Greek Gypsies fear stigmatization as child traffickers after couple accused of abducting girl

Gypsies living in a Greek camp are worried they will be all stigmatized as child traffickers after a couple was arrested and accused of abducting a little girl.

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Greek Gypsies worried about child abduction case

FARSALA, Greece (AP) — Gypsies living in a Greek camp are worried they will be all stigmatized as child traffickers after a couple was arrested and accused of abducting a little girl.

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Paradise lost

by  Monnet Matters

The far-right are winning in Europe. Not the most pleasant of concepts to contemplate, but, a quick glance at recent trends does indeed seem to back-up that assessment; far-right and extremist parties have been gaining ground around Europe, in places like Austria, Denmark, France and Sweden. In Greece and Hungary, it is sometimes as if the 1930s have returned. 

The presence of the Golden Dawn party in Greece has upset the political establishment so much that a clampdown has been put in place; but banning parties and arresting political leaders is never a good idea; but with the European Parliament elections in May 2014 looming, desperation is at play. Many governments fear a backlash. 

In the UK, the far-right might be shrinking, but the populist, Eurosceptic Ukip are predicted to come out on top. In Italy, Bepe Grilllo’s jocular Five Star Movement haven’t gone away. 

With all this activity, it is perhaps surprising that someone has nakedly said that the political game is being lost. But that admission has come, and it was made by the President of the European Parliament, Martin Schulz. 

Speaking in the presence of Greek prime Minister, Antonis Samaras, on 15 October, Schulz said that “those who want to destroy the European Union are winning elections in Europe.” He didn’t mane manes, but it was quite obvious who he was talking about. He said that, if the predictions for next year’s election come true, the institutional framework of Europe will be gridlocked. The ability of Europe to be a political force for good “will be constrained by people who win elections” (although, presumably, not by every single party that wins an election). He added that these constraints are also been facilitated “even by people wit seats in the European parliament.”

The reason for the upswing in support for extremist and populist, ant-politics parties, said Schulz, is  largely down to the “not very good distribution of wealth” in the EU. Economics is at the heart of the problem. Samaras even offered “more competitiveness” as a way of of not just the economic, but also the social crisis, although his determined call for more solidarity between people and nations may not have the power to change things.

It is sadly, a late call by Martin Schulz, but at least a top politician has acknowledged the situation. The damage would, at least for 2014, seem to be irreparable. That political gridlock may well happen, with increased seats for those currently-marginalised parties. Increased funding and visibility are within reach. 

Governments won’t be uprooted so easily (although next May’s domestic elections in Belgium could lead once again to a lengthy political stalemate there), so the council can do business; but without a workable relationship with the parliament, things could get difficult; especially if that institution becomes weakened through a vast change in membership. The last thing Europe needs is less democracy.

Schulz stands a strong chance of heading-up the European Commission from next year. If the gloomy predictions come true, then the European Union he will preside over will be a very different place, as he has tacitly suggested.  A lot of people will be praying for delivery of that cleansing economic miracle between now and May.

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Greece and Europe Shaken by Cases of Missing Children

The disturbing case of four-year old Maria, who was found in a Roma camp in Larissa, brought memories of stories that have shocked all of Europe. Madeleine McCann, Ben Nidam and Alex Meschisvilli, are just some of the children whose cases are not yet permanently closed. Little Ben, disappeared at the age of 21 months […]

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Photo of blonde girl found in Greece triggers thousands of inquiries

Parents of missing children round the world call charity after seeing photo of blonde, blue-eyed girl found in Roma camp

A Greek charity said yesterday that it was pursuing at least 10 "promising leads" – many from parents whose children had gone missing – following a worldwide appeal to help identify a blonde, blue-eyed girl found living in a Roma camp in the country.

Less than two days after launching the international campaign, the philanthropic organisation Smile of the Child announced that it had been bombarded with more than 10,000 calls and emails from around the world.

"Through our hotline we've been contacted by thousands of people in the US, Canada, Australia, Scandinavia, South Africa and the UK," Panaghiotis Partalis, the charity's international communications officer, told the Guardian.

"A lot of emails have come through from families whose own children went missing years ago. Based on pictures that we have also received, there are around 10 cases of children who bear a resemblance to the little girl and we are following them up to see if there is any link."

The girl, who is thought to be about four years old and answers to the name Maria, was discovered last Wednesday when Greek police raided a Roma settlement near Farsala in Larissa, 170 miles north of Athens, in search of weapons and drugs.

Officers were said to be taken aback when the pale-skinned child appeared in the home of a couple with 13 other offspring who were all dark-skinned. Unable to communicate in Greek, the girl could barely talk. What little she did say was conducted in the Roma dialect.

In a bid to unearth her identity, Partalis said the charity was also looking for specialists, including an anthropologist, who might be able to determine the child's origins and age.

"There is still mystery surrounding her age," he said. "We are looking for experts who can examine her teeth and other features to find out exactly how old she is and what her origin may be."

The charity has also compiled a "profile" of pictures of lookalike children. "We've put together a montage with Maria at the centre that we have passed to the police," he said. "There seems to be a lot of hope in the Swedish press that she is Scandinavian."

