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Family of first Greek man to die from COVID in New Zealand speak out

Andriana Simos
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Family of first Greek man to die from COVID in New Zealand speak out

Manoli Tzanoudakis and his bride Betty were at the centre of an infamous wedding in Bluff, New Zealand, where as many as 98 people contracted COVID-19.

One of the 98 people was Manoli’s 87-year-old father, Chrisanthos Tzanoudakis, who later became the first Greek man to die in NZ from the virus.

READ MORE: Greek man becomes the fourth victim of coronavirus in New Zealand.

”It was an amazing day with all our family around us. Then it all changed,” Betty told NZ Newshub national correspondent Patrick Gower in his documentary, Patrick Gower: On Lockdown.

Betty and Manoli’s wedding was the centre of the Bluff cluster. Photo: Mediaworks.

Betty had proposed to husband Manoli on a Stewart Island hunting trip. They spent months planning their wedding reception which was held at Oyster Cove Restaurant in Bluff on March 21.

In the days following the wedding, a guest tested positive for COVID-19. Then the bride and groom tested positive.

“One of the guests rang me to ask how we were,” Betty said. “He said that he was unwell and had been tested for COVID-19 and was positive. Then it was like, ‘wow’.”

Manoli’s father, originally from Greece, had lived in Wellington for more than 50 years. He worked on the wharves and owned a fish and chip shop. He planned to move back to Greece after the wedding.

But on the Thursday after the wedding his father was very sick, Manoli said.

“He got rushed to hospital. He was going up and down, and then he started deteriorating.”

His father was put on an oxygen mask but was pulling it off because he was in so much pain.

Speaking in Greek, Manoli told him to “be strong, and we will get through it.”

It was the last thing he said to his father, who died on April 10.

One of their guests, a flight attendant, was identified as bringing the virus into the country.

But Manoli said he wouldn’t blame his father’s death on anyone. He blames the virus.

Stefanos Tsitsipas is on to round three of the US Open

The Greek Herald
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Stefanos Tsitsipas is on to round three of the US Open

Greek tennis player, Stefanos Tsitsipas, eliminated wild card Maxime Cressy 7-6(2), 6-3, 6-4 on Wednesday evening to reach the third round of a Grand Slam for the fifth time.

Tsitsipas had only won one US Open match entering this year’s event. But the fourth seed has looked impressive en route to the third round at Flushing Meadows. 

“It’s very unusual to be playing a player who is hitting both serves [that hard],” Tsitsipas said on court.

“He’s a player who can play very well in the future. His game is very difficult to read and he has a very good serve-and-volley game. You don’t get to play against players like this very often.”

It was a fun match-up inside Arthur Ashe Stadium. Cressy, an old-school player, charged the net 92 times, winning 52 of those points. The former UCLA Bruin struck 21 aces to only 10 double faults despite his extreme aggression, forcing Tsitsipas to be sharp.

Cressy also showed great hands at the net, sticking his volleys well in the early going. The American held a set point on Tsitsipas’ serve at 5-4 in the opening set, but the fourth seed wiped out the chance with a big body serve.

A sloppy tie-break in the first set proved pivotal for Cressy’s chances. Once Tsitsipas took the opener thanks to unforced errors from his opponent, he loosened up with his groundstrokes and started to find more holes with his passing shots, advancing after two hours and 23 minutes.

“His game is very unorthodox to be honest with you. You don’t have players like this on Tour,” Tsitsipas said. “He’s a rare species of a tennis player, that’s what he is.”

This was World No. 168 Cressy’s first tour-level event. Tsitsipas has played a lot of big servers since the ATP Tour returned at the Western & Southern Open.

At that event he defeated 6’8 Kevin Anderson, 6’10 John Isner and 6’11 Reilly Opelka before losing against 6’5 Milos Raonic in the semi-finals. The Greek has won all six of his sets in this US Open.

Tsitsipas will face a totally different stylistic match in the next round against 27th seed Borna Coric. The Croatian rallied to oust Argentine Juan Ignacio Londero 7-5, 4-6, 6-7(5), 6-2, 6-3 after four hours and 19 minutes.

