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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, November 26, 2014

BC-SOC--Champions League Glance

by  Associated Press BC-SOC--Champions League Glance Associated Press - 26 November 2014 16:43-05:00 BC-SOC--Champions League Glance Champions League At A Glance By The Associated Press GROUP STAGE GROUP A GP W D L GF GA Pts ak-Atletico Madrid 5 4 0 1 14 3 12 Juventus 5 3 0 2 7 4 9 Olympiakos 5 2 0 3 6 11 6 Malmo 5 1 0 4 2 11 3 GROUP STAGE Tuesday, Sept. 16 Juventus (Italy) 2, Malmo (Sweden) 0 Olympiakos (Greece) 3, Atletico Madrid (Spain) 2 Wednesday, Oct. 1 Atletico Madrid (Spain) 1, Juventus (Italy) 0 Malmo (Sweden) 2, Olympiakos (Greece) 0 Wednesday, Oct. 22 Atletico Madrid (Spain) 5, Malmo (Sweden) 0 Olympiakos (Greece) 1, Juventus (Italy) 0 Tuesday, Nov. 4 Juventus (Italy) 3, Olympiakos (Greece) 2 Malmo (Sweden) 0, Atletico Madrid (Spain) 2 Wednesday, Nov. 26 Atletico Madrid (Spain) 4, Olympiakos (Greece) 0 Malmo (Sweden) 0, Juventus (Italy) 2 Tuesday, Dec. 9 Juventus (Italy) vs. Atletico Madrid (Spain), 1945 GMT Olympiakos (Greece) vs. Malmo (Sweden), 1945 GMT ___ GROUP B GP W D L GF GA Pts ak-Real Madrid 5 5 0 0 12 2 15 FC Basel 5 2 0 3 6 7 6 Liverpool 5 1 1 3 4 8 4 Ludogorets 5 1 1 3 5 10 4 GROUP STAGE Tuesday, Sept. 16 Liverpool (England) 2, Ludogorets (Bulgaria) 1 Real Madrid (Spain) 5, FC Basel (Switzerland) 1 Wednesday, Oct. 1 FC Basel (Switzerland) 1, Liverpool (England) 0 Ludogorets (Bulgaria) 1, Real Madrid (Spain) 2 in Sofia Wednesday, Oct. 22 Liverpool (England) 0, Real Madrid (Spain) 3 Ludogorets (Bulgaria) 1, FC Basel (Switzerland) 0 in Sofia Tuesday, Nov. 4 FC Basel (Switzerland) 4, Ludogorets (Bulgaria) 0 Real Madrid (Spain) 1, Liverpool (England) 0 Wednesday, Nov. 26 FC Basel (Switzerland) 0, Real Madrid (Spain) 1 Ludogorets (Bulgaria) 2, Liverpool (England) 2 in Sofia Tuesday, Dec. 9 Liverpool (England) vs. FC Basel (Switzerland), 1945 GMT Real Madrid (Spain) vs. Ludogorets (Bulgaria), 1945 GMT ___ GROUP C GP W D L GF GA Pts ak-Bayer Leverkusen 5 3 0 2 7 4 9 Monaco 5 2 2 1 2 1 8 Zenit St. Petersburg 5 2 1 2 4 4 7 Benfica 5 1 1 3 2 6 4 GROUP STAGE Tuesday, Sept. 16 Benfica (Portugal) 0, Zenit St. Petersburg (Russia) 2 Monaco (Monaco) 1, Bayer Leverkusen (Germany) 0 Wednesday, Oct. 1 Zenit St. Petersburg (Russia) 0, Monaco (Monaco) 0 Bayer Leverkusen (Germany) 3, Benfica (Portugal) 1 Wednesday, Oct. 22 Bayer Leverkusen (Germany) 2, Zenit St. Petersburg (Russia) 0 Monaco (Monaco) 0, Benfica (Portugal) 0 Tuesday, Nov. 4 Zenit St. Petersburg (Russia) 1, Bayer Leverkusen (Germany) 2 Benfica (Portugal) 1, Monaco (Monaco) 0 Wednesday, Nov. 26 Zenit St. Petersburg (Russia) 1, Benfica (Portugal) 0 Bayer Leverkusen (Germany) 0, Monaco (Monaco) 1 Tuesday, Dec. 9 Benfica (Portugal) vs. Bayer Leverkusen (Germany), 1945 GMT Monaco (Monaco) vs. Zenit St. Petersburg (Russia), 1945 GMT ___ GROUP D GP W D L GF GA Pts ak-Borussia Dortmund 5 4 0 1 13 3 12 ak-Arsenal 5 3 1 1 11 7 10 Anderlecht 5 1 2 2 7 9 5 Galatasaray 5 0 1 4 3 15 1 GROUP STAGE Tuesday, Sept. 16 Borussia Dortmund (Germany) 2, Arsenal (England) 0 Galatasaray (Turkey) 1, Anderlecht (Belgium) 1 Wednesday, Oct. 1 Anderlecht (Belgium) 0, Borussia Dortmund (Germany) 3 Arsenal (England) 4, Galatasaray (Turkey) 1 Wednesday, Oct. 22 Anderlecht (Belgium) 1, Arsenal (England) 2 Galatasaray (Turkey) 0, Borussia Dortmund (Germany) 4 Tuesday, Nov. 4 Arsenal (England) 3, Anderlecht (Belgium) 3 Borussia Dortmund (Germany) 4, Galatasaray (Turkey) 1 Wednesday, Nov. 26 Anderlecht (Belgium) 2, Galatasaray (Turkey) 0 Arsenal (England) 2, Borussia Dortmund (Germany) 0 Tuesday, Dec. 9 Borussia Dortmund (Germany) vs. Anderlecht (Belgium), 1945 GMT Galatasaray (Turkey) vs. Arsenal (England), 1945 GMT ___ GROUP E GP W D L GF GA Pts ak-Bayern Munich 5 4 0 1 13 4 12 Roma 5 1 2 2 8 12 5 CSKA Moscow 5 1 2 2 6 10 5 Manchester City 5 1 2 2 7 8 5 GROUP STAGE Wednesday, Sept. 17 Bayern Munich (Germany) 1, Manchester City (England) 0 Roma (Italy) 5, CSKA Moscow (Russia) 1 Tuesday, Sept. 30 CSKA Moscow (Russia) 0, Bayern Munich (Germany) 1 Manchester City (England) 1, Roma (Italy) 1 Tuesday, Oct. 21 CSKA Moscow (Russia) 2, Manchester City (England) 2 Roma (Italy) 1, Bayern Munich (Germany) 7 Wednesday, Nov. 5 Bayern Munich (Germany) 2, Roma (Italy) 0 Manchester City (England) 1, CSKA Moscow (Russia) 2 Tuesday, Nov. 25 CSKA Moscow (Russia) 1, Roma (Italy) 1 Manchester City (England) 3, Bayern Munich (Germany) 2 Wednesday, Dec. 10 Bayern Munich (Germany) vs. CSKA Moscow (Russia), 1945 GMT Roma (Italy) vs. Manchester City (England), 1945 GMT ___ GROUP F GP W D L GF GA Pts ak-Paris Saint-Germain 5 4 1 0 9 4 13 ak-Barcelona 5 4 0 1 12 4 12 Ajax 5 0 2 3 4 10 2 Apoel Nicosia 5 0 1 4 1 8 1 GROUP STAGE Wednesday, Sept. 17 Ajax (Netherlands) 1, Paris Saint-Germain (France) 1 Barcelona (Spain) 1, Apoel Nicosia (Cyprus) 0 Tuesday, Sept. 30 Apoel Nicosia (Cyprus) 1, Ajax (Netherlands) 1 Paris Saint-Germain (France) 3, Barcelona (Spain) 2 Tuesday, Oct. 21 Apoel Nicosia (Cyprus) 0, Paris Saint-Germain (France) 1 Barcelona (Spain) 3, Ajax (Netherlands) 1 Wednesday, Nov. 5 Ajax (Netherlands) 0, Barcelona (Spain) 2 Paris Saint-Germain (France) 1, Apoel Nicosia (Cyprus) 0 Tuesday, Nov. 25 Apoel Nicosia (Cyprus) 0, Barcelona (Spain) 4 Paris Saint-Germain (France) 3, Ajax (Netherlands) 1 Wednesday, Dec. 10 Ajax (Netherlands) vs. Apoel Nicosia (Cyprus), 1945 GMT Barcelona (Spain) vs. Paris Saint-Germain (France), 1945 GMT ___ GROUP G GP W D L GF GA Pts ak-Chelsea 5 3 2 0 14 2 11 Sporting Lisbon 5 2 1 2 11 9 7 Schalke 5 1 2 2 8 14 5 NK Maribor 5 0 3 2 4 12 3 GROUP STAGE Wednesday, Sept. 17 Chelsea (England) 1, Schalke (Germany) 1 NK Maribor (Slovenia) 1, Sporting Lisbon (Portugal) 1 Tuesday, Sept. 30 Schalke (Germany) 1, NK Maribor (Slovenia) 1 Sporting Lisbon (Portugal) 0, Chelsea (England) 1 Tuesday, Oct. 21 Chelsea (England) 6, NK Maribor (Slovenia) 0 Schalke (Germany) 4, Sporting Lisbon (Portugal) 3 Wednesday, Nov. 5 NK Maribor (Slovenia) 1, Chelsea (England) 1 Sporting Lisbon (Portugal) 4, Schalke (Germany) 2 Tuesday, Nov. 25 Schalke (Germany) 0, Chelsea (England) 5 Sporting Lisbon (Portugal) 3, NK Maribor (Slovenia) 1 Wednesday, Dec. 10 Chelsea (England) vs. Sporting Lisbon (Portugal), 1945 GMT NK Maribor (Slovenia) vs. Schalke (Germany), 1945 GMT ___ GROUP H GP W D L GF GA Pts ak-FC Porto 5 4 1 0 15 3 13 ak-Shakhtar Donetsk 5 2 2 1 14 3 8 Athletic Bilbao 5 1 1 3 3 6 4 BATE 5 1 0 4 2 22 3 ak-Advanced to knockout stage GROUP STAGE Wednesday, Sept. 17 Athletic Bilbao (Spain) 0, Shakhtar Donetsk (Ukraine) 0 FC Porto (Portugal) 6, BATE (Belarus) 0 Tuesday, Sept. 30 BATE (Belarus) 2, Athletic Bilbao (Spain) 1 in Borisov Shakhtar Donetsk (Ukraine) 2, FC Porto (Portugal) 2 in Lviv Tuesday, Oct. 21 BATE (Belarus) 0, Shakhtar Donetsk (Ukraine) 7 in Borisov FC Porto (Portugal) 2, Athletic Bilbao (Spain) 1 Wednesday, Nov. 5 Athletic Bilbao (Spain) 0, FC Porto (Portugal) 2 Shakhtar Donetsk (Ukraine) 5, BATE (Belarus) 0 in Lviv Tuesday, Nov. 25 BATE (Belarus) 0, FC Porto (Portugal) 3 Shakhtar Donetsk (Ukraine) 0, Athletic Bilbao (Spain) 1 in Lviv Wednesday, Dec. 10 Athletic Bilbao (Spain) vs. BATE (Belarus), 1945 GMT FC Porto (Portugal) vs. Shakhtar Donetsk (Ukraine), 1945 GMT News Topics: Men's soccer, Professional soccer, Soccer, Sports, Men's sports People, Places and Companies: Spain, France, Lisbon, Germany, Monaco, Bilbao, Madrid, England, Switzerland, Barcelona, Manchester, Cyprus, Saint Petersburg, Moscow, Bulgaria, Dortmund, Portugal, Belarus, Sweden, Russia, Ukraine, Turkey, Vermont, Slovenia, Greece, Belgium, Munich, Western Europe, Europe, United Kingdom, Eastern Europe, Middle East, United States, North America Copyright 2014 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.


