The Commonwealth Bank branch on Chapel Street in Prahran, Victoria, has changed hands for just over $7.5 million, on a record tight yield of 3.3 percent.
Records show hospo entrepreneurs George and Heidi Koumantatakis had owned the property and its neighbour, leased by Priceline, for over 20 years.
Emmetts boss, Charles Emmett, who struck the deal, said he fielded interest in both properties from parties in China, Hong Kong, Taiwan, South Africa and across Australia.
The buyer is a local, as yet undisclosed, investor.
Despite bank’s continuing to shut down branches on suburban shopping strips, investors are attracted to the branches on the major strips, which also hold potential for capital growth.
Captain Apostolos Apostolakis was awarded ‘Seafarer of the Year’ at the prestigious Lloyd’s List Greek Shipping Awards on December 4, for his professionalism and expertise in dealing with a coronavirus-related passenger emergency this past Spring.
A total of 260 cases of COVID-19 had been found among the 400 passengers and crew on Apostolakis’ ship, the Eleftherios Venizelos, back in April.
In response, the captain, who had tested positive for the virus himself, was quick to enforce anti-virus measures by isolating sick passengers and docking the ship in the Piraeus port to get those severely ill to emergency treatment.
Apostolakis works for the Greek passenger shipping company, ANEK Lines, one of the largest in the country. Both the company and Apostolakis himself are natives of Crete.
Lloyd’s List Greek Shipping Awards:
The awards, which were hosted virtually by Nigel Lowry of Lloyd’s List and Adriana Paraskevopoulou, news anchor at Greek public broadcaster ERT, also recognised others in 18 further categories of achievement.
For the first time in 16 years, a woman walked off with the Greek Shipping Personality of the Year Award – Anna Angelicoussi of Alpha Bulkers, Alpha Gas and Pantheon Tankers.
Greek shipping legend Thanassis Martinos, meanwhile, was chosen as the winner of this year’s Lloyd’s List/Propeller Club Lifetime Achievement Award.
Other top personalities recognised were Suzanna Laskaridis, founder of Real Time Graduates and Blue Cycle, who won the Next Generation Shipping Award for personalities under 40, while the president of the Passenger Shipping Companies Union, Michalis Sakellis, was named Newsmaker of the Year.
Greek shipping legend Thanassis Martinos, meanwhile, was chosen as the winner of this year’s Lloyd’s List/Propeller Club Lifetime Achievement Award.
Notable winners of company awards included Atlantic Bulk Carriers, which scooped the Dry Cargo Company of the Year Award, and Okeanis Eco Tankers, named Tanker Company of the Year 2020.
Guy Platten, Secretary General of the International Chamber of Shipping, was elected International Personality of the Year, the only award exclusively for non-Greeks, for his tireless efforts to solve the international crew change crisis.
Other honorees included ONEX Shipyards, owner of the Neorion yard in Syros, for single-handedly reviving the prospects for Greek shipbuilding and ship repair.
Turkish President, Recep Tayyip Erdogan, on Monday called for negotiations over energy exploration rights in the Eastern Mediterranean, days ahead of a European Union summit where leaders could decide to impose sanctions on Turkey.
“We believe we can solve the problems of the Eastern Mediterranean by not excluding each other, but by bringing all the actors together around the same table,” Erdogan said in a video message to a university forum on the Eastern Mediterranean Sea.
However, he said Turkey would “not accept plans and maps that aim to confine us to the shores of Antalya.”
Turkey’s President Recep Tayyip Erdogan speaks in Istanbul, Saturday, December 5, 2020. Photo: Turkish Presidency via AP, Pool.
“We are not after exploiting the rights of anyone but try to take a firm stance against pirates that try to take our rights away,” Erdogan said.
At a summit in October, European leaders warned Turkey to withdraw its energy research ships or face punitive measures.
Late last month, the Turkish seismic survey vessel Oruc Reis returned to port, as it had done before October’s EU meeting. However, another research ship, the Barbaros Hayreddin Pasa, remains off Cyprus’ southwest coast.
