Home Blog Page 1428

Roger Federer and Tsitsipas produce biggest age gap in ATP Finals history

0

The ATP Finals in London closed the official ATP season two weeks ago, with Stefanos Tsitsipas claiming the title in front of the better-ranked and more experienced rivals. The young Greek is the sixth-youngest champion of the elite ATP tournament and the seventh debutant with the trophy, becoming the fifth different winner in the last five seasons.

For the second time in the previous three years, the ATP Finals legends Roger Federer and Novak Djokovic (they shared 11 titles between 2003-2015) failed to reach the final, with Stefanos ousting Roger in the record-breaking clash in the 50th edition of this event.

Namely, the 21-year-old Greek defeated the 38-year-old Swiss 6-3, 6-4 in the encounter with the biggest age difference between two rivals at the year-ending tournament in its reach history that goes back to 1970. It was the fourth clash between Federer and Tsitsipas in 2019, with the young Greek prevailing in the fourth round at the Australian Open and Federer who bounced back at his favorite events in Dubai and Basel.

The Swiss reached the 16th semi-final at the ATP finals from 17 appearances following that rock-solid victory over Novak Djokovic in the last round-robin match but it wasn’t to be for him against Stefanos who sealed the deal in an hour and 36 minutes to advance into the final on his ATP Finals debut.

In Melbourne, Tsitsipas repelled all 12 break points to mount the pressure on Federer, repeating that in London as well after erasing 11 out of 12 break opportunities offered to Roger, securing three breaks from four chances to seal the deal in straight sets and stay on the title course.

Stefanos had the same number of winners and unforced errors, forcing more than 30 mistakes from Federer who also sprayed almost 30 unforced errors, unable to stay in touch with the rival in the shortest points up to four strokes that determined the winner.

Sourced by: Tennis World Foundation

Unvaccinated eight-year-old child dies of diphtheria in Athens

0

An eight-year-old ended was diagnosed with diphtheria at Children’s Hospital a few days ago, a disease really “forgotten” in Greece and Europe, thanks to regular vaccinations.

Given that this is the first case of this infectious, and even fatal, disease that has been recorded in Greece for the last three decades, the criticality of the vaccine situation is perceived.

The child was reportedly raised in the Mother Infant Centre and has been raising a foster family for the past three years.

According to hospital sources, the 8-year-old had received only two of the doses of the combined DTaP vaccine that protects against tetanus, diphtheria and pertussis. Also, it had not been vaccinated for any other infectious diseases, as the National Vaccination Program in our country states. According to the national vaccination program, a child up to the age of 12 should have 6 doses of the vaccine in order to have full coverage.

The fact that the child had only taken two doses explains, according to experts, the “ease” with which the child became infected with the toxic diphtheria toxinobacter.

Diphtheria pneumonia is a disease of the upper respiratory tract characterised by a sore throat, low fever and adherent membrane covering the tonsils, pharynx and/or nose. It gradually makes it difficult to swallow or breathe, even causing suffocation. The toxin produced can even cause serious complications such as heart failure and paralysis.

In the case of the unvaccinated 8 year old, the bacterium easily invaded the body. The child reportedly had the symptoms recorded. His parents took him a few days ago, to a private hospital, concluding that he had laryngitis. Doctors demanded that the child be admitted, but the parents refused. A few hours later they took the 8-year-old to the oncologist Paidon, where he was immediately intubated.

After two days in the Intensive Care Unit, the tests arrived, which showed that he had been infected with diphtheria colitis.

EODY say, however, that research is ongoing to determine which diphtheria strain affected the 8-year-old boy, to determine if he would be covered by the vaccine he should have done.

It should be noted that adults should also be vaccinated for tetanus, diphtheria, and pertussis every ten years.

Sourced by: Protothema

Vasili’s Taxidi: The Corinthian Rotisserie – Marrickville’s Iconic Shops

By Vasilis Vasilas.

We have now reached the major intersection of Marrickville- of Marrickville and Illawarra Roads- and let us take a left turn for one of Marrickville’s iconic Greek shops. One of the most-loved socio-gastronomic Greek shops is undoubtedly Marrickville’s Corinthian Rotisserie, or the way we all know it as the Ψησταριά…

Over the years, this Greek institution has catered for all sorts of customers, whether it was for families and their dinners, or the late-night owls who experienced cravings (at 2am!). Then, there are the politicians and food connoisseurs…

Thanks to the tireless efforts of the Giannakelos family, the Corinthian Ψησταριά is recognised as one of the Greek community’s favourite cuisines; for many years now, it is no longer a Greek secret, as locals, journalists and fellow chefs all acknowledge the great food being served here.

