Ring of Ruthless Thugs Terrorize Greece

A ruthless ring of extortionist thugs responsible for terrorizing Attica, Corinth and Euboea have been uncovered by Greek police. Investigations revealed that the ring had a large number of ammunition in its possession, which they used to blackmail shop-owners and businessmen. After extensive investigation in the regions of Attica, Corinth and Euboea, Greek police proceeded to make 17 arrests and seize the thugs’ weapons and money. Meanwhile, the results of the investigation are quite disturbing since they reveal the existence of a gang with a history of organized crimes. The “thugs” were blackmailing shop-owners to pay them money. The amounts required per month, ranged from 200 to 1,500 euros and if the amount wasn’t paid up in time the thugs did not hesitate to beat them. In a specific case, the gang members broke the fingers of an accountant who owed them money. Sources revealed the accountant had borrowed 10,000 euros from moneylenders and had paid 20,000. However, the moneylenders asked for 30,000 euros. When the accountant met with them to ask for more time, three thugs broke his fingers. In another incident, gang members visited a coffee shop and when asked to pay the bill they replied: “We never pay from now on, you pay us.” When the owner refused they attacked him breaking his jaw.

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'Invisible' Same-Sex Couples Push For Civil Unions In Greece

NPR (blog)'Invisible' Same-Sex Couples Push For Civil Unions In GreeceNPR (blog)Bellia is the president of Rainbow Families, a coalition of about 70 same-sex couples raising children in Greece. She tells the mothers that the LGBT Center at the University of Louisville has raised funds for the publication of the first Greek ...and more »

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Putin needs to show more restraint than hero to avoid a new Crimean war

Russian president must not be tempted to follow Nicholas I's footsteps into the peninsula

The signs are ominous: Crimea's parliament has been stormed by pro-Russian gunmen; its airports seized by soldiers in Russian uniforms; and Russian military trucks and helicopters are on the move. It looks like we are heading for a new Crimean war.

Its course is predictable. Russia's forces, or – more likely – their Crimean proxies, would carry out a coup to defend the interests of the Russian-speaking majority in the peninsula and hold a referendum to secure autonomy from Ukraine.

Perhaps Crimea would rejoin Russia, despite the objections of the Crimean Tatars and Ukrainians. The pro-Russian movement might then spread into south-east Ukraine, whose industries are heavily dependent on Russia. Ukraine loses, Russia wins.

Crimea was bound to be the focus of the Russian backlash against the Ukrainian revolution. The Black Sea peninsula is the only part of Ukraine with a clear Russian majority. For more than 20 years, ever since the collapse of the Soviet Union, its rule by Kiev has been a major source of Russian resentment – inside and outside Crimea – and a major thorn in Ukraine's relations with Russia.

The Treaty of Friendship and Co-operation – by which Russia rents its naval base at Sevastopol from the Ukrainian government – is so far-reaching in the rights it gives the Russians to exercise their military powers that it is seen by many in Ukraine to undermine the country's independence. In 2008 the Ukrainians said they would not renew the lease when it expired in 2017. But they buckled under the pressure of a gas-price hike and, in 2010, extended the Russian navy's lease until 2042. What will happen to it now is anybody's guess.

From the Russian point of view, it is all the more annoying that Crimea was part of Russia until 1954. Exactly 60 years ago, on 27 February 1954, it was casually gifted to Ukraine by Nikita Khrushchev (after only 15 minutes of discussion in the Supreme Soviet Presidium), supposedly to mark the 300th anniversary of the 1654 treaty unifying Ukraine with Russia.

In those days of the "fraternity of peoples" in the USSR there were no real borders between the Soviet republics, whose territories were drawn up by largely artificial and even arbitrary means.

But the Soviet collapse brought real national feelings back. Russians in Ukraine felt they had been orphaned by the breaking of their ties to Moscow; they latched on to Crimea as a symbol of their nationalist resentments.

Crimea is vitally important to the Russians. According to medieval chronicles, it was in Khersonesos – the ancient Greek colonial city on the south-western coast of Crimea, just outside Sevastopol – that Vladimir, the Grand Prince of Kiev, was baptised in 988, thereby bringing Christianity to Kievan Rus', the kingdom from which Russia derives its religious and national identity.

Ruled by the Turks and Tatar tribes for five hundred years, Crimea was annexed by the Russians in 1783. It was the fault line separating Russia from the Muslim world, the religious division on which the Russian empire grew.

