However, if the Greeks choose to use X to signify chi, good on them. But tell me, what is wrong with us here in Canada using the full word of Christmas ...
Welcome, 77 artists, 40 different points of Attica welcomes you by singing Erotokritos an epic romance written at 1713 by Vitsentzos Kornaros
Monday, December 22, 2014
Civil servants to grade evaluation scheme
As of Monday, Greek civil servants are now able to have a say in the public sector evaluation scheme that is currently undergoing fine-tuning by the Ministry of Administrative Reform. By logging into the koitamemprosta.gr website, visitors will find a det... ...
First gorilla born in a zoo turns 58 in Ohio
Colo, a Western lowland gorilla, is celebrating with cake made of peanut butter, applesauce, honey, carrots and Greek yogurt
Archbishop Ieronymos Urges SYRIZA Leader to Vote in Greek Presidential Ballot
According to Greek media, Archbishop Ieronymos allegedly urged SYRIZA leader Alexis Tsipras to vote for a new President in Parliament. Tsipras visited the Dimitrios Center for Creative Activities of the Christian “Mission” where he had a 20-minute meeting with the Archbishop. Ieronymos told him that he supports consensus and understanding between political forces. During the meeting, Ieronymos reportedly said that “these are critical times and consultation and consensus are required for the country’s benefit and the social cohesion we are all aiming for. We can make it together, if we are united. We must see the forest, not just the tree.” However, when asked, the Archbishop declined to reveal what the two men talked about. “What I had to say, I said it to Mr. Tsipras in private.” SYRIZA denied that there was any kind of intervention by the Archbishop. In an official statement, it is underlined that the Archbishop referred to the work of volunteers and requested that the President of SYRIZA should support the Church’s social work. Tsipras stressed that united we can face and overcome the crisis’ consequences. He congratulated the Church and the “Mission” for the great social contribution and stressed, once again, the importance of cooperation in all efforts to support the suffering man, said the statement.
Greek prosecutor says opposition lawmaker's bribe claim over presidential vote is unfounded
A judicial investigation has dismissed a Greek lawmaker's allegations that he was offered money to back the government candidate in the country's fraught presidential vote.
Greek prosecutor rejects lawmaker's bribe claims
ATHENS, Greece (AP) — A judicial investigation has dismissed a Greek lawmaker's allegations that he was offered money to back the government candidate in the country's fraught presidential vote.
Greek prosecutor closes bribery investigation before vote
ATHENS (Reuters) - A Greek prosecutor has closed an investigation into allegations that a lawmaker was offered a bribe to back the government in a tight vote in parliament that could trigger a snap general election, a court official said on Monday. The prosecutor ruled there was insufficient evidence to support the accusation made by Pavlos Haikalis, a lawmaker from one of the small Greek ...
Bill aims to close down landfills, curb EU fines
Draft legislation aimed at minimizing European Union fines for noncompliance with waste management directives, which was submitted in Parliament Monday, foresees the closure of all illegal landfills in Greece in the next six months with or without the con... ...
Gay employees have lower job satisfaction, study finds
Gay and lesbian employees in Greece have lower job satisfaction than heterosexual staff, a new study has found. Economist Nick Drydakis of Anglia Ruskin University in Cambridge, UK, carried out a survey among more than 12,000 employees in Athens. The stud... ...
Euro edges up, still shaky on European Central Bank and Greece
LONDON: The euro bounced back from two-year lows against a slightly weaker dollar on Monday, with Greece's presidential election and a batch of ...
