Greek police used tear gas Thursday to disperse violently protesting state high school students who have organised scores of school strikes in response to classroom overcrowding during the coronavirus pandemic.
Brief clashes broke out near the parliament in central Athens after students threw several gasoline bombs at police. Two protesters, aged 17 and 20, were arrested on public disturbance charges. No injuries were reported.
Several hundred people, including state school teachers and college students, took part in the protest which was mostly peaceful.
Hundreds of schools across the country have been closed by sit-in protests carried out by students with the support, in some cases, of teachers’ unions. School protest groups say many classrooms at state-run schools are overcrowded.
The state high school teachers’ union, which endorsed Thursday’s protest, wants classes limited to a maximum 15 children and is asking for more teachers and school cleaners to be hired. The government says the average nationwide class size is 17 children.
Protesters run from tear gas during a demonstration against the risks of the coronavirus in schools, in Athens, Greece, Oct. 1, 2020. (AFP Photo)
Greece rejected the draft final statement for the European Council summit last night on the basis that there were no prospect of sanctions against Turkey and instead merely expressed “solidarity with Greece and Cyprus.”
The European Union’s 27 leaders met in Brussels Thursday to find ways of de-escalating tensions between Turkey and bloc members Greece and the Greek Cypriot administration over gas exploration activities in the Eastern Mediterranean region.
According to Katherimini sources, Greek officials insist that a reference to a prospective talks between Athens and Ankara must be coupled with a warning that sanctions will be imposed against Turkey should it fail to take active steps toward a de-escalation of tensions in the Eastern Mediterranean.
“The draft is unacceptable because it is unbalanced,” Greek government spokesman Stelios Petsas told state broadcaster ERT TV.
Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis and French President Emmanuel Macron in Brussels. Credit: Greek Government
“It is an important meeting for the Euro-Turkish relations and not only for all the external relations of the EU.”
“Especially on this issue of the agenda, which is again the debate on which path Turkey is following, as it seems to be slipping away from the West, the basic text proposed as the first basis for discussion is not accepted by Greece.”
Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis met with German Chancellor Angela Merkel, European Council President Charles Michel, European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen, French President Emmanuel Macron and Cyprus President Nicos Anastasiades in Brussels last night.
German Chancellor Angela Merkel rejected the idea of imposing sanctions against Turkey, saying that they are a NATO partner and an agreement should be reached more peacefully.
European Council President Charles Michel and European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen arrive for a news conference, connected via video with German Chancellor, after a virtual summit with China’s President in Brussels, on September 14, 2020. (Photo by YVES HERMAN / POOL / AFP) (Photo by YVES HERMAN/POOL/AFP via Getty Images)
“I will point out that our relationship with Turkey is indeed very complicated and that the European Union has a great interest in developing a really constructive relationship with Turkey, despite all the difficulties,” said Chancellor Merkel.
“We are partners in NATO and we depend on each other in terms of immigration and Turkey’s support in the management of the many refugees that Turkey undertakes.”
Before the start of the Summit, NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg announced that an agreement was reached between Greece and Turkey to set up a mechanism to avoid accidental clashes in the Eastern Mediterranean.
The agreement includes establishing a hotline for use between senior officials should a confrontation arise.
During the meeting with the President of the EU Commission @vonderleyen we discussed the issues on the agenda of the European Council, as well as the Commission's proposal for the new Pact on Immigration and Asylum. #EUCOpic.twitter.com/3lfGgSW9zg
“I welcome the establishment of a military de-confliction mechanism, achieved through the constructive engagement of Greece and Turkey,” he said in a statement.
“This safety mechanism can help to create the space for diplomatic efforts to address the underlying dispute and we stand ready to develop it further.”
The talks at NATO headquarters were in part prompted by a light collision between Turkish and Greek frigates and increased war games by their navies in the Mediterranean.
The next meeting will discuss technical details for coordination in the Eastern Mediterranean and will be held on Oct. 5, also at NATO headquarters.
Another A-League talent has made the switch to the second Greek football division with Xanthi FC after Adelaide United goalkeeper Paul Izzo was sold by the club for an undisclosed fee.
The 25-year-old Izzo’s transfer comes after sterling domestic seasons and also three FFA Cup wins.
“It is always hard to see the best talent leave the club and in our opinion Paul is the most talented goalkeeper in Australia,” United’s football director Bruce Djite said in a statement on Thursday.
