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☆ Wildfires rage near Greek capital, houses damaged
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-17 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

[1/3] People stand near a house, as a wildfire burns in Kouvaras, Greece, July 17, 2023. The blaze that broke out in the village of Kouvaras, about 27 km (17 miles) from the Greek capital, spread fast amid erratic winds, a Greek fire service official said. Greek television showed several houses and cars gutted by the blaze and thick white smoke billowing from burning vegetation. Nervous horses were moved away from burning stables to trucks in the nearby village of Kalyvia, Reuters footage showed. The Greek meteorological service has warned of a high risk of fire, just as the country is recovering from the first major heatwave of the summer.

Persons: Stelios Misinas KOUVARAS, Ioannis Artopoios, Stamos Prousalis, Stelios Misinas, Lefteris Papadimas, Angeliki Koutantou, Andrew Heavens, Sharon Singleton, Christina Fincher Organizations: REUTERS, Fire, Thomson Locations: Kouvaras, Greece, Athens, Kalyvia, Loutraki

KOUVARAS, Greece, July 17 (Reuters) - Two wildfires, fanned by strong winds, raged uncontrolled through coastal towns near Athens on Monday forcing residents to flee their homes and prompting the evacuation of hundreds of children from a summer camp. The blaze that broke out in the village of Kouvaras, about 27 km (17 miles) southeast of the Greek capital, spread fast amid erratic winds, a Greek fire service official said. Dozens of horses were evacuated in trucks as the flames reached stables in the nearby areas of Kalyvia and Anavyssos. [1/10]Flames approach a house as a wildfire burns in Saronida, near Athens, Greece, July 17. There is a very high risk for fires," Artopoios said adding that strong winds will persist.

Persons: Ioannis Artopoios, Stelios Misinas, Artopoios, Greece's, Kyriakos Mitsotakis, We've, Stamos, Lefteris, Angeliki Koutantou, Renee Maltezou, Andrew Heavens, Sharon Singleton, Christina Fincher Organizations: Reuters, Police, Fire, Flames, REUTERS, Authorities, Thomson Locations: KOUVARAS, Greece, Athens, Kouvaras, Lagonisi, Kalyvia, Loutraki, Saronida, Dervenochoria, Brussels, Mati

☆ 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

The European Space Agency (ESA), whose satellites monitor land and sea temperatures, has warned that Italy, Spain, France, Germany and Poland are all facing extreme conditions. Temperatures next week could break Europe's current record - 48.8 Celsius recorded in Sicily in August 2021. [1/5]A woman cools off near a fan at a caf?, during a heatwave across Italy, in Rome, Italy, July 14, 2023. ACROPOLIS NOT NOWIn Athens, with temperatures peaking above 40 Celsius, authorities closed the Acropolis Hill, home to the Parthenon temple that is visited by millions of tourists every year, from noon to 5 p.m. (0900 GMT-1400 GMT). Others were brought down from the Acropolis Hill in golf carts and transferred to wheelchairs.

Persons: BURNS, Joan Ballester, Guglielmo Mangiapane, Angel Abad, Abad, Deborah Kyvrikosaios, Angeliki, Stamos Prousalis, Antonio Bronic, Malgorzata, Horaci Garcia, Guillermo Martinez Catherine Macdonald, Rachel Norstrant, Rich McKay, Keith Weir, Gavin Jones, Frank Jack Daniel Our Organizations: Phoenix, European Space Agency, ESA, Barcelona Institute, Global Health, caf, REUTERS, Reuters, Madrid's La, Thomson Locations: ATHENS, PHOENIX, Greece, Acropolis, Europe, Italy, Spain, France, Germany, Poland, Sicily, El, United States, Phoenix, Arizona, Portugal, Rome, ACROPOLIS, Athens, Croatia, Madrid's La Paz

Some also said the tragic end, when it came, was precipitated by the actions of the Greek coastguard. after a Greek coastguard vessel attached a rope to the bow of the trawler and began to pull it while picking up speed. The shipping ministry, which oversees the coastguard, told Reuters it couldn't comment on issues that were the subject of a confidential and ongoing investigation by prosecutors. Nikos Spanos, a retired admiral in the Greek coastguard, told Reuters it was unlikely that a coastguard vessel would have attempted such a dangerous manoeuvre as towing the stricken trawler. Three survivors told authorities they paid anywhere from 50 to 200 euros ($55-220) extra for places on the outer deck, considered safer.

