On Monday’s episode of Plate of Origin, Team Greece went up against Team India in a ‘Fast and Furious round,’ where they only had 45 minutes to showcase their skills cooking chicken.
And boy, did Team Greece not disappoint. Their simple chicken souvlaki, with lettuce, tzatziki and hand-made wraps, scored a perfect 30/30 from the judges.
“That was the best souvlaki I have ever had,” judge, Gary Mehigan, said.
“I can’t add anything to that other than a ten,” fellow judge, Manu Feildel, added.
Team India and Team Greece shared banter throughout the night with Team India bragging about the 18 spices they used in their food, while Team Greece quipped in return “we only use two.”
But ultimately, although Team India’s Chicken Biryani did earn praise and surprise for cooking in just 45 minutes, it was no match for the perfect souvlaki.
Team India were eliminated, with Greece progressing straight through to the semi finals!
Greek authorities are struggling to persuade refugees displaced by the Moria refugee camp fire to move to a new temporary site, as many people continue to sleep on the streets of Lesvos island.
Just over 6% of the 12,500 people left homeless last week by the fire have been rehoused in the temporary facility, authorities said on Monday.
Refugees and migrants displaced by the Moria camp fire find shelter in makeshift accommodation. Photo: Alkis Konstantinidis/Reuters.
Migration Minister, Notis Mitarachi, said there’s space for about 5,000 people so far in the new camp, on a former military firing range at Kara Tepe near Mytilene.
Officials said the gap between available spaces and residents in the new camp is largely due to the unwillingness of many refugees to settle in.
Many had hoped that with Moria destroyed they would be allowed to head for the Greek mainland, or even other European Union countries.
Migrants shout slogans during a protest near Mytilene town, on the northeastern island of Lesbos, Greece, Monday, Sept. 14, 2020. Photo: AP Photo/Petros Giannakouris.
Several hundred women and children held a protest march along the Moria-to-Mytilene road on Monday, chanting: “No camp, freedom.”
These latest protests in Lesvos come as Greek Prime Minister, Kyriakos Mitsotakis, said he hoped plans to build a new reception centre to replace Moria would be an opportunity to reset policy on handling migrant arrivals.
Two Bulgarian brothers accused of murdering Sydney gangster John Macris outside his home in Athens two years ago have been found guilty in a Greek court.
Macris was gunned down while sitting in his wife’s car that was parked outside his home in Voula on October 31, 2018, in what is thought to have been a contract killing.
One of the accused killers, Yuliyanov J Raychev Serafim, 33, was found guilty and sentenced to life in jail, which in Greece carries a 16-year sentence. He was also given an additional two years’ imprisonment for carrying a gun, making it a total sentence of 18 years.
Yuliyanov J Raychev Serafim, centre, has been found guilty of John Macris’ murder. Picture: Spyros Bakalis.
His 36-year-old brother, Milen Raychev, who helped carry out the crime by driving the getaway car, was sentenced to 10 years in jail. However, he is expected to serve just three years in custody.
Macris’ wife, model Viktoria Karyda, wept outside the court after the sentence was delivered and said she was satisfied justice had been served.
“What my husband, who sees and listens to everything from the sky, wanted, happened,” the mother-of-two said through tears.
“He’s satisfied now and so am I.”
Macris’ wife, Viktoria Karyda, wept outside the court after the sentence was delivered. Photo: Spyros Bakalis.
Macris’ mother was minding his two young children inside his home at the time of the murder.
CCTV footage shows Serafim unloading six bullets on Macris, who was heading to the opening of new offices for his new security firm in Greece.
He died at the scene and his body was buried in Sydney, Australia, where he had previously spent time in prison. He had a clean record in Greece, where his security and cleaning company bid for government contracts.
The brothers previously said they were innocent of the crime. Their mother and Serafim’s wife attended the verdict but did not speak to the media.
The lawyer for the convicted brothers, Alexandros Lykourezos, said he would be appealing the verdict.
UPDATE:
John Macris’ father has stayed silent after his son’s killers were found guilty in Greece, as the court investigates a witness for perjury.
Stelios Macris was devastated at the former Sydney underworld figure’s murder.
But he told News Corp Australia on Tuesday that he did not want to talk about the guilty verdict handed down to two hitmen in Greece.
“I’ve got nothing to say, you spoke to my daughter-in-law, thanks very much, goodbye,” he said, referring to John’s widow Viktoria Karida.
Stelios Maletsas has been charged with murder after allegedly beating a man to death in Sydney’s inner-city last night, Nine News has reported.
The 28-year-old is accused of fighting his 57-year-old neighbour outside a unit block on Swanson Street in Erskineville, at 8.50pm yesterday.
Mr Maletsas allegedly fled the scene before officers arrived at the unit block, where they found the older man suffering serious head and facial wounds.
The 57-year-old was treated by paramedics but died a short time later.
Several hours later, police arrested Mr Maletsas at a nearby apartment building on the same street, taking him into custody just before 1am.
