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Tourism's great battle - 20 July, 2010 It is both agonizing and exciting to see the Greek tourism sector battling to survive at this time. On the one hand, it is trying to remain standing as one problem after another hits it; on the other, we can only hope that the bad habits of the past will be swept away and we will come out of this crisis with a much-improved tourism industry and a clearer vision of where we are and where we want to be in the coming years. And what battalions of woes are upon us! They combine real worries and an image of Greece which is sometimes exaggerated, leading to a very substantial problem in terms of fewer tourists and lower revenues. The global crisis has sharply reduced the number of visitors from our most important markets: In Germany, wages have remained frozen for a decade, while Britain's new coalition government is tackling a 12-percent budget deficit and is headed into recession. The consequences of the global crisis were compounded by the scenes of Athens burning during the riots of December 2008, after a police officer shot a teenage boy. No sooner had that image begun to fade than the true magnitude of the Greek economic crisis emerged, shaking the country to its core and turning even more visitors away. The economic crisis has played very badly in the international press. But it is not only the images of protests, violence and strikes making people wary; in our wired age, it is the news reports and personal blogs that tell the world of museums and ancient sites closed by protests, of demonstrators blocking ships' ramps, of money wasted and time lost. On the other hand, Germans (along with other Europeans) are enraged that their countries are contributing toward the 110-billion-euro bailout of spendthrift Greeks who are portrayed as having squandered untold billions and are now unable to repay their loans or borrow more. There is also the very serious problem that the tourism sector has been very badly served by the state. Although tourism, along with shipping, is a pillar of the economy, Greece has not paid sufficient attention to promoting it well. The national tourism board still owes millions of euros to international media for last year's advertising campaign, leaving the field wide open for all our competitors. In terms of what we want, we speak of our devotion to high-end tourism but we do not ensure that our facilities (airports, ports and bus stations) and services (from taverna restrooms to hotel rooms) are up to standard. Our Culture and Tourism Ministry has dropped the ball and allowed workers to remain unpaid while sites and museums are understaffed, forcing them to remain closed or to close early. In short, very little has been done to create an image of Greece as a premier culture destination. Britain, for example, makes sure that its museums, monuments and theaters are year-round attractions that draw millions of people to the country every day. While the two destinations cannot be compared, Greece's ancient legacy should be enough of a draw for educated people across the world to be able to develop its cultural tourism. The crisis, however, has woken people up. For every protester who aims to torpedo Greece's image and revenues, for every incompetent bureaucrat undermining the industry, there are hundreds of people trying to keep things moving. For the first time, we are seeing the effects of the market's demands: lower prices and steep discounts are being offered in the hotel and transportation sectors in a bid to stay in business. People are focusing on what visitors want, and offering it to them through the Internet and other contemporary marketing tools. If the government and industry officials who should be planning strategy follow the lead of those trying to make a success of our tourism, then we will start building the foundations of a new era in this most vital part of our economy. From: Athens Plus Emergency landing A military aircraft was forced to make an emergency landing at the Hania airport on Crete on Sunday evening after experiencing mechanical failure. Airport authorities said the plane landed safely. Around the same time, a commercial flight that had been on its way to Hania from Athens was redirected to the airport in Iraklio. PNO break Passenger ferry routes connecting Piraeus to the islands of the Aegean are not expected to suffer any disruptions for the next month after the Panhellenic Seamen's Federation (PNO) said yesterday that it would not be staging any strike action until after August 15. Over the past few weeks, members of PNO and the Communist Party-affiliated labor group PAME staged several blockades at the country's main port of Piraeus, thwarting the travel plans of thousands of Greeks and tourists. Failed rescue The head of the Hellenic Rescue Team claimed yesterday that a check the organization received last year from the government proved to be a dud. The team's president, Thanassis Sotirakis, said that a check for 20,000 euros was issued by the Citizens' Protection Ministry last year to help the rescuers buy equipment. But Sotirakis told Skai Radio that the check bounced and that the Hellenic Rescue Team had to take out a loan to cover the expenses of purchasing the equipment. From: Kathimerini Tax spurs sale of private islands - 19 July, 2010 The supply of private islands in the market has grown considerably in the last few months, although demand has been far smaller. Sources suggest that at least 27 islands and islets have been put up for sale at various points recently, although some of their owners have then decided to temporarily withdraw the "for sale" notice, hoping to see the economic climate improve or at least an organized plan for the tourist use of those pieces of land. The focus – as is usually in this segment of the market – is on the islands owned by the Onassis family, Athina Onassis in particular. They are the well-known Skorpios, as well as Kastri, Starti and Tsokari, which are next to the town of Nidri on Lefkada. Market sources argue that there have been certain proposals for the acquisition of some of these islands and negotiations are currently ongoing. Interested buyers are said to be major local entrepreneurs, offshore companies of Greek and foreign interests and even investors from the Middle East who would eye a private island for their own use. Other islands to have gone on the market are Atokos, which belongs to the Tsakos family, Patroklos (near Attica) of the Giatrakos family, Revmatonissi (in the Cyclades) owned by Dolly Goulandri and Carlonissi (in the Ionian) of the Vlastos family. Some, however, have now been withdrawn. Yet regardless of the prestige a private island offers its owner, the baggage that comes with it tends to be far greater. In the last couple of years demand for islands has been low in Greece, which has disappointed many owners, some of whom have inherited them and are unable to meet the tax costs of ownership of an entire island. The situation has become even worse for them recently given the lack of cash flow in the market, which has led to island prices dropping by 10 percent in the owners' effort to attract buyers. Even so, the cost of a private island ranges between 5 and 10 million euros – sometimes more for the larger ones. The price depends on the location of the island, its distance from the mainland, its size and whether it can be developed. Mike Vassiliou, the head of FIABCI Greece, the local arm of the International Real Estate Federation as well as the director of NAI Real Estate company, suggests that "the most important thing for an island is its proximity to land, for easier connection with utility networks. "Another crucial factor is the existence of water on it, which can bear on an island's value, while its natural ports for easier access are also significant," he adds. There is another reason why buyers may be turning to private islands nowadays, and that is the forthcoming adjustment in the land prices used for tax purposes, as today's buyers could reap significant capital gains in the future. From: Kathimerini UK Holiday Firm Collapses With Thousands Abroad - 17 July, 2010 Thousands of British tourists face having their holidays cancelled or disrupted after a package tour firm collapsed. Greece and Turkey specialist Goldtrail Travel Ltd went into administration, with around 16,000 customers overseas and another 2,000 due to travel this weekend. The Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) is making arrangements to fly customers home at the end of their holiday under its ATOL (Air Travel Organiser's Licensing) scheme. The aviation regulator's Andy Cohen was quoted by Travel Weekly as saying the authority was still "in the dark on detail" about the failure. But he said it was not on the scale of XL Leisure Group, which collapsed in September 2008 and left 60,000 holidaymakers overseas. The CAA said the majority of flights home from Turkey will operate as normal. The Goldtrail website crashed after it went into administration But holidaymakers in Greece were warned to expect changes to flights and are advised to check with representatives at local airports. The CAA said there were no more outbound Goldtrail flights. It advised customers due to fly with the failed operator to check with their travel agent before leaving for the airport. [...] From: Sky News Online Notorious resorts less rowdy The traditionally rowdy seaside resorts of Faliraki on Rhodes, Malia on Crete and Lagana on Zakynthos are much quieter this year, with hardly any reports of sexually explicit antics by drunken Britons, experts in the tourism industry have said. The shift reportedly has been welcomed by most local businesses, while others who thrived on selling cheap alcohol to foreign tourists are said to have been hard hit. As for the reasons for the absence of rowdy visitors, some blame it on a general slump in the tourism sector. "The main reason is the general downturn in tourism this summer, rather than any specific measures," said the head of the Lagana hoteliers' association, Christina Petradi. Policemen on Zakynthos have a different outlook. "Police checks have been intensified in certain areas," a spokesman for the police on the Ionian island said. "The raids are conducted regularly and target businesses that have been aggravating the problem," the officer said, referring to bars and clubs offering doctored alcohol at cheap prices to attract punters. According to Yiannis Papadakis, the vice president of the Hellenic Association of Tourism and Travel Agents (HATTA), the situation has also calmed down in the Cretan resort of Malia and Faliraki on Rhodes, which had serious issues with rowdy Britons until last year. "We haven't had such problems this year so far but that might change," said Papadakis, noting that the relatively low turnout of British visitors was being attributed, at least in part, to the World Cup, which drew thousand of Europeans to South Africa. Papadakis also noted that many foreigners who usually holiday in Greece had this year opted for Turkey, which is generally cheaper. From: Kathimerini DOCTORS STRIKE - 16 July, 2010 The union representing the country's hospital doctors yesterday called on members to join a five-day strike starting on Monday, July 19, to protest government plans to overhaul the national health service with a slew of reforms, including the operation of daily afternoon surgeries at state hospitals. The Federation of Hospital Doctors' Unions (OENGE) has complained that the proposed reforms cannot be implemented with current staffing levels and other shortfalls. Doctors also object to a new proposed system according to which patients will pay for medical services at hospitals and have expenses reimbursed by their insurance funds. "Hospital doctors will not tolerate... citizens being charged more to guarantee medical care they are entitled to," a statement by OENGE said. Tourism revenues seen as down by 7-9 percent in 2010 [...] Tourism revenues this year are expected to be 7-9 percent lower than 2009 levels, according to Andreas Andreadis, president of the Panhellenic Federation of Hoteliers. No raises this year, tiny hike in 2011 Private sector employees will have to wait one year to see even a minimal raise with the signing yesterday of a three-year collective labor agreement by industry and trade representatives and the General Confederation of Greek Labor (GSEE). Following months of negotiations, the deal provides for no increase in salaries for the next 12 months, and pay rises in line with average eurozone inflation from July 2011, i.e. 1.5 percent in a year's time and 1.7 percent in 2012. Inflation in Greece stood at 5.2 percent last month. "This year there will be no wage rises because it is a particularly difficult year," said GSEE spokesman Stathis Anestis. "It is evident that securing jobs is more important than a wage hike." The good news for private sector workers is the safeguarding of the Christmas, Easter and summer bonus allowances, known in Greece as the 13th and 14th salaries, which have been scrapped in the public sector. "We have safeguarded the 13th and 14th salaries of employees. Christmas, Easter and vacation allowances are now recognized as regular payments," said the president of Hellenic Federation of Enterprises (SEV), Dimitris Daskalopoulos, following the meeting of the parties concerned. From: Kathimerini Pollution warning - 15 July, 2010 The Environment Ministry called on Athenians to leave their cars at home yesterday as sweltering temperatures caused air pollution to approach dangerous levels. Temperatures hit 37 Celsius (98.6 Fahrenheit) yesterday and are expected to reach 39C (102.2F) today. The ministry advised citizens to use public transport and avoid refueling cars during the daytime. It also called on industry to make efforts to reduce emissions. Tax hikes hitting gas stations hard A large number of gas stations may be forced to close due to growing problems in the sector, the head of the Federation of Gasoline Station Owners (OBE), Michalis Kiousis, said yesterday. In comments to journalists, Kiousis said that more than 500 gas stations have shut up shop since the start of the year, while another 1,000 continue to operate but have scaled down their operations while searching for a buyer. The financial crisis, the drop in consumer incomes and the recent tax hikes on fuel have led to a 30 percent drop in petrol consumption, according to Kiousis. Gasoline prices have soared since the start of the year and now rank among the most expensive in Europe after the government hiked levies on fuel products and value-added tax in a bid to boost state revenues as part of measures to get through the fiscal crisis. [...] Summer sales start today, with considerable discounts Shopaholics are in for a treat this summer, as the sales season starts today, with many retailers having indicated their intention to offer discounts of up to or even exceeding 70 percent on many items. Flagging demand, particularly for clothing and footwear, has driven shopkeepers to offer considerable price cuts in an effort to recoup some of the losses sustained over the previous months. The National Confederation of Greek Commerce (ESEE) suggested to all trade associations across the country that they protect the institution of sales and respect customers, while advising shoppers to support legal enterprises that offer them quality guarantees and receipts. Summer sales end on August 31. From: Kathimerini
Tourists on board a sightseeing bus yesterday morning snap pictures of the Acropolis. Up until noon, this was the only way they could catch a glimpse of the structure, as access was prevented by Culture Ministry employees. The Acropolis was again at the center of a dispute between unionists and the government yesterday, as unpaid Culture Ministry workers kept the site closed for four hours, turning away hundreds of tourists who had been hoping to make their way up the ancient citadel. The site had been due to open at 8 a.m. but the public was not actually admitted until noon, as Culture Ministry employees were protesting the government's failure to pay some of their colleagues. The president of the workers' association, Yiannis Tsakopiakos, said that the aim of the protest was to draw attention to the fact that some 500 employees on short-term contracts had not been paid for 21 months. Ministry sources responded by saying that everything possible was being done to ensure that the workers would get their money as soon as possible. The Acropolis was shut down earlier this summer when members of the Communist Party-affiliated union PAME used the site to stage a protest against the government's economic reforms. Striking Culture Ministry workers also prevented visitors from accessing the ancient monument several times last summer during protests over outstanding wages. Unionists have been repeatedly criticized for using the Acropolis as a bargaining chip in their disputes with the government, amid fears that images of tourists being turned away from Greece's most famous ancient site will only further harm tourism in a year when arrivals have already dropped. Yesterday's protest came ahead of a four-hour stoppage tomorrow by air-traffic controllers, leading to more than 40 flights being canceled or rescheduled. There was no official comment from the government yesterday but Deputy Tourism Minister Giorgos Nikitiadis suggested that Greece's tourism industry might benefit from last-minute bookings. However, the Acropolis protest has put the Culture Ministry in the spotlight as it planned to open 20 new or renovated museums this year, prompting many to ask what the point to this policy is when there is not enough staff to look after the museums and sites already in existence. [...] From: Kathimerini
As Athenians fled the city yesterday, seeking refuge from the heat on the Aegean islands or on one of Attica's countless beaches, tourists visited the site of the Parthenon to soak up some culture. Following the completion of years of renovation work, the ancient monument can now be appreciated minus the scaffolding. Travelers come out winners as ferry firms use discounts to drum up business Ferry companies are resorting to steep discounts in a bid to support revenues as passenger traffic numbers have dropped off by some 15 percent from last year's levels due to the economic crisis. Ticket prices start off at 10 euros each for trips such as Piraeus to Paros, while price cuts can be as high as 25 percent for other destinations with a ticket including a four-person cabin. According to travel agencies, ticket prices are slightly higher than last year's levels due to the recent hikes in value-added tax. Sources said the additional cost from the first VAT hike was absorbed by ferry operators but the second, effective as of July, has been passed onto passengers by some companies in the sector. Despite the crisis and the high cost of fuel, company sources said ferry operators only had one choice: to keep prices at last year's levels and aim for higher passenger numbers during the July-August period to support income. Indicative of prices currently available are round-trip fares for a four-member family (plus car) traveling from Piraeus to Mytilene at 540 euros, versus 513 euros last year, while a return trip from Piraeus to Myconos costs 347 euros (vs 335 euros in 2009). Growing competition on routes to certain destinations, such as Crete and the Dodecanese islands, is benefiting the consumer. Blue Star Ferries offers economy-class tickets starting from 10 euros for all islands in the Cyclades and 19 euros for destinations in the Dodecanese and Crete. Additionally, price discounts of up to 20 percent are available to passengers, cars and motorcycles on certain vessels that travel to the Cyclades and Crete. Rival ANEK is also lowering prices depending on the time of the route, whether it's a day or night trip. A price cut of up to 50 percent is valid for cabins during the day while economy seats have been reduced by 30 percent. Meanwhile, Minoan Lines has also lowered prices by 30 percent for cabins and cars and 50 percent for motorcycles. Minoan is also offering more attractive fees in an attempt to drum up business with discounts on cabins and the transportation of cars between 30 and 50 percent. From: Kathimerini Maps to delineate, protect forests - 10 July, 2010 The Environment Ministry yesterday presented the key provisions of an ambitious draft bill that aims to curb illegal construction on forestland by drawing up a comprehensive map delineating the boundaries of the country's forests and thus averting would-be arsonists and land-grabbers. The proposed scheme – a complicated initiative proposed by successive governments over the years – is to be released for public consultation for a week before being submitted to Parliament. The process of drawing up forest maps will be based on the comparison of aerial photographs of forestland dating to the 1960s with recent images. Regional administrations and forestry authorities will be responsible for drafting the map for their area, sources said. Once the maps are compiled, regional and local authorities will be obliged to display them in public. Electronic versions of the maps will also be uploaded onto the websites of the Environment Ministry, regional authorities and Ktimatologio, the state company responsible for drawing up Greece's land register. The next stage will be the processing of any objections to the maps as they stand. Landowners and local authorities will have the opportunity to submit their objections regarding the accuracy of forest borders but will be obliged to pay a fee for this right. It remained unclear yesterday what the charge would be. There will be a 45-day limit for submitting objections, each of which will then be analyzed by a special committee of experts over a four-month period. According to the plan, the forest maps will then be amended and the process of shaping a national forest "charter" will gather pace. In February, the ministry heralded a scheme to reforest some 10,000 hectares of burnt woodland on the outskirts of Attica. Three months before that, then newly elected Environment Minister Tina Birbili had unveiled draft legislation according to which any areas of forestland ravaged by fire will be immediately included in a forest map of the respective region. From: Kathimerini Strike to paralyze transport, services - 7 July, 2010 Public services and transport are to grind to a halt once again tomorrow as thousands of workers join yet another 24-hour general strike, called by the country's two main unions to protest a scheduled parliamentary vote on deeply unpopular pension and labor relations reforms.. Flights to and from the country will be grounded between 10 a.m. and 2 p.m. as air-traffic controllers join the protest and demand the payment of outstanding wages. The air-traffic controllers have threatened to stage rolling strikes throughout the month of July – action that would hamper the travel plans of thousands of tourists – unless they are paid. There will be virtually no public transport in Athens tomorrow as workers on the metro, buses, trolley buses, tram and Piraeus-Kifissia urban electric railway (ISAP) walk off the job. Greeks and visitors planning to travel to Aegean destinations tomorrow will face a day of frustration as seamen belonging to unions affiliated with the Communist Party (KKE) join the 24-hour action, blocking access to ferries in Piraeus. The KKE-backed labor union PAME is also planning a protest rally tomorrow in central Omonia Square at 11 a.m., an hour after members of the General Confederation of Greek Labor (GSEE) and the civil servants' union ADEDY are due to gather in Klafthmonos Square. Demonstrators from both rallies are expected to subsequently march on Parliament, where a vote on the controversial reforms is expected in the afternoon. Tomorrow's strike action will also disrupt services in the broader public sector, closing down schools and tax offices and leaving hospitals to operate on emergency staff. There will also be a media blackout as journalists join the walkout. Fudged data Parliament will be presented with a case regarding Greece's fudged budget deficit data submitted by the former New Democracy government to the European Commission's statistical service, Eurostat, it was announced yesterday. The case comes after charges were filed against the former administration by an MP of the LAOS ultranationalist party. From: Kathimerini Hospital reforms 'unenforceable' - 6 July, 2010 Hospital doctors yesterday criticized government plans to overhaul the national health service with a slew of reforms, including the operation of daily afternoon surgeries at state hospitals, claiming that the proposed changes are impossible to enforce effectively. "This bill is completely and fundamentally unenforceable," said Dimitris Varnavas, the president of the Federation of Hospital Doctors' Unions (OENGE). Varnavas criticized Health Minister Mariliza Xenogiannakopoulou for "imagining that country hospitals can manage to operate in the afternoons as well as the mornings with current staffing levels." According to a statement issued by his union, the aim of the draft bill is to "shift the responsibility of the state and its budget onto state hospitals." The proposed reforms foresee the all-day operation of state hospitals, with all outpatient clinics, diagnostic centers and surgeries also open in the evenings. The bill will also oblige all state university doctors operating private clinics to shut them down and see their patients on the premises of the hospital that employs them. Another key change is that the cost of medical examinations and other services will be borne by the patient's social insurance fund, not by the state hospital that the patient visits. Patients will pay for medical services at the hospitals and have their expenses reimbursed by their insurance funds. In a related development, doctors at the Nikaia General Hospital, near Piraeus, yesterday staged a sit-in at the hospital director's office to demand back pay and protest shortages of pharmaceuticals, laboratory equipment and other supplies. The Health Ministry's general secretary, Nikos Polyzos, insisted the order had been issued for outstanding back pay. OSE to cut some 35 costly routes The Hellenic Railways Organization (OSE) is planning to suspend the operation of at least 35 underused routes around the country believed to be burdening the debt-ridden state by some 3 million euros a day, sources said yesterday. According to a written statement by TRAINOSE, a subsidiary of OSE that is responsible for the organization's railway itineraries, dozens of loss-making routes are due to be discontinued imminently. These include several routes in the Peloponnese linking the cities of Patra, Pyrgos, Kalamata, Messini and Olympia. Many more routes in northern Greece, connecting the cities of Thessaloniki, Serres, Alexandroupoli, Edessa and Kozani, will have their weekly itineraries drastically reduced. OSE itself had not issued an official statement by late yesterday to confirm the exact routes that will be affected and the date the changes are to come into effect. [...] From: Kathimerini
An Athens street kiosk owner holds out a customer's change as well as their receipt yesterday. A new law, which came into effect on Thursday, obliges kiosk owners and taxi drivers to issue receipts to customers. The law forms part of the government's drive to stamp out tax evasion by getting a clearer idea of real income levels. NEW BLOCKADE In what is fast becoming a major headache for the country's tourism sector, the Panhellenic Seamen's Federation (PNO) has announced that it will be staging another 24-hour strike on July 8, preventing travelers from boarding island-bound ferries at the port of Piraeus. Several blockades over the past few weeks have resulted in thousands being stranded at the country's main port and on the Aegean islands. The decision to strike next Thursday, when another general strike is also scheduled, was made after tensions peaked during a session of PNO's executive committee between federation members and representatives of the militant Communist Party-affiliated group PAME. From: Kathimerini New strike - 2 July, 2010 The country's two main unions, the civil servants' union ADEDY and the General Confederation of Greek Labor (GSEE), yesterday called a new general strike for next Thursday, July 8, in protest at deeply unpopular reforms to the country's creaking pension system and changes to labor relations. The unions, which together represent around 3 million workers, complain that the planned reforms – which Greece is obliged to push through as part of an austerity drive imposed by its international creditors – will demolish long-established labor rights. From: Kathimerini VAT CHANGE - 1 July, 2010 The change in value-added tax [23%], which will apply as of today, means that the cost of road tolls and cab fares will increase. Taxi charges will include 11 percent VAT, meaning that the flag charge will now rise to 1.16 euros, while the minimum fare will be 3.10 euros. Calling a radio cab will cost 1.88 euros. As of today, cabbies will also have to issue receipts to all their clients. The VAT rise will also see toll charges on the Attiki Odos ring road rise from 2.70 euros to 2.80 for cars. There will be similar rises of between 5 and 10 cents at tolls on national roads. Online government A program that aims to increase government transparency by ensuring that all administrative decisions are posted on the Internet was voted through Parliament yesterday. «This is a deep change that brings a new attitude to the way that the state functions,» said Interior Minister Yiannis Ragousis. «Every last euro that is spent will be open to scrutiny.» The program is known as Diavgeia (Clarity). From: Kathimerini Cretan relic hunter nabbed - 28 June, 2010 A resident of Hania, Crete, who handed a bag of human bones to local police after apparently discovering them while out searching for World War II relics was arrested when officers found a stash of weapons at his home. The 27-year-old's house was searched after he presented some human remains to the officers at the Nea Kydonia police station. The man, who has not been named, said that he uncovered the bones in the Maleme area. "It is likely that these are the remains of a high-profile figure who took part in the Battle of Crete," the police said in a statement. "But the bones have to be sent to the University of Athens Anthropology Center for further examination." Officers found several machine guns, submachine guns, rifles, dozens of bullets and other items the suspect said he uncovered using a metal detector. However, as he did not have a firearms license, he was taken into custody. PIRAEUS DISRUPTION People trying to travel from Piraeus port tomorrow are likely to experience difficulties after two of the 14 unions that make up the Panhellenic Seamen's Federation (PNO) voted to join in the 24-hour general strike on the same day. The same two unions blocked five ferries from leaving the port last Wednesday in protest at the government's pension reforms. Following the scenes of hundreds of tourists and locals being stranded at Piraeus, the government said that it would not let such an incident take place again. Power strike Employees of the Public Power Corporation (PPC) who are members of the GENOP-DEI union decided yesterday that the will stage a protest today at 6 p.m. in front of the company's offices in central Athens before marching toward the Finance Ministry. They are also due to take part in tomorrow's general strike against pension reforms. From: Kathimerini Port blockades leave hordes of travelers fuming - 24 June, 2010 Thousands of Greeks and tourists remained stranded at Piraeus and other ports around the country yesterday after a crowd comprising some 400 members of the Communist Party-affiliated labor union PAME blocked the boarding ramps of several ferries during a 24-hour strike against austerity measures being pushed through by the debt-ridden government. The demonstrators, members of two marine engineers' unions, persisted with their action yesterday even though a court had declared it illegal and abusive on Tuesday. The Panhellenic Seamen's Federation (PNO), an umbrella organization which represents a total of 14 unions including the two staging yesterday's blockade, did not back the protest, although it has expressed its opposition to the lifting of cabotage restrictions that prompted the strike. Tempers flared at Piraeus port early in the morning as passengers trying to board ferries were faced with rows of burly men with their arms interlocked. Most of the foreign tourists sat despondently by the ticket offices in the port area, waiting for word about their scheduled journeys. Some of the Greek passengers squared up to the protesters, angrily demanding an explanation. Private television channel Mega broadcast images of red-faced Greek passengers shouting at protesters. "Shame on you, you bullies," one middle-aged woman cried out at protesters stationed on the ramp of one of the ferries. There were some minor scuffles but the discreet intervention of a few police officers and coast guard officials stopped tensions from peaking. Two prosecutors were sent to the scene but they did not order police to enforce the court order deeming the strike illegal. As for the coast guard officials, they said they would not attempt to break the blockade as it could fuel violence in the port. "We do not want to make things worse," the chief of the Hellenic Coast Guard, Vice Admiral Athanassios Bousios, told Flash Radio. Bousios said the moored ferries could not depart for safety reasons anyway, as the vessels' engineers were among those staging the blockade. PAME representatives also expressed their discontent in Athens yesterday, with about 5,000 participating in a protest rally in the city center in the afternoon. The march caused congestion but there was no violence. The Hellenic Association of Tourism and Travel Agents yesterday condemned the action as the country's crucial tourism industry has already been hit by previous strikes. Five Britons to be extradited for attack on countryman Five British men charged in connection with a violent attack on a fellow Briton outside a nightclub in the Cretan holiday resort of Malia in June 2008 have lost their legal battle against extradition, Agence France-Presse reported from London yesterday. The men, all in their early 20s, deny stabbing Robert Hughes with a broken bottle and stomping on his head. Defense lawyers claimed that Curtis Taylor, Daniel Bell, Sean Branton, George Hollands and Benjamin Herdman would face detention in terrible conditions if sent back to Greece, AFP reported. But Britain's High Court ruled that the evidence presented to back up their claim was not strong enough to justify refusing their extradition to Greece. Rape probes Police in the Cretan prefecture of Hania said yesterday that they had detained a 33-year-old Greek man and a 35-year-old Syrian man charged with raping a Norwegian tourist and a Polish local respectively. The 22-year-old Norwegian woman identified the 33-year-old as the man who took her for a ride on his motorcycle to a remote area of Hania where he allegedly raped her. The Polish woman, whose age was not revealed, told police that the Syrian national invited her to his home for dinner but wound up raping her. From: Kathimerini Compensation for stranded tourists - 23 June, 2010 Greece offered to compensate tourists stranded by labor unrest ahead of a new travel strike yesterday as unions stepped up their assault against government austerity cuts. Culture and Tourism Minister Pavlos Geroulanos told a news conference that the government would "guarantee" extra room and board payments made by visitors as rail unions started a series of stoppages. "We are certain that it will be a calm summer and that there will be no major strike disruptions," a ministry source told AFP. "But just in case something happens, the Greek state is prepared to cover these costs," the source added. Tourism is a pillar of the Greek economy but strikes and related violence sparked by the country's debt crisis as well as the international global crunch were estimated in May to have caused a 10 percent fall in hotel stays, according to tourism associations. The minister told the press conference late Monday that compensation would even be paid for tourists stuck in Greece during the volcano eruption in Iceland in April that blocked European air routes for several days. Geroulanos gave no details though of how much the compensation would cost nor how it would be paid. Thousands of travelers have had holidays in Greece disrupted by successive strikes as the country grapples with a debt crisis that brought draconian wage and pension cuts. As Athens labors to maximize revenue, tens of millions of euros have already been lost from booking cancellations, according to government estimates. Railway workers yesterday began a series of two-hour work stoppages to last until tomorrow, disrupting intercity trains and services to Athens International Airport. Today, Communist Party-affiliated ship crews plan to block the main Greek port of Piraeus. And the country's main unions have called a general strike – the fifth since the start of the year – on June 29. Tourism generates about 17 percent of Greece's gross domestic product.