I unashamedly admit the Corinthian was one of his ‘haunts’ throughout his early adult years, ‘On the way home from clubbing in the city, we would always pass through Marrickville; which other place was open at 3am and you were guaranteed a hot, hearty, delicious meal?’

Having known the Giannakelos family practically all my life, the Giannakelos family’s strong work ethic is complimented by the high quality service and tasty meals. The Corinthian epitomises the important team-work of a successful family business. There is the open kitchen run by one chef…Fotis himself. You see all the food before you. How Foti juggles all the orders during packed Friday and Saturday nights, and everything runs like clockwork, is truly amazing! He has tireless support from his wife, Maria, who prepares everything in the shop’s rear room and his sons, George and Chris, never stop all day and night serving customers… This is a role model of a family business…

Another aspect that makes the Psistaria unique is so many patrons know each other and if you do not know them, there is a great chance you will get to know them. And it is this incredible connection patrons have at the Psistaria that makes it one the unique places in Sydney.

I was recently asked what is the best Greek restaurant in Sydney by another Greek restauranteur and I replied, The Corinthian’ because there is a strong sense of community that you cannot get anywhere else.

This warm environment has been developing since 1980 when the Giannakelos family began operating the Psistaria: the Giannakelos family- with Foti and Maria- and their two sons, Giorgo and Chris- are the perfect hosts… with their warm hospitality that makes patrons feel at ease!!!

Seasons come and go; fads come and go too. The truly great eateries are those which are unfazed by the passing of time and people’s tatstes. They have such a strong reputation that they are unfazed by any changes.

Marrickville’s Corinthian Rotisserie is just one of those eateries; everyone knows and loves the “Psistaria” and the Giannakelos family have been servicing the community with their wholesome and tasty meals for forty years!!!

What keeps bringing customers back again and again is the great food- generous servings- and a satisfying tastiness… And all my fond memories (over the years) I have in the shop.’

Honourable Archbishop Makarios welcomes the expatriate bill to Australia

The Honourable Archbishop of Australia, Mr Makarios, on Wednesday November 27, paid a formal visit to the Greek Embassy in the Australian capital of Canberra.

At the entrance of the Greek Embassy, the Archbishop and his entourage were greeted by the staff and the Embassy’s spokesman, Mr. Ioannis Ferentinos, who had an extensive discussion with His Eminence on issues related to New Hellenism, such as Greek education, the Greek language and the Church.

Their discussions focused on the great importance of the recent bill passed, which gives voting rights to Greeks abroad. 

His Excellency said, “I welcome the new bill and congratulate the Government of Mr. Mitsotakis on this initiative. The Australian Archdiocese will, in effect, support this right of our Greeks to vote. As the representative of all the clergy and all the Greeks of Australia, on their behalf I express our gratitude and our gratitude to the Greek Parliament and the Prime Minister.”

Note that a new Greek Ambassador to Australia is expected to arrive in Canberra at the end of the year.

His Eminence is in the Australian capital to attend a Commonwealth House meeting on Thursday, November 28, and will hold a series of meetings with Ministers and Members of the Commonwealth.

Female fighter’s tomb found in Armenia with similarities with ancient Greek Amazons

0

The examination of 2600 years-old bones found in the northern part of Armenia showed that they belong to a woman fighter of Urartu Kingdom. She was likely killed in the battlefield.

Researchers suppose that similar female fighters inspired the Greeks to create the image of the Amazons. ARMENPRESS reports the works of the archaeologists have been published in International Journal of Osteoarchaeology.

The archaeologists found the remains in a cemetery in Lori Province back in 2017. The scientists believe she was buried in 8-6 centuries B.C. when the Kingdom of Urartu was flourishing in the territory of modern Armenia. Urartu led an active conquest policy until 6th century B.C. when it collapsed as a result of an allied strike of other kingdoms.

The examination of the bones shows that they belonged to a 20 year-old woman. The jewellery found in the tomb show that she had a high status. A more detailed examination allowed the scientists to conclude that the woman, in all probability, was a warrior. The scientists have found at least 3 traces of injuries, which, according to preliminary version, were inflicted by axe and sword.

This is not the first time archaeologists have found remains of female warriors dating back to Urartu era.

Other historical sources tell that in that kingdom women fought together with men. This is the reason why scientists suppose that those female warriors inspired Greeks in shaping the image of the Amazons – a tribe of warrior women.

