Greece Outside In: 02/27/14

Thursday, February 27, 2014

A Greek Treasure Pulled From The Sea Disappears Again In Gaza

NPR A Greek Treasure Pulled From The Sea Disappears Again In GazaNPRThe nearly 6-foot-tall, curly-haired bronze that Abughorab hauled from the sea — with the help of half a dozen cousins and a lot of rope — is being touted by the few who have seen it as a real treasure: an ancient statue of the Greek god Apollo. A ...and more »

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Greece has sole China-backed bid for former Athens airport site

Greece's Lamda Development (ATH:LAMDA), backed by China's Fosun <0656.HK> and an Abu Dhabi-based real estate company, submitted on Thursday the sole binding bid for a major privatisation deal to develop the former Athens airport of Hellenikon. Hellenikon is a key project for the debt-laden country to meet a 3.6 billion euro privatisation target set by its lenders this year, though Athens has not ...

READ THE ORIGINAL POST AT finance.yahoo.com

Greek Leadership Academy carries academic credit

Now in its third year, the Greek Leadership Academy (GLA) at Cornell is being recognized for its value and importance by the student and faculty communities alike.

READ THE ORIGINAL POST AT www.news.cornell.edu

Cyprus negotiators in visits to Turkish, Greek capitals

This is the first visit of Cyprus negotiators in Ankara and Athens since the separation of the island, 40 years ago. Two separate delegations of Turkish and Greek Cypriot negotiators visited the Greek capital of Athens and Ankara, Turkey's capital city ...

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Rail services across Greece to be disrupted on Friday

A three-hour work stoppage by employees of the Hellenic Railways Organization (OSE) and the Proastiakos suburban railway starting at noon on Friday will lead to train services being delayed or canceled. During the walkout, there will be no services betwee... ...

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Raids by Greek police net 8 members of extortion ring

Police said on Thursday that they had arrested eight suspected members of a large extortion racket following raids in Attica, Evia and Corinth. The raids led to a large number of weapons and an unspecified amount of cash being seized, according to police,... ...

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Venizelos denies Greeks being targeted by far-right Ukrainians

Foreign Minister Evangelos Venizelos on Thursday denied that Greeks living in Ukraine are being targeted by ultra-nationalists. Earlier, SYRIZA MP Rena Dourou had accused the government of failing to protect the Greek community in Ukraine and referred to ... ...

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Committee of Greek MPs to investigate WWII claims

Parliament agreed on Thursday to form a 19-member committee to examine whether there are any grounds for Greece to demand Second World War reparations from Germany. The House approved the formation of the committee after a request by SYRIZA MP Manolis Gle... ...

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Ex-Greek defense official admits to taking bribe for radar system

Corruption prosecutors on Thursday brought a new set of criminal charges for bribery and money laundering against Antonis Kantas, a former head of procurements at the Defense Ministry. The 83-year-old former official already has admitted to pocketing some... ...

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Turkish-Cypriot negotiator in Athens for historic talks

The first Turkish-Cypriot negotiator to have visited Athens in an official capacity in more than five decades on Thursday described his talks with Greek officials on the renewed Cyprus peace push as “historic and very constructive.” Kudret Ozersay (photo)... ...

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Athens Old-Airport Project Gets One Bidder

Greece's privatization agency said it has received just one offer for a multibillion-euro real-estate project, after the last-minute withdrawal of a rival bidder, raising fresh doubts over whether the long-delayed project would go ahead.

READ THE ORIGINAL POST AT online.wsj.com

BC-SOC--Europa League Glance, SOC

by Associated Press BC-SOC--Europa League Glance, SOC Associated Press - 27 February 2014 14:01-05:00 BC-SOC--Europa League Glance Europa League Glance By The Associated Press ROUND OF 32 First Leg Thursday, Feb. 20

