Elpida Vasiliadis and her popular souvlaki in Astoria. Credit: The Souvlaki Lady/Instagram
Elpida Vasiliadis, known as “The Souvlaki Lady,” has operated her food truck, a staple in Astoria, for decades.
Speaking to Greek Reporter recently, she stated that, although New York summers are brutally hot and the winters unbearably cold, the relationship she has built with the community makes the job worthwhile.
“We work in a neighborhood where we know each other. It is nice to work with people you know.”
The recipes for the Greek dishes are from a restaurant her parents owned in Thessaloniki, Greece. She serves other dishes as well, including burgers, hot dogs, and salads. “It runs in the family,” she says.
Vasiliadis has operated a small food trailer on Ditmars Boulevard, Astoria for 32 years. When she took over the food cart from a previous vendor, there were no others in the neighborhood. She lived down the block, which made it convenient for checking in on her two children.
“I never named my business,” she said. “Everybody has always called me the Souvlaki Lady, and it stuck.”
Elpida and her daughter, who also works at the trailer, are one of many Greek families that live in Astoria, which has served as the hub of Greek-centric life in New York for decades.
Greeks emigrated in large waves during the 20th century, and Astoria in particular is known for having deep roots in its Greek population.
Souvlaki Lady is among many food trucks operated by Greeks
Any visitor to New York City has probably noticed the many food trucks offering inexpensive, tasty fare to New Yorkers looking for a quick bite on their lunch breaks or while exploring the city.
While these food trucks offer tasty cuisine from all over the world, Greeks have been dominating the field with their delicious, authentic plates for years.
New York’s rich immigrant history, from the millions who entered the country through Ellis Island in the nineteenth century to the more recent waves of arrivals from Asia, Africa, and Latin America, has contributed to a vibrant food culture in the city.
New York City’s culinary diversity reflects its own international population, which represents nearly every country in the world.
Visitors to the city, an international culinary capital, can easily find traditional dishes from around the world on every corner, either at high-end restaurants or diners — or even food trucks.
Serving up classic Greek dishes ranging from gyros to authentic pitas, Greek food trucks have long been a staple at the corners of the busiest streets in the city.
Residents of New York City, known for their discerning palates, understandably love Greek food trucks. They gush over the benefits of the Mediterranean diet and the delicious, reasonably priced food served at the trucks, seemingly dotted along every major street in the city.
That’s why they are so successful in a city where it is notoriously difficult to “make it” — they serve some of the best food in New York, at a price that is hard to beat in one of the world’s most expensive cities.
Stavros Niarchos, the great Greek benefactor and tycoon, passed away on this day in 1996, leaving behind a foundation that continues his philanthropic work.
Born on July 3, 1909 in Athens, Stavros Niarchos was a self-made businessman and shipping tycoon of immense wealth who possessed an exceptional ability to make money.
Aristotle Onassis and Niarchos were the founders of the entire post-war Greek shipping industry that has put Greece into its prominent position on the world map of the industry.
Niarchos was also known for his adventurous love life, as he married five times, with two sisters being among his five brides.
After his death, his legacy continued with the Stavros Niarchos Foundation that has become a leader in philanthropic donations in the areas of arts and culture, education, health and medicine, and social welfare.
Early life
Niarchos was born in Laconia, Greece three months after his parents, naturalized U.S. citizens Spyros Niarchos and Eugenie Koumantaros, had returned to their native country after making their fortune with a department store in Buffalo, New York.
Niarchos studied Law at the University of Athens. After graduating, he entered the business world through a chain of flour mills owned by his mother’s family.
In 1930, Niarchos married Helen Sporides, a daughter of Admiral Constantine Sporides. Yet, the marriage only lasted one year.
It was during his time working in the mills that he convinced his uncles that the grain business they owned would flourish if the company owned its own ships.
By the time he was 30, Niarchos had built up the shipping side of the business, chartering vessels to carry wheat from Argentina among other places.
In 1939, he married Melpomene Capparis, a widow of a Greek diplomat, whom he divorced in 1947.
The war and the building up of Niarchos’ fleet
When Greece entered the war, Niarchos joined the Royal Hellenic Navy, serving on North Atlantic convoys with the rank of lieutenant commander; he later served as Honorary Naval Attache to the Greek Embassy in Washington from 1944 to 1948.
In 1947, he married Eugenia Livanos, daughter of another Greek shipping magnate, Stavros G. Livanos, thus planting his foot firmly in the shipping business.
