Greece - ekathimerini.com (English)

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1. Geostrategic power, the Balkans and pipelines

   On New Year’s Eve, the Thessaloniki-Skopje oil pipeline was put into operation. It has the potential to expand to neighboring markets such as Kosovo, southern Serbia, or even Bulgaria, while the natural gas interconnector that will run from Nea Mesimvria in Greece through Evzoni (Macukovo) and Gevgelija at the border to Negotino in North Macedonia, is expected to be operational in October.

2. Thessaloniki metro shuts down for two weeks for Kalamaria extension

   The northern port city of Thessaloniki’s metro will shut down for 15 days in March to complete the extension to the suburb of Kalamaria, Deputy Infrastructure Minister Nikos Tachiaos announced.

3. Gender pay gap remains around 13.5%, survey shows

   The gender pay gap across the Greek economy remained broadly stable between 2022 and 2024, with women continuing to earn significantly less than men, according to a new survey released by the Hellenic Statistical Authority (ELSTAT).

4. Panathinaikos and PAOK set for Europa League playoffs

   Panathinaikos and PAOK soccer clubs are set to play Czech team Viktoria Plzen and Spanish side Celta de Vigo in the UEFA Europa League playoff round following the draw on Friday.

5. Greek village offers incentives to recruit full-time, live-in priest

   A village in northern Greece is offering free housing and heating as part of an incentive package designed to attract a full-time, live-in priest.

6. EU opens infringement procedure against Greece over firearms rules

   The European Commission has launched an infringement procedure against Greece for failing to correctly implement key provisions of an EU directive on firearms, focusing on rules governing the registration and safe storage of weapons.

7. Mitsotakis inspects construction of new Crete international airport

   Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis on Friday inspected progress at the construction site of a new international airport in Crete, describing the project as a major infrastructure upgrade expected to boost the island’s growth.

8. Taxi drivers call new two-day strike for February 3-4

   Taxi drivers in the Greater Athens region said Friday they will hold a new two-day strike on February 3-4 to protest electric transition timelines and competition from other driving services providers.

9. Fears dozens of sheep carcasses found in southern river linked with pox epidemic

   Authorities in the western Peloponnese suspect the discovery of dozens of dead sheep in a river may be connected with Greece’s ongoing sheep and goat pox epidemic.

10. $500 billion euro crisis fund could be used for defense, says ESM chief

    A European crisis fund with more than 430 billion euros ($514 billion) of firepower could lend money to countries for defence, the head of the European Stability Mechanism told Reuters, as the bloc scrambles to reinforce its military.