 |
| READ THE ORIGINAL POST AT www.rgj.com |
How the world sees Greece
Wednesday, January 22, 2014
Dish It Up: Greek lemon soup to celebrate National Soup Month
The bracing acidity of freshly squeezed lemon juice is essential to the balance of avgolemono Greek egg and lemon soup. / Joe Horn/For the RGJ Columnist Nancy Horn uses unexpected jasmine rice in her Greek egg and lemon soup. Egg yolks contribute to the soup's color and creamy texture.
Have Mercy! Full House Cast Reuniting for a Super Bowl Commercial
andPOPHave Mercy! Full House Cast Reuniting for a Super Bowl CommercialTIMEEverywhere you look (everywhere), there's a heart (there's a heart), a hand to hold onto. And then also, everywhere you look, there is Greek yogurt. And the next place you're going to see it is in a Super Bowl commercial featuring the cast of Full House.Oikos Greek Yogurt Reunites The Men of "Full House" For Super BowlCo.CreateGreek Yogurt Brand Reunites The Men Of 'Full House' In Latest Super Bowl ...Business InsiderThe Men of Full House Reunite For Greek YogurtandPOPRollingStone.comall 131 news articles »
|
| READ THE ORIGINAL POST AT newsfeed.time.com |
Two dead, 10 missing during alleged push-back operation off Greek island
euronewsTwo dead, 10 missing during alleged push-back operation off Greek islandeuronewsA fishing boat crammed with migrants capsized near Farmakonisi, a tiny Greek island in the Aegean Sea near Turkey. The boat was being towed by a coast guard vessel. The bodies of a woman and an 11-year-old boy were found. A further 10 people were ...Migrant Boat Capsizes Off Greek Coast, 2 Bodies FoundHuffington PostBoat migrants drown off Greek coastEUobserver.comWomen and child dead in Greek pushback of migrantsMaltaTodayDI-VE -ABC Newsall 133 news articles »
|
| READ THE ORIGINAL POST AT www.euronews.com |
Greece offers bounty for guerrilla who failed to return to jail
ATHENS (Reuters) - Greece on Wednesday offered a record 4 million euro bounty for help in capturing five fugitives after one of them went on the run during a prison furlough, deeply embarrassing authorities.
|
| READ THE ORIGINAL POST AT www.reuters.com |
12 refugees killed during alleged push back operation off Greek island
Nine children and three women were killed when their vessel sank near a Greek island early Monday morning while being towed by the Greek Coast Guard. The survivors told Pro Asyl (Human Rights Organization for Refugees) that the Greek coast guard vessel was ...
|
| READ THE ORIGINAL POST AT www.todayszaman.com |
3 Stock to Invest in the Rebirth of Greece
This largest bank of Greece, National Bank of Greece (NBG) has a widespread presence in the Balkan region, Turkey, and Egypt. Some analysts compare its financial situation with Bank of America (BAC) and Citibank (C) due to its P/E of 23 ...
|
| READ THE ORIGINAL POST AT investorplace.com |
Greece criticised over boat deaths
Ten people were still missing after a fishing boat crammed with immigrants capsized in the dark on Monday near the tiny Greek island of Farmakonisi while being towed by a coast guard vessel. The bodies of a woman and an 11-year-old boy were found by ...
|
| READ THE ORIGINAL POST AT www.independent.ie |
Migrant Boat Capsizes Off Greek Coast, 2 Bodies Found
Times LIVEMigrant Boat Capsizes Off Greek Coast, 2 Bodies FoundHuffington PostATHENS, Greece (AP) — Greek officials say the bodies of a woman and an 11-year-old boy have been found a day after a fishing boat crammed with immigrants capsized in the dark, leaving 12 people feared drowned in the Aegean Sea. A coastguard ...Women and child dead in Greek pushback of migrantsMaltaTodayBoat migrants drown off Greek coastEUobserver.com9 children, 3 women die during alleged push-back operation off Greek islandDI-VEU-T San Diegoall 118 news articles »
|
| READ THE ORIGINAL POST AT www.huffingtonpost.com |
Take advantage of Greek yogurt’s benefits
The genuine product achieves its thick and creamy character through a process in which the liquid portion in milk ... protein as you’ll find in 3 ounces of lean meat — an appealing trait for folks interested in healthy ways to build muscle.
|
| READ THE ORIGINAL POST AT www.gazettetimes.com |
Fresh and homemade define the cuisine at Shadyside's new Greek Kitchen
Fresh and homemade define the cuisine at Shadyside's new Greek KitchenPGH City PaperLampros Kakitsis loves the food he's cooking at his new Shadyside eatery, The Greek Kitchen, near the corner of Negley and Centre avenues. He's been in the restaurant and food-service industry for about 40 years. He's owned restaurants, and his Greek ...
|
| READ THE ORIGINAL POST AT www.pghcitypaper.com |
George Soros To Fund Community Centers In Greece
Hungarian-born billionaire George Soros is showing some solidarity with Greece this week, announcing that he will fund community centers across the country to provide health care and legal services. Mr. Soros is well-known for his philanthropic efforts ...
|
| READ THE ORIGINAL POST AT www.valuewalk.com |
Greece faces criticism over migrant deaths; 2 bodies found after boat accident, 10 missing
ATHENS, Greece - A top European human rights official criticized Greece on Wednesday following a deadly boat accident involving immigrants in the east Aegean Sea, some of whom claimed that the Greek coast guard was turning them away.
|
| READ THE ORIGINAL POST AT www.canada.com |
Greek Marxists attacked by major newspaper – The bourgeoisie is worried, we are on the right path!
