«Το τραγικό τέλος της Βάγιας Νέστορα έρχεται να επιβεβαιώσει τον δολοφονικό και απάνθρωπο χαρακτήρα της τυφλής βίας στη δημόσια ζωή», ανέφερε ο Κυριάκος Μητσοτάκης, σχολιάζοντας τον θάνατο της μητέρας της Αφροδίτης Νέστορα μετά τις εμπρηστικές επιθέσεις κατά στελεχών της ΝΔ στη Θεσσαλονίκη. Ο Πρωθυπουργός τόνισε ότι «κανείς, πλέον, δεν μπορεί να αδρανεί ή να περιορίζεται σε υποκριτικά λόγια καταδίκης. Καμία ανοχή στο αίμα και τον διχασμό των άκρων! Η νομιμότητα της Πολιτείας και η ενότητα της κοινωνίας οφείλουν, τώρα, να εξορίσουν την τρομοκρατία εκεί όπου ανήκει: στο περιθώριο! Και το φως των πολλών να διαλύσει το σκοτάδι των ελάχιστων». «Η Ελλάδα κατέκτησε με κόπο την οικονομική της αναγέννηση από την χρεοκοπία. Ενώ με πόνο πέτυχε να ξεπεράσει και τις διαιρέσεις του παρελθόντος. Δεν θα γυρίσει πότε πίσω. Απέναντί τους, λοιπόν, είναι καιρός να υψώσουμε ένα ανάχωμα ωριμότητας αλλά και αποφασιστικότητας. Με την κυβέρνηση στην πρώτη γραμμή αυτής της μάχης. Γιατί η σταθερότητα και η ομαλότητα είναι προϋποθέσεις ευημερίας. Και η ασφάλεια με τη Δικαιοσύνη, πυλώνες της Δημοκρατίας», ανέφερε στη συνέχεια και κατέληξε, λέγοντας: «Η σκέψη μου είναι στην οικογένεια του θύματος. Στην Αφροδίτη, στον πατέρα της και στους δικούς της ανθρώπους. Αλλά και σε όλα τα στελέχη της Νέας Δημοκρατίας που χτυπήθηκαν τόσο άνανδρα. Ο πόνος μας θα γίνει δύναμη και πείσμα. Και τίποτα δεν θα σταματήσει την πορεία της πατρίδας μας προς τα μπροστά». www.ertnews.gr

Σε εξέλιξη είναι από τη 1:30 το μεσημέρι η μεγάλη φωτιά στο Καλοπόδι Φθιώτιδας. Η φωτιά είναι έντονη και απλώνεται περιμετρικά του βουνού σε ένα μέτωπο 6 χιλιομέτρων. Έχει πλησιάσει την Ελάτεια , περιοχή στην οποία βρίσκονται επιχειρήσεις με φωτοβολταϊκά, αποθήκες που έχουν μέσα ζωοτροφές αλλά και στάνες. Σύμφωνα με κατοίκους της περιοχής, στη Σφάκα έχουν σημειωθεί ζημιές τόσο σε κατοικίες όσο και σε αγροτικές περιουσίες. Επιχειρούν περισσότεροι από 110 πυροσβέστες, τέσσερις ομάδες πεζοπόρων της 4ης και της 10ης ΕΜΟΔΕ, εθελοντές, 25 οχήματα, ενώ από αέρος 9 αεροσκάφη και τρία ελικόπτερα, εκ των οποίων το ένα για τον συντονισμό της επιχείρησης .Oι κάτοικοι με δικά τους μηχανήματα προσπαθούν να ανοίξουν αντιπυρικές ζώνες. ΠΥΡΚΑΓΙΑ ΣΤΗΝ ΠΕΡΙΟΧΗ ΚΑΛΟΠΟΔΙ ΦΘΙΩΤΙΔΑΣ (ΠΡΑΓΙΑΝΝΗΣ ΠΑΝΑΓΙΩΤΗΣ/EUROKINISSI) Εγκλωβισμένα σε κτηνοτροφική μονάδα είναι 250 πρόβατα. Οι ιδιοκτήτες έχουν ανοίξει το νερό των γεωτρήσεων που έχουν στον χώρο, ώστε να καταφέρουν να ανακόψουν την ένταση της φωτιάς που μαίνεται στο βουνό, να μην κατέβει και απειλήσει τα ζώα. Η μεταφορά τους θα γίνει όταν το επιτρέψουν οι πυροσβεστικές δυνάμεις. Οι ισχυροί άνεμοι που πνέουν στην περιοχή και οι καπνοί, εμποδίζουν το έργο της μεταφοράς των ζώων. Δείτε περισσότερα στο ertflix.gr | Ακούστε περισσότερα στο ertecho.gr Όλοι τώρα αισιοδοξούν ότι μέχρι να πέσει το σκοτάδι τα εναέρια μέσα θα έχουν καταφέρει να ανακόψουν τη δύναμη της φωτιάς. ΠΥΡΚΑΓΙΑ ΣΤΗΝ ΠΕΡΙΟΧΗ ΚΑΛΟΠΟΔΙ ΦΘΙΩΤΙΔΑΣ (ΠΡΑΓΙΑΝΝΗΣ ΠΑΝΑΓΙΩΤΗΣ/EUROKINISSI) Νωρίτερα ήχησαν τρία μηνύματα από 112 για εκκένωση των οικισμών Σφάκα και Κατάλυμα. Ενεργοποίηση 1⃣1⃣2⃣ Δασική πυρκαγιά στην τοπική κοινότητα #Σφάκας της Περιφερειακής Ενότητας #Φθιώτιδας Αν βρίσκεστε στην περιοχή #Κατάλυμα απομακρυνθείτε προς #Ελάτεια Ακολουθείτε τις οδηγίες των Αρχών 112 Greece (@112Greece) July 1, 2026  Το ενιαίο συντονιστικό κέντρο επιχειρήσεων και διαχείρισης κρίσεων  λαμβάνει συνεχή εικόνα από drone μέσω οπτικής και θερμικής κάμερας. www.ertnews.gr

The elderly woman who got injured during the arson attacks targeting ruling New Democracy members in Thessaloniki passed away on early evening on Wednesday, July 1. She was intubated in the ICU of Ippokrateio Hospital and was the mother of one of targeted ND members, Afroditi Nestora, a local politician. The woman died a few […] The post Elderly woman injured in Thessaloniki arson attacks dies in hospital appeared first on Keep Talking Greece.

From 1. July 2026, new customs rules take effect across every EU member state, including Greece, for online purchases worth up to €150 from countries outside the bloc such as China. A circular from Greece’s Independent Authority for Public Revenue (AADE), the country’s tax and customs authority, sets out how the charge will work. The […] The post Extra fees for purchases from non-EU countries start July 1 appeared first on Keep Talking Greece.

