Port and customs officials were put on alert on Thursday after finding out that a cargo ship that had requested to be refueled (transit oil) at the port of Heracles (in Asteria Agrias) was carrying heavy weaponry and ammunition. Officials immediately informed the ministries of Foreign Affairs, Finance, Merchant Marine and the headquarters of the Hellenic Coast Guard. Following this, officials secured the area around the port and special forces from the Coast Guard conducted a thorough investigation.
According to a report from the Thessaly Journal, the ship "Alexandretta" -which was flying the flag of Saint Vincent- was from Turkey, and although it is registered as a cement bulk cargo ship was in all reality suspiciously transporting a huge quantity of weapons and ammunition. It said that unconfirmed reports also spoke of portable antiaircraft guns and anti-tank missiles, ammunition and infantry weapons such as Kalashnikov guns, etc.
The newspaper noted that the ship was bound for Libya, but also said that it could have been headed towards Mali (which boarders Libya) to arm Islamic rebels fighting there.
The newspaper, quoting reliable sources, said that as soon as Greek authorities were notified, they surrounded the ship, and prevented any embarking and disembarking to be conducted. For security purposes the ship was then forced to dock at the port of Volos, where it was immediately quarantined and under the watchful eye of competent authorities.
According to legislation, ships transporting weaponry -bound for countries such as Libya, Iran, Syria- are forbidden to pass through Greece. The newspaper said that the ship's capacity is 4,000 tonnes, but it did not disclose the exact weight of the cargo.
It should be reminded that Yemen authorities had discovered a similar shipment from a Turkish ship last November on the outskirts of the Anten port. The report in the Thessaly Journal noted that at the time, authorities were shocked to discover the $120 million shipment, and even more so when they uncovered that the ship was transporting 3,000 Turkish made pistols with silencers that were well hidden in biscuit boxes!
Talk about audacity. Tony Spawforth Professor of Ancient History and Deputy Head sat the Newcastle University, is apparently going to examine the claim that Alexander the Great liked to dress as a Greek goddess. Using evidence from the Museum’s collection, drawing fascinating conclusions about Alexander’s kingship and the "controlled misreading" of his use of imagery by hostile contemporaries he is giving a lecture tonight at the British Museum of Fine arts in London. And guess what? The event is actually sold out! Yes... believe it or not folks people are going to flood his lecture and listen to him analyze one of the greatest kings of all time!
And here is an article we discovered that speaks about this new theory. But before you read that we would just like to advise this British professor that he should shift his focus on other more important subjects such as the scandalous British pedophile case with Jimmy Savile and other such subjects, before going off and ranting about someone whom the Greek people (and not only) respect and honor. If he is a professor of classics, then he should be educating the world on the Greekness of the Parthenon Marbles, and how unjust it was for British elites to pillage them from their rightful country!
Oliver Stone’s 2004 film Alexander portrayed the great Macedonian king as bisexual. Was he also a transvestite? Tony Spawforth looks to uncover the truth.
This startling claim was made by a contemporary Greek, Ephippus, in his lost pamphlet depicting Alexander’s court in the last two years of the reign (324-323 BC). In a surviving fragment Ephippus alleges that the king liked to cross-dress as Artemis, the Greek archer-goddess of the hunt. Supposedly Alexander often appeared in her guise ‘on his chariot, dressed in the Persian garb, just showing above his shoulders the bow and the hunting-spear’.
Chariot and bow were stock attributes of Artemis in Greek art but she did not wear ‘Persian garb’. Remarkably, Alexander did. Xenophobic Greeks routinely derided Persian costume as womanly. A sardonic Ephippus was put in mind of the Greek iconography of Artemis when he saw Alexander in his Persian robes going out to hunt on a chariot and armed with a bow.
The passage that resulted is a libel. Most Greeks would have seen a king who impersonated the gods in this way as an arrogant autocrat inviting divine retribution. Ephippus was no fan of the world-conqueror, whose father Philip had destroyed his home city of Olynthus in 348 BC. Indeed, despite the nationalist fervor which Alexander’s memory inspires in today’s Greece, many ancient Greeks were deeply hostile to both Macedonian monarchs.
