Greek sixth seed Stefanos Tsitsipas has lost to Canadian Milos Raonic in the Australian Open, suffering a 7-5 6-4 7-6(2) defeat in the third round on Friday.
Tsitsipas, a semi-finalist at the Australian Open last year, was broken once in each of the first and second sets before Raonic claimed the tiebreak. The Greek fans of Melbourne showed faces of disappointment, who were out in full force at the Margaret Court Arena to support the Athens-born player.
Raonic, who reached the last four at Melbourne Park in 2016, hit 19 aces and 55 winners and prevented the ATP Finals champion Tsitsipas from obtaining a single breakpoint opportunity in the match.
The match was also been met with many loud and passionate Greek fans, which prompted the chair umpire to intervene. A loud number of Tsitispas fans could be heard chanting from outside the arena doors, forcing the chair umpire to stop the match and call for security to close the door.
“Please, please, close the door,” the chair umpire said.
Maria Sakkari has proceeded into the fourth round of the Australian Open, defeating No.10 seed Madison Keys, 6-4, 6-4.
The victory brings Maria Sakkari into the second week of a major tournament for the first time in her young career.
“I have been struggling a lot at every Grand Slam,” she said during her on-court interview. “I was getting stuck at the third round, so I’m so happy to be through to the fourth round! It was a great day for me, and a great crowd.”
This is Maria Sakkari’s eighth time entering the third round in her career, finally breaking through and securing a Round of 16 clash with 2019 runner-up Petra Kvitova after one hour and 15 minutes on Margaret Court Arena.
Sakkari and Keys faced off for the first time, with both tennis players enjoying a good start to the 2020 season. The Greek No.1 had previously pushed Naomi Osaka to three sets at the Brisbane Open, while Maddison Keys finished runner up to Karolina Pliskova at that same event.
A tight match until the fourth point, where Maria Sakkari secured a break point and continued to put pressure on the American, winning the first set 6-4.
Keys picked up her stride in the second set, leading Sakkari 4-2 with a third set surely on the horizon. Unfazed by the scoreline, Sakkari delivered powerful serves and strong returns to secure the final four games of the match.
Sakkari will face Petra Kvitova in the Round of 16, hoping to defeat her and move onto her first Grand Slam quarterfinal.
“It’ll be another tough match and another big hitter. We’ve played multiple times. I really want to enjoy my day today and not think about my next round, so I’ll start thinking about my next match on Sunday morning. I just want to enjoy Melbourne and all of the people here.”
On Tuesday 11 February 2020, the Australian Hellenic Educators’ Association of New South Wales-Australian Capital Territory-Queensland will be presenting the 26th Hellenic Studies Awards. Awardees will include educators with years of invaluable service to Hellenic Studies, and the high-achieving students at primary, secondary and tertiary levels during the 2019 academic year.
Under the auspices of the Consul-General and in cooperation with the Education Office of the Consulate-General, an estimated 120 awards are to be presented to 110 individuals.
According to a statement released by Dr Panayiotis Diamadis, the Association hopes that this cooperative relationship will help to continue and build upon the works of their predecessors.
“Those who built the schools and developed the programmes which we studied at which future generations will continue to learn,” Dr Panayiotis Diamadis wrote in the statement.
The Presentation Ceremony will be held in The Strangers’ Room of the Parliament of NSW, from 6:30pm.
“The AHEA hopes the Hellenic Herald will contribute to the most significant annual Hellenic Studies event in the country,” said Dr Panayiotis Diamadis.
The award ceremony will see addresses by the Consul-General of the Hellenic Republic in Sydney, Mr Christos Karras, the Hon Mark Coure MP, the Hon Steve Kamper MP, AHEPA NSW INC President Mr Bill Skandalakis and AHEPA NSW INC Cultural Centre ‘Kostis Palamas’ coordinator Dr Vasilis Adrahtas.
Doctors Without Borders has called for the transfer of at least 140 children with serious health problems living in Moria inland. They have emphasised in their communication that these children suffer from complex and serious illnesses and need specialised care that the clinic of the organisation cannot provide.
In the statement, the organisation cites testimonies of refugees, such as that of Samshey from Afghanistan, who lives in the KYT.
“My daughter Zahra suffers from autism, but we have to live in a very small area with almost no electricity. She is often caught by seizures in the evening and there is no one to help us, “she says. “I just want to be in a place where my daughter can play like the other kids and see a good doctor.”
Doctors Without Borders explains that since March 2019, more than 270 children with chronic and complex diseases, such as heart disease, epilepsy and diabetes, have been seen at a pediatric outpatient clinic outside of Moria, which children need specialized care that cannot to provide them with the organisation’s clinic.
The NGO emphasises that not even the public hospital in Mytilene can provide care for this additional number of patients, and some specialised services are not even available.
According to the Doctors Without Borders program director Apostolos Veizi, the NGO is in talks with the Greek authorities to transport children to the mainland for emergency medical care. “However, despite the fact that some children were examined, no one has been transferred yet,” he said.
