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How the world sees Greece
Friday, January 31, 2014
Economic recovery in doubt as Greece takes EU helm
Edmonton JournalEconomic recovery in doubt as Greece takes EU helmFinancial MirrorThe coalition government of Greece does not lose an opportunity to point out that its Troika-backed austerity programme is working, having achieved a primary surplus in its current account of almost one billion euros for 2013, the first such surplus in ...Greece's Samaras Says 2013 Primary Surplus Better Than ExpectedBusinessweekGREECE - Factors to Watch on January 31ReutersGreece's coalition Government rules out early general electionEdmonton JournalGreek Reporter -Balkans.com Business Newsall 55 news articles »
The History of the IMF and Greece’s Bailout
While euro zone and International Monetary Fund officials secretly debate how to deal with Greece’s ever-controversial bailout, it might prove instructive to go back to the genesis of the program. In 2010, the IMF agreed to jointly bailout ...
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| READ THE ORIGINAL POST AT blogs.wsj.com |
Fulham sign Greek striker Kostas Mitroglou for $18 million, as Cottagers ...
Greek ReporterFulham sign Greek striker Kostas Mitroglou for million, as Cottagers ...NBCSports.comJust hours before the transfer deadline slammed shut, the West London club announced Greek international striker Kostas Mitroglou has signed in a deal thought to be worth $18 million. Joining from Olympiakos, Mitroglou has given up UEFA Champions ...Done deal: Fulham complete signing of Greek international Konstantinos MitrogloufanatixFulham Closing in on Greek Striker Kostas MitroglouGreek ReporterGreek reports - Mitroglou signs for Fulham in €15m deal until 2018, snubbing ...Here Is The CityMirror.co.uk -Winner Sports -Daily Mailall 167 news articles »
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| READ THE ORIGINAL POST AT prosoccertalk.nbcsports.com |
Move over Berbatov, Greek firecracker Mitroglou is the man to save Fulham from the drop
Life can be a little sedate at the quaint Cottage retreat on the bank of the Thames. That, however, will soon change – for Kostas Mitroglou is about to fire Fulham’s fans from their slumber. Nicknamed ‘Pistolero’ for a goal celebration which ...
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| READ THE ORIGINAL POST AT www.dailymail.co.uk |
Deutsche Telekom Said in Talks to Buy Greece's OTE Stake
Deutsche Telekom Said in Talks to Buy Greece's OTE StakeBloombergA representative for Greece's Asset Development Fund, the finance ministry agency responsible for state-asset privatization, wasn't immediately available for comment. Deutsche Telekom CEO Timotheus Hoettges, who met with Greek Prime Minister Antonis ...Greece: Deutsche Telekom to invest 1.2 bln in the next 4 yearsANSAmedDeutsche Telekom dismisses reports on raising OTE stakeReutersTelekom targets OTE acquisitionBroadband TV Newsall 5 news articles »
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| READ THE ORIGINAL POST AT www.bloomberg.com |
Greece: Deutsche Telekom to invest 1.2 bln in the next 4 yea
(ANSAmed) – ATHENS, JANUARY 31 - Deutsche Telekom is expressing renewed interest in acquiring the 10% stake in the Hellenic Telecommunications Organization (OTE) that belongs to the Greek state, as daily Kathimerini reports. On Thursday Timotheus ...
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Oil Pirates And The Mystery Ship
On January 18th, a Greek shipping firm lost radio contact
with one of its vessels, a Liberian-flagged, 75,000-ton oil tanker named Kerala , when it was just a few miles
of...
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| READ THE ORIGINAL POST AT www.foreignpolicy.com |
Doubts about independent evaluation at universities
Greek universities are essentially passing one of the key tertiary education reforms introduced in 2011, which requires them to undergo independent assessment conducted by foreign academics.
Kathimerini understands universities are turning mostly to Greek... ...
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| READ THE ORIGINAL POST AT www.ekathimerini.com |
Rights group seeks inquiry on collective expulsions in Aegean
Human Rights Watch (HRW) on Thursday called on the Greek Parliament to launch an inquiry into claims of collective expulsions of undocumented immigrants by members of the Hellenic Coast Guard following an incident in the Aegean last week that resulted in ... ...
