(Reuters) – Greek tennis player Maria Sakkari says she was so desperate for competition during the COVID-19 shutdown that she considered running in the 100m at the national athletics championships. The 25-year-old is seeded third at the WTA’s Palermo Ladies Op... More »
ISTANBUL (Reuters) – A Turkish court on Friday annulled a 1934 government decree that had turned Istanbul’s Hagia Sophia into a museum, opening the way for the sixth-century building to be converted back into a mosque. President Tayyip Erdogan, whose ruling AK... More »
AMSTERDAM (Reuters) – Euro zone bond yields held their ground on Thursday with investors’ main focus expected to be any new developments on the European Union’s recovery fund, which aims to help the region’s economy recover from the coronavirus crisis. Hopes a... More »
ATHENS (Reuters) – Greece’s National Bank (NBG) has hired Morgan Stanley as an adviser ahead of a planned sale of more than 6.0 billion euros ($6.73 billion) of non-performing credit, part of its balance sheet clean-up efforts, bankers close to the transaction... More »
ATHENS (Reuters) – Greece’s culture minister has hailed a U.S. court ruling over a disputed ancient horse figurine as a major victory that may help Athens and others fighting to reclaim antiquities. Lina Mendoni said Tuesday’s ruling by the 2nd U.S. Circuit Co... More »
ATHENS (Reuters) – Greece and Italy will sign an agreement on maritime boundaries during a visit by Italy’s foreign minister to Athens on Tuesday, the Greek Foreign Affairs Ministry said. The deal follows months of tensions in the Eastern Mediterranean region ... More »
FRANKFURT (Reuters) – Help to euro zone members struggling under the weight of the coronavirus crisis should come from the European level, European Central Bank board member atold Greek newspaper To Vima in an interview. “This is not just a question of Europea... More »
BERLIN (Reuters) – Italy and Spain, the two European countries hardest hit by the new coronavirus, have enforced the most drastic lockdowns to curb the pandemic but one country, Sweden, stands out for allowing life to go on much as before, Google data show. An... More »
ATHENS (Reuters) – The International Olympic Committee is stepping up its “scenario planning” for the Tokyo 2020 Games — including a possible postponement — as the coronavirus pandemic spreads, it said after an emergency meeting on Sunday. The IOC will hold di... More »
HIGASHIMATSUSHIMA, Japan (Reuters) – A plane carrying the Olympic torch from Greece arrived on Friday on Japan’s northwestern coast ravaged by a 2011 tsunami, but the welcome ceremony will have no spectators, amid worries the Games could be cancelled over the ... More »
HIGASHIMATSUSHIMA, Japan (Reuters) – An Olympic cauldron was ignited on Friday in Japan with a flame carried from Greece ahead of the Tokyo 2020 Games, amid concerns that a coronavirus pandemic could disrupt the event planned this summer. “We will do our utmos... More »
TOKYO (Reuters) – The aircraft carrying the Olympic flame arrived at Japan Air Self-Defence Force’s Matsushima base, Kyodo news agency said on Friday, as concerns growth whether the Games will go ahead as planned this summer amid the coronavirus pandemic. The ... More »
FRANKFURT (Reuters) – The European Central Bank launched 750 billion euro emergency bond purchase scheme in a bid to stop a pandemic-induced financial rout from shredding the euro zone’s economy and raising fresh concerns about the currency bloc’s viability. W... More »
KASTANIES/LESBOS, Greece (Reuters) – A child died after being pulled from the seat when a boat capsized off the Greek island of Lesbos, officials said on Monday, the first reported fatality after the Turkish government opened its border last week to let migran... More »
ATHENS (Reuters) – Greece distanced itself on Wednesday from suggestions that it planned to drag a centuries-old dispute over the return of the Parthenon marbles into Brexit negotiations. Government spokesman Stelios Petsas said Athens would keep up its campai... More »
ATHENS (Reuters) – A humanoid figure dressed as a maid holds a jug in its right hand and, as hidden gears click and whirr, lifts it and pours wine into a cup a bystander has placed into the palm of its left. The robot is a recreation of the automatic servant o... More »
