Το Αιγαίο και η Ανατολική Μεσόγειο θα μπορούσαν να αποτελέσουν θάλασσες συνεργασίας ανάμεσα στην Ελλάδα και την Τουρκία, αν όμως δεν υπάρξει σωστή διαχείριση, μπορούν να μετατραπούν σε πεδία σύγκρουσης, δήλωσε μεταξύ άλλων ο πρώην πρωθυπουργός και πρώην υπουργός Εξωτερικών της Τουρκίας, Αχμέτ Νταβούτογλου, μιλώντας στο ΕΡΤNews και τον Φάνη Παπαθανασίου. «Πολλοί επικρίνουν την Τουρκία για το casus belli και τη Γαλάζια Πατρίδα, όμως θεωρώ ότι οι δύο λαοί πρέπει να κατανοήσουν ο ένας την ψυχολογία του άλλου. Οι Έλληνες αντιλαμβάνονται την Τουρκία ως μια μεγαλύτερη χώρα με ισχυρότερο στρατό και, συνεπώς, ως πιθανή απειλή. Από την άλλη πλευρά, στην Τουρκία υπάρχει η αίσθηση ότι η Ελλάδα, με τη στήριξη της Ευρώπης και κατά καιρούς των Ηνωμένων Πολιτειών, επιδιώκει να ελέγξει ολόκληρο το Αιγαίο και την Κύπρο» υποστήριξε ο κ. Νταβούτογλου. Ο ίδιος ανέφερε επίσης: «Η Τουρκία είναι κατά βάση μια θαλάσσια χώρα, με το μεγαλύτερο μέρος των συνόρων της να βρέχεται από τη Μαύρη Θάλασσα, το Αιγαίο και την Ανατολική Μεσόγειο. Στην τουρκική αντίληψη, η επέκταση των ελληνικών χωρικών υδάτων στα δώδεκα μίλια θα είχε ως αποτέλεσμα τον περιορισμό της τουρκικής πρόσβασης στο Αιγαίο και στην Ανατολική Μεσόγειο. Αυτό δεν εκλαμβάνεται ως άμεση απειλή, αλλά ως προσπάθεια απομόνωσης της Τουρκίας. Η λύση, κατά τη γνώμη μου, είναι διπλή: αφενός οι Έλληνες να αισθανθούν ασφαλείς ότι η Τουρκία δεν αποτελεί απειλή πολέμου, αφετέρου να αναγνωριστεί ότι το Αιγαίο αποτελεί θάλασσα δύο εθνών και όχι αποκλειστικά ενός. Η Γαλάζια Πατρίδα εμφανίστηκε ως αντίδραση μετά τη δεκαετία του 1990, εκφράζοντας την αντίληψη ότι η Τουρκία διαθέτει και θαλάσσια διάσταση, πέρα από την Ανατολία». Σχετικά με την αυξανόμενη συνεργασία Ελλάδας, Κύπρου και Ισραήλ, ο Τούρκος πρώην πρωθυπουργός δεν τη θεωρεί στρατηγικά ορθή: «Κατά την άποψή μου, τέτοιου είδους συμμαχίες που δημιουργούν την εντύπωση αποκλεισμού της Τουρκίας δεν εξυπηρετούν τα ελληνικά συμφέροντα και δεν συνιστούν πραγματική απειλή για την Τουρκία. Αντίθετα, ενισχύουν την καχυποψία. Πιστεύω ότι η Ανατολική Μεσόγειος είναι κοινός χώρος και ότι η συνεργασία μεταξύ όλων των περιφερειακών δυνάμεων είναι πιο επωφελής από τη δημιουργία ανταγωνιστικών μπλοκ». Δείτε περισσότερα στο ertflix.gr | Ακούστε περισσότερα στο ertecho.gr Υποστήριξε ακόμη ότι «η Ελλάδα και η Τουρκία μπορούν να συνεργαστούν στην αξιοποίηση των φυσικών πόρων και στη διατήρηση της σταθερότητας. Αν, όμως, επικρατήσει η λογική της κυριαρχίας και του αποκλεισμού, καμία πλευρά δεν θα ωφεληθεί. Όπως η Τουρκία δεν θα έπρεπε να επιδιώξει την απομόνωση της Ελλάδας, έτσι και η Ελλάδα δεν θα έπρεπε να επιδιώξει την απομόνωση της Τουρκίας. Η συνεργασία, και όχι ο ανταγωνισμός, αποτελεί τη μόνη βιώσιμη προοπτική για το μέλλον των δύο χωρών». Ο Αχμέτ Νταβούτογλου είπε ακόμη ότι θεωρεί την «ανθρώπινη διάσταση» στη διπλωματία πολύ σημαντική, δίνοντας ως παράδειγμα τη συνεργασία του κατά τη θητεία του ως υπουργός Εξωτερικών και πρωθυπουργός με πολλούς Έλληνες πολιτικούς, όπως ο Γιώργος Παπανδρέου, η Ντόρα Μπακογιάννη, ο Δημήτρης Αβραμόπουλος, ο Κυριάκος Μητσοτάκης και ο Αλέξης Τσίπρας. «Με τον Γιώργο Παπανδρέου είχαμε πολύ καλή συνεργασία, καθώς ήταν ανοιχτόμυαλος και διανοούμενος. Πιστεύω ότι οι Τούρκοι και οι Έλληνες πρέπει να συζητούν όχι μόνο τα διμερή ζητήματα, αλλά και ευρύτερα διεθνή θέματα και να αναλαμβάνουν κοινές πρωτοβουλίες. Με τον Δημήτρη Αβραμόπουλο εξακολουθούμε να επικοινωνούμε συχνά, όχι ως πρώην υπουργοί Εξωτερικών, αλλά ως φίλοι. Θυμάμαι ιδιαίτερα τη συνεργασία μου με τον Αλέξη Τσίπρα. Τον προσκάλεσα ως επίτιμο προσκεκλημένο σε συνεδρίαση του Ανώτατου Συμβουλίου Συνεργασίας στη Σμύρνη, θέλοντας να δείξω ότι, παρά τις ιστορικές συγκρούσεις, η πόλη αποτελεί σήμερα μέρος της σύγχρονης Τουρκίας και δεν υπάρχει λόγος να αποφεύγεται η παρουσία ενός Έλληνα πρωθυπουργού εκεί». www.ertnews.gr

