Police have arrested six people and detained at least 59 others following clashes involving young people at a high school in Thessaloniki on Wednesday.
Youths backed by a right-wing political group hurled bombs, flares, and rocks at a rival left-wing university student group who gathered against government education reforms.
Police used tear gas to break up the violent demonstrations as classes at the school were ongoing.
Members of leftist groups protest near a vocational high school after clashes in the northern city of Thessaloniki, Greece, Wednesday, Sept. 29, 2021. Police in the second largest city of the country have arrested five people and detained at least 20 others following clashes involving youths backed by an extreme right-wing political group. (AP Photo/Giannis Papanikos)
Left-wing groups then protested the violence and Thessaloniki police fired tear gas and stun grenades to prevent a right-wing group from attacking the protestors.
Another 19 people were detained.
A youth wing of the extreme right group Golden Dawn had earlier expressed support for the morning counter-demonstration.
A Greek court ruled last year that the party was operating as a criminal organisation and sentenced members of its leadership to up to 13 years in prison.
In September 2020, thousands of Greek Australians across the nation erupted in applause as Dezi Madafferi and Penny Kerasiotis from Team Greece were crowned champions of Channel 7’s cooking show, Plate of Origin.
Just one short year later and it’s no surprise the Greek cousins can lay claim to having the coolest and most passionate fans around. After all, as Penny tells The Greek Herald, they really are just two “mother’s gone wild” who entered a cooking competition together and had their lives altered forever.
“It was very intense… because the show was during the first ever lockdown and so by the time we finished filming [in Sydney], border closures were happening and we were like, ‘how are we going to get back [to Melbourne]?’” Dezi says.
Dezi and Penny on Plate of Origin.
“Another thing was that initially it was supposed to be nearly three months of filming, but it was all cut down to seven weeks nearly. So it was short and sweet, but it was very tiring. Now I look back and I think, ‘how did we do it?’” Penny adds with a laugh.
Despite this, Dezi and Penny both say their experience on Plate of Origin is one they will never forget.
“[Winning Plate of Origin] truly was a dream come true. I can’t explain it any other way. It felt surreal and we just couldn’t believe it was happening,” Dezi says.
Dezi and Penny won Plate of Origin as Team Grece. Here they are with celebrity judges Matt Preston, Manu Feldel and Gary Mehigan (L-R).
“We were so fortunate and glad that we got to represent Greek Australians and our cuisine that we love so much. It was such a privilege to do it together and as a team. We had the best time.”
Where are they now?
In the months following their victory on the cooking show, Dezi and Penny say the support from the Greek Australian community was ‘so humbling and lovely.’
“It was twofold really because we were in lockdown so when we got back, even when the show aired, we were in our homes. We couldn’t watch it with anyone, we couldn’t enjoy it with our families, our friends, with each other even. So it was a very separate sort of experience,” Dezi explains.
Dezi and Penny appreciate the Greek community’s support.
“However, on the flip side of that, us Greek Australians as a community are so supportive and the community really just embraced us and thanked us and it was so humbling.”
For Penny, she was surprised to see lines outside the doors of her shop Miss Penny Cakes in Melbourne.
“What really got to me was a lot of the Greeks did support us and the over 80s as well. All the yiayiades and pappoudes came to my shop crying when they met me… and they were so proud of us,” Penny says.
“It’s just so beautiful to see that people appreciate what we did. For us it was something simple but for them, it touched their heart. That’s what I really enjoyed and to this day they still come in emotional and it’s so nice.”
Of course, having such a supportive fan base has given Dezi and Penny the chance to continue developing their passion for cooking and work on their respective businesses.
In January this year, Penny extended her shop Miss Penny Cakes and has created a few Greek cake mixes such as coconut syrup cake and kourabiethes, as well as other staples including chocolate cake, vanilla cake and cookie mixes.
Dezi with her seasoning range.
Penny with her cake mixes.
Dezi, who worked for Country Road for 20 years, decided to launch her own seasoning range which includes her best-selling ‘Gyro Gyro Souvlaki’ seasoning. She says it’s a ‘niche market’ but believes it’s a ‘good opportunity to do something food related but not have an actual café or shop.’ The seasonings can now be found in 12 Victorian stores, one Queensland store and online.
