The story, written by Sarah Ruhl, is based on a GREEK myth with a contemporary spin. It's the story of two young lovers who are separated on their ...
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How the world sees Greece
Tuesday, February 9, 2016
A GREEK Myth With a Contemporary Twist at Centralia College
Ex-GREEK FM Varoufakis launches Democracy in Europe Movement 2025
Former GREEK Finance Minister Yanis Varoufakis is launching his new project under the name 'Democracy in Europe Movement 2025' (DiEM25) at the ...
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GREEK Life at University of Chicago Targets Muslims, Blacks, Hispanics: Student Gov.
Other students involved with GREEK Life in 2014 were accused of wearing a 'cholo' (a derogatory term for Mexican American men) as a costume for ...
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GREEK gov't cautious as NATO gets call for help
GREEK officials had not been informed of the proposal, which will be discussed during a meeting of NATO defense ministers in Brussels Wednesday ...
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OLAF seizes over 33 million cigarettes in Greece
… Greece, in January, after working closely for several months with the Greek … million cigarettes were seized in Greece, Russia, Germany and Spain between … cooperation with the Greek General Secretariat against corruption (AFCOS Greece), Greek and Cypriot …
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Dilshad Vadsaria Teases A 'GREEK' Reunion & Shares Her Thoughts On Rebecca Logan's ...
Never a day goes by where I don't find myself thinking back to the wonderful college/sorority/fraternity drama GREEK, which aired for four seasons on ...
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Rise continues for passenger traffic at GREEK airports
A total of 1.8 million passengers used GREEK airports last month, posting an 11.5 percent increase from the same month last year, according to Civil ...
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GREEK farmers threaten to escalate austerity protests
Protesting planned pension cuts, GREEK farmers have blocked key roads and border crossings with their tractors for weeks. Now they're threatening to ...
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Brussels to push Greece on migrant crisis
Pressure rises on Athens as bloc attempts to stem flow of refugees
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The Latest: French central banker says volatility excessive
[A man looks at screens displaying financial information at the Stock Exchange in Madrid, Spain, Tuesday, Feb. 9, 2016. Renewed jitters about the global economy set off a wave of selling in banking stocks after Asian markets tumbled Tuesday, led by a 5.4 percent slide in Tokyo. The stock index in Spain was off roughly 4 percent, while Italy's lost about 5 percent and Greece's index sank about 8 percent. Stock markets have been slump so far this year after a lackluster 2015. (AP Photo/Francisco Seco)]LONDON (AP) — The latest on the turmoil afflicting global financial markets (all times local):
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EU executive to push Greece, Italy more on migration
[Refugees and migrants are seen on a dinghy as they approach the Ayios Efstratios Coast Guard vessel, during a rescue operation at open sea between the Turkish coast and the Greek island of Lesbos]By Gabriela Baczynska BRUSSELS (Reuters) - The EU executive will push Greece and Italy on Wednesday to do more to control migrants arriving across the Mediterranean, as time runs out for Athens to fix frontier chaos or be suspended from Europe's free travel zone. More than a million people reached Europe last year, putting pressure on security and social systems in some EU states and exposing deep rifts within the 28-nation bloc. "If half of the decisions and resolutions that have been taken by the European Union last year had been implemented, the situation now would be much better," William Spindler, a spokesman for the U.N. Refugee Agency UNHCR, said on Tuesday.
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MSF Doctor: Syrians Are Buried Beneath Bombs
As politicians gathered in London last week to discuss aid for Syria, the appalling suffering continued unabated. Syrians are living under bombardment, as hundreds of explosive devices are dropped on their cities and towns each day - predominantly by their own government. This situation is compounded by Russian, U.S., French and British airstrikes forcing even more people to flee in search of safety. Yet their options to escape are rapidly running out. For those trapped inside Syria, the destruction of key infrastructure - including hospitals, clinics, schools, water pumps, grain silos and bakeries - makes life increasingly untenable. According to a credible monitoring group, in the three months until January, 53 medical facilities, 37 schools or educational spaces and 20 marketplaces, food distribution points or bakeries were hit by airstrikes. The war in Syria is being waged against its own people. [msf fire] _MSF estimates that 1.5 million people are trapped in sieges imposed by Syrian government forces and opposition groups. 12-year-old Salim and his brother, from Syria, rest at the Idomeni refugee camp, on the Greek-Macedonian border._ Trucks, transit hubs and roads have also been heavily bombed, disrupting the supply route for bringing essentials including food, fuel and humanitarian aid to some 600,000 people in Azaz district and the east of Aleppo city. Across Syria, people's access to humanitarian aid is extremely limited, with few organizations allowed to work in areas controlled by the government. Even fewer work in areas controlled by the so-called Islamic State. Millions of people receive no assistance whatsoever. [syria airstrike] _A lot of key infrastructure in Syria, including hospitals, clinics, schools, water pumps and bakeries, have been destroyed, Liu writes._ Doctors Without Borders/Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF) estimates that over 1.5 million people are trapped in sieges imposed by the Syrian government-led coalition, as well as by opposition groups. Medical supplies are systematically blocked and the evacuation of critically ill or wounded patients is all but impossible under siege. Madaya is an extreme example of the use of siege