Greece

Greece moves to shield children from online dangers

In a move to curb the growing risks associated with social media access for children, the Greek government is rolling out a multi-pronged strategy to protect minors under the age…

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Athens named world’s leading cultural city destination for 2024

Athens has been awarded the title of “World’s Leading Cultural City Destination” for 2024 by the World Travel Awards (WTA), surpassing 14 major global cities, including London, Paris, New York,…

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Greece calls for increased EU defence role, cooperation with NATO

The European Union needs to boost its defence role and arms industry and improve cooperation with NATO, Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis said on Tuesday after talks with the military…

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Syriza Loses Main Opposition Status in Greece

Greece’s left-wing Syriza party has lost its position as the country’s main opposition group in parliament during an intensifying leadership battle. Two members of parliament announced Thursday they were quitting…

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Santorini backs strict building limits

Residents of the popular Greek tourist destination of Santorini are calling for stricter building regulations to protect their island’s unique landscape and cultural heritage. At a recent meeting at the…

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Greece’s Syriza Party Faces Collapse

Greece’s Syriza party cracked up further over the weekend and is about to officially lose its status as the country’s main opposition. The party’s recently deposed leader Stefanos Kasselakis announced…

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Greece arrests two men suspected of MDMA, crystal meth smuggling to Australia

Greece's anti-drug authorities have arrested two Greek men suspected of being part of a transnational crime ring exporting crystal meth and MDMA to Australia, police said. Police seized about 56…

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Majority of Greeks concerned about overtourism

A large majority of Greeks believe the country is suffering from overtourism, with a slight majority expressing a preference for fewer but wealthier foreign visitors, according to a new survey.…

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Greece on alert over developments in the Middle East

Greece is bracing for a potential wave of uncontrolled migration, a concern highlighted during Wednesday’s meeting of the country’s National Security Council (KYSYEA). The discussions centered on migration challenges, the…

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Greece plans a 20-euro levy on cruise visitors to Santorini and Mykonos to mitigate overtourism

Greece plans to impose a 20-euro levy on cruise ship visitors to the islands of Santorini and Mykonos during the peak summer season, in a bid to avert overtourism, Prime…

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Greek Golden Visa scheme drives prices up

A further rise in the minimum invested amount required for foreigners to obtain a so-called Golden Visa has boosted house sales, especially in Piraeus, the capital Athens’ port. Starting September…

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Greece dismantles gang trafficking drugs from Europe to Israel on yachts

Greece, with assistance from Israel, has arrested eight foreign nationals, dismantling a criminal ring that used yachts to traffic drugs from Europe to Israel, police said. The suspects, mainly from…

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West Nile virus cases in Greece continue to surge

West Nile virus cases continue to rise across Greece, putting officials and health experts on alert. It is transmitted to humans through infected mosquitoes, but infected humans cannot transmit the…

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Enhancing Greek Air Defense Against Strategic Threats

The military confrontations in the wider area around Greece, extending from the Middle East to Ukraine, have prompted Athens to expedite decisions aimed at a multi-level air defense (anti-drone, and…

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Santorini authorities concerned about overtourism

The debate in Greece over the impact of overtourism on Santorini intensified on Tuesday when 11,000 cruise passengers arrived on the island in a single day. A social media post…

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Santorini faces overbuilding and overtourism crisis

The popular island of Santorini, which is already a globally negative example of an oversaturated destination, is being gradually covered by buildings, making an already difficult situation untenable. “The surface…

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Greece introduces ‘growth-oriented’ six-day working week

While companies in countries worldwide are considering shorter working weeks, Greece has taken an unorthodox step by permitting employees to work a sixth day to boost productivity. Despite its recent…

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Greece battles wildfire on Kos island for second day

Greek firefighters battled a blaze on the island of Kos for a second day on Tuesday, as hundreds of tourists and locals who had been forced to evacuate overnight returned…

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Millions sweltering under extreme heat worldwide as summer arrives

Dangerous heatwaves are scorching cities on four continents as the Northern Hemisphere marks the first day of summer, a sign that climate change may again bring about record-breaking heat that…

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Hot weather in Greece leads to increased casualties

A 55-year-old American has been found dead on the Greek island of Mathraki, the police said on Monday, the third tourist death in a week following a period of unusually…

