Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis has forecast a strong rebound in tourism this summer, saying speedy vaccination drives in key markets including Britain and Israel will pave the way for tourists to return despite the current industry gloom.
Tourism, which accounts for about 20% of the Greek economy and employs one in five workers, collapsed last year as the coronavirus pandemic sent its revenues slumping to 4 billion euros ($4.8 billion) from 18 billion in 2019.
Since last summer, when the pandemic subsided across Europe, the virus has surged, triggering renewed lockdowns and travel restrictions and pushing the region’s death toll above 750,000.
“I am a realist but I am also cautiously optimistic that we will do much better than last year,” Mitsotakis told Reuters.
“Last year we were at 20-25% of what we would have gotten in a regular year. If we were to get 50% of what a regular year would look like, it’s still going to be 100% better than last year.”
Greece has created its own standard vaccination certificate and is pushing for a European Union-wide certification system, which could be electronic. There is still an EU debate on whether certificates should be required for cross-border travel.
Mitsotakis said certificates would not be mandatory for visitors this summer but he noted that Britain and Israel were leading the way in the speed of their vaccination rollouts.
“Essentially we are dependent on the pace of vaccination in our main markets,” he said.
“For example, Israel is a very important market for Greece and if 70% of the Israeli population is vaccinated by the end of March, it makes it easier to gradually start opening up to Israelis who have a real interest in travelling.”
The ATP Cup will resume on Friday with three group stage ties at Melbourne Park, with Team Greece facing Team Spain at 10am in the Melbourne Arena.
The two team countries were scheduled to face off last night at the Rod Laver Arena, yet a new COVID-19 case forced all tennis players to get tested and isolate before receiving their results.
At 10 a.m Michalis Pervolarakis will face Pablo Carreño Busta, followed by Stefanos Tsitsipas playing against Roberto Bautista Agut. Rafael Nadal continues to suffer from his waist problem and therefore withdrew his participation in the round. The doubles match will follow, where Greece will line up with their two top players.
Greece has mathematical hopes of qualifying for the semifinals, but in order to achieve this they will need to win all 3 matches against Spain. In any other case, the Spaniards will be the ones to enter the next stage.
Also with a one day delay, due to the postponement of yesterday’s matches, Maria Sakkari will start her run for the Grampians Trophy in Melbourne. The top Greek tennis player, who qualified directly for the round of 16, will face the very talented 18-year-old Leylah Fernandez in the first match at Court 8, at 11 am.
A large night-time explosion levelled a three-story lakeside hotel just outside the northern Greek town of Kastoria early Thursday, authorities said. The hotel was closed and empty at the time, and no injuries were reported.
The explosion occurred at around 1:30 a.m., destroying the 80-room facility located about four kilometers (2.5 miles) outside of Kastoria. The reason for the blast was unclear, but authorities said they suspected a gas leak.
Iordanis Michailidis, head of the Union of Hotel Owners of Kastoria, said the sound of the blast reached the town of Kastoria, where he lives, and was accompanied by a momentary power cut.
The 3-star Tsamis Hotel is located 2.5 miles away from the city of Kastoria and was said to have sent debris flying in a radius of nearly 100 meters.
Firefighters from Kastoria were dispatched on the scene while police officers cordoned off the area and blocked traffic on the main highway leading to the city, which passes near the hotel.
Adelaide Olympic FC mourns the loss of Team Coach Pavlos Vaggelis who died at the age of 37, after a short battle with an aggressive form of cancer.
Adelaide Olympic announced the passing of Vaggelis on social media on Thursday evening, extending their condolences to his family.
“With tremendous sadness the Adelaide Olympic Football Club regretfully informs it supporters and the greater football community of the passing of First Team Coach Pavlos Vaggelis surrounded by his family and loved ones in Greece after a short battle with a very aggressive form of cancer. Our thoughts are with his family. May he Rest in Peace,” reads the post.
Adelaide City FC, Modbury Jets SC, Adelaide Titans Football Club, co-players and supporters have led tributes to a “good man who will be sadly missed”.
Adelaide Olympic Football Club First Team Coach Pavlos Vaggelis has passed away surrounded by his family and loved ones in Greece after a short battle with a very aggressive form of cancer.
When he first arrived in Australia from Zimbabwe in 2008, little did Ngoni Hwenjere know that a Greek organisation would change his way of life and even give him a Greek name, Polidoros. Thirteen years later, Ngoni says Greek culture is now part of his psyche. He even received the prestigious Outstanding Contribution staff award from the biggest Greek not-for-profit aged care organisation in Victoria, Fronditha Care.
