Greek Foreign Minister, Nikos Dendias, has paid a three-day visit to Manama, the capital of Bahrain, and on his last day he met with his Bahraini counterpart Abdullatif bin Rashid Al Zayani.
During their meeting, the two Foreign Ministers signed a memorandum of understanding on political consultations, Ekathimerini reports.
“The positions of Greece and Bahrain converge on a number of key areas, especially in terms of its approach to international law and the international law of the sea,” Dendias said after the meeting.
I was warmly welcomed by #Bahrain FM Abdullatif bin Rashid Al Zayani. Μy official visit is an opportunity to advance bilateral political & economic relations. (1/3) pic.twitter.com/oriYABKfo2
“Bahrain is a country which has always stood by us in international organisations, supported our candidacy for the UN Security Council, and has condemned the conversion of Hagia Sophia into a mosque.”
Greek diplomatic sources said Dendias used the visit to boost the collaboration of the legal departments of the foreign ministries of both countries.
The two Foreign Ministers signed a memorandum of understanding on political consultations.
Dendias was the only EU minister to attend the Manama Dialogue Forum, the biggest regional conference on security issues, which was also attended by the US Defense Secretary and Israel’s National Security Adviser.
During his visit, Dendias was received by King of Bahrain Hamad bin Isa Al Khalifa, to whom he extended President Katerina Sakellaropoulou’s invitation to visit Greece at the earliest opportunity.
Turkish Defense Minister, Hulusi Akar, has accused Greece of “playing the victim card” in its relations with Turkey.
“[Greece] has repeatedly and constantly made provocations, aggressive statements and actions which raise tension,” Akar said on Monday.
He added that the government in Athens is “falsifying facts and misleading [other states],” while being the one which, in fact, violates international law.
“[Greece] is making selfish statements in order to draw attention to itself,” Akar said.
Turkish Defense Minister, Hulusi Akar.
“They are trying to portray themselves as the victim and Turkey as the aggressor. However, history and ongoing developments clearly show that it is them who are adopting an expansionist and aggressive policy.”
This statement comes just days after Turkey’s Defence Ministry alleged Greek coast guard units had pushed and shot at inflatable migrant boats as they made the treacherous journey from Turkey to Greece.
Greece has recently come under fire by Turkey and the European Union after allegations emerged the country’s coastguard was illegally pushing back migrants, but Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis has repeatedly denied these claims.
Greek Prime Minister, Kyriakos Mitsotakis, has met with His Holiness Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew in Athens today to discuss a number of issues currently concerning the Ecumenical Patriarchate.
During the meeting, Mitsotakis told Patriarch Bartholomew that the reopening of the Theological School of Halki remains a high priority for the Greek government.
The two leaders also discussed the outstanding issues concerning the Ecumenical Patriarchate and the Greek minority in Turkey.
Είχα την τιμή σήμερα να υποδεχθώ τον Οικουμενικό Πατριάρχη κ.κ. Βαρθολομαίο, στο πλαίσιο της επίσκεψης που πραγματοποιεί στην Αθήνα για τον εορτασμό για τα 30 έτη από την εκλογή του στον Οικουμενικό Θρόνο. https://t.co/1vD2Xy5Tfjpic.twitter.com/Cv82GX1psi
Mitsotakis assured His Holiness of the continued support of Greece at the bilateral and international level with regards to his demands for the religious freedoms of Orthodox Christians in Turkey.
For his part, the Patriarch informed Mitsotakis about the latest developments following his recent visit to the United States and his contacts with the American leadership.
The Patriarch arrived in Greece on Saturday.
The Patriarch is currently in Athens for an official visit to mark the 30th anniversary since his enthronement.
Over the weekend, he led a mass with Archbishop of Athens and members of the Holy Synod of the Church of Greece at the Athens Cathedral for the feast of the Presentation of the Virgin Mary.
The service was also attended by Education and Religion Minister, Niki Kerameus, Culture and Sports Minister, Lina Mendoni, Tourism Minister, Vassilis Kikilias, and Athens Mayor, Kostas Bakoyannis.