tactics in Syria, where MSF-supported medics inside the town report that 49 people have died of starvation - so far. Running is the only option for many people, but is becoming harder by the day. The violence has already forced 6.5 million people - half of them children - to flee their homes within the country. Some 120,000 people were forced to leave their homes in Aleppo, Hama and Idlib governorates in September - a direct result of the intensified bombing campaigns. Another four million have left Syria, some trying to rebuild their lives in Jordan, Lebanon or Turkey, others risking their lives by crossing the sea to Europe. [macedonia border] _Two-month-old Feisal, from Syria, lies next to a camp fire in Polykastro, a town near the Greek-Macedonian border. The violence in Syria has driven 6.5 million people, half of them children, from their homes, Liu said._ But escaping Syria is becoming increasingly hard. The Jordanian and Lebanese borders are virtually closed to new arrivals, while Iraq, embroiled in its own violence, is not an option. Even fleeing the bombs for elsewhere in Syria is often out of the question, with so many areas under siege or controlled by groups such as the so-called Islamic State. In the meantime, the European Union has externalized the management of its borders to Turkey, handing over three billion euros in return for a clampdown on Syrians hoping to flee to Europe. There's a knock-on effect of border closures from Europe all the way to Syria, resulting in civilians being trapped in one of the most brutal wars of our times. [msf doctors] _A family from Idlib, Syria, cross the border from Macedonia into Serbia. Escaping Syria has become increasingly hard, Liu said. Neighboring countries Jordan and Lebanon have "virtually closed to new arrivals, while Iraq, embroiled in its own violence, is not an option," she added. _ Over the past five years belligerent parties, including four members of the UN Security Council, have not only failed the Syrian people, but have actively increased their suffering. And yet they have a responsibility to spare civilians. Solutions must be found to reduce the heavy toll the civilian population is paying inside Syria and as they try to flee. -- 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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9 timeless lessons from the great Roman emperor Marcus Aurelius
[marcus aurelius]Flickr/Sébastien Bertrand The Roman emperor Marcus Aurelius ruled from 161 to 180 AD, and developed a reputation for being the ideal wise leader Plato termed the "philosopher king." Marcus has remained relevant for 1,800 years largely due to his writings collected as "Meditations," which President Bill Clinton has said is one of his favorite books. "Meditations" is closer to a diary than a philosophical treatise. Marcus wrote its 12 books sometime during the tumultuous last decade of his life. He dealt with hardships by turning to philosophy, specifically the Stoicism of the ancient Greeks and his contemporary Roman philosophers. "Meditations" reveals that Marcus remained in control of his emotions through the beliefs that nature unfolds in a perfect way and that one must accept that they cannot change the past or what other people feel in their hearts. We went through Gregory Hays' translation and highlighted recurring points. DON'T SPEND TIME WORRYING ABOUT FRIVOLOUS PEOPLE WHO HAVE NO POSITIVE IMPACT ON OTHERS. "Marcus Aurelius Distributing Bread to the People"/Joseph-Marie Vien Your energy and time are both limited, so don't waste them on what those inconsequential to your life are doing, thinking, and saying, Marcus says. The duty of a human being is to help others that we share life with, and one should not fill one's mind with anxiety-inducing, frivolous thoughts, especially since they often lead to negative outcomes. "A key point to bear in mind: The value of attentiveness varies in proportion to its object," Marcus writes. "You're better off not giving the small things more time than they deserve." LIVE IN THE PRESENT. Oli Scarff/Getty Images "Each of us lives only now, this brief instant. The rest has been lived already, or is impossible to see," Marcus writes. There is nothing to be gained from letting your mind live separate from where your body finds itself. REFRAIN FROM IMPOSING YOUR FEELINGS ONTO REALITY. Zohra Bensemra/Reuters The emperor was faced with constant fighting, the rebellion of his general Cassius, the deaths of his wife and close friend, and the realization that his son Commodus was destined to be a bad ruler. But when he removed his feelings from how he perceived these events, he was able to have empathy for the people who disappointed him and acceptance for the losses that hurt him, since nothing in nature — like death and decay — is evil, he writes. SEE THE REST OF THE STORY AT BUSINESS INSIDER
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The Ancient Greeks wish they could've used this 'digital' 3D-printed sundial
[digital sundial]Mojoptix Quit glancing at your Apple Watch and go back to the original timekeeper: our faithful sun. YouTuber and designer Mojoptix has unveiled a cleverly designed 3D-printed sundial that uses no batteries, no motors, and no electronics of any kind. With only a carefully arranged set of pinholes, the device automatically casts the correct time (in 20-minute intervals) as a shadow below. He calls it "Cadran Solaire Numérique," and it's available to buy for $80 on his Etsy page, although all the designs are open-sourced on Thingiverse if you're handy. In any case, it's mesmerizing in action. Youtube Embed: http://www.youtube.com/embed/EoGVb82uCnA Width: 800px Height: 600px Each slat in the sundial's arm corresponds to a particular angle of the sun's rays through the day. Where the light hits the slats determines which rays get cast as shadows and which appear as pixelated numbers making up the time. Customers can purchase either a Northern or Southern hemisphere model, and Mojoptix says the arm can even rotate to accommodate Daylight Saving Time. But the clock only works between 10 a.m. and 4 p.m., making it more of a novelty than a reliable timekeeper. But that's OK. Novelties can be awesome, too. NOW WATCH: A teenager who hates mornings invented an alarm clock that wakes you up with smell
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Liverpool's best Greek restaurants