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| READ THE ORIGINAL POST AT www.ekathimerini.com |
Society stands on equality
In early 2010, when Greece was sinking in debt and China was soaring with a growth rate of 11.9 percent of GDP, a visit to China turned out to be most enlightening. Government officials, executives of major companies and journalists were unanimous in expr... ...
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| READ THE ORIGINAL POST AT www.ekathimerini.com |
MEPs herald end to troika, look to debt restructuring
Members of a European Parliament committee investigating the role of the troika and the impact of its policies in Greece on Thursday heralded the end of an “interim” institution, to be replaced by a “more democratically accountable and transparent” inspec... ...
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| READ THE ORIGINAL POST AT www.ekathimerini.com |
IOBE warns of GDP stagnation in 2014
In contrast to expectations of a 0.6 percent recovery after six years of recession, the Greek economy may in fact not grow this year and could even post a small contraction, the Foundation for Economic and Industrial Research (IOBE) claims in its latest q... ...
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| READ THE ORIGINAL POST AT www.ekathimerini.com |
Banks confident they could cope with a rise in bad loans
Banking officials believe that the Greek credit system has more than adequate strength to withstand the ongoing economic crisis, as it could absorb an increase in nonperforming loans of up to 50 percent, according to a report by German bank Berenberg publ... ...
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| READ THE ORIGINAL POST AT www.ekathimerini.com |
PAOK beats Apollon and gets Ajax star on loan
PAOK has all but clinched its spot in the Greek Cup semifinals after its 3-0 home win over Apollon Smyrnis in the first leg of the quarterfinals on Thursday, and is making some more moves in the transfer market to strengthen its side ahead of the league r... ...
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| READ THE ORIGINAL POST AT www.ekathimerini.com |
Assistant Secretary of State Victoria Nuland Travel to Germany, Greece, Cyprus ...
Assistant Secretary of State Victoria Nuland Travel to Germany, Greece, Cyprus ...US Department of State (press release)Assistant Secretary of State Nuland will accompany Secretary Kerry to Berlin, Germany, on January 31 to discuss bilateral and global issues with senior German Government officials. She will then accompany Secretary Kerry to the Munich Security ...Press Releases: Assistant Secretary of State Victoria Nuland Travel to Germany ...OfficialWireall 2 news articles »
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| READ THE ORIGINAL POST AT www.state.gov |
The Greek Theatre
The Greek Theatre LA is one of the city's most historic venues, and has welcomed many of the biggest names in entertainment ... the Greek Theatre LA further proves its standing amongst the world's top venues by continuing to collect numerous awards.
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| READ THE ORIGINAL POST AT www.ajc.com |
Greek minister terms Pak, Bangladesh illegal immigrants 'tragedy'
DAWN.comGreek minister terms Pak, Bangladesh illegal immigrants 'tragedy'DAWN.comATHENS: A Greek cabinet minister said Thursday illegal immigrants in the country are of different “quality” than those elsewhere in Europe, calling the situation “tragic”. “Let me tell you something else: the quality... the difference in culture of the ...Greek Government Reveals Plan for Greek Police Force OverhaulGreek ReporterGreek minister laments 'quality' of illegal immigrantsJournal of Turkish WeeklyDendias criticizes Dublin Regulation, says quality of undocumented immigrants ...Kathimeriniall 12 news articles »
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| READ THE ORIGINAL POST AT www.dawn.com |
Greek FinMin: Troika Made Many Mistakes
Greek Finance Minister Yannis Stournaras was very critical of the Troika during his meeting with members of the European parliament, who are monitoring the activities of the European Union-International Monetary Fund-European Central Bank (EU-IMF-ECB) task force operating in EU member states. Stournaras talked about the significant miscalculations and mistakes that were included in the first bailout package, which had devastating financial and social consequences, while causing delay to Greece’s debt restructuring. There is still an ongoing effort to correct these mistakes with the second bailout, however it is not easy, he said. In the meeting held with MEP’s Othmar Karas and Liêm Hoang Ngoc, who supervise the European parliament’s Troika monitoring committee, and SYRIZA member of the Greek parliament Nikos Chountis, the minister focused on the incorrect fiscal multipliers used by the Troika. These eventually led in 2012 to a deep recession with a 6.4 percent cut in GDP, a rate which was much worse than that predicted by Greece’s creditors. The country’s creditors had estimated that Greece would be in growth by 2012, highlighted Stournaras. Futhermore, the Troika’s initial assumption was that the Greek debt would decrease rapidly after 2013, which of course has not happened as the original loans made to Greece by its EU partners had very high interest rates.
