Author Topic: 20/03/23  (Read 1602 times)

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Offline Maik

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20/03/23
« on: Monday, 20 March, 2023 @ 02:29:40 »
Today’s bank rates:
1 €UR = £0.9011 GBP
1 €UR = $1.0942 USD
£1 GBP = 1.1098 €UR
$1 USD = 0.9139 €UR

Based on Alpha Bank exchange rates, these are widely used by exchange agencies in Greece.
Other banks likely to offer a different rate which may be marginally higher or lower.
Banks and foreign exchange offices normally charge standard 2% commission.
You may get a better rate changing your holiday money in advance at e.g the
Post Office.
NB: some f-ex agencies advertise "No Commission".
Invariably, they deduct commission before they (don't) advertise the rate.
Foreign exchange offices are businesses, not charities.


Ten day weather forecast for Kefalonia:
This is an overall forecast, due to the mountainous terrain the weather can be very localised.
Updated forecast @
weather.com
Day, Date   Hi°/Lo°   Wind sp   Wet   Forecast
Mon 20/03   17°/11°   12 km/h   07%   Sun & cloud
Tue 21/03   15°/11°   10 km/h   76%   Showers probable
Wed 22/03   18°/11°   14 km/h   19%   Mostly sunny
Thu 23/03   19°/12°   12 km/h   10%   Sun & cloud
Fri 24/03   19°/12°   17 km/h   12%   Mostly sunny
Sat 25/03   19°/12°   15 km/h   10%   Mostly sunny
Sun 26/03   19°/13°   18 km/h   10%   Sunny
Mon 27/03   19°/12°   18 km/h   17%   Sunny
Tue 28/03   17°/12°   25 km/h   22%   Sunny
Wed 29/03   17°/12°   20 km/h   03%   Mostly sunny

frost.getmap.gr
No risk of frost

Offline Maik

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Re: 20/03/23
« Reply #1 on: Monday, 20 March, 2023 @ 14:20:04 »
Independence Day celebrations in Lixouri:

23/03/23 @ 08:00 Raising of flags
23/03/23 @ 18:00 Lighting of government offices, banks and ships docked in port
 
25/03/23 @ 07:30 Ringing of church bells
25/03/23 @ 08:00 Raising of the flag at the Town Hall
25/03/23 @ 10:30 Service in the Metropolitan Church of Pantocrator
25/03/23 @ 11:15 Memorial service at the Monument of Heroes followed by a minute silence, parade and dances in the square
25/03/23 @ 17:30 Flags lowered

Offline Maik

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Re: 20/03/23
« Reply #2 on: Monday, 20 March, 2023 @ 15:41:58 »
Quote
Report finds only half of students finish university

For every 100 students enrolled at Greek universities each year, just 52 graduate, according to the latest report by the Hellenic Authority for Higher Education (HAHE) for 2022, which also saw graduation rates dropping steadily through the economic crisis, from 10% in 2013 to 8.6% in 2020, against a European Union average of 23.2%.
https://www.ekathimerini.com/news/1206958/report-finds-only-half-of-students-finish-university/

Offline Maik

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Re: 20/03/23
« Reply #3 on: Monday, 20 March, 2023 @ 15:46:09 »
Quote
Where is Greece Ranked in the World Happiness Report

Finland is a happy place! For the sixth year in a row, the country has been named the happiest in the world in the annual World Happiness Report 2023.

The Nordic country and its neighbors Denmark, Iceland, Sweden and Norway all score very well on the measures the report uses to explain its findings: healthy life expectancy, GDP per capita, social support, low corruption, generosity in a community where people look after each other and freedom to make key life decisions.

Greece is in 58th place in the new World Happiness Index 2023 which evaluates countries for the period 2020-2022.
https://greekreporter.com/2023/03/20/greece-world-happiness-report/

UK 19th.

Offline Maik

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Re: 20/03/23
« Reply #4 on: Monday, 20 March, 2023 @ 15:47:43 »
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New houses simply not affordable for most Greeks

Acquiring a newly built home is turning into an elusive dream for the vast majority of Greeks.