Greeks rank the economy and cost of living as their top concerns while continuing to view the EU as a stability anchor, according to the European Parliament’s Spring 2026 Eurobarometer. Credit: Greek Reporter Economic pressure remains the leading concern for Greeks even as most continue to view the European Union as a stability anchor in an increasingly uncertain world, according to the European Parliament’s Spring 2026 Eurobarometer. The results, published Wednesday, show that Greeks place inflation, rising prices, and the cost of living at the top of the issues they want the European Parliament to address. In Greece, 52 percent of respondents classified the economy as a priority, compared with 47 percent across the EU. At the European level, concern over inflation and living costs has risen by six percentage points since autumn 2025, making it the leading priority for citizens. In Greece, economic pressure extends beyond prices. A total of 51 percent of Greeks also point to the economy and job creation as issues requiring urgent attention, while 49 percent are concerned about public health, and 45 percent worry about poverty and social exclusion. All four issues rank higher in Greece than the European average, reflecting the extent to which household finances, employment, health care, and social protection affect the public. Economy and cost of living lead Greek concerns in Eurobarometer The Greek findings point to a public focused on practical economic pressures affecting daily life with inflation, rising prices, and cost of living at the top of issues they hope the European Parliament prioritizes, followed closely by the economy and job creation. Based on the data, wherein public health, poverty, and social exclusion also rank high, it is apparent that Greeks connect economic strain with more general social challenges. Greek society evaluates the European political agenda primarily in relation to immediate concerns that have an impact on how households address their everyday needs. Eurobarometer shows Greeks’ concerns over living standards remain high Survey results also reflect the concern of Greeks over future living standards. Across the EU, 29 percent of citizens expect their standard of living to worsen in the coming years. Half believe it will remain stable, while 18 percent expect it to improve. In Greece, 37 percent expect their standard of living to decline, while 46 percent believe it will remain stable. Only a few countries record higher levels of pessimism, characteristic of 44 percent of the population in France, 39 percent in Portugal, and 38 percent each in Austria and Germany. Based on these figures, Greece is among the EU countries where concern over living standards remains especially prevalent, and most Greeks expect stability or no significant improvement in their quality of life in terms of finances. EU viewed as stability anchor by most Greeks Despite economic concerns, the majority of Greeks continues to view the EU as a source of stability. Seventy-one percent of respondents in Greece say the EU offers stability in the midst of a chaotic world. The figure stands slightly below the EU average of 75 percent, while 28 percent of Greeks disagree. Across the bloc, this marks an increase of eight percentage points since October-November 2025 and represents the second-highest level recorded in the past decade. Support for EU membership also remains strong. and 74 percent of Europeans say their country has benefited from being part of the Union. In Greece, the figure stands at 63 percent. For Greeks, the most significant benefit of EU membership is its contribution to peace and security, cited by 44 percent of respondents. Across the EU, 40 percent responded similarly. Greeks expect more from the EU in the midst of global crises The survey shows that Greeks want the EU to play a stronger role in protecting citizens from international crises and security threats. Across the EU, 68 percent