Greek Universities at a Stalemate

New developments are indicating there is a high probability that the academic semester of the Universities of Athens will be lost. The administrative employees of UoA announced a new 48-hour strike this Wednesday and Thursday; NTUA employees ...

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A Child of 1989

The changes that took place in East-Central Europe in 1989 were not just an inflection point for people in the region. The lives of many outsiders were profoundly altered by what happened that year. I was 25 years old in January 1989 and living in Warsaw. I had no clear idea of what to do with my life. By the end of the year -- after the fall of the Berlin Wall and the collapse of the Ceausescu regime in Romania -- I was officially obsessed with the region. My first stop in East-Central Europe, when I returned in March 1990 to establish the groundwork for the East-West Program of the American Friends Service Committee to set up an office in the region, was East Berlin. I arrived on the eve of the GDR's first (and only) democratic elections. And the first person I called was Fred Abrahams. I didn't speak German, and I had few contacts in the GDR. Fred had contacted AFSC prior to leaving for Germany and offered his services. I eagerly took him up on the offer. He became my translator, my fixer, and a closer friend. We also conducted interviews together in Czechoslovakia. He went on to work in Prague, then in Albania and throughout the Balkans. He has written extensively on human rights issues in Eastern Europe and testified at The Hague against Slobodan Milosevic. Today he travels around the world for Human Rights Watch on fact-finding missions in crisis areas. "I was lucky to have graduated from college in 1989," he told me in an interview in his apartment in Berlin in January. "And by chance, I studied German. But I totally believe -- and I hope to impart this to my children -- that you have to jump at these opportunities. And I was lucky enough to have good options: once-in-a-lifetime-type historic options. I didn't have to come to Germany. I didn't have to go to Prague with you. I didn't have to go to Albania. Each of those things was a decision." In the GDR that March, people in the opposition movement told me about the Helsinki Citizens Assembly, an organization in Prague that would be bringing together political activists from East and West that fall to discuss the transformation of Europe from below. So, the first stop in Prague for Fred and me was the HCA offices where we talked with Ivan Fiala, who was once the head of the international department of the Czechoslovak Peace Committee. He had transitioned into working for an authentic NGO (I've put my description of that meeting below). "We went to the Helsinki Citizens Assembly on Panksa Street -- through that courtyard, to the left, up the stairs, passed Majenka the octogenarian cleaning lady who was an institution there," Fred remembers. "We interviewed Ivan Fiala, who has since passed away. That place seemed like the most exciting organization I had ever seen. There were all these dissidents from the East and all these activists from the West. It was my world in one place. The office had Juliana Matrai and Dieter Esche, and Jan Kavan, all of them great characters. We walked out of there, and we walked down the steps one level, and you stopped to put your notebook in your bag. I was saying, 'That's great stuff, you know, I'd love to do some work for them.' And you said, 'Why don't you ask them? You should go ask them.' So I turned around and went back in and said to Ivan Fiala, 'Listen, do you guys need any help? I'll work for free. Could I be of assistance?' And he said, 'Actually, we could use help. That would be great.'" There was an extraordinary sense of opportunity in the air during that spring of 1990 -- for individuals, for countries, for social movements. It was something more felt than understood. "It's amusing to think back on those times now and what I didn't understand," Fred told me. "There were large chunks of it that were un- or under-appreciated by me. I felt like the spirit of the dissident movement was going to prevail, and for me, that was what the HCA was about. Maybe I couldn't articulate what that meant in terms of policies, but it was something that I smelled more than tasted -- if that's the right distinction. I was enthralled with a group of people who would risk their wellbeing because they believed in something, and I hoped that this constructive passion for their countries and societies would permeate across Europe. It was that spirit that I found compelling. We talked about Albanian politics, the best ways of handling secret police files, and what it was like to be the Forrest Gump of Eastern Europe.The InterviewUnder what auspices did you go to Albania in 1993? Open Society? It was a summer project to help open a student newspaper at the university in Tirana. We got money from Columbia University. We raised a little money from something called the IMF, the International Media Fund, and we got some support from Soros. That's how I met my friend, Fron Nahzi, because he was the director of the foundation's Albania office at the time. We went to Tirana for the summer. The university let us in, gave us an office, and the IMF provided a couple Apple computers to train the students. And we got the first issue out. Then they shut us down two days after the first issue! At the time, Albanian President Sali Berisha was proposing a media law, which was draconian or "not up to international standards," as I might phrase it now. The students wrote an editorial that was against the new law. I asked a professor at the arts academy, a former political prisoner, if he knew a good, talented student because we should have some cartoons in this paper. There were no cartoons or drawings in Albanian papers at the time. He said, "I know this student, she's really, really good." We met her, me and at least one of the Albanian students, and we explained that we needed an editorial cartoon. We explained the press law. We said, "This law, they say it's to help the press, but it's really not good." And she was like, "Mmhm, mmhm." I walked away thinking, "This