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[1/4] A firefighter tries to extinguish a wildfire burning near the village of Pournari, Greece, July 18, 2023. The blaze raged in the area of Dervenochoria about 30 km (18.6 miles) north of Athens. Fire fighters managed to contain other blazes southeast and west of the Greek capital but the fronts were still active. A mayor told Greek television that more than 7,000 acres of land was reduced to ashes along a coast, where many Athenians have holiday homes. Greece still has memories of a wildfire disaster in 2018, when a blaze killed 101 people in the seaside town of Mati, east of Athens.

Persons: Ioannis Artopoios, Janez Lenarcic, Kyriakos, Giorgos Nikolaou, Angeliki Koutantou, Stelios Misinas, Lefteris Papadimas, Simon Cameron, Moore, Sharon Singleton Organizations: REUTERS, Union, Greek Fire Service, Fire, Canadair, EU Crisis, Thomson Locations: Pournari, Greece, DERVENOCHORIA, Athens, Dervenochoria, France, Italy, Brussels, America, Kouvaras, Anavyssos, Lagonissi, Loutraki, Mati

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

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

☆ 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, ”

☆ Leaders of Turkey and Greece vow to repair ties after year of tension
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-12 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

[1/3] Greece's Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis meets with Turkey's President Tayyip Erdogan during a NATO leaders summit in Vilnius, Lithuania July 12, 2023. Dimitris Papamitsos/Greek Prime Minister's Office/Handout via REUTERSATHENS, July 12 (Reuters) - Greece and Turkey agreed on Wednesday to resume talks and confidence-building measures as they hailed a new "positive climate" in ties after more than a year of tensions between the historic foes. Relations improved when Greece became one of the first countries to send rescue workers to help pull survivors from the rubble after a devastating earthquake hit Turkey in February. "We are cautiously optimistic we can turn a new page," Mitsotakis told reporters after the summit. Reporting by Renee Maltezou; Additional reporting by Huseyin Hayatsever; Editing by Conor HumphriesOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

Persons: Kyriakos Mitsotakis, Tayyip Erdogan, Dimitris Papamitsos, Erdogan, Mitsotakis, Renee Maltezou, Huseyin Hayatsever, Conor Humphries Organizations: NATO, Minister's, REUTERS, Atlantic Treaty Organization, Greek, Cooperation, Thomson Locations: Vilnius, Lithuania, REUTERS ATHENS, Greece, Turkey, Cyprus, United States, Greek, Thessalonki

☆ 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

☆ Wimbledon debutant Eubanks ends Tsitsipas's challenge in fourth round
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-10 | by ( Pritha Sarkar | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

He played his part in the highly entertaining encounter, often picking himself up off the ground to hit a winning shot. But he met his match in the 6-foot-7 inch (2.01-metre) Eubanks, whose cheering squad included his occasional mixed doubles partner and compatriot Coco Gauff. "It's surreal, it's unbelievable, I can't believe it," added the American after notching up his ninth straight win on grass. A few weeks after claiming he hated playing on the surface, Eubanks made a u-turn on that assessment. Reporting by Pritha Sarkar, editing by Clare Fallon and Ken FerrisOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

Persons: Christopher Eubanks, Greece's Stefanos Tsitsipas, Toby Melville LONDON, Stefanos, Eubanks, Coco Gauff, Tsitsipas, Gauff, Daniil Medvedev, Dominic Thiem, Andy Murray, Pritha Sarkar, Clare Fallon, Ken Ferris Organizations: Lawn Tennis, Croquet Club, Wimbledon, Monday, All England, Thomson Locations: London, Britain, Russian, Mallorca

☆ Murray's night-time drama ends on a Wimbledon cliff-hanger
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-06 | by ( Ossian Shine | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

There was so very little to choose between the two combatants in the opening set – just two points separated them, Murray winning 37 points and Tsitsipas 39. One of his 21 clean winners in that opening set came to punch through Murray’s defences for a 4-3 lead in the tiebreak. Two points later he held three set points at 6-3, and converted on his first by out-manoeuvring the Scot to take a one-set lead after just shy of an hour’s play. It was one he would not relinquish and at 10:38pm he fired a service that Tsitsipas could only return long. Tsitsipas stalked off court while Murray collected his bag and the crowd roared their appreciation as the night-time clash ended on a cliff-hanger.

