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17-year-old Stefania will represent Greece in Eurovision 2020 with “Supergirl”

The Greek Herald
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17-year-old Stefania will represent Greece in Eurovision 2020 with “Supergirl”

Greece’s State Broadcaster ERT announced on Monday that Stefania Liberakakis will represent the country in the 2020 Eurovision song contest, which will take place in Rotterdam, the Netherlands in May.

The selected song is called “SUPERG!RL”.

Liberakakis, who was born in December of 2002 in Utrecht in the Netherlands, has been known for years simply as “Stefania.”

The 17-year-old Greek-Dutch singer and actress represented the Netherlands in the Junior Eurovision song contest in 2016, as part of the girl group “Kisses”.

Sourced via Tornos News.

Trial for Bill Vlahos continues after $17.5m punting Ponzi scheme exposed

The Greek Herald
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Trial for Bill Vlahos continues after $17.5m punting Ponzi scheme exposed
  • Bill Vlahos duped more than 70 people into thinking he had a secret formula for picking winners
  • One victim lost $418,000 after introducing his father and business partner to the scheme while another couple lost $30,000.
  • The court heard he sent out weekly updates to investors detailing which horses he would bet on

Bill Vlahos pleaded guilty in the County Court last year to defrauding betting clients, through his punting club The Edge, of more than $17.5 million between 2008 and 2013.

He duped more than 70 people — some of them from inside the racing industry — into thinking he had a secret formula for picking winners.

The Edge started off modestly enough — just a few friends and family. Over time its “sensational returns” grew, with Vlahos claiming to have $170 million in the bank.

The court heard he sent out updates to investors every Saturday morning which would detail which horses he would bet on, as well as ‘results’.

The court heard bets were made, but not in the large amounts claimed. Sometimes there were no bets at all for the club. He also used fake or old betting code numbers in his reports to investors.

“While the offender falsely reported wins, he also falsely reported losses,” prosecutor Deborah Mandie said.

Investors were getting returns, but as the scheme grew Vlahos needed to fund his lifestyle including private schooling for his children in Singapore, luxury cars, business class flights, landscaping, renovations, a jacuzzi and clothing.

Vlahos claimed to be involved in an international betting scheme run by a man in Dubai called Daniel Maxwell, or Max, which required minimum levels of funds to operate.

The Edge was never in such a program and the court heard it was an excuse to ensure people did not withdraw their funds and to lure new investors in.

The court heard Vlahos gave the excuse to investors that Max’s daughter had died and could not respond to withdrawal requests. There was no daughter because there was no Max, the court heard.

The plea hearing was told Vlahos often sent investors fake screenshots to show bank account balances, which vastly inflated the amount of money he held.

At one stage he showed clients a screenshot showing $170 million that was in a joint account with Maxwell.

“It was a non-existent account,” Ms Mandie said.

“The extravagance just continues unchecked,” Judge Douglas Trapnell remarked of Vlahos’s continued offending.

The court was told Vlahos became more secretive about the scheme, claiming there were leaks that were undermining the scheme when in reality it was running short of money. The fund collapsed in late 2013.

Gerry Onah lost a total of $418,000, after introducing his father and his business partner to the scheme.

“I felt guilty for involving them in what I felt was a sure thing,” Mr Onah said in a victim impact statement read to the court.

“There’s a lot of anger and frustration and a lot of sleepless nights.”

Another victim, Andree Job, and her husband invested and lost $30,000. Now her husband has dementia and life is “very stressful”, the court heard.

In a written defence submission, Vlahos acknowledged the harm he caused.

“Mr Vlahos’ offending has had a profound emotional, social and financial [impact] on victims who trusted him,” the submission said.

“Mr Vlahos accepts that he wreaked havoc on their lives.”

But the submission noted that gambling was risky, arguing Vlahos’ crimes were not as serious as other types of fraud “where victims are assured their money is safe”.

The submission noted Vlahos had been diagnosed with anxiety and depression and would have a hard time in prison.

His defence lawyer, Justin Wheelahan, said Vlahos’s plea of guilty should be a key factor in determining an appropriate sentence.

It saved the court and the taxpayer the cost of nine separate trials which had been planned.

Initially, Vlahos was facing 347 charges with an alleged fraud of $129 million. Had his client pleaded guilty then, Mr Wheelan said, it would have not reflected money that was paid out to investors.

Vlahos faces a maximum jail term of 10 years on the two charges.

