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A MAN has been taken to hospital with stab wounds to his arm and hand after being attacked in Newcastle West.

The 33-year-old was sitting in traffic in Steel Street, with the driver’s window down, when a man ran towards him from the footpath and started stabbing him, police said.

The driver used his arms to protect his body, which bore the brunt of the attack.

A woman, who was on her bike behind the car, confronted the attacker while other witnesses watched in horror.

The attacker then turned his attention to the woman. He pointed the knife at her and threatened her.

Unfazed by his behaviour, she persisted to try to make him stop, and within moments he fled on foot.

The attacker was last seen turning left onto King Street.

The 33-year-old, who is a green P-Plater, was driving a dark coloured BMW sedan when he was attacked about 12.45pm.

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He suffered multiple wounds to his forearm and hand and has been taken by ambulance to John Hunter Hospital for treatment.

Police have shut Steel Street between Hunter Street and King Street as they cordon off the crime scene.

Detectives are investigating.

Anyone with information is urged to call Crime Stoppers on 1800 333 000.

source:theherald.com.au

A number of theories have been advanced for what killed off the dinosaurs more than 66 million years ago, but until 2014 none involved dark matter and meteors.

In her book, Dark Matter and the Dinosaurs, acclaimed Harvard theoretical physicist Lisa Randall outlines a complex – and radical theory – that goes something like this: about 66 million years ago, gravitational perturbations caused by a thin pancake-shaped disc of dark matter in the Milky Way galaxy dislodged icy comets in the Oort cloud at the very edge of the known solar system, resulting in the fiery meteoroid that eventually crash-landed in the Yucatan, leading to the mass extinction of more than 75 per cent of life on the planet in the process.

The key to this theory, of course, is dark matter, which remains one of the mysterious components of the known universe, despite accounting for 85 per cent of all matter in the universe. Ordinary matter – the stars, the planets and the chair you’re sitting in right now – accounts for only 15 per cent of all known matter in the universe. That’s why solving the mystery of dark matter is so important.

The problem is that dark matter does not interact with ordinary matter except via gravity. You can’t “see” dark matter because light passes right through it: dark matter neither absorbs nor emits light. And as Randall points out, you can’t measure dark matter directly, you can’t feel it and you can’t smell it. Yet billions of dark matter particles pass through us every second and dark matter appears to permeate the entire cosmos.

As Randall points out in Dark Matter and the Dinosaurs, we can glimpse dark matter only indirectly. That’s because dark matter does have measurable gravitational effects, which results in some interesting phenomena: the expansion rate of the universe, the bending of the path of light rays and irregularities in the orbits of stars.

In short, dark matter must exist because some astronomical observations just don’t make sense if it doesn’t. One example that Randall cites as evidence of dark matter is the Bullet Cluster, which was formed by the merging of at least two galaxy clusters. The problem is that the Bullet Cluster doesn’t look the way it should. That’s because dark matter appears to have trapped gases in bulbous clusters, giving the Bullet Cluster the appearance of having giant Mickey Mouse ears.

In making the case for dark matter, Randall often uses pop culture references to make her point. In describing how we know that dark matter must exist even if we can’t see it, she invokes the example of what happens when a famous person walks down the footpaths of Manhattan.

“Even if you don’t see George Clooney directly, the disruptive traffic generated by the waiting crowd armed with cellphones and cameras suffices to alert you to a celebrity’s proximity,” Randall writes. “Though you detect the presence only indirectly, through George’s substantial influence on everyone else around, you can nonetheless be confident that someone special is near.”

That’s what it’s like when researchers try to get to the heart of the mystery surrounding dark matter. The celebrity-on-the-footpaths-of-Manhattan example is actually an important analogy, because it sets up the rest of the book – the story of dark matter’s ability to interact with ordinary matter in ways that can be felt, but not seen.

In this case, it’s a “dark disc” of densely packed dark matter embedded within the plane of the Milky Way that occasionally exerts outsized gravitational tugs on objects. Every now and then (every 30 million years, a brief moment in time for astrophysicists), the combined gravitational tug is so great that it dislodges big icy objects from their orbits in the Oort cloud, which is located at the very edge of the solar system, as far as 50,000 astronomical units (AU) away from the sun.