The main reason is the jump in selling prices stemming from the rising construction costs, but also higher land rates and higher energy efficiency standards that all new properties must now to meet.
https://www.ekathimerini.com/economy/1206995/new-houses-simply-not-affordable-for-most-greeks/

Offline Maik

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Re: 20/03/23
« Reply #5 on: Monday, 20 March, 2023 @ 15:55:55 »
Quote
Greek patriarchate denounces 'heinous terrorist attack' at occupied East Jerusalem church

The Greek Orthodox Church said it 'denounces the attempt to cause physical harm to Archbishop Joachim, who was leading the service, as well as the attack on one of the priests in the church'.

The Greek Orthodox Church on Sunday denounced what it called a "heinous terrorist attack" on a church at the Tomb of the Virgin Mary in occupied East Jerusalem.

Israeli police had said earlier in the day that a 27-year-old resident of southern Israel had been arrested over "a violent incident" at the church, without providing further details on the suspect's identity.

Bilal Abu Nab, a vendor who works near the church, told AFP that the attack was committed by two Jewish men, one wearing a yarmulke and the other wearing a tzitzit.

He said a priest had been injured in the forehead, and police were called but arrived more than half an hour later.

Without mentioning a second assailant, the police said the apprehended suspect entered the church with an iron bar and that there were no injuries.

The incident came after two Israeli radicals defaced a Christian cemetery in East Jerusalem on New Year's Day. The attackers toppled tombstones and smashed crosses located at the Protestant cemetery.

The bishop attributed the attack to increased hate speech within Israeli society.

Palestinians in Jerusalem experience frequent violence from Israeli settlers and forces and both Christian and Muslim holy places come under attack.

There are 230,000 Israeli settlers living illegally in East Jerusalem, which Israel annexed in 1980 in a move rejected by the international community, along with at least 360,000 Palestinians.
https://www.newarab.com/news/greek-patriarchate-denounces-attack-e-jerusalem-church

Offline Maik

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Re: 20/03/23
« Reply #6 on: Monday, 20 March, 2023 @ 17:20:32 »
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The hidden corners of Greece the Greeks don't want you to know about

Take a (vine) leaf out of the Hellenic holiday manual and learn to holiday like the locals
https://www.telegraph.co.uk/travel/lists/hidden-corners-greece-greeks-locals-best-secret-holidays-2022/

One 'hidden corner of Greece' is Santorini  :hmm:


Offline Maik

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Re: 20/03/23
« Reply #7 on: Monday, 20 March, 2023 @ 19:31:04 »
Quote
THESSALONIKI: Police Suspect Murder-suicide Attempt Involving Father And Twin Toddlers

Authorities suspect that 62-year-old man attempted a murder-suicide after he locked himself in a car with his twin toddlers, a boy and a girl aged 2.5 years old, and opened a gas canister on Sunday. The man is now being held under guard at the 424 Military Hospital in Thessaloniki.

The incident was reported by the man's former wife and the mother of the twins, who called the police. Police officers broke the windscreen and rescued the children and their father, arriving in the nick of time as there was a strong smell of gas. They were all in a semi-unconscious state.

The two children were taken to Ippokratio General Hospital in an ambulance, where they are being treated and are considered to be out of danger.
https://greekcitytimes.com/2023/03/21/thessaloniki-murder-suicide-attempt/

Offline Maik

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Re: 20/03/23
« Reply #8 on: Monday, 20 March, 2023 @ 19:38:30 »
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Newborn puppies saved from being dumped in carrier bag

Six newborn cocker spaniel puppies were saved from being dumped in a carrier bag, police said.

Two Durham police officers spotted a man swinging a carrier bag on the edge of a bank near Bishop Auckland.

When they put on their blue lights, he threw the bag on to the front seat and pretended to check a tyre, they said. The puppies were found in the bag.

A man in his 50s was arrested on suspicion of animal cruelty, money laundering and trafficking in a controlled drug.
https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-tees-65014920

Offline Maik

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Re: 20/03/23
« Reply #9 on: Monday, 20 March, 2023 @ 22:37:22 »
Quote
Sex Fraternity In Athens: The Rules, The "ticket" And The Dress Code

Scenes from Stanley Kubrick's film "Eyes Closed", with Tom Cruise and Nicole Kidman unfolded in Athens because members of a secret sexual fraternity engaged in a night of debauchery, which they called a "secret meeting," inviting those interested to a "sacred marriage ceremony."
https://greekcitytimes.com/2023/03/21/sex-fraternity-in-athens-the-rules/

 :blink:

Offline Maik

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Re: 20/03/23
« Reply #10 on: Monday, 20 March, 2023 @ 22:40:39 »
Quote
Erotic Festival: The First "Greek Erotic Film Awards" Are A Fact - All The Details

After a three-year absence due to the coronavirus, the Erotic Art Festival returns to a big event that will take place from June 9 to 12 in the Athens neighbourhood of Gazi. As part of this event, the first Greek erotic film awards will be organised under the title "Greek Erotic Art Awards".