As a diplomat in Washington, Niarchos was instrumental in securing the favorable sale of a hundred Liberty Ships from the U.S. government to Greek shipowners in compensation for damage suffered in the Allied war effort.
Niarchos’ rival Aristotle Onassis had said about him: “No one has been so smart or so lucky to make the right moves at the right time as Stavros Niarchos.”
The sale revived the fortunes of Greece’s depleted merchant marine and made possible its great post-war renaissance.
Shipping tycoon
By 1952, Stavros Niarchos had the world’s largest supertankers built for his fleet. Propelled by both the Suez Crisis and an increasing demand for oil, he and rival Aristotle Onassis became giants in the world of global petroleum shipping.
Niarchos Ltd. was an international shipping company that, at one time, operated more than eighty tankers worldwide, including substantial modern and super tonnage. His investments had also diversified into stocks and real estate.
Niarchos’ and Onassis’ phenomenal success was primarily due to the early realization— others would call it vision—that oil would replace coal as the primary fuel of the world economy.
In 1956, Niarchos agreed to build and operate the Hellenic Shipyards, the first such private investment in Greece, which rapidly became the largest shipyard in the Mediterranean.
The Stavros Niarchos – Aristotle Onassis rivalry
The two shipping magnates had stood as rivals to each other since the late 1940s. This was heightened in 1947. While in the process of obtaining his second divorce, Niarchos wanted to marry Tina Livanos, who was only fourteen at the time. She was the daughter of the other major shipping rival at the time, Stavros Livanos.
Niarchos asked her father for his permission, but Livanos refused to allow his daughter to marry Niarchos, saying she was too young and that her groom-to-be had not finalized his divorce procedures yet.
Two years later, Niarchos expressed his wish to marry Tina Livanos again. This time, her father offered Niarchos his older daughter Evgenia. Niarchos agreed and married her. The couple had four children together.
Alas, three years later, Niarchos’ rival Onassis married Tina Livanos. That move naturally enraged Niarchos, who believed that his rival had stolen Tina from him just to spite him.
From then on, it seems that both men tried to outdo each other in every way—in business, lifestyles, and romantic conquests. Their stories featured both in the business section of newspapers and in the tabloids.
Both men were among the first to buy a private island in Greece: Onassis bought Skorpios while Stavros Niarchos bought Spetsopoula.
Onassis dated soprano Maria Callas and married the widow of John F. Kennedy, while Niarchos married the daughter of tycoon automaker Henry Ford II, Charlotte Ford, in Mexico in 1965 (his fourth marriage).
That marriage lasted only a year, but the couple had a child together, Elena. They actually spent a lot of time together and with their children on Spetsopoula.
The Greek tycoon was unfortunately not divorced from Eugenia Livanos at the time, however, and in 1970, Eugenia died of an alleged barbiturates overdose on the island, with the coroner refusing to sign the cause of death.
In 1971, one could say that Niarchos took his final revenge on his rival by marrying Tina Livanos, who had recently been divorced from Onassis and had taken the name and title from her second marriage, Athina Spencer-Churchill, the Marchioness of Blandford.
Three years later, Tina died under circumstances that, again, were mysterious. Initially, it was thought that she, like her sister, had taken a drug overdose although it later transpired that the cause of death was edema of the lung.
Bon viveur and benefactor
Niarchos’ yacht was the largest private schooner on the open seas while his Mystere aircraft established Niarchos as one of the first true members of the jet set.
On his yacht, old royalty and aristocracy cruised the seas together while, at the same time, Niarchos always maintained close ties with Greece and, in addition to operating most of his fleet under the Greek flag, invested heavily in the country’s industrial base.
Niarchos’ taste in women continued to be eclectic from the late 1970s and onward as he reportedly had affairs with Princess Firyal of Jordan and Princess Maria Gabriella of Savoy.
Alongside his huge fleet, Niarchos developed an impressive modern art portfolio, and was also a thoroughbred horse breeder.
The Stavros Niarchos Foundation
In 1996, the great Greek man’s legacy was honored by the establishment of the Stavros Niarchos Foundation, an international philanthropic organization.
Since 1996, SNF has committed grants totaling more than $1.57 billion, through more than 2,800 grants to nonprofit organizations in 111 nations around the world.
The project includes the construction and complete outfitting of new facilities for the National Library of Greece and the Greek National Opera, as well as the creation of the 170,000-square-meter (1,829,864.7 square foot)) Stavros Niarchos Park.