“Even though the show is over I don’t feel, and not to sound ungrateful or selfish, I don’t think it’s over just yet. I think there’s a lot that Penny and I have got to do, there’s a lot we’ve got to do individually. I still think the sky’s the limit,” Dezi concludes.
Krystina Emmanouilides is a Greek Australian woman carving her way through the male-dominated world of motorsport.
Speaking to ABC News, Krystina shares how she went from dreaming of working in Formula 1 to actually becoming a computational fluid dynamics (CFD) development engineer in Alfa Romeo’s ORLEN Formula 1 team.
“We use data from the track and the wind tunnel, and we do a lot of checks and improvements constantly to increase the quality [of simulations],” Krystina told the media outlet.
Growing up in the inner suburbs of Melbourne, Emmanouilides’ family lived close enough to Albert Park Circuit that the roar of engines soundtracked her childhood. This saw her want to study mechanical engineering but she just had to find a way in.
“I was doing research on the internet, but there wasn’t a whole lot of information, like, how do you get into F1? It’s a very exclusive field,” she said.
Eventually, she got into Oxford Brookes University and travelled alone to Oxford, 90 minutes north-west of London, UK, to study a field heavily dominated by men.
“The chances that you were in the same class as another woman was always very low,” Krystina explained, while recalling how there were five women in engineering — herself included — out of roughly 300 students.
Nevertheless, Krystina, who is also openly gay, found her group of reliable fellow students who she could lean on when studies became especially challenging and competitive.
I’m absolutely delighted to welcome Krystina Emmanouilides as a @RacingPrideHQ Industry Ambassador. Krystina is a design engineer for Alfa Romeo Sauber #F1 team. She will be a great role model for women and #LGBTQ+ people looking to enter the sport. #racingpridepic.twitter.com/hgDjFtBMCU
“I never wanted to just be treated as one of the guys. But I felt like I belonged. I had worked hard to get there, just like everyone else, I had the same interest as everyone else, I wanted to be in the same place as everyone else. So I belonged there,” she said.
Now, with a foot in the door in the Formula 1 industry, Krystina is focused on not only succeeding and making changes for herself, but for the women and LGBTQI+ community coming through after her.
“There are many steps left in my career progression. And like I said, I’m here to stay but at the same time, I don’t want to take my position for granted. F1 is such a small pool for engineering,” Krystina said.
“As I climb the ladder, and I sort of have a little bit more control over that, I am really keen to make sure that I can be in a position to give more opportunities to students from different backgrounds.”
In a recent poll undertaken byThe Daily Telegraph, about 77 percent of people in News South Wales want children to return to their classes at the same time pubs, hotels and shopping centres reopen.
Under the current NSW road map to reopening, pubs and shopping centres will open on October 11 to the fully vaccinated, but schools will remain closed for a further two weeks before a staggered return starts on October 25.
“Parents should assume it is October 25 and if there is better news than that, we will convey it. I want to stress we are carefully considering the options we have to get kids to school earlier if we can,” NSW Premier, Gladys Berejiklian, said today.
Gladys Berejiklian said schools will return on October 25.
Maroubra mum, Gaye Xenos, said she wanted her 10-year-old daughter, Olivia, and 15-year-old daughter, Natalia, back at school sooner than the October 25 date outlined by the government, because three months of learning from home was not going well.
“With the 15-year-old, I can’t really help her with any work… towards the end of the term if the younger one couldn’t understand something, she was stressed and just wasn’t getting the work done,” Ms Xenos told The Daily Telegraph.
In the end, Ms Xenos just had to wave the white flag, telling her children not to bother with anything they couldn’t understand. She now wants them to return to school sooner if it is safe.
“They are only going back for a few weeks (before summer holidays). I think they could have gone back a bit sooner,” she said.
Parents want their children to return to school earlier than October 25.
NSW Education Minister, Sarah Mitchell, says the safety of students is the priority.
“I recognise that there are a mix of views across the community on when the right time is for children to return to school,” she said.
“It’s fantastic that we will meet vaccination targets in NSW earlier than originally anticipated. I want students back in the classroom as soon as possible, but we also need to ensure that it is done in a safe and sensible way.
“We continue to review our school settings and plans, as we have done throughout the pandemic, in line with the latest health advice.”
