Wildfires rage across Israel, with Greece and Cyprus leading international aid efforts set to arrive Thursday, April 30, 2025. Fueled by strong winds, the fires have closed Highway 1 in Jerusalem and disrupted a Remembrance Day ceremony. With 119 fire crews and aircraft battling the blaze, aid from Croatia, Italy, and others is urgently awaited to curb the devastation.
Tag: Croatia
Greek gymnastics star Lefteris Petrounias launched his 2025 season in style at the Artistic Gymnastics World Cup in Osijek, Croatia, securing second place in the rings qualifiers with a score of 14.366. Unveiling a new routine crafted under the updated Code of Points, the three-time Olympic medalist earned an execution score of 8.866 and a difficulty of 5.500, setting the stage for a highly anticipated final on Saturday, where he’ll face top contenders like Turkey’s Adem Asil.
The UK has issued a travel warning as Spain, Greece, France, and other EU nations prepare to launch the Entry/Exit System (EES) in October 2025, following a revised timeline set by EU Home Affairs Ministers on March 5, 2025. British travelers will face biometric registration—fingerprints and facial scans—potentially causing delays at borders. With a six-month phased rollout and ETIAS to follow in late 2026, UK holidaymakers are urged to plan for new procedures and longer wait times.
In a focused effort to address the ongoing situation in Ukraine, London hosted an emergency summit organized by Starmer. While key figures such as the UK, Canada, Zelensky, and Rutte participated, Greece, Hungary, and Croatia were notably absent. Although Türkiye received a presidential invitation, it opted to send its foreign minister instead. The summit homed in on Ukraine, steering clear of broader EU issues.
In 2023, Greece recorded the highest levels of perceived crime, violence, and vandalism in the EU, with 23.7% of those at risk of poverty reporting such issues. The country also led among those not at risk, with 20.2% experiencing similar concerns. These figures highlight Greece’s ongoing challenges in public safety compared to other EU nations.
Conde Nast Traveler was given exclusive access to Google’s “Year in Search” travel data, highlighting…
Top 10 Friendliest Countries for Tourists in Europe – Including France When planning a holiday,…
Google is conducting a limited test in several EU countries, including Greece, to evaluate the impact of excluding EU-based news publishers from search results. The test aims to provide insights into user behavior regarding news content visibility. Initially planned for France, the test faced legal challenges leading to its suspension there.
In 2023, EU tourism rebounded to pre-pandemic levels, with Greece’s island regions, including Kriti, Notio Aigaio, and Ionia Nisia, emerging as top destinations for foreign visitors. These areas saw over 90% of their tourist stays from international travelers, highlighting Greece’s strong appeal. Spain’s Canarias and Croatia’s Jadranska Hrvatska were the top regions overall, while France led in domestic tourism.
Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis met with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky at the Ukraine-Southeast Europe Summit in Dubrovnik, Croatia. The leaders discussed Ukraine’s ongoing conflict, reconstruction efforts, and Greece’s continued support, including a potential bilateral agreement to aid Ukraine’s recovery and EU membership aspirations.
Archaeologists have uncovered a 3,500-year-old ancient Greek settlement in the heart of a Dalmatian town in Croatia. The discovery includes a remarkably well-preserved Greek wall and structures from various historical periods, offering new insights into the area’s distant past. This monumental find challenges previous understandings of ancient settlements in the region.
Archaeologists in the village of Stobreč have unearthed a monumental 2,000-year-old Greek rampart, or defensive…
Greece has solidified its position as a top European tourist destination, recording over 50 million overnight stays at tourist accommodations in the first six months of 2024.
The European Union has rushed aerial firefighting support to Greece as wildfires continue to burn across the country. Firefighting planes from Croatia, Cyprus, France, and Italy, along with helicopters from Slovenia and Slovakia, have been deployed through the EU Civil Protection Mechanism.
Young Greeks are among the latest in the EU to leave their parental homes, with the average age being 30.6 years in 2023. This trend places Greece alongside countries like Croatia and Slovakia, where young people also gain independence relatively late. Additionally, Greece faces high overcrowding rates for young people, with a significant gap compared to the general population, highlighting ongoing housing challenges for the country’s youth.
Greece has secured the second spot on the list of the world’s friendliest countries, according to a study by Remitly. The research involved participants from 27 countries and used personality tests to gauge friendliness. South Africa took the top position, and the report highlighted the warmth and sociability of its people. The top five also included Croatia, Mexico, and Sweden.
Greece ranks among the EU leaders in firefighter employment and government spending on fire-protection services. In 2023, firefighters made up 0.39% of Greece’s workforce, one of the highest in the EU, while the country dedicated 0.6% of its total government expenditure to fire safety in 2022.
Greece has reported 10 deaths from the West Nile virus in 2024, with a total of 76 domestic cases confirmed so far. Most of the severe cases involved central nervous system symptoms, and the fatalities were all among individuals over 60. The virus has spread across several regions, highlighting its ongoing presence in Greece and other European nations.
Greece’s men’s water polo team triumphed over Italy with a 9-8 victory in the Paris 2024 Olympics, securing at least a second-place finish in Group A.
In 2022, EU residents expressed high satisfaction with personal relationships, averaging a score of 7.8 out of 10. Greece reported lower satisfaction at 7.3, with Bulgaria at the bottom with 6.0. Young people and households with dependent children showed the highest satisfaction levels.