clean athletes. This is a zero-tolerance (for doping) step and Turkey will not make any concessions on the issue."

A recent multi-city sporting event in Turkey also did not help the case for the Olympics. FIFA has criticized Turkey for the record-low attendances at the Under-20 World Cup in June and July after noting that it was an opportunity for the country to show that it could fill stadiums.

Turkey, which has previously bid for the 2000, 2004, 2008 and 2012 Olympics, has been pointing at its relative economic strength and is promising to build modern venues specifically suited to meet the needs of the 2020 Games.

In June, Turkey staged the Olympic-like Mediterranean Games in the city of Mersin, building high-quality venues in a short period of time. The country stepped in to replace Greece, which bowed out of the games because of its steep economic crisis.

Arat said Turkey had made considerable progress since 1992, when it first declared its intention to host the games.

"Turkey is not the same country as in 1992. The GDP (gross domestic product) was $151 billion, now it is $789 billion. And according to OECD projections, it will be $2 trillion by 2020," he said.

In its evaluation report released in June, the IOC pointed to Istanbul's infrastructure problems, insisting the risk of road congestion during the games "remains high." It also noted that Turkey shares a border with Syria, which is currently engaged in a civil war that is driving refugees into Turkey.

"Syria is thousands of kilometers from Istanbul and the games are seven years away," Arat said, adding that the city was constantly improving transportation in the city.

Turkey is already undertaking a series of massive projects, including the construction of a third bridge crossing the Bosporus, an underwater rail link also uniting the European and Asian sides of the city, as well as expanded metro and light rail lines. The country is also constructing a six-runway third airport for the city to be built by 2016.

"When Istanbul first bid there wasn't even a metro in the city. Now there are new stations opening all the time," Arat said.

Istanbul has boasted an infrastructure budget for the Olympics is $19.2 billion — 10 times that of Madrid ($1.9 billion) and much higher than Tokyo ($4.9 billion). But officials concede that the figure seems large because $16.5 billion of the money is already being invested in city projects that will go ahead whether or not the city gets games, leaving only $2.9 billion for specific Olympic needs.

The Istanbul bid does seem to have strong popular backing at home with 83 percent support among the people of Istanbul, according to a poll conducted by the IOC earlier this year, compared to 76 percent for Madrid and 70 percent for Tokyo.

"We have to see how the Olympics changes countries. Great Britain won a few medals in Atlanta (in 1996). But it won a record number of medals at London 2012," Arat said. "The timing is just perfect for Istanbul. We have a very young population and it is the right time for them to be channeled toward sports."

Arat said plans for the games include an opening ceremony in a 70,000-capacity stadium with seating for 10,000 athletes. Half a million more people would be able to view it from areas along the Bosporus Strait.

___

Suzan Fraser reported from Ankara, Turkey.

News Topics: Men's soccer, Men's sports, Sports, Soccer, International soccer, 2020 Olympic Games, Sports transactions, Doping, Municipal governments, Protests and demonstrations, Olympic games, Summer Olympic games, FIFA World Cup, Bridge construction, Economy, Events, Sports business, Local governments, Government and politics, Political and civil unrest, General news, Heavy construction industry, Construction and engineering, Industrial products and services, Industries, Business, Transportation infrastructure, Transportation and shipping

People, Places and Companies: Recep Tayyip Erdogan, Turkey, Istanbul, Tokyo, Europe, Middle East, Western Europe, Japan, East Asia, Asia

Copyright 2013 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed. This article is published under the terms of the News Licensing Group, LLC. privacy policy, in addition to the terms of use and privacy policy for this website.

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Greek grilled chicken salad your way

Salad recipes that have fussy lists of ingredients generally irritate me. I don’t doubt that they are delicious, nor that assembling them just so with just the right blend of flavors and textures makes for a transformative salad experience.

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Webster Schroeder girls defeat Greece Athena in opener

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Under spell of Greek mythology

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Craning his neck to gaze at the ceiling of Sts. Peter and Paul Greek Orthodox Church, Father George Dokos admired the eye-popping artwork that adorned the dome above him.

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Greek Festival returns for 41st year this weekend – SLIDESHOW

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Danone Comes Storming Back in Greek Yogurt, Threatening Chobani's ...

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