The 48th anniversary of the Athens Polytechnic Uprising was commemorated on Sunday with a special event organised by the Greek Orthodox Community of NSW (GOCNSW) and the Combined Universities Greek Association (CUGA).
Held at the Greek Community Club in Lakemba at 4pm, the event was emceed by Athanasios Kallos and began with a minute silence followed by the national anthems of Greece and Australia.
A wreath laying ceremony was then held at a special cenotaph set up at the front of the stage.
All photos copyright: The Greek Herald / John Voutos.
Among those who laid floral wreaths in honour of the 1973 Uprising were the Consul General of Greece in Sydney, Christos Karras, the Mayor of Randwick City Council, Dylan Parker, Randwick City Councillor, Alexandra Luxford, Councillor for Georges River Council, Nick Patris, and Councillor for Canterbury-Bankstown Council, Clare Raffan, as well as other representatives of Greek communities across Sydney and many university students.
After the wreath laying ceremony, a video titled ‘One week diary of the Polytechnic – by Yiannis Ritsos’ was displayed to the roughly 70 people in attendance and this was followed by two speeches from the Consul General and the Secretary of GOCNSW, Michael Tsilimos.
During his speech, the Consul General said the commemoration was important to honour all those who struggled for the values of democracy and freedom during the Polytechnic Uprising.
“Today’s anniversary reminds us that the struggle to defend democracy and freedom must be continuous and undiminished. The messages of the uprising are today as timely and valued as ever,” Mr Karras said.
These speeches were followed by a number of poem recitals from students of the Community’s schools, as well as the Hellenic Society of the University of New South Wales (Hellsoc), Sydney University Greek Society (SUGS), UTS Hellenic and the Macquarie University Greek Association (MUGA).
Professor Vrasidas Karalis from the Modern Greek Department at the University of Sydney also gave a small presentation on the influence of legendary Greek composer, Mikis Theodorakis.
The commemoration event was concluded with a one hour mini tribute concert to Theodorakis by popular Greek band, IHO NYX.
Over the last two weekends, parishioners have attended St Nicholas Greek Orthodox Church in Marrickville, Sydney, or gathered around a livestream to watch as the ordinations of four new bishops for the Greek Orthodox Archdiocese of Australia were conducted.
The new bishops are: Bishop Kyriakos of Sozopolis, Bishop Christodoulos of Magnesia, Bishop Evmenios of Kerasounta and Bishop Bartholomew of Charioupolis.
Bishop Bartholomew of Charioupolis:
On Sunday, November 22, The Greek Herald attended the ordination of the Archiepiscopal Vicar of Canberra, Bishop-elect Prochoros of Charioupolis, along with hundreds of others.
Archbishop Makarios. Photo: The Greek Herald / Andriana Simos.
Photo: The Greek Herald / Andriana Simos.
The ceremony was presided over by His Eminence Archbishop Makarios of Australia with the assistance of over 15 clergy from across Australia, as well as His Eminence Metropolitan Ezekiel of Dervis, their Graces Bishop Iakovos of Miletoupolis, Emilianos of Meloa, Elpidios of Kyaneon, Silouan of Sinope, Kyriakos of Sozopolis, Chistodoulos of Magnesia, and Evmenios of Kerasounta.
Photo supplied.
Photos: The Greek Herald / Andriana Simos.
Also in attendance were a number of officials and prominent members of the Greek community including, but not limited to, the Consul General of Greece in Sydney, Mr Christos Karras, the High Commissioner for the Republic of Cyprus, Her Excellency Martha Mavromatis, the NSW Senators, The Honourable Peter Poulos and Courtney Houssos, the President of the Inter-communities Council of Victoria, Mr Tony Tsourdalakis, and the President of the Greek Orthodox Community and Church of Canberra, Mr John Loukadellis.
Photos: The Greek Herald / Andriana Simos.