Turkish town sends message of peace to Greece

Andriana Simos
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Turkish town sends message of peace to Greece

Every year, athletes from the Turkish town of Datça participate in a swimming contest with their Greek neighbors from the island of Symi.

Swimmers from both countries start off at their respective ports and meet in the middle.

The tradition began nearly 20 years ago but because of COVID-19 and strained relations between Greece and Turkey, local leaders in Symi decided not to participate in the event this year.

The Mayor of Datça considered the competition an important tradition for the town, and chose to put it on anyway despite the absence of Greek swimmers.

“We are not on the side of war,” the Mayor said at the beginning of the event.

This was followed by Turkish swimmers, who had decided to still participate in the event, unfurling a banner which read ‘Peace will win’ in Turkish, Greek and English.

No response yet from the Greek side.

On This Day in 1974: PASOK was established

Andriana Simos
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On This Day in 1974: PASOK was established

On September 3, 1974, Andreas Papandreou announced the establishment of the Panhellenic Socialist Movement (PASOK), a political faction that would dominate post-colonial Greece politically.

We take a look at how the historic occasion played out.

Establishment:

The fall of the junta in Greece on July 24, 1974, found Andreas Papandreou in exile in Canada. 

During this time, he had founded the resistance organisation known as the Panhellenic Liberation Movement (PAK). On August 6, PAK held a conference in Winterthur, Switzerland, where it was decided that the party would be dissolved and turned into a socialist party.

Andreas Papandreou announced the establishment of PASOK on September 3, 1974.

A committee was tasked with drafting a “declaration of principles” for the new political formation.

READ MORE: July 23, 1974: Greek military rule gives in to democracy.

On August 16, Papandreou returned to Greece and was warmly welcomed by his political friends and thousands of people at the Hellinikon airport.

One of the first problems he faced with the establishment of this new party was its name. Papandreou proposed the ‘Panhellenic Socialist Movement for the Renaissance of Greece,’ but the term “Renaissance” was considered obsolete by most of his interlocutors, while others said it looked like a junta slogan. 

Eventually, the name ‘Panhellenic Socialist Movement’ was chosen.

Party Announcement:

PASOK had a socialist agenda that was anti-European Union and anti-NATO.

The official presentation of the new party took place on September 3, 1974 at the King Palace Hotel in Athens, in the presence of 150 people, who formed its founding core. 

Papandreou appeared late in the event hall. He read the entire ‘Declaration of Principles’ and then distributed it to the journalists present, printed on a small green booklet.

The four defining the principles of PASOK were: national independence, people’s rule, social liberation and democracy.

As Papandreou stressed, “the main dominant goal of the movement is to create a state free from foreign control or interference, a state free from the control or influence of the economic oligarchy.”

Party Politics:

PASOK won the elections in 1981 based on a socialist agenda that was anti-European Union and anti-NATO. Papandreou never fulfilled his promises to pull Greece out of the EU or NATO.

Papandreou ruled from 1981-1989 and from 1993 until his death in 1996. PASOK remained in power from 1996 until 2004 with Costas Simitis at the helm.

Ironically, the man who put Greece in the European common currency bloc in 2001 was PASOK Prime Minister Simitis.

It was equally ironic that George Papandreou, Andreas’ son, led Greece to the austerity bailout deal in 2010 during his brief stint as prime minister from the end of 2009 until 2011.

The once mighty party is now a political entity that in 2018 merged into a new political alliance of centre-left parties called the Movement for Change, becoming the third largest party in the Hellenic Parliament in the 2019 election.

New party leader Fofi Gennimata, daughter of PASOK founding member and former minister Giorgos Gennimatas, is trying to restore the party’s credibility.

Turkey says US decision to end Cyprus arms embargo is ‘poison to the region’

Andriana Simos
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Turkey says US decision to end Cyprus arms embargo is ‘poison to the region’

An announcement by the United States that it will lift a 33-year arms embargo on Cyprus and deepen its security cooperation with Nicosia has prompted an angry response from Turkey.

Turkey’s Foreign Ministry said the decision “ignores the equality and balance between the two peoples on the island.”

