In pics - Greece evacuates outskirts of Athens after wildfire threat

President Tayyip Erdogan said on Wednesday Turkey was halting talks with Greece, partly over a dispute with the Greek prime minister and what Ankara calls airspace violations, marking the latest reversal in the neighbours` long-testy relationship.

Last year, after a five-year hiatus, the two NATO members resumed talks to address their differences in the Mediterranean Sea and other bilateral issues. The talks have made little progress and the countries have frequently traded barbs.

Erdogan said Turkey had cancelled a bilateral cooperation platform, dubbed the High-Level Strategic Council, with Greece, adding in a speech to lawmakers from his ruling party that Ankara wanted foreign policy that "had strong character".

"You keep putting on shows for us with your planes," Erdogan said, referring to a dispute about airspace over islands in the Aegean Sea. "What are you doing? Pull yourself together. Do you not learn lessons from history?"

"Don`t try to dance with Turkey. You`ll get tired and stuck on the road. We are no longer holding bilateral talks with them. This Greece will not see reason," he said.

The countries have long been at odds over a host of issues such as maritime boundaries, overlapping claims over their continental shelves, airspace, migrants and ethnically split Cyprus.

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Tensions flared again last week when Erdogan said Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis "no longer exists" for him, accusing him of trying to block sales of F-16 fighter jets to Turkey during a visit to the United States.

On Tuesday, Mitsotakis told reporters after a European Union summit that he had briefed his EU counterparts over Turkey`s "aggressiveness" and "provocations which cannot be tolerated by Greece or the European Union".

"I will not be involved in a game of personal insults...," he said.

Turkish Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu said on Tuesday Greece was violating international agreements that determine the demilitarised status of islands in the Aegean, warning that if Athens did not change course Ankara would launch challenges over the islands` status.

Greece`s Foreign Ministry said Cavusoglu`s comments showed Turkey was threatening Athens.

President Tayyip Erdogan said on Wednesday Turkey was halting talks with Greece, partly over a dispute with the Greek prime minister and what Ankara calls airspace violations, marking the latest reversal in the neighbours` long-testy relationship.

President Tayyip Erdogan said on Wednesday Turkey was halting talks with Greece, partly over a dispute with the Greek prime minister and what Ankara calls airspace violations, marking the latest reversal in the neighbours` long-testy relationship. Last year, after a five-year hiatus, the two NATO members resumed talks to address their differences in the Mediterranean Sea and other bilateral issues. The talks have made little progress and the countries have frequently traded barbs. Erdogan said Turkey had cancelled a bilateral cooperation platform, dubbed the High-Level Strategic Council, with Greece, adding in a speech to lawmakers from his ruling party that Ankara wanted foreign policy that "had strong character". "You keep putting on shows for us with your planes," Erdogan said, referring to a dispute about airspace over islands in the Aegean Sea. "What are you doing? Pull yourself together. Do you not learn lessons from history?" "Don`t try to dance with Turkey. You`ll get tired and stuck on the road. We are no longer holding bilateral talks with them. This Greece will not see reason," he said. The countries have long been at odds over a host of issues such as maritime boundaries, overlapping claims over their continental shelves, airspace, migrants and ethnically split Cyprus. Also read | New air-defense system to cost $2 per missile interception, says Israeli prime minister Tensions flared again last week when Erdogan said Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis "no longer exists" for him, accusing him of trying to block sales of F-16 fighter jets to Turkey during a visit to the United States. On Tuesday, Mitsotakis told reporters after a European Union summit that he had briefed his EU counterparts over Turkey`s "aggressiveness" and "provocations which cannot be tolerated by Greece or the European Union". "I will not be involved in a game of personal insults...," he said. Turkish Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu said on Tuesday Greece was violating international agreements that determine the demilitarised status of islands in the Aegean, warning that if Athens did not change course Ankara would launch challenges over the islands` status. Greece`s Foreign Ministry said Cavusoglu`s comments showed Turkey was threatening Athens.

Turkey's Tayyip Erdogan halts talks with Greece as tensions flare again

In an apparent tit-for-tat move, two Greek oil tankers have been seized by Iran's paramilitary Revolutionary Guard in the Persian Gulf on Friday, media reports said. This comes as Greece had seized an Iranian oil tanker on the request of the US over the alleged violations of sanctions in the Mediterranean Sea recently. The tensions are already high between Iran and the West as the negotiations have been stalled over the nuke deal. On its website, the Iranian force issued a statement. In it, the Guard accused the unnamed tankers of unspecified violations. &nbsp;

On the development, the Foreign Ministry of Greece has made a strong demarche to the ambassador of Iran in Athens over the 'violent taking over of two Greek-flagged ships' in the Persian Gulf. "These acts effectively amount to acts of piracy," a statement of the ministry said. &nbsp;

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Calling for the immediate release of the ships and their crews, the ministry said that these acts would have 'particularly negative consequences' in bilateral relations. It will also degrade Iran's relations with the European Union as Greece is a member of the body. &nbsp;&nbsp;

An Iranian helicopter landed on the Greek-flagged ‘Delta Poseidon’, which was in international waters around 22 nautical miles off the coast of Iran, as per the statement of the ministry earlier on Friday. "Armed men then took the crew captive," it said. The crew includes two Greek nationals. &nbsp;

"A similar incident has been reported on another Greek-flagged vessel, that was carrying seven Greek citizens, close to the coast of Iran," the ministry said. The second ship has been identified as the Prudent Warrior, a Greek official told on condition of anonymity. The owner of the vessel, Polembros Shipping in Greece, said the company was "cooperating with the authorities and making every possible effort to address the situation effectively.” &nbsp;&nbsp;

(With inputs from agencies)&nbsp;

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In an apparent tit-for-tat move, two Greek oil tankers have been seized by Iran's paramilitary Revolutionary Guard in the Persian Gulf on Friday, media reports said.

In an apparent tit-for-tat move, two Greek oil tankers have been seized by Iran's paramilitary Revolutionary Guard in the Persian Gulf on Friday, media reports said. This comes as Greece had seized an Iranian oil tanker on the request of the US over the alleged violations of sanctions in the Mediterranean Sea recently. The tensions are already high between Iran and the West as the negotiations have been stalled over the nuke deal. On its website, the Iranian force issued a statement. In it, the Guard accused the unnamed tankers of unspecified violations. On the development, the Foreign Ministry of Greece has made a strong demarche to the ambassador of Iran in Athens over the 'violent taking over of two Greek-flagged ships' in the Persian Gulf. "These acts effectively amount to acts of piracy," a statement of the ministry said. WATCH WION LIVE HERE Calling for the immediate release of the ships and their crews, the ministry said that these acts would have 'particularly negative consequences' in bilateral relations. It will also degrade Iran's relations with the European Union as Greece is a member of the body. An Iranian helicopter landed on the Greek-flagged ‘Delta Poseidon’, which was in international waters around 22 nautical miles off the coast of Iran, as per the statement of the ministry earlier on Friday. "Armed men then took the crew captive," it said. The crew includes two Greek nationals. "A similar incident has been reported on another Greek-flagged vessel, that was carrying seven Greek citizens, close to the coast of Iran," the ministry said. The second ship has been identified as the Prudent Warrior, a Greek official told on condition of anonymity. The owner of the vessel, Polembros Shipping in Greece, said the company was "cooperating with the authorities and making every possible effort to address the situation effectively.” (With inputs from agencies) You can now write for wionews.com and be a part of the community. Share your stories and opinions with us here. ×

Tit-for-tat: Iran flares tensions after seizing two Greek oil tankers in Persian Gulf

Vangelis, the Greek composer whose rousing electronic theme music for the Oscar-winning 1981 film 'Chariots of Fire' became one of the most loved movie scores, has died at the age of 79.

The law firm representing the composer said he died late on Tuesday, without giving a cause of death.

