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Welcome, 77 artists, 40 different points of Attica welcomes you by singing Erotokritos an epic romance written at 1713 by Vitsentzos Kornaros

Wednesday, September 2, 2015

Greek Govt Convenes on Refugee Crisis as Lesvos Pleads for ...

The Greek government decided on Wednesday to form a Coordinating Center for the Management of Refugee Flow.


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St. Barbara's Odyssey, A GREEK Fest, opens Friday for 4 days in Orange

Photo: Patric Marchitto Odyssey Dancer Dino Spanolios of Bethany flashes a smile during a GREEK dance performance at Odyssey 2014.


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The Guardian view on Britain and Europe: the remorseless drift of David Cameron

The rules and the wording of the referendum question have both changed this week. Again, the prime minister follows where his party leads on Europe If the David Cameron approach to matters European can be captured in a word, that word is drift. The modernising young Conservative leader who began by warning his party about “banging on” about Europe went on to concede the referendum that guarantees a year or two in which politics is all about banging on about Europe to the exclusion of anything else. Just after winning a new mandate, the PM gave more ground – abandoning his view that the public was perfectly capable of deciding two things on one day, to fall in with the anti-European demand not to stage the vote along with the devolved and local elections. He also gave alarmingly mixed messages on a supremely important management question, making tough noises to anti-European ministers before later encouraging them to believe they could campaign as they pleased. This is the context in which this week’s twin slippage on the referendum must be understood. The first move, acceding to the Electoral Commission’s rewrite of the referendum question was, perhaps, inevitable. Defying the referee’s request to shift from a crisp yes/no formulation, towards a choice between “remain” and “leave”, would have rendered the vote a hollow fraud in the eyes of the anti-European obsessives. The effects are open to question. In disgruntled times, “no” might have proved a powerful referendum rallying cry, as it recently proved in Greece, But the immediate effect was to restore the morale of out campaigners, who have been splintering into three camps this week, and to increase anxiety among some of the pro-Europeans. Continue reading...


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This Photo Shows The Horrific Toll Of Europe's Refugee Crisis

Traumatic photos showing a dead Syrian boy lying face down in the sand of a tourist beach in Turkey on Wednesday once again highlighted the immense humanitarian toll of the refugee and migrant crisis in Europe.  NOTE: THIS ARTICLE CONTAINS DISTURBING IMAGES FROM THE BEACH AT BODRUM THAT WILL BE UPSETTING TO SOME READERS. Still young enough to wear velcro shoes, the child's body was found on shore after two boats carrying Syrian refugees capsized. The boats were attempting to journey from the Turkish town of Bodrum to the island of Kos in Greece.  Survivors say at least 12 people died in the failed crossing, including four children and a woman. Seven other people were rescued.  Turkish media identified the boy as 3-year-old Aylan Kurdi from the Syrian town of Kobani, according to Reuters. Kurdi's 5-year-old brother is also believed to have died when the boat capsized. In other photos, a Turkish officer cradles Kurdi's limp body as he removes the child from the beach. The photos offer even more evidence of the dangers hundreds of thousands of people fleeing conflict or seeking a better life in Europe can face during their journeys across international borders. Kurdi's death, along with the those of 71 people found suffocated in a truck in Austria last week, have spurred urgent calls from human rights groups across the world for European leaders to agree on a unified policy to respond to the crisis.  "These deaths are utterly preventable if Europe actually had a policy in place to provide safe passage for people fleeing the war in Syria," Human Rights Watch Emergency Director Peter Bouckaert told The WorldPost. "I think that picture perfectly demonstrates the consequences of the European failure to come to terms with the reality of this very profound crisis." Every day, thousands of people from countries including Syria, Afghanistan and Eritrea attempt to make it to European nations. Over 350,000 have crossed the Mediterranean in 2015 alone, according to the International Organization for Migration. The response from European countries has so far been scattered and insufficient. Many EU states have addressed the issue as a security dilemma, putting up walls or proposing anti-migration laws instead of allowing for safe border passage or access to asylum procedures. "Refugees are left with no option but to take extraordinarily dangerous illegal journeys by sea to Greece and Italy. With an estimated 200,000 refugees still planning to make the journey to Greece this year, it is inevitable that we will see a further loss of life until Europe’s policies change," the International Committee of the Red Cross said in a statement Wednesday. Germany, which projects it will take 800,000 applications for asylum this year, has called on other nations to come together to find a unified approach to the crisis. EU ministers are set to meet on Sept. 14 to discuss what action should be taken. Rights groups and observers have pointed out that while the number of refugees and migrants heading to Europe has risen sharply in the past year, this migration still only accounts for a tiny fraction of populations. "Just to give you an idea of scale and of reality, so far the number of people who have applied for asylum in Europe represent .1 percent of the population of Europe," Bouckaert said. Hein de Haas, the former co-director of the International Institute on Migration, told The WorldPost that Europe's refugee crisis is really a crisis of political failure to establish a common policy for those trying to enter the EU. "With more than half a billion inhabitants, the European Union has the resources to cope with this, and can make sure that people arriving at the European border get access to asylum procedures," he said.  -- 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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In Europe, the Word 'Migrant' Is Not the Problem

