Greek American businessman George James Tsunis was formally nominated by US President Joe Biden as new ambassador to Greece on Friday. The long-awaited nomination by the White House comes less than a week before the latest US-Greece Strategic Dialogue and anticipated signing of an updated Mutual Defense and Cooperation Agreement …
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PM Mitsotakis ousts MP Bogdanos from ND over anti-communist rant
With express procedures, New Democracy lawmaker Konstantinos Bogdanos was expelled from the parliamentary group of the ruling party on Tuesday evening after a anti-communist rant in the Parliament where he claimed among others that communists were a bigger threat to Greece than Turkey. Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis who is in …
Read More »Iraqi man arrested in Athens, is accused of being an ISIS terrorist
A 34-year-old Iraqi man, accused of being an ISIS terrorist, was arrested Monday noon following after a joint operation by the Greek Counter-Terrorism Unit and the National Intelligence Services (EYP), in the center of Athens. The man had arrived to Greece via the migrants’ Lesvos-route in 2018. He has reportedly …
Read More »New consensus will show Greece’s population has declined by up to half a million since 2011
Greece’s population has been declining constantly after 2010 and the census currently taking place will confirm this. Ιt shows that the permanent residents of the country will be up to half a million fewer than at the time of the last census in 2011, according to a paper published by …
Read More »Greece opens new migrant holding camp on Samos amid tougher policy
Greece opened a new holding camp for migrants on Saturday on the island of Samos, close to Turkey, and said other new facilities would follow in coming months as it tightens migration policy. The minister opening the camp said it would offer “lost dignity” to those seeking protection. Aid groups …
Read More »Greece launches international campaign against Afghan migration with EU funding
Greece’s Migration and Asylum Ministry assigned a company for a campaign to convince Afghan citizens not to try and reach Greece. The campaign is financed at 75% with EU funding. The campaign worth 73,532 euros (including Value Added Tax) has a duration of 3 months and will include videos and …
Read More »Frontex preparing for Afghans already abroad to try to reach Europe
The EU is preparing for an influx of Afghans seeking asylum, whether or not people flee en masse from the new Taliban government, the chief of the EU border agency said, noting that millions are already displaced in neighbouring countries. In an interview, Fabrice Leggeri, director-general of border agency Frontex, …
Read More »Greek-American actor Michael Constantine passes away. RIP Mr Portokalos
Greek-American actor Michael Constantine, the legendary Gus Portokalos in My Big Fat Greek Wedding, passed away at the age of 94. Although already known in the USA, Constantine became famous worldwide as Gus Portokalos, father of Toula (Nia Vardalos) in the comedy film My Big Fat Greek Wedding (2002). Gus …
Read More »Council of Europe slams Greece’s deportations and returns bill
The Council of Europe has slammed Greece’s deportations and returns bill noting it should align with human rights standards. The CoE called on the Greek government to not obstruct the work of NGOs, and the Parliament to reconsider elements of the bill. Council of Europe statement on Greece “The Greek …
Read More »KIS calls on Health Minister Plevris to apologize for Auschwitz statements
The Central Board of Jewish Communities in Greece (KIS) has expressed its concern for the appointment of Thanos Plevris as Minister of Health. KIS wants that Plevris apologize for previous statements denying the Holocaust. In a statement issued on Wednesday, just a day after Plevris appointment, the KIS said: “The …
Read More »EU to seek to stop mass Afghanistan migration, draft statement says
European Union interior ministers will say on Tuesday they are determined to act to prevent uncontrolled migration from Afghanistan, according to a draft statement seen by Reuters. EU governments are eager to avoid a repeat of the chaotic influx of migrants in 2015 that caught the bloc unprepared and sowed …
Read More »Greek Orthodox and Catholic priests pray for all the refugees of the world
Representatives of the Catholic and Greek Orthodox Churches and migrants joined in a prayer for all refugees of the world. The event took place in Mytilene on the island of Lesvos on Tuesday afternoon. The event was held by the statue of a refugee mother from the Asia Minor disaster …
Read More »‘Don’t leave Afghan people alone,’ refugee in Greece pleads
Elena, an Afghan asylum seeker who lives in a migrant camp on the Greek island of Lesbos, worries about friends and family back home after the Taliban’s swift moves to seize control of Afghanistan. “It’s a disaster,” the 21-year-old, who declined to give her last name, told Reuters. “What will …
Read More »Greece’s vaccination program: Rates per age group
Greece has completed 11 million vaccinations as of Monday, Secretary General for Primary Health Marios Themistocleous said at the weekly live briefing on Monday. The total number refers to both those who have completed vaccination against Covid-19 or have had the first dose of vaccine only. He said that over …
Read More »“Greece cannot be gateway for new refugees wave,” says Μigration Minister
“It is clear our country will not be a gateway for a new wave of refugees,” Greek Migration and Asylum Minister Notis Mitarakis said on Monday just hours after the Taliban took over Kabul and thousands of desperate Afghans started to flee their country. With the country to have experienced …
Read More »Greece dismisses Turkish claims a citizen was shot dead at Evros river
Turkish media claim on Sunday that a Turkish citizen was shot dead by patrolling Greeks along the Evros border. Greece dismisses the claims speaking of a case of human trafficking and a clash between those involved. Some to the Turkish media claim the 43-year-old man was shot by “patrolling Greek …
Read More »Two women, child missing when boat sinks off Lesvos; 10 people rescued
Two women and one child have been missing and ten people were rescued when a rubber dinghy carrying migrants from Turkey to Greece sank off the northern coast of the island of Lesvos on Friday morning. According to state broadcaster ERT, a patrolling boat of the Greek Coast Guard got …
Read More »Presidency cancels decoration of rescuer Jason Apostolopoulos after pressure from ruling party
The Greek Presidency had officially announced that rescuer Iasonas Apostolopoulos was among those citizens to be decorated for their actions on the occasion the 47. restoration of democracy on Saturday. However, Apostolopoulos’ decoration was cancelled without any justification apparently following political pressure by some members of ruling party New Democracy. …
Read More »Greece: 2,854 coronavirus cases; geographic distribution; 7 deaths
Greece’s health authorities announced on Friday 2,854 new coronavirus cases and 7 Covid-related deaths in the past 24 hours. The number of intubated Covid-patients in hospitals Intensive Care Units increased to 130. The Civil Protection updated the Covid-MAP and placed more regions and islands on “higher risk level.” More details …
Read More »At least 8 people missing when boat capsizes off Crete; 37 rescued
The Greek Coast Guard continues the Search and Rescue operation South off island of Crete Friday noon after a boat carrying migrants capsized and some 8 people are missing. 37 people have been rescued so far. for several people believed missing a day after a boat carrying dozens of migrants …
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