Category Archives: Uncategorized

Dr Panayiotis Diamadis (L) receiving his award from the mayor of the City of Rockdale, Cr Shane O’Brien.

Dr Panayiotis Diamadis has won second spot in this year’s Ron Rathbone Local History Prize, which fosters research into local history in south Sydney’s City of Rockdale.

In recent polls, the anti-immigration, anti-European Union party, has emerged as the third political force in the beleaguered Mediterranean country.

Days before the Greek election, fascist party Golden Dawn appears to have gained in popularity piggy-backing off the latest austerity conditions agreed to by former Syriza primer minister, Alexis Tsipras.

In recent opinion polls, the anti-immigration, anti-semitic, homophobic, anti-European Union party, many of whose leaders are in prison or under criminal investigation for taking part in murder and gang activity, has emerged as the third political force in the beleaguered Mediterranean country.

The party is polling at between 5.5 and 7 percent, behind Tsipras’ left-wing Syriza and Vangelis Meimarakis of center-right New Democracy.

The Syriza leader called snap elections for Sept. 20 after his decision to accept the harsh terms of bailout program caused dismay among the party and the wider public, which had elected the left-wingers just months ago on their anti-austerity program.

The refugee crisis as well as dazzling economic instability – earlier this year banks momentarily set limits on money withdrawals as the country prepared to default on a loan repayment – have spawned new supporters of the fascist party, whose motto is “the only nationalist choice.”

Demonstrators at the group’s rallies have said they are looking for at least 10 percent of the vote.

Golden Dawn’s spokesperon, Ilias Kasidiaris, who has tattoos of swastikas, has found ripe ground in islands like Kos, where hundreds of Syrian refugees arrive daily.

“Kos has a choice. If (inhabitants) choose to vote Syriza it will turn into Pakistan. If they choose Golden Dawn and Golden Dawn governs the land, then Kos will become Greece again. And that is our goal,” he told residents.

Rival political groups are taking the threat, which could see a reversal of many of the social gains wrought by Syriza, as deadly serious.

“I am afraid. For the first time we have no idea what this election will bring,” said the former conservative representative Fotini Pipili. “What we do know, however, is that Golden Dawn is going to do well, and for the serious minded that is a very worrying thing.”

A televised debate between the leaders of Greece’s two main political parties this week offered little indication of who might win the general election.

Both parties drew 31.6 percent in a recent poll for ANT1 TV, and much of the country is still undecided.

source:telesurtv.net

Former Greece’s prime minister and leftist Syriza party leader Alexis Tsipras (L) and New Democracy party leader Vangelis Meimarakis stand at their podiums before a televised debate in Athens, Greece, September 14, 2015. REUTERS/Michalis Karagiannis

Two Greek opinion polls published on Wednesday differed ahead of Sunday’s national election, with one giving leftists a four percentage point lead over conservatives and the other putting the conservatives marginally ahead.

The majority of surveys over the last two weeks have placed the two parties virtually neck and neck.

In a ProRata poll, collated on Tuesday for the left-leaning Efimerida ton Syntakton newspaper, leftist Syriza received a 28.0 percent support rate, beating conservative New Democracy party on 24.0 percent.
ADVERTISING
A second poll by the University of Macedonia for Skai TV showed New Democracy was set to win 30 percent of the vote, while Syriza would get 29.5 percent.

It was only the fourth time in 22 polls this month that New Democracy has led Syriza, and the second since Sept. 4.

Both took full account of voter reactions to Monday’s final televised head-to-head debate between the parties’ leaders, ex-prime minister Alexis Tsipras of Syriza and Vangelis Meimarakis of New Democracy.

The previous ProRata poll on Sept. 11 gave Syriza a lead of 5 percentage points.

Wednesday’s surveys showed the far-right Golden Dawn ranking third followed by the Communist KKE party, the center-left PASOK party and the centrist To Potami, all at around 5 percent.

It put undecided voters at between 6 to 15 percent.

The ProRata poll showed 33 percent of respondents believed Tsipras was more convincing in the debate, against 26 percent for Meimarakis.

However, a Pulse poll for Action 24 TV, collated on Monday and Tuesday, put New Democracy ahead by 0.5 points.

source:reuturs.com

Δύο Βρετανοί που έκαναν τις διακοπές τους στην Καλιφόρνια επέζησαν σαν από θαύμα όταν μία φάλαινα 40 τόνων πήδηξε πάνω στο κανό καγιάκ τους, την ώρα που εκείνοι απολάμβαναν το χόμπι τους.

