In a commendable gesture, the new Football Victoria Chair Angela Williams paid tribute to former footballer and long-time South Melbourne FC legend Michalis Mandalis.
Accompanied by the Federation’s CEO, Dan Birrell, Ms Williams presented an award to Mandalis in recognition of his contribution to the game.
The event was hosted at the family-owned restaurant Vanilla in Oakleigh, where guests were treated to a rich selection of drinks and food.
Ms Williams impressed attendees with her speech, showing great respect towards Mandalis and highlighting the invaluable contribution of veteran footballers to the progress and development of football in Victoria and Australia as a whole.
The ceremony was also attended by former Brunswick Juventus player Mario Di Marti, former Football Victoria official Harry Zaitman, as well as relatives and friends of Mandalis.
The spirit of faith, community and compassion was on full display at the “Splash of Pink” charity afternoon tea, hosted on Sunday, October 12, by the GO Family & Friends Ladies Fellowship of the Greek Orthodox Archdiocese of Australia in partnership with the Philoptochos of Saints Raphael, Nicholas and Irene Parish in Liverpool.
Held in support of the McGrath Foundation, the event raised $20,000 to fund free cancer care and awareness programs across Australia.
The afternoon began with a Trisagion service led by Fr Asterios Zouriakas in memory of women who have lost their lives to cancer. More than 230 attendees then gathered in the parish hall for an uplifting afternoon of food, games, raffles and heartfelt stories.
Guests were greeted by pink and white décor, pins and bookmarks honouring Saint Agatha, the patron saint of breast cancer, and were inspired by talks from McGrath Foundation representatives, cancer researchers and a survivor who shared her moving journey.
Organisers described the event as a celebration of hope, unity and faith, emphasising the importance of honouring those lost, supporting women still fighting cancer, and raising awareness through collective action.
All proceeds from the event will go directly to the McGrath Foundation, helping to ensure that no woman faces cancer alone.
A WWII-era M1 Carbine rifle, not required to be registered before Australia’s 1996 gun reforms, has become the focus of investigations into the Croydon Park shooting, in which three people were injured.
Police say 60-year-old Artemios Mintzas, a Sydney Trains employee, allegedly fired multiple rounds from his apartment using the semi-automatic weapon, which he had legally owned since the 1980s but kept after his licence expired in 1992.
NSW Police confirmed the rifle’s pre-1996 exemption and said enforcement campaigns and firearm amnesties have since tightened controls.
Police Minister Yasmin Catley said the case highlights the need for a National Firearms Register to modernise tracking systems.
Mintzas faces 18 counts of shooting with intent to murder and remains in custody ahead of his next court appearance on December 3.
Pressure on Greece’s Ministry of Tourism to reopen the Greek National Tourism Organisation (GNTO) Office in Melbourne is intensifying, as on Friday, October 10, PASOK–Movement for Change MP for Lasithi, Katerina Spyridaki, submitted a relevant question to Parliament.
In her question to the Minister of Tourism, Olga Kefalogianni, Ms Spyridaki referred to the “unjustified delay” in the operation of the GNTO Office in Melbourne, despite repeated government commitments and the Greek Community of Melbourne’s offer of a free, fully equipped space.
“The letter from the President of the GCM, Bill Papastergiadis, to the Ministry of Tourism emphasises that the continuing inaction has not only caused financial losses for the Community itself, but also deepened the diaspora’s concern over the credibility of the Greek State,” Ms Spyridaki said.
“He further notes that the issue has become front-page news across all major Greek Australian media, while criticism of the Greek government has become particularly sharp.”
The Greek Community of Melbourne’s have offered a free, fully equipped space.
The PASOK MP stressed that this inaction has caused frustration within the diaspora and damaged the credibility of the Greek State.
“Greek Australians express a sense of devaluation and abandonment. They underline that Greece treats them as ‘given’ tourists, assuming they will continue to travel and spend, without the State showing tangible respect or support. Others highlight that Greek bureaucracy and dysfunction discourage them even in basic matters such as the issuance of passports,” she said.
“The criticism can be summarised as a feeling that, while Greek citizens display filotimo and hospitality, the official Greek State presents the opposite face: indifference, inefficiency, and an underestimation of the diaspora’s value. All of the above create an image that, unfortunately, offends both our country and global Hellenism.”
