Ενώπιον του Ευρωπαίου ανακριτή οδηγούνται οι 12 συλληφθέντες από την Κοζάνη, οι οποίοι κατηγορούνται ότι για χρονικό διάστημα επτά ετών φέρονται να αποκόμισαν εκατομμύρια ευρώ μέσω εικονικών δηλώσεων στον ΟΠΕΚΕΠΕ. Σύμφωνα με τις πληροφορίες από τη δικαστική διαδικασία, δύο από τους κατηγορούμενους κρίθηκαν προσωρινά κρατούμενοι, με τη σύμφωνη γνώμη Ευρωπαίου ανακριτή και Ευρωπαίου εισαγγελέα. Πρόκειται για έναν υπάλληλο σε κέντρο υποδοχής δηλώσεων και έναν παραγωγό, οι οποίοι και οδηγούνται στη φυλακή. Η ανακριτική διαδικασία βρίσκεται σε πλήρη εξέλιξη, καθώς οι απολογίες συνεχίζονται. Έκτος κατά σειρά απολογείται αυτή την ώρα ένας ακόμη κατηγορούμενος, ενώ τελευταίος αναμένεται να βρεθεί ενώπιον του ανακριτή ο φερόμενος ως αρχηγός του κυκλώματος. Δείτε περισσότερα στο ertflix.gr | Ακούστε περισσότερα στο ertecho.gr Παράλληλα, τρία ακόμη άτομα που απολογήθηκαν σήμερα αφέθηκαν ελεύθερα με περιοριστικούς όρους, οι οποίοι περιλαμβάνουν απαγόρευση εξόδου από τη χώρα και χρηματική εγγύηση που κυμαίνεται από 5.000 έως 15.000 ευρώ. Υπενθυμίζεται ότι την περασμένη Παρασκευή απολογήθηκαν και οι γονείς του φερόμενου ως αρχηγού της εγκληματικής οργάνωσης, οι οποίοι επίσης αφέθηκαν ελεύθεροι με τον περιοριστικό όρο της απαγόρευσης εξόδου από τη χώρα και την καταβολή εγγύησης ύψους 10.000 ευρώ ο καθένας. Ρεπορτάζ: Άννα Νικολάου www.ertnews.gr

Οργάνωση και ιεραρχικά δομημένη ομάδα είχε το κύκλωμα που δρούσε στις πολεοδομίες της Αττικής, καθώς και οι έξι συλληφθέντες βρίσκονταν σε θέσεις από τις οποίες μπορούσαν να εξυπηρετούν με το αζημίωτο υποθέσεις πολεοδομικού ενδιαφέροντος και να νομιμοποιούν παρανομίες και αυθαιρεσίες. Ανάμεσά τους δημόσιοι υπάλληλοι, ιδιώτες μηχανικοί, αρχιτέκτονες και επιχειρηματίες.  Ως εγκέφαλος της οργάνωσης φέρεται μία υπάλληλος που κατείχε ισχυρή θέση-κλειδί στην ιεραρχία, η οποία συντόνιζε τις παράνομες ενέργειες μαζί με τον σύζυγό της, ενώ κομβικό ρόλο φαίνεται πως είχε υπάλληλος της αποκεντρωμένης διοίκησης Αττικής. Μάλιστα, ένας από τους έξι συλληφθέντες ο οποίος είχε το γραφείο του στο κτήριο της Αποκεντρωμένης Διοίκησης Αττικής, όταν επικοινωνούσαν μαζί του για εξυπηρετήσεις, εκείνος απαιτούσε να γίνει συνάντηση μόνο στο γραφείο του για «μία πρώτη συζήτηση», όπως έλεγε χαρακτηριστικά και εν συνεχεία καθιστούσε τον εαυτό του απαραίτητο στις υποθέσεις των μηχανικών, έναντι χρηματικής αμοιβής. Στα έξι μέλη του κυκλώματος που συνελήφθησαν ασκήθηκαν διώξεις για: Συγκρότηση, ένταξη και διεύθυνση εγκληματικής οργάνωσης Δωροληψία υπάλληλου κατά επάγγελμα και κατ΄ εξακολούθηση από κοινού Δωροδοκία κατά επάγγελμα και κατ’ εξακολούθηση, από κοινού Παράβαση καθήκοντος Διακεκριμένη περίπτωση νομιμοποίησης εσόδων από εγκληματικές δραστηριότητες Εμπορία επιρροής  Τα μέλη του κυκλώματος ζητούσαν χρήματα από 1.000 έως 30.000 ευρώ για  «Τακτοποίηση» αυθαιρέτων Έκδοση οικοδομικών αδειών Μείωση προστίμων Ρύθμιση πάσης φύσεως εκκρεμοτήτων  Δείτε περισσότερα στο ertflix.gr | Ακούστε περισσότερα στο ertecho.gr Στη δικογραφία που σχηματίστηκε περιλαμβάνονται ακόμη 30 άτομα που έχουν ταυτοποιηθεί.  Ρεπορτάζ: Γιώργος Κοβός www.ertnews.gr

Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis has decided a series of changes to the cabinet, after he moved Deputy Transport Minister Constantinos Kyranakis into the post of New Democracy secretary general. The cabinet changes include: Giorgos Kotsiras as Alternate Transport Minister, Dimitris Markopoulos as Deputy National Economy and Finance Minister responsible for Taxation Policy and Marilena Soukouli […] The post Mitsotakis proceeds to several cabinet changes appeared first on Keep Talking Greece.

Greek authorities have arrested James Dalamangas, one of Australia’s most wanted fugitives, a Greek-Australian man accused of the fatal stabbing of another Greek-Australian fellowman in Sydney in 1999. Back then, the now 55-year-old Dalamangas fled to Greece and was located and arrested at a rural property near the town of Aigio, northern Peloponnese, on Sunday, […] The post James Dalamangas, Australia’s most wanted fugitive, arrested in Greece appeared first on Keep Talking Greece.

Greece’s startup ecosystem fell to 51st globally in StartupBlink’s 2026 Index, despite an estimated ecosystem value of over $12 billion. Credit: Wikimedia Commons / acediscovery / CC BY 4 Greece has fallen out of the world’s top 50 startup ecosystems, dropping to 51st place in StartupBlink’s Global Startup Ecosystem Index 2026. The country also slipped in Europe, ranking 29th, down from 27th in 2025. According to the report, this is Greece’s lowest global position since 2022. The decline came despite positive annual ecosystem growth of 4.8 percent. However, that rate was well below the global average, meaning Greece lost ground as other startup ecosystems expanded more rapidly. StartupBlink’s 2026 index ranks 1,556 cities and 100 countries, using indicators linked to startup quantity, quality, and the wider business environment. For Greece, the findings show a mixed picture: the country has recognizable startup successes, a sizeable ecosystem value, and improving policy tools, but its global momentum has slowed. Greece’s business conditions are stronger than its startup outcomes One of the clearest findings is the gap between Greece’s business environment and its overall startup ranking. Greece ranks 33rd among 125 countries in the Innovators Business Environment Index, significantly higher than its 51st position in the main startup ecosystem ranking. This suggests that Greece has relatively strong underlying conditions for innovators, but these conditions have not yet fully translated into stronger startup ecosystem performance. The report estimates Greece’s startup ecosystem value at $12.1 billion. The country has two unicorns and three cities in the global top 1,000 startup cities. Athens remains Greece’s dominant startup hub but weighs on national performance Athens continues to dominate Greece’s startup scene, but its weaker performance was a major reason behind the country’s fall in the global ranking. The Greek capital dropped 17 places to 134th globally, after recording negative growth of 4.8 percent. In the Balkans, Athens also fell one position to third overall. Despite this decline, Athens remains one of the region’s most mature startup ecosystems. The city leads the Balkans in the Ecosystem Maturity functional category, reflecting its track record in producing startup outcomes. StartupBlink also describes Greece’s level of ecosystem centralization as healthy. Athens scores 7.4 times higher than Thessaloniki, a ratio that points to a strong national hub while still leaving room for secondary cities to grow. Thessaloniki grows although Heraklion records Greece’s strongest growth Thessaloniki posted strong annual growth of 29.1 percent but still fell four places to 443rd globally because other cities advanced faster. Heraklion, however, delivered Greece’s strongest city-level result. The port city of Crete climbed 89 places to 771st worldwide, with annual growth of 64.5 percent. That was the highest growth rate among Greek startup cities in the 2026 index. Heraklion’s