News archive of July 2014

Greece moves to open coast for development

Environmentalists oppose the new measures, citing the need to preserve beaches and the public's right to access to the coast.

Citizen groups are mounting opposition to government plans to allow development on Greece's coastline, saying it is more important to protect the environment there.

Strategic bombers reinforce allies' preparedness

The B2s and B52s have deterrence capacity that reassures allies, analysts say

The temporary relocation of five strategic bombers, three B-52s and two B-2s, for joint drills at a base in western England comes to boost allies' solidarity and military preparedness, analysts told SETimes.

Hellas Verona defender Vangelis Moras is in Australia to donate bone marrow to his older brother Dimitris, who has leukemia.

The transplant will take place on Saturday.

Dimitris flew to Australia in March to visit his cousins but fell ill a week after his arrival, and was diagnosed with Acute Myeloid Leukemia.

PASOK hit back Wednesday at a decision by Parliament’s institutions committee to question whether the head of the Hellenic Statistical Authority (ELSTAT) Andreas Georgiou should remain in the job as he is investigated for a second time over claims that Greece’s 2009 deficit figure was inflated.

Parliament agreed by a majority on Wednesday that the government should accept a 2.3-million-euro donation from the Stavros Niarchos Foundation (SNF) to create a hostel for the relatives of cancer sufferers.

The hostel is to be built next to the Oncological Hospital Aghioi Anaragyroi in Kifissia, northern Athens. The hospital treats 9,700 patients a year, Parliament heard.

Three men were being treated in a hospital in Crete on Wednesday after an argument got out of hand and led to the trio shooting at each other.

A total of 22 bullets were fired during the argument at the port of Sfakia, according to the police.

By Harry van Versendaal & Elis Kiss

Like a decadent, ailing giant that failed to awe, the Doxiadis Office Building for years sat neglected on the foot of Lycabettus Hill, discreetly overlooking the capital's upmarket, albeit idiosyncratic, Kolonaki neighborhood.

By Anna Mazarakis

Harrison Blackman had never been abroad before, but he’d always wanted to see the ancient sites and cities in Greece, so when he saw that a professor from Princeton University would be teaching a summer class in Greece, he jumped at the opportunity to study abroad.

The Acropolis police precinct, which was shut down at the beginning of the year, is to reopen.

Public Order Minister Vassilis Kikilias said the station was being opened again to improve security in the city center.

“A safe center means a lot for the daily lives of citizens and for our image abroad,” said Kikilias.

Former referee Hugh Dallas has been appointed as the head referee of the Greek Super League, the Hellenic Football Federation (EPO) said in a statement on Wednesday.

The 56-year-old Scot earned the position by a majority vote of the EPO's executive committee members.

Dallas will oversee the selection and assessment of referees as well as their appointments for matches.