Refugees are in vogue. As callous as that may sound, the group's plight - or more accurately, their "flight" - no matter where in the world they come from, is receiving more international media attention than ever before. This is a good thing, if it eventually leads to long term solutions and holistic international migration policies. But if the current international response is any indication, singling out refugees from other groups of people who relocate is slamming doors shut instead of paving paths towards safety and security. _Al Jazeera English_ made an announcement on their blog last week explaining why the news organization will replace the word "migrant" with "refugee," when discussing the Mediterranean crisis. The goal is to give a voice to individuals affected by displacement with more accurate language: "The umbrella term migrant...has evolved from its dictionary definitions into a tool that dehumanizes and distances, a blunt pejorative," Barry Malone wrote. While the effort is rooted in admirable, humanitarian intentions, the push to refer to all relocating individuals as "refugees" instead of the seemingly-neutral umbrella term "migrant" is misguided and inaccurate. The migrant label is indeed oversimplified and inadequate as a catch-all term to explain all motivations and patterns of movement. It is also true that the term undermines the gravity of the crisis, since the majority of people relocating are escaping war - including Syrians, Afghan people, Iraqis, Libyans, and Eritreans. In August, the International Organization for Migration (IOM) reported that over 2,000 people died this year trying to cross the Mediterranean Sea to Europe. But the refugee term is not much better and in fact, might be more harmful to both groups. Relying on the distinction between the two polarizing categories is causing a negative backlash from countries dealing with an influx of both migrants and refugees. Under international law, there is a legal obligation to provide protection and take in people fleeing persecution and life-threatening conditions in their home countries. Refugees benefit from such a categorization because they are forced into their pattern of movement, but migrants are perceived as people searching for better social and economic opportunities. As such, they are not eligible for the same benefits as refugees. But people do not fall neatly into the categories of "refugee" or "migrant," "forced" or "voluntary." People move based on diverse and converging factors that often combine economic opportunity and political motivations. When the word "refugee" is used or implied, the U.S. and European Union countries tend to recoil and respond with defensive measures. The legal obligations to provide sanctuary often causes the closure of legal migration routes. And disentangling migrants from refugees is a cumbersome legal process that many countries of arrival do not have the resources to execute. It is easier to shut down legal paths and keep all people out then determine eligibility among "mixed flows" of people. In Macedonia, for instance, police violence against asylum-seekers at the country's southern border with Greece is under investigation by Human Rights Watch. The country declared a state of emergency at both its southern and northern borders and have rolled out barbed wire fences to prevent people from entering. Meanwhile, Hungary is rushing to complete the first phase of a controversial fence along its Serbian border. Hungary marks the beginning of the EU's passport-free Schengen zone, and as the influx of people increases, fences are built to stop the flow into Europe. Officials hope to reduce illegal entries into the country by 85 percent with the six-foot razor wire fence. The refugee label also has negative social consequences. The term evokes sympathy and portrays people as victims of circumstances out of their control. From the perspective of an arrival country's population, as is the case in much of Europe, it follows that this group of people is likely to become a public charge. Economic migrants on the other hand, are viewed as people who could potentially contribute to society with their skills and motivations to work. Although racial and ethnic stereotypes often intensify reactions, migrants are perceived to be more of a nuisance while refugees, a burden. Anti-refugee sentiment is growing in Europe and becoming a violent movement separate from the usual anti-immigrant rhetoric. Recent clashes between protesters and police outside a refugee shelter in Dresden, Germany - the EU's largest recipient of refugees - illustrates this point. Two hundred right-wing activists threw fireworks and bottles at police and shouted "Heil Hitler." Earlier in August, there was an arson attack on a building in Reichertshofen, Germany which was scheduled to house dozens of asylum-seekers mostly from Syria and Iraq. Arson attacks have been common with 202 registered attacks on Germany's shelters in 2015 alone. Sealing borders with fences, building walls, and setting fire to buildings reserved for asylum-seekers are societal and governmental reactions to the perceived social dependency and colossal resource needs of incoming refugees, not the economic potential of migrants. The fear-based hysteria is an irrational response to the high number of people crossing into Europe; and the word "refugee" provokes a knee-jerk reaction. Projected numbers indicate that the situation will get worse: Up to 3,000 people are expected to cross into Macedonia every day in the coming months. Germany is estimating that it will receive 800,000 asylum-seekers by the end of the year. There is nothing inherently wrong with either migrant or refugee labels, but the media has placed too much emphasis on the legal and social distinctions between them. The reverse terminology trend of using a catch-all refugee description just highlights a population's vulnerability and is not an efficient way to ensure aid. The focus should instead be on the set of criteria that, if met, qualifies an individual for asylum, regardless of one's label. We can start by underscoring humanized commonalities between all groups - migrants and refugees are all people in search of a better life. Co-authored by George P. Mann, an immigration attorney and advocate representing clients worldwide for over 30 years. Follow him on Twitter @gpmann1 -- 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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In Greece, New Democracy Closes Gap on Syriza’s Lead ...

