The Northern Territory will become the first Australian state or territory to welcome back competitive football on Friday evening, with the territory’s Women’s and Men’s Premier League competitions set to return in Darwin.
Grassroots football was suspended on March 17 in the face of COVID-19 related restrictions but in light of the NT having effectively eliminated COVID-19 within its borders, football’s return was announced by Football Northern Territory (FNT).
Given the success of the state in suppressing COVID-19, the fixtures are also set to be played in front of fans with FNT to allow free entry – albeit with attendance capped at 500 to maintain social distancing requirements.
NT Yappas, Australia’s only indigenous women’s team playing in the Territory’s women’s top tier, and Hellenic Athletic, the reigning champions and premiers, will meet in the first of two games set to be staged at Darwin Football Stadium on Friday night, followed by Mindil Aces taking on Hellenic Athletic’s men.
Spectators will be allowed in stadiums to watch the football game between Hellenic Athletic and the NT Yappas.
“Many congratulations to Football Northern Territory and the NT Government for the close collaboration and the hard work that has enabled the return of football this weekend,” FFA CEO James Johnson said.
“As the most popular club-based participation sport in the country, football has an important role to play in the recovery of our nation post-coronavirus, and it’s great to see Football Northern Territory leading the way and kicking off the re-booted season in Australia.
“I wish everyone playing this weekend a safe and successful return to action, and I’m particularly looking forward to watching Friday night’s opening fixture between NT Yappas and Hellenic Athletic Women.”
To mark the return of football to the NT and Australia at large, both the men’s and women’s fixtures are set to be broadcast – for the first time – on SBS’ The World Game’s Website and the FFA’s YouTube, Facebook and Twitter accounts.
The Hellenic Athletic’s men team will go head to head with the Mindil Aces. Source: Hellenic Athletic Club Facebook.
ABC Darwin’s Shannon Byrne and former Socceroo Craig Foster are set to feature on Yappas and Athletic’s contest, while Fox Sports’ Simon Hill and FNT Technical Director and former North Queensland Fury player John Tambouras will be behind the microphone for the clash between Aces and Athletic.
“Our clubs have been asked to strictly adhere to government advice and implement special guidelines for our community to follow and they have done an amazing job so far. We look forward to the next step on our journey to recovery when our clubs take to the field this Friday night,” FNT Chief Executive Bruce Stalder said.
“We met with the Chief Health Officer during the week and confirmed we were able to host a crowd of up to 500 spectators. All those attending will be reminded of the protocols required to adhere to social distancing requirements.
“We are extremely excited that for the first time, all of the games in the Men’s Premier League this season will be live streamed on the FNT Facebook page and YouTube Channel, showcasing our game and the Northern Territory to new audiences both in Australia and around the world.”
A further four matches, two men’s premier league and two women’s, will be played across the weekend.
After the Fall of Constantinople by the Ottoman Turks on May 29, 1453, Athens came under the rule of the Franks and became a tax subject of the Sultan. The once stately city became the capital of the Duchy of Athens, headed by the young Florentino Francesco Acciaiuoli.
With the approval of Sultan Muhammad II, Francesco’s ambitious mother usurped power until 1455 when Francesco gained the upper hand once again, imprisoned his mother in Megara and later killed her.
Such heinous actions prompted Mohammed II to overthrow the Duchy of Athens. General Turahanoglou Omer Bey moved against Athens and on June 4, 1456, occupied it, except for the Acropolis, which was bravely defended by the young Atzagiolis.
The Fall of Athens by the Ottoman Turks occurred on June 4, 1456.
According to historical sources, the people of Athens, who had suffered for two centuries from the political, economic and religious oppression of the Franks, were initially relieved to receive the new tyrant, who promised to provide political and ecclesiastical privileges to the city’s Greek Orthodox population.
However, with the fall of the Acropolis in July 1458, Athens passed into the dark era of Ottoman rule.
