In a bid to restart Greece’s tourism, Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis announced that Greece would be ready to accept foreign tourists as of July 1, 2020.
“If things go according to our plans, we will open on July 1, under a protocol that will make sense both to those who want to travel and to our tourism industry,” Mitsotakis said Thursday during a teleconference organised by the Boston Consulting Group (BCG).
“We want a greater slice from a much smaller pie – the European pie. The European tourism pie is smaller, but this summer we want a bigger piece,” he stressed.
While it is not clear if Greece will restrict its border reopening to to EU nationals only, the Prime Minister acknowledged Greece’s efficiency in handling the coronavirus pandemic.
Greek Minister of State George Gerapetritis. (Photo by Eurokinissi/ Yiannis Panagopoulos)
Mitsotakis added that Greece was two weeks ahead of most European countries in decisive action to fight the coming Covid-19 pandemic
“The better you do in managing the health crisis, the faster the economy will revive,” he underlined.
State minister George Gerapetritis elaborated on the issue on Friday, assuring that Greece has been given a 45 day period to strengthen the health system in tourist destinations.
“Greece is advertised as a completely healthy destination, as a health safety destination” and on this scheme and for the next 45 days the government will build a very serious public health system on the islands, he told state broadcaster ERT TV.
He stressed that “as of July 1 we will be able to receive foreign visitors under conditions that ensure the public health.”
“We will impose on our visitors the necessary protocols, which will be a balanced mix of public health, but without, on the other hand, to there are disproportionate obstacles to our tourism product.”
Hundreds of people cautiously gathered at downtown Omonia on Thursday night for the unveiling of its new fountain by Athens Mayor Kostas Bakoyannis.
The unveiling of the new square was watched upon with awe and admiration as residents of the capital stopped their cars and motorcycles to watch the fountain being switched on. The new development comes as Greece starts to lift lockdown restrictions imposed in March to contain the spread of the coronavirus.
In a speech at the unveiling, Bakoyannis hailed the fountain’s innovative and ecologically friendly design, saying that it uses a fraction of the water used by conventional fountains and is also energy efficient.
The square was announced to be revamped shortly after the new mayor took over at the municipal authority last year.
Apart from improving the appearance of one of the more rundown parts of central Athens, the mayor added that the new square will also be “an oasis of cool.”
The square has undergone multiple transformations throughout the years. The square was originally named Plateia Anaktoron (Palace Square) when it was first constructed in 1846. It’s name was changed to Omonoia in 1862 because it was the site where leaders of the opposing political factions gave their Oath of Peace (omonia, in Greek).
The Athens Mayor on Friday responded to criticism over scenes of over-crowding at Thursday’s unveiling of the new fountain on downtown Omonia Square.
“We made a mistake,” Bakoyannis said in a video post on Facebook, standing in front of the new fountain.
“We made a very big mistake because we did not predict that when the new Omonia was opened, when thousands of people pass through there every day, many people would reasonably gather spontaneously,” he added.
Bakoyannis clarified that the municipal authority had not planned to make a big occasion of the square’s unveiling and that police were issuing constant recommendations for social distancing. The mayor recognised, however, that the situation did get out of hand, with the mayor not accounting for the large number of people who regularly pass through the area.
Greece on Friday took over the chairmanship of the Committee of Ministers of the Council of Europe from Georgia, with the ceremony conducted over a video-conference with representatives of 47 member states of the Organisation.
The Greek Minister responsible for Foreign Affairs, Miltiadis Varvitsiotis, outlined the priorities of the Greek Chairmanship for the next six months.
Η Ελλάδα αναλαμβάνει την προεδρία της Επιτροπής Υπουργών του Συμβουλίου της Ευρώπης υπό τις έκτακτες περιστάσεις που…
“Given the current context, Greece has chosen to focus its chairmanship on the protection of public health and responses to the health crisis, while at the same time ensuring respect for human rights, democracy and the rule of law,” the Council of Europe said in an offical statement.
Greek President Katerina Sakellaropoulou commented on the chairmanship takeover on Friday, claiming to make Greece’s take-over the first “e-chairmanship” in the history of the 47-nation body.
“The Greek chairmanship of the Council of Europe begins by prioritising the protection of human life, public health and human rights in the Covid-19 pandemic,” Greek President Katerina Sakellaropoulou commented on Friday.
