Pages

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

Sunday, February 9, 2014

Greece FM:Primary Surplus Calculations Valid,Based On EU Rules

Greek ReporterGreece FM:Primary Surplus Calculations Valid,Based On EU RulesForexTV.comBy Angelika Papamiltiadou ATHENS (MNI) - Greece's Finance Minister Yiannis Stouraras said Sunday that the method used to calculate his country's much-expected 2013 primary surplus is valid and meets European Union rules, refuting comments by ...Greece, Eurostat Wrestle Over SurplusGreek ReporterCrisis: Greece; recession below 4% in 2013, minister saysANSAmedGovernment to leverage surplus for debt reliefKathimeriniExpress.grall 12 news articles »

READ THE ORIGINAL POST AT www.forextv.com

New Greek Voting System for Upcoming Elections

double the number of MEP’s eventually elected (21) to represent the country in the EU institution. In Greece, any changes made to the EU electoral law require a simple majority in the Greek parliament, opposed to the qualified majority (3/5 ...

READ THE ORIGINAL POST AT greece.greekreporter.com

Jobless total spikes

Spanish government figures show that the number of people registered as unemployed has risen by 113,097 as temporary job contracts created over Christmas come to an end, AP reported.

On 4 February, the Labor Ministry said the reduction put the total number of those registered in unemployment offices at 4.81 million in January. Year-on-year, the figure was down 166,343.

Quarterly unemployment surveys - seen as more accurate by economists - show Spain’s unemployment rate was 26% in the fourth quarter of 2013, with six million people out of work. The rate is the second highest in the 28-country European Union after Greece.

Spain is battling to recover from a two-year recession. However, the government insists the economy is improving and will create jobs in 2014.  Almost 100,000 people were laid off from the services sector, while employment also fell in agriculture, by 8,110 people and in industry, by 3,577.

“This month’s figure remains significantly better than previous years, considering that in the last five years registered joblessness has risen by an average of 544,000 people on an annual basis,” Spain’s Employment Secretary Engracia Hidalgo said.

The Spanish economy emerged from a two-year recession in the second half of last year, prompting many economists to raise their economic forecasts and the government to forecast net job creation for 2014. But for many Spaniards, making ends meet remains a constant struggle. Jobs are scarce and, when they do become available, wages are often low.


READ THE ORIGINAL POST AT www.neurope.eu

Greek festival hosts first toga fun run

Greek festival hosts first toga fun runHernando TodayThe fun run was a first for Christ the Savior Greek Orthodox Church's Greek Festival, now in its fourth year. Runners chanted "toga!" at the start of the run and as they finished. Event coordinator Emily Thomas said rain kept a lot of people home this ...

READ THE ORIGINAL POST AT hernandotoday.com

Greece says Syrian chemicals not a threat to the Mediterranean

A planned international operation to destroy Syria’s chemical arsenal at sea will pose no threat to the Mediterranean ecosystem, Greece’s foreign minister told an EU conference on Thursday. “Our concerted diplomatic efforts... have given many ...

READ THE ORIGINAL POST AT www.independent.com.mt

Greece, Eurostat Wrestle Over Surplus

Eurostat head Walter Radermacher, in an interview with a German newspaper, was skeptical of how Greece would calculate the surplus but Stournaras said it will be based on acceptable accounting principles. “The method (the primary surplus ...

READ THE ORIGINAL POST AT greece.greekreporter.com

Clooney calls for Britain to return Parthenon Marbles to Greece

MetroClooney calls for Britain to return Parthenon Marbles to GreeceMetroHollywood actor George Clooney has called for Britain to return artefacts such as the Parthenon Marbles to Greece, saying it is 'the right thing to do'. The 52-year-old actor was speaking at a press conference in Berlin for his new film The Monuments ...George Clooney on Parthenon Marbles: Bring Them Back!Greek ReporterGeorge Clooney believes Britain should lose its MarblesThe Independentall 3 news articles »

READ THE ORIGINAL POST AT metro.co.uk

150 Syrian refugees 'disappear' in Greece

The UN and Amnesty International are calling for an investigation into Greece's treatment of refugees after 150 Syrians disappeared from the village of Praggi. Approximately 150 Syrian refugees who turned up in the north-eastern Greek village of Praggi ...