… Greek salad. Read on to discover diners selection of the ultimate Greek … , no Greek dancing and definitely no plate smashing, just traditional Greek music … most modern Greek restaurants.” Customers say: “Is the One Greek place for …
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Athens bourse continues slide to historic lows, as investors turn their backs on risky Greece
Athens, February 9, 2016/ Independent Balkan News Agency By Marina Spyropoulou The Athens bourse general index continued the slide to historic lows on Tuesday following a catastrophic Black Monday, as investors turn their backs on risky Greece, according to local analysts. For a sixth consecutive session Greek stocks had slumped by a further 4.53 percent […]
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Creditors push Greece for concrete reform proposals
Athens, February 9, 2016/ Independent Balkan News Agency By Zacharias Petrou As protests by farmers continue over the government’s social security reform plans, Greece finds itself in fresh political turmoil too as its negotiations with international creditors appear far from a swift conclusion and rumors of an early election have re-emerged. The local stock market […]
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The Latest: European stocks close down amid world volatility
European stock indexes have closed lower, adding to recent losses amid heightened market volatility around the globe. Markets have become jittery as investors worry about a litany of issues, from China's economic slowdown to the plunge in oil prices, banks' finances and potential recessions in emerging markets. Greece's stock market has fallen to its lowest level since 1989 while the country's borrowing rates in the bond markets have spiked up to levels last seen during the more acute phases of its crisis. With the government struggling to agree on a pensions reform package with creditors and the unions angry at the latest batch of austerity measures, there are renewed fears over the bailed-out country's economic outlook. The selling pressure across Europe's stock markets has intensified, with worries over the health of the region's banks at the forefront of investor concerns. Michael Hewson, chief market analyst at CMC Markets, says the "solvency of Italy's banks has also been a continuous source of concern" and that the skepticism is "well-founded." According to the International Energy Agency, oil prices will continue to come under pressure as supply is set to outpace demand this year. The organization, which advises countries on energy policy, said in its monthly report that global excess supply may reach 2 million barrels per day during the first quarter, and a further 1.5 million barrels a day in the second quarter. A lower yen makes Japanese exports more competitive in international markets as well as raising the cost of imported goods. Though stock markets around the world may be experiencing one of their most prolonged downturns since the global financial crisis of 2008, other financial assets are enjoying strong gains. Banks have been at the forefront of the selling pressure in Europe in recent days as investors worry about their ability to deal with a worse-than-anticipated global economic outlook. [...] Italy's UniCredit was down again as fears over the scale of bad loans in the country's banking sector remain. Neil Mackinnon, global macro strategist at VTB Capital, said the trading week has started with a firm "risk-off" mood, with European banks in the spotlight given high levels of non-performing loans, especially among the Italian banks. Stock markets in Europe have managed to eke out some gains despite an earlier slide in Japan's main index, the latest in a series of dramatic moves in global financial markets. Investors around the world are worrying about a number of issues, including the fall in the price of oil to multi-year lows, the scale of the slowdown in China and whether many parts of the global economy will fall back into recession and suffer a debilitating period of deflation, or falling prices.
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The Latest: Norway investigating migrant child abuse cases
The move would be significant because many people fleeing conflict for safety in Europe arrive in GREECE, but don't apply for asylum there because ...
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Argo to represent GREECE
It was revealed today that GREECE will be represented by the band Argo in the 2016 Eurovision Song Contest. The song that will be performed in ...
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| READ THE ORIGINAL POST AT www.eurovision.tv |
Visit of GREEK PM is a 'milestone' in mutual relations, says Iranian vice president
Iran's Vice President, Isaac Jhangere, said on Monday that the visit of GREEK Prime Minister Alexis Tsipras to Tehran is a "milestone in developing ...
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Cornell students' emotional reactions to alleged sexual assault
I loved my experience in the sorority, I was proud to be a leader in the GREEK system, and all my close male friends were in fraternities. It took me a ...
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| READ THE ORIGINAL POST AT college.usatoday.com |
Greek stocks keep falling to historic lows amid political uncertainty
ATHENS, Feb. 9 (Xinhua) -- After a "Black Monday" for the Athens Stock Exchange (ASE), Greek stocks kept falling to historic lows on Tuesday amid refueled political uncertainty in the country, as local analysts have stressed. The general index dropped by 2 ...
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Cyprus, Greece, Israel to engage diasporas more frequently
Eastern Mediterranean Basin: Still a lot to... Cyprus, Greece and Israel aim to engage their diaspora, in the framework of their trilateral cooperation scheme, in order to promote both common interests as well as their respective national causes by ...
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Closing the Balkan Route: Will Greece Become a Refugee Bottleneck?
With EU officials considering border closures along the Balkan refugee route, Greece is worried that it will become overwhelmed by migrants. The EU has chastised Greece for not securing its external border, but failings can be found in Brussels too.
