All posts tagged: Greece

Greece goes its own way – and drops EU entry-exit biometrics for British travellers

Greece goes its own way – and drops EU entry-exit biometrics for British travellers

Published by Sam Flores

You might remember the term “Grexit”. It was floating around towards the end of the last decade when there was talk that Greece might follow the UK in taking the brave decision to leave the European Union. You will have noticed that never happened. Neither did the rumours that Greece might tumble out of the euro – abandoning the single currency in favour of a new drachma – come to anything. Talk of vaults full of freshly printed banknotes ready to enter circulation from Athens to Zante proved false. Yet this weekend it has emerged that Greece is choosing its own course to avoid the sorts of airport chaos that we have been witnessing at various European locations for the past week. As you may recall, since 10 April, every Schengen area frontier is supposed to be applying the EU entry-exit system in all its biometric glory to British passport holders: Fingerprints and facial biometric at first registration One of those biometrics (almost always the face) on subsequent border crossings These rules apply to all …

Greece’s deputy agriculture minister resigns over degree fraud  – POLITICO

Greece’s deputy agriculture minister resigns over degree fraud  – POLITICO

Published by Sam Flores

Lazaridis holds a diploma from the College of Southeastern Europe, a now-defunct private school whose credentials were not formally recognized as equivalent to a degree. When he left his position to work in the office of the now Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis, it was filled instantly by his wife.  In a series of interviews this week, Lazaridis defended himself and said he wouldn’t justify his credentials to opposition parties and that he is not as lazy as “all left-wingers.” On Thursday, though, he offered to return any compensation he received improperly. Lazaridis on Saturday said he was resigning to ensure the government and the agriculture ministry could continue their work “without distraction” and accused opposition parties of “toxic attacks” and “slander.” The main opposition party, PASOK, was quick to criticize Mitsotakis’s administration. The resignation of Lazaridis “underscores just how weak the prime minister is,” PASOK said in a statement. “In the end, he opened the exit door himself, since his admission that he had defrauded the state was not grounds for dismissal in Mitsotakis’s eyes.” Source link

Online age checks are coming in Europe – POLITICO

Online age checks are coming in Europe – POLITICO

Published by Sam Flores

Gaining momentum Von der Leyen’s announcement — although technical — is indicative of the huge momentum behind social media bans to keep kids and teenagers away from platforms and their addictive algorithms. Seven countries that had already been working on their own apps in coordination with the EU will deploy their versions by the end of the year, the senior Commission official said: Cyprus, Denmark, France, Greece, Italy, Ireland and Spain. The app gives people three ways to prove their age: passports, national IDs and a third way dubbed a “QR code” under which a trusted provider such as a school or a bank can attest to a user’s age. The application will then store the information as to whether the user is over 13, 15 or 18 years of age without retaining other data, the Commission official said. Online services, like adult content sites or social media, can then call on the app to check if a user is over a certain age. Von der Leyen will present the solution to EU leaders on …

History of flotilla campaigns to end Israel’s siege of Gaza | Gaza News

History of flotilla campaigns to end Israel’s siege of Gaza | Gaza News

Published by Sam Flores

International activists are preparing on Sunday to set sail from northeastern Spain to the Gaza Strip in a massive 70-boat flotilla, aiming to break Israel’s devastating naval blockade and deliver much-needed humanitarian aid. Dubbed the “Global Resilience Flotilla,” the initiative is the second of its kind in less than a year. It boasts a significant increase in participation, with about 1,000 volunteers from 70 countries taking part in the effort. The vessels, departing from the port of Barcelona, are loaded with food, medicine, school bags, and stationery for Palestinian children. Organisers say the mission is being carried out in coordination with Palestinian civil society organisations, maritime security experts, and prominent international NGOs, including Greenpeace and Open Arms—a charity known for its Mediterranean rescue operations. The flotilla has also received increased backing from the Barcelona municipality. Pablo Castilla, a spokesperson for the flotilla, told reporters in Barcelona that the primary goal is to “condemn international complicity in the genocide committed by Israel in Gaza, demand accountability, and open a humanitarian corridor by sea and land”. Castilla …