One month later, Mohammed II visited Athens for four days. He first received the keys to the city from the abbot of the Monastery of Kaisariani and then, according to the historian Kritovoulos, he went up to the Acropolis, where he admired the ancient monuments and ordered a mosque to be built (this did not go ahead).
Athens was eventually liberated on May 31, 1833, and on September 18, 1834, it was declared the capital of free Greece.
Greek American police officer Shay Mikalonis, who was gravely wounded during a protest in Las Vegas, continued to fight for his life on Wednesday after undergoing successful surgery to remove a bullet from his neck.
The 29-year-old was shot on Monday at the end of a Black Lives Matter protest in front of Circus Circus. Police said he was shot in the head, causing a spinal injury.
Las Vegas Police Protective Association Union President Steve Grammas said Wednesday morning that Mikalonis remained in a critical condition but there was some encouraging news.
“They successfully removed the bullet from his neck. His blood pressure is getting better. He is still alive and he is fighting,” Grammas said.
Mikalonis has been employed as a Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department officer for four years. His initial medical condition was reported as “grave” as he was placed on life support.
His alleged shooter, 20-year-old Edgar Samaniego, has since been jailed on multiple counts, including attempted murder. During an initial court appearance, Samaniego was denied bail.
The Greek American fraternal organisation AHEPA wrote on Facebook that Mikalonis is a member of St John’s Greek Orthodox church in Las Vegas.
Turkish Foreign Minister, Mevlut Cavusoglu, has declared that Greece has no right to protect Hagia Sophia, the nearly 1500-year-old former cathedral, as it is “on Turkish territory.”
“Hagia Sophia is on Turkish territory, it was conquered,” Cavusoglu told Turkey’s 24 TV. “What we do in our country and with our property is up to us.”
Cavusoglu added that Athens is the only capital city without a single mosque and hence, should be the last to criticise Ankara.
Turkey marked the 567th anniversary of the Fall of Constantinople with Muslim prayers at Hagia Sophia, causing controversy. Source: SKAI TV.
“On the pretext of COVID-19 spread, Athens also did not allow the mosques to open in western Thrace,” Cavusoglu said.
This controversy between Greece and Turkey began on Friday, May 27, when Turkey celebrated the 567th anniversary of the Fall of Constantinople with Muslim prayers at Hagia Sophia.
At the time, the Greek Foreign Ministry released a statement condemning the move as “an unacceptable attempt to alter the monumental character of Hagia Sophia,” as well as a challenge to the religious sentiment of Christians everywhere.
“We once again call on Turkey to respect its international obligations and stop putting domestic expediencies ahead of its very privileged role as guardian of a monument as important as Hagia Sophia, which belongs to all of humanity,” the statement added.
On a number of occasions, Ankara has also strained relations with Athens by hinting that Hagia Sophia might be turned back into a mosque.
Demonstrators hurled firebombs in a march towards the US Embassy in Athens on Wednesday in a protest over the death of George Floyd in Minneapolis.
Reuters journalists saw demonstrators throwing several flaming objects which erupted into flames on the street towards the heavily-guarded embassy in central Athens and police responding with rounds of teargas.
The embassy itself was cordoned off with rows of blue police buses.
Demonstrators were holding banners and placards reading “Black lives matter” and “I can’t breathe”.
Police sources estimated the number of protesters at more than 3,000.
Tourism contributes the most to Greece’s economy and Gross Domestic Product. For this reason, The Greek Herald seeks to investigate, through a series of exclusive interviews, where Greece’s tourist season is heading this year and whether the long-term horizon seems ominous.
First
up for this exclusive series is the President of the Association of Hellenic
Tourism Industries (SETE), Giannis Retsos. He speaks seriously about how
tourism will be “at the forefront of the battle for the recovery of Greece.”
“I believe that tourism, despite the severity of the crisis, will endure,” Mr. Retsos, a graduate of the Athens Law School, told The Greek Herald.
