The Greek Minister for Immigration Policy Giannis Mouzalas admitted that 3,000-4,000 migrants and refugees are entering GREECE on a daily basis.
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How the world sees Greece
Thursday, December 31, 2015
The Effect of Europe's Refugee Crisis on Macedonia
The boundary between GREECE and Macedonia became one of these contentious areas. Skopje closed the border, and Athens was forced to accept a ...
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| READ THE ORIGINAL POST AT www.stratfor.com |
Scientists in Italy rediscover snake that was used by ancient Greeks as a weapon of war
… and settled by the ancient Greeks for “religious cults or war … , a scientific journal. "The Greeks used to use snakes as … species is also found in Greece, the southern Balkans, North Africa …
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| READ THE ORIGINAL POST AT world.einnews.com |
Watch The Bucks' 'Greek Freak' Use Only One Dribble To ...
If you are wondering why Milwaukee Bucks forward Giannis Antetokounmpo is called the "Greek Freak," it's because he is from Greece and he is an ...
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| READ THE ORIGINAL POST AT www.yardbarker.com |
President says Greece must return to growth while staying ...
In a New Year message to all Greeks on Thursday, President of the Hellenic Republic Prokopis Pavlopoulos said that Greece must leave behind it the nightmare of social ...
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GREEK Government Stops All Hirings in the Public Sector
GREEK-public-sector There will be no new job appointments and recruitment in the GREEK public sector in 2016, since the relevant cabinet act was ...
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New year is one of 'recovery, regrouping,' says GREEK PM
In his New Year's message to the nation, GREEK Prime Minister Alexis Tsipras said 2016 will be a year of “recovery and regrouping,” adding that 2015 ...
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| READ THE ORIGINAL POST AT www.ekathimerini.com |
From Lesbos: Between Hope and Despair
We can argue about politics, the economy, religion and anything else we can think of, but there should be no argument when it comes to human lives in peril. I come from a country, Greece, that has been facing the worse economic crisis in its modern history. Its people have been suffering more than anyone living abroad will ever know. This past year has probably been the most burdensome for Greece and the most trying for its people. In 2015, Greece has had to deal with yet another drama, the humanitarian crisis of the refugees. Throughout the year, thousands of people have been flooding the coasts of Greece on a daily basis, and many have lost their lives on their way here. To date, more than 800,000 souls have entered through Greece's eastern coastal boarders. They have been arriving in boats, piled like cattle, hungry, wet, cold and exhausted. The few belongings they own fit in backpacks, and some don't even have that. The fact that these people risk their lives and the lives of their children to cross the Aegean Sea from Turkey means that the perilous crossing is safer than dry land. Desperation, along with hope, are etched on their faces. Upon safe arrival, some dance and sing, others burst into tears. The Greek people faced with this crisis on a daily basis are to be commended: most try to help in any way they can. Old women pick up wet clothes from the beaches, wash them and dry them to hand them to the next group of people arriving in need for something dry to wear. Others offer sandwiches and beverages; fishermen help boats in danger and are often faced with the gruesome task of collecting drowned bodies... they all help in their own way, and with what little resources they have. Sometimes, a big smile and a hug can make a huge difference in someone's life. Talking to the locals, I kept hearing the same story over and over: they see history repeating itself. They can all relate to those refugees, as they were themselves refugees once upon a time, when they all arrived en masse from Asia Minor. "The only difference," as they said, "is that no one was waiting for us when we arrived. We were alone, slept in fields out in the cold and had nobody to provide for us. We are very familiar with what these people are going through, and we want to help." The harsh winter has not deterred those crossing over, nor have the closed borders of some European countries unwilling to accept refuges. Europe has, on several occasions, seen its children migrate for a better life. Now is the time for Europe to welcome others in real need of a safer and better life. It's time for Europe and the whole world to go beyond numbers and statistics and face this huge humanitarian crisis in a responsible way, before more lives are lost in the cold and the harshness of winter. People's lives cannot be the object of political blackmail; this should not be a world we would want to live in. I don't believe that my images do what I've witnessed on several trips to Lesbos justice. However, if I manage to touch even a few people with these images, I will consider myself successful. There are still too many people out there who will conveniently shy away from this reality. _You can view more of Margarita's work on her website: www.margaritamavromichalis.com_ -- This feed and its contents are the property of The Huffington Post, and use is subject to our terms. It may be used for personal consumption, but may not be distributed on a website.
