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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

Tuesday, January 14, 2014

Greek Naturists Cut Their New Year's Cake

Greek ReporterGreek Naturists Cut Their New Year's CakeGreek ReporterThe Greek naturist movement is hoping to make a fresh start after five years of inactivity and the closure of the only naturist club in Greece, the “Association of Physical Education and Greek Naturists- I Protoplasti.” During the event, they agreed on ...

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German Notes Drop on Nowotny as Greek Borrowing Costs Decline

Greek ReporterGerman Notes Drop on Nowotny as Greek Borrowing Costs DeclineBloombergTwo-year yields climbed from near the lowest in a month reached yesterday as Nowotny said growth in the euro area has “upside” potential. Belgium's 10-year bonds advanced for a third day as the nation sold new securities via banks. Greek borrowing ...Greek Mythology Figure Featured on New €10 BanknoteGreek ReporterECB reveals new 10-euro banknotes featuring mythic EuropaThe Voice of RussiaNew 10-Euro Banknote Unveiled, Mythical Europa FeaturedNovinite.comEurope Online Magazineall 150 news articles »

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Greek Ecomony Needs Another Two-Three Years

The time hasn’t come yet for Greece to open itself to markets, supports the economist Anastassios Frangulidis. “An exit path however is visible and this is something that the Greek people are also starting to realize.” “Greece will be ...

READ THE ORIGINAL POST AT eu.greekreporter.com

Greek Presidency debate with Prime Minister Samaras and President Barroso

European Parliament (press release)Greek Presidency debate with Prime Minister Samaras and President BarrosoEuropean Parliament (press release)The priorities of the incoming Greek Presidency of the Council will be debated with Prime Minister Antonis Samaras and Commission President Manuel Barroso on Wednesday at 09.00 CET. As announced, these priorities are: jobs, economic and social ...and more »

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Investigation into alleged Greek coastguard abuse of migrants

Ministers tell Nils Muižnieks, the Council of Europe's human rights commissioner, that investigat...

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Giannis' Blog: "Proud of Greece"

Giannis' Blog: "Proud of Greece"NBA.comThose who follow the NBA in Greece - and I am certain that you are a lot out there- know that the next game for us is against the Grizzlies. Through out the States the game doesn't ring many bells, but it's a very important match-up for greek basketball.

READ THE ORIGINAL POST AT www.nba.com

Kirk Morris to lead Greece DPW

Kirk Morris to lead Greece DPWRochester Democrat and ChronicleMorris, currently deputy county clerk under Clerk Cheryl Dinolfo, has been a member of the Greece Town Board representing the 4th Ward since 2009. He was sworn in to his third term earlier this month, and is expected to announce his resignation from ...and more »

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Macedonian leader: Greece is avoiding talks over name dispute

Gruevski added: "The international law is on our side and I believe that if Greece decides to respect international law, we can start the negotiations with the EU and we can join NATO immediately." The name dispute between the two countries has ...

READ THE ORIGINAL POST AT edition.cnn.com

Bulgaria's 'Blond Angel' to Remain in Greece

Novinite.comBulgaria's 'Blond Angel' to Remain in GreeceNovinite.comGreek children's charity Smile of a Child was given full custody of the Roma girl Maria, who was discovered in a Roma camp in Greece in October, local media reported. The court in the town of Larissa has ruled in favor of the local charity organization ...“Blonde angel” Maria remains in Greece, court rules outFocus Newsall 3 news articles »

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VOSKOS®, The First to Make Greek Yogurt in the U.S., Launches First National TV Ad

LOS ANGELES, Jan. 14, 2014 /PRNewswire/ -- VOSKOS® Greek Yogurt rang in the New Year with a new advertising campaign, which includes its first-ever national television commercial. Sun Valley Dairy, based in California, is the maker of VOSKOS® Greek Yogurt and the first company to produce Greek yogurt in the United States. Sun Valley Dairy has been making authentic and award-winning Greek yogurt ...

