Depleted Panathinaikos upset the odds and beat favorite Olympiakos 77-76 at home in the Greek Cup's most important quarterfinal on Thursday. It has joined PAOK, Apollon Patras and Nea Kifissia in the last four. Despite playing behind closed doors, without... ...
Welcome, 77 artists, 40 different points of Attica welcomes you by singing Erotokritos an epic romance written at 1713 by Vitsentzos Kornaros
Thursday, October 9, 2014
New Dates for the End of the Greek Bronze Age
The new radiocarbon dates, however, suggest that the Greek Bronze Age ended 70 to 100 years earlier than had been previously thought. “This is a ...
Greek Festival underway at Hellenic Center
SAVANNAH, Ga. (WJCL) Are you in the mood for food? Then we've got just the thing for you. It's that time again for the annual Greek Festival at the ...
Stunning finds from ancient Greek shipwreck
Greek technical diver Alexandros Sotiriou discovers an intact "lagynos" ceramic table jug and a bronze rigging ring on the Antikythera Shipwreck.
Emerging Markets Over the Last Week
emerging-markets-are-getting-crushed-again--heres-why.jpg Home Page News Page Emerging Market Conditions over the Last Week (1) The second round of the Brazilian elections is off to an exciting start Over the last week, Brazil (+11.8%), Hong Kong (+2.2%), and Peru (+2.0%) have outperformed in the EM equity space as measured by MSCI, while Greece (-4.5%), Thailand (-2.4%), and Korea (-1.9%) have underperformed. To put this in better context, MSCI EM rose 2.0% over the past week while MSCI DM rose 0.5%. (2) The situation in Turkey is becoming tenser as ISIS advances on Kurdish towns in Syria near border (3) The ruble continues to push through all-time highs (4) The Polish central bank cut rates for the first time since July 2013 (5) Hong Kong democracy protests have died down, but the situation remains fluid See Also links url: http://www.economywatch.com/world_economy/emerging-markets Title: Emerging Markets See Also type: Reference Featured Report That You Might Like: Compete Inc. CCID Consulting Company Limited read more
Greek life at Eastern: More than just stereotypes
Joining the Greek community can be a great experience, but taking that first step may be difficult for some new students. With Hollywood dictating the ...
Athens, Ankara at odds over Cyprus impasse
Greece rejected on Thursday an attempt by Turkey to embroil it in the latest dispute that has broken out on Cyprus in the wake of Nicosia deciding to put reunification talks on hold after Ankara issued a maritime directive for an area within the island’s ... ...
IMF chief says Greece should keep credit line
The second phase of talks between Greece and the troika is likely to be tougher than expected after the managing director of the International Monetary Fund, Christine Lagarde, indicated on Thursday that Greece should maintain a lifeline with the Fund eve... ...
Private schools losing pupils
The impact of Greece’s economic crisis on household budgets has resulted in more and more parents sending their children to state schools rather than private institutions, with the latter now counting some 14,700 fewer pupils than in 2008, according to a ... ...
Flurry of positive data put Greece on recovery track
A surge of encouraging figures and statistics on Wednesday and Thursday has pointed to the country’s return to growth, vindicating the government’s forecast that Greece’s gross domestic product would expand by 0.5-0.6 percent in 2014. The unemployment rat... ...
Greek Bronze Age ended 100 years earlier than thought new evidence suggests
While historical chronologies traditionally place the end of the Greek Bronze Age at around 1025 BCE, this latest research suggests a date 70 to 100 years earlier. Archaeologists from the University ...
Church of Greece supports IVF but not abortions
The Church of Greece’s Holy Synod said Thursday that it supports couples having IVF treatment but is against mothers aborting their babies, regardless of whether the children have been diagnosed as having physical or mental problems. Bishop Nikolaos of Me... ...
Greek Bronze Age ended 100 years earlier than thought new evidence suggests
While historical chronologies traditionally place the end of the Greek Bronze Age at around 1025 BCE, this latest research suggests a date 70 to 100 years earlier. Archaeologists from the University ...