The girl is expected to be released from hospital on Monday, the same day the couple found raising her are due to appear in court on charges of abducting a minor. Police said it was likely they would be imprisoned pending trial. "The father already has a criminal record," said one officer in Thessaly, the region where the child was found.

DNA tests have proved conclusively that the little girl is not related to the couple – a 40-year-old woman and 39-year-old man.

Although the suspects have vehemently denied accusations of child smuggling, they have given a range of conflicting stories, telling investigators at first that the girl was found in a blanket at birth, before insisting her biological father was Canadian. Suspicions were further raised when the mother was discovered to have two identities and to have claimed to have given birth to six of her children in the same year. Costas Giannopoulos, who founded Smile of the Child after the death of his own son, said the discovery of the girl had not only shone a light on child trafficking in Greece, but revealed the parlous state of birth registrations with municipal authorities in the crisis-hit nation.

"There is a huge gap that allows anyone to claim a child as their own," he said.

On Friday, the parents of Madeleine McCann, the toddler who went missing in Portugal in 2007, said the case was a sign that children who had disappeared could still be found.

Authorities hope that the discovery of the girl will also help crack the mystery of Ben Needham, the Sheffield boy who went missing at the age of 21 months on the Aegean island of Kos 22 years ago. Ben's mother, Kerry Needham, told ITV: "My family and I are extremely delighted at the news that a four-year-old girl has been found in a gypsy camp in Larissa, Greece. We have always believed that Ben's abduction was gypsy-related and have a long ongoing inquiry in Larissa. We hope that the investigation into Ben's disappearance will now be looked at again."

GreeceRoma, Gypsies and TravellersMadeleine McCannHuman traffickingEuropeHelena Smiththeguardian.com © 2013 Guardian News and Media Limited or its affiliated companies. All rights reserved. | Use of this content is subject to our Terms & Conditions | More Feeds

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The frite of truth

by  Andy Carling

It was a humble frite that got me thinking.

Sitting in a small taverna that was a family home on the outskirts of a tiny village in the mountains, my nephew managed to order a few items and the local wine from the warm hearted grandmother who owned the place.

The TV was in the next room, showing members of the Golden Prawn being bustled in and out of courts, the grandfather poked his head out of the kitchen, made a grimace and retreated back to the stove.

There was nobody else around.

When the food came, it looked delicious and I reached out to a plate of chips, noticing they were hand cut, misshapen and lighter in colour than the legendary Belgian frite or the limp Brit chip. Biting into it, there was a lovely crunch and then the taste of the potato exploded in my mouth, with a subtlety and rolling flavour and I was suddenly back in my mother’s kitchen as a small boy.

It’s been a long time since a potato tasted as it should. The rest of the meal, simple, plain dishes were also a pleasure and surprise. The house red was delicious, better than you’d find in Brussels.

After we had finished, feeling the satisfaction you can only find from a meal that nourishes the heart as well as the soul, we asked for the bill.

With a slight apologetic air, the grandmother passed me the bill, written in Greek and itemised, but I stared at it looking for the total. Sensing confusion, the till was rung up, so the lady could show the final figure. €11.60.

Sometimes it’s great to find a good deal, or that little place that ‘only locals’ go to is one of the joys of travelling, but that’s not how I felt.

I felt ashamed. I felt shame that Brussels, and for my sins, I am also part of the Brussels Machine, had left this decent family offer food at prices that just can’t possibly cover their costs, their taxes or make up for their diminishing pensions.

That they can still offer not only hospitality and the food where you can taste the heart and soul of the cook, is a testament to them.

The European Union was going to build a ‘social Europe’ – remember that? Instead those in power built a Corporate Europe, and this Europe is ripping apart societies, throwing away every value they once pretended to have so that German banks can have some sort of economic lebensraum.

The predicted consequences are happening as predicted.

Here, in this place that is a little paradise, where family values reign, where there is a real sense of community and belonging, is getting broken.

You can pass through and see the surface, but look deeper, linger a while, and you see that open pleasant smile is masking the pain you can glimpse in their eyes, where behind the eyes you can see the strain, the exhaustion of a crisis that never seems to end.

There are the clues, that can of coke that’s cheaper than in Brussels has a 23% tax, leaving margins thinner than Barroso’s re-election chances.

These honest and hard working people deserve better, we all deserve better. We need to start again and build a new Europe, one built from the bottom up, where the citizen is the prime concern.

Rip it up and start again.

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Mystery girl taken from Roma home in Greece is 'at peace,' charity says

(CNN)-- The charity taking care of a blonde, blue-eyed girl taken by police from a Roma community ... "Four of these calls are from the United States." The group is working with Greek authorities, Interpol and Europol to solve the mystery ...