But there remains a tantalising question. What was Alexander doing on a chariot, hunting with a bow while dressed as a Persian? Neither the chariot nor the bow was a ‘national’ Macedonian arm. In fact the Greek writer Plutarch records that Alexander used to occupy himself while on the march in Asia by learning chariotry and archery.
A seal-stone now in the British Museum provides a clue. A Persian work of the fifth or fourth century BC, this masterpiece of miniature art depicts Darius I of Persia (522-486 bc) hunting from a chariot, which his driver steers while the king fires arrows into a rearing lion – one of the Asian variety, now all but extinct.
Famous reliefs from Nineveh, also in the British Museum, depict the lion hunt of the Assyrian king Ashurbanipal (668-627 BC). He too hunts from a chariot with a bow and arrows. An enthusiastic audience watches from a safe distance. The lions are released from pens. The ground has been cleared like an arena. This is a carefully staged royal spectacular in which the ruler displays his manly prowess and symbolically overcomes his most dangerous enemies. Read more - http://www.historytoday.com/tony-spawforth/alexander-cross-dressing-conqueror-world
After serving as a visiting fellow and enlightening the young minds of rich aristocrats at the Harvard Kennedy School, George Papandreou earlier this week accepted a seminar teaching position at the Columbia University’s School of International and Public Affairs (SIPA) for the spring 2013 semester.
The Dean, Robert Lieberman, believes that its a great privilege to have personalities such as George Papandreou at his university.
What is really striking is what he said following this -all thanks to Papandreou - “Greece today is a living laboratory for some of the key global public policy challenges of our time — including economic policy, social policy, and more — and I know our students and faculty look forward to learning about decision-making at the very highest level.”
Incredible. We are a laboratory for the Chicago school of economics, and for future movers and shakers! In other words, Papandreou is educating young minds... how to destroy economies.
Papandreou, and all these other Golden Boys on Wall Street and those of the 1%, do not give a hoot if millions of lives were destroyed, if they have set back Greece and many other countries for many generations, if the rate of the homeless has skyrocketed, if hundreds of thousands now depend on soup kitchens for their next meal, if millions are dying as a result to poor healthcare, etc. It is only about them. And Papandreou is a living and walking example of what it's like to suck up to a system of wannabes that only live for more wealth, more fame, and more power.
Enjoy your "Dolce Vita" lifestyle George, enjoy gallivanting across the world and playing the role of a "thinker", but please leave our country alone. We want you to abandon your post in the Greek Parliament, and there are too many voices who even want to declare you as a persona non Grata.
Editor's Note - After everything he did in our country, we believe that this man is a traitor and nothing more than a servant of Soros. How many times must we say this until someone in the West finally listens to us? The mere fact that he speaks about "global governance" should be a sound of alarm! Are people even aware of what he has done in Greece? What kind of sick and twisted individuals actually pay or wait in line to listen to people like Papandreou speak? Listen folks... When you walk into a haunted house and you hear a voice telling you to "Get OUT.." your best bet is to GET THE HELL OUT... But in all seriousness, the only thing this proves to us here at HellasFrappe is that the 1% really takes care of its own. The 1% which Papandreou -and other wannabes like him who talk about socialism- hold two thirds of the world's wealth! This champagne-progressive culture is sheltering personalities such as Papandreou when they should be promoting the share of wealth! Aside from that, with what kind of credentials did this man achieve this position? From just having a name? Jesus... other people sacrifice their lives behind a desk, studying year after year and working hard to achieve their university diplomas, and people such as Papandreou -who only carry a historic name- are offered teaching positions in leading universities? This is sickening. And what is worse, young people actually race to see characters such as him and adopt his theories? To us.. that is the real tragedy! But then again what do you expect from this new age society, when "top news" only focuses on what type of g-string Madonna is wearing, and when real problems only center on acquiring yet another Plasma TV... In ancient Greece we once said "Itheste kai Patheste" (you get what you asked for). Watch out America... you are playing Russian roulette with yourselves and breeding and creating a future generation that will only send you back generations.
A new public opinion poll conducted by Pulse and published in the Athens daily "To Pontiki" on Thursday claims that the main opposition SYRIZA party has taken a small lead of 1.5 percent over the New Democracy party.
