Tag Archives: Greece

Greece appointed its first civil protection minister on Monday in a broad revamp of its civil defense mechanisms following sharp criticism of the government’s response to a spate of devastating wildfires this summer. The new minister is Christos Stylianides, a former European Commissioner for humanitarian aid and crisis management. During …

Composer Mikis Theodorakis, whose infectious, earthy score for the film “Zorba the Greek” helped foster a sunny, carefree image of his country for millions of tourists, died on Thursday, aged 96. As news of his passing swept through the nation, parliament held a moment of silence. “Today we lost a …

Some 10,000 health workers in Greece faced being suspended as a deadline to get vaccinated against COVID-19 ran out on Wednesday, a union said. From September 1, inoculations become mandatory for health workers, and those who don’t comply will not be allowed to work. Protests broke out on Wednesday morning …

Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis reshuffled his cabinet on Tuesday, adding some new faces after criticism of the government’s handling of wildfires this summer although key ministers stayed on. Finance Minister Christos Staikouras and Foreign Minister Nikos Dendias keep their posts, government spokesperson Giannis Oikonomou said in a televised briefing, …

Greek police used tear gas and water cannon to disperse a group of people who had gathered in central Athens on Sunday to protest against mandatory COVID-19 vaccinations. About 5,000 people rallied outside the Greek parliament to protest against the inoculations.

The government of Cyprus said on Monday it would revoke the passports of Turkish Cypriot officials in the breakaway state in the northern part of the island. A number of Turkish Cypriot officials, including incumbent leader Ersin Tatar, are known to hold or held passports of the Republic of Cyprus, …

Greece has erected a 25-mile (40 KM) fence and installed a new surveillance system on its border with Turkey as fears mount a surge in Afghan refugees trying to reach Europe. Greece has faced recurring refugee crises since 2015 when more than a million mainly Syrian refugees swarmed through its …

Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis on Friday appointed a new minister in charge of recovery from natural disasters in a bid to defuse growing anger over the struggle to curb wildfires that have charred thousands of hectares of forest. Mitsotakis has this week apologised for delays in the firefighting effort …

Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis defended his government on Thursday as public anger grew over the response to wildfires that have ripped through thousands of hectares of forest over the past 10 days. On Evia, Greece’s second-largest island, where some of the worst fires have occurred, rain provided some relief …

Firefighters and helicopters are trying to contain several blazes threatening residents in Tizi Ouzou province. At least seven people have been killed in Algeria as forest fires spread in the North African country, the civil defense authority said on Tuesday. Two people were seriously injured, it added. State radio reported …

Until devastated by wildfires, hills near the Turkish sea resort of Marmaris were decked in a thick green pine forest. Now, these same hills form a ghostly, grey-brown landscape topped with blackened tree stumps as though sketched in charcoal. Drone footage from the small tourist seaside town of Icmeler near …

Large fires have burned in several European countries in recent weeks, with some of the worst blazes occurring in Greece where thousands of people have fled wildfires burning out of control, including near the capital, Athens. A 50-year-old farmer has been arrested after hidden cameras caught him deliberately starting a …

Flames swept through a town near Athens overnight and hundreds of people were evacuated by ferry from the island of Evia as wildfires burned across Greece for a fifth day on Saturday. On Evia, east of the capital, a fire which began on Tuesday quickly burgeoned into several fronts, ripping …

Wildfires north of Athens leapt back to life on Thursday as searing conditions persisted and emergency crews battled blazes across Greece for a third day running. A wall of dark smoke rose high above the Greek capital, residents fled suburbs, asylum seekers were evacuated and authorities warned of more blazes …

At least one person has died in Greece as wildfires continue to spread, forcing thousands to flee in Greece and Turkey. A 38-year-old man in northern Athens died after being hit by a falling utility pole, the Greek health ministry said. In neighbouring Turkey, wildfires described as the worst in …

Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis said authorities were doing “whatever is humanly possible” to tackle wildfires burning across Greece for the third day on Thursday, including near the ancient site of the first Olympic Games.

A large forest fire in the Greek island of Rhodes was taken under control early Monday morning, as the country continues to struggle with extreme temperatures and intense fires. #Rhodes seems to be calmer today. The smoke and ash cloud from Turkey seems to have blown away too. Not that …

The death toll from wildfires on Turkey’s southern coast rose to eight on Sunday as firefighters battled for a fifth day to contain blazes still raging in coastal resort towns. Two more people died on Sunday due to wildfires in the southern town of Manavgat, Health Minister Fahrettin Koca said, …

Greek authorities have evacuated several areas north of Athens as a wildfire swept through a hillside forest and threatened homes near the country’s capital. The fire, which started on Tuesday morning, is “out of control,” Dionysos mayor Yannis Kalafatelis told Greek radio. The town located about 30 kilometres northeast of …

The EU on Tuesday told Turkey to reverse plans to open up the Cypriot ghost town of gr, announced during a controversial visit by President Recep Tayyip Erdogan to the divided island. The 27-nation bloc, which includes the internationally recognized Republic of Cyprus, condemned “Turkey’s unilateral steps and the unacceptable …