Ο Τούρκος πρόεδρος Ρετζέπ Ταγίπ Ερντογάν δήλωσε σήμερα ότι οι ειρηνευτικές προσπάθειες στη Μέση Ανατολή δεν θα μπορούσαν να επιτύχουν χωρίς την περιφερειακή υποστήριξη και ότι δεν πρέπει να επιτραπεί στο Ισραήλ να “δυναμιτίσει” την ειρηνευτική συμφωνία μεταξύ των ΗΠΑ και του Ιράν. Έχοντας δίπλα του τον Πακιστανό πρωθυπουργό Σεχμπάζ Σαρίφ στην Κωνσταντινούπολη, ο Ερντογάν δήλωσε: “Καμία λύση που δεν αντλεί δύναμη από τη βούληση και τις συνεισφορές των χωρών της περιοχής δεν μπορεί να είναι βιώσιμη”. Η Τουρκία, μέλος του ΝΑΤΟ και χώρα γειτονική του Ιράν, έχει επανειλημμένα κατηγορήσει το Ισραήλ ότι προσπαθεί να υπονομεύσει τη συμφωνία ΗΠΑ-Ιράν στην οποία έχει διαμεσολαβητικό ρόλο το Πακιστάν, και έχει καταδικάσει τις ισραηλινές επιχειρήσεις στη Γάζα, τον Λίβανο και τη Συρία. “Παρακολουθούμε στενά τις προσπάθειες της ισραηλινής κυβέρνησης να δυναμιτίσει τη συμφωνία (ΗΠΑ-Ιράν)… Δεν πρέπει να επιτραπεί στη σημερινή ισραηλινή κυβέρνηση που είναι εθισμένη στον πόλεμο, να πνίξει ξανά τη γεωγραφία μας στη μυρωδιά της πυρίτιδας και του αίματος”, δήλωσε ο Ερντογάν. Παράλληλα, ο Ερντογάν τόνισε ότι η Τουρκία στοχεύει στην εμβάθυνση της συνεργασίας με το Πακιστάν στους τομείς της ενέργειας, των μεταφορών, των κρίσιμων ορυκτών, της πληροφορικής και της άμυνας, επιδιώκοντας ταυτόχρονα έναν διμερή εμπορικό στόχο ύψους 5 δισεκατομμυρίων δολαρίων. Νωρίτερα σήμερα αξιωματούχοι και από τις δύο χώρες παρακολούθησαν ένα επιχειρηματικό συνέδριο στην Κωνσταντινούπολη. Ο Τούρκος υπουργός Ενέργειας Αλπαρσλάν Μπαϊρακτάρ δήλωσε ότι οι τουρκικές εταιρίες θέλουν να συνεισφέρουν σε έργα στο Πακιστάν και να μοιραστούν την τεχνογνωσία της Τουρκίας στον ενεργειακό τομέα, καθώς το Πακιστάν προχωρά στον μετασχηματισμό του τομέα της ηλεκτρικής του ενέργειας. Πηγές: ΑΠΕ-ΜΠΕ-Reuters www.ertnews.gr

Στη σύλληψη 22χρονου, ο οποίος κατηγορείται για συμμετοχή σε τηλεφωνική απάτη σε βάρος ηλικιωμένης στην Κηφισιά με λεία που υπερβαίνει τις 120.000 ευρώ, προχώρησαν την Τετάρτη 1 Ιουλίου αστυνομικοί του Τμήματος Δίωξης και Εξιχνίασης Εγκλημάτων Κηφισιάς/Δ.Δ.Ε.Ε.Α./Γ.Α.Δ.Α. Σε βάρος του 22χρονου εκκρεμούσε ένταλμα σύλληψης για διακεκριμένη κλοπή κατ’ επάγγελμα και κατ’ εξακολούθηση. Ειδικότερα, σύμφωνα με την ΕΛΑΣ, ο κατηγορούμενος από κοινού με συνεργούς του, στις 17 Ιουνίου επικοινώνησαν τηλεφωνικά με ηλικιωμένη προσποιούμενοι υπαλλήλους εταιρείας ηλεκτρικής ενέργειας και με το πρόσχημα υποτιθέμενου κινδύνου ηλεκτροπληξίας, της ζήτησαν να τοποθετήσει χρηματικό ποσό και χρυσαφικά έξω από την οικία της, τα οποία και της αφαίρεσαν, με τη χρηματική τους αξία να υπερβαίνει τις 120.000 ευρώ. Xρυσαφικά που κατασχέθηκαν από σπίτι 22χρονου έπειτα από τηλεφωνική απάτη σε βάρος ηλικιωμένης στην Κηφισιά Κατά την έρευνα που πραγματοποιήθηκε στην οικία του 22χρονου κατασχέθηκαν ρούχα που φορούσε κατά την τέλεση της αξιόποινης πράξης, καθώς και χρυσαφικά. Επιπλέον, κατασχέθηκε το όχημα που χρησιμοποιήθηκε από τους δράστες. Το όχημα που χρησιμοποιήθηκε από τους δράστες κατά την τηλεφωνική απάτη σε βάρος ηλικιωμένης στην Κηφισιά Όπως επισημαίνεται, ο 22χρονος είχε απασχολήσει και στο παρελθόν τις Αρχές για ομοειδή αδικήματα, ενώ οδηγήθηκε στην αρμόδια εισαγγελική Αρχή. www.ertnews.gr