will be interesting." She came back with an awesome cartoon. She cut three or four figures out of newsprint and had them in contorted positions. You could tell the arms and legs were cut from newspaper. Then she drew this huge boot stomping down on them. I said, "Wow, that's good!" It was really well done, maybe not so subtle, but this law wasn't subtle, and so we ran it.So you think the editorial cartoon was what led to the newspaper being shut down. It was a couple of things. It was the editorial. But the real issue was not the paper. The real issue was Fron Nahzi and the foundation, because the foundation was supporting the paper. It was a student newspaper with a circulation of 2,000. If we hadn't had financing, the circulation would have been two people! If Berisha had ignored it, it would've done nothing. But Berisha was already furious at Fron, because Fron had started criticizing him and had become close with the people Berisha kicked out of the ruling party. So Berisha saw this as an opportunity to stick it to Fron. The paper was closed, and we were kicked out of the university. I didn't understand it was about Fron. We thought, "Hey, we came here to set up a newspaper and you just shut us down?" We went to the U.S. embassy and said, "This is IMF money, which is U.S. government money. This is nuts!" But the United States was backing Berisha 100 percent. And they said, "Just stay calm. Don't make a big deal, let me look into it for you. These deans, you know how they do crazy things." But we were so pissed off that we wrote a press release that condemned the shutting down of the newspaper. Of course the opposition newspaper loved it: "three American students got kicked out of the university." Then the evening news read a statement denouncing the Soros Foundation and Fron for meddling in university affairs. From there it escalated. Berisha wrote a letter to Soros, saying "Your guy has to go," and he actually accused Fron of having ties to Serbian intelligence. I saw the exchange of letters. Soros was good on that one. He said, "Well, prove it. That's a serious allegation." Which they never did. But Fron was squeezed out. It was quite clear to me that Soros had to choose between his foundation and his director. And he chose. When the director left, so did the soul of the office.What did you do for the rest of your time? You were supposed be running a student newspaper! Fron was kicked out, but we thought, "Forget it, we want to stay." It was only a summer project, but we decided to defer for a year. At the same time, Soros and Fron were just setting up s Media Center in Tirana, so they hired us. Soros came to Albania, met Berisha and then they hired us at this media center. We continued the student newspaper out of the media center. The media center was the only place in the country besides ATA, the Albanian Telegraphic Agency, and the government, that had the wire services. In 1993, no journalist had access to international news. They could only get Albanian media, and an occasional Italian newspaper, plus Euronews on TV. That was a huge issue. There was a war in Yugoslavia and monumental issues going on in their own country, and they could only read the bullshit party newspapers. So it was a fight to get the Soros Media Center up and running with the satellite dish. And then any journalist could come in and read the wires. It's amazing to think about that time. Now, Albanians are all on Twitter. I worked on that project for the year. Because I had interned at Helsinki Watch, I said to the organization, "I'm going to be in Albania for a while. If there's anything I can do for you while I'm there, just let me know." The woman who was Balkans researcher was completely obsessed with Bosnia. This was 1993. She had no time, so she welcomed anything I sent her. I was doing the media stuff and the media training, so I knew all the journalists and the editors, and I was on top of what was happening in the Albanian media. So I sent information for a press release on the media law and other attacks on journalists. Then there was a HCA delegation to southern Albania to look at the status of the ethnic Greeks, which was an issue at that time. I set up their trip, and we went down there together. I went back and did a round of research on my own. When I got back to Columbia in 1994, I wrote a report about the ethnic Greeks of Albania for Helsinki Watch. They hadn't promised anything. They said, "Write it and we'll see." But anyway, it worked out. So that was my first report: The Ethnic Greeks of Albania. Then they asked, "Can you do something else on Albania? Or Macedonia?" I became a consultant. When I graduated from Columbia, Human Rights Watch asked if I could do some Roma work. That lasted for about two years, and I did a big report on Roma rights in the Czech Republic. The key issue was the citizenship law. The government there was basically trying to strip citizenship from Roma, and it would have made a lot of people stateless. We did a big report on that, and the Czech government backed down. It wasn't just because of our work. There was a lot of pressure on them so they amended the law. After Roma work it was the pyramid schemes in Albania, then Kosovo in 1998 and 1999 and then Macedonia in 2000.When you look at your professional trajectory, it's remarkable: you were just in these places at the right times. Like the Forest Gump of Eastern Europe.There are probably pictures of you with Havel, Berisha, in all the major events in the region. Do you think back on just how remarkable all that was? I mean, you could have stayed in San Francisco and continued on as Santa. I'm completely appreciative of it. That's why I said, "I am a child of 1989." I was lucky to have graduated from college in 1989. And by chance, I studied German. But I totally believe--and I hope to impart this to my children--that you have to jump at these opportunities. And I was lucky enough to have good options: once-in-a-lifetime-type historic options. I didn't have to come to Germany. I didn't have to go to Prague with you. I didn't have to go to Albania. Each of those things was a decision.Were there any decisions at this point that you regret you made? To read the rest of the interview, click here.

