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

Wednesday, September 17, 2014

New 10 Euro Note to Be Released on September 23

The new 10 euro note, scheduled for release on Tuesday, September 23, will feature the portrait of Europa, inspired by Greek mythology, in the hologram and the watermark. It will also include some enhanced security features. As in the first series of banknotes, the authenticity of the new 10 euro note will be verified easily by touch and sight, through the method of three tests “feel, look and tilt,” according to the European Central Bank (ECB). The banknotes will also feature a number printed in dark green color, which changes from dark green to deep blue when the banknote is tilted. Thanks to the new protective coating of the 5 and 10 euro notes of the Europa series, the notes are now more resistant to wear.


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Death Threats, Taxes, Greek Shipowners, Lagarde

The statement made by IMF chief Christine Lagarde her life was threatened when she criticized rich Greeks and tax cheats is worth looking at. The post Death Threats, Taxes, Greek Shipowners, Lagarde appeared first on The National Herald.


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Thirteen Greek Candidates for Toronto Councelors

election-roundup Thirteen candidates of Greek origin will run for councelors in the upcoming municipal elections in Toronto, to be held on October 27.


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Armani's Greek Designer Protege Participates in Milan Fashion Week

portrait Angelos Bratis, Giorgio Armani's latest protégé, is a Greek designer who was lucky to be chosen by the famous Italian to get Milan Fashion ...


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Radical Left Greek Politician to Meet Pope Francis Tomorrow

Commentators saw the visit as an attempt to improve the party's image and repair its relationship with the Greek Orthodox church. His overture to Pope ...


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With desperation mounting, hundreds of Gazans are trying to reach Europe in risky sea voyages

by  Associated Press Desperate Gazans flee to Europe in risky sea trips by KARIN LAUB and IBRAHIM BARZAK, Associated Press - 17 September 2014 14:48-04:00 ABASSAN, Gaza Strip (AP) — The university student was desperate to flee Gaza after suffering through years of border closures and three wars. In early September, a week after the latest war between Gaza's ruling Hamas and Israel, 22-year-old Mohammed Abu Toaimeh crossed into neighboring Egypt. He handed $2,000 to traffickers and boarded a ship that was to smuggle him to Europe. Instead, he and dozens of other Gazans are missing amid reports that smugglers sank their vessel on purpose. Mohammed's mother, Ahlam, is plagued by guilt because she helped him scrape together money for the trip. "I had hoped he could begin a new life, better than this life of war and destruction," she said in between sobs. In the past two months, more than 1,300 Gazans are believed to have crossed into Egypt, some even sneaking in through a border tunnel, to embark on illicit sea voyages, said Ramy Abdu, a human rights activist tracking the trafficking. It's a new escape route and a measure of growing desperation in the crowded sliver of land where two-thirds of those under 30 are unemployed. Dreams of emigration are common in Gaza, with polls regularly indicating more than 40 percent would leave if given a chance. Traditionally, young men in Gaza have been encouraged by their families to work abroad and send money home. In recent years, some avenues of escape remained open, despite a border blockade imposed by Israel and Egypt after the Hamas militant group's takeover of Gaza in 2007. Most would-be emigrants have flown to Europe or the Far East from Egypt, often on student or tourist visas, and then attempted to stay. Travel on migrant boats was unusual. However, options diminished after Egypt's military toppled a Hamas-friendly government in Cairo in mid-2013. Egypt's new rulers sealed hundreds of smuggling tunnels under the border, cutting Gaza's main economic lifeline, and tightened travel restrictions. The restrictions sharply reduced the number of Gazans allowed to cross legally into Egypt and those who were permitted to fly from Cairo's airport. The recent 50-day war only strengthened the belief of many here that they have no future in Gaza. More than 2,100 Gazans were killed and more than 18,000 homes destroyed in the fighting. With Hamas sticking to its militant ideology, there are no signs that Israel and Egypt will ease the blockade significantly. In mid-July, about a week after the outbreak of the war, a gang of Egyptian smugglers and Palestinian middlemen began advertising sea trips to Europe as cheap and safe, said Abdu. Word of the boat trips quickly spread among the young men of Gaza, including Mohammed Abu Toaimeh, his 26-year-old brother Firas and their 19-year-old cousin, Hussein al-Jorf, who pleaded with their parents to raise the money. There was little to keep the three in Gaza. Mohammed and Hussein were studying law at a Gaza City university, with little prospect of employment after graduation. Mohammed and Firas lived together in their family's old home, which during the war was seized by Israeli soldiers. Mohammed's bedroom had served as a sniper's position, with two holes cut into a wall at shoulder level and the words "west" and "southwest" scribbled in Hebrew next to them. In the end, Firas stayed in Gaza because his parents couldn't afford the voyage for both sons. Hussein left Gaza on Sept. 1 and Mohammed followed two days later. Both entered Egypt legally via the Rafah border crossing with Gaza, after having obtained papers naming each as an escort for a parent seeking medical treatment in Egypt, the mother, Ahlam, explained. She said she and Mohammed reached the port city of Alexandria after a nine-hour drive. There, they handed $2,000 to a smuggler who called himself "Abu Hamada, the Syrian" and put them up in an apartment along with six other migrants. Ahlam, a 47-year-old mother of eight, said she last spoke to Mohammed by phone on Sept. 6 after a bus took him and Hussein to a waiting vessel. The International Organization for Migration said the ship sailed from the Egyptian port of Damietta that day with about 500 Palestinians, Syrians, Egyptians and Sudanese on board, including about 100 children. Abdu said 120 Gaza natives were on the ship. After four days at sea, smugglers intentionally rammed the vessel southeast of the island of Malta when the migrants refused to switch to a smaller boat they deemed unsafe, the migration organization said, citing survivor testimony. The witnesses told the IOM that about 300 people on the lower deck were trapped and drowned immediately, while others held on to each other or flotation devices. The fate of Mohammed, Hussein and others from Gaza is unknown. Zakariya Assouli, a Palestinian immigrant in Sweden, said his uncle, Shukri, was among the survivors and confirmed the boat was intentionally rammed. Shukri Assouli was picked up by a freighter and flown to Greece, but his wife and two small children are missing, Zakariya said by phone. He said his uncle had planned to join him in Sweden. "He was looking for a better future for him and his children," he said. He said he lost contact with the uncle after their conversation. The number of migrants and refugees from Africa and the Middle East trying to get to Europe by boat is growing, and more than 110,000 have reached Italy alone so far this year, said Carlotta Sami, a spokeswoman for the Italy office of the main U.N. refugee agency. Newcomers often try to get from there to other European countries, she said. Sami said she's seen an increase in the number of arrivals from Gaza over the past few weeks, but didn't have exact figures. Maj. Gen. al-Anani Hammouda, security chief in the Egyptian coastal region of Marsa Matrouh, said the number of European-bound Palestinian migrants in his area has increased dramatically in recent weeks. "We were used to migrants from African countries, Bangladesh, or Syrians. But over the past month, we have been seeing a large number of Palestinians among the migrants," he said. On Sunday, 47 Palestinians were among more than 150 migrants caught in a fishing boat off Alexandria. Elsewhere, a Palestinian arrested in Alexandria on Saturday told authorities he had entered Egypt through a tunnel from Gaza. In Gaza, a Hamas police spokesman said several suspected traffickers have been arrested. Firas, the brother of Mohammed, said he expects the exodus to continue. "Even after the incident (with the capsized ship), everyone is eager to get out," he said. While many leave through the Rafah crossing — either with medical referrals or by bribing Egyptian officials — more than 200 are believed to have left through a border tunnel, Abdu said. Firas said a fake medical referral costs $400, while a trip through a tunnel costs an additional $1,800. He said Abu Hamada told him that he can "connect us with people in Egypt to stamp our passports" in the event of the tunnel option. Since the disappearance of his brother, Firas has put his emigration plans on hold to spare his mother more pain. "It's enough that we lost one," he said. ___ Mohammed Daraghmeh in Ramallah, West Bank and Maggie Michael in Cairo contributed reporting. News Topics: General news, Territorial disputes, War and unrest, Political refugees, Maritime accidents, Travel laws and regulations, Human welfare, Social issues, Social affairs, Transportation accidents, Accidents, Accidents and disasters, Transportation, Government regulations, Government and politics People, Places and Companies: Egypt, Palestinian territories, Cairo, Israel, Gaza Strip, Alexandria, Middle East, Italy, Europe, North Africa, Africa, Western Europe Copyright 2014 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.