Catherine the Great liked to call the peninsula by its Greek name, Taurida, in preference to Crimea (Krym), its Tatar name. She thought that it connected Russia to the Hellenic civilisation of Byzantium. She gave land to Russia's nobles to build magnificent palaces along the mountainous southern coast, a coastline to rival the Amalfi in beauty; their classical buildings, Mediterranean gardens and vineyards were supposed to be the bearers of a new Christian civilisation in this previously heathen land.

The Tatar population was gradually forced out and replaced by Russian settlers and other Eastern Christians: Greeks, Armenians, Bulgarians.

Ancient Tatar towns such as Bakhchiserai were downgraded, while new towns like Sevastopol were built entirely in the neoclassical style. Russian churches replaced mosques. And there was an intense focus on the discovery of ancient Christian archaeological remains, Byzantine ruins, ascetic cave-churches and monasteries, to make a claims for Crimea as a sacred site, the cradle of Russian Christianity.

In the 19th century, the Black Sea fleet was the key to Russia's imperial might. From Sevastopol it bullied the Ottomans into submission to Russia – a policy that led to the Crimean war after Tsar Nicholas I overplayed his hand in defence of the sultan's Orthodox subjects and the British and their French allies sent their troops to Crimea to destroy his naval base.

For 11 months, the Russian sailors held out in the siege of Sevastopol – a struggle immortalised by Leo Tolstoy's Sebastopol Sketches – before finally abandoning the town to the vastly superior allied forces. Their heroic sacrifice became a powerful emotive symbol of Russian defiance in the nationalist imagination.

The Russian character of Sevastopol is still defined by this siege mentality.

Memories of the Crimean war continue to stir profound feelings of Russian pride and resentment towards the west. Although it ended in defeat, the war has always been presented by the Russians as a moral victory. Nicholas I is one of Putin's heroes because he fought for Russia's interests against all the Great Powers. His portrait hangs in the antechamber of the presidential office in the Kremlin.

If a new Crimean war is to be avoided, Putin must show more restraint than his Tsarist hero. Nationalist emotions must be calmed. There are political remedies for the deep divisions in Ukraine. If peace can hold until the elections on 25 May, a new Ukrainian government might do well to consider options for the country's federalisation to grant Crimea more autonomy.

But with deposed president Viktor Yanukovych now saying that the elections are "unlawful" there is much uncertainty and, if he speaks with Russia's backing, little hope that those divisions can be peacefully resolved.

Orlando Figes is the author of Crimea: The Last Crusade (Penguin)

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Greece names squad for South Korea friendly

Greece coach Fernando Santos on Friday named a 20-man squad for next Wednesday's home friendly against South Korea in preparation for the 2014 World Cup. The match will be played at the Karaiskaki Stadium, the home venue for Greek champion Olympiakos. Gre... ...

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PPC slashing rates for large industries

Greece’s energy-intensive industries will receive a discount on their electric bills of up to 20 percent for one year with the option of a 12-month extension, Public Power Corporation (PPC) announced on Friday, as the government is seeking ways to ease en... ...

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InterContinental Hotels to expand to Santorini

Santorini has been chosen as the location for the second InterContinental hotel in Greece, the international group’s local director Panos Panayiotopoulos has revealed to Kathimerini. He noted that this will be the group’s first expansion in Greece after a... ...

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Prices lower, but households still struggling

The prices of basic commodities may be lower than in other European Union countries, but the cost of living in Greece remains higher. That was the conclusion of the National Confederation of Hellenic Commerce (ESEE) after studying the findings of a four-m... ...

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Employment prospects stay gloomy

The 1 million jobs lost during the country’s financial crisis will take at least 20 years to be recovered, the Labor Institute of the General Confederation of Greek Labor (INE/GSEE) said in its monthly report on Friday. The institute underlined that it wi... ...

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Meet People At SXSW ... While Working Out And Losing Weight

