Coronavirus variants with clunky, alphanumeric names have now been assigned the letters of the Greek Alphabet in a bid to simplify discussion and pronunciation while avoiding stigma.
The World Health Organization (WHO) revealed the new names on Monday amid criticism that those given by scientists, such as the so-called South African variant which goes by multiple names including B.1.351, 501Y.V2 and 20H/501Y.V2, were too complicated.
As such, the four coronavirus variants considered of concern by the UN agency and known generally by the public as the UK, South Africa, Brazil and India variants have now been given the letters Alpha, Beta, Gamma, Delta according to the order of their detection.
Other variants of interest continue down the alphabet.
Today WHO has announced a new naming system for key #COVID19 variants. The labels are based on the Greek alphabet (i.e. Alpha, Beta, Gamma, etc), making them simple, easy to say and remember.
— World Health Organization (WHO) (@WHO) May 31, 2021
“While they have their advantages, these scientific names can be difficult to say and recall, and are prone to misreporting,” said the WHO, explaining the decision.
The choice of the Greek Alphabet came after months of deliberations in which other possibilities such as Greek Gods and invented, pseudo-classical names were considered by experts, according to bacteriologist, Mark Pallen, who was involved in the talks.
But many were already brands, companies or alien names.
Another idea to refer to variants of concern as VOC1, VOC2 etc. was scrapped after he pointed out it resembled an English swear word.
The labels will not replace existing scientific names but are designed to make discussions easier and remove stigma. Photo: Getty Images.
Historically, viruses have often been associated with the locations from which they are thought to have emerged such as Ebola which is named after the eponymous Congolese river.
But this can be damaging for the places and often inaccurate such as with the so-called ‘Spanish flu’ pandemic of 1918 whose origins are unknown.
“No country should be stigmatised for detecting and reporting variants,” said WHO epidemiologist, Maria Van Kerkhove.
Before the new WHO scheme, some scientists had adopted their own simplified nomenclature for variants such as a February paper using bird names. However, it was criticised on the grounds that this could imperil birds.
The leaders of Greece and Turkey will meet next month on the sidelines of a NATO summit, the two countries’ foreign ministers agreed on Monday, as they seek to mend frayed ties that led to a sharp escalation in tension last year.
In brief statements in Athens, the ministers said their talks were an opportunity to agree on a meeting between Turkish President, Recep Tayyip Erdogan, and Greek Prime Minister, Kyriakos Mitsotakis, at the NATO summit in Brussels on June 14.
“We are fully aware of the different, and in quite a few particularly serious issues, of the diametrically opposed positions that we espouse, I mean we and Turkey,” Greece’s Nikos Dendias said, noting he and his Turkish counterpart, Mevlut Cavusoglu, had discussed the full range of Greek-Turkish and Turkish-European Union relations.
Greek Foreign Minister, Nikos Dendias, right, and his Turkish counterpart, Mevlut Cavusoglu, talk to the media during a press conference after their meeting in Athens, Monday, May 31, 2021. Photo: AP Photo/Petros Giannakouris.
“The aim of our meeting today was to attempt a process of initial consultation and if this proves possible, a gradual normalisation of the situation over time,” Dendias said.
They said they had agreed their countries would recognise each other’s vaccination certificates for COVID-19, so that their citizens will be able to visit with either a vaccination certificate or proof of a negative PCR test, boosting their respective tourist industries.
The ministers’ joint appearance had none of the tension of their previous meeting in April, when Dendias visited Ankara and a press conference there featured a trading of barbs as each listed his country’s grievances with the other.
Greek Foreign Minister, Nikos Dendias, right, and his Turkish counterpart, Mevlut Cavusoglu, leave the podium after a press conference after their meeting in Athens, Monday, May 31, 2021. Photo: AP Photo/Petros Giannakouris.
“We have issues that have been awaiting resolution for a long time. We have differences of opinion,” Cavusoglu said. “We want all of these issues and differences of opinion to be resolved with a foundation of neighbourliness, international law and a respect for mutual rights and interests. And for this reason, our dialogue must continue uninterrupted. On this subject both sides are willing, we’ve reestablished that today.”
