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Huge fire breaks out in Samos refugee camp

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An alarm sounded in Samos shortly after 4am today, as a fire broke out in the reception and identification center of the refugee camp in Vathy. 

Speaking to SKAI 100.3, the special secretary of the reception centre, Manos Logothetis, stated that about 20 to 25 accommodations were destroyed. 

Mr Logothetis added that about 100 to 150 people whose accommodation was destroyed have been taken to a safe place, while the rest returned to their accommodation.  

UPDATE:

Firefighters have managed to contain the fire at the Vathy Reception and Identification Centre for refugees on the island of Samos.

No injuries have been reported as of yet.

A total of about 4,900 people live in the refugee camp on Samos island. 

The fire comes just two days after the island was struck by a 7.0 magnitude earthquake, which killed two teenagers.

READ MORE: Strong earthquake in Aegean Sea kills at least 14 people in Turkey And Greece.

Greece’s Culture Ministry slammed for laying cement on sections of the Acropolis

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Greece’s Ministry of Culture has been slammed by archaeologists and people on social media after photos emerged of cement paths covering sections of the Acropolis.

According to the Ministry, the cementing of certain areas aims to facilitate access for visitors with mobility problems and disabilities, as well as seniors and visitors with health problems.

The project had been unanimously approved in May by the Central Archaeological Council (KAS) and includes an elevator for people with a disability.

Archaeologist, Despina Makropoulou, posted these photos of the cement on Facebook.

But protesting archaeologists and the internet community argue that other materials such as wood, plexiglass or metal ramps could have been used to avoid any potential destruction.

In response, the Culture Minister, Lina Mendoni, issued a statement, claiming that the cement critics had no “culture.”

“The Ministry of Culture expresses its joy that sensitive citizens were concerned about the routes, which are paved on the Acropolis in order to facilitate the access of the disabled, the elderly and citizens with health problems,” the statement reads.

The cement paths have been heavily criticised on social media and by archaeologists.

“At the same time, it regrets that the same sensitive citizens who are protesting have not visited the Acropolis for at least twenty years, when these roads were paved with cement.

“The difference is that over time and with the passage of millions of visitors, all these years, the material has been destroyed and the routes are a trap even for those who do not have mobility problems.”

The project is reportedly funded by the Onassis Foundation, which has also funded the recently upgraded lighting system at the Acropolis.

READ MORE: Greece unveils spectacular new lighting for the Acropolis.

Dr Artemis Papathanassiou to discuss Greek “cultural diplomacy” during video conference

International lawyer and Legal Advisor for Greece’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Dr Artemis Papathanassiou, will take part in a special video conference to discuss how Greece is handling recent attacks against its cultural and religious heritage.

The conference, which is hosted on behalf of the Australian Chamber of Commerce and Industry and the Greek Consul General in Sydney, Christos Karras, will be held on Wednesday, November 11, from 5pm to 6.30pm.

READ MORE: ‘Product of theft’: Greece urges UK again to return Parthenon marbles.

Dr Papathanassiou will discuss how Greece is among the leading countries in the fight against the illegal trafficking in cultural property, with a specific emphasis on key aspects of Greek “cultural diplomacy.”

A spotlight will be placed on emblematic case studies such as how Greece is managing the return of the Parthenon Marbles, as well as the recent conversion of the Hagia Sophia World Heritage Monument into a mosque.

Following her presentation, there will be an opportunity to ask Dr Papathanassiou a question in the Q&A session.

If you would like to attend the video conference, please email paul.nicolaou@australianchamber.com.au to secure your place. A Zoom link will be forwarded to you after you RSVP.

READ MORE: Iconic Hagia Sophia to be turned back into a mosque.

George Kambosos Jr’s big win earns him world title shot

Greek Australian, George Kambosos Jr, has beaten Lee Selby impressively in their IBF lightweight world title eliminator at SSE Arena Wembley on Sunday.

Kambosos prevailed 118-110 and 116-112 against Selby’s bizarre card of 115-114 from judge Phil Edwards in a split decision.

