Search
Home Blog Page 1574

British push back against EU: “Elgin Marbles don’t belong to Greece”

The Greek Herald
-
0
British push back against EU: “Elgin Marbles don’t belong to Greece”

Brits have shared their fury at the European Union demanding the UK hands over the Elgin Marbles back to Greece as part of a trade deal between Britain and the bloc.

The EU’s chief negotiator Michel Barnier said the bloc was ready to offer an “ambitious partnership” with the UK post-Brexit.

“A trade agreement that includes in particular fishing and includes a level playing field, with a country that has a very particular proximity – a unique territorial and economic closeness – which is why it can’t be compared to Canada or South Korea or Japan.”

His comments came as an EU document showed his negotiating mandate would include “addressing issues relating to the return or restitution of unlawfully removed cultural objects to their countries of origin.”

A diplomatic source claimed this was a reference to the ancient Greek statues in the British Museum, known as the Parthenon marbles.

But many readers expressed their fury at the EU’s plot on Express.co.uk’s Facebook page.

Bob Wheeler said: “Keep the marbles, keep the fisheries. We have been very generous, we gave them their freedom twice.”

Meanwhile, Chris Allen called Mr Barnier a “dreamer”. “Not a chance, you can’t have the marbles. They’re British owned since 1816, really Mr Barnier, get real, you are a dreamer.”

The Parthenon marbles have been a controversial matter for more than 200 years.

Acropolis Museum in Athens, which has the remaining sculptures that were left in Greece, has even left an empty space in the hope of their return.

However, a government spokeswoman said the marbles would not be up for discussion during next month’s trade talks.

She said: “The EU are still finalising their mandate – this is currently in draft. The UK’s position on the Parthenon sculptures remains unchanged – they are legal responsibility of the British Museum. That is not up for discussion as part of our trade negotiations.”

Meanwhile the UK Telegraph recently posted an article with the title “The Elgin Marbles don’t ‘belong’ to Greece, they belong to us all”

With reference to Express.co.uk

His Eminence presents awards to 2019 HSC high achieving students of NSW Greek Orthodox Colleges

The Greek Herald
-
0
His Eminence presents awards to 2019 HSC high achieving students of NSW Greek Orthodox Colleges

On Tuesday February 18, His Eminence Archbishop Makarios attended the annual HSC Award Ceremony for students of the three Hellenic Orthodox Colleges of New South Wales.

Awards were presented to 2019 HSC graduate students from NSW schools All Saints Grammar School, St Euphemia College and St Spyridon College.

In his brief address, His Eminence Mr. Makarios warmly congratulated the pupils and students who excelled, while giving them his blessing and wishing for them to make good progress and achieve a similar distinction in the future.

The Archbishop shared words of wisdom to the young students, urging them to follow the values ​​of their ancestors, maintain their Greek identity and remain committed to their Orthodox faith.

Photo: Greek Orthodox Archdiocese Australia

The room was filled with parents and guardians of the award-winning youth, who watched with enthusiasm and pride throughout the ceremony.

The ceremony was organised for the seventh year by the Educational Council of the Holy Archdiocese and was hosted in the hall of the St Andrew’s Greek Orthodox Theological College in Redfern, Sydney.

Photo: Greek Orthodox Archdiocese Australia

In addition to the Archbishop, multiple bishops of the Greek Orthodox Church were in attendance, including Bishop of Melois, Evagrios Koutouzis, His Grace Bishop Seraphim, Abbot Hieromonk Evagrios of the Holy Monastery of St John, along with Archimandrite Ieronymos Karmas.

Also in attendance were the Consul General of Greece in Sydney, Mr. Christos Karras, the Directors of the Hellenic Orthodox Colleges and many priests of the Holy Archdiocese to praise and congratulate the high school students for their great accomplishments.

Government establish national Royal Commission into the Black Summer bushfires

The Greek Herald
-
0
Government establish national Royal Commission into the Black Summer bushfires

A national Royal Commission into Australia’s devastating Black Summer bushfires will be established following agreement from the Governor-General, His Excellency General the Honourable David Hurley AC DSC (Retd).