Other areas that will be at the focus of Greece’s efforts as chairman of the CoE, Sakellaropoulou added, are the efficiency of the justice systems, the rights of young people and climate change.
On 4 November, Athens will host the session of the Committee of Ministers bringing together the 47 Foreign Ministers, and the ceremony commemorating the 70th anniversary of the European Convention on Human Rights.
Περισσή είναι η συγκίνηση, η πνευματική έξαρση, καθώς και η υπερηφάνεια που αισθάνομαι απευθυνόμενος στους Κρήτες και όλους τους Συνέλληνες της Ομογενείας μας το παρόν μήνυμα επ’ ευκαιρία των εκδηλώσεων μνήμης γιά την 79η επέτειο από τη Μάχη της Κρήτης.
Συνώνυμα τυγχάνουν η μεγαλόνησος Κρήτη και ο αγώνας για τη λευτεριά. Και τούτο, δικαίως και αξίως, ήδη από τα πολύ παλιά τα χρόνια. Αρκεί μονάχα να απαριθμήσει κανείς τις επαναστάσεις των Κρητών κατά τα χρόνια της δουλείας στους Ενετούς και τους Οθωμανούς· αρκεί μονάχα να φέρει στη σκέψη του το θρυλικό Αρκάδι και τον ηρωϊκό Δασκαλογιάννη· αρκεί μονάχα να θυμηθεί τη Μάχη της Κρήτης!
Πριν από 79 χρόνια, στις 20 Μαΐου του 1941, άρχιζε μία από τις πλέον ιδιάζουσες στρατιωτικές επιχειρήσεις του Β’ Παγκοσμίου Πολέμου και δη της λεγόμενης Βαλκανικής Εκστρατείας των δυνάμεων του Άξονος. Εντός 12 ημερών η επιχείρηση «Ερμής» είχε καταλάβει εξ ολοκλήρου από αέρος την Κρήτη, αλλά επρόκειτο για μία πύρρειο νίκη, στην πραγματικότητα δηλαδή, για μία δυσβάσταχτη απώλεια σε ανθρώπινους και λοιπούς πόρους για τους Γερμανούς, καθώς και για μία τροχοπέδη όσον αφορά τις εξελίξεις που οι ίδιοι είχαν δρομολογήσει στο ανατολικό μέτωπο. Και όλα αυτά χάρη στη γενναιότητα των Κρητών και των άλλων Ελλήνων – όπως των 300 παλληκαριών από τον Έβρο – που πολέμησαν μαζί τους· όλα αυτά χάρη στη λεβεντιά των ξένων, των Βρετανών, των Αυστραλών, των Νεοζηλανδών, που με τη θυσία τους έγιναν πιο οικείοι και από τους πλέον οικείους μας.
Όπως κάθε χρόνο, έτσι και φέτος, τιμούμε τους προγόνους μας, οι οποίοι με αυτοθυσία υπεραμύνθηκαν του υψίστου αγαθού της ελευθερίας. Ζυμωμένοι από αιώνων οι Κρήτες με την Ορθόδοξη πίστη γνώριζαν εκ πείρας ότι αυτό που καθιστά τον άνθρωπο εξόχως ξεχωριστό είναι η «κατ’ εικόνα και καθ’ ομοίωσιν» του Θεού δημιουργία του, τουτέστιν, το θεόσδοτο δώρο του αυτεξουσίου. Αυτήν ακριβώς την τιμή του αυτεξουσίου υπερασπίστηκαν και διατράνωσαν γέροι και νέοι, γυναίκες και παιδιά, όλος ο λαός της Κρήτης, πριν από 79 χρόνια, και γι’ αυτό τους μνημονεύουμε ενώπιον του Τριαδικού Θεού με δοξολογίες και δεήσεις εν Εκκλησίαις. Εξάλλου, τα μάτια μας βουρκώνουν μπροστά στους ποταμούς των αιμάτων που κατεργάστηκε η θηριωδία των κατακτητών, όπως τα αντίποινα των μαζικών εκτελέσεων στον Λατζιμά Ρεθύμνου, τον Αλικιανό, την Κάντανο και το Κοντομαρί τών Χανίων. Μνησθείη αυτών Κύριος ο Θεός έν τη Βασιλεία αυτού πάντοτε, νυν και αεί και εις τους αιώνας των αιώνων.