The victory secures the Sydneysider a mandatory shot at Teofimo Lopez’s lightweight IBF world title. 

“I told you I’d do it, I’m too fast, too strong, too aggressive, too smart, too powerful – everything,” Kambosos said post-fight on Sky Sports.

READ MORE: TGH Exclusive: George “Ferocious” Kambosos Jr – The unbeaten Greek Australian fighter who dreams of being world champion!

George Kambosos Jr beat Lee Selby in their IBF lightweight world title eliminator at SSE Arena Wembley on Sunday.

Kambosos landed the bigger shots and kept up the pace until the final bell despite the frustration of having the eighth round cut short by a minute when Selby was hurt. 

The 33-year-old found his range on power punches six rounds in, with hard right hands to the body and a piercing left hook featuring often. Selby’s defence loosened in the latter rounds and Kambosos began to pick the veteran Welshman apart.

Kambosos has now beaten former world champions in consecutive fights, having defeated ex-lightweight champ Mickey Bey in his previous bout.

READ MORE: George Kambosos Jr. conquers former world champion Mickey Bey in Madison Square Garden.

George Kambosos Jr is the IBF’s leading lightweight contender. Photo: Getty.

“This is a great moment … I’m so happy,” he said.

“World No.1, mandatory. Lopez, you know what it is now. Let’s do it Down Under. Two warriors, two lions, let’s go to war. Let’s do it – I want that fight.”

The confident Greek-Australian is intent on luring Lopez to Australia for a blockbuster fight in a stadium, either in his hometown of Sydney or in Melbourne.

Kambosos, who trains out of Miami under Javiel Centeno, sacrificed about two months away from his young family to take the fight and has been vindicated.

READ MORE: Greek-Australian boxer, George Kambosos Jr, flees US amid coronavirus crisis.

Earthquake diplomacy? Turkey extends illegal survey activities to November 14

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In less than 48 hours after the devastating earthquake that hit Turkey and the Greek island of Samos, Ankara has extended its seismic search activities inside the Greek continental shelf.

The Turkish navy said on Sunday in a message on the international maritime alert system, NAVTEX, that the Oruc Reis vessel would stay in the eastern Mediterranean for seismic investigations until November 14, extending its activities from the previously announced end date of November 4.

However, Athens soon responded to the Turkish move, denouncing what it described as “Turkey’s illegal conduct,” and demanding that it withdraw from the area.

Ankara has extended its seismic search activities inside the Greek continental shelf.

The Greek foreign ministry said in a tweet that Foreign Minister Nikos Dendias will inform the country’s allies and partners of the latest developments.

“This (Turkish) action only increases tensions in a vulnerable region where attention is currently focused on aid and support and solidarity (after the earthquake),” the foreign ministry said.

This morning, the Turkish Foreign Ministry had its own response to Greece’s criticism, saying continuous objections to Turkey’s survey activities are “in vain.”

“Turkey will continue its activities in the region within the framework of its rights, based on international law,” Hami Aksoy, the spokesperson for the Foreign Ministry, said in a statement.

Aksoy urged that instead of blaming Turkey with unfounded allegations and complaining to a third party, Greece should contribute to negotiations in an effort to ease increasing tensions between the neighbours.

“We once again invite Greece to an unconditional dialogue with our country to address both the Eastern Mediterranean maritime jurisdiction issue and other interrelated issues between the two countries,” Aksoy said.

Hami Aksoy, the spokesperson for the Foreign Ministry, has hit back at Greece’s criticism.

The Ministry also said on Sunday that two other vessels, the Ataman and Cengiz Han, will accompany the Oruc Reis during its activities in the Eastern Mediterranean.

It will conduct various geological, geophysical, hydrographic and oceanographic surveys, particularly of the continental shelf, while also searching for natural resources.

For now, it seems the words of friendship and good neighbourly relations between the two countries seem to be over as Turkey continues its provocative acts in the Aegean.

READ MORE: Greek PM Mitsotakis, Turkish President Erdogan exchange condolences over earthquake deaths.