The SNFCC serves as a lasting reminder of the almost unimaginable power and influence that the shipping tycoon represented during his lifetime.
Roman emperor Augustus at the tomb of Alexander the Great. Painting by Lionel Noel Royer. Public Domain
The Roman conquest of Greece is an integral part of the long and rich history of this proud nation. However, people mostly focus on the periods before or after this crucial moment, neglecting the importance and long-lasting consequences of this event that changed both Greece and Rome forever.
The encounter between the formidable military might of Rome and the rich cultural heritage of Greece is a profoundly fascinating and historically intriguing narrative. The relationship between Greece and Rome is characterized by political and military confrontations, but also by resilience and mutual respect.
One of the most significant aspects of this relationship is that the period following the Roman conquest and leading up to the complete integration of the Greek world into the emerging empire did not mark the demise of Greek culture. On the contrary, it marked something completely different. It was the rebirth of many Greek traditions that would affect and influence Rome deeply. Philosophy, art, and governance under Roman rule would change dramatically due to Greece’s integration into this mighty empire, changing its future forever.
The story of Greece during the Roman era is a great example of how cultures can preserve their core elements and values and even thrive under someone else’s rule. This important chapter in European history clearly shows that the relationship between conquerors and conquerors doesn’t always have to be defined by hatred and destruction. Yes, the Greeks resisted and the Romans conquered. However, the result of this was far from simple.
The Sack of Corinth. Credit: Thomas Allom / Public domain / Wikimedia Commons
The impact of the Roman conquest on Greek city-states
The journey from the independence of the Greek city-states to the region becoming a mere Roman province shook the ancient world with profound consequences for the generations to come.
The military campaigns of the Romans reached their peak with the destruction of one of Greece’s most important cities: Corinth. This catastrophic event took place in 146 BC and was a milestone. It was then that the political freedom of Greek city-states ended forever.
Nonetheless, this significant event was not like any other of the hundreds of conquests that had already taken place in the Greek world. It was also not a simple case of subjugation to the strongest.
In places such as Athens and Sparta, the beacons of Greek independence until then, a new form of governance emerged. It was a mixture of Roman imperial needs and the local traditions of the Greek populations. Rather than suffocating Greek culture, this unique arrangement helped it to adapt. It led to a distinctive combination of traditional Greek practices and the benefits of life in the strongest empire of Europe and beyond. Such a unique blend showed how cultures can adapt to change while keeping their spirit alive.
Cultural exchange between Greece and Rome
Undoubtedly, the Roman era was a time of great cultural blending between Greek and Roman societies. The Romans loved and admired Greek art, philosophy, and education. It was the fundamental reason for a significant cultural import from Greece to Rome.
Greek scholars and artists were celebrated in wealthy Roman homes, and Greek philosophical works became essential in Roman education. In the meantime, many Roman architectural works began appearing in Greece, incorporating unique Greek styles. Another example of cultural exchange between the two is that philosophers, such as Epictetus, who followed Stoicism, which instructs its followers on how to cultivate self-control in order to overcome negative feelings, show the lengths of the exchange of ideas during this time.
The Roman Agora in Athens. Credit: Andreas Trepte, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 2.5
Economic growth and urban revival under Roman Greece
Roman rule in Greece brought major economic changes to the Greek world. The Pax Romana, the period of peace and stability during Roman rule, opened up new trade routes and commerce opportunities for the Greeks.
Many Greek cities flourished, as they received increased investment from Roman authorities, who paid particular emphasis on infrastructure. Cities like Corinth, which had been almost totally destroyed during the Roman conquest, as well as Athens, saw new roads, sophisticated aqueducts, and buildings being constructed. The new infrastructure effectively mixed Roman engineering with Greek art. This era was meant to become a time of prosperity under Roman rule. It created a new urban and cultural reality that helped many Greek cities revive and thrive under the umbrella of the Roman Empire.
Christianity’s emergence in Greece during Roman times
Another major change in Greece during the Roman era was the rapid spread of Christianity that changed the ancient world profoundly. The travels of Apostle Paul across the Greek mainland and many of its islands led to the establishment of early Christian communities, which were among the first in the world. These journeys, according to details in the Acts of the Apostles, underline the crucial role of Greece in early Christianity.
The growth of this new religion within the confines of a purely pagan empire introduced a new dimension to Greek spiritual life, too. It was in Greece that the stage for Christianity’s rise was first established. The rapid growth of Christian communities in Greece would soon become a fundamental part of colossal changes that were about to engulf the religious life of the empire.