Ο Τομ Μάστι, βραβευμένος κινηματογραφιστής άγριας ζωής, και η φίλη του κωπηλατούσαν ανύποπτοι στο Μοντερέι Μπέι της Καλιφόρνια όταν μία φάλαινα πήδηξε πάνω τους.

Οι επιβάτες κοντινού πλοιάριου, μεταξύ των οποίων εκείνος που απαθανάτισε το περιστατικό, ομολογούν ότι φοβήθηκαν για τα χειρότερα, αλλά οι δύο βρετανοί βγηκαν στην επιφάνεια χωρίς γρατζουνιά…

Πηγή:in.gr

Malcolm Turnbull will finalise a new-look ministry over the weekend featuring more women, more young MPs, and a new Treasurer, as an opinion poll shows the switch from Tony Abbott has propelled the Coalition back to equal standing with the ALP.

On his first full day after being sworn in on Tuesday, Mr Turnbull spoke by phone with US President Barack Obama, held a joint press conference with NSW Premier Mike Baird and Victorian Premier Daniel Andrews, after signing agreements to commence the National Disability Insurance Scheme, and fronted the government in Parliament.

“This marks a huge milestone towards the delivery of one of the largest social policy reforms in our nation’s history,” Mr Turnbull said.

While Mr Abbott remained away from the public eye and did not attend Parliament, one news outlet reported that he intends to remain in the Parliament, although for how long was unclear.

“It’s been a tumultuous week and I now intend to spend some time with my family to think about the future,” Mr Abbott told news.com.au.

“But my intention is to remain in the Parliament.”

A nationwide ReachTel Seven-West poll of just under 3300 voters taken on Tuesday night showed voters were flooding back to the Coalition under its new management, with Mr Turnbull catapulting ahead of Labor’s Bill Shorten as preferred prime minister with a lead of 61.9 per cent to 38.1 per cent.

The Coalition’s support has also rebounded for the first time in months with a primary vote of 43.3 per cent to Labor’s 35.9, making for a two-party-preferred share of the vote of 50-50 based on preference flows at the 2013 election.

That is better for the government than any of the past seven monthly polls in which the best it could do was 48-52, and it was generally much lower.

With a byelection in the West Australian seat of Canning to be decided on Saturday, the poll will give government MPs fresh confidence of not only holding the 11.8 per cent margin Liberal seat comfortably, but of using the byelection as a launch pad for a wider recovery with voters under Mr Turnbull’s more centrist leadership style.

Mr Turnbull sailed though his second question time without serious incident despite the contradiction of having Joe Hockey in the Treasury portfolio, when it is widely expected he is to be dumped.

But Labor was also claiming satisfaction after a series of questions were aimed at exposing the tensions between Mr Turnbull’s personal positions on such polices as same-sex marriage, climate change, and the republic, and those of his party.

But his biggest test yet still looms: dropping long-standing ministers and elevating new talent in a sweeping reshuffle aimed at modernising the government, and positioning it to deliver another budget and then fight the 2016 election.

Mr Hockey has all but confirmed he is willing to serve in another portfolio, freeing Mr Turnbull’s hand to promote the current Social Services Minister Scott Morrison.

“I will be making announcements about future ministerial arrangements later. I expect the new ministry, with some changes, to be sworn in on Monday,” Mr Turnbull said.

“There is no greater enthusiast than me for seeing more women in positions of power and influence in Parliament, in ministries right across the country. I can assure you that. I am very committed to that but I am not going to say any more about the new ministerial arrangements.”

Mr Hockey confirmed he had spoken to the new Prime Minister on his future but refused to be drawn on the detail of these discussions.

“I have had discussions with the PM. We will leave it at that and see what happens,” he said.

It is understood Immigration Minister Peter Dutton offered his resignation to Mr Turnbull on Monday night after the leadership change, but it has yet to be accepted.

Appearing to offer a public assurance of his future contribution, Mr Hockey described himself as “instinctively a loyal person”.

“You know that,” he said, “and I see the job that I have as one being loyal to the Australian people.

“I have always been loyal and supportive of leaders. And that is not going to change.”

Other ministers are also being considered with ​Mr Turnbull’s new line-up likely to include several new faces, including more women.

Speculation has it that Education Minister Christopher Pyne could get defence and Arthur Sinodinos – a key backer of Mr Turnbull – could be installed as cabinet secretary, possibly in conjunction with a ministry.

