Sunday, April 12

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Kevin Spacey says he chose Israel over Greece when told to cancel Tel Aviv show
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Kevin Spacey says he chose Israel over Greece when told to cancel Tel Aviv show

Kevin Spacey said he chose his upcoming performance in Israel over a planned show in Greece, telling Israeli TV that there had been pressure on him to cancel his upcoming November 19 “Songs & Stories” show in Tel Aviv. When Spacey’s appearance in Greece was announced, there were demands that he cancel his show in Tel Aviv, the actor told Channel 12 in an interview broadcast Tuesday. Spacey canceled the Greece appearance but not the Tel Aviv show. “We don’t respond well to ultimatums,” said Spacey. “And I don’t believe in punishing the citizens of a country for what’s happening within their country. We simply don’t respond well to that — so instead of canceling Israel, we canceled the other city.” Many artists have faced strong calls to boycott Israel ...
Greece Finds Over Half of Asylum Seekers Claiming To Be Minors Are Adults ━ The European Conservative
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Greece Finds Over Half of Asylum Seekers Claiming To Be Minors Are Adults ━ The European Conservative

Greece’s new age verification system found that the majority of asylum seekers are lying about their age, claiming to be minors, Migration and Asylum Minister Thanos Plevris said on Tuesday, November 12th. Plevris stated that out of 104 cases reviewed since late August, 59 individuals were determined to be over 18. “The repercussions for those who filed a false statement are self-evident,” he said. The new, stricter verification process requires age determination to be completed “once and on the same day” using three methods: a medical evaluation of physical development, a psychosocial assessment, and an X-ray of the applicant’s left wrist to assess skeletal maturity. Officials say the system is designed to prevent adults from posing as minors to gain preferential legal protections. ...
Greece to Enhance Rail Travel with Ninety Million Euro Modernisation of Central Rail Corridor
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Greece to Enhance Rail Travel with Ninety Million Euro Modernisation of Central Rail Corridor

Published on November 12, 2025The Greek Ministry of National Economy and Finance has launched an ambitious €90 million project aimed at modernising Greece’s central railway network. This initiative, funded by the Cohesion Fund, focuses on upgrading signaling, telecommunications, and management systems along the key transport corridors connecting Patras, Athens, Thessaloniki, and Idomeni/Promachonas. The upgrade is set to improve the efficiency, safety, and interoperability of the country’s railway system, which plays a crucial role in both domestic and international tourism.A Strategic Investment in Greece’s Rail InfrastructureThe project, named “Installation of Modern Signaling, Telecommunications, and Management Systems in the Central Railway Core European Transport Network (TEN-T),” wil...
Greece pawn shop owners accused of selling stolen merchandise, illegal drugs
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Greece pawn shop owners accused of selling stolen merchandise, illegal drugs

Greece, N.Y. — The co-owners of a pawn shop on Mount Read Boulevard face several charges after the Monroe County Sheriff's Office said they were selling stolen items and illegal prescription drugs valued at more than $100,000.Juan Diaz, 42, and Tolga Turmen, 33, co-owners of Rochester Jewelry & Tek accepted "sealed, new-in-the-box items that were stolen from a variety of retailers," according to the sheriff's office.Diaz and Turmen would pay a small portion of the full retail price for the stolen item, and then resell the stolen items online at a higher amount for profit.Authorities executed a search warrant at the shop Nov. 5, seizing 1,869 stolen items — including power tools, hand tools, hardware items, kitchenware, small appliances, office equipment, generators and automotive acces...
Greece automatically issues remaining Personal Identification Numbers
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Greece automatically issues remaining Personal Identification Numbers

Greece is completing the issuance of its new Personal Identification Number (PIN) by automatically assigning it to 5 million citizens who did not opt to choose the first two prefix digits of their number. The deadline for citizens to choose the first two prefix digits expired on November 5th.  More than 2.6 million people had obtained their number by that date, news outlet eKathimerini reports. The Personal Identification Number, also known as the Personal Citizen Number, was introduced in May to help unify the country’s digital ID system, replacing multiple separate identification systems previously used, including the tax identification number (AFM), the social security number (AMKA) and the national ID number. The 12-character alphanumeric identifier contains three prefix charac...
Greece has introduced a 13-hour work day – and employees aren’t happy
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Greece has introduced a 13-hour work day – and employees aren’t happy