South by Southwest (SXSW) in Austin, TX has become one of the most important conferences of the tech industry, and I’m very excited to attend for my first time (finally).  Our team at ff Venture Capital is hosting for the second time ff MASSIVE, a 2.5 day event (Friday-Sunday) at Empire Control Room & Garage in the heart of downtown Austin. But, here’s the problem: SXSW is famous for a jam-packed schedule, infinite free food and drink, minimal sleep, and radical overstimulation. With the crowds, plethora of panels, concerts, events, and parties, it is also very easy to go into sensory overload and forget about health and wellness.  And that’s not an outcome I suspect many people are happy with, especially once they leave the festivities, barely feeling alive. We’ve designed the ffVC "Fitness Office" to promote health, and we’ve tried to do the same thing at ff MASSIVE. We’ve arranged for the people at our event and tech media to box one another with Rock ‘Em Sock ‘Em Robots, and they can exercise their brains with the Interaxon Muse.  We’ll be serving barbeque, which by paleo standards is health-conscious (although I know some have different views on that!). In preparing for the conference, I looked at the First Timer’s Guide to SXSW and The Top 10 Parties at SXSW, but I couldn’t find any information about how to survive SXSW without gaining weight and while keeping your training rhythm.  So, I asked our able intern Julia Sahin to do some research. For both SXSW and other cities globally, a great resource for the fitness-minded traveler is Athletic Minded Traveler.  Jim Kaese, Editor-in-Chief and member of the EVEN Hotels Wellness Advisory Board, observed, “Go [to a conference] with the right mindset.  Don't think you are going to have all sorts of time to start a new or expand on your training regimen that you follow at home.  Your goal should be to maintain fitness, not build.  Plan on 20-30 minutes of cardio, which is enough to give you all the benefits of exercise: better sleep, immunity boost, and brain power throughout the day.” If you have further suggestions for how to stay fit at SXSW, please add them in the comments!   MEET PEOPLE AT SXSW WHILE SWEATING Blood Sweat ‘n’ Beers. A kick-ass event for start ups. Friday, March 7, 10:30 AM $15-$20 RIDE Indoor Cycling, 117 Lavaca St Dance with DJ Robert Delong from Octopus Project at ff MASSIVE Friday, March 7, 9 PM Empire Control Room & Garage, 606 E 7th St Armour3.9 Community Run SXSW Saturday, March 8, 8-11 AM 1206 W 4th St City Running Tours presents SXSWi 5K 2014 Saturday, March 8 8:30-9:30 AM Luke’s Locker 115 Sandra Muraida Way   Dungeons & Dragons Yoga at Resolute Fitness Saturday, March 8 Noon 5145 North FM 620 Suite F120 Dance with Vintage Trouble at ff MASSIVE Saturday, March 8 9 PM Empire Control Room & Garage 606 E 7th St   #IWILL Austin Boot Camp with Under Armour SXSW Sunday, March 9 8-11 AM 1206 W 4th St   Dance at ff MASSIVE (Djs to be announced soon) Sunday, March 9 8 PM Empire Control Room & Garage 606 E 7th St   MapMyFitness + Adobe Monday Motor ride SXSW Monday, March 10 9-11AM 1206 W 4th St   Lady Bird Lake Trail A great trail for running, accessible from most Downtown Austin hotels You can also take advantage of your hotel gyms, available at the Hilton, Courtyard Marriott, Hyatt Regency,  The W, Hilton Garden Inn, The Driskill, Sheraton, Omni Hotel, Embassy Suites, and others.  Gold’s Gym Austin location has classes between noon and 2 PM on Friday, 101 West 6th St.   FOOD Austin Farmers’ Market 422 W. Guadalupe in Republic Square Park Pick up healthy snacks, baked goods, or prepared goods Open Saturdays, 9AM -1PM Blenders and Bowls 206 E. 4th St Austin’s first açaí café with smoothies and customizable açaí bowls Daily Juice 205 W. 3rd St Fresh juices and salads. Daily Juice also does grab n’go. Extreme Pita 515 Congress Ave #130 Fresh, chef-inspired recipes with pita: wraps, flatbaked pita, salads and soups Kebabalicious Storefront: 621 Congress Ave. Food Truck: 450 E. 7th St. Turkish and Greek-style food Thistle Café 221 W. 6th St Breakfast and lunch with a Mexican touch Plated (ffVC portfolio company) Get fresh, local ingredients for a reasonable price delivered to where you are and create your own gourmet meal in less than 30 minutes. Truluck’s Seafood 400 Colorado Seafood and steakhouse Uchi 801 South Lamar Sushi bar and gourmet Japanese fusion cuisine   DISCUSSIONS ABOUT FITNESS AT SXSW (CONFERENCE REGISTRATION REQUIRED)   Finding your fit at SXSW Meet Up Saturday, March 8 9:30-10:30 a.m. Meet Up tent E 6th St & Neches St A Fun, Fit Future: Social Media Takes on Fitness Saturday, March 8 3:30-3:45 PM Austin Convention center Ballroom F 500 E. Cesar Chavez   Connected Fitness 2.0: Shaping Healthy Behaviors Saturday, March 8 5-6 PM Hilton Austin Downtown Salon F 500 E. 4th St   Fitness Wearables & the Quantifiable Self Monday, March 10 5-6 PM Hyatt Regency, Texas Ballroom 5-7 208 Barton Springs Rd With this list and your panel schedules in hand, you’ll be ready for all the festivities. Stay active, eat well, stay hydrated and visit us at ff MASSIVE . See you at SXSW!   Image: www.charlymorlock.com via 500px.com