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Greek Government Ready for a Tough Battle

The Greek government is ready to negotiate with the Troika about the prerequisites for the next tranche of 1.1 billion, the debt and the fiscal gap. The Greek government is determined not to take new fiscal measures since Greece has complied fully with their commitments. It is now the creditors turn to do the same. According […]

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Migrants in Greece Apply For Repatriation

A large number of immigrants in Greece have already applied for repatriation, mainly because most of them are jobless. Among the applicants are Africans, Asians and Eastern Europeans. In particular, since the summer of 2013, 832 Pakistanis, 361 Bangladeshis and 142 Gergians have been interested in returning back to their homeland. The head of the […]

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Hundreds of Greeks Have Fortune of Nearly 60 Billion

According to data from Wealth-X, 505 Greeks have a fortune of nearly 60 billion euros in total. This data shows that the economic crisis not only has not affected the wealth, but is also an ideal environment for its growth. In Greece there are 505 Greek millionaires whose fortune increased by 20% compared to last […]

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Greek-Lettered Council denied MUNSU recognition

The Greek-Lettered Council at MUN was denied MUNSU recognition at a recent Student Activities and Organizations committee. Only three board members out of around 15 voted for its recognition—the official voting list has yet to be released.

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Authorities Trying To Identify 4-Year-Old Girl Found In Gypsy Camp

ATHENS, Greece -- ATHENS, Greece (AP) — The Greek police raided the camp in search of drugs and weapons, part of a crackdown on illegal activity in the Gypsy community. But during the operation, an accompanying prosecutor noticed something else that stood out: a blond, blue-eyed little girl. Around 4 years old and going by the name Maria, the girl looked nothing like the couple she lived with, officials said Friday. DNA tests proved she wasn't their child, and further investigation raised even more suspicions: authorities allege the mother claimed to have given birth to six children in a total of less than 10 months, while 10 of the 14 children the couple registered as their own are unaccounted for. As Greek officials now try to figure out the girl's true identity and whether the couple was linked to child trafficking rings, experts are using the case to point out the severe weaknesses in the country's birth registration system. The child was found Wednesday near Farsala in central Greece. Police say they also found drugs and unregistered firearms in other parts of the Gypsy — or Roma — settlement, which is about 280 kilometers (170 miles) north of Athens. The director of Greece's "A child's smile" charity, which is taking care of the girl, praised an observant prosecutor who went on the camp raid along with dozens of police. "She saw a little blond head poking out from under the bedclothes," Costas Giannopoulos told private Skai TV. "It struck her as odd, and that's how it all started." The couple, a 39-year-old man and a 40-year-old woman, were arrested and charged with abducting a minor. The Greek police have asked Interpol for assistance in helping find the child's real family, while Giannopoulos' charity said it has sought the same assistance from international groups for lost or abused children. "Her features suggest that she might be from an eastern or northern (European) country," regional police chief Panayiotis Tziovaras said of the girl. The suspects are alleged to have offered conflicting initial accounts about how they came to have the child — that the girl was found in a blanket, that she was handed to them by strangers or that she had a foreign father. But their lawyer, Marietta Palavra, said they took her out of charity, through an intermediary, while she was just days old from a foreign stranger who said she could not support her daughter. Palavra acknowledged that Roma and other Greeks have been known to make multiple registrations of children to get more welfare benefits from the state, but insisted that she was not saying her clients had been motivated by that. "Just because (the suspect) had forged documents, it doesn't make her a kidnapper," she said. "The couple loved the girl as if she were their own." Greece's Roma community has for centuries been underprivileged and exposed to poverty and discrimination. According to the London-based Minority Rights Group, some 80 percent of the country's 300,000 Roma are illiterate. Some resort to criminal activity, engendering resentment from the larger Greek community. In a statement, police said the couple had illicitly registered different numbers of children with authorities in three different parts of Greece. Officers found another two little girls and a boy living with them in the settlement; their relationship to the couple hasn't yet been verified, but authorities say they bear a resemblance to the couple, whose pictures and identities have not been released. It's easy to see how Greece's birth registration system can be exploited. Until just five months ago, there was no central register. Even now, births declared in different municipalities before early May 2013 are not cross-checked on a national basis. A City of Athens statement Friday complained that "extremely problematic and antiquated" Greek law allows people to register babies as their own on the basis of one person's declaration backed by two witnesses. The statement said that, in practice, parents can delay registering their children until they turn 18. The young girl found in the Roma settlement had been registered in Athens, from where the couple had obtained a birth certificate. Giannopoulos' charity said none of the children declared missing in Greece matched the girl's profile, and that she is undergoing medical examinations though she seems in overall good health. "We are shocked by how easy it is for people to register children as their own," Giannopoulos said. "There is much more to investigate. There are other registered children that were not found in the settlement, and I believe police will unravel a thread that doesn't just have to do with the girl." ___ Costas Kantouris in Thessaloniki contributed.

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Greek police probe child trafficking links to girl found in Roma camp

Greek police are trying to determine whether a couple suspected of abducting a four year old girl, who was found in a Roma camp, are at the centre of an international child trafficking ring. The couple are due in court tomorrow. Over 10 other children had ...

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Greek charity looking after mystery Maria say she is in good health

"[Her] reaction was immediate terror, she was terrified, because she doesn't know where she goes. She was crying and opposing to go wherever," Mr Yannopoulos said. "As soon as she went to the hospital and had a nice bath, and then the next ...