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Home Greek news economy Alternate Migration Minister: 'Voices' in Europe Continue to Blame ...
However, he reiterated that GREECE cannot accommodate these tens of thousands of people arriving every week to the islands and that the flow cannot ...
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The 10 Most Spectacular Lies and Backflips in Greek Politics in 2015
He went to the January 25 election with the slogan “Hope is coming, GREECE is moving forward, Europe is changing”. He sold that hope pretty well and ...
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Was Northern Ireland's greatest sportsman George Best actually a Cypriot?
Publications in Cyprus have reported that the late Manchester United legend was the son of a GREEK Cypriot woman and a Turkish Cypriot man who ...
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| READ THE ORIGINAL POST AT www.belfasttelegraph.co.uk |
Stock markets: the Guardian's tips for 2016
2015 has been difficult for investors with the FTSE 100 down 4.9% on the year. Here our team pick out potential earners in 2016 A year that saw leading shares hit new peaks, only to fall to three-year lows mere months later, was always going to be difficult for investors. Supported by central bank stimulus measures and hopes of a quick end to the Greek crisis, the FTSE 100 hit a record close of 7103.98 in April. But even then there were concerns about slowing demand from China, the world’s second largest economy, which put metal and oil prices under pressure. Continue reading...
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Working On Economics of Reunification
NICOSIA — A peace accord cobbling Cyprus back together again after over four decades of ethnic division is possible in 2016 and will bring opportunity and economic growth, officials say. But sorting out the financial side of reunification will be a huge task. The challenges of melding the economies of an internationally recognized Greek Cypriot […] The post Working On Economics of Reunification appeared first on The National Herald.
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Migrants taking sea route to Europe top one million in 2015
Most people who took to the water for Europe made their way on the Aegean Sea to GREECE'S islands from Turkey, it said. From GREECE, many travel to ...
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| READ THE ORIGINAL POST AT www.dnaindia.com |
European stocks dip on final trading day of year
GREECE'S ASE Index was again one of the world's biggest losers. It plunged 24 per cent in 2015, as banks fell to record lows. Bloomberg. by Sofia ...
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15 Blogs That Made Us Think Differently About the World in 2015
__ _The WorldPost_ commissioned countless blogs this year from our contributors around the world. Their big-picture analysis, context and insight illuminated the "how," "why" and "what next" of the globe's most pressing news events. Often writing about countries where they live or are from, our contributors made us think differently about world affairs by opening our eyes to new perspectives. Here are a few of their pieces from 2015 that you won't want to miss. _--WorldPost Editors: Nathan Gardels, Farah Mohamed, Kathleen Miles, Alex Gardels and Peter Mellgard_ 2 WORLD WARS ARE CONVERGING -- THE WAR ON NATURE AND THE WAR OF RESENTMENT _By Chandran Nair_ "As we enter the latter half of the 21st century's second decade, the hope that the world was entering an era of great promise and convergence has been shredded by two poorly recognized 'world wars.'" Why Secularism Is Compatible With the Quran and Sunnah -- And an 'Islamic State' Is Not _By Akbar Ganji_ "It must be emphasized that true secularism is not opposed to religion, and a secular democratic state will not only eliminate ethnic and religious discrimination, such as pitting Shiites against Sunnis, but will also create the conditions for religious people to practice their beliefs free of the government. Islam and secularism are completely compatible. In fact, a true 'Islamic state' is not only unjustified, but also impossible to establish." Why 17 French Murders Get More Attention Than as Many as 2,000 Nigerian Murders _By Jumoke Balogun_ "The Western media is not paying attention to the tragedy in Nigeria, where perhaps as many as 2,000 people were slaughtered by Boko Haram. You may conclude, as many have done on social media, that this is due to inherent racial biases of Western media. However, your anger at Western media for the lack of coverage on the massacre in Baga is misplaced. Here's why." Paris Attack Shows Why Al Qaeda Might Have Been Right About ISIS All Along _By Alastair Crooke_ "There has always been one major point of dissent between Al Qaeda and ISIS: Al Qaeda's leadership has said, openly, that it believes that ISIS had erred by proclaiming the Caliphate, the Islamic State. If ISIS begins to lose its distinguishing feature -- that it is a territorial power in Syria and Iraq -- then perhaps its leadership might conclude that Ayman al-Zawahiri was right and that ISIS must adopt Al Qaeda strategies." _Muslim kids in Bhopal, India