51 AWARDS GIVEN BY THE PANHELLENIC SCHOLARSHIP FOUNDATION THIS YEAR
51 AWARDS GIVEN BY THE PANHELLENIC SCHOLARSHIP FOUNDATION THIS YEAR $250,000 in Grants to be presented to 25 Greek-American students with financial need Chicago, IL - Nov. 6, 2009 The PanHelleni...

Senator Voinovich Discusses Visa Waiver Program with AHEPA
Senator Voinovich Discusses Visa Waiver Program with AHEPA WASHINGTON - Recently, U.S. Senator George V. Voinovich (R-OH) met with Nicholas A. Karacostas, President of the American Hellenic Educati...

Spectra Energy Supports Forest and Freshwater Conservation Work in Central Pennsylvania
Spectra Energy Supports Forest and Freshwater Conservation Work in Central Pennsylvania Harrisburg, Pennsylvania — Spectra Energy Corp, headquartered in Houston, Texas, has awarded $45,000...

Pappas and Company Certified Public Accountants 14 South Jackson Street
Pappas and Company Certified Public Accountants 14 South Jackson Street Media, Pennsylvania 19063 Dear Clients and Friends, This morning news agencies reported that the US unemployment rate has ...

Christofer Macatsoris Music Director
Christofer Macatsoris Music Director Maestro Macatsoris began his conducting career in Italy at the Conservatory in Milan. He went on to study conducting privately with such famed maestri as Faust...

NOVEMBER IS THE TIME TO VISIT BODY WORLDS 2 & The Brain
NOVEMBER IS THE TIME TO VISIT BODY WORLDS 2 & The Brain SPECIAL EVENTS AND PROMOTIONS THROUGHOUT THE ENTIRE MONTH! WHAT: Take advantage of various special events and promotions all throughou...

The Honorable Gus Bilirakis
Philip Christopher, Nick Karacostas, Nikos Mouyiaris & Peter Papanicolaou Cordially invite you to attend a fundraising reception for our good friend The Honorable Gus Bilirakis (R-FL...

REID HOSTS LUNCH WITH THE ECUMENICAL PATRIARCH BARTHOLOMEW
REID HOSTS LUNCH WITH THE ECUMENICAL PATRIARCH BARTHOLOMEW Leader of the Orthodox Christian Church meets with Congressional leaders Washington, D.C. – Nevada Senator Harry Reid and Speaker...

Joe Sestak Shows Leadership on Pennsylvania Job Creation
Joe Sestak Shows Leadership on Pennsylvania Job Creation Announces New Tax Credit Legislation to Help Pennsylvania Job Seekers MEDIA, PA - With our nation's unemployment rising above ten percent, ...

Athens cautious of Turk advances
A recent effort to advance relations between Greece and Turkey is being treated with caution by Athens, it emerged yesterday after a flurry of diplomatic activity between the two countries.Speaking in...

CO fumes kill two in hotel
Two guests at a hotel in Thessaloniki who were found dead in their rooms in the space of 24 hours succumbed to carbon monoxide poisoning, possibly due to a faulty heating or air conditioning system, i...

Conscripts soon to serve only in the army
Military service in the navy and air force will be gradually phased out over the next two years so that conscripts will only serve in the army, the government revealed yesterday.Such a move had been m...

Athens cautious of Turk advances
A recent effort to advance relations between Greece and Turkey is being treated with caution by Athens, it emerged yesterday after a flurry of diplomatic activity between the two countries.Speaking in...

CO fumes kill two in hotel
Two guests at a hotel in Thessaloniki who were found dead in their rooms in the space of 24 hours succumbed to carbon monoxide poisoning, possibly due to a faulty heating or air conditioning system, i...

The price of transit
By Nikos XydakisThe difference of opinion between citizens and governments expressed at the UN Global Forum on Migration and Development this week highlights the complexity of the issue as well as Gre...

Bashir invite raises EU fears
AFPFrench Foreign Minister Bernard Kouchner (left) shakes hand with his Turkish counterpart Ahmet Davutoglu yesterday prior to their lunch at the Foreign Ministry in Paris. Davutoglu was on a one-day ...

Strike drags competitiveness even lower
Ongoing strike action by Piraeus port workers will push Greece even lower than its already weak position in international competitiveness rankings, an export group said yesterday.Dockworkers have been...

Residential building in doldrums
Residential construction activity is expected to drop by about 10 percent next year, with a rebound in the sector not expected before 2011, according to a report made public yesterday.The construction...

Tax hike to weigh on Church books
Archbishop Ieronymos (center) pictured in a file photo. The Church of Greece, one of the country's largest landowners, said a one-off charge on property being considered by the government is excessive...

Greek Fest kicks off
Robert Ruvio helps hold Robin Allen up as they and other members of Glendi Dancers perform Friday during opening night of the 46th Annual Greek Festival at St. Nicholas Greek Orthodox Church.