In a post on Twitter, Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis called Vangelis "a pioneer of the electronic sound."

"He began his long journey on the Chariots of Fire. From there he will always send us his notes," Mitsotakis wrote. 
'Ad astra, Vangelis' - Latin for 'to the stars' - tweeted NASA, saying Vangelis contributed scores to its explorations to Jupiter.

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Born Evangelos Odysseas Papathanassiou in 1943, the young Vangelis developed an early interest in music and experiments with sounds produced by banging pots and pans or fixing nails, glasses and other objects to the strings of his parents` piano.

He absorbed the tones of Greek folk songs and Orthodox Christian choral music, but he had no formal musical training, which he later said had helped save his sense of creativity.

After a start with local rock bands, Vangelis left for Paris at the age of 25, joining an exodus of young artists following a 1967 coup that installed a military junta in Greece.

Away from home, he was attracted by the then-new field of electronic synthesizers that allowed him to create the lush melodic colours that became his trademark sound.

Despite enjoying success in the European 'prog rock'&nbsp;scene of the early 1970s with Aphrodite`s Child, a band he formed with fellow Greek musician Demis Roussos, Vangelis was uncomfortable with the expectations of a commercial performing artist and largely retreated to the recording studio he created for himself in London.

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It was there that he wrote the score for 'Chariots of Fire', the story of the triumph of a group of British runners at the 1924 Olympic Games.

Unashamedly non-contemporary, its pulsating synthesizer beats and soaring melody made the slow-motion opening sequence of a group of athletes running along a beach a model for the way the cinema portrayed sport.

Vangelis once said the score, which earned him an Academy Award and topped the charts for weeks, was in part a tribute to his father, who had been a keen amateur runner. But he was also slightly dismissive of the enormous popularity it enjoyed.

"It`s only another piece of music," he told an interviewer.

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The success of 'Chariots of Fire' overshadowed his other scores, but he wrote the music for a number of major films including 'Missing', directed by his compatriot Costa-Gavras, and Ridley Scott`s futuristic thriller 'Blade Runner'.

He was a prolific composer over many decades, his work ranging from advertising music and film scores to elaborate symphonic-style compositions and 'Jon and Vangelis', his duo with Jon Anderson, lead singer of the prog rock group Yes.

But he remained wary of commercial success, once telling an interviewer he never saw music as just entertainment.

Vangelis, the Greek composer whose rousing electronic theme music for the Oscar-winning 1981 film 'Chariots of Fire' became one of the most loved movie scores, has died at the age of 79.

Vangelis, the Greek composer whose rousing electronic theme music for the Oscar-winning 1981 film 'Chariots of Fire' became one of the most loved movie scores, has died at the age of 79. The law firm representing the composer said he died late on Tuesday, without giving a cause of death. In a post on Twitter, Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis called Vangelis "a pioneer of the electronic sound." "He began his long journey on the Chariots of Fire. From there he will always send us his notes," Mitsotakis wrote. 'Ad astra, Vangelis' - Latin for 'to the stars' - tweeted NASA, saying Vangelis contributed scores to its explorations to Jupiter. Also Read: Rapper Lil Nas X to receive honour at 2022 Songwriters Hall of Fame ceremony Born Evangelos Odysseas Papathanassiou in 1943, the young Vangelis developed an early interest in music and experiments with sounds produced by banging pots and pans or fixing nails, glasses and other objects to the strings of his parents` piano. He absorbed the tones of Greek folk songs and Orthodox Christian choral music, but he had no formal musical training, which he later said had helped save his sense of creativity. After a start with local rock bands, Vangelis left for Paris at the age of 25, joining an exodus of young artists following a 1967 coup that installed a military junta in Greece. Away from home, he was attracted by the then-new field of electronic synthesizers that allowed him to create the lush melodic colours that became his trademark sound. Despite enjoying success in the European 'prog rock' scene of the early 1970s with Aphrodite`s Child, a band he formed with fellow Greek musician Demis Roussos, Vangelis was uncomfortable with the expectations of a commercial performing artist and largely retreated to the recording studio he created for himself in London. Also Read: Sylvester Stallone starrer series 'Tulsa King' to premiere in November It was there that he wrote the score for 'Chariots of Fire', the story of the triumph of a group of British runners at the 1924 Olympic Games. Unashamedly non-contemporary, its pulsating synthesizer beats and soaring melody made the slow-motion opening sequence of a group of athletes running along a beach a model for the way the cinema portrayed sport. Vangelis once said the score, which earned him an Academy Award and topped the charts for weeks, was in part a tribute to his father, who had been a keen amateur runner. But he was also slightly dismissive of the enormous popularity it enjoyed. "It`s only another piece of music," he told an interviewer. Also Read: Dr Taylor Swift! Singer receives honorary doctorate from NYU The success of 'Chariots of Fire' overshadowed his other scores, but he wrote the music for a number of major films including 'Missing', directed by his compatriot Costa-Gavras, and Ridley Scott`s futuristic thriller 'Blade Runner'. He was a prolific composer over many decades, his work ranging from advertising music and film scores to elaborate symphonic-style compositions and 'Jon and Vangelis', his duo with Jon Anderson, lead singer of the prog rock group Yes. But he remained wary of commercial success, once telling an interviewer he never saw music as just entertainment.

'Chariots of Fire' fame Greek composer Vangelis, dies at 79

Man who kicked a cat into the sea was arrested by Greece police for his act of cruelty. In a viral video, the man is seen to be dining at an outdoor restaurant. Like in any animal friendly eatery where animals move around freely either for treats of to be petted, and this seemed like a similar place. But the end to this situation was the man enticing two cats to the edge with a fish as bait, eventually kicking one of them into the sea. For this criminal act the man was applauded, at least by his table.

Not everybody was okay with this horrendous act and soon a member of local animal welfare group rushed to the spot to investigate the matter. According to reports, the owner of the restaurant assured the cats were looked after by him and are fine.

It was the viral video that helped the police in identifying and arresting the abuser. If charged, he is likely to face up to 10 years of imprisonment. Reports also suggest that there could be a fine of £42,000.

It’s Greece’s Citizens Protection Minister Takis Theodorikakos who took to his social media to announce the arrest of the man. In his post the minister wrote, “The Greek Police arrested a person who kicked and threw a kitten into the sea. Violence against animals is unacceptable.”

He further added, “The government has passed a strict law to protect animals from abuse which is now in place, but in any case it is a matter of humanity and culture. I am deeply saddened by those who mistreat animals and those who tolerate it. I heartily congratulate those who raised the issue. The reason now belongs to Greek justice.”

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Decode the geostrategy, diplomacy, and ideologies of the world’s unending wars. Catch our special series ‘World at War’ every Saturday at 8:30 PM IST and Sunday at 10:30 PM IST only on WION.&nbsp;

Man who kicked a cat into the sea was arrested by Greece police for his act of cruelty. In a viral video, the man is seen to be dining at an outdoor restaurant. Like in any animal friendly eatery where animals move around freely either for treats of to be petted, and this seemed like a similar place.

Man who kicked a cat into the sea was arrested by Greece police for his act of cruelty. In a viral video, the man is seen to be dining at an outdoor restaurant. Like in any animal friendly eatery where animals move around freely either for treats of to be petted, and this seemed like a similar place. But the end to this situation was the man enticing two cats to the edge with a fish as bait, eventually kicking one of them into the sea. For this criminal act the man was applauded, at least by his table. Not everybody was okay with this horrendous act and soon a member of local animal welfare group rushed to the spot to investigate the matter. According to reports, the owner of the restaurant assured the cats were looked after by him and are fine. It was the viral video that helped the police in identifying and arresting the abuser. If charged, he is likely to face up to 10 years of imprisonment. Reports also suggest that there could be a fine of £42,000. It’s Greece’s Citizens Protection Minister Takis Theodorikakos who took to his social media to announce the arrest of the man. In his post the minister wrote, “The Greek Police arrested a person who kicked and threw a kitten into the sea. Violence against animals is unacceptable.” He further added, “The government has passed a strict law to protect animals from abuse which is now in place, but in any case it is a matter of humanity and culture. I am deeply saddened by those who mistreat animals and those who tolerate it. I heartily congratulate those who raised the issue. The reason now belongs to Greek justice.” WATCH WION LIVE Decode the geostrategy, diplomacy, and ideologies of the world’s unending wars. Catch our special series ‘World at War’ every Saturday at 8:30 PM IST and Sunday at 10:30 PM IST only on WION.

