Eustratius

Agios Efstratios in the northeastern Aegean is set to become Greece's first energy-independent island, relying entirely on renewable energy sources. Mayor Konstantinos Sinanis announced the initiative, called "Ai-Stratis - Green Island," during an interview with ERT. 

Work on a pilot project to make the small northern Aegean island of Agios Efstratios (Ai Stratis) run entirely and autonomously on green energy has been successfully completed, Hellenic Electricity Distribution Network Operator SA (DEDDIE) announced on Wednesday.

Defense Minister Nikos Panagiotopoulos toured Armed Forces units on Limnos island on Monday and met with local and religious leaders as well.

Specifically, on the North Aegean island the minister paid a visit to the 130 Combat Group and met with readiness personnel at the base of fighter jets and helicopters.

Shops, supermarkets and cafes didn't open on Lesvos on Wednesday as local businesses joined a general strike called by professional bodies on the eastern Aegean island and neighboring Limnos and Aghios Efstratios to protest government plans to raise value-added tax (VAT) from 17 to 24 percent as of January 1.

The remote island of Agios Efstratios is to be heated by renewable energy sources generated by the Aeolian and photo-voltaic systems that will be installed soon, an Athens Macedonia news agency report says.

Three Turkish military aircraft - two armed fighter jets and a CN-235 - violated Greek air space in the northeastern, central and southeastern Aegean on two occasions on Thursday.

The transgressions came just a few hours after Prime Minister Alexis Tsipras flew in a Greek F-16 fighter jet following a visit to the 110th combat wing of the Hellenic Air Force in Larissa, central Greece.

The Metropolis of Thera has reacted strongly over footage in music video clip from American rap artist Rick Ross, which shows the singer performing inside an Orthodox Church on the island of Santorini.

Greeks on Friday celebrated Ochi Day, which commemorates 28 October 1940, when Greek leader Ioannis Metaxas rejected Mussolini's ultimatum to allow Italy to invade Greece, propelling his nation into World War II.

A major temple with finds dating from two main periods – one in the 7th-6th century B.C. and the second in the 3rd-2nd century B.C – was discovered during an archaeological excavation at ancient Hephaestia on the Greek island of Limnos, according to state broadcaster ERT.

The finds came to light near the ancient city’s theatre.

The Council of Europe awarded the 2016 Raoul Wallenberg Prize to ‘Agkalia’, a Greek NGO operating on the island of Lesbos, for “outstanding achievements in providing frontline assistance to thousands of refugees irrespective of their origin and religion.”