New problems will soon be seen for Greek citizens due to repeated 48-hour strikes by workers from DEH, the Greek electricity company. It is demanding that the government withdraw from the Mid-Term Economic Programme, calling for the sell-off of a further 17% of the company, still state-owned, to private bodies.
The Hellenic Transmission System Operator estimates that the demand would be around 6500MW, considering that there would be no problem on Tuesday, as the PPC and private capacity exceeds 10,000MW, while power imports increase the capacity further.
The Greek press reports that during a meeting with GENOP (the union of the company’s workers), the new Finance Minister and Vice President of the government, Evaghelos Venizelos, implied that there was some possibility of small changes to the privatization programme. However, GENOP leader, N. Fotopoulos claimed that the government hasn’t changed its stance and therefore there is no reason to suspend its actions.
According to GENOP sources, Venizelos had claimed that he hadn’t ruled out the possibility of changes in the privatization of a 17% stake in PPC.
DEH Workers Strike Yet Again
Milos Declared as "Holy Island" Postponed for Fall
Milos, one of the most beautiful islands of Greece, with its astonishing catacombs, was declared by former Minister, Prokopis Pavlopoulos and the head of the Church as a “holy island” in 2009. On the 18th and 19th of June this year, the island was supposed to have taken its name officially, but the recent accident involving the bishop and the current political situation has postponed the event for next fall. However, thousands of people travel to Milos each year, not just for a vacation, but also in order to pray inside the catacombs as they believe it is in fact, a holy island.
EU Leaders Confident Greece Will Agree To Reforms
European Union leaders expressed confidence Monday at a meeting in Luxembourg that Greece will concede on the necessary economic reforms in order to receive the next tranche of aid due and avoid default.
A formal decision to disburse EUR12 billion to Greece should be taken by early July, after the Greek government commits to a new austerity package, said Eurogroup President Jean-Claude Juncker, who also serves as prime minister of Luxembourg, and European Union Economic Affairs Commissioner Olli Rehn. The Eurogroup will convene on July 3 for an extraordinary session to tackle the issue.
“These measures should ensure that Greece continues to correct its public finances and reform its economy to create the conditions for sustainable growth and job creation,” said Rehn.
Euro-zone finance ministers also agreed Monday that the “preferred creditor status” for the currency area΄s permanent rescue fund as of 2013, the European Stability Mechanism, be dropped for countries already participating in a bailout program.
There were fears this status would disincentivize private investors from buying the bonds because the euro-zone institution would be paid first in the case of default.
“It΄s good news for Greece. It΄s good news for Ireland. It΄s good news for Portugal,” said Juncker.
The ministers agreed on a treaty for the mechanism, paving the way for national governments to vote in the coming days.
Leaders repeated that access to the ESM will come with strict conditions and that private creditors will play a role.
Private sector involvement “will be the rule” for the ESM, said Klaus Regling, head of the European Financial Stability Facility, the ESM΄s precursor.
However, leaders added that private investor involvement in Greece΄s rescue will be voluntary to avoid default.
(source: Dow Jones)
“New American Girl” Movie Starring Nia Vardalos
Nia Vardalos is definitely keeping herself busy with all the projects she’s working on. Fresh from writing a recent comedy “Larry Crowne”, which she co-wrote with Tom Hanks, she’ll be starring in a New American Girl movie.
The lead character will be played by newcomer Jade Pettyjohn, who’s appeared in the TV show United States of Tara and the movie is being produced by Debra Martin Chase. Production for this project will begin on July 11th in Vardalos’ hometown, Winnipeg.
American Girl is about a line of accessories and dolls, which were extremely popular with teen girls and is set in the mid-2000s. It was tapped for screen adaptations. An American Girl was specifically made for theatrical release and the concept focuses on stories of various young heroines in different time periods.
Nobody has actually revealed the storyline of the new movie, but rumor has it that Vardalos will play Pettyjohn’s mother and this project is still casting.