of respondents say the Union should strengthen its role in protecting citizens from global crises and security risks. In Greece, that figure rises to 81 percent, while in Cyprus, it amounts to 92 percent of respondents. Greeks also support giving the EU more tools to deal with global challenges. At the EU level, 73 percent of respondents are in support of this view, compared with 82 percent in Greece and 87 percent in Cyprus. Furthermore, Greek respondents tend to express significant support for European unity and international law. Ninety-two percent say EU member states should cooperate more closely and become more unified in the current global context, with the EU promoting respect for international law by all member states. In Cyprus, both figures stand at 94 percent. Economy tops Greek priorities for Europe’s global role In terms of the focus of the EU in strengthening its role globally, Europeans (at 39 percent) say it’s crucial to prioritize defense and security first. Energy independence is a secondary priority at 35 percent, up six points since autumn 2025. Competitiveness and the economy at the EU level follow closely in relation to their significance for those residing in the bloc. In Greece, however, the economy is of the utmost importance. Competitiveness, the economy, and industry rank at the very top, as indicated by 42 percent of respondents. Defense and security follow at 37 percent, while energy independence stands at 32 percent. Greeks also point to demographic change, migration, and population aging at 28 percent, followed by food security and agricultural production at 27 percent. Survey results of the Greek populace suggest that citizens link Europe’s global strength not only to defense and security but also to economic resilience, industrial capacity, energy independence, and the protection of living standards. Perception of quality of life in Greece trails EU average The Eurobarometer also examined how citizens assess quality of life in the EU. Across the bloc, 83 percent of respondents say they feel satisfied with their quality of life. In Greece, this figure is much lower at 63 percent. At the EU level, citizens identify good physical and mental health as the main element of a favorable quality of life at 51 percent, while 49 percent indicate this is reflected by financial well-being. In Greece, finances is the top matter of concern by a wide margin. Seventy-two percent of respondents say a good economic condition and the ability to cover daily expenses matter most. Access to health care also ranks high. Sixty-eight percent of Greeks cite the quality and accessibility of health services, while 66 percent point to physical and mental health. The findings show that Greeks assess quality of life primarily through everyday economic security and access to essential services. Uncertainty shapes mindset of the public in Greece Across the EU, the current state of mind is described either as one of uncertainty (44 percent) or hope (43 percent), while the Greek public is primarily characterized by anxiety (50 percent), uncertainty (59 percent), and disappointment (48 percent), with only about 36 percent expressing hope of a better future. At the same time, 58 percent of Europeans say they feel pessimistic about the future of the world, while 38 percent feel optimistic. These figures are reflective of a Greek public that continues to view the EU as a stabilizing force in an increasingly unpredictable global environment but is, first and foremost, preoccupied with the economy and living costs. Conclusion: Greeks’ concerns over the economy keep cost of living at center of political debate Survey results also indicate there is a gap, compared to the average of 59 percent in the bloc, in how satisfied Greeks are with the state of democracy in the EU, with only 39 percent of the public in Greece expressing a favorable view. For the European Parliament, the cost of living remains the primary challenge for the government, with inflation, rising prices, and living costs of utmost concern for people across the EU (at 47 percent) as well as in Greece (at 52 percent).

