Greece, The Czech Republic, Germany and Italy will co-host the 2025 FIBA European Women’s Basketball Championship (EuroBasket), the International Basketball Federation (FIBA) announced on Thursday, September 7.
Each country will host a part of the group phase, while the final phase of the 40th edition of the competition will be held solely in Athens, Greece, FIBA said in a statement.
This will be the first time that the event will be held in four countries. The cities that will host the teams have not yet been announced.
FIBA announced the Women’s EuroBasket will be co-hosted by Greece, The Czech Republic, Germany and Italy in 2025.
The decision was taken by the executive committee of FIBA Europe and for the first time it gave the “anointment” to four countries, after the four competitions that have been “shared” in two countries, such as in 2015 in Romania and Hungary, in 2019 in Serbia and Latvia, in 2021 in France and Spain and in 2023 in Slovenia and Israel.
A total of 36 nations including the four co-hosts will compete in the 2025 FIBA Women’s EuroBasket qualifiers, but the four co-hosts will be placed in the same group in a modification to the competition system.
The remaining 32 teams will be drawn into eight groups of four teams and will compete for the last 12 spots in the final stage.
The draw for the Qualifiers will take place on September 19 at the House of Basketball in Mies, Switzerland with the first window to take place in November 2023.
Carved into a hillside in Messolonghi, an ancient theatre is reopening after being partially restored to its former glory.
In a statement released by the Greek Ministry of Culture, the once crowded theatre will have its doors reopened, allowing guests to revisit the past and to consider the many productions that took place there.
📌#Εγκαίνια του έργου αποκατάστασης του αρχαίου θεάτρου Πλευρώνας από την #ΥΠΠΟ Λίνα Μενδώνη
Θα τελεστούν το βράδυ της Αυγουστιάτικης Πανσελήνου, Πέμπτη 31.08.2023 στις 19.30.
🎵Την τελετή πλαισιώνει μουσική εκδήλωση με τη Φωτεινή Δάρρα
In a million-dollar renovation project, the theatres stage, internal walls, gates, and staircases have all been mended, with the aim of keeping the authenticity of the structure.
Although the renovation project is not expected to be completed until December, the reopening will be under the light of the full moon with a presentation showing the repairs and live entertainment.
Two elderly women were found dead at a village in Karditsa, Thessaly, raising the Storm Daniel death toll to six people in Greece, on Thursday.
The Hellenic Fire Service rescue team found the two women, who were sisters aged 75 and 85, in their home at Astritsa village. The bodies were transferred through the floods to an ambulance with a rubber dingy, reported Ekathimerini.
According to a relative’s statements, the two women denied his suggestion to evacuate the house. The relative was worried for their wellbeing and called the rescue team. However, the women were found them dead in the arrival of emergency services.
This brings the total fatalities to six people with six missing and more than 800 people rescued over the past two days from severe floods in Greece.
Residents in various municipalities of Karditsa, a central Greek regional unit, were forced to seek refuge on the rooftops of their homes due to escalating floodwaters, with 110 people, including a baby, airlifted to safety.
People spent Wednesday night and most of Thursday on roofs without food or water to escape the flooding. Due to extreme weather conditions and lightening, the rescue helicopters were unable to reach people in the Karditsa area on the rooftops, according to ABC News.
Residents rescued by inflatable boats. Photo: CNN.
“It’s like being in the middle of an actual sea. We’re desperate for assistance, for them to come and rescue us. We’re huddled in the community office, on the rooftop. We’re at a loss, devoid of water and food,” lamented a local resident in an interview with a Greek TV channel.
“We’re roughly 60 individuals here, and the building isn’t stable; I can feel it trembling. About 300 residents make up the community. Some have managed to evacuate, but we’ve chosen to stay and salvage what we can. However, there are also individuals unaccounted for,” he further explained.
Volos, Pelion, Skiathos, northern Evia, Karditsa, Fthiotida, and Athens experienced extreme weather phenomena on Wednesday, resulting in widespread flooding and landslides. Furthermore, reports of damage emerged from southern Greece, specifically in Argolida, notably in Epidaurus and Ermionida. Civil Protection issued evacuation orders over the past 48 hours to residents in Karditsa, Magnesia, and Trikala.
