Monthly Archives: April 2014

Η φωτογραφία μας από την επίσκεψη των μαθητών στη Λήμνο ενώ οι μαθητές βρίσκονταν στο δρόμο για το Συμμαχικό Νεκροταφείο Μούδρου, όπου έχουν ταφεί πολλοί Αυστραλοί και Νεοζηλανδοί στρατιώτες

Για να αποτίσουν φόρο τιμής στους ANZACs.

Στην πανέμορφη και ανοιξιάτικη Λήμνο βρέθηκε την προηγούμενη εβδομάδα ομάδα Αυστραλών μαθητών από τη Βικτώρια, στο πλαίσιο του εκπαιδευτικού ταξιδιού που χρηματοδοτεί κάθε χρόνο η πολιτειακή κυβέρνηση, προκειμένου οι μαθητές να γνωρίσουν από κοντά τα μέρη που πολλοί Αυστραλοί στρατιώτες πολέμησαν κατά τον Πρώτο και Δεύτερο Παγκόσμιο Πόλεμο.

Φέτος ήταν η πρώτη φορά που ανάμεσα στους προορισμούς της ομάδας των 12 μαθητών Γυμνασίου συμπεριλαμβανόταν και η Λήμνος, αλλά και η πρώτη φορά που ανάμεσα στους βραβευθέντες μαθητές που επιλέχθηκαν για το εκπαιδευτικό ταξίδι ήταν και ένα Ελληνόπουλο ο 15χρονος Μιχάλης Μανουσσάκης από το κολέγιο Marymede της Μελβούρνης.

Πηγή: Νέος Κόσμος

Παραιτήθηκε ο επικεφαλής της Επίσκοπος Προκόπιος.

«Ακέφαλος» φαίνεται να έμεινε πάλι η Αυτοκέφαλος Ορθόδοξη Εκκλησία Αμερικής και Αυστραλίας, μετά την παραίτηση του Επισκόπου Αδελαΐδα και επικεφαλή της, Προκοπίου Κανάβα.

Σύμφωνα με το ελληνικό πρόγραμμα της Ραδιοφωνίας SBS ο Επίσκοπος Προκόπιος, παραιτήθηκε των καθηκόντων του, παραμονές της Μεγάλης Εβδομάδας
Παρά τις προσπάθειες του «Νέου Κόσμου» επισήμως δεν διασταυρώσαμε την είδηση ούτε από τον ίδιο, ούτε από την Ελληνική Κοινότητα Νότιας Αυστραλίας.
Ούτε και εκδόθηκε κάποια ανακοίνωση. Σύμφωνα, πάντως, με το ελληνικό πρόγραμμα της Ραδιοφωνίας SBS η είδηση έχει επιβεβαιωθεί. Ο «Νέος Κόσμος» είναι στη διάθεση τόσο της Κοινότητας Αδελαΐδας όσο και του κ. Προκοπίου να εξηγήσουν τι ακριβώς συμβαίνει.

Τώρα τι σημαίνει αυτό για την Αυτοκέφαλο και την Ελληνική Ορθόδοξης Κοινότητα Νότιας Αυστραλίας δεν ήταν ξεκάθαρο χθες.
Γεγονός είναι ότι η εν λόγω Κοινότητα μετά και την επιστροφή της Κοινότητας Σίδνεϊ στην Αρχιεπισκοπή «ταλαιπωρείται» ιδιαίτερα με το εκκλησιαστικό, και όλες οι έως τώρα προσπάθειές της να υπαχθεί σε κάποια Αρχή δεν είχαν και τα καλύτερα αποτελέσματα.

Υπενθυμίζουμε ότι μέλη της εν λόγω Κοινότητας είχαν ταχθεί κατά της «επισκοποίησης» του Προκοπίου.
Παρά την προσφυγή τους, όμως, στο Ανώτατο Δικαστήριο Νότιας Αυστραλίας, η τελετή της χειροτονίας του αρχιμανδρίτη Προκοπίου Κανάβα, έγινε κανονικά.
Και εκείνος ήταν «Επίσκοπος Αδελαΐδας και επικεφαλής της Αυτοκέφαλης Ορθόδοξης Εκκλησίας Αμερικής και Αυστραλίας.

