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Updated 15.00 GMT 30.11.2009
Athens 30/11/09
Former Foreign minister and Finance minister Antonis Samaras was elected Greece's Conservative opposition party leader, results showed Monday.
Samaras, 58, who succeeded former prime minister Costas Karamanlis defeated former foreign minister Dora Bakoyianni and Thessaloniki prefecture head Panayiotis Psomiadis in a ballot Sunday in which all 400,000 New Democracy party members voted.
The conservative New Democracy party lost power to the Socialist PASOK party in national elections on October 4.
Samaras' win is considered a remarkable feat for a politician which left New Democracy in 1993 to form his own short-lived party, Political Spring. He was later held responsible for costing the conservatives that year's election which brought the Socialists to power.
He is American-educated, earning a bachelor's degree from Amherst College and an MBA from Harvard Business School.
Samaras was elected to parliament in 1977 and became finance minister in 1989 and foreign minister in 1990.
After years of relative isolation, Karamanlis offered him a seat in the European Parliament in 2004 under the conservative ticket. In 2007 he returned to the Greek Parliament and was made culture minister in 2008.
Preserving eponymous Lake Stymphalia
Lake Stymphalia in the northeast Peloponnese is a well-known wetland of heightened ecological importance for the local region, one included in the European Union's Natura 2000 programme for the conservation of fauna and flora.
Stymphalia, located in Corinth prefecture, is the only mountainous lake in the Peloponnese, Greece eponymous southern-most province. Surrounded by Mt. Kyllini (Zireia), Mt. Oligyrtos, Mt. Mavrovounio and Mt. Garrias, the wetland is rich in bird, amphibian and plant life, and is a very important refuge and breeding ground for migratory birds, including 133 species of protected fowl and birds threatened with extinction. It is also home to the endemic fish taxom Pseudophoxinums stymphalicus. This species is quite interesting, because during dry periods it survives by sinking into the lake's mud and forming a slippery 'envelope' around its body.
During the Roman era, the lake supplied water to ancient Corinth some 65 kilometers away through an aqueduct constructed during the reign of Emperor Hadrian. Parts of the ancient aqueduct are still visible today.
On its north shore lie the remnants of ancient Stymphalos.
In Greek mythology, Lake Stymphalos is the site of Hercules' sixth labour, namely, to slay the man-eating Stymphalian birds (Stymphalides), pets of Ares, the god of war. The mythological creatures fled to the lake to escape a pack of wolves and bred quickly, taking over the countryside and destroying the area's crops and fruit trees.
The local government of the modern-day town of Stymphalia has launched a campaign to preserve the lake and the entire area's wetlands environment.
Small architectural treasures in Kastraki, Kalambaka
Nestled at the foot of the majestic Meteora rock pinnacles, in the 'heart' of this geological phenomenon, is the small village of Kastraki with its 1,000 inhabitants that attracts tens of thousands of tourists from all over the world each year.
The rustic homes in Kastraki, near Kalambaka (northwestern Thessaly) are true to the unique local architecture, each of them comprising a small architectural treasure preserving the history of the settlement, and are built with local natural materials, mainly rock wood from the nearby forest, with traditional tile roofs and cobble-stone streets.
British mother accused of strangling her newborn baby in hotel room is freed by Greek court
29th June 2009
The British mother accused of strangling her newborn child in a Crete hotel room has been freed by a Greek court. Leah Andrews, 21, faced charges of premeditated murder after police found her newborn dead in a hotel room in the tourist resort of Malia.
'The court ruled her innocent,' Zoe Lama, a lawyer for Andrews, said.
'She repeated in court that she was sorry for the loss of her baby, which she thought was born dead, and said she was innocent.'
Andrews is free to fly back to Britain, Lama said, after the three judges and the majority of a four-member jury ruled in her favour.
Police found the dead baby with sheets around its neck and covering its face when Andrews was rushed to hospital suffering severe blood loss after giving birth unassisted in her room a year ago.
A coroner's report concluded the child was born healthy, but had died of suffocation.
Two British women, her sister and a friend, who shared the hotel room with Andrews were not charged.
Andrews' father, aunt and a cousin were present during the trial in the city of Rethymno in Crete.
Britons make up about a fifth of the 15 million tourists who visit Greece every year.
Last month, a Greek court released Briton John Hogan who killed his six-year old son when he jumped from a hotel balcony in Crete with his two children in 2006.
British FM backs pact ‘by Cypriots’!
27/05/09
Britain’s Foreign Secretary David Miliband on Tuesday expressed his support for a Cyprus settlement in the form of “a bizonal, bicommunal joint entity” following talks with his Greek counterpart Dora Bakoyannis in Athens.
