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☆ The US-based veterinarian who’s returned to Greece to help stray cats
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-26 | by ( Tamara Hardingham-Gill | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +12 min

Giving backKatogiritis teaches a student pre-operative care steps for anesthetized cats during the 2021 spay/neuter program in Karpathos, Greece. Changing mentalitiesKatogiritis speaks to local elementary school students during a community outreach event on Karpathos island in 2022. Fragitsa Katogiritis“The community of adopters is connected through our Facebook group (Animal Welfare Karpathos) where they will often share photos and videos of our beloved rescues,” she says, adding that Animal Welfare Karpathos has found homes for over 300 pets in the past three years. In Karpathos, over 700 animals have been spayed or neutered through the Animal Welfare Karpathos programs. She credits her team of volunteers for helping to get the Animal Welfare Karpathos program off the ground and keeping it going.

Persons: Anna Katogiritis, Katogiritis, Karpathos, Anna Katogiritis “, ”, “, ” Katogiritis, Jane Goodall, Goodall, she’d, Sophia Hiras, “ We’ve, Welfare Karpathos, Fragitsa, neutering, it’s “, Bruno Morandi, Julia Konstantina, hasn’t, She’s, there’s Organizations: CNN, CNN Travel, Biology, Biotechnology, University of Crete, Virginia - Maryland College of Veterinary Medicine, Jane, Jane Goodall Institute, Rehabilitation, Animal Welfare, Welfare, Facebook, Interior Ministry, “, Bank, Veterinary Global Aid Locations: Karpathos, Greece, Rhodes, Crete, Athens, Katogiritis, Virginia, Republic of Congo

☆ Why you should be traveling to Europe in fall, not summer
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-25 | by ( Terry Ward | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +9 min

And now it’s fall, when the continent really comes into its own as the leaves – and visitor numbers – start to drop. A recent report from luxury travel network Virtuoso named Paris, London and Florence as the most booked cities for fall travel. “Fall is one of the best times to visit Europe because of the vast variety of interests [the season] can cater to,” says Mina Agnos, president of luxury travel company Travelive. If you’re ready for a different take on Europe this fall, we’ve got ideas. Fall also means it’s harvest time in Rebland – an area southwest of Baden-Baden famous for its Riesling.

Persons: ”, Mina Agnos, foodies, Brian Young, we’ve, Sérgio Duarte, Octant, Val, Culinarium Urtijei, Christopher Hill, Holger Leue, it’s, Jack Ezon, Samantha Pearson, Notte Bianca, Valery Bareta, Belle, Caracalla Organizations: CNN, EMEA, G, Gran Canaria, UNESCO, ADLER, Mallorca Locations: Europe, Paris, London, Florence, Spain, Portugal, Turkey, Croatia, Greece, Sicily, Slovenia, Gibraltar, Tenerife, Ibiza, Mallorca, Gran, Alentejo, Douro, Val Gardena, Dolomites, Italy, Northern Italy, South, Ortisei, Romania, Brasov, Baia Mare, Saxon, Moșna, Mallorcan, Pollença, Palma . Thessaloniki, Thermaic, Santorini, Greece’s, Balkans, Mount Olympus, Thessaloniki, Malta Malta, Malta, Gozo, Comino, Valletta, Madeira, Morocco, Terrabona, Funchal, Savoy, Baden, Germany Baden, Black, Friedrichsbad

☆ Greece, Battered a Decade Ago, Is Booming
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-25 | by ( Liz Alderman | More About Liz Alderman | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

Paris Skouros pointed toward the sky outside his office in Athens on a recent weekday. Greece’s financial crisis almost ruined his firm, Skouros & Sons, an elevator company. Years of harsh austerity measures imposed by international bailouts had been wrenching, Mr. Skouros said, as new construction ground to a standstill. “During the crisis, we just wanted to survive,” Mr. Skouros said, as the sound of hammers hitting sheet metal rang out in his workshop. “Now we’re profitable, and business is so strong that we can’t find enough workers to keep up with demand.”Laden with debt it couldn’t pay back, Greece nearly broke the eurozone a decade ago.