The service was also honoured by the presence of the Right Reverend Bishop Malcolm Richards of the Anglican Church and Bishop Robert Rabbat of the Melkite Church.
Prior to his ordination, the Bishop-elect declared his devotion to Orthodoxy and the Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew. He also thanked a number of people who had inspired him throughout his life, including his late parents Vasilis and Lygeris.
“I thank them from the bottom of my heart for their labours. They raised me with love, faith, humility, meekness and the fear of God. They sealed my life with their instructive guidance,” he said with tears in his eyes.
Photos: The Greek Herald / Andriana Simos.
Following his address, there was audible surprise within the church as Archbishop Makarios announced the new Bishop would be renamed Bartholomew, in honour of the 30 year anniversary of the enthronement of Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew. The Archbishop also praised His Grace Bishop Bartholomew for his hard work, ecclesiastical ethos and philanthropy.
Parishioners then exclaimed ‘Axios!’ (He is Worthy!) three times as His Eminence placed the final liturgical items associated with the Episcopacy on the new Bishop.
At the end of the ceremony, everyone in attendance approached the new Bishop and offered their congratulations. They received a gift in return in the form of a small cross and icon.
Photos: The Greek Herald / Andriana Simos.
Bishop Kyriakos of Sozopolis:
On Saturday, November 13, the parish priest of The Resurrection of our Lord Greek Orthodox Church in Kogarah was ordained and became His Grace Bishop Kyriakos of Sozopolis. He will now assume the duties of Archiepiscopal Vicar at the Archdiocesan District of Melbourne.
On the day, Bishop Kyriakos gave a small address and referred to the time when he was ordained a priest in “The Garden of Panagia.” He remembered a phone call he received from his late mother, who thanked him for the honour he had given his parents through his priesthood.
“These words have accompanied me ever since and I ponder the importance of this honour. So, at this time, this honour belongs to my parents. I invoke their blessing and prayers today, from the heavenly Kingdom of God where they rest,” the Bishop said.
Later, Archbishop Makarios spoke about the life of Bishop Kyriakos and how it “sends a great message” of how “a life left in the hands of Christ becomes a mystery, which holds peaceful and graceful surprises.”
“The hitherto humble and lowly monk, Fr Kyriakos, who has demonstrated to have never sought any promotion or office in his life; who had nothing to do with being a “careerist clergyman,” is called today to take on the highest position – that of a bishop,” the Archbishop said.
“We thank the Triune God from the depths of our being because such clergymen exist, with your eminent qualities and spiritual calibre.”
Bishop Evmenios of Kerasounta:
On Saturday, November 20, His Grace Bishop Evmenios of Kerasounta was ordained in a ceremony presided over by Archbishop Makarios and a large number of other Bishops and clergy.
Also in attendance on the day were various officials including, but not limited to, the Consul General of Greece in Melbourne, Mr Emmanuel Kakavelakis, the Catholic Archbishop of Sydney, the Most Reverend Anthony Fisher, the President of the Greek Orthodox Community of Melbourne and Victoria, Bill Papastergiadis, and the brother of the Ecumenical Patriarch, Mr Nikolaos Archontonis, and his wife Catherine.
In his address, Bishop Evmenios expressed his thanks for his promotion and made special mention to his parents, John and Vasiliki, who sacrificed everything to offer him and his siblings a warm Christian family.
The newly ordained Bishop also mentioned the parish where he had served for 12 consecutive years, the Church of the Transfiguration of our Lord, in Thomastown, Melbourne, thanking all his faithful parishioners.
For his part, Archbishop Makarios addressed Bishop Evmenios with paternal words and spiritual counsel, stressing that the high office he is taking up is accompanied by many responsibilities and obligations towards God and the community.
Bishop Christodoulos of Magnesia:
On Sunday, November 14, the ordination of Bishop Christodoulos of Magnesia took place at St Nicholas Greek Orthodox Church in Marrickville, a community of which he has been parish priest for eight-and-a-half years.
