Monthly Archives: May 2015

Top officers implicated in police probe that embroils suspect with ties to SYRIZA

An investigation by the internal affairs department of the Greek Police (ELAS) has linked the leadership of the country’s Coast Guard as well as officers of the police and of the National Intelligence Service (EYP) to migrant trafficking rackets, Kathimerini understands.

Three top-ranking officers of the Coast Guard have been implicated in the operation of human smuggling rackets, according to a well-informed source. The extent of their involvement is to be determined by corruption prosecutors who have been given the report by internal affairs officers. Alternate Minister for Shipping Theodoris Dritsas is said to have been briefed too. Interior Minister Nikos Voutsis, Citizens’ Protection Minister Yiannis Panousis and EYP chief Yiannis Roubatis met Friday to discuss the findings of the report and Prime Minister Alexis Tsipras is also expected to be informed due to the seriousness of the affair.

The probe also has potential political repercussions, Kathimerini understands, as it implicates another suspect with alleged links to SYRIZA. According to reports, the 66-year-old was approached in 2007 to stand as a candidate in Piraeus with SYRIZA in general elections that year. Officers recorded telephone conversations between the suspect and a member of the police’s Aliens’ Bureau who is alleged to have released irregular immigrants on the instructions of human traffickers. In the phone calls, reference is made to removing Panousis from his position due to concerns that he could obstruct the traffickers’ activities. The 66-year-old was investigated by officers of the police’s counter-terrorism unit in 2008 and 2009 due to suspicions that he was helping supply weapons to guerrilla groups, Kathimerini understands.

source:ekathimerini.com

Greece and its lenders enter a decisive weekend of negotiations in a bid to agree on a package of cuts and reforms that would unlock another 7.2 billion euros and allow Athens to keep meeting its debt repayments.

Talks at the Brussels Group level continued Friday as Washington issued a fresh warning to all sides about the dangers of no consensus being reached soon. Speaking after the G7 meeting in Dresden, Germany, US Treasury Secretary Jack Lew warned that the chances of an “accident” are growing.

“If you look from January until now, too much time has been spent unproductively,” he said. “I think waiting until the day or two before whatever the deadline is, is just a way of courting an accident.”

Lew also emphasized that although Greece would have to take some tough decisions in the coming days, its lenders will also need to compromise so there can be an accord. “All parties need to move,” said the American official. “There needs to be some flexibility on the part of the institutions.”

The Greek government was warned on Thursday that it only had a few days to reach a deal otherwise there would not be enough time for eurozone parliaments to agree to the disbursal of new loans before the end of the month, when the current program extension ends.

Greece has to pay just under 300 million euros to the International Monetary Fund on June 5 and the government has sent mixed messages over whether it will be in a position to meet this commitment. If the payment is made, then Athens has to find another 1.3 billion euros during the course of next month to meet its obligations to the Washington-based organization. This has put extra pressure on Prime Minister Alexis Tsipras to ensure talks conclude successfully as quickly as possible.

Speaking to Vima FM Friday, Finance Minister Yanis Varoufakis said that there had been a breakthrough in talks with regard how to calculate the impact of changes in value-added tax. He suggested the proposals that have been made by Athens would lead to an extra 900 million euros in revenues, which is thought to be short of the target lenders are aiming for. Varoufakis did not reveal what three VAT rates Greece is proposing but it is believed that they are 6.5 percent, 10 percent and 21 percent.

Beyond VAT, there are still differences to be resolved on issues such as pension reform and labor market regulations. Creditors are also thought to be pressing the government to proceed with the process of product market liberalization that the previous coalition engaged in haltingly.

