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Australia’s ‘premier multicultural conference’ returns to Melbourne after 18 years

The Greek Herald
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Australia’s ‘premier multicultural conference’ returns to Melbourne after 18 years

The Federation of Ethnic Communities’ Council of Australia (FECCA) and the Ethnic Communities’ Council of Victoria (ECCV) announced on Friday that FECCA’s biennial conference, Australia’s premier multicultural conference, will be brought to Melbourne in November 2021.

Announced by Parliamentary Secretary for Multicultural Affairs Josh Bull MP at ECCV’s Annual General Meeting, the Victorian Government’s support will see the conference return to Melbourne for the first time in 18 years.

“With Victoria being one of the most successful multicultural societies in the world, it’s only fitting that Australia’s premier multicultural conference will be here in Melbourne. This is a significant investment that celebrates the diversity of our state and on behalf of the Victorian Government, I look forward to the outcomes of this conference,” said Mr Bull.

FECCA Chairperson Mary Patetsos said the funding will allow community members and young people to come together from across the country to share their knowledge and lived experiences, particularly in the aftermath of COVID-19. 

“We are thrilled that we will be able to hold this national conference in Melbourne at a time when the challenges facing migrant and refugee communities remain significant. We thank the Victorian Government for its support,” Ms Patetsos said. 

“Issues such as immigration and the economy, rising racism, public health messaging to diverse communities, migrant workforce protections, and a humane and efficient migration system will be on the agenda.”

Mary Petsos. Photo: SBS News

Minister for Multicultural Affairs Ros Spence said bringing the conference to Melbourne was a win-win for the state.

“The Victorian Government has always championed multiculturalism, acknowledging that with diversity comes strength,” Minister Spence said. 

“I am proud that this year’s State Budget offers unprecedented levels of support to our diverse communities, recognising their unique contribution and ensuring we can work together to rebuild and re-open on the path to COVID Normal.” 

ECCV Chairperson Eddie Micallef said he was looking forward to welcoming delegates to his hometown. 

Eddie Micallef. Photo: ECCV

“We are very proud to be hosting the next FECCA conference in Melbourne. It will give us an opportunity to not only showcase the diversity of our city, but the strength of multiculturalism across Victoria. ECCV has been an integral part of the multicultural legacy in Victoria, and being able to deliver such an important event with FECCA will do so much to lift all our communities after the year we’ve had,” Mr Micallef said. 

“COVID-19 has disproportionately impacted migrant and refugee Victorians and through the FECCA Conference we look forward to learning about how to manage future challenges better.”

Pandemic contingency plans will be put in place and the conference will be delivered in line with public health advice at the time. 

South Melbourne launches Blind Football team

The Greek Herald
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South Melbourne launches Blind Football team

As part of the celebration of International Day of Persons with Disabilities, South Melbourne FC announced an ambitious partnership with Australian Blind Football.

The partnership looks to provide a home-base in Melbourne at Lakeside Stadium with regular training sessions and open public come-and-try events to grow the game. Blind footballers at the club will represent Victoria at national competitions and participate in National training Camps as they strive to cement their position in the national team.

South Melbourne President Nicholas Miakousis said to smfc.com.au that he is proud of the work done by the club in collaboration with Dave Connolly from Australian Blind Football.

“At South Melbourne we have always advocated for aspirational football where any player or club has the potential to reach the top of the game both here in Australia and Internationally.

Photo: SMFC

“The establishment of the blind football team is another aspect of aspirational football helping people achieve the best they can.”

The President added that he is looking forward to seeing South Melbourne FC players represent Australia at major international sporting events like the Paralympics.

Former Senior Men’s player and Theo Marmaras Medal winner for Player of the season in 2009, Sebastian Petrovich will be involved as a volunteer and referee for Blind Football in Victoria.

Photo: SMFC

Sebastian told smfc.com.au: “We are very grateful for the partnership with South Melbourne. The club has been very welcoming and it’s going to be an amazing time for the future advertising of the sport and building pathways into the future for the blind football team.”

