Monthly Archives: April 2015

Πιστοί κατά την τελετή της Ανάστασης στο ναό Αγίων Μεθοδίου και Κυρίλλου στο Πρέστον της Μελβούρνης. Φώτο: Π. Κακαλιάς

Οι εξαιρετικές καιρικές συνθήκες έδωσαν τη δυνατότητα σε δεκάδες χιλιάδες ομογενείς να προσέλθουν μαζικά στους εκατό και πλέον ελληνορθόδοξους ναούς όλης της Αυστραλίας.

Οι εξαιρετικές καιρικές συνθήκες που επικράτησαν τα μεσάνυχτα του Μεγάλου Σαββάτου έδωσαν τη δυνατότητα σε δεκάδες χιλιάδες ομογενείς να προσέλθουν μαζικά στους εκατό και πλέον ελληνορθόδοξους ναούς όλης της Αυστραλίας για να παρακολουθήσουν την αναστάσιμη λειτουργία και να μεταφέρουν στα σπίτια τους το άγιο φως.

Σε όλους τους ναούς και τους περιβάλλοντες χώρους δημιουργήθηκε στην κυριολεξία το αδιαχώρητο από την προσέλευση των πιστών.

Και μόνο τυχαίο δεν είναι το γεγονός ότι τόσο κατά την περιφορά του Επιταφίου όσο και στην αναστάσιμη λειτουργία φέτος έδωσαν το παρόν και πολλοί Αυστραλοί πολιτικοί!

Ο Αυστραλός πρωθυπουργός, Τόνι Άμποτ, πλαισιωμένος από ομογενείς βουλευτές παρακολούθησε την αναστάσιμη λειτουργία στην Ελληνορθόδοξη Ενορία Κοινότητα της Αναστάσεως του Κυρίου Σίδνεϊ.

Ο αρχηγός των Φιλελευθέρων στη Βικτώρια, Μάθιου Γκάι, παρακολούθησε την περιφορά του επιταφίου στον Άγιο Χαράλαμπο της Μελβούρνης.

Αλλά και σχεδόν σε όλες τις Ενορίες όπου εκλέγονται βουλευτές οι περισσότεροι έδωσαν το παρών.

Όπως κάθε χρόνο, έτσι και φέτος οι λαοθάλασσες των πιστών που πλημμύρισαν τους χώρους και τους δρόμους έξω από τους ναούς, προκάλεσαν το ενδιαφέρον των άλλων αλλοεθνών συμπολιτών καθώς μετέφεραν το άγιο φως στα σπίτια τους.

Και την Κυριακή του Πάσχα, ως είθισται, οι «ελληνοκρατούμενες» γειτονιές της Μελβούρνης, του Σίδνεϊ, της Αδελαΐδας αλλά και των άλλων πόλεων «πλημμύρισαν» από ελληνικές μυρωδιές, ήχους και χρώματα.

Σε όλα τα σπίτια στήθηκε ένα μεγάλο πασχαλινό τραπέζι, κυρίως με οβελία, που ακολούθησε παραδοσιακό ελληνικό γλέντι.

Φέτος όμως στήθηκε και ένα ξέχωρο πασχαλινό γλέντι για τους νεοαφιχθέντες Έλληνες της Αυστραλίας από τον Δήμο Monash στο «ελληνοκρατούμενο» προάστιο του Όκλι της Μελβούρνης.

Αξίζει να σημειωθεί ότι κάθε χρόνο κατά το Πάσχα των Ορθοδόξων σημειώνεται εντυπωσιακή αύξηση της κατανάλωσης αρνιού στην Αυστραλία.

Πηγή: Νέος Κόσμος

Δημοσίευμα της γερμανικής Bild θέλει την ελληνική κυβέρνηση να εξετάζει το ενδεχόμενο πρόωρων εκλογών, σχετίζοντάς το με την έκβαση των διαπραγματεύσεων που βρίσκονται σε εξέλιξη με τους εταίρους και δανειστές.

