Monthly Archives: April 2014

Perth, Apr 17 (PTI) A mini-submarine deployed to locate the missing Malaysian plane’s wreckage on the floor of the Indian Ocean has completed a full 16-hour mission mission at its third attempt, authorities said today.

Two previous missions by autonomous underwater vehicle Bluefin 21, a US Navy probe equipped with side-scan sonar, to map the ocean floor were cut short by technical problems and deep water, without making any “significant” detections.

source: ptnews.com

Rescuers fought rising winds and waves on Thursday as they searched for hundreds of people, mostly teenage schoolchildren, still missing after a South Korean ferry capsized more than 24 hours ago.

Coastguard and navy divers were diving into the waters at the site of the accident, about 20 km (12 miles) off the country’s southwestern coast. Earlier, rescue teams hammered on the hull of the upturned vessel, hoping for a response from anyone trapped inside, but did not hear anything, media reports said.

The vessel, carrying 475 passengers and crew, capsized on Wednesday during a short journey from the port of Incheon to the holiday island of Jeju. Nine people were found dead and 179 had been rescued, according to the South Korean government, leaving 287 unaccounted for and possibly still trapped in the vessel.

Grieving parents accused rescue teams of being slow to react and for lack of information, although government officials said that search efforts had continued through the night.

“I am really angry with the government,” said Kwak Hyun-ok, whose daughter who was one of 340 children and teachers from one school on the vessel.

“There is no meaning to life without my daughter,” Kwak told Reuters.

The government said three cranes were being moved to the site of the accident and would arrive on Friday, although efforts were continuing to establish whether there were any survivors on the stricken vessel.

“We carried out underwater searches five times from midnight until early in the morning, but the strong currents and murky waters pose big obstacles,” Kang Byung-kyu a minister for public security told a press conference in the capital Seoul.

There is still no official explanation for the sinking, although the government has launched a formal inquiry. The ship, built in Japan 20 years ago, was following a well traveled route. Although the wider area has rock hazards and shallow waters, they were not in the immediate vicinity of its usual path.

State broadcaster YTN quoted investigation officials as saying the ship was off its usual course and had been hit by a veering wind which caused containers stacked on deck to shift.

One parent, Park Yung-suk, told Reuters at the port of Jindo where the rescue efforts are centered that she had seen the body of her teenage daughter’s teacher brought ashore earlier in the morning.

“If I could teach myself to dive, I would jump in the water and try to find my daughter,” she said.

DESPERATE SEARCH FOR ANSWERS

The vessel was listing heavily to one side on Wednesday as passengers wearing life jackets scrambled into the sea and waiting rescue boats, according to television footage.

It sank in roughly two hours and witnesses and local media showed that just two life rafts from the ship successfully inflated and launched. Earlier reports said just one had inflated.

Witnesses told Korean media that the captain of the vessel, who is now being held by police, was one of the first to leave the stricken vessel.

Chonghaejin Marine Co Ltd, based in Incheon, issued a brief statement via local media apologizing for the accident but has made no further comment.

As frustration grew, some parents of missing school children hired their own boat on Wednesday night. They appeared to blame the government of President Park Geun-hye and rescue officials for not making a big enough effort.

“Since the government refused to take us to the scene, 11 parents chipped in 61,000 won ($58.79) each to hire a boat and took a reporter and a diver. But there was no rescue operation going on,” said one father who declined to give his name.

According to a coastguard official in Jindo, the waters where the ferry capsized have some of the strongest tides off South Korea’s coast, meaning divers were prevented from entering the mostly submerged ship for several hours.

A company called Web Solus is providing an underwater drone free of charge to examine the interior of the vessel where survivors could be located.

“Families and rescuers have been just looking at the surface of the sea. We have to move fast and at least see some of the vessel under the water,” Ko Se-jin, the operator told Reuters.

Among those on the ship were two Chinese citizens, according to Chinese media, one Russian and two Filipinos. The Philippines citizens were safe, according to Korean authorities, but the whereabouts of the others was not known.