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Win Tickets To See Lorde At The Greek Theatre

She'll be stopping by The Greek Theatre in LA for a duo of shows next month supported by Majical Cloudz, and we have a pair of tickets to give away ...


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Greek Doctors Prosper in Germany

At the end of 2013, 1,125 Greek doctors worked in the area of North Rhine – Westphalia in Germany. They constitute the largest group of foreign doctors who “can contribute to the further improvement of the German health system,” said Health ...


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Greek Artists Interpret Various Historical Events

The Barbara and Steven Grossman Gallery of the School of the Museum of Fine Arts in Boston presents an exhibition, entitled “Reverb: New Art from Greece,” hosting works of 11 new or mid-career Greek artists who have interpreted various newsworthy ...


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OncoDNA, Istomedica Ink Exclusive Agreement Covering Greece

As a result of the deal, clinicians in Greece will be able to access next-generation sequencing-based technology providing them with clinically relevant ...


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UN envoy meets with Greek Cypriot, Turkish Cypriot leaders

UN envoy meets with Greek Cypriot, Turkish Cypriot leaders ... Barth Eide (left) with the leaders of the Greek Cypriot and Turkish Cypriot communities.


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Chinese Investors Interested in Greek Rare Earths

Greece's soil reportedly holds an estimated 40 billion euros worth (AUD57.32 billion) of mineral resources. Greek Reporter said the Chinese investors ...


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U.S. Real Estate Company Eyes Opportunity in Greece

Privately-held real estate firm Hines has set its sights on Greek real estate  as foreign real estate firms snap up undeveloped plots in the country in the wake of the Euro debt crisis, a report on Kathimirini.com ...


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UN Envoy Says Cyprus Peace Talks Enter New Phase

AP – A United Nations envoy says talks to reunify the ethnically divided Mediterranean island of Cyprus have moved up a gear with Greek and Turkish Cypriot leaders looking to bridge gaps on core issues. Following a meeting with both leaders, Espen Barth Eide said Wednesday that negotiations “are really beginning now” as the earlier preparatory phases where both sides spelled out their positions have ended. Cyprus was split into an internationally recognized, Greek Cypriot south and a breakaway Turkish Cypriot north in 1974 when Turkey invaded after a coup by supporters of union with Greece. Peace talks resumed in February after the two sides agreed on an outline of key principles underpinning an envisioned federation. But important differences remain on issues like power sharing and foreign military intervention rights. © 2014 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.


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Greece: Second-tier football season postponed over clubs' cash troubles

by  Associated Press Greek second-tier season halted over cash troubles Associated Press - 17 September 2014 13:36-04:00 ATHENS, Greece (AP) — Organizers of Greece's second-tier football league say the new season due to start on Sept. 27-28 has been postponed indefinitely due to the serious financial problems facing its clubs. The 26-team Football League announced Wednesday that it had requested meetings with the country's political leaders to try and reach a financial settlement, and that a five-member negotiating committee had been appointed. Professional sport in Greece has been hit hard by the country's financial crisis. Divided into northern and southern divisions, the Football League includes popular clubs such as AEK Athens, Larissa and Iraklis. There was no immediate reaction from the government. __ Online: Football League of Greece: http://www.footballleague.gr News Topics: Sports, Soccer, Men's soccer, Men's sports People, Places and Companies: Greece, Athens, 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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3 Reasons Greek Life Is a Great Place to Address Mental Health

Greek life tends to only get publicity when a chapter does something negative, which furthers the stereotypes. Members of fraternities and sororities ...


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Greece league suspended after financial issues

ATHENS — Organizers of Greece’s second-tier football league say the new season due to start on Sept. 27-28 has been postponed indefinitely due to the serious financial problems facing its clubs. The 26-team Football League announced Wednesday that it ...


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Financial crisis forces Greek second division postponement

According to the announcement, the league has requested a meeting with Prime Minister Antonis Samaras, leaders of other political parties, the Greek ...