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| READ THE ORIGINAL POST AT www.spiegel.de |
After Israel, GREEK PM Tsipras to open up to Iran
GREEK Prime Minister Alexis Tsipras and Iranian Vice-President Eshagh Jahangiri during a welcome ceremony in Tehran, Iran, February 8, 2016.
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| READ THE ORIGINAL POST AT neurope.eu |
Cargo ferry Alios grounded off Kea island in GREECE
Alios ferry The cargo ferry Alios grounded off Kea island, GREECE. The accident happened in moderate weather and normal winds, caused by human ...
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| READ THE ORIGINAL POST AT www.newsmaritime.com |
The fall of Aleppo could have 3 major consequences for Syria and the world
[A man rides a motorcycle past damaged buildings in al-Myassar neighborhood of Aleppo, Syria January 31, 2016. Picture taken January 31, 2016. REUTERS/Abdalrhman Ismail]Thomson Reuters Over the past week, forces loyal to Syrian President Bashar al-Assad have nearly encircled the city of Aleppo, once the war-torn country's most populous urban center. By doing so, they have effectively cut off all vital routes of supply from Turkey to the rebel-held areas of the city. On Monday, Syrian government forces seized the northern town of Kfeen, not far from the border with Turkey. The offensive has prompted fears of a new refugee exodus, as well as the real risk that Aleppo, Syria's commercial capital during peacetime, will fall, marking perhaps the greatest victory for Assad since the 2011 rebellion against his rule first began. The Assad regime advance was boosted by the support of Iran-backed militias on the ground as well as months of Russian aerial bombardment. Other powers, including the United States, have looked on with a degree of helplessness as Moscow's intervention tilted the course of events on the Syrian battlefield strongly in the regime's favor. What follows in the weeks ahead has huge implications for the future of the Syrian conflict and the complex web of regional agendas and rivalries that surround it. Tweet Embed: https://twitter.com/mims/statuses/696027911879573504 Aleppo Is the Center of the Syrian Chessboard https://t.co/fUJIxNvN3O by @FabriceBalanche for @WashInstitute #Syria pic.twitter.com/33KvE7wVuF A NEW REFUGEE CRISIS Some observers believe the Syrian government will opt to starve out the rebels in Aleppo rather than risk a protracted, costly ground battle within the city. This, as my colleague Liz Sly reported last week, led to a new surge in refugees desperate to reach sanctuary. Some 35,000 Syrians massed at the Turkish border crossing near the town of Kilis, which was closed for the fourth consecutive day on Monday. Turkish officials have repeatedly warned that they're reaching a saturation point. Ankara says some 2.2 million Syrian refugees have arrived and been accommodated in Turkey since the beginning of the conflict, at the cost of billions of dollars in state funds. Prime Minister Ahmet Davutoglu, whose government has for years called for Assad's ouster and provided tacit support to some rebel factions, warned on Monday that Aleppo "is de facto under siege. We are on the verge of a new human tragedy." He was at a meeting with German Chancellor Angela Merkel, who was in Ankara briefly to discuss better cooperation between Turkey and its European partners over the handling of refugees. Many European leaders, including Merkel, are keen to thin the flow of refugees journeying west in the face of growing popular opposition at home and are negotiating an aid package to give Turkey more incentive to tighten its own controls. For both sides, the refugee influx is proving a moral and political quandary and exacerbating diplomatic tensions. [Syrians line up as they wait to cross into Syria at Oncupinar border crossing in the southeastern city of Kilis, Turkey February 8, 2016. REUTERS/Osman Orsal]Thomson Reuters "On the one hand they say 'open your borders, take everyone in'," grumbled Turkish deputy prime minister Yalcin Akdogan, referring to the European Union. "On the other hand they say 'close your border, don't let anyone through'." All the while, the plight of Syria's displaced and downtrodden grows even more grim. Fears of a Turkish clampdown meant increased numbers of refugees and migrants attempted the risky sea crossing to Greece. In January, more than 250 migrants drowned while making the trip -- roughly a third of the total number for all of 2015. The situation is equally dire for those now fleeing Aleppo and its environs, with aid groups struggling to provide adequate humanitarian relief. "The main route from the north into Aleppo city has been cut off," wrote Christy Delafield, a senior communications officer for MercyCorps, in an email from the Turkish city of Gaziantep on Monday night. "Mercy Corps is able to continue distributing pre-positioned food and other supplies for now. We cannot estimate how long those supplies will last and when we can next get a shipment in. Other routes are still open but these roads are unpredictable and risky." A POLICY DISASTER FOR THE WEST [Aleppoiswmap]Thomson Reuters Both the slow, brutal misery of the war — as well as the steady gains made by Assad and his allies in recent months — have highlighted the strategic difficulties that the Syrian conflict posed for many Western governments, especially the Obama administration. The White House has staked a lot of political capital on the progress of U.N.-brokered peace talks, negotiations that have already generated far more rancor than optimism. Meanwhile, with the backing of Moscow and Iran, the Assad regime is steadily stripping away what leverage the Syrian opposition -- a hodgepodge of often competing factions -- and its backers may have had. "Battlefield realities rather than great power politics will determine the ultimate terms of a settlement to end the Syrian Civil War," noted the D.C.