The archdiocese of the Greek Orthodox Community of America offered a letter from the American Minister of Foreign Affairs, Hillary Clinton. Clinton was answering a letter of Archbishop Demetrios, in which he had expressed his concern about the episodes that took place in Agios Synesios, in Rizokarpaso, in the northern Turkish occupied part of Cyprus. The American Minister thanked Archbishop Demetrios for informing her. Clinton stated that she appreciates him deeply and reassured him that the U.S. embassy in Nicosia will be in contact with the religious leaders of Cyprus, and the communities of the Greeks and Turks of Cyprus concerning this serious issue.
Hillary Clinton Offers Letter to Archbishop Demetrios Concerning Cyprus
AOL buys Huffington Post for $315 million
AOL has agreed to acquire The Huffington Post website for $315 million. The left-leaning website was launched in 2005 by a group led by Arianna Huffington and currently boasts a readership of 25 million unique monthly visitors. “This is truly a merger of visions and a perfect fit for us,” said Huffington, in the statement. “The Huffington Post will continue on the same path we have been on for the last six years – though now at light speed — by combining with AOL.”
Huffington will be president and editor-in-chief of AOL’s new Huffington Post Media Group, which will include content from Engadget, TechCrunch, Moviefone, MapQuest, and other sites.
The Greek-born, Cambridge-educated author, journalist, politician and businesswoman set up the Huffington Post in 2005 with Kenneth Lerer, two years after a failed bid to be elected governor of California.
Huffington, 60, was born in Athens before moving to England aged 16. While at Cambridge University, she became president of the Cambridge Union debating society before graduating with an MA in economics in 1972. Her first book – The Female Woman, was published in 1973 and she has written 12 more, on a range of issues from self-help and the power of Greek mythology to political satire and biographies.
Geneva’s Greek Community Honors Nikos Kazantzakis
The Greek community of Geneva, the International Society of Friends of Nikos Kazantzakis and the organization “Amities Helleno-Genevoises” organized an event, dedicated to the famous Greek author, Nikos Kazantzakis. It was held in the building of the Greek Community of Geneva. Giorgos Stasinakis and Rosmy Tzanou- Pahlisch delivered a speech. A Swedish actress read abstracts from several books of Nikos Kazantzakis, translated in French.
NOVA TV Intends to Broadcast in the UK
According to an adviser to Europe’s top court, Nova, Greece’s satellite TV broadcaster, may be able to have subscribers in the UK, as well as in other European countries. This could change the way soccer fans follow their sport.
A nonbinding opinion by Advocate General Juliane Kokott at the European Court of Justice (ECJ) on whether a rights holder such as the English Premier League can license its content on a country-by-country basis, suggested that such deals were in contravention of European law.
The sale of broadcast rights in this way allows channels to maximize the value of their product but shuts other broadcasters out in some countries. If Nova does attain rights to broadcast outside of Greece, many current satellite companies will get severe competition.
A monthly subscription to Nova, which has about 350,000 customers, costs between 27 and 58 euros. This is compared to a reported outlay of between 500 and 2,000 pounds (600 and 2,300 euros) per month, that Sky demands from some 50,000 pubs that subscribe to its service in the UK.
(source: nova)
Wog Boy 2 wins 3 slot for highest grossing Australian film in 2010
Wog Boy 2: Kings of Mykonos has been named the equal third highest grossing local film in Australia for 2010. The Wog Boy sequel followed from Tomorrow, When the War Began, which grossed $13.5 million and the indigenous road movie-musical Bran Nue Dae, which made $7.7 million.
Tying for third place with multiple AFI winner Animal Kingdom, The Kings of Mykonos made $4.9 million. Speaking to Neos Kosmos Nick Giannopoulos said he was very proud that both of his films are in the top 50 highest grossing Australian films of all time.
“The Kings of Mykonos has certainly been a lot more popular than the Wog Boy in Greece where it went to number one at the box office,” Giannopoulos said. “So far it is also going very well in terms of international sales all over the world.”
Giannopoulos said it is important that Greek Australians continue to inspire future generations of, not only Greek Australians, but all Australians regardless of their cultural background.
(source: neos kosmos)
02/06/2011: Latest Greek Super League Results with Video
Pacesetter Olympiacos Piraeus beat Xanthi 1-0 (video) at home in games played for the Greek Super League over the weekend, while Panathinaikos Athens subdued PAOK Thessaloniki 1-0 (video) away and AEK Athens lost 2-1 (video) at home from Aris Thessaloniki.
In other action:
Asteras Tripolis-Larissa 1-1 (video)
Panseraikos Serres-Iraklis Thessaloniki 1-2 (video)
Kavala-Kerkyra 1-0
Ergotelis Crete-Panionios Athens 2-0 (video)
Olympiacos Volos-Atromitos Athens 2-0 (video)
Standings after 21 weeks of play:
1. Olympiacos Piraeus 54 points
2. Panathinaikos 47
3. PAOK 34
4. AEK 33
5. Kavala 31
6. Aris 28
7. Ergotelis 28
8. Olympiacos V. 28
9. Atromitos 26
10. Iraklis 26
11. Xanthi 24
12. Kerkyra 24
13. Panionios 21
14. Asteras 21
15. Larissa 18
16. Panseraikos 16
"Conspiracy Nuclei of Fire" Greek Terrorist Group Claim Responsibility for Letter Bomb to Justice Minister
A Greek anarchist group on Sunday claimed responsibility for a letter bomb sent to Justice Minister Haris Kastanidis earlier in the week.