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A Greek Crisis Wedding Redux

It's not your typical wedding reception venue, but the warm glow of the petrol pumps, the sturdy dance floor and the soft breeze from the Gulf of Corinth beat a soggy marquee in Surrey hands down. And the view is tremendous: you can just see the spectacular Rio-Antirio bridge, which links the Peloponnese to the Greek mainland, illuminated in the background. Belgian photographer Nick Hannes stumbled on this forecourt last October, 2012 while working on a larger project, documenting the modern Mediterranean. When he explained he was a photographer, the wedding party welcomed him in and plied him with drinks. He stayed until 3 a.m.

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Mining Gold Trumps Greek Democracy

?In the land that gave birth to democracy, democracy has been abolished,? asserts Lazaros Toskas, a leader in the campaign against mining on the Halkidiki Peninsula in northeast Greece. He is speaking in reference to several large mining projects near his hometown that have been given a green light by the government, despite fierce local opposition. Toskas is a lifelong resident of Megali Panagia, a small village neighboring Aristotle?s place of birth. It is located just three kilometers from the Skouries exploration site where Canadian-based Eldorado Gold plans to develop an open-pit gold and copper mine. Skouries is one of three projects on the peninsula that make up the Cassandra mine complex, alongside the Olympias mining exploration site and Stratoni, a silver, lead and zinc mine already in production.

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Greece braces for week of fresh strikes

Greece braced Sunday for a week of fresh strikes against planned job cuts, with civil servants announcing further protest action just as the country's international creditors launch a new audit. Main public sector union ADEDY announced a two-day strike for ...

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Greek Roma community denies 'blonde angel' abduction

A Roma community has denied abducting a girl dubbed "the blonde angel" by Greek media, claiming she was loved and well looked after. Police have launched an international effort to find the parents of the four-year-old, known as Maria, who was not related ...

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Greek Actor in Guinness Book of World Records

Famous Greek actor, Thomas Paliouras has made his way into the Guinness Book of World Records by playing the same role, in the same show, for 11 consecutive years.  Paliouras is in the Guinness World Records as the longest-serving Greek actor playing in a theatrical performance! Everybody has undoubtedly watched or at least heard of […]

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Troika Impressed by Greek Coast Guard

The Greek Ministry of Mercantile Marine showed the operational diligence of the Greek Coast Guard to the Troika representative, and the European Border Guard. With a video shot mostly in Lesbos, the Minister of Mercantile Marine Mr. Miltiades Varvitsiotis wanted to show the high morale and operational readiness of the Coast Guard, to the representatives of […]

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Ben Needham's family hopeful after girl found in Greece

BBC NewsBen Needham's family hopeful after girl found in GreeceBBC NewsThe discovery of a girl found living on a Roma settlement in Greece has given hope to other families whose children have gone missing. DNA tests revealed that Maria, who is about four years old, was not related to the couple she lived with on a Roma ...UK woman asks for Greece girl DNA testSydney Morning Herald'Snatched Maria' found in same place as investigators searched for missing Ben ...Express.co.ukBen Needham: police say no new investigation after girl found in GreeceITV NewsDaily Star -Mirror.co.ukall 19 news articles »

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Etruscan Warrior Prince Actually A Princess, Bone Analysis Reveals

Last month, archaeologists announced a stunning find: a completely sealed tomb cut into the rock in Tuscany, Italy.

The untouched tomb held what looked like the body of an Etruscan prince holding a spear, along with the ashes of his wife. Several news outlets reported on the discovery of the 2,600-year-old warrior prince.

But the grave held one more surprise.

A bone analysis has revealed the warrior prince was actually a princess, as Judith Weingarten, an alumna of the British School at Athens noted on her blog, Zenobia: Empress of the East. [See Photos of the Unsealed Etruscan Tomb]

Etruscan tomb

Historians know relatively little about the Etruscan culture that flourished in what is now Italy until its absorption into the Roman civilization around 400 B.C. Unlike their better-known counterparts, the ancient Greeks and the Romans, the Etruscans left no historical documents, so their graves provide a unique insight into their culture.

The new tomb, unsealed by archaeologists in Tuscany, was found in the Etruscan necropolis of Tarquinia, a UNESCO World Heritage site where more than 6,000 graves have been cut into the rock.

"The underground chamber dates back to the beginning of the sixth century B.C. Inside, there are two funerary beds carved into the rock," Alessandro Mandolesi, the University of Turin archaeologist who excavated the site, wrote in an email.

When the team removed the sealed slab blocking the tomb, they saw two large platforms. On one platform lay a skeleton bearing a lance. On another lay a partially incinerated skeleton. The team also found several pieces of jewelry and a bronze-plated box, which may have belonged to a woman, according to the researchers.

"On the inner wall, still hanging from a nail, was an aryballos [a type of flask] oil-painted in the Greek-Corinthian style," Mandolesi said.

Initially, the lance suggested the skeleton on the biggest platform was a male warrior, possibly an Etruscan prince. The jewelry likely belonged to the second body, the warrior prince’s wife.

But bone analysis revealed the prince holding the lance was actually a 35- to 40-year-old woman, whereas the second skeleton belonged to a man.