Assistant minister Michaelia Cash could move up to the immigration portfolio, while junior ministers Marise Payne, Josh Frydenberg and Mitch Fifield could move into the cabinet.

Former Howard government minister Mal Brough and parliamentary secretaries Kelly O’Dwyer and Christian Porter are also featuring in discussions around the outer ministry.

Employment Minister Eric Abetz and current Defence Minister Kevin Andrews, both Tony Abbott loyalists, have been mentioned as possible demotions, though they, too, have indicated a desire to remain.

Mr Turnbull is also busily constructing his new Prime Minister’s Office, with one of Australia’s most respected economists, Martin Parkinson, floated as a possible chief of staff.

Fairfax Media understands Dr Parkinson’s name has been bandied about by Turnbull confidantes and strategists but the key appointment remains a long-shot.

“He’s obviously brilliant,” a source said.

“There are names being thrown around. Don’t put a huge amount of weight on it [Dr Parkinson] though.”

While Mr Turnbull’s ascension has promised a less combative approach to politics, that went out the window on Wednesday evening when Labor MPs attending an NBN “showcase” event touted as non-political were angered by Mr Turnbull’s comments branding the giant project a disaster when he had assumed control. After heckling the new PM, they walked out in protest.

source:smh.com.au

Queensland snake catcher charms two pythons out of Townsville bathrooms after one found coiled in a toilet bowl and the other lodged in a U-bend

Thirsty snakes are moving into north Queensland homes with two pythons recently found in toilets.
Snake catcher Elliot Budd spent 15 minutes removing a 2.4-metre carpet python from a Townsville U-bend on the weekend, a week after he released a three-metre beauty found coiled in a toilet by tradesmen.
All but the second snake’s head and 10cm of its body was inside the toilet piping.
Budd could not unbolt the toilet and said tugging at the creature would have caused it injury.
“Its head was just sitting there looking right at you,” he said.
“After about 15 minutes of just holding him, he just came out by himself.”
Budd said he had never pulled a snake from a toilet before the first Townsville incident but he’s recently removed snakes from pools, kitchens, offices and gardens.
James Cook University reptile expert Professor Lin Schwarzkopf said it wasn’t usual for snakes to go into toilets.
She said they liked moist places with objects to hide under but had become more bold in the search for water during a dry breeding season.
“They can fit in under doors,” she said. “There’s not much you can do.”

Schwarzkopf said dripping taps, pipes and sprinklers could attract snakes, which posed little danger as long as an experienced removalist was called.

source:theguardian.com

Με μια ανατρεπτική απόφαση είναι έτοιμη να γράψει ιστορία η μακροβιότερη βασίλισσα στην ιστορία της βρετανικής μοναρχίας.

Μετά από 63 χρόνια στον θρόνο, η βασίλισσα Ελισάβετ Β’ εμφανίζεται έτοιμη να παραιτηθεί και να παραδώσει τον θρόνο στον πρίγκιπα Ουίλιαμ και την Κέιτ, παρακάμπτοντας τον πρίγκιπα Κάρολο.

“Είναι δύσκολο να το καταπιεί ο Κάρολος”, σημείωσε πηγή εκ των έσω. “Έχει περάσει ολόκληρη τη ζωή του περιμένοντας να διαδεχτεί τη μητέρα του. Αρχικά ήταν οργισμένος και διατυμπανούσε πως το στέμμα του ανήκει δικαιωματικά. Αλλά τότε άρχισε να καταλαβαίνει τον τρόπο σκέψης της”.

Η βασίλισσα Ελισάβετ, σύμφωνα με το αποκλειστικό δημοσίευμα του περιοδικού OK!, επέλεξε το νεαρό ζευγάρι επειδή απλά είναι πολύ περισσότερο αγαπητό από ό,τι ήταν ποτέ ο 66χρονος γιος της Κάρολος.

“Αυτό θέλει ο λαός. Τον Ουίλιαμ και την Κέιτ ως βασιλιά και βασίλισσα”, επισήμανε η βασιλική πηγή. “Είναι έκπληκτοι. Η ιδέα να παρακάμψουν τον Κάρολο για το καλό της μοναρχίας συζητιόταν πολύ, αλλά δεν πίστευαν ποτέ ότι θα συμβεί”.

Η στέψη έχει οριστεί να λάβει χώρα στο Westminster Abbey πιθανότατα λίγο μετά τα 90ά γενέθλια της βασίλισσας τον επόμενο Απρίλιο.

