
Church donation box goes digital in Greece
Live Events
Devout regulars attending Athens's main Roman Catholic church that honours a first-century saint have discovered a 21st-century update: their donation box is now hooked up to a digital payments system.The addition of the Point of Sale (POS) device in the Cathedral Basilica of St Dionysius the Areopagite is the first in a Greek church, even though their use is common elsewhere, including in Africa.Such was the stir created in Orthodox-dominated Greece that cameras from national broadcasters were on hand Sunday, trained on the POS's small screen -- even though it was not yet switched on.The unit was expected to be working within a week, accepting card-tap donations as small as one cent, up to a limit of 1,000 euros ($1,130).It was sitting on a wooden furniture unit alongside prayer candles that could be exchanged for donations."The first church donation box with POS: Tourists requested it, the Church made it happen", said an article on the protothema.gr news website.The cathedral's priest, Georgios Dangas, noted mildly that churches elsewhere in the Western world had been using POS units for decades."We have been asked to install a POS by tourists coming to Athens. Worshippers from all over the world who travel without cash want to give something for the church," he told AFP.He added that the expenses of running the church, the salaries of the priests and the charity work are not paid by either the Greek state or the Vatican, so the contributions were vital.Sunday mass in the church is frequently attended by women from the Philippines who work in the homes of the rich who live in nearby upscale neighbourhoods.The POS device, which was hotly debated in Greece and on social media over the weekend, may find imitators in the Orthodox Church -- the most followed religion in Greece."The man who installed it told me that priests from Orthodox churches also contacted him. But they said let's see how it goes in the Catholic Church and then we'll see," the priest said.
Hashtags

Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles


Hindustan Times
29 minutes ago
- Hindustan Times
Iran claims US bases to be targeted if conflict breaks out between countries
Iran threatened Wednesday to target US military bases in the region if conflict breaks out, while President Donald Trump said he was "less confident" about reaching a nuclear deal. Amid escalating tensions, a US official said staff levels at the embassy in Iraq were being reduced over security concerns, while the UK Maritime Trade Operations, run by the British navy, advised ships to transit the Gulf with caution. Watch: Iran swears to annihilate Israel in revenge: who will strike first & why? Here are 5 deadly triggers Tehran and Washington have held five rounds of talks since April to thrash out a new nuclear deal to replace the 2015 accord that Trump abandoned during his first term in 2018. Since returning to office in January, Trump has revived his "maximum pressure" campaign on Tehran, backing nuclear diplomacy but warning of military action if it fails. Also Read: Trump travel ban shows 'deep hostility' towards Iranians, Muslims, says Iran "All its bases are within our reach, we have access to them, and without hesitation we will target all of them in the host countries," Iran's Defence Minister Aziz Nasirzadeh said in response to US threats of military action if the talks fail. "God willing, things won't reach that point, and the talks will succeed," the minister said, adding that the US side "will suffer more losses" if it came to conflict. The United States has multiple bases in the Middle East, with the largest located in Qatar. Also Read: Why has Iran been banning people from walking dogs in public? Iran and the United States have recently been locked in a diplomatic standoff over Iran's uranium enrichment, with Tehran defending it as a "non-negotiable" right and Washington calling it as a "red line". Trump had previously expressed optimism about the talks, saying during a Gulf tour last month Washington was "getting close" to securing a deal. But in an interview published Wednesday, Trump said he was "less confident" the United States and Iran could reach a deal, in response to a question on whether he believed he could stop Tehran from enriching uranium. 'A shame' Iran currently enriches uranium to 60 percent, far above the 3.67-percent limit set in the 2015 deal and close though still short of the 90 percent needed for a nuclear warhead. Western countries, including the United States and its ally Israel, have long accused Iran of seeking to acquire atomic weapons, while Tehran insists its nuclear programme is for peaceful purposes. Last week, Iran's supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei said enrichment is "key" to Iran's nuclear programme and that Washington "cannot have a say" on the issue. During the interview with the New York Post's podcast "Pod Force One", which was recorded on Monday, Trump said he was losing hope a deal could be reached. "I don't know. I did think so, and I'm getting more and more -- less confident about it. They seem to be delaying and I think that's a shame. I am less confident now than I would have been a couple of months ago," he said. "Something happened to them but I am much less confident of a deal being made... Maybe they don't wanna make a deal, what can I say? And maybe they do. There is nothing final." Trump maintained that Washington would not allow Tehran to obtain nuclear weapons, saying "it would be nicer to do it without warfare, without people dying". On May 31, after the fifth round of talks, Iran said it had received "elements" of a US proposal for a nuclear deal, with Araghchi later saying the text contained "ambiguities". Iran has said it will present a counter-proposal to the latest draft from Washington, which it had criticised for failing to offer relief from sanctions -- a key demand for Tehran, which has been reeling under their weight for years. On Monday, the United Nations nuclear watchdog began a Board of Governors meeting in Vienna that will last until Friday to discuss Iran's atomic activities and other issues. The International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) meeting followed a report issued by it criticising "less than satisfactory" cooperation from Tehran, particularly in explaining past cases of nuclear material found at undeclared sites. Iran has criticised the IAEA report as unbalanced, saying it relied on "forged documents" provided by its arch-foe Israel. In January 2020, Iran fired missiles at bases in Iraq housing American troops in retaliation for the US strike that killed top Iranian general Qassem Soleimani days before at Baghdad airport. Dozens of US soldiers suffered traumatic brain injuries.