-based Institute for the Study of War, in a policy memo published on Friday. "[Assad] and his allies in Russia and Iran have internalized this basic principle even as Washington and other Western capitals pinned their hopes upon UN-sponsored Geneva Talks, which faltered only two days after they began." The critics of the Obama administration's relative inaction have grown louder, accusing the White House, in hindsight, of not taking decisive measures sooner to boost moderate rebel elements and curb the Assad regime's relentless bombing campaigns against its own people. [Boys run near a hole in the ground after airstrikes by pro-Syrian government forces in the rebel held al-Sakhour neighborhood of Aleppo, Syria February 8, 2016. REUTERS/Abdalrhman Ismail]Thomson Reuters"Aleppo may prove to be the Sarajevo of Syria," writes New York Times columnist Roger Cohen, gesturing to another society that imploded in an orgy of sectarian strife as the world watched. "Syria is now the Obama administration's shame, a debacle of such dimensions that it may overshadow the president's domestic achievements," Cohen concludes. The White House and other voices in Washington suggested that Moscow's mission in Syria could soon turn into its own quagmire. They also contended, justifiably, that the recent history of American overreach and missteps in the Middle East ought to be a cautionary tale for intervention in Syria. But it's the Russians who are "making the weather" right now, writes Cohen, and reinforcing a Syrian ruler who President Obama had earlier insisted must go. "It's understandable for the United States to bank on a political process and urge the Syrian opposition to join this dialogue in good faith," writes Emile Hokayem, a Middle East scholar at the International Institute for Strategic Studies. "But to do so while exposing the rebellion to the joint Assad-Russia-Iran onslaught and without contingency planning is simply nefarious." AN ENDURING GEOPOLITICAL MESS Should Aleppo fall to the regime, it will mark a real turning point in the conflict. As Sly reported last week, the rebel takeover of the city in 2012 had come at a moment when many observers were confident Assad's demise was inevitable. Now, a fractured rebellion will have to soldier on against the odds, probably with the more fundamentalist, Islamist factions leading the fight. Moreover, world powers — and presumably also the Assad regime — will still want to vanquish the Islamic State, the extremist group that has dominated global headlines since its dramatic rise two years ago and controls territory in Iraq and Syria. [ISIS Islamic State Raqqa Syria]Thomson Reuters "This is not the end of the war, but could be the beginning of the end, with Assad, Russia, Hezbollah, and Iran as the biggest winners," Patrick Megahan, an analyst at the Foundation for Defense of Democracies, told Bloomberg News. (Hezbollah, a Lebanese Shia militant organization with thousands of fighters committed to the defense of the Assad regime, is an Iranian proxy.) "Many of the more radical groups will likely continue to fight even if the opposition loses much of its territory," Megahan adds. As Russia and Iran gain, two other prominent regional actors flounder. Saudi Arabia, which has played its own conspicuous role in supporting the rebellion, last week declared that it would consider sending ground forces to Syria — a scenario that would signal the greatest escalation yet in its regional power struggle with Iran. The proposal was scoffed at by the commander of Iran's Revolutionary Guards over the weekend. "They claim they will send troops, but I don't think they will dare do so," Maj. Gen. Ali Jafari told reporters in Tehran, according to Iran's semiofficial Fars news agency. "They have a classic army and history tells us such armies stand no chance in fighting irregular resistance forces." [Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan makes a speech during his meeting with mukhtars at the Presidential Palace in Ankara, Turkey, November 26, 2015. REUTERS/Umit Bektas]Thomson ReutersTurkey, meanwhile, is faced with multiple headaches of its own. The Russian power play in Syria has been a disaster for Ankara: Moscow's air war has both quashed any vague Turkish hopes for instituting a no-fly zone on the other side of the Syrian border and was also a boost for Syrian Kurdish factions, which have claimed more territory in stretches of northern Syria. A de facto Syrian Kurdish rump state is a non-starter for Turkey, which is in the midst of a renewed counterinsurgency against Kurdish guerrillas in the country's restive southeast. The prospect of a Turkish ground incursion has been floated, but it's a risky move that could intensify an already deadly conflagration. For his part, Assad has long cast his war as an operation against "terrorists" — no matter the copious evidence often to the contrary. With Aleppo in his hands, and any notion of a viable "moderate" rebellion in tatters, he may get what he wishes. "Assad has long wanted the contest in Syria to be seen as a fight between his regime and the extremists," writes Daniel Serwer of the Middle East Institute. "He is getting close to driving the relative moderates off the battlefield, fulfilling his own prophecy. The consequences for many Syrians, for Turkey and for the prospects for peace will be disastrous." NOW WATCH: An exercise scientist reveals how many hours of sleep you need to burn fat faster
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NATO to consider request to help Turkey with refugee flow to Greece
NATO's 28 defense ministers will consider, this week, a request to help Turkey track down human traffickers along its border with Greece. The request is not without concerns from Greece, and other member states.
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Greek Customs seizes 54m smuggled cigarettes in last 2 months
LONDON: European anti-fraud agents netted 54 million contraband cigarettes in Greece in cooperation with Greek and Cypriot customs agents in December and January, according to a statement by the European Anti-Fraud Office (OLAF). Of the total haul, 33 ...
