Greece

ATHENS, July 23 (Xinhua) -- A total of 36 migrants were rescued on Thursday in the sea area southeast of the Crete island, according to an e-mailed press release by Greece's Coast Guard.

A search and rescue operation coordinated by the Coast Guard was still underway, as survivors stated that 45 people were aboard the boat sinking about 60 nautical miles off the island, said the press release.

The operation was hampered by strong winds of up to 7 on the Beaufort scale blowing in the area, it added.

ATHENS, July 14 (Reuters) - Tourism is not to blame for a surge of COVID-19 infections in Greece, the tourism minister said on Wednesday after the government reintroduced restrictions aimed at saving the summer season.

Greece, which relies on tourism for a fifth of its economy, kicked off the season in May, hoping that revenue would reach about half of the record it saw in 2019 when more than 30 million people visited the country.

ATHENS, Jun 27 (NNN-AMNA) – Greece and India agreed to work towards the establishment of a strategic partnership, during Indian External Affairs Minister, Subrahmanyam Jaishankar’s visit to Athens, according to an e-mailed joint press release, issued yesterday, after talks here.

Jaishankar is the first Indian foreign minister, paying an official visit to Greece in 18 years, opening new prospects for consolidation and upgrading of relations between Greece and India, in a number of areas of common interest, the Greek Foreign Ministry said in a statement.

23 June 2021; MEMO: Amnesty International slammed Greek authorities for the torture, ill-treatment and illegal pushback of migrants and refugees to Turkey.

In a report titled "Greece: Violence, lies, and pushbacks", Amnesty reported that pushbacks, on land and at sea, sometimes involved people apprehended as far as 700 kilometeres within Greek territory.

The rights group described 21 incidents that involved around 1,000 people.

ATHENS, Greece (AP) — The European Union’s top executive on Thursday announced the bloc’s endorsement of Greece’s national spending plan for its share of the EU’s massive pandemic recovery fund.

European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen announced the approval of Greece’s “recovery and resilience” plan during a visit to Athens. The EU has earmarked 30.5 billion euros ($36.4 billion) of the recovery fund for Greece - 12.7 billion euros in loans and 17.8 billion euros in grants from 2021 to 2026.

ATHENS, June 16 (Reuters) - Public transport staff in Athens went on strike for the second time in a week on Wednesday before a parliamentary vote on a law the government says will revamp outdated labour rules but which unions fear will bring longer hours and weaker rights.

Ships remained docked at ports, and many bus, subway and railway services were suspended as transport staff walked off the job. Workers from other sectors also held work stoppages and were expected to join several protest rallies in central Athens before the vote on the bill later on Wednesday.

CHIOS (Greece), June 12 (NNN-AGENCIES) — Four young Afghan asylum-seekers went on trial in Greece on Friday accused of starting the devastating fires that burnt down Europe’s largest migrant camp last year.

The Moria camp on the Aegean island of Lesbos was home to more than 10,000 people before it was destroyed by two fires in September 2020.

The four Afghans, who are on trial on the neighbouring island of Chios, are charged with intentional arson leading to a risk to human life and membership of a criminal group.

(Reuters) --- Greece and Turkey pledged on Monday to smooth differences which erupted into a public spat between their foreign ministers, announcing a meeting between President Tayyip Erdogan and Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis at next month's NATO summit.

The two historic rivals are at odds over many issues from competing territorial claims in the eastern Mediterranean to migrant boats and the status of Cyprus. They came close to armed conflict last year but have been trying to lower tensions.

ATHENS, May 27 (Xinhua) -- The European Union (EU) is strengthened through crises such as the COVID-19 pandemic, and today moves forward stronger united, Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis and EU leaders said on Thursday.

The leaders made the remarks here at a celebratory event to mark the 40th anniversary of Greece's accession to the European Economic Community (EEC), the predecessor of the EU.

LOUTRAKI, Greece (AP) — A large wildfire in Greece gutted and damaged dozens of homes and prompted evacuations Thursday as it tore through rugged forest terrain. No injuries were reported.

Fire department officials said 17 water-dropping planes and three helicopters were involved to try to contain the blaze about 70 kilometers (45 miles) west of Athens that started outside the resort town of Loutraki.

Smoke from the fire reached Athens, affecting visibility.