Students groups celebrate step culture

The show, made up of both stepping and strolling, is common to black Greek organizations across the country. Kinesiology senior and Alpha Phi ...

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Europe, wake up!

by  Nils Muižnieks When over 300 migrants drowned last October in a shipwreck off the Italian island of Lampedusa, Iwas among those who hoped that their tragic destiny would be a wake-up callfor European countriesand would change the way they deal with migration. Until then, in fact, Europe had mainly concentrated its efforts on making it harder for migrants to reach the continent. Frontex, the EU border control agency, had been active inreinforcing fortress Europe and the police of some EU member states have been engaged, inter alia, incollective expulsion (“push-back”) operations in violation of international norms. Has anything changed since then? Very little.The public in some European countriesmay have paused and reflected for a short while over the tragic fate of these people, but as recent elections show, populist parties built their success in the EU and national parliaments by exploiting anti-immigration feelings. Some hopeswere raised by the change of attitude in Rome whereMare Nostrumoperations launched by the Italian authorities helped save thousands of migrants. However, recent tragedies proved that these hopes were misplaced.  Just a few days ago, in fact, more than 700 people died in two shipwrecks near Malta and off the coast of Libya. Stories told by the few survivors are dreadful. Will they this time bring a change inEurope? I doubt it. Behind the façade of unity shown in European organisations, countries are unwilling to share responsibilities and embrace solidarity. Today’s regulations and practices allow the majority of European countries to leave the challenges of dealing with the influx of migrants to the few countries which are at the borders of Europe.  Take the cases of Turkey and Bulgaria. I went there last December in the midst of a steep increase of arrivals of asylum-seekers and refugees, mainly as a consequence of the war in Syria. Turkey alone was hosting ten times more Syrian refugees than all other 46 Council of Europe member states. And yet, very little help has been provided to alleviateits efforts.  Bulgaria, a country generally not particularly exposed to migration flows, saw a fivefold increase of asylum-seekersin 2013 compared to the previous year. The authorities were clearly unprepared to provide decent reception but almost all EU countries continued doing business as usual, using the unfair “Dublin Regulation” to send back to Sofia those asylum-seekers who managed to reach other European countries.  Greece, Italy, Malta and Spain have not been more successful in their requests for European support.  More worryingly, the EU has continued along the path of externalisingborder controls. Before the Arab Spring, countries with weak or no democracy were being funded to keep migrants away from European coasts. Today, the EU pressures third countries, in particular in the Balkans, to reduce the number of their citizens applying for asylum in the EU under the penalty of restoring mandatory visa requirements. This has led to the adoption of unlawful measures such as ethnic profiling at border crossing points, sanctions on carriers which do not carry out police work, confiscation of travel documents, and push-backs. However hard the EU tries to become unattractive to migrants, it will not be able to prevent them from coming. A different approach is therefore needed, where the focus is no longer solely on security concerns but also on human rights. To promote this change, a mix of short and long-term measures is needed. European countries will have to provide more legal and safe avenues to those migrants who seek protection, sharing the responsibility of receiving and protecting them.  They will also have to engage more forcefully in external programmes to improve the human rights situation in the countries of migrants’ origin. But arguably the most pressing challenge is to addressa fearfulpublic opinion. Political leaders and opinion makers will have to confront these fears from a principled standpoint, stressing the values and principles that have defined a certain idea of Europe built on tolerance, acceptance andsolidarity. 

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Should we expect a new stock market crash?

by  Philippe Kotsaridis It’s true. We’ve been witnessing an economic contradiction for almost two years now.  What is it?  On the one hand, the order books of companies are not filling up. On the other hand, we are seeing a steady increase of share capital on the stock exchange!  It is becoming increasingly difficult to explain the discrepancy that exists between the value of the action that supposedly represents the financial health of a company and the value expressed by its balance sheet, which is also a reflection of the real economic situation at any given moment in time.  Apparently, there are purely speculative factors, baseless and artificial, that can drive up the stock market. And who’s to say speculation translates into a bubble! And who’s to say a bubble will result in a stock market crash!  For example, the BEL 20, the Dow Jones and the Eurostoxx are now exactly at the same level or at slightly higher level compared to five years ago. Ironically, during the past five years, the rate of unemployment has increased and we were treated to a banking crisis, the Greek debt crisis, the slowdown in industrial productivity, a marked decline in consumption, uncertainties about global growth related to the crisis in Syria and Ukraine and a significant European stagnation that generated deflation. These are some events that affected the real economy and yet we almost didn’t find any reflection of this in the stock market quotations for companies, including those facing serious difficulties.  Another factor is the policy of the Federal Reserve (the central banking system of the United States) that favours equity investments at the expense of the real economy. Also, with the current level of interest rates, the Fed also participates in maintaining equity valuations. Should we, therefore, expect a new stock market crash? Or a correction? Let’s not forget that a stock market crash produces a sudden drop in stock prices and is precipitated by a drop in the index of one or more places worldwide. There is also a consensus that there is crash when the index loses more than 10% in one session or 20% in just a few days, which has happened only twice in the 20th century – once in 1929 and a second time in 1987, Even in 2008, at the height of the financial crisis, we did not see a stock market crash though there was a very high price volatility and we expected some corrections.  It is obviously difficult to predict what will happen, especially since no one is immune to speculation, manipulation (as in the case of Enron) or unexpected geopolitical events. Investing money in the stock market is a kind of a game in which no one can master the rules.  Certainly, the much-anticipated third quarter results will be decisive as regards any corrections that should have several listings, including the primary markets (Russian embargo on food processing). In turn, emerging markets, which represented a concern during the first six months of the year, now seem particularly dynamic. They gained 4.3% over the past two months thus the MSCI World Index (which includes all countries) will break record after record... And making a big entrance on Wall Street is the Chinese online retail giant Alibaba, which raised a record $25bn. It’s the largest IPO in history!  But how long will the euphoria last? Until the next crash?

