Pages

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

Tuesday, September 2, 2014

NATO seeks to ward off more Russian aggression; Obama flies to Estonia to reassure Baltics

by  Associated Press Obama to Europe: NATO to oppose Russian aggression by JULIE PACE, Associated Press - 2 September 2014 16:40-04:00 WASHINGTON (AP) — President Barack Obama and Western allies will approve plans this week to position at least 4,000 troops and military equipment in Eastern Europe, bolstering NATO's security commitments to nervous member states near the Russian border warily eyeing a Kremlin-backed military offensive in Ukraine. Ahead of a high-stakes NATO summit that begins Thursday, Obama will also make a symbolic show of solidarity with Eastern Europe when he visits Estonia for meetings with Baltic leaders. He was due to arrive in the Estonian capital of Tallinn Wednesday. Russia's months-long conflict with Ukraine comes at a time when members of the NATO defense alliance have been cutting military spending and reassessing the organization's role after years of peace in Europe. While Ukraine is not part of NATO, alliance members in Eastern and Central Europe fear they could be Russia's next targets, prompting the 28-nation bloc to seek a more robust response. "The current situation shows that the principle of collective territorial defense hasn't gone away — on the contrary," Estonian President Toomas Hendrik Ilves said Sunday, marking the 20th anniversary of the exit of the last Russian troops from Estonian territory. Ukrainian officials say their country's armed forces are now locked in a conflict with not only Moscow-backed separatists, but also the Russian army. Officials said Tuesday that Russian military forces had been spotted in two major rebel-held cities in eastern Ukraine, though that could not be independently verified. Russian President Vladimir Putin has denied that his forces are invading Ukraine. A Kremlin aide sharply criticized EU Commission President Jose Manuel Barroso Tuesday, accusing him of breaching confidentiality when he quoted Putin as saying that Moscow could take over Kiev in two weeks if it wished. Yuri Ushakov, the Russian leader's foreign policy adviser, told reporters that Putin's statement was "taken out of context and carried a completely different meaning." For Obama, Russia's provocations in Ukraine and his response to them have prompted criticism that he has been unable to stop the crisis through his preferred method of steadily escalating economic sanctions. The president has warned Putin that the U.S. and Europe could impose more financial penalties, but he remains steadfastly opposed to intervening militarily. Still, the U.S. will contribute to the rapid response force that NATO will agree to this week. While the specifics of the operation are to be decided when leaders meet in Wales on Thursday for a two-day summit, U.S. and European officials say it will involve training and deployments in the Baltics, Poland, Romania and other Eastern European nations. The scope of the American contributions will be particularly important to Baltic nations and others in Eastern Europe. "If there's anything that the Baltics do trust within NATO, it's a U.S. commitment," said Kathleen Hicks, a former Pentagon official who now chairs the international security program at the Center for Strategic and International Studies. "So they will be pushing hard that that NATO contingent will have a heavy U.S. signal in it." The U.S. has long provided troops for a NATO response force. Beginning Oct. 1, about 600 troops from the 1st Brigades, 1st Cavalry Division, based at Fort Hood, Texas, will be part of that effort. However, the current rapid response force structure is seen as having little capability to deploy in meaningful numbers. The goal of the new effort will be to station forces that can deploy within 48 hours. Obama will also use the NATO summit to urge allies to meet their commitments to devote at least 2 percent of GDP to military spending. Only four NATO nations currently meet that benchmark: the U.S., Britain, Greece and Estonia. Obama will confront some rifts within the alliance when it comes to dealing with Russia. Despite tough talk about Moscow's behavior, France is proceeding with plans to send Russia warships, a move the U.S. and Britain have denounced. Other nations are also concerned that the new rapid response force could violate a 1997 agreement with Moscow in which NATO pledged not to permanently station substantial numbers of soldiers in Eastern Europe. Officials say NATO is expected to get around that agreement by referring to its new military commitments as "persistent" rather than "permanent." Before arriving in Wales, Obama will make a daytrip to Estonia, becoming the second U.S. president to visit the Baltic nation. He'll meet with Estonian officials, then convene broader security discussions with other Baltic leaders from Latvia and Lithuania. Like Ukraine, the Baltics were ruled by Moscow until the Soviet Union collapsed in 1991. After the Soviet Union crumbled, the Baltic countries turned to the West and joined the European Union and NATO in 2004, irritating Russia. Beyond the crisis in Ukraine, NATO leaders will also discuss the final stages of the Afghan war. Alliance plans to celebrate the end of combat missions, however, are being clouded by political instability in Afghanistan that has stalled planning for the West's commitment to the country after this year. Obama will also be seeking support from allies for efforts against Islamic State militants in Syria and Iraq. Shortly before the president's departure for Estonia, an Internet video surfaced purporting to show the militants beheading a second U.S. journalist. ___ Associated Press writers John-Thor Dahlburg in Brussels, Liudas Dapkus in Vilnius, Lithuania, Jari Tanner in Tallinn, Estonia, and Lolita C. Baldor and Robert Burns in Washington contributed to this report. ___ Follow Julie Pace at http://twitter.com/jpaceDC News Topics: General news, Government and politics People, Places and Companies: Barack Obama, Toomas Hendrik Ilves, Vladimir Putin, Jose Manuel Barroso, Kathleen Hicks, Moscow, Estonia, Russia, Europe, Ukraine, United States, Eastern Europe, Latvia, Wales, Middle East, North America, United Kingdom, Western Europe Copyright 2014 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.