Greece defender Sokratis Papastathopoulos challenges Argentina's Lionel Messi in yesterday's final Group B game in the World Cup in South Africa. Greece held out for almost 80 minutes but lost 2-0, which, coupled with South Korea's 2-2 draw with Nigeria, meant the Asians took second spot in the group and a place in the last 16 of the tournament.
From: Kathimerini Holidaymakers stranded in Greece will be compensated - 22 June, 2010 Greece has said it will compensate any tourists stranded in the country as a result of industrial action or, indeed, any natural disaster. The offer comes at a time when Greece has been hit by industrial unrest and strikes in the wake of proposed austerity measures by the government. "We are guaranteeing to pay any extra room and board any visitor in Greece pays even if stuck here because of a volcano in Iceland," culture and tourism minister Pavlos Geroulanos was reported as saying by the BBC, referring to the recent days-long ban on air travel. Tourism generates almost a fifth of Greece's income, but bookings this summer are down by about 10 per cent, industry experts say. Greek tourism has also suffered the effects of the eruption of a volcano in Iceland, which spewed vast quantities of ash into the sky for days, blocking air routes. From: Reuters
Residents of the prefecture of Ierapetra on Crete gathered over the weekend with the aim of creating the largest salad in the world and earning a place in the Guinness Book of World Records. Using a receptacle measuring 100 square meters as their salad bowl, locals threw together 6 tons of tomatoes, 3 tons of cucumbers, 2 tons of peppers, a ton of onions, 800 kilos of feta cheese and half a ton of olive oil. It remained unclear late yesterday whether the 12-ton salad had made it into the record book. From: Kathimerini
China agrees to more Greek deals - 16 June, 2010
Less than 24 hours after Moody's slashed Greece's sovereign rating to "junk" status, the government received a boost yesterday when the Chinese vice premier signed 14 investment deals with officials in Athens. Zhang Dejiang, who signed the contracts at a ceremony in Athens where Deputy Prime Minister Theodoros Pangalos was present, said that Beijing wants to stand by Greece in its moment of crisis. "The government is going to encourage Chinese entrepreneurs to come to Greece to make partnerships and investments," he said after the ceremony. "We are convinced that the Greek government is capable of overcoming the crisis and returning to stable growth." One of the agreements signed yesterday was a memorandum of understanding between the two countries in the area of shipping, which foresees favorable chartering rates for Greek vessels. Seven of the contracts were between Chinese shipping giant Cosco and Greek shipowners for the construction of new vessels and the chartering of Greek ships. Cosco has already struck a deal with Greece to manage two container terminals at Piraeus for the next 35 years. The company's chief executive, Wei Jiafu, said during a visit to Greece last month that Cosco has plans to turn Piraeus into the "greatest container hub in the eastern Mediterranean." Other agreements signed yesterday included one between Chinese group BCEGI and Greece's Helios Plaza for the construction of a large hotel complex in Piraeus. Also, OTE telecom reached an agreement with China's Huawei Technologies, and four Chinese food firms are to begin importing Greek olive oil. From: Kathimerini Hospitals near meltdown - 15 June, 2010 Doctors warned yesterday that hospital patients will begin to die soon unless the government can resolve an impasse with suppliers over more than 5 billion euros in debts. The hospital suppliers have been providing just basic items for the past few days, in protest at the government's failure to come up with ways to pay the 5.2 billion euros that the state owes them. Health Minister Mariliza Xenogiannakopoulou and other ministry officials met with representatives of various pharmaceutical and medical equipment companies yesterday but the two sides were not able to reach an agreement on how this debt, which in some cases stretches back several years, will be settled, nor on how they will be paid in the future. Nevertheless, Xenogiannakopoulou appeared to adopt an aggressive stance with the suppliers, indicating that they had been overcharging for many of their products. "The party in the health sector is over," she said. "We are determined to work out a payment plan," the minister added. "We call on the suppliers to assume their responsibilities but we are also doing what we can to ensure that hospitals continue to function normally." Nevertheless, the longer the dispute drags on, the more state hospitals will suffer, as many are already desperately short of supplies and unable to carry out basic services such as CAT scans and blood tests. Hospitals including Evangelismos and Tzaneio have been borrowing consumables to keep going. "The coming week will be exceptionally crucial for the health system," said Dimitris Varnavas, president of the Federation of Greek Hospital Doctors' Unions (OENGE). "Hospitals cannot offer basic services because of a lack of things like surgical gloves and surgical thread. It is certain that lives will be lost in the coming days." Meanwhile, the failure to pay doctors overtime means that fewer hospitals are filling their on-duty slots. The Attiko Hospital in Athens is due to be on duty today but will only be accepting emergency cases. Doctors at the Geniko Kratiko in Nikaia have not been working extra shifts for the last month. Thwarted robbers A gang of would-be robbers stormed into a supermarket in Thessaloniki yesterday afternoon, piled up trolleys with food and charged past the cash registers without paying but were stopped by police officers who happened to be on a foot patrol outside the store. The perpetrators sought refuge on the nearby grounds of the Aristotle University, police said. It is thought that the youths had wanted to distribute the stolen goods to pedestrians outside the store. From: Kathimerini
The national soccer team had its last training session yesterday before its opener in the 2010 World Cup today at Port Elizabeth in South Africa. The Greeks will face South Korea at 2.30 p.m. today (Greek time), with captain Giorgos Karagounis stating yesterday that everything is in place for Greece to win, as preparations have been going well for the squad, and manager Otto Rehhagel admitting his heartbeat is racing ahead of the first World Cup match in his career. Injured defender Vangelis Moras will be Greece's sole absentee in the game at the Nelson Mandela Bay Stadium. From: Kathimerini Poll shows growing pessimism - 11 June, 2010 A new opinion poll indicates that the majority of Greeks are pessimistic about the future of the country's beleaguered economy while fearing more painful reforms and social unrest. According to the poll, conducted by Public Issue on behalf of Skai and Kathimerini, seven out of 10 people believe the country is not on track to economic recovery, with 18 percent saying they think the steps being taken by the government are in the right direction. In February, when the first raft of austerity measures was unveiled, half of Greeks questioned had expressed this level of pessimism. According to the results of the same poll, which was carried out between June 2 and 7 on a sample of 1,019 citizens, the majority of the public also fears that the current situation will degenerate. Seven out of 10 respondents said they thought that the economy would be in a worse state a few months from now. Just 12 percent said that they believed the country's economic state would improve, as compared to 32 percent who had expressed similar optimism in December 2009. An even larger section of the public – 80 percent, according to the poll – fear a new wave of social unrest in reaction to the government's austerity measures, with more strikes and demonstrations on the cards. A similarly high proportion of respondents, 84 percent, claimed to be disappointed by "Greek democracy" though it remained unclear whether this related to developments in the economy or in the political arena. Confidence in the competence of the main political parties remains at a low level, according to the poll. Just 18 percent of respondents declared themselves satisfied with the job being done by ruling PASOK, slightly down from 22 percent last month, while only 9 percent said they were happy with the main conservative opposition New Democracy. As for the popularity of political leaders, Prime Minister George Papandreou remained at last month's level with 53 percent of public support, while ND leader Antonis Samaras inched up to 44 percent from 40 percent. From: Kathimerini Saharan dust to engulf capital - 13 May, 2010 Dust from the Sahara Desert is expected to descend on Athens today, exacerbating the already high temperatures but also increasing the density of particles in the air to dangerous levels, scientists warned yesterday. Dust from the Sahara is often blown over Greece between March and May but the fact that the weather is already hot and ground-level ozone is at high levels could cause citizens greater discomfort. Experts believe that, as a result, pollution levels could exceed 185 micrograms per cubic meter (mg/m3). The concentration levels in Athens over the last few days have been between 30 and 60 mg/m3, whereas the warning limit set by the European Union is 50 mg/m3 – a ceiling the EU says must not be exceeded for more than 35 days a year. Scientists warned that the mixture of dust particles and air pollution could cause health problems. “The worst thing is that the dust gets mixed up with the smog. In other words, the dust particles become covered by emissions and create new airborne particles,” said Haris Kambezidis, director of research at the National Observatory of Athens. Doctors recommend that people avoid sports activity or moving about the city unnecessarily until Saturday to avoid the dangerous combination of heat, humidity, dust and pollution. As of Saturday, the wind will pick up and temperatures will drop. The warning about the Saharan dust came as scientists yesterday briefed a parliamentary committee about the dangers that air pollution pose to people’s health. Professors Klea Katsouyanni and Matthaios Santamouris informed the panel of MPs that there was a direct correlation between small changes in the quality of the air people breathe and serious illnesses. They said that their research indicated that a rise in the number of suspended particles by 10 mg/m3 prompts a 1.6 percent increase in the number of deaths, a 1.7 percent rise in heart disease and an increase of 1 percent in asthma attacks among children.
Protesters shout during a rally against pension reforms in central Athens yesterday. The protest was organized by Greece’s two largest unions, GSEE and ADEDY, which have decided to hold a general strike on May 20 in opposition to the government’s austerity measures. From: Kathimerini Forest protection - 12 May, 2010 Budget cuts will be hitting Greece’s forest protection services, according to an announcement by the Environment Ministry yesterday. As part of its program for this summer, which was announced later than expected, the ministry will be hiring 766 seasonal staff on a three- or eight-month contracts at forestry and park ranger services. No rise in public transport tickets this year, not so in 2011 There will be no price rises on the public transportation system this year, Transport and Infrastructure Minister Dimitris Reppas said yesterday but he did not rule out the possibility of tickets going up next year. The minister did not hide the fact that the subsidization of public transport, which ranges from 50 to 70 percent of costs, would be reduced next year. Reppas would not commit to there not being price hikes on the Hellenic Railways Organization (OSE) network. “OSE has very low prices and there is no way that we can ignore that,” said Reppas. From: Kathimerini Belgian anarchists A Greek National Tourism Organization office in Brussels was attacked by vandals yesterday. An employee, who was not hurt, said that three masked men and one woman threw paint at the office and shouted slogans in support of Greek anarchists. They also left behind leaflets claiming their group was called the «Belgian Anarchists.» Culture and Tourism Minister Pavlos Geroulanos happened to be in Brussels for a meeting of his European Union counterparts and visited the office after the attack. He said the damage would be repaired. Discussions are also taking place about the possibility of guarding the office. From: Kathimerini In Sfakia Tomorrow begins the second new program of the School Parents organized in collaboration with the school counselor for Primary Education (2nd District Chania) Ms Zoe Diamantopoulou with the help of the directors of the elementary schools of Anopolis, Vouvás and Sfakia. The program is aimed at parents in the area and is part of "Keep in Touch" (duration 25 hours). Educational meetings will be held at the Municipal School of Sfakia in the first three weekends of May, with the first meeting tomorrow at 12 noon. Instructor is Ms. Dimitra Dellas, a sociologist. Parents in the region wishing to join the group are invited to attend the first meeting or contact the responsible School Parents Mrs. Elizabeth Ekkekaki, phone 6972849666. During the current period five training sections are still running of the School Parents, which are implemented in primary schools: in Alikianos, Platanias, Voukolion, and in the 9th and 15th district of Chania. Translated from: Haniotika Nea Government ire at Acropolis stunt - 5 May, 2010 A protest on the sacred rock of the Acropolis yesterday by a few dozen Communist Party (KKE) supporters caused the government to hit out at the leftists, accusing them of undermining Greece’s tourism industry. Some 200 protesters entered the Acropolis site early yesterday and draped two banners from its walls. One read “Peoples of Europe rise up” and the other carried the same message in Greek. The group left the Acropolis several hours later, after a prosecutor arrived and threatened them with arrest and criminal charges. The incident led to government spokesman Giorgos Petalotis hitting out at KKE and its union, PAME, which last week prevented hundreds of tourists from boarding their cruise ship. “Unfortunately, PAME has taken on a contract to undermine tourism and KKE is responsible for this,” said Petalotis, who argued that the Communist Party should be held accountable for the losses to the tourism industry. “Instead of us all working together to help our country out of the crisis, some people are exploiting the situation for personal and party political gain,” said the Culture Ministry. The incident came ahead of a general strike today, during which unions will voice their opposition to the austerity measures. All public services will be closed, as will schools. Hospitals will be operating on skeleton staff. There will be no air travel as air-traffic controllers will take part in the protest. Workers at the Hellenic Railways Organization (OSE) and the Proastiakos suburban railway will walk off the job but employees on the metro, the electric railway, buses and trams will work only between 10 a.m. and 4 p.m. Trolley buses will be on the road between 8.30 a.m. and 4.30 p.m. There will be no ferry sailings. Many shops will also be closed between 9 a.m. and 3 p.m.
Data from Athens International Airport (AIA) showed yesterday that passenger arrivals climbed 10 percent in the first quarter, making it the second-best performing among Europe’s major airports. A total of 3.2 million passengers passed through AIA in the three months ending March 31, up from 2.9 million in the same period in 2009, the company said. International traffic increased 9 percent and domestic passengers rose 13 percent. From: Kathimerini Europeans begin approving loans for Greece - 4 May, 2010 Members of the eurozone yesterday began the process of individually ratifying the emergency loans they will extend to Greece as part of a 110-billion-euro deal, which includes a contribution from the International Monetary Fund, that Athens has agreed. In Germany, Chancellor Angela Merkel’s Cabinet approved the legislation that would lead to 22.4 billion euros being given to the Greek government but emphasized that it was doing so to save the euro, not just Greece. “It doesn’t only mean that we help Greece but that we stabilize the euro as a whole, which helps people in Germany,” said Merkel, who had for weeks been reluctant to agree to the package. France is due to grant Greece 16.8 billion euros in loans, making it the second-biggest contributor. The package was discussed in the lower house of the French parliament with a vote due to be held today when it is expected that MPs will pass the support unanimously. There was also unanimous backing for the support from the mainstream parties in the Netherlands, which will contribute 4.8 billion euros. *) The cabinet in Finland, which will supply 1.6 billion euros, proposed a supplementary budget to cover its share. “This is not a pleasant decision,” Prime Minister Matti Vanhanen said. “If there had been better ways to resolve this, I’m sure we would have found them.” There was less understanding in Slovakia, which will loan Greece 800 million euros. “We can’t give Greece any loan before we see them doing their homework,” said Prime Minister Robert Fico. “Personally, I don’t believe that the Greek parliament will be able to approve the restrictions adopted by the government.” *) In fact, the Dutch parliament will vote about approval coming Friday, 7 May. Tourist injured A 24-year-old British tourist was being treated in a hospital in Ioannina, northwestern Greece, yesterday after falling from a fourth-floor hotel balcony. The woman, who was not named, is reported to have suffered multiple bruising and head injuries. Authorities said that she had spent time at the hotel bar with a group of fellow travelers before returning to her room. From: Kathimerini Burning down the house - 3 May, 2010 If Greece's economic crisis has taught the world anything - other than how easy it is to trash a country - it is how interrelated every economy is, and how political interests can have devastating effects on issues that should be purely economical. Very simply: Greece's inability to keep borrowing at exorbitant rates, coupled with the delay in decisive action to remedy the situation, led to the rapid collapse of the Greek bond market and set off a chain reaction - affecting the bonds of Portugal and Spain, driving the euro lower against the dollar and prompting losses on all Western European stock markets and Wall Street. At the same time, banks in Germany, France and a host of other countries trembled at the thought of a restructuring of Greek debt as this would seriously dent their portfolios. In a striking example of the inextricable ties of our modern world, close to 1,000 tourists on a cruise ship lost a day of their vacation when Greek unionists, protesting planned legislation that will allow cruise ships with foreign crews to dock in Greek ports, stopped them from embarking in Piraeus. This prompted the Spanish cruise company to warn that it may suspend visits to Piraeus. If this occurs, at least 1,000 tourists per week, who are by definition in a high income bracket, will no longer visit Athens as part of their Mediterranean cruise. They will not eat at Plaka's restaurants, visit our museums nor buy souvenirs. This loss is not likely to affect the unionists who probably count every new injury to the Greek economy a trophy in their war against capitalism. But it does show how the actions of a few can affect the livelihood of many. It is a snapshot of how Greece destroyed itself - with every group taking care only of its own interests, without any consideration for the rest of society. All the groups, and their selfish interests, piled up, until Greece could no longer function. When the European Union was revealed to be completely unprepared to deal with a collapse such as this, international markets quickly noted that this was not a problem for Greece alone but of a much greater, systemic weakness of the euro itself. Whether out of fear for their investment or because they sensed blood, or both, lenders kept driving up the cost of Greek borrowing. And as long as the Greek government delayed taking measures to make its economy sustainable, as long as Germany made of point of not agreeing to a bailout until the Greeks showed adequate remorse and discipline, the credibility of Greece and the euro were worn down by the day - indeed by the hour. Standard & Poor's sudden downgrading of Greek bonds to junk status on Tuesday was the shock that concentrated minds wonderfully. If Greece, a member of the euro, could be allowed to fail, surely Portugal, Spain (and who knows which other country) would be sure to follow. What Germany and others thought was a fire in Greece's trousers was now spreading across the common European home. Here it is worth remembering that apart from German outrage at what is seen as Greek profligacy, Berlin's delay is inspired to a very great extent by the populist exploitation of the issue ahead of a regional election. However angry German voters may be at the Greeks, surely no responsible German politician can argue that there is any merit in showing the world that the euro has no safety mechanisms. If anything good may come of all this, the adults in the EU will step up and consolidate the union politically, taking steps that will include checks on social security systems, labor laws and tax collection. In this way, the EU's economy will become a reflection of union rather than division. Because, whether we like it or not, we are already inseparable. From: Athens Plus Zoniana trial wrapped up Almost one year after the trial began of 41 people accused of being involved in criminal activity in the notorious Cretan mountain area of Zoniana, 28 have been convicted by a court in Piraeus that was hearing the case. The village became front-page news in November 2007, when locals ambushed a police convoy and seriously injured an officer. The 28 were convicted on Friday of a series of criminal offenses that were linked to the activity of gangs based in Zoniana. Among these were robbery, drug offenses, cultivating hashish and forming a criminal gang. In connection with the ambush of the police convoy, two of the six originally charged with taking part were found guilty of being accessories but the other four were found innocent. One of the 28 received a life sentence, while the remaining 27 were given jail terms ranging from six to 25 years, as the court took into account their previous clean records. Zoniana has become synonymous with the November 5 attack in 2007 that left officer Stathis Lazaridis paralyzed from the neck down after some of the village residents opened fire on a group of policemen that was sent there to break up criminal gangs. The trial, which began last May, was immediately gripped by controversy as the officer’s wife decided to drop her civil suit against the alleged perpetrators. Lazaridis’s wife did not specify her reasons for withdrawing as civil plaintiff in the trial but was believed to have been intimidated. “I cannot tell you the reasons but there are many,” Maria Lazaridou told the court at the time. “If Stathis was here, he could make the decisions. I just want him to get better and for the perpetrators to be punished,” she added. Lazaridis’s father blamed the local police chief for his son being injured, claiming the raid on the village had been badly planned and executed. From: Kathimerini General strike called for May 5 - 28 April, 2010 The civil servants’ union ADEDY and the General Confederation of Greek Labor (GSEE), yesterday called a general strike for May 5 to protest the government’s austerity measures as well as increasing pressure from the European Union and International Monetary Fund for additional cuts. The head of GSEE, Yiannis Panagopoulos, said the strike action was a protest at the government’s plans to raise the minimum retirement age by several years and against the possibility of salary cuts being introduced to the private sector. “The 13th and 14th salaries in the private sector are non-negotiable,” Panagopoulos said, referring to the two additional wages received by employees at Christmas and Easter. ADEDY’s president, Spyros Papaspyros, whose union organized a protest rally in central Athens yesterday, said civil servants will continue to oppose the cuts in holiday pay and benefits introduced in March. ADEDY’s aim, Papaspyros said, is “the revocation of these measures that harm the people.” In a related development, teachers’ unions called on their members to stage strike action next week to protest a raft of proposed reforms ranging from changes to the way that teachers are hired to the abolition of a law setting a minimal grade for university entrance. The Primary School Teachers’ Federation (DOE) said it would stage daily four-hour work stoppages from today through May 3 before launching a 48-hour strike on May 4 and 5. The Secondary School Teachers’ Federation (OLME), which is calling for full-time jobs to be granted to substitute teachers and their unemployed counterparts, called on its members to join a 24-hour strike on May 4. Bank firebombed A homemade explosive device comprising gas canisters caused damage but no injuries when it detonated outside a branch of Emporiki Bank in the Cretan port of Hania early yesterday. The explosion started a fire which the local fire service quickly extinguished. From: Kathimerini Striking seamen bar tourists from port - 27 April, 2010 A group of nearly 1,000 tourists were obliged to spend the night in hotels in the capital yesterday after striking seamen blockading the port of Piraeus prevented them from boarding a Malta-flagged cruise liner that had been due to set sail late last night. The seamen, whose 24-hour nationwide strike kept ferries moored in ports across the country, were due to end their action at 6 a.m. today. They are planning another 24-hour strike for May 1, this Saturday. Seamen also participated in a 48-hour strike at the end of last week, organized by the Communist Party-affiliated labor union PAME, causing similar disruption. The seamen are protesting the government’s plans to lift cabotage rules in order to permit non-EU-flagged vessels to moor at Greek ports and open up the market to thousands of tourists at a time that additional revenues are desperately needed. The workers fear that opening up ports to foreign vessels would pose a threat to jobs and describe the action as “a full-frontal assault on their rights.” Yesterday’s strike caused the biggest problems at the country’s main port of Piraeus. More than 950 tourists remained trapped in their coaches for several hours after about 400 sailors and members of PAME blocked both entrances to the port. According to witnesses, several tourists got out of the coaches and blocked the road outside the port entrance in an apparent protest at the blockade. Meanwhile, a group of around 50 people, also believed to be tourists, approached protesting seamen and attempted to reason with them, to no avail. Late last night the coaches retreated, transferring the tourists to hotels in central Athens for the night. Strike canceled A scheduled strike today by employees of the Culture Ministry was called off yesterday. From: Kathimerini Ferry disruption - 26 April, 2010 Passenger ferries are to remain moored at the Piraeus port today as seamen stage a 24-hour strike to protest government plans to lift cabotage rules to allow nonEU-flagged vessels to moor at Greek ports and open up the market to thousands of tourists. Port workers, who paralyzed scheduled ferry departures last Thursday and Friday by participating in a 48-hour strike called by the Communist-affiliated labor union PAME, fear that opening up ports to foreign vessels would pose a threat to jobs. The seamen’s union described the planned action as “a full-frontal assault on their rights.” Thwarted raid Three would-be robbers who tried to hold up a supermarket near the Cretan port of Iraklio on Saturday night were thwarted when an off-duty policeman who had been in the store at the time tried to disarm them. The 37-year-old officer did not disarm the robbers but scared them off. They fled empty-handed in a car in which two accomplices had been waiting. There were no shots fired. From: Kathimerini
Satellite pictures taken using Google Earth are helping the Finance Ministry to catch taxpayers in northern Athens who have failed to declare building a swimming pool. According to the Finance Ministry, the addresses of homes found to have a swimming pool will be compared against data held by the tax office. Most photos were from the affluent suburb of Ekali. According to press reports, the ministry has spotted 500 homes with pools while only 324 taxpayers have declared that they go for a swim in their backyard. The ministry said it is testing the cross-checking system to determine whether it will use it for other parts of Greece. From: Kathimerini IN THE FIELD OF TOURISM Over 30% is the estimated rate of black employment in the tourism sector, according to the president of the Hotel Employees Association Emmanuel Bamiaki. At the same time, a rampant phenomenon has emerged with recruited students from abroad, with very low wages and often without insurance, as trainees for hoteliers. Speaking to "CHaniotika Nea" Mr. Bamiakis said that this type of workers is in hotels, because of the economic crisis and sometimes on the pretext that hoteliers get a lot of pressure in terms of their labor rights: "There is a big problem with jobs. On the pretext of crisis too many employers are asking not to enforce the local collective waging agreement. We wanted to sign a local collective agreement but the hoteliers refused. Thus we recourse to the Mediation and Arbitration (OMED) and wait to see what happens. " [...] The president of the Hotel Employees Association noted that he is also pursuing a more serious problem in the industry of working uninsured: "We estimate that in the prefecture of Chania it is over 30% ... In most cases we are talking about foreigners who, due to greater pressure and insecurity more easily accept to work without insurance, "he said, adding that this problem is added to the recruitment by the hotels of foreign students, mainly from countries in the former Eastern bloc. [...] FOR TOURISM OF CHANIA The president of the Hotel Employees Association Manolis Bamiakis expressed optimism that the coming of EasyJet flights and Blue Star ferries will revive tourism in Chania, especially the weekend visitors. "We are hopeful now that EasyJet and Blue Star will restart the weekends we had lost, when Blue Star stopped a fast boat connection. Moreover, EasyJet will help to break the monopoly of large tour operators, as it could be booked independently by the visitors, and also flights-only, "he said. Translated from: Haniotika Nea No Facebook for priests - 22 April, 2010 A prominent bishop has warned priests to take extra care when using Facebook and perhaps even avoid the social networking site altogether to avoid becoming embroiled in situations that could embarass the Church. Archbishop Irenaios of Crete sent a circular yesterday in which he advises priests to be cautious when either posting messages or setting up a profile on Facebook. “It is a precautionary measure so that our priests do not get involved in matters the extent of which they do not fully comprehend,” he told Kathimerini. The social networking site is becoming an increasingly popular way for priests to keep in touch with their faithful. “Worshippers often ask to confess their mistakes,” said Father Pavlos, a priest from Thessaloniki who has more than 1,500 Facebook friends. “The distance seems to help and makes young people, especially, feel more comfortable expressing themselves.” From: Kathimerini Flight problems hurt Athens hotels; income target at risk - 21 April, 2010 Hotels in Athens have seen bookings drop sharply over the last few days after an ash cloud from an Icelandic volcano grounded hundreds of flights scheduled to have arrived in Greece, said Yiannis Retsos, president of the Athens-Attica Hotel Association. The latest blow to the tourism sector in Athens may result in a greater-than-expected drop in sector revenues this year, added Retsos. According to the most recent estimates, income in the tourism sector is likely to fall by an annual rate of between 6 and 8 percent. On Monday, Aegean Airlines said that the canceled flights are costing the company up to 600,000 euros per day. Press reports said yesterday that Aegean rival Olympic Air is also losing about 400,000 euros a day due to the disruption in air travel across Europe. Next wave of strike action State hospitals will be operating on emergency staff today as doctors launch a new wave of protests at the government’s austerity measures with a 48-hour strike. Proceedings at the country’s courts will be disrupted too as staff walk off the job for two days. The Communist-affiliated labor union PAME also starts a 48-hour strike today. The serious disruptions will begin tomorrow though, when hundreds of thousands of civil servants are expected to stay home as their union ADEDY stages the latest in a series of 24-hour strikes in protests at salary cuts and tax increases introduced over the past few months as well as a tax law voted through Parliament last week. Government offices and schools will remain closed as will tax offices and state banks. The union has called a protest rally, due to begin at 11 a.m. in Klafthmonos Square. The rally is expected to cause congestion in central Athens, although strike action is not expected to affect public transport. Sea creatures at risk, conservationists warn Conservationists yesterday warned of an increased risk to endangered species such as loggerhead sea turtles (Caretta caretta) and dolphins following the discovery of three dead animals in the Aegean within two days. According to the Institute of Marine and Environmental Research of the Aegean Sea, also known as Archipelagos, a dead turtle and a dead dolphin were found off Samos and another turtle washed up on Kos. The turtles are believed to have been killed by fishermen using dynamite to blast fish to the sea surface. The dolphin had been struck under the eye with a sharp object. A member of Archipelagos, Anastasia Miliou, said those responsible for the deaths could be caught. “The authorities know who the illegal fishermen are but they aren’t doing their job,” she said. Conservationists say there are only about 100 turtles left in the Aegean. Forest fires The armed forces will help to put out forest fires this year, Defense Minister Evangelos Venizelos said yesterday. Two Chinook helicopters and 774 trained soldiers will be at the authorities’ disposal during the summer. This team will also be on hand to help with rescue operations following other natural disasters, Venizelos said. Landfill appeal The Environment and Interior ministries yesterday sent a joint letter to regional and local authorities, asking them to shut down all illegal landfills and replace them with sanitary waste-processing units by July 16. From: Kathimerini European airspace closed due to ash - 19 April, 2010 Europe begins a new working week on Monday with officials hoping to significantly increase flights to half the normal number and the EU discussing how to tackle the 5-day-old air travel crisis caused by volcanic ash. Pressure was building on authorities for a solution because the closure of most of Europe's airspace has cost the airline industry hundreds of millions of dollars, millions of passengers have been stranded, and importers and exporters have been hurt. The crisis has had a knock on effect across the world and its impact on everyday life in Europe has deepened. In Britain, companies reported that staff had been unable to get back from Easter holidays abroad and hospitals said they were canceling some operations because surgeons were stuck far away from home. A senior EU official said the current situation was not sustainable, as airlines called for a review of no-fly decrees after conducting test flights at the weekend without any apparent problems from the ash cloud from an Icelandic volcano. Yesterday, approximately 20 coutnires had closed off their FIR. Difficulties also exist with international flights in Greece. 