Greece on Wednesday said that the parcel bombs targeting several embassies in Greece and officials across Europe, are not linked to the terrorist organization al-Qaeda.
The announcement was made by Greek Government Spokesman Giorgos Petalotis on Tuesday. Police have stated that a radical leftist group is suspected of being behind the mailed explosives.
Greece Believes Radical Left Group Responsible for Explosive Packages
First Alexander the Great Exhibition in Austria Concludes
One of the most important international exhibitions presented the life and work of one of the greatest figures in world history, Alexander the Great. It was a large exhibition that concluded last night in Kunsthalle of Leoben in Austria.
The exhibition in Leoben had opened on March 20th and had moved to Leoben from Manheim in Germany, where it had attracted over 100.000 visitors.
Over 400 artifacts from 25 museums from all over the world were displayed. The relics came from the Louvre, the British Museum, the Hermitage, and the national museums of Tajikistan and Afghanistan. The exhibition was organized by the Museum of Leoben in collaboration with the Museum of Manheim, the German Archaeological Institute, and the renowned Viennese Museum of History and Art.
The idea behind the exhibition and its content had been presented a day before its launch in Leoben in an international press conference for more than 50 representatives of international mass media. Journalists were given a thorough tour of the Museum halls by the initiator and curator of the exhibition who is also the director of the Museum of Manheim, Michael Telenbach.
During the presentation, former General Director of the Museum of Art History in Vienna Wilfred Zaibel, had characterized Alexander the Great as: “One of the most important figures, if not the most important, in world history, presenting many aspects of his short but glorious history”.
Zaibel noted that this is the first ever exhibition for Alexander the Great to be organized in Austria. He welcomed the fact that this great initiative was taken by a relatively small city such as Leoben. He especially underlined the fact that Greek culture was spread worldwide through Alexander the Great.
Both himself and the Director of Manheim Museum Michael Telenbach, highlighted the great educational role of the exhibition for students and young people, who are aware of Alexander the Great through their school books. In this framework the exhibition in Leoben was accompanied by a series of events and special tours themed after Alexander the Great.
Leading scientists repeatedly stressed that the campaign of the great Greek and Macedonian: “Was not so much of a military nature, but substantially cultural, a fact which is of course related to his apprenticeship to the great teacher and philosopher, Aristotle”.
The impressive long tour was filled with enthusiasm and philhellenism that Telenbach offered to the representatives of the international press. He repeatedly made references to the goal of Alexander the Great to unite nations, and the building of a new society of nations. Telenbach took into account the Aristotelian idea for human equality, while he had referred to the fact that in many regions Alexander the Great passed through accepted or worshiped as a god.
Author Pens Thrillers Confronting Societal Issues in Greece
Author Jeffrey Siger has made Mykonos his home for more than half the year. The Pittsburgh, Penn. native went to Mykonos on holiday, and was enraptured by the fabled island. Over the next 20 years, he’d visit each year, spending “ever-increasing” periods of time there.
We recently spoke to him about his adopted home and his work.
Why Mykonos?
I love the light – there’s none like it anywhere in the world – its natural beauty inspires me. I find the in-season nightlife invigorating and a source for much of what I write, but it’s the people who draw me there, like no other place. They retain the same generosity of spirit and hospitality that encouraged me the very first time.
You worked as an attorney.
At a Wall Street firm, I was Special Counsel to the citizens group reporting on New York City’s prison conditions. Later, I established my own firm, but gave it all up to write full-time among the people, life and politics of Mykonos.
These murder mysteries, interweaving the societal and political conditions of Greece, often provide more twists and turns than a mountain road. You’ve captured this incredibly well, including the very essence of the Greek characters.
I write about Greeks and Greek themes, because they’re the flesh and blood embodiment of the ambiguity that is and always has been Greece; it’s inspiring. Greece’s modern problems lay spread out before the world, while the secrets of Byzantium stay hidden in unnoticed places protected by reclusive lives led much the same as they were 1000 years before.
Your books, published in the US, UK, plus translated and published in Germany and Greece, have been well-received.
My first novel in the Chief Inspector Andreas Kaldis series, Murder in Mykonos became Greece’s #1 Best-Selling English-Language Book and remains the #1 Best-Selling English-Language Book of its genre.
The second in this series is called Assassins in Athens. Some in the Greek press called me a ‘prognosticator’ of societal unrest and attitudes. One columnist awarding me a rating of 100 out of 100 for being a foreigner who has his finger on the pulse of Greece – and the courage to write about it.
Tell me about Prey on Patmos: An Aegean Prophecy.