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“Race for the Cure” in Athens

The ‘Race for the Cure’ was held in Athens on Sunday to raise awareness for breast cancer. Several central roads were closed to traffic in the morning while the five-kilometre run and two-kilometre walk were underway. This was the sixth consecutive year that the race was organized by ‘Alma Zois,’ Greece’s nationwide association of women with breast cancer. Thousands set off under the race banner “We run faster…than its shadow” and either ran or walked the cyclical route extending from the area outside the Zappeion Hall to the U.S. Embassy. The money raised will be used to finance breast cancer research programs, as well as psychotherapeutic support and information campaigns. ‘Race for the Cure’ is considered one of the key global initiatives for raising breast cancer awareness and is organized for the past 31 years in more than 140 cities worldwide by the U.S. organization “Susan G. Komen for the Cure.” The race began at 11 am on Sunday and ended around 1 pm in the afternoon. (source: ana-mpa)

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Azerbaijani Culture Days Open in Athens

Azerbaijan‘s First Lady and President of the Heydar Aliyev Foundation, Mehriban Aliyeva, attended meetings and a joint dinner with head of the Greek delegation to the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe Dora Bakoyannis, Goodwill Ambassador of UNESCO Marianna Vardinoyannis and President of the Hellenic Olympic Committee Spyros Kapralos, as the Days of Azerbaijani Culture are underway in Athens, AzerTAc state agency reported. A charitable concert was organized at the Odeon of Herodes Atticus by the Heydar Aliyev Foundation in collaboration with Azerbaijan’s Embassy in Greece and the Marianna V. Vardinoyiannis Foundation. Aliyeva and Vardinoyannis were among the audience, which also included political and cultural figures, Athenian residents and tourists. The concert host highlighted the activities of the Heydar Aliyev Foundation and the First Lady, saying that the foundation has gained international acclaim thanks to its projects, covering many areas and particularly culture. Azerbaijan’s Ambassador to Greece Rahman Mustafayev praised the two countries’ relations. He said culture was a highlight of Azeri-Greek cooperation and hailed the event as “a good opportunity” to further promote Azerbaijan in Greece, thanking Aliyeva for her support. The concert featured performance of the Azerbaijan State Dance Ensemble and the Azerbaijan State Symphony Orchestra, conducted by Fakhraddin Karimov. The audience enjoyed a unique performance that combined the long dancing tradition of Azerbaijan with the timber of the State Symphony Orchestra, which balances between classic and contemporary, traditional and cosmopolitan sounds. (source: trend)

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The Greek Who Reinvented the Hammock

Anthony Logothetis Seora Anthony John Logothetis, a young Greek architect who studied architecture and entrepreneurial management in London ...

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Woman Buried Alive After 'Dying' Of Cancer Suffocates To Death

Chrissi Matsikoudi told Greek television channel MEGA: "I just don't believe it. We did several tests including one for heart failure on the body. "It would ...

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The sweet smell of Skiathos

I was herb-hiking on Skiathos island, in Greece, with Ortwin Widmann, a singular German guide who has lived there for 13 years. Widmann, at his own ...

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Greek fund to coordinate Qatari royal family's local investments

The purpose of the group is to operate as an umbrella for investments already made by Qatar in Greece and as a future investor, mainly for ...

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Fernando Santos: What Can We Expect from Portugal's New Boss?

During his time as manager of Greece, the team had the reputation of being a defensive-minded team, a status that they have kept ever since their ...