172 flights were cancelled yesterday to and form Eleftherios Venizelos International Airport in Athens and at least 27 flights were cancelled at Thessaloniki’s Macedonia airport. From: ERT Loss in tourism About 30 charter flights were canceled in the last three days to and from Chania airport because of volcanic ash from Iceland which has covered Europe. It is estimated that approximately 3000 to 3500 passengers, mainly from Scandinavian countries, were unable to come to Chania because the problem has arisen. However, according to the president of the Hoteliers Association of Chania, Nikos Korakas, the damage to the tourism industry is limited, given that we are at the beginning of tourist season and the number of flights is still small. Speaking to "Chaniotika Nea" deputy airport director of Chania, Costas Tsiorou, stressed that the last three days, the air travel affected by the phenomenon of volcanic ash, canceled about 30 flights, most Scandinavian countries were destined for airport "Daskalogiannis" or-some of them, it departed from Chania. Mr. Tsiorou said that according to a first estimate these flights are expected to be grounded around Chania around 3000 to 3500 passengers: "We still continue to affect traffic," said Tsiorou and added: "This has involved the Airspace of almost all of Europe (Germany, France, Britain, Scandinavia, etc.). Consider that every day out at EU level at around 28,000 to 30,000 flights in recent days were just executed from 5000 to 6000 flights. As mentioned, according to latest figures, the cloud is moving east and has covered also Bulgaria, while it is likely to extend to the south nearer to Greece. [...] Translated from: Haniotika Nea FLIGHT DISRUPTION - 17 April, 2010 Several aircraft were grounded at airports around the country as a huge cloud of ash from an Icelandic volcano spread out across Europe, causing visibility problems. Passengers scheduled to travel from Greek airports over the weekend should contact their airline for information about possible changes to their flights. From: Kathimerini German threat - 15 April, 2010 A German economist is planning a legal challenge in Germany’s Federal Constitutional Court against a rescue package for Greece agreed to last weekend by eurozone finance ministers, according to a German press report. Joachim Starbatty, a professor at Tubingen University, was quoted by the Rheinische Post daily as saying the aid package breached the European Union’s Maastricht Treaty. “We will file a suit at the Constitutional Court against the credit from euro states,” the economist was quoted as saying. Starbatty is reportedly being backed by Wilhelm Hankel, who in 1998 appealed to the same court against Germany adopting the euro. From: Kathimerini In case of a tsunami in CHANIA What happens when a strong earthquake and tsunami happen in the historic city of Chania? No one can answer with certainty, if we talk about the summer, as the concentration areas and escape routes are inadequate! The above was highlighted yesterday at a meeting of POSEIDON on "tsunami after a powerful earthquake" with participation of stakeholders in Civil Protection of the 4 prefectures of Crete at the Crisis Centre of the Region of Crete. The program "POSEIDON" funded by the European Union aims to prepare the Civil Protection in dealing with a devastating earthquake and tsunami, through the collaboration between civil protection at local, regional, national and European level. The meeting was to set into motion the actors involved in the events that take place in the exercise scheduled for April 2011. [...] Translated from: Haniotika Nea The weather - 14 April, 2010 Occasional showers and rainstorms are forecast for western, central and northern Greece, with scattered clouds expected over the rest of the country. Winds will be southeasterly at speeds of 4 to 6 Beaufort in the Ionian and east-southeasterly at 3 to 5 Beaufort in the Aegean. Temperatures will range from 5C (41F) to 19C (66F) in the north and 6C (43F) to 23C (73F) elsewhere. OUTLOOK: Many parts of the north can expect occasional showers and rainstorms over the next couple of days, while there will be scattered clouds over central and western regions of Greece. The rest of the country is also likely to see some occasional cloud. Winds will come in from a southeasterly direction at moderate speeds of 4 to 6 Beaufort and temperatures will rise especially in southern parts of Greece. From: Kathimerini
As of today, the Department of Civil Protection of Chania starts a series of informative events on fire protection, just before the start of this year's fire season, beginning on May 1. The first meeting is scheduled for today at 10 am at the Fire Service Chania, with the participation of the Commander of the 1st Fire Station and the Mayors of the Municipalities of Chania, Akrotiri, Sudan, Keramion, Therisou, Eleftherios Venizelos Mousouron N. Kydonia Platanias. The next meeting will be held Friday, April 23 at Kissamos Fire Service at 10 am, with the participation of the Governor's Office Pyrovestikis Kissamos and the Mayors of Kissamos, Mythimna, Voukolion, Kolympari Innahorion, Kantanos Associate Selino, and Pelekanos and the chairman of the Community of Gavdos. The last informational meeting is scheduled for Monday, May 10 at the office of the Board St. Sophia Foundation at Agia Pantes at 10 am, with the participation of the Governor's Fire Service taps and the Mayors of Armeni, Vamos, Krionerida, Fre, Georgioupolis, Sfakia and the chairman of the Community of Assi Gonia. The Deputy Prefect and Head of the Department of Civil Protection of Chania, Charalambos Koukianakis, said "because this year's fire period would be particularly risky, we urge citizens to further raise awareness and to avoid actions or omissions which may cause fire. Also, we proceed in rallying forces for the unified treatment of the events at the former provinces. In this context, three briefings will be held to better organize and prepare to address forest fires during the fire period this year, involving the Fire Service and local authorities. "During these meetings, we aim to give guidance and direction to increase the preparedness and alertness of human resources in civil defense and the relevant bodies," said Mr Koukianakis. He added that: "We are very concerned about the fire period to come. Because the last institutional change in working hours of the fire brigade has created uproar amongst employees, who are always alert and ready. This change significantly reduces the power of Battlegroups shifts so they can not deal with emergency incidents with only 2 or 3 people to watch. " Also, at the last meeting at the Institute of St. Sophia at Agia Pantes, Mr. Koukianakis will be given a fully logistical fire complex in the newly established volunteer group "Apokoronas", worth 17,000 euros. "We believe that this newly established volunteer group will provide patrols throughout the province of Apokoronou during the fire season, an area hitherto not covered by voluntary groups. In doing so this year the volunteer teams scored more organized, to be awarded a respectable amount covering the costs of their traffic ", he said. Finally, Mr. Koukianakis said that the Geographic Information System, located in the District, would help the Fire Service of Chania, supporting a 24-hour readiness. In this direction it will also help to install five cameras in the National Forest of Samaria and to make efforts to integrate the area of the Municipality of East Selino in the Geographical Information System, a region that has undergone multiple events of catastrophic fires. Translated from: Haniotika Nea Museum visits - 13 April, 2010 The number of people who visited Greek museums increased by 41 percent last year compared to 2008 though there were fewer visits to archaeological sites, the National Statistical Service said yesterday. The increase in museum visits to 2.8 million was largely attributed to the opening of the capital’s new Acropolis Museum in Athens, which brought in over 800,000 people. Visits to archaeological sites were slightly less popular than a year earlier, with 5.9 million visits in total, a drop of 4 percent, the service said. 
From: Kathimerini By the City of Souda Souda is calling owners of tourism businesses interested in undertaking voyages and excursions during the current season to the islet of Souda. In a press release it states: "Following the successful efforts for the 4th consecutive year of visits to the island of Souda, where a key role is played by both the Naval Base of Crete and the 28th of Byzantine Antiquities, Souda invites owners of tourist companies involved in the execution of voyages and excursions during the current season to the island to go to Souda, until Friday, April 30, 2010 in order to determine the time schedule of visits and be issued the licenses. For more information, Ms. Hatzidakis Chrysoula - Deputy Mayor Souda Tel 2821341214. Translated from: Haniotika Nea Church thieves - 12 April, 2010 Two men thought to have broken into at least two churches on Crete to steal cash from the collection boxes were caught red-handed while trying to steal from a church in the village of Atsalenio, near Iraklio. Police said on Saturday that the two men, aged 23 and 27, were apprehended breaking into the church. From: Kathimerini Greek man sues Swedish firm over Turkish yoghurt pic - 10 April, 2010 The man whose picture adorns the Turkish yoghurt product, manufactured by Lindahls dairy in Jönköping, argues that the company does not have permission to use his image. He has now sued Lindahls for 50 million kronor ($6.9 million), according to Sveriges Radio (SR) Jönköping.
"I was surprised and I could not believe my eyes. It was a shock to see him there suddenly, someone I know. He didn't like it, he was upset and wondered how it had happened," Athanasios Varzakanos told SR. In his writ the man has underlined that he is not Turkish, he is Greek, and lives in Greece, and the use of his picture is thus misleading both for those who know him and for buyers of the product. Lindahls dairy has expressed surprise at the writ and argues that the image was bought from a picture agency, and as far as they are aware all the rights of the photographer have been respected, SR writes. From: The Local Hidden drugs Police on Crete yesterday detained a 54-year-old man after finding 3.5 kilograms of cannabis hidden in several small barrels in a forest close to his home in the port of Hania. Officers also seized a pair of scales and 500 euros in cash from the suspect who has been detained in the past on drug-related charges and is believed to be a dealer in the area. [...] From: Kathimerini BY Sifi VALYRAKI PASOK's Sifis Valyrakis calls on the Minister of Environment, Energy and Climate Change, Ms Birbilis, with a question tabled in the House of Representatives of Chania for the immediate solution to the problems faced by the Forest Directorate of Chania for the operational readiness of the National Park of Samaria, not later than May 1. Focusing on the problems of the Park, Mr. Valyrakis points out to the minister that they have funded projects for the maintenance of the trail, but ommited to approve any hiring of seasonal staff for the monitoring system of the park, which, although it has been installed, has not worked yet. Further Mr Valyrakis says: There has been poor funding for projects and maintenance of the trail facilities of the National Park (approximately 30,000 euros), which makes it difficult to impossible to function. There is no approved hiring of seasonal staff and the National Park is forced to open, if funded, with just 13 employees, a number far below the organic composition of operation and protection of the area and visitors. There is no guarantee of medical coverage and the Navy NN of Crete, which covers over the years this area, has difficulties because of the small number of medical personnel. The surveillance system of the park with a network of cameras and weather stations, although it is installed, has not worked. Following this, dear Ms. the Minister, we ask for your immediate actions, to eliminate the above problems and to secure the timely opening of the National Park of Samaria, and enable the smooth functioning of its Management. Translated from: Haniotika Nea The weather - 7 April, 2010 Scattered clouds and sporadic showers are forecast for the mainland, the eastern Aegean and Crete, while isolated rainstorms are likely in the afternoon in mountainous regions of the mainland. Winds will be northwesterly, blowing at strong speeds of 5 to 7 Beaufort but gradually easing. Temperatures are expected to range from 3C (37F) to 17C (63F) in the north and from 5C (41F) to 20C (68F) in the rest of the country. OUTLOOK: Generally fair weather is expected to prevail over the next couple of days across the country, although sporadic showers and rainstorms are likely during the afternoon hours on the mainland. Winds will be blowing in from a north-northwesterly direction at moderate speeds of 4 to 6 Beaufort, although stronger gusts can be expected at times in the Aegean. Temperatures are expected to rise slightly over the course of the week. From: Kathimerini
Eight municipalities of Chania submitted objection against the Company that intends to engage almost all the peaks of Crete for the construction of wind parks without the consent of local communities. Yesterday eight Mayors (of Platanias Voukolion, Kantanos Association of Selino, Pelekanos, Innachorio, Platanias and Sfakia) proceeded to drafting a complaint that was filed to the Ministry of Environment, the Region of Crete and the Energy Regulatory Authority. The mayor stressed that the company "C. Sarah" intends to construct around the mountains on the island wind turbines that will produce 1002 MW, when all that Crete produces is 500 MW at present and they spoke clearly to produce electricity to be brought to mainland Greece with a cable. In individual conversations the mayors appeared confident that the company's intention is to claim the tops and then to market licenses of other stakeholders, and noted that there is optimism that the responsible government agencies will not consent to their demands. The meeting of mayors followed a briefing by the RAE, two months after submission of the request on the areas the company wants to claim. "We are opposed to these decisions, we are opposed to licensing approval without the consent of local communities, even in view of the" Kallikrates "for local government," said Mayor Kantanos Mr. Daskalakis. In the same wavelength and the mayor of Voukolies N. Bompolakis stressed that "we are talking about a proposal to the RAE for the production of 1000 MW when all that Crete produces is 500 MW and the worst is that the proposal does not go even to serve the island but to serve the rest of Greece. The municipalities are opposed against this process to be followed and can not go on with these procedures. The complaint will be sent in the coming days to the relevant bodies mentioned by the mayor of East Selino Mr. Papaderos, filing that "in the text we are opposed to wind energy applications for 1002 MW in Crete and transfer all that power to Athens by cable without anything to remain on the island. We are not opposed to electricity production from renewable sources. But we are opposed to such investments when they are organized without any coordination with the residents on the property and the municipalities. The municipalities should have the first say in these investments and above all producing electricity from RES in Crete should be in our own interest." Translated from: Haniotika Nea
A young man from the Panaghia Erithiani Church congregation launches homemade fireworks during an Easter celebration in the village of Vrontado on Chios on Saturday night. In what is a tradition that is though to date back to the Ottoman occupation of the island, two congregations aim the fireworks at each other’s church. Three people were killed and four injured in accidents involving fireworks during the Easter weekend, when it is a tradition for pyrotechnic displays to accompany church services marking the resurrection of Christ. A 17-year-old man was killed on Crete, a 21-year-old on Santorini and a 25-year-old in the Peloponnesian prefecture of Messenia. The 17-year-old died in the village of Voroi near Iraklio while constructing a homemade firework with a friend on Sunday. He lost a hand in the blast and had died by the time he was taken to the hospital. The 21-year-old died in an explosion on Saturday night while he was making fireworks with a friend in a warehouse in Karterado. The other man suffered eye injuries. A 28-year-old in the Santorini village of Firostefani also suffered serious injuries to one of his hands while making fireworks, known locally as “balafouma.” In Messenia, the 25-year-old from the village of Moschohori was transporting balloons containing oxygen that were due to be exploded in place of fireworks on Saturday night but they went off in his car and the unnamed man burned to death. A 16-year-old from the village of Nenita on Chios lost one of his thumbs and three fingertips when a homemade firework exploded in his hand on Saturday afternoon. The northern Aegean island is known for the Easter tradition of the “rocket war” which involves locals from two congregations in the village of Vrontado aiming fireworks at each other’s church with the aim of hitting the bell tower. It is estimated that about 65,000 fireworks were used on Saturday night. A 16-year-old also broke two fingers in Argos, the Peloponnese, when a firecracker exploded in his hand. Mosque targeted Police on Crete have been examining the remnants of a homemade bomb that detonated early on Friday outside a Muslim cultural center in the prefecture of Iraklio, causing minor damage but no injuries. Officers recovered the remains of a gas canister outside the center, used as a mosque by local Muslims. In a separate development, police found another homemade bomb outside the town hall in Arkalohori. The device, comprising 5.5 kilograms of explosives and two detonators, was deactivated. Hotels hang ‘For sale’ signs More than 400 hotels across Greece, mostly small to medium-size operations, have put up ‘For sale’ signs under pressure from the economic crisis. According to data collected from real estate agents and classifieds for the first five months of the year, the owners of 406 hotels are looking for a buyer for their business. The hotels are located in tourism-oriented parts of the country, such as Rhodes, Corfu, Halkidiki, Crete and Kos. A breakdown of figures shows that out of the 81 hotels up for sale in the Ionian region, 49 are on Corfu, 15 on Zakynthos, 12 on Cephalonia and five on Lefkada. The larger hotels up for sale are mostly in the broader Athens area. The total amount being asked for the operations reaches 2.4 billion euros. However, industry sources believe that the figure is much higher, around 5 billion euros, after taking into account hotels for sale that are not being advertised. With the Greek economy entering its second year of recession in 2010, income in the tourism sector is seen playing a crucial role in determining the extent of the downturn. Nikos Angelopoulos, president of the Association of Hellenic Tourism Enterprises (SETE), told Kathimerini in an interview that visitors are expected to spend less this summer than they did last year, resulting in a drop in revenue for the sector. “The global economic crisis and the trend in recent years for Europeans to book late have formed a blurry picture which doesn’t leave much room for safe predictions,” he said. From: Kathimerini
The Greek Orthodox patriarch of Jerusalem, Metropolitan Theophilos III (center), sprinkles holy water on worshippers yesterday after the traditional washing of the feet ceremony outside the Church of the Holy Sepulcher in Jerusalem’s Old City. Every Easter, thousands of Orthodox faithful visit the church, believed to mark the spot where Jesus Christ was crucified and buried. On Easter Saturday the ‘Holy Fire’ is passed among candle-bearing worshippers outside the church before going aboard special flights to Athens and other cities. From: Kathimerini In Chania "With airplanes and steamers, thousands of visitors arrived in Chania to spend the holy days of Easter. On Holy Monday until noon yesterday, according to data from the Port Authority and the International Airport "J. Daskalogiannis" in Hania had arrived 12,700 visitors. The arrival of visitors is approximately at the same level as last year, many of which are hosted by relatives and friends. At the same time the hoteliers of the county do not hide their concern and anxiety as well, because in spite of the arrivals reservations are reduced by 10-15% and that is why many hotels this year in Chania are not opened. [...] SPECIAL PROGRAM The Special Development Programme Greece - Green Development, with a total budget of 120 million euros, will be presented Wednesday, April 7 at 6 pm in the crisis room of the Region of Crete at Koundourioti Square, by the Deputy Minister of Economy, Competitiveness and the Sea by Stavros Arnaoutaki and Secretary General of the Region of Crete Athanasios Karountzo. It was announced by the Region of Crete that the program "aims at sustainable and green development in mountainous and disadvantaged areas of Crete through actions designed to enhance the quality of life for residents, strengthening the local economy, to achieve ecological balance and enhance the prospects for welfare of the population of the area. The main lines of activity and key steps include actions to upgrade basic infrastructure and social services, regeneration and creation of attractive villages, protection and enhancement of natural environment, exploitation of cultural heritage, promotion of sustainable tourism activities, support of rural networks and structures supporting local bodies and residents. The area of intervention of the program for municipal districts labeled more or less 'mountainous' is in accordance with Directive 85/148/EOK for particular municipalities, and consists of 331 apartments in 62 municipalities of Crete. The total acreage is 4.985,30 km2 representing 59.8% of the area of Crete, while according to the 2001 census 153,557 inhabitants are listed, which represents 25.5% of the total actual population of the island. Translated from: Haniotika Nea Stressful time for businesses - 2 April, 2010 The country’s growing economic problems have resulted in Greek business owners ranking among the most highly stressed in the world, according to a research survey taken in 36 countries. A Grant Thornton International Business Report ranked Greece in fifth place on a list assessing rising stress levels for business owners, with 68 percent saying that they have more anxiety than they did a year ago. China took first place, where 76 percent of business leaders said their stress has increased, with Mexico holding the second position, followed by Turkey and Vietnam respectively. “In mainland China, the pressure is on to keep up with the pace of expansion, while in Ireland, for example, the economy is retracting and business owners are worried about how they will keep their business alive,” said Alex MacBeath, global leader of business services at Grant Thornton International. Stress levels were lowest in Sweden and Denmark. Questioned about the source of their problems, business owners pointed to the economic climate, low cash flow and competitors. From: Kathimerini
The Easter celebration feast this year is likely to set consumers back more this year, even though many retailers have said they will absorb the cost of recent tax hikes, consumer group KEPKA said yesterday. The average cost of a meal for eight to 10 people is expected to range between 85.97 and 157.51 euros this year, depending on the quality of the products chosen, KEPKA said. This represents a price variance from last year’s levels ranging from -0.33 percent to +2.29 percent. ‘Despite the announcements from professional producers that they will absorb the increase in value-added tax, we see that some of them have slowly increased their prices, showing their indifference toward the fact that this year’s Easter festivities will be exceptionally difficult due to the economic crisis,’ it said. Vengeful son A 14-year-old boy shot dead his 39-year-old stepfather while the latter was sleeping in their home in Siteia, eastern Crete, police said. According to police, the teenager had been upset after his stepfather scolded him the night before. It was unclear whether the boy would face reduced charges due to his age. From: Kathimerini Greeks among EU’s least sporty, poll shows - 30 March, 2010 Greeks are among the least athletic citizens in the entire 27-nation European Union along with the Italians and Bulgarians, according to a Eurobarometer poll whose results were made public yesterday. Only 3 percent of Greek respondents said they exercised regularly, the same percentage as their Italian and Bulgarian counterparts. Nearly seven in 10 (67 percent) of Greeks declared that they never worked out, making them more slothful than the Bulgarians (58 percent) and the Portuguese and Italians (with 55 percent) and well above the EU average of 39 percent. According to the poll, the Swedes and the Finns are the most sporty EU citizens with only 6 percent and 7 percent respectively claiming never to exercise. Of the Greek respondents questioned for the Eurobarometer poll, only 13 percent claimed to be members of a gym or sports club, well below the EU average of 25 percent. No Easter ‘gift,’ no extra hike The country’s taxi drivers will not be adding the 1-euro surcharge – or “gift” – that they traditionally add to fares over the Easter period this year after yesterday’s decision by the Transport Ministry to approve a proposal by the Panhellenic Federation of Taxi Drivers to express “solidarity with passengers who have been hit by the economic crisis.” Transport Minister Dimitris Reppas also announced that the third in a series of incremental taxi fare hikes, due to come into effect in May, will not be implemented. From: Kathimerini RENOVATION OF TRADE CENTER Paleochora is changing its face by redeveloping its commercial center, which is expected to be completed in May. City and local residents speak of the work as "necessary for the region, and giving perspective to tourism development, with the latter, however, point out that everyone wanted to have the work completed in the winter season. "The project is funded by the "Theseus" of local government to the extent of 1.2 million. It is in three phases. The first is at the fork in the road that goes to Istron to the church, the second is the section to the pier, plus close the center and the third part reaches down to the entrance of Paleochora, "said Mayor of Pelekanos Mr. George Zouridakis. He says that despite any problems when the project is ready in mid May, "Paleochora is another city, and will not be recognized. We are worthy of the most beautiful spots on the south coast of Crete and deserve to have this regeneration. [...] Translated from: Haniotika Nea Holiday hours - 29 March, 2010 Stores will be operating on an extended Easter timetable as of today. Up to and including Thursday of Holy Week, shops will be open from 9 a.m. to 9 p.m. On Good Friday, they will be open from 1 to 7 p.m. and on Easter Saturday they will be open from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. Shops will be closed all day on the Monday after Easter. From: Kathimerini PAUL GEROULANOS: Tourism is intimately connected with the culture of a place. That said the Minister of Culture and Tourism Paul Geroulanos during the tour along antiquities of Chania, right after the events to commemorate the anniversary of March 25, 1821. At the same time, the Director General of Antiquities of the Ministry of Culture, Maria Vlazaki, noted that that she hopes that soon a new Archaeological Museum of Hania will be announced. Ms Vlazaki informed the Minister of Culture for the space and storage problems faced by the museum during the construction of the new Archaeological Museum of studies which are in the process of maturity. "There are many problems with the building and also we do not have stores so we do not have nowhere to store the findings," said Mrs Vlazaki. Culture Minister stressed the need for promotion of the collections that exist in this and showed particular interest in new discoveries recently made in Chania: "The Archaeological Museum of Chania is a beautiful building, but clearly the collections could prove much more to the museum to contribute to what we want to achieve: growth in the region. [...] CULTURE AND TOURISM Mr. Geroulanos said: "Wherever I travel recently, for tourism in particular, around the world people are asking about new excavations carried out in Greece, with great interest for general developments in the field of culture in our country. This confirms that our tourism, but in general the development of a region, is fully connected to its culture. A typical example are the Swedish excavations at St. Catherine's Square, which has become an example, has been assessed as it deserves from the local community and has contributed to a greater interest in the city of Chania. Such practice is what will develop in this region and in Greece in general. For this year's season Mr. Geroulanos appeared cautiously optimistic, and specifically stated: "We don't want to make even an estimate because the signals are still too fluid and not stop the bad press in the international press for Greece, which is not very flattering . We are concerned that this may create problems. However we have a cautious optimism, because many of the messages we get are positive though we hope we will maintain the best tourist season like the one last year. Finally, the Minister of Culture said the effort is to promote the country's tourism product. "We continue our effort even if we fight with few resources. But we use what we hold as interest in cultural events in Greece in order to attract people into our country and of course in Crete, "he said. Translated from: Haniotika Nea Public servants playing hooky Spot checks by Interior Ministry inspectors at public services yesterday revealed that a large number of civil servants had taken the day off without permission despite previous warnings not to do so. It is common practice for some bureaucrats not to go to work on a Friday if the previous day is a public holiday, as occurred this week, so Interior Minister Yiannis Ragousis had sent a circular to all public departments warning that such absences would only be allowed if leave had been requested. However, sources said that staff were missing from a number of government departments and public services, including the ETHEL bus company, without permission. As a result, Ragousis