Ο επικεφαλής των ανθρωπίνων δικαιωμάτων του ΟΗΕ, Φόλκερ Τουρκ κάλεσε σήμερα (10/6) τις ΗΠΑ να προβούν σε «ενδελεχή» αναθεώρηση της μεταναστευτικής της πολιτικής στο πλαίσιο του Παγκοσμίου Κυπέλλου 2026 (11/6-19/7), εν μέσω κλιμακούμενων εντάσεων σχετικά με το θέμα. «Ελπίζω ειλικρινά ότι θα υπάρξει μια ενδελεχής επανεκτίμηση του πώς η εφαρμογή των μεταναστευτικών πολιτικών επηρεάζει τα ανθρώπινα δικαιώματα και την ανθρώπινη αξιοπρέπεια και ότι, ιδίως στο πλαίσιο του Παγκοσμίου Κυπέλλου, θα επανεξετάσουμε τις πολιτικές που, δυστυχώς, φαίνεται να επικρατούν σήμερα, ειδικά στις Ηνωμένες Πολιτείες», δήλωσε ο Φόλκερ Τουρκ σε συνέντευξη Τύπου στη Γενεύη. Ο 61χρονος Αυστριακός νομικός, είναι ύπατος Αρμοστής του ΟΗΕ για τα Ανθρώπινα Δικαιώματα από τον Οκτώβριο του 2022, όταν διαδέχθηκε τη Μισέλ Μπατσελέτ. www.ertnews.gr

Athens is sixth most expensive city in Europe for housing: Greeks pay one and a half minimum wages for a monthly rent, a surveu among 21 cities in Europe has shown.. The coverage of housing in Athens, including water, electricity, heating (natural gas, oil), makes it the 6th most expensive city, among the 21 examined. […] The post Athens is 6th most expensive city in Europe for housing appeared first on Keep Talking Greece.

Six people charged with bribery for construction-related issues in urban-planning-related civil services of the Region of Attica were testifying before a corruption investigator on Tuesday. The six include five civil servants and a privately working engineer. They  are accused of using their positions to resolve outstanding issues related to licensing and fines, among others, in […] The post Civil servants charged for bribery in urban-planning cases in Attica appeared first on Keep Talking Greece.