“It would appear there is an ongoing neighbour dispute however, the motive behind this we’re still investigating,” Superintendent Andrew Holland said today.
Mr Maletsas was charged with murder and refused bail to appear at Central Local Court today.
Travel agencies in Australia and around the world have been hit hard by the coronavirus pandemic, but as Giannis Spathis, director and owner of the Sydney-based travel agency Spathis Friendship Tours, tells The Greek Herald, we must adapt to the new situation and remain optimistic.
This, after all, is what Mr Spathis has been doing since he arrived in Australia. He does not give up despite the difficulties that arise.
From Zakynthos to Australia:
Giannis was just eighteen years old when he immigrated to Sydney from Zakynthos in May 1964, following his nine brothers who had come to Australia in search of a better life.
“I am the 17th of 18 siblings, of whom only 12 lived. As soon as I arrived in Australia I started working. At first, for a few months, I stayed with my brothers in Sydney and then left and went to the countryside. I always preferred it to the city,” Mr Spathis tells The Greek Herald.
Mr Spathis always preferred the countryside over Sydney. Photo supplied.
In search of a profession that best suited him in his new homeland, the then young Giannis was employed in various jobs. He first worked as a labourer in the quarry where one of his brothers worked and later started his own business, first as a restaurant owner in Singleton in NSW and later as a supermarket owner in Sydney.
“I only knew the words ‘Yes’ and ‘No’ from English. For the first few months, the people I worked with asked what my name was and I answered ‘Yes.’ But I knew I wanted to do something on my own because I did not like being given orders,” he confesses.
The travel agency Spathis Friendship Tours:
The idea for the travel agency came about by chance about twenty years ago.
“As a human being, I can not stay indoors. I had gone on an excursion with a friend who had a bus in Adelaide, with the Zakynthian Brotherhood. This trip gave me the idea to start my own business and so I started renting buses and started the trips,” says Mr Spathis, who during each trip, in addition to the role of driver, also takes on the role of guide.
During each trip, Mr Spathis takes on the role of driver and tour guide. Photo supplied.
“I like to make people laugh but guided tours are an art that takes time and study. For every trip, especially the longest ones, I have to study the trip up to a week in advance. But we always have a good time and I do not remember in all the years I’ve done this job, any problem I’ve had with my clients,” emphasises the expatriate businessman and continues, “my clients loved me as I loved them. When there is an appreciation, the rest comes second.”
In addition to trips within Australia, which range from day trips to one-month trips, Spathis Friendship Tours also travels abroad.
“My wife travels abroad because I do not like airplanes,” says Mr Spathis with humor, as he recognises the valuable help and support of his beloved wife, Voula.
Mr Spathis recognises the valuable help and support of his beloved wife, Voula. Photo supplied.
Among the destinations that Giannis Spathis think stand out are the 36-day tour of Australia and the trips to South Australia.
“Australia has many beautiful places to see but at the moment we can not go beyond the borders of NSW. So we discover the beauties of our state by adhering to all the health and safety regulations,” concludes the Greek Australian owner of the travel agency Spathis Friendship Tours.
Spathis Friendship Tours is planning the following excursions in New South Wales:
• September 26 & 27: Dubbo, Two-day pilgrimage to Panagia Mytidiotissa, cost: $ 250 / person
• October 31 & November 1: Tamworth, Two-Day Pilgrimage to the Church of St. Dimitriou, cost: $ 250 / person
• Day Trip to Queanbeyan at St. Demetrius Church, cost: $ 50 / person
World-renowned researcher and immunologist from Victoria University, Professor Vasso Apostolopoulos, has made The Educator Higher Education ‘Hot List’ 2020.
The Educator Higher Education recently announced its second annual Hot List, with 50 professionals around the country making the rank.
Professor Apostolopoulos was singled out for her outstanding contribution to higher education over the last twelve months, as well as for her work as a researcher with expertise in immunology, x-ray crystallography, medical chemistry and cellular biology.
Professor Vasso Apostolopoulos has made The Educator Higher Education ‘Hot List’ 2020.
“I’m very proud that my work has been acknowledged by The Educator. It has been a difficult year, but I think my team and the wider university will continue to rise to the challenges ahead,” Professor Apostolopoulos said in a statement.
The Greek Australian and her team are also currently working on a vaccine to prevent COVID-19, using a unique vaccine technology recently established in Victoria University’s lab.
Some of the other awards Professor Apostolopoulos has received include Premier’s Award for Medical Research, Victoria’s Young Australian of the Year, Greek Australian of the Year, and Woman of the Year.
She was named as one of the most successful Greeks abroad by the prestigious Times magazine.
John Mavroudis’ cover for the latest issue of TIME magazine pays tribute to all 200,000 Americans who have lost their lives to COVID-19 this year.
Mavroudis’ concluding ellipses serve as a stark reminder of what will only continue during the pandemic in the absence of true leadership at the highest levels.
“I really hope this cover awakens the consciences of those who stand apathetically in the face of this catastrophe. Science and common sense are the answer to this crisis,” the Greek artist told local Greek media.