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In Ukraine, New Government Must Reassure Jewish Community

The Ukrainian Jewish community is nervous. The ultra-nationalist Svoboda party, with its history of anti-Semitism and platform of ethnic nationalism, won more than 10 percent of the vote in October 2012, shared the political leadership of the Maidan revolution over the past months, and just this week received three ministries in the new Ukrainian government. While Svoboda's leaders have refrained recently from making anti-Semitic statements, it is troubling that Oleksandr Sych, Svoboda's chief ideologue, was named vice prime minister. Sych's speeches over the years have focused on promoting Ukrainian nationalism, which he says is exemplified by Stepan Bandera, a leader of the Ukrainian nationalist movement of the 1930s and 1940s. Bandera was at times aligned with the Nazis during World War II and was complicit in mass killings of Jews and Poles by Ukrainian partisans. Sych has also said that Ukrainian nationalism is threatened both by "the Communist Russian regime and liberal Europe." How ironic that he was brought to power by a revolution sparked by former President Viktor Yanukovych's sudden refusal to sign an association agreement with the European Union. Interestingly, the armed nationalist groups that fought on the Maidan against government troops and police have made important gestures toward the Jewish community this week. Dmitro Yarosh, leader of Right Sector, met with Israel's ambassador to Ukraine, Reuven Din El, and told him that their movement rejects anti-Semitism and xenophobia and will not tolerate it. He said their goals were a democratic Ukraine, transparent government, ending corruption, and equal opportunity for all ethnic groups. The day before, Ukrainian Jewish journalist Eleonora Groisman interviewed Sergei Mischenko, the leader of "Spilna Sprava," and told him that Ukraine's Jews were worried about the nationalists. Mischenko responded that Jews will not have any problems and shouldn't worry. He went on to say, "On the Maidan there were Jews with us who served in the Israeli Defense Forces. We got along excellently and fought shoulder to shoulder." In November 2013, not long before the anti-Yanukovych protests began, ADL honored Metropolitan Archbishop Andrei Sheptytsky, a spiritual leader of Ukrainian Catholics who headed the Ukrainian Greek Catholic Church from 1900 until his death in 1944. Metropolitan Sheptytsky was posthumously awarded ADL's Jan Karski Courage to Care Award for his undaunted heroism in saving Jews from the Holocaust. After lauding Metropolitan Sheptytsky's actions, I said: I want to make one last point, regarding the situation today in Ukraine. There is a strong and growing Ukrainian nationalist movement. It faces a choice of role models: the Ukrainian nationalist Stepan Bandera, who declared an independent Ukrainian state on June 30, 1941 in Lviv, when the Nazis drove out the Soviet army, and the next day began murdering Jews. Or it can be inspired by the Ukrainian nationalist Metropolitan Andrei Sheptytsky, who wrote on July 1, the day after the state was declared, that the new government should exercise - quote -- "wise, just leadership and measures that would take into consideration the needs and welfare of all citizens who inhabit our land, without regard to what faith, nationality, or social stratum they belong." The Ukrainian nationalism of Andrei Sheptytsky, one of compassion, even love, for his Jewish neighbors, is one that Jews around the world can embrace and support. And we ask all who are inspired by the Metropolitan's actions and words to help oppose the destructive Banderite strain. Will Vice Prime Minister Sych renounce Bandera and embrace Europe? Will Svoboda accept Jews as full-fledged Ukrainians and follow the welcome assurances of the armed nationalists? Or will the promises of Right Sector and Spilna Sprava be overtaken by the ethnic nationalism of Svoboda? Meanwhile, security is being upgraded at Jewish institutions. Over the past several weeks, two Jews in Kiev were violently attacked and Molotov cocktails were thrown at a synagogue in Zaporozhe. Some Jewish leaders have even raised the possibility of a mass exodus from Ukraine. The future of the Ukrainian Jewish community could depend on the choices made by Svoboda and the actions of Ukraine's democratic leaders. Prime Minister Arseniy Yatsenyuk, together with UDAR leader Vitaliy Klichko, brought Svoboda into the opposition coalition in 2012. Now, having brought Svoboda into the government, it is up to Prime Minister Yatsenyuk to ensure that anti-Semitism is not tolerated and that democratic norms are adhered to. By sending that message to the people of Ukraine now, the prime minister will reassure the Jewish community and set an admirable example. Guiding Ukraine's nationalists to adopt the path of Metropolitan Sheptytsky will be a major test of Ukraine's democratic development and an important step forward for the country. If achieved, the future of Ukraine's Jewish community may be bright, not bleak.