Tough to say goodbye, but excited for the next step. Priveliged to make so many memories and special moments in front of my friends, family and fans. To win and be part of a few trophies at coopers make it even more so special. Goodbye for now. @AdelaideUnited 🇬🇷 pic.twitter.com/u9OA5d5zKL
Izzo took the time to say thank you to his loyal supporters at Adelaide United for giving him the opportunity to represent his hometown team.
“Leaving family and friends behind definitely made it a difficult decision, but I feel like I’m ready to further challenge myself and take the next step overseas,” said the former Australian under-23 international, who made 99 appearances across two stints with his hometown club.
“I’d like to thank everyone at Adelaide United for the way they’ve treated me over the last three years and for allowing me to make the move overseas.”
Xanthi FC were demoted to the second Greek football division this season before the takeover by Greek Australian business owner Bill Papas. New Xanthi FC coach Tony Popovic will use new the A-League recruits to help bring the club back into the Greek Super League.
Infectious disease specialist Sotiris Tsiodras has shared his frustration over the poor containment of the coronavirus in Athens, with a nursing home in the Attica region becoming a dangerous hotspot for the disease.
A 10-day lockdown has been introduced at the facility in the Agios Panteleimonas district of Athens. At least 40 people – staff and patients – in the facility have tested positive for the virus so far, the head of the National Organization for Public Health (EODY), Panagiotis Arkoumaneas, told Skai TV.
Ambulances were seen on Thursday morning transferring elderly residents to various coronavirus designated hospitals in the Greek capital. Keep Talking Greece reports that so far a total of 18 people have been hospitalised, with another 18 awaiting transfer.
Four members of the staff are reportedly in quarantine, with Greek media claiming the last COVID-19 personnel testing at the facility was conducted in August.
Health authorities have not yet identified the Patient Zero, who contaminated the staff and elderly residents. It was reported that relatives have not been permitted to visit the facility “in months”.
The month of August saw over 20 elderly die after a COVID-19 outbreak in two nursing homes in Thessaloniki.
It’s not often that two brothers, let alone of Greek background, get to be appointed school captains for two consecutive years.
Meet Year 11 and Year 12 Trinity Grammar students, Jamie and Spiro Christopoulos.
“It’s a very proud moment, especially for our grandparents and family. We don’t forget our roots. We don’t forget our connection to Greece and we are grateful to be able to represent our Greek heritage and our school,” current school captain, Spiro, tells The Greek Herald.
Jamie, who is set to follow in his brother’s footsteps next year, explains how their grandparents’ migration stories have inspired them.
Jamie and Spiro Christopoulos with their mother and grandparents
“Our paternal grandfather is one of seven siblings and was the only one who had the opportunity to come to Australia for a better life. He was not educated but he was very business-minded and had strong values and morals,” Jamie says.
“We appreciate the sacrifice they [our grandparents] made. They left their country in such young age and they came to Australia without even knowing the language. We want to make them proud,” agree the brothers.
“Spiro and Jamie were also the captains in Year 6 of each of their primary schools. They followed each other as well. The last time two brother were school captains was in 1938-1939 – the Ledgerwood brothers,” Head of Community Engagement at Trinity Grammar School in Sydney, Kell Daniels, notes.
From L to R: Spiro Christopoulos, Trinity Grammar School Sydney Headmaster, Tim Bowden and Jamie Christopoulos
‘Exams do not define you as a person’:
The COVID-19 pandemic period has been a stressful time for all, but in particular has affected the 180,000 Year 12 students across Australia as it has led to the cancellation of practical classes and assessments, graduation ceremonies, formals and other Year 12 ‘rites of passage’.
But it’s not all grim. There are lessons to be learnt from this pandemic.
“For me it has been an opportunity to learn how to adapt to change and respond to adversity,” Spiro says.
“Don’t take things to heart and understand that exams and scores do not define you as a person,” he concludes.
Spyridon Marinatos is one of the most famous archaeologists of the twentieth century, discovering the Bronze Age city of Akrotiri. But on this day in 1974, he died at the age of 72. To mark the occasion, we look back on his incredible life and his miraculous discovery.
Marinatos studied archaeology and philosophy at Universities of Greece, Berlin and Halle.
In 1929, Marinatos’ archaeologist career began when he became director of the Heraklion Museum, along with Georgia Andrea, in 1929. It was his time as Director that he began a working relationship with Sir Arthur Evans, famous archaeologist known for his discovery of Knossos, a city in Crete.
Marinatos (right) pictured at the site of the Ancient city Akrotiri. Source: Greece Is
Marinatos gained firsthand excavation experience while working on excavation sites at Dreros, Arkalochori, Vathypetro and Gazi.