On 12 January, one of the major Greek newspapers, published a two page article about the Greek Marxists of the Communist Tendency of SYRIZA and their programme. We publish the reply of the Greek comrades in responce to this attack. See also the paper's ...
|
| READ THE ORIGINAL POST AT www.marxist.com |
Inquiry calls after migrants die under tow in Greece
Sixteen people were rescued. The coastguard says it judged it safer to keep migrants on their own boat than to take them aboard in bad weather. Greek officials say panicking migrants caused the boat to capsize themselves. According to reports ...
|
| READ THE ORIGINAL POST AT www.bbc.co.uk |
It’s All Out War In New ‘300’ Sequel Trailer
Warner Bros. released a new trailer for “300: Rise of an Empire” filled with ships, mayhem, and bloodshed.
The sequel to the 2006 movie stars Eva Green (“Casino Royale”) as Artemisia, a commander of the Persian navy who is leading her army to war against Greek general Themistokles (Sullivan Stapleton).
Director Noam Murro takes over for Zack Synder this time, who wrote the screenplay.
“300: Rise of An Empire” is in theaters March 7.
SEE ALSO: Check out the supercars that will be featured in "Need for Speed"
Join the conversation about this story »
|
| READ THE ORIGINAL POST AT www.businessinsider.com |
Greece high court reverses troika-imposed wage cuts
Council of State rules that pay cuts on police and armed forces workers were unconstitutional, ordering that they be reimbursed in full
|
| READ THE ORIGINAL POST AT www.telegraph.co.uk |
A convicted terrorist on the loose
Irish IndependentA convicted terrorist on the looseThe Economist (blog)Apart from privileges such as being allowed to move around Korydallos as he wished, Mr Xiros received at least six permits last year to visit his father, an Orthodox priest in a northern Greek village. American officials publicly urged the Greek police ...Reward in hunt for Greek fugitivesIrish IndependentEscaped Greek terrorist vows to fight govtSan Jose Mercury NewsEscaped Greek terrorist purportedly vows actionYork Daily RecordEurope Online Magazineall 27 news articles »
|
| READ THE ORIGINAL POST AT www.economist.com |
Greek court strikes down wage cuts connected troika bailout
A top Greek court has struck down wage cuts imposed by the government in 2012 on police and armed forces to comply with the terms of the country’s EU-IMF bailout, court and government officials said today. The ruling by the Council of State, Greece’s ...
|
| READ THE ORIGINAL POST AT www.irishtimes.com |
Top Greek court reverses some troika-mandated wage cuts
The GuardianTop Greek court reverses some troika-mandated wage cutsReutersIn separate decisions earlier this week, the Greek court rejected appeals to overturn wage cuts filed by other civil servants, including workers at the finance ministry, energy regulator and securities market watchdog, court officials said. Greece has ...Greek court strikes down wage cuts connected troika bailoutIrish TimesGreece: signs of growth come as austerity easesThe Guardianall 3 news articles »
|
| READ THE ORIGINAL POST AT www.reuters.com |
Greece recovers bodies of woman and boy after migrant boat capsizes
UN refugee agency urges Greece to investigate incident in which a total of 12 people are feared to have drowned
Greek officials say the bodies of a woman and an 11-year-old boy have been found a day after a fishing boat crammed with migrants capsized in the dark, leaving 12 people feared drowned in the Aegean sea.
A coastguard statement says the two bodies were found on Tuesday by authorities on the nearby Turkish coast. At the time of the accident the crippled vessel was being towed by a Greek patrol boat after its engine had failed as it was trying to reach Greece illegally.
Wednesday's statement says photos of the bodies were identified by some of the 16 survivors. Their nationalities were not announced.
The United Nations refugee agency has expressed dismay at the accident, urging Greece to investigate the circumstances. Greek authorities say the boat capsized during a panic after two passengers dived overboard.
GreeceEuropeRefugeestheguardian.com © 2014 Guardian News and Media Limited or its affiliated companies. All rights reserved. | Use of this content is subject to our Terms & Conditions | More Feeds |
| READ THE ORIGINAL POST AT www.theguardian.com |
Greece: signs of growth come as austerity eases
The GuardianGreece: signs of growth come as austerity easesThe GuardianIt was because of the "solution" itself. Four years later, Greece is down by about a quarter of its pre-recession national income – one of the worst outcomes of a financial crisis in the past century, comparable to the worst downturn of the US's Great ...
|
| READ THE ORIGINAL POST AT www.theguardian.com |
Recapitalizing the banks
Greece must get moving with plans for the further recapitalization of local banks and refuse to allow the issue to become the subject of partisan confrontations.