Persons: Andy Murray, Greece's Stefanos Tsitsipas, Andrew Couldridge, Scot, Tsitsipas, Murray, Ossian SHine, Ken Ferris Organizations: Lawn Tennis, Croquet Club, Greece's Stefanos Tsitsipas REUTERS, Wimbledon, Court, Thomson Locations: London, Britain

☆ Kostyuk makes light of rain breaks to stun eighth seed Sakkari
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-05 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

"Every time I was going into a rain break I was going into different emotions," said Kostyuk, who was also emotional several times during the match. Sakkari initially looked undisturbed by the rain suspension, taking the first set soon after the restart. Her new training partnership with former Wimbledon finalist Mark Philippoussis looked to be paying off with Sakkari in complete control. Kostyuk, however, turned the tables in the second set with aggressive play that forced Sakkari into more unforced errors. Sakkari was wilting by then and Kostyuk took nine consecutive games en route to a 5-1 lead before sealing victory on her first match point.

Persons: Ukraine's Marta Kostyuk, Greece's Maria Sakkari, Andrew Couldridge, Marta Kostyuk, Maria Sakkari, Kostyuk, Sakkari, Mark Philippoussis, Karolos Grohmann, Ed Osmond Organizations: Lawn Tennis, Croquet Club, Greece's Maria Sakkari REUTERS, Wimbledon, Ukrainian, Thomson Locations: London, Britain, Ukrainian

☆ Tsitsipas needs two days to beat Thiem in five sets
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-05 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

The 24-year-old Greek, chasing a maiden Grand Slam title, will next play two-time Wimbledon champion Andy Murray on Centre Court on Thursday. They both refused to buckle in the fourth, taking it into a tiebreak where Thiem prevailed to force a decider. Thiem had one chance to break at 3-3 but then handed a match point to Tsitsipas a little later with a double fault at 6-5. He saved another at 9-7 in the tiebreak before the Greek sealed it on the third attempt. Reporting by Karolos Grohmann; Additional reporting by Martyn Herman Editing by Toby DavisOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

Persons: Tsitsipas, Austria's Dominic Thiem, Andrew Couldridge, Dominic Thiem of, Andy Murray, Dominic, I'm, I've, Thiem, Roger Federer, Rafa Nadal, Novak Djokovic, Rain, Karolos Grohmann, Martyn Herman, Toby Davis Organizations: Lawn Tennis, Croquet Club, Austria's Dominic Thiem REUTERS, Wimbledon, Centre, Thomson Locations: London, Britain, Dominic Thiem of Austria, Murray, Madrid

☆ Undercooked Rybakina targets successive Wimbledon titles
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-03 | by ( Aadi Nair | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

The third seed opens her defence against 49th-ranked American Shelby Rogers and will be looking to match Serena Williams - who won her sixth and seventh Wimbledon titles in 2015 and 2016. Rybakina holds a 3-2 head-to-head advantage over Rogers, but with the defending champion having won both prior meetings on grass courts, she will take an edge into the encounter. An action-packed women's singles schedule on Tuesday also features Australian Open champion Aryna Sabalenka taking on Hungary's Panna Udvardy, while last year's losing finalist Ons Jabeur is up against Poland's Magdalena Frech. Greek eighth seed Maria Sakkari will face Ukraine's Marta Kostyuk, with two-time Wimbledon winner Petra Kvitova of the Czech Republic also in action. The confidence grew a lot," U.S. Open winner Alcaraz told reporters.

Persons: Elena Rybakina, Shelby Rogers, Serena Williams, Rybakina, It's, Rogers, Aryna Sabalenka, Panna Udvardy, Poland's Magdalena Frech, Maria Sakkari, Ukraine's Marta Kostyuk, Petra Kvitova, Carlos Alcaraz, Alcaraz, Novak, Djokovic, Daniil Medvedev, Briton Arthur Fery, Tsitsipas, Dominic Thiem, Andy Murray, Ryan Peniston, Aadi Nair, Toby Davis Organizations: Wimbledon, All England Club, Kazakh, U.S, Court, Thomson Locations: Eastbourne, Czech Republic, U.S, Belarusian, Bengaluru

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

EUROPE'S FAR-RIGHT RESURGENCEGains by the far right in Greece mirror a trend in several other European countries. Support for Germany's anti-immigrant AfD party is at its highest since the wake of Europe’s migrant crisis in 2018, in Italy a former far-right activist is prime minister and in Sweden a far-right party has joined the government. Some analysts said Mitsotakis's hard line on migration gave licence to a more xenophobic narrative from the far right. However, some said ultra-nationalists had claimed the turf on the far right because Mitsotakis was shifting to the centre. The Spartans party are led by businessman Vassilios Stigas.