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Fitch affirms Greek credit rating, confirms growth prospects

KathimeriniFitch affirms Greek credit rating, confirms growth prospectsKathimeriniFitch Ratings on Monday affirmed Greece's long-term foreign and local currency issuer default ratings (IDR) at B-. The issue ratings on Greece's senior unsecured foreign and local currency bonds have also been affirmed at B-. The outlooks on the long ...and more »

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Analysis: What's next for Greece's economy?

Depression bottoming out but trouble remains.

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Troika Softens On Foreclosure Ban Lifting

After insisting that banks be allowed to confiscate the homes of people who weren’t paying their mortgages during a crushing economic crisis Greece’s international lenders have changed their stance and now say the government should sort out those who legitimately can’t pay from those exploiting a ban on foreclosures. The Troika of the European Union-International […]

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Prosecution states its case in Greece triple murder trial

Prosecution states its case in Greece triple murder trialRochester Democrat and Chronicle(Photo: TINA YEE staff photographer). SHARECONNECTTWEETCOMMENTEMAILMORE. A nationwide trail of evidence proves that three men fatally shot three others in Greece because of a marijuana-trafficking dispute, a federal prosecutor argued Monday.and more »

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Protecting Greece's Ottoman monuments

KathimeriniProtecting Greece's Ottoman monumentsKathimeriniIf Arinc's statements have caused some degree of frustration, it is because of his purported lecturing to the Greek side: “It is widely known that Greece has ignored its Ottoman temples and cultural monuments,” he said. However, actions speak louder ...

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Greece Takes Budget Battle to Brussels

Greek Prime Minister Antonis Samaras and his Deputy PM Evangelos Venizelos will sit down on Dec. 2 to put their heads together and plan strategy over how to deal with disagreements with international lenders over a gap in the 2014 budget and long-delayed reforms holding up a one billion euro ($1.37 billion) installment before a […]

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Woman Dies in Severe Storm in Greece

A 55-year-old Serbian woman was found dead in the basement of her apartment in the center of Argos, a city in Peloponnese, Greece. The apartment where she was living, flooded when a wall broke and waters rushed into the house turning it  into a river. The mayor of the city of Argos,  Dimitris Kabosos compared […]

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Thessaloniki: 13-year-old Girl Dies from Brazier Fumes

The death of a 13-year-old girl, caused by fumes, has shocked the city of Thessaloniki, Greece. The girl and her mother who had no heating or electricity in their home, lit e brazier in an effort to protect themselves against the cold. Unfortunately, the fumes poisoned the young girl. The 54-year-old mother was arrested for […]

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Cypriot Student Found Dead in Greece

On Saturday November 30, a 19-year-old Cypriot student was found dead at the university campus in the Zografou area. Guards of the university found the young student dead in the stairwell. So far, it is known that a party took place on the day of the students’ death, but it remains unclear whether his death […]

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Researchers earn WRDS Best Paper Award and the attention of Greek ...

Researchers earn WRDS Best Paper Award and the attention of Greek ...4-traders (press release)The authors' widely cited paper, "Tax Evasion Across Industries: Soft Credit Evidence From Greece", examined Greek income tax evasion, banking and credit semi-formality. Their work has received unprecedented media coverage and has already ushered in ...and more »

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Dig In: Youz Guys Sausage Co.'s The Greek, made with chicken, feta and ...