Τα διαφωνούντα μέλη της Κοινότητας είχαν αποφασίσει την προσφυγή στη Δικαιοσύνη με το αιτιολογικό ότι «σύμφωνα με το Καταστατικό της Ελληνικής Ορθόδοξης Κοινότητας Νότιας Αυστραλίας (GOCSA) το Διοικητικό Συμβούλιο δεν έχει την εξουσία να επιλέγει Επίσκοπο για την Εκκλησιαστική Κοινότητα της Νότιας Αυστραλίας. Ο διορισμός μπορεί να γίνει από την Αυτοκέφαλη Ελληνική Ορθόδοξη Εκκλησία Αμερικής και Αυστραλίας, με προαπαιτούμενο την έγκρισή τους από την πλειοψηφία Ειδικής Γενικής Συνέλευσης των μελών των Εκκλησιαστικών Κοινοτήτων. Φαίνεται, ότι δεν έχει συγκληθεί Ειδική Γενική Συνέλευση των μελών της Ελληνικής Ορθόδοξης Κοινότητας Νότιας Αυστραλίας».

Ο δικαστής Κέλι έκρινε, όμως, ότι δεν υπήρχε θέμα.
Ο πρόεδρος της Ελληνικής Ορθόδοξης Κοινότητας Νότια Αυστραλίας, κ. Γιάννης Λεσσές, είχε εκφράσει τότε τη μεγάλη του χαρά για την «επισκοποίηση» του Προκοπίου, ενώ ο τελευταίος είχε πει ότι «το μέλλον της Αυτοκεφάλου είναι πλέον πιο λαμπρό».

Πηγή: Νέος Κόσμος

Την ώρα που ο Άμποτ θέλει να το αλλάξει, ο Σαμαράς το σκέφτεται.

Σε νεοφιλελεύθερα μοντέλα, που συνδέουν το ύψος της σύνταξης με οικογενειακά και περιουσιακά στοιχεία, στρέφεται η κυβέρνηση Σαμαρά. Επαναφέροντας το πρότυπο της Αυστραλίας, (το οποίο θέλει να αλλάξει η κυβέρνηση Άμποτ) ειδικοί των υπουργείων Οικονομικών και Εργασίας το μελετούν, ενώ η κυβέρνηση έχει δεσμευτεί για νέα μείωση των κρατικών δαπανών σε ό,τι αφορά το ασφαλιστικό.

Μετά το «χαράτσι», τα ακίνητα θα αποτελούν κριτήριο και για την περικοπή συντάξεων και στην Ελλάδα,
Βήμα-βήμα φαίνεται ότι χτίζεται το μοντέλο της Αυστραλίας και στην Ελλάδα, παρά τις κατά καιρούς διαψεύσεις της κυβέρνησης. Από την επόμενη χρονιά αλλάζει ο τρόπος υπολογισμού των συντάξεων, που πλέον θα προκύπτουν από το άθροισμα της βασικής -περί τα 360 ευρώ-, ενώ το υπόλοιπο ποσό θα προκύπτει από τις εισφορές που αναλογούν στα έτη ασφάλισης.

Ταυτόχρονα, οι βάσεις πληροφοριών, που σταδιακά εμπλουτίζονται στην Εφορία σε ό,τι αφορά σε κινητή και ακίνητη περιουσία, όπως και σε έσοδα από τόκους καταθέσεων, θα μπορούσαν να αποτελέσουν βασικά εργαλεία προς υλοποίηση ενός ανάλογου συστήματος στη χώρα.

Στην Αυστραλία λαμβάνονται υπ’ όψιν όχι μόνο εισοδηματικά κριτήρια, όπως η αξία αυτοκινήτων, σκαφών, μερίδια σε αγροκτήματα, επιχειρήσεις, αλλά και η περιουσιακή κατάσταση ακινήτων, εκτός αυτού όπου κατοικεί ο πολίτης. Με βάση αυτά προβλέπονται διάφορα «πλαφόν» προκειμένου να υπολογίζονται αναλογικά μειώσεις σε συντάξεις.

Η μεταφορά ενός τέτοιου μοντέλου στην Ελλάδα θα ανατρέψει τον προγραμματισμό των ασφαλισμένων και θα φέρει τα πάνω κάτω. Ένας πολίτης με περιουσιακά στοιχεία, έστω και από κληρονομιά των γονέων του, θα κληθεί να υποστεί μειώσεις ακόμα κι αν αυτά δεν αποδίδουν πρόσθετο εισόδημα.

