Ahead of its journey to the Paris 2024 Olympics, the symbolic Olympic flame made a stop at Greece’s historic icon, the Acropolis.
Despite heavy rainfall, Ekathimerini reported that Periklis Iakovakis, a retired Greek champion, and torchbearer, lit up the cauldron by the Parthenon temple with the Olympic torch.
This marked a significant moment before the flame’s next chapter to other parts of the world ahead of the Olympic Games in Paris.
The flame stayed at the Acropolis until Saturday morning and later travelled to the ancient Greek religious centre of Delphi followed by the town of Volos in central Greece.
The Olympic flame has previously visited multiple parts of Greece including Santorini, Olympia, Pireaus and Thessaloniki.
After its time in Greece, the flame will then be taken to French officials next Friday, May 4, at the renovated ancient marble stadium where the first modern Olympic games were held in 1896. It will then board the Belem sailing ship to be transported to France.
It is expected to reach the southern French port city of Marseille on May 8.
The Cypriot Australian community is in mourning today following the death of Georgia Alexandrou on Sunday, April 21 after a long battle with cancer.
Ms Alexandrou was the first female leader to have taken the presidency of the Cyprus Community of ACT (CCACT) from 2000-2023. Her strong and enduring leadership provided a long period of stability for the Cypriots in the Canberra district and all of Australia.
In April 2021, Ms Alexandrou was also elected president of Pan-Australian Justice for Cyprus Coordinating Committee (PASEKA).
She stepped down from her presidency at both CCACT and PASEKA this year due to her illness.
Georgia Alexandrou.
Ms Alexandrou was instrumental in advancing relations with Cyprus and Greece working closely with the Cyprus High Commission and the numerous visiting missions of high-ranking Cypriot dignitaries and officials.
“Fly high my dear passionate for Cyprus friend. I will miss our talks every so often and your passionate concerns about our Cyprus and the 50 year occupation,” co-President of Justice for Cyprus (SEKA) NSW, Chris Koulinos, wrote.
Ms Alexandrou is survived by her husband Christos, son Andreas, mother and sister.
On Sunday, April 21, members, and leaders of the community gathered in Bondi at a candlelight vigil to honour those who tragically died in the stabbing massacre at Bondi Junction Westfield shopping centre eight days ago.
Yahoo News reported that the incident on April 13 was Australia’s worst mass killing in years, with six people reported dead, and multiple left severely injured.
At the candlelight vigil, Waverly Mayor Paula Masselos described the week following the incident as one that left people with heavy hears, grief and burdened souls.
“We are all in mourning… But let me say this – our spirit must not and will not be diminished,” Ms Masselos said.
We honour all they were and we mourn for the years of joy they should have known.
To their families and friends, please know that every Australian is with you. pic.twitter.com/j2iRvGAaoS
Prime Minister of Australia Anthony Albanese was also in attendance and shared why the community was invited to attend the vigil.
“The vigil offered a chance to grieve for the victims, and for those left behind to begin coming to terms with the hole left in their lives where their loved ones should be,” Mr Albanese said.
“We keep this vigil for them – to honour all they were, to pay respect to all they meant,” he said.
At the vigil, a local brass band attended and played as mourners entered, and a choir sung Amazing Grace following the minute’s silence.
Nearly 2,000 years since it was buried by volcanic rubble, the lost city of Pompeii is yielding even more impressive discoveries.
According to msn.com, archeologists have uncovered incredibly preserved ‘fresco’ paintings on a wall at a former private residence along Via di Nola, one of Pompeii’s longest streets.
The stunning artwork that depicts Helen of Troy, meeting Paris, prince of Troy, for the first time, was also among them.
According to legend, the resulting elopement between the two sparked the Trojan War of the 12th century BC.
Andrew Papadakis, the visionary who founded and successfully sold Meze Mazi, returns to the vibrant Adelaide restaurant scene with his newest venture, Dino’s.
According to glamadelaide.com, Dino’s is poised to become a casual Greek eatery in the heart of Adelaide’s CBD, serving lunch and dinner all day long in a relaxed atmosphere.
“I just want people to be able to walk in, grab a seat and enjoy good food,” Andrew said to glamadelaide.com
Drawing inspiration from his grandfather, who ran Greek delis, Andrew attributes his passion for Greek cuisine and restaurant management to his childhood in Athens.