The rest, as they say, is history. Sooner or later, one of those big, icy objects rumbling through the solar system is bound to hit our planet. In fact, Randall acknowledges in her book that one such event accelerated her search for a dark matter theory of dinosaur extinction – the flaming meteoroid that exploded over Siberia in February 2013. That was a 18-metre-wide chunk of space rock weighing 10,000 metric tons. By way of comparison, the meteor that hit the Yucatan 66 million years ago was more than 14 kilometres long.

That may not sound like a big difference in size, but you’re forgetting about Einstein’s famous equation for translating mass into energy. The Chelyabinsk meteor generated an explosion equivalent to 500 kilotons of TNT. A big enough object travelling at a speed of 18 kilometres per second (about 60 times the speed of sound) hitting the Earth would be big enough to trigger a massive extinction event.

What makes the theory of dark matter and the dinosaurs so compelling, Randall says, is the remarkable periodicity of meteor strikes hitting Earth. If meteor strikes were just a one-and-done event, the idea of a “dark disc” in the Milky Way would be suspect. But as Randall outlines in chapter 14, there’s a remarkable pattern to meteor strikes and extinction events. About every 30 million years – about the time it takes the solar system to oscillate through the plane of the Milky Way and experience the gravitational pull of the “dark disc” – you can expect another meteor hitting Earth and a potential extinction event.

That’s a remarkable coincidence, but is it just that – a coincidence? Even Randall admits that, “Dark matter and dinosaurs are words you rarely hear together except perhaps in the playground, a fantasy gaming club, or some not-yet-released Spielberg movie.” But she hopes to change the way we think about dark matter. She jokingly refers to “ordinary-matter chauvinists” who think the entire known universe is all about ordinary matter. It’s hard, she says, to ignore dark matter when it accounts for 85 per cent of all matter.

If all goes according to plan, that means more innovation in the field of dark matter research. Randall notes that there are several different approaches for figuring out the mysteries of dark matter, with the most common ones – such as the Large Underground Xeon Detector (LUX) – involving dark matter detection facilities located deep underground. And new space satellites such as Gaia could offer new clues to the ultimate composition of the universe, including dark matter.

For now, Dark Matter and the Dinosaurs may be more conjecture than theory, but the book could be valuable in spurring further innovation in the field of dark matter research. Having “dinosaurs” in the title certainly helps. If all really goes according to plan, Randall suggests, Dark Matter and the Dinosaurs might be a way to unite many different disciplines – including particle physics and astrophysics – and prove the interconnectedness of the universe at both very large and very small scales.

Source:smh.com.au

Residents who heard the desperate screams of a man being stabbed to death at a bus stop in Sydney’s inner west overnight have described how they tried to run to the victim’s aid, only for the alleged attacker to chase them.

One resident, Pete Smith, said he armed himself with a baseball bat and, with the help of other onlookers, subdued the 28-year-old man before police arrived and arrested him.

“He tried to run a couple of times. I said, ‘Don’t run buddy, because I’m going to break your legs and I’m gonna crack your skull,’ ” Mr Smith told Nine News.

Police said the 51-year-old victim is not believed to have known the man accused of murdering him.

The unprovoked attack occurred on the corner of Salisbury Road and Church Street in Camperdown just after 9pm on Thursday.

The older man is believed to have been waiting for a bus to his home in Earlwood when he was stabbed repeatedly in the chest.

One police source said the man was simply “in the wrong place at the wrong time”.

Police and paramedics arrived at the intersection, which is not far from the University of Sydney and several blocks from King Street in Newtown, to find the victim lying on the road with multiple stab wounds. He was bleeding heavily from his face and chest, witnesses said.

Paramedics took him to Royal Prince Alfred Hospital, which is 500 metres from the bus stop, but he died a short time later.

One witness said he had heard the man screaming for his life, saying “He’s going to stab me to death!”

Mr Smith, who lives nearby, said his daughter heard the screams and ran towards the injured man as he was lying on the street.

“She runs out, runs down the road and a bloke’s been stabbed on the road. She goes to his rescue, and the offender chased her,” Mr Smith said.

Mr Smith said he armed himself with a baseball bat and helped to subdue the alleged offender.

“I made him drop the knife. Then I got them to bring him down and sit him in front of the green building just there, under the light where I could see him.

“He chased my daughter; he’s lucky I didn’t do something there and then, only I held myself back.”