Geophysical Mapping of the Casta Hill in Amphipolis
The Greek Culture Ministry issued an official statement on the geophysical and geological mapping of the Casta hill in Amphipolis where the Alexander the Great era tomb was discovered. “The geophysical and geological mapping of Casta hill in Amphipolis started on November 11, 2014, and was conducted with interruptions due to unfavorable weather conditions,” started the statement. The research team is headed by Gregorios Tsokas, Director of the Laboratory of Applied Geophysics of the Aristotle University of Thessaloniki, Professor Panagiotis Tsourlos, Associate Professor George Vargemezis, graduate students and other scientific staff from the laboratory. The research focused on modeling the soil according to the era before the intervention for the dome’s construction. For this purpose, geological and tectonic observations were performed along with several electrical tomographies. Recent dirt removals and earlier excavations have created room to observe the geological formations’ position and characteristics. The subsoil around the dome area was investigated. Area prospecting was conducted by applying the method of electrical resistivity tomography and, to a very small extent, the method of subsurface radar (known as GPR – Ground Penetrating Radar) due to the specific geological and archaeological conditions. The geophysical survey gave illustrations of the hill’s interior where static structures were identified, which were further investigated. In one case, north of the dome, the removal of soil revealed that the subsurface structure illustrated with electrical scans was a natural formation. “Some other points that have been identified require further excavation research. The research continues, when weather conditions permit,” the official report concluded.
Alpha Bank Cyprus to absorb local Emporiki
The governing board of Alpha Bank Cyprus agreed on Monday to the acquisition of Emporiki Cyprus, the subsidiary of Greece’s Emporiki Bank which has been absorbed by the Alpha Group. Alpha Bank Cyprus will acquire 100 percent of Emporiki’s shares, with the... ...
Traders stay focused on Tuesday’s vote
Posting the lowest trading volume in 15 sessions, it was clear at the Greek stock exchange on Monday that investors were waiting for Tuesday’s presidential vote in Parliament, while the small increases registered by the majority of stocks showed that the ... ...
Police collar fraudsters who conned money out of jobless
Police in Thessaloniki, northern Greece, have arrested four suspects charged with defrauding unemployed people out of a combined total of more than 30,000 euros. Among the suspects is a 42-year-old man who is believed to be the mastermind of the ring. Pol... ...
Shops in Greek cities to close on holidays but not eves
Shops and supermarkets will be open Wednesday and on December 31 from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. in Athens and from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. in Thessaloniki. All stores will be closed on Christmas and New Year’s Day, as well as on December 26 and January 2.... ...
Greece’s 10-year bond yield drops 13 bps to 8.30 pct
Greece’s five-year bonds rose on Monday after a poll on Sunday showed that the lead of the anti-austerity SYRIZA party had narrowed before the second round of a presidential vote on Tuesday. The Greek five-year note yield fell 30 basis points to 8.53 perc... ...
Europe stocks end higher; Greek shares rally
PARIS, Dec 22 (Reuters) - European equities ended higher on Monday, rising for the fifth session in a row, with Greek shares boosted by the prime ...
Attempted Bribery Case of Greek MP Shelved by Prosecutor
The attempted bribery case involving financial adviser Giorgos Apostolopoulos and Greek MP Pavlos Chaikalis was shelved by the prosecutor due to inconclusive evidence. At approximately 7:00 pm today, the case that shook Greece’s political scene during the last week, ended with appeals prosecutor Panagiotis Panagiotopoulos deciding that the charges were unfounded and the videotaping between the two men was illegal. Chaikalis had accused Apostolopoulos of offering him money in order to vote for Presidential nominee Stavros Dimas in the Parliament ballot. The prosecutor said that Chaikalis and Apostolopoulos were in essence recording each other and that Chaikalis who filed the suit knew that Apostolopoulos was recording him as well. The former was wearing a camera watch, while the latter had placed an audiovisual recording device under the table and a camera in the fire detector, according to iefimerida.gr. The case had created a stir in the political scene, with coalition government officials claiming that opposition party SYRIZA had orchestrated the frame up while SYRIZA officials insisting that this was indeed a bribery attempt. Meanwhile, Independent Greeks (ANEL) leader Panos Kammenos posted on Twitter that the Prime Minister knew that it was an actual bribery attempt and the prosecutors committed a “judicial coup.”