As
CEO and one of the main shareholders of Electra Hotels & Resorts, which
manages five hotels in Athens, Thessaloniki and Rhodes, Mr Retsos has been
leading the Greek tourism business in recent years in a collective effort to
improve it. The main question we asked him, as it is on the tip of everyone’s
tongue recently, is whether the 2020 tourist season is lost.
President of SETE, Giannis Retsos, says tourism will be “at the forefront of the battle for the recovery of Greece.”
“The first difficult phase of the pandemic is over. With the effective management of the health sector, but also the timely support measures, we remained protected and the country strengthened its reputation abroad,” Mr Retsos explained.
“At SETE, we all worked during this time with realistic
and substantial interventions, in order to find effective solutions. We will
continue to do this in the near future, with the same sense of responsibility.
“The latest government announcements have moved in the
right direction to restart businesses, protect jobs and reduce data and major
losses by 2020. There are still areas for significant improvements and
initiatives.
“In the coming months, other interventions will certainly
be needed, as well as an immediate response to all the unbalanced factors that
will arise. Tourism, especially after the total opening of the borders on July
1, 2020, will once again be called to be at the forefront of the battle for the
recovery of Greece. “
The tourist product and its
positive promotion abroad:
The summer of 2020 will be strange for everyone in
Greece. Hygiene protocols will gain the leading position from the sun and the
sea. Doesn’t this mean that the tourist product should also be changed? We
asked the President of SETE.
SETE President, Giannis Retsos, is a strong advocate for Greece’s tourism sector.
“Because there has been a lot of talk about our core
product, the sun and the sea, even before the spread of the pandemic, no one is
saying that this model should be abandoned but that it could take on other
dimensions. In any case, tourism cannot operate with an autopilot,” Mr Retsos
told The Greek Herald.
“For the next day after the crisis, the formation of directions and the implementation of actions will continue to be in demand, with the preparation of a strategic plan with a vision. At the level of our “tourism brand,” today, man remains the number one value for our country and is the comparative advantage that differentiates us from the competing destinations.”
Posts about Greece’s positive management of the pandemic are also evident on a daily basis abroad. Will this positive correlation with the ideal management of the pandemic give an advantage to Greece?
“Indeed, Greece has a lead over its competitors in the positive climate that has been cultivated abroad all the last few weeks, in relation to the management of the health issue. However, I believe that it will not be capitalised this year and I think that is not the expectation. This year will be a very difficult year. Obviously, if we recover any losses, it will be a significant development. The goal will be to capitalise this lead we have acquired for next year and in the coming years and I believe that the campaign that is planned for Greek tourism and for our country will move in this direction,” M Retsos said.
Changing the model and Australia as a
target market:
For Greece, tourism is its oxygen. It contributes
about 25 percent of GDP directly and this year’s season, which is full of
doubts, is starting to create unspeakable fears for a bigger than expected
economic recession. Many argue that
Greece’s productive model needs to change and not rely so much on tourism.
Mr Retsos tells The Greek Herald that “Australia is a target market for tourism in Greece.”
“You know, when you’re in a “battle,” you don’t have the time or the opportunity to design new production models. If you will, this is a very big debate, in which I could agree on the level that a modern western economy cannot be based solely on tourism or for the most part, on tourism. But since tourism today, as you rightly said, contributes to 25 percent of the country’s GDP, we must do what we can to support it. Beyond that, without wanting to look optimistic, I believe that tourism, despite the severity of the crisis, will endure. In recent years, in the last decade, it has built solid foundations and has the infrastructure to go through the difficulties in the long run,” Mr Retsos said.
In Australia, the Greeks of the diaspora are a
constant for tourism in Greece. According to the President of SETE, Giannis
Retsos, in his exclusive interview with The Greek Herald last year,
there were 340,000 arrivals in Greece from Australia.
“Australia is included in the list of 29
countries that Greece will open its borders to for tourists from June 15. The
list was formed after a study of the epidemiological profile of the countries
of origin of tourists. In Australia in particular, the development of the
pandemic was extremely controlled, with a low death rate per 100,000 people.
