Category: Greece

Greece: 4 Hurt in Indiscriminate Knife Attack, Man Arrested

ATHENS, Greece—Four people were hurt in a knife attack in Athens on Wednesday and a suspect was arrested after he called the police, Greek authorities said. Police said the attack occurred in a suburb of the capital when a man wounded passersby apparently indiscriminately with a large knife outside a grocery store. The attack in…


In Search of the Olympics, in Greece and Around the World

Once, say the ancients, Zeus tossed a thunderbolt on this place. Seated in his home atop Mount Olympus, the greatest Greek god apparently signaled with this fiery gesture that he would take up residence in Olympia, a placid place covered in olive groves on the Peloponnese Peninsula. According to the official record, the first Olympics…


Why Edith Hamilton Feared the Decline of Individualism More Than Atomic Bombs

“People hate being made to think,” the educator and classical scholar Edith Hamilton (1867–1963) once said. Laziness of mind is indeed easy to find, even more so today than in her time. It shows up in vapid social media posts, flippant political rhetoric, superficial media coverage, knee-jerk but sanctimonious opinions, and the widespread absence of critical thinking…


Greece Evacuates More Villages as Forest Fire Spreads to Attica Region

ATHENS—Greek authorities ordered the evacuation of more villages threatened by a forest fire on Thursday as winds strengthened and firefighters battled the blaze, which had already scorched 20 square kilometres of woodland. No deaths were reported as a result of the fire, which broke out on Wednesday night in a forest at a small seaside…


Finding Hidden Greece, From Unnamed Islands to the Heart of Athens

I’m not sure this place even has a name, and I know you’d never find it online. Tucked away, just off the village’s main square, I can’t even recall, for the moment, how we got here from the ship. Disembarking from our gulet, a big, wooden sailboat that looks like it could carry pirates, walking…


Greece Opens to Tourists, Anxious to Move on From Crisis Season

RHODES, Greece—Greece began opening to tourists on April 19 with few bookings but hopes for a better season to help make up for the devastation of the pandemic measures in 2020. On the island of Rhodes, where most visitors come from abroad, hoteliers are scrubbing, polishing, and painting in anticipation of a make-or-break year. “We’re…


Israel and Greece Sign Record Defence Deal

JERUSALEM—Israel and Greece have signed their biggest ever defence procurement deal, which Israel said on Sunday would strengthen political and economic ties between the countries. The agreement includes a $1.65 billion contract for the establishment and operation of a training centre for the Hellenic Air Force by Israeli defence contractor Elbit Systems over a 22-year…


Greek, Turkish FMs Meet to Mend Ties, Trade Barbs Instead

ANKARA, Turkey—A meeting aimed to improve fraught ties between NATO allies Greece and Turkey quickly descended into a tense exchange of accusations between the two countries’ foreign ministers on April 15. Greek Foreign Minister Nikos Dendias traveled to Ankara to discuss ties with his Turkish counterpart Mevlut Cavusoglu, following a slight easing of tensions. Appearing…


Greek Crime Journalist Shot Dead by Motorcycle Gunmen: Police

ATHENS—Two gunmen on a motorbike shot and killed a prominent Greek crime journalist near his home in Athens on Friday, police said. George Karaivaz, a veteran journalist for private broadcaster STAR TV, was well-known to Greek audiences for his coverage of law and order and police stories. There were no immediate reports of a possible…


EU Official Urges Greece to Probe Reports of Asylum-Seeker Pushbacks

ATHENS—Greece “can do more” to investigate reports it has pushed asylum-seekers back to Turkey, a senior European Union official said on March 29, as Greek authorities pledged that a new migrant reception center on the island of Lesbos would open in time for winter. The United Nations refugee agency (UNHCR) has said it has received…