Greece: Strangled by the euro-noose
Patrick L Young is expert in global financial markets working in multiple disciplines, ranging from trading independently to running exchanges.
Greece 2015: who do the Eurofans want to see in the NF?
ATHENS, GREECE – Recently I posted my thoughts on ten potential names I wish I see in the Greek national final for the 2015 Eurovision Song ...
‘We need permanent revolution’: how Thomas Piketty became 2014’s most influential thinker
The French economist, whose book on inequality became a bestseller, tells Owen Jones about his extraordinary year – including his sudden rise to stardom and his battles to defends his ideasFor a man with the unlikely description of “rock-star economist”, there is nothing rock’n’roll about Thomas Piketty’s cramped, booked-lined office in a nondescript Parisian office block. By his feet are scattered various foreign translations of his publishing sensation, Capital in the Twenty-First Century: Greek, German, Japanese, and so on. There are 20 foreign editions already published, he tells me with evident pride, and another 37 to come. It must be rather surreal, I suggest: one doesn’t normally expect a French economist to become a global superstar. “Is there something particular with being French, or economists in general?” he jokes in a thick Parisian accent, effecting a faux wounded Gallic pride.Piketty’s book is surely the most influential published by an economist in a generation, infuriating the right as much as it delighted an intellectually starved left. Using a mass of data, the book sought to expose why modern capitalism is an engine of exploding inequality: the rate of return on capital exceeds the rate at which the economy grows, he argues, and wealth is becoming ever more concentrated at the top of society. Continue reading...
President of the Hellenic Republic Sends Message to Greek Diaspora
The President of the Hellenic Republic, Karolos Papoulias, sent his annual Christmas message to Greeks abroad, wishing that 2015 will prove to be a year of national growth. He expressed his optimism that with the Greek Diaspora’s help, the country will be able to face its problems. “Thanks to your efforts and your always valuable contribution, in a spirit of national unity and solidarity, I am sure we will successfully face all the major upcoming challenges and that 2015 will prove to be a year of national growth,” stated the Greek President. Papoulias also noted that the past year was filled with a series of tough tests for the country and the Greek society that has now “exceeded its strength limits, but it is still trying to fight for a better future and return Greece to the path of development and progress.” Finally, Papoulias stressed that the organized presence of Greek Diaspora members in their respective countries has provided great help during a particularly difficult time for the country, through their contribution in promoting Greece’s national rights, culture, education and history across the globe.
Greek-Australian Woman Receives Birthday Card from Queen Elizabeth
Queen Elizabeth of England has recently sent a birthday card to Eleni Stamelou, member of the Greek Diaspora in Perth, Australia, in order to commemorate the latter’s 108th birthday. Stamelou was born in Euboea, Greece, in 1906, and currently lives in ...
Between The Troika And France's Unemployment, Europe Didn't Have The Best 2014
There seems to be a general consensus among HuffPost editors around the world that Europe saw a tough year in 2014. Take, for example, when the troika -- the International Monetary Fund, European Central Bank and European Commission -- went back on years of balancing the budget in Greece. "The troika demanded Greece... more and more austerity measures, meaning more budgetary cuts, balancing the budget even more, paying more and more of its ridiculous debt," Tom Dan, HuffPost's International Editor, told HuffPost Live's Josh Zepps on Friday. "Bloomberg that day ... came out with a big editorial talking about how ridiculous those new claims were." France won't be coming out of 2014 unscathed either, according to editor at large for HuffPost France Anne Sinclair. She described the country's swelling unemployment rate and the growing mistrust of parties that have governed France for years thus paving the way for more extremism. "The real risk is that now we can say, that maybe not next term, which is 2017, but maybe the next one, which will be 2022, we can have an extreme right wing, president in France," Sinclair said. "That ... will be a real storm, a real danger, a real well something very ... annoying." Huffington Post Media Group Editorial Director Howard Fineman weighed in on Europe's heightened sense of anxiety about its place in the world. "You do have a time in Europe where there’s a real fear of the outsider, a real fear of losing their historic national identity and sort of the spirit of pan-Europe and world embrace is not there in Europe right now," he concluded. Watch the clip above to hear about some of Europe's biggest stories from 2014 and click here to watch the full HuffPost around the world segment.