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BC-SOC--Greek Results

by  Associated Press BC-SOC--Greek Results Associated Press - 28 September 2014 15:02-04:00 BC-SOC--Greek Results Greek Football Results ATHENS, GREECE (AP) — Results from Greek football: Greece Super League Saturday's Matches Platanias 0, Asteras 1 Panionios 1, Xanthi 1 Atromitos 1, Olympiakos 0 Sunday's Matches Panathinaikos 1, Niki Volos 0 Ergotelis 1, Panetolikos 1 Levadiakos 2, Kerkyra 3 Veria 2, PAS Giannina 0 PAOK Thessaloniki vs. OFI Crete Monday's Match Kalloni vs. Panthrakikos News Topics: Soccer, Men's soccer, Sports, Men's sports People, Places and Companies: Athens, Greece, Western Europe, Europe Copyright 2014 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.

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Venizelos Says FYROM’s Turn

Greek Foreign Minister Evangelos Venizelos said it's up to FYROM to make the next steps in settling a name dispute over the country. The post Venizelos Says FYROM’s Turn appeared first on The National Herald.

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Samaras Wants Constitution Changes

Prime Minister Antonis Samaras wants to change Greece's Constitution, including eliminating a 50-seat Parliament bonus for national election victors. The post Samaras Wants Constitution Changes appeared first on The National Herald.

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Greek economy in dire need of reforms

Greece is in need of radical reforms to its pension system if it is to cease being a burden on longer-term fiscal sustainability, and to prevent a rise in pension costs that would otherwise see ...

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Greek Film ‘Little Land’ Travels To Japan

The film “Little Land”, which is dedicated to the Greek island of Ikaria, after winning two awards at the 15th Thessaloniki Documentary Festival, the WWF Award and the ERT3 Broadcasting Award, is now traveling to Japan. As ikariamag.gr suggests ...

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Greek Film ‘Little Land’ Travels To Japan

The film “Little Land”, which is dedicated to the Greek island of Ikaria, after winning two awards at the 15th Thessaloniki Documentary Festival, the WWF Award and the ERT3 Broadcasting Award, is now traveling to Japan. As ikariamag.gr suggests ...

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Soccer-Greek championship results and standings

Sept 28 (Infostrada Sports) - Results and standings from the Greek championship matches on Sunday Sunday, September 28Ergotelis 1 Panaitolikos Agrinion 1 Levadiakos 2 Kerkyra 3 Panathinaikos 1 Niki Volos 0 Veria 2 PAS Giannina 0 Saturday, September 27Atromitos Athinon 1 Olympiakos Piraeus 0 Panionios 1 Xanthi 1 Platanias 0 Asteras Tripolis 1 Standings P W D L F A Pts 1 Veria 5 4 0 1 8 6 12 ...

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Greek to Become First Female Football Referee

Greek-Australian Helen Glouftsi makes history as it is almost certain that she will become the first female referee in Australian football, a sport that is ...

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A look at key partners in US-led coalition against the Islamic State group

