The Panachaian Philanthropical Association (PPA), founded in 1974, have been organising the Patrino Karnavali for the past 45 years, encouraging guests to step away from their ‘every day routine’ for a night of carefree fun and celebration.
The original Patrino Karnavali is held in Patras, Greece and has been running for the last 180 years. The carnival is the biggest in Greece and begins on January 17 until Clean Monday.
The PPA has bought the tradition alive annually in Sydney with a one-night only exclusive event.
Combining the Greek and Brazilian Karnavali traditions, guests of every culture come together for a fantastic night out with dress ups, food and drinks.
The President of the PPA, Katerina Vetsikas, said the Patrino Karnavali Sydney is an opportunity to celebrate and embrace multiculturalism in Australia.
Ms Vetsikas encouraged guests to dress fancy on the night and said the event will include a traditional float with streamers, as well as a chocolate fight.
Capoeiro Topazio Brazil dancers will entertain guests throughout the evening with traditional dancing.
The 45th Patrino Karnavali Sydney will be held at 7pm on Friday, February 24 at 128 The Grand Parade, Grand Roxy Reception Brighton-Le-Sands in Sydney, NSW.Tickets are $110 (includes set menu and alcohol). Kids under 12 have free entry. For more details contact Katerina on 0410 324 328, or Vicky on 0412 002 145, or Arthur on 0431 945 280.
Youngster Kosta Grozos kicked his first A-League goal over the weekend for the Newcastle Jets FC and pushed his team past Melbourne Victory 2-1 in a thrilling match.
Since then, the 22-year-old has been likened to Mesut Ozil – a FIFA Men’s World Cup winner and a former Arsenal and Real Madrid star.
“He was fantastic,” Jets full-back and ex-Arsenal defender, Carl Jenkinson, said about Grozos.
“I call Kosta Mesut sometimes. I say he plays like Mesut Ozil.
“We have players like Kosta who can come in and make a difference and win a game for us. Fair play to Kosta. He is a lovely kid and I’m buzzing for him.”
Newcastle have now gone five matches without defeat to be right in the hunt for finals football this season.
The Sutherland Shire now has a new $7 million MRI facility close to home, as part of the NSW Liberal and National Government’s $88.5 million boost to Sutherland Hospital’s new Operating Theatre Complex.
Premier Dominic Perrottet, Health Minister Brad Hazzard, Member for Miranda Eleni Petinos, Member for Cronulla Mark Speakman and Member for Heathcote Lee Evans announced the official opening of the new MRI facility.
“For the first time in the history of Sutherland Hospital patients will be able to access an MRI on site providing physicians and patients with immediate access to an additional state-of-the-art diagnostic tool,” Mr Perrottet said.
“This crucial new MRI facility in the heart of the Sutherland Shire community will enhance patients’ access to first-class, quality healthcare without the need to travel out of Sutherland.
“This significant investment has only been possible because the NSW Liberal and Nationals Government have a long-term economic plan allowing us to deliver world-class health services and facilities to communities across the state.”
Minister Hazzard said the launch of the MRI service is in addition to the $62.9 million redevelopment of Sutherland Hospital, part of the NSW Government’s $160 million investment in health services for the Sutherland community.
“This MRI service is a very significant upgrade being delivered as part of Sutherland Hospital’s new Operating Theatre Complex, which will also provide new operating theatres, procedure rooms, surgical short stay facilities, recovery areas, a sterilising department and more,” Mr Hazzard said.
Sutherland Hospital. Photo: The Leader
“Having an MRI service on campus delivering faster care to the vast majority of our inpatients who will no longer have to be transferred to St George Hospital or private providers for their scans comes on the back of strong advocacy of local MPs and the community.”
Member for Miranda Eleni Petinos said the launch of the new MRI service was a fantastic win for the Sutherland Shire community and would help improve health outcomes in the region.