Upcoming National Issues of Greece Symposium to be Hosted by SAE USA Youth Network and SAE at Georgetown University
Upcoming National Issues of Greece Symposium to be Hosted by SAE USA Youth Network and SAE at Georgetown University The SAE USA Youth Network and the World Council of Hellenes Abroad (SAE) are ...

The 5th District AHEPA Cancer Research Foundation, Inc.
The 5th District AHEPA Cancer Research Foundation, Inc. 20th Annual Fall Gala Saturday, November 7, 2009 Pines Manor, Edison, New Jersey Cocktail hour begins at 6:30 p.m. Followed By Dinner Plea...

Stocks ended moderately higher at the Athens Stock Exchange on Friday, with the composite index ending above the 2,700 level
Stocks ended moderately higher in the Athens Stock Exchange on Friday, with the composite index of the market ending above the 2,700 level, at 2,701.42 points, up 0.67 pct. Turnover was 224.3 million ...

CO poisoning kills 2 guests at Thessaloniki-area hotel
Carbon monoxide poisoning killed two hotel guests in a Thessaloniki-area hotel between Thursday and Friday morning, an initial medical examiner's report stated on Friday. The two victims, both men,...

Greeks roll out the dough for annual festival this weekend
Cooking for the thousands who attend the annual Tampa Greek Festival doesn’t intimidate Mary Nenos. The first week of October, she and the parish women at St. John the Baptist Greek Orthodox Church ...

Abolition of mandatory conscription in Navy, Airforce in 2012
The Greek government on Friday announced plans to abolish mandatory conscription in the Navy and Airforce in 2012. The announcement was made by national defence minister Evangelos Venizelos.

Anti-terrorist squad overhauled
The head of Greece's anti-terrorist squad as well as 11 of his colleagues have been replaced as part of sweeping changes in the police force currently being made by the government. It was revealed yesterday that Citizens' Protection Minister Michalis Chry... ...

Candidates gear up for ND congress
The two main candidates hoping to be elected leader of New Democracy will today have a chance to convince some 4,500 conservative delegates that they are capable of leading the party back to power. Former Foreign Minister Dora Bakoyannis and ex-Culture Mi... ...

Athens cautious of Turk advances
A recent effort to advance relations between Greece and Turkey is being treated with caution by Athens, it emerged yesterday after a flurry of diplomatic activity between the two countries. Speaking in Vienna, where he was attending an event to mark the 2... ...

CO fumes kill two in hotel
Two guests at a hotel in Thessaloniki who were found dead in their rooms in the space of 24 hours succumbed to carbon monoxide poisoning, possibly due to a faulty heating or air conditioning system, it was revealed yesterday. The two unnamed men, aged 27 ... ...

The new Aris manager...
The new Aris manager, Hector Raul Cuper (r), met the media yesterday. The Argentine, one of the world's most sought-after soccer coaches early this decade, joins on a one-year deal. ... ...

Conscripts soon to serve only in the army
Military service in the navy and air force will be gradually phased out over the next two years so that conscripts will only serve in the army, the government revealed yesterday. Such a move had been mooted by the previous New Democracy administration but... ...

GovÂ’t must close the loopholes
Before George Papandreou's Socialist government goes ahead and spends additional money from the state budget to hire more teachers and nurses, it should first take a good look at the status of personel recruited over the past 10 years in the respective se... ...

The price of transit
The difference of opinion between citizens and governments expressed at the UN Global Forum on Migration and Development this week highlights the complexity of the issue as well as Greece's dire position today. As a gateway and transit point for thousands... ...

November 7, 1959
ERICH KOCH: Warsaw - The Polish Supreme Court has ratified a death sentence against the former Gauleiter Erich Koch, the last of the Nazi leaders to be tried in Warsaw for war crimes. The court rejected an appeal by Koch against a death sentence handed do... ...

Balkan Briefs
Six die as immigrant boat capsizes off Turkish coast while trying to reach Greece ANKARA (AFP) - Six people, among them four children, drowned after a boat carrying illegal immigrants capsized off Turkey's southwestern coast on its way to a nearby Greek i... ...

Bashir invite raises EU fears
ISTANBUL - A dispute between Turkey and the European Union over Sudan's indicted president highlights the risks Turkey will face when it hosts an Islamic summit with some new friends who are not to the taste of its Western allies. The gathering next week ... ...

IMF suspends review of RomaniaÂ’s 20-bln rescue package, funds delayed
BUCHAREST - The International Monetary Fund has put off a review of Romania's 20-billion-euro rescue package until it forms a new government and will delay badly needed aid originally slated for next month, officials said yesterday. Romania's main economi... ...

Serb court annuls ‘historic’ mosques ruling
BANJA LUKA (Reuters) - A district court in the Bosnian Serb capital has overturned a ruling ordering the town to pay $50 million to its Islamic community for 16 mosques demolished during the 1992-95 war. A local magistrate in Banja Luka decided in Februar... ...

Saturday 07/11
A Fish Called Wanda The sexy Wanda, her lover George, her secret lover Otto and the stuttering, shy Ken all team up in London for a diamond robbery. But they soon start double-crossing each other, with unpredictable results. Comedy directed by Charles Cri... ...

