Latest News from Greece
Tsipras reshuffles cabinet to appease creditors, retains key ministers
Prime Minister Alexis Tsipras reshuffled his cabinet late on Friday, removing ministers who have expressed opposition to the austerity measures and economic measures demanded by Greece’s international creditors, but retaining his ministers of finance and foreign affairs.
PM removes some who opposed reforms, brings in new faces
Prime Minister Alexis Tsipras proceeded on Friday with a long-awaited government reshuffle, moving out some ministers who have opposed bailout reforms and bringing some new blood into the administration.
Greek PM expected to reshuffle cabinet
Greek Prime Minister Alexis Tsipras is expected to reshuffle his cabinet by Saturday, aiming to speed up the conclusion of a key bailout review and shore up his government's popularity ratings, senior government sources told Reuters on Friday.
Cyprus president urges Turkey to help reunification talks
Turkey's input will be pivotal in overcoming key obstacles preventing a deal reunifying ethnically divided Cyprus, the island's president said Friday ahead of crucial talks in Switzerland next week.
Unrest returns to migrant facility on Chios
A fresh bout of unrest broke out at one of the reception centers for migrants on the Aegean island of Chios on Friday after heavy rain led to widespread flooding that soaked the tents of many refugee families.
Stournaras urges EU to outline debt relief measures
Central Bank Governor Yannis Stournaras said Greece's European partners must urgently outline debt relief measures to help boost economic recovery and facilitate its return to financial markets in 2018.
European partners promised earlier this year to specify debt relief measures to make Greece's public debt, the highest in the eurozone, sustainable.
New report maps attacks on religious sites in 2015
A report conducted by the government's Secretariat for Religious Affairs - the first study of its kind to be conducted in Greece - found that religious sites were the target of 147 attacks in 2015, with the majority being connected to the Greek Orthodox faith.
Greek museum's birthday show packed with history
The biggest and oldest repository of Greece's archaeological riches is celebrating its 150th birthday with a small but jam-packed exhibition.
Refugees in the Aegean islands estimated at over 16,000
There has been a significant increase in the tide of refugees to Greece’s eastern Aegean islands, with 156 new arrivals in the last 24 hours alone, raising the figure of migrants to 16,021.
147 attacks against sites of religious importance recorded in 2015
There were 147 attacks against sites of religious significance in Greece in 2015, according to a report published by the department of religious freedoms.
Most of the incidents concerned Christian sites, said the report, which, according to Education Minister Nikos Filis, was published, for the first time, to raise awareness.
EC: Turkey Does Not Fulfill 7 Requirements for Visa Regime Abolition
Turkey does not fulfill seven of the requirements for the abolition of the visa regime. We reckon that two of these requirements cannot be fulfilled at present, stated a spokesperson of the European Commission, cited by bTV.
The conditions for the abolition of the visa regime are conditions. When they are fulfilled, the visa regime will be abolished, added the spokesperson.
Postal service vehicle targeted with explosive device
A makeshift mechanism caused an explosion next to a parked vehicle of the Greek postal service in Thessaloniki early Friday morning, authorities said. The blast damaged the rear side of the vehicle.
Police have launched an investigation and forensic teams collected remnants of the mechanism from the site of the incident on Papafi Street. No was injured.
EC source: Deal on 2nd review must be reached by end of November
A high-ranking European Commission (EC) official warmed the Greek government that the second review on the 3rd bailout program must close by the end of November if a package-deal, which would include the participation of IMF and provisions for a debt relief, was to be agreed upon at the December 5 EuroGroup meeting.
Senior eurozone official says a deal by December 5 is attainable
A senior ranking eurozone office reportedly said on Friday that a deal with Greece, including an agreement on its debt, is feasible by December 5 at the Eurogroup, as long as the second review of the country's a third bailout is wrapped up by the end of November.
Speaking to reporters, the official said that the aim is ambitious but realistic.
Turkey condemns Belgian court over PKK ruling
Turkey has strongly condemned a decision by a Belgian court to reject a request by the federal prosecutor's office to forward a case on 36 people affiliated with the outlawed Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK) to a criminal court.