READ THE ORIGINAL POST AT www.neurope.eu

Hotels hike prices by 10 pct in H1 of 2014

The big increase in the number of tourists visiting Greece has led to a 10 percent hike in hotel rates around the country this year compared with 2013, according to Hotels.com, one of the biggest travel booking websites in the world. In the first six mont... ...


READ THE ORIGINAL POST AT www.ekathimerini.com

Maniatis talks energy with Washington’s man in Athens

Energy Minister Yiannis Maniatis held a meeting yesterday with US Ambassador in Athens David D. Pearce to discuss possible natural gas supply problems that Europe may face this winter due to the crisis in Ukraine. The two men focused on Greece’s proposal ... ...


READ THE ORIGINAL POST AT www.ekathimerini.com

Greece: Strengthen Anti-Racism Bill

Greece has failed countless victims of racist and xenophobic attacks by neither investigating nor prosecuting the attackers. If the justice minister and parliament are really serious about improving the country’s response to racism and xenophobia, they ...


READ THE ORIGINAL POST AT www.hrw.org

Greece Seeks Troika OK on Tax Cuts

Greece's government kicked off talks with a delegation of international inspectors in Paris on Tuesday with hopes of gaining approval for a series of tax relief measures.


READ THE ORIGINAL POST AT online.wsj.com

9 Disturbing Revelations From The New Book About Fraternity Culture At Dartmouth

Last week, former Dartmouth College fraternity member Andrew Lohse released his purported tell-all memoir of his time in Greek life, charmingly titled "Confessions of an Ivy League Frat Boy." Lohse had previously chronicled the hazing he experienced as a pledge and later a brother of Dartmouth's Sigma Alpha Epsilon chapter, both in student newspaper The Dartmouth and a Rolling Stone feature on him and the school. As he tells it, he was forced to do a wide range of disturbing activities, including swimming in a kiddie pool filled with vomit and other undesirable substances. While reviews for the book have not been strong, and Lohse himself has been criticized as an unreliable narrator, "Confessions of an Ivy League Frat Boy" still offers a rarely seen look into modern fraternity culture. Here are 10 of the most ridiculous claims Lohse makes about his Greek membership: 1. Dartmouth fraternity members pride themselves on how quickly they can chug six beers As Lohse explains, a "quick six" in Dartmouth parlance is the act of "chugging six cups of beer in rapid succession, a feat intended to be performed in thirty seconds tops." However, Lohse writes, "respect was only accorded to those who would do it in under fifteen." 2. The "quick six" was often modified to be used as a punishment when a pledge messed up Lohse writes that when one of his fellow pledges lost his "pledge book," the SAE brothers forced him to complete a "quick ten," drinking 10 cups that ranged from stale beer to straight vinegar. For many of the pledges who had just expected their classmate to drink beer and water, this was a wake up call that pledging was not going to be as easy as they thought it would be. Lohse writes that the pledge who had been forced to drink the vinegar told him later that night that he had "booted blood." 3. SAE brothers only referred to pledges as "whalesh*t" Throughout the book, Lohse writes that SAE pledges were always called "whalesh*t" by brothers in the house. At one point, the pledges are being yelled at by one brother, who says, "You are not brothers. You are whalesh*t. And what does whalesh*t do?" "Whalesh*t sinks to the bottom of the ocean," the pledges answered collectively. Additionally, Lohse writes, pledges were told to answer brothers' questions by raising a "flipper" using their elbows. 