Thessaloniki

Rail services will be halted and ships will remain docked at ports near the capital Athens on Wednesday, as workers walk off the job to mark the anniversary of the country's deadliest train crash.

On a bleak anniversary for Europe, the day that marks two years since the Russian invasion on Ukrainian soil, crowds of Greek supporters of Ukraine's fight for freedom gathered in the city centers of Athens and Thessaloniki, expressing their continuous support and solidarity for the Ukrainian cause.

The cruise season launched earlier this year in the port city of Thessaloniki with the arrival of the Celebrity Infinity on February 3.

The same cruise ship docked again at the port of Thessaloniki on Tuesday and will remain there for 28 hours before departing for Kusadasi.

Explosives sent to the northern port city of Thessaloniki's Courthouse earlier on Monday enclosed in an envelope were successfully defused by the bomb disposal unit, the police announced.

The national highway connecting the northern port city of Thessaloniki to Moudania, Halkidiki will remain closed until 8 p.m. on Sunday as farmers escalate their protests.

Farmers initiated the blockade around 1.30 p.m. at the Moudania junction, blocking both directions of the highway.

Two men accused of murdering an 89-year-old woman near the northern port city of Thessaloniki were arrested and are expected to appear before the court on Thursday.

The suspects are accused of manslaughter and robbery in an incident that took place in September 2022. 

A fire broke out under undetermined conditions at a scrap metal recycling yard in Diavata near the northern port city of Thessaloniki on Wednesday. 

Successive explosions are allegedly taking place, while fragments are reportedly being propelled into the surrounding area. 

Firefighting forces have been dispatched to the scene, and traffic regulations have been implemented.

A weather pattern known as an Omega block will be bringing another taste of spring to Greece as of Monday, after a wintry weather system dubbed Avgi covered many parts of the country with snow for a short spell in late January. According to forecasts, daytime temperatures in will rise starting on Monday, to reach highs of 19-20 degrees Celsius later in the week.

Protesting farmers with their tractors take part in a rally outside an agricultural fair in the port city of Thessaloniki, northern Greece, Thursday. Greek farmers - hit by rising costs and crop damage caused by recent floods and wildfires - are threatening to block highways to press demands for tax relief and higher subsidy payments. [Giannis Papanikos/AP]

Police in the northern port city of Thessaloniki have arrested three men suspected of running a large-scale tobacco racket after seizing thousands of packets of contraband cigarettes.