Sydney Roosters chairman Nick Politis has sold the Treetops Tavern on the Gold Coast for $50 million, marking a record price for a Queensland pub and a significant return on his investment.
Politis originally purchased the Burleigh Waters venue a decade ago for $20 million through a syndicate of three investors. The property has now been sold to Sun Treetops Tavern Pty Ltd, an Australian-Chinese group directed by Paul Jian-Bo Xu, David Lai, Jian Feng Li and Xiao Sun.
The sprawling venue includes a sports bar, dining areas and a Cellarbrations drive-through bottle shop, and the sale reflects strong investor demand for hotel assets. The transaction, brokered off-market by HTL Property managing director Andrew Jolliffe, is believed to be the highest price achieved for a pub in the state, with approval still pending.
Despite the sale, Politis continues to expand his footprint in southeast Queensland through his SEQ Hospitality Group, which owns eight hotels and 20 bottle shops. His holdings include venues such as the Caxton Hotel in Brisbane, acquired last year for close to $50 million.
Jolliffe said the deal highlighted sustained interest in the sector. “Investor appetite for the traditional hotel asset class transcends geographical guidelines, and we have seen this thematic play out consistently for the past two years,” he said.
He added that strong market conditions were driving prices higher, noting, “Nothing restricts value growth like an illiquid market, and history has shown the intrinsic financial benefits regarding both the prevalence and consistency of an equal number of willing buyers and sellers.”
The sale comes amid a broader surge in pub transactions nationwide, with deals approaching $2 billion this financial year as investors pursue steady returns from food, beverage and gaming revenue streams.
Australian Hellenic Choir president James Tsolakis has expressed disappointment after a planned Jewish-Greek benefit concert in Sydney was cancelled following objections from members of his own choir.
The “Concert for Hope and Unity,” intended to raise funds for families affected by the Bondi Beach attack, was set to bring together the Australian Hellenic Choir and the Sydney Jewish Choral Society for a performance at Sydney Town Hall on June 28.
However, more than half of the Hellenic choir voted against participating, citing political objections to performing alongside a Jewish choir, while others raised concerns about personal safety.
Tsolakis said the decision came despite recent progress, including $15,000 in NSW government funding and a confirmed venue.
“Every cent was to be dispersed to a charity to support the families of the victims of the Bondi terror attack,” he told The Australian.
He described being alarmed by the level of opposition within the community.
“There’s a bit of antisemitism in the Greek community; I didn’t realise the extent of it. Unfortunately, we have a lot of people in the community blaming the Jewish community for what’s happening in Israel, Palestine … that’s not correct.
“You want to hate (Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin) Netanyahu? Hate Netanyahu, but what have the Jewish people done to you? The whole antisemitism thing has got to be wound back.”
Tsolakis said concerns about safety and the broader political climate contributed to the cancellation.
“This is all about bringing people together using music. This whole gig was mine, I initiated it but I’ve got no choice but to shut it down,” he said.
“I’m extremely disappointed and pretty upset. I was not expecting this to happen at all as we’d performed with the Jewish choir without any problems in 2022.
“It would have been a sterling performance.”
The concert had been expected to attract a crowd of 2,000 people and feature music focused on “love and peace and harmony,” including The Ballad of Mauthausen.
Despite the setback, Tsolakis said he remains committed to future collaboration.
“I have every intention to perform again with the Jewish Choral Society,” he said.
Theo Hourmouzis has been appointed general manager for Australia and New Zealand by Anthropic, as the artificial intelligence firm prepares to open its first Australian office in Sydney.
The company, which developed the Claude chatbot and is valued at more than $500 billion, is expanding into the local market amid strong uptake, with Australians ranking seventh globally for Claude usage per capita.
Hourmouzis brings nearly three decades of experience in the tech sector and joins Anthropic from cloud data platform Snowflake.
“Organisations across Australia and New Zealand are thinking carefully about how to adopt AI, and they want partners who take safety and rigour as seriously as they take the opportunity,” he said.
“That’s what drew me to Anthropic. I’ve spent my career working with businesses and governments across this region, and the organisations that do best with AI will be the ones that pair ambition with discipline.”
Anthropic has already secured Australian clients including Canva and the YMCA in South Australia.
