Australians in Lebanon are being urged to “leave immediately” as the security situation in the Middle East exacerbates.
Arrivals and departures from Beirut-Rafic Hariri International Airport (Lebanon’s only airport), have all been cancelled or delayed due to security and insurance risks amid tensions in Hezbollah.
Rubble in southern Lebanon. Photo: AFP.
Sydney travel agent Maria Tadros said there has been an increase in demand and pressure from customers eager to get home or cancel their upcoming arrival flights.
“Everyone’s on edge. Don’t get me wrong. I woke up to so many messages, missed calls. Yes, people are on edge. People are wanting for me to change their flights to bring them back home earlier… But unfortunately, they have to pay a fee to change. I am not sure if you are aware that all travel insurance has been suspended from last year. So anyone travelling to Lebanon are travelling with no travel insurance. So this is another risk they took to travel to Lebanon,” Tadros said.
These sentiments reiterate the attitude of Australia’s Prime Minister Anthony Albanese who has warned Australians about the government’s inability to help those who stay in Lebanon.
“The travel advice very clearly is don’t go to Lebanon… Australian citizens should ensure that they take advantage of the commercial flights that are available out of Lebanon at this time. This is a troubling area… it is important that people are cognisant of those warnings,” Albanese said.
An inquest has been opened into whether South Australia’s police force had more resources to potentially intercept mentally ill driver Harrison Kitt before he caused a fatal crash.
The investigation was initiated on Tuesday, July 30 after counsel assisting Martin Kirby said Kitt was reported by multiple witnesses driving dangerously before he killed senior police officer Joanne Shanahan (nee Panayiotou) and mother Tania McNeill in a collision in 2020.
Kirby details Kitt had been reported to South Australian police by copious witnesses for speeding and driving dangerously but they weren’t able to provide the registration plate.
The inquest found Kitt was also picked up by a speed camera at 12.41pm travelling north on Victor Harbor Road, Tatachilla at a speed of 187km/h.
Harrison Kitt’s speeding vehicle. Photo: Coroners Court of South Australia.
“Because of the technology used and the manner in which those fixed cameras operate, this information was not passed on to SA Police or any other authority,” Kirby said.
“The unfortunate flow on from this limitation was that when later reports came of a speeding driver travelling dangerously on the Southern Expressway, the vehicle couldn’t be identified.”
Kitt was found not guilty of causing the two women’s deaths due to mental incompetence and was sentenced 10 years under supervision in 2022.
The late Joanne Shanahan (left) and Tania McNeill (right). Photo: ABC News.
The ongoing inquest however, disregards Kitt’s undiagnosed bipolar disorder at the time and instead focuses on the police resources available in the hour leading up to the fatal collision that may have been able to identify and prevent the fatal collision.
“And if not, what, if anything might help prevent a similar event happening in the future,” Kirby concluded.
In 2013, John Peros’ former girlfriend Shandee Blackburn, aged 23, was left to die after she was attacked on her walk home from work in Queensland’s Mackay, suffering 23 stab and slash wounds to her face, neck, chest and arm.
Peros was found not guilty of her murder in 2017 and has ever since declared his innocence.
However, a 2020 inquest conducted by coroner David O’Connell concluded Peros did in fact kill Blackburn but found no “fresh and compelling evidence” required to charge him with murder under Queensland’s double jeopardy laws at the time.
Peros has recently filed to sue Nationwide News as publishers of The Australian, Shandee’s sister Shannah Blackburn, and investigative journalist Hedley Thomas over comments made in the Shandee’s Story podcast.
Shandee’s Story podcast.
Peros stated episode 13 of the true crime podcast, in which Shannah Blackburn confirmed her belief in the coroner’s findings and ultimately Peros’ guilt, was detrimental to his reputation by implying he murdered Shandee.
At a hearing before judge Peter Applegarth on Monday, July 29, the consensus was that no further damage was made to Peros’ reputation as the coroner’s findings was public information.
Peros’ barrister David Helvadjian said that the over 380,000 listeners “reached a concluded view that the plaintiff was a murderer.”
