A man who drove into pedestrians on Flinders Street in Melbourne, killing an elderly grandfather, has lost an appeal for an early release from jail, according to a 9News report.
Saeed Noori, 37, is serving a minimum 30 years prison for the murder of Antonios “Anton” Crocaris just days before Christmas in 2017. He appealed for an early release from prison which was today denied by a judge.
Noori drove down the busy street on December 21 of that year and injured 15 people, including a four-year-old boy, during the rampage. Antonios “Anton” Crocaris, 83, died from head injuries sustained during the attack. During his initial sentencing Justice Elizabeth Hollingworth said it was fortunate the father-of-three did not hurt or kill more people during the incident.
Noori pleaded guilty to one count of murder, 11 counts of recklessly causing serious injury and five counts of conduct endangering life in 2019.Justice Hollingworth said Noori’s motivation for the incident was based on the belief he was being spied on by ASIO, telling police the Australian government was racist.
For more than three decades, on the first Sunday of every month, South Australia’s Pontian community get together to share a meal, socialise, share stories and celebrate their common roots.
The most recent lunch was held on Sunday, March 7 at the Pontian Brotherhood of SA’ new building in Pennington, Adelaide.
“Our Sunday lunches are used to create a connection between our heritage and traditions, through food, dance and music. These gatherings of our extended Pontian family are symbolic, as we strive to keep the gap between generations small with our youth and community elders all get together in a familiar family setting.
(L) President of the Pontian Brotherhood of SA, Nazareth Nalpantidis Chisholm. Picture: The Greek Herald/Argyro Vourdoumpa
“We want to grow our community and invite all to come along because this is their home, built for the greater Pontian community,” President of the Pontian Brotherhood of SA, Nazareth Nalpantidis Chisholm, tells The Greek Herald.
Established in August 1958 SA’s Brotherhood is the second Pontian community in Australia and the second oldest outside of Greece and events like this have pulled the community members together throughout the years.
Picture: The Greek Herald/Argyro Vourdoumpa
“This is a massive team effort from all that have supported the Pontian Brotherhood of South Australia from its creation to date and it’s all driven for the love of Pontos, our Motherland,” says Nazareth.
“It’s our duty to keep the stories alive”
A member since she was a child and for the last four years the Brotherhood’s Treasurer, Sofia Varvaris says it’s important to keep the traditions alive.
Both her maternal and paternal grandparents migrated to Australia from Trapezounta in 1922.
Treasurer of the Pontian Brotherhood of SA Sofia Varvaris. Picture: The Greek Herald/Argyro Vourdoumpa
“It’s our duty to keep the Pontian history and culture alive and pass on the stories to future generations,” Sofia says.
“Pontos does not exist. We can go back but we know we are not welcome there. The Brotherhood and our ancestors’ history is all we have left and it’s encouraging that in our dancing groups we have so many young people.
“When they dance, they dance with their souls and not with their feet,” Varvaris concludes.
The Theriso revolt (Greek: Επανάσταση του Θερίσου) was an insurrection that broke out in March 1905 against the government of Crete, then an autonomous state under Ottoman suzerainty.
The revolt was led by the Cretan politician Eleftherios Venizelos, and is named after his mother’s native village, Theriso, the focal point of the revolt.
The revolt stemmed from the dispute between Venizelos and the island’s ruler, Prince George of Greece, over the island’s future, particularly over the question of Cretan union with Greece. The conflict’s origin can be traced to 1901, when Prince George dismissed Venizelos from the government.
The hostility between Venizelos and the prince was precipitated by the latter’s attitude toward foreign relations and by his refusal to engage in dialogue with his advisers over the island’s internal affairs. After a prolonged political struggle, Venizelos and his followers decided upon an armed uprising, with the goals of uniting Crete with Greece and ushering in a more democratic government for the island.
The Theriso revolt not only established Venizelos as the leading politician in Crete, but also brought him to the attention of the wider Greek world. His reputation would lead in 1909 to his call to Greece, where he became Prime Minister.
A proposed $6m city bikeway will endanger schoolchildren and other pedestrians, especially elderly churchgoers, The Advertiser reports.
Following a decision by Adelaide City Council to consult the public about the East-West Bikeway from Franklin Street to Hutt Street, The Greek Orthodox Community of SA and St Mary’s College commissioned the report to traffic consultant Melissa Mellen.
In her report, Ms Mellen said the two organisations had legitimate concerns about the impact of the bikeway on public safety and access to a school, two churches and a bingo hall.
The consultant said “a number of factors had not been addressed” with the proposed bikeway route, which featured a dog-leg between Flinders Street and Wakefield Street.
“Disappointedly, the safety of vulnerable road users other than cyclists is a key consideration that has been omitted from the assessment,” Ms Mellen said.
Other safety threats were posed to people attending church services, weddings, funerals and christenings at the Cathedral of Archangels Michael and Gabriel Creek Orthodox Church, along with hundreds of predominantly elderly people who played bingo in an adjacent hall.
Greek Orthodox Community president Bill Gonis said public safety near the bikeway had to become the paramount consideration for the council.
