Festival at Greece’s ancient theaters dedicated to Maria Callas and century since her birth
June 2, 2023 GMTATHENS, Greece (AP) — The music from “Madame Butterfly” and other major operas is known to Greek audiences largely through the recorded performances of Maria Callas, the U.S.-born Greek artist who died in 1977 and is still revered here.
Newly discovered stone tools drag dawn of Greek archaeology back by a quarter-million years
June 1, 2023 GMTATHENS, Greece (AP) — Deep in an open coal mine in southern Greece, researchers have discovered the antiquities-rich country's oldest archaeological site, which dates to 700,000 years ago and is associated with modern humans’ hominin ancestors.
ATHENS, Greece (AP) — Theodoros Pangalos, a former Greek foreign minister known for his undiplomatic outbursts and on whose watch Greece suffered one of its most embarrassing foreign policy debacles in 1999, has died.
5 Greek border police officers arrested on suspicion of working with migrant smugglers
May 29, 2023 GMTTHESSALONIKI, Greece (AP) — Greek authorities said Monday they had arrested five police officers from a special border guard force on suspicion of working with smugglers to help migrants cross into the country from neighboring Turkey.
ATHENS (AP) — Newly elected Greek lawmakers were sworn in Sunday but the Parliament in which they sit may be dissolved as early as Monday, ahead of fresh elections on June 25.
Greek caretaker Prime Minister sworn in, to head government until new national elections
May 25, 2023 GMTATHENS, Greece (AP) — Senior judge Ioannis Sarmas was sworn in Thursday as Greece's caretaker Prime Minister who will head the country until new national elections are held in about a month.
Sarmas, 66, took over from center-right Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis, who won a landslide victory in parliamentary elections on May 21 but was unable to form a government.
Firewalkers in Greece honor Saint Constantine in mystery-shrouded, centuries-old rituals
May 25, 2023 GMTLAGKADAS, Greece (AP) — Sotirios Gkaintatzis danced across burning coals, his stomping bare feet raising sparks and puffs of smoke as he held aloft an icon of Saints Constantine and Helen.
Gkaintatzis is the leader of a group of anastenaria -- the devotees of St.
Greece says it’s investigating claim migrants were illegally deported back to Turkey
May 24, 2023 GMTATHENS, Greece (AP) — Greece's outgoing prime minister says he has ordered a probe into a report that authorities illegally deported a group of migrants who had reached an eastern Aegean island from Turkey, allegedly leaving them on a raft at sea for Turkish authorities to pick up.
Greece appoints judge as caretaker PM ahead of new elections
May 24, 2023 GMTATHENS, Greece (AP) — Senior judge Ioannis Sarmas was named caretaker prime minister in Greece Wednesday after a general election failed to produce a new government.
Sarmas, 66, will be sworn in Thursday and lead a caretaker government until a new election next month, according to government officials.
Greece heads to new election, after conservatives fail to clinch majority despite landslide win
May 23, 2023 GMTATHENS, Greece (AP) — Greece is heading toward a new general election, two days after Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis' center-right New Democracy party won a victory in a national vote but failed to clinch a majority in parliament.
Greece faces new election in weeks, after center right triumphs but falls short of majority
May 22, 2023 GMTATHENS, Greece (AP) — Greece faces new national elections as early as June 25, with Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis confirming Monday he would not try to build a coalition government — despite having dominated the ballot hours earlier by the most decisive margin in half a century.
Conservative party of Greek prime minister in big election lead, to seek outright majority
May 22, 2023 GMTATHENS, Greece (AP) — Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis, whose conservative party scored a landslide election victory Sunday but without the seats in Parliament to win outright, indicated he will seek a second election in a bid to consolidate victory without a coalition partner.
ATHENS, Greece (AP) — For the first time in more than a decade, Greeks will go to the polls Sunday to elect a leader no longer confined to steering the country’s economy from a back seat.
Conservative Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis is seeking a second term after a draconian regime of spending controls ordered by international bailout lenders ended last summer.