asked for the department heads to supply him a list by 2 p.m. yesterday with the names of all the people who had extended their break without permission. It was not clear what action would be taken but the ministry said that it would continue with such inspections in the future. Gripes about state services up by a third The financial crisis has aggravated chronic problems in state services, according to the Ombudsman which said that complaints lodged by citizens – chiefly regarding the health service and the social security system – increased by more than a third last year. A total of 13,433 people submitted complaints to the watchdog last year, up 36 percent from 2008 and the highest number since the institution was founded in 1997. “Client-patron relations, corruption and a lack of transparency are harming social cohesion and holding the country back,” Ombudsman Giorgos Kaminis said. According to Kaminis, many of the complaints relate to bureaucratic procedures and understaffing of insurance funds. Another popular gripe is about the health service with thousands expressing exasperation over red tape and lack of organization. From: Kathimerini Boost for Greek unit at King’s - 26 March, 2010 London’s prestigious King’s College yesterday announced plans to boost its Center for Hellenic Studies by broadening the scope of its activities to include teaching as well as research, revoking an initial decision to “downsize” Greek studies after thousands signed a protest petition. The original plan, made public last month, was to radically scale down the college’s Department of Byzantine and Modern Greek Studies due to cuts in state funding for education. The plans prompted thousands of students and professors from the field to sign a petition in protest and the issue was raised in the British and European parliaments. According to the new, revised plan, the college’s Center for Hellenic Studies will incorporate the threatened Department of Byzantine and Modern Greek Studies by the launch of the new academic year. In a press release issued yesterday, college principal Rick Trainor noted, “The study of the Greek world from prehistory to the present day is a distinctive feature of what we do at King’s and the relaunch of the Center for Hellenic Studies demonstrates our continuing commitment to the subject.” “I am particularly pleased to be able to make this announcement on Greek Independence Day,” he added. Professor Emeritus Dame Averil Cameron, the center’s founding director and president of the International Federation of Associations of Classical Studies (FIEC), described the development as “deeply encouraging.” “I know that the news will be warmly received all over the world where Hellenic studies is studied and valued,” she said. Professor Roderick Beaton, Koraes professor of modern Greek and Byzantine history, language and literature, hailed King’s for devising “a bold and principled way of reaffirming its historic responsibility for a specialist subject-area in which the college has long excelled, now that the UK government, sadly, no longer provides central support for ‘minority’ subjects.” Gas station owners threaten to strike over price ceiling Gasoline station owners on Crete and in the Dodecanese as well as the prefectures of Thesprotia, Fokida and Preveza in eastern Greece are threatening strike action next week unless the government suspends the ceiling imposed on fuel prices in those areas. The Greek Federation of Gasoline Station Owners (OBE) is against a ceiling on retail prices alone but would favor one that applies to all stages of fuel distribution, from refineries to trading and retailing. The strike is threatening to cause problems for motorists during Holy Week, when large numbers of urban dwellers travel to their villages for the holidays. From: Kathimerini RAF display planes collide - 24 March, 2010 Two jets from the British Royal Air Force’s Red Arrows aerobatics team collided over the island of Crete in the southern Aegean during a training exercise yesterday, resulting in the injury of one of the pilots. It is believed the Hawk jets clipped their wings while attempting an aerial maneuver over Kastelli air force base, near the port of The remaining jets in the squadron landed safely at Iraklio Airport, some 35 kilometers from the Kastelli base. There was no official statement on the cause of the collision. But defense officials said the display team – known for its breathtaking formations and trademark red, white and blue vapor trails – had been trying out new formations. From: Kathimerini Crete brawl - 20 March, 2010 Three Cretans were in an Iraklio hospital yesterday following a financial dispute between members of rival families, police said. A total of six people had been involved in the brawl, which culminated in several knives being drawn, according to police, who detained five of them. The sixth suspect eluded arrest. Cretan pupils posed online with Nazi signs Cretan teachers are spearheading an anti-racism drive after photographs uploaded onto the social networking site Facebook showed pupils from a secondary school in Akrotiri posing under symbols of far-right organizations. According to Dimitris Loupasakis, the head of the school in Hania prefecture, the discovery came months after rumors emerged of far-right “cells” in schools. “It’s a phenomenon that is spreading,” Loupasakis said, adding that primary schools were being targeted too “as younger children are politically naive.” Teachers asked pupils if they had been approached by individuals preaching extremism, prompting local far-right groups to write a blog entry accusing schools of persecuting children with nationalist leanings. Hania has been the scene of many far-right attacks this year, including the vandalization of a synagogue and an assault on a teacher, who had a swastika scratched into her hand. From: Kathimerini The weather - 19 March, 2010 Fair weather is forecast across the country, with patches of cloud in the Ionian and on the mainland. Winds will be variable at light to moderate speeds across the country, while the southern Aegean can expect north-northwesterlies at 3 to 5 Beaufort. Temperatures are expected to range from a low of -2C (28F) to a high of 17C (63F) in the north, from 0C (32F) to 20C (68F) on the mainland and from 6C (43F) to 19C (66F) on the islands. OUTLOOK: Sunny skies and climbing temperatures are expected over the next couple of days across the country as spring makes its presense felt, though patches of cloud will develop later on in the afternoons, especially in western parts of Greece. Winds will be variable, at light to moderate speeds of 3 to 4 Beaufort, while temperatures are expected to rise further in most parts of the country toward the end of the week. From: Kathimerini IN ONE MONTH Competition returns on the ferry line Souda - Piraeus after the decision of the company Blue Star Ferries to launch a fast ferry from next April. This development is expected to reinvigorate domestic tourism - especially the weekend - which had declined substantially following the departure of the company from the line before 2 years, while prices are expected to fall to the benefit of consumers. The board of Blue Star Ferries will launch routes Souda - Piraeus / Piraeus - Souda Bay on April 23 and the trip will last approximately 6 hours. The departure from Piraeus to Chania will be at 2.45 noon and from Chania to Piraeus, the ship sails at 11 pm. To make even that - according to information - the company is to receive from Japan two new ships this June and Blue Star Ferries may launch even faster boats on the line. Translated from: Haniotika Nea Taxis, gas station owners join action - 18 March, 2010 There will be no taxis serving the capital today and gas stations will be closed in the latest spate of strike action in protest at the government’s austerity measures. Taxi drivers object to plans to make them issue receipts, keep account books and pay tax according to their income, despite the government’s decision to postpone until 2011 the implementation of these measures, originally planned to take effect immediately. Cabbies staged two 24-hour strikes last month and have pledged to continue their action until the government satisfies their demands. Gas station owners, also on strike today, are protesting plans obliging them to install cash registers and also object to increases in fuel tax. Some petrol station owners claim that the fuel hikes have prompted countless Greek motorists to cross the border into Bulgaria to fill up on cheaper fuel. The gas station owners have also threatened rolling strikes. Continuing action by employees of the Public Power Corporation caused brief electricity shortages in parts of Attica and elsewhere yesterday. The PPC employees are protesting a freeze on scheduled hirings as well as bonus and holiday pay reductions. Ongoing work stoppages by doctors yesterday led to an increasing number of state hospitals operating on emergency staff. Unionists said they were planning to scale up their action after Health Minister Mariliza Xenogiannakopoulou failed to satisfy their demands for immediate disbursement of outstanding pay for additional duty hours worked by doctors. Tomorrow there will be no news or live programs on any radio stations as technicians stage their own strike over planned changes to their collective work contract. Medicines bill to be slashed There will be a clampdown on the state-funded medicines available to Greeks through the social insurance system, the government said yesterday, as it wants to slash by some 30 percent the 5.1 billion euros that were spent on drugs last year. PASOK intends to reintroduce a list of approved medicines, scrapped by the previous New Democracy government, to try to rein in state spending. For a medicine to be entered on the list, the pharmaceutical company will have to agree to pay a 3 percent rebate on what it earns each year and the drug will have to be included on a list in another European country. The measures were proposed at a public health conference by PASOK MP Elias Mossialos, who is also a health policy professor at the London School of Economics. He said that in 2009, Greece spend a total of 9.2 billion euros on drugs and related items whereas Spain, which has a population almost five times as big, spent 12 billion euros. From: Kathimerini Farming shortfalls 17 March, 2010 The European Commission has asked Greece to return 132.3 million euros in farming subsidies after detecting shortfalls in quality inspections and growth programs in the agriculture sector, it emerged yesterday. The decision, which comes at the worst possible time for the debt-ridden government, was issued after EC officials reported inadequate inspections on cotton farming and a lack of initiatives to spur growth in the broader sector. Taxi strike There will be no taxis serving the capital and other major Greek cities tomorrow as cabbies stage a 24-hour strike. Taxi drivers object to government plans to make them issue receipts, keep account books and pay tax according to their income. The cabbies are protesting despite the government's decision to postpone the implementation of these measures, originally planned to take effect immediately, until 2011. Under the current system, drivers pay just over 1,200 euros in tax each year, regardless of what they earn. Cabbies staged two 24-hour strikes last month and have pledged to continue their action until the government satisfies their demands. From: Kathimerini Arms imports - 16 March, 2010 Greece ranks fifth in the world in terms of the volume of its arms imports, according to a report made public yesterday by the Stockholm International Peace Research Institute (SIPRI), a think tank. China and India top the list of arms imports, according to the report, which notes that the US and Russia were responsible for more than half of all weapons’ exports in the period between 2005 and 2009. During the same period, global weapons sales increased by 22 percent. Greece spends an estimated 4 percent of gross domestic product on defense. From: Kathimerini VAT hike - 15 March, 2010 The increase in value-added tax from 19 to 21 percent, one of a series of new austerity measures approved in Parliament last week, is to come into effect today, bumping up the price of food, fuel, utility bills and various services. The price of toll fees on the national road network increased at midnight yesterday. At the Afidnes junction in northern Attica, the new toll fee for motorists will be 1.90 euros, at Thebes 2.30 euros and at Tragana 2.20 euros. Toll fees on the Attiki Odos ring roadwill not change. Power cuts? A 48-hour strike by employees at the Public Power Corporation, due to begin tomorrow morning, is likely to result in electricity shortages in many parts of the country. The workers, who are to meet at the end of the scheduled strike late on Wednesday to plan further action, object to austerity measures that trim their bonuses and holiday pay and have accused the government of «unfair, disastrous and absurd policies.» OA law to cost 1.3 billion euros It will cost the cash-strapped government some 1.3 billion euros to make good on settlements to thousands of laid-off employees of the former state-carrier Olympic Air, in accordance with a law introduced by the previous conservative administration, Kathimerini has learned. The sum accounts for about a quarter of the 5 billion euros the government aims to raise with the raft of austerity measures it voted through Parliament last week. The law, which foresees early retirement for hundreds of former OA employees, is expected to cost insurance funds alone some 650 million euros, according to the General Accounting Office, which calculates and dispenses civil servants' pensions. The office has been under occupation for nearly two weeks by former airline staff who are demanding that the government make good on the provisions of its predecessor's law. The ex-OA employees launched their action early last month, when government officials indicated that the legislation was considered invalid, as it listed employees who should not have been included. The controversial law foresees, among other things, the granting of full pensions to all former OA flight attendants and ground staff on the condition of their having completed at least 7,500 days of insured work, irrespective of their age. This means that hundreds will retire with full pensions aged as young as 48. Another provision that would prove costly to the state allows former OA staff who have been transferred to other positions in the civil service to keep receiving the same wage they had when working at the carrier. From: Kathimerini Firms promise to bear cost of VAT hike - 13 March, 2010 One after the other, local companies are announcing that they will not pass on to consumers the increase in value-added tax effective as of Monday, March 15. The latest company was listed food retailer Grigoris, following similar announcements from MEGA personal hygiene products, food company Chiquita Hellas and supermarket chains Lidl, Aldi and Carrefour. Last Monday the National Confederation of Hellenic Commerce (ESEE) had asked its members to take this step in order to lighten the burden on consumers, with traders expecting turnover this year to drop by 8.3 billion euros due to the decrease in income of the middle and lower classes. From: Kathimerini IN AREAS OF THE MUNICIPALITY OF CHANIA A major problem of pollution is identified locally on the pipeline carrying the water in the sea area of Paleochora and in ports in the region. However, due to natural diffusion of water, the problem seems to disappear a few steps farther, and especially in areas Thick Sand and Gravel. These are research data presented yesterday in the pre-conference event on "Protection of Coastal Areas" held Annex West Crete of the Technical Chamber of Greece, Professor of TEI Crete George Stavroulakis. Mr. Pitaridakis stressed that coastal areas subjected to continuous pressure, such as the degradation of coastal resources, the depletion of water resources, accelerating erosion and accumulation of pollution. "These pressures - as noted - include: - In development projects lack sustainability parameters and can be a threat to the coastal environment, colonization of open spaces for recreation and tourism. Mr. Pitaridakis stressed that even though our country has signed and ratified in 2008 the "Protocol Integrated Coastal Zone Management" of the Barcelona Convention so far there has been no attempt to set specific objectives and commitment and measures to be implemented in timetables to improve the situation: "We therefore urge the state to integrate and refine all the above in the planning frameworks and specific framework for coastal and island area pending, as TBT will assist in every way to that." Translated from: Haniotika Nea Strike to paralyze services again - 10 March, 2010 A general strike tomorrow by workers protesting the government’s new austerity measures is expected to ground planes and seriously disrupt public services and transport in the capital. The 24-hour strike, the latest in a series of protests called by the civil servants’ union, ADEDY, and the country’s umbrella labor union, GSEE, has been organized as a reaction to tax increases and reductions in holiday pay in the public sector that were voted through Parliament last Friday. As on February 10 and 24 when similar strikes were staged, services will be scant and the capital will be inaccessible for much of the day as three protest rallies are planned. Public transport will be crippled with no services on the metro, buses, trolley buses, tram, railway and suburban railway. Only the Kifissia-Piraeus electric railway (ISAP) will be operating between 10 a.m. and 4 p.m. All flights, incoming and outgoing, will be postponed as air-traffic controllers walk off the job. Ferries will remain moored at ports across the country as seamen join the action. Schools and tax offices will close and hospitals will operate with emergency staff. Courts will also be closed as lawyers and clerks stay at home. Meanwhile the piles of trash on the streets are expected to grow as landfill staff continue their protest action. [...] From: Kathimerini
A yellow smog of desert dust engulfs the capital - 9 March, 2010 The normally spectacular view of the Acropolis from Mount Lycabettus was yesterday distinctly muted after a yellow-tinted smog engulfed the capital. Meteorologists blamed the smog on Sahara Desert dust that has been blowing in the direction of the eastern Mediterranean over the past few weeks and which was the cause of muddy rain which fell across the capital late on Sunday, leaving a residue on cars and window panes.
The Greek word for ‘good morning’ is the new motto of the Greek National Tourism Organization’s campaign, unveiled yesterday by Deputy Minister for Tourism Angela Gerekou. The 2010 campaign will be based on the template of previous years, somewhat refreshed, along with the addition of the well-known greeting in the country’s language. Gerekou admitted that this solution was chosen in order to cut costs. She added that promotion of Greek tourism will increase on the Internet and noted the renewed website for Greek tourism on www.visitgreece.gr. ‘Greece’s presence on websites has multiplied from previous years,’ Gerekou said, suggesting that funds for the country’s promotion this year exceed 12 million euros. From: Kathimerini TAX STRIKE - 8 March, 2010 Tax officials are staging a 48-hour strike starting today in protest at the cuts to their salaries that the government is imposing as part of its efforts to reduce public spending. They will also be demanding the hiring of more personnel. Judicial officials are also staging a three-hour work stoppage today. From: Kathimerini Chania Hospital The "critical" condition of the Hospital of Chania, and the non-filling of vacant posts in recent years has compound the problems of operation of the institution. The gaps reach 40% in hospital and 35% of medical staff on permanent positions. Patients have to go to private centers for dialysis. Infants are admitted to Heraklion. The Infant Unit that was opened after years of efforts is likely to close. Other units have not yet opened. Lives are at risk every day. The staff made heroic efforts to help patients. The state, however, seems indifferent. At the same time the contracts of employees on stage and contract covering positions in laboratories, administration and nursing, are ended, adding even more problems. WORST ... Translated from: Haniotika Nea Greeks detect more equality - 6 March, 2010 More than any other Europeans, Greeks believe that there has been real progress over the last decade in fighting inequality between men and women but they also encounter sexual stereotypes more often than the average European, according to a survey made public yesterday. The opinion poll carried out by Eurostat, the European Union’s statistical arm, indicated that nine in 10 Greeks believe great strides have been made over the last 10 years to ensure that women are on an equal footing with men. This compares to an average of six in 10 across the EU. However, 67 percent of Greeks say they come across sexual stereotyping in their workplace regularly, while the EU average stands at 54 percent. Greeks are also above the European average (56 percent compared to 41 percent) when it comes to believing that there needs to be better state care for children and the elderly, so women can spend less time looking after them. From: Kathimerini Crisis as midwife - 5 March, 2010 The crisis in Greece reflects the collapse of an entire economic growth model, one characterized by waste, illegality, a lack of accountability and a mentality that pervades all of society. Nevertheless, the Greek saying that “a fish begins to stink from the head” in no way absolves society. Longstanding relations of clientelism between the state and citizens have created a climate of guilty tolerance on both sides. The political system buys the people’s tolerance of its incompetence and sins by in turn putting up with widespread corruption among public servants, tax evasion and other forms of illegality. It is a system that has corroded values and killed the country’s growth potential. In order to demand respect for its laws, a political system must first be credible itself, and the fact that crimes are not only tolerated but sometimes even encouraged, has led to an avoidance of social responsibility that negates the rule of law and undermines any chance of overcoming the crisis. This does not mean that everyone is to blame. There are those who have not participated in this free-for-all, some as a matter of principle, most because of a lack of opportunity. But even those who have taken part do not bear the same responsiblity as those in power. In other countries that have found themselves in a similar position, ruling political elites have been brought down. Even in Turkey, three of the four main parties found themselves outside Parliament in the economic crisis of 2002. At this point, Greece not only needs another economic policy but also new political tools, another way of being governed. The crisis could and should function as a midwife for a new, healthier, more productive model of growth and development, but that won’t happen on its own. Yet the political system that led the country to the brink has neither the morals nor the political credibility to act. It is the corrupt ruling class that has embezzled the lion’s share of the fortune now being presented as a gigantic public debt. From: Kathimerini Coastal shipping fares set to increase after VAT hike - 4 March, 2010 Coastal shipping fares are certain to rise for passengers, vehicles and goods after the emergency measures announced by the government yesterday. The rise in value-added tax from 9 to 10 percent and from 19 to 21 percent will have a direct impact on fares, translating into an immediate 1 to 2 percent hike in passenger tickets and a 2 percent rise in rates for goods and vehicles. It will also mean a rise in the cost of services provided on board ships, which includes the cost of products on sale and consumed in bars and restaurants on vessels. Coastal shipping companies have also decided to temporarily stop some of their itineraries, such as some services linking Piraeus with Iraklio in Crete, given that they will be facing higher charges, including the rise in the cost of fuel by some 60 percent from last year. From: Kathimerini Living on borrowed time - 3 March, 2010 As the government prepares to announce a new raft of austerity measures today in order to curb its bloated budget deficit and reassure global markets, Prime Minister George Papandreou issued his most dramatic appeal yet for understanding from politicians and citizens alike for the extreme action necessary to get the Greek economy back on its feet. “We are in a race against time to keep our economy alive,” Papandreou told a briefing of his Socialist party’s parliamentary group late yesterday. “If we don’t ensure that we can borrow at the same rates [as other EU member states], the consequences will be beyond catastrophic,” he said. The new measures, which come on top of the wage freezes and tax increases heralded in the government’s original crisis plan, are to be announced after today’s Cabinet meeting. They could include a 2 percent increase in value-added tax, which now stands at 19 percent, a further hike in fuel tax and a new tax on luxury goods. Also on the cards is the abolition or reduction of the so-called 14th salary – one of two additional wages given to public sector workers. Government officials yesterday avoided commenting on the fate of the 14th salary – a full wage paid at Christmas time and with great symbolic value – but speculation raged in the media about its abolition. It was cited as the main pretext for a new 24-hour strike called for March 16 by the civil servants’ union, ADEDY. Papandreou played down its significance in a speech before PASOK’s parliamentary group. “If we behave irresponsibly, we face the risk of being unable to pay not only the 14th salary but the 6th salary and pensions, too,” the premier said. “This might sound like a nightmare scenario but it’s true,” he added. Earlier yesterday, Government Spokesman Giorgos Petalotis said it was “common knowledge” that the average Greek recognizes the critical nature of the current situation and is prepared to make sacrifices, on two conditions: “Firstly, that those who have always avoided paying pay this time, and secondly that there is light at the end of the tunnel.” Survey finds graft is thriving Corruption is thriving in Greece’s public and private sectors, with staff at hospitals, tax offices and town-planning offices among the worst offenders, Transparency International’s Greek office said yesterday. Bribes paid to Greek officials last year rose by 50 million euros to 790 million euros, the corruption watchdog said, noting that the bulk of the increase was due to illicit transactions in the private sector. In the state sector, the usual suspects topped the chart. According to a survey of 6,122 people carried out for TI’s Greek office by polling firm Public Issue, hospitals accounted for 33.5 percent of bribes taken, with tax offices and local authority services accounting for 15.7 and 15.9 percent, respectively. Banks and lawyers are next on the list with 10.8 percent and 9 percent of cases. In the state sector, the average bribe was 1,355 euros and in the private sector 1,671 euros, according to the survey. The head of TI’s Athens office, Costas Bakouris, said the report also showed that the overwhelming majority (98 percent) of Greeks believed the implementation of existing laws is the best way to crack down on graft. A similarly large majority (96 percent) wants to see bribe-takers punished. According to Bakouris, the problem is not the lack of legal provisions for curbing corruption but the nonimplementation of existing ones. “The problem is lax and sometimes selective implementation,” he said. Bakouris and Public Issue Director Yiannis Mavris both said that Greece’s financial crisis is closely linked to graft. “It is a problem with very deep roots,” Mavris said. Last November, Greece was ranked at the bottom of a list of the 27 member states of the European Union on TI’s Corruption Perceptions Index for 2008. The index awarded Greece a score of 3.8, where 10 is highly clean and 0 is highly corrupt. The rating was equal to that of Bulgaria and Romania, and below non-EU countries such as Botswana and Tunisia. From: Kathimerini School blackboards facing expulsion - 2 March, 2010 Old-fashioned blackboards will soon be a thing of the past at Greek schools, according to measures due to be announced today by the government aimed at improving the teaching environment for the country’s youngsters. Sources said that one of the proposals that will be announced by Education Minister Anna Diamantopoulou will be the introduction of interactive whiteboards (wall-mounted displays which connect to a computer or projector) in schools. The practice of classes focusing on a single textbook will also change as Diamantopoulou wants children to be encouraged to use other sources, such as the Internet. Pupils will additionally receive more intensive schooling in information technology and foreign languages. There will also be an emphasis on youngsters being encouraged to develop critical thinking as opposed to rote learning. From: Kathimerini The weather - 1 March, 2010 Generally unseasonably warm and sunny conditions are forecast tomorrow across the country, with some scattered clouds which are expected to be thicker in the north. The mainland is likely to see morning fog. Winds will be southwesterly, at light to moderate speeds of 3 to 5 Beaufort, with temperatures ranging from a low of 3C (37F) to a high of 20C (68F) in the north and from 5C (41F) to 23C (73F) elsewhere. OUTLOOK: There is a possibility of localized showers over the next few days in the north and by nightfall in northern Thessaly with clouds elsewhere across the country. Winds will be northwesterly at 3 to 4 Beaufort, reaching 5 to 6 Beaufort in the west and north, along with a slight drop in temperatures. Wednesday will see short periods of rain in the west, central Greece and in the north, with northerly winds, 3 to 5 Beaufort, reaching 6 to 7 Beaufort in the south before easing. Temperatures will also drop across the country. From: Kathimerini Youths mark Cretan teacher with swastikas - 27 February, 2010 Police on Crete yesterday were seeking the two men who carved swastika symbols on the arm of a 27-year-old teacher on Wednesday night – the latest in a string of racist crimes on the island in the past two months. The woman was attacked while getting into her car in the Halepa suburb of Hania by two masked youths who used a razor blade to carve two Nazi symbols onto the skin of her left arm and another three on her jacket sleeve. Police said they believe the perpetrators had targeted her as she had been offering Greek language lessons to the children of immigrants. Nikos Tzaras, a spokesman for the Cretan Migrant Forum condemned the attack as “barbaric and cowardly” and said he believed the assault and other racist attacks were being coordinated by “a center in Hania.” Wednesday’s attack follows a string of assaults on migrants and two attacks on a synagogue in Hania last month. TAXI STRIKE Taxi drivers are expected to go on strike again next week but this time they will stage a 48-hour stoppage on Tuesday and Wednesday, it emerged yesterday. Their union is opposed to government plans to make cabbies issue receipts, keep account books and pay tax according to their income. Under the current system, drivers pay just over 1,200 euros in tax each year, regardless of what they earn. Cabbies have already staged two 24-hour strikes this month and say they will keep protesting until the government changes its mind. From: Kathimerini ‘Greece’s worst crisis since World War II’ - 24 February, 2010 The crisis affecting Greece is the first of its kind since the end of World War II and can’t be tackled with “the logic of the past,” according to Bank of Greece Governor Giorgos Provopoulos. “The current crisis in Greece is not similiar to anything we have seen in the past, at least in postwar history,” the country’s central bank chief said yesterday. The country needs to take action on the reform front or otherwise prepare to pay a huge price, he added. “This could be an opportunity to implement the needed reforms and not just talk about them, given that the cost of not implementing them would be huge.” Under mounting pressure from markets and EU policymakers to slash its large debt and deficit, Greece must prove to Brussels by mid-March that it can meet its ambitious targets or be prepared to take further fiscal measures. Provopoulos, also a member of the European Central Bank’s Governing Council, said the large debt and deficit were only partly due to the recession and mainly a result of chronic macroeconomic imbalances. “The balance of payments deficit is not sustainable,” he said. “A policy mix which will remedy the macroeconomic and microeconomic balance and improve the economy’s competitiveness and productivity is needed to restore its sustainability.” He said the economy needed a “complete restructuring,” both in terms of steady budget consolidation and reforms to boost competitiveness. Greek anger at German reports Parliament Speaker Filippos Petsalnikos yesterday condemned German press reports on Greece’s financial crisis that he said “surpassed all limits” and invited Germany’s ambassador to Greece, Wolfgang Schultheiss, to discuss the “offensive” coverage.