Η Bild επικαλείται δήλωση Έλληνα υπουργού, σύμφωνα με τον οποίο: «Δεν έχουμε κάτι να χάσουμε. Εάν η ΕΕ εξακολουθήσει να τηρεί σκληρή στάση, πρέπει να δείξουμε ότι είμαστε σταθεροί. Έχουμε τον ελληνικό λαό στο πλευρό μας».

Η γερμανική εφημερίδα επικαλείται, δε, τα αποτελέσματα των πρόσφατων δημοσκοπήσεων που δίνουν μεγάλο προβάδισμα στον ΣΥΡΙΖΑ και ποσοστό που θα αντιστοιχούσε σε αυτοδυναμία.

Τις πληροφορίες αυτές έθεσε η γερμανική εφημερίδα σε γνώση του αντιπροέδρου του ευρωκοινοβουλίου Αλεξάντερ Γκραφ Λαμπσντόρφ (FDP), ο οποίος εξέφρασε την άποψη: «Μια νέα εκλογική αναμέτρηση θα είναι στην πραγματικότητα ένα δημοψήφισμα σχετικά με το ευρώ. Αν ο ΣΥΡΙΖΑ επανεκλεγεί θα σημαίνει ότι υφίσταται το Grexit».

Πηγή:in.gr

source: theaustralian.com

The popular panel discussion returns tonight. Relive last week’s discussion that gave some attention to Greece’s economic and political situation thanks to Nana Mouskouri’s inclusion.

Nana Mouskouri overshadowed many on the Q&A panel this week, as the Greek songstress chimed in on numerous Australian topics like children in detention, tax evasion and distrust in politics.

The octogenarian singer and former member of the EU parliament appeared on the ABC panel show on Monday while in Australia to perform a number of concerts.

Mouskouri’s defining moment on the show was when she prevailed over the political psycho-babble and gave her views on children in detention.

Having worked as a UNICEF ambassador, Mouskouri was visibly shocked to discover that Australia had a current record of keeping children in detention.

“I’m surprised for Australia. I didn’t know,” she said.

“I think the world needs a little bit more humanity.”

Mouskouri said under no circumstances should children be in detention and called for the government to change tack.

“Let’s put some humanity into the laws really and protect the children,” she said.

“You are playing with the lives that are going to build a better world, so give them the chance to do that.”

Mouskouri was joined on the panel by rising Labor star Ed Husic, Guardian Australia columnist Van Badham, parliamentary secretary to the treasurer Kelly O’Dwyer and editor of the Financial Review Michael Stutchbury, all of whom chimed in on the state of Greece’s current economic and political woes.

In light of heated anti-Islamic protests across Australia, Mouskouri drew parallels to Greece’s neo-fascist political party Golden Dawn, and admitted she was worried about its popularity.

Asked by host Tony Jones whether anyone could reason with a leader who proclaims himself a racist, Mouskouri replied “no, I cannot [reason with them], but, you know, the problem is that people have voted and they are in the parliament”.

As a true pacifist, Mouskouri hoped a solution can be found through opening the discourse and not “receiving them as enemies”.

Interestingly, Mouskouri was able to get the politicians of the panel to open up about the reality of aligning themselves with a party that implements policies that they might not agree with.

Speaking about entering politics briefly when became member of the EU parliament in 1994-1999, Mouskouri found the responsibility of promising solutions before judging the obstacles troubling.

“I didn’t want to continue because it is a difference with politics and singers. Singers, we live with music, we give hope, we give love, we try really to make people see a future, which I did when I was young, but I cannot commit myself by giving solutions and these solutions the politicians will give,” she says.
The topic then shifted to Greece’s austerity measures, which saw a number of panellists chime in.

All agreed that a ‘Grexit’ would be dangerous, but differed on whether Greece is using the right tactics in negotiating a better deal with its creditors.

