How Google and Nike got their names
London, Nov 20 : Google got its name from googol - the number one followed by 100 zeroes which represents the amount of information the site was expected to cover, and Nike's name come from a Greek goddess, reveals a new book.

Steve Mavronis, Amalia Karas, Pit DuBois, Sandye DuBois, Alex Karas, Congressman John Sarbanes, Aris Melissaratos, Georgia Vavas
Paul, Leave out #1204 since there is another picture like it in another set with John Sarbanes. ----- Forwarded Message ----- From: gvavas@comcast.net To: "Paul Kotrotsios"

Bulgarian President Georgi Parvanov will be making a presentation on his country's economy in Athens next week.
Bulgarian President Georgi Parvanov will be making a presentation on his country's economy to the Greek business community at an event organised in Athens by the Athens Chamber of Commerce and Industr...

Social Solidarity bill tabled in parliament
The government's draft law on the "social solidarity economic reinforcement, social responsibility contribution of the large enterprises and the large real estate properties", which also contains othe...

Greek banks fall on ECB loan fears
Greek bank shares fell sharply on Monday on concerns about the impact of an eventual withdrawal of cheap financing from the European Central Bank.Greek banks have borrowed €42bn, or 7 per cent, of t...

Protecting our Environment and Producing Clean, Domestic Energy
Sestak v Specter IV Protecting our Environment and Producing Clean, Domestic Energy In an interview with the Pottstown Mercury last week, long-time Republican Senator Arlen Specter demonstrated th...

Joe Sestak Announces Legislation to Protect Water Resources throughout Pennsylvania Proposes Federal Funds to Implement Comprehensive Watershed Plan
Joe Sestak Announces Legislation to Protect Water Resources throughout Pennsylvania Proposes Federal Funds to Implement Comprehensive Watershed Plan MEDIA, PA -As the Pennsylvania Department of En...

Thomas Silvestri elected chairman of American Press Institute
Thomas Silvestri elected chairman of American Press Institute API announces new officers and directors RESTON, Va. – Thomas A. Silvestri was elected chairman of the American Press Instit...

Arrest of man wanted by Albania on international warrant
Thessaloniki police have arrested a 29-year-old foreign national wanted by Albania on an international arrest warrant, it was announced on Friday. The man, for whom an international arrest warrant ha...

Arsonists target Nea Ionia municipal police building
The Municipal Police headquarters in the Athens suburb of Nea Ionia was targeted by arsonists in the early morning hours on Friday, causing damage but no injuries. Unidentified persons threw a home-m...

Fire at PASOK local office in Thessaloniki
A fire broke out at dawn Friday in the offices of the ruling PASOK municipal organisation in Agios Pavlos-Evaggelistria in Thessaloniki from causes as yet unknown. A team of six firemen with two fire...

As flu cases rise, calls for schools to shut
As it emerged that the number of people testing positive for swine flu had shot up this week, a national committee set up to coordinate the response to the spread of the H1N1 virus yesterday proposed ...

TEE draws up road safety map
Creating a separate highways agency, obliging people to resit their driving tests every five years and building more roundabouts are among the measures that could halve the number of fatal crashes on ...

Youth laid back on AIDS
Six in 10 young people do not systematically practice safe sex and nearly one in two has a patchy knowledge of how the HIV virus that causes AIDS is transmitted, two new studies have shown.The studies...

Thieves expected to be blowing bubbles
Police in the northern city of Xanthi yesterday were examining closed-circuit television footage from the premises of a local wholesale merchant showing unidentified thieves who broke through the wall...

Aid has not helped Kosovo
ReutersA child is seen in the village of Buroje, in central Kosovo. Over the past decade Kosovo has received 3 billion euros in aid, according to the World Bank, and is expecting another billion by 20...

OECD calls for urgent changes
Greece needs to curtail spending and curb widespread tax evasion with a credible plan in order to reduce fiscal imbalances and restore confidence in the economy, according to the Organization for Econ...

Wind parks to hook up with mainland
The Environment, Energy and Climate Change Ministry announced yesterday a plan enabling renewable energy producers to build a key cable link that will allow wind park projects worth 500 million euros ...