Για όλους εμάς που επιτελούμε σήμερα τη μνήμη των ηρώων μας στα ευλογημένα χώματα της Αυστραλίας, ο τόπος ενέχει εξαιρετική σημασία. Μοιάζει ωσάν η πρόνοια του Θεού να επεφύλαξε σε εμάς να μεταφέρουμε την Κρήτη στους Αντίποδες, αντιπροσφέροντας με τον τρόπο αυτό το χρέος μας απέναντι στους Αυστραλούς, που πολέμησαν και άφησαν την τελευταία τους πνοή στο περήφανο νησί μας. Η Μάχη της Κρήτης έχει ενώσει για πάντα τους λαούς μας με ακατάλυτους δεσμούς φιλίας. Δε θα τους ξεχάσουμε ποτέ.
Επίσης δε θα ξεχάσουμε ποτέ ότι οφείλουμε, όπου γης, να φυλάσσουμε Θερμοπύλες κατά το πως μας δίδαξαν οι πρόγονοί μας. Αυτή είναι η ύπατη ευθύνη στο ύψος της οποίας μας καλεί, κάθε χρόνο, νά αρθούμε ο εορτασμός αυτός. Ακόμα κι αν οι συνθήκες της πανδημίας δε μας επιτρέπουν κατά το τρέχον έτος να πανηγυρίσουμε κατά τον τρόπο που θα θέλαμε, εμείς προσβλέπουμε ήδη στην 80η επέτειο της χρονιάς που έρχεται, για να εορτάσουμε πανδήμως και πανηγυρικώς τη Μάχη της Κρήτης.
Με αυτές τις σκέψεις, απευθυνόμενος προς το Διοικητικό Συμβούλιο της Κρητικής Ομοσπονδίας Αυστραλίας και Νέας Ζηλανδίας και διαβεβαιώνοντας για την αμέριστη συμπαράσταση της καθ’ ημάς Ιεράς Αρχιεπισκοπής Αυστραλίας και εμού προσωπικώς στη διοργάνωση των επερχομένων εορτασμών των 80 χρόνων, διατελώ μετά πολλής της εν Χριστώ Αναστάντι αγάπης και διαπύρων ευχών,
The Consul General of Greece in Sydney is a role that comes with great responsibility and leadership. The role also requires the ability to effectively communicate and manage a wide range of often complex social and commercial interactions between Greece and the local expatriate community.
Mr Christos Karras assumed his duties as Consul General of Greece in Sydney in December 2017. Since then, he has been a vehement symbol of the appreciation that Greece has for the Greeks of Australia.
Ilias Karagiannis from The Greek Herald sat down with Mr Karras to discuss how the COVID-19 pandemic has impacted Consulate’s ability to perform its duties, his impressions of Australia during his time in office and his ambitions for the future.
The COVID-19 pandemic is still in its infancy. Although the measures seem to be working in both Australia and Greece, vigilance is needed. How did you experience the pandemic outbreak at the Consulate General and what were the biggest challenges?
The main challenge we faced due to the coronavirus pandemic was to ensure the smooth running of the Consulate General, while at the same time taking measures to safeguard public health and that of our staff. Therefore, in order to safeguard public health and following the relevant instructions of the Greek Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the Consulate General immediately made a temporary adjustment of its mode of operation, handling only urgent and absolutely necessary consular matters, by appointment. At the same time, we immediately implemented the necessary precautionary hygiene measures in our transactions with the public, in compliance with the instructions given by the competent Australian Authorities and the Greek Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
In addition,
throughout the crisis, we have been closely monitoring developments and
measures to address the pandemic in New South Wales and we have been updating,
on a daily basis, the information we provide to those interested by phone and
email, by posting relevant announcements on our website, and by updating our
social media. In order to keep up to date and be fully effective, we are, of
course, in close coordination with the Embassy of Greece and the other Consular
Authorities of our country in Australia, but also with the Consular Authorities
of the Member States of the European Union in Sydney.
Were
there cases of Greeks who were called to intervene to be repatriated? What are
the most common requests arriving at the Consulate these days?
Our priority
throughout this crisis has been to be of assistance, by promptly providing valid
information and issuing relevant documents, to all Greek citizens left stranded
in New South Wales, who have expressed to the Consulate General the desire to
be repatriated to Greece, many of them being visitors whose return flights had
been cancelled due to pandemic. To this end, the Consulate General has recorded
the names of those Greek citizens on a special list and has kept the Greek
Ministry of Foreign Affairs informed, in coordination with the Embassy of
Greece. The Consulate General is also in constant communication and cooperation
with the Holy Archdiocese of Australia, which, it is worth noting, helped
several of our compatriots return to Greece and expressed its readiness to
provide assistance in any way possible. The Consulate General is also in contact
with associations of the Greek community in Sydney.