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| READ THE ORIGINAL POST AT www.customstoday.com.pk |
The Latest: Macedonia Reinforces Migrant Border Barrier
The Latest: Authorities in Macedonia are reinforcing a barrier at the country's border with Greece that is designed to limit the number of migrants and refugees crossing into the country
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Erdogan threatened to 'open doors to GREECE and Bulgaria' and flood EU with migrants – report
"We can open the doors to GREECE and Bulgaria anytime and we can put the refugees on buses,” Erdogan was quoted as telling European ...
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Government: GREECE, Lenders Should Conclude Bailout Review The Soonest
GREECE and its official lenders must conclude a first assessment of the country's compliance with agreed reforms as fast as possible, the government's ...
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The Latest: Greek stock market sinks to lowest since 1989
LONDON (AP) - The latest on the turmoil afflicting global financial markets (all times local): 3:40 p.m. Who said Greece wasn't a concern in markets anymore? Greece's stock market has fallen to its lowest level since 1989 while the country's borrowing ...
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In Berlin, Varoufakis launches movement to democratise Europe
Greece’s former “rock-star” finance minister was back in the limelight on Tuesday as he launched a pan-European political movement aimed at saving the EU from “disintegration”.
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Tsipras calls Merkel: YES to NATO provided it operates within Turkish territorial waters only
German Chancellor Angela Merkel apparently discovered THE solution to bypass Greece’s objections to European conservatives’ proposals for joint Greek-Turkish patrols in the eastern Aegean Sea. Angela Merkel discovered the NATO and wants the involvement of the North Atlantic Treaty to halt the refugees and migrants flow to Europe. During her […]
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New kitchen manager adds Greek touch to Chattanooga Billiard Club
The menu at Chattanooga Billiard Club's downtown location has always been surprisingly delicious, but the recent addition of a new kitchen manager/chef is expected to add new exotic flavors to the menu. Katerina Demestiha is a former restaurant owner and ...
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| READ THE ORIGINAL POST AT nooga.com |
Greek ex-finance minister Varoufakis launches democracy movement
Yanis Varoufakis, who as Greece's finance minister last year tried to defy German-backed austerity policies, launched a pan-European movement in Berlin on Tuesday that he said aimed to "democratise" the continent. Varoufakis kicked off his "Democracy in Europe Movement 2025" (Diem25) at the historic Volksbuehne theatre, a venue well-known for its leftist political activism and its role in the former East Germany's peaceful revolution. "We've chosen Berlin precisely because nothing can change in a progressive direction without the full participation of Germany in our European endeavours," Varoufakis told a news conference in the packed, red-walled theatre auditorium.
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Blockade at Greek border: Bulgaria seeks EU intervention, drivers mount counter-blockade
Bulgaria is continuing to try to exert pressure on the Greek government and to seek European Commission intervention to end the blockade of the Bulgarian-Greek border by protesting Greek farmers. Blockades of checkpoints at Greece’s border with Bulgaria ...
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Greek PM Says Involvement of NATO in Aegean For Monitoring of Refugees Should Be Confined to Turkish Territorial Waters
Germany and Turkey agreed the other day to cooperate in order to prevent the flow of Syrian refugees from reaching Europe. Meeting in Ankara, German Chancellor Angela Merkel and Turkish Prime Minister Ahmet Davutoglu also discussed ways to help Syrians ...
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Greece, EU: Reform review programme needs to end soon
EU-US: Negotiations on TTIP will continue into... Greece and the EU have both expressed that the first review of the country’s economic reform programme needs to be completed as soon as possible, in statement on Tuesday. "Our firm position is that the ...
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Greek farmers ramp up motorway blockade over pension reforms
[Tractors line the highway in front of the customs post at the border crossing of Promachonas between Greece and Bulgaria, in northern Greece, as farmers set up a blockade of customs offices]Greek farmers on Tuesday stepped up their weeks-long protest against proposed pension reforms by setting up a blockade around the main north-south motorway, splitting the country in two.
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KC-135 integral to F-16 training in GREECE
SOUDA BAY, GREECE (AFNS) -- The first time the Air Force attempted to refuel an aircraft in flight, aircrews successfully stayed aloft for 151 hours.
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No Decision for Proceedings against GREECE over Border Blockade, EC Says
The Bulgarian Foreign Minister Daniel Mitov said earlier on Tuesday that the European Commission was going to launch proceedings against GREECE ...
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GREEK stocks extend Monday's heavy losses on political uncertainty
GREEK stocks fell 5 percent on Tuesday, extending Monday's heavy losses of about 8 percent as uncertainty lingered on whether Greece could swiftly ...
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GREEK Exporters May Lose Over $34Mln Daily Due to Farmers' Blockades
GREEK exporters may be losing over $34 million a day due to the ongoing blockade of country's highways by farmers, data from the Panhellenic ...
