Greek police have accused 35 people from several foreign non-governmental aid organisations of illegally helping refugees and migrants to enter from Turkey.
Those accused allegedly provided information to people-smugglers, in at least 32 instances, on the Greek coastguard’s position and possible locations to disembark on the Aegean island of Lesvos.
The group faces criminal charges related to organised crime and espionage, police said on Monday. It was not clear from the statement whether any arrests were made.
Two foreign nationals – identified by national broadcaster ERT as an Afghan and an Iranian – were also part of the alleged operation, the police said.
No information was given on the aid groups in question or the identities of the suspects.
In a statement, Migration Minister, Notis Mitarachi, said authorities were cooperating with many NGOs but would not tolerate NGOs “with illegal activity.”
A Greek police source told Reuters that a “preliminary” investigation was still under way.
Refugees relocated from Lesvos:
Meanwhile, Greek authorities on Monday began transferring hundreds of refugees from Lesvos to reduce chronic overcrowding that has caused hardship and fanned tensions with locals.
More than 700 people were to sail to the Greek mainland on board a ferry late on Monday, organisers said, three weeks after a sprawling camp on the island burned down.
Another group will leave on Thursday, state agency ANA said.
Migrants – most of them wearing face masks – gather outside the temporary refugee camp in Kara Tepe as they wait to depart from Lesbos
Some 2,500 refugees and asylum seekers are to be relocated overall, following coronavirus tests, according to the migration ministry.
More than 12,000 asylum seekers were left homeless on September 8 after a fire ravaged the Moria camp on Lesvos.
A makeshift tent facility was hurriedly erected to house some 9,500 people. The government is now in talks to build a smaller permanent camp on the island.
Six Afghan youths are on trial for arson in connection to the fire. They deny the charges.
A cruise ship carrying about 920 passengers was expected to dock at Piraeus port near Athens, after 12 of its crew members tested positive for the coronavirus, an official at Greece’s Civil Protection agency said on Monday.
The Mein Shiff 6, operated by TUI Cruises, departed from Heraklion in Crete on Sunday with all passengers having tested negative before boarding.
But sample tests on 150 crew members out of a total of 666, detected 12 infections. They were immediately isolated. The ship’s operators said six of the 12 had since tested negative.
12 crew members on board the Mein Schiff 6 tested positive for the coronavirus.
“They are all asymptomatic,” the civil protection official said.
The Maltese-flagged ship had been en route to Corfu via Piraeus. As soon as the diagnoses came in, its captain halted the voyage and moored the vessel off the Aegean isle of Milos. Authorities in Athens later instructed him to make straight for the capital’s port city.
Greek media said all 922 of the ship’s passengers would be confined to their cabins for the duration of the journey.
However Tui, operating the luxury liner in conjunction with the US firm Royal Caribbean, denied that passengers were constricted in their movements.
Sabine Lueke, a spokeswoman for Tui, said: “They can use the ship in the normal way. The cruise will go on as planned.”
The vessel is expected to dock at Pireaus at 0200 GMT and Greek health authorities will board the vessel and conduct repeat tests to the 12 crew members.
Officials indicated no one would be allowed to disembark.
US Secretary of State, Mike Pompeo, said on Monday that Washington will use its diplomatic and military influence in the eastern Mediterranean to try to ease a volatile dispute between Greece and Turkey over energy rights.
“The United States and Greece reiterated their dedication to enhancing their close cooperation as NATO allies, using all appropriate means at their disposal in order to safeguard stability and security in the wider region,” the two countries said in a joint statement after Pompeo met with Greek Foreign Minister, Nikos Dendias.
“The United States and Greece… also reaffirmed their belief that maritime delimitation issues should be resolved peacefully in accordance with international law.”
Relations between Greece and neighboring Turkey deteriorated sharply this year over allegedly disputed maritime boundaries and exploration rights in the eastern Mediterranean.
US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo (left) and Greek Foreign Minister Nikos Dendias speak during their meeting in the northern city of Thessaloniki. Photo: AP Photo/Giannis Papanikos, Pool.