The Morrison Government has today released the Terms of Reference for the Royal Commission into National Natural Disaster Arrangements, informed by feedback from states and territories.  

Prime Minister Scott Morrison said the scale of the Black Summer bushfires presented new challenges for all levels of government, which required a detailed national inquiry.

“My priority is to keep Australians safe and to do that, we need to learn from the Black Summer bushfires how nationally we can work better with the states and territories to better protect and equip Australians for living in hotter, drier and longer summers,” the Prime Minister said.

“In particular, we need to consider the need to establish new powers for the Federal Government to declare a national state of emergency to trigger direct Federal Government responses to national disasters, including the direct deployment of the Australian Defence Force. Currently, there are no such powers and Federal responses are supposed to only be undertaken in response to State requests and authorisations.

“During the Black Summer bushfires, we entered a  constitutional grey zone by directly initiating defence force deployments, utilising the first ever compulsory call out of Reservists, with over 6,500 ADF personnel serving in support of state and territory response efforts. But we did that without clear rules.

“The inquiry acknowledges climate change, the broader impact of our summers getting longer, drier and hotter and is focussed on practical action that has a direct link to making Australians safer.

“That’s why we need to look at what actions should be taken to enhance our preparedness, resilience and recovery through the actions of all levels of government and the community, for the environment we are living in. 

“The overwhelming majority of the actions to protect Australians from bushfires are undertaken at a State level. Everything from resourcing our fire services and hazard reduction, to land clearing and planning laws. Even the declaration of emergencies, the areas that are designated to receive payments and in most cases the assessment and delivery of those payments, even when they are funded by the Federal Government, are all undertaken by the States.

“I believe Australians are wanting us to look at ways we can work together to give Australians greater assurances at a national level that these important tasks are getting done.

“I want the Royal Commission to begin as soon as possible with the final report due back by August 31, so recommendations can be acted upon before our next bushfire season.

“I want to thank Premiers and Chief Ministers for their consultative and collaborative approach in drafting the Terms of Reference. We have listened, valued their input and made changes to take on board feedback where appropriate.

“The national response to these devastating Black Summer bushfires is a shared responsibility of the Commonwealth, states and territories. We all have one goal – to protect people, property and wildlife.”  

The Royal Commission will not going to duplicate the work of other inquiries, but will work with other inquiries announced by the States and it will also review the work and recommendations of previous inquiries.

This inquiry has a national focus and will look at three key areas:

  • Improving natural disaster management coordination across all levels of government;
  • Improving Australia’s preparedness, resilience, and response to natural disasters, across all levels of government;
  • The legal framework for the Commonwealth’s involvement in responding to national emergencies and how that works with state and territory legal frameworks.

The Royal Commission will be led by Air Chief Marshal Mark Binskin AC (Retd), who will be joined by:

  • The Hon Dr Annabelle Bennett AC SC, former Federal Court Judge, and
  • Professor Andrew Macintosh, a specialist in climate risk and impact management.

“The three Commissioners are respected leaders in their fields and they bring a mix of expertise to the inquiry, including judicial, military and environmental planning and management backgrounds,” the Prime Minister said.

“The Commonwealth Government is already acting, providing whatever support is needed to bushfire impacted communities.

“We will do what is necessary to ensure communities rebuild, recover and build up resilience to these bushfires. That’s why we set up the National Bushfire Recovery Agency and gave them a $2 billion fund for clean-up operations, tourism support, wildlife recovery, local government assistance, small business reconstruction, primary producers, farmers, graziers, and families, as well as vital mental health support.

“This is in addition to over $100 million already provided in emergency payments for impacted individuals and families and payments for volunteer firefighters.

“It’s a long road ahead and we will be with these communities every step of the way as they rebuild.”

The Prime Minister has written to all State Premiers inviting them to issue concurrent commissions under their respective legal frameworks for Royal Commissions.