Anzhi Makhachkala (Russia) 0, Genk (Belgium) 0

Chornomorets Odesa (Ukraine) 0, Lyon (France) 0

Dynamo Kiev (Ukraine) 0, Valencia (Spain) 2 in Nicosia

Esbjerg (Denmark) 1, Fiorentina (Italy) 3

Dnipro Dnipropetrovsk (Ukraine) 1, Tottenham (England) 0

Juventus (Italy) 2, Trabzonspor (Turkey) 0

Liberec (Czech Republic) 0, AZ Alkmaar (Netherlands) 1

PAOK (Greece) 0, Benfica (Portugal) 1

Ajax (Netherlands) 0, Red Bull Salzburg (Austria) 3

Real Betis (Spain) 1, Rubin Kazan (Russia) 1

FC Porto (Portugal) 2, Eintracht Frankfurt (Germany) 2

Lazio (Italy) 0, Ludogorets (Bulgaria) 1

Maccabi Tel-Aviv (Israel) 0, FC Basel (Switzerland) 0

Maribor (Slovenia) 2, Sevilla (Spain) 2

Swansea (Wales) 0, Napoli (Italy) 0

Viktoria Plzen (Czech Republic) 1, Shaktar Donetsk (Ukraine) 1

Second Leg Thursday, Feb. 27

Rubin Kazan (Russia) 0, Real Betis (Spain) 2, Real Betis advanced 3-1 on aggregate

Eintracht Frankfurt (Germany) vs. FC Porto (Portugal), 1800 GMT

FC Basel (Switzerland) vs. Maccabi Tel-Aviv (Israel), 1800 GMT

Ludogorets (Bulgaria) vs. Lazio (Italy) in Sofia, 1800 GMT

Napoli (Italy) vs. Swansea (Wales), 1800 GMT

Red Bull Salzburg (Austria) vs. Ajax (Netherlands) in Donetsk, 1800 GMT

Sevilla (Spain) vs. Maribor (Slovenia), 1800 GMT

Shaktar Donetsk (Ukraine) vs. Viktoria Plzen (Czech Republic), 1800 GMT

AZ Alkmaar (Netherlands) vs. Liberec (Czech Republic), 2005 GMT

Benfica (Portugal) vs. PAOK (Greece), 2005 GMT

Fiorentina (Italy) vs. Esbjerg (Denmark), 2005 GMT

Genk (Belgium) vs. Anzhi Makhachkala (Russia), 2005 GMT

Lyon (France) vs. Chornomorets Odesa (Ukraine), 2005 GMT

Tottenham (England) vs. Dnipro Dnipropetrovsk (Ukraine), 2005 GMT

Trabzonspor (Turkey) vs. Juventus (Italy), 2005 GMT

Valencia (Spain) vs. Dynamo Kiev (Ukraine), 2005 GMT

News Topics: Professional soccer, Soccer, Sports, Men's soccer, Men's sports

People, Places and Companies: Italy, Spain, Odessa, France, Ukraine, Czech Republic, Switzerland, Donetsk, Bulgaria, Dnipropetrovsk, Lyon, Frankfurt, Valencia, Russia, Portugal, Western Europe, Europe, Eastern Europe, Germany

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Greece Gets 1 Bid for Former Athens Airport Site

Kathimerini Greece Gets 1 Bid for Former Athens Airport SiteABC NewsGreece says it has received a single binding bid for the former Athens airport, a prime seaside property and key part of the recession-mired country's limping privatization drive. The HRADF privatization agency said that processing Thursday's offer ...UPDATE 1-Greece has sole China-backed bid for former Athens airport siteReutersPrivatizations: Greece; tender for Elliniko to stick to planANSAmedall 6 news articles »

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Greece receives single binding bid for privatization of former Athens airport site

ATHENS, Greece - Greece says it has received a single binding bid for the former Athens airport, a prime seaside property and key part of the recession-mired country's limping privatization drive.

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The stand-off between the government and international lenders continues

Kathimerini The stand-off between the government and international lenders continuesThe EconomistGreece has implemented only about half the measures it signed up to last summer, say European Union (EU) officials. The troika returned to Athens on February 24th, intending to reach a deal that could be approved at a meeting of the euro-zone finance ...Too Late For To Potami in GreeceGreek ReporterShuffling the packKathimeriniall 3 news articles »

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Can the Mediterranean Diet Make Us Happier?

Living on a private Greek island may be out of the cards for most of us, but that doesn’t mean we can’t eat like we’re on a Mediterranean vacation (without leaving home). Research suggests the Mediterranean diet — consisting primarily of fresh fruits and vegetables, whole grains, beans, nuts and seeds, herbs and spices, and olive oil and supplemented with occasional dairy, poultry, fish, and red wine — doesn’t just promote a healthy body, but can actually make us happier, too. The diet has been touted by organizations like the American Heart Association, the Mayo Clinic, and the Cleveland Clinic as a heart-healthy, cancer-fighting, diabetes-preventing eating plan [1]. But can it also boost our mood?