The ferry has a capacity of about 900 people and an overall length of 146 meters (480 feet). Shipping records show it was built in Japan in 1994.

source: reuters.com

Όσο περνούν οι ώρες λιγοστεύουν οι ελπίδες για την ανεύρεση των 284 αγνοουμένων του πλοίου που βυθίστηκε στα ανοιχτά της Νότιας Κορέας και μετέφερε 325 μαθητές Λυκείου, οι οποίοι πήγαιναν εκπαιδευτική εκδρομή στο νησί Τζετζού ένα από τα σημαντικότερα τουριστικά αξιοθέατα της Νότιας Κορέας το οποίο οι ντόπιοι αρέσκονται να αποκαλούν και Χαβάη της Νότιας Κορέας.

Από τους 459 επιβαίνοντες μέχρι στιγμής 6 άνθρωποι έχουν ανασυρθεί νεκροί!

Οι διασώστες επιχειρούσαν όλη τη νύχτα με το φως ισχυρών προβολέων, αλλά τα ρεύματα και η μειωμένη υποβρύχια ορατότητα εμπόδισαν τους δύτες να μπουν στο εσωτερικό του βυθισμένου πλοίου και να ελέγξουν τις δεκάδες καμπίνες.

«Δεν κατάφεραν να εισέλθουν στις καμπίνες» είπε ένας εκπρόσωπος της ακτοφυλακής.

Οι προσπάθειες των σωστικών συνεργείων έχουν επικεντρωθεί στο φέρι μπόουτ, όπου εκτιμάται ότι βρίσκονται παγιδευμένοι οι περισσότεροι από τους αγνοούμενους.

Δύτες έχουν καταφέρει να εισέλθουν σε τρία τμήματα του πλοίου, χωρίς, όμως, να βρουν σορούς ή επιζώντες.

Αξιοσημείωτο είναι ότι κάποιοι γονείς νοίκιασαν ένα σκάφος που θα τους μεταφέρει στον τόπο του ναυαγίου, μαζί με ένα δημοσιογράφο κορεατικού δικτύου και ένα δύτη.

Η θερμοκρασία της θάλασσας, που κυμαίνεται στους 12 βαθμούς γεγονός που σημαίνει ότι μπορεί να προκαλέσει υποθερμία σε 1,5 με 2 ώρες, περιορίζει τις πιθανότητες να ανασυρθούν ζωντανοί αγνοούμενοι επιβάτες, δήλωσαν μέλη των ομάδων έρευνας και διάσωσης στην εφημερίδα The Korea Herald.

Μάλιστα υπάρχουν φόβοι ότι σχεδόν τα δύο τρίτα εκ των 462 επιβαινόντων έχουν παγιδευτεί μέσα στο πλοίο Sewol, που έχει πια βυθιστεί, ανακοίνωσε η ακτοφυλακή.
Οι επιβάτες που διασώθηκαν είπαν ότι το πλήρωμα είχε διατάξει να μην μετακινηθούν από τις θέσεις τους παρά την πρόσκρουση.

«Περιμέναμε 30 έως 40 λεπτά», είπε μια μαθήτρια γυμνασίου. Ο καπετάνιος, ο οποίος είναι ένας από τους επιζώντες, έδωσε κατάθεση στο Λιμενικό Σώμα.

Συνολικά 174 άνθρωποι διασώθηκαν από το πλοίο που ναυάγησε 20 χιλιόμετρα ανοικτά των ακτών του Ζίντο, ανακοίνωσε η κυβέρνηση στον τελευταίο απολογισμό που έδωσε. Περισσότεροι από 50 έχουν τραυματιστεί και 284 αγνοούνται.

Τα αίτια του ναυαγίου δεν έχουν μέχρι στιγμής διευκρινιστεί, ωστόσο επιζώντες υποστηρίζουν ότι άκουσαν ένα δυνατό θόρυβο και αμέσως μετά το πλοίο άρχισε να παίρνει κλίση.

«Φώναζα για 30 με 40 λεπτά μέσα στο πλοίο» είπε ένας επιζών. «Αντικείμενα έπεφταν και οι άνθρωποι γλιστρούσαν στο εσωτερικό του πλοίου».

Πηγή: madata.gr

Real Madrid’s Gareth Bale gallops past Barcelona to land Copa del Rey.

The Cardiff Express set off at 23.12 and came back with the Copa del Rey. Gareth Bale has his first trophy as a Real Madrid player after a sprint that started just inside his own half ended with the ball in the back of the Barcelona net. There were just five minutes to go in the final, and there was still time for Neymar to strike the Madrid post, but it turned out to be the winner.

