Home Blog Page 1150

Spetses: The Greek island where the ‘Knives Out’ sequel on Netflix was filmed

Glass Onion: A Knives Out Mystery premiered on streaming platform Netflix on December 23. In the film, detective Benoit Blanc is invited to a murder mystery party at billionaire Miles Bron’s mansion that naturally evolves into something more sinister.

The party scenes have been filmed on the Greek island of Spetses with its glamorous mansions, hiking trails, and secluded beaches. It’s the perfect setting.

Film director and producer, Rian Johnson, has told media the decision to film on Spetses was a calculated decision.

“Swapping New England browns for Greek blues and yellows was a deliberate move intended to separate the sequel from its predecessor,” Mr Johnson said.

“As much as there is a rich tradition of cozy English murder mysteries, or in our case, New English cottages, there is a great tradition of destination murders.”

Daniel Craig, the former Bond star and actor playing Blanc in Glass Onion, also had nothing negative to say about filming on the Greek island.

“We were under lockdown, so we were kind of restricted in our movements so we couldn’t really go very many places,” Craig said. “[But] I mean, it was an amazing experience.”

Spetses has escaped mass tourism and is renowned as the perfect place to enjoy a wonderful walk, as the distinctive architecture, cobble streets, and fragrant gardens packed to the brim with jasmine and bougainvillaea, make it a joy to discover on foot.

An unusual aspect of Spetses is that no private automobiles are allowed within the town limits. The most common modes of transportation are walking, horse-drawn carriages, bicycles, mopeds and motorcycles.

Source: Bolavip

Turkish Foreign Minister reiterates war threat to Greece

0

Turkey has again threatened a war on Greece if it proceeds with the expansion of territorial waters in the Aegean Sea, Ekathimerini reports.

During a press conference on Thursday, Turkish Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu made the threat in response to reports on Sunday that Greece plans to extend its territorial waters by 12 miles in waters south and west of the island of Crete.

“I would like to warn Greece one more time,” Cavusoglu said at the press conference.

“Do not play tough based on those who you want to have on your side. Do not start adventures that you know will have a bad end.”

The territorial extension in the Aegean Sea is for hydrocarbon research and the Greek government have followed protocol by informing the European Union and the US administration of its plans.

Greek government spokesperson, Giannis Oikonomou, rejected the Turkish Foreign Minister’s threats on Thursday.

“This strategy of threats and challenges pursued by Turkey leads to nowhere,” Mr Oikonomou said.

Mr Oikonomou also confirmed the Greek government conducts itself according to international law and Greece would not be intimidated or terrorised.

Sydney Olympic FC’s new coach sets his sights on 2023 NPL Premiership

Sydney Olympic FC’s new coach, Labinot Haliti, has been tirelessly prepping the squad over the past month with the aim of winning the National Premier Leagues NSW Men’s 2023 season (NPL NSW).

The A-league alum has expressed his desire for the Sydney Olympic squad to win the 2023 NPL NSW Premiership in his first year as head coach of the Club’s first-grade men’s team.

Having signed former Central Coast Mariners and defender for Western Sydney Wanderers, Ziggy Gordon, and ex-Australian Youth International, Nick Fitzgerald, the Club has secured some solid football players.

Darcy Burgess a star of the 2022 NPL season has been re-signed for 2023. Credit: National Premier League.

The club has also re-signed several stars of 2022 such as Golden Boot winner Roy O’Donovan, Adam Parkhouse, Darcy Burgess, Oliver Puflett Ben Van Meurs, Christopher Gligor, Fabio Ferreira and goalkeeper Nick Sorras.

Ex-Rockdale Ilinden defender Michael Neill and former Manly United youngster James Georgaklis have also made the move to the Club, further securing the hopes of a Premiership win.

Sydney Olympic 2023 Squad:

  • Nicholas Sorras
  • Ben Van Meurs
  • Will Angel
  • Sam McIllhatton
  • Oliver Puflett
  • Adam Parkhouse
  • Darcy Burgess
  • Chris Parsons
  • Roy O’Donovan
  • Fabio Ferreira
  • Christopher Gligor
  • Peter Politis
  • Nick FitzGerald
  • Michael Neill
  • Jack Simmons
  • James Georgaklis
  • Ziggy Gordon

Aaron Crinis brings California to a refreshed Bondi Pavillion with new venue

Greek Australian venue owner, Aaron Crinis is bringing the Californian summer to Bondi Pavillion with the recent launch of his new restaurant, Glory Days.

Glory Days joins Crinis’ other ventures such as Glorietta and Glory Days Coffee, as it takes up permanent residency in the newly refurbished Bondi Pavillion.

Wastons Bay Hotel head chef, Damien Hyde has been poached to create the ‘California-style’ menu that will work perfectly with vibe that Crinis is aiming to create in the space.

Head chef Damien Hyde (left) and owner Aaron Crinis at Glory Days, in the revamped Bondi Pavilion. Photo: Nikki To

“We’re saying every day is vacay,” Crinis says.

“People will be able to walk in straight off the beach.” 

On weekends you can enjoy buckets of prawns and kingfish ceviche, washed down with a drink and balcony views over the beach.