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Discover homey Thessaloniki, Greece

It is worth noting that most Americans who are considering a trip to Greece think first of Athens, with the iconic Parthenon dominating the city skyline, ...


READ THE ORIGINAL POST AT www.tampabay.com

Police have suspect in deadly 1978 Holiday Inn fire in Greece

There are major developments in the investigation of the 1978 Holiday Inn fire in Greece. It was 36 years ago today that flames spread through the ...


READ THE ORIGINAL POST AT www.whec.com

Greece fails to strike budget deal

Greece and its troika of international inspectors failed to reach a deal after two days of marathon negotiations in the French capital, but said that the ...


READ THE ORIGINAL POST AT www.businessspectator.com.au

Jennifer Aniston Uses Greek Curse Word; Jimmy Kimmel Confused!

JenniferAnistonKimmel Jennifer Aniston may be the standard for class, elegance and style, but she showed off her dirty side by taking part in a game ...


READ THE ORIGINAL POST AT hollywood.greekreporter.com

Greek yields act as eurozone ‘fear gauge’

Markets are concerned about stalled talks between Athens and its international creditors


READ THE ORIGINAL POST AT www.ft.com

We should cash-bomb the people

Juncker’s new fund will do little to head off Europe’s lost decade, as Friedman and Keynes would agreeAbandon helicopters. Use bombers. Bomb Germany, France, Italy, Greece, the entire eurozone. Bomb them with banknotes, cash, anything to boost demand. The money must go straight to households, not to banks. Banks have had their day and miserably failed to spend. From now on they get nothing.Five years after the financial crash it is nearly unbelievable that the eurozone’s lords and masters now confront renewed recession. They seem inert before deflation, subflation, lowflation or whatever lets them avoid the word “scandal”. An ever more dominant Germany is unmoved. Its finance minister, Wolfgang Schauble, is set on “black zero” or a balanced German budget. Continue reading...


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Greek yields act as eurozone ‘fear gauge’

Markets are concerned about stalled talks between Athens and its international creditors


READ THE ORIGINAL POST AT www.ft.com

Mrs Clooney to fight for return of Greek marbles from Britain

Amal Alamuddin, the lawyer newly wedded to Hollywood star George Clooney, will be in Greece this month to advise on the return of the Parthenon Marbles from Britain, her employers said on Thursday, AFP reports. The marbles, taken by diplomat Lord Elgin ...


READ THE ORIGINAL POST AT en.tengrinews.kz

EU Refers Spain, Greece To High Court On Tax Matters

The commission also referred Greece to the court for its failure to amend registration tax rules for vehicles leased or rented to Greek residents by ...


READ THE ORIGINAL POST AT www.law360.com

Albanian national arrested for nightclub shooting in Greece

An Albanian national was arrested Wednesday for the shooting inside a nightclub in Greece Saturday, which resulted in 15 injuries. Albert Bako, 31 ...


READ THE ORIGINAL POST AT www.business-standard.com

Other Greek Freak Continues To Be Freaky With Six-Block Performance In D-League

Just last week we were talking about the Other Greek Freak, also known as Older But Less Experienced (OBLE) Greak Freak, also known as Greek ...


READ THE ORIGINAL POST AT www.sportsgrid.com

Greek Navy Aids Disabled Ship Carrying Hundreds of Migrants

As many as 700 migrants were believed to be on the cargo ship, which was being towed in strong winds and high seas to the island of Crete.


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Greek Commissioner Avramopoulos: Solidarity for Immigration Challenges

European Union Commissioner for Migration, Home Affairs and Citizenship Dimitris Avramopoulos underlined during the European Parliament’s plenary debate on migration yesterday that the migration and asylum challenges the EU is currently facing are complicated, as proved by the MEPs questions. “We are confronted with the highest migratory pressure at our external borders since the Balkan crisis,” Avramopoulos declared, adding that this crisis requires an integrated approach, including foreign and security policies. In addition, the Greek Commissioner highlighted the need for solidarity and responsibility among the EU member states for “building a common European migration and asylum system, with common standards and rights for migrants.” Furthermore, Avramopoulos said that the Frontex Police and the European Asylum Support Office are useful tools when solidarity is put in practice. “Relocation has been developed by the Commission and we will continue to work on this. We have the early warning mechanism and the possibilities offered by Article 33 of the Dublin III Regulation. Some of these tools have already proven their worth. We need to further develop and use all of them, as appropriate,” he said, declaring that apart from the EU agencies, non-governmental organizations can also assist, while expressing his ideas over the asylum system that should change: “We must ensure protection for all victims and a strong criminal response to traffickers, working closely with all the Justice and Home Affairs Agencies who implement actions on anti-trafficking.” Avramopoulos also mentioned that there are clear warnings that smuggling is on the rise and the EU needs to increase its response accordingly. “We need to build a stronger criminal justice response to stop this crime, investigating and prosecuting those in charge more severely,” he underlined, adding that the counter-migrant smuggling system needs to focus on the dislocation of the smuggling networks through intelligence sharing between EU country-members, investigation capacity increase and prosecution.


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New Greek Poll Shows SYRIZA Leading by 5%

Greek main opposition party SYRIZA appears consolidating its distance from ruling New Democracy, as a poll conducted by “Pulse” showed. SYRIZA got 27% in voting intention, leaving New Democracy way behind with 22%, while the second coalition partner, PASOK, appears third with 7%, followed by Golden Dawn with 6.5%, the Greek Communist Party (KKE) and “To Potami” with 6%, Independent Greeks (ANEL) with 3.5% and former government partner Democratic Left (DIMAR) with 1%, same as ANTARSYA. The poll, which was conducted nationwide between November 21 and 24 in a sample of 1,031 people, also questioned how the public perceives the way the negotiations with the Troika of Greece’s international lenders are conducted. According to the results, 41% want a hard negotiation with the lenders but in cooperation with them, while 38% would prefer a more strict line towards the lenders and even a break with the Troika, in cases it appears rigid. An important 13% however, is in favor of the immediate rupture with the Troika without even negotiating, proving that Greeks tend to adopt a tougher stance towards the lenders as time goes by. On the question regarding which party is going to win the next general elections, whenever they are held, 59% believes it is going to be SYRIZA, while only 29% went for New Democracy. At the same time, New Democracy leader Antonis Samaras remains the most suitable for Prime Minister with 32%, against 28% for SYRIZA leader Alexis Tsipras, although their difference has decreased. An important 37% said that “no one” is suitable for Prime Minister.