In the case of Eurobank, there is clear investment interest as long as legislation is approve... ...
|
| READ THE ORIGINAL POST AT www.ekathimerini.com |
In the political trenches
This year Greek Prime Minister Antonis Samaras is operating more or less in the same way as he would if the country were at war.
He manages three to four crises per day, has no way of knowing from which direction the next will come and works unbelievably ... ...
|
| READ THE ORIGINAL POST AT www.ekathimerini.com |
Greek life: part 2
In yesterday’s editorial, we sought to tease apart and examine some of the issues presented by greek life, and, after carefully considering some of its entrenched problems, we concluded that, on the ideal Duke campus, greek life would not exist.
|
| READ THE ORIGINAL POST AT www.dukechronicle.com |
The Greek ‘Moustaki’: A mustache with history!
Men can change their style just by shaving. They wake up in the morning and depending on their mood, they can have a beard (long or short), a three-day stubble, sideburns (although old-fashioned), or a mustache. But for now, let’s stick to the ...
|
| READ THE ORIGINAL POST AT greece.greekreporter.com |
Bad Loans Overwhelm Greek Banks
Bad Loans Overwhelm Greek BanksGreek ReporterNPLs Crushed by big pay cuts, tax hikes, slashed pensions and austerity measures that have created record unemployment, deep poverty and a harsh recession, so many people can't pay what they owe that Greek banks expect bad loans will hit 40 percent ...
|
| READ THE ORIGINAL POST AT greece.greekreporter.com |
Greek yogurt is the latest 'perfect' food
Greek yogurt is the latest 'perfect' foodMail TribuneSo don't forget, both styles of yogurt — regular and Greek — are good for us in a lot of important ways. They're great sources of gut-friendly probiotics, calcium, bone-building phosophorus and blood pressure-regulating potassium. Both are healthy ...and more »
|
| READ THE ORIGINAL POST AT www.mailtribune.com |
Greece to announce reward of 4 million euros for information on fugitive terrorists
Greece's public order minister says he will announce a reward of about 4 million euros ($5.4 million) for information leading to the capture of fugitive terrorists.
|
| READ THE ORIGINAL POST AT www.foxnews.com |
Greece to offer 4 million reward for fugitives
ATHENS, Greece — Greece’s public order minister says he will announce a reward of about 4 million euros ($5.4 million) for information leading to the capture of fugitive terrorists. Nikos Dendias said Wednesday the details would be announced later in ...
|
| READ THE ORIGINAL POST AT www.washingtonpost.com |
Greece: 2 bodies found after migrant boat capsizes
ATHENS, Greece — Greek officials say the bodies of a woman and an 11-year-old boy have been found a day after a fishing boat crammed with immigrants capsized in the dark, leaving 12 people feared drowned in the Aegean Sea. A coastguard ...
|
| READ THE ORIGINAL POST AT www.washingtonpost.com |
Woman, boy woman found dead after migrant boat accident in Greece; 10 people still missing
Greek officials say the bodies of a woman and an 11-year-old boy have been found a day after a fishing boat crammed with immigrants capsized in the dark, leaving 12 people feared drowned in the Aegean Sea.
|
| READ THE ORIGINAL POST AT www.foxnews.com |
Davos 2014: five key data sets
As the annual World Economic Forum gets under way, we bring you five key datasets to help understand the issues – from widening income inequality and weak economic growth to persistently high unemployment, unsustainable government debt and CO2 emissions
More than 2,500 heads of state, policymakers, economists, chief executives and assorted billionaires and activists are gathering in the Swiss Alpine resort of Davos for the 44th annual meeting of the World Economic Forum.
The theme of this year's four-day pow-wow is The Reshaping of the World: Consequences for Society, Politics and Business – with inequality and the huge impact of technological change key discussion points.
British prime minister David Cameron and Japan's Shinzo Abe will be among 40 national leaders attending. Germany will be represented by foreign minister Wolfgang Schäuble after chencellor Angela Merkel was injured in a skiing accident.
Business attendees include Goldman Sachs boss Lloyd Blankfein and Barclays chief Antony Jenkins, while the roll call of central bankers boasts Bank of England governor Mark Carney and ECB boss Mario Draghi.
Matt Damon, Bono and Margeret Atwood will also be there. You can see the full list of attendees here.
1: InequalityThe growing gap between rich and poor was the biggest threat to global prosperity identified by the World Economic Forum's members in this year's survey.
In the words of the WEF's founder and chairman, Klaus Schwab: "The slowdown is taking place against the backdrop of rising economic inequality, owing to the declining share of national income going to labour, a worldwide phenomenon – resulting from globalisation and technological progress – that poses a serious challenge to policymakers. Systems that propagate inequality, or that seem unable to stem its rise, contain the seeds of their own destruction."
The map above shows inequality as measured by the Gini coefficient for the 34 OECD countries (Source: OECD) and the five Brics – Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa (Source: World Bank). The higher the score, the more unequal the economy. A coefficient above 0.4 is generally regarded as the warning level for dangerous levels of inequality.