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The Attractions of Greece

For a beautiful paradise with sun and white beaches, Greece is a popular choice. DESIblitz has a look at Greece as a holiday destination and explores its many attractions. Head over to Corfu or Zante to experience the amazing night life of Greece.

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Turtle's Pace Progress on Greek Lagarde List Scandal

Greek ReporterTurtle's Pace Progress on Greek Lagarde List ScandalGreek ReporterThe Lagarde list contains names of Greeks who appear to have bank accounts at a HSBC bank in Geneva. The Greek people included in the list are suspects of possible tax violation. Mr. Stasinopoulos credits this delay on the need for the data to be refined.SDOE chief admits slow progress in 'Lagarde list' probeKathimeriniall 2 news articles »

READ THE ORIGINAL POST AT greece.greekreporter.com

Greek Publisher Arrested for Debt

Greek ReporterGreek Publisher Arrested for DebtGreek ReporterGreek publisher Giorgos Kouris was arrested by police for debts to the State and is now being held at the Greek police headquarters in Athens. Four arrest warrants were issued against him, one for debts to the Social Security Organization, IKA, and ...

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Moving forward

Most of the region that surrounds Greece has become extremely volatile and dangerous, yet this country remains an anchor of stability as waves of unrest crash around it. Greece’s position means that it has a lot to gain from an abundance of opportunities ... ...

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SDOE chief to brief Parliament on 'Lagarde list' probe

The head of the Financial Crimes Squad (SDOE) was due on Tuesday to present Parliament's ethics and transparency committee with a report on the progress made by his department in investigating a list of Greeks with large deposits at a branch of HSBC in Ge... ...

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SDOE chief admits slow progress in 'Lagarde list' probe

Financial Crimes Squad (SDOE) chief Stelios Stasinopoulos on Tuesday admitted to Parliament's ethics and transparency committee that an investigation into a list of Greeks with accounts at a Geneva bank for possible tax violations was slow in getting off ... ...

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Average per capita income drops 5.9 pct in 2010-2011 period

The average per capita annual income of Greeks dropped by 1,171 euros in 2011, a reduction of 5.9 percent compared with the previous year, provisional data published by the Hellenic Statistical Authority (ELSTAT) on Tuesday has shown. According to ELSTAT,... ...

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Finance minister appoints Belgian economist to board of HFSF

Greek Finance Minister Yannis Stournaras has appointed Belgian economist Wouter Devriendt to the board of the Hellenic Financial Stability Facility, Bloomberg reported. Devriendt spent 12 years in a variety of roles across ABN AMRO's international Wholesa... ...

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Ryanair adds nine new flights as part of Greece investment

Low-budget Irish airline Ryanair announced on Tuesday that it will be adding nine new flights from two new bases that are to be opened in Athens and Thessaloniki as part of a $280 million investment in Greece. Ryanair will have three aircraft based there ... ...

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Analysis: Greece hopeful, but any debt relief likely to be symbolic

BRUSSELS (Reuters) - Greece expects the euro zone to provide some debt relief to Athens later this year but the impact on its vast liabilities will be little more than symbolic.

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Greek socialists to form new leftist alliance for EU elections

ATHENS (Reuters) - Greece's once-mighty socialist PASOK party will team up with a new center-left group to contest European Parliament elections in May rather than run alone, after its support was decimated by the country's debt crisis.

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Greece posts budget surplus in 2013 at central government level

ATHENS (Reuters) - Greece's central government posted a primary budget surplus of 700 million euros last year and will also post a surplus at the more closely watched general government level, making ...

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Greece posts central government surplus in 2013, inches toward key target

Greece posted a budget surplus at the central government level in 2013 before debt servicing costs, moving closer to hitting a key surplus target that will open the way for debt relief from its international creditors. Greece, which has been bailed out twice, has been promised it will be eligible for more debt relief from its euro zone and International Monetary Fund lenders after turning around ...