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Greece Arcadia students hospitalized after taking pill

WROC-TVGreece Arcadia students hospitalized after taking pillRochester Democrat and ChronicleTwo Greece Arcadia High Schools student were hospitalized Friday morning after possibly ingesting some kind medication, school officials said. Multiple ambulances were called to the Island Cottage Road school around 11:30 a.m.. Greece Police Capt.Two Greece Arcadia HS students taken to hospitalNews 10NBCTwo Students Being Evaluated Following Incident at Greece ArcadiaWROC-TVStudents show possible drug symptoms at Greece Arcadia13WHAM-TVWHAM -Irondequoit Postall 8 news articles »

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Tentative deal for posting of workers

Greece will ask member states to approve compromise with MEPs on Wednesday.

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Art and photography exhibit at Holy Trinity Greek Orthodox Church in Westfield ...

Art and photography exhibit at Holy Trinity Greek Orthodox Church in Westfield ...Suburban NewsThe Ladies Philoptochos Society (Friends of the Poor), of Holy Trinity Greek Orthodox Church will sponsor its seventh Annual Fine Art and Photography Sale showcasing American artists of Greek descent. This event will take place on Saturday, March 15 ...

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Greece reassures troika on reforms as talks enter second phase

KathimeriniGreece reassures troika on reforms as talks enter second phaseKathimeriniSome more testing issues, such as last year's primary surplus and how much of it the government will be able to redistribute among Greece's most needy, are due to be added to the agenda. Nevertheless, Athens is still hoping to reach an agreement in ...Riots in the Center of Athens GreeceGreek Reporterall 5 news articles »

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Thousands waiting for new law on Greek citizenship

More than 100,000 children born in Greece to immigrant parents have applied for Greek citizenship, Alternate Interior Minister Leonidas Grigorakos told Parliament on Friday. The government last year scrapped a law allowing second-generation migrants to ob... ...

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Envoy denies reports of attacks on ethnic Greeks in Ukraine

A Greek diplomat on Friday sought to allay concerns about the fate of some 100,000 ethnic Greeks living in southeastern Ukraine as the crisis escalates in the former Soviet republic. In comments made to the state-run Athens-Macedonia News Agency, Greece’s... ...

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Attica cat burglars caught with 86,000 euros' worth of loot

The arrest of three young Albanian men on Tuesday has allowed the Greek police to get to the bottom of at least 18 burglaries around Attica, the force said in an announcement on Friday. The three men were arrested in the suburb of Aegaleo in an apartment ... ...

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Police in southern Greece break up protection racket

A joint police operation in Athens, Piraeus and Corinth led to the arrest on Friday of 17 people suspected of running a protection racket that extorted money from at least 22 businesses in various parts of the country. The gang is believed to have been le... ...

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Dairy farmers plan Athens protest on Wednesday

Dairy farmers from around Greece plan to gather in central Athens on Wednesday to stage a rally in front of Parliament in protest at plans to introduce legislation to increase the shelf life of fresh milk. The farmers wish to hold a meeting with Developme... ...

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Ministry extends opening hours of sites, museums in spring and autumn

With more than 18.5 million tourists expected to visit Greece this year, topping record arrivals in 2013, the Culture Ministry has moved ahead with the long-awaited extension of opening hours at museums and archaeological sites. Starting on April 1, 33 of... ...

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Greece's gender pay gap smaller than EU average

A European Commission report showed on Friday that Greek women are paid 15 percent less than their male counterparts, compared with an average spread of 16.4 percent across the European Union.... ...

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Eurobank posts 913-mln-euro loss in Q4 of 2013

Greece’s third-largest lender by assets Eurobank lost 913 million euros in the last quarter of 2013, hurt by provisions for bad loans and one-off costs. Eurobank, 95 percent-owned by Greece’s HFSF bank rescue fund, said the full-year loss came to 1.15 bil... ...

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Glykos called up for friendly against SKorea

ATHENS, Greece (AP) — PAOK goalkeeper Panagiotis Glykos was called up Friday to play for Greece in next week's friendly against South Korea.

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At 150, Oldest Greek Parish in U.S.

