Greece

Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis raised the issue of World War II reparations and the forced occupation loan with German President Frank-Walter Steinmeier during their meeting at the Maximos Mansion on Wednesday.

"These issues remain unresolved, and we hope that one day they will be addressed," Mitsotakis told Steinmeier, who is in Greece on a three-day official visit.

Government spokesperson Pavlos Marinakis referred to the government's efforts to bring about a so-called "brain gain," encouraging the return of a generation of young and productive Greeks who had left during the economic crisis, noting during his briefing to the press on Tuesday that this was one "great challenge" that appeared to have been won.

Giannis Smaragdis has just become the first Greek director to be elected as a full member of the European Academy of Sciences and Arts. “I consider it a great honor to be elected by the European Academy of Sciences and Arts as a member in the field of Arts and Culture. I perceive this distinction as a triple duty,” said the director among other remarks.

Strongyli, the easternmost island in Greece, is poised to receive its first-ever road network. 

Former tourism minister Harry Theoharis has been nominated as Greece's candidate for Secretary-General of the United Nations World Tourism Organization (UNWTO), government spokesperson Pavlos Marinakis announced on Tuesday.

In a statement, Theoharis expressed gratitude to Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis for the nomination, highlighting the importance of the role. 

Sixty migrants were discovered Monday on a beach on Greece's southernmost island of Gavdos and will remain there overnight, officials said.

On Tuesday, they are set to be transported by ferry to Sfakia on Crete, then moved to a reception facility in Hania for processing, according to the Gavdos mayor's office.

Greek President Katerina Sakellaropoulou laid a wreath at a war memorial in Thessaloniki and attended the big military parade in the northern port city commemorating Greece's entry into World War II on October 28, 1940 after it defied an Italian ultimatum and the Axis occupation.

The grand military parade marked the conclusion of today’s celebrations for the triple commemoration of Saint Demetrius, the patron saint of Thessaloniki, the anniversary of Thessaloniki’s liberation, and the national anniversary of October 28, 1940.

A new survey shows that a growing number of Greeks who left the country during the financial crisis are now returning home, primarily drawn back by family ties and the comfort of familiar surroundings. Nearly 82% of respondents cited family and friends as the main motivation for their return, followed by Greece's climate and natural environment (62%).