A six-year-old boy drowned in a swimming pool near Pylos in south-western Peloponnese on Thursday. His 32-year-old mother worked as a cleaner in a touristic facility and had taken the child with her during the work. According to local media, information indicates that the little boy probably stumbled and fell into the pool, without being […] The post Boy dies in swimming pool of facility where mother worked as cleaner appeared first on Keep Talking Greece.

Inflation in Greece dropped to 3.9% in June, from 5% in May, the European Statistics authority EUROSTAT predicted in its preliminary inflation figures on Friday. Average inflation in the eurozone is at 2.8% in the same month. Inflation in Greece stood at 3.9% in June, according to Eurostat’s provisional figures, while the eurozone’s inflation rate […] The post June inflation in Greece at 3.9% – Eurozone average at 2.8% appeared first on Keep Talking Greece.

In a number of places, the Bible tells us that the Philistines came from Crete. This is supported by archaeological and genetic research. . Credit: Moonik / wikimedia commons CC BY-SA 3.0 The Philistines were one of the most prominent nations inhabiting ancient Palestine. According to the Bible, they were constant enemies of the Israelites. However, there is an issue that has caused a lot of debate. The prevailing view today is that the Philistines arrived in Palestine in the Late Bronze Age. Yet, the Bible places them in Palestine centuries before that. According to the best available evidence, when did the Philistines really arrive in Palestine? When the Philistines arrived according to the Bible In the Bible, the Philistines appear in the very first book, Genesis. The account portrays them as living in Canaan (that is, Palestine) in the time of Abraham. They had interactions with both Abraham and his son Isaac. In these stories, the Philistines had a king named Abimelech and an army. According to the Bible’s chronology, Abraham lived in the 20th century BCE. Therefore, this would mean that the Philistines had already arrived in Canaan as early as that century. Supporting this conclusion, the Bible mentions the Philistines in the accounts of Moses, Joshua, and the Judges, covering a period between c. 1500 and c. 1100 BCE. In a number of places, the Bible tells us that the Philistines came from Crete. This is supported by archaeological and genetic research. However, the issue of when the Philistines arrived in Canaan from Crete is far more problematic. When did the Philistines arrive in Canaan according to archaeology? One very popular view over the past century has been that the Philistines arrived in the Late Bronze Age. This is based on identifying them with the Sea Peoples, or a subgroup thereof. The Sea Peoples invaded the Levant, including Syria and Egypt. Egyptian monuments mention these invaders in the time of Ramesses II through to the time of his second successor, Ramesses III. In the time of that latter king, who ruled in the mid-12th century BCE, one group among the Sea Peoples were called the Peleset. Scholars widely accept that the Peleset are identical to the Philistines. The two names are a linguistic match, and the Peleset appear to have come from the Aegean, matching the Bible’s claim concerning the origin of the Philistines. One Egyptian monument that mentions the Peleset explains that the Egyptians defeated them in battle and then forcefully relocated them in southern Canaan. This is where the Bible places the Philistines. Furthermore, pottery that is firmly identified with the Philistines in later history originates in this period. Additionally, genetic research reveals that there was an influx of European DNA in Philistia in this same era. All of this evidence appears to make it clear that the Philistines arrived in southern Canaan and established their land of Philistia in the mid-12th century BCE, after being defeated in battle by the Egyptians. A possible explanation The difference between these two viewpoints has caused a lot of debate. The most common explanation is that the Philistines of the first part of Bible history were different from the Philistines of later Bible history. This theory argues that the Philistines from Crete did arrive in Palestine in the 12th century BCE. However, the ‘Philistines’ from before then were just a Semitic group living in what later became Philistia. The issue with this explanation is that it does not solve the problem. In the Bible book of Deuteronomy, set in the time of Moses in the 15th century BCE, we find the statement: “As for the Avvim, they had dwelled in settlements as far as Gaza until the Caphtorim, who came out from Caphtor, annihilated them and settled in their place.” Gaza was one of the main Philistine settlements, and Caphtor