The hearing continues.

Sourced via ABC.

Greek man fined for posing as medical practitioner in Victoria

The Greek Herald
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Greek man fined for posing as medical practitioner in Victoria

A fake doctor has been caught pretending to be a geriatric specialist preying on vulnerable people at an aquatic centre in suburban Melbourne.

The national health regulator swooped on Panayiotis Marlassi-Bouras, 57, after two of his victims came forward.

The fraudster had approached them when attending swimming classes at Northcote Aquatic and Recreation Centre in January and February last year.

He handed them both a business card, which detailed he was a medical practitioner and aged care specialist at a facility called The Aged Care Clinic.

One of his victims was a brain tumour survivor who he told to stop taking her epilepsy medication “because she no longer needed it”.

He befriended her at the swimming lessons, telling her: “I am a doctor and (the instructor) is one of my patients.”

They then met outside the classes, where he told her that he was “a great doctor” and worked at a Melbourne hospital.

Exploiting her vulnerability, he later offered to help her get her driver’s licence, and set up a better mobile plan and bank accounts, asking her to hand over her passport and credit card details.

Going by Dr Marlassi-Bouras, he also targeted the swimming instructor, asking him about his knee injury after noticing he had a knee brace.

He told the man that he would provide him with a knee brace from his clinic. When he later delivered the brace, he looked at X-rays of the man’s knee.

The Australian Health Practitioner Regulation Agency sent Marlassi-Bouras a cease and desist letter in March.

In an email, he told AHPRA his female victim was “mentally unstable” and fabricating her claims.

“I have never provided (her) with medical advice,” he said.

“Under no circumstances I have ever held myself or claimed to be a medical practitioner in Australia.”

He admitted he provided a business card, but said it was “by mistake” that he gave one that was meant for United Kingdom use only.

Marlassi-Bouras also acknowledged his email signature states he is a medical practitioner “since this is a term widely used in the UK and in the practice of my consultancy.”

An AHPRA investigation uncovered Marlassi-Bouras was not registered with the General Medical Council, the registration body for practitioners in the UK.

They charged him in October with six offences, including knowingly and recklessly holding himself out as being a registered health practitioner and falsely using the protected title of medical practitioner.

But he has since gone to ground and was a no-show at Melbourne Magistrates Court on Friday, with AHPRA successfully applying to have the case heard in his absence.

Magistrate Michael King said for someone without any medical expertise to tell a woman to stop prescribed epilepsy medication was “inherently dangerous”.

“This was reckless in the extreme,” Mr King said.

“It showed a callous disregard for the complainant.”

He said the public should be able to rely on the integrity of the medical profession.

Mr King fined Marlassi-Bouras $10,000 and ordered he pay AHPRA’s legal costs.

He had dodged tough new laws introduced on July 1 where his crimes would have faced increased penalties and a prison term of up to three years.

AHPRA said this case “demonstrates our determination as a regulator to protect the Australian community from such unlawful and deceptive behaviour”.

“Patients put their trust in properly qualified and registered practitioners, and it is a gross violation of that trust when someone falsely claims to be registered,” the regulator said.

Anyone with concerns about a practitioner can report it to 1300 419 495.

Sourced via Herald Sun.

Perth Glory striker Chris Ikonomidis sidelined for up to a year after sustaining knee injury

The Greek Herald
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Perth Glory striker Chris Ikonomidis sidelined for up to a year after sustaining knee injury

Perth Glory striker Chris Ikonomidis has suffered an anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) injury shortly after coming off the bench during the second half of last Saturday’s Hyundai A-League game against Melbourne Victory.

The 24-year-old forward that is expected to be sidelined for between nine and 12 months.

“Obviously we’re all hugely disappointed for Chris,” said Glory Football Director Jacob Burns.

“It’s always difficult when a player suffers a serious injury, but we have an excellent medical team here at the club who will go above and beyond to provide him with all the assistance and support that he needs to make a full recovery.”

The damage to his knee comes only a few weeks following his injury scare against Adelaide United, where he was limping for the last few minutes of the match.

“We look forward to seeing Chris back in action and back to his best sooner rather than later,” he said.

Ikonomidis has scored three goals in 12 appearances this season, helping Perth secure a third place spot on the A-league ladder, heading into the second half of the season.

