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Respected Muslim community members fear a leadership vacuum in Australia has allowed radicalisation to flourish as young men turn to social media for spiritual guidance.

One week after schoolboy Farhad Jabar killed a police accountant, the country’s most senior Muslim leader spoke publicly for the first time on Friday flanked by his translator and a group of faith leaders.

The Grand Mufti, Dr Ibrahim Abu Mohammed, refused to call the shooting at Parramatta police headquarters a terrorist act, despite Police Commissioner Andrew Scipione and Premier Mike Baird labelling it one.

“Without enough information, and given that we are not an investigation body, I can’t comment on that,” he said through a translator.

Sarwa Abdelraheem, a spokeswoman from the Grand Mufti’s office, said violent extremism was a serious but small problem facing the entire community, influenced by a huge range of factors including psychological state and family context.

“All of these factors in association with misguided and deviant so-called religious teachings become a dangerous recipe with disastrous consequences,” she said.

Ms Abdelraheem said they did not want to call the murder of police accountant Curtis Cheng a terrorist act because Jabar’s motive was still unknown and “speculation at this stage is just that, unfounded speculation”.

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Dr Abu Mohammed said teachings that influenced extremists were not coming from sheikhs or community members in Australia.

“The misguided teaching is imported to us. It is not made by us. It is Sheikh Google, Sheikh Twitter, Sheikh Facebook and not made here in Australia. In addition to that, the developments in the international arena contribute also.”

Ahmed Kilani, founder of the Muslim Village website, said radicalisation via social media flourishing because the Muslim leadership in Australia had become completely out of touch with younger generations.

He said the Grand Mufti not addressing the public in English, despite living in Australia for almost two decades, was a clear example.

“The majority of the mosques and Islamic organisations are still ethnic-based and a lot of the imams, including the Mufti, don’t speak English proficiently or have a western mindset. This is in vast conflict of 85 per cent of the Australian Muslim community who were born here or raised here,” he said.

“The leadership of the community is therefore not only not representative of the community, they are really out of touch with grassroots issues facing the younger generation.”

Mr Kilani said there had been no handover to the younger generation of Muslim Australia, who are best-placed to connect with radicalised youth but have not been equipped or encouraged to do so.

Maha Abdo, executive officer at the United Muslim Women’s Association, said it was crucial to transfer leadership to younger generations.

However, she said the Muslim community has been “under seige” and hasn’t had the “breathing space” to properly mentor youth.

“Our youth get older and the generations will continue and we have to continue to pass on the… positive contributions that we’ve made together,” she said.

“Any discourse that attempts to apportion blame by association or sensationalises violence to stigmatise a certain segment of society only serves to undermine community harmony and safety,” she said.

Father Rod Bower, from the Gosford Anglican Church, appeared alongside the Muslim community leaders in an effort to promote inclusion.

He said an anti-Islam protest planned outside Parramatta Mosque on Friday was only adding to the divisions that lead young men to feel marginalised and angry.

“It is actually part of the problem. They are contributing to the problem,” he said.

source:theherald.com.au

MOBS of hungry kangaroos are on the march across the Hunter, destroying crops and stock pastures.

Farmers are calling on the state government to act before the population gets out of control.

Groups of up to 100 eastern grey kangaroos have been spotted on properties between Nelson Plains and the Barrington Tops, with most circulating on land around Seaham, Clarence Town, Paterson and Vacy.

The influx also extends west around Singleton and Muswellbrook where groups of 30 to 40 are grazing on farmland and on the roadside.

Some farmers are taking matters into their own hands, shooting the protected animals and risking fines that can climb as high as $11,000 for killing without a licence and $1100 per kangaroo.

Mobs of kangaroos are also a serious hazard for motorists, with more than 1000 hit in the region each year.

A mob of 70 recently destroyed Josh Evans’ newly sprung rye grass crop, which he replanted within a fenced paddock near Vacy after the April super storm. The kangaroos ate the grass before it was high enough to nourish his beef cattle herd.

The mob has since moved on and he has only seen three kangaroos on his property since. ‘‘They thought the crop was much better than grazing on grass and they hung around for a while – I saw them mostly in the early morning and at dusk. They would get under the shade during the heat of the day and then come back out to feed in the late afternoon,’’ Mr Evans said.

‘‘I didn’t do anything about them being here – I’m not against kangaroos, I’m happy to co-exist with them.’’

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It’s unclear how the region’s problem is changing, because the state government does not track the Lower Hunter’s kangaroo population – it is not part of the commercial harvest zone, which extends into parts of the Upper Hunter.

It “has no plans to undertake region-wide population surveys where there is no commercial harvest” because kangaroos are protected under the National Parks and Wildlife Act, a spokeswoman said.

Landholders and the NSW Farmers Association want the government to start monitoring in the Lower Hunter as part of a regional approach to kangaroo management.