Suspect in Greek Orthodox priest’s shooting freed, search widens in France

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French police on Sunday released an initial suspect in the shooting of a Greek Orthodox priest and widened their search for the gunman who critically wounded the priest as he closed the door to his official residence at a church in the city of Lyon.

The Lyon prosecutor’s office said a man who was arrested shortly after Saturday’s shooting was released after they found no evidence of his involvement, suggesting that the clergyman’s assailant remained at large.

The priest remained in critical condition after being shot with a hunting rifle, said a police official, who was not authorised to be publicly named according to police policy.

French soldiers and Municipal Police officers stand behind a cordon-off area near the Orthodox Church. File: Jeff Pachoud/AFP.

READ MORE: Suspect at large after Orthodox priest shot in France.

The Greek Orthodox Holy Diocese of France identified the victim as the Reverend Nikolaos Kakavelakis, and said he was scheduled to return soon to Greece after his time working at the Lyon church.

“We pray for a speedy recovery and unequivocally condemn all forms of violence,” it said.

The motive for the shooting remains unclear. Anti-terrorism prosecutors are not investigating the case, and the Lyon prosecutor opened an attempted murder investigation.

The Greek Orthodox Holy Diocese of France identified the victim as the Reverend Nikolaos Kakavelakis.

Police cordons in the vicinity of the church, located in a residential area of central Lyon, were removed and the search area was widened to the broader Lyon area, the national police service said.

France has been under high security alert after the killing of three people at a Nice church on Thursday, amid global tensions over cartoons of the Muslim Prophet Muhammad published in a French newspaper. The French President has promised more protection for religious sites.

It also came amid tensions within the Greek Orthodox community in Lyon. The priest, a Greek citizen, had been involved in a long-running legal dispute with a former monk who was convicted of defamation, according to French media reports.

The head of the Greek Orthodox Church in France, Emmanuel Adamakis, told French radio station Europe 1 that Kakavelakis was no longer conducting services in Lyon and “had been asked to return to Greece.”

The attack appeared to have taken place in a small courtyard in the back of the church, where the priest had been living in an official church apartment, Adamakis said.

Antoine Callot, the pastor at another Greek Orthodox church in Lyon, told The Associated Press that the city’s Greek Orthodox community has not received any threats, but said he immediately asked police for security protection at his church after Saturday’s shooting.

Source: AP News.

Funeral held in Samos for the two teenagers killed by deadly earthquake

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On Sunday, the Greek island of Samos bid farewell to two teenagers who died tragically when they were crushed by a wall during a destructive earthquake which hit the island on Friday.

High school sweethearts, 17-year-old Aris and 15-year-old Claire, were killed while returning home from school.

The 7.0 magnitude earthquake shook half of Greece and the Aegean coast of Turkey, killing at least 71 people and more than 900 injured.

Claire and Aris funeral was held in Samos on Sunday. Source: ΑΠΕ-ΜΠΕ / SKAI.

READ MORE: Strong earthquake in Aegean Sea kills at least 14 people in Turkey And Greece.

Relatives, friends, and teachers gathered at 12pm at the Agios Charalambos church in Vathi, Samos, to say goodbye to Claire.

Attendants wore masks as per the required safety measures, while many of Claire’s classmates and friends were dressed in white.

The funeral of Aris was later at 3pm, with most of the Vathi community attending.

Before the funeral, the parents of the two teenagers spoke on SKAI television.

Attendants wore masks at the funeral as per the required safety measures. Source: ΑΠΕ-ΜΠΕ / SKAI.

READ MORE: Greek PM Mitsotakis, Turkish President Erdogan exchange condolences over earthquake deaths.

“Two lives were lost in two seconds. Death was instantaneous,” Aris’ father said, adding that the building which collapsed on his son had been abandoned for decades.

“Aris embraced Claire to protect her but they did not have time to react. Everything happened within five seconds.

Claire’s mum added that she was still in shock from her loss.

Friends and family were heartbroken. Source: ΑΠΕ-ΜΠΕ / SKAI.