Greece’s main opposition party New Democracy is leading in the polls for the time since former Prime Minister Alexis Tsipras resigned last month sending the country ...


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Double act is over for GREEK heavyweights

Athens - Alexis Tsipras and Yanis Varoufakis shared a vision once, but the double act of the GREEK debt drama's most colourful characters now ...


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Refugees face legacy of hardship

Abdullah Bakhshi, 24, was born a refugee, in Iran, but he has left it and is currently in Lesbos, Greece, hoping to move on to Germany and bring his…


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Migrants Rush Macedonian Border as Chaos Separates Families

Migrants trying to get from Greece to Macedonia clashed with police


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Former Greek model plucks drowning Syrian refugee from ...

A former Greek model boating between islands on the Aegean Sea stopped to pull a dying Syrian man from the water after his migrant boat left him behind.


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EU tensions mount as fresh migrant wave arrives in Athens

Tensions between European Union countries escalated Wednesday over how to tackle the huge influx of refugees and migrants, as thousands more arrived on the Greek mainland, hoping to push north.


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The disillusions of power for the Left: Greece's case

#politics


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Caritas aid reaches refugees on GREEK islands

(Vatican Radio) As refugees and forced migrants continue to arrive in Europe, the GREEK Islands closest to Turkey are being overwhelmed by people ...


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Syriza falls behind conservatives ahead of GREEK election: poll

ATHENS GREEK leftist Syriza party on Wednesday fell behind its main conservative rivals for the first time since former premier Alexis Tsipras resigned, ...


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Pentecopterus: Ancient Predator Resembled GREEK Warship

Pentecopterus, one of the earliest gigantic predators, lived during the age of fish. During that time, life was flourishing in the oceans rather on land.


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Greece Moves to aid Island Migrants

Greece's caretaker government announced plans to improve conditions for thousands of refugees arriving on eastern islands almost daily. The post Greece Moves to aid Island Migrants appeared first on The National Herald.


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PAOK Soccer Gets Berbatov

Former Monaco and Manchester United striker Dimitar Berbatov has signed a 10-month contract with Greek soccer club PAOK of Thessaloniki. The post PAOK Soccer Gets Berbatov appeared first on The National Herald.


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Poll suggests Greek conservatives overtake radical left

ATHENS, Greece (AP) — A new opinion poll suggests that Greece's former governing radical left party has dropped marginally behind the main opposition conservatives in popularity, for the first time since it gained power in January.


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Fitch: Greek deposits will avoid 'haircut'

#economy


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I Spent a Day at a GREEK Refugee Camp

I'm at an emergency migrant and refugee camp in Kara Tepe, just five minutes' drive from Mytilene, the main city on the GREEK island of Lesvos.


