Category Archives: Uncategorized

EDGEWORTH became the first Northern NSW club to make the last 16 of an FFA Cup after a 3-0 win over Far North Queensland Heat on Wednesday night at Barlow Park in Cairns.

Aaron McLoughlin was on the spot to score off a rebound in the 31^st minute when Dylan Holz hit the post with a sweet strike.

Angolan Djalma Campos scored a precious as well as beautiful away goal as PAOK snatched a 1-1 draw at Dutch giant Ajax on Tuesday in the first leg of the third qualifying round of the Champions League.

The Thessaloniki club targets its first ever entry into the competition’s group stage, and will hope it will not squander the advantage it obtained through the away draw in the way it had done against Ajax six years ago.

PAOK survived a difficult first 20 minutes at the Amsterdam ArenA, during which it also had the woodwork to thank for not conceding a goal, before scoring on the break to silence the home crowd.

Djalma broke free from the right to capitalize on the unlikely exit of Ajax keeper Jasper Cillessen outside his box, by trying a spectacular lob from a very tight angle and opening the score in Amsterdam after 26 minutes. The 2,000 PAOK fans at the stands went delirious.

The Greeks could not hold on to their lead by the hour mark though.

Kasper Dolberg equalized for Ajax on the 58th minute through a long-rage shot from outside the box that Panayiotis Glykos failed to push away.

PAOK managed to preserve this result in the rest of the game, and even got to threaten Ajax with a second goal on a couple of occasions.

The return leg of tie is taking place on Wednesday, August 3, at Toumba Stadium in Thessaloniki.

In 2010 PAOK had also grabbed a 1-1 draw at Amsterdam, with current coach Vladan Ivic being the team’s scorer, but Ajax went through on the away goals rule by getting a 3-3 result in Thessaloniki a few days later.

Olympiakos, Greece’s other representative in the Champions League, is hosting Israeli champion Hapoel Beer Sheva on Wednesday evening in Piraeus.

source:ekathimerini.com

MELBOURNE, AUSTRALIA – JULY 26: Paulo Dybala of Juventus runs with the ball during the 2016 International Champions Cup match between Juventus FC and Tottenham Hotspur at Melbourne Cricket Ground on July 26, 2016 in Melbourne, Australia. (Photo by Michael Dodge/Getty Images)

Italian champions Juventus have defeated Premier League side Tottenham Hotspur 2-1 in their International Champions Cup Australia clash at the Melbourne Cricket Ground tonight.

Juve’s star striker Paulo Dybala gave the Italian side the lead after just five minutes with a clinical finish on a breakaway caused by two Tottenham errors.

Juventus’ first-team absentees have been a hot topic, but that aspect was improved this match with new signings Miralem Pjanic and Medhi Benatia making their debuts, and they combined well to make it 2-0.

Tottenham failed to clear a corner properly and Pjanic delivered a tantalising cross which was headed in by Benatia. The Spurs protested for a foul in the build-up, but to no avail.

The London club also played with a team below full strength but they too started their new recruits Victor Wanyama and Vincent Janssen, who had contrasting performances – the former was excellent but the latter quite anonymous.

The Bianconeri let Tottenham back into the game through an error of their own – Hernanes robbed of the ball in his own half by the busy Wanyama, who immediately played the ball forward for Erik Lamela to slot beautifully into the bottom corner of the goal.

The Spurs pushed hard for an equaliser in the final 15 minutes, creating several chances, but Juventus did just enough to see out the match 2-1, thanks largely to the efforts of Brazilian keeper Neto.

source:theworldgame.sbs.com.au

PAS Giannina very nearly paid for its inexperience in European competitions, letting slip its first-leg 3-0 lead, but its away goal in extra time saw the Europa League first-timers advance past Odd Grenland in Norway with a 3-1 loss on Thursday and a 4-3 aggregate score.

After holding its host to a goalless draw in the first 55 minutes PAS conceded twice within three to find itself trailing 2-0 to goals by Fredrik Nordkvelle and Chukwuma Akabueze.

The Greeks then bowed to the Norwegians’ late pressure to give away a third two minutes from time, goal scored by Espen Ruud.