Meanwhile, Nia is working with comedian Rob Riggle on a feature script set in the world of motivational speakers…well we’re actually motivated and waiting to find out more.
Scientist Stan Skafidas Finalizes Nanoelectrics’ Breakthrough Research
The efforts of an expatriate Greek scientist from Australia to create the first bionic eye seem to be paying off. Efstratios (Stan) Skafidas, head of NICTA’s research center at the University of Melbourne, who cooperates directly with the Bionic Vision Australia» Institute will soon have his innovation finalized.
The invention of Efstratios Skafidas and his colleagues consists of a camera positioned on a pair of glasses, which captures images. These images are then converted into electrical signals which stimulate the neurons in the retina.
Stan Skafidas was born in 1971, and is of Amaliada and Kavala descent. His parents arrived in Melbourne around 1960. He successfully finished his PhD in Electrical Engineering at the University of Melbourne in 1997. Today, he works as a Professor of Nanoelectrics and is a Director of the Centre for Neural Engineering. He is also head of the Research on Nanoelectrics at the University, in the field of electrical engineering that is dedicated to the creation of miniature components. These components are new generation transistors and chips focusing on wireless communications that continue to transform the way we communicate and live today.
Russian Newspaper Publishes Financial Analysis of Greece
The daily newspaper by the Russian government “Russkaya Gazeta” has published a financial analysis by Evgeni Sestakov, which reports that: “Europe will save Athens no matter what, meaning that the Russian investments in Greek shares are not threatened.” According to the newspaper the temporary unstable situation of Greece could be a big advantage of the Russian capital. Helping Greece is a long-term aim and could give Russia political benefits, instead of investing in their neighbor country Belarus, which is directed by the wishes of its President and not by the rules of the market. The article mentions the benefits of the Greek partnership and stressed the point that the Prime Minister Papandreou is ready to take any risks so that the crisis will be confronted. In general, the Russian media is very interested in the political situation going on in Greece.
France's Sebastien Ogier Wins Acropolis Rally 2011
France’s Sebastien Ogier won the Acropolis Rally on Sunday, bringing him to third place overall in the World Rally Championship 2011, after seven rounds.
Ogier and co-driver Julien Ingrassia, with their CITROEN DS3, clinched the 56th Acropolis Rally, after a close showdown with fellow Frenchman and Citroen team-mate Sebastien Loeb, who retains his number one ranking overall in the WRC.
The Acropolis Rally, dubbed the “Rally of the Gods”, is the midway seventh round of the 13-round 2011, World Rally Championship.
According to the WRC, the Acropolis Rally is one of the most iconic events in the sport, and winning it earns significant kudos.
The ceremonial start took place beneath the historic Acropolis site at on Thursday evening, with a total of 42 crews participating in what is said to be the toughest race of the World Racing Championship (WRC).
Third place in the Acropolis Rally went to Finland’s Mikko Hirvonen, followed by Norwegians Petter Solberg and Henning Solberg in 4th and 5th, Britain’s Matthew Wilson in 6th, and Finland’s Kimi Raikkonen and Juho Hanninen in 7th and 8th place.
Loeb was first overall after seven rounds, followed by Hirvonen, Ogier, Finland’s Jari-Matti Latvala, Solberg, Norway’s Mads Ostberg, and Wilson.
The WRC 2011, opened with the Sweden rally in February, followed by Mexico and Portugal in March, Jordan in April, and Italy and Argentina in May.
The next rounds after Greece will be Finland (July 28-30), Germany (August 18-21), Australia (September 8-11), France (September 29 to October 2), Spain (October 20-23), and Wales (November 10-13).
(source: ana-mpa)
Papandreou Calls for Unity Regarding Austerity Measures
Greek Prime Minister George Papandreou on Sunday reiterated his call for national unity behind the government’s austerity measures, opening a three-day confidence vote debate that winds up at midnight Tuesday with an open roll-call vote.