The gaps on such issues has led to Greece’s lenders being skeptical about the possibility of an agreement in the next few days. “The positive reports out of Athens don’t fully reflect the state of talks,” said German Finance Minister Wolfgang Schaeuble after the G7 meeting.

source:ekathimerini.com

Πηγή:madata.gr

Τέσσερα άτομα που επιχείρησαν να πουλήσουν ένα χάλκινο ειδώλιο, Μεσομινωικής Περιόδου το οποίο απεικονίζει έναν Κούρο σε λατρευτική στάση, συνελήφθησαν στη Σητεία της Κρήτης. Οι συλλήψεις έγιναν λίγο πριν οι αρχαιοκάπηλοι πουλήσουν το ανεκτίμητης αξίας ειδώλιο έναντι 1 εκατ. ευρώ.

Λεπτομέρειες για την υπόθεση ανακοίνωσαν ο γενικός περιφερειακός αστυνομικός διευθυντής Κρήτης, υποστράτηγος Μιχάλης Καραμαλάκης και ο αστυνομικός διευθυντής Λασιθίου, Ταξίαρχος Κωνσταντίνος Περράκης.

Όπως έγινε γνωστό, οι τέσσερις άνδρες (δύο 35χρονοι και δύο 41χρονοι) συνελήφθησαν το απόγευμα της Πέμπτης στη Σητεία, κατηγορούμενοι για παραβάσεις του νόμου περί προστασίας των αρχαιοτήτων και της εν γένει πολιτιστικής κληρονομιάς.

Από την έρευνα αστυνομικών της Υποδιεύθυνσης Ασφαλείας Αγίου Νικολάου και της Ομάδας Αντιμετώπισης Οργανωμένου Εγκλήματος της Γενικής Περιφερειακής Αστυνομικής Διεύθυνσης Κρήτης, προέκυψε ότι οι δύο 35χρονοι και ο ένας 41χρονος, είχαν στην κατοχή τους το αρχαίο ειδώλιο, το οποίο διέθεταν προς πώληση.

Το απόγευμα της Πέμπτης οργανώθηκε συντονισμένη αστυνομική επιχείρηση στην ευρύτερη περιοχή της  Σητείας. Κατά τη διάρκεια της επιχείρησης εντοπίστηκε ο 35χρονος να οδηγεί ΙΧ  αυτοκίνητο και σε έλεγχο που πραγματοποιήθηκε βρέθηκε εντός του οχήματος και κατασχέθηκε το χάλκινο ειδώλιο ύψους 30 εκατοστών. Παράλληλα ακινητοποιήθηκαν και οι τρεις ακόμη συλληφθέντες οι οποίοι επέβαιναν σε δύο ΙΧ φορτηγά οχήματα.

Από τη διενεργηθείσα προανάκριση προέκυψε ότι οι συλληφθέντες κατείχαν παρανόμως το εν λόγω ειδώλιο, το οποίο σε προγενέστερο χρόνο από τον έλεγχο που τους διενεργήθηκε, οι δύο εκ των συλληφθέντων (35χρονος και 41χρονος) το επέδειξαν σε άγνωστα άτομα με σκοπό την πώληση του, ενώ οι δύο άλλοι συλληφθέντες, είχαν ρόλο «παρατηρητών».

Το ΙΧ αυτοκίνητο, το οποίο οδηγούσε ο 35χρονος κατασχέθηκε, ως μέσο μεταφοράς προς πώληση αρχαίου αντικειμένου.

Σύμφωνα με πρώτη εκτίμηση αρχαιολόγου Εφορίας Αρχαιοτήτων Νομού Λασιθίου, πρόκειται για χάλκινο ειδώλιο, Μεσομινωικής Περιόδου (16ος – 15ος αιώνας π.Χ.), ύψους 30 εκ., που απεικονίζει ένα Κούρο σε στάση λατρείας με τα χέρια διπλωμένα στο στήθος. Φέρει μακριά κόμη, επιχρυσωμένο περίζωμα και σώζει φύλλα χρυσού στις γάμπες και το αριστερό γόνατο.

Στη βάση του φέρει έμβολο που παραπέμπει ότι πιθανότατα ήταν στημένο σε βάθρο χώρου λατρείας. Κρίνεται δε ιδιαίτερα μεγάλης – ανεκτίμητης αξίας, καθόσον τα ιδιαίτερα χαρακτηριστικά του, το καθιστούν μοναδικό εύρημα του είδους του, στην ευρύτερη περιοχή της Κρήτης.

