Legal action by student activist, Drew Pavlou, against the Chinese Consul General for allegedly inciting violence against him has been dismissed in a Queensland court today.
Brisbane magistrate Janelle Brassington dismissed the application after ruling Consul General Dr Xu Jie has “diplomatic immunity” because he was performing the functions of a consular officer.
A staunch Beijing critic, Mr Pavlou had made an application under Queensland’s Peace and Good Behaviour Act seeking a retraction of comments made by the Chinese official.
BREAKING: The courts have ruled in favour of Consul-General Xu Jie, saying he has diplomatic immunity to endorse violent attacks against me. The courts cannot help us, we need Prime Minister @ScottMorrisonMP to protect Australian citizens by expelling Xu Jie as a diplomat
It followed a statement reportedly posted on the Consul General website condemning a protest as anti-China separatist activities. Mr Pavlou was a key organiser of the demonstration held at the University of Queensland.
In response to today’s court decision, Mr Pavlou wrote on Twitter, “the court cannot help us.”
“We need Prime Minister, Scott Morrison, to protect Australian citizens by expelling Xu Jie as a diplomat,” he added.
Sydney accountant, Filomina Kyriacou, is being pursued by the Australian Taxation Office over unpaid tax and penalties of $2.4 million.
The director of Sydney accounting firm Wentworth Williams, Ms Kyriacou has been linked to the tax fraud accused George Alex.
The tax debt resulted in the Tax Practitioners Board banning Ms Kyriacou and her firm from acting as a tax agent, a move the 54-year-old is attempting to have overturned in the Administrative Appeals Tribunal.
According to her tax records, which were aired in the proceedings, Ms Kyriacou is accused of understating her taxable income in 2017-18.
Ms Kyriacou has been linked to the tax fraud accused George Alex.
In 2017, Ms Kyriacou “returned taxable income” of $38,247 but, after an ATO audit, her earnings were found to be more than $1.6 million, resulting in a tax shortfall of $753,405.04, court documents state.
The following year, the documents stated Ms Kyriacou declared an income of $57,785 when it was actually assessed by the ATO to be almost $1.3 million. This resulted in a tax shortfall of more than $572,000.
The ATO probe also led to 26 of Ms Kyriacou’s “clients” being audited, which uncovered that they had $18 million in various liabilities, the tribunal heard.
Tribunal documents showed part or all of the amount “related to six companies” but the ATO did not particularise those allegations for the Tax Practitioners Board.
According to The Sunday Telegraph, business searches found records of six companies, of which Ms Kyriacou was a previous director, that are now in liquidation, owing about $10 million in unpaid tax.
It is not known if these are the six companies referred to in the Tribunal.
Ms Kyriacou applied to the tribunal earlier this year to have her five-year ban overturned.
The tribunal is yet to hand down its decision and in May granted Ms Kyriacou a temporary “stay” from being banned while it was deliberating on its final order.
A spokeswoman from the Tribunal said the stay was in place until August 9 “or until further order by the tribunal.”
The tribunal heard Ms Kyriacou is suffering from bone marrow cancer “which it might be inferred has impacted upon her ability to respond in a timely and effective way to the ATO and the (tax) Board.”
Ms Kyriacou is fighting being banned from operating as a tax agent.
Ms Kyriacou has also been linked to construction identity George Alex, who is accused of leading a tax fraud ring that stole $17 million.
Ms Kyriacou has not been charged over the tax fraud syndicate and there is no suggestion she has any involvement. However, Ms Kyriacou did feature as a witness who gave evidence in a 2014 Federal Court case relating to Alex’s financial affairs after he was declared bankrupt.
However, Justice Bernard Murphy ruled that Ms Kyriacou was an unreliable witness and said some of her evidence was “implausible.”
Mr Kyriacou’s case will return to the tribunal on November 13. The Sunday Telegraph attempted to contact her for comment.