The Supreme Court hearing is expected to continue today.
Two Israeli missiles have hit the Greek Orthodox Saint Porphyrius Church in Gaza City, where dozens of displaced Palestinian Christians have taken refuge.
According to Anadolu, the director of Gaza’s government media office Ismail Thawabteh said “The Israeli army committed a new crime by targeting Saint Porphyrius Church in Gaza City… This is a crime against religions and is part of the ongoing genocide against Palestinians since Oct. 7.”
The Palestinian official said that more than 600 mosques and three churches have been destroyed in Israeli attacks in Gaza since October 2023.
Israel’s first missile attack on the Saint Porphyrius Orthodox Church in Gaza back in October 2023. Photo: Mohammed Saber / EPA.
The historic Saint Porphyrius Church is one of the oldest Christian places of worship in Gaza. It was built in the 5th century and named after Saint Porphyrius, whose tomb is inside the church.
The 29th Greek Film Festival of Australia, a co-production of the Greek Orthodox Communities of NSW and Victoria, has announced its screening dates for 2024.
An exciting line-up of the latest films of Greek-produced and/or Greek-themed Indie Cinematography will be offered to Sydney’s and Melbourne’s audience between 15th – 27th October 2024. Both cities will have their Opening Night on Tuesday, 15th October with their respective opening night films to be announced within the next few days.
Following last year’s great success, Sydney and Melbourne are expanding their screenings to more locations for 2024 with the full program and additional venues to be revealed after the Opening Night Film announcement.
The much anticipated 29thGreek Film Festival will make its return to additional Australian cities, with Adelaide, Brisbane, Canberra and Perth finalising their respective screening dates in late October and early November 2024.
The 29th Greek Film Festival of Australia, a co-production of the Greek Orthodox Communities of NSW and Victoria, has announced its screening dates for 2024.
“For the last 29 years the Greek Film Festival has succeeded in captivating the Australian audience with its diversity, foresight and high-quality films showcasing the modern Greek perspective of our society,” Nia Karteris, Festival Chair of the Greek Festival & the Greek Film Festival of Sydney, points out.
“We have been entrusted with a great cause; to continue a legacy in creating, promoting and delivering a Greek Film Festival to the Australian audience with our outmost respect in what the Greek Culture has to offer, and this is exactly what we trust we will be offering during 15th-27th October 2024,” Jorge Menidis, Director of the Antipodes Festival and Director of the Greek Centre of Contemporary Culture in Melbourne, says.
Don’t forget… the Opening Night Films for Sydney and Melbourne will be official announced shortly.
Event Details
WHAT: 29th Greek Film Festival
WHEN: 15th – 27th October 2024
WHERE: Melbourne & Sydney @ Palace Cinemas
NOTE: Exciting info for additional locations and line up of films to be announced shortly.
Greece suffered a 84-77 defeat to Spain in the men’s basketball on Tuesday, July 30.
The men’s national team had a gripping comeback from Spain’s 16-point lead from the first half and tied the score with four minutes left, but Spain prevailed in a nail-biting ending.
Coach Vassilis Spanoulis got another thrilling game by Giannis Antetokounmpo with 27 points, but the comeback fell short of closing the gap.
Greece’s last chance to advance in the tournament relies on a win against Australia this Friday, August 2.
Maria Sakkari was officially eliminated from the Olympics tennis tournament after her women’s singles and doubles losses.
In the women’s single event, Sakkari lost to Marta Kostiuk with a final match score of 1-2. The match was a two hour, 47 minute battle of passion.
In her last attempt at Olympic distinction, Sakkari and Despina Papamichael also lost against the USA’s Kravczyk and Collins in 2-0 sets in the women’s doubles.
Kravczyk and Collins set the pace, controlling the game throughout. Papamichael and Sakkari found more points in the second set, however the effort was not enough to prevent defeat. The American women took the second set 6-3 and finished the game, taking the qualification to the round of 16.
Greece’s national men’s water polo team defeated Montenegro in the penalties on Wednesday, July 31 with a score of 17-16.
