Author Topic: 03/03/16  (Read 4725 times)

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Offline Maik

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03/03/16
« on: Thursday, 03 March, 2016 @ 02:55:58 »
Quote
iPlayer to be covered by licence fee by this summer, suggests John Whittingdale
Culture Secretary announces plan to rush through laws to plug £150 million budget shortfall, as viewers ditch licence fee in favour of watching online

Ministers are to rush through laws to stop viewers avoiding paying for the BBC by only watching catch-up programming, the Culture Secretary has said.

John Whittingdale said that new legislation to close the so-called “iPlayer loophole” could be brought in before the parliamentary summer recess, after the BBC warned that it was facing a £150 million budget shortfall, as viewers ditch the licence fee in favour of watching online.

Under current laws, anyone watching live television – on their television or computer – must pay the £145.50 licence fee. But those who only watch catch-up shows on iPlayer do not have to pay.
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/bbc/12180897/iPlayer-to-be-covered-by-licence-fee-by-this-summer-suggests-John-Whittingdale.html
« Last Edit: Thursday, 03 March, 2016 @ 03:09:29 by Maik »

Offline Maik

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Re: 03/03/16
« Reply #1 on: Thursday, 03 March, 2016 @ 02:56:45 »
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Up to six alcoholic drinks a week does not pose heart attack or stroke risk
Harvard study contradicts chief medical officer's claim drinking "any level of alcohol regularly carries a health risk"
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/health/12181568/Up-to-six-alcoholic-drinks-a-week-does-not-pose-heart-attack-or-stroke-risk.html

 :yiamas:

Offline Aristarches

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Re: 03/03/16
« Reply #2 on: Thursday, 03 March, 2016 @ 11:29:49 »
Quote
Up to six alcoholic drinks a week does not pose heart attack or stroke risk
Harvard study contradicts chief medical officer's claim drinking "any level of alcohol regularly carries a health risk"
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/health/12181568/Up-to-six-alcoholic-drinks-a-week-does-not-pose-heart-attack-or-stroke-risk.html

 :yiamas:

Doctors must all be of Greek origin.  Put six of them in a room and they come out with seven opinions.  Never trust an expert - particularly medical "experts". 

Offline Maik

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Re: 03/03/16
« Reply #3 on: Thursday, 03 March, 2016 @ 11:46:33 »
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Decrease of Smokers in Greece According to the Hellenic Statistical Authority
http://greece.greekreporter.com/2016/03/02/decrease-of-smokers-in-greece-according-to-the-hellenic-statistical-authority/


er... wot about statisticians, Ari?

Offline Maik

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Re: 03/03/16
« Reply #4 on: Thursday, 03 March, 2016 @ 11:48:29 »
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Undeclared labor accounts for some 25 percent of all employment in Greece, according to sector experts, and is likely to grow further.

Meanwhile, only one in five fines is actually paid. Figures from the Labor Ministry’s Artemis database showed on Wednesday that in the first 11 months of 2015 the Labor Inspection Squad imposed fines of 97.8 million euros, but only 19.5 million of that has been paid.
http://www.ekathimerini.com/206574/article/ekathimerini/business/one-in-four-employees-is-undeclared-in-greece

Offline Maik

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Re: 03/03/16
« Reply #5 on: Thursday, 03 March, 2016 @ 11:51:44 »
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The flipside to the drop in tourism bookings for the islands of the Eastern Aegean, struck by the endless waves of migrants, is the rise in bookings for destinations in continental Greece and the Ionian Sea, according to officials in those areas.

The deputy head of the Ionian Islands’ Regional Authority, responsible for tourism, Spyros Galiatsatos, says the annual rise in bookings for the cluster that includes Corfu, Cephalonia and Zakynthos is at a double-digit level. He also cites the promotion of the destination on international media among the reasons for that growth.
http://www.ekathimerini.com/206573/article/ekathimerini/business/tourists-avoid-migrant-hotspots

Offline Maik

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Re: 03/03/16
« Reply #6 on: Thursday, 03 March, 2016 @ 12:03:43 »
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Greek hotel owners seem to be unable to pay back the loans they’ve taken out, according to Bank of Greece (BoG) deputy governor Theodore Mitrakos.
http://news.gtp.gr/2016/03/02/greece-hotel-units-red/

