Pages

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

Sunday, February 28, 2016

Migrants protest as thousands stuck at Macedonian border

Thousands of migrants stuck at the Idomeni camp in Greece are facing increasingly difficult conditions as some hold posters reading "We are humans, not animals"


READ THE ORIGINAL POST AT www.telegraph.co.uk

Olympiacos secure sixth successive title

Our next objective is the GREEK Cup," said Olympiacos coach Marco Silva after his side became the first team to win the GREEK title in February.


READ THE ORIGINAL POST AT www.uefa.com

EU Refugee Crisis In Greece: Border Closures With Schengen Area May Cause 70,000 Asylum-Seekers To Be Stranded

As nations throughout the Balkan countries of Europe have begun closing their borders to stem the flow of migration, a bottleneck along the Macedonia- Greece border risks stranding up to 70,000 asylum-seekers in March, a Greek official warned Sunday.


READ THE ORIGINAL POST AT www.ibtimes.com

When philosophy is not all Greek to us

IT IS AUSPICIOUS that Alfredo Pimentel Co’s newest book, “Across the Ancient Philosophical World: Essays in Comparative Philosophy” (2015; UST Publishing House; tel. 7313522), is appearing at this critical juncture of Philippine and even world history.


READ THE ORIGINAL POST AT lifestyle.inquirer.net

Refugee crisis: 70000 may be stuck in GREECE in March

The UN is warning of a growing humanitarian challenge along Macedonia's border with GREECE as up to 7,000 people fleeing war in the Middle East ...


READ THE ORIGINAL POST AT mwcnews.net

This is MY GREECE; 92-Year-Old Woman Delivers Sandwiches to Refugees in Central Athens

One of the things I learned from my upbringing was to never question when someone less-fortunate needed help. “Help first, then ask questions,” my ...


READ THE ORIGINAL POST AT www.pappaspost.com

Farmers’ Roadblocks Gradually Stand Down

After almost a month-and-a-half of daily protests, farmers throughout Greece have decided to put on hold their struggle by withdrawing their tractors from highways and awaiting for the governement to realize its promises, while remaining ready. “Our struggle will continue with other means depending on the situation” said the Panhellenic Roadblock Committee, who had organized a


READ THE ORIGINAL POST AT greece.greekreporter.com

Refugee Crisis out of control: Emergency Plan, maybe State of Emergency and … Job Creation

Under the pressure of a Refugee Crisis that is keeps escalating into an unprecedented level due to the unwillingness of many European countries ot share responsibility, Greek Migration Minister Yannis Mouzalas said on Sunday, that he has drafted and submitted an Emergency Plan to EU. The cost of the Emergency […]


READ THE ORIGINAL POST AT www.keeptalkinggreece.com

Migrant crisis: Greece warns refugee numbers will triple

Greece has warned that the number of migrants and refugees in the country could triple in the next month because of the caps being imposed at border crossings in the Balkans. Danny Savage reports from Athens.


READ THE ORIGINAL POST AT www.bbc.com

Migrants protest in Athens as Greece says up to 70k refugees may be 'trapped' next month

… the reopening of the Greek-Macedonian border as Greece raised the alarm on … Greek-Macedonian border As many as 20,000 have become stuck in Greece … the Greek island of Lesbos from the Ayvacik coast in Canakkale Greece …


READ THE ORIGINAL POST AT world.einnews.com

Win tickers to the My Big Fat Greek Wedding 2

To celebrate the release of My Big Fat Greek Wedding 2 – the hotly anticipated sequel to the highest grossing romantic comedy of all time - we are giving five lucky winners the chance to take their family to the Premiere! All you have to do is register ...


READ THE ORIGINAL POST AT au.tv.yahoo.com

Deutsche Welle: Berlin examines easing of austerity for GREECE to offset refugee pressure

GREECE can therefore look forward to enhanced European solidarity, for example, during the upcoming Eurogroup deliberations as long as it steps up ...


READ THE ORIGINAL POST AT www.tornosnews.gr

Aid Workers Concerned Over Refugee Crisis At GREECE-Macedonia Border

(Vatican Radio) Aid workers have warned of a humanitarian crisis at the GREECE-Macedonian border after Macedonia effectively closed its borders to ...