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Concord: St. Demetrios Church hosts annual Greek Festival

Dan Honda/Staff. Visitors to the Greek Festival in Concord stop at the booth to taste wines from Buonochore Good Heart wine distributor Tim Halikas.


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Armani's Greek protege shows he is no Giorgio clone in Milan

The 36-year-old Greek is seen by some as a potential successor to the 80-year-old Armani, should the dean of Italian fashion decide to call time on the ...


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Greek Researchers Use Exosuit to Explore Ancient Antikythera Shipwreck

(Photo : Commons) A robotic diving suit called the Exosuit will help researches study an ancient shipwreck near Greece that has an object widely ...


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Ohanyan, Greek ambassador discuss cooperation

Armenian Defense Minister Seyran Ohanyan received today Greek Ambassador to Armenia Ioannis Taghis and the Embassy's newly appointed ...


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Oblak debut descends into Greek tragedy

21-year-old goalkeeper Jan Oblak was one of Atlético's big-money signings over the summer as he was identified as Thibaut Courtois's successor.


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Melbourne's Greek Cultural Centre Opens on Sunday

Greek Centre The Greek Cultural Centre, the new 15 storey building of the Greek Community of Melbourne, will be inaugurated on Sunday, ...


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UN Envoy Says Cyprus Talks Now On

A UN envoy says talks to reunify Cyprus have moved up a gear with Greek and Turkish Cypriot leaders looking to bridge gaps. The post UN Envoy Says Cyprus Talks Now On appeared first on The National Herald.


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Rakintzis Accuses Politicians For Enjoying Immunity in Corruption Cases

Greek General Inspector of Public Administration Leandros Rakintzis, responsible for battling corruption in the public sector, confirmed that high-profile politicians continue to benefit from concerted efforts to write-off charges of wrong-doing that allow statute of limitations to lapse before they can be prosecuted. The comment was given in response to a question asked by SYRIZA MP Thodoris Dritsas. “Have you seen high-profile politicians go to court?” he asked and described what he called his ‘complaint’ to the parliament as, “in my efforts to do something about the high-profile, I always run into a wall of exculpatory measures.” However, Rakintzis refused to bend to Dritsas’ pressure to reveal names, stressing that he was not in a legal position to do so. But he made clear that he feels that an entirely different set of rules apply for the political class elite that render prosecutions nearly impossible. Rakintzis was also revealing about NGOs and corruption in the public sector. He said that he had submitted questions to the relevant Ministry and tax offices, but they protested that they didn’t have the time to conduct audits so none ever took place. The operation of NGOs throughout the first decade of 2000s is mired in scandal. Many different development aid organizations received generous grants from the government under the Foreign Ministry’s ‘Hellenic Aid’ program but with dubious outcomes. Regarding the Greece ‘s public sector, he reminded the committee that Parliament itself had passed laws legitimizing illegal spending of state funds. He noted, however, that the dismissal of public employees found guilty of abusing their positions had been accelerated and that the new body of Public Administration Inspectors was a valuable institution, as the framework of internal audits that had existed until recently had been largely inactive.


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Greek second-tier season halted over cash troubles

ATHENS, Greece (AP) — Organizers of Greece's second-tier football league say the new season due to start on Sept. 27-28 has been postponed indefinitely due to the serious financial problems facing its clubs.


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Greece's Fur Coat Industry Braces for Russian Sanctions

Denis Grishkin / VedomostiGreece sold 136,446 fur coats worth 108 million euros ($140 million) to Russia in 2012. Export volumes fell to 86 million ...


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Public comments sought on state's conservation plan

Those living in Finger Lakes region can voice their comments at a public hearing Oct. 22. email · print. By Julie Sherwood. Greece Post. By Julie ...


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Provocative Article Mentions Autonomous Macedonian Movement

Here’s how the map of Europe would be redrawn if all Separatist Movements get their way, is the title of a provocative article published at Business Insider today. The map mixes existent and non-existent movements and displays scenarios with 37 new national and religious states in Europe. “From Catalonia and Basque Country in Spain to Veneto, South Tyrol, and the island of Sardinia in Italy to Flanders in Belgium, “the precedent of the vote on self-determination will reverberate around the Continent,” The New York Times wrote on the same lines as Business Insider. The map gives a rough idea of how European borders would have to be redrawn if regions with a separatist agenda got their way and was put together by the “European Free Alliance”, to which “40 progressive nationalist, regionalist and autonomous parties throughout the European Union belong,” the article suggests. It displays famous, recognized separatist movements and other non-existent ones such as the “Lerin: Macedonians in Greece.” And after mixing together actual and imaginary separatists movements, it concludes that Scotland and the referendum could lead to a dramatic change in the map of Europe as we know it today.


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Greek Car Production to Restart in Late 2014

It was announced that the light-passenger-utility car, Pony, which was first produced by the Greek National Motor Company (NAMCO) in the 1970s, will once again begin production, starting around the end of 2014. Petros Tzanetos-Kondogouris, owner of the ...


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Three Men Charged in Greece Kidnapping Plead Not Guilty

Rochester, NY (WROC)- All three men accused of kidnapping a family in Greece before burglarizing their jewelry store have pleaded not guilty to the ...


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Greece residents take care of local students

Atria Greece residents Helen, Irma, Lena and Executive Director Tina Weller recently helped to put together a collection of donated school supplies for ...


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Over 800,000 Farmers Asked to Return Funds Received in 2009

Over 800,000 farmers will have to return funds they received five years ago as they have been described as non compliant with European Union legislation and deemed to constitute state subsidies. The government will seek the return of 387.4 million euros in illegal state subsidies given to Greek farmers in 2009, according to a document that Finance Minister Gikas Hardouvelis handed to the Greek Parliament. The money will have to be returned to the state by the end of November, given that EU law allows for a four-month period for the funds’ recovery from the issue of the final decision, unless the Greek government asks for an extension. The deadline expired on July 16. Hardouvelis noted that if the government does not take steps to retrieve the funds, the European Court of Justice will likely order Athens to pay a fine, “while excluding Greek farmers who received the illegal subsidies from any further support until the date of full compliance.” The Finance Minister added that in its bid to implement the European Commission’s decisions regarding the return of subsidies, the government is examining each individual case closely, in the hope that it will minimize the impact on the businesses concerned. Hardouvelis also noted in the document – which came in response to a question in Parliament – that the responsibility for determining the process for the funds’ return, rests with the Agricultural Development Ministry. The ruling of the European Court is final. The case was opened in January 2009, when the European Commission was informed about the compensations which were to be paid by the Greek Agricultural Insurance Organization (ELGA) after protests by large number of Greek agricultural producers who have suffered damages due to bad weather in 2008.