The match went to extra time, but that was when Leonardo Koutris shone for the Epirus club, scoring the precious away goal on the 98th minute and hitting the woodwork on the 110th.

PAS will now face Dutch side Alkmaar in the third qualifying round of the competition.

In the mean time Panathinaikos has found out it will face AIK Solna in the third qualifying round, as the Swedish team eliminated Europa from Gibraltar on Thursday.

source:ekathimerini.com

How the Greek Precinct Association plans to reimagine the historic Greek neighbourhood as a multicultural strip under Greek leadership.

The signs are still there, maeander-adorned, informing the passersby of the character of the neighbourhood, and so are the Greek names and words on (some of the) shops and restaurants – Karras, Tsindos, Stalaktites …

But the overall Greek presence in the busy area is like the discobole on the facade of the Greek Community building, towering over the corner of Lonsdale and Russel; you may see him, if you tilt your head and squint a bit, but he’s not visible in plain sight.

The slow decline of the ‘Greek Precinct’, which threatens to make the name a relic of the past, has been well documented, as have the echoes of concerned voices for the plight of the ‘historic’ neighbourhood where Greek-owned businesses used to thrive.

Some lament this loss of Greek character, but others are determined to fight back and reclaim Lonsdale Street on behalf of the Greek businesses and celebrate not only its historical Greek presence, but also its current status as an entertainment and restaurant precinct, still under Greek influence.

This is the goal of the Lonsdale Street Greek Precinct Association – to represent the Lonsdale Street Greek Traders, but “over and above, that it represents all the traders in the street”, explains Elly Symons, a representative of the Association’s committee.

“So, anyone with a connection to Lonsdale Street and Russel Street, whether they’re Greek or not,” she says, noting that although the area will always be known as Melbourne’s ‘historic Greek precinct’, there’s no point in denying its current character; in fact, the association is working around it, reimagining it as a ‘multicultural’ strip, with Greeks playing a leading role.
“There’s been a lot of talk about it declining and dying, and we want to say that this is not the case.
“We’re in the process of rebuilding. The precinct is very busy and thriving. There are more stories to tell. We’re looking forward to a new future, a new story that we’re going to be telling, with different layers,” she says.

“The Greek flavour, the Greek theme, will always be there, underlying the area, but now we’re incorporating all these other retail and entertainment destinations, hoping to weave all that together into a vibrant and happening precinct.”

In this endeavour, the Greek Centre is bound to play an active role, being both the point of reference, “a tangible and significant focal point on that corner, that really symbolises the continuing historic Greek presence”, but also as a hub for new Greek businesses.
“Quite literally, there used to be 20 or 30 Greek shopfronts on Lonsdale Street and now we’re down to six or seven,” admits Elly Symons.

“However, in the Greek Building alone we have 15 new Greek-owned businesses. Some of these businesses, mostly the Greek Centre and the language schools, are bringing up to 2,000 people through that centre every week. Whether they are of Greek origin or not, they do come to the building for a Greek purpose, either to listen to a lecture or to attend a Greek event or to learn Greek. So that engagement and activation through that building is the heart and soul of the Greek part of that precinct.”

This fact justifies the concept of the centre being a ‘vertical’ precinct, as it was defined by Professor Nikos Papastergiadis, in one of the first lectures held at the Greek Cultural Centre.

Its director, Jorge Menidis, seems to agree.

“The Greek Precinct is the historic heart of Greek Melbourne. It is also the site of more than 19 million dollars of investment by Greek business. It is a cultural and entertainment hub that will continue to evolve,” he says.

The mandate of the association is not to attract more Greek businesses back to the CBD, although that has happened, after the opening of the new building.

“We do have some control over the tenancies of the Greek building and we encourage other buildings in the area to support Greek tenancies wherever possible, but the mandate of the association is to acquire members and promote the precinct in general as a retailing and entertainment district that is part of the city of Melbourne.”

“We are very excited about the entertainment precinct that has developed in this great part of the CBD, with amazing rooftop bars, restaurants and shopping; it is definitely one of Melbourne’s top destinations,” says Harry Tsindos, president of the association’s committee.

