Every year on November 17, students march through the streets to mark the anniversary of the 1973 student uprising at the Athens Polytechnic University. On this day, university students remember the inspiration they gave to thousands of Greeks to march against the Greek military junta.
According to government spokesman Stelios Petsas, however, this year’s annual march is unlikely to take place.
The spokesperson said that while the issue is a better of discussion with the other parties, he believed that in the end the march will be cancelled.
Stelios Petsas. Photo: Athina984
“If we have a ban, there is no sense in having any marches,” Petsas told private radio station Skai.
Petsas said the issuing of the new lockdown by Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis, which will come into effect on Saturday morning, offered a message of unity and a call for politicians, scientists and citizens to cooperate to address the pandemic.
Last year, student protests at Athens University of Economics and Business turned violent as police fired gas and firecrackers to disperse aggravated protestors. Some students threw stones and scuffled with officers while others clapped and chanted slogans.
At the time, the Greek Prime Minister suggested that universities need to end political protesting, “mallets and molotov-cocktails”, and become a safe place of learning.
Every so often you come across very special stories; in so mycase, it is more often than so… as I continually comes across fascinating people with interesting stories. Dimitris and Vasilia Alavanos’ story is just one of those amazing stories; from whichever perspective we examine their work and efforts, it amazing!!!
Dimitris and Vasilia’s story is simply fantastic, whichever way you look at it. A nursery is a very, very different business! That Dimitris and Vasilia took their hobby- of growing orchids- to the next level (i.e. nursery) when Dimitri retired from his ‘day’ job! That Dimitri has cross pollinated orchids and even created his own orchid, “Cronulla Jim”….this list goes and on!!!’
Dimtris migrated to Sydney, Australia, in 1960; his first job here was in the W. Stevens metal work factory which manufactured products such as air conditioners and mufflers. Then, he found work at the Slazenger factory in Alexandria, where he worked in the tennis section. In 1963, Dimitris married Vasilia (nee: Kougiou) and they settled in Balmain. Being a furniture maker and carpenter in Lesvos, Greece, Dimitris and his brother George worked as sub contractors for many years until Dimitris successfully got a job as a carpenter in Drummoyne Municipal Council as a carpenter.
Photo: Vasilis Vasilas
HOW ONE THING LEADS TO ANOTHER!?! Preparing the timber stalls for an annual orchid show in Drummoyne’s Town Hall, Dimitris and Vasilia were immediately captivated by the variety, colour and beauty of orchids when they attended this orchid show. They bought a few bulbs and off they went; in the tiny rear of their Balmain house, they created a ‘bush house’ on the outside laundry’s roof and began growing orchids… as a hobby.
It was when Dimitris and Vasilia moved to Roselands that Dimitri could transform the backyards of their houses as their garden and nursery.
Working their nursery, Dimitris compares it to painting the Sydney Harbour Bridge, once the growing process finishes, you have to return to the beginning. As Dimitris explains, ‘Growing orchids is a very long process; we start with twenty or so seedlings in a community pot and, over time, we re-pot them in individual and larger pots- re-potting lasts for years! When they bloom, however, it is worth the wait because orchids are beautiful.’
Photo: Vasilis Vasilas
Running a nursery is labour-intensive that requires hard work, dedication and effort. What Dimitris enjoys, however, is the unpredictability of growing orchids, ‘The most exciting aspect about growing orchids is what will grow from the seedling. I may have an expectation but I do not know what will come out; there are different sizes, colours, shapes, textures… I love the constant surprise!’
And has Dimitris created his own orchids? He explains the process of coming up with his own species, ‘Orchids are very easy to cross pollinate. I am constantly experimenting and I have come up with my own species too. We have to register the new species in Britain. My species was Cronulla Jim, as the seed came from a grower in Cronulla. We used to participate in Orchid Shows and won awards and ribbons; at our age, we are passed this now.’
Photo: Vasilis Vasilas
Asked about what it is like to work in such a beautiful environment, surrounded by orchids, Dimitri admits, ‘Orchids may be beautiful but there is a lot of hard work involved. In whatever you do, you have to have κέφι (fun) and μεράκι (good taste)- you have to love what you do! I am lucky to love what I do and I will keep going for as long as I can.’
And what is the future of such a blooming business? Dimtris explains, ‘None of our children are interested in growing orchids. This is not a family problem; it is a general problem. Young people enjoy other types of work. Once, there were lots of growers; they have rapidly decreased over the years. We all have a similar grievance that this will eventually die out. When I pass away, I think a bulldozer will come through (laughs)! And the irony to all this is there is a genuine demand for orchids. We are very, very busy…’
Watching their nursery in full bloom is spectacularly beautiful, it is just a sea of vibrant colours…
Victorians celebrate a full week of no new cases of coronavirus and no further deaths, likely allowing for further restrictions to be eased from Sunday night.
Victorian Premier Daniel Andrews announced that from Monday, New Zealanders will be able to fly into Melbourne directly. Mr Andrews said he had written to Prime Minister Scott Morrison to say the state would join the trans-Tasman bubble, after seven days in a row of zero new COVID-19 cases.