Consequences of Roman rule in Greek history
As we look back at the Roman era in Greece, we see its lasting impact on the identity of the Greeks, their cultural heritage, and history as a whole. The legacy of Roman rule in Greece includes important aspects that allowed Greece to be the nation we know it to be today. It helped preserve Greek traditions along with introducing Roman innovations.
This period blended Greek and Roman elements in a unique way. It prepared the ground for the future of Greek history, affecting the Byzantine Empire and modern Greek identity forever. The Roman period in Greece also shows the complications behind centuries of evolution of a nation. It highlights how strong cultural exchanges can be in shaping the identity of a nation and how important civilizations can deeply influence each other.
Photo of Javan tiger from 1938 that may be back from extinction. Credit: Andries Hoogerwerf / Wikimedia Commons / Public Domain
Researchers claim that Javan tigers, thought to have been extinct fifty years ago, might still exist. Despite doubts from scientists, signs suggest a similar big cat roams Java.
In the past, Indonesia had three tiger types: Sumatran, Javan, and Bali tigers, each on a different island. Sumatran tigers are at risk, while Javan and Bali tigers are believed to be extinct due to hunting and loss of habitats, as per the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN).
Spottings of Javan tigers go back to 1976, and reports of such sightings on Java persist. A new study, published on March 21st in the journal Oryx, seemed to validate this persistence.
The study authors examined a lone hair strand found on a plantation in West Java, suggesting the tiger may still roam the island.
DNA from a recent hair sample matched that of Javan tiger
The DNA extracted from the hair closely resembled DNA from a Javan tiger pelt collected in 1930, housed in a museum, as per the study. Yet, tiger geneticists have voiced doubts about the study’s reliability.
Luo Shu-Jin, an evolutionary geneticist from Peking University in China, shared concerns with Live Science. Her team reexamined the DNA data from the study and identified errors along with possible sample contamination.
The Sumatran tiger was believed to be the only living tiger population in the Sunda Islands in Indonesia. However, in 2022 the Javan tiger was spotted and after genetic analysis of a hair sample, the discovery was confirmed. pic.twitter.com/VMBZTTxIyO
“The errors may result from various reasons that are impossible to trace based on the information provided by [the study’s authors],” Luo said. “Considering the likelihood of contamination during the production of the putative tiger hair sample and the museum Javan tiger specimen, it is inappropriate to use these sequences to conclude the existence of the Javan tiger.”
Anubhab Khan, a postdoctoral researcher specializing in tiger genetics at the University of Copenhagen in Denmark, also reviewed the data.
In a conversation with The Wall Street Journal (WSJ) last week, he expressed uncertainty about confirming if the hair originated from a tiger based on the study’s data. However, he informed Live Science he has teamed up with the study authors to perform a new analysis.
Research began after the Javan tiger was seen in August 2019
The new investigation commenced following a report by Ripi Yanur Fajar, a resident and conservationist from Java. In August 2019, Fajar claimed to have witnessed a large cat leaping between a road and a plantation near the village of Cipeundeuy in the forest of South Sukabumi.
Nine days later, researchers visited the site and discovered a hair on a nearby fence, alongside what appeared to be tiger footprints and claw marks.
Following an interview with Fajar in June 2022, the study authors concluded the hair likely belonged to a Javan tiger. Their DNA analysis conducted in the same year seemed to support this hypothesis. However, Luo’s team identified multiple errors in their analysis, as reported by Live Science.
Tesla lays off ‘more than 10%’ of its worldwide workforce. Credit: bfishadow / Flickr / CC BY 2.0
Tesla informed its employees that it is cutting over 10 percent of its worldwide staff, according to a memo obtained by Reuters on Monday. This decision comes as Tesla faces challenges such as declining sales and increased competition in the electric vehicle market.
Elon Musk, the CEO of Tesla, responded to this news on X by saying, “About every five years, we need to reorganize and streamline the company for the next phase of growth.”
Musk last announced job cuts in 2022, expressing concerns about the economy. Although Tesla didn’t specify the number of jobs cut in 2022, its employee count surged from about 100,000 in late 2021 to over 140,000 by late 2023, as per SEC filings.
Monday’s dismissals took immediate effect, as stated in the email sent to affected employees, according to Reuters.
Tesla’s two senior vice presidents left the company
On Monday, Tesla’s senior vice president in charge of battery development, Drew Baglino, and vice president for public policy and business development, Rohan Patel, both revealed their departure from the company on X.