Emotionally laden during his address, Bishop Christodoulos stressed that the parish holds a special place in his heart.
“In the church where we are today, I received holy Baptism from the sanctified hands of Fr Nektarios Zorbalas. Here, I became an Orthodox Christian. This is where I took my first steps in life and faith,” the Bishop said.
“Here, my parents came into the communion of marriage. St Nicholas invited me to serve him, here. Everything began for me from here and today, my new path in the Church begins, again, from here.”
For his part, Archbishop Makarios, who presided over the ordination, urged the newly ordained Bishop to walk the new path of his life with love for his brethren and to remain faithful to the principles and ethos of the Orthodox Church.
A Victorian inquest into the COVID-19 outbreak at St Basils Home for the Aged in Fawkner has continued today with Coroner John Cain hearing that there was a lack of food and medicine for residents within hours of quarantining staff at the facility.
A cook at St Basils Fawkner, Connie Apidopoulos, told the inquest today the elderly residents at the aged care facility were “like our parents” and the home was usually a warm and kind place to work.
But on July 22, the day new staff took over, she had just a few hours to brief a replacement worker who had no prior experience, the Australian Associated Pressreports.
“I will never forget that day… very stressful, we didn’t know what was going on,” Ms Apidopoulos told the inquest.
Afterwards she said she watched on from a nearby lounge room as the new staff breached infection controls and failed to give residents their medicine.
“They were coming out from their rooms, very stressed, looking for medications, looking for food… it was a disaster,” Ms Apidopoulos said about the residents.
Also on Monday, Dr Naveen Tenneti, who oversaw public health policy in Victoria at the time, told the inquest that more people would have died at St Basils Fawkner if staff had not been laid off.
Dr Tenneti testified the decision to furlough workers was appropriate and made after tests showed “significant and worrisome” levels of transmission at the home.
The inquest was told last week that St Basils Fawkner’s management did not co-operate with the furlough plan, and on Monday the inquest heard suggestions that keys and computer passwords were not provided to replacement staff.
Australia’s own version of the FBI has been created as police continue to crack down on major organised crime syndicates, their encrypted phones and the lavish lives led by their kingpins.
According to The Daily Telegraph, Operation Phobetor – named after the Greek God of nightmares – will see the official coming together of the Australian Federal Police, NSW Police and Australian Crime Intelligence Commission to target major drug importers and other high-level criminals.
“The taskforce will target outlaw motorcycle gangs, triads, cartels, organised criminals and other syndicate members who pose the highest threat to NSW,” Home Affairs Minister, Karen Andrews, told the newspaper.
Greek Australians were among those arrested in Operation Ironside earlier this year.
The latest operation aims to build off Operation Ironside, which led to the arrest of more than 300 people and the seizure of tens of millions of dollars.
“We’ll see two world class law enforcement agencies combine their resources to provide nightmares to the criminal element of this nation,” NSW Police Minister, David Elliott, said.
NSW Police sources said access to the ACIC’s ability to gather key intelligence on high-profile targets would be one of the biggest benefits of the partnership.
The number of women over the age of 55 seeking support from homelessness services has increased by 55 percent in the past decade, The Sydney Morning Herald reports.
About 5000 people each year are in urgent need of housing, with 50,000 to 60,000 people consistently on the waitlist for social housing in NSW.
To address the issue, the NSW government has now committed more than $18 million to create 78 new dwellings in areas such as Seven Hills, Camden, Revesby and Maroubra.
Community housing provider, Women’s Housing Company, will offer design consultation to create fit-for-purpose bedroom units. They will all solely exist for older women.
The number of older women over the age of 55 seeking support from homelessness services has increased by 55 percent in the past decade.
The CEO of Women’s Housing Company, Debbie Georgopoulos, told the newspaper the government partnership was a welcome step forward, but conceded 78 dwellings was “a drop in the ocean.”
“For single women on the aged pension, there are no affordable properties in greater Sydney. We need to maximise the number of units with the best design possible, so women can age in place,” Ms Georgopoulos said.