“Whilst we inadvertently found ourselves in the bubble … New Zealanders will now be able to travel directly into Melbourne,” he said.
“Now’s the time, because cases are so low and we’re opening up, we can have flights directly into our city and our state. There will be no quarantine (for people from New Zealand).”
Flights from New Zealand could land at Melbourne Airport as soon as Monday.(AAP: Mal Fairclough)
There were 18,671 test results processed on Thursday, which Mr Andrews said was a “very strong number”.
“We need to keep that going so we know what’s out there and what isn’t,” he said at a press conference underground in the Metro Tunnel construction site on Friday morning.
“This Sunday we will make really significant announcements about taking further steps around 25km limit, the ‘ring of steel’ with regional Victoria and some expansions for different settings – bars, restaurants and cafes,” Mr Andrews said.
Another day of double zero. Yesterday there were zero new cases and zero lives lost. The 14 day average is 1.3 and there are 2 cases with an unknown source. More info here and also later today: https://t.co/pcll7ySEgz#COVID19VicDatapic.twitter.com/YuOYkv9tlq
“We’ll also map out for Victorians what the rest of November looks like – some further steps we’d like to take a couple of weeks after this Sunday.
“That is all on track, and these numbers are very impressive. With commitment and vigilance, we need to keep going, we can’t pretend seven days of zeros are like a vaccine against this virus … If we all do our best, we can see these numbers low, we can open up and importantly stay open.”
There is now just one healthcare worker with COVID-19 in Victoria. Two people remain in hospital with the virus, but neither are in intensive care.
Two Greek Super League sides have come away with victories in the Europa League Friday morning. Thessaloniki based team PAOK managed to defeat 3rd placed Dutch side PSV 4-1, meanwhile AEK Athens came home with a similar 4-1 win against Zorya Luhansk.
PAOK managed to shock fans as they came back from being one goal down in the 20th minute due to a penalty given away by PAOK’s Douglas Augusto Soares Gomes, who also received a yellow card.
Entering the second half one goal down, PAOK came out in blazing hot form to score three goals in fifteen minutes. The first goal, scored by midfielder Stefan Schwab, was scored only two minutes after the Greeks came back on the pitch.
PAOK 4 – 1 PSV Eindhoven (83')@PAOK_FC are running RAGGED! Scoring 4 unanswered, highlighted by a Zivkovic brace & this classy finish by Greece's 18 year old golden boy Christos Tzolis 🔥
A fourth goal scored by Andrija Živković, his second of the night, wrapped up a nice victory for the Thessaloniki team.
Meanwhile in the Ukraine, AEK Athens impressed with four goals against a struggling Ukrainian Premier League side. The game was gritty, to say the least, with an astonishing 29 fouls between the two sides, with 17 of those committed by AEK Athens.
While the Greek capital side dominated on the scoresheet, putting four goals against the Ukrainians, they finished the match with only 34 percent possession. This was accompanied with a disappointing pass accuracy rate of 64 percent, compared with Zorya Luhansk’s 83 percent.
SYRIZA leader Alexis Tsipras criticised a decision by the Greek parliament to postpone a debate on the coronavirus pandemic and its burden on public transport, which was scheduled for Friday.
Tsipras proceeded to slam the government for what he called its attempt to block parliamentary procedures, “after the lockdown announcement” and what he called “the prime minister’s confession of failure” in managing the pandemic.
The cancellation led to Tsipras announcing through social media that he will instead be holding a press conference on Friday “to see these arguments publicly heard.”
A press release by the main opposition party also accused the government of “criminal negligence” which led to the second nationwide lockdown.
“A few months ago he boasted that he had defeated the coronavirus, a few days ago that it was unthinkable to have a second lockdown, a few hours ago that the measures he announced on Saturday would take us to December. He was proven wrong in everything,” SYRIZA said in a press release.
The party accused the government of failing to boost ICU capacity and increase hirings of medical personnel ahead of the second wave of the pandemic.
“When all the scientists in the world were talking about a second and harder wave, Mr. Mitsotakis’ complacency is not just a mistake. It is criminal negligence,” it added.
Greece registered 2646 infections on Wednesday, the highest daily tally since its first case surfaced, bringing the total number of cases to 46,892. So far, 673 people have died of the disease.
The Greek division of one of the world’s most popular chocolate companies, Nestlé, recently announced that it will donate 6 Paediatric Intensive Care Units (ICU) to the only public Paediatric Cardiac Surgery Centre of GNPA “Aghia Sophia”.
With this donation, 3 new paediatric Intensive Care Units (ICUs) will be created and another 3 existing ones will be completely upgraded, leaving a permanent legacy for the hospital and the Health System in the medical care of children, according to the APE-MPE.
The President and CEO of Nestlé Hellas, Nikos Emmanouilidis, said: “This year has been difficult for everyone. We are faced with an unprecedented situation that reminds us every day that there is nothing more important than our health.
Nestle Hellas. Photo: AMNA-MPA
“Our company is a member of Greek society and we are here to help meet the challenges it faces.
“It is especially important for us to be able to contribute to the effort made to strengthen the National Health System, especially when this effort is focused on children who are the hope for the future and the source of our optimism.”