A Marc Bartra header in his first ever clásico had equalised Ángel Di María’s early opener and Barcelona were pressuring for the first time. But then Bale, who produced a superb performance at the Mestalla, made it 2-1. Real Madrid have the cup and a Champions League semi-final awaits; Barcelona have lost it all in seven days.

The goal was the kind that defines the world’s most expensive player. The move began barely 10 yards from their own byline. Isco won possession and found Fábio Coentrão up the line, who move the ball on further. Bale burst towards the left and knocked it past Bartra. With 50 yards in front of him, the sprinter knew that this was a race he would win. Bartra nudged Bale and he was forced off the pitch but he kept on running, taking the long route round, outside the touchline and back on to the pitch, bombing into the area to slot the ball through José Pinto’s legs. The sprint to the other corner to celebrate was almost as fast, team-mates piling on.

This was Bale’s final. He had been involved in the first goal scored by Di María in the 11th minute and he had enjoyed opportunities too in a mobile forward role, mostly to the left, sometimes the right and occasionally through the middle. It would be Madrid’s final, too. Mostly, they had been the more likely to score but Barcelona did make them suffer. Xavi’s corner curled outwards and Bartra pulled away from Pepe, leaning back and snapping his neck to send a superb header into the far corner to make it 1-1 after 68 minutes and for the first time Barcelona threatened.

But then with the clock ticking down Isco robbed, Coentrão passed and Bale ran.

source: theguardian.com

Η ελληνική οικονομία θα σταθεροποιηθεί φέτος, αλλά η πραγματική ανάκαμψη αργεί. Αυτό είναι το συμπέρασμα δημοσκόπησης του Reuters σε οικονομολόγους.

Πιο συγκεκριμένα, 35 οικονομολόγοι που συμμετείχαν στη δημοσκόπηση, εκτιμούν πως η ανάπτυξη της ελληνικής οικονομίας φέτος θα κυμανθεί στο 0,3% του ΑΕΠ, χαμηλότερα από το 0,6% που προβλέπουν οι διεθνείς δανειστές της χώρας και το 0,5% της Τράπεζας της Ελλάδας.

Αν και αναγνωρίζουν πως υπάρχουν θετικές ενδείξεις, οι οκονομολόγοι τονίζουν πως θα πρέπει να συνεχιστεί η δημοσιονομική πρόοδος τόσο στην Ελλάδα όσο και στις άλλες χώρες του Νότου της ευρωζώνης που εντάχθηκαν σε μνημόνια.

Πηγή:madata.gr

Δήλωση έκανε ο δημοφιλής τραγουδιστής και υποψήφιος ευρωβουλευτής Μάκης Χριστοδουλόπουλος, για την συνεργασία του με το κόμμα «Ένωση για την Πατρίδα και τον Λαό»:

«Με τίμησε ο Βύρων Πολύδωρας με την πρότασή του να είμαι υποψήφιος ευρωβουλευτής στο κόμμα “Ένωση για την Πατρίδα και τον Λαό”. Είναι φίλος μου άλλωστε και τον εκτιμώ ιδιαιτέρως και ως πολιτικό και ως άνθρωπο. Μπορεί να μην γνωρίζω από πολιτική, γνωρίζω όμως από το δράμα του Μνημονίου, το οποίο έπληξε και εμένα και την οικογένειά μου. Γνωρίζω από τιμιότητα και βιοπάλη. Και γνωρίζω το όραμα και τις πολιτικές ικανότητες του ίδιου του Βύρωνα Πολύδωρα, στον οποίο πιστεύω. Θέλω να με ψηφίσουν για ευρωβουλευτή, γιατί είμαι η αυθεντική φωνή του ίδιου του λαού. Ο κόσμος βιώνει το πρόβλημα της οικονομικής ανέχειας και το βιώνω κι εγώ μαζί με τον κόσμο».

Πηγή: madata.gr

Σε ματς που έφερε το ποδόσφαιρο χρόνια πίσω, ο ΠΑΟΚ πήρε την πρόκριση στον τελικό του Κυπέλλου μετά από 11 χρόνια, αποκλείοντας τον Ολυμπιακό με το γκολ του Αθανασιάδη στο 47.