Cavusoglu said the two sides were working “on concrete projects focused on action and cooperation,” and that they had agreed on 25 items and were working on a broad area of cooperation ”from transportation to energy, from tourism to environment to commerce.”
Dendias said a “limited list of economic cooperation programs” was agreed upon, but provided no details.
The statements were carried live by state television, and there were no questions as reporters were not allowed to attend, with the Foreign Ministry citing COVID-19 concerns.
Greek Prime Minister, Kyriakos Mitsotakis, right, speaks with his Turkish counterpart, Mevlut Cavusoglu, before their meeting at Maximos Mansion in Athens, Monday, May 31, 2021. Photo: AP Photo/Petros Giannakouris.
Greece and Turkey have been divided for decades over a series of disputes, including territorial rights in the Aegean. Last summer, tension rose dramatically, with disagreements over maritime boundaries and energy exploration rights in the eastern Mediterranean leading to a face-off between warships from the two countries.
Cavusoglu preceded his official trip to Athens with a private visit on Sunday to Thrace in northeastern Greece, home to the country’s Muslim minority.
He raised hackles in Athens by tweeting that he was there “to meet members of the Turkish Minority,” and that Turkey would “always stand resolutely with the Turkish Minority in their struggle for their rights.”
Referring to the minority as Turkish is diplomatically sensitive and highly contentious in Greece, which recognises the minority only as a Muslim one and notes it includes Roma and Pomak communities.
Turkish Foreign Minister, Mevlut Cavusoglu, center, prays over the grave of Ahmet Sadik, who was an MP at the Greek parliament, at a muslim cemetery at Komotini town, in northeastern Greece, Sunday, May 30, 2021. Photo: AP Photo/Giannis Papanikos.
Greek Foreign Ministry spokesman, Alexandros Papaioannou, responded on Sunday that Greece “steadily adheres to international law and the protection of human rights. It fully implements the obligations stemming from the Treaty of Lausanne, which explicitly and clearly refers to a Muslim minority in Thrace.”
He said that “Turkey’s constant attempts to distort this reality, as well as the allegations of supposed non-protection of the rights of these citizens, or of alleged discrimination, are unfounded and are rejected in their entirety.”
The 1923 Lausanne treaty handled the exchange of populations between Greece and Turkey in the aftermath of war, uprooting around 2 million people: approximately 1.5 million Orthodox Christians living in Turkey and half a million Muslims living in Greece.
The Muslim community in Thrace and the Greek community of Istanbul were exempt. However, the Greek minority in Istanbul has dwindled to a fraction of the estimated 200,000 people, with many fleeing persecution in the 1950s.
In 2019, we used more plastic than in all the years since 2000. On average, we each use 53 kilograms of plastic a year and generate a collective total of more than 300 million tonnes of plastic waste.
By 2030, this is predicted to double, with the brunt of the impacts expected to hit our oceans.
These are just some of the figures from WWF’s global plastic report, Solving Plastic Through Accountability, released last year.
‘To improve alternative plastic literacy we need the arts’
Is there hope? Yes, there is, reply Greek Australian artist Niki Sperou and biotechnologist Peng Su, who are joining forces at Flinders University’s Centre for Marine Bioproducts to create new types of biodegradable plastic.
“We are exploring how seaweed could be used to replace plastic in new products for industry and medicine,” Ms Sperou said.
Artist Niki Sperou won a 2020 Australian Network for Art and Technology Synapse Residency to pursue her ‘Green Plastic, Blue Ocean’ project with scientist Su.
Niki Sperou in the lab / Photo: sperou anat blog
“Peng Su has scientific knowledge and I have been the artist in residence at the school of Medicine and Health Sciences at Flinders for a long time. We thought we could bring together our diverse knowledge and combine it in a way that can benefit all of mankind.”
“The science is clear but to improve alternative plastic literacy, we need the arts. By working in a cross disciplinary way, we can increase our network and the knowledge of alternative plastics to different audiences.”
The Greek influence
Asking her whether her background has influenced her work, Ms Sperou says that apart from the Greek language being useful in the lab she also uses philosophy and mythology to explain science.
“I look at ancient greek narratives, mythology and ancient greek philosophers in a way to interpret science of today. For instance the myth of Promytheus tells us that humans can be a bit shortsighted with regards to technology and the impact it has. Same with plastic. People created it but they didn’t see how bad it can be for humankind,”
“Greek students, please keep up your Greek language skills,” she concludes.
