Search
Home Blog Page 78

Gold Coast cabaret figure Tony Rigas bankrupt with $1.5 million in debts

The Greek Herald
-
0
Gold Coast cabaret figure Tony Rigas bankrupt with $1.5 million in debts

Gold Coast nightlife figure Tony Rigas has declared bankruptcy after debts of more than $1.5 million, following the collapse of his cabaret businesses and mounting financial pressures.

Records show Rigas filed for bankruptcy in November 2025, with much of the debt tied to personal guarantees linked to the Pink Flamingo entertainment venues on the Gold Coast and in Brisbane, which entered liquidation in 2024 and 2025.

In his statement of affairs, Rigas cited a combination of financial pressures including “excessive borrowing/credit, unemployment, marriage/relationship breakdown and legal action or potential legal action.”

His liabilities include more than $428,000 owed to the Australian Taxation Office, along with significant debts to contractors and lenders.

Rigas said the situation arose after creditors pursued him personally as a guarantor on business debts.

Despite the financial setback, Rigas told the Courier Mail he remained proud of the entertainment ventures and the opportunities they created.

“This is obviously a difficult chapter in my life, but it doesn’t take away from the work that was built or the people who were part of that journey,” he said.

Source: Courier Mail

Australian Embassy in Athens marks IWD 2026 with Greek women leaders

Andriana Simos
-
0
Australian Embassy in Athens marks IWD 2026 with Greek women leaders

The Australian Embassy in Athens, Greece marked International Women’s Day by hosting a gathering of prominent Greek women whose work spans public life, business, academia and civil society.

Australian Ambassador to Greece Alison Duncan welcomed the group for a discussion focused on the progress made towards gender equality and the challenges that remain. The conversation highlighted the importance of continuing efforts to ensure women’s voices are heard and represented across all sectors of society.

Among those attending were Greece’s Minister of Tourism Olga Kefalogianni, Maria Theofili, Head of the United Nations Security Council Task Force at the Greek Ministry of Foreign Affairs, and Professor Maria Gavouneli, President of the Greek National Commission for Human Rights.

The event also brought together leading figures from business and civil society, including Dr Kiki Mitroussi of the Union of Greek Shipowners, Sofia Efraimoglou of the Athens Chamber of Commerce and Industry, Maria Logotheti of the Climate Change Hub, Amalia Constantakoppulou of The Tipping Point in Education, Stella Kasdagli of WHEN.org.gr, Maria Karra of Emfasis Non-Profit, and May Zanni of Women Act.

In a statement shared on social media, the embassy said International Women’s Day is an opportunity to reflect on progress towards gender equality while recognising the work still to be done.

“As we mark International Women’s Day, we reaffirm our commitment to challenge gender discrimination, ensure women’s voices are heard and valued, and support initiatives and practices that advance gender equality,” the embassy said.

Australian seafood giant A Raptis & Sons enters voluntary administration

The Greek Herald
-
0
Australian seafood giant A Raptis & Sons enters voluntary administration

Australian seafood company A Raptis & Sons Group, one of the country’s largest privately owned fishing businesses, has entered voluntary administration as efforts begin to restructure or sell the company.

The Brisbane-based family enterprise, which has operated for more than six decades and spans three generations, is widely recognised as Australia’s largest wild-caught prawn operator.

On Friday, administrators Ben Campbell, Vaughan Strawbridge and Kathryn Evans of FTI Consulting were appointed to oversee the seven companies that make up the group.

The appointment follows a challenging year for the business, including a poor prawn season that placed pressure on operations. The company had already been seeking buyers prior to the administration process.

Campbell said the administrators would conduct an urgent review of the company while continuing to operate the business during the process.

Founded in the 1950s by Anna and Arthur Raptis Sr as a small fish and chip shop in Adelaide, the company later expanded into a fully integrated seafood operation. Now headquartered in Morningside in Brisbane, the group operates 19 commercial fishing vessels and supplies wild-caught seafood to retail, hospitality, wholesale and export markets.

The company also runs a major seafood processing facility near the Port of Brisbane and sells products under the Ocean Pearl, Seaport and Agrios brands.

Administrators will now explore all options for the future of the business, including a potential sale.

Source: The Advertiser

Paul Nicolaou urges Sydney bid for Formula One race amid global uncertainty

The Greek Herald
-
0
Paul Nicolaou urges Sydney bid for Formula One race amid global uncertainty

Business Sydney Executive Director Paul Nicolaou has urged the NSW Government to position Sydney as a potential host for a Formula One race should Middle Eastern events be cancelled due to escalating regional conflict.