Offline Maik

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Re: 03/03/16
« Reply #7 on: Thursday, 03 March, 2016 @ 12:05:06 »
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Google is aiming this year to educate over 30,000 Greek tourism professionals on the sales potential of the Internet through its ambitious Grow Greek Tourism Online initiative, it was announced on Wednesday during a press conference in Athens.
http://news.gtp.gr/2016/03/02/google-grow-greek-tourism-online-30-destinations/

Offline Maik

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Re: 03/03/16
« Reply #8 on: Thursday, 03 March, 2016 @ 12:07:48 »
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Elderly will be hit by 'bungalow sell-off plan', foundation warns

Older and disabled people could be disproportionately affected by plans to force councils in England to sell high-value social housing, campaigners say.

The Joseph Rowntree Foundation said the policy was likely to lead to a widespread sell-off of bungalows, which are often popular among the elderly.

It said 15,300 council-owned bungalows in England could be sold off by 2021.
http://www.bbc.com/news/uk-35712980

Offline Maik

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Re: 03/03/16
« Reply #9 on: Thursday, 03 March, 2016 @ 12:11:21 »
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Faking social media accounts could lead to criminal charges
Crown Prosecution Service releases new guidelines on tackling offenders who create phoney Facebook and Twitter accounts to get revenge on others
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/uknews/crime/12180782/Faking-social-media-accounts-could-lead-to-criminal-charges.html

Offline Maik

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Re: 03/03/16
« Reply #10 on: Thursday, 03 March, 2016 @ 12:15:41 »
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Indonesia earthquake: Tsunami warnings and deaths confirmed after 7.9 tremor hits south-east Asia
http://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/asia/earthquake-today-indonesia-malaysia-81-magnitude-us-geological-survey-a6907211.html

Offline HiFi

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Re: 03/03/16
« Reply #11 on: Thursday, 03 March, 2016 @ 14:40:48 »
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The flipside to the drop in tourism bookings for the islands of the Eastern Aegean, struck by the endless waves of migrants, is the rise in bookings for destinations in continental Greece and the Ionian Sea, according to officials in those areas.

The deputy head of the Ionian Islands’ Regional Authority, responsible for tourism, Spyros Galiatsatos, says the annual rise in bookings for the cluster that includes Corfu, Cephalonia and Zakynthos is at a double-digit level. He also cites the promotion of the destination on international media among the reasons for that growth.
http://www.ekathimerini.com/206573/article/ekathimerini/business/tourists-avoid-migrant-hotspots

Have heard from two different local sources this week that Kefalonia is to receive up to 3000 refugees to be put up in hotels within 10 km of Argostoli. No time scale. Anyone seen anything on the news etc?

Offline acebinbabe

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Re: 03/03/16
« Reply #12 on: Thursday, 03 March, 2016 @ 15:54:38 »
Have heard from two different local sources this week that Kefalonia is to receive up to 3000 refugees to be put up in hotels within 10 km of Argostoli. No time scale. Anyone seen anything on the news etc?
[/quote]


A (Greek) friend of ours in Sami said that he had heard from two different sources that there were to be refugees sent here. One person had said it was for 900 who were going to be house at the (old sanitarium) museum on Ainos and the other said it was going to be 4000 somewhere near Argostoli. Ive not seen or heard anything to substantiate or refute, so ignoring it for the moment.  :dunno:

Offline HiFi

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Re: 03/03/16
« Reply #13 on: Thursday, 03 March, 2016 @ 16:27:05 »
Only time will tell. I've been given the names of a few hotels including one not too far from the airport and one on the Fanari road who have allegedly been approached by the relevant departments to assess their appetite. There is some logic that the large numbers involved will have to be spread across the entire country.

Offline Maik

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Re: 03/03/16
« Reply #14 on: Thursday, 03 March, 2016 @ 19:09:29 »
Heard the rumour a few days back but seen/heard no confirmation during that time. Not impossible given that "it's all Greece's fault" that thousands appear to be trapped in Greece due to other countries wanting to shut them out. Lesvos, Kos, etc sound to be pretty chocker and refugee centres in Athens getting that way, if not already full. As Hi-Fi says, spreading them out would relieve the pressure on other parts but it could be speculation, if not some sort of scare-mongering.

