The crown, sceptre and sword belonging to King Otto of Greece has been located in the former summer palace of Tatoi in Attica.
In an announcement, the Greek Ministry of Culture said the royal emblems were found in very good condition, well preserved and carefully packed.
The much talked about royal emblems were commissioned by Ludgwig of Bavaria in 1835 and were meant to be given to the young King Otto upon his coronation. However, the ship that transported the items did not arrive on time and the coronation was conducted without them.
📌Τα βασιλικά εμβλήματα του Όθωνα βρέθηκαν στο Τατόι
Το στέμμα, το σκήπτρο και το ξίφος, εντοπίστηκαν, στο Τατόι, κατά τη διάρκεια των εργασιών τεκμηρίωσης των πολιτιστικών αγαθών και κινητών αντικειμένων από στελέχη αρμοδίων υπηρεσιών.
Upon the King leaving Greece in 1862, the emblems were taken to the royal house in Bavaria as Otto never abdicated or accepted his eviction from the throne. The emblems were eventually returned to Greece by the House of Wittelsbach in December 1959.
The Greek Ministry of Culture said the emblems, once maintained, will be on display in the “Eleftherios Venizelos” Trophies Hall.
The NSW Supreme Court heard early this week that construction boss George Alex allegedly headed a syndicate accused of defrauding the Tax Office of more than $14 million.
Alex is due to face trial with his 25-year-old son, Arthur Alex, and six others for the $14 million Tax Office fraud case in February next year.
According to The Sydney Morning Herald, Crown prosecutor Chris O’Donnell, SC, presented a summary on Monday and Tuesday of his expected opening address to the jury.
George Alex
The Crown have alleged the money should have been remitted to the Tax Office as pay as you go (PAYG) withholding tax, but was retained and spent by the accused and people associated with them.
O’Donnell said GST was no longer part of the Crown case.
The Sydney court heard the money was allegedly spent on a number of “district” items, including Range Rovers and properties on the Gold Coast.
A1 Arbor Tree Services Pty Ltd has been convicted and fined $2.025 million dollars in the NSW District Court over the death of a worker who was killed while using a woodchipper in 2019.
The multi-million-dollar penalty is the single largest court imposed fine for a business in the State.
The court heard on 7 September 2019; A1 Arbor Tree Services was in Lindfield to remove trees from the grounds of a local school, where a 40-year-old victim, a Fijian national, was fatally injured.
The court heard A1 Arbor did not complete a risk assessment of the equipment, which had several defects. The court also heard there was little supervision of workers and workers did not receive training to operate the equipment.
A1 Arbor Tree Services Pty Ltd pleaded guilty to failing to comply with its safety obligations under the Work Health and Safety Act 2011.
Her Honour Judge Strathdee noted during sentencing on the 14th of July the foreseeable harm to the 40-year-old man was extreme and determined the record $2.025 million fine was appropriate.
A1 Arbor has a right to appeal the decision.
Minister for Work Health and Safety, Sophie Cotsis, said in a statement, “My heart goes out to the family and friends of this 40-year-old worker who didn’t make it home.”
“This is yet another shocking fatality that was completely unavoidable. The lives of workers must be priority number one. No excuses, no exceptions.
“This is a landmark conviction that puts everyone across NSW on notice,” MP Cotsis concluded.
Sydney FC have won the race to sign in-demand Australian teenage winger Nathan Amanatidis on a three-year contract.
Amanatidis was courted by eight other Isuzu-UTE A-League clubs following his starring performance for the Joeys at the AFC Asian Cup where he scored two goals and made one assist.
The highly rated 17-year-old, who can also play up front, believes he made the right choice to move to the Sky Blues.
“Sydney FC is the perfect club for me to begin my A-League career and I’m feeling incredibly happy to be here,” he said.
The New South Wales Government announced on Tuesday the 81 community organisations across the state that were successful participants of the Multicultural NSW Stronger Together Festival and Event Grant program.
These community organisations will share in more than $630,000 to host grassroots festivals and events over the next eight months. The Festival and Event Grants program invests in communities and celebrates cultural diversity across NSW.
This round of the program will see organisations such as Dubbo’s ORISCON, the Albury Wodonga Ethnic Communities Council and Mt Druitt’s St Mary’s Ethiopian Women’s Association hold festivals and events that engage with a broad range of communities.
Greek dancing performances at Greek Street Fair Burwood 2022.
The Festival and Events Grants range from $5,000 to $15,000.