READ THE ORIGINAL POST AT www.worldbulletin.net

State sprinkler law, competition motivate investments at Greek houses

State sprinkler law, competition motivate investments at Greek houses77Square.comFor a confluence of reasons, Greek houses in Madison — like those around the country — are seeing millions of dollars in investment to make them safer, more appealing to brothers and sisters who want fraternal living but perhaps a bit more privacy ...

READ THE ORIGINAL POST AT host.madison.com

Rena Dourou: 'You can be blonde and involved in foreign and defence policy'

A rising star in the Greek opposition, Syriza's Rena Dourou was assaulted on TV by a Golden Dawn spokesmanGaby Hinsliff introduces the Observer's series on female politicians around the world

Twenty months after becoming an MP, Rena Dourou, 39, has run up against many of the problems that female parliamentarians encounter in Greece. There is, she says, the dilemma of being perceived as a "bitch or a bimbo" or "severe or soft" or "serious or stupid". And that's before talk even turns to the issue of hair. "Now I am blonde and I am going to keep it that way until I turn grey," she says. "And they are going to have to accept you can be blonde and involved in foreign and defence policy."

Four years after Athens' financial meltdown, most MPs daren't walk the streets because the political establishment is widely blamed for bringing debt-crippled Greece to the brink of ruin. "Even my mother says this is not the time to go into politics," she smiles. "But then she does add that at a time like this, when things are just so difficult, someone's got to do it."

As a rising star in Greece's main opposition party, the radical left Syriza, Dourou has the distinct advantage of not only being untested by power but belonging to a camp that appears to have the popular dynamic behind it. With Syriza leading the polls, she may well end up as Athens' next prefect – a post she was put forward for last week – when crucial local elections are held in May. If so, she will oversee more than 4 million people and a substantial budget.

Dourou, who has handled Syriza's defence and foreign policy since they morphed from fringe to mainstream party in 2012, emerged out of the anti-globalisation movement. She takes immense pride in saying that since joining Syriza in 2004 – the year the leftist alliance was formed – she has never been on its payroll. "That way you can lose the autonomy of your views."

None of this was pre-ordained. As the daughter of a policeman, she grew up in an environment where "no one was reading Freud or Lacan. But in a primitive way they were very liberal, very feminist. There were no stereotypes. My parents were conservatives but when I told them I had voted for the left they were immensely proud because they believed in the notion of citizenship."

Dourou worries that with the meteoric rise of Greece's neo-fascist Golden Dawn party, the country is embroiled in "a crisis of democracy". Although Syriza has more female MPs than any other party – 27 of its 71-strong parliamentary group are women – she is anxious that the debt crisis will deter women from going into politics. "The very first tweet to greet the news of my candidacy for the Athens prefecture was a joke about my thighs," she says.

Dourou was famously assaulted by Golden Dawn's spokesman, Ilias Kasidiaris, during a televised talk show in 2012. The next day Dourou received emails in which Greeks, including women, applauded Kasidiaris, who threw a glass of water in her face and lashed out at another female MP who stood up to protest.

Dourou recalls the attack with a mixture of dignity and regret. "My reaction? It was to going to happen because that is how they behave." She sighs. "People who don't know me were shocked at how calm I was. But I'm always like that. I can't remember the last time I cried … being calm is a great quality to have in politics."

Women in politicsGreeceFeminismGenderEuropeWomenHelena Smiththeguardian.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