The expansion follows a recent visit by CEO Dario Amodei, who met with political and business leaders and signed a non-binding agreement with the federal government aligned with the National AI Plan.
However, the company is also facing scrutiny over its powerful “Mythos” AI model, which it says has unprecedented cyber capabilities and has not been released publicly due to safety concerns.
Some experts, including former national cybersecurity adviser Alastair MacGibbon, have warned restrictions on the technology may not hold.
“If you’re the government, you need to be demanding from the frontier labs access to those tools … not the select group of winners that they picked in their boardroom sitting in the United States,” he said.
The Anthony Albanese government is moving to impose a 2.25% levy on major digital platforms unless they strike payment deals with Australian media companies, under a proposed overhaul of news bargaining rules.
The draft News Bargaining Incentive (NBI) scheme would apply to companies including Google, Meta and TikTok, with the government expecting it could generate up to $250 million a year for journalism.
Albanese said the policy was aimed at ensuring tech companies compensate news producers, stating: “[Journalism] shouldn’t just be able to be taken by a large multinational corporation and used to generate profits for that organisation with no compensation appropriate for the people who produce that creative content.”
Communications Minister Anika Wells said the shift reflects changing news consumption habits.
“People are increasingly getting their news directly from Facebook, from TikTok, and from Google,” she said.
“And we believe it’s only fair that large digital platforms contribute to the hard work of journalism that enriches their feeds and that drives their revenue.”
Photo: NewsWire / Nikki Short.
Under the model, platforms can avoid the levy by entering agreements with publishers, with incentives including offsets of up to 170%. If companies refuse, funds collected would be redistributed to media outlets based on employment of journalists. The rules would target platforms earning more than $250 million annually in Australia and with large user bases.
Tech companies have pushed back strongly. Google said it “reject[s] the need for this tax,” arguing it already has extensive commercial deals with news organisations and criticising the exclusion of AI platforms.
Meta described the proposal as flawed, saying the government’s position was “simply wrong.”
“A government-mandated transfer of wealth from one industry to another, with no connection to the value exchanged, will not deliver a sustainable or innovative news sector,” a spokesperson said.
They added the plan was “nothing more than a digital services tax,” noting news organisations “voluntarily post content” on its platforms.
Assistant Treasurer Daniel Mulino said additional companies meeting the thresholds could be captured in future, while issues relating to AI would be handled separately.
Former competition watchdog chair Allan Fels said the reforms were overdue, warning delays had allowed tech platforms to avoid accountability and deepen their bargaining power.
Media organisations, including the ABC and News Corp, backed the proposal, arguing journalism is “under threat” and warning it would become unsustainable if platforms do not pay for the content they benefit from.
The legislation is expected to be introduced later this year, with the government signalling its preference for negotiated deals rather than collecting the levy directly.
King Charles III has called for stronger global cooperation, emphasising support for NATO, Ukraine and climate action during a landmark address to the US Congress amid Donald Trump’s state visit.
Speaking at the centrepiece of his four-day trip marking the 250th anniversary of American independence, Charles highlighted the enduring “special relationship” between the UK and the US, telling lawmakers: “America’s words carry weight and meaning, as they have since independence. The actions of this great nation matter even more.”
The King described the alliance between the two nations as “truly unique” and stressed that global challenges require collective action, warning: “The challenges we face are too great for any one nation to bear alone.”
In remarks seen as a subtle appeal to Washington to reaffirm its traditional alliances, Charles underscored the importance of NATO, noting that US forces and their allies are central to “protecting our citizens and interests” and keeping Europe and North America safe.
He also urged continued support for Ukraine, calling for “unyielding resolve” in backing “Ukraine and her most courageous people” to achieve “a truly just and lasting peace.”
King Charles and President Donald Trump at the Oval Office on April 28, 2026. Photo: Samir Hussein / WireImage.
Addressing environmental concerns, Charles warned of the “collapse of critical natural systems,” adding: “We ignore at our peril the fact that these natural systems … provide the foundation for our prosperity and our national security.”
The King also pointed to the scale of economic ties between the two countries, citing $430 billion in annual trade and $1.7 trillion in mutual investment supporting millions of jobs.
Charles further endorsed the AUKUS security pact, describing it as “the most ambitious submarine programme in history,” and said such partnerships are essential to building “greater shared resilience for the future.”