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New Operating Rooms in Evangelismos Hospital

The National Bank of Greece donated a new ward with 15 operating rooms to Evangelismos Hospital. The new building was inaugurated by the Greek Health Minister Makis Voridis on Tuesday. The new ward includes two orthopaedic operating rooms and two of the largest cardiological operating rooms in Greece, equipped with the latest technology. There are also two neurological rooms, large enough to hold MRI scanners, and a hybrid operating room that can be directly converted to handle a switch in surgical procedures. It also includes facilities for sterilizing equipment and laboratories. Representatives of the hospital employees told the Health Minister that the new facilities could not operate with short-term staff, while both administrative staff and doctors strongly criticized the presence of riot police outside the new building.


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Q&A: Barbra Streisand talks new duets album, directing, women's rights and Pres. Obama

by  Associated Press Q&A: Barbra Streisand, the feminist, sings on by MESFIN FEKADU, Associated Press - 17 September 2014 12:00-04:00 NEW YORK (AP) — Barbra Streisand's new album of duets only includes male singers, but it wasn't a conscious effort to exclude females. "Everyone we asked was ... busy," Streisand said. The performer almost scored one major diva: Beyonce. "She had her people try to do a track of one of the songs from my movie, 'A Star is Born,' and it just, we didn't have the time to finish it, to get it right," she said. "We had to release the album. Maybe someday we'll do a duet because she's so great." "Partners," released Tuesday, features Billy Joel, Stevie Wonder, John Mayer, John Legend and Babyface, who produced the album. In a recent interview with The Associated Press, Streisand talked about music, directing, women's right and politics. ___ AP: Would you do an album full of female duets next? Streisand: (Pauses) Possibly. I loved singing with Celine (Dion) and Donna Summer. AP: What was the energy like in the studio for you and your guests? Streisand: We were all nervous. Everybody was saying to me, "I'm nervous singing with you!" And I said, "Whoops, I'm nervous singing with you." ...I love that kind of nervousness. You know something's being done for posterity. I guess that's why I like making movies, too, because it lasts. AP: How have you maintained your voice over the years? Streisand: I don't drink. I don't like the taste of liquor. I like beer sometimes. I can do half a shot of vodka with tonic, but it's always like medicine to me, alcohol. I don't drink wine even. Maybe that has something to do with it. I smoked when I was 10 years old, you know on the streets, on the rooftops in Brooklyn because my stepfather smoked ... gave it up when I was 12. AP: Was it weird singing along with Elvis Presley's vocals on "Love Me Tender"? Streisand: No, it just felt right. It felt natural. I met him. I talked to him. I wanted him for a movie. AP: What movie? Streisand: It was "A Star is Born" many, many years ago. His career was slightly in decline, he was overweight and I thought he was perfect to play that part. ...It was fun to talk to him. He was talking about the process of how people don't understand that you need time and quiet before you perform. And he was talking about a girl in his life who doesn't understand that, and I said, "Oh you really have to explain that and tell her it's not personal; it's just that you need to be quiet before you go onstage." But it was lovely to share these stories with each other. AP: Are you planning to do more movies? Streisand: I like directing. I'm planning to direct a move and also be in a couple of things maybe that I've meant to do over the years. AP: Are you happy to see more female directors on the scene? Streisand: Well, the problem is there aren't more. I swear to God I read a survey a few months ago, like less than 6 percent of women are directing films today, and that was (the same as) in the time I did "Yentl." AP: Why do you think that is? Streisand: I think women are still treated as second-class citizens. We still don't get equal pay. Thank God I am in the music industry, so it's a bit different, but I'm fortunate in that way. The average woman doesn't get the same pay; she gets 77 cents on the dollar that a man gets. I'm so involved in women's heart disease and trying to raise awareness and funds; Even in medical research, women are not treated equally. The research on women's hearts is done in the last 50 years on men. ...So since women are 51 percent of the population I think we should really have that represented in Congress as well. AP: Speaking of politics, have you spoken to Hillary Clinton whether she'll run for president? Streisand: I would love her to run. I think we have advanced with Obama, and I think people are giving him a hard time, which is not fair because this Affordable Care Act is working and it's going to help a lot of people. But it's like Greek tragedy, you know, they always try to bring down the gods, bring down the kings, bring down the leaders. AP: Do you feel like he's doing a good job? Streisand: I do. And it's right to take your time going to war and so forth. He has to be thoughtful. ___ Online: http://www.barbrastreisand.com/us/partners ___ Follow Mesfin Fekadu at twitter.com/MusicMesfin News Topics: Arts and entertainment, Music, Entertainment, Rhythm and blues, Pop music, Movies People, Places and Companies: Barbra Streisand, Beyonce Knowles, Billy Joel, Stevie Wonder, John Mayer, John Legend, Babyface, Donna Summer, Elvis Presley, Hillary Clinton Copyright 2014 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.


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Greek Meatball Sandwiches…

Quick and easy Greek flavored meatballs served on a pita and topped with a homemade Tzatziki sauce.


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The New Way of Traveling Around Athens: Car To Go

More than 300 white Fiat 500s with “car to go” logos are parked across Athens, Greece. They are all washed, tanks full, taxes paid and are ready to serve any driver who wishes to try this alternative means of transportation. The cars belong to the Car to Go company that introduces a different transportation model: customers can find the nearest white Fiat 500 bearing the company logo and drive it wherever they wish. Users must first complete an application form online for 19.90 euros. They can then download the free “Car to Go” application on their smart phone and acquire a membership card, with which they can access any available car and drive it. After registering, users look for the nearest available vehicle through the app, unlock it by scanning their membership card, find the key in the car, type in their password, answer some simple questions whether the car is clean and in good condition, and they are ready to go. At the end of the ride, drivers can leave the car at any legal parking spot. After they park, they lock the car by scanning their card and can leave. Payment is calculated through an automatic per minute charge which varies depending whether the car is in motion or not. Customers have no obligation to fill the tank. This is taken care of by the company.