READ THE ORIGINAL POST AT www.theguardian.com

Greece Will Use Primary Surplus For Debt Relief Bid

After previously stating Greece didn’t need nor would seek debt relief, the government now is reportedly planning to use a primary surplus that is expected to be larger than first estimated to force losses on international lenders as a previous government did with private investors and bondholders. Greece is surviving on $325 billion in two bailouts from the Troika of the European Union-International Monetary Fund-European Central Bank (EU-IMF-ECB) that run out this year but most analysts say they can’t be repaid because the rescue packages haven’t cut the country’s debt. There was a trigger clause in the memorandum that allows the government to ask for debt relief – essentially stiffing the Troika on a portion of what it owes, although it’s not been reported how much that would be. In 2011, a previous government in which current PASOK Socialist leader Evangelos Venizelos was finance minister, arbitrary imposed what were effectively cuts of 74 percent on investors, including those in the Diaspora bonds that became almost worthless. He is now the Deputy Prime Minister/Foreign Minister in the coalition headed by Prime Minister Antonis Samaras, the New Democracy Conservative leader who has said a recovery will begin this year from a crushing economic crisis in which austerity measures demanded by the Troika created record unemployment and deep poverty. The government is locked in stalled negotiations with the Troika over unresolved reforms and how to close a 2.4 billion euro. ($3.27 billion) hole in the 2014 budget. No date has been set for the lenders envoys to return to Athens for talks but when they do Finance Minister Yannis Stournaras reportedly will put debt relief on the table. The government will argue that achieving a primary surplus was the key although it doesn’t include interest on the debt Greece wants to cut, nor the cost of state and municipal enterprises, social security and some military expenditures. The government also has to find 500 million euros ($681.78 million) to pay the salaries retroactively of members of the military and emergency services that were cut with the country’s highest court reportedly set to rule that was unconstitutional. With the date that troika officials are to return to Athens still unclear, the government is believed to be focusing on exploiting the leverage afforded by a larger-than-expected primary surplus to push its goal of launching negotiations on debt relief. The government had hoped the talks would be before a Feb. 17 meeting of Eurozone finance ministers. The newspaper Kathimerini, citing unidentified sources, said the government wants the okay on debt relief talks from Germany, the biggest contributor to the bailouts but with Chancellor Angela Merkel insisting on big pay cuts, tax hikes and slashed pensions. She had ruled out any negotiations on a debt cut which would force taxpayers in the other 17 Eurozone countries to pick up the tab for generations of wild overspending by alternating New Democracy and PASOK administrations that hired hundreds of thousands of needless workers in return for votes. There’s  political edge in play too, as municipal and European Parliament elections are set for May and poll show New Democracy slipping further behind the major opposition Coalition of the Radical Left (SYRIZA) and even in danger of fighting it out for second with the neo-Nazi Golden Dawn party whose leaders have been jailed or arrested on charges of running a criminal gang.  PASOK is irrelevant in the polls and has aligned itself with the new Initiative of the 58 in a bid to avoid become extinct. If debt talks do begin in April, this could give Samaras an edge over leftist SYRIZA leader Alexis Tsipras, whose party rejects the terms of the country’s foreign loan agreements. Tsipras said if he comes to power he will renege on at least 60 percent of the debt although that could force Greece out of the Eurozone and also unable to return to the markets, leaving it bankrupt. Stournaras said he’s readying a February surprise that is expected to show the primary surplus will be more than the eWhile Samaras and Finance Minister Yannis Stournaras push for talks on debt relief privately, their public statements have focused more on Greece’s primary surplus, which is expected to exceed 1.1 billion euros ($1.5 billion). Samaras, hoping to quell public anger and stem political unrest, said he would return 70 percent of the surplus to those who’ve most been affected by the austerity measures, a tactic Greek governments frequently use before elections to win, or keep, disaffected voters. The rich and politicians have largely been untouched by austerity, and many of them have prospered. The Troika wants to see progress on unsettled reforms, such as lagging privatization, ending professional monopolies and further cuts to the civil service, which successive governments have been promising for years but failed to deliver. Meanwhile, Stournaras told the Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung that Greece’s funding gap for 2014 is around 5 billion euros or 11 billion euros for the next two years. He had previously denied there was one and added that Greece did not need a third rescue package. He said the gap would be filled by unexplained budget reforms and going after tax cheats, both of which the government has failed to do for decades. While the government doesn’t want to repay its loans in full, it has set aside a bill providing for debt relief for indebted households that can’t pay mortgages, loans and credit cards because pay cuts, tax hikes and slashed pensions. New Democracy and PASOK have also said they can’t repay 250 million euros ($340.9 million) they owe to banks even though they are granted free money from the public coffers they put up as collateral.

READ THE ORIGINAL POST AT greece.greekreporter.com

Hard choices if a Greek tragedy looms for Europe

If the Greek economy remains on the floor and the political situation nears boiling point, the only half-decent news from Greece is how little societal breakdown there has been. In the early months of the crisis, in the spring of 2010, waves of street ...

READ THE ORIGINAL POST AT www.independent.ie

Greek Civil Wars, in the Country’s Genes?

Civil wars come at a certain point in every country’s history and create some bleak historic moments. For Greece though it seems that its people have civil wars running in their blood, since during its 194-year-old modern history, Greeks have ...

