Greece

A collection of 26 posts

Floods Strike Greece, Turkey and Bulgaria

At least seven people have died and four others are missing after torrential rains inundated Greece, Turkey, and Bulgaria, causing significant flooding....

Weather

Greece: Wildfires Highlight the Plight of Asylum Seekers

On Tuesday, Greek officials announced that in the Evros region of the country — where wildfires are burning out of control — the bodies of 18 people have been found. The victims are believed to be asylum seekers.

Social issues

Mediterranean Wildfires Kill Dozens

Deadly wildfires burning in at least nine countries across the Mediterranean have so far claimed the lives of dozens of people as thousands of firefighters continue to bring the infernos under control.

Social issues

Greece: Thousands Evacuated From Islands as Wildfires Grow

Over the weekend, Corfu became the second Greek island — along with Rhodes — to evacuate residents ahead of explosive wildfires. The Greek Coast Guard has evacuated over 20K on both islands.

Greece

Greece's Tsipras Resigns as Syriza Leader After Election Defeat

Greece's former Prime Minister Alexis Tsipras on Thursday announced that he was stepping down as leader of the Syriza party after 15 years, following an executive committee meeting about the party's future.

Politics

Greek Elections: New Democracy Party Wins Landslide Victory

Greece's reformist Prime Kyriakos Mitsotakis secured a second four-year term on Sunday after his conservative New Democracy (ND) party won a landslide in repeat parliamentary elections.

Greece

EU Agency: Greece Ignored Offer to Monitor Migrant Ship

According to the European Union's border and coast guard agency, Frontex, Athens offered no response to an offer to send a plane to monitor the migrant boat that later sank. Authorities rescued 104 people, and 82 bodies have been salvaged from the wreck.

World

BBC Investigation Questions Greek Account of Boat Tragedy

A BBC investigation has cast doubt on the Greek coastguard’s claims about a shipwreck involving hundreds of migrants that occurred last Wednesday.

World

Greece Migrant Disaster: Capsized Boat Had 100 Children in Hold

Dozens of migrants, mostly Middle Eastern men, have died after a boat traveling from eastern Libya to Italy capsized off of southern Peloponnese, Greece, on Tuesday. As of Wednesday afternoon, 104 had reportedly been rescued. Unconfirmed claims suggested upwards of 600 were onboard.

Social issues

Greece Elections: Ruling Conservatives Win Majority

Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis's center-right New Democracy party won 40.8% of the vote in Sunday's elections but fell short of the absolute majority needed to form a government on its own.

Politics

Iran Seizes Second Oil Tanker in a Week Amid US Confrontation

Iran seized a Panamanian-flagged oil tanker in the Strait of Hormuz on Wednesday, claiming the vessel violated Iranian waters as tensions between Tehran and Washington continue to escalate.

World

Bangladesh: Massive Fire At Dhaka Clothing Market

A massive fire erupted on Tuesday at Bangabazar Market — a popular clothing market in Bangladesh's capital Dhaka — destroying at least 3k shops ahead of the Eid festival later this month....

Mozambique

Report: Meta Considering Europe Political Ads Ban

Amid concerns about complying with new EU regulations targeting online campaigns, Meta — Facebook and Instagram's parent company — is reportedly exploring changes to its policies surrounding political advertising for its users in Europe....

Greece

Report: At Least 22 Killed in Alleged Massacre at Myanmar Monastery

According to a doctor's post-mortem report, at least 22 people, including three monks, were killed at a Buddhist monastery in Myanmar's southern Shan state on Saturday as local insurgent groups and Mynammar's junta accused each other of carrying out a massacre of civilians....

Myanmar

Greece Train Collision Kills At Least 40

At least 40 people were killed after a passenger and cargo train collided head-on outside the town of Tempe in central Greece late on Tuesday....

Accidents

Cyprus: Former Foreign Minister Christodoulides Elected President

Center-right independent Nikos Christodoulides was voted on Sunday to be the president of Cyprus, beating left-wing independent Andreas Mavroyiannis with a majority of 51.9% in a run-off election....

Politics

Argentina, Chile, Paraguay, Uruguay Submit Joint 2030 FIFA World Cup Bid

Officials from Argentina, Chile, Paraguay, and Uruguay launched a collective bid on Tuesday to host the 2030 FIFA World Cup, which will take place exactly a century after the inaugural tournament was held in Montevideo, Uruguay.

Egypt

Turkey-Syria Earthquake: Death Toll Passes 41K; Aid Enters Newly-Opened Border Crossing

One of the largest earthquakes to hit the region in nearly a century — with a magnitude of 7.8 on the Richter scale — has killed thousands of people, destroyed infrastructure, and leveled thousands of buildings after striking a week ago in southern Turkey and northern Syria....

Metaculus

Report: Italy Forcibly Returning Migrants to Greece

A joint investigation by Lighthouse Reports in collaboration with Al Jazeera and other media partners revealed this week that Italy has engaged in illegal "pushbacks," unlawfully jailing asylum seekers on private ships and returning them to their origin.

World

Greece: Third Night of Protests Over Police Shooting of Roma Teenager

Greek police reported that clashes with ethnic Roma groups escalated on Thursday evening in the western Athens area, with protesters firing against special police forces, and setting fire to a car, dumpsters, and tires.

Social issues

Report: Greek Government Familiar With Spyware Seller

Investigative media outlet Inside Story published this week a report indicating that the Greek government covertly sent millions of dollars to a company that sells the illegal Predator spyware.

World

Greece To Ban Spyware Amid Phone-Tapping Scandal

The Greek government is set to ban the sale of all spyware in the country amid an ongoing scandal over alleged phone tapping. Greece's PM Kyriakos Mitsotakis has repeatedly denied claims that he's behind any illicit surveillance, but the government has confessed to legal wiretapping practices.

World

UN 'Distressed' Over 92 Refugees Found Stripped at Turkey-Greece Border

The United Nations Refugee Agency (UNHCR) has said it is "deeply distressed" by reports that 92 male migrants were found naked at the border between Turkey and Greece. The agency on Sunday called for a "full investigation" into the incident.

World

Greece: Power Grid Ran on 100% Renewables for First Time

For five hours last Friday, Greece's entire national grid ran on renewable energy. The news was announced by its independent electric utility operator, who hailed the achievement as a step toward adding more green energy to Greece's portfolio.

Weather

Iran To Release Crew of Seized Greek Tankers

Iran has reportedly agreed to release 49 crew members of two Greek tankers –the MT Prudent Warrior and Delta Poseidon– seized in May by its Revolutionary Guards after the US confiscated oil from the Iranian-flagged tanker Lana in Greece.

World