Paris Cockinos from Sphere Drones is set to transform workplace safety in Australia with his new robot, named Spot.
According to Nine News, the robot not only fits into dangerous spaces, but its cameras can also zoom in to an object 150 metres away.
“It’s there to really remove staff from unsafe environments and act as a conduit for staff on the ground here on construction sites,” Cockinos told the program.
Paris Cockinos from Sphere Drones is set to transform workplace safety in Australia.
The robot, which cost $150,000, is the first of its kind in Australia and is set to be tested by Australian emergency services including police and firefighters interstate.
Cockinos’ company also specialises in commercial drones and he counts Rio Tinto, Fortescue Mining and Surf Life Saving Australia as some of his clients.
South Australian property mogul and developer, Theo Maras, has called for the state government “to set out a new vision for future development across Adelaide.”
In an opinion piece for The Advertiser, Mr Maras criticises the lack of a “clear planning vision” for Adelaide since 2017, when the government updated its ’30-Year Plan for Greater Adelaide’ to respond to population growth and high-density development.
“We are told the state is committed to a more compact urban form and managing growth within our existing footprint. In simple terms, an ambition that would see Adelaide grow up rather than out,” Mr Maras writes.
SA developer, Theo Maras.
“Yet this appears to merely pay lip service to seriously planning for Adelaide’s future.”
Mr Maras gave a number of examples of where development has already gone wrong in the capital city, including “the parochial, emotional debate about the Riverbank precinct.”
“We are told the Riverbank precinct is an integral part of Adelaide’s identity. Yet a range of proposed zoning-and-policy changes are being considered in isolation to a holistic plan,” he writes.
“Even as a developer, I believe our unique Adelaide parklands must stay sacrosanct. It is an invaluable public asset, like Central Park in New York or Hyde Park in London.”
To break this negative development cycle, Mr Maras suggested a “holistic planning review” is needed “that starts with industry and better defines our economic hubs, including in the regions.”
“Now is the time for the government to step up and map out SA’s future. We are already Australia’s most liveable city. Let’s make SA the nation’s best-planned state,” he concludes.
Longtime Crown Resorts heavyweight, Peter Crinis, is set to emerge at the helm of a hotel company that will list on the Australian Securities Exchange next year, The Daily Telegraphreports.
Mr Crinis will head the PUBLIC group, the brainchild of high-profile deal-maker Jon Adgemis backed by Alex Waislitz-led investment house Thorney.
They plan to float a $400 million hotel company stocked up with cool inner-city and regional properties that appeal to a younger crowd who are taking to drinking and travelling locally while international travel is restricted.
Ex-Crown boss, Peter Crinis, is set to lead pub group as it heads for the ASX.
Mr Adgemis’ Jaga Group has assembled the portfolio over the past six years, which spans 14 hotels in inner Sydney and Melbourne, as well as regional NSW, with additional operated properties in Sydney.
PUBLIC says there is a gap in accommodation between the traditional short and long-stay markets, which it plans to exploit by developing vibrant and bespoke lifestyle and accommodation experiences, the newspaper reports.
Mr Crinis is said to be the best man for the job. His last role for the James Packer-backed gambling company was as chief executive for Crown Sydney and overseeing the casino group’s hotels nationally.
Ex-Adelaide fugitive, Jim Soukoulis, who is accused of attempting to import 255kg of methamphetamines into Australia, has spent almost two years on the run since skipping bail in November 2019.
But according to The Advertiser, Jim’s freedom has cost his brother Terry Soukoulis $150,000 and a close female friend $120,000 after their bail sureties were enforced by Melbourne’s County Court.
Jim is facing multiple charges, including trafficking and conspiracy, in connection with a plot to import the methamphetamines into Australia from California in a light plane.
Soukoulis was charged over an alleged plot to import 255kg of methamphetamine from California to Australia via light aircraft.
The 58-year-old was released from custody on bail in November 2017 to live at a South Melbourne address with sureties totalling $900,000 – including his elderly mother’s $600,000 home in Sturt St in Adelaide jointly owned by Terry Soukoulis.
