Played behind closed doors, Greek international Stefanos Tsitsipas will face off against Frenchman Richard Gasquet in the opening round of the UTS Showdown.
The two professionals will face off against each other live on June 13 at the Mouratoglou Academy, in the South of France.
When asked about the upcoming game, Tsitsipas said, “My first weapon is my spirit, my second weapon is my patience, my third weapon is creativity.”
Set to be the event that “revolutionized” tennis, the Ultimate Tennis Showdown (UTS) is organised by Greek-French tennis coach Patrick Mouratoglou.
The international tennis showdown series brings real competitive matches between ten of the world’s best tennis professionals, streamed live to people’s homes.
Ten matches will be streamed using on-court cameras and live-coaching every weekend for 5 weeks, starting from June 13-14.
According to Mouratoglou, the tournament is intended to allow players to express their emotions more “freely”.
Patrick Mouratoglou will be hosting the Ultimate Tennis Showdown (UTS) event at his Academy in the South of France. Photo: Tennis 365
“I would like the fans to benefit from better access to the players’ emotions, especially on the court where the code of conduct is a significant obstacle to that” explains Patrick Mouratoglou.
The tournament is said to stand out from existing tennis circuits, introducing new rules, an innovative fast-paced format, a lightened code of conduct, and live coaching.
Tsitsipas affirms tennis isn’t condemned to be a sport “for old people,” and, in his opinion, UTS will play a role in this reframing: “I can see a swap. I believe UTS is going to provide something fresh. And it’s also a way to change our sport. An evolutionary product. Which is going to open new doors and make tennis a bit more modernized and more updated.”
The tournament can be watched from the Ultimate Tennis Showdown website: HERE.
‘Real action’ against the spread of racism in Australia has been demanded by over 30 community groups in a joint letter to Prime Minister Scott Morrison and Opposition Leader Anthony Albanese on Thursday.
Community groups, including the Federation of Ethnic Communities Australia, Diversity Council Australia and Amnesty Australia, heave appealed for an anti-racism strategy, stating that recent global events are both a “wake up call and and an opportunity”.
“We urge you to establish a bipartisan National Anti-Racism Strategy, designed to draw on existing experience and expertise to halt the rising tide of hate and promote social cohesion at all levels of Australian society,” the joint letter reads.
Today a coalition of 30 community groups called for real action to tackle #racism.We're waiting and willing to help.
The letter draws attention to the increased level of racism towards the Asian-Australian community, including hostile, discriminatory and abusive behaviour, including physical violence.
One third of racist complaints made to the Human Rights Commission since the start of February have been related to COVID-19.
Federation of Ethnic Communities Councils of Australia chair Mary Patetsos said a recent increase in racial complaints calls for a strategy appeal.
“Australia urgently needs a strategy both broad and specific to combat racism wherever it is manifest,” she said.
FECCA chair Mary Patetsos is among those to back the calls for a new anti-racism campaign. Photo: SBS News
Ethnic Communities Council of Victoria push ‘All Together One’ campaign
The Ethnic Communities’ Council of Victoria (ECCV) have developed an All Together One campaign, aiming to facilitate a “Victoria-wide anti-racism response built on integrity, respect, equality, empowerment, social cohesion, and innovation”.
CEO of Football Victoria, Peter Filopoulos, is an active ambassador for the campaign, recognising cultural diversity as a key feature of football in Victoria.
“We are living in challenging times and just as in football, working together will benefit us all,” Filopoulos said in a statement.
“Promoting our game is about Football for ALL – to increase our engagement and advocacy of football, and to change perceptions and promote positive outcomes.”
Peter Filopoulos is an active ambassador for the All Together One campaign. Photo: Supplied
President of the Hellenic Republic Katerina Sakellaropoulou, met earlier with the Goodwill Ambassador of UNESCO, Marianna Vardinogianni, to discuss the planned celebrations for the 2500 year anniversary of the Battle of Thermopylae.
While briefing the schedule of the events, Vardinoyannis also announced the Marianna Vardinoyannis Institute’s decision to give funds it had originally set aside for the celebrations to vulnerable groups stricken by the pandemic.