More exactly, SYRIZA gathered 21.5 percent, and ND 20 percent. The ultra-right Golden Dawn party received 12 percent, followed by PASOK with 6.5 percent, the Independent Greek party with 5.0 percent, the Communist Party of Greece (KKE) with 5.0 percent and the Democratic Left (DIMAR) party with 4.0 percent.
Some 5.5 percent of those asked said they would vote for some other party, while blank vote/abstention votes received 11.5 percent. Undecided voters or those who refused to respond were said to be around 9.0 percent.
Russia’s state-run gas monopoly Gazprom has offered €2bn to buy DEPA, Greece’s state owned gas company. The sum vastly exceeds DEPA’s real value, but the deal would bring Russia closer to a monopoly in the Greek energy market. The 65% government-owned DEPA was offered for sale as an asset to be disposed of thanks to Greece’s debt ‘problems’ Two other Russian giants, Sintez company and Azerbaijan’s Socar, are also bidding.
The Gazprom offer worries Washington, and Moscow sources say the White House has called on the Greek government not to take the Gazprom offer. Since the start of the Greek fiasco, US influence and energy considerations are as central to the issue as is the madness in Berlin-am-Brussels. But the Russian gas company’s action won’t be welcomed by the European Union either, because if Gazprom buys DEPA, then it will become a serious competitor in European gas projects.
However, in geopolitical energy terms, America will be the big loser. Greece, Cyprus and Israel are planning to supply gas from Israeli deposits and future gas fields being developed off Cyprus. This is an American-backed project, but if Gazprom secures DEPA, it would shut out such supplies from the Greek market.
As reported, Germany too has been trying to scupper the EastMed triad. The Russian move now raises the spectre of what might happen globally if Berlin turned east to become friendlier with Moscow.
The leader of Cyprus' Orthodox Christian Church says the nation's cash-strapped government has asked him for help to persuade Russian authorities to agree to extend repayment of a (EURO)2.5 billion ($3.34 billion) loan.
Archbishop Chrysostomos II says he has asked Russian Patriarch Kirill to plead with the Kremlin to grant Cyprus an extension. Chrysostomos said Thursday he believes the effort will succeed. The Cypriot and Russian churches follow the eastern Orthodox branch of Christianity.
Russia loaned Cyprus the money in 2011, when this country could no longer borrow from international markets. Cyprus is supposed to pay the loan back by 2016, but it has officially asked for a five-year extension. Cyprus is hoping to clinch a bailout from its euro partner countries and the International Monetary Fund by March. philotimo-leventia
Golden Dawn MP, and party spokesman, Elias Kasidiaris raised a timely question in Parliament recently on the possible illegal trading of valuables (or gold). He said that due to the economic crisis, pawnshops have mushroomed all over the country by a whopping 85 percent and people have been selling their family jewels in a cry to get needy capital in their hands in order to make ends meet. Kasidiaris noted that the gains of these pawnshops are suspicious because there have been reports of this gold exiting Greece.
The Golden Dawn MP underlined that these shops are illegally trading gold because according to his sources, they do not have the proper documentation. Apparently, some dealers sell jewels or melt down the material without issuing any sort of receipts, or even providing the buyer with purchase documents.
In response to his question a government official said that the Financial Crimes Squad (SDOE) has begun investigating these shops and already has signalled out over 200 shops for committing severe economic violations (in other words, they do not maintain any records, they don't even issue invoices, pay taxes, or are not even registered).
Answering the Minister, Kasidiaris said if that is the case, then these shops are completely illegal and arbitrary and should shut down (which would be the logical thing), while he also revealed that this gold is being liquified and illegally being exported out of Greece. This was also confirmed by a government official who noted that following the completion of SDOE's investigation all necessary actions will be adopted and implemented immediately.
While industrial sectors have resorted to shedding of employees, buyouts and filing for bankruptcies, there was clearly a growth in pawn shops. In fact, the pawn shop business in Greece has enjoyed a huge growth over the last three years and there are now stores everywhere, even in posh neighborhoods!
So why did this particular new industry flourish (and along with it so did the rise in burglaries)? Simple, in the course of economic downturn, Greeks in deep debt and/or suffering from Greece's economic downturn, resorted in selling their gold in return for quick money. And this is because banks were in turmoil, so this new industry grew from those in need of massive money advances. Besides, pawn shops thrive in times of economic downturn, and there are fears that they will gain even more importance as casinos are keen to attract more premium-mass gamblers.
