So far 55 people from New South Wales have been arrested in the major police sting Operation Ironside. They have been hit with a range of charges, including having a Lamborghini bought with the proceeds of crime, drug trafficking, money laundering and participating in a criminal organisation.
Among those 55 are two Greek Australians – Emmanuel Vamvoukakis and Luke Andreou.
Luke Andreou, 31, was arrested by the AFP as part of Operation Ironside raids on Sunday. Picture: Facebook / The Daily Telegraph.
The 31-year-old from Horsley Park has been charged with money-laundering offences, and possessing drugs and firearms.
Emmanuel Vamvoukakis:
The high-ranking Comanchero bikie was arrested on Sunday after the National Anti Gangs Squad allegedly busted him trying to import cocaine from Greece.
(R) Operation Ironside: Police at one of many raids around the country. Picture: The Daily Telegraph.
According to The Daily Telegraph, Mr Vamvoukakis — who police say is the Sergeant-at-Arms of the Comanchero South Coast chapter — was charged with four offences.
This includes: import marketable quantity of border controlled drug; deal with proceeds of crime; direct activities to aid or risk aiding a criminal organisation and; intend as instrument of crime money or property worth $50,000 or more.
Vamvoukakis did not apply for bail and it was officially refused in Wollongong Local Court.
Jordan Gogos’ debut fashion show at Australian Fashion Week attracted local celebrities, social media influencers and well-known stylists from across the nation and we’re not surprised.
Despite the rainy weather outside Sydney’s Carriageworks, where Fashion Week was being held, Gogos’ show treated guests to flashes of bright colour and towering painted objects propped up monolithically on the runway.
Gogos founded ‘Iordanes Spyridon Gogos’ in 2019 as a conduit for community-making and co-design.
According to Marie Claire, Gogos’ fashion designs seek to explore notions of gender fluidity and sustainability with a contemporary practice-led approach. And that’s exactly what his fashion show had on display.
Jordan Gogos at his debut fashion show. Photo: Getty Images.
Working closely with 25 different artists and brands, Gogos created technicolour patchworked coats, corseted strapless dresses and silky suiting. All were made from using deadstock materials, and items sourced from the community centre Reverse Garbage, which encourages reuse of materials in order to reduce waste.
“A lot of the pieces are quite size inclusive, because we’ve done a lot of corseting which could fit the skinniest person for the largest of persons,” Gogos told Marie Claire.
It’s no surprise then that the models Gogos selected to walk down the runway at his debut fashion show were also of all genders and different body sizes.
The fashion show featured models of all genders and sizes. Photo: Getty Images.
“The people on this runway are not usually on runways,” Gogos noted of the models, which were a mix of friends, collaborators and people who he met as recently as three weeks ago after reaching out to express their admiration.
“[This show] represents what Sydney is, what we actually are, who we actually engage with and who is in fashion and who are the people walking on the street.”
With such an innovative and inclusive approach to fashion, we can’t wait to see what Gogos has in store next for the Australian fashion industry.
Traders in Sydney’s once-thriving The Rocks precinct have been left in limbo as it deals with tough times and a hodgepodge of initiatives.
Chris Kriketos is one of these traders.
Mr Kriketos was told that his family business, Bakers Oven Cafe, would have to go to public tender to renew its lease with Placemaking NSW after almost 40 years in the district.
This happened at the same time the cafe was dealing with revenues falling 60 percent due to the COVID-19 pandemic, The Daily Telegraph reports.
Sydney’s The Rocks precinct has been impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic.
A key issue for many businesses in The Rocks is the ownership of property in the district – much of which is leasehold and owned by the NSW state government.
Placemaking NSW is a state government advisory committee formed last year to provide “strategic advice” on the management of precincts like The Rocks and Darling Harbour.
But Mr Kriketos told The Daily Telegraph that renegotiating the lease with Placemaking NSW for his family’s cafe was just another hurdle after a stressful year.
A key issue for many businesses in The Rocks is the ownership of property in the district.
“We’ve had so much stress over the last two years going through this Covid storm… This is just another hurdle thrown in front of us,” Mr Kriketos told the media outlet.