NEW ORLEANS, LA – The river of time that flows from the birth of oldest Greek Orthodox parish in America, like the noble Mississippi nearby, streamed through Sunday January 12 and the waters of Bayou St. John, when and where the Dean of Holy Trinity Cathedral of New Orleans, Archimandrite Maximos Pafilis, cast the Holy […]

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Home ownership in Greece 'a sick joke' as property market collapses

There is constant motion on the second floor of 24 Kanari Street. At the Athens office of Remax, Greece's largest property company, clients come and go, agents slip in and out and brokers pace the corridors barking into mobile phones. For ...

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Greece's Eurobank Posts $1.25 Billion Loss

ATHENS—Greece's Eurobank Ergasias SA, the country's fourth largest lender, reported a €913 million ($1.25 billion) loss in the last quarter as it implemented a government-backed restructuring scheme. In a statement, the bank said it had ...

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Greece's Eurobank posts 2013 loss, hurt by loan-loss provisions

Greece's third largest lender Eurobank (EURBr.AT) lost 1.15 billion euros last year, hurt by provisions for bad loans and one-off charges including the cost of a voluntary exit scheme. Greek banks continue to struggle with loan impairments amid a deep recession. Non-performing loans (NPLs) are the focus of a health check the country's central bank has run to assess whether Greece's top lenders ...

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The Greek Carnival Season Has Arrived

The celebrations of music, dance and colors mark a ... named after the liturgical book which is used by the Greek Orthodox Church during the masses from that point on and up to Easter’s Holy Week. According to the Church, triodion gives ...

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Ongoing crisis sets the frame for Greek filmmakers at TDF

The controversial shutdown of Greece's state TV and radio broadcaster last year, the devastating implications of German-inspired austerity policies on Europe's southern periphery, the effect of Turkey's most significant cultural export: soap operas. These... ...

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Greek Church Defrauder Gets 25 Years

A Connecticut man who pleaded guilty of stealing $27 million from investors, including his Greek Orthodox Church, got a 25-year jail sentence.

The post Greek Church Defrauder Gets 25 Years appeared first on The National Herald.

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Greek Bank Governor Warns Unrest Could Unravel Recovery

With signs – disputed – that Greece this year could begin a slow and painful recovery from a crushing economic crisis, the country’s central bank chief said it could be undone by rising political and social unrest.

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A Better Burger in Los Angeles

  By Johanna Voutounou LOS ANGELES, CA – Before I boarded my plane flight from my home in Cyprus to come to the United States, my yiayia hugged me tight and whispered this to me: “Americans only eat hamburgers, make sure you don’t only eat hamburgers, they are not good for you.” Every phone conversation […]

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Greece: National final on 11 March

DT (HPRT), the interim Greek channel has confirmed to esctoday.com that the 2014 Greek national final will be held on 11 March at the Acro Music Hall in Athens, Greece. The 2014 Greek national final will be a co-produced by DT and MAD TV Greece.

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Greece, Champions of Unemployment

Eurostat’s data on unemployment in the EU show the nightmarish dimensions of Greek unemployment and revealed that unemployment in Greece went even more south in November 2013. The Greek unemployment rates for young people and females remain the highest in the European Union. In November, the total unemployment rate rose to 28 percent. This rate is the highest in the EU while in individual categories the unemployment rate for men was 24.9 percent, for women 32.2 percent and for young people under the age of 25, rose to 59 percent. Indeed, the three countries which recorded the highest increase in unemployment within one year are Cyprus (from 14.4 to 16.8 percent), Greece (from 26.3 to 28 percent) and Croatia (from 17.4 to 18.8 percent). Data concerning January 2014 revealed that in the eurozone, unemployment remained at 12 percent since October 2013, while EU unemployment also remained unchanged at 10.8 percent. In January, the EU had 26.231 million unemployed, 19.175 of which were in the eurozone. In the same month, the number of unemployed under the age of 25 came up to 5.556 million people, 3.539 million of which came from the Eurozone countries. The highest rates of youth unemployment were recorded in Greece (59 percent) and Spain (55.3 percent) while the lowest were recorded in Germany (7.7 percent) and Austria 9.7 percent).

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One in Two Doctors Out of New Greek Healthcare Network

One in two doctors in Greece decided not to participate in the new Primary National Health Network (PEDY), implemented by the Greek Minister of Health Adonis Georgiadis. They chose instead, to continue their private practice. The deadline for Greek Doctors to decide whether or not they will register with PEDY and the state-run outpatient network expired on February 28. Only 2,319 doctors in a total of 5,000 decided to register with the new healthcare network, when the rest preferred to continue their private practice. Health Minister assured Greek citizens that the new polyclinics won’t be understaffed as he will cover any gaps with supplementary doctors and medical staff. Moreover, doctors who do not want to register with PEDY will have the option to sign an agreement with EOPYY (National Organization for Healthcare Provision) in order to treat those insured with PEDY at their private practices. The big question now for Minister Adoniadis, is whether or not he will be able to operate the new polyclinics on March 20, as originally planned. An important meeting will be held on March 1, at the Ministry of Health, chaired by the Deputy Minister of Health Antonis Bezas. During the meeting the participants will assess doctors’ specialties by geographic region and decide how many supplementary doctors will be needed to properly run the polyclinics.