She also pointed out that the Australian market is one of the most valuable for Greek tourism, with 289,000 Australians travelling to Greece in 2023 and spending over 460 million euros. Nevertheless, Greece still lacks an official tourism presence in Melbourne – the city with the largest Greek diaspora in the world.
Ms Spyridaki concluded by addressing five questions to the Ministry of Tourism:
What is the specific timeline for the commencement of operations of the GNTO Office in Melbourne?
What are the reasons which, despite repeated commitments, have led to this long and unjustified delay?
Has the process of selecting a Director or Office Head been completed, and if not, at what stage does it currently stand?
What measures does the Ministry intend to take to restore the confidence of the Greek Australian community, to utilise Melbourne’s strategic importance, and to strengthen the promotion of Greek tourism in a market with high per-capita expenditure?
When will official and specific responses be provided to the requests of the Greek Community of Melbourne?
PASOK–Movement for Change MP for Lasithi, Katerina Spyridaki.
Political interventions and clarifications
The new question adds to that of Ms Vetta in early September, which has still not been answered. In an interview with The Greek Herald, Ms Vetta pledged that she would also submit a topical question so that a representative of the Ministry would be obliged to respond.
“I will continue to fight until there are clear answers from the competent minister,” she stated.
At the same time, during a recent press conference in Sydney, Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs for Greeks Abroad Ioannis Loverdos sought to put an end to confusion regarding which ministry holds responsibility for the office’s operation.
Loverdos clarified that the GNTO Office will ultimately operate within the Consulate General of Greece in Melbourne, under the supervision of the GNTO, and not within the premises of the Greek Community, as was initially proposed.
As he explained, this decision was made “for operational reasons,” as it concerns a state, and not a community, service that will function in cooperation with the Consulate.
His statements confirm that responsibility remains with the Ministry of Tourism, although the issue continues to cause uncertainty and concern within the diaspora, which since 2023 has been awaiting the official presence of the Greek tourism office in Melbourne.
Greece’s Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs for Greeks Abroad, Ioannis Loverdos, visited Brisbane and the Gold Coast on Monday as part of his official tour of Australia, where he met with church leaders, local officials and members of the Greek community.
Loverdos was accompanied by H.E. the Ambassador of Greece to Australia, Stavros Venizelos, Honorary Consul of Greece in Brisbane, George Mastrokostas, the Secretaries-General of the Ministry of the Interior, Athanasios Balermpas and Dimitrios Karnavos, and the Head of the Directorate-General for Citizenship, Katerina Ouli.
In Brisbane, the Deputy Minister met with His Grace Bishop Bartholomew of Brisbane and later visited the Greek Orthodox Community of St George, where he was welcomed by President Freda Valassakis and parish members.
Later in the day, Loverdos travelled to the Gold Coast, where he visited the Greek Orthodox Church of St Anna and met with the community’s President, Sandra Voukelatou.
During his meetings, Loverdos expressed heartfelt gratitude to the Greek community of Queensland for their unwavering commitment to preserving Greek identity, customs and traditions, assuring them that Greece remains steadfast in supporting its diaspora through concrete initiatives that strengthen their bonds with the homeland.
While on the Gold Coast, the Deputy Minister also met with Mayor Tom Tate, who praised the significant contribution of the Greek community to the cultural and social fabric of the city.
The visit concluded with a moving ceremony at the Honorary Consulate of Greece in Brisbane, where two Australians of Greek descent were sworn in as Greek citizens. The Deputy Minister personally read the oath and welcomed them into the Greek nation – a moment filled with pride and emotion.
My Kitchen Rules viewers were left emotional on Monday night as Greek Australian mother-and-daughter duo Anne and Maree were eliminated after one of the closest cook-offs of the season.
Their traditional Greek feast – featuring lamb shoulder, dolmades and Ekmek Kataifi – scored 19 out of 30, narrowly losing to best friends Lol and Lil, who earned 21 points with a homely Sunday roast and profiterole dessert.
The Milwaukee Bucks have signed Alex Antetokounmpo, the youngest of the Antetokounmpo brothers, to a two-way contract, Octagon managing director Alex Saratsis confirmed to ESPN’s Shams Charania on Monday.