Dig In: Youz Guys Sausage Co.'s The Greek, made with chicken, feta and ...Kalamazoo Gazette - MLive.comKALAMAZOO, MI -- Since emerging as a favorite at the Kalamazoo Farmers' Market this summer, the Youz Boys Sausage Co. has a surprising top-seller: The Greek. Co-owners Monte Jansen and Chris Capalbo make a series of unique sausages using pork, ...

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Vanderbilt Faculty Senate task force review of Greek Life underway

Alcohol consumption, sexual violence and discrimination are among the various cultural issues that a Vanderbilt Faculty Senate Task Force on Greek Life is in the process of reviewing. The task force, which also will look at positive aspects of Greek Life ...

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Perilous Reversal Stock: National Bank Of Greece (NBG)

Editor's Note: Any reference to TheStreet Ratings and its underlying recommendation does not reflect the opinion of TheStreet, Inc. or any of its contributors including Jim Cramer or Stephanie Link. Trade-Ideas LLC identified National Bank of ...

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Fitch Affirms Greece at 'B-'; Outlook Stable

LONDON, December 02 (Fitch) Fitch Ratings has affirmed Greece's Long-term foreign and local currency Issuer Default Ratings (IDR) at 'B-'. The issue ratings on Greece's senior unsecured foreign and local currency bonds have also been affirmed at ...

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Heater fumes kill 13yo girl in Greece

Greek ReporterHeater fumes kill 13yo girl in GreeceNinemsnHeater fumes kill 13yo girl in Greece. 2:57am December 3, 2013. A 13-year-old Serbian girl has died after inhaling carbon monoxide fumes from a stove used to heat the home she shared with her unemployed mother in northern Greece. Miranda Kerr was ...Girl in Greece dies of fumes from wood stove used to heat house after power ...Fox NewsSource: AP, TanjugB92Girl dies in Greece after inhaling makeshift heater fumesThe Malay Mail OnlineVatican Radioall 34 news articles »

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Flash flood in Greece kills woman in basement apartment

ARGOS, Greece, Dec. 2 (UPI) -- A rain-driven flash flood collapsed a wall at a home in Argos, Greece, killing a 55-year-old woman who lived in a basement apartment, authorities said.

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Greek deputy PM says lenders 'footdragging' on bailout review

The Star OnlineGreek deputy PM says lenders 'footdragging' on bailout reviewReutersThe lenders have also demanded that Greece ease restrictions on bank foreclosures and on private companies carrying out mass layoffs - something that Venizelos denounced as provocative to Greek society. "We don't want unjustified provocations which ...Embattled Greek government in Brussels this WEEKEUobserver.comall 9 news articles »

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Thousands Of Companies All Around The World Are Revealing The State Of The Economy

Each month, we take the temperature of the global economy through the purchasing managers indices (PMI) for countries' manufacturing sectors. Anything above 50 is seen as healthy. 

Today, we get manufacturing PMI data from around the world for November.

The latest issue on everyone's minds is geopolitical risk, especially in the Pacific. Here's how a new note from Société Générale puts it:

NEW GEOPLITICAL RISKS? HOPEFULLY NO.

China’s new airspace defence zone established last week proved the source of renewed tension in the region. US Vice-President Biden kicked off a week-long visit to Asia on Sunday and hope is that this will help alleviate some of the tension. Our concern as economists is that a new round of geopolitical tension in the region could have ramifications on trade at a time where momentum is already slowing in emerging economies. 

Meanwhile in Europe, everyone is now wondering whether the region has begun backsliding, SocGens says:

Our euro area growth outlook for 2014 at 0.6% remains below the consensus of 1.0%. Marketing our new Global Economic Outlook released last week, we were asked several times how much push back our euro area view is receiving. The answer is significantly less now than back in September, when fiscal drift helped boost GDP data and hope was that financial fragmentation would see fast track repair. Rather, we sense concerns shifting again to the downside and what the ECB could do more. As we discussed in last week’s edition, the ECB has several tools left, but short of a renewed crisis we do not expect to see a big bazooka delivered. Rather, it is likely to be a succession of small and rather less impressive easing 5 steps. The real potential for a game changer lies with governments; but the political process remains too slow to make a real difference near-term.

Here's the scorecard so far (all times U.S. Eastern Standard Time):

Monday, Nov. 28

5:15 p.m. Japan: Markit/JMMA Manufacturing PMI — 55.1, up from 54.2 in October.

Monday, Dec. 2

7 p.m. South Korea: HSBC Manufacturing PMI — 50.4, up from 50.2 in October.

8:45 p.m. China: HSBC Manufacturing PMI — 50.8, down from 50.9 in October.