Heavy rains and thunderstorms have caused flash flooding on the central Greek island of Evia, killing at least seven people including an 8-month-old baby and elderly couple.
Fire brigade officials said on Sunday three of the victims, including the baby, were found in the village of Politika. The other four were in the village of Amfithea and the village of Bourtzi in central Evia, northeast of the capital, Athens.
Rescuers are still searching for one missing person. A woman previously reported as missing was found alive and well, the civilian protection agency said.
Photo: AP Photo/Yorgos Karahalis.
Photo: Sotiris Dimitropoulos/Eurokinissi via REUTERS.
Greece’s meteorological service said parts of Evia saw rainfall that reached 300 millimeters, some 80 percent of the annual rainfall for the area, which is only about 375 millimeters, usually with negligible rain during the summer.
In Bourtzi, restaurant terraces, a children’s playground, some parking lots and parts of the narrow coastal road were swept away by the torrential rains and mudslides.
Photo: AP Photo/Yorgos Karahalis.
Photo: AP Photo/Yorgos Karahalis.
The fire department received hundreds of calls to pump water from homes and vehicles submerged in mud.
Dozens were evacuated and 43 people were rescued by helicopter as roads flooded an area where a river had burst its banks. Transport was widely disrupted.
Deputy Minister for Civil Protection, Nikos Hardalias, arrived on the scene of the disaster on Sunday morning to assess the situation.
“It is a difficult day today. The state mechanism put in a great struggle. The forecast for this phenomenon was 63 mm of rain in 24 hours. The last count is over 300 mm. Many lives have been saved today. Our thoughts are with the people who did not make it,” Mr Hardalias said.
Greek Prime Minister, Kyriakos Mitsotakis, is set to visit Evia on Monday to assess the situation.
“I express my deep sorrow for our fellow human beings who lost their lives in Evia and my heartfelt condolences to their loved ones,” Mitsotakis wrote on Twitter on Sunday afternoon.
Victoria’s Health Minister, Jenny Mikakos, has defended her handling of the coronavirus crisis, saying she has put “every ounce of energy” she has into responding to the pandemic since the state’s first case was recorded in January.
In an emotional thread posted on Twitter over the weekend, Ms Mikakos said she always tried to be “upfront and measured” about the challenges facing the state, but acknowledged “mistakes were made along the way.”
“Since that fateful day on 25 January, when we had our first ever case, I’ve worked every day to keep everyone safe. I have put every ounce of energy I’ve had into that effort. If it wasn’t enough, then I’m deeply sorry,” Ms Mikakos wrote.
Since that fateful day on 25 January, when we had our first-ever case, I’ve worked every day to keep everyone safe. I have put every ounce of energy I’ve had into that effort. If it wasn’t enough, then I’m deeply sorry.
— Jenny Mikakos MP #StayHomeSaveLives (@JennyMikakos) August 8, 2020
The Health Minister also hit out at the “incorrect assumption made that somehow I can single-handedly report on the actions of countless individuals and many agencies involved in our pandemic response” — a likely reference to repeated questioning about the State Government’s handling of the mandatory hotel quarantine program.
Victoria’s operation of its mandatory hotel quarantine program has been under intense scrutiny since authorities revealed infection control breaches contributed to a number of new cases in May and June.
The Andrews Government has refused to answer questions about its management of the program for weeks, saying it would be inappropriate to comment before the inquiry, headed by former judge Jennifer Coate, completed its investigation.
Victoria’s Opposition also called for Ms Mikakos to resign last week after the Minister refused to answer questions about hotel quarantine in State Parliament.
Health Minister Jenny Mikakos refused to answer questions during State Parliament. Source: AAP / James Ross.
Interim Bulldogs coach Steve Georgallis said he would be “stoked to stay” at the Bulldogs as an assistant coach next year after all but conceding he won’t be the Cowboys coach in 2021, NRL.com reports.