Baglino was one of four leaders listed on Tesla’s investor relations website, alongside CEO Elon Musk. Musk expressed gratitude to both executives for their contributions in response to their notes on X.
Scott Acheychek, CEO of Rex Shares, which oversees ETFs heavily invested in Tesla stock, viewed the reduction in headcount as a strategic move. He highlighted Tesla’s overall year-on-year increase in headcount as evidence that the company is still experiencing growth.
However, Michael Ashley Schulman, chief investment officer at Running Point Capital Advisors, considered the departure of senior executives as the more significant negative signal on that day. He suggested it indicated potential challenges to Tesla’s growth trajectory.
Tesla shares dropped along with other EV manufacturers
On Monday, Tesla’s shares dropped by 2.6 percent during midday trading. Similarly, other electric vehicle (EV) manufacturers such as Rivian Automotive, Lucid Group, and VinFast Auto also experienced declines ranging from 2 percent to 7.4 percent.
In a memo sent to all staff, Musk emphasized the importance of scrutinizing every aspect of the company to cut costs and enhance productivity as they prepare for the next phase of growth. As a result, Tesla made the tough decision to reduce its global headcount by more than 10 percent.
Reuters obtained an email sent to at least three U.S. employees, informing them of their immediate dismissal. Tesla has not yet responded to requests for comment, according to Reuters.
Following an exclusive Reuters report on April 5th, Tesla’s layoffs occurred. The report revealed the cancellation of a highly anticipated affordable car, the Model 2, which was expected to cost $25,000. Investors had expected this car to boost mass-market growth with Musk previously announcing production to begin in late 2025.
Shortly after the report, Musk posted “Reuters is lying” on his social media platform X without providing specific details on the alleged inaccuracies. Since then, Musk has remained silent on the topic, leading investors and analysts to speculate about the car’s future, as reported by Reuters.
World’s top cosmologists to meet in London and scrutinize the existing model of the universe. Credit: ArchesNPS. CC BY 1.0/flickr
Some of the world’s leading cosmologists are set to convene at London’s Royal Society this week to re-examine the basic model of the universe, which was formulated in 1922 and held that the universe is a vast, even expanse with no notable features.
The concept that everything looks the same everywhere is a fundamental pillar of the standard model of cosmology, which aims to explain the Big Bang and how the universe has evolved in the 13.7bn years since.
However, this week, a gathering of some of the world’s leading cosmologists will take place at London’s Royal Society to scrutinize this original model and draw conclusions about its accuracy.
The meeting follows several high-profile astronomical observations which have challenged the conventional view, according to Professor Subir Sarkar, a cosmologist at the University of Oxford and co-organizer of the meeting, as reported by the Guardian.
“We are, in cosmology, using a model that was first formulated in 1922,” he said. “We have great data, but the theoretical basis is past its sell-by date. More and more people are saying the same thing and these are respected astronomers.”
The meeting will bring together several of the cosmologists responsible for the recent anomalous findings, which include observations that suggest the universe is expanding faster in some areas than others, hints at megastructures in the night sky, and evidence of cosmic flows. The latter being enormous celestial rivers of material on a scale that can not be accommodated within conventional theories.
Cosmologists Responsible for the Anomalous Findings in the Universe
Dr Nathan Secrest, of the US Naval Observatory and a collaborator with Sarkar, will be presenting findings that explore the hypothesis of whether the universe may be slightly lopsided. After examining a catalog of more than one million quasars (luminous galactic cores), his research team discovered that one hemisphere of the sky seemed to house roughly 0.5 percent more sources than the other.
Spiral Galaxy NGC 4319 and Quasar Markarian 205. Credit: NASA Hubble. CC BY 2.0/flickr
According to Sarkar, if this was confirmed, it would rewrite the basis of dark energy, which is supposed to be the primary component of the universe. “It would mean that two-thirds of the universe has just disappeared,” Sarkar told the Guardian.
Dr Konstantinos Migkas, of Leiden University, will share findings that the Hubble constant – the speed at which the universe is expanding – seems to differ across space. “Our results add another problematic piece to the puzzle,” Migkas said. At a local scale, at least, this suggests that observations do not match predictions of the standard model. “We can’t extrapolate that it’s wrong over the full universe,” he told the Guardian.
PhD student Alexia Lopez, a cosmologist at the University of Central Lancashire, has discovered what seem to be cosmic megastructures in the universe, named Big Ring and Giant Arc. These shapes, traced out by galaxies and galaxy clusters, occur on a scale beyond which the universe should be smooth and effectively featureless.