Greek Unemployment Rate Further Declined in July
Greek unemployment eased further in July, the Hellenic Statistical Authority (ELSTAT) said on Thursday, continuing its slow but steady downtrend. According to ELSTAT, Greece’s seasonally-adjusted unemployment rate fell to 26.4% — down 1.4% compared to July 2013 — and slightly better than the revised 26.7% recorded in June. In absolute terms, some 1.28 million Greeks are without a job. The country’s unemployment rate has been easing slightly month after month, after reaching a peak of 28% in September 2013. July’s reading is the lowest since December 2012, when the unemployment rate stood at its current level. However, it remains more than double the Eurozone average of 11.5% in July, underscoring that the country still has a long road to recovery ahead. Greece’s economy is now in its seventh calendar year of a deep recession, made worse by waves of austerity measures imposed by international creditors in exchange for two bailout packages totaling close to €250 billion ($US319 billion). The recession has shaved a quarter off the gross domestic product output. According to ELSTAT, Greek consumer prices continued to decline in September, another effect of the country’s protracted recession, leading to weak spending in most goods and services. The consumer-price index (CPI) fell 0.8% in September, compared to a year earlier. The decline was mostly due to a 3.8% drop in the heavily weighted transport index and a 4.8% retreat in prices for miscellaneous goods and services. On a monthly basis, prices went up 2.1% compared to August, on a sharp 35.6% increase in clothing and footwear prices, due to the end of the summer sales’ period. With consumer spending depressed, retail prices have been declining steadily since March last year, when the CPI turned negative for the first time since the start of the financial crisis. As a 12-month moving average, from October 2013 through September 2014, consumer prices have decreased 1.4% compared to the same time last year. Greece’s economy is expected to return to growth in 2014. The Greek government and its international creditors are forecasting an annual expansion rate of 0.6% this year. Unemployment is expected to ease to an average rate of 26% this year from 27.3% in 2013, according to the latest European Commission forecast.
Clooney Wife's Help Sought by Greece in Elgin Marbles Battle
George Clooney's wife may join Greece's battle to retrieve its antiquities from the British Museum. Human rights lawyers Amal Alamuddin Clooney and ...
George Clooney's wife enlisted to help Greece secure return of Elgin Marbles
Greece has enlisted some celebrity help as the country prepares to launch a bid to have the Elgin Marbles returned to their home country.
Greek pharmacists: Mail-order drugs scheme is ‘illegal’
The Pharmacists Association on Thursday described as “illegal” a pilot scheme launched by the post office (ELTA), which allows customers to order medicines and have them delivered from pharmacies to their homes for 3 euros. The pharmacists claim the law a... ...
Greece's public sector union calls for stoppage on Friday
Civil servants in Attica will not start work before noon on Friday because of a stoppage called by their union, ADEDY. The stoppage has been called so civil servants can gather outside the Council of State, where judges will hear ADEDY’s appeal against th... ...
Loukanikos, the Greek Protest Dog, Dies
Loukanikos barks at a group of riot policemen who had a petrol bomb thrown at them by protesters during a demonstration in Athens on Oct. 5, 2011.
Officials To Vote On Future Of Greek Theatre Contract
Nederlander has operated, managed and booked the award-winning Greek Theatre since 1976. Live Nation successfully held its biggest foray yet into ...
Greek Foreign Ministry Accuses Turkey of Cyprus Negotiations Breakdown
The Greek Foreign Ministry denied Turkish accusations that Greece is not contributing to the Cyprus settlement. "Greece does not stand accused ...
Scientific team scours sunken Roman ship off Greek island for overlooked treasures
Archaeologists armed with top-notch technology have scoured one of the richest shipwrecks of antiquity for overlooked treasures, recovering a scattering of artefacts amid indications that significant artworks may await discovery under the seabed.
Archeologists revisit rich Roman wreck off Greece
ATHENS, Greece (AP) — Archaeologists armed with top-notch technology have scoured one of the richest shipwrecks of antiquity for overlooked treasures, recovering a scattering of artefacts amid indications that significant artworks may await discovery under the seabed.
George Clooney's wife Amal Alamuddin to advise Athens government on artefacts
Amal Amaluddin is reportedly due to fly to Greece to aid the government with its bid to return the historic Elgin Marbles from the British Museum to Athens.
