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EU gives ‘green light’ to start membership talks with North Macedonia and Albania

The Greek Herald
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EU gives ‘green light’ to start membership talks with North Macedonia and Albania

The European Union can start membership negotiations with Albania and North Macedonia, according to a draft decision by the bloc’s 27 member states seen by Reuters on Monday and due to be finalised this week.

If approved as expected, the agreement would end two years of delays and signal new momentum for all six Western Balkan countries – Serbia, Kosovo, Montenegro, Albania, Bosnia and North Macedonia – seeking to join the EU.

North Macedonia and Albania had seen their hopes dashed last year as France and the Netherlands sounded scepticism over their track records on democracy and fighting corruption, fearful of allowing new members in at a time when the EU’s cohesion was already damaged by Britain’s departure from the bloc.

But Paris and The Hague eased their objections last month and the plans to allow talks to start have gained momentum despite the coronavirus crisis, with Brussels eager to show its determination to bring the Balkans into the EU fold.

“I don’t think what is happening (with coronavirus) is going to alter the decision of the member states,” EU Foreign Policy Chief, Josep Borrell, told the media on Friday.

EU Foreign Policy Chief, Josep Borrell, said the decision will not be delayed due to the coronavirus outbreak. Source: Al Jazeera.

Borrell said he also telephoned Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic to reassure him of the EU’s support, after Vucic praised China for its help in fighting coronavirus in Serbia.

Greece was still not on board before the weekend with the decision, which requires unanimity of all EU members. But diplomatic sources said Athens has given its approval after the latest draft included stronger language on protecting Greek and other national minorities in Albania.

If no country objects, the decision is expected to be formally adopted by the 27 EU members’ Europe ministers at mid-week, the sources added.

“It’s a testing time for Europe. The EU needs to show that it maintains its capacity to act amidst the coronavirus crisis. That’s also why we were able to find an agreement on enlargement now. It proves that the EU is still working and delivering,” a senior EU diplomat told Reuters on Monday.

EU and Balkan leaders are due to hold a summit in Zagreb in May in a show of support for the six countries of the region.

Source: Reuters.

Second coronavirus-positive mother gives birth to healthy baby in Greece

Andriana Simos
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Second coronavirus-positive mother gives birth to healthy baby in Greece

A 31-year-old woman infected with the coronavirus gave birth to a healthy baby in Athens on Monday afternoon. 

The new mother, who had exhibited the typical coronavirus symptoms of cough and high fever, tested positive for COVID-19.

She was subsequently rushed to Attikon hospital in Athens, where she had an emergency cesarean section.

According to media reports, the woman gave birth to a baby weighing 3.5 kilograms, who was tested and has been found to be in excellent health.

Both mother and infant remain in hospital under observation.

Last week, another 24-year-old woman infected with the coronavirus gave birth to a baby who also was not infected.

Australian sport in disarray as the NRL 2020 season is cancelled and Australia pulls out of the Tokyo Olympics

Andriana Simos
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Australian sport in disarray as the NRL 2020 season is cancelled and Australia pulls out of the Tokyo Olympics

The Australian sporting world has been hit by two of the biggest announcements yet. Not only has the NRL confirmed that the 2020 season has been suspended indefinitely, but Australia’s Olympic athletes have been told to prepare for the Games to be postponed to 2021.

NRL 2020 season shut down:

The suspension of the NRL 2020 season just two rounds in, came at a press conference this evening as ARL Chief Peter V’landys lamented a “deeply sad day” for the game.

“As we said from the outset, the paramount consideration in our decision-making process has always been the safety and health of our players,” Mr V’landys said.

“Unfortunately, that’s taken a dramatic turn today. Our pandemic and biosecurity expert have said that due to the rapid rate of infection, we can no longer guarantee the safety of our players to continue to play.

“Accordingly, we are suspending the season. We aren’t going to put a time period to the suspension, we are going to look at every available option to us to recommence the season… every option is still on the table.”

NRL bosses Peter V’Landys and Todd Greenberg said the situation had changed significantly in the past 24 hours. Source: AAP.

This decision will leave NRL clubs in crisis, with the competition and clubs facing financial ruin.

“It’s catastrophic. I don’t think we’ve ever come across a financial crisis like this,” Mr V’landys continued.