9 p.m. Taiwan: HSBC Manufacturing PMI — 53.4, up from 53.0 in October.

9 p.m. Vietnam: HSBC Manufacturing PMI — 50.3, down from 51.5 in October.

10 p.m. Indonesia: HSBC Manufacturing PMI — 50.3, down from 50.9 in October.

12 a.m. India: HSBC Manufacturing PMI — 51.3, up from 49.6 in October.

12 a.m. Russia: HSBC Manufacturing PMI — 49.4, down from 51.8 in October.

1 a.m. Ireland: Investec Manufacturing PMI — 52.4, down from 54.9 in October.

3 a.m. Netherlands: NEVI Manufacturing PMI — 56.8, up from 54.4 in October.

3 a.m. Poland: HSBC Manufacturing PMI — 54.4, up from 53.4 in October.

3 a.m. Turkey: HSBC Manufacturing PMI — 55.0, up from 53.3 in October.

3:15 a.m. Spain: Markit Manufacturing PMI — 48.6, down from 50.9 in October.

3:30 a.m. Czech Republic: HSBC Manufacturing PMI — 55.4, up from 54.5 in October.

3:45 a.m. Italy: Markit/ADACI Manufacturing PMI — 51.4, up from 50.7 in October.

3:50 a.m. France: Markit Manufacturing PMI — 48.4, down from 49.1 in October.

3:55 a.m. Germany: Markit/BME Manufacturing PMI — 52.7, up from 51.7 in October.

4 a.m. Eurozone: Markit Manufacturing PMI — 51.6, up from a flash estimate of 51.5.

4 a.m. Greece: Markit Manufacturing PMI — 49.2, up from 47.3 in October.

4:30 a.m. United Kingdom: Markit/CIPS Manufacturing PMI — 58.5, up from 56.4 in October.

5 a.m. Australia: Ai Group PMI — 47.7, down from 53.1 in October.

7 a.m. Brazil: HSBC Manufacturing PMI — 49.7, down from 50.2 in October.

9 a.m. U.S.A.: Markit Manufacturing PMI — 54.7, up from 51.8 in October.

9:30 a.m. Canada: RBC Manufacturing PMI — 55.3, down from 55.6 in October.

10:30 a.m. Mexico: HSBC Manufacturing PMI

11 a.m. Global: JP Morgan Manufacturing PMI 

SEE ALSO: Nouriel Roubini Is Seeing Housing Market Bubbles Everywhere

Join the conversation about this story »

    

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Mobious Likes Greece…Sort Of

ETF TrendsMobious Likes Greece…Sort OfETF TrendsMobius, who has risen to acclaim for his investing acumen in emerging and frontier markets, was previously forced to shy away from Greece because the country was classified as a developed market. That changed this year when three index providers ...

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How Switzerland joined the World Cup seeded elite as a team few want to avoid in Friday's draw

by  Associated Press How Switzerland joined the World Cup seeded elite by GRAHAM DUNBAR, Associated Press - 2 December 2013 08:16-05:00

GENEVA (AP) — There is one certainty among many possibilities offered by the World Cup on Friday: Most teams want to be in Switzerland's group.

The unheralded Swiss team's rise up the FIFA rankings has been rewarded with a guarantee of avoiding each other in the group stage.

Only Switzerland's status demands a little explanation for fans who don't recall that it hosted the 1954 World Cup.

The land-locked Alpine nation of 8 million people has arguably over-achieved in 21st century sports, but mostly thanks to Roger Federer, an America's Cup-winning sailing team and, naturally, an array of skiers.

In football's biggest tournaments, Switzerland has been a regular though low-key guest who typically leaves the party early.

At the 2014 World Cup, expectations come with having seeded status alongside host and five-time winner Brazil, Spain, Germany, Argentina, Uruguay and the fashionable teams from qualifying, Belgium and Colombia.

Switzerland's rise to claim the eighth and final seeded spot above Italy, the Netherlands and Portugal is the true surprise.

Those three European powers are among 23 of the 32 teams awaiting their draw fate who could land in the Swiss group — though protocol will prevent many from stating publicly how much they wish for it.

"Let us not waste time nor energy for discussions like that," Swiss Football Association president Peter Gillieron said in a statement to The Associated Press. "We have learned that no truth is to be found in such discussions. It is the pitch where you find the truth about football."

There is the field and there is also FIFA's always-quirky rankings system — and both factored into Switzerland's rise during a 14-match unbeaten run that began on the eve of qualifying.