Bishop Prodromos of Toliara and South Madagascar is the modern-day Good Samaritan. Credit: Greek Reporter Deep in the arid, sun-scorched plains of South Madagascar, a quiet revolution of dignity and survival is unfolding, led by an Orthodox bishop from Sparta, Greece. For the past seven years, Bishop Prodromos of Toliara and South Madagascar has acted as a modern-day Good Samaritan in one of the most underdeveloped and forgotten corners of our planet. In this exclusive, on-the-scene report, Greek Reporter travels to this remote region to witness a miracle of solidarity firsthand. He has quietly executed a titanic humanitarian mission under the jurisdiction of the Patriarchate of Alexandria. Translating faith into action and charity into infrastructure, he stated with profound humility to Greek Reporter: “I am merely a steward of your love, and I try to manage it in the best possible way.” Bishop Prodromos’s journey to the southernmost tip of Madagascar began in the highlands of Laconia, Greece. At just 18 years old, he entered the Holy Monastery of Anargyroi Parnon as a novice, tonsured as a monk in 2005. After 13 years of monastic life, his calling to serve led him to Cameroon, where he labored alongside Metropolitan Grigorios. “I thought about typing the name into Google to see exactly where this place was,” the Bishop said. Credit: Greek Reporter “He is a man to whom I owe so much for who I am today,” Bishop Prodromos reflects. “He taught me how a mission should properly function within Africa, how the Orthodox Church ought to be present, and how we should view things.” His return to Sparta to assume the abbacy of his home monastery proved short-lived. On November 26, 2018—the feast day of Saint Nikon the “Preacher of Repentance,” the patron saint of Sparta—a single phone call altered his destiny forever: “My phone rang, and I heard a familiar voice announcing my election as Bishop of Toliara and South Madagascar. For me, it was completely sudden, entirely unexpected. Shortly after, I received a call from the Patriarch of Alexandria, His Beatitude Theodoros… And so, with great humility and in obedience, I came to Madagascar without knowing absolutely anything.” With disarming candor, the Bishop recalls his first instinct: “I thought about typing the name into Google to see exactly where this place was… But my next thought was that if I saw something I didn’t like, I would be discouraged. And if I saw something beautiful that didn’t match reality when I arrived, I would be disappointed again. So, I left everything in the hands of God.” The shocking reality of Madagascar A grueling two-day journey for the Greek Orthodox bishop. Screenshot He was ordained in January 2019 in Cairo, at the historic Church of Saint Nicholas—the very temple where Saint Nektarios once served. Arriving in Madagascar, the shock of reality was profound. The grueling two-day journey from the capital to the South exposed a dramatic geographic and economic divide. Unlike the lush, water-rich North, the South is arid, barren, and populated by humans and livestock visibly emaciated by hardship. In this vast region, home to 17.5 million people, the very concept of daily survival is redefined by terms that would seem utterly unimaginable to the Western world. Here, the average annual—not monthly—income of a human being barely reaches 200 to 250 euros. State infrastructure is virtually non-existent: there is no free public education, nor is there free healthcare. People live in traditional huts crafted from wood, grass, and mud, entirely cut off from electricity. The rhythm of life is dictated solely by daylight; once the sun sets, the nights are surrendered to an absolute, deep darkness. However, he did not start in a vacuum. He built upon the foundations laid by the late Bishop Nektarios Kellis—the pioneer of the local Church who tragically lost his life in the 2004 Chinook helicopter crash over Mount Athos—and his successor, Metropolitan Ignatios. “We found a spiritual foundation, and for that, we are deeply grateful,” he notes. The triad of relief: water, education, and healthcare Water crisis in South Madagascar. Credit: Greek Reporter Recognizing that a spiritual mission cannot exist without addressing the fundamental physical needs of suffering people, Bishop Prodromos prioritized his actions. His first task was establishing a seminary to train local clergy, enabling them to bridge Orthodox teaching with local culture. Next, he