They argue the lack of eastern grey population data in the Lower Hunter will be “bad for kangaroos and bad for farmers” as numbers become out of control.

Association Hunter region manager David Banham said “solid evidence” was needed to analyse the annual population so kangaroos and farming can “comfortably co-exist”.

“Farmers would prefer to keep them off their property instead of shooting them,” Mr Banham said.

“Culling is just one way to deal with the situation. If we’ve got data we can accurately say this is what is happening in the Lower Hunter.”

Landholder Peter Lawrence, of Gresford, has questioned how culling on individual Lower Hunter properties is an effective control method when nobody knows how many eastern greys are in the area.

“[Monitoring the population is] as much for the sake of the kangaroos as it is farming – if their numbers get out of control and there is a serious drought they are going to suffer trying to find enough feed to survive, and nobody wants that,” he said.

NSW Office of Environment and Heritage research suggest farms and kangaroos can co-exist most of the time and the kangaroo population followed a “boom and bust cycle” that “correlated with drought and good conditions”.

Upper Hunter landholders within the kangaroo harvest management plan zone can engage commercial shooters to cull on their land and help meet a specific quota that the NSW Office of Environment and Heritage releases annually.

The population count within the zones determines the quota, which is set at no more than 15 per cent of the population.

Lower Hunter landholders have to apply to the National Parks and Wildlife Services for a licence to cull and tag a specific amount.

Requests are likely to be approved if the landholder can prove how many kangaroos are on the property and the economic harm and damage they have caused.
Cull quotas not being met due to a lack of demand

A LACK of demand for kangaroo meat has left culling quotas in the Upper Hunter largely unfulfilled. Annual quotas for eastern grey kangaroos have only been met three times in the past 15 years.

In the past two years 38,040 eastern greys were identified for culling in the Upper Hunter under the NSW kangaroo harvest management plan, yet only 8895 were shot.

Contract shooters haven’t come close to meeting the annual target since 2007, when they reached 98per cent of it, and 2003 when they achieved 93per cent.

In 2013, only 19per cent of the 25,125 eastern greys identified were culled.

NSW MLC Robert Brown, a Shooters and Fishers Party member, blamed the lack of demand for kangaroo meat overseas and the geographical location of the Upper Hunter.

He said commercial shooters could easily make $1000 to $2000 a week shooting kangaroos out west on flat ground and keep their running costs down. He said shooters in the Upper Hunter had to contend with hilly country and “work a lot harder” to find enough kangaroos in a group to make it financially viable.

“They might drive around for half an hour before they find a kangaroo … Why do that when they can go out west and get 100 of them in a night. If they are running the car they want to be shooting,” Mr Brown said.

The NSW Office of Environment and Heritage releases a quota of eastern grey, red, western grey and wallaroo kangaroos that can be culled every year under the harvest plan. These species are classified as abundant and are not at risk of becoming vulnerable because of the cull.

Upper Hunter landholders within a zone identified in the plan can engage commercial shooters to take a certain number of kangaroos on their property.

The shooters place the dead kangaroos in chillers and pass them onto processors.

Exporting kangaroo meat is expected to be the next big thing for the industry and could be worth about $600million a year. The federal government already has an agreement with 70 countries to export kangaroo meat. The first tonne went to Peru in March after an agreement between the two countries was created five years ago. It cost $6 per kilogram to transport.

But Kangaroo Industry Association of Australia executive officer John Kelly said the industry needed to conquer bigger markets like China.

If that happened the amount of kangaroos harvested every year could dramatically increase, he said.

Mr Brown said Russia was a strong customer until President Vladimir Putin banned a range of Western food, including kangaroo meat, last year.

Patrick Medway, who sits on the NSW kangaroo management advisory panel on behalf of the Australian Wildlife Society, said the industry could thrive in Australia if the nation relinquished its “emotional attachment” to the native animal. He argued the lack of demand for meat and skins within Australia was deterring commercial shooters from participating in the harvest.

He said shooters were paid $2 to $3 per kilogram, while kangaroo fillets sold in supermarkets for $21 per kilogram and mince fetched $9 per kilogram.

“The return to shooters isn’t high enough and unless that changes the actual take won’t reflect the set quota,” Mr Medway said. “If the price of kangaroo meat reflected the rising cost of beef, lamb and chicken it would be a viable business.”

source:theherald.com.au

Το δύστυχο μωρό «κύκλωπας» γεννήθηκε με ένα μάτι στο κέντρο από το μέτωπο αφού η μητέρα του είχε εκτεθεί σε ραδιενέργεια κατά την διάρκεια της εγκυμοσύνης της.

Το μωρό γεννήθηκε σε ένα ιδιωτικό νοσοκομείο στο El Senbellawein στην Αίγυπτο.
Το μωρό έχει και επιπλέον δυσμορφίες και δεν αναμένεται να επιβιώσει περισσότερο από μερικές ημέρες.