Petsalnikos accused Stern of offering an “oversimplified and populist take” on Greece’s financial crisis by lambasting Greeks for frittering away German taxpayers’ savings. In a letter sent to the magazine, Petsalnikos argued that Germany too had reaped benefits from European Union membership, stressing also that it was Greece’s main arms supplier. He noted that Germany was one of the countries that benefited most from EU membership, with more than 60 percent of its exports going to member states in 2007. The provocative German press reports, and in particular the manipulated depiction of the Venus de Milo, prompted more angry comments from Athens Mayor Nikitas Kaklamanis. The mayor urged “men of culture across the world to protest” against the “shameful” front-page cover. He also called on Germany to pay Greece reparations for losses suffered by the country during World War II. “You owe us 70 billion euros for the ruins you left behind,” he said. From: Kathimerini Reduced staff Samaria Gorge - 23 February, 2010 With five employees instead of 25, which operate under the Organization Management White Mountains, the Samaria Gorge is expected to open on 15 April to be welcoming more than 165,000 thousand visitors as last year, but with 12 employees instead of 30, should have been the proper operation! These were identified during the visit by Mr SYRIZA of Heraklion prefecture, Michael Kritsotakis, at the Forestry Directorate of Chania, in Chrissopigi, where he met with the Head of the Division of Forestry Chania on matters relating to the environment and the functioning of the gorge of Samaria. Indeed Mr Kritsotakis promised that next time will be eneterd on the agenda in the Parliament a series of queries about the problems facing the National Park of Samaria, like the issue of fire protection and early recruitment for the operation of the gorge. Mr. Kritsotakis accompanied by members of SYRIZA in Hania yesterday held successive visits to services in the prefecture of Chania such as the employees of PPC in Xylokamara, the Federation of Craft-Professional and tourism stakeholders in E.V.E.CH , the vice president of Technical Union Navy, and employees in the construction company AKTER, the Labor Center. "We have seen serious problems such as the fact that the Forest Service is required to defend the environment in the prefecture of Chania, but at the time it has many problems and staffing problems because of state failure that can hit the regional offices. Nevertheless, the encouraging fact is that there is a patriotic uprisal of the Greeks against the indifference of the state, "said Mr. Kritsotakis. "We not only issue a question in parliament, but more, and we promise not to leave this issue without" stirring up the stagnant water' "he said. The Chairman of the Management Agency Gorge National Park, Mr Peter Lyberakis, stressed that it is necessary to recruit staff in the National Forest Management Agency. At the same time he stressed the urgency of the procedures for specific environmental study that is now made. "We try to prepare the National Park on 15 April. But we do not promise anything. The gorge opens officially on May 1. [...] Translated from: Haniotika Nea Olympic Air, Aegean agree to merge Greece’s two largest airlines, Olympic Air and rival Aegean, have agreed to join forces in a bid to survive the country’s economic downturn and increased competition in the aviation industry, they said yesterday. The main shareholders of Olympic Air, Marfin Investment Group (MIG), and Aegean, the Vassilakis group, have agreed on the merger to create an airline servicing 106 domestic and international routes, employing 5,850 staff members and operating a fleet of 64 planes. The new company will carry the Olympic Air name. “The prevailing conditions in the Greek economy as well as in the aviation sector dictate the combination of forces in order to maintain competitive customer prices, protect levels of employment and increase our competitiveness at a European level,” said Andreas Vgenopoulos, chairman of Olympic Air. The Vassilakis group and MIG will each hold an equal stake in the newly formed venture, the two companies said in a joint statement which did not provide any financial details. The two airlines surprised the market in mid-February when they announced that they were in talks to create a single company that will have annual sales in excess of 1 billion euros. Despite initial investor interest in the possible deal, shares in the two companies have underperformed gains of 4.85 percent in the broader Athens market in the last seven days. Shares in MIG added 3.35 percent while stocks in Aegean Airline slipped 1.72 percent. Stocks in the newly formed venture will be listed on the Athens stock exchange. The agreement between the two airlines, which jointly control 95 percent of Greece’s air travel market, is subject to approval by European Union competition authorities. From: Kathimerini
Athens gets a taste of the Sahara - 22 February, 2010 A cloud of dust from the Sahara Desert made the atmosphere in Athens murky on Saturday. The dust, which is normal for this time of year, was blown in by southerly winds. Doctors advised old people to stay at home and those suffering from breathing problems to avoid working outdoors and to breathe through their noses rather than their mouths. A change of wind direction helped clear the city’s atmosphere yesterday. From: Kathimerini The weather - 20 February, 2010 Warm weather is forecast across the country, with patches of cloud and fog in the morning. However showers are likely to develop in the northern Ionian and Epirus. Winds will be southerly at speeds of 5 to 7 Beaufort in the Ionian and 3 to 5 Beaufort in the Aegean. Temperatures will range from 5C (41F) to 20C (68F) in the north, 6C (43F) to 23C (73F) in central parts and from 10C (50F) to 27C (81F) in the southern regions. OUTLOOK: Occasional showers are forecast for tomorrow in the west and possibly in Macedonia, the islands of the eastern Aegean, Dodecanese and Crete. Scattered clouds elsewhere, with southwesterly winds at 5 to 7 Beaufort and unseasonably high temperatures, especially in central and southern parts. Occasional showers and rainstorms are expected on Sunday in western and northern Greece, the islands of the eastern Aegean, Dodecanese and possibly Crete. Winds will gradually turn west-northwesterly and temperatures will drop. From: Kathimerini
While we are in mid-February date, according to meteorologists, the temperature will range in Crete at high levels for the time and it reaches 28 to 30 degrees Celsius! So I expected yesterday a large turnout at beaches. By the afternoon, however, occured sporadic rains that swept away large quantities of African dust resulting in mud. In the night, strong winds will blow on the seas (up to 9 Beaufort) and is probably bound to keep ships in port. According to meteorologist Manolis Lekkas "in Crete southerly winds will prevail and will affect more the east of the island. This is combined with African dust transport from the coast of Africa. On Saturday morning the weather will be good initially with high temperatures for the time, and will range from 16 degrees to the 28 to 30 degrees. From noon to Saturday afternoon (after 6 pm), may occur transient rainfall on Crete to lure large quantities of African dust resulting in mud streams. According to him the unexpected rise in temperature will not occur in all areas of the island. "In the south the mercury will range up to 24 to 26 degrees Celsius, while in the north 28 to 30 degrees. In Chania, the temperature is likely to range up to 27 degrees, in Rethymnon up to 28 degrees and Heraklion to 30 degrees Celsius. The occasional rain this afternoon will result in a gradual drop in temperature of 10 to 15 degrees Celsius. On Monday, in general it will be good weather with the winds weakened and the temperature ranging at reasonable levels for the season. Translated from: Haniotika Nea Wind farms bill stirs up conservationists - 19 February, 2010 The objections of 174 conservation groups against a draft bill facilitating the construction of wind farms were aired at a press conference in Athens yesterday. The proposed reform is “well-intentioned” but will pave the way for unchecked construction in precious ecosystems, environmentalists charge. “If this bill passes in its current form, we will see wind parks in national parks,” said Martinos Gaetlich of the Hellenic Society for the Protection of the Environment and Cultural Heritage. The society says the draft bill does not consider the fact that the country’s islands have very sensitive ecosystems. Those opposed to the bill are also concerned about infrastructure – roads, power lines etc – that would accompany the construction of wind farms. “If we want to turn our mountains into factories, then we can forget about biodiversity,” said Stavros Xirouhakis of the Natural History Museum of Crete.
A tourist on a sightseeing bus looks on as former employees of the newly privatized Olympic Air demonstrate outside the Finance Ministry in central Athens yesterday. Protests against the government’s austerity measures are due to intensify over the next week. Customs officers, who concluded a 48-hour strike yesterday, have announced rolling strikes through next Wednesday when they are to join the main labor union GSEE in a 24-hour walkout. From: Kathimerini Greece resisting EU pressure - 17 February, 2010 European Union finance ministers yesterday gave Greece a month to prove that it is able to get its public finances back on track, as Athens insisted it is up to the job and will not need to take any additional measures. Following the Ecofin meeting in Brussels, the ministers said in a statement that Greece must show by March 16 it is on its way to cutting its public deficit by 4 percent of gross domestic product this year. Finance Minister Giorgos Papaconstantinou said that progress is already being made. “It’s a matter of credibility for the country,” he told reporters. “The execution of the Greek budget for the month of January, based on preliminary figures, is going quite well. We actually have a surplus.” Papaconstantinou refused to be drawn on whether any additional measures may include cutting one of the extra two monthly salaries paid to public servants each year. “The government will do whatever it can to protect the incomes of Greek workers,” the minister said in response to questions about this issue. Meanwhile, Prime Minister George Papandreou was in Moscow for talks with his Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin, who offered words of encouragement as Greece attempts to reduce its debt. “As we all know, the global economic crisis did not start in Greece or Russia or in Europe,” he said. “It came to us from across the ocean,” Putin added in a clear reference to the United States. Greek and Russian officials denied that there had been any discussion of Moscow offering Athens financial aid to help it out of the economic crisis. In fact, Russian President Dmitry Medvedev, who Papandreou also met, advised the Greek premier to seek assistance from the International Monetary Fund. [...] The weather Scattered clouds are forecast for western, central and northern Greece and the islands of the eastern Aegean, with showers and rainstorms predicted in the northwest and snowfall on the mountains in the north. Winds will be southeasterly at 5 to 7 Beaufort, gradually turning west-southwesterly at 4 to 6 Beaufort. Temperatures from 3C (37F) to 16C (61F) in the north, 6C (43F) to 19C (66F) in central parts and 9C (48F) to 24C (75F) in the south. OUTLOOK: Scattered clouds are forecast tomorrow across the country, with sporadic showers in the west and possibly in northern parts of the country as well as the islands of the eastern Aegean. Winds will be southwesterly at speeds of 4 to 6 Beaufort and temperatures will remain unchanged. Scattered clouds are expected on Thursday in western and northern Greece and the islands of the eastern Aegean, with westerly winds at 3 to 5 Beaufort turning southerly at 4 to 6 Beaufort overnight. Temperatures are expected to rise further. From: Kathimerini
Athenians of all ages celebrated Clean Monday, the first day of Lent, with the traditional pastime of kiteflying on Philopappou Hill yesterday. The spring-like temperatures prompted a large public turnout at the capital’s parks and squares, with thousands more packing seaside cafes and tavernas.
From: Kathimerini Advice to consumers in view of Lent - 15 February, 2010 The Veterinary Directorate of Chania "as the sole competent authority for food of animal origin" states the following to the general public regarding the Lenten shopping list: Attention should be paid to information provided by the manufacturer to the indications of standard products. Pay attention to any change in the usual characteristics of food (odor, color, composition, etc.). Buy from officially controlled market parties. Buying food from street vendors or casual or anonymous outlets should be avoided because they are a source of uncontrolled disposal of food that may mislead consumers and cause little or big problems in health. The frozen must be kept in a refrigerator at points of sale - a freezer with a temperature of -18 and check all elements of the packaging manufacturer, which is the code number of the EU approval, the special conditions of maintenance and use and the date of freezing and closing. If consumed unpacked fish, the above information should be available to consumers (transport and placement of signs in a refrigerator box sale). Recommended the purchase of bulk fish catches be limited to sheltered or not in individual packages and be done with great care. Product Features - Cephalopods (octopus, squid, cuttlefish, Illex, etc.). For fresh we should be careful of the following: - Bivalve shellfish (mussels, clams, glossy shells, oysters, carpet shells, scallops). - Crustaceans (shrimp, lobster, crabs). - Sea urchins. - Canned seafood. - Fish. - Preserved fish roe. Translated from: Haniotika Nea Safe lifted - 13 February, 2010 Unidentified robbers early yesterday drove a truck through the glass front of a supermarket in the village of Aghioi Apostoloi, in the Cretan prefecture of Hania, and removed a safe containing some 20,000 euros, police said. The safe had been located near the entrance of the store, according to the supermarket’s management. The intruders did not touch an ATM machine on the premises of the store. Dozens of cash machines have been yanked out of walls in Crete in recent years. From: Kathimerini Taxi strike - 11 February, 2010 There will be no taxis serving the capital today following a decision by the Association of Attica Taxi Drivers (SATA) to stage a 24-hour strike from 5 a.m. Cabbies in other cities are expected to follow suit, joining the protest against the impact of new tax reforms announced by the government. A written statement by SATA denounced the proposed measures, saying that they they “would create a series of new problems and make our occupation more difficult, if not impossible.” Taxi drivers are considering further strike action next week. From: Kathimerini Tax policy tweaked as strike action looms - 9 February, 2010 As government officials sought to hammer out the details of a much-awaited tax and income policy yesterday, unionists warned they would stage more strikes, which are expected to disrupt flights in and out of the country tomorrow. The provisions on the reform of tax and public sector salaries are expected to be unveiled by the end of the week. Meanwhile Prime Minister George Papandreou is preparing for a European Union summit in Brussels on Thursday, at which the additional austerity measures being drafted by his government are expected to feature high on the agenda. Unionists yesterday indicated that they would not tolerate excessively austere measures. “We will strike on Wednesday to defend our dignity, to put an end to our sacrifices on the altar of financial markets. These are pointless sacrifices,” Spyros Papaspyros, the president of the ADEDY public sector union, told a press conference. Spyropoulos added that his union would decide on Thursday – depending on the measures announced by the government – whether to hold another strike in early March or join one on February 24 called by the General Confederation of Greek Labor (GSEE), the country’s main labor grouping. The country’s civil aviation workers yesterday announced that they would be joining tomorrow’s strike action. As a result, all domestic and international flights scheduled for tomorrow will be canceled. From: Kathimerini Higher taxes for higher incomes - 6 February, 2010 Finance Minister Giorgos Papaconstantinou is set to announce next week a new tax bill, under the watchful eye of the European Commission, which will include tougher measures for all taxpayers. The draft law’s main points will be the abolition of individualized taxation, the creation of a single bracket for all incomes, a dramatic cut in tax exemptions and major changes in the way real estate is taxed. After the recent rise in the special consumption tax on alcohol, tobacco and fuel, the freezing of public-sector salaries and the cutting of other expenses, the government is aiming at the full implementation of the Stability and Growth Program through measures that add a further burden on salary-workers and pensioners, while trying to contain the ever-growing tax evasion. The new income tax bracket will have a tax-free threshold of 12,000 euros, according to sources, while creating two different levels in order to support low- and medium-income taxpayers: Those earning between 12,001 and 15,000 euros a year will likely have a 15 percent tax rate. Higher incomes will definitely get a more serious burden, with incomes from 40,000 euros and up having a higher rate than today. At present, the rate for incomes from 30,000 euros to 75,000 euros stands at 35 percent. Although the tax-free threshold will likely remain at 12,000 euros, this will be linked with the receipts taxpayers produce. The level of income each taxpayer declares will have to be backed up with a specific amount of euros in receipts. Otherwise, the tax-free ceiling will be lower than 12,000 euros. Low-salary workers and pensioners will be asked for receipts adding up to 1,000 euros per year, while taxpayers declaring incomes of over 70,000 euros will need to produce receipts equal to the generation of their income. All receipts will be accepted by the tax authorities except for utility bills and major purchases, such as that of a car. From: Kathimerini Carnival lovers bring color to the capital - 1 February, 2010 Cyclists dressed in colorful Carnival outfits enjoy a ride through the sunny city center on Saturday. Leading the parade in Athens were hundreds of revelers from the western port city of Patra, the focus of the country’s largest Carnival celebrations, which this year culminate on February 14. From: Kathimerini Doctors to join Feb 10 strike - 29 January, 2010 Doctors at state hospitals are to join a 24-hour strike on February 10 called by the civil servants’ union, the umbrella union representing the country’s doctors announced yesterday. The decision to take action was made to protest plans by the Finance Ministry to cut state funding for hospitals as part of a broader program to rein in public spending and get the reeling economy back on track. Synagogue fire A 24-year-old Greek American was released yesterday on conditional bail after defending himself before a Cretan prosecutor on charges related to two arson attacks on the Etz Hayyim Synagogue in Hania. On Monday, a 33-year-old Briton was remanded in custody in connection with the attack, while two other suspects – a 24-year-old local man and a 23-year-old Briton – were released on bail pending trial. A fifth man, also an American, is being sought but is believed to have fled to Italy. The synagogue was severely damaged in the January 5 and 16 attacks. From: Kathimerini The weather - 28 January, 2010 Occasional showers are forecast, especially in western Greece, with snowfall on the mountains. Intermittent sunshine is expected in central and southern regions of the mainland, eastern Macedonia, Thrace and the islands of the eastern Aegean. Winds will be northerly at 3 to 5 Beaufort in the north and westerly at 4 to 6 Beaufort elsewhere. Temperatures will range from -1C (30F) to 10C (50F) in the north and from 2C (36F) to 16C (61F) elsewhere. OUTLOOK: Intermittent showers are forecast over the next couple of days, especially in western and northern parts, as well as the islands of the eastern Aegean and the Dodecanese, with the possibility of rainstorms in the west. Snowfall is expected on the mountainous regions in the country's north. Winds will be southwesterly at moderate to strong speeds of 5 to 7 Beaufort while temperatures will rise, especially in central and southern parts of the country. From: Kathimerini Synagogue fire: fourth arrest - 26 January, 2010 An American man yesterday became the fourth person to be arrested in connection with two arson attacks on Crete’s only remaining synagogue, the Etz Hayyim in Hania. A 24-year-old local man and two Britons aged 23 and 33 were arrested last week on suspicion of being part of a group of five men that took part in the raids. The American man arrested yesterday was also aged 24 and has been living in Hania for the last few months, working in various jobs. Another American, thought to have fled to Italy, is also wanted in connection with the attacks. The two Britons deny any involvement in the incidents but sources said that British police are checking whether they were involved with any extremist organizations in their own country. The American is due to face a prosecutor on Thursday while the other three suspects are expected in court today. The synagogue suffered extensive damage but its director Nicholas Stavroulakis has pledged to restore the building. From: Kathimerini
The white snow prevailed yesterday throughout the mountainous prefecture of Chania. Weather conditions were the effect of snow covering the regions of Omalos, Selino and Sfakia. The damages were not particularly large and no major problems occurred, so Chania had the opportunity to make a trip to the mountains to enjoy the beauties of nature. At noon mainly the plateau of Askyfou was jam-packed with hundreds of holidaymakers who took advantage of the open road. Young and old played with the snow, having fun with nature. From early morning an employed contractor with his three machines in the prefecture of Chania was clearing the roads of snow, so that the road to the pits of up to Petra Seli be left open, but only just near to Selino and Sfakia. "Since Saturday evening there has been non-stop snow from an altitude of 900 meters or more, with the result that traffic could pass until the 28th km on the road to Omalos, as in section Petra Seli - Gyros Seliniotikos. Having been told by the Met Office we see that very early, from 7 am, four snow machines started cleaning the street, on to 11 am, so we have the road free for traffic, providing an opportunity for our citizens to enjoy nature and the snow", stated the vice-prefect Mr X . Koukianakis, who coordinated the effort of clearing snow. LANDSLIDES The most serious problems had to do with rock landslides in various parts of the road. On the way Topolia - Chrisoskalitissa several stones dropped on the pavement, and were removed by machines from the Municipality of Mythimna. Landslides have also been seen on the road Prases - Semprona - Sougia, where stones were removed. Also there were problems on the roads Vrises - Sfakia, from the 41st kilometer of road. The traffic from 9 am had to be done with snow chains and 4x4 vehicles, but after the intervention of machinery the road to Sfakia opened before noon. Smaller landslides occurred on the national road network along the North coast. Translated from: Haniotika Nea Three arrests over synagogue fire - 23 January, 2010 Two Britons, aged 23 and 33, have been arrested and two Americans are being sought in connection to arson attacks on the Etz Hayyim Synagogue in Hania, Crete, police said yesterday. Local Police Chief Fotis Liotsakis said that a 24-year-old Greek man had also been taken into custody on suspicion of being part of the group of five men that attacked Crete’s only surviving synagogue twice this month. According to Liotsakis, one of the Americans set fire to a wooden staircase at the synagogue on January 5, while the other four acted as lookouts. He said that on January 16, the same five suspects returned to the Etz Hayyim and one of the British suspects broke into the place of worship and started the fire that caused widespread damage to the 14th-century building, which had undergone extensive restoration during the last decade. Almost 2,000 books and much of the building were destroyed in the blaze. Liotsakis said the two British men who were arrested work as nightclub doormen in Hania’s old town. The pair has denied involvement in the attack but sources said that one of the two expressed anti-Semitic sentiments during his questioning by police. Sources added that police made the arrests after questioning the 24-year-old Greek suspect extensively. A local from Iraklio, the suspect is alleged to have eventually identified the other four members of the group that burned the synagogue. Police did not identify the two Americans they are seeking. “I can’t say I’m happy now; they should have arrested them earlier, after the first attack, and not left the synagogue unprotected,” Moses Constantinis, head of the Central Board of Jewish Communities in Greece, told Reuters. Police are also questioning the suspects in connection to several recent attacks on immigrants in Hania and are investigating whether they were acting on their own or in association with racist groups outside of Greece. From: Kathimerini Cretan body - 20 January, 2010 Rescue workers on Crete yesterday recovered the body of a missing 40-year-old man in the Geropotamos River in the island’s prefecture of Rethymno. The man had been reported missing on Sunday. His body was found entangled in the roots of a tree at the river’s estuary on the southern coast of the prefecture. From: Kathimerini Synagogue attack - 18 January, 2010 An arson attack on a synagogue in the Cretan port of Hania in the early hours of Saturday, the second in the past three weeks, wreaked some 30,000 euros’ worth of damage but no injuries, police said yesterday. Police said the perpetrators broke into the synagogue at around 4 a.m. on Saturday and started a fire on the first floor. The blaze destroyed the building’s wooden ceiling as well as many of its documents, police said. From: Kathimerini Cavo Sidero scheme on ice - 14 January, 2010 The Environment Ministry has indicated it is unlikely to approve a controversial plan to build a large holiday complex and golf course on the eastern tip of Crete even though a final decision could take some time. In response to a question from Coalition of the Radical Left (SYRIZA) MPs, Environment Minister Tina Birbili said the PASOK government is taking into account a decision last year by the Council of State, Greece highest administrative court, to halt the Cavo Sidero scheme. But she said a final decision would not be reached until the government has reviewed the present zoning plan for tourist resorts. Protesters claim that the project – which would comprise five holiday villages, a string of luxury hotels and three golf courses – would damage the environment and be a heavy drain on water resources. British property developer Minoan Group (formerly Loyalward Limited) insists the 1.2-billion-euro project is environmentally sustainable. From: Kathimerini The weather - 9 January, 2010 Scattered clouds can be expected across most parts of the country, with a possibility of showers in northern Greece. Winds will be blowing in from a south-southeasterly direction at speeds of 6 to 8 Beaufort in most parts and up to 9 Beaufort in the Ionian. Temperatures will range from a low of 3C (37F) to a high of 17C (63F) in the north and from 5C (41F) to 23C (73F) elsewhere around the country. OUTLOOK: Occasional showers are forecast for tomorrow in western, central and northern parts, spreading across the islands of the eastern Aegean overnight. Rainfall is expected in the west. Winds will be southerly at 6 to 8 Beaufort and up to 9 Beaufort at sea, gradually turning southwesterly. Temperatures will drop slightly, mainly in the west and north. Occasional showers are expected on Sunday in the west, the islands of the eastern Aegean and possibly northern Greece and western Crete. Winds will be westerly at 5 to 7 Beaufort and temperatures will drop across the country. From: Kathimerini
Epiphany - 7 January, 2009 Men jump into the water at Chora Sfakion, Crete, yesterday as they compete to reach a crucifix thrown into the sea by a priest. Epiphany is marked in Greece by Orthodox priests blessing the waters, and the ships, and tossing in a cross, which the faithful try to retrieve. From: Bettina, Sfakia