As flu cases rise, calls for schools to shut
As it emerged that the number of people testing positive for swine flu had shot up this week, a national committee set up to coordinate the response to the spread of the H1N1 virus yesterday proposed ...

TEE draws up road safety map
Creating a separate highways agency, obliging people to resit their driving tests every five years and building more roundabouts are among the measures that could halve the number of fatal crashes on ...

Youth laid back on AIDS
Six in 10 young people do not systematically practice safe sex and nearly one in two has a patchy knowledge of how the HIV virus that causes AIDS is transmitted, two new studies have shown.The studies...

Thieves expected to be blowing bubbles
Police in the northern city of Xanthi yesterday were examining closed-circuit television footage from the premises of a local wholesale merchant showing unidentified thieves who broke through the wall...

Missiles thrown at police unit
Missiles thrown at police unit A policewoman was slightly hurt during an attack in the central Athens district of Exarchia yesterday. A group of youths is alleged to have thrown rocks and pieces of wo...

Greek anarchist group claims sex shop blasts
An anarchist group has claimed responsibility for two small bomb attacks on sex shops over the past week in Greece's northern port city of Thessaloniki that caused no injuries.A group of self-identifi...

Philanthropic activities benefit community
Greek life partakes in a variety of philanthropic activities to benefit the surrounding community. This past Halloween, members of AGO sponsored a haunted house.

Greek pastry and luncheon Friday
St. George Greek Orthodox Church, 1130 Falmouth Road, Centerville is having a fall Greek pastry and luncheon 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. Friday, Nov. 20. There will be baklava, spinach pies and sweet breads. Lu...

No puzzle in the orientation of Greek temples
END: Module - M24 Article Headline with no image --> BEGIN: Module - Main Article --> Archaeologists have puzzled for more than a hundred years about the orientation of Greek temples. ...

Crossing the buffer zone, Turkish and Greek Cypriot kids attend the same school
Back in the 1950s, Taylan Bahceli, then a Turkish Cypriot boy, used to cycle to school in the Greek Cypriot part of Nicosia escorted by British soldiers. Half a century later, his grandson Kaan Bahcel...

WesGreeks Change the Meaning of Greek Life on Campus
If you talk to members of the newly formed Wesleyan Hellenic Society, also known as WesGreeks, their excitement about all things Greek is palpable. Even though they are only about a month old, WesGree...

UNICEF Greek National Committee celebrates 20th anniversary of Children's Rights Convention
Celebrating the 20th anniversary of the Convention of Children's Rights, UNICEF's Greek National Committee held a prize awarding ceremony in the Book's Hall in the center of Greek capital Athens on Th...

DEREE – The American College of Greece Launches U.S. Friendship Tour From Boston
DEREE – The American College of Greece Launches U.S. Friendship Tour From Boston DEREE - The American College of Greece launched its first U.S. Friendship Tour with a reception in Boston, whi...

Closed shops set to open
Greece's highest administrative court, the Council of State, issued rulings yesterday which could be the first step toward ending the closed-shop status of a number of occupations in Greece, which are estimated to cost the economy some 4 billion euros eve... ...

European UnionÂ’s presidency...
Prime Minister George Papandreou (left) speaks with his counterpart Fredrik Reinfeldt of Sweden, which currently holds the European Union's rotating presidency. The two men were speaking ahead of an EU leaders' summit in Brussels to decide who would be th... ...

As flu cases rise, calls for schools to shut
As it emerged that the number of people testing positive for swine flu had shot up this week, a national committee set up to coordinate the response to the spread of the H1N1 virus yesterday proposed that schools with more than a handful of suspect cases ... ...

TEE draws up road safety map
Creating a separate highways agency, obliging people to resit their driving tests every five years and building more roundabouts are among the measures that could halve the number of fatal crashes on Greek roads, according to the Technical Chamber of Gree... ...

Youth laid back on AIDS
Six in 10 young people do not systematically practice safe sex and nearly one in two has a patchy knowledge of how the HIV virus that causes AIDS is transmitted, two new studies have shown. The studies, which come as doctors reported a 20 percent increase... ...