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Health Minister Unveils Details of Draft Omnibus Bill on Health in Greece

Greek Health Minister Adonis Georgiadis on Thursday unveiled planned measures to be included in draft omnibus bill on Greece’ s National Health System being prepared by the ministry, which he said would include evening surgical operations, along the lines of the afternoon doctors’ visits established in recent years. The omnibus bill also provides for a redistribution of hospital beds based on needs and public-private sector partnerships that will start with cleaning and catering services in hospitals. Speaking about the institution of evening surgeries on the sidelines of his meeting with the governors of the Regional Health Authorities and the governors of the hospitals, Georgiadis said that this measure will contribute to a better functioning of hospitals, as it will relieve a backlog in morning surgeries. While speaking to the governors, the minister stressed that their main concern must be to reduce waiting times for patients and provide the best possible service, monitor the flow of overdue debts and ensure the transparency of procurement tenders. He also praised a measure for assessments as a tool for the continuous improvement of health services. (source: ana-mpa)

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Greece: Glykos called up for Korea friendly

ATHENS, Greece (AP) — PAOK goalkeeper Panagiotis Glykos has been called up by Greece for next week's friendly against South Korea.

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EU reiterates readiness to sign Ukraine trade deal

ATHENS, Greece (AP) — Top European Union officials said Friday that the 28-nation bloc was still ready to sign a landmark trade agreement with Ukraine, insisting it wouldn't weaken ties between the country and its neighbor Russia.

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State Department: Report on Human Rights in Greece

The annual report published by the U.S. State Department, which records the state of human rights around the world, sees for 2013 the “unprovoked racist violence against migrants and individuals perceived to be foreigners” as one of the most ...

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US State Dept expresses concern over rise in racism in Greece

The US State Department has expressed concern, in its annual report on human rights practices, at an increase in racially-motivated attacks in Greece, including by members or supporters of the ultra-right Golden Dawn. The report also highlighted reports a... ...

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Ukraine Trade Deal Discussed By EU Ministers

ATHENS, Greece (AP) — Ministers from the European Union's Foreign Affairs Council were discussing developments in Ukraine and trade with the United States during an informal meeting on Friday in the Greek capital. Talks were focusing on a free trade deal being negotiated with the U.S., and on the EU's economic relationship with Ukraine. The 28-country bloc last year offered Ukraine a wide-ranging free trade and association agreement expected to yield 20 billion euros ($27.5 billion) in EU loans and grants for Kiev over the seven years following the deal's signature. A last-minute refusal by Ukraine's now fugitive president, Viktor Yanukovych, to sign the deal that would have brought the country closer to Europe sparked the public protests that quickly spiraled into a full-blown crisis that has left dozens dead. Ukraine's population is divided in loyalties between Russia and the West, with much of western Ukraine advocating closer ties with the EU while eastern and southern regions look to Russia for support. The EU and Ukraine had previously signed a Partnership and Cooperation Agreement in 1998. The EU's offer is still on the table, and officials in Brussels have said the deal would provide a boost to Ukraine's economy, opening the world's biggest market for Ukrainian exporters while shielding them from full competition for many years. Greece currently holds the bloc's rotating six-month presidency, and is hosting a series of informal ministerial meetings in Athens. Negotiations on the trade deal with the U.S. began in July, but were partially suspended in January for the EU to hold a three-month consultation over concerns about some of the deal's proposed rules for investment.

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Cypriots Wary Of Turkey’s Water Pipeline

Turkey's pipeline bringing water to the part of Cyprus it occupies has Turkish-Cypriots rejoicing but Greek-Cypriots worrying about what it means.

The post Cypriots Wary Of Turkey’s Water Pipeline appeared first on The National Herald.

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Timely Topics For Clergy Laity Congress

In just four months the 42nd Biennial Clergy Laity Congress of the Greek Orthodox Archdiocese of America will be convened in Philadelphia. However, no information has been announced about what the Congress will discuss.

The post Timely Topics For Clergy Laity Congress appeared first on The National Herald.