CHICAGO (Reuters) – Team LeBron beat Team Giannis by two points at the 69th NBA All-Star game on Sunday at a packed United Center that fell silent for eight seconds before tip-off as about 21,000 fans joined hands to pay their respects to global sports icon Ko... More »
FRANKFURT (Reuters) – Gathered in a German mountain castle last November for an evening retreat that ended with a whiskey-tasting, rebel European Central Bank policymakers and Christine Lagarde, their newly confirmed president, made a pact. Lagarde pledged to ... More »
ATHENS (Reuters) – Greece will step up its campaign for the return of the Parthenon Marbles from Britain and expects to win more support from European peers as Brexit sees British influence wane, the Greek culture minister said. Since independence in 1832, Gre... More »
ATHENS (Reuters) – Clothes should be cherished, re-worn and even passed on to the next generation, Anna Wintour, the influential editor of Vogue magazine said, calling for more sustainability in the fashion world and less of a throwaway culture. In an intervie... More »
ANKARA (Reuters) – Turkey said on Monday it had deported two Islamic State militants — a German and an American — beginning a programme to repatriate fighters that has caused friction with its NATO allies since it launched an offensive in northern Syria. Allie... More »
WASHINGTON/ATHENS (Reuters) – U.S. President Donald Trump on Saturday opened a new front in the impeachment battle that threatens his administration, blasting a prominent member of his party for criticizing his push to get foreign nations to probe a leading De... More »
VENICE, Italy (Reuters) – Greek-born French director Costa-Gavras has been recognized for his “particularly original contribution to innovation in contemporary cinema” at the Venice Film Festival, where the Oscar winner also presented his new movie about the G... More »
DUBAI (Reuters) – An Iranian tanker sailed through the Mediterranean toward Greece on Monday after it was released from detention off Gibraltar, and Tehran said that any at U.S. move to seize the vessel again would have “heavy consequences”. The Grace 1, renam... More »
LONDON (Reuters) – Bond yields in the euro zone were off record low levels on Monday, as a calmer tone settled in world markets and focus turned to the prospect of fiscal stimulus in Germany. Germany has the fiscal strength to counter any future economic crisi... More »
DUBAI (Reuters) – Iran has warned the United States against any new attempt to seize an Iranian oil tanker in open seas after it left Gibraltar, the Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesman said on state television on Monday. The Iranian tanker caught in a standoff ... More »
ATHENS (Reuters) – Greek sculptor Takis, whose kinetic artworks were admired at major art museums around the world in a career spanning over 70 years, died on Friday at the age of 93, his foundation said. Takis, whose real name was Panagiotis Vassilakis, used ... More »
ATHENS (Reuters) – Authorities evacuated dozens of citizens from flooded homes in western Greece on Sunday, a few days after seven people were killed by a violent storm in the north of the country. Such severe storms are unusual in Greece, where summers are us... More »
BRUSSELS (Reuters) – The European Commission lowered its estimates on Wednesday for euro zone growth and inflation, saying uncertainty over U.S. trade policy posed a major risk to the bloc. In its quarterly economic forecasts, the European Union’s executive ar... More »
ATHENS (Reuters) – Greece’s opposition conservatives returned to power with a landslide victory in snap elections on Sunday, and Prime Minister elect Kyriakos Mitsotakis said he had a clear mandate for change, pledging more investments and fewer taxes. The win... More »
LONDON (Reuters) – Factory activity in the euro zone shrank faster last month than previously thought in a broad-based downturn, according to a survey on Monday that suggested there would be no quick turnaround. The downbeat data will likely add to calls for t... More »
ATHENS (Reuters) – Greece’s opposition conservatives are expected to ride a wave of anger over continuing austerity measures to seize power from Prime Minister Alexis Tsipras’s leftists in next Sunday’s election. The country is heading for elections three mont... More »