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Greek PM reshuffles cabinet after worse than expected EU vote result

Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis is to reshuffle his cabinet after his centre-right party performed worse than expected in the European Parliament election. The new government's composition will be announced…

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Greece closes more ancient tourist sites as heatwave persists

Greece shut more ancient tourist sites in Athens on Thursday and elderly people took refuge at designated air-conditioned spots as the first heatwave of the summer persisted for a third…

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Greece Braces for First Heatwave of the Season

Greece will endure a three-day heatwave starting Tuesday with temperatures exceeding 40 degrees Celsius (104 Fahrenheit), the country’s civil protection minister said Monday, warning of a high wildfire risk. The…

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Greece says sanctioned tankers pose rising environmental risk in Mediterranean

Unregulated tankers sidestepping Western sanctions are posing a bigger risk to the Mediterranean region and Greece is undertaking more protective measures to safeguard its coast, the country's shipping minister told…

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Greek expert sounds alarm about potential dengue fever epidemic in Europe

Athens Medical School professor and epidemiologist Sotiris Tsiodras warned about the potential rise of dengue fever cases in Europe due to climate change. Speaking at a public health seminar in…

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Greece dismantles gang trafficking drugs from Latin America to Europe

Greek authorities have dismantled an international criminal group trafficking cocaine in shipping containers from Latin America to Europe, police said on Thursday. Two Albanians and two Greeks were arrested after…

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Greece to deport nine European nationals over pro-Palestinian protest

Nine protesters from Germany, Britain, France, Italy and Spain, arrested during a pro-Palestinian demonstration at the University of Athens School of Law last week are set to be deported from…

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Greek PM urges EU to tackle high prices ahead of elections

Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis has urged the European Union to bring down prices as soon as possible, which he labelled a crucial political challenge ahead of European parliamentary elections.…

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Greek’s centre-right ahead in EU elections

New Democracy's local EPP affiliates stand out as one of the leading ruling parties in the EU, according to the latest polls ahead of the European elections. Greece's current centre-right…

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Greece to bring in Egyptian farm workers amid labour shortage

Greece will start bringing in workers from Egypt this summer to take on temporary farming jobs under a deal between the countries to tackle a labour shortage, the migration ministry…

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Greece raises bar for ‘golden visas’

Greek authorities have decided to raise the minimum property purchase price for the "golden visa" scheme, which grants residency rights to foreigners in exchange for buying real estate, from 250,000…

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Racist violence surges in Greece

Attacks against migrants, refugees and LGBT people in Greece surged to their highest level in nearly a decade last year, a report by the Athens-based Racist Violence Recording Network (RVRN)…

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In Greece, Golden Visa program sees steady increase in applications

New applications in Greece for five-year residence permits through the Golden Visa program continue unabated, as 1,299 new applications were submitted in the first two months of this year, compared…

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Wildfire rages on Greece’s Crete island, settlements evacuated

ATHENS, April 6 (Reuters) - A wildfire raged out of control on the Greek island of Crete on Saturday, with authorities ordering the evacuation of four residential settlements, the fire…

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Greek islands hit by new surge of migrant arrivals

Greece's conservative government promised on Monday to offer extra financial aid and more staff to help the island of Crete and its tiny neighbour Gavdos handle a steep rise in…

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Greece’s Crete and Gavdos islands see surge in migrant boats from Libya

ATHENS, (Reuters) - The Greek islands of Crete and Gavdos have seen a steep rise in migrant boats landing on their shores from Libya this year, U.N. data shows, piling…

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Almost 5,000 false identity documents seized in Greece

The Aliens Division of Attica within the Hellenic Police (Ellinikí Astynomía), supported by Europol, targeted a criminal network involved in document fraud and migrant smuggling activities. The criminal network, based…

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Greek parliament approves private foreign universities, bucking protests

ATHENS, March 9 (Reuters) - Greece’s parliament narrowly passed a bill early on Saturday that will allow foreign private universities to set up branches in the country, bucking weeks of…

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After Red Sea mission, Greece seeks key role in EU defence – minister

By Lefteris Papadimas and Renee Maltezou EU needs to be able to defend itself - Greek minister Says EU Red Sea mission must succeed, coordination with fleets in area important…