Sunday 08/11
The Bourne Supremacy Former agent Jason Bourne, who is suffering from amnesia, lives a new life with his wife, having adopted a new identity. But the past catches up with him and Bourne has to manage to stay alive and at the same time piece his past toget... ...

Saturday 07/11
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Sunday 08/11
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Cinema Guide
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In Brief
Consumer price inflation seen rising in October Greek consumer price inflation is seen rising in October to an annual pace of 1.1 percent, mainly due to higher energy prices compared to a year earlier, economists said yesterday. On a monthly basis, consum... ...

New doubts surface over economy
Ratings agency Moody's expressed concerns yesterday about whether Greece's economy will be able to grow over the next decade as the government wrestles with one of the highest debt levels in the eurozone. «We have some concerns about [Greece's] ability to... ...

Strike drags competitiveness even lower
Ongoing strike action by Piraeus port workers will push Greece even lower than its already weak position in international competitiveness rankings, an export group said yesterday. Dockworkers have been striking in protest against the government handing ov... ...

Residential building in doldrums
Residential construction activity is expected to drop by about 10 percent next year, with a rebound in the sector not expected before 2011, according to a report made public yesterday. The construction sector is one of the country's key employers, providi... ...

Tax hike to weigh on Church books
Archbishop Ieronymos (center) pictured in a file photo. The Church of Greece, one of the country's largest landowners, said a one-off charge on property being considered by the government is excessive and will have a detrimental effect on the services it ... ...

Stocks regain 2,700-pt mark
Greek stocks advanced yesterday, recapturing the 2,700-point mark on widespread gains. The Athens bourse's benchmark general index rose 0.67 percent to 2,701.42 points, advancing 0.57 percent for the week. The blue chip FTSE/ATHEX 20 index gained 0.80 per... ...

Somali pirates say they will release Greek ship
MOGADISHU, Somalia -- Pirates announced on Thursday (October 29th) that they have agreed to a ransom for a Greek ship that was abducted in May, and p...

Macedonia's Gruevski backs referendum on name
SKOPJE, Macedonia -- Prime Minister Nikola Gruevski said on Friday (October 30th) that his country will not change its name without a referendum. He...

Terror group claims responsibility for Athens bombing
ATHENS, Greece -- An extreme leftist terrorist group has claimed responsibility for an early Friday (October 30th) bomb attack on a building in Athen...

Government unveils draft law on burned regions
Greeces Ministry of Environment Energy and Climate Change on 26 October unveiled a draft law seeking to guarantee optimum protection against unauthorized construction and development in areas of east Attica prefecture ravaged by wildfires in August 2009. The purpose of the draft legislation is to abolish what the government calls forest-killing...

Credit expansion at 5.4% in September
The Bank of Greece said on 27 October that credit expansion growth measuring funding to domestic enterprises and households slowed further in September to 5.4% from 6.0% in August and 15.9 % in December 2008. The central bank in a monthly report said funding to domestic enterprises totaled €1.05 billion...

Merged culture and tourism ministry faces marbles issue
Greeces Culture and Tourism Minister Pavlos Geroulanos said on 27 October that his top priority would be to organize the newly merged ministry of culture and tourism and the solutions that need to be given to lingering problems while clarifying that he is the only one responsible for the culture...

Competition regulator approves HELPE-BP deal
Hellenic Petroleum HELPE Greeces biggest refiner said on 21 October that it was notified by the countrys Competition Commission that they approved its €359 million purchase of BP Plcs Greek ground fuel network with minor conditions attached. BP agreed in June to sell its 1 200 gas stations and oil storage...

EU concerned over developments in economy
Eurozone officials on 19 October expressed their concerns over the condition of the Greek economy. In April Greece was asked by the European  Council to adopt measures so as to bring the budget deficit below 3 per cent of gross domestic product in 2010. This is now clearly out of...

Chrysohoidis announces asylum applications plans
Greek Citizens Protection Minister Mihalis Chrysohoidis on 20 October announced plans to transfer the processing of asylum applications from the police to the interior ministry as well as a swathe of measures responding to complaints of police brutality in the treatment of foreign migrants. Among these he cited support by...

Minister unveils draft bill for state vehicles
Greek Interior Minister Yiannis Ragoussis on 19 October unveiled a draft bill that seeks to substantially reduce the fleet of state-owned passenger vehicles in a bid to cut costs and state-sector CO2 emissions. The measures chiefly seek to reduce the number of state-issued vehicles provided for the use of officials...

Newly elected government sets to work
FOLLOWING a landslide victory in parliamentary elections on 4 October against the conservatives Greeces newly elected Socialist Prime Minister George Papandreou has made reforming the faltering economy his governments top priority. He appointed London-trained economist Louka Katseli to head the Economy Competitiveness and Shipping Ministry and Socialist party spokesperson George Papacontantinou...

