History is made! Novak Djokovic clinches the tie-break by a 7-5 scoreline and with it wins a record-equalling 22nd Grand Slam title to move level with Rafael Nadal at the summit of the list of men with the most majors. The straight sets success also seals a record-extending 10th Australian Open crown as he becomes only the second man to win 10 or more titles at the same Grand Slam (after Nadal with 14 at Roland Garros). The icing on the cake for the 35-year-old Serb means he will start Monday back as World No.1 for the 374th week (also a record). For Tsitsipas it was ultimately a disappointing occasion with his forehand failing to fire as he would have liked in what was his second appearance in a Grand Slam final. He once again finishes as runner-up to Djokovic, but will start next week at No.3 in the rankings.
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The German military has contracted Rheinmetall to modernize its soldier systems’ command and control equipment. A total of 14 Future Soldier-Extended Systems will be delivered to the army, enough to equip 476 soldiers. The contract is in the mid-double-digit million-euro range. Networked Warfare Loop In 2021, the latest System Panzergrenadier (system for mechanized infantry), was declared combat-ready by the German Army. The system links a digitized vehicle platform — the Puma infantry fighting vehicle — with the soldier system equipped for digital radio communication. The platform allows mounted and dismounted soldiers to access the same information, enabling quicker and more precise communication. Faster Target Engagement “Close networking of sensors and effectors of both the soldiers and infantry fighting vehicle minimizes the time between target detection and target engagement,” Rheinmetall wrote. “Melding these capabilities into a total system of systems enables more effective tactical interaction between dismounted troops and their infantry fighting vehicle, in turn enhancing the combat effectiveness of mechanized infantry formations.” Police traffic checks begin as from the 1st of February, 2023 The legal provision rendering the use of a helmet by bicyclists (drivers and passengers) obligatory is coming into effect, based on the legislation, as from the 1st of February, 2023. Cyprus Police announce that on the 30th of December, 2022, a notification was published in the Gazette of the Republic (act 523/2022), issued by the Registrar of Motor Vehicles, as regards the approval of a specific type of the protective helmet for any bicyclist or passenger of a bicycle. Based on the notification, the Registrar of Motor Vehicles has specified that the type of the protective helmet for bicyclists and passengers of bicycles must comply with standard CYS ΕΝ 1078:2012+A1, must be explicitly mentioned that it is destined, at least, for bicyclists and must bear the signage for declaration of conformity: CE. Also, it is specified that alternatively, for small children up to the age of 14, the type of the protective helmet for bicyclists and passengers of bicycles, must comply with standard CYS ΕΝ 1080:2013 and must bear the signage for declaration of conformity: CE. Based on the legislation, the obligation for the use of a protective helmet is taking effect as from the 1st of February, 2023. As from the 1st of February, Police will be conducting traffic checks as well as issuing out of court tickets for any traffic violation, with the aim of implementing and enforcing the provisions of the legislation for the use of protective helmets by bicyclists and passengers of bicycles. In case of committing a traffic violation and Court conviction, the offence will be punishable by a fine not exceeding €500. The relevant offence is regulated with an out of court fine of €50. In Tatoi nothing is the same anymore. In the former royal estates, the marks left by the devastating fire in the summer of 2021 are still visible. The fire, which had reached the historic core of the estate, may have left the palace untouched and burned only two of the containers, with various objects from the buildings of the estate, but it altered the natural environment while causing serious damage to 13 peripheral buildings , with the most important to the Directorate, but also those of the Personnel Housing, the Forestry building, Telecommunications, the Guard of the Tombs and the “Sturm Residence” and the Caretaker’s House. The image that will be seen by the guests who will attend the funeral of the former King Constantine, on Monday, has nothing to do with the former paradise of Tatoi. Although in recent months crews have been systematically working on the cleanup, black, burnt logs remain as a reminder of the ecological disaster caused by the fire a year and a half ago, although the forest has begun to regenerate. Regarding the