READ THE ORIGINAL POST AT greece.greekreporter.com

Greece Likely to Remain Under Bailout

Greece’s international creditors are looking at extending the country’s bailout program by up to six months, two eurozone officials said, after talks failed to reach an agreement over the country’s budget forecast.


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National Bank of Greece (ADR) (NYSE:NBG) Among Banks Failing Stress Test

Share prices of National Bank of Greece (ADR) (NYSE:NBG) have dropped by 45% year to date, and the stock has lost 9% of its value just in October ...


READ THE ORIGINAL POST AT insidetrade.co

Fraport-led consortium wins 40-year concession for 14 Greek airports

Aktio, Kavala and Thessaloniki airports are on the mainland, with the remainder serving Greek islands. Together, these airports handled more than 19 ...


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Greece-Troika Talks in Paris Reach Dead End

After two days of marathon negotiations in Paris, Greece and its international lenders have failed to reach a deal regarding the country’s austerity and reform program, while Greece is approaching the deadline to strike a new financing deal with its creditors. As both sides commented after the 24-hour non-stop negotiations, some progress has been made, although the significant differences between the two sides remain unsolved, while Greek officials insisted that they disagree with the country’s 2015 budget target. According to the Wall Street Journal, a Greek official said that “the timetable is very tight. This review is unusual, since it’s the last one.” On his behalf, according to the same source, European Commission representative Declan Costello underlined that “had very intensive and constructive talks during the last two days; we will continue our dialogue intensively.” Costello, though, declined to answer questions regarding the time and place the talks would resume. Greece’s coalition government has set a goal of exiting the bailout program, or at least decrease the degree of control by its lenders, at the end of the year, some 18 months earlier than scheduled. Despite Athens’ plans, that would require an agreement with the country’s Eurozone partners and the International Monetary Fund before the critical Eurogroup of December 8, which will table the possibility of activating a contingent credit line in order to prevent the country for slipping into recession again. The talks between Greece and its creditors will now be transferred from Paris to Brussels, where the Secretary General of the Greek Finance Ministry, Anastasios Anastasatos, will attend a meeting with Eurozone officials, reviewing the latest negotiations over the country’s bailout program and set the agenda for December’s Eurogroup meeting. Last week, the Greek government submitted its 2015 budget to the parliament without the approval of its lenders, who are requesting to make some additional cutbacks of 1.8 to 3.5 billion euros from unpopular reforms which the Greek side wants to avoid ahead of February’s presidential election. The Greek government was represented in Paris by Finance Minister Gikas Hardouvelis, Deputy Ministers Christos Staikouras and Giorgos Mavraganis, Secretary General Anastasatos, Labor Minister Giannis Vroutsis, Administrative Reform Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis, PASOK representative Christos Protopapas and Prime Minister Antonis Samaras’ consultants Chrisanthos Lazaridis and Stavros Papastavros. Emergency meeting between Samaras-Venizelos Samaras has scheduled an emergency meeting with government Vice President and Foreign Minister Evangelos Venizelos at 10 am tomorrow. The two government partners are expected to discuss the negotiation results.


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Four hundred years after his death, Greece reclaims the artist El Greco

Five exhibitions in Athens alone to honour the Crete-born painter Doménikos Theotokópoulos who lived in SpainEl Greco may have left Crete, never to return, in his early 20s, but 400 years after his death, as museums the world over celebrate the man whose works were widely seen as the precursor of modern art, Greece – and his island birthplace – are feting him most.“The Greeks have been keen to recognise his Greekness,” said Richard Kagan, emeritus professor of history at Johns Hopkins University in Baltimore, who has helped curate one of a number of El Greco exhibitions. Continue reading...


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700 migrants aboard crippled ship traveling to Crete

Ed AdamczykIERAPETRA , Greece, Nov. 26 (UPI) -- A stricken freighter ship carrying about 700 migrants was on its way to the Greek island of Crete Wednesday, towed by a Greek Navy ship.


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Greek Islands Grill in Silver Spring offers two tastes of the Mediterranean

To reach Greek Islands Grill, tucked into an odd outcropping of consumerism in the big sky country north of Silver Spring, Washingtonians will have to jump on New Hampshire Avenue and just drive. Patrons enjoy dinner at Greek Islands Grill in Silver Spring.


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Greek Navy Ship Tows Migrant-Packed Freighter Baris to Safety

IERAPETRA, Greece — Hampered by gale-force winds and high waves, a Greek navy frigate was slowly towing a crippled freighter crammed with ...


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Victor Pinchuk, Mistral Warships, and the Jews of Ukraine