“From the Tweed in the North, South to Albury and West past Dubbo, we’re investing in grassroots festivals and events to help locals celebrate and share their culture,” the NSW Minister for Multiculturalism, Steve Kamper, said.
“It doesn’t matter where you live or visit in NSW, there’s an opportunity to enjoy the many vibrant cultures of the diverse people that make up this great state.”
A Sydney woman, Maria Lambroglou, pleaded guilty in court to dealing with proceeds of crime, following a police investigation into the murder of underworld figure Rami Iskander.
Husband and wife, Vincent and Maria Lambroglou, were arrested in October 2022 by police investigating the high-profile murder of Iskander, who was shot dead at Belmore on May 14, 2022.
According to The Daily Telegraph, police allege Vincent organised the getaway cars used by the gunmen who murdered Iskander in May this year.
Friends and family pay their respects to Rami Iskander after his death in May last year. Photo: David Swift.Rami Iskander who was shot dead. Photo: FacebookRami Iskander was shot dead at Belmore on May 14, 2022.
Vincent has since been charged with accessory before and after the fact to murder, involvement in a criminal group and knowingly dealing with proceeds of crime. His case is still before the court and he is yet to enter any pleas to the charges.
Meanwhile, Maria pled guilty to two counts of dealing with proceeds of crime at Sydney’s Downing Centre Local Court earlier this month. She is not accused of involvement in Iskander’s death.
Maria remains on bail and will face sentencing on September 7.
Ange Postecoglou’s managerial debut at Tottenham Hotspurs got off to a rocky start in Perth, Western Australia, as the football club lost 3-2 to West Ham United in Tuesday night’s friendly.
Tottenham started off with defensive lapses allowing West Ham to go 2-0 up after 23 minutes in front of fans at Perth’s Optus Stadium.
Tottenham levelled the scores at 2-2 in the second half, only for West Ham to secure their victory with a 78th-minute winner from Gianluca Scamacca.
Watch the full-match replay from an exciting pre-season fixture at the Optus Stadium in Perth! 🇦🇺
According to ftbl.com, although the final scoreline wouldn’t have pleased Postecoglou, the stats should bring a big smile to his face.
Postecoglou’s teams are known for their free-flowing, attacking football, and Tuesday night was no exception as Tottenham fans got a taste of what to expect when the season starts proper in August.
🎙️ “There were a lot of positives to take, we implemented some of the things we've been working hard in training on and that was good to see.”
Tottenham unleashed 30 shots to four, including 12 strikes on target. They enjoyed 72 per cent possession and won the corner count 14-3.
Postecoglou was thrilled that his players embraced his ethos of attacking football.
“There was some positive things – not all positive – but there was certainly enough there to sort of say that the boys are trying, they’re willing to change the way we play,” Postecoglou said after the match.
As the wildfire in Dervenochoria northwest of Athens continued to rage for a second consecutive day, Greek fire authorities ordered the evacuation of several settlements.
Panorama, Pournari, Paleochori, and Aghiα Sotira were all been instructed to evacuate as a safety measure on Tuesday.
In response to the escalating situation, the police also closed exits 1 and 2 of the Attiki Odos highway, leading to the towns of Mandra and Magoula respectively.
The wildfire initially broke out on Monday afternoon at Panaktos in Boeotia, within the Dervenochoria region, and has proven to be challenging to contain.
Residents in Mandra are being urged to evacuate.
The fire brigade has deployed a significant number of resources to combat the blaze, including five firefighting aircraft, five water-dropping helicopters, 48 fire engines with 140 firefighters, and five ground units.
The fire in Dervenochoria poses additional difficulties as it burns through a virgin forest located in an inaccessible area. The situation is further exacerbated by strong winds that are prevalent in the region, hindering firefighting efforts.
In a separate development, the Greek Fire Brigade has recommended the precautionary evacuation of the settlements Aghios Charalambos and Panorama in relation to the wildfire in Loutraki. The fire front is currently advancing over the Kallithea location and moving in a south-southeast direction, crossing the Athens-Corinth national highway.
A firefighter facing a wildfire in Loutraki, Greece. Photograph: Vasilis Psomas/EPA.
In response to these fires, the European Union has pledged additional assistance, with Italy and France each sending two firefighting planes to help Greece cope. The planes and their teams are part of an EU civil protection mechanism, and they will join some 30 Romanian firefighters already stationed in Greece as part of a seasonal EU fire program.