IMF’s Lagarde: Precautionary Credit Line Would Benefit Greece
WASHINGTON—Greece should have a precautionary credit line to help it regain normal access to bond markets, the head of the IMF said Thursday. “The country would be, in our view, in a better position if it had precautionary support,” International ...
Amal Alamuddin Clooney gets back to work in Greece
LONDON (Reuters) - Human rights lawyer Amal Alamuddin Clooney, fresh from her marriage to Hollywood heart-throb George Clooney last month, is heading to Athens to advise the Greek government in its battle to repatriate the ancient Elgin Marbles statues from Britain. The Lebanese-born Alamuddin, who married Clooney in a star-studded ceremony in Venice, will meet Greece's Prime Minister Antonis ...
IMF urges Greece to maintain financial lifeline
The International Monetary Fund urged Greece on Thursday to maintain a financial lifeline with the crisis lender even as it nears exiting the $300 billion IMF-EU-European Central Bank bailout program. IMF Managing Director Christine Lagarde acknowledged A... ...
US invokes secrets privilege to request civil lawsuit against Iran sanctions group be dropped
Source: www.theguardian.com - Thursday, October 09, 2014 Justice Department cites national security concerns in bid to drop private defamation lawsuit filed by Greek businessman The US government on Wednesday asked a federal judge in Manhattan to dismiss a private civil lawsuit against an Iran sanctions group on national security grounds without any public explanation for the reason. If the judge agrees, it would mark the first time the government had invoked the state secrets privilege without publicly explaining its motivation for doing so. Continue reading...All Related
Greece's famous anti-austerity protest dog dies
Sausage, the ginger mongrel who became famous for appearing at anti-austerity protests and barking at riot police at the height of Greece's debt crisis ...
Greek Culture Ministry Announces New Antikythera Shipwreck Discoveries
Greece’s Culture Ministry announced the new Antikythera shipwreck discoveries and released pictures from the expedition. According to the Ministry, divers have recovered a solid copper spear with a butt cap called a sauroter (Greek for “lizard killer”), which is believed to have been part of a metal or marble sculpture, a copper ring fastened to a copper nail, the lead lower portion of an anchor, a hoop, a copper bedpost, an earthenware vessel and a piece of lead plating from the ship’s hull. A number of amphorae located nearby is raising the question whether they are part of the same ship or not. Archaeologists were able to map the site by combining data from the 1900 salvage operation and Cousteau’s 1976 expedition, producing a 3D representation. The operation will continue by sweeping the area with metal detectors, to get a more accurate view of the shipwreck.
Amal Alamuddin Clooney to advise Greece on marbles
LONDON (AP) — Newly married British lawyer Amal Alamuddin Clooney will advise Greece in its attempt to get the Parthenon Marbles back from the U.K.
Greece's shadow economy The treasures of darkness
Last year an estimated 24% of all economic activity in Greece went undeclared to evade tax and regulation, well above the European average of 19%.
European Stocks Decline: Markit Ltd (MRKT),National Bank of Greece (NBG), Seagate Technology ...
European stocks fell to a two-month low amid concern that equity valuations have overshot the potential for economic growth and earnings. The Stoxx ...
Sausage, Greece's 'protest dog', dies of heart attack
ATHENS (Reuters) - Sausage, the ginger mongrel who became famous for appearing at anti-austerity protests and barking at riot police at the height ...
Former Athens Mayor Rejoins New Democracy Party
Former Athens Mayor Nikitas Kaklamanis has rejoined the governing New Democracy party, bringing the parliamentary majority of the Greek coalition government to 155 MPs. Kaklamanis had been removed from the party in March after refusing to back a liberalization bill, while he went against the party’s directives once again in May’s Municipality elections. He decided to run for Mayor of Athens, when New Democracy had already selected their official candidate, Aris Spiliotopoulos. His return to the party comes after a written request to New Democracy’s leader and Prime Minister, Antonis Samaras. New Democracy now holds 127 seats in the Greek Parliament and PASOK 28, granting the coalition government more than the 151 seats it needs for a majority.
A Warning in German Yields and Greek Spreads
European bond yields have come crashing down again. And as if that weren't worrying enough, the yield differential between Greek and German ...
Get Them The Greek: Live Nation and AEG/Nederlander in Bidding Battle for Historic Los Angeles ...
