Metropolitan Ignatius of Demetrias and Almyros will concelebrate with Metropolitan Stefanos of Tallinn and all Estonia (and also with Metropolitan Grigorios of Peristeri) at the Church of St Simeon and St Anna in Tallinn Metropolitan Ignatius will honour Metropolitan Stefanos awarding him with the Grand Cross the Highest Honorary Distinction of the Metropolis of Demetrias A distinguished personality of the Orthodox world Metropolitan Stefanos of Tallinn harmoniously combines not only fidelity to Tradition with the demands for renewal but also combines spirituality with the concern for problems of the contemporary world After a lot of significant theological and pastoral work within the boundaries of the Metropolis of France until 1999 Metropolitan Stefanos made every effort to strengthen the presence of Orthodoxy in Estonia from the very first moment he became the leader of the Autonomous Orthodox Church in this Baltic country He strengthened the ties with the local people and culture but also promoted Orthodox unity despite the various adversities he encountered there due to the policies of the Moscow Patriarchate; and he decisively contributed to the almost pan-Orthodox (with the single exception of Russia) recognition of the autonomy of the Orthodox Church in Estonia Equally important was his interest in interreligious dialogue but also in the pastoral treatment of migrants an issue that is constantly on the front line reveal the sensitivities of a gifted man who has been ministering to the Church of Christ in Estonia in an insightful way for years The Metropolitan of Tallinn keeps close ties with the Metropolis of Demetrias which become clear in the cooperation of the Orthodox Institute of St Plato of Estonia with the Volos Academy for Theological Studies The two parties have signed a Memorandum of Cooperation (2019) inaugurating a fruitful collaboration in the field of theological teaching focusing particularly on contemporary problems and challenges Photo courtesy of Nicholas Kitsios from the website https://basilica.ro/ The Holy Synod of the Ecumenical Patriarchate approved on October 4th the canonization of Eldress Sophia Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew traveled by air to Antalya the Patriarchate of Jerusalem solemnly celebrated the Sunday of the Myrrh-Bearing Women... Archbishop Elpidophoros of America celebrated the Divine Liturgy at the Monastery of the Theotokos.. it was announced that two Roman Catholic institutions in Bavaria have decided to jointly.. (function() { window.mc4wp = window.mc4wp || { listeners: [] cb) { window.mc4wp.listeners.push( { event : evt callback: cb } ); } } }})(); © 2023 OrthodoxTimes.com - All rights reserved Necessary cookies are absolutely essential for the website to function properly This category only includes cookies that ensures basic functionalities and security features of the website These cookies do not store any personal information Any cookies that may not be particularly necessary for the website to function and is used specifically to collect user personal data via analytics other embedded contents are termed as non-necessary cookies It is mandatory to procure user consent prior to running these cookies on your website Alice Gibbs is a Newsweek Senior Internet Trends & Culture Reporter based in the U.K For the last two years she has specialized in viral trends and internet news Alice joined Newsweek in 2022 and previously wrote for The Observer You can get in touch with Alice by emailing alice.gibbs@newsweek.com either observed and verified firsthand by the reporter or reported and verified from knowledgeable sources Translations may contain inaccuracies—please refer to the original content A flock of sheep have found themselves enjoying a slightly different diet this week after they devoured more than 600 pounds of cannabis The herd of unsuspecting herbivores were looking to satisfy their munchies when they inadvertently chomped down on a hefty stash of medical cannabis growing in a nearby greenhouse a greenhouse cultivating therapeutic marijuana became an unexpected diner for the animals as they grappled with the aftermath of Storm Daniel The storm resulted in Europe's highest-ever monthly precipitation Relentless rain wreaked havoc across the central region combining torrential downpours with landslides the herd of sheep sought refuge in the greenhouse and simultaneously helped themselves to over 600 pounds of cannabis crops The bewildered shepherd watched as his flock began to exhibit what he called "strange behavior." The owner of the greenhouse told the local TheNewspaper.gr website: "I don't know if it's for laughing or crying The herd entered the greenhouse and ate what was left A Greek news outlet quoted Yannis Bourounis, owner of the farm, who told a local radio producer: "They found green stuff to eat," before adding that the sheep were "jumping higher than goats the Greek government legalized the use of cannabis for medical purposes Greece inaugurated its first-ever medicinal cannabis production plant The cultivation of cannabis for medical use has presented much-needed economic