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Santos explains departure from Greece

Yahoo!7 NewsSantos explains departure from GreeceSBSGreece coach Fernando Santos said Friday that his decision to leave the team after the World Cup would not undermine his side's chances in Brazil. "I see only a positive impact on my players. I know them well. They know that we will not continue ...Santos to leave Greece job with 'heavy heart' after World CupYahoo!7 NewsGreece coach Santos to step down after WCupYahoo Newsall 95 news articles »

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Pop Culture's War on Fraternities

Animal House and its many descendants didn’t glorify the Greek system—they mocked it. In July of 1978, film critic Roger Ebert reviewed a goofy little college comedy called National Lampoon’s Animal House. Directed by the now-legendary Harold Ramis ...

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Santos to leave Greece job with 'heavy heart' after World Cup

Yahoo NewsSantos to leave Greece job with 'heavy heart' after World CupYahoo!7 NewsATHENS (Reuters) - Greece coach Fernando Santos said on Friday it was with a "heavy heart" that he had made his decision to step down after the World Cup finals later this year. "It was a very difficult decision emotionally," Santos, who has been in ...Greece coach Santos to step down after WCupYahoo NewsSantos to step down as Greece coachSBSGreece name squad for South Korea friendlySuperSport (blog)all 91 news articles »

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Riots in the Center of Athens Greece

A few hours before Troika arrived at the Greek Ministry of Administrative Reform to meet with the Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis, members of the Greek Federation of Secondary Education State Teachers (OLME) gathered outside the ministry. It wasn’t long  before tension arose and chemicals were used by police to control the riots. At 6am on Friday morning, about 70 members of OLME arrived at the Greek Ministry of Administrative Reform and attempted to enter the building. However, the building’s security noticed them, closed the doors and called the Greek police. According to SKAI television, 4-6 Greek Police Riot Units (MAT) arrived outside the ministry. Apart from OLME’s trade unionists, school security guards and cleaning women in suspension also arrived at the Greek Ministry of Administrative Reform. According to eyewitness testimonies, MAT used chemicals to repel the gathered teachers from the ministry’s courtyard and proceeded to arrests. Among those arrested was the president of OLME Themis Kotsyfakis. According to Mr. Kotsyfakis’ statement, seventeen people were arrested, sixteen teachers and a school security guard. All of them were transferred to Greek police’s headquarters. “We did not close the streets, we did not disturb anyone. The democratic regime has been abolished,” claimed the president of OLME and continued that the Federation has requested a meeting with the Greek Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakos to discuss the availability scheme. Meanwhile, Troika inspectors along with Mr. Kyriakos Mitsotakis arrived at the Ministry of Finance for their scheduled appointment amid jeers.

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El Greco’s “Dormition of the Virgin” Travels to Toledo

The “Dormition of the Virgin,” an El Greco’s work from his youth, which adorns the church on the Greek island of Syros is expected to travel from Greece to Toledo in Spain in order to be included in the exhibition, titled “The Greek of Toledo,” organized for the occasion of the 400 years since his death. The exhibition will take place in Santa Cruz Museum of Toledo from March 14 to June 14 for the occasion of the “El Greco Year 2014.” It is expected to be the biggest exhibition ever to be organized in honor of a Greek artist as a total of 75 paintings from major museums around the world, including the Metropolitan Museum of New York, Washington’s National Gallery and the Museo Nacional del Prado, will be exhibited. Visitors of the Spanish city will have the chance to admire the works of Dominicos Theotokopoulos, as his real name was, in other locations in Toledo outside the museum, known as “El Greco’s Venues,” places where the painter had worked. These include the Vestry of Toledo Cathedral, the Chapel of San José, the Convent of Santo Domingo el Antiguo, the Church of Santo Tomé and the Tavera Hospital. However, the painting will be back in Syros for the Greek Orthodox Easter Day on April 20, since it will remain in Spain for about one month. This painting is one of the early works of El Greco, created between 1562 and 1564 while he was still in Crete, Greece.

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Samaras, Finnish peer strike upbeat note on Greece's prospects

Samaras, Finnish peer strike upbeat note on Greece's prospectsKathimeriniPrime Minister Antonis Samaras stressed that Greece is on the road to growth on Friday following talks with his Finnish counterpart Jyrki Katainen while the latter praised Samaras' government for following "responsible policies" to put the country back ...and more »

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Topic matches for "greece"

ATHENS, Greece (AP) - Scuffles have broken out between demonstrators and police outside the finance ministry in central Athens, as Greece's international debt inspectors met with ministers to discuss the pace of fiscal reforms. ATHENS, Greece (AP ...

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