Apart from ensuring the precinct’s current status as an entertainment destination, the association’s secondary goal would be to tell the historic Greek story and to activate as much traffic and engagement as possible, “both Greek and non-Greek”.

For the moment, there is a marketing plan under way and a lot of ideas are being discussed, such as the placement of artwork installations – sculptures and historic markers – in the surrounding laneways, to both beautify the streetscape and acknowledge some of the Greek presence.

Having a Greek point of reference in the Melbourne CBD – which is constantly growing as a tourist destination – is very important, says Elly Symons.

“It’s symbolic of the Greeks that helped build the city of Melbourne and make it the international cosmopolitan multicultural city it has become. We have been here since the 1880s; our grandfathers had the cafes, the oyster bars, groceries, fish shops, they were the foundation of the hospitality industry which is now one of the big success stories of Melbourne. Greek businesses were instrumental in developing retail, hospitality and entertainment. It’s in our blood, it’s our heritage, it’s what we do well and we are still doing it.”

source:neos kosmos

John Michail reflects on the political leaders emerging from Australia and around the globe today

From my experience in the past it wasn’t like this …

What have the voters been telling our leaders lately? Basically, no matter whether it’s Australia, Britain, France or the United States, they’re saying in their millions that they’re fed up. They’re fed up with the barren years of unemployment, lack of affordable medical care and housing, and a perception that immigration is working against their interests, together with gloomy times ahead for young people.

Worldwide, the lack of trust that has been brewing for many years has exploded into factionalism and a growing disgust of ‘the establishment’. This growing divide between the informed public and the ordinary population on issues of trust and transparency has created an unhealthy environment for all. There’s an increasing belief that the moneyed political elite are getting everything their own way. Populist politics are on the rise, as shown by Donald Trump in the US, Marine Le Penn in France and Brexit in the UK. Their clear message is that the politicians will ignore working people, the middle classes and everyone else that does not belong to their brand of self-entitlement, to their peril.

Where does Australia stand among the rhetoric and discontent? Where did the recent federal election leave us? By all accounts, up the creek for many years to come. As former Victorian Premier Jeff Kennett noted in the Herald Sun: “Nothing in this campaign addressed the interests and needs of our young people, those who will be charged with generating wealth for the next 30 to 50 years.”

With no moral authority to govern, there’ll be no reformist agenda, no strong and defining government.

“Australia is simply bereft of genuine and visionary political leadership. Campaigns are still conducted with a combination of short termism and fear, and that is emphatically not the path to growth and opportunity,” said Kennett.

The inevitable ‘play it safe’ attitude may even bring about the kind of populist backlash seen with Britain’s Brexit vote and its confused aftermath.

What does the Brexit disaster tell us? The marches, the calls for another referendum, David Cameron’s resignation, Boris Johnson’s axing, Nigel Farage’s withdrawal, the pressure for Jeremy Corbyn to resign – it goes on and on. And now, looking back, the long-awaited British enquiry into the Iraq War and the 2003 invasion means bad news for Tony Blair and George Bush and the decisions that led to the deaths of thousands of troops and the rise of Islamic State.

We can thank our lucky stars that Australia is less class conscious, nationalistic, or (as yet) riven by bitterness about the inequalities between rich and poor. What we have got is an undoubted marked lack of principled leadership ability.

We’re politically crippled at a time when we should be growing the country’s wealth and power, and setting ourselves up to meet the tremendous challenges and changes coming in the near future.

In France, the goal of ever-closer European union has been seen as ‘patriotism for humanity’ for many years. But the leader of the National Front, Marine Le Pen, thinks differently.

After the referendum, she praised the British people for standing up to the ‘totalitarian EU, that prison of people’. Then she cheered, “Frexit is next!” She promised that if she were elected president next year, France would be next to have a vote, no doubt causing the same internal strife as that being experienced in the UK.

The situation in the US is paradoxically the same – but different. Here we have aspiring leaders like Donald Trump who know little of governance or have experience of the way leadership works in the entrenched political world.

He also has no reticence or shame in insulting the poor, immigrants, Mexicans and women with equal fervour, and his authenticity and transparency in his business or political dealings have been challenged, but the people are saying who cares – the others are worse. His rhetoric appeals to millions who are unable to look beyond the wild ideas that satisfy their inner urge to destroy and punish and will probably do nothing for the future of their country. They intend to cripple it in order to ‘save’ it … that’s what desperate people do sometimes.