First Greek Hydroplane Airport to Be Built in Corfu
The decision for the establishment of Greece’s first hydroplane airport was signed on Monday, December 22, by the Minister of Mercantile Marine and Aegean, Miltiadis Varvitsiotis, and the Deputy Minister of Infrastructure, Transportation and Networks, Michalis Papadopoulos. The hydroplane airport will be built in the island of Corfu and will be operated by the local port authority. The decision was signed in the presence of Deputy Culture Minister Angela Gerekou, as well as Corfu Port Authority President Spiros Andriotis. Varvitsiotis stated that this new form of transportation will contribute to Greece’s tourism and economic growth, while improving connections between the mainland and Corfu. “Greece’s sea, lakes and landscape will facilitate the operation of hydroplanes. This was the first crucial step. We are planning on signing more hydroplane airport licenses across the country in order to establish more routes for this summer,” said Varvitsiotis. On his part, Papadopoulos noted that “the Greek Ministry of Infrastructure, Transport and Networks, in collaboration with the Ministry of Mercantile Marine and Aegean, paved the way for the establishment of the first hydroplane airport, which will be located at the port of Corfu. Today, we introduced a new means of transportation that will connect islands with the mainland, lakes and various destinations abroad.”
Greece woman convicted for murder of toddler released awaiting new trial
A Greece woman convicted of murder in the death of a toddler has been released from prison awaiting a new trial. Rene Bailey has been released on ...
Shoukry reaffirms trilateral cooperation between Egypt, Greece, and Cyprus
The tripartite committee consisting of Egypt, Greece, and Cyprus will continue to work on advancing cooperation between the three states, Shoukry ...
Man accused in Greece baby's death expected in court
The man charged in the death of a Greece toddler is expected in court Monday. email · print. Comment. Webster Post. Writer. Posted Dec. 22, 2014 ...
Running the country on "borrowed" money must stop
Greece, N.Y.. I was very disappointed with the comments by Ms. Slaughter concerning Obama's immigration laws. The idea that it is ok because others ...
China Wants To Make This Greek Port 'New European Gate For Asian Imports'
According to the Imerisia news site (link in Greek), the investment, announced by Chinese Prime Minister Li Keqiang last week at the summit meeting ...
Bothell-based Greek Gods yogurt teams up with marathon runner for Seattle Fitness ExpoBy Deanna
Dean Karnazes (Left) poses with participants of the Fitness Expo in Seattle, Nov. 28th. The next day, he ran in the Seattle Marathon, placing 117th out ...
Greek austerity ‘unprecedented’ assault on human rights
Four years of brutal austerity measures in Greece have highlighted the poverty and inequality in the country undermining democracy, a damning new report by the International Federation for Human Rights (FIDH) says. “While we accept that exceptional ...
Every Rape Reported At Fraternities This Year
In 1776, the Phi Beta Kappa society was founded at the College of William and Mary for men in the "pursuit of liberal education and intellectual fellowship." Over the course of the next two centuries, Greek letter societies proliferated across the U.S. and morphed into the all-male butt-chugging clubs we know as fraternities today. This year in particular was big for frats, in that they were clearly identified as the primary arena for rape to take place on campus.
DIMAR Says Not Breaking Apart
The Democratic Left (DIMAR) party that has fallen to about one percent support in Greece insists it will stay intact even as it unravels. The post DIMAR Says Not Breaking Apart appeared first on The National Herald.
