Latest news with #Christos
5 days ago
Slain UC Berkeley professor said in restraining order request ex-wife made him 'fearful' for his life
Months before Przemyslaw Jeziorski, a marketing professor from the University of California, Berkeley, was killed in Greece, he filed a request for a restraining order against his ex-wife, saying he was fearful for his life due to alleged previous instances of blackmail, financial abuse and physical assault by his ex-wife's boyfriend, according to court documents obtained by ABC News. The request was denied by a California court. Jeziorski, a 43-year-old associate marketing professor at UC Berkeley's Haas School of Business, was allegedly shot and killed in Athens on July 4 near the home where his two children -- Zoe and Angelo -- live, his younger brother said in a statement. The children, who are 10-year-old twins, had been living with the Jeziorski's ex-wife in Athens since 2020, according to court documents. In a press release shared on Thursday, police said an attacker "approached the victim and shot him in the chest and back, resulting in his fatal injury, and then fled." Five people have been arrested in connection to the killing, including the professor's ex-wife, her boyfriend and three other men who were allegedly accomplices in the murder, according to Greek police sources. All five suspects appeared in court in Athens on Thursday. Prior to the killing, Przemyslaw Jeziorski, known as "PJ" to his friends, filed a domestic violence restraining order request against his ex-wife, Konstantina Michelidaki -- who is referred to as Nadia Michelidaki by family and Greek media -- on May 9, nearly two months before his death, according to court documents filed in Alameda County Superior Court in California. In the declaration accompanying the restraining order request, Jeziorski claimed that his ex-wife had used "coercive control" to keep the children away from him in Greece, financially abused their Airbnb rental property business and threatened to hurt his reputation. He also accused her partner, who is only referred to as "Christos" in the documents, of assaulting him. Jeziorski and Michelidaki were married in March 2014 and were separated beginning on March 2021. A "bifucation of marital status was granted" by a court on Sept. 26, 2024, according to the documents. "I am fearful of what she is doing now and what she will attempt to do next as we move forward in this divorce," the professor wrote in his declaration. Allegations of physical assault by ex-wife's boyfriend In the declaration, Jeziorski detailed an alleged incident on May 15, 2024, when he visited the children in Greece and was "twice attacked and physically assaulted" by Christos. During that trip to Greece, the professor said he had dropped off his children at Michelidaki's house and said he was uncomfortable with Christos being there with the children -- which is when the boyfriend became "verbally aggressive," according to the documents. "[He] charged at me on the street, pushed me and kicked me. I screamed for help. The security guard of the German embassy came out, and Christos stopped kicking me," he alleged in the declaration. The professor had discussed his discomfort with Christos to his ex-wife previously, to which she would accuse him of lying and say that his "lawyer had instructed" him to say those things, the documents said. "She made me afraid of my life by having her partner, who is hostile and aggressive towards me, during the visitation exchange, despite my asking her not do to so," he wrote in the documents. Police in Greece were contacted regarding this attack and criminal charges were previously filed against Christos, the professor wrote in the restraining order. ABC News has not verified whether charges were filed in Greece regarding the alleged assault Claims of financial abuse, blackmail by ex-wife In the restraining order request, the professor also accused Michelidaki of blackmailing him and threatening to end his career. "Her goal was to humiliate me socially in order to control me and the finances. She did this to get me to drop the indictment against her partner regarding his physical abuse," Jeziorski said in the declaration. He claimed she had accused him of "failing to give her co-authorship of my research papers" and "threatened to contact my colleagues and the dean of my department if I did not pay her money." "Her allegations are baseless; however, this is a serious and sensitive topic for my academic reputation," he wrote in the restraining order. He alleged his ex-wife also attempted to transfer money from their business accounts to her private bank accounts -- meaning she "pocketed" the income from their Airbnb business that was "meant to pay for the carrying cost of the rental properties," which resulted in a "bounced mortgage payment," he wrote in the declaration. In the restraining order request, the professor requested that his ex-wife be ordered to stop contacting him (except with "reasonable communication regarding the children"), stop making defamatory statements against him, stop contacting anyone in the academic field related to him and that the court prohibit her control over any of the bank accounts related to their rental properties. He requested she be ordered to remain at least 100 yards away from him with an exception for "peaceful contact to exchange our children for custody purposes." The court denied Jeziorski's restraining order request because "the facts given in the request do not show reasonable proof of a past act or acts of abuse" and that the "facts given in the request do not give enough detail about the most recent incidents of abuse," according to a checklist in the documents. Now after his murder, Jeziorski's two children -- who are U.S. and Polish citizens -- are "under care in accordance with Greek child custody procedures," his brother said in a statement to ABC News on Thursday. The five suspects in his killing will have another court appearance on Monday, according to Greek police sources.
