Capitals

Another obstacle to the mixed-use development of the former Athens airport at Elliniko was lifted on Wednesday, after the state's Central Archaeological Council (KAS) unanimously decided to allow the investor to demolish numerous buildings in the park.

The world's largest democracy went under the world's biggest lockdown on March 25, with India's 1.3 billion people ordered to stay home in a bid to stop the coronavirus pandemic, while in the U.S., lawmakers and the White House agreed on a massive $2 trillion domestic aid package to help those impacted by the outbreak.

Hellenic Air Force fighter jets and helicopters flew over the capital at 10.30 a.m. on Tuesday as a practice run ahead of the March 25 national holiday, the Hellenic National Defense General Staff (GEETHA) said.

A Mirage-3000 and an F-16 jet flew twice over Athens, according to GEETHA.

In a coordinated operation involving the Patra Port Authority, fire service and police, 110 Greeks being repatriated from Italy were received and taken to their homes late on Sunday. 

One of the fake galleons that were one of the most ridiculed features of the former government's faux-historic Skopje 2014 revamp of the capital is to be removed by mid-April on the order of the city authorities.

The Athens municipal authority on Wednesday announced the closure of all its sports facilities for the next two weeks at least.

The decision to close the capital's open-air soccer, basketball, tennis, volleyball and handball courts comes amid a crackdown on public gatherings and circulation to stem the coronavirus.

The central markets of Athens, Thessaloniki and Patras and the ten fishmarkets of the country that supply the majority of fresh produce in the wider market are continuing their operations as usual, their management said on Thursday.

The markets are however adherring to government directives for hygiene and the protection of the public, they added.

Police in Athens were seeking the unidentified arsonists who torched five cars in the suburb of Glyfada southeast of Athens early Monday morning.
Firefighters were called on Tainarou Street around 2 a.m. to extinguish the fires.
No injuries were reported.

Greek band Dustbowl performs an evening of American folk-rock at the Church Sessions 5 series of live events at St Paul's Anglican Church in downtown Athens.

Conferences are being canceled, bookings have slumped, deposit payments are being delayed, cancelation policies are being revised, city hotel occupancy rates are low and arrivals from abroad are dropping: These are the first signs of the impact of the coronavirus epidemic on Greek tourism, and they are expected to rise.