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| READ THE ORIGINAL POST AT greece.greekreporter.com |
Farmakonisi Tragedy, Greek Police Detain Protesters
Greek police authorities have detained dozens of people for trying to occupy the office of the Greek Marine Minister, Miltiadis Varvitsiotis, during protests about the sinking of a boat carrying migrants from Turkey to Greece which resulted in the deaths of several people including children. According to the Greek police more than 40 people were detained, but not arrested, during the protest at Varvitsiotis’ political office in the center of Athens, Greece. The tragic incident took place last week just off the island of Farmakonisi in the eastern Aegean Sea, leading to the deaths of twelve people. Only two bodies were recovered while the rest are still missing. According to the survivors, the Greek coast guard had tried to force them back towards Turkey by attached a rope to their vessel. The coast guard vessel accelerated rapidly, causing the migrants boat to capsize. ”They (the Greek coast guard]) were kicking us to prevent us from getting onto their boat. When some of the women started screaming and crying they were shouting f**k you,” reported one of the survivors. It was also said that the coast guards were firing in the air and threatening the immigrants with their guns. The Greek coast guard denies these accusations. They claim that their only priority was the safe towing of the boat to the nearest port, and then the rescue of those in the water after the boat had sunk. They also reported that two of the immigrants, being in a state of shock jumped into the sea. The rest moved to rescue them, thus shifting the center of gravity of the boat and causing it to capsize.
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| READ THE ORIGINAL POST AT greece.greekreporter.com |
Dendias: Quality of Greece’s Undocumented Immigrants Is “Tragic”
On Thursday, January 30, the Greek Minister of Public Order and Citizen Protection, Nikos Dendias, criticised the European Union’s Dublin Regulation on asylum responsibility. In an interview with Skai Radio he stated that the Greek government is opposed to Dublin III as it leaves Greece in the same position. “We cannot alone carry the responsibility. We call for burden sharing among EU members,” said Dendias. The Dublin Regulation requires that each EU member state is obliged to take full responsibility for any asylum application submitted. Furthermore it states that an immigrant is allowed to claim refugee status only in the state in which he or she first entered the EU. Greece pushed for changes to Dublin III, however with little result. In the same interview, the Greek Minister described the quality of Greece’s immigrants as “tragic.” He continued, “migrants from the ex-Soviet Union that go to Sweden for example, will be better; will have some kind of level. On the other hand Greece gets migrants from Bangladesh and Afghanistan with a different culture and who belong to a different world. This is Greece’s misfortune.” “With a sloppy bill in 1984, police and gendarmerie became one unit overnight. However, the model of the 50’s and 60’s remained. If only we were back in a time when we could just whistle and arrest the thief. Things have changed,” said Dendias.
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| READ THE ORIGINAL POST AT greece.greekreporter.com |
Greek Healthcare Employees on Strike
Greek doctors, nurses and dentists have decided to strike on February 6, in order to express their opposition to the upcoming reforms in primary healthcare. The strike is being organized to coincide with the vote in parliament on the government’s draft law concerning reforms to the healthcare sector. State and EOPYY hospital doctors will also participate in the strike. At their joint statement, the unions representing the workers stated that the bill will destroy healthcare and create major difficulties for patients. Protesters will gather outside of the Ministry of Health in Athens at 11 a.m. and then march to parliament.
