Poland takes over EU presidency with focus on security

Poland takes over EU presidency with focus on security

Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk speaks during the opening gala of the Polish Presidency of the Council of the European Union at the Polish National Opera in the Teatr Wielki in Warsaw, Poland, 03 January 2025. [Radek Pietruszka/EPA] Poland launched its presidency of the Council of the European Union on Friday mired in a diplomatic …

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Main opposition leader to travel to Istanbul for Epiphany

Main opposition leader to travel to Istanbul for Epiphany

[Giorgos Zachos/Intime News] The leader of PASOK-Movement for Change, Nikos Androulakis, will be in Istanbul on Sunday for the celebration of Epiphany (known as Theophania in Greek). On Sunday, Androulakis will meet with the Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew, at the Phanar, at 5 p.m., and on Monday he will attend the service at Agios Georgios, officiated …

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Archbishop Anastasios in stable condition, Athens hospital says

Archbishop Anastasios in stable condition, Athens hospital says

Archbishop Anastasios of Albania, who was airlifted to Greece on Friday after suffering a gastrointestinal bleeding, is in stable condition, his doctors said Saturday. “His health condition, despite his already burdened medical history, is considered stable and is being closely monitored by the Hospital’s medical team under the guidance of Professor of Pulmonology and Intensive …

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Athens metro train bound for airport breaks down

Athens metro train bound for airport breaks down

Passengers on Athens’ metro Line 3 faced delays in services on Saturday morning after a train broke down at the station Monastiraki, in the latest incident involving service disruptions. Shortly before 8 a.m., the train stopped at Monastiraki station and remained there for several minutes with the lights in the carriages flickering. At about 8.10 …

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Students at risk of functional illiteracy

Students at risk of functional illiteracy

One in five students graduating from Greek compulsory education risks being functionally illiterate. This stark warning headlines the 2024 annual report by the National Authority for Quality Assurance in Primary and Secondary Education (ADIPPDE).  The report identifies significant deficiencies in reading, writing and mathematical comprehension among students completing sixth grade and junior high, threatening their …

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Last year was good for new business, says report

Last year was good for new business, says report

The year 2024 was good for business, according to data released by the General Commercial Register (GEMI) and the Union of Hellenic Chambers (KEEE). Published in the weekly electronic newsletter of the Piraeus Chamber of Commerce and Industry, the data showed that a total of 63,000 new businesses opened last year.  This was an increase …

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Attica authorities confiscate 122 kg of cheese goods from fair

Attica authorities confiscate 122 kg of cheese goods from fair

[Region of Attica] The monitoring services of the Region of Attica carried out 1,500 inspections at businesses and markets during the festive period. Where required, seizures were made and fines were imposed.  Among other things, 122 kilograms of cheese products were seized in a Christmas-themed fair in the northern sector of Athens, as they were …

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Bank of Greece chief says ECB rate to drop to 2%

Bank of Greece chief says ECB rate to drop to 2%

[Reuters] Bank of Greece Governor Yannis Stournaras reiterated on Thursday that the European Central Bank’s (ECB) key interest rate will fall to 2% in the autumn, from the current 3%.  In an interview with Skai radio, he also noted that banks have been making profits lately.  “Of course, they must have profits and, to a …

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Surgeon general calls for cancer warnings on alcohol

Surgeon general calls for cancer warnings on alcohol

Alcohol is a leading preventable cause of cancer, and alcoholic beverages should carry a warning label as packs of cigarettes do, the U.S. surgeon general said Friday. It is the latest salvo in a fierce debate about the risks and benefits of moderate drinking as the influential U.S. Dietary Guidelines for Americans are about to …

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Greece begins UNSC tenure, eyes global impact

Greece begins UNSC tenure, eyes global impact

[Andrew Kelly/Reuters] Greece began its two-year term as a non-permanent member of the United Nations Security Council on New Year’s Day, marking a historic moment for the nation’s diplomacy. “Greece becomes, in practice, a co-producer of international policy for the global security architecture with a substantial voice, role and responsibility in global developments,” said Foreign …

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