Almost 149,000 asylum-seekers and other migrants have crossed Turkey’s northwestern border to enter Greece since February 28, Turkish Defence Minister Hulusi Akar said on Wednesday.
“We have had 148,763 people crossing the Greek border since February 28,” Mr Akar said in a televised interview.
Thousands of migrants waiting at the Greek-Turkish border. Source: AFP/ Getty Images.
Turkey has been a key transit point for migrants aiming to cross into Europe to start new lives, especially those fleeing war and persecution.
Thousands of migrants had camped at Turkey’s border with Greece after Ankara declared in late February that it would no longer stop them from going to Europe, accusing the EU of not upholding its part of a 2016 refugee deal.
In response, Greece decided to suspend new asylum applications until April and summarily deport those arriving in last month’s surge.
This move continues to be criticised by human rights agencies and non-governmental organisations such as Amnesty International and the Human Rights Watch.
Hundreds of firefighters in Thessaloniki, Greece, lined up their fire brigades outside AHEPA University Hospital, turned on their emergency lights and started to applaud the medical staff who have been tirelessly offering treatment to COVID-19 patients.
The impressive gesture went on for minutes, with AHEPA doctors, nurses and paramedics going outside the hospital to see the firefighters pay tribute to their courageous efforts, and return their respects as well.
“We are here to offer moral support to medical and nursing staff. It is the least we can do to give them strength until we overcome this crisis, “ Spyros Varsamis, Head of the Fire Brigade in Northern Greece, said.
“Be strong, be healthy and we will be by your side. Thank you!”
For his part, the general manager of AHEPA, Panagiotis Panteliadis, also publicly thanked the hospital staff, as well as the firefighters for their sign of respect.
“It is a recognition of the hospital’s efforts, which, as a reference center for the virus, has been significantly burdened,” Mr Panteliadis to local media.
The touching event took place just hours after the Minister for Citizen Protection deployed police squads to Evaggelismos Hospital in Athens to “deal” with doctors and nurses demanding more protections while they are fighting the coronavirus.
One of the most popular stories of all time. “The Little Prince”. It excites young and old. A masterpiece that was born in a correspondingly difficult time, like today’s. World War II. A lesson in life and humanity, which you can listen to below.
Giota Staneloudi’s “King Koronoios” is a short story, aimed at preschool and early school children. It is a story that humorously describes the unprecedented situation that our planet is experiencing these days. Everything is going smoothly when King Coronius decides to go to war with his people. He seeks to rule them. How do the people react? Will they be able to remove him? Download the story from the address below.
If you just want to hear a fairy tale with the voice of the famous Greek actress, Xenia Kalogeropoulou, sit back and listen to “House with Cats”. You will appreciate it, especially if you have a pet.
A legendary figure in Ethnic Community Broadcasting in Australia, George Zangalis was recently awarded a Life Membership by the Ethnic Communities’ Council of Victoria (ECCV).
“I acknowledge and accept with deep appreciation and a sense of profound solidarity the honour of life ECCV membership,” George said, upon receiving the award.
Awarded only to six other individuals over ECCV’s five-decade history, ECCV Chairperson Eddie Micallef said this award is of high honour.
George Zangelis. Photo: ECCV
Born in Greece in 1931, George came to Australia in February 1950. He was one of ECCV’s Founding Fathers and a leading contributor to the Federation of Ethnic Communities’ Councils of Australia support for migrants rights.
He pioneered Ethnic Community Broadcasting, serving on the ABC State and National Advisory Councils and the SBS Board in the early 1980s.
George also acted as the former President of Melbourne’s ethnic community radio station 3ZZZ, where he is still involved as a current affairs broadcaster. He is also a former President of the National Ethnic and Multicultural Broadcasters’ Council of Australia.
“We look forward to an opportunity to celebrate George Zangalis’ Life Membership and his lifetime achievements after the current public health crisis has passed”, Eddie Micallef, said.
“On behalf of our Board, staff and members we thank George for his leadership and service to the ECCV and multicultural communities in Victoria.”
Greek tennis player Stefanos Tsitsipas released a YouTube video on Tuesday titled “FREEDOM – OXYGEN OF MY SOUL”, speaking about his positive take on freedom in recent months.