“During the so-called consultation period, Adelaide City Council have not been able to provide any solutions to the concerns which have been raised,” he said.
From her side, Lord Mayor Sandy Verschoor mentioned that public consultation on the bikeway closed last month.
Furious residents say their homes have been left “unsellable”, with one saying his property’s value plummeted from $11 million to only $1 because of proposed land zonings surrounding the new western Sydney airport, The Daily Telegraph reports.
Theo Koutsomihalis says under the latest zonings proposed, his entire 10 acre Luddenham property would be designated as green space – wiping millions from its value after it had previously been zoned as enterprise land.
He said planning firm Urbis had initially valued his land, then zoned as enterprise, at $11m.
The Berejiklian Government has wiped out millions of dollars in value from people’s family properties in Luddenham. Residents like Theo are right to be outraged. Their lives have been thrown into disarray. #nswpol Airport turns $11m home into $1 field https://t.co/UVodWNxISrpic.twitter.com/FEE4KkeBIM
However, proposed plans by the State government have designated his entire property as green space – with the firm updating him the property would now be “unsellable” with a value of $1.
“I’m stuck now with a property worth $1 for the next 20 or 30 years, if it ever sells,” he said.
“The other day I literally had to pull the car over and have a panic attack for 45 minutes.
“My kids’ future is gone.”
Mr Koutsomihalis drew the largest cheer at a public meeting of about 200 concerned locals at Luddenham Showground on Tuesday with state politicians and councillors from Liverpool and Penrith.
A woman has been charged over the brutal murder of 87-year-old Kon Kritikos.
Danielle Lee Birchall appeared at Melbourne Magistrates Court on Tuesday, just hours after she was arrested over Mr Kritikos’ horrific bashing death. The 45-year-old from Kurunjang is charged with one count of murder.
No details of the circumstances of her alleged offending, or if she knew Mr Kritikos were aired in court for the brief hearing.
Her arrest came after detectives revealed in February they were searching for a female suspect.
Mr Kritikos was allegedly set upon in his Reynard St, Coburg home on November 11 last year.
He died in hospital 13 days later.
Police said he was attacked while he was alone and vulnerable.
His sick wife was in hospital at the time and detectives suspected this was known by his alleged killer.
Following the alleged attack, Mr Kritikos lay dying and helpless in his home for up to eight hours.
Detective Inspector Tim Day, of the homicide squad, described his killing as an “incredibly violent attack on one of the most vulnerable members of our community”.
Ms Birchall was remanded in custody to reappear in court in July.
The European Parliament is planning to rename one of its meeting rooms Manolis Glezos after the Greek World War II resistance fighter and former MEP who died last year at the age of 97.
Glezos was elected to the European Parliament on the leftist SYRIZA ticket at the age of 91 in 2014, receiving more votes than any other Greek MEP candidate. He had also served in the House from 1984 to 1985.
The European Parliament will honour the late, great resistance fighter Manolis Glezos by naming a room in his memory.
We made the request as a tribute to the remarkable life of this former MEP.
Manolis will endure as a symbol of anti-fascist resistance, for freedom & democracy. pic.twitter.com/uuxCVt0qTI
— The Left in the European Parliament (@Left_EU) March 9, 2021
In a press release on Tuesday, the European Parliament described Glezos as “a major figure in the national resistance against fascism.”
He was best known for being one of two resistance fighters who took down the swastika from the Acropolis during the Nazi occupation of Athens, in May 1941.
The meeting room being renamed after him is located in the Altiero Spinelli building in Brussels.
Two other buildings will also be named after Clara Campoamor and Sophie Scholl in honour of International Women’s Day.
Greek police said an officer was seriously injured in the head as clashes broke out Tuesday evening at a protest of some 5,000 people in Athens against police violence.
The demonstration follows an uproar over viral video footage showing an officer beating a man with a baton during a patrol to check that people were following Covid-19 restrictions on Sunday.
An AFP photographer at the scene of Tuesday’s protest said clashes broke out after a group of around 200 masked protesters headed towards the police station in Nea Smyrni, the calm Athens suburb where Sunday’s beating had taken place.
In pictures: A police officer is seriously injured as clashes break out at a protest of some 5,000 people in Athens, Greece against police violence pic.twitter.com/1lhyW4F7b1
The demonstrators threw rocks and Molotov cocktails at a police station and police responded with tear gas and water cannon, AFP reported. Around a dozen dustbins were set on fire, prompting firefighters to intervene.
Police said the injured officer had been rushed to hospital, while some protesters had been arrested even before the clashes broke out for possession of Molotov cocktails and iron bars.
Mitsotakis, Tsipras trade barbs over protest rallies
Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis accused the main opposition of undermining the measures to limit the spread of the coronavirus by calling for protests, amid hightened tensions following an apparent incident of police brutality in a residential Athens suburb over the weekend.
“SYRIZA’s official call for participation in citizen protest rallies in the midst of the pandemic is an act of great irresponsibility,” Mitsotakis said in a statement on Tuesday.