Focus on coalition horse-trading as Greek election looks unlikely to deliver a strong winner
May 20, 2023 GMTATHENS, Greece (AP) — Sunday's Greek parliamentary election looks likely to be a dress rehearsal for a new round of voting in the busy summer tourist season — barring a surprise coalition deal by dissonant opposition parties.
Ethnic Greek candidate detained on vote-buying charges wins mayoral election in Albania
May 15, 2023 GMTTIRANA, Albania (AP) — Preliminary results of Albania’s municipal elections on Monday showed that a mayoral candidate from the Greek minority has won the post while he is in detention for alleged vote-buying.
ZURICH (AP) — A FIFA fund to compensate for unpaid wages helped 225 players in the latest round of payments, including 61 in Portugal and 50 in Greece, the governing body of soccer said Friday.
The AP Interview: Mitsotakis hopes for better relations with Turkey if reelected as Greek premier
May 12, 2023 GMTVOLOS, Greece (AP) — Greece’s prime minister says he will extend “a hand of friendship” to the winner of upcoming elections in the country's neighbor and longtime regional rival Turkey — but adds that he hopes the next government will "reconsider its approach toward the West.”
Greek PM seeks ‘innovative’ solution to decades-old Parthenon Sculpture dispute with British Museum
May 12, 2023 GMTVOLOS, Greece (AP) — Greece's prime minister says his government is exploring a “win-win” solution to one of the world’s most intractable cultural heritage disputes: The fate of the Parthenon Sculptures in the British Museum.
4 arrested in North Macedonia after cocaine bust in Greece
May 10, 2023 GMTSKOPJE, North Macedonia (AP) — Four people have been arrested in North Macedonia, police said Wednesday, following cooperation with Greek authorities over a cocaine shipment seized in neighboring Greece a day earlier.
Greek police rescue new group of migrants from border islet
May 10, 2023 GMTTHESSALONIKI, Greece (AP) — A group of 17 stranded migrants, including eight children, have been rescued from a tiny islet in the river that runs along Greece's northeastern land border with Turkey, police said Wednesday.
Israel minister: Iran nuke enrichment could ignite region
May 4, 2023 GMTATHENS, Greece (AP) — Israel’s defense minister claimed Thursday that Iran could have enough enriched uranium for five nuclear weapons, and warned Tehran that proceeding to weapons-grade enrichment could “ignite the region.”
Iran’s Revolutionary Guard seizes tanker in Strait of Hormuz
May 4, 2023 GMTDUBAI, United Arab Emirates (AP) — Iran's paramilitary Revolutionary Guard seized a Panamanian-flagged oil tanker in the strategic Strait of Hormuz on Wednesday, the second such capture by Tehran in under a week amid heightened tensions over its nuclear program.
With no venue for cup final, Greek soccer back in turmoil
May 3, 2023 GMTATHENS, Greece (AP) — Rival club owners have been accused of a “concerted and organized effort” to disrupt Greek soccer.
The country's soccer federation has failed to find a venue for the Greek Cup final between AEK Athens and PAOK Thessaloniki on May 24 after seeking assistance to host the match in Cyprus, England, Germany or Australia.
Greece: Top court upholds election ban for far-right party
May 2, 2023 GMTATHENS, Greece (AP) — Greece’s Supreme Court on Tuesday agreed to ban the far-right Greeks Party from participating in the country's upcoming general election, upholding legal amendments approved by lawmakers.
Greece looks to Vienna for new boost on Parthenon Sculptures
May 2, 2023 GMTATHENS, Greece (AP) — Museums in Austria and Greece are discussing the potential return to Athens of two ancient Greek sculptures, a move which could have a knock-on effect for the world's thorniest cultural heritage dispute: the fate of the British Museum's Parthenon Sculptures.
Greek police hold 2 over prominent crime reporter’s killing
April 28, 2023 GMTATHENS, Greece (AP) — Greek authorities say they have arrested two men on suspicion of involvement in the killing of a prominent crime reporter two years ago.
Giorgos Karaivaz was gunned down near his home in southern Athens on April 29, 2021, reportedly shot multiple times by two men on a motorcycle.