Alex will now join his older brothers Giannis and Thanasis Antetokounmpo in Milwaukee – marking the first time in NBA history that three brothers are simultaneously signed to active roster contracts with the same team.
The 23-year-old had been playing in Europe since 2024, following earlier stints in the NBA G League, including with the Raptors 905 in 2021–22 and Milwaukee’s G League affiliate from 2022–24.
To make room for him, the Bucks are waiving guard Jamaree Bouyea from his two-way deal, according to ESPN sources.
The signing caps off a remarkable summer for the Antetokounmpo family. Giannis led Greece to a bronze medal at the 2025 EuroBasket, alongside brothers Thanasis and Kostas – an achievement the two-time NBA MVP described as “his greatest accomplishment as an athlete.”
Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis briefly met with US President Donald Trump ahead of the global summit on Gaza’s future, held in Egypt’s Sharm El-Sheikh resort.
The summit brought together nearly three dozen world leaders from Europe and the Middle East, as Trump sought to consolidate a fragile ceasefire between Israel and Hamas and push for what he calls “a once-in-a-lifetime chance” at regional peace.
Before departing for Egypt, Mitsotakis described the day as “historic,” expressing hope that the gathering could become “the cornerstone for a lasting peace in the Middle East.”
Trump, who earlier addressed the Israeli Knesset in Jerusalem to celebrate the US-brokered ceasefire, declared that the two-year Gaza war was over, telling lawmakers: “You’ve won. Now it is time to translate these victories against terrorists on the battlefield into the ultimate prize of peace and prosperity for the entire Middle East.”
At the summit, Trump appeared alongside Egyptian President Abdel Fattah el-Sissi, emphasising his determination to rebuild Gaza and urging Palestinians to “turn forever from the path of terror and violence.”
He also struck a conciliatory tone towards Iran, despite bombing three of its nuclear sites earlier this year, saying that “the hand of friendship and cooperation is always open.”
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu declined to attend, citing religious observances. Despite lingering uncertainty over who will govern and rebuild Gaza, Trump remains confident. “Everybody said it’s not possible to do. And it’s going to happen. And it is happening before your very eyes,” he said.
Hamas released the final surviving Israeli hostages from Gaza on Monday as part of a ceasefire deal, while Israel freed busloads of Palestinian detainees.
The exchange marked a pivotal moment in ending the two-year Gaza war, with US President Donald Trump declaring before Israel’s Knesset that “the sun rises on a Holy Land that is finally at peace.”
The United States, Egypt, Qatar, and Turkey brokered the truce, which halted Israel’s deadly offensive in Gaza and led to the release of 20 surviving hostages and nearly 2,000 Palestinian prisoners.
Later that day, Trump joined more than 20 world leaders at a summit in Sharm el-Sheikh, co-hosted with Egypt’s President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi, to discuss Gaza’s reconstruction and future governance.
“Now the rebuilding begins,” Trump said, describing the deal as potentially “the greatest deal of them all.”
However, major challenges persist. The remains of 26 hostages must still be recovered, aid deliveries are urgently needed to avert famine, and questions remain over Gaza’s future leadership and security.
Israel and Hamas were not represented at the summit, while the leaders of Saudi Arabia and the UAE also declined to attend.
Emotional scenes unfolded on both sides of the conflict. In Tel Aviv, crowds wept and cheered as freed hostages returned home. “I am full of happiness,” said Viki Cohen, the mother of one released captive.
In Gaza, Palestinians celebrated the release of prisoners, though grief lingered. “We are still in pain for all those who have been killed,” said Um Ahmed.
The Hellenic Medical Society of Australia (HMSA), in collaboration with the Greek Community of Melbourne (GCM), hosted its annual Gala Ball on Saturday, October 11, at the Grand Hyatt Melbourne – a glittering evening of philanthropy, culture and community in support of Agapi Care, a long-standing not-for-profit organisation in Victoria that provides services for people living with disabilities.
Guests enjoyed a vibrant program of speeches, a live auction, traditional dance performances and live music, all in celebration of compassion, unity, and Hellenic spirit. The evening was emceed by Dr Billy Stoupas, Specialist General Practitioner and long-time advocate for community health.