Elon Musk took to social media to comment on Greece’s demographic troubles. Credit: Daniel Oberhaus / Flickr / CC BY 2.0
Elon Musk has shared and commented on an X post talking about Greece’s looming “population collapse”, a scenario predicted for the country after it has seen a rise in sudden and unexpected deaths, alongside a drop in fertility rates.
Elon Musk Comments on Greece’s Demographic Crisis
“Greece is one of dozens of countries experiencing population collapse due to low birth rates,” Elon Musk wrote in accompaniment to his retweeting of a news item stating that “population collapse” is looming in Greece amid the demography changes in the country.
Greece is one of dozens of countries experiencing population collapse due to low birth rates https://t.co/2qFA087SLJ
Greece’s fertility rate is one of the lowest in Europe, and the government is planning in May to unveil new policies to boost birth rates, such as cash benefits for families, affordable housing for young people, financial incentives for assisted reproduction, and incorporating migrants into the workforce, as reported by the Guardian.
The full size and cost of the measures are unclear at present. “If I were to tell you that any given minister at any given ministry…can reverse the trend, it would be a lie,” Sofia Zacharaki, Greece’s minister for social cohesion and family affairs, told the Guardian, adding, “We need to keep trying.”
In 2010, Greece recorded 114,766 births compared to 109,084 deaths. However, over the course of a decade, the numbers have shifted dramatically. In 2020, Greece reported only 84,717 births but a staggering 131,084 deaths. This trend has led to a significant population decline.
The reproduction rate in Greece is now one of the lowest in the world, standing at 1.3 children per woman. This is well below the stability limit of 2.1 children per woman. These startling statistics were highlighted by Professor Nektarios Miltiadis, the head of the research group working on “healthy and active aging in Greece” at the University of Piraeus.
He spoke at an event organized by the Medical Association of Thessaloniki within the framework of the 87th Thessaloniki International Fair late last year. In his speech, Miltiadis stressed the importance of addressing the consequences of Greece’s demographic crisis.
Possible solutions for Greece’s Demographic Problem
To combat Greece’s demographic crisis, Miltiadis suggested increasing the employment of working women, young people under the age of twenty-five, and even pensioners. He argued that older individuals should be encouraged to work if they are capable, as the shrinking workforce poses economic challenges.
Miltiadis also pointed out that the issue of an aging population is not unique to Greece but affects both Western and developing countries. Advances in medicine, improved living conditions, and healthier eating habits have contributed to increased life expectancy. It does, however, present challenges, as societies now face an aging population with a declining birth rate, as seen in Greece’s demographic crisis.
Mar Mari Emmanuel, an Orthodox leader, was stabbed outside the church in Sydney. Credit: Ghareebota. CC BY 4.0/flickr
An ultra-conservative Orthodox Christian leader and several of his followers were stabbed at a church in western Sydney. This brought about a huge gathering outside the holy building, as hundreds of enraged people clashed with police.
Bishop Mar Mari Emmanuel was stabbed along with some of his worshippers during a service at Christ The Good Shepherd Church in Wakeley on Monday night. The disturbing scene was captured on a livestream of the service. It appeared to show the priest being stabbed six times.
More footage then emerged of the alleged assailant being caught inside the church. An enraged crowd and a heavy police presence started to grow outside. Police were called, and one man was arrested over the attack and is reportedly helping with police inquiries.
Four people were wounded in the attack, but police say no one suffered life-threatening injuries, and victims were seen to by paramedics before being taken to a nearby hospital.
Who is the Orthodox church leader Bishop Mar Mari Emmanuel, who was stabbed?
Mari is a well-known figurehead of an ultra-conservative sect of the Assyrian Orthodox. He became popular during the COVID-19 pandemic for being critical of lockdowns and vaccines.
He often livestreams his services on YouTube and other social platforms where he has hundreds of thousands of followers. The preacher has attracted controversy for his appeal to radical Christians and his anti-LGBTQ sermons.
Other widely-watched livestreams of Mari’s feature strong views about US and Russian politics, alongside his claim that Satan founded the United Nations. Speaking on President Joe Biden’s US election win in one of his sermons uploaded to TikTok, Mari said “100 percent it was rigged by the secret societies.”
According to Christ The Good Shepherd Church’s website, Mari went around the globe with his bible teachings, including to Arizona in the US in December. His pastoral message on the website states, “In our time and age, we believe the most important and fundamental insight is coming into the truth. The world bombards the human race with so much information, quite often we lose our orientation in discerning the lie from the truth.”