performance shows that startup activity outside Athens is becoming increasingly visible even though the capital remains the country’s main innovation center. Greece’s startup ecosystem ranks fifth in Southern Europe Greece ranks fifth overall in Southern Europe. It performs slightly better in the Ecosystem Value functional category, where it ranks fourth in the subregion. In the Balkans, Greece ranks third overall, one place lower than last year. However, it performs better in specific sectors, ranking second in the region for both Fintech and Social & Leisure. These sectoral rankings highlight areas where Greece has a stronger regional position, especially in financial technology and consumer-facing digital services. Viva Wallet and PeopleCert remain Greece’s startup champions The report identifies Viva Wallet and PeopleCert as Greece’s main startup ecosystem champions. Both are based in Athens and are privately valued at over $1 billion. Viva Wallet has a StartupBlink score of 570, while PeopleCert has a score of 277. Viva Wallet became one of Greece’s most important startup success stories after JPMorgan acquired a 48.5 percent stake in the fintech company in 2022 in a deal valued at $2 billion. The transaction confirmed Viva Wallet’s status as Greece’s second unicorn and was described in the report as the country’s largest-ever startup deal. PeopleCert crossed the $1 billion valuation mark in 2021 after acquiring AXELOS for approximately $525 million. EquiFund, Elevate Greece, and NBG Business Seeds helped shape ecosystem StartupBlink also points to several initiatives that have shaped Greece’s startup ecosystem over the past decade and a half. The National Bank of Greece launched NBG Business Seeds in 2010, with the report describing it as the country’s longest-running startup innovation competition. Six years later, Greece and the European Investment Fund signed EquiFund, a fund-of-funds of approximately $290 million designed to help establish the country’s first professional venture capital market. Another important step came in 2020, when the Greek government launched Elevate Greece, the official national startup registry. The platform gives startups access to state benefits, investor visibility, angel investor tax incentives, and Golden Visa eligibility. The report also names the National Bank of Greece / NBG Business Seeds, Elevate Greece, and Enterprise Greece as notable startup ecosystem builders. Enterprise Greece is described as the country’s official investment and trade promotion agency, actively promoting the Greek startup ecosystem to international investors and supporting foreign founders through licensing and strategic investment frameworks. New tax incentives and startup Golden Visa aim to attract capital Recent policy developments also form part of the broader picture. In 2025, Greece introduced new tax incentives for angel investors, expanding the deduction cap to approximately $980 million, and launched a startup Golden Visa program. These measures are intended to attract startup investment and entrepreneurial talent. In 2024, Greece, in partnership with the European Investment Fund, launched the EquiFund II equity mandate, with a focus on life sciences, health, and sustainability. Together, these initiatives indicate that Greece continues to strengthen the financial and policy framework supporting startups, even as its global ranking has declined. Greece’s main challenge is faster startup ecosystem growth The StartupBlink 2026 ranking does not depict Greece as a weak startup ecosystem. The country has two major startups valued above $1 billion, a total ecosystem value of $12.1 billion, strong business environment conditions, and clear institutional support. The core issue is pace. Greece has grown but not quickly enough compared with global competitors. The contraction in Athens had a direct impact on the national ranking, while Thessaloniki and Heraklion demonstrate that regional ecosystems are still in a phase of development.