Obviously, then, as a country, it is a target market for Greek tourism, as
there are also great ties with the Greek community,” the President of SETE
explained.
“In 2019, we had about 340,000 arrivals from Australia, while travel receipts exceeded 370 million. Certainly, the possibilities are many through a plan that will include both the Greeks of Australia and the Australians, in order to exceed these figures in the coming years.”
But although Greece will open its borders to tourists from Australia on June 15, many Australians are still unable to leave the country. This is a dilemma which will hopefully be resolved in the near future.
The coronavirus has taken a hefty toll on Australians. Thousands of businesses forced to close; many of those in rural areas of Australia, who already suffered from one of the worst droughts and bushfire seasons in Australian history.
Community newspapers have been the source of life for these rural areas. The Ballina Advocate, Byron Shire News, Lismore Northern Star and Tweed Daily News, all keeping their local community members informed and connected.
All of the papers listed, are now being forced to close as of June 29, leaving hundreds of journalists without jobs.
News Corp announced it is shutting almost all of its regional and community newspapers from June 29. Photo: Echonetdaily
The recently announced closures are the third wave of community newspaper shutdowns. News Corp Australia announced in April it will stop printing 60 of its community newspapers nation wide, including Brisbane News, the Central Coast Express Advocate, the Manly Daily and the Blacktown Advocate.
Also in April, Australian Community Media, which publishes 170 community titles, announced it’s suspension of dozens of their non-daily newspapers.
“It is terribly sad to lose the Advocate. It has been an important glue for the Ballina community,” said Ballina Shire Councillor Keith Williams this morning, speaking to Echonetdaily.
This sad loss was echoed by Ballina Shire Councillor Jeff Johnson who says that “The Advocate was full of local news stories and is how lots of people in Ballina source their local news.”
Local newspapers keep communities together
In almost every community, the newspaper is the first recorder of news.
“To say you don’t need newspapers because you’ve got the internet is like saying you don’t need farmers because you’ve got a grocery store,” Nevada Press head publisher Peter Wagner shares.
“The closure of so many mastheads represents an immense blow to local communities and, coming off the back of hundreds of previous regional closures during this period, it underlines the seriousness of the crisis facing regional and local journalism,” MEAA chief executive Paul Murphy said.
Just as all papers are providing a needed public service to their own communities, The Greek Herald has been serving their close-knit Greek Australian community.
The Greek Herald has been operating for 94 years and in that time, has been dedicated to delivering news to the Greek community.
“We have developed this newspaper with our community, its organisations, associations but also with every Greek individually,” Greek Herald publisher Dimitra Skalkos said at their official relaunch party.
“The Greek Herald has been there throughout history, and is itself a part of history.”
The Greek Herald continues to print six days/week, offers digital subscriptions to our members, as well as making articles accessible for free on our website and social media platforms.
We have adapted to the changes necessary to continue to serve the loyal Greek community in Australia. We are not here just for the community, but we are here because of the community.
As long as the Greek community exists in Australia, The Greek Herald will be by its side.
Following Greece’s open invitation to Australians to enter their country, it was thought that Australians would be rushing to the travel agency to buy the first ticket out. Yet it is now understood that this travel to the Greek motherland is actually impossible, until Australia changes it’s policies.
Yet Greece’s ambassador to Australia, George Papacostas, warns that if Australians take up this generous travel offer, then they would actually be breaking Australian law, unless they have a special exemption.
Speaking to The Guardian, Papacostas also acknowledged that while arrivals from Australian airports are exempt from quarantine, this route is technically impossible. With no direct flights into Greece, Australians would be forced to transit through Qatar, UAE or Asia – which are on the airport blacklist – would void Greece’s quarantine-free offer.