Although the world was supposed to know what concert promoter would be operating iconic Los Angeles theater The Greek in the near future, ...
Greek Festival in St. Augustine
FAMILY FRIENDLY, TELL US ABOUT YOUR THIS IS A TRADITIONAL AND IT WAS ORIGINALLY WORN BY THE GREEK SOLDIERS YEARS AGO.
Justice unaffected by crisis: Council of Europe report
by Dan Alexe Justice in Europe remained unaffected by the crisis. In a report published today, the Council of Europe’s European Commission for the Efficiency of Justice, drawing on data from 46 European countries, finds that despite the crisis, the European trend is still upward. In half of the states, justice seems to have been shielded in budgetary terms from the effects of the crisis. The crisis has, however, had a clear impact on the development of the budgets in other states, where human resources are often affected. European states spend on average 60 Euros per capita and per year on the functioning of the judicial system. The Council of Europe found that tax payers are no longer the only ones to finance the system, as court users are often requested to contribute too. Only France and Luxembourg provide access to court free of fees. For the majority of states, this revenue accounts for a significant resource. In some states (such as Austria), indeed, it far exceeds the operating cost of the judicial system as a whole. Such a system is part of the current trend in public management to balance, to a certain extent, the burden of the operating costs of public services between users and tax payers. There is a trend towards outsourcing non-judicial tasks within courts, while e-justice and e-courts are gaining ground. A growing trend can be noted in the use of videoconferencing in European judicial systems, especially in criminal cases. In many European states, these new reforms or projects aim at introducing or extending the use of videoconferencing (Germany, Croatia, Denmark, France, Italy,Lithuania, Republic of Moldova, Monaco, Norway, Romania, Russia, Czech Republic). At the same time, there are fewer courts in Europe: this downward trend in the number of courts seems to be continuing. There is a stabilised but uneven number of judges depending on the country; judges’ salaries are increasing overall, although the crisis has had an impact in some states. The “glass ceiling” remains a reality in the judiciary: a progressive feminisation of the judiciary can be observed but it is not yet sufficient to ensure equal access to the judicial hierarchy. The courts are generally able to cope with the volume of cases: a large majority of the member states are able to manage without increasing their backlogs. On the other hand, functional independence of prosecutors is not a principle shared by all states. The report sees a Europe-wide trend towards privatisation and greater professionalisation in terms of the execution of judgments. The highest number of public prosecutors (20 or more prosecutors per 100.000 inhabitants) can be found in Eastern European states (Bulgaria, Lithuania, Latvia, Republic of Moldova, Russian Federation, Ukraine), as well as in Iceland. Seven states (UK-England and Wales, Austria, France, Greece, Ireland, Italy, and Netherlands) have the lowest number (less than 5 prosecutors per 100.000 inhabitants). In relation to the national average gross salary, the salaries of judges and prosecutors at the end of their career are almost two times higher than at the beginning of the career (4,2 times higher for judges and 3,4 times higher for prosecutors). The difference between start-of-career-and end-of-career pay is the most marked, both for judges and for prosecutors in Romania, Italy, Bulgaria, Poland, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Croatia. It is also significant in common law countries (UK-Northern Ireland, UK-Scotland, UK-England and Wales,Ireland), but only with regard to judges; which can be explained through their specific types of recruitment, among experienced lawyers. Finally, in respect to the distribution of male and female professional judges, it seemed to be is almost equal, in all surveyed countries. The average for all states or entities is 51% for men and 49% for women.17 states or entities (14 in 2010) stay in line with an appropriate male-female parity within a range from 40% to 60%. While 21 states or entities have more than 50% of women among their judges, some countries such as Slovenia, Latvia and Romania have more than 70% women judges. In contrast, 20 states or entities have more than 50% male judges and 6 of them have more than 70% male judges. In this group, the percentage of male/female distribution in small states should be interpreted with care taking into account their low total number of judges, as in Andorra (24), Malta (40) and Monaco (37).