John Loukadellis discusses Canberra Greek Orthodox Community growth in meeting with His Eminence Archbishop Makarios

The Greek Herald
-
0
John Loukadellis discusses Canberra Greek Orthodox Community growth in meeting with His Eminence Archbishop Makarios

President of the Greek Orthodox Community Canberra, John Loukadellis, and Father Petros of St Nicholas Church in Canberra engaged in their first official meeting with His Eminence Archbishop Makarios.

The leaders met at the Archdiocese office in Redfern, Sydney on Monday to discuss the positive growth of the Greek community in Canberra and ensure its commitment to unity.

During the meeting, John and Fr. Petros discussed the committee’s vision for the future development of the community. They revealed their plan for future youth involvement with the church, along with the recent changes undertaken with their Greek School.

“His Eminence is such a treasure – such a well spoken, loving and thoughtful man that cares about our community. As we continue to go from strength to strength, we must remember the message of the Archbishop to us, ‘Unity, Love and Strength,'” John Loukadellis said in a post on Facebook.

During the meeting, the Archbishop also confirmed that his first official visit to the St Nicholas Church in Canberra will be during the Easter Holy Week, on Holy Tuesday.

Greek Community of Melbourne honours Mark Bouris’ contribution to Greek-Australian community

The Greek Herald
-
0
Greek Community of Melbourne honours Mark Bouris’ contribution to Greek-Australian community

In front of a sold out audience of 120, the Greek Community of Melbourne presented its second instalment of Hellenic discourse with Mark Bouris as the main speaker.

The president Bill Papastergiadis with the board provided a plaque to Mark to honour his contribution to the community, with Bill noting that Mark’s upbringing and Hellenic background resonated enormously with the audience.

Providing him with the award, Bill Papasteriadis asked Mark what contribution his Hellenic background had on his life and career.

“Everything. It shaped everything. My life up until I was 18 revolved around my greek family with constant weddings, funerals, Easter and Christmas celebrations. As a young kid, I thought my grandmothers backyard was the centre of the Universe,” Mark replied

Asking him about how he understood the Greek Community in Melbourne, Mark stated, “I was asked to go to the dinner organised by president Trump for Scott Morrison. I couldn’t make that dinner. However I made this dinner, and I am here for the Greek community of Melbourne.

“This is one of the few occasions in my life that I am honoured by the greek community, and only in Melbourne and your organisation could this be achieved. Thanks so much for the plaque and tonight!”

Mark Bouris taking part in a 1 hour public interview with George Donikian

Mark Bouris also took part in a 1 hour public interview with George Donikian earlier in the night, discussing his family life and Greek roots.

Mark described how his father decided to make it on his own in Australia and not follow into the family restaurant business. His upbringing is one that saw him have a caring, but sporadic relationship with his father, who worked three jobs a day, six days a week.

No doubt, this work ethic rubbed off on Mark as when he was asked whether he wanted to retire, he responded “what would I do? Play golf with my mates. I want to continue working, not so much to make more money, but because I believe I still have something to contribute to society”.

Mark was an intelligent student at a young age, winning a scholarship to university. He completed a commerce degree, followed by a Masters and a law degree. Whilst working in a city firm, he began to understand how the money markets worked and developed a niche product which would catapult his career, changing the course of financial markets in Australia.

During the Q&A segment of the interview, one person remarked to Mr. Bouris, “you explain complex economic matters in simple layman terms which allows all of us to have a better understanding of our economic lives”.

Alexis Tsipras meets with Paris mayor Anne Hidalgo to give support ahead of election

The Greek Herald
-
0
Alexis Tsipras meets with Paris mayor Anne Hidalgo to give support ahead of election

Alexis Tsipras travelled to Paris on Wednesday to give his support to mayor Anne Hidalgo ahead of the March 15 election in France.

During his stay in the French capital, the president of SYRIZA visited a popular bookstore in the 20th district, the ‘Le Merle Moqueur’, which hosts writers from all over the world. 

According to Koumoundourou sources, “Alexis Tsipras asked to be told about Greek writers who hosted and chatted about Nikos Kazantzakis, with Alexis Tsipras referring to the author’s famous phrase ‘I hope nothing, I am not afraid’.”