“Being able to have these important health scans done closer to home will really help everyone in the community put their health needs first as they manage competing priorities in their busy lives,” Ms Petinos said.
“The benefit to the community of not having to travel to access a service that plays such a crucial role in investigations, diagnosis and treatment cannot be underestimated.”
Member for Cronulla Mark Speakman said the NSW Government had responded to local residents who had campaigned to secure an MRI service for Sutherland Hospital, which marks its 65th anniversary in 2023.
“The Sutherland Shire community has called for a local MRI service and the NSW Liberal and Nationals Government has listened and delivered a $7 million MRI service to the community to improve health outcomes now and into the future,” Mr Speakman said.
Member for Heathcote Lee Evans said the community played a critical role in ensuring an MRI service was provided in the Sutherland Shire.
“We are grateful to the community as well as staff and residents who volunteered their time and efforts to help make this outcome a reality,” Mr Evans said.
Construction of the Operating Theatre Complex is expected to be completed in late 2023. This includes eight operating theatres, two procedure rooms, recovery facilities and a sterilising department.
The Sutherland Hospital Redevelopment is part of the NSW Government’s record $11.9 billion investment in health infrastructure over four years to 2025-26.
Since 2011 the NSW Liberal and Nationals Government has delivered more than 180 health capital works projects across NSW, with more than 130 currently underway. The government will be investing $3 billion this financial year (2022-23) to build and redevelop hospital facilities across NSW.
36-year-old Aristides Avlonitis is among three men wanted by the Australian Federal Police (AFP) after about 365 kilograms of cocaine was found off Western Australia’s south coast.
According to The Guardian, Avlonitis, along with Mate Stipinovich, 49, and Karl Whitburn, 45, were found clinging to an esky in the ocean off Albany on February 1, telling authorities their boat had capsized while they were fishing.
Six days later, a black package containing multiple packages of cocaine washed ashore near Denmark, 423 kilometres south-east of Perth.
Photo: Australian Federal Police.
The AFP said a seven-metre boat was also found overturned off Peaceful Bay the following day with more cocaine inside.
Police suspect the shipment was collected from the ocean and don’t believe the story about the men’s boat capsizing, Nine News has reported.
The AFP are now seeking public assistance to locate Stipinovich, Whitburn and Avlonitis, who is believed to be in the Northern Territory.
AFP acting commander Graeme Marshall urged the three men to contact police.
Residents across NSW can now receive the latest flood and fire warnings in the palm of their hands, with the launch of the NSW Liberal and Nationals Government’s Hazards Near Me app.
The widely used Fires Near Me app, which has more than four million users, has been expanded and renamed to include flood alerts from the NSW State Emergency Service (SES), delivering on a key recommendation of the independent Flood Inquiry.
Minister for Customer Service and Digital Government Victor Dominello said it is critical for the community to have access to the latest information when it matters most.
“Being informed in an emergency situation can save lives, and the Hazards Near Me app will help people stay safe during fires, floods and other natural disasters,” Mr Dominello said.
“The app has been jointly developed by the Department of Customer Service, SES and NSW Rural Fire Service (RFS), and I’m excited that app users will see additional features roll out in the future.”
Minister for Emergency Services and Resilience and Minister for Flood Recovery Steph Cooke said empowering people with information is key to improving emergency responses.
“The independent Flood Inquiry identified the need for a single source of advice that can provide warnings for different types of hazards, and this app delivers on our commitment,” Ms Cooke said.
“In an emergency every minute counts. Hazards Near Me will provide reliable and timely information directly from emergency services so people can make decisions to keep themselves and their families safe.”
RFS Commissioner Rob Rogers said the NSW community has shown how important apps are during emergencies.
“For more than a decade, the NSW community has used Fires Near Me for bush fire information, and with nearly three million downloads during the 2019-20 bush fire season, it’s a trusted source for fire information and warnings,” Commissioner Rogers said.
“The Hazards Near Me app builds upon this experience, familiarity and extensive user base by allowing people to see localised and customised information based on the hazards in their area.”