Leading MEP tackles Islamaphobia and Anti-Semitism
You don't have to look at the European Parliament for long before the rise of extremism becomes painfully obvious with several MEPs representing views that many would consider as worng as they are offensive. The hardening of extremist views can be seen in the rise of far right groups in recent European elections. From Geert Wilders’ Freedom Party in in the Netherlands to Golden Dawn in Greece, the Front National in France, UKIP in the United Kingdom, and the Northern League Movement in Italy. These far right parties achieved between 10% and 25% of the vote, a sharp increase from previous elections. That anti-Semitism and Islamophobia, particularly on the internet, is increasing will surprise nobody. A survey by the EU's Fundamental Rights Agency (FRA) and France's Collective Against Islamophobia (CCIF) found that more and more European Jews and Muslims were facing racist abuse. Dr Sajjad Karim MEP, the first British Muslim MEP to be elected, met with representatives from the European Jewish Congress and the European Union of Jewish Students in Brussels to discuss initiatives for intercultural dialogue across Europe. Karim said, ""The rising level of anti-Semitism and Islamophobia in Europe is extremely worrying. The tasks and challenges we face today to tackle this problem is huge. It requires action at an EU level." He continued, "Meeting with the European Jewish Congress and President of the European Union of Jewish Students, Ms. Jane Braden-Golay, has been extremely useful. We discussed possible collaborative initiatives between Muslim and Jewish youths." Karim says that the far-right have been targeting disillusioned youth, often using social media to recruit. This was one of the main topics discussed. Karim said, "Just as extremism is a threat to all in Europe, fighting extremism is the responsibility of all in Europe. The EU can lead the way in providing education and training to challenge youth disillusionment and encourage engagement in our democratic process." The meeting resolved to work at a grassroots level and pledged to encourage interfaith dialogue and anti-extremism initiatives. Karim, who represents the North West of the UK, where groups like the British National Party used unemployed youths to feed in their movement as did the English Defence League. There has been good news for those opposed to the extreme right in Karim's constituency and Nick Griffin, the former MEP was ousted as leader of the BNP, which has sunk to a handful of members. It is also at a poignant moment in Brussels as the Jewish museum in the city reopened after a radical, believed to have fought with Islamist groups in Syria, murdered four visitors.
Suspected Ebola Case in Cyprus
A suspected case of Ebola virus in the occupied part of Cyprus has caused widespread concern in the island’s authorities. According to Turkish newspaper “Chavantis,” a 26-year-old student from Togo with high fever initially went to a hospital in the occupied Famagusta and was later transferred in a special unit at a hospital in occupied Nicosia, where he was put into quarantine. The blood results and other tests are expected within days. The Ebola virus, causing thousands of deaths in Africa, has caused widespread terror. A Turkish citizen who works in Nigeria is hospitalized in Istanbul presenting symptoms similar to those of Ebola virus, while in the US, the first patient hit by the virus, died. Greek Health Minister Makis Voridis reported on Thursday that Greece is ready to confront any Ebola case. “We have complied with the World Health Organization’s directives,” said the Greek Minister on the precautionary actions taken and that they were “travel directives existing in all exit and entrance points of the country, while special directives exist for people coming from countries of high risk.” “We have chosen a reference hospital if a suspicious incident occurs. A specific building with special staff, equipment and laboratory has been selected that will be able to make the analysis needed in order to identify whether it is Ebola virus,” he added.
Big-name concert promoters wrangle for control of the Greek Theatre
Music fans who go to a lot of shows might not realize the backstage venue tussles that are a feature of the competitive Los Angeles concert scene. But the battle for control of the Greek Theatre in Griffith Park offers a good snapshot; it's getting heated and stars three of the city's biggest...
Romanian trucker held in pre-trial detention in Greece over highway pileup that killed 5
by Associated Press Greece jails Romanian trucker pending crash trial Associated Press - 9 October 2014 10:21-04:00 THESSALONIKI, Greece (AP) — A Romanian truck driver involved in a 35-car highway pileup in northern Greece that killed five motorists and injured dozens has been remanded in prison pending trial for multiple manslaughter. The 39-year-old man told judicial authorities his brakes failed shortly before the heavy vehicle, loaded with 19 tons of grapes, smashed into cars stopped at road works near the northern town of Veria on Sunday. He can now be remanded for up to nine months before trial. The trucker's lawyer, Dimitris Gidoyiannos, said he would appeal the decision. News Topics: General news, Automotive accidents, Prisons, Transportation accidents, Accidents, Accidents and disasters, Transportation, Correctional systems, Law and order People, Places and Companies: Greece, Western Europe, Europe Copyright 2014 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.