“We’re all affected. We’ve led by example by cutting our expenditure immediately and we’re hoping the clubs will do the same very quickly. We’ll sit down with the players in the next week to see how they’re affected.”

Australia will not send athletes to the Tokyo Olympics 2020:

The Australian Olympic Committee (AOC) held an emergency teleconference on Monday morning and unanimously agreed a team could not be assembled for the 2020 Olympics given the current situation at home and abroad.

AOC Chief Executive, Matt Carroll, said the decision was made without waiting for advice from the International Olympic Committee due to changing circumstances with the pandemic in recent days.

AOC Chief Executive, Matt Carroll, made the decision this morning.

“We’ve had to make a call now because of the situation here in Australia and other parts of the world. But the IOC is still working through their final decision-making,” Mr Carroll told reporters in Sydney on Monday.

“The athletes desperately want to go to the Games, but they also take on board their own personal health. We need to give our athletes that certainty and that’s what we’ve done.”

Carroll’s comments came after Canada announced it would not send its team to the Olympics and Paralympics in the summer of 2020.

Panic buying – Why is it happening and how can we stop it?

Andriana Simos
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Panic buying – Why is it happening and how can we stop it?

Australia’s Prime Minister, Scott Morrison, has called panic buying ‘ridiculous’ and ‘un-Australian.’ Prime Minister of Greece Kyriakos Mitsotakis agreed, saying ‘panic is just as dangerous as the disease.’

And yet panic buying continued to sweep parts of Greece and Australia over the weekend, with many shoppers descending on stores to empty the shelves of pasta, rice, meat, toilet paper, soap and other essential items.

People have been queuing outside supermarkets across Australia. Source: ABC News.

Why is this still happening?

Psychologists and behaviour scientists have finally weighed in on the issue, calling panic buying a ‘human and natural response to a stressful situation.’

In fact, Dr Dimitrios Tsivrikos, an established academic and practitioner in business and consumer psychology at the University College London, said that when people feel uncertain, they tend to focus on things which bring them certainty.

“With natural disasters you usually know it is going to happen and that it will last a couple of days, so you can prepare by being somewhat rational with what you buy,” Dr Tsivrikos said in an interview with Sky News.

“But with a public health issue such as the coronavirus pandemic, we usually have no idea about the time or intensity. And then we get messages on a daily basis that we should go into panic mode, which then forces us to buy into more than we need to. It’s our only tool of control.”

Toilet paper has been one of the products most in demand. Source: ABC News.

Dr Tsivrikos also addressed the issue of toilet paper hoarding. He said that because toilet paper has a longer shelf-life than many other food items, and features prominently in shopping aisles, people are psychologically drawn to it.

“The bigger they look on the shelves, the more important we think they are,” he said.

“Most of us don’t have the ability to make new vaccines or enact new policies. But the one action that we can control, that feels like we are doing something, is to stock up on supplies.”

But what can be done to stop these actions?

Australian supermarkets such as Coles, Woolworths and Aldi, are all implementing limits of two items from any single category on most packaged products. This includes things such as mince, pasta, flour, rice, paper towels, toilet paper and hand sanitisers.

But it might be time to take inspiration from Danish supermarket, Rotunden, instead. They used a clever pricing trick to stop local shoppers from panic buying and hoarding.

In a post which went viral on Twitter, the supermarket was seen to be selling one bottle of hand sanitiser for $4.09 AUD, while two bottles would cost the shopper $95 AUD.

In a statement defending their decision, the supermarket wrote: “We have a great responsibility to keep the business running, and we can only do that with everyone’s help and understanding.”

The decision has worked a treat, with customers praising Rotunden for giving people less of an incentive to hoard by making multiple purchases more expensive rather than cheaper.

Here’s hoping the technique can be implemented in Australia and Greece soon.

Greece’s top medical expert, Sotiris Tsiodras, caught chanting at Church during ban

Andriana Simos
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Greece’s top medical expert, Sotiris Tsiodras, caught chanting at Church during ban

Spokesman of the National Health Organisation and Professor for Infectious Diseases, Sotiris Tsiodras, was criticised on Sunday for chanting in church during a mass that was supposed to be held behind closed doors with only the clergy and helpers.