EU foreign ministers agreed on Monday that Turkey’s behavior has not improved and that the two-day summit on Thursday is looming as a “crucial” meeting for EU-Turkey ties.
“All of them considered that we have not seen a fundamental change of direction,” EU foreign policy chief, Josep Borrell, told reporters after chairing their talks. “In several aspects, the situation has worsened.”
European Union foreign policy chief, Josep Borrell, speaks during a media conference after a meeting of EU Foreign Ministers at the European Council building in Brussels, Monday December 7, 2020. Photo: John Thys, Pool via AP.
Tensions between NATO allies Turkey and Greece escalated over the summer with a military build-up after Turkey sent the Oruc Reis, escorted by navy frigates, into disputed waters. The move prompted Greece to also send its warships, and both countries conducted military exercises to assert their claims.
Turkey says it is standing up for its energy rights, as well as those of breakaway Turkish Cypriots, while Athens and Nicosia call Turkey’s actions a breach of their territorial waters.
Greece on Monday extended its lockdown measures until January 7 to limit the spread of the coronavirus.
In a televised briefing, government spokesman, Stelios Petsas, said the health system was still under enormous pressure and some restrictions should not be lifted until next month, including a night curfew and movement between regions.
Schools, restaurants, bars, courts and ski resorts will also remain closed until that date, Mr Petsas said.
The owner of a shop selling Christmas decoration products wears a protective face mask at the entrance of his shop, during the coronavirus pandemic, in Athens, Greece, December 7, 2020. Photo: Reuters/Alkis Konstantinidis.
By the end of the week, the government will make further decisions on the operation of churches, hair salons and the retail sector.
Greece has registered 115,471 cases of coronavirus and 3,092 deaths in total.
The country had to enforce a nationwide lockdown in November, its second this year, after an aggressive surge in COVID-19 cases. It has extended it twice since then, most recently until December 14.
10-day preventive quarantine for those returning to Greece from abroad:
During the same televised briefing, Mr Petsas confirmed that travelers returning to Greece from abroad will be placed in 10-day preventive quarantine. The measure will be in effect from 18 December 2020 until 7 January 2021.
He stressed that the 10-day quarantine will be an additional measure to the Passenger Location Form (PLF) and the negative molecular COVID-19 test carried out 72 hours before arrival.
This move was made in an attempt to restrict transmission of the coronavirus over the holiday season.
Media Diversity Australia have recently released their ‘Find an expert’ directory to help news media across Australia access diverse multicultural talent and voices for interviews.
The directory proudly features three Greek and Cypriot experts including: Maria Dimopoulos, who is the Chairperson at National Harmony Alliance, Costa Vasili, the Founder and CEO of EthnoLink Language Services, and Elias Diacolabrianos, who is the Chair of publishing house and collective EOTHINON.
The directory comes in the face of a damning report released in August by Media Diversity Australia, showing the Australian population is not equally represented on news and current affairs shows.
The report showed more than 75 percent of presenters, commentators and reporters are Anglo-Celtic, while only 6 percent have an Indigenous or non-European background.
And of the free-to-air networks’ 39 board members, only one, at SBS, has an Indigenous background, and three a non-European background.
Maria Dimopoulos – Chairperson at National Harmony Alliance (Greek):
Expertise:
Multiculturalism.
Human rights.
Gender equality.
Law and justice system.
Intersectionality.
Bio:
Maria Dimopolous was acknowledged in 2020 with an OAM for service to women, to cultural diversity, and to the prevention of domestic violence. In 2017, she received the Migration Council of Australia Lifetime Achievement Award for her contribution to Australian multiculturalism and support for CALD women.
Costa Vasili – Founder and CEO of EthnoLink Language Services (Cypriot):
Expertise:
Communication strategies for CALD audiences.
Translation.
Languages.
Second-generation Australians.
Translators and interpreters.
Entrepreneurship.
Youth issues.