Does this leadership showboating have any relevance for us? Sadly, yes. Would you want your business to have similar leadership? Do you believe it’s perfectly all right to have someone at the helm who doesn’t know anything about business? Would you go along with it if that leader believed that getting rid of the foreigners on the staff would change the business’ fortunes for the better?

Probably not. And yet, that’s exactly what’s happening in the US. We can only hope that one day very soon the populace will realise that a manufactured politician (today they’re everywhere) is going to do nothing to make their lives better, and is likely to make them considerably worse.

Take those truths and apply them to yourself. Would you organise your family, business or community organisation in the way that the plastic politicians want to run their countries?

Are you transparent in your business dealings? Do you pay attention to what your workforce is saying? Do you listen to individuals and their concerns – and then do something about it?

In case you’re undecided, transparency has been defined as a ‘lack of hidden agendas or conditions, accompanied by the availability of full information required for collaboration, cooperation, and collective decision making’.

Your company is an extension of your outstanding personal reputation
Much-loved by those politicians making promises necessary to gain public office, transparency is more than just a buzzword. It means clean, unblemished honesty. It means that your company is an extension of your own outstanding personal reputation.

As in politics, the importance of transparency in the decision-making process is often overlooked. It’s a given that transparency leads to clarity, and in turn, that transparency makes the workforce more confident and productive. There are huge benefits in having the type of company structure that enables employees to have easy access to their manager or CEO. In turn, management should try to keep transparent the reasons why they make their decisions.

If we ran our businesses the way politicians run their countries, we’d be in dire straits. As indeed, the Brexit vote has proved. We don’t operate our businesses or community organisations for the benefit of ourselves rather than the wider public. We recognise that everyone in our family has to share in the family resources, not just ourselves.

You’ll improve your company culture, employee morale and productivity by being a fair and honest leader. Your impact will spread beyond your family, business and community. If you establish a reputation for honesty and decency, you’ll gain the respect that many of the plastic politicians so sadly lack.
And then, maybe, your community and country will call on YOU!

source:neos kosmos

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The hunt for Malaysia Airlines Flight MH370 will be suspended – but not shut down completely – if the current search operation fails to find the plane.

A statement issued to relatives said for the first time that despite the best efforts of the search operation, which is scouring the Indian Ocean off Australia, the likelihood of finding the aircraft is now fading.Ministers from Malaysia, China and Australia have met in Kuala Lumpur to discuss the future of the search in one of the world’s greatest aviation mysteries.

It has been agreed that if the plane is not found in the current search area, and without any new information about its possible location, the hunt for the plane ‘would not end, but be suspended’.Malaysian Transport Minister Liow Tiong Lai said: ‘In the absence of new evidence, Malaysia, Australia and China have collectively decided to suspend the search upon completion of the 120,000 square kilometre search area. ‘Should credible new information emerge which can be used to identify the specific location of the aircraft, consideration will be given in determining next steps.’

The families of the missing passengers and crew have called for the operation to continue.MH370 disappeared during a flight from the Malaysian capital to Beijing in March 2014, with 239 people on board. Family members have pleaded for the search operation to carry on.

Investigators believe the plane was deliberately flown thousands of miles off course before crashing into the southern Indian Ocean off Australia. Malaysian investigators said last year there was nothing suspicious in the financial, medical or personal histories of the pilots or crew.

Searchers at the Dutch company leading the underwater hunt have said they believe the plane may have glided down to the sea rather than dived, meaning they have been scouring the wrong part of the ocean.

It is the first time officials directly involved in the search have lent some support to contested theories that someone was in control during the flight’s final moments. Grace Nathan, a spokeswoman for the group Voice370, which represents the passengers’ next-of-kin, said the search must go on until the aircraft is found, in order to ensure aviation safety lessons can be learnt.’We don’t want the suspension to be just a way to let everyone calm down and slowly forget about it,’ she said.’We want them to be doing something in the interim to look for new information.’More than $170m has been spent on an underwater search spanning 120,000 sq km in the southern Indian Ocean, the most expensive operation in aviation history.