“Hug your children, time does not come back. Live every moment. This is our message. Time does not come back. Hug all your children. Love them all,” she said.

READ MORE: Mitsotakis visits earthquake-striken Samos, calls for damage evaluation.

70-year-old pulled out alive in Turkey as earthquake death toll hits 71:

As the funeral of Aris and Claire was underway in Samos, unbelievable scenes were unfolding in western Turkey, where rescue workers extricated a 70-year-old man from a collapsed building 34 hours after the earthquake.

The man was pulled out of the rubble overnight on Sunday and is doing well at a hospital, according to the Turkish Health Minister. The minister tweeted that the survivor, Ahmet Citim, told him, “I never lost hope.”

Sadly as the search and rescue enters its third day, more bodies than survivors appear to be found in Izmir, Turkey’s third-largest city.

The earthquake was centered in the Aegean, northeast of the Greek island of Samos. Turkey’s Disaster and Emergency Management Presidency (AFAD) raised the death toll on Sunday in Izmir province to 69. The agency said 949 people were injured in Turkey, with more than 220 still receiving treatment.

The earthquake also killed the two teenagers mentioned on Samos and injured at least 19 other people on the island.

There was some debate over the magnitude of the earthquake. The US Geological Survey rated it 7.0, while the Istanbul’s Kandilli Institute put it at 6.9 and AFAD said it measured 6.6.

Insight or Perspective: If we lose the language we lose everything!

By Eleni Elefterias.

(PART 1)

A lot has been written about the need to preserve our Greek language and culture in Australia.

Many Greek associations, even those set up from before the great influx of migration on the 1950’s and 1960’s, have as part of their constitutions the main goal being the preservation of Greek language and culture.

However, as the years go by it is the Greek language that is suffering the greatest loss. Why does this happen?

Over the next few weeks this column will specifically look at Greek education in Australia from pre-school to University level and beyond and discuss some important issues such as the relationship of language and culture to identity.

What subsequent generations of Greek Australians born in Australia, to which category I also belong, consider important to them is of utmost importance as is the attitude of first-generation Greeks as well. 

As Australian born Greeks our identity is made up of cultural and familial aspects which we decide to choose from. For some keeping the Orthodox faith is more important than keeping the language for example. For others, learning to speak is more important than learning to read. 

If you are interested in finding a way to keep the language alive and active for your children then I hope that this column will be of particular assistance to you. 

Why is it that when children are young many parents send them to Greek school to learn the basics. In Early Stage 1 (Kindy) and Stage 1 learning (Years 1 and 2) is a lot of fun but as they enter years 3 and 4 and beyond the excitement subsides and numbers start to dwindle?

What can we do about it? Next week I offer some explanation and advice. 

*Eleni Elefterias-Kostakidis is a teacher of Modern Greek and University lecturer. 

Read Eleni Elefterias’ column ‘Insight or Perspective’ in Greek, every Saturday in The Greek Herald’s print edition or get your subscription here.

Traditional Greek Recipes: Moussaka

By Victoria Loutas.

Moussaka is a signature Mediterranean dish served in most Greek taverns and at large family gatherings. The decadent layers all come together to form one of the most hearty traditional Greek meals. Whilst this dish takes a bit of time to assemble, it is well worth the wait and definitely a crowd pleaser!

Ingredients:

For the base:

  • 4 eggplants (sliced into round pieces)
  • 6 potatoes (sliced into round pieces)
  • Vegetable oil

For the meat sauce:

  • 750 gram lamb and beef mince
  • 2 red onions (chopped)
  • 2 cloves of garlic (minced)
  • 2 tins chopped tomatoes
  • 1 glass of red wine
  • Pinch of salt and pepper
  • 2 tablespoons oregano
  • 1 bay leaf
  • A pinch of cinnamon
  • 1/4 cup olive oil

For the bechamel sauce:

  • 120g butter
  • 120g all purpose flour
  • 900ml milk
  • Pinch of nutmeg
  • 2 egg yolks, beaten
  • 120g grated cheese of your choice
  • Salt to taste

Method:

