News archive of October 2019

Political confrontation, especially when it is taking place in Parliament, is not hand-to-hand combat.

The "I'm not going anywhere" we heard on Wednesday in reaction to the ejection of two lawmakers from the special parliamentary committee investigating the handling of the Novartis case cannot be allowed to express a party that claims to be democratic.

Greece's biggest oil refiner Hellenic Petroleum (HELPE) played down reports on Thursday of a potentially large gas find off Crete, saying speculation was premature.
Citing a senior executive from HELPE, Greek media had reported that the refiner had indications for estimated gas reserves of 10 trillion cubic feet (tcf) off Crete, based on past seismic data.

A draft bill aimed at granting full voting rights to diaspora Greeks dominated a cabinet meeting Thursday with Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis hailing the initiative as "a very big success" which "solves a decades-long problem." 

A tourist is reflected in a puddle during a rainfall as he walks in front of the 5th century B.C. Parthenon temple at the ancient Acropolis hill, in Athens, Thursday. [AP]

Leftist opposition leader Alexis Tsipras on Thursday accused the conservative administration of "making a mess" of the immigration crisis, while also saying that Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis indulged in far-right populism on the issue before coming to power.

Thanos Dokos, director-general at the Hellenic Foundation for European and Foreign Policy (ELIAMEP), has been appointed as the alternate adviser on national defense to Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis, according to a decision made public Thursday.

Prominent Greek music composer and songwriter Yiannis Spanos, credited as being one of the founders of the so-called "new wave" of Greek music in the 1960s, has died. He was 85.
Spanos began his career in the early 60s and penned a series of hit songs over the next four decades while also collaborating with major Greek performers.

Health Minister Vasilis Kikilias announced Thursday that 800 doctors will be hired to work at public hospitals around the country.
Speaking to Antenna TV, Kikilias said the positions are for doctors with a license to practice from 2011-12 onward.

The countdown to the Athens Classic Marathon "Athens Marathon, The Authentic" officially kicked off on Thursday with the press conference organized by the Hellenic Track & Field Federation (SEGAS).

Amnesty International has called on the Iraqi government to stop the abusive use of tear gas grenades manufactured in Serbia and Bulgaria for combat, after an investigation found they caused the deaths of at least five protesters in as many days.