by  Associated Press Key partners in coalition against Islamic State by The Associated Press, Associated Press - 28 September 2014 12:30-04:00 The U.S.-led coalition fighting the Islamic State group is growing, with dozens of countries among its ranks. The coalition is contributing a wide range of efforts, from carrying out airstrikes to providing military assistance and humanitarian aid. Here are some of the key partners in the coalition. ___ UNITED STATES The U.S., which is leading the coalition, has launched dozens of airstrikes on Islamic State targets. It also has sent military advisers, supplies and humanitarian aid to help Iraqi troops and Kurdish forces beat back the insurgents. GULF STATES Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates and Bahrain have participated in airstrikes in Syria. A fourth, Qatar, has played what the Pentagon called a supporting role. The Emirates and Qatar also host air bases that are being used for the coalition's aerial campaign against the Islamic State group. U.S. Navy ships involved in the airstrikes are assigned to the Bahrain-based Fifth Fleet. Saudi Arabia has agreed to host training facilities for Syrian rebels on its territory. JORDAN Jordan has launched airstrikes against Islamic State positions, with government spokesman Mohammad al-Momani calling the move "necessary in light of continuous attempts to infiltrate our borders." The kingdom didn't give any specifics about its operations, but said the airstrikes aim to insure the country's security. EGYPT Egypt hasn't announced any specific participation in the airstrikes, but President Abdel-Fattah el-Sissi told the AP that Egypt is "completely committed to giving support," and will do "whatever is required" to support the coalition. ISRAEL Israel is offering intelligence estimates and concrete intelligence to the U.S. on the Islamic State group as part of ongoing intelligence sharing between the two countries, an Israeli defense official said. But, he added, Israel wasn't asked to contribute anything beyond that. The official spoke on condition of anonymity because he wasn't authorized to speak publicly on the issue. The prime minister's office declined to comment. BRITAIN Britain said that Tornado fighter bombers, supported by air-to-air refueling aircraft and signals intelligence, are operating over Iraq. Britain's media has widely reported that six warplanes are on standby in Cyprus, but defense officials have declined to offer specific numbers. Ben Goodlad from IHS Jane's has said that the Tornado jets offer the coalition enhanced capability to engage moving targets. Britain also has two weapons for long-range strikes: the Tornado's Storm Shadow cruise missile and the submarine-launched Tomahawk cruise missile, he said. FRANCE France has carried out airstrikes in Iraq on two occasions since joining the U.S.-led coalition on Sept. 19, firing laser-guided bombs from Rafale fighter planes upon munitions and military hardware stockpiles — first near northern Mosul, then on Thursday, near Fallujah. France is conducting the operations in Iraq from a French air base in the United Arab Emirates. The base, with about 750 French service personnel and six Rafales, is 1,700 kilometers (1,050 miles) from Mosul, meaning that the planes need refueling in flight to strike in Iraq. AUSTRALIA An Australian air force contingent, including eight F/A-18 Hornet jet fighters and two support aircraft, has arrived in the United Arab Emirates. About 600 troops — most of them air force personnel — are being deployed with the aircraft. The jets are expected to be used in airstrikes against Islamic State fighters in Iraq, although the Australian government has yet to commit to a combat role. BELGIUM Six F-16 multirole fighters and a contingent of 120 support staff, including eight pilots, to be based in Jordan. Authorized to take part in operations over Iraq for one month, subject to extension if approved by the Belgian government. DENMARK Denmark has pledged seven F-16 fighter jets — four operational planes and three reserve jets along with pilots and support staff for 12 months. The U.S. also has asked Danes to provide military trainers to Iraq to school Iraqi and Kurdish fighters battling the Islamic State group on the ground. Denmark has already contributed a transport plane with personnel to a U.S.-led humanitarian operation in northern Iraq. CANADA Canada has contributed about 70 special operations soldiers to offer instruction to Kurdish forces battling Islamic State militants in northern Iraq. Early this week, Prime Minister Stephen Harper's Cabinet will be considering a U.S. request to support airstrikes against Islamic State forces. This could include five to eight CF-18 fighter aircraft as well as tanker aircraft. GERMANY Germany isn't participating in any airstrikes against the Islamic State group. They have sent weapons to Kurdish fighters in Irbil, and a group of Kurdish peshmerga fighters arrived in Germany to receive weapons' training here by the German army. There's also German military in Irbil to train the peshmerga fighters in Irbil. GREECE Greece is participating with humanitarian aid and by sending ammunition for Kurdish forces fighting the Islamic State group. They haven't specified any more details on quantities or type of humanitarian aid. GEORGIA Georgia will be providing humanitarian assistance, not military aid, according to comments made by Prime Minister Irakli Garibashvili on Thursday to local news websites. HUNGARY Hungary has promised to send 15 types of ammunition totaling nearly 6 million units to Iraqi Kurds. Most of the ammunition, 4.1 million cartridges, was the M43 type for the AK-47 assault rifle. ROMANIA Prime Minister Victor Ponta said his country would offer "logistic, operational and humanitarian" support to the coalition, but not troops. He provided no details of the assistance. POLAND Poland supports the coalition against the Islamic State, but is not actively engaged in combat. News Topics: General news, War and unrest, Military facilities, Humanitarian assistance, Government and politics, Military and defense People, Places and Companies: Abdel-Fattah el-Sissi, Stephen Harper, Victor Ponta, United Arab Emirates, Iraq, Jordan, Israel, Middle East, Saudi Arabia, United States, France, Canada, Germany, Egypt, Bahrain, Qatar, North America, Western Europe, Europe, North Africa, Africa, United Kingdom Copyright 2014 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.

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NW Greeks raise poverty awareness

Northwest Missouri State University's PanHellenic Council, a governing board of Greek life, and eight Greek chapters are taking action to fight poverty ...

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Athens-Thessaloniki by Train in 3.5 hours

Athens will come … even closer to Thessaloniki, Greece. From 2017, those who chose to travel by train will be able to make the Athens-Thessaloniki route in just 3.5 hours. According to an announcement from ERGOSE, a subsidiary of the Hellenic Railways Organization (OSE), a contract was signed for “the restoration and upgrading of the telecommanding and signaling system, and the replacement of 70 switches in the train line linking Athens – Thessaloniki – Promahonas.” The ERGOSE and Tomi Consortium – Alstom Transport SA contract further includes signaling work, telecommanding and rail infrastructure, as well as superstructure work. The budget for the upgrade reaches 52,753,400 euros. The project includes: • Restoration and remediation of signaling – telecommanding systems so that they can return to good working conditions, as well as their upgrade. • Installation of a fiber optic cable. • Protection of copper wiring from theft or sabotage. • Upgrading the stations between Oinoi – Davlia and between the village of Domokos and the city of Larissa. • Restoration of the train route from Thessaloniki to Kilkis, in the part between Nea Philadelphia and Gallikos.