Like many of Switzerland's young players, veteran coach Ottmar Hitzfeld was born elsewhere but is serving his adopted country on the international stage.

The German is best known for leading Borussia Dortmund and Bayern Munich to Champions League titles, yet played most of his career as a prolific scorer in the often-unheralded Swiss league, and coached three clubs there before ever occupying a Bundesliga dugout.

Switzerland has welcomed job-seekers and displaced people, and Balkans turmoil of recent years is reflected in Hitzfeld's selections. Next June, his lineup will likely have more players counting Albanian as their family's native tongue than French, one of the four official national languages.

Attacking midfielders Xherdan Shaqiri and Granit Xhaka were born in Kosovo, but soon moved to Switzerland. Both were nurtured by FC Basel, which dominates the top league, and quickly left for Bayern Munich and Borussia Moenchengladbach, respectively.

This Swiss team does not conform to cliche, and the heart of its midfield — captain Gokhan Inler, Valon Behrami and Blerim Dzemaili — have Turkish and Albanian family roots and left the Swiss league at least six years ago.

At least Basel center back Fabian Schaer worked in a bank before turning professional and representing the nation of high finance, chocolate and luxury watches.

Actually, Switzerland's surge to No. 7 in the FIFA rankings in October, for one month only and the only month that determined World Cup seedings, was a model of precision timing. (Seventh was the cut-off point because, as Brazil was exempt from qualifying, its ranking has consistently been lower while playing friendly matches which score fewer points in FIFA calculations).

Switzerland was unbeaten in its group — seven wins and three draws — so was sure to rank highly as more weight is given to recent results in the four-year formula.

Still, Italy and the Netherlands were also unbeaten and enjoyed recent tournament success. Italy reached the European Championship final last year and the Confederations Cup semifinals in June, while the Swiss missed both events.

How could Switzerland rise above Italy?

The simple answer is that Italy, its ticket to Brazil already punched, was punished for drawing its final qualifier against Armenia.

But the Italian football federation perhaps missed a trick by not harvesting ranking points in friendlies, where its fixture list was more difficult than it needed to be. Teams score zero for losses, and Italy was beaten by France, England and Argentina since Euro 2012.

Switzerland, however, beat Brazil in August and scored upset wins last year against Germany and Croatia.

When Hitzfeld saw his team beaten in South Korea last month, the No. 7 rank and World Cup seeding was already bagged.

About that qualifying group: In July 2011 when the draw was made in Rio de Janeiro, Switzerland's No. 30 ranking left it in the pot of third-seeded teams with potential to land with Spain and France.

Instead, Switzerland lucked into a group where the top-seeded team was Norway — then No. 11; today ranked 54th — and Slovenia came from the second-seeded pot.

The debate about Switzerland's true standing in world football will continue.

In February, UEFA will make the Euro 2016 qualifying group draw with seeding based on its own system which ranks only competitive matches, not friendlies.

Switzerland currently sits No. 15 in Europe — albeit above Belgium — and will look up to nine top teams which include the Italians, Dutch and Portuguese. But also World Cup-bound Greece, Russia and Bosnia-Herzegovina, who trail the Swiss in FIFA's much-maligned formula.

Still, the idea of Switzerland being an established top-10 football nation might not seem strange one year from now.

Like Belgium, the Swiss see a potential generation for the ages, headed by Shaqiri and several of the 2009 Under-17 World Cup winning team.

"What counts for Switzerland is that we keep qualifying for the big tournaments," Gillieron said. "Having done so in the most recent past quite regularly we shall stick to both our philosophy and our concepts."

Of course, if the lavish World Cup draw ceremony puts Switzerland and Italy in the same group then seeding will have counted for little after all.

But if the Italians land with Brazil or Argentina, Spain or Germany, coach Cesare Prandelli might rue how the Azzurri played their hand.

And reflect that Switzerland — who could get a group with Greece, Algeria and Costa Rica — played by the rules, and played well.