was the Hebrew name for Crete. Therefore, this unambiguously places the arrival of Cretans in Philistine territory in Moses’ time, centuries before the Sea Peoples. With good reason, these ‘Caphtorim’ – inhabitants of Caphtor, or Crete – have been identified as Philistines. But even if they are a separate group, the fact remains that the Bible places Cretans in Philistine territory much earlier than the arrival of the Sea Peoples. Kom el-Hetan, Mortuary Temple of Amenhotep III, Egypt. Credit: Wikipedia Commons, CC-BY-SA 4.0 Evidence shows the Philistines arrived in Palestine before the Sea Peoples Contrary to the popular viewpoint, there is evidence that the Philistines had already arrived in ancient Palestine before the invasion of the Sea Peoples. One piece of evidence comes from Kom el-Hetan, the Mortuary Temple of Amenhotep III. Here, we find inscriptions referring to various places in the Aegean, including major sites on Crete. Interestingly, this monument lists these sites as the ‘lands of the Fenkhu’. In plenty of other Egyptian texts, the term ‘Fenkhu’ is used in reference to Palestine. Many scholars believe that it was actually the origin of the term ‘Phoenicians’, which is what the Greeks called the Canaanites. It is very significant that the Egyptians used the term ‘Fenkhu’ to refer both to peoples of the Aegean and also to the inhabitants of Canaan, or Palestine. This strongly supports the conclusion that Aegean settlers (such as Philistines) had already arrived in Palestine by the time of Amenhotep III, in the 14th century BCE. The Greeks later referred to all of Philistia, Israel and Judah as ‘Palestine’ because the Philistines were the closest of the three groups. Something similar may have happened in Egyptian records. They may have used ‘Fenkhu’, which originally meant Aegean peoples, to refer to the inhabitants of Canaan in general because those Aegean settlers were the closest to them. The Philistines arrived in Palestine twice How can we harmonize this evident fact from the Egyptian records with the archaeology? Is there not a lack of archaeological evidence for the Philistines in Palestine before the 12th century BCE? The reality is simply that there were two groups of Philistines. One arrived in the 12th century BCE with the Sea Peoples. Their material culture (such as pottery styles) continued through to later Philistine history. However, that does not mean that there were not already Philistines living there, using pottery styles which were replaced by those of the new arrivals. The Bible itself hints at the fact that the Philistines arrived in Palestine in two separate groups. It refers to a nation called the Cherethites, which it always closely associates with the Philistines. In fact, the Bible uses that term in parallel with ‘Philistines’. This indicates that the Cherethites were a prominent tribe among the Philistines. Scholars usually explain the use of these two different names by arguing that the Cherethites were a second group of Philistines who arrived later. Notably, the Cherethites are first mentioned in the time of David. That was the 11th century BCE, not long after the Egyptians settled the Peleset in southern Palestine. Minoan colonies Throughout most of the Bronze Age, the principal inhabitants of Crete were the Minoans. It was only in the 15th century BCE that they were overthrown by the Mycenaean Greeks. This means that the Cretans who arrived in Palestine and appear in the Bible as the Philistines in the time of Abraham, Moses, Joshua, and the Judges would logically have been Minoans. So, is there evidence for Minoan presence in Palestine as early as the 20th century BCE? Indeed there is. This was the era known as the Middle Minoan period. Scholars assign this period to the era between 2100 and 1700 BCE. This period was marked by increased trade outside of Minoan territory. The presence of a type of Minoan pottery called Kamares Ware in the Levant is actually well known. It appears in several locations along the Syro-Palestinian coast in the Bronze Age. Some pottery dating to c. 1800 BCE was found at Ashkelon in particular. This was one of the major cities of the Philistines. There are plenty of examples throughout history of nations establishing colonies to aid in establishing trade links. One example is Massalia (Marseille), which the Greeks established in c. 600 BCE to help them trade with the Gauls. The evidence is clear that the Minoans began trading extensively with the Levant from about 2100 BCE. Thus there would be nothing surprising at all about the idea that the Minoans established a few trading colonies during this period. Supporting this, Professor Keith Branigan noted the similarities in urban structure between Minoan Crete and Bronze Age Palestine.