Turkey sent a research vessel, accompanied by warships, to search for energy resources in an area Greece claims is on its own continental shelf and where it claims exclusive economic rights. Athens sent warships of its own to the area.
Pompeo welcomed the decision of Athens and Ankara to restart exploratory talks and said maritime disputes should be solved through dialogue, not demonstrations of power.
“We’ve watched the Greeks move in that direction trying to achieve that,” he told Greece’s ANA state news agency.
“We hope the Turkish government will see it the same way, and we hope the exploratory talks not only get kicked off right, but it’s important that they’re resolved in a way that delivers outcomes that each of the two nations find more than acceptable.”
US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo (left) and Greek Minister for Development and Investment Adonis Georgiadis touch elbows during a signing agreement ceremony in the northern city of Thessaloniki Photo: AP Photo/Giannis Papanikos, Pool.
European Union members will meet later this week to discuss imposing sanctions on Turkey for its actions.
Pompeo becomes first US Secretary of State to visit Thessaloniki:
Pompeo began a five-day regional tour of Greece in the northern city of Thessaloniki, making him the first US Secretary of State to visit the city.
Security was tight, with the venue of Pompeo’s meeting with Dendias changing from the originally planned location, a local ministry, to a hotel for security reasons, authorities said.
During his visit to Thessaloniki, Pompeo signed a bilateral science and technology agreement, and hosted energy sector business leaders for a discussion to highlight energy diversification and infrastructure projects in Greece.
US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo visits the Jewish Museum in the northern city of Thessaloniki. Photo: AP Photo/Giannis Papanikos, Pool.
He also joined members of Thessaloniki’s Jewish community to commemorate Yom Kippur at the local Jewish Museum, as police cordoned off a large section of the city center.
Later Monday, he flew from Thessaloniki to the Greek island of Crete where he is scheduled to meet with Greek Prime Minister, Kyriakos Mitsotakis, and visit a US naval base at Souda Bay on Tuesday.
About the time Pompeo was due to fly to Crete, about 1,500 people gathered in Thessaloniki’s center for two separate demonstrations to protest his visit, carrying signs reading “The hawk of war is not welcome in our country,” and “The murderers of the peoples are not welcome.”
Protesters later burnt a US flag in front of the American Consulate building.
Historic or not? Greece and US lost in translation over North Macedonia:
In the joint statement signed on Monday between the US and Greece, there were also confusing messages about whether Washington and Athens consider the North Macedonia name change deal (Prespa Agreement) historic or not.
The initial US-Greece statement referred to a “historic” Prespa Agreement. The English version of the statement was immediately published on the Greek foreign affairs ministry website but the Greek version was not published at all.
However, a couple of hours later, the word “historic” disappeared from the joint statement posted on both the website of the Greek Foreign Affairs Ministry and of the US embassy in Athens.
Neither side has so far provided an explanation for this change.
Meraki TV is set to grace our screens again from October 12th at 7pm on Foxtel’s Aurora Channel 173.
The new season has a fresh look with its new host Demitra Sealy, who is known for her blossoming acting career including a new Hollywood film.
“What an exciting time to be host of Meraki TV! I have been involved for several years but this is the first time that I will be the host. I love the cast, crew and everyone involved. We have become a wacky little family,” Demitra tells The Greek Herald.
“The show gave me a unique way to connect with a large part of my heritage and culture, my Greek Australian community… Living up to its name, the show has really allowed me to delve into my Meraki.”
Demitra Sealy is the new host of Meraki TV.
Meraki TV will offer a wide variety of entertainment including: interesting interviews, a kids corner, mini documentaries on Greek mythology, art and mindfulness with Noula, and news from the motherland.
There will also be a bigger and better cooking segment this year with three chefs not one. George Diakomichalis will cook with his apprentice Anna, while Helen Demetriou resurrects her Under 30 Minutes segment.