Questioned by a reporter about Britain’s stance on the latest round of talks between community leaders on Cyprus, aimed at ending the island’s longstanding division, Miliband noted that his country would play “only a supportive role,” stressing the importance of a solution to the Cyprus problem “by Cypriots and for Cypriots.”
Asked if Britain intends to withdraw from a guarantors’ treaty signed in 1960 now that Cyprus is a European Union member state and there is no longer a security issue, and whether it will relinquish the areas currently occupied by the British bases on the island, Miliband noted that the “details” of the treaty could be discussed later and that the focus should be the progress of the talks toward a solution.
Bakoyannis put the onus on Ankara for progress in talks, saying that “a more constructive stance” was needed from the Turks if the process was to move forward. Her comments came in the wake of fears expressed last week by Cyprus President Dimitris Christofias that Turkish-Cypriot leader Mehmet Ali Talat was being undermined by Turkish military authorities.
The British diplomat, who also met with Prime Minister Costas Karamanlis before traveling on to Ankara, reiterated Britain’s desire to bring Turkey into the European Union and said there was no reason to postpone a scheduled review of Turkey’s EU-oriented progress in December.
Bakoyannis conceded Turkey’s accession course was at “a critical turning point” but stressed that there are specific conditions Ankara still needs to meet before it can join the EU.
Greece cuts Acropolis museum budget
Greece has cut the €6m budget for the festivities to mark the June 20 opening of the new Acropolis museum by more than half as recession looms over its economy.
But a ticket to see the 2,500-year-old sculptures from the Parthenon and other temples on the Acropolis hill will cost just €1 this year – the same price as a journey on the subsidised Athens metro. By comparison a ticket for Paris’s Louvre costs €9, or €14 ($19.56, £12.34) to include temporary exhibitions, and New York’s Metropolitan Museum charges $20 (€14.20, £12.60).
British tourists arrested on Crete over nun stunt
HANIA, CRETE 25/05/09 — Seventeen British tourists were arrested on the island of Crete Sunday for insulting the Catholic church after they paraded themselves dressed "in nun attire and naughty lingerie", police said.
The Britons were arrested in the coastal town of Malia, a popular resort for young travellers with a long tradition of drunken tourist antics.
They will be taken to a prosecutor to be officially charged and may be fined but are unlikely to be jailed for the misdemeanour offence, the police source said.
Sunken ship cleanup begins off Santorini
18/05/09
Authorities on Santorini on Saturday launched the first phase of a long-delayed operation to pump out dozens of tons of fuel from the wreck of a cruise ship that sank off the popular Aegean island in April 2007 and has been at the bottom of the sea ever since. The 6-million-euro operation, to be carried out in three phases, is to be funded by Louis Hellenic Cruises which owns the sunken Sea Diamond.
The project – being overseen by Merchant Marine Minister Anastassis Papaligouras, who arrived on the island on Saturday – is expected to take three weeks to complete. The first phase will involve the installation of suction pipes to remove the fuel from the wreck. Then all openings in the wreck will be plugged shut to avoid the leakage of any fuel remnants. It is unclear when the wreck itself will be lifted from the seabed.
Rhodes court annuls same-sex marriages
06/05/09
A court on Rhodes yesterday annulled the country’s first same-sex marriages, conducted last June on the island of Tilos, noting that state law includes no provisions for gay unions.
The court on Rhodes, which has jurisdiction over all the Dodecanese islands, issued its ruling in response to appeals lodged by a local prosecutor against the two couples – two men and two women – and against Tilos Mayor Tassis Aliferis. The prosecutor had asked for both unions to be declared null and void. Reacting to the verdict, the lawyer representing the two couples and the mayor described the prosecutor’s appeals as “unacceptable and groundless.”
“The prevention of marriage between homosexuals strikes at the very heart of civil rights, namely self-determination and freedom,” Aliferis said. The two couples yesterday vowed to appeal to the European Court of Justice.
Finds unearthed at necropolis in Pella shed light on social status of warriors
The excavations, conducted by the 17th ephorate of prehistoric and classical antiquities, focused on 50 tombs in the western cemetery of the ancient settlement.
Ten of the 24 tombs, dated to the Archaic Period (580-480 BC), are believed to have belonged to aristocrat warriors. Based on the findings, the specific tombs are positioned along two paths that crossed each other, confirming that the "best" spots in pre-Classical cemeteries were reserved for the tombs of the wealthy and members of the aristocrat class.
Moreover, the deceased were buried based on their social class while members of the same family were buried close to each, other forming clusters dating back to the second half of the 7th century BC (late Iron Age) and even down to the early Hellenistic era.
Based on the findings, archaeologists believe the advance of the Macedon kingdom to the Axios River region had taken place much earlier than anticipated and not after the Persian Wars, as maintained by most archeologists until recently.