Another resident, Emma, told Fairfax Media her neighbour was in the garage of their apartment block when he heard someone yelling, “Help! Help! Help!”

“He ran to the side door and opened it, and the guy with the knife just started running towards him. He [the neighbour] slammed the door in his face,” said Emma, who did not want her surname used.

She said her neighbour was shocked and could barely speak when he came back upstairs.

Emma said a woman then ran up the street, yelling, “Dad, dad, grab the bat!”

Emma said her boyfriend was overseas, and she had been concerned about his safety while he was travelling.

“I was so worried about him travelling, with everything that’s going on in the world, and then this happened right beside us. I was walking right past there half an hour before that. It’s so crazy,” she said.

The stabbing occurred at a bus stop on the 412 route. The 412 bus passes through Earlwood, where police believe the dead man lived, and a bus was due to arrive at the stop at 9.25pm on Thursday.

The 28-year-old man was charged overnight with one count of murder and two counts of being armed with intent to commit a serious indictable offence.

He was refused bail and is due to appear in Newtown Local Court on Friday.

source:smh.com.au

MLC School at Burwood. The school has lost four heads of its junior, middle and senior schools in the past two years. This week a further 30 staff will go.

The principal of a private Sydney girls school has written to parents after a social media campaign calling for her dismissal escalated ahead of the school’s speech night on Wednesday.

Denice Scala, the principal of MLC School in Sydney’s inner west, has come under fire following the resignation of scores of staff members this year and a student-led petition against her business decisions.

The school has lost four heads of its junior, middle and senior schools in the past two years.

This week a further 30 staff will go, including senior teachers in the maths, art and music departments and two of its Uniting Church chaplains.

According to data from the My School website there are 201 staff.

In protest, parents have adopted the hashtag #ReclaimOurMLC on social media and discussed potentially turning their backs on the principal as she speaks at the school’s speech night at the Sydney Entertainment Centre on Wednesday.

In an internal email, Scala acknowledged the concern of parents about changes within the school that charges students up to $28,000 a year.

“This is always a time of year with heightened emotion and I am very conscious that as parents who care about the school you are worried about staff turnover,” she wrote.

source:stuff.co.nz

Ένας εικοσάχρονος και ένας δεκαπεντάχρονος συνελήφθησαν σήμερα, Πέμπτη, στην κατοικία τους στο Σίδνεϊ και τους απαγγέλθηκαν κατηγορίες στο πλαίσιο της αντιτρομοκρατικής έρευνας που διεξάγεται για ένα σχέδιο επίθεσης εναντίον κυβερνητικού κτιρίου, ανακοίνωσε η αστυνομία.

Δεκαπέντε άτομα συνελήφθησαν τον Δεκέμβριο του 2014 στην Αυστραλία στο πλαίσιο των ερευνών αυτών.

Οι δύο ύποπτοι που συνελήφθησαν σήμερα αντιμετωπίζουν κατηγορίες για «συνωμοσία με σκοπό την προετοιμασία τρομοκρατικής ενέργειας», ανέφερε η αστυνομία. Παρόμοιες κατηγορίες αναμένεται να απαγγελθούν εις βάρος άλλων τριών ατόμων που έχουν τεθεί υπό κράτηση.

Οι κατηγορίες που απαγγέλθηκαν σήμερα προκύπτουν από τεκμήρια που συγκεντρώθηκαν κατά την επιχείρηση του περασμένου Δεκεμβρίου.

«Έγγραφα που κατασχέθηκαν τον Δεκέμβριο του 2014 στο Σίδνεϊ αναφέρονταν σαφώς σε ένα σχέδιο που είχε ως στόχο ένα κυβερνητικό κτίριο» δήλωσε υψηλόβαθμος αξιωματούχος της ομοσπονδιακής αστυνομίας, ο Μάικλ Φέλαν.

«Η ανάλυση των εγγράφων αυτών, η φυσική και ηλεκτρονική επιτήρηση μας επέστρεψαν να ανακαλύψουμε τη συνωμοσία που είχε εξυφανθεί από πέντε άτομα που εμπλέκονται σε αυτά τα έγγραφα», πρόσθεσε.

Ερωτηθείς για το σημείο προόδου στο οποίο βρίσκεται η συνωμοσία αυτή, ο Φέλαν απάντησε: «Αρκετά ώστε να τη σταματήσουμε σε αυτό το στάδιο τον Δεκέμβριο».