Σε ένα ματς που είχε επεισόδια πριν από την έναρξη, άργησε 75 λεπτά να αρχίσει επειδή έπεσαν καπνογόνα και υπήρχαν ψάρια στον πάγκο του Ολυμπιακού, είχε άγριους καβγάδες ανάμεσα στους παίκτες με αποβολές για Κατσουράνη, Μανιάτη (όπως και του Νάτχο αργότερα), συνεχείς διακοπές, αμέτρητες κάρτες, τρομερά νεύρα και ένταση… Και πολύ ξύλο στο τέλος με κόσμο στον αγωνιστικό χώρο και ξύλο με παίκτες και ανθρώπους του Ολυμπιακού.

Το ντέρμπι στην Τούμπα βρήκε νικητή τον ΠΑΟΚ με 1-0 επί του Ολυμπιακού, αποτέλεσμα που στέλνει το «δικέφαλο» του Βορρά στον τελικό του Κυπέλλου Ελλάδας, που θα διεξαχθεί στις 26 Απριλίου (αντίπαλος του θα είναι ο Παναθηναϊκός).

Στη ρεβάνς του δεύτερου χρονικά ημιτελικού (στο πρώτο ματς οι «ερυθρόλευκοι» είχαν επικρατήσει με 2-1) το γκολ που χάρισε την πρόκριση στους Θεσσαλονικείς πέτυχε στο 49΄ ο Αθανασιάδης.

Ο αγώνας ξεκίνησε με καθυστέρηση 73 λεπτών, λόγω της «έμπνευσης» κάποιων να τοποθετήσουν ψάρια στον πάγκο των πρωταθλητών Ελλάδας.

Στο 89΄ αποβλήθηκαν με κόκκινη κάρτα οι Μανιάτης, Κατσουράνης (ο άσος του ΠΑΟΚ είχε γίνει αλλαγή), με τον αρχηγό του Ολυμπιακού να επιτίθεται στο συμπαίκτη του στην εθνική ομάδα, ο οποίος νωρίτερα επιχείρησε να του ρίξει κουτουλιά προερχόμενος από τον πάγκο. Στο 6ο λεπτό των καθυστερήσεων αποβλήθηκε με δεύτερη κίτρινη κάρτα και ο Νάτχο του ΠΑΟΚ.

Πηγή: madata.gr

The co-founder of the Australian rock band is stepping down because of ‘ill health,’ the band posted on Facebook.

Malcolm Young of AC/DC is taking a break from the band to focus on his health.

The announcement saying the 61-year-old guitarist is in “ill health” was posted on the band’s Facebook page Wednesday. No details were provided.

The statement said: “Malcolm would like to thank the group’s die-hard legions of fans worldwide for their never-ending love and support.”

AC/DC includes vocalist Brian Johnson, drummer Phil Rudd, bassist Cliff Williams and guitarist Angus Young, Malcolm Young’s brother.

The Rock and Roll Hall of Famers also say in the statement they “will continue to make music.” AC/DC’s last studio album was 2008’s “Black Ice.” They released a live disc in 2012.

Young co-founded the Australian classic rock band. He has performed with AC/DC for 40 years.
source: nydailynews.com

Fernandinho’s lightning-fast opener set the hosts off well but a Connor Wickham double threatened to deliver a hammer blow before the Frenchman grabbed a late leveller.

Fernandinho struck in the second minute, capitalising on a disastrous Lee Cattermole error, but the relegation-threatened visitors battled back superbly and deserved their second-half equaliser.

Connor Wickham got it, pouncing on the chance to volley home when Aleksandar Kolarov was out of position, and the striker then stole a second on the break in the 83rd minute, though Samir Nasri restored some pride with a goal at the death.

It came largely thanks to a mistake from Vito Mannone and the City midfielder would have wrapped up all three points but for a dreadful miss just moments later.

The result puts Gus Poyet’s side back to within six points of safety, with one game still in hand, but City’s title bid is left on the ropes, behind the Reds by the same margin even with one extra match to play.

City needed a response after their defeat on Merseyside and it came quickly, with two of Manuel Pellegrini’s five additions to the starting XI heavily involved in the build-up as the home side went ahead almost immediately.

