Το κόμμα του πρωθυπουργού της Μάλτας, Ρόμπερτ Αμπέλα κέρδισε τις βουλευτικές εκλογές που διεξήχθησαν το Σάββατο και εξασφάλισε μια τέταρτη, συνεχόμενη θητεία στους Εργατικούς, που προκήρυξαν αυτές τις πρόωρες εκλογές με αφορμή τις γεωπολιτικές αναταράξεις στον κόσμο. Πυροτεχνήματα φώτισαν τον νυχτερινό ουρανό του νησιού και υποστηρικτές των Εργατικών, ντυμένοι στα κόκκινα, το χρώμα ου κόμματος, κατέβηκαν στους δρόμους φωνάζοντας «τέταρτη φορά!» αφού με βάση τα πρώτα στοιχεία της καταμέτρησης των ψήφων το κυβερνών κόμμα εξασφαλίζει άνετη δίκη. Δημοσιογράφοι που παρακολουθούν την καταμέτρηση ανέφεραν ότι οι Εργατικοί θα έχουν την πλειοψηφία στο κοινοβούλιο, αν και όχι τόσο ευρεία όσο στις εκλογές του 2022, όταν συγκέντρωσε ποσοστό 55%. Η συμμετοχή των ψηφοφόρων ανήλθε στο 87,4%, ελαφρώς υψηλότερη από τις προηγούμενες βουλευτικές εκλογές. «Σήμερα γράψαμε ιστορία, όλοι μαζί» είπε ο Αμπέλα απευθυνόμενος στο πλήθος από το μπαλκόνι του κτηρίου που στεγάζει την έδρα του κόμματος, ενώ οι υποστηρικτές του φώναζαν ρυθμικά «Ο Ρόμπερτ είναι ο ηγέτης μας, αλληλούια». (Photo by Alberto PIZZOLI / AFP) Ο κυριότερος αντίπαλος του Αμπέλα ήταν ο υποψήφιος του Εθνικιστικού, συντηρητικού κόμματος Άλεξ Μποργκ, ένας δικηγόρος 30 ετών και πρώην νικητής των καλλιστείων «Mr World Malta», ο οποίος προέτρεπε τους Μαλτέζους να ψηφίσουν υπέρ της αλλαγής. Σήμερα παραδέχτηκε την ήττα του αναφέροντας, σε ανάρτησή του σε ιστοτόπους κοινωνικής δικτύωσης, ότι «τηλεφώνησε προσωπικά στον Ρόμπερτ Αμπέλα για να τον συγχαρεί». Ο 48χρονος πρωθυπουργός προκήρυξε αυτές τις πρόωρες εκλογές δηλώνοντας ότι η κυβέρνησή του χρειαζόταν μια νέα εντολή για να προστατεύσει τη Μάλτα, ένα κράτος που εξαρτάται από τις εισαγωγές, λόγω της κρίσης στη Μέση Ανατολή. Αν και η οικονομία του νησιού κατέγραψε αύξηση 4% πέρυσι, ορισμένοι εξέφραζαν φόβους ότι ο πόλεμος θα επηρέαζε τον τουρισμό, λόγω της εκρηκτικής αύξησης του κόστους των καυσίμων και των αεροπορικών εισιτηρίων. Ο Αμπέλα βάσισε την προεκλογική εκστρατεία του στις καλές οικονομικές επιδόσεις που καταγράφει η χώρα από το 2013, υποσχόμενος σταθερότητας σε μια περίοδο αβεβαιότητας. Ο Αμπέλα ανέλαβε τα ηνία της χώρας το 2020, όταν ο προκάτοχός του παραιτήθηκε με αφορμή την πολιτική κρίση από τη δολοφονία, το 2017, της δημοσιογράφου Ντάφνι Καρουάνα Γκαλιζία, που έφερε στο φως υποθέσεις διαφθοράς με την εμπλοκή υψηλόβαθμων αξιωματούχων. Πηγές: ΑΠΕ-ΜΠΕ, AFP www.ertnews.gr

Τραγωδία εκτυλίχθηκε το μεσημέρι της Κυριακής (31/05) στην Πάτρα, όπου ένας πατέρας και ο 17χρονος γιος του έχασαν τη ζωή τους σε θανατηφόρο τροχαίο. Η μοτοσικλέτα τους εξετράπη της πορείας της και προσέκρουσε σε κιγκλίδωμα. Για άγνωστους ακόμη λόγους, ο 52χρονος πατέρας έχασε τον έλεγχο της μηχανής με αποτέλεσμα να σκοτωθεί ακαριαία ο 17χρονος γιος του. Ο 52χρονος διακομίστηκε με ασθενοφόρο στο νοσοκομείο του Ρίου, όπου υπέκυψε στα τραύματά του παρά τις προσπάθειες των γιατρών. Προανάκριση για την διακρίβωση των αιτιών και συνθηκών πρόκλησης του τροχαίου δυστυχήματος διενεργεί το τμήμα Τροχαίας Πατρών. Ρεπορτάζ: Αθανασία Σταμοπούλου www.ertnews.gr