Οι συλλήψεις γίνονται στο πλαίσιο της επιχείρησης Appleby, μιας έρευνας για άτομα που φέρονται να εμπλέκονται σε πράξεις ή σε σχέδια πράξεων τρομοκρατίας στην Αυστραλία, σε ταξίδια στη Συρία ή στο Ιράκ και στη χρηματοδότηση τρομοκρατικών οργανώσεων.

Η Καμπέρα ανησυχεί για το ενδεχόμενο επιθέσεων από μεμονωμένα άτομα που εμπνέονται από οργανώσεις όπως το Ισλαμικό Κράτος, το οποίο ελέγχει μεγάλα τμήματα της Συρίας και του Ιράκ.

Η Αυστραλία έχει ενισχύσει εδώ και έναν χρόνο το επίπεδο συναγερμού, έχει εγκρίνει μια νέα νομοθεσία στον τομέα της ασφάλειας και έχει διεξαγάγει σειρά αντιτρομοκρατικών επιχειρήσεων.

Η πιο πρόσφατη πραγματοποιήθηκε τον περασμένο Οκτώβριο μετά τη δολοφονία ενός υπαλλήλου της αστυνομίας. Τέσσερις άνθρωποι συνελήφθησαν στη διάρκεια συντονισμένων ερευνών που πραγματοποίησαν περισσότεροι από 200 αστυνομικοί σε πολλά κτίρια στο Σίδνεϊ.

Μεταξύ των συλληφθέντων ήταν και ο ύποπτος για τη δολοφονία αυτή Φαρχάντ Τζαμπάρ, 15 ετών.

«Είναι ανησυχητικό το ότι εξακολουθούμε να βλέπουμε εφήβους στο περιβάλλον αυτό», δήλωσε η Κάθριν Μπερν, υψηλόβαθμη αξιωματούχος της αστυνομίας της πολιτείας της Νέας Νότιας Ουαλίας.

Σύμφωνα με την κυβέρνηση, έξι επιθέσεις αποτράπηκαν στην Αυστραλία στη διάρκεια του περασμένου έτους.

Πηγή:in.gr

«Με ένα χάπι θα μαθαίνουμε Αγγλικά» λέει ο Νικόλας Νεγρεπόντε

Ο Eλληνικής καταγωγής καθηγητής του ΜΙΤ και διευθυντής του Media Lab Νικόλας Νεγρεπόντε (Nicholas Negroponte) θα είναι ένας από τους κορυφαίους ομιλητές που θα λάβουν μέρος στο Παγκόσμιο Επιχειρηματικό Φόρουμ (World Business Forum) που θα γίνει στο Σίδνεϊ στις 25 και 26 Μαΐου του 2016.

Στο εν λόγω συνέδριο θα λάβουν μέρος και άλλες διασημότητες όπως οι Sir Richard Branson, Chris Gardner, Robert Kaplan, Tamara Erickson, John Mattone, Rita McGrath, Mauro Porcini κ.α.

Ο Νικόλας Νεγρεπόντε ή Νεγρεπόντης αν και γεννήθηκε στις ΗΠΑ, περνά τα καλοκαίρια του στην Ελλάδα και θεωρείται «προφήτης» του μέλλοντος.

Για παράδειγμα δεν πάει καιρός που είχε προκαλέσει για άλλη μια φορά σοκ προβλέποντας ότι τα επόμενα 30 χρόνια θα μπορούμε να μαθαίνουμε ξένες γλώσσες καταπίνοντας ένα… χάπι. «Θα καταπίνεις ένα χάπι και θα ξέρεις Αγγλικά.

Θα καταπίνεις ένα χάπι και θα γνωρίζεις τα άπαντα του Σαίξπηρ» είπε ο «γκουρού» της τεχνολογίας σε συνέδριο TED στον Καναδά, προβλέποντας ότι η γνώση θα περνάει πλέον από το στομάχι. «Το μέσο είναι η κυκλοφορία του αίματος. Από τη στιγμή που οι πληροφορίες που περιέχονται στο χάπι θα έχουν περάσει στο αίμα, ουσιαστικά θα φτάσουν και στον εγκέφαλο και τα διαφορετικά τους τμήματα θα επικάθονται στα σωστά σημεία».