In a posting on a leftist website Sunday, Conspiracy Nuclei of Fire says its armed struggle will continue and claims it is part of an international network of militant groups.
The claim of responsibility comes a day before the trial of thirteen suspected members of the group, the Conspiracy of Fire Nuclei, due to resume in Athens.
"I Won't Pay" Toll Movement in Full Effect
Members of the “I won’t pay, I won’t pay” movement travelled to toll posts throughout Greece on Sunday, raising the bars and allowing drivers free passage without paying road tolls. From Manari to the Isthmus, in Attica and the north, they protested in against what they said were unfair and exploitative agreements that grant contractors free rein.
Sunday’s action, which started at around noon and peaked at 3:00 p.m., was decided in January during a meeting of the nationwide coordinating action committees. It is against hikes in road tolls and companies’ failure to build alternative access roads for local communities.
The aim of the organisers was to open all toll posts throughout the country. In many areas they arranged rallies and transported people to the locations by bus.
Speaking for the organising committee in the Oropos area, which blockaded the Afidnes toll post, Stratis Loupatatzis told the ANA-MPA that members of the movement were not fighting for lower road tolls but better contracts.
“What we are seeking is the abolition of all the contracts that have been signed and follow a logic of pre-payment. We pay taxes on fuel and road taxes so that roads can be built. We will not pre-pay road tolls as well,” he stressed.
Loupatatzis pointed out that Oropos-area residents were currently having to shell out roughly 1,500-1,700 euro a year to get around their own neighbourhood.
He also dismissed the legal action against members of the movement, saying that this was an attempt to frighten people into backing down.
“We are waiting for group summons and we are ready to go to court because we have also filed complaints against the companies at the Council of State, asking for the concession contracts to be cancelled,” he said.
According to the “Citizens of West Athens” movement member Dimitrios Davos, the contracts signed were illegal and abusive.
“It simply isn’t possible to have to pay for something that hasn’t been built yet,” he stressed, while noting that the company that collected the road tolls on the Attica highway had contributed a very small percentage to the cost of construction and was set to make massive profits through the constant increases in tolls.
“It’s not so much an ‘I won’t pay, I won’t pay’ movement. It’s more a ‘I’m not getting paid, I can’t pay’ movement,” he added.
Ticket machines disabled
Members of the ‘I won’t pay’ movement struck in several places throughout Athens on Sunday, disabling machines used to stamp tickets in buses, trolley buses and stations throughout the metro, electric railway and tram systems.
Several ticket machines were damaged after members of the grassroots movement visited the majority of stations and poured glue into the slots so that tickets could not longer be inserted. In some cases they succeeded in removing the entire ticket machine and getting away before they could be stopped by the private security guards at the stations.
(source: ana-mpa)
Chicago Author, a Noted Kazantzakis "Expert", Pens Book About His Life
Theodora Vasils, a Chicago author and well-known authority on the Cretan writer Nikos Kazantzakis, has published a new book about his life. Some say Hold Fast the Mountain Pass is perhaps the most genuine and authentic book about the infamous Greek writer.
For decades, Vasils has translated many of Kazantzakis’ works into English, as well as those of other Greek authors. In fact, Kazantzakis’ wife declared her “among the best of Kazantzakis’ translators.” Vasils earned a Doctor of Letters Degree honoris causa from Dominican University “for her response to the challenge posed by the most renowned Greek writer of our time, Nikos Kazantzakis.”
Over the years, Vasils has called Kazantzakis’ wife Helen, “her dear friend.” The author therefore weaves her own memories, with the factual information and personal letters provided by Kazantzakis’ widow, and added generally accepted notions of the author, to create this work, which she calls “A Work of Historical Fiction about the Life and World of Nikos Kazantzakis.”
The editorial view at Amazon.com states, “Beginning with those first pivotal years, Hold Fast the Mountain Pass narrates Kazantzakis’ life — his poverty, his life in exile, his struggle as a writer groping for a ‘voice,’ and describes the conditions under which that voice brought forth the prolific range of work that included The Odyssey, Zorba the Greek, and the controversial Last Temptation of Christ. It continues through the period of maturity when the floodgates opened to release the final great novels, and covers Kazantzakis from the historical perspective of his own country, and also in the larger context of the two World Wars which defined most of the twentieth century.”
Chicago Spa Owner Helps Homeless Man Get Back on His Feet
One day, Jimmy Bakopoulos, owner of the Heavenly Massage day spas was on his way to the Gold Coast location in Chicago. At the Division Street Bridge, he came upon “Dwayne,” a homeless man standing at the stop light with a sign requesting assistance. Without hesitation, Bakopoulos stopped and gave the man some money. “I always help people if I can,” the businessman explained. “When I was growing up and working in my dad’s store, Holiday Foods, I witnessed my dad performing these small acts of kindness. He would help everyone all the time.”
Bakopoulos would see Dwayne many more times, and continued to help. He discovered the homeless man was married and had three children. “Giving him some money to get some food for his family and gets things for his kids was the least I could do,” he said in an interview with The Greek Star newspaper in Chicago. “One day, I invited his wife and kids over for manicures. I got more involved. The kids are really good kids.”
Later, the owner of 13 spas in the Chicagoland area offered Dwayne a job distributing flyers for the spas. “He was just a good guy. Life didn’t deal him a good deck of cards.” All of this inspired Dwayne to keep working for something better. Today, Dwayne is employed full-time in a factory.
“My dad set the example. Since then, I’ve always wanted to help people. You don’t have to give a lot, just a little bit and every little bit helps. I would do this again in a heartbeat. I don’t think any of us really know these people’s stories. We should just help and hope they put it to good use.”