Two of Greece’s most renowned performers, Dimitris Basis and Giorgos Tsalikis, graced Australian shores this month for a number of concerts in Adelaide, Sydney and Canberra.
Just this past weekend, Basis performed at Adelaide’s Town Hall, while Tsalikis visited Sydney and then travelled to Canberra for sold-out performances.
Here’s how both events went down:
Adelaide:
Hundreds of spectators gathered at Adelaide’s Town Hall on Friday, May 28, for a sold-out concert dedicated to the 200th anniversary of the Greek War of Independence.
Photo: The Greek Herald / Argyro Vourdoumpa.
Presented by the Greek Orthodox Community of SA (GOCSA) the performance, which was under the auspices of the Greece 2021 Committee, featured singer Dimitris Basis accompanied by a symphony orchestra and a Greek band under the direction of conductor George Ellis, who once more impressed the crowd with his energy.
The musicians performed songs of liberation by legendary Greek composers Vasilis Tsitsanis, Manos Hatzidakis, Stavros Xarchakos and Mikis Theodorakis in a two-hour concert that kept the audience entertained.
Photo: The Greek Herald / Argyro Vourdoumpa.
The event kicked off with speeches from GOCSA President Bill Gonis and Secretary General Panagiotis Ppyros, who highlighted the importance of community events as a means to keep the Greek language and culture alive for the generations to come.
In his brief speech, Dimitris Basis thanked the crowd for their walm welcome in the South Australian capital before he went on to also thank the organisers and sponsors.
Photo: The Greek Herald / Argyro Vourdoumpa.
“With a 15-months long lockdown in Greece and cultural events that have gone silent, I haven’t had the chance to sing in front of an audience for more than a year and I thank you all for giving me the opportunity to sing here, tonight,” said the singer and wished for the Greek communities around Australia to keep up the great work.
After the concert, a dinner was hosted at the Cyprus Community of SA.
Photo: The Greek Herald / Argyro Vourdoumpa.
Sydney and Canberra:
Elsewhere in Sydney and Canberra, Giorgios Tsalikis sang his most popular songs to packed-out crowds at The Bellevue Venue and The Hellenic Club of Canberra.
In Sydney, Greeks of all ages were seen dancing on tables and singing to their hearts content, as Tsalikis made his way through the throng of people and interacted with everyone he saw.
Hundreds gathered at the Tsalikis concert in Sydney. Photo: Encore Productions.
To show their appreciation of his performance, people also showered Tsalikis with flower petals, ultimately covering the whole stage.
It was a similar story in Canberra at the Hellenic Club where about 420 people gathered to watch Tsalikis perform.
Giorgos Tsalikis in Sydney. Photo: Encore Productions.
The capital city wasn’t originally on the Greek singer’s tour plan, but with a bit of encouragement from the President of the Greek Orthodox Community & Church of Canberra, John Loukadellis, the performance was made possible.
And what a performance it was. Mr Loukadellis tells The Greek Herald the vibe on the night was “electric” and that it made people feel as though they were in Greece.
Giorgos Tsalikis in Canberra.
Photo credit: John Loukadellis.
“Everyone was drinking, eating and dancing. It was electric. People needed this night out and his show was amazing,” Mr Loukadellis tells The Greek Herald.
Rave reviews all round for both the Basis and Tsalikis concerts!
Marrickville’s Greek community amazed on Sunday, May 30, with their special celebrations to mark the 200th anniversary of the Greek Revolution this year.
The celebrations were held at St Nicholas Greek Orthodox Church in Marrickville under the auspices of the National Committee of the Holy Archdiocese of Australia for the Bicentenary of the Greek Revolution.
At the start of the day, His Eminence Archbishop Makarios of Australia officiated a special Divine Liturgy at the church where parish priest, Father Nicholas Bozikis, was ordained as a First Elder of the Ecumenical Throne.
Photos by George Papapetrou / Facebook.
A cultural program later unfolded outside on church grounds, with many Greek youth dressed in traditional costumes performing to Greek music. Young boys were also seen proudly playing the bouzouki, while poems were recited about the Greek struggle for independence.