His speech, the first by a British monarch to Congress in 35 years, comes at a time of global instability, which he described as “more volatile and more dangerous,” reinforcing the need for the long-standing alliance to adapt and endure.
An 89-year-old man has been arrested after allegedly opening fire at two locations in central Athens, wounding at least four people.
Police said the suspect first entered a social security office, where he shot and injured an employee before fleeing the scene. Officers treated the victim at the site before he was taken to hospital.
The same man is then believed to have carried out a second shooting at a courthouse, where several people were wounded. Authorities later recovered the shotgun used in the attacks.
Television footage showed ambulance crews transporting at least three injured people from the courthouse, while reports indicated a fourth woman was taken to hospital without physical injuries.
The suspect was arrested near Patra, about 210 kilometres west of Athens.
Photo: AP / Petros Giannakouris.
According to Alexandros Varveris, head of the national social security fund EFKA, the gunman went to the fourth floor of the office before opening fire.
“He went in, went up to the fourth floor, raised his shotgun, told an employee to duck and hit another one,” Varveris said, adding the injured worker was shot in the leg and did not appear to have been specifically targeted.
At the courthouse, Stratis Dounias of the Athens Judicial Employees Union said early information suggested the man fired at the floor, with three female employees slightly wounded by ricocheting pellets.
The motive remains unclear. State broadcaster ERT reported the suspect left behind envelopes containing documents outlining reasons for his actions.
Gun violence is relatively rare in Greece, where firearm ownership is tightly regulated.
Thousands gathered at St George Greek Orthodox Church over the weekend for the 2026 Thebarton Hellenic Festival, a day that brought together faith, heritage, remembrance, music, dance, food and the unmistakable kefi of Adelaide’s Greek community.
The day was a commemoration of the parish’s patron saint, Saint George, whose feast day fell on 23 April 2026. It was also a celebration of Hellenism in Australia: of Orthodox faith, Greek language, food, music, dance, migration, memory and multicultural belonging.
The festival program began at 12.45pm with an ANZAC Day commemoration, officiated by His Grace Bishop Silouan of Adelaide. Prayers were offered for the repose of the souls of those who gave their lives at Gallipoli in the First World War, for those who gave their lives in the Second World War for Australia, Greece, and all those in the armed forces who have fought for the freedoms held dear by both nations.
The solemnity of the commemoration gave the festival a deeper significance, linking the sacrifice of the ANZACs with the bonds of friendship and shared history between Australia and Greece.
Bishop Silouan, addressing the festival, recognised the significance of the event not only for the parish, but for the wider locality, city and state. He described the festival as a point of pride for the community and for the Greek Orthodox Archdiocese of Australia.
The Mayor of West Torrens, Michael Coxon, followed with remarks that situated the festival within the wider civic and historical life of the city.
Later in the day, the Hon. Tom Koutsantonis MP, Treasurer of South Australia, delivered remarks that linked ANZAC Day, Greek wartime memory, migration, government support and the future of the St George community.
“ANZAC Day is the most solemn of Australian memorials, and a lot of Greek Australians don’t realise this, [but] what was the aim of the Australian Imperial Army landing at Gallipoli? Well, their aim was to liberate Constantinople. Their aim was to fight their way from ANZAC Cove all the way to Istanbul,” Koutsantonis said.
“These young men gave up everything they had for their country, and it’s important to remember their sacrifice. Their sons turned up again in the 1940’s to fight for Greece. They were in the Peloponnese. They were in Crete, and they stood alongside our Diggers. They hid our Diggers, rather than give them up to the Germans. They remember us, and we remember them.”
Minister Koutsantonis then turned from wartime sacrifice to migration, faith, identity and the future of the St George community, linking the history of remembrance with practical support for education and cultural continuity.
“And then two decades later, they welcomed us with open arms in boats to come to this amazing new country where we brought our faith, our families and our traditions. And that’s why the State Government stands right behind the Greek Orthodox Community of St George here in Thebarton. That’s why…the State Government has made a contribution of $60,000 for today’s ceremony, and another $200,000 on top of that to create a scholarship program for the St George College in the name of Father Patsouris,” he announced.
“All these programs are in place to help our community maintain our identity, our language and our connection to our God, our church and our people and our fatherland and our new country.”