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

People, Places and Companies: Its Group, Xherdan Shaqiri, Granit Xhaka, Gokhan Inler, Valon Behrami, Blerim Dzemaili, Switzerland, Italy, Germany, Spain, Brazil, Belgium, Europe, Argentina, Western Europe, South America, Latin America and Caribbean

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

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Bob Geroulanos: Plato’s Benefactor

On October 28 (the anniversary of the Greek National Holiday), Bob and Niki Geroulanos presented a check in the amount of $1 million to the Greek School of Plato, at a ceremony attended by the chairperson and members of the school board, teachers, students, and parents. The donation was the largest in the Plato School’s […]

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Tax Fight! Mitsotakis vs. Stournaras

ATHENS – Breaking ranks from Greek Prime Minister Antonis Samaras’ coalition government’s unity in support of austerity measures, Administrative Reform Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis said Finance Minister Yannis Stournaras was out of order when he said Greeks buried under pay cuts, tax hikes, slashed pensions and working firings should be taxed even more. Stournaras, a technocrat […]

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Saint Paraskevi Honors George Tsunis

GREENLAWN, NY – The Saint Paraskevi Greek Orthodox Shrine Church hosted a luncheon in honor of George J. Tsunis, who has been nominated to be the United States Ambassador to Norway. Tsunis expressed his gratitude to Senior Pastor Fr. Dimitrios G. Moraitis, to the Parish Council and his fellow parish members and friends. He made a moving […]

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Power Cut, Girl, 13, Dies From Fumes

THESSALONIKI – The death of a 13-year-old girl authorities said was due to carbon monoxide poisoning from a makeshift stove her mother set up because their electricity was turned off for non-payment of overdue bills has raised new fears about the effect of austerity measures on the poor. With winter setting in, many Greeks can’t […]

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Only one in two Greek firms paying employees on time

Only one in two Greek companies are paying their employees on time, leaving more than 1 million employees unpaid for at least one month, according to research carried out by the General Confederation of Greek Workers’ (GSEE) Labor Institute. “The phenomen... ...

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Mitsotakis disagrees with Stournaras on whether Greeks are taxed too much

Administrative Reform Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis said on Monday that he disagrees with his cabinet colleague Yannis Stournaras over whether Greeks are taxed too much. The finance minister drew criticism last week when he suggested that Greeks were not p... ...

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Manufatcuring output rose in November for first time since 2009, says Markit

Greek manufacturing output increased for the first time in more than four years in November, according to Markit’s PMI data published on Monday, which showed that the firm’s composite index had reached a 51-month high. “November saw output at Greek manufa... ...

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Troika does not want full lifting of foreclosure ban, says EC spokesman

The troika has not asked Greece to lift the moratorium on home foreclosures but to prevent people “systematically abusing” the protection it offers, Simon O’Connor, the spokesman for European Economic and Monetary Affairs spokesman Olli Rehn said on Monda... ...

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Embattled Greek government in Brussels this WEEK

Embattled Greek government in Brussels this WEEKEUobserver.comBRUSSELS - The Greek government is in town as the EU's institutions hope to enjoy a week of relative calm following the high drama of last week's eastern partnership summit. Greek PM Samaras - EU officials want Greece to go faster on economic reform ...and more »

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Maria Callas: Google Doodle commemorates Greek soprano

Callas was born on 2 December 1923, in New York and made her debut in Boccaccio for the Royal Opera of Athens, and took her first major role in Tosca. Her Italian opera debut took place at the Verona Arena in 1947 and her American one in 1954. Callas died ...

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Greek Death Raises Worry of Winter Impact on Poor

Greek Death Raises Worry of Winter Impact on PoorABC NewsAssociated Press. Greek authorities say a 13-year-old girl has died after inhaling fumes from a wood-burning stove her mother was using to heat the home after its electricity was disconnected. The case has raised concern about poor families' ability to ...and more »

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Girl in Greece dies of fumes from wood stove used to heat house after power disconnected

Greek authorities say a 13-year-old girl has died after inhaling fumes from a wood-burning stove her mother was using to heat the home after its electricity was disconnected.

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Tsarouchis painting fetches best price at Bonhams Greek Sale

Though the market for Greek art has shrunk considerably over the past few years on the back of the crisis, British auction house Bonhams seems to be withstanding the pressure and holding onto its market share.

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Woman dies in Greek floods

Woman dies in Greek floodsThe Voice of RussiaWoman dies in Greek floods. A woman was found dead in a basement flat in the southern city of Argos, in the Peloponnese, which was flooded after heavy rainfall, fire officials said Monday. "The woman was around 60-years-old and probably of Serbian ...and more »

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Greek PMI index hits 4-year high in November, output returns to growth: Poll

Economic TimesGreek PMI index hits 4-year high in November, output returns to growth: PollEconomic TimesATHENS: Greek manufacturing activity inched closer to recovery in November, shrinking at its slowest pace since late 2009, while output rose for the first time in as many years, a survey showed on Monday. The Markit index of manufacturing sentiment ...and more »

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Greece Just Hit A Major Milestone In Its Economic Recovery