As a practicing Greek Orthodox, Tsiodras chants every Sunday at a church in the northern Athens suburb of Kifissia, but on this occasion he attended the special Divine Liturgy of the Crucifixion held at the Church of the Resurrection of Christ in Spatos, Attica.

Greek Government spokesman, Sotiris Tsiodras, chanting during a church service on Sunday. Source: enikos.gr.

The move triggered outrage on Twitter with some supporting Mr Tsiodras because he functioned as a chanter before the coronavirus outbreak, whilst others criticised him for not setting an example of what he was “preaching.”

“The majority of my friends have said they are struggling to keep the elderly inside as they don’t understand why they can’t go to church anymore. Today, they keep saying ‘but look the doctor is going’,” writes Twitter user @Miltos.

In response to another Twitter user who tagged him in a post with the hashtag “We Chant At Home,” Mr Tsiodras wrote that he had special permission to enter the church and was the only person within 1000 square metres. He also accused the user of “racism.”

A day earlier, he almost broke down during the Government’s daily briefing as he appealed to Greeks to stay home in order to protect “our mothers and fathers, our grandparents” from the pandemic.

The public’s criticism comes in the face of the Greek Government’s decision to close churches to contain the spread of the coronavirus.

The results from the 2020 World Happiness Report are in and there’s finally some good news

Andriana Simos
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The results from the 2020 World Happiness Report are in and there’s finally some good news

At times like this when the coronavirus pandemic is sweeping across the globe, we need some happy news. Luckily for us, the World Happiness Report for 2020 has just been released.

The survey ranks 156 countries by how happy their citizens perceive themselves to be and this year, both Greece and Australia have placed 77th and 12th respectively.

The World Happiness Report is released annually.

That’s a huge improvement in the rankings for Greece, having placed 82nd in 2019. Whilst Australia has dropped one place from 11th last year.

For the third year in a row, Finland has topped the list as the happiest country in the world, with Denmark coming in second, followed by Switzerland, which pushed Norway out of the top three this year.

Now, while it seems like a strange time to be evaluating happiness, the editors of the report point out that challenging times can actually increase happiness.

“The global pandemic poses great risks for some of the main supports for well-being, most especially health and income,” the editors explained.

“As revealed by earlier studies of earthquakes, floods, storms, tsunamis and even economic crises, a high trust society quite naturally looks for and finds co-operative ways to work together to repair the damage and rebuild better lives. This has sometimes led to surprising increases in happiness in the wake of what might otherwise seem to be unmitigated disasters.”

The reason why people get happier in the face of disasters?

“People are pleasantly surprised by the willingness of their neighbors and their institutions to work together and help each other,” the editors continued.

“This delivers a heightened sense of belonging and pride in what they have been able to achieve by way of mitigation. These gains are sometimes great enough to compensate for the material losses.”

With the World Happiness Report being released annually, only time will tell if this is true.

IOC: Postponement of the 2020 Olympic Games in Tokyo will be considered

Andriana Simos
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IOC: Postponement of the 2020 Olympic Games in Tokyo will be considered

Amid mounting pressure from athletes and national governing bodies, the International Olympic Committee (IOC) is now considering whether to postpone or otherwise alter the 2020 Tokyo Olympics, which were scheduled to begin July 24.

In a statement released Sunday, IOC President Thomas Bach wrote that the IOC has ruled out cancelling the Games altogether, but it is preparing for various scenarios including “changes to the start date of the Games.”

“Together with all the stakeholders, we have started detailed discussions today to complete our assessment of the rapid development of the worldwide health situation and its impact on the Olympic Games, including a scenario of postponement,” Bach wrote in the letter.

“(But) a cancellation of the Olympic Games Tokyo 2020 would not solve any of the problems or help anybody. Therefore, cancellation is not on the agenda.”

The Olympic flame arrived in Japan on Friday. Source: Associated Press.

Bach further acknowledged in a personal letter to athletes that postponing the Olympic Games ‘is an extremely complex challenge,’ but a final decision would be ‘made within the next four weeks.’

“A number of critical venues needed for the Games could potentially not be available anymore. The situations with millions of nights already booked in hotels is extremely difficult to handle, and the international sports calendar for at least 33 Olympic sports would have to be adapted. These are just a few of many, many more challenges,” he wrote in his letter.

“Therefore… we are working very hard (to make a decision), and we are confident that we will have finalised these discussions within the next four weeks.”