The investment comes after the Perrottet government last month committed almost $500 million to extra refuges for women and children fleeing domestic and family violence.
Fronditha Care St Albans is one of 46 facilities in Victoria with a current COVID-19 outbreak.
Fronditha Care undertakes proactive asymptomatic testing for all staff and residents. This current outbreak is believed to be due to a rapid test showing a false negative result for an asymptomatic staff member.
Fronditha Care St Albans immediately initiated its COVID-19 Outbreak Management Plan and has worked hand in glove with the Public Health Unit, DHS Victoria and Western Health Outreach Team, ensuring direct controls to manage the outbreak and that organisational compliance with directives and reporting requirements are in place to mitigate risk for all residents, staff and community.
Fronditha Care confirmed that of the 74 St Albans residents, 25 have returned positive results in initial COVID testing. The outbreak is contained to one wing of the facility with all residents of that wing, except for 3, fully vaccinated.
22 residents were and remain asymptomatic, 2 residents have continued to test negative. All residents are isolating in their rooms and are in good health and great spirits.
Fronditha Care St Albans has been hit by a COVID-19 outbreak.
Sadly, one unvaccinated resident with underlying health issues passed away on Saturday morning. Our deepest sympathies, thoughts and prayers are with their family and loved ones.
Of the 106 St Albans staff, 16 have returned a positive result, they are isolating at home and all doing well.
“Whilst Victorians today are enjoying new freedoms, there is unfortunately more exposure now than when we were in lockdown, with over 9,500 active cases in the community and 1,166 cases reported today. And it is anticipated that this trend of high community transmission will continue for the foreseeable future,” said Faye Spiteri OAM, CEO of Fronditha Care.
“I want to reassure the community that Fronditha Care has done everything it possibly can to protect and ensure the safety and wellbeing of its residents, staff, and the broader Fronditha Care community.
“We have had a great track record to date of keeping the virus at bay, but given the extraordinarily high cases in community we were prepared. With the swift actions of the St Albans Management team and support of the Public Health Unit and Western Health Outreach Team we are cautiously optimistic that this outbreak has been contained.”
All residents are in “great spirits,” Fronditha Care says.
Based on PCR test results as of Friday, 19 November 2021, all residents who had previously tested negative have again returned negative results. Regular testing of residents and staff is ongoing.
In the meantime, Fronditha Care St Albans, continues to follow strict infection control procedures in line with policies and as guided by the Public Health Unit, DHS Victoria.
There is open and regular communication with all residents, families, representatives, and staff of Fronditha Care St Albans.
“We really appreciate the cooperation, assistance and understanding of families during this time. Yesterday, to address queries directly I hosted an online briefing for St Albans residents, their family and representatives, together with the Executive General Manager Residential Services, St Albans Manager and with the participation of Jill Taylor (Nikitakis), President and Kostas Livadaras, Director,” Faye Spiteri OAM said.
“I want to sincerely thank the Board of Directors, the Executive and especially the facility Manager and each and every St Albans staff member, the Public Health Unit, DHS Victoria and Western Health for working collaboratively through this very challenging time.”
Fronditha Care strongly encourages all community members to get vaccinated and follow health advice.
Athens Medical School professor and epidemiologist, Sotiris Tsiodras, has been appointed to head a new interdisciplinary academic committee that will advise the Health Ministry on public policy, Ekathimerinireports.
Dr Tsiodras became a household name in the first year of the pandemic as the government’s chief advisor and spokesperson.
He grew up in Sydney and completed his medical training in Greece and at Harvard University. He is internationally recognised in his field and has published hundreds of peer-reviewed research papers.
According to a Health Ministry announcement on Saturday, the new Committee of Public Health Experts (EEDY) will be a completely separate entity to the current body advising the government on the pandemic, but may have a complimentary role in that it will track new academic studies on SARS-CoV-2 and research into treatments for COVID-19.
Its role is described as not being restricted to the pandemic however, as it will help shape public health policy at a more comprehensive level.