Northern Greece wines set for export
A WINE-TASTING event is due to take place in Thessalonikis main Aristotelous Square on 10 October hosted by the Wine Producers Association of the Northern Greece Vineyard EBOABE . The need for a long-term strategic plan to boost Greek wine exports and help overcome the sectors long-standing problems was underlined...

BoG chief vows to implement fiscal programme
BANK of Greece Governor George Provopoulos proposed the implementation of a prolonged programme of fiscal restructuring that will contribute to the restriction of the state sectors cost of borrowing and the adoption of bold structural changes assessing that the widespread support received by the recently elected Greek government will facilitate...

Economy major concern for Greeks
Greeks were expected to go to the polls on 4 October to decide on the best candidate to steer the country out of an economic recession. Greeces parliamentary elections were expected to be a match between the ruling conservatives and the opposition socialists. The families of main contenders Conservative party...

Retail sales down 10.2%
Greeces retail sales volume index turnover in fixed prices including fuel and lubricants fell 10.2% in July compared with the same month last year after a fall of 0.8 % recorded in July 2008 the National Statistical Service said on 30 September. The statistics service in a report attributed this...

Successor of Olympic Air begins new routes
Olympic Air the privatised successor of Olympic Airlines officially started operations on 1 October. Purchased by Greek and United Arab Emirates investment group Marfin for over €177 million officials are determined to make the airline competitive taking over most of the 28 international flights and 26 domestic flights previously operated...

Five Greek insurance companies have licenses suspended
More than one million policyholders were left out in the cold on 22 September after five Greek insurance companies had their licences suspended for failing to meet the minimum requirements for liquidity. According to the daily Kathimerini newspaper the companies will continue to honour life-insurance contracts under the management of...

German yard withdraws from Greek contract
The company that makes Germanys non-nuclear submarines said on 21 September it had withdrawn from a contract with Athens involving four of the U-214 vessels. The advanced vessels can remain underwater in nearly complete silence for weeks on end thanks to their fuel-cell engines Deutsche Presse-Agentur dpa reported. The company...

Karamanlis warns Ankara on illegal immigrants
Greek Prime Minister Costas Karamanlis addressing an election campaign rally in the northern city of Alexandroupolis on 23 September sent a message to neighboring Turkey that it is obliged to respect the readmission agreement reached in 2001 regarding illegal immigrants to respond to the European Immigration and Asylum Pact and...

Greek pipeline policy becomes a national issue
Greeces energy pipeline policy is taking on the dimensions of a national issue Prime Minister Costas Karamanlis said addressing an election campaign rally in the northern city of Alexandroupolis on 23 September. We laid the foundations for with boldness and systematic effort he said. We achieved international energy agreements with...

Privatized Olympic Air to start flights on October 1
Greeces newly privatized Olympic Air will start flights on October 1 as the formerly state-run and debt-ridden air carrier will be turned over to the Marfin Investment Group MIG MIG CEO Andreas Vgenopoulos said. Outlining the new air carriers business plan the Greek business executive announced that the new OA...

IFNA elects Tsokos as President
In a move set to bring about changes and dynamism to the world of analysis the Executive Committee and Board of Directors of the International Federation of Nonlinear Analysis IFNA unanimously elected Professor Chris P. Tsokos to be its new president. Dr. Tsokos a Distinguished University Professor of Mathematics and...

Tremopoulos says Dimas should come back
In a move that is seen as both controversial and political savvy the first Greek Member of the European Parliament belonging to the European Greens and elected by the Ecologist Greens of Greece Michail Tremopoulos has stated that European Commissioner Stavros Dimas should return as the Greek nomination for a...

PASOK leader vows social security system upgrade
Main opposition PASOK leader George Papandreou said that on October 5 the day after general elections in Greece we will put an end to the decline of the public social security system speaking during a visit to the IKA state social security foundation informatics center. He charged that mismanagement wasteful...

FDIs up 165% in 2008
Foreign direct investments in Greece totaled USD 5.09 billion in 2008 up 165 percent compared with the previous year UNCTAD said in its World Investment Report 2009. The report presented in Athens said Greece ranked 49th among 206 countries in 2008 sharply improving its position from 73rd in 2007 while...

Papandreou calls for path to economic recovery
Main opposition PASOK party leader George Papandreou addressed a party rally in the northern city of Alexandroupolis on September 8 stressing that the time has come to leave decline behind and to place the country on a course of national recovery. Papandreou said that PASOK is determined to clash with...

Imports exports down in July
Greek imports dropped 34 percent in July to 3.837 billion euros from 5.819 billion euros in July 2008 the National Statistical Service said on September 9. The statistics agency in a report said Greek exports fell 20.5 percent in the same month to 1.298 billion euros from 1.633 billion euros...

Unemployment at 8.6% prospects flat
Greek unemployment rose to 8.6 percent of the workforce in June from 7.3 percent in June 2008 and 8.5 percent in May 2009 the National Statistical Service announced on September 10. The number of unemployed people totaled 427 707 in June 2009 from 359 978 in June 2008 and 403...