Saudi Arabia’s King Salman meets Greek PM Kyriakos Mitsotakis

The Greek Herald
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Saudi Arabia’s King Salman meets Greek PM Kyriakos Mitsotakis

Saudi Arabia’s King Salman met with Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis on Monday at the Royal Court in the capital Riyadh.

A formal reception was held for Mitsotakis and his accompanying delegation upon their arrival in the Kingdom, which was attended by members of the royal family, ministers, and military leaders.

During the meeting, they reviewed bilateral relations between the two countries and means of boosting them in all fields, as well as regional developments.

The talks were also attended by Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, Saudi Foreign Minster Prince Faisal bin Bandar bin Abdulaziz, Interior Minster Prince Abdulaziz bin Saud bin Nayef, Minister of State for Foreign Affairs Adel Al-Jubeir, Finance Minister Mohammad Al-Jadaan, among others.

Sourced via Arab News.

Bushfire fundraising continues with Australian Byzantine Choir initiative

The Greek Herald
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Bushfire fundraising continues with Australian Byzantine Choir initiative

On Sunday, February 2nd at 7pm, St Nicholas Greek Orthodox Church in Marrickville was filled with harmonious, traditional hymns to raise money for the Archdiocese Bushfire Relief Fund.

The initiative put forward by the Australian Byzantine Choir was blessed by His Eminence Archbishop Makarios and the Greek Orthodox Archdiocese of Australia.

“It was a very nice evening. The choir was fantastic. They presented us with very nice Byzantium hymns,” said Marrickville’s Parish Priest, Very Rev. Archimandrite Christodoulos Economou to The Greek Herald.

“It was very thoughtful of the choir, thinking about the people who have lost their homes, children who have lost their toys. All the memories in the house that they used to live in. It was very nice that they were thinking about all those people,” said Father Christodoulos.

Father Christodoulos noted that, despite the rainy evening, the choir managed to raise $8,500 for the Archdiocese Bushfire Relief Fund. This was all by donation of the attendees, as the event was free.

Marrickville’s Father Christodoulos also commented on how “pleasant” it was to see so many young people involved in Byzantine music and the church, and their willingness to channel these into helping others.

“The nice thing about it, which is very pleasant, is to see a lot of young people are interested,” he said. “99% of people yesterday, were young people chanting…It’s nice to see that the youth has an interest in the choir and in our church.”

The event aligns with Archbishop Makarios’ announcement of an investment into the future continuation of Byzantine Music.

This comes after the Archdiocese’s establishment of The School of Byzantine Music of the Archdiocese in September 2019, which will work closely with St Andrews Theological School in Sydney.

The aim of the School of Byzantine Music is to carry on the Byzantine musical tradition, which is at risk of being lost.

Marcus Stoinis crowned Big Bash League player of the season

The Greek Herald
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Marcus Stoinis crowned Big Bash League player of the season

Melbourne Stars opener Marcus Stoinis has been named the Big Bash League’s player of the tournament after topping the run-scoring charts for the season.

Stoinis plundered 607 runs at 60.7 in the BBL regular season. He only needs another 26 runs to set a new record for the most in a single campaign. The award was voted on by umpires after each regular season game.

Despite that effort, The Daily Telegraph report he is unlikely to make Australia’s Twenty20 squad in South Africa as he is seen as a specialist top-order batsman — Aaron Finch, David Warner and Steve Smith are all locks in the top three.

Looking to force his way back into the Australia side, Stoinis has had a campaign to remember for the Stars, capped off by his unbeaten 147 against the Sydney Sixers, which is the highest score in BBL history.

That was one of six times Stoinis passed 50 in the tournament as he powered the Stars to a top spot finish in the regular season.

The Stars will be hoping for at least one — ideally two — more special performances from the 30-year-old.

The Melbourne side must beat the Sydney Thunder in Thursday night’s ‘challenger’ match to make Saturday’s final against the Sydney Sixers, who beat them by 43 runs in ‘the qualifier’.

The Stars, who had three players picked in the team of the season, have lost their past four games but have reason to be confident after beating the Thunder in both their meetings in the regular season.

Stoinis picked up 26 votes, beating the Sydney Sixers’ Tom Curran by two and the Thunder’s Alex Hales by 23 votes.

BBL Player of the Tournament Leaderboard

  • Marcus Stoinis — 26 votes
  • Tom Curran — 24 votes
  • Alex Hales — 23 votes
  • Jon Wells — 22 votes
  • Glenn Maxwell — 21 votes
  • D’Arcy Short — 21 votes
  • Rashid Khan — 18 votes
  • Chris Lynn — 17 votes
  • Josh Philippe — 17 votes
  • Callum Ferguson — 16 votes

Sourced via Fox Sports.