Οι γιατροί διέγνωσαν ότι το μωρό πάσχει από κυκλωπισμό «cyclopia» – μία πολύ σπάνια πάθηση που έχει πάρει το όνομα της από τον μονόφθαλμο γίγαντα της Ελληνικής Μυθολογίας, τον «Κύκλωπα».

Ο κυκλωπισμός είναι μία από τις πιο σπάνιες μορφές συγγενών ανωμαλιών και τα παιδιά που γεννιούνται με αυτόν συνήθως πεθαίνουν λίγο μετά την γέννα.
Σύμφωνα με την ειδησεογραφική ιστοσελίδα slaati.com της Σαουδικής Αραβίας, οι γιατροί του νοσοκομείου της πόλης El Senbellawein όπου γεννήθηκε το αγοράκι πιστεύουν ότι η συνοφθαλμία του είναι απόρροια φαρμάκων που πήρε η μητέρα του στη διάρκεια της εγκυμοσύνης ή της έκθεσής της σε ακτινοβολία.
Ο δρ Άχμεντ Μπαντρούντιν που παρακολουθεί το αγοράκι στο νοσοκομείο, δήλωσε ότι το μωρό πάσχει και από άλλες διαμαρτίες, και δεν αναμένεται να επιζήσει επί περισσότερο από λίγες ημέρες.
Η οικογένεια του μωρού έδωσε στη δημοσιότητα μία σπαρακτική φωτογραφία του.
Υπολογίζεται ότι η συνοφθαλμία εμφανίζεται σε ένα στα 250 έμβρυα, αλλά εξαιτίας της αυτόματης αποβολής τους αυτό δεν γίνεται ευρέως αντιληπτό. Τέλος, προσβάλλει και τα ζώα, με τη συχνότητά της να ανέρχεται σε μία στις 16.000 γεννήσεις.

Πηγή:pestomou.info

Ο Δημήτρης Μαρκέας (αριστερά), παραλαμβάνει το βραβείο του «Οινοπαραγωγού της Χρονιάς» στο Riverland, από τον εκπρόσωπο του «JMA Engineering Riverland Wine Industry Award», Mark Johnson

Ελληνικό το καλύτερο οινοποιείο στο Riverland

Ένα ξεχωριστό βραβείο δόθηκε στον ελληνικής καταγωγής οινοπαραγωγό της Νότιας Αυστραλίας, Δημήτρη Μαρκέα.

Σε ειδική εκδήλωση στο 43ο Φεστιβάλ Οίνου, που έγινε πρόσφατα στο Renmark, o Δημήτρης Μαρκέας έλαβε το ανώτερο βραβείο στον τομέα της οινοποιείας στην οινοπαραγωγική περιοχή του Riverland, ενώ οι συμμετοχές ξεπέρασαν τις 350. Τα κρασιά της οινοποιείας Μαρκέα έχουν συμμετάσχει επανηλειμμένα στους ετήσιους Διαγωνισμούς Οίνου στη Νέα Υόρκη, σχεδόν κάθε χρόνο από το 2010 μέχρι σήμερα και έχουν λάβει υψηλές βαθμολογίες. Η οινοποιεία σήμερα εξάγει ποσότητες κρασιού στις ΗΠΑ και στην Κίνα. Οι πιο γνωστές ετικέτες της οινοποιείας είναι οι «Mallee Estate Shiraz», «Cabernet» και «Sauvignon Blanc» και η πιο διάσημη είναι η «P and E Markeas Shiraz», με τα αρχικά των γονιών και ιδρυτών της οινοποιείας.

Ο Δημήτρης διαχειρίζεται το οινοποιείο Mallee Estate Winery, το οποίο ίδρυσαν οι γονείς του Παναγιώτης και Ελένη Μαρκέα το 1969. Η οικογένεια κατάγεται από την Καρδαμύλλη Μεσσηνίας και εγκαταστάθηκε στην εύκρατη ηλιόλουστη περιοχή του ποταμού Murray της Νότιας Αυστραλίας το 1968. «Ο πατέρας μου γνώριζε να καλλιεργεί τη γη. Φύτεψε ελιές και πατάτες όταν έφτασε στην Αυστραλία και όνειρό του ήταν να καλλιεργήσει φρούτα και σταφύλια», δηλώνει ο Δημήτρης, το νεώτερο μέλος της οικογένειας Μαρκέα.

Το 1988 η οικογένεια αγόρασε ένα μεγάλο κομμάτι γης στην ίδια περιοχή και την ίδια περίοδο ο Δημήτρης αποφασίσει να ακολουθήσει σπουδές Οινολογίας στο Πανεπιστήμιο Αδελαΐδας. Μαζί με τον αδερφό του, Θανάση, κατάφεραν να μετατρέψουν τους αμπελώνες τους σε ένα πρότυπο οινοποιείο.