Man who kicked cat into the sea arrested, likely to face 10 years of imprisonment

Tourism industry in Greece was facing the heat of the pandemic from past few years. Now, it prepares for tourist season as Greek govt lifted COVID restrictions.

Greece prepares for tourist season as Greek govt lifts COVID restrictions

During the conversation with WION, Greece's minister for development & investments, Adonis Georgiadis said, huge investments coming in for Greece's energy. Watch this exclusive conversation on WION.

Future between Greece and India seems bright: Adonis Georgiadis, Greece minister

Greece's minister for development & investments, Adonis Georgiadis on WION

Amid the ongoing Russian invasion of Ukraine, Greece will burn the double amount of coal, in a bid to limit gas dependence on Russia.

Greece to burn the double amount of coal, move to limit gas dependence on Russia

Delays in the retrial of men accused of beating a black&nbsp;American&nbsp;graduate to death in Greece has thrown a spotlight on the country's&nbsp;snail-paced&nbsp;justice system.

Texan Bakari Henderson, 22, was set upon by a group of mostly Serbian men on the holiday island of Zakynthos in 2017 in a horrific attack captured on video.

With the White House now pressuring Athens for action, insiders say the case is typical of the chronic dysfunction of Greece's legal system.

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"In no other country in Europe are procedures so time-consuming, so complicated and so repetitive," Supreme Court prosecutor Vassilis Pliotas told AFP.

When US Vice President Kamala Harris met&nbsp;Greek&nbsp;Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis in February, she reportedly quizzed him about the delays in the Henderson case.

In an angry statement days later,&nbsp;Greek&nbsp;judges said it was "unfair" to blame them, warning officials to stay out of judicial business.

The Henderson case has made little progress in four years after a retrial was ordered when prosecutors deemed his attackers had got off too lightly.

Of the nine tried, three walked free and six were sentenced to between five and 15 years in prison for assault rather than murder. Only one is still in jail.

Covid-19 has badly disrupted&nbsp;Greek&nbsp;courts, but even before the pandemic, trials were habitually postponed, frequently because lawyers were busy elsewhere and requested adjournments.

A 2016 strike by lawyers over planned changes to their pension fund also paralysed the system for nine months.

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Denial of justice

Foot-dragging by judges is another key problem, said veteran justice reporter Panagiotis Tsimboukis, who called the delays a "denial of justice of pandemic proportions".

More than 40 laws have been passed over the years to speed up judicial procedures, and over a dozen judges were fired in recent months for excessive delays, Tsimboukis told AFP.

But the problem persists.

Vassilis Chirdaris, a Supreme Court lawyer with extensive experience at the European Court of Human Rights (ECHR), said "nobody obeys" a requirement to resolve trials within three years.

Some cases have been stuck for 14 years in Greece's top administrative court, the Council of State, and over 4,000 hearings have been postponed at least once, Tsimboukis said.&nbsp;

"The volume of cases overwhelms judges" who then try to offload the burden to colleagues, he claimed.

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The Athens prosecutor's office alone can amass 450,000 lawsuits over a three-year period, Pliotas said. "That's around a million people involved."

The ECHR has repeatedly fined Greece for excessive case delays, penalising the country more than 500 times since 1959, according to Chirdaris.

Supermarket trolleys and files in toilets&nbsp;

Outdated facilities and short court hours don't help, he argued.

Case files are wheeled about in supermarket trolleys at the Athens court complex. The former military academy was last refitted nearly four decades ago.

One of the buildings has no elevator, so documents are hoisted upstairs with a winch.

In the building that houses first instance rulings, court documents headed for the archive room are lined in knee-high stacks on the floor.

The bulging folders snake up the stairs to the first floor and into the ladies' and men's toilets, tucked under sinks and blocking two cubicles.

"Conditions here are tragic," said Yiorgos Diamantis, head of the federation of&nbsp;Greek&nbsp;legal operatives.

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Not only are the buildings archaic and the courtrooms too small, but the federation says it is short of 3,000 staff, with 1,700 more reaching retirement age.

Steps have been taken in recent years to increase online access to cases and rulings, and the pandemic gave the process further impetus.

The justice ministry is also working on a bill setting out new limits on case postponements.

But a significant part of the system remains stubbornly old-school.

"Older judges and lawyers are uncomfortable with going digital. At the Athens appeals court, four in 10 rulings are still written out by hand," said staff federation spokesman Sotiris Tripolitsiotis.

Watch |&nbsp;19 froze to death on Greek border, hundreds protest against migrant pushback

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Delays in the retrial of men accused of beating a black American graduate to death in Greece has thrown a spotlight on the country's snail-paced justice system. Texan Bakari Henderson, 22, was set upon by a group of mostly Serbian men on the holiday island of Zakynthos in 2017 in a horrific attack captured on video.

Delays in the retrial of men accused of beating a black American graduate to death in Greece has thrown a spotlight on the country's snail-paced justice system. Texan Bakari Henderson, 22, was set upon by a group of mostly Serbian men on the holiday island of Zakynthos in 2017 in a horrific attack captured on video. With the White House now pressuring Athens for action, insiders say the case is typical of the chronic dysfunction of Greece's legal system. Also read | US calls for tougher UN Security Council sanctions against North Korea "In no other country in Europe are procedures so time-consuming, so complicated and so repetitive," Supreme Court prosecutor Vassilis Pliotas told AFP. When US Vice President Kamala Harris met Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis in February, she reportedly quizzed him about the delays in the Henderson case. In an angry statement days later, Greek judges said it was "unfair" to blame them, warning officials to stay out of judicial business. The Henderson case has made little progress in four years after a retrial was ordered when prosecutors deemed his attackers had got off too lightly. Of the nine tried, three walked free and six were sentenced to between five and 15 years in prison for assault rather than murder. Only one is still in jail. Covid-19 has badly disrupted Greek courts, but even before the pandemic, trials were habitually postponed, frequently because lawyers were busy elsewhere and requested adjournments. A 2016 strike by lawyers over planned changes to their pension fund also paralysed the system for nine months. Also read | Passenger found alive on Greece-Italy ferry after blaze, 11 still missing Denial of justice Foot-dragging by judges is another key problem, said veteran justice reporter Panagiotis Tsimboukis, who called the delays a "denial of justice of pandemic proportions". More than 40 laws have been passed over the years to speed up judicial procedures, and over a dozen judges were fired in recent months for excessive delays, Tsimboukis told AFP. But the problem persists. Vassilis Chirdaris, a Supreme Court lawyer with extensive experience at the European Court of Human Rights (ECHR), said "nobody obeys" a requirement to resolve trials within three years. Some cases have been stuck for 14 years in Greece's top administrative court, the Council of State, and over 4,000 hearings have been postponed at least once, Tsimboukis said. "The volume of cases overwhelms judges" who then try to offload the burden to colleagues, he claimed. Also read | Rescue efforts continue for 12 missing in Greece ferry fire The Athens prosecutor's office alone can amass 450,000 lawsuits over a three-year period, Pliotas said. "That's around a million people involved." The ECHR has repeatedly fined Greece for excessive case delays, penalising the country more than 500 times since 1959, according to Chirdaris. Supermarket trolleys and files in toilets Outdated facilities and short court hours don't help, he argued. Case files are wheeled about in supermarket trolleys at the Athens court complex. The former military academy was last refitted nearly four decades ago. One of the buildings has no elevator, so documents are hoisted upstairs with a winch. In the building that houses first instance rulings, court documents headed for the archive room are lined in knee-high stacks on the floor. The bulging folders snake up the stairs to the first floor and into the ladies' and men's toilets, tucked under sinks and blocking two cubicles. "Conditions here are tragic," said Yiorgos Diamantis, head of the federation of Greek legal operatives. Also read | Greek government accused of causing hunger crisis in refugee camps Not only are the buildings archaic and the courtrooms too small, but the federation says it is short of 3,000 staff, with 1,700 more reaching retirement age. Steps have been taken in recent years to increase online access to cases and rulings, and the pandemic gave the process further impetus. The justice ministry is also working on a bill setting out new limits on case postponements. But a significant part of the system remains stubbornly old-school. "Older judges and lawyers are uncomfortable with going digital. At the Athens appeals court, four in 10 rulings are still written out by hand," said staff federation spokesman Sotiris Tripolitsiotis. Watch | 19 froze to death on Greek border, hundreds protest against migrant pushback

