Monthly Archives: April 2015

Σε αλλαγή της ημερομηνίας των εκδηλώσεων για την μάχη της Καλλίπολης προχώρησε η Τουρκία, σε μία κίνηση που πολλοί εκτιμούν ότι έγινε επίτηδες, προκειμένου να συμπέσει η ημέρα μνήμης με τις εκδηλώσεις για τα 100 χρόνια από την Γενοκτονία των Αρμενίων.

Εκατό χρόνια συμπληρώνει φέτος η μάχη της Καλλίπολης, ένα γεγονός που θεωρείται θεμελιώδες στην ιστορία της σύγχρονης Τουρκίας. Παραδοσιακά, η ημέρα τιμάται στις 25 Απριλίου, μία ημέρα μετά την ημέρα μνήμης για τους πάνω από 1 εκατομμύριο Αρμενίους που σφαγιάστηκαν από τις δυνάμεις της Οθωμανικής Αυτοκρατορίας.

Φέτος, ωστόσο, που κλείνουν 100 χρόνια από τη μάχη της Καλλίπολης και τη Γενοκτονία των Αρμενίων, ο τούρκος πρόεδρος Ρετζέπ Ταγίπ Ερντογάν αποφάσισε την μεταφορά της επετείου για την Καλλίπολη, καλώντας ξένους ηγέτες να συμμετάσχουν στις εκδηλώσεις που θα πραγματοποιηθούν μία ημέρα νωρίτερα, στις 24 Απριλίου, ημέρα που παραδοσιακά τιμάται η Γενοκτονία των Αρμενίων.

«Πρόκειται για έναν ανήθικο πολιτικό ελιγμό» δήλωσε ο Οχάνες Κιλιτσντάγκι, ερευνητής και συγγραφέας της αρμένικης εφημερίδας Agos. «Πρόκειται για φτηνή πολιτική, μια προσπάθεια να αρθεί η πίεση στην Τουρκία» τονίζει.

«Όλοι γνωρίζουν ότι οι δύο τελετές μνήμης για την Καλλίπολη πραγματοποιούνται στις 18 Μαρτίου και στις 25 Απριλίου» προσθέτει.

Όπως αναφέρει η εφημερίδα The Guardian, στις εκδηλώσεις για τη μάχη της Καλλίπολης έχουν προσκληθεί και έχουν δηλώσει ότι θα παρευρεθούν ο πρίγκιπας Κάρολος, ο πρίγκιπας Χάρι, ο πρωθυπουργός της Αυστραλίας Τόνι Άμποτ και ο πρωθυπουργός της Νέας Ζηλανδίας Τζον Κέι. Στο πλαίσιο της ημέρας μνήμης θα πραγματοποιηθούν στις 24 Απριλίου εκδηλώσεις σε αρκετά στρατιωτικά νεκροταφεία.

Το υπουργείο Εξωτερικών της Τουρκίας είπε από την πλευρά του ότι οι εκδηλώσεις μνήμης για την Καλλίπολη πραγματοποιούνταν στις 24 και στις 25 Απριλίου «εδώ και αρκετά χρόνια».

Παράλληλα, στις 24 Απριλίου εκατοντάδες άτομα θα συγκεντρωθούν στην πλατεία Ταξίμ της Κωνσταντινούπολης σε μία τελετή στη μνήμη των θυμάτων της Γενοκτονίας των Αρμενίων.

Πορεία θα πραγματοποιηθεί και στο Ντιγιάρμπακιρ, καθώς και στο Ερεβάν, όπου θα συμμετάσχουν αξιωματούχοι από τη Ρωσία, τη Γαλλία, τη Βρετανία και άλλες χώρες. Ανάμεσα στους προσκεκλημένους είναι ο πρόεδρος της Ρωσίας, ενώ ενδέχεται να μεταβεί στο Ερεβάν υψηλόβαθμος αμερικανός αξιωματούχος (πολλοί αναφέρουν το όνομα του Τζον Κέρι).

Ορισμένοι εκτιμούν, πάντως, ότι η τακτική της Τουρκίας θα γυρίσει μπούμερανγκ, καθώς οι ξένοι ηγέτες θα κληθούν να επιλέξουν ανάμεσα στις δύο επετείους -και δεν είναι σίγουρο ότι θα επιλέξουν τις εκδηλώσεις για την Καλλίπολη.