In
particular, the Consulate General has provided information, among other things,
on the available commercial flights to Greece, on the measures being enforced
in Greece (including the mandatory quarantine for 14 days passengers arriving
in Greece), as well as on the process of temporary residence permits renewal in
Australia, organised by the Australian authorities. The Consulate General also
provided dual (Greek and Australian) citizens who did not have a Greek
passport, with certificates of Greek citizenship or temporary travel documents
for their smooth return to Greece and informed them of the procedure to take
permission by the Australian Authorities to leave Australia.
As for
Australian citizens, the Consulate General provided, during the crisis,
information on the imposition of a temporary ban on entry into Greece of
third-country nationals other than EU member states and Schengen Area countries,
as well as on exceptions from that ban.
In addition to the above, other urgent cases that the Consulate General continued to serve concerned, in particular, the provision of power of attorney and information pertaining to national service affairs.
What are
the most common requests that are made to the Consulate General under normal
circumstances?
Under normal
circumstances, the Consulate General in Sydney is usually required to issue
visas to Greece, to facilitate expatriates to exercise their right to acquire
Greek citizenship, to provide Greek citizens with Greek passports, to provide
power of attorney, to register births, marriages and deaths, to provide information and documents
pertaining to national service affairs and to certify the authenticity of
documents.
Much of Greece’s GDP comes from tourism. This year the tourism seems almost lost. Australia and its Greeks contribute to this. Do you think that this stable connection with the motherland will be restored? Do you think it is necessary to have some campaigns for Greece and tourism in Australia?
Indeed, the
tourism sector is very important for the Greek economy, as a large part of our
country’s GDP comes from it. From 2012 onwards, Greece has reached record numbers
of arrivals every year and from 2017 onwards, the annual arrivals consistently have
exceeded 30 million. In 2019 we had a new record number of arrivals, as
international visitors exceeded 34 million, while arrivals from Australia also
set a new record and reached 338,600 people. The total tourism revenue in 2019
amounted to 18.2 billion euros, while revenues from Australian tourists
amounted to 371 million euros.
As you
mentioned, part of the revenue for 2020 has already been lost, due to the travel
restrictions imposed internationally to deal with the coronavirus pandemic.
Exactly when the flow of tourism from Australia to Greece will be restored will
depend on the developments regarding the pandemic, which in turn will determine
both the decisions made by the Australian government regarding the international
travel of Australian citizens, and the decisions of the Greek government.
Regarding the promotion of tourism in Greece in the meantime, a very successful campaign for Greek tourism is already underway, titled Greece From Home, which has attracted lots of attention and has received enthusiastic reviews from abroad. This campaign aims to promote the image of Greece and the tourism opportunities Greece offers, in order to encourage third-country nationals to visit our country as soon as the travel restrictions are lifted.
From the point of view of the Consulate General, we are always ready to work with local agencies to organise promotion activities when conditions in Australia allow it, as we have often done in the past.
In
December you will complete three years in the post of Consul General of Greece
in Australia. Tell us the impressions you formed from the community and the
Greeks of Australia?
My impressions of the Greek community in Australia and, in particular, of New South Wales are excellent. The Greek-Australians have managed, through their hard work, perseverance and ingenuity, to consolidate their position in a distant, new but hospitable environment. At the same time, they have contributed, like few other peoples, to building their new homeland. The successful integration of the Greek community into the Australian society has contributed to both the strengthening of Australia’s multicultural character and the creation, maintenance and further strengthening of cordial relations between Greece and Australia.
The presence of
Greek-Australians is strong in the fields of politics (both at the federal and
state levels), the economy and culture. Hundreds of Greek community
associations produce great social, educational and cultural work, which
includes, among other things: the organisation of Greek festivals and Greek
cinema festivals; the provision of scholarships to Greek-Australian students
and scientists, and Greek artists; the arrival of members of the Presidential
Guard in Australia to participate in ANZAC Day or the Greek Independence Day
celebrations; and the organisation of annual events to celebrate the Anniversary of the Battle
of Crete and the Greek Campaign. It is no coincidence that the
Hellenic Lyceum Sydney, the first subsidiary of “The Lykeion ton Hellenidon”
(“The Lyceum Club of Greek Women”) outside Greece was founded here in Sydney in
1951.