Bio:
Costa Vasili is passionate about using EthnoLink as a vehicle for positive change in Australia. Reflecting on his father George’s migration to Australia at the age of 13 and speaking little English, Costa founded EthnoLink at the age of 20 to effect positive change for multicultural communities.
Elias Diacolabrianos – Chair of publishing house and collective EOTHINON (Greek):
Expertise:
Community politics.
Social issues.
poverty.
Justice.
Discrimination.
Science and engineering.
Health, safety and risk.
Cultural issues.
Bio:
Elias Diacolabrianos is a Greek public broadcaster and community activist who has 40 years’ experience in Safety and Risk Management and participation in international conferences and expert panels. He is a radio producer with ABC’s 3ZZ, community radio 3CR, foundation member of 3ZZZ and currently the coordinator of the 3ZZZ Greek programs as well as a member of the 3ZZZ council.
Nick Diamantopoulos is the chief executive of Australian Garlic Producers and twenty years ago, he had a dream. He envisioned that Australians would never have to buy imported garlic again.
Fed up with the poor quality of Chinese garlic in particular, Diamantopoulos embarked on a project to stock Australian supermarket shelves with home-grown bulbs.
“The only problem was the Australian garlic season started around Christmas and finished later in summer,” Diamantopoulos told Good Food.
Nick Diamantopoulos is the chief executive of Australian Garlic Producers.
For an all-Australian supply, the garlic lover needed to bring the start of the season forward and push the end of harvest back.
“I had to find garlic varieties that could grow around the different climates of Australia, from the tropics in the north to the cold climate of the south,” he says.
The former industrial chemist’s quest to find the perfect garlic bulb took him from Melbourne’s eastern suburbs to Syria, and to the peaks of the Andes.
Nick Diamantopoulos is on a mission to make sure Australians never have to eat poor quality, imported garlic again. Photo: Simon Schluter.
Eventually, Diamantopoulos realised his dream.
The first Australian-grown garlic of the season was harvested in September on a farm near Robinvale on the Murray River. The bulbs come from a tropical variety sourced from Senegal.
The last garlic will be pulled from the earth in March, much of it set to be cured at Diamantopoulos’ processing facility near Mildura in north-west Victoria.
“Once cured, garlic will keep,” he says. “If stored correctly, it will still be in excellent condition in six months’ time.”
The bulbs will be trucked to retailers such as Coles and Woolworths over winter, completing Diamantopoulos’ decades-long ambition to fill supermarket shelves with Australian garlic. He says Australia is now the only country with a continuous supply of fresh, local bulbs.
“My Greek mother makes the best skordalia [garlic and potato dip] in the world,” he says.
“She says the garlic is now good enough to make it year-round. The taste has been worth all the effort.”
Paul S. Sarbanes, the son of Greek immigrants who rose the ranks of the Democratic Party to become one of the most powerful and respected US Senators, died at the age of 87 on Sunday night, according to his son.
The Democrat “passed away peacefully this evening in Baltimore,” said a statement by US Representative John Sarbanes, who represents Maryland’s 3rd Congressional District.
Sarbanes’ office didn’t immediately reply to questions about details of the death such as the cause or where he was when he died.
Paul S. Sarbanes was one of the most powerful and respected US Senators.
A workhorse with a consistently liberal voting record, the elder Sarbanes in 2000 became the state’s first US senator to win a fifth term.
“Our family is grateful to know that we have the support of Marylanders who meant so much to him and whom he was honored to serve,” John Sarbanes’ statement said.
Born in Salisbury on February 3, 1933, Sarbanes was the prototype of the self-made Greek American.
Born in Salisbury on February 3, 1933, Sarbanes was the prototype of the self-made Greek American.
He grew up around the restaurant owned by his parents, Spyros and Matina, landed a scholarship to Princeton University and went on to become a Rhodes scholar. He graduated from Harvard Law School in 1960, the same year he married his British-born wife, Christine. They had three children.
Sarbanes’ wife, Christine Sarbanes, a retired educator, died in 2009. The couple had another son, Michael A. Sarbanes, and a daughter, Janet M. Sarbanes.