READ THE ORIGINAL POST AT en.radiovaticana.va

Europe turns back on Greece over refugees

A humanitarian emergency looms as states tighten the Greek border


READ THE ORIGINAL POST AT www.ft.com

Refugees protest against new Macedonian border controls

About 300 migrants have staged a sit-in on railway tracks connecting Greece and Macedonia, forcing a train to turn back. Refugees say the country's entry limits are now too stringent.


READ THE ORIGINAL POST AT www.dw.com

Greek Vice President: The Agreement we Signed is Our Limit

“We will not talk about additional cuts in pensions or additional measures. The agreement we have signed is our limit and we are following it” said Greek government Vice President Yiannis Dragasakis in an interview with Realnews newspaper ...


READ THE ORIGINAL POST AT greece.greekreporter.com

GREEK Tourism Confederation President: Reduce VAT by 30% on islands dealing with refugee flows

SETE's president Andreas Andreadis also referred to the over-taxation of the sector as the reason why GREEK tourism enterprises are not enjoying a ...


READ THE ORIGINAL POST AT www.tornosnews.gr

Hungary's Orban: EU leaders don't want to stop the migrants

A young Syrian woman leans on the metal fence separating them from Macedonia, at the GREEK border station of Idomeni, Sunday, Feb. 28, 2016.


READ THE ORIGINAL POST AT www.sfchronicle.com

Up to 70k refugees may be trapped in GREECE next month: Minister

More than 6,500 people were at the Idomeni camp near GREECE'S border with Macedonia on Sunday as the Balkan state has introduced a daily cap of ...


READ THE ORIGINAL POST AT www.presstv.ir

GREECE Warns Number Of Migrants Could Triple

Greece has warned that the number of migrants trapped on its soil could more than triple in coming weeks, reaching as many as 70,000, following ...


READ THE ORIGINAL POST AT www.rferl.org

Greece Becoming a “Migrant Warehouse”

ATHENS, GREECE — Greece is fast becoming the “warehouse of human beings” that its government has vowed not to allow. Hastily setup camps for refugees and other migrants are full. Thousands of people wait through the night, shivering in the cold at the Greek-Macedonian border, in the country’s main port of Piraeus, in squares dotted […]


READ THE ORIGINAL POST AT www.thenationalherald.com

Pope: Nations Must Share Migrant Burden

VATICAN CITY — Pope Francis says a concerted response is needed to Europe’s migrant problem so that countries share equally the burden of helping those fleeing war and other “inhumane” situations. Francis is praising Greece and other countries offering “generous” help while being on the frontline of the arrivals. Speaking to people in St. Peter’s […]


READ THE ORIGINAL POST AT www.thenationalherald.com

IOCC, Already on the Ground for Old Crisis, Helps with a New One

  NEW YORK – Last year, as Greece’s economic crisis was compounded by the refugee/migrant crisis, International Orthodox Christian Charities (IOCC) added a new dimension to its work in Greece when it joined its partner in philanthropy Apostoli – Mission, the charitable able of the Church of Greece, in helping with the refugee/migrant situation. IOCC […]


READ THE ORIGINAL POST AT www.thenationalherald.com

Arsonists Burn Down Potential Refugee Camp Site in Greece

Two former military barracks, one of them designated as a future refugee camp against local opposition, have been attacked by arsonists in northern Greece. The unknown assailants set fire late Saturday to a building in the first barracks in the city of Giannitsa, 50 kilometers (31 miles) northwest of Thessaloniki. The building was being used […]


READ THE ORIGINAL POST AT www.thenationalherald.com

The Mexico international found the net as Olympiacos romped to the Greek Super League title with six matches still to play.

Olympiacos has won the Greek Super League for a record 43rd time with six matches to spare after recording a 3-0 win at home over Veria on Sunday. Two goals from David Fuster and a late strike from Mexico international Alan Pulido gave Olympiacos a ...


READ THE ORIGINAL POST AT www.goal.com

The Latest: Migrants protest at Greek-Macedonian border

VATICAN CITY (AP) — The Latest on Europe's immigration crisis. (all times local): 6:10 p.m. About 300 migrants stranded at the Greek-Macedonian bordered have staged another protest, this time cutting off the railway line connecting the two countries.