Given that, what do archaeologists make of the spear?

"The spear, most likely, was placed as a symbol of union between the two deceased," Mandolesi told Viterbo News 24 on Sept. 26.

Weingarten doesn't believe the symbol of unity explanation. Instead, she thinks the spear shows the woman's high status.

Their explanation is "highly unlikely," Weingarten told LiveScience. "She was buried with it next to her, not him."

Gendered assumptions

The mix-up highlights just how easily both modern and old biases can color the interpretation of ancient graves.

In this instance, the lifestyles of the ancient Greeks and Romans may have skewed the view of the tomb. Whereas Greek women were cloistered away, Etruscan women, according to Greek historian Theopompus, were more carefree, working out, lounging nude, drinking freely, consorting with many men and raising children who did not know their fathers' identities.

Instead of using objects found in a grave to interpret the sites, archaeologists should first rely on bone analysis or other sophisticated techniques before rushing to conclusions, Weingarten said.

"Until very recently, and sadly still in some countries, sex determination is based on grave goods. And that, in turn, is based almost entirely on our preconceptions. A clear illustration is jewelry: We associate jewelry with women, but that is nonsense in much of the ancient world," Weingarten said. "Guys liked bling, too."

Follow Tia Ghose on Twitter and Google+. Follow LiveScience @livescience, Facebook & Google+. Original article on LiveScience.

Gallery: Ancient Chinese Warriors Protect Secret Tomb Top 10 Weird Ways We Deal With the Dead Photos: Gladiators of the Roman Empire Copyright 2013 LiveScience, a TechMediaNetwork company. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.

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Greek mayor urges awareness over children's wellbeing

Farsala mayor Aris Karahalios has said society should do more to be aware of others' wellbeing especially that of children, in their community, after a four-year-old girl, who was allegedly snatched, was found living in a Gypsy settlement.

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Greek minister foresees hellish debt negotiations

Greece should prepare itself for a hellish negotiating period with international creditors on the country's financial needs and its level of debt, Finance Minister Yannis Stournaras said on Sunday.

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Greek Privatization Program Lags, Questioned

ATHENS (AFP) - The approach of a new budget year in crisis-hit Greece has rekindled talk of more spending cuts, along with a renewed EU-IMF creditor push for a breakthrough in the country's clogged-up privatization program But after three years of effort, with paltry results, worries are growing on the wisdom of state asset sales made on the quick and on whether they will ultimately benefit Greeks themselves. Unions have long warned that the planned offloading of stakes in utility and transport companies will impose higher water and gas prices to a population already struggling through a six-year recession. Wages have fallen by over 22 percent since 2010 according to state statistics, and unemployment has soared to over 27 percent of the active workforce. Right now, the agency tasked with the privatizations, the problem-prone Hellenic Republic Asset Development Fund, is pushing a laundry list of Greek state holdings.

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Tips Pour In For Girl Found in Gypsy Camp

ATHENS (Reuters) - Greek police have asked Interpol to help them track down the real parents of a blonde girl with green eyes who was found in a Roma camp in central Greece. Known as Maria, the four-year-old was spotted peeking out from under a blanket at a Roma settlement near the town of Farsala during a police sweep on Oct. 16 for suspected drug trafficking. She speaks just a few words in the Roma dialect and Greek, and police think she may be of northern or eastern European origin, possibly from Scandinavia or Bulgaria. Police have sent Interpol a file with all the evidence they have on the girl, including DNA samples, to seek a possible match with its records on missing children, a police official said. They have also contacted international groups and charities that deal with lost or abducted children.

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Family of missing toddler Ben Needham seek DNA tests on mystery Greek girl

The IndependentFamily of missing toddler Ben Needham seek DNA tests on mystery Greek girlThe IndependentThe family of a missing British toddler has called for DNA tests to be carried out on children found at Roma settlements - starting with the allegedly abducted little girl discovered earlier this week in Greece. The sister of Ben Needham, a 21-month ...Ben Needham's mum Kerry: Greeks told us gipsies don't steal babies - now we ...Mirror.co.uk'Snatched Maria' found in same place as investigators searched for missing Ben ...Express.co.ukMystery blonde girl's discovery gives renewed hope to family of Ben NeedhamMetroBBC Newsall 17 news articles »

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The lost art of democracy

George Papandreou, the former Greek prime minister, says the United States and European nations should look to ancient Athens, which used democracy to address inequality

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Discovery Of Kidnapped Girl With Greek Gypsies Gives New Hope To Madeline ...

Discovery Of Kidnapped Girl With Greek Gypsies Gives New Hope To Madeline ...Radar OnlineThat's what Greek authorities want to find out as they try to find the real family of a little blonde girl discovered living with a Gypsy family. Police had raided the Gypsy camp in central Greece searching for weapons and drugs. Instead they found the ...

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254 Syrian, Egyptian migrants land in Italy

Rome (AFP) - A boatload of 254 Syrian and Egyptian migrants including 94 minors landed in Italy on Sunday after a perilous voyage through rough seas from Egypt that skirted Greece and Malta to reach Italy.