Alexis Tsipras also reconciled with members of the bookstore, referencing the recent loss of Thanos Mikroutsikos, a great musician who’s poetry was read all over the world. 

The president of SYRIZA also journeyed to Sorbonne to meet with the French historian and Dean of Paris University, Gilles Pecout. The two men had the opportunity to discuss Greece-France co-operation in education, as well as research and innovation, while agreeing on the importance of supporting public universities.

Sourced by: Efsyn

Pop icon Celine Dion to perform first ever concert in Greece in July

The Greek Herald
-
0
Pop icon Celine Dion to perform first ever concert in Greece in July

One of the most recognised and widely respected superstars, pop icon Celine Dion will be meeting her fans in Athens, Greece. The concert is scheduled for Friday 31st July 2020 at the Olympic Stadium of Athens (OAKA) and will be the first concert of the Canadian singer in the country.

The concert in Athens is part of Dion’s Courage World Tour, supporting her first English album in 6 years.

The tour kicked off on September 18 in Québec City and will be stopping in nearly 100 cities worldwide.Next to Athens, European stops include Prague, Budapest, Munich, Paris, Berlin, Stockholm, London, and many more.

Vocal powerhouse Celine Dion is one of the most internationally recognised, widely respected and successful female performers in pop music history.

The Canadian dominated the pop charts in 1990s and has sold almost 250 million albums during her over 35-year career.

She has earned five Grammy Awards, two Academy Awards, seven American Music Awards, 20 Juno Awards (Canada) and an astonishing 40 Félix Awards (Quebec).

In June 2018, Celine took a two-month hiatus from her Las Vegas residency to head overseas for her sold-out tour CELINE DION LIVE 2018, playing 22 shows across 12 cities in Asia, Australia and New Zealand. The tour was one of the highest-grossing of the year, grossing nearly $57 million for 260,000 fans.

Sourced by: Keep Talking Greece

Ange Postecoglou’s Yokohama FM dominate Sydney FC in 4-0 victory in AFC Champions League

The Greek Herald
-
0
Ange Postecoglou’s Yokohama FM dominate Sydney FC in 4-0 victory in AFC Champions League

Managed by former Socceroos coach Ange Postecoglou, Yokohama FM defeated the current A-League leaders 4-0 at home in their second match of the group stage round of the tournament.

It didn’t take long for Postecoglou’s team to find the back of the net against current A-League champions Sydney FC. The first goal was scored by Ado Onaiwu in the 12th minute by a deflection, being only the beginning of a long match for the A-League team.

Yokohama’s Teruhito Nakagawa netted the following two goals in quick succession in the 31st and 33rd minutes of the match.

Ado Onaiwu netted his second goal of the match in the 51st minute, increasing the goal count to a staggering 4 goals and effectively wrapping up the match.

In the first half, Postecoglou’s team kept them to only three shots at goal with just one on target as they netted three goals, and eventually an additional fourth.

Yokohama FM dominated the match in both possession and intensity on the pitch, retaining 70 percent of possession.

Postecoglou’s team managed to hold possession with clinical 1-2 passes to effectively progress up the pitch, completing a staggering 726 passes and maintaining a pass accuracy of 90 percent, compared with Sydney FC’s 317 passes at 75 percent accuracy.

Sydney FC have recorded only 1 win in 17 AFC Champions League matches, despite their great results in the A-League.

Ange Postecoglou remains one of the most discussed managers of the past and present season, bringing Yokohama to their sixth title last year and looking to bring a seventh home this season.

Ange Postecoglou recently refused to rule out a move to Europe in the future, but insists he’s not desperate to get over there to prove himself.

Speaking on the Fox Football Podcast with Adam Peacock, the 54-year-old claims he’s happy ‘doing what he’s been doing’ in Japan and looks forward to what the future holds — whether that be in a new continent or not.

“Experience and life have taught me that things can change pretty quick,” said Postecoglou.

“I’m really enjoying what I do at the moment, I enjoy coaching here, I enjoy the club and working with these players in this league so beyond that who knows?

