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Greek court: Orthodox students cannot be exempted from religion classesIn an ongoing struggle between the Atheist Union of Greece and Greece's Ministry of Education, Greece's Council of State ruled this month that Greek Orthodox students cannot be excused from required religious education classes and said exemptions for non-Orthodox do not violate human rights or European Union privacy laws.In Greece, public education and religious education are intimately entwined — so much so that the Ministry of Education's full name is the Ministry of Education, Religious Affairs and Sports. Article 16 of the Greek Constitution declares that "Education constitutes a basic mission for the State" and tasks educators with "the development of national and religious consciousness."All students in Greek public schools who belong to the country's Orthodox Christian majority are therefore required to attend religion classes from grade three through high school.
Livestock farmers from Sweden to Greece test paths to greener agriculture Livestock farmers in Germany, Italy, Sweden and the UK are trying a new method to produce milk and meat: feeding their cows mainly or only grass.Cattle diets usually include a variety of grains, which make the animals grow faster and – by extension – their meat and milk cheaper. But the practice has hefty environmental and social costs.The grains are often imported from far-away countries like Brazil, meaning long transport routes and higher maritime emissions.Many of these crops are also cultivated on land created by cutting down parts of tropical forests, contributing to climate change by releasing carbon dioxide stored in trees and causing biodiversity loss.In addition, by serving as animal feed, such grains cut into much-needed supplies of food for people worldwide. A further concern for many people in Europe is that the grains, when they’re maize, are frequently genetically modified.A research project funded by the EU is drawing inspiration from some beef producers in the UK who have switched to 100% grass-fed cows.The farmers have also created a special meat and dairy label to inform consumers of the production method and its health benefits, which include lower fat and higher vitamin levels.Another example is a system for automatically checking the health and behaviour of animals so that farmers can take immediate action if needed.These advances will be applied over the next year and a half on poultry farms in the Netherlands and goat farms in Greece, Italy and Switzerland.
Births in Greece post further 10.3 pct drop in 2022The Hellenic Statistical Authority (ELSTAT) has released data on demographic indicators in Greece for 2022, encompassing vital events such as births, deaths, marriages, and registered partnerships for that year.
Francis Lee: Manchester City great dies aged 79
Huge crowd for Truss conference speech as ministers struggle with attendanceFormer prime minister Liz Truss has attracted a huge crowd for her speech at the Conservative Party Conference while Cabinet ministers have been struggling to fill auditoriums.Senior Tories had urged Ms Truss to stay away from the Manchester conference amid concerns she could cause difficulties for Rishi Sunak but it appears party members are still keen to hear from the UK's shortest serving PM.She was asked, "are you just here to cause trouble?" by reporters as she arrived in Manchester ahead of her speech at a fringe event where former home secretary Priti Patel and former business secretary Jacob Rees-Mogg also spoke.Ms Truss told a so-called growth rally her party needs to “make the case for Conservatism again” and “do more to revive Conservative values and show that they deliver”.
Rishi Sunak’s Commons majority in peril as 60 Tories join Liz Truss groupGrowth Group now same size as government’s majority, as it urges PM to cut taxes and resume fracking
Greece has second highest unemployment rate in the EU, reports EurostatThe unemployment rate in the EU, and in Greece, has dropped from last year, according to a Eurostat report released on Monday. At the same time, Greece recorded the second-highest unemployment rate in the EU (10.9%) followed by Spain (11.5%).
Greece forced into ‘painful’ shutdown of country’s biggest stadium due to safety concernsThe Olympic Stadium in Athens faces questions over the stability of its steel dome and has been closed indefinitely Greek authorities have shut the country's biggest sports stadium amid concerns over the stability of its steel dome, an architectural landmark built for the Athens 2004 Olympic Games.The 70,000-seat Olympic Stadium hosts major sporting events throughout the year, including football’s Champions League as well as sold-out concerts, most recently Guns N' Roses in the summer.Stadium officials said on Friday all activities would be halted indefinitely after a study found the stadium's roof – as well as that of the country's sole cycling track nearby – "did not meet the legally permitted levels of static adequacy."
Not all renters smoke weed or are in gangs, minister saysNot all renters are "bad people" who smoke weed or are in gangs, the housing minister has said as she defended plans to strengthen renters' rights.Rachel Maclean said the government was committed to the Renters Reform Bill and she hoped it would make progress in Parliament soon.The bill would ban landlords in England from evicting tenants with no justification.