Greece

Hundreds of tourists flee Santorini as earthquake activity continues

Residents and tourists are evacuating the Greek island of Santorini after increased seismic activity in recent days, with airlines and ferry operators arranging additional transport to facilitate departures. Frequent earthquakes…

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Microsoft Updates Greek Government on Cloud Region Investment Progress

Microsoft Greece, Cyprus, and Malta CEO Yanna Andronopoulou this week provided an update on the company’s significant Cloud Region investment to a high-profile government delegation. The briefing took place during…

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UPDATED: More needs to be done on returns, EU migration commissioner says

EU internal affairs and migration commissioner Magnus Brunner said that while the EU has changed its migration and asylum policy last year, there is still more to be done on…

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US interest in Greek Golden Visa has surged by 50% after Trump’s election

The Trump effect and the imminent ending of Spain’s Golden Visa scheme continue to boost American interest in Greece’s five-year residence card program based mainly on realty investments, with a…

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Greek PM nominates parliament speaker for presidential post

Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis nominated parliament speaker Constantine Tassoulas from his centre-right New Democracy party for the Greek presidency on Wednesday. President Katerina Sakellaropoulou's five-year term expires in March…

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Northern Greece braces for severe weather; school closures, snow chains ordered

The Hellenic National Meteorological Service has updated its severe weather bulletin. Heavy rain, strong storms, and snow are expected in northern Greece over the next few hours. The weather is…

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Azerbaijan’s President Aliyev’s Cousin Held In Greece Drugs Bust

A cousin of Azerbaijan's President Ilham Aliyev, a British-Azeri DJ, has been arrested in a drug raid at a party near Athens, Greek police said Tuesday. Police said they arrested…

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Greece presents strategy to combat youth internet addiction

The Greek government announced on Monday a national strategy to protect minors from internet addiction and excessive social media use. Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis said protecting children's well-being was…

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50 years after the monarchy was abolished, former royal family regains Greek citizenship

Members of Greece’s former royal family have regained Greek citizenship and formally acknowledged the country’s republican system of government, in a landmark move 50 years after the monarchy was abolished.…

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Greece calls for overhaul of importation of third-country workers

The Greek migration and asylum minister announced a new institutional framework for legal immigration to drastically reduce times, shorten visa issuance procedures and extend the duration of the residence permit…

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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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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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Greece’s Strategic Push to Boost Wine Tourism and Strengthen its Position as a Premier Destination

Greece is making a strategic effort to boost its wine tourism sector, a move spearheaded by Deputy Minister of Tourism Elena Rapti. In a recent meeting with Mary Triantafyllopoulou, Chair…

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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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Greek gambling market records significant growth

The turnover of the Greek gambling market recorded a significant increase in the first eight months of the year. From January to August, Total Gaming Revenue (TGR), i.e. the total…

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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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Mitsotakis says two-state solution in Cyprus cannot happen

Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis on Friday morning told the United Nations General Assembly that a two-state solution to the Cyprus problem “cannot happen and cannot be accepted”. In his…

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Cyprus says progress seen in talks with Greece on multi-billion electric cable link

There has been progress in talks between Cyprus and Greece on the creation of a high-speed electric cable network linking Europe to the Middle East across the Mediterranean seabed, a…

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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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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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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 Aria Hotels to Construct eVTOL Vertiports

Aria Hotels, the Greek-born hospitality subsidiary of Libra Group, will build and operate four vertiports to support the uptake of electric vertical take-off and landing (eVTOL) aircraft in Greece. With…

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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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Von der Leyen backs Polish, Greek calls for EU air defense shield

European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen has backed a demand from Polish and Greek Prime ministers Donald Tusk and Kyriakos Mitsotakis to create an EU-funded air defense shield. "The…

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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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Tripoli claims Greece is conducting illegal prospecting south of Crete

The interim government of Tripoli claims Greece is conducting illegal prospecting south of Crete in areas it says are under Libya’s jurisdiction. The issue was raised last week through a…

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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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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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Spain to send Patriot missiles to Ukraine but Greece says no

Spain will send a small number of Patriot missiles to Ukraine, El Pais newspaper reported on Friday, quoting unidentified sources. Spain ruled out delivering anti-aircraft launchers, but will give Kiev…

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Greek frigate targets two UVAs in Gulf of Aden

Greece’s frigate Hydra opened fire on two unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) in the Gulf of Aden during the early hours of Thursday, utilizing its 127mm main gun according to Greek media.…

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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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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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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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