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Court rules Greek charity should have full custody of Maria

KathimeriniCourt rules Greek charity should have full custody of MariaKathimeriniA court in Larissa, central Greece, on Tuesday ruled that the charity group Smile of the Child should be given full custody of Maria, a girl aged between 5 and 6 who was found living in a Roma camp in October with a couple that had falsely declared ...

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Travel: Learn to sail the ocean blue in Greece

Reading PostTravel: Learn to sail the ocean blue in GreeceReading PostClutching our Royal Yachting Association certificates and keen to climb another rung on Jacob's ladder, we signed up for a week's sailing in Greece, to sharpen our sea legs on the warm, friendly Ionian before braving the churning grey Solent. Sunsail's ...

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Riots in Egypt + recession in Greece = property boom in London

Riots in Egypt + recession in Greece = property boom in LondonQuartzHouse prices in the UK rose by a pedestrian 3.5% year-over-year in November, according to the latest data—that is, if you exclude London from the calculation. Residential property prices in London rose by 11.6%, which is down from 12% the previous ...and more »

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Birmingham City: Darren Ambrose leaves Blues for Greek club

BBC SportBirmingham City: Darren Ambrose leaves Blues for Greek clubBBC SportBirmingham City midfielder Darren Ambrose has left the club for Greek Super League side Apollon Smyrni. The 29-year-old has made just 10 appearances since signing for Blues from Crystal Palace on a two-year contract in the summer of 2012. He moves to ...Ambrose makes Greek switchOrange UK NewsAmbrose completes Greek loanSports MoleDarren Ambrose set for Greek SwitchBirmingham Mailall 14 news articles »

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Greece to Reach Key Budget Target for 2013

Greece expects to make primary budget surplus in 2013, meeting key bailout target    

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Greece expects to make primary budget surplus in 2013, meeting key bailout target

by  Associated Press Greece to reach key budget target for 2013 Associated Press - 14 January 2014 07:43-05:00

ATHENS, Greece (AP) — Greece's finance ministry says it is on target to achieve a primary budget surplus in 2013, a key target set in the country's bailout agreements.

Deputy Finance Minister Christos Staikouras said Tuesday that the core government's primary surplus — that is, not counting the cost of paying interest on existing debt — was 691 million euros ($956 million).

He said the primary surplus for overall government spending is expected to be 812 million euros ($1.1 billion). The official figure will be released in about one month.

Greece has promised to balance its budget before interest payments to qualify for a major debt relief deal expected later this year.

News Topics: Business, National budgets, Government budgets, Financial crisis, Government finance, Government business and finance, Government and politics, National governments, Economy, Financial markets

People, Places and Companies: Greece, Western Europe, Europe

Copyright 2014 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.


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Stournaras: Greek Debt Restructure, Not Cut Needed

ATHENS – After pressing a case that Greece can’t repay all it owes international lenders and wanted a debt cut, Finance Minister Yannis Stournaras has changed his tune and said restructuring – lower interest rates and a longer time to repay – is preferable and would add to the prospects for recovery and growth. Stournaras, […]

The post Stournaras: Greek Debt Restructure, Not Cut Needed appeared first on The National Herald.


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Panathinaikos Survives Apollon, 81-73

League-leading perennial power Panathinaikos looked lethargic but managed to come away with an 81-73 win against a hard-charging Apollon Patras team in the Greek basketball league on Jan 13, playing at an empty Olympic Sports Hall because of a penalty barring fans from attending. The win saved the Green perfect home record to stay on […]

The post Panathinaikos Survives Apollon, 81-73 appeared first on The National Herald.


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Lagarde List Probe Gets Airing

ATHENS – More than three years after Greece was handed a list of 2,062 citizens with $1.95 billion in secret Swiss bank accounts, a recent probe into whether they were tax cheats will be detailed before a Parliamentary committee on Jan. 14 by the head of the  Financial Crimes Squad (SDOE). Stelios Stasinopoulos was invited […]

The post Lagarde List Probe Gets Airing appeared first on The National Herald.