Persons: Paris, bailouts, Skouros, Mr Organizations: Skouros Locations: Athens, “, Greece

ATHENS, Greece (AP) — The death toll from severe flooding in central Greece rose to 10 people Friday, while another four remained missing, the country's civil protection minister said. Rescue crews in helicopters and boats ferried hundreds of people from inundated villages to safety. Flooding triggered by rainstorms also hit neighboring Bulgaria and Turkey, killing a total of 22 people in all three countries since the rains began Tuesday. In Greece, the rainstorms turned streams into raging torrents that burst dams, washed away roads and bridges and hurled cars into the sea. Authorities have said some areas received twice the average annual rainfall for Athens in the space of just 12 hours.

Persons: rainstorms, floodwater, ”, Ioanna Gana, Greece’s, Vassilis Kikilias, Kikilias, Kyriakos Mitsotakis, ” Mitsotakis Organizations: Rescue, Authorities, Civil, Swiss, European Union, rockfalls . Locations: ATHENS, Greece, Bulgaria, Turkey, Athens, Larissa, ” Larissa, Karditsa .

CNN —More than 800 people have been rescued over the past two days from severe floods in Greece, local officials said, after extreme rainfall turned streets into deadly rivers, tore down buildings and bridges and left whole villages submerged. The rainstorms also hit neighboring Bulgaria and Turkey, killing at least 16 people across the three countries, including six in Greece. The downpour has lasted days, but is expected to weaken from Thursday afternoon, according to Greece’s meteorological service. Firefighting crews are seen on a collapsed bridge in the village of Kala Nera, in central Greece, September 7 2023. The severe flooding comes just days after a two-week deadly wildfire tore through the north of the country, killing at least 18 people.

Persons: Pavlos Marinakis, Stamos Prousalis, Vassilis Kikilias, Palamas, Megala, ”, Kikilias, Konstantinos Tsakalidis, Marinakis Organizations: CNN, Residents, Bloomberg, Getty Images, Police Locations: Greece, Bulgaria, Turkey, Thessaly, Volos, Karditsa, Trikala, Kala Nera, Proastio, Agia Triada, Larissa, Attica, Athens

Violent storms have pounded parts of Bulgaria, Greece and Turkey with extreme amounts of rain, causing floods that killed at least 13 people, ravaged roads and prompted evacuations. In Greece, where record rainfall has swamped the country’s central region this week, the death toll stood at three, after the authorities on Wednesday recovered two more bodies. In Turkey, seven people were killed by flooding in the northwest late on Tuesday, according to the interior minister. And Bulgarian officials said on Wednesday that three people had died in floodwaters on that country’s Black Sea coast. Greece’s fire service said Wednesday that it had received more than 2,000 calls for help in 24 hours.

Locations: Bulgaria, Greece, Turkey, Volos

Greece’s prime minister, Kyriakos Mitsotakis, has said that it is facing a “totally extreme weather phenomenon” and has urged the public to follow instructions from authorities. A man drives his bike in rising waters, during a storm in the city of Volos, Greece, September 5, 2023. Anastasia Karekla/Eurokinissi/ReutersCars drive among debris and mud, following a flash flood during a storm in the city of Volos, Greece, September 5, 2023. As the storm enters the Mediterranean Sea, it may take on characteristics similar to a tropical storm. Known as “medicanes,” these systems can bring dangerous conditions to the Mediterranean Sea and coastal countries similar to tropical storms and hurricanes in the Atlantic or typhoons in the Pacific.

Persons: Kyriakos Mitsotakis, Anastasia Karekla, Daniel Organizations: CNN, Reuters Locations: Greece, Evia, Agios Georgios, Volos, Skiathos, Europe

☆ Record Rains Flood Greece Just as Wildfires Let Up
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-05 | by ( Niki Kitsantonis | More About Niki Kitsantonis | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

One man died and a second was missing in central Greece on Tuesday, after torrential rain unleashed major floods that submerged streets and wreaked widespread damage, just as firefighters were containing enormous wildfires in the country. As television showed semi-submerged cars stuck on flooded streets and vehicles being swept into the sea or onto muddy beaches, the police banned traffic in three regions. The ban came a day after warnings by local authorities and Greece’s fire service for people to avoid unnecessary travel during the onset of the wet front, Storm Daniel. Greece’s fire service said a 51-year-old Albanian national died after a wall collapsed on him; state news media identified him as a cattle breeder who was trying to reach his animals. Video from Volos showed partly submerged cars in streets and people being ferried through floodwaters by rescuers in plastic boats.