4. SAE pledges recieved points for vomiting on each other while chugging milkOne night, SAE pledges were gathered in the basement where they were usually forced to consume massive quantities of beer, but instead were presented with gallons of milk, one for each pledge, Lohse writes. As the brothers explained to them, each pledge had 20 minutes to finish their gallon — an impossible task without vomiting — and would also receive points for each time they vomited on another pledge. Lohse writes that one brother told them, "We'll also be playing a little game called Revolutionary War. Quite frankly, the game is self-explanatory. Five pledges line up facing five other pledges. When I yell 'Fire!' one line of soldiers boots on the other." 5. Pledges were not allowed to make themselves vomit during hazing Even though they were consuming particularly rancid foods and substances, pledges were not allowed to "pull their own trigger" to make themselves vomit, Lohse writes. Rather, according to Lohse, they were told that "you must ask a pledge brother to stick his fingers down your throat if you want to puke." Lohse reminisces about bonding with another Dartmouth student when they were both pledging SAE, noting that "pulling the trigger" for him was likely the shaky foundation for their friendship. "All that came to mind was pulling his trigger once at pledge meetings the fall before and feeling his dinner — sashimi, of all things — slide viciously over my fingers into a trash can that reeked of piss," Lohse writes. 6. Both pledges and brothers participated in a unique Dartmouth drinking tradition known as "doming" One of the first traditions pledges learned at SAE was "doming," a drinking game where students would chug beer until they vomit, according to Lohse. The person who vomited first, the SAE pledges were told, would be considered the loser, and sometimes would then get vomited on by the winner. 7. Pledges had to swim in a kiddie pool filled with unknown substances One of the most disgusting revelations from Lohse's original column in The Dartmouth was about a kiddie pool "full of vomit, urine, fecal matter, semen and rotten food products," which pledges were made to swim in while they recieved their pledge nicknames — a practice he later contributed to as a brother. In his book, Lohse expands on his experiences in the kiddie pool, calling it a "fratty baptism." "Of course, we didn't know then and could never prove its contents as pledges ... we just knew the scent, the feeling of the mixture sticking to our skins, and knew that disobeying was probably pointless," Lohse writes. 8. The pledge who had the "grimmest hookup" each week had to carry around a giant catfish stuffed animalLohse describes a house tradition where every week a pledge with the "grimmest hookup story" would be forced to carry around a giant catfish stuffed animal — even to their classes. When Lohse was given the catfish one week, a professor called him out at the end of lecture to find out why exactly he had the giant stuffed animal with him. Lohse writes that he responded to his professor as the SAE brothers had told him to — "The catfish is a slut, the catfish will sleep with anyone, would you like to sleep with the catfish?" 9. SAE pledges were forced to eat a "vomelette" Another notorious revelation from Lohse's original hazing revelations was the "vomelette," a loosely described vomit-based concoction that a few pledges were made to eat. Lohse adds more detail to the vomelette incident in his book, revealing that two of his fellow pledges had to consume it after one person vomited into a pan and a brother "cracked eggs over it and added cheese and cooked it."SEE ALSO: Dartmouth Fraternity Whistleblower Describes A Traumatic Night As A Pledge FOLLOW US! Check Out BI Colleges On Facebook Join the conversation about this story »


READ THE ORIGINAL POST AT www.businessinsider.com

Greek Festival Returns to Altoona This Weekend!

Greek Food, dancing and more will all be part of this ethnic event at The Holy Trinity Greek Orthodox Church (1433 13th Avenue, Altoona), Saturday, September 6th from 11:00 a.m. to 7:00 p.m. Opa! It’s time for the Annual Greek Festival in Altoona!


