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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

Saturday, April 30, 2016

Warren Buffett thinks this is Berkshire Hathaway's biggest problem

[warren buffett serious]Drew Angerer/Getty Images Berkshire Hathaway has been a successful company, to put it mildly. Over the years Warren Buffett's and Charlie Munger's firm has had a bit of a golden touch, but that may also be its downfall according to its CEO. "Size is the enemy of performance," said Buffett at the company's annual meting Saturday. Said another way, the biggest danger for the company, according to Buffett, is too much success. Earlier in the day, Buffett remarked on the company's recent propensity to acquire firms that require a lot of capital expenditures to run. Early in his career, Buffett was a staunch advocate of only investing in companies that didn't have a lot of fixed costs, but that has since changed. "It's part of the problems of prosperity," said Buffett. "We'd love to buy a company for $10 or $20 or $30 billion that is not capital intensive. And we may. But that is harder." Recently, Berkshire purchased capital intensive businesses such as Precision Castparts, which makes airplane parts, and BNSF, a railroad giant. The upshot here is that as Berkshire has grown so too has its cash pile, eventually forcing the company to make bigger acquisitions and Buffett to stick to investments in ever-bigger companies. Also on the topic of capital allocation, Buffett and Munger decried the growing number of share repurchases being executed across the corporate landscape. And Buffett noted that he only likes to do purchases of Berkshire shares at 1.2x book value. But Buffett did say this "trigger" could be moved up he found the company with so much cash and so few opportunities that repurchasing shares at a higher level was the best use of this cash. NOW WATCH: FORMER GREEK FINANCE MINISTER: The single largest threat to the global economy


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It’s a matter of leadership, stupid.

The comparison of Greece to the rest of the world – on practically every issue – is hurtful. Very hurtful. In addition, it raises the question, as well as the grievance: Why? What is it we are lacking that makes us lag behind instead of excelling – if that word even exists still in our […]


READ THE ORIGINAL POST AT www.thenationalherald.com

Oxfam Rips EU-Greece Refugee System

The European Union and Greece have failed to provide a safe system for dealing with refugees and migrants, the charity group Oxfam charged on April 30.


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World Press View: The Varoufakis Attack is Back!

Former Greek Finance Minister and blogger Supremo Yanis Varoufakis is blaming the US US Foreign Policy Got in Way of Helping Greece Huffpost Politics/Daniel Marans The United States did not pressure Germany more heavily to give Greece debt relief because it needed Germany’s cooperation in higher-priority foreign policy matters, according to a former Greek finance […]


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Photos: Mattituck GREEK Orthodox Church holds Holy Friday service

The Transfiguration of Christ GREEK Orthodox Church in Mattituck held a Holy Friday service in Mattituck Friday night as part of the Easter holy week.


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Eastern Orthodox Christians celebrate Easter

Tom Papademetriou and Dorrie Papademetriou of Linwood members of the Holy Trinity GREEK Orthodox Church in Egg Harbor Township celebrate ...


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Mafia Taking Over As Italy Flooded with Migrants

The Italians now have a new fear, they are afraid that their country will follow the same fate as GREECE. GREECE has been recently flooded with over ...


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Ridgefield: Ridgefield second in National Euro Challenge

The team's speech underwent many revisions until it “captured the true essence of the economic condition of the Euro area and GREECE,” according to ...


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Hotels in Crete

Madares Hotel and Apartments Loutro Sfakia Chania, Crete, Greece Telephone: (011 30) 282 509 1166 or +30 6972228170 Email: madares@loutro.net With only a few rooms and a great end-of-the-harbor location, you may find yourself wanting to stay longer than ...


READ THE ORIGINAL POST AT gogreece.about.com

Greek Orthodox Easter: Holy Light made mysterious appearance again, was flown to Greece

For one more time, The Holy Light mysteriously appeared in the sealed crypt of Christ Grave in Jerusalem. Thousands of Greek Orthodox had gathered in order to light their candles directly from Patriarch of Ierosolyma Theophilos, the only high-ranking official of the Greek Orthodox Church to have access to the […]


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Religion notes: Church sponsors bears

The annual AHEPA Mother's Day Luncheon will be held from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. May 8 at the Morris Hellenic Cultural Center of the Holy Trinity GREEK ...