restoration of the summer palace and the kitchens, the contractors of the project, ERETVO, ETVO and Nirikos Techniki, is proceeding. The aim is that by the end of 2025, the premises will be open to visitors and function as a museum, where the furniture and objects of the former royal family will be exhibited, while a museological study will also be carried out for the new agricultural building. At the same time, the gardens of the palace will be restored, the conservation and restoration of the artefacts will progress, as well as their recording, documentation and registration, as well as the digitization of the printed archival material that has been found in the premises. For the time being, the contractor who has settled in the area is proceeding with preliminary works inside the building. The restoration of the palace has secured funding of 14.3 million euros (including VAT) from the Recovery Fund. Studies on regional buildings As for the burnt buildings still lying exposed to rain and damp as they have lost their roofs, they need immediate protection before they collapse, like other important regional buildings. For some of these there are ready studies for their restoration. Some time ago, the Central Council of Newer Monuments gave a positive opinion on the studies of the new Cow Shed, the Horse Stables and the Refuge, as well as the accessibility study of the restored Forester’s House, which will host the information and visitor information center about the history of the estate. The operations will be carried out with the aim of highlighting their architectural and historical value, preserving their authentic morphological and typological elements. For the New Cow Sheds, the approved final study foresees its conversion into an exhibition space. The ground floor will host a museum display area for the objects preserved in the building, with separate sections for the display of dairy, oil and wine production. The same building will host the exhibition of the cars found on the estate (Rolls-Royce of the era, MG TD Midget, electric Fiat 500 Boano Spider Elegance and golf vehicles). The project, with a budget of 4,300,000 euros, has secured funding from the Recovery Fund and a completion date of the end of 2025. The Horse Stable building will function as a place for children’s creative work and an information center for horses. It is part of the second complex of stables which was erected during the first period of reconstruction of the estate (1873-78) by George I. In its immediate surroundings, the estate’s bell tower is preserved – with the word “Tatoi” and the date “1895” engraved on the bell. The restoration of the Refuge is underway so that it will host a digital visitor information center. Its basement belongs to the palatial section of the Estate and has two visible entrances. Its construction is placed during the interwar period of reconstruction (1930-1939) at the same time as the underground portico that connects the Summer Palace with the Kitchens. During the December events (1944-45), during the fighting in the wider area of the airport, the residents of the Estate took refuge there. The restored “Forest Ranger’s House” is now accessible, after the reconstruction of the 850 meter long route from the Lefkas Gate to the building. In the attic of the House there is a digital projection with snapshots from the history of the estate. The Forester House in 1896 is recorded as a stable, supporting the Head Gardener’s House. New necessary infrastructure The studies for the modernization of the infrastructure networks – water supply, fire fighting, irrigation, drainage and sewage treatment, electric power and telecommunications have also been completed and approved by Central Council of Newer Monuments based on the requirements created by the new uses that will be accommodated in the estate. Among other things, a connection with the central water main, a new distribution network for all the buildings and facilities of the Estate, construction of a water supply tank, a fire extinguishing network that will cover the entire core of the Estate, with fire hydrants and water jets in selected locations as well as an installation of a self-contained system with gas in spaces where water cannot be used as an extinguishing medium. There will also be undergrounding of the electricity network, a sewage network and sewage treatment plant, a telecommunications network, etc. The infrastructure projects will be financed by the operational program “Transport Infrastructures, Environment and Sustainable Development 2014-2020”. However, it is noteworthy that the “Tatoi Estate Management Agency” has not yet been established to direct the utilization of the area, which was already foreseen in 2006 in the Presidential Decree for the protection of the mountainous mass of