Ngoni decided to leave his motherland, Zimbabwe when he was 23. His parents and his four other siblings immigrated to the UK but, in search of adventure, Ngoni thought Melbourne to be the ideal place to create his new life. Armed with courage, commitment and the lessons learnt from his devoted grandmother who played a fundamental role in his upbringing, he made the move.
“My grandmother always told me to be kind and welcoming. Be a good boy. Her words guide me until today, and it’s what made me who I am now.”
The close relationships with and respect for his elders led Ngoni to work in the aged care sector. He started with Fronditha Care as a personal carer in the organisation’s Clayton residence, working night shifts and studying by day to be an accountant.
“I have a lot of cherished memories. I will never forget one lovely yiayia used to tell me stories from Greece and asked me about my story. I started exploring and loving the Greek culture straight after.”
Ngnoni with his wife, children and sister in law.
His opportunity to move to the Finance Department of Fronditha Care came when the then CEO saw him treat a distressed resident and asked him about his background and plans. Six months later, after completing his accounting degree, he knocked on the CEO’s door and joined the finance team in a part-time role. Since then, he has successfully obtained a Masters Degree in Banking & Finance, become a CPA and completed Fronditha Care’s Emerging Leaders Program.
Currently the Financial Controller of Fronditha Care, Ngoni has worked within the team in various capacities and projects displaying diligence, dedication and leadership. He attributes his growth to Fronditha Care and the willingness of his managers to empower him.
“I grew along with Fronditha Care. There are many opportunities to grow here, which is one of the things that I love in the organisation, you can flourish if you want.”
I share the same values as the organisation: Respect, Do Right, Bring Joy, Inspire Better. I espouse and implement all these every day.”
The consistent demonstration of these values is why he was presented Fronditha Care’s 2020 Outstanding Contribution Award, the top award granted at the organisation’s annual Staff Awards.
Ngoni on his wedding day with his grandparents.
“I live and breath Fronditha Care, every day. It was my first love in Australia, and I have so many memories from here.”
But what about his dive into the Greek culture. Ngoni proudly says that he feels the Greek culture is very close to his own African culture, and he has now adopted many of its elements into his life.
“I may not look Greek but inside I feel 100% Greek. I even speak to my two children in Greek sometimes. Also, I have a Greek name, Polydoros and every 3 September, I bring sweets to my colleagues because it’s my name day. I love it.”
When he received his award, Ngoni expressed his gratitude to his team that helped him in all his steps. Together, in the highs and lows. He also acknowledged that whatever he does, it is ultimately for the community’s most vulnerable people.
“Yiayia, pappou, wherever you are, you are all so dear to me as you are to Fronditha Care and you will always have a place in my heart,” he passionately says.
Fronditha Care is both proud and privileged to have Ngoni as a member of its family. His story, the ethos of his character and diligence is a source of inspiration for his colleagues, and it is important to recognise how a migrant from Africa has dedicated his efforts to improving the lives of elderly Greeks in Australia.
The Cretan Brotherhood Youth of Melbourne and Victoria held their Annual General Meeting on January 17 and for the first time in over 10 years, the Youth Committee elected a female President.
Rhea Gotsis will be leading the new 2021 Youth Committee after taking over from previous President, Vasilios Berbetakis. The new Vice President is Bill Theodorakis.
Rhea tells The Greek Herald that she feels very ’empowered’ to have taken up the executive position and hopes she can be a role model for others.
“I can now pose as a role model for the younger females of our club, which are as young as four years old,” Rhea says. “I want to show them that there is an opportunity out there that they didn’t realise existed, of being a leader within the club.”
Rhea herself has been part of the Brotherhood for ten years, taking part in Cretan dancing classes and culture, before she became involved in the Youth Committee as the PR Advisor, then Secretary and Vice President last year.
Now in her current position as President, Rhea says she has two main priorities for the Cretan Brotherhood youth this year.
“My first priority after a year apart in isolation, is that we want to make 2021 a year of reconnection. I truly believe that by prioritising the foundation of our club, the younger children, and reconnecting them through events, will pose a strong reflection on how our club works,” she explains.
“And this aligns with the second priority, which is branching out more into the Greek community. A common misconception is that you need to be Cretan to join the club. It’s nothing like that.
“We cater for all people, all ages, all nationalities and we want to branch further into the Greek community and educate them on our values and show them the friendships and bonds we’ve made as part of the club.”
A powerful initiative from a young Greek Australian with a bright future ahead of her.
Theodoros Kolokotronis was a general and a leading figure of the Greek War for Independence in 1821, as well as a politician and country advisor. He is also known as the Elder of Morias.
To mark the occasion of his birth, we take a look back at his incredible life.