My latest cover for TIME magazine. This is a slow, steady march of death… with little flash or pizazz to rivet the…
“This is a slow, steady course of death. How many more before we finally wake up?” he added on Facebook.
This cover is Mavroudis’ third for the magazine, however, it is one of his most important as it marks the first time since September 2001 that TIME has featured a black border.
The only other time the magazine included a black border was after the 9/11 attacks.
Greece’s President, Katerina Sakellaropoulou, visited the Greek island of Kastellorizo on Sunday to mark the 77th anniversary of its liberation.
During her visit, she accused Turkey of undermining good neighborly relations with the citizens of the island and of Greece more generally.
“We are going through a difficult and dangerous period. The Turkish leadership is intensifying the pressure on our country, proceeding to make aggressive statements,” Sakellaropoulou said.
“Kastellorizo is a valuable part of our country,” Katerina Sakellaropoulou said during her visit. Credit: Thodoris Manolopoulos/Greek President’s Office via AP.
“The escalation of this aggressive rhetoric by the Turkish leadership is raising barriers between the peoples, creating suspicion and hostility, threatening the ties between them.
“Kastellorizo is a valuable part of our country. It is not just strategic for shaping and claiming the rights of Greece. It has even greater moral significance.
“It is the place that embodies the concept of patriotism, in its highest expression. The place that remained Greek, in defiance of any threat.”
Sakellaropoulou also visited the war museum on the island and claimed that Athens will follow a “path of diplomacy of dialogue,” even though Greece has refused Turkey’s calls to sit down at the table and solve the matter through dialogue.
Her visit to Kastellorizo was later criticised by Turkey’s Defense Minister, Hulusi Akar.
“As if there is no other island left for celebration, they come to these. These (acts), of course, disturb us,” Akar said as he paid a visit to Turkey’s southwestern Kaş district, across from the Greek island of Kastellorizo.
The new Super League season kicked off this weekend with PAOK and Aris winning at home, while Panathinaikos began its campaign with a reverse on the road.
The two Thessaloniki clubs started off on Friday, due to their midweek European fixtures to come. Aris came from behind to beat visiting Lamia 3-1, while PAOK had teenage sensation Christos Tzolis to thank for its 1-0 victory over Larissa.
Panathinaikos suffered a 1-0 loss at Asteras that scored through Adrian Riera on Sunday to get a well deserved win in Tripoli.
OFI drew 1-1 at home against Panetolikos on Saturday, while Volos upset host Atromitos at Peristeri winning 2-0 on Sunday, with both goals coming after Atromitos was left with 10 men.
The match between the two promoted teams, Apollon and PAS Giannina will take place on October 21, after their request to begin their games in the top flight a little later.
The derby between AEK and Olympiakos, the teams that contested the Cup final on Saturday, will meet on December 16.
The National Remembrance Day for the Genocide of Asia Minor Greeks by the Turkish state was established by a unanimous decision of the Greek Parliament on September 24, 1998 and is celebrated every year on September 14.
The initiative was taken by three PASOK MPs of Asian Minor descent, Giannis Kapsis, Giannis Diamantidis and Giannis Charalambous, who submitted the relevant bill on May 12, 1997.
To mark the national day, we take a look back at the events leading up to the tragic genocide.
Hellenism in Asia Minor:
Smyrna, the modern-day city of Izmir on the Turkish coast of the Aegean sea, was undoubtedly one of the wealthiest cities of the Ottoman Empire.
Smyrna was undoubtedly one of the wealthiest cities of the Ottoman Empire.
It was home to one of the largest populations of Greeks and Armenians in the Empire. Together, they constituted the Christian community of the city, which lived peacefully side by side with the Muslim and the Jewish communities for centuries.
However, politics, and the competing interests of the main global powers, alongside the rising tide of nationalism and the outbreak of the First World War, were the factors that determined the fate of Smyrna and its citizens for the rest of the twentieth century and beyond.
The Genocide of Greeks in Asia Minor:
As part of the Greco-Turkish War, which raged from 1919 to 1922, Greece’s armed forces went to Smyrna on May 15, 1919. For a brief time, it appeared that the extermination of the Hellenic race had ceased.
But after major military and political errors made by the Greek government, the Turkish army regained control of the city on September 9, 1922.
The great fire of Smyrna began on September 13, 1922, and lasted for approximately nine full days, until September 22.
Eyewitness reports state that the great fire of Smyrna began a few days later on September 13, 1922, and lasted for approximately nine full days, until September 22.
The fire’s results were catastrophic – Over 100,000 Greeks and 30,000 Armenians were killed.
The number of refugees who were forced to leave the city and its surrounding countryside was between 25,000 and 100,000.
Churches, ornate villas, and mansions of great architectural importance, as well as schools and entire market areas, were gone forever without a trace.
The city suffered such enormous damage to its infrastructure that much of it literally had to be rebuilt from the ashes.
Today, the area is an enormous park, known as Kültürpark in Turkish, which serves as Turkey’s largest open-air exhibition center. There are no reminders there of the glory which once was Smyrna.