Parnitha and the utilization of Tatoi. in.gr Former King Constantine: Will he lie in state? – The officials who will attend the funeral15/1/2023 Police have already started the processes for the security measures and the operational plan for the dignitaries who will arrive to Greece from abroad On Monday, January 16, the funeral procession of the former King Constantine will be held in the Metropolitan Church of Athens, and then his burial will follow in Tatoi, near his ancestors. The Greek government, after an inter-ministerial meeting chaired by Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis – and after intense behind-the-scenes consultations – decided that the former King Constantine will be buried as a private person and discusses all the procedures provided for in the Protocol for officials from abroad, who will attend the funeral in Athens. The Greek government will be represented by the Minister of Culture, Lina Mendoni, while the funereal procession will be led by Archbishop Hieronymos and probably members of the Holy Synod will also take part. According to government sources, the government’s decision to bury him as a private person was purely political and the prime minister never wavered about it. The dignitaries and security measures At the same time, police have already started the processes for the security measures and the operational plan for the dignitaries who will arrive in our country from abroad. Constantine’s children and his sister Sophia of Spain have been in Athens for days since his health deteriorated. All his grandchildren are expected in Greece, the five children of Pavlos and Marie-Chantal and the four of Alexia. Sending invitations by the family to the persons who wish to attend the funeral of the former King Constantine is considered a matter of time. The relatives and members of the royal families of Europe, with whom they are connected, have already been informed in order to prepare their visit to Athens. Representatives of the royal houses of Spain, Denmark, Great Britain and Luxembourg are expected to attend the funeral in Athens, without excluding representatives of other European royal families. As reported by Spanish media, the country’s royal family will be gathered in Athens. Queen Mother Sofia is already here, her daughters Princess Elena and Princess Cristina will arrive today, Friday, while King Felipe of Spain and Queen Letitia will also attend the funeral. The honorary king of Spain Juan Carlos, who has been living in Abu Dhabi for the last few years, is also expected to be present. Grand Duke of Luxembourg, Henry, will come to Athens to attend the funeral, according to information. Also, members of the Danish royal family, with whom there are close ties of kinship, will come to Greece. More specifically, Queen Margrethe of Denmark, Anna-Maria’s sister, and their sister Princess Mathilde are expected. Crown Prince Frederik will also attend. As far as the British royal family is concerned, it has already informed that it will be represented at the funeral. It is unknown which of Charles’ family members will attend. It is most likely that King Charles will not attend as according to British royal protocol this is not foreseen. Prince William, whose godfather Constantine was and who has baptized the eldest of the children of Paul and Marie-Chantal, may be found in Athens. Otherwise, it is likely that Princess Anna will come to Athens. Lying in State The family of the deceased, who visited the PM’s office at the Maximos Mansion, has requested that his body be placed in a popular pilgrimage at the chapel of Agios Eleftherios next to the Metropolis, in order for those citizens who wish to say goodbye to him. Circles close to the family, speaking to in.gr, stated that their wish is for the body of the former king to arrive in the metropolis early in the morning and for there to be a period of 3-4 hours until his funeral, which is expected to take place at 12 noon. However, on the part of the government, the final decisions have not been made on this specific issue, as the security measures that will be in place to protect the foreign leaders who will be in the Greek capital for the funeral will have to be decided upon. in.gr Ten years after the delivery of the last major extension of Line 2 of the Athens metro, which today connects Anthoupolis with Ellinikon, a new esxtension is on the way. Attiko Metro yesterday turned the hourglass of the tender for the extension to Ilion with approximately 4 km of new line and three new stations. Traffic congested Western Attica is finally on track for new infrastructure projects, as is the extension of the Suburban railway that will connect Ano Liosia with Megara, for which the tender was launched before the holidays by OSE. The new extension of Line 2 has been