The final speaker, Spiro Perdikoyiannis, on behalf of community President, the Executive Committee, and Philoptochos, said the community had gathered under the blessing of Saint George as it marked his name day, describing it as “a moment of deep spiritual and cultural significance” for the parish.
“It reminds us of courage, faith and the enduring strength of our Orthodox traditions,” he said.
Mr Perdikoyiannis also described these festivals as “bridges”, strengthening the ties between Australia and Greece and highlighting the beauty of multiculturalism, respect and shared community.
After the speeches concluded, festivalgoers gathered at the front of the church for a light show. Projected onto the church itself, the facade of St George was transformed into a canvas of memory, identity and faith.
The presentation was designed as a visual journey through the history of Hellenism: from ancient Greece to the establishment of the modern Greek state, before shifting to the migration story of Greeks in Australia. It then moved into remembrance and honour of the ANZACs, before tying those historical and cultural threads together through the unifying symbol of the Orthodox Christian faith.
As evening fell, the festival continued with music, dance, food and celebration. The atmosphere was full of excitement, energy, and kefi, with families, parishioners, festivalgoers and dignitaries joining together in a celebration of Hellenic identity and Australia’s multicultural tapestry.
The 2026 Thebarton Hellenic Festival showed the best of the St George community: its faith, hospitality, volunteers, young people, respect for the past, and its vibrant and enduring future.
The Battle of Crete & Greece Commemorative Council of Victoria actively participated in this year’s ANZAC Day events organised by various organisations and committees, honouring the memory of Australian and New Zealand soldiers who fell during the First World War.
The commemorations were held with respect and emotion, reflecting the deep bonds that have developed between the Greek and Australian peoples.
ANZAC Day is recognised as a national day of remembrance in Australia and New Zealand, dedicated to all those who served and lost their lives in wartime conflicts, with particular reference to the First World War and the Gallipoli campaign. In Lemnos, where Australian soldiers who participated in the campaign are buried, remembrance ceremonies carry special significance, highlighting Greece’s enduring role as a bridge between the two nations.
For another year, members of the Council maintained a strong presence across numerous commemorative events, reflecting the longstanding cooperation developed with Australian veterans’ organisations.
The events began on Sunday, April 19, with the Council’s participation in a ceremony organised by the Ringwood RSL branch. The occasion included a parade along Maroondah Highway, where hundreds of representatives from organisations and descendants of veterans marched to the Memorial Clock Tower for a wreath-laying service.
During the event, special mention was made of the 85th anniversary of the Battle of Crete by Colonel David Keith Jamison, who spoke about the sacrifices made by soldiers and highlighted the important contribution of the Greek people in supporting Australian troops. He concluded by noting that this shared history serves as a powerful example for younger generations, demonstrating the value of unity and cooperation.
Later that day, Council President Natasha Spanos participated in a wreath-laying ceremony organised by the Australian Nurses Memorial Centre, emphasising the importance of remembrance and recognition of the contribution made by women during wartime.
On Friday, April 24, a memorial ceremony was held at the Austin Repatriation Hospital. The Council was represented by Tony Tsourdalakis, who laid a wreath at the commemorative plaque in the hospital garden dedicated to Australian soldiers who fought in the Battle of Crete. The event was coordinated by Austin Veterans Hospital chief executive Robert Winther, who has maintained close cooperation with the Council since its establishment.
On April 25, ANZAC Day itself, members of the Council attended dawn services across various Melbourne suburbs to honour fallen soldiers. Ms Spanos and Secretary Anna Psarakis laid wreaths at the Oakleigh and Clayton RSL branches respectively.
Mr Tsourdalakis, President of the Intercommunities and Parishes Council of Victoria, attended the ceremony at the Epping RSL branch.
Vice-President Miltiadis Stamatakos and Assistant Treasurer Dimitris Papadimitriou of the Cretan Brotherhood of Melbourne attended services at the Darebin and Boronia RSL branches. Secretary Mary Rissakis and Assistant Secretary Maria Manios of the Pancretan Association of Melbourne took part in commemorations at the Ringwood and Camberwell RSL branches.
Peter Andrinopoulos, Secretary of the Australian-Hellenic Memorial, attended the Doncaster RSL branch, while the Vice-President of the Lemnian Community of Melbourne represented the Council at the Dandenong RSL service.