READ THE ORIGINAL POST AT www.sfgate.com

'Up to 70,000 migrants' trapped in Greece

Greek officials and the UN have pointed to a growing humanitarian problem along the border between Macedonia and Greece, where up to 70,000 people who fled or otherwise emigrated from the Middle East and beyond will apparently remain stuck. A NATO plan to ...


READ THE ORIGINAL POST AT www.israelnationalnews.com

Migrants protest at GREECE-Macedonia border as bottleneck builds

Stranded migrants lay with their children on rail tracks at GREECE'S northern border Sunday, demanding to be allowed to continue their journey, as ...


READ THE ORIGINAL POST AT www.timeslive.co.za

Olympiakos Wins Greek Super League For The Sixth Time In A Row

Olympiakos F.C. celebrated its “mathematical” title conquest as the team won against Veroia today, claiming the title earlier than ever. This is the team’s sixth Greek championship in a row, and the 18th in the last 20 years. Olympiakos won over ...


READ THE ORIGINAL POST AT greece.greekreporter.com

Greece: Macedonian authorities briefly open border, but thousands still stranded in Idomeni

The Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia (FYROM) on Saturday briefly opened the border Gevgelija-Idomeni border crossing with Greece. Around 300 Iraqi and Syrian refugees, most of whom have medical ailments or disabilities, crossed into FYROM. An ...


READ THE ORIGINAL POST AT www.euronews.com

Leaders of Greek-American and Jewish American Communities support equitable solution in Cyprus

Leaders of the Greek American and Jewish American Communities, along with 25 members of Congress and the Ambassadors of Greece, Israel and Cyprus, gathered on Thursday, on Capitol Hill, in celebration of the third anniversary of the Congressional Hellenic ...


READ THE ORIGINAL POST AT www.parikiaki.com

Olympiacos crowned Greek champions again

Olympiacos have won the Greek Super League for a record 43rd time with six matches to spare after recording a 3-0 win at home to Veria on Sunday. Two goals from David Fuster and a late strike from Alan Pulido gave them a comfortable victory that puts them ...


READ THE ORIGINAL POST AT us.soccerway.com

The Number of Migrants Trapped in Greece May Reach 70,000 in Coming Weeks

ATHENS : The number of refugees and migrants trapped in Greece may reach 70,000 in coming weeks, Greece's migration minister said on Sunday, adding that a NATO plan to crack down on smugglers could limit migrant flows significantly. Greece, a primary ...