On November 18, 2014, in Kiev, philanthropist Victor Pinchuk was awarded the Metropolitan Andrey Sheptytsky Medal of Honor by the Jewish Confederation of Ukraine for his contributions to Ukrainian-Jewish understanding and cooperation. What follows is a corrected version of my remarks at the ceremony. * * * Grand Rabbi, Archbishops and Metropolitans, Presidents, Mr. Prime Minister, Mr. Ambassador, dear friends: I am happy to have this occasion to honor Metropolitan Andrey Sheptytsky, in whose name you have brought us together this evening. Metropolitan Andrey Sheptytsky--I am not telling you anything you don't already know--was the primate of the Ukrainian Greek Catholic Church during the Second World War and remains a very controversial figure. He is one of those Ukrainians whose patriotism and anticommunism went off course during those terrible years. In particular, there is his pastoral letter of June 1, 1941, which his critics point to when they wish to remind us that he was indulgent toward Germany. At the same time, he was incontestably one of the few voices that dared to speak out, during those same years, against the persecution and extermination of the Jews. He wrote to Hitler and Himmler to urge them to spare the Jews of Galicia. In November 1942, he issued another pastoral letter entitled "Thou shalt not kill" in which he forbade his flock, on pain of excommunication, to participate in any way in the mass murder that had begun to unfold around them. He asked the monks and sisters of the region to hide Jews. In Lviv, he himself hid them in the cellars of Saint George Cathedral and in his private quarters across the street. Of the 150 he saved, most were children, but 10 or so were rabbis. It has been argued that his goal, in so doing, was conversion. This is not accurate. He hid Jews in churches, yes. He gave them false Christian names and false certificates of baptism. He even went so far as to disguise them. But I don't believe that there was a single case of a child he saved becoming Christian after the war. Moreover, there is another pastoral letter that I read before coming here in which he cautions very clearly against the temptation to "profit" from the situation to, in effect, convert those being protected. In short, Metropolitan Andrey Sheptytsky was a savior of Jews. We have a great many accounts, including that of Rabbi David Kahane, reporting that in doing what he did he incurred immense risks, not least of which the risk of imprisonment and death. And I have not even touched on what we know today, through the archives of the Vatican Chancellery, of his dealings with Pius XII and the messages he sent throughout the war imploring the pope to take stock of the "diabolical" character of Nazism. What Jan Karski was to Roosevelt, Metropolitan Andrey Sheptytsky was to Pope Pius XII. It is not by chance that the Anti-Defamation League last year awarded him, posthumously, at the initiative of Abraham Foxman, its prestigious Jan Karski Courage to Care Award. I know that when Yad Vashem examined his case and had to decide whether he should be elevated to the rank of "Righteous Among the Nations," the response was not the same. Fine. The discussion is not over. The Yad Vashem committee has often had to revisit cases several times and to rule on appeal. I continue to hope the same will be true here. The case of Andrey Sheptytsky is less complicated than many others, however, including that of Oskar Schindler, to cite just one. It is my intention, if you will allow me, to mount a modest campaign to see that Metropolitan Sheptytsky joins not only Schindler but also the two thousand Ukrainians who, in recent years, have been honored as "Righteous Among the Nations." * * * I would like now to take a great leap in time to bring us to today and to pay tribute to the role of Ukraine's Jews, individually and through their organizations, in the Maidan revolution. In this case, too, things could might turned out differently. Recall the incredible propaganda during those weeks of revolt and repression, the purpose of which was to make people believe that most of the revolutionaries in the Maidan were Nazis. Some of it came from former president Yanukovych who, while delving into the repertoire of hackneyed anti-Semitism to argue that the international Jewish conspiracy was pulling the strings of the insurrection, was also finding fascism in the Maidan. And some of it came from Vladimir Putin in person--yes, the same Vladimir Putin who was preparing to revive, as we have seen recently, the German-Soviet Pact--who was telling us that the Banderist, anti-Semitic counterrevolution was brewing right here in Kiev. And he was correct in one respect. It is impossible to overlook that deep-rooted collective anti-Semitism is present in the Ukrainian memory: the holocaust by bullets that Desbois, a French priest, devoted his life to uncovering. It is true, yes, that a monstrous liability separates Ukraine and its Jews. But the result, 70 years later, cannot be ignored either. In that space open to all freedoms that was the Maidan, on that stage where all words, from the wisest to the most delusional, could be expressed, there was one form of madness that had not been expected--anti-Semitic madness. Hearing this, understanding its import, the country's Jews--I can attest to this; I was there--threw themselves as one, together with their fellow Tartars, Russians, Cossacks, Armenians, and Ukrainians in general, into the forefront of the citizen revolution of which the Maidan was the forum. Josef Zissels, who is here and to whom I extend my greetings, spoke eloquently during those days. All of Ukraine's Jewish associations--some of which are represented here tonight--signed an open letter to the president of the Russian Federation, the French version of which I published on March 6, 2014, in my review, La Règle du Jeu, imploring "Vladimir Vladimirovich" to understand that the Jews were grown up enough to protect their rights and that they had made a clear choice to "cooperate with the government and civil society of a sovereign, democratic, and united Ukraine." And the fact is that some part of the unbindable wound inflicted by the participation of Ukrainian civil society in the Holocaust began to close during those days. In situations like those, you have two possible attitudes, two paradigms. On the one hand, you have "the competition of victims," which, in essence, is this: There is not enough room, in one heart, for two loyalties; not enough room in one soul for two memories; and, between the Ukrainians massacred by Stalin and the Jews massacred by Hitler and his Ukrainian stand-ins, a choice must be made. On the other hand, you have the "solidarity of the shaken," as defined by the great Czech philosopher Jan Patocka, which is the opposite of the first attitude, a sort of spontaneous fraternity of victims whose memories, rather than competing, reinforce each other. In this view, it is when you have the Holocaust at heart that you can see the Gulag; it is when your ear is attentive enough to hear the anti-Semitic clamor that you are also sensitive to racist or genocidal baying in general; it is because nothing about the torment of the Jewish people escapes you that you remember the torment of the Ukrainian nation--and vice versa. Ukraine's Jews adopted Patocka's paradigm. Ukraine's Jews practiced, as never before, the "solidarity of the shaken." Ukraine's Jews--to their great credit--chose to remember that Ukrainians were overrepresented in the Red Army that contributed to the fall of Nazism. They chose not to forget that the battalion that liberated Auschwitz was called the First Ukrainian Front. To be a Jew in Ukraine is to agree to hold Holodomor and Babi Yar in the same thought. That, too, I wanted to say here. * * * And now I want to pay tribute to one Jew in particular, a uniquely Ukrainian Jew: the very one whom you have chosen to honor with your Metropolitan Andrey Sheptytsky Medal of Honor Award and who faces me here tonight. That Jew's name is Victor Pinchuk. We are meeting tonight for the first time. But we have many friends in common and, in speaking with them over the last few days, I believe I have acquired a little better idea of who he is. Victor Pinchuk is first, of course, a Ukrainian patriot--that is, in my terminology (which I believe he shares, even though I do not know him) a dedicated European, a solid and effective European, a militant with no qualms about integrating his country with Europe. Victor Pinchuk is also what is known as an oligarch--but an oligarch of a very special stripe: a philanthropic oligarch. An oligarch who believes that he owes more than he is owed, that he his obligations outweigh his rights. An oligarch who believes that his first duty is to give back to Ukraine a little of what it has given him--which is to say his fortune. I do not know whether or not Victor Pinchuk has formally joined the Giving Pledge, the movement launched in the United States by Warren Buffet, Bill Gates, Richard Branson, Nicolas Berggruen, and others, a movement that invites the world's billionaires to donate half of their money to philanthropic causes. But as far as I can tell, he clearly is operating in this spirit. Moreover, like President Poroshenko, I believe he is one of the few Ukrainian billionaires to have remained in Kiev at the time of the Maidan demonstrations and to have organized, in the midst of the revolution and just a few hundred meters from the field of battle, a major exhibition honoring an artist whom he defends (as do I), an artist by the name of Jan Fabre. But what interests me tonight, and what interests you as well, since it is the reason for which you have chosen to honor him, is that he is above all a great Jew. What makes a great Jew? The phrase may be surprising, but I believe that there are great and less great Jews. And I believe that what makes a great Jew are three traits that are all found in Victor Pinchuk. The first is Ahavat Israel, the "love for the Jewish people," or simply the love, friendship, or benevolence that Gershom Scholem, in a celebrated debate, found to be so tragically lacking, at the time of the Eichmann trial, in his colleague Hannah Arendt. Many are the Jews who, having achieved power, glory, or recognition in the gentile world turn their back on Ahavat Israel, forgetting it. I do not believe that is the case with Victor Pinchuk. The next is the connection with memory, particularly the memory of suffering, pain, and persecution. Here, too, Victor Pinchuk can be distinguished from the many Jewish amnesiacs, forgetful Jews, who we see around us. Was he not Steven Spielberg's partner in the production of Spell Your Name, the only film ever made on the Babi Yar massacre? And, perhaps even more important, is he not one of the sponsors of Holocaust by Bullets, the foundation created by Patrick Desbois to locate, disinter, name, and honor the nameless and uncounted dead of that other holocaust? And finally I believe that a great Jew is an affirmative Jew. There are negative Jews who practice their Judaism in secret or experience it shamefully. There are the many "Sartrian" Jews who believe, with Jean-Paul Sartre, that Judaism is nothing more than a reflection of anti-Semitism or who might agree with Heine, who, in a remark that unfortunately remains famous, once exclaimed, "Judaism? I wouldn't wish it on my worst enemy; insult and pain is all it brings." Well, Victor Pinchuk begs to differ. He lives his Judaism, not ostentatiously but with the positivity of a clear and frank affirmation. He supports Ukraine's Jewish charities. He restores sites of worship in Ukraine. And when he invites friends like Tony Blair or Chelsea Clinton to visit his country, where does he take them? To the Golden Rose synagogue in Dnipropetrovsk, for one. To a synagogue in Kiev. I like that. It is good when a Jew wears his Judaism calmly and confidently. Because that, too, is being a great Jew. It is, in fact, the definition of what I call an affirmative Jew. * * * One more word. I am French. And I realize that most of you here cannot listen to a Frenchman talk about Ukraine without being reminded of the affair that, at this very moment, is poisoning relations between our two countries. That is, of course, the matter of the Mistral helicopter carriers. You need not ask me the question, because I am going to give you the answer first. As you may know, I am one of those in France who are campaigning against the delivery of those ships. But what you probably do not know is that there are a great many French citizens, probably a majority, who share my opinion and find that delivering warships to Russia while Russia is delivering to the Ukrainians a war in which France's foreign policy has already chosen a side would be inconsistent at best and scandalous at worst. Another thing you do not know is that among the many French people who hold this view is the president himself, François Hollande, who is in Australia but whom I contacted this morning, knowing that you might ask me about this. He said to me explicitly, and authorized me to repeat to you, that France was standing firm (those were his words) and that the French sailors who for several weeks now have been in the French port where the first of the Mistrals is moored and who, under the terms of the contract, are supposed to familiarize themselves with the ship and take possession of it, have been barred from boarding it since yesterday. The Mistrals are a cause of controversy in France. The opponents of the French president are pressuring him to "honor France's signature." But I do not think that he will yield. I assume that at this very moment he is considering the options open to him that would allow him to extricate himself from a morally and strategically untenable situation without penalizing the workers of France's shipyards. There is the "Canadian" solution proposed by our friend Berel, who is here with us. There is the solution that I proposed, which would be to sell the ship to Ukraine under a long-term loan granted by the European Union at a favorable interest rate. There is the idea of German vice chancellor Sigmar Gabriel, which is to sell it to the European Union. Would that not be the best way to give form, for the first time, to the "common defense" that has been discussed for so long but that remains a dead letter? There might be yet another way--the idea has just occurred to me. And that would be for Ukraine's "oligarchs" to chip in and buy it. It is a beautiful ship, really! And, at $1 billion, the price is not so astronomical for them. They might even be getting a bargain! The only hypothesis that seems to me to be out of the question is for France to deliver the ship calmly to Putin, as if it meant nothing at all--because Putin is capable of sending it just as calmly to sit off Mariupol or Odessa. I wanted to tell you about these developments. * * * One last thing. I realize that I am delivering this tribute to Metropolitan Andrey Sheptytsky, to Victor Pinchuk, and to Ukraine's Jews at a very particular and particularly dramatic moment in the history of your country. And I am not unaware--no one could be unaware--that as I speak thousands of Russian soldiers are on maneuvers in Donbas. Nor am I blind to the fact that, in support of the dogs of war of Donetsk and Lugansk and the Cossack and Chechen mercenaries who were already there, Russian soldiers are converting that region of Ukraine into a sort of Sparta where force alone is respected, where only violence is preached, and where even the rhetorical "defense of oppressed Russian speakers" has given way to what is plainly a more offensive line. I read just now an article in which our friend Adrian Karatnycky reported a statement by the leader of the Donetsk People's Republic, Aleksandr Zakharchenko. "My army," this bandit says in essence, "is now in a position not only to defend but to attack." Faced with that, faced with this change in discourse and, perhaps, in scale, I know that words and pretty declarations are no longer enough. Faced with what has to be called a new state of emergency and of extreme danger, I understand that your country needs support that is much more substantial than that conveyed by flowery diplomatic phrases. But I want to tell you that many of us at home already share your view, and I dare to hope that very soon a majority will understand that Europe's survival is at stake here in Kiev and that it is absolutely necessary to help you wage this battle and win it. You know, I assume, that two courageous American senators have succeeded in obtaining the approval of a senate committee for a Ukrainian Freedom Support Act, which, if it becomes law, will permit delivery to Ukraine of encrypted communication systems, drones, anti-tank and anti-aircraft batteries, and even the precision weapons that your armed forces so desperately need. I was in the United States in recent weeks, and I have a feeling that the bill in question will pass by January or February. I also have a feeling that other countries, including my own, will join the movement or even act first. And I am convinced that you are less alone than you are reported to be, less alone than Mr. Putin thinks, and less alone than you probably believe yourselves to be. In any event, I am working on it. In my small way, with my limited means, I am working on it. Just a short while ago, before joining you, I met with officials from Ukraine's defense ministry who explained some of their needs to me. I intend, upon my return, to make those needs known in the right places. * * * And finally, a very last word. At the outset of this talk, I mentioned the Kremlin's propaganda campaign, which, for nearly a year now has tried to present the Maidan as a den of rabid anti-Semites at whom the heavy artillery of the antifascist struggles of the past should be aimed. What I find heart-breaking is that many Russian Jews seem to have fallen for this ruse and swallowed the story. What not only breaks my heart but also angers me is that Putin has dared to impress Moscow's Jews into this mad, fratricidal campaign. You cannot do that. You cannot play with those words and that memory. You cannot recreate the war against the Jews in order to serve short-term political interests. I believe that we must find a way to oppose this, too, this indecent and odious manipulation. Russian Jews who, like Grand Rabbi Berel Lazar, flatter Putin--are they the Kremlin's new useful idiots? Are the misinformed? Are they being held hostage? Is someone holding a gun to their head, or do they truly believe what they are saying? In any case, it is intolerable. The situation truly breaks my heart. And, even if only to unburden myself, I want to offer a suggestion. Let us organize a meeting of the Jews of Ukraine and Russia. At that meeting, let us put everything on the table. Let us discuss the misunderstandings that this propaganda has created, if misunderstanding there be. And let us repair, if it is broken, the living link between Jews that Flavius Josephus, author of The Wars of the Jews, said should never be allowed to be touched or corrupted by tyrants. I tell you this from the depth of my love for Ukrainian Judaism, which has suffered so much and is now raising its head. I tell you this with the great respect that I have for Russian Judaism, which, too, is emerging from a long night. It would be so sad to see it fall back under the fist of the likes of Vladimir Putin. Natan Sharansky, Yosef Begun, Ida Nudel, Yosef Mendelevich, Alexander Lerner, Vladimir Brailovski! All those names for which I, along with many of my compatriots, fought so hard in my youth! All the refusniks, all those refused exit visas, those men and women of the great refusal, people of steely resistance, models of indomitability and courage! All those who could not be broken--it is intolerable to imagine them kowtowing to a shabby FSB officer! We owe it to those of them who are no longer with us to save their children and their heirs from the trap that is closing around them. It is for them--for all of us, living or dead--that I issue this call for a congress of the free Jews of two countries, Ukraine and Russia. The congress could be held in Jerusalem, Paris, or elsewhere. It could be held at the initiative of the Grand Rabbi of Kiev and Ukraine, Yaakov Dov Bleich, who is here tonight. Victor Pinchuk could be, in an extension of the affirmative and assertive Judaism that I described earlier, the facilitator or even the architect. Of only one thing am I sure: The very fact that such a congress takes place would be, in and of itself, a defeat for Putin and a victory, in Moscow as in Kiev, for the values of truth and liberty. Thank you.