Georgallis said recently he would be prepared to put his hat in the ring for any head coaching jobs, including the Cowboys, but said he saw a bright future for himself under next year’s head coach Trent Barrett at Canterbury.
“I’ll be honest with you. I think North Queensland have probably already chosen their coach,” he said after Canterbury’s 41-10 loss to the Storm.
“I am pretty sure they would have asked me if they were interested in me. It is the merry-go-round of coaches at the moment.
Current Bulldogs assistant coach Steve Georgallis will be the club’s interim coach. Photo: AAP
“To be honest I’d be really happy to stay here as an assistant coach. Hopefully Trent can see the plusses of me staying here. Those head coaching jobs are rare but I am pretty confident [the Cowboys] would have contacted me if they were interested in my services.”
For Georgallis, to remain at the Bulldogs makes sense on so many levels. He sees a bright future for a club that has recently signed English international Luke Thompson and will welcome Raiders and NSW back Nick Cotric next year.
“I haven’t talked to Trent. I know he is concentrating on Penrith at the moment and I am pretty sure if he wants to contact me he will,” he said.
“I love coaching. I love the club. I have been here for four years and was a Canterbury junior. I’d be stoked to stay.
“There are a lot of good players coming through. In 2018 we won the reserve grade competition and the under 16s and under 18s have been making finals.
“We just have to surround those young players with experienced players to help them come through.”
Georgallis, who had coached the Bulldogs to an 18-12 win over the Knights and narrow losses to the Dragons and Eels in the past three weeks, said he had two goals for the rest of the year.
Georgallis joined the Bulldogs coaching staff in 2017. Photo: NRL
“We’d definitely like to get off the bottom of the ladder. I don’t believe they are the 16th-placed team in the comp,” he said.
“I definitely believe they are better than that and you have seen that in the last few weeks how well they can play, so that will be my number one thing for the next seven weeks, to get off the bottom of the competition.
“Secondly, it is for them to keep learning and that with every game you play in the NRL you have to turn up with the right attitude.”
The Bulldogs were disappointing against the Storm and were made to pay for some naïve defensive reads.
“I just had a really big chat with them about the last three weeks and how much we had learned and how much we had thrown it all away with that performance. It is really unacceptable for the NRL,” he said.
Georgallis said that they had trained to prepare for what the Storm did in attack but failed to apply it.
“They have got the resilience to get back into a game but came up with the wrong plays at the wrong time,” he said.
“Probably the missing ingredient is what goes on between our ears. They had a few players out but we were complacent. Unfortunately we didn’t turn up and they did.”
COVID-19 has encouraged property investors to cast a wider net in their search for deals, with new technology making it effortless to view potential investment properties.
Speaking to realestate.com.au, Real Estate Buyers Agents Association of Australia (REBAA) president Cate Bakos said investors were using tools like Google Earth and Street View to scope out properties and were more comfortable viewing properties without physically being there.
“It’s easier to make informed decisions without being there and the experience with online technology because of COVID-19 has made investors more comfortable with that,” she said.
Some investors were buying in regional locations to limit their land tax bills. Photo: realestate.com.au
Investors once dominated inner city sales across Melbourne and Sydney, however Ms Bakos says that some investors were looking interstate to lessen their land tax burden.
“Various regional markets in different states are becoming more popular,” she said.
Buying activity from investors dropped in the years after as banks tightened their lending policies and, with rents plummeting in some inner city areas, investor activity has been largely subdued during COVID-19.
Lending restrictions were also driving investors to cheaper regional markets, Ms Bakos said. “The limitations scaled down what you can borrow and this meant many investors started going for regional properties.”
One of the admirable aspects of shop keepers and their businesses is when shop keepers fulfil their childhood dreams and open a business which they always wanted to do. And what ensures from this fulfillment is a guarantee that they truly love what they do and it is wonderful experience to witness the love and care they subsequently place in their business.