designed to cover many densely populated areas of Western Attica, while in the future it is also going to go towards Acharnes. There is provision, in the context of the overall planning of the metro network of the capital, for a response to the Ilion station with the future extension of Line 4 to Petroupolis. It is estimated that the new section of the extension of Line 2, after Anthoupolis with three stations in Palatiani, Ilion and Agios Nikolaos, with a length of about 4 km, will serve at least 67,000 passengers daily, the number of citizens who will be served in terms of their residence within a radius of 500 meters from the 3 new stations will rise to 42,000 and the corresponding jobs served are estimated at around 5,000. Mapping of the new stations Palatiani station is located at the intersection of Thivon and Andreas Papandreou streets and has two entrances on either side of Thivon, with the depth of the station reaching 22.5 m from the ground surface. The Ilion station will also be located on Thivon, with two entrances on either side, at the intersection with Elaion street , which will reach 24 meters below the surface of the ground. The final station Agios Nikolaos is located under part of the street of the same name and part of the landscaped green space located between Paramythia, Olynthos, Zitsis and Agios Nikolaos streets. The three stations will have side platforms 4.50 m wide and 110 m long. The project also includes the Station Ventilation Wells (some of which are integrated into the stations), as well as six Wells along the route: “Agiou Sostis”, “Antipaxon”, “Filoktitos”, “Hermionis”, “Platonos” and “Agia Glykerias”. In Palatiani, a transfer station will also be created, in an undeveloped area adjacent to the station under construction, between Andreas Papandreou and Iconio streets. It will have three underground levels with access via ramps, with a total capacity of approximately 150 vehicles and with a direct connection to the station. On the surface of this, a bus transfer area will be formed. Expansion of the depot in Eleonas The future operation of the extension in question, combined with the planned supply of an additional 13 new trains that will strengthen the network of the capital, make it necessary to expand the depot in Eleonas in the adjacent area at the corner of Agia Anna and Pieria streets. The area has an area of approximately 2 hectares and is currently occupied mainly by warehouses of the former Athenian Paper Factory and other properties. It is noted that the tender for the new trains is being prepared for the middle of the year. Accordingly, the future operation of the extension also makes it necessary to upgrade/replace some equiupment in a large part or even in the whole of the existing Lines 2 and 3, as the existing ones are no longer supported by the manufacturers, there are no spare parts and the costs have increased their down time. The international electronic tender for the entire “triple” project will take place in two stages, with the pre-selection in phase A followed by the financial offers in phase B. The estimated budget amounts to 550 million euros or 682 million including VAT. The goal of extensions With the work on the brand new Line 4 having begun, Attiko Metro has gun actions to mature the next day of the Athens Metro. The next phase of the extension of Line 2 is going to have three stations towards Kamatero and Ano Liosia, where it will connect with the Suburban Railway on Attiki Odos, and finally end in Acharnes (centre of Menidi). Priority has also been given to the connection of the metro network with the National Highway, in order to breathe life into one of the most burdened axes of the capital. The Ministry of Infrastructure and Transport recommends the extension of Line 1, the well-known old electric line, from Kifissia to Varibompi as the most suitable, as the northern phase of the future Line 4 extension to the north will take a long time. The extension of the electric line will pass through Nea Erythrea and will end at the Varymombi junction. As long as the project matures and the necessary financing is found, then the electric railway will arrive faster than any other solution to the National Highway. The budget of the project is estimated at around 200 million euros. Of course, the northern extension of Line 4 will also end there in the future. Initially, the orange line will connect to Marousi from Goudi with seven new stations. It will serve the municipalities of Psychiko-Filothei, Halandri and Marousi. Then, it will pull towards National Highway. The twin project has an estimated budget of over €1 billion. A priority is also the underground connection of the electric line after the station of Thisio to Kallithea, 5 km long, with four stations: Hamosternas, Davaki Square, Filaretou