Greece

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Handwriting Expert Solves a Medieval Art Mystery

Manuel Panselinos was likely a nickname for Byzantine painter Ioannis Astrapas, experts say

(Newser) - Crime-solving techniques applied to a medieval illuminated manuscript in Paris may have solved a centuries-old puzzle—the true identity of a leading Byzantine painter who injected humanity into the rigid sanctity of Orthodox religious art. A contemporary of Giotto, considered the father of Western painting, the artist conventionally known as...

Ancient Inscription Finally Deciphered at Monument
Ancient Inscription Finally
Deciphered at Monument
new study
Nov 18, 2024 2:55 PM CST

Ancient Inscription Finally Deciphered at Monument

Words carved 2.6K years ago in Turkey were a tribute to the goddess 'Materan'

(Newser) - Roughly 2,600 years after somebody carved an inscription on a monument in what is now Turkey, an American researcher appears to have cracked the code. The engraving on the Arslan Kaya monument spells out the name of the goddess Materan, reports Live Science . Those who looked upon the engraving...

Firefighters Can't Get a Grip on Blaze Raging Near Athens

Evacuations triggered for suburbs of Greek capital, as blaze rips through dry pine forests

(Newser) - A major forest fire was raging out of control on the northern fringes of the Greek capital on Monday, triggering numerous evacuation orders for Athens suburbs and outlying areas as strong winds hampered the efforts of hundreds of firefighters and dozens of water-dropping planes. Authorities were faced with "an...

Greece Culls 8K Animals as 'Goat Plague' Spreads

Movement of domesticated sheep, goats now banned in the country

(Newser) - Wild goats and sheep remain free to move around Greece. Domesticated goats and sheep, not so much. The country's agriculture ministry has banned "the movement of sheep and goats for breeding, fattening and slaughter" amid the spread of "sheep and goat plague," also known as Peste...

Surprise Find at Famed Shipwreck: Another Shipwreck
Surprise Find at Famed
Shipwreck: Second Shipwreck
in case you missed it
Jul 13, 2024 8:00 AM CDT

Surprise Find at Famed Shipwreck: Second Shipwreck

Ancient remnants found at Antikythera site off Greece

(Newser) - The legendary Antikythera shipwreck off the coast of Greece has yielded all kinds of fascinating finds over the years, from statues to a mysterious mechanism described as an "ancient computer." Now, a new analysis has yielded another surprise at the site—a second shipwreck, reports Ancient Origins . Researchers...

Search for American Missing in Greece Called Off

Albert Calibet's family suspects foul play

(Newser) - The search for a retired Los Angeles County sheriff's deputy who went missing on a Greek island last month has ended without success, relatives say. NBC News reports. Albert Calibet, 59, disappeared during a solo hike June 11 on the island of Amorgos. Brother Oliver Calibet said Monday that...

Greece Bucks the Trend, Approves a 6-Day Workweek

Certain private businesses can ask employees to work 48 hours in highly criticized move

(Newser) - While many countries are testing a four-day workweek , Greece is going in the other direction. The southern European country on Monday introduced a six-day workweek for some businesses as laid out in a package of labor laws passed last year, per CNBC . "Employees of private businesses that provide round-the-clock...

Report: Greek Coast Guard Threw Migrants Into Sea

BBC says it has analyzed more than a dozen disturbing incidents

(Newser) - The Greek coast guard caused the deaths of dozens of migrants by turning them back in leaky boats or even throwing them into the sea, according to a BBC investigation. The BBC says it looked at 15 incidents from 2020 to 2023 that resulted in 43 deaths and spoke to...

Greece to Make Big Move to Combat Overtourism

PM Kyriakos Mitsotakis announces plans for 2025 to restrict cruise ships entering its ports

(Newser) - Tourism is responsible for about 25% of Greece's economic output, and since the pandemic has eased, people have been flocking to the Mediterranean nation in droves. It may be too much of a good thing, according to Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis, who tells Bloomberg he now wants to...

American Tourist Found Dead on Small Greek Island

And 3 other tourists are also missing elsewhere in Greece

(Newser) - An American tourist was found dead Sunday afternoon on a beach on Mathraki, a small Greek island west of Corfu. The man had been reported missing after having last been seen on Tuesday at a tavern on the island, ABC News reports. On Thursday, the Greek-American friend with whom the...