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Second annual 'A Taste of Greece Foodfest' set for Sept. 26-28 in Raritan Township

The second annual “A Taste of Greece Foodfest” will take place the last weekend of September at St. Anna Greek Orthodox Church, 85 Voorhees ...


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Acropolis Museum Among World’s Best

Operating for five years now, the Acropolis Museum in Athens has charmed foreign and local tourists with its treasures from the Greek Bronze Era to the Roman and Byzantine period. It is the most visited museum in Greece and attracts millions of visitors each year. The Acropolis Museum is 8th on the list of the best museums in the world compiled by TripAdvisor, based on visitor votes. TripAdvisor says that the the museum building is amazing and so are its exhibits, while it makes a special reference to the glass corridor from which visitors can see the ruins and excavations below the museum. The full list of the ten best museums: 1. Art Institute of Chicago, Chicago 2. National Museum of Anthropology (Museo Nacional de Antropologia), Mexico City 3. State Hermitage Museum and Winter Palace, St Petersburg 4. The Getty Center, Los Angeles 5. Galleria dell’Accademia, Florence 6. Musee d’Orsay, Paris 7. The Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York 8. The Acropolis Museum, Athens 9. Prado Museum, Madrid 10. Yad Vashem Holocaust Memorial, Jerusalem


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TUC demands more progress on low pay, as jobless rate falls to just 6.2%