Greek legal system in focus as killing of American puts Athens under pressure

Greece's Stefanos Tsitsipas exited the ATP Masters at Indian Wells, but said he no longer gets too bothered by defeats - after battling severe elbow pain last season, simply competing at a high level on a tennis court is his "biggest happiness".

The 23-year-old world number five started briskly against American Jenson Brooksby in the third round of the tournament on Monday before going down 1-6 6-3 6-2.

The pain in Tsitsipas's elbow was so bad last year that the French Open runner-up considered walking away from tennis altogether, but after successful surgery he has once again had deep runs in 2022.

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"Honestly, I'm not very frustrated," Tsitsipas told reporters after his loss. "My arm is good. I'm happy I'm on the court playing. I'm happy I'm competing.

"I'm motivated. I want to achieve things this year. I'll see where I can bring that, where I can reach.

"I really hope I can do well in big tournaments. But of course with the things that I've had before, I'm much more appreciative. I don't see any negative sides to anything."

Tsitsipas has previously said that his doctor was stunned by how quickly he recovered from the operation late last year.

ALSO READ:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/sports/indian-wells-daniil-medvedev-loses-world-no-1-spot-after-shock-loss-to-gael-monfils-rafael-nadal-beat-evans-462410">Indian Wells: Daniil Medvedev loses World No. 1 spot after shock loss to Gael Monfils, Rafael Nadal wins</a>

In 2022 the Greek has made the semi-finals of the Australian Open and the ATP 500 event in Acapulco, and also reached the title round at Rotterdam last month.

"There's a side where I'm playing, it's way better than I would ever have thought," Tsitsipas said, summing up his 2022 season so far.

"The fact that I'm playing on court, it brings me the biggest happiness and joy for a very long time, having suffered with chronic elbow problems."

Greece's Stefanos Tsitsipas exited the ATP Masters at Indian Wells, but said he no longer gets too bothered by defeats - after battling severe elbow pain last season, simply competing at a high level on a tennis court is his "biggest happiness".

Greece's Stefanos Tsitsipas exited the ATP Masters at Indian Wells, but said he no longer gets too bothered by defeats - after battling severe elbow pain last season, simply competing at a high level on a tennis court is his "biggest happiness". The 23-year-old world number five started briskly against American Jenson Brooksby in the third round of the tournament on Monday before going down 1-6 6-3 6-2. The pain in Tsitsipas's elbow was so bad last year that the French Open runner-up considered walking away from tennis altogether, but after successful surgery he has once again had deep runs in 2022. ALSO READ: Premier League: Title race heats up as Manchester City drop points against Newcastle United "Honestly, I'm not very frustrated," Tsitsipas told reporters after his loss. "My arm is good. I'm happy I'm on the court playing. I'm happy I'm competing. "I'm motivated. I want to achieve things this year. I'll see where I can bring that, where I can reach. "I really hope I can do well in big tournaments. But of course with the things that I've had before, I'm much more appreciative. I don't see any negative sides to anything." Tsitsipas has previously said that his doctor was stunned by how quickly he recovered from the operation late last year. ALSO READ: Indian Wells: Daniil Medvedev loses World No. 1 spot after shock loss to Gael Monfils, Rafael Nadal wins In 2022 the Greek has made the semi-finals of the Australian Open and the ATP 500 event in Acapulco, and also reached the title round at Rotterdam last month. "There's a side where I'm playing, it's way better than I would ever have thought," Tsitsipas said, summing up his 2022 season so far. "The fact that I'm playing on court, it brings me the biggest happiness and joy for a very long time, having suffered with chronic elbow problems."

Stefanos Tsitsipas 'not very frustrated' from early Indian Wells exit

It took one electricity bill to crush Dimitris Diavatis' hopes that his Greek summer resort could bounce back to its pre-pandemic health this year, even with bookings pouring in.

The amount was more than double what he paid this time last year when the hotel was not even open. After two sluggish summers, the irony was not lost on him: "We won't make a profit in a good year," he said. "It'll be eaten up by inflation."

Greece - like the other&nbsp;tourism-dependent economies on the euro zone's Mediterranean fringe – is seeing signs of a much-needed recovery in visitor numbers in 2022 after two largely lost years. As in Spain, Portugal and Italy, the sector is a huge employer and contributor to state revenues.

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But across the region, the pandemic has changed the&nbsp;face&nbsp;of&nbsp;tourism. Hotels were already grappling with higher fuel bills and inflation which a further energy price surge in the wake of Russia's invasion of Ukraine will only make worse.

The dislocation of labour markets caused by COVID-19 has left entrenched staffing shortages, while Italian tourist officials concede that pandemic-era holidaying – with its emphasis on hygiene, cleanliness and space – is a big challenge for its ageing infrastructure.

Meanwhile, a market for more modest, small-scale vacations is opening up: In Spain and Portugal, a reluctance among many tourists to travel far is accentuating the trend for stays in rural areas in tents, campers or motorhomes.Industry and government officials in Greece are forecasting revenues will reach 80-90% of the record seen in 2019, when 33 million tourists brought in 18 billion euros in revenues, worth a fifth of national output.

Yet a bumper season is unlikely to offer much relief to struggling businesses which emerged from a decade-long financial crisis in 2018 only to have the pandemic bring global travel to a halt two years later.

So acute is the problem of soaring heating oil, gas and electricity prices that the president of the Greek&nbsp;tourism&nbsp;confederation SETE, Yiannis Retsos, wrote to ministers in January urging them to provide financial support, saying it was "objectively impossible" for year-round hotels to the cover their costs, especially after the quieter winter months.

The highly indebted countries of&nbsp;Europe's south were also bracing for the&nbsp;European Central Bank to remove the stimulus that has kept their borrowing costs down.

Although the Ukraine war has left the interest rate outlook uncertain, the&nbsp;southern&nbsp;fringe still badly needs its&nbsp;tourism&nbsp;sectors to get back to work given the economic hit the conflict is set to deliver.

Speaking a day after the invasion, which Russia calls a "special operation", Greece's Retsos said it was too early to gauge its impact on the&nbsp;tourism&nbsp;sector.

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More than a week into the conflict, there has been no noticeable increase in cancellations across the region.

Russian tourists only make up a very small proportion of the sector in&nbsp;southern&nbsp;Europe&nbsp;- 2% of revenues in Greece in 2019 and around 1% of nightly hotel bookings in Portugal. Turkey - outside the&nbsp;European Union - is a more popular destination.

But with&nbsp;European gas prices already at record highs, and this likely to feed into inflation globally, the concern in countries like Greece is the conflict will only worsen an already bleak outlook, further crimping guests' spending power and increasing providers' costs.