Ο Νεγρεπόντε δεν είναι ο μοναδικός που πιστεύει ότι η τεχνολογία θα φτάσει τόσο σύντομα σε αυτό το σημείο, ωστόσο είναι ο μοναδικός που δεν διστάζει να το πει δημοσίως. Προφανώς επειδή και στο παρελθόν είχε προβεί σε αντίστοιχα τολμηρές προβλέψεις και τελικά επιβεβαιώθηκε. Ο Νεγρεπόντε είναι εκείνος που είχε προβλέψει ήδη από το 1984 ότι το ποντίκι του υπολογιστή θα αντικατασταθεί από τα δάχτυλά μας – κάτι που σήμερα είναι απολύτως οικείο σε όλους τους χρήστες smartphones και tablets. Τότε, όμως, ακουγόταν τουλάχιστον εξωφρενικό.

Τη δεκαετία του 1970 είχε αναρτήσει κάμερες σε ένα φορτηγάκι και επιχείρησε να φτιάξει έναν χάρτη – τον «πρόγονο» του Google street view. Επιπλέον, το 1995, σε μια εποχή που το Ιντερνετ βρισκόταν ακόμη στα σπάργανα, είχε προβλέψει ότι θα μπορούμε να αγοράζουμε βιβλία και εφημερίδες online και στη συνέχεια να τα διαβάζουμε από την οθόνη του υπολογιστή μας. Διόλου απίθανο, λοιπόν, να έχει δίκιο και στην τελευταία του «προφητεία».

«ΕΧΩ ΒΡΕΘΕΙ ΠΟΛΛΕΣ ΦΟΡΕΣ ΣΤΟ ΜΕΛΛΟΝ»

Ο Νικόλας Νεγρεπόντε είναι ο φύλακας-άγγελος των νέων δημιουργικών επιχειρήσεων, τις οποίες χρηματοδοτεί και στηρίζει. Ίσως επειδή, όπως λέει: «Ένα από τα καλά πράγματα που συνοδεύουν την προχωρημένη ηλικία είναι ότι μπορώ να σας πω με μεγάλη αυτοπεποίθηση ότι έχω βρεθεί στο μέλλον. Έχω βρεθεί εκεί πολλές φορές. Πόσες φορές στη ζωή μου έχω πει ?σε δέκα χρόνια θα γίνει αυτό? και μετά τη δεκαετία η πρόβλεψή μου βγαίνει αληθινή».

Ο Νίκολας Νεγρεπόντε γεννήθηκε στη Νέα Υόρκη, την 1 Δεκεμβρίου του 1943 είναι Ελληνοαμερικανός αρχιτέκτονας, επιστήμονας υπολογιστών και επιχειρηματίας, και ο ιδρυτής και επίτιμος πρόεδρος του Εργαστηρίου Πολυμέσων (Media Lab) του Τεχνολογικού Ινστιτούτου της Μασαχουσέτης (ΜΙΤ), καθώς και ο ιδρυτής του οργανισμού Ένας Φορητός Υπολογιστής για Κάθε Παιδί.

Πατέρας του ήταν ο εφοπλιστής Δημήτριος Νεγροπόντης. Έχει επίσης άλλα τρία αδέρφια, τον Τζον Νεγκροπόντε, ο οποίος υπήρξε αναπληρωτής υπουργός Eσωτερικών των ΗΠΑ, Μάικλ Νεγκρεπόντε, ο οποίος είναι βραβευμένος με Έμμυ κινηματογραφιστής, και τον Τζωρτζ Νεγκροπόντε, ο οποίος είναι καλλιτέχνης.

Παρά την επιτυχημένη ακαδημαϊκή του σταδιοδρομία ο Νεγρεπόντε έχει δηλώσει πως αντιμετωπίζει προβλήματα στην ανάγνωση λόγω δυσλεξίας.[1]

Με την ολοκλήρωση των σπουδών του στο ίδρυμα Τεχνολογικό Ίδρυμα Μασαχουσέτης το 1966, έγινε μέλος του διδακτικού προσωπικού και παράλληλα υπήρξε και επισκέπτης καθηγητής σε διάφορα άλλα αμερικανικά πανεπιστήμια όπως αυτά του Γιέιλ, Μίτσιγκαν και Μπέρκλεϊ.