turned to education. In a region where state schools charge tuition fees—rendering education an impossible dream for large families—the Diocese has constructed 12 to 14 schools over the years, providing completely free education to 7,500 students. Concurrently, they operate a computer science school with 450 graduates and an English language school, both offering state-recognized diplomas. The Orthodox mission provides free education. Credit: Greek Reporter “The hardest part is maintaining these schools, since there is no profit to cover the teachers’ salaries,” he explained to Greek Reporter, highlighting the constant struggle to secure funding. Children line up outside one of the schools. Credit: Greek Reporter Orthodox mission in Madagascar provides free health care In healthcare, the Diocese’s achievements border on the miraculous. With the crucial financial backing of the Cyprus Health Foundation, a state-of-the-art polyclinic was established. Today, it employs a staff of 35, including 30 doctors and nurses across all medical specialties. The clinic features a dental office, an ophthalmology ward, a hematology lab, a radiology center, and ultrasound equipment, alongside two rural clinics in remote villages. Every week, approximately 3,000 people receive free medical examinations, treatments, and medication. Orthodox Mission health center in Betania. Credit: Greek Reporter Father Anastasios, a specialized doctor in internal and tropical medicine, told Greek Reporter that many travel long distances on foot—receive consultations, laboratory analyses, X-rays, ultrasound tests, and all necessary pharmaceuticals at zero cost. Under his supervision, a dedicated team of six medical doctors alongside nurses, pharmacists, and lab technicians manage an average of 150 patients a day. They battle severe, chronic illnesses like diabetes, hypertension, coronary artery disease, and cancer, alongside rampant tropical afflictions including malaria, schistosomiasis, and severe diarrheal diseases. The clinic runs a vital parallel project supporting roughly 600 malnourished children—many of them orphans or from destitute families—who arrive twice a month to receive life-saving milk and Koba, a specialized multi-vitamin porridge. Free health care. Credit: Greek Reporter Professor Ariel, is a university professor and specialist in general practice, works alongside Father Anastasios and a team of skilled physicians. He told Greek Reporter that the clinic has become highly celebrated across the region for its exceptional care and absolute accessibility. The demand is so profound that patients frequently travel massive distances, arriving a full day early and sleeping outside overnight just to ensure they can be seen the following morning. For critical, complex cases that cannot be treated on-site, the clinic acts as a crucial coordinator. When patients require advanced surgeries or specialized oncology care, the Father and his team regularly organize and finance transfers to the major public hospitals—including long-distance medical transfers to the capital, Antananarivo (Tana), for advanced leukemia testing and chemotherapy. The Diocese has drilled and opened 25 wells The scarcity of water remains the South’s greatest plague. Because it rains only about five times a year—and usually only during devastating cyclones—water is valued like gold. “The water flowing through the rivers is brown; it is essentially mud-water… Yet, people drink from it, cook with it, bathe in it, and the animals drink from it too,” Father Prodromos describes vividly. Clean water provided by the wells opened by the Diocese. Credit: Greek Reporter To combat this humanitarian crisis, the Diocese has drilled and opened 25 wells, bringing clean drinking water to numerous villages. Additionally, a diocesan water truck transports 12 tons of clean water daily to built-in reservoirs across 12 remote settlements. Accessing these villages is a true calvary; roads are virtually non-existent, and oxcarts are the only local transport. “A distance of 60 kilometers takes us 3 hours to drive, and 100 kilometers requires 6 hours,” the Bishop notes. “I was in prison and you visited me” Food for the prisoners. Credit: Greek Reporter The Diocese’s philanthropic reach extends behind the bars of Toliara’s local prison, where living conditions are medieval. Five years ago, the prison director approached the Bishop in desperation. Due to a complete lack of state funding