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GREECE/ OLYMPIAKOS, Gustavo Bou on target

Currently on a deal with Racing Avellaneda until June 2019, Argentinian forward Gustavo Bou (26), already tracked by Brighton & Hove Albion, ...


READ THE ORIGINAL POST AT ghanasoccernet.com

Photo Essay: Syria's refugee crisis grips GREECE

A refugee sits in a poppy filed on GREECE'S border with Macedonia, now fenced with barbed wire and patrolled by Macedonian police. Idomeni 3.


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Warren Buffett and Charlie Munger just destroyed Valeant at Berkshire's annual meeting (VRX, BRK.B, BRK.A)

[valeant ackman pearson]AP Images/Manuel Balce Ceneta Warren Buffett is not a fan of Valeant Pharmaceuticals. And he never was. At Berkshire Hathaway's annual meeting on Saturday, Buffett expressed disappointment over the direction of the company and called it a "Wall Street scheme." "In my view, the business model of Valeant was enormously flawed," said Buffett. Buffett's partner Charlie Munger, who last year made headlines with comments about the company, also chimed in. "Valeant, of course, was a sewer," said Munger, adding that the directors deserve "all the opprobrium they are getting." Valeant has had a disastrous six months with scandals involving its practice of purchasing drug companies and then raising the prices on their products, a mess of a financial report tied to shady revenue reporting, and patient assistance programs that are being investigated in multiple states. All of these problems have led to the removal of the company's top executive, an investigation by the US Senate, and a 70% decline in the company's stock price. Buffett also said that he was approached by multiple people asking if he wanted to in Valeant and urging Buffett to meet former Valeant CEO Michael Pearson. Buffet said he declined to do either of those things, and was wary of the company from the start.  There were also some pointed words about management. "If you're looking for a manager you want someone who is intelligent, energetic, and moral," said Buffet. "But if they don't have the last one, you don't want them to have the first two." The question also asked about Sequoia Fund, a mutual fund Buffett has been associated with for some time that had accumulated a stake in Valeant. (One of Sequoia's founders, Bill Ruane, was a Buffett confidant from way back.) Buffett said that it was unfortunate that Sequoia took such a large position in Valeant, saying the investment firm was "entranced" by Valeant's business model. Buffett also notd that the manager that selected the investment has since been fired. NOW WATCH: FORMER GREEK FINANCE MINISTER: The single largest threat to the global economy


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An unusual type of protein snack is after the hearts and wallets of average Americans

