Christos Pappas, deputy leader of Greece’s neo-Nazi political party Golden Dawn, has been arrested in Athens.
The extreme alt-right former lawmaker was found overnight being sheltered in a flat in the Zografou district before he was transferred to the anti-terrorism unit at Attica General Police Directorate.
He is the last of the Golden Dawn group to evade justice and will face the 13-year prison sentence he has dodged since it was handed down in October.
His 52-year-old Ukrainian accomplice was also arrested and will face court on charges of aiding and abetting a criminal on Friday, according to Proto Thema.
Their apartment building was put under surveillance last week after police received a tip-off that he had been sheltered there since the ruling, local media reported.
Pappas was the Deputy leader of a Neo-Nazi party that was once the third most popular political party in Greece in 2013 (Photo: AP/Thanassis Stavrakis)
Pappas has been on-the-run as a fugitive listed by the International Criminal Police Organisation (INTERPOL) and was last seen at his local police station before he and six others were found guilty of running a criminal organisation.
Pappas had been released from pre-trial custody after being held for 18 months and escaped shortly before the ruling.
A police raid on his home in western Attica following the ruling found two swastika flags, two German army helmets and bottles stamped with images of Italian fascist dictator Benito Mussolini.
The landmark trial sentenced more than 50 Golden Dawn defendants on charges including murder, assault, and illegal weapons possession.
The murder of anti-fascist rapper Pavlos Fyssas was catalyst to the trial which began in 2015 where the court accepted that the openly xenophobic and antisemitic group targeted dissidents and roamed the streets while armed.
Pappas and Golden Dawn founder and longterm leader Nikos Michaloliakos were sentenced to 13 years in jail.
When people think of Greek Australian chef, David Tsirekas, three words always come to mind – passionate, hard-working and a go-getter. That’s because despite experiencing the highs and lows of working in the hospitality industry, Tsirekas has still managed to successfully bring some of the quirkiest Greek dishes to the Australian cuisine scene.
This quirkiness all started back in 1997, when Tsirekas was first offered his sister’s partnership at Perama restaurant in Petersham. At the time, Tsirekas’ knowledge of Greek cooking was very basic as he “rebelled against the Greek culture” and immersed himself in swimming and water polo instead.
“We were going out to Vietnamese restaurants after water polo or swimming training and I’d bring home Vietnamese and my mum would go, ‘What’s this?’ She would then taste it and try to come up with a Greek version of Vietnamese,” Tsirekas tells The Greek Herald exclusively with a laugh.
“I thought it was quite interesting because that’s how my mind works when I do Greek food. I try and get the traditional flavours and palette and then re-work it where people think ‘this doesn’t look Greek’ but then when they taste it, they say ‘that reminds me of my yiayia or my village’.”
Tsirekas’ cooking is inspired by his mum and ancient literary texts. Photo: Andriana Simos.
Besides being inspired by his mum, Tsirekas adds that his cooking was also influenced by reading ancient literary texts such as The Iliad, as they helped him build a picture of where Greek cuisine had come from and how it had evolved over time.
“I noticed that Greeks in different parts of the diaspora of the ancient world also had different eating habits so that’s how I started incorporating everything into my cooking,” Tsirekas says.
It was this unique style of cooking which made Perama a success from the very beginning, winning multiple Sydney Morning Herald good food guide hats. But still, the restaurant closed in 2011 and Tsirekas moved onto ‘something bigger.’
‘I wanted to give up cooking’:
This next challenge came in the form of retail juggernaut, Westfields, knocking on Tsirekas’ door asking him to open Xanthi Greek restaurant in a special fine dining precinct in Sydney. The chef says that as a “curious and adventurous person,” he wanted to go on the journey “without thinking about the financial consequences.”
Over four years, Tsirekas built up the restaurant and people rushed to it for Greek food and the largest wine list in the Southern Hemisphere. But ultimately, the high-pressure environment saw Tsirekas’ dream sadly come crashing down and he had to close the restaurant in 2014.
“Xanthi was the next stage, it had the Ottoman influence… but it was very labour intensive. It was like going from high school economics… to trying to operate a business where I should’ve had the knowledge of an MBA,” the chef explains.
Xanthi restaurant in Sydney.
“I was ill-prepared to step up to that level operating-wise, but cuisine-wise it was probably some of my most amazing work.