Hill/Tzitzifies and SNFCC. The cost is estimated at 450 million euros. The next phase of the line’s development will extend towards Paleo Faliro, along Amphithea Avenue. The “southern” extension of Line 2 from Elliniko, 4.4 km long, with stations in Ano Glyfada, Vouliagmenis Avenue and Glyfada, with a budget of 350 million euros, is still being prepared. Belgian MEP Marie Arena has been in the press for her relations with those arrested for QatargateThe main article of French daily Le Soir focuses on the Belgian MEP Marie Arena, in the investigation it is conducting on Qatargate. The MEP who belongs to the Socialist group has been in the press on other occasions for her possible involvement in the Qatargate scandal, however she is not included among the MEPs for whom the lifting of immunity was requested. The new article refers to the close relations of Arena with the alleged “brains” of the ring, Antonio Panzeri, but also to the phone call received by the Belgian MEP from Eva Kaili on December 9. Kaili’s phone call In particular, regarding Arena’s relationship with Panzeri, the publication states that from December 2021 to September 2022, they exchanged 389 phone calls. He also writes about the communication that Eva Kaili said she had with her, when she tried to call Panzeri after Giorgi’s arrest and was unable to find him, and then she contacted the Belgian MEPs Tarabella and Arena. This communication is confirmed by Marie Arena. “Eva Kaili called me. I was at a conference. I didn’t understand what he was telling me. I told her to calm down until things were cleared up. I assume she addressed the MEPs of the political group” the article states. Marie Arena described her relationship with Panzeri as a “professional friendship”, as former colleagues in the European Parliament. It is recalled that Marie Arena was the one who replaced Panzeri in the Commission for Human Rights. At Friday’s reception in Zagreb on the occasion of Orthodox Christmas – which for 30 years has been organized by the Serbian National Council, SNV, – the Prime Minister of Croatia, Andrej Plenkovic, Croatian and Serbian ministers, and Serbian Church leader Patriarch Porfirije, called for warmer relations between the two countries. SNV president Milorad Pupovac welcomed that government representatives were attending the event “in a significant and important composition”. “We who started this Christmas gathering could not have known what it would turn into,” he said, adding: “It is important to silence any hate speech and any insult to the suffering of one another.” His counterpart, the president of the Croatian National Council in Serbia, Jasna Vojnic, meanwhile said that she was pleased to see an ethnic Croat minister in the government of Serbia, referring to Tomislav Zigmanov, Minister for Human and Minority Rights. “We believe that resolving the issue of the missing [persons from the 1990s wars] would restore peace, that the condemnation of hate speech will bring security,” Vojnić said. Serbian Foreign Minister Ivica Dacic said: “We don’t think the same but we have to talk with each other. Dialogue on an equal basis is the only way to resolve the open issues that continue to burden us.” “Constructive solutions should be found for all controversial issues,” he added. “Usually, Christmas Day is spent in the company of loved ones, and I don’t believe that we are really the closest to each other. But if we have to live together, it’s time to live in peace,” he concluded. Croatian PM Plenkovic said he was “glad that I have the opportunity to be with you at this gathering one more year. The atmosphere is good, exactly as it should be,” he said, calling reconciliation a fundamental value. “Croatia was a victim [in the 1990s wars], that fact lives with us, with the families of the missing, those who died, soldiers, defenders, civilians. This legacy is difficult and burdens relations. It is important that we understand the fact, that we do not ignore something that is between us, which all governments should deal with. We will do everything to find those [victims of war] who are still being searched for, and also to build bridges of cooperation. “We will succeed in this in demanding circumstances,” said Plenković. “I am especially glad that the Croatian minority in Serbia got a new life,” he added, referring to Žigmanov. The position of Croats in Serbia, added Plenković, is improving. “In the global context, we are witnessing the brutal Russian invasion of Ukraine. Here, in Croatia, we stood on the right side of history, stood by the victim and sent messages of solidarity. We will continue to do so. Our whole life is about choices,” Plenkovic continued. Political analyst Davor Gjenero told BIRN that Dacic’s speech and Plenković’s answer were interesting. “Dacic says that ‘it is important