Αλλά και όσοι κατέβαλαν τις ίδιες εισφορές στο ίδιο διάστημα εργασιακού βίου θα λαμβάνουν διαφορετικό μηνιάτικο. Ποιους θα ευνοήσουν τέτοιες αλλαγές; Τις ιδιωτικές ασφαλιστικές εταιρείες, στις οποίες μοιραία οι αποφάσεις θα στρέψουν τους ασφαλισμένους.

Πηγή: Νέος Κόσμος

Police believe a car bomb explosion outside the Bank of Greece might have been planned by two wanted terrorists.

Police believe a car bomb explosion outside the Bank of Greece might have been planned by two wanted terrorists – the leader of Revolutionary Struggle Nikos Maziotis and November 17 convict Christodoulos Xeros, Kathimerini has learned.

Maziotis’s involvement was suspected from the beginning while the possible involvement of Xeros is being examined partly due to the fact that the car used in the blast was Japanese – a Nissan Sunny – and N17 tended to use Japanese models in their hits. A police source described the choice of vehicle as “a return to the past” and “reminiscent of an old generation of terrorists’ methodology.”

Revolutionary Struggle has claimed responsibility for several car bomb hits including at the headquarters of Citibank in Kifissia, northern Athens, in February 2009 and at the Athens Stock Exchange in September of that year. N17 claimed several hits using car bombs in 1980s and 1990s.

Xeros has been at large since January, when he violated the terms of a prison furlough, while Maziotis has been missing since July 2012, when he disappeared following his conditional release. Each has a 1-million-euro bounty on their head.

In a letter posted on an anarchist website recently Maziotis denied reports of a cooperation with Xeros.

Source: Kathimerini

The Greek PM insists that the markets’ positive response to last week bond’s issue is the first step toward the country emerging from its economic crisis.

After a week that saw Athens successfully tap international bond markets for the first time in four years, Prime Minister Antonis Samaras essentially ruled out the need for a third loan program for Greece, insisting that the markets’ positive response to last week bond’s issue is the first step toward the country emerging from its economic crisis.

In an article to be published in Sunday’s Kathimerini, Samaras declared that “the country’s return to the markets rebuffs [speculation] about a third memorandum,” a prospect that German Chancellor Angela Merkel was careful to leave open on a lightning visit to Athens on Friday.

“Two years ago when I was speaking about prospects and hope, the signs were not good. Few believed that we could make it,” Samaras wrote. “Now, everyone can see it: Greece is succeeding, step by step.” The premier said his priorities now were growth-boosting measures and “relief for those who have been hardest hit.”

In his article, Samaras lashed out at critics, particularly leftist SYRIZA and the neofascist Golden Dawn, which he did not name. He said democracy had been challenged by “an irresponsible opposition which tried to rally the people against the country staying in the eurozone” and by a “criminal organization” which used the parliamentary immunity of its MPs to launch “an unprecedented wave of violence.”

Meanwhile, as experts weighed the outcome of the bond issue and Merkel’s visit to Athens, sources suggested that both had been carefully considered. As regards the capital markets foray, sources told Kathimerini that it had been preceded by months of secret meetings with the final decision taken during a meeting at Samaras’s home in Kifissia, north of Athens, on the night of March 24. As for Merkel’s visit to Athens, there are said to have been doubts on both sides about whether it would be beneficial to both leaders with the decision taken at the last minute.

The head of the eurozone group of finance ministers, Jeroen Dijsselbloem, noted on Saturday that the bond issue inspired optimism but that Greece still had “a long way to go” before it could talk about a full return to the markets.

Source: Kathimerini

An unmanned submarine will be sent to try to find wreckage from Malaysia Airlines MH370 after signals suspected to be from the aeroplane’s black box fell silent.

In a media briefing this afternoon, Retired Air Chief Marshal Angus Houston said no acoustic trace of the black box had been detected for six days.

“We haven’t had a single detection in six days. So I guess it’s time to go underwater,” he said.

“The experts have determined that the Australian Defence vessel Ocean Shield will cease searching with the towed pinger locator later today and deploy the autonomous underwater vehicle, Bluefin-21, as soon as possible.”

Retired Air Chief Marshal Angus Houston says the vehicle will first search an area of about 40 square kilometres.

“The deployment of the autonomous underwater vehicle has the potential to take us a further step towards visual identification since it offers a possible opportunity to detect debris from the aircraft on the ocean floor,” he said.

“It will take the autonomous underwater vehicle two hours to get down to the bottom of the ocean.