Peter Kay, the brother-in-law of colourful Sydney construction identity George Alex, has been charged over the alleged $20 million tax fraud and money laundering scheme run by Mr Alex and jailed crime figure Michael Ibrahim, The Sydney Morning Heraldreports.
Mr Kay, 54, who is married to Mr Alex’s sister Athina, is the 14th person to be arrested in relation to the alleged scheme.
He appeared in a Sydney court on Tuesday charged with recklessly dealing with more than $450,000 in proceeds of crime which should have gone to the tax office but instead went into Mr Kay’s bank accounts. The maximum penalty for this offence is 10 years’ imprisonment.
Peter Kay’s wife Athina Alex, gave evidence at the royal commission into trade unions. Photo: Ben Rushton.
On July 21, 2020, the Australian Federal Police arrested more than a dozen people, including George Alex and his son Arthur, over the alleged fraud which used construction labour-hire companies and associated payroll operators to defraud the ATO of more than $20 million.
Like his wife Athina and George Alex, both of whom have been bankrupted, Mr Kay has also had a chequered business career. He was only discharged from bankruptcy last month.
Mr Kay was granted bail and will face court again on November 23.
In a recent meeting between the Federal Minister for Immigration, Citizenship, Migrant Services and Multicultural Affairs, the Hon Alex Hawke, and Greek Community of Melbourne (GCM) President, Bill Papastergiadis, a number of important matters were discussed including the opening of international borders and the status of the much-muted vaccination passport.
Despite this being his first meeting with the GCM, Minister Hawke said, “I am aware of the GCM’s outreach and programs and I commend the GCM for its work.’
Minister Hawke welcomed the GCM’s interest in community affairs and invited the GCM President to continue to advocate and reach out to him and the Government on all matters of relevance. The GCM’s advocacy on the recently announced negotiations with Greece on a tax treaty is a pertinent example.
The Minister then spoke of the great vaccination program across the nation that had picked up speed and expressed confidence it would hit targets in the coming weeks and months.
Minister Hawke (left) met with Bill Papastergiadis. Photo supplied.
The Minister empathised with the stress being felt by many over the international border closures noting, ”I understand the dislocation that the border closures have had on the Greek and other ethnic communities, not only with cancellations of travel but in particular with the disruption of family re-unions, but I believe that there is light at the end of the tunnel.”
Minister Hawke noted that, “the Government was working hard on both international borders and vaccination passports.”
On vaccinations, Bill Papastergiadis briefed the Minister about the successful hub the GCM ran in Thornbury recently and that the GCM was working with Minister Hunt on further instituting more of these in the next few weeks.
Bill also congratulated the Minister on his work to allow a larger partner immigration intake this year given the downturn in skilled migration due to the pandemic. Minister Hawke reiterated the Governments keenness to make it to pre-pandemic migration levels as soon as was safely possible.
Finally, the Minister who spoke of his Greek heritage, responded to an invitation to visit with the GCM at its landmark Greek Centre in the near future with an undertaking to try and make it his first trip out of lockdown.
Aftershocks continue to rattle Greece’s largest island Crete two days after a strong earthquake that killed one-person, damaged hundreds of buildings and left many homeless.
The strongest tremor was measured at 5.3 magnitude at 7:48 a.m. (0448 GMT) on Tuesday, the Athens observatory said, as Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis prepared to visit the area.
A preliminary inspection has shown around a thousand buildings were damaged in Monday’s quake, which struck at a depth of just 10 kilometres (6.2 miles).
The epicentre was near the agricultural town of Arkalochori, where a man was killed inside a church that collapsed and nearly a dozen other people were injured.
Authorities have put up tents to host hundreds of people whose homes are deemed unsafe to return to at present, and have also made dozens of hotel rooms available.
‘A very difficult night’
Iraklio resident and tourism small business owner Dimitris Marathianos said that “it was a very difficult night.”
“The situation is better here compared to Arkalochori in terms of damages but the aftershocks are strong and keep us awake all night. People spend the nights outside of their homes because they don’t feel safe,” Marathianos told The Greek Herald.
Mr Marathianos also expressed concerns that the quakes might affect the tourism industry.
“Most tourists are terrified. The hotels are busy and I hope this nightmare ends soon so we can keep working to make up for the lockdowns we went through and the reduced traffic we experienced this summer,” he said.
