Australia’s Ambassador to Greece, Arthur Spyrou, has met with His All Holiness, the Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew and His Eminence Archbishop Makarios of Australia at the Phanar in Constantinople.
In a tweet, Ambassador Spyrou said he was “honoured to meet” with the Ecumenical Patriarch, who is the “spiritual leader of Orthodox Christian Greek Australians.”
After meeting with Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew, Ambassador Spyrou attended a Divine Liturgy which was presided over by His All Holiness at the Patriarchal Church of St George.
Also in attendance at the Divine Liturgy was Archbishop Makarios, as well as Bishop Kyriakos of Sozopolis, Bishop Christodoulos of Magnesia and Bishop Evmenios of Kerasountos.
Ambassador Spyrou’s visit to the Phanar came just days after he visited the Greek village of Thrylorio in Rodopi, Northern Greece, which has been named in honour of Ballarat-born Major George Devine Treloar.
So moved to visit Thylorio, the village named after 🇦🇺 George Treloar, Commissioner of the League of Nations for Refugees, to honour his humanitarian work for thousands of Greek and Pontian refugees from Minor Asia. His memory lives on.@dfat@GreeceMFA@cityofballarat@SBSGreekpic.twitter.com/gXEtl5YCah
Archbishop Makarios and the newly ordained Bishops of Australia have also made a number of trips overseas and recently held a meeting with the Prime Minister of Greece, Kyriakos Mitsotakis, where they discussed Hellenism in Australia.
Former Greek President, Christos Sartzetakis, passed away early on Thursday morning in a hospital in Athens at the age of 92.
Sartzetakis had been hospitalised in the intensive care unit of Athens’ Laiko hospital and died in the early hours of Thursday of respiratory failure, the hospital said in a statement.
Who was Christos Sartzetakis?
Born in April 1929, Sartzetakis held the largely ceremonial post of president of Greece from 1985-1990, a politically tumultuous time in the country.
Sartzetakis was also an investigating judge in the 1963 murder of politician, Grigoris Lambrakis, by right-wing extremists, and was lauded for resisting intense political pressure during the case. Lambrakis’ killing triggered mass protests and a political crisis.
Christos Sartzetakis.
The former Greek President was fired from the judicial branch in 1968 during the military dictatorship, arrested, tortured and imprisoned without trial. He was eventually released in 1971 and was reinstated into the judiciary after the fall of the junta in 1974, rising to become a Supreme Court judge in 1982.
He was nominated as president by the socialist PASOK party in 1985, and served in that position until May 1990.
Paying tribute to the former President:
In a message after hearing of Sartzetakis’ death, Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis said Sartzetakis was known for “the denunciation of unconstitutional mechanisms in the Lambraki case. Those who, unfortunately, came to the fore with the seven-year dictatorship, leading to his own persecution.”
Με θλίψη πληροφορήθηκα την απώλεια του πρώην Προέδρου της Δημοκρατίας και ακέραιου δικαστή Χρήστου Σαρτζετάκη. Στους οικείους του απευθύνω τα ειλικρινή μου συλλυπητήρια. pic.twitter.com/49eXxOBOnQ
“During the 1989-90 period, in an atmosphere of intense political tension, his work on the formation of a government was impeccable,” the PM added.
President Katerina Sakellaropoulou spoke of a “principled servant of Justice who, in difficult times for the country and its democracy, handled as an investigator the case of the murder of Lambrakis with exemplary independence and judicial ethos, [and] paying…a heavy price in the years of the junta.”
“Later, as President of the Republic, he honoured the office with conscientiousness, dedication and a high sense of responsibility in the execution of his duties,” she said.
Aποχαιρετάμε τον Χρήστο Σαρτζετάκη, δικαστή που σε δύσκολες για τον τόπο ώρες χειρίσθηκε με σθένος την υπόθεση Λαμπράκη, πληρώνοντας βαρύ τίμημα στα χρόνια της χούντας. Και που ως Πρόεδρος της Δημοκρατίας υπηρέτησε με ευσυνειδησία το αξίωμα. Θερμά συλλυπητήρια στους οικείους του.