Papandreou called on Parliament to give his newly-reshuffled government a renewed vote of confidence, noting that the country is at a critical crossroads and warned that a picture of division among the Greeks was not helping the country.
Warning that a disorderly bankruptcy would be catastrophic, Papandreou stressed that the country’s lenders, the EU and the IMF, want to see Greece standing on its own two feet, adding that the problems would not be solved if the IMF was asked to leave, and warning also that the country’s liquidity will very soon be exhausted without the disbursement of the 5th tranche of the EU-IMF bailout loan.
Papandreou asked for national consensus on fundamental axes, and a referendum on the major changes which, he said, will be contained in an amended Constitution.
The axes for the national understanding he is seeking include acknowledgement that the debt and deficits constitute a national problem and that “we must be the first to put our house in order”, that the fundamental choice of an organised confrontation of the Greek debt together with the country’s European partners should be averting abrupt market reactions, that the debt and deficits are the symptom of the illness and not the cause, that Greece will not be able to borrow (on the international markets) in 2012 “…and this is an unexpected new complication that we need to look straight in the eye, and not with our heads buried in the sand”, Papandreou elaborated.
Samras: Elections the only solution
Main opposition New Democracy (ND) leader Antonis Samaras on Sunday reiterated his call for early elections, adding that recourse to the people’s verdict is the only real solution and the only path for Greece’s exodus from uncertainty, addressing the first day of a parliamentary debate for a vote of confidence in the newly-reshuffled government.
ND will not give a vote of confidence to the government, in which not even Prime Minister George Papandreou believes in and because he is persisting in a policy that only creates new problems, Samaras said.
He also accused Papandreou of “not daring” to proceed to the forming of a “national salvation government”, but has instead created a partisan government aimed at gluing together his ruling PASOK party, thus opting to prevent the collapse of his party instead of the unity of the Greek people.
KKE: Elections, not referendum
Communist Party of Greece (KKE) leader Aleka Papariga opposed a referendum, but said ‘yes’ to early elections, addressing a vote of confidence debate in parliament on Sunday.
She clarified, however, that the KKE was taking this position under a different viewpoint from the other parties, with the aim of a “popular class movement and a weak government” arising.(ANA-MPA)
Papariga disagreed with the Prime Minister’s proposal for a referendum, warning that it was only “the other side of the harsh suppression of the people’s struggles”.
LAOS: Ecumenical gov’t
Popular Orthodox Rally (LAOS) leader George Karatzaferis called for early elections “that will produce an ecumenical government” as “the only government that can save Greece”, speaking during a vote of confidence debate in parliament on Sunday, and blamed the Prime Minister and the main opposition leader of “kicking the opportunity away” for a “national salvation government”.
(source: ana-mpa)
Shakira & Pique Bring Love Affair to Mykonos, Greece
Pop singer Shakira (34) and her beloved Gerard Pique (24), the Spanish defender of Barcelona, are enjoying their love affair on the island of Mykonos.
The couple kept their arrival to the country secret and did everything possible to remain unnoticed. They arrived at Mykonos’ airport by private plane directly from Spain, landing early in the morning when there were hardly any people except for the airport staff.
The celebrity couple will stay on the beautiful island for a week. In particular, they will stay in the Presidential Suite of the hotel “Kivotos” in Ornos, which was nominated as Best Boutique Resort in Europe by World Travel Awards, last year.
America's Next Top Model has Photoshoot on Spinalonga, Crete
Models appearing on “America’s Next Top Model” were mesmerized by the breathtaking view of the picturesque island of Spinalonga. The beautiful island lies in the gulf of Elounda, in north-eastern Crete and the American models are currently enjoying a photoshoot in Plaka, a tranquil village opposite Spinalonga. The historical island in the background, has added an additional dimension to their glossy photos.
The presenter of the show, Tyra Banks is also in Plaka at the moment, staying at a luxury hotel complex. The gorgeous presenter of “America’s Next Top Model” show is the highest paid TV presenter in the United States.