It’s the third in the series, coming January 2011. I was visiting some Mykonian friends. One asked me if I was familiar with Patmos. I knew it almost as well as Mykonos. When I mentioned its famous monastery, one friend began talking about the monasteries of Mount Athos, leading to a discussion about the Vatopedi scandal. This brought on a ‘bingo’ moment of inspiration for my third novel. I couldn’t believe it when I saw that Vanity Fair article. Talk about life imitating art (or the other way around, perhaps) – and timing being everything. My U.S., U.K., and Greece publishers each had the same reaction: ‘Where the Vanity Fair article ends, Prey on Patmos begins!’ It was the publicity of the Vanity Fair sort involving Vatopedi which brought the mystery in Prey on Patmos haunting Mount Athos to a head. As observed by my fictional monastery abbot, the scandal in that Mount Athos monastery was consuming. He was convinced it would be the ruin of the church. Now they ask me, is this book a real ‘Aegean Prophecy’?
Chief Kaldis is an intriguing character.
Chief Inspector Andreas Kaldis, an Athenian-born, second generation police officer, is politically incorrect and an honest observer of his times.
What’s next?
I’m already working on Kaldis’ fourth adventure, “Slaves to Sparta.”
Greek Australian Won Telstra Business Women’s Award!
Greek- Australian Kris Lloyds won the prestigious Telstra Business Women’s Award in South Australia. Kris is the manager of the fine cheese production company Woodside Cheese Wrights.
The very talented and accomplished businesswomen spoke of her Greek grandfather and his recipes as a tribute to her success. She used his recipe as a base for the “Etzy Ketzy” cheese. “Etzy Ketzy” is the company’s most popular cheese. It is made by both cow and goat milk.
The Greek Australian businesswoman took over the managing of Woodside Cheese Wrights in 1999. She very soon discovered that success in this business consisted from two elements. These elements are excellent quality and continuous renewal and expansion of the different tastes offered.
Kris traveled throughout Europe in order to improve the products of Woodside Cheese Wrights. She is responsible for establishing a special Cheese School in Public Institutions of technical Education (TAFE) in South Australia.
Her business talent along with her continuous efforts to promote Australian cheeses around the world are the main factors that made her the ideal winner of this year’s Telstra Women’s
Kris is set to compete with other award winning businesswomen from other states of Australia for the title of the most successful businesswoman nationally. This will take place in a special ceremony on November, 11th in Melbourne.
(Source: neos kosmos)
As Kalomoira Honeymoons in Hawaii Rumors Surface of Pregnancy!
While the newly married Kalomoira Sarantis and George Bousalis are honeymooning in Hawaii, many celebrity media outlets in Greece speculate she might be pregnant!
The rumors started after pictures were uploaded on Kalomoira’s official website by the singers herself.
Celebrity reporters commented on TV that Kalomoira looks a bit bloated in the face and body, much like that of a pregnant women.
Kalomoira’s mother Eleni Sarantis stated on Star Channel Greece that Kalomira is not pregnant and if she was she would know.
The Greek American sweetheart seems to be having a blast in Hawaii, but she never forgets to keep in touch with her fans. The picture above shows her dressed up as Marilyn Monroe for Halloween in Hawaii. Her Husband George dressed up as Elvis.
A video she uploaded from Hawaii can be found below:
[youtube]noYE8uH9pSY&feature[/youtube]
Earthquake Jolts Samothraki Island
An alarming earthquake that measured 5.0 on the Richter scale hit the island of Samothraki. It made its residents and residents of the opposite coastline fearful that more quakes will soon take place. The earthquake’s epicenter was in the sea region of the island. Reportedly it did not cause any damages or injuries.
Seismologist and professor at Aristotle University of Thessaloniki Manolis Skordilis, underlined that this quake has nothing to do with the one in Serbia that also took place at daybreak and killed two people. Many seismologists who are further investigating, note that the earthquakes are standard and that local people have no reason to worry.
Emergency Landing of Cargo Jet Holding Explosive Envelope
A cargo jet carrying a suspicious envelope made an emergency landing in Bologna late Tuesday evening after Greek authorities received information that the package — reportedly destined for the office of Italian Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi — contained explosives.
The incident came after roughly 13 parcel and mail bombs were intercepted and neutralised in the greater Athens area on Monday and Tuesday. Most were addressed to foreign embassies in Athens. One was headed to French President Nicolas Sarkozy’s office.
Two arrests were made on Monday along a busy Athens street of suspects believed to have mailed one such mail bomb minutes earlier. According to police, the two suspects are both local men in their early 20s and were armed and found in possession of similar parcel bombs.
