In a video released on social media, the Australian actress Margot Robbie has revealed that her least favourite food is the Greek dip Taramosalata.
In the headlines recently for her enchanted performance as Barbie, Margot made her statement about the dish very well-known and has left many of her Greek fans surprised.
The Greek dip Taramosalata. Photo: The Daily Meal
The dialogue in the video goes:
“What is your least favourite food to eat?” the reporter asks, with Robbie replying “taramosalata. Have you tried her? It’s disgusting.”
For many Greeks, the famous dip is never left off the table and is considered one of the tastiest side dishes available.
Local Greeks on the island of Paros are protesting for space and free access to its sandy beaches amid the takeover of pricey sunbeds rented out by private companies.
According to Reuters, the protests, known as the ‘Towel Movement,’ have also spread to the island of Naxos and other popular holiday spots.
Beaches are public in Greece, but an increasing number of businesses have received licenses to rent out sun beds and umbrellas which they set up along a stretch of beach.
Greeks protest for beach space as pricey sunbeds take over.
Protesters are fighting against the cost of sunbeds, which can often top 100 euros for a day, and said some businesses expand beyond the agreed area of beach, leaving little room for those who want to enjoy the beach for free.
“The locals enjoy the peacefulness here, so we do not want it [the beach] to be taken up by businesses who care about the money, and not about nature and the vibe,” Ronit Nesher, a 53-year-old Paros resident, said.
He pulled out of the Australian Open this year with a knee injury and underwent surgery. He then pulled out of the French Open and Wimbledon, citing a wrist injury.
Kyrgios has played just once in 2023 — a loss in Stuttgart, Germany, in June ahead of Wimbledon.
His latest withdrawal means Kyrgios, ranked no. 92, will fall off a cliff on the ATP Tour rankings and will have to fight his way back into tournaments and grand slams through qualifiers.
Before embarking on the 2023 Greek Community of Melbourne’s (GCM) Summer Camp, I felt a mixture of nerves and excitement. On one hand, the idea of travelling to a foreign country with 22 strangers was extremely daunting, but I knew seeing the home of my grandparents in this way would be a once-in-a-lifetime experience that I simply had to take.
Helena, Max, Chris and Yianni on top of Kavala’s castle.
The 10 days exploring Thessaloniki showed me that Greece is more than just Mykonos beach clubs and Santorini sunsets. Greece is the lady sitting on her balcony late at night smoking a cigarette and watching the world go by, or the two old men spending hours at their local coffee shop drinking frappes and playing tavli. Thessaloniki encapsulates this side of Greece perfectly.
Demi, Paris, Alexia, Helena, Sophia, Vicky and Elana on top of Thessaloniki’s ‘White Tower.’2023 GCM Summer Camp.
Thessaloniki is a living, breathing, historical artefact. Throughout the summer camp we visited dozens of museums, archeological sites and ancient ruins, each enriched with their own unique history. I often struggled to wrap my head around the fact that I was seeing sites that were over 3,000 years old.
Despite being thousands of kilometres away from home, Greece never felt foreign to me. Being surrounded by the culture of my ancestors, hearing their language and eating their food, I immediately felt like I had found my home away from home. Coming out of this experience, I have never felt closer with my Hellenic heritage.
The Royal Tombs of Vergina.Photos supplied.With their tour guide.Baptistry of Saint Lydia.
But perhaps what made the experience the most special were the people I got to share it with. Exploring Thessaloniki with a group of 22 Greek Australians made the experience what it was. Very quickly we bonded, thanks to our shared experiences growing up with Greek heritage and our mutual desire to connect more with our motherland. I feel so grateful for the life-long friendships and connections I was able to make on this trip, and know I will look back fondly on all the memories made for years to come.
Final night of the summer camp.Greek dancing lessons.Photos supplied.
Some personal highlights for me included Greek dancing and cooking lessons at the YMCA, visiting the Waterfalls of Edessa, walking around the Thessaloniki city, swimming in Kavala and exploring the town of Xanthi, to name a few.
Edessa Waterfall.The Canberra Boys with Irini and Yorgos.
What stood out to me above all else was the kindness of the Greek people. Whether it was our tour guide Yorgos, our hosts Irini and Dimitri, our new friends from Aristotle University or random strangers on the street, we as a group felt so embraced by the Greek people and quickly became accustomed to their laidback and carefree ways of life.
Cooking classes.
I would personally like to thank the GCM, the Greek Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the YMCA in Thessaloniki and everyone else who worked to make this trip a reality, for providing us with this once in a lifetime cultural experience.