“It is certain that this decision will also have negative effects on the efforts to reach a settlement on the Cyprus issue,” the Ministry’s statement reads.

“In a time, where efforts are spent to reduce the tension in the Eastern Mediterranean, the US’s approval of such a decision, which poisons the peace and stability environment in the region, does not comply with the spirit of alliance.

“We expect the US to reconsider this decision and support the ongoing efforts to establish peace and stability in the region.

“Otherwise, Turkey, as a guarantor country, will take the necessary decisive counter steps to guarantee the security of the Turkish Cypriot people, in line with its legal and historical responsibilities.”

The statement comes a day after Cypriot President, Nicos Anastasiades, welcomed the lifting of the arms embargo on Twitter.

“I welcome the lifting of the US arms embargo on non-lethal defense articles. A positive development which reinforces further the bilateral security relationship between Cyprus and the United States,” Mr Anastasiades wrote.

The lifting of the embargo will be valid for one year and can be renewed on an annual basis. 

US officials reportedly said that the decision is not related to recent developments in the Eastern Mediterranean.

NRL boss Peter V’landys launches savage attack on AFL

Andriana Simos
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NRL boss Peter V’landys launches savage attack on AFL

A turf war has erupted after NRL boss Peter V’landys ridiculed the AFL’s alleged ploy to win over Queensland rugby league fans by bringing the grand final to the Gabba in Brisbane.

The COVID-19 pandemic has forced the AFL to play its showcase event outside of Victoria for the first time in its 123-year history and Brisbane will host the premiership decider on October 24.

But ARL Commission boss V’landys fired a stinging response at this decision, declaring the NRL will always reign supreme in Queensland.

Queensland Premier, Annastacia Palaszczuk, was pleased to hear the AFL grand final would be held at the Gabba in Brisbane this year.

“Our supporters are solid, they’re not straw. They can blow all they like but they won’t blow the brick wall down. Our rugby league supporters are strong, to say the least,” V’landys told The Daily Telegraph.

“Queensland is part and parcel of rugby league. We’ve got the left arm in New South Wales and the right arm in Queensland. It’s a vital part of our game.”

The Queensland Government has played a major role in rescuing this year’s AFL premiership, with 15 of the league’s 18 teams currently in “hubs” from Cairns to the Gold Coast.

The AFL’s decision to overlook bids from Western Australia and South Australia has reinforced the game’s desire to spread its wings in Queensland.

Vlandy’s has scoffed at suggestions the NRL could lose a turf war to the AFL.

But V’landys scoffed at suggestions the NRL could lose a turf war to the AFL.

“The AFL can steal whatever databases they want,” he said.

“It’s a flash in the pan. The AFL will never have another grand final in Queensland ever again.

“Who cares? Queensland is rugby league heartland. As if some Cowboys fan in Cairns is going to start following the Brisbane Lions? I don’t think so.

“The AFL can sell meat but the vegetarians won’t eat it.”

First ever coronavirus case reported in Moria refugee camp on Lesvos

Andriana Simos
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First ever coronavirus case reported in Moria refugee camp on Lesvos

Greece has placed the overcrowded Moria refugee camp on the island of Lesvos under a two-week quarantine, after they detected the first case of coronavirus there.

A Migration Ministry official confirmed a 40-year old asylum seeker tested positive for the virus and has been placed in isolation while authorities try to trace the people he had contact with.

Authorities say the man originally left the camp on July 17. In early August, he arrived in Athens but unable to find work in the capital, he returned to Moria to use the free shelter and food there. 

A statement released by the ministries of Citizen Protection and Immigration and Asylum said: “This incident highlights the need to create ‘enclosed’ refugee and migrant camps where authorities can control the movement of inhabitants.”

People walk outside the Moria refugee camp on the northeastern Aegean island of Lesbos, Greece, Wednesday, Sept. 2, 2020. Photo: AP Photo / Vangelis Papantonis.

The Moria facility, which hosts about 13,000 people (more than four times its stated capacity), has been frequently criticised by aid groups for poor living conditions.