NO END TO COSTS

Even hotels that were shut during winter worry they will not be able to shoulder the extra burden, having already agreed prices with tour operators last summer, said Babbis Voulgaris, head of the Corfu hoteliers' association.

Resort owner Diavatis, who also owns a year-round boutique hotel and a waterpark complex on the island, agreed.

"This will be a real crisis for us," he said. "I won't say it's worse than the pandemic because at least we're open. But we didn't lose money then. Now we're heading towards losing money."

The Greek government has spent over 42 billion euros in pandemic support measures since 2020 to keep businesses and households afloat and about 2 billion euros since September to subsidise power bills through March. For hoteliers, the support does not go far enough.

"In the summer, with the air-conditioners working, the refrigerators, the kitchen, everything - I don't how when this will end," said Costas Merianos, who owns a small family-run hotel on Corfu's Ionian coast.

Across the sea in Italy, lockdowns and energy prices have forced many hotels to shut for good, said Marina Lalli, president of the Federturismo industry association.

And while Lalli was hopeful&nbsp;tourism&nbsp;could inch closer to 2019 levels this year, Italy&nbsp;faces the additional problem of being "a mature tourist destination with mature hotel structures that need to be renewed," she said.

"In the post-COVID era, tourists are even more attentive to quality, they want a guarantee of cleanliness and want to feel safe."

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SOMETHING DIFFERENT

Greece said it was opening its&nbsp;tourism&nbsp;season as early as March 1 this year to meet demand but, like in Italy, Spain and Portugal, the season will not begin in earnest until the Easter break in April, a litmus test before the vital summer months.

Both Greece and Italy are racing to fill job shortages as the pandemic forced workers abroad for better paying jobs or into different sectors with less uncertain prospects.

In Greece, the&nbsp;tourism&nbsp;minister even appealed to refugees fleeing Ukraine, offering them residence and work permits to fill 50,000 job gaps in hospitality.

Demand for Spanish holidays was looking very strong this year, according to the vice-president of industry association Exceltur, Jose Luis Zoreda, thanks to Spain's high vaccination rates and the easing of pandemic restrictions in its big markets, the UK and Germany.

"There is a strong, accumulated travel appetite in&nbsp;Europe," Zoreda said, forecasting an "explosion" of&nbsp;tourism&nbsp;from Easter onwards, but also lower profit margins due to inflation and energy prices.

Exceltur, however, also found tourists were seeking a different experience. In 2021, campsite rentals were up 19.2%, flat rentals were up by 16%, rural homes by 11%. Hotel usage fell by 8%, a decline also driven by fewer business trips.

In January, new motorhomes and camper vans sales were up 34.1% on an annual basis, according to the Spanish Association of the Caravanning Industry and Trade (ASEICAR).

"The 'all-in-one' holiday model has been left behind," Yescapa, an online motorhomes and camper vans rental company, told Reuters.

Nico Aro, who rents out a camper van on the island of Tenerife, says he has not been able to enjoy it himself since he bought it last March because requests keep coming in from Italy, France and Belgium. His biggest problem is that he cannot find another one to buy because they are in great demand.

"I have benefited from the pandemic," he said.

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The appetite for "slower"&nbsp;tourism&nbsp;has also grown in Portugal, where the sector played a crucial role in its recovery from the 2010 debt crisis.&nbsp;Tourism&nbsp;stood at about 15% of GDP in 2019 but fell to 8% in 2020.

"There's an increasing number of people looking for places with fewer people," said Helder Martins, president of Algarve's main hotel association. "I don't believe that they will return to just wanting the sun and the beach."&nbsp;

The centuries-old "schist villages", built from the stone of a mountainous region clad in pine trees, are roaring back to life after being abandoned over the years by young Portuguese seeking work elsewhere.

"This summer is filling up fast," said Sonia Cortes, who owns a small five-room hotel in the Janeiro de Cima schist village, where construction workers are rebuilding traditional houses.

"The beginning of the pandemic was really difficult for those who lived off&nbsp;tourism," she said. "(But then) those in bigger cities looked for villages like this one where they could feel safe."

There was a 30% increase in the number of night stays at schist villages from 2019 to 2020-21, said Bruno Ramos, who works for an agency promoting&nbsp;tourism&nbsp;there.

Watch |&nbsp;Gravitas: Ukraine invasion: Europe's largest nuke site was on fire

<div class="videoWrapper trancodeVideo"><iframe allowfullscreen="" autoplay="1" class="includeVideo" frameborder="0" height="350" src="https://www.wionews.com/videos/gravitas-ukraine-invasion-europes-largest-nuke-site-was-on-fire-459083/embed" style="width:100%;max-width:560px;" width="560"></iframe></div>

Still, back in Greece, Merianos, the Corfu hotel owner, has a more sober view of the months ahead.

"I'll be happy if at the end of the season I don't owe my staff, I don't owe the state, I don't owe the energy provider - even if I'm left with 10 euros in my wallet," he said.

It took one electricity bill to crush Dimitris Diavatis' hopes that his Greek summer resort could bounce back to its pre-pandemic health this year, even with bookings pouring in.