Burgas-Alexandroupolis will not be renegotiated
Greek Development Minister Kostis Hatzidakis on September 10 criticized main opposition PASOK party leader George Papandreou statement on September 8 about the construction of the Burgas-Alexandroupolis oil pipeline. Im surprised by the position of the leader of the opposition during his speech in Alexandroupolis that the intergovernmental agreement for Burgas-Alexandroupolis...

Athens Metro moves ahead
The Athens Metro Line 3 blue line section from the Defense Ministry station to the Athens International Airport Eleftherios Venizelos AIA reopened to the public on September 2 after being closed since mid-February for the construction of three new stations along the route. Greek Environment Town Planning and Public Works...

PM calls snap elections for October 4
Against a backdrop of economic and fiscal challenges Greek Prime Minister Costas Karamanlis secured the approval of President Karolos Papoulias to dissolve Parliament on September 7 and pave the way for early elections on October 4. Karamanlis said the government needed a new mandate in order to push through tough...

Greece US discuss region
Visiting US new Deputy Assistant Secretary of State for European and Eurasian Affairs Ambassador Tina Kaidanow had separate meetings in Athens on September 2 with Foreign Minister Dora Bakoyannis and Deputy Minister Yannis Valynakis at the US diplomats request. The talks with Kaidanow who recently succeeded Matthew Bryza to the...

Retail sales index down
Greeces retail sales turnover index dropped 13.4 percent in June compared with the same month in 2008 the National Statistical Service said on August 31 while the retail sales volume index fell by 14.2 percent over the same period. The statistics agency in a report attributed the 13.4- percent decline...

Hellenic Petroleum strong operating profitability in H1
Greeces biggest refiner Hellenic Petroleum SA said on August 27 second-quarter net profit dropped adversely affected by market environment and global refining fundamentals. Hellenic Petroleum delivered strong operating profits in the first half of 2009. The first half of 2009 adjusted EBITDA was up 25 percent year-on-year to 215 million...

Crisis threatens 200 000 jobs in 2009
Around 200 000 jobs have been lost or are threatened in Greece since the beginning of the year a survey by the small enterprises institute of the General Confederation of Small Manufacturers and Traders of Greece GSEVEE stated on August 26. The survey conducted by the MARC polling company focused...

Metro to resume airport route
The Athens metro route Line 3 or Blue Line that reaches the Eleftherios Venizelos International Airport of Athens will resume service by the end of August after being interrupted for six months to enable construction of three new metro stations on the same line Nomismatokopio Holargos and Aghia Paraskevi. Only...

New Olympic progressing satisfactorily
Marfin Investment Group MIG on August 25 categorically denied as inaccurate and misleading a press report alleging that the group was finding difficulties in hiring the necessary number of pilots needed for the operation of Olympic Air scheduled for October 1 2009. MIG said in a statement that the project...

Trade deficit down 43.6% in June
Greeces merchandised trade deficit shrank by 43.6 percent in June to 2.321 billion Euro from 4.116 billion Euro in the corresponding month last year the National Statistical Service said on August 25. The statistics agency in a report said the trade deficit -excluding oils- fell by 25.7 percent or 803.5...

Government underlines support for small businesses
The Greek government supports small businesses and protect jobs Prime Minister Costas Karamanlis said after a surprise visit on August 21 to the Athens headquarters of the Credit Guarantee Fund for Small and Very Small Enterprises TEMPME SA . Karamanlis was briefed by Development Minister Costis Hatzidakis whose ministry has...

Finance ministry highlights need for reforms
The ongoing global economic crisis has not left the Greek economy unaffected Greek Finance Minister Yiannis Papathanassiou said following his meeting with Prime Minister Costas Karamanlis on August 18 at the Maximos Mansion office. The consequences nevertheless are milder than those in other economies although the current crisis has again...

Spokesman denies early elections discusses Siemens
The Greek government on August 20 again flatly dismissed press speculation concerning early elections pointing out that a government is elected for four years in Greece a response to a recurrent demand by the main opposition for immediate elections. Asked about main opposition PASOK partys demand government spokesman Evangelos Antonaros...

US Greece further discuss visa waiver
Greek Deputy Foreign Minister Yiannis Valinakis and visiting US Senator Kit Bond a Republican from Montana discussed bilateral and international issues during a meeting in Athens on August 20 with the emphasis on the rapid completion of the process allowing Greece to be included in the visa waiver programme. According to...

Greece fined 2 million Euro for aid to Olympic Airways
The European Court on July 7 imposed a two million Euro fine on Greece and a daily penalty of 16 000 Euro over the countrys failure to conform with a previous Court ruling calling for the return of state subsidies paid to the now-privatised national carrier Olympic Airways OA that...

Economy grows 0.3% inflation at 0.5%
The Greek economy grew by 0.3 percent in the first quarter of 2009 compared with the corresponding period last year Eurotat said on June 8. Greece along with Cyprus 1.5 percent and Poland 1.9 percent were the only EU member-states to show positive growth rates. Greek annual inflation was 0.5...