“That was the last time I was in control of my own destiny. Looking back on it now, I don’t have any regrets. I understand that the mistakes made were my own and also, that the positives that came out of there were because of me.”
Since the closure of Xanthi, Tsirekas has been the Executive Chef at Universal Hotels, working on the development of the restaurant 1821, and he has also held a number of consultant roles for venues in Chicago, The Greek Club in Brisbane and Zeus Street Greek.
But he stresses that during this time, he was also struggling emotionally and felt as though he ‘wanted to give up cooking.’
“All this time I was suffering depression… I just didn’t feel like I belonged in some way. There was just something missing. I like the freedom… and I had this battle where I felt like I had no control of my life and I wasn’t going anywhere,” Tsirekas explains.
Tsirekas’ fresh start with Perama 2.0:
As is usually the case, things only became worse for Tsirekas before they started to improve.
While juggling his work with the Airport Retail Group opening a new pub and wine bar, and continuing his consulting with the other restaurants, Tsirekas suffered a transient ischemic attack (TIA), which is similar to a stroke. Later, he was diagnosed with early onset Alzheimer’s as a result of damage from the TIA and is currently receiving experimental cognitive therapy.
Perama 2.0 under construction. Photo: Andriana Simos.
But despite all this negative news, Tsirekas says his TIA was a turning point and has given him a new outlook on life. In fact, this new outlook came at exactly the same time as the original Perama site in Petersham became available again after 10 years.
Now, the chef is focused on bringing the restaurant back as Perama 2.0, but fans can expect a glossier version of the original with a small cocktail bar, as well as a rebranding tweak in line with its updated menu. The pork belly and signature caramel baklava ice cream will also be back, along with food such as gemista rice.
“We’re keeping the original elements of Perama there but it’s a new narrative. I don’t want people to stay back in the past of Perama, that was a unique time. But Perama 2.0 is going to be another unique time,” Tsirekas concludes with a smile.
A time which many people from the Greek community are looking forward to as they watch Tsirekas rise to his full potential once again.
St Nectarios Greek Orthodox Church in Burwood is in the final stages of extensive restoration works by fixing the slate roof at the entrance to the church.
The slate roof was in need of urgent restoration, with the specialist heritage work estimated to cost more than $20,000 to complete.
But with the help of a $10,000 grant received from the NSW Government following the Parish Board’s application under the 2020 Community Building Partnerships Program, the work is now underway.
Restoration has begun on the slate roof. Photos: Supplied.
“These works, supported financially by both the Federal and NSW Governments, have enabled these once in a lifetime restoration works, which we would not have been able to deliver without this financial support,” President of the Board, Penelopy Kioussis, tells The Greek Herald.
“We are so grateful for this assistance to preserve and beautify our Church, which is an important heritage building that is much loved – not only by the Greek community, but by the broader community as well.”
In a Facebook post, Member for Strathfield, Jodi McKay MP, congratulated the community on their renovations and said she was pleased to have been able to help as the church is in her electorate.
St Nectarios Burwood is in the final stages of its renovations. Photo: Facebook.
“This is very exciting. I look forward to seeing the completed works and of course everyone, very soon,” Ms McKay added in a Facebook comment.
Restoration works to preserve and beautify the church have been ongoing over the last few years, after receiving $300,000 in funding from the Federal Government under the Community Development Grants Programme. The St Nectarios Burwood Parish and Community provided the remaining $99,879.
The works, which were completed in 2019 and officially unveiled at the 140th anniversary of the church, included treatment of damp issues in the sandstone walls, replastering of internal walls, replacing the fences and gates, upgrading the electrical switchboard and waterproofing the external sandstone walls, among many other things.
140th anniversary of the church building where the restoration works were unveiled with our Federal Member, Dr Fiona Martin MP, Member for Reid. Photo supplied.
The Hellenic Initiative Australia announced today that a new grant totalling AU$44,648 (€28,571) has been awarded to Pediatric Trauma Care (Pedtrauma) to provide medical equipment to Pediatric Departments in hospitals in Alexandroupolis, Florina, Thessaloniki and Patras.
“Knowing that this donation has the potential to benefit more than 1,400 children and newborns annually is such encouraging news,” THI Australia President, Mr Nicholas Pappas AM, said.
President of Pediatric Trauma Care, Natasha Clive-Vrecossis, agreed and expressed her “sincere gratitude” to THI Australia for their support.