Set in the enormous Jordan desert, Tsitsipas visualises his journey of peace and prosperity to his audience. In the description of his YouTube video, Tsitsipas speaks of the growing feeling of anxiety in the world today.
“A fast, nervous planet is creating fast and nervous lives,” Tsitsipas writes in the video description.
“We are more connected, yet feel more alone. Unlike my smartphone, there is no ‘slide to power off’ function for anxiety. But the question remains, how do we feel happy when we are encouraged to be anxious?”
The one minute clip directed and produced by Atelje Sthlm, can be watched through the link above.
Tsitsipas narrates that he worships freedom more than anything else in his life, and values its ability to help him “freeze time and think”.
Tsitsipas turns to YouTube
Stefanos Tsitsipas’ YouTube channel has so far collected over 171,000 subscribers. The tennis star makes about 3-4 videos per month on his tennis journeys, meetings with other celebrities and simple piece to camera vlogs.
“Sharing with you the best moments and experiences I gain on my tennis journey,” Tsitsipas’ YouTube bio says.
The Tennis superstar recently made a vlog that reached over 40,000 viewers. In the vlog, Tsitsipas speaks about his personal experiences in the past month, as well as providing his viewers with a mental health update.
Stefanos Tsitsipas made his first video 5 years ago, and recently reached a total of over 4 million views for his channel.
In a world plagued with coronavirus news, the skies will lay upon the world a beautiful phenomenon in the form of a pink “supermoon”. Seen all across the globe, the supermoon will be observed at 5:35 am on April 8 in Greece.
While the pink supermoon won’t actually appear pink to the eye, It’s close proximity to Earth will make the moon appear up to 14% bigger and 30% brighter than a full moon at its farthest point from Earth.
April’s 2020 Pink Supermoon is named after phlox, the pink flowers that bloom in spring. These brightly-coloured flowers are native to North America, and they often bloom around the time of April’s Full Moon.
A runner makes his way along a trail on a butte in front of the supermoon over Papago Park in Phoenix in May 2012.Darryl Webb / Reuters
The pink supermoon will approach the Earth at its closest point for this year, at a distance of 356,907 kilometres (200,000 miles.)
The term “supermoon” was coined in 1979 by astrologer Richard Nolle. It has become an increasingly more popular and media-friendly term in the decades since then. According to NASA, it’s used by the media today to describe what astronomers would call a perigean full moon: a full moon occurring near or at the time when the moon is at its closest point in its orbit around Earth.
The first Full Moon in April is also known as the Paschal Moon in the Christian calendar, because it is used to calculate the date for Easter; the first Sunday after the Paschal Moon is Easter Sunday.
Germany plans to take in up to 50 unaccompanied minors staying at overcrowded refugee camps in Greece, while Luxembourg has agreed to accept 12, government officials said Tuesday.
Interior Minister Horst Seehofer will propose to the Cabinet on Wednesday a plan to bring the children to Germany and recommend that “the transfer should begin in the next week, if possible,” a statement from his ministry said.
A dozen children are expected to be transferred from the Greek camps to Luxembourg in the coming days, the Greek government said, expressing thanks to the small European country.
The relocation is “being achieved despite the difficult circumstances of the (coronavirus) pandemic and has created a positive example to other European partners, ” Giorgos Koumoutsakos, Greece’s alternate minister of migration and asylum minister, said.
More than 42,000 people currently live in the overcrowded camps on the Greek islands, including about 5,500 unaccompanied minors. Around 10% of them are under 14-years-old, according to police agency Europol.
Migrants play next to their makeshift tents outside the perimeter of the overcrowded Moria refugee camp on the northeastern Aegean island of Lesbos, Greece, Wednesday, March 11, 2020. AP Photo/Aggelos Barai
The European Union said on March 13 that a group of member countries had agreed to take at least 1,600 children who reached Greece traveling without their parents. But restrictions EU member nations adopted to slow the spread of the coronavirus complicated efforts to start putting the deal into effect.
Children moved to Germany will spend their first two weeks in quarantine and then sent to various German states, the German Interior Ministry said.
In addition to Germany and Luxembourg, France, Portugal, Ireland, Finland, Croatia, Lithuania, Belgium and Bulgaria also said they were prepared to take in children from the Greek camps, the ministry said.