Το 1967 ίδρυσε την ομάδα Αρχιτεκτονικής Μηχανικής στο ίδρυμα, όπου το αντικείμενο έρευνας της ομάδας ήταν η αναζήτηση νέων μεθόδων στην αλληλεπίδραση ανθρώπου-υπολογιστή.

Το 1992 ο Νεγρεπόντε έγινε ο πρώτος επενδυτής του ψηφιακού περιοδικού Wired, και από το 1993 έως το 1998 αρθρογραφούσε στο περιοδικό.

Πολλές από τις ιδέες που παρουσίασε στα διάφορα άρθρα που έγραψε για το περιοδικό τις περιέλαβε και στο βιβλίο του με τίτλο Ψηφιακός Κόσμος (αγγλικός τίτλος: Being Digital) το 1995.

Το βιβλίο γνώρισε μεγάλη επιτυχία και μεταφράστηκε σε 20 γλώσσες, και τον έκανε διάσημο για τις τεχνολογικές προβλέψεις του ως προς το πως η εξέλιξη της τεχνολογίας θα αλλάξει τον τρόπο με τον οποίο οι άνθρωποι πληροφορούνται, διασκεδάζουν και αλληλεπιδρούν με τους υπολογιστές. Ο Νεγρεπόντε αισιοδοξεί πως οι υπολογιστές θα φέρουν σε όλους μια καλύτερη ζωή, ωστόσο του έχει γίνει και κριτική πως μέσα σε όλη την ουτοπική αντιμετώπιση του θέματος δεν έχει συλλάβει πλήρως τις κοινωνικο-πολιτικο-οικονομικές συνέπειες που θα επιφέρουν οι αλλαγές που προτείνει.

Στο ίδιο πνεύμα των προβλέψεων αυτών, κατά τη δεκαετία του 1980 ο Νεγρεπόντε προέβλεψε πως τεχνολογίες όπως τα τηλέφωνα θα έπαυαν να λειτουργούν με καλώδια στο εγγύς μέλλον και θα λειτουργούσαν παντού μέσω ραδιοκυμάτων, ενώ αντίστροφα τεχνολογίες όπως η τηλεόραση που δεν απαιτούσαν καλώδια θα κάλυπταν περισσότερες ανάγκες, όπως ήδη γίνεται.

Το 2000 παραιτήθηκε από διευθυντής του Εργαστηρίου Πολυμέσων ωστόσο παρέμεινε ως πρόεδρος του και ως καθηγητής. Το 2006 παραιτήθηκε και από πρόεδρος ώστε να έχει τον χρόνο να επικεντρωθεί στο όραμα που είχε για το έργο του Ένας Φορητός Υπολογιστής για Κάθε Παιδί, όπου η ιδέα αυτή αφορούσε την κατασκευή φορητών υπολογιστών με ιδιαίτερα χαμηλό κόστος (100 δολάρια Αμερικής) τα οποία θα διατίθενται στις αγορές του 3ου κόσμου.Το πρόγραμμα ήταν επιτυχές αν και η τιμή ανέβηκε στα 180 δολάρια.

Ο Νεγρεπόντε επενδύει ενεργά σε νέες τεχνολογικές επιχειρήσεις για πάνω από 3 δεκαετίες, με μία από τις αρχικές επενδύσεις του να είναι και αυτή του Skype. Επίσης είναι μέλος σε διάφορα διοικητικά συμβούλια μεγάλων εταιρειών, όπως η Motorola.

Είναι επίτιμος δημότης Πάτμου και αρκετές φορές επισκέπτεται το νησί με την οικογένεια του για διακοπές, κάτι που έχει επηρεάσει θετικά την περιοχή μια και ο Νεγρεπόντε έχει επενδύσει σημαντικά στην διαδικτυακή προσβασιμότητα του νησιού και την εξ’ ολοκλήρου ασύρματη διασύνδεση του, μαζί με τον επίσης ερευνητή του Τεχνολογικού Ιδρύματος της Μασαχουσέτης Μιχάλη Μπλέτσα.

