Angelina Jolie has been nominated for ‘Best Actress in a Motion Picture – Drama’ at the 2024 Golden Globe Awards for her portrayal of opera legend Maria Callas in the film Maria.
Jolie faces competition from Pamela Anderson (The Last Showgirl), Nicole Kidman (Babygirl), Tilda Swinton (The Room Next Door), Fernanda Torres (I’m Still Here), and Kate Winslet (Lee).
Maria received no other nominations from the Golden Globe organisers.
Angelina Jolie at the world premiere of the Maria Callas biopic at the Venice Film Festival. Photo: Joel C Ryan / Invision/ AP.
Directed by Pablo Larraín and written by Steven Knight, Maria reimagines the final days of Callas’ life in Paris, France. The film also features Pierfrancesco Favino, Alba Rohrwacher, Haluk Bilginer, and Kodi Smit-McPhee in supporting roles.
The 2024 Golden Globe Awards will air on January 5 on CBS. Maria is set to premiere on Netflix in the United States on 11 December 2024.
Greece presented a religious icon of the Virgin Mary, known as “Panagia Melissou” (Virgin Mary of the Bees), to Notre Dame Cathedral in Paris, France, during its reopening ceremony on Saturday, December 7.
The symbolic gesture aimed to celebrate the cathedral’s restoration after the devastating 2019 fire and to reaffirm the enduring friendship between Greece and France.
Greek President Katerina Sakellaropoulou presented the gift during the ceremony, which was attended by 40 world leaders.
The icon, created by a hieromonk from Mount Athos, depicts the Virgin Mary holding a beehive, symbolising hope and resilience. The design was inspired by the survival of around 200,000 bees that miraculously lived through the fire, despite their hives being on Notre Dame’s roof.
Greece’s President Katerina Sakellaropoulou (second row, second from left) was present at the reopening of Notre Dame Cathedral. Photo: Presidency GR.
The idea for the gift came from Father George of Mount Athos, a well-known advocate for bee protection.
The concept of “Panagia Melissou” emerged from a tradition at a monastery in Karditsa, Greece, where bees would nest inside the church, flying freely without disturbing worshippers. The first “Panagia Melissou” icon was crafted in 2009, with replicas later displayed at monasteries in Rhodes and Trikala.
On the sidelines of Notre Dame Cathedral’s reopening, President Sakellaropoulou held discussions with other leaders, including Germany’s Frank-Walter Steinmeier, Italy’s Sergio Mattarella, and Ukraine’s Volodymyr Zelenskyy. She also had a brief conversation with French President Emmanuel Macron at a formal dinner he was hosting with First Lady Brigitte.
Macron described the cathedral’s restoration as a metaphor for “what a nation is, and what the world should be,” adding, “Tonight the bells of Notre Dame ring anew.”
The Greek government has not made an official statement, but sources told Ekathimerinithat the Migration Ministry is reviewing the situation and plans to issue a statement on Friday.
Syrian opposition fighters celebrate the fall of the Bashar al-Assad regime, December 8, 2024. Photo: Omar Sanadiki / AP.
Several other European countries, including Germany, Norway, Austria, and Denmark, have also paused Syrian asylum applications.
Germany’s Interior Ministry stated it would wait for more clarity on Syria’s political developments before resuming processing. Austria’s Chancellor, Karl Nehammer, has ordered a suspension of all Syrian applications, including reviews of previously approved cases.
A magical day was enjoyed by all on Sunday, December 8, at Lambert Park in Leichhardt, Sydney, where young students from the Football Brilliance Academy held training sessions in the presence of Greek football royalty.
Greece’s Euro 2004 heroes Giorgos Karagounis, Thodoris Zagorakis, and Angelos Charisteas, guided students through training with a special focus on their technique, ball possession, and a scrimmage.
Hundreds watched the technical training session and applauded the talents of the Academy.
The young talents with Greece’s football legends. All photos copyright The Greek Herald / Takis Triadafillou.
A popular Legends match followed, with Zagorakis captain of the ‘blue’ team, and Cardozo leading the ‘white’ team. The game was impressive with fantastic moments from both sides.
Spectators were thrilled with the goals and the plays. The game ended 11-3 in favour of Zagorakis’ team.
The amazing thing was that every time the Legends scored, the kids from the academy would run onto the field and hug the scorers. It was a magical gesture that everyone applauded.
Throughout the festive event, fans, young and old, took photos with Karagounis, Zagorakis and Charisteas, and simultaneously got autographs on T-shirts and photos.
Legends teams:
Blue team: Dimitrakis, Oikonomou, Tzanidis, Theodoropoulos, Chadtap, Mouzourakis, Zagorakis, Nikas, Charisteas, Karagounis, William Angel, Tsikolis, Brakatséas, Dimitriou.
