Δυτικά του αρχαίου τάφου της Αμφίπολης επικεντρώνεται, προς το παρόν τουλάχιστον και βάσει των αποτελεσμάτων της γεωφυσικής διασκόπησης, το ενδιαφέρον των αρχαιολόγων αναφορικά με το εάν στον λόφο Καστά είναι θαμμένα και άλλα μνημεία.

Σε ανακοίνωση που εξέδωσε το υπουργείο Πολιτισμού αναφέρεται πως στο εσωτερικό του λόφου, και μέσω των ηλεκτρικών τομογραφιών, εντοπίζονται αντιστατικές δομές, οι οποίες πιθανόν να είναι αρχαίες κατασκευές και τα σημεία στα οποία αυτές εμφανίζονται χρειάζονται αρχαιολογική διερεύνηση.

Δυτικά του αρχαίου τάφου, και σχεδόν παράλληλα, σε οριζόντια τομή που προέκυψε από τις τομογραφίες και απεικονίζει την κατανομή της ειδικής ηλεκτρικής αντίστασης, εντοπίστηκε περιοχή υψηλών τιμών, η οποία πρέπει να διερευνηθεί περαιτέρω με ανασκαφική διερεύνηση.

Η ομάδα του Αριστοτελείου Πανεπιστημίου, με τη συντονιστική ευθύνη του καθηγητή Γρηγ. Τσόκα, η οποία διεξάγει τη γεωφυσική διασκόπηση και τη γεωλογική χαρτογράφηση του λόφου Καστά, κατασκεύασε ψηφιακό προσομοίωμα του εδάφους της εποχής, πριν από την παρέμβαση για την ανέγερση του τάφου.

Από τη σύγκριση του προσομοιώματος με τη σημερινή κατάσταση αλλά και την κατάσταση πριν τις πρόσφατες ανασκαφές, προέκυψε ότι το μεγαλύτερο μέρος του λόφου συνίσταται από φυσικούς σχηματισμούς.

Το προσομοίωμα αναμένεται να γίνει πληρέστερο μετά την ενσωμάτωση στοιχείων από τις γεωτρήσεις που θα διανοιχθούν για γεωτεχνικούς σκοπούς.

Στο παρακάτω σχήμα φαίνεται η οριζόντια τομογραφική εικόνα, όπου ανατολικό της τμήμα διακρίνεται η ανωμαλία των υψηλών αντιστάσεων.

Πηγή:in.gr

German Chancellor Angela Merkel now sees an exit by Greece from the eurozone — meaning Greece would return to a national currency — as manageable. Source: Getty Images

GLOBAL financial markets have gone into a spin this week following new speculation that Greece might exit the eurozone.

It all started on Saturday when German magazine Der Spiegel reported that Chancellor Angela Merkel was ready to let Greece exit the eurozone in the event that the far-left Syriza party wins the January 25 election and reverses the government’s austerity policies.

Poll-favourite Syriza, led by Alexis Tsipras, has made it clear it opposes more austerity for Greece, which the “troika” of the European Union, European Central Bank and International Monetary Fund imposed in exchange for the 240 billion euros ($A352 billion) in bailout loans. Syriza has left open the option of defaulting on the country’s massive debt.

WHAT WOULD IT LOOK LIKE?

A government that refuses to pay its debts, bank runs and investors fleeing: that is what a Greek exit from the euro, or a ”Grexit”, would look like according to economists, although most still believe it is unlikely.

Europe has seen this drama play out several times since Greece’s first bailout in 2010: a difficult event for Athens, a more or less official comment coming from Germany, markets tanking on Grexit speculation.

The markets reacted quickly to the German comments.

Investors dumped European equities, with the Madrid stock index dropping 3 per cent on Monday, Paris 3.3 per cent and Milan 4.9 per cent, which sent the euro to a nine-year low.

Greeks go to the polls on January 25, in an early snap general election triggered after lawmakers failed to agree on who will replace the country’s president. Source: AP

They snapped up the relatively safe-haven investments of French and German government bonds, sending Paris and Berlin’s borrowing costs to record lows.

In his blog, French economist Alexandre Delaigue has sketched out the scenario that investors are worried about. “The negotiations between the new Greek government and the troika bog down. As a debt payment becomes due, Athens refuses to pay. That worries everyone, with Greeks rushing to withdraw their savings from banks fearing the country will exit the euro and investors withdraw their capital,” Delaigue wrote.

Bled dry, Greek banks would likely appeal for urgent aid from the European Central Bank. “If the ECB sets conditions (for the government) and Syriza refuses, then suddenly euros issued by the Greek central bank cease to be the same as other euros,” which is a de facto Greek exit from the euro.