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Greece island of Crete awaits 700 boat migrants to EU

One of the largest refugee boatloads bound for Europe of recent is headed for the island of Crete. The ferry Baris, carrying 700 people thought to be from Syria and Afghanistan, is being towed by a Greek navy frigate.


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Tax Evasion from Greek Tourism to Reach €1.5 Billion in 2014

Tax evasion from the tourism industry will cost Greece 1.5 billion euros in lost revenue in 2014, said the President of the Hellenic Chamber of Hotels (CHC), Giorgos Tsakiris. According to iefimerida.gr, Tsakiris made the blunt statement during an international tourism forum on the effect of the new international trend of “Sharing Economy” in Greece. The subject of short-term renting on small lodgings, 80% of which do not have legal certification according to industry data, is a major problem for legally operating hotels. HCH recently released a report entitled “The effect of Sharing Economy in the tourism industry and hospitality in Greece.” Greek Tourism Minister Olga Kefalogianni gave the opening speech in the “Sharing Economy” forum where representatives of the tourism industry presented data showing the phenomenon’s negative impact in the country.


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The Greek Mom's Response To Picky Eaters

Parents of picky eaters know how hard it is to serve a meal. You could end up cooking five different foods until your kid finally takes a bite -- or simply refuse to succumb to the pleas of your child. But does that mean he or she just won't have dinner? This Greek mama says, "Oh, they'll eat it." Irina Ketsikoff, a full-time mom of two toddlers, told HuffPost Live's Nancy Redd that when she stopped making separate baby-friendly meals for her kids, she refused to indulge any picky-eating habits that are typical for young children. Her policy is zero-tolerance: You don't like what I make, you don't eat. "We don’t play this game because I haven’t heard of any …. toddler in the western world dying from hunger, so I‘m sure they’re not going to die from hunger," Ketsikoff said. "If they don’t eat today because they don’t like the food, they’ll eat tomorrow or they’ll have milk before they go to bed or somehow they will compliment their food needs." She said she doesn't worry about this too much and just tells her children, "That’s what there is to eat, that’s what you’re going to eat. If you don't want it, just do something else, but there’s not going to be any other food on the table until the next meal." Watch HuffPost Live's full #WorldParents conversation on parenting in Greece here. Sign up here for Live Today, HuffPost Live's new morning email that will let you know the newsmakers, celebrities and politicians joining us that day and give you the best clips from the day before!


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Chania Lighthouse Among Most Famous Worldwide

Lighthouses exist since ancient times when they would guide boats in the darkness, helping avoid shallow waters and rocky shores. The light worked as a beacon that allowed seamen to locate land. The lighthouse in Chania harbor, Crete, which was built by the Venetians, was placed among the 21 most famous lighthouses in the world. It was built in 1595-1601 on a natural rock and functioned as an open flame torch. It was first referenced as a “beacon” in a 1689 city plan of Chania by V. Coronelli. The tower is divided in three diverse parts: the base is octagonal, the middle part has sixteen sides, and the third part is circular. The base’s construction material is of the same origin and quality as the one used for the fortification of the city by the Venetians. The lighthouse has a height of 21m, while its light is located at 26m above sea level and reaches a distance of seven miles. It is the oldest existing lighthouse in Greece but also one of the oldest in the Mediterranean and the entire world. The Chania Lighthouse is considered a “jewel” and the city’s landmark.


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Elmira duo grooming a new Greek Peak

Elmira residents John Meier and Marc Stemerman are entering their second winter at the helm of Greek Peak Mountain Resort in Virgil.


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From behind bars to center stage, inmates in Colombia perform Antigone

by  Associated Press Prison theater transforms Colombian inmates by JACOBO GARCIA, Associated Press - 26 November 2014 11:37-05:00 BOGOTA, Colombia (AP) — A group of handcuffed female inmates file onto a dark stage as prison guards carrying assault rifles watch nervously from the sparsely filled seats of Colombia's National Theater. On the playbill is the Greek tragedy "Antigone." The play is the marquee attraction in the second-annual Theater Festival for Prisoners, which arose out of an outreach program started two years ago in the overcrowded pavilions of the Buen Pastor penitentiary in Bogota. Johana Bahamon, a well-known actress and model, said she came up with the idea after seeing the harsh conditions while serving as a judge in a prison beauty contest. Theater troupes responsible for everything from selecting the works to designing costumes and sets now exist in 15 prisons nationwide. Most performances take place in the jails themselves, for family members and visitors. "The applause is therapeutic and empowers them as women," said Bahamon. The amateur thespians, the majority of them serving time for drug convictions, couldn't agree more. "Because we're behind bars, this helps us to feel free," said Lorena Ramirez, 24, while putting on a little backstage makeup. Overcrowding and poor sanitary conditions are legendary in Colombia, and prison authorities acknowledge that it has locked up some 44,000 inmates more than its 138 prisons are prepared to handle. Among those in the audience Tuesday was Martin Santos, the influential son of Colombian President Juan Manuel Santos. Perhaps prompted by the presence of the special guest, the actresses in Antigone removed their white robes, bared their breasts and shouted in unison against a litany of prison hardships: stomach-churning food, abuse by prison guards and inadequate medical care. The entire audience, much of it made up of relatives of the actors, broke into a long applause as the curtain fell. -- Follow Garcia on Twitter: @jacobogg News Topics: Arts and entertainment, General news, Treatment of prisoners, Prisons, Theater, Human welfare, Social issues, Social affairs, Correctional systems, Law and order, Performing arts, Entertainment People, Places and Companies: Juan Manuel Santos, Colombia, Bogota, South America, Latin America and Caribbean Copyright 2014 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.