READ THE ORIGINAL POST AT www.wearecentralpa.com

Pension system nears breaking point

The ticking time bomb of the social security system will not explode in 2025, but 10 years earlier, or next year, according to a study by the Institute of Labor of the General Confederation of Greek Labor (INE/GSEE) which is to be presented in Thessalonik... ...


READ THE ORIGINAL POST AT www.ekathimerini.com

Greece Seeks Approval for Tax Cuts From Troika After Years of Austerity

PARIS—Greece's government kicked off talks with a delegation of international inspectors here Tuesday with hopes of gaining approval for a series of ...


READ THE ORIGINAL POST AT online.wsj.com

Defending the First Amendment since 1911

Texas State Athletics, in collaboration with Greek Affairs, plans to reserve a section of seats at Bobcat Stadium during football games for students in sororities and fraternities.


READ THE ORIGINAL POST AT star.txstate.edu

Spain, Greece advance as Senegal stuns Croatia

SPAIN TWIN TOWERS: Spanish players Marc Gasol, center, and Pau Gasol, left, in action against Brazil's Tiago Splitter during the FIBA Basketball ...


READ THE ORIGINAL POST AT www.arabnews.com

Interest on Rise for Greece High-End Hotels

The Nikki Beach Resort and Spa in Porto Heli, Greece. Some 19 million tourists are expected to visit Greece this year, which would be a record, up from 17.9 million last year. Nikki Beach Resort & Spa PORTO HELI, Greece—For 20 years, the building had ...


READ THE ORIGINAL POST AT online.wsj.com

Bank concerns lead to fresh losses on bourse

Growing concerns about additional capital requirements for banks weighed on the Greek bourse on Tuesday, as early gains were swiftly wiped out in a field day for sellers. Banks took the worst beating, with their index down 3.28 percent at the end of the d... ...


READ THE ORIGINAL POST AT www.ekathimerini.com

Greece defender Papadopoulos fires parting shot at Michel

International defender Avraam Papadopoulos suddenly quit Olympiakos on Monday to join Turkish club Trabzonspor, and fired a parting shot at Olympiakos manager Michel putting the blame on the Spaniard for his departure from the Greek champion. “If you love... ...


READ THE ORIGINAL POST AT www.ekathimerini.com

Postponing Greece's day of reckoning

Everything must come to an end, even the support program for Greece. But few doubt that the heavily indebted country will continue to need financial assistance - that's why Greece is once again in talks with the troika.


READ THE ORIGINAL POST AT www.dw.de

Greek singer-songwriter Antonis Vardis dies aged 66

Greek singer-songwriter Antonis Vardis died of cancer on Tuesday at the age of 66. Born in Moschato, southern Athens, in 1948, Vardis formed a band called the Vikings when he was 17. He subsequently appeared in various Plaka music clubs during the 1969-81... ...


READ THE ORIGINAL POST AT www.ekathimerini.com

Fake doctor offered outdoor consultations in Katerini

A 54-year-old man has been arrested on charges of posing as a general pathologist in Katerini, central Macedonia, in northern Greece. According to initial police reports, the suspect is alleged to have set up a makeshift practice in a semi-outdoor storage... ...


READ THE ORIGINAL POST AT www.ekathimerini.com

Giorgos Stylios named new deputy education minister

New Democracy MP Giorgos Stylios has been appointed deputy education minister after Costas Koukodimos resigned on Monday, citing personal reasons. Stylios, who was elected to Parliament with the conservative party in Arta, northwestern Greece, is a profes... ...


READ THE ORIGINAL POST AT www.ekathimerini.com

Red tape cut in application process for Greek ID cards

Greek citizens will now be faced with less red tape when applying for police identity cards following a joint ministerial decision, it was announced on Tuesday. Applicants will now submit a form at police stations where they reside and information regardi... ...


READ THE ORIGINAL POST AT www.ekathimerini.com

In Paris Troika Talks, Greece Seeks Some Relief

Finance officials from Greece have started talks with the country's rescue creditors, and are hoping to ease emergency taxes that have helped fuel recession. But Greek officials are also downplaying expectations. The post In Paris Troika Talks, Greece Seeks Some Relief appeared first on The National Herald.