An appeal against the enforcement resulted in them being reduced on hardship grounds to $150,000 for Terry Soukoulis and $120,000 for Jim’s female friend. Soukoulis’ 89-year-old mother Georgia was not pursued because she had not signed the surety document.
Jim was last seen in the carpark of his apartment in South Melbourne on the morning of November 12, 2019.
Federal Police Detective Leading Senior Constable Greg Hinds said arrest warrants were still current for Jim and anyone with any information on his whereabouts is urged to contact Crime Stoppers on 1800 333 000.
With local delicacies prepared by volunteers, music and special guests South Australia’s community honoured the 61th anniversary of the declaration of Cyprus Independence with a luncheon held on Sunday, 31 October at the Cyprus community centre in Welland, Adelaide.
The event attended over 200 members and friends of Cyprus among them the Minister of Innovation and Skills, David Pisoni, representing the Premier Steven Marshall; Assistant Minister to the Premier, Jing Lee; federal member for Adelaide, Steve Georganas; City of Charles Sturt mayor, Angela Evans; the Consul General of Greece in Adelaide, George Psiachas; Chair of SAMEAC, Adriana Christopoulos; President of GOCSA, Bill Gonis and President of SEKA SA, Peter Ppyros.
In his opening speech President of Cyprus Community, Professor Andreas Evdokiou, said that Cypriot people “have achieved independence but not the one they’ve dreamed of.”
“…For Cyprus and its people this day remains a day of reflection and concern for the future. Sixty-one years after the declaration of an independent republic, Cyprus remains divided with the Cyprus problem currently at a critical point with new challenges, blackmail and risk,” he said.
“We have a duty to continue the fight to stop the Cyprus problem. We seek a solution that will end the occupation,” said President Evdokiou before he called the attendees to a toast to the Republic of Cyprus.
In their speeches minister Pisoni, Federal Labor MP Steve Georganas, the Consul General and Charles Sturt Mayor Angela Evans highlighted the contribution of the Cypriot people to South Australia’s multicultural tapestry and commended them for their ongoing efforts to find a solution to the Cyprus problem.
“We, Greeks and Greek Cypriots have the same make and we don’t leave our rights undefended…with this persistence we will one day bring back the Parthenon sculptures and in the same manner Cyprus will get justice,” the Consul General said.
The event concluded with Community awards given to eminent members of the Cyprus community.
“Communities are getting older and we are losing a lot of our members. We need to enjoy them while we can,” said Prof. Evdokiou before together with Minister Lee he presented the community service awards to Maria Stamati, Maroula Marnerou, Antonis Marinos, Grigoris Christoforou-Orfanou, Giannis Ktoris (his son Nick received the award on his behalf) and Dimitris Kyriakou who was absent due to ill health.
Freedoms for fully vaccinated NSW residents have been brought forward from the original December 1 date to next Monday, November 8.
Changes to the Covid roadmap have been unveiled today by Premier Dominic Perrottet.
From November 8, there will be no limit on visitors in homes, no rules for outdoor gatherings with fewer than 1000 people and indoor swimming pools will reopen for all purposes.
Mr Perrottet also announced an easing of restrictions on businesses with dancing allowed at nightclubs and a 1 person per 2 sqm rule at venues.
Changes to the Covid roadmap have been unveiled today by NSW Premier Dominic Perrottet.
For unvaccinated people who had been due to get freedoms on December 1, they’ll now have to wait until December 15 or whatever date NSW reaches 95 percent double dose coverage for people aged 16 and above.
In NSW, 93.6 per cent of people aged 16 and up have had one jab, while 87.8 per cent are fully vaccinated.
This news comes one day after international and regional reopened in NSW, with people now able to leave Australia without a permit or travel around the state so long as they are fully vaccinated.
The state also recorded 173 new COVID cases and four deaths today, after a record low of infections yesterday which saw just 135 new infections.
Greek health authorities announced 5,449 new coronavirus cases on Monday, a staggering increase from the previous high of 4,696 recorded on Saturday. The new cases were identified from 82,593 tests, a worrying positivity rate of 6.59%.