Antonis Samaras...
The frontrunner in the New Democracy leadership race, Antonis Samaras, spoke in Patra yesterday and rejected an offer from rival Dora Bakoyannis to take part in a televised debate. ... ...

Thieves expected to be blowing bubbles
Police in the northern city of Xanthi yesterday were examining closed-circuit television footage from the premises of a local wholesale merchant showing unidentified thieves who broke through the wall of an adjacent warehouse to steal 60,000 euros' worth ... ...

Government and opposition
New Democracy's succession battle is not just about the party, but also about the country's political system and future. George Papandreou may be prime minister today, but a lot depends on the opposition party as well, on all fronts. The prime minister ha... ...

Weakness sends wrong message
Unfortunately, there appear to be some in the government who refuse to accept the sorry state of the country's finances and are about to lead Greece down a very slippery slope indeed. Yesterday, they succeeded in annulling the core of the first set of mea... ...

November 20, 1959
PROFESSOR ANA ASLAN IN UK: Romanian Professor Ana Aslan, the founder of the Geriatric Institute in Bucharest, continues her visit to Britain with presentations to British doctors of her miracle drug Gerovital H3, which fights the effects of aging. Aslan s... ...

Aid has not helped Kosovo
DRENICA VALLEY - Nezir Jonuzi sips black tea, stares at Prime Minister Hashim Thaci's boyhood home and wonders whether he can get a job to feed his family. Thaci came to power in 2007 promising jobs, less poverty, better roads, 24-hour power and water. Bu... ...

Bosnians despondent after failing to make it to 2010 World Cup
SARAJEVO (AP) - The hangover from their World Cup elimination has left many Bosnians feeling disappointed in more than just the national soccer team. Bosnia failed to score over two legs of the World Cup playoff against Portugal, losing both matches 1-0 a... ...

Thousands bid farewell to Serbian patriarch, successor not yet known
BELGRADE (Reuters) - Half a million people from Serbia and neighboring countries attended the funeral yesterday of Serbian Orthodox Patriarch Pavle, who presided over the revival of the faith after decades of communist rule. Pavle's departure could pave t... ...

Turk FM in Iran
ANKARA (AFP) - Turkish Foreign Minister Ahmet Davutoglu will meet with Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad today following Tehran's dismissal of a nuclear fuel deal, officials and media reports said yesterday. A Turkish diplomat told AFP the two will co... ...

Balkan Briefs
International community voices 'serious concern' over Bosnia's lack of progress SARAJEVO (AFP) - Representatives of the international community yesterday said they were concerned by Bosnia's lack of progress in meeting conditions needed to bring it closer... ...

TV Guide
... ...

Selections
Whatever Works A reclusive, grumpy New Yorker allows a young Mississippi runaway to live in his apartment and become an important person in his life. Romantic comedy directed by Woody Allen, starring Larry David, Evan Rachel Wood, Patricia Clarkson, Adam ... ...

Cinema Guide
... ...

WHAT'S ON
... ...

Festival screens two dark tales of urban life
It's a study in contrasts. Visitors to the 50th International Thessaloniki International Film Festival (wrapping up this Sunday) will be met with throngs of passers-by, music, sunny weather and even the happy sight of a couple in a 1960s convertible throw... ...

Stocks dip below support level
Greek stocks fell more than 1 percent yesterday, ending below the 2,500-point support level, on across-the-board losses. The Athens bourse's benchmark general index ended at 2,497.15 points, after trading in a 50-point range. The blue chip FTSE/ATHEX 20 i... ...

OECD calls for urgent changes
Greece needs to curtail spending and curb widespread tax evasion with a credible plan in order to reduce fiscal imbalances and restore confidence in the economy, according to the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD). The Paris-base... ...

Wind parks to hook up with mainland
The Environment, Energy and Climate Change Ministry announced yesterday a plan enabling renewable energy producers to build a key cable link that will allow wind park projects worth 500 million euros to move ahead. The decision allows renewable energy pro... ...

GovÂ’t prescribes tax inspections for doctors
The government is probing tax evasion among doctors in order to help make up the revenue shortfall due to the dubious practices adopted in various professions. 'There are net incomes of doctors living at Kolonaki [in central Athens] which are close to the... ...