Your support helps us to tell the storyFrom reproductive rights to climate change to Big Tech, The Independent is on the ground when the story is developing. Whether it's investigating the financials of Elon Musk's pro-Trump PAC or producing our latest documentary, 'The A Word', which shines a light on the American women fighting for reproductive rights, we know how important it is to parse out the facts from the messaging.At such a critical moment in US history, we need reporters on the ground. Your donation allows us to keep sending journalists to speak to both sides of the story.The Independent is trusted by Americans across the entire political spectrum. And unlike many other quality news outlets, we choose not to lock Americans out of our reporting and analysis with paywalls. We belie...
Greece: Authorities must ‘drop baseless charges’ against rescue volunteer Seán Binder
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Greece: Authorities must ‘drop baseless charges’ against rescue volunteer Seán Binder

On 4 December 2025, before the Court of Appeal of Lesvos, Greece, Seán Binder will stand trial for his work as a volunteer rescuer helping people in distress and at risk of drowning at sea. Alongside 23 other defendants, he faces criminal charges including membership of a criminal organization, money laundering, and smuggling (facilitation of irregular entry) and risks up to 20 years in prison if convicted. The trial comes at the end of a long judicial process which started in 2018 with Seán’s arrest and has left him in limbo ever since. The case has contributed to a climate of hostility and intimidation against civil society organizations and individuals assisting people – many fleeing persecution or other dire circumstances – arriving via unsafe and irregular routes to Greece. Comm...
Greece Pawn Shop Owners Accused of Trafficking $100,000 in Stolen Goods
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Greece Pawn Shop Owners Accused of Trafficking $100,000 in Stolen Goods

Two co-owners of a Greece pawn shop are accused of trafficking over $100,000 worth of stolen goods. Deputies say 42-year-old Juan Diaz and 33-year-old Tolga Turmen bought new, in-the-box items stolen from several area retailers. They then sold the goods online. Those items included power tools, small appliances, generators, and car parts. And a search at Rochester Jewelry and Tek on Mount Read Boulevard also turned up illegal prescription drugs packaged for sale. Both men face possession of stolen property, conspiracy, money laundering, falsifying records, and drug charges. Source link
Greece Introduces 13-Hour Workday Amid Worker Fatigue
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Greece Introduces 13-Hour Workday Amid Worker Fatigue

The Greek government has passed a law allowing private employers to extend shifts to 13 hours per day, framed in terms of "flexibility" and "growth". It's marketed as voluntary and fairly paid, but effectively it dismantles the standard eight-hour day, despite survey data showing workers overwhelmingly oppose it. But while critics question its legality, technically it does comply with the European Union's working time directive. For many, especially in hospitality, it simply formalises what already exists: long hours, low pay, little rest.The reform mirrors a broader European and global shift towards deregulated work. And it proves that the fight for shorter hours is far from over, as I set out in a chapter in the forthcoming book Global Futures of Work: A Critical Introduction.After G...
Three die as migrant boat sinks near Crete, Greece
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Three die as migrant boat sinks near Crete, Greece

Photo: Picture-alliance/Photoshot/M.Lolos At least three people lost their lives when a boat carrying migrants capsized off the southern coast of the Greek island of Crete, according to reports from the coastguard. 56 people have been rescued so far, and the search for possible further passengers was ongoing, News.Az reports citing foreign media. The broadcaster published a video on Tuesday evening, taken by rescuers as they approached the completely overloaded vessel in the open sea. The cries for help from the people can be heard, but the video stopped. Shortly afterwards, the small boat capsized for reasons that were initially unclear. Coastguard vessels, an air force helicopter and a boat from the EU border protection agency ...