Persons: Storm Daniel, Vassilis Vathrakoyiannis, ”, “ Locations: Greece, Volos, Athens, Pelion, Magnesia

☆ Tested in Greece’s Fires: An Emergency Force for 27 Countries
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-30 | by ( Matina Stevis-Gridneff | More About Matina Stevis-Gridneff | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

Exhausted, with dark smudges across flushed cheeks, they watched Europe’s most destructive blaze in recent history advance through virgin forest across the hill. In this spot, the impenetrably dense forest meant firefighters couldn’t confront the enemy on the ground. The acrid air in the tidy village square was full of ash settling gently like snow. They opened the cafe on the square, pulled up chairs and offered the firefighters drinks and snacks. Together, they waited for what the night held in store.

Locations: Dadia, Europe

There he was in Denmark, praising the government for “helping Ukraine to become invincible” with its pledge to send 19 jets. In Athens, he said Greece’s offer to train Ukrainian pilots would “help us fight for our freedom.” Within days of returning to Kyiv, Mr. Zelensky had secured promises from a half-dozen countries to either donate the jets — potentially more than 60 — or provide training for pilots and support crew. “It is important and necessary,” Prime Minister Jonas Gahr Store of Norway told Mr. Zelensky in Kyiv, announcing that his government would provide an undetermined number of the jets — probably 10 or fewer — in the future. It was a remarkable victory lap for a sophisticated attack aircraft that even Ukraine’s defense minister has acknowledged is unlikely to perform in combat until next spring — and then only for the few pilots who can understand English well enough to fly it. With Ukraine’s counteroffensive grinding ahead slowly this summer, Mr. Zelensky’s airy announcements of securing the F-16s signal a tacit acknowledgment that the 18-month war in Ukraine will likely endure for years to come.

Persons: Volodymyr Zelensky, Zelensky, Jonas Gahr Organizations: ” Locations: Ukraine, Netherlands, Denmark, “, Athens, Kyiv, Norway

☆ Greece wildfires: A losing battle to save the lungs of Athens
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-27 | by ( Eleni Giokos | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +6 min

The national park, known as the "lungs of Athens" is now home to a battle to repel wildfires. Now it is the home to a raging battle, as the emergency services try to repel more than 200 wildfires in Greece since Monday alone. Firefighters look at a wildfire burning on Mount Parnitha, in Athens, Greece, August 24, 2023. Burning cars destroyed by the fire on Mount Parnitha in Athens, Greece, on August 23, 2023. It was a welcome glimmer of hope, but it will take more than a little water to protect Greece from these wildfires and those that will surely come again.

Persons: Nikos, Eleni Giokos, CNN Nikos, ”, Nicolas Economou, Kostas, Michalis Diakakis, Parnitha, Giorgos Arapekos, Dr Diakakis, Nikos ’ Organizations: Greece CNN, CNN, Reuters, of Geology, Kapodistrian University of Athens, AP, Police Locations: Athens, Greece, Paraskevi, Panitha, Greece’s, ”, Parnitha, Dadia, Alexandroupoli, Evros

☆ Charges of Arson as Greek Wildfire Becomes Largest Recorded in European Union
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-25 | by ( Niki Kitsantonis | More About Niki Kitsantonis | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

Beleaguered firefighters trying to curb Greece’s worst wildfire season on record battled two major blazes on Friday: one in Evros, home to what an official has called the biggest wildfire the European Union has faced, and the other near Athens, the capital. Greek authorities investigating the causes of the fires arrested dozens of people on suspicion of arson. “It’s a very difficult summer,” a government spokesman, Pavlos Marinakis, said at a news briefing on Friday, blaming “the explosive mix of climate change” along with arson. He said that 160 people had been arrested across the country on arson charges, 42 of them accused of intentional arson and the remainder accused of setting fires through neglect. State inspectors started evaluating the damage to land and homes south of the mountain, where the flames had been doused.