Persons: Stelios Misinas, Adriana, haven't, Mohamed, Nikos Spanos, Renee Maltezou, Jonathan Saul, Riham, Rachel Armstrong, Pravin Organizations: Hellenic Coast Guard, REUTERS, Greek coastguard, coastguard, Reuters, GO, Thomson Locations: Greece, Kalamata, KALAMATA, North Africa, Italy, Greek, GO ITALY, Pylos, Syria, Egypt, Pakistan, Tobruk, Europe, Tunisia, Libya, Athens, London, Berlin

☆ Greek leftist leader Tsipras resigns as Syriza party leader
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-29 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

ATHENS, June 29 (Reuters) - Alexis Tsipras, the one-time leftist firebrand who stormed to power on an anti-austerity agenda in Greece in 2015, stepped down from the helm of the Syriza party after 15 years on Thursday, following a heavy election defeat. At the height of Greece's deep economic crisis, Tsipras, known for sporting his no-tie look, rode a wave of anti-establishment anger to become the country's first leftist prime minister. "The time has come to start a new cycle," Tsipras said in a televised address announcing his resignation. Tsipras said he would not be a candidate at elections for a new party leader. Tsipras' decision to step down was "sudden", a party source said, but also "the right one for the party's reform and for his own legacy".

Persons: Alexis Tsipras, Syriza, Kyriakos Mitsotakis's, Tsipras, Renee Maltezou, Karolina Tagaris, Angeliki, Toby Chopra, Peter Graff Organizations: firebrand, Democracy, New Democracy, Communist, European Union, International Monetary Fund, Thomson Locations: ATHENS, Greece

[1/24] New Democracy conservative party leader Kyriakos Mitsotakis speaks to supporters outside the party's headquarters, after the general election, in Athens, Greece, June 25, 2023. Fringe parties of the political left and right - including an anti-immigrant party calling themselves the Spartans - got a foothold in parliament. The system used in Sunday's poll gave the leading party bonus seats depending on voter support. The Spartans party, which said Greece was threatened by uncontrolled migration, was the surprise of the campaign. It was set to gain 4.7 of the vote and up to 13 seats in parliament, based on the early results.

Persons: Kyriakos Mitsotakis, Kyriakos, Mitsotakis, Tsipras, Zoe Constantopoulou, Plefsi Eleftherias, Giorgos Katzimertzis, Ilias Kasiadiaris, Gina Kalovyrna, Michele Kambas, Renee Maltezou, Lefteris, Frances Kerry, Emelia, Giles Elgood, Mark Porter Organizations: New Democracy, REUTERS, Syriza, Spartans, European Union, Reuters, Thomson Locations: Athens, Greece, ATHENS, Kasidiaris

☆ Greek police find 3.2 million euros of cocaine in banana containers
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-03 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

ATHENS, June 3 (Reuters) - Police in northern Greece have seized dozens of packages of cocaine stashed in containers laden with bananas that had been shipped from Latin America, they said on Saturday. Police seized two suspect containers at the port of Piraeus and, after taking them to the port of Thessaloniki, found 100 "bricks" of concealed cocaine, weighing 161 kilos. The drugs, which would have been distributed across Greece and other European countries, are estimated to be worth about 3.2 million euros, police said. The consignment was found as part of an investigation Greece launched last month with North Macedonia authorities and the U.S. anti-drug agency, following the seizure of about 100 kilos of cocaine also hidden in banana containers at a warehouse in Thessaloniki. (This story has been refiled to fix a typographical error in the headline)Reporting by Angeliki Koutantou; Editing by Giles ElgoodOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

Persons: Angeliki Koutantou, Giles Elgood Organizations: Police, Saturday . Police, U.S, Thomson Locations: ATHENS, Greece, Latin America, Piraeus, Thessaloniki, Macedonia

