Germany’s ex-Finance Minister, Wolfgang Schaeuble has died at age 81 on Wednesday, December 27.
He was known as a controversial figure in German politics who was hated by the Greeks due to his tough stance during Greece’s debt crisis. He was a minister under chancellors Helmut Kohl and Angela Merkel.
For many Greeks, he became a symbol of the austerity programme imposed on Greece since 2010 to enforce repayment of its colossal debts.
Schaeuble was behind a proposal to offer Greece a five-year “time-out” from the eurozone if no credible bailout could be agreed. In the end, the overriding priority of keeping the eurozone intact trumped any talk of Grexit.
Ο Βόλφγκανγκ Σόιμπλε ήταν η προσωποποίηση της πολιτικής στήριξης (με μέσα βίαιης λιτότητας και κατάλυσης των δημοκρατικών θεσμών) μιας νομισματικής ένωσης στην οποία ο ίδιος δεν πίστευε. Προσωποποιούσε δηλαδή την εκρηκτική αντίφαση που γέννησε την Κρίση του Ευρώ και τις…
Taking all this into consideration, Schaeuble was once labelled a “bloodsucker” in Greece. According to BBC News, a “Wanted” poster also appeared in Greece once, showing Schaeuble with a Hitler moustache.
Following his death, Greece’s former Finance Minister Yanis Varoufakis posted on X and accused Schaeuble of having contributed to “the impoverishment of Greece.”
“History will judge him harshly, but not more harshly than those who succumbed to his destructive policies,” Mr Varoufakis wrote on X.
The Greek government has announced that it is prepared to part with some of its greatest treasures to “fill the void” at the British Museum if the Parthenon Marbles return to Athens, Greece.
In an interview with The Guardian, Greece’s Culture Minister Lina Mendoni promised the British Museum’s revered Greek galleries would never go empty.
Photo: Art Newspaper.
“Our position is clear,” she said. “Should the sculptures be reunited in Athens, Greece is prepared to organise rotating exhibitions of important antiquities that would fill the void.”
She also warned that “any agreement and all its particulars, would have to be in accordance with the Greek law on cultural heritage.”
A pilot in Greece has been confirmed dead after a Hellenic Air Force T-2 Buckeye training jet crashed, according toEkathimerini.
The pilot and Squadron Leader Epaminondas Kostas died at the age of 40.
Epaminondas Kostas died in a Hellenic Air Force T-2 Buckeye training jet crash. Photo: Ekathimerini.
Hellenic Air Force Air Staff shared that the pilot was the only person aboard the aircraft, which crashed near the Kalamata airbase in the Peloponnese.
A policeman in Greece has been confirmed dead following a naval flare incident that took place during a violent clash with Olympiakos fans in Rentis.
Ekathimerini shared that the incident, which took place outside a volleyball stadium in Rentis, near Pireaus on December 7, left the 31-year-old officer Georgios Lyngeridis hospitalised and in critical condition.
He was then taken to Nikaia General Hospital, where he was sedated, intubated, and supported with mechanical ventilation. His leg was also amputated earlier this month.
The Citizen Protection Minister, Yannis Oikonomou. Photo: The National herald.
Greece’s Citizen Protection Minister Yannis Oikonomou expressed his condolences to the police man’s family after news of his death emerged.
“The apprehension of all those involved in his murder, at every level, is the least we can do to honour his memory and a necessary response to the Greek society’s demand for justice,” Oikonomou said.
Kyriakos Mitsotakis expressed his condolences to the police officer’s family and friends. Photo: Anna.gr.
Greece’s Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis also expressed his grief for the death of the officer. He shared his pledge to ensure the punishment of the “murderers of Rentis and the eradication of the violence.”
He also gave his condolences to officer Lyngeridis’ family and friends.
As investigations into the attack continue, an 18-year-old has been arrested following the incident and is facing charges of attempted manslaughter.
Georgios Lyngeridis’ funeral will be held this Friday at 1:30 pm in Athens, Greece.
People from all around Greece came together to pay tribute to the legendary singer Vasilis Karras at his funeral on Wednesday.
The service, held in Kokkinochori, Kavala, was filled with many who adored and respected the singer.
The funeral was held at the Holy Temple of Agios Nestor, with the funeral speech delivered by the artistic director of the Symphony Orchestra of New Greece, Evangelos Arambatzis.
CNN shared that many of the former singer’s colleagues, friends and residents of the area came together to pay their respects at Karras’ funeral.
