Proposed Greek Free School Could Find a Home in Haringey

A. Makris
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Proposed Greek Free School Could Find a Home in Haringey
Archbishop Gregorios

A Greek Orthodox secondary school could be founded in Haringey under the government’s free schools initiative following a strong campaign.
The group spearheading the plans, which were due to be put to Education Secretary Michael Gove yesterday (Wednesday) for approval, is considering sites in Wood Green and in Barnet near the border with Muswell Hill.
Yiannis Pareas, chairman of the volunteer committee behind the bid, said: “It is very apparent from our survey that there is support for a Greek Orthodox secondary school – not just amongst the Greek community. Parents have told us they want more choice and a number have said they would move to be near to such a school.”
The school would embrace traditional Christian Orthodox values, Greek language and culture in its curriculum, and has been supported by Archbishop Gregorios, head of Britain’s Greek Orthodox Church, and Michael Ellinas, headteacher of Europe’s largest Greek community school. For more information, see the group’s web site at www.greekorthodoxschool.org.uk.
(source: hornsey journal)

 

Ceremony Dedicated to Eleni Floratou Paidoussi, NYC

Anastasia Chaini
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Ceremony Dedicated to Eleni Floratou Paidoussi, NYC

”Eleni In Struggle, In Humanity and In Literature”, is the title of a ceremony organised by the Greek Cultural Center in New York, on June 5th.

Eleni Paidoussi, as mentioned in a Greek Cultural  Center’s announcement (http://greekculturalcenter.org/) was born in Washington D.C, and is of Kefalonian descent.

After graduating from high school in Argostoli, she studied Medicine at the Medical School of the National University of Athens for one year. In 1946, she returned to the USA, where she studied Economics and Sociology and completed her Master’s in Education at St. John’s University.

She worked as a teacher in PS11 Queen’s primary school, and lives in New York. Her poems, short stories, and literature articles have been published in several magazines and newspapers in Greece and the USA. She is the founding member of the Greek Cultural Center, which has published the bilingual magazine ”Goals” and has been an active member in the Commission for the restoration of democracy in Greece, during the Greek military Junta of 1967-1974.

Greek & Canadian Prime Ministers Ratify Youth Mobility Agreement

Anastasia Chaini
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Greek & Canadian Prime Ministers Ratify Youth Mobility Agreement

Talks between Greek Prime Minister George Papandreou and his Canadian counterpart,  Steven Harper have been completed and followed by the signing of the agreement on youth  mobility among the two countries. ”This agreement will strengthen the relations between the two countries for the coming generations”, stated Prime Minister Steven Harper.

The Canadian PM was followed by important people of the business world, who met with business leaders from Greece,  in an effort to develop investments in the country. This move shows the trust of Canada regarding Greece’s market. Steven Harper also looks forward to the completion and signing of the free trade agreement between Canada and the EU, emphasizing the importance of Greece’s role in Europe’s partnership. He honored the Greeks of Canada by inviting in the team who followed him, two Greek-Canadian politicians: Tony Clement, Minister and Kostas Menegakis, Deputy Member, as well as the leadership of the Greek community of Canada.

The two PMs mentioned the importance of the agreement’s signing concerning Helleno-Canadian relations and of the role of Greeks in Canada. They also discussed global financial developments, since the Canadian PM attended the G-8 summit, and also developments about the eurozone as well as the difficult financial times of Greece.

Nia Vardalos Featured in Katie Couric’s New Book

Diane Karas
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Nia Vardalos Featured in Katie Couric’s New Book

You want to get ahead in life? You want advice in relationships, your career, or even happiness? Then get your hands on Katie Couric’s book “The Best Advice I Ever Got-Lessons from Extraordinary Lives”.

In this book celebs share their most destiny changing tips.  Nia Vardalos is featured Couric’s book. Her own piece is called “Be Polite” and in her own words Nia describes her journey so far and the lessons she learned. The biggest one was to be polite; she doesn’t like confrontations and clearly states, “never get involved with a pig because a pig loves the mud”. She believes, that as a human being, you need to learn to rise above challenges and the only thing you can do when you encounter rudeness is to respond with politeness.

She’s humble about her working opportunities so far and claims that the best way to get ahead in life is to be nice and be polite. A lot can be gained, just by smiling and being nice.

 

Zach Galifianakis Wins Webby Award for “Between Two Ferns”

Diane Karas
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Zach Galifianakis Wins Webby Award for “Between Two Ferns”

Zach GalifianakisThe 15th annual Webby Awards were presented by the International Academy of Digital Arts and Science.

Two of the biggest Webby Award winners are comic actress Lisa Cudrow for “Web Therapy” and Greek-American Zach Galifianakis for the web show “Between Two Ferns”.

His web talk show “Between Two Ferns” won the award for best variety program honors and Zach himself won for best personality/host. The episode featuring comedic actor Steve Carell won for best individual comedy short or episode.

Having established himself as a comic actor/host and with a number of movies under his belt, is there anything Zach can’t do?