READ THE ORIGINAL POST AT www.thenationalherald.com

America Is The Best And France Is The Worst

America now boasts the strongest manufacturing sector in the world. Earlier today, we learned the U.S. purchasing manager's index (PMI) for manufacturing hit 57.9, the highest level since April 2010. Any reading above 50 signals growth, while anything below signals contraction. Export sales climbed at the fastest rate in three years, and manufacturing payrolls increased at the steepest pace since March 2013. The Institute for Supply Management's U.S. manufacturing index also hit a multi-year high this morning. "The U.S. manufacturing sector has gone from strength to strength this summer, with August’s improvement in business conditions the sharpest for over four years," Markit senior economist Tim Moore said. “Impressive new business and output gains were matched by a solid rebound in employment growth. The latest survey points to the fastest upturn in payroll numbers for around a year-and-a-half, highlighting that the manufacturing sector continues to have a positive impact on overall labor market conditions." So who has the weakest manufacturing sector in the world? That would be France, whose purchasing manager's index for manufacturing fell to 46.9, shrinking at the fastest rate in 15 months. "Sharply falling output led firms to cut back employment, purchasing and stock levels further in August," Markit's Jack Kennedy said of the France PMI report. "This sort of across-the-board weakness has been a common theme in recent months and there remains very little to suggest any turnaround in fortunes will be imminent." This puts it below even Greece, not to mention Australia, Denmark and Poland. Nothing seems to be working out for France lately. French finance minister Michel Sapin just warned his country would miss its budget targets because of low inflation. "The inflation figures in the Euro zone have created a shock," he said. Here's a chart comparing the August manufacturing PMIs from Markit and JPMorgan.  SEE ALSO: The True Story Of How McDonald's Conquered France Join the conversation about this story »


READ THE ORIGINAL POST AT www.businessinsider.com

Government Officials Play Down Expectations Ahead of Paris Talks

Government officials are traveling to Paris today, to hold talks with Greece’s international creditors that will last until Thursday. Following a meeting with Prime Minister Antonis Samaras and Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Evangelos Venizelos, Finance Minister Gikas Hardouvelis told reporters that expectations had risen too high and Greece would focus on “technical” matters. Greece’s ‘interlocutors’ in Paris will be “executives of the Troika and as such, they can only talk about the memorandum,” Hardouvelis said. “They can’t talk politics.” The Minister did not confirm reports that Athens would ask the creditors to lower certain taxes, such as a consumption tax on heating fuel. “That’s not on the agenda,” he said. “If they raise the issue, we’ll have answers.” Greece hopes to ease concerns it is slipping up on reforms during talks with European Union (EU) and International Monetary Fund (IMF) inspectors in Paris this week, with debt relief talks unlikely to start until October, a senior Greek government official told Reuters. The EU/IMF lenders bailing out Greece will begin their latest review of the country’s progress on its obligations this month, but in a break from the past, the initial phase of talks starting today is being held in the French capital instead of Athens. That has prompted speculation that the talks could yield a broad-based agreement on major issues including further debt relief and additional funding needs for Greece as the twice-bailed out nation emerges from a six-year recession. However, the senior official cautioned that the decision to meet outside Athens was mainly to avoid a lengthy inspection similar to last year’s fall review that dragged on for seven months and that the talks would focus on reforms achieved to date. “It will be a preliminary discussion on the state of play,” the official told Reuters. “We want to show that reforms are on target, soothe those who worry that reforms are not carried out.” Sources indicated that the government decided to scale down hopes for a tax relief to avert a huge disappointment if they fail to ensure that the message being sent out by the Greek side is not totally in the opposite direction with that of Troika representatives, who want to see the government implementing economic reforms. The Greek delegation, led by Hardouvelis, has three main points in its negotiation strategy: to cut a list of some 600 outstanding measures – mostly technical adjustments – that Athens has pledged to the Troika; to convince the IMF to approve the release of the next 3.5-billion-euro tranche of loan funding without first awaiting the outcome of the European Central Bank (ECB) stress tests on banks which are due in the fall; and to convince the Troika that Greece will have no fiscal gap next year and that its budget will also allow for a tax relief. The agenda for the Paris talks also includes the thorny issue of “red” loans at Greek banks, proposing lighter terms for borrowers, as well as try to tackle the other issue the Troika insists on, namely that of further layoffs in the public sector.