Two Dutch nationals have been arrested after they were found to have stolen pieces of fossils from the Petrified Forest protected by NATURA 2000 Network on the island of Lesvos. The two were arrested while they were attempting to board a flight to Amsterdam from Levsos airport. The fossil fragments were detected by inspectors of the […] The post Dutch tourists arrested for stealing pieces from Lesvos Petrified Forest appeared first on Keep Talking Greece.

A norovirus gastroenteritis outbreak in Atticon University hospital in western Athens has sounded alarm and concern, while it also exposed grave shortcomings in the safety measures of the hospital. Hospital workers report of dozens of cases among healthcare workers, patients and companions, while the facility management appears reassuring claiming there is no risk for the public […] The post Norovirus gastroenteritis outbreak in Athens Atticon University hospital appeared first on Keep Talking Greece.

Acropolis and Saronic Gulf as seen from Mt. Lycabettus. Credit: E.Koronaios /Wikimedia Commons CC BY 4.0 A new survey has shown that eight in ten Greeks (80.4 percent) perceive of life in Greece as unfair to citizens, while 81.9 percent believe that wealth is distributed unfairly in favor of businessmen, while 86.5 percent call for an in increase in taxes for the rich for reasons of social justice. These are the findings of a major survey conducted in April by Eteron – Institute for Research and Social Change with the title “Economic Justice.” The aim of the survey was to examines citizens’ perceptions of the economy, economic and social inequalities in Greece, their ideological positions on the economy and, finally, their views on specific economic policies in key areas. According to the findings, 63.4 percent of citizens say they are dissatisfied with their personal finances, a higher percentage compared to 57.3 percent in 2021 on the same issue. At the same time, 81.9 percent believe that the wealth produced is distributed unfairly, with business owners favored and workers receiving little. At the same time, 82.2 percent said that current state policy mainly favors large businesses. The perception of social injustice is reflected even more strongly in the overall image of the country: 80.4 percent of respondents characterize Greece as an unfair country, compared to 74.5 percent in 2021, while 84 percent believe that social injustices in Greece are greater compared to other European countries. Unfair taxation in Greece The survey highlights that Greeks have a clear demand for a stronger public role in the economy, as 48.9 percent favor an economic system that is based more on state planning and intervention, compared to 41.6 percent who prefer a model more oriented towards the free market. Correspondingly, 61.9 percent support increasing taxes on high incomes and vast wealth in order to strengthen public services, the welfare state, and reduce inequalities. Even stronger is the agreement with the position that taxes on the rich must be increased in order to ensure taxation justice and support for the weakest, with the relevant percentage reaching 86.5 percent. At the same time, 87.1 percent believe employees and pensioners bear the main tax burden in Greece, a feeling that there is tax inequality. Universal demand for public control on social goods Citizens’ preference for public control remains particularly strong in key social sectors. Specifically, most respondents believe there should be public control in: Education, 90.8 percent Water supply, 90.4 percent Health, 90.2 percent Social Security and health insurance, 87.8 percent Energy, 77.5 percent Ground Transportation, 72.3 percent Even in the banking system, 54.4 percent are in favor of mainly public control. Air transportation is the only sector in which the majority of respondents (56.8 percent) chose control of the private sector. Low wages and housing costs unfair and at the top of social injustices in Greece Financial pressure is also clearly reflected in the work sector. Only 36.7 percent of employees believe they receive fair financial compensation for their profession, while 62.4 percent responded that their wages are somewhat or not at all fair. A similar picture is recorded in terms of matching compensation with experience and effort at work, where 62.8 percent declared themselves dissatisfied. When asked about the greatest injustices facing the country today, Greek citizens placed from top to bottom: Low wages that do not allow for a decent living, 60.7 percent High housing costs for those living on rent, 57.7 percent Lack of meritocracy, 45.8 percent Tax inequalities, 45.1 percent Underemployment of young people, 39.1 percent Regarding housing policy, the main priorities for people are low-interest loans for the purchase of a first home with 56.4 percent, the ceiling on rent increases with 46.8 percent, and the construction of social housing with 38.9 percent. The need for social protection The survey results record a strong social perception that freedom, justice, and development cannot be disconnected from social protection. The results show that 64.4 percent of Greeks surveyed believe that individual freedom presupposes liberation from poverty, a strong social protection system, and an active role of the state in monitoring the markets. At the same time, 66.4 percent believe that economic inequalities are not a natural phenomenon but a result of the economic and social system. The importance of the issue is almost universally recognized: 88.1 percent assess inequalities as a very or fairly significant issue. The respondents showed support for collective labor institutions. A total of 71.3 percent believe that without strong unions and collective agreements, there cannot be well-paying jobs. As far as the insurance system is concerned, 78.4 percent are of the opinion that social security should be fairer, as it allows for the collective treatment of risks on the basis of solidarity, compared to 18.2 percent who prefer private insurance. In the field of ideological references, social democracy is recorded as the approach that, according to most respondents, can guarantee stronger and fairer development, garnering 20.6 percent of participants. It is followed by socialism with 18.9 percent and liberalism with 16.6 percent. At the same time, the Center-Left/Left appears to have a lead in trust over the Center-Right/Right on issues such as reducing economic inequalities (48 percent), fair taxation (40.4 percent), a fair pension system (40.2 percent) and the expansion of collective bargaining (48.8 percent). Gender discrimination and equality at work The survey also records strong recognition of gender inequalities in the labor market with a total of 65.9 percent of respondents. Specifically, they believe that women do not have the same opportunities as men in getting hired and occupy positions that correspond to their qualifications. Furthermore, 63.5 percent believe women with the same qualifications need to try harder than men to be recognized. At the same time, 69 percent believe that sexual harassment is very widespread in the workplace, while 84.1 percent agree that homosexual and transgender people should be treated equally in recruitment and at work. The findings of the survey reflect a society that does not treat inequalities as inevitable but as a matter of political choices. Citizens are demanding fair wages, affordable housing, effective public services, fair taxation, social security, and meaningful protection at work. Analyzing the survey results, the majority of Greeks believe that economic growth is not evaluated solely on the basis of market indexes but on the basis of whether it provides security, dignity, and justice for the majority of Greeks.