1. Place of Birth:
Kolokotronis was born in Messinia to a well-known family. His father participated in the rebellion supported by Empress Catherine II of Russia in 1770, and was killed along with his two brothers by the Turks.
As a result, Kolokotronis and his mother moved to her hometown in Arkadia, where he was raised. He soon entered the klepth groups of the area and became a captain when he was 15 years old.
Kolokotronis was born in Messinia to a well-known family.
2. Liberation of Nafplion:
In April 1821, Greeks attacked the Ottomans in Nafplion and the siege started. According to Kolokotronis’ memoir, thousands of Ottomans died during the battle, while only 100 Greeks died. The siege ended on September 23 and it is now known as the “Fall of Tripolitsa.”
Kolokotronis is said to have ridden his horse up the steep slopes to the castle of Palamidi to celebrate his victory.
He was also famously quoted as saying, “Greeks, God has signed our Liberty and will not go back on his promise.”
3. The Battle of Dervenaki:
Dramali and his army were defeated in the Battle of Dervenaki on July 28, 1822.
On July 28, 1822, the Turkish campaign suffered a huge defeat at the Battle of Dervenaki by a Greek army led by Theodoros Kolokotronis, Dimitrios Ypsilantis, Papaflessas and Nikitaras.
By the summer of 1822, the Ottomans were preparing to move southwards and crush the Greek uprising. The Turkish army under Mahmut Dramali passed through the narrow gorge of Dervenaki and posted no forces where other gorges exposed his flanks.
Kolokotronis pursued a scorched earth policy, aiming at starving the Ottomans out. The Greeks looted the villages, burned the grain and foodstuff they could not move, and damaged the wells and springs.
Dramali’s army was trapped in the sweltering Argolic plain at the same time as Greek troops surrounded them from all sides.
Dramali dispatched an advance guard consisting of 1,000 Muslim Albanians to occupy the passes. The Greeks brought down devastating fire and then charged, slaying the Ottomans in vicious hand-to-hand fighting. Very few of the Ottoman light cavalry managed to escape.
4. After the war:
Kolokotronis was a big supporter of Kapodistrias and his policies, and was a leader during the events of Otto’s enthronement. However, in 1833, he had a serious conflict with the Regents, eventually sending him and other heroes of the Revolution to prison in Nafplio, charged with treason.
In 1834, he was sentenced to death, but after Otto’s coming of age, he received a royal pardon and became an “Advisor of the Country.”
5. Death:
Kolokotronis died on February 4, 1843 after a stroke, while returning from a celebration at the palace.
Former Masterchef host, George Calombaris, has revealed today in an interview with the Herald Sun what emotionally devastated him most about his restaurant collapse, while also vowing “to do good things” following a wage scandal.
“The hard thing was to see how my team suffered,” Calombaris said in the interview, while stressing that the past three years were “very hard.”
“I’m really excited the last of them is now overseas cooking in an amazing place in Singapore. All my head chefs and managers are in great places and doing great things and that makes me really happy.”
Calombaris’ restaurant empire, MAdE Establishment Group, collapsed in February last year. Photo: Ten.
The former Jimmy Grants and Hellenic Republic chef has been missing from the public eye over the last few months or so, but he says he is excited to re-emerge.
“I’m really excited about this year, I think personally I will never go back to the crazy world that I used to live in,’’ Calombaris told the Herald Sun.
“I really enjoyed my family [wife Natalie and their two children] because I was never really around for them. Being around them for the last nine months, I’ve missed out on a lot.”
Calombaris’ restaurant empire, MAdE Establishment Group, collapsed in February last year. It came after the business was beset by reputational damage following a $7.8 million underpayment scandal.
“If I keep looking backwards I’m going to get a sore neck. So I just look forward and I want to do good things,” he said.
Do this involve a TV return? Colambaris said yes, but it’ll be on his terms.
“After you come off what was one of the most incredible television shows in MasterChef, I’m very grateful I’ve had time to just breathe and time to spend with my family,’’ he said.
“I love television and I will do it again but it’s got to represent who I am and talk about the story. Hopefully I’ll be able to help people through all of my good, bad and ugly.”
Over $2.5 million has already been raised after the Lord Mayor’s Distress Relief Fund was activated on Wednesday to help victims of the devastating Wooroloo bushfire, according to The West Australian.
The State Government contributed $2 million to the fund after it was confirmed that at least 71 homes have been lost in the blaze so far.
This was followed by more than $60,000 in donations within the first 30 minutes of the fund going live.
Perth’s Lord Mayor, Basil Zempilas, told The West Australian it was just the 50th time the fund had been activated in the past 60 years. The most recent appeal in 2016 raised almost $9 million for the Yarloop bushfire victims.
