Capitals

Two separate protests were held in central Athens on Thursday evening protesting about the causes of the Pylos shipwreck tragedy.

Workers' unions gathered at Syntagma Square while leftist and antiracist organizations gathered at the old Athens University building on Panepistimiou Street, before marching through the city center.

Athens ranked eighth in the world ranking for conference tourism for 2022, according to the International Congress and Convention Association (ICCA), rising eight places from 2019.

Therefore, the Greek capital now forms part of the top 10 of the world's most attractive destinations for events and meetings, as announced at the IMEX Frankfurt trade show in late May.

The Hellenic Republic Asset Development Fund (TAIPED) on Friday announced the extension of the tender for the utilization of Attiki Odos, the ringroad around northern Athens which connects the Athens-Corinth and Athens-Thessaloniki highways with Athens International Airport.

The Municipality of Athens has imposed a 15,900-euro fine on radical leftist party MeRA25 over illegal posters and pre-election leaflets.

It said the services of the municipality on Friday found election posters on Panepistimiou, Akadimias, Ippokratous and Rigas Feraiou streets, but also leaflets strewn. "It is the first time that such a fine has been imposed," the municipality said.

A fifth-floor apartment in the central Athens neighborhood of Patisia was enveloped by flames on Thursday afternoon for yet unknown reasons.

The Hellenic Fire Service responded immediately to keep the blaze from spreading to the rest of the building.

Visiting the capital for the first time, Rizes (Roots) Fest will be on at the City of Athens' Technopolis cultural complex (athens-technopolis.gr) on June 8, with three acts from different parts of the country. Digging deep into the archives, the festival celebrates traditional Greek folk music and dances in the spirit of the classic panigiri.

The City of Athens has announced an open competition for public space design ideas in downtown districts like Kolonaki, Exarchia and Kypseli, which are frequented by thousands of people every day and are to get busier as new subway stations are being built there.

A team of 48 scientists from seven universities and research institutions have begun identifying and recording the many different species of plants and animals that have taken refuge in archaeological sites such as Delos (photo), the Ancient Agora in Athens, Epidaurus and Acrocorinth. Thanks to their special protection conditions, the ruins provide shelter to a multitude of life forms.

Attica Department Stores is targeting foreign tourists, especially those coming from third countries and making tax-free purchases, with its new 400-square meter store under the Attica Selections brand, which has opened an outlet at Athens International Airport.

Shaken, stirred, classic, kooky, creative or gastronomic, the Athens Cocktail Festival (www.athenscocktailfestival.com) aims to please fans of the great art of the cocktail.