Greek-born professional American football player, George Karlaftis, will play for the first time in the NFL Super Bowl on Sunday, February 12.
Karlaftis, who plays defensive end for the Kansas City Chiefs of the National Football League, will go up against Philadelphia Eagles at the State Farm Stadium in Glendale, Arizona, the United States.
The 21-year-old entered the NFL as the second of two first-round draft picks (30th overall) by the Kansas City Chiefs when he was selected in the 2022 NFL Drafts.
In a live interview before the Super Bowl against the Eagles, Karlaftis said: “My family over there [in Greece], especially my grandpa, are super, super proud.”
“I hope I am inspiring kids to follow their dreams, not specifically in my footsteps with football, but with anything.”
Karlaftis was born in Athens, Greece and grew up pursuing sports and athletics, in football, track and field, basketball, and water polo. His started playing football from eighth grade, when his family moved to West Lafayette, Indiana.
Comedian Tanya Gyzi, 48, has been single for 15 years and instead of feeling miserable she has created a comedy act for the Adelaide Fringe this month.
Titled My Big Fat Greek Single Life, the show’s material is based on her personal life including growing up in a Greek household with three older siblings.
“It’s my first solo show for the Fringe and I was thinking of names for it,” Tanya tells The Greek Herald.
“I’ve been single since my divorce 15 years ago and I wanted to do something to incorporate being single and being Greek.
“And I loved [the movie] My Big Fat Greek Wedding. I thought a title that’s similar is a way to talk about my Greek background.
“I think I found my niche in Greek comedy, to be honest. It’s an amazing feeling.”
After a career in Information Technology, Tanya changed her direction and began pursuing photography and the visual arts in 2012. She credits her father Anthony, a visual artist and an entrepreneur known for bringing international acts to Australia, for her love of the visual arts.
When she turned 30, Tanya took part in a comedy workshop run by renown South Australian comedian Dave Flannagan, who has since passed away. It has taken her a few years of concentrated practice and watching other comedians to improve her comedy act.
She says Acropolis Now and The Wog Boy are just two shows that have influenced her comedy style.
“I wasn’t that great to start with but over the years I’m at the point where I am the best I’ve been at,” she says.
“I learn from other comedians and other people who have been in the industry. I keep learning as I go.”
The themes of her latest show include Greek sayings such as ‘tha fas xilo – you’ll eat wood,’ why Greeks spit for good luck, superstitions, her close relationship with her mum, her divorce from her Italian husband who accidentally took her Tupperware, feta cheese being taken to court and why she was called Tanya.
There are also some deeply personal issues including her battle with a bi-polar diagnosis and endometriosis – themes that are common across all cultures.
“I make it funny. I wanted my show to be something for everybody even though it has a Greek theme,” she concludes. “I love being Australian and I love being Greek.”
Westpac has dropped the $12.6 million claim against Anastasios Giamouridis today, in a long running case over his former partner, alleged Forum Finance fraudster Bill Papas.
According to The Australian, the Federal Court heard on Friday the bank would be ceasing the matter against Mr Giamouridis, who Westpac had claimed owed it $12.6 million.
Mr Giamouridis’ solicitor, Mr George Anton, said in a statement after the verdict that his client was “pleased and relieved” the matter had been dismissed.
“Mr Giamouridis has been completely vindicated,” Mr Anton said.
South Australian YouTube pranksters, Danny and Michael Philippou, also known as RackaRacka, recently sold the rights to their film Talk To Me to A24, a film company in North America.
According to Adelaide Now, Danny and Michael secured the major deal for the supernatural thriller after its world premiere screening at the Sundance Film Festival in January 2023.
Michael announced the major deal on Facebook and wrote: “We just got picked up by A24! The greatest company on earth! We will be in cinemas this year.”
“Steven Spielberg, Jordan Peele, Stephen King and Ari Aster are just a few of the people who have watched our film and even reached out personally,” Michael included in the post.