It took one electricity bill to crush Dimitris Diavatis' hopes that his Greek summer resort could bounce back to its pre-pandemic health this year, even with bookings pouring in. The amount was more than double what he paid this time last year when the hotel was not even open. After two sluggish summers, the irony was not lost on him: "We won't make a profit in a good year," he said. "It'll be eaten up by inflation." Greece - like the other tourism-dependent economies on the euro zone's Mediterranean fringe – is seeing signs of a much-needed recovery in visitor numbers in 2022 after two largely lost years. As in Spain, Portugal and Italy, the sector is a huge employer and contributor to state revenues. Also read | London: Hundreds of women march in a bid to end violence and misogyny But across the region, the pandemic has changed the face of tourism. Hotels were already grappling with higher fuel bills and inflation which a further energy price surge in the wake of Russia's invasion of Ukraine will only make worse. The dislocation of labour markets caused by COVID-19 has left entrenched staffing shortages, while Italian tourist officials concede that pandemic-era holidaying – with its emphasis on hygiene, cleanliness and space – is a big challenge for its ageing infrastructure. Meanwhile, a market for more modest, small-scale vacations is opening up: In Spain and Portugal, a reluctance among many tourists to travel far is accentuating the trend for stays in rural areas in tents, campers or motorhomes.Industry and government officials in Greece are forecasting revenues will reach 80-90% of the record seen in 2019, when 33 million tourists brought in 18 billion euros in revenues, worth a fifth of national output. Yet a bumper season is unlikely to offer much relief to struggling businesses which emerged from a decade-long financial crisis in 2018 only to have the pandemic bring global travel to a halt two years later. So acute is the problem of soaring heating oil, gas and electricity prices that the president of the Greek tourism confederation SETE, Yiannis Retsos, wrote to ministers in January urging them to provide financial support, saying it was "objectively impossible" for year-round hotels to the cover their costs, especially after the quieter winter months. The highly indebted countries of Europe's south were also bracing for the European Central Bank to remove the stimulus that has kept their borrowing costs down. Although the Ukraine war has left the interest rate outlook uncertain, the southern fringe still badly needs its tourism sectors to get back to work given the economic hit the conflict is set to deliver. Speaking a day after the invasion, which Russia calls a "special operation", Greece's Retsos said it was too early to gauge its impact on the tourism sector. Also read | Radio Free Europe, with roots in the Cold War, suspends operations in Russia More than a week into the conflict, there has been no noticeable increase in cancellations across the region. Russian tourists only make up a very small proportion of the sector in southern Europe - 2% of revenues in Greece in 2019 and around 1% of nightly hotel bookings in Portugal. Turkey - outside the European Union - is a more popular destination. But with European gas prices already at record highs, and this likely to feed into inflation globally, the concern in countries like Greece is the conflict will only worsen an already bleak outlook, further crimping guests' spending power and increasing providers' costs. NO END TO COSTS Even hotels that were shut during winter worry they will not be able to shoulder the extra burden, having already agreed prices with tour operators last summer, said Babbis Voulgaris, head of the Corfu hoteliers' association. Resort owner Diavatis, who also owns a year-round boutique hotel and a waterpark complex on the island, agreed. "This will be a real crisis for us," he said. "I won't say it's worse than the pandemic because at least we're open. But we didn't lose money then. Now we're heading towards losing money." The Greek government has spent over 42 billion euros in pandemic support measures since 2020 to keep businesses and households afloat and about 2 billion euros since September to subsidise power bills through March. For hoteliers, the support does not go far enough. "In the summer, with the air-conditioners working, the refrigerators, the kitchen, everything - I don't how when this will end," said Costas Merianos, who owns a small family-run hotel on Corfu's Ionian coast. Across the sea in Italy, lockdowns and energy prices have forced many hotels to shut for good, said Marina Lalli, president of the Federturismo industry association. And while Lalli was hopeful tourism could inch closer to 2019 levels this year, Italy faces the additional problem of being "a mature tourist destination with mature hotel structures that need to be renewed," she said. "In the post-COVID era, tourists are even more attentive to quality, they want a guarantee of cleanliness and want to feel safe." Also read | Invading Russian military forces belt-maker to weave camouflage webbing for Ukrainian troops SOMETHING DIFFERENT Greece said it was opening its tourism season as early as March 1 this year to meet demand but, like in Italy, Spain and Portugal, the season will not begin in earnest until the Easter break in April, a litmus test before the vital summer months. Both Greece and Italy are racing to fill job shortages as the pandemic forced workers abroad for better paying jobs or into different sectors with less uncertain prospects. In Greece, the tourism minister even appealed to refugees fleeing Ukraine, offering them residence and work permits to fill 50,000 job gaps in hospitality. Demand for Spanish holidays was looking very strong this year, according to the vice-president of industry association Exceltur, Jose Luis Zoreda, thanks to Spain's high vaccination rates and the easing of pandemic restrictions in its big markets, the UK and Germany. "There is a strong, accumulated travel appetite in Europe," Zoreda said, forecasting an "explosion" of tourism from Easter onwards, but also lower profit margins due to inflation and energy prices. Exceltur, however, also found tourists were seeking a different experience. In 2021, campsite rentals were up 19.2%, flat rentals were up by 16%, rural homes by 11%. Hotel usage fell by 8%, a decline also driven by fewer business trips. In January, new motorhomes and camper vans sales were up 34.1% on an annual basis, according to the Spanish Association of the Caravanning Industry and Trade (ASEICAR). "The 'all-in-one' holiday model has been left behind," Yescapa, an online motorhomes and camper vans rental company, told Reuters. Nico Aro, who rents out a camper van on the island of Tenerife, says he has not been able to enjoy it himself since he bought it last March because requests keep coming in from Italy, France and Belgium. His biggest problem is that he cannot find another one to buy because they are in great demand. "I have benefited from the pandemic," he said. Also read | Chile creates national park to save glaciers The appetite for "slower" tourism has also grown in Portugal, where the sector played a crucial role in its recovery from the 2010 debt crisis. Tourism stood at about 15% of GDP in 2019 but fell to 8% in 2020. "There's an increasing number of people looking for places with fewer people," said Helder Martins, president of Algarve's main hotel association. "I don't believe that they will return to just wanting the sun and the beach." The centuries-old "schist villages", built from the stone of a mountainous region clad in pine trees, are roaring back to life after being abandoned over the years by young Portuguese seeking work elsewhere. "This summer is filling up fast," said Sonia Cortes, who owns a small five-room hotel in the Janeiro de Cima schist village, where construction workers are rebuilding traditional houses. "The beginning of the pandemic was really difficult for those who lived off tourism," she said. "(But then) those in bigger cities looked for villages like this one where they could feel safe." There was a 30% increase in the number of night stays at schist villages from 2019 to 2020-21, said Bruno Ramos, who works for an agency promoting tourism there. Watch | Gravitas: Ukraine invasion: Europe's largest nuke site was on fire Still, back in Greece, Merianos, the Corfu hotel owner, has a more sober view of the months ahead. "I'll be happy if at the end of the season I don't owe my staff, I don't owe the state, I don't owe the energy provider - even if I'm left with 10 euros in my wallet," he said.

Southern Europe grapples with changing face of tourism

Evi – orphaned on a beach in Greece, has recovered after months of treatment. The four-month-old endangered Mediterranean monk seal was released back into the sea. The endangered seal has been fitted with transmitter to track her movements.

Watch: Endangered seal recovers after months of treatment, released in sea

Fire fighters battling a blaze on a ferry sailing from&nbsp;Greece&nbsp;to Italy discovered a survivor on the stern of the still burning vessel on Sunday, the Greek coast guard said, reviving hopes that other missing passengers could still be found alive.

Rescuers managed to take at least 281 out of 292 passengers and crew to safety after the blaze broke out on the Italian-flagged Euroferry Olympia early on Friday, but 11 people are still missing, according to the coast guard and ferry operator.

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Firefighters have been trying for days to contain the fire and cool scorching temperatures on the 183-metre (600 ft) ship to allow emergency crews to board and rescue any survivors. The authorities have not announced a death toll.

"Firefighters are still battling the fire and crews are searching for more people," the fire brigade said.

The cause of the blaze is still being investigated and a prosecutor has launched an inquiry, according to coast guard officials.

The ferry had been on its way to the Italian port of Brindisi from Igoumenitsa in&nbsp;Greece. Many of the passengers were truck owners or drivers transporting goods through Europe.

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The man rescued on Sunday was from Belarus, according to the coast guard, while those still missing are Bulgarian, Turkish and Greek nationals.

Reuters footage showed rescuers climbing up a stepladder to the vessel after a tug boat towed it closer to the shore.

"Since one person is rescued, we are optimistic that more survivors can be found," Greek coastguard spokesman Nikos Alexiou told Skai TV.

Aerial footage released by the Greek coastguard on Friday showed rows of burnt trucks on the blackened deck after flames engulfed the ship. The ferry was carrying 153 vehicles, the company said.

A group of truck drivers who survived the ordeal arrived back in Bulgaria in the early hours of Sunday.

"Once we were in the boats we saw the huge flames. Everything burned, the losses are big, but I am glad we are alive and we will see our families," truck driver Rumen Cholakov told Bulgarian Nova TV.

Fire fighters battling a blaze on a ferry sailing from Greece to Italy discovered a survivor on the stern of the still burning vessel on Sunday, the Greek coast guard said, reviving hopes that other missing passengers could still be found alive.

Fire fighters battling a blaze on a ferry sailing from Greece to Italy discovered a survivor on the stern of the still burning vessel on Sunday, the Greek coast guard said, reviving hopes that other missing passengers could still be found alive. Rescuers managed to take at least 281 out of 292 passengers and crew to safety after the blaze broke out on the Italian-flagged Euroferry Olympia early on Friday, but 11 people are still missing, according to the coast guard and ferry operator. Also read | Rescue efforts continue for 12 missing in Greece ferry fire Firefighters have been trying for days to contain the fire and cool scorching temperatures on the 183-metre (600 ft) ship to allow emergency crews to board and rescue any survivors. The authorities have not announced a death toll. "Firefighters are still battling the fire and crews are searching for more people," the fire brigade said. The cause of the blaze is still being investigated and a prosecutor has launched an inquiry, according to coast guard officials. The ferry had been on its way to the Italian port of Brindisi from Igoumenitsa in Greece. Many of the passengers were truck owners or drivers transporting goods through Europe. Also read | Two trapped, hundreds rescued after flames engulf Greece-Italy ferry The man rescued on Sunday was from Belarus, according to the coast guard, while those still missing are Bulgarian, Turkish and Greek nationals. Reuters footage showed rescuers climbing up a stepladder to the vessel after a tug boat towed it closer to the shore. "Since one person is rescued, we are optimistic that more survivors can be found," Greek coastguard spokesman Nikos Alexiou told Skai TV. Aerial footage released by the Greek coastguard on Friday showed rows of burnt trucks on the blackened deck after flames engulfed the ship. The ferry was carrying 153 vehicles, the company said. A group of truck drivers who survived the ordeal arrived back in Bulgaria in the early hours of Sunday. "Once we were in the boats we saw the huge flames. Everything burned, the losses are big, but I am glad we are alive and we will see our families," truck driver Rumen Cholakov told Bulgarian Nova TV.