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Greeks strike to mark train crash anniversary, protest low wages

ATHENS, Feb 28 (Reuters) - Rail services will be halted and ships will remain docked at ports near the capital Athens on Wednesday, as workers walk off the job to…

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Greece approves military participation in EU Red Sea mission

ATHENS, Feb 26 (Reuters) - The Greek government on Monday approved the country's participation in a European Union naval mission in the Red Sea to protect merchant ships from attacks…

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Greece to suspend flights at Crete airport for six days due to maintenance

ATHENS, (Reuters) - Flights at the Greek airport of Heraklion on the island of Crete will be suspended for six days from Feb. 19 due to maintenance work, the country's…

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Greece becomes first Orthodox nation to legalise same-sex civil marriage

Greece's parliament approved a bill allowing same-sex civil marriage on Thursday, a landmark victory for supporters of LGBT rights that was greeted with cheers by onlookers in parliament and dozens…

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Shooting incident at Greek shipping company leaves one dead, wounds two

ATHENS, Feb 12 (Reuters) - At least one man was killed and two wounded during a rare shooting incident at a Greek shipping company in Athens on Monday, police sources…

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Eva Kaili won’t run for reelection as MEP

Greek member of European Parliament Eva Kaili won’t run in the upcoming EU election, one of her lawyers said. “Unfortunately, she will not be a candidate,” her Greek lawyer Michalis…

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Greece to raise investment price for ‘golden visas’, PM says

Greece is planning to further raise the investment threshold for "golden visas" to foreigners to 800,000 euros ($861,520) for real estate in cities and islands where demand is high, Prime…

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Greece has absorbed 15 bln euro from EU’s Recovery Fund – minister

ATHENS, (Reuters) - Greece has received nearly 15 billion euros in grants and loans from the European Union's Recovery Fund since 2021, a sum which is equivalent to about 8%…

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Two migrants found dead, nine rescued off Greek island

ATHENS, Jan 10 (Reuters) - Greece rescued nine migrants and recovered the bodies of two dead people, a woman and a man, close to a rocky shore on the island…

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Greece advises vessels to avoid Yemeni waters after Red Sea attacks

ATHENS, Dec 20 (Reuters) - Greece has advised commercial vessels sailing in the Red Sea and the Gulf of Aden to avoid Yemeni waters, keep only the necessary crew on…

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UPDATED: Greece, Turkey seek to restart relations with meetings in Athens

By Renee Maltezou ATHENS, Dec 7 (Reuters) - Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan sounded an upbeat note on the future of Greco-Turkish relations as he arrived in Athens on Thursday in…

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Greece to repay more euro zone bailout loans ahead of schedule

Greece will next month repay ahead of schedule 5.3 billion euros ($5.8 billion) of loans owed to euro zone countries under its first bailout, and hopes to repeat the move…

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Greece PM laments lack of progress with UK on Parthenon Sculptures

LONDON, Nov 26 (Reuters) - Talks over a possible return of the British Museum's Parthenon Sculptures to Athens are not advancing quickly enough, Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis said on…

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Greece starts process to sell 20% stake in National Bank

Greece on Monday announced plans to sell a 20% stake in National Bank of Greece (NBG) after concluding the sale of a 9% stake in Alpha Bank to UniCredit as it looks…

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Greece, Saudi Arabia to look at linking their power grids

ATHENS (Reuters) - Greece and Saudi Arabia agreed this week to set up a jointly-owned company that will look at linking their power grids, taking the first step in their…

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Photo Story: Aftermath of Storm Elias in central Greece

A resident wades through the water and mud on a flooded road, in the village of Sotirio after Storm Elias swept across the region, near Larissa, Greece, 29 September 2023.…

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Flooded homes, streets as another storm hits battered central Greece

VOLOS, Greece Sept 28 (Reuters) - Torrential rain battered central Greece, flooding streets, homes and businesses in the city of Volos just three weeks after devastating Storm Daniel killed 16…

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Greece to tap into undocumented migrants to curb labour squeeze

ATHENS, (Reuters) - Greece's conservative government is working on a plan to integrate hundreds of thousands of undocumented migrants to fill worker shortages in agriculture, construction and tourism, ministry officials…

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