Athens “would need to put in place controls to prevent capital flight, issue new money that would rapidly drop in value against the euro, which would make inevitable a total default on debt denominated in euros,” the economist wrote.

Greece’s borrowing rate soared above the symbolic level of 10 per cent, as investors shunned the bond over fears the country could leave the eurozone. Source: AFP

The European Commission insists that membership in the eurozone is legally “irrevocable”.

But “even if there isn’t a clause” in any European treaty about a country quitting the eurozone, “it’s possible to find a legal mechanism” to do so, said Janis Emmanouilidis at the European Policy Centre think tank.

The most drastic solution, and one which is foreseen by treaties, is for a country to leave the European Union.

Few analysts believe this chain of events is likely in the immediate future. Joerg Kraemer and Christoph Weil at Commerzbank noted that Tsipras has yet to win the election, and in any case “neither Syriza nor the European Union want an exit from the eurozone”.

Greece’s main opposition Syriza party leader Alexis Tsipras opposes more austerity and has left open the option of defaulting on the country’s massive debt. Source: AP

‘BAD COMPROMISE’

They will likely come to a “bad compromise”, keeping Greece in the eurozone “after an exhausting game of poker”, said the Commerbank economists, who put the chance of a Grexit at one in four.

For Christopher Dembik of Saxo Banque, Greece “won’t leave the eurozone today nor tomorrow, but over the long term the question is open” due to its loss of competitiveness given the country’s heavy debt load and the “mistake of the blind austerity” policy.

And the question is not only about Greece, but the survival of the eurozone. “Historical precedents show that it is nearly impossible to keep a monetary union intact once the process of disintegration has started,” he said, pointing in particular to the collapse of the Austro-Hungarian empire.

Delaigue does not exclude the possibility that given the rise in popularity of far-left parties in Spain and Italy, and the extreme-right in France and Germany, that European governments will be tempted “to make an example of Greece: either a country stays in line or it will be thrown out, preferably in the most painful manner”.

The euro sank to a nine-year low Monday as new doubts surfaced about Greece’s commitment to the common currency bloc, triggered by a Der Spiegel report. Source: AP

‘IRRESPONSIBLE’ COMMENTS

Meanwhile, EU parliament president Martin Schulz accused German Chancellor Angela Merkel of “irresponsible speculation” on Wednesday for her comments.

“The irresponsible speculation and debate over the ‘Grexit’ really isn’t helping,” Schulz said in comments published by the Die Welt newspaper.

“It should be clear to everyone: there is no question of a withdrawal from the euro. The unsolicited comments, which give the people of Greece the idea that it’s not for them to decide their future via their votes, but up to Brussels or Berlin, could even push electors into the arms of radical forces,” the German member of the European parliament warned.

Greece’s main opposition Syriza party leader Alexis Tsipras speaks to his party’s Congress. Syriza is favoured to win the upcoming national elections. Source: AP

Merkel has come under fire since the Der Spiegel report. The German government has since denied that any such discussion has taken place.

French Economy Minister Emmanuel Macron stressed that Greece’s place was in the eurozone regardless of the colour of the next national government and urged Berlin and the European Central Bank to work towards its economic recovery.

He said French President Francois Hollande would seek to “convince our German partner that France and Germany should go further to relaunch Europe”, when he meets Merkel in Strasbourg on Sunday.

Germany “should invest more. It has an overriding responsibility to do so just as France has an overriding responsibility to carry out reforms,” he added.

“Historical precedents show that it is nearly impossible to keep a monetary union intact once the process of disintegration has started.” Source: AFP

TIMES HAVE CHANGED

Even if Greece were to exit the euro, times have changed. The countries that were seen as vulnerable to “contagion” the last time the prospect of a Greek exit was raised – Ireland, Portugal, Spain – are much less so now.

“Europe has a whole bunch of protections in place that weren’t as well established [last time],” said AMP Capital chief economist Dr Shane Oliver.

“There’s the ESM [European Stability Mechanism] bailout fund, the banking union, and on top of that the ECB looks set to announce a widened form of quantitative easing.”

But Dr Oliver said that wouldn’t stop markets worrying, given the high level of “event risk” around at the moment – the oil price, the Greek election, and next week’s European Court of Justice ruling on the ECB’s plan to buy government bonds.

The so-called OMT, or Outright Monetary Transactions scheme, theoretically allows the ECB to buy up an unlimited number of government bonds to prop up ailing eurozone economies.