READ THE ORIGINAL POST AT www.forbes.com

Greek yields dip below 'unsustainable' level

Greek yields dip below 'unsustainable' levelFinancial TimesGreek long-term borrowing costs briefly fell below 7 per cent on Thursday – a significant level that highlights the recovery in the country and the improving sentiment across the debt markets of Europe. Greek 10-year bond yields, which have an inverse ...and more »

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PNC Hosts Colloquium "Economic Crisis and Ideas in Greece"

PNC Hosts Colloquium "Economic Crisis and Ideas in Greece"ValpoLife.comJonathan-Swarts Purdue University North Central will present a Social Sciences Colloquium with Dr. Jonathan Swarts, associate professor of Political Science, speaking about "A Margaret Thatcher in Athens? Economic Crisis and Ideas in Greece" on March ...

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Research and Markets: Reinsurance in Greece, Key Trends and Opportunities to ...

Research and Markets: Reinsurance in Greece, Key Trends and Opportunities to ...Business Wire (press release)The Greek reinsurance segment registered a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of -0.31% during the review period (2008-2012), in the presence of both the global financial crisis and European sovereign debt crisis. During the review period, the premium ...and more »

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Northern Ireland: The price of peace

Mr Robinson might take the ball away IN MAY last year John Downey, an oyster farmer from Northern Ireland, was arrested as he tried to catch a flight from London to Greece and charged with the murder of four British soldiers killed by an IRA bomb in 1982. But on February 25th the case against him collapsed. It emerged that he had received a letter from the Northern Ireland Office in 2007 assuring him that he was not wanted by the police. It also transpired that since the Good Friday Agreement in 1998—which paved the way for the current system of power sharing between nationalists and unionists—some 200 such letters had been issued to republicans suspected of paramilitary crimes.The response from Northern Irish unionists was as fractious as it was furious. Peter Robinson, the leader of the Democratic Unionist Party (DUP), said he was “incandescent with rage” over the London government’s failure to inform him of the letters. He threatened to quit his job as Northern Ireland’s first minister unless a judicial inquiry is held. He also said darkly that the DUP would never have entered into the current power-sharing agreement had it known...

READ THE ORIGINAL POST AT www.economist.com

Turkish- and Greek-Cypriot peace negotiators hold simultaneous talks in Turkey and Greece

by Associated Press Cypriot negotiators visit Ankara, Athens Associated Press - 27 February 2014 11:47-05:00

ANKARA, Turkey (AP) — A Greek-Cypriot negotiator has held talks in Turkey while his Turkish-Cypriot counterpart met officials in Greece as part of revived peace efforts to reunify the divided island.

Thursday's simultaneous visits to Ankara and Athens aim to engage Turkey and Greece more directly and to increase confidence between the sides. The new talks were launched this month after the sides outlined their vision of a federation.

Cyprus was split in 1974 when Turkey invaded following a coup by Greek Cypriots who aimed to unite the island with Greece. Turkey backs the northern breakaway Turkish Cypriot state but has no formal ties with the internationally-recognized Greek Cypriot government in the south.

Cypriot government spokesman Christos Stylianides said it's hoped the meeting in Ankara would be the first "of many more.".

News Topics: General news, Peace process, Diplomacy, International relations, Government and politics

People, Places and Companies: Turkey, Cyprus, Ankara, Athens, Greece, Middle East, Western Europe, Europe

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Greek Communist urges his government to protect Greeks in Ukraine from neo-Nazis

ATHENS, February 27./ITAR-TASS/. A left-wing Greek legislator has urged his country’s government to protect ethnic Greeks in Ukraine from persecution by local neo-Nazis.

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Santos to leave Greece post

Fernando Santos will leave his role as Greece's head coach after the FIFA World Cup™ this summer, the Hellenic Football Federation (HFF) has announced. The 59-year-old Portuguese guided the 2004 European champions to this summer's tournament in Brazil ...

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HOUSE OF THE DAY: Chipotle CEO Sells His West Village Townhouse To A Music Mogul For $11.4 Million

Steve Ells, the founder of America's most popular Mexican fast-casual chain, just sold his townhouse on Jane Street in New York City's West Village to the music mogul who'd been renting the place for the past year, according to Zillow.

The 4,400-square foot Greek Revival first hit the market in September 2012 at $16.5 million, then was reduced to $14.5 million before Lyor Cohen, recently retired from Warner Music Group, scooped it up for $11.4 million.

