Federal Immigration Minister, Alex Hawke, will head to the Supreme Court after the Liberal Party of NSW launched a legal challenge to stop its federal counterpart from intervening in grassroots pre-selection processes.
The internal feud hinges on the fact that the NSW Liberal Party was supposed to meet by November 30 last year to elect the members of the executive but, due to the Omicron outbreak, the meeting never happened.
According to ABC News, NSW executive members are blaming Mr Hawke for stalling and not attending meetings in an attempt to run the clock down and push the executives out.
Mr Hawke is Prime Minister Scott Morrison’s representative on the state executive committee.
If the state executive loses the case, NSW’s branches could be stripped of the power to choose their own candidates as it goes into federal hands. This means Mr Morrison would likely get a much bigger say in grassroots pre-selections.
As it stands, Cabinet Ministers Mr Hawke and Sussan Ley, as well as MP Trent Zimmerman, are still waiting to be endorsed just three months out from the federal election.
Vicky Soteriou has been quietly released from prison in recent months after serving a decade in a maximum security jail for plotting to kill her husband Chris, The Herald Sun reports.
Vicky had organised a birthday dinner for Mr Soteriou in 2010 on Fitzroy Street, Melbourne, but it was a trap. He was attacked and had his throat slit by her lover, Ari Dimitrakis.
Mr Soteriou only survived through the swift actions of two off-duty doctors who stemmed the bleeding until emergency help arrived.
Vicky and Chris on their wedding day.
Vicky, a 54-year-old mother-of-three, was found guilty over the murder conspiracy and sentenced to 12 years in prison with a minimum of nine. Dimitrakis was jailed for seven years.
According to The Herald Sun, Vicky has now been released from the Dame Phyllis Frost Correctional Centre and is believed to be living a quiet life in Melbourne’s northern suburbs with family.
The Ambassador of Greece to Australia, George Papacostas, paid an official visit to the central offices of the Holy Archdiocese of Australia in Sydney on Saturday, 19 February.
Mr Papacostas was welcomed by His Eminence Archbishop Makarios of Australia, who guided him around the Cathedral of the Annunciation of the Theotokos and informed him about the progress on the restoration works of the heritage-listed Church after fire damaged the building last year.
His Eminence and the Greek Ambassador then had a cordial discussion, focusing on issues that concern the Greek community in Australia and areas of cooperation between the diplomatic authorities of Greece and the local Greek Orthodox Church.
Mr Papacostas also had the opportunity to look at the architectural plans of the new facilities of the Holy Archdiocese of Australia and the new Theological College.
In attendance at the meeting were also the Assistant Bishops, His Grace Bishop Iakovos of Miletoupolis, His Grace Bishop Christodoulos of Magnesia and His Grace Bishop Bartholomew of Charioupolis, as well as the Consul General of Greece in Sydney, Mr Christos Karras.
To end the day, the Ambassador of Greece visited the archbishopric residence where the Archbishop gave a meal in his honour.
Greece has suspended the operation of hundreds of soccer fan clubs in a bid to combat hooligans using them as cover, Ekathimerini reports.
The ban will apply until the end of July and was triggered by the murder of a 19-year-old who was stabbed and beaten to death by soccer hooligans in the northern city of Thessaloniki.
The February 1 murder of Thessaloniki resident, Alkis Kambanos, shocked the city and soccer fans nationwide.
Tributes flow for Alkis at an Aris FC game. Photo: InTime News.
Greece’s Justice Minister, Kostas Tsiaras, Civil Protection Minister, Takis Theodorikakos, Deputy Minister of Sports, Lefteris Avgenakis, and government spokesperson, Yiannis Economou, introduced the stricter legal framework for dealing with violence related to sports on Monday.
Theodorikakos said the new measures would include tougher jail terms and sentencing guidelines for organised sport-related violence.
Supporters clubs would be allowed to reopen only after July 31, following an extensive review of the operation rules and the introduction of a new operating framework.
The four ministers deliver the news about the ban.
“Hooliganism is a global scourge that is responsible for the death of dozens of people,” Theodorikakos said. “It is time that we killed the Lernaean Hydra of violence and hooliganism.”
The new measures will require parliamentary approval but are likely to receive broad political support beyond the government’s comfortable majority.
Greek authorities have already raided 575 fan clubs across Greece. They also issued a permanent ban on 67 clubs and made 17 arrests.
Smoke rises from the Italian-flagged Euroferry Olympia. Photo: AP Photo/Petros Giannakouris.