Source: Good Food

Melbourne funeral director Peter Tziotzis denies stealing jewellery, clothing from dead woman

Melbourne funeral director, Peter Tziotzis, has denied stealing jewellery and clothing from a dead woman in a statement on Thursday.

Mr Tziotzis, who is the director of Orthodox Funeral Services, issued the statement after A Current Affairs (ACA) reported in November that he had allegedly stolen clothing and jewellery from the body of Teresa Moraitis’ daughter, Helen.

Ms Moraitis had hired Mr Tziotzis to perform a traditional Greek open-casket service for her daughter in August this year.

According to ACA, Ms Moraitis became suspicious at Helen’s funeral after Mr Tziotzis allegedly told the family her coffin had to remain closed.

Ms Moraitis made the decision to exhume her daughter’s body and ACA reported that Helen’s naked remains were found bundled in a blue body bag, her arm twisted behind her head. Thousands of dollars of gold jewellery and clothing was also reportedly missing.

The jewellery Ms Moraitis wanted on Helen’s body. Photo: ACA.

In response, Mr Tziotzis has denied all allegations against him on Thursday and said that ACA’s version of events “is incorrect and without factual basis.”

“I did not steal any jewellery or clothing, I did not fail to prepare Ms Moraitis’ daughter’s body for the funeral and burial and I was not dishonest in anyway in my dealings with Ms Moraitis,” the funeral director’s statement reads.

“I also have not been charged with any criminal offence by Victoria Police.”

Mr Tziotzis added that he was “unreasonably cornered by A Current Affair at 7 Eleven and the program did not give me the opportunity to tell my side of the story.”

“For this reason, and because of the severe impact the segment has had on me, my family and my business, I have engaged legal representation and have commenced steps towards issuing legal proceedings against the media organisation and journalists responsible,” he said.

The funeral director concluded that he will “remain committed to serving the needs of my loyal customers during their times of grief and loss.”

Team Greece makes strong start on United Cup’s opening day

Stefanos Tsitsipas battled back to outlast Bulgarian Grigor Dimitrov 4-6 6-2 7-6(4) and give Greece a 2-0 lead on Thursday, the first day of the inaugural United Cup mixed team tournament in Perth, Western Australia.

Despina Papamichail earlier put Greece 1-0 up with a 3-6 6-4 6-1 win over Isabella Shinikova in 2 hours and 19 minutes. 

It was the second time in the past three months that Papamichail had defeated Shinikova from a set down, having previously won 3-6, 6-3, 7-6(3) in a Monastir ITF W60 tournament in October.

“I’m playing with a really strong team,” Papamichail said on court after her win. “Stefanos [Tsitsipas] and Maria [Sakkari] is a big example for me, so the least I could do was fight my heart out.”

Papamichail’s win set the scene for Tsitsipas who edged past Dimitrov in 2 hours and 10 minutes to give No.1 seeds Greece a 2-0 lead over Bulgaria. Tsitsipas’ victory was the 24-year-old’s 250th tour-level win.

Team Greece will play two more singles matches today, including the match between Maria Sakkari and Viktoriya Tomova, as well as the mixed doubles match.

Source: WTA Tennis.

Brazilian soccer legend Pele dies aged 82

The daughter of Brazilian soccer legend Pele has announced on social media that her father, whose full name is Edson Arantes do Nascimento, has died at the age of 82.

Pele had been battling colon cancer since September 2021. In November this year, he was admitted to Albert Einstein Hospital in Sao Paulo for doctors to review his treatment.

Medical reports state the soccer star died at 3.27am local time due to organ failure caused by the cancer.

“We love you infinitely, rest in peace,” his daughter Kelly Nascimento posted on Instagram along with a photo of the hands of family members on his in a hospital bed. “Rest in peace.”

The photo from Pele’s daughter’s account. Photo: Instagram.

Pele’s official Twitter page also posted about his death.

“On his journey, Edson enchanted the world with his genius in sport, stopped a war, carried out social works all over the world and spread what he most believed to be the cure for all our problems: love,” it said. 

“His message today becomes a legacy for future generations.”

The Brazilian football star rose from barefoot poverty to become one of the greatest and best-known athletes in modern history.

Pele scored a world record 1281 goals in 1366 games, and is the only player ever to win the World Cup three times.

Tributes have started to flow for the soccer legend this morning with Greece’s Prime Minister, Kyriakos Mitsotakis, posting on his personal Twitter account: “Pele was and will be the king of football. Goodbye, Pele.”

The post includes a photo of Pele celebrating his first goal in the game with Italy at the finals in Mexico in 1970.

Mavromoustakos brothers to hold Sydney soccer match raising funds for African kids in need

Chrisos and Yianni Mavromoustakos have always been passionate about all things sport. It’s no surprise then that they’ve turned this passion into an annual charity soccer match in Sydney to raise money for African children in need.

“I started it about four years ago with my YouTube channel, which was growing, and I worked at the Sutherland Sharks FC so I wanted to use my connections for good and do a charity event,” Chrisos tells The Greek Herald.

“After two years, I thought ‘why don’t I get my brother involved?’ So yeah, we made it a family affair after that.”