“The response has been beyond overwhelming. We have risked so much to get here, to be recognised on this scale is truly a dream come true.”
The Adelaide twins are online purveyors of comic action. Between Facebook and YouTube, RackaRacka has over 2 billion views and over 6 million subscribers.
Michael and Danny secured funding for their debut feature film in 2020 and instantly started co-writing and directing the film alongside Michael Beck. The film has been described as “more serious” than their usual prankster YouTube videos.
Board members of the Greek Community of Melbourne (GCM) and the first Greek athlete to land a gold double medal in a single athletics event, Antigoni Drisbioti, visited the Greek Centre on Friday, February 10.
The President of the GCM, Bill Papastergiadis OAM, and a delegation of the Board extended a warm welcome to Antigoni where she was given a tour of the Greek Centre and an overview of the Community’s activities.
On hand to greet her amongst others was also Dr Nick Dallas (Education Chair + Finance Committees + Seminars + Hellenic Chair at the University of Melbourne) and Leonidas Vlahakis (Community Outreach + Cultural Programs Chair).
Mr Papastergiadis greeted Antigoni and expressed his admiration for her achievements and presented her with a community plaque to acknowledge her visit.
“It is a great honour to have Antigoni with us at the Greek Centre. Antigoni is one of Greece’s great athletes and her Greek spirit has shown greatly through her athletic achievements,” Mr Papastergiadis said.
“We want her to know that the GCM is by her side and supports her. We wish her success in her upcoming race on Sunday and we invite all the Greeks in Melbourne to come to Fawkner Park and support her.”
Dr Nick Dallas also stated: “The Greek Community of Melbourne was honoured to host Karditsa-born Greek athlete and race walker Antigoni Ntrispioti.”
“In the 2022 European Championships Antigoni finished first in both the 20km and 35km races. She is currently in Melbourne to take part in the Chemist Warehouse Australian 20km Race Walk Championships at Fawkner Park, South Yarra, this Sunday.
“This race being part of her preparation for the 2024 Paris Olympics. We encourage everyone to come to support this great athlete and we wish her every success.”
Antigoni also received from Christina Soumi (Teacher and Education officer- GCM’s Language and Culture School) on behalf of the GCM a didgeridoo and found out about the history and the significance of the instrument for the Aboriginal community.
Antigoni Ntrispioti will take part in the Chemist Warehouse Australian Race Walk Championships at Fawkner Park, South Yarra, this Sunday, February 12 at 7am -9am
NSW Treasurer, Matt Kean, announced on Wednesday that the Canterbury Olympic Ice Rink will receive an $18 million WestInvest grant to fund urgent repairs after six months of closure due to structural issues.
The ice skating community throughout New South Wales and the residents of Sydney’s south west have been campaigning for six months to reopen the ice rink.
NSW Labor member for Canterbury, Sophie Cotsis, has been one of the politicians fighting to save the facility and she welcomed the commitment to the rink from both sides of government.
“It’s people power. This is great for the people, great for ice sports, and it’s great that the people have been listened to,” Ms Cotsis said.
The rink has served recreational and elite skaters for over 51 years in Sydney’s south west until its closure by the NSW Government in August 2022.
On Sunday, February 5, a lecture on the topic of Struggle for Independence: A look at the pre-revolutionary and revolutionary press, was held in Sydney.
The event was co-organised by the Consulate General of Greece in Sydney and AHEPA NSW Inc.
The speaker of the event was Press Counsellor at the Consulate of Greece in Sydney, Costas Giannakodimos.
Among those present were the Consul General of Greece in Sydney, Ioannis Mallikourtis; the president of AHEPA NSW Inc, Bill Skandalakis; and representatives of local Greek associations.
During his lecture, Mr Giannakodimos referred to the Greek language publications that circulated in the great Western culture centres during the 18th century until the beginning of the Greek Revolution, and to the publications that circulated at the outbreak of the struggle for independence until about 1828.