Iraklio resident, Iraklis Zografakis
Another Iraklio resident and coffee shop owner Iraklis Zografakis said that the government mechanism was mobilised quickly and tents have been set up in the area for the families who lost their homes.
“The earth shakes and we can’t relax here at Iraklio. Our children are safe because schools are closed but we are on high alert.”
Local residents Maria Liondou and Katerina Kalaitzaki say that “they hope the worse has passed.”
Message of support from the Cretans of Australia and New Zealand
In a letter to their fellow Cretans who are going through difficult times Cretan Federation of Australia and New Zealand say they will support their home country.
“The President Mr. Antonis Tsourdalakis and the Board of Directors of the Cretan Federation of Australia and New Zealand express their full support to the people of Crete for the recent earthquake that hit our island,” reads the letter.
“The Cretan Associations of Oceania and all the Cretans of Australia are on the side of the earthquake victims and will support our compatriots in any way requested. We pray to God to protect the inhabitants of the island, to keep them well and give them strength to face the current situation.
“We hope that there will be no further seismic vibrations and that the wounds left by the eclipse will be dealt with immediately by the state.
France and Greece on Tuesday announced a defense deal worth around 3 billion euros ($3.5 billion), including Athens’ decision to buy three French warships as part of a strategy to boost its defense capacities in the Eastern Mediterranean amid recurring tensions with longtime foe Turkey.
French President, Emmanuel Macron, and Greek Prime Minister, Kyriakos Mitsotakis, announced a defense and security strategic partnership in a joint news conference in Paris.
“This partnership expresses our will to increase and intensify our cooperation in the defense and security sector based on our mutual interests,” Macron said. It will “help protect the sovereignty, independence, territorial integrity of both states.”
Greece will purchase three French frigates to be built by defense contractor Naval Group in Lorient, in western France. The deal includes an option for the acquisition of a fourth frigate.
Η σημερινή εξέλιξη αποτελεί και μία πρωτοβουλία που ανταποκρίνεται σε αιτήματα των καιρών στην ήπειρό μας. Γιατί Ελλάδα και Γαλλία κάνουν σήμερα ένα πρώτο τολμηρό βήμα προς την ευρωπαϊκή στρατηγική αυτονομία. pic.twitter.com/mm9HzYN1yO
Mitsotakis said it comes “out of national motivation to shield our country,” but also has “a European motive as it strengthens our common defense industry.”
“Greece and France are today taking a bold first step towards European strategic autonomy,” he added, saying it’s paving the way towards “a Europe that … will be able to defend (its interests) in the wider region, in the eastern Mediterranean, in the Middle East.”
Mitsotakis and Macron gave a joint press conference.
When asked whether this deal risked raising tensions in the eastern Mediterranean, Macron said the accord did not target a country specifically, but Greece, as the outer border of the European Union needed to be protected.
In response to the deal, Greece’s main opposition party, SYRIZA-Progressive Alliance, said on Tuesday the agreement “is strategically sound” but the country will “pay dearly” for it due the Conservative government’s delays in completing the talks that had started in 2018.
“We wonder, beyond the Navy’s needed frigates and the Air Force’s upgrade of F-16s, whether other defense choices are of such priority, and whether they exceed our economy’s expenditure capacities,” SYRIZA said.
‘Stop being naive’:
During the press conference, Macron also said Europe needs to stop being naive when it comes to defending its interests and build its own military capacity.
French President Emmanuel Macron. Photo: Ludovic Marin/Pool via Reuters.
France was plunged into an unprecedented diplomatic crisis with the United States, Australia and Britain earlier this month over a trilateral nuclear security deal which sank a multi-billion dollar French-designed submarine contract with Canberra.
That has caused much soul searching in Paris over its traditional alliances. Speaking for the first time on the issue, Macron on Tuesday seized the opportunity to urge for more European autonomy as Washington increasingly reorientates its interests towards China and the Indo-Pacific.
“The Europeans must stop being naive. When we are under pressure from powers, which at times harden (their stance) , we need to react and show that we have the power and capacity to defend ourselves. Not escalating things, but protecting ourselves,” Macron said.
“This isn’t an alternative to the United States alliance. It’s not a substitution, but to take responsibility of the European pillar within NATO and draw the conclusions that we are asked to take care of our own protection.”