“It will then be on task for 16 hours. It will then take two hours to return to the surface and four hours to download and analyse the data collected.

“As I have said before, aircraft wreckage needs to be visually identified before we can say with certainty that this is the final resting place of MH370.”

Retired Air Chief Marshal Houston, charged with leading the recovery effort, says an oil slick has also been spotted in the vicinity of the search area, however it is unclear whether it is from the plane.

“I can report Ocean Shield detected an oil slick yesterday evening in her current search area,” he said.

“A sample of about two litres has been collected and we are a number of days [away] before it can be landed ashore and conclusively tested.

“I stress the source of the oil is yet to be determined but the oil slick is approximately 5,500 metres down-wind and down-sea from the vicinity of the detections picked up by the towed pinger locator on Ocean Shield.”

Retired Air Chief Marshal Houston says he is not confident about finding plane debris on the ocean surface.

“The chances of any floating material being recovered have greatly diminished and it will be appropriate to confer with Australia’s partners to decide the way ahead later this week,” he said.

No signals for almost a week

The last of the four acoustic signals detected by Ocean Shield were received last Tuesday night, fuelling an expectation that the unit’s batteries have now run out.

“Despite the lack of further detections, the four signals previously acquired taken together constitute the most promising lead we have in the search for MH370,” Retired Air Chief Marshal Houston said.

“We need to pursue this lead as far as possible.

“Analysis of the four signals has allowed the provisional definition of a reduced and manageable search area on the ocean floor.”

The aircraft vanished off radar screens on March 8 en route from Kuala Lumpur to Beijing with 239 people on board, including six Australians.

The centre of the search area is about 2,200 kilometres north-west of Perth.

What is the Bluefin-21?

An autonomous underwater vehicle (AUV) designed for deep-sea surveying.

• It has a “swappable payload”. It will first use sonar in the search and will be refitted with cameras if something is detected.
• It’s 5m long and weighs 750kg. Has an endurance of 25 hours underwater at a speed of 3 knots, with a top speed of 4 knots.
• It has a depth rating of 4,500m, meaning it will be at its limit in the Indian Ocean search zone.
• Bluefin Robotics says its AUV can also be used for archaeology, oceanography, mine countermeasures, and unexploded ordnance.

source: abc.net.au

Generation X Australians should be prepared to work until age 70.

In a strong indication that the nation’s workers face an increased retirement age, Treasurer Joe Hockey, 48, admits his contemporaries will likely have to keep working until they reach their eighth decade.

“It may be the case that my generation has to work for an extra three years,” Mr Hockey told ABC TV on Sunday.

The previous Labor government raised the retirement age from 65 to 67 from 2023, but the treasurer said other countries, including the United Kingdom, are already eyeing later retirement.

“It will affect my generation. This doesn’t happen overnight.”

As life expectancy continues to grow so too must time at work to provide financial security in retirement while not draining the country’s coffers, Mr Hockey said.

He again called for a sensible discussion about funding the future quality of life for Australians as the government looks at a redesign of systems.

Opposition finance spokesman Tony Burke said blue-collar workers would be hit hardest if they are forced to work for longer.

A shift in the retirement age would be a “very big deal” for pensioners required to do physical labour for longer while sitting on small super savings.

Mr Burke told Sky News on Sunday the Abbott government faced harsh judgment if it raised the pension age, breaching a pre-election promise.

However, asked to provide the opposition’s solution to the problem, Mr Burke said it was not for Labor to provide an alternative as it awaited the government’s first budget.

source:ninemsn.com.au

Authorities have expanded a visual search for the missing Malaysia Airlines jet as a failure to detect further signals from the plane’s black box recorders deepened concern the devices’ battery power had expired.

Four signals were heard between April 5 and 8, but no further signs have been confirmed from the pinger locator pulled by the search vessel Ocean Shield.

Australia deployed more planes to comb a 57,506 square kilometre area, while a seabed-scanning robot submarine remained unused.

Two sounds heard a week ago by Ocean Shield were determined to be consistent with the signals emitted from the black boxes. Two more pings were detected in the same general area on Tuesday, but no new ones have been picked up since then.

“We’re now into day 37 of this tragedy,” said aviation expert Geoffrey Thomas.

“The battery life on the beacons is supposed to last 30 days. We’re hoping it might last 40 days. However, it’s been four or five days since the last strong pings. What they’re hoping for is to get one more, maybe two more pings so they can narrow the [search] area.”

