Tag: ATHENS

Athens freezes assets of corruption-accused Greek MEP

  Athens, Greece (AFP) Greek authorities froze assets of European Parliament vice president Eva Kaili on Monday, after the Greek MEP was arrested on corruption charges over her alleged involvement in a graft scandal linked to Qatar. The measure, which also applies to her relatives, includes “bank accounts, safes, companies and other financial assets”, said the Greek anti-money laundering authority president Haralambos Vourliotis. Greek banks and state services have already been informed of the decision, […]

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Southern EU leaders target climate change at Greek summit

ATHENS, Greece (AFP) – Greece is hosting a summit of southern EU leaders on Friday that will focus on climate change and “security challenges” including migration and the Afghan crisis. Greek government spokesman Yiannis Economou said the one-day meeting, with EU chief Ursula von der Leyen in attendance, will address issues “jeopardising safety and stability in the Mediterranean”. The agenda includes migration and the situation in Afghanistan following the Taliban takeover but Economou said Athens was placing […]

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Hundreds of families homeless as Greek fires rage, rain saves Turkey

Hundreds of firefighters fought fires that have devoured record numbers of woodlands in Greece on Saturday and left hundreds of families homeless, but heavy rains brought respite to hard-hit Turkey. More than 1,450 Greek firefighters backed by at least 15 aircraft were battling the blazes, with reinforcements arriving from abroad, the fire service said. In Pefkofyto, in the north of Athens, pensioner Tasos Tsilivakos struggled to contain his tears. “This is a horrible disaster,” he […]

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6.3-magnitude earthquake hits central Greece

  ATHENS, Greece (AFP) — A strong 6.3-magnitude earthquake hit central Greece on Wednesday, damaging several buildings, including schools, and prompting residents near the epicentre to rush into the streets. “Everything happened very fast, people ran out of buildings, there are still aftershocks,” Chrissoula Katsiouli, a staffer at the mayor’s office in the local town of Elassona told AFP. The fire department said that according to the first reports, a local home and a school […]

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Strong 5.3 magnitude quake shakes Athens, knocks out phones in capital

  A strong 5.3 magnitude earthquake jolted Athens on Friday, knocking out phone and cellphone service, with no immediate reports of damage or injuries. According to the Greek geodynamic institute, it was a 5.1-magnitude quake with an epicentre 23 kilometers (14 miles) northwest of Athens and was followed by aftershocks. The US Geological Survey, however, recorded it at 5.3 magnitude with the epicenter located some three kilometers north northwest of Magoula, Greece.  It was depth […]

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“This is fantastic” say guests from Sierra Leone and Ghana who joined INC walk in Greece

(Eagle News) — Guests from Sierra Leone and Ghana who joined the Iglesia Ni Cristo Worldwide Walk to Fight Poverty in Athens, Greece described the global charity walk as “fantastic” as they saw the sincerity of the INC’s efforts to help the poor communities in Africa. Ishmael Kamara and Aruna Rashid Kamara from Sierra Leone said they “liked” the event very much. Adjetey Sowah from Ghana also said they enjoyed joining the INC walk that […]

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Wildfires burn through the night near Athens

KALAMOS, Greece (Reuters) — Wildfires burned through the night on Monday (August 14) in woodland some three towns near Athens, some 45 kilometers (30 miles) northeast of the capital as firefighters battled to contain the blaze. The fire was burning unchecked for a second day, damaging dozens of homes. It broke out around 1300GMT on Sunday (August 13) in Kalamos, a coastal holiday spot and quickly spread, fanned by strong and changing winds. A state […]

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Greek authorities battle massive wildfire in southern Athens

ATHENS, Greece (CCTV) — A wildfire broke out in the southern suburb of the Greek capital of Athens on Monday afternoon, prompting local authorities to dispatch dozens of firefighters to the scene. The blaze reportedly occurred around 18:00, about 13 kilometers from the Athens International Airport, and quickly spread through tinder-dry vegetation due to strong winds, which are blowing plumes of thick black smoke into the air. Around 70 firefighters, 30 fire trucks and five helicopters […]

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Southern nations gear up for EU future showdown

ATHENS, Greece (AFP) – by John HADOULIS Sabine WIBAUX Southern EU leaders on Friday sought to close ranks on migration, extremism and austerity with the bloc’s future on the line, and ahead of a showdown with hardliners next week. Bringing together the members worst hit by the EU’s twin recession and refugee crises, the mini-summit will focus on “protecting borders, fostering growth, fighting against immigration… and acting together against terrorism,” French President Francois Hollande said at the […]

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