Pay increases are less than half the rate of inflation, so living standards keep on falling, says TUC chief.TUC: too many low-paid jobsThe old wage/employment relationship has broken downCameron: Remarkable figures todayUK jobless rate hits 6.2% Average earnings up but still lagging inflationThe key chartsClaimant count drops below one million 3.36pm BST Adam Posen, a former member of the Bank of Englands monetary policy committee, has hit out at fellow economist Joseph Stiglitz for being, in his view, too blasé over the consequences of independence.Posen has blogged that the reality of independence is frightening. He predicted that trade with rUK would suffer badly if Scotland broke away, even if it used the pound.Leaving the United Kingdom will be a huge blow to Scottish commerce.If Scotland wishes to be part of the European Union as a sovereign nation, however, by international treaty, it has to adopt the euro. By adopting the euro, which has a Germanic business cycle focus, the Scottish economy will be repeatedly more out of sync with policy than in the United Kingdom, promoting boom/busts. But Scotland would first have to get over the long list of economic and institutional hurdles required by treaty to be admitted to the euro areawhich is a multiyear period of great vulnerability, as Greece and Italy experienced in the 1990s. 3.34pm BST Final @Panelbase #indyref poll also has YES 48%, NO 52% https://t.co/MRKc7Ra29t - that's now 4 final polls in a row with the same numbers. 3.29pm BST The pound has pushed a little higher, after a new Scottish opinion poll also reported the No side leading the Yes side by 4 percentage points.SCOTTISH VOTE: PANELBASE POLL GIVES YES 48%, NO: 52% 3.18pm BST The Conservative Party has fallen foul of the campaign to prevent wanton abuse of the y-axis on economic charts:The Y-Axis has voted to secede from the UK, and was last seen attempting to join the EU pic.twitter.com/iRxTptHC5q 3.07pm BST Putting todays unemployment rate in some historical contect: 2.12pm BST The surprise drop in US inflation today means the Federal Reserve is less likely to drop its guidance that interest rates will remain low for a considerable time after its QE programme ends (likely in October)The Fed will release a statement at 7pm BST (2pm Eastern), which will be scrutinised for language changes.The further softening in US price pressures evident in Augusts CPI data ease the pressure on the Fed to amend its considerable time rate pledge at todays policy meetingWe suspect that any such changes will be small, most likely, a tweak to the text referring to the time after QE ends before the first rate hike. Perhaps a replacement of the word considerable, in this context. 2.00pm BST Aha, heres a snap of the prime minister meeting workers at the Weir Minerals factory near Yateley, where he described todays unemployment figures as remarkable. 1.46pm BST Heres the details of the surprise drop in US inflation:Look at that deflation in the energy space! pic.twitter.com/JFzwy8sKlD 1.41pm BST Just in: consumer prices in America have fallen for the first time in 16 months.The monthly CPI index showed that prices fell by 0.2% compared with July. That dragged the annual US inflation date down to 1.7%, surprising Wall Street which expected 1.9%.Look who just got a big raise! Real earnings surge 0.4% in August pic.twitter.com/FgFNBZB9tD 1.32pm BST The underlying reason that UK firms arent offering inflation-busting pay rises is that they simply dont have to.The first is that the old relationship whereby falling jobless numbers led to employers being forced to pay more for a shrinking pool of talent has broken down. Weaker trade unions, less collective bargaining, an increase in the percentage of the workforce that is part-time or self-employed: these are all factors keeping the lid on wage increases.Eventually, the traditional pattern will re-emerge. At some point, unemployment will fall to a level that does lead to such intense competiton for labour that the balance of power in wage negotiations will shift. 12.59pm BST Back in the markets, the pound remains higher today; currently up almost half a cent at $1.632.£/$ still holding on to gains (+0.24%) as UK unemployment drops to lowest 6 yrs = 6.2%. August claimant count also lowest since 2008 = 2.9% 12.51pm BST The leader of the Green party in England and Wales, Natalie Bennett, blames the government for Britains shrinking real wages: This government said it would make work pay: instead it's made work pay a lot less: http://t.co/W0SsmQEMkA We need #jobstoliveon. 12.34pm BST David Cameron, whose mind must be whirling as the Scottish vote nears, has welcomed the drop in unemployment and taken some credit for it:During a visit to Weir Minerals Europe, a factory near Fleet in Hampshire, Prime Minister David Cameron described the fall in people claiming unemployment benefit as really remarkable. He added: We had a long-term economic plan, we stuck to that plan and you can see today that plan is working. Yeah right: Cameron reaffirms his intention not to resign in event of yes vote http://t.co/n9hqhPAeGO 12.33pm BST The CBI, which represents British businesses, is dangling the prospect of wage increases picking up:With unemployment dropping, and wage settlements in larger firms starting to pick up, we expect to see average earnings growth begin to rise in time. 12.01pm BST And this chart shows how average UK pay rises have lagged inflation for most months since the financial crisis struck.UK unemployment lowest in 6 yrs. But real earnings (wage growth minus inflation) now down 59 months in a row: pic.twitter.com/f88a8FlwRT 11.59am BST The TUCs concerns about low wage growth are also shared by Mark Miller of the Economist Intelligence Unit. He reckons that it will deter the Bank of England from raising interest rates in the next six months.In itself, the decline in unemployment of 146,000 during May-July 2014 compared with the previous quarter is clearly encouraging. But further tightening in labour market conditions is still not being reflected in firmer pay growth. Latest average weekly earnings growth data (both whole economy and excluding bonuses) remain very subdued in historical terms. This remains a key focus at the Bank of England and accordingly, we do not envisage a first interest rate increase before the second quarter of 2015. 11.38am BST Union leaders are adamant that the labour market is not yet healed, despite seeing the headline unemployment rate hit a near-six year low. Last week the Governor of the Bank of England said the fall in real wages is the worst since the 1920s and todays figures show it getting worse. Pay increases are less than half the rate of inflation, so living standards keep on falling.More people are working, but growth based on more low-paid jobs isnt working for Britain. We need jobs that ensure everyone gets a fair share in the growing economy through real increases to their wages.Todays data shows that regular pay growth remains very subdued at just 0.7% despite continued strong jobs growth, although the squeeze on real earnings has eased slightly with the recent fall in consumer price inflation to 1.5%. But to many workers facing a sixth consecutive year of declining real wages, the recovery may still seem to be something that is happening to other people.Weak pay growth appears to reflect increased labour supply in recent years, notably by older workers and immigrants, which has balanced the effect of increased labour demand. More recently, it also reflects compositional effects due to the return to the workforce of some previously unemployed or inactive younger workers with relatively low pay and productivity levels. 11.35am BST Heres economics editor Larry Elliott on todays jobs data:Unemployment in the UK has dropped to its lowest level since the height of the 2008 financial crisis as a growing economy creates more part-time jobs, according to official figures.Both government measures of joblessness are falling, although data from the Office for National Statistics hinted that the improvement in the labour market could be slowing. 11.15am BST The ONS also has an unofficial stab at the unemployment rate for July alone, rather than for the May-July quarter.And it shows that the jobless rate hit just 5.9%, suggesting the headline rate will keep falling for the next couple of months.Unemployment falling like a stone. Single month rate (July) 5.9% pic.twitter.com/4NgbNF6opV 11.03am BST Strong labour market stats today - employment good, wages still well below inflation but picking up & hopeful signs on productivity. 11.02am BST Rob Wood, economist at Berenberg, flags up that underemployment appears to have fallen: Underemployment is falling too. It is not just the headline unemployment figures that are showing significant change. Underemployment is one possible reason why wages have remained weak, but the signs are that it is declining quickly. The proportion of part time workers who wanted but could not find a full-time job has fallen from 18.4% to 16.5% in the past year, for instanc 10.50am BST Labour MP Stephen Timms, the shadow Employment Minister, says that todays fall in overall unemployment is welcome, but is also concerned that pay is still falling behind the cost of living (see chart at 10.01am). 10.47am BST Employment consultant Dr John Philpott reckons there are tentative signs in the latest figures that the balance between job creation and pay growth may have started to shift.Todays data shows that the workforce expanded by 74,000 in May-July, the small increase in just over a year. 10.37am BST Heres an important point: the number of people who arent in the UK labour market has increased, reversing a recent trend.The ONS reports that the economic inactivity rate in May-July was 22.1%, up from 21.8% in February to April. That measure the percentage of the population who could potentially be in the workforce, but are not (including full-time students). 10.26am BST The chancellor has been tweeting:New unemployment stats show claimant count fallen to under 1 million for 1st time since Great Recession. #LongTermEconomicPlan is workingToday's employment stats mark another step towards full employment. But still much more to do. Will set out further plans this autumnUnemployment in Scotland is down to 6% - below UK average. Scotland doing well as part of UK #BetterTogether 10.25am BST The claimant count has also hit a milestone.The number of people receiving unemployment benefit fell to 966,500 in August, the first time its been below one million since 2008. 10.20am BST Back to the UK unemployment data, and todays data also shows that there has been a sharp rise in self-employment.Over the last year: 10.12am BST Good news, the eurozone isnt quite as close to the quagmire of deflation as feared.The eurozone inflation rate for August has been revised up, to +0.4% annually, from 0.3%, thanks to faster rising prices in the service sector. Thats still alarmingly low, though.Upward revision to Eurozone HICP inflation, to 0.4% YoY. Not that big a deal for now, but every bp is good to take. 10.01am BST And this chart shows that real wages are still falling, based on the 0.7% rise in basic pay in todays report. 10.00am BST Britain is now close to its highest ever employment rate, set in 1974. 9.48am BST Heres the details of how the UK labour market changed over the last quarter: 9.43am BST There are signs that Britains pay squeeze may be easing, but were not there yet.The ONE reports that pay including bonuses for employees in Great Britain was 0.6% higher than a year earlier in the May-July period. A month ago, it shank by 0.2%. 9.41am BST The Office for National Statistics says:The main findings of this release are that employment continued to rise and unemployment continued to fall. These changes continue the general direction of movement since late 2011/early 2012. 9.39am BST The number of people receiving unemployment benefit has fallen again; down 37,000 in August. 9.34am BST Breaking: The UK unemployment rate has fallen to 6.2% in the May-July quarter, down from 6.4% a month ago.Thats the lowest jobless rate since the September-November 2008, the quarter when Lehman Brothers collapsed to trigger the biggest financial crisis in generations. 9.31am BST Boom, thats 9.30am. Bank of England minutes first -- they show that BoE policymakers were split 7-2 on whether to raise interest rates again. Martin Weale and Ian McCafferty both wanted to raise rates to 0.75%, but were outvoted. 9.07am BST Analysts at Dutch ING predict that todays unemployment figures will show the jobless rate falling, and earnings picking up (after dropping to just +0.6% annually last month) They say:We expect July unemployment to fall to 6.3% and are looking for a rebound in July average weekly earnings. 9.00am BST Just 30 minutes until we get the UK labour market report. Theres a few points to watch: 8.47am BST Speaking of Scotland, our Europe editor Ian Traynor has analysed how the prospect of Scottish independence is causing head-scratching in Brussels:Heres a flavour:A new regime is just taking shape in Brussels, readying to run the European Union for the next five years. Already it is clear that the three big items sitting in the in-trays for the new commission, the new parliament and the new president of the European council include what is known in Brussels as the British question whether the UK stays in the EU and on what terms.The British question could be very soon superseded or joined by the Scottish question the riddle of Scotlands future in Europe should it opt to go it alone and quit the UK.#scotland in europe. a riddle inside a conundrum wrapped in an enigma, or something churchill said http://t.co/RuNPGJj34U 8.41am BST A strong start for the UK Pound £ today as it pushes above US $1.63 and towards Euro 1.26 #GBP 8.37am BST And heres why traders are protecting themselves against sterling volatility today: The big question in the final round of #IndyRef polling is if any one poll will want to look too different compared to all the others. 8.35am BST The pound has risen a little this morning, gaining around 0.15% against the US dollar and the euro to $1.63 and 1.258.But that is partly because the dollar is generally weaker, after the WSJ predicted last night that the Federal Reserve will not hint at an earlier rate rise at todays meeting.The latest opinion polls still put the Nos ahead in the Scottish referendum, but the result will be extremely close. The FX market remains long the pound and that is why GBP/USD has only bounced modestly. The risk is greater to the downside on a Yes than to the upside on a No. 8.14am BST European stock markets are open, and the FTSE 100 has picked up 16 points, or 0.25%, in opening trading to 6806.The French and German markets both rose by 0.5%, following gains on Wall Street last night.O/N: PBoC inject $81bln liquidity into Chinas 5 largest banks, Scottish 'No' votes still in lead, Hilsenrath says Fed less hawkish 7.59am BST After some grim years, Europes auto industry may finally be looking towards a better future.Industry body ACEA reports that sales rose by 5.6% across Europe in July and by 2.1% in August. In July, France was the only major market to shrink (-4.3%). Elsewhere, growth ranged from 5.5% in Italy, 6.6% in the UK, 6.8% in Germany and 11.1% in Spain, leading to a 5.6% upturn in the region. Overall, 1,041,683 new cars were registered in the month.In August, upturn prevailed across significant markets, resulting in an overall 2.1% increase in the EU. France, Germany and Italy registered a slight decrease (-2.6%, -0.4% and -0.2% respectively), while the other major markets expanded, registering 13.7% more in Spain and 9.4% in the UK. 7.47am BST Bad news from Sony -- the Japanese electronics giant has just warned that it will incur a much larger loss than previously forecast, and has suspended its dividend.Sony is taking a 180bn yen (£1.03bn) impairment charge on its mobile communications business. It blamed tougher competition in the smartphone market.Chief Executive Officer Kazuo Hirai is struggling to revive Sony through content, consoles and mobile devices. The company has lost money in five of the last six years amid declining demand for televisions and compact cameras. 7.36am BST Good morning, and welcome to our rolling coverage of the financial markets, the world economy, business and the eurozone.Share markets seen regaining ground at the open after yesterday's losses. Financial bookies: FTSE100 +15, DAX +40, CAC40 +23 Continue reading...