Persons: Ilias Kasidiaris, Kyriakos Mitsotakis, Akritas Kaidatzis, Mitsotakis, Akis Georgakellos, Vassilios Stigas, Golden Dawn, Golden, Kasidiaris, Michele Kambas, Renee Maltezou, Edmund Blair, Christina Fincher Organizations: Spartans, Greek coastguard, New Democracy, Aristotle University, EUROPE'S, SPARTA, Twitter, Thomson Locations: ATHENS, Europe, Greece, Thessaloniki, Italy, Sweden, Turkey, Athens, Golden, Greece's, Kasidiaris, Golden Dawn

☆ 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

☆ Mitsotakis to be sworn in as Greek PM after landslide victory
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-26 | by ( Karolina Tagaris | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

ATHENS, June 26 (Reuters) - Greece's New Democracy party leader Kyriakos Mitsotakis will be sworn in as prime minister on Monday after a resounding victory in a repeat election on Sunday gave him a second four-year term. But I assure you that I will stay true to my national duty," Mitsotakis said. Greek newspapers hailed the result a "historic win," with Ta Nea writing on its front page "Mitsotakis's absolute dominance, with no opponent." Sunday's vote was a heavy defeat for Alexis Tsipras's Syriza party, which lost more than 30 lawmakers. It also saw three fringe right-wing and nationalist parties - including the anti-immigrant 'Spartans', enter parliament with a combined 35 seats.

Persons: Kyriakos Mitsotakis, Mitsotakis, Ta, Katerina Sakellaropoulou, Alexis Tsipras's Syriza, Tsipras, Karolina Tagaris, Lincoln Organizations: Democracy, Sunday, European Union, Spartans, Thomson Locations: ATHENS

☆ Turkey's Erdogan, Greece's Mitsotakis to meet at July NATO summit
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-26 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

[1/2] Newly elected Greek Prime Minister and Leader of New Democracy conservative party Kyriakos Mitsotakis attends the handover ceremony at the Maximos Mansion in Athens, Greece, June 26, 2023. REUTERS/Louiza VradiISTANBUL/ATHENS, June 26 (Reuters) - Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan and Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis will meet on the sidelines of a NATO summit in Vilnius next month, Mitsotakis' office said on Monday, a day after he won a national election. Mitsotakis was sworn in for a second term as prime minister on Monday following a resounding election win. Ergodan, who was elected to his third term last month, congratulated Mitsotakis in a phone call, the Turkish Presidency said on Monday. Reporting by Ali Kucukgocmen and Lefteris Papadimas Editing by Chris Reese and Sandra MalerOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

Persons: Kyriakos Mitsotakis, Tayyip Erdogan, Mitsotakis, Ergodan, Ali Kucukgocmen, Chris Reese, Sandra Maler Organizations: Greek, New Democracy, REUTERS, Louiza Vradi, NATO, Thomson Locations: Athens, Greece, Louiza, Louiza Vradi ISTANBUL, ATHENS, Vilnius, Turkish, Turkey, Cyprus

[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

☆ Vekic plays twice, beats sixth-seed Sakkari to reach German Open final
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-24 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

The 26-year-old had first beaten lucky loser Elina Avanesyan in straight sets in their quarter-final on Saturday morning after play was cancelled due to heavy rain on Friday. Vekic made it two wins from her Saturday matches on her fourth match point with another forehand winner flying past her opponent, who also had to play twice in a day, having earlier beaten Marketa Vondrousova in her last-eight match. Sakkari has now lost all five of her semi-finals this season. Vekic will face either Russian Ekaterina Alexandrova or Czech Petra Kvitova in Sunday's final. Reporting by Karolos Grohmann; Editing by Ken FerrisOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