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‘Promakhos’ Premiere at the Acropolis Museum

“Promakhos,” a film about the Parthenon Marbles return from the British Museum to Athens, had its first official premiere on Monday, November 24, at the Acropolis Museum. Greek Parliament President Vangelis Meimarakis, Deputy Culture Minister Angela Gerekou and Tourism Minister Olga Kefalogianni attended the film’s premiere, which was written and directed by Greek-American brothers Coerte and John Voorhees. The event was also attended by major Greek artists and politicians. Melina Merkouri’s brother was present, since his sister used to be a firm supporter of the Parthenon Marbles’ return. “Promakhos” is a drama about two Athenian attorneys who pursue litigation for the return of the Parthenon Marbles. As the bronze statue of Athena Promakhos used to stand guard in front of the Parthenon, both must find the courage to stand in defense of what they love. The film was produced by A Visionary Film and Itasca Films, starring Pantelis Kodogiannis, Kassandra Voyagis, Giancarlo Giannini, Georges Corraface, Paul Freeman, Yorgo Voyagis and Spyros Fokas. The directors started filming about a year ago, in September 2013 in Athens, at the Acropolis Museum and the Parthenon. Later, they shot in Kavala and Aegina, while the film was completed in London and New York. The film will officially be released on Thursday, November 27.


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HIV Infections in Greece Decrease After Recent Spike

The Hellenic Center for Disease Control and Prevention (KEELPNO) has recently announced that the number of HIV infections in 2013 fell for the first time since the financial crisis hit Greece. According to KEELPNO’s annual report, published earlier today, the number of new infections nationwide was reduced to 920 last year from 1,188 in 2012. This was the first time since 2010, when a spike was signaled, especially amongst drug users, and was finally accomplished as a result of more targeted prevention strategies. The country has struggled to maintain its support on various public health sections amid spending cuts imposed due to austerity measures of the successive bailout programs that were first signed in 2010, when the number of new infections reported was just 610. As the annual report revealed, the highest number of new infections in 2013 was detected among gay men, followed by drug addicts. KEELPNO President Prof. J. Kremastinou underlined that “any effort to reverse the HIV epidemic in the population of IDUs in our country faces significant challenges, especially under the current economic restraints, which threaten the sustainability of HIV prevention and treatment programs. Taking into consideration the situation of the HIV epidemic, public health surveillance and sustained prevention interventions are of crucial importance.” The report presented an overview of the HIV/AIDS situation in Greece, based on case reports submitted to KEELPNO during 2013. The report is published on an annual basis, as part of KEELPNO’s mandate to collect and analyze data since the 90s.


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Greek Diplomat Killed By Thai Train

A diplomat from the Greek Embassy in Thailand died Nov. 26 after she fell under a moving train, officials said, after getting off to take a photo. The post Greek Diplomat Killed By Thai Train appeared first on The National Herald.


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Greece On Street View

The post Greece On Street View appeared first on The National Herald.


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National Bank of Greece : Finansbank to use SPO revenues for current growth strategy

Greece's largest lender National Bank of Greece's (NBG) Turkish private lending unit Finansbank informed on November 25 in a filing with the Bourse Istanbul that it decided to use the revenues from the planned SPO for its ordinary operations under the ...


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Greek, German, Portuguese, Spanish debt to benefit most from ECB QE -ABN Amro

LONDON, Nov 26 (Reuters) - Greek, German, Portuguese and Spanish bonds stand to benefit most if the European Central Bank expands its asset ...


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Greek, German, Portuguese, Spanish debt to benefit most from ECB QE -ABN Amro

Greek, German, Portuguese and Spanish bonds stand to benefit most if the European Central Bank expands its asset purchases to sovereign bonds and mostly target longer-term debt, according to calculations ...


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Archaeologists Explore Largest-Ever Greek Tomb

Groups such as the Association of Greek Archaeologists have complained that the subsequent relentless media coverage, floods of tourists and ...


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Fraport, Copelouzos Win Greek Airports Tender

The German-Greek group is expected to spend about EUR€330 million in the first four years to upgrade the airports, that will be leased for 40 years.


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BC-AP News Coverage Advisory