Οι θλιβερές εικόνες βίας που είδαμε όλοι απόψε στην Αθήνα πρέπει να είναι οι τελευταίες. Και η ζωή ενός συμπολίτη μας, του νεαρού αστυνομικού που κινδύνευσε, να μας αφυπνίσει. Αυτές τις στιγμές πρέπει να επικρατήσει απ’ όλους αυτοσυγκράτηση και ψυχραιμία. pic.twitter.com/BbSicwIDmb
— Prime Minister GR (@PrimeministerGR) March 9, 2021
Mitsotakis said the call “is an affront to our healthcare workers struggling day and night.”
On its side, SYRIZA responded that the prime minister is “in panic due to the incompetence of his government.”
“We inform him that the only one who has the power to motivate citizens – regardless of party affiliation – to mobilize in the middle of a lockdown, is his policy and himself,” it added.
It was that time of the year again when members of the Hellenic Lyceum of Sydney gathered at the Grove Conference Centre for their Annual General Meeting (AGM).
But in an exciting turn of events, the Lyceum changed the meeting up a little bit this year to reflect celebrations for the 200th anniversary of the Greek Revolution of 1821.
Members of the Hellenic Lyceum of Sydney. Photo: Facebook.
Over 60 new and existing members gathered to discuss the Lyceum’s future plans and finances, including representatives from the Athenian Association of NSW, the Kytherian Association of NSW, the Dionysus Theatre Company, the White Pearl Foundation and the St George Philoptochos Rose Bay.
All the guests were greeted at the door by four Greek youths dressed in the traditional costume of an Evzona (for the two boys) and an Amalia (for the two girls).
Three paintings of Greek Revolution heroines by artist, Angela Kiki, were on display. Photo: Facebook.
Three paintings of Greek Revolution heroines by artist, Angela Kiki, were also on display throughout the AGM, with Angela later taking the time to explain how these women contributed to the Struggle.
“We wanted to give our AGM the flavour of 1821 and being a woman’s organisation, we want to place emphasis on the role of Greek women during the Revolution,” President of the Hellenic Lyceum of Sydney, Liana Vertzayias, tells The Greek Herald.
The Hellenic Lyceum of Sydney gathered at the Grove Conference Centre for their Annual General Meeting (AGM). Photo: Facebook.
Adding to this revolutionary “flavour,” was a special talk from Elfa Moraitakis, CEO of SydneyWest Services, who spoke about the organisation’s work supporting migrant woman with a number of issues they face today.
“Elfa was our special guest speaker because she related nicely to what the Hellenic Lyceum was known for when it first started – Greek women acting as social workers to help migrants who had just arrived from Greece,” Mrs Vertzayias says.
Elfa Moraitakis, CEO of SydneyWest Services, gave a special talk. Photo: Facebook.
The proud President herself concluded the event by reciting a poem from Percy B. Shelley called “Hellas” and inspired by the Hellenic Spirit.
This year, the Hellenic Lyceum of Sydney is celebrating its 70th anniversary on July 18, and they are also holding a preview of their upcoming major exhibition to mark the 1821 Greek Revolution this Sunday, March 14 at 3.30pm at the Kogarah Church Hall (16 – 20 Belgrave Street, Kogarah).Everyone is welcome.
Mr Grigor’s, a popular Greek family-run cafe on the northern beaches, closed its doors for the last time on Monday after failing to come to an agreement on a new lease with the landlord.
Maria and Bill Panagiotopoulos opened Mr Grigor’s at Allambie Heights five years ago and had built up a loyal community following.
But according to The Daily Telegraph, on January 10 this year Maria and Bill were handed a letter from an estate agent, representing the owners of the Allambie Heights shopping centre, telling the couple that they had 30 days to vacate the premises.
As part of their lease, the couple had to indicate to landlord Darren Jones, by the end of July 2020, if they were going to exercise the option to renew the lease for another five years.
Customers outside the popular Mr Grigor’s cafe and restaurant at Allambie Heights on Monday morning as Maria and Bill hand out free coffees. Picture: Jim O’Rourke / The Daily Telegraph.
Due to the pressures of trying to keep the business above water during the COVID crisis, and the poor health of her elderly father, Maria told The Daily Telegraph they missed the deadline to alert Mr Jones, a former mayor of Warringah Council, that they wanted to renew the lease by about two weeks.
Maria said they wrote to Mr Jones to make an offer on the lease, but that was rejected.
“We worked hard, up to 100 hours every week each, to make this place a success. Now, since COVID restrictions lifted, our business is up 20 to 30 per cent. But we have to go,” Maria told the media outlet.
“I have never had a community wrap their arms around us like this community has. It’s been wonderful.”
For more than three hours on their last day, Maria and Bill, along with their daughter Chloe, were making and handing out free coffees to their loyal customers.
Mr Jones told the Manly Daily on Monday that the couple failed to meet their obligations in relation to exercising an option to renew the lease.
“It was nothing to do with me. It was their call, not mine,” Mr Jones said.
Meanwhile, Maria and Bill are clearing out Mr Grigor’s this week and contemplating whether to open another restaurant in, or near, the northern beaches.