READ THE ORIGINAL POST AT greece.greekreporter.com

Turkish FM calls Greek counterpart, Bosniak leader

Davutoglu discusses the recent developments on Cyprus dispute with Greek FM Evangelos, and Turkey-Bosnia relations with Bosnia's Izetbegovic Turkey’s Foreign Minister, Ahmet Davutoglu held phone talks on Saturday with his Greek counterpart, Evangelos ...

READ THE ORIGINAL POST AT www.worldbulletin.net

Greek festival touts ethnic foods and fun

Greek festival touts ethnic foods and funYoungstown VindicatorThe popular food is one of many that are among the main attractions of the biannual Greek festival in the community center across the street from Archangel Michael Greek Orthodox Church, 401 Twelfth St. The gathering is to bring people together to ...and more »

READ THE ORIGINAL POST AT www.vindy.com

Chobani Posts Ad Inspired By Gay-Pride Flag, Takes On Russia's Anti-Gay Laws

On Friday evening, Greek-yogurt maker Chobani released on Twitter an image of stacked yogurt cups representing the colors of the rainbow with the tagline “Naturally Empowering Everyone.” The post comes just after Chobani, a sponsor of the United States Olympic Committee and Team USA, publicly denounced Russia’s anti-gay laws. "It's disappointing that in 2014 this is still an issue," Chobani's CEO, Hamdi Ulukaya, told the Associated Press on Feb. 5. "We are against all laws and practices that discriminate in any way, whether it be where you come from or who you love — for that reason, we oppose Russia's anti-LGBT law." (Story continues below),

Naturally Powering Everyone pic.twitter.com/J8g70TrCny

— Chobani (@Chobani) February 8, 2014 The U.S. and the Olympic host country are currently in the midst of a trade spat involving dairy product imports -- notably Chobani yogurt. Russia authorities refuse to allow 5,000 cups of Chobani yogurt intended to feed U.S. Olympians into Sochi. The yogurt currently is stranded in New Jersey, The Washington Post reports. “The Russian Authorities should get past ‘nyet,’ ” New York Sen. Chuck Schumer (D) said in a statement this week, “and let this prime sponsor of the U.S. Olympic Team deliver their protein-packed food to our athletes.” Russia has held a three-year embargo on U.S. dairy products, and is requesting a food safety certificate for the yogurt to be permitted into the country. However, according to Schumer, “The U.S. Department of Agriculture has recently gotten involved with the Russian government on behalf of Chobani, and has sent the Russian government a letter urging the approval of the food safety certificate.” According to the Los Angeles Times, Chobani has turned in the necessary paperwork, but Russian authorities are still refusing to accept the yogurt.

READ THE ORIGINAL POST AT www.huffingtonpost.com

Greece man stabbed by cousin

13WHAM-TVGreece man stabbed by cousin13WHAM-TVGreece, N.Y. - A Greece man was arrested early Saturday morning for stabbing his cousin multiple times. Greece police said they responded to 175 Willowbrook Road shortly after 9 a.m. for a reported stabbing. At the scene they discovered a 21-year-old ...Rochester man accused of stabbing his cousin in GreeceNews 10NBCall 2 news articles »

READ THE ORIGINAL POST AT www.13wham.com

Police recapture young Albanian fugitive in Larissa

A 18-year-old Albanian prisoner who had escaped from the court complex in Larissa, central Greece, on Friday was located by an off-duty police officer at the city’s train station a few hours later. Two police officers who had been in charge of escorting h... ...

READ THE ORIGINAL POST AT www.ekathimerini.com

Greek Communist Party member Orestis Kolozov dies aged 74

Orestis Kolozov, 74, a leading member of the Greek Communist Party (KKE), died late on Friday, the party’s central committee announced. Born in Alexandroupoli, in the region of Evros, northeastern Greece, Kolozov became a party member in 1967 and was elec... ...

READ THE ORIGINAL POST AT www.ekathimerini.com

Truck driver dies in accident on northern Greek highway

A 50-year-old truck driver died after the heavy vehicle he was driving, transporting wheat, veered off the Elassona-Kozani national highway in northern Greece on Saturday. Initial reports suggested the driver lost control of the vehicle before somehow exi... ...