SES Commissioner Carlene York said the app is another way that emergency services can alert the community when action is required.
“In recent months, the SES has delivered a new approach to flood warnings in NSW through the adoption of the three-level Australian Warning System,” Commissioner York said.
“The app will not only show where floods are happening and what people should do, but also alert users when new information is available so they can stay up-to-date and make safe decisions”.
Existing users of Fires Near Me will need to update their app through their phone’s app store. New users can download the app by searching for ‘Hazards Near Me’ in their app store.
According to AMNA.gr, the children’s choir of the Mikis Theodorakis Museum in Zatouna were conducted by Stefanos Kardiolakas.
They sang ‘Tis dikaiosynis ilie noite’ and ‘Tis agapis aimata’ – two of Theodorakis’ most well-known compositions based off the poems of Odysseus Elytis.
Kardiolakas said the event was the children’s initiative to “send a message of love, compassion, and solidarity” to the people of Turkey and Syria.
“[The event] is Mikis’ legacy: to build bridges of friendship and peace with our neighbours. With the children’s voices, the poetry of Nobel-prize winner Odysseas Elytis and the music of Theodorakis, we are sending a big hug,” Kardiolakas concluded.
During a press conference with his Israeli counterpart on Tuesday, Cavusoglu stressed that Turkey wanted “peace and stability in our region” and made a special reference to Greece.
“I hope that our solidarity during this earthquake will also be decisive in opening a new page with Greece,” the Turkish Foreign Minister said.
“Therefore, like all countries in the region, we must continue to work for the stability, economic development and peace of our region.”
#Canlı 📡#İsrail Dışişleri Bakanı Eli Cohen ile Ortak Basın Toplantısı#Live📡
Joint Press Conference with Eli Cohen, Minister of Foreign Affairs of #Israel
During his visit, Dendias reinforced that Greece will continue to “do everything it can to support Turkey at this difficult time, either bilaterally or in the framework of its participation in the European Union.”
Greece will disburse a one-time allowance to pensioners that is expected to cost around 300 million euros, Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis said on Tuesday.
This measure refers to the difference between pensions issued before and after the May 2016 cut-off date.
Christos Vassilopoulos, 82, holds a 5-Euro banknote at a coffee shop in Athens, Greece, October 6, 2022. Photo: Lefteris Partsalis/Xinhua.
Each individual who is eligible for the extra allowance is expected to get from 200 to 300 euros, depending on the level of their pension.
Mitsotakis added that the allowance will be given “taking into account fiscal ability.”
“This government is not going to leave the path of fiscal stability, but as long as space is created we will make sure to correct the injustices,” the Greek Prime Minister said.
“When I first got involved with the community and charity life it was not to receive any awards or recognition,” Emanuel George Kallinicos OAM tells The Greek Herald. “It was to help.”
Mr Kallinicos was recently recognised in the Australia Day Honours List 2023 for his lifelong contribution to the Greek Orthodox Community of Brisbane in Queensland.
In an interview, Mr Kallinicos details how his family “has roots in Australia since 1906.” His grandfather first came Down Under together with his brothers. His parents were born in Greece and his father came abroad in 1935.
When the family later moved from the Queensland city of Ipswich to Brisbane, the father worked hard with the Kytherian community of Queensland. Mr Kallinicos recalls these years as difficult.
“There were many Australians who were against Greeks and Cypriots,” he says.
Growing up, he remembers his parents being close to other Greeks, keeping the traditions alive.
“The need for companionship and support was important,” he adds.
In the last decades, Mr Kallinicos has been Treasurer, Vice President and President of the Greek Orthodox Community of St George in Queensland. He was also Treasurer and member of the Kytherian Association of Queensland and a Founding Director of the earlier Kytherian Brotherhood of Queensland.