Mr Kriketos said the family business, started by his father, was concerned about a lack of tenure and hadn’t yet decided what to do.
“We want a longer lease tenure, another 5-15 years, but they’re offering nothing and saying the space has got to go up for tender,” he concluded.
Only time will tell what the final outcome for this much-loved family business will be.
With a special event held at the Club’s premises in Keswick, Adelaide last Sunday, members and friends of the Greeks of Egypt and Middle East Society of SA (GEMES) celebrated the 70th Anniversary from the founding of the Society.
In her opening speech, President Renata Irene Papaioannou welcomed the attendees and acknowledged the Society’s founding members for their wisdom and forward thinking.
“On this special day, would you allow me to firstly pay my respect and gratitude to the founding members of our Society for giving us the chance to be part of and serve in one of the finest and most traditional institutions in existence that being no other than our Society, The Greeks of Egypt and Middle East Society of South Australia Inc, a Society build with sweat, blood and tears, and I congratulate all past and present committees, members, sponsors and donors that have helped to create, and establish the prided and tradition, that we have before us today.
“From the humble beginning, our Society has grown to an organisation known in the South Australian Greek Community not only for our social activities, but also for our historical artistic, sporting and charitable work,” said Ms Papaioannou.
GEMES was founded in 1951 by George Perdikis, Constantine Karavis, Emanuel Coutsoumis, Leonidas Psorakis, Constantane Giamanis, Michael Giamanis, John Kalimospoulos and Ariatos Spyridon.
“Let’s aim to be present for the 80th anniversary of the club,” Ms Papaionannou said and expressed her gratitude to the Executive Committee and the volunteers.
Present at the event were: David Pisoni MP, Minister for Innovation & Skills and representing the Premier of South Australia; George Pslachas, Consul General of Greece in Adelaide; Tom Koutsantonis MP, Member of West Torrens and representing, The Leader of the Opposition, the Honourable Peter Malinaukas; Steve Georganas MP, Federal Member for Adelaide; Michael Coxon, Mayor of the City of West Torrens; Adrianna Christopoulos-from SA Multicultural & Ethnic Affairs Commission and Bill Gonis OAM- President of the Greek Orthodox Community of SA.
Regarded as one of the most heinous crimes committed by the Nazis in occupied Greece, 228 residents (114 women and 104 men) were executed inhumanely in the Greek town of Distomo on June 10, 1944.
After suffering a defeat to the Greeks at Katavothra, leaving 15 German soldiers dead and as many wounded, the Germans took revenge on the innocent residents of Distomo.
Ordered by German Lieutenant Hans Zambel, Distomo was set on fire and 218 residents were executed, including 45 children and 20 infants.
According to survivors, SS forces “bayoneted babies in their cribs, stabbed pregnant women, and beheaded the village priest.”
The barbaric brutality received international outcry at the time, yet the German administration in Athens blamed the residents of Distomo for not complying with military orders.
Following the Germans’ withdrawal from Greece, the Greek War Crimes Bureau was able to find and arrest Zambel, who had taken refuge in Paris.
In August 1949, he confessed to the extent of the German atrocities in Distomo.
A film about the tragic massacre, titled ‘A Song For Argyrishas’, has since been made and follows the perspective of four-year-old survivor Argyris Sfountouris.
Two Rose Bay homeowners, who teamed up to sell their properties, have knocked back an offer of $50 million from an apartment developer.
According to realestate.com.au, retired barrister Richard Burbridge QC bought 19 Conway Avenue (1215 sqm) for $3.03 million in 1981, and retired businessman Kiki Efthimiou OAM and his wife, Froso, bought 17 Ian Street (1279 sqm) for $140,000 in 1974.
Burbridge famously founded State Chambers (with Richard Kenzie AM QC) in 1997 and Efthimiou owned Australia’s largest import company of Greek products until 2013.
Kiki Efthimiou (left) bought the property with his wife for $140,000 in 1974.
The two great mates have listed their properties with Sotheby’s principal, Michael Pallier, and colleague, Francis Egan, in conjunction with Ben Hunter and Ben Stewart of CBRE.