Photography: Brendan Homan
At Dino’s, Andrew plans to reinvent the Yiros pita-pocket by blending elements of Pita and Thrakopsomo, a regional bread from his native Crete, along with kondosouvli-style meats, available with both traditional and creative finer style stuffing.
After a four year set back due to COVID 19 and the sale of his first restaurant Meze Mazi, Andrew found himself working as a hospitality manager at Pasadena and Frewville Foodland where he met Chef Giuseppe Nasti.
From the relationship they formed working alongside one another, Andrew was inspired to give hospitality another go, this time partnered with Giuseppe to create their ideal Greek dining experience.
In this year’s European Forbes “30 Under 30” list, two exceptional Greek women have managed to stand out for their successful paths in two completely different fields.
According to forbesgreece, Antonia Agapi Pontiki, excelling in the field of research, managed to stand out in the category of “Science – Healthcare”, while Greek Cypriot British Elena Michael was included in the category of “Social Impact”, for her pioneering work in the organization “#NotYourPorn”.
#NotYourPorn is an organization that advocates for the protection of individuals (adults, minors, and sex workers) from sexual abuse based on imagery (social media, the internet, etc.), offering assistance and support to victims.Αρχή φόρμας
These two exceptional women are a source of inspiration and a reminder that dedication, hard work, and vision for a better society and future can lead to success and recognition on a global scale.
Their efforts also serve as a recognition of the value and potential of women in the fields of entrepreneurship and social action.
It is worth noting that in this year’s European list of 300 Europeans under 30 distinguished by Forbes, Greek Cypriot Jack Zambakides was also included. He was recognized in the “Retail” category for the successful jewelry company “D. Louise”, based in London, which he co-founded with Olivia Jenkins.
A tomb in the ancient Macedonian city of Aegae in modern Vergina, Greece, has been unearthed according to an All That’s Interesting report.
The tomb is believed to have belonged to a couple and dates back to the third century B.C., according to Angeliki Kottaridi, Honorary Superintendent of the Ephorate of Antiquities of Imathia.
According to Archaeology.com, the doorway into the tomb, which measures about 12 feet long and nine feet wide, had been blocked by a pile of stones.
Gold ribbons with bows have been painted on the walls. The man was buried with a shield reinforced with iron parts and well-made weapons.
A woman’s remains, thought to belong to his wife, may have been added to the burial at a later date.
She was buried with beads, necklaces, and a golden myrtle wreath, Kottaridi explained.
New films from Yorgos Lanthimos, Andrea Arnold and Francis Ford Coppola, as well as a portrait of 1980s Donald Trump, will compete for the Palme d’Or at the 77th Cannes Film Festival next month, organizers have announced.
According to ekathimerini.com, Thierry Frémaux, Cannes’s artistic director who announced the selections in a news conference in Paris with festival president Iris Knobloch, said this year’s lineup was plucked from 2,000 submissions.
Among the 19 films selected for competition is Lanthimos’ “Kinds of Kindness,” the Greek director’s follow-up to the Oscar-winning “Poor Things.” Its cast includes two stars of “Poor Things”: Emma Stone and Willem Dafoe.
Paolo Sorrentino, the Italian filmmaker of “The Great Beauty,” returns to Cannes with “Parthenhope,” a Naples-set drama co-starring Gary Oldman. Arnold, the British director of “American Honey” and “Fish Tank,” also returns to Cannes with “Bird,” starring Barry Keoghan and Franz Rogowski.
Sure to draw attention will be Ali Abbasi’s “The Apprentice,” a film about the former president’s early business career. In it, Sebastian Stan stars as Trump, Jeremy Strong plays Roy Cohn and Maria Bakalova co-stars as Ivana Trump. The Iranian director Abbasi was previously in competition at Cannes with 2022’s “Holy Spider.”
Photo: Aurore Marechal
Numerous other big-name filmmakers are also returning to Cannes, which runs May 14-25. Among them: David Cronenberg (“The Shrouds,” with Vincent Cassel and Diane Kruger); Paul Schrader (“Oh, Canada,” with Richard Gere and Uma Thurman) and the lauded Chinese director Jia Zhang-Ke (“Caught By the Tides”). Also in competition are Sean Baker (“Anora”), whose “Red Rocket” and “The Florida Project” also premiered at Cannes; and the French filmmaker Jacques Audiard (“Emilia Perez”), who won the Palme in 2015 for “Dheepan.”