“Aghia Sophia” is the largest children’s hospital in Greece and one of the largest children’s hospitals in Europe. There are currently 110 intensive care beds for children and newborns as well as specialised departments, including the Bone Marrow Transplant Unit, the Haematology & Oncology Departments and the Paediatric Cardiology Department.
Greece’s coast guard towed a boat carrying 65 asylum-seekers to a port on the country’s western coast after it was found to be in distress in the Ionian Sea, authorities said Thursday.
The Migration and Asylum ministry said that 35 of those on board were from Turkey, 15 from Afghanistan, eight from Iraq and seven from Iran.
Fifty-seven had already applied for asylum in Greece, it said, adding that they would be transferred to refugee centers, while those who had no documentation would apply for asylum.
A vessel with migrants arrive after an operation by the Greek Coast guard at the port of Katakolo, western Greece, Tuesday, Nov. 3, 2020. (Giannis Spyrounis/ilialive.gr via AP)
Two people believed to be the boat’s crew members were sent to court.
It was the second case this week of Greek authorities intercepting migrant boats off the western coast of Greece, where they were believed to be heading to neighboring Italy.
On Wednesday, the coast guard said it received a call about a yacht in distress off the coast of the island of Corfu. Coast guard vessels picked up 25 people, including nine children, from the boat.
The coast guard said the adults were arrested for violating immigration laws, while the children were placed in protective custody. Authorities were searching for three people believed to be part of a migrant smuggling ring.
People in Greece accused of animal torture will be dealt much harsher penalties and potentially longer prison sentences if convicted in court, according to an amendment voted on unanimously in the Greek parliament on Thursday.
As part of the amendment to the Justice Ministry bill, any acts of extreme cruelty to animals will be punished by up to 10 years imprisonment. The offences include “poisoning, hanging, burning, crushing, mutilating” animals.
Under the current law, such offences carry a prison sentence of at least one year and fines ranging between 5,000 and 15,000 euros.
Dog in a cage. Photo: SHUTTERSTOCK
The Minister of Regional Development and Infrastructure, Makis Voridis, announced a tightening of legal framework three weeks ago, after increasing cases of reported animal abuse.
According to a statement from the Ministry, “the specific initiative of the Minister follows his announcements for further tightening of the existing legal framework in order to make the prosecution and punishment of tortured animals more effective.”
The minister adds that, “incidents of violence against animals have no place in a favoured state and constitute a serious insult to both the state and Greek society, while pointing out that there is an urgent need to toughen penalties in order to eliminate this kind of unacceptable phenomena”.
Under the newly proposed amendment, temporarily seized pets and animals will be permanently taken away from their owners if they fail to commit to the financial costs of the animal’s restoration of health, its veterinary care and the proper living conditions.
Based on data from the Report Animal Abuse Greece website, 809 complaints were registered in 2014, while in 2018 the number jumped to 3,734.
Cyprus is bringing back an island-wide, overnight curfew in a bid to curb a surge of new COVID-19 infections that authorities worry could overburden the country’s health care system.
The curfew, which is to take effect Friday, orders bars, restaurants, shopping malls and cafes to shut by 10:30 p.m.
The only exceptions to the curfew will be for anyone who’s on the job and for emergency medical reasons. A 10-person maximum for gatherings at home or any public space — except in bars and restaurants — is part of the effort.
Cyprus’ President televised speech 4, November 2020.
Health Minister Constantinos Ioannou also announced a ban on all kids’ sports and social activities, and the closure of indoor and outdoor playgrounds as well as gyms.
The health ministry on Wednesday announced 166 new coronavirus cases after 3,529 tests and cases since March now reaching 5,100.
The ministry said 63 were contacts of previously confirmed cases, tracked by the contact tracing team. An additional 65 cases were detected through 1,003 tests conducted privately.
President Nicos Anastasiades warned in a televised address that the spread of the coronavirus is on the verge of getting out of hand.
Greece will enter a second nationwide lockdown for three weeks from the morning of Saturday, 7 November. The lockdown will end on November 30.
The announcement came from Greece’s Prime Minister, Kyriakos Mitsotakis, tonight after COVID-19 cases spiked in the country in recent days.
In a similar way to the first lockdown, movement will be limited to essentials, all retails stores will close and travel between regions will be banned.
Secondary schools will close and switch to distance learning. Kindergartens and primary schools will remain open.
Authorities will also reintroduce a system obliging citizens to send text messages to a government number to leave home to work, shop, visit a doctor or take exercise.
Mitsotakis said during the press conference that the lockdown is necessary, citing an “aggressive increase in infections,” a rise in intubations and ICU entries.
“Once again, I choose to take measures sooner rather than later,” Mitsotakis said. “If the government waited and the measures didn’t work, pressure on our hospitals would be unbearable.”
Mitsotakis added he is taking note of the advice from the expert committee advising the government, including Greek Australian immunologist, Sotiris Tsiodras.
The Prime Minister also said Greece’s Finance Minister, Christos Staikouras, will announce plans later tonight which will financially support citizens who will be affected by the new lockdown.