A Department of Home Affairs spokeswoman echoed Papacostas’ statement, stating that Australian citizens could only leave the country if they had a travel exemption, and that tourism was not a category for a travel exemption. However, it appears if an Australian dual-national attempted to exit Australia on their foreign passport, they would not be required to provide proof of their exemption at an airport.
Paleokastritsa bay, Corfu island. Photo: Visit Greece
Papacostas said he “would like to stress that Australian citizens or permanent residents cannot leave Australia” to travel to Greece as part of its tourism push, but said he was now exploring “any kind of bilateral cooperation with any country to facilitate the travel” of Australians to Greece without quarantine once the border ban was lifted.
Peter Collignon, a professor of infectious diseases at the Australian National University, said Greece’s tourism push was premature, and flagged a higher risk of contracting Covid-19 if Australians evaded border closures and travelled to Greece.
He said the risk is heightened because Greece’s testing regime is not as strong as Australia’s, and noted Greece’s lenient inclusion of other countries on the quarantine exemption arrangement.
“I would be worried about going to a place where there’s not been the same amount of testing as Australia. You’ve got to assume both the guests you’re with and people in your hotel could be carrying Covid-19.
“Countries thought to be containing this relatively well, like Germany, still have 600 cases a day,” he said of German tourists, who will also be allowed into Greece.
“We can’t even go to Queensland now, let alone Greece,” Collignon said, also noting the financial risk travellers would be exposed to without travel insurance.
Australian ambassador to the United States, Arthur Sinodinos, has been requested by Australian Prime Minister Scott Morrison to provide support to two Channel 7 journalists who were attacked by riot police in the United States.
The two journalists, live on the Channel 7 Sunrise program, were among the members of the news media covering the demonstration as President Trump threatened a crackdown on protests.
Shortly before a 7 p.m. curfew went into effect in Washington, officers in riot gear and National Guard soldiers started to disperse the crowd.
An officer slammed into an Australian camera operator, Tim Myers, with a riot shield, knocking his camera to the ground. As Mr. Myers and his colleague, the reporter Amelia Brace, started to run, another officer appeared to swing a baton at Ms. Brace’s back.
When Ms. Brace came back into view, she said: “You heard us yelling there that we were media, but they, they don’t care.”
Brace said later: “I actually managed to get a rubber bullet to the backside and Tim got one in the back of the neck so we’ll have a few bruises tomorrow but we’re perfectly safe”.
Watch the shocking moment #7NEWS reporter @AmeliaBrace and our cameraman were knocked over by a police officer LIVE on air after chaos erupted in Washington DC. pic.twitter.com/R8KJLnfxPN
The Australian Prime Minister demands an investigation into how police officers treated the two Australian journalists.
A spokesman for Channel 7, Craig McPherson, said in a statement to The New York Times that the attack on Mr. Myers and Ms. Brace was “nothing short of wanton thuggery.”
Demonstrators had gathered outside the White House to protest the death of George Floyd in police custody on May 25 in Minneapolis.
Greece on Tuesday suspended flights to and from Qatar after 12 individuals on a plane from Doha tested positive for the new coronavirus.
The individuals were on a flight carrying 91 people from Doha to Athens that landed on Monday. Tests were carried out for the novel coronavirus and the passengers were taken to a quarantine hotel, authorities said.
Those who tested positive will be in quarantine for 14 days, and those who tested negative will remain in quarantine for seven days, the civil protection ministry said.
Those who tested positive include nine people from Pakistan with Greek residency papers, two Greeks travelling from Australia and a member of a Greek-Japanese family. The suspension will be in place until June 15.
Greece has reported a low number of COVID-19 cases compared to many other European countries, and began a gradual easing of a weeks-long lockdown on May 4. By Tuesday, it had reported 2,937 cases, and 179 deaths.
![Greek demonstrators hurl firebombs towards US embassy in Athens [VIDEO]](/wp-content/uploads/2020/06/firebombs-768x512.jpg "Greek demonstrators hurl firebombs towards US embassy in Athens [VIDEO]")
