Greece announces 1 billion euros in financial benefits after posting 1.3% budget surplus ABC News (April 22) Greece’s prime minister on Tuesday announced 1 billion euros ($1.15 billion) in financial benefits for lower-income households and the public investment program, after the country became one of the few European Union members to post a budget surplus in 2024. Only six of the EU’s 27 member nations posted a surplus for 2024, figures released by Eurostat showed. Greece’s surplus of 1.3% of gross domestic product — compared to an overall EU deficit of 3.2% — was a marked improvement in financial performance for a country that was deeply mired in a debt crisis that roiled the EU and international financial markets about a decade ago. read more
Ultra-Processed Foods Are Fueling Childhood Obesity in Greece To Vima (April 22) A typical day for a Greek child might start with a sugary cereal, continue with packaged cookies for a mid-morning snack, and end with takeout pizza, burgers, or hot dogs for dinner—because, let’s face it, saying no to the kid isn’t easy. The child is only nine years old, yet 40% of their daily calories come from ultra-processed foods. These aren’t just regular processed foods. By definition, ultra-processed foods are essentially products of industrial food engineering rather than nature. They contain five or more industrial ingredients such as added sugars, saturated fats, oils, salt, antioxidants, stabilizers, and preservatives. read more
Celestyal Cruise Ship Makes Sustainable Travel History in Greece Travelpulse (April 22) Offering more sustainable sailing, boutique cruise line Celestyal Cruises has announced that Celestyal Discovery has become the first-ever cruise ship to operate in Greek waters using a marine biofuel blend. The milestone delivery to the Port of Lavrion in the southeastern part of Attica was conducted by Coral Marine Products, SA, part of Motor Oil Group, in partnership with Celestyal. read more
Big Spring Start for Greece’s Tourism Shows Another Record Year Likely The National Herald (April 22) It’s only April but it looks like summer for tourism in Greece, with the Orthodox and Catholic Easters coinciding and Athens and the islands filling with people even before the peak season, indicating a third straight record year is coming.’ Even 20,000 earthquakes that hit Santorini and nearby islands in the winter haven’t slowed the desire to go there, nor an international economic slowdown and uncertainty over American tariffs and trade wars rocking the world. read more
Italian string quartet makes Cyprus debut Cyprus-Mail (April 22) One of the most exciting young string quartets to emerge from Italy in recent years is coming to Cyprus for a one-night-only concert in Nicosia. The Shoe Factory in the old town will host the four musicians on May 2 and the event is expected to be a highlight for the island’s music scene. Formed in 2016 at the Santa Cecilia Conservatory in Rome, the quartet quickly distinguished itself for the freshness and depth of its interpretations, earning the prestigious Farulli Prize from the Italian Music Critics as part of the Franco Abbiati Prize in 2018. read more
Cyprus’ economy set to slow down, says IMF Kathimerini Cyprus (April 22) The International Monetary Fund (IMF) has lowered its expectations for how much Cyprus's economy will grow over the next two years. While earlier predictions were a bit more optimistic, the IMF now sees Cyprus's economy expanding by just 2.5% in 2025, instead of the 3.1% it had forecast last autumn. For 2026, the growth estimate is slightly better at 2.7%. That’s a noticeable downgrade and doesn’t align with the Cyprus Finance Ministry’s own forecast, which still expects a stronger performance, 3.1% in 2025 and 3.2% in 2026. read more
Greek-yogurt maker Chobani to invest $1.2 billion in New York plant Reuters (April 22) Greek-yogurt maker Chobani said on Tuesday that it would be investing $1.2 billion in building its third U.S. dairy processing plant in New York, and expects to create more than 1,000 full-time jobs. The privately held company, which announced a $500 million expansion in Idaho last month, said the new facility in upstate New York would help it keep up with rising product demand and also boost new innovations. read more | 