Mr Zempilas said the fund, only activated during the worst emergencies, had contributed $500,000 to the Wooroloo appeal.
“The board met this morning and (the fund) was activated immediately,” Mr Zempilas told The West Australian.
“Clearly there is distress in our community and this is what the Lord Mayor’s Distress Relief Fund was set up for.”
Mr Zempilas said the losses suffered by those in Perth’s hills is “heartbreaking” and “that’s why financial contributions from people in the community can be so useful to help them start to rebuild.”
The massive Perth Hills bushfire, now in its fourth day. Photo: DFES/Evan Collis/ABC.
“You can’t help but think of those people and what they are about to go through once the initial shock and adrenalin that must be running through their bodies starts to dissipate,” he said.
Mr Zempilas added that he expected West Australians would live up to “their reputation of being the most generous people anywhere in the world.”
This news comes as the Federal Government also announced on Wednesday that Western Australians affected by the devastating Wooroloo bushfires will be able to access disaster payments of up to $1000 per adult and $400 per child from 8am today.
Meanwhile, Telstra also announced an assistance package, including free phone calls, for customers who have lost services due to the fire.
The package includes mobile call diversion, a boost to data and free calls and reconnection support to those in Gidgegannup, Herne Hill, Upper Swan, Red Hill, Ellenbrook, Bullsbrook, Wundowie, Parkerville and Red Hill.
Perth Hills bushfire at ‘critical’ stage:
Fire authorities battling a massive bushfire threatening lives and homes in the Perth Hills say the situation is at a critical stage as strong south easterly winds push the blaze towards houses on the northern edge of the fire.
Incident controller Peter Sutton said the situation was extremely dangerous, with strong gusts fanning the flames and multiple breakouts ahead of the main fire.
“The situation has become quite critical as we speak,” he told ABC Radio. “We are getting reports of buildings under immediate threat. We’re having multiple breakouts on the northern flank of the fire.”
“We’re really at a critical point in time.”
The devastating fire has destroyed more than 70 homes and at least one fire truck. Photo: ABC News.
He said homes were under threat in Clenton Road, Berry Road and Toodyay Road in Gidgegannup, in the Avon Ridge estate in Brigadoon and along the Great Northern Highway.
Wind gusts of up to 70 kilometres per hour were forecast to hit the area overnight, pushing the fire in a north-westerly direction.
The Department of Fire and Emergency Services (DFES) warned people in or around Clenton Road, Berry Road and Gidgegannup they were in immediate danger and it was too late to leave.
The House of Assembly of the South Australian State Parliament passed a historic motion on Wednesday recognising the right to self-determination of the indigenous Armenians of the Republic of Artsakh, while condemning the attacks by Azerbaijan and Turkey.
South Australia has become the second Australian state to recognise the Republic of Artsakh, following a similar motion passed in the New South Wales Legislative Assembly in October 2020.
The motion was introduced by the Hon Tom Koutsantonis MP in the lower house, and seconded by the Shadow Minister for Multicultural Affairs, the Hon Jayne Stinson MP Member for Badcoe. The Hon Andrea Michaels MP also made a speech in parliament supporting the motion.
The motion condemns the aggression of Azerbaijan and Turkey, particularly in light of the history of ethnic cleansing and genocide of indigenous Armenian, Greek and Assyrian populations.
Mr Koutsantonis stressed in his Parliamentarian speech the need to acknowledge Turkey and Azerbaijan’s recent attempts to “commit genocide.”
“I hope today, we can show the same carriage and foresight as previous parliaments and acknowledge current attempts by Turkey and their ally Azerbaijan to once again commit genocide, ethnic cleansing in the traditional ancestral homes of the Armenian people,” Mr Koutsantonis said.
“I declare today, my belief is Artsakh is Armenian, it is their home. Their connections to this land is not in dispute historically, factually or presently.”
In a statement after the motion was passed, the Armenian Cultural Association of South Australia (ACASA) sent their gratitude to Mr Koutsantonis and Ms Stinson for championing the motion.
“We thank Mr Koutsantonis and Ms Stinson for championing this motion and extend our gratitude to all parliamentarians who supported the passage of this non-partisan motion in the name of human rights,” the Association wrote in its statement.
During the war, Azerbaijan targeted civilian areas with weaponised drones and cluster munitions, and razed cities and towns in Artsakh to the ground. According to ACASA, nearly 3,000 indigenous Armenians were killed, and close to 200,000 displaced.
The SA Parliament motion calls for the safe return of Armenian refugees to their homes without further reprisals, and also asks the Federal Government to condemn these attacks.