ATHENS (Reuters) – Greece’s Acropolis Museum opened an excavation site underneath its modern building on Friday, allowing visitors for the first time to walk through an ancient Athenian neighbourhood that survived from the Classical era to Byzantine times. The... More »
NEW YORK (Reuters) – A U.S. judge on Friday rejected Greece’s effort to dismiss an unusual lawsuit in which Sotheby’s and the owners of an ancient Greek bronze horse sued the country, seeking court permission to put the statue on the auction block. U.S. Distri... More »
ATHENS (Reuters) – Greek artist Virginia Axioti’s work is seen by thousands of people every week, but none of it is digital. As the designer of hand-painted billboards that hang over the entrance to Athens’ Athinaion cinema advertising the newest film, she can... More »
WASHINGTON/SINGAPORE (Reuters) – The United States is expected to announce on Monday that buyers of Iranian oil need to end imports soon or face sanctions, a source familiar with the situation told Reuters, triggering a 3 percent jump in crude prices to their ... More »
WASHINGTON (Reuters) – Greece is looking to strike a deal this weekend to repay early about half of the loans it received from the International Monetary Fund, in a bid to lower the euro zone member’s burden of debt servicing, a senior official said on Friday.... More »
(Corrects Feb. 20 story to remove incorrect reference to sale of loans by Varde and Oakhill) By Jonathan Saul and Maiya Keidan LONDON (Reuters) – A growing number of hedge funds are moving into shipping debt, an asset class few have invested in before, looking... More »
ATHENS (Reuters) – Greece’s deputy health minister has told the European Union’s top health official to butt out after getting a reprimand for smoking in public. Deputy minister Pavlos Polakis was caught on video footage this week holding a cigarette while dan... More »
MILAN (Reuters) – European shares rose on Wednesday driven by the export-oriented autos and tech sectors as optimism grew that the United States and China could avoid a full-blown trade war that would further brake a slowing global economy. The pan-European ST... More »
MELBOURNE (Reuters) – Novak Djokovic and Roger Federer loom over Melbourne Park for the year’s opening Grand Slam as favorites for the Australian Open as questions remain as to whether one of Generation Next could finally end their stranglehold. The Serbian wo... More »
MELBOURNE (Reuters) – Police in Australia are investigating suspicious packages sent to a wide range of embassies and consulates on Wednesday, which officials said included the U.S. and British missions in Melbourne, but there were no reports of harm to staff.... More »
LONDON (Reuters) – “The Favourite” led the nominations for the British Academy of Film and Television Arts (BAFTA) awards on Wednesday, with 12 nods for the costume drama that has already won its leading actress Olivia Colman critical acclaim and several prize... More »
BERLIN (Reuters) – Former Greek finance minister Yanis Varoufakis, who was outspoken in his criticism of the austerity policies championed by Berlin at the height of the euro zone’s debt crisis, is to stand in European elections next year – in Germany. The Dem... More »
ATHENS (Reuters) – Greek archaeologists have discovered a virtually intact grave of an ancient noblewoman buried with her golden jewelry at a Roman burial monument in the island of Sikinos. Her name, according to a burial inscription, was Neko – or Νεικώ using... More »
ATHENS (Reuters) – Luxury jewellery maker Folli Follie (HDFr.AT), whose finances are being investigated by Greek authorities, has obtained a temporary court injunction to protect its assets, it said on Monday. Folli said the injunction, granted by an Athens co... More »
ATHENS (Reuters) – Archaeologists in Greece have discovered what they believe to be the oldest known extract of Homer’s epic poem “The Odyssey”. A team of Greek and German researchers found it on an engraved clay plaque in Ancient Olympia, the birthplace of th... More »
SOFIA (Reuters) – China backs EU integration and wants to use a weekend summit with central and eastern Europe to boost cooperation with the region, not undermine the 28 member bloc, Chinese Premier Li Keqiang said on Friday. Li is visiting Bulgaria, where sta... More »
Euro zone factory growth slowed to an 18-month low in June, slipping for the sixth month in a row amid widespread concerns about trade barriers and their impact on overall economic activity, a survey showed on Monday. IHS Markit’s June final manufacturing Purc... More »