Movement for Change (KINAL) leader, Nikos Androulakis, also expressed his condolences to the late President’s family, noting that “he was a patriot who consistently served the public interest, Justice and Democracy.”
Former socialist Prime Minister, Costas Simitis, said Sartzetakis supported democracy “bravely and stubbornly,” in adverse conditions and expressed his condolences to his family.
Sartzetakis is survived by his wife and their daughter.
In the ‘Outstanding Bakery / Cake Business’ category, The Good Filo in Ramsgate came out on top of other finalists including Christopher’s Cake Shop in Kogarah and Piccola Cannoli Bar in South Hurstville.
The owners of The Good Filo, Nick and Martine Delaveris, tell The Greek Herald they’re “absolutely thrilled to have won” and to be recognised for their fresh handmade sweets, cakes and pastries which are made “using the finest local and imported Greek ingredients.”
“It’s been an incredibly challenging year not only for us but for all small businesses. We are so proud of our FILO team and so grateful to our customers and the local community for their ongoing support,” the owners say.
“We encourage everyone to continue staying strong and support local businesses, who are all winners in our eyes.”
Elsewhere, in the ‘Outstanding Business Services’ category, Work It! With Kathy G in Ramsgate was also crowned the winner. Kathy Goussis, the owner of the beauty business, tells The Greek Herald she was overwhelmed with happiness after finding out she had won.
Kathy Goussis from Work It! With Kathy G.
“I am overwhelmed with gratitude and appreciation for everyone who supports my business. It makes the hard work truly worth it,” Kathy says.
“Providing eyelash extensions as a service is such a rewarding career and I thank God every day for guiding me on this journey.”
The iconic Gyradiko Bexley also won in its category of ‘Outstanding Fast Food / Takeaway’ over other finalists such as Chicken Licious in Rockdale and Nieos Grille Express in Ramsgate.
“We were established in 2014 and since then we’ve received support from all over Sydney. It’s been astounding and we thank our customers for making Gyradiko what it is,” Gyradiko Bexley owner, Kosta Giannakaros, tells The Greek Herald.
“We’re a family-run business and we use the finest ingredients, provide good customer service and quality food so it is nice to be recognised for that.”
In the ‘Restaurant – Fine Dining’ category, George and Pav Andreou from Lugarno Seafood were crowned winners. This was their third time in a row winning their category.
In the ‘Automotive Services’ category, Greek-owned business, JDC Automotive in Lugarno also beat out finalists such as Elite Pro Tuning in Riverwood.
The owners of JDC Automotive.
Vicky Zafiropoulos from Hairem Hairdressing also won in the ‘Hairdresser’ category of the awards, whilst siblings, Diana Valsamis and George Christodoulou, from The Kyle Bay on Georges River won the ‘Most Outstanding Specialised Business’ Award.
To top it all off, Stephenie Tziomakis from Meeting Morgan won ‘Outstanding Cafe,’ Denise and Chris Kouroupakis from Kogarah Town Centre Deli won ‘Oustanding Delicatessen/Gourmet Food,’ Raine & Horne Sans Souci won ‘Outstanding Real Estate Agency’ and Maria Fellas from Emoda Couture won ‘Specialised Retail Business.’
The St George Business Awards, which are hosted by Precedent Productions, acknowledge the drive and dedication required to succeed in business and recognises the best in local industry across over 25 categories.
*Please note: If you are a Greek-owned business who won in the Awards, please send us an email to info@foreignlanguage.com.au
A few months after announcing his intention to run as an independent candidate for the South Australian Legislative Council in the upcoming state election, Former Director of Public Prosecutions Stephen Pallaras QC formally launched his political party, named Real Change SA, last weekend.
“I want to give the people of South Australia a seat at the table where decisions are made,” Mr Pallaras told The Greek Herald.
“It seems as if the concept of representative democracy in South Australia is fast disappearing and it’s about time that we had a government or system that represented the wishes of the people.
“I’m not happy with the standard of government and I think I can make an improvement.”
Stephen Pallaras at the formal launch of his political party. Photo Credit: Facebook/Real Change SA
Talking about his priorities if elected as an MP in March, Stephen Pallaras referred to women’s safety, the insecurity for the elderly and the improvement of the state’s health system.