Hellenic Initiative Australia has also provided a $90,000 grant to Doctors of the World Greece. Photo: MdM Greece.
“We would like to express our sincere gratitude to “THI Australia” for their continuous support which gives us the help we need to continue our work, in upgrading all the Pediatric Departments in Hospitals and Health Centers throughout Greece,” Ms Clive-Vrecossis said.
“It is very moving that Greek-Australians never cease to offer moral and financial support to the country they care for so much.”
The ‘Karamandaneio’ General Hospital of Patras will receive equipment for the Pediatric Allergy Unit of the Pediatric Department, the Paediatric Department of the General University Hospital of Alexandroupolis has received a High Oxygen Flow device, the Paediatric Department of the General Hospital of Florina ‘Eleni Th.Dimitriou’ has received an Incubator, and the Anesthesiology Department of the ‘Ippocrateio’ General Hospital of Thessaloniki has received a Vein Viewer.
Upon delivery of the incubator, Christos Papoulkas, Director of the General Hospital of Florina, said: “in this difficult period, kind donations such as these strengthen our efforts to improve our services and give us courage to continue our work. We hope others will follow your wonderful example from Australia.”
THI Australia’s collaboration with Pedtrauma is a stellar example of how easily Greek-Australians can make a difference in the region or town of Greece that is important to them. There is a range of donation options, making this an accessible way of giving back.
“This latest grant brings THI Australia’s total support to Pedtrauma over the last three years to AU$134,648 and expands our reach to include health centres and hospitals in Alexandroupolis, Argos, Galatas, Florina, Ioannina, Kastoria, Kythira, Patras and Thessaloniki,” Mr Pappas said.
In the ancient Greek classical city of Metropolis, located in western Turkey, archaeologists have unearthed an 1,800-year-old marble robed statue of a headless woman.
Despite missing its head and both arms, the rest of the statue is well-preserved and depicts a woman wearing flowing draped clothing.
The Turkish Culture and Tourism Ministry’s Department of Excavation and Celal Bayar University have been jointly studying the ancient city for years.
Known as the “Mother Goddess City,” Metropolis was located 28 miles from the ancient port city of Ephesus and 25 miles from the modern Turkish city of Izmir.
— Kazılar Dairesi Başkanlığı (@kazilar_) June 11, 2021
To date, archaeologists working at the site have unearthed artifacts and structures from the classical, Hellenistic, Roman, Byzantine and Ottoman periods. Finds include a Roman palaestra (wrestling hall), mosaics, ceramics, a council building and a columned gallery.
The Metropolis excavation site and its significance:
Metropolis was built in the third century BC, when the region was under the control of the Seleucid Empire. It reached its golden age during the Hellenistic period and served as a center of religious power during the Byzantine Period.
Excavations at Metropolis have been ongoing since 1990, according to the Sabanci Foundation, a philanthropic group that has supported the work.
1,800-year-old headless Greek statue found at Turkey’s Metropolis site. Source: Turkish Ministry of Culture and Tourism.
One of the most prominent features of the ancient city is a Hellenistic theater dated to the third century BC. Roman-era structures discovered during digs include a sports complex, homes, shops, baths, a public toilet, streets and roads.
Earlier this year, archaeologists working at the Metropolis site also announced the discovery of huge cisterns dated to the late Roman or early Byzantine period (around 284 to 750 AD).
Capable of holding a total of around 600 tons of water, the cisterns probably supplied water to a bathhouse in the city and met Metropolis’ overall need for water when it was subjected to sieges that made other sources unavailable.
Many of these finds are now on display at the Izmir Art and History Museum, Izmir Archaeology Museum and Selcuk Efes Museum.
Greek American student, Andreas Giannitsopoulos, who was missing after the Champlain Towers South condo collapse near Miami, has been confirmed dead by authorities today.
“My son was the strongest person I know and the best part of my day. We had such plans for his future,” his mother, Tina Giannitsopoulos, told NBC News after authorities confirmed they had found her son.
She, other family members and friends were staying at a rental complex outside Miami while they waited to hear whether he had been found.
Rescue teams are working 12-hour shifts as they scour the wreckage in Surfside, near Miami. Source: Reuters.
Giannitsopoulos was studying Business Strategy and International Markets at Vanderbilt University, Nashville, but was staying with his godfather in Miami at the time of the building collapse.