Shae Skinner, one of the club’s new team members told smfc.com.au about her journey in the game.

“I have been playing football for about five or six years,” Skinner saids.

“As part of the Australian team we travelled to Kochi in India in 2018 for our first international competition against the Indian Blind Football team.

Photo: SMFC

“I was also selected to travel to Japan in 20129 with an invitation from the International Blind Sports Federation female to take part in an all-female blind football international training camp.

“I am looking forward to representing South Melbourne and playing for the club, as well as more opportunities to play for Australia and travel overseas.”

The South Melbourne Blind Football team will be based at Lakeside Stadium and host regular free come-and-try sessions for the community commencing in early 2021.

English couple outraged over limited three month stay at Syros property due to Brexit

The Greek Herald
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English couple outraged over limited three month stay at Syros property due to Brexit

A sweeping new set of rules established by Prime Minister Boris Johnson has restricted UK nationals to a maximum of 90 days in any six months in most European countries without a visa or residency permit.

Coming into effect next month, the rule will affect the estimated half a million British citizens with properties on the Continent.

David Young, an award-winning novelist, bought a two-bedroom home on the Greek island of Syros with his wife Stephanie two years ago.

The view from the couple’s home in the Greek island of Syros. Photo: Daily Mail

He said the rules mean their “hopes of long hot summers” at their house will be severely curtailed, Daily Mail reports.

He added: “All we’re asking for is reciprocity. The irony is that post-Brexit, EU citizens will be able to spend up to six months at a time in the UK.

“The only solution is to apply for residency, but that comes with a minimum 183-day stay requirement. It’s a horrible Catch 22 situation – many owners have ties in the UK they just can’t sever, so they can’t opt for full residency.”

Asked if Mr Johnson is sympathetic to the plight of the holiday home owners and whether he will lobby the EU on their behalf, his spokesman said: “The Prime Minister has been clear on the fact we are leaving the European Union and what that entails in terms of bringing back control of our money, borders and laws.”

Greek city to use Christmas money for more ICU beds

The Greek Herald
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Greek city to use Christmas money for more ICU beds

A city in northern Greece hard hit by the coronavirus pandemic said Thursday it will scrap plans to set up Christmas decorations and a nativity scene this year to donate the money to the local hospital’s intensive care ward.

“We have decided to use the funds to pay for two additional ICU spaces, three medical monitors, and 1,000 protective suits for medical staff,” the mayor of Serres, Alekos Chrysafis, told The Associated Press.

City officials said the donation to the state-run Serres General Hospital was expected to total 110,000 euros ($130,000.) They added that a tree would be put up in the center of the city of nearly 60,000 people.

Cities in northern Greece have been the hardest hit by the pandemic. The daily number of cases in the country’s second-largest city, Thessaloniki, remains higher than those reported in greater Athens — an area with a population more than three times larger.

A child look at Christmas decoration at the Stavros Niarchos Foundation Cultural Center, in Athens, on Wednesday, Dec. 2, 2020. (AP Photo/Petros Giannakouris)

Greece on Thursday extended a nationwide lockdown by another week, through Dec. 14, though shops selling Christmas decorations will be allowed to open on Dec. 7. Theofilos Kallinikidis, a pathologist in charge of coronavirus wards at Serres General Hospital, said he welcomed the donation, which came at a critical time for the hospital.

“A few days ago we had a terrible surge in cases,” he told the AP. “Around 100 patients have died of coronavirus in the hospital, just one of them during the first wave of the pandemic.”

The hospital started with just six beds in its ICU, but is now near capacity with 16 out of 17 beds occupied, he added.

Greece has suffered more than 2,700 COVID-19 deaths, with most occurring in the month of November. The country has confirmed a total of some 111,000 cases since the start of the pandemic.