2: GDP growthThe worst economic slump since the 1930s has been followed by the weakest recovery on record. Five years after the financial crisis sparked recession, growth is still weak in many countries – and negative in others.
Guardian economics editor Larry Elliott says attention this year will focus on four issues: "Can the US "taper" away its QE stimulus without aborting its tepid recovery and triggering a fresh crisis in one of the "fragile five" emerging countries (India, Indonesia, South Africa, Turkey and Brazil)? Can China switch to a more liberalised model without a hard landing? Will the eurozone be able to avoid Japanese-style deflation? And will 2014 be the year when Japan emerges from two decades of slow growth and falling prices? Japan's prime minister, Shinzo Abe, will give a keynote speech on 22 January, and insiders are expecting an optimistic tone following signs that his stimulus package is working."
The line chart above shows annual GDP growth rates from 2007 to 2012 for selected OECD and Brics countries. Fuller World Bank data is available in the table below.
3: UnemploymentUnemployment is at near record levels of 12.1% in the eurozone – with around a quarter of the working-age population out of a job in Spain and Greece. Youth unemployment is much higher.
"Can a crisis really be over when 12% of the labour force is without a job," asked IMF managing director Christine Lagarde last month. "When unemployment among the youth is in very high double digits, reaching more than 50% in Greece and Spain? And when there is no sign that it is becoming easier for people to pay down their debts?"
4: Government debtPricewaterhouseCoopers' annual survey of chief executives found that the ability of debt-laden governments to rein in their deficits was cited as a concern by 71% of those surveyed – up from 61% in 2011.
The chart above shows government debt as a percentage of GDP for selected countries.
5: Climate change and CO2 emissionsThe WEF is also concerned that governments are so caught up with trying to deal with economic problems that they were not properly addressing the long-term threat of climate change.
The map above shows CO2 emissions per capita in metric tonnes for the platest available year, from the World Bank.
Data summary.
DavosDavos 2014EconomicsGlobal economyNick Meadtheguardian.com © 2014 Guardian News and Media Limited or its affiliated companies. All rights reserved. | Use of this content is subject to our Terms & Conditions | More Feeds |
| READ THE ORIGINAL POST AT www.theguardian.com |
If going Greek, read the fine print
Repeat after me: There is no single food or diet that will shield you from disease, obesity and cranky people. But that sure doesn’t stop savvy food marketers from trying to convince us otherwise. And so, every now and then, a certain food rises to the ...
|
| READ THE ORIGINAL POST AT registerguard.com |
From the Daily: Rethink Greek
hays PostFrom the Daily: Rethink GreekThe Michigan DailyRecently, Eliana Piper, president of the Panhellenic Council at Dartmouth College and four other Panhellenic Council leaders sent an e-mail stating that the Greek system at their school needs an overhaul. The e-mail criticized the fact that “the ...FHSU Greek life gives back to the communityhays PostGuest Column by Scott Reikofski | Commending our chaptersThe Daily Pennsylvanianall 2 news articles »
|
| READ THE ORIGINAL POST AT www.michigandaily.com |
Greece's anti-austerity Syriza party widens lead over conservatives
ATHENS (Reuters) - Greece's main opposition Syriza party has widened its lead over the ruling conservatives, a poll found on Wednesday, but most Greeks said they do not trust any party to rule the country.
|
| READ THE ORIGINAL POST AT www.reuters.com |
Hot Dish: When choices abound, go Greek at Nestor's
Hot Dish: When choices abound, go Greek at Nestor'sThe News-PressSo naturally, Nestor's vast menu is filled with Greek, Italian and American cuisines. Ordering well with so many options can be made simple. Start with the chicken souvlaki on the first visit, the couple said. “It's a really popular order,” Anna said ...
|
| READ THE ORIGINAL POST AT www.news-press.com |
World’s Best Hotel Pool in Greece
Andrew Harper, who loves luxury travels, has developed a travel community offering personalized services and exclusive benefits to travelers seeking luxury accommodation and travel. In Harper’s “Best Recognition Awards” for 2014, the hotel Amanzo’e in Peloponnese, Greece, was awarded for its impressive pool. It is the first resort of the famous hotel chain Aman Resorts […]
|
| READ THE ORIGINAL POST AT greece.greekreporter.com |
Greek News in Turkish!
The Greek TV station Channel 6 (Kanali 6) in the region of Xanthi, Thrace, northeastern Greece and the journalist John Sidiropoulos decided to create a 6 minute information bulletin in Turkish. The purpose was to reduce the isolation felt by the small Turkish community in the area and to provide reliable information on a daily basis. […]
|
| READ THE ORIGINAL POST AT greece.greekreporter.com |
Greek Priest Arrested for Illegal Trade of Icons
Police authorities in Thessaly, central Greece, arrested a criminal gang for illegal trade of icons and other items of religious and monetary value. Four Greeks were arrested, two men and two women, along with a 42-year-old man of Albanian origin. One of the Greek members of the gang was a 34-year-old priest. The suspects were arrested […]
|
| READ THE ORIGINAL POST AT greece.greekreporter.com |
Cooperation Between Greek and Palestinian Universities
The rector of Aristotle University of Thessaloniki, Greece, Yiannis Mylopoulos and the new ambassador of Palestine in Greece, Marwan Toubassi, announced a collaboration between the University of Thessaloniki and Palestinian institutions. The two men met on Tuesday and agreed to accelerate procedures for the signing of Memoranda of Collaboration between universities in the two countries, […]
|
| READ THE ORIGINAL POST AT greece.greekreporter.com |
Greece: It Takes Nine Months to Find a Job!