Το ειδώλιο θα παραδοθεί στην αρμόδια Εφορία Αρχαιοτήτων.

Η προανάκριση συνεχίζεται από την Υποδιεύθυνση Ασφαλείας Αγίου Νικολάου και την Ομάδα Αντιμετώπισης Οργανωμένου Εγκλήματος, ενώ οι συλληφθέντες θα οδηγηθούν στον εισαγγελέα Πλημμελειοδικών Λασιθίου.

Πηγή:in.gr

More than 20 winemakers, educators and grape-growers will visit Sydney, Melbourne and Adelaide for a series of tastings, dinners and masterclasses.

The largest contingent of Greek winemakers ever to visit Australia arrives at the end of June to showcase the newest and most innovative wines from the world’s oldest winegrowing region.

More than 20 winemakers, educators and grape-growers will visit Sydney, Melbourne and Adelaide for a series of tastings, dinners and masterclasses that have previously only ever been held in the USA and Canada.

The wines will be diverse – indigenous varieties and Greek expressions of international classics – from regions spanning the whole of Greece – from the Peloponnese through to Santorini and the islands. There will be more than 90 wines showcasing the modern face of such an ancient winegrowing land.
New Wines of Greece president Yannis Voyatzis said this visit was the first time such a large group of Greek winemakers and representatives had visited Australia together.

“This visit to Australia is about educating Australian trade about our wines, and showcasing the best we have to offer,” Mr Voyatzis said.

“We’re looking forward to meeting and discussing our wines with a broad spectrum of the Australian trade, as well as catching up with some familiar faces.

“Even though we have thousands of years of wine production experience, the Greek wine industry is still evolving and the wineries attending will be showcasing a selection of their best wines, with a focus on the country’s indigenous varietals.”

The group from Greece will also be visiting the Yarra Valley, hosting some invitation-only dinners and getting a feel for Australia’s dynamic and increasingly open-minded wine culture.

source:Neos Kosmos

Australia’s cultural diversity is good for business and economic growth.

The Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister for Social Services, Senator Concetta Fierravanti-Wells, says Australia’s cultural diversity is good for business.

Speaking at the Ethnic Communities Council (ECC) of NSW’s 40th anniversary dinner last week, Senator Fierravanti-Wells said in an increasingly globalised economy, diversity was an advantage.

“Our diversity means Australia can be more productive, invent new ways of doing business with the world, create new opportunities and boost our trade and investment enterprises,” she said.

“It means we can confidently shake hands with far more of the world and its peoples.

“Migration can, and has, delivered social and economic strength, prosperity and unity and continues to contribute to a thriving and cohesive economy.

Senator Fierravanti-Wells – who has special responsibility for Multicultural Affairs and Settlement Services – said Australia’s successful social cohesiveness did not happen by chance.

“It is a big task but Government cannot do it alone and nor can civil society,” she said.

“We need well connected, expert partners in the community such as the Ethnic Communities Council of NSW.”

The senator said that more than 7.5 million migrants have arrived in Australia since the end of WWII, including some 800,000 under humanitarian programs, and that “helping them settle into their new country requires the active support from all Australians.”

Speaking of the ECC, she said the organisation had played a part in “steadfastly building up our national competitive advantage. This national effort helps bring us closer together.”

source:Neos Kosmos

Greek and Turkish Cypriot leaders have agreed to open more crossing points and link the mobile phone and electricity networks.

The Greek and Turkish Cypriot leaders agreed Thursday to open more crossing points and link the mobile phone and electricity networks to help restore trust between their estranged communities on divided Cyprus.

Practical steps such as integrating the electricity grid and linking the mobile phone networks are seen as non-sensitive issues that would bring Cypriots closer under a renewed climate of reconciliation.