The 24-foot wide building dates back to 1858, with a modernized interior including four bedrooms, three family rooms, a wine cellar and a library.

The Greek Revival townhouse has a facade that dates back to 1858. Inside, it features a modern library with built-in shelves along two walls. The building is 24 feet wide with five stories. See the rest of the story at Business Insider

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Sean Deveney Sporting News

Sean Deveney Sporting NewsSportingNews.comThanks to the sometimes spectacular exploits of teenage Bucks rookie Giannis Antetokounmpo—you know, the young fellow known as the Greek Freak—most of us around the NBA have gotten a solid handle on both the tortuous spelling and counterintuitive ...

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Greece’s troubles: The troika is back

THE scene is familiar: burly Greek bodyguards hustle a trio of foreign bureaucrats into the finance ministry through a side entrance to avoid a cluster of anti-austerity protesters shouting “troika go home”. Hours later tight-lipped representatives of the troika—the European Commission, IMF and European Central Bank (ECB)—head back to their hotel while ministry officials spin their version of the talks: heroic Greek resistance to “excessive” demands made by the country’s international creditors.After almost six months of talks the stand-off is still unresolved. Greece has implemented only about half the measures it signed up to last summer, say European Union (EU) officials. The troika returned to Athens on February 24th, intending to reach a deal that could be approved at a meeting of the euro-zone finance ministers on March 10th. That would unlock another sizeable tranche of bail-out funding, enabling Greece to repay €9.3 billion ($12.8 billion) of bonds maturing in May, and start planning a return to international financial markets with a modest bond issue later this year.Disputes over liberalising the market for fresh milk and allowing supermarkets to sell non-prescription drugs underline how the fragile coalition government led by Antonis Samaras, the centre-right prime minister, is held hostage by interest groups. Other disagreements grab fewer headlines but could do...

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Cyprus Peace Talks Take Small Step

Greek- and Turkish-Cypriot negotiators were to visit Turkey and Greece for a preliminary round of discussions on talks to reunify the island.

The post Cyprus Peace Talks Take Small Step appeared first on The National Herald.

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Roy Keane's criticism justified as United falter in Greece

Yahoo Eurosport UK (blog)Roy Keane's criticism justified as United falter in GreeceYahoo Eurosport UK (blog)I flew out to Greece to watch the Champions League last-16, first-leg match between Olympiacos and Manchester United. As far as United's performance is concerned, I'll just say this: I, like many of you, did not see that coming at all. And ahead of the ...and more »

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Too Late For To Potami in Greece

That comes at the same time as municipal elections in Greece that look like a win for SYRIZA so far, unless Samaras pulls a Papandreou and starts handing out money and jobs of people wise up and find out SYRIZA leader Alexis Tsipras couldn’t ...

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The Oldest People On Earth Reveal The Secrets To Living Past 100

There's no magic bullet to living beyond the age of 100. But some places are on the right track.

National Geographic writer Dan Buettner seeks out "Blue Zones," a few pockets around the world where a higher number of people live for a remarkably long time.

The remote island of Ikaria in Greece is one hotspot of exceptional human longevity. Here, there are more healthy people over 90 than any other place on the planet.

Buettner and his team spent 15 months studying the centenarians of Ikaria. The trip was documented in a series of videos, in which the researchers identified eight major secrets to reaching a record-setting age.

First, some geography. Ikaria is an isolated Greek island in the Aegean Sea.

Watch the videos >

Amid the lush green forests and beautiful waters, you'll find people who live longer than anywhere else on Earth.

Watch the videos >

Buettner says only about 20% of how long we live is dictated by genes; the rest is lifestyle.

Watch the videos >

See the rest of the story at Business Insider

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Governer of Bank of Greece: 2013 Might Be the Last Year of Recession

