A commission in Turkish parliament is considering an application by citizens to turn the Hagia Sophia in Istanbul into a mosque.

Prime Minister Antonis Samaras expressed the view that 2013 will be the last difficult year for Greek commerce, while receiving the annual report of Greek commerce for 2013 from a delegation of the National Confederation of Hellenic Commerce (ESEE), headed by its president Vasilis Korkidis late on Monday.

Mikis Theodorakis will be welcomed by the Athens Academy as a new member emeritus during an open plenum on Tuesday at 19.00 pm.

Islamist guerrillas have taken 12 Orthodox nuns into custody after seizing the monastery of Saint Thekla in Maaloula , yesterday afternoon.