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| READ THE ORIGINAL POST AT greece.greekreporter.com |
Piraeus, Fastest Growing Port in 2013
The total number of containers handled in 2013 at the port of Piraeus exceeded all expectations, making Greece’s largest port the fastest growing in the world. According to an article in Greek newspaper Kathimerini, the subsidiary of the Chinese company COCSO, which is managing all operations at Pier II and III of the Piraeus container terminal, last year handled 2.520 million twenty-foot equivalent units (TEU), as containers are known, compared to the 2.4 million expected. With an additional 644,000 TEU handled by the Greek Piraeus Port Authority (OLP) at Pier I, total container traffic amounted to 3.163 million TEU. This means that Piraeus is the third largest port in the Mediterranean, along with rapid growth over the last three years and a doubling in size since 2011. It is estimated that Piraeus will be the busiest container terminal in the Mediterranean by 2016. The port ranked 4th in 2012 in terms of TEU in the Mediterranean. The port of Valencia in Spain ranked first with 4.46 million TEU, followed by Algeciras, also in Spain with 4.1 million TEU and Ambarli in Turkey with 3.09 million. At the same time, the three busiest ports of northern Europe, Rotterdam, Hamburg and Antwerp (8.63 million TEU), saw a decline in container volumes. The proximity of Piraeus to the Suez Canal, which is the European entry point for Asian imports, and its railway which links to the national and European network, saves around six days for goods bound for markets in central Europe, making Piraeus the preferred European port for Asian trade. The busiest commercial ports in the Mediterranean in 2012 were: Valencia (Spain) Algeciras (Spain) Piraeus (Greece, 2013) Ambali (Turkey) Gioia Tauro (Italy) Marsaxlokk (Malta) Genoa (Italy) Barcelona (Spain) Mersin (Turkey) Las Palmas (Spain)
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| READ THE ORIGINAL POST AT greece.greekreporter.com |
Greek Court Backlog May Free Prisoners
Because of delays in processing cases, many suspects charged with serious crimes may have to be let out of detention if they aren't tried before an 18-month limit is reached.
The post Greek Court Backlog May Free Prisoners appeared first on The National Herald.
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Maria Makedon TNH Educator of the Year
NEW YORK – The annual ceremony and reception for the Teacher of the Year award of The National Herald has become a celebration of the best in the Greek-American community. Once again Publisher Antonis H. Diamataris welcomed the guests who came to honor the people who give of themselves in order to transmit the values […]
The post Maria Makedon TNH Educator of the Year appeared first on The National Herald.
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Kitsopoulos, Singers and Q.S.O. Shine
QUEENS, NY – The performance on January 19 of Giacomo Puccini’s opera “Gianni Schicchi” by singers accompanied by the Queens Symphony Orchestra conducted by Constantine Kitsopoulos more than validated the orchestra’s motto: “World class music for the international community of Queens.” The ensemble was founded in 1953 by David Katz, the father of the newly-elected […]
The post Kitsopoulos, Singers and Q.S.O. Shine appeared first on The National Herald.
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Princess Katherine’s Royal Greek Touch
Crown Princess Katherine of Serbia – born in Greece – is setting a philanthropic example in her homeland with her endeavors.
The post Princess Katherine’s Royal Greek Touch appeared first on The National Herald.
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Greek Glendi Festival celebrates 30 years in Sarasota
and browse the Bakaliko with its selection of gourmet food items like imported cheeses, olives, and olive oils. An adventure zone is available for children, and all visitors are welcome to take one of the daily 30-minute guided tours of the church to ...
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| READ THE ORIGINAL POST AT www.examiner.com |
Greece woman admits injecting lethal dose of heroin to friend
Greece woman admits injecting lethal dose of heroin to friendRochester Democrat and ChronicleA Greece woman has admitted in state Supreme Court that she caused a friend's drug-related death in March. Catherine K. Yaeger, 22, Thursday morning pleaded guilty to criminally negligent homicide, a felony, said Assistant District Attorney Matthew ...
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| READ THE ORIGINAL POST AT www.democratandchronicle.com |
Colleyville man who ran Ponzi scheme, then ran off to Greece sentenced to 210 ...