Πηγή: madata.gr

Ο Malcolm Turnbull προηγήθηκε του πρώην πλέον πρωθυπουργού Tony Abbott στην ψηφοφορία για την ηγεσία του κόμματος των Φιλελεύθερων, με 54 έναντι 44 ψήφων.

Η υπουργός εξωτερικών Julie Bishop παραμένει αναπληρώτρια με 70 ψήφους έναντι του αντιπάλου της, υπουργού αμύνης Kevin Andrews, ο οποίος συγκέντρωσε 30.

Ο Turnbull πριν λίγες μόλις ώρες επέλεξε να αμφισβητήσει την ηγεσία του Abbott, υπό το φόβο της ήττας στις μελλοντικές εκλογές, μιας και η πολιτική που ακολουθούσε ο πρώην πρωθυπουργός είχε αρνητικό αντίκτυπο στην εικόνα του κόμματος.

Παρά τη σιγουριά του πρώην πρωθυπουργού, ο Turnbull κέρδισε αφού προηγουμένως είχε δηλώσει πως «η τρέχουσα κυβέρνηση είναι ανίκανη να στρέψει τη χώρα προς την οικονομική κατεύθυνση που χρειάζεται και χρειάζεται νέα πολιτική και εκπροσώπηση».

Ο Turnbull θα γίνει ο 29ος πρωθυπουργός της Αυστραλίας – και ο 5ος σε πέντε χρόνια- μετά την ορκομωσία του, η οποία κατά πάσα πιθανότητα θα πραγματοποιηθεί την Τρίτη.

Πηγή:Νέος Κόσμος

Malcolm Turnbull has been elected as the nation’s 29th Prime Minister, after launching an all-or-nothing leadership challenge on Monday afternoon in which he quit the front bench, declared Tony Abbott had failed as leader, and told colleagues that sticking with him would only make Bill Shorten the next prime minister of Australia.

The more moderate Mr Turnbull emerged victorious from a tense late-night meeting of the Liberal party room and has been reunited in the leadership team with the deputy with whom he served as opposition leader until 2009, Julie Bishop.

Despite inflated claims of support by both sides as they sought to create momentum, the outcome in the end was decisive, with Mr Turnbull winning 54 votes to 44.

An attempt by Abbott loyalist Kevin Andrews to knock off Ms Bishop as deputy was also spectacularly unsuccessful with Ms Bishop strongly re-endorsed 70 votes to 30.

At his first media conference after the ballot Mr Turnbull on Monday night said he was “very humbled by the great honour and responsibility that has been given to me today” and called for a fresh era of vision and consultative leadership.

“We need to have in this country and we will have now, an economic vision, a leadership that explains the great challenges and opportunities that we face,” Mr Turnbull said.

“This will be a thoroughly Liberal government. It will be a thoroughly Liberal government committed to freedom, the individual and the market.

“It’ll be focussed on ensuring that in the years ahead as the world becomes more and more competitive and greater opportunities arise, we are able to take advantage of that. The Australia of the future has to be a nation that is agile, that is innovative, that is creative.”

Mr Turnbull paid tribute to Mr Abbott, saying the nation owed him a great debt.

“I want to say at the outset what a great debt the nation owes and the party owes, the government owes to Tony Abbott and of course, to his family Margie and their daughters.

“The burden of leadership is a very heavy one. Tony has discharged that as leader of the party and, of course, as Prime Minister over many years now and the achievements of the government that he has led have been formidable.”

The result came at the end of an acrimonious day after Ms Bishop confronted Mr Abbott with the news he had lost the confidence of the majority of the party room and would face an imminent challenge from his communication minister, Mr Turnbull.

That came within hours after Mr Turnbull made his move following question time.

The leadership change-over, which came just days before a hard-fought byelection will be decided in the Perth seat of Canning, was designed to reconfigure the government ahead of a general election due within a year, but has left it riven with divisions.

Among a slew of casualties from the meltdown of the Abbott operation were some of the federal government’s most senior and prominent figures including Treasurer Joe Hockey, Senate leader Eric Abetz, and Defence Minister Kevin Andrews.

The end to Mr Abbott’s troubled 24-month stint as prime minister concluded a dramatic day in federal politics which saw the more popular Mr Turnbull resign as Communications Minister and launch a full frontal challenge for the top job.

The decision immediately sparked bitter recriminations and plunged the Coalition government into a full-blown crisis threatening by implication to prematurely end to the careers of several senior Liberals including Mr Abbott, Treasurer Joe Hockey, Senate leader Eric Abetz, Defence Minister Kevin Andrews, and others.