Artemidorus believed that dreams, far from being mere illusions, could reveal truths about fate, desire, and the soul’s hidden impulses. Credit: Henry Fuseli, Wikimedia Commons, Public Domain Among the many thinkers who sought to systematize the interpretation of dreams, one name stands out: Artemidorus of Daldis. Late antiquity, a time of great spiritual ferment and philosophical reflection, was deeply invested in understanding dreams. In the ancient world, dreams were not seen as fleeting illusions, but as profound messages carrying warnings, promises, or guidance from the divine realm. Artemidorus and his Oneirocritica Artemidorus, a Greek of Daldis in Asia Minor (modern-day Turkey), lived during the 2nd century AD. His seminal work bears the name the Oneirocritica meaning The Interpretation of Dreams. It is the most complete and influential dream manual that survives from the ancient world. Unlike earlier interpreters who often relied solely on religious revelation or arbitrary symbolism, Artemidorus attempted a methodical and empirical approach. He gathered thousands of dreams and their real-life outcomes, categorizing them according to detailed criteria such as the dreamer’s social class, gender, occupation and health. This systematic treatment made the Oneirocritica unique: Artemidorus saw dream interpretation as a technical skill—a techne—that could be learned, refined and applied practically, rather than a mystical gift bestowed by the gods. Artemidorus provided a rich etymological interpretation of the Greek word “oneiros,” distinguishing it from “enypnion,” which referred to ordinary dreams shaped by daily emotions or physical conditions. According to him, “oneiros” carried a deeper, prophetic significance. He wrote that it derives etymologically from “to say the being” (εἴρειν τὸ ὄν), meaning the dream tells what is—it reveals a hidden truth or an event already present in the flow of time, destined to unfold. He suggested that an oneiros agitates or stimulates the soul, prompting it to act and reshape it according to what is revealed. Furthermore, he associated it with the figure of Iros, the beggar-messenger from Homer’s Odyssey. He portrayed the dream as a divine messenger that delivers crucial messages to the dreamer. Through this tripartite etymology, Artemidorus presented the oneiros as a powerful force capable of revealing the future, moving the soul and serving as an intermediary between the divine and human realms. Dreams between fate and free will During late antiquity, a broader philosophical shift occurred: thinkers began questioning the absolute predictiveness of dreams. Figures like the philosopher and bishop Synesius of Cyrene argued that dreams were not ironclad predictions of destiny. Instead they were reflections and guides to help people better endure what was to come. Similarly, the Greek novelist Achilles Tatius described dreams as tools preparing the soul for adversity, rather than instruments for altering fate. Artemidorus mirrors this evolving perspective. While he certainly believed dreams could foretell the future, he emphasized interpretation grounded in context. He was reading dreams as part of a larger web of human experience, not as isolated supernatural prophecies. Artemidorus distinguishes between two types of nocturnal visions. First, there are dreams (“enypnia”), which reflect the dreamer’s current emotional or physical state.  Examples include dreaming of eating when hungry or vomiting when overfed. These dreams have a diagnostic value, expressing bodily imbalances or emotional desires and fears. In contrast, oneiroi are prophetic dreams. Artemidorus connects them through three etymologies: they express (“say”) future events already unfolding, they “stir” the soul to action, and they link to the messenger figure Iros, who carried important missives. A white-ground Lekytha showing Hypnos and Thanatos. Hypnos was the God of Dreams. Credit: Marie lan Nguyen, jastrow, cc by-sa 2.5 Oneirocritica: A glimpse into everyday ancient life Beyond its role as a dream manual, the Oneirocritica offers historians an incredible window into daily life in the ancient Greco-Roman world. Through Artemidorus’s examples—fishermen dreaming of nets, slaves dreaming of freedom, merchants dreaming of shipwrecks—we glimpse the anxieties, hopes and cultural values of people from all walks of life. His meticulous attention to detail reveals a deeply stratified society where dreams meant different things depending on one’s station. A dream about flying, for example, could symbolize ambition for a noble. However it might predict instability for a commoner. Artemidorus also interprets many sexual dreams in surprising detail. He emphasizes that the context and social status of the dreamer matters. For example, dreaming of having sex with one’s mother could be positive—not incestuous—if interpreted symbolically as returning to one’s origins or gaining power in the household. However, in other contexts it could indicate shame or dishonor. Artemidorus adds: ”If a man dreams he is having intercourse with a woman he does not know, if she is pretty and graceful, is attired in soft and expensive clothes and gold necklaces, and gives herself willingly, it bodes good for the dreamer and points to considerable success, but if she is an ugly, shapeless, shabbily dressed old woman dragging out a life of pain, and she does not give herself willingly, it signifies the opposite; we must interpret unknown women as symbols of happenings that will befall the dreamer.” Also according to Artemidorus, if a poor person dreams of being naked in public, it might mean freedom from burdens or debts. But for a rich person or official, it suggests public  disgrace loss of office. The ancient Greeks perceived dreams to be means for the Gods to send humans messages. Credit: John William Waterhouse, Wikimedia Commons, Public Domain Legacy and influence Though Christianity would later downplay the significance of pagan dream books, Artemidorus’s influence lingered subtly. His rational method inspired later medieval and Byzantine thought. Some of his interpretations seeped into folk traditions and psychological theories of dreams. In the 19th and 20th centuries, figures in psychology like Freud and Jung reawakened interest in the psychology of dreams. At that time, scholars once again turned to Artemidorus. They recognized in his work an early effort to understand the human mind through its nightly visions.