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Why GREEK election results don't matter

Polls ahead of the GREEK election had shown Syriza in the lead by as many as 5 points but a just-released survey from GPO shows New Democracy ...


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ATHENS, Greece: Greek authorities find shotguns ...

ATHENS, Greece — Greek authorities say a partial inventory of unregistered weapons found on a Libya-bound freighter includes nearly 500,000 rounds of ...


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Search of freighter stopped in Greece nets 5,000 shotguns ...

ATHENS, Greece – Greek authorities say a partial inventory of unregistered weapons found on a Libya-bound freighter includes nearly 500,000 rounds of ...


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Devastating Photos Show Thousands Trapped In Budapest Train Station

As European governments spar over how to address the rising number of migrants and refugees trying to enter the EU, some cities in the region are struggling to respond to the influx of people. Officials at the Keleti train station in central Budapest, Hungary, barred access to trains Wednesday for the second day in a row due to the record numbers of people seeking to board trains to Germany.  An estimated 3,000 men, women and children are currently camped in every corner of the station, as well as outside the station's main entrance. Officials have closed the terminal indefinitely as they determine the next course of action. Volunteer groups stationed in the train terminal found themselves overwhelmed by the sheer volume of people Wednesday. They're experienced at providing food and medical assistance, but only to a few hundred people at a time. Hungarian police had to bring in reinforcements on Wednesday as protests erupted over the decision to halt train traffic. About 100 people paraded in front of the station's entrance shouting "Freedom, freedom," many of them holding signs begging Germany to let them in.  The people now stuck in Budapest offer a prime example of the complications that have arisen as traffic along a migration route through the Balkans has skyrocketed in recent months. Thousands of people have arrived on the shores of Greece and Turkey, hoping to make their way through Macedonia and Serbia to enter the EU via Hungary. More than 150,000 people have already entered Hungary this year.  The Hungarian government has found itself challenged by the crisis. Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán has ordered the country's army to begin building a steel-and-barbed-wire security fence along Hungary's entire border with Serbia in an effort to regulate the flow of people.  -- 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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The Viability of the Greek Debt: Feeding the Minotaur