opportunities for the country Companies have begun making substantial investments into the country Greek government officials are keen to reap the potential economic benefits putting into place a a regulatory framework for the cultivation Cannabis has been seen as a solution to some of the challenges facing Greek farmers who have seen a drop in profit margins on traditional agricultural products in recent years Animals eating cannabis can be extremely dangerous, like the dog who accidentally consumed his owner's entire stash Meanwhile, some scientists have even tested out feeding animals cannabis to see what happens. In 2022, dairy cows that were fed a diet containing industrial hemp experienced several physical and behavioral changes Newsweek is committed to challenging conventional wisdom and finding connections in the search for common ground Newsletters in your inbox See all Greece's opposition New Democracy leader Kyriakos Mitsotakis arrives in the city of Almyros (Getty Images) The heat lies heavy on Exarchia Square in central Athens The migrant peddlers from Africa, the Middle East and South Asia hawk their rip-off DVDs and trinkets with uncharacteristic lethargy. Punters sit in canvas-covered chairs outside cafes; they drink iced lattes; they talk; they sweat Greeks have begun the long descent towards holiday season a near-ritualistic time in this part of the Mediterranean Regular temperatures of close to 40 degrees empty Athens of its inhabitants The country is gearing up for a general election on Sunday The election marks the first time Greeks will go to the polls since the height of the financial crisis in 2015 This was when fears that the country might tumble out of the Eurozone and – though an unlikely scenario – the European Union caused political and financial tremors from Brussels to Washington The far-Left and populist Syriza party emerged victorious twice that same year. Its first victory was in January, after a campaign that promised to tell the so-called Troika (a decision group comprising the European Commission European Central Bank and the International Monetary Fund) to get stuffed to ratify its decision to accept even more austerity measures from the Troika after its (obviously doomed from the outset) attempts to take it on failed By Peter Franklin the centre-Right opposition party New Democracy looks almost certain to win – a result that will have severe ramifications The domestic implications of this are clear Greece has moved from the anti-austerity financial-based narratives and conflict of the past decade to a political space in which culture wars now dominate.” Greece is merely reflecting a Europe-wide trend – not least the UK’s internal divisions over Brexit it was Syriza that set the scene for this state of affairs with its pre-2015 highly populist and ludicrously unrealistic anti-austerity narrative New Democracy has continued the populist trend with a scattergun deployment of hard-Right tropes regarding migrants and LGBTQ issues Syriza are hardcore communists who will turn Greece into Venezuela “Society has been decimated by austerity and humiliated politically “Syriza didn’t manage to be the anti-austerity champion it promised to be and New Democracy has capitalised on that.” But most alarming of all is New Democracy’s virulent opposition to the June 2018 Prespa Agreement – the treaty that saw North Macedonia change its name in return for Greece dropping objections to the country’s NATO accession By David Patrikarakos The Macedonia dispute is the archetypal 21st-century culture war from Alexander the Great to the wording of treaties Sizeable chunks of Greeks and North Macedonians are also unhappy with the new status quo And so into this potent and volatile societal mix comes Russia The Kremlin’s nightmare since the end of the Cold War has been encirclement by NATO North Macedonia is meanwhile preparing to join the NATO alliance no matter how unhappy it is with the Prespa Agreement New Democracy will almost certainly not abrogate an international treaty that has been passed by the Greek parliament and is backed by the EU it can cause problems when it comes to its neighbour’s desire to join the EU – which Russia will do everything in its power to encourage With an anti-Prespa New Democracy in power the Kremlin’s position on North Macedonia will align almost perfectly with that of the Greek government Meanwhile, the country is facing an increasingly problematic figure in Recep Tayyip Erdoğan, Turkey’s sitting president. Erdoğan is in political trouble, having been dealt a blow after his chosen candidate for mayor of Istanbul, Binali Yildirim, was defeated in local elections earlier in March by opposition candidate Ekrem Imamoglu By Matt Goodwin A sure-fire way of uniting Turks is to take up sabre-rattling against Greeks A critical test for any new Greek government will be handling a potential crisis with Turkey in the next few months there must be at least some degree of unity in the country liberal-minded politician who is keen to overhaul much of the entrenched statism that has caused Greece so much damage He is also the sane