According to the Governor of the Bank of Greece George Provopoulos, speaking at the Annual Ordinary General Meeting of Shareholders, there are great chances that 2013 was the last year of the economic recession. However, he raised two basic requirements in order to verify the prediction of recovery for the year 2014. The first, is determination and consistency in the application of the stabilization program, as according to him, the results so far do not leave room for complacency. On the contrary, they require further fiscal adjustment to maintain a permanent basis and to extend the primary surplus as well as to ensure the debt viability. Secondly, averting or even minimizing the risks and uncertainties that could result from the deterioration of the socio-political climate due to the usual controversies and the polarization ahead of the European Parliament and local elections.Mr. Provopoulos also stated that next week the Bank of Greece will publish the results of the “stress tests” on the capital adequacy of the Greek banks. Moreover, Mr. Provopoulos noted that BlackRock evaluated the data focusing on the domestic loan portfolios while providing an estimate on the loans of bigger subsidiaries of the Greek banks abroad. The Governor of the Bank of Greece described 2014 as a year of Development with a reduction in unemployment, while also underlining the need for structural reforms. Based on the information presented in relation to poverty in Greece, about 23 percent of the population lives below the poverty line, while Greek households at risk of poverty or social exclusion limits reach 34.6 percent. In particular, the annual income of one out of two citizens of this category is below 4,000 euros. What is more, unpaid home loans reach 31.2 percent and unpaid consumer loans are at 41.8 percent.

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Negotiations Expected to Continue to Clean Monday

The negotiations between the officials of the Greek Finance Ministry and troika are currently underway and are expected to be continued during the weekend and Clean Monday. The Greek officials are thoroughly examining all the dates related to the recapitalization of Greece’s banking sector. Since the Greek government still has propositions for further reforms to be made, troika has set the results of the Greek banks’ stress tests as a priority on the agenda of the negotiations. Yesterday, Mr. Thomsen, Mr. Mazouch and Mr. Mors had a meeting with the Governor of the Bank of Greece, Giorgos Provopoulos, who presented the results of the Greek banking sector stress tests. Greece estimates that Greek banks need less than 6 billion euros in order to cover their deficit and rebut any report which claims that the Greek Banks need 20 billion euros. Until now, troika stays reserved, not wanting to express any public opinion on the matter unless the examination of the data given by the Greek officials is finished first. On the same note, troika says that Greece should also have the same reserved approach on the matter. Troika’s officials agreed to meet again with Mr. Provopoulos and to announce together the results of the stress tests carried out by BlackRock. The Greek Finance Ministry has reached an agreement with troika in order to cut the social security contributions by 3.9 percent the forthcoming July. However, the Ministry is concerned about the deficit that this measure will cause at the social security Funds. They hope that they will be able to cover the fiscal gap by countering the black-market and uninsured work. This will result in an increase in tax revenues and in the creation of about 30,000 job posts.

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Greek bank deposits fall in January after two-month rise

Greek bank deposits fell in January after a rise in the previous two months, central bank data showed on Thursday. Businesses and household deposits dropped to 161.03 billion euros (132.06 billion pounds) from 163.25 billion in December, the Bank of Greece said. The drop was mainly due to decreased corporate deposits, data showed. Bank deposits had declined for five straight months up to October ...

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Greek central bank chief says will announce stress tests results next week

Greece will announce the results of stress tests for its major banks next week, after talks with the country's EU/IMF lenders and the ECB, Central Bank Governor George Provopoulos said on Thursday. The country's four biggest banks are undergoing a second ... ...

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Bank of Greece governor warns against political, social instability [Update]

Greece’s central bank governor, George Provopoulos, warned that political and social instability threaten to derail the country’s projected economic recovery this year. While indicators suggest that 2013 was the last year of recession, risks related to “g... ...

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Greek MPs Coffee and Cookie Breaks Bill: 16,753 Euros

Greece's Parliament Speaker wants to find out why lawmakers spent 16,753 euros for coffee and cookies at their meetings - including him.

The post Greek MPs Coffee and Cookie Breaks Bill: 16,753 Euros appeared first on The National Herald.

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Greek austerity tragedy shows where not to make cuts

Greek austerity tragedy shows where not to make cutsNew Scientist... has also had its first cases of locally spread malaria for 40 years. "The Greek experience shows the serious consequences of withdrawing health spending and social services," says David Stuckler of the University of Oxford, lead author of the analysis.

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Net migration to UK jumps 30% in a year to 212,000

Unexpected rise of 58,0000 in 12 months to September 2013 mainly fuelled by migrants from recession-hit southern Europe

A shock rise of more than 30% over the past year in net migration to Britain to 212,000 has dashed Conservative hopes of meeting their target of reducing the figure below 100,000 by the time of next year's general election.

The Office for National Statistics says the unexpected rise of 58,000 in the 12 months to last September has mainly been fuelled by migrants from the recession-hit southern European countries of Spain, Portugal, Italy and Greece as well as Poland.

The level of net migration to Britain from within the European Union has doubled in the past year and EU immigration is now at the highest level since 1964.

