After spending the last three days in Washington, D.C., today His All-Holiness Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew continued his Apostolic Visit to the U.S. in New York City.
Mina Apostolidis' handmade creations triumph in the chocolate capital, impressing the public and constantly winning international awards.
Following his morning meeting with Speaker Mike Johnson, His All-Holiness Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew visited St. Katherine Greek Orthodox Church in Falls Church, Virginia for a welcome Doxology and blessing of the faithful.
A reception in honor of Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew was held in Washington, D.C., in the presence of the Speaker of the U.S. House, Mike Johnson, who was addressed by the Greek-American Congressman Gus Bilirakis.
In Washington, it was raining non-stop as the guests of the reception in honor of Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew passed through strict security checks at the entrance to the State Department.
Continuing his visit to the United States, Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew attended a dinner hosted in his honor by Michael Rigas, Acting U.S. Secretary of State. In his speech, the Patriarch issued a stern warning about the dangers of nationalism in religion, calling for dialogue, coexistence, and respect for the dignity of every human being.
A readiness exercise spanning from Evros to Kastellorizo was ordered in the early hours of today, with the activation of a joint rapid reaction force, which will continue for the entire day.
FIBA, in a move that reflects the global recognition of his talent, dedicated an impressive video to Giannis Antetokounmpo, showcasing his top moments from the recent EuroBasket 2025. The “Greek Freak” was the absolute star of the tournament, leading the Greek National Team to a triumphant return to the podium by securing the bronze medal.
The unconventional Hollywood star spent almost a year on the island in 1960, which enchanted him with its wild beauty
When a few years ago a Greek journalist greeted Robert Redford in English in the area where Hollywood stars make statements before the Oscars, this charming anti-star responded in Greek with a majestic "What are you doing?".
He then revealed that many years ago he had come to Greece with his family, in the mid-1960s, where he stayed for a year, based in Crete.
He was already known as the charming blonde of cinema, a title he never liked, just as he did not like personal exposure off set, being a guy who has not let Hollywood "swallow" him since then.
Family trip to Crete
At that time when shocking social changes were taking place in America, Redford was thirty years old, married to Lola Von Wagenen and the father of two children, 6-year-old Shona and 4-year-old James.
Robert Redford's year in Crete and his desire to live with his family in a cave in Matala
The family traveled first to Spain and then to Greece, choosing Crete for a long vacation, after they reportedly stayed on the island for about a year, initially in Heraklion.
There are no testimonies about how the Redford family experienced their stay in the city, beyond the few things the actor said in some interviews with Greek media, something rather expected since he always protected his private life.
What is certain is that he loved Crete.
That is why he wanted to get to know it better and so after a few months in Heraklion, he chose to go elsewhere, together with his wife and their two children.
From Elounda to Matala
Those who knew Redford very well knew his love for nature, since at the age of just eleven, when he was recovering from an illness, his mother took him to Yosemite National Park.
Little Robert was thrilled and the following summer he applied to work there, an experience that remained unforgettable for him, as he had the opportunity to live unique moments in the huge park.
In Crete in the 1960s, he discovered an island that was largely far from the new technologies that had begun to take over the large urban centers of Greece, and whose inhabitants were very hospitable.
After Heraklion, the family stayed for a while in Elounda, which was then an unknown village, with only one hotel operating at that time, in other words, an essentially untouched paradise.
The actor had probably learned some Greek words by now, and when he learned about Matala, the village with the natural caves where some people lived for a long time, he decided to visit them to see if they could stay in one of them as a family.
He was ever since a fanatical nature lover who chose not to live in a big city like Los Angeles or San Francisco, but on an estate he bought in Utah, on which he also built a beautiful house made of stone and wood.
There he was always happy to get lost in nature, which was so calming for this unconventional protagonist, who never felt like a star.
The United States government has launched a broad strategic pursuit aimed at limiting Chinese influence in ports of global importance. The port of Piraeus, which has been granted to Cosco, is also in the spotlight.
Andreas Loverdos and executives of the "Democrats" party, which the former minister founded in March 2024, have joined New Democracy.