Persons: “, Pavlos Marinakis, ” Organizations: European Union Locations: Evros, Athens, ”, Parnitha

☆ Wildfires rage across the Mediterranean destroying land and claiming lives
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-26 | by ( Barbie Latza Nadeau Hamdi Alkhshali Martin Goillandeau Isa Soares Sugam Pokharel Elinda Labropoulou Chris Liakos Hande Atay Alam Laura Paddison | Barbie Latza Nadeau | Hamdi Alkhshali | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +6 min

More than 8,000 firefighters have been deployed to control the blazes as residents living near forested areas were evacuated, according to EPTV. Nasri Elyas/APThe Algerian Ministry of the Interior announced at least 34 deaths in multiple forest fires across the country. A 98-year-old man died as flames reached his home in the coastal city of Reggio Calabria in southern Italy, according to ANSA. Flames burn a tree in Vati village, on the Aegean Sea island of Rhodes, southeastern Greece, on Tuesday, July 25, 2023. Angelos Tzortzinis/AFP/Getty ImagesIn Turkey, forest wildfires ignited Monday night in the southern Mediterranean province of Antalya, according to Antalya Municipality’s statement.

Persons: Nasri Elyas, Billel, Nello Musumeci, ”, Alberto Lo Bianco, Fabrizio Villa, Maria Feggou, ” Feggou, Kyriakos Mitsotakis, Petros Giannakouris, Angelos Tzortzinis, Muhittin Bocek, “, ” Bocek Organizations: CNN, EPTV, Reuters, Algerian Ministry of, Interior, ANSA, Civil, Twitter, Residents, Hellenic Red Cross, Greek Air Force, Getty, Anadolu Locations: Italy, Greece, Algeria, North, Bourbatache, Sicily, Calabria, Abruzzo, Puglia, Reggio Calabria, Palermo, Capaci, Catania, Rhodes, Corfu, Evia, Crete, Vati, AFP, Turkey, Antalya, Antalya’s Kemer, Croatia, Dubrovnik, Croatian

☆ As Rhodes Burns, Fires Strike More Greek Islands
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-24 | by ( Niki Kitsantonis | More About Niki Kitsantonis | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

The new fires led the authorities to clear hundreds more people from hotels and homes in Corfu on Sunday night to safer areas on the island and to order evacuations on Evia on Monday. The outbreaks complicated the efforts of emergency services already battling blazes on Rhodes, where Greece’s military has been supporting the response. A military transport aircraft brought in hundreds of cots, sleeping bags and other provisions for displaced tourists and locals on Sunday evening. The village struck by fire on Rhodes on Monday was Asklipieio, in the island’s southeast. On Evia, a fire spread in the south on Monday, prompting the authorities to order the evacuation of a village and another blaze broke out in the middle of the island.

Persons: Rhodes —, Rhodes Locations: Corfu, Evia, Rhodes, Dunkirk

☆ Extreme heat in the Mediterranean could dent tourist bookings in future
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-21 | by ( Anna Cooban | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +5 min

“This can be attributed to travelers seeking out less crowded destinations, and milder temperatures,” the association said. This summer’s extreme temperatures follow blistering heat last year. Meanwhile, online searches for northern European destinations increased by 3 percentage points to hit 10%. Southern Europe still popular with BritsDespite rocketing temperatures, countries in southern Europe are still the go-to spots for many vacationers. Spain, Greece and Turkey are still “by far the most popular [destinations],” he said, which hasn’t “changed at all.”— Barbie Latza Nadeau and Chris Liakos contributed reporting.

Persons: Angelos Tzortzinis, Olivier Ponti, ”, —, Johan Lundgren, Giuseppe Napolitano, Thomas Cook, Sean Tipton, hasn’t “, ” — Barbie Latza Nadeau, Chris Liakos Organizations: London CNN —, European Travel Commission, Tourism Council, Tourists, CNN, European Space Agency, ESA, British, Med Locations: London CNN — Spain, Italy, Europe, Brussels, Spain, France, Croatia, Greece, Czech Republic, Bulgaria, Ireland, Denmark, Athens, United Kingdom, Rome, Nicosia, Cyprus, Catania, Sicily, Southern Europe, Turkey