Perimortem lesions. Credit: Laura Castells Navarro / CC BY 4.0 Researchers examining the remains of an Iron Age woman in northern Scotland have found signs that her brain may have been intentionally removed more than 2,000 years ago. The discovery, made at a burial cairn in Sutherland, also revealed long-distance family connections, suggesting prehistoric communities maintained social and cultural ties across wide areas of Scotland. The findings were published in the journal Antiquity and come from an investigation of two individuals buried in a low stone cairn at Loch Borralie, near the northwestern tip of mainland Scotland. The burial contained the remains of an adult woman and a juvenile boy. Rare glimpse into Iron Age burial practices Understanding funerary traditions in Iron Age Britain has long been difficult because human remains rarely survive. Soil conditions often destroy bone over time. North-west Scotland is one of the few regions where environmental conditions have preserved skeletal remains, offering researchers a rare opportunity to study how ancient communities treated their dead. Researchers from the United Kingdom and the United States examined the remains to determine who the individuals were, where they came from, and whether they were related to each other or other groups in the region. “We knew that in the north-west of Scotland, including the Northern and Western Isles, the circulation and deposition of human remains were particularly prominent,” said lead author Dr. Laura Castells Navarro of the University of York. Evidence points to deliberate brain removal To investigate the burial, researchers combined osteological analysis, isotope testing, and ancient DNA studies. The most striking discovery involved the adult woman. Researchers found fine cut marks on the inside of her skull and identified unusual modifications to several long bones, including the upper arm, forearm, and thigh bones. The bones had been shaped so that their ends tapered into points. Evidence of intentional postmortem manipulation. Credit: Laura Castells Navarro / CC BY 4.0 According to the researchers, the evidence suggests the woman’s brain was intentionally removed after death, and some of her bones were deliberately carved before burial. The purpose of these actions remains unclear. However, researchers believe the treatment may indicate that the woman held a special place within her community. “The motivation behind the extensive manipulation of the skeletal remains of Individual 1 is very difficult to interpret,” Castells Navarro said. “However, the care with which she was reassembled and deposited in the cairn possibly suggests she commanded a level of reverence and respect by her community.” DNA reveals connections across Scotland The study also uncovered evidence of extensive mobility among Iron Age communities. Isotope analysis indicated that both individuals likely spent their childhoods about 80 kilometers southeast of Loch Borralie. Ancient DNA revealed genetic links to people living in Orkney, roughly 175 kilometers northeast of the site, and Applecross, around 225 kilometers to the southwest. Researchers also determined that the woman and the boy were closely related, most likely maternal second cousins. The findings suggest that family groups moved regularly around Scotland’s northern coast and islands while maintaining relationships across considerable distances. “More broadly, our research shows that prehistoric maritime communities periodically moved around the north coast and Northern Isles of Scotland, possibly in small groups,” Castells Navarro said. “This movement allowed for the spread and maintenance of cultural practices and traditions.” New clues to prehistoric social networks Taken together, the evidence of possible brain removal, deliberate bone modification, and long-distance family connections points to a complex society linked by shared traditions and social networks. While researchers cannot determine exactly why the woman’s remains were altered, the burial suggests that some Iron Age communities maintained ongoing relationships with the dead and practiced funerary rituals that extended far beyond simple burial. The findings provide a rare glimpse into beliefs and customs that shaped life in prehistoric Scotland more than two millennia ago.