by  Associated Press BC-AP News Coverage Advisory Associated Press - 26 November 2014 10:25-05:00 Here's a look at how AP's general news coverage is shaping up today. Some plans are subject to change. HIGHLIGHTING: Among today's coverage highlights as we see them: -- FERGUSON-GRAND JURY-INCONSISTENCIES (upcoming) -- FERGUSON-TICKTOCK (tentative slug) (upcoming) -- CLEVELAND POLICE SHOOT BOY (sent; developing) -- OBAMA-SMOG (sent; developing) -- EBOLA MONITORING (upcoming) -- GUINEA-CHOLERA (upcoming) -- ISRAEL-SPY BALLOONS (upcoming) -- BLOOD CANCER (HOLD FOR RELEASE, 2200 GMT.) TALKERS/READERS: -- BRITAIN-A LONDON THANKSGIVING (sent) -- BEAR ATTACK-HIKER DEAD (sent) -- THAILAND-TRICKY TOURISM (sent) -- MASTODON BONES-COLORADO (upcoming) -- INDIA-RICKSHAW AIR MONITOR (sent) -- RUSSIA-PUSHING A PLANE (sent) -- CHINA-PUTIN'S TIGER (sent) PHOTOS: FERGUSON (sent; developing); IRAN-JEWS (sent; with text); VIDEO: FERGUSON coverage (sent; developing) Here are details of those stories, plus others we have in the works for today and notable pieces that we sent in the past 10 hours (all times GMT): FERGUSON FERGUSON-GRAND JURY-INCONSISTENCIES - An AP review of thousands of pages of grand jury documents reveals numerous instances of inconsistent, fabricated or provably wrong statements. UPCOMING: Developing. FERGUSON-TICKTOCK (Tentative slug) - From a confrontation between Michael Brown and a clerk at a Ferguson, Missouri, convenience store, through his deadly interaction with a police officer, to the moment his lifeless body lay in a street, the AP will offer a detailed narrative of what happened in the incident that has riveted the nation. It's based on details from thousands of pages of grand jury testimony by witnesses and other reporting over the last several months. UPCOMING. FERGUSON - National Guard reinforcements helped contain the latest protests in Ferguson. SENT: 1,050 words, photos, video. UPCOMING: Spot developments and other angles TBD, FERGUSON-PROSECUTOR SCRUTINY - St. Louis County Prosecutor Bob McCulloch has come under renewed scrutiny after criticizing the media, discounting some witness testimony, and appearing defensive before television cameras to announce the grand jury would not indict Darren Wilson. SENT: 740 words, photo. FERGUSON-WILSON INTERVIEW - Ferguson officer Wilson says he's sorry about Brown's death but followed his training that day. SENT: 130 words. FERGUSON-BROWN'S FAMILY - Brown's mom: Grand jury decision 'heartbreaking,' Wilson's description of her son insulting. SENT: 130 words. WORLD EBOLA MONITORING — In the past month, more than 2,600 travelers have undergone three weeks of monitoring ordered by the government to guard against cases of Ebola from slipping into the country from West Africa. And by all accounts, most people have been cooperative. No one has developed the disease. UPCOMING: 750 words by 2000 GMT, photos. GUINEA-CHOLERA - The health workers took to canoes and rickety boats to reach remote islands and deliver cholera vaccinations in Africa. Months later, Guinea has recorded only one cholera case this year, down from thousands, in a rare success that experts cautiously attribute to the vaccinations against the water-borne disease, and hand-washing in the campaign against Ebola. UPCOMING: ISRAEL-SPY BALLOONS - With riots threatening the escalate in Jerusalem, Israeli police are watching from above. They are flying surveillance balloons over east Jerusalem and the Old City, center of the most sensitive holy sites, to track and help control protests. But the eyes in the sky are further unnerving Palestinians. UPCOMING: 600 words by 2030 GMT. HONG KONG-DEMOCRACY PROTEST - Police arrested key student leaders of Hong Kong's pro-democracy protests on Wednesday as they cleared barricades in one volatile district, throwing into doubt the future of a 2-month-old movement seeking free elections in the former British colony. HONG KONG - Hong Kong authorities clear more street barricades from a pro-democracy protest camp in a volatile district, part of a two-day operation in which police arrested more than 100 people, including key student leaders. SENT: 520 words, photos, video. EUROPE-PALESTINIAN STATE - Members of the European Parliament have begun debating a common approach among the European Union's 28 member states to recognition of a Palestinian state. SENT: 130 words. UPCOMING: Developing. IRAN-JEWS - Jews in Iran, home to the Middle East's largest Jewish population outside of Israel, say they've found new acceptance from moderate President Hassan Rouhani after being continually criticized by the country's previous government. SENT: 500 words, photos. LEBANON-VULNERABLE TRIPOLI - Sunni Muslim-majority Tripoli is seen as particularly vulnerable to becoming a foothold for militants from Syria, including the Islamic State group, to expand into Lebanon. SENT: 840 words, photos. MEXICO-VIOLENCE - The normally bucolic, vacationer-crowded state at the tip of Mexico's Baja peninsula has become a battleground, with dozens of killings in a power struggle following the capture of drug lord Joaquin "El Chapo" Guzman nearly a year ago. SENT: 630 words, photo. ISLAMIC STATE - The death toll from a series of Syrian government airstrikes on the Islamic State group's stronghold in northeastern Syria has risen to at least 95, making it one of the deadliest attacks on the city of Raqqa in the past three years. SENT: 340 words. YEMEN - Yemeni Shiite rebels attacked and occupied the seat of power of an influential tribe in the capital Wednesday, following clashes that killed six of the guards and one fighter, security officials and rebel media said. SENT: 300 words, photo. EGYPT-GAZA - Egyptian authorities have temporarily re-opened a border crossing with the Gaza Strip to allow Palestinians stranded outside the territory to return home. SENT: 130 words. GREECE-MIGRANT SHIP - Local authorities and Red Cross volunteers on Crete were racing Wednesday to prepare shelter and food for hundreds of immigrants on a crippled freighter being slowly towed to safety by a Greek navy frigate, a rescue effort hampered by gale-force winds and high waves. SENT: 430 words, photos. BENIN-LASSA FEVER - Nine people have died in Benin from Lassa fever, a viral disease common in West Africa with symptoms similar to Ebola, the country's health minister said. SENT: 300 words. INDIA-RICKSHAW AIR MONITOR - An American scientist who takes air pollution monitors with him on rickshaw rides through New Delhi has alarming findings for anyone who spends time on the commuter-clogged streets of the city of 25 million. His on-the-road statistics are far worse than data that has already earned the capital the title of world's most polluted city. SENT: 1,100 words, photos THAILAND-TRICKY TOURISM - Thailand comes up with new strategy to attract tourists with 'I Hate Thailand' video. SENT: 350 words, photos. CHINA-HUNTING FUGITIVES - A senior Chinese diplomat calls on the U.S. and other Western countries to put aside their wariness of China's justice system and work with Beijing in bringing back officials who have absconded overseas with ill-gained loot. SENT: 350 words. LEBANON-OBIT-SABAH - Lebanese singer Sabah, a beloved and brazen star of the Arab world for decades, dies at 87. SENT: 700 words, photos. RUSSIA-PUSHING A PLANE - In other countries, you may be asked to give a push to a car stuck in the mud. In Russia, passengers in the Arctic came out of an airliner to the bitter cold to help it move to the runway. SENT: 230 words. CHINA-PUTIN'S TIGER - A rare Siberian tiger released into the wild by Russian President Vladimir Putin is keeping farmers in northeastern China on edge. SENT: 300 words, photo. WASHINGTON OBAMA-SMOG - The Obama administration moves to tighten smog standards in a bid to improve air quality and public health, making good on one of Obama's original campaign pledges. SENT: 570 words. Upcoming: Updating from 1600 GMT news conference. IMMIGRATION-BUSINESS - Obama's executive actions on immigration left out some of the business community's top priorities, disappointing business leaders who might have stepped up to defend his policies in the face of Republican attacks. SENT: 670 words. POLITICS HILLARY CLINTON-ABOVE THE FRAY - Hillary Rodham Clinton quickly embraced President Barack Obama's executive actions on immigration. On other weighty policy issues - Keystone XL pipeline, climate change treaty with China, ending the government's bulk collection of Americans' phone records - she isn't saying much. SENT: 780 words. US CLEVELAND POLICE SHOOT BOY - Cleveland police planned to release surveillance video from an officer's fatal shooting of a 12-year-old boy who turned out to be carrying a replica gun. SENT: 290 words, photos. UPCOMING: UPDATING from 1 p.m. news conference. MASTODON BONES-COLORADO — A trove of ancient bones from gigantic animals discovered in the Colorado mountains provides a fascinating look at what happened about 120,000 years ago when the Earth got as warm as it is today, scientists say. UPCOMING: 600 words, photos by 2100 GMT. FBI AGENTS SHOT - An FBI spokeswoman says two special agents have been shot in St. Louis County, and it is not related to the Ferguson protests. SENT: 100 words. Developing. COMICS STOLEN-INVESTIGATOR INDICTED - Two Houston-area investigators are accused of stealing hundreds of thousands of dollars in rare comic books while working an embezzlement case. SENT: 130 words. NEW YORK LOWLINE - First, New York City had the High Line, a cutting-edge, elevated park built on defunct railroad tracks that draws visitors from around the world. Next up for development is the Lowline, a park in a 116-year-old, abandoned trolley terminal below the Lower East Side. SENT: 820 words, photos. HEALTH BLOOD CANCER (HOLD FOR RELEASE, 2200 GMT) - Many older people silently harbor a blood "pre-cancer" — a gene mutation acquired during their lifetime that starts them on the path to leukemia, lymphoma or other blood disease, scientists have discovered. It opens a new frontier of early detection and possibly ways to treat and prevent these cancers, which rise with age. UPCOMING: 700 words, HOLD FOR RELEASE, 2200 GMT. SPORTS OLY-2024 GAMES-US BID - The magic number for the U.S. cities hoping to host the 2024 Olympics is $5 billion. Boston, Los Angeles, San Francisco and Washington have all submitted spending plans under that mark for their bids to host the Olympics. UPCOMING: 700 words by 1630 GMT photos. Profiles of each city's bid will move throughout the week. POP CULTURE/LIFESTYLES PETS-ANIMAL MASSAGE - Spa treatments don't stop with people. Animal massage is becoming a regular service that many pet owners value as more than just glorified petting, leading to more debate about regulations. SENT: 650 words, photos by 1700 GMT. ARTS AND ENTERTAINMENT FILM-REESE WITHERSPOON - Reese Witherspoon, actress and producer, has earned serious Oscar buzz for "Wild," in which she goes way-against-type as a woman recovering from drugs, divorce and grief who seeks redemption in a solitary three-month hike. To hear Witherspoon tell it, the role was sort of redemption for her, too: an effort to redefine herself via meaningful work at a key juncture in her career. UPCOMING: 760 words by 1800 GMT, photos. MUSIC-AC/DC - AC/DC finally joined iTunes in 2012 after years of refusing, but make no mistake, they're still old school. UPCOMING: SENT, photos. MUSIC-SHE & HIM - The musical duo She & Him — that's Zooey Deschanel and M. Ward — convened a 20-piece orchestra to make "Classics," a collection of songs written between 1930 and 1974. SENT: 600 words, photos. GIFT GUIDE-GIFTS FOR MOVIE LOVERS - When shopping for the movie lover on your list, why not think outside the box set? UPCOMING: 500 words by 2 p.m., photos. PHOTOGRAPHY VENEZUELA'S BELOVED MACAWS-PHOTO GALLERY - In one of the world's most-hostile urban jungles, the spectacle of rainbow-colored tropical birds streaking across the late-afternoon sky has for many residents of Caracas become a natural respite from rampant crime and choking pollution. SENT: 510 words, photos. News Topics: General news, Ebola virus, Religion and politics, Protests and demonstrations, Embezzlement, Arrests, Legal proceedings, Crime, Cholera, 2024 Olympic Games, Pollution, Government and politics, Music, Species reintroduction, Cancer, Tigers, Immigration, Smog, Environmental concerns, Hemorrhagic fever, Infectious diseases, Diseases and conditions, Health, Religious issues, Religion, Social affairs, Social issues, Political and civil unrest, Law and order, Summer Olympic games, Olympic games, Events, Environment, Environment and nature, Entertainment, Arts and entertainment, Species conservation and preservation, Wildlife management, Wildlife, Natural resource management, Environmental conservation and preservation, Mammals, Animals, Air pollution, Air quality, Sports People, Places and Companies: Michael Brown, Hassan Rouhani, Joaquin Guzman Loera, Sabah, Vladimir Putin, Hillary Clinton, Barack Obama, Reese Witherspoon, Zooey Deschanel, Jerusalem, China, Hong Kong, Palestinian territories, Egypt, Africa, Syria, Israel, Missouri, Russia, Thailand, West Africa, Cleveland, United States, Guinea, Middle East, Benin, Mexico, Greater China, East Asia, Asia, North Africa, North America, Eastern Europe, Europe, Southeast Asia, Ohio Copyright 2014 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.


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Greece Says It Is Committed and Serious About Fighting Anti-Semitism

A delegation of head leaders from the Anti-Defamation League (ADL) – in Athens last week for a series of meetings with senior government, religious and community leaders – received compelling signals that the government is committed and serious to ...


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EU Readies For Greece Bailout Extension As Paris Talks Fail

ATHENS (MNI) - The European Union will now need to find a solution and extend its bailout plan for Greece beyond its expiration date at the end of ...