Many well known Greek singers were also spotted at the funeral including Despina Vandi, Antonis Remos, Paola, Giannis Ploutarhos, Phoebus, Dantis, and Christos Menidiatis.
The Saint Mary’s Greek Orthodox Church in Irquit, northern Israel has been hit by a Hezbollah anti-tank missile, according to The Times of Israel.
Israel’s Defence Forces (IDF) shared on X that “the attack is not only a clear violation of UN Security Council Resolution 1701 but also a violation of the freedom of worship.”
The IDF also confirmed that nine soldiers were injured after rescuing an elderly man in his 80’s who was found wounded from the Hezbollah attack. The missile was fired from Lebanon.
Hezbollah attacked the St. Mary’s Greek-Orthodox Church of Iqrit in northern Israel.
An anti-tank missile from Lebanon directly hit the church, injuring a civilian.
This attack is not only a clear violation of @UN Security Council Resolution 1701, but also a violation of the…
One of the soldiers has been put in a serious condition, while the others were reported in light-to-moderate condition.
The military in Israel said that Hezbollah also fired a missile from near a mosque in southern Lebanon’s Yaroun area.
“This is further proof of Hezbollah’s cynical exploitation of Lebanese civilians and holy sites for its terrorist activity,” the Israel Defense Forces said.
The Athens-Patras highway in Greece is the first highway to be lit up using a smart lighting system that adjusts automatically based on the amount of traffic.
According toitsinternational.com, the system along a trial section of the tolled 218km-long highway, also known as Motorway 8, adjusts the lighting to best suit the driving conditions. Vinci Highways, the company operating the road, has committed to achieving net-zero emissions on its network by 2050.
The system uses artificial intelligence and machine learning to figure out the best lighting level by analyzing live data, including traffic, weather, and road incidents from various sources. By constantly monitoring traffic the system calculates total traffic and predicts the next hour. When traffic decreases and predicted traffic stays low, the system gradually reduces the lighting intensity.
Photo: Florian Schwert
The system also gets real-time data from the highway’s weather stations and cameras. If there’s a change in driving conditions, it immediately increases the lighting. The trial is set up along the Elefsina to Corinth section and will be expanded along the entire highway.
Vinci states that the system aims to reduce the annual energy consumption for night lighting by up to 75%. It also lessens light pollution for people living near the motorway.
The adaptive lighting system has been developed in collaboration with the National Technical University of Athens and specialist start-ups including Extrabit, Athens-based predictive weather forecasting company Ex Machina and Invision AI.
Greece’s Environment Ministry and Thessaloniki’s city planning authority gave permission to build the Holocaust Museum in the city.
According to ekathimerini.com, the Jewish Community of Thessaloniki announced that construction is set to start next year. The project aims to finish in 2026.
The community mentioned that the building permit clears the way for the museum’s construction, and it’s expected to be finished in 2.5 years. The funding for the museum comes from the Greek government, Germany, the Stavros Niarchos Foundation, and Pfizer CEO Albert Bourla, through the Genesis Prize Foundation.
Photo: holocausteducenter.gr
The decision to build the Holocaust Museum in the Thessaloniki Rail Cargo Station area was made about ten years ago due to its historical significance. During World War II, this location was the point from which nearly 50,000 Jews were sent to German concentration camps. However, it took legislative regulations and two Presidential Decrees to address various issues, including ownership and land use in the area.
Many Greeks were surprised when they viewed the recent Netflix documentary titled “World War II: From the Frontlines”.
The documentary, which includes enhanced archival footage and incorporates perspectives from all sides involved in the conflict, characterizes the Greek resistance to the WWII Italian invasion as weak.
The documentary implies that Greece only showed weak resistance to Italy while there is no reference to the resilient defense mounted by the Greek military, which fought hard against the odds to repel Mussolini’s forces back into Albania.
In a time of rapid production of documentaries and dramas, there is a growing concern among historians and enthusiasts regarding the accuracy of the content being produced.
Photo: netflix
According to thearchaeologist.org, Greek soldiers, fought hard with the Italian forces, despite of being outnumbered and facing firepower disadvantages. Noteworthy among these battles was the Battle of Pindus, where Greek troops successfully repelled Italian advances.
Greece held its ground for 219 days, from October 1940 to April 1941, until Nazi Germany initiated a big attack. Throughout this period, Greece endured 13,325 deaths, 62,663 injuries and 1,290 individuals listed as missing. The world acknowledged the Greeks for their bravery and resistance during these invasions and the years of Axis occupation.