Critics questioned the legality of the scheme, claiming it was outside the ECB’s remit. The court’s decision could have a big impact on sentiment.

“You could say we’re in for a sustained period of turbulence,” Dr Oliver said.

source:news.com.au

Greek cartoonist Ilias Makris comments on the Charlie Hebdo attack using his art form.

In the spirit of freedom of speech and pushing boundaries as did the satirical cartoonists who lost their lives in the Charlie Hedbo tragedy, Greek cartoonists have chosen to aptly mourn in the form of cartoon.

Dimitris Chantzopoulos chose to comment on the event through the simple depiction of a pencil and eraser as a metaphor for the individuals who create and the others who destroy.

Another cartoon by Ilias Makris shows four of the cartoonists killed in the attack in the form of evil creatures. Upon arriving to a version of a Christian Paradise, they are welcomed with a banner and told “For you we will make an exception”.

Others chose to provide further explanations with their cartoons, Andreas Petroulakis going that extra mile and making a written statement online.
Petroulakis portrays the cartoonist drawing traditionally with a pencil or a pen, but instead with his own blood.

He goes on to say, “cartoonists and jihadists have one important similarity. They both move inside a fantasy world. They also have an important difference, in that the imaginary world of cartoonists is a product of human intellect and has permanent cosmic references while the world of the Islamic fundamentalist is one otherworldly, imaginary Paradise, to which they only answer to. These two worlds can communicate like a pen can communicate with a Kalashnikov. The cartoon is the naughty child of enlightenment and religious fundamentalism is the spoiled child of darkness,” he said on protagon.gr.

“The French cartoonists who perished yesterday were not afraid of them. The cartoonists across Europe have flooded today’s press and the internet with bold sketches as responses to fear.”

Petroulakis clarifies that his opinion is not against religion or any one particular religious group, but against the blind religious fanaticism and extremism that some adopt to fuel such horrendous acts.

Satirist cartoonists in Greece have great respect for the French, who they say are willing to push boundaries that others in the industry are to afraid to do.
One of the cartoonists killed in the attack, George Wolinski was a role model for many Greeks, having once attended a cartoon festival in Greece.
“He meant a lot,” Greek cartoonist Maria Tzaboura told macleans.ca.

Despite the tragic loss at Charlie Hebdo, the surviving members have found the strength to push on and will publish an edition next Wednesday with the financial support of the Digital Press Fund.

source: Neos Kosmos

The crumbling of the ruble in recent months has been added to the issues affecting outgoing tourism from Russia since early last year, such as successive tour operator bankruptcies and rocky relations with the European Union.

Fluctuating foreign currency rates may affect the number of tourism arrivals in Greece this season to a greater extent than in the last few years, according to the president of the Hellenic Hotel Federation, Yiannis Retsos.

The weakening of the euro – against the US dollar and the British pound in particular – is making European destinations considerably cheaper for American and British holidaymakers. There have already been reports in the US and British media referring to the advantages of continental Europe as a destination, recommending early bookings for tourists to make the most of the exchange rates.

In this context Greece can reap significant benefits, argued Retsos, raising its share from the British market – the second biggest for Greek tourism – and the USA.

The rise of the dollar against the euro also makes other destinations where the dollar is used more expensive, which according to Retsos will play a role in the travel choices of Northern Europeans, as in previous years they chose long-haul dollar destinations with competitive prices compared with Southern Europe.

Another positive element for this season will be the decline in global crude oil rates. This reduces costs for air carriers as well as hotel enterprises’ operating expenses, which contribute to the lowering of prices for package holidays.

On the other hand, the head of Greece’s hoteliers points to the problems in the Russian travel market. The crumbling of the ruble in recent months has been added to the issues affecting outgoing tourism from Russia since early last year, such as successive tour operator bankruptcies and rocky relations with the European Union. For this year all forecasts point to a further decline in Russian tourists, not only in Greece but other destinations too.

Retsos stresses that the growth trend in bookings for the 2015 season remains in positive territory, having started with great momentum in fall 2014. There was a drop in the rate of new bookings in hotels’ online reservation systems in December compared to November, attributed to the political uncertainty that began in Greece at that time. In the last few days the flow of bookings seems to have been returning to normal despite the political tensions.

Still, Retsos sounds a note of warning to the country’s political parties, reminding them of the crucial role that the handling of the election process will have in the maintenance of the positive climate for Greek tourism. To date, he said, the political clashes have been based on fear and anger and not on the comparison of various arguments, as the market expects to see.

Source: Kathimerini

As the nearby island of Andros was suffering similar problems Thursday, it is likely that a state of emergency will also be declared there by Friday.