“I still have the same energy and drive I’ve always had for what I do so that means I’ll be going for a fair while longer.

“I understand there’s people saying that I’ve got to get to Europe but I’ve kind of shed having that view that I need to get there to prove something.”

Yokohama FM will face Shanghai SIPG F.C. in their third match of the AFC Champions League Group stage on 8 April 2020.

US hold live-fire drill at Mount Olympus following major base deal

The Greek Herald
-
0
US hold live-fire drill at Mount Olympus following major base deal

In Litochoro, at the foot of Mount Olympus, army aviation forces from Greece and the United States are taking part in a live-fire exercise with attack helicopters, marking deepening defence ties between the two countries.

Greece is ramping up military cooperation — and procurements — from allies France and the U.S., wary of worsening relations with neighbour Turkey over disputed sea and air space boundaries and drilling rights in the East Mediterranean.

Wednesday’s training exercise, watched by the Greek army chief and the U.S. ambassador to Greece, was held three weeks after the two countries finalised a landmark defence agreement giving American forces expanded access to Greek military bases.

After a financial crisis that lasted nearly a decade, the Greek military is upgrading its F-16 fighter fleet and modernising its navy, while seeking stronger military ties with traditional allies as well as Turkey’s regional rivals, including Israel, Egypt, and Saudi Arabia.

“Greece is already involved in enhancing and upgrading its defence capability with critical procurement decisions,” Panagiotis Tsakonas, a professor of international relations and security studies at the University of Athens, told The Associated Press.

“The rule is to make the best use of limited resources — to get the most bang for our buck, and that is something that we are continuing to do,” he said.

The revised Mutual Defense Cooperation Agreement between Greece and the U.S. was signed in October by U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo during a visit to Athens and ratified last month. It provides for increased joint U.S.-Greece and NATO activities at Greek military bases and facilities in Larissa, Stefanovikio, and Alexandroupolis, in central and northern Greece, as well as infrastructure and other improvements at the Souda Bay U.S. naval base on the island of Crete.

“The U.S.-Greece relationship is stronger than it has ever been,” U.S. Ambassador Geoffrey Pyatt said. “Our defence ties and our defence cooperation is an essential component of that.”

Sourced by: Associated Press

His Eminence Archbishop Makarios meets with ‘Pontoxeniteas’ Association of New South Wales

The Greek Herald
-
0
His Eminence Archbishop Makarios meets with ‘Pontoxeniteas’ Association of New South Wales

His Eminence Archbishop Makarios welcomed with open arms the delegation of the ‘Pontoxeniteas’ Association of New South Wales at the offices of the Greek Orthodox Archdiocese Australia in Sydney’s central district.

President Mrs Maria Anthony, Vice-President Mr Demetrios Kouklides and Past president Mrs. Helen Makris presented to His Eminence the history, current activity and vision of the Pontoxeniteas Committee for the future direction of Pontian Hellenism in New South Wales.

“As with His Eminence, the vision of ‘Pontoxeniteas’ is fixed on the future,” stated Mrs Anthony. “On the continuation and development of rich Pontian Hellenic history, language and culture with the next generations. On behalf of ‘Pontoxeniteas’, I thank His Eminence for the opportunity to meet, for the warm welcome and for the opportunity to work with him.”

The delegation from ‘Pontoxeniteas’ presented to His Eminence an Aboriginal Australian artwork titled ‘The Seven Sisters’, one of the core paintings of the night sky star Dreaming. The artwork depicted seven sisters running away from the Jampijnpa man, across the lands. Finally, they launch themselves from a steep hill into the night sky, in an attempt to finally escape his unwanted attentions.

Artwork given to His Eminence by ‘Pontoxeniteas’

The Sisters make up the cluster of stars known to the ancient Hellenes and to the western world as the Pleiades, one of the groups nearest to the Earth. A beautiful First Nations’ Dreaming story with resonance with ancient Hellenic mythology.

1...1,5731,5741,575...1,640Page 1,574 of 1,640

Stay connected:

Other

© 2024 The Greek Herald. All rights reserved.