The HinduGreece Just Hit A Major Milestone In Its Economic RecoveryBusiness InsiderNovember saw output at Greek manufacturers rise for the first time since September 2009, which in turn helped lift the headline Markit Greece Manufacturing Purchasing Managers' Index® (PMI® ) – a composite indicator designed to provide a single-figure ...Eurozone manufacturing accelerated in November; Greece returns to growthFinFacts Irelandall 454 news articles »

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Greece finally commemorates the destruction of Thessaloniki's Jewish community

He is interested in Israeli and Jewish tourism to boost the city's flagging economy but the real potential is the Turkish market just over the border. After all, Thessaloniki is the birthplace of the father of modern Turkey, Mustafa Kemal Ataturk.

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Google doodle celebrates Greek soprano Maria Callas' 90th birth anniversary

Daily News & AnalysisGoogle doodle celebrates Greek soprano Maria Callas' 90th birth anniversaryDaily News & AnalysisCallas, who was born to Greek parents on December 2, 1923, in New York, started her career with Boccaccio for the Royal Opera of Athens in early 1940s. She made her Italian opera debut in 1947 at Verona Arena and went on to be considered as the ...Maria Callas 90th Birthday Google Doodle CelebratesGreek ReporterMaria Callas3D Car Showsall 14 news articles »

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Touch of Greece in the Cape

Touch of Greece in the CapeIndependent OnlineThe only difference is that while Shirl had lapping waters of Greece, I am in the South African take on it – Club Mykonos at Langebaan in the Western Cape, less than an hour's drive from Cape Town. But, hey, with its neat, striking, pretty white ...

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Troika bails on Greece meeting as 2014 budget doubts emerge

KathimeriniTroika bails on Greece meeting as 2014 budget doubts emergeCITY A.M.THE TROIKA of Greece's international lenders will delay a visit to Greece that was planned for this week, casting doubt over the country's 2014 budget. Over the weekend, finance minister Yannis Stournaras confirmed that the International Monetary Fund ...Greek tale glosses over key deficit distinctionGlobal TimesLabor market must be strategic priorityKathimeriniall 3 news articles »

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Israel and Greece: A common destiny

Haaretz (blog)Israel and Greece: A common destinyHaaretz (blog)Israel was hit by an economic crisis many years before Greece was. Israel transformed the difficulties it faced into opportunities. It did this while challenged by war, facing asymmetrical threats and enduring extraordinary solitude in a region ...

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Anna Komnene's B-day Cake Is a Greek Fireball of Awesome

Anna Komnene's B-day Cake Is a Greek Fireball of AwesomeJezebelAnna Komnene's B-day Cake Is a Greek Fireball of Awesome. Anna Komnene's B-day Cake Is a Greek Fireball of Awesome S. Today is the birthday of Anna Komnene (Comnena, for all you Latinized barbarians), the brilliant daughter of Emperor Alexios I ...

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Turkey, Greece become closer in tourism

Hurriyet Daily NewsTurkey, Greece become closer in tourismHurriyet Daily NewsTurkey and Greece have been building closer relations with each other and Greece will attend a large regional tourism fair in Istanbul in 2014, for the first time, with all Greek regions under one roof, said the director of the exhibition, the East ...and more »

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Greece Needs a Fresh Start

Greece Needs a Fresh StartNew York TimesDuring its tumultuous history modern Greece has always managed to be part of the winning alliances. Right after its independence Greece was attached to the powerful British Empire. In the two world wars Greece was an energetic ally of the western powers.

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Bookukoo: The New Greek Book Swap App

Greek ReporterBookukoo: The New Greek Book Swap AppGreek ReporterThe 31 year-old is currently working in a Greek start-up company, and wants to urge everyone to bring ideas and new technological solutions to Greece. Kouretas came up with an idea of his own, called the Bookukoo! Bookukoo is a mobile application for ...

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Moody's boosts Greece credit rating after fiscal progress

Greece's financial outlook got a boost over the weekend as credit agency Moody's increased the embattled country's rating. The agency moved Greece two places from from C to Caa3, citing improved results from the southern European country's tough austerity ...

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Three Migrants Missing as Boat Sinks in Greek-Turkish River

NaharnetThree Migrants Missing as Boat Sinks in Greek-Turkish RiverNaharnetThree migrants were missing after their boat sank in the Evros river separating northeast Greece and Turkey, Greek police said Sunday. The boat, which sank Saturday, was one of two plastic vessels carrying at least 18 migrants, police said. Fifteen ...and more »

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