The average waiting time before finding a job in Greece has increased to more than nine months, surpassing not only Spain but also South Africa. This is what the International Labour Organisation (ILO) highlighted in its annual report released yesterday, detailing tendencies in the international employment arena for 2014. This increase in waiting time has […]
|
| READ THE ORIGINAL POST AT greece.greekreporter.com |
Interview: EU needs stimulus policies to boost job market: offical
by
XINHUA
Interview: EU needs stimulus policies to boost job market: offical 2014-01-22 03:24:03
BRUSSELS, Jan. 21 (Xinhua) -- The stressed European labor market needs to be improved this year through new stimulus policies in the European Union and its member states, an EU official said.
The EU slower recovery has weighed the jobless market down to a historic high level and the recovery of job market is uneven and modest, European Commissioner for Employment, Social Affairs and Inclusion Laszlo Andor said in a recent interview with Xinhua.
According to the latest EU official statistics, seasonally-adjusted unemployment rate of the euro area stood at 12.1 percent in November, unchanged at a record high since April, while in the wider 28-member EU, the overall unemployment rate in November was 10.9 percent, also stable since May.
"Some countries, mainly in the north, have been creating jobs. In Germany, in other countries in the north (of Europe), unemployment has been already declining in the recent period," Andor said.
"However, the certain periphery is still suffering from the long recession, and in a few countries like Greece, for example, unemployment continued to increase in the last year," he said.
"We have to reverse this trends, but we cannot reverse this without doing something against these imbalances...," he noted, urging member states to do more for job creation and find solutions at the EU level to stimulate economic growth.
He also described the current EU high youth jobless rate, more than twice the average unemployment rate, as a serious problem, saying the European bloc has outlined a scheme called "Youth Guarantee" to combat such issue.
"Young persons, those under 25 should not be allowed to be jobless for longer than 4 months after leaving school, or after loosing their jobs," he said.
Under the scheme, the public employment services must be able to provide either a new job, a further learning opportunity or an internship for months, and the EU financial support should be used for this.
The EU has created a new financial instrument with more than 6 billion euros (8 billion U.S.dollars) on the top of the European social fund in order to help those regions with the gloomiest labor markets.
Speaking of further policy to boost the job market, he pointed out the EU has identified three sectors, where job creation will be dynamic despite the long recession.
The bloc will come forward later in the spring with a new document to highlight the job creation potential of the green economy, he said. Meanwhile, the EU will expect the health and care sector in line with the ICT sector to support job growth.
"The ICT sector raises a great potential in inform-communication technology not just in a specific sector, but also new technology and new direction where all professions will have to improve the skills content for ICT."
To balance the labor market, the EU would reinforce the efforts to invest human capital in prior to further developing those sectors, he said.
The official illustrated the advantages of free movement of workers in the bloc, noting the free movement of people has been one of the cornerstones of the European integration and Single Market.
Mobile workers complement host country workers by helping to address skill gaps and labor shortages in certain sectors, he said. Enditem
|
| READ THE ORIGINAL POST AT www.neurope.eu |
Greek Devil replaces Au Bon Pain cart
Greek Devil replaces Au Bon Pain cartDuke ChronicleOriginally created to decrease foot traffic in Au Bon Pain's Bryan Center location, the cart ultimately did not produce enough revenue to justify staying. The Greek Devil has replaced the Au Bon Pain cart in the hopes that the move will increase foot ...
|
| READ THE ORIGINAL POST AT www.dukechronicle.com |
Holy Trinity Greek Orthodox Church to hold its Winter Feast this weekend
There's a Greek word for hospitality - philoxenia - that is the essence of what Holy Trinity Greek Orthodox Church's annual Winter Feast is all about. "Literally the word means love of strangers," said Eugenia Kramvis, the church's outreach coordinator.
|
| READ THE ORIGINAL POST AT www.pressofatlanticcity.com |
Greece approves Mighty Taco expansion
Greece approves Mighty Taco expansion13WHAM-TVGreece, N.Y. - The Greece Town Board approved a plan Tuesday night to allow a permit for a new Mighty Taco location. The Buffalo-based chain applied for a special use permit to operate a restaurant. The applicants proposal has been approved. The new ...
|
| READ THE ORIGINAL POST AT www.13wham.com |
UNESCO and the Jews: Shame
It is the scandal of the week.
And, strangely, no one seems to be talking about it.
UNESCO has long had on its schedule an exhibit titled "People, Book, Land: The 3,500-Year Relationship of the Jewish People with the Holy Land."