So, what started off as a trip to a foreign country with 22 strangers, ended as a trip to a second home with a group of friends that eventually became a family.
Some members of the Cyprus Community of NSW have raised a number of concerns around the current Board and its recent actions ahead of an Annual General Meeting (AGM) scheduled for Sunday, August 27.
According to a press release issued by ‘Concerned Members of the Cyprus Community of NSW,’ some members “hold grave fears for the future of this 94-year-old community organisation.”
Members said in the press release they were concerned about:
The current Board’s failure to hold an Annual General Meeting (AGM) in February this year according to the Community’s Constitution, as well as not providing members with the 2022 Financial Statements;
The Board’s failure to provide the Australian Charities and Not for Profits Commission (ACNC) with the 2022 Financial Statements and Annual Information Statement by June 30; and only three of the seven directors on the Board have been registered with the ACNC. Members said this jeopardises the Community’s status as a charity.
The lack of an Audit Committee, as required by the Constitution, since two members of the Audit Committee resigned to take up positions on the Board.
The rate of 15 per cent per annum interest currently being borrowed by the Board from Cyprus Capital.
Whether the Board is following the requirements of Liquor and Gaming NSW in relation to its 60 poker machine licenses.
Concerned Community member, Mary Antoniou, said “these are extremely serious and urgent matters.”
“It is not unreasonable for members to have concerns and to be demanding answers from the Board – but any questions we put to the Board are ignored,” Ms Antoniou said.
Another long-term member, Nicos Mavrakis, added that “we have grave concerns for the future of the Community.”
“The assets are now valued at $65 million, at the very least, and these should be leveraged to deliver ongoing community services for all and securing the financial future of the Community. What are this Board’s plans and the current financial position?” Mr Mavrakis asked.
The Cyprus Club at Stanmore.
‘These concerns will be addressed’:
In response, the President of the Cyprus Community of NSW, Andrew Costa, said these concerns would be addressed at the AGM on Sunday, August 27, at 3pm at The Cyprus Club in Stanmore, Sydney, and he encouraged everyone to attend.
With regards to the specific concerns mentioned above, Mr Costa told The Greek Herald they had been addressed “in the Community’s three newsletters during the Board’s first year in office and in the Annual Report now received by members.”
Mr Costa further clarified that:
Financial statements and notice of the AGM were posted as part of the Annual Report on August 3 this year and should have been received by today.
There is an Audit Committee of three members as per the Constitution.
All seven directors are registered with ACNC and ASIC.
Board members share member concerns around borrowing and club debt.
The debt originated from the purchase of the six houses which consolidated our property holdings and has proved to be a very wise investment.The Cyprus Capital loan was entered into by the previous board, when the club was under immense financial strain. The rate of interest was equivalent to private loan rates at the time. Banks would not lend any further money because prior to the re-zoning approval, the land was valued far less than it is now. Cyprus Capital prospectus was offered to all members.
The requirement for DCP and VPA and dedication of a large portion of our property to the Council was removed by Planning NSW as part of our re-zoning approval, saving the community tens of millions of dollars and many months or even years of negotiations with the Inner West Council.
A future DA proposal using our land can now by-pass council and go straight to Planning NSW.
Ilona Nicola is in the final three for this year’s Great Australian Bake Off.
Ilona is a Melbourne-based baker of Greek Cypriot heritage. She has baked numerous Greek Cypriot recipes on the show, including eliopita and halloumi filo pastries.
The baker learnt to cook Greek/Cypriot desserts and sweets with her mum and yiayia, and also watched a lot of cooking shows on television when growing up.
In the finale of the Great Australian Bake Off, Ilona will face off against two other Victorians, Adam Miller and Laura Foo.
Judge Darren Purchese said it was “such an amazing achievement to reach the finale, huge congratulations to Adam, Ilona, and Laura.”
“These three bakers have produced some amazing, technically brilliant, and delicious bakes over the past nine weeks, and it is now up to them to take it to the next level,” Mr Purchese added.
“They will now have to draw on that talent one last time and produce some outstanding, thoughtful, and visually stunning bakes to bring it home. I wish them the very best of luck and I can’t wait to see it.”
The grand finale screens next Tuesday, August 15 at 8.30pm on Foxtel LifeStyle.
The annual Martin-Lysicrates Prize, first awarded in 2017, celebrates the best new Australian writing in theatre for young people.
At the heart of the Martin Lysicrates Prize are young people and their worldview. Young people are the inspiration and intended audience of this unique commission; as well as key participants in the process of awarding the annual Prize.
The 2023 Prize:
Playwrights are invited to submit the first 10-12 minutes of a new play for young people aged 12 – 15 years. The play must be able to be performed by no more than four actors (actors can perform multiple roles). Actors can include adults and young people.