A continuing fall in emigration from Britain has contributed to the rise in net migration figure and the ONS says migrants from the latest European Union entrants, Romania and Bulgaria, have added 14,000 to the figure in advance of the lifting of transitional controls on 1 January.

This is the third quarter in a row that the politically sensitive benchmark of net migration – the number coming to live in Britain for more than 12 months minus those leaving to live abroad for longer than 12 months – has risen.

The home secretary, Theresa May, made the Conservative pledge to reduce net migration to the "tens of thousands" by the time of next year's general election the central target of her immigration policy. The chances of meeting that target now appear to be disappearing fast.

If the upward trend continues she is in danger of leaving office with a higher net migration figure than the 244,000 estimated when she became home secretary in 2010.

The Liberal Democrats have consistently disowned the target, stressing it is not coalition policy.

The figures are likely to increase pressure within the Conservative party over the issue of free movement within Europe.

The detailed figures show that 532,000 people migrated to Britain in the year ending last September. The figure includes 60,000 more EU migrants and 25,000 migrants from the rest of the world compared with a year previously. More than 218,000 who came were students.

A total of 320,000 emigrants left Britain last year, 23,000 fewer than the previous year and the lowest level since 2008, when the number peaked at 427,000.

Overall these factors combined to increase net migration from 154,000 in the year to September 2012 to 212,000 in the year to September 2013.

The ONS figures show that the measures that May has taken to curb non-EU migration have bitten quite deeply but have been overshadowed by the rise in migration from within Europe.

The overall figures for non-EU migration show that immigration from outside Europe actually fell from 269,000 to 244,000. This reflected May's curbs on student migration – the number of those coming to study at further education colleges is down by 34% and the number of overseas students from India has fallen by 21%, and by 55% from Pakistan. The number of family visas granted has gone down by 7,202.

Overall student numbers rose by 4% in the year to December 2013, with a 7% rise in university students, including a 9% in numbers from China and a 147% increase from Brazil.

Registrations of new national insurance numbers for adults entering Britain rose by 19% to 617,000 in 2013 with the highest increases for those coming from Poland (up 31,000), Italy (up 18,000), Spain (up 14,000) and Portugal (up 10,000).

Asylum applications rose by 8% in the 12 months to September 2013 to 23,507 with the largest rises from Syrians (up 681), Eritrea and Albania.

The London First business group said the figures meant it was "game over" for the Conservatives' "arbitrary" immigration target

"What we need to be wary of is the government trying to control future figures by further limiting the only number it has power over – non-EU migrants," said Mark Hilton, London First's head of immigration policy.

"In the past this has hit both highly-skilled immigrants that we need, as well as foreign students, who are a huge economic asset: higher education is our eighth-biggest export industry, valued at £8bn."

The new immigration minister, James Brokenshire, acknowledged the problem:

"The government is ensuring that our controls on accessing benefits and services, including the NHS and social housing, are among the tightest in Europe. We cannot impose formal immigration controls on EU migrants, so we are focusing on cutting out the abuse of free movement between EU member states and seeking to address the factors that drive European immigration to Britain," he said.

Brokenshire stressed that nearly 70,000 fewer migrants were coming to Britain than in 2010 when the current government took office.

Immigration and asylum Theresa May Alan Travis theguardian.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

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Greek bank tests to be announced next week: central banker

(ATHENS ) - A delayed announcement on Greek bank stress tests, which has held up a capital increase by one major lender, will be made next week, the Bank of Greece governor said on Thursday.

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DIKO Confirms to Quit Government

A junior partner in Cyprus’s ruling centre-right coalition (DIKO) voted to leave the government coalition on Wednesday night over disagreements with President Nicos Anastasiades concerning the terms for the resumption of talks on the Cyprus problem. Its central committee voted by 97 to 81 to uphold the recommendation of the party’s executive office to abandon the coalition due to its disagreement with a joint declaration agreed between Anastasiades and Turkish Cypriot leader Dervis Eroglu. Confirming an earlier decision of its executive committee on February 22, the Democratic Party said it would withdraw its four ministers in an 11-member cabinet. The party’s four cabinet ministers are expected to resign their posts immediately along with the chairmen of three semi-government organisations. The vote came after a marathon session that started at 4.30pm and ended at midnight. Cyprus has an executive system of government and the party’s resignation has no impact on the president. Cyprus has been divided since 1974 following a Turkish invasion after a coup led by supporters of the island’s union with Greece. (source: cyprus-mail)