Although the highly-anticipated expressions of interest period for the homes will be launched online this Friday, realestate.com.au reports the retirees have already turned down a $50 million offer.
An aerial view of 17 Ian Street and 19 Conway Avenue, Rose Bay. Photo: realestate.com.au.
“They felt it was worth a lot more,” Mr Pallier told Australian media.
Hailed as the best site in Sydney, the properties have stunning Sydney Harbour views and are a short stroll from Rose Bay Village and the ferry wharf.
“It’s probably the best development and home site in the east — you can do units or it could be a trophy homebuyer,” Mr Pallier told realestate.com.au.
Popular sports brand, Nike, has come under fire by Greek people after it recently released a new pair of footwear called ‘The Winged Goddess of Victory’ with the Air Force 1 Low.
Greeks have taken to social media to vent their anger and frustration at the apparent misspelling of the name of the Greek Goddess Nike on the heel of the left sneaker. The inscription in Greek, which is supposed to read ‘NIKH Air,’ actually says ‘ΠΙΚΣ Air.’
While many were left wondering whether ‘ΠΙΚΣ’ was a colossal mistake or some sort of marketing campaign, others took actions into their own hands and launched a petition to make the American multinational retract the sneakers.
The feature image of the petition.
“We are demanding Nike to retract and recall the Air Force 1 “Goddess of Victory” sneakers from the marketplace,” Angie Xidias, who started the petition, wrote.
“Currently the sneakers spell PIKS and not NIKE – this is cultural appropriation. We are asking Nike to preserve and respect the Greek culture and history by accurately using the Greek alphabet when writing and referring to the Goddess NIKE.”
This new controversial release comes just months after Nike announced that it will terminate all its existing contracts with Greek retailers by 2022.
Front view of the new Nike sneakers. Photo: sneakernews.com.
A spokesperson at the Dutch European headquarters of the American multinational corporation confirmed on Wednesday that its strategy in Greece will involve a smaller number of partners.
The spokesperson added that the decision was taken in the context of its recently announced “Consumer Direct Acceleration” strategy, which involves prioritising investment through Nike’s digital channels.
The multinational has established 22 Nike stores in Greece, 15 of which were managed by Folli Follie, a Greek-based international company whose founder was jailed pending trial, accused of falsifying the company’s financial data.
US Senator Bob Menendez, Chairman of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, was joined on Wednesday by US Senator Marco Rubio in introducing new legislation to bolster the United States’ defense partnership with Greece.
Titled the ‘US-Greece Defense and Interparliamentary Partnership Act of 2021,’ the bipartisan legislation bolsters support for Greek military modernisation, authorising new transfers of American military equipment, and fostering increased multilateral engagement among Cyprus, Greece, Israel and the United States.
“As a reliable NATO ally, Greece plays a critical role in promoting security and stability in the Eastern Mediterranean. The 200th anniversary of Greek independence reminds us of the long history of US-Greece cooperation based on our shared commitment to democratic values, and we must continue building that cooperation in the years to come,” Chairman Menendez said.
The U.S.-Greece Defense Partnership Act of 2021 not only bolsters our defense relationship with Greece, but also advances shared values, promotes security cooperation, & strengthens the bonds of our friendship. https://t.co/jSJNTMyaMv
— Senate Foreign Relations Committee (@SFRCdems) June 9, 2021
“In order to ensure that the Eastern Mediterranean remains secure, the US must bolster its defense relationship with Greece by supporting Greece’s efforts to modernise its armed forces.
“This legislation seeks to strengthen the bonds of friendship between the US and Greece in order to advance our shared values, promote security cooperation and support a secure Eastern Mediterranean for years to come.”
On his side, Senator Rubio said this bipartisan legislation “will continue to enhance defense cooperation with Greece, a valued NATO ally.”
“By extending Foreign Military Assistance to Greece and establishing an interparliamentary partnership with democratic countries in the Eastern Mediterranean, this legislation reaffirms our strong commitment to the region at a time when malign actors are working to undermine international security and stability,” he added.
Maria Sakkari defeated defending champion Iga Swiatek 6-4, 6-4 to become the first Greek woman to reach a Grand Slam semi-final at the French Open on Wednesday.