Sydney is
also, of course, the seat of the Holy Archdiocese of Australia, which carries
out activities not only purely religious, but also social, educational and
cultural, e.g. through its bilingual
colleges and afternoon schools, as well St Andrew’s Theological College.
The Greek
community has managed to combine its successful integration into the
multicultural Australian society with the preservation of Greek identity, the
Greek way of life and Greek culture. This fact is evident in the
Greek-Australians’ level of knowledge of the Greek language and their close
contact, even within the younger generations, with our country (which they
often visit), our customs and our traditions.
Modern Greek
studies at a university level, as well
as the Greek newspapers and radio programs in Greek, have also made a
significant contribution to the preservation of the Greek language and culture
in New South Wales, e. g. at the
Department of Modern Greek and Byzantine Studies at the University of Sydney,
or within the framework of the Program of Modern
Greek Studies at Macquarie University.
Looking
at your resume and previous interviews, I was impressed by your degree in
literature. Albert Camus’s “The Plague” is a classic read that these days
captures in a piece what we live. Mr. Proxenes, do you think that literature
has taught us lessons during the pandemic?
The subject of plagues has attracted many writers and has been a source of inspiration, as a background or as a major theme, for important works of European literature. From Boccaccio’s “The Decameron” to Jose Saramago’s “Blindness”, each author offers their own perspective and different stimuli to the reader. In Greek literature, I think Alexandros Papadiamantis’ short story “Vardianos sta Sporka” stands out, but it would be an omission not to mention the History of the Peloponnesian War, as Thucydides’ description of the plague that struck Athens is one of its most fascinating passages.
To confine
myself to Albert Camus’ “The Plague” that you mentioned, one of the
most important novels of the 20th century, whose protagonist is a doctor, in the same way
as the protagonists of the current crisis are doctors, nurses and other
healthcare professionals, the pandemic teaches us how we can give meaning to
our lives by choosing love and kindness, empathy and generosity towards fellow
human beings. Plagues and wars always find people unprepared, says Camus, who implies
that even if we can’t eliminate all instances of evil and suffering that plague
humanity, we can at least try to reduce them with small, everyday acts of heroism.
Personal
ambitions after about 3 years in Sydney? You will want to stay here or take the
next step?
According to
the statutes of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, there are time limits to our
posting to the various Greek Missions abroad, therefore, depending on the needs
of the Ministry, I will inevitably have to leave Sydney at some stage. In fact,
taking into consideration that I came to Sydney directly after Moscow where I
served at our Embassy and given that after two consecutive postings abroad we have to return to the Ministry of Foreign
Affairs in Athens, I know for certain that after my departure I will return to Greece.
As for my personal ambitions, I would like, as any other Greek diplomat would, to serve at
other equally interesting Greek missions abroad and, of course, to advance up the
hierarchy within the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. After Athens, I have some
preferences for the future, but I would say that the unanticipated also has its
own charm. In any case, I consider it a privilege and a great honour to have
been given the opportunity to serve as Consul General of Greece in Sydney.
The Greek contribution to Australia’s socio- economic post World War II development should not be underestimated; so many Greek migrants grabbed arising opportunities to start their own businesses and successfully served and catered their communities. Looking at the growth and impact of Sydney’s Greek businesses highlights how some of them transcended local markets to become important players at national and international markets. And one of these successful Greek businesses is undoubtedly Marrickville’s M & J Chickens, which was established by Minas Souris.
Whichever angle you examine the M & J Chicken’s story, it is simply a great story; whether it is a migrant story of working incredibly hard for the business to succeed, the actual success of M and J Chickens or even looking at Minas’ down-to-earth and humble attitude, it is all there for a great story!
What is fascinating about successful entrepreneurs is often their different background to the business of their eventual success which raises the important question of how they actually got into that business. And as a young man, Minas Souris followed the family trade of carpentry in boat-building in idyllic Agia Pelagia, Kythira. When the Halioris family, who were already in Australia, were holidaying in Kythira, Minas met Jenny (Halioris); after marrying in Kythira, Minas found himself migrating to Australia and his first job was at Easy Fix Windows, which was run by compatriots, Harry Zantiotis, with his uncle, Vaggeli. Although Minas was appreciative to have a job, he realised work opportunities were actually better on Kythira, and he and Jenny began preparations to return home.