Sourced By: AP News

Greece extends nationwide lockdown again, to Dec. 14

The Greek Herald
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Greece extends nationwide lockdown again, to Dec. 14

Greece has extended to Dec. 14 a nationwide lockdown imposed last month to contain a surge in new coronavirus cases, government spokesman Stelios Petsas said on Thursday.

The lockdown, the country’s second since the pandemic began, was extended by a week.

“There is a stabilisation or rather a decline in the (number of) cases but at a slower pace than expected,” Petsas told a televised briefing.

READ MORE: Kyriakos Mitsotakis criticised for violating lockdown rules in leaked photos
READ MORE: Greece extends lockdown until December 7, protests break out in Athens

Greece has registered a total of 109,655 COVID-19 cases and 2,186 deaths, with northern Greece hardest hit and hospitals operating at almost full capacity.

The restrictions were initially expected to end on Nov. 30 but the government had already extended them to Dec. 7. Petsas said seasonal stores, selling Christmas items, would re-open next week.

Sourced By: Reuters

Kosta the Kri-Kri: The Cretan goat putting smiles on the faces of young kids in Sydney

Andriana Simos
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Kosta the Kri-Kri: The Cretan goat putting smiles on the faces of young kids in Sydney

Kosta the Kri-Kri is guaranteed to become an internet sensation. He dances to Cretan music, tutors young children and loves playing dress up.

But there’s a catch.

What really makes Kosta unique is that he’s actually a toy goat named after the kri-kri goats found only on the Greek island of Crete.

Kosta the Kri-Kri teaches ‘responsibility’:

Kosta came onto the Greek community scene about seven weeks ago when a Facebook page was launched in his honour.

The mastermind behind the page is 19-year-old Vayia Spanoudakis, who is a dancing teacher of the Cretan Association of Sydney and NSW’s dancing groups.

Vayia tells The Greek Herald exclusively that her idea for the page was simple. She wanted to document the adventures of Kosta as he lives with a different student from the junior and intermediate dance groups every week.

“When I started as a dancing teacher, I wanted to reward the children with something every week. I didn’t want to do chocolates and lollies so we decided to bring in Kosta the Kri-Kri,” Vayia tells The Greek Herald.

Vayia Spanoudakis (left) decided to give Kosta the Kri-Kri to a different dance student every week. Photo: Kosta the Kri-Kri Facebook.

“He teaches them responsibility but also to have fun. That’s why we asked them to take photos with him during the week and we put them on Facebook so we can all see and keep up with his adventures.”

The adventures of Kosta the Kri-Kri:

So far, Kosta has visited the beach with his friends, come face-to-face with a loveable cat and even met His Eminence Archbishop Makarios. But best of all, he’s been named the official mascot of the Cretan Association of Sydney and NSW.

“Everyone loves it! The children get so excited and I find that they listen even more during dancing class as well because I put Kosta at the front and they know he’s watching,” Vayia laughs.

The dancing teacher says that the children also learn more about their Cretan culture by going on adventures with Kosta and this is the most important thing of all.

Kosta the Kri-Kri has even been to the beach. Photo: Kosta the Kri-Kri Facebook page.

“Kosta the Kri-Kri doesn’t look exactly like the traditional Cretan goat but it’s the closest I could find and it still teaches students about their Cretan culture,” Vayia says.

“They know what it is now. It’s not just a goat but the Cretan goat and we teach them the history of Cretan dances as well.

“At the end of the day, it’s just about seeing the children happy and actually wanting to dance.”

And with a soon-to-be celebrity like Kosta the Kri-Kri guiding the children through their classes, there’s no doubt their love for Cretan dance will only continue to grow.

On this day: The Battle of Elli Began

The Greek Herald
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On this day: The Battle of Elli Began

By Billy Patramanis

The Battle of Elli is one of the most significant battles in modern Greece. The battle was during the famous Balkan Wars, which became the fall of the Ottoman Empire and the predecessor to the Great War. 