READ THE ORIGINAL POST AT www.ekathimerini.com

Oropos council seeks relocation of toll station

As public opposition to increases in toll charges on some Greek roads mounts, the municipal council of Oropos, eastern Attica, has set up a committee calling for the removal of tollgates in its area. Not satisfied by a government pledge to exempt resident... ...

READ THE ORIGINAL POST AT www.ekathimerini.com

Police officer’s body found in Thiva after possible suicide

Police in Thiva, central Greece, were investigating the cause of death of a 26-year-old police officer who was discovered by fellow policemen in his residence with a single gunshot wound to the stomach last Thursday. Early police reports suggested the sho... ...

READ THE ORIGINAL POST AT www.ekathimerini.com

Cyprus peace talks to resume on Tuesday

Long-stalled peace talks are to resume on Tuesday after Greek and Turkish Cypriots agreed over the weekend on a road map prepared by the United Nations as a basis for the negotiations. “Greek-Cypriot leader Nicos Anastasiades (photo) and Turkish-Cypriot l... ...

READ THE ORIGINAL POST AT www.ekathimerini.com

Non-Greeks and diaspora lose out on voting rights

Non-Greek citizens legally living in the country and Greeks living abroad can no longer vote and stand as candidates in local and regional elections, according to a legislative amendment submitted in Parliament by Interior Minister Yiannis Michelakis. The... ...

READ THE ORIGINAL POST AT www.ekathimerini.com

Food, fun, festivities at Campbell Greek fest through Sunday

Food, fun, festivities at Campbell Greek fest through SundayYoungstown VindicatorThe popular food is one of many that are among the main attractions of the biannual Greek festival in the community center across the street from Archangel Michael Greek Orthodox Church, 401 12th St. The gathering is to bring people together to ...

READ THE ORIGINAL POST AT www.vindy.com

George Clooney says Britain should return ancient monuments to Greece

KathimeriniGeorge Clooney says Britain should return ancient monuments to GreeceKathimeriniAmerican actor-director George Clooney on Saturday said that Britain should return Greek monuments to Greece, during a press conference for his film “The Monuments Men” at the 64th Berlin Film Festival, Variety reported. Asked by a Greek journalist ...Berlin: George Clooney Tell UK to Return Art Treasures to GreeceHollywood ReporterClooney calls for return of looted artChannel 24all 1,664 news articles »

READ THE ORIGINAL POST AT www.ekathimerini.com

Woody & Mia: A Greek tragedy

Woody & Mia: A Greek tragedyNew York PostIt was the perfect Christmas tableau at the Allen-Farrow household: There sat Mia and nine of her children around the dinner table. There were two turkeys, an abundance of side dishes, and in the middle, a carved angel. In came Woody Allen with a ...and more »

READ THE ORIGINAL POST AT nypost.com

Greece preparing for a spring cleaning

Greece preparing for a spring cleaningRochester Democrat and ChronicleThe town of Greece's annual community spring cleaning is getting a new name and the call is out to create a new logo for the event. "The focus is going to be on recycling, reducing our carbon footprint and cleaning up areas of the town," said ...

READ THE ORIGINAL POST AT www.democratandchronicle.com

UN: Cyprus Rivals to Meet Tuesday for Peace Talks

Cyprus President Nicos Anastasiades and Turkish Cypriot leader Dervis Eroglu meet on Tuesday morning, an UNFICYP press release issued here on Saturday says. According to the UNFICYP press release the two leaders will meet in the United Nations Protected Area (UNPA) of Nicosia at the Good Offices Mission. Earlier, both sides said they had accepted a new road map for the negotiations, outlined in a joint statement that would be read at the resumption of talks. It is their first formal meeting since negotiations stalled in mid-2012. On Friday, Greece gave its backing to renewed talks, with Prime Minister Antonis Samaras calling them “one of the leading priorities of Greek foreign policy.” Cyprus was divided in 1974 when Turkey invaded and occupied its northern third.

READ THE ORIGINAL POST AT greece.greekreporter.com

CampusBus at the American College of Thessaloniki

On February 4 and February 5, 2014, the Anatolia School of Business of the American College of Thessaloniki (ACT) hosted CampusBus as part of its educational activities to support entrepreneurship. CampusBus is an initiative of The Cube Athens , a collaborative space that hosts new businesses with the support of the U.S. Embassy in Greece, the Greek American Foundation and e-food.gr. CampusBus is a five-month campaign aimed to promote entrepreneurship, start-up mentality, business skills and cooperation, by organizing free week-long workshops with trainers who are traveling across Greece by bus. The CampusBus tour ended at the Anatolia School of Business in Thessaloniki. The students who participated in the workshops at the Bissell library of the ACT were particularly interested in the courses and made their first steps in implementing a business idea.