Prince’s Trust gala draws plenty of celebrities, donations
April 28, 2023 GMTNEW YORK (AP) — The star-studded Prince’s Trust Global Gala raised more than $1.7 million Thursday night at Casa Cipriani in New York City, as a wide range of grantees — past and present — explained how King Charles III’s charity has improved their lives.
Greece to allow pets into more than 120 archaeological sites
April 27, 2023 GMTATHENS, Greece (AP) — Pets will soon be allowed into more than 120 archaeological sites across Greece, the country’s Culture Ministry announced Thursday, although not in the Acropolis or some of the other top tourist draws.
Campaign for Greek election begins with dissolved parliament
April 22, 2023 GMTATHENS, Greece (AP) — The campaign for Greece’s May 21 national election officially opened Saturday with the dissolution of the parliament that was elected in July 2019.
Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis met with President Katerina Sakellaropoulou to propose the dissolution and she accepted it, as obliged by the Constitution of Greece.
EU border agency begins deployment in North Macedonia
April 20, 2023 GMTThe European Union’s border protection agency Frontex began its official deployment in North Macedonia Thursday, extending its operations outside the bloc to a fifth country.
Greece: 1 migrant dead, 47 rescued after sailboat hits rocks
April 20, 2023 GMTATHENS, Greece (AP) — Authorities in southern Greece say one migrant has died and 47 others have been rescued after a sailboat crashed into rocks and partially sank in a remote coastal area of the Greek mainland.
North Macedonia: Migrant fatally shot during border scuffle
April 19, 2023 GMTSKOPJE, North Macedonia (AP) — A migrant woman was accidentally shot and killed by police in North Macedonia during a struggle that broke out Wednesday as an officer tried to arrest a suspected smuggler, authorities said.
Fearing violence, Greece keeps fans away from cup final
April 18, 2023 GMTATHENS, Greece (AP) — The Greek Cup final will be held without regular supporters after the country's soccer federation failed to find a venue abroad to avoid fan violence.
Next month's final between AEK Athens and PAOK will be held in the central city of Volos with a reduced number spectators attending by invitation only, Greek Football Federation deputy director Stergios Antoniou said Tuesday.
Police: 4 migrants among 6 killed in highway crash in Greece
April 15, 2023 GMTTHESSALONIKI, Greece (AP) — Four migrants and a suspected trafficker, all from Syria, died Saturday and six were others injured when their car collided head-on with another as it sped the wrong way on a major highway in Greece near the Turkish border, police said.
States confront medical debt that’s bankrupting millions
April 13, 2023 GMTDENVER (AP) — Cindy Powers was driven into bankruptcy by 19 life-saving abdominal operations. Medical debt started stacking up for Lindsey Vance after she crashed her skateboard and had to get nine stitches in her chin.
Greece: Thaw with Turkey should continue after elections
April 11, 2023 GMTATHENS, Greece (AP) — Greece said Tuesday it would welcome expanded cooperation with Turkey after both countries hold elections next month ‒ including on energy issues that have been at the heart of decades-old disputes.
Greece: Top judge quits in legal dispute over elections
April 10, 2023 GMTATHENS, Greece (AP) — A vice president at Greece’s Supreme Court resigned Monday in a legal dispute over an attempt by the government to ban a far-right political party from participating in a general election next month.
Greek far-right party seeks to defy election ban
April 7, 2023 GMTATHENS, Greece (AP) — A retired senior prosecutor in Greece was named Friday as the new leader of a far-right party as it seeks to sidestep a ban on its participation in an upcoming general election.
Greece to send more arms to Ukraine, but sets limits
April 6, 2023 GMTATHENS, Greece (AP) — Greece has pledged military assistance to Ukraine for “as long as it takes” but officials cautioned that the country needs to keep much of its Russian-made weaponry for its own defensive needs.
Greece’s opposition vows to legalize same-sex marriage
April 4, 2023 GMTATHENS, Greece (AP) — The leader of Greece’s opposition has promised to legalize same-sex marriage with full parental rights if he wins a general election next month, in a move that would make it the first predominantly Orthodox Christian country to do so.