Bakoyannis calls for Mediterranean initiative
Greeces political and economic backing for the rekindling of the Union for the Mediterranean initiative was reaffirmed on July 9 by Greek Foreign Minister Dora Bakoyannis during an address at the Euro-Mediterranean Business Forum in Athens attended by hundreds of businessmen from the Mediterranean countries. The three-day forum was organised...

City of Athens OSE sign memorandum
Athens Mayor Nikitas Kaklamanis and Hellenic Railways Organisation OSE Managing Director Giorgios Giannousis on July 8 signed a Memorandum of Cooperation on behalf of the City of Athens and OSE in the presence of Transport and Communications Minister Evripidis Stylianidis. The Memorandum establishes a consistent close collaboration between the City...

Govt hopes to sell additional 5% OTE stake to DT
The Greek government on July 9 announced it would ask Deutsche Telekom AG to buy an additional five percent equity stake in Hellenic Telecommunications Organisation OTE completing an option included in a contract signed between the two parts on May 14 2008. The announcement was made after a meeting of...

Stylianidis announces OSE railways reforms
Greek Transport and Communications Minister Euripides Stylianidis on June 24 unveiled a restructuring and development plan for the loss-making state-run Hellenic Railways Organisation OSE . Stylianidis said OSE was the biggest loss-making public sector enterprise in Europe with annual losses of around one billion Euro and an accumulated deficit of around...

Banks to overcome financial crisis
The Bank of Greece said in its first report on financial stability on June 23 that the countrys banking sector has the ability to overcome even the most extreme crisis. The central bank however stressed that vigilance was needed since uncertainty over the course of global and European economies remained...

Parliament passes tough new immigration law
Greece has passed a tough new immigration law allowing it to impose heavy fines on people-traffickers and holding illegal immigrants for six months before deportation officials said on June 25. Under the new law passed late on June 24 night before parliament went into recess for the summer individuals found...

Tourism in Greece and Cyprus down
The key tourism sector for Greece fell by 11.6 percent in the first half of the year compared to the same period in 2008 according to data from the Central Bank of Greece on June 25 highlighting the impact of the global economic slowdown. The statistics were also gloomy for...

Greeces current accounts deficit shrinks
Greeces current accounts balance showed signs of improvement in the first four months of 2009 with the current accounts deficit shrinking by 20 percent compared with the corresponding period last year down to 10.3 billion Euro the Bank of Greece announced on June 24. The central bank attributed this development...

Measures to combat unemployment discussed
On June 23 Prime Minister Costas Karamanlis was briefed by Employment Minister Fani Palli-Petralia who later told reporters that reforms of the IKA pension and healthcare fund the countrys largest dominated the meeting. She said a relevant draft bill is ready for tabling in the first Parliament summer recess session....

Greek firefighters get respite, brace for strong winds
The capital of Greece appeared safe from wildfires that have raged for days, firefighters said Monday, but they remained on standby in anticipation of flare-ups caused by strong winds.

Google Street View blacked out in Greece
Internet giant Google has been stopped from gathering images in Greek cities for its Street View service until it provides further guarantees about privacy.

Where the ancient Olympics meet the Wild West
If you want to get away from it all when traveling in Greece, head for the Peloponnesian Peninsula. Studded with antiquities, this land of ancient Olympia, Corinth and Sparta offers plenty of fun in the eternal Greek sun, with pleasant fishing villages, sandy beaches, bathtub-warm water, and none of the tourist crowds that plague the much-scrambled-after Greek Isles.

Dozens arrested in Greece over child porn
Twenty-four Greek nationals, including a priest and a neurosurgeon, have been arrested on suspicion of child pornography, Greek police announced Tuesday.

Gunmen snatch leading Greek shipping boss
Three gunmen have kidnapped a leading Greek shipping magnate, police said Monday.

Greece in belt-tightening budget despite protests
Greece passed a belt-tightening budget Monday, despite weeks of nationwide protests over the economy and jobs enflamed by the fatal shooting of a teenager by police earlier this month.

Riots continue across Greece after teen killed by police
Bursts of tear gas exploded in downtown Athens as police continued to battle hundreds of young self-styled anarchists rioting Sunday in major cities across Greece.

Greek police clash with strikers
Riot police fired tear gas Tuesday to disperse rock-throwing youths amid a nationwide general strike that brought air, rail and ferry traffic to a halt in Greece.

Transport strike brings Greece to a halt
Greece's air, rail and urban transport came to a grinding halt Wednesday as the country's biggest labor union staged a 24-hour nationwide strike in protest of the government's plan to sell off the state's ailing carrier Olympic Airlines.

Richard Deitsch: Daily Briefing, Aug. 13
• Here comes the biggest test of the Games: Can NBC survive without Michael Phelps winning a gold medal? Thankfully there's the Redeem Team, the scrappy band of billionaires who face their first real test of the Games on Thursday (8 a.m. ET) against Greece, an impressive winner over Dirk Nowitzki-led Germany.