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Lufthansa Lost My Luggage For Three Months And Randomly Returned It With A Hefty Check

I've learned the hard way — much to my mother's delight — that not washing dirty laundry for three months is a terrible idea. But perhaps more importantly, I've learned that while losing luggage is a HUGE pain, there is potential for a happy ending. My sister Katherine and I went on a 15-day vacation to Malta this August. It was one of the most amazing trips of my life. But what matters for this tale is that we had no access to laundry machines during our trip, so we stuffed our dirty clothing into garbage bags inside our suitcases. To be economical (and have the chance to explore some other cities), we elected to take day-long layovers in Catania, Sicily and Munich, Germany. We didn't want to lug around our suitcases so we jumped at the chance when the attendant at the Malta airport told us it was possible for our bags to meet us at Newark Airport when we arrived home two days later. We came to really regret this decision. We arrived home. Our bags did not. And thus began my odyssey. At first, we assumed that it would be a short delay. And that, it turns out, is often the case. According to one industry source, airlines mishandle (delay, damage or lose) 7 bags per 1,000 passengers. Here are a few other statistics that might interest travelers over the holiday: 81% of mishandled bags are delayed and are returned to owners undamaged within 36 hours 16% arrive at their destinations damaged 3% are declared lost or stolen Amazing things happen to unclaimed bags (see later in my story) The average compensation per mishandled bag is reportedly $100.00 As I learned, airlines don't make the compensation process easy. Does the name Dave Carroll ring a bell? He wrote a hugely popular (we're talking over 14 million YouTube views) song called "United Breaks Guitars" after his nearly year-long experience. The hilarious song significantly damaged the airline's reputation and eventually spurred United's customer relations department into action: And just a few weeks ago, World Wrestling Heavyweight Champion Dolph Ziggler had a similarly stressful luggage experience. United mistakenly sent his bag, which contained his WWE Heavyweight Champion Belt, to Canada. Dolph tweeted prolifically about the situation for 5 days. He jokingly described his relationship with United as being "complicated" and he even wrote some song lyrics about the debacle to accompany Taylor Swift's 'We Are Never Ever Getting Back Together.' Facebook relationship status: "it's complicated" @united @taylorswift13 @Chilis pic.twitter.com/e8rvHIvJWf— Dolph Ziggler (@HEELZiggler) October 7, 2014 I understand Dave and Dolph's frustrations. In the month following Lufthansa's loss of our two bags, we phoned the Lufthansa Baggage Call Center daily to see if there were any updates. Each time we were told that there was no further information and that the bags remained "missing without a trace." When we inquired about compensation, we were informed that we could only file a claim after the bags had been lost for 30 days. At that point, the airline would declare the bags irretrievably lost.   In the meantime, we desperately scavenged for clothes in our significantly depleted wardrobes. The underwear situation was particularly desperate. We refused to purchase new items because we didn't want to pay out of pocket for replacements. We elected to wait for compensation, which we hoped wouldn't take too long. As soon as the 30-day mark rolled around, we sent an email to Lufthansa Customer Relations to file our claim, as instructed. There was no operator to deal with this process so all correspondence was done via email. Moments after I sent our initial claim email, I received an automated message from Lufthansa: "We apologize that we are currently unable to get back to you as quickly as we would like to. We kindly ask you for your patience and thank you for your understanding." Our patience and understanding were thoroughly tested in the following couple months when Lufthansa didn't get back to us. Although we sent several more emails (increasingly irate in tone) and called the Baggage Claim Center many more times (each time we were told that "the Baggage Claim Center has no involvement in customer compensation"), we received no further communications. During this time, I created a family email thread entitled "Council of War" in which we exchanged messages proposing strategies for fighting our "battle against Lufthansa." During this time, I created a family email thread entitled "Council of War" in which we exchanged messages proposing strategies for fighting our "battle against Lufthansa." Tactics included threatening legal action, leaving never-ending messages on their voicemail machine, and writing a letter to the New York Times to publicize Lufthansa's infamy and inquire about potential next steps. Growing battle-weary, we never actually did any of these things. As the seasons changed, our frustration stemmed less from the lack of clothing (the underwear supply remained desperate) and more from Lufthansa's silence. We felt like we were being punished for Lufthansa's error. We had made detailed lists of the contents in our bags in readiness for filing our claim and we estimated that we had each lost at least $1,500.00. With sufficient compensation, we knew almost everything could be replaced. There were a few items — a souvenir Maltese cross cookie cutter and my journal of 3 years in which I had recorded the major dramas of my young life — that were irreplaceable, and we particularly lamented the loss of these. As we approached the 3-month anniversary of the incident, we had basically given up hope. We had accepted that our belongings were lost forever and we were starting to believe that Lufthansa would never give us the money we were owed. It was around this time of hopeless resignation, however, that Newark Airport randomly called us one evening. They said one of our bags had been discovered. It arrived soon thereafter. To my delight, the rediscovered bag was mine!  Oddly enough, an hour later, the second suitcase arrived at our door. No explanation. Where had the suitcases been hiding for 3 months? Why had they arrived on the same day but at different times? "They must've been on an extended vacation to Paris or Hawaii," my dad speculated, overcome by the absurdity of the situation. Upon opening the aforementioned dirty-clothes bags for the first time in three months, we were overwhelmed by the emanating odors. While my mother lamented that these gross items were entering her house, we celebrated the safe return of all of our belongings (especially the cookie cutter and my diary). We also rediscovered 2 packages of Maltese nougat that we had purchased for our mother, a self proclaimed "nougat snob." We opened the nougat that very night and had to throw it away. Apparently even the finest nougat shouldn't be stored in suitcases with dirty clothes for several months. My mom wanted us to just throw everything away, but when we stubbornly (and sensibly) refused, she insisted that we put everything out on the deck. "There's no way that gross stuff is staying in this house!" It took us a couple weeks to finish the laundry because she required that we wash each load no fewer than 3 times. Within that time, however, one of our cats had discovered my odorous suitcase. Understandably confusing it for his cat box (he is cross-eyed so the visual differences might have been unclear but it smelled powerfully of "toilet"), he proceeded to use it as his bathroom. The clothing was spared this soiling, but the already malodorous suitcase was, at last, relegated to the garbage. The return of our summer wardrobes wasn't as useful as it might've been since it was the end of October at that point. However, the wide selection of underwear and socks to choose from each day was positively luxurious. Life couldn't be better! Except somehow the situation got even better (and more ridiculous). Lufthansa once again threw us for a loop. Just 2 days after the return of the bags, they finally responded to our email:  "Lufthansa strives to provide worry-free travel and like you, we are disappointed when this goal is not achieved. Please accept our sincere apologies for this experience. Our employees immediately did everything they could in order to find your baggage and forward it to you as quickly as possible. We regret this did not happen. In order to prevent you from experiencing any further inconvenience relating to this matter, even though it shows the bags have since been located, we will settle your claim for compensation within the scope of our liability."    We were each promised a check for $1,741.00 in the next 21 days. This seemingly random sum, as we were informed in the email, is determined by Special Drawing Rights, a form of money created by the International Monetary Fund that is used to settle international disputes. Somehow, we were being awarded maximum compensation for Lufthansa's peculiar handling of our luggage. In fact, this seems just, given the months of frustration and ultimate demise of several items, including the luggage itself. I'm debating whether to use this money for a new winter wardrobe or a plane ticket to Greece this summer. (I'll be sure to carry on my luggage.) Or maybe we should use the money to take road trip to Alabama for a shopping spree at the Unclaimed Baggage Center. This, I discovered, is where bags end up when they go missing. The store occupies an entire block in Scottsboro, AL and is one of the state's top tourist attractions. It draws visitors from all 50 states and another 40 foreign countries. As one can imagine, there is a wide range of merchandise to choose from (everything from fine jewels to someone else's ashes). And there's no need to fret about bedbugs - all items are professionally cleaned!  I'm considering writing a song about my experience so I can become a YouTube sensation like Dave Carroll. I'm not very musically talented, but my song (unlike Carroll's) would feature an appealingly happy ending. 'Lufthansa Returns Soiled Laundry' does have a catchy ring to it.Join the conversation about this story »


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Greece Fails To Strike Deal, Talks Continue

PARIS--Greece and its troika of international inspectors failed to reach a deal after two days of marathon negotiations in the French capital, but said Wednesday afternoon that the talks will continue. Both sides said some progress has been made but ...


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Greek church to host Christmas 'Odyssey'

There will be traditional and international carols, including some probably performed for the first time in Rochester. Greek sweets will be available for ...


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Piraeus Nightclub Gunman Arrested

Thirty one year-old Albanian national Albert Bako (or Armben Glodian) who opened fire at a nightclub in Piraeus, Greece, on early Saturday morning, injuring some 15 people was finally arrested earlier today after a massive police operation that started straight after his assault. The gunman responsible for three more similar attacks, that cost the life of one person, was detected in an apartment located on Agias Lavras street in the district of Goudi, close to Athens city center. According to information from the Hellenic Police Headquarters, the operation for his arrest was planned step by step and evolved the elite counter terrorism squads of the force, EKAM, as well as a helicopter. After his hideout was tracked down, men of EKAM threw a flash grenade into the apartment and invaded seconds later. The dangerous criminal had no time to react and did not resist his arrest. The Albanian national responsible for three bloody assaults in various districts of Athens, was tracked by his cell phone and the apartment he was hiding in allegedly belongs to one of his accomplices, who has also been arrested but not yet identified. The 31 year-old gunman is currently under custody at the building of the General Police Directorate of Attica (GADA), on Alexandras Avenue, in central Athens, while an operation is underway for the arrest of two of his compatriots that provided aid to Bako. The Albanian gunman is no stranger to crime and has been involved in three similar bloody assaults in bars and nightclubs (in downtown Athens), including one in Metaxourgeio where he killed a 43-year-old man and injured a female Albanian bar employee. The 31 year-old criminal has also been involved in other criminal acts in various Greek cities, including robberies on the island of Mytilene, for which he was arrested in 2009 and served time in Greek prisons.


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