BRUSSELS (Reuters) – EU leaders except Britain are to discuss on Friday Britain’s exit from the European Union and deeper integration of the euro zone after a deal on migration reached in the small hours. [nL8N1TU1MP] Below are the leaders’ comments before the... More »
BERLIN (Reuters) – German Chancellor Angela Merkel said on Thursday that further euro zone reform was needed to nip possible future crises in the bud, after aid programs to some member states had been successful. Addressing parliament before heading to an EU l... More »
ATHENS (Reuters) – Greece wants the Parthenon Marbles back from the British Museum, Prime Minister Alexis Tsipras said in London on Tuesday, trying to reinvigorate a longstanding campaign for the 2,500-year-old treasures. British diplomat Lord Elgin removed th... More »
ATHENS (Reuters) – British singer and actor Sting called world leaders “half men and cowards” on Saturday for their inability to solve the refugee crisis. German Chancellor Angela Merkel has already played down expectations of a breakthrough at hastily-arrange... More »
ATHENS (Reuters) – Greece’s economy grew for a fifth straight quarter in January-to-March and at a faster pace than in the previous three months, helped by stronger exports, the statistics service (ELSTAT) said on Monday. Seasonally adjusted data showed gross ... More »
BERLIN (Reuters) – German Chancellor Angela Merkel gave her most detailed response to French President Emmanuel Macron’s proposal to reform the euro zone in an interview with the Frankfurter Allgemeine Sonntagszeitung newspaper published on Sunday. The followi... More »
BERLIN (Reuters) – There is no threat of a new sovereign debt crisis in the euro zone despite an anti-establishment coalition government taking power in Italy, European Commission President Jean-Claude Juncker said in remarks published on Saturday. Asked by th... More »
LISBON (Reuters) – German Chancellor Angela Merkel said on Thursday she would communicate with a new Italian government in an “open-minded way” amid political turbulence in Rome that has stirred fears of another euro zone crisis. She spoke in Lisbon after talk... More »
BERLIN (Reuters) – Political turmoil in Italy, the euro zone’s third largest economy, could hit economic growth in Germany and affect the whole euro zone, the Berlin-based DIHK Chambers of Industry and Commerce said on Wednesday. The likelihood of snap Italian... More »
ATHENS (Reuters) – A Greek gunboat was nudged by a Turkish cargo vessel early on Friday while on patrol for unauthorized migrant crossings in the Aegean Sea, the Greek navy said. The gunboat “Armatolos” was on patrol off the island of Lesbos as part of a NATO ... More »
FRANKFURT (Reuters) – Euro zone banks continued to cut their pile of soured debt in the final quarter of last year, European Central Bank data showed on Monday, working away on a key legacy of the bloc’s debt crisis which has weighed on growth and bank profits... More »
BARCELONA (Reuters) – Rafael Nadal breezed into the Barcelona Open final with a 6-4 6-0 victory over David Goffin on Saturday to chalk up his 18th successive win on clay and 400th overall on the surface. World number one Nadal will meet Greek teenager Stefanos... More »
BERLIN (Reuters) – French President Emmanuel Macron said on Thursday that euro zone member states should add solidarity mechanisms such as a banking union to the existing instruments meant to improve competitiveness if they want the bloc to thrive. “No monetar... More »
LONDON (Reuters) – Spooked by brewing trade tensions and a broad reversal in technology shares, global investors have cut their equity exposure to a four-month low this month while reducing their holdings of U.S. stocks to the lowest in nearly two years. Reute... More »
LONDON (Reuters) – British investors rattled by global trade tensions are holding equity exposure near four-month lows, a Reuters poll showed on Thursday, though they see emerging market assets as benefiting from dollar weakness. Reuters’ latest monthly asset ... More »
LONDON (Reuters) – European investors have raised their bond allocations in March while keeping their equity exposure at six-month lows, in a month marked by a sharp tech sector selloff and brewing trade tensions that threatened to dent world economic growth. ... More »