The exhibit was jointly organized by UNESCO and the Simon Wiesenthal Center in Los Angeles and sponsored by several nations, Canada among them.
The content of the exhibit had been approved by archaeological experts and met all pertinent scientific criteria.
But less than a week from its opening the exhibit was suddenly put on hold (if not cancelled altogether) by UNESCO's director-general, bending to the wishes of 22 Arab states "concerned" (sic) by the "possible negative impact" of the event on "the peace process and ongoing negotiations in the Middle East."
Never mind the insult delivered to the prestigious Simon Wiesenthal Center, here depicted as a den of troublemakers and saboteurs of peace.
Never mind the grotesque reasoning by which a scholarly exhibition put together by experts from around the world becomes, since Israel is involved, an obstacle to "negotiation" and "peace."
Nor will we dwell on the blindness of an Arab League that, confronted with the Iranian nuclear threat, the little-discussed glaciation of the Egyptian revolution, the far-from-peaceful crushing of democratic impulses in Bahrain and the Emirates, and, not least, the massacre of 130,000 Syrians by good old Bashar al-Assad, sees only one threat looming over the region: Israel, always Israel, little Israel, as soon as it presumes to reflect, as every people does, on its history, its founding narratives, and the length of its presence in the land where it has become a nation.
One of the dramatic aspects of this affair is the pathetic self-image conveyed by an agency of the United Nations bowing -- there's no other word for it -- to a diktat.
Another is the feeling of having traveled back to the time, almost 40 years ago, when the same agency saw in Zionism a form of racism -- yet at least then the great consciences of the era, with Sartre and Foucault in the lead, stood up to the organization's ignominious posturing, whereas no one today, in this instance as in others, seems to be all that bothered by it or even to have taken notice!
Yet another is the way in which a real debate -- one as old as philosophy itself and from which the ancient Greeks fashioned elegant "paradoxes" (such as the paradox of Epicharmus and then of Aristotle: What is it in an "identity" that endures? How is it that we can continue to speak of "the Greeks" or "the Jews" when the passage of time, the succession of generations, and the disappearance of the initial bearers of the name make the entities of today and yesterday radically different?) -- is being hijacked by a bunch of phony historians who now are being supported, in the form of the disgraceful palinode suspending the exhibit, by the great institution that UNESCO, in principle, is. "There never was a temple in Jerusalem," asserts one of those ersatz historians. "The Jewish people are a recent invention," writes another. "Maybe there is a Jewish people," a third throws out, "but it is a violent people, cruel from its origins, even genocidal." It is in the wake of this torrent of Holocaust-denying imbecility, which we have had to put up with for some years now in words and programs, that UNESCO's decision, like it or not, bobs along.
Equally dramatic is that, in writing these lines, I am almost certain to provoke a tidal wave of commentary in which, as always, the roles of the offender and the offended will be reversed and the offended party will be made to pay for the incendiary provocations of the offending party: "Enough about Israel! Enough about Zionism! We don't care who's right or wrong in this quarrel, but we're sick of the quarrel itself and of the Jews who are at the center of it."
A final dramatic element is the conviction that peace, real peace -- that is, the long-awaited reconciliation of two peoples with much in common but contending for the same land -- lies in mutual recognition, in a joint willingness to entertain the reasoning of the other and understand its founding myths, and not in the intolerance, rejection, demonization, and historical and philosophical revisionism encouraged by the current deluded UNESCO.
Permit me one last word that will not surprise my readers but that may refresh the memory of the authors of UNESCO's unworthy communiqué.
Five years ago, at the time of the election of the new director-general of UNESCO, a corrupt Egyptian, Farouk Hosni, an acolyte of Mubarak, had the inside track.
It is to a public opinion campaign launched by Elie Wiesel, Claude Lanzmann, and myself that Irina Bokova owes, in large part, her boost in the race, which she eventually won.
Are the two things related?
Could it that Mrs. Bokova suffers from the all-too-human tendency to despise those to whom she owes a debt, in the manner of Monsieur Perrichon in Eugène Labiche's famous play?
Might Elie Wiesel's participation in the exhibit's sponsorship committee have been more than she could bear, as Monsieur Perrichon could not bear the presence of the man who had rescued him in the Alps?
Or has she just misled those around her and, from the start, concealed the truth about a character for whom the love of culture and peace was just an act?
Or are we simply dealing with a misunderstanding? If so, it should be cleared up--fast. Translated by Steven B. Kennedy
|
| READ THE ORIGINAL POST AT www.huffingtonpost.com |
The Top 5 Times Someone Called Out Fox News On Fox News
Fox News doesn't have the best reputation for accuracy — and more than one guest has called them on it.
This weekend, Media Matters, a non-profit progressive research and information center, posted a YouTube video ranking the five most memorable segments when a Fox News guest debunked the network.
5. On Youth Marijuana Use: Carl Hart, associate professor of psychology and psychiatry at Columbia UniversityDuring his interview, Hart said only 22% of 12th graders had "recently" smoked marijuana. Bill O'Reilly less than politely disagreed on the figure, saying Hart should "take it up with the National Institutes of Health."