The Greek Orthodox Church of St Nicholas in Canberra came alive on Sunday, December 8, as hundreds of parishioners gathered for the annual St Nicholas Paniyiri. With Greek music, dancing, and food filling the air, the celebration was a vibrant display of faith, culture, and community spirit.
The day began with a Divine Liturgy, presided over by His Grace Bishop Christodoulos of Magnesia and parish priest Father Petros Kipouros.
Official guests included the Ambassador of Greece to Australia, Stavros Venizelos; the High Commissioner of the Republic of Cyprus to Australia, Antonis Sammoutis; Defence A’ttache of Greece, Kyriakos Kyriakakos; David Smith MP representing Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese; and Federal Member for Adelaide, Steve Georganas MP.
Following the liturgy, the festivities moved outdoors, where a large marquee hosted the lively paniyiri. Guests were treated to plates piled high with fresh fish, calamari, salad, chips, and the much-loved loukoumades, lovingly prepared by the tireless St Nicholas Philoptochos volunteers.
“We were grateful for their attendance but it caused a bit of chaos with the food, as you can imagine. It added volumes to the kefi of the event too,” he said.
Mr Loukadellis praised the dedication of the GOCCC committee, volunteers, and Philoptochos members, saying, “Without them, these types of events and fundraising would not occur.”
He also expressed gratitude to the Canberra Hellenic Dancers, who kept the crowd entertained and inspired spirited dancing from the Mytilenian attendees, joking, “They didn’t need encouragement!”
The St Nicholas Paniyiri remains a beloved tradition, offering both Greeks and non-Greeks a chance to connect, celebrate, and experience the rich cultural heritage of the Greek Orthodox faith.
The Pharos Alliance Symposium organising committee has extended its thanks to all who contributed to the success of its inaugural Symposium on Sunday, December 1, at La Trobe University in Melbourne.
They expressed appreciation to all who were able to attend in person, from Victoria, South Australia and New South Wales, and to the many people who joined via Zoom from interstate, Canada and Greece.
The activity commenced with welcome statements from Australian Ambassador to Greece, Romania and Bulgaria, Alison Duncan, Consul General of Greece in Melbourne, Emmanuel Kakavelakis, and La Trobe University Head of Department of Languages and Cultures, Associate Professor Claire Knowles.
The keynote speaker was Professor Emeritus Joseph Lo Bianco AM, an authority on language education and multilingualism and inaugural President of Pharos Alliance. He provided an overview of Pharos’ inception and progress, arising from research commissioned by the MGTAV in 2017 and published in 2021, and placed Pharos’ work in the context of other revitalisation projects around the world. He noted the many achievements of Pharos and set out an agenda of future challenges. The message was clear: we can succeed in our efforts to reverse the decline of Greek in our schools and homes, but we need to remain focused and united to do so.
A very rich program of inputs followed, with a total of 27 presentations spanning the entire scope of Greek language study, research and teaching, as well as family and community perspectives.
Distinguished guests and presenters included local educators of Greek language at the Early Years, Primary, Secondary and Tertiary level, parents with experience in raising children bilingually, representatives from Greek institutions in other states, alongside presenters who joined from online to update people on programs and initiatives, from interstate, and overseas.
Attendees were inspired to hear about all the developments in the various education sectors, about the fine work of Foundations in Toronto, Adelaide and Sydney, important work in Greek curriculum development in South Africa, and the reminder that language education has a political dimension – it is an issue of social justice.
Recurring key messages expressed throughout the day included the need for unity across sectors and interests to defend the achievements so far and to reverse the decline in programs and numbers that the language faces in Australia’s education system. This important work of protecting and expanding Greek language programs and valorising and supporting the indispensable role grandparents and parents play in using Greek in the home were affirmed by all present.
“Schools can only do so much,” Professor Lo Bianco said. “The community and the family are other sites where Greek can be revitalised and we should commit ourselves to making this happen.”
Pharos thanked La Trobe University and Dr Stavroula Nikoloudis, Coordinator of the Greek Studies Program, for hosting the Symposium.
“As the only university offering Greek language studies in Victoria, we all thought that La Trobe was the most fitting venue for this gathering,” Dr Nikoloudis said. She, Professor Lo Bianco and Denise Diakodimitriou, three of the event organisers, emphasised the collaborative effort which is characteristic of the Pharos Alliance.
Warm thanks and appreciation were also extended to other sponsors: Modern Greek Teachers’ Association of Victoria, AHEPA Victoria and the Panarcadian Association of Melbourne and Victoria ‘O Kolokotronis’.
Lastly, Pharos expressed gratitude to the Speak Greek in March campaign organisers, Mike Zafiropoulos AM, Christina Despoteris OAM and Cathy Alexopoulos OAM, for entrusting Pharos to manage the campaign and for the generous cheque made out to Pharos Alliance to help with realising the program’s activities.
