Monday, October 31, 2016

Hundreds Attend Serbian Orthodox Royal Wedding

The Serbian royal family continues to set an example for the people of their predominantly Orthodox Christian country,having their marriages blessed by God in a church,according to the ancient and holy tradition of their nation.*
His Royal Highness Prince Mihailo Karadjorjevic,30,and Miss Ljubica Ljubisavljevic of Belgrade were married on 24 October 2016 in the Church of St.George,Oplenac.The sacrament was presided by His Grace Bishop Irenej of the Eastern Diocese of the Serbian Orthodox Church in America;His Grace Bishop Pahomije of Vranje;and Father Petar Lukic,dean of Saborna Cerkva,Belgrade.More than 300 guests attended.*
Besides Their Royal Highnesses Crown Prince Alexander and Crown Princess Katherine and their children,Prince Philip and Alison,other distinguished guests included Speaker of the National Parliament Ms.Maja Gojkovic and Ambassador of the United Kingdom in Serbia Mr.Denis Keefe.Following the service,the Crown Prince and Princess hosted a reception for invited guests at the White Palace.*
Prince Mihailo is a lobbyist for Serbian interests in the world.Princess Ljubica has a master's degree in Pharmacy and works in marketing,as well as writing columns on health and skin care.

Thursday, October 20, 2016

Canadian CF-18 Hornet Air Refueling with USAF KC-135 Stratotanker


Air Sovereignty in High Arctic Tested by US,Canadian Forces in NORAD Exercise

The Canadian Armed Forces and US Air National Guard are deploying and conducting air sovereignty operations in the far north and high Arctic during NORAD Exercise VIGILANT SHIELD 17,the bi-national organisation says.This is to demonstrate their joint capacity to detect,identify and meet possible threats in some of the Earth's most austere regions.Aircraft and personnel from the two countries will operate and support each other successfully at multiple forward operating locations,a key goal of VIGILANT SHIELD 17,according to Major Tristan McKee,Canadian Detachment Commander in Yellowknife,Northwest Territories.*
Those deployed to Yellowknife,NT are the F-15 Eagles and personnel of 142nd Fighter Wing,US Air National Guard,Portland,Oregon,with Canadian personnel and equipment primarily from 4 Wing Cold Lake,Alberta.The annual drills are a forum for NORAD to practice deploying to a variety of locations across vast distances,yet still support and achieve a complex set of missions and objectives.Other locations of the exercise include 5 Wing Goose Bay,Inuvik,Northwest Territories and Canadian Forces Station Alert,Nunavut.VIGILANT SHIELD 17 runs from 17-21 October 2016.*
Among the deployed assets in the drills are:CF-18 Hornet;CH-149 Cormorant;CC-130H Hercules;F-15 Eagle;F-22 Raptor;E-3 Sentry;KC-135 (USAF) Stratotanker with hundreds of maintainers and other aviation support personnel,as well as Canadian Army security forces.*
NORAD,the North American Aerospace Defense Command,is the bi-national command providing aerospace warning;aerospace control;and maritime warning in defence of North America.

US Troop Killed, Another Injured in Insider Attack in Afghanistan

US Troop Killed, Another Injured in Insider Attack in Afghanistan: A U.S. service member was killed and another was injured in an insider attack Wednesday in Kabul, according to NATO.

Saturday, October 15, 2016

Photo album:His Eminence Metropolitan Anthimos of Thessalonica was honored with a plaque and testimonials at the blessing by water ceremony (agiasmos) opening the academic year at the University of Thessalonica's Holy Trinity Theological School on 13 October,attended by His Eminence Metropolitan Elpidophoros of Bursa and His Eminence Metropolitan Varnavas of Neapolis and Stavroupolis Η Θεολογική Σχολή Θεσαλονίκης τίμησε τον Παναγιώτατο Μητροπολίτη κ. Ανθιμο |Amen.gr

Η Θεολογική Σχολή Θεσαλονίκης τίμησε τον Παναγιώτατο Μητροπολίτη κ. Ανθιμο |Amen.gr: Παρουσία των Σεβασμιωτάτων Μητροπολιτών Νεαπόλεως και Σταυρουπόλεως κ. Βαρνάβα και Προύσσης κ. Ελπιδοφόρου, του Πρυτάνεως του Αριστοτελείου Πανεπιστημίου Θεσσαλονίκης κ. Περικλή Μήτκα, του Κοσμήτορα της Θεολογικής Σχολής κ. Μιλτιάδη Κωνσταντίνου, των Προέδρων των δύο Τμημάτων κκ. Παναγιώτη Σκαλτσή και Κωνσταντίνου Χρήστου, Ομοτίμων και εν ενεργεία Καθηγητών και φοιτητών της Σχολής, στο Παρεκλήσιο της Αγίας Τριάδος της Θεολογικής Σχολής πραγματοποιήθηκε, στις 13 Οκτωβρίου ημέρα Πέμπτη, επίσημη τελετή προς τιμή τοτ Παναγιωτάτου Μητροπολίτου Θεσσαλονίκης κ. Ανθίμου.