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Greece is the word for latest Ryanair expansion

Ryanair will open its second and third Greek bases in April as part of a $280m investment in Greece. The new bases, at Athens and Thessaloniki, will have three based aircraft and offer a total of nine new routes. David O’Brien, Ryanair’s director of ...

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Working in Greece

The International Monetary Fund (IMF), European Central Bank (ECB) and eurozone governments have provided Greece with emergency loans. There has also been speculation of introducing a six-day working week or Greece being expelled from the eurozone should ...

READ THE ORIGINAL POST AT targetjobs.co.uk

Ryanair announces two new Greek bases

Ryanair has invested $280m in the opening of two new bases in Greece - one in Athens and another in Thessaloniki. The new bases will open this April. Ryanair also has a base in Chania in Crete. Athens will have two Ryanair planes based there and the ...

READ THE ORIGINAL POST AT www.rte.ie

Zincirli Mosque Serres: The Forgotten Monument

The Zincirli Mosque in the Greek northern town of Serres, one of the oldest Ottoman mosques in Europe, has opened its gates for public, non-religious use after nearly a century of neglect. Built by Mimar Sinan (1490-1588), the famous Ottoman chief architect serving three sultans and responsible for more than three hundred major Ottoman structures, […]

READ THE ORIGINAL POST AT greece.greekreporter.com

Now Stournaras Doesn’t Want Debt Cut

Greek Finance Minister Yannis Stournaras, dismissing reports he may be appointed the Governor of the Bank of Greece which has had trouble predicting the country’s fiscal fortune, told SKAI TV that he’s changed his mind about asking the country’s international lenders for debt relief because it could destabilize the Eurozone. A previous government in 2011 […]

READ THE ORIGINAL POST AT greece.greekreporter.com

China Interested In Greek Saffron

Chinese businessmen and investors, who visited the area of Kozani in the northern Greek Region of Macedonia Monday morning, showed great interest in Greek saffron and other regional agricultural products. The Chinese delegation, led by the Secretary-General of the Beijing Chamber of Commerce, visited the area after an invitation by the Greek mayor of Kozani, […]

READ THE ORIGINAL POST AT greece.greekreporter.com

Greece: survey; interest on real estate investments up

(ANSAmed) – ATHENS, JANAURY 14 - Despite the ongoing recession - according to a Colliers International survey - international investors appear to be more willing to take risks in high-risk markets ... observed in Greece’s investment activity during ...

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Greece stepping up crackdown on neo-Nazi party 'Golden Dawn': Analysts

Economic TimesGreece stepping up crackdown on neo-Nazi party 'Golden Dawn': AnalystsEconomic TimesATHENS: Authorities in Greece are renewing their efforts to neutralise aggressive neo-Nazi party Golden Dawn, which is under investigation for murder and other crimes, observers say. Over the weekend, three more Golden Dawn lawmakers were placed in ...and more »

READ THE ORIGINAL POST AT economictimes.indiatimes.com

Field Museum plans major exhibit of Greek antiquities

Field Museum plans major exhibit of Greek antiquitiesCrain's Chicago Business (blog)The 2015 showcase of Greek antiquities (being done with the National Hellenic Museum) and other upcoming exhibits are part of a larger effort to attract visitors, especially Chicagoans, Mr. Lariviere said. Of the 1.3 million visitors to the museum last ...

READ THE ORIGINAL POST AT home.chicagobusiness.com

Cal Poly proposal would ban kegs, drinking games at Greek parties

Cal Poly is considering party policy guidelines for its university Greek system that would essentially change the nature of future fraternity and sorority gatherings — banning drinking games, kegs and hard alcohol while limiting festivities to four-hour stints, according to a draft proposal obtained by Mustang News.

READ THE ORIGINAL POST AT www.sanluisobispo.com

EU must open doors to avoid Syrian refugee catastrophe, says UN

Colin Firth, Michael Palin and Grayson Perry condemn lack of British action over what David Milliband calls 'the defining humanitarian crisis of our time'The Refugee Council's letter to David Cameron

The crisis posed by millions of refugees from Syria's civil war flooding into neighbouring countries is becoming a humanitarian and political catastrophe that can only be eased if Europe opens its doors, the UN and European commission have warned.