Seasonal fun at unseasonable temperatures - 4 January, 2010 Both children and adults enjoyed the good weather on Saturday during a carousel ride in front of Zappeio Hall in central Athens. Temperatures over the weekend reached 22 degrees Celsius (71.6 Fahrenheit) in Attica and 26C (78.8F) on the southern Aegean island of Crete, where residents and tourists took to the beaches. Strong winds cause transport disruption at sea, in air Strong winds over the weekend caused disruptions in passenger ferry routes, as most vessels were forced to remain moored at ports. The winds dropped in most regions yesterday, allowing services to resume but there were problems in some areas. A ferry setting sail from the main port of Rhodes struck a pier early yesterday, though no harm came to any of the 80 passengers on board who took a different vessel later in the day. Another passenger ferry that had been en route from the port of Lavrio to Ai Stratis was forced to divert its route due to strong winds in the northern Aegean. Several scheduled flights to Santorini were also canceled due to the weather. From: Kathimerini Cleaning duties at Church of the Nativity - 30 December, 2009 A Greek Orthodox priest sweeps inside the Church of the Nativity, the site revered as the birthplace of Jesus, ahead of Orthodox Christmas in the West Bank of Bethlehem. Members of some Christian Orthodox Churches around the world celebrate Christmas on January 7 as they follow the Julian calendar. Study questions earthquake safety Local officials are failing to take any action to ensure buildings in their area are earthquake-proof, despite receiving details of the constructions that are at risk, according to the expert that has compiled a comprehensive report on the dangers that Greek buildings could face if the country is hit by a strong tremor. National Technical University of Athens (NTUA) professor Theodosios Tasios told Sunday’s Kathimerini that the NTUA and the Technical Chamber of Greece (TEE), the professional body that advises the government on engineering and technical matters, has completed a 10-year study on the dangers faced by each community in some 600 cities, towns and villages in Greece in the event of a powerful earthquake. Tasios said that the findings of the study would be sent to more than 1,000 municipalities in January with a list of proposals about the action they should take. The professor said that while the study was being conducted, a number of mayors were contacted with a view to carrying out quake safety checks on public buildings but only 10 expressed interest in the scheme. He added that the program has also been completed without any assistance from the state. “Our idea is that every mayor who receives a free CD with the information will select a public building in his area to start an earthquake safety check,” said the professor. “At the same time, he can discreetly inform the owners of the private buildings that are deemed to be most at risk about the dangers they face. “We are sitting and waiting for the next major earthquake without doing anything.” Tasios said that as part of the project, researchers have been trying to collect information about some 80,000 public buildings but so far local authorities have supplied them with details of only 5,000. From: Kathimerini The weather - 29 December, 2009 Scattered clouds are forecast, slightly heavier in places over western Greece, Macedonia and western Crete, with a possibility of brief light showers. Winds will blow in from a northwesterly direction at speeds of 3 to 5 Beaufort and temperatures will range from a low of 0C (32F) to a high of 14C (57F) in the north and a minimum of 1C (34F) to a maximum of 18C (64F) elsewhere around the country. OUTLOOK: Local clouds are forecast for the next two days across most parts of the country, with a slight possibility of showers in northwest Greece. Winds will be coming in from a south-southwesterly direction at speeds of 4 to 6 Beaufort, although in places they are expected to be stronger, up to 7 Beaufort. Temperatures are expected to rise gradually. From: Kathimerini Greeks can’t help spending on gifts - 24 December, 2009 Despite the ongoing financial crisis, Greek consumers say they will eventually spend almost as much as they have in previous years due to certain inflexible spending requirements on presents, food and for social functions, according to a number of studies. Surveys conducted last month by Deloitte, Mastercard and Focus Bari converge in the conclusion that Greek households will spend an additional 700 euros in the last two weeks of the year, mostly on gifts and food. Estimates show that during this period there will be more than 2 billion euros spent on the market, including about 150 million euros going to toy stores. A smaller amount will be spent on covering various debts, such as credit cards, loans etc. According to Deloitte, out of the extra 700 euros spent during the festive season on average, approximately 300 euros will go toward the purchase of presents, 240 will go on food and 160 for various social occasions. Mastercard and Focus Bari concur that close to five in 10 Greeks will spend their holiday bonus on gifts for their loved ones. Three in every five people, and particularly those aged between 35 and 44 years, said that their consumer behavior during Christmas changes and is different than that of the rest of the year, stating that they “cannot resist buying gifts.” Greeks prefer to enjoy the Christmas atmosphere at home with their loved ones instead of traveling, with two out of three questioned saying they would not leave home for the holidays. From: Kathimerini Jetstar to launch air link with Athens in new year - 23 December, 2009 Australia’s Jetstar, a low-cost airline owned by Qantas, is aiming to launch flights linking Athens with Melbourne in 2010, the Athens News Agency (ANA) reported yesterday. In a bid to carve out its own market share, Jetstar plans to entice passengers by offering return tickets between the two cities for as little as 1,200 Australian dollars (around 730 euros), according to ANA. The airline has arranged the purchase of an additional 15 aircraft in order to meet the demands of its new scheduled flight routes. [...] From: Kathimerini
A seven-year project to extend the roof over the gateway to the Acropolis, the Propylaea, has been completed, the Culture Ministry said in a statement yesterday. As part of the project, 255 marble blocks were taken down from the monument so that metal clamps that were installed by previous restorers but which caused cracking could be removed. Burning oil A 40-year-old man was being treated for serious burns in an intensive-care unit on Crete yesterday after an explosion at an olive oil press in Iraklio on Sunday night. It is not clear what caused the blast, which occurred when six employees were in the building. Nobody else was injured. From: Kathimerini "Possession" of mountains for ... wind farms, by spook business - 21 December, 2009 A spook business is trying to get "Possession" of 36 mountain peaks in Crete for the creation of wind farms, without any consultation with local communities, and without having answered questions. By notice in the newspaper "Parón" (Present) the company "Sarris and Co" ask the Energy Regulatory Authority, under the law on liberalization of the electricity market, to give licenses to make wind farms on 36 peaks in Crete. It indicates that this company shares no data on the internet, while searching for a contact with a company by that name through the telephone no companies could be found with this name. The issue will be discussed at today's Board LUMC of Chania and the Network of Mountain Municipalities of Crete. Once again this issue reveales the problems caused by the lack of integrated planning and determining land use. In the prefecture of Chania, the company has applied for permits for tops in 8 municipalities. Some of their Mayors (Inahorio, Platanias, Kandanos, Voukolies, Sfakia and Pelekanos) reported the issue with a very critical statement. [...] Translated from: Haniotika Nea The weather Cloudy skies and morning showers are forecast for Macedonia, Thrace, the eastern Aegean, Dodecanese, Peloponnese and Crete. Clouds will gather elsewhere over the day. Winds will be north-northwesterly at 3 to 5 Beaufort, reaching 6 Beaufort in the Aegean. Winds will turn southwesterly later in the west. Temperatures from -5C (23F) to 8C (46F) in the north, -2C (28F) to 13C (55F) on the rest of the mainland and 2C (36F) to 15C (59F) on the islands. OUTLOOK: Mild conditions are forecast in the runup to Christmas, with light clouds in western, central and northern Greece, which will gather later over the northern Ionian, western mainland, Thessaly and Epirus, bringing light rain and possible snowfall on the mountains. Winds will be south-southwesterly at moderate to strong speeds of 4 to 6 Beaufort, reaching 7 Beaufort in the west. Temperatures are also expected to rise slightly. From: Kathimerini Cretan food for good health - 19 December, 2009 Incitement is given by the Network of Cretan Gastronomy to restaurants, professional caterers, cooks and chefs to emphasize in view of the festive season traditional recipes. In a press release the network notes that "the philosophy of the Cretan cuisine is based on simplicity, the freshness of raw materials, the simplicity of manufacturing and the perfect balance between a few elements that make up a dish. By doing so, not only the health and well-being is strengthened, but also the local economy. Let our kitchen be filled with smoked sage, the turkey stuffed with chestnuts and herbs and let us not miss the greens by our table and a good wine that warms our friends." The network wishes everybody around the world a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year. Translated from: Haniotika Nea Mushroom poisoning Two men aged 30 and 45 have been hospitalized in Hania, Crete, after eating poisonous mushrooms, it was revealed yesterday. The 45-year-old suffered multiple organ failure and was placed in an intensive care unit but his friend had only kidney problems. Both men are Romanian nationals who work on the island. From: Kathimerini May taxi fare hike put under review - 17 December, 2009 A planned hike in taxi charges in May, when fares are due to rise to 0.72 euros per kilometer from the current 60 cents, is to be reviewed, Infrastructure, Transport and Networks Minister Dimitris Reppas said yesterday, as cabbies prepared to increase their fares by 1 euro for the holiday period, starting tomorrow. The planned increase in May was to be the last in a series of three incremental hikes that taxi driver unions agreed to last April with Reppas’s conservative predecessor Evripidis Stylianidis. Reppas’s move was seen as a belated response to a question submitted in Parliament in October by Dimitris Papadimoulos, a deputy affiliated with the Coalition of the Radical Left. Papadimoulis had sought a freeze on the second taxi fare increase that came into effect on November 1. Reacting to rumors of a possible freeze on scheduled fare hikes last month, taxi unions had threatened to strike. From: Kathimerini GNTO decision ‘sends wrong message’ - 16 December, 2009 The Association of Hellenic Tourism Enterprises (SETE) yesterday described a government decision to shut down one third of Greek National Tourism Organization (GNTO) offices abroad as ‘hasty’ and ‘devoid of proper planning.’ ‘The closure of the offices could have been carried out more carefully with regard to the way it was communicated. This has sent a negative message to foreign companies we work with, harming already negative sentiment,’ SETE said in a statement. Late on Monday, Prime Minister George Papandreou said the GNTO offices will be closed as part of government efforts to cut spending and reduce a ballooning budget deficit. From: Kathimerini The weather - 15 December, 2009 Cloudy skies are forecast across the country, bringing rainstorms to the Ionian, the mainland and the islands of northern and eastern Aegean. Snowfall is expected on the mountains of central and northern Greece. Winds will be south-southeasterly at 6 to 8 Beaufort and temperatures will range from 2C (36F) to 13C (55F) in the north, from 6C (43F) to 17C (63F) on the mainland and from 10C (50F) to 19C (66F) in the Aegean. OUTLOOK: Overcast skies will bring scattered showers and rainstorms over the next couple of days across the country, especially in western parts of Greece and in eastern and southern coastal regions. Snow is forecast to fall on the mountains in the country's northwest. The low temperatures are expected to remain unchanged. There will be off-and-on periods of improvement in conditions throughout the week before they deteriorate again. From: Kathimerini
Christmas tree brings glitz to capital - 14 December, 2009 A couple embraces under the Christmas tree in Syntagma Square after a lighting ceremony on Friday. The lights there, and in other roads and squares, gave the city a much-needed facelift as municipal workers started gathering piles of trash from the streets. Workers ended three weeks of strike action after a court deemed it illegal. From: Kathimerini Plan for development of Sfakia - 12 December, 2009 With great success a group of professors from the Athens Polytechnic and the Agricultural University of Athens has toured throughout the province of Sfakia from 20 to 22 November 2009, organized by the International Association of Sfakians, for developing a sustainable business plan and sustainable development for the region. In particular a notice to the Association stated: "Teachers of NTUA (Department of Urban and Regional Planning) and the Agricultural University of Athens (Department of RuralDevelopment), Mr. Nikos Belavilas, Costas conservatory, Rena and George Vlahos Klabatsea arrived by ship in Chania in the early hours of Friday, 20.11.2009. Then they went by road to Sfakia, where they boarded the company vessel of Damoulis Tsirintanis, who runs a diving school in Sfakia. The teachers were guided on the morning sea-escort by the President, the Secretary-General and members of the Board of the International Association of Sfakians, all along the west coast of the province of Sfakia, until the border with the province Selino, at the gorge of Tripiti. They stopped in Agia Roumeli, where they had a discussion with residents, and then just met with residents in Loutro. Thegroup of teachers became a first impression of the unique geographical terrain of the area, and the problems the people are facing (biological treatment plant, fresh water, communication, etc.). At midday on Friday, after returning to Sfakia, the team of teachers and members of the Association met with the Deputy Mayor of Sfakia, Ms. Joanna Popodaki, who answered questions and informed them of the action taken so far by Sfakia for the development of the region. In the afternoon the same day, the visitors toured the east coast road of the province, up to Frangokastello. In Vouvas the teachers had a rich and detailed discussion with local residents, who indeed had prepared the entire text with specific proposals, which was given to the group of academics. In the evening another event followed - discussion with residents from Patsianos, Vouvas, Skaloti, Argoules, Kapsodasos at the tavern of Christos Manouselis in Kapsodasos. The next Saturday, November 21, 2009, throughout the day was "dedicated" to Anopolis and Sfakian mountains. Initially, the group visited Agios Ioannis and the plateau in Kroussia, where Antonis Georgedakis was giving extensive information on the trails and caves of the region, as well as the prospects of alternative tourism in a truly alpine landscape. After that the teachers visited the Anopoli bridge, the village and the Samaria Gorge. At noon on Saturday, with the accompaniment of members of the "Cultural Association of Anopolis (headed by president George Protopapadaki) the teachers went up along a dirt road into the Madares, admiring the awesome wild beauty of the 'lunar' landscape with its unique geological formations, and were they were briefed by members of the Cultural Association ofAnopolis on livestock, the proposals made for the revival of traditional mountain cheese dairies, problems with poaching, etc. During the descent, all participants stopped for a glass of wine outdoors, overlooking Mouri and Gavdos. On Saturday night followed a lively discussion with people in the packed hall of the Cultural Association, and then there was a copious Sfakian dinner table in the cafe of Kopasis, courtesy of the Cultural Association of Anopolis. On Sunday, November 22, 2009, the team went all the way up to Kallikrates from Kapsodasos, having a birds-eye view of the whole valley, and chatting about the prospects for residential development in the region. In Kallikrates was a discussion with residents in the cafe of Manolis Nikita Manouselis. After discussion, the group came home and were offered raki by the treasurer of the International Association of Sfakians, Petros Giannaraki, after monitoring the process of distillation and production of Sfakian raki, and they felt first hand the care and hospitality at the following Sfakian table. The afternoon was set to visit Asfendou, with Giannis Boliotis and Stavros Geronimakis, who took the group on a guided tour to the famous cave paintings, followed by a debate in the house of Giannis Xombitis. The last stop of the visit was at the hotel complex "Lefkoritis" in Askyfou, where there was a lively discussion with the villagers on local issues (farming, tourism, fresh water, etc.) and in the presence of the other Sfakian Deputy Mayor, Mr Kafkala. At the end of the tour of the visiting teachers to our province, the head teacher of NTUA, Mr. Nikos Belavilas, speaking on behalf of all stressed the enthusiasm of the team, not just hosting, but especially by the overwhelming interest of the residents of Sfakia for their visit, and for the growth prospects opened over the place. He described it even as Sfakia as a the case of "scientific challenge, on which there is no such literature throughout Europe, and because the region of Sfakia has great variety and diversity, and at the same time unique geological configurations, which appear both on the island, and in mountainous areas of Europe. Mr. Belavilas stressed that the model of mass tourism and rampant development (both locally, heavy tourist infrastructure) applicable in Greece since the late 70s, has already reached its limits, and fortunately failed to be fully implemented in Sfakia, so that saved to a large extent the natural beauty of the area. He then added that “the envisaged development model for Sfakia would not follow the disastrous development model followed in the northern part of the island with the well known results". The head teacher who visited Sfakia made it clear that a broader wider scientific working group will be established, bringing together teachers also from other universities, from laboratories of the NRP, and other independent scientific bodies and researchers. The aim of this group is to collect and process data and to develop an Operational Strategy Study - A Framework for Sustainable Development in the province of Sfakia, followed by public consultation of local stakeholders (local authorities, unions, associations, cooperatives, etc.) and also the scientific potential of the island will be involved in the research project. After this first phase there will be held an official Scientific Meeting of the National Technical University in Sfakia, which will present the initial findings and start a dialogue and exchange. The completion of the project and delivery of the Study is expected after the fall of 2010. As principal and delegating entity of this study it will be contracted by the International Association of Sfakia, which has already begun the task of generating the funds needed for developing and funding the study under the auspices of the largest and most reliable technological higher education institution in the country as a continuation of supply of active and positive interventions in the province of Sfakia. For the Board of the International Association of Sfakians, Translated from: Haniotika Nea Premier defiant on economy - 12 December, 2009 Prime Minister George Papandreou indicated yesterday that his government would attempt to revive Greece’s economy by stamping out corruption rather than cutting back on public sector salaries and levying more taxes on the middle class. The premier spoke in Brussels after talks with fellow European Union leaders, who wanted to know what measures Greece will take to reduce its 300-billion-euro debt, which stands at 113 percent of GDP, as well as its public deficit, forecast at 12.7 percent of GDP. Papandreou insisted that Greece would not default on its debts and does not intend to ask for financial aid from the International Monetary Fund (IMF). “We are not on the precipice,” said Papandreou. “If we were, we would be cutting wages. We will make changes but they will only hurt those that have to be hurt. Salaried workers will not pay for this situation, we will not proceed with wage freezes or cuts,” he said. “We did not come to power to tear down the social state; we are here to put right inequalities.” The prime minister is due to unveil on Monday the measures that his government plans to take to get the economy back on track. He told European leaders that the reasons behind Greece’s economic problems are not the same as those that have caused crises in other countries. “They are our distinct problems. We know them and we will tackle them,” said Papandreou, adding that his government aims to make institutional reforms that will combat systemic corruption and patron-client relationships while also slashing waste and fighting tax evasion. This may fall short of what Greece’s partners in the eurozone are expecting, given that Ireland has announced cuts of 4 billion euros in public spending and a reduction of public sector wages of between 5 and 15 percent. From: Kathimerini
Riot police stand around the Christmas tree erected in Syntagma Square, central Athens, yesterday. Security around the tree has been tightened since last year, when rioters set fire to it during protests following the shooting of teenager Alexis Grigoropoulos. It is not clear if there will be a full-time police guard around the tree this year. From: Kathimerini
Two dead, one critical in Cretan bar shooting - 10 December, 2009 A 49-year-old Cretan man died in the hospital of self-inflicted gunshot wounds yesterday, a few hours after killing his 31-year-old Russian girlfriend with the same gun in a bar and then turning the weapon on the 39-year-old owner of the venue, who was in critical condition late last night. According to police in the prefecture of Lasithi, the 49-year-old had been drinking at a local bar with his girlfriend on Tuesday evening when a dispute broke out. Witnesses said he left the bar and returned with a single-barreled shotgun which he used to shoot the Russian woman in the head, killing her instantly. He is then said to have turned the gun on the barman before fleeing in his car. Police traced him near Ierapetra and dispatched psychologists and relatives to talk to him as he was threatening take his own life. A few hours later, the 49-year-old shot himself in the head in front of his sister. He died in the hospital early yesterday. Two in Crete clinic after beating Two migrants, a 26-year-old Moroccan and a 25-year-old Palestinian, yesterday brought charges against a group of unidentified assailants who are said to have beaten them with iron bars and knives in a central square in the Cretan port of Hania on Tuesday night. The two migrants were yesterday receiving treatment in a clinic in Hania for serious injuries to their heads and arms. Tourist spending rate declines by 20 percent Average daily spending per tourist in Greece this year has declined by a considerable 20.7 percent, compared with last year, data by the Institute for Tourist Research and Forecasts showed yesterday. Visitors to this country spend an average 62.30 euros per day, down from the 78.50 euros they spent in 2008. Data also indicate that visitors to Greece are generally of a younger age and of the medium to lower social and economic strata. Tourists from the USA spend the most per person per trip, at 2,632 euros, with those coming from the European Union spending, for example, an average of 1,584 euros, for Belgians, and 1,079 euros for the Dutch. More than half of the 2,030 tourists responding to the survey said the global crisis has affected their spending habits. From: Kathimerini The weather - 9 December, 2009 Showers and rainstorms are forecast for western and northern Greece, with snowfall on the mountains. Conditions will deteriorate overnight and will spread throughout the country, with snowfall expected in northern Greece. Winds will be southerly at speeds of 5 to 7 Beaufort, gradually turning northerly in the west and north. Temperatures will range from 2C (36F) to 13C (55F) in the north and from 6C (43F) to 19C (66F) elsewhere. OUTLOOK: Unsettled weather is forecast throughout the country over the next few days, with showers and rainstorms, while snowfall is expected on the mountains and the plains of northern Greece. Winds will be northerly at 7 to 9 Beaufort in western, central and northern Greece and southerly at 5 to 7 Beaufort elsewhere. Temperatures will drop. Conditions will start to ease on Friday, with lighter winds, although the low temperatures will continue. From: Kathimerini Hamburg raid - 7 December, 2009 An attack by masked vandals on a police station in the northern German city of Hamburg on Friday has been claimed by a group that said the raid was linked to the anniversary of the killing of Alexis Grigoropoulos by a policeman in Athens. In a letter sent to the Hamburger Morgenpost daily, the group called itself “Koukoulofori,” or “hood wearers” in Greek, and said that it was responsible for throwing rocks at police officers and setting fire to two parked cars in protest at the murder of the Greek teenager. ATM seized Four robbers tied up the guard at the premises of the Creta Farm food company in Rethymno, Crete, early yesterday and then used a bulldozer to rip out a cash machine on the premises before loading it onto a pickup truck. Officers later found the ATM abandoned in the Arkadi municipality but it had been forced open and an unspecified amount of cash was missing. Iraklio arson The Iraklio, Crete first instance court was slightly damaged by fire on Saturday when unidentified assailants walked into the building and up to the third floor and set fire to two cooking gas canisters. The resulting fire caused damage to several offices. Nobody was injured as the courthouse was closed. Pensioner found An 83-year-old man who had gone missing from his home in the municipality of Viano in Iraklio, Crete, on Friday was found a day later. Authorities had mounted a large search operation for the pensioner but he was eventually located in the middle of a field by his grandchildren. From: Kathimerini Old foes await at World Cup - 5 December, 2009 Greece will face Argentina, Nigeria and South Korea in the soccer World Cup in South Africa next year, following yesterday’s draw in Cape Town. Two of the three teams in Group B, Argentina and Nigeria, were also in Greece’s group the only other time it has qualified for a World Cup, in the USA in 1994. Greece will meet at least one familiar face, Argentinean superstar Maradona, who scored against the national side in the USA but who is now coaching his country’s national team. “Argentina is the favorite,” said Greece coach Otto Rehhagel. “But we must not forget that Nigeria will also be playing on African soil and are a good side as well.” The German played down expectations of Greece being one of the two sides that would qualify for the next round. “We can qualify from the group if all the players are fit and we play well but all that is six months away and to say anything else now would be pure speculation.” From: Kathimerini House fire - 4 December, 2009 A fire that broke out early yesterday in a house in the municipality of Kolymvari, in the Cretan prefecture of Hania, destroyed the building but caused no injuries, as one of the two children in the house woke their parents who called the fire brigade. Firemen managed to douse the fire before it could spread to adjacent buildings. The blaze reportedly started in the fireplace on the ground floor of the building. From: Kathimerini The weather - 3 December, 2009 Showers or rainstorms are forecast across the country initially, with the wet conditions easing gradually over the course of the day and becoming restricted to the southeast. Winds will be north-northwesterly at 4 to 6 Beaufort in most parts and up to 7 Beaufort in the west and south. Temperatures will range from 3C (37F) to 15C (59F) in the north and from 4C (39F) to 18C (64F) elsewhere around the country. OUTLOOK: After the brief respite, more unsettled weather is set to move in, bringing showers and occasional rainstorms over the next couple of days across the country. Winds will be southwesterly initially, later turning northwesterly, and increasing to moderate to strong speeds of 5 to 7 Beaufort, though temperatures are expected to remain for the most part unchanged. From: Kathimerini Study: One in 10 teens hooked on the Net - 1 December, 2009 The results of a new study into use of the Internet by teenagers suggests that one in 10 have an addiction to online activities, while clinical psychologists link such addictions to behavioral disorders. According to experts, who said they interviewed all residents between the ages of 14 and 19 on the southern Aegean island of Kos, 11.3 percent of respondents displayed signs of being addicted to the Internet. Constantinos Siomos, a specialist in child psychiatry at the University of Thessaly who helped conduct the study, said its results showed “a significant increase in the addiction of children to the Internet” compared to a similar survey carried out on youths in Thessaly three years ago. Siomos said the tendency for teens to become addicted to the Internet was largely due to the absence of proper guidance by their parents and teachers. “Adolescents do not approach the Internet as part of the educational process, as should be the case, and more often than not their parents are unable to help them as they do not have the necessary knowledge to do so,” he said. Siomos said the government should intervene. “The state should plan and implement programs to avert the spread of this phenomenon among children and teenagers,” he said. Siomos said that young boys were the most susceptible to Internet addiction, noting that the problem in the provinces is usually worse than in big cities. According to Virginia Fyssoun, a clinical psychologist at Athens’s Evangelismos Hospital who participated in the study on the teenagers on Kos, addiction to the Internet is often associated with juvenile delinquency. From: Kathimerini The weather - 30 November, 2009 Cloudy skies and brief showers are forecast for northwestern Greece as well as parts of the eastern Aegean, while skies will also be overcast in other parts of the country. Winds will be southerly-southwesterly at speeds of 4 to 