hold placards with slogans against ISIS during a candle light vigil to express solidarity with the victims of the Paris terror attacks on Nov. 15. (Mujeeb Faruqui/Hindustan Times via Getty Images)_ Not Even James Bond Can Rescue Mexico's Image _By Homero Aridjis_ "While James Bond is cavorting in downtown Mexico City among giant skeleton props, leaping over rooftops and jumping into helicopters in an fictional exercise the government hopes will bolster Brand Mexico, Mexicans all over the country are clamoring for a new deal and real justice." You Can't Understand Why People Join ISIS Without Understanding Relative Deprivation _By Ömer Taşpınar_ "The interconnected nature of the world thanks to information technology and globalization creates an acute awareness about opportunities elsewhere. Deprivation is no longer an absolute, isolated phenomenon -- it's relative." Countdown to Kristallnacht _By Akbar Ahmed_ "U.S. presidential candidate Donald Trump does not seem to understand the dangers in the kind of rhetoric that he is using. While we may be a long way away from Kristallnacht, it is worthwhile to point out the signposts on Germany's path to that fateful night. Trump has taken the first tiny dangerous steps towards unleashing forces that could trigger large-scale violence against the Muslim community." Argentina Shows Greece There May Be Life After Default _By Joseph E. Stiglitz & Martin Guzman_ "Defaults are difficult. But even more so is austerity. The good news for Greece, as Argentina showed, is this." _People demonstrate in front of the Greek parliament in favor of 'Yes' in the referendum. (Kostas Pikoulas/Pacific Press/LightRocket via Getty Images)_ China's New Silk Road Promises Prosperity Across Eurasia _By Fu Ying_ "For centuries, the historical Silk Road connected Asia and Europe by land and by sea. The new proposal of China, while reviving the ancient concept of the Silk Road, aims to carry forward the spirit of peace, cooperation, openness and inclusiveness for shared benefits. There has already been a warm response from more than 60 countries and a number of international organizations." Why India's Intolerance Problem Is Hurting Its Global Reputation _By Shashi Tharoor_ "We cannot simultaneously sell ourselves to the world as a land of pluralism, tolerance and Gandhianism, while promoting intolerance, communal hatred and minority insecurity within the country. It is time Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi and his government learned they cannot promote 'Make in India' abroad while condoning the propagation of 'Hate in India' at home." How Would You Feel If China Flew Spy Planes a Dozen Miles From the California Coast? _By Hugh White_ "It is hard to see why Washington should regard China's conduct as so threatening to regional order that it should hold the whole U.S.-China relationship hostage over it. From Beijing's perspective, the more China presses U.S. allies and defies U.S. criticism with impunity, the further the credibility of U.S. leadership in Asia falls." Why I Published Cartoons of Muhammad and Don't Regret It _By Flemming Rose_ "The right to ridicule and mock religion and other ideas is an inseparable part of life in a democracy. In a democracy, nobody has a right to impose its taboos on society at large. And when that happens, it's important to confront it and have a debate because it violates the secular order -- the separation of state and church. The cartoons stress the point that a secular democracy doesn't ask more of Muslims and it doesn't ask less. It asks of Muslims exactly the same as of any other group in society." _Israeli protestors hold copies of the latest issue of French satirical magazine Charlie Hebdo during a demonstration calling on Israeli authorities to allow the sale of the controversial magazine in the country, on Feb. 5 in Tel Aviv. (MENAHEM KAHANA/AFP/Getty Images)_ No, Islam Is Not Inherently Misogynistic. Here's Why. _By Bina Shah_ "The advent of Islam sought not only to introduce a new kind of social order but to limit the excesses of Meccan society, which directly harmed women and girls. Early Islam sought to elevate women and define them as independent agents possessed of free will, responsible for their own actions and imbued with certain rights and privileges over men." Immigration Is Good for Economic Growth. If Europe Gets It Right, Refugees Can Be Too. _By Jonathan Portes_ "Economists tend to see a large influx of refugees not as an obligation or a threat -- but as an opportunity." This 50-Cent Paper Microscope Could 'Democratize Science' _By Aaron Pomerantz_ "I recently received an interesting package in the mail. It looked like a standard manila envelope, but inside was a device that could quite possibly revolutionize the way we view the microscopic world. I'm referring to the Foldscope, an origami-based optical microscope that is small enough to fit inside your pocket. The real kicker: the entire cost of the instrument is less than one dollar." _ALSO ON WORLDPOST:_ -- This feed and its contents are the property of The Huffington Post, and use is subject to our terms. It may be used for personal consumption, but may not be distributed on a website.