“I want to put women’s safety first. I will be looking to change laws relating to the trial of the offense of rape. Because rape, as I have known over the 45 years that I’ve practiced in criminal law, has the lowest – by a long way – success rate in terms of getting prosecutions, which means that every other offense, you’re more likely to get a conviction than you are for rape.”
This is unacceptable in a civilised society. Radical changes in the law are required to keep women and children safe. Get the perpetrator out of the house nomatter who owns it. This is NOT a women's problem it is a men's problem. #Adelaide#saparlihttps://t.co/8kX84Y4PUG
Mr Pallaras also wants to help improve the current domestic violence statistics.
“We have a domestic violence rate, which is about the worst in the world, in the sense that one woman every week is murdered in a domestic violence situation. That is just unacceptable in a civilised community.”
“At the moment we have two epidemics. One is COVID and the other is domestic violence,” said the Former DPP also expressing his dissatisfaction with the way the state’s elderly citizens are treated.
“Unfortunately, they are often treated as second-class citizens. They can’t generally afford to get into aged care homes and those who do, we found that they have been consistently assaulted.”
Stephen Pallaras with prominent SA developer Theo Maras
But the issues the founder of Real Change SA will endeavour to address do not end here.
“Our health system is another area of concern for me, it’s crumbling. It has suffered from inactivity from those who are running it.
“We have nurses and doctors who are collapsing with exhaustion. We have ambulances that are ramping for hours waiting to get patients into hospitals. Ambulance drivers are working double shifts. It’s simply not working.”
A proud Australian of Greek heritage whose family migrated to Port Pirie from the island of Kastellorizo in the 1890s, Mr Pallaras is also a strong advocate for multiculturalism.
“I’m a strong advocate for more diversity in all fields, particularly in the parliament, because we then get a view different to the traditional white, Anglo-Saxon one and an understanding of what affects people of different backgrounds.”
“I think South Australia is a great state, but there are many things that need fixing,” he said.
‘Sport’s Rich 100 List’ has been revealed by The Daily Telegraph today and among the names of Australia’s wealthiest athletes are four Australian’s of Greek heritage.
Who are they? Find out below.
17. George Kambosos Jr (Boxing) – $5 million:
The new unified lightweight champion of the world earned a career-high $2.4 million fighting Teofimo Lopez late last year and now owns all four title belts.
Kambosos Jr should get more for his first defence, while a host of new sponsors will come on board.
Nick Kyrgios recently won the Australian Open doubles competition with his good friend, Thanasi Kokkinakis, and that’s put him on top of the world.
Kyrgios earnt just over $550,000 last year in prize money but has picked up a raft of sponsorship deals in the past two years since changing management and revamping his image, despite hardly playing during the pandemic.
Marcus Stoinis’ wages are heading skywards due to a $2 million deal with new IPL franchise Lucknow. Has a smaller deal with the Melbourne Stars.
Stoinis has played in Australia’s World Cup squad and twice got the team out of jail in the United Arab Emirates — in the World Cup opener against South Africa and then in an epic semi-final against Pakistan.
62. Adam Gotsis (American football) – $1.4 million:
Adam Gotsis was born in Melbourne, Australia to parents of Greek heritage. He grew up playing Australian rules footballand supported the North Melbourne Football Club in the Australian Football League.
Now he is a defensive linesman who played a strong part in Jacksonville’s campaign this season. After playing out his one-year contract, he will be sweating on a decision for the 2022 season.
Six traditional customs from the Greek islands have been officially registered on Greece’s National Index of Intangible Cultural Heritage.
According to Greece Is, the Greek Ministry of Culture and Sports added these customs to the index as a means of preserving them for future generations and “actively contributing to their promotion and enrichment.”
The decision relates to specific practices and social rituals from the islands of Andros, Rhodes, Sifnos, Ikaria, Limnos and Nisyros. They include:
1. Veggera:
The “veggera” on Andros. Photo: Hellenic Ministry of Culture and Sports.
‘Veggera,’ or social gatherings, take place on the Greek island of Andros and are seen as crucial for maintaining social and familial networks.
They typically start off as informal family gatherings, usually in the evening and last until the early hours of the morning. Handmade treats are offered during the gathering, followed by drinking and dancing.