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Ronaldo, Portugal await World Cup playoff draw and possible showdown with France

by  Associated Press Ronaldo, Portugal await World Cup playoff draw Associated Press - 20 October 2013 05:35-04:00

ZURICH (AP) — Cristiano Ronaldo and Portugal will find out Monday who they must beat in a playoff to reach the World Cup in Brazil.

France and Franck Ribery would be the toughest possible test for the Portuguese as the in-form and highest-ranked of four unseeded nations in the draw at FIFA.

Portugal, No. 14 in FIFA's monthly world standings, is seeded with Greece (No. 15), Croatia (No. 18) and Ukraine (No. 20), which is one spot ahead of the French after the qualifying groups finished last week.

France (No. 21) is unseeded with Sweden (No. 25), Romania (No. 29) and Iceland (No. 46).

Two-legged playoffs are scheduled for Nov. 15 and 19.

The four winners complete Europe's 13-strong entry in the 32-team World Cup draw on Dec. 6.

News Topics: Sports, Men's soccer, 2014 FIFA World Cup, Professional soccer, FIFA World Cup, International soccer, Soccer, Men's sports, Events

People, Places and Companies: Cristiano Ronaldo, Franck Ribery, France, Portugal, Europe, Western Europe

Copyright 2013 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.

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Ben Needham's mum Kerry: Greeks told us gipsies don't steal babies

Mirror.co.ukBen Needham's mum Kerry: Greeks told us gipsies don't steal babies - now we ...Mirror.co.ukAnd they called on the Government to urge Greek police to make fresh inquiries. In an impassioned plea mum Kerry yesterday begged: “Please help find my son now. Someone needs to start taking notice of us. Ben is 24 years old now. It has been 22 years ...'Snatched Maria' found in same place as investigators searched for missing Ben ...Express.co.ukMystery blonde girl's discovery gives renewed hope to family of Ben NeedhamMetroGirl's discovery gives Ben Needham family 'great hope'BBC Newsall 14 news articles »

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Macon Host the 6th Annual Greek Festival

13WMAZMacon Host the 6th Annual Greek Festival13WMAZThe Greek Festival is taking place at Holy Cross Greek Orthodox church in Macon. It's an annual event that highlights the greek culture in central Georgia. Organizers say this is the 6th year they've held the event. The festival offers traditional ...Greek Festival in New Britain continues through tonightNewbritainheraldall 2 news articles »

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Santorini: More than 1,000 Foreign Couples Chosen it to Get Married

More than 1,000 foreign couples have chosen to get married on the picturesque Aegean island of Santorini, so far this year, according to data from the local municipal authority, making it the preferred wedding destination for visitors to Greece. The majority of the hundreds of weddings, both civil and religious, involved Asians. One agency, Heliotopos, […]

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Greeks in plea over mystery girl

Greek authorities have launched an international appeal to help identify a four-year-old blonde girl allegedly snatched from her parents by a couple with whom she was found living in a Gypsy ...

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Greek police detonate suspicious bag near US embassy

Greek police detonated a suspicious bag near the US embassy in Athens on Saturday afternoon, local media reported.Following the controlled explosion by experts, it was determined that it contained no explosive device and posed no risk, police sources ...

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What child is this? Girl found in Greek gypsy camp

What child is this? Girl found in Greek gypsy campLas Vegas Review-JournalIn this undated photo released by Greek Police shows a four-year-old girl at an unknown location. Greek authorities on Friday, Oct. 18, 2013 have requested international assistance to identify the four-year-old girl found living in a Gypsy camp with a ...

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Mystery of 'blonde angel' rescued from Greek camp

Greek police have asked Interpol to help them track down the real parents of a blonde girl with green eyes who was found in a Roma camp in central Greece.

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Greek Police Search for Mystery Child's Biological Parents

Greek Police Search for Mystery Child's Biological ParentsTIMEPolice in Greece are searching for the parents of a 4-year-old who was found living with a couple posing as her parents, CNN reports. Authorities found the girl Thursday after a raid of a gypsy community in the town of Larissa, and suspicions were ...

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In Greece, wisdom of privatisations under question

In Greece, wisdom of privatisations under questionGlobalPostThe approach of a new budget year in crisis-hit Greece has rekindled talk of more spending cuts, along with a renewed EU-IMF creditor push for a breakthrough in the country's clogged-up privatisation programme. But after three years of effort, with ...

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Little Blonde Mystery Girl Maria Found in Greece: Latest Updates

The little blonde mystery girl was found at a Roma Camp in Farsala, Greece on October 16th during a random police investigation. What we know until now: Maria is not the biological child of the Roma couple she was living with. The Roma couple has been arrested and charged with the crime of abducting of […]

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Turkish-Greek business relations prove basis for cooperation with EU

According to President of the Union of Hellenic Chambers of Commerce and Industry Constantine Michalos, the Turkish-Greek business relationship has proven to be very beneficial for both small and large enterprises, which goes to prove to political leaders ...

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Police seek clues to mystery girl

No one has claimed a 4-year-old girl found with a Roma couple in Greece, despite an international appeal.