“They’ll probably get it but I don’t think that will be the end of it, because fundamentally they’ve got to become a more competitive economy,” Australian Financial Review’s Michael Stutchbury said.

Mouskouri said more needs to be done to fix the tone of Greece’s objections.

“The most important thing is to soothe the people’s problem then you can go and ask for whatever you want,” she said.

“You cannon in a crisis go and say, ‘Yes, but you owe us’, or make enemies with everybody.”

While this was going on, Q&A’s Twitter feed was being flooded with tongue-in-cheek jokes from the Australian public.

“Put some Windex on the Greek economy,” said Robbie Carroll, taking his advice from My Big Fat Greek Wedding.

Mr Blanc said “I’m happy to use my tax dollars for Greece if they repay in moussaka.”

Mouskouri finished the show by singing a rendition of the famous song The White Rose of Athens.

source: Neos Kosmos

John Halikos’ dream of setting up a man-made residential island in Darwin hits a bump.

A controversial proposal to build a man-made residential island off the Northern Territory coast might have come to a muddy end after drilling failed to find any rock at the intended site.

The plan by Top End developer Halikos Group for an “island residential concept” in Darwin Harbour, off Nightcliff Beach, first came to light in 2013 and was met with opposition from community groups and scepticism from others as to whether such a project could survive the Top End’s weather and tides.

In 2014, the NT Country Liberal (CLP) Government granted John Halikos a five-year crown lease to explore the feasibility of building off the Nightcliff foreshore, leading to geotechnical drilling tests taking place about 200 metres offshore.

Labor Member for Nightcliff Natasha Fyles criticised the 98-hectare lease, which she said was “granted without consulting the community, without a social impact analysis statement, without any environmental impact, [and] without consulting Aboriginal Areas Protection Authority”.

In parliament, Northern Territory Planning Minister Dave Tollner said the plan was unlikely to go ahead after Halikos found only mud after its geotechnical drilling explorations.

“They tell me what they’ve found with this technical drilling is mud. And more mud. And more mud. And more mud. But they haven’t actually struck rock anywhere,” he said.

Mr Halikos told Neos Kosmos that he has not yet given up on the project.

source: Neos Kosmos

Το Ορθόδοξο Πάσχα γιόρτασε φέτος ο Πρωθυπουργός της Αυστραλίας Τόνι ‘Αμποτ παρευρισκόμενος τα μεσάνυχτα του Σαββάτου στην Ελληνορθόδοξη Ενορία Κοινότητα της Αναστάσεως του Κυρίου στο Kogarah.

Πρόκειται για Ενορία στα νότια προάστια τού Σίδνεϊ εντός των ορίων της οποίας ζουν δεκάδες χιλιάδες ομογενείς.

Ο κ. ‘Αμποτ συμμετείχε στην κατάνυξη της αναστάσιμης λειτουργίας και οι ομογενείς τον υποδέχθηκαν θερμά.

Στο πλευρό του πρωθυπουργού ήταν ο ομογενής ομοσπονδιακός βουλευτής των Φιλελευθέρων Νίκος Βαρβαρής, ο οποίος θεωρείται εκ των πιο “πιστών” βουλευτών του κ. ‘Αμποτ στην κοινοβουλευτική ομάδα του κυβερνώντος κόμματος. Ο κ. Βαρβαρής έχει διατελέσει επί σειρά ετών πρόεδρος της προαναφερθείσας Ενορίας-Κοινότητας.

Επίσης, στην ίδια εκκλησία έκανε Ανάσταση και η νεοεκλεγείσα πολιτειακή βουλευτής των Φιλελευθέρων στη Νέα Νότια Ουαλία Ελένη Πετεινού.

Πηγή:enikos.gr

Pope Francis on Sunday called the slaughter of up to 1.5 million Armenians the “first genocide of the 20th century,” prompting Turkey to recall its ambassador to the Vatican.