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| READ THE ORIGINAL POST AT sputniknews.com |
The mirage of a recovery in the Eurozone
Monetary unions have a tendency to divide participating countries to losers and winners. The Eurozone is no different. The dawning recovery of the Eurozone has raised some headlines during the winter. Recent positive growth figures from the economies of Spain, Portugal and even Greece have added to the optimism of long awaited recovery of the Eurozone. However, at the same time some new countries, like Finland, are facing serious economic hurdles, poverty in the euro area is at all-time high and youth unemployment remains highly elevated. Any kind of economic recovery would thus be warmly welcomed in the Eurozone (from now on EZ). The only problem is that a real recovery is highly unlikely. Even if the EZ as whole would regain sustained GDP per capita growth, deeply rooted productivity differences would make the recovery an uneven one. The flow of funds and production from low productivity countries to highly productive countries is likely to continue in spite of the level of recovery, which is partly reflected in the renewed grow of the Target2 imbalances. These capital flows are also extremely hard to reverse, which will lead to persistent divergence in the living standards within the EZ. Only a transfer union could even out the effects of these _asymmetric shocks_, but for that there is no political will. PERSISTENT PRODUCTIVITY DIFFERENCES Two years ago I co-authored a study where we looked into the roots of the European debt crisis (link, in Finnish). We found three main causes for the crisis: 1. Productivity differences between the US and Europe started to widen after mid 1990's 2. Productivity started to diverge between countries of the Eurozone after the formation of the euro 3. Because prices in the EZ converged, productivity differences lead to differences in competitiveness, which in turn lead to the debt driven boom in government expenditures in countries with low productivity. These productivity differences are clearly visible from the data. First figure below presents the growth of the total factor productivity (TFP) in the US and in the 11 original members (Greece joined in 2001) of the EZ. (Source: Conference Board, Total Economy Database) [2016-02-09-1455024440-8975806-Untitled.jpg] The figure shows us that, while the growth of TFP of the countries of the EZ clearly outperformed the TFP growth of the US before the creation of the EZ, during the EZ the TFP growth has been feeble. If we break the TFP growth of the Eurozone to individual countries, we see that it has slowed in every member county after they joined the zone, except in Austria and the Netherlands. [2016-02-09-1455024526-5509703-Euro.jpg] In our study, we found that the differences in TFP between countries of the EMU are likely to be explained by cultural differences, which control the adoption of new technology and differences in the resources devoted to research and development. In a recent working paper, S. Beugelsdijk, M. Klasing and P. Milionis find that agglomeration, the different knowledge-based externalities (e.g., income and education), historical path-dependence and cultural factors explain differences in productivity in Europe. What makes these factors problematic for the EZ is that only a few of them (like investments in research and development, R&D) can be altered easily. Many factors, like path-dependence and knowledge-based externalities, tend to be deeply rooted in the culture and changing them requires both considerable effort and time. What this means is that the most competitive countries, like Germany and Austria, set the conditions, i.e. the level of productivity, which countries have to meet to be able to grow in the EZ. Because productivity differences are caused by persistent factors, EZ will lead to a permanent fall in the living standards in those countries that are unable to meet the standards of productivity set by Germany. Eurozone will continue to create losers and winners It took the US over 150 years, several depressions and a Civil War before it enacted fiscal federal transfers to ease the effects of asymmetric shocks. According to H. Rockoff, the dollar union would have been likely to be broken down during the Great Depression if gratuitous federal fiscal transfers and federal deposit insurance would not have been executed. Currently, there are no signs of such political will in the EZ. Each country would need to contribute to the federal budget by the amount of 15 - 20 % of GDP (see page 41), to make the EZ an effective transfer union. Especially in the northern countries, like Finland, it is hard to imagine a situation where their citizens would be willing to transfer this amount of their income to the federal budget and to southern countries. This may, of course, eventually come to be, but it is likely to take a long time. While we are waiting, euro will continue to create income disparities, poverty and human misery among its members. Without a transfer union, euro will bring prosperity only to its strongest (the most productive) members. Would there be a renewed recession in the EZ, productivity differences would magnify the effects of the downturn in the members with low productivity. This could create a catastrophic backlash for the political will for staying in the monetary union. Thus, although the situation in the euro area appears calm, it may easily flare up again. -- 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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Revamping Our Focus on the Green SDGs -- Because We're All Human
As highlighted by President Obama in his final State of the Union address -- particularly following the inclusion of five climate and environment focused Sustainable Development Goals adopted at the U.N. in September, the agreement reached in Paris at the past year's COP21 conference and the recognition of 2015 clocking in as the hottest year on record -- the last climate deniers standing (most of them American) will soon be very lonely. Accepting this as fact, this reality of climate change begs another urgent question from the majority of us who do not dispute its obvious existence: how do we convince everyone to care enough to do something about it? That's where the media comes in. And the answer is framing climate change and environmental protections as what they are -- human rights. Just because the majority of the world's citizens recognize the legitimacy of climate change does not mean they are attune with the recommendations produced by the field's experts at COP21. As Sustainable Development Goal 17 (SDG 17) recognizes, it