"I am a council member on the National Institutes of Health. Your number is wrong. I'm telling you it's 22%," Hart rebuked.
4. On Religious Ignorance: Reza Aslan, religious scholar and writerAslan appeared on Fox to discuss his new book, "Zealot: The Life and Times of Jesus of Nazareth." But the conversation quickly turned to why he, a Muslim, would ever want to write about Christianity.
"Well, to be clear," Aslan said, clearly shocked, "I am a scholar of religions with four degrees, including one in the New Testament, and fluency in Biblical Greek, who has been studying the origins of Christianity for two decades, who also just happens to be a Muslim. It's not that I'm just some Muslim writing about Jesus. I am an expert with a PhD in the history of religions."
Unfortunately, the interrogation did not stop there.
3. On Voter I.D. Laws: Gen. Colin Powell, former Secretary of State"I want to see a Republican party, rather than restricting the days and hours you can vote, a Republican party that says, 'We want everybody to vote, and we're gonna give you a reason to vote for us,'" Powell said.
The host argued, however, that people "should be able to prove who [they] are before casting a ballot."
"No," Powell came back, "you should be able to prove who you are when you register to vote.
But what about fraud?!
"I have not seen any study that says fraud is a problem of such significance that these kinds of procedures should be in place," Powell said.
2. On Climate Change: Bill Nye, "Science Guy"When Bill Nye appeared on Fox News to discuss volcanoes found on the moon, the host made a totally illogical reference to global warming. He implied that since we haven't burned fossil fuels on the moon, volcanoes on Earth shouldn't indicate climate change.
Nye closed his eyes momentarily and then answered.
"Uh, no, volcanoes are not connected to the burning of fossil fuels. They're connected with mining. But the big thing for us, on my side of this thing, is the science is true ... So when you say to yourself, 'I'm going to ignore all the evidence of climate change,' you're saying, 'I'm going to ignore the best ideas anyone has ever had.'"
1. On Fox's Coverage of Benghazi: Tom Ricks, journalistRicks appeared on Fox to promote his new book "The Generals." And the conversation naturally turned to a relevant news item: the attack on the U.S. consulate in Benghazi.
The Pulitzer Prize-winning journalist claimed that Fox "hyped" the story. But the host fired back, asking how four people dead constituted a "hype."
"How many security contractors died in Iraq. Do you know?" Ricks asked.
The host didn't.
"Nobody does because nobody cared. We know that several hundred died, but there was never an official count done ... I think the emphasis on Benghazi has been extremely political partly because Fox was acting as a wing of the Republican party," Ricks concluded.
Watch the full video here:
Join the conversation about this story »
|
| READ THE ORIGINAL POST AT www.businessinsider.com |
Chobani Intends To Win The 'Yogurt Wars' With Its Super Bowl Campaign
Chobani's first Super Bowl ad will position the brand's Greek yogurt as the healthy, all-natural choice in supermarket yogurt sections.
The ad has yet to be released, but we got some new information on it from a Chobani representative and the brand's head of marketing.
In the commercial, Mother Nature is represented by a "discerning bear" who just woke up from hibernation. He wanders into a supermarket, but instead of eating everything in sight, he becomes enraged at the lack of natural food choices, "especially in the yogurt aisle."
New York agency Droga5 produced the 60 second ad, which will air during the game's third quarter.
The Greek yogurt brand encountered some trouble last year with a product recall in September and the announcement that Whole Foods would stop carrying the product in January (contrary to many initial reports, the upscale supermarket chain did not make the decision because Chobani's dairy cows ate genetically-modified vegetarian feed, supposedly disqualifying the yogurt as "all-natural" according to Whole Foods' standards; rather, the chain says it was a choice meant to make room for competitors, probably including Whole Food's own brand).
Despite those difficulties, the Super Bowl ad will not be a response to them, according to Peter McGuinness, Chobani's chief marketing officer.
McGuinness said that it was an obvious move for the company.
"We're America's number-one yogurt brand, so why not be in America's number-one event?" McGuinness said. Chobani has 12.5 percent of the country's yogurt market, and brought in $4.2 billion in revenue in 2013.
Despite its success, the brand is still only known to 37% of the country. The Super Bowl ad is meant to introduce the brand to the other two-thirds of the country, while providing an entertaining spot for existing Chobani fans.
"We're a mass brand and we're proud of it," McGuinness said of the growing company, which spent its early years largely dedicated to manufacturing and brand expansion.
The Super Bowl commercial will serve as a turning point that will make marketing a core aspect of the brand from now on, especially since the yogurt market is more competitive than ever. Dannon will be advertising its Oikos brand Greek yogurt during the Super Bowl with a mini "Full House" reunion, and McGuinness said that Chobani will rise up to the challenge.
Chobani is also a sponsor of the Sochi Winter Olympics and will advertise during the Academy Awards.
The Super Bowl commercial, called "Ransacked" will launch the year's "How Matters" campaign.
"A lot of brands are 'When,' 'What,' 'Where' companies," McGuinness said, referring to those touting their historical background, the face value of their products, or where the products were made. "How things are made isn't always pretty," he added, saying that Chobani is choosing to differentiate itself by celebrating the simple way its all-natural ingredients are made into yogurt.