2. Melekouni:
Melekouni is a traditional sweet produced in the village of Koskinou on Rhodes. Made with sesame seeds, honey, almonds, citrus zest and spices, melekouni has a soft, chewy texture and is golden yellow in colour.
Due to its high nutritional value, melekouni is regarded as one of the healthiest Greek snacks, but it also stands out due to its great flavour.
Melekouni is traditionally offered at weddings, baptisms and name days in the village, and has been registered as having a protected designation of origin (PDO) by the European Union.
3. The ceramics of Sifnos:
A traditional potter at work on Sifnos. Photo: Hellenic Ministry of Culture and Sports.
Sifnos is a still and tranquil island with a mythic reputation as a haven for potters and ceramicists. The ceramics industry forms a key part of the cultural heritage and collective sense of identity of islanders.
The rich lineage of pottery on Sifnos can be attributed to the clay-based earth and the copious sun which blesses the island throughout the year.
Today, over 15 ceramic workshops remain active across the island, employing traditional techniques and decorative motifs.
4. The Festivals of Ikaria:
The island of Ikaria hosts more than 80 festivals throughout the year, celebrating various Christian holidays.
The festivals, open to locals and visitors alike, include traditional music and dance, and serve to renew and maintain social and familial ties across the island.
Through the festivals, traditional Ikarian songs, dances, stories, and recipes are passed down from generation to generation.
5. The ‘Mantres’ of Limnos:
A traditional “mantra” (or “yard”) on Limnos. Photo: Hellenic Ministry of Culture and Sports.
The “mantres” or “yards” form the cornerstone of the agricultural infrastructure of Limnos. They are places of production where people can gather, share resources, discuss and inform each other on farming practices, and manage the local economy.
A mantra typically consists of a main building, several auxiliary spaces for storage, and the surrounding agricultural land.
6. Kalandira:
The Kalandira. Photo: greek-islands.us.
The island of Nisyros is home to the generations-old custom of the Kalandira, celebrated each year on Lazarus Sunday.
On the day, islanders sing traditional songs and taste the “lazarakia” (stuffed pastries baked in the shape of Saint Lazarus).
During the celebration, school children, carrying specially-made bouquets of flowers and palm fronds (known as “vagia”), parade through the villages singing a poem about the Resurrection of Lazarus.
The children then walk around the Kalandira, a wooden object composed of two flexed, arc-shaped pieces forming a cross, and decorated with flowers.
More than 200 organisations across NSW have been awarded almost $700,000 in NSW Government funding to host events as part of Small Business Month in March.
Minister for Small Business, Eleni Petinos, said a record 221 organisations including local councils, business chambers, industry associations and not-for-profits have been awarded grants up to $3,500 to support events that help local small businesses.
“The small business sector has done it tough during the COVID-19 pandemic so it’s great to see this level of interest in hosting events to help small businesses bounce back and build a stronger future,” Ms Petinos said.
“The theme for this year’s Small Business Month is Rebuild, Recharge, Renew, with events focused on helping owners and operators rebuild from the pandemic, discover new and better ways of doing business and connect and collaborate with other businesses.
“The month will feature a wide array of in person and online events that teach small business owners new skills and inspire them with new ideas, and also offer advice and support for people seeking to start a small business.”
Ms Petinos said NSW Small Business Month is a great way to showcase the quality of diversity of small businesses that are the lifeblood of hundreds of local communities across NSW.
“There are over 800,000 small businesses in NSW, employing 1.6 million people and contributing more than $400 billion to the State’s annual sales and service income,” Ms Petinos said.
Small Business Month events include:
A forum at ICC Sydney offering specialised technology solutions for businesses in the professional services industries.
A series of breakfasts for South Coast trade and construction business operators to learn about government support programs.
An Instagram for Business workshop and a photography training session at Grenfell.
A series of online workshops on how to maximise live engagement online.
While the grants program is now closed, organisations can still sign on as a Small Business Month Collaboration Partner and host an event to help small businesses and promote their brand. To date, more than 80 organisations have signed on as partners.
Stefanos Tsitsipas has opened up on the advice he received from Rafael Nadal during the Laver Cup in 2019.