Following a short-listing process, three scripts are presented to a live and online audience of school students of the relevant age. It is the audience of young people who judge which play is awarded a full commission.
Prizes are awarded as follows:
On the day, the most votes from audience in the theatre plus votes of those watching via live streaming – $3,000 for the winner and $1,000 each for the runners-up.
Some weeks later, votes are counted from audiences who have watched the recorded performances on website from all over the world.
The combined votes from both the first and second dot points are counted and the overall winner receives a commission worth $12,000 and dramaturgical support to complete the play.
Students vote for the Martin-Lysicrates prize.
How to apply:
Applications are now open and will close on Friday, 18 August 2023 at 5pm. To submit, please email hello@lysicratesfoundation.org.au with the following information:
Cover page with play title and contact details (name, email, phone number, address);
A synopsis (max. 300 words);
Proposed cast size and character information;
The first 10-12 minutes of your play for young people aged 12 – 15 years (approx. 10-12 pages).
Please note that there should be no identifiable contact details on the actual script itself as the assessment process will be anonymous.
The shortlisted finalists will be announced by the end of September.
The Cook Government is providing a total of $718,867 to support 53 not-for-profit community language schools, to teach more than 7,300 students across the state in 2023.
The community language schools, run mostly by volunteers from culturally and linguistically diverse communities, teach more than 34 languages including Arabic, Greek, Kiswahili, Korean, Malayalam, Mandarin, Punjabi, Tamil and Vietnamese.
Students from Kindergarten-Year 12 will be supported through the program in 2023, including 50 students enrolled in the Western Australian Certificate of Education (WACE).
Two schools are being funded for the first time in 2023, with one new language to the program, Urdu, also being supported.
In addition to the grants program, the Cook Government supports Community Languages WA, to provide professional development opportunities to more than 800 volunteer teachers and school administrators throughout the school year.
Opportunities for one-on-one mentor support from an experienced language educator are also provided through the program.
For more information about the Community Languages Program and the 2023 funding recipients, visit www.omi.wa.gov.au
Vaios Gkourmis – who was arrested after the Australian Federal Police found $20 million worth of cocaine hidden inside an imported jukebox from Greece – has been jailed for more than a decade.
According to The Herald Sun, the Melbourne man was sentenced in the County Court on Wednesday to 12 years and six months behind bars with a non-parole period of eight years after he pleaded guilty to attempting to possess a commercial quantity of a border-controlled drug.
In June last year, a 290 kilogram jukebox arrived in Melbourne from Greece by air cargo but was busted open by Australian Border Force officials. They discovered 45 packages inside containing cocaine, which had a pure weight of 36 kilograms.
The cocaine was tested, removed and replaced with a neutral substance and “tracer material.”
The jukebox.
When Gkourmis and another man broke into the jukebox to access the drugs, they became suspicious about its appearance, Nine News reported. After struggling to dismantle the jukebox, Gkourmis headed to Bunnings to get tools to deconstruct it.
“I’m worried. I’m worried. I’m worried they [the police] have… replaced it and… are watching the whole thing,” the associate said, according to the captured conversations.
A warrant was executed at Gkourmis’ Reservoir home the next day.
Victorian County Court Judge Fiona Todd said on Wednesday that Gkourmis’ involvement was fleeting and his reason for participation was profit, through money or drugs.
He was addicted to cocaine and used the drug daily, she said.
With time already served, Gkourmis will be eligible for parole in less than seven years.
The accused, hailing from diverse nationalities, faced a battery of four felony charges and seven misdemeanour charges as they appeared before an Athens prosecutor.
Most of the defendants are Croat nationals. One Croat remains under guard at Erythros Stavros hospital in Athens.
Those read charges include two Greeks, one Albanian, an Austrian national, a German and a Bosnian national. They were transported to the Evelpidon courthouses under heavy police guard.
104 people charged after deadly football fan brawl in Greece.
Felonies include forming a criminal organisation, premeditated murder, causing an explosion, and possession of explosives. Misdemeanours include disturbing the peace, causing grievous bodily harm (both attempted and committed collectively and repeatedly), damage to property, violent actions prohibited by the sports law, illegal possession of weapons, use of arms, and possession of flares.
It is noted that although the murder charge were read, it was not linked by the court specifically to the death of 29-year-old AEK club fan Michalis Katsouris, as the perpetrator is yet to be identified. In addition, the murder weapon, most likely a knife, is yet to be found.
Police are looking into several leads, including from testimonies, genetic material, images and videos from smart phones and several knives.