Once officials are confident that no more sounds will be heard, a robotic submersible will be sent down to slowly scour for wreckage.

Recovering the flight data and cockpit voice recorders is essential if investigators are to solve the mystery of flight MH370, which vanished on March 8.

source: scmp.com

H Λίβερπουλ νίκησε με 3-2 την Μάντσεστερ Σίτι σε ένα συγκλονιστικό ματς στο “Άνφιλντ”, έτσι με την 10η σερί νίκη της έχει πλέον αυτή τον πρώτο λόγο για την κατάκτηση του πρωταθλήματος.

H Λίβερπουλ κρατάει πλέον στα χέρια της την “υπόθεση τίτλος” στην Αγγλία, καθώς πήρε σπουδαία νίκη με 3-2 επί της Μάντσεστερ Σίτι στο “Ανφιλντ”, έτσι αν πάρει και τα τέσσερα ματς που απομένουν να ανέβει στον… θρόνο μετά από 24 ολόκληρα χρόνια.

Οι “κόκκινοι” προηγήθηκαν με 2-0 πριν συμπληρωθεί μίση ώρα αγώνα με γκολ των Στέρλινγκ και Σκρτελ, αλλά η Σίτι παρά τον τραυματισμό του Γιαγιά Τουρέ κατάφερε να ισοφαρίσει σε 2-2 με γκολ του Νταβίντ Σίλβα και αυτογκόλ του Γκλεν Τζόνσον.

A slice of Brazilian magic from Philippe Coutinho settled a thrilling Premier League title showdown in Liverpool’s favour.

The Reds raced into a 2-0 lead against Manchester City at Anfield, but the away side responded well in the second half to drag themselves level. Coutinho, however, was on hand to give Liverpool a five-point lead at the head of the Premier League table.

Brendan Rodgers opted for the more attacking of his two base game plans, naming both Coutinho and Raheem Sterling in his starting XI. Joe Allen and Daniel Agger had to make do with spots on the bench. Vincent Kompany was fit to start for the Blues after an injury scare in training, but Sergio Aguero is only named as a substitute.

After a belting rendition of ‘You’ll Never Walk Alone’, there was a minute’s silence at Anfield to mark the 25th anniversary of the Hillsborough disaster. It was, unsurprisingly, impeccably observed.

The home side didn’t take long to find top gear and took the lead within five minutes. Luis Suarez barged Gael Clichy off the goal with ease and slid a lovely pass into the path of Sterling. The England man dummied one way, tempting both Vincent Kompany and Joe Hart to commit themselves, before cutting back and tucking the ball home.

Sterling then carved out a golden chance for Daniel Sturridge with a cross from the right, but the striker sliced wide with the goal beckoning.

Things went from bad to worse for City, influential midfielder Yaya Toure being forced off with a knee problem before the 20-minute mark. His replacement, Javi Garcia, was booked for a clumsy challenge soon after coming on.

Liverpool would then double their lead. Steven Gerrard – who saw his free header saved by Hart seconds earlier – swung a corner into the near post, where Martin Skrtel evaded his marker to glance the ball goalward. Hart could do nothing on this occasion, the ball nestling in the net to wild celebrations.

Further chances fell to Coutinho, Fernandinho and David Silva, while Glen Johnson cleared off the line after a goalmouth scramble, but City would go into the interval with a two-goal deficit.

City found their feet soon after the break. James Milner – on for Jesus Navas – cut in from the right, swapped passes with Fernandinho and slid the ball into the area, where Silva nipped in front of his man to prod a finish beyond Simon Mignolet to make it 2-1.

Manuel Pellegrini’s side would then find an equaliser, a patient passing move culminating in Silva’s low cross, which came off Johnson to beat Simon Mignolet.

Silva almost added a third after being found by substitute Aguero, but the Spaniard could not quite stretch enough to divert the ball on target when well placed.

Liverpool were rocking but somehow managed to retake the lead. There appeared to be little danger from a throw-in from the right, but Vincent Kompany made a mess of his clearance, slicing it into the penalty area. Coutinho took full advantage, rifling a shot past Hart with his first touch.

City pressed for another leveller, but were unable to break down the massed home defence, even when Liverpool were reduced to ten men late on following an ugly challenge by Jordan Henderson on Samir Nasri.

The result gave Liverpool a five-point lead at the top of the Premier League ahead of Chelsea’s game against Swansea.

source: mirror.co.uk