In 2009, Greece had accumulated, due to about thirty years of public financial mismanagement and wide-spread corruption, a staggering for its economy public debt of €299.5 billion at a debt to GDP ratio of 126%. In May 2010, the European Union (EU), the European Central Bank (ECB), and the International Monetary Fund (IMF), known as the Troika, provided a three-year €110 billion loan (The Economic Adjustment Program for Greece) at relatively high interest rates of 5.5%, under the condition that Greece would implement a number of structural reforms and austerity measures, and would further enhance government revenues from the sale of public assets. The Troika was predicting that with this Program the Greek economy would bottom out in 2011, with a GDP decline in 2011 of 2.6%, and would start to grow after that with a growth of 1.1% in 2012, while unemployment would stabilize at about 15%. Instead, in 2011 the Greek GDP declined by 6.9%, 111,000 Greek companies went bankrupt and the unemployment rate grew to 21.3%. In March 2012, a Second Economic Adjustment Program for Greece was approved that included additional loans of €130 billion for the years 2012-2014 and a debt restructure agreement, under the condition that additional austerity measures would be implemented. The program was anchored on the objective of reaching a primary deficit of 1 percent of GDP in 2012 and a primary surplus of 4.5 per cent of GDP in 2014_ " to be kept at such a high level for several years. The experience of other EU countries shows, however, that a primary surplus of such a magnitude is not disproportionate and is socially bearable"_. The economy continued to contract. The unemployment rate peaked in June 2013 at 27.9% and at the end of 2013 the GDP had shrunk by about 24% from its peak in 2008. During the first three quarters of 2014 Greece experienced a small positive GDP growth and a glimmer of hope was raised that a fragile recovery could be on the way. Then came the party of SYRIZA, which, taking advantage of a weakness in the Greek constitution, forced elections and won them with the fiery, unrealistic, and contradictory rhetoric of its leader Alexis Tsipras. After SYRIZA's utter failure to deliver on its promises and a near-bankruptcy experience, Greece has secured the Eurozone's agreement for a third bailout. What was the net effect of the first two bailouts? Greece avoided bankruptcy in the short term by replacing its old loans from the private sector with loans from the IMF and the EU (the taxpayers of the EU countries). The foreign banks (primarily German and French) avoided the consequences of their foolishness to feed a Greek bubble of unsustainable consumption. Greece started the chain of bailouts with a debt of €299.5 billion in 2009 and a debt to GDP ratio of 126%, and ended up in 2014 with a debt of €317.1 billion, and a debt to GDP ratio of 177%. The severe austerity measures sunk the country into a deep depression and drove it on a path of political instability that deepened the crisis even further. In 2015, to again avoid bankruptcy and exit from the Eurozone, Greece had to add another €86 billion to its debt, raising the debt to GDP ratio to 200%, with terms much harsher than those of the two previous bailouts. The Greek banks, due to their exposure to Greek government debt, the loss of many billions from nonperforming loans, and the flight of deposits, had to be recapitalized twice before 2015 at the tune of over €48 billion, and they will be provided under the third bailout another €25 billion, all to be paid by the Greek taxpayers. It is clear that it cannot be claimed that the first two Economic Adjustment Programs for Greece have been a success and the Greek debt was sustainable under the terms of these programs. A debt sustainability analysis performed by the IMF and released on July 10, 2015, states that _"About a year ago, if program policies had been implemented as agreed, no further debt relief would have been needed..."_, although the report recognizes that _ "Greece is expected to maintain primary surpluses for the next several decades of 3.5 percent of GDP. Few countries have managed to do so."_ Other Troika reports also attribute the failure of the bailout programs to Greek government failures _"in the delivery of structural reforms and in the reform commitments"_. There is no doubt that it is a shame that the Greek governments of the bailout period have failed to fully implement these structural reforms that could be implemented with available resources and in the time-frame of the bailout programs. Not only they are necessary in building an economy that would provide to the Greek people the standard of living of a developed country, but their implementation would also deprive the Troika of the argument that the programs failed, or their social cost is so heavy, solely because Greece failed in the delivery of reforms. Although debt sustainability critically depends on economic recovery and growth, the IMF report does not present any analysis of the impact of a punitive austerity on the survival and growth of Greek businesses that are based on healthy business models, on businesses that are export oriented, and on the establishment of new businesses that are based on technological innovation. There is no discussion on how the severe austerity has contributed to the flight of many Greek businesses to other countries and on how this flight has affected employment, economic recovery, and debt sustainability. Since 2009, 11,000 export oriented small and medium size Greek businesses moved to Bulgaria to avoid the heavy taxation and an unpredictable business environment in Greece. As one of the businessmen who left Greece put it_ "Bulgaria gave me an opportunity to survive, which is difficult in Greece these days."_ As was recently reported in the Greek newspaper _Kathimerini_, _ "23 percent of local firms have immediate plans to leave the country to enjoy greater security, stability and liquidity... Some estimates say one in every ten firms in northern Greece will move beyond the country's borders in the next few months."_ On top of additional tax increases, the terms of the agreement for the third bailout require Greek businesses to prepay 100% of next year's taxes. How it can be demanded to prepay taxes on income that has not materialized, and especially in an environment of economic depression which makes this materialization questionable and the demand by itself contributes further to the depression? Greece under the Troika faces the daunting task to pull itself out of a deep depression and also serve its external debt. Its membership in the Eurozone deprives her of the ability to use monetary policy, and the MOUs dictated by the Troika force upon her its fiscal policy, which is severely recessionary. The only hope left is that those reforms prescribed in the MOUs that have the potential to promote growth if implemented will deliver. Some of these reforms can be implemented in the short term by legislative action and the commitment to make them to work. Greece bears full responsibility for the implementation of these reforms. However, other reforms require also investment and time. For example,_ "improving the education system as well as human capital formation through vocational education and training, developing R&D and innovation"_ also need investment and do not bear fruit overnight. For a country that is in a deep depression with over 25% of its workforce unemployed, and is under the constant threat of bankruptcy, the implementation of all these necessary reforms is problematic. Also, as history shows, it is difficult to maintain political stability, which is a prerequisite for the success of recovery and growth, under conditions of a prolonged depression. The institutions (Troika) that severely limit the available options to a Greek government and also dictate policy have also to take responsibility for the results of the Economic Adjustment Programs. And because the debt cannot be sustained by continuously cutting salaries and pensions and increasing taxes, there is an urgent need for corrective measures that will allow for growth in both the sector of the economy that provides for the needs of the Greek people (food, shelter, education, security, health, etc.), as well as in the export sector that will provide for the service of the debt. And these two sectors are not independent, they feed into each other. Otherwise for how long should Greece have to feed the Minotaur (the mythical beast that as punishment had to be fed every so many years by a number of Athenian maidens and youths)? -- 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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Greece's Syriza party falls behind conservatives in latest poll