Strong earthquake jolts Greece
A strong earthquake jolted western Greece on Sunday, killing at least two people and trapping several people beneath collapsed buildings, according to officials and state-run media.

Girl's Twin Found Inside Her Stomach
A 9-year-old girl who went to hospital in central Greece suffering from stomach pains was found to be carrying her embryonic twin

Carrying a torch for tradition
The Olympic flame on Monday began its 34-day journey around the world ahead of the 2008 Beijing Games. Here are some facts about the centuries-old traditions behind the relay and its modern development.

Major strikes paralyze Greece
Routine activity ground to a halt on Wednesday as protesters from all walks of life staged a general strike over proposed changes to Greece's pension program.

What services does my town need?
Dear FSB: I would like to start a service business in Greece and am looking for ideas. Can you recommend any websites that offer ideas of service businesses that are popular in the United States?

Greece, Lithuania advance to European semifinals
MADRID, Spain (AP) -- Theodorus Papaloukas made a layup with 7 seconds left as Greece scored 10 straight points in the final 1:32 to beat Slovenia 63-62 on Thursday night to advance to the European Basketball Championship semifinals.

Spain routs Greece again; Russia stays perfect
Rudy Fernandez had 20 points and Memphis Grizzlies center Pau Gasol added 15 for Spain in a 76-58 victory over Greece on Friday in the second stage of the European basketball championship.

Last Greek fire under control
The last major fire in southern Greece has been brought under control after flaring up again over the weekend, fire officials said Sunday.

Greece faces flood threat
ATHENS, Greece (AP) -- A massive cleanup, reconstruction and anti-flood effort was being launched Monday for fire-stricken parts of southern Greece as one fire front continued to burn while others abated, officials said.

EU promises aid to fire-hit Greece
European Commission President Jose Manuel Barroso toured fire-damaged southern Greece by helicopter Saturday and promised aid for areas where 64 people died and an estimated 469,000 acres of mostly forest and farmland were destroyed.

Foreign firefighters aid Greece
A small fleet of foreign planes and helicopters is buzzing around Greece to try to battle dozens of wildfires that have killed at least 64 people.

Greek agents probe 'arson plot'
With wildfires raging across the countryside, Greece's government says it has enlisted intelligence and counterterrorism agents to foil what it sees as a deliberate plan by arsonists to destroy Greek forests.

A Political Fire Also Burns in Greece
The Prime Minister's suggestion of sabotage has roiled a country already reeling from the destructive wildfires

Death toll rises from Greek fires
Firefighters rushed helicopters and buses Monday to evacuate more than two dozen villages threatened by towering walls of flames that had killed 63 people while ravaging swaths of forest and farmland in Greece's worst wildfire disaster in memory.

Two charged over Greek wildfires
Greek officials have arrested and charged two individuals in connection with the fires that have scorched southern Greece, razing dozens of villages and killing at least 51 people, Fire Brigade Officer Nikos Tsogas said Sunday.

Official: Greek fires inch closer to Olympic cradle
The wildfires that have scorched southern Greece, killing dozens of people, reached the ancient city of Olympia, birthplace of the Olympic games, an official said Sunday.

Greek leader suggests political extremists set fires
Fires in southern Greece that have razed dozens of villages and killed at least 44 people may have been deliberately set ahead of next month's national elections, the prime minister suggested Saturday.

Best of Feherty
E-mail Feherty a question at feherty@golf.com.

Greece renews fight for lost marbles
Emboldened by the return of two ancient artifacts claimed to have been spirited from Greek soil a decade ago, Greece's Prime Minister has lashed out at the British Museum, saying its grounds for refusing to relinquish possession of Greece's most famous antiquities, the Parthenon Marbles, were "feeble."

Murder of 5 hunters stuns Greece
Greek authorities are investigating one of the country's most mysterious murder cases after a family of hunters was killed over the weekend while pursuing their hobby in the plains of central Greece.

Shipping cabernet from Peloponnese
Forget about that jet-fuel ouzo. Greek wineries are finally getting props from sommeliers, but they need U.S. reps. to market their product.

Deadly train crash in Greece
At least one person was killed and 13 injured when a train struck a van that was illegally crossing the tracks in northern Greece, local officials said.

Strong earthquake rattles Greece
A magnitude 6.7 earthquake struck southern Greece early Sunday afternoon, rattling much of the country, according to the U.S. Geological Survey.

Greece acts to protect on bird flu
Greek authorities have begun the systematic disinfection Wednesday of a farm on a remote Aegean Sea island where a lone turkey was found to be infected with a strain of bird flu.

Greek envoy faces arms trial
Greece on Tuesday said it had recalled its top envoy from Slovakia and ordered an urgent inquest into allegations that the diplomat is involved in arms smuggling.

Greece fears backlash after hijack
The Greek government has appealed for calm, fearing a public backlash against immigrants living in Greece following Wednesday's bus hijacking by two Albanian gunmen.

Greek bus hijacking ends peacefully
Two armed hijackers who had threatened to blow up a commuter bus in Greece released all of their remaining captives early Thursday and surrendered to authorities.