READ THE ORIGINAL POST AT greece.greekreporter.com

CNBC: Greek Government Back To School

“It’s back to school for the Greek government as it tries to show it is leaving the chaos of its crippling debt and economic crisis behind and can now stand on its own feet,” CNBC reports. At its meeting with the Troika that manage Greece’s 240-billion-euro bailout program, Athens will argue that this year Greece wants to move away from austerity and towards more growth-oriented policies. “The ultimate target is to ‘graduate’ successfully from the bailout program when it ends in 2016 without further assistance – just as Ireland and Portugal did this year,” CNBC adds. Symbolic of this strategy is the location of today’s meeting to kick off Greece’s fifth review of the lending program: Paris, instead of the traditional venue of Athens. Finance Ministry sources told CNBC that the Greek government asked for the meeting to take place in Paris as part of its communication strategy but stressed that the shift does not mean the government will not fulfill its obligations to the Troika. After this fifth review is successfully concluded, Greece will try to get some relief on its bailout loan repayments. But Greece has to show that the program is still on track and the country has implemented much-needed economic and political reforms. “Greece has made considerable progress toward eliminating the fiscal and external deficits, but is not yet out of the woods. The fiscal surplus achieved last year (0.7% of economic output) falls short of the 4.5% needed to achieve debt sustainability, while structural reforms are still in their infancy,” Miranda Xafa, President of EP Consulting told CNBC.


READ THE ORIGINAL POST AT greece.greekreporter.com

Fake Doctor ‘Treated’ Unsuspecting Patients in Northern Greece

Greek Police arrested a 54-year-old man in Katerini, northern Greece, after it was proved that he was pretending to be a physician and he had “treated” six unsuspecting patients. The man had converted his warehouse into a doctor’s office. According to charges filed, the man had set up a makeshift doctor’s office in a semi-open warehouse where he “treated” patients. He was visited by six people in total. Two of the victims paid him 140 euros for medical examinations and advice. Police found 43 jars of homemade ointments, six magnifying glasses, three books of medical advice, 44 needles – four of which were used – and various examination documents. Police are looking into the possibility that the man had practiced the same fraud in other regions of Greece.


READ THE ORIGINAL POST AT greece.greekreporter.com

Unemployment is Society’s Most Cruel Enemy

Unemployment is society’s most insidious and cruel enemy, and undermines the dreams of young people, Greek Prime Minister Antonis Samaras said at the governing council for employment on Monday. Samaras made clear that unemployment should not be treated with wishful thinking and stated his determination for government action as Greece is entering a recovery period. “For the first time after 24 quarters, the GDP is seen rising, while 770,000 new jobs are expected to be added by 2020,” Samaras stressed. The Prime Minister called on the members of the governing council of employment to heed recommendations in the next meeting to be held in October, and to come up with a single proposal. On his part, Labor Minister Yiannis Vroutsis referred to the creation of a special business register for consistent businesses. These businesses will have benefits such as less audits and possibly reduced contributions.


READ THE ORIGINAL POST AT greece.greekreporter.com

English Celebrity Denise Van Outen Celebrates 40th Birthday in Mykonos

Famous English singer, actress, presenter and dancer Denise Van Outen decided to celebrate her 40th birthday in the world renowned Greek island of Mykonos. Since she was a little girl she had wanted to visit Greece and especially Santorini. Her friends’ parents had traveled to the island for their honeymoon and showed young Denise the pictures. It was love at first sight. Ever since, the 40-year-old presenter has been trying to find an occasion on which to visit Santorini. However, now that she has a child, 4-year-old-Betsy, Santorini was, perhaps, not the best place to visit after all, since it is mostly a couple’s island, fit for honeymoons and romantic getaways. Therefore, after spending some time discussing the issue with her friends, Denise decided that Mykonos would be a much better choice for her, her close friends and family. She threw a pretty hectic party in London and arranged for her family, best friends and her goddaughter to travel to Mykonos in order to have a more ‘low-key’ vacation. “I thought it would be lovely to have a girly trip.” “From the moment we arrived on Mykonos, I was enchanted. Everything was just about perfect. The food, in particular, was incredible. We ate everything because I love Greek food. I had Greek salads and grilled halloumi, and the fresh seafood was just amazing – huge prawns and excellent sea bass,” she said to the Daily Mail. “And still dreaming of heading to Santorini,” she concluded.