6 Beaufort in the Ionian and 6 to 8 Beaufort elsewhere, while temperatures will range from 2C (36F) to 18C (64) in the north, 5C (41F) to 20C (68F) in the west and 4C (39F) to 23C (73F) in other parts. OUTLOOK: More autumnal weather is forecast starting tomorrow, with showers across the country and thunderstorms in some parts. Southerly winds will pick up, reaching gale-force speeds of 8 Beaufort, and are expected to shift to northerlies, at more moderate speeds of 5 to 7 Beaufort, on Wednesday, pushing down daytime temperatures all over Greece to seasonal levels. From: Kathimerini Development planning needed for the White Mountains - 28 November, 2009 Parliament Member of PASOK Sifis Valyraki requests the filing of an integrated development program and claims funding recources for the protection of the White Mountains from the Secretary for Economic Development and the Marine, Stavros Arnaoutakis Chaniotis. In a letter to the Secretary of State and communicated to the Minister Economic Development and Shipping Luka Katseli, Mr Valyraki also wants to examine the possibility of direct financial support for the nine neighboring Municipalities and the Community of Assi Gonia, surrounding the White Mountains massive, in order to address the economic problems that have accumulated due to the lack of a development plan in their area. Details in the letter of the Member of Parliament stated: "Dear Secretary of State, as we orally had the opportunity to discuss at our recent meeting the problems and issues in general development of the prefecture of Chania, I am coming back to this matter today with my letter to you, in view of your upcoming visit to Chania. As you know, Chania is the last year in absolute lagging. It lags in development planning and studies for basic infrastructure projects. Today there are substantial mature works to join the National Regional Development Plan 2007-2013, which is currently being carried out. In particular, the mountains in the heart of the White Mountains which are about 30% of the territory of the prefecture of Chania, that, in addition to the globally unique natural beauty and tourist interest, substantially contribute to the local economy (farming, rare herbs, etc.) and have very significant growth prospects for the entire region of western Crete. So far the White Mountains is the only one of the main mountain ranges in the country without any regard for integrated development planning and no real funding. The general lagging of the county, completed by the neglect of development of the "White Mountains", especially since all the main mountain ranges of the country, such as the Pindos, the Vermio, the Pierian, Olympus and others, are now securely funded for many years for development and protection with hundreds of millions of euros, because local actors are interested in these projects. Last April, the Region of Crete presented the "Special Environmental Study for the mountains of the White Mountains" (NRP). The study was strongly criticized because it was preceded by consultation with local bodies and that is why it took into account local development needs of the region. Then last August, the Region of Crete presented the study "Operational Program for the mountains of Crete. The objectives include that the study faced the issue of development with realism, assuming correctly that the mountains can and should ensure viable conditions in local communities, to be a source of wealth for the overall economy, and if necessary, of course, environmental protection. The "Operational Program of the Cretan mountains" can be the basis for drawing up the hitherto non-existent "Integrated Program Development and Protection" of the White Mountains of training, which I think is an urgent need to obtain funding sources before the end of the NSRF. Therefore I will ask the deputy foreign minister for finance to directly award a study on the project "Integrated Development and Protection of the White Mountains" which unfortunately has not been recently accepted by the majority of the Board of LUMC Chania. I would also like you to consider the possibility of direct financial support of nine (9) contiguous municipalities and one (1) community surrounding the massive of the 'White Mountains', i.e. the municipalities Association Selino, Armeni, Therisou, Keramion, Krionerida, Mousouron, Sfakia, Fre and the Community of Assi Gonia, to address major economic problems because of the total lack of a development project in the region. Translated from: Haniotika Nea Double heist - 27 November, 2009 Two armed raids took place almost simultaneously at banks in a central square in Archanes, near the Cretan port of Iraklio, yesterday morning. Two gunmen allegedly robbed one bank, while a third held up another branch on the other side of the square. The three fled together in a car being driven by an accomplice, according to police, who said the perpetrators netted about 50,000 euros. From: Kathimerini The weather - 26 November, 2009 Clear skies are forecast across the country, with fog in the morning in the Ionian and on the mainland. Winds will be blowing at generally light speeds in the Ionian, gradually changing to southwesterly, 3 to 4 Beaufort, while they will be north-northwesterly at 3 to 5 Beaufort in the Aegean. Temperatures will range from 2C (36F) to 18C (64F) in the north and from 3C (37F) to 21C (70F) in the rest of the country. OUTLOOK: Northwestern Greece will wake up to overcast skies tomorrow, while the rest of the country can expect scattered clouds. Winds will be west-southwesterly at speeds of 3 to 4 Beaufort and temperatures will remain stable. Saturday will be cloudier in all parts, bringing possible showers to western Greece, the Dodecanese and Crete. Winds will be southwesterly at speeds of 3 to 5 Beaufort and temperatures will remain unchanged. From: Kathimerini Fire in car in Sfakia - 24 November, 2009 Fire broke out in a privately used motor vehicle located at a parking on the street in the center of Sfakia. It caused the mobilization of the Fire Service. In rushed immediately two vehicles with six men, who managed to cope with the situation without the fire to be extended. Translated from: Haniotika Nea Athenians soak up the November sun - 23 November, 2009 Temperatures rose above the 20-degree Celsius mark (68F) in Athens yesterday, prompting some of the city’s residents, such as those seen on a beach in the southern suburb of Faliro, to spend some time by the sea. The fair weather is expected to continue until Wednesday this week, when temperatures are due to start dropping. From: Kathimerini
In early 2010 the Ministry of Transport and Infrastructure Network plans to auction the project "terminal building expansion, new Control Tower for aircraft, other ancillary facilities, and landscaping the International Airport of Chania", as outlined in response to letters from the Prefect of Chania Gregory Archontaki to the Minister Dimitris Reppas. In reply from EYDE Airports Southern Greece to the Minister, by notification of the Prefect of Chania, is specifically mentioned: "Our Service will auction the project extension, a new Control Tower for aircraft, other ancillary facilities and landscaping the International Airport of Chania, after the projects' approval by the Civil Aviation Authority, which is responsible. According to information from the CAA, the study will be completed by the end of December 2009. The letter from the Prefect of Chania to the Minister of Transport and Infrastructure Network, with registration number 10264/23/10/2009 is as follows: "Sir, As you know, the Chania International Airport, serving Western Crete, is the first in growth rate, with a growth rate reaching 35% in the last three years, and after the 24 hour operation of the terminal. In the year 2008, according to the CAA, the movement of passengers reached 1.87 million, approximately. The current situation, especially during the summer months, it serves less than the minimum of foreign visitors and this is described as unacceptable by the tourism stakeholders. Sir, The Civil Aviation Authority has planned to implement the project "Extension building terminal, new aircraft control tower and landscaping, budgeting 55 million. The project includes the expansion of the terminal with a total area of 15,586 sq.m. at 3 levels (basement, ground floor, first floor), which can serve 2,100 passengers in both directions or 1,400 passengers per direction. It also includes construction of a new control tower, refurbishing and upgrading the existing terminal space, and the expansion of the surrounding area. The study of the project is prepared by an external design firm which has already prepared the study for the application (final stage), with a projected end of the study in December 2009. Given the very real needs of the airport of Chania, please consider the inclusion of the project at the Ministry for your immediate implementation." Translated from: Haniotika Nea Greece beats Ukraine and heads for World Cup - 19 November, 2009 Greece will be taking part in soccer’s World Cup for only the second time in its history after beating Ukraine 1-0 in Donetsk yesterday. Panathinaikos striker Dimitris Salpigidis scored the only goal in the first half of the second leg of the playoff between the two sides. The first leg in Athens on Saturday ended in a 0-0 draw. From: Kathimerini Visitors down 8 pct, outlook bleak - 18 November, 2009 Tourist arrivals at Greek airports dropped by an annual rate of 7.8 percent in the first 10 months of the year, data showed yesterday as industry officials warn of another tough year ahead. The Institute of Tourism Research & Forecasting (ITEP) said the number of tourists arriving at Greek airports fell 6.2 percent year-on-year in October. Athens and the islands of Myconos and Santorini were among the worst-hit destinations. It said Greek tourism receipts dropped 11.7 percent year-on-year in the January-September period, with hotels hit hardest by the impact of the economic crisis. “The big question is how the sector will fare in 2010,” ITEP said in a statement. Initial indications show that the rebound in Greek tourism will be “exceptionally slow,” according to the Panhellenic Federation of Tourism Enterprises (POET), which took part in London’s World Travel Market earlier this this month. POET, which represents mainly travel agents, said that initial bookings along with broader market trends point to a bleak upcoming season. “Greek tourism is being weighed down more by these international conditions due to its competitive disadvantages, in comparison with countries not in the eurozone, and the unresolved problems in the sector,” POET added in a statement. From: Kathimerini Children visit historic site of student revolt - 16 November, 2009 Hundreds of citizens of all ages visited the grounds of the National Technical University of Athens yesterday to pay their respects to dozens of students who died when the junta suppressed an uprising there on November 17, 1973. The commemorative events are to culminate on the anniversary of the uprising tomorrow with the traditional march to the US embassy. Thousands of police officers will be on standby to avert possible outbreaks of violence. From: Kathimerini Documentary on kidnapping General Kreipe - 14 November, 2009 Film director Dimitris Anagnostopoulos is out shooting in Crete for a dramatized documentary that is being prepared about the abduction of the legendary military commander of Crete from the period of German occupation during WW II, General Kreipe. The History Channel and National Geographic have already expressed their interest in this documentary, because this kidnapping has been characterized as one of the most daring commando operations during the Second World War. Translated from: Haniotika Nea The weather - 13 November, 2009 The on-again, off-again precipitation of the last week is forecast to have passed by tomorrow and fair weather is expected to prevail throughout the country over the weekend, with some cloud cover expected in the east and south. Winds will be northerly, at light to moderate speeds of 3 to 5 Beaufort, while temperatures will range from 3C (37F) to 17C (63F) in the north and from 40C (39F) to 20C (68F) in other parts of the country. OUTLOOK: Sunny skies, mild temperatures and something of an Indian summer are forecast over the next week throughout the country, with patches of light cloud expected on Sunday in the northeast and the possibility of showers overnight. Scattered rain may continue into the early hours of Monday morning in the north but will soon give way to fairer conditions. Winds will be northerly, at light to moderate speeds of 3 to 4 Beaufort, while temperatures are expected to rise slightly. From: Kathimerini Church slams ruling on classroom crucifix - 12 November, 2009 The Church of Greece yesterday criticized a European Court of Human Rights ruling that the presence of crucifixes in classrooms is a breach of human rights after hearing a case brought by a mother from Italy. “It is not only minorities that have rights, the majority has them as well,” said the head of the Greek Church, Archbishop Ieronymos, adding that the matter would be discussed by the Holy Synod if necessary. “Youngsters will soon not have any symbols to inspire and protect them,” said Bishop Nikolaos of Fthiotida. Bishop Anthimos of Thessaloniki said he hopes Greek officials will appeal any decision that could lead to the removal of religious icons from classrooms. The court found that the right of parents to educate their children according to their own beliefs, and children’s right to freedom of religion, were breached by the presence of a crucifix in classrooms. Holy row A Marine reservist was released from a Florida jail on bail yesterday after being charged with using a tire iron to beat a Greek Orthodox priest who he claimed had sexually assaulted him. Jasen Bruce, 28, claimed to have attacked the priest in self-defense when the latter allegedly grabbed his genitals after following him into the garage outside his apartment. According to police, Bruce also claimed to have feared that Alexios Marakis, 29, was an Arab terrorist. Marakis, who was on a visit to the US from his native Crete, was released from hospital after receiving first-aid treatment for minor injuries. “I did not even touch him,” Marakis was quoted as saying. From: Kathimerini Pollution and waste growing - 11 November, 2009 Atmospheric pollution and inadequate waste management continue to pose a problem in Athens and other major Greek cities, while the risk of desertification has intensified in the provinces, according to the first study carried out by the National Center for the Environment and Sustainable Development (EKPAA). The study noted progress in some areas – chiefly in the increased rate of recycling and in a 1 percent drop in the carbon dioxide emissions that contribute to global warming – but overall its conclusions were not positive. The report highlighted rising atmospheric pollution levels and the absence of a comprehensive waste management system in Attica as an enduring problem. Climbing air pollution in other big towns, including Thessaloniki, Patra, Volos and Kozani, was also highlighted. Another high-ranking concern was dwindling rainfall and the subsequent risk of desertification of more than a 10th of the country’s surface area. The worst affected areas are in the Peloponnese, Thessaly, central Macedonia, Crete and the islands of the Cyclades. According to EKPAA’s president, Yiannis Ziomas, the protection of the country’s forestland, much of which has been ravaged by fires in recent years, should be another priority for authorities. Ziomas also stressed the importance of improved water management in agricultural regions such as Thessaly. EKPAA board member Angeliki Kallia said one of the main reasons that Greece lags behind the European Union in the enforcement of directives aimed at environmental protection is due to “the lack of systematic preparation.” She called for “effective management, cooperation of legal and technical experts for the environment, adequate staffing and the necessary infrastructure for inspections.” From: Kathimerini One dead, another missing in rainstorms - 9 November, 2009 For the second time in two weeks, heavy rain in various parts of Greece has caused a loss of life, as one person was killed and another two went missing yesterday. A man was found dead in Grevena, northern Greece, after his car was swept away by onrushing water as he was driving between the villages of Trikokia and Karpero. The man was not named or further identified. Rescue teams were yesterday searching for a 42-year-old man after the car in which he was traveling with his wife and daughter was also swept away when they attempted to cross a river swollen by rainwater in the Aridaia municipality in Pella, northern Greece. The unnamed man’s 35-year-old wife and 17-year-old daughter managed to get out of the vehicle and swim to the banks of the river but he has been missing since the incident, which occurred at about 4 a.m. Firefighters and locals were yesterday helping in the effort to find the vehicle and the missing man. A search-and-rescue operation was also taking place yesterday off the coast of Hania, Crete, after reports that a boat with one person on board had capsized. On October 24 and 25, storms around the country had also led to one man drowning off the coast of Volos and another being swept away in Pieria, northern Greece. The rough conditions at sea yesterday also prevented the Blue Star ferry with 325 passengers on board from docking at the port of Rhodes. Cretan arms Acting on a tip-off, police on Crete arrested two men, aged 24 and 21, in Geropotamos, near Rethymno, yesterday after discovering a cache of weapons in a farmhouse. Officers seized two Kalashnikov assault rifles, an M1 rifle, several handguns, a hand grenade, 62 detonators and 1,300 bullets. The arms will be sent to police central headquarters so they can be examined by forensic scientists. From: Kathimerini More doctors - 7 November, 2009 Health Minister Mariliza Xenogiannakopoulou said yesterday that she has begun the process for the hiring of 671 new medical staff at state hospitals as soon as possible. She added that the government aims to hire a total of 2,000 medical staff in the near future. Earlier this week, Xenogiannakopoulou said that 6,000 state hospital staff, including nurses, would be hired by the end of next year. From: Kathimerini The weather - 6 November, 2009 Showers are expected in western and northern Greece and on the islands of the eastern Aegean and Dodecanese, with rainstorms especially in western parts. Scattered clouds elsewhere, with a possibility of light showers on the mainland and fog in the morning. Winds will be southerly at speeds of 4 to 6 Beaufort and up to 7 Beaufort at sea. Temperatures will range from 5C (41F) to 20C (68F) in the north and 8C (46F) to 24C (75F) elsewhere. OUTLOOK: Showers and rainstorms are expected to become heavier tomorrow across the country. Winds will blow in from a southerly direction at moderate to high speeds of 6 to 8 Beaufort and temperatures will remain steady. Conditions are expected to improve as of Sunday, with winds coming in from a west-southwesterly direction at lighter speeds of 4 to 6 Beaufort and normal temperatures for the time of year. From: Kathimerini Wet spell causes floods, damage - 4 November, 2009 Heavy rain and strong winds yesterday caused problems across much of the country, resulting in widespread flooding and damage to crops, wreaking chaos on the roads and even ripping the roofs off some buildings in the Peloponnese. In Athens heavy rain caused serious congestion on the roads but there were few reports of accidents. On Schistos Avenue near the Skaramanga Shipyards, west of the capital, two people were injured when the car they had been traveling in skidded on the slippery asphalt and careered into railings at the side of the road. The rain also led to the flooding of several basement and ground-floor homes and stores across Attica and the provinces. The fire services in the prefecture of Attica, Ileia and Aetoloacarnania received dozens of calls from shopkeepers and homeowners asking for water to be pumped out of their flooded premises. The problems caused by the bad weather in the Peloponnese were more serious. Parts of the peninsula were hit by small tornadoes which damaged farmland and whipped the roofs of some homes and a school in Ileia, a prefecture that was badly affected by the catastrophic forest fires of August 2007. Residents whose homes were damaged told Kathimerini that they were using plastic sheeting as temporary roofing. Strong winds also caused disruptions in coastal shipping, leading to the mooring of passenger ferries at Piraeus, Lavrio and Rafina and also of some vessels at ports in the Aegean and the Ionian. In some areas winds reportedly reached 9 on the Beaufort scale. There was even some snow yesterday, chiefly in mountainous parts of northern Greece. The snowfall was heaviest in the prefectures of Florina and Kastoria. Meteorologists said that the bad weather was unlikely to abate in most parts of the country over the next few days, noting that strong winds would probably cause more problems at sea. From: Kathimerini Ferries moored - 2 November, 2009 Passenger ferries and other vessels remained moored at the ports of Piraeus, Lavrio and Rafina yesterday as winds intensified. Some ports in the Aegean were also affected, though strong winds were expected to ease off overnight. Meanwhile light snow fell in mountainous parts of northern and central Greece and on Mount Parnitha, north of Athens. Nurses care more for desks Nearly half of all nurses recruited by state hospitals subsequently seek transfers to cushier administrative positions, sources have told Kathimerini, noting that the widespread practice of transfers is partly responsible for a shortage of some 15,000 nursing staff at state health facilities. According to official figures of the National Health Service (ESY), between 20 and 25 percent of nursing staff are given transfers. But sources tell Kathimerini that this rate is closer to 50 percent. Of 7,000 nursing staff recruited from 2004 to 2009, between 2,500 and 3,000 were subsequently given transfers, the sources said. The reason cited by nurses seeking transfers is usually health problems but the real motive is usually low wages and poor working conditions. According to Stavros Koutsiobelis, president of the Panhellenic Federation of Hospital Workers, the problem worsened last year with a “mass exodus” of nurses. “A whole industry of transfers has developed,” he said. Health and Social Policy Minister Mariliza Xenogiannakopoulou recently issued a circular aimed at freezing the transfers. From: Kathimerini Workers place the last section... - 31 October, 2009 Workers place the last section, weighing 10 tons, on top of the Propylaea [Acropolis], the monumental gateway to the Parthenon, yesterday. After nine years of restoration work, the gateway is finally ready to be unveiled and will be freed soon of scaffolding, officials said. From: Kathimerini Greeks most fearful in EU of being poor - 29 October, 2009 One in three Greeks say they struggle to make ends meet, according to the results of a Eurobarometer survey which shows the Greek people to be among the most “fearful of poverty” in the European Union. A total of 35 percent of Greek respondents declared that their salaries were inadequate to cover their needs. This is in direct contrast to the EU average, with one in three EU citizens claiming not to have any particular money problems. The survey also showed that Greeks have one of the highest rates of “fear of poverty” in the bloc, with 84 percent saying that the worsening of their financial situation was a prominent concern. The Greeks come just behind the French in their anxiety, while the Hungarians are the most fearful with 96 percent claiming to fear poverty. At the other end of the scale, the Swedes are the most optimistic, with 61 percent claiming not to be overly worried about money. The weather Rainy conditions are expected to clear gradually, though overcast skies will prevail over much of the country and there is a chance of morning showers in northern Crete. Winds will be northeasterly at speeds of 3 to 4 Beaufort in the Ionian and 4 to 6 Beaufort in the Aegean, while temperatures will range from 5C (41F) to 19C (66F) in the north, 7C (45F) to 21C (70F) in central and southern Greece, and 10C (50F) to 22C (72F) on the islands. OUTLOOK: Northerly winds are expected to pick up significantly, sweeping more clouds across the country and pushing temperatures down, starting from the north and spreading to the south. Rain is also expected in the north and parts of central Greece, as well as light snowfall on the mountains. The southern Peloponnese and Crete may also experience some showers as well as low temperatures on the higher elevations. From: Kathimerini TAXI FARES - 27 October, 2009 Taxi charges are to increase from Sunday with the fare charged per kilometer rising to 0.60 euros from 0.48 euros. Another hike is due in May 2010 when the rate will reach 0.72 euros per kilometer. From Sunday, the fare after midnight will rise from 0.84 euros to 1.05 euros. These incremental increases followed a gentleman’s agreement reached in April between unionists representing taxi drivers and then Transport Minister Evripidis Stylianidis. From: Kathimerini Weather warning - 23 October, 2009 The General Secretariat for Civil Protection yesterday issued a warning to local authorities that heavy rainfall and thunderstorms are likely to affect much of the country today and tomorrow. The Ionian Sea is expected to be the worst affected with southerly winds forecast to reach 8 or even 9 on the Beaufort scale. Winds are likely to intensify in the central and southern Aegean on Sunday and could affect scheduled passenger ferry itineraries. From: Kathimerini The weather - 19 October, 2009 Cloudy with scattered showers and rainstorms in western and northern Greece. Local cloud elsewhere with a possibility of occasional rain in Thessaly, Crete and the eastern Aegean. Winds will be southwesterly at 3 to 5 Beaufort, later turning west-northwesterly in the west at the same speeds. Temperatures will range from 8C (46F) to 20C (68F) in the north, 12C (54F) to 23C (73F) in the west and 10C (50F) to 26C (79F) in other parts of the country. OUTLOOK: Conditions are expected to improve somewhat tomorrow, though there is a possibility of brief local showers in western Greece, the eastern Aegean and Crete. Winds will be west-northwesterly at speeds of 3 to 5 Beaufort and temperatures are likely to drop slightly. Generally clear skies are forecast for Wednesday, along with light variable winds. Temperatures are expected to rise slightly. From: Kathimerini Doctors convicted - 17 October, 2009 A court in the Cretan town of Iraklio yesterday convicted two medics in connection with the death of a 9-year-old boy who underwent an operation to have his tonsils removed at their private clinic. The surgeon was given three years in jail and the anaesthetist had his license to practice revoked for a year. Neither have the right to appeal their sentences. From: Kathimerini British Rescue - 19 September, 2009 Alarm sounded on the Fire Department and the Department of Civil Protection of Chania Prefecture shortly after 3.30 yesterday afternoon. A British 64 years old with his wife crossed the Path E4, suffered a heart attack resulting in the need of services for the Hospital to act now. The Head of the Department of Civil Protection of Chania Prefecture, Charalambos Koukianakis, referring to the event, said: "A pair of British citizens, a 64 years old man and a 60 years old woman, who stayed in a hotel in the area of Maleme, began to cross the E4 path that starts from Paleochora towards Sougia. Starting from the location Gialiskari, about midway, at around 3.30 this afternoon, the wife informed servants of a British hotel that the husband probably suffered a heart attack and is left unconscious in that area, despite her attempts with several massages to revive him. The hotelier informed the Fire Department, which informed the Civil Protection and launched an effort to reach them. Mr. Koukianakis stressed to accelerate the transition of men, the District leased a vessel from Sougia on which men of the Fire Brigade of Kampanos and volunteers of the Fire Group of Selino boarded, and they went to Lissos and then after walking - having constant contact with the foreigners - identified the tourists at 6.30 that afternoon. Meanwhile, men of the Fire Service of Kantanos and Pelekanos had begun to find the two Britons. According to Mr Koukianakis, the British were transported by ambulance finally - late afternoon - to the General Hospital of Chania, which provided the necessary medical assistance. "I want to thank everyone involved in the operation, because at this point of year we had multiple events," said Mr Koukianakis. Translated from: Haniotika Nea Spike in dead sea mammals Conservation experts yesterday highlighted a worrying increase in the number of marine mammals that have washed up dead on the country’s islands and coastlines over the past week or so. The most serious incident reported by the Institute of Marine and Environmental Research of the Aegean Sea, also known as Archipelagos, was the discovery of a young female sperm whale on the northern coast of Samos. The mammal’s body bore no sign of injury, according to experts, who noted that early fall usually brings an increase in the migration of sperm whales into the area between the islands of the eastern Aegean and Turkey. Archipelagos researchers also reported finding two dead dolphins, one in Alimos, southern Athens, and another on Samos. The cause of their deaths was also unclear. A dead loggerhead sea turtle (Caretta-caretta), found on the coast of Icaria, had been knifed, conservationists said. From: Kathimerini Pankritio Diving Festival in Loutro - 18 September, 2009 An important festival, bringing together divers from all over the island, will be held from 25 to September 27 in Loutro, Sfakia.
