(Editor's Note: This article was originally published on April 9, 2018.) This Thursday, the world recognizes Yom Hashoah, Holocaust Remembrance Day. For Ephraim Hadjis of Madera, it is a time of horror he will never forget. Hadjis was born in Greece. He thinks it was 1943, making him 75 years...
Greek Church Tells Priests to Ignore Pandemic Closure Order
ATHENS, Greece — Greece's powerful Orthodox Church is rebelling against a government order to briefly close places of worship under a weeklong drive to tighten virus restrictions before the planned reopening of schools. The conservative Church's ruling body issued a statement Monday directing priests to admit worshippers during indoor services...
New Fire Breaks Out in Crowded Refugee Camp on Greek Island
ATHENS, Greece — Fire struck again Wednesday night in Greece's notoriously overcrowded refugee camp on the island of Lesbos, a day after a blaze swept through it and left thousands in need of emergency shelter. The fires caused no injuries, but they renewed criticism of Europe’s migration policy. Wednesday night's...
Greece Battles Coronavirus Resurgence After Early Success
PIRAEUS, Greece — Workers in bright yellow vests stand on the dock in Greece’s main port of Piraeus, greeting hundreds of masked ferry passengers with fliers and the occasional temperature check. “Would you like a coronavirus test? Yes, it’s free. Right over there, in the white structure, you’ll see the...
Turkey Deploying Special Forces to Border Amid Migrant Surge
ANKARA, Turkey — Turkey said Thursday it would deploy special forces along its land border with Greece to prevent Greek authorities pushing back people trying to cross into Europe, after Turkey declared its previously guarded gateways to Europe open. Thousands of refugees and other migrants have tried to cross into...
Turkey Deports American IS Suspect Stuck at Greek Border
ANKARA, Turkey — An American man suspected of being a member of the Islamic State group is being repatriated to the United States after spending three days in a no man's land between Turkey and Greece, Turkey’s Interior Ministry said Thursday. The United States agreed to take him in and...
3 Ancient Shipwrecks Discovered off Aegean Island of Kasos
ATHENS, Greece — Greece's Culture Ministry says three shipwrecks from ancient and mediaeval times and large sections of their cargoes have been discovered off the small Aegean island of Kasos. A statement Monday said an underwater survey that ended last month also located cannons and other scattered finds — possibly...
Why Won't State Use Fresno Company's Wildfire Fighting System?
A Fresno manufacturer has created an aerial firefighting system that increases the amount of fire suppression materials delivered in a shorter period of time at nearly half the cost of conventional platforms. The Guardian system has been used to fight wildfires all over the world — including this week's deadly...
EU’s Refugee Crisis: Which European Countries are Hosting More Asylum Seekers?
In an increasingly interconnected world, the refugee crisis has become a central issue for governments worldwide. Especially after the outbreak of the Syrian crisis, which caused more than one million refugees to cross into Europe in 2015 alone, the debate around forced immigration has started to be addressed by the...
Central Valley Holocaust Survivor Shares His Story
This Thursday (April 12), the world recognizes Yom Hashoah, Holocaust Remembrance Day. For Ephraim Hadjis of Madera, it is a time of horror he will never forget. Hadjis was born in Greece. He thinks it was 1943, making him 75 years old today. But, in truth, he may be a...