Author: Pericles Dimitriallis

Maltese MEP Josianne Cutajar has slammed the inclusion of Malta in a rule of law debate in Brussels as a way to “divert attention from Greece”. During a plenary debate on the rule of law in Brussels, Cutajar said the Nationalist Party alongside the European People’s Party “once again pushed for another debate and resolution on Malta in the European Parliament for partisan purposes”. “This was clearly evident in the plenary session on the eve of the debate, where the EPP first insisted that the European Parliament should not hold debates focused on particular countries, due to their opposition for…

Former Australian Prime Minister Paul Keating slammed Anthony Albanese’s government on Wednesday for a tripartite deal with the US and UK to build a nuclear submarine, calling it the Labor party’s worst international decision. “Every Labor Party branch member will wince when they realize that the party we all fight for is returning to our former colonial master, Britain, to find our security in Asia – two hundred and thirty-six years after Europeans first grabbed the continent from its Indigenous people,” Keating said at the National Press Club in Canberra, a transcript of which he posted on his website. On…

I wasn’t surprised at the liveliness and good cheer of the inhabitants of Thessaloniki: why wouldn’t they be happy? They live in a seaside city that is neither a tourist-trap island nor the thronging capital, but has its own beaches a short drive away and more than 2,000 years of history, much of it on show in dramatic ruins and beautiful churches. In Thessaloniki, I thought, as I cycled along the seaside boardwalk last October in a T-shirt, there is space to breathe. Still, it turned out that wasn’t the reason for the good vibes. Nor was it the amazing…

Germany is said to be considering whether it can resume sending Afghans who commit crimes or pose a threat to society back to their homeland. According to German newspaper reports the government is under pressure to re-start deportations suspended since 2021. No one has been returned to Afghanistan from Germany since the Taliban takeover in 2021. That includes not only Afghan asylum seekers whose claims have been rejected, but also those convicted of crimes or deemed to be a danger to society. While the human rights situation in Afghanistan remains dire, sending people back would be exposing them to the…

ATHENS, Greece — Greek foreign minister Nikos Dendias visited the earthquake-stricken areas of Turkey Sunday, accompanied by his Turkish counterpart, Mevlut Cavusoglu. The visit was part of a new round of so-called “earthquake diplomacy” between the two uneasy allies, whose relations have often been frosty, if not downright hostile. Something similar happened in 1999, three years after the two countries almost went to war over two uninhabited islets in the Aegean Sea. In August 1999, a 7.6 magnitude tremor had struck Turkey, resulting in about 18,000 dead; the following month, a 6.0-magnitude earthquake struck the Greek, capital, Athens, killing 143…

Greece is expected to become the main destination for travellers from Balkan countries, with the number of road arrivals from these countries surging by 40 per cent compared to 2022. According to Tourism Media and Events, the Balkan market mainly consisting of Romania, Bulgaria and Serbia will be able to visit the Mediterranean country after almost three years of inactivity due to COVID-19 travel restrictions, SchengenVisaInfo.com reports. Balkan countries are the main and only ones to visit Greece via road tourism, which was slow to recover over the past few years, especially compared to air travel which was quick to…

Greece allocated another military aid package to Ukraine, which included 20 BMP-1 infantry fighting vehicles and ammunition. The Greek Ministry of National Defense said this in a statement following the participation of Minister Nikolaos Panagiotopoulos in the Ukraine Defense Contact Group (UDCG) in Brussels, an Ukrinform correspondent reports. “Minister Panagiotopoulos reminded about the humanitarian and defense aid provided by Greece to Ukraine, which included ammunition and recently sent 20 BMP-1,” the statement says. It is noted that the minister stressed that “Greece will continue to support the Ukrainian people’s fair struggle to protect the country’s sovereignty and territorial integrity.” As…

Barclays Bank in the UK has closed the accounts of non-UK residents following Brexit and is now dragging its feet in returning the money to their rightful owners, customers in Greece allege. There are at least two cases of Greek citizens who have raised the issue. One person wrote to the Guardian and another case has been communicated to Greek Reporter. A Greek citizen writing to the Guardian from Axioupoli in northern Greece with the initials AR said: “I have had a Barclays bank account for 27 years and kept it when I moved to Greece but, after Brexit, it…