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UK woman asks for Greece girl DNA test

Sydney Morning HeraldUK woman asks for Greece girl DNA testSydney Morning HeraldThe sister of a child who went missing in Greece more than 20 years ago says she wants her own DNA to be tested against that of a little girl found in a gypsy camp in the country in the off chance the girl is related to her missing brother. A four-year ...Search for missing Brit boy Ben Needham where 'snatched' gypsy girl foundDaily StarMystery blonde girl found in same Greek town at centre of Ben Needham sightingMirror.co.uk'Snatched Maria' found in same place as investigators searched for missing Ben ...Express.co.ukBBC News -ITV News -shropshirestar.comall 13 news articles »

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Couple held for abduction of girl found in Roma camp in Greece claims mother abandoned her

Athens (AFP) - The mystery of a toddler "blonde angel" found living in Greece with a Roma couple took a new twist on Saturday when the pair's lawyer said the girl's mother gave her up at birth.The little girl, thought to be about four years old with blonde hair and green eyes, was found by police on Wednesday in a camp in the central town of Farsala.DNA testing has shown the ...

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Blonde girl living with Gypsies puzzles Greek officials

About 4 years old and going by the name Maria, the girl looked nothing like the couple she lived with, officials said. DNA tests proved she wasn't their child, and further investigation raised even more suspicions: authorities allege the mother claimed to have given birth to six children in a total of less than 10 months, while 10 of the 14 children the couple registered as their own are ...

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Trafficked? Or abducted? Greece trying to identify four-year-old girl found in ...

The IndependentTrafficked? Or abducted? Greece trying to identify four-year-old girl found in ...The IndependentGiannopoulos' charity said none of the children declared missing in Greece matched the girl's profile, and that she is undergoing medical examinations though she seems in overall good health. "We are shocked by how easy it is for people to register ...

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Extremist Golden Dawn mindset major problem for Greece

Following the recent arrests of leading members of the Greek extremist right-wing Golden Dawn party as part of a police investigation launched at the beginning of the month on charges of being engaged in criminal activities, the presence of people with a ...

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Two face charges over blond-haired girl found in Gypsy camp

Discovery in central Greece reinforces suspicion of Roma involvement in child trafficking, but brings hope to parents of Madeleine McCann

Greek officials have launched an international campaign to try to identify a four-year-old blond-haired, blue-eyed girl found in a Gypsy camp in central Greece as the couple believed to have raised her face charges of kidnapping.

"They will appear on Monday before a magistrate on charges of abducting a minor after DNA tests revealed they bore no relationship to her," said Lukas Krikos, a police official in Athens. "An extensive investigation is under way around the Roma camp in Farsala, where she was found."

Police found the child, with her conspicuous deep-set blue eyes and pale skin, when they conducted a raid on the settlement 170 miles north of Athens in search of weapons and drugs. The girl appeared disoriented and confused by the abrupt change in her environment when she was taken into the care of a children's charity.

"She communicates mostly in the Roma dialect and understands only a few words of Greek," said Costas Giannopoulos, who heads the charity, called Smile of the Child.

Greek authorities said it was imperative that they find the child's real parents so they could understand how she ended up in the camp. A global search has been initiated through Interpol and international children's groups.

Police say the suspects, a 40-year-old woman and a 39-year-old man, have given a range of explanations, from the girl being found in a blanket to her having a Canadian father. The woman, who was found to have two identities and 14 children, claimed to have given birth to six of them in the same year. At least three were registered in different parts of Greece.

"This case has reinforced our suspicions of Roma involvement in child trafficking. We have discovered how easy it is for anyone to register children as their own," Giannopoulos told the Observer. "Blond, blue-eyed children are clearly being targeted."

The parents of Madeleine McCann, the toddler who went missing in Portugal in 2007, said the case gave them "great hope". It could also help crack the mystery of Ben Needham, the Sheffield boy who went missing on the island of Kos in 1991.

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Future of London: the New York Times on the foreign rich buying up property

Property in the capital has become a global reserve currency for the super elite, altering its delicate cultural ecology, says Michael Goldfarb. Then he explains why his story had such an impact

Our neighbours Lauren and Matt and their kids moved out of London to Cambridge the other week. Bibi, Andy and their two left for Bristol in June. Another of my eight-year-old's classmates and her family are heading out after Christmas. In my book this is a trend.

The moves are not examples of the lifecycle of the striving middle classes. Nor are they examples of middle-class folks being thrown on hard times by the sluggish British economy. The families moving out had good incomes. Matt, who had been looking for a house for more than three years, summed up the reason for leaving best: "I don't want to be a slave to a mortgage for the next 25 years." Given the astronomical rise in house prices here, he wasn't speaking metaphorically.

This is what happens when property in your city becomes a global reserve currency. For that is what property in London has become, first and foremost. The property market is no longer about people making a long-term investment in owning their shelter, but a place for the world's richest people to park their money at an annualised rate of return of around 10%. It has made my adopted hometown a no-go area for increasing numbers of the middle class.