Coming across the Chondros family that run Enfield Produce: Pet and Garden Supplies, and their dedication and care for all their pets and plants is so evident that you think that they are their own. Yes, a Greek pet shop in Sydney! And it is jam-packed with products and pets!
Throughout my long taxidi, I have tried to capture the diversity of Greek business throughout Sydney and Enfield Produce: Pet and Garden Supplies epitomises how Greek migrants became involved in so many different types of shops and businesses.
And what I love about Enfield Produce: Pet and Garden Supplies is that it is such a successful business that it withstands all the market pressures to remain competitive and a great alternative to the impersonal megastores. This is a family business at its best!!!
And Harry Chondros is undoubtedly one of those larger-than-life characters who has enjoyed a wonderful life. When Harry was working in Tumut NSW (1960s), at the Excelsior Café, he became so much part of the local community that he played rugby league for the Wynyard Pub’s team, Wynyard Wobblers, became a bull-jumper at the local rodeo club, which competed in rodeos all over NSW (and even Queensland) and even trained in Ju-jitsu… which is simply amazing for any Greek migrant at the time.
Harry’s love for animals dates back to his childhood in Agia Paraskevi, Lesvos; his childhood dream was to grow up and become a veterinary doctor. Although fate took Harry to the other side of the world, Australia, where he worked for decades in country cafes and seafood shops, his love for birds and animals never ceased. Harry recounts, ‘In Australia, I bought my first two budgies from a shop in Wagga Wagga; as, I did not have a cage, I created my own cage. I remember asking my brother-in-law, Harry, if I could have a cage at the rear of our shop, the Excelsoir Café. Once I started breeding birds, our backyard was full of cages! Our backyard was transformed into a mini-aviary!’
An opportunity came up to buy a ‘general store’ type of shop on Coronation Pde, Enflield. Loving animals and nature so much, Harry believed this was an opportunity to fulfil his dream. As Harry recounts, ‘As I always wanted to do something with nature and animals, I wanted to transform this small mixed business shop- which sold everything from fresh produce to coffee to herbs and spices- I finally got to work with something I really wanted to do all my life- to establish a pet and garden centre. I was very fortunate that my wife, Kiki, was very supportive in this idea and we did it together.’
Visiting Harry and Kikis’ home and their love for animals quickly becomes apparent when you witness how many pets of their own have! When Harry wakes up every morning, he looks after his own pets before he sets off to the business. And when he is at the shop, his love continues there too, ‘For me, I love all the animals in our shop; as long as they are in our shop, they are my pets. I go to the markets to buy their food. At home, I have so many aviaries in my backyard as well as a chicken coop. Animals are part of my life- whether I am at home or at the shop… ‘
Over the years, the pet and produce aspects of the business simply grew and grew. Harry and Kiki’s sons, Miltos and Theodoris, are also a very important part to the family business. Harry explains, ‘They have really brought the shop to a higher level, as they have taken advantage of the far reaches of the internet and the shop now sells so many products online. My sons also introduced gardening products to the shop and that part of our business has really been successful.’
While the megastores are so impersonal, it is the Chondros family’s personal customer service that really makes a huge difference to helping and supporting their customers in what they are looking for, ‘Customers can get tired of all this self- service in the megastores, so they appreciate the face-to-face, hands-on customer service our staff provide. So many customers compliment my staff to me, expressing how wonderful and helpful they are. This is what brings customers back to our shop! That personal knowledge, expertise and experience is invaluable.’
A Greek Australian teenager died and two others are injured after a car slammed into a pole on King Georges Road this morning.
The Greek Herald understands that Michael Barsi, a 19-year-old boy of Greek and Hungarian descent, was a passenger in the car and was tragically killed in the accident.
Michael was one of three 19-year-olds travelling in a coupe along the busy road in Hurstville at 2:15 a.m. The car then struck a power pole, ripping it from the ground and bringing down powerlines.