According to NBC News and friends, Giannitsopoulos’ relatives got through the tense days before his death was confirmed by trading stories and jokes about him.
But then came word that authorities had found him. Before Tina Giannitsopoulos went to meet with detectives, she belted out a loud cry. It took a few minutes for her to regain her composure.
“I’m so proud of you Andreas, thanks for being the best boy in the world,” she said. “I know everybody says that, but he was truly gold.”
Greek shooter, Anna Korakaki, and artistic gymnast, Lefteris Petrounias, will lead the Parade of Nations at the opening ceremony of the Tokyo Olympics, the Hellenic Olympic Committee has announced.
The decision means the Greek team will have male and female flag bearers for the first time in Olympic history and reflects the International Olympic Committee’s calls for gender equality.
As the originator of the Olympics, the team representing Greece traditionally leads the Parade of Nations.
“The Hellenic Olympic Committee has given me a great honour and I want to thank it for choosing me. It will definitely be a unique feeling to hold the flag of your homeland at the opening ceremony of the Olympic Games in a historic moment, as I will do it together with Lefteris,” Korakaki said.
“I feel very honoured to hold our flag as it is a childhood dream come true. I also want to thank the Hellenic Olympic Committee and I’m sure that this moment will remain forever engraved in my mind and heart,” Petrounias added.
Korakaki represented Greece at the 2016 Summer Olympics, winning a gold medal in the 25m pistol and a bronze medal in the 10m air pistol.
Petrounias is the 2016 Olympic champion, three-time World champion (2015, 2017, 2018) and a six-time (2011, 2015-18, 2021) European medalist on the still rings (five gold and one bronze).
The Macquarie Greek Studies Foundation have announced this morning that Modern Greek Studies Major and Diploma programs will be offered again from 2022.
The Faculty’s recommendation to reinstate Modern Greek as Major and Diploma offerings was supported by the University’s Executive Group. The Faculty of Arts team will now be working on implementing the necessary formalities to activate these offerings for 2022.
Thus, from the academic year 2022, Macquarie University students or cross-institutional students will be able to study Modern Greek as a Major, Minor, Diploma, elective or non-award, on-campus in the new language labs or fully online.
Enrolments for 2022 are expected to start later this year. For more information, you can contact Dr Patricia Koromvokis, Head of Modern Greek Studies Macquarie University on: patricia.koromvokis@mq.edu.au.
The Committee of the Foundation would like to take this opportunity and express its gratitude to the Executive Leadership Team of the Faculty of Arts, the students association MUGA, the media, the Greek community Organisations, all the individuals, the Consulate General of Greece in Sydney and the Consulate General of Greece Education Office in Melbourne for the immense and ongoing moral and financial support.
Nick Kyrgios is through to the second round at Wimbledon after beating rising French star, Ugo Humbert, in five sets for the second time at a grand slam this year.
“Not too bad for a part time player,’’ Kyrgios said after securing the match 9-7 in the fifth set, referring to the few matches he has played in the past 18 months.
“It didn’t take me much to get me off the couch in Canberra, Australia. Wimbledon is one of my favourite events, it was an easy decision for me.”
Kyrgios’ second clash with the 23-year-old this season featured its fair share of drama.
The match resumed precariously poised at 3-all in the fifth set after Wimbledon’s 11pm curfew cut the match short on Thursday morning (AEST).
About 16 hours later, the pair resumed play. After four relatively routine holds from both players, Kyrgios pounced.
At 7-all, he forced three break points on Humbert’s serve. He took the third opportunity.
The 26-year-old saved two break points while serving for the match before claiming his first match point in typical Kyrgios style – with a big first serve down the middle.
But it was the slickness of the grass that almost cost Kyrgios the victory when, at 6-6 in the fifth set, he hurt his hip while doing the splits at the back of the court.
Kyrgios screamed in pain as he slipped on the court, but was able to resume the match. Credit: Getty Images.
After rolling around for a few seconds, Kyrgios resumed play but was initially hampered in his movements, relying instead on his lethal serve.
“I was always gonna get up and play with one leg, I was going to finish the match,” he said, before adding: “I am not the most flexible bloke so anytime my legs spread a little bit apart, its like ‘argh’, it was pretty brutal.”
One service game later, Kyrgios pounced on his first opportunity to break Humbert’s serve and didn’t look back.