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Greek Regions With the Most Aged Population

The mountain villages of Epirus and Thessaly regions have the most aged population in Greece. As Greek newspaper “Ethnos” reported, according to the Hellenic Statistical Authority (ELSTAT), in the age map of Greece, the “champion” in the number of elderly people is the municipality of Central Tzoumerka in Epirus, where the average age of the residents is 57.9 years. In contrast, the “youngest” municipality is Fili in Attica, with an average age of 35.5 years. The younger population is concentrated in areas with a high presence of roma (gypsies), cities with universities and towns created in the last decade. Epirus and Thessaly are two of the country’s regions where young people are more likely to abandon and move to larger towns and cities. According to labor union GSEE, the municipality of Pallini in 2001 was one of the most ‘aged’ in Greece but today is the ninth most ‘youthful’ with the average age of population at 37.2 years. Data shows that the exact opposite applies to the island of Kimolos: Out of 650 residents, only 46 are 5-18 years old and the municipality is currently the second most aged in the country. Most aged municipalities in Greece (in years) Central Tzoumerka (Epirus) 57.9 Kimolos (Cyclades) 55.7 Gortynia (Peloponnese) 54.8 Argithea (Thessaly) 54.3 Plateau Lasithi (Crete) 54.1 Plastiras Lake (Thessaly) 53.6 Dodoni (Epirus) 53.6 Georgios Karaiskakis (Epirus) 53.3 Agrafa (Evrytania) 53.3 Northern Tzoumerka (Epirus) 52.8 Amphipolis (Central Macedonia) 52.8 Youngest municipalities in Greece (in years) Fili (Attica) 35.3 Evosmos-Kordellio (Thessaloniki) 35.9 Aspropyrgos (Attica) 35.9 Rethymno (Crete) 36.2 Acharnes (Attica) 36.8 Kos (Dodecanese) 36.9 Xanthi (Thrace) 36.9 Mykonos (Cyclades) 37 Pallini (Athens) 37.2 Miki (Thrace) 37.2

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Man Sets Himself on Fire in Piraeus

A 57-year-old man decided to end his life by setting himself on fire outside his ex-wife’s home in the area of Nikaia in Piraeus. According to reports, the man was drunk and appeared outside his ex-wife’s home a little after noon today. A few minutes later, he set his clothing on fire. Neighbors called the police and an ambulance, which transferred the man at the Nikaia hospital but unfortunately he had passed away. The man, who had divorced his wife several months ago, lived in the region of Missolonghi in central Greece. His ex-wife and their kids resided in Nikaia. He was a bus driver.

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New York Times Dedicates Article To New Attica Prefect

The New York Times have dedicated an article on newly elected prefect of Attica and member of the left-wing SYRIZA party, Rena Dourou. “Look at this place,” Dourou said. “It will take me until Monday just to get from my desk to the door. And downstairs, you should see the space people are working in. I am not saying this because I am leftist. People need space to do proper work.” “But for the time being, Ms. Dourou’s election as prefect, the rough equivalent of the governor of New York, represents the party’s biggest victory so far,” the article says. “Petite and blond, Ms. Dourou ran an American-style campaign, going door to door, something most Greek politicians avoid out of fear of being assaulted by angry citizens,” the article continues. The Attica prefect says she would like to have children but, for now, her hands are full. “I don’t want to just dump the kid on my mom to raise,” she stated. As Dourou settles into office, she says her goal is simple: To create an open, functional government without corruption and back-room deals that have been a way of life in Greece. “At the end of five years,” she said, “the government of Attica will be like a government in other countries.” The article — which also features biographical details — adds that Dourou has already made headlines in Greece for a public argument she had with the central government over the future of thousands of municipal workers in her region as she is refusing to hand over their files for inspection. “Employees are going to have a harder time,” Dourou said. “You have to be strict to get anything done. But I will do it my way.”

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Huntington Greek Festival continues 11:30 am to 5 pm today

HUNTINGTON — The Huntington Greek Festival continues its last day today at the historic St. George congregation, 701 11th Ave., on Huntington's ...

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In the danger zone

The geopolitical landscape surrounding Greece is undergoing major changes. Are any serious politicians, diplomats, military personnel or academics ...

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Greece, Spain to bounce back into tourists’ plans next year, as well as Gallipoli and Brazil

GREECE and Spain are expected to bounce back as travel hot spots in 2015 and will be rivalled by increased interest in river cruising, tours to Gallipoli and holiday-makers heading to Brazil, according to travel agents’ predictions for next year.

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British couple help stranded refugees to safety

A British couple sailing around Turkey and Greece helped rescue stranded refugees from the water.

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Healthy Dinners for the Broke and Lazy College Student: Day 7

The Greek chicken and orzo bowl by Delicious Dishings blogger Megan Ginsberg is an easy meal that follows a healthy Mediterranean way of eating.