Season 6, will also see ‘The Kids Corner’ hosted by kids who will bring their own fun, magic and energy to the show. They will cover everything from arts and crafts to ancient Greek board games.
For music news, ARIA chart topper, DJ Krazy Kon, returns. Krazy Kon celebrates 25 years of his iconic Greece CD series this year, and shares his industry knowledge and talent for picking the best music and artists.
George Diakomichalis will cook with his apprentice Anna. Photo supplied.
And in an entirely new travel segment produced exclusively for Meraki TV, get ready to wander through the most beautiful travel spots in Greece.
“I’m so proud of Meraki TV. Of the contribution it makes to Greek Australia. We connect so many from all different corners of the continent,” Executive Producer of Meraki TV, Ana Sevo, tells The Greek Herald.
“Our team is so talented, energetic, passionate and devoted. I love that all members of the family sit and watch this together. From the kids to the grandparents. And that is a really important aspect of Greek culture.”
Other highly acclaimed team members include journalist, novelist and award winning documentary filmmaker, Billy Cotsis, and roaming reporter Maria Hohlastou.
Monday, October 12, can’t come soon enough!
If you want to rewatch any episodes of Meraki TV, you can do so via YouTube.
New groundbreaking research has revealed that some healthy Australians who develop the most serious coronavirus symptoms are missing a crucial set of proteins which protects the body from viruses.
According to two new papers published in Science, patients who lack the type I interferon genetic mutation – a set of 13 proteins crucial for protecting cells from viruses – were more associated with severe infections.
Professor John Christodoulou, who is co-leading the Australian arm of the COVID Human Genetic Effort, told The New Daily that the two papers provide a potential explanation for severe infections seen in up to 15 percent of cases.
Professor John Christodoulou is co-leading the Australian arm of the COVID Human Genetic Effort. Photo: The University of Melbourne.
“The way SARS-CoV-2 affects people differently has been puzzling,” Professor Christodoulou said.
“The virus can cause a symptom-free infection and go away quietly or it can kill in a few days.”
In addition to the people who produce misguided antibodies which attack their own cells rather than the coronavirus, another 3.5 percent carry genetic mutations which will impair their immune response.
And the new research also helps explain why more men die than women.
“10 percent of individuals with severe COVID-19 infection had auto-antibodies to type I interferon, neutralising the early protective effect of innate immunity,” Professor Christodoulou said.
“Importantly, 95 percent of these individuals were men, which might explain at least some of the sex differences we see in COVID-19 infection, which tends to affect males more severely.”
Experts say the overall good news from this research is that doctors should now be able to address the missing interferon problem with existing medications and interventions.
Nikos Karouzos is considered one of the foremost Greek poets of the twentieth century. To mark the occasion of his birth, we take a look back at his life and poetic achievements.
Early Life:
Nikos Karouzos was born on July 17, 1926, in Nafplio.
In 1944, he completed his high school studies in Nafplio and later joined EPON Nafplio (the United Panhellenic Organisation of Youth).
In 1945, he was admitted to the Law School of Athens. Just one year later, he escaped arrest and execution by Organisation X and was exiled for five months to Ikaria.
Nikos Karouzos was born on July 17, 1926, in Nafplio.
Poetry:
In 1949, Karouzos left his studies in Law to devote himself to poetry and began collaborating with various literary magazines publishing poems and other short texts, such as Athenian Letters,Art Review, Nea Estia, Responsibility, Border and Diagonal.
Between 1954 and 1990, he published more than twenty poetry collections.
In 1961, he was awarded the 2nd State Poetry Prize and in 1962, the 1st Poetry Prize of the Group of Twelve.
Karouzos also wrote literary criticism and essays on the theatre and art.
His collected works were published between 1993 and 2002 by Ikaros in Athens: Poems I in 1993; Poems II in 1994; his Selected Prose in 1998; and Interviews with Nikos Karouzos in 2002.
Between 1954 and 1990, Karouzos published more than twenty poetry collections.