More robust trading and evident prosperity comes from evidence dated to just after the reign of King Alcetas (early fifth century BC) with the population having increased access to luxury items as a result of trade relations forged with numerous states in the Mediterranean Basin.
WHAT TOOK THEM SO LONG?
Citizenship granted to spy in old age
18/08/09
An 83-year-old Albanian of Greek origin [Epirote] who spent 28 years of his life in prison in the neighboring country after being caught spying for Greece is to finally see his wish of being granted Greek citizenship come true.
It was revealed yesterday that Deputy Interior Minister Thanassis Nakos has given the green light for Loukas Christidis to become a Greek national, 47 years after he and two other northern Epirotes were sent to Albania to gather information about the Soviet and Chinese military presence at Aghioi Saranta (Sarande), close to the Greek border.
Christidis was arrested as he attempted to make his way back to Greece and was sent to one of the notorious forced labor camps of the Enver Hoxha regime. Christidis returned to Greece after the collapse of the communist regime in 1991. He now resides in Igoumenitsa, northwestern Greece, in a home for people with chronic illnesses.
Ex-junta minister Makarezos dies aged 90
ATHENS 06/07/09
Makarezos, who died Monday, was buried Tuesday in Athens. Government officials declined to comment.
Makarezos had spent years in prison after serving as the junta's chief economic policymaker, as well as deputy prime minister and minister for coordination under dictator George Papadopoulos.
Along with Papadopoulos and Stylianos Pattakos, the three had seized power in a bloodless military coup on April 21, 1967.
The regime, which was condemned int he West, imposed martial law and cracked down heavily on political opponents, imprisoning or exiling thousands of mostly left-wing supporters, many of whom were tortured by military police.
The United States temporarily banned arms sales to Greece, but a 1971 visit by Vice President Spiro Agnew, who was of Greek descent, was viewed by many as tacit approval of the dictatorship.
After the army crushed student pro-democracy uprising in November 1973, Papadopoulos tried to slowly introduce limited democratic reforms, prompting some army hard-liners to push him aside.
Makarezos was arrested after the dictatorship collapsed in 1974, and was sentenced to death for treason — a sentence later commuted to life imprisonment. He was released in 1990 because of poor health.
Democracy in Greece was restored in 1974.
Makarezos served in the Greek artillery during World War II, in the campaign against Italian forces who invaded the country in 1940. After the fall of Greece to the Nazis in early 1941, he followed the government in exile to Egypt.
Makarezos' death makes Pattakos the only surviving member of the three junta leaders, as Papadopoulos died in 1999 at the age of 80. Pattakos was also released from prison and now lives in Athens.
Makarezos was survived by his wife and two children.
Greek government unveils new home for ‘Elgin’ Parthenon Marbles
Fresh demands for the return of the Elgin Marbles are accompanying the launch [20.06.09] of the £115 million Acropolis Museum, which has a reserved space for the world's most famous piece of classical statuary.
The 270,000 sq ft museum is being established as a home for the 160-metre long strip of marble that adorned the Parthenon until 1801. The museum, which stands just 400 metres from the Parthenon, opens in June – three decades after the building was first proposed.
Antonis Samaras, the minister for culture and tthletics said: "The opening of the Acropolis Museum is a major world event. June 20th will be a day of celebration for all civilised people, not for Greeks alone. I want the Britons especially to consider the Acropolis Museum as the most hospitable place for them."
Greeks hopes have been emboldened by the return to Athens from Germany and Sweden of a host of treasures, including some taken from the Acropolis itself. The frieze adorned the Parthenon until 1801 when Lord Elgin, the British ambassador to the Ottoman Empire, removed it, along with a host of other treasures when Athens was under enemy occupation.
They were sold by Lord Elgin to the British Museum for £35,000 after Parliament voted in 1816 to acquire them for the nation and were vested "in perpetuity" in the trustees of the British Museum. The Greek Government disagrees.
Mr Samaras is the successor to the late Melina Mercouri, whose strident claims for the reunification of the Parthenon Marbles made headlines more than 20 years ago.
The language today is more restrained, yet more confident. "I, along with every other Greek, wants the marbles reunited, just as Melina did," he said. "The argument against was that there was no deserving museum in Greece to house them. Now, this argument is off the table – it cannot stand anymore. The Acropolis Museum was Melina's dream, and now we see it standing."
Greece retains 36 of the 115 panels in the Parthenon frieze. With the reproduction in its glass-walled upper gallery of the exact dimensions of the Parthenon temple, the building allows the marbles to be represented in their original configuration and context, in a way that could never be done in the British Museum.
The Greeks have also taken heart from polls that have shown that the majority of Britons support the return of the Marbles.
The fight for the return of the Marbles has led to committees being set up in 14 countries to lobby for their return.
The gallery offers a simultaneous view of the Parthenon itself, the extraordinary temple to the goddess Athena and, in the view of many, the greatest classical building in the world.