Η συμμετοχή των στρατιωτικών δυνάμεων της Αυστραλίας και της Νέας Ζηλανδίας (Anzac) στην εκστρατεία της Καλλίπολης ξεκίνησε τον Απρίλιο του 1915.

Στις 25 Απριλίου του 1915, 15.000 αυστραλοί και νεοζηλανοί στρατιώτες, κατόπιν διαταγής των άγγλων αξιωματικών τους, αποβιβάστηκαν στις ακτές της Καλλίπολης στα Δαρδανανέλια, στη διάρκεια του Α’ Παγκοσμίου Πολέμου. Στόχος τους να καταλάβουν τα Στενά και να επιτρέψουν στους ρώσους συμμάχους τους στην «Αντάντ» να περάσουν με τα πλοία τους τον Ελλήσποντο και να ανοιχτούν στο Αιγαίο και τη Μεσόγειο.

Στη διάρκεια της μάχης σκοτώθηκαν περισσότεροι από 100.000 άνθρωποι και από τις δύο πλευρές.

Πηγή:in.gr

Economist and New York Times columnist Paul Krugman spoke at the Athens Concert Hall on Friday.

Although Krugman was critical of the way that the eurozone has handled Greece’s crisis, he advised the government not to consider an exit from the single currency. He said that such a move would be “nightmarish.”

“The transition cost would be enormous,” he added.

Krugman suggested that Greece should accept a deal that would allow it to achieve a smaller primary surplus, although he added that some of lenders’ demands for structural reforms are “just demands for more austerity”.

source: ekathimerini.com

US President Barak Obama (left) talks with Greek Finance Minister Yanis Varoufakis (right) during a reception in the White House in honor of Greek Independence Day, in Washington, DC, on Friday.

 Greece and its lenders are due to get back down to business on Saturday with a meeting of the Brussels Group that Athens hopes will result in an interim agreement by the end of the month at the latest.

Officials from Greece, the International Monetary Fund, the European Central Bank, the European Commission and the European Stability Mechanism are due to meet on Saturday in Paris, according to sources, to resume negotiations over the reform package Athens must adopt to secure further bailout funding.

Finance Minister Yanis Varoufakis met with ECB President Mario Draghi in Washington Friday on the sidelines of the IMF and World Bank Spring Meetings. The two men spoke for an hour and, according to sources, took a detailed look at how discussions between Greece and its lenders should progress between now and the Eurogroup meeting on April 24.

“We spoke about the day-by-day process, as I did with Mrs [Christine] Lagarde,” said Varoufakis, who met with the IMF managing director earlier in the week.

Earlier, the Greek finance minister also had a brief discussion with US President Barack Obama on the sidelines of an event at the White House in honor of Greek Independence Day. Sources said the informal encounter lasted for 12 minutes.

Obama also met on Friday with Italian Prime Minister Matteo Renzi and in a joint press conference after the talks urged Greece to carry out reforms.

“Greece needs to initiate reforms,” Obama said. “They have to collect taxes. They have to reduce their bureaucracy, [institute] more flexible labor practices,” he added.

“We will be supportive of some flexibilities in how you move forward so that you can make investments and it’s not just squeezing blood from a stone,” Obama said he told Tsipras after the prime minister took office in January.

The American president said Greek leaders have “tough decisions” to make.

Renzi also stressed the need for Greece and its partners to reach a deal. “We must absolutely strongly work to achieve an agreement,” Renzi said, adding that Greece had to implement reforms.

source:ekathimerini.com

Τη δεύτερη θέση καταλαμβάνει η Νέα Ζηλανδία και την τρίτη η Βρετανία

Η Αυστραλία εξακολουθεί να είναι η ακριβότερη χώρα, μεταξύ των αναπτυγμένων χωρών του κόσμου, σύμφωνα με την τράπεζα Deutsche Bank. Τη δεύτερη θέση καταλαμβάνει η Νέα Ζηλανδία και την τρίτη η Βρετανία. Η φθηνότερη χώρα όλων των αναπτυγμένων χωρών είναι οι ΗΠΑ.