More than 2.1 million refugees have been registered by the UN high commissioner for refugees (UNHCR) in Syria's four neighbouring states; hundreds of thousands more are known to be living outside Syria's borders without access to aid.

The scale of the crisis is perhaps the most acute since the end of the second world war. David Miliband, president of the International Rescue Committee (IRC), described the ever-deteriorating situation in Syria as "the defining humanitarian crisis of our time".

The UNHCR, European commission and British Refugee Council have urged EU leaders to acknowledge the exceptional crisis posed by the Syrian civil war and accept the temporary settlement of Syrian refugees inside their borders – relaxing "fortress" policies designed to keep migrants out of Europe.

The UN has issued an urgent call to resettle 30,000 of the most vulnerable Syrians worldwide – a call that remains unmet as the exodus from Syria into Turkey, Lebanon, Jordan and Iraq fast outpaces the capacity to provide for them. The UK government has refused to take part in the resettlement scheme, calling the idea tokenistic and stressing the importance of the £500m of aid it has sent to the region.

António Guterres, UN commissioner for refugees, told the Guardian: "While countries neighbouring the conflict are being asked to keep their borders open, I find it disconcerting how many Syrians struggle to find protection in Europe, with reports of people being pushed back from a number of borders. And all this is happening although the overall numbers are small in comparison – Turkey alone has received 10 times the number of Syrian refugees as all EU member states together.

"I have been repeatedly calling on all countries, particularly in Europe and the extended Middle East, to allow Syrians to access asylum and enjoy quality protection."

Michele Cercone, spokesperson for the European commissioner for home affairs, said member states could not be coerced to accept the resettlement programme, but the commission had offered €6,000 (£5,000) towards every refugee a country accepted. "If all member states would get involved into an EU resettlement exercise and make available a proportionate number of places, we would be able to resettle thousands people more from refugee camps."

The EU has stressed the importance of aid but has resisted sharing the vast burden of refugees. While it has applied enormous pressure on Turkey to keep its borders open – Turkey has so far accepted about 600,000 people – it is working as quickly as possible to create a network of fences, patrols and policies to keep them from entering Europe. The EU has spent millions on border controls between Turkey and Greece.

About 64,000 Syrians – 2.4% of the total number who have fled – have sought asylum in Europe, with 60% of those applications made in Sweden and Germany.

The deputy prime minister, Nick Clegg, revealed last week that the UK had taken in 1,500 displaced Syrians through regular asylum routes, but that number falls far short of demands of the UN.

"The neighbouring countries are beyond what in the west would be considered the breaking point," Miliband said. "The refugee influx into Lebanon – more than 800,000 out of a population of 4.5  million – is the equivalent of 60 million people coming to the US. The cost of the crisis to the Lebanese economy alone is estimated by the World Bank at $7.5bn (£4.5bn). It is time for the rest of the world to step up and for the US to lead by example."

Frustrated by the government's position, the Refugee Council has published a strongly worded letter in the Guardian addressed to David Cameron, stating "aid is not enough". The letter – signed by Colin and Livia Firth, Emma Thompson, Michael Palin, Dame Vivienne Westwood, Grayson Perry and Juliet Stevenson – says: "So far, 18 countries have responded by pledging resettlement places for Syrian refugees. We're ashamed Britain isn't one of them."

Vincent Cochetel, the director of UNHCR for Europe, described the UK's response as "timid" and "not good enough". Refugees - Afghanis and Somalis as well as Syrians - fleeing some of the most violent conflicts of our aged are simply being pushed into dangerous, illegal journeys to find safety.

As the inevitable exodus into Jordan, Turkey and the Kurdish north of Iraq continues, so enormous humanitarian demands grow.