Wednesday, October 12, 2016

Online Chapel — Greek Orthodox Archdiocese of America - Gospel reading and icon - 4th Wednesday of Luke

Online Chapel — Greek Orthodox Archdiocese of America

Panorthodox Synod : POPE FRANCIS APOSTOLIC VISIT TO GEORGIA - article by Ambassador Tamara Grdzelidze

Panorthodox Synod : POPE FRANCIS APOSTOLIC VISIT TO GEORGIA: ECUMENICAL PATRIARCHATE PERMANENT DELEGATION TO THE WORLD COUNCIL OF CHURCHES 30 September–2 October 2016 By Tamara Grdzelidze...

Twilight Launch Of F-16 Fighter Jets In Afghanistan - new


The Afghan War:Taliban Still Raiding Provincial Capitals

Fifteen years after they were toppled from power in Afghanistan by US troops and their tribal allies,the Taliban militants,who facilitated the 9-11 attacks by harbouring al-Qaida terrorists, began an assault on Lashkar Gah,capital of Helmand Province in the country's south,early Monday morning with a car bombing that killed ten policemen and wounded four others.Afghan National Defence and Security Forces repulsed the raid,the Defence Ministry said,but more than 300 ANDSF commandos had to be deployed from Kabul and neighbouring provinces to mount a clearance operation in the oft-contested city where more than 100 US troops were specially deployed themselves in August to help prevent,or at least reverse,just such an occurrence.*
US enablers are in the area and will support as needed,a NATO spokesman said.Yesterday there were two airstrikes in Helmand.Both of those were in support of ANDSF.*
We have enough forces on the ground now,added Defence Ministry spokesman Mohammad Radmanish.Afghan Air Force and NATO's air support is also helping our forces.*
The Taliban have spent the current fighting season attacking a number of provincial capitals besides Lashkar Gah:Kunduz and Baghlan in the north;and Farah in the west as well.When finally driven out of a city,the Islamist extremists typically counterattack.In Kunduz,for example,the Taliban briefly controlled the city last year,but were driven away by ANDSF and NATO,only to lay siege to the city again-and again be forced out-a year later.On Tuesday,they also counterattacked in Farah and heavy clashes erupted.*
A number of Taliban raids have been focused on Lashkar Gah in the lead-up to Monday's foray.Roads from neighbouring districts have been heavily mined by the militants,who have full or at least effective control of nearly all of Helmand's 14 districts.*
Besides the Taliban,other Islamist extremists such as al-Qaida remnants and even the Islamic State in Iraq and the Levant,or ISIL,have to be combatted from time to time in the mountainous nation.

Monday, October 3, 2016

Online Chapel — Greek Orthodox Archdiocese of America - 4 October,Hierotheos of Athens icon and hymns

Online Chapel — Greek Orthodox Archdiocese of America

SecDef Carter Says More Troops Headed for Iraq - effort to liberate Mosul

On 28 September 2016,US Defense Secretary Ash Carter issued a statement on additional support for the anti-ISIL Operation Inherent Resolve:
In anticipation of the Mosul fight,the United States and the government of Iraq have agreed that additional US and coalition capabilities could help accelerate the campaign at this critical phase.At the request of myself and Joint Chiefs Chairman Dunford,and with the support and approval of Prime Minister Abadi,President Obama has authorised approximately 600 additional US troops to further enable Iraqi forces.The troops,in close coordination with the government of Iraq,will provide specific capabilities including logistics and maintenance support;train,advise and assist teams for ISF and Kurdish Peshmerga for the upcoming Mosul operation;and expanded intelligence resources to help disrupt ISIL'S terrorist network in Iraq and beyond.
The US will continue to stay in close contact with our Iraqi partners as efforts to retake Mosul progress,including the role that the international coalition can continue to play in helping the Iraqi government defeat ISIL.*
For example,On 23 September,US Army Lieutenant General Stephen J. Townsend,commander of Combined Joint Task Force Operation Inherent Resolve,visited Task Force Strike,101st Airborne Division (Air Assault) at Qayyarah West Airfield,Iraq.Soldiers with the Army's 320th Field Artillery Regiment have been supporting Iraqi Security Forces by executing fire missions against Islamic State in Iraq and the Levant militants with such weapons as the M777 Howitzer.The HiMARS artillery rocket system has also been used by US troops against ISIL in both Iraq and Syria.