Από το 2005, η οικογένεια παρουσιάζει τα κρασιά σε επισκέπτες σε έναν χώρο που τον ονομάζει «Ταβέρνα» που θυμίζει τη ζεστή καλοκαιρινή ατμόσφαιρα σε μια ταβέρνα στην Ελλάδα. Μαζί με τα κρασιά, οι επισκέπτες μπορούν να δοκιμάσουν και τα διάσημα στην περιοχή μπισκότα της κυρίας Ελένης.

Το Renmark είναι μία επαρχιακή πόλη που ιδρύθηκε το 1889 από δύο Καναδούς και είναι τμήμα της επαρχίας Riverland, που είναι σήμερα η μεγαλύτερη σε έκταση περιοχή παραγωγής κρασιού στην Αυστραλία. Το κλίμα είναι ζεστό ηπειροωτικό και η μέση θερμοκρασία το χειμώνα φτάνει τους 16 βαθμούς και το καλοκαίρι τους 30. Η περιοχή θεωρείται το «μηχανοστάσιο» της αυστραλιανής βιομηχανίας κρασιού, καθώς είναι πρωτοπόρα σε περιβαλλοντικές πρακτικές και καινοτομίες στην καλλιέργεια αμπελώνων. Εκεί παράγονται μερικά από τα πιο δημοφιλή κρασιά της χώρας.

Πηγή:Νέος Κόσμος

Η Εμπορική Συμφωνία του Ειρηνικού ανοίγει νέες προοπτικές για την αυστραλιανή οικονομία, υποστηρίζει ο υπουργός Εμπορίου.

«Χρυσές» μέρες ανατέλλουν για τους γεωκτηνοτρόφους της Αυστραλίας, αλλά και άλλες παραγωγικές ομάδες της χώρας, μετά την υπογραφή της Εμπορικής Συμφωνίας του Ειρηνικού (TPP – Trans-Pacific Partnership), σύμφωνα με τον υπουργό Εμπορίου, Andrew Robb. Την ιστορικής σημασίας εμπορική αυτή συμφωνία συνυπέγραψαν η Αυστραλία, η Νέα Ζηλανδία, οι ΗΠΑ και άλλες εννέα χώρες της ευρύτερης περιοχής του Ειρηνικού την Τρίτη.

Για να ισχύσει η Συμφωνία στην οποία κατέληξαν οι αρμόδιοι υπουργοί, θα πρέπει πρώτα να επικυρωθεί από τα αντίστοιχα Κοινοβούλια των χωρών που συμμετέχουν σε αυτή.

Μεταξύ των χωρών που συμμετέχουν είναι και ο Καναδάς, η Ιαπωνία, η Χιλή, το Περού, το Βιετνάμ, το Μεξικό και η Μαλαισία.

Το τελικό κείμενο της Συμφωνίας, το οποίο θα απαρτίζεται συνολικά από 30 Ενότητες, δεν αναμένεται να έχει ολοκληρωθεί μέχρι τα τέλη αυτού του μήνα. Αξίζει να σημειωθεί, ότι οι διαπραγματεύσεις για την Εμπορική Συμφωνία του Ειρηνικού άρχισαν το 2008.

Η TPP, που έτυχε ιδιαίτερα θετικής αποδοχής από τον επιχειρηματικό κόσμο της Αυστραλίας, θεωρείται η μεγαλύτερη εμπορική συμφωνία που έχει συναφθεί στην ιστορία και ενσωματώνει κοινά κριτήρια και κανόνες από τη μεταποίηση και τα αγροτικά προϊόντα μέχρι και τα πνευματικά δικαιώματα. Η συγκεκριμένη Συμφωνία αφαιρεί τα εμπόδια στις εμπορικές συναλλαγές μεταξύ των 12 συμμετεχόντων χωρών, οι οποίες και εκπροσωπούν το 40% της παγκόσμιας οικονομίας.

Μετά την επίτευξη της Συμφωνίας, ο κ. Robb ανέφερε, ότι αυτό που προβλέπει η Συμφωνία είναι η άρση των δασμών κατά 98% από γεωργικά και κτηνοτροφικά προϊόντα, καθώς και άλλα καταναλωτικά αγαθά, όπως πρώτες ύλες και υπηρεσίες, που η Αυστραλία εξάγει στις χώρες αυτές.

Η έγκριση της Συμφωνίας από το αυστραλιανό Κοινοβούλιο θεωρείται σχεδόν βέβαιη, ενώ παρά τις διαμάχες που εκτιμάται ότι θα ξεσπάσουν στο αμερικανικό Κογκρέσο πριν από την επικύρωση της Συμφωνίας, θεωρείται ότι αυτή τελικά θα επικυρωθεί και από τις ΗΠΑ.

Πέραν του οικονομικού και εμπορικού οφέλους για τις χώρες που συνυπογράφουν την TPP, το γεγονός ότι δημιουργείται ένα νέο κλαμπ χωρών του Ειρηνικού, οι οποίες θα μπορούν να αντισταθμίσουν την επιρροή της Κίνας, θα λειτουργήσει ως βασικό κίνητρο ώστε αυτή να ψηφιστεί τελικά από το Κογκρέσο.