A private funeral service is planned.
“Following state, local and public health guidance amid the COVID-19 pandemic, our family will hold a private service in the coming days,” John Sarbanes’ statement said.
Greek Prime Minister, Kyriakos Mitsotakis, has denied violating lockdown restrictions during a mountain bike ride last weekend.
A photo that was published by the Greek press and on social media went viral in the country.
It showed the Prime Minister posing without a mask and not respecting social-distancing rules alongside five motorcyclists at Mount Parnitha, 45km north of Athens.
Mitsotakis, pictured in cyclists’ clothing, was reported to have travelled to the area on Sunday with his wife.
Greek Prime Minister, Kyriakos Mitsotakis, has denied violating lockdown restrictions during a mountain bike ride last weekend.
The main left-wing opposition party Syrizaaccused the Prime Minister of “breaking the lockdown without protective measures,” while at the same time calling on citizens to show “individual responsibility” and respect the restrictions.
“You behave as if you were living in another world,” former Prime Minister Alexis Tsipras, head of Syriza, said in parliament on Thursday evening.
Tsipras also accused Mitsotakis of “lack of empathy for citizens who are not allowed to move” away from their homes.
But in a statement to Euronews, the press office of Mitsotakis said the PM was entitled to travel within the Athens region.
“During the first lockdown in Greece, in March and April of this year, the government mandated that exercise only be allowed in the proximity of one’s home,” the statement reads.
Kyriakos Mitsotakis has been criticised for the leaked photos. Photo by Louisa Gouliamaki / AFP.
“For this second lockdown, this guidance was updated and the government outlined that exercise activities and walks would be allowed in a broader region, but that they must be limited to the prefecture one lives in.”
On November 5, Prime Minister Mitsotakis noted that the country would be more flexible with citizens wanting to exercise during the second lockdown as long as basic rules are obeyed.
“The rules in Greece outline that Greeks are allowed to travel within their prefecture, which is what the Prime Minister did,” the statement adds.
Officials from Syriza have hit back at what it described as “ridiculous excuses.”
“[There is] only lack of empathy and arrogance, at a time when the public health system is at its limits and the health staff on the verge of psychological and physical collapse,” said Nassos Iliopoulos from the Syriza-Progressive Alliance.
Physical exercise is listed as one of the accepted reasons for leaving home, according to the strict containment measures imposed by Greece to stem the second wave of the coronavirus pandemic.
However, such physical exercise is now limited to their prefecture, and any infringement without a clear reason is punishable with a €300 fine.
The wearing of masks is also compulsory outdoors in Greece under the regulations announced by Prime Minister Mitsotakis.
Greece extended its national lockdown for the second time on Thursday, until December 14.
Authorities in the northern Greek city of Thessaloniki have dug dozens of graves for the victims of COVID-19 after a sharp increase in the number of deaths.
Greece has ordered a second nationwide lockdown after a spike in cases of the new coronavirus. By Sunday, it had recorded 115,471 cases and a new grim milestone – 3,003 deaths.
Greek Orthodox priest Father Efstathios and workers in personal protective equipment (PPE) stand next to newly-opened graves in Thessaloniki, Greece. Photo: New York Times.
Thessaloniki, a city of about one million and where the first nationwide cases surfaced in February, has been particularly hard hit during the second wave.
“We didn’t encounter many cases in the first lockdown… There were very few cases (then) and it wasn’t every day. These days it’s daily,” funeral services provider, Stavros Chatzivaritis, said.
“There are between five and eight funerals, almost every day.”
At the Resurrection of the Lord Cemetery in Thessaloniki, on the eastern side of Greece’s second largest city, many new graves have been opened. The Greek Orthodox chapel in the compound conducts funeral services, with pallbearers in full protective clothing.
The silence in its graveyard is punctured by the gentle chant of an Orthodox priest, or by the thud of the shovelled earth hitting the coffin, wrapped in plastic.
