Syntagma

The Public book and multimedia store has invited award-winning up-and-coming Australian writer Hannah Kent to speak with fans and sign books at its central Athens and Thessaloniki branches on Tuesday, February 19, and Wednesday, February 20, respectively. Kent is the author of best-selling novels "Burial Rites" (2013) and "The Good People" (2016).

Police ordered the evacuation of the branch of National Bank off Syntagma Square near central Athens on Monday after an anonymous caller phoned in a bomb threat.

Members of the police's bomb disposal unit were dispatched to the scene to search for any suspicious devices.

The union of Greek hospital workers, POEDIN, on Tuesday announced a four-hour work stoppage for the following day.

The action is scheduled to take place on Wednesday, starting at 11 a.m., and is expected to affect services at the country's public hospitals.

Omonia and Syntagma squares and the area between them in the center of Athens have recently evolved into the most hotly desired place to invest in property in Greece, with hotel units being at the focus of attention.

Even though torrential rain appeared to dampen the mood - and turnout - at a protest rally in downtown Athens scheduled to coincide with a parliamentary vote on the Prespes agreement, police in the Greek capital were implementing strict security measures on Friday.

Police said on Thursday the metro station on Syntagma square will close as of 4.30 p.m., ahead of a planned protest rally against the Prespes accord which is being discussed in Parliament.

The train will pass through the station without stopping.

Conservative New Democracy MP Sofia Voultepsi said that she was assaulted during a rally protesting the Prespes name deal in Athens on Sunday. 

In comments to Parapolitiko radio station, Voultepsi described the attack as "murderous in intent" and "staged," referring to members of the "parastate." 

An organizer of the protest rally against the Prespes name deal has told SKAI radio that he expects upwards of 600,000 protesters to turn up in central Athens later Sunday.

People have already started converging in Athens' Syntagma Square to attend.

Ahead of an anticipated vote on the Prespes name deal in Parliament next week, which the government expects to secure with a majority of at least 151, organizers of a rally opposing the pact are preparing to converge in Athens on Sunday. 

One of the Benaki Museum's last exhibitions launched in 2018 offers visitors to its Ghika Gallery, near Syntagma Square, the chance to travel back to that same central Athens plaza 114 years ago.

Locals are likely to experience a lot of deja vus in the show, with plenty of familiar scenes, as well as others that evoke wonder at how much they've changed.