As noted in yesterday's press conference by Harris Karavarakis, the organiser of the the festival, it was based on an idea of the President of our Association Manos Roumeliotaki. Such events are within the objectives of our association, and with a view to creating diving in our parks.'' He added''the benefits of creating diving parks is all for the protection of marine life since those areas will be established diving parks, fishing is prohibited. 'The festival has a great impact and we hope that next year there will be contributions of divers from all over Greece.' ''I want to thank the Prefecture of Chania for the help he provides, and the diving center in Sfakia, NOTOS MARE, which will support us in the conduct of diving, he said. Roumeliotakis Manos, vice president of the Association,''said the festival is aimed at certified divers and will offer to all experience levels, from beginners to very experienced, and participation is free. Mr. Roumeliotakis''said the festival also includes a diving program rich in magical waters of southern Crete. The spokesman of the Association, Professor at the Polytechnic Mr Samoladas, said:''The centers are places of protection of the sea but are not related to species extinction. It simply places protection in order to develop a rich sea life, which will provide stunning images of the seabed to all those involved with diving. Mr. Samoladas added that the benefits of creating diving parks are numerous. They Contribute to sustainable development, tourism promotion of the place and the economic development of regions, since the interest of the people involved in the diving time increased with time.'' ''The dream of our Association is at some point in the prefecture of Chania, to create a diving park. We need enormous amounts of money or complex structures for the creation of such parks. We hope that the government will realize the benefits, and support these efforts of our Association.'' The prefecture of Chania offers exceptional areas which are suited to create a diving park. Features to mention are the Bay Area in Kalathas. In this area there are beautiful underwater caves which can be visited by anyone involved in diving, while developing rich marine life. This area alone has all the elements, rocky bottom, etc. for developing all kinds of underwater life.'' The program also includes films from the diving activities of the Association. Translated from: Haniotika Nea MIG open to idea of selling Olympic Air back to the state Marfin Investment Group (MIG), which recently purchased lossmaking Olympic Airlines, is open to talks on selling the air carrier back to the government, as it gets ready to start flight operations in October. MIG Vice Chairman Andreas Vgenopoulos said that if there is a change in government on October 4, the new administration will have three months to decide whether it wants to repurchase the airline or buy a stake in it. “We first need to find out the government’s intentions,” Vgenopoulos told reporters. In April, MIG agreed to purchase Olympic Airlines, its ground-handling and aircraft maintenance units from the Greek state and has since been preparing to launch flight operations under the new company, Olympic Air. Socialist opposition party PASOK, which is leading the conservatives in the polls by between 5 and 6 percent, is believed to be interested in buying back a minority stake in the airline, which it considers to be of “strategic importance.” Vgenopoulos ruled out running the airline alongside the government. MIG has announced a $1.1 billion investment plan for Olympic Air, providing it with “one of the newest aircraft fleets in Southeast Europe.” Olympic Air’s fleet of aircraft will number 32 planes, including 16 Airbus 319s and 320s and 10 Bombardier Q400 aircraft. It is interested in joining SkyTeam, the world’s second-largest airline alliance, with 14 carrier partners, said Vgenopoulos, adding that “it is still very early” for such a deal. From: Kathimerini Tender for airline routes postponed - 17 September, 2009 The Transport Ministry yesterday called off a tender awarding state-subsidized airline routes to private air carriers due to the October 4 elections. “The tender procedure will be relaunched after the new government takes office,” the ministry said in a statement. Recently privatized Olympic Air and Aegean Airlines were among the seven companies that took part in the tender to service 17 mainly island destinations. The tender involves providing flights from Athens and Thessaloniki to islands that include Kalymnos, Icaria, Astypalaia, Skiathos, Skyros, Samos, Chios, Lesvos, Karpathos and Kythera. The offer, announced by Greece’s Civil Aviation Authority, encompasses a total of 24 routes that are commercially unviable, hence the state subsidies for the carriers that serve them. Other companies that participated in the tender for the routes were Astra Airlines, Athens Airways, Carpatair, Hellas Jet and Sky Express. Regarding the ongoing privatization of Olympic Air, the ministry said procedures are moving ahead as planned for the completion of the sale and the new company will launch flights by the end of the month. Marfin Investment Group, which purchased the loss-making airline, is scheduled to unveil the future plans of Olympic Air at a press conference in Athens today. From: Kathimerini On the natural environment of Chania Prefecture - 16 September, 2009 Monitoring and protecting the natural environment of the prefecture is the purpose of the Geographical Information System in the prefecture of Chania, which will be presented at a ceremony today at 10 am in the Board Room West Crete of the Technical Chamber of Greece (TEE). Yesterday, at a press conference of the District it stated that this system will monitor places like the Samaria Gorge and will promptly intervene in case of fire and all citizens can be "digital" access to the property. In a news conference yesterday the Prefect of Chania, Grigoris Archontakis, said "the project" Geographic Information System in the prefecture of Chania 'refers to support for the maintenance, development, protect the environmental and historical character by law, and to make the relevant decisions. In the same framework a comprehensive crisis management system is developed, to combat fires in the Samaria Gorge and will be providing information to operators of the county and citizens on issues and areas related to the environment via the Internet. For the project a digital geographic database of the Prefecture will be created with all the thematic information layers available, like: administrative county boundaries, cities, municipal districts, villages, digital elevation models, separate roads, fire outbreaks with their point of origin, fuel types, and illegal land dumps. Also protected areas of the county, Natura 2000 areas, and land coverage, protected areas, and it will classify the existing activities or facilities which are directly linked to the outbreak of fire, classified maps of vegetation, classified forest maps, wildlife refuges, protected forests and forest land, geology and soil type, the river network, and the division of areas, sites, places of tourist interest, etc. According to the Prefect of Chania, the project, which will group and connect together all available information so as to produce a comprehensive picture of the department, will be a valuable tool for any organization. The purpose of the meeting which will be undertaken in the TEE is to collect data and encourage the institution of laws. Mr. Archontakis added that: "The 'Geographical Information System in the prefecture of Chania" will not only protect the Samaria Gorge and the mountains of the prefecture. In the system we can include information that will digitize all roads in the prefecture of Chania on the basis of agriculture, forestry, provincial, municipal areas, Natura protected areas, landfills, protected areas, forest maps, shelters, protected forests, water costs, etc. It is a file that each institution should have participation in, so the conclusion of having a central database at county level which can be accessed by anyone who has to do with the land of the county, and is wishing to implement this development. The General Secretary of the Prefecture of Chania, Kyriakos Kotsoglou, stated that "when the database is completed anyone can come to be notified about urbanisation as a part of the land and can be informed on how close to the networks, the road is, what the coordinates, what land is, how it is used, the crops it had previously, if it is forest, how close are archaeological sites, etc. All this information will be digitized and available to every citizen. Essentially, the Prefecture is trying to create - with the collaboration of all stakeholders- an open system that will be available to the entire public. " As pointed out by Kotsoglou, the next time the Prefecture of Chania will create an GIS agency, a Topographical Department in the Prefecture, that will manage this information. The "Geographic Information System in the prefecture of Chania" is the recording, viewing and monitoring of the natural environment of the prefecture of Chania and will be available in a wide range of institutions and to individuals. The G.I.S. (Geographical Informations Systems) or Geographic Information Systems (GIS) is a system of collection, storage, management, analysis and display of information on matters of geographical nature which has experienced great growth in the last two decades. It is a scientific area that includes an impressive range of methods and techniques, generalized and specialized for processing, analyzing and presenting geographic data of the environment. The "Geographical Information System in the prefecture of Chania will be implemented with funding from the Prefecture and the Program Information Society. The project is scheduled to be finished by 31/12/09, with a total budget of around EUR 600,000. Translated from: Haniotika Nea Jobless rate seen above 17 percent Greece’s unemployment rate is expected to shoot up to 17.3 percent in 2010, from 8.6 percent currently, according to the country’s largest union group, the General Confederation of Greek Workers, known by its Greek acronym GSEE. GSEE, which represents some 2 million private sector workers, yesterday presented a study put together by its Labor Institute INE, which estimates that the jobless rate will rise to 15 percent by the end of the year. [...] Solar MW capacity doubled The installed capacity of solar energy systems in Greece more than doubled within just seven months by July, according to the Renewable Energy Sources Center. The combined electricity output from the installed units reached 29.8 mega-watts in July from just 14 MW in January, thanks to legislative initiatives of the last few years aimed at boosting the market’s development, said Yiannis Vouyiouklakis, head of the center’s development section. He was addressing a conference titled “Photovoltaic Systems in Greece.” Vouyiouklakis stated that the market’s growth has been helped by an impressive drop in the cost of purchasing solar panels, which has fallen over 35 percent within a year. He also suggested that it is by harnessing solar and wind energy that Greece could meet the national target of getting 20 percent of its energy via renewable energy sources. However, Giorgos Vokas, secretary general of the Association of Photovoltaic Companies, said that despite initially high expectations, bureaucracy has cut the market’s potential growth rate. From: Kathimerini Extension of Chania airport - 14 September, 2009 As is known, the existing infrastructure of the airport "Kazantzakis" [Heraklion] is unable to adequately meet the increasing needs of western Crete, and at the same time the staff takes its own "battle" to prevent problems occurring in the 24 hour operation of the airport, since shortages in specific respects are many and huge, as repeatedly has been denounced by the workers, which is acknowledged by the Assistant Airport Manager Costas Tsioros. Mr. Tsioros said, speaking to Haniotika Nea, that the extension of the terminal building will be auctioned in 2010, according to information to date, noting, however, that these are not yet sure, given the present instable political situation. Mr. Tsioros stated further that the study for the extension, and the new control tower, "have included proposals to improve the existing infrastructure of the airport, as it exists now. My intentions are to start processes to optimize existing infrastructure in the autumn. There are some issues, but in the middle of the season this is difficult to see. Finishing the season and to try in the future to be more competitive, and then we will see if some of these infrastructures will profit directly, "said Mr. Tsioros. Referring to the Staff he acknowledged that "the fact is that we operate with inadequate staff, with inadequate infrastructure, with all that it entails. Because the 24-hour operation, the testing of infrastructure and personnel, which must be constantly present, is difficult. Asked to specify how many vacancies there are for airport employees, Mr. Tsioros noted that "many are missing. I think the staff should be doubled. There are urgent and immediate staffing needs in key sectors. Especially this year, as the airport of Chania has mainly the support of seasonal personnel, like other years. Each year eight to ten people are hired as seasonal staff. This year was this was not possible due to lack of funds. It is, and stays, a problem. According to him, another problem is the reduction of funds given to the operational needs of the airport. "We know the problems, but as a decentralized body of a central organ we can not claim more. This is clear, "said Tsioros, stressing, however, that despite the difficulties given "the airport copes with the increased needs". PARKING Referring to the issue of parking aircraft, Mr Tsioros said "we made an effort and have already made plans to Athens to increase parking in the existing space by 8 today to 12 to 14 later. It is something being investigated. Also, in the process of implementing the development of an area which will be used for general civilian aviation, we hope that next season we can accommodate either small general aviation aircraft (8 to 10) or larger aircraft (business jet), which will bring us a useful and growing foreign revenue, both to the airport, and to the area of Chania, "said Mr Tsioros. He did not comment on recent reports of Haniotika Nea, whereby it was possible to find parking at the airport of Chania for six small private aircraft from Slovakia, so their owners would be able to come in for short Sitia holidays, although the original destination was the city of Chania. "As for the" denial "of the six possible private aircraft from Slovakia it should be observed that we are clearly talking about a limited area of general aviation. The location is suited for around 10 to 12 planes. In summer we have increased interest by domestic operators, who occupy the main positions, so this period is not offer sufficient places for the safe parking of six aircraft. The priority for us this year is to serve charter flights and a parking space makes a difference, believe me. " Extension of the terminal and a new control tower The project includes the expansion of the terminal by 15,586 square meters, the construction of a new aircraft control tower total on an area of 500 sq.m. after the refurbishing - upgrading the existing terminal space and the expansion of the surrounding area. The new terminal will be able to accommodate 2,100 passengers in both directions or 1,400 passengers per direction at peak hour. Translated from: Haniotika Nea The weather The Ionian, mainland and northern Aegean will see clouds and scattered downpours. Clouds and light showers are forecast elsewhere, especially on the Cycladic islands and Crete. Winds will be southerly-southeasterly, at speeds of 3 to 5 Beaufort in most parts, and northwesterly to 4 Beaufort in the southeast, while temperatures will range from 14C (57F) to 25C (77F) in the north and 15C (59F) to 28C (82F) elsewhere. OUTLOOK: Mainland Greece will experience brief but heavy downpours, while winds are expected to come in from different directions and temperatures to remain mostly unchanged. The weather will improve across the county on Wednesday, although it will begin to deteriorate again overnight and into Thursday. Winds in the Ionian will be southerly-southeasterly at light to moderate speeds of 3 to 5 Beaufort and in the Aegean northwesterly at up to 6 Beaufort. From: Kathimerini Road accidents in Crete - 12 September, 2009 One person dies every two days on the roads of Crete and three are seriously injured. The crucial factor for the outcome of the life of the injured are the first critical minutes after the accident, during which there is an urgent need for the proper provision of primary care by rescuers, doctors and nurses.
Mr. Vourvachakis stressed that «in Greece and Crete in particular is a massacre. As you know every second day in Crete we have one dead. For every dead we have three serious injuries. [...] And you know very well that as a country we are not yet ready to be able to help these people. It is therefore more important to learn to care for them at the scene of an accident, before ending with neurological problems, rather than treating them in bad condition after», said Mr. Vourvachakis. Asked to comment on the quality of the road network of Crete, Mr. Vourvachakis noted that «it is one of the worst there is. [...] He, however, hastened to point out that «80% of road accidents is in the city because of violations of the Highway Code. It is a question, then, not only for better roads, but also on education. I think that driver education should start at primary school. Everyone must help in this.» The care for the wounded Mr. Vourvachakis stated further that «most important for life and quality of life of injured and the ones in need of any emergency are the first minutes after the injury, after the accident. when experienced and well trained people in the first minutes give the correct first aid, then not only lives, but also patient quality of life is guaranteed. We know that if the brain a few seconds is left without oxygen, it begins to breaks down. When you go several minutes without oxygen damage can be permanent. Somehow, then, should a trained doctor, rescue worker, nurse and a citizen of course, give first aid to provide oxygen to the brain of the victim, the first minutes after the injury », concluded Mr Vourvachakis. Note that the two-day meeting concludes today at the auditorium of the Hospital. Translated from: Haniotika Nea Hania sees its tourism suffer loss - 11 September, 2009 Foreign arrivals at the airport of Hania in western Crete showed a 9.3 yearly drop in the March-August period this year, according to a survey by the Economic and Business Administration Department of the Mediterranean Agronomic Institute of Hania and the Financial Engineering Laboratory of Crete Polytechnic. The survey, which focused on the impact of the international economic crisis on Hania tourism, found that arrivals dropped from 437,358 last year to 402,911 this year. It also found that one-third of tourists (33.3 percent) reduced their spending during their stay in Hania prefecture due to the financial crisis. As for the purchase of local traditional products, some 21.1 percent of foreign tourists reported that they had reduced their spending in that direction, with 57.9 percent of British tourists in particular cutting this expenditure. There was also a decline in the use of rented cars and taxis by just over 20 percent, the survey found. From: Kathimerini Clean seas - 10 September, 2009 Scientists appear to be reassuring as to the quality of waters of the Cretan and Libyan seas surrounding the island of Crete. The data obtained in recent years by a series of investigations of the sea, show that the situation is controlled on pollution. Indeed, the contamination by oil derivatives, which were previously visible on the coast with large amounts of tar, has declined significantly, a very encouraging sign according to scientists. "What you see is that we have less extremes of marine pollution as we had earlier in Crete" said Mr. Costas Dounis researcher at the Greek Center for Marine Research in Heraklion. He stresses that "the situation is improved compared with the past and we are happy." For the reasons found for this improvement Mr Dounis replied that "in a program that we had done before 7-8 years, measuring the levels of tar in the sea and tried to look where they come from. In the report we record the problem and its source. Large tankers moving from Africa to Europe for various reasons left behind by oil and other derivatives, many of which ended in the waters and shores of the island. Making the issue public has had dramatic results. Especially in recent years there has been a dramatic improvement of the situation and I think that our research somehow helped in this." Biological cleaning The improvement of water quality has helped important biological cleaning operations in various parts of the island. Beyond the need for construction and other life, where necessary, the researchers draw attention to proper operation. "It is not enough just to have a biological treatment, but should work and correct. We have a partnership with the DEYA Chania and monitor the output of the pipeline and its biological effects are very well," said Mr Dounis. Especially with regards to the southern coast of Crete, and particularly to Paleochora, Mr. Dounis states awareness of the problem. "For Paleochora I can say that the issue is serious and can not continue because this issue is not only a matter of pollution but also of culture. Plus, it can lead to dumping waste water untreated into the sea" he concludes. Not funded research Despite the important work done by the Greek Center for Marine Research and earlier by IMBC, it lacks the necessary resources for research. Our country lags behind in research funding at European level, and does not assist either this important scientific institution to conduct a comprehensive study of pollution-registration at sea surrounding Crete, and does not respond to its propositions. Thus, they ignore all elements of the scientists from their daily contact with the sea in all research efforts. IN SFAKIA For the possession of half a gram of hashish a foreign national was accused, who, according to the Police Department Chania yesterday, was arrested Monday afternoon in Sfakia, after review by the Board of Drugs in Chania, in cooperation with the Department of Police Enterprises (TAE) Apokoronou. Translated from: Haniotika Nea More sign up for fast Internet Broadband Internet penetration in Greece reached 15.6 percent of the population at the end of June, increasing 40.7 percent from the same period last year, as the sector shows resilience to the economic downturn, according to the Observatory for the Greek Information Society. The Observatory, a state organization appointed with the task of collecting and assessing data on Greece’s Information Society, said 41,137 new connections were made every month in the first half of the year and that convergence with European Union averages looks set to take place toward the end of 2010. The Observatory was not able to provide any information on EU averages. Demand in the first half did not appear to be influenced by economic uncertainty, as aggressive pricing policy moves on the part of Internet service providers have sustained customer interest. “Prospects for the second half of 2009 continue to be favorable,” it said, adding that the penetration rate at the end of the year is seen at between 17 and 17.8 percent. From: Kathimerini The weather - 9 September, 2009 Scattered showers are forecast off and on across the country but especially in central Macedonia, Thessaly, Evia, the eastern mainland, Cyclades and Crete. Morning showers are likely in the eastern Aegean and Dodecanese and on the mainland in the afternoon. Winds will be northeasterly, 3 to 4 Beaufort in the Ionian and 4 to 6 Beaufort in the Aegean. Temperatures from 11C (52F) to 25C (77F) in the north and 14C (57F) to 28C (82F) elsewhere. OUTLOOK: Scattered showers are forecast on Thursday, especially in the afternoon hours in the southwest and possibly on the mountains of the mainland. Winds will be east-northeasterly, 4 to 6 Beaufort, and temperatures will rise slightly. Showers and occasional rainstorms are expected on Friday, chiefly in the central and southern parts of the country. Winds will be southeasterly to northeasterly, 5 to 7 Beaufort, and temperatures will remain stable. From: Kathimerini Greeklish mars pupils’ language - 8 September, 2009 The growing use of Greeklish by schoolchildren is adversely affecting their spelling skills and may ultimately pose a threat to the Greek language, according to a recent study. The study was carried out by the Department of Early Childhood Education of the University of Western Macedonia during the 2008-09 school year, with the participation of children and teachers in all grades of secondary education at schools in Kozani, northern Greece. Greeklish, or Grenglish, is the Greek language written with the Latin alphabet. A form of transliteration, it is commonly used by Greeks in e-mail communications, instant messaging and text messages sent by cell phone. But according to the study, the widespread use of Greeklish, which begins as early as elementary school, has led to an increase in spelling and other errors in school essays. Apart from spelling, the most common types of mistakes were failing to insert accent or punctuation marks, the use of English punctuation marks and combining Greek and Latin letters in the same word. The frequency with which teachers reported finding words written in Greeklish in school essays was as high as 64.3 percent. Teachers said they were also finding unexpected errors, such as a change in the tense or person in the case of verbs, the use of the wrong declension for nouns and the replacement of one word by another with a totally different meaning. [...] The weather Cloudy with showers and rainstorms in central and eastern Macedonia, Thrace, Thessaly, central Greece, eastern and southern Peloponnese, Crete and the islands of the northern and eastern Aegean. Local cloud with a possibility of brief showers. Winds will be northeasterly in the Ionian at 3 to 5 Beaufort and in the Aegean 6 to 8 Beaufort. Temperatures will range from 14C (57F) to 22C (72F) in the north and 15C (59F) to 26C (79F) elsewhere. OUTLOOK: Changeable and cloudy over the next two days with occasional showers and rainstorms, especially over the mainland. Winds in the west will be north-northeasterly at speeds of 3 to 4 Beaufort and easterly at 5 to 7 Beaufort in the east, gradually easing. Temperatures will remain at relatively low levels for the time of year. From: Kathimerini Ferry collision - 7 September, 2009 A passenger ferry that had been en route for Piraeus from the island of Rhodes yesterday, carrying 262 passengers, sustained minor damage when it hit a rocky outcrop off the island of Karpathos. The vessel moored at Karpathos for a precautionary inspection and was expected to continue its journey later in the day. From: Kathimerini Briton, 22, dies after fall on Mt Olympus - 5 September, 2009 A 22-year-old British climber suffered fatal injuries after a fall during an ascent of Mount Olympus in northern Greece, police in Pieria said yesterday. According to officers, Stephen Wright, from Gloucestershire in southwest England, had been climbing with a 21-year-old Greek friend at an altitude of 700 meters (2,300 feet) when he slipped and fell on the western slope of Zilnia, on Thursday evening. The serious head injuries he sustained in the fall led to his death during his transfer to the hospital, police said. A team of rescue crews reached the spot where Wright had fallen and retrieved his body early yesterday. Standing at 2,917 meters (9,570 feet), Mt Olympus, the mythological home of the ancient Greek gods, is the country’s highest mountain and a popular destination for climbers. From: Kathimerini The weather - 3 September, 2009 Clear skies and plenty of sunshine are forecast across the country, with the only exceptions the patches of cloud that are forecast to roll in by afternoon on the mainland and the isolated rainstorms that are likely on the mountains. Winds will be northwesterly, 3 to 4 Beaufort in the Ionian and 4 to 6 Beaufort in the Aegean. Temperatures are expected to range from 16C (61F) to 36C (97F) on the mainland and 20C (68F) to 33C (91F) on the islands. OUTLOOK: Scattered clouds are forecast tomorrow afternoon on the mainland, with the chance of rainstorms, especially on the mountainous regions. Winds will be west-northwesterly, at 3 to 5 Beaufort, and temperatures will rise. Scattered clouds are expected on Saturday in the west and north, with possible showers in the afternoon, especially in the north. Hot weather will prevail in the rest of the country, with northwesterly winds blowing at speeds of 3 to 5 Beaufort. Karamanlis calls early elections Ending days of intense speculation, Prime Minister Costas Karamanlis called early general elections yesterday, appealing to the public to give his beleaguered conservative party a “fresh mandate” to push through reforms and tackle the impact of the global financial crisis. Addressing the nation in a televised speech, Karamanlis referred to a “harsh new reality” and stressed that citizens would have to choose between the “hard road” of tougher reforms or the “easy road” of unpopular measures, including a crackdown on widespread tax evasion and curbs on public spending. The premier did not determine a date for the snap polls, though they are expected on October 4. [...] From: Kathimerini Tourist arrivals to drop around 10 percent - 2 September, 2009 Tourist arrivals to Greece will drop around 10 percent this year, Gerasimos Fokas, head of the Hellenic Chamber of Hotels said yesterday. Revenue will fall by between 16 and 17 percent, or 2 billion euros ($2.9 billion), as the financial crisis hits traveler spending, according to an e-mailed transcript of Fokas’s comments, citing figures from the Bank of Greece. Passenger arrivals at Athens International Airport fell 7.1 percent in the first seven months of the year, according to data on the airport’s website. Tourism accounts for about 16 percent of Greece’s gross domestic product and about one in five jobs, according to estimates by the World Travel and Tourism Council, an industry group. From: Kathimerini ROOM RAIDER - 1 September, 2009 A 33-year-old Belgian man has been arrested on Crete on suspicion of stealing 18,000 euros in cash, jewelry and mobile phones, along with an accomplice, from several rooms in a hotel in Hania where he had been staying. Police said that the man, who was not named, is suspected of breaking into the rooms of five guests, either by climbing onto their balconies or forcing the door open in a way that did not leave any marks. The name of the hotel was not made public. Officers are also looking for a 33-year-old Frenchman who was staying in the hotel along with the Belgian. From: Kathimerini Man with shotgun lets fly in Crete pharmacy - 31 August, 2009 A pharmacist was injured in the face and hand in the Cretan city of Hania on Saturday when a robber armed with a shotgun opened fire in his store. Police said that the pharmacist, who was not named, was in the shop with an employee on Saturday evening when the robber walked in and demanded cash from the register. The pharmacist approached the armed man in an attempt to disarm him, at which point he fired his shotgun. The shot missed the pharmacist but he was injured by shards of glass that were sent flying when the pellets hit the store’s computer. The gunman fled immediately and the victim was taken to the local hospital where he was treated for his injuries. Police arrested a suspect soon after the incident took place. From: Kathimerini Wildfire destruction assessment - 29 August, 2009 65 homes in the prefecture of Attica have been totally destroyed by the devastating wildfires of last week-end, while another 143 homes have suffered partial destruction but have been deemed repairable according to damage assessment authorities at the Public Works Ministry. Full destruction has also been reported to four public buildings and 32 stables, warehouses and other buildings. Partial destruction has been reported to 8 public buildings, churches, commercial buildings and warehouses. From: ERT |
Acropolis shut in dispute over unpaid wages - 14 July, 2010
Tourists brave heat to see the Parthenon - 12 July, 2010
THE COUNTRY PARISH of SFAKIA
The once inconceivable: receipts from kiosks - 3 July, 2010
World Cup over for stubborn Greece
Giant salad - 21 June, 2010
China's Vice Premier Zhang Dejiang was in Athens to sign 14 commercial agreements yesterday at a meeting with Greece's Deputy Prime Minister Theodoros Pangalos. The two men discussed further investments. Dejiang also met with Prime Minister George Papandreou and President Karolos Papoulias. Today, he is due to visit Piraeus port and Crete.
The national soccer team had... - 12 June, 2010
General strike...
International traffic...
Tax office zooms in on pools - 23 April, 2010
TODAY in Chania, Crete
The man, who lives in Greece, was made aware of the use of his picture on the popular Swedish product when an acquaintance living in Stockholm recognized his bearded friend.
By the Mayors of Chania Prefecture
Three killed in Easter festivities - 6 April, 2010
‘Holy Fire’... - 3 April, 2010
Easter lunch to cost up to 2.29 pct more - 31 March, 2010
‘Kalimera’ is country’s new tourism motto
Petsalnikos was responding to two articles – one in Stern magazine in the form of an open letter to Greeks from disgruntled German taxpayers, which also appeared in the February 19 issue of Athens Plus, and the other featured in an issue of Focus magazine whose front page depicts a statue of the Venus de Milo making an obscene gesture under the title “Greek cheats.” The House speaker condemned the two reports as “anything but objective” and containing “inaccuracies and false information.”
IN CRETE
A tourist takes in an Athens demonstration
Kiteflyers chase the breeze on Clean Monday - 16 February, 2010
In the Prefecture of Chania: Finally ... snow - 25 January, 2010
Acropolis gateway restored - 22 December, 2009
Protection for Athens Christmas tree - 11 December, 2009
Early 2010 Chania airport extension - 21 November, 2009
The 1st Pankritio Diving Festival, organized by the 'Hania Association of Friends of the 'bottom''and is aimed at knowledge, exchange experiences and technical diving, quality company, and of course for the participants to enjoy separate dives.
The «massacre» which occurs on the roads of the island and the importance of emergency pre-hospital and hospital care was reported yesterday by the doctor - an anesthesiologist, president of the nonprofit company «Pre-hospital care», Dimitris Vourvachakis, speaking on the sidelines of the two-day nursing care for pre-hospital and hospital care conference, organized in the auditorium of the Regional Hospital of Chania, Crete, Department of the National Association of Nurses in Greece, a scientific nonprofit company «Pre-hospital care» and Nursing Service Foundation, under the auspices of the Commander of the Hospital.