The report by the National Organisation for Public Health also reported 52 deaths, for a total of 15,990 since the start of the pandemic. There are also currently 430 patients intubated in Greece’s ICUs.
Giannis Oikonomou, a spokesman for the government, said it was “pressing” to increase the number of vaccinations, which have been moving at a slower pace than authorities anticipated.
Photo: AP/ Evgeniy Maloletka.
“We’re not done with Covid yet. As long as there are unvaccinated people, the virus finds a suitable ground to spread,” Oikonomou told a regular news briefing on Monday.
“We mourn the loss of human lives due to non-vaccination, and this cannot, and should not, continue.”
This news comes after Greek Prime Minister, Kyriakos Mitsotakis, convened an emergency meeting at his office in the Maximos Mansion on Monday amid fears of a new COVID spike.
The meeting was attended by chief epidemiological adviser, Sotiris Tsiodras, as well as Health Minister, Thanos Plevris, and his deputy who is responsible for matters related to the pandemic, Mina Gaga.
Greek Prime Minister, Kyriakos Mitsotakis, and Australian Prime Minister, Scott Morrison, have both addressed the delegates of the UN Climate Change Conference (COP26) currently taking place in Glasgow.
‘A regional hub for green energy’:
During his address, Mitsotakis said Greece can make a significant contribution in tackling the climate crisis and help in the green transition, despite its small carbon footprint.
The Prime Minister outlined six key areas where this can be done, including the Greek government’s green transition program and the actions being planned, such as phasing out coal and increasing the share of renewable energy sources through offshore wind parks and measures for “green” shipping.
He also emphasised plans to convert Greece into “a regional hub for green energy” for Europe based on the recent agreement with Egypt and talks that are underway with Saudi Arabia.
In conclusion, Mitsotakis told the UN climate conference: “We have reached a stage where there is no more room for petty politics.”
“Our children and the generations to come will not forgive us if we fail to coordinate and address this existential thread for humanity. Starting today, I firmly believe that we can live up to this challenge,” he said.
Mitsotakis with other world leaders at COP26.
$2 billion funding pledge to UN climate summit:
Australia has made a $2 billion pledge to the United Nations climate summit in a promise to do its part to limit the rise in global temperatures.
Prime Minister Scott Morrison promised the higher spending in a formal statement that also said Australian emissions will fall by 35 percent by 2030.
The finance pledge was the only new measure in Morrison’s national statement to the meeting after he announced $500 million earlier in the day for aid programs in Asia and the Pacific to make communities more resilient against climate change.
Morrison arrives at the summit.
After meeting with Fiji Prime Minister Frank Bainimarama, Tuvalu Prime Minister Kausea Natano and Palau President Surangel Whipps Jr, Mr Morrison said there was “no greater threat to our Pacific family, to the blue economy, than climate change.”
“We’re not putting this (climate finance) through other worldwide institutions or other groups like this, we are doing this direct because we want to make sure that the climate finance investments that Australians are making are being invested in our backyard among our Pacific Islands family and among our South East Asian partners and friends,” Mr Morrison said.
By Andriana Simos, Argyro Vourdoumpaand Eva Karatzas.
The 81st anniversary of OXI Day was commemorated over the weekend with a number of wreath laying ceremonies and heartfelt speeches by Greek communities across Australia.
Here’s how the commemorations went down throughout the country:
New South Wales:
OXI Day events were held across NSW, with many youth and Greek schools holding small wreath laying ceremonies and poem recitals.
A number of Greek Orthodox churches in the state also conducted doxologies and memorial services to remember all those Greek soldiers who lost their lives fighting bravely for Greece.
Students from the Greek school at Saints Raphael, Nicholas and Irene Greek Orthodox Church in Liverpool.
Photos: Facebook.
At Saints Raphael, Nicholas and Irene Greek Orthodox Church in Liverpool, students from the Greek school wore traditional Greek costumes and proudly held the Greek flag inside church during a service. Later, wreaths were laid at a cenotaph outside of the church, while the students recited poems.