Dallas Morning News (blog)Colleyville man who ran Ponzi scheme, then ran off to Greece sentenced to 210 ...Dallas Morning News (blog)Blackwell, 34, was arrested following an undercover sting and pleaded guilty to running his Ponzi scheme in July 2011 — then took off for the island of Corfu in Greece, where, on April 16 of last year, he was arrested by Homeland Security ...Colleyville man sentenced to more than 17 years for Ponzi schemeFort Worth Star Telegramall 2 news articles »
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| READ THE ORIGINAL POST AT sres.dallasnews.com |
DT eyes remaining 10 pct stake Greece holds in OTE
KathimeriniDT eyes remaining 10 pct stake Greece holds in OTEKathimeriniHoettges informed Samaras about the German group's strategy on telecom growth internationally, as well as plans for the development of the OTE group in Greece with the realization of investments totaling 1.2 billion euros in the next four years. “For ...
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| READ THE ORIGINAL POST AT www.ekathimerini.com |
Greece Town Justice's son faces drug, weapons charges
Greece Town Justice's son faces drug, weapons chargesRochester Democrat and ChronicleThe adult son of a Greece Town Justice is facing numerous drug and weapons charges. According to Greece Police, Louis J. Nitti, 20, of Ridgeway Avenue was arrested on Dec. 11 in possession of methylphenidate pills, cocaine, marijuana, a scale used to ...I-Team 10: Son of local town judge faces drug and weapons chargesNews 10NBCall 2 news articles »
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| READ THE ORIGINAL POST AT www.democratandchronicle.com |
Greek in NBA’s All Star Game For the First Time
The Greek NBA player Giannis Antetokoumpo will participate in NBA’s All Star Game 2014. This is the first time in the NBA’s history that a Greek player will be participating in such an important event. It is a historic moment for Buck’s ...
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| READ THE ORIGINAL POST AT usa.greekreporter.com |
Greek Diet and Products in Belgian Schools
The program has been implemented in Greek language classes throughout Belgium, thus providing not only to a Greek audience, the opportunity to discover Greek flavors and the beneficial properties of Greek products. Apart from the need to address ...
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| READ THE ORIGINAL POST AT eu.greekreporter.com |
Greek Ombudsman: Media Reproduce Stereotypes and Promote Racism
The Greek Ombudsman in relation to the case of four-year old Maria who was found in a Roma camp in Larissa, central Greece, accuses the Greek media of reproducing stereotypes and helping to perpetuate discrimination against specific social groups.
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Greek Alphabet Celebrated at Metropolis of Chicago
In his speech about the Three Hierarchs and the Greek Letters, Metropolitan Iakovos stressed that ... Metropolitan Iakovos thanked all those who work in teaching and promoting the Greek alphabet, education and culture along with the Orthodox ...
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Thursday, January 30, 2014
Vote for Greece!
Greek ReporterVote for Greece!Greek ReporterThe online polls have begun and your active participation in Greece coming top in the Best Destination Award is just a click away. The poll is organized by the travel website minube.net and ends midnight on February 23. Participating is a piece of cake.
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| READ THE ORIGINAL POST AT greece.greekreporter.com |
Lunch like a Greek God at Phoenicia's in Redlands
Lunch like a Greek God at Phoenicia's in RedlandsInland Valley Daily BulletinGoing out to lunch and writing about the experience as part of my job description has been a lot of fun for the past six years. The best part is trying new places and different foods that are not my usual meal routine. One such place I tried this week ...and more »
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Authentic Greek cuisine comes to Lansdale
Authentic Greek cuisine comes to LansdaleThe ReporterYanni Lambros, owner of Yanni's Gyros, prepares authentic Greek cuisine at his new restaurant on Main Street in Lansdale on Tuesday, Jan. 28,2014. Photo by Mark C Psoras. By VICTORIA WOLK, vwolk@thereporteronline.com. Posted: 01/30/14, 1:44 PM ...
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Evolution, You’re Drunk
The idea of directionality in nature, a gradient from simple to complex, began with the Greek s, who called nature physis , meaning growth.
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| READ THE ORIGINAL POST AT nautil.us |
Chobani Can't Be Marketed as 'Greek Yogurt' in the U.K.
A British court ruled that Chobani can't call their product 'Greek yogurt' because it is made in the U.S.