More than 40 firefighters and two helicopters are currently taking part in the search and rescue operation with tugboats, and coastguard vessels are on standby nearby.
A total of 281 people have already been rescued. They included two men who were airlifted by rescuers off the ferry and a third man who managed to free himself and reach the deck of the vessel after being trapped for more than two days.
The body of a 58-year-old Greek truck driver was recovered on Sunday, the first confirmed death in the accident.
Firefighters carry a body from the Italian-flagged Euroferry Olympia. Photo: Hellenic Fire Service via AP.
Ten other truck drivers – seven Bulgarians, two Greeks and one Turk – remain unaccounted for.
Relatives of the missing passengers are waiting for news outside the port authority on the Greek island of Corfu.
The last fire on board a ship in the Adriatic occurred in December 2014 on the Italian ferry, Norman Atlantic, in which 13 people died.
Greek-owned businesses and individuals have triumphed in the Canterbury Bankstown Local Business Awards for this year.
In the ‘Outstanding Cafe’ category, Stephenie Tsiotas from Joy Meets Morgan came out on top of other finalists including Stretto Espresso Bar in Earlwood and Cafe Noble in Campsie.
Stephenie tells The Greek Herald she is “so pleased to have won the most outstanding cafe in the area.”
Stephenie on awards night.The Joy Meets Morgan team.
“Like most people, the last two years have been awfully difficult and this award is definitely an appreciation to all our staff who have worked extremely hard to build a name for ourselves in the area,” she says.
Elsewhere, John Kassiou won ‘Youth of the Year’ in the ‘Education Service’ category. John is currently Centre Manager at First Education in Earlwood and he tells The Greek Herald “it’s an honour and privilege to have won.”
John Kassiou with his award.
“I am earnestly grateful for the recognition of this award, but it would not have been possible if it was not for the support and inspiration of my director Harry Mavrolefteros and the exceptional team of tutors that I have the pleasure to work with,” John says.
The iconic Aurea Designs in Earlwood also won in the ‘Outstanding Jewellery Store’ category for their exceptional customer service, as well as their handmade jewellery such as engagement and wedding rings.
Danny and Jim from Aurea Designs.
Danny Georgakopoulos and Jim Soulemezis from Aurea Designs say they are “excited, honoured and overwhelmed to win the award.”
“We are grateful to our amazing and loyal customers and none of it would have been possible without their support,” Danny says to The Greek Herald.
“We pride ourselves on our quality, range of products and above all our customer service, and to be recognised makes all the effort and hard work worth it.”
Gramelis Attorneys.Trianon Cakes Shop.
To top it all off, Trianon Cakes Shop in Earlwood was crowned the winner of the ‘Outstanding Bakery / Cake Business’ category, whilst Meni and Pam from Diversity Kids won the category for Most Outstanding Education Service, and Gramelis Attorneys won in the ‘Outstanding Legal Services’ category.
The Canterbury Bankstown Local Business Awards, which are hosted by Precedent Productions, acknowledge the drive and dedication required to succeed in business and recognises the best in local industry across over 25 categories.
*Please note: If you are a Greek-owned business who won in the Awards, please send us an email to info@foreignlanguage.com.au
Growing up in Australia, Anthony Locascio found himself confined to a prison of ethnic and cultural stereotypes.
‘Don’t Call Me A Wog!’ (An E̶t̶h̶n̶i̶c̶ Comedy Story) is his story of escape, his convoluted encounters with the Greek and Italian heritage that so greatly affected him, and his conflicting relationship with traditional ‘wog comedy.’
Beginning at Adelaide Fringe Festival in March, Anthony will be performing six shows, before heading back down the Western Highway to complete a run of ten shows at Melbourne International Comedy Festival, appearing April 10th to April 24th.
Wrapping up his inaugural run of shows, Anthony will perform at Perth Comedy Festival and Sydney Comedy Festival throughout May.
A show for all Australians, regardless of heritage or background, ‘Don’t Call Me A Wog!’ pushes Anthony’s performances further than ever before, incorporating audio-visual, music and lighting components to create an intelligent, dark and vulnerable cultural production.
“My relationship with my Greek/Italian background has been a 29 year, on again, off again love story. Growing up in a country as ethnically charged as Australia, I have, at various points in my life, felt both immense pride and shame for the cultures of my grandparents,” Anthony said.
“This show is the story of that emotional roller coaster; my relationship with my background throughout my childhood and adolescence has been mirrored by my use of it for comedy material.