[Epic Bar]Epic Bar Meat bars are everywhere. Companies from enormous chocolate makers to healthy-food startups are investing big on these protein-heavy snacks — despite how bizarre they sound. Hershey is launching Krave dried meat protein bars in August, with flavors like blueberry barbecue beef after acquiring the jerky brand last year.  General Mills acquired meat bar industry leader, Epic Bar, in January. Startups like Kratos, Omnibar, and Caveman Foods are debuting meaty bars of their own, which are taking off not only in specialty stores, but also at mainstream retail giants like Whole Foods and Costco. THE POWER OF PROTEIN [Caveman Foods]Epic Bar The rise of the new snack is rooted in a wider movement towards protein-rich on-the-go options. American consumers are moving away from many of the diet staples that previously dominated the portfolios of companies like General Mills and Hershey. Sales growth of chocolate in the US  sales growth has slowed each year since 2010, reports the Wall Street Journal, while cereal sales dropped 5% from 2009 to 2014. Meanwhile, protein is hotter than ever. In 2006, 39% of the US population said they sought out foods that are high in protein, according to the National Marketing Institute. By 2014, 53% were seeking high-protein options. Companies across the food industry have tried to tap into the high-protein trend. Fast-food chains began testing high-protein offerings, such as McDonald’s Greek yogurt and Taco Bell’s high-protein Cantina Power Bowl. Kraft debuted "Portable Protein Packs" in 2014. Before purchasing Epic Bar, General Mills attempted to profit off of the trend — without necessarily following through on the nutrition — with its launch of Cheerios Protein. "The food industry is evolving rapidly these days, and I think that’s largely driven by millennials who are much more demanding in terms of authenticity in terms of genuinely better-for-you ingredients," says Chris Running, founder of Caveman Foods. WHY MEAT? [SMOKED JALAPEÑO Primal Bar.]Epic Bar Still, the question remains: Why would someone choose to eat dried meat smushed together into a bar when there are so many other high-protein options on the market? One reason is that many consumers believe that meat is as all-natural as you can get when you're seeking protein. "I was personally inspired to develop a sort of new protein bars — how we refer to our Chicken Primal Bars — because I was just frankly disgusted by some of these other protein bars on the market that were sort of just candy bars," says Running, who was influenced by the paleo diet to put meat front-and-center in Caveman Foods.   Lean meat options, such as chicken, remain some of American's favorite sources for healthy protein, especially among millennial consumers. [Epic Bar]Epic Bar The rise of the paleo diet has encouraged the trend, as the so-called "caveman diet" encourages the consumption of lean meat and vegetables and discourages eating grains, legumes, and seed oils. Paleo-centric blogs recommend meat bars such as Epic, saying the bars are some of the best snacks around, especially for customers who are on a "more strict paleo" diet than others. "Oddly enough, the roots of Epic were planted shortly after Katie and I became vegetarians," writes Epic Bar co-founders Katie Forrest and Taylor Collins on the company website. "Unable to maximize our own vigor and wellness, we looked for answers in the whole foods consumed by our human ancestors. Within a week of adopting, what is now called, the 'paleo diet' which emphasizes healthy animal fats, grass fed protein, and leafy vegetables, our bodies and minds radiated with exuberance." HOW THE AVERAGE AMERICAN GOT ON BOARD [Epic Bar]Epic Bar Perhaps the most surprising part of the movement that has brought about the era of meat bars is that these snacks aren't just for athletes on bizarre diets. These bars are geared towards the average, semi-active consumer — and, so far, they're selling. "It's an audience that's interested in learning more about paleo… but I don't think it's an audience that’s necessarily 100% paleo," says Running, who reports Costco sales of Caveman Foods products increased 199% in the Northeast compared to the same period last year. "Our audience is, by and large, one that is trying to find good-for-you products to incorporate into their daily lifestyle."   [Omnibar]Epic Bar While Krave meat protein bars haven’t hit the market yet, the brand is similarly anti-elitist when it comes to its customer base. From the beginning, the company has aimed to attract the "non-jerky user," focusing on female customers and others who would see the treat as an all-natural snack, not a gas station staple. Health trends, like Paleo-inspired and high-protein diets, have gone from something only elite athletes and fitness buffs would consider to part of the mainstream nutrition conversation. Endless health blogs and popular meal-prep Instagram accounts have made wellness and nutrition aspirational — a lifestyle that people can envision themselves achieving. While consumers are increasingly interested in wellness, most people don’t have time or energy to commit to intensive diets like the hyper-committed paleo plan.  When you combine intense interest in apparently nutritious, high-protein snacks with consumers' need for convenience, you end up with customers craving meat bars.  "We know we’re not going to go backwards and start eating Twinkies," says Running. Instead, he and others in the industry are banking on the fact we’re all going to be eating meat bars — in well-labeled packaging that brags about protein and all-natural ingredients. NOW WATCH: Try this renowned steakhouse marinade recipe for the ultimate steak


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Live from Greece: Epitaphios Proceeds through Nisyros

Greeks celebrate the coming of Easter all over the world, not least of all in Greece. From the Great and Holy Friday Lamentations service on Nisyros, the Epitaphios proceeds throughout the island.  


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Holy Light Arrives in Greece from Jerusalem

The Holy Light has traveled from Jerusalem and is welcomed again in Greece at Eleftherios Venizelos International Airport. The Holy Light was transferred by plane in 17 destinations. The aircraft flew toward three different geographical sections: the ...