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Here are 7 ancient Greek and Roman hangover cures to get ...
Slightly over-indulged in wine this festive season? Suffering from throbbing headache, dry mouth, and nausea after the office Christmas party? The hair of the dog ...
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Tarpon Springs businesses look forward to Epiphany boon
GREEK Orthodox Metropolitan Nikitas Lulias congratulates Kosta Pseftelis, 18, of Tarpon Springs after Pseftelis retrieved the cross from Spring Bayou ...
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Two Greek Towns Go Bankrupt
The town of Gortyna on Crete has become the second, after Salamina, an island off Piraeus, to declare bankruptcy because it's broke. The post Two Greek Towns Go Bankrupt appeared first on The National Herald.
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Tsipras admits Greek social security system needs urgent reform
Athens, December 31, 2015/ Independent Balkan News Agency By Zacharias Petrou The government will be ready for the evaluation by the institutions, Prime Minister Alexis Tsipras said on Thursday during a brief talk with reporters. The prime minister noted that February will be a crucial month as “the issues of social security reforms, non-performing loans […]
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| READ THE ORIGINAL POST AT www.balkaneu.com |
The price of peace: Experts help Cyprus assess the economics of a potential reunification deal
The challenges of melding the economies of an internationally recognized GREEK Cypriot south that enjoys European Union membership and a ...
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234,857 Employees Leave the Public Sector Due to Economic Crisis
The number of public sector employees has been reduced by 26 percent in the past five years, since the onset of the economic crisis in Greece. Salary reduction, changes in pension laws, employee transfers and voluntary resignations have led to 234,857 employees leaving the public sector. As a result, at the end of November 2015,
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Armed Robberies Took Place in Three Athens Supermarkets
An elaborate police operation is underway in Athens in order to locate three people who were allegedly involved in three successive armed robberies that took place in northern and central Athens, Greece. The first robbery took place at Vasilopoulos supermarket at 6:11 pm, three assailants, who are allegedly members of a gang, robbed the supermarket in Likovrisi,
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Penny Stock Runners: National Bank of GREECE (NBGGY), SOUTH32 (SOUHY), Federal Home ...
National Bank of GREECE S.A. (OTCMKTS:NBGGY) along with its subsidiaries, provides diversified financial services. NBGGY is involved in retail and ...
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| READ THE ORIGINAL POST AT www.istreetwire.com |
FTSE 100 index posts 5% loss for 2015
Rolling coverage of the final trading day of the year, as Britain’s blue-chip index ends 2015 in the red * Latest: Not a good year for the FTSE * How London lagged behind other markets this year * North Sea evacuations * Rouble slides against the US dollar, again * A bad year for commodities 2.00pm GMT Despite finishing the year in the red, the FTSE 100 did hit some new highs in 2015. The Press Association has the details: February 24 saw the London market break a record that had stood for more than 15 years as the FTSE 100 hit a new all-time high, boosted by investor optimism about the financial crisis in Greece. Britain’s benchmark index of leading shares closed at 6958.89, which meant the FTSE 100 finally surpassed its previous intraday peak of 6950.6 set on December 30 1999, just before the dotcom bubble burst. 1.50pm GMT Joshua Mahoney of IG suggests that the London stock market will be driven by speculation over UK interest rate rises next year: 2015 has seen the FTSE moving in an inverse manner with inflation, with falling inflation in early 2015 treated with glee by investors, yet as disinflation fears were allayed in H2, we have seen the FTSE pull back in anticipation of a more hawkish BoE stance. Given that disinflation fears have been driven largely by the fall in oil prices, there is reason to believe that 2016 will also see sentiment largely driven by the movement of oil prices, their impact upon inflation expectations and the subsequent monetary policy stance from the BoE. Continue reading...
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GREEK Hotel Industry Gets a Boost from January – September of 2015
Grace Hotels Greece According to an ELSTAT survey on arrivals and nights spent in hotels, in Greece, similar establishments and tourist campsites, ...