face of a party that contains many elements that could be described – charitably – as falling “within the alt-right ambit” Greece may still not be ready for the type of tough free market measures New Democracy wants to deploy reduce the size of the state and re-introduce fees in public hospitals There is much to be said for these measures The question remains however: are they realistic “New Democracy has promised to cut taxes for corporations re-introduce fees in public hospitals and other measures reminiscent of the agenda that brought down their 2012-14 government headed by Samaras,”  says Baboulias “But this time there is no Syriza to challenge them I’m afraid that without an alternative political outlet through which to channel the anger that these policies will generate By David Patrikarakos If this happens, we will have come full circle. Four years of austerity and pain will have achieved nothing. And meanwhile, other forces are at work. Roderick Beaton observes in his 2019 book Greece: Biography of a Modern Nation woven into the decision of the other powers The years that followed the 1821-32 War of Independence can be seen as a cycle of repeating patterns of political conflict History has already borne out his thesis – the future will almost certainly reinforce it the hawkers continue to wearily ply their trade among the many cafes and restaurants that dot the area’s central street grid In between shooing them away from his customers has spent all day serving iced coffee and cold beer to locals and tourists alike “In 2015 I voted for Syriza because I was desperate but nothing has really changed,” he explains “This time I’ll vote for New Democracy – pretty much for the same reason.” But he doesn’t expect much “In the end,” he concludes “all these bastards are the same.” David Patrikarakos is UnHerd‘s foreign correspondent His latest book is War in 140 characters: how social media is reshaping conflict in the 21st century Δdocument.getElementById( "ak_js_1" ).setAttribute( "value" Δdocument.getElementById( "ak_js_2" ).setAttribute( "value" Please click here to view our media pack for more information on advertising and partnership opportunities with UnHerd Ianos storms on Friday left damage in their wake Authorities were trying to prevent destruction at the artificial reservoir of Xirias in central Greece which would flood the nearby city of Almyros following storms from midday on related to the Mediterranean hurricane (Medicane) Magnesia Prefecture and Almyros officials also tried to free three people who were trapped in a car while trying to flee the area of Xirias after the facilities there were hit by the storms and destroyed The Fire Brigade could not reach them and a helicopter cannot fly because of the strong winds in the area “The three workers are holding on to trees and partly submerged having been swept away by water when they decided to leave the workplace,” Deputy Regional Director of Magnesia Dorothea Kolyndrini told ANA-MPA Almyros is in danger of being flooded if Xirias overfloods Catastrophic flooding in Greece today (#Kefalonia) as an intense tropical-like cyclone #Medicane #Ionas slams the island Reports of the entire Jerusalem beach eroding away – changed forever.pic.twitter.com/PovJY2kVgq — Scott Duncan (@ScottDuncanWX) September 18, 2020 A bridge in the area collapsed and another bridge on a side road leading to the national highway was also destroyed The Volos-Almyros traffic is currently served through the Athens-Thessaloniki national highway Magnesia’s central city of Volos is not facing any other issues besides constant power failures while the large volume of water on the streets was absorbed quickly through the sewage system In Karditsa a driver is missing in Magnesia and there are fears that lives will be claimed as Ianos passes through the country READ MORE: Greece braces for onslaught of Cyclone Ianos over the weekend Waves break on a seaside tavern during a storm at the port of Argostoli A video from the island of Kefalonia shows the force of the damage: https://www.facebook.com/100112488236626/videos/641660343440720 is moving from the western shores of Greece towards the south central and eastern parts of mainland Greece which are experiencing heavy rainfall as of Friday afternoon According to the National Observatory of Athens and its Meteo service extended hours of heavy rainfall are expected in southern areas of Central Greece and the eastern Peloponnese Meteo predicted intense and intermittent rain overnight especially in the northern and eastern parts of the region the mainland is experiencing rainfall of over 50 mm/hour while the Observatory’s network of 360 on-land stations recorded instances where rainfall reached over 140 mm/hour up to 17:20 on Friday Crete having been visiting the local beach for its warm “healing” waters they’ve been swimming in sewage this whole time the Head of the Hygiene Department of Public Health of the Region of Crete Vice-President of the Panhellenic Union of Public Health Supervisors Antonis Papadakis spoke to CRETA TV He stressed that treated sewage from businesses is discharged in that area