☆ After no outright victory, Greek PM to get mandate for coalition
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-22 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

ATHENS, May 22 (Reuters) - Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis was due on Monday to receive an official mandate to try form a coalition government after falling short of an absolute majority win in Sunday's election. Greek President Katerina Sakellaropoulou was expected to invite Mitsotakis on Monday and hand him a three-day mandate to lead negotiations with other parties to try to form a coalition. If the talks fail, the second and third parties - Syriza followed by the socialist PASOK - each get a three-day mandate as well. Should no party succeed in forming a coalition, Sakellaropoulou will appoint a caretaker government to take the country to a new vote about a month later. On Sunday, Mitsotakis said that people gave him the mandate to "rule strong and autonomous", suggesting he was unlikely to join forces with any other party.

Ahead of an election on May 21, a cost-of-living crisis that is eroding earnings is foremost in voters' minds. For Klaoudatou it means voting for anyone but the incumbent conservative New Democracy or the opposition leftist Syriza. Reuters GraphicsThree international bailouts saved Greece from toppling out of the euro zone during a decade-long debt crisis that peaked in 2015. "Εven during the crisis - and this is the joke - I didn't think so much before spending a single extra euro," Klaoudatou told Reuters. Reuters GraphicsPAYCHECK BARELY GETS TO PAYCHECKOne in two Greek households could barely get by on their monthly income last year.

☆ Enel close to Greek renewables stake sale to Macquarie -sources
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-27 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

ATHENS, April 27 (Reuters) - Italy's Enel (ENEI.MI) is expected to finalise by May a deal for the sale of around a 50% stake in its Greek renewables unit to Australia-based Macquarie Group (MQG.AX), two sources close to the matter said on Thursday. Enel said in November it was looking for a partner willing to buy part of Enel Green Power Hellas and invest in its development. "The talks with Macquarie for a stake of about 50% are seen concluding in the coming days," one of the sources told Reuters. Macquarie, which holds a 49% stake in Greece's sole power grid operator HEDNO, declined to immediately comment. Under the strategy presented by CEO Francesco Starace in November, Enel decided to exit Romania, Peru and Argentina and to partner with investors in some countries or specific businesses.

[1/4] Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis leads a cabinet meeting at the Maximos Mansion in Athens, Greece, March 28, 2023. Mitsotakis's New Democracy Party has held a comfortable lead over opposition leftist Syriza since it came to power in 2019, opinion polls show, but a Feb. 28 rail disaster which killed 57 people has stirred public anger and seen that gap narrow. The rail disaster on the Athens-Thessaloniki route, Greece's deadliest on record, sparked mass protests over the safety shortcomings of an underfunded and poorly maintained network, the legacy of a decade-long financial crisis which ended in 2018. Mitsotakis said the 'painful and traumatic' experience of the rail disaster highlighted deficiencies the state still had. "On May 21, Greek citizens will choose if the country will continue to seek winning the bet of reforms".

Since the crash, rail workers have staged rolling strikes demanding that the government takes action to revamp the sector. REUTERS/Stoyan Nenov 1 2 3 4 5PUBLIC OUTRAGEPeople laid flowers and candles at the Athens central train station. "We want safe railways that operate," the head of a railway workers union Nikos Tsikalakis told state television. "We will not allow a lack of transparency, a cover-up, a renunciation of responsibilities and any delays to lead to oblivion," private sector union GSEE said in a statement. "The culprits must pay regardless of their rank," read a poster by public sector union ADEDY.

ATHENS, March 5 (Reuters) - A Greek railway employee was jailed on Sunday pending trial over a deadly train crash that killed at least 57 people, as Greeks seethed with anger over the worst rail disaster in living memory. Clashes erupted between police and demonstrators in Athens on Sunday, after thousands rallied to protest over the crash. The 59-year-old Larissa station master faces multiple charges of disrupting transport and putting lives at risk. REUTERS/Alkis Konstantinidis 1 2 3 4 5Railway workers say the country's rail network has been creaking under cost-cutting and underinvestment, a legacy of Greece's debilitating debt crisis from 2010 to 2018. Mitsotakis said on Sunday that if there had been a remote system in place throughout the rail network "it would have been, in practice, impossible for the accident to happen".