This statement represents a significant shift in the IOC’s messaging on the Olympics. For months, the IOC and Bach have dismissed even the possibility of a postponement as mere speculation and declined to specify any contingency plans for the Games.

The Olympics have never been postponed or cancelled during peacetime.

Russian army to send medical aid to Italy after Putin phone call

Andriana Simos
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Russian army to send medical aid to Italy after Putin phone call

The Russian military will start sending medical help to Italy from Sunday to help the country battle against the coronavirus outbreak that has killed over 5,400 people.

The Russian Defense Ministry said four military planes carrying virologists, epidemiologists, medical equipment and a supply of pharmaceuticals were expected to land at the Pratica di Mare Air Base some 30 kilometres southwest of the capital Rome.

Russian military virologists and medics have been sent to Italy to help battle coronavirus and try to bring down the death toll. Source: East2West.

“The military transport aircraft of the Russian Air Forces will deliver to the republic 8 mobile teams of Russian military specialists-virologists and doctors, automobile complexes for aerosol disinfection of transport and territory, as well as medical equipment,” the ministry said in a statement.

The decision to help comes after Russia’s President, Vladimir Putin, spoke to Italian Prime Minister, Giuseppe Conte, on Saturday to offer his support and condolences.

“Giuseppe Conte expressed his sincere gratitude for the steps Russia is taking to support Italy at such a tough time for it,” the statement read.

The death toll from coronavirus in Italy has reached over 5470, making it the country with the highest number of fatalities from the contagion, surpassing China.

Greece imposes total lockdown as of 6am, March 23

Andriana Simos
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Greece imposes total lockdown as of 6am, March 23

Greece has decided to impose a total lockdown and restrict the movement of citizens from 6am, March 23, in order to contain the spread of coronavirus.

In a televised address early Sunday evening, Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis said the move was needed “to protect the common good and our health.”

“It is maybe the last step, one that must be taken promptly and not in vain. I will not allow a few flippant people to put everyone at risk,” Mr Mitsotakis said.

Prime Minister, Kyriakos Mitsotakis, giving an address.

Greece confirmed 94 new cases of coronavirus on Sunday, its largest single-day jump, taking its total to 624, with 15 deaths.

Citing Italy, which reported almost 800 new deaths on Saturday, Mitsotakis said it was his duty to prevent such a tragedy hitting Greece.

“We must not get to the point where we will have to choose who lives and who dies,” he said.

Only those going to or returning from work, shopping for food or medicines or visiting a doctor will be allowed onto the streets from Monday.

To register for these exemptions, people will be required to carry a completed form on them or notify the civil protection ministry via text message and mentioning the reason one has to be outside.

The Ministry of the Interior is providing all the necessary forms needed online at forma.gov.gr and by text at 13033.

People who need to go to work are required to fill out the form on the left. For all other exemptions, they fill out the form on the right. Source: The Ministry of Interior.

Government announces coronavirus stimulus package to cushion economic impact and keep businesses afloat

The Greek Herald
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Government announces coronavirus stimulus package to cushion economic impact and keep businesses afloat

The Australian Government has today released the second stage of its economic plan to cushion the economic impact of the coronavirus and help build a bridge to recovery.

A total of $189 billion is being injected into the economy by all arms of Government in order to keep Australians in work and businesses in business.

This includes $17.6 billion for the Government’s first economic stimulus package, $90 billion from the RBA and $15 billion from the Government to deliver easier access to finance, and $66.1 billion in today’s economic support package.

The economic support package includes:

· Support for households including casuals, sole-traders, retirees and those on income support

· Assistance for businesses to keep people in a job

· Regulatory protection and financial support for businesses to stay in business

The Prime Minister Scott Morrison said the Government was acting to cushion the blow from the coronavirus for businesses and households to help them get through to the other side of the crisis.

“We want to help businesses keep going as best they can and for as long as they can, or to pause instead of winding up their business. We want to ensure that when this crisis has passed Australian businesses can bounce back,” the Prime Minister said.

“Our focus is on cushioning the blow and providing hope to every Australian that we will get through this and come out the other side together.

“We know this will be temporary.  That’s why all our actions are geared towards building a bridge, keeping more people in work, enhancing the safety net for those that aren’t and keeping businesses alive so they can get to the other side and stand up their workforce as quickly as possible.