For his part, Vassilis Stravaridis, director general of the Greek section of the organisation, speaks of “the government’s reluctance to find a quick and systematic solution for these children, including several infants,” resulting in a health burden. to them, “which could lead to permanent damage or even death.”
Doctors Without Borders, however, does not restrict their appeal to children only, but calls for the immediate transfer from Lesvos of all people with chronic and complex health problems.
They emphasise that priority should be given to children who should be placed on a suitable shelter near services that will provide them with specialised medical care. They also demand immediate access to “free, timely and adequate health care for every asylum seeker and unaccompanied minor in Greece”, as well as an end to “the entrapment of refugees and asylum seekers in desperate and inhumane conditions in Lesvos”
His Eminence Archbishop Makarios will attend the first appearance of the National Metropolitan Choir in 2021 in Constantinople for the 30th anniversary of the Patriarch.
The celebrated Archbishop of Australia, Mr. Makarios, referred to his spiritual father, the Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew, during the official dinner in Sydney on the occasion of his nominations.
“The Holy Archdiocese of Australia is moving forward,” said His Eminence, “and this is mainly due to the Mother Church of Constantinople, which has ensured that we are under its normal protection. In four years, we will celebrate 100 years since the founding of our Holy Archdiocese, with great commemorative events. For this purpose, the National Metropolitan Choir of Australia has been set up and headed by the outstanding music composer Mr Themos Mexis. Throughout the past 100 years the Ecumenical Patriarchate has played an important role in the life of the local Church, as evidenced by the archives. That is why we are now turning our thought and prayer to the ‘ruling and suffering of the Church of Constantinople’, to our Ecumenical Patriarchate and to His Holiness the Patriarch, etc. We are indebted and grateful for our infinite respect and devotion.”
Archbishop Makarios did not fail to thank the Ecumenical Patriarch’s spokesman for the official event, the Most Reverend Metropolitan Ambrosios of Korea. Addressing Metropolitan Ambrosios, he urged him to convey to the Patriarch the love and respect of the clergy and people of the Australian Archdiocese, and to assure him that “the greater the distance that separates us, the greater the distance we can share; that unites us. “
His Holiness noted that the National Metropolitan Choir of Australia will make its first appearance in Istanbul next year, on the occasion of the completion of 30 years of the Ecumenical Patriarch’s wishful and prosperous Patriarchate. Similar events in honour of the thirty-year anniversary of Patriarch Bartholomew will take place in all major Australian cities.
In light of the need for new financial support for the continuation of the Modern Greek Program at Macquarie University, The Greek Herald spoke with the newly appointed Lecturer of Modern Greek Studies, Dr Patricia Koromvokis, who succeeded the Head of the Program, Dr Elizabeth Kefallinos after decades.
Dr Koromvokis discussed her academic goals for the Modern Greek Program at Macquarie University, and addressed variety of things with the Greek Herald including her life, her studies and her aims.
Dr Koromvokis has many times praised the work of her predecessor Dr Kefallinos, highlighting that Dr Kefallinos was her supervisor at her Ph.D. thesis and expressing her personal gratitude. When asked about her origin, she showed her desire to make known her roots.
“I was born and raised in Athens with our father from Sparta and our mother from Mytilene, specifically the village Ambeliko of Lesvos. I’ve visited several times. Just like Sparta,” Dr Koromvokis said.
In Australia, where she decided to settle some eight years ago, Dr Koromvokis possesses the following qualifications which are expected to cultivate the improvement of Modern Greek course studies even further.
Doctoral Degree (Ph.D.) (Degree: Excellent) 2017
Macquarie University (Sydney, Australia)
Doctoral Thesis Title: “ The role of gender-marked information in second language processing’”
Research Excellence Award – Vice-Chancellor’s Commendation for Academic Excellence Awarded by the Rector for the top 4% in research.
Dr Koromvokis has a Master Degree in Teaching Greek as a foreign language from the National and Kapodistrian University of Athens (Greece)
She has maintained academic and research positions, from 2013 to 2019, as an Associate Lecturer in the Modern Greek Studies Program at the Department of International Studies at Macquarie University, filling in with her expertise towards the teaching and research needs of the Program.
In 2019, she worked as a Lecturer (part-time) in the Modern Greek Studies Program of the Department of International Studies at Macquarie University. This year (2020) she will be in charge of the Modern Greek Studies Program, with Dr. Elizabeth Kefallinou in long service leave.
“In 2019 a funded research program was launched under the Macquarie University Enterprise Partnership Scheme (PACE), which aims to be the first study to examine the methodology of teaching Modern Greek to specific professionals. I am the Chief – Investigator with Dr. Elizabeth Kefallinos. I would like to add that it is an invaluable contribution of Dr. Elizabeth Kefallinos who was vital during this successful course of Modern Greek Studies at Macquarie University.”
