Archaeologists on the Greek island of Crete have found startling evidence that early humans could navigate across open water thousands of years earlier than previously thought, officials said Monday.
A ministry statement says archaeologists from Greece and the U.S. have found rough axes and other tools thought to be between 130,000 and 700,000 years old in shelters on the island’s south coast.
“The findings not only prove marine travel in the Mediterranean existed tens of thousands of years prior to what was known until today, but they also change calculations about early man’s cognitive abilities,” the ministry said.
The previous earliest evidence of open-sea travel in Greece dates back 11,000 years (worldwide, about 60,000 years — although considerably earlier dates have been proposed).
The ministry said Monday it is to conduct a more thorough excavation of the area.
Cretan Tools Point to 130,000-year-old Sea Travel
Broad Government Meeting Held Regarding EU & Planning
Prime Minister George Papandreou on Monday chaired a broad government meeting on developments in the major issues concerning the EU. Afterwards the delegates went straight into a second government meeting, with a different composition and discussed government planning. Topics included the opening of the so-called closed-shop professions.
In the first meeting, which was also attended by the premier’s advisor and European Central Bank former vice-president Loukas Papademos, discussions focused on the Greek government’s initiative for the collection of at least one million signatures throughout Europe. This is in favor of the issue of a euro-bond, while the various formulas for euro-bonds that have been put forward were also discussed.
“The issue does not concern only Greece, but all of Europe,” the head of the signature collection campaign Vasso Papandreou told reporters after the meeting.
(source: ana-mpa)
Athens Τransport Strikes Day before Epiphany
Yet another strike by unions representing mass transit employees in the greater Athens area is planned for Wednesday. This arrives the day before the Epiphany holiday, with the Athens metro and the electric rail line (ISAP) to be affected by a 24-hour industrial action. A bus drivers’ union has called for a work stoppage from noon to 4 p.m.
President of Industrialists of Athens & Pireaus: Greek Economy Entered Vicious Circle
The Greek economy has entered a vicious circle that will be very hard to exit, president of the Association of Industrialists of Athens and Piraeus Dimitris Mathios warned. He delivered his claim in a circular message to the association’s members.
This was due to the fact that measures taken by the government are apparently failing to halt the recession into which the country has already fallen. On the contrary, could very well entrench the Greek economy into a dangerous form of stagflation.
Partial Eclipse of the Sun Visible in Greece on January 4th
Numerous Greeks will have the opportunity to see the partial eclipse of the sun tomorrow morning. The phenomenon is going to be visible in Greece, if the weather conditions are fine. It will be visible from 08: 57 a.m until 11:58. During these hours the moon will cover two-thirds of the sun.
The next eclispe will take place on June 1st but will not be visible in Greece. In Athens many astronomers will help others who want to watch the phenomenon in the safety of the Planetarium of Athens from 9:00 in the morning.
For viewers’ safety, the astronomers insist on using special lenses, as 5 seconds are enough to cause serious injury to your eyes or even blindness.
Private Sector Credit Decelerated Further in Nov 2010
The annual growth rate of total credit granted to the domestic private sector decelerated further to 0.4% in November 2010, from 1.0% in October 2010 and 4.1% in December 2009, according to the Bank of Greece
“This development reflects the decrease of the annual growth rate of credit to all the relevant sectors,” said the Bank in a statement on Monday.
The net flow of credit to individuals and private non-profit institutions in November 2010 was negative, amounting to minus EUR227 million.
Moreover, the net flow of credit to enterprises in November 2010 was a negative EUR533 million, while the net flow of loans to sole proprietors was also negative by EUR76 million.
Citizen in Deed Organization Calls for Special Olympics Volunteers
The governmental organization of volunteers “Citizen in Deed” is one of five organizations which cooperates with the Special Olympics. It aims at supporting the holding of the “Special Olympics ATHENS 2011”. The event will be held in Greece on June 25th until July 4th, 2011. The organization “Citizen in Deed” invites the organizations of the citizens’ society in order to participate as volunteers at the Special Olympics. For more information call the Volunteer Program of the Special Olympics at: 210-2011120, 210-2011121, 210-2011122, or visit: www.athens2011.org.
Greek Travel Agencies' Record Decline in Holiday Travel
A major decline in travel by Greeks, both abroad and domestically, was recorded in the Christmas-New Year holiday season this year, according to travel bureau representatives.
The reduction in holiday travel mainly concerns middle incomes. The middle income level is traditionally the staple clientele of travel bureaus, which attribute the decline chiefly to the economic crisis, according to representatives of Athens based travel offices.
Organised trips to European countries fell by 45-50% over the holidays. Domestic tourism dropped by 25%, Christoforos Mouzakis, director of organised trips to European destinations at a major travel agency in Athens, told ANA-MPA.
He said that the 400, 500 and 700 euros travel package visitors to central European destinations — mainly civil servants and public sector employees, was the category worst hit. It was followed by young couples and families, indicating that the cause was the economic crisis.
However, the more expensive packages for destinations abroad such as the U.S., were not affected. Destinations such as the U.S. have a limited number of customers to begin with and also attract higher income travelers.
Mouzakis further noted that most of the travelers booked their trips at the last minute, waiting first for the special discount packages to be announced by the travel bureaus.
Another Athens-based travel bureau director for ticket and hotel booking, Roula Krezia, told ANA-MPA that a slump was recorded over the holidays in airline ticket bookings for such destinations as Prague, Vienna and Budapest. She noted that both are inexpensive destinations and local hotels were offering reduced prices.
Krezia further noted that travelers over the holidays generally avoided organised trips abroad and opted instead for individual bookings, seeking inexpensive solutions over the internet. A slump was also recorded in the most popular domestic destinations such as Pilion and the Zagorochoria. Destinations closer to Athens such as Nafplio and Loutraki, fared a bit better.
(source: ana-mpa)
"Hermes Expo" Celebrates 20 Years in the U.S.A.
The annual exposition “Hermes Expo” is held in the U.S.A. For the last twenty years it aims in the netting and promotion of Greek entrepreneurs, products and services. The exposition promotes Greece as an ideal tourist destination. The creator and president of Hermes Expo, Pavlos Kotrotsios states: “From 1992, we contribute to the development of investment and business relations between the two countries, turning to advantage the Greek-American Community. Every year more and more businessmen, governmental organizations, chambers, prefectures and municipalities from Greece and from the Balkan countries present their accomplishments and their programs to the American public”.
In 2011 the exposition will be held in New York, Philadelphia, Atlantic City and Baltimore. The main exposition, which includes 120 stalls will take place in Atlantic City on April 2nd and 3rd. For more information visit: http://www.hermesexpo.com.
Canadian Greeks Ring in the New Year
The weather was cloudy and rainy the first day of the year in Montreal. High temperatures disappointed skiers in the region.
On New Years Eve, the Greeks of Canada had a great time at the Greek Community of Montreal and in other Greek clubs, where they danced and sang Greek songs.
Others who stayed home with their families had dinner and played Black Jack. The traditional Vasilopita cake was present at every table. Metropolitan Sotirios of Canada was in Montreal and chanted the New Year’s liturgy at Greek Orthodox churches in the city.