Latest Greece News

Greek opposition leader briefly sets aside politics for light version of mandatory military service

Mar. 15, 2024 17:39 PM EDT

ATHENS, Greece (AP) — Greece's left-wing opposition leader briefly stepped away from politics Friday for a mandatory stint in the military. Stefanos Kasselakis, 35, appeared at an artillery training camp in central Greece to start his brief service in the country's...

A Greek police officer with 225 pounds of marijuana in his patrol car is arrested after a chase

Mar. 15, 2024 15:28 PM EDT

ATHENS, Greece (AP) — A police officer on patrol duty in northwestern Greece was arrested on drugs charges Friday for allegedly using his service car to smuggle marijuana, authorities said. The suspect was detained in the port town of Igoumenitsa following a road chase, together...

4-time Olympic cyclist positive for doping in retests of samples from 2016 Rio Olympics

Mar. 15, 2024 15:11 PM EDT

AIGLE, Switzerland (AP) — Four-time Olympic cyclist Christos Volikákis tested positive for doping in retests of samples from the 2016 Rio de Janeiro Games, the International Cycling Union said on Friday. Volikákis won medals for Greece in track cycling at world and European...

Dozens more migrants reach a Greek island south of Crete as smugglers seek new routes

Mar. 13, 2024 18:14 PM EDT

ATHENS, Greece (AP) — A boat carrying 91 migrants has reached a small island south of Crete that is seeing a spike in the arrival of people attempting the long and dangerous crossing from Africa, Greek authorities said Wednesday. A coast guard statement said the migrants, who were...

9 jailed pending trial over allegedly harassing, threatening 2 transgender persons in Greece

Mar. 10, 2024 13:08 PM EDT

THESSAOLONIKI, Greece (AP) — Nine people jailed in Greece will be tried Monday over accusations they harassed and threatened two 21-year-old transgender persons in the northern city of Thessaloniki. The nine were remanded after appearing before a prosecutor Sunday. Twelve other...

Greek lawmakers approve ending state monopoly on university education, despite student protests

Mar. 08, 2024 17:54 PM EST

ATHENS, Greece (AP) — Greek lawmakers approved sweeping reforms early Saturday that will end the state monopoly on university education, breaking what powerful left-wing student groups have long regarded as a major taboo. Hours before the vote, which began Friday evening and ended...

Italians cut back on olive oil as prices surge, survey says. Producers are pushing back on that

Mar. 08, 2024 15:00 PM EST

MILAN (AP) — One-third of Italians have reduced their consumption of extra virgin olive oil, a mainstay of the Mediterranean diet, due to skyrocketing prices, according to a survey released Friday. But Italian producers are pushing back against the data, saying the snapshot of...

Church authorities in Greece slap religious ban on local politicians who backed same-sex marriage

Mar. 06, 2024 12:37 PM EST

ATHENS, Greece (AP) — Backlash from the Orthodox Church of Greece against a landmark law allowing same-sex civil marriage intensified Tuesday, with a regional bishopric imposing a religious ban on two local lawmakers who backed the reform. Church authorities on the northwestern...

US sanctions spyware company and executives who targeted American journalists, government officials

Mar. 05, 2024 13:31 PM EST

WASHINGTON (AP) — The Treasury Department announced Tuesday it has sanctioned two people and a Greece-based commercial spyware company headed by a former Israeli military officer that developed, operated and distributed technology used to target U.S. government officials, journalists and policy...

Albanian mayor from Greek minority is imprisoned for vote buying. That's likely to anger Greece

Mar. 05, 2024 12:33 PM EST

TIRANA, Albania (AP) — An Albanian court on Tuesday imprisoned a mayor from the country's Greek minority on vote-buying charges, a ruling that was expected to raise tensions with neighboring Greece. Greece had called on Albania’s government to stop the process against Dhionisios...