The National Meteorological Service (EMY) has issued forecasts for heavy rainfall and thunderstorms expected until Thursday afternoon in Thessaly, the Sporades islands, northern Evia, and portions of central and eastern Central Greece (Sterea Ellada).
During the 35th Virtuoso Travel Week held in Las Vegas, the managing director and owner of Canaves Oia Luxury Resorts, Markos Haidemenos, has won the ‘Hotelier of the Year’ award for 2023.
With the renowned hospitality group owning five luxury hotels in Santorini, this award marks the first time that a Greek representative has won, further acknowledging Greece as a global tourist destination.
Canaves Oia Owner and CEO Markos Haidemenos. Photo: Canaves Oia Luxury Resorts.
According to Haidemenos, the recognition of this award demonstrates the hotel teams efforts and hard work.
Every year Virtuoso, one of the top international networks for travel companies, hosts the travel week to honour individuals and organisations who have stood out for their high level of service in the travel industry.
The partnership between Greece and China in shipping finance is poised to see a significant advancement following a conference held at the prominent Greek port of Piraeus on Wednesday, September 6.
The event was organized jointly by the Association of Banking and Financial Executives of Hellenic Shipping (ABFEHS) and the Chinese Embassy in Greece where discussions were held between the Export-Import Bank of China (Exim Bank) and Greek shipowners. These deliberations were conducted within the broader framework of China’s Belt and Road Initiative (BRI), aimed at global infrastructure development.
ABFEHS President, George Xiradakis, in his welcoming remarks, stated, “Greece serves as a secure investment platform for maritime trade” and emphasized that it is open to both financial institutions and private investors.
He highlighted the attractive prospects that Greek shipping presents to ship financiers, citing the continual growth of the Greek-owned fleet.
Mr Xiradakis also pointed out that Chinese leasing finance in the shipping industry has seen a substantial increase, rising from $47 billion in 2017 to $77 billion in 2021. Moreover, Chinese banks, including Exim Bank, have forged robust connections with the Greek shipping sector.
From a life-long journey of learning about Ancient Greece, to a husband and wife wanting to enjoy taverna nights and dinner dances with fellow Greeks – the stories of why people study Greek vary.
The Greek Herald spoke with seven non-Greek students studying the Greek language as part of a course offered by the Greek Community of Melbourne (GCM) to discover their reasons for wanting to speak Greek.
Anne Holmes:
As a non-Greek, it often puzzles people when I tell them I am studying the Greek language. However, learning the modern Greek language became a natural progression in my life. Throughout my childhood, I was fascinated by archaeology and ancient history. At university I studied classics (including ancient Greek) and ancient history. In 1975, in preparation for research in Athens, I started learning modern Greek at the University of Melbourne. I have found many of us began learning Greek because of such studies.
Later, I continued my interest as a public librarian because of my work in multiculturalism and libraries. How could I establish Greek collections and programs without knowing about Greek literature, history and music? Other priorities intervened, but on retirement I decided that Greek was an interest I wanted to rekindle. Ten years later, I am still learning Greek and it has become an integral part of my life.
Anne Holmes.
Paula Roberts:
I started learning the Greek language in 2014 before travelling to Greece for the first time in 2015. I felt having a basic knowledge of the language would help me as I drove around the country, deciphering road signs and interacting with Greek people.
When I came back to Australia, I continued with the classes. Over the past five or six years, I have studied with students who have also continued and had the same teacher – the lovely Eleni Dimitriou.
It’s a beautiful class and while we work hard to learn the language, we also have plenty of fun. Some aspects of Greek are very difficult for English speakers, particularly the cases and the verb system, but I love the language and enjoy the mental gymnastics it calls on. I also like comparing Greek to English and other languages I know and, like a five-year-old starting school, I still get a thrill writing the letters.
Paula Roberts.