The unresolved refugee crisis has been particularly destablising in Lebanon, whose fragile sectarian mix is being increasingly unsettled by the influx of primarily Sunni Muslim refugees. The Lebanese government has refused to allow refugee camps or anything resembling a permanent shelter to be constructed on its territory, fearing deeply ingrained sectarian tensions will be inflamed.

As the war has intensified, regional backers have increasingly shored up support for their proxies. The Alawite-led regime of Bashar al-Assad is resolutely backed by Iran and Russia, while the predominantly Sunni opposition is supported equally strongly by Saudi Arabia, Turkey, Qatar and other Gulf states.

Syria has become an unflinching contest for regional supremacy, anchored largely by the ancient regional power struggle between Tehran and Riyadh, but fuelled by more contemporary grievances.

The volatile sectarian power tussle leaves little concern for the health and safety of millions of refugees, the majority of whom are women and children.

"We are talking about people that are in dire need," Maurice Wren, chief executive of the Refugee Council, said, arguing that the British government was being led too strongly by domestic pressures on migration. "[What] we are seeing from the camps is eye-wateringly scary. It is just not a sustainable environment for people who cannot look out for themselves."

In a cafe in Istanbul, the Guardian found Syrian refugees discussing the response of Europe to the crisis, and the options available to them as a result. Because Turkey offers sanctuary but no permanent residency, refugees cannot work legally. Men in the cafe talk about travelling illegally to countries such as Germany or Sweden, which have very generous policies towards Syrians who make it to their borders. But there are almost no legal routes to either country from Syria or Turkey. At least Britain's position is honest, says one man: "They don't want any Syrians."

One man, Tarek, describes how he has tried and failed three times to cross into Europe through Bulgaria, each time being caught by Bulgarian border guards and "pushed back" into Turkey. If this was on Bulgarian territory, it was a breach of international refugee law. Illegal push backs from Greece and Italy have been widely reported by human rights groups.

This journey has separated Tarek from his wife, Yasmin, who is nine months' pregnant and their four-year-old son.

The Guardian found Yasmin in Harmanli detention camp in Bulgaria where she and her son are living in a portable building with three other families, surviving on one meal a day.

Back in Istanbul, Tarek says he will keep trying to get into Bulgaria to find his wife: "We suffer twice, first in Syria and now as refugees. I feel like I'm fighting the world to be with my family."

Syrians are not alone in their perceptions of the European asylum system as a giant trap. For refugees from across Asia and North Africa, including Afghans, Somalis and Eritreans, it is now almost impossible to appeal for asylum in Europe without travelling illegally along dangerous routes.

Those who do reach Europe are further confined by the Dublin agreement, which stipulates that asylum seekers must remain in their first country of entry, despite the differing conditions that refugees face across the EU. Italy, Greece and Bulgaria have all been widely criticised for their treatment of asylum seekers, but they say their geographical position means they are bearing an unfair share of responsibility for coping with refugee flows.

Cochetel said traumatised refugees were being put at risk by European policy. He argues that there must be wider reform of asylum policy in Europe, as Syria's neighbours cannot be expected to bear the full humanitarian weight of a conflict that offers little hope resolution.

"It's not good enough; its timid," Chochetel said: "Five hundred in France, 10 in Hungary, 90 in Ireland, none in the UK. We need to wake up to the situation. Everybody was hoping for a quick fix, but the reality of the conflict is that we know many people will never go home, not just because their house is gone but because the infrastructure is gone."

RefugeesUnited NationsEuropean UnionEuropeSyriaMiddle East and North AfricaLebanonArab and Middle East unrestTurkeyForeign policyMigrationDavid MilibandGreeceNick CleggMartin ChulovHarriet Granttheguardian.com © 2014 Guardian News and Media Limited or its affiliated companies. All rights reserved. | Use of this content is subject to our Terms & Conditions | More Feeds


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Boost for Greek bonds

ETIHAD Airway, the third-largest Middle Eastern airline, said it's looking for purchases in the Americas and China to round out its strategy ... executive officer James Hogan said in Berlin. "These partners allow us to stretch our network globally and ...