Fitch Downgrades Cyprus Due to Exposure to Greek Debt

Lorraine Eyre
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Fitch Downgrades Cyprus Due to Exposure to Greek Debt

Fitch Rating Agency downgraded on Tuesday Cyprus` rating by three notches, citing exposure to Greek sovereign debt, while warning that it could downgrade the Cypriot economy even further.
“Fitch Ratings has downgraded the Republic of Cyprus`s Long-Term Foreign and Local Currency Issuer Default Ratings (IDRs) to `A-` from `AA-` and removed them from Rating Watch Negative. The Outlook on the Long-term IDRs is Negative,“ a press release issued Tuesday by Fitch notes.
Chris Pryce, Director in Fitch`s Sovereign Group said “the downgrade reflects the severity of the crisis in neighbouring Greece and the risk this poses for the Cypriot banking system and consequently the public finances of Cyprus.“
According to the release, Cyprus is a small economy with a large banking system equivalent in terms of assets to approximately nine times its GDP.
“Exposure to Greece is a significant source of vulnerability that has intensified with successive downgrades of the Greek sovereign since January 2011, when Fitch put Cyprus on Rating Watch Negative citing fiscal and financial sector risks“, the release adds.
Fitch estimates that this exposure “includes almost EUR14bn of Greek sovereign bonds and an estimated EUR5bn of Greek bank bonds. In addition, Cypriot-owned banks have lent through their substantial networks in Greece significant amounts to Greek companies and households.“
The agency believes that these banks are relatively well placed to absorb the impact of a sovereign debt crisis in Greece that entailed an assumed 50% haircut to face value of Greek government bonds.
It adds that in this scenario the cost of recapitalising the banks to a tier one capital ratio of 10% would be of the order of EUR2bn (11% of GDP), only part of which might have to be met by the state.
“However, in a more severe stress test, where a Greek sovereign default was associated with significant deterioration in asset quality such that non-performing loans rose to 25%, Fitch estimates that the cost of recapitalising the banks could rise to 25% of GDP, necessitating more extensive sovereign support“, the release notes.
Fitch also believes that the Cypriot government would be willing and able to provide effective support to Cypriot banks in a stress test of this magnitude, as at 61% of GDP Cypriot general government debt is not high by euro area standards.
“However, the cost of providing financial sector support could materially alter the government`s debt profile in a manner that would be negative for the sovereign ratings“, the release adds, noting that “Fitch does not rule out additional funding pressures arising for banks, including subsidiaries of Greek banks.“
Furthermore, the agency believes that the European Central Bank would provide liquidity support in such an environment, thereby preserving financial stability in Cyprus.
“Fitch says developments in Greece will continue to have an important bearing on Cyprus`s ratings, underlining the importance of sound public finances and a robust, well- capitalized banking system“, the release concludes.
(source: cna)

Tempi Tunnel's First Phase of Construction Completed

A. Makris
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Tempi Tunnel's First Phase of Construction Completed

The first phase of the opening of the longest tunnel in Greece, six kilometers in length, was reported on Monday with an explosion at the underground work site in the central Thessaly province.
Works for the tunnel, which bypasses the winding and rock slide – plagued Tempi Valley on the main Athens-Thessaloniki highway, began in August 2008 in both directions — the southern end at the mouth of the valley, and the northern end at the Omolio township.
(source: ana-mpa)

Turkish Air Chief Marshall Arrested for “Sledgehammer” Case

Marianna Kourti
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Turkish Air Chief Marshall Arrested for “Sledgehammer” Case

Turkish authorities arrested yesterday War Academies’ commander, Air Chief Marshal Bilgin Balanli, as a suspect in the “Sledgehammer” case. Balanli, who was going to become chief of the Turkish Air Force, is the highest ranking military officer on active duty arrested in the country, and charged for conspiracy against Erdogan’s government.

Air Chief Marshal Balanli is accused of having prepared the Operation Plan Oraj (Storm), after an oral command of the currently jailed for the “Sledgehammer” case Ibrahim Firtina, who was commander of the War Academies in 2003. The plan was concerning the harassment of Greek aircrafts in the Aegean Sea, aiming at the creation of a war atmosphere and the “insurance” of a Turkish aircraft’s demolition by Greek fighting ones. The plan had also arranged that in case no Turkish aircraft had fallen, a Turkish pilot would have shot down an aircraft of the Turkish Air Force. The Turkish Prime Minister avoided commenting on Balanli’s arrest, which most probably will inflame new tensions between secularists and islamists in Turkey, just two weeks before the general elections of the 12th of June. According to Turkish media, the arrests of high-ranking military officers is the reason why last week’s exercises in the Aegean Sea were cancelled.

Singer Xaris Alexiou Mesmerized Vienna Concert Hall!

Anastasia Chaini
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Singer Xaris Alexiou Mesmerized Vienna Concert Hall!

The audience warmly welcomed popular Greek singer, Xaris Alexiou at a big concert that took place on Saturday night, at the Vienna Concert Hall.  2000 people, the majority being Austrian, and many Greeks applauded the  singer and the 7 orchestra members at the end of the programme.

The singing programme included her timeless songs, composed by Manos Loizos  and  Christos Nikolopoulos, as well as some songs composed by her.  She also sang two songs in French.

The concert, due to the influx of the Austrian audience, was characterized by a spirit of solidarity and sympathy over Greece’s difficult times.  A strongly  enthusiastic atmosphere was created, despite the  generally accepted ”serious style” of the Vienna Concert Hall. According to this spring tour in 10 European cities, Xaris Alexiou will visit in order: Μunich, Stuttgart, Zurich, Frankfurt, Dusseldorf, Brussels, Paris, and the Hague within the next  days. Her concerts will end on June 10th.

 

 

 

 

 

Chilean Miner Survivors Arrive on Crete

Eleni Iliadou
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The 33 miners from Chile, who had been trapped in the mine of San Jose a few months ago arrive in Greece today. The owner of the mining company ELMIN S.A. Mr.Vardinoyiannis, acquaintance of the Chilean ambassador in Greece, Carmen Impanies had promised that if the 33 miners survive, he would invite them to Greece and particularly to his own homeland of Crete, to enjoy the Greek beauty and spend a few days away from the nightmare they lived.
Each of them is coming with a familiar person, wife, mother, father, or child, so they will be 66 people in total. They will first see the Acropolis Museum and the Greek capital and then go to Crete where they will be hosted in a 5 star hotel. During their last day in Greece they will go to a farewell party and dinner, at the famous Enzzo de Cuba, in Athens.

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