READ THE ORIGINAL POST AT www.allmediany.com

Here's the fascinating way meditation changes the brain

[meditation]Bohbeh/Shutterstock Sit down. Close your eyes. Feel your chest rise and fall with each inhaled and exhaled breath. For decades, researchers have suggested that this simple practice — known as mindfulness meditation — can have health benefits that range from banal to life-changing. Some occasional meditators report being a little less stressed every once in a while, for example, while other more regular practitioners say it helps them succeed in challenging situations. And we just got a big step closer to finding out how a few moments of peace may contribute to these benefits: First by appearing to strengthen communication between two areas of the brain involved in self-control and internal focus and by reducing levels of a substance in the blood linked to stress. A new study published this month and reported in the New York Times shows for the first time that when we meditate — independent of whether we're expert meditators or total newbies — the practice appears to produce measurable changes in two key ways: 1. MORE COMMUNICATION BETWEEN TWO BRAIN REGIONS INVOLVED IN SELF-CONTROL AND FOCUS * The left prefrontal cortex, which tends to be active when we're exerting self-control, such as picking the Greek yogurt instead of the glazed donut at your local breakfast joint * The default-mode network, which tends to be more active when we're focusing on internal thoughts 2. LOWER LEVELS OF A STRESS-LINKED SUBSTANCE CALLED IL-6 that's been linked with inflammation and can sometimes be used as an early indicator of later health problems. For their study, associate professor of psychology and the director of the Health and Human Performance Laboratory at Carnegie Mellon University J. David Creswell and his team studied 35 unemployed people. (Not surprisingly, they all reported feeling stressed-out.) Then, Creswell split the volunteers into two groups. One of the groups got a 3-day formal mindfulness meditation training at a retreat center, while the other got a 3-day "fake" training where they were taught to distract themselves from stressful feelings by stretching and making jokes. When their three days were up, people in both groups said they felt better. But scans of their brains and tests of their blood suggested some critical differences between the group that really learned to meditate and the one that was merely distracted. In the _real_ meditators, the researchers found more activity among portions of their brains involved in focus and self-control. And four months later, the meditators still displayed lower blood levels of the stress-linked substance (even though only a few of them said they'd continued to stick to a meditation practice). This finding is bolstered by previous research, which suggests that meditation can have the following benefits: BOOSTING OUR ABILITY TO RELATE TO OTHERS. [friends laughing]Bohbeh/ShutterstockIn 2008, University of Wisconsin neuroscientist Richard Davidson led a 12-year study on meditation and compassion which included an experiment comparing expert meditators with people who were not experienced in meditation. When he had both groups listen to the sounds of several stressed-out voices, two brain areas known to be involved in empathy showed more activity in the meditators than in the non-meditators, suggesting that people who meditate regularly have an enhanced ability to respond to the feelings of others and empathize without feeling overwhelmed. IMPROVING FOCUS AND REDUCING STRESS. Davidson also noted that when he exposed meditators to an outside stimulus meant to startle them — like an alarm going off unexpectedly or a stranger accosting you in the street — during their practice, they were far less put-off by the stimulus compared with someone who was not meditating. [woman writing thinking]Bohbeh/ShutterstockSeveral small studies of Buddhist monks have also hinted at the idea that meditating helps improve the process by which the brain takes in new information and helps us make decisions. DEALING WITH NEGATIVE FEELINGS. Multiple studies suggest that meditation can help reduce depression and anxiety. Mindfulness meditation in particular might help people deal with psychological stress, though more research is needed into how meditation might help lead to positive mental health (beyond reducing effects of negative stresses). NOW WATCH: The simplest way to get — and stay — happy, according to psychologists


READ THE ORIGINAL POST AT www.businessinsider.com

Olympiakos win record-extending 43rd Greek title

ATHENS (Reuters) - Olympiakos Piraeus clinched a record-extending 43rd Greek Super League title with a 3-0 victory over Veria on Sunday. Spanish midfielder David Fuster, the club captain, scored in each half before his blocked shot rebounded for Mexico ...


READ THE ORIGINAL POST AT nz.sports.yahoo.com

An American Made Crisis: Europe’s Muslim Concentration Camp in Greece

The entire world is well aware of the humanitarian crisis arising from Muslim refugees fleeing war-torn countries that include Syria, Iraq, Libya, Pakistan and Afghanistan. The countries are all Muslim and the common trait they share is that the US and its ...


READ THE ORIGINAL POST AT www.countercurrents.org

The Latest: Hungary's Orban orders fence on Romanian border

... Migrant Offshore Aid Station, a Malta-based organization, patrol on a speedboat around the eastern GREEK Island of Agathonisi on the Aegean Sea, ...