Mr Giannakodimos underlined the importance of these publications both in terms of the preparation of the liberation struggle and in informing, when possible, the insurgent Greeks about what was happening on the war front.
The Greek government voted in Parliament House on Wednesday to ban the Greek National Party from running in the elections this year.
Leader of the far-right political party, Ilias Kasidiaris, was convicted of a serious criminal offence and is serving a 13-year sentence in jail.
According to AP News, Greek lawmakers voted for the far-right political party to be disqualified from the election later this year. The amendment was approved by the majority in the 300-seat house on Wednesday evening.
According to a statement, Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis said: “No one in this room wants to go through, to see again… the parliamentary representation of a few becoming a vehicle of violence against citizens leading to brutal murders and injuries.”
Leader of the far-right political party, Ilias Kasidiaris.
The far-right party was established in 2020 by Mr Kasidiaris, a former leading member of Golden Dawn, a criminal gang linked to hate crimes with neo-Nazi origins, waging a campaign of violence against migrants and ideological opponents.
Greek Public Order Minister, Takis Theodorikakos, said in an interview on Thursday that it was necessary to ban the Greek National Party from the election this year.
“The Government did the right thing by responding to a demand from a vast majority of Greek citizens: to exclude a party led by a convicted member of a criminal organisation,” Minister Theodorikakos said.
In a true sign of philotimo in action despite historic differences, Greece has sent five planes with humanitarian aid to Turkey to support those injured or displaced by the deadly earthquake that struck large parts of south-eastern Turkey and northern Syria on Monday, February 6.
Through the European Civil Protection Mechanism, Greece is sending health and medical equipment as well as basic necessities, such as 7,500 blankets, 1,500 beds and 500 tents, which can accommodate families and be used as mobile clinics.
The first two of the five Aegean Airlines flights carrying the humanitarian aid arrived at the Turkish airport of Adana early on Thursday.
Greece’s Civil Protection Minister Christos Stylianides escorted the flights and then returned to Greece to oversee the dispatch of the remaining three.
— Χρήστος Στυλιανίδης – Christos Stylianides (@StylianidesEU) February 9, 2023
“We are here with a lot of basic material for civil protection and a lot of medical equipment… in order to relieve a little bit the pain of Turkish people.”
Two more aircraft carrying humanitarian aid from Greece are expected to arrive at Adana Airport during the day, while the fifth and last plane on Friday.
The magnitude 7.8 and 7.6 earthquakes that struck Turkey and Syria on Monday were felt by 13 million people across 10 provinces, including Adana, Adiyaman, Diyarbakir, Gaziantep, Hatay, Kilis, Malatya, Osmaniye and Sanliurfa.
The Greek Herald is now the only Greek daily newspaper printed outside of Greece after The National Herald in the United States recently announced it will be reducing its distribution to three days a week.
In a letter to its readers, The National Herald said that after 107 years of printing six days a week, it had decided to “make a new start” and cut back to printing the newspaper on Monday, Wednesday and Sunday only from February 12.
The newspaper said it made the decision to reduce printing days due to the ongoing impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on the economy, a reduction in advertisers, and the rising production and distribution costs.
“With this decision we have taken we are protecting the newspaper. We are securing its future. We are making a new, dynamic start,” the statement reads.
This announcement means The Greek Herald in Australia is now the only Greek newspaper outside of Greece printed daily.
Founded in 1926 by George Marsellos and John Stilson, the newspaper continues to keeping readers up to date with the latest community news and captures the true Hellenic spirit of Australia and abroad.
“For 97 years, The Greek Herald has been entrusted to document the Greek Australian and Cypriot Australian community and their stories, and will continue to serve as a trusted historical archive,” current Publisher of The Greek Herald, Dimitra Skalkos, said.
“Of course, our ability to continue printing daily would not be possible without our supporters, both readers and advertisers. We take this opportunity to thank them for their continued dedication and support of our publication.”