Telephone calls across the UN-monitored ceasefire line are currently rerouted through Turkey, while an integrated power grid would allow one side to help the other in case of a power outage.

The two leaders also agreed to open two more crossings to promote people movement, at Lefka in the west of the island and Dherynia in the east.

The first crossing points opened in 2003 and have since been increased, but the last of now seven crossings was opened nearly five years ago.

UN special envoy Espen Barth Eide hosted Thursday’s second meeting between President Nicos Anastasiades, the Greek Cypriot leader, and his Turkish Cypriot counterpart, the newly-elected Mustafa Akinci.

“Mr Akinci and Mr Anastasiades underlined once again their shared will and determination to reach a comprehensive settlement,” Eide said in a statement.

“The two leaders believe that outcomes at the negotiating table should reflect the positive atmosphere prevailing on the island,” he added.

Long-stalled UN-brokered peace talks — seen as the best chance in years to reunify Cyprus after four decades of division — were launched on May 15.

There is optimism that for the first time in a decade that the two leaders can enter an intensified and results-orientated process.

Thursday’s meeting, held at the UN compound at defunct Nicosia airport in the capital’s buffer zone, “took the next steps towards fulfilling their joint vision for a united federal Cyprus”, Eide said.

“Their constructive dialogue included a range of core issues that go to the very heart of the Cyprus question.”

The leaders, who will next meet on June 17, appealed for people to come forward with any information on hundreds of Cypriots declared missing since 1964 inter-communal clashes and the 1974 Turkish invasion.

Akinci, a longtime champion of reunification, was elected president of the breakaway state in northern Cyprus on April 26, defeating nationalist incumbent Dervis Eroglu.

The conservative Greek Cypriot leader also has peace credentials, having supported a 2004 UN settlement blueprint that 75 percent of Greek Cypriots rejected in a referendum.

Little progress has been made over the past 11 years, with the thorny issues of territorial adjustments, security, property rights and power-sharing the main stumbling blocks.

Any UN-brokered accord will again have to be put to the Cypriot people in separate referendums.

A UN-monitored ceasefire line has divided the island since 1974 when Turkish troops occupied its northern third in response to an Athens-inspired coup seeking union with Greece.

The Turkish Cypriots, who had already pulled out of government institutions in the face of communal violence in 1963, declared their breakaway state in 1983.

The breakaway state is recognized only by Turkey, which provides around a third of its budget.

Source: AFP

Minister for Social Services, Scott Morrison holding a press conference at Parliament House in Canberra about Abbott Government measures to encourage young people into work. Source: News Corp Australia

THE Government today conceded defeat on a much-criticised 2014 Budget measure and dumped a requirement that the jobless aged under 30 wait six months before getting the dole.

Instead, those aged under 25 will have to wait four weeks before qualifying for unemployment benefits, and a number of exemptions will be available.

Social Minister Scott Morrison has had to face the reality he could not negotiate through the Senate the dole delay announced in last year’s Budget.

“We listened hard, and what they said to us was that six months was too long. What they said to us was that (age) 30 was too high. What they said to us was you needed to invest more to get people into work,” said Mr Morrison.

“That’s what this (new) bill does.”

But he warned the young unemployed the new range of assistance intended to get them employable could be abused.

“This document is not an Ikea catalogue to go shopping for benefits. What this is a schedule of benefits and payments that are there a to help people in need,” he said.

The change means that projected savings of $1.8 billion from paying fewer benefits will be cut to $200 million. But the new package comes with a $300 program to prepare young people for work.

Mr Morrison told reporters in Canberra “choosing welfare is not the career we want for” young people.

“We are talking about job-ready young people who we want to see having a go at getting into work,” he said.

“We want to send a very clear message that we want you in work when you are job ready, that you don’t have the option of walking from the school gate to the front door of the Centrelink office.”

The exemption categories include former carers of people with disabilities; those recently released from prison or psychiatric facilities; young people unable to live at home; refugees.

source:news.com.au