Persons: Donna Vekic, Greece's Maria Sakkari, Lisi Niesner BERLIN, Maria Sakkari, Elina Avanesyan, Sakkari, Vekic, Marketa Vondrousova, Ekaterina Alexandrova, Czech Petra Kvitova, Karolos Grohmann, Ken Ferris Organizations: Tennis Club, Thomson Locations: Berlin, Germany, Greece, Czech

☆ Paris 2024 flame to be lit on April 16, relay to visit overseas territories
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-23 | by ( Julien Pretot | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

"It's going to be spectacular and will showcase all our territories," Paris 2024 president Tony Estanguet said at a ceremony at the French capital's Sorbonne university. Following a brief domestic relay in Greece the flame is then handed over to the host city. Paris organisers have said they will use a three-masted ship the 'Belem' to take it the port city of Marseille, where the sailing competitions of the Olympics will take place. Usually the flame, held in a safety lantern, is flown by plane to the Olympic Games host city. Paris 2024 organisers have been planning to install the Olympic flame on the Eiffel Tower, a source with direct knowledge of the matter told Reuters last month.

Persons: Stephanie Lecocq PARIS, Armel Le, Tony Estanguet, Laure, Florent Manaudou, Dimitri Pavade, Anne Hidalgo, Julien Pretot, Kirsten Donovan, Toby Davis Organizations: Sorbonne University , Paris, Michel, French, Sorbonne, National Assembly, Senate, Olympic Games, Eiffel, Reuters, Thomson Locations: Marseille, Paris, France, Olympia, Athens, Montpellier, Corsica, Bordeaux, Brest, Strasbourg, Reims, Ville, Greece, Belem, Phocaea

☆ Analysis: Greek bonds snapping at heels of southern Europe's best in class
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-23 | by ( Stefano Rebaudo | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +5 min

The country has received three international bailouts from the euro zone and the IMF worth 280 billion euros ($308 billion) since 2010. "The Greek (bond) market is not so liquid and tends to be more volatile, but we have a lot of good news. The Greek economy is still heavily exposed to volatile sectors like tourism or shipping, but it is less sensitive to manufacturing headwinds. The premium, or spread, of Greek government bond yields over those of Spain recently fell to its lowest since 2008 at around 27 basis points . Across southern Europe, only Portugal and Spain trade at a smaller premium to Germany - the euro zone benchmark - than Greece.

Persons: Athanasios, Kyriakos Mitsotakis, Goldman Sachs, Filippo Taddei, Piet Haines Christiansen, Giorgia Meloni, Mario Draghi's, Christoph Rieger, Stefano Rebaudo, Sara Rossi, Amanda Cooper, Hugh Lawson Organizations: Bank of America, Democracy, Analysts, European Recovery Fund, Danske Bank, Italy's, ECB, Italian Treasury, Reuters, Thomson Locations: Greece, Spain, Europe, Portugal, Germany, European, Italy, Italian

☆ Amnesty accuses Spain and Morocco of cover-up over Melilla enclave migrant deaths
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-23 | by ( Joan Faus | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

BARCELONA, June 23 (Reuters) - Amnesty International on Friday accused Spain and Morocco of a cover-up for failing to properly investigate events at the border of the Spanish enclave of Melilla last year, when tens of migrants and refugees died during a mass attempted crossing. On June 24 2002, around 2,000 Sub-Saharan African migrants and refugees attempted to enter Spain's North African enclave from Morocco. Morocco said 23 people died in a crush when migrants fell from the fence, and Spain has said no deaths occurred on its soil. "One year on from the carnage at Melilla, Spanish and Moroccan authorities not only continue to deny any responsibility but are preventing attempts to find the truth," said Amnesty International's Secretary General, Agnes Callamard. Spain's Attorney General investigated the Melilla incident but declined to charge Spanish officers who he said had been unaware of the fatal crush.