“Soon our Foundation will announce the actions to honour the historical memory, with the primary goal of inspiring the new generation in Greece with the values and ideals of our ancestors,” Ms Vardinoyannis added.
The Hellenic President hopes that the celebrations “will contribute to our self awareness and to presenting Greece’s historic wealth.”
On her part, Sakellaropoulou also expressed her full support for Ms. Vardinogianni for the work carried out by the ELPIDA-Association of Friends of Children with Cancer Association.
Expressing her interest in the latest scientific developments in the childhood cancer field, she asking to visit the Children’s Oncology Unit so that she too can contribute to the ever-lasting fight.
Foreign Minister Nikos Dendias, in a written statement after meeting with Serbian Foreign Minister Ivica Dacic in Athens on Friday, pointed out the strong bonds between the two countries, deriving from the long friendship of their peoples and their common religious and cultural traditions.
Dendias said that they had the opportunity to discuss and exchange views on many different issues, as well as ways to further strengthen the already excellent relations between the two countries.
In terms of the coronavirus, Dendias said that they expressed “our desire to cooperate in a number of fields to address the repercussions of the crisis, both in our countries and in the wider region.”
Είμαι ιδιαιτέρως χαρούμενος που υποδέχτηκα σήμερα τον αγαπητό φίλο και Υπουργό Εξωτερικών της Σερβίας, κ. Ivica Dacic. Συζητήσαμε και ανταλλάξαμε απόψεις επί διαφόρων θεμάτων, καθώς και τρόπους ενίσχυσης των ήδη εξαιρετικών σχέσεων των χωρών μας. @GreeceMFA
On Serbia’s European prospect, “I reaffirmed Greece’s stable support,” adding that “Greek foreign policy’s target is the integration of the western Balkans in the European family”.
Referring to the Belgrade-Pristina’s dialogue, he reiterated that Greece’s position in terms of Kosovo’s regime, remains the same until a final agreement is reached.
Finally, Dendias referred to the recent developments in the Eastern Mediterranean and particularly to Turkey’s behaviour, which continues to operate in a way that sets peace and stability in the area at risk.
Swim safety education has been prioritised as a major contributor to Greece’s quality of tourism, Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis said on Friday, speaking at an event on safety at sea.
Every year, nearly 350 people drown accidentally at sea in Greece, double the number of those who died of COVID-19.
Organised by nonprofit Safe Water Sports, the swim safety event promotes educational activities, allowing for children to enhance awareness of safety at sea.
“The state is obliged to upgrade the current institutional framework, and will do so. We must treat the sea with respect and the same must be done by businesses related to the sea,” he said.
“Safe seas means upgraded tourist product for Greece.”
Despite utilising an effective swim safety program, Australia also receives a high number of drownings per year. Australian and Surf Life Saving Australia show that 276 people drowned across Australia from July 2018 to June 2019, representing a 10% increase on the previous year.
Shipping & Island Policy Minister Yiannis Plakiotakis emphasised that the Greek government’s comprehensive program will help to deal with drownings at sea.
The three-pronged plan comprises of prevention, safety and control, and includes an awareness campaign for the elderly.
Speaking of his organisation, Katherimini reports, founder Panagiotis Paschalakis said he lost his son Michael, 10, during water sports with friends in 2014. He then began the nonprofit in 2015, when there was no system for informing children and young people of safety measures at sea.
On its site, Safe Water sports says that drowning in Greece is considered the second leading cause of accidental death for children 1-14 years of age.
One inspiring aspect of family business is how a family comes together and strives, as one, towards their success. What is also amazing is how a family remains together in a business, despite so many years passing and the family itself growing… it highlights a very special bond among family members!
Travelling to Seven Hills, The Brothers Fish Market epitomises what can be achieved when a family strives together; upon arrival at the fish market, what immediately grabs your attention is that all four Klavdiou brothers, Giorgos, Christos, Kostas and Mario all work there! Additionally, their wives and some of their children, all work there too!