A few pieces of debris confirmed to be from the Boeing 777 have washed up on islands thousands of miles from the search zone, but they have failed to shed light on the mystery.The search was originally scheduled to end in June and has been hampered by bad weather.

source:skynews.com.au

A special study by the Bank of Greece on Wednesday showed that 223,000 young people left the country from 2008 to 2013 in search of a better future abroad, constituting the so-called “brain drain.”

The results of recent research point to the vast majority of people aged between 25 and 39 years who left the country in the first five years of the Greek recession being single and with a university degree. The young Greeks left not only due to unemployment and adverse economic conditions but also because of state’s failure to provide and generate opportunities for professional evolution.

The Bank of Greece study revealed that the momentum and magnitude of the phenomenon makes it essential to record its characteristics and to investigate the factors that are in play before analyzing the negative consequences for the local economy.

The main characteristic identified is that it mainly concerns the section of the workforce that is healthy, educated and specialized, and has high mobility and employability rate.

The central bank also attributed the growth of the brain drain to the failure of the local education system to produce high-quality human capital and to the inability of the domestic economy to hold on to and attract talented workers.

source:ekathimerini.com

Elanora Heights Public School (above) has banned students from clapping, only allowing them ‘silent cheers’ if a teacher approves. Picture: NSW Department of Education

CLAPPING has been banned at a Sydney primary school which has introduced “silent cheering”, “pulling excited faces” and “punching the air” to respect students who are “sensitive to noise”.

The school now only allows its pupils “to conduct a silent cheer” when prompted by teachers and says the practice “reduces fidgeting”.

Elanora Heights Public School, which is on Sydney’s northern beaches, announced its new “silent cheer” policy in its latest school newsletter.

The latest example of a political correctness outbreak in Australian schools, which have banned hugging, singing Christmas carols, celebrating Australia Day and singing the word “black” in the nursery rhyme “baa baa black sheep”.

The ban on clapping at Elanora Heights Primary School emerged on the same day that an exclusive girls school banned teachers from calling “ladies” or “women” in favour of “gender-neutral” terms.

In its July 18 newsletter, the Elanora school has published an item under the headline “Did you know” that “our school has adopted silent cheers at assembly’s” (sic).

“If you’ve been to a school assembly recently, you may have noticed our students doing silent cheers,” the item reads.

“Instead of clapping, the students are free to punch the air, pull excited faces and wriggle about on the spot.

“The practice has been adopted to respect members of our school community who are sensitive to noise.

“When you attend an assembly, teachers will prompt the audience to conduct a silent cheer if it is needed.

“Teachers have also found the silent cheers to be a great way to expend children’s energy and reduce fidgeting.”

The ban follows a direction at exclusive Cheltenham Girls High School in northwest Sydney for teachers to avoid discrimination and support LGBTI students by avoiding the words “girls”, “ladies” or “women”.

The measure followed the introduction of the Safe Schools anti-bullying program and teachers were told at a meeting if they did not comply they could be deemed homophobic and breaking the law.

The school also has a “Queer-Straight alliance” club and holds gender equality events such as Wear it Purple Day

Last month, it lowered the Aboriginal flag to raise the rainbow flag at half-mast following the attack on a gay nightclub in Orlando, Florida.

Local MP Damien Tudehope told the Daily Telegraph that parents feared their daughters might be ostracised if they didn’t comply with Rainbow Day and Purple Day.

Elanora Heights Public School’s ban on clapping in favour of silent cheering comes after several schools have banned hugging.

In April, hugging was banned at a Geelong primary school and children were told to find other ways to show affection.

St Patricks Primary School principal John Grant said “nothing in particular” had caused hugging to be replaced by high fiving or “a knuckle handshake”.

“But in this current day and age we are really conscious about protecting kids and teaching them from a young age that you have to be cautious,” Mr Grant said.

He said he had spoken to teachers about his decision to ban hugging and then the teachers had spoken to classes, instructing the children on different methods of showing affection. He had not sent any correspondence home to parents but said there would now be a letter going home on Monday.