READ THE ORIGINAL POST AT www.thenewstribune.com

STRATFOR founder George Friedman gave us some jarring predictions for the future

[Screen Shot 2016 02 26 at 4.34.21 PM] George Friedman founded Strategic Forecasting in 1996. Stratfor's existence is based on the controversial but now influential premise that geopolitical events can be anticipated and even predicted in ways that can benefit private-sector actors. Friedman stayed at the pioneering political-risk firm until May 2015, when he left to found a new company called Geopolitical Futures. Friedman is a commentator on international affairs and author of the book "The Next 100 Years." He spoke to Business Insider earlier this month about the future of war, the next stage in the European debt crisis, and how and whether it's even possible to predict what's coming next. This interview has been edited for length and clarity. BUSINESS INSIDER: YOU ARE AN INNOVATOR IN THE FIELD OF POLITICAL RISK — IN TAKING EVENTS IN INTERNATIONAL POLITICS AND APPLYING THEM TO BUSINESS OR ECONOMICS DECISION-MAKING. WHERE DO YOU DRAW THE LINE BETWEEN POLITICAL RISK AND THE KIND OF WORK THE RESEARCH DIVISION OF AN INVESTMENT BANK DOES, OR THE KIND OF WORK A THINK TANK DOES? WHAT DO YOU SEE AS THE CONTRIBUTION THAT POLITICAL RISK MAKES THAT THOSE SORTS OF INSTITUTIONS CAN’T? GEORGE FRIEDMAN: A think tank advocates policies. A research division develops marketing material for its deal makers. We have no policy position. If you have a policy position you can’t possibly forecast. So as soon as you want something to happen you begin skewing the data to support it. Our stuff is invaluable to decision-makers precisely because we have no ax to grind. So you go to Brookings, or you go to Heritage or others, they know their position on any subject before they research it. If you go to an investment bank, they know what parts of the world they are going to cover and what parts of the world they are not going to cover depending on client interest. We cover the world without being skewed by that. And that makes it more valuable. [Syria]BI: HOW IS IT THAT INTERNATIONAL AFFAIRS CAN EVEN BE PREDICTED AT ALL? FOR INSTANCE, IT SEEMS THAT PEOPLE HAVE GOTTEN SYRIA WRONG AT EVERY PHASE OF THE CONFLICT. GF: We didn’t. You begin with what’s not possible. If you go through the list of things that are not possible you’re left with a very finite amount of possibilities. The fancy name for this is constraint theory. It's a nonquantitative model, but it's a field of mathematics. Constraint theory argues a number of things. First, that the impossible has to be identified. Second, that the actor is then constrained by circumstances to act a certain way. For example, should we invade ISIS? Can we invade ISIS? What would it take to invade ISIS? Once you ask that question you discover the price of that option and then you take a look at American politics and see that the country is probably not prepared to invest the 2 to 3 million people that it would take to defeat ISIS and the insurgency afterwards. All right, so that’s not going to happen. So then the entire debate over what we should do about ISIS takes a different shape. Constraint theory defines for you what outcomes are possible and what outcomes are impossible. It also eliminates wishful thinking. Policymakers engage in a great deal of wishful thinking because they are trying to get something done. I'm not trying to get anything done. Remember also that politicians are enormously smart and rational. They don’t have the same interests as businessmen ... But a man rises to the top of the United States. He’s clawed his way out of 330 million people. OK. He didn’t do that because he was dumb, or lucky, or something like that. He understands power. And he understands how to take it. And he understands how to keep it. So that lets take two men that seem the most different: George W. Bush and Barack Obama. They have more in common with each other than with anyone else because they both became president. And also take a look at how much of Obama’s policies are the same as Bush’s. If you really understand how to play chess, you know there are really only a few moves to make. Do you play chess? BI: YES. NOT WELL, BUT I PLAY. GF: OK, but if you played it well, what you’d realize is that all those different moves you thought you had, you don’t. So although it appears on the chessboard that you have 16 or 20 moves to make at the opening you have three or four. And once you’re playing the game there is one optimal move. This is why you can memorize grandmaster’s games. Now if you can recognize and memorize a grandmaster’s game, and you have the respect to understand [Zimbabwean president Robert] Mugabe who has survived past anyone’s expectations, and make the simple assumption it wasn’t an accident, and you understand why he did what he did, now you’re ready to predict ... The key to forecasting is to understand both the constraints nations are under and the manner in which the struggle for power shapes leaders.  [Bashar al-Assad]BI: TO GET BACK TO SYRIA AS AN EXAMPLE: FOR YEARS THERE WAS THIS ASSUMPTION THAT BASHAR AL-ASSAD WAS WESTERN-EDUCATED, HE WAS A REFORMER, THAT HIS ATTITUDES ON POWER WERE SOMEHOW DIFFERENT FROM THAT OF HIS FATHER, THE SYRIAN DICTATOR HAFEZ AL-ASSAD, OR THE REGIME, AND ALL ENDED UP BEING COMPLETELY WRONG. HOW DO YOU ISOLATE THAT PART OF HUMAN NATURE THAT IS SO VARIABLE BUT WHICH COULD END UP HAVING SUCH A HUGE IMPACT ON GLOBAL EVENTS? GF: I’m not a journalist. So I didn’t down and let Assad charm me. I didn't walk away and say "my god he’s got an Apple computer and he really likes Beyonce so he must be a liberal." Your job as a journalist is to interview people. And they can con you. ... If you begin with the history of how Syria's Alawite minority came to power and then you forget the Assad family, you realize the Alawites are the most educated and by necessity ruthless people in Syria, and you ask how these fragmented movements can defeat them. And then you remember another point. No regime has ever been overthrown unless its army split or went over the enemy. Assad’s army didn’t split ... One of the great weaknesses of journalists is they interview people and they think that’s important. They think that they are going to show them their true hand. But more to the point, they’re trapped. Assad’s mother was a terror_. _He was terrified of her and she kept saying to him, you’re not like your father. That’s interesting, but it's useless information. It doesn’t tell me anything about how the first and second armored brigades are going to operate.  BI: IS ASSAD GOING TO GET OVERTHROWN, OR IS HE GOING TO HOLD ONTO POWER? WILL THERE BE EVEN MORE REGIME CHANGE IN THE MIDDLE EAST? GF: With the decline of American interests in the outcome of this region, there is no glue holding it together. And the countries in this region are invented ... The last guarantor of the region's borders was the United States, and the US has basically said “the hell with it.” What you’re really having is the collapse of nation-states because they’re not nations. They’re only states. And you have the Russians trying to hold it together in Syria for various reasons of their own. But you can’t hold it together. It’s coming apart. And that’s why ISIS is so interesting. The only native natural movement in the region is, god help us, ISIS.   [US Navy flight deck]BI:  WHY DO GOVERNMENTS GET THINGS WRONG? WHY DO THE US AND ITS ALLIES HAVE SUCH A DIFFICULT TIME ANTICIPATING EVENTS? GF: What is American strategy first of all? So American strategy is to command the seas, right? The foundation of our power is sea control. Nobody can invade us, but we can invade them. What is the great fear of the United States? That an Eastern power will build a navy to challenge us. How do you keep them from doing that? Keep them at each other’s throats so they don’t have any money to do this. This is why we fought the First World War, the Second World War, and the Cold War. Now we are in a situation where our goal is to prevent the emergence of a hegemon. We don’t have to win. We just have to not lose ... The first thing you have to do is understand what success looks like. And to understand what success looks like you have to understand the intent. If you understand that intent is to make sure the sea lines are secure, then suddenly bombing Kosovo makes sense, because you don’t want Serbia to reemerge as a major power.  BI: SO WHAT DOES FAILURE LOOK LIKE FOR THE US AS FAR AS OUR GEOPOLITICAL OBJECTIVES GO? GF: Well what are our geopolitical objectives? First, that North America be peaceful, prosperous, dominated by the United States. Second, that no nation be able to approach the United States militarily ... Those are the goals. It’s very simple. We achieve that by making certain that all conflict takes place in the Eastern Hemisphere so we don’t have conflict here. Success looks like you sitting here pretty confident that an armed brigade isn't going to come pouring in here and blow your head off. Which I don’t think is your major concern. Therefore, the United States’ foreign policy is successful.   [aircraft carriers] BI: HOW BIG OF A THREAT DO YOU THINK THE US DEBT IS? GF: When I get asked the question, “Do I want to loan you money?” I want to know, how much do you earn? How much do you owe? What is your net worth? When people talk about countries for some reason they only ask how much did you earn and what’s your debt? ... The United State has a net worth against which our debt is a joke ... we wrote in 2008 the United States is going to come out of this recession fast. The Europeans are going to fragment. The Chinese are going to be cremated. Why could we come out of it? Why has all economic theory been proven wrong? Because we’re rich and we could afford it ... There is no difference in a country between military, economic, and political affairs. It's useful for Business Insider to divide things that way. That’s useful for a college program. But a country is a country. How do you understand China’s economy without China’s army? If you take these all into account you’re ready to explain a question like, “How come the US doesn’t have a debt problem?” Because the US has control of the sea. Because the US has built up its wealth. Because the US is the only country in the world really not to have a war fought on its territory since the time of the Civil War ... Therefore we can afford mistakes that would kill other countries. And therefore we can take risks that they can’t ... the core answer to why the United States is like this is we didn’t fight World War I and World War II and the Cold War here.   [Italy NPLs]BI: YOU’VE WRITTEN A LOT ABOUT THE STATE OF THE ITALIAN BANKING SYSTEM. HOW BAD DO YOU THINK IT REALLY IS? DO YOU THINK THAT AN INSTITUTION AT THE SCALE OF A DEUTSCHE BANK IS GOING TO HAVE THAT LEHMAN-TYPE MOMENT IN EUROPE? GF:  Our position has always been that Greece is not an outlier, it's a forerunner. Italy is the fourth-largest economy in Europe and the eighth-largest economy in the world, and its banking system is collapsing. And Germany is desperate. It must maintain its standard of living. It can only do that with exports and Deutsche Bank is very exposed to Italian debt. But so is the rest of Europe. So Europe, which is barely not in a depression or recession, is really going to be crushed by Italy. So constraint theory: Italy has 17% bad debt. Take it seriously, believe it. What happens if that 17% of the loans they made are unpayable? One of the things you have to be able to do when you forecast is believe what you see, even if it’s different from what The New York Times said. How else could it end? Will the Germans save them? Ultimately they have to. Can they? 17% of the Italian banking system is a lot of money.  BI: DO YOU THINK THIS IS GOING TO SPILL OVER INTO THE OTHER PIIGS COUNTRIES, LIKE PORTUGAL OR SPAIN? GF: It’s going to spill over into the Netherlands, it’s going to spill over into Germany. Germany is the new pig. Germany depends on exports and its markets are drying up. When the Germans start getting 10% unemployment, 15% unemployment, which is the real variable, how are they going to handle it? Italy spills over to everything. Italy is a huge banking system. It has been the major banking system in Eastern Europe. It’s worked with Austria’s banking system. There’s all sorts of interplays there. So it's not the PIIGS one should worry about. Germany hasn’t even begun falling yet. And when Germany falls, and it will, that’s when the panic begins to set in.  [china military]BI: DO YOU THINK THAT THERE WILL BE AN OFFENSIVE NUCLEAR STRIKE IN MY LIFETIME ANYWHERE IN THE WORLD? IF YOU COULD PUT THE CHANCES AT A PERCENTAGE LEVEL.  GF: They are very low. There’s a very simple reason. Because the country that launched it would become nuclear glass. And the person who launched it, even if he’s in Korea, doesn’t want that to happen. So that’s constraint theory. Constraint theory asks: What is the price for doing this? Now one way around constraint theory is declaring your enemy crazy. Crazy and stupid are not concepts used in forecasting ... When people say they’re really stupid or they’re crazy, that’s laziness. That means I don’t want to think through their position or about what they’re really going to do.  AR: IN THIS DAY AND AGE IT'S RELATIVELY UNUSUAL FOR NATIONS TO GO TO WAR AGAINST ONE ANOTHER.  DO YOU SEE THAT CHANGING? DO YOU SEE INTERSTATE WARFARE MAKING A COMEBACK? GF: From 1815 to 1871 there was not an interstate war of any substance in Europe. Then came World War I, a biggie. I’ll give you another statistic. There has never been a century that has not had a systemic war — a systemic war, meaning when the entire system convulses. From the Seven Years' War in Europe to the Napoleonic Wars of the 19th century to the World Wars, every century has one. Do you want to bet this will be the only century that doesn’t have one? I’ll take that bet ... When you have the countries like Germany, China, and Russia decline, and be replaced by others, that’s when systemic wars start. That’s when it gets dangerous, because they haven’t yet reached a balance. So Germany united in 1871 and all hell broke loose. Japan rose in the early 20th century, and then you had chaos. So we’re looking at a systemic shift. Be ready for war. BI: ANY PREDICTIONS ON WHERE IT COULD BE? GF: Well the most likely emerging countries are Japan, Turkey, and Poland. So I would say Eastern Europe, the Middle East and a maritime war by Japan with the United States enjoying its own pleasures. But every time new powers emerge they have to find their balance. New powers are emerging, old powers are declining. It's not that process that’s dangerous, it's the emerging position that’s dangerous.  SEE ALSO: A GLOBAL INTELLIGENCE ANALYST EXPLAINS WHAT MAKES ISIS SO STRONG Join the conversation about this story » NOW WATCH: There's something unsettling about these photos from NASA's Curiosity Mars rover