The International Rescue Committee called for an urgent increase in healthcare and sanitation services on Lesvos, including sufficient space for isolation and quarantine.

“Social distancing and basic hygiene measures like hand washing are simply impossible to adhere to in Moria, where thousands of people live in close proximity to each other with inadequate access to running water and soap,” said Dimitra Kalogeropoulou, the IRC Greece director.

READ MORE: Greece extends coronavirus lockdown at refugee camps.

Tents are seen outside the perimeter of the Moria refugee camp on the northeastern Aegean island of Lesbos, Greece, Wednesday, Sept. 2, 2020. Photo: AP Photo / Vangelis Papantonis.

“COVID-19 could spread rapidly and those at risk, including the elderly, pregnant women and those with underlying health conditions, must be urgently evacuated to safety before it is too late.”

Greece has been seeing a spike in coronavirus infections in recent weeks, which authorities have attributed to people on holiday ignoring protective measures such as maintaining social distance.

The country was initially credited with tackling the pandemic’s initial outbreak well, with an early lockdown keeping the number of seriously ill people and deaths low.

Health authorities on Wednesday announced 233 new confirmed coronavirus cases and two new deaths in the previous 24 hours. Greece’s total confirmed cases stand at 10,757, with 273 deaths.

READ MORE: ‘A wake up call’: An Australian’s volunteering experience in Greece’s refugee camps.

Pompeo: ‘We urge everybody to stand down in east Med’

The Greek Herald
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Pompeo: ‘We urge everybody to stand down in east Med’

The United States is urging “everyone to stand down” in ongoing disputes about drilling and maritime rights in the East Mediterranean, Secretary of State Mike Pompeo said on Wednesday.

“President Trump’s been in conversations with President Erdogan, he’s spoken with the Prime Minister in Greece,” Pompeo began during a press briefing in Washington.

“We’re urging everyone to stand down, to reduce tensions and to begin to have diplomatic discussions about the conflicts that exist there in the Eastern Mediterranean, the security conflicts, the energy resource conflicts, the maritime conflicts.

Warships from Greece, Italy, Cyprus and France, participate in a joint military exercise which was held from 26-28 of August, south of Turkey in eastern Mediterranean sea. Photo: Greek Defense Ministry via AP.

“They need to sit down and have conversations about this and resolve this diplomatically. It is not useful to increase military tension in the region; only negative things can flow from that.”

Asked about Washington’s decision to lift an arms embargo on Cyprus – a move that has angered Turkey – Pompeo said it was “a long time coming.”

“We know that this decision was announced in light of heightened tensions in the Eastern Mediterranean but we thought it was the right thing so I made the decision that we would move forward with it,” he said.

Source: Ekathimerini.

Maria Trovas: Meet the artist who handcrafts Greek wedding crowns with a twist

Argyro Vourdoumpa
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Maria Trovas: Meet the artist who handcrafts Greek wedding crowns with a twist

Weddings have been a part of Australia’s coronavirus story since the start of the pandemic and although countless have been postponed or cancelled, some couples choose to change their plans and get married during the COVID-19 restrictions.

Maria Trovas, founder of ‘Story of Stefania’ an Adelaide based business has been creating personalised stefana (Greek wedding crowns) since 2012 and is one of the people who work behind the scenes to make these weddings happen while keeping Greek traditions alive.

“It has been a heart-breaking process for the couples I work with. Many are postponing for a second time this year. It has been an unprecedented time and people have been showing their support to local Australian businesses,” Maria tells The Greek Herald explaining that she has been handcrafting stefana for Greek weddings in Australia, US, UK and around the world. 

The importance of ‘stefana’ in Greek weddings

“I have a genuine interest in the symbolisms and tradition of Greek weddings. I wanted to put a personal touch to my Greek wedding ceremony and I had the idea to personalise the joining ribbon. 

“Then my mum showed me her stefana and this is where I drew my inspiration from and  started creating original designs using Swarovski crystals and pearls. The first ones I made were for my mother in law’s wedding,” Maria tells The Greek Herald.  