Melvyn and Valerie Forbes:
Valerie:
At first, I wanted to learn the Greek alphabet and decided to attend casual language classes for a semester and pick up some useful phrases. But I found the Greek language fascinating, especially for its influence on English. Seeing Greek origins in English words enriches my understanding of my own language. My language classes continued, off and on, until in 2019, when I started attending classes at the Greek Centre in Melbourne. I wanted a more formal approach to the language and it has offered me so much more, culturally and socially.
In the different learning situations and Greek dance classes I’ve experienced, with associated taverna nights and dinner dances, I’ve gotten to know many gregarious Greeks who are very supportive of anyone interested in Greek dance, music and language. Learning Greek has made me feel more connected to a community that is very welcoming.
Melvyn:
I’ve been retired for 14 years but I’m still very active. When my wife, Valerie, started attending Greek dancing classes at U3A, she also started to get invitations to Greek community events such as dinner-dance fundraisers. I went along too and found that I really like being around Greeks.
Since Valerie was studying Greek language at the time, and we both have mastered other languages, I thought I might have a go at learning Greek myself. And of course, there was that lure of a possible trip to Greece someday.
It’s not easy learning a new language in your 70’s. I use a variety of resources including group classes. In those classes, I’ve had the pleasure of delving into the etymology of many Greek words, a personal interest of mine. Over time, I’ve also started to experience the gratification of being able to make sense of this language and feel comfortable in it.
Mel and Valerie Forbes.
Valerie Rendle:
Many years ago, I was married to a Greek man and learned some Greek to communicate with his family. After we divorced, I didn’t speak or hear Greek for years and forgot most of what I had learned. Nevertheless, I planned at some stage to spend time as a volunteer counsellor working with refugees in Greece, and for this I would need to improve my Greek.
The unexpected opportunity to study Greek came up early last year. I stopped working due to long Covid and while I was stuck home, I began studying with the Greek Community of Melbourne’s Greek language course.
The structure of the courses works well as I could start at a lower level while getting used to the language again and then move to a higher class. It’s given me confidence to communicate in Greek and be able to sit the accreditation exams in the future.
Valerie Rendle.
Sam Martin:
My partner, who has Greek heritage, and I have travelled to Greece a few times, and love Athens and the Greek culture. We would like to live and work in Greece, so we felt learning the language was essential.
I also enjoy studying philosophy and economics and find the works of Castoriadis and numerous left-leaning political-economic movements in Greece inspiring, especially considering unjust, antidemocratic treatment of the nation at the hands of the Troika. I want to be able to deeply immerse myself in the culture, ideas and history of Greece and learning the language is a gateway to this.
The Greek language course has given me a deeper appreciation for the beauty of language and learn how to express ideas in ways unavailable in your native tongue. The course has been a great way to meet new people, especially our instructor Alexandros, who is a legend, and always supportive, enthusiastic and personable. With any luck, one day I’ll be able to understand my favourite Greek rappers or keep up when watching the Greek news.
Sam Martin.
Erica Myers-Davis:
It’s a long story but the short version is I found myself randomly on a small Greek island during the COVID restrictions unable to return to Australia. Within three hours of setting foot on the island I was ‘adopted’ by a local family who housed, fed and entertained me. A two-week break ended up being a three-year affair.
While the family speaks English well, I felt embarrassed I couldn’t speak Greek, especially among the older relatives who don’t speak English. I started learning the language online and with a local teacher and when I returned to Australia, I continued at the Greek Community of Melbourne’s language school. The in-person and online classes with Elena, who is an amazing teacher, and my fellow students gave me confidence in my speaking and deepened my love for and of Greece.
Now a Greek resident, I live between Poros (Attica) and Melbourne—like Demeter living in a perpetual Spring and Summer.
“We truly love what we do and love being able to assist our community,” she says, but “there is so much more we can do.”
“It’s about the people and if we were to win, the $20,000 would go towards a much needed van so we can continue our work within the local community and expand to other areas,” Christina told The Greek Herald.
Diva Charity delivers home cooked meals, groceries, toiletries and blankets with a “no questions asked” motto while promoting community connection.
Generous local Woolworths Matraville and Woolworths Hillsdale provide rescued food for her Lexington food drive and drives in other areas; the local barber even pitches in, offering free haircuts and a BBQ.