With tensions threatening upcoming races in Bahrain and Saudi Arabia, Nicolaou said Sydney should move quickly to present itself as an alternative venue on the global racing calendar.

“If Formula One needs another race due to global instability, Sydney should be first in line,” he told The Daily Telegraph.

Nicolaou argued that the city’s iconic harbour setting could deliver a spectacular event capable of attracting global attention and boosting tourism.

“There’s no better backdrop in the world than cars screaming under the Harbour Bridge and around our harbour foreshore,” he said.

“If there’s ever been a moment for NSW to make a serious play for F1, this is it. The world is watching and Sydney would put on a show like no other city.”

He added that hosting a race could deliver a significant economic boost for the state.

“There’s no reason Australia can’t host two races and Sydney would deliver a massive tourism and economic boost for NSW,” he said.

However, the NSW Government has indicated it has not been approached by Formula One organisers about hosting a race, while other international circuits – including those in Italy, Portugal and Turkey -are considered more likely replacements if Middle Eastern events are cancelled.

Source: The Daily Telegraph.

Nicholas Pappas appointed Chair of SBS Board

The Greek Herald
-
0
Nicholas Pappas appointed Chair of SBS Board

Nicholas Pappas has been appointed Chair of the SBS Board, stepping into the top governance role at Australia’s national multicultural broadcaster.

The appointment was confirmed on Friday after Minister for Communications and Sport Anika Wells announced that Pappas, who has served as a non-executive director on the SBS Board since December 2024, would lead the organisation’s governing body.

A lawyer and experienced company director, Pappas brings extensive governance experience across business, cultural and community organisations. He currently serves as Chair of the South Sydney Rabbitohs and President Emeritus of The Hellenic Initiative Australia, alongside several other board roles.

His current appointments also include non-executive director positions with the Steve Waugh Foundation and Melbourne’s Hellenic Museum. He has previously held roles with the Powerhouse Museum and the Bank of Sydney.

Pappas succeeds George Savvides AM, who stepped down as SBS Chair in July 2025 after eight years with the broadcaster. During the interim period, Deputy Chair Christine Zeitz served as Acting Chair while a permanent appointment was finalised.

Pappas officially commenced in the role on 5 March 2026. The appointment was welcomed by SBS board members including Christine Zeitz, Vic Alhadeff OAM, Aaron Fa’Aoso, Dr Andrew Lu AM, Katrina Rathie and Cassandra Wilkinson OAM, as well as Acting Managing Director Jane Palfreyman.

Nectarios Triantis scores stunning MLS goal and dedicates it to late mother

The Greek Herald
-
0
Nectarios Triantis scores stunning MLS goal and dedicates it to late mother

Greek Australian international Nectarios Triantis was overcome with emotion after scoring a remarkable goal for Minnesota United in their MLS clash against Nashville, dedicating the moment to his late mother.

The 22-year-old midfielder found the net with a stunning long-range strike during the club’s third match of the MLS season.

After scoring, Triantis broke down in tears and later revealed that the goal was dedicated to his mother, who passed away in January.

The recently capped Greek international shared a message on Instagram, posting a story with the simple dedication: “For you mum.”

“A goal sent from the heavens, Baba and Mum together watching down on me. I dedicate this to her. Every second that goes by we’re all thinking of you Mum,” he wrote.

Triantis produced a memorable individual effort for the goal, collecting the ball before the halfway line and driving forward towards the edge of the penalty area before unleashing a powerful shot that flew into the top corner.

Despite the moment of brilliance, Minnesota United were ultimately defeated 3–1 by Nashville.

Six Turkish F-16 jets set to arrive in Cyprus amid regional tensions

The Greek Herald
-
0
Six Turkish F-16 jets set to arrive in Cyprus amid regional tensions

Six Turkish F-16 fighter jets are expected to arrive at Ercan (Tymbou) airport in the Turkish-occupied north of Cyprus early on Monday, according to Turkish Cypriot civil aviation authority acting director Askin Meseli.

The deployment was initially expected to involve four aircraft arriving on Sunday, but Meseli told Kibris Postasi that the number had increased to six and that they would now land in the early hours of Monday.

The move comes amid rising regional tensions following last week’s drone strike on Cyprus involving an Iranian-made drone.