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Turkey returns to air-space violations-as-usual over the Aegean
GREEK and Turkish jets engaged in a dogfight over the Aegean Sea on Tuesday following an anything but unusual violation of GREEK national air space ...
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| READ THE ORIGINAL POST AT neurope.eu |
'Frank' losing steam, says Germany's DWD
Atlantic storm "Frank" that shoved warm air toward the North Pole and deluged Britain is fading, says German meteorologists. To the east, continental Europe's cold zone has brought frosts to Greece and snow to Turkey.
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| READ THE ORIGINAL POST AT www.dw.com |
Greeks: Toiling All Year Long
In addition, GREECE'S economic structure relies heavily on many small business operators, many of whom, even before the onset of the current severe ...
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| READ THE ORIGINAL POST AT www.theglobalist.com |
If 2015 was daunting, European Union faces even more ...
After a year in which its woes almost pushed it out of the shared euro currency, Greece faces more economic and political struggles in 2016.
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Cosby’s Accuser Has Greek Heritage
The woman who finally got Bill Cosby charged with sexual assault, Andrea Constand, is a Canadian with a Greek father and Italian mother. The post Cosby’s Accuser Has Greek Heritage appeared first on The National Herald.
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No Small Steps for Mankind Made
The year 2015 could be described as a stormy and eventful year. For the entire world, but also for Greece, with painful and disturbing images that are hard to forget. The post No Small Steps for Mankind Made appeared first on The National Herald.
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Greece Prepares Pension Reform Plan for Creditors
Greek Prime Minister Alexis Tsipras has government officials looking at some way to protect society’s most vulnerable after backtracking on promises to set up a so-called “parallel program” offering a safety net and as more pension cuts seem inevitable. The post Greece Prepares Pension Reform Plan for Creditors appeared first on The National Herald.
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Dr. Paul Alivisatos Wins National Medal of Science
WASHINGTON, DC – The White House has announced this year’s nine winners of the prestigious the National Medal of Science and among them is Greek-American Dr. Paul Alivisatos, Director of Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory. The award is America’s highest honor for lifetime achievement in fields of scientific research. “Science and technology are fundamental to […] The post Dr. Paul Alivisatos Wins National Medal of Science appeared first on The National Herald.
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Euro to Australian Dollar (EUR/AUD) Exchange Rate Slides Further as GREEK Retail Sales ...
GREEK Retail Sales have contracted again in October, although not by as much as originally expected. Sales losses slowed from -3.3% to -2.5% ...
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Elena Kountoura's interview to Tornos News: Strategic planning for 4 years, with a vision for ...
GREEK tourism achieved in 2015 a new record in arrivals and revenues, continuing growth for a third consecutive year. The new year comes with many ...
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| READ THE ORIGINAL POST AT www.tornosnews.gr |
GREEK news agency ANA-MPA starts editorial cooperation with Sputnik
The GREEK-language website will be www.greece-russia2016.gr and the Russian website address will be www.russia-greece2016.ru. The new ...
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| READ THE ORIGINAL POST AT www.stopfake.org |
National Bank of GREECE: Greek Bank Deposits Head Further South
GREECE'S battered banking system faced yet another blow today, with recent revelations of a deposit drop for the month of November. According to ...
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After daunting 2015, EU faces year of living dangerously
The cliffhanger to keep GREECE from bankruptcy and in the euro currency during high summer was chilling enough, even before nations like Hungary ...
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Greek PM Tsipras: ‘February Is a Critical Month’
“The government will be ready for the institutional evaluation”, Greek Prime Minister Alexis Tsipras said on Thursday during a brief discussion with reporters at Maximos Mansion. The prime minister noted that February will be a critical month as “the issues of social security reforms, bad loans and the medium-term plan are ahead.” However, he expressed optimism
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Was 2015 as dark as you think it was?
Top fact of the year was that GREEK hairdressers could retire at 50 on a full pension because hairdressing was classified as a “hazardous occupation”.
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| READ THE ORIGINAL POST AT www.telegraph.co.uk |
Parineeti Turned Down A Movie With The GREEK God
Speculations are rife that actress Parineeti Chopra turned down an offer to share screen space with the GREEK God, Hrithik Roshan. The news was ...
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| READ THE ORIGINAL POST AT www.desimartini.com |
GREEK NGO Agalia awarded Raoul Wallenberg Prize for 'outstanding' work with refugees
The jury of the Council of Europe awarded the 2016 Raoul Wallenberg Prize to Agalia, a GREEK NGO operating on the island of Lesvos, ...
