Greece holidays: Entry requirements, passport validity, visas and Covid rules explained

ATHENS, Greece -- A more than 3,000-year-old gold signet ring that was stolen from an Aegean island in World War II, crossed the Atlantic, was bought by a Nobel Prize-winning Hungarian scientist and ended up in a Swedish museum has found its way back to Greece.It was the latest in a series of coups by Greek authorities seeking the return of works plundered from the antiquities-rich country — even though an initial effort by the Swedish museum to return the ring apparently fell between the cracks of 1970s bureaucracy.The Greek culture ministry said Friday that the gold Mycenaean-era work from Rhodes, decorated with two facing sphinxes, was willingly returned by Swedish officials who provided full assistance with documenting the artifact and its provenance.Greek experts confirmed the identification, and the piece was handed over in Stockholm by Vidar Helgesen, executive director of the Nobel Foundation, to which the ring had been bequeathed by the Hungarian biophysicist. The foundation, which presents annual awards for outstanding achievement in several fields, had given it to the Museum of Mediterranean and Near Eastern Antiquities in Stockholm.Greek Culture Minister Lina Mendoni thanked the Nobel Foundation and Swedish authorities for the repatriation, saying it “shows their respect for modern Greece and our constant efforts to fight the illegal trafficking of cultural goods.”The ring, which would have been a status symbol for a local nobleman in the 3rd millennium B.C., was discovered in 1927 by Italian archaeologists in a Mycenaean grave near the ancient city of Ialysos on Rhodes.

The weather is getting warmer by the day and the school summer holidays are almost within grasp. Many of us can't wait to get away from it all with a week or two in the sun.

Under the Mediterranean sun! JoJo Fletcher and Jordan Rodgers jetted off for a romantic honeymoon in Greece after tying the knot earlier this month.

After two years of travel restrictions, many of us can't way to jet off abroad for a week or two in the sunshine. Among the countries most popular with Brits looking for a summer holiday in the sun is, of course, France and the country is ready to welcome millions of holidaymakers and tourists this summer.

A Place In The Sun presenter Danni Menzies showed off her dainty tattoos in a bikini as she took snaps during her holiday in sunny Greece.The Channel 4 personality confidently posed on a boat overlooking the turquoise blues of the mediterranean sea and gorgeous Greek Island backdrop. In one knockout image, the blonde beauty styled her locks up in a casual bun, but opted for an uber-fashionable Luis Vuitton bandana to shield her forehead from the sun. She wore an electric blue bikini that featured drawstring ties and a bow at the front of the bust.The star opted for a tiny shape that highlighted her floral inking across her hip bone as she looked across to the land.

Eurovision entry Subwoolfer have shared a ‘Jolene’ parody about their time in Turin.The duo, who comically donned yellow wolf masks in this year’s tournament, were 50-1 to win in Italy with their track ‘Give That Wolf A Banana’.They finished the Eurovision Song Contest 2022 in 10th place with 182 points, some way off the winners, Ukraine’s Kalush Orchestra and UK runner up Sam Ryder.Now, to mark their time in Italy they have posted a video of themselves, which you can view below, goofing around in Turin performing a parody of Dolly Parton‘s famous hit ‘Jolene’.The clip sees the duo on the streets of the city, changing the lyrics of the track to: “These yellow ears beyond compare, we’re breathing in Italian air, we’re eating pizza almost every meal / We’re saving grandmas everyday, we ate a few along the way but Italian grandma skin is hard to peel,” before they declare: “Turin, Turin, Turin, Turin, we’re begging of you – join us to the moon.”Meanwhile, UK Eurovision runner Sam Ryder, has announced details of a new 2022 London show at brand new venue Outernet on November 24. Tickets for the event go on sale this Friday (May 20) at 9am here.In Ukraine meanwhile, their win was said to bring “incredible happiness” to a country under invasion by Russia.Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said on Instagram that the courage of the war-torn country “impresses the world” and congratulated Kalush Orchestra on their victory.He then went on to promise to host Eurovision in the future in a “free, peaceful and rebuilt” Mariupol, a city currently largely under Russian control.

Many British tourists will be taking their first holidays in the Schengen area of the EU since Brexit this summer. Coronavirus restrictions have been relaxed in countries across Europe and airlines are laying on extra services to cope with demand.

A new flight route from Glasgow to Greece is now available through Jet2 and Jet2holidays, to give Scots holidaymakers more travel options.

Lottie Tomlinson has been showing off her blossoming baby bump while on holiday in Greece with her beau Lewis Burton and her family. The 23 year old, who is the younger sister of One Direction's Louis Tomlinson, recently jetted off with former tennis player Lewis, 30, and her younger twin sisters, Daisy and Phoebe, 18.

Stephen Colbert, who returned to “The Late Show” this week after recovering from COVID, had a bone to pick with the virus during his opening monologue Wednesday night.After tackling the Republican response to the leak of the Supreme Court majority opinion draft set to overturn Roe v. Wade and retract abortion rights across the U.S., Colbert turned to the recent increase in COVID cases across several states.“Over in pandemic land, COVID-19 cases and hospitalizations are rising again in the United States.

As the United States careens closer to an official tally of 1 million lives lost to Covid-19, the World Health Organization this morning provided Deadline and other outlets with a detailed estimate of the “full death toll” that can be attributed either directly or indirectly to Covid-19 worldwide.

Emma Stone is on the move!

Lottie Tomlinson showed off her blossoming baby bump in a slew of snaps from her idyllic holiday in Greece.The 23 year old sister of One Direction star Louis is expecting her first child with former tennis player Lewis Burton, less than two years after the pair went Instagram official together. And the beauty looked radiant as she posed for the camera in a sensational brown string bikini while standing poolside in a stunning Instagram snap shared on Tuesday. Lottie played with her tousled long brown locks as she gazed sultrily at the camera while standing with one leg in front of the other.