READ THE ORIGINAL POST AT greece.greekreporter.com

George Clooney ‘s Fiancee to Discuss Parthenon Marbles in Greece

George Clooney’s fiancée, lawyer Amal Alamuddin, is considering to take action for the return of the Parthenon Marbles to Greece. According to andro.gr, she will be visiting Greece on September 11 and will meet with Greek Prime Minister Antonis Samaras. Greek-German cinematographer/director Phaedon Papamichael spoke on the issue in an interview with andro.gr and revealed that Alamuddin is very interested in pursuing the case. Furthermore, he added that the Greek Tourism and Finance Ministers have contacted him along with the Consulate General of Greece in Los Angeles, requesting that he asks his longtime friend George Clooney to become an advocate for the return of the marbles. “Hopefully this development will have a long-term effect and will not be subjected to political exploitation,” he said. “Celebrities like Clooney and Alamuddin do not tolerate such petty political games.” Clooney also spoke about the Parthenon Marbles issue during the Berlin International Film Festival. He stressed the need for the return of the Parthenon Marbles to Greece causing a wave of enthusiasm from supporters of the idea and reactions from the USA. So far, there has not been an official announcement from the Culture Ministry regarding the meeting between Alamuddin and Samaras.


READ THE ORIGINAL POST AT greece.greekreporter.com

Greece Rolls Over Puerto Rico 90-79

Greece’s surging young national team got its third win in a row at the World Cup basketball championship in Spain, beating winless Puerto Rico, ...


READ THE ORIGINAL POST AT www.greekherald.com

Greece Will Tell Troika No More Austerity Here

On the eve of crucial talks with international lenders in Paris, Greece’s coalition government has sent a signal it will not impose more harsh austerity measures that created record ...


READ THE ORIGINAL POST AT www.greekherald.com

Greece nearly out of recession

Athens - The Greek economy, in recession for six years, shrank again in the second quarter of this year, but by only 0.3 percent, revised data showed on ...


READ THE ORIGINAL POST AT www.greekherald.com

Peachy export data despite Russian embargo

Despite the Russian embargo, Greek peach exports have posted major growth so far this year, reaching 141,000 tons from 112,000 tons in the first eight months of 2013, a Development Ministry committee ...


READ THE ORIGINAL POST AT www.greekherald.com

Greece ups its target for tourism arrivals and revenues

ATHENS, Greece - The latest data have allowed the Hellenic Association of Tourism Enterprises (SETE) to raise its target for tourism arrivals and revenues this year higher still. During a meeting ...


READ THE ORIGINAL POST AT www.greekherald.com

Greek Economy Shrinking Less

With the government seeing an imminent comeback, Greece’s economy is still shrinking less than it had been, giving hope for a ...


READ THE ORIGINAL POST AT www.greekherald.com

New Greek bailout unveiled to contain debt crisis

President of European Commission Jose Manuel Barroso (R), President of European Council Herman Van Rompuy (C) and Greek Prime Minister Georgios Papandreou attend the press conference after the ...


READ THE ORIGINAL POST AT www.greekherald.com

Turkish club Trabzonspor signs three players

Turkish football club Trabzonspor has signed three players before the transfer deadline day, including Greek international Avraam Papadopoulos and Ghana starlet Abdul-Majeed Waris. Already the ...


READ THE ORIGINAL POST AT www.greekherald.com

Greece kicks off new international talks on economy

Athens (dpa) - Greek government ministers launched a new round of meetings with EU and IMF creditors in Paris on Tuesday, but played down hopes that they will gain significant tax cuts for the ...