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| READ THE ORIGINAL POST AT finance.yahoo.com |
Charlemagne: The euro’s hellhound
IN GREEK mythology, Cerberus is the three-headed dog guarding the gates to Hades. In modern Greek politics, the troika is the three-headed monster that traps the country in an economic underworld. At the finance ministry in Athens, even the cleaning ladies shout “murderers” at visiting members of the troika. In Lisbon protest banners declare “Fuck the troika”. There is now a popular Portuguese neologism, entroikado, roughly meaning “economically screwed”.As guardian of the creditors, the troika was never going to be loved. The trio of the International Monetary Fund, the European Commission and the European Central Bank was improvised at the time of the first Greek bail-out in May 2010. It has since been at the heart of other rescues, of Ireland, Portugal and, most recently, Cyprus. Increasingly, its role is being questioned. Is the monster ripping too much living flesh from the countries it is supposed to be saving? And who controls the beast anyway?The European Parliament has begun an inquiry into the troika’s workings. MEPs have been visiting bailed-out countries and have summoned troika officials for a grilling. Socialists accuse the...
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| READ THE ORIGINAL POST AT www.economist.com |
Paris flights cut by 20 percent as air traffic controllers strike
FRANKFURT/PARIS (Reuters) - Travelers faced a day of disruption on Thursday as air traffic controllers in France and across Europe went on strike over cost cuts and pan-European safety rules. France's DGAC authority asked airlines operating services to and from the three Paris-region airports - Charles de Gaulle, Orly and Beauvais - to reduce flights by about 20 percent because of the strike, which runs until 0500 GMT on Friday. The French strike is part of a day of action called by the European Transport Workers' Federation (ETF) to protest against safety and savings targets planned by the European Commission. Slovakian and Italian air traffic controllers are also striking for short periods during the day, while their colleagues in the Czech Republic, Hungary, Austria, Portugal, Bulgaria and Greece will take measures such as performing only basic contracted duties.
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| READ THE ORIGINAL POST AT news.yahoo.com |
There's Only One Place to Put a Yoplait Greek Taste-Off Store: Across the Street from the Chobani Store
NEW YORK, Jan. 30, 2014 /PRNewswire/ -- Today, the doors of the Yoplait® Greek Taste-Off store open in New York's SoHo neighborhood, kicking off three days of side-by-side consumer taste tests between Yoplait Greek blueberry yogurt and Chobani ...
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| READ THE ORIGINAL POST AT money.msn.com |
Greece’s Samaras Says 2013 Primary Surplus Better Than Expected
The latest data showed that Greece’s 2013 primary budget surplus was more than 1 billion euros ($1.4 billion), Samaras told his party’s lawmakers in a speech in Athens today. The government’s 2014 budget estimated that it had achieved a ...
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| READ THE ORIGINAL POST AT www.bloomberg.com |
Greek Cypriot archbishop Chrysostomos II said ‘for us, a Turkish Cypriot state means annexation, which nobody wants.'
Chrysostomos II, the archbishop of the Greek Cypriot administration of southern Cyprus, said that it did not matter whether or not Turkey recognized his country while speaking on a local radio station. The Greek Orthodox archbishop said ‘The entire world ...
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| READ THE ORIGINAL POST AT www.worldbulletin.net |
Book News: Two Poems By Greek Poet Sappho Discovered
NPR (blog)Book News: Two Poems By Greek Poet Sappho DiscoveredNPR (blog)Parts of two previously unknown poems by the Greek lyric poet Sappho have been discovered on an ancient papyrus. An anonymous collector happened to show the papyrus to the Oxford University classicist Dirk Obbink, who realized its significance.'Two new poems' by Greek poet Sappho recoveredBBC Newsall 2 news articles »
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| READ THE ORIGINAL POST AT www.npr.org |
Archaeological Findings Will Remain in Thessaloniki Metro
After a long meeting that lasted over 10 hours and was accompanied by a heated debate, the Greek Central Archaeological Council favored the detachment of the Byzantine findings of Venizelos station of Thessaloniki Metro and their repositioning to a specially formed area within the metro station. The debate was also attended by the Mayor of Thessaloniki, Yiannis Boutaris, who supported the preservation of antiquities in the station. He also presented his vision which is the creation of an archaeological park in the city center, which will include, archaeological monuments of the city and antiquities found during works for the construction of the Metro. The meeting was also attended by the president of the Association of Greek Archaeologists, Despina Koutsouba, who supported among other things the creation of an open archaeological site, which will be accessible to all citizens of Thessaloniki and not only to the passengers of the metro. The general secretary of the Ministry of Culture and Sports of Greece pointed out that any further delay of the project must be avoided as it may jeopardize its realization. It is noted that the construction of the Thessaloniki Metro started in June 2006 and must be completed by 2018.