Forbes
11-07-2025
- Business
- Forbes
A Greek-Specific LLM: Kiefer Works On Domestic Intelligence Platform
Church in Oia (Santorini, Greece). A company called Kiefer is embarking on a big challenge: creating an LLM model application specifically for the nation of Greece, an island state with around 10.5 million people, and an old-world place by American standards, at least. Regardless, the whole world is moving into the future – quickly- and according to technologists like Christos, who spoke to me and others recently about the effort, Greece needs its own model. He mentioned a goal that motivates the team: to establish dominance with specific market needs, where linguistic and cultural targeting provides advantages. 'Greek models have superior performance applications with deep understanding of Greek languages, cultural context, and local businesses,' he said, 'because all of our data is based on Greece.' To be sure, it's a tough job. 'We face a lot of issues because of all of the data,' he said. 'It's mostly (in) books that we need to scan and everything that exists on the Internet. It's all Pdfs that you need to curate to extract the data, and after that, to be able to train the model.' There are also headwinds to adoption: Christos cited roughly 9% buy-in, with lower numbers in the government and public sectors. Sovereign AI, Greek Style Under the Hood: What Does Kiefer Use In responding to questions about architecture, Christos said the project uses three different models including one from DeepSeek, which he said was chosen partly because of accuracy, and partly because the model is open source. As for other models, he mentioned Nemotron, and a demo from Google, along with interest in Minimax. Right now, the service is free. But Christos said there's a plan for subscription pricing in the future. 'After we make some implementation (in terms of modalities like) video, we'll start to have a subscription fee per month, which would be lower than the big companies,' he said. Part of that, he added, is to cover costs, like the use of Nvidia hardware. As for the fundamental task, he talked about following the whiplash trends that crop up as innovators stay on the pulse of AI developments. 'It's always something new,' he said. 'We always try to follow the new things in AI. But … if you have a basic structure, for example, if you create your own data, you can follow (best practices) in order to be able for every country, for every person, for every company to create a specific model. It's the data.' He also mentioned the value of iterative research in fine-tuning. 'Because we have already found a specific procedure about how (to do this), it's more easy to implement and to train the next one,' he said. 'We learn from our mistakes, and we win, in time.' Greece and Greek AI There was also an extended discussion on sovereign AI centering around this principle: if those pursuing this kind of national model use the power of international research, can they build stronger, more capable services? The Kiefer team, it seems, is dedicated to building AI systems inside Greece, rather than utilizing outside research assistance – to an extent. While Christopher sounded open to sharing open source data, the overall effort, he suggested, should be kept domestic, for various reasons, including language and culture specific goals, ownership issues, and more. There's also the suggestion of future technology: 'Maybe I want to create a humanoid to help me to collect olives in the future,' he said. 'That's (one reason) why I say it's very important for every country to have the AI.' Data Ownership and IP Issues Christos also indicated that teams are watching the results of IP and data cases like the one with Anthropic, where U.S. judges are ruling on whether authors can sue the company for using book data to train models. Hardware and Humanoids One of the more interesting things that the conversation covered was a Kiefer collab with Unitree for humanoids, using the Nvidia omniverse. Christos didn't give a lot of detail on this, but suggested that Kiefer wants to use its own CPUs and GPUs, and start construction on its AI data centers soon. The infrastructure, he said, will use liquid cooling. He also noted a reliance on Nvidia as a vendor. 'It's not only the GPUs,' he said. 'It's also about software, it's about libraries.' The endgame, he said, is an advanced Greek-language model, to be integrated with Greek universities and other participants, using green token tech and sustainable infrastructure. It's a fascinating example of how nations take initiative right now, with so many choices to make. You can try it at Or feel free to spin it to fit the style of the column articles. Looking forward to it.