Presidents Christos Kominatos of the Lefkadian Brotherhood and Evangelos Plokamakis of the Kefalonian Association “O Kefalos” attended ceremonies at the Coburg and Glen Waverley RSL branches respectively, while Peter Ford participated in the Caulfield RSL service.
Greek Veterans Vice-President Kostas Antoniadis also represented the Council by laying a wreath in the Shepparton region.
Notably, many RSL branches made special reference to the 85th anniversary of the Battle of Crete, highlighting the contribution of Greeks and the cooperation between the two peoples during the Second World War.
A highlight of the commemorations was participation in Melbourne’s major ANZAC Day parade. Ms Spanos represented the Council in the official march alongside a six-member student group from Oakleigh Grammar. The group marched beside the 2/2 Field Regiment Association, with whom the Council maintains close ties.
On the same day, a separate ceremony was held at the cenotaph in Keilor, organised by the Keilor Historical Society. Mr Tsourdalakis represented the Council at the event.
The commemorations concluded on Sunday, April 26, with a ceremony organised by the Greek Orthodox Archdiocese of Australia at the Australian-Hellenic Memorial of the Northern Suburbs in Thomastown.
A doxology service officiated by His Grace Bishop Evmenios of Chora was followed by wreath-laying, creating a moving tribute to Greek and Australian soldiers who lost their lives during the First and Second World Wars.
The Council said its participation in ANZAC Day ceremonies extended beyond symbolic presence, serving as a meaningful reminder of shared history and the ongoing responsibility to preserve peace and international cooperation.
In her ANZAC Day message, Ms Spanos said: “These events constitute an important bond in preserving historical memory and friendship between Greece and Australia, a relationship born through the trials of war and kept alive through time, continually inspiring younger generations.”
“We must always remember that the inherited values which define a people are not gained without sacrifice and struggle. Let us be inspired by the example of the heroes who sacrificed themselves for humanity and protect with respect and pride our two homelands, Greece and Australia.
“Finally, let us not forget that in today’s era, when conflict and war dominate, we have an even greater responsibility to stand firmly in support of justice, peace and respect for international law. Eternal be the memory of all those who sacrificed themselves for the ideals of freedom and peace.”
The 2026 ANZAC Day march in Sydney again provided a formal platform for communities to represent their wartime histories within the broader Australian narrative. Among them, Cypriots for ANZACs presented a clear and structured recognition of Cyprus’ contribution to the Allied war effort – positioning it within a public setting that remains unique outside Cyprus itself.
The group marched under the banner of the Cyprus Regiment, the unit established in 1940 under British command. The Regiment drew volunteers from across the island who served in transport, logistics, and operational support roles across multiple theatres during the Second World War.
In parallel, Cypriots also served in Greek forces during both World Wars, a dual contribution that remains underrepresented in mainstream commemorations.
Photographs from the march document a deliberate presentation: banners identifying the Cyprus Regiment, participants wearing inherited medals, and the visible inclusion of younger generations. The imagery reflects an effort not only to commemorate but to formally situate Cyprus within the ANZAC framework in Australia.
Harry Andrew described the initiative in practical terms.
“This is about recognition in a national setting,” he said. “Sydney is, effectively, the only place outside Cyprus where this level of organised, public acknowledgment of the Cyprus Regiment takes place within an ANZAC context.”
George Phillips highlighted the importance of establishing continuity and record.
“The objective is to ensure the Cyprus Regiment is documented and understood alongside other Allied units,” he said. “Events like this provide visibility that is otherwise limited.”
Harry Stavrianos pointed to the role of intergenerational participation.
“What you see in the photos is continuity,” he said. “Families maintaining a historical record through participation. That is how these contributions remain part of the public narrative.”
The Sydney march continues to function as a reference point for this recognition. Within the structured format of ANZAC Day, Cypriots for ANZACs have created a consistent presence that identifies Cyprus’ wartime service – particularly through the Cyprus Regiment – within Australia’s commemorative landscape.
In doing so, the initiative establishes a distinct and ongoing acknowledgment of Cyprus’ role in the Allied effort, positioned in a setting that, outside the island itself, has no direct equivalent.
