Church authorities in Greece slap religious ban on local politicians who backed same-sex marriage
Athens, Greece AP Backlash from the Orthodox Church of Greece against a landmark law allowing same-sex civil marriage intensified Tuesday, with a regional bishopric imposing a religious ban on two local lawmakers who backed the reform. Church authorities on the north-western island of Corfu accused the two opposition lawmakers of committing “the deepest spiritual and moral error” […]
Wildfires bring death and destruction to sun-scorched Mediterranean
Rhodes, Greece/Algiers, AlgeriaReuters A plane fighting wildfires in Greece crashed killing two airmen on Tuesday, as large areas of the Mediterranean sweltered under an intense summer heatwave and Algeria battled to control an inferno in which at least 34 people have died. The plane, which had been dropping water, came down on a hillside close […]
As wildfires rage in Greece, tourists flee and locals shelter; in Algeria, death toll rises to 34
Rhodes, GreeceReuters More than 2,000 holidaymakers were flown home on Monday, tour operators cancelled upcoming trips, and residents took shelter as wildfires raged on the Greek island of Rhodes for the seventh day. Repatriation flights are due to continue into Tuesday as the fires remained out of control. The Civil Protection authority warned the threat […]
Greeks celebrate Easter without restrictions
Athens, Greece AP For the first time in three years, Greeks were able to celebrate Orthodox Easter without the restrictions made necessary by the coronavirus pandemic. Beyond the obvious religious messages, in Greece, Easter signifies a return to the countryside, often to people’s ancestral homes, and a mass exodus from big cities. Police and port […]
Greece reports first fatality after blaze on ferry, 10 still missing
Corfu, Greece Reuters Firefighters battling for a third day a blaze on a ferry sailing from Greece to Italy recovered on Sunday the body of a passenger listed as missing, Greek authorities said. It is the first reported fatality after rescuers managed to take at least 281 out of 292 passengers and crew to safety […]