The Klavdiou family are from Vatili, Cyprus; after the Turkish invasion of Cyprus in 1974, their village came under Turkish occupation and, like thousands of Cypriots, became refugees and fled to free Cyprus. Parents, Haralambos and Chrystalla, and their four sons, George, Christos, Kostas and Mario, are then sponsored, by Haralambos’ older brother, Kostas, to migrate to Australia.
As most of Haralambos’ family had migrated to Australia in the late 1940s- 1950, they fortunately had a strong family network that supported their arrival to Australia, in 1976, by finding them accommodation and, with the exception of Mario who attended Granville Boys High School, Haralambos and his three sons worked at various seafood shops- owned by his brothers.
As Kostas explains, ‘All our father’s brothers had fish shops: Kosta (Auburn), Andrew (Belfield), Nikos (Eastwood), Tasos (Liverpool)… Chris worked in Harry and Eleni Dimitriou’s fish shop in Bankstown, while I worked in ‘Jack’ and Rita’s shop in Granville. Uncle ‘Jack’ helped us greatly; he had a stall, selling fish, at Flemington Markets and he kindly gave it to our family; our father and brother George worked this stall. Mario would work there on weekends.’
Settling in Seven Hills, the Klavdiou family found an opportunity to open a seafood shop in Seven Hills Plaza in 1977; at the time, Haralambos and his sons, George, Chris and Kosta, were partners. Kostas recalls the opening day of The Brothers Fish Market, ‘We opened our shop on July 27, 1977, on the feast day of Agios Pandeleimonas. I remember our mother brought an icon of the Virgin Mary, which she had brought over from Cyprus, and placed it in the shop and said that the Virgin Mary would help us. We still have that icon in our shop today!’
As there were very few good seafood shops in the area, The Brothers Fish Market immediately boomed with success and it never not looked back since. When Haralambos retired, Mario took over his father’s share. Since 2005, Kostas and his son, Harry, own the business. Despite these changes, all four brothers, and their families, still work side by side.
There is no doubt the strong family values instilled in the four brothers come from parents, Haralambos and Chrystalla, as Kostas points out, ‘This strong sense of family values are reinforced by our mother too. After work, we would all go to our family home and there would be a meal ready for us. It may have been 9pm but we always came together. Even today, our father will drop off some food (at the shop) that our mother has cooked for us. Our mother continues to send food to our homes; this gesture is just her loving nature…’
All the brothers get asked how they have stayed together after forty years. As Kostas explains, ‘We are a very close family and this love and care for each other was instilled in us from a young age. Our maternal grandfather, Kostas Papakostas, who was a priest, would always invite us children together; he would pick up a cane and ask us to break it and we would. Then, he would add another and another, and the bundle of cane would become more and more difficult to break, until we could not break it. It was our grandfather’s way of telling us to stay together- no matter where we go. He was a very wise man; he would advise us to have a clear mind and to love one another.’
Being so close-knit and supportive of each other, it is no wonder the Klavdiou family treats their customers as an extension of their own family, ‘Seven Hills is like a large village- everyone knows each other. We have three generations of families who continued shopping from us. After all these years here, at Seven Hills, this is our home- we are part of this community.’
With the aftermath of the COVID-19 pandemic potentially pushing millions of vulnerable children into child labour, His Eminence Archbishop Makarios says “there is no room for compromise and complacency.”
World Day Against Child Labour 2020 focuses on the impact of the crisis, with an estimated 152 million children in child labour, 72 million of which are in hazardous work.
In a public message, His Eminence says that on this day, “our thoughts and attention turn to an extremely worrying and sad phenomenon that, unfortunately, continues to plague humanity even in the 21st century.”
Photo: Greek Orthodox Archdiocese of Australia
“Tens of millions of girls and boys throughout the world, almost 10% of all children, according to the latest estimates of the International Labour Organization, instead of enjoying their innocence and tender age; instead of playing, smiling and dreaming; instead of learning at school and progressing, they are forced to waste their childhood at work, in often dangerous conditions for their health, safety, and their moral development,” His Eminence said.