In 1937, Marinatos became the director of Greece’s archaeological service and in 1939, became an archaeology professor at the University of Athens.
It was Marinatos’ time as a professor at the University of Athens that he became interested in what he regarded as the first Greeks, the Mycenaeans.
While working on the excavation site in Knossos in 1939, Marinatos began hypothesising the reasoning behind the destruction of the Minoan people in Crete. Marinatos proposed the idea that because Crete is near the Hellenic Trench, it experiences frequent natural disasters like activity.
The volcanic rocks discovered at the site of Knossos were analysed by Marinatos, resulting in his belief that these were rocks from the nearby island of Santorini.
Ancient city of Akrotiri. Source: On The Luce
Marinatos began working on his theory in 1967, as he oversaw the excavation site in Santorini. While he researched his theory that the Minoan civilisation ended due to a volcanic eruption, he discovered the ancient Bronze Age city of Akrotiri.
Akrotiri was an extraordinary discovery, as visitors are able to get firsthand visuals on what it was like to live during the Bronze Age, as the volcanic ash covered the city and kept it preserved, becoming a Greek version of Pompeii.
Marinatos continued to work on the excavation site until he died in 1974 while working at the site, with the cause of his death still relatively unknown. He will be remembered as one of Greece’s greatest archaeologists.
A Chief Magistrate has criticised NSW Police’s “code of silence” surrounding a case in which two officers were charged over the attempted rape of a schoolgirl in Sydney’s south-west.
Senior Constables James Delinicolis, 29, and Angelo Dellosa, 30, remain on bail after being charged with the aggravated sexual assault of a 17-year-old at The Ramada Hotel in Cabramatta in March.
Police allege Mr Dellosa encouraged his friend and co-worker to carry out the sexual assault after meeting her at a train station while on duty.
The Bankstown police officers, who are both married with young children, are also charged with producing child abuse material, accused of filming the alleged incident on their mobile phones.
James Delinicolis (left) and Angelo Dellosa.
Appearing at Sydney’s Downing Centre court complex today, Mr Dellosa was dressed in a black suit and tie, but covered his face with a mask and dark sunglasses as made his way past reporters and camera crews.
His co-accused, Mr Delinicolis, was required to attend the hearing, but failed to show up, with his lawyer footing the blame, saying “it was my mistake I didn’t know he had to be here.”
Chief Magistrate, Graeme Henson, expressed his frustration at the Director of Public Prosecutions after requesting the case be delayed for at least three months.
The Crown Prosecutor explained she only received a 2,000-page brief of evidence and transcripts from NSW Police yesterday.
“You turned up to court with a code of silence — there is no explanation required other than further inquiries are taking place,” the Chief Magistrate said.
The court heard investigators were still searching for WhatsApp videos of the alleged incident more than six months after it happened.
The pair were arrested at their homes at Moorebank and Concord West in August despite reports of misconduct being submitted to the Professional Standards Command in June.
After the hearing adjourned today, Mr Dellosa spent several hours waiting inside the Downing Centre before pushing his way through a media scrum, saying “I am innocent”.
His wife was waiting for her husband in a white four-wheel drive on Elizabeth Street before the pair drove off.
Greece is taking the initiative for a de-escalation of the crisis in Nagorno-Karabakh with Foreign Minister, Nikos Dendias, calling for an extraordinary meeting of the Organisation for Security and Cooperation in Europe’s (OSCE) Permanent Council, according to a statement released on Wednesday.
The Foreign Ministry also underscored that Greece disapproves of any intervention of third parties which incites tension, and it calls on Turkey to refrain from actions and statements that move in this direction.
“The Greek initiative aims to hold a debate within the OSCE with the participation of the two stakeholders and to consider every possible way to de-escalate the crisis,” the Foreign Ministry said in a press release.
“The goal remains the urgent resumption of negotiations within the Minsk Group on the peaceful settlement of the dispute.”
The statement went on to say that “Greece is ready to contribute to the efforts for the immediate de-escalation of the crisis.”
“(This) Readiness… was expressed by Foreign Minister, Nikos Dendias, to his Armenian counterpart Zohrab Mnatsakanyan, during their recent phone conversation,” the statement said.
“During the same conversation, the close ties of friendship between Greece and Armenia were reaffirmed.”
A new conversation with Mnatsakanyan has been scheduled via teleconference on Thursday.