Passenger found alive on Greece-Italy ferry after blaze, 11 still missing

Rescuers picked up the search for 12 missing people at the break of dawn Saturday after an Italian-flagged ferry caught fire on the Ionian Sea the previous day.&nbsp;

Overnight, patrol ships combed the area off Corfu island hoping to locate survivors, the Greek coastguard told AFP.

Rescuers brought 278 passengers to Corfu after the blaze on the Euroferry Olympia broke out en route from Greece to Italy.

Officials have said the cause of the fire remains unknown.&nbsp;

Also read |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/two-trapped-hundreds-rescued-after-flames-engulf-greece-italy-ferry-454317">Two trapped, hundreds rescued after flames engulf Greece-Italy ferry</a>

According to the coastguard, all of the still-missing people are truck drivers, nine from Bulgaria and three from Greece.

Truckers who were rescued from the vessel told Greece's public broadcaster on Saturday that some drivers prefered to sleep in their vehicles because the ship cabins were overcrowded. &nbsp;

Grimaldi Lines, the owner of the vessel, said late last night the fire&nbsp;"is currently under control" but Greek Coast Guard Saturday morning didn't confirm.&nbsp;

According to the company, the ferry was officially carrying 239 passengers and 51 crew, as well as 153 trucks and trailers and 32 passenger vehicles.&nbsp;

But raising concern for how many potential unofficial passengers could still be missing, the coastguard said two of the rescued people were not included on the manifest.&nbsp;

Both were Afghans, the coastguard told AFP. &nbsp;

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The Bulgarian foreign ministry said 127 of its nationals were on the passenger list, including 37 truck drivers.&nbsp;&nbsp;

Another 24 were from Turkey, the country's NTV station said, while broadcaster ERT said there were 21 Greeks onboard.

Among the rescued, 10 were taken to hospital with breathing difficulties and minor injuries, ERT said.

A specialised Greek rescue team that boarded the burning vessel ceased&nbsp;its efforts Friday evening because of the high heat on the ship, the dense smoke and the darkness, according to Athens News Agency.

The 27-year-old ship's latest safety check was at Igoumenitsa on February 16, the company said.&nbsp;

Watch |&nbsp;Fire breaks out on ferry from Greece to Italy with 288 people on board

<div class="videoWrapper trancodeVideo"><iframe allowfullscreen="" autoplay="1" class="includeVideo" frameborder="0" height="350" src="https://www.wionews.com/videos/fire-breaks-out-on-ferry-from-greece-to-italy-with-288-people-on-board-454363/embed" style="width:100%;max-width:560px;" width="560"></iframe></div>

There is heavy maritime traffic between the western Greek ports of Igoumenitsa and Patras and the Italian ports of Brindisi and Ancona.&nbsp;

The last shipboard fire in the Adriatic occurred in December 2014 on the Italian ferry Norman Atlantic. Thirteen people died in that blaze.

Rescuers picked up the search for 12 missing people at the break of dawn Saturday after an Italian-flagged ferry caught fire on the Ionian Sea the previous day. Overnight, patrol ships combed the area off Corfu island hoping to locate survivors, the Greek coastguard told AFP.

Rescuers picked up the search for 12 missing people at the break of dawn Saturday after an Italian-flagged ferry caught fire on the Ionian Sea the previous day. Overnight, patrol ships combed the area off Corfu island hoping to locate survivors, the Greek coastguard told AFP. Rescuers brought 278 passengers to Corfu after the blaze on the Euroferry Olympia broke out en route from Greece to Italy. Officials have said the cause of the fire remains unknown. Also read | Two trapped, hundreds rescued after flames engulf Greece-Italy ferry According to the coastguard, all of the still-missing people are truck drivers, nine from Bulgaria and three from Greece. Truckers who were rescued from the vessel told Greece's public broadcaster on Saturday that some drivers prefered to sleep in their vehicles because the ship cabins were overcrowded. Grimaldi Lines, the owner of the vessel, said late last night the fire "is currently under control" but Greek Coast Guard Saturday morning didn't confirm. According to the company, the ferry was officially carrying 239 passengers and 51 crew, as well as 153 trucks and trailers and 32 passenger vehicles. But raising concern for how many potential unofficial passengers could still be missing, the coastguard said two of the rescued people were not included on the manifest. Both were Afghans, the coastguard told AFP. Also read | 'Right-to-die': Italy court refuses to allow euthanasia referendum The Bulgarian foreign ministry said 127 of its nationals were on the passenger list, including 37 truck drivers. Another 24 were from Turkey, the country's NTV station said, while broadcaster ERT said there were 21 Greeks onboard. Among the rescued, 10 were taken to hospital with breathing difficulties and minor injuries, ERT said. A specialised Greek rescue team that boarded the burning vessel ceased its efforts Friday evening because of the high heat on the ship, the dense smoke and the darkness, according to Athens News Agency. The 27-year-old ship's latest safety check was at Igoumenitsa on February 16, the company said. Watch | Fire breaks out on ferry from Greece to Italy with 288 people on board There is heavy maritime traffic between the western Greek ports of Igoumenitsa and Patras and the Italian ports of Brindisi and Ancona. The last shipboard fire in the Adriatic occurred in December 2014 on the Italian ferry Norman Atlantic. Thirteen people died in that blaze.

Rescue efforts continue for 12 missing in Greece ferry fire

A fire broke out on a ferry sailing from Greece to Italy with 288 people on board. The fire, the cause of which was not immediately known, broke out near the island of Corfu in the Ionian Sea.

Fire breaks out on ferry from Greece to Italy with 288 people on board

Two&nbsp;people are&nbsp;trapped&nbsp;on a&nbsp;ferry&nbsp;that was&nbsp;engulfed in a blaze as it sailed between&nbsp;Greece&nbsp;and&nbsp;Italy&nbsp;in the early hours of Friday, the Greek coastguard said,&nbsp;after&nbsp;scores of others passengers and crew members were&nbsp;rescued.

The coastguard said in total 239 passengers and 51 crew members had been on board the Italian-flagged Euroferry&nbsp;Olympia and most of them had boarded rescue vessels transferring them to the port of the island of Corfu where ambulances were waiting.

"We were woken up around 4:20 a.m. Within an hour we had left the ship ... We were saved by the crew, which acted fast," one of the passengers told Skai TV via telephone.

There were no immediate reports of deaths or severe injuries. One person with breathing problems had been taken to the hospital, according to local health authorities.

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Greek media reported that at least 10 were feared missing. Authorities could not confirm the information, saying the operation was ongoing. Hours&nbsp;after&nbsp;the alarm was raised, the ship was still ablaze.

"Two&nbsp;people have been&nbsp;trapped&nbsp;in the garage and efforts are being made to lead them to the deck," one coastguard official said, adding that a helicopter was waiting to airlift them away.

A video uploaded on Greek news website Proto Thema showed the 183-metre (600 foot)&nbsp;ferry&nbsp;on fire and swathed in huge plumes of smoke. "May Day" was blasting from speakers.

The&nbsp;ferry&nbsp;had sailed from Igoumenitsa, the largest port in western&nbsp;Greece, and was headed to the Italian port of Brindisi, about nine hours away.