On top of hosting Mari’s sermons, the church in Wakeley hosts both English and Assyrian bible studies, Divine Liturgy services, and youth ministries.
What happened after the stabbing?
Hundreds of police officers arrived on the scene to control the growing crowds, holding up shields to fend off rioters as helicopters swarmed above. As the unrest surged, there was a large standoff between police and protesters, some of whom threw objects across the intersection.
Police cautioned the public to stay away from the area as they worked to restore order after the stabbing, and at the height of the disturbance, Liverpool Hospital’s emergency department was closed to members of the public as a precaution.
The standoff between Iran and Israel poses a range of geopolitical threats to Greece. Credit: IDF Spokeperson’s Unit / Public Domain / Student News Agency / CC BY 4.0 / Wikimedia Commons
The increasingly tense standoff between Iran and Israel, which now threatens to escalate into open conflict, poses several distinct challenges for Greece.
Given Greece’s geostrategically important position at the maritime crossroads between Asia, Africa, and Europe, any wider conflagration in the Middle East could easily spill over into the Eastern Mediterranean.
Having intercepted most of the drones and missiles launched against Israel, the world is now anxiously awaiting the Israeli government’s response. Although the likelihood of a full-blown conflict remains low, there is a distinct possibility that escalation and miscalculations could worsen the situation.
Greece’s response to Iran’s attack against Israel
The geostrategic rivalry between Israel and Iran is decades old, but the attack on Saturday evening was the first time that Iran directly struck Israeli soil. According to the Israeli military, Iran launched more than 300 drones and missiles against Israel, but the vast majority of these were intercepted.
Approximately 99 percent of the drones, cruise missiles, and ballistic missiles were intercepted, said Israeli Rear Admiral Daniel Hagari, a military spokesman. Nevertheless, at least nine countries were involved either in the act of assisting Israel’s interception efforts or as launch pads for the attack, demonstrating the potential for any escalation between Iran and Israel to engulf the wider region in a broader crisis.
The government of Greece responded to Iran’s attack against Israel with a strong condemnation, stating that the drone and missile strike was a “significant escalation.”
“These are extremely unpleasant and very disturbing developments that are sparking a new conflagration in our wider neighborhood and of course in the Middle East,” commented Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis.
“I want to start with the clear and unequivocal condemnation of the Greek Government and me personally against Iran’s attack on Israel,” he added in a message on Facebook.
I strongly condemn the attacks launched by Iran against Israel. Αny escalation is a threat to regional stability and security. We stand with Israel and urge all sides to show restraint.
In recent years, bilateral relations between Greece and Israel have grown stronger. The two countries, together with the Republic of Cyprus, have increased their levels of cooperation in the Eastern Mediterranean with a particular emphasis on energy and security.
Last year, representatives from the three countries met to finalize an energy deal, including a mammoth electricity project connecting their power grids, and a potential future regional natural gas pipeline.
In the realms of defense and security, Greece and Israel have cooperated to facilitate the establishment of the International Air Force Training Centre in Kalamata and participation in the 3+1 collaboration with the US in the defense sector.
In contrast, bilateral relations between Greece and Iran have been worsening despite a long history of economic, social, and cultural ties. This is due to a combination of factors. The Greek Ministry of Foreign Affairs singles out the vast array of international sanctions imposed against Iran as being a particularly important impediment to trade between the two countries.
Disputes concerning maritime security have also widened the fissure between Athens and Tehran. Both countries have accused each other of “piracy” following seizures of Greek and Iranian-flagged ships.
Threats to maritime trade
One area of immediate concern for Greece will be maritime trade. According to the International Trade Administration, “Greek shipowners control more than one-fifth of the world’s entire fleet” and the “Greek-owned fleet represents 59% of the total EU-controlled fleet.”
The ongoing conflict between Israel and Hamas in Gaza has already affected seaborne trade. Most notably, the Red Sea crisis commenced on October 19, 2023, triggered by the Iran-backed Houthi movement in Yemen launching missiles and armed drones at Israel, demanding an immediate halt to the invasion of the Gaza Strip.
The subsequent instability has impacted trade volume. According to one source, the container terminal at the port of Piraeus, near Athens, experienced a 12.7 percent decline in activity in January compared to the previous year.