Ειδικότερα, το Σίδνεϊ, μαζί με το Παρίσι και το Λονδίνο, είναι από τις ακριβότερες πόλεις του κόσμου, για να την επισκεφθεί κάποιος για ένα Σαββατοκύριακο, κυρίως εξαιτίας των υψηλών τιμών των ξενοδοχείων. Ενδεικτικά αναφέρεται ότι ένα δωμάτιο σε ξενοδοχείο πέντε αστέρων στο Σίδνεϊ στοιχίζει τα διπλάσια χρήματα, απ’ ότι στη Ν. Υόρκη.

Η εξήγηση που δίνεται αναφορικά με το γεγονός ότι η Αυστραλία είναι η ακριβότερη χώρα του κόσμου, είναι ότι αυτό οφείλεται στο γεγονός ότι δεν έχει αντιμετωπίσει, για μεγάλο διάστημα τώρα, σημαντική οικονομική επιβράδυνση.

Πηγή:stroumfaki.org

Από Αυστραλούς και Ισραηλινούς επιστήμονες

Ισραηλινοί και Αυστραλοί επιστήμονες πέτυχαν να αναγεννήσουν κύτταρα του μυοκαρδίου, δηλαδή του καρδιακού μυ, σε πειραματόζωα, πράγμα που, αν καταστεί εφικτό και στους ανθρώπους κάποια στιγμή, τότε θα υπάρξει θεαματική βελτίωση ή και πλήρης αποκατάσταση στις περιπτώσεις ανθρώπων που παθαίνουν έμφραγμα.

Οι ερευνητές του Επιστημονικού Ινστιτούτου Βάιζμαν του Ισραήλ και του Ινστιτούτου Βίκτορ Τσανγκ του Σίδνεϊ, με επικεφαλής την μοριακή βιολόγο Γκαμπριέλε Ντ’ Ούβα, που έκαναν τη σχετική δημοσίευση στο περιοδικό κυτταρικής βιολογίας «Nature Cell Biology», σύμφωνα με τη βρετανική «Γκάρντιαν», πειραματίστηκαν με ποντίκια. Οι επιστήμονες βρήκαν έναν τρόπο να «ωθούν» τα καρδιακά κύτταρα να αναγεννώνται, πράγμα που καθιστά αναστρέψιμη την όποια βλάβη μετά από ισχαιμία. Ενώ άλλα κύτταρα (αίματος, τριχών, δέρματος κ.α.) ανανεώνονται συνεχώς στη διάρκεια της ζωής ενός ανθρώπου, δεν συμβαίνει το ίδιο με τα καρδιακά κύτταρα.

Οι ερευνητές ανακάλυψαν ένα βιολογικό ορμονικό «μονοπάτι» μέσω του οποίου πέτυχαν -με τη βοήθεια της επέμβασης στα κατάλληλα γονίδια- να «πυροδοτήσουν» τον πολλαπλασιασμό των κυττάρων του μυοκαρδίου τόσο σε νεαρά, όσο και σε ενήλικα τρωκτικά. Τα πειράματα έδειξαν ότι, μετά από την πρόκληση εμφράγματος σε ένα ποντίκι, αυτό ήταν δυνατό να ανακτήσει σχεδόν όλα τα χαμένα κύτταρα του μυϊκού ιστού της καρδιάς του και έτσι να επανέλθει στην υγιή κατάσταση πριν το έμφραγμα.

Οι επιστήμονες δήλωσαν πάντως ότι θα χρειαστεί μια πενταετία περίπου, εωσότου βεβαιωθούν κατά πόσο κάτι παρόμοιο είναι εφικτό και για τους ανθρώπους μετά από ένα ισχαιμικό επεισόδιο (έμφραγμα).

Πηγή:Νέος Κόσμος

Pope Francis uses the word “genocide” to describe the mass killings of Armenians, Assyrians and Greeks.

Pope Francis risked Turkish anger by using the word “genocide” to refer to the mass killings of Armenians a century ago under the Ottoman Empire.

“In the past century, our human family has lived through three massive and unprecedented tragedies,” the Pope said at a Mass at St. Peter’s Basilica to commemorate the 100th anniversary of the Armenian massacres.

