Strong emotions and national pride overwhelmed the members of the Greek delegation and the roughly 5,000 Greeks of Ukraine who attended the 12th "Mega Yiourti" event hosted by the country's Federation of Greek Associations held in Gratinoe (previously Karan, founded in 1780) one of the over forty "Greek villages" in the greater Mariupol region.

The Archbishop of Athens and All Greece, Ieronymos, is scheduled to pay an official visit the Patriarchate of Alexandria and All Africa on June 19-23.

Issues concerning the ethnic Greeks of Ukraine - with emphasis on Greek language education and youth - were raised at a recent meeting between the President of the World Council of Hellenes Abroad (SAE), Stephanos Tamvakis and the President of the Federation of Hellenic Associations of Ukraine, Alexandra Prostenko-Pitsantzi.

New Jersey has made history by becoming the first state in the United States that has a special commission on Greek issues. NJ Governor Jon Corzine signed the executive order creating the Hellenic-American Heritage Commission.

Once again, the American Archdiocese' Metropolitan Youth Choir left the best impressions on the audience of its spring concert last week, held in Sotheby's hall in Manhattan, New York, highlighting its skills and prospects.