Homelessness

Father Antonios, who runs Kivotos tou Kosmou (Ark of the World), a charity that helps homeless and neglected children, is seen on Friday at the European Parliament's Athens offices, where his group, along with HOPEgenesis and Anemos Ananeosis (Wind of Renewal), received the annual European Citizens' Prize. [Orestis Panayiotou/ANA-MPA]

A Turkish beggar has said she earns 500 Turkish Liras ($101) by begging for half of a day. 

The search for dozens of missing people after the huge fire near Athens. Yesterday, rescuers roamed the beaches in search of survivors. The victims of the fire are now 81, and nearly 190 are in the hospital. Among them is a Bulgarian woman, Nova TV reported.

In the fire, hundreds of cars and more than 1,500 houses were burned. Assistance is provided to everyone left homeless.

The Local - A Swedish city council has voted to require people to apply for a permit if they plan to "passively" beg for money -- but the decision could still be overturned before coming into force.

Under the new measures, anyone who wants to "passively collect money" on Eskilstuna's streets and public squares must apply to police for a licence. 

Bulgarian citizens were kept as slaves and forced to beg in France, NOVA reports.

Yesterday, French police detained 11 people in Toulouse. All of them are Bulgarian citizens citizens as well. The arrested organized a human trafficking network from Bulgaria for the purpose of begging in France.

A homeless man and a stray dog hugging on the pavement at Istanbul’s Taksim Square touched the hearts of passersby on May 20.

Children are the silent heart of the refugee crisis. More than half of the world's displaced population comprises minors torn from their war-ridden homelands who cross European borders in search of security and well-being. Many are unaccompanied and particularly vulnerable, prone to exploitation or violence similar to that they are fleeing.

A burning tall building collapsed in the Brazilian city of Sao Paulo, news agencies reported. They described the scene of the incident as terrifying. Most likely there are victims, it is still not known how much.

Members of the Apostoli charity group of the Athens Archbishopric distributed food to homeless people and drug addicts on the streets of the capital through the night from Wednesday evening to Thursday morning, in the runup to Easter.

The huge fire on Saturday night in Sandanski was without casualties or wounded people but with the evacuation of the whole apartment block and serious material damage. 40 families were left homeless. The apartments are burned down and hardly any of them is fit to live, NOVA points out.