A second-half brace from Djibril Cisse spurred Panathinaikos to a crucial 2-1 win over rivals Olympiakos, Saturday evening at the OAKA Spiros Louis (video).
In other action:
Aris – Atromitos 2-0 (video)
Larissa – Xanthi 3-0 (video)
Iraklis – Oly. Volou 0-0
Kerkyra – Asteras 1-2
Panserraikos – Kavala 1-0
Ergotelis – PAOK 1-2 (video)
Panionios – AEK 1-0 (video)
Standings after five weeks of play:
1. Olympiacos P. 18 points
2. Panathinaikos 17
3. AEK 13
4. Asteras 13
5. Kerkyra 12
6. Kavala 12
7. Aris 12
8. Iraklis 11
9. Olympiacos V. 10
10. PAOK 10
11. Larissa 9
12.. Ergotelis 9
13. Panionios 7
14. Atromitos 7
15. Panseraikos 7
16. Xanthi 6
10/31/2010: Latest Greek Super League Results with Video
Greek PM Threatens Early National Elections
Greek Prime Minister George Papandreou Sunday threatened to call early national elections if his socialist party fares poorly during the November 7th local elections. The Prime Mininster claimed the opposition conservative party would undermine austerity reforms.
In remarks to the weekend newspaper Real News, later confirmed by his office, Papandreou said: “I am not bluffing and the crisis we are facing is not a bluff. There is an existing risk for the country if we subscribe to the main conservative opposition New Democracy, since the danger of turning back would mean our sacrifices going to waste.”
The ruling party’s popularity appears to be waning ahead of the local elections after a year of harsh austerity measures. These include wage and pension cuts and tax hikes in exchange for the 110 billion Euro bailout from the International Monetary Fund and the European Union signed in May to prevent default.
“We came within a whisker of the nightmare of bankruptcy…I owe citizen’s the truth. This is not a manufactured threat [of early elections] and this is no time for small minded politics,” Papandreou said.
This is the second time within a week that the Prime Minister has talked about early nationals polls, leading to sharply widening local bond spreads and significantly denting the share prices on the Athens stock exchange since early national polls could derail reform efforts.
“If our course starts to be doubted and if we show that we are losing resolve mid way on this road this will be destabilizing and confidence in the country will be lost. Greece will again become favorite front page news and international media will be forecasting our imminent bankruptcy,” the Prime Minister stated.
Papandreou has turned the local elections into a referendum on his government’s efforts at fiscal adjustments and reforms, raising the stakes and putting his own personal popularity on the line to curtail a potential protest vote against recent austerity by the electorate next Sunday.
“In such a situation there will be no other solution than for the Greek people to speak and decide on the country’s future course,” Papandreou added.
The Prime Minister has not defined what he would consider a sufficient enough poor showing for his ruling PASOK party to take debt laden Greece to national polls after only a year of his government’s life.
“In a democracy there are no insoluble problems. The salvation and transformation of the country is a matter for the people and not just an enlightened political elite,” Papandreou claimed.
“The November 7th local elections require a vote of responsibility for the course of the country at this critical time,” Papandreou added.
Zach Galifianakis smokes a joint on Bill Maher’s HBO show ‘Real Time’
In a few days, Californians will vote on whether or not to legalize marijuana. The topic was discussed on Friday night’s “Real Time With Bill Maher” on HBO. Greek-American comedian Zach Galifianakis voiced his support of Proposition 19, by lighting and sparking a joint on live TV, which was met with loud applause from the audience.
After taking a hit, Galifianakis passed it on to Fox News correspondent Margaret Hoover (great-granddaughter of former President Herbert Hoover), who smelled it and confirmed it really was weed, before handing it back. The rest of the panel, comprised of MSNBC’s Lawrence O’Donnell and National Review’s Reihan Salam also declined to partake, along with host Bill Maher, a known advocate of marijuana. Zach said that his point was to prove that just because you smoke marijuana doesn’t mean that you will act crazy, even if it’s still considered “taboo” to do so. Still, some are speculating whether it was a real joint, or just a regular cigarette.
Before the incident, “The Hangover” star proved that Hoover wasn’t the only member of the panel that came from a political family, when talk turned to his uncle Nick Galifianakis, a congressman from his home state of North Carolina, that ran and loss against staunch conservative Jesse Helms in a 1972 U.S. Senate race. He was beat in large part due to Helms’ campaign slogan, “Jesse Helms: He’s One of Us,” which emphasized his opponent’s Greek heritage.
On Tuesday, California voters will decide on Prop 19, which would let the local government regulate and tax the drug if it is passed. As Bill Maher pointed out on the show, the Democrats and Obama administration have voiced their opposition to the measure, with Attorney General Eric Holder, threatening that recreational marijuana users could still be arrested in the state under federal law, even if the ballot proposition is passed. It doesn’t seem as if he has anything to worry about, as current polls show voters will vote against it, with current figures at 53% to 43%. As Salam mentioned during the segment, those against the legalization of pot include California county growers, who are concerned about their loss in profits.
