Greek PM: Gas exploration to start off Crete in coming days

ATHENS, Greece (AP) — Greece’s prime minister says U.S. energy giant Exxon Mobil is poised to start a delayed gas prospecting project off southwestern Greece. The move comes amid tensions over offshore rights between Greece and Turkey and as Europe seeks alternative energy sources due to the war in Ukraine. The exploration project has been heavily criticized by environmental groups, which argue that the deep-sea prospecting would have “unbearable” consequences to endangered Mediterranean whales and dolphins. Critics also highlight the potential risk of spills, and say the project, if successful, would increase Greece’s use of fossil fuels amid the planet’s climate change crisis.