ΤPP ΚΑΙ ΑΥΣΤΡΑΛΙΑ

Ιδιαίτερα ωφέλιμη αναμένεται να είναι η Συμφωνία για τον γεωκτηνοτροφικό τομέα της χώρας καθώς εκτιμάται ότι αυτός θα αυξήσει τα έσοδά του από εξαγωγές έως και $1 δις ετησίως καθώς τα αυστραλιανά αγροτικά και κτηνοτροφικά προϊόντα θα μπορούν πλέον να εξαχθούν χωρίς να υπόκεινται σε δασμούς στις χώρες που συμμετέχουν στην ΤΡΡ.

Το ίδιο ισχύει και για τον ευρύτερο τομέα παροχής υπηρεσιών, καθώς οι επιχειρήσεις που ενεργοποιούνται σ’ αυτόν, όπως εταιρίες παροχής λογιστικής στήριξης, παραγωγής τεχνολογίας, παροχής εκπαιδευτικών υπηρεσιών και άλλες, θα μπορούν πλέον να δραστηριοποιηθούν και να διεκδικήσουν την ανάληψη συμβολαίων χωρίς τους περιορισμούς που υφίστανται αυτή τη στιγμή ξένες εταιρίες.

Το γεγονός ότι η Αυστραλία κατάφερε να κρατήσει το σύστημα κατοχύρωσης και προστασίας πνευματικών δικαιωμάτων άθικτο, εγγυάται και το ότι δεν θα αυξηθούν οι τιμές των φαρμάκων και άλλων ειδών που έχουν άμεση σχέση με την απελευθέρωση του συστήματος.

Εν τω μεταξύ, κατά καιρούς έχει ασκηθεί δριμύτατη κριτική στο γεγονός ότι η ΤΡΡ λειτουργεί περισσότερο υπέρ των μεγάλων Ομίλων, αν και για πρώτη φορά, στη συγκεκριμένη περίπτωση, περιλαμβάνονται προβλέψεις «για τη στήριξη των μικρών επιχειρήσεων», όπως χαρακτηριστικά ανέφερε ο υπουργός Εμπορίου, ώστε να ξεπεράσουν τα εμπόδια.

Είναι η πρώτη φορά που απαιτείται, επίσης, από κρατικές εταιρείες, όπως αυτές του Βιετνάμ και της Μαλαισίας, να συμμορφωθούν με τα διεθνή κριτήρια εμπορίου, εργασίας και περιβάλλοντος.

Να προσθέσουμε, ότι ενώ η συμφωνία προβλέπει την ελεύθερη διακίνηση στελεχών επιχειρήσεων στις χώρες που την συνυπογράφουν, αυτό απαγορεύεται για το εργατικό δυναμικό ‘άλλων τομέων, και οι νόμοι που ισχύουν αυτή τη στιγμή για την εισαγωγή εργατικών χεριών στην Αυστραλία θα παραμείνουν ως έχουν.

Όσον αφορά την ανησυχία που εκφράζουν συνδικάτα για την προστασία των δικαιωμάτων των εργαζομένων, όλες οι χώρες της ΤΡΡ δεσμεύονται με τις αρχές της Διεθνούς Οργάνωσης Εργασίας (ILO) για την εφαρμογή των Συλλογικών Συμβάσεων Εργασίας, του κατώτατου μισθού, της ασφάλειας στον εργασιακό χώρο και της απαγόρευσης της παιδικής εργασίας.

Εκπρόσωποι συνδικάτων και οργανώσεων για την προστασία των ανθρώπινων δικαιωμάτων, τόσο στην Αυστραλία όσο και τις ΗΠΑ, αμφιβάλλουν για το εάν αυτές οι προβλέψεις της ΤΡΡ θα υλοποιηθούν σε χώρες όπως η Μαλαισία, το Βιετνάμ και το Μπρουνέι.

Πηγή: Νέος Κόσμος

Rev George Passias and Ethel Bouzalas, who converted to the Greek Orthodox faith when Passias baptised her while she wore a bikini before her wedding. Photo: The New York Post

Fr. George Passias and parish-school principal Edith Bouzalas under fire for kinky affair and money embezzlement

Former chancellor of the Greek Orthodox Archdiocese of America, Father George Passias has been removed from his parish after the revelation he had an affair with his much younger god-daughter.

The high-ranking Greek Orthodox priest starred in several kinky sex tapes with Ethel Bouzalas, a Peruvian woman married to a Greek man with whom she has three children.

Passias baptised the woman before she married Tom Bouzalas and has been her mentor since.

When Passias took the helm of the Wadsworth Avenue church in 2006, Bouzalas came with him as his assistant.

He called her his ‘spiritual goddaughter’, and they arrived and left together every day.

Within a few years she was promoted to parish-school principal, even without having proof of education.