Seven Days, Seven Nights: Greek artifacts wow – and Warhol does, too
There is just one word to describe the new exhibition The Greeks – Agamemnon to Alexander the Great at Pointe-à -Callière Museum: wow! You will ...
Crisis, Greece, people turn to Xmas traditions
(ANSAmed) - ATHENS, DEC 22 - While Christians all over the world are preparing to celebrate Christmas and the new year, in Greece the ...
European Commission Plans $980 Mln Investment in Greece by 2020
The European Commission approved 18 new EU investment programs to help Greece out of its financial crisis through creating jobs and other ...
Futures Climb After Three-day Run
By Chuck MikolajczakNEW YORK (Reuters) - U.S. stock index futures advanced on Monday, after the S&P 500 notched its best weekly performance in almost two months, as oil prices continued to show signs of stabilizing.* Brent crude hit a high of $62.97 and WTI crude rose to as much as $58.53 amid investor confidence there would be no substantial price loss in the run-up to the new year. However, Brent pulled back to last trade down 14 cents to $61.24 while U.S. crude was last off 0.4 percent at $56.91. [O/R]* The benchmark S&P index rose 3.4 percent last week, boosted by a 5 percent jump over three sessions, after the U.S. Federal Reserve said it would take a "patient" approach toward raising interest rates and as oil prices appeared to stabilize. The S&P energy index surged nearly 10 percent for the week.* Investors await existing home sales data, due out at 10:00 a.m. (1500 GMT). Expectations are for a decline of 1 percent.* Trading volume is expected to be light this week due to the Christmas holiday, which could increase volatility. U.S. equity markets will operate a shortened session on Wednesday and be closed on Thursday.* Gilead Sciences lost 6.6 percent to $101.30 in premarket trade. Express Scripts, the nation's largest pharmacy benefit manager, has lined up a cheaper price from AbbVie Inc on its newly approved hepatitis C treatment and, in most cases, will no longer cover Gilead's treatments.* BioCryst Pharmaceuticals jumped 10.2 percent to $12.30 in light premarket trade after the U.S. Food and Drug Administration approved its intravenous flu drug.* Rising energy shares lifted European equities, while Greece's bourse advanced after its prime minister offered Sunday to bring pro-European independents into the government. [.EU]* Asian shares took their cues from Wall Street's strong finish last week and moved higher, also aided by the recovery in oil prices.Futures snapshot at 7:35 a.m.:* S&P 500 e-minis were up 4.25 points, or 0.21 percent, with 80,495 contracts changing hands.* Nasdaq 100 e-minis were up 8.5 points, or 0.2 percent, in volume of 14,883 contracts.* Dow e-minis were up 45 points, or 0.25 percent, with 12,172 contracts changing hands.(Editing by Bernadette Baum)Join the conversation about this story »
German Tourist Arrivals in Greece Increase by 18.6%
Greece was the tourist destination showing the largest increase in demand in Germany. More than two million German tourists traveled to Greece by plane over the summer, according to the German statistical office. In fact, 2,060,000 Germans made the trip to ...
Greek opposition party Syriza offices cleared after bomb threat
ATHENS (Reuters) - The offices of Greece's leftwing Syriza party were evacuated on Monday after a bomb threat was received, a day before the second round of a closely watched vote in parliament which could trigger snap elections.