In a traditional Greek Orthodox wedding, the crowing is considered the focal point of the ceremony and the ‘stefana’ symbolize the unity of the couple. Originally, the crowns were made of materials ranging from lemon leaves to vines to gold and jewels. 

“I wanted to create modern designs but I also wanted them to look traditional and timeless. I feel privileged that I handcraft something so special that couples will display in their home as a keepsake. I feel I have contributed to this generation’s stefana style,” Maria says. 

How Maria’s Greek heritage and upbringing inspired her art

Maria would not have followed this career path if it wasn’t for her Greek upbringing and the close relationship she shares with her ‘yiayia’.

“Born in Florina, Greece; My Yiayia Evangelia has witnessed and survived the horrors of WW2, started a new life in Australia and created a loving family with her husband. She arrived by plane in Adelaide, in 1957 to join her mother and siblings who were already beginning their new lives and three years later, in 1960, she was introduced to my Pappou, Pavlos, who had just arrived in Adelaide from Greece. 

“After three weeks they were engaged and eight months later they were married! In a new and foreign country, with not much but each other, they created a family together and were successful in their business endeavours,” says Maria. 

“I lived next door to my yiayia and pappou. My childhood was spent sitting in the kitchen, watching yiayia as she busily prepared food or I would play in the backyard with pappou. Pappou watching me climbing the olive tree. These days it is my children, her great grandsons that watch yiayia Evangelia in the kitchen!

“My life has been shaped by the strong women in my life, my yiayia and my mum Theodora, they support and motivate me to achieve my dreams. I am the person I am today because of these strong women and the sacrifices they made,” Maria concludes.

*Photos by: GCanatselis Photography

Tony Popovic set to join Bill Papas in Greece after announcing departure from Perth Glory

The Greek Herald
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Tony Popovic set to join Bill Papas in Greece after announcing departure from Perth Glory

Tony Popovic has announced his departure from Perth Glory FC with the coach set to join Greek Australians Bill Papas and Arthur Diles at Xanthi FC in Greece.

Popovic told the club on Wednesday morning he was activating a release clause in his contract allowing him to take up an offer to coach a team in Europe.

The 47-year-old former Socceroo joined Glory in 2018 and guided the club to its maiden Hyundai A-League Premiership and second Grand Final in his debut season at the helm.

“I had a wonderful two years, winning the Premiers’ Plate being a fantastic highlight, along with playing in front of a sell-out crowd at Optus Stadium in the Grand Final and being a part of the club’s first foray into the AFC Champions League,” Popovic said.

Bill Papas, CEO of Iugis and Billy Hogan, managing director and chief commercial officer at LFC. Photo: Business Live

“An opportunity has now come for me to pursue in Europe, but I’m very thankful to everyone for making my time in Perth so enjoyable.”

Popovic will join Sydney Olympic President Bill Papas’ new team in Greece, Xanthi FC, after the Greek Australian reached an agreement with current owner Christos Panopoulos.

Papas reportedly overcame the last hurdle with the current owners after they agreed on a price for the club, should they play in the Super League League next season and not be relegated.

READ MORE: Bill Papas reportedly submits bid to purchase Greek Super League team Xanthi FC
READ MORE: Arthur Diles: One of Australia’s greatest football talent creators

Popovic will also join Greek Australian Western Sydney Wanders youth coach Arthur Diles. Diles undertook the youth head coaching job a few years ago, being part of Western Sydney Wanderers for about 5 years.

Western Sydney Wanderers announced his departure in August, with CEO John Tsatsimas wishing him “all the best in his new coaching appointment overseas”.

Arthur Diles was part of the Western Sydney Wanders coaching staff for about 5 years before departing. Photo: Supplied

The link up between Popovic, Papas and Diles is set to be an interesting move, especially at a club that has struggled this season and is at risk of relegation. Sources have revealed that Popovic will be given a large reign at the Greek club, assisted by his coaching staff which will be made up of Greek and Australian professionals.

“The opportunity to work with an Australian owner, I think that weighed heavily in the decision,” said Glory chief executive Tony Pignata. “The most interesting aspect was the way he could go and set this club up and coach in Europe.”

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