Constructing a vast new museum in one of the world's most ancient cities was not easy. When archaeologists began work they uncovered a 5th century BC settlement. The response of the architectural team of Bernard Tschumi from New York and Michael Photiadis from Greece was to build the elegant modern structure above the archaeological diggings. The site, which is still being excavated, can be seen by visitors through the museum's glass floor.
Neil MacGregor, the director of the British Museum, has rejected overtures from Athens and said that it is the museum's duty to "preserve the universality of the marbles, and to protect them from being appropriated as a nationalistic political symbol".
If the British Museum, which says it is barred by its constitution from handing back its treasures, were obliged to return the marbles, the floodgates might open on other restitution claims. Nigeria, for instance, wants the return of the Benin bronzes, looted by Britain in 1897. The 270,000 sq ft museum is being established as a home for the 160-metre long strip of marble that adorned the Parthenon until 1801. The museum, which stands just 400 metres from the Parthenon, opens in June – three decades after the building was first proposed.
Greeks hopes have been emboldened by the return to Athens from Germany and Sweden of a host of treasures, including some taken from the Acropolis itself. The frieze adorned the Parthenon until 1801 when Lord Elgin, the British ambassador to the Ottoman Empire, removed it, along with a host of other treasures when Athens was under enemy occupation.
They were sold by Lord Elgin to the British Museum for £35,000 after Parliament voted in 1816 to acquire them for the nation and were vested "in perpetuity" in the trustees of the British Museum. The Greek Government disagrees.
Mr Samaras is the successor to the late Melina Mercouri, whose strident claims for the reunification of the Parthenon Marbles made headlines more than 20 years ago.
The language today is more restrained, yet more confident. "I, along with every other Greek, wants the marbles reunited, just as Melina did," he said. "The argument against was that there was no deserving museum in Greece to house them. Now, this argument is off the table – it cannot stand anymore. The Acropolis Museum was Melina's dream, and now we see it standing."
Greece retains 36 of the 115 panels in the Parthenon frieze. With the reproduction in its glass-walled upper gallery of the exact dimensions of the Parthenon temple, the building allows the marbles to be represented in their original configuration and context, in a way that could never be done in the British Museum.
The Greeks have also taken heart from polls that have shown that the majority of Britons support the return of the Marbles.
The fight for the return of the Marbles has led to committees being set up in 14 countries to lobby for their return.
The gallery offers a simultaneous view of the Parthenon itself, the extraordinary temple to the goddess Athena and, in the view of many, the greatest classical building in the world.
Constructing a vast new museum in one of the world's most ancient cities was not easy. When archaeologists began work they uncovered a 5th century BC settlement. The response of the architectural team of Bernard Tschumi from New York and Michael Photiadis from Greece was to build the elegant modern structure above the archaeological diggings. The site, which is still being excavated, can be seen by visitors through the museum's glass floor.
Neil MacGregor, the director of the British Museum, has rejected overtures from Athens and said that it is the museum's duty to "preserve the universality of the marbles, and to protect them from being appropriated as a nationalistic political symbol".
If the British Museum, which says it is barred by its constitution from handing back its treasures, were obliged to return the marbles, the floodgates might open on other restitution claims. Nigeria, for instance, wants the return of the Benin bronzes, looted by Britain in 1897.
Scenic train in Mt Pelion back to service
The legendary steam train of Mt Pelion, Magnesia Prefecture, central Greece, known as "Moutzouris" (meaning, "coal black") has turned106 years old and together with a second such train in Belgium are the only ones in the world running on a 60 cm-narrow gauge railway track. It was built in 1903 by Italian engineer Evaristo De Chirico, the father of the famous surrealist painter Giorgio de Chirico, and was used to carry passengers and cargo from the Pagasitic Bay seaport city of Volos to Milies on Mt Pelion, home of the centaur Chiron according to ancient Greek mythology.
On October 12, 1895 "Moutzouris" made its inaugural journey from Volos to Ano Lechonia and 8 years later the extension from Ano Lechonia to Milies was opened and ran without an interruption until 1971 when automobiles took over as the preferred means of transportation.
During WWII, the Germans used the train for their transportation and when they withdrew blew up part of the railway network that was later restored.
In 1995 the train was put again in operation for tourism reasons. The cars used are the original ones, while the old steam engines, named "Milies" and "Jason", were also used at first but in 2000 they were replaced by diesel-powered engines for faster and safer journeys.
The special train service starts in April each year and makes the roughly 90-minute trip from Ano Lechonia to Milies passing through a region of majestic natural beauty.
Beginning on April 11 the train will run on weekends while the option of leasing will be available to associations, tourist groups or even embassies. Service will be on a daily basis in July and August, to be interrupted in October for the winter season due to weather conditions and for maintenance purposes.