☆ Greek migrant boat tragedy: Pakistani boy's fateful journey exposes impossible choice faced by millions
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-14 | by ( Anna Coren Azaz Syed Sophia Saifi Jadyn Sham Helen Regan Rhea Mogul | Anna Coren | Azaz Syed | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +13 min

“It will all be OK,” Muhammad Abuzar told him. The boat was carrying up to 750 Pakistani, Syrian, Egyptian and Palestinian refugees and migrants. His uncle had decided to try and make it to Europe and Abuzar saw his chance. More than 600 people drowned on June 14 in what would become one of the deadliest migrant boat tragedies. Angelos Tzortzinis/AFP/Getty ImagesSpeaking to CNN in Pakistan, Mohammad Tahir said his brother Mubasher Sahzad, 29, was also on the boat.

Persons: Pakistan CNN — Pervez Akhtar, “, Muhammad Abuzar, ” Akhtar, gaunt, Abuzar, CNN Akhtar, –, we’ll, he’ll, Akhtar, – Abuzar, ’, “ Papa, Adriana, ” Akhthar, Rana Sanaullah, ”, Angelos Tzortzinis, Mohammad Tahir, Mubasher Sahzad, ” Tahir, Roberto Forin, ” Forin, Mia Sato, ” Sato, Forin, Qayyum Bibi’s, He’s Organizations: Pakistan CNN, CNN, UNICEF, Hellenic Coast Guard, Pakistani Interior Ministry, Medical, Getty, Migration, International Organization, Pakistan’s Federal Investigation Agency Locations: Gujrat, Pakistan, Pakistan’s, Europe, Italy, Karachi, Dubai, Egypt, Libya, Tripoli, Tobruk, North Africa, Greece's, Greece, Kalamata, AFP, East, Asia, Africa, Islamabad, Lahore, Gujranwala, Rawalpindi, European Union, Bandali, Kashmir, ”

☆ Greece briefly shuts Acropolis site to protect tourists from heatwave
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-14 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

ATHENS, July 14 (Reuters) - Greece will shut the ancient Acropolis for a few hours on Friday to protect visitors to one of the world's most famous archaeological sites from a heatwave enveloping Athens and other countries in southern Europe. The Acropolis Hill, home to the Parthenon temple that is visited by millions of tourists every year, will be closed from noon to 5 p.m. (0900 GMT-1400 GMT) on Friday, authorities said. Greece’s meteorological service forecast temperatures peaking at 41 Celsius (105.8 Fahrenheit) in Athens by midday, but the mercury on the Acropolis Hill that overlooks the Greek capital is usually higher due to its altitude and lack of shade. Hellenic Red Cross workers handed out bottles of water to tourists forming long queues, and fanning themselves under the shade of olive trees before the Acropolis entrance, before the famed monument was temporarily closed. Reporting by Deborah Kyvrikosaios and Angeliki KoutantouOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

Persons: Deborah Kyvrikosaios Organizations: Red Cross, Thomson Locations: ATHENS, Greece, Acropolis, Athens, Europe, Southern Europe

☆ Greek PM says not fair to manage EU migration problem alone
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-10 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

The Greek coast guard rescued 104 people but hundreds of migrants drowned after an overloaded boat capsized and sank in international waters off Greece's Pylos on June 14, in one of Europe's deadliest shipping disasters in recent years. Survivors have said that the ship capsized after a disastrous towing attempt by the Greek coast guard, which Greece denies. Greece is one of the main routes into the European Union for refugees and migrants from the Middle East, Asia and Africa. Mitsotakis is expected to meet re-elected Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan on the sidelines of a NATO Summit this week. Reporting by Renee Maltezou and Lefteris Papadimas; Editing by Christina FincherOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

Persons: Kyriakos Mitsotakis, Mitsotakis, Tayyip Erdogan, Renee Maltezou, Christina Fincher Organizations: European Union, EU, Latvian, NATO, Thomson Locations: ATHENS, Greece, Pylos, Riga, East, Asia, Africa, Turkey, Greece’s, EU

☆ Tsitsipas ends Murray's hopes with comeback win
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-07 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

The 24-year-old Greek trailed by two sets to one after twice Wimbledon champion Murray edged ahead in three tight sets on Thursday night before Wimbledon's curfew halted play mid-battle. Errors began to come from his racket and Tsitsipas sensed his moment with a break in the third game -- the first time he had taken Murray's serve in the match. Tsitsipas forged 5-3 ahead but Murray hung in to test the Greek's nerve. Two match points went begging but at the third time of asking an ace ended Murray's dream. It was a very difficult game and I'm impressed how well he holds up after his hip surgeries and his level today," Tsitsipas said.