The leftist Syriza party of former Greek premier Alexis Tsipras has fallen behind its main conservative opponents for the first time since a snap election was called in August, a new poll by GPO showed on Wednesday. The poll said Syriza would win 25 percent of votes in the Sept. 20 election, slightly less than the conservative New Democracy party on 25.3 percent. It also suggested Tsipras, who steered the country through months of painful bailout talks, was less popular than conservative leader Evangelos Meimarakis.


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Greek authorities find shotguns, ammunition on freighter

ATHENS, Greece (AP) — Greek authorities say a partial inventory of unregistered weapons found on a Libya-bound freighter includes nearly 500,000 rounds of ammunition and 5,000 "police-style" shotguns.


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GREECE Lightening at Suvlaki

The much loved Greek culinary figure who appears frequently on TV in GREECE has also designed several signature dishes for Suvlaki. With a ...


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12 migrants drown off Turkish coast, 2 still missing

ANKARA, Turkey (AP) — At least 12 migrants, including five children, drowned off the Turkish coast Wednesday when two boats carrying them to the Greek island of Kos capsized, Turkish officials said. The tides washed up the body of one small boy on the beach, leaving witnesses in tears.


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Drowning refugee is saved by GREEK model after spending 13 HOURS in sea off Kos

A former model rescued a Syrian refugee on the brink of dying from exhaustion who she found floating in the sea off the GREEK coast.


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EU policy consigns Greece ‘to deeper depression’, says Stiglitz

Joseph Stiglitz, the 2001 winner of the Nobel prize for economics and the former chief economist of the World Bank, has just published a new book: "The Great Divide – Unequal Societies and What We Can Do About Them". He sat down with FRANCE 24's Markus Karlsson.


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The People are Greece’s Patsies

Used to lying as a way of life and political expediency, Greek leaders have bamboozled voters and used them as “aftoforakias” - a patsy. The post The People are Greece’s Patsies appeared first on The National Herald.


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World Press View: Greek Election Battle Lines Drawn

With less than three weeks to go before the Sept. 20 election, Greece's political parties are taking turns blaming each other again for the country's ills. The post World Press View: Greek Election Battle Lines Drawn appeared first on The National Herald.


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Passportless Migrants Protest in Budapest at Hungary’s Travel Ban

Hundreds of migrants protested in Budapest on Wednesday at Hungary's decision to prevent them from travelling to Germany and other EU member states, the BBC reported. The protests, now in their second day, have begun after Hungarian authorities banned travel for migrants without valid documents in order to comply with EU rules. As a result of the ban some 2,000 people, who have bought tickets for onward journeys to western Europe, have been camping at Budapest's Keleti train station. There are families with children among them. The migrants had reached Budapest via the so-called Balkan route, travelling across Turkey, the Aegean Sea and Greece, Macedonia and Serbia. "A train ticket does not overwrite EU rules," Reuters quoted a Hungarian government spokesman as saying. Shouting "Freedom, freedom!" and demanding to be let onto trains leaving for Germany, about 300 migrants stared down police in riot gear on one side of Keleti station. Only people with passports were allowed to board the trains. On Thursday, Hungary's parliament is expected to vote on government proposals that tighten border controls, allowing for the limited use of the army, and set up new holding camps for migrants. Germany has begun accepting asylum claims from Syrian refugees - regardless of where they entered the European Union. Most migrans who have already reached Hungary, say they want to go to Germany The closing of Keleti train station to undocumented migrants has already led to a sharp drop in migrant arrivals to Germany from Hungary, Deutsche Welle reported, citing police data. Just about 50 migrants arrived on the morning trains to Munich from Budapest on Wednesday morning, a negligible number compared to 2,400 on Tuesday. Hungary briefly allowed migrants to board trains bound for Germany and Austria on Monday. Police in Austria rescued 24 Afghan migrants, most of them in their teens, discovered in the back of a van near Vienna overnight. The dead bodies of 71 migrants were found in an abandoned refrigerator truck on a motorway in Austria last week.