READ THE ORIGINAL POST AT greece.greekreporter.com

A Survey on the Greek Sex Life

Greeks have always been considered as the greatest and most active lovers worldwide. Nowadays, however, their sex life is frequently affected and undermined by several harmful habits such as smoking, obesity, stress, everyday routine and recently the financial crisis. According to a survey conducted by a leading condom manufacturer company, Greeks ranked first as the most sexually active people worldwide. 26,000 people from 26 countries participated in the survey. Greeks came first as, based on their answers, 87 percent of them are having sexual intercourse at least once a week. However, they are facing several problems concerning their sex life. Experts from the Institute of Mental and Sexual Health of Greece have come to the conclusion that the main problems men are facing in their sex life are erectile dysfunction and premature ejaculation, at a rate of 30 percent. It is rather interesting to note however, that only a small percentage of men facing a sexual disorder is seeking medical advice to address it. According to a similar survey conducted by the Hellenic Society for the Study of Human Sexuality (EMAS) and International Andrology Institute, 45 percent of Greek women between 31 and 40 are experiencing several sexual dysfunctions. Among them are low sexual desire, lack of orgasm and sexual intercourse without pleasure. Moreover, middle-aged men who have recently lost their jobs and are experiencing intense work-related stress and financial problems have lost their sexual desire and often abuse their partners. Does Marriage Kill Sex? In fact it does! According to surveys, every day routine affects a couple’s sex life over the years. During the first three years of marriage, an average couple has sex more than ten times a month. However, after the fifth year, the rate decreases by 50 percent and after the seventh year, the couple has sex only once a month and even less frequently as years go by. Sexual Profile of Greeks Greek men are quite worried about their sexual performance, as it is considered a sign of virility among them. In case of a sexual malfunction, they prefer to ask their friends for advice or search information on the Internet than to consult an expert. Furthermore, sexual dysfunctions are more common in men between 25 and 40, not necessarily of high economic status. On the other side, for many Greek women sex is still a taboo subject and many of them have been used to an unsatisfactory sex life. Some even prefer to ignore their sexual problems, hide them from their partners and pretend during sexual intercourse than actually address them.

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Elpida Volunteer Bone Marrow Donor Bank Reaches 1,100 Volunteers in a Month

The “Elpida” Association of Friends of Children with Cancer announced on Wednesday that its Volunteer Bone Marrow Donor Bank reached 1,100 volunteers within one month of operation. Elpida’s target is to reach 100,000 donors during the next three years in order to make it easier for Greek and foreign patients to find the necessary transplants. Nowadays Greece is on the lowest rung of internationally in terms of bone marrow donors, with less than 30,000 registered donors, while there are more than 23,000,000 volunteers globally. “It is an excellent initiative which comes to fill a gap that does no honour to our country,” said Health Minister Adonis Georgiadis during an event held at the ministry to support Elpida’s efforts and he stressed that “if we explain how important this effort is and how easy it is for each and every one of us, we will manage to have thousands of registrations in the Volunteers Bank and save many human lives in the next years.” The minister alongside many of the ministry’s employees registered as bone marrow volunteer donors to support Elpida’s efforts for more volunteers in the bone marrow bank. (source: ana-mpa)

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Independent Greeks nominate Haikalis for Attica governor

Greece's anti-bailout, right-wing Independent Greeks party have picked MP Pavlos Haikalis as their candidate for the post of Attica Governor in the upcoming regional government elections. Haikalis, who announced the decision during an interview with Anten... ...

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Negotiators launch cross talks in search of Cyprus settlement

Greek- and Turkish-Cypriot negotiators were set to make simultaneous cross visits to guarantor powers Turkey and Greece on Thursday following the resumption of peace talks between the two sides earlier this month. Greek-Cypriot official Andreas Mavroyiann... ...

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Man, 50, arrested over NGO debts to the state

Police in Alexandroupoli, in northeastern Greece, have arrested a 50-year-old former legal representative of a Greek non-governmental organization (NGO) on suspicion of owing the state more than one million euros, the weekly To Pontiki newspaper reports. ... ...

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Greek central bank chief says country's reforms have been timid

Greece needs bolder reforms to overhaul its economy and make it more competitive to support its fragile recovery, the country's central bank governor George Provopoulos said on Thursday. "Regrettably, attempts at structural reform so far have been timid, ... ...

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