The 67-year-old Washington pastor, who has four children from his marriage impregnated his 45-year-old also married lover who also assumed church treasurer duties.

Meanwhile, Passias spurred furore when he imposed his strict rules to all women of the parish who were forced to cover their heads with long shawls.

In 2013, Passias had been accused of having an affair with the women who was reportedly seen sitting on his lap.

“I walk out one night and his so-called assistant was sitting on his lap in his office,” Harry Torres, a former church handyman and superintendent said.

He had then told the The Post that “the allegations were cooked up by a group of evil-minded people” of the parish who wanted him gone.

“They have been saying I’m having a private affair with her,” he said. “She is a goddaughter to me. That’s it.”

Several, members of the parish were worried about the management of four church-owned apartment buildings and a constant flow of funds being allocated into repairs at the school which never happened.

Financial overseers were removed, and Mrs Bouzalas became a signatory on church bank accounts.

The priest had once again denied everything calling the allegations “filthy lies.”

The firm that managed the church’s four apartment buildings, worth $15 million, was replaced with one tied to Alma Bank, where the church turned for cash and a mortgage refinance totaling $2.5 million in 2009.

Asked why the church had ignored the longtime allegations of the affair, the bishop said, “Lacking any concrete evidence of an affair, there was no responsible way the church could take any further action.”

However, Ethel Bouzalas’ husband came forward and provided the Greek Orthodox Archdiocese of America, with proof of the affair.

The same cleric who had once ordered female worshipers to cover their heads during confession, starred in shocking sex videos, without a hint of modesty.

In one scene, he watches his ‘god-daughter’ crush a banana bread with her bottom on top a bedside table, wearing stilettos.

In another video Bouzalas rubs her feet on the priest’s face whilst recording him and then he performs oral sex on her.

The videos and photos of the pair were provided anonymously to The Post last week with a letter saying they were downloaded off a computer in Passias’ church office.

The sender wrote that a private investigator had been hired to tail the couple to their rendezvous in motels in New Jersey and upstate Cold Spring.

Bishop Andonios Paropoulos, the current chancellor of the Greek Orthodox church in the United States, was the first to disclose the affair, after Ethel Bouzalas’ husband, e-mailed him.

Following the revelation Passias was suspended on 16 September “as per the sexual-misconduct policy of the archdiocese.”

Bishop Andonios told the newspaper he had not seen the sex tapes however he “found out of their existence during meetings with both parties.”

Passias then sent an e-mail to his parish saying he was leaving for “personal and health reasons,” whilst confessing to “multitudinous sins and shortcomings.”

“I will now fade out of this world for a considerable time according to God’s will,” he wrote. “He has chosen for me . . . that I should retire and follow the way of silence, prayer, fasting, and ­utter devotion to our Lord.

“Please do not ask where I am going and where I will be. Then it would not be possible for me to fulfill what is my lot.”

Parishioners at the Manhattan church showed little support on Sunday for their disgraced former pastor, who got the boot for knocking up his married goddaughter.

The pews were emptier than usual Sunday at St. Spyridon Greek Orthodox Church in Washington Heights, which was led by the Rev. George Passias before his downfall.

“He used to be a good priest, he talked nice and everything. He got people into church,” said Nicholas Karaniaks, 68, who has been praying at St. Spyridon over the past 36 years.

“Now it’s more empty, because the scandal scares people away.”

Parish Council President Steve Papadatos said he was “completely blindsided” by the details of Passias’ perverted private life.

“I had no idea this was happening,” Papadatos said. “Everyone’s shocked.”

Source: The Post

Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull will hold an urgent stocktake meeting on counter-terrorism policy next week as he seeks to reach out to Muslim Australians as the nation’s frontline against extremists.

In his first full press conference since the shooting of Curtis Cheng in Parramatta, Mr Turnbull began reframing the national discussion about extremism away from his predecessor’s often hard-edged security rhetoric.

Repeatedly stating he was calibrating his language carefully on advice from security agencies, Mr Turnbull said that “mutual respect” was the cornerstone of Australia’s success as a multicultural country.

“Mutual respect is the glue that binds this very diverse country together,” he told reporters in Sydney on Friday. “It is what enables us to be so successful.”

Mr Turnbull, who spoke to British Prime Minister David Cameron about terrorism on Thursday night, said he was asking security officials to convene in Canberra next week to talk about “what we need to do better” to tackle the issue.

Sources described this urgent meeting of senior officials from across the country as a “stocktake” of existing policies.

It will be attended by senior law enforcement and counter-terrorism officials including NSW Police Commissioner Andrew Scipione, Victoria’s Chief Commissioner Graham Ashton and Australian Federal Police Commissioner Andrew Colvin and led by the Counter-Terrorism Co-ordinator Greg Moriarty. ASIO head Duncan Lewis will also attend.