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Bodies of drowned Syrian refugees found on Turkey beach

At least 12 refugees, including children, have drowned after two boats left Turkey trying to reach Greek island of Kos.


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GREECE announces measures to improve conditions for refugees on islands

ATHENS, GREECE — GREECE'S caretaker government announced measures Wednesday to improve conditions for the tens of thousands of refugees ...


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GREEK PAOK Signs Bulgarian Striker Dimitar Berbatov

The website of PAOK notes the impressive career and achievements of Berbatov, who has scored 274 goals in 635 club encounters. The 34-year-old ...


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The Latest Poll Shows GREEK Elections Are on a Knife Edge

The latest poll from Greece shows that the country's Sept. 20 election could be too close to call. Alexis Tsipras's Syriza party would get 23 percent of ...


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If Germany wants Grexit & Lafazanis wants Drachma, the logical conclusion is: Berlin supports Popular Unity!

Many Greeks have been wondering what is the purpose of the snap elections scheduled for September 20th? Some answer the question replying “Tsipras could not govern with the support of the opposition but without the support of his own MPs,” others warn that “with such a huge debt and such […]


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Greek coast guard seizes weapons from ship en route from Turkey to Libya

Greek authorities have seized a freighter carrying an undeclared shipment of weapons en route from Turkey to Libya.


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How a Refugee Family Desperate to Get to Germany Was ...

Mohammed said while on the boat to Greece they were so scared it was going to be swamped they threw their belonging into the water.


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Greece makes arrests, takes steps to tackle migrant crisis

Greek authorities detained six foreigners for suspected human trafficking on Wednesday as the interim government announced new new measures to tackle a crisis that has seen hundreds of migrants and refugees arriving on Greek shores every day. Four Bulgarians and two Turkish citizens were detained in the northern Greek city of Thessaloniki for trafficking 103 migrants from Turkey to Greece, a police official said on Wednesday. The traffickers had charged the Syrian migrants 2,000 euros (1,469 pounds) per head to transport them to Greece and then on to Macedonia.


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Greek model rescues Syrian refugee who was treading water for 13 hours in Aegean Sea

… was in severe difficulties. The Greek couple and their friends hauled …


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INTERVIEW-Greece to miss 2015 privatisation sales target ...

ATHENS, Sept 2 (Reuters) - Greece will miss its revenue target from asset sales this year due to delays in a 1.2 billion euro airport deal, the head of its ...


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Shocking images of drowned Syrian boy show tragic plight of refugees

Young boy found lying face-down on a beach near Turkish resort of Bodrum was one of at least 12 Syrians who drowned attempting to reach Greece • WARNING: THIS ARTICLE CONTAINS IMAGES THAT READERS MAY FIND DISTRESSING The full horror of the human tragedy unfolding on the shores of Europe was brought home on Wednesday as images of the lifeless body of a young boy – one of at least 12 Syrians who drowned attempting to reach the Greek island of Kos – encapsulated the extraordinary risks refugees are taking to reach the west. The picture, taken on Wednesday morning, depicted the dark-haired toddler, wearing a bright red T-shirt and shorts, washed up on a beach, lying face down in the surf not far from Turkey’s fashionable resort town of Bodrum. Continue reading...


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Ship Carrying Undeclared Weapons to Arrive in Heraklion, Crete

A Bolivian-flagged cargo ship was escorted to Heraklion port, Crete, on Tuesday night around 4:30 am after a container with an unknown quantity of undeclared weapons was discovered on board during a Greek coast guard inspection. The ship “Hadat 1″ had set sail from Turkey and was bound for Libya, with a legal cargo of plastics.


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Syriza's lead shrivels ahead of Greek election

ATHENS (Reuters) - Greece's leftist Syriza party's lead over its conservative opponents has shrunk to just 0.4 percent, according to a poll on Wednesday, offering further evidence that former premier Alexis Tsipras's decision to call a snap election could backfire.


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Greek PM Thanou to announce measures on migration

#politics


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Greece takes measures to deal with migrant crisis -UPDATE

#politics


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GREECE must rid itself of 'euro fetish', says rebel leader Lafazanis

The euro is not “some kind of fetish” and GREECE should dump it and return to the drachma, Panagiotis Lafazanis, the hard-left leader leader, said ...


READ THE ORIGINAL POST AT www.thetimes.co.uk