Elsewhere, students from All Saints Grammar School in Belmore also laid wreaths during a doxology on Sunday, while the Greek school of St Nectarios Greek Orthodox Church in Burwood held a virtual celebration of OXI Day. Videos of young children reciting poems and songs were posted on the church’s social media pages.
Wreath laying ceremony at All Saints Greek Orthodox church in Belmore.
Victoria:
In Victoria, the Hellenic RSL Melbourne held a small memorial service to remember the sacrifice of all those who fought for Greece during WWII.
The service began with a Divine Liturgy at St Eustathios Greek Orthodox church in South Melbourne and was followed by a wreath-laying ceremony at the Australian Hellenic Memorial.
A memorial service was held at the Australian Hellenic Memorial. Photo: Facebook.
Wreaths were laid on the day by a number of prominent members of Melbourne’s Greek community including, but not limited to, the Consul General for Greece in Melbourne, Emmanuel Kakavelakis, and the President of the Greek Orthodox Community of Melbourne and Victoria (GCM), Bill Papastergiadis.
During the day, students from all of the GCM’s Greek schools also held an online assembly. Poems were recited, while two students and their father played their bouzouki, baglama and guitar and sang the satirical anti-war song “Aκου Ντούτσε μου τα νέα” composed by Panteli Tounta in 1940. At the closing of the assembly, students watched the short film “Ειρήνη” of Aristophanes.
South Australia:
On Sunday, October 31, the Greek Orthodox Community of SA (GOCSA) commemorated the 81st Anniversary of ‘OXI Day’ with a doxology held at the Cathedral of Archangels Michael and Gabriel followed by a wreath laying ceremony and the reciting of poems by students of the Community’s Greek Language school students.
During the event, the President of GOCSA, Bill Gonis, gave a small speech and acknowledged the Greeks who “fought for their freedom, values and principles.”
Photos: The Greek Herald / Argyro Vourdoumpa.
“The Greek Orthodox Community of South Australia educates the next generation about the heroism of Greek men and women who fought for our freedom and continues to instil in them the brave legacy left to us by our predecessors,” Mr Gonis said.
“May these sacrifices made by our ancestors become a beacon of unity and ideals towards democracy and peace.”
Photo: The Greek Herald / Argyro Vourdoumpa.
Present at the event were representatives of Greek community organisations and members of the wider South Australian community including, but not limited to: David Pisoni, Minister for Innovation and Skills representing the Premier of SA Steven Marshall; Rachel Sanderson MP, Minister for Child Protection; Joe Sazacks, MP representing the Leader of the Opposition Peter Malinauskas; Steve Georganas, Federal Member for Adelaide; Jane Stinson MP, Shadow Minister for Multicultural Affairs; Adriana Christopoulos, Chair of the South Australian Multicultural and Ethnic Affairs Commission (SAMEAC); Adelaide Mayor Sandy Verschoor and Professor Andreas Evdokiou, President of the Cyprus Community of SA.
Photos: The Greek Herald / Argyro Vourdoumpa.
Western Australia:
The Consulate of Greece in Perth organised a Wreath Laying Ceremony at Kings Park State War Memorial on Sunday, October 31, to commemorate the National Day of 28 October 1940.
The wreath laying was preceded by a doxology at the Church of St Nektarios. The ceremony opened with a blessing by the Reverend Fathers, presided by His Grace Bishop Elpidios Kyaneon.
Photos: Facebook.
This was followed by performances from the students of St Andrew’s Grammar and the Immaculate Heart College.
Later, Australian and Greek dignitaries paid tribute by laying wreaths and the ceremony was concluded with short speeches by the Consul of Greece in Perth, Ms Georgia Karasiotou and Mr Hugh Jones MLA, Representing the Premier of WA.
ACT:
On Sunday, October 31, the Greek Orthodox Community and Church of Canberra gathered to commemorate OXI Day at St Nicholas Greek Orthodox church in Kingston.
About 100 people attended the commemorations, which began with a church service and doxology followed by a trisagio and wreath laying ceremony at the Hellenic War Memorial in Canberra.
Photos by: Eva Karatzas.