READ THE ORIGINAL POST AT greece.greekreporter.com

Greek Easter menu at Doretta Taverna in Boston

Doretta, a derivative of the Greek word “Doro” (meaning “gift”) is Boston’s first stylish Greek Taverna. Opened this Fall at 79 Park Plaza at The Heritage On the Garden, Doretta embodies the simple, approachable, and bold flavors that make Greek ...


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Liz Hayes presented 60 Minutes child abduction from GREECE in 2002

Journalist Liz Hayes presented the story on Theo Johnstone, who was six-years-old when he was 'recovered' from Kalymnos, GREECE, in 2002.


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GREECE Arcadia Mourning Loss of HS Principal

District officials confirm Arcadia High School Principal Lesley Flick has died after a long battle with cancer. "Ms. Flick was a tireless advocate for ...


READ THE ORIGINAL POST AT www.twcnews.com

Washing lines amid the petrol pumps: Migrants set up camp on the Greek border

A large group of migrants have set up an innovative new camp on the Greek border with Macedonia - taking over a petrol station. The makeshift refuge has been set up as thousands of people remain stranded in the small village of Idomeni after the border was ...


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Warren Buffett explains the problem with one of his favorite rules for investing

[warren buffett charlie munger] Charlie Munger and Warren Buffett have often argued that it's smart to "invest in a business any fool can run, because someday a fool will." Or, as Buffett explained it in more detail back in 2010 in an interview with the FCIC: "If you've got a good enough business, if you have a monopoly newspaper, if you have a network television station — I'm talking of the past — you know, your idiot nephew could run it. And if you've got a really good business, it doesn't make any difference." Basically, the thinking here is that is if ten years ago someone owned the only newspaper in town, then they're the person with the pricing power — and that's a good business. It _almost_ doesn't matter who's running it, because the townspeople are still going to buy the paper. But, as with every rule, this one, too, has an exception. In Saturday's annual Berkshire Hathaway meeting, streamed live on Yahoo Finance, Munger and Buffett emphasized that the world has changed, and NOW THE DUO HAS BECOME JUST AS GOOD AT FINDING BUSINESSES WITH GOOD MANAGEMENT AS THEY ONCE WERE AT FINDING BUSINESSES THAT DIDN'T REQUIRE GREAT MANAGEMENT TO SUCCEED. Specifically, Buffett noted that Mark Donegan, the CEO of Precision Castparts, is "one of a kind," in part because he can concentrate on what's important for the businesses and he doesn't have to come to Omaha to make a presentation for Buffett to justify a move. And Munger added that Precision Castparts, which became a subsidiary of Berkshire Hathaway in January 2016, REQUIRES SUPERIOR MANAGEMENT.  For what it's worth, several other CEOs and managers have become almost synonymous with their companies as well. Perhaps most notably nowadays: Jeff Bezos. And in cases like this, it's interesting to think about what the company would be like without the same leadership and/or with different leadership. In any case, the bottom line is that although it's obviously a great idea to invest in a business that any fool can run, there are _some_ differences when it comes to management — and it may be worth taking that into consideration. SEE ALSO: LIVE! BERKSHIRE HATHAWAY'S ANNUAL MEETING ... Join the conversation about this story » NOW WATCH: FORMER GREEK FINANCE MINISTER: The single largest threat to the global economy


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BUFFETT: This is the 'time bomb' in the markets

[nuclear bomb] Derivatives have Warren Buffett worried. At Berkshire Hathaway's annual meeting Saturday, Buffet and his partner Charlie Munger fielded a question on the use of derivatives by US banks. "It's still a potential time bomb if you were to get a discontinuity," said Buffett. Derivatives are financial tools that base their performance on a underlying asset. These can include things such as mortgage backed securities that track a bundle of home loans and helped cause the 2008 financial crisis. Buffett said the level of derivative exposure at large banks is a "great danger" if there were to be a stoppage in markets, citing the example of the market closing during World War I and immediately after the September 11 terrorist attacks. In this case, Buffett said that if such a discontinuity occurs, you lose the ability to properly track the underlying asset and can end up with a totally wrong price. "Derivatives are still dangerous in large quantities," said Buffett. "We would not do them on a collateralized basis because if there's a large quantity, we don't know where they're going to end up [when marked to market]." Buffett mentioned that he knew of a huge mispriced derivative that did not impact Berkshire's investments, but did not elaborate. His partner, Charlie Munger, echoed the sentiment but added that Berkshire made about $20 billion from different derivatives that the company has exposure to. "We would have been happy if those sorts of derivatives were illegal," said Munger adding that the country would be "better off" if they were. Buffett also added that he was not worried about the exposure of Berkshire's bank investments, such as Wells Fargo and Bank of America, to these derivatives. SEE ALSO: WARREN BUFFETT'S 'DESERT ISLAND' INDICATOR OF THE ECONOMY IS LOOKING TERRIBLE Join the conversation about this story » NOW WATCH: FORMER GREEK FINANCE MINISTER: The single largest threat to the global economy