Opening the evening, HMSA President Professor Marinis Pirpiris reflected on the Society’s mission to bring the medical community together for the common good.
“Our service extends beyond our hospitals and clinics – it flowers into the Hellenic diaspora. Every donation, every gesture of care, is who we are: people united and generous, driven by filotimo and filoxenia,” he said.
Professor Pirpiris also spoke movingly of his late brother, who had special needs, praising Agapi Care’s work as “a vital part of our community, allowing people to rise, be heard and be included.”
HMSA President Professor Marinis Pirpiris.His Grace Bishop Evmenios of Chora.
Representing the Greek Orthodox Archdiocese of Australia, His Grace Bishop Evmenios of Kerasounta delivered a spiritual message on healing and dignity, reminding guests that “true greatness is not measured by what we build or own, but by what we give and how we serve others.”
Consul General of Greece in Melbourne, Dimitra Georgantzoglou, congratulated organisers for “showcasing the pivotal role of Agapi Care” and praised its “humane approach to those in need,” describing it as a model of care that should be celebrated and supported.
Parliamentarians Nick Staikos MP and Georgie Crozier MP also addressed guests, acknowledging the community’s enduring legacy of service and collaboration, with Ms Crozier calling the evening “a powerful example of generosity of heart and spirit.”
Consul General of Greece in Melbourne, Dimitra Georgantzoglou.Nick Staikos MP.Georgie Crozier MP.
Agapi, Caritas, Charity – The Greek roots of giving
President of the GCM, Bill Papastergiadis OAM, drew on classical philosophy to explain the deep Hellenic origins of compassion and charity.
“The word Agapi – selfless, sacrificial love – was translated centuries ago into Latin as Caritas, from which the English word charity comes. So Agapi, Caritas and Charity are one and the same, all stemming from Greek. Tonight’s fundraising embodies that ancient ideal – that true virtue lies in giving, not for recognition, but because it’s right,” Papastergiadis said.
Bill Papastergiadis OAM.
He commended the collaboration between the HMSA, the GCM and Agapi Care as “a contemporary example of an ancient Greek perspective on helping others.”
In a heartfelt address, Agapi Care CEO Mary Gakopoulos outlined the organisation’s 37-year legacy of providing culturally responsive support to people with disabilities and their families.
Founded in 1987 by a group of Greek Australian parents who believed their children deserved equal rights and community inclusion, Agapi Care has since supported over 3,000 individuals and 1,500 families through programs ranging from disability services to emergency food relief, domestic violence support, and mental health care.
Agapi Care CEO Mary Gakopoulos.
“We believe a person is not defined by their disability,” Ms Gakopoulos said. “We look at each individual first — at their abilities and what they can offer to their community. Not all disabilities are visible, and our role is to help people find belonging and independence.”
She added that community-led fundraising had enabled Agapi Care to deliver non-government-funded programs that promote education, trust-building and culturally appropriate outreach for those often at the margins of mainstream support systems.
“What we do is not just translation,” she concluded. “It’s about transformation.”
Two leading members of Australia’s medical community were recognised on the night for their outstanding service.
A/Prof. Magdalena Simonis AM and A/Prof. Vicki Kotsirilos AM both received awards “in recognition and appreciation of their dedication and valued contribution to community service, advocacy and public health.”
A/Prof. Magdalena Simonis AM received an award.
Their achievements – spanning decades of leadership in clinical practice, education, gender equity, environmental health and public advocacy – embody the core mission of the HMSA to merge professional excellence with community service.
As the night continued, guests took to the dance floor to the sounds of Anagennisi Band and enjoyed performances in traditional costume by O Periklis Dance Group.
The evening’s live auction, conducted by Dimitri Damanios, Sales Consultant and Auctioneer at Buxton Real Estate, helped raise vital funds to expand Agapi Care’s services – a testament to the enduring generosity and unity of Melbourne’s Hellenic community.
About the Hellenic Medical Society of Australia
Founded in 2016, the HMSA brings together medical and health professionals of Hellenic heritage to promote collaboration, education, mentorship and philanthropy. Through its events and outreach, HMSA fosters excellence in medicine while championing community wellbeing and cultural connection.