Piraeus Bank sees profit drop
Piraeus Bank, the country's fourth-largest lender, reported a 50 percent drop in nine-month net profit due to a significant increase in loan-loss provisions. The lender said yesterday net profits reached 219 million euros, beating analysts' estimates for ... ...

In Brief
Mobius says Greek stocks are 'cheap' Mark Mobius, chairman of Templeton Asset Management Ltd, said Greek stocks are currently «cheap» and there is interest in Greek companies with investments in emerging markets. «We are definitely looking at Greek compan... ...

Piraeus port dockworkers suspend their strike for now
Piraeus port dockworkers early on 11 November suspended their strike after a Piraeus Court of First Instance ruled the ongoing rolling strikes as illegal a day earlier. The decision to suspend strike action was reached after a marathon meeting of the boards of the Federation of Port Workers of Greece...

Education Ministry announces flu measures
Greeces Education Ministry will implement an integrated package of measures to tackle the new flu with the aim of achieving effective prevention the continuous briefing of the educational community and the smooth functioning of schools. The ministry utilizing its existing Internet infrastructure has simplified the process for the daily briefing on...

Slashing red tape and developing green tourism
Speaking here on 9 November within the framework of the World Travel Market WTM international travel trade show Greek Deputy Culture and Tourism Minister Angela Gerekou underlined the necessity for slashing red tape development of what she called green tourism a national strategic marketing planning and the upgrading of the...

Construction down 40.6% in August
Building activity in Greece dropped 40.6% volume in August this year compared with the corresponding month in 2008 while the number of permits issued fell 12.8% in the same period the National Statistical Service said on 9 November. The statistics service said Northern Aegean 65.9% Attica 57.6% and Western Macedonia...

Banks total capital rises in January-September
An enlarged meeting of the Board of the Central Bank of Uzbekistan was recently organized in Tashkent. The board members at the meeting discussed the results of the banking system in the first nine months of the year reads a press release. Monetary policy of the Central Bank aimed at...

Papandreou Moon discuss migration climate change
Greek Prime Minister George Papandreou and visiting United Nations Secretary General Ban Ki Moon during the latters visit to Greece discussed on 4 November the repercussions of climate change on modern migration movements. Greece attaches great importance to the United Nations of which it is a founding member while there...

Government plans levy on corporate profits
The Greek government on 3 November unveiled a draft law aimed at offering a one-time cash bonus low-income families in the country and imposing a social responsibility tax on pre-tax profits of around 300 large companies along with slapping an extra tax contribution for real estate property valued at more...

EU to proceed with next step in excessive deficit procedure
The European Commission is expected to proceed with the next step in the excessive fiscal deficit procedure against Greece this week after agreeing that the previous Greek government failed to take the necessary measures in implementing EU recommendations made at an ECOFIN council meeting last spring EU Monetary Affairs Commissioner...

Economic sentiment index increases in October
Greeces economic sentiment index rose significantly in October continuing an upward trend prevailing over the last few months the Institute for Economic and Industrial Research IOBE announced on 4 October. The index jumped to 71.7 points in October up from 63.8 in September its highest reading since October 2008 reflecting...

Government abolishes car scrapping plan
The Greek government on 2 November said it was abolishing a car scrapping scheme introduced by the previous government a few days before the October 4 elections in the country. Speaking to reporters Finance Minister George Papaconstantinou said the green vehicle rebate scheme had no environmental meaning and it did...

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...

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...

At World Cup Qualifiers, Praise for the Little Guys
On Wednesday night, the final curtain fell on more than two years of more than 200 nations playing their hearts out to reach the 2010 tournament finals in South Africa.

Migrants Reaching Greece Despite Efforts to Block Them
Along a favored route for smuggling on the Aegean, an age-old tension between Greece, an E.U. member, and Turkey, an E.U.-hopeful, plays out.

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.

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

Kathimerini (Greek Edition)

Ethnos (Greek Edition)

Makthes (Greek Edition)

Naftemporiki.gr (Greek Edition)

Stoxos.gr (Greek Edition)

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.