Wales Online
28-06-2025
- Business
- Wales Online
MasterChef star suffers blow to Welsh deli plans due to noise concerns
MasterChef star suffers blow to Welsh deli plans due to noise concerns Christos Georgakis who opened the Gower Deli last year has termed the rejection as "discrimination" Christos Georgakis and partner Leanne Richards (Image: Robert Dalling / WalesOnline ) A former Masterchef contestant who opened a deli in Gower last year has lost an application to extend his opening hours. Christos Georgakis had wowed judges at MasterChef with his culinary prowess, reaching the contest's semi-final stage. Last year, he opened the Gower Deli with the help of a £50,000 loan from the Development Banks of Wales, and later went on to receive an additional £60,000 grant from the Swansea Council to grow his business. To attract more customers in the busy period of summer, and compete with other businesses in the area, Christos hoped to extend his opening hours. However, his planning application has been rejected due concerns about noise. Christos has described the deli as a "dream" in the past (Image: John Myers ) The planning application Christos had submitted sought to extend his opening hours to 8am in the morning until 10pm in the evening everyday. He can currently open from 9am to 5pm on Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, and Sunday, and from 9am to 8pm on Thursday, Friday and Saturday. However, Christos has said that he does not intend to open his deli until 10pm everyday clarifying that he only wants permission to remain open until later for Thursday, Friday, and Saturday. Never miss a Swansea story by signing up to our newsletter here Article continues below He explained that the reason he applied to remain open until 10pm throughout the week is so he does not have to apply for fresh permission to extend his opening hours everytime he has an event booking during the week day. 'We clarified, and we sent an email to the Swansea Council to clarify it as well, that we don't plan to open every day. What we want to do is we want to have flexible weekdays, said Christos. 'I'm high-end private chef, if I have a request from someone who says, 'You know what, can I hire your room, Tuesday night, to have a small party?' 'I want to be able to do it. We're not in the town, we're not raves, we don't want to have parties, just food. That's all it is.' Additionally, he explained that people start queuing before his shop by 8.30 am for coffee, and he is losing business by not catering to office goers in the morning. He added that his deli doesn't usually open for Monday except during the peak summer periods. A planning officer has said: 'Noise/nuisance from commercial premises, in close proximity to residential properties can often cause problems, particularly later in the evening and night time when other noise sources are much quiter. 'In general, commercial uses in a residential area should not cause noise outside of standard hours, which are often typically 8am to 6pm. The consented opening hours already exceed this general rule, and are considerd the optimum operating times appropriate at the site. 'It is acknowledged that an email on behalf of the applicant to the case officer has advised that it is not likely to be the intention to open beyond 6pm Mon- Weds; this is not however what the current application seeks. 'The proposal to extend the opening hours both earlier in the morning and later in the evening 7 days a week, is considered likely to result in the generaltion of noise and general disturbance(by comings and goings) at unreasonable hours, which will affect the living conditions of local residents to an unacceptable degree, contray to LDP Policy PS 2.' However, Christos has said that as other premises in the area already have permission to open earlier and close later,he feels discriminated against by the council. Christos said: 'I think it's discrimination against the Gower Deli. I mean, I have the cafe next door that has a licence to open from 8pm until 10pm or 9pm, I think. The pizza [place] next to me operates weekends daytime and night, and they settle down 9pm. 'Just about 500 feet down the road is Southgate Club, which is a pub, which opens until 12am. The nearest by, again another 200-300 feet, is the golf club which operates until 8pm. So you can't have a few businesses operate anytime they want and you have a new business and you stop them from operating. It's just not fair, it's very discriminatory." Christos also said that the Gower Deli enjoys local support as it offers a different kind of service. 'But my point, we try to tell the council, is that we are not a party place, it is a high-end place. As you see from the comments in Facebook, we have the support from the whole village, the people around and the surrounding villages of Southgate,' he added. 'They support us 100%, they've been here all the time and anytime we need them, they're there. The deli is much more than a deli, it's a hub, it is a place where people go to relax, to enjoy good coffee, have a conversation. We offer different things than any other cafe will offer in the area in Swansea.' The planning application to extend the working hours of the deli got three letters of objections, 20 letters of support and one letter of comment neither supporting or opposing it. A planning officer said: 'A number of letters of support have been received. However, it is impartant to note that these are from persons who live some distance from the site, and would not be directly affected by the proposal. 