Time of India
2 hours ago
- Time of India
Does India trust Donald Trump? EAM Jaishankar says national interest is the pivot, not personalities
External affairs minister S Jaishankar NEW DELHI: Amid apparent differences with the Trump administration over critical issues like Pakistan's support to cross border terrorism, external affairs minister S Jaishankar said that India's aim is to advance the relationship with the US as it serves India's interests. During his ongoing visit to Europe, the minister also warned the Europeans that terrorism will come back to haunt them if they ignore it. "I take the world as I find it. Our aim is to advance every relationship that serves our interests - and the US relationship is of immense importance to us. It's not about personality X or president Y," said Jaishankar, responding to a question about whether India trusts Trump. Asked about the Pahalgam terror attack and the subsequent military conflict, Jaishankar recalled the presence of Osama bin Laden in Pakistan. "Why did he, of all people, feel safe living for years in a Pakistani military town, right next to their equivalent of West Point," he asked. "I want the world to understand - this isn't merely an India-Pakistan issue. It's about terrorism. And that very same terrorism will eventually come back to haunt you," said the minister in an interview to Euractiv in Brussels. He also hit out at Europe for questioning India's ties with Russia, saying every country considers its own experience, history and interests. "India has the longest-standing grievance - our borders were violated just months after independence, when Pakistan sent in invaders to Kashmir. And the countries that were most supportive of that? Western countries," he said. 'If those same countries - who were evasive or reticent then - now say 'let's have a great conversation about international principles', I think I'm justified in asking them to reflect on their own past," added Jaishankar. Asked about India's ties with China, the minister recalled his meetings with several European companies in India that have chosen to set up there specifically to de-risk their supply chains. "Many companies are becoming increasingly careful about where they locate their data - they'd rather place it somewhere secure and trustworthy than simply go for efficiency. Would you really want that in the hands of actors you don't feel comfortable with," he said.


India Gazette
5 hours ago
- India Gazette
India accuses West of double standards on Ukraine and Pakistan
Foreign Minister S. Jaishankar has criticized Western countries for being reluctant to condemn terrorism in Kashmir Indian Foreign Minister S. Jaishankar has said Western countries are hypocritical to expect India to take a strong stance against Russia, while shying away from condemning what New Delhi sees as Pakistan's sponsorship of terrorism in Kashmir. In an interview with Euractiv on Tuesday, Jaishankar reiterated that India refuses to take sides in the Russia-Ukraine conflict. "We don't believe that differences can be resolved through war - we don't believe a solution will come from the battlefield," he said. "It's not for us to prescribe what that solution should be. My point is, we're not being prescriptive or judgmental - but we are also not uninvolved." Jaishankar added that India is justified in questioning the West's moral authority regarding international matters, given their past actions. "India has the longest-standing grievance - our borders were violated just months after independence, when Pakistan sent in invaders to Kashmir. And the countries that were most supportive of that? Western countries," he said. "If those same countries - who were evasive or reticent then - now say 'let's have a great conversation about international principles,' I think I'm justified in asking them to reflect on their own past." Jaishankar went on to say that India has a strong relationship with both Russia and Ukraine, adding that every country has its own history and interests. The foreign minister is on a one-week visit to Europe. This comes as India is involved in negotiations with the EU on a free trade agreement with the South Asian nation, according to media reports. The trip comes close on the heels of a visit to India by a delegation led by European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen to hammer out a trade deal. The EU has been critical of New Delhi's lack of support for Western sanctions against Moscow. India remains one of the largest buyers of Russian oil, despite the sweeping sanctions imposed by Western governments on Russia's energy and financial sectors. (