Greek minister makes rare visit to Turkey as tensions ease
April 4, 2023 GMTANKARA, Turkey (AP) — NATO members Turkey and Greece can resolve their disputes through peaceful means and dialogue, Turkey’s defense minister said after talks with his Greek counterpart Tuesday, in the latest sign of easing tensions between the rival neighbors.
Michel quits as coach of Olympiakos
April 3, 2023 GMTPIRAEUS, Greece (AP) — Jose Miguel Gonzalez resigned as coach of Olympiakos on Monday following a draw in the second round of the Greek Super League playoffs. The former Real Madrid midfielder and Spain international known as Michel ended his second spell as manager of the Piraeus club after drawing with Aris 2-2 on Sunday.
Greece’s PM makes border wall extension an election pledge
March 31, 2023 GMTTHESSALONIKI, Greece (AP) — Greece’s prime minister promised Friday to extend an existing wall across all of the country’s land border with Turkey as he campaigned for the country's general election.
Cyprus, Greece, Israel: East Med energy source for Europe
March 31, 2023 GMTNICOSIA, Cyprus (AP) — The eastern Mediterranean can provide a key energy corridor to Europe through a planned electricity cable connecting the power grids of Cyprus, Greece and Israel and a potential natural gas pipeline, the three countries' top diplomats said Friday.
Greek defense minister to visit Turkey as tension wanes
March 30, 2023 GMTATHENS, Greece (AP) — Greece’s defense minister announced Thursday that he will travel to neighboring Turkey next week as part of an effort to ease tension between the two NATO members, which have long-standing and often volatile disputes.
Greece: Terror suspects offered money to target Jewish site
March 29, 2023 GMTATHENS, Greece (AP) — Greek authorities said police were continuing searches in Athens and other parts of the country Wednesday following the arrest of two suspects accused of planning an attack at Jewish center in a busy downtown area of the Greek capital.
Greek prime minister calls general election for May 21
March 29, 2023 GMTATHENS, Greece (AP) — Greece’s center-right prime minister, Kyriakos Mitsotakis, called a May 21 general election Tuesday as his party’s long-standing lead in opinion polls has declined in the aftermath of the country’s worst train disaster.
Israel’s Netanyahu: Mossad helped Greece uncover terror plot
March 28, 2023 GMTATHENS, Greece (AP) — Israel's Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu late Tuesday said his country's intelligence agency Mossad helped Greece prevent a terrorist attack planned against at least one Jewish site in Athens.
EU deal to move migrant children from Greece officially ends
March 28, 2023 GMTATHENS, Greece (AP) — A voluntary scheme by European Union member states to accept unaccompanied migrant children from Greece officially ended Tuesday, raising concern over delays still facing the bloc in hammering out a comprehensive new migration agreement.
With eye on British Museum, Greece welcomes back ancient art
March 24, 2023 GMTATHENS, Greece (AP) — Greece on Friday welcomed the return of ancient artifacts from the Acropolis, furthering a campaign to press the British Museum to hand back a collection of sculptures taken from the ancient site in Athens more than 200 years ago.
After Greek rail disaster, trains gradually restart
March 22, 2023 GMTATHENS, Greece (AP) — Train services in Greece resumed Wednesday for the first time since a deadly rail disaster three weeks ago, and just a day after the embattled conservative prime minister announced an early election for May.
Greek city marks 80th anniversary of Auschwitz train convoy
March 19, 2023 GMTTHESSALONIKI, Greece (AP) — Greece’s second-largest city, Thessaloniki, commemorated on Sunday the 80th anniversary of the departure of the first train convoy for the Auschwitz camp.
Officials, led by President Katerina Sakellaropoulou, marched from Eleftherias ("Freedom") Square, where members of the city’s Jewish community were rounded up by the German occupying forces, to the city’s Old Train Station, where they laid red carnations on the tracks.
Greece raises minimum wage to pre-bailout levels
March 17, 2023 GMTATHENS, Greece (AP) — Greece announced on Friday an increase in the minimum wage that will restore pay to levels existing before sweeping cuts were imposed more than a decade ago during an international bailout.