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Greece Plots The Way Out

Prime Minister Antonis Samaras is gambling that he can pull off an early exit from deals with international lenders. The post Greece Plots The Way Out appeared first on The National Herald.

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9 Souvenirs to Take Home From Greece

People who visit Greece always want to take small souvenirs back home, either to treat their friends and family or to remember their journey and the amazing time they had in the country. Whether you prefer your souvenir to be food, clothes or a small art ...

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Gustavus Greek organizations welcome new members

Students passing through the basement of the Campus Center on Monday and Tuesday last week likely noticed the Greek bid boxes. The interest in Greek life on the Gustavus campus has grown in past years. Last year the number of bids was under 200 ...

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Juncker could be EU-Russia power broker

by  Kostis Geropoulos RHODES, Greece - The new European Commission of Jean-Claude Juncker can help repair the damaged relations between the European Union and Russia, former Secretary General of the Council of Europe Walter Schwimmer told New Europe on the Greek Island of Rhodes. Asked if the new Commission can make the situation better or worse for EU-Russia ties, Schwimmer said, “I hope they will make it better because I fully rely on Jean-Claude Juncker. He is first of all a true European; he is one who thinks in larger dimensions of Europe. Jean-Claude Juncker for sure agrees with me that there is no Europe without Russia nor Russia without Europe, that the European Union needs good relations with Russia, he is a man of the political centre – not an extremist in no way and he is pragmatic”. Schwimmer was speaking in an interview on September 26 on the sidelines of the “Rhodes Forum 2014 - Preventing World War through Global Solidarity” which ends on Sunday, September 28. He said Juncker can achieve political compromise. “He will be against bureaucratic tendencies. The appointment of [Frans] Timmermans and putting him in charge of reducing bureaucracy in the European Union, I think is very good decision. It also shows that he is a man of political compromise because Timmermans is a Social Democrat,” Schwimmer said, referring to the Dutch foreign minister. Schwimmer said that what is missing is an exit strategy in the whole sanction policy against Russia. “An economic war would be real nonsense because then for sure both sides would suffer as both sides suffer already from the sanctions and counter-sanctions. And here I fully agree with [Vladimir] Yakunin,” Schwimmer said, adding that only countries outside Europe will benefit from an economic war between Brussels and Moscow. “Maybe not only America, maybe it is also China and India who will benefit from an economic war within Europe but it’s not in favour of Europe – that’s for sure,” Schwimmer said. Russian Railways and its chief Yakunin have still not been included on the EU list of sanctions. Yakunin, a close associate of Russian President Vladimir Putin, was sanctioned by the US already in the spring, while the EU still has not done it. Regarding the new European Commission, Yakunin told a small group of foreign journalists on September 27 that he did not rule out more sanctions but it was unlikely. “I’m not that much acquainted with the figures though some of them I know, but I should tell that judging by the way Brussels followed - if not orders – some recommendations concerning sanctioning Russia and Russians it could be possible,” he said, answering a question from New Europe on whether he expected the EU to toughen its stance against Russia using more sanctions. “But I doubt that would be the course of development in relations between Europe and Russia because it is obvious that the world cannot sustain without Europe, without Russia, without the United States of America and the globe is a very small flat, apartment for housing mankind so sooner or later these deeds should be changed,” Yakunin said. Asked by New Europe if he prefers to do individual deals with EU member states instead of the EU, the Russian Railways chief said that “as far as economic relations are concerned, I never experienced any hardship on the part of my partners, on the part of the companies or on the part of any circles. So I do not have any reservations with that”. Yakunin said he sees no practical reason for European countries to sanction him. “We’re closely linked in terms of cargo traffic, passenger traffic and no one can find any sign that my activity, my professional deeds are against the interests of railways in Europe,” he said, adding that on the contrary “we are discussing mutual activity plans; we are discussing questions of mutual interests”. The Russian Railways chief said that the American administration’s decision to sanction him makes no practical sense. “The explanation that he is in good terms with the Russian leadership is foolish. You take any head of railways in Europe inevitably he is close contacts with the head of the government,” he quipped. Yakunin, who is also the World Public Forum’s Founding President, promoted the event, saying it is aspiring to create an “unbiased dialogue of civilisations and interaction to tackle new threats to mankind”. Asked by New Europe at a Rhodes Forum press breakfast on September 26 whether he saw a new Cold War, Yakunin said the term is no longer relevant. “I suppose we cannot use terms like Cold War because the Cold War was the product of the struggle-fight of two ideologies: Communist ideology and so-called Capitalist ideology,” he said. “From the point of view of the relations in Europe or between America and Europe that is not Cold War. This is something absolutely different,” he said. Yakunin termed this as “the policy of global domination and suppression”. He also claimed that the EU is not taking into account the balance of all European interests. “Brussels is saying to a particular country that your law is not relevant in some cases, you should follow the ideology and the policy of the EU,” he said. For his part, Schwimmer, who was also present at the press breakfast, told New Europe in the interview later that some politicians are still using Cold War terminology. “He [Yakunin] rejected the term Cold War. I have the impression some politicians use again the terminology of the Cold War,” he said. Schwimmer said that in his view the Baltic countries and Poland are different from the rest of Europe in that respect. “They have, of course, bad experiences of the Soviet Union and when there is again armed conflict when Russian, pro-Russian forces are involved maybe they are some fears which can be understood from history of these countries,” he said. “But it’s the wrong lesson from history to be learned. The real lesson from history to be learned is there is no armed solution, there is no solution by violence for conflicts – only dialogue and agreement and compromise are good solutions,” Schwimmer said. Rhodes Forum 2014 discussions focused on preventing another World War. Matthias Platzeck, former Social Democratic Party leader and German-Russian Forum chairman, told New Europe on September 26 sometimes he asks himself a question: “What is the end goal of the sanctions?” “Very often Baltic and Polish colleagues say we have to strengthen the sanctions up to the moment that Putin is gone. I’ve got two arguments against this. First, I think the man or woman after Putin won’t be any more European-friendly,” Platzeck said. “Second, I couldn’t believe any destabilised Russia with nuclear weapons. If there would be any civil war in Russia this kind of situation would stabilise the whole world.” 