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| READ THE ORIGINAL POST AT www.ekathimerini.com |
Rise Of The 'Social' Robots: NTU Singapore Unveils Nadine, The Chatty Receptionist
Like it or not, humanoid robots are already among us. Actually, they've been around for a while: Turkish scholar Al-Jazari seems to have built a drink-serving waitress that could serve water, and other 'automatons', as early as 1200 A.D and there's evidence that Greek and Chinese thinkers had already designed [...]
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| READ THE ORIGINAL POST AT www.forbes.com |
Greece Retail Sales Fall For Fifth Month
Greece's retail sales decreased for the fifth consecutive month in October, preliminary figures from the Hellenic Statistical Authority showed Thursday.
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| READ THE ORIGINAL POST AT www.rttnews.com |
GREECE Takes First Step to Legal Gay Unions
Gay couples in GREECE got a kind of Christmas present this year when legislation approving civil unions for gay couples was approved on December ...
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| READ THE ORIGINAL POST AT gogreece.about.com |
Greek retail sales fall 2.5 pct y/y in October
ATHENS, Dec 31 (Reuters) - Greek retail sales by volume fell 2.5 percent in October compared to the same month a year ago, led lower by fuels, lubricants ...
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| READ THE ORIGINAL POST AT finance.yahoo.com |
Year in Review: 10 Significant Moments for Greece in 2015 ...
Greek Reporter has assembled a list of the 10 most significant moments of 2015. 10. Greece decides not to pursue the Parthenon Marbles return
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Eat big at Kalamata Family Restaurant
The open chicken souvlaki is one of the many GREEK-American favorites available in huge portions at the Kalamata Family Restaurant.
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| READ THE ORIGINAL POST AT buffalo.com |
Syrian family finds new home, new year's hope in Germany
ZWICKAU, Germany (AP) — After months of flight and fear, the Habashieh family of Syria is starting to build a new home in Europe's heart and faces 2016 with an unfamiliar feeling enriching their lives. Like so many who crossed continents this year in search of European sanctuary and opportunity, the Habashiehs — mother Khawla Kareem, sisters Reem and Raghad, brothers Mohammed and Yaman — have sacrificed and suffered much along the way. The Associated Press has followed their often demoralizing experiences over the past four months in Germany, a nation toiling hard to shelter this year's record arrival of 1 million asylum-seekers. Crossfire between state and rebel forces had already damaged their Damascus home once and was breaking their spirits. With her husband dead from natural causes, Khawla Habashieh sold the family car and, using the proceeds plus savings from her work as an elementary school teacher, paid for air tickets to Turkey and 12,000 euros (about $13,000) for space on a one-way sea journey to the Greek island of Samos. By early September, refugee housing in the high-demand capital was full and its central registration office for refugees overwhelmed, its ever-lengthening line of applicants snaking daily outside the building. Determined to absorb maximum levels of refugees without fueling an explosion of anti-immigrant sentiment, Germany has tried to disperse asylum-seekers as widely as possible across the map, including to its least salubrious corners. The prison-style facility, its towering fences crowned with barbed wire, previously served as a barracks for Soviet and Nazi troops. Workers used white sheets to create walls screening steel-framed cots from public view, but they created no sense of privacy. At night, as many carried on conversations and card games at a whisper, their layered voices in dozens of tongues combined with the wailing of infants to create a din of sleep-wrecking noise. All recall the simple pleasure of their first night's sleep in a proper bed with peace and privacy, and their first meal home-cooked by Khawla, since their escape from Damascus. The social worker who provided the door key explained how to separate garbage into three bins and rules on keeping noise down during afternoon nap time and at night. Mom and the two older children received places in daily German courses at Zwickau's community college. Though that process will take months, Syrians typically receive refugee protection in Germany with renewable residency rights granted for one to three years at a time. Helping restore a sense of their past life is Khawla's powerful Arabic coffee and the music of Lebanese singer Fairuz in the mornings, and relaxed evenings with the shisha pipe on the balcony. A dinner of cucumber, garlic and mint tabouleh comes accompanied with rice mixed with minced beef and peas, followed by tea, fruit, cake and more no-nonsense coffee. Reem, who already speaks English fluently and studied economics at Damascus University, says her new year's goal is to learn German and return to college.
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