Also read |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/turkey-warns-greece-not-to-test-its-patience-with-provocations-443239">Turkey warns Greece not to test its patience with provocations</a>

The fire, the cause of which was not immediately known, broke out near the island of Corfu in the Ionian Sea.

The&nbsp;ferry&nbsp;is part of the fleet of group Grimaldi Lines and has a capacity of up to 560 passengers, according to the company's website.

Grimaldi Lines spokesman Paul Kyprianou told Reuters that the cause of the fire was still under investigation but there were indications it started from the ship's hold.

"Damage is severe because despite the efforts the crew was unable to extinguish the fire," he said.

At least three Greek coastguard vessels and the Italian financial police patrol boat Monte Sperone were involved in the rescue operation.

Watch |&nbsp;19 froze to death on Greek border, hundreds protest against migrant pushback

<div class="videoWrapper trancodeVideo"><iframe allowfullscreen="" autoplay="1" class="includeVideo" frameborder="0" height="350" src="https://www.wionews.com/videos/19-froze-to-death-on-greek-border-hundreds-protest-against-migrant-pushback-451137/embed" style="width:100%;max-width:560px;" width="560"></iframe></div>

Ship tracking data provided by Refinitiv Eikon showed the Euroferry&nbsp;Olympia performing a U-turn northwest of the North Corfu channel.

In 2014, 10 people were killed when the car&nbsp;ferry&nbsp;Norman Atlantic carrying 466 passengers and crew caught fire while sailing from&nbsp;Greece&nbsp;to&nbsp;Italy.

Two people are trapped on a ferry that was engulfed in a blaze as it sailed between Greece and Italy in the early hours of Friday, the Greek coastguard said, after scores of others passengers and crew members were rescued.

Two people are trapped on a ferry that was engulfed in a blaze as it sailed between Greece and Italy in the early hours of Friday, the Greek coastguard said, after scores of others passengers and crew members were rescued. The coastguard said in total 239 passengers and 51 crew members had been on board the Italian-flagged Euroferry Olympia and most of them had boarded rescue vessels transferring them to the port of the island of Corfu where ambulances were waiting. "We were woken up around 4:20 a.m. Within an hour we had left the ship ... We were saved by the crew, which acted fast," one of the passengers told Skai TV via telephone. There were no immediate reports of deaths or severe injuries. One person with breathing problems had been taken to the hospital, according to local health authorities. Also read | 'Right-to-die': Italy court refuses to allow euthanasia referendum Greek media reported that at least 10 were feared missing. Authorities could not confirm the information, saying the operation was ongoing. Hours after the alarm was raised, the ship was still ablaze. "Two people have been trapped in the garage and efforts are being made to lead them to the deck," one coastguard official said, adding that a helicopter was waiting to airlift them away. A video uploaded on Greek news website Proto Thema showed the 183-metre (600 foot) ferry on fire and swathed in huge plumes of smoke. "May Day" was blasting from speakers. The ferry had sailed from Igoumenitsa, the largest port in western Greece, and was headed to the Italian port of Brindisi, about nine hours away. Also read | Turkey warns Greece not to test its patience with provocations The fire, the cause of which was not immediately known, broke out near the island of Corfu in the Ionian Sea. The ferry is part of the fleet of group Grimaldi Lines and has a capacity of up to 560 passengers, according to the company's website. Grimaldi Lines spokesman Paul Kyprianou told Reuters that the cause of the fire was still under investigation but there were indications it started from the ship's hold. "Damage is severe because despite the efforts the crew was unable to extinguish the fire," he said. At least three Greek coastguard vessels and the Italian financial police patrol boat Monte Sperone were involved in the rescue operation. Watch | 19 froze to death on Greek border, hundreds protest against migrant pushback Ship tracking data provided by Refinitiv Eikon showed the Euroferry Olympia performing a U-turn northwest of the North Corfu channel. In 2014, 10 people were killed when the car ferry Norman Atlantic carrying 466 passengers and crew caught fire while sailing from Greece to Italy.

Two trapped, hundreds rescued after flames engulf Greece-Italy ferry

Greece has announced new measures to combat violence and sporting events, this decision follows the fatal stabbing of a 19-year-old football fan last week and the Greek football events have been plagued by violence both on and off pitch in recent years. The government has now promised to clean up the game, here are the details.

Greece to impose new measures to combat sports violence

Few days after frozen bodies of migrants were discovered near the Greek border, hundreds protested against migrant pushback and border violence in Athens blaming Greece's border policy that led to 19 migrants to freeze to death. According to police officials 700 people marched in front of the Greek parliament.

19 froze to death on Greek border, hundreds protest against migrant pushback

At least 19 irregular migrants were found frozen to death in Greek-Turkish border after they were pushed back from Greece. Turkey accuses Greece's border policy for the deaths.

Turkey accuses Greece's border policy for the death of 19 migrants

The Istanbul airport welcomed its first flight in almost 24 hours as snow continues to pummel Turkey and its western Mediterranean neighbor Greece. In turkey heavy snowfall clogged roads and stranded thousands of people, this snowfall which began late last week has picked up over the past days. The winter's first snow created a jovial atmosphere across the squares where children built snowmen and tourists posed for pictures.

Snowstorm traps thousands in Greece and Turkey, some flights resume at Istanbul airport

A strong explosion has rocked the Greek capital of Athens. The explosion has damaged buildings and cars on the street. Several eyewitnesses explain and recount the horrific encounter.

Greece: An explosion in Athens damages buildings & cars, eyewitness recount the horror

Greek capital of Athens was rocked by an explosion that led to a fire. Officials and eyewitnesses were quoted to say that the explosion took place in early hours of Wednesday (January 26). One person was injured and several buildings were extensively damaged due to explosion and fire.

Giorgos Mathiopoulos, the head of workers at the National Centre for Emergency Care told Skai TV that the person who suffered burns was taken to hospital.

Windows of the buildings were smashed due to the blasts and even facades were damaged. The damage took place along the major traffic artery of Syngrou Avenue.

Syngrous Avenue links the city centre to the southern suburbs. Buildings up tp 200 metres (656 ft) away were damaged.

Debris littered the street a day after a severe snowstorm swept the capital disrupting traffic and stranding thousands of people.

At least 18 firefighters used seven engines to battle a blaze at one buildings and have nearly brought it under control, the fire brigade said.

It was not immediately clear what triggered the blast or the fire, officials said.

"We have a fire, there was a blast before that," said a fire brigade commander at the scene.

(With inputs from agencies)

Greek capital of Athens was rocked by an explosion that led to a fire. Officials and eyewitnesses were quoted to say that the explosion took place in early hours of Wednesday (January 26).

Greek capital of Athens was rocked by an explosion that led to a fire. Officials and eyewitnesses were quoted to say that the explosion took place in early hours of Wednesday (January 26). One person was injured and several buildings were extensively damaged due to explosion and fire. Giorgos Mathiopoulos, the head of workers at the National Centre for Emergency Care told Skai TV that the person who suffered burns was taken to hospital. Windows of the buildings were smashed due to the blasts and even facades were damaged. The damage took place along the major traffic artery of Syngrou Avenue. Syngrous Avenue links the city centre to the southern suburbs. Buildings up tp 200 metres (656 ft) away were damaged. Debris littered the street a day after a severe snowstorm swept the capital disrupting traffic and stranding thousands of people. At least 18 firefighters used seven engines to battle a blaze at one buildings and have nearly brought it under control, the fire brigade said. It was not immediately clear what triggered the blast or the fire, officials said. "We have a fire, there was a blast before that," said a fire brigade commander at the scene. (With inputs from agencies)

Explosion in Athens causes extensive damage to buildings

A blanket of heavy snow covered the Greek capital disrupting air traffic, bringing transport to a halt and leaving scores of drivers stranded overnight in a highway.

Heavy snowfall sweeps across Greece, crews struggling to free stranded drivers

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