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DISTRESSED SYRIAN REFUGEES RESCUED OFF GREEK CYPRUS

NICOSIA — A total of 345 people, thought to be refugees from Syria who may have paid more than $3,000 (TL 6,800) per person to escape the ...

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Greek economy in dire need of reforms

Greece is in need of radical reforms to its pension system if it is to cease being a burden on longer-term fiscal sustainability, and to prevent a rise in pension costs that would otherwise see ...

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Samaras Marks New Democracy’s 40th With Swipe at SYRIZA

With his party trailing the major opposition SYRIZA, Prime Minister Antonis Samaras used a ceremony marking his New Democracy party's 40th anniversary to warn the Leftists are a danger to the country and that only the Conservatives can save Greece. The post Samaras Marks New Democracy’s 40th With Swipe at SYRIZA appeared first on The National Herald.

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Europe's German Growth Locomotive On Strike

By Paul TaylorPARIS (Reuters) - Europe's growth locomotive is on strike.With the euro zone economy stuck in a rut despite European Central Bank efforts to pump money into the system, pressure is mounting for Germany to use its healthy budget position to boost public investment, stimulate demand and spur growth.The answer from Chancellor Angela Merkel so far is an adamant "nein", spelled out firmly to visiting French Prime Minister Manuel Valls last week.If her refusal is final, rather than a tactic to extract more reforms from European partners, it could dash the prospects of a three-way grand bargain sketched by ECB President Mario Draghi to revive the European economy.That could tip the euro zone back into another recession, worsen unemployment and fuel political radicalism.The International Monetary Fund, the ECB, the European Commission, the United States and euro zone partners are all pleading with Berlin to use what economists call its "fiscal space" to stimulate the economy through tax cuts and investment in aging road, rail, energy and telecommunications networks.German officials acknowledge privately that the country has an investment gap, both public and private. It spends less than half as much of its economic output - just 1.6 percent - on public investment as France or Sweden, less even than Greece.Yet the government is determined to stick to its balanced budget strategy, moving faster into surplus than planned, even though its own economy shows signs of slipping into the stagnation already gripping France and Italy.There are political, cultural and economic reasons for the refusal to loosen the purse-strings when most economists think Germany could afford to do so.Berlin makes three main arguments:1) Germany is determined to set an example by meeting its fiscal targets and running the first balanced federal budget since 1969 with no borrowing. The credibility of the euro zone depends on governments sticking to their commitments.2) Germany has less fiscal space than outsiders understand because it has an aging, shrinking population and needs to run surpluses to meet future pension and healthcare liabilities.3) The euro zone's economic problem is largely one of supply rather than demand. Structural reforms of labor markets, legal systems, pensions and welfare to improve competitiveness are the only way to achieve a sustainable recovery. More public spending financed by debt would ease the pressure to make those changes.Finance Minister Wolfgang Schaeuble spelled out a stonewall response in presenting the 2015 budget to parliament on Sept. 9: "We must not allow ourselves to entertain the illusion that we can solve our problems using more and more public funds and ever higher deficits."Behind such public arguments, Merkel has a strong political motive for sticking to her course.The balanced budget is written into her conservatives' coalition pact with the Social Democrats (SPD). Any departure from it could fuel support for the right-wing anti-euro Alliance for Germany, which made big gains in state elections this month.As so often since the start of the euro zone crisis in 2010, domestic politics is tugging Merkel in one direction and European responsibility in another.Her usual tactic is to hang tough until others have made as many concessions as possible, then give as little ground as necessary at the last minute when Europe is on the brink.It's easy to imagine a trade-off now between more French and Italian reform, a German fiscal stimulus, more European public investment with new EU financial instruments leveraging joint borrowing with private sector money, and an expansion of the ECB's easy money policies.Olli Rehn, who was vice-president for economic and monetary affairs in the European Commission until July, calls for just such a pact to avert deflation in an article to be published in the policy journal Europe's World in October. (www.europesworld.org)"If Germany can lift domestic demand and investment while France and Italy are embracing reforms to their labor markets, business environments and pension systems in support of their economic and industrial competitiveness, they will together do a great service to the entire euro zone," said Rehn, now a member of the European Parliament.A German stimulus could also help bring down the euro's real exchange rate and make southern euro zone countries' exports more competitive, he argued."The key actors - Italy and France, the ECB and Germany – need to work out the details of such a pact this autumn and then agree on it at the European Council in December."German leaders are not monolithic in rejecting the notion.Deputy Labor Minister Joerg Asmussen, a Social Democrat, signed a joint article with ECB Executive Board member Benoit Coeure this month urging Berlin to use its "budgetary room for maneuver" to support investment and cut taxes on workers' pay.French politicians believe Vice-Chancellor Sigmar Gabriel, economy minister and SPD leader, is broadly sympathetic to their cause, despite his commitment to the balanced budget."This debate exists within the German government because Gabriel is a supporter of this new European investment policy," said Philip Cordery, national secretary for European affairs in the ruling French Socialist Party.However Paris and Berlin seem to be talking past each other.German officials fear President Francois Hollande is too weak politically to push through far-reaching reforms to France's protective labor laws and generous social benefits, or to take a serious axe to bloated public spending. A strike by Air France pilots that forced the airline to scrap plans for a low-cost European subsidiary highlights resistance to change.They are only slightly more optimistic about Italian Prime Minister Matteo Renzi's drive to loosen labor law, shake up the judicial system and streamline politics and state administration despite entrenched resistance from unions and politicians.If Germany won't fire up its investment engine and France won't risk major reforms, it will be left to the ECB to carry the whole burden of refloating the economy.Even if Draghi were able to overcome German opposition to the central bank printing money to buy government bonds, he told EU lawmakers last week that monetary policy alone cannot have a meaningful effect without structural reforms.(Writing by Paul Taylor; editing by Tom Pfeiffer)Join the conversation about this story »