to preserve peace’ and uses the typical rhetoric of the [Aleksandar] Vucic regime [in Serbia], as if it is not a regime that permanently causes instability in the Balkans in the interests of Russia.” “Plenkovic had two highlights in his speech. The first is a reference to the consequences of [Serbian leader] Slobodan Milošević’s aggression [in the 1990s], and the second is the contextualization of the Russian aggression against Ukraine to the Balkan context. This is a de facto message to Serbia that … while Serbia persists in its vassal position towards [Vladimir] Putin and Russia, we should not expect progress in bilateral relations,” Gjenero added. Gjenero noted that every statement made by Croatia is also a statement by the European Union. “This is also the EU’s response. This is important to Plenković because his priority is to isolate Croatia from the context of the Balkans, and he has succeeded in doing that with Croatia’s entry into the Schengen zone and the Eurozone.” He noted that Serbia, on the other hand, is currently not in the phase of serious negotiations on EU membership, even though it was in that phase under former Serbian President Boris Tadic, when relations were different. balkaninsight.com MOSCOW: Russian President Vladimir Putin has ordered a cease fire in Ukraine over Orthodox Christmas, the Kremlin said on Thursday. Russian troops must hold fire for 36 hours from 1200 on Jan. 6, the Kremlin said. Many Orthodox Christians, including those living in Russia and Ukraine, celebrate Christmas on Jan. 6-7. Patriarch Kirill of Moscow, the head of the Russian Orthodox Church, called on Thursday for both sides of the war in Ukraine to observe a Christmas truce, a step dismissed by Kyiv as a cynical trap. “Taking into account the appeal of His Holiness Patriarch Kirill, I instruct the Minister of Defense of the Russian Federation to introduce a cease-fire regime along the entire line of contact of the parties in Ukraine from 12.00 on January 6, 2023 to 24.00 on January 7, 2023,” Putin said in the order. “Proceeding from the fact that a large number of citizens professing Orthodoxy live in the areas of hostilities, we call on the Ukrainian side to declare a cease-fire and allow them to attend services on Christmas Eve, as well as on Christmas Day,” Putin said. The Israeli airforce carried out a strike on Sunday night targeting Damascus International Airport that put it out of service temporarily, killed two soldiers and wounded two others, Syria’s state news agency SANA reported. A military source cited by SANA said that around 2 a.m., Israel carried out an air attack with “barrages of missiles, targeting Damascus International Airport and its surroundings.” The attack caused “the death of two soldiers… putting Damascus International Airport out of service,” it said. According to an official notice sent by Syrian aviation authorities, both runways at Damascus airport were closed following the strike. But in a later statement, the Syrian transportation ministry said the airport would re-open at 9:00 a.m., after authorities removed “damage caused by the Israeli aggression” and conducted repairs to damaged sites. There was no comment from the Israel Defense Forces, which does not generally confirm such raids on an individual basis. Last June airstrikes attributed to Israel struck Damascus International Airport, causing significant damage and rendering the main runway unserviceable. The airport opened two weeks later following repairs. Strikes at the airport were reported in previous years as well. Repair works are seen at Syria’s Damascus International Airport, after an airstrike attributed to Israel, June 12, 2022. (SANA)Generally, relatively large weapons are thought to be smuggled via Syria on Iranian cargo airlines, which frequently land at Damascus International and the Tiyas, or T-4, airbase, outside of the central Syrian city of Palmyra. The weaponry is then believed to be stored in warehouses in the area before being trucked to Lebanon. Israel in recent months has also targeted the Aleppo International Airport several times, according to Syria. As a rule, Israel’s military does not comment on specific strikes in Syria, but has admitted to conducting hundreds of sorties against Iran-backed groups attempting to gain a foothold in the country. The IDF says it also attacks arms shipments believed to be bound for those groups, chief among them Lebanon’s Hezbollah. Additionally, airstrikes attributed to Israel have repeatedly targeted Syrian air defense systems. The last strikes in Syria attributed to Israel were on December 19 and 20, when a secret Hezbollah drone site near the northwestern Syrian city of Homs was reportedly targeted, and several other sites in the Damascus area were hit. Times of Israel staff contributed to this report. |