Greece’s tougher asylum laws receive criticism for “unfair” trial of cases

The Greek Herald
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Greece’s tougher asylum laws receive criticism for “unfair” trial of cases

Of 74,000 asylum seekers arriving in Greece last year, 42,000 remain on five east Aegean islands.

Greece said it has begun to enforce fast track procedures for new asylum applicants and is stepping up deportations to Turkey, but aid organisations have voiced concerns that applicants’ rights are being trampled upon.

Greece deported 53 asylum seekers in January, police told Al Jazeera, slightly higher than the monthly average of 45 since the EU-Turkey Statement went into effect in April 2016. Turkey and the European Union are obliged to readmit irregular migrants from each other under that agreement.

“The rules have changed. We’re no longer open to people who don’t have a refugee profile,” said Notis Mitarakis, minister for immigration and asylum, on Friday as he headed for the island of Chios, his constituency and one of five eastern Aegean islands bearing the brunt of new arrivals.

“We’re now taking at least first instance [asylum] decisions within four weeks,” he said.

Greece has long been pressed by its EU partners to speed up asylum procedures. Under a new asylum law that took effect on January 1, asylum applications on the five islands of Lesvos, Samos, Chios, Leros and Kos are to be adjudicated within 28 days, including appeals. The regular procedure that applies in the rest of the country allows six months for first instance decisions and three months for appeals.

Aid organisations are concerned that the government may be taking short cuts in an effort to hit the tighter deadlines.

“We are already receiving reports of difficulties rejected asylum seekers on the islands [are having] to prepare the needed document of appeal and application to remain [on Greek soil], without legal aid and in such a short time frame,” said Boris Cheshirkov, spokesperson for UNHCR Greece.

The new timeframe allows up to 10 days for appeal, but requires applicants to state their reasons in legal terms and in Greek. Human rights lawyers said that is impossible without a lawyer, and authorities cannot always provide one as required by law.

“Under law, new arrivals and asylum seekers in detention have access to legal aid,” said Cheshirkov. “However, in practice, the needs are greater than the availability of free-of-charge legal aid.”

The Greek Council for Refugees (GCR), a legal aid charity that has helped thousands of asylum applicants, has observed serious irregularities.

“We have a case in Moria [on Lesbos] who went to his interview and it was clear that he couldn’t communicate because the interpreter did not speak his language. He received a first instance rejection on grounds of refusing to cooperate,” said GCR’s Alexandros Konstantinou. “He is Senegalese and did not speak French. Despite this, his interview took place in French while he protested repeatedly that he needed to speak his local language.”

GCR has appealed this and other cases with similar irregularities, with suspicions the government may not be acting in good faith.

“What is being attempted is the reduction in the number of asylum applicants, not through the fair adjudication of their cases but through their rejection on technical grounds … That’s our assessment,” said Konstantinou.

Sourced via Al Jazeera.

Over 2000 migrants participate in mass-protest against deportations on Lesvos

The Greek Herald
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Over 2000 migrants participate in mass-protest against deportations on Lesvos
  • Tear gas fired by police at some 2,000 men and women who left refugee camp of Moria on the Greek island of Lesbos
  • Protesters carried makeshift signs with the word ‘freedom’ to demonstrate against tougher new asylum rules
  • They walked some 4.3 miles towards the port capital of Mytilene, but were blocked by police outside the town
  • Over 40,000 asylum-seekers are currently crammed into camps on five Aegean Greek islands near Turkey

Brandishing makeshift signs with the word ‘freedom’, some 2,000 men and women walked out of the overpopulated camp of Moria to protest the new asylum laws.

Tougher asylum laws instilled by the new government that took over mid-2019 have meant many migrants, who have waited years for their asylum interviews, are being deported after their interviews.

Violence broke out near the Kara Tepe camp after hundreds of people marched from the island’s congested migrant camps to the city of Mytilene, according to a police official.

Aid groups have described living conditions in some of Greece’s island camps as appalling.

The protesters walked some 4.3 miles towards the port capital, Mytilene, but were blocked by police outside the town.

Some evaded a police cordon and crossed a slope to reach Mytilene, where a group tried to set up tents.  