Winston Churchill famously praised the Greek people for their heroism, and leaders from across the globe lauded Greece for its courage.
The Board of the Cyprus Community of New South Wales has issued the following Year in Review for 2023.
Full review in English:
As we approach the final days of 2023 it’s opportune to review the past 12 months at the Cyprus Community of NSW.
2023 has been another challenging and eventful year.
It was a time to reconnect with members who were once able to contribute so much in their younger years, now their memories spark that smile of how much the Club and Cyprus means to them.
It was also a year we welcomed many new members, some in their youth slowly changing the fabric of our Club.
It has always been difficult for a group of volunteers to operate such a large diverse Community with many competing interests and demands, as well as with decades long financial issues. Despite these challenges, 2023 has been a year of historic milestones, a truly rewarding year.
For the first time outside Cyprus and the UK, our veterans and their families were recognised for their sacrifice.
Many members asked to know more about their family’s involvement in World War one, two and the Balkan wars.
Cypriots served with the Greek and Australian military side-by-side in virtually every theatre of war. Cyprus had the highest number of volunteers per capital to serve in World War two than any other territory/ country.
Cypriots were invited to join this year’s Anzac Day parade in Sydney
The Cyprus Community is proud to have led the campaign for the recognition of our veterans and in recent months our newly formed Cypriots for Anzac will be announcing the unveiling of a major monument in honour of our veterans.
2023 was also a year when archaeological heritage artefacts were returned from Australia back to Cyprus. The Cyprus Community hosted Dr Marina Solomidou Ieronymidou, the Head of the Cyprus Department of Antiquities and her team of investigators, preservers and curators to officially receive the artefacts and carry them back to Cyprus.
The Community’s newly formed Heritage Committee is hard at work to negotiate a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with the Australian government to formalise the process to repatriate and preserve other items from our heritage.
In 2023, we also hosted the Cambridge University Museum Director of Greek-Cypriot artefacts.
The Community’s social and cultural activities were the most diverse and largest we have had for a very long time.
Our Tuesday members lunch continues to grow and provide traditional “laika” fare. With affordable food and beverage, live entertainment and the famous meat raffle, it’s the perfect get together for members, friends and family.
Our soccer club attracted nearly 2,000 applications, it’s amongst the fastest growing vibrant sporting club in the state.
But perhaps for many the greatest achievement which has alluded boards, Presidents and Club supporters for over two decades, is the milestone of the year – the rezoning of the Stanmore property. It’s no small feat.
What does it mean?
The bulk of the land once zoned “open space” means nothing could be built on it. For the first time, the entire Stanmore property can be redeveloped into mixed use residential commercial precinct. This has significantly raised the value of the land.
With a decrease in the Cyprus Club’s debt to asset ratio, roll out of necessary repairs and upgrades, the Club has achieved unenviable benchmarks to offer range of services, events, functions, cultural and education activities and recognition from our neighbours, RSL, government, public and private institutions.
We are a volunteer-based organisation.
In a time-poor age, it’s comforting to see that there are people with views, ideas, something to say, who also have something to contribute and make the effort to help their community.
Helping with repairs to help organise events, it’s the volunteers who quietly, without fanfare or glory, turn up and lend a hand.
The Cyprus Community is the last of the great Greek organisations which offer full set of services from Greek language and dancing schools, to a soccer club and kafenia. We should all be proud that we have kept our pioneer’s vision alive, even in such challenging times.
The Community’s traditional Christmas Fair on Saturday, December 16 was bigger this year with over 30 stalls, music rides and much more, plus Santa Clause arrived with the compliments of Marrickville Fire Brigade – an event that should not be missed.
Cypriot community visited the annual Christmas Markets
Members, children and grandchildren were photographed with Santa and his helper and received gifts, Santa’s blessing and a word of advice for the coming year.
Our famous New Year’s Eve Dance is also bigger than ever. Bookings are essential.
As we review 2023, we must not forget the coming year commemorates 50 long years of foreign occupation. For 50 years, refugees have been waiting to go home, over 1,000 waiting to find out the fate of their missing relatives and friends.
The region has become even more volatile, challenges Cyprus faces can only motivate us to rededicate our efforts to support a just outcome for Cyprus.
We wish all our members, their families, supporters, volunteers, teachers, coaches, managers parents and directors of our Soccer Club, to the members of Justice for Cyprus Committee (SEKA), the Heritage and ANZAC Subcommittees, and to our members, friends, patrons, sponsors, financial supporters, all the best for the festive season and a healthy, happy, peaceful and progressive 2024.