“Because of internal challenges” in dealing with the coronavirus pandemic, “there are understandably delays in some countries at present,” the ministry’s statement said. “But Germany has the clear expectation that these countries will keep to their commitment.”
Hospital doctors have staged protests around Greece to press demands for the government to hire additional medical staff and use more resources from the private sector.
Doctors and other staff members led the silent demonstrations Tuesday at the front entrance of Greece’s largest hospital in central Athens, wearing surgical and protective gear.
The protests were held outside more than a dozen hospitals, organizsd by the national hospital doctors’ union. It also had the backing from the Greek Communist Party, which sent lawmakers to several of the demonstrations.
Holding up banners reading “We fight for you. Shout for us,” the doctors said more resources were needed to deal with the pandemic in Greece. The national coronavirus death toll reached 79 on Monday and still remains below the number of fatalities attributed to seasonal flu.
The Greek islands of Mykonos and Santorini were placed in partial lockdown on Tuesday. The new measures on Mykonos came after a second case was confirmed on the island on Saturday. Inspections are ongoing to trace the contacts made by the two women who tested positive for Covid-19.
Movement on the two islands is prohibited every day from 8 p.m. to 8 a.m.
President Katerina Sakellaropoulou on Tuesday published a video on social media hailing the efforts of Greek medical professionals in celebration of World Health Day.
The Greek president praised scientists, researchers, doctors, nurses and paramedics who are battle against the coronavirus pandemic in Greece and other parts of the world.
“We are proud and we thank them,” the Greek president said in a post accompanying the video, which shows a gallery of scientists and medics on the front lines of the crisis.
Αφιερώνουμε την Παγκόσμια Ημέρα Υγείας στις ελληνίδες και τους έλληνες επιστήμονες, ερευνητές, γιατρούς, νοσηλευτές και τραυματιοφορείς που δίνουν τη μάχη κατά του κορωνοϊού εντός και εκτός Ελλάδας. Νιώθουμε υπερήφανοι και τους ευχαριστούμε. #worldhealthday2020#Covid_19pic.twitter.com/6AzlzgOlAy
According to the World Health Organisation, 7 April 2020 is the day to celebrate the work of health professionals and remind world leaders of the critical role they play in keeping the world healthy.
This year, WHO has dedicated World Health Day in support of nurses and midwifes, celebrating the incredible work they are doing at the forefront of the COVID-19 response.
“Nurses and other health workers are at the forefront of COVID-19 response – providing high quality, respectful treatment and care, leading community dialogue to address fears and questions and, in some instances, collecting data for clinical studies. Quite simply, without nurses, there would be no response”, the world health organisation says.
Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis on Tuesday sent a message of support to all diaspora Greeks, giving extended sympathies to COVID-19 victims in the United States.
“We have won the first battle. And every day we are winning the second one. Through the government’s bold and swift decisions. Through the mobilisation of the state. And with the responsible behaviour of all citizens, in cities and villages,” he underlined, adding that his thoughts are with the Greeks, wherever they may be, and especially with those living in the USA.
The coronavirus death toll in the United States has surpassed 10,000 and infections have risen to nearly 400,000.
“In these difficult hours, my thoughts also go out to our brothers and sisters beyond our borders, to Greeks wherever they may be – and especially in the United States and in New York.”
Mitsotakis has called on Greeks abroad to abide by social distancing and sanitation measures, which has been proven to contain the spread of the deadly virus.
“The experience in our country shows that calmness and solidarity bring results. So stay home, taking care of your personal hygiene and those who are most vulnerable. And stay next to each other. Our Embassy and Consulates will always be open to you. The organisations and our Church are a stable network of contribution and mutual aid,” he underlined.
The prime minister also urged Greeks abroad to contact their relatives and familiarise themselves with the new platform: greecefromhome.com.
“We will succeed,” he said, adding: “With responsibility and discipline, the ordeal of the pandemic will soon be over. And we must be healthy and with as few losses as possible. To meet again, united and strong, in the summer, at home.”
![Firefighters applaud outside Greek hospitals to show their gratitude to health workers [VIDEO]](/wp-content/uploads/2020/04/firefighters-TOP.png "Firefighters applaud outside Greek hospitals to show their gratitude to health workers [VIDEO]")