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Football Violence in Greece is Alive and Well

Greek politicians are like the legendary Greek lovers of the 70s and 80s: they will promise the sun and the moon, only to satisfy their baser needs and, of course, will never keep their promises. One of the hundreds of promises Greek politicians repeatedly break, is that they will put an end to football violence. Right this moment, a 46-year-old man from Piraeus is fighting for his life, suffering from severe brain hemorrhage after making the mistake to travel and watch his team in an away game in Crete, where he was attacked by the local team hooligans. Two other fans of the Piraeus team were seriously injured, but since they didn’t make it to the intensive care unit, it is like nothing happened. There were just two policemen in the field. Two more arrived after the victims were lying on the ground. There was no ambulance to carry them, until one arrived thirty minutes later. Such incidents are so common in the past three decades, that Greek people have stopped paying attention anymore. Every time someone dies in a football-related fight, state officials will repeat the tiring, hypocritical mantra, “the government denounces football violence… we are determined to put an end to it.” The causes of football violence are many and complex. It has to do with simple human belligerence, fanaticism, lack of life goals, lack of education, poverty, teenage hormones, family problems, social problems, teenagers need to belong to a group, and so much more. Analyzing the reasons behind football violence is like analyzing the causes of a headache. What really matters is how to stop the headache. You take an aspirin and all is well. Of course you can’t stop violence with an aspirin. But if you focus on stopping football violence, instead of analyzing the reasons behind it, you made a first and important step. And the first step is the arrest and punishment of the culprits. Watching the news on TV, we see hundreds of people fighting inside the football field, fires in the stands, whole squads of riot police running, and the next day we read, “there were three arrests.” Wow, out of hundreds of people fighting and burning, they caught three. We never hear that so and so who was involved in the fight and has injured so and so received 8 years in prison. We never hear of heavy fines. We watch the police acting as spectators while hooligans break shop windows, set cars and trashcans on fire, or fight with each other. Every time there are violent incidents around football, an absurd vicious circle is set in motion: The authorities will say they don’t have enough manpower to police all games, the private security members in stadiums are supporters of the hosting team so they won’t break a sweat if they see violence erupting, lack of funds and organization leave many football fields without ambulances, some hooligans will say that the referee wronged their team so their actions were morally justified, other hooligans will claim that they can’t find jobs and release their anger during the game, team owners will say that the Greek Football Association doesn’t like their team and wants them out of the league, sports papers will print inflammatory headlines that instigate and justify violence, TV journalists will unleash incredible conspiracy theories about the state of Greek football, people who bet on football and lose money will say the games are fixed so the anger of fans is justifiable, opposition parties will accuse the government of exploiting football violence for distracting people away from the real issues, referees will say they receive threats. And in the end, of course, the government will renounce football violence for the hundredth time. The economic crisis of the past few years has been a convenient excuse for football violence. “The poor kids have no jobs and no future, so this is an outlet to their frustration,” is something you hear when things are light, i.e. when there are no dead victims in the fights. Still, football violence has been present even in times of prosperity for Greece, in the 1990s and early 2000s. There are enough football-related deaths during those times to prove that the problem is ongoing. Like in many other sectors, the Greek governments of the past thirty years took a series of ineffective (if not outright ridiculous) measures to stop football violence. I’m sorry, but it is outright ridiculous to spend millions of euros to put cameras in football stadiums without staff to monitor the cameras! Not once there was an arrest based on those cameras’ tapes. The cameras are still there, lifeless reminders of the kickbacks received by the politicians involved. Another such measure was the famous “electronic ticket” that bears the name of the ticket holder and the seat number. Supposedly, if there is trouble during the game, the cameras will identify the spot of the trouble and police will rush there to arrest those seating in the specific seats. Only in the movies! Not once I was asked to present an ID when entering a stadium holding a ticket with my name on it. Another ingenious measure, in case of violence during a game, is to punish the hosting team by playing without spectators in the next game(s). Taking into consideration the fact that the people who cause trouble in stadiums go there just for that, and not to watch their team, I wouldn’t exactly call it punishment. They can attack their opponents on the streets. Not to mention that the ban will fuel their anger and (in their mind) justify more violence. The General Secretariat of Sports keeps legislating but sports laws are rarely enforced. There is a paradox in Greece: If I start smashing a car as an individual, I will be arrested. If it is a Sunday outside a football field and I am with a couple of friends wearing our team’s colors and we start smashing a car, no one will come near us. It is amazing how some acts that belong in the penal code are justified when they are taking place around a football game. Football violence, however, is a global phenomenon and it is certain that Greece has much fewer victims than some countries in South America or the UK where fanaticism is rampant. Thank God we haven’t started shooting referees, bring firearms to the games, or counting dead. The phenomenon in Greece is still manageable. But judging by the state’s inefficiency in other sectors, it seems that football violence in the country will end around the time tax evasion ends. If you get my drift.