Greece has taken a leading role in efforts to curb growing insecurity in the region. The European Union´s Naval Force (EUNAVFOR) Operation Aspides is now headquartered in Larissa. Additionally, Greece’s Hydra (MEKO 200 HN)-class frigate is participating in the operation to thwart Houthi attacks against trade vessels passing through the Red Sea.
However, the Iran-backed group may increase the intensity of its attacks against international shipping now that tensions between Iran and Israel have worsened.
Shipping lanes in the Mediterranean also face a heightened risk. In December last year, Iranian Revolutionary Guards Corps (IRGC) commander, Brigadier General Mohammad Reza Naqdi, claimed that access to the Mediterranean Sea could be shut down if the US and its allies continued to support Israeli military operations in Gaza.
“They shall soon await the closure of the Mediterranean Sea, [the Strait of] Gibraltar and other waterways,” he reportedly said.
Iran does not have direct access to the Mediterranean, but it does provide funding and military support for various proxy groups, such as Hezbollah in Lebanon and several militias in Syria. Given the limited maritime assets possessed by these groups, they would be unable to significantly restrict maritime trade, but they could cause disruption by targeting vessels or offshore assets with drones and rockets.
🇬🇷HS HYDRA is providing close protection to merchant vessels in transit in Bab Al Mandeb strait. @EUNAVFORASPIDES contributes to increase maritime situational awareness and safeguard freedom of navigation along sea lines of communication in the region.@eu_eeas@NavyGrpic.twitter.com/WoZwkGUmsT
Socrates brought back to life tells his story. Credit: Equator AI
Ancient Greek scientists and philosophers are brought back to life and tell their stories in this captivating video produced through Artificial Intelligence (AI).
Equator AI created the video using the latest artificial intelligence technology to bring these great thinkers to life and have them tell their life stories in their own words.
With the help of virtual reality and AI, we are able to step into their world and learn about their fascinating achievements and insights.
From Herodotus to Plato, ancient Greek scientists and philosophers tell their story
In the video, we hear from Herodotus, a historian and geographer from the Greek city of Halicarnassus, part of the Persian Empire, and later a citizen of Thurii in modern Calabria (Italy).
He is known for having written the Histories – a detailed account of the Greco-Persian Wars. Herodotus was the first writer to perform a systematic investigation of historical events. He is referred to as “The Father of History”, a title conferred on him by the ancient Roman orator Cicero.
Greek mathematician Thales, astronomer, statesman, and pre-Socratic philosopher from Miletus in Ionia, Asia Minor, tells us his story. Many, most notably Aristotle, regarded him as the first philosopher in the Greek tradition, and he is otherwise historically recognized as the first individual known to have entertained and engaged in scientific philosophy. He is often referred to as the Father of Science.
Homer follows. He is credited as the author of the Iliad and the Odyssey, two epic poems that are foundational works of ancient Greek literature. Homer is considered one of the most revered and influential authors in history.
The Greek statesman and orator of ancient Athens, Demosthenes, stated “I am known for my fiery speeches and strong opposition to the expansion of Macedonian power led by King Philip the Second.” His orations constitute a significant expression of contemporary Athenian intellectual prowess and provide insight into the politics and culture of ancient Greece during the 4th century BC.
“I was a student of Plato and later became the tutor of Alexander the Great,” Aristotle says as he introduces himself. His writings cover a broad range of subjects including physics, biology, zoology, metaphysics, logic, ethics, aesthetics, poetry, drama, music, rhetoric, psychology, linguistics, economics, politics, meteorology, geology, and government.
Socrates, who follows, says he lived a simple life rejecting material possessions. “Unfortunately I was sentenced to death for my ideas and teaching. But my legacy lived on through by students, particularly Plato,” the Athenian philosopher says.
Naturally his disciple Plato follows. Plato founded the Academy, a philosophical school where he taught philosophical doctrines that would later become known as Platonism.
Plato was an innovator of the written dialogue and dialectic forms in philosophy. He raised problems for what later became all the major areas of both theoretical philosophy and practical philosophy. His most famous contribution is the Theory of Forms, where he presents a solution to the problem of universals.
Finally there is Chrysippus, a Greco-Phoenician Stoic philosopher. He was a native of Soli, Cilicia, but, as a young man, moved to Athens where he became a pupil of the Stoic philosopher Cleanthes. When Cleanthes died, around 230 BC, Chrysippus became the third head of the Stoic school.
A prolific writer, Chrysippus expanded the fundamental doctrines of Cleanthes’ mentor Zeno of Citium, the founder and first head of the school, which earned him the title of the Second Founder of Stoicism.