The Symposium provided much food for thought; it was an opportunity to learn about the successes and challenges at the school, university and personal level and is a great starting point in planning for the next stage of Pharos’ work in revitalising Greek.
Pharos are optimistic that with sustained attention, the future looks bright for Modern Greek in Melbourne, Victoria and across Australia.
You can learn more about the Pharos Alliance here: https://www.facebook.com/pharos2021
Settled among the packed December calendar of work Christmas parties, friend Kris Kringle’s, and festive family dinners, was the National Union of Greek Australian Students’ (NUGAS) Christmas Cocktail Night.
On Sunday, December 8, NUGAS gathered their club members for a casual event to celebrate the end of the year at the Greek Centre in Melbourne, Victoria.
The evening’s entertainment was the talented Dio Patrides band, and the space was beautifully decorated with lights and a Christmas tree. With an intimate turnout of members, those in attendance took the chance to dance, meet new people and catch up with old friends.
All photos copyright The Greek Herald / Christina Savopoulos.
Co-Presidents Chris Giannaros and Angelica Spiliopoulos-Angsiting were excited to celebrate the end of the year with this event.
Mr Giannaros said the event is ultimately “an opportunity to give back to our members for a year of their loyalty and dedication to our organisation.”
“The Christmas Cocktails Night represents the unity of all our members and their love for our beautiful culture. NUGAS will be hosting many smaller events such as the Christmas Cocktail Night as a gesture of thanks to all our supportive members,” he added.
NUGAS’ Christmas Cocktail Night is not the only way the organisation is getting into the Christmas spirit. Co-President Ms Spiliopoulos-Angsiting said Christmas is “the perfect time for doing social events for our members, and we’re also giving back to the community.”
NUGAS has been working hard on a charity collection with the National Hellenic Society of America (NHSA) and supporting the Five Loaves Annual Christmas Food Drive.
Following a successful year of events such as their annual NUGAS Ball, dance workshops, VCE Greek workshops, and cultural lectures, the 2025 NUGAS calendar looks even busier.
Ms Spiliopoulos-Angsiting spoke about the effort made to “mix up the events between social and cultural, to get the university student demographic and also teach people about where we’re from and our history and heritage.”
The committee already has a line-up of events for their members next year including a club night, boat cruise in March, a new NUGAS Kafeneio catch up, drinks nights, and more region-specific dance workshops.
With hopes to collaborate with other Greek cultural youth groups in Melbourne, NUGAS can expand and connect with more passionate young Greek Australians.
*All photos copyright The Greek Herald / Christina Savopoulos.
The annual Dimitria Festival, a celebration of Greek culture and heritage, reached its grand finale at Olympic Park in Heidelberg, Victoria on Sunday, December 8.
Under a sunny sky, the event brought together the Greek community and football enthusiasts alike. An intergenerational event, there were festivities for young and old with plenty of dancing, face painting, rides and food stalls.
The festival, a long-standing tradition organised by the Pan-Macedonian Association of Melbourne and Victoria, has been uniting the Greek community for decades. It celebrates the rich cultural heritage and history of Greece’s Macedonia, and is named after St Dimitris, the patron saint of Thessaloniki.
This year’s event was held in collaboration with Heidelberg United, a fitting end to a long celebration.
Heidelberg United President Steve Tsalikidis highlighted the history of the club, begun in 1958 as ‘Alexander the Great’ soccer club.
“So there’s a lot of history with us and our (Greek) Makedonia, and there’s a lot of politics at play,” he said, adding that from this year the team will play with the name Heidelberg United Alexander, honouring to its roots.
Tsalikidis also highlighted the club’s commitment to inclusivity.
“As a club we open our doors to everyone. We are not just a Greek club, but we’re not just forgetting our history,” he said.
Greek Community of Melbourne (GCM) President Bill Papastergiadis spoke of his links to the club, including his daughter’s own ties playing soccer with Heidelberg United.
“My background is from Macedonia,” Papastergiadis said. “My father is from Kozani, and my mum is from Kastoria. Macedonia was always in our hearts and lives growing up. I remember we went to many celebrations, and huge conversations happened around the table.”
Peter Stefanidis, emcee of the event and President of the Pan-Macedonian Association, highlighted the unique opportunity the Dimitria Festival provides to honour those who have contributed to the Greek community. He later presented Greek Consul General to Melbourne Emmanuel Kakavelakis, Steve Tsalikidis, and Sam Kostoulias with plaques.
The event was well-attended, with the entire community gathering to enjoy the festivities. It was opened with a Welcome to Country by Anita. Dances were performed by the Pan Mac Dance Group, Akrites tou Pontou, Pericles, and the Florinian dancers. There was plenty of music and food stalls.