Since then the charity match has grown significantly, with large crowds enjoying the atmosphere and free food.

This year’s match is being held at the Seymour Shaw Stadium in the Sydney suburb of Miranda on 8 January 2023 from 5pm and Team Chrisos and Team Yianni will once go head-to-head to be crowned champions.

Chrisos says that throughout the afternoon, people can also make donations to charity, Paradise 4 Kids, to support their critical missionary work in Africa.

“We want people to attend to help raise money for Paradise 4 Kids and make it the biggest event yet,” Chrisos concludes.

“We also have prizes and raffles… so we encourage everyone to come so that they can participate, donate whatever they can and just enjoy the day.”

Pictures of the Year: The Greek Herald’s best community snaps of 2022

2022 was a year filled with Greek community events as COVID-19 restrictions lifted across Australia and people were able to gather again to celebrate our Greek culture and traditions.

Along the way, The Greek Herald has been there to inform you, to entertain you and to inspire you. We have been there to document events as they happen, keeping you up to date with the latest community news and capturing the true Hellenic spirit of Australia and abroad. 

With that being said, here are some of The Greek Herald‘s best community snaps of 2022.

The Evzones make a historic visit to Perth, Western Australia:

Photo: The Greek Herald / Argyro Vourdoumpa.

Greek festivals held across Australia:

Paroula Dance Group at the Greek Summer Festival. All photos copyright: The Greek Herald / Andriana Simos.
Antipodes festival in Melbourne. Photo: The Greek Herald / Chris Spyrou.
Greek Street Fair Burwood. Photo: The Greek Herald / Andriana Simos.

Commemorations held to mark centenary of Asia Minor Catastrophe:

The centenary of the Asia Minor Catastrophe was marked in NSW. Photo: The Greek Herald / Chris Spyrou.

Greek Independence Day and OXI Day celebrations:

All Saints Grammar mark OXI Day. Photo: The Greek Herald / Andriana Simos.
OXI Day event by the Greek Orthodox Community of NSW (GOCNSW). Photo: The Greek Herald.
OXI Day in Darwin.

The Kytherian Association of Australia celebrates its centenary:

Young debutantes at the Kytherian Association of Australia’s centenary celebrations. All photos: The Greek Herald / Andriana Simos.

The top six Greek sporting moments from 2022

2022 has been a year of triumph and success for Greek athletes. From Australian Open doubles champions to rugby league legends, Greeks have made their mark this year.

Now, as the year comes to an end, The Greek Herald has shared its top six Greek sporting moments from 2022.

#6 – George Kambosos Jr holds two world title boxing rematches in Melbourne

George Kambosos and Devin Haney facing off for the second time at Rod Laver Arena in Melbourne, Australia. Photo: The Greek Herald / Chris Spyrou.

George Kambosos Jr held two world title rematches against Devin Haney in Melbourne this year. Although Kambosos did not come out victorious during the matches, he still made Australia’s Greek community proud with his determination and resilience.

#5 – Greece defeats Turkey in European Rugby League women’s match:

Greece’s women’s rugby league team.

Greece’s women’s rugby league team made history on Sunday, September 25 by claiming their first-ever victory against Turkey 8-4 in the European Rugby League competition. The last time the women’s teams met was in Edirne, Turkey in 2019, with Turkey claiming the win 40-4.

#4 – Greece makes debut at Rugby League World Cup:

Team Greece at the Rugby League World Cup this year.

Nobody copped a bigger loss through the group stages of the Rugby League World Cup this year than Greece, but that doesn’t mean the national team’s future is bleak.

Their debut World Cup campaign ended with three big losses against FranceSamoa and England. In their final match against England, Greece was lucky to avoid conceding a century in their 94-4 loss.

But they scored four tries throughout their debut tournament, each of which was a highlight reel effort, and their journey gained an exposure that never would have come otherwise.

#3 – Greek team crowned champions of the All Nations Cup in Melbourne

All Nations Cup Greek team.

The Greek team were crowned champions of the All Nations Cup on Saturday after defeating South Sudan 3-2. The final was played at Egan Lee Reserve in Knoxfield, Victoria in front of around 600 spectators.

The Greek team were under the guidance of coaches George Katsakis and Con Tangalakis.

#2 – Three Greek-owned football clubs across Australia win NPL Premierships:

Sydney Olympic FC.

Sydney Olympic FC in New South Wales, South Melbourne FC in Victoria and Floreat Athena in Western Australia all won an National Premier Leagues premiership this year.

West Adelaide SC also secured their return to the RAA National Premier Leagues (NPL) South Australia in 2023 with a historic 4-3 victory over Para Hills Knights on Saturday, September 10 at ServiceFM Stadium.

#1 – Nick Kyrgios and Thanasi Kokkinakis become doubles champions:

Kokkinakis (left) and Kyrgios (right) at the Australian Open this year.

2022 was the year of the Special Ks – Nick Kyrgios and Thanasi Kokkinakis. This year the duo claimed the Australian Open doubles title, and also won their second doubles title at the Atlanta Open.

Greek Australian fans were with them every step of the way, cheering the duo on in stadiums across the world.