However, fate stepped in. It was when Minas began working in the chicken shop at Seven Ways, in Rockdale, which was run by Terry Zistis- his father-in-law, Harry (Halioris) and Harry Asimakopoulos, (who would eventually buy this business) – that Minas experienced the opportunity for lots of work in this very busy shop and he decided to stay in Australia.
Being highly motivated, Minas and Jenny’s first opportunity was to buy John Mallos’ delicatessen at Wiley Park and renovate it into a chicken shop. To attract customers to Wiley Park’s ‘quiet’ shopping strip, Minas bought chicken in bulk, at a cheaper price, and sold it to customers at a cheaper price. After a few years, Minas took the next big step and began distributing chicken by setting up a workshop in the rear of the shop to prepare the chicken. Minas and Jenny subsequently became wholesalers.
In only four years, M and J Chickens outgrew its premises and moved to Sloane Street, Marrickville, where Peter Meletis had his food distribution business. M and J Chickens has never looked back since! It grew and grew… and grew and grew… into the enormous business it is today!
Asked about M & J Chickens success, Mina explains, “When starting off a business, the hardest part is gaining the trust of your customers. In competitive markets, why should customers use your product and service when they can go elsewhere? What has always been paramount for us is: high quality product,and excellent service – at the best price. Trust is very important, and comes over many years.”
Minas summarises the hard work and sacrifice in building a successful business, ‘It takes time for a business to grow. M & J Chickens are the largest distributor of chicken in Australia and even exports chicken to several countries; people see how big M & J Chickens is but we were not always like this. It took many years of hard work to develop and grow to this point. We put in very long hours into the business, finishing 11pm and getting up again at 5am was our normal routine during busy periods. Nothing happens easy in business.
Being taken on a tour through M & J Chickens is truly an eye-opener at the thorough quality control through the premises. To ensure boneless chicken has no bones, it is a long process- including the high- tech machinery and lots of staff- making very sure everything is perfect. And underlying such thoroughness is M & J Chickens’ objective to remain at the forefront of their industry, “Our work is our work. We work, we invest. We invest millions of dollars into our business, whether it meant buying property to expand our business, or buying the latest equipment. We put so much back into M & J Chickens.”
All Minas and Jenny’s children, Michalis, Maria and Theoharis (Haris), worked in the family business. In 2018, a private equity company bought 75% of M & J Chickens, and the Souris family remain actively involved in the business.
M and J Chickens’ story is featured in Vasili’s book, “Little Athens: Marrickville”.
Jenny Souris, the ‘J’ of M & J Chickens, tragically passed on May 12 after a long fought battle with breast cancer. News of her death came after NRL club Canterbury-Bankstown Bulldogs released a statement on the sadness of her passing.
M & J Chickens have been a long time sponsor of the NRL club, with Jenny Souris being one of their longest standing fans.
— Canterbury-Bankstown Bulldogs (@NRL_Bulldogs) May 14, 2020
“She was a personable and grounded lady who loved to spend time with family and close friends and was always so happy to see the M&J logo proudly displayed on the Bulldogs jerseys,” Canterbury-Bankstown Bulldogs said in the statement.
“Jenny was unwell for some time and was surrounded by family when she passed on Tuesday.”
The Greek Herald would like to pass on their condolences to the Souris family.
The relationship between tennis duo Nick Kyrgios and Anna Kalinskaya appears to have ended on poor terms, with the Russian tennis star announcing the rough break up to her Instagram followers this week.
The world No. 95 shared a post to her Instagram grid, captioning it ‘f***ing energy vampire’ before later deleting it. Kalinskaya then posted another photo captioned ‘you’re not a bad boy, you’re simply a bad person’, before also deleting it.
Many of the Kalinskaya’s followers assumed both messages was directed at Australian tennis player Nick Kyrgios.
While the couple were in an unconfirmed relationship, they were seen together from as early as March when they both visited Acapulco for the Mexico Open. The duo had also been spotted together prior to the new year.
Kalinskaya confirmed the break-up of their relationship on Monday during an Instagram Q&A, adding the pair are no longer in contact.
Nick Kyrgios with female tennis player Anna Kalinskaya in Mexico after retiring injured from the Mexican Open two days earlier. Photo: Daily Mail
“We broke up. We aren’t friends. I understand you are his friends and it’s cool but I’m not going to talk about him,” Kalinskaya posted.