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London house prices linked to political uncertainty overseas

Study finds that turmoil in certain countries 'directly correlates' with strong price rises in their related London areas

House price rises in parts of London can be directly linked to political turmoil in far-flung countries as rich foreign buyers look for a safe haven for their cash, according to a study by the University of Oxford.

For more than 20 years London property values have benefited from events abroad, especially in areas of the capital already popular with wealthy immigrant communities, the study by two academics at the university's Saïd Business School found.

Chinese, Middle Eastern and Russian buyers, who dominated before 2008, have competed with Italians, Spaniards and Greeks in recent years as wealthy southern Europeans hit by the financial crash bought safe assets.

The study showed that house price rises in London could be attributed – at least in part – to the influx of foreign buyers, separately from other factors including low interest rates and the government's Help to Buy scheme to boost the market.

House price rises of around 8% last year, according to the latest figures from lenders the Halifax and Nationwide, were largely driven by rises in the south-east and the study is likely to fuel anger among ordinary buyers who are increasingly priced out of the market.

There is a direct correlation between house price changes in particular areas of London and economic and political risks in different parts of the world, according to academics Tarun Ramadorai and Cristian Badarinza.

They said: "This goes a long way towards explaining why London house prices have continued to rise at a disproportionate rate compared with those in the rest of the country, and can also shed light on the well-known fact that capital flows appear to flow 'uphill' from relatively poor to relatively rich countries."

On average, in London areas with a higher share of residents originating from a particular country, house prices were nearly 0.5% higher in months following an increase in that country's annually-measured political uncertainty.

Ramadorai said they sub-divided London into electoral wards and linked each London area with a specific foreign country. The research found that increases in political and economic uncertainty in certain countries was closely associated with strong price rises in their linked London areas.

Ramadorai said: "The seeming invulnerability of London's property market has long been assumed to be a result of its status as a 'safe haven' – an investment location in which assets will retain or even increase their value in the face of turbulence in other parts of the world.

"However, this perception has not been backed up with rigorous, empirical research on the issue. The granular level at which we have analysed the data allows us to confirm that safe haven demand effects from southern Europe, China, the Middle East, Russia, and south Asia are indeed important factors in explaining the dynamics of London house prices."

The researchers traced millions of house price transactions to identify the effect over the past decade and a half, using information from the Land Registry, the Office of National Statistics, and the Nationwide building society, as well as data on international economic and political uncertainty from a number of sources.

House pricesLondonPropertyPhillip Inmantheguardian.com © 2014 Guardian News and Media Limited or its affiliated companies. All rights reserved. | Use of this content is subject to our Terms & Conditions | More Feeds


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BP gets exclusive rights on Prinos oil output

British Petroleum signed on Monday an agreement with the Greek state and Greek firm Energean Oil & Gas for the multinational to be the exclusive buyer of the oil output from the Prinos reserves in the northern Aegean for the next six years. The developmen... ...

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Athens happy with delay to talks with the troika

Greece’s fiscal progress will probably not be on the agenda of the next Eurogroup on January 27, as the government would rather delay talks with its creditors in order to have what it sees as favorable December 2013 data factored in too. With the date of ... ...

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Direct concessions are still the rule

The direct concession of procurements, services and projects remains the norm in Greece, as no more than 20 percent (in number, not value) of public contracts are conducted through tenders when amounts of more than 30,000 euros are concerned, according to... ...

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Centre-left movement chooses name for European Parliament elections

A new centre-left movement, known as the "58" or the "Greek Olive Tree," is to stand at May's European Parliament elections as the Progressive Democratic Party. It was announced on Monday that the party would come under the umbrella of the Party of Europe... ...

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Businessman's body found in car in Ioannina's lake

Police in Ioannina, northwestern Greece, said on Monday a body had been found in a submerged car in Lake Pamvotida. Authorities identified the victim as a 58-year-old businessman. Police, who are investigating the incident, were assisted by the fire depar... ...

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