Greece is well within the danger zone of extreme heatwaves. Credit: AMNA, Orestis Panagiotou Greece is positioned in a high-risk zone for extreme temperatures, and the severe heatwaves sweeping across parts of Europe are highly likely to strike the country with equal intensity. This warning comes from Athanasios Argyriou, a Greek physics professor at the University of Patras and its Laboratory of Atmospheric Physics, who recently outlined the escalating climate threat facing the Eastern Mediterranean. Speaking to the state-run Athens-Macedonian News Agency (AMNA), Argyriou pointed to recent findings from the European Union’s Copernicus Earth observation program and the World Meteorological Organization. Europe is the epicenter of global warming Their joint report shows that Europe has been warming twice as fast as the global average since the 1980s. Because of this warmer baseline, Argyriou stated that extreme heat events are expected to strike with greater frequency, intensity, and duration, putting Southern Europe squarely in the danger zone. These extreme temperatures are driven by a combination of shifting atmospheric conditions and human-induced climate change. Argyriou explained that prolonged high-pressure systems often create an atmospheric block, frequently referred to as a “heat dome” or an Omega block. Air from the upper atmosphere is forced downward, heating rapidly as it compresses. Combined with cloudless skies, weak winds, and warm air masses traveling from North Africa and the Iberian Peninsula, surface temperatures spike. Parched soil further amplifies the problem by eliminating the natural cooling effect of moisture evaporation. When asked why these weather events are occurringso much more often in the last few years, the professor attributed the pattern to lingering anti-cyclonic systems. Once a region endures a dry, hot spell, the ground and lower atmosphere retain that thermal energy. Subsequent weather systems then push temperatures to extreme highs much faster. European heatwaves and Greece’s danger zones Europe has a grim history with such patterns. Argyriou highlighted the devastating heatwaves of 2003, 2010, 2017, 2019, and the exceptionally hot summer of 2022. The public health toll is immense across the continent. A Nature Medicine study estimated over 61,000 heat-related deaths across Europe during the summer of 2022 alone. Within Greece, distinct geographical areas face different threats. Mainland plains and enclosed basins, including Thessaly, Central and Eastern Macedonia, Thrace, Boeotia, Eastern Sterea, Attica, and parts of the Peloponnese, are exceptionally vulnerable. Major urban centers like Athens, Thessaloniki, Patras, Heraklion and Larissa among others, face the added burden of the urban heat island effect, which traps heat and keeps nighttime temperatures dangerously high. Meanwhile, the Greek islands and coastal regions generally record lower peak temperatures due to their proximity to the sea. However, when winds drop, high humidity levels heavily exacerbate physical discomfort during the peak of heatwave events. Combating this reality requires immediate and long-term adaptation. While meteorologists cannot alter the weather, Argyriou emphasized that precise, early forecasting of heat and droughts is critical for Civil Protection agencies to deploy prevention plans. He also noted that smarter urban planning and architectural designs are essential to create cooler living spaces for the public.

Police say the operation could have netted the group up to 3.12 million euros

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The pontiff pays tribute to migrants who lost their lives at sea at a cemetery on the Italian island of Lampedusa.

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German police scuffled with protesters as the far-right Alternative for Germany (AfD) held its national convention

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The Malian army said Saturday that several northern towns, including Gao and Sévaré, were targeted by rebels. The statement came as a rebel group announced a new offensive to capture a town in the country's north. Andrew Lebovich, a research fellow at Clingendael's Conflict Research Unit, said some of the targets were intended more as "diversions" than as primary objectives, unlike strategically important towns such as Anefis.

A doctor who was being treated for Ebola in France after having tested positive following a trip to the Democratic Republic of Congo has recovered and is out of hospital, Health Minister Stéphanie Rist said in a statement Saturday. It was the first time that French authorities had detected the deadly fever in France.