Death and Legacy:
Karouzos died in Athens on September 28, 1990.
In 1993, a major Symposium on Karouzos was held at Athens University, the proceedings of which were published by Ikaros in 1996.
In 2000, on the occasion of the tenth anniversary of his death, a second Symposium, again organised by Ikaros, was held there.
He left an amazing legacy of poetry behind, which many still study and analyse today to try and decipher their true meaning.
Marialena Tsirlis, a Greek native, is the first woman to be appointed Secretary-General of the European Court of Human Rights (ECHR).
Marialena is a graduate of the Ursulines Greek-French School and the Athens Law School, before she continued her postgraduate and doctoral studies in Strasbourg.
In 1994, she began her career as a lawyer at the Secretariat of the European Commission of Human Rights.
After advancing to several executive positions, Marialena’s rich academic and professional career led her to be unanimously elected by the Plenary of forty-seven judges of the ECHR to the position of Secretary-General.
“The role of the Secretariat is ancillary. Our mission is to assist judges in the performance of their duties by preparing case files and providing any legal, administrative and technical assistance,” Marialena said in an interview with APE-MPE after her election.
“My goal is to perform our duties in the best and most efficient way, utilising the potential and skills of each staff member and ensuring a healthy and enjoyable work environment, where everyone will be able to evolve and progress.
“I am fortunate to lead an extremely talented, enthusiastic and dedicated team. We know that the Court is called upon to face significant challenges and it is our common ambition to contribute to its success.”
Marialena will serve a five-year term and will commence her duties on December 1st, 2020.
Georgia Tzempetzi is no stranger to helping people with dementia. Since 2014, she is a registered nurse in Fronditha Care’s GALINI memory support unit in Clayton. A year ago, she became the Clinical Care Coordinator of the unit. With her warm smile and positive energy, Georgia tends to the medical needs of GALINI’s residents and monitors their mental health and behaviour.
“Every day I learn something new from the elders we care for that live with dementia. Their experience, perspective and resilience are invaluable, and the most rewarding part of my job,” Georgia says.
“In my unit, I have cared for elders that could still play music, sing, do art and craft activities and, most importantly, tell their life stories. Their hardships, happiness and struggles are all there, and I enjoy listening to them.”
This year, Dementia Australia’s Dementia Action Week (21-27 September) aims to raise awareness around dementia and shed light on the amazing things people with dementia can still do, such as contributing to the community, continuing to make their own choices and living a full and enriching life.
“There is a misconception that life ends when somebody is diagnosed with dementia. In reality, it’s a different stage of life,” says Georgia. “People with dementia need support, respect and dignity. Simple and little things that can make a lot of difference.”
The outside of Fronditha Care’s facility in Clayton. Photo: frondithacare.org.au.
Georgia was a young child when she first encountered people with dementia at her parents’ village in Greece. She didn’t understand why these people behaved differently, and knowledge about dementia in her social circle was limited.
“It was a strange thing to view as a child, and initially, I was scared of it,” she says.
Dementia is a collection of symptoms that are caused by disorders affecting the brain and thought process, behaviour and the ability to perform everyday tasks. Although most people with dementia are generally older, it can manifest in people as young as 40. It is the second leading cause of death in Australia, with almost half a million Australians having the diagnosis. This number is expected to double in the next twenty-five-years, unless there is a dramatic scientific discovery.
What causes dementia is still largely undetermined but scientists and medical practitioners maintain that following a healthy lifestyle, keeping a healthy weight, exercising, both mentally and physically, and avoiding cigarettes and alcohol can reduce the risk of dementia.
The signs of dementia are quite visible for trained professionals like Georgia, who claim little changes in someone’s behaviour may be indicative of the first stages of dementia.
“The most obvious symptom is the behavioural change, especially the confusion of somebody performing simple everyday tasks like making a coffee or getting dressed. Some people start to feel apathetic and then, of course, there is gradual memory loss,” Georgia explains.