TΟ 36o ΟΜΗΡΕΙΟ ΒΡΑΒΕΙΟ ΤΗΣ ΧΙΑΚΗΣ ΟΜΟΣΠΟΝΔΙΑΣ ΗΠΑ

Την περασμένη Κυριακή, η Χιακή Ομοσπονδία απένειμε το 36ο Ομήρειο Βραβείο στον καθηγητή Νικόλα Νεγρεπόντε, συνιδρυτή και επίτιμο πρόεδρο του Ινστιτούτου Τεχνολογίας Μασαχουσέτης (MIT) Media Lab, το οποίο διεύθυνε τα πρώτα 20 χρόνια, και ιδρυτής του μη κερδοσκοπικού οργανισμού “One Laptop per Child”.

Το Ομήρειο Βραβείο φέτος ήταν αφιερωμένο στην παιδεία, την έρευνα και την καινοτομία.

Το Ομήρειο Βραβείο καθιερώθηκε πριν από τριάντα έξι χρόνια και απονέμεται κάθε χρόνο σε διακεκριμένα άτομα, υποστηρικτές των ανθρωπίνων δικαιωμάτων, των δημοκρατικών ιδεωδών και των ατόμων που διέπρεψαν στην παιδεία και στις επιστήμες. Θεωρείται ένα από τα πιο διακεκριμένε βραβεία της Ελληνοαμερικανικής κοινότητας.

Πηγή:Νέος Κόσμος

Backed by the Coalition and the Opposition, the law is believed to be challenged in High Court, as its critics insist on its unconstitutionality.

One of the most controversial bills introduced by the government became a federal law on Thursday, as it passed both houses of parliament, backed by the opposition. The ‘Allegiance to Australia’ bill, as it was named by the Abbott government, amends the Australian Citizenship Act 2007 to provide explicit powers for the cessation of Australian citizenship in specified circumstances where a dual citizen engages in terrorism-related conduct.

Under the amendments, Australian citizenship could be stripped from a dual national convicted of a terrorism offence in Australia, who could also be sentenced to a minimum of six years’ imprisonment. But it would also apply to dual citizens overseas who engage in terrorist conduct or fight with an enemy army. The laws are intended to prevent Australians with dual citizenship who go abroad to join, support or train with extremist groups like Islamic State from returning to the country. About 100 Australians are believed to be fighting alongside extremists in Iraq and Syria at the moment, according to Australian intelligence agencies.

The new laws can be applied to Australians overseas who help raise money or recruit and train new members for extremist groups, as well as those who engage in violence directly. The Department of Immigration and Border Protection would decide whose citizenship to revoke, based on advice from intelligence agencies. It is already preventing people from flying out of Australia if the government suspects they are on their way to join extremists in Iraq or Syria, Minister Peter Dutton told parliament, stating that 199 people had already been stopped since July.

After a period of intense debate, the bills became law on Thursday with a final reading in the Senate, with the support of the ALP, among criticism from the Green Party and concerns expressed by a string of crossbench senators. Independent Senator Nick Xenophon addressed the parliament and said taking away the Australian citizenship from the terror suspects with dual citizenship will be like poking them to plan and plot against the nation.

“Do we just give up, revoke their citizenship and then let them free range with their sick, twisted minds to do damage to Australians and to other innocents abroad?” he asked. “Isn’t it better to be involved in counter-terrorism actions, international investigations, arrests, convictions and imprisonment?”

Apart from advocating the government to focus on counter-terrorism, Senator Xenophon pointed out that the changes were inconsistent with an earlier national security bill, which aimed to prevent Australians travelling overseas as foreign fighters.

“The government said we shouldn’t let people go overseas to fight, to be involved in terrorist attacks and we should keep them here, but this bill is saying if you’re overseas, we don’t want you back in the country,” he said.

“There seems to be an unusual dichotomy there, an uneasy dichotomy between the two.”

source:Neos Kosmos

Queen Victoria Gardens, Melbourne (Lady Janet Clarke rotunda), c. 1900-1920, photographer unknown. PHOTO: COURTESY OF THE STATE LIBRARY OF VICTORIA.

They say if you know where to look, you can read the past in the city. When it comes to the city of Melbourne, the Hellenic Museum has you covered.

This weekend, on Saturday 12 and Sunday 13 December, locals and travellers alike have the opportunity to take an insightful, historical tour with storyteller Dale Campisi.

The author of travel and city guides Melbourne Precincts and Melbourne Villages will take each group on a tour through the CBD, starting from Sean Godsell’s fully- automated, blossoming 2014 MPavilion located at the Hellenic Museum, through to the AL_A’s 2015 MPavilion in Queen Victoria Gardens.