☆ Thousands protest in Athens after Greece's deadly train crash
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-05 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +4 min

REUTERS/Alkis KonstantinidisATHENS, March 5 (Reuters) - Clashes erupted briefly between police and a group of demonstrators in central Athens on Sunday on the fringes of a protest by thousands of students and railway workers over Greece's deadliest train crash in living memory. A small group of protesters hurled petrol bombs at police, who responded with tear gas and stun grenades. The train, travelling from Athens to the northern city of Thessaloniki, was packed with university students returning after a long holiday weekend. Railway workers' unions say safety systems throughout the rail network have been deficient for years as a remote surveillance and signalling system has not been delivered on time. Greece would soon announce action, he said, adding that Athens would seek expertise from the European Commission and other countries on improving rail safety.

[1/2] Rescuers operate at the site of a crash, where two trains collided, near the city of Larissa, Greece, March 2, 2023. REUTERS/Kostas MantziarisATHENS, March 4 (Reuters) - Rescuers continued digging through debris on Saturday at the site of Greece's worst train crash but were expected to wrap up their search operation later on the day. Tuesday's crash killed at least 57 people and injured dozens when a passenger train with more than 350 people on board careered into a freight train on the same track. The disaster in central Greece has triggered an outpouring of anger and protests across the country, as well as a sharp focus on safety standards across its railway system. The train, traveling from Athens to the northern city of Thessaloniki, was packed with students returning after a long holiday weekend.

The collision occurred as the passenger train, heading to the northern Greek city of Thessaloniki from the capital Athens, emerged from a tunnel near the central town of Larissa. Our thoughts today are with the relatives of the victims," Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis said at the site of the crash, looking shattered. [1/15] The site of a crash, where two trains collided, is seen near the city of Larissa, Greece, March 1, 2023. REUTERS/Giannis Floulis 1 2 3 4 5'MUM, I'M HURT'The passenger train was carrying 342 travellers and 10 crew, while two crew were on the cargo train, according to Hellenic Train data. Greece's ageing railway system is in need of modernising, with many trains travelling on single tracks and signalling and automatic control systems still to be installed in many areas.

☆ Hours after deadly train crash, Greece agonises over what went wrong
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-01 | by ( Angeliki Koutantou | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

[1/7] A general view of the site of a crash, where two trains collided, near the city of Larissa, Greece, March 1, 2023. There have been widespread media reports electronic signal software was not working, meaning signalling was done manually. OSE, the country's state-owned operator for rail infrastructure, did not respond to calls requesting comment nor did it issue a statement. Within hours, Greek police had arrested the station master at a provincial train station, accusing him of death through negligence. Hellenic Train, a unit of Italy's Ferrovie dello Stato which acquired passenger and freight operations, said it was working with authorities on the investigation.

☆ 'A bang, then chaos' - Greece train crash survivors tell of ordeal
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-01 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

[1/3] Rescuers operate at the site of a crash, where two trains collided, near the city of Larissa, Greece, March 1, 2023. Tuesday's crash 220 miles north of Athens killed at least 36 people when a high-speed passenger train heading to the northern city of Thessaloniki careered into a freight train from the opposite direction, flying off the track and bursting into flames. There were about 350 people on the train, which passengers described as being two-thirds full with many young people. "My child is not picking up the phone," one woman said as she waited at a train station in Thessaloniki. As morning broke, rescue crews trawled through a smouldering mangled mass of steel while cranes slowly removed pieces of the train.

☆ OTE raises dividend, sticks to fast network investments
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-23 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

OTE, majority owned and managed by Deutsche Telekom (DTEGn.DE), will pay a dividend of 0.5765 euros per share, up 3.3% on a year earlier. Total return to shareholders, including a share buyback scheme, will come in at 425 million euros, it said. Under a revised policy beginning in 2023, OTE planned to distribute to its shareholders between 70% and 100% of free cash flow every year, providing macroeconomic conditions remained stable, it said. OTE expected free cash flow of about 500 million euros this year. Reporting by Angeliki Koutantou; Editing by Bradley PerrettOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