“The first, which is widely considered ‘the first genocide of the twentieth century,’ struck your own Armenian people,” he said, referencing a 2001 declaration by Pope John Paul II and the head of the Armenian church.

His use of the term genocide — even though he was quoting from the declaration — upset Turkey.

Turkey responded by summoning the Vatican ambassador for a meeting at the Foreign Ministry, Turkish state broadcaster TRT reported.

In a tweet Sunday on his official account, Turkey’s Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu called the Pope’s use of the word “unacceptable” and “out of touch with both historical facts and legal basis.”

“Religious offices are not places through which hatred and animosity are fueled by unfounded allegations,” the tweet reads.

More than a million massacred Armenian groups and many scholars say that Turks planned and carried out genocide, starting in 1915, when more than a million ethnic Armenians were massacred in the final years of the Ottoman Empire.

Turkey officially denies that a genocide took place, saying hundreds of thousands of Armenian Christians and Turkish Muslims died in intercommunal violence around the bloody battlefields of World War I.

The Armenian government and influential Armenian diaspora groups have urged countries around the world to formally label the 1915 events as genocide. Turkey has responded with pressure of its own against such moves.

Pope Francis said Sunday that “Catholic and Orthodox Syrians, Assyrians, Chaldeans and Greeks” were also killed in the bloodshed a century ago.

He said Nazism and Stalinism were responsible for the other two “massive and unprecedented tragedies” of the past century.

source:Neos Kosmos

Facebook to delete accounts of Orthodox clergy Abbot Tryphon from the All-Merciful Saviour Monastery in Vashon Island, Washington.

Unless they switch to their legal citizen names

Throughout this past year, Facebook has demanded all account names be changed to actual legal names, in order to avoid fake profiles, stalking and online crime.
The procedure of the name change demands you message a photo of your ID to the Facebook team, so that they can certify the account belongs to a person.

Religious figures such as priests, monks and nuns have even been asked to do the same, providing evidence of their legal names.

In most cases, even if a person requests a nickname, Facebook chooses to register the full given name and surname as it is shown on official documents.

Abbot Tryphon, a monk at the All-Merciful Saviour Monastery in Vashon Island, Washington, has started a petition requesting that the online platform allow religious figures to keep their clergy names.

The website change.org has gathered over 5,000 signatures in a few days.

Priests nowadays connect with the members of their parishes via social media accounts, answering many cries for help and offering spiritual guidance on a daily basis.

“More than 30 years ago I gave up my given name and became Tryphon when I took my life vows in becoming an Orthodox Christian monk, and I haven’t used my birth name since,” said Abbot Tryphon.

“Even my own family calls me Abbot Tryphon – it was also the name I used when I started my Facebook account.

“I was told I was prohibited from using Facebook until I used my given name,” he added.

The monk, who had thousands of followers and people he connected to, fears they believe he has abandoned them.

The monk says that although he could prove who he was and that he was a legitimate member of the clergy, Facebook refused to reactivate his account.
“Facebook must change this policy,” he insisted.

“My ability to centralise my daily blogs and podcasts is now gone, as is the ability to administer our monastery’s Facebook page, until I get this resolved.”

Those impacted by the policy understand Facebook thinks it is protecting its users from people who would use an alias to do bad things.

“All we are asking is a fair process to allow the use of an alternative name when there is good evidence that this is the person’s true identity,” Abbot Tryphon concluded.

source:Neos Kosmos

Labor MP Maria Vamvakinou and Liberal member Russell Broadbent are fighting to have the concept of multiculturalism accepted once again in Australia.

Two unlikely allies are fighting to have the concept of multiculturalism accepted once again in Australia.

Recent events at home and abroad are testing the harmony of Australia’s multicultural society.

Over the weekend violence erupted at protests across Australia as anti-Islam and anti-racism groups clashed at rival rallies.

Around the country, a group calling themselves Reclaim Australia held rallies to oppose what they see as threats posed by Islam, sharia law and halal certification.

More than 3,000 people clashed in Melbourne, resulting in Victoria Police arresting two men and a woman.

Labor’s Maria Vamvakinou was born on the small Greek island of Lefkada, while Liberal member Russell Broadbent was born in Koo Wee Rup in Victoria.