is partnership -- across global sectors -- that will ultimately achieve change. And while leaders across business, government and the non-profit world are making strides, the world needs everyone on board with why overfishing, accessibility to toilets, our ecosystems and clean energy matter -- and how they are all connected. That these interconnected green elements -- as highlighted by the Sustainable Development Goals -- matter due to their adverse effects on human lives is already being clearly demonstrated and felt by us all, particularly by the world's most vulnerable populations: SDG 6 (CLEAN WATER AND SANITATION) AND WOMEN'S SAFETY, EDUCATION Approximately 2.5 billion people -- one-third of the world's population -- still lack toilets, and one billion of them, mostly in rural areas, must resort to open defecation. While the relationship between access to toilets and gender-based violence is not causal, the former is certainly correlated to the latter in that poorly lit routes to isolated toilets that may not have proper locks make women much more vulnerable to predators. Furthermore, without proper sanitation facilities in schools, girls are faced with a major roadblock to managing their menstrual hygiene, resulting in both health problems like urinary tract infections and the tendency to miss school each month -- or drop out altogether. SDG 7 (AFFORDABLE AND CLEAN ENERGY) AND HEALTH We know that fossil fuels -- the world's primary energy source -- are incredibly detrimental to our planet, with the steady depletion of Earth's ozone layer. But it is also imperative to recognize a seemingly obvious reality of the burning of fossil fuels for energy, closer to ground: the buildup of ozone, particularly in urban areas, is drastically polluting the air people breathe. And killing them. The World Health Organization (WHO) has stated that outdoor air pollution was the cause of death for 3.7 million people in 2012 -- combined with indoor air pollution, WHO believes this to be the among the most detrimental threats to global health. The very lives of the world's population depend on the successful implementation of clean energy systems. SDG 13 (CLIMATE ACTION) AND SAVING LIVES Coastal communities and Small Island Developing States (SIDS) are already feeling the very real effects of climate change, including rising sea levels and changes to precipitation and storm intensity. As Prime Minister of Antigua & Barbuda Gaston Browne reminds us, this is a matter of survival. Already, the word 'refugee' takes on new meaning as even a one meter sea level rise could mean over 100,000 residents of Antigua & Barbuda will be displaced. But worse yet, it is the populations to be put at the most immediate dire risk that had perhaps the least to do with the manmade phenomenon of climate change, in the first place: As Browne states, > "The fact is, Antigua & Barbuda and all of the countries of the > Caribbean combined do not produce 0.01 percent of the harmful carbon > emissions now polluting the atmosphere. Rather than being polluters, > we are the victims of other people's pollution." SDG 14 (LIFE BELOW WATER) AND POVERTY Economic disparities between rich and poor nations are exacerbated due to illegal overfishing, which is stripping fishermen in areas like coastal East Africa of resources to earn a fair wage and consequently fuelling poverty and piracy. All the while, our precious ocean ecosystems are depleted. SDG 15 (LIFE ON LAND) AND THE REFUGEE CRISIS There are obvious connections between climate change's negative effects on land and its human inhabitants, such as wildfire. But there are more nuanced connections, as well, as explained by Dr. Saleemul Huq, Director of the International Centre for Climate Change Development: > "The refugee crisis unfolding right now across the Middle East and > Europe has its roots in social unrest that was compounded by an > unprecedented drought that struck the Syrian region from 2006 to > 2011, a drought that cannot be explained without taking climate > change into account." U.N. Secretary General Ban Ki-moon has similarly recognized that the genocide in Darfur "began as an ecological crisis, arising at least in part from climate change." CALL TO ACTION _ _A Turkish police officer discovers the body of three-year-old Syrian Alan Kurdi. Photo Credit: Nilufer Demir/DHA, via Reuters_ While it is true that the media has historically had difficulty portraying human rights to spur its readers into action, in 2015, the world sadly developed a new baseline: the photos of three-year-old Syrian Alan (Aylan) Kurdi -- who drowned on the shores of Turkey attempting to reach Greece -- jolted much of the world awake to the horrors of the refugee crisis they'd perhaps felt too disconnected from previously. So I'm calling upon my colleagues in media and all of its consumers: let's take this moment to push back against the concepts of otherization, distant suffering and desensitization to mass atrocities that have previously disengaged us from doing something_ to fight for human rights. Let's make connections to spur people into action -- take clean and safe drinking water as a pertinent example. Many Americans might've taken this for granted, viewed this sanitation issue as a faraway plight -- until the Flint water crisis. Let's save our planet to save our people, because as Jamie Henn asserts, "the stakes couldn't be higher." _This post is a part of a series produced by The Huffington Post in partnership with the Friendship Ambassadors Foundation leading up to the 2016 Youth Assembly at the United Nations, a unique platform created to foster dialogue and generate partnerships between youth, private sector, civil society and the United Nations. The winter session will focus on the role of youth in the implementation of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development. To see all posts in the series, click here._ -- 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 open to NATO's involvement in monitoring of refugees flows in Aegean under conditions
ATHENS, Feb. 9 (Xinhua) -- Greece is open to discuss a possible involvement of NATO in the monitoring of refugees flows from Turkey to Greece under certain conditions, Greek government spokeswoman Olga Gerovassilis said on Tuesday. Prime Minister Alexis ...
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Greece offers to send migrants directly back to Turkey via Aegean Sea
Greece’s defense minister has said he wants an agreement with neighboring Turkey that would allow the European Union’s Frontex border agency to stop and turn back - within Turkish waters - boats carrying migrants to the Greek islands
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