Watch Zach Galifianakis light up below:
[youtube]ZRyLbsW3wZE&hl[/youtube]
Panathinaikos beat Olympiakos in Athens derby
Panathinaikos are three points closer to Greek league leaders Olympiakos after beating their arch rivals 2-1 in a direct encounter.
The Athens derby had been under way for 38 minutes when Kevin Mirallas put the visiting side in the lead.
But Panathinaikos would not give up and French striker Djibril Cisse leveled the score in the 56th minute. Five minutes later, Olympiakos suffered another set-back as goalkeeper Avraam Papadopoulos was sent off.
Papadopoulos’ foul had a penalty as result, with Cisse scoring his second from the spot.
With striker Giannis Fetafatzidis taken off for substitute ‘keeper Francois Modesto, Olympiakos lacked the offensive power to keep troubling their opponents.
Olympiakos do remain on top in the Super League, but Panathinaikos are now just one point behind.
Search Continues for Missing French Woman on Mt. Olympus
A search is continuing full force on Sunday to locate a 37-year-old French woman. She was reported missing in early October on Mt. Olympus.
EMAK rescuers, the army and police were scouring the area in search of the French tourist.
According to an eyewitness account by a local shepherd, the woman was last seen in early October climbing a footpath on Mt. Olympus.
PM Papandreou Ran in Athens Marathon
Greece’s prime minister George Papandreou completed the sideline 10-kilometer split. A 5-kilometer split was also held.
“Today is a celebration for all of humanity,” said Papandreou.
“Greece is running a marathon of its own at the moment and we also hope to finish soon,” he added, referring to the country’s economic strife.
[youtube]ulUbPgml6lA[/youtube]
Raymond Bett sets new record at 28th Athens Classic Marathon, leading Kenyan 'sweep' (video)
Raymond Bett Kimutai led a Kenyan sweep and set a record time in the 28th Athens Classic Marathon as Greece celebrated the 2,500th anniversary of the Battle of Marathon (photo).
The 26-year-old accelerated away from race favourite and compatriot Jonathan Kosgei Kipkorir in the closing kilometres to clock two hours 12 minutes and 40 seconds, inside the previous ACM best of 2:12:42 by Paul Lekuraa in 2008. Edwin Kimutai was third.
The first Greek runner to finish was Michalis Parmakis with 2:20:48, in 15th place overall.
The runners were cheered on by young and old alike who lined up on the streets along the route.
[youtube]IkTJxdvDjqw[/youtube]
George Dalaras Live In Melbourne
George Dalaras performed recently at the Melbourne Hisense Arena as part of his 2010 World Encore Tour.
He was accompanied by his long-time musical friends Mihalis Tzouganakis and Melina Aslanidou.
Dalaras sang demotica, laika, rebetika – songs from his early years and memories of the great composers of Greece. Unlike previous concerts, the musicians played solo parts and improvised on their instruments.
Dalaras’ exceptional voice and instrumental skills have placed him at the forefront of innovation in contemporary Greek music. Over the last three decades he has renewed the genre of Greek laika by leading his mainly youthful public along neglected musical paths like the smirneika and the rebetika.
Archeologist Yannis Sakellarakis Passes at 74
Professor Yannis Sakellarakis was born in Athens in 1936. He studied at the University of Athens and studied for a PhD at Heidelberg University.
He was an instructor at the universities of Athens, Heidelberg, and Hamburg. He gave lectures and presented papers in symposiums and conferences around the world including Oslo and Petra, Tokyo, New York, Oxford, London, Princeton, and Harvard. He has published widely in Greek and foreign scientific magazines, including “Archeology” in 1967.
He was the director of the Archaeological Museum of Iraklion, Crete, and the second director of the National Archaeological Museum of Athens. He was a member of the Archaeological Society at Athens, the Deutsches Archäogisches Institut, and the Society of Antiquaries of London.
He excavated at Archanes, the Idaean Cave, and Kithira. In recent years he has been systematically excavating along with his wife Dr. Efi Sapouna-Sakellarakis, at the archaeological site of Zominthos.
He has received awards from the Academy of Athens, the Technological Education Institute of Crete, and the National Bank of Greece Cultural Foundation. Additionally he was honoured with the Gold Medal of the University of Crete and the Gold Cross of the Order of Honour of the Greek Republic.
Turkey Condemns Desecration against Greek Orthodox Cemetary on Imvros Island
Turkey condemned desecration against a cemetery belonging to Greek Orthodox citizens on Imvros island.
Turkish Ministry of Foreign Affairs said in a statement on Sunday: “we regret that many grave-stones in a cemetery belonging to our Greek Orthodox citizens in Imvros were damaged on the night of October 28, 2010. We strongly condemn it.”
“Upon notification of the incident by the Imvros Metropolitan to the Public Prosecutor’s Office, an immediate investigation was launched in order to catch the perpetrators and bring them to justice. Necessary measures to prevent any recurrence of such an event are being taken by the relevant authorities,” the Ministry added.