“We know Australia’s more than 3 million small and medium businesses are the engine room of our economy. When they hurt, we all hurt.

“The next few months are going to be a difficult journey but we all have a role to play to adapt to the changes we’re facing, to cushion the impact of what is happening and to pull together so we can bounce back when we get to the other side.”

The Treasurer Josh Frydenberg said the $189 billion economic support package was the equivalent of 9.7 per cent of GDP.

“The Government is taking unprecedented action to strengthen the safety net available to Australians that are stood down or lose their jobs and increasing support for small businesses that do it tough over the next six months.

“These measures build significantly on what we have already announced.

“These extraordinary times demand extraordinary measures.”

Coronavirus supplement

The Government is temporarily expanding eligibility to income support payments and establishing a new, time-limited Coronavirus supplement to be paid at a rate of $550 per fortnight. This will be paid to both existing and new recipients of the JobSeeker Payment, Youth Allowance jobseeker, Parenting Payment, Farm Household Allowance and Special Benefit.

The Coronavirus supplement will be paid for the next 6 months. Eligible income support recipients will receive the full amount of the $550 Coronavirus supplement on top of their payment each fortnight.

This measure is estimated to cost $14.1 billion over the forward estimates period.

An increase of up to 5,000 staff for Services Australia will assist to support delivery of new Government measures.

Payments to support households

In addition to the $750 stimulus payment announced on 12 March 2020, the Government will provide a further $750 payment to social security and veteran income support recipients and eligible concession card holders, except for those who are receiving an income support payment that is eligible to receive the Coronavirus supplement.

This second payment will be made automatically from 13 July 2020 to around 5 million social security, veteran and other income support recipients and eligible concession card holders. Around half of those that benefit are pensioners. 

This measure is estimated to cost $4 billion over the forward estimates period.

Early release of superannuation

The Government will allow individuals in financial stress as a result of the Coronavirus to access up to $10,000 of their superannuation in 2019-20 and a further $10,000 in 2020-21.

Eligible individuals will be able to apply online through myGov for access of up to $10,000 of their superannuation before 1 July 2020. They will also be able to access up to a further $10,000 from 1 July 2020 for another three months. They will not need to pay tax on amounts released and the money they withdraw will not affect Centrelink or Veterans’ Affairs payments.

This measure is estimated to cost $1.2 billion over the forward estimates period.

Reducing social security deeming rates

On top of the deeming rate changes made at the time of the first package, the Government is reducing the deeming rates by a further 0.25 percentage points to reflect the latest rate reductions by the RBA.

As of 1 May 2020, the lower deeming rate will be 0.25 per cent and the upper deeming rate will be 2.25 per cent.

This measure is estimated to cost $876 million over the forward estimates period.

Assistance to business to keep people in a job

Boosting Cash Flow for Employers

Small and medium-sized businesses with turnover under $50 million, along with not-for-profit charities, will be eligible for a tax-free cash payment of up to $100,000.

The payment will be worth 100 per cent of the tax those entities withhold from their employees’ salaries and wages.

Eligible businesses will get a minimum of $20,000.

This is a dramatic escalation of a previously announced policy, which limited the payment to a maximum of $25,000 and a minimum of $2000.

This measure is estimated to cost $31.9 billion over the forward estimates period, including the value of the measure announced in the first package.

Regulatory protection and financial support for businesses to stay in business

The Government will establish the Coronavirus SME Guarantee Scheme which will support small and medium enterprises (SMEs) to get access to working capital to help them get them through the impact of the coronavirus. 

The scheme will support up to $40 billion in lending (meaning the government is guaranteeing $20 billion).

Once again, the threshold for eligibility is turnover under $50 million. This policy will apply to loans granted within six months, starting on April 1.

The Government will guarantee up to $20 billion to support $40 billion in SME loans. 

Providing temporary relief for financially distressed businesses

The government is temporarily increasing the threshold at which creditors can issue a statutory demand on a company, and the time companies have to respond to statutory demands they receive.

This also includes temporary relief for directors from any personal liability for trading while insolvent.

Support for the aviation industry

As previously announced, the Government is also providing up to $715 million in support for Australian airlines and airports, which will ensure that the aviation sector receives timely cash flow support through an unprecedented period of disruption to international and domestic air travel.

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