Thetis takes the magical shield for Achilles from Hephaestus. Attic red-figure Kylix, 490–480 BC. Credit: Public Domain In Homer’s Iliad, Thetis plays an important role in shaping the destiny of her son, Achilles. As a goddess, she intervenes at key moments in the epic, pushing the Greek hero to alter the course of events. Although Thetis appears less frequently than many of the warriors and gods who dominate the battlefield at Troy, her actions influence some of the most significant developments in the poem. As a sea goddess and the mother of the greatest Greek warrior, she occupies a unique position between the divine and mortal worlds. She cannot prevent Achilles from dying, since the Fates have already decreed it, yet she repeatedly intervenes to protect his honor, ease his suffering, and ensure that his glory endures. Through Thetis’ character, Homer explores themes of maternal love, fate, mortality, glory, and divine power. The first major instance of Thetis helping Achilles occurs in Book 1. After Agamemnon captures Briseis, a captive woman awarded to Achilles as a war prize, the Greek hero feels deeply dishonored and withdraws from battle. In his grief and anger, Achilles calls upon his mother. Thetis immediately rises from the sea to comfort him and listen to his complaint. This scene reveals the extraordinary bond between mother and son. Unlike many divine figures in Greek mythology, Thetis responds with sympathy and tenderness. She understands Achilles’ suffering because she is painfully aware of his short lifespan. Her lament for him reflects a mother’s helplessness in the face of fate. Thetis petitions Zeus to turn events in favor of Troy After hearing Achilles’ request, Thetis undertakes one of the most consequential actions in the epic. She travels to Olympus and petitions Zeus to punish the Greeks by granting success to the Trojans. Her aim is not simply revenge but the restoration of Achilles’ honor. Zeus eventually agrees, and his decision alters the course of the war. The Trojans begin to gain the upper hand, while the Greeks suffer devastating losses. Through this intervention, Thetis helps Achilles achieve the recognition he believes Agamemnon has denied him. This episode demonstrates the extent of Thetis’ influence among the gods. Although she cannot alter fate itself, she is capable of shaping the chain of events that leads toward it. Her appeal to Zeus succeeds in part because of a previous favor she had done for him. In this sense, her assistance rests not only on maternal devotion but also on her standing within the divine order. Achilles’ withdrawal from battle would have remained a private grievance without Thetis’ intervention. Instead, it escalates into a crisis that engulfs the entire Greek army. The second major instance of Thetis helping Achilles occurs after the death of Patroclus. Patroclus, Achilles’ closest companion, enters battle wearing Achilles’ armor and is killed by Hector. When Achilles learns of his friend’s death, he is overwhelmed by grief and rage. Once again, Thetis hears her son’s cries and goes to him. This scene is among the most emotional in the Iliad. Thetis is aware that Achilles’ decision to return to battle will lead directly to his own death, yet she does not attempt to stop him. Instead, she offers comfort and practical assistance. Hephaestus forges the invincible shield of Achilles Achilles cannot immediately rejoin the fighting because Hector has confiscated his armor. Recognizing his need, Thetis travels to the forge of Hephaestus and requests new armor for her son. Hephaestus responds by crafting the magnificent shield of Achilles, one of the most celebrated objects in world literature. The shield depicts scenes of war and peace, labor and celebration, and life and death. With this armor, Thetis enables Achilles to return to battle and fulfill his heroic destiny. This act of assistance is particularly significant because it highlights the limits of divine power. Thetis can secure the finest armor ever made, but she cannot save Achilles from mortality. Her help therefore reflects the tragic paradox that every action she takes to aid her son also brings him closer to the fate she most fears. The armor allows Achilles to defeat Hector, but it also marks the final stage of his journey toward death. Thetis’ role after Hector’s death further underscores her importance. Achilles becomes consumed by grief and rage, dragging Hector’s body around the tomb of Patroclus. The gods disapprove of this behavior and decide that Hector must be returned to his family. Zeus sends Thetis to deliver his command to Achilles. She successfully persuades her son to release the body in exchange for ransom, helping restore moral balance and preparing the tale for closure. This final intervention reveals another dimension of Thetis’ assistance. Earlier, she helped Achilles gain honor through vengeance; now she helps him regain humanity through compassion. Her influence guides him from destructive rage toward acceptance. The reconciliation between Achilles and Priam, one of the most moving scenes in ancient literature, would not have occurred without Thetis serving as the messenger between gods and mortals. The complexity of Thetis, the mother of Achilles Modern scholars have emphasized the complexity of Thetis’ character. Rather than portraying her simply as a nurturing mother, recent studies highlight her power and agency. Thetis is more than a grieving parent. She is a divine force capable of influencing both Olympus and the battlefield for the benefit of her son. This is evident in actions such as her request to Hephaestus to forge an impenetrable suit of armor for Achilles. At the same time, scholars frequently stress the tragic nature of her motherhood. Classicist Emily Wilson observes that she has come to view the Iliad as “a poem about the pain of a goddess mother who adores her mortal child and can’t protect him.” This insight captures the emotional core of Thetis’ role in the epic. Despite her divine status, she remains powerless as a mother in the face of fate. Her interventions can shape events, but they cannot prevent the loss she knows is imminent. Other scholars have also noted that grief defines Thetis’ presence throughout the epic poem. Classicist Serena Cannavale describes Thetis in the Iliad as “a figure of grief,” emphasizing that her sorrow is present long before Achilles actually dies. Her laments anticipate the tragedy that hangs over the entire narrative. Ultimately, Thetis helps Achilles in three essential ways: she restores his honor by persuading Zeus to favor the Trojans, she equips him for revenge by obtaining new armor from Hephaestus, and she guides him back toward humanity by conveying Zeus’s command to release Hector’s body to Priam. These actions shape the central events of the Iliad and reveal the profound connection between mother and son. Yet the tragedy of Thetis lies in the fact that her power cannot overcome destiny. She can comfort Achilles, protect his reputation, and secure his everlasting glory, but she cannot save his life. For this reason, Thetis embodies the tension between divine power and human mortality. Every time she helps Achilles, she demonstrates her love, yet every act of assistance also reminds readers that fate is stronger than even the gods. Through Thetis, Homer presents a moving portrait of maternal devotion in the face of inevitable loss, making her one of the emotional centers of the Iliad.

Kerry Needham turns to a Greece-based detective firm to access long-sealed local police files, calling it her last chance to learn what happened to her son

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