ANKARA (Reuters) – A group of chefs in Turkey claimed a world record for the largest baklava on Thursday with a giant tray of the pastry dessert weighing over half a ton. The giant baklava was presented at a “Gastronomy Summit” in Ankara, where dozens of visit... More »
The German share price index, DAX board, is seen at the stock exchange in Frankfurt, Germany, March 12, 2018. REUTERS/Staff/Remote MILAN (Reuters) – European shares hit their highest level in almost two weeks on Monday, boosted by gains among German utilities ... More »
Russian-born Greek businessman and owner of PAOK Salonika, Ivan Savvides (C), pictured with what appears to be a gun in a holster, enters the pitch after the referee annulled a goal of PAOK during their soccer match against AEK Athens in Toumba Stadium in Thes... More »
The German share price index, DAX board, is seen at the stock exchange in Frankfurt, Germany, March 2, 2018. REUTERS/Staff/Remote MILAN (Reuters) – European shares inched up on Monday, held back by heavy losses among Italian stocks after a bigger than expected... More »
LONDON (Reuters) – Investors dumped Italy’s government bonds on Monday and rushed to buy high-grade equivalents such as German Bunds after the weekend Italian election saw a surge in support for anti-establishment parties, led by the 5-Star Movement. Italy fac... More »
Traders work at Frankfurt’s stock exchange in Frankfurt, Germany, February 6, 2018. Picture taken with a fisheye lens. REUTERS/Ralph Orlowski LONDON (Reuters) – The revival of Germany’s grand coalition should aid stability and keep the euro zone’s plans for ti... More »
Greece will need a financial "safety net" after its bailout ends in August and should consider a precautionary support program, the central bank governor said on Monday. More »
FILE PHOTO – Greek Foreign Minister Nikos Kotzias speaks during an interview with Reuters at the Foreign Ministry in Athens, Greece, January 31, 2018. REUTERS/Costas Baltas ATHENS (Reuters) – Greece has launched an investigation after its foreign minister rece... More »
The German share price index, DAX board, is seen at the stock exchange in Frankfurt, Germany, February 1, 2018. REUTERS/Staff/Remote MILAN (Reuters) – European shares fell on Friday and were set for their biggest weekly loss in six months as a slump in Deutsch... More »
FILE PHOTO – Actor Daniel Day-Lewis arrives for a news conference before the first screening of the movie “Phantom Thread” in Athens, Greece, February 1, 2018.REUTERS/Costas Baltas ATHENS (Reuters) – Three-time Oscar winner Daniel Day-Lewis says he has come to... More »
ATHENS (Reuters) – The last time anyone looked on Dawn’s face was 9,000 years ago. Now the teenager can be seen again, after scientists reconstructed her face to show what people looked like in the Mesolithic period, around 7,000 BC. But she doesn’t look happy... More »
A red angel-shaped statue called Phylax by Greek artist Kostis Georgiou is seen in southern Athens, Greece, December 28, 2017. Picture taken December 28, 2017. Panayiotis Tzamaros/Intimenews via REUTERS ATHENS (Reuters) – Black-clad protesters in southern Athe... More »
MELBOURNE (Reuters) – Denis Shapovalov dazzled in pink as he claimed a debut victory over Greek newcomer Stefanos Tsitsipas in a battle of the teenagers at the Australian Open on Monday. The 18-year-old Canadian, whose rise to 50th in the ATP rankings in the p... More »
Protesters flee tear gas as they clash with riot police during a demonstration outside the parliament building against planned government reforms in Athens, Greece January 12, 2018. REUTERS/Alkis Konstantinidis ATHENS (Reuters) – Greek police fired teargas at ... More »
Protesters clash with riot police during a demonstration outside the parliament building against planned government reforms in Athens, Greece January 12, 2018. REUTERS/Alkis Konstantinidis ATHENS (Reuters) – Thousands of Greek protesters marched in central Ath... More »
MILAN (Reuters) – European shares rose on Monday, with merger and acquisition activity in focus and investor sentiment buoyed by expectations that a U.S. tax bill could soon pass. Thales (TCFP.PA) rose 8.4 percent after the French aerospace and defense company... More »