Persons: Britain’s Andy Murray, Andrew Couldridge, Stefanos Tsitsipas, Andy Murray, Murray, Tsitsipas, Murray's, Austrian Dominic Thiem, Laslo Djere, Andy, I'm, Martyn Herman, Ken Ferris, Ed Osmond Organizations: Lawn Tennis, Croquet Club, Court, Wimbledon, Murray, Austrian, Thomson Locations: London, Britain

☆ One of the world's oldest spirits is making a comeback
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-27 | by ( Zoe Sottile | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +9 min

The anise-flavored liquor is one of the oldest spirits in the world. He noted that it’s still common for Middle Eastern restaurants to stock European wines rather than traditional spirits like arak. He was experimenting to refine the production of al-kohl, a traditional form of eyeliner, according to Arak Muaddi, a Palestinian craft distillery. Nader Muaddi, the founder of Arak Muaddi, explained that producing arak starts with creating wine. The Middle East has “a very rich history of making wine and spirits, and it’s about time that we share it with the world,” Muaddi went on.

Persons: you’ve, –, Jason Bajalia, Jordan’s, ”, Terra, ” Bajalia, Bajalia, “, we’re, ’ ”, Jabir ibn Hayyan, kohl, Nader Muaddi, ” Muaddi, Muaddi, Lewin Muaddi, Arak “, May Matta, she’s, Matta, Arak Farid, Jess Abi Khalil, Frederick, Arak, it’s, “ I’ve Organizations: CNN, Terra, Terra Sancta, distillers, Lewin Historians, Jordan Locations: Arak, Terra Sancta, arak, Syria, Lebanon, Palestine, Palestinian, arak . Arak, The, American, Pennsylvania, of Israel, artisinal, France, Germany, Austria, Amman, “

☆ With Resounding Win in Greece, Kyriakos Mitsotakis Tightens Grip on Power
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-25 | by ( Niki Kitsantonis | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

Greek voters on Sunday overwhelmingly re-elected the conservative New Democracy party, preliminary results showed, setting the stage for its leader, Kyriakos Mitsotakis, to strengthen his grip on power with an absolute majority and what he called a “strong mandate” for the foreseeable future. With his landslide victory, voters appeared to have overlooked his government’s ties to a series of scandals and embrace his promise of continued economic stability and prosperity. With 91 percent of the votes counted at 9:45 p.m., the party had 40.5 percent, and was poised to win 158 seats in Greece’s 300-member Parliament, far ahead of the opposition Syriza party, which was in second place with 17.8 percent, with 47 seats. The socialist Pasok party took third place, with 12.5 percent, and got 32 seats. In a statement from his party’s headquarters in Athens, the capital, Mr. Mitsotakis described the results as “a strong mandate, to move more quickly along the road of major changes.”

Persons: Kyriakos, Mitsotakis Organizations: Sunday, New Democracy, Pasok Locations: Greece’s, Athens

☆ Greek PM Kyriakos Mitsotakis wins repeat election, securing clear parliamentary majority
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-25 | by ( Elinda Labropoulou | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +7 min

CNN —Kyriakos Mitsotakis, leader of Greece’s center-right New Democracy party, has won a second four-year term as prime minister. During his election campaign, Mitsotakis vowed to further extend a 35-kilometer fence at the Greek-Turkey border, to block migrants trying to enter Greece. Fueled by May’s initial election results, Greek bonds and stocks have rallied with optimism that a pro-investment government could prevent financial backsliding. Other fringe far-right entries to the race included the nationalist party Greek Solution and the ultra-religious, anti-abortion Niki. “But despite the populist cacophony, Mitsotakis’ strong victory provides the new government a clear mandate to govern.”