Films, scenes and performers in the Greek erotic industry will be awarded, with the following categories:
https://greekcitytimes.com/2023/03/21/erotic-festival-the-first-greek/

Categories sound a tad tacky to me.


Offline Maik

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Re: 20/03/23
« Reply #11 on: Monday, 20 March, 2023 @ 22:45:49 »
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Kikilias: Greece will have excellent tourism season this year

Tourism’s contribution to the Greek economy will be even greater in 2023 than it was in 2022, Tourism Minister Vasilis Kikilias predicted in an interview with the Athens-Macedonian News Agency released on Sunday.
https://www.ekathimerini.com/economy/1207050/kikilias-greece-will-have-excellent-tourism-season-this-year/

Appears there's going to be some serious staff shortages in tourist businesses.
 

Offline Maik

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Re: 20/03/23
« Reply #12 on: Monday, 20 March, 2023 @ 22:49:45 »
Quote
First findings rail accident Greece: ‘Personnel insufficiently trained’

The investigation following the deadly railway accident in Greece has unearthed some worrying findings. The Greek Railway Regulatory Body, which is reponsible for the work, speaks of “insufficient training of personnel carrying out critical tasks”, causing inadequacies that might have contributed to the accident.

The investigation on the railway accident in Tempi, Greece, that left at least 57 people dead and several injured, takes the authorities fifteen years back. The Greek Railway Regulatory Body (RAS) and the Greek supreme court’s prosecutor’s office are investigating all the deadly railway accidents that occurred in Greece from 2008 onwards to find out whether infrastructure manager OSE and railway undertakings complied with the Safety Management Systems (SMS).

At the same time, the prosecutor’s office and the anti-money laundering authority are also scrutinising OSE’s contract during the same timeframe to determine possible ‘financial misconducts and illegalities’. The investigation targets multiple people who held critical positions over the years. A financial scrutinisation is crucial considering that Greece was supposed to invest billions of euros in ETCS, but this investment is still missing.
https://www.railfreight.com/railfreight/2023/03/20/first-findings-rail-accident-greece-personnel-insufficiently-trained/

Offline Maik

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Re: 20/03/23
« Reply #13 on: Monday, 20 March, 2023 @ 23:27:44 »
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Dominic Cummings buying house on island off Northumberland to be out of nuclear blast range
https://www.thelondoneconomic.com/politics/dominic-cummings-buying-house-on-island-off-northumberland-to-be-out-of-nuclear-blast-range-345470/

Offline Maik

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Re: 20/03/23
« Reply #14 on: Tuesday, 21 March, 2023 @ 00:07:59 »
Quote
Julia Faustyna most likely not Madeleine McCann, analysis concludes

The Polish woman who became an internet sensation after claiming to be missing British girl Madeleine McCann is most likely not the girl who was abducted in Portugal in 2007, a facial recognition analysis concluded.

Julia Faustyna, who is also listed in some reports as Julia Wendell or Julia Wandelt, failed to match photos of McCann in a facial recognition comparison of the two.

Soon after Faustyna, 21, claimed to be the missing British girl, Swiss AI company Ava-X ran photos of her and McCann through its Iris facial recognition software, the Swiss newspaper Blick reported.

“It’s practically impossible for the young Pole to be Maddie,” Ava-X’s co-founder Christian Fehrlin concluded.
https://nypost.com/2023/03/20/julia-faustyna-most-likely-not-madeleine-mccann-analysis-concludes/

According to one report Ms Faustyna has submitted a sample for a DNA test, this will show if she has any British ancestry. If she has then the McCanns might submit DNA for a comparison. According to Faustyna's spokesperson, her Polish 'parents' have refused to submit a DNA sample and have ceased communications with Faustyna. She also alleges that Faustyna was trafficked as a child: 7news.com.au