On Island of Crete, an 'Extremely Interesting' Find

Archaeologists unearth 4K-year-old building from Minoan civilization; airport project may be disrupted

(Newser) - A big, round, 4,000-year-old stone building discovered on a Crete hilltop is puzzling archaeologists and threatening to disrupt a major airport project on the Greek tourist island. Greece's Culture Ministry said Tuesday the structure is a "unique and extremely interesting find" from Crete's Minoan civilization, famous...

Body of Missing TV Doctor Found on Greek Island

Michael Mosley appeared to have fallen down a steep slope on Symi

(Newser) - Police said that a body believed to be that of missing British TV presenter Michael Mosley was found on a Greek island Sunday morning. A police spokesman said the body was found on a rocky coast by a private boat and that formal identification was pending. Mosley went missing on...

After WWII, US Welcomed a 'Greek Baby Trade'
After WWII, a
'Greek Baby Trade' Was Born
longform
Apr 28, 2024 9:01 AM CDT

After WWII, a 'Greek Baby Trade' Was Born

'Politico Magazine' looks at how 'politically motivated adoptions' found its model

(Newser) - Much has been written about the dark side of anti-communist fervor in America after World War II, but Jessica Bateman explores a little-known aspect at Politico Magazine —the ethically dubious adoption of thousands of Greek babies by American families. The phenomenon sprang up in the aftermath of the 1949...

Athens Blanketed in 'Martian-Like' Glow

Saharan dust clouds are said to be worst in Greece since 2018

(Newser) - On Wednesday morning in Athens, a centuries-old sight seemingly vanished. The Acropolis couldn't be seen due to dust from the Sahara desert that had tinted the sky orange on Tuesday, giving it a "Martian-like filter," as the AP puts it. Officials tell the BBC it's one...

No Thanks to Apollo, Olympic Flame Is on Its Way

Traditional lighting ceremony in Greece suffered a bit of a glitch, but fire happened anyway

(Newser) - Even without the help of Apollo, the flame that is to burn at the Paris Olympics was kindled Tuesday at the site of the ancient games in Greece. Cloudy skies prevented the traditional lighting, when an actress dressed as an ancient Greek priestess uses the sun to ignite a silver...

Why Greece's Legalization of Same-Sex Marriage Is a Big Deal

It's the first Orthodox Christian country to make the move

(Newser) - Greece has become the first Orthodox Christian country to legalize same-sex civil marriage, despite opposition from Church officials, the AP reports. A cross-party majority of 176 lawmakers in the 300-seat parliament voted late Thursday in favor of the bill drafted by Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis' center-right government. Another 76 rejected...

4 Dead in Shooting at Greek Shipping Company

Gunman identified as former employee

(Newser) - Three people were killed by a gunman in a rare workplace shooting in Greece on Monday, authorities say. Officials say the victims, including the company's owner, were shot at the office of the European Navigation shipping company in Glyfada, just south of Athens, the BBC reports. The gunman killed...

Greek Mafia Boss Gunned Down
Greek Mafia Boss
Gunned Down
Jan 16, 2024 4:09 PM CST

Greek Mafia Boss Gunned Down

Vangelis Zambounis' killers fired more than 90 shots

(Newser) - Greek organized crime boss Vangelis Zambounis survived an attempt to kill him in 2018 when a would-be assassin's Kalashnikov jammed. He wasn't so lucky early Sunday morning, when he was killed by a hail of more than 90 bullets from a better-functioning Kalashnikov. The 44-year-old was gunned down...

Turkey Will Help Limit War, Blinken Says After Erdogan Talk

Diplomat hears another call for an Israel-Hamas cease-fire

(Newser) - Back in the Middle East, Secretary of State Antony Blinken said on Saturday that the region's nations need to use their clout to keep the Israel-Hamas war from spreading and the fighting becoming "an endless cycle of violence." It's in their self-interest, he said, per Reuters...

One of the Hottest Landmarks Offers Private, Pricey Tours

Come April, pay up to $5.5K at Athens' Acropolis and have it all to yourself (along with a few others)

(Newser) - Fancy seeing the ancient Acropolis uncluttered by thousands of selfie-snappers? A solution is in the works, but it will set you back up to $5,500. Starting April 1, Greece plans to offer exclusive guided tours of its most powerful tourist magnet to handfuls of well-heeled visitors outside normal opening...

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