READ THE ORIGINAL POST AT www.greekherald.com

Grateful Saviola thanks Olympiakos joins Verona

By Graham Wood Former Argentina international Javier Saviola has thanked Greek champions Olympiakos for the "beautiful moments" during his season-long stint in Greece as he left the club ...


READ THE ORIGINAL POST AT www.greekherald.com

Greece Downplays Paris Troika Talks Hopes

After saying it would seek tax cuts and debt restructuring, Greek officials now are pulling back hopes of getting much relief from international lenders in three days of talks in ...


READ THE ORIGINAL POST AT www.greekherald.com

Greek Real Estate Back in Vogue

Buyers are returning to the property market in Greece amid signs that Europe's hardest-hit economy is starting to recover.


READ THE ORIGINAL POST AT online.wsj.com

Greece ace in wildcard pack, Senegal's hot streak continues

Greece and hosts Spain were the first teams to book their spots in the knockout stage of the Basketball World Cup on Monday by beating Puerto Rico while Senegal took their second surprise scalp in as many days. Greece improved to 3-0 in Group B with a 90-79 victory over Puerto Rico as Nikos Zisis led the way with 19 points while Giannis Antetokounmpo had 15 and Nick Calathes added 14 points ...


READ THE ORIGINAL POST AT sports.yahoo.com

Greek-Australian Pioneer of Information Technology

Makis Marmaridis belongs to the second generation of Greek immigrants to Australia, “the successful generation” as he says. He is one of the pioneers in information technology and owner of one of the largest software companies. He was born in Melbourne ...


READ THE ORIGINAL POST AT au.greekreporter.com

Spain, Greece move to 3-0, Senegal upsets Croatia

Spain and Greece are headed to the round of 16, and Senegal is in position to join them after shaking up Group B with an upset Monday at the Basketball World Cup. The Spanish earned a trip to their capital by routing Brazil in a battle of unbeatens to take the lead in Group A, while Greece clinched the first spot in Madrid by improving to 3-0 earlier in the day. Pau Gasol of the Chicago Bulls ...


READ THE ORIGINAL POST AT sports.yahoo.com

Spain, Greece move to 3-0 with wins at Basketball World Cup

Spain and Greece are headed to the round of 16, and Senegal is in position to join them after shaking up Group B with an upset Monday at the Basketball World Cup.


READ THE ORIGINAL POST AT www.foxsports.com

Greece sells six-month treasury bills worth 1.1 bln euros

2 (Xinhua) -- Greece sold 1.1 billion euro (1.44 billion U.S dollars) worth of six-month treasury bills on Tuesday as part of its regular monthly treasury ...


READ THE ORIGINAL POST AT www.shanghaidaily.com

Greece to Toughen Penalties on Hate Speech

Lawmakers in Greece on Tuesday began debating draft legislation to outlaw Holocaust denial and expand prosecution powers against the incitement ...


READ THE ORIGINAL POST AT abcnews.go.com

Greece Outlawing Holocaust Denial, Hate Speech

Heinz Kounio (C), a holocaust survivor, and his wife place flowers on the train tracks at the old railway station in Thessaloniki on 16 March, 2014, ...


READ THE ORIGINAL POST AT www.theepochtimes.com

Greece Special Police Department seeks new recruits

The Greece Special Police are certified by the state as part-time peace officers after training is complete. Duties of this department include assisting ...


READ THE ORIGINAL POST AT www.whec.com

Spain, Greece stay unbeaten in FIBA World Cup

BILBAO, SPAIN – Spain and Greece are headed to the round of 16, and Senegal is in position to join them after shaking up Group B with an upset ...


READ THE ORIGINAL POST AT www.japantimes.co.jp

Greece begins review of debt situation, possible relief

Indeed, Greece lately has confidently started selling bonds again and on Tuesday raised Euros 1.14 billion at moderate rates on international markets, ...


READ THE ORIGINAL POST AT www.kuna.net.kw

Energean acquires rig for offshore Greece well campaign

Prinos, the only proven and producing oil field in Greece, has already produced 115 MMbbl, even though reserves were initially estimated at 60 ...


READ THE ORIGINAL POST AT www.pennenergy.com