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Northern Cyprus asks UN for summit

He called for greater Greek Cypriot willingness to find a solution. "It has been always the Turkish side who approved the UN agreements for a solution ...

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The Past in Pieces

Not just because of the suffering that both Greek and Turkish Cypriots have gone .... So Greek Cypriots demand their rights, and Turkish Cypriots want ...

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Chobani Greek Yogurt Sampling

Event Details. Chobani Greek Yogurt Sampling: Monday Sept. 29th & Wednesday Oct. 1st from 7am-11am. Start your day the right way. We found the ...

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Atromitos Takes Down Olympiakos

Atromitos handed Olympiakos its first defeat in the Greek league and joined the defending champion and PAOK in first place. The post Atromitos Takes Down Olympiakos appeared first on The National Herald.

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Woman 'buried alive', screams from her coffin in Greece

Picture for representational purposeA cemetery worker in Thessaloniki in Greece told the police that he heard a woman screaming from inside her ...

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American Jewish Committee expresses gratitude to Cyprus for relations with Israel

Greece was represented at the dinner by Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs Demetris Kourkoulas who referred to the strategic partnership between ...

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Greece, General Debate, 69th Session

Address by His Excellency Evangelos Venizelos, Deputy Prime Minister of Greece at the general debate of the 69th Session of the General Assembly ...

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Georgios Bouglas ready to fly the flag for Greece at Road World Championships

Georgios Bouglas will make his World Championship debut as the sole representative for Greece today having been registered for the elite men's ...

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Our View: Tech's task force regarding student behavior was justified by concerns

Concerned Tech officials are taking action about student behavior in Greek organizations and have acted on the concerns appropriately. The Task ...

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Nikko Greek Key Fruit Bowl

Nikko Greek Key Fruit Bowl Price. You can browse each testimonials from shoppers to find out more about their knowledge. The Nikko Greek Key Fruit ...

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Health benefits of yogurt

First, let's talk about Greek yogurt. According to a report by UBS, a global financial service company, sales of Greek yogurt are doubling every year.

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Learning to Read NT Greek/Jesus

Learning to Read NT Greek/Jesus. In last Friday's post I mentioned the text book Robert Plummer is using for his video series. David Alan's book (on ...

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Folklore: Robin Hood in Greece

Subject: Folklore: Robin Hood in Greece From: Jack Campin Date: 25 Sep 14 - 08:28 AM This is an astonishing story.

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