The National Metropolitan Choir of Australia, under the direction of conductor Themos Mexis, also flawlessly performed the national anthems of Greece and Australia.
This was followed by a number of small speeches from Peter Poulos MLC, representing NSW Premier, Gladys Berejiklian, the Inner West Council Mayor, Darcy Byrne, and Konstantinos Giannakodimos, representing the Consul General of Greece in Sydney, Christos Karras.
Inner West Mayor, Darcey Byrne, with Archbishop Makarios of Australia. Surrounded by youth in Greek dancing costumes.
In his speech, His Eminence urged attendees to never forget that the blood of martyrs runs through their veins and then focused on the youth.
“I am proud of you. You are real Greeks, because you have in your heart the Greek passion and the Greek Orthodox Christian faith,” His Eminence said.
In fact, this Greek pride is so strong in Marrickville that according to The Greek Herald’s sources, a small part of the suburb will be officially named, ‘Little Greece,’ by the Inner West Council in the next few weeks.
Across Australia this year, the 80th anniversary of the Battle of Crete was commemorated with a number of wreath laying ceremonies, plaque unveilings and memorial services.
This is how Sydney, Adelaide and Perth marked the important occasion.
Sydney:
Sydney’s Greek community finished off its commemorations of the 80th anniversary of the Battle of Crete this month with a special plaque unveiling and wreath laying ceremony hosted by the Mayor of Waverley City Council, Paula Masselos.
Despite the rainy weather and cold conditions, the special commemorative event at Waverely Park in Bondi Junction was attended by about 100 people.
All photos copyright: The Greek Herald / Andriana Simos.
This included the Consul General of Greece in Sydney, Christos Karras, the Archepiscopal Vicar of Canberra and Tasmania, Very Reverend Prochoros Anastasiadis, Federal, State and Local government representatives, prominent members of Greek community organisations, Australian Defence Force representatives, and other distinguished guests.
Official proceedings were started by Master of Ceremonies, Bill Harrigan, asking the Waverley College Army Cadet Unit to take their positions standing proudly next to the Waverely Cenotaph, while a traditional smoke ceremony and welcome to country was conducted.
Addresses were then given by Mayor Masselos, the Consul General, Father Prochoros, who was representing His Eminence Archbishop Makarios of Australia, James Jordan, the Chairperson of the Joint Committee for the Commemoration of the Battle of Crete and the Greek Campaign, Father Bernie Thomas from Mary Immaculate Church, Commodore John Stavridis from the Australian Navy and Roger Selby, President of the NSW Association of Jewish Service & Ex-Service Men and Women.
“[Today] we celebrate the warm friendship between Greece and Australia… we celebrate our common values that bind us together as friends,” Mr Karras said in his speech.
All photos copyright: The Greek Herald / Andriana Simos.
From there, the Ode to the Fallen was recited, the Last Post and Reville was played and a one minute silence was held.
Mayor Masselos and Father Prochoros then approached the cenotaph to proudly unveil a new commemorative plaque, which honours the eight Waverely Anzacs who fought in the Battle of Crete and Greek Campaign and are buried in Greece. Attendees later paid their respects to the fallen by laying wreaths around the plaque.
“Bondi Junction is the centre of the Eastern Suburbs and while Waverely has a significant Greek Australian population, this memorial I hope is something I hope will be embraced by everyone in the Eastern Suburbs,” Mayor Masselos told The Greek Herald after the event.
“It is a testament to the relationship between Greece and Australia, but also forging some very strong bonds between the Greek Australian community and the Australian community.”
Adelaide:
Members of South Australia’s Greek and wider community among them more than twenty distinguished guests and dignitaries as well as representatives of associations and organisations gathered on Sunday, May 30th at the town’s War Memorial in North Terrace, to commemorate the 80th Anniversary of the Battle of Crete.
The Greek Herald/Argyro Vourdoumpa
Photo: The Greek Herald
Photo: The Greek Herald
Photo: The Greek Herald
The wreath laying ceremony organised after 17 years of break, by the Consul General of Greece in Adelaide, George Psiachas and with Pantelis Fridakis, President of the Cretan Association of South Australia, in the role of the Master of Ceremonies (MC) was initiated with speeches from the Consul General; Minister for Innovation & Skills, representing the Premier of South Australia David Pisoni; Professor Peter Monteath from Flinders University, President of the Cretan Association of SA and Chairman of Virtual War Memorial, Peter L. Williams.