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Deputy FM Amanatidis’ response to Patriarch Theophilos III of Jerusalem during the receipt of ...

Your Beatitude,It is with profound emotion, joy and honor that I receive from your hands the Holy Light, from the Church of the Holy Sepulchre. Once again, the faith of all Orthodox Christians is strengthened by His blessing and spiritual power.It is a victory of hope and optimism, and our responsibility, to transform this into a creative force in the struggle we are all mounting for the rebirth of our homeland.The Greek government has arranged to transport the Holy Light to Athens, and from there it will be received by all of the Holy Metropolises, so that it can bring...


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Sunday is 'Pascha'(Easter) for Orthodox Christians

Alter boys and candles play a role during a service the weekend of Pascha in 2015 at Holy Trinity GREEK Orthodox Church in Charlotte. Joshua Komer ...


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Easter Holidays for Russian Tourists Canceled due to Visa Issuance Delay

Since the consulate is not staffed with additional people to respond to the high volume of work, large lines of Russian tourists at the GREEK visa center ...


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EU not providing fair and safe reception system in GREECE, says Oxfam

The organization said it is working at six sites across GREECE: Kara Tepe on Lesbos island, and in Katsika, Doliana, Filipiada, Tsepelovo and Konista ...


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Bruton: Irish Water deal could turn us into GREECE

A former Taoiseach says the deal on Irish Water may have long term consequences for the state's income. It's understood charges will be suspended ...


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Germany doesn't want Europe's temporary border controls to end

[A Macedonian policeman uses his baton to prevent migrants and refugees to open the border fence at a makeshift camp at the Greek-Macedonian border near the village of Idomeni, Greece, April 7, 2016. REUTERS/Marko Djurica]Thomson Reuters BERLIN (Reuters) - Germany will ask the European Commission to allow an extension of temporary border controls within the Schengen zone of passport-free travel beyond mid-May, Interior Minister Thomas De Maiziere said on Saturday. Germany and some other European Union members have introduced temporary border checks to control or halt record flows of migrants fleeing conflicts in Syria, Iraq and elsewhere and traveling to western Europe via the Balkans. Germany took in more than one million migrants last year. But the number of arrivals has slowed significantly after border clampdowns were imposed by Austria and other countries along the migrants' main Balkans route northwards from Greece. "Even if the refugee situation has eased at internal borders along the West Balkan route, we look with concern at the developments on the external borders of the Union," De Maiziere said in a statement. Berlin will therefore ask the European Commission, the EU's executive arm, to allow the border controls to be extended beyond May 12 when the legal basis for the current measures expires, he said. A German government official said the request was a joint initiative by Germany, France, Austria, Belgium, Denmark and Sweden and the letter would be sent to Brussels on Monday. "Member states must continue to have the flexibility and option to conduct border controls at their internal borders in cases when it is necessary," De Maiziere said, adding such measures were required to guarantee a certain level of safety. [Migrants are transferred to another immigration centre by a ferry boat on the southern Italian island of Lampedusa February 20, 2015. REUTERS /Alessandro Bianchi]Thomson Reuters A European Commission source told Reuters that Brussels was leaning towards giving its green light to the request and to allow an extension of the border checks until November. The numbers of migrant arrivals to Germany has dropped to less than 200 daily in recent weeks from more than 2,000 daily in January. At the height of the refugee crisis last autumn, more than 10,000 migrants arrived in Germany on some days. In her weekly podcast, German Chancellor Angela Merkel urged EU member states to avoid seeking national solutions to European problems, adding that she would fight to uphold EU citizens' right to freedom of movement and residence within the bloc. Merkel has been critical of border closures within the EU and is instead banking on an EU-Turkey deal that took effect early April and gives Ankara political and financial benefits in return for taking back refugees and migrants who have crossed to Greece en route for Germany and other west European states. _(Reporting by Michael Nienaber, Holger Hansen, Andreas Rinke; Editing by Gareth Jones)_