It is understood that the Turnbull government will emphasise the role of state and territory authorities and also community leaders as those who are at the coal-face in the fight against extremism, moving the discussion away from the tougher national security language Tony Abbott used.

There was frequent criticism from within the Muslim community that the former government was too heavily focussed on law enforcement and did not devote enough energy to social cohesion and prevention. Fairfax Media understands this was a view increasingly shared by some within the national security community as well, amid fears that alienating Muslims was counterproductive to their work.

Mr Turnbull made a pointed remark during his press conference about how “everything” he was saying was “carefully calculated to support the work of our security agencies”.

In a direct message to those planning anti-Islam rallies, Mr Turnbull asked, “if you’re supporting an approach of disrespecting or of hating, or of vilifying another group in the community, how can that possibly be anything other than contrary to our national interest?”

The Prime Minister said that people who tried to tag all Muslims with responsibility for the “crimes of a tiny minority and convert that into a general hatred of all Muslims” were undermining anti-terrorism efforts.

“Those who do that are making the work of the police and security services … much harder.”

When asked if people who don’t like Australian values should leave the country, Mr Turnbull replied: “It’s is not compulsory to live in Australia.

“If you find Australian values unpalatable, then there’s a big wide world out there.”

In similar comments earlier on Friday, Labor leader Bill Shorten said “if you really hate Australia, you should go”.

Both leaders echoed the words of Parramatta mosque chairman Neil El-Kadomi, who in a Friday sermon told worshippers: “if you don’t like Australia, leave”.

Mr Shorten also said that extremism would not be tackled by rallies such as those planned for the weekend.

“This country will never have a great future if we have majorities encouraged to pick on minorities.”

Race Discrimination Commissioner Tim Soutphommasane called for calm ahead of protests planned outside mosques in Parramatta and Bendigo.

“No one should be taking the law into their own hands,” he said.

“People should not be judging entire communities based on the extremism of a few.”

source:smh.com.au

GERMAN chancellor Angela Merkel and French president Francois Hollande today staged a desperate bid to prevent “the end of Europe” at the European Parliament.

In a historic joint visit, the two leaders made an urgent attempt to prevent the European Union (EU) unravelling amid a faltering eurozone, conflict in Ukraine, the unprecedented migrant crisis on the continent and Britain’s possible exit from the bloc.

Mrs Merkel warned MEPs that Europe faces a “test of historic dimensions” while Mr Hollande claimed political union between the EU’s 28 member states could fall apart in the face of its current troubles.

He said: “The debate is not about less Europe or more Europe.

“It is about the affirmation of Europe or the end of Europe. Yes, the end of Europe.”

In a sign of the growing anxiety of both politicians, it was the first such joint address in Strasbourg by German and French leaders since 1989 – when Helmut Kohl and Francois Mitterand visited days after the fall of the Berlin Wall.

Mrs Merkel said: “It is precisely now that we need more Europe.

“If we overcome that, we will be stronger after the crisis than before.”

King Felipe VI of Spain also tried to halt a rising tide of euroscepticism across the EU as he used his own address to claim “there is no alternative to a united Europe”.

The monarch spoke as his own country faces breaking apart due to a rising independence movement in Catalonia.

However, as European Parliament president Martin Schulz hailed a “historic visit for historically difficult times”, eurosceptic MEPs blasted Mrs Merkel and Mr Hollande’s joint call for “more Europe”.

UKIP leader Nigel Farage told the pair what they were actually calling for was “more of the same failing”.

Blasting a “totally German-orientated Europe”, the co-chair of the Europe of Freedom and Direct Democracy group of MEPs mocked France’s voice as “little more than a pipsqueak” in its relationship with Germany.

Mr Farage told Mrs Merkel and Mr Hollande they were now presiding over a “corrupted” and “rotten” EU.

He told Mrs Merkel: “Germany has a currency that is undervalued by 20 per cent, a growing and massive trade surplus and most growth in the German economy since the collapse of 2008 has indeed been in exports to other eurozone countries such as your very big arms sales to countries like Greece.

“And when we have a general election that says a country like Greece wants to change direction, well I’m sorry but that must now be brushed aside because the Germans don’t want it.”

The UKIP leader also turned his fire on Mrs Merkel’s recent offer to accept an unlimited number of Syrian refugees into Germany.

He told the German chancellor it “must count as perhaps the worst piece of public policy seen in modern Europe for half a century when you compounded the already failing and flawed EU common asylum policy by saying to the whole world ‘please come to Europe'”.

He added: “We saw virtually a stampede and we learn that 80 per cent of those that are coming are not Syrian refugees.

“In fact what you’ve done is open the door to young, male economic migrants, many of whom behave in a rather aggressive manner quite the opposite you would ever expect to see from any refugee.

“When that failure is met by objections from countries like Hungary their opinions are crushed.”