The world number 18 will face unseeded Barbora Krejcikova of the Czech Republic for a place in the final after seeing off Swiatek, who had required a medical timeout early in the second set.
Thursday’s other semi-final sees Russian 31st seed Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova tackle unseeded Tamara Zidansek of Slovenia.
“I am speechless. It is a dream coming true. I don’t know, it is a very nice feeling and I could not have done it without my team and their support,” the 25-year-old said.
“We have a long way to go but we made a huge step today.
As Dimitris Basis walks towards the front of the stage with conductor George Ellis to begin the show on the 200th Anniversary of the Greek War of Independence, principal violinist Dimitri Calligeros holds on his musical instrument tight and gives the concert pitch along with a bright smile.
Everything is ready to go. The vibrant and warm on-stage energy spreads like a peplum over the audience at Adelaide’s Town Hall.
Ellis bows in front of the attendees before he goes on to silently introduce to the crowd his right-hand man, Dimitri Calligeros.
Violinist Dimitri Calligeros with conductor George Ellis. Photo: The Greek Herald/Argyro Vourdoumpa
The two men, met working for the Sydney Opera House Orchestra nearly 20 years ago and they developed a strong musical rapport as well as a very close friendship as George Ellis reveals to The Greek Herald.
“He is a superb musician. As my concertmaster, he not only plays by example on stage but also helps me behind the scenes by collating and sorting the music. He is my right-hand man and my go-to person for all our Greek music orchestral performances. I respect him highly,” says Ellis.
So much respect they have for each other, that George trusted Dimitri to conduct the concert held in Brisbane last week. Only a few hours before this major undertaking, a first of this scale in his career, the violinist spoke to The Greek Herald about his career in music, his future plans and shared his advice for aspiring musicians.
Dimitri Calligeros conducted the 200 Years of Greek Independence concert in Brisbane
Who is the virtuoso violinist?
A Sydney-born, third generation Australian of Greek heritage, Dimitri Calligeros doesn’t recall exactly when he first saw or heard the violin.
“What I remember is that I was about three years old when I started telling my parents that I wanted to play the violin,” he says.
But nothing happened until some years later when Dimitri was in primary school.
“One day we did some music trials and I got to try out the violin by chance. I was very enthusiastic and my teacher, who ended up being my mentor for many years, called my parents to suggest that I should play the violin and this is how it all started,” Dimitri says.
“I finally got to play and that was that. I have been playing for more than 30 years.”
Dimitri Calligeros in Adelaide. Photo: The Greek Herald/Argyro Vourdoumpa
A proud Kytherian
As passionate he is about his music, he is proud of his Kytherian background.
“I’m a Tsirigoti (a Kytherian),” he tells me in fluent Greek and explains how his yiayia (grandma) who migrated to Australia with her husband, was the first person to teach him the language.
“She would sit me down and talk to me all the time,” he says, explaining how his upbringing has influenced his career.
“When you speak a different language, your mind thinks in a different way, from a different perspective.”
Asking him if he can sense the impulsiveness and the emotion of a Greek audience while on stage, he nods and smiles.
“You can feel the energy. For us – me and colleagues – who are classically trained, it’s so refreshing to come to a stage and a concert like the one we currently perform for the 200 Years from the Greek Revolution, around Australia. There is so much involvement and this brings a great feeling all round.”
The audience at the Adelaide Town Hall. Photo: The Greek Herald
‘Everything I do, I find a little success in’
What does the musician consider the biggest success of his career so far?
“This is a hard question,” he says, “it’s like when I’m being asked what’s my favourite piece to play.”
“Everything I do, I find a little success in. My biggest success is that I do what I love doing full time and at the same time I have the opportunity to work together with great people like George Ellis.”
I ask him to give his advice to people who want to follow in his footsteps.
“Believe in yourselves, work hard because nothing can be achieved without hard work and do what you love doing with passion. Follow your heart,” says the violinist who is also a music teacher.
Speaking about his future plans, Dimitri looks forward to releasing a solo violin recording of Vivaldi’s Four Seasons, that will be available soon.