Coffee is an essential element of Greek culture and lifestyle. Whilst many Greek Australians missed out on their Greek summer this year, it doesn’t mean they have to miss out on a Greek frappe by the beach!
In celebration of International Coffee Day, here is a list of the top five types of Greek coffee and how you can make them.
Frappe
Photo: Depositphotos
A frappe is one of the first Greek iced coffees to have been invented and is a well-liked choice today among many Greek Australians. What is a Frappe exactly? A frappe is a blended coffee drink that consists of Nescafe and Water and is blended until a thick, creamy consistency is formed. The coffee is poured over ice with milk and sugar to your liking!
Freddo espresso
Photo: Perfect Daily Grind
A Freddo Espresso is a popular choice among those who like their coffee strong. A freddo espresso is a double shot of frothed, cold espresso that has been poured over ice.
Freddo cappuccino
Photo: Kouzounas Kitchen
Freddo cappuccino is arguably the prettiest choice within the Greek Coffee family. Like a Freddo espresso, Freddo cappuccino has a cold double shot of espresso poured over ice, topped with cold, frothed milk and cinnamon.
Eliniko kafe
Eliniko Kafe (Greek Coffee) is the traditional Greek coffee enjoyed by most Greeks as part of their morning ritual. The coffee is made with a few teaspoons of grounded coffee, water and sugar, to taste in a Briki over heat. Once the coffee comes to boil and froths up it is ready to be served with thick Kaimaki (cream) sitting on top.
Fun fact: the bottom of the coffee cup can be used for fortune telling!
Freddocino
Photo: BBC
Not as popular and not as well known in Australia – the Freddocino is a mocha style coffee that has a smoothie/slushie type texture. It is made by blending coffee, chocolate powder, ice and milk in a blender. Perfect for those with a sweet tooth!
October 1st is of great importance in the history of Cyprus. Ever since 1960, the first day of October marks the anniversary of the island’s freedom from British colonists after the four-year EOKA struggle in 1955-1959.
To mark the occasion of Cyprus Independence Day, we take a look back at the history.
How did Cyprus gain independence?
Cyprus was once under colonial rule and enslaved. It was a colony of Great Britain from 1878 until 1960.
In the early 1950s, some brave inhabitants of Cyprus decided to struggle for the independence of their country from Great Britain. Many wanted to achieve unification, or enosis, with Greece.
As a result, they became involved in a prolonged, and often fierce, battle with the British administration.
The Greek Cypriots fought under the banner of the National Organisation of Cypriot Fighters (Ethniki Organosis Kyprion Agoniston–EOKA), led by Colonel (later General) George Grivas.
EOKA fighters being released from prison in March 1959 after a general amnesty.
Although EOKA included only a few hundred active guerrillas, it enjoyed wide support in the Greek Cypriot community and was able to tie down about 10,000 British soldiers.
Eventually, after raging guerilla warfare for four long years, Sir Hugh Foot, the British governor, read a British proclamation declaring the independence of Cyprus.
EOKA claimed only partial success as their goal of enosis remained unmet.
For members of the Turkish Cypriot minority in Cyprus, who regarded Turkey as their motherland, enosis would have meant becoming a much smaller minority within the Greek nation. This implanted a bitterness in both ethnic communities and foreshadowed post-independence strife.
Post Independence in Cyprus:
Archbishop Makarios III was elected the first head of the new independent state.
The agreement between Greece, Britain, Turkey, and Cyprus was signed in Zurich and finally came into effect on 1st October 1960 – marking Cyprus Independence Day.
Under the agreement, Britain kept two sovereign military bases in Cyprus, which it continues to maintain to this day.
Soldiers from Greece and Turkey were also to remain present on the island in a bid to keep the peace.
And, under the new constitution, Greek Cypriots would elect a president from their own ethnicity and Turkish islanders would vote for a vice president from among theirs.
Archbishop Makarios III, who was exiled during the guerrilla war, was elected the first head of the new independent state while Fazıl Küçük became his deputy.
How Cypriots celebrate their Independence Day:
On Cyprus Independence Day, festivals and parades are held all across the country, including the display of tanks and advanced armory. Cypriot flags adorn all buildings, streets and towns.
A special Cyprus Independence Day event is also held at the President’s Palace where tribute is given to ancient leaders and people who struggled to gain independence from Britain.
The current President of Cyprus then lays a wreath to the statue of Archbishop Makarios III, the first President of the Republic of Cyprus.
The most luxury and lively Cyprus Independence Day celebrations are held in the capital of the state, Nicosia.