As previously reported, Francis Ford Coppola’s “Megalopolis” will premiere in competition in Cannes. The 85-year-old director’s self-financed, long-gestating epic will debut 50 years after his “The Conversation” won the Palme d’Or.
This year’s Cannes follows a banner 2023 edition that featured the premieres of three films that went on to win best-picture nominations at the Academy Awards: Martin Scorsese’s “Killers of the Flower Moon”; Jonathan Glazer’s “The Zone of Interest”; and Justine Triet’s Palme d’Or winner “Anatomy of a Fall.”
“Anatomy of a Fall” was only the third film directed by a woman to win the Palme. This year, there are four female filmmakers in competition. Fremaux said he may add further selections in the coming weeks.
Cannes had already lined up a few notable world premieres playing out of competition including George Miller’s “Furiosa: A Mad Max Saga” and Kevin Costner’s “Horizon, An American Saga.” George Lucas is set to received an honorary Palme d’Or at the closing ceremony. The festival will kick off May 14 with the French comedy “The Second Act,” starring Léa Seydoux and Vincent Lindon.
One new addition this year: The festival is launching a competitive immersive section featuring works of virtual and augmented reality.
In a ground-breaking archaeological discovery at the site “Gomila” in Zakotorac on Croatia’s Pelješac Peninsula, the Dubrovnik Museums team has uncovered a remarkable find, a Greek-Illyrian helmet.
According to thedubrovniktimes.com, the discovery, made in one of the dry stone additions to the graves and believed to be of great significance, promises to reveal the burial practices of Illyrian communities during the latter half of the last millennium BC.
Under the leadership of Dr. Domagoj Perkić, Head of the Archaeological Museum, the team from Dubrovnik Museums, which includes assistant curators Paula Knego and Vicenco Pijerov, has been actively engaged in the excavation efforts.
Photo: Dubrovnik Museums
The find not only enriches our understanding of ancient burial rituals but also elevates the importance of the Pelješac region as a key archaeological site along the eastern Adriatic coast. This discovery adds to the already impressive array of artefacts uncovered during the excavation, including jewellery, clothing, and other grave offerings.
With the excavation ongoing, anticipation mounts for additional revelations that will undoubtedly deepen our understanding of the ancient civilizations that once thrived in this region.
Sydney Olympic FC’s star signing Demi Koulizakis has been on fire topping the National Premier Leagues Women’s NSW golden boot race with her nine goals already.
Koulizakis has had some serious injury struggles recently which have tested her passion for the game, even going as far to consider an early retirement.
But Sydney Olympic have helped her recapture that love for football and find some incredible goal-scoring form.
Demi, how did you start playing football?
My whole family is involved in football. My father played for Sydney Olympic, both my brothers, while my mother wanted me to play netball. I always wanted to compete with my brothers.
What did you gain from playing in America for a little bit?
I think it was a big part of my life. I went there when I was 18 so I think I grew a lot as a person and as a footballer. Those four years were such an important point in my football career and my life in general. Training with the college team was purely professional at all levels.
How often do you train?
I train three times a week at Valentine and Peter Moore Park.
Apart from football, what do you do?
I work some hours at the Novotel Hotel and the Enmore Theatre.
What is your ultimate dream?
My football dream is to play abroad at Manchester United and to play for the Matildas.
What advice would you give a young player?
To love what he does and enjoy every moment on the field. Because if you don’t love what you do in any sport you stagnate.
How did you get back to playing for Sydney Olympic?
George Beltsos asked me to come back and play for the team. So I had the opportunity to play at a historic club.
GOSFORD, AUSTRALIA – FEBRUARY 10: Demi Koulizakis of Perth Glory in action during the A-League Women’s match between Perth Glory and Adelaide United at Central Coast Stadium, on February 10, 2022, in Gosford, Australia. (Photo by Ashley Feder/Getty Images)
Beyond your talent and potential as an athlete and as a personality, who has helped you in your career?
My family really supported me and always supports and cheers me on in all my endeavours. I owe an important part of my football career to my family. Always at my side giving advice. Especially when you have a serious injury, family support plays a big role in recovery.