Initial reports claim the pair is linked to the ultra-leftist, self-styled anarchist terrorist (ANA-MPA) underworld active in the Greek capital in recent years, with a law enforcement investigation now in high gear. Another five suspects are wanted. The incidents are unrelated to the recent mailings of more powerful parcel bombs from the Middle East to US destinations; cases believed to be the work of Islamic terrorists.
The emergency landing came hours after a bomb disposal squad conducted a controlled detonation of two envelopes discovered in the cargo terminal of Athens’ Eleftherios Venizelos International Airport on Tuesday evening.
According to initial reports the envelopes were first isolated. One was destined for Europol headquarters at The Hague and the other for the European Court of Justice.
The private cargo plane took off from Athens carrying the letter addressed to Berlusconi’s office and was first headed to Paris before its final destination of Lyon, where the plane’s load of cargo would have been sorted and forwarded to recipients.
(source: ana-mpa)
Alexi Giannoulias Lost Senate Seat Previously Held by Barack Obama in IL
Illinois State Treasurer Alexi Giannoulias who was running for the Senate seat previously held by Barrack Obama in Illinois, lost the election. Republican Mark Kirk won the race by 2%, gaining 48% of the vote.
Both Republicans and Democrats had spent large amounts of money during their campaigns in order to win this seat. As the election day was approaching, undisclosed special interests funded negative ads to personally target Alexi Giannoulias.
The Greek-American community showed strong support for their candidate both in campaign funding and spreading the word about his candidacy.
When the results were final the Greek-American candidate made a phone call to Mark Kirk to congratulate him for his victory. “Congressman, congratulations to you…Make us proud as a senator”, he stated.
“He made a promise to me that he will never forget who he is fighting for,” Giannoulias told supporters that gathered at the Fairmont in Chicago to watch the results with him.
“Oresteia – The Trilogy by Aeschylus” Performance in Southern California, November 13th
On Saturday, November 13, 2010, at 7:00 pm, the American Hellenic Council of California (AHC), through its charitable foundation will present the award-winning play of “Oresteia – The Trilogy by Aeschylus” at the Downey Theater in Downey, CA.
The play, performed by the Leonidas Loizidis Theatrical Group, has been touring the United States with performances in all major cities. The performance in Downey will be the only one in Southern California. The play recently received the United Nations Best Off-Broadway Theatrical Performance Award 2010. It has been playing at the Kirk Theater in New York since September.
“Oresteia” will be performed in Greek with English supertitles and will be preceded by a one-time vocal performance by the famous Cypriot singer/songwriter Alexia. A wine & cheese reception will follow the performance where the attendees will have the chance to meet the performers and the director.
This is the second ancient Greek tragedy performance that is sponsored by the American Hellenic Council in Southern California. The first one was the play of “Troades” in November 2009. It was an outstanding success and attracted more than 400 viewers.
The production is co-sponsored by Aris & Isaura Anagnos, Earth Friendly Products; the #1 company making soaps and detergents that are kind to your body and kind to the planet, Capri Laguna Inn Hotel; a perfect destination for weekend getaways in Laguna Beach, CA and European Travel; your preferred travel agency for your Mediterranean vacation!
Tickets ($30 General Admission / $20 for members) can be purchased by visiting the AHC website at: www.americanhellenic.org or by calling 323-651-3507.
Bilirakis, Tsongas, Sarbanes Won; Giannoulias Still Fighting
In today’s election ten Greek-Americans ran for Congress. Eight candidates are competing for the House of Representatives and two for the U.S. Senate. Most projections show that the House of Representatives will go Republican while the Senate will remain under the control of the Democrats.
Republican Gus Bilirakis won the race for the House in Florida’s 9th district with 72% of the vote; De palma comes second with 28%.
Suzanne Kosmas lost her seat as a member of the House for Florida’s 24th district. She received 40% of the vote while winner Republican Sandra Adams received 60%.
Also in Florida, Independent Charlie Christ whose original family name is Christodoulou, ranked second in the race for the Senate. Republican Marco Rubio won the seat.
Democrat Niki Tsongas kept her seat in Masachussets’ 5th district with 55% of the votes. Her opponent, Republican John Golnik received 42% of the votes.
In Maryland’s third district incubent John Sarbanes won the election for the Democratic party.
In Maine’s 1st district Democrat Chellie Pingree kept her seat after defeating Republican Greek-American Dean Scontras.
In Ohio’s 18th district Democrat Zack Space lost his seat to Republican Bob Gibbs.
In Illinois the race for the State’s Senate seat is very close. As CNN reports, 86% of the votes counted Kirk as the lead of 1%; something that can change very easily.