for inmate nutrition, five prisoners were dying of starvation every single week. In Madagascar, if an inmate has no relatives to bring them food or money to buy ingredients, they are essentially condemned to starve. Prisoners wait for a mail provided by the Diocese. Credit: Greek Reporter The Diocese responded immediately. It launched a consistent feeding program, providing rice and legumes three times a week to the entire inmate population. Initially feeding 950 individuals, the program currently keeps 750 to 900 inmates alive. Their living conditions remain nightmarish: “Imagine three rooms, roughly 12×6 meters each, housing 300 people per room. They live shoulder to shoulder, packed back to back on wooden planks… Every hour at night, a designated guard claps his hands so that everyone turns to the other side simultaneously so their bodies don’t go numb. And for that entire space, there is only a single toilet available for nighttime use.” Embodying the Gospel mandate, Father Prodromos and his volunteers have become the sole ray of hope in this living hell. The present, the future, of the Orthodox mission in South Madagascar Bishop Prodromos has grand plans for the future. Credit: Greek Reporter Looking toward the future, Bishop Prodromos refuses to rest. His grandest dream is to establish a boarding home in the city of Toliara to house children from remote villages who show a talent for academics but have no relatives in the city to support them through high school. Additionally, he plans to build a Technical High School to equip youth with practical trades, alongside university-level programs like a School of Nursing to staff the region’s expanding healthcare facilities. Despite being in constant contact with systemic poverty and pain, the Bishop draws a profound lesson from the people of Madagascar—one that he offers as an antidote to the crisis of values plaguing the Western world. Unlike Western society, which is often paralyzed by the “ego,” anxiety over the future, and the illusion of individual happiness through material consumption, the people of South Madagascar remain remarkably joyful, he told Greek Reporter. Bishop Prodromos baptizes a toddler. Credit: Greek Reporter “The people here live for the moment. They live every single minute… We lose ourselves in this chase for the future, and in doing so, we lose the present,” he observes insightfully. “Aristotle beautifully noted that joy is found in giving, not receiving. The ancient philosophers never spoke of isolated, individual happiness.” Addressing the age-old question of why a merciful God permits such suffering and inequality in the world, the missionary clarifies: “God does not cause this. God has given mankind the greatest gift of all: freedom… He granted us free will, and His voice within us is our conscience, which we simply choose to ignore. We are unhappy in the West because we have severed the body from the soul, destroying our balance. In Africa, if you tell someone you don’t believe in God, they will think you are insane.” The work of the Orthodox Diocese of Toliara in South Madagascar stands as living proof that even in the darkest, most forgotten corners of the earth, unconditional love—when organized with sacrifice and unwavering faith—can triumph over hunger, superstition, and death, restoring to human beings their most valuable asset: their dignity. Visit the Diocese’s website for more details and to learn about how you can help with its mission in Madagascar.

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You're watching Middle East Matters on France 24. Nadia Massih is pleased to welcome our Jerusalem correspondent Noga Tarnopolsky and Amberin Zaman, Chief Correspondent for Al Monitor, a Washington-based independent news organization that covers the Middle East and North Africa. Zaman argues that Israel's apparent recognition of the Armenian genocide is less a principled historical reckoning than a "nakedly cynical" strategy shaped by the Gaza war, tensions with Turkey and shifting regional alliances.

Australian actress Milly Alcock stars in the Superman spinoff "Supergirl" – less a superhero movie than a space epic. The film also introduces a fan favourite: bounty hunter Lobo, played by Jason Momoa. Next, Hugh Jackman offers a different take in "The Death of Robin Hood". The film is very dark and sad and returns to the story's earliest origins, where Robin is not a swashbuckling hero but a feared medieval outlaw.