“‘Don’t Call Me A Wog!’ is a show for everyone, and a perspective on ethnicity in Australia that hasn’t been heard before, certainly not in a stand-up comedy format. This is also the first time I’m doing an Australian tour, so I hope plenty of people come out to see it!”
Who is Anthony Locascio?
Anthony Locascio is one of Australian comedy’s rising stars. Blending sharp wit with musings on his ethnic background, Anthony has become known for his unique storytelling style.
He is a two time NSW Raw Comedy State Finalist (2018/2019), and has had two sold out runs at the Sydney Comedy Festival, as well as a sold out run at the Perth Comedy Festival in 2021. Anthony was also selected to perform at the Sydney Comedy Festival Gala 2021 at the Enmore Theatre.
Anthony forged his path in stand-up by writing an hour show after a year of performing, hiring a theatre and inviting 400 friends and acquaintances to watch.
The show was posted to social media, giving Anthony a loyal fanbase, selling out shows each year since 2017 and boosting Anthony’s Youtube channel to 12,000+ subscribers, and 1,000,000+ views, with hundreds of comments from angry people in Italy and Greece responding to a video in which Anthony calls them lazy.
He appears weekly at Sydney’s best comedy venues, and has performed with some of the best comedians Australia has to offer; including Dave Hughes, Nikki Britton, Tahir, Anthony Salame, Luke Heggie and many more.
FootballSA’s National Premier League season kicked off on Friday night and to mark the day, The Advertiserlisted its players to watch for 2022.
Among the list was Aladin Irabona from Adelaide City and Allan Welsh from the Adelaide Comets, as well as Greek Australian soccer star, Stavros Bakopanos, from CumberlandUnited.
Who is Stavros Bakopanos?
An aggressive midfielder and defender, Bakopanos will be a highly important player for the Foxes in 2022.
Bakopanos.
While his aggressive style of play can at times lead to yellow or red cards, the club favourite’s flair can equally galvanise his team.
If Bakopanos can string consistent performances together, Cumberland will be a strong test for any opposition.
This upcoming season will be a real test for Cumberland, who’ve proved more than capable of performing at the highest level.
Maria Dimopoulos AM has been appointed the new Board Chair of Safe and Equal and will commence her role in February 2022.
Maria is taking over from Stacey Ong, who has led Safe and Equal’s Board as Interim Chair since September 2021.
Maria said she looks forward to supporting the great work of Safe and Equal, “in particular the partnerships with First Nations communities and organisations.”
Safe and Equal is excited to announce Maria Dimopoulos AM has been appointed Board Chair, commencing this February. @MariaDimopoulo4 takes on Chair responsibilities from Stacey Ong, who has led Safe and Equal’s Board as Interim Chair since September 2021. https://t.co/1cm6BSPpBzpic.twitter.com/Uhq0ig3PyD
“I am committed to governing Safe and Equal with an intersectional feminist lens as a way to expose uneven power relations and structural oppressions, in order to support gender equality and social justice,” Maria said in a press release.
Maria has made significant contributions to policy development, research and community education, including as a member of the federal Access and Equity Inquiry Panel, and as the inaugural Chairperson of the Harmony Alliance – Australia’s national coalition of migrant and refugee women.
Maria was also part of the National Council to Reduce Violence Against Women and their Children, which oversaw the development of the First National Plan to End Violence against Women and their Children.
The CEO of Safe and Equal, Tania Farha, has welcomed Maria’s appointment.
“Maria is a lauded human rights advocate and champion of diversity and gender equality,” Tania said.
“Her extensive experience and expertise, particularly around the rights and meaningful inclusion of women from migrant and refugee backgrounds in policy and system reform, aligns strongly with our strategic goals and purpose.”
The Supreme Court has dismissed an appeal by a high-profile neighbour to stop the construction of Theo Maras’ $27 million apartment tower on the corner of Hutt Street and Bartels Road in Adelaide.
According to The Advertiser, food industry identity, Ray Khabbaz, had sought a judicial review against the January 2020 approval of the 16-storey building.
Supreme Court backs Theo Maras.
Khabbaz, who lives next to the planned project, argued the building approval was invalid or unlawful, in part because the 53.9m design was more than double the recommended 22m maximum height for the site.
In June 2019, SA Planning Minister, Stephan Knoll, made interim changes to the Adelaide City Council development plan which allowed “over-height” buildings in circumstances projects met benchmarks such as excellent design and sustainability measures.
Theo Maras.
In his ruling, Justice Greg Parker refused to quash the approval, dismissing all Mr Khabbaz’s grounds of appeal.