Face Off
Prepare yourself for a summer of hyperinspirational commercials. With the Athens Olympics just a few months away, the five-ring marketing circus is beginning. Some of the 63 U.S. sponsors and suppl...

Olympian task for new Greek leader
Greece's next prime minister has pledged to make this summer's Olympic Games in Athens "the best and safest ever held."

What To Do: March 2004
-- Make your 2003 IRA contribution The maximum amount that you can stash away in an IRA by April 15 is $3,000; the limit is $3,500 for those age 50 or over.

Death Of The Drachma
Having officially joined the European Union on Jan. 1, Greece began phasing out the drachma, Europe's oldest currency and the survivor of some 2,500 years of war and economic turmoil. Below, highli...

President of Cyprus Pessimistic on Unity
The president of Cyprus, Demetris Christofias, warned the European Union against appeasing Turkey in the way Germany was treated before World War II.

8 Afghan Immigrants Drown Off Greek Island
Five minors and three women drowned in choppy waters in the northeast Aegean Sea when their rickety craft rammed into a rocky outcrop and sank.

Cyprus and 'Chosen Trauma'
Both Greek and Turkish Cypriots view recent history through distorted lenses.

Greek Revival
STYLE MAP ATHENS The opening of Bernard Tschumi’s glass-and-concrete New Acropolis Museum this summer was symbolic: a city known for its obsession with looking backward had finally resolved to carve a place for itself in contemporary culture. Of course, those in the know have been tracking Athens’s creative ascent for years now with its growing reputation as an emerging art hub and a design community that’s increasingly pushing boundaries, Greece’s capital has more to offer than ancient ruins....

Greek Socialists Count on Dissatisfied Voters, but Fail to Inspire Their Confidence
Many Greeks say they see no major substantive difference between the country’s two major political parties, which face elections on Sunday.

Greek Premier, Dogged by Many Troubles, Takes Risk With Snap Elections
Elections were not due before September 2011, and Kostas Karamanlis had consistently said he would serve out his four-year term.

Bomb Damages Athens Stock Market
A powerful car bomb rocked the Athens Stock Exchange, badly damaging parts of the building, setting vehicles ablaze and slightly wounding a security guard.

Thousands Flee Athens Fires
Raging fires fanned by gusting winds moved across the northern suburbs of Athens, swallowing forestland and homes.

Forest Fires Rage Outside of Athens
Smoke shrouded the Greek capital as massive forest fires raged out of control on the northeast outskirts of Athens.

Greece's Refugee Problem
Greek asylum procedures are just the tip of a system that fails at every stage to protect refugees.

Greek Festival Has Equal Respect for Classic Dance and Avant-Garde
One of the strengths of the Athens and Epidaurus Festival is its juxtaposition of big, high-profile companies like the Kirov and more experimental work.

Greece Presses Its Case
The president of Greece, Karolos Papoulias, threw some muscle into his country’s tug of war with Britain over the Elgin Marbles.

In Athens, Museum Is an Olympian Feat
The New Acropolis Museum, one of the highest-profile cultural projects undertaken in Europe in a decade, opens this weekend.

A Home for the Marbles
How long can the British authorities cling to Lord Elgin’s loot?

Majestic in Exile
The looting of the Elgin Marbles may have done the idea of Ancient Greece more good than harm.

The Biggest Heist of All Time
Germany is conquering Europe without firing a shot.

Did the Holy Roman Empire Plan the Greek Crisis?
You are going to see the same kind of financial crises in other European countries. Here’s why.

Europe and the Specter of 1968
France’s President Sarkozy fears a return to the youth riots of 40 years ago.

Who Will Stop the Greece Fires?
How the Greek riots were planned in advance

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Makthes (Greek Edition)

Naftemporiki.gr (Greek Edition)

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Sofia Times (Greek Edition)

Greece, officially known as the Hellenic Republic, is a country in Southeastern Europe, situated on the southern end of the Balkan Peninsula. It borders Albania, FYROM and Bulgaria to the north, and Turkey to the east. The Aegean Sea lies to the east and south of mainland Greece, while the Ionian Sea lies to the west. Both parts of the Eastern Mediterranean basin feature a vast number of islands.

Greece lies at the juncture of Europe, Asia, and Africa. It is heir to the heritages of ancient Greece, the Byzantine Empire, and nearly four centuries of Ottoman rule. Greece has a particularly long and eventful history and a cultural heritage that both shaped and has been shaped by cultures throughout the Middle East, Northern Africa, and Europe.

It is regarded as the birthplace of the first major democracy, Western philosophy, the Olympic Games, Western literature, political science, major scientific and mathematic principles, and Western drama including both tragedy and comedy.

Modern Greece is a developed country, a member of the European Union since 1981, a member of the Economic and Monetary Union of the European Union since 2001, NATO since 1952, the OECD since 1961, the WEU since 1995, and ESA since 2005.

Athens is the capital; Thessaloniki, Patras, Heraklion, Volos and Larissa are some of the country's other major cities.