Statistics from SDOE claim that presently some 1,200 pawn shops and gold trading outlets appear to have a nominal license, while at the same time roughly 1,300 operate illegally! In Athens, authorities have already conducted investigations in areas such as Galatsi, Halandri, Glyfada, Pallini and Aegaleo. Moreover, one arrest has been made due to tax evasion, and the financial crimes squad is now focusing its efforts on the smugglers and illegal outlets.
Quite interestingly, Kasidiaris also said that there are increasing reports about specific foreign crime syndicates that are apparently the masterminds behind this illegal export of gold. He said that these criminals follow the IMF to the countries that it targets, and begin playing with the market. He also left it to be understood that the money being handed out by these pawn shops to all those selling the gold, might not even be on the up and up, and he also talked about loan sharks, and other such money laundering activities.
The Greek riot police stormed the transport train depot earlier on Friday morning in order to enforce a government emergency order that forces striking the workers back to work. Authorities distributed the notifications to the workers, and they are now obliged to respond once they receive the document. After breaking through the gates and removing dozens of strikers in the pre-dawn raid, riot police blocked off all the roads leading to the depot to prevent supporters and the press from gathering near the facility.
Inside the workers had barricaded themselves in the depot Thursday night, but when the police stormed in they did not put up any resistance, and no violence was reported.
On Thursday the government issued a civil mobilisation order under which workers refusing to return to work risk dismissal, arrest and even prison. Prime Minister Antonis Samaras sent a clear message that the government will not be led to a compromise or yield under the pressure of industrial action by public transport workers.
"The Greek people have made sacrifices. Huge sacrifices. I cannot allow any exceptions. The mass transport means are not the property of sector trade unionists. They belong to the people who have the right to use them and not be faced with inconvenience all day long. Let this be clear to everybody: past mistakes will not be repeated!”
Government spokesman Simos Kedikoglou told state-run NET television he expected the metro to be operating “as soon as possible,” estimating that trains would begin running again by the weekend. Defending the government’s decision to invoke a rarely-used law to end the strike, Kedikoglou insisted the new austerity measures must be implemented.
We are a society, an economy, at a very difficult time,” he said. “People can’t ask for exceptions.
But wouldn't you know it, the unions, under the protection of the radical left SYRIZA party, accused the government of using dictatorial tactics.
The strike has been met with exasperation from commuters, many of whom are suffering cuts to their own incomes. Besides, thousands of Athens commuters were stranded and forced to walk or take taxis home through traffic-clogged streets.
What baffles most Greek citizens the most is why are Leftist parties supporting these workers, when they know that the Head of the Armed Forces makes less than some of these maintenance and transport workers whose skills cannot even be compared to that of the head of the Greek armed forces. But that is not all, University Professors, doctors and even leading scientists who are working for the state have endured wage cuts and are being paid less than these workers.
The new single salary scale will apply for the entire public sector with no exemption, as it will help eliminate the existing disparities, Finance Minister Yannis Stournaras made clear after a working meeting on Thursday evening with the Prime Minister. He added his discussion with Samaras focused on economic policy, and that he briefed the premier on developments regarding the Eurogroup and the prerequisites on receiving the next bailout loan tranches.
Earlier, the head of the metro workers’ union, Antonis Stamatopoulos, proposed that employees call off their strike if the government agreed to pay them according to their collective contract, which lasts until April, and hold wage discussions (or re-negotiate new wages) in parallel. Metro employees, who have already had their salaries cut, stand to lose an average of less than 20 percent of their wages.
Samaras held lengthy talks with Development Minister Costis Hatzidakis before announcing the government's final decision.
On hearing of the news, Stamatopoulos accused the government of being a “junta” and said that the protesting workers who had gathered at the metro’s main depot in Sepolia would not be brought out of there alive.
Meanwhile, Greece’s main private sector union, GSEE, also backed the action and two senior SYRIZA MPs, Panayiotis Lafazanis and Dimitris Stratoulis, visited the depot to express their political party's support to the strikers.
The articles posted on HellasFrappe are for entertainment and education purposes only. The views expressed here are solely those of the contributing author and do not necessarily reflect the views of HellasFrappe. Our blog believes in free speech and does not warrant the content on this site. You use the information at your own risk.
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