  1. Fill a frying pan with vegetable oil and lightly fry the eggplant and potato slices. Season with salt and set aside on a paper towel when done.
  2. Now we prepare the meat sauce. Begin by heating a large man to medium-high heat and adding olive oil. Add in the chopped onion and garlic and let simmer. 
  3. Add in the mince and continue to break it up with a wooden spoon.
  4. Once the mince has browned, add in the tinned tomatoes, oregano, cinnamon and salt and pepper.
  5. Pour in the red wine into the meat sauce and add the bay leaf. Bring the boil down to a low heat and let the sauce simmer for 30 minutes – 1 hour with the lid on.
  6. In the meantime, begin making the bechamel sauce by heating a large pot over medium heat. Melt the butter until it froths then start adding the flour and continuously stir for 2 minutes.
  7. Slowly pour in milk, whisking continuously until the mixture has thickened. 
  8. When the sauce has thickened, add the egg yolk, cheese and nutmeg. Whisk until a smooth consistency is formed.
  9. Now we assemble! Preheat your oven to 180 degrees celsius and brush a large baking dish with butter.
  10. Begin by layering the potato slices, then half the egg plant.
  11. Pour in all of the meat sauce and spread evenly with a spoon. Add the second half of the eggplants on top of the meat.
  12. Top with the bechamel sauce and sprinkle some grated cheese before cooking in the over for about 1 hour, or until golden brown.
  13. Remove the moussaka from the oven and let it cool. Serve with a side of Greek salad and enjoy!

Greek PM declares partial lockdown while cases surge across Europe

Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis on Saturday declared a one-month partial coronavirus lockdown, shutting restaurants and other leisure activities in Athens and other major cities from next week.

“We must act now, before intensive care units buckle under the strain of lives in danger,” Mitsotakis said in a televised address.

“The virus is attacking in waves, and we need to quickly adapt.”

Greece has registered over 37,000 coronavirus cases since February, including nearly 1,700 on Friday. Accelerating from August onwards, the virus has caused 620 deaths to date.

Another 128 people are in intensive care.

The prime minister said eateries, cafes, clubs, cinemas, museums and gyms in worst-hit areas would close down from Tuesday, but retail businesses and schools would remain open, to soften the blow to the economy.

Hotels, hair salons and food delivery will also be allowed to operate.

University classes will be held remotely, and half the workforce in the private and public sectors will work from home.

“A total lockdown would hurt the economy and society,” Mitsotakis said.

In addition to the capital, the toughest restrictions apply to most major cities in northern Greece including Thessaloniki, Larissa and Ioannina.

The rest of the country will have to abide by an overnight curfew from midnight to 5:00 am, in addition to the compulsory use of masks even outdoors, Mitsotakis said.

But in contrast to a nationwide lockdown imposed in March, movement between regions is not restricted for now, he added.

Mitsotakis said the measures were similar to those adopted in France and Germany, and were aimed at saving the Christmas shopping season. 

“I wanted to avoid this message. But conditions demand it,” he said.

The government has earmarked nearly 1.5 billion euros ($1.8 billion) in support for businesses during the latest lockdown, the PM said.

The government had already declared a night curfew from 00:30 am to 0500 am in Athens, Thessaloniki and other areas on October 22.

That followed localised lockdowns in the northern regions of Kozani and Kastoria earlier this month.

Greece’s March lockdown succeeded in slowing the spread of the virus to single digits daily, but the economy gradually reopened from May onwards to salvage part of the summer tourism season that is vital to the country’s economy.

UK announces second lockdown

U.K. Prime Minister Boris Johnson on Saturday announced a new month-long lockdown for England as COVID-19 cases surge across the country.

About 25,000 new cases of the disease are being reported each day in the U.K. Daily hospital admissions are nearing 2,000, and deaths have reached about 200 daily.

The lockdown is slated to start Thursday and last through Dec. 2. Parliament will vote on the measures on Wednesday.

Ireland, France, Belgium, Italy and other European countries are also in various stages of lockdown as virus cases skyrocket throughout Europe.