Offline Maik

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Re: 03/03/16
« Reply #15 on: Thursday, 03 March, 2016 @ 19:10:12 »

Offline HiFi

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Re: 03/03/16
« Reply #16 on: Friday, 04 March, 2016 @ 20:31:35 »
Quote
The flipside to the drop in tourism bookings for the islands of the Eastern Aegean, struck by the endless waves of migrants, is the rise in bookings for destinations in continental Greece and the Ionian Sea, according to officials in those areas.

The deputy head of the Ionian Islands’ Regional Authority, responsible for tourism, Spyros Galiatsatos, says the annual rise in bookings for the cluster that includes Corfu, Cephalonia and Zakynthos is at a double-digit level. He also cites the promotion of the destination on international media among the reasons for that growth.
http://www.ekathimerini.com/206573/article/ekathimerini/business/tourists-avoid-migrant-hotspots


Have heard from two different local sources this week that Kefalonia is to receive up to 3000 refugees to be put up in hotels within 10 km of Argostoli. No time scale. Anyone seen anything on the news etc?

Schoolchildren advised of above by headteachers today. Hotel names match initial information.



Offline Maik

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Re: 03/03/16
« Reply #17 on: Friday, 04 March, 2016 @ 21:27:32 »
Schoolchildren advised of above by headteachers today. Hotel names match initial information.

Really? Doesn't this seems a little strange? Anyone seen any confirmation this will happen?

Offline HiFi

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Re: 03/03/16
« Reply #18 on: Saturday, 05 March, 2016 @ 07:38:46 »
I would have expected to see something in the local press. Unless it is local talk that has spiralled out of control? (Although there's normally some truth hidden away in such talk).

Offline Aristarches

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Re: 03/03/16
« Reply #19 on: Saturday, 05 March, 2016 @ 12:47:43 »
Quote
Decrease of Smokers in Greece According to the Hellenic Statistical Authority
http://greece.greekreporter.com/2016/03/02/decrease-of-smokers-in-greece-according-to-the-hellenic-statistical-authority/


er... wot about statisticians, Ari?

Do I have to quote Disraeli again?

Offline Aristarches

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Re: 03/03/16
« Reply #20 on: Saturday, 05 March, 2016 @ 12:56:40 »
Heard the rumour a few days back but seen/heard no confirmation during that time. Not impossible given that "it's all Greece's fault" that thousands appear to be trapped in Greece due to other countries wanting to shut them out. Lesvos, Kos, etc sound to be pretty chocker and refugee centres in Athens getting that way, if not already full. As Hi-Fi says, spreading them out would relieve the pressure on other parts but it could be speculation, if not some sort of scare-mongering.

This is a great story too harrumph to over pre prandial drinkies but it does seem to be so much cack spread around by the usual Greek rumour mill.  A silly season story invented after too much ouzo by people with too little to do until the season starts.  The "refugees" want to go to Northern Europe not sun themselves in some hotel in the Ionian.  Also, how many hoteliers will be willing to put up refugees, at refugee rates, when the season is imminent and all the signs are that with the effective closing of Egypt, Tunisia and the eastern Aegean islands together with the Russians keeping out of Turkey, western Greece is likely to be in much greater demand than in previous years, ie likely to make more money.
« Last Edit: Saturday, 05 March, 2016 @ 13:05:26 by Aristarches »

Offline HiFi

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Re: 03/03/16
« Reply #21 on: Saturday, 05 March, 2016 @ 13:13:05 »
Time will tell.
The good thing about these immigrants is that they won't be flying the Union Jack outside their houses or on their boats........

Offline Misty

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Re: 03/03/16
« Reply #22 on: Saturday, 05 March, 2016 @ 20:38:40 »
Lots of immigrants fly flags, where I live I regularly see flags of all nations South African, Jamaican, Irish, Australian, Kenyan, Indian etc and being North London a great many Turkish and Greek ones.

Offline TonyKath

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Re: 03/03/16
« Reply #23 on: Sunday, 06 March, 2016 @ 00:23:54 »
Lots of immigrants fly flags, where I live I regularly see flags of all nations South African, Jamaican, Irish, Australian, Kenyan, Indian etc and being North London a great many Turkish and Greek ones.

Er... no Union Jacks then!  Or are they too tainted with the BNP/UKIP??!  :blink:

Tony

Offline Misty

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Re: 03/03/16
« Reply #24 on: Sunday, 06 March, 2016 @ 11:25:44 »
Oh a few Union Jacks but not many put up by immigrants. Was a time in Blair years when you could not fly a Union Jack or England flag.