Occult-scientific manuals for rulers were common in early modern Persia (1500-1800). Oil portrait of Nadir Shah of Persia (1732-1747). Credit: Public Domain The early modern Persian world produced a substantial body of occult-scientific manuals dedicated to one of humanity’s oldest political ambitions: world domination. This was a distinct genre of literature that promised access to universal sovereignty through mastery of the hidden forces governing the cosmos. In his study “How to Rule the World: Occult-Scientific Manuals of the Early Modern Persian Cosmopolis,” historian Matthew Melvin-Koushki examines texts that reveal an intellectual culture in which political authority, scientific inquiry, and esoteric knowledge were deeply intertwined. Between the 15th and 17th centuries, the Persian cosmopolis stretched across a vast geographical area, encompassing regions ruled by the Timurids, Safavids, Mughals, and Ottomans. Persian functioned as a language of administration, scholarship, and elite culture throughout much of the Islamic world. Within this environment, occult sciences held a prestigious position. Far from being marginalized superstition, disciplines such as astrology, lettrism, talismanic science, geomancy, and astral magic were widely regarded as legitimate branches of knowledge capable of revealing the hidden structure of reality. Rulers across the wider early modern Persian world cultivated an image of themselves as universal, sacral, and cosmocratic sovereigns. In this context, Alexander the Great, famous for conquering much of Asia, served as one of the key historical models of world rulership. Resāla-ye Ḥorūf (On the Letters) by Ebn Torka Esfahāni is an influential treatise on lettrism, the occult power of letters and language. It was written to support the ambitions of a Timurid ruler and presents an explicitly imperial application of occult knowledge. Kholāsat al-Baḥrayn (Epitome of the Two Seas) by Lotf-Allāh Nishāpuri Samarqandi is a Timurid manual combining geomancy and talismanic magic squares. The “two seas” refer to these two occult disciplines. Historian of science Sonja Brentjes has argued that the traditional distinction between “scientific” and “occult” disciplines often obscures how knowledge was organized in pre-modern Islamic societies. Her research shows that astrology, astronomy, mathematics, and related fields frequently coexisted within shared scholarly frameworks. Rather than treating occult sciences as marginal pursuits, many learned communities regarded them as legitimate fields of inquiry tied to broader investigations of nature and causality. World domination and universal kingship in Persian occult-scientific manuals The central premise of many Persian occult-scientific manuals was that the universe operated according to precise correspondences linking celestial bodies, divine names, letters, numbers, and earthly events. A skilled practitioner could decipher these relationships and harness them for practical purposes. Political power was one of the most significant of these ends. Sovereignty was not understood solely as a matter of military force or administrative competence. It was also conceived as a cosmological phenomenon rooted in the proper alignment of ruler, heavens, and sacred knowledge. One of the defining features of these manuals was their emphasis on universal kingship. Authors frequently addressed rulers who aspired not merely to govern territories but to establish dominion over the entire inhabited world. Such ambitions reflected broader political developments of the period. The rise of large imperial formations, including the Safavid and Mughal empires, fostered ideological visions of global sovereignty. Occult sciences provided a language through which these aspirations could be articulated and legitimized. A notable example of such a text is Kāshefi Jr.’s Herz al-amān (Amulet of Safety from the Seditions of the Times), which promises to enable officials and bureaucrats to exert extraordinary influence over sovereigns even to the point of what the text frames as magical mind control. Asrār-e Qāsemī (Qāsemian Secrets) by Hosayn Vāʿez Kāshefi engages with illusionism and terrestrial magic. These manuals typically promised access to what might be described as technologies of sovereignty. Through the manipulation of sacred letters, numerical formulas, planetary configurations, and ritual procedures, rulers could acquire charisma, victory, obedience, and divine favor. These techniques were often presented as scientific rather than magical. Their authors argued that they operated according to discoverable laws embedded within creation itself. Mastery of occult science thus became analogous to mastery of astronomy, medicine, or mathematics: a disciplined pursuit of knowledge that yielded predictable effects. Importance of letters A particularly important branch of this intellectual tradition was the science of letters (ʿilm al-ḥurūf). Drawing on centuries of Islamic mystical speculation, practitioners argued that letters constituted the fundamental building blocks of reality. According to this belief, just as God created the universe through speech, letters possessed creative and transformative power. By arranging, calculating, and invoking letters according to specific procedures, the practitioner could influence events in the material world. Toḥfa-ye Rūḥānī (A Spiritual Boon) by Jalāl al-Din Davāni is a concise treatise on political letter magic. Written for a Khalji sultan in central India, it continued the Timurid tradition of applying occult knowledge to governance. Soʾl al-Molūk (Query of Kings) by Ebn Torka Esfahāni is a more extensive handbook of political letter magic intended to guide rulers seeking power and legitimacy through occult practices. For rulers, the implications were profound. The science of letters promised more than personal enlightenment. It also offered practical written methods for governing subjects, defeating enemies, and securing dynastic stability. These occult-scientific manuals frequently contained instructions for constructing talismans, calculating auspicious moments for military campaigns, or invoking divine assistance through combinations of sacred names and letters. Books were more socially significant in early modern Islamdom than in Christendom and, as a rule, were considerably more encyclopedic in scope. Melvin-Koushki argues that these texts should not be