Turkey, which denies a genocide took place, swiftly challenged the pope’s comments marking 100 years since the start of the killings. Francis made the remarks during a Mass in St. Peter’s Basilica attended by Armenian President Serge Sarkisian.

“The pope’s statement which is far from historic and legal truths is unacceptable,” Turkish Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu tweeted. “Religious positions are not places where unfounded claims are made and hatred is stirred.”

Francis, in his message to the Armenian faithful, said, “Concealing or denying evil is like allowing a wound to keep bleeding without bandaging it,” the Associated Press reported.

“A century has passed since that horrific massacre which was a true martyrdom of your people, in which many innocent people died as confessors and martyrs for the name of Christ, ” the pope said. “Even today, there is not an Armenian family untouched by the loss of loved ones due to that tragedy: It truly was Metz Yeghern, the ‘Great Evil’, as it is known by Armenians.”

Armenia — which formally marks the killings on April 24 — and a number of historians say up to 1.5 million people died.

Turkey argues that the number of deaths has been inflated, and the people who died were victims of civil war and unrest during the collapse of the Ottoman Empire, not genocide.

The Foreign Ministry said Sunday that the Turkish people would not recognize the pope’s statement “which is controversial in every aspect, which is based on prejudice, which distorts history and reduces the pains suffered in Anatolia under the conditions of the First World War to members of just one religion.”

The killings are recognized as genocide by a number of countries around the world, but Turkey’s allies Italy and the United States have avoided using the contentious term. The United Nations defined genocide as acts intended to destroy a national, ethnic, racial or religious group, in whole or in part.

The pope in his Sunday comments referred to “three massive and unprecedented tragedies” in the past century.

“The first, which is widely considered ‘the first genocide of the 20th century,’ struck your own Armenian people, the first Christian nation, as well as Catholic and Orthodox Syrians, Assyrians, Chaldeans and Greeks,” he said, citing a September 2001 declaration signed by St. John Paul II and Armenian church leader Karenkin II that described the deaths as genocide.

The pontiff also referred to the Holocaust and Stalinism and mass killings in countries including Cambodia, Rwanda, Burundi and Bosnia.

Turkey’s embassy to the Vatican canceled a planned news conference for Sunday, presumably after learning that the pope would utter the word “genocide” over its objections. Instead, the Foreign Ministry in Ankara issued a terse statement conveying its “great disappointment and sadness.” It said the pope’s words signaled a loss in trust, contradicted the pope’s message of peace and was discriminatory because Francis only mentioned the pain of Christians, not Muslims or other religious groups.

The pope on Sunday also pronounced St. Gregory of Narek — a 10th-century Armenian monk and mystic — a doctor of the church, a title which has been given to just 35 other people.

source:usatoday.com

Died from his wounds … a shark tore off Elio Canestri’s limbs and part of his stomach. Picture: Facebook/Elio Canestri Source: News Corp Australia

A 13-YEAR-OLD boy has been attacked and killed by a shark off the French Indian Ocean island of La Reunion, authorities said, the seventh such deadly attack since 2011.

The shark tore off the boy’s limbs and part of his stomach as he was surfing early on Sunday morning in an off-limits section of sea off the west coast of the island.

Elio Canestri was attacked while surfing with seven others, the Mirror reports. He was around 15 metres offshore.

‘One of our best’ … promising young surfer, Elio Canestri, in action. Picture: Facebook/Elio Canestri Source: Supplied

A spokesman for the rescue services told the Mirror: “A boat was launched very quickly, and the victim was dragged out of the sea, but he died from his wounds.

“Those who witnessed the attack, including other children, are being treated for trauma.”

It was the 16th shark attack on the island since 2011 and the seventh loss of life.

Reunion island authorities are said to be scrambling to find solutions to protect swimmers.

In July 2012, a surfer died after a shark ripped off his leg and, in July 2013, a teenage girl was bitten in half as she swam metres from shore. In February a 20-year-old female swimmer was bitten by a shark before dying in hospital from a cardiac arrest.

source:news.com.au