Officers attached to St George Police Area Command commenced CPR until NSW Ambulance paramedics arrived, however Michael died at the scene. Michael’s sister, Bianca, expressed sadness for the loss of her brother on her Facebook profile. “I’m gonna miss you,” she said.
The P2 driver – a 19-year-old man – was treated for pelvic injuries before being taken to St George Hospital in a serious condition. A backseat passenger–a man also aged 19–was transferred to St George Hospital with knee and foot injures. He is reported to be in a stable condition
Police are investigating whether speed played a factor.
The Greek Herald sends their condolences to Michael’s family.
The police is urging anyone with information about this incident to contact Crime Stoppers: 1800 333 000 or https://nsw.crimestoppers.com.au. Information is treated in strict confidence.
Former South Melbourne FC chairman Nick Galatas founded and took control of the AAFC almost three years ago, with the Greek Australian saying that its formation is “something for Australians to be proud of”.
Speaking on The Round Ball Project, Nick Galatas said he founded the Association of Australian Football Clubs (AAFC) as a result of the frustration felt by NPL clubs, looking to form a Second Division competition to be established within the Australian football framework.
“Although it was formed out of frustration… the actual formation of it is a true indicator of the passion towards the game in our country,” Galatas said on the football podcast.
🎙️Joining the podcast is @AAFClubs's Nick Galatas!🎙️
We discuss Nick's start into the industry, the National Second Division, the effect of the A-League winter move on the National Second Division, the dialogue with the FFA and more!
— The Round Ball Project – Podcast (@roundballpod) August 3, 2020
“I was one of founding members and to our real pleasant surprise, more than 80 clubs showed up in Melbourne, from all across Australia and from as far as Townsville and Perth, to share ideas and frustrations.
“I’m proud to say that since then, the people within it have worked very hard… to achieve a seat at the table to represent our NPL clubs and give them a voice, because they really didn’t have one.”
Speaking with The Greek Herald prior to the COVID-19 pandemic in March this year, Galatas said the creation of the Australian Football B League “depends on us”.
“All these years I have been involved in the creation of the BNC, there is a great deal of interest from many Australian football clubs for the creation of Category B with the promotion system…,” Galatas said to The Greek Herald.
Nick Galatas speaking at the Crown Casino in March, 2020. Photo: Supplied
With it’s creation now on hold, clubs are awaiting their imminent invitation to be part of and witness Australia’s domestic football growth,
“It really is about finding those clubs a level, their particular level, to play in that level and to grow within that level,” Galatas added on the podcast.
A child of Greek immigrants who migrated to Richmond in the 1970s, Galatas said his passion for football has been there “ever since I can remember”.
“I remember our first black and white television. I would’ve been six or seven years old, staying up till all hours of the night to watch Hugh Johns introduce Star Soccer,” Galatas said.
Galatas supports Leeds United, South Melbourne FC and AEK Athens, following them all very closely throughout his whole life. As a result of his connection with South Melbourne, he joined as a board member in 2007, then served as the club’s chairman for eleven years between 2007 and 2018.
Greece’s Special Disaster Unit (EMAK) search and rescue team touched down in Lebanon on Wednesday to take part in the rescue operations following the Beirut explosion.
The Beirut explosion on Tuesday resulted in significant damage to the city, along with great loss to the Lebanese citizens. Dozens of families are still on the hunt to locate their loved ones who have gone missing after the explosions.
Various countries and world leaders sent their condolences and offered search rescue teams and resources to provide aid to the devastated nation.
Greece’s EMAK unit includes 12 rescue workers and a sniffer dog, two vehicles, and equipment, all with the purpose of locating any survivors and missing people that have disappeared after the blast. The team arrived in Beirut in a C130 military aircraft on Wednesday afternoon accompanied by Greece’s Deputy Foreign Minister Kostas Fragogiannis.
According to the General Secretariat for Civil Protection, Greece is ready to send further aid and assistance if requested. Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis also pledged that the country is ready to provide medical aid as well if needed.