Sourced via ArmenPress

Hellenic Club honours long standing members in Annual General Meeting

The Hellenic Club Sydney held their Annual General Meeting on Sunday 24th of November at 12.30pm at the Beta Bar, in which they honoured the service of Mr Peter Andrews, Fred Salaras and John Grapsas.

The members below were made life members on Sunday and the other two existing life members, Steve Vlahos and Theo Papoulias, also received medallions on the day.

Peter Andrews:

– Board Member from 1973 – 1993

– Vice President: 1977 – 1979

– President: 1979, 1988- 1993

– Treasurer: 1981 – 1982 and 1983 – 1985.

Peter Andrews joined in 1968 and has served on the board of the Hellenic Club for over 20 years. He was instrumental in the visionary decision to purchase the Castlereagh St portion from the Australian Workers Union, where the Alpha and Beta Bar & Gallery now stands.

Panagiotis Androutsopoulos arrived in Australia in 1951 from Akrata as a 13 year old boy. He was unable to speak English or spell his own name. He was the founder of Andrews Meats, now Andrews Meat Industries.

“The success of the business was underpinned by Peter Andrew’s fundamental values of hard work, integrity, service, quality and people,” said John Camino, Vice President of the club, about Andrews.

John Camino then commended Andrews acquisition of 238 – 240 Castlereagh Street, which benefitted the future of the club, “It was those decisions, with the foresight, which have played an integral part in developing and progressing the Club.”

Fred Sarlas receiving his award

Fred Sarlas:

– Board member from 2001 – 2003

Joining the club in 1979, Fred Sarlas has been a continuous long standing member of the club for over 40 years and served on the Board of Directors between 2001-2003. In both capacities, Fred acquitted himself with distinction, selflessness & pride in the Club’s achievements.

“He (Fred) was not one for the limelight and has preferred to work in the background, but in doing so he has assisted & enabled others to accomplish deeds for which the credit is as much his as theirs,” said Nick Pappas, a board member of the Hellenic Club.

John Graspas receiving his award.

John Grapsas:

– Board member from 1986 – 2001

– Vice President: 1993-1994 and 1995-1998

John is one of the oldest members of the club, joining in 1962, and was repeatedly commended for the support he gave to the club mentally and financially.

Joining the board in 1986, he remained on the board for 15 years, as well as having the honour to be a consultant in the Hellenic Club.

George Katsaros, treasurer of the club, thanked him on behalf of the Council and Club Members for his long standing service, as well as being one of the key influencers for him joining the club.

The Hellenic clubs most recent accomplishments include bringing to Australia the Greek Presidential Guards (Evzones) to march on Anzac Day, honouring the Anzacs and Nurses who served in and through Greece.

The Hellenic Club has revitalised itself over the last decade with a sustainable organic strategy underpinned by the Alpha Restaurant and Beta Bar. In the near future, the club intends to further renovate two additional function levels to expand the community facilities. The Hellenic Club is still the only club created by immigrants that still has a presence in the Sydney CBD.

President of Hellenic Republic presents awards to Desmos and Emfasis Foundations

Two organisations supported by The Hellenic Initiative Australia were recognised this week in community awards presented by the President of the Hellenic Republic, Mr Prokopis Pavlopoulos.

The Citizens Movement for an Open Society’s Νησίδων Ποιότητας 2019 (Models of Excellence) awards, which honoured eight NGOs and volunteer-based initiatives, were presented to Desmos Non-Profit Foundation and Emfasis Foundation at the Old Parliament House in Athens on Tuesday 26 November.

“We are very proud that two of our partner NGOs have been recognised for the amazing work they do assisting people in need and empowering civil society in Greece,” said The Hellenic Initiative Australia CEO, Stergitsa Zamagias-Hill. “We congratulate Desmos and Emfasis and all the volunteers who support their efforts.”

The awards were presented to Desmos Vice-President Lena Papalexopoulou and Emfasis Co-Founder Maria Karra.

“We were delighted to have had Lena and Maria as our guest speakers at The Hellenic Initiative Australia’s Rising to the Challenge events in September, where they spoke about the impact of their work and the ongoing need for the Greek diaspora’s support,” Ms Zamagias-Hill said.

Emfasis was honoured for its social street work programs, which last year provided critical outreach services to more than 1300 homeless and rough sleepers in Athens and Piraeus through its Mobile Support Units.

“This recognition belongs to our tireless volunteers, who have given more than 150,000 hours during more than 1000 shifts on the streets of Athens and Piraeus supporting people in need,” said Maria Karra.