The Battle of Elli became the largest battle at sea during the Balkan Wars, showcasing the great strength of the Greek navy. The battle also was used by countries in WWI to understand how to accurately win a battle at sea, using the Greeks tactic of speed.

The Battle of Elli, or the Battle of the Dardanelles, was fought at the mouth of the Dardanelles on the 16th of December 1912. The battle was fought between Greek and the Ottoman Empire naval fleets. 

The Royal Hellenic Navy was led by Pavlos Kountouriotis. Kountouriotis was, at the time, on board the armoured cruiser ‘Averof’. 

The battle was won through speed, a tactic Kountouriotis used after analysing his naval strengths and weaknesses. Kountouriotis saw the weakness in his three, older defence ships, ‘Hydra’, ‘Spetsai’ and ‘Psara’, they were too slow for battle and he became increasingly frustrated by this. 

Therefore, Kountouriotis placed the letter Z above his ship as a flag signal, which meant ‘independent action’. After signalling independent action, Kountouriotis led the Averof on a forward sail at full speed to the Ottoman fleet. He travelled at 20 knots against the Ottoman fleet. 

As he travelled at a superior speed to any ship the Ottoman had, Kountouriotis managed to cross the Ottomans main fleet, and gained a clear shot at the Ottomans flagship, ‘Barbaros Hayreddin’. 

Ottoman Flagship ‘Barbaros Hayreddin’. Source: warhistoryonline.com

This was a significant path for the Greek navy, as gaining a clear fire at their main ship would result in a losing battle for the Ottomans. They therefore retreated, with the Greek naval ships continuing their onslaught of the Ottomans until the 26th of December 1912. 

The Ottoman Empire lost a total of 18 lives during battle, a further 41 wounded. 

The Battle of Elli resulted in the Ottoman Empire retreating further back, leaving the Aegean Sea and allowing Greece to liberate Lesbos, Chios, Lemnos and Samos. 

It was also a significant battle that began the downward fall of the Ottoman Empire on land. As Greece now controlled the sea, the Ottomans ability to gain reinforcements through sea was impossible.

Nicole Malliotakis officially wins Congressional New York City seat

The Greek Herald
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Nicole Malliotakis officially wins Congressional New York City seat

A final tally of absentee ballots has confirmed that Republican Nicole Malliotakis has defeated U.S. Rep. Max Rose, denying the Democrat a second term representing one of the few conservative-leaning parts of New York City.

Malliotakis, a New York State Assembly member, opened a big lead over Rose on Election Day in a district that includes all of Staten Island and part of Brooklyn.

She declared victory on Nov. 3 and Rose conceded the race Nov. 12, but The Associated Press didn’t call the race until Tuesday because New York City’s Board of Elections refused for weeks to publicly release information about its count of a large number of absentee ballots.

Photo: Andrew Kelly/Reuters.

With her victory, Malliotakis will become the only Republican in New York City’s congressional delegation.

The race between Malliotakis and Rose, an Army combat veteran, played out over a year that saw violent clashes between protesters and police officers in New York City, and several months in which shootings in some parts of the city soared.

Malliotakis ran on a pro-law enforcement platform and sought to link Rose to Democratic Mayor Bill de Blasio, who is deeply unpopular on Staten Island, and to calls for defunding the police, which Rose says he does not support.

READ MORE: Nicole Malliotakis embraces Greek father moments after winning US Congress seat
READ MORE: Five Greek-Americans seeking Congress return in 2020 US Elections

To distance himself from de Blasio, Rose created an ad calling his fellow Democrat the “worst mayor ever.” Malliotakis was a candidate for mayor against de Blasio in 2017.

The daughter of a Cuban immigrant mother and a Greek immigrant father, Malliotakis grew up on Staten Island and has represented parts of Staten Island and Brooklyn in the Assembly since 2011.

Sourced By: AP News

What easing of restrictions in NSW means for church-goers

The Greek Herald
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What easing of restrictions in NSW means for church-goers

The NSW Government has announced a sweeping set of changes to state COVID-19 restrictions, including an increase to the amount of guests in places of worship.