'In contrast, the objection letters have come from closer immediate neighbours who woud be impacted upon most by the proposal. The letter of comment received refers principally to traffic management in the general vicintiy and is not material to the consideration of this application.' Christos, who had earlier received a grant of £60,000 from the council said that he doesn't understand the 'rationale' behind the refusal of his application. He said: 'The reason we can't understand the decision is because last May we have a video promotional from Swansea Council, basically Swansea Council advertising how the Grow Grant is helping small business and helping them set up a new business and succeed. So the Gower Deli is in the promotion video including me talking about how helpful the Swansea Council has been. He also expressed that there was lack of co-ordination between Swansea Council departments. He said: 'We applied for an alcohol licence, the alcohol licence had been approved for until 9.30pm. I can sell alcohol until 9.30pm, but I don't have planning permission to open until 9pm, does that make any sense?' 'The Swansea Council departments operate separate. They don't communicate with each other, they don't speak with each other, and this is a killer for the small business. 'And the reason it's a killer for the smaller business is because A, it's too expensive, and B, we end up in situations like this. "You can't plan and this decision will have an effect on me financially because I'm going to lose my July-August trade. In the Gower, it is a very busy that month due to tourists with the coming down here.' Article continues below A Swansea Council spokesman said: 'Mr Georgakis' claim of discrimination is incorrect. The reference to grant arrangements is irrelevant as planning decisions are reached on the basis of planning law and guidance only and no other considerations. 'The decision was based on the facts in the application. The application was clear in that permission was sought to open until 10pm every night – not Thursday, Friday and Saturday night. If Mr Georgakis wants to amend his application to seek alternative opening or closing times, he can do so and apply again. He is also entitled to appeal to the Welsh Government, should he wish.'
Daily Mirror
28-06-2025
- Daily Mirror
Hiker falls 2,600ft to death after bear shoves him off ravine in holiday hotspot
Experienced hiker Christos Stavrianidis was venturing into the forest in central Macedonia, Greece with another veteran rambler to chart a path that would allow people to visit a downed warplane that crashed there 70 years ago A hiker plummeted to his death after a brown bear knocked him down a 2,600ft ravine in Greece this week. Veteran rambler Christos Stavrianidis was found at the bottom of the bottom of the ravine and rushed to Kavala hospital in Kavala, Central Macedonia, where he was pronounced dead. He and another experienced hiker Dimitris Kioroglou, were heading in to the forest to see the 70-year-old remains of a downed Greek warplane on Monday. Speaking to NewsIT, Dimitris said: "I suddenly saw a bear which attacked me. My dog delayed it for a few seconds. I used pepper spray, and it headed to where my friend was and knocked him into the ravine." He also told Greece's national broadcaster, TV ERT that Christos had run out of bear spray when he was approached by the "very big bear". "I've never seen such speed and such strength before," he added. A spokesman for Greek wildlife organisation Arcturos said the bear was displaying "defensive behaviour" rather than that of "attack". "The bear is trying to push back what it sees as a threat," he told TV ERT. The pair were heading out to visit a warplane that Christos had discovered last year. They were trying to find an accessible route so more people could see it. Speaking to a journalist last year, he said: "It's a beautiful discovery that deserves to be viewed on location ... the fuselage is nearly intact. It's a treasure of nature and should be left [in the forest]." Under Greek law, brown bears are protected and can be found in western Rhodopes and Northern and Central Pindos. There are thought to be around 450 of the creatures in Greece. In January, a father and son died after a terrifying bear attack in a forest in India. The duo had ventured into the area to gather wood when they were viciously attacked by an enraged sloth bear in the Kanker area of Chhattisgarh. The victims, Suklal Darro, 45, and Ajju Kureti, 22, tragically died as a result of the attack. Despite efforts to save them, Darro succumbed to his injuries on the way to the hospital, while Kureti passed away on the spot. Reports indicate that a forest officer also sustained injuries while attempting to rescue Darro and Kureti from the bear's clutches. The bear, in a fit of rage, held the officer in its arms and tried to crush him. "Don't run away," a man in the background can be heard saying to the guard moments before bear mauled him. The bear was captured on camera charging into the woods to attack three people.
