Grigoris Lambrakis

50 years ago, on December 8, 1974, on a sunny Sunday, the Greeks, in seemingly the most democratic way, through a referendum and in a state of full freedom, solved once and for all the question of the form of government. It was a problem nearly inherent in the establishment of the modern Greek state, which had divided the Greek people and had been the cause of many calamities.

Christos Sartzetakis, born in 1929, passed away today at the age of 93 after a long hospitalization.

He was born in Neapoli, Thessaloniki in 1929. His father, who was serving as a Gendarmerie officer in Thessaloniki - where he met his mother - was a Cretan, having been born in Kandanos, Chania, while his mother, who was born in Sklithro, Florina, was a Greek Macedonian.

Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis has nominated Ekaterini Sakellaropoulou, the first woman chief justice of the Council of State, to be the first woman president of the Hellenic Republic.

The surprise nomination was announced by the PM in a nationally televised address on the evening of 15 January.

In an all-time record of participants from 105 countries, the 34th Athens Marathon began this morning, with 50,000 registered athletes who will race in different course lengths throughout the day.