Sergio Aguero slid the ball to Alvaro Negredo, whose dummy on the edge of the penalty area completely fooled defender Wes Brown – scorer of the own goal that led to his side’s 1-0 defeat against Everton on Saturday – and Fernandinho made no mistake in squeezing his strike between Mannone and the right-hand post.

Former Manchester United defender John O’Shea rose well to meet an Adam Johnson free kick from the right flank four minutes later but the Irishman wasted the opportunity by heading harmlessly wide of the target before nodding another effort narrowly over the crossbar.

City could have doubled their advantage when Fernandinho scooped a volley over the crossbar 11 minutes in but Sunderland were pressing well and might well have drawn level eight minutes later had Fabio Borini been less selfish and squared to a team-mate rather than go for goal himself from a narrow angle.

Despite the early breakthrough, City were struggling to impose themselves on their lowly opponents. Aguero was lucky to avoid serious injury following a dangerous tackle from Brown and the Argentine had calls for a penalty waved away before the break after going down under the challenge of O’Shea.

Substitute Stevan Jovetic tried to slot the ball beyond Mannone shortly after the hour mark but his effort was tame and comfortably collected by the Italian.

Joe Hart had to make himself big at the other end after 72 minutes when Jack Colback found himself through one-on-one but Wickham then turned the game on its head as he tapped home Giaccherini’s cross.

Wickham then fired an unstoppable effort into the bottom right-hand corner a few minutes later to deal City’s title hopes a second huge blow in the space of four days.

However, Nasri‘s late shot prompted the error from Mannone to earn City a point before the Frenchman blasted over the crossbar soon afterwards in a golden chance to take all the spoils.

source: goal.com

Angelos Delivorias, director of the Benaki Museum in Greece.

Angelos Delivorias, director of Benaki Museum, in Greece, speaks to Neos Kosmos about the cooperation of his museum with the Hellenic Museum in Melbourne.

“We have always expressed an interest to communicate with audiences outside the geographical borders of our country,” said Angelos Delivorias, the director of the renowned Benaki Museum in Greece, speaking to Neos Kosmos. “We wish to do this either by taking part in cultural events abroad, or, by lending some of our exhibits from our permanent collection of 40,000 items for exhibitions to overseas museums.

“This year the museum is implementing another extroverted initiative, by lending 200 artefacts from our permanent collection to the Hellenic Museum in Melbourne for a period of ten years,” said Mr Delivorias.

“Our Museum wishes to get in touch with Hellenism and foreigners throughout the world and in the case of the Hellenic Museum in Melbourne we find an ideal partner, because Australia is an entire world and because Hellenism in Melbourne really blossoms,” he said.

“We are talking about a permanent exhibition that will be on for a period of ten years; in essence it will be a mini version of our own exhibits in Athens, it will be Greek treasures across the millennia,” he told Neos Kosmos.

“The exhibits that we are giving to Melbourne cover Ancient Greece, the Roman occupation of Greece, the Byzantine and the post- Byzantine period, as well as modern Hellenism from the Struggle of Independence in 1921 till the coming of King Otto.

“Apart from these exhibits, every year we will be sending to Melbourne an exhibition like the ones that the Benaki Museum continuously organises abroad.
“I have never been to Australia,” said Mr Delivorias, “but we have always had close cultural exchanges with this far away continent. Amongst others we hosted an important exhibition with Aboriginal works of art during the Cultural Olympiad in 2004 in Athens,” he stated.

“I know that the Hellenic Museum is a gem, housed in a great historical building in Melbourne. These cooperation give us strength during this period of economic crisis and open up new opportunities for new cooperation,” he said, stressing at the same time that his museum would be interested in exhibiting the modern artistic creations from Australia in its ‘house’ in Athens.

The Benaki collection opens at the Hellenic Museum in Melbourne mid year, 2014. The partnership between the two museums also includes access to the Benaki’s collection of Coptic, Chinese, Indian, and African artefacts, as well as items from the significant Islamic art collection of the Athens museum.
The Benaki Museum was founded in Athens in 1929, and is named after its founder, Greek industrialist and philanthropist Antonis Benakis (1873-1954).
Angelos Delivorias has been the director of the museum since 1973. He is also a professor of Art History in the Department of Theatre Studies at the University of Athens.

source: Neos Kosmos