What Are Traders Chatting About Right Now? The Fed-Induced Rally Continues... (DIA, SPY, SPX, QQQ)
JonesTrading's Dave Lutz has a roundup of what traders are chatting about right now. Good Morning! Us Futures are continuing last week’s Fed induced rally, gaining 20bp in early trade. This mirrors global strength, starting with a 1% pop in the DAX as Bunds get sold. The FTSE is 80bp higher, as Consumer Discretionary stocks act well – Materials issues the only group in the red. Ahead of the Greek Elections tomorrow, Greece’s Samaras made concessions – but their market is unchanged. Despite stability in the Ruble, Russia’s Micex is off 1% as Oil weakens. Over in Asia,The Nikkei was basically unchanged as Yen strengthened - China gained 1.6% and Hong Kong 1.3%, but Macau Casino stocks under pressure as the Chinese president warned to strengthen oversight. Despite Aussie cutting its Ore price estimate for 2015 to $63/average – Energy and Materials stocks down under jumped in heavy covering, propelling the ASX 2%. The 10YY is climbing higher, reversing Friday’s drop in Yields by 2bp – and German yields are back over 60bp. The Euro is slightly higher, but well under Friday’s opening levels as Expiry and diverging policies hit Euro to new lows against the Greenback, weakening the DXY despite slight $ strength against Yen. There is weakness across the Energy complex, as WTI/Brent have surrendered 2.5% gains to dive red (Saudi and UAE reaffirmed intentions to keep output at current levels) - Natty Gas Continues to gain downside momentum into next week’s expiry on unseasonably warm weather, Lotta chatter break of $3.60 on Friday causing heavy Momentum selling. Natty is off 10% in 2 days. Wheat is jumping 1% as Russia limits exports – while Gold is up small, but remains under $1200/oz. At 8:30 we get Chicago Fed Nat Activity Index, while the Housing stocks will focus on Existing Home Sales for November at 10. Watch the Euro at 10 as well, we get Consumer Confidence from the Eurozone. Finally, at 1 we get an Auction of 2Y notes.SEE ALSO: 10 Things You Need To Know Before The Opening Bell Join the conversation about this story »
Environment: Greece, most people say they recycle daily
The positive response to the blue bin initiative has also helped Greece hit the EU target for recycling at least 60% of packaging, Razis said.
Bank of Greece : Balance of payments: October 2014
In October 2014, the current account balance showed a deficit of €199 million, down by €118 million year-on-year. This development was the result of improvements, on the one hand, in the services balance, owing mainly to a rise in net transport and ...
Greek PM Antonis Samaras proposes coalition deal
Two days before a second round of presidential elections, Greek Prime Minister Antonis Samaras has opened the door to a potential coalition. He proposed bolstering the government with independent, pro-European MPs, offering to hold fresh elections in 2015 ...
Evripides Stylianidis Lectures on Dangers and Opportunities for Thrace at TNH
NEW YORK – Evripides Stylianidis, member of the Greek Parliament and a former cabinet minister, presented his views on the challenges and opportunities facing Greece’s strategic Thrace region at the headquarters of The National Herald on December 10. TNH Publisher-Editor Antonis H. Diamataris welcomed more than 30 community leaders and thanked them for attending. He […] The post Evripides Stylianidis Lectures on Dangers and Opportunities for Thrace at TNH appeared first on The National Herald.
Klaus Regling stresses debt sustainability through commitment to reforms
BRUSSELS – The man who is responsible for the loans to Greece as managing director of the European Stability Mechanism (ESM/EFSF), Klaus Regling, is the only high-ranking European official who has close and regular contact with the major players of the in... ...
Parliament to investigate Haikalis claim he invested in stock market
The parliamentary committee responsible for monitoring MPs’ derivation of wealth declarations (pothen esches) is due to meet in the next few days to scrutinize claims by Independent Greeks MP Pavlos Haikalis. Haikalis claimed last week that a middleman, G... ...
Greek PM offers election compromise in hopes of saving his candidate
Prime Minister Samaras has made an offer to independents ahead of the second round of voting for the presidency. If Samaras' candidate does not win by the third round,it could cost Samaras - and perhaps Greece - dearly.
Greece: PM offers compromise with elections by end-2015
(ANSAmed) - ATHENS - Greek Prime Minister Antonis Samaras on Sunday presented a compromise solution to end a political stalemate that looks ...
Really, Greece Again?
The most recent lull seemed longer than usual, so long in fact that many people probably assumed that Greece had been “fixed” and was now a ...