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| READ THE ORIGINAL POST AT greece.greekreporter.com |
Greek Government Reveals Plan for Greek Police Force Overhaul
The Greek Ministry of Public Order and Protection submitted a new draft law unveiling in this way the Greek government’s plans to overhaul the Greek Police( ELAS) in a bid to improve patrols and cut spending. During an Athens press briefing, Minister Nikos Dendias presented the bill, which includes decoupling the ministry from police, turning the latter into a political organization under a general directorate. Police headquarters will be abolished under its current form and will be replaced by a directorate overlooking three main and autonomous sectors: public order, security (set up along the FBI model) and foreigners/border protection sector in Greece. The bill, which was tabled in Parliament Wednesday, foresees the scrapping of about 6,700 permanent posts, which are currently vacant, as well as the merging of ELAS’s surplus administrative departments. The move is expected to cut their number almost in half, from 120 to 68. With the exception of the Attica and Thessaloniki prefectures, the remaining 52 police directorates will be substituted by the 12 regional directorates. Changes will also take place in the Fire Brigade structure, which will act as the operational branch of the General Secretariat for Civil Protection. The whole project, according to the data presented, will result in a 43 percent reduction in the police structure (including mergers of units and services), 30 percent reduction in the Fire Brigade and 36 percent in the General Secretariat.
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| READ THE ORIGINAL POST AT greece.greekreporter.com |
Mistake Averts Political Storm between MEP Karas and SYRIZA
During a meeting held on Wednesday in a committee of the Greek Parliament between the vice president of the European parliament, MEP Othmar Karas, and Greek MP’s, a major political outbreak was prevented, as an intriguing part of the conversation was lost in translation. The Austrian MEP, who is visiting Athens as head of the EU committee monitoring the actions of the Troika in EU member states, made remarks in reference to the leader of the major opposition party SYRIZA, Alexis Tsipras, mentioning that during their last meeting in Strasbourg, Tsipras seemed to be unprepared. “We met in Strasbourg with the opposition leader and asked Mr. Tsipras to present us his objectives and proposals, while also asking him what can be corrected. For the next hour though, he didn’t say anything. He only said that he supports the European parliament and wants our committee to take on more responsibilities,” Karas said. This statement met no response by the SYRIZA MP’s who were present at the meeting, as the crucial part concerning the name of the opposition leader had been mistakenly interpreted as “Cyprus,” thus leaving the MP’s puzzled about the choice of the Austrian MEP to talk about the neighboring country’s opposition leader. Later, upon examining the audio and video transcripts the mistake was revealed. “I said Tsipras. I couldn’t be asking a country,” Karas said answering to news editors. The SYRIZA MP’s present in the room later stated that if they had realized that the accusations of Karas were targeting their leader, they wouldn’t have let the MEP go on with his speech. SYRIZA issued a statement condemning the “false and defamatory allegations by Mr. Karas,” while mentioning, “these unacceptable allegations were not even taken seriously by the interpreter, who thought that Karas was talking about Cyprus.” Recently, the head of the Troika’s monitoring committee admitted in an interview that the troika has made mistakes but eventually saved Greece from bankruptcy. “The troika was necessary. The EU wasn’t ready to deal with the financial crisis on its own,” Karas said on Wednesday.
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| READ THE ORIGINAL POST AT greece.greekreporter.com |
Samaras Rules Out Early Elections, Will Stay Course Until 2016
Greek Prime Minister Antonis Samaras has insisted that his coalition government aims to hold general elections as scheduled in 2016, dismissing speculation about an early vote to coincide with polls in May for local government and the European Parliament, as support for his New Democracy Conservatives is waning.
The post Samaras Rules Out Early Elections, Will Stay Course Until 2016 appeared first on The National Herald.
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