Several countries have since strengthened their military presence around the island. Greece deployed four F-16 fighter jets to Paphos last Monday, followed by two frigates, including the Kimon, which Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis described as the “pride of the Greek fleet”.

France, Italy, Spain and the United Kingdom have also announced or deployed military assets to the region, as Cyprus becomes increasingly central to the wider Middle East security situation.

Source: Cyprus Mail

Mitsotakis: ‘The voice of Melbourne carries the same weight as Athens’ in postal vote reform

Ilias Karagiannis
-
0
Mitsotakis: ‘The voice of Melbourne carries the same weight as Athens’ in postal vote reform

Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis has highlighted the importance of postal voting for Greeks living abroad, declaring that “the voice of Melbourne carries the same weight as that of a citizen in Athens.”

In a video message shared on social media, the Prime Minister outlined the new legislation recently approved by the Hellenic Parliament, which allows Greeks overseas to vote by post in future national elections, significantly expanding participation by the diaspora.

Under the new system, Greeks living abroad will be able to exercise their democratic right from their place of residence through postal voting, without needing to travel to polling stations or return to Greece.

Mitsotakis described the reform as a major step towards ensuring equal democratic rights for all Greek citizens, regardless of where they live.

He also noted that until 2019, Greeks residing overseas were required to travel to Greece in order to vote in national elections. The first significant reform came in 2023, when polling stations were established abroad for the first time, allowing members of the diaspora to vote in their country of residence.

The latest legislation expands this access even further, enabling voters to participate remotely by post – a system already used during the recent European elections.

“The voice of a citizen in Melbourne, London or Toronto carries the same weight as the voice of a citizen in Athens, Thessaloniki or Heraklion,” the Prime Minister said.

Veteran Greek actor and poet Christos Valavanidis dies aged 81

The Greek Herald
-
0
Veteran Greek actor and poet Christos Valavanidis dies aged 81

Actor and poet Christos Valavanidis passed away on Friday at the age of 81.

Born in 1944, Valavanidis graduated from the Drama School of the National Theatre in 1973 and went on to build a distinguished career spanning theatre and cinema.

Throughout his career, he performed across a wide range of theatrical genres, including ancient drama, Attic comedy, operetta, contemporary theatre, musical theatre, pantomime and revue, while also appearing in Greek films.

“It is with great sadness that I learned of the loss of Christos Valavanidis, a great actor who left an indelible mark on contemporary Greek theatre,” Greece’s Culture Minister Lina Mendoni said in a message of condolence.

Source: AMNA

Iran names Khamenei’s son as new leader as Middle East conflict intensifies

The Greek Herald
-
0
Iran names Khamenei’s son as new leader as Middle East conflict intensifies

Tensions across the Middle East continue to intensify as Iran prepares for a major leadership transition and regional military exchanges escalate.

Iran has selected Mojtaba Khamenei, the son of the former supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, as the country’s new leader.

The development comes amid sharp rhetoric from Washington. US President Donald Trump said on Sunday that Iran’s next supreme leader “won’t last long without his approval.”

Meanwhile, Israel has launched new “wide-scale strikes” on targets in Tehran and other parts of Iran. The latest wave of attacks followed an announcement from the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) that it had struck the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps’ Space Force headquarters in Tehran, as well as around 50 ammunition bunkers earlier in the day.

Iran has also retaliated beyond its borders. Strikes targeting Gulf infrastructure reportedly hit fuel tanks at Kuwait’s airport and a desalination plant in Bahrain, with several people killed.

Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian warned that the Islamic Republic “will be forced to respond” against neighbouring countries if their territory is used to launch attacks against Iran.

Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, Qatar and Kuwait have all reported further attacks, while the conflict has begun spreading across the wider region, with tensions also affecting Lebanon, Cyprus, Turkey and Azerbaijan.

The violence has already claimed further casualties. A seventh US military service member has died from wounds sustained during Iran’s initial counterattack last week. In Saudi Arabia, two people were also killed after a projectile struck a residential area in the city of Al-Kharj.

Australia is monitoring the situation closely. Foreign Minister Penny Wong confirmed that Canberra is considering a request for military assistance from Gulf states, but stressed that Australia would not participate in offensive operations against Iran.

Source: ABC News

1...777879...1,987Page 78 of 1,987

Stay connected:

Other

© 2024 The Greek Herald. All rights reserved.