Government offices, banks, schools, and private tutoring centers will be closed.

Interest in travel remained, but had weakened compared with 2025, primarily because the cost of short breaks had risen across the board

Nearly 800 people were arrested after clashes with police which saw 219 people injured, including 57 police officers.

Paris St-Germain underline their status as one of European football's greatest ever teams by retaining their Champions League crown with victory against Arsenal.

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Wizz Air CEO Yvonne Moynihan also advises passengers to carry portable chargers and water due to lengthy queues.

Yves Sakila died after being restrained by security guards ‘in broad daylight’Irish authorities have agreed to a second postmortem on the body of a Congolese man who died after being restrained by shop security guards on a Dublin street, prompting an outcry and comparisons to the death of George Floyd.A forensic pathologist from England is to conduct an independent postmortem this week on Yves Sakila, 35, an alleged shoplifter who was pursued and pinned to the ground in the city centre on 15 May. The police force, An Garda Síochána, is investigating. Continue reading...

Interior minister says 57 officers injured as rioters set fires and vandalise shops in about 15 citiesFrench police have detained 780 people involved in violent clashes in Paris and other French cities that erupted on Saturday night after Paris Saint-Germain defeated Arsenal to win the Champions League title.The interior minister, Laurent Nuñez, said 57 officers were wounded, with most suffering minor injuries, as football fans set off fires and vandalised shops. One small group even tried to storm a Paris police station. Continue reading...