As of next Monday, weddings, funerals and religious services will no longer have an attendee cap, along with hospitality venues, regional agricultural shows and corporate events.

From December 7, all places of worship and function centres must adhere to the 2-square-metre rule, which has been altered from the current 4-square-metre rule. The easing of restrictions will effectively mean that the capacity at these locations will double.

“We’re deeply grateful that since the beginning of the pandemic, the community has taken our advice… [and] has really led the way throughout the nation and we want that to continue,” Ms Berejiklian said.

NSW Premier Gladys Berejiklian. Picture: Dylan Coker/NCA NewsWireSource:News Corp Australia

“I’m pleased that because of that, we are in the strong position we are today and from Monday life will be very more different in NSW.”

Premier Gladys Berejiklian warned against any public complacency, saying restrictions would return if case numbers skyrocketed.

“If there is a cluster of cases we hadn’t anticipated, we will need to go backwards,” she said, adding that she “expected” there would be more cases.

NSW Health announced this morning that a quarantine hotel employee who worked at two Sydney hotels over four days has tested positive to coronavirus.

Health Minister Brad Hazzard confirmed the new infection this morning but said it was “too new to know” if it would be considered a community transmission case.

Tsapatolis’ career switch from basketball to AFL after rejecting Greece offer

The Greek Herald
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Tsapatolis’ career switch from basketball to AFL after rejecting Greece offer

Greek Australian sports star Paul Tsapatolis had a bright future in basketball, representing the country in FIBA Oceania and Asia Cup tournaments.

While a career in basketball seemed lined up for the youngster, he announced in November that he would be doing a career switch and joining Geelong Cats in the AFL.

The newly signed Category B rookie said he passed on offers from a number of rival AFL clubs.

“About two months ago a club in Greece said we’ll sign you, you just have to be here in a month. Here’s a contract, be here in a month and you’re playing,” Tsapatolis told RSN Sports Breakfast.

“I said nah, I told my parents footy is what I want to do and I’ll find a way to do it.

Tsapatolis represented Australia at the Oceania and Asian Cups. Image: Instagram

“Because of my background, I’m Greek, there was a lot of interest in Greece and I actually got asked to go to Olympiacos to try out two years ago but I broke my foot.

“Ever since then something has always popped in the way, whether that be an Asia Cup, Oceania or tournament.”

The Point Cook local formed a lasting friendship with Cats recruiter Troy Selwood over Victoria’s lockdown period, a bond that put the Cats in the box seat to secure the 18-year-old’s elusive signature.

“Geelong started talking to me, Troy Selwood came to my house for an interview in early March, just before the pandemic,” Tsapatolis says.

Paul Tsapatolis will join Geelong in 2021. Photo: Fox Sports

“He told me straight out what the plans were with Geelong, what they expected from me and what I expected from them. I said just give me a chance.

“We were training every weekend out at St Mary’s and just the connection I grew with Troy Selwood, Stephen Wells is awesome (as well).

“All the boys, they started messaging me, Joel Selwood and just the connection I had to Geelong (helped make the decision).”

Tsapatolis last played football for the Yarraville Seddon Eagles in under 13s but says he was never far from a Sherrin. 

“All the clubs have said my skills are pretty good so I’m just going to go off what they say. I’ve never really dropped the footy out of my hands, even at school I was always kicking the footy,” he says.

“The only thing that I lost dramatically was the endurance, but during this covid pandemic I bought a treadmill and I haven’t really got off of it.

“Last year I was training with Ryan O’Keefe, (Hawthorn’s) Emerson Jeka, (Carlton’s) Josh Honey and Sam Ramsay so I was always around people who are highly skilled.

“Torin Baker who’s now at Carlton Football club as a coach helped me out a lot and Anthony Koutoufides who is a close friend of mine always helped me out.”

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