Papadakis pointed out that many people choose that beach because of the warm waters thinking that it’s good for healing people removed this sign according to Papadakis Creta24 reported that the beach was included in the June 2023 “no swimming” list issued by local authorities a company that belongs to the Copelouzos group has been quietly evolving into a key player in the real estate market in Greece in recent years It has taken on projects worth hundreds of millions of euros in what is set to make a mark on its earnings figures for 2019 and upcoming years One of the recent deals Redex has taken on is the construction of a luxury tourism resort One & Only KEA Island by Dolphin Capital in cooperation with Kerzner International Holdings with the first phase of the project relating to the building of a 75-room hotel while the second phase involves the construction of a limited number of villas which will be managed by the international "One & Only" brand Construction started in July on land stretching over 60 hectares on the western side of the island This project comes after Redex completed a few weeks earlier renovations on the five star I-Resort in Stalida and the luxury 400 room Almyros Beach Resort & Spa in Corfu The company is also working on the construction of three luxury residential complexes in Mykonos and a five star 68 suite unit in Santorini along with the renovation of the Sofia Balkan Hotel in Bulgaria and the extension of the Milos Cove Hotel in Milos.  taking on the construction of buildings for the group's property subsidiaries The deal includes the extension of the Mare West mall in Corinth where work is being completed on the creation of a park area that will surround the existing building a new office building for Noval (a subsidiary of the group in real estate) is also being completed in Halandri with large multinationals among the tenants.  One of the most important projects taken on by Redex has been the renovations work of the US embassy in Athens This is a five-year contract aimed at upgrading the aesthetics and functionality of the 60-year-old building the project will be completed in four phases have a new exterior front and an upgraded structure and electrical system The fact that Redex has been chosen to take on a project like this is an honor for the Copelouzos group as the company builds on its presence in the market the company's main focus was to develop the group's property assets with an emphasis on modern office buildings and residential housing After last weekend's frustrating delays for drivers another set of roadworks is set to affect travel this weekend on the Limassol-Nicosia motorway work will resume on the Almyros Bridge to replace the contraction/expansion joints Motorists heading from Limassol to Nicosia can expect the right lane to be closed for about 800 meters Traffic will be diverted to the middle and left lanes though authorities are optimistic that they won't be as severe as last weekend drivers shouldn't expect the heavy congestion seen previously This is because the work is taking place on the opposite side of the motorway which allows only the right express lane to be closed Eleftheriou added that the department is working closely with the police to ensure all necessary traffic measures are in place the ongoing Kalavasos Bridge repairs continue to disrupt travel The second phase of work began this week and is expected to last around three months The bridge was recently reopened for traffic heading from Nicosia to Limassol but now the focus shifts to the opposite direction with work set to take place from January 30 to May 15 2025.The section of the Kalavasos bridge that was opened to traffic For drivers heading from Limassol to Nicosia two lanes will be closed for about 1 kilometer and traffic will be redirected onto the oncoming lanes the entrance to the motorway at the Zygios junction will be closed with drivers being rerouted through the Governor’s Coast junction Eleftheriou noted that drivers can expect a similar traffic setup to the one that occurred on the opposite side of the bridge He urged the public to plan their trips ahead and The Department of Public Works issued an apology for the inconvenience asking the public for patience and understanding during this time They also reminded drivers to follow temporary road markings it's clear that traffic disruptions are a part of the necessary improvements being made to Cyprus' infrastructure drivers are encouraged to stay informed and plan accordingly to avoid further delays An alarm has been raised by Kalamata authorities following the murder of a 52-year-old man by a 35-year-old man from Turkey the crime took place at a local hotel where the two men were doing renovation work the perpetrator and the victim got into a confrontation and as a result the 35-year-old man grabbed a knife and stabbed the 52-year-old man to death The 52-year-old was a contractor while the 35-year-old Turkish man Follow en.protothema.gr on Google News and be the first to know all the news See all the latest News from Greece and the World, the moment they happen, at en.protothema.gr