READ THE ORIGINAL POST AT greece.greekreporter.com

Athens Dumps a Toxic Bomb

Members of the Directorate of Environment of the Regional Division of Western Attica, after an unannounced audit in the facilities of a waste management company, discovered a repugnant situation. A dangerous, toxic dump almost next to the residential zone of Aspropyrgos region in Athens, Greece. Hundreds of piles of garbage, destroyed garbage bags full of hospital and industrial waste, rotten food, scraps and much more, all gathered in a giant foul-smelling pile, were hidden behind a high wall. “When we got there we found the gate closed and some stray dogs wandering around. Suddenly the gate opened in order for the workers to leave and we managed to get in. The situation at the entrance was tolerable but as we proceeding we found an entire dumping facility. The atmosphere there was unbearable and the smell was ten times worse than that of a landfill,” said the Deputy Head of Western Attica Stavroula Dimou. The waste management company that owns the facility has been licensed by the Decentralized Administration of Attica Region. According to its website, among its customers are major companies which are probably ignorant of the way the company is managing their waste. This company of course is not the only one operating illegally. There are many waste management companies in the region which are managing the waste of more than 7,500 industries located in Western Attica, creating a dangerous atmosphere for the residents.

READ THE ORIGINAL POST AT greece.greekreporter.com

FT: New Democracy-Golden Dawn Battle for 2nd Place in Elections

International analysts of the British newspaper “Financial Times” see a head-to-head battle between the conservative New Democracy and the ultranationalist Golden Dawn for securing the second place in the upcoming EU elections, following the sure victory of the leftists SYRIZA. “Some analysts foresee now that Golden Dawn could get 15% to 20% in the May EU elections and threaten the second place of Prime Minister Antonis Samaras’ party,” reveals the FT article. Ilias Kasidiaris: We aren’t neo-Nazis The article makes extensive reference to the possibility of outlawing the neo-Nazi party because of illegal activities and goes into the creation of the new “National Dawn” party, while also hosting statements by Ilias Kasidiaris, Golden Dawn MP and candidate mayor for the city of Athens. “The government wants to outlaw Golden Dawn, which would equal a destructive coup to the political system of Greece. National Dawn was created to represent the thousands of Greek patriots and to run in the elections if we get outlawed,” said Kasidiaris in the interview with FT. “National Dawn’s list will include well-respected candidates, like retired armed forces generals, academics and doctors. They will receive strong support by the growing numbers of Greek nationalists,” he added. “The government’s goal was to put me in jail before the elections, so that I wouldn’t be able to speak publicly,” said Kasidiaris, who took up the leadership of the party after the arrest of Nikos Michaloliakos a couple of months ago. He added, “I will continue to be a candidate, unless they pass a law depriving me of my civil rights.” The Financial Times also discussed the popularity of Golden Dawn, which declined after Greek rapper Pavlos Fyssas was killed by a member of the party, but has since then risen again to about 10%, after the murder of two Golden Dawn members on November 1 last year triggered a wave of sympathy towards the party. “We are not extremists, fascists or neo-Nazis as they support. They just want to prevent a popular nationalistic organization. Unfortunately, there are judges in Greece who adhere to specific party interests,” mentioned Ilias Kasidiaris. New Poll shows battle between New Democracy and SYRIZA Meanwhile, a new Greek poll published on Saturday indicated that the parties New Democracy and SYRIZA are very close to securing first place, with SYRIZA taking the lead in local and EU elections with just 0.3% and 0.8% respectively. The polled sample believes that SYRIZA would win the elections if they were to be held tomorrow, but thinks though that the most capable prime minister would be Antonis Samaras (with 45.4%). According to the poll, the battle between SYRIZA and New Democracy for the top two spots in both elections is followed by Golden Dawn, KKE and ANEL. PASOK and DIMAR that ranks last in the poll.