This victory lands them in second place in Group A, five points behind Italy.
🤽♂️Η Εθνική ομάδα του πόλο έκανε το 2 στα 2 στους Ολυμπιακούς Αγώνες νικώντας στα πέναλτι με 17-6 το Μαυροβούνιο. O κανονικός αγώνας τελείωσε ισόπαλος 12-12 Mπράβο μάγκες #TeamHellas#waterpolo#Paris2024pic.twitter.com/fvzi1kTSQs
— Ηellenic Olympic Committee (@HellenicOlympic) July 30, 2024
Even with the loss of a point, the Greek team doubled its victories at the Paris Olympic tournament. The regular match ended in a 12-12 tie, with the Greek team conceding the tie with two seconds remaining.
Greece’s next match will be against the USA on Thursday night, August 1 (Australian time).
Greek fencer Theodora Gkountoura was stripped of her chance at the semi-finals in the individual women’s sabre competition at the Paris Olympics after suffering a heavily contested narrow defeat by France’s Manon Apithy-Brunet on Monday, July 29.
27-year-old Gkountoura is currently ranked number seven in the International Fencing Federation (IFF) and had ambitions of bringing Greece their first medal in the Paris Olympics.
The match had a final score of 15-13, which was challenged by Greek fans and television viewers.
To Aρχηγείο της Ελληνικής Αποστολής στο Παρίσι έστειλε επιστολή διαμαρτυρίας στην Διεθνή Ομοσπονδία Ξιφασκίας για τη διαιτησία στον αγώνα της Δώρας Γκουντούρα, η οποία κοινοποιήθηκε και στη Διεθνή Ολυμπιακή Επιτροπή.https://t.co/7RRIsGACxJ
— Ηellenic Olympic Committee (@HellenicOlympic) July 30, 2024
Claims of bias behaviour and favouritism from the referee flooded social media, worsening the already divisive debate surrounding the judgements of the sport and the integrity of refereeing in the world of fencing.
The culmination of this scrutiny eventuated in the Greek team filing a formal complaint with the IFF on Tuesday, July 30 over the match.
“Theodora was subjected to decisions that we believe were biased and incompatible with the regulations governing the sport,” the Greek fencing team said.
Greece’s men’s water polo team have gone viral at the Paris Olympics for their strength in an unexpected arena.
The players were captured by France 24’s Bahar Makooi moving parked cars blocking their bus’s path along a narrow suburban street in Paris.
The players lifted one of the cars as they made their way back to the Olympic Village from training. The operation was said to have lasted “a good half hour.”
According to France 24, after their Olympian effort, locals opened their doors so the team could wash their hands before continuing on their journey.
The Greek team defeated Romania 14-7 in their opening match the following day.
The new mutant concept of “tolerance” in contemporary society has as its linguistic sign the dumbing down caused by nihilism and insignificance. This is what the impressive spectacle of the opening of the Paris Olympic Games (2024) taught us. Their arts director, inspired by a penetrating surrealism, depicted history, society, religion, politics and all human events with a specific reference to interpretation of the current, present day. An “in progress world” that appeared with an incomprehensible and indeterminate face, made for “socially sensitive minority groups,” putting forward “tolerance,” that is, the acceptance of everything and the leveling of moderation, principles and values. He showed respect, in a novel way, almost exclusively to the French Revolution and to certain moments that honoured man over time.
The spectacle of this opening ceremony did not have as its theme the culture, the people and the great history of the French, while it ignored the structural values of the Olympic Games, their history and their birth as a religious event dedicated to the Great God, Zeus. Similarly, it also pilloried the new religion of Jesus the Great. It presented the Last Supper as a Bacchic table of representatives of minority groups, whose members demand not just the tolerance of the society, not just its recognition, but the unequivocal domination and imposition of their own way of life overall. And in this direction, these “socially, minority groups” even recruit State Presidents and have already flooded with their influence the television studios in Western societies, sometimes as directors and presenters and sometimes as “executives” of the management of the channels.
