Latest news with #Thessaloniki
Asharq Al-Awsat
2 days ago
- General
- Asharq Al-Awsat
Turkish Nationals Appear in Greek Court after Shooting Incident with Police in Thessaloniki
Five Turkish nationals appeared in court in northern Greece on Thursday following a wave of police raids and arrests triggered by a shooting incident reportedly targeting Greek intelligence officers. Three of those arrested were charged and later sentenced to five months in prison for unrelated drugs offences while two others were cleared but remain in police detention for questioning, authorities said, Reuters reported. The incident occurred outside in the northern city of Thessaloniki on Wednesday when a group of unidentified suspects at a gas station opened fire at officers who were keeping them under surveillance. No one was injured. State-run television reported that the officers were from Greece's National Intelligence Service, but authorities have not publicly commented on their identity. Greece is combatting a surge in violence involving Turkish organized crime groups over the past two years, including several gang-linked assassinations and other shooting incidents.
The Independent
2 days ago
- General
- The Independent
Turkish nationals appear in Greek court after shooting incident with police in Thessaloniki
Five Turkish nationals appeared in court in northern Greece on Thursday following a wave of police raids and arrests triggered by a shooting incident reportedly targeting Greek intelligence officers. Three of those arrested were charged and later sentenced to five months in prison for unrelated drugs offences while two others were cleared but remain in police detention for questioning, authorities said. The incident occurred outside in the northern city of Thessaloniki on Wednesday when a group of unidentified suspects at a gas station opened fire at officers who were keeping them under surveillance. No one was injured. State-run television reported that the officers were from Greece's National Intelligence Service, but authorities have not publicly commented on their identity. Greece is combatting a surge in violence involving Turkish organized crime groups over the past two years, including several gang-linked assassinations and other shooting incidents.
Reuters
3 days ago
- Business
- Reuters
Aegean Airlines reports record Q1 core profit as passenger traffic rises
May 28 (Reuters) - Greece's largest carrier, Aegean Airlines ( opens new tab, reported record first-quarter core profit on Wednesday, boosted by a rise of 8% in passenger traffic. A member of the Star Alliance airlines group, Aegean reported earnings before interest, taxes, depreciation, and amortization (EBITDA) of 43.8 million euros ($49.56 million) in the first quarter, up from 33.2 million a year ago. First-quarter revenues surged 14% on the year to stand at 306 million euros. "The continued recovery in local demand, along with the gradual extension of the tourist season, particularly in Athens and Thessaloniki, enable us to operate with improved intensity over a gradually expanding period," Chief Executive Dimitris Gerogiannis said in a statement. Tourism is a key economic driver for Greece as it accounts for more than a quarter of its economic output. Looking ahead, the Greek carrier said it aimed to offer 21.2 million seats in 2025, up 1.5 million from the previous year. ($1=0.8837 euros)
The Independent
23-05-2025
- The Independent
Mount Athos monk in hospital after alleged attack by rival monastery
A violent clash at a monastic sanctuary on Greece's Mount Athos has left an Orthodox Christian monk in hospital, reigniting a decades-old religious dispute. The monk, transferred from the isolated monastic community to Thessaloniki, is being treated for cuts and bruises to his face and upper body, according to hospital officials. The incident underscores the ongoing tensions surrounding the long-standing disagreements in the region and is tied to a decades-old religious dispute. Hospital officials said the monk is being treated in Thessaloniki for cuts and bruises to his face and upper body, after being transferred from Mount Athos, located about 175 kilometers (110 miles) to the east. Mount Athos is a self-governed monastic territory in Greece, home to centuries-old monasteries where monks live in devotion to prayer and spiritual life. Women are banned from entering the area. A map of Mount Athos: At the center of the ongoing conflict is Esphigmenou Monastery, whose brotherhood continues to defy court and church orders to vacate the premises. They refuse to recognize authority over them by the Ecumenical Patriarchate, the spiritual home of the Eastern Orthodox Church based in Istanbul, Turkey. This religious rift has led to repeated violent clashes, legal battles, and supply blockades between members of the defiant brotherhood and church-appointed replacements. The controversy, which began in the early 1970s, was compounded by court decisions against the rebel monks, who are sustained by donations from outside groups of supporters. According to monastic authorities, the latest incident occurred late Thursday, when a monk from the officially recognized brotherhood was attacked by rivals wielding gardening tools during routine groundskeeping work at an administrative building. Father Bartholomew, abbot of the new brotherhood, told The Associated Press that the young monk sustained facial and rib injuries from punches and blows with a wooden object. He added that a description of the alleged attacker was provided to police and that a Thessaloniki public prosecutor had also been formally notified. 'What is the point of having these decisions (to expel the monks) if they are not enforced? They must be implemented,' Bartholomew said. In an online statement, the breakaway brotherhood denied the accusations. 'It is a well-known tactic for these perpetrators to play the victims," it said. "They feigned injury in a performance worthy of an acting class.'
The Independent
23-05-2025
- The Independent
Greek monk hospitalized after monastery clash linked to decades-old dispute
An Orthodox Christian monk was hospitalized following a violent confrontation at a monastic sanctuary in northern Greece, authorities said Friday. The incident is tied to a decades-old religious dispute. Hospital officials said the monk is being treated in Thessaloniki for cuts and bruises to his face and upper body, after being transferred from Mount Athos, located about 175 kilometers (110 miles) to the east. Mount Athos is a self-governed monastic territory in Greece, home to centuries-old monasteries where monks live in devotion to prayer and spiritual life. Women are banned from entering the area. At the center of the ongoing conflict is Esphigmenou Monastery, whose brotherhood continues to defy court and church orders to vacate the premises. They refuse to recognize authority over them by the Ecumenical Patriarchate, the spiritual home of the Eastern Orthodox Church based in Istanbul, Turkey. This religious rift has led to repeated violent clashes, legal battles, and supply blockades between members of the defiant brotherhood and church-appointed replacements. The controversy, which began in the early 1970s, was compounded by court decisions against the rebel monks, who are sustained by donations from outside groups of supporters. According to monastic authorities, the latest incident occurred late Thursday, when a monk from the officially recognized brotherhood was attacked by rivals wielding gardening tools during routine groundskeeping work at an administrative building. Father Bartholomew, abbot of the new brotherhood, told The Associated Press that the young monk sustained facial and rib injuries from punches and blows with a wooden object. He added that a description of the alleged attacker was provided to police and that a Thessaloniki public prosecutor had also been formally notified. 'What is the point of having these decisions (to expel the monks) if they are not enforced? They must be implemented,' Bartholomew said. In an online statement, the breakaway brotherhood denied the accusations. 'It is a well-known tactic for these perpetrators to play the victims," it said. "They feigned injury in a performance worthy of an acting class.'