“We have to bear in mind that forgetting our keys in our car isn’t necessarily linked to dementia. As we grow older, other mental conditions have similar symptoms to dementia, such as depression. That is why we always have to consult with our GP to make the appropriate diagnosis.”
For people of diverse cultural backgrounds, there are additional challenges to receiving appropriate and specialised care in Australia. Thankfully, Fronditha Care has long established and followed a care model that caters for the physical, cultural and spiritual needs of the elderly people it cares for.
Language, food and culture play a significant role in the life of the elderly. People with dementia revert to their native language, so having carers that speak their language goes a long way in enabling them to communicate their needs. The smell and taste of familiar food, foster comfort and belonging. Little things make a big difference.
“We are like a family here. I have a lot of grandparents, and I am happy to contribute to their life journey in every way I can.”
* Fronditha Care is a not-for-profit aged care organisation that is the largest provider of residential and community services to Greek Australians in Melbourne. It has a suite of services available to support those that live with dementia at home and those requiring specialised residential care. For more information, visit frondithacare.org.au, call (03) 95524100 or email info@fronditha.org.
Greece has called on Turkey to condemn and investigate what it said was an “insult” to its national flag on the Greek island of Kastellorizo.
Greek media reported that a Turkish drone dropped red paint on a Greek flag painted on a rocky hillside next to the Kastellorizo port on Saturday.
“We blatantly condemn yesterday’s insult of the Greek flag on Kastellorizo,” the Greek Foreign Ministry said in a statement.
“We expect Turkish authorities to immediately condemn and investigate the incident, so that the culprits are brought before justice. Such unacceptable actions only seek to torpedo prospects for easing tensions between the two countries.”
Greece and Turkey disagree over a range of issues, including where their continental shelves extend.
Tensions flared up last month after Turkey sent a seismic survey ship into disputed waters to map out sea territory for possible oil and gas drilling.
A Turkish and Greek warship collided during the standoff. Since then, Turkey has recalled the Oruc Reis and the two countries have agreed to restart exploratory talks.
At least 16 military personnel and several civilians have been killed and 100 injured after fighting between Armenia and Azerbaijan broke out around the separatist region of Nagorno-Karabakh.
It’s been declared the biggest flare-up in violence between the two former Soviet republics since 2016, with both sides blaming each other for reigniting a three-decade-old territorial dispute over the separatist region.
Armenia accused Azerbaijan of launching an air and artillery attack on the breakaway region of Nagorno-Karabakh.
In this image taken from a footage released by Armenian Defense Ministry on Sunday, September 27, 2020, Armenian army destroys Azerbaijani tanks at the contact line of the self-proclaimed Republic of Nagorno-Karabakh, Azerbaijan. Photo: Armenian Defense Ministry via AP.
In response, Armenia declared martial law and mobilised its male population. Troops shot down two military helicopters and destroyed three tanks, its defence ministry said.
It said the shelling from Azerbaijani forces had killed a woman and a child.
Meanwhile, Azerbaijan said its forces were retaliating against Armenian shelling, which reportedly injured 19 civilians and claimed five members of one family.
According to authorities in Nagorno-Karabakh, which is inside Azerbaijan but run by ethnic Armenians, the fighting left 16 of its servicemen dead and more than 100 wounded.
In this image taken from a footage released by Armenian Defense Ministry on Sunday, September 27, 2020, Armenian forces destroy Azerbaijani tank at the contact line of the self-proclaimed Republic of Nagorno-Karabakh, Azerbaijan. Photo: Armenian Defense Ministry via AP.
With the violence still developing, Greece’s Foreign Ministry issued a statement last night urging Armenia and Azerbaijan to immediately cease military operations.
“We have been monitoring with great concern the escalating tension in the Nagorno-Karabakh region, which has resulted in civilian casualties,” the statement reads.
“We call on all sides to exercise restraint, cease hostilities immediately and return to the negotiation table in the context of the Minsk Group.
“The peaceful resolution of disputes within the context of international law is the only path to regional security and stability.”