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Remembering Maria Callas: 1923-1977

September 16 marked 37 years since the untimely death of opera legend Maria Callas.  The Greek soprano superstar died of a heart attack at age 53 in her Paris apartment. The newspaper The Guardian, reported Callas’ death the following day, September 17, 1977: “Maria Callas, the opera singer who put as much passion into her […] The post Remembering Maria Callas: 1923-1977 appeared first on The National Herald.


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Cyprus leaders agree to speed up peace talks

Talks between Greek and Turkish Cypriot leaders will now be twice-monthly 'structured negotiations', UN envoy saysRival leaders of ethnically-split Cyprus agreed on Wednesday to try to speed up slow-moving peace talks to resolve outstanding issues in the decades-old conflict, a UN official said. Continue reading...


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2014-09-17 12:33:23.1

Magnitude, ML 4.3. Region, GREECE. Date time, 2014-09-17 12:33:25.1 UTC. Location, 40.74 N ; 21.37 E. Depth, 10 km. Distances, 140 km S of ...


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News Buzz: National Bank of Greece (NYSE:NBG), Nokia (NYSE:NOK), The Western Union (NYSE ...

The National Bank of Greece SA (NYSE:NBG) has donated 30 million euros toward the revamp of one of Athens's main hospitals, located in the ...


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Archaeologists use robot exoskeleton to explore Ancient Greek shipwreck

Using a semi-robotic metal diving suit, marine archaeologists have begun exploring a 2,000 year old shipwreck that held the famed Antikythera mechanism. 


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STOCKS: S&P to move Greece, UAE, Qatar to “emerging”

"This year's major changes to the S&P Global BMI indices are the reclassification of Greece to Emerging status from Developed status, as well as the ...


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Earthquake: M 4.6

Earthquake: M 4.6 - 10km WNW of Florina, Greece. Partner Disclaimer: This item was submitted to breakingnews.com, but has not been approved by ...


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Barcelona and 4 other European cities win Bloomberg's innovative cities contest

by  Associated Press Barcelona, Spain, tops innovative cities contest by ULA ILNYTZKY, Associated Press - 17 September 2014 08:49-04:00 NEW YORK (AP) — Barcelona, Spain, has captured the 5 million euro ($6.5 million) grand prize in a competition that spurs cities to develop novel approaches to improve urban life, Bloomberg Philanthropies announced Wednesday. Four others were awarded 1 million euros ($1.3 million) each: the metropolitan area of Kirklees, England; and the cities of Stockholm; Warsaw, Poland; and Athens, Greece. Former New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg announced the winners, selected from 21 finalists, in Paris. The prizes came from the billionaire businessman-turned-politician's personal foundation. Cities were challenged to come up with creative solutions to critical urban issues, such as youth unemployment, aging populations, civic engagement, environment and public health and safety. Barcelona's project focused on improving the quality of life for its elderly with the creation of a support network that would include relatives, friends, social workers and volunteers. Kirklees proposed a social capital project that calls for pooling its idle assets such as citizens untapped time and expertise and empty unused spaces to "make the most of what it has and do more with less." Stockholm focused on combatting climate change by encouraging residents to produce biochar, an organic material that increases tree growth, isolates carbon and purifies storm runoff. Warsaw proposed transportation incentives and a unified public transit payment system that would encourage greener modes of travel. Athens' civic engagement project aimed to create a new online platform to address "the large number of small-scale challenges accelerated by the Greek economic crisis." Bloomberg Philanthropies said 155 sizeable European cities from 28 countries competed for 9 million euros — about $12 million — in prizes. The Mayors Challenge in Europe was modeled on a Bloomberg Philanthropies competition that debuted in the United States last year. In the U.S. version of the Mayor's Challenge, the $5 million top prize went to Providence, Rhode Island. Its project called for improving poor children's vocabulary by outfitting them with recording devices if their parents agreed, counting the words the children hear and coaching parents. The four other cities awarded $1 million apiece were Houston, Philadelphia, Chicago and Santa Monica, California. News Topics: General news, Municipal governments, Local governments, Government and politics People, Places and Companies: Michael Bloomberg, Spain, Barcelona, Poland, Athens, New York City, Europe, Warsaw, United States, Greece, Western Europe, Eastern Europe, New York, North America Copyright 2014 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.


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