Together they launched federal parliament’s ‘Friends of Multiculturalism’ committee in 2007, at a time when heat over the refugee debate was undermining Australia’s support for multiculturalism.

Maria Vamvakinou says she believes it is important to fight for multiculturalism.

She says it’s important the effort is bipartisan and that history is not allowed to repeat itself.

“It really was established to bring back the concept of multiculturalism to Canberra, to put it back on the political agenda, because we were emerging from a decade-long period where multiculturalism had become a very contentious and negative concept. The media, in particular, and public attitude seemed to blame issues, especially the arrival of refugees, ‘boat people’ as they came to be called, and any sort of community disturbances were blamed on multiculturalism.”

Over the years the committee has advocated, promoted and encouraged other members of parliament to join them, and success has followed.

Mr Broadbent says now there is a situation where multiculturalism in Parliament House is no longer a negative word and is being promoted by MPs across the nation.

“We now have multiculturalism in this building, and it’s not a bad word. It is a good word once again. And it proves that the past has been good. We have had a multicultural society that has worked well together and it’s a together word. It’s not about divisiveness, it’s about drawing people together and having an understanding of that. A multicultural Australia that is seen by others as a success story.”

Former Immigration Minister Scott Morrison paid tribute to the advocacy of Ms Vamvakinou and Mr Broadbent.

“I want to commend them for the work that they do in this parliament on building the understanding and support for many issues I know are so important.”

source:Neos Kosmos

Lieutenant Commander Andrea Argirides will be a part of the Australian delegation on the HMAS Succes.

Lieutenant Commander Andrea Argirides will accompany the Royal Australian Navy as HMAS Success docks in Lemnos and Piraeus.

Lieutenant Commander Andrea Argirides will be in Greece as an interpreter and cultural advisor to support a large Australian Royal Navy delegation on the HMAS Success.

The Australian battle tanker will be in Lemnos and Athens to mark the Anzac Centenary services and after reaching the Athenian port will be open to visitors on 24 April from 10.00 am to 3.00 pm.

Lieutenant Commander Argirides will be joining the Royal Australian Navy in an official capacity, assisting the Chief of Navy and facilitating communications between the Greek and Australian Navy in both Lemnos and Athens.

It’s Lieutenant Commander Argirides first trip overseas with the Chief of Navy in this capacity, and she says she’s honoured to take up the post.

“I am honoured and humbled to have been given this amazing opportunity to represent my country, my service and to commemorate the Centenary of ANZAC on board of one of our Navy ships at the Port of Piraeus in Athens,” she tells Neos Kosmos.

“I am very moved by this special privilege to have been selected for such an important role. I am so proud to be an Australian naval officer with Greek Cypriot heritage.”

It is the first time the HMAS Success has docked on Greek soil since 2005. The tanker carries a crew of 235 and has been deployed in the Middle East region since December 2014, conducting operations under the Combined Maritime Forces and under NATO.

The vessel will be part of Greece’s numerous commemorative events to mark Anzac Day.

A significant Greek and Australian military, government and community presence will be in Lemnos from April 17 to attend the events and mark the special occasion.

On Friday, the Australian Embassy will unveil a plaque for Canadian and other Commonwealth World War I nurses at Portianos Commonwealth Cemetery.

On Saturday at 5.00 pm Greek time, a sunset memorial service at Moudros Commonwealth Cemetery will take place, followed by a memorial service on Sunday at 10.45 am at the Portianos Commonwealth Cemetery.

A major Greek Australian memorial service will take place on April 20 at 3.30pm at Moudros Port.

On Anzac Day (25 April) the official Anzac Day service will take place at the Phaleron Commonwealth War Graves Cemetery in Athens. Open to all who want to honour the courage and sacrifice of Australian and New Zealand servicemen and women who fought and died on Greek soil, the service will commence at 11.00 am.

source:Neos Kosmos

Lemnos marks Anzac Day this weekend The Anzac Commemorative Site, North Beach, on the Gallipoli peninsula, Turkey. Photo: AAP/Chris James.

The Greek Island will host a number of commemorative events to mark Anzac Day, honouring the 148 Anzac soldiers buried there.

Veterans, community members, dignitaries, politicians and military personnel have gathered in Lemnos this weekend to mark the Anzac centenary.