Picture: The Greek Herald/Argyro Vourdoumpa
Photo: The Greek Herald
Photo: The Greek Herald
Photo: The Greek Herald
“Australia and Greece were proven to be in the right side of history together,” Mr Psiachas said during his speech, explaining the important role of the ANZACs in the Battle of Crete and the strong relationships formed between the soldiers and the hospitable Greek people.
“These bonds have been embedded deep in our hearts and they remain alive to this day,” said the Consul General, extending his thanks and appreciation to the Premier, the local RSL and the Virtual War Memorial.
Bishop Silouan of Sinope with Consule General of Greece in Adelaide, George Psiachas. Photo: The Greek Herald/Argyro Vourdoumpa
The speeches were followed by a memorial service officiated by His Grace Bishop Silouan of Sinope and the laying of wreaths.
A one minute’s silence was held as a tribute to those who paid the ultimate sacrifice and the event concluded with the Greek and Australian national anthems.
Later on, the same afternoon, a light lunch was also offered at the Cretan House in Alberton.
Perth:
The Consulate of Greece in Perth organised a wreath laying ceremony at Kings Park State War Memorial on Sunday, May 30 to mark the 80th anniversary of the Battle of Crete, while also commemorating the Genocide of the Hellenism of Pontos.
In attendance was the last remaining veteran in Western Australia of the Battle of Crete, Mr Arthur Leggett, who defied the bad weather and the rainfall to be there.
“Thank you to all our Australian and Greek friends for attending this year’s commemoration,” the Consulate wrote on Facebook.
Greek Stage Theatre’s new theatrical comedy, The Murderers, premiered on Saturday, May 29, at the Mantouridion Theatre in Marrickville to loud applause from the audience.
The Murderers received positive reviews from the audience, with the Greek Stage Theater presenting a contemporary comedy by Alexandros Rigas and Dimitris Apostolos.
In the interactive comedy, the five “murderers,” played by Vicky Rapti, Evi Lamazaki, Christina Ioannidou, Natasa Kastelloriou and Margarita Liagou, as well as the strict prosecutor Sandy Reke and her advisor from the Ministry of Justice, Aphrodite Rapti, captivated the public for almost 2.5 hours.
Photo credit: Syndesmos Connecting People and Their Stories.
A special zest was given to the play by the presence of a police officer played by Stamatis Psarras, a retired secretary of the prosecutor, played by Rena Katsara, and Giannis Katsaras, first as a prison guard and then as the mother of Prosecutor Karabela, who suffers from Alzheimer’s disease.
The adaptation of the play was done by Akis Kastelloriou and he, along with George Tsoularis, were also the directors.
“This show could only go up with these actors. I am proud that we managed to present you a play that has not been presented before in community theater,” Mr Kastelloriou said after the show.
Photo credit: Syndesmos Connecting People and Their Stories.
“I thank the Mantouridion theater and my teacher Stavros Economidis for their cooperation and hospitality.”
After the conclusion of the play, Mr Kastelloriou presented Giorgos Andronis with an “Oscar” for his work in the Greek Stage Theatre’s previous play. The award has now become an institution of the theatre and aims to recognise the efforts of their actors.
About the play:
Five women who are of “sound mind” engineer and invoke all kinds of mental illnesses in order to prove that they acted without thinking and to avoid their condemnation. A prosecutor-psychiatrist, an assistant specialising in the representations of murders who claims to be the granddaughter of the well-known author, Alexandros Papas, and a policeman are called to stop the plans of the murderers and to reveal them. But things do not turn out as planned by either side.
Photo credit: Syndesmos Connecting People and Their Stories.
Contributors:
Words by: Alexandros Rigas & Dimitris Apostolou.
Adaptation: Akis Kastelloriou.
Directed by: Akis Kastelloriou & George Tsoularis.
Costumes and Set design: Margarita Liagou.
Lighting: George Andronis.
Music Editing: Natasa Kastelloriou & Akis Kastelloriou.