The Cycladic island of Tinos faces a third difficult day Friday after heavy snowfall disabled much of its infrastructure as well as isolating several villages, prompting the General Secretariat for Civil Protection to declare a state of emergency there Thursday.

At least eight villages on Tinos were cut off Thursday as snow levels reached up to 2 meters while schools and public services remained closed. The Hellenic Navy said it would dispatch a vessel to Tinos to accommodate some of the islanders until water and electricity are restored but it remained unclear which of the island’s 9,000 or so inhabitants would be given priority. Greece’s power grid operator, DEDDHE, sent a crew to the island Thursday to repair the damage wreaked on the local network by days of heavy snow and strong winds. Workers initially had problems navigating the rough terrain but were gradually restoring the service, according to local reports.

As the nearby island of Andros was suffering similar problems Thursday, it is likely that a state of emergency will also be declared there by Friday.

An enduring cold snap left much of the country, including parts of Attica, Crete and many of the Cycladic islands, covered with snow Thursday, with dozens of schools closed as transport on many roads remained perilous. Several parts of northern Attica remained difficult to access, including Drosia, Dionysos, Varybobi and Thrakomakedones. Many schools in northern and eastern Attica were forced to close Thursday. Schools in Ekali are to remain closed Friday.

Source: Kathimerini

Bright light city: Elvis impersonators Paul Fenech and Ross Mancini, with show girls, dust off their outfits ahead of the Elvis Festival in Parkes. Photo: Wolter Peeters

On his 80th birthday, Elvis can still pull a crowd. From Sydney, Wollongong, Melbourne and beyond, 20,000 fans will roll into Parkes this week – on big wheels and small – to put on their blue suede shoes in honour of The King.

“We paint the car up, dress up the whole trip and carry on like idiots,” says John O’Neil, resplendent in his pale blue suit and white crocodile shoes.

He and seven buddies have travelled here from Melbourne, in character, for eight years.

Mystery train: Elvis fan Jenny Neave from Truganina on her way to the celebrations. Photo: Nic Walker

Like everyone here, the boys are out for a good time – to enjoy the carnival, knock back a few beers and, of course, remember the music.

I like everything the guy did, he’s pretty amazing,” Mr O’Neil says. “This is like our golf trip. And lots of Priscilla lookalikes are up here, so we chase them around.

“With no success, but we still chase them around.”

Elvis fans: You may have a pink Cadillac, but don’t you be nobody’s fool. Photo: Nic Walker

Since 1993, Elvis Presley aficionados have descended on Parkes during the week of the King’s birthday, January 8.

Impersonators roam the showground, dancing with fans, while an Elvis back catalogue booms out from the public address system on the town’s main street.

At night, tribute acts take to the stage, performing hits from their favourite era – paying careful heed to the fashion of the time.

Wendy Gibson and Gail Goulding dress up every day of the festival; they’ve been coming here from Shellharbour for five years.

On Friday, they were in matching 1950s skirts.

“Yesterday we had the cherry dresses on, tomorrow we’re going to be Audrey Hepburn,” Ms Goulding says.

Her 20-month-old granddaughter is already receiving a rigorous education in all things Elvis.

“The minute you turn it on she just goes to town, absolutely loves it,” she says. “I can’t wait to bring her here.”

Among the festival highlights will be a series of performances by Justin Shandor, 30, who in 2010 was crowned the “best” Elvis in the world by winning the Ultimate Elvis Contest in Memphis, Tennessee.

Shandor, who lives and works in Las Vegas, is in Parkes for the first time and will crank out the King’s early hits at a dinner and show on Friday night.

Festival founders Bob and Anne Steel say they are thrilled the event they started as a birthday dinner 22 years ago has become an international attraction.

Devised as a way to keep cash registers ringing while locals were out of town during the hot summer, the festival now brings an estimated $20 million to the Parkes economy each year.

source: smh.com.au

“Ping” signals from the black box of downed AirAsia flight QZ8501 have been detected. Photo: AFP/Basarnas

“Ping” signals from the black box of downed AirAsia flight QZ8501 have been detected 300 metres from the aircraft’s sunken tail section, Indonesian army commander Moeldoko has confirmed.

General Moeldoko said the ping signal had been detected by Indonesian ship Jadayat well away from the tail, which is the current focus of the search and recovery effort.

“We are chasing the sound, and are sending divers in the direction of the ‘ping’,” he said.

He also said the tail section of the plane was part submerged in mud.

Attempts on Thursday to raise the rear section of the plane using flotation devices had failed because of the same strong sea currents which have plagued the rest of the search.

source: smh.com.au