According to Britain's Office for National Statistics, London house prices rose by 9.7% between July 2012 and July 2013. In the surrounding suburbs they rose by a mere 2.6%. The farther away from London you go, the lower the numbers get. When you finally cross the border into Scotland, house prices actually decline by 2%.

The gap between London prices and those of the rest of the country is now at a historic high and there is only one way to explain it.

London houses and apartments are a form of money.

The reasons are simple to understand. In 2011, at the height of the eurozone crisis, citizens of the two countries at the epicentre of the cataclysm – Greece and Italy – bought £400m of London bricks and mortar. The Italian and Greek rich, fearing the single currency would collapse, got their money out of euros and parked it some place where government was relatively stable and the tax regime was gentle – very, very gentle. Considering that tax evasion in Italy and Greece was a significant contributory factor to their debt problems, it just seems grotesquely cynical to encourage this kind of behaviour.

But that's what Britain in general, and London in particular, does. The city is essentially a tax haven with great theatre, free museums and formidable dining. If you can demonstrate that you have a residence in another country, you are taxed only on your British earnings.

And the savings on property taxes are phenomenal. The property taxes on New York mayor Michael R. Bloomberg's $20m London home come to £2,143.30 a year. That's $3,430. Clearly, the mayor bought in at the right time. The Google executive chairman, Eric Schmidt, is reported to be house-hunting here – he's looking in the £30m (about $48m) price range. Yet he will pay a similar amount in property tax as Bloomberg does.

There are other facets of London real estate as a medium of exchange. British gross domestic product has yet to return to pre-crash levels, but the financial services industry has roared back. Banks are paying out big bonuses again, and anyone looking for a safe investment is getting into London property.

From the top of Parliament Hill, on Hampstead Heath, look eastward. Out around the Olympic Park and beyond you see clumps of highrise apartment buildings sprouting like toadstools in a meadow after heavy rain. These aren't being built to meet the calamitous shortage of affordable family housing in the city; they are studio and one- or two-bedroom apartments.

The developments are financed by "off plan" buying. Bonus babies look at the blueprints and put their money down with no intention of living in what they've bought – just collecting decades of rent. And it's not just those who work in London's financial district, the City, who buy in. Hot money from China, Singapore, India and other countries with fast-growing economies and short traditions of good governance is pouring into London.

When I say property is money I mean it. An astonishing £83bn of properties were purchased in 2012 with no financing – all cash purchases. That's around $133bn.

I suppose the development that houses equals medium of exchange isn't all bad. I have friends who were very successful "creatives" (architects, cinematographers, commercial and television directors, etc) in their 30s and 40s. They bought houses when houses were places to live in. Once they turned 50, they passed through a mirror that turned them invisible. Work dried up. They have survived in London via the magic of remortgaging. They accept that their children will never be able to afford to stay on in the city.

The ripple effect of this frankly demented situation is felt all over town. The foreign rich and the City rich (there is some overlap) have made most of the centre of London unaffordable to any but their own kind. Those who were once considered rich – in the top 10% of earners – now can barely afford to move to my neighbourhood, where a typical row (terraced) house, with three bedrooms (the third bedroom wouldn't qualify as a closet in Manhattan) and a total living space of around 950 square feet tops a million dollars, three times what it cost in 2000.

The overall economy of Britain certainly doesn't justify these prices. Bank lending for businesses is flat, but mortgage lending? Hoo-ha, it's soaring up and up and the bulk of it is concentrated in London. It's as if the whole British economy is based on housing speculation in the capital.

David Cameron's government seems to think that is the case. Cameron may be pursuing austerity policies elsewhere in the economy, doing virtually nothing to help subsidise employment or industry, but his government has just started a "help to buy" scheme. The government will guarantee up to 15% of the purchase price of a house up to £600,000 ($960,000), if you have a 5% down payment.

The ordinary uses of the city have been changed beyond recognition. London was never a cheap place to live, but now more expensive property means more expensive everything else: restaurants, cinemas, bars and theatre tickets.As for services, the minimal tax paid by those who have made property into money means that a city whose population has increased by 14% in the last decade can't afford to build new schools. There will be a capacity shortfall of an estimated 90,000 places by 2015. Children won't be turned away from school, but class sizes will grow to untenable proportions.

So younger people, like my former neighbours, feel compelled to leave – even though they were making a very decent living. The delicate social ecology that made London's transformation into a great world city over the last two decades is past the tipping point, I fear.

For the quarter of a century I have lived here, a sense of community has defined my life. A very organic sense of London pride has allowed this city to withstand substantial shocks – some welcome, like its transformation into a true cosmopolis; some unwelcome, like jihadist terrorism.

Now it is beginning to feel that the next phase of London's history will be one of transience, with no allegiance to the city. I wonder whether those just parking their money here by buying real estate will ever be able to provide the communal sensibility to help the city survive the inevitable shocks it will experience in years to come.

How this story will end doesn't bear thinking about. It seems a very reasonable bet, though, that those who use London property as just another form of money aren't thinking about it at all.

Michael Goldfarb is a writer whose most recent book is Emancipation: How Liberating Europe's Jews From the Ghetto Led to Revolution and Renaissance

© 2013 The New York Times Syndicate

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