Home cooked meals.
Christina has been involved in charity support since 2009, where she started working with children with disabilities in Indonesia.
Upon returning to Australia, Christina found there was a “real need” in her local community, especially post COVID, for people needing food and basic toiletries.
“I thought, oh my gosh, there is a need for this in our backyard and I’m going to do something about it.”
Together with a group of friends Christina formed a committee, and started receiving material donations (not money) to deliver to various charities and people in the community.
This year the organisation did a ‘blanket drive’ donating and distributing 1000 blankets to different charities including indigenous, drug addiction, homelessness and women’s groups.
Christina with Hon Matt Thistlethwaite MP for Kingsford Smith where she was presented the Vi Robbins Award 2021 for Volunteer of the year.Woolworths Matraville and Woolworths Hillsdale provide rescued food for the Lexington food drive.
During Christmas, the group donated 150 Hamper goodie bags and toys in a donation drive for Caring Kids.
One project, which is close to Christina’s heart, is her Sunday food drive for social housing residents in South Maroubra. When asked if Christina cooks Greek food to give to people in need on the charity drives, she proudly says “yes”.
“They love anything that has been home cooked,” and shares the meals she prepares which include spanakopita and hearty traditional fakes soup. They love the fakes.
“The most beautiful thing about this nomination is I was nominated by one of the people we feed,” Christina says. She begins to share her parents story as migrants Australia.
“I wish they were around so they could see this,” she says, proud to be Greek Australian.
International Women’s Day Lunch: Christina with Dr Marjorie O’Neill MP for Coogee.Produce for locals with “no questions” asked to help those in need. Peter happily collecting food as Diva Charity gives to the local community.
Westfield Eastgardens is celebrating the Local Heroes finalists exhibition, open now until September 11 on Level 1, opposite Telstra. The public are welcome to join and can also cast a vote for the 2023 nominees.
Three Greek Australian’s have made the list of South Australia’s young rising stars of family law, each making their mark in the community in a caring and professional manner.
A series by The Advertiser profiles standout lawyers, each under the age of 35, working in family law to celebrate the state’s emerging stars across civil jurisdictions and it follows a feature on those considered the state’s best.
Among the named lawyers are Erica Panagakos and Alysia Panagakos from the Clark Panagakos practice and Nestoras “Nes” Alexandropoulos, Mellor Olsson.
The 35 year old has represented various clients from struggling parents “to agree arrangements for their children in difficult circumstances” and to “high-net-worth individuals with complex financial structures”, Erica Panagakos told said in an interview.
It wasn’t until Erica studied working as a lawyer that she discovered family law, when she assisted a solicitor who preparing for maternity leave.
“I studied family law as part of my (University of Adelaide) law degree but it wasn’t until I started working as a lawyer that I felt it could be my area of specialisation,” she said.
“I enjoy the opportunity to help families navigate challenging situations and the diverse range of cases that I work on each day.”
Alysia Panagakos from Clark Panagakos
Alysia Panagakos says it is a privilege to guide clients to resolutions. Photo: The Advertiser.
Alysia Panagakos is a senior associate at Clark Panagakos practice. She chose to study family law in her final year of her degree at The University of Adelaide.
The 29-year-old has been described by a state senior leading divorce lawyer as “well respected in the court and the profession” with all the “qualities you need in a family lawyer”.
The young lawyer was drawn to the opportunity to work closely with and support members of the community.
“Clients often find themselves in desperate need of assistance and it is a privilege to have the opportunity to guide them towards a resolution,” Alysia says as one of the rising stars of family law.
Nestoras “Nes” Alexandropoulos, Mellor Olsson
Nestoras “Nes” Alexandropoulos has genuine concern for his clients.
Senior associate from Mellor and Olsson, Nestoras Alexandropoulos, is a graduate of Flinders University who is driven to grow in all areas of critical law, however, is mainly focused on “intervention orders to help people in circumstances where domestic violence has been a factor in their separation”
A senior associate described Nestoras as being a “standout professional in the field” due to his “genuine concern” for his clients.