FILE PHOTO: Britain’s Prince Harry poses with Meghan Markle in the Sunken Garden of Kensington Palace, London, Britain, November 27, 2017. REUTERS/Toby Melville/File Photo LONDON (Reuters) – Britain’s Prince Harry and his American fiancée, Meghan Markle, will ... More »
The German share price index, DAX board, is seen at the stock exchange in Frankfurt, Germany, December 6, 2017. REUTERS/Staff/Remote/File Photo LONDON (Reuters) – European stocks rallied to a week’s high on Friday as Britain and the European Union announced a ... More »
BRUSSELS (Reuters) – The European Commission proposed on Wednesday a package of legislative and non-binding measures to reform the euro zone and make it more resilient to future crises. Below are the main proposals: EUROPEAN MONETARY FUND The euro zone bailout... More »
Greek Finance Minister Euclid Tsakalotos arrives for a cabinet meeting at the parliament in Athens, Greece June 13, 2017. REUTERS/Costas Baltas ATHENS/BRUSSELS (Reuters) – Greece and its euro zone creditors reached a preliminary deal on Saturday on reforms Ath... More »
FILE PHOTO – Dutch Finance Minister and Eurogroup President Jeroen Dijsselbloem arrives at Eurozone finance ministers meeting in Brussels, Belgium July 10, 2017. REUTERS/Francois Lenoir/File Photo BRUSSELS (Reuters) – Finance ministers from Latvia, Luxembourg,... More »
German Chancellor Angela Merkel of the Christian Democratic Union (CDU) during the exploratory talks about forming a new coalition government in Berlin, Germany, November 19, 2017. REUTERS/Axel Schmidt BERLIN (Reuters) – Chancellor Angela Merkel said on Monday... More »
International corporate giants like Apple should pay more tax, the leader of Germany's most pro-business party said, calling for deeper cooperation within the European Union and in the group of 20 leading economies to bring this about. More »
A leading candidate to be Germany's next finance minister signaled his willingness on Thursday to seek a compromise with Emmanuel Macron over the French President's plans for deeper euro zone integration. More »
Greece's economy contracted by 0.2 percent last year, the head of statistics service ELSTAT said on Tuesday, releasing its second estimate of full-year 2016 gross domestic product. More »
European shares hit their highest in nearly four months on Friday, helped by gains in Bayer after an asset sale deal paving the way for the German drugmaker's $66 billion acquisition of Monsanto. More »
The European Central Bank will ask euro zone banks from next year to set aside more cash to cover newly classified bad loans and may also present additional measures to tackle the sector's huge stock of bad debt, it said on Wednesday. More »
The boss of Monarch Airlines said he was "absolutely devastated" by the failure of Britain's fifth largest carrier which wrecked the holiday plans of hundreds of thousands of tourists and left most of its staff out of work. More »
Britain's Monarch Airlines [MONA.UL] collapsed on Monday, causing the cancellation of hundreds of thousands of holidays, after falling victim to intense competition for flights and a weaker pound. More »
European shares hovered around three-month highs on Tuesday as a sell-off in Spanish stocks eased and financials gained following another record-breaking session on Wall Street. More »
Jelena Ostapenko overcame a sluggish start to stun world number one Garbine Muguruza in the quarter-finals of the Wuhan Open on Thursday and the Latvian suggested she plays more confidently with less time to prepare. More »
In his eight years as German finance minister, Wolfgang Schaeuble earned a reputation in the euro zone as a feisty disciplinarian, insisting on painful austerity measures for debt-ridden countries like Greece. More »
A senior German conservative said on Monday that Finance Minister Wolfgang Schaeuble would make an "ideal" president of parliament, raising the possibility of a change of roles for a man long associated with unflinching austerity in the euro zone. More »
Portugal's 10-year bond yield hit its lowest level since January 2016 on Monday, driven by the country regaining an investment grade credit rating after 5-1/2 years, effectively drawing a line under its debt crisis. More »
After years of bailing out Greece, the idea of letting more poorer states into the euro zone has sparked controversy, particularly in Germany, where Chancellor Angela Merkel is seeking re-election in two weeks time. More »