READ THE ORIGINAL POST AT www.businessinsider.com

Macedonia-Greek border faces 'humanitarian challenge'

Many refugees fear they will not be able to continue journey as new border controls by Balkan states leave them trapped. There are some 22,000 refugees in Greece, with many trying to reach other European nations [Petros Giannakouris/AP Photo] The UN is ...


READ THE ORIGINAL POST AT www.aljazeera.com

The Latest: Arsonists Torch Future Refugee Camp in Greece

Two former military barracks, one of them designated as a future refugee camp against local opposition, have been attacked by arsonists in northern Greece. The unknown assailants set fire late Saturday to a building in the first barracks in the city of ...


READ THE ORIGINAL POST AT abcnews.go.com

Alt. Migration Minister: 70,000 Migrants and Refugees Will Be Stuck in Greece in March

Alternate Migration Minister Yiannis Mouzalas estimated that “about 50,000 to 70,000 refugees and migrants will be trapped in Greece in the next month,” while in an interview with Greek TV’s Mega channel. Mouzalas said that the government has submitted an emergency plan to the European Union and highlighted that “the new spots that are being


READ THE ORIGINAL POST AT greece.greekreporter.com

Pappas: “Forget the Ecumenical Government”

State Minister Nikos Pappas appeared sure that the government majority will remain solid with the upcoming voting period and excluded the possibility of an ecumenical government in a recent interview with the newspaper Paron. “It’s about a midsummer night’s dream of people who think that they will come back to the chairs that the Greek


READ THE ORIGINAL POST AT greece.greekreporter.com

Fire breaks out in two army camps to turn into hot spots for refugees & migrants

A fire broke out in the restaurant hall of a military camp that is supposed to be turn into a hot spot to host refugees and migrants in Giannista, Northern Greece. The fire broke out at 10:30  p.m. on Saturday in “Filippaki” camp, the fire brigades managed to extinguish the […]


READ THE ORIGINAL POST AT www.keeptalkinggreece.com

Austrian Chancellor has Some Scathing Remarks on Greece’s Refugee Policies

“I cannot understard Greece‘s policy any more. It is not possible that Greece acts like a travel agency that sends the refugees some place else. Greece received 11,000 refugees in the past year, whereas we (received) 90,000. This is not allowed to be ...


READ THE ORIGINAL POST AT greece.greekreporter.com

Up to 70,000 refugees may soon be trapped in Greece

Greece has been the primary gateway to Europe for tens of thousands of people fleeing war in the Middle East and beyond. The number of refugees trapped in Greece may reach 70,000 in coming weeks, Greece's migration minister said on Sunday, adding that a ...


READ THE ORIGINAL POST AT www.dnaindia.com

Commission warns of humanitarian crisis as emergency measures prepared

A girl sleeps on a field next to a tent as she and her family wait to be allowed to cross the GREEK-FYROM border near the northern GREEK village of ...


READ THE ORIGINAL POST AT www.ekathimerini.com

Thousands of refugees stranded in GREECE due to arrival caps

Conditions at the Idomeni refugee camp in northern GREECE worsened Saturday after Croatia, Serbia, Macedonia and Slovenia announced a daily ...


READ THE ORIGINAL POST AT www.thefinancialexpress-bd.com

Lisenbee: Even officials aren't immune to wildlife silliness

newsletter · GREECE Post · Classifieds · Jobs · Cars · HOMES. FEATURED ». NEWS NOW. Lisenbee: Even officials aren't immune to wildlife silliness .


READ THE ORIGINAL POST AT www.greecepost.com

400 Refugees Forced to Stay at a Gas Station, FYROM and Greece Border Closes Again

The border in the neutral zone between Greece and FYROM has shut down again since Saturday night, after FYROM allowed the passage of 300 refugees. 6,500 people are in Idomeni, over 3,150 are on the islands and about 22,000 in total in Greece.


READ THE ORIGINAL POST AT greece.greekreporter.com

Soccer-Olympiakos clinch record-extending 43rd Greek Super League title

LONDON, Feb 28 (Reuters) - Olympiakos Piraeus clinched a record-extending 43rd Greek Super League title with a 3-0 victory over Veria on Sunday. Olympiakos clinched the title with six matches to spare as they have a better head-to-head record over second ...


READ THE ORIGINAL POST AT sports.yahoo.com