Mr Kallinicos details how Brisbane’s Greek community includes a broad range of associations such the Kytherians and the Castellorizians. Many of these associations come together and become involved in the broader Greek Orthodox Community of St George.
“It was very hard for the individual associations to establish a church community so they all had to come together,” Mr Kallinicos says.
Over the years, certain needs popped up in the local Greek community of Brisbane. Afternoon school programs were established, as well as a nursing home for the elderly and a welfare program.
“The emphasis was then on looking after age care [services]. But while you devote all your resources to look after the aged, you neglect the youth,” he explains, while adding that a youth group was later formed to help resolve that matter.
“That’s why, we have now gone down the path of trying to establish a Greek Orthodox primary school. We are one of the only states in Australia that doesn’t have a Greek Orthodox school,” he says.
The school is set to open in 2025 and Mr Kallinicos says there are a lot of parents who want their kids to come there.
“The good part of having a strong community in Queensland is that we embrace each community and we work together. It is not a case of them or us,” he says.
When it comes to his name being included in the Australian Day Honours list, Mr Kallinicos appreciates that there are people around him who felt he is worthy of recognition.
After everything that he has offered though, the most important thing for him lies in two words: “Thank you.”
The Hellenic Australian Chamber of Commerce and Industry (HACCI) held its Inaugural HACCI National Federation Meeting (HNF) in Sydney on Friday, February 10, 2023.
In what marked an historic milestone for the Hellenic Australian professional and business community, the Board Chairs of HACCI Victoria, Northern Territory, South Australia and Western Australia – Fotini Kypraios, Angela Tomazos, Kostas Koutsonas, and Dr Elena Limnios respectively – came together at the offices of Business Sydney to hold the inaugural meeting of the HACCI National Federation.
HACCIs across Australia have now realised the vision of the founding members of the respective Chambers to unite and establish a national presence and voice representing the Hellenic Australian business and professional community.
As designated by the HNF Terms of Reference, the heads of the four Chambers formed the founding HACCI National Federation Council, each of them assuming the role of chair, on an annual rotating basis.
HACCI Victoria Chair, Fotini Kypraios, will be the inaugural Chair of the newly formed HACCI National Federation Council.
“The HACCI National Federation is a vision HACCI Victoria has been working on for many years. I am excited for what the future holds,” Ms Kypraios said. “It is a privilege to be part of a new era of unity amongst Chambers across the country.”
“I am grateful for the enthusiasm with which my interstate colleagues have embraced the opportunity to be part of a collective, national voice of the Hellenic Australian business and professional community.
(L-R): Angela Tomazos (HACCI NT Board Chair), Arthur Baoustanos (HACCI VIC Director of Trade), Alex Demetriou (HACCI SA Board Member), George Mavrakis (HACCI NSW President), Dr. Elena Limnios (HACCI WA President), Paul Nicolaou (Business Sydney), Kostas Koutsonas (HACCI SA Board Chair), Fotini Kypraios (HACCI VIC Board Chair). Photo: Effy Alexakis.
“The HACCI National Federation will lead by example to connect, motivate and inspire future generations of community and thought leaders. Anything is possible when we work together.”
The HNF Terms of Reference outlines the vision and mission of the HACCI National Federation to connect Hellenic Australian state-based Chambers of Commerce and encourages continued collaboration and connection of Hellenic Australian chambers of commerce nationally and internationally, as well as with the governments of Australia and Greece.
Furthermore, the HNF aims to assist the member Chambers, as well as businesses and individual professionals throughout the nation, in their effort to share information, collaborate and network, promoting and fostering awareness of issues impacting business and professional Hellenes of the Australian diaspora.
The HACCI National Federation Council welcomed the guest attendance of HACCI NSW President, George Mavrakis, who has been engaged in discussions about the unification of HACCI state-based Chambers. Mr Mavrakis is supportive of the HNF, congratulates the Chambers on uniting and looks forward to participating.
The first activity of the HACCI National Federation will take place within the year and will be announced soon.