Having beaten the 21st seed 6-4, 4-6, 3-6, 6-1, 9-7, Kyrgios’ portion of the draw has now opened up. He will play world No. 77 Gianluca Mager in the second round.
Helen’s story is one of resilience, perseverance and commitment even at the most difficult circumstances. A story of giving back to the community and a proof that hard work gets recognised and rewarded.
A proud Mytilenian from the village of Thermi on the island of Lesvos, Helen Patsikatheodorou is one of the 14 Greeks who were recently honoured in the Queen’s Birthday Honours list with a Medal of the Order of Australia (OAM) for her service to the community of Hume.
“I came to Australia when I was 5, 61 years ago. Who would have thought! Nothing is impossible,” Helen tells The Greek Herald.
“This is a consolidation for me that all the volunteer hours that I have committed over my 45 years of service have actually meant something not only to me but my community.”
‘Pay it forward, make a difference’
Like many Greek migrants Helen’s family came to Australia in the 1960s with a suitcase and an undetermined motive to succeed and secure a better future for their children.
“My father came to Australia with no education and no money, but he had a lot of pride and determination. He came on the ‘Patris’ and landed in Melbourne. He saved enough money for my mother, sister and brother to come to Australia a year later,” Helen says.
“He knew no one, but some stranger took him under his wing, found him a place to stay and provided him with the opportunity to work. To say he worked hard is an understatement.”
The assistance offered to her dad in his early beginnings in the new home country, sparked Helen’s motivation to help others.
“He [her dad] not only established his own wealth, but he also educated his children and provided a better life for his family, one that he was proud of. That in itself deserves paying it forward and making a difference to someone else.
“There is always a need in every community and there are many different ways you can be involved; you just have to find your passion.”
The City of Hume’s ‘Pink Mayor’
In 2013, Helen was diagnosed with breast cancer but instead of slowing down she became fiercer while fighting her own battle.
“Both my mother and my maternal grandmother died of Breast Cancer. As a leader in the community, I am always looking at ways to make a difference. When I became Mayor for the second time in 2016, I wanted my second term to make a bigger difference.
“Realising that breast screening uptake for CALD (Culturally & Linguistically Diverse) communities was very low, I decided to use my mayoral year as an opportunity to advocate and promote breast screening to improve the health of our women. What better way to do this as a survivor of Breast Cancer? I made it my mantra to be known as the “Pink Mayor,” says Helen.
“In all my speeches I advocated that I would wear something pink every day of my Mayoral year so that all the men in Hume would encourage the women in their lives to get screened as no woman in Hume should die from Breast Cancer.”
The ‘Pink Mayor’ soon became an advocate for men’s health and has vowed to keep helping her community for as long as “her body will allow her to.”
“We are all vulnerable. We need one another”
Helen often expresses her pride for the legacy she will leave behind and wishes for the new generation to pick it up one day in order to change their communities for the better.
“We live in a community and we all need one another to survive. We don’t realise this until something bad happens to us. We are all vulnerable both rich and poor, educated and uneducated, newly arrived or settled.
“I hope that the new generation recognizes that they have benefited from my hard work and the hard work of others like me, to continue to pay it forward,” Helen says.
“I know my children are proud and I hope that when my grandchildren are old enough to understand, they would be just as proud of not only “Yiayia but Papou” as well and give back to the community.”
The joy of helping others
Asked her what her future plans are, Helen doesn’t hesitate to reply.
“I will continue to do what I do for as long as my community still wants me. I will continue to work full time for Maria Vamvakinou MP, the Federal Member for Calwell and continue my involvement for as long as I can.”
In a recent speech, Maria Vamvakinou said that “the strength of Helen’s contributions can’t be captured in a speech, nor can her impact on the many people whose lives and circumstances she has touched and continues to touch.”
Concluding our interview, Helen sets aside herself and her recognition to acknowledge her late husband, John Patsikatheodorou, who died unexpectedly three years ago.
“Without him, I may not have been able to do the things I did. He was my support and my rock and was known lovingly as the “Mayoress”.
“He was by my side at all my events, encouraging and supporting me. On many occasions, he was mistaken to be the Mayor, because he was the man. He shocked many men when he would say “my wife is the Mayor and I am the Mayoress”. My husband was a bigger community advocate and on many more committees,” Helen concludes.
Passion for social good, compassion, pride and courage. Community Heroes do exist. Thank you Helen!
