Latest News from Greece
Greek Yale professor appeals to Greeks to respect lockdown
The Greek Yale University professor, Nicholas A. Christakis, has called on Greeks, in a post on Twitter, to honor the new lockdown announced by Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis on Sunday and self-isolate.
Latest on the coronavirus: Worldwide deaths exceed 14,000
More countries imposed lockdown measures as coronavirus cases across the globe ballooned, led by a sharp rise in infections in Europe. Italy banned travel within the country, nearly one in three Americans were ordered to stay home and New Zealand said it will move to its highest alert level imposing self-isolation.
Deaths, infections
FM Çavuşoğlu says Turkey cannot host any more refugees
Turkey cannot host any more refugees, either from Syria or beyond, Foreign Minister Mevlüt Çavuşoğlu said on March 23, in an opinion piece in the Financial Times.
With school closures extended over Covid-19, teachers get to grips with online classes
As the Education Ministry scrambles to establish distance learning via virtual tools for long-term school closures, some teachers and pupils in Greece are trying to adapt to the new normal of instruction in the face of the public health emergency.
Mitsotakis’ leadership qualities
Everything points to the fact that if we don't adopt strict measures similar to those imposed by China, Europe and the rest of the western world will not be able to control the coronavirus epidemic. Several governments have apparently realized this and are talking about the possibility of 60-70 percent of their countries' populations becoming infected.
Mitsotakis declares general nationwide lockdown as of 6am tomorrow
Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis declared a general nationwide lockdown as of 6am, 23 March.
The move came after a doubling of Covid-19 cases in Greece in the 24 hours prior to the announcement, although it was widely expected for days.
Panathinaikos looks for Pitino's successor
Greek basketball champion Panathinaikos is looking for its next coach for when the action resumes in Greece and in Europe, after the departure of Rick Pitino back to the US.
The legendary coach is returning to the NCAA, as he has just signed a five-year contract with Iona, starting this fall.
Economists say 2020 recession ‘inevitable’
Foreign analysts appear more pessimistic than the Bank of Greece's baseline scenario for 0 percent growth this year due to the coronavirus epidemic, saying a recession appears inevitable, especially in the first half of the year, mainly due to tourism.
Investment grade remains elusive
The recent health crisis is dampening hopes of a credit rating upgrade for Greece. According to Capital Economics economist Melanie Debono, "it is now highly unlikely that any government will be upgraded by the credit rating agencies in the near future, given that the world is on the verge of a deep recession. Greece is not immune from this."
Workforce dilemma for employers
The dilemma being faced by thousands of troubled employers across Greece is whether to dismiss employees or suspend their labor contracts instead, as the government is proposing.
Hotels shut down as Covid-19 puts Greek tourism on ice
With a few exceptions that were to be fine-tuned on Sunday, hotels across Greece are shutting their doors as of Monday morning, putting Greek tourism on ice even though it is the main source of income in many parts of the country, such as in Nafplio in the Peloponnese.
Lockdown starts 6 a.m. Monday
Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis has announced a lockdown, starting at 6 a.m. Monday.
All citizens and residents must stay at home, or risk a 150-euro fine.
The migration crisis, from a legal point of view
The United Nations Convention Relating to the Status of Refugees signed in Geneva in 1951, and amended by the Protocol signed in New York in 1967, defines a refugee as "someone who is unable or unwilling to return to their country of origin owing to a well-founded fear of being persecuted for reasons of race, religion, nationality, membership of a particular social group, or political opinion."
Greece 77th in global happiness report
Greece is in 77th place in the latest survey on the state of global happiness that ranks 156 countries by how happy their citizens perceive themselves to be.
The World Happiness Report was published on the occasion of World Happiness Day on Friday.
Finland topped the rankings (as it also did in 2018 and 2019).
The single soul of empathy dwelling in our bodies
Different people may use different words to describe the friendly China-Greece relations. But recently, the word empathy came to my mind. As the great Greek philosopher Aristotle put it, "What is a friend?