Persons: Kyriakos Mitsotakis, Mitsotakis, ”, “, Syriza, “ Mitsotakis, Nick Malkoutzis, ” Mitsotakis, Alexis Tsipras –, –, Tsipras, Wolfgango Piccoli, Vassiliki Georgiadou, Ilias Kasidiaris, Niki Organizations: CNN, Democracy, New Democracy, PASOK, KKE, Panteion University, Spartans, Nazi, Freedom Locations: Greece, Pylos, Turkey, Europe, New, Athens, Golden

☆ Greek Youths, Shaped by Debt Crisis, Plan to Vote for Stability
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-24 | by ( Jason Horowitz | Niki Kitsantonis | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

Days before this Sunday’s election in Greece, three young women with piercings and ironic T-shirts who sat outside a hipster coffee shop in an Athens neighborhood best known as a hub of anarchist fervor said they wanted stability. “Money is important — you can’t live without money,” said Mara Katsitou, 22, a student who grew up during the country’s disastrous financial crisis and one day hoped to open a pharmacy. “There’s nothing that matters to someone more than the economy.”As a result, she said, she would cast her vote for Kyriakos Mitsotakis, 55, the square, conservative prime minister who graduated from Harvard, who is fond of riding his bike and who, polls suggest, will win convincingly on Sunday in a second national election. With Mr. Mitsotakis — who is also the son of a former prime minister — Ms. Katsitou said, she had “definitely a better chance.” About a third of young voters like her feel the same, polls indicate. After spending impressionable years amid so much panic, desperation and humiliation during the decade-long financial crisis that erupted in 2010 — and which collapsed the Greek economy — many of Greece’s depression-era children have grown up to say they have no interest in ever turning back.

Persons: ”, Mara Katsitou, Kyriakos Mitsotakis, Mitsotakis —, — Ms, Katsitou Organizations: Harvard Locations: Greece, Athens

☆ The Dark Incentives That Led to a Refugee Tragedy
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-23 | by ( Amanda Taub | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +2 min

Hundreds of people may have died last week in the Mediterranean, after a boat overloaded with migrants, including many children, capsized and sank. It was one of the deadliest migrant disasters in years. And, indeed, Ursula von der Leyen, the European Commission president, said Greece’s border enforcement was Europe’s “shield,” because its harsh tactics prevent migrants from reaching E.U. “This border is not only a Greek border, it is also a European border,” she said after Greece used tear gas to repel hundreds of people who were trying to cross over from Turkey. The European Union has gone to even greater extremes to deter migrants.

Persons: Christina Goldbaum, Zia Ur, Rehman, Kyriakos Mitsotakis, Ursula von der Leyen, Frontex Organizations: European Union, Times, European Commission, European, Human Rights Watch Locations: Bandli, Pakistan, Kashmir, Italy, Greece, E.U, European, ”, Turkey, European Union, Libyan, Libya

☆ Opinion: If a 16 year old can drive, work, pay taxes – why can’t they vote?
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-22 | by ( Opinion Paul Hockenos | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +8 min

In Germany, this age group can vote in European elections, and the same goes for Belgium, on request. And, when Scotland held its referendum on Scottish independence back in 2014, it lowered the voting age from 18 to 16. In the US, some cities in the states of Maryland and California have lowered the voting age to 16 in certain local elections. The US-based NGO National Youth Rights Association argues that 16- and 17-year-olds should participate on decision making on medical autonomy, curfew, drinking age and age discrimination. “They work and are subject to taxation without representation: income tax, sales tax, payroll taxes and more… The US should continue its democratic tradition of extending voting rights,” he added.

Persons: Paul Hockenos, ”, Paul Hockenos Hayyan, –, Kyriakos Mitsotakis, Grace Meng, Meng, ” Linda Kastrup, Neil Bhateja, Greta Thunberg, they’ll Organizations: CNN, New Democracy Party of Greek, YouTube, Facebook, European Union, Scotland, Scottish, Youth, Youth Rights Association, –, National Youth Rights Association, Twitter Locations: Berlin, Europe, New Berlin, Greece, Austria, Malta, EU, Germany, Belgium, Estonia, Maryland, California, New York, London, Bogota, Nairobi

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