Greece also activated a rapid mapping evaluation system, which uses EU satellite data to assess fire damage.
A second heatwave is expected on Thursday, with temperatures as high as 44 degrees Celsius expected in central and southern parts of the country by the end of the week.
This week, fans from across the world will be glued to their screens watching as the most talented and agile women in football take to the stage and aim for the title of FIFA Women’s World Cup 2023 champions.
Across Australia, young girls have the opportunity to see their favourite players live, without having to stay up until the early hours of the morning.
For those who play the sport, it is an exceptionally exciting time. The saying goes ‘you can’t be, what you can’t see’ and so now, they are given the ultimate opportunity to get inspired and motivated to see themselves, one day, in the world’s biggest competition.
Amelia – U/15s South Springvale FC
Amelia.
If you look closely at your screen during the World Cup, you might be able to see Amelia on the field.
This dynamic center midfielder was one of 24 young footballers selected to be a ball kid.
“I couldn’t believe it. I was very thankful, knowing that 24 people got it and I was one of them. Being able to tell everyone I’ve got this role has been amazing,” she told The Greek Herald.
With Greek and Argentinian heritage, there was little doubt that Amelia would not have a soccer ball at her feet. One of her greatest inspirations on the field however, is American.
“Although I don’t get to see Alex Morgan, I’m so excited to know that she’s there. I love her passion and the way she plays. She’s got an amazing touch, amazing finishes. To me, she’s never had a bad game, she’s always playing good, and she inspires so many girls to play,” Amelia said.
She hopes the competition will encourage more girls to get involved in the game.
“I think it’s a perfect time to host the Women’s World Cup because not a lot of women play in Australia. Seeing all these girls play may inspire more girls to participate and want to push themselves to be better,” she said.
Eleni – U/13s Heidelberg United FC
Eleni.
As Eleni gets ready for her weekend matches, she prepares herself much like her idols do.
“Sam Kerr inspires me because I also play the striker position like her. Her passing the defence is really good and watching her score throughout the game is amazing. I also want to become a professional soccer player and play in England and Greece one day,” Eleni said.
“I also love Hayley Raso because she is so fast on the wing and I sometimes play like her. I also wear a ribbon in my hair like her.”
This young striker is training as hard as them too, playing in both the NPL Juniors and the Melbourne Victory PAC team. The impact of football in her life has been invaluable.
“I play soccer about 10-12 hours a week, with extra training at home. Training so much has allowed me to create friendships with not only girls on my team, but throughout the whole football community. I also watch over my games and analyse to improve,” she said.
“Watching the Women’s World Cup excites me, it makes me want to train harder and maybe become like them one day.”
Maria – U/15s Olympic FC
Maria.
Maria is what you could call a ‘triple threat.’ Not only does she play football, but she has taken up coaching and refereeing.
“At Olympic FC I coach an Under 9 boys’ team which I love. I enjoy teaching them what I know. I have been privileged to train under some amazing coaches, including former Socceroos and former A-League players. This year I also started refereeing which is harder than it looks,” Maria told The Greek Herald.
The young football player will be catching all the World Cup games being staged in Queensland and is looking to catch her favourite Matildas out on the field.
“I’m looking forward to seeing the Matildas but specifically Sam Kerr, Steph Catley and Haley Raso. Sam Kerr really inspires me; she started playing football at a young age and yet three years after she started playing, she got into the Matildas,” she explained.
“I think it is important that the World Cup is in Australia this year because it raises the profile of women’s football and hopefully will encourage more girls to play football. It is great to have the world’s best female players playing so close by that we can go and watch them!”
Ellena – U/15s, South Springvale FC
Ellena.
Ellena is her team’s youngest player and whilst most of her teammates are in their junior years of high school, she can keep up just as well.
“Football has become a big part of my life, it’s something I want to do in the future. The most challenging part of the game is the mental part of it, you have to stay in the game and you can’t take your eyes off the ball even for a few seconds,” she said.
This swift right back will have her Matildas jersey on throughout the competition, hoping to watch her favourite players bring their A-game.
“Sam Kerr has done really well the past few years and I’ve always looked up to her. I connect with her playing style; she’s not afraid to get a foot in and she can take shots from far distances,” Ellena said.
“The Women’s World Cup is a great way to get the word out there that women’s sport is just as exciting too.”
For those girls who are casting eyes on the game for the first time and are thinking of getting involved, Ellena had some super succinct advice.
“Just give it a go. It could change your life,” she said.