The 34-year-old says it is clients who motivate him: “I enjoy getting to know my clients and helping them through what is generally one of the most stressful times of their lives.
“I find a lot of people are unsure of what steps need to be undertaken following a separation and how it can affect their lives,” Nestoras explains. “You see the relief they feel when their matters are finalised and they can move on with their lives.”
The Greater Shepparton City Council, known for its Campbell’s Soup giant can, will investigate the cost to erect a memorial structure in Lemnos, Victoria, due to its historical link to the Gallipoli campaign in World War I.
According to the Monash University public website Victoria Places, which has digitised historical sources and information about the state, Lemnos (in Victoria) was “named after the island in the Aegean Sea to which Australian soldiers were evacuated after the Gallipoli campaign in World War I”.
Lemnos in north-east Shepparton is a rural locality and village with the irrigated orchard and dairying country of the Goulburn Valley. It was named Lemnos after the island in the Aegean Sea to which Australian soldiers were evacuated after the Gallipoli campaign in World War I, the website describes.
During the 1950s, migrants were increased in the area taking up farming, orcharding and vegetable growing.
A soldier settler and later a Shepparton Shire councillor, Major Ernest Hill, proposed the name Lemnos, tying it back to the island in Greece.
Lemnos in Greater Shepparton is known for its Campbell’s Soup giant can. Photo: Country News.
According to Sheppnews, current Shepparton councillor, Dinny Adem believes the council should erect permanent memorial to honour ties between the two places.
“I believe we have an obligation to fulfil Major Hill’s legacy by completing the story he began over a hundred years ago,” Mr Adem said in the August council monthly meeting.
“It is the very least we can do to tell the story in the one and only locality in Australia that was named in honour of and to honour that name and the life-changing experiences it represents.”
The Shepparton council passed the motion unanimously and a report will be prepared by October 2023 to outline the estimated costs erecting a memorial locally in Lemnos.
“I’m certain our local Greek Australian community members would take pride in their ancestors’ humane actions who supported Australian doctors and nurses,” Mr Adem said.
There has been some recognition in recent years in Canberra and other unexpected places, Mr Adem explains, reiterating the “Greater Shepparton have a duty” and “responsibility to honour” the Lemnos name which was “adopted about a hundred years ago.
Basil Zempilas is officially in the run for City of Perth Lord Mayor, as he reruns for a consecutive four year term in the 2023 Elections on October 21 in Western Australia.
Nominations commenced on Thursday 31 August 2023 with Basil’s candidate profile published on the city’s website on Wednesday night before the deadline closed.
According to The Age, there was speculation Basil intended to shed the mayor title in favour of plans for state politics with the WA Liberal Party as his candidate profile was not listed on the website until Wednesday.
Basil will challenge fellow councillor Sandy Anghie in the run for Lord Mayor in Perth, as he reruns for the four year term, expiring on 16 October 2027.
In his candidate statement, Basil says, “Three years ago, I asked you to trust me to be your Lord Mayor,” noting the privilege it has been to honour that trust.
As the Lord Mayor, Basil works with his Council to provide direction to the City of Perth. He has vowed to continue his record of delivery, with the council’s efforts to limit rate rises, foster businesses district and draw people back to Perth city, while working on community safety.
“Our team has delivered the lowest rate rise of any Perth Council,” Basil proclaims. The council have changed parking bays to be free after 6pm and 100 new businesses have opened in Perth City, as well four new homeless shelters.
Among the promises Basil has vowed to continue and to implement, the council are advocating for positive environmental changes with the planting of 1000 trees, as well as safer and cleaner neighbours. The council has already acquired 175 additional Perth based Police officers.
According to WA Today, when Basil was asked why the City of Perth should re-elect him as Mayor, he said, “Because I haven’t let them down, I’ve delivered and there’s more work to be done.”
Basil closes his statement by reminding voters, “You can trust me to continue delivering for you and for Perth.”
Basil was elected Lord Mayor of the City of Perth in October 2020 and became the 18th Lord Mayor, joining Local Government after a successful and ongoing broadcasting career in television and radio.