“There’s a range of methods including a high five or a particular knuckle handshake where they clunk knuckles as a simple way of saying ‘well done’,” Mr Grant said. “There are also verbal affirmations and acknowledgments.”

Children at the school have been enthusiastic huggers, he said, with hugs given out to teachers and other children.

“We have a lot of kids who walk up and hug each other and we’re trying to encourage all of us to respect personal space,” Mr Grant said. “It really comes back to not everyone is comfortable in being hugged.”

Comment from Elanora Heights Public School about the clapping ban has been sought by news.com.au.

source:news.com.au

The Turkish President has accused unnamed foreign countries of possible involvement in last week’s attempt to overthrow his Government as its Security Council and Cabinet, meeting in Ankara, announce a state of emergency.

Charges have also been laid against nearly a third of the country’s top military officers following last week’s coup attempt.

Prosecutions thus far involve a large percentage of the country’s 356 top army, air force and navy commanders.

As the high ranking officers were being processed, so too the lower ranks. The ABC saw bus loads of soldiers with their hands tied behind their backs waiting for court appearances.

Some were said to be teenagers from a military high school.

Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan said only a minority of the armed forces were involved in last Friday’s failed military coup, but he said it was not clear exactly how many people had taken part.

“It is clear it was a minority (of the armed forces). The terrorist organisation was trying to make the minority dominate the majority,” Mr Erdogan told the Al Jazeera channel.

He also said he believed foreign countries might have been involved in the failed coup attempt, though he declined to name any.

With thousands of prosecutors and judges sacked its unclear how the accused are being processed.

Speaking through a translator, the spokesman for the country’s judges and prosecutors, Murat Aslan, said the Government is using the coup attempt as an excuse to stamp out dissent.

“We have no reservations that whoever joined or contributed to this should get the necessary punishment within the law,” he said.

“But in periods like this we don’t have the opportunity to separate innocent from guilty. This should be investigated thoroughly.”

Dutch, German and Canadian foreign ministers have expressed concern about the scale of the crackdown by Turkish authorities and called on Turkey to respect the rule of law.

German Foreign Minister Frank-Walter Steinmeier said his Government viewed with concern reports of thousands of people arrested in Turkey, with some prevented from leaving the country.

“We are looking with concern at news … that thousands of people have been dismissed and suspended, including soldiers and judges, and that university professors are now being prevented from leaving the country, that broadcast stations are being closed and having their licenses withdrawn,” Mr Steinmeier said.

“We understand, of course, that there must be a political and judicial processing of this attempted coup, but it must occur in accordance with criteria established by the rule of law.”

US Secretary of State John Kerry was more cautious in his remarks, repeating that Washington supported the Turkish authorities’ efforts to “put down” the coup and condemned any effort to overthrow a democratically-elected government.

Asked whether the Turkish Government’s initial reaction to the coup was excessive, Mr Kerry said: “There is no way for us to know because we don’t know what the evidence is.”

Turkey submits Gulen documentation to US

Mr Kerry said Turkey had submitted material to the US Government on Fethullah Gulen, a US-based cleric who the Turkish President accuses of orchestrating the coup and wants the US to extradite.

US officials said the State Department and Justice Department were reviewing whether the material sent by Turkey amounted to an official extradition request.

Mr Gulen, a former ally turned critic of Mr Erdogan, has denied any role in the attempted coup and condemned it.

The Secretary of State said he had emphasised to Turkey it should not submit allegations against Mr Gulen, and instead should provide evidence of his apparent involvement in the attempted coup.

Mr Erdogen told French Foreign Minister Jean-Marc Ayrault “to mind his own business” after Mr Ayrault warned Ankara over the crackdown.

“He should mind his own business. Does he have the authority to make these declarations about my person? No he does not,” he told Al Jazeera.

“If he wants a lesson in democracy he can very easily get a lesson in democracy from us.”

Mr Ayrault had called for maintaining the rule of law in Turkey in the wake of the coup saying “this is not a blank cheque for Mr Erdogan” to silence critics.

European leaders have also been united in their rejection of any plans by Turkey to reinstate the death penalty in response to the coup attempt, saying that such a move would be a deal-breaker for Turkey’s bid to join the European Union.

source:abc.net.au