Speaking on Twitter the day after the Spaniard’s history-making Australian Open win, Tsitsipas revealed that Nadal had offered him some advice that changed his outlook on relationships with fellow players.
“Laver Cup 2019 when I happened to be in the same team with Rafael Nadal and I asked him something and he asked me ‘what does make you happy?’,” the 23-year-old revealed.
“And I thought, oh actuality, go for whatever makes you happy.”
“laver cup 2019 when i happened to be in the same team with Rafael Nadal and i asked him something and he asked me “what does make you happy?” and i thought, oh actuality, go for whatever makes you happy” https://t.co/kfx3UskRja
Tsitsipas admitted this comment changed the way he interacted with fellow players on tour, including some of his rivals.
“I’ve certainly tried a lot this year to be more open and be more kind with my peers and my competitors,” Tsitsipas said.
The Greek then added that some players still “annoyed” him because of their bad attitude, but he’s learnt to prioritise his happiness above everything else.
Rafael Nadal (left) and Stefanos Tsitsipas (right).
“I give them zero attention because they don’t deserve any attention for pretending to be someone they are not…” he said.
Tsitsipas and Nadal were both part of Team Europe for the 2019 Laver Cup, held in Geneva, Switzerland, and played doubles together on day two of the event.
They lost to Team World’s Nick Kyrgios and Jack Sock in a first-to-ten-point match tiebreak.
Greece has sent five athletes to Beijing this year as China’s capital gears up to host the Winter Olympics from February 4 to February 20.
The Greek team consists of Maria Danou (cross country skiing), Ioannis Antoniou (slalom), Maria-Eleni Tsiovolou (alpine skiing), Nefeli Tita and Apostolos Angelis (cross-country skiing).
The athletes left Greece on Sunday and are now preparing to lead all the athletic teams at the opening ceremony of the Games on Friday.
Danou and Antoniou, who was the first torchbearer of the Olympic Flame for the 2022 Games, will be carrying the Greek national flag during the opening ceremony.
This year’s Games in Beijing have been the subject to diplomatic boycotts from the United States, Australia, the United Kingdom and Canada over China’s human rights record, including its treatment of Muslim minorities in Xinjiang.
The COVID-19 pandemic has also resulted in the implementation of health and safety protocols, and restrictions on public attendance of the Games.
The President of the Hellenic Olympic Committee (HOC), Spyros Capralos, has said he is confident organisers will create a safe and successful Games.
The bodies of 12 migrants who froze to death were found near Turkey’s border with Greece, the Turkish Interior Minister said on Wednesday.
In a tweet, Interior Minister Suleyman Soylu said that those who had died were found near the Ipsala border crossing “without shoes and stripped of their clothes,” and had been among 22 people allegedly pushed back into Turkey by Greek border guards.
The minister didn’t provide further details, but shared blurred photographs of eight of the recovered bodies, including three in shorts and T-shirts.
Greece has long denied Turkish claims that its forces push migrants back into Turkey, or sink migrant boats at sea.
On Wednesday, Migration Minister Notis Mitarakis dismissed Soylu’s remarks as “false propaganda,” saying Turkey needed to do more to prevent migrants from setting off from there.
“These migrants never made it to the border,” Mitarakis said in a statement. “Any suggestion that they did, or indeed were pushed back into Turkey, is utter nonsense.”
Mitarakis accused Turkey of failing to prevent migrants from approaching the border area and undertaking “these dangerous journeys.”
The deaths of 12 migrants on the Turkish border near Ipsala is a tragedy. Any suggestion that they were pushed back into Turkey is patently false. pic.twitter.com/X2YoROekHg
— Νότης Μηταράκης – Notis Mitarachi (@nmitarakis) February 2, 2022
“Instead of accusing others, Turkey should assume its responsibilities if we want to prevent such tragedies from occurring again,” Mitarakis said.
The International Organisation for Migration said it was “horrified” by the reported deaths and that it would follow up the incident with the relevant authorities.
Greece is one of the main routes into the European Union for migrants and refugees from Africa, the Middle East and beyond, though the flow has tapered off since 2015-2016 when more than a million people traversed the country to other EU states.