dismissed as irrational relics of a pre-modern worldview. Such interpretations impose modern distinctions between science and magic that did not exist in the same form during the early modern period. For many Persian scholars, the occult sciences represented advanced forms of natural philosophy. They sought to uncover causal mechanisms operating beyond ordinary perception yet still embedded within the natural order. Political success became inseparable from the ability to understand and manipulate the hidden architecture of existence. This perspective helps explain why prominent intellectuals devoted considerable attention to occult subjects. Scholars who wrote on astronomy, philosophy, theology, and medicine frequently engaged with occult disciplines as well. Court patronage further elevated their status. Rulers sought astrologers, letter mystics, and talismanic experts not because they rejected rational inquiry but because they viewed these specialists as possessors of powerful forms of knowledge essential to successful governance. Occult and the empire The relationship between occult science and empire was particularly significant. Early modern rulers faced immense challenges, including administering diverse populations, maintaining military superiority, and legitimizing their authority across vast territories. Persian occult-scientific manuals addressed these concerns directly. They promised techniques for enhancing royal charisma, predicting political developments, and securing divine support for imperial projects. In effect, they offered a comprehensive theory of power that united metaphysical insight with practical statecraft. At the same time, these manuals illuminate important dimensions of Islamic intellectual history that are often overlooked in conventional narratives. Modern accounts frequently emphasize legal scholarship, theology, or philosophy while marginalizing esoteric traditions. Yet the evidence suggests that the occult sciences occupied a central place within elite culture. These texts were copied, studied, translated, and circulated across political boundaries. Their practitioners moved between courts and scholarly networks, contributing to a shared intellectual world that extended from Anatolia to India. The popularity of these texts also reflects broader transformations across early modern Eurasia. In many cultures, periods of imperial expansion generated heightened interest in universal systems of knowledge. European courts patronized astrologers and alchemists, Chinese emperors consulted cosmological experts, and rulers throughout the wider Persian world sought guidance from occult scientists. In each case, political ambition encouraged efforts to understand and control the forces believed to shape history. The pursuit of world rule was simultaneously a quest to master the hidden workings of the cosmos. Liana Saif, a historian specializing in Islamic esotericism and the occult, stresses that practitioners understood occult operations as grounded in a structured cosmology. She notes that many authors viewed magical and talismanic practices as operating through hidden natural causes rather than supernatural violations of nature. In this interpretation, the occult sciences functioned as extensions of natural philosophy rather than alternatives to it. Language and symbolism in Persian occult-scientific manuals Noah Gardiner, a professor of religious studies specializing in Sufism and the occult, highlights the importance of language and symbolism in Islamic esoteric thought. He demonstrates that letter mysticism was not merely a form of speculative theology but a sophisticated intellectual tradition concerned with the relationship between divine speech, creation, and human knowledge. Such ideas helped support broader claims that mastery of letters could provide access to hidden dimensions of power. Melvin-Koushki argues that the influence of Persian occult-scientific manuals should not be exaggerated. Their promises were often grandiose, and their practical effectiveness remains impossible to evaluate by modern standards. Historically, however, what matters is not whether their techniques worked but why educated individuals considered them credible. Their authority rested on coherent intellectual frameworks that integrated religion, philosophy, mathematics, and cosmology. Within these frameworks, occult science appeared neither irrational nor marginal but deeply meaningful. This perspective helps explain why prominent intellectuals devoted considerable attention to occult subjects. Scholars who wrote on astronomy, philosophy, theology, and medicine frequently engaged with occult disciplines as well. Court patronage further elevated their status. Rulers sought astrologers, letter mystics, and talismanic experts not because they rejected rational inquiry but because they viewed these specialists as possessors of powerful forms of knowledge essential to successful governance. The decline of these traditions resulted largely from changing epistemological assumptions introduced during the modern period. New distinctions between science and superstition gradually relegated occult disciplines to the margins of intellectual life. As a result, much of their historical significance became obscured. Recent scholarship, including Melvin-Koushki’s work, seeks to recover these traditions not as curiosities but as integral components of early modern knowledge systems.

Sifnos, one of the so-called 'Instagram isles' of Greece, offers free housing, travel bonuses and monthly allowances to attract and retain doctors, as authorities seek to strengthen healthcare services amid persistent staff shortages and rising seasonal demand

Let us not so easily assume that what happens in the world—the persecution of LGBTQI people that takes place in countries in Africa, or in Russia, in the United States—will not happen here. Look around a little and you see that we are always one step away from a similar turn

Thr ruling overturns a lower court's decision on Monday ordering the release of the crown princess's 29-year-old son.

Poland is threatening to strip Ukraine's president of a state honour over the naming Ukrainian military unit after controversial World War Two fighters.

The majority of billpayers are unaware of special tariffs for water and broadband, the spending watchdog says.

Consumers are increasingly feeling the strain of the US Israel war in Iran.