The 21-year-old asked fans to be respectful of the pair in the wake of their split.
The 24-year-old Kyrgios previously dated Croatian-Australian tennis player Anya Tomljanovic, the couple splitting in 2017.
A massive Greek flag was hoisted onto position with a bug crane near the border with Turkey on Thursday (May 14), marked by local media as the “Largest Greek flag ever”.
The gigantic 600 square metre flag was hoisted in the Port of Alexandroupoli, taking part in ceremonies to mark 100 years since the liberation of the city of Alexandroupoli.
The 600 square metre dimensions were set to commemorate 600 years of Bulgarian and Ottoman oppression. The flag raising service was joined by hundreds of guests, with social distancing measures in place.
Wow! Greeks in Alexandroupoli unfurled a 600 sq. meter flag to honor the 100th anniversary of the liberation of Western Thrace.
600 sq. meters to commemorate 600 years of Bulgarian and Ottoman oppression. Ζήτω! pic.twitter.com/oIYOwzQclJ
NSW Teachers Federation warned it was prepared to take “whatever action is necessary” to ensure the government upheld an agreement to give teachers and principals a 2.28 per cent pay rise in January, Sydney Morning Herald reports.
NSW Teachers Federation president Angelo Gavrielatos said the union will consider “all options” to defend their members’ rights, not ruling out industrial action.
“We’re demanding that the agreement be honoured. We’re not negotiating anything. We have an agreement,” NSW Teachers Federation president Angelo Gavrielatos said.
Gavrielatos is joined by the NSW Nurses and Midwives Association (NSWNMA), whose public sector union pay agreements end on June 30.
If the government continues with this wage freeze, NSWNMA general secretary Brett Holmes said the option of industrial action would be a matter for the branches.
NSWNMA general secretary Brett Holmes. Photo: NSW Nurses and Midwives Association
“Should the government proceed with this, I have no doubt our members will be very frustrated.”
Mr Holmes said the union would not “trade off our wages for jobs” and accept a pay rise lower than the 2.5 per cent cap – the maximum amount public sector wages can increase each year.
“Why would you ask those hardworking nurses and midwives to pay out of their wages to keep the rest of the service going. That shouldn’t be a question asked of them,” he said.
Treasurer Dominic Perrottet revealed last month he had been developing a cabinet proposal to halt public servants’ pay rises for 12 months, yet says the government has not yet made a decision on its wages policy.
“Of the 4.1 million people employed in NSW, 90 per cent are employed in the private sector and many of these people are facing the prospect of massive pay cuts and job losses,” he said.
Greece’s largest carrier Aegean Airlines said on Thursday it will gradually restart flights from Athens to some major European destinations by the end of May, ending a suspension prompted by the new coronavirus pandemic.
Aegean, a member of the Star Alliance airline group, suspended its international flights on March 26 as a result of flight restrictions related to the coronavirus crisis.
Airlines around the world grounded flights as civil aviation authorities imposed restrictions and countries closed borders and imposed lockdowns to try to curtail the spread of the coronavirus.
The carrier said it will restart operations from its Athens hub to Munich, Zurich, Frankfurt and Geneva, initially with a reduced timetable. It will also add more flights to Brussels – the only international destination that had not been suspended.
Aegean will increase flights in its domestic network from May 18-25, adding capacity to destinations including Heraklion and Chania in Crete, Thessaloniki, Alexandroupolis and the islands of Rhodes, Corfu, Lesbos, Chios and Samos.
“Aegean is willing to gradually and with extreme cautiousness restore its network while fully respecting the tremendous national effort to control the COVID-19 outbreak within the country,” the carrier said.
Greece was one of the effective European countries in handling the pandemic, containing the spread of COVID-19 infections to 2,770 confirmed cases and 156 deaths.
In preparation for the resumption of flights, Aegean said it has already stepped up precautionary measures, including the mandatory use of masks during flights and aircraft cleaning and disinfection procedures.
![‘Largest Greek flag ever’ hoisted to honour liberation of Alexandroupoli [VIDEO]](/wp-content/uploads/2020/05/Screen-Shot-2020-05-15-at-9.47.11-am-768x434.jpg "‘Largest Greek flag ever’ hoisted to honour liberation of Alexandroupoli [VIDEO]")