Boris Cheshirkov, Greece spokesman for the UN refugee agency, said in a statement: “A significant backlog of pending applications and serious delays in asylum procedures have been a major contributing factor to the dangerously overcrowded conditions we see on the islands.”

“Long waiting times are also contributing to the mental toll that people are facing,” he said.

After years of procedural delays, Greece faces a backlog of almost 90,000 asylum applications, Cheshirkov said.

The conservative government elected in July has announced plans to ‘decongest’ the islands, shut down existing camps and replace them with holding centres that will process new arrivals and people whose asylum applications have been rejected.

The centres that will close include the Moria camp on Lesvos, which was set up to accommodate 2,850 people but hosts at least five times that number.

Last week, the government said it wants to install a floating barrier in the Aegean Sea, off Lesvos, to deter migrants arriving at its shores. 

In 2019, Greece became the first port of entry for migrants and refugees entering Europe. 

Last year, more than 74,000 refugees and migrants arrived in Greece, among them 3,500 children, according to the United Nations refugees agency UNHCR.

Most of them arrived on the islands Lesvos, Chios and Samos, crossing from Turkey.

The government has struggled to manage the influx, keeping many in overcrowded camps on the Aegean Greek islands near the Turkish coast.

More than 40,000 asylum-seekers are currently crammed into camps on five islands, where the official capacity is for 6,200 people and in conditions repeatedly condemned by aid agencies.

The conservative government of Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis has toughened its approach to asylum-seekers and is trying to speed up the repatriation of people whose applications have been rejected.

At Moria, where over 19,000 people live in and outside a camp built for fewer than 3,000, many are housed in tents and makeshift shelters without access to power, heating, or hot water, Cheshirkov said. 

“There aren’t enough latrines and showers and access to health is severely limited,” he added. “There are also frequent outbreaks of violence.”

The new Greek minister for migration Notis Mitarachi, appointed just two weeks ago, has vowed to expel ‘on a weekly basis’ migrants whose asylum applications are rejected.

“Those not entitled to international protection will be rapidly returned to Turkey,” Mitarachi told Kathimerini daily on Sunday.

“We believe…this will send a loud and dissuasive message to human smugglers,” he said.

Giannis Antetokounmpo posts much-awaited Kobe Bryant tribute upon Instagram return

The Greek Herald
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Giannis Antetokounmpo posts much-awaited Kobe Bryant tribute upon Instagram return

Giannis Antetokounmpo had deleted his Instagram and Twitter accounts hours after Kobe Bryant’s death was announced on Sunday following a helicopter crash. 

When the news about Kobe Bryant and his daughter Gianna’s death in helicopter crash surfaced, the whole of NBA, as well as basketball fans worldwide, were left shell shocked. A whole week has passed since the tragic news but tributes have not stopped pouring in for the Lakers legend. The latest player to pay his tribute to the ‘Black Mamba’ is Milwaukee Bucks star Giannis Antetokounmpo.

Giannis Antetokounmpo Kobe Bryant tribute  

Giannis Antetokounmpo, who had a personal workout in 2018 with the Lakers legend, took to Instagram and posted two photos. One of them was of Bryant solo on the court and one of an All-Star game, where he was pictured with his daughter, Gianna “GiGi” Bryant. 

Giannis Antetokounmpo remembers his first meeting with Kobe Bryant 

Following Sunday’s accident, the Bucks All-Star had an emotional interview with reporters, where he recalled his first meeting. He said the first NBA game he watched was a Kobe Bryant one against the Celtics. He also said that he grew up with Kobe and he’s one of the reasons he started playing basketball and also the reasons he is here today.

Giannis Antetokounmpo deletes Instagram account

Giannis Antetokounmpo had deleted his Instagram and Twitter accounts hours after Kobe Bryant’s death was announced Sunday. Bryant served as a mentor for Antetokounmpo in his early NBA years, even challenging him to win the MVP title on Twitter. Giannis Antetokounmpo, in 2016, also had the opportunity to sit down with Kobe Bryant after his final game in Milwaukee. 

Kobe Bryant death 

Kobe Bryant died in a helicopter crash on January 26. Kobe’s 13-year-old daughter Gianna and seven others were also present in the helicopter at the time of the crash. It was reported that the helicopter descended at 2,000 feet per second before crashing hard into the rugged hillside in Calabasas, west of Los Angeles. According to reports, Kobe was travelling to a girls’ basketball tournament at his Mamba Academy in Thousand Oaks. 

Sourced via Republic World.

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