☆ Snowstorm shuts schools and shops, disrupts traffic in Athens
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-06 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

[1/4] A view of the Parthenon temple atop the Acropolis hill during snowfall in Athens, Greece, February 6, 2023. REUTERS/Alkis KonstantinidisATHENS, Feb 6 (Reuters) - Heavy snowfall and plummeting temperatures shut schools and shops in the Greek capital on Monday, with many public services and businesses switching to remote working. Traffic was halted on some central roads and on a national road connecting Athens to central Greece, as storm Barbara swept across the country, blanketing the capital. Fire brigade rescue crews had evacuated four people whose car was stuck in the snow in the Athens suburb of Aspropyrgos, according to state TV ERT. Until Monday's snow, winter in Greece has been unusually mild so far this year.

☆ Four dead, at least 39 rescued after migrant boat sinks off Greece
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-05 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: 1 min

ATHENS, Feb 5 (Reuters) - Four migrants, including three children, died after their boat sank off the island of Leros in the southeastern Aegean Sea on Sunday, the Greek coast guard said. The coast guard recovered the body of a woman and rescued at least 39 migrants who, according to their accounts, had sailed from Turkey, a coast guard official said. The three children died after being hospitalised, the coast guard said. Along with Spain and Italy, Greece is one of the key entry points into the European Union for refugees and migrants from the Middle East, Africa and Asia. Reporting by Angeliki Koutantou; editing by Jason NeelyOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

☆ Piraeus Bank to reduce bad loan exposure ratio to below 6% in 2023
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-30 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

ATHENS, Jan 30 (Reuters) - Piraeus Bank (BOPr.AT), Greece's fourth-largest lender by market value, said on Monday that it will cut its non-performing exposures (NPEs) ratio to below 6% of its loan portfolio in 2023. Under a business plan for 2022-2025, unveiled last year, Piraeus aimed to decrease its NPEs ratio to 3.0% by 2025 and possibly start paying out dividends from 2024 onwards. The bank targets earnings per share above 0.45 euros ($0.48) this year, up from estimated earnings per share of 0.27 euros for 2022. Piraeus, which is 27% owned by the country’s HFSF bank rescue fund, said it expects a cost-to-income ratio of below 42% this year. It aims to reduce the ratio to below 40% by the end of 2025.

☆ Europe's royals, in Athens, bids farewell to Greece's last king
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-16 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

[1/7] A person holds a flag as people queue to pay respects to former King of Greece Constantine II at Saint Eleftherios chapel, where he lies at rest before the funeral service, in Athens, Greece, January 16, 2023. REUTERS/Louiza VradiATHENS, Jan 16 (Reuters) - European royalty gathered in Athens on Monday for the funeral of former King Constantine of Greece, born a prince but spurned by his country which abolished the monarchy in 1974. He died at the age of 82 last week in an Athens hospital. Royals from Europe, including Britain's Princess Anne, sister of King Charles, and her husband and Spain's King Felipe and Queen Letizia, were expected to attend the funeral, at the Metropolitan Cathedral in central Athens, under tight security. In a referendum after the fall of the junta in 1974, Greece rejected monarchy again.

☆ Greece's last king Constantine II to be buried privately in Athens
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-11 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

[1/5] Sons of Greece's former King Constantine II, Crown Prince Pavlos, Prince Nikolaos and Prince Philippos leave the Maximos Mansion following a meeting with members of the Greek government, in Athens, Greece, January 11, 2023. REUTERS/Alkis KonstantinidisATHENS, Jan 11 (Reuters) - Greece's former King Constantine II, who died on Tuesday night aged 82, will be buried privately at a former royal estate north of Athens, the Greek government said on Wednesday. Deposed by military rulers and spurned by his subjects who voted to ditch the monarchy in 1974, Constantine II was the only son of King Paul and Queen Frederica of Greece. Constantine II, godfather to Britain's Prince William and a second cousin to King Charles, would be buried privately in Tatoi, the summer palace of the former Greek royal family, where his ancestors are also laid to rest, the government said. Constantine II was 27 years old and had only recently ascended to the throne, in 1964, when he was forced into exile with a young family in late 1967.

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