Athens

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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...

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...

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...

'Terrible Accident' Claims Musician's Life

Sophie Xeon slipped and fell from an apartment balcony

(Newser) - Sophie, the Grammy-nominated Scottish disc jockey, producer, and recording artist who had worked with the likes of Madonna and Charli XCX, has died following an accident in Athens, Greece, the AP reports. She was 34. In a statement, UK label Transgressive said the musician, whose full name was Sophie Xeon,...

You Never Know What May Surface in Greece Construction

Like the head of an ancient Greek god, for example

(Newser) - A bust of the ancient god Hermes, in good condition, was discovered in central Athens during sewage work, per the AP . The Greek Culture Ministry said the head, one of many that served as street markers in ancient Athens, appears to be from around 300BC. It depicts Hermes at "...

10-Story Hotel Ordered to Shrink to 8 Stories

Greece cultural council sides with locals in Athens whose view was obstructed

(Newser) - It's one thing for a city to reject plans for a tall hotel near a world-famous site. It's another to do so after the hotel has been built. That's now the case in Athens, Greece, where a 10-story hotel near the Acropolis has been ordered to remove...

As Flaming Pine Cones Rained Down, Their Only Option: Swim

Wildfire death toll in Greece now stands at 80

(Newser) - The death toll in Greece stands at 80 in the wake of devastating and fast-moving wildfires that struck near Athens Monday during what Reuters describes as a late afternoon siesta time. Much of the focus has been on Mati, a seaside town frequented by area tourists. Many fled into the...

'Everything Is Lost. The Disaster Is Biblical'

Severe storm turned roads into rivers near Athens, killing 14

(Newser) - Greece declared a day of national mourning after floods on the outskirts of Athens left at least 14 dead Wednesday, flipping over cars, smashing into homes, and cutting off highway traffic. The flash floods turned roads into raging torrents of mud and debris inundated houses and businesses. Drivers scrambled out...

Naval Bases Found That Once Guarded World's First Democracy

Archaeologists make huge find in Athens

(Newser) - Archaeologists have discovered massive naval bases that once enabled Athens to fight off the Persian Empire—and develop the world's first democracy. Among the recent finds at the Port of Piraeus, Greece's biggest seaport, are ship-sheds that held hundreds of warships known as triremes, the Smithsonian reports. "...

Greek Stock Market Carnage Enters 2nd Day

US investors aren't completely immune

(Newser) - At this rate, Greek banks may soon start to look like a canny investment. The Athens Stock Exchange had its worst drop on record yesterday when it reopened after being closed for more than a month, and things have not improved in early trading at the main Greek stock market...

The Acropolis Is Falling Apart

And Egypt's oldest pyramid is in trouble, too: activists

(Newser) - Greece's famous Parthenon could be in danger of coming down 2,500 years after it was put up at the height of the Athenian Empire. Archaeologists have discovered "instability over quite a wide area" of the Acropolis, the flat-topped rock that holds the weight of the ancient structure,...

Bank of Greece Bombed Before Landmark Bond Sale

Car bomb comes on day of return to international markets

(Newser) - Greece is set to return to the international bond market today after four years of financial struggle, but not everyone is happy about it—especially not the suspected domestic terrorists who set off a large car bomb in front of the country's central bank hours before the bond issue....

Austerity Ekes Out Victory in Greece

Eurozone decision follows huge protests

(Newser) - In a 153 to 128 vote, Greek's three-party coalition government barely passed some $22 billion worth of new austerity measures in an effort to remain in the eurozone. Eighteen MPs voted "present" on the plan, with another abstaining. The vote on the measures, which include pension cuts and...

Greek Gunmen Drive Van Into Microsoft HQ

Latest in series of attacks on symbols of power in Greece

(Newser) - If idle hands are the devil's hands, Greece is finding out the hard way: Gunmen this morning stormed Microsoft's Athens headquarters, ramming the building with a gasoline-laden van before setting fire to it. The attack injured no one, but heavily damaged the building's first floor and shut...

77-Year-Old's Suicide Fuels Greek Fury

Protesters clashed with riot police in Athens

(Newser) - The 77-year-old retiree who committed suicide in an Athens square teeming with commuters yesterday morning did indeed leave a note, in which the former pharmacist explained that he could not face a future that could involve "scavenging through garbage bins for food and becoming a burden to my child....

77-Year-Old Greek Kills Self Over Debt

Shoots himself 300 feet from parliament in Athens

(Newser) - How dire is the situation in Greece? It's come to this: A 77-year-old killed himself in an Athens square this morning, apparently distraught over his mounting debt. Police say the unidentified man shot himself about 300 feet from the parliament building in Syntagma Square, as rush-hour commuters passed by....

Greece OKs Austerity Bill Amid Rioting

Dozens of police and protesters injured, buildings ablaze

(Newser) - Greece's parliament has approved an austerity and debt-relief bill, crucial for the country to avoid bankruptcy and remain in the eurozone. Lawmakers voted today in favor of the bill that imposes harsh new austerity measures in return for a $171 billion new bailout agreement and related deal with private...

1 Dead in Athens Protests
 1 Dead in Athens Protests 
Oct 20, 2011 11:48 AM CDT

1 Dead in Athens Protests

Victim may have suffered heart attack

(Newser) - An Athens anti-austerity demonstration turned violent today when rioters attacked peaceful protesters, and one ended up dead. Rioters threw firebombs and chunks of marble at the tens of thousands who had turned out in the Greek capital hours before lawmakers were scheduled to vote on the unpopular austerity measures creditors...

Streets Erupt as Greece Begins Austerity Vote

Deep cuts expected to pass

(Newser) - Things got ugly in the streets of Athens today, as Greece’s parliament began voting on austerity measures—needed to keep the nation out of default—that looked increasingly likely to pass. Police firing tear gas fought what Reuters describes as “running battles” with protesters, who threw firebombs, rocks,...

Youths Hurl Rocks as Greeks Begin 2-Day Strike

20,000 march on Parliament

(Newser) - Greek workers launched a 48-hour general strike today to protest government austerity measures as 20,000 demonstrators headed to Parliament and another 7,000 marched in the country’s second-biggest city. Some 5,000 police guarded Athens, and while the initial protests were peaceful, things are heating up. Young people...

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