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Why Aleppo is Syria's fiercest battleground

[aleppo]Abdalrhman Ismail/Reuters As a two-month-old cease-fire collapses and peace talks stall, the northern city of Aleppo is once again a main battlefield in Syria's devastating civil war. More than 200 people have been killed in the last nine days in airstrikes and shelling on contested neighborhoods of the city. A look at Aleppo: HISTORY Syria's largest city and once its commercial center, Aleppo was a crossroads of civilization for millennia. It has been occupied by the Greeks, Byzantines and multiple Islamic dynasties. As one of the world's oldest continuously inhabited cities, Aleppo's Old City was added in 1986 to UNESCO's list of World Heritage sites. But the civil war has damaged its landmarks, including the 11th century Umayyad Mosque, which had a minaret collapse during fighting in 2012, the 13th century citadel and the medieval marketplace, where fire damaged more than 500 shops in its narrow, vaulted passageways. Some historic sites have been used as bases for fighters. Aleppo was one of the last cities in Syria to join the uprising against President Bashar Assad's government. [Aleppo raqqa syria isis map 4/7/16]Abdalrhman Ismail/Reuters SIGNIFICANCE Because of its strategic location near the Turkish border and symbolic significance, it is often said that whoever holds Aleppo wins the war. Although it would probably not end the war, should Assad's forces recapture Aleppo, it would mark a turning point in the conflict and deal a devastating blow to the opposition. Aleppo is about 50 kilometers (30 miles) from the Turkish border, and Ankara enjoys wide influence in northern Syria. Most of the rebels' supplies flow across the Turkish border. If the government succeeds in completely blockading the city, it would choke off the rebels and potentially force their surrender. It would also be catastrophic for tens of thousands of civilians still living there. [aleppo]Abdalrhman Ismail/Reuters A DIVIDED CITY A number of insurgent groups control several neighborhoods of the city, which has been rocked by airstrikes and is being attacked from the west, south and east by government forces. The only rebel supply line is a corridor that links the city with northern parts of the province leading to the Turkish border. Government forces and their allies control most of the eastern neighborhoods as well as the international airport and the nearby Nairab air base. Militants from the Islamic State group used to control several neighborhoods in Aleppo, but they were forced out by other rebels in early 2014. The main Kurdish militia, known as the People's Protection Units, or YPG, controls several predominantly Kurdish northern neighborhoods. The main insurgent groups in the city are the ultraconservative Ahrar al-Sham group; the Nour el-Din Zengi; the Tawhid Brigade; and the Nusra Front, al-Qaida's branch in Syria. Smaller groups also are involved in the fighting. NOW WATCH: 4.2 million Americans could be displaced by rising sea levels this century — see if your county is at risk


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Warren Buffett's 'desert island' indicator of the economy is looking terrible

[warren buffett bnsf train]Rick Wilking/Reuters Railroads are having a tough go of it, and Warren Buffett doesn't think it's going to get any better. "Car-loadings throughout the industry are down this year," said Buffett at his company Berkshire Hathaway's annual meeting Saturday. Buffett went on to say that the industry is facing a tough time and probably won't recover for "the balance of the year." Buffett has called total carloads his "desert island" indicator of how the total economy is doing, but based on this the US economic outlook is rough. Carloads, or the number of individual cars moved along the tracks, have been tumbling for over a year as production of materials that railroads usually ship have been curtailed. The biggest of these has been coal, which makes up roughly a fifth of all carloads. The decline in coal shipments has been precipitous and it doesn't appear to be turning around any time soon. Additionally other energy materials, including oil, and  have hit the railroads big time. Total carloads, as measured by the American Association of Railroads, is also off to its worst start to the year since at least 2013. The measure is down 14.3% for the first 16 weeks of the year from the same period in 2015. [Screen Shot 2016 04 30 at 11.29.10 AM]Rick Wilking/Reuters Buffett's Berkshire Hathaway is the owner of Burlington Northern Santa Fe railroad, which it purchased in total for $26 billion in 2009. BNSF is one of the largest railroad networks in the US. Add all that up and it looks grim for Buffett's favorite indicator. NOW WATCH: FORMER GREEK FINANCE MINISTER: The single largest threat to the global economy