Persons: Spain, Agnes Callamard, Callamard, Joan Faus, Alexandra Hudson Organizations: Amnesty, Human Rights, Spain's Interior Ministry, Spain's, Authorities, Alexandra Hudson Our, Thomson Locations: BARCELONA, Morocco, Melilla, Spain's, Spain, Spanish, Libya, Italy

☆ Suspected smugglers deny charges over migrant shipwreck off Greece
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-20 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

The coast guard retrieved three more bodies on Monday, six days after the disaster, and one on Tuesday, revising the death toll to 82. The suspected smugglers, all from Egypt and aged between 20 and 40 years, appeared before a prosecutor on Tuesday to respond to charges that included manslaughter, setting up a criminal organisation, migrant smuggling and causing a shipwreck. But the exact circumstances of the vessel sinking despite the presence of the coast guard were still unclear. Kathimerini newspaper reported that survivors, who were summoned for additional testimonies over the weekend, said for the first time that the coast guard tried to tow their vessel. "It is horrible what happened and the more urgent it is that we act", von der Leyen said when asked about the shipwreck.

Persons: Ursula von der Leyen, von der Leyen, Renee Maltezou, Tassilo Hummel, Grant McCool Organizations: European Union, ERT, Reuters, Greek coastguard, coastguard, Thomson Locations: ATHENS, Greece, Libya, Italy, Egypt, Syria, Pakistan, Europe, Tobruk, Kathimerini, Brussels

☆ Record-breaker Mbappe leads France to 1-0 win over Greece
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-19 | by ( Julien Pretot | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

The result left France top with 12 points, six ahead of second-placed Greece, who had Konstantinos Mavropanos sent off in the 69th minute after Mbappe's 55th minute spot kick. "We wanted to follow up on our win against Gibraltar, in front of our crowd," said midfielder Eduardo Camavinga, referring to France's 3-0 win on Friday. It came after earlier opportunities for Mbappe and Kingsley Coman but the offensive trio hit a brick wall. Vlachodimos parried Mbappe's spot kick but it had to be taken again as the keeper had left his goal line too early. After Saturday's win over Gibraltar, France have now scored nine goals and kept clean sheets in all four qualifying games.

Persons: Kylian Mbappe, Mbappe, Just Fontaine, Erling Haaland, Konstantinos Mavropanos, Didier Deschamps, Eduardo Camavinga, Randal Kolo Muani, Kingsley Coman, Les Bleus, Jules Kounde's, Odysseas Vlachodimos, Antoine Griezmann, Greece's, Mavropanos, Kolo Muani, Saturday's, Julien Pretot, Clare Fallon, Ken Ferris Organizations: Greece, St Germain, Manchester City, Gibraltar, Mbappe, Thomson Locations: France, Norway, Cyprus, Greece, Gibraltar, Ireland, Netherlands

☆ Greece gets new alert about migrant vessel two days after disaster
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-16 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

ATHENS, June 16 (Reuters) - Italy on Friday alerted Greece to a vessel holding dozens of migrants sailing off the southern coastal town of Pylos, two sources said, just two days after an overcrowded fishing boat sank nearby killing at least 78 people. "It is sailing about 100 miles west of Pylos, it was located by an Italian aircraft," a Greek government official told Reuters, adding that the alert was received around 1500 GMT. The vessel appeared to be sailing towards Italy, a second official said, adding that it was located in Greece's search and rescue jurisdiction but was very close to Italy's jurisdiction. Greece rescued 104 people but hundreds are missing, with some witnesses saying up to 750 people were on board when it sank. Reporting by Lefteris Papadimas and Renee Maltezou; Editing by Nick MacfieOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

Persons: Lefteris Papadimas, Renee Maltezou, Nick Macfie Organizations: Reuters, Thomson Locations: ATHENS, Italy, Greece, Pylos, Italian

At least 78 people died when the fishing vessel flipped and capsized in international waters south-west of Greece early on Wednesday. A migrant charity says a person they were in contact with on the boat said it was in distress, but Greek authorities say it repeatedly refused offers of help. Passengers paid $4,500 for passage to Italy, the two Greek sources said. Aerial photos of the vessel taken by the Greek coastguard hours before the tragedy unfolded showed a vessel crammed with people on its exposed decks. When the boat reported engine failure and stalled, a coastguard vessel shadowing them came closer.

Persons: Stelios Misinas, Nikos Alexiou, Adriana Tidona, Tidona, Karolina Tagaris, Michele Kambas, Alex Richardson Organizations: Hellenic Coast Guard, REUTERS, Greek coastguard, . Authorities, Greece's coastguard, EU, Amnesty International, coastguard, Thomson Locations: Greece, Kalamata, Stelios Misinas KALAMATA, LIBYA, Tobruk, Libya, Italy

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