Memorial services and wreath laying ceremonies have been organised in a number of areas of the island that held special significance to the Anzacs stationed there.

Lemnos was the major base of operations for the Allied Forces, the place where the Anzacs practiced the landings, where the Australian nurses and medical staff established their hospitals, where the sick and injured soldiers returned for treatment.

A young Winston Churchill chose Portianou as the command centre of the ill-fated effort.

There are 148 Australian and 76 New Zealand graves on the island in two major cemeteries.

Stationed in Moudros Port will be the Australian battle tanker HMAS Success, bringing with it a crew of 235 and the Australian chief of navy.

Greek Cypriot Australian Lieutenant Commander Argirides will be joining the Royal Australian Navy in an official capacity this year, assisting the chief of navy and facilitating his communications between the Greek and Australian Navy in both Lemnos and Athens.

It’s the first time Lieutenant Commander Argirides takes on such a major role in Greek and Australian military relations and says she’s humbled by the inclusion (read more about her trip here: http://neoskosmos.com/news/en/HMAS-Success-visits-Lemnos)

Greece’s prime minster Alexis Tsipras will be attending the official events alongside the Australian Ambassador John Griffin and a number of Greek Australian politicians and dignitaries.

Events in Lemnos:

During the three days of events the Mudros Cultural Centre, the Portianou Cultural Centre and the Portianou Traditional and Folklore Museum will be open for the public. The museums and archaeological sites will also be open for visitors.

April 17:
6.00 pm: Memorial and wreath-laying service at Portianou Commonwealth War Cemetery
The ceremony will include the unveiling of memorial plaque ‘Sister Nurses in Canada’ by the Ambassador of Canada H.E. Mr Robert W. Peck
7.00 pm: ‘The Role of Sister Nurses in the Battle of Gallipoli’ presentation by Mr Tsotroudis Aristides, researcher and writer on WWI and the Gallipoli campaign at Portianou Cultural Centre
Exhibition of photographic material from the archive of the Australian Historian specialized in WWI, Mr Jim Claven at Portianou Cultural Centre

April 18:
5.00 pm: Sunset memorial service at Moudros Commonwealth Cemetery and tour
6.50 pm: Parade on the main road of Moudros to Port (Divisions of the Armed Forces, students, the Red Cross – Lemnos Annex, cultural associations, etc.)
7.25 pm: Photographic and Memorabilia Exhibition from 1915, at Mudros Cultural Centre

April 19:
10.30 am: Wreath-laying ceremony for Brigadier Stephen Saunders at Portianou Commonwealth War Cemetery
11.00 am: Tour of cemetery
The ‘Run for Peace’, a ‘race’ to commemorate the Gallipoli campaign. Route is from the Commonwealth War Cemetery of Mudros to Portianou village
11.30 am: Presentation ‘Commemorating Gallipolis’s Hellenic Heart – Lemnos 2015’ by historian Jim Claven
11.45 am: Start of a symbolic race for the disabled Lemnos Athletic Team (Route: Palaio Pedino- Portianou village)
2.00 pm: Football game honouring ‘The Spirit of Anzac’ between men of the Australian Navy and the Greek Armed Forces at Kondias
7.00 pm: Buffet reception by the Australian Embassy on board HMAS SUCCESS in Myrina.

April 20:
2.30 pm: Memorial and official wreath-laying service at the memorial plaque for the fallen at the Gallipoli campaign and the Australian nurses at Mudros Port.
4.00 pm: ‘The role of the nurses and the support of the Lemnian society to them’ speech by Mr John McLennan, president of Red Cross of NSW at Mudros Cultural Centre
– Exhibition of local products and traditional dances from the dance section of the Mudros Cultural Association
4.05 pm: Exhibition of photographs and memorabilia of 1915 by the Cultural Association of Mudros
– ‘The ANZACs on Lemnos 1915-2015, A Century – A History’.
Presentation of the program by the Gymnasium of Livadohori

April 25:
10.00 am: Hellenic RSL (Victorian branch) will host memorial and wreath laying ceremonies at Moudros harbour, Moudros Commonwealth Cemetery and Portianou Commonwealth War Cemetery.

source:Neos Kosmos