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Visiting the Halkidiki Peninsula in Macedonian Greece

Leaving from the beautiful city of Thessaloniki, the drive down the trident that extends into the turquoise/blue waters of the northwest Aegean, is a destination to be considered. Not as well known as the many Greek islands of the Aegean, this area is ...


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Henshaw hit a walk-off, three-run home run for Brockport

GREECE Athena 8,. Gates Chili 2. Mike Ruta had two hits and three RBI and Justin Lotemtle added two hits for Athena. Trevor Layne pitched a six-hitter ...


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Oxfam Says the EU Is Failing Refugees

The aforementioned EU-Turkey deal will remove thousands of refugees that came from Turkey to GREECE. Also, it closes the route to Europe for any ...


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Event preview: Legendary Acropolis Rally poses another classic test for ERC stars

As the rally returns to the Central GREECE region and the city of Lamia for the first time since 2005, last year's winner and defending ERC champion ...


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Was This L.A.'s Last Chance to See Iggy Pop in Concert?

Perhaps the 69-year-old legend intended to take it easy at the GREEK Theatre, but those old animal instincts soon took over, and Iggy couldn't help ...


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Turkish Violations Over Greek Air Space During Holy Week

Turkish violations in the Aegean continued on Good Friday when a Turkish military aircraft flew over Inousses and Panagia. The Turkish military aircraft violated the Athens FIR when it flew over the island of Inousses at a low altitude at 10:53, 10:56 and 11:00. Four minutes later, it flew over the islet of Panagia, east of Inousses.


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Die Welt: Six EU States Urge Extension of Schengen Internal Border Controls  

Austria, Belgium, Denmark France, Germany and Sweden have proposed to the European Commission to extend temporary controls at the internal borders of the Schengen Area to tackle migration flows more efficiently, Die Welt reported on Saturday. The proposal has been made in a letter to the European Commission First Vice-President Frans Timmermans and Migration Commissioner Dimitris Avramopoulos. The six countries called on the Commission to propose to the European Council to permit to maintain or introduce controls at internal Schengen borders from May 13 for a period of six months, if EU member states believe such move was necessary, according to the German newspaper. Eight of the 26member states of the Schengen Area have introduced border checks since last September, including Austria and Germany, to stem the flow of migrants. Under current rules, such border checks can be introduced only temporarily and can’t be extended beyond May 12, unless the European Commission finds that EU’s free-travel areais at risk because of a country’s failure to protect the area’s external borders. The closure of the Western Balkan migration route to Germany and Sweden and the start of sending back migrants and refugees from Greece to Turkey under a deal between the EU and Ankara reached in March have significantly reduced the number of migrants reaching central and western Europe. Yet, the number of migrants arriving in Greece and Italy by sea has increased in the first four months of 2016, compared to a year earlier, according to data from the International Organisation for Migration. Concerned by prospects of resumed migration pressure at its borders, Austria re-introduced checks on its border with Hungary earlier this week and said it would impose border checks at the Brenner Pass on its frontier with Italy by the end of May.  


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49 Refugees Rescued on Greek Island of Samos

On Holy Saturday morning, members of the Greek Coast Guard located and rescued 49 refugees East of Samos. The refugees were transferred to Vathy, where they received first aid. According to data released on Good Friday by the Coordinating Committee for the ...


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Senior GREEK Lawmaker Due in Iran Next Saturday

TEHRAN (Tasnim) – The Chairman of the Foreign Affairs Committee of the GREEK Parliament is scheduled to pay a visit to Tehran next week for talks ...