If you would like to attend the play here are the viewing / ticket details:
Saturday: 05/06, 12/06, 19/06 @19:30pm
Sunday: 06/06, 13/06, 20/06 @16:30pm
For reservations please call: 0450 724 600.
Tickets: General Admission is $30, Concession is $25.
Address: Building 36/142 Addison Road, Marrickville (Community Center).
The Acropolis Rally of Greece is a rally event organised for the first time in 1951. The rally is considered one of the toughest in the world, taking place on rough and rocky mountain roads in central Greece and combining heat and dust. The rally base is in Lamia, about 200km north of Athens.
On this day in 1953, Nicos Papamichael won the rally. To mark the day, we take a look back at the history of the event.
First-ever rally event organised in 1951:
It all started in 1951 when the Automobile and Touring Club of Greece (ELPA) organised an ELPA Rally as a national event. The first ever winner was Greek driver, Petros Peratikos, in a Fiat.
But since 1953, the event has beared the name ‘Acropolis Rally’ and that year, Nicos Papamichael won in a Jaguar XK 120.
Starting ramp under the ancient Acropolis. Photo: Snap Lap.
In 1956, the rally became part of the European Rally Championship and the first international winner was the German, Walter Schock, in 1956 in a Mercedes-Benz 300 SL. Walter Shock triumphed one more time, in 1960, becoming the first two-time winner.
From 1969, the rally was a part of the Manufacturers’ Championship, first on the European level in 1969 and then as the International Championship for Manufacturers (IMC) from 1970 to 1972.
In 1973, the World Rally Championship was established and the 21st Acropolis Rally was a part of the championship calendar as the sixth round in the 13-event schedule. The event took place on the last weekend of May in the mountains north of Athens.
Today, it is a part of the European Rally Championship calendar. The winners of Greek ERC rounds were Craig Breen (2014), Ralfs Sirmacis (2016) and Kajetan Kajetanowicz two times in 2015 and 2017.
Colin McRae’s #1 Subaru Impreza 555 at the 1996 Acropolis Rally. Photo: Snap Lap.
Colin McRae becomes Acropolis King with five wins
Colin McRae scored his first win at Acropolis Rally in 1996. The defending champion was driving the #1 Subaru Impreza 555, defeating Tommi Makinen (Mitsubishi) and Carlos Sainz (Ford). Sainz took the first win in the World Rally Cars era in 1997, then McRae won in a Subaru Impreza S4 WRC in 1998.
Richard Burns gave one more win to Subaru World Rally Team in 1999 and then Colin McRae continued his reign in a Ford Focus RS WRC, scoring three consecutive wins from 2000 to 2002. In Colin’s five wins, his navigators were Derek Ringer (1996) and Nicky Grist (four times).
The far-right ELAM party and a centrist splinter group made big gains in Cyprus’ parliamentary election on Sunday as a sizeable chunk of supporters appeared to have turned their back on the top three parties amid voter disenchantment with traditional power centers.
With 100% of votes counted, ELAM garnered 6.78% of the vote — a 3% increase from the previous election in 2016 — to edge out the socialist EDEK party by the razor-thin margin of around 200 votes.
The centrist DIPA — made up of key figures from the center-right DIKO party which has traditionally been the third biggest party — gained 6.1% of the vote.
The center-right DISY emerged in first place with 27.77% of the vote, 5.4% more than second-place, communist-rooted AKEL. But the parties respectively lost 2.9% and 3.3% of their support from the previous election.
“The result isn’t what we expected,” AKEL General-Secretary Andros Kyprianou told a party rally. “We respect it and we’ll examine it carefully to draw conclusions, but we can now say that we failed to convince (our supporters).”
A man casts his ballot at a polling station in Nicosia. Photograph: Iakovos Hatzistavrou/AFP/Getty.
Analyst Christoforos Christoforou said the results indicate a “very big failure” on the part of both DISY and AKEL to rally more supporters by convincing them of the benefits of their policies. A last-ditch appeal by the DISY leadership limited a projected 5% voter loss to 3%.
Christoforou said the real winners were ELAM with its strident anti-migration platform and hardline nationalist polies and DIPA whose top echelons still have connections to the centers of political power as former ministers and lawmakers.