Yahoo
13-06-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
Is Doctor Who Reunion Inevitable? Did Cleaning Lady Kiss Leave You Cold? How Would SNL Have Handled Trump/ Musk Break-Up? More TV Qs!
We've got questions, and you've (maybe) got answers! With another week of TV gone by, we're lobbing queries left and right about Doctor Who, The Cleaning Lady, Law & Order: Organized Crime and more! 1 | Given that David Tennant is still playing a Doctor in the Whoniverse, what are the odds that — in any potential new season of — Fourteen will cross paths with whomever/whatever Tennant's former on-screen companion, Billie Piper, is now playing? More from TVLine Andor Tops Nielsen Streaming Chart With Release of Series Finale; Rogue One Returns to Top 10 Movies The Cleaning Lady, Alert: Missing Persons Unit Both Cancelled at Fox Doctor Who: Varada Sethu Reflects On the End of Her Run, Says 'Mom & Dad Forever' to Ncuti Gatwa 2 | Among the many issues we had with HBO's Mountainhead: When it became clear that his friends were trying to murder him, why couldn't Jeff just call for help? (They all had their phones, and they all have well-paid staffers hovering nearby.) And then the next morning, why did Jeff send his bodyguards away to face his would-be killers without backup? 3 | Given how easily s Dama was dispatched, isn't it kind of ridiculous that Bruegel or Christos or somebody didn't take her out sooner? Also, Animal Kingdom fave Jake Weary had so little to do on Dead City before Christos was killed off that we've gotta ask: What was the point of casting such a good actor in such a nothing role? 4 | What's your best theory as to why 's Kat pretended not to remember Seraphina's name when they'd just talked? And are you surprised that both Conrad and Maeve survived to the end of the season? Also: Harry's going to do something about that kitchen knife sticking out of his pec, right? ▼ And, forgive us, but did anyone else hear 'boobs' when Conrad told Maeve he loved her down to her 'boots' while they were chatting in prison? 5 | Was 's all-time wipeout countdown one of the more entertaining things you've watched on TV this spring? 6 | The Cleaning Lady fans, didn't you wish we'd gotten a little more oomph from that Thony/Jorge kiss in the finale? 7 | Does Zach Braff's description of the in-the-works revival — that JD is now 'beaten down by the system' — make it sound like Bill Lawrence & Co. are hoping to create the comedy version of The Pitt? 8 | Since moneybags Bill cut off Luna, where did the double murderess get the cash to buy that gun? ▼ For that matter, how is she paying for this apartment? 9 | Does really need the whole 'Who is the insider?!' mystery element? (Or without that, is the freshman series a full 100% identical to his half dozen other Fox shows?) 10 | Is it now safe to say that 's Voit has not been faking his amnesia…? And is anyone worried that the road is being paved for him to (gulp) 'join' the BAU next season? 11 | Has forgotten about Elliot's tremors? 12 | When all is said and done, could Jonathan Jackson's much-ballyhooed, nine-month General Hospital encore have been any more underwhelming? 13 | Is this one of those weeks in politics where you really miss what might have done with the big headline? Hit the comments with your answers and any TV Qs of your own! Best of TVLine Young Sheldon Easter Eggs: Every Nod to The Big Bang Theory (and Every Future Reveal) Across 7 Seasons Weirdest TV Crossovers: Always Sunny Meets Abbott, Family Guy vs. Simpsons, Nine-Nine Recruits New Girl and More ER Turns 30: See the Original County General Crew, Then and Now