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Refugees off the streets as GREECE prepares for tourists

Refugees off the streets as GREECE prepares for tourists. Tourism is worth about 20 billion Dollars a year to GREECE. News International 30 Apr 2016, ...


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The hilarious 'Damn Daniel' meme blew up sales for the company that makes white Vans (VFC)

[screen shot 2016 02 22 at 1.00.27 pm copy]Amazon Daniel definitely helped the company that makes Vans sell a ton of white Vans.  In case you missed it, the "damn, Daniel" meme blew up in February. It's a video of one friend named Josh Holz calling out his teen friend Daniel Lara over and over for wearing Vans. Mostly white Vans.  "Dammmmnnnnn, Daniel, back at it again with the white Vans!" the tagline goes. Daniel and Josh gained a ton of Twitter followers, went on Ellen, made a website, and did all the other things viral sensations get up to soon after. Sales of white Vans on Amazon _because_ of Daniel blew up in the following weeks. And that was the first sign we got that VF Corp, the apparel company that owns the Vans brand, was cashing in. The company reported first-quarter earnings on Friday, and beat expectations for profits and sales. It said direct-to-consumer sales spiked 20%, while online sales jumped 30%.  Here's president and COO Steven Rendle: Of course, how could we not mention Daniel, as in 'Damn Daniel', which, as you can imagine, did have a strong impact on the sales of White Vans, which saw 100% sell-through in both retail direct-to-consumer and wholesale channels.  The national media attention the brand received is a wild demonstration of how creative expression, youth culture and loyalty can conspire to cause a phenomenon. Well done, Daniel, well done. Bloomberg notes that Vans jumped on the meme — like a #brand would —  and redirected its homepage to a listing for white Vans.   All this happened at a tough time for apparel retailers, who are facing headwinds from changing consumer tastes and online shopping.  Here's the original viral video: RAW Embed   NOW WATCH: FORMER GREEK FINANCE MINISTER: The single largest threat to the global economy


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Big Greek Tax Hikes Backfire

Waves of tax hikes in austerity packages demanded by Greece's international lenders have produced less revenues and more tax cheating.


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What Democracy Really Means, According To One Of Its Most Outspoken Champions

WASHINGTON — When GREECE'S European creditors cut off emergency assistance to the beleaguered country's banks last summer, bringing its ...


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Greek Orthodox customs to honor the dead on Good Friday

I find it always deeply touching how Greeks honor their dead before major holidays like Christmas and Easter. On Good Friday, the peak of the Passion Week, Greeks go to the cemeteries with the arms full of flowers to lay on the graves of their beloved ones. After washing the […]


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‘Botides’: Corfu’s Unique Holy Saturday Tradition

As every Holy Saturday morning, the Greek island of Corfu was packed again by locals and tourists who came to attend the “Botides” tradition that takes place in Spianada Square. According to the tradition, at 12pm on Saturday, Corfiots who have decorated their windows with red flowers and badges, throw huge clay pots with red ribbons. The custom


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A 'global convergence' could change everything for investors

There's a huge trend that could change everything for the global economy, US businesses, and investors. You just have to ignore how bad it looks right now. In a recent note, Joe Quinlan highlighted the story of four middle class consumers in emerging markets and came to the conclusion that they exemplify the future of the world economy. "In the end, the world has changed—and for the better," wrote Quinlan. Join the conversation about this story » NOW WATCH: FORMER GREEK FINANCE MINISTER: The single largest threat to the global economy


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GREEK and Turkish coast guard boats in 'Aegean stand-off'

Tensions flared between Greece and Turkey in the Aegean Sea on Friday when a GREEK coast guard boat appeared in front of a Turkish coast guard ...


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The GREEK feast that follows Orthodox Easter

Manny Firoglanis and Kim Krawizcki, co-chairs of the Gyrofest at Annunciation GREEK Orthodox Church, 64 Hershey Ave., on May 6 and 7, with ...


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AHC Gives Former Greek Premier Papandreou Mixed L.A. Greeting

Former Greek Prime Minister George Papandreou spoke to the American Hellenic Council in Los Angeles but found himself questioned too for his handling of Greece's crisis.


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