Athens News - News from Athens, the political, economic and cultural centre of Greece, the European Union and the whole world

Shiite ministers walked out of a Lebanese cabinet meeting Friday called to discuss efforts to disarm Hezbollah, state media reported, with the group adamant it would hold onto its weapons.

Stocks rose and the dollar slid Friday as a sharp slowdown in US hiring cemented expectations that the US Federal Reserve will resume cutting interest rates later this month.

A new documentary featuring never-before-seen footage of a pivotal moment in folk music history taps into a revival of interest in Bob Dylan thanks to recent biopic "A Complete Unknown", which starred Timothee Chalamet.

US job growth stalled in August while unemployment crept up to its highest level since 2021, in a closely watched report Friday after weak data earlier prompted President Donald Trump to fire a key economic official.

Europe's fastest supercomputer Jupiter was inaugurated Friday in Germany with Chancellor Friedrich Merz saying it could help the continent catch up in the global artificial intelligence race.

Eleven foreign nationals were among the 16 people killed when one of Lisbon's popular funicular trains crashed this week, the Portuguese authorities announced on Friday.

The publisher of "Roblox" has promised to set up age verification mechanisms, after allegations the video game massively popular with children and teens worldwide has fallen short on safety.

The World Health Organization recommended a range of blockbuster weight-loss drugs to treat diabetes and obesity globally for the first time on Friday, calling for cheap generic versions to be made available for people in developing countries.

Britain's Duchess of Kent, known for her links to the Wimbledon tennis tournament and for anonymously teaching music at a primary school, has died aged 92, Buckingham Palace said on Friday.

German Chancellor Friedrich Merz said on Friday that Europe can catch up in the global artificial intelligence race as he inaugurated the continent's fastest supercomputer.

The US economy added significantly fewer jobs than expected in August, government data showed on Friday, in a closely watched report after weak data earlier prompted President Donald Trump to fire a key economic official.

The Lebanese government began discussing on Friday an army plan to disarm Hezbollah, which the Iran-backed militant group says plays into the hands of Israel and the United States.

Lewis Hamilton gave Ferrari fans hope of a big weekend at the Italian Grand Prix after topping the times in Friday's first practice session at Monza ahead of teammate Charles Leclerc.

Teenage girls are hiring themselves out as hitwomen in Sweden's organised crime wars, keen to prove they are more deadly and ruthless than young men, prosecutors say.

South Africa back-rower Jean-Luc du Preez is set to miss the remainder of the Rugby Championship with a knee injury, his French club Bordeaux-Begles' coach Yannick Bru said Friday.

Newcastle defender Dan Burn insisted on Friday he feels "no animosity" towards Alexander Isak following the striker's drawn-out move to Premier League rivals Liverpool.

The Israeli military destroyed a high-rise in Gaza City on Friday, shortly after announcing it would target tall buildings identified as being used by Hamas ahead of Israeli forces' planned conquest of the urban hub.

Max Balard scored on debut with three minutes left as Australia ground past fellow World Cup qualifiers New Zealand 1-0 Friday to stretch their unbeaten streak under Tony Popovic to nine games.

Tens of millions of mobile phones across the UK will blare a siren sound at the same time on Sunday as part of government efforts to better prepare for national emergencies.

England manager Thomas Tuchel is adamant there is "no curse" upon his side as he looks to end their near 60-year wait for a major international trophy.

Nigel Farage's anti-immigration party Reform UK kicked off Britain's annual party conference season Friday, with the Brexit cheerleader and his buoyant supporters increasingly confident he can be Britain's next leader.

For decades, the red carpet of the Venice Film Festival was one of Giorgio Armani's most high-profile catwalks, with the stars of cinema donning his elegant creations for the eyes of the world.

President Vladimir Putin warned on Friday that any Western forces deployed to Ukraine would be "legitimate" targets for Russia's army, as Ukrainian counterpart Volodymyr Zelensky said "thousands" could be sent as part of a peacekeeping force.

France's growing debt pile is at the heart of the confidence vote that could topple the government of Prime Minister Francois Bayrou next week.

Britain's Duchess of Kent, who was known for her links to the Wimbledon tennis tournament, has died aged 92, Buckingham Palace said on Friday.

China said Friday it would impose temporary anti-dumping duties on European Union pork imports, delivering another blow to shaky ties between the economic powerhouses as Brussels vowed to protect its producers.

Asian and European stock markets advanced on Friday ahead of a key US jobs report that will give insight into the Federal Reserve's path for interest rates.

Manchester City defender John Stones has withdrawn from the England squad through injury for the upcoming World Cup qualifiers against Andorra and Serbia, manager Thomas Tuchel said Friday.

Right-wing Thai tycoon Anutin Charnvirakul was confirmed Friday by parliament as the nation's next prime minister, ousting the dominant populist Shinawatra dynasty.

The Lebanese government is set to discuss on Friday an army plan to disarm Hezbollah, which the Iran-backed militant group says plays into the hands of Israel and the United States.

China said Friday it would impose temporary anti-dumping duties on European Union pork imports, delivering another blow to shaky ties between the economic powerhouses.

The United States has imposed sanctions on three leading Palestinian NGOs, accusing them of supporting International Criminal Court efforts to prosecute Israeli nationals.