Emily in Greece? Emily in Paris to film in two European countries for season 6

Emily in Greece? Emily in Paris to film in two European countries for season 6

Published by Daniella Wilson

Stay ahead of the curve with our weekly guide to the latest trends, fashion, relationships and more Stay ahead of the curve with our weekly guide to the latest trends, fashion, relationships and more Stay ahead of the curve with our weekly guide to the latest trends, fashion, relationships and more Emily in Paris is venturing further afield as the cast and crew head to Greece and Monaco to film its sixth season this May. The Netflix series, which stars Lily Collins as American marketing executive Emily Cooper who goes to work in Paris, has become more of a pan-European endeavour in recent seasons, with Emily living between Paris and Rome — and falling in love with various men from those cities. While plot details for the forthcoming season remain under wraps, the season five finale showed Emily’s on-again, off-again romantic interest, Gabriel (Lucas Bravo), sending her a postcard inviting her on a Greek getaway. He revealed at the end of the series that he had left his Paris restaurant and taken a new chef …

Europe should regulate Big Tech instead of banning kids from social media, Estonia says – POLITICO

Europe should regulate Big Tech instead of banning kids from social media, Estonia says – POLITICO

Published by Sam Flores

Banning kids from social media won’t “actually solve the problems” and “kids will find very quickly the ways to go around and to still use social media,” the Estonian minister said. “The way to approach this, to me, is not to make kids responsible for that harm [stemming from social media platforms] and start self-regulating,” said Kallas, speaking at POLITICO’s European Pulse Forum in Barcelona. The “responsibility is on the governments and on the corporation side,” she said. “Europe pretends to be weak when it comes to big American and international corporations,” but that’s a “pretense,” Kallas said. She called on the EU to “actually take this power and start regulating the big American corporations.” Australia, the first country to implement a ban for kids having social media accounts below 15, has noted significant gaps in the way platforms implement the measures. Sonja Rijnen contributed reporting. Source link

Greece Introduces New Law to Combat Art Forgery and Vandalism

Greece Introduces New Law to Combat Art Forgery and Vandalism

Published by Jenni Sidey

Greece has introduced sweeping new legislation aimed at protecting its cultural property from forgery and damage, marking the country’s first comprehensive legal framework for crimes against art and collectibles. The bill, approved by Parliament in late January, establishes strict criminal penalties calibrated to the severity of the offense, including prison sentences ranging from six months to ten years and fines of up to €300,000 in the most serious cases. It also broadens the legal definition of art-related fraud to encompass issues of provenance, condition, and attribution, while clarifying what constitutes protected cultural property—extending coverage to “cinemas of historical importance.” Per the new bill, works identified as counterfeit are subject to destruction. Related Articles The law notably establishes an independent registry of art forgery experts within the culture ministry to appraise and archive cases, with the aim of fostering a more trustworthy art market. It would work with academic, business, and legal professionals to prevent the recirculation of counterfeits, promote transparency in transactions, and ensure the integrity of provenance. With this, Greece would shift from a …

Greece Moves to Protect Minors From Social Media With New Ban for Kids Under 15

Greece Moves to Protect Minors From Social Media With New Ban for Kids Under 15

Published by Sam Flores

ATHENS, Greece (AP) — Greece became the latest European Union country to unveil plans for a total social media ban for kids 15 and under in a move the country’s prime minister said aims to pressure the 27-member bloc into formalizing EU-wide age restrictions. The new law will target social media platforms that enable the user to create profiles, interact with others and share content, such as Facebook, Instagram and TikTok. Once the legislation is enacted, social media platforms will be responsible for reverifying the ages of all users in the country to exclude those who are 15 years or under. Authorities say the state’s role will be limited to ensuring that social media platforms comply with the new law and will take action in case of any reported violations. Violations will be reported to the authorities of the country in which the social media platform is based or to the EU’s executive arm. Penalties include fines of up to 6% of a company’s global turnover, daily fines until compliance or restrictions on operations. In …

Greece proposes law to keep kids off social media

Greece proposes law to keep kids off social media

Published by Sam Flores

ATHENS — The Greek government is set to ban children under the age of 15 from using social media platforms. Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis announced the draft law by addressing young people directly in a TikTok video, where he accused “the addictive design of some apps” and their “profit model that’s based on your attention” of taking away “some of your innocence and freedom.” “I am certain that many of you … will be angry with me,” he added. Under the proposed legislation, anyone under the age of 15 would be barred from using social media, with parents or guardians required to install an app enforcing the restriction across all devices — whether they agree with the reform or not. The ban will come up in parliament during the summer and is expected to take effect from Jan. 1, 2027. Mitsotakis said that even though the measures might seem unfair, they were necessary to protect kids’ mental health. In a letter to European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen, the prime minister called for collective …