Το 1ο Φεστιβάλ Παιδιών και Εφήβων, στις 19, 20 και 21 Ιουνίου 2026, στο Πάρκο ΚΕΓΕ στη Νέα Αρτάκη, διοργανώνει ο Σύλλογος Απανταχού Αρτακηνών Κυζικηνών. Θα διεξαχθεί στο Πάρκο ΚΕΓΕ, Νέα Αρτάκη (Πλατεία Ηρώων Πολυτεχνείου). Όπως αναφέρει ο σύλλογος: «Το πιο χαρούμενο φεστιβάλ του καλοκαιριού έρχεται!Τρεις μέρες γεμάτες: Παιχνίδι, Αγάπη, Ιστορία, Δημιουργία, Ιδέες.Μικροί και μεγάλοι θα ζήσουμε μοναδικές στιγμές με δράσεις, χαμόγελα και δημιουργική διάθεση!Είσοδος Ελεύθερη(Παιδιά έως 12 ετών με υποχρεωτική συνοδεία ενηλίκου)Σας περιμένουμε όλους για να γιορτάσουμε μαζί τη χαρά της παιδικής δημιουργίας!». www.ertnews.gr

…ανταπόκριση από το Λονδίνο… Στο εδώλιο του Ανώτατου Ποινικού Δικαστηρίου στο Εδιμβούργο επέστρεψε σήμερα ο Πίτερ Μάρελ, πρώην εκτελεστικός διευθυντής του Σκωτικού Εθνικού Κόμματος (SNP), και εν διαστάσει σύζυγος της Νίκολα Στέρτζον, καθώς η εισαγγελία παρουσιάζει αναλυτικά πώς υπεξαίρεσε περισσότερες από 400.000 λίρες (460.000 ευρώ) από τα ταμεία του κόμματος. Η