In attendance were a number of Greek community members including His Excellency of Greece, Mr George Papacostas; Deputy Head of the Mission for Greece, Mr Theo Michalopoulos; High Commissioner of Cyprus, Mrs Martha Mavrommatis; President of the Greek Orthodox Church and Community of Canberra, Mr John Loukadellis; and the President of the Cyprus Community of Canberra, Mrs Georgia Alexandrou, among many others.
Mr Papacostas, Mrs Mavrommatis and Mr Loukadellis all gave small speeches on the day.
“The Greeks of Australia should be congratulated for acknowledging their traditions, customs, culture, history and language and for passing them onto this current generation and for future generations ahead,” Mr Papacostas said during his speech.
Later, students and teachers from the Greek School of Canberra recited traditional poems and songs to commemorate the significance of OXI Day.
“For me, OXI means freedom. Greece is a small country, but a brave country that will never give up it’s freedom, faith, culture and its language. I am very proud to be standing here today and witnessing our kids from the Greek school carry on our traditions,” Principal of the School, Mr Loukadellis, said.
Northern Territory:
The Greek Orthodox Community of Northern Australia (GOCNA) marked OXI Day over two days in Darwin. On Saturday, October 30, students from the Greek Orthodox School of Darwin held an assembly where they performed a number of Greek plays and recited traditional Greek poems.
Photos supplied.
On Sunday, the local community gathered at St Nicholas Greek Orthodox Church in Darwin for a doxology and memorial service.
Media reports later emerged of “concerning behaviour” inside the church as anti-vaxxers approached NT Opposition Leader, Lia Finocchiaro, who was in attendance at the event, and expressed their disappointment at the state’s vaccine mandate.
Later, a wreath laying ceremony was held with a number of representatives from the Greek community organisations and broader community. This included Ms Finocchiaro, the Lord Mayor of Darwin, Kon Vatskalis, the Honorary Consul General of Greece in Darwin, John Anictomatis, Alderwoman Sylvia Klonaris, and the President of GOCNA, Nicholas Poniris, among many others.
Tasmania:
Tasmania’s Greek community gathered to commemorate OXI Day on Sunday at St Georges Greek Orthodox Church.
Photos supplied.
The commemorations began with a doxology service, followed by a wreath laying ceremony inside the church and souvlakia outside.
During the ceremony, the church chanters and the congregation also sang the Greek national anthem as a way of honouring the Greek men, women and children who fought heroically during WWII.
Myra Demetriou, who was the last public housing tenant forced out of the Sirius apartments in Sydney, has passed away at the age of 94.
According to the Save Our Siriuswebsite, although Demetriou was “elderly, frail, in poor health and almost totally blind,” she remained an inspiration to others “in her unwillingness to accept limitations due to her disabilities and in her determination to defend Sirius.”
“Myra was a great Sydneysider, a much-loved member of her many communities and a fearless soul. We all loved Myra, and Myra loved us all. Vale Myra – we will certainly miss you,” Chair of the Sirius Foundation, Shaun Carter, wrote in a tribute to her.
Myra Demetriou was the last public housing tenant forced out of the Sirius apartments in Sydney.
According to a 2017 article by The Sydney Morning Herald, Demetriou wanted her body to be taken to the University of Sydney, where it will be donated to science.
Who was Myra Demetriou?
The Sirius building at The Rocks in Sydney was designed by Theo (Tao) Gofers in the late 1970s for the Housing Commission. It was purpose built for social housing for families and older people and included lift access and built-in distress alarms.
But in 2014, the residents of Sirius were told by the NSW Government they would be moved to ‘new homes’ along with all other public housing tenants in The Rocks, Millers Point and Dawes Point.
Demetriou with her SOS sign.
Demetriou was one of these tenants. She lived on the tenth floor and regularly travelled by bus on her own to attend lectures at the Mechanics Institute and to visit the State Library, grocery store, local community centre and church.
Every night after the NSW Government’s announcement, Demetriou turned on a set of lights which flashed a message across Sydney Harbour and The Rocks: ‘SOS, Save Our Sirius.’
She became a symbol of hope and determination to all residents as they began to move out. She was the last tenant to be displaced.