In response a defiant Mr Abbott attempted to wrong-foot his critics arranging a snap evening party room meeting in which he declared he would be a candidate and would survive.

He said he had been “heartened” by the support flooding in to Liberal MPs’ offices, as he called on colleagues not to succumb to the Labor disease.

“We are not the Labor Party,” he said, stressing that the party, the government and the country were “better than that”.
The showdown came to a head after a brace of senior ministers were understood to have shifted away from Mr Abbott, led crucially by Ms Bishop.

Promising a more consultative style devoid of Mr Abbott’s slogans and captain’s picks, Mr Turnbull’s decision was announced via a live press statement at 4pm.

It came after key ministers, marginal seat MPs, and even some in relatively safe safe seats around the country, previously loyal to Mr Abbott, had decided they were heading for defeat under his leadership.

Mr Turnbull advised the Prime Minister he no longer enjoyed his confidence at a 3.30pm meeting in which he advised he intended to contest the leadership, and requested that the position be declared vacant to facilitate a ballot.

“This is not a decision that anyone could take lightly,” Mr Turnbull said.

“I have consulted with many, many colleagues, many Australians, many of our supporters in every walk of life. This course of action has been urged on me by many people over a long period of time.”

In a critical precursor to that discussion, Ms Bishop had called on Mr Abbott prior to question time. According to the Turnbull camp, Ms Bishop had asked him to stand down. However versions differ on that meeting with the Abbott camp advising the meeting had been sought to advise Mr Abbott that Mr Turnbull was about to move and would likely have the numbers to succeed.

The high-risk showdown came five days before a crucial byelection in the Perth seat of Canning, catching many observers and pro-Abbott MPs off-guard.

It was announced within hours of a Fairfax-Ipsos poll revealing Canning voters are lining up to hammer the government in a massive 10 per cent swing against them, making the seat ultra-marginal.

As both deputy Liberal leader and the government’s most senior minister on the ground in Canning, Ms Bishop’s intervention was crucial. It is understood she told Mr Abbott his government had utterly failed to communicate its key economic message to voters and was heading for electoral defeat at the general election whenever it was held.

Explaining his move, Mr Turnbull unloaded on Mr Abbott, declaring the government was drifting without economic leadership, and had offered slogans rather than explanations for policy.

In a statement aimed as much at party room doubters as the public, Mr Turnbull said the government had not been successful in “providing the economic leadership that we need”.

“It is not the fault of individual ministers,” he counselled.

“Ultimately, the Prime Minister has not been capable of providing the economic leadership our nation needs. He has not been capable of providing the economic confidence that business needs.

“We need a different style of leadership. We need a style of leadership that explains those challenges and opportunities, explains the challenges and how to seize the opportunities. A style of leadership that respects the people’s intelligence, that explains these complex issues and then sets out the course of action we believe we should take and makes a case for it. We need advocacy, not slogans.”

Calling for a new style of governing in which the intelligence of voters is respected, he said it was not clear that could occur under Mr Abbott.

“He will cease to be Prime Minister and he’ll be succeeded by Mr Shorten.”

As relations within the government turned toxic, Mr Hockey hit back publicly at Mr Turnbull, declaring his statements about economic policy were “wrong” and claiming Mr Turnbull had never questioned the economic direction and had never raised objections in cabinet.

In a strategic move designed to placate right-wing Liberals worried about his social progressivism, Mr Turnbull has assured Liberals he will not seek to introduce an emissions trading scheme, will not seek to increase Australia’s emissions reduction targets, and will not seek to overturn the recent party room decision to put same-sex marriage reform to a plebiscite.

Mr Turnbull gave no hint of favouring an early election if elected, but the new dynamic has made the timing of that impossible to predict.

source:smh.com.au

Holden will stop building cars in Australia in 2017, but parent company General Motors will ensure some of its vehicles around the world will have the beating heart of a Holden.

The automotive giant has reversed its decision to send more than 100 powertrain engineering and development jobs overseas, instead keeping them working in Australia.

The surprise announcement came as the company celebrated the unveiling of the new Commodore VFII, the last of the Australian-built Commodore line, which stretches back to 1978.’We should be really proud of that.

The reason we’ve been able to retain those people is because of the talent of the team that’s based here,’ Holden general manager Mark Bernhard said.

While Ford is killing off the Falcon nameplate that has been the stronghold of its Australian production since 1960, Holden has announced the Commodore name will live on through an as-yet unnamed imported model post-2017.

Source:skynews.com.au