The intervention of the Catholic Church in this case was also deficient and lax, because, in general, Christianity, worldwide, is going through a great crisis. The percentage of professed atheists is approaching 39%, to which, if we add the followers of agnosticism, agnosiarchists and other doubters, those with a living religious feeling, are now, unfortunately for a structured society, a sad minority.
The lazy reaction of individuals and institutions, sensitised citizens, to the costly fiesta of the opening of the Games, which was left anarchically at the disposal of the responsible “artistic” directors and to the “acumen” of the state officials who signed the sponsorship funds for the implementation of the project, should not only give cause for concern, but should now become a social consciousness that the end of the great cycle of social development as we know it is looming.
Our society is experiencing rapid advancements in technology, unpredictable changes, and a strong desire for progress. However, these developments have resulted in the disregard for religious beliefs, the destruction of historical landmarks, and a diminishing sense of human dignity and trustworthiness. On one hand, there is a rise in radical ideologies influenced by Asian Islamic extremism, and on the other hand, there are minority groups promoting their own agenda under the guise of “tolerance.” These actions can be seen as intrusive and disrespectful to human rights. The recent opening ceremony of the Paris Olympic Games showcased some of these controversial elements, exploiting the moral and historical significance of the Games and the timeless values of ancient Greece.
Besides, they contribute to this social usurpation by members of social minorities who have “tolerance” only as a starting point, since their ideal is the transformation of human ontology, but also by all apathetic and non-participating citizens in civil society events. The vast majority of citizens remain apathetic and uninvolved and become mere witnesses of these societal changes, which essentially torpedo principles and values of a society that for thousands of years, despite any problems, has stood up to human atrocities and man’s tendency to greed and consumerism.
Uproar as drag queens’ performance resembles The Last Supper during Paris Olympics opening ceremony.
The global mentality formed as a result of technology and consumerism remains highly challenging, at least for the last forty years. This produced a mentality of nihilism, contradictory anarchism, social devaluation of institutions and values, in education and family principles.
Consumerism and the disorderly use of technology have led, in general, man to what the Mexican poet Octavio Paz considers “smug nihilism” or what Cornelius Kastoriadis declares as an “insignificance”. Internally, prosperity, consumerism and attitudes towards the achievements of modern society led to a redefinition of human behaviour, in the context of a more general conformism, which brought about the deactivation and inactivation of those citizens who could form a self-sustaining and self-reliant society.
The abundance of goods gave birth to dumbing down and gave rise to what Octavio Paz called “general passivity” and turned the constituted people into “masses without will and without destination.” Cornelius Kastoriadis would characterise this situation as “almost an attitude of dumbing down in consumer and television masturbation.” It is about the citizen who mutates into a consumer observer, into a private person, who fools according to Aristotle. Societies without learning, societies trained by technocrats but without education are societies without sensitive citizens, without participating citizens, societies with qualified individuals who will be the first to be levelled by the coming storm of robotics. The conscious citizen does not accept to face the future without sensitivity, as Sophocles teaches us (Sophocles, Antigone, v. 359).
But do we have conscious citizens? Tens of thousands of children are killed by the folly of the fanatical hordes in wars and “military operations” of territorial bulimia and religious fanaticism. Convicted of criminal acts and bankruptcies, immodest politicians emerge as future presidents of powerful countries. Missiles have become wedding confetti harvesting schools and football fields, drones and death balloons dominate the skies as diplomatic mechanisms of détente. The neighbouring President, having invading and occupying Cyprus for fifty years, now threatens to invade Israel, Libya, Azerbaijan and Somalia. The presidential candidate and former President argued that disabled people should be killed to save resources… To such absurdities, what is the reaction of our sensible citizens, sensitive public officials, statesmen (not showmen), intellectuals, spiritual leaders, men of arts and letters, poets and philosophers?
*Professor Anastasios M. Tamis taught at Universities in Australia and abroad, was the creator and founding director of the Dardalis Archives of the Hellenic Diaspora and is currently the President of the Australian Institute of Macedonian Studies (AIMS).