Dr
Koromvokis’ doctorate thesis introduces an innovate teaching method of the
Greek grammatical gender which is a grammar aspect of Modern Greek language
which represents a major challenge when it comes to mastering of a second
language such as Greek.
Dr
Koromvokis received strong support
from Greek community organisations, along with the university’s internal Greek
program.
“As well as the enormous support of the Greek Studies Foundation, the various Greek community organizations, each provider and AHEPA NSW, help to meet the annual teaching and research needs of the Modern Greek Studies Program. Support was also provided by MUGA (Association of Greek Students of Macquarie University). With practical help in the Modern Greek Curriculum in recent years, they helped to increase enrolment to more than 50 students at all language levels (beginner, intermediate, advanced), including the Student Exchange Program through the National and Kapodistrian University.”
Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis said Thursday he intends to include more women in his “first reshuffle,” adding however that this change is not in cards for the immediate future.
Mitsotakis, who has just arrived in Davos for the World Economic Forum, was remarking on the election on Wednesday of the first female president in Greece, Katerina Sakellaropoulou, saying his goal by nominating her “was to pick a person symbolising the unity of the country and, second, to make it very clear that we’re moving into a new era.”
He said Greece is still “way behind the curve” when it comes to gender balance, to which a Politico reporter said that the same applies for his government.
“That is also something I intend to change in the first reshuffle,” he was quoted as saying.
Asked if the reshuffle was imminent, he responded: “No. I said when I would do my Cabinet reshuffle. That’s not my immediate plan — I’m quite happy with my government.”
Turkish Defence Minister Hulusi Akar asked Greece to demilitarize 16 of 23 Aegean islands near Turkey that were placed under demilitarised status. The Defence Minister has claimed that the islands were illegally armed, in a move that may exacerbate strains in the countries’ relations.
“We expect Greece to act in line with international law and the agreements it has signed,” state-run Anadolu Agency cited Akar as saying in Ankara on Wednesday.
The two neighbours are already at loggerheads over offshore natural-gas reserves in the eastern Mediterranean. Tensions over conflicting claims have escalated since Turkey and Libya signed a contentious agreement last year that delineates maritime borders and affirms claims of sovereignty over areas of the Mediterranean.
Turkey’s claims could make it more difficult and costly to build a planned natural-gas pipeline, linking the eastern Mediterranean basin with European markets through Cyprus, Greece and Italy.
“This is not a threat but saying that we favour good neighbourliness is also not a weakness,” he said.
Greece and Turkey, both NATO members, came close to conflict in 1996 over a pair of uninhabited islets in the Aegean.
Europe’s biggest festival and competition revolving around robotics, Robotex, will be held in Athens on April 4-5, 2020, at the municipality of Athens’ Serafeio Conference Center.
In the course of this annual event, there will be robotics competitions, speeches and seminars pertaining to robotics, attracting tens of thousands of visitors from almost 50 different countries.
Open robotics competitions are the heart of the festival and are based on internationally accepted standards.
Teams that have created their own robot and wish to compete with it can participate in the event. Apart from that, if an individual has not built a robot but is interested in robotics, they can participate as audience for the competitions, speeches and seminars and come into contact with new technologies and specialists of the robotics domain.
There are three competition categories, based on age: Level A for children up to 12yrs old, B for teenagers up to 17 yrs old and Level C for adults and college students.
Researchers, engineers and business experts in the field of robotics will share their insights and experience with the public in relevant presentations and discussions.
Robotex started out in Estonia to become a worldwide event and has so far run in more than ten countries.
The detailed scheduling is not available yet, but will be published soon on http://robotex.gr/. Entrance to the festival is free for all.
Greek health officials said this week that the risk of a new SARS-like virus entering Greece is limited but went ahead and issued safety precautions.
National Public Health Organization (EODY) President Panagiotis Arkoumaneas met with officials from the World Health Organization (WHO) this week to discuss the deadly virus that spread rapidly in China last month leaving behind hundreds sick and at least nine fatalities.
The virus confirmed as being a coronavirus (2019-nCoV) is said to have now spread to six countries, including the US.
Based on current data from Greece and according to the European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control (ECDC), the risk of the virus spreading to Greece is considered low.
The WHO is expected to convene in Geneva, today to decide on whether to declare the virus an international public health emergency, but health experts have confirmed that it can spread from person to person.
EODY said this week that it was keeping an eye on incoming travellers and has also distributed awareness-raising material with precautionary guidelines at airports, border posts, on board ships, and at hospitals.
The pneumonia-like symptoms caused by the virus, according to the WHO, include fever, fatigue, sore throat, and dry cough, which may later lead to difficulty in breathing.
The WHO issued the following guidelines:
1. Wash your hands regularly with soap and water or alcohol-based hand rub.
2. Cover nose and mouth when coughing and sneezing with a tissue or flexed elbow.
3. Avoid close contact with anyone with cold or flu-like symptoms.
4. Cook meat and eggs thoroughly.
5. Do not come into contact with live wild or farm animals.
