Latest Athens News

Greek defense team says 9 Egyptians accused of causing deadly shipwreck were misidentified as crew

May. 16, 2024 10:59 AM EDT

ATHENS, Greece (AP) — The legal defense team for nine Egyptian men due to go on trial in southern Greece next week accused of causing one of the Mediterranean's deadliest shipwrecks said Thursday they will argue that Greece has no jurisdiction in the case, and insisted their clients were innocent...

It's not a rock, it's the Athens Rock Lobsters. New minor league team honors B-52s

May. 15, 2024 20:25 PM EDT

It's not a rock. It's the Athens Rock Lobsters. Ah-ahh-ahhh-ahhhhh! The minor league hockey team that will begin play next season in the home of the University of Georgia paid homage to the city's rich musical heritage by choosing a nickname made famous by one of its...

Greek and Turkish leaders seek to stress thawing relations but tensions remain under the surface

May. 13, 2024 12:45 PM EDT

ISTANBUL (AP) — The leaders of Greece and Turkey met Monday for talks aimed at underlining their efforts to put aside decades-old disputes, but they also revealed deep divisions over the Israel-Hamas war. Speaking at a news conference in Ankara following the two-hour face-to-face...

5 former officials are convicted over Greece's deadliest wildfire but are freed after being fined

Apr. 29, 2024 08:05 AM EDT

ATHENS, Greece (AP) — A Greek court convicted five former firefighting and disaster response officials on Monday over the deadliest wildfire in the country's history, with more than 100 people killed outside the capital. But some survivors were outraged when they were fined and let go. ...

1 migrant dies and 25 are rescued from a sinking dinghy in eastern Greece

Apr. 29, 2024 04:10 AM EDT

ATHENS, Greece (AP) — Authorities on the Greek island of Samos said Monday that a migrant died and 25 others were rescued from a sinking dinghy that had left the nearby coast of Turkey. A search and rescue operation was launched, assisted by the European border protection agency,...

Martian skies over Athens? Greece's capital turns an orange hue with dust clouds from North Africa

Apr. 23, 2024 14:39 PM EDT

ATHENS, Greece (AP) — Skies over southern Greece turned an orange hue on Tuesday as dust clouds blown across the Mediterranean Sea from North Africa engulfed the Acropolis and other Athens landmarks. Strong southerly winds carried the dust from the Sahara Desert, giving the...

Greek and Turkish delegations meet in Athens as part of efforts to improve often strained ties

Apr. 22, 2024 08:01 AM EDT

ATHENS, Greece (AP) — Delegations from Greece and Turkey were meeting in Athens on Monday as part of long-standing efforts to improve often tense relations between the two neighbors, days after Turkey voiced objections over Greece’s plans to create marine nature reserves in the Ionian and...

Olympic torch makes Acropolis overnight stop a week before handover to Paris organizers

Apr. 19, 2024 17:58 PM EDT

ATHENS, Greece (AP) — The flame that will burn at the Olympics is spending the night at the ancient Acropolis in Athens, a week before its handover to Paris 2024 organizers. During a lull in heavy rain late Friday, a torchbearer lit a cauldron in front of the 2,500-year-old...

AP Week in Pictures: Europe and Africa

Apr. 19, 2024 05:04 AM EDT

April 12-18, 2024 Performers take part in the official flame lighting ceremony in Athens in preparation for the Paris Olympics. A local resident swims in floodwater in Orenburg, Russia, after a dam on the Ural River burst. The northern lights shine over an erupting volcano near the...

Greek minister says 2 major new marine parks will be created by the end of this year

Apr. 17, 2024 12:35 PM EDT

ATHENS, Greece (AP) — Greece will be able to create the two new major marine parks it has announced for the Ionian Sea and the Aegean Sea by the end of this year, the country’s environment and energy minister said Wednesday. Speaking during an international ocean conference in...