“A neo-Nazi party is the clear winner of today’s election, securing two more seats in the 56-member house,” Christophorou, an analyst specialising in electoral behaviour, said.
“It has benefited from a xenophobic climate exacerbated by the high rate of arrivals of undocumented migrants and a government that has often adopted its own racist narrative.”
Christoporou said that the high electoral threshold of 3.6% means that 15,000 voters who cast ballots for smaller parties who didn’t win any seats are left without a voice in parliament.
Opinion polls in the weeks preceding the vote indicated that both DISY and AKEL would hemorrhage support as disappointed voters seek out alternatives among smaller parties.
The election won’t affect the running of the government on the divided Mediterranean island nation, as executive power rests in the hands of the president, who is elected separately.
About 65.73% of nearly 558,000 eligible voters cast ballots for the 56 Greek Cypriot seats in parliament. Voter turnout was 1% less than the previous poll.
Among the key campaign issues were the country’s handling of the COVID-19 pandemic and the hoped-for economic reboot as the country ramps up vaccinations. Migration has also been an issue as the Cypriot government insists it has exceeded its limits and can no longer receive more migrants.
Smaller parties have appealed to voters to turn their backs on DISY, which they said is burdened by a legacy of corruption.
An independent investigation into Cyprus’ now-defunct investment-for-citizenship program found that the government unlawfully granted passports to thousands of relatives of wealthy investors, some with shady pasts. DISY bore the brunt of the criticism because it backs the policies of Anastasiades, the party’s former leader.
Christoforou said there are questions as to whether the government has breached rules by using state funds to campaign for DISY.
A mother battling breast cancer in hospital quarantine has peacefully passed away while surrounded by her loving family, according to A Current Affair.
Marilyn Panthsos was able to spend eight more precious days with her family after quarantine protocols had previously kept the family apart.
“That’s all she’s wanted for the past 10 months… for us to be all together,” Marilyn’s daughter, Peggy, told the Australian media outlet.
Mrs Panthsos had been suffering alone in a COVID-19 palliative care ward as the pandemic kept her husband, Nick, and two children, Chris and Peggy, from being by her side.
(L-R) Chris, Marilyn, Nick and Peggy. Photo: A Current Affair.
Timeline of events:
In August last year, Mr and Mrs Panthsos left Australia in desperate need of cancer treatment for Mrs Panthsos.
They were supposed to make it back at the end of the year which didn’t happen because of the pandemic, but things took a turn for the worst, so the couple decided to come back home.
The parents touched down in Australia on May 20 and spent one night together in hotel quarantine before Mrs Panthsos was transferred to hospital – spending the past week in isolation.
Mr Panthsos remained stuck in hotel quarantine, while his children stood helpless on the street looking up at him stuck in his room.
Nick’s children stood outside as their dad was stuck in hotel quarantine. Photo: A Current Affair.
“(Her health) deteriorated when she first went into hospital. She has drains and fluids, which gives us some relief and will make her feel better for a little while,” Mr Panthsos told ACA when she was first admitted.
When doctors told the family Mrs Panthsos might not survive the 14 days, they applied for an exemption to be with their mum. But after a week of fighting to convince NSW Health and the hospital, they said they were told Mrs Panthsos was allowed while in quarantine.
“We just want to be there with her as much as we can before the inevitable happens,” Peggy said at the time.
Mr and Mrs Panthsos had both been vaccinated but a certificate to prove it appeared not to be enough.
“I get it, the protocols, there’s rules in place. But under the circumstances, I mean science should kick in … so if people get vaccinated, they’re still going to have to quarantine moving forward,” Mr Panthsos told ACA.
But then after ACA contacted NSW Health, Health Minister Brad Hazzard and his department acted.
Mr Panthsos was finally allowed into the hospital to see his dying wife after undergoing a COVID-19 PCR test. Chris and Peggy were also eventually given the green light to make a visit one at a time.
Heartbreakingly, Mrs Panthsos still lost her four-year battle with breast cancer.
“She’s been so strong, right through this whole journey… she’s the best mother in the world. She’s the best daughter in the world. She’s, the best sister in the world. I really can’t say much more about her – she’s amazing and she’s gonna be missed,” Mr Panthsos’ family told ACA.