If you would like to join the Cypriots for ANZAC or find out more about the role of Cyprus in World War One and Word War Two visit: www.cyprus.org.au
At the Hellenic RSL clubhouse on Ferrars Street in South Melbourne, the annual ritual begins early on Anzac Day: jackets pressed, medals pinned, flags carefully folded.
Every year, they meet here before stepping into the wider ANZAC Day march towards the Shrine. This year felt a little thinner, and some of the absences were keenly felt.
Members at the Hellenic RSL clubhouse on Ferrars Street in South Melbourne. All photos copyright The Greek Herald / Andriana Simos.
Among them was the late Peter Stathopoulos’ wife, who stood in his place following his passing three months ago. A former sub-inspector of the British South African Police in Rhodesia from 1967 to 1969, Peter had once told The Greek Herald that on the battlefield he was more afraid of snakes than bullets.
This year, his widow held his medals. “Heroes die too,” she said, adding that the Hellenic RSL had been “his life” in later years.
For Hellenic RSL President Manny Karvelas, ANZAC Day isn’t just an Australian story, but a shared one between Australia and Greece.
“Historically it all began in Lemnos, Gallipoli. Mudros was the staging point,” he says. “Then fast forward to the Greek campaign and the Battle of Crete in WWII, then Korea… we are allies.”
Hellenic RSL President Manny Karvelas.
Inside the sub-branch are people who remember the Nazi occupation of Greece, who carry inherited trauma, who’ve lived under the long shadow of war in ways that don’t always show.
For Mrs Mihalopoulos, ANZAC Day is not symbolic but deeply personal. Her husband, Miltiadis, served in Korea. She lost him 18 years ago, but she still attends the ANZAC Day services.
“There is trauma,” she says quietly, remembering the stories he told her from the battlefields of Korea, the guilt he carried after a man from his group was killed.
“He said the Koreans would sprout from the earth,” she recalls. “He could never have imagined he would end up in Korea.”
Dimitrios Vergis carries a story that shaped the life of his father, who served in Asia Minor for seven years. He speaks of a litany of survival: lice, exhaustion, near-death moments, missions where men did not return.
“He told me they would eat while shells exploded,” Vergis says. “The trauma stayed with him.”
Anastasia Kallianiotis has been awake since 3:30am to attend the dawn service, an annual ritual. “I get teary. Remembrance is different for each of us. I remember my father, who served on the Albanian front.”
All week, she had been selling ANZAC badges, stopping strangers, asking them what the day meant.
“Australia is always with Greece,” says Nikolas Andronis.
The spirit of solidarity continues as the group boards a bus to meet at the corner of Flinders and Swanston streets. Hellenic RSL Secretary Terry Kanellos waits, organising members into place.
Just behind them, the Turkish delegation stands for a moment, a reminder of how history evolves in Australia. Once enemies at Gallipoli, they are now part of the same march, carrying words attributed to Ataturk about shared loss regarding the “Johnnies and Mehmets”, though extensive research has challenged their authenticity.
Vicky Creed, an Australian-born member of the Hellenic RSL and former officer of cadets with the 30 RCU Sunshine unit, says, “Behind the allies march the ‘enemies of Australia’ in former wars. Regarding Turkey, Ataturk’s words changed that. That’s why they march with us now.”
Not everyone buys it, and occasionally there are squabbles. John Stuart remembers a knife fight he stopped between Serbs and Croatians 20 years ago. “It’s a good thing I had my sword!” he recalls, as the police arrived soon after.
Alex Tzaninis, who served in the Greek special forces (OYK), holds the Australian flag, while naval veteran Daskourelos holds up the Greek flag. I ask him if he got that honour due to his strong patriotism. “Maybe I am the biggest patriot,” he says.
“I don’t just show up at the Hellenic RSL on ANZAC Day but every month. And I show up for all celebrations.
“A lot of people speak about patriotism, but it’s just a word. We need to have it in our blood and minds. If you just say it, it has no value.”
He gestures toward the Shrine route. “Australians fought side by side with Greeks in many wars. That is why we are allowed to honour both, together.”
Despite many men being elderly, they sit in the sun for hours, walk the distance and then go back to the clubhouse for lunch.
For the Hellenic RSL, this is more than a day. It is who they are.
*All photos copyright The Greek Herald / Mary Sinanidis.