Along the way, the tour guide will inform you of characters and events that make up Melbourne’s exciting history.

The tours will begin at the Hellenic Museum at 4.00 pm on Saturday and Sunday, and will take approximately two hours.

Be sure to plan an early arrival so as to not miss the opportunity of a pre-tour roam through the museum, which in itself has a rich history.

This is a free event, but bookings are essential as numbers are limited. For more information, visit http://www.hellenic.org.au

source:Neos Kosmos

In association with the School of Languages and Linguistics of La Trobe University.

Transterritorial Hellenism is the next course being offered this summer at the Greek Community of Melbourne’s Greek Centre for Contemporary Culture.

Run in association with the School of Languages and Linguistics of La Trobe University, the course will explore issues in the modern construction of ethno national, civic, multiple and other identities.

The concept of Hellenism specifically is said to have evolved through various parts of the modern world, including Istanbul, Izmir, Thessaloniki, London, Nicosia, New York, and Melbourne.

The course will also explore the life of Greeks under Ottoman rule, and as students and scholars, victims of genocide, political exiles, guest workers, Europeans, and citizens of multi-cultural states, while also dissecting the influence of the Greek Orthodox Church, Greek irredentism, political conflict and modernisation on the formation of Greek identity.

Set to be an interesting six weeks, Transterrirtorial Hellenism will involve six hours of classes per week and is open to all.

Transterritorial Hellenism commences on 12 January, 2016 and ends 11 February, 2016 at the Greek Centre for Contemporary Culture, 168 Lonsdale St, Melbourne, VIC.

For more information, contact Dimitris Gonis via email d.gonis@latrobe.edu.au

source:Neos Kosmos

INTERNATIONAL flights out of Newcastle Airport have moved a step closer with the state government announcing a funding deal to fit out new customs and immigration offices.

The airport has secured almost $900,000 through the state’s Regional Tourism Infrastructure Fund.

While no airline has yet committed to operating international flights into or out of Newcastle, it has been confirmed that the airport’s board is in advanced talks with several operators.

The most likely initial international route is a trans-Tasman service to New Zealand, while the likes of Thailand and other parts of South-East Asia are also on the radar.

An airport spokesperson said current facilities at Newcastle can only accommodate carriers with thin-bodied aircraft such as the A320 and 737 aircraft. Qantas, Air New Zealand, Jetstar and Virgin all operate such aircraft on international routes.

Parliamentary Secretary for the Hunter Scot MacDonald said the funding was a “worthy investment” which would create more jobs in the region and provide both economic and tourism growth.

He said the funding was “fantastic news” and will allow for the installation of the infrastructure and technology required to process international passengers.

“These upgrades are essential to support the introduction of any future international services at the airport,” he said.

Newcastle Airport chief Peter Cock also welcomed news of the successful funding application.

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“It will allow us to complete the fit-out of our dedicated area for customs, immigration and quarantine facilities,” he said.

“Our recent terminal expansion provided us with the space for these services and this funding allows us to bring them to life.”

The passenger airport recently underwent a $14.5 million renovation which made room for international customs offices but money was required to fit them out with the right equipment.

State Regional Development Minister John Barilaro said the fit-out was among 17 other projects to get the funding nod. Each is aimed at boosting tourism infrastructure in regional areas, he said.

International services from Newcastle have been on the radar for years but have been hampered by delays in negotiations with airlines, market fluctuations, limitations on runway lengths and immigration facilities.

As part of its $1.5 billion upgrade to its neighbouring RAAF base, the Department of Defence, which owns the Newcastle runways, recently completed extensions to the runway and adjoining aprons.

The news is the latest boost for the airport which continues to cater for unprecedented passenger numbers. Only last week, FlyPelican began new daily services to Ballina. FlyPelican also operates daily services to Canberra which had been lacking since the collapse of Brindabella Airlines three years ago.

Last year, Jetstar expressed interest in running overseas flights out of Williamtown, nominating New Zealand, Bali, Singapore, Fiji and Asia as potential destinations.

The move also follows the release of new tourism figures which show more international travellers putting Newcastle and the Hunter on their itineraries, not just in the area of leisure tourism but for business travel.

Figures collated by Destination NSW show the number of nights spent by domestic and international business travellers in the Hunter region in the 12 months to June this year was up 59 per cent on the previous year.

source:theherald.com.au