READ THE ORIGINAL POST AT greece.greekreporter.com

So many bribes, Greek official can't recall all

ATHENS, Greece - When Antonis Kantas, a deputy in the Defense Ministry here, spoke up against the purchase of expensive German-made tanks in 2001, a representative of the tank's manufacturer stopped by his office to leave a satchel on his sofa. It contained 600,000 euros, ($814,000). Other arms manufacturers eager to make deals came by, too, some guiding him through the ins and outs of ...

READ THE ORIGINAL POST AT www.telegram.com

Greek Cyprus-Britain bases deal to damage Cyprus talks

The island of Cyprus hosts two British sovereign bases, whose existence was approved by both Turkish and Greek Cypriots along with three guarantor states -- Turkey, the UK and Greece -- in the 1960 London and Zurich Agreements. “The most important and ...

READ THE ORIGINAL POST AT www.todayszaman.com

So Many Defense Contract Bribes He Lost Track

A former arms procurer in the Greek Defense Ministry who is the star witness in a case alleging runaway corruption there, said so many bribes poured in that he couldn't keep up with them. Antonis Kantas said in one instance after he had spoken out against the purchase of expensive German tanks a representative of the company came into his office and put a satchel on his desk holding 600,000 euros, about $814,000.

The post So Many Defense Contract Bribes He Lost Track appeared first on The National Herald.


READ THE ORIGINAL POST AT www.thenationalherald.com

Modern Greek Math Just “Don’t Add Up”

You’d think the country that perfected mathematics, from Autolycus’ On The Moving Sphere and Euclid’s Elements, more than 2,300 years ago would be able to figure out when things just don’t add up, as Looney Tunes put it. But when you’re corrupt or incompetent or greedy or double-dealing and cheating your own country it’s easy […]

The post Modern Greek Math Just “Don’t Add Up” appeared first on The National Herald.


READ THE ORIGINAL POST AT www.thenationalherald.com

Papoulias Woos China at Olympics

SOCHI, Russia – Greek President Karolos Papoulias, diverting from sports while attending the Winter Olympics, met with Chinese President Xi Jinping to talk about ways the two countries could work together, particularly in business deals Greece needs so desperately. Xi hailed the profound friendship between China and Greece, as well as Papoulias’ personal contribution to […]

The post Papoulias Woos China at Olympics appeared first on The National Herald.


READ THE ORIGINAL POST AT www.thenationalherald.com

Winter Island Hopping: the Argo-Saronics

Each offering their own flavor and tradition, Greek islands are a magical place to visit during all times of the year. If you prefer the waterside to mountain villages, then winter island hopping makes for a relaxing break from daily routine. The Argo-Saronic islands of Aegina, Hydra, Spetses, and Poros and just a hop away […]

The post Winter Island Hopping: the Argo-Saronics appeared first on The National Herald.


READ THE ORIGINAL POST AT www.thenationalherald.com

Ambassador of Greece speaks to TNH

WASHIGKTON, DC – Ambassador of Greece in Washington Christos Panagopoulos, in an exclusive interview with TNH spoke about the Greece in the presidency of the European Union, and what that means to both the country and the continent. He also spoke about the economic crisis, the Greek-American relations – which he called “excellent” – the […]

The post Ambassador of Greece speaks to TNH appeared first on The National Herald.


READ THE ORIGINAL POST AT www.thenationalherald.com

Two Greeks Nominated for Oscars

By Johanna Voutounou HOLLYWOOD, CA – When most people imagine Los Angeles they envision palm tree-lined neighborhoods and shiny convertibles carrying Hollywood starlets dressed for success. This is not the case most of the year. The majority of Angelinos have less to do with the sparkling movie lights but instead spend their day dealing with […]

The post Two Greeks Nominated for Oscars appeared first on The National Herald.


READ THE ORIGINAL POST AT www.thenationalherald.com

Betting Bad, Chanos’ Kynikos Fund Takes 14 Percent Loss

Being pessimistic about markets has been a good strategy for James Chanos, a legendary short seller, but a good 2013 for global investments has boomeranged on him.

The post Betting Bad, Chanos’ Kynikos Fund Takes 14 Percent Loss appeared first on The National Herald.


READ THE ORIGINAL POST AT www.thenationalherald.com

Olympiakos trounces Veria 5-0

ATHENS, Greece (AP) — Michael Olaitan scored twice to lead Greek league leader Olympiakos to a 5-0 away triumph at lowly Veria on Saturday.

READ THE ORIGINAL POST AT news.yahoo.com