The brand thinks consumers will notice this distinction, in the same way the ad's bear does.
"2014 is the year of the yogurt wars," McGuinness said, and Chobani intends on being the victor.
SEE ALSO: Greek Yogurt Brand Reunites The Men Of 'Full House' In Latest Super Bowl Teaser Video
Join the conversation about this story »
|
| READ THE ORIGINAL POST AT www.businessinsider.com |
Iceland “Frozen Out” of Capital Markets
“As fresh money pours back into crisis-hit countries including Ireland, Portugal and even Greece, Iceland remains frozen out of international capital markets as its government remains locked in a battle with creditors over pre-crisis borrowings,” Chris Spink of Reuters writes in an article published on Friday.
|
| READ THE ORIGINAL POST AT icelandreview.com |
President Alexis Tsipras? Is that a joke?
Some on the left would rather wallow in impotence than support the Syriza's leader's bid to be president of European commission
Alexis Tsipras, leader of the opposition in Greece, as a candidate for the president of the European commission? Is that a joke? The best answer to this question has recently been given by the Italian philosopher Franco Berardi Bifo, who said "I will vote for Tsipras, even if it's useless", and added in his characteristic tone: "Taking those 200 metres that separate me from the polling station is not such a big effort to make an action that is completely useless".
Even political philosophers Antonio Negri and Sandro Mezzadra, otherwise known as fierce critics of elections, acknowledge the relevance of the forthcoming European parliament elections.
Until recently Negri and Michael Hardt, in their "Declaration" (2012), celebrated the political maturity of the "indignados" who did not vote in the Spanish elections of 2011. However, it was precisely the lack of a credible left party that led to this abstinence. This time the situation is different, and there is a growing pan-European left power that is able to subvert and potentially disrupt the existing state of affairs. Negri and Mezzadra argue that the European elections in May 2014 are essential: "The issue of wages and the issue of income, the definition of rights and dimensions of welfare, the topic of constitutional transformations related to single countries and to the European constituent issue can, today, only be addressed at a European level. Outside of this sphere there is no such thing as political realism."
While the French philosopher Alain Badiou so persistently insists on "subtraction" from the state, for Negri it is clear that the forthcoming elections create a space for the imposition of a new "political grammar". And that is why Badiou, his sharp text published in Radical Philosophy, was wrong when speaking about the left's "contemporary impotence".
Badiou first accuses Costas Douzinas of "avowed optimism", arguing that there is nothing new in what Douzinas, in his book Philosophy and Resistance in Crisis, called a "new political subject". For Badiou, the demonstrations in Tahrir Square in Cairo and Athens' Syntagma Square are nothing but "the communist invariants". Here, there is no point going into Badiou's critique, it is simply enough to press Ctrl+F and find what is missing throughout his text: the word Syriza. Badiou does not ever mention the great political success of Alexis Tsipras's radical left party that leads all opinion polls in Greece.
Our contemporary impotence lies not so much in the fact that all these "communist invariants" failed to change the balance of power, but that one part of the left is not willing to accept the risk of engaging in institutional struggle, even at the cost of failure or defeat.
A nice illustration of this situation lies in the American sitcom Sex and the City. Charlotte, who is the opposite of the sexual predator Samantha, believes in romantic love and decides not to have sex with her fiancé Trey until the honeymoon. However, the night before the wedding she is confronted with Trey's impotence. Trying to find out whether it is a physical or psychological erectile dysfunction, Charlotte investigates whether Trey's erection wakes up when he goes to sleep.
Is the real problem only in the "head" or is it "physical"? It is no surprise that Charlotte one day discovers that her fiancé is actually masturbating in the bathroom to pornographic magazines. "Our contemporary impotence" comes exactly from this: on the one hand, we find the old left melancholy when it comes to waging concrete struggles in the existing institutions and in the streets and squares, and on the other hand, there is the masturbation on a utopia that will never come true.
Here we should use Badiou's own words and the lesson of his master [maître], Mao Zedong, who used to say: "No investigation, no right to speak!" In other words, to investigate a problem is, indeed, to try to solve it. The European elections offer an opportunity not only to new political parties but also to popular movements who can have their direct representatives in the existing institutions, with the goal to deliver at least minimum demands for social justice and effectively confront the policies of the Troika.
What we need today is a combination of the old Gramscian difference between the "war of position" and the "war of manoeuvre". It is becoming more and more clear that a movement without a party is impotent, and that a party without a movement can only repeat the failures of the past. We need both. And that's the reason why Tsipras's nomination as a candidate for the presidency of the European Commission is not a joke. Even if it seems useless, we should walk this 200 metres in order to step out from our contemporary impotence.
European commissionEuropean electionsEuropean UnionEuropeGreeceSrećko Horvattheguardian.com © 2014 Guardian News and Media Limited or its affiliated companies. All rights reserved. | Use of this content is subject to our Terms & Conditions | More Feeds |
| READ THE ORIGINAL POST AT www.theguardian.com |
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)