Desmos’ unique and innovative I Care & Act program, implemented in collaboration with the Lambrakis Foundation, was recognised for its role in instilling the values of volunteerism, charity, solidarity and active citizens in schools across Greece. More than 63,110 students at 550 public schools have participated in the program in the past four years.

“The values that we cultivate in our students today will determine what kind of citizens will live in our society tomorrow and that’s why we are passionate about empowering them to be active and responsible citizens in our community,” said Lena Papalexopoulou.

The Hellenic Initiative Australia is funding the Emfasis Mobile Support Unit for a second year, while this is the third year it is supporting the I Care & Act Program.

Greece continues to reject Turkey’s sovereignty claim over Mediterranean EEZ

0

On Wednesday, Greece rejected multiple sovereignty claims by Turkey to the United Nations, over the long-term contentions regarding Exclusive Economic Zone’s (EEZ) in the eastern Mediterranean.

Greece believes Turkey’s claims are “legally unfounded, incorrect and arbitrary.”

In a letter sent to the United Nations, by Turkey’s Permanent Representative Feridun Sinirlioglu on November 13, Turkey retained their claim over an EEZ and maritime border with Egypt in the Eastern Mediterranean.

This claim is also linked to the legal and sovereign rights in the maritime areas of the Eastern Mediterranean.

“The Turkish claims and reference to specific coordinates are legally unfounded, incorrect and arbitrary, in so far as they violate Greece’s sovereign rights in the region,” the Greek Foreign Ministry said in a statement.

According to international maritime law, the islands, regardless of their land mass, have full rights to maritime zones as well as continental territories. The ministry continued saying that the delimitation of the continental shelf and the EEZ between adjacent or coastal states (either continental or islands) should be done in accordance with the rules of international law, based on the principles of equal distance (midline).

Greece have also stated that the Turkish claims west of the 32nd meridian “constitute an open interference with the Greece’s right to conclude demarcation agreements with third countries.”

“Greece rejects the illegal Turkish claims and reserves the right to respond appropriately.”

Greece draws with Canada and China in 2020 Olympic Qualifying Tournament

0

With the official FIBA draws for the Olympic Qualifying Tournaments being released this morning, the Greek Senior Men’s National Team have been drawn with Canada and China in Group A in the tournament.

No. 7-ranked Greece is led by Milwaukee Bucks star and 2019 NBA MVP Giannis Antetokounmpo, as well as Panathinaikos star Georgios Papagiannis.

Three other qualifying tournaments will take place with the winner from each of the four tournaments advancing to the Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games. The qualifiers will take place July 23-28, 2020.

Eight teams have already qualified for the Olympics, including Argentina, Australia, France, Iran, Japan (hosts), Nigeria, Spain, and the United States.

The four qualifying tournaments include the following 24 teams:

Belgrade, Serbia Group A – Dominican Republic, New Zealand, Serbia Group B – Puerto Rico, Italy, Senegal

Kaunas, Lithuania Group A – Lithuania, Korea, Venezuela Group B – Poland, Slovenia, Angola

Split, Croatia Group A – Germany, Russia, Mexico Group B – Tunisia, Croatia, Brazil

Victoria, Canada Group A – Greece, China, Canada Group B – Uruguay, Czech Republic, Turkey

6.0 magnitude earthquake hits Western Crete

0

A powerful undersea earthquake rattled Greece’s southern island of Crete on Wednesday and was felt in the southern mainland, but there were no initial reports of damage or injuries.

The U.S. Geological Survey gave a preliminary magnitude of 6.0 for the quake, while Greece’s Geo-dynamic Institute gave a preliminary magnitude of 6.1. It is usual for slight variations in magnitudes from different geo-dynamic institutes. The quake occurred at 9:23 a.m. (0723 GMT) on Wednesday at a depth of 71 kilometres (44 miles) and was widely felt across much of the country, including in the capital Athens.

The temblor sent people running into the streets in western Crete, local media reported, but there were no initial reports of any damage or injury. A day earlier, a powerful quake in neighbouring Albania killed at least 25 people and caused damage in the coastal city of Durres and nearby areas.

“Earthquakes at this depth are normally single events and are not followed by many aftershocks,” said seismologist Efthimis Lekkas, head of Greece’s Earthquake Planning and Protection Organisation, said of the quake in southern Greece. “So, there is no serious cause for concern.”

Authorities on the island of Kythira, which was near the epicentre, ordered schools shut for the day as a precaution.

Source: Associated Press