Other notable guests in attendance included Lee Tarlamis, Government Whip in the Legislative Council, and opposition Liberal Party member Trung Luu. Former Pan-Macedonian president Paul Mavroudis was also present along with Thanasis Tsouhantaris, president of the New Democracy party for Australia.
The Dimitria Festival concluded on a high note, leaving a lasting impression on the Greek community. As the event draws to a close, the organisers and participants look forward to the next year’s celebration, continuing the tradition of honouring Greek culture and heritage.
His Eminence Archbishop Makarios of Australia made a historical visit to Brisbane this past week, where he blessed the new Greek Orthodox Diocese offices, spoke at a youth conference, and presided over a Divine Liturgy.
Blessing of the new Diocese of Brisbane
On Friday, December 6, Archbishop Makarios, accompanied by His Grace Bishop Silouan of Adelaide, arrived in Brisbane, Queensland for a pastoral visit.
The Archbishop was warmly received by His Grace Bishop Bartholomew of Brisbane, local clergy, and community representatives. The visit began with the Blessing of the Offices of the newly established Holy Diocese of Brisbane, marking a significant milestone in the local Church’s development.
He expressed confidence in the leadership of Bishop Bartholomew, urging the faithful to support their new bishop in cultivating spiritual progress and unity within the Church.
“These offices will not be mere places of administration, but a centre of spiritual ministry, education and pastoral care,” he said.
Youth Conference: ‘We Are Ready for the Future‘
The following day, on December 7, more than 250 young people gathered at the Youth Conference of the Holy Diocese of Brisbane, held at the Parish of the Dormition of Our Lady in Mt Gravatt.
The conference opened with Archbishop Makarios delivering a powerful keynote address, encouraging the youth to make their lives “Christ-centred” and to share the light of Christ with the world.
“We cannot be invisible disciples,” he told the audience. “Being a Christian is much more than going to church on Sunday. Christians are to be torchbearers in a dark world.”
The Archbishop also reflected on the pioneering efforts of Greek Orthodox immigrants in Australia, who preserved the faith and traditions. He concluded by urging the youth to share their Christian hope with others and draw people to the source of life: Jesus Christ.
The opening ceremony was attended by key figures, including Bishop Bartholomew, Bishop Silouan, and the Honorary Consul-General of Greece in Brisbane, George Mastrocostas, who announced the creation of an annual scholarship for Queensland youth wishing to study at Saint Andrew’s Theological College in Sydney.
Cultural evening at the Youth Conference dinner
On the evening of December 7, Archbishop Makarios attended the official dinner of the Youth Conference, hosted by the Parish-Community of Saint George, Brisbane.
The evening was graced by traditional performances from the St. George Hellenic Dancers and the Cretan Association of Queensland, who showcased the dances of Macedonia and Crete. The cultural program received warm applause from Archbishop Makarios and other guests.
During his address, the Archbishop reiterated his message for the youth to stay close to the Church and live Christ-centred lives. He also called on the clergy and laity to work together for the unity and progress of the GOAA. As a token of appreciation for his ministry, Archbishop Makarios presented Bishop Bartholomew with an Hierarchical Engolpion depicting the Holy Apostle Andrew.
The evening concluded with the cutting of a celebratory cake, marking the success of the Youth Conference and the strong bonds formed within the community.
Tri-Hierarchical Divine Liturgy
On Sunday, December 8, a Tri-Hierarchical Divine Liturgy was celebrated at the Church of Saint Paraskevi in Taigum, Brisbane. The service was presided over by Archbishop Makarios, with the concelebration of Bishop Bartholomew and Bishop Silouan.
The Liturgy was attended by many devout believers, including the Honorary Consul-General Mr Mastrocostas, and the President of the Parish, Costa Stratikopoulos.
During his sermon, Archbishop Makarios reflected on the healing of the crippled woman in the Gospel, drawing parallels between her physical condition and the spiritual struggles many face.
At the conclusion of the Liturgy, Archbishop Makarios elevated Father Evangelos Aspiotis to Spiritual Father – Confessor for the Parish of Saint John the Baptist in Cairns. In his address to Fr. Evangelos, the Archbishop encouraged him to relieve the burdens of his flock with compassion and humility.
The Archbishop also expressed gratitude to the local clergy, including Father Athanasios Athanasiadis of Saint Paraskevi, Mr Stratikopoulos and Mr Mastrocostas, for their dedicated service to the local Church and the Greek community.
Serving as the state’s top judge for the past 14 years, Kourakis has significant influence over judicial listings, budgets, and the administration of law and lawyers in SA. He is also the key spokesperson for the courts on justice-related matters.
While he could remain in office for up to four more years, some speculate he may retire early, with potential future roles including Chancellor of Adelaide University.