His Eminence recognised that while significant steps have been taken in recent years to curb child labour, its complete elimination remains an extended task.
Elements of an integrated policy response to child labour. Photo: United Nations.
A joint ILO-UNICEF paper on the impact of COVID-19 on child labour looks at some of the main channels through which the pandemic is likely to affect progress towards the eradication of child labour.
“There is no room for compromise and complacency when there are still children’s faces without innocent smiles; when there are traumatised children deprived of the right to dream,” His Eminence adds in his message.
Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis has confirmed his readiness to discuss maritime zones delimitation with Ankara, speaking on Thursday during an online discussion at the Delphi Economic Forum.
Relations between the two countries have been strained by border tensions and Turkey’s oil and gas exploration plans in the Mediterranean.
In the latest standoff, the Turkish Petroleum Corporation announced plans to receive drilling rights in areas considered by Greece to be a part of its continental shelf and Athens slammed the move.
“We are always open for dialogue with Turkey, among the problems on the negotiation table are the delimitation of our maritime zones,” Mitsotakis said Thursday.
“We can discuss openly, and if we finally agree that we have differences, there are always ways to refer the issue to the International Court in The Hague by common agreement on how we can solve this problem, but always with absolute respect for international law”.
The minister added that the relationship between Athens and Ankara was complex.
“Turkey in recent months has been extremely provocative in its activities, especially with regard to the signing of an agreement with Libya on the delimitation of maritime zones, which we consider to be absolutely invalid, not having any power. Just look at the map to understand why this agreement makes no sense, not in the least”, Mitsotakis noted.
Mitsotakis continued by saying that Greece’s relationship with Turkey is, “not just a Greek-Turkish problem, it’s an EU-Turkey problem.”
“Greece is a member of the European Union, our security concerns are also the security concerns of the Union, when we are guarding our borders, when we are protecting our borders, we are protecting the borders of the EU,” he said.
“If Turkey is thinking about violating the sovereign rights of the Hellenic Republic, not only will it get a response from Greece, I am pretty sure it will get a response from Europe.”
“I hear the government talking about 24 billion euros. Where are they all?” main opposition SYRIZA leader Alexis Tsipras asked on Thursday, following his meetings with shop keepers in Evosmos, Thessaloniki.
The shopkeepers described the great difficulties they face on a daily basis since they reopened their shops after the lockdown to avoid spreading Covid-19.
Alexis Tsipras (left) and Kyriakos Mitsotakis (right) have different opinions on how Greece’s economy should be handled.
Tsipras said the market needed to be supported with working capital and liquidity and said that SYRIZA will press the government to deliver, after shopkeepers complained that they did not have access to loans or faced steep interest rates for any loans received.
The main opposition leader walked about the Evosmos high street and spoke with several business owners, as well as with young people in the area. There was also a brief meeting with the mayor of Kordelio in Evosmos, Kleanthis Mandalianos.
Market restart to bring “recession and unemployment”
Last month, the SYRIZA leader criticised the Greek government’s economic plan to deal with the aftermath of the coronavirus restrictions, saying it will bring recession and unemployment.
The plan involves spending $19.2 billion to help laid-off workers and businesses required to shut during the lockdown.
However, speaking at a SYRIZA party meeting, Tsipras said the economic initiative was “an opportunity to promote a tough anti-popular agenda for the benefit of a small business elite.”
“The coming recession will be the result of Mitsotakis’ inertia, timidity and inability to anticipate the real needs of the economy,” Tsipras said.
“It may even lead to snap national elections which would serve as a chance to elect a progressive government.”
Arrivals of irregular migrants via Greece’s land border with Turkey doubled on Tuesday, Kathimerini reports, with police intercepting more than 400 people in the border areas of Tychero and Ferres within 24 hours.
A significantly greater influx than the previous few days, border guards typically stop between 200 and 250 asylum seekers daily.
Reports that “a number of migrants moving to the Turkish coast, opposite Mytilene, Kos, Farmakonisi and elsewhere” have caused concern to the Greek Coast Guard, yet officials revealed to the daily that “they have been on alert for the past two days.”