Greece jails Romanian trucker pending crash trial
THESSALONIKI, Greece (AP) — A Romanian truck driver involved in a 35-car highway pileup in northern Greece that killed five motorists and injured dozens has been remanded in prison pending trial for multiple manslaughter.
Accessibility of Greek life for students with mobility impairments depends on house
With 35 fraternities and 27 sororities at the University of Georgia, Greek life is a large part of the University community. However, although 26 percent of undergraduate students belong to an organization they would call their second family, not every ...
UNHCR Requests Aid for Somali and Syrian Refugees in Greece
UNHCR officials in Greece called for the European Union countries to support Greece as many refugees are in that country. Joorjoos Tasabobulos is ...
64th annual Greek Festival set to kick off in Savannah
The festival will feature homemade Greek foods, dancing, church tours, a market place, live music and so much more during the three-day Greek ...
Greek diversity, residence equality among initial DSGRU topics
Greek diversity, residence equality among initial DSGRU topics ... available via statistics collected by the IFC and University about greek participation.
What would Mao say? Free market more popular in communist China, Vietnam than in capitalist US
by Associated Press Study: Vietnamese, Chinese choose capitalist road by PAUL WISEMAN, Associated Press - 9 October 2014 09:34-04:00 WASHINGTON (AP) — Enthusiasm for free markets runs higher in communist China and Vietnam than in traditional capitalist bastions the United States and United Kingdom, the Pew Research Center reports. A world-topping 95 percent of Vietnamese say that most people are better off in free-market economies, and 76 percent of Chinese agree, according to a Pew survey of nearly 49,000 people worldwide that might have astonished Ho Chi Minh and Mao Zedong. Seventy percent of Americans and 65 percent of those in the UK expressed support for a free-market economic system. Expanded world trade has ignited fast economic growth in emerging economies such as China and Vietnam, lifting tens of millions out of poverty. Meanwhile, the advanced economies of the United States and Europe have contended in recent years with sluggish growth, high unemployment and stagnant wages. Those distinct experiences appear to have shaped attitudes toward free markets — and the future: 65 percent of those in advanced economies said they expected children in their countries to be worse off than their parents. In low- and middle-income countries, by contrast, at least half the respondents expected their children to be better off. Optimism was highest in Vietnam, where 94 percent saw good times ahead for their children. In China, 85 percent felt the same way. But just 30 percent of Americans, 23 percent of British, 15 percent of Italians, 14 percent of Japanese and 13 percent of French predicted a brighter future for today's children. Worldwide, 60 percent said the income gap between rich and poor is a "very big" problem in their countries. But a lack of jobs was seen as an even bigger problem. Overall, 66 percent of those around the world say people are better off under capitalism even if it leaves some rich and some poor. "People are willing to accept a certain level of inequality to have free markets," says Katie Simmons, senior researcher at Pew. Concern about inequality was highest in Greece and Lebanon — 84 percent in both countries saw it as a major problem — and lowest in Japan (28 percent). Despite ranking behind Chinese and Vietnamese in enthusiasm for free markets, Americans still hold fast to the belief that individuals are responsible for their own fate. In the United States, 57 percent (exceeded only by Venezuela's 62 percent) rejected the idea that "success in life is determined by forces outside our control." Americans were also more likely (73 percent) than people anywhere else to say working hard was very important to getting ahead in life. Pew surveyed 48,643 adults in 44 countries in telephone and face-to-face interviews between March and June. News Topics: Business, General news, Economy, Public opinion, Capitalism, Social affairs, Government and politics People, Places and Companies: Ho Chi Minh, Mao Zedong, China, Vietnam, United States, Greater China, East Asia, Asia, Southeast Asia, North America Copyright 2014 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.
Greek Health Ministry to hold emergency Ebola meeting
Health Ministry officials will be meeting with representatives of the Center for Disease Prevention and Control (KEELPNO) on Friday to discuss measures being taken to deal with a potential Ebola infection in Greece in the wake of six cases being reported ... ...