Hailing the “bright star on the horizon” of Britain’s upcoming referendum on EU membership, Mr Farage added that he hoped a vote for ‘Brexit’ would “be the beginning of the end of a project that, however noble its original intentions, has gone rotten”.

source:express.co.uk

NATO says it is prepared to send troops to Turkey to defend its ally after violations of Turkish airspace by Russian jets bombing Syria.

Russia launched its air campaign against “terrorist” targets in Syria last week but has infringed on Turkey’s airspace, and drawn accusations its intentions are to destroy opponents of president Bashar al-Assad, not Islamic State terrorists.

“In Syria, we have seen a troubling escalation of Russian military activities,” NATO secretary general Jens Stoltenberg.

“We will assess the latest developments and their implications for the security of the alliance,” he said.

Officials at the US-led alliance are still smarting from Russia’s incursions into Turkey’s airspace and NATO defence ministers are meeting in Brussels with the agenda likely to be dominated by the Syria crisis.

Moscow has upped the ante dramatically with the launch of an unprecedented series of cruise missile attacks to cover a Syrian army ground offensive against rebels seeking the ouster of long-term Russian ally Mr Assad.

NATO has stationed anti-missile Patriot batteries in Turkey to protect it from any spillover of the Syrian conflict but they are due to be removed later this year.

Asked if NATO would now consider extending their mission in light of Russia’s actions, Mr Stoltenberg said: “NATO is ready and able ready to defend all allies against any threat, including Turkey.”

He said NATO’s decision to boost its readiness was not driven solely by Russia’s intervention in favour of pro-Moscow rebels in Ukraine.

“It is a response both to the challenges we see to the east but also to the challenges we see to the south,” he said.

“NATO has already responded by increasing our capacity, our ability our preparedness to deploy forces, including to the south, including in Turkey, if needed,” he added.

Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov has said Russia wants to keep good ties with Turkey, after Ankara voiced its growing anger at Moscow’s military intervention in Syria.

“As for the Russian air force operation in Syria, our actions in support of safeguarding Syria contribute to ensuring stability and security in the region sitting on Turkey’s borders,” Mr Peskov told a call with journalists.

Mr Peskov also said any increased presence of British troops in eastern Europe would be regrettable and would amount to Britain using an alleged Russian threat as camouflage to press ahead with NATO expansion.

He added that Russia would act in order to ensure “parity” should Britain do this.

As Russian and US planes fly combat missions over the same country for the first time since World War II, NATO is eager to avoid any international escalation of the Syrian conflict that has unexpectedly turned the alliance’s attention away from Ukraine following Russia’s annexation of Crimea last year.

Russian president Vladimir Putin and his defence minister Sergei Shoigu on Wednesday said Russian warships launched cruise missile strikes against 11 Islamic State targets in Syria.

Four warships in the Caspian sea launched 26 missiles which passed over Iran and Iraq to reach their targets, covering what Mr Shoigu described as a distance of almost 1,500 km.

While the US has ruled out military cooperation with Russia in Syria, NATO defence ministers will discuss how to encourage Russia to help resolve the crisis, betting that Moscow also wants to avoid being bogged down in a long conflict.

“There has to be a political solution, a transition,” Mr Stoltenberg said.

“Russia is making a very serious situation in Syria much more dangerous,” Britain’s defence minister Michael Fallon said, calling on Moscow to use its influence on Mr Assad to stop bombing civilians.

source:abc.net.au

PARAMEDICS have attended about 87 reported snake and spider bites in the Hunter during the past year.

The figures, released on Thursday as NSW Ambulance appealed to the public to exercise caution as venomous creatures became more active, put the Hunter behind only western Sydney during the same period.

Hunter attacks count for more than 10 per cent of the state’s bites during the 12-month period.

Inspector John Brotherhood said paramedics had treated five bites in the past week in NSW as the weather warmed up, with all but one reportedly involving a snake.

“We’re basically urging caution,” he said.
“Around the home, remove piled up debris from the yard and keep lawns mowed to reduce the potential for unexpected visitors.”

Inspector Brotherhood also urged people to check clothing left outside before wearing it.
“Paramedics attend many cases where people have put on boots and gloves and been bitten by spiders and even snakes which were hidden inside,” he said.
“Also, if you lift something such as a rock or log, lift so it’s facing away from you.”

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Anyone bitten by a snake or spider is urged to call 000 immediately.

For snakes and funnel web spiders:

· if the bite is on a limb, apply a pressure immobilisation bandage. The bandage should not cut off the circulation;

· if the bite is not on a limb, apply direct, firm pressure to the bite site with your hands. Keep the patient still and discourage them from walking around; and

· never cut or excise the wound. Do not attempt to suck out the venom out and don’t apply a tourniquet.

For spiders (eg redbacks, white-tails, trapdoors):

· apply an ice pack or cold compress to relieve the pain; and

· if severe symptoms develop, seek medical aid; and

· in the case of small children involved in a suspected redback spider bite, medical aid should be sought, irrespective of whether symptoms manifest.

source:theherald.com.au