There are flowers, but grieving relatives are kept to a minimum and at a distance. “To my beloved,” wrote one on a wreath.
On Sunday, December 6, the Greek Orthodox Community and Church of Canberra celebrated the name day of Saint Nicholas, of which the church is named after, holding a special service followed by plenty of food and dancing from the Hellenic dancers.
The celebrations consisted of many special guests including Ms Tara Cheyne, Minister for Multicultural Affairs, Zed Seselja, Assistant Minister to the Treasurer & Senator for the ACT representing the Prime Minister, Mrs Maria Vamvakinou MP, Mr Steve Georganas MP, His Excellency, Ambassador of Greece Mr George Papacostas, Her Excellency, High Commissioner of Cyprus Mrs Martha Mavrommatis, His Excellency, Ambassador of Austria Mr Wolfgang Lukas Strohmayer, President of the Greek Community, Mr John Loukadellis, as well as former Parish Priest George Carpis, current Priest of St Nicholas, Father Petros Kipouros and current Priest of St Demetrios, Father Iakovos Syriotis.
Politicians and prominent members of the Greek community attended the special event. Photo: Eva Karatzas.
Mr Seselja conveyed Scott Morrison’s well wishes at the beginning of the ceremony and welcomed His Eminence to the capital.
“I can not stay until the end of today’s celebration but I came, even for a while, to convey to you the wishes of the Prime Minister of the country and to welcome you to the Australian Capital on his behalf and on behalf of the Australian Government,” Mr Seslja said.
It was a big day for the Saint Nicholas Greek Orthodox Church as the original priest of Canberra’s parish, Father George, was promoted to High Priest and Father Prochoros was announced as the Archdiocesan Vicar of the newly announced Archdiocesan District of the ACT. This was a huge honour for the Canberra community and church, showing a bright future for our faithful in the ACT.
A special celebration was held to mark the name day of St Nicholas. Photo: Eva Karatzas.Father Prochoros was announced as the Archdiocesan Vicar of the Archdiocesan District of the ACT. Photo: Mark Petropoulos.
The event had a great turnout of people, including special performances from the Canberra Hellenic Dancers who performed some traditional Greek dances, showcasing our culture and traditions that continue to be embraced.
His Eminence Archbishop Makarios shared his positive feedback on the celebrations and how he looks forward to seeing the Greek Community of Canberra grow and continue to embrace their faith and culture.
“I am very happy. The community of Canberra is very warm and they love the church,” His Eminence said in a speech at the event.
In a speech during the service, His Eminence also thanked Mrs Tara Cheyne, State Minister for Human Rights, Culture and Business, and the expatriate Federal MPs Maria Vamvakinou and Steve Georganas, from Victoria and Adelaide, respectively, for their constant support to the Greek diaspora and to the Holy Archdiocese, especially for the clear position they took on the issue of condemning the conversion of Hagia Sophia into a mosque.
His Eminence Archbishop Makarios (centre) thanked Steve Georganas MP (left) and Maria Vamvakinou MP (right) for their support of the Greek diaspora. Photo: Facebook.
His Excellency, Ambassador of Greece, Mr Papacostas, shared: “We are very happy that the Archbishop came and honoured us with his presence today. The church was full and this means that Hellenism respects its traditions and will continue to be so.”
President of the Greek Community, Mr John Loukadellis, stated: “After a long 15 hour day, it was an amazing day and I wish everyone celebrating a joyous and love filled day.”
Following this successful festivity of celebrations for Saint Nicholas, parishioners were welcomed to catch a bus to Nimmitabel, to visit the burial plot of Gikas Voulgaris, who was the first Greek Australian Pioneer.
His Eminence Makarios presided a memorial service to recognise and celebrate the life, sacrifice and love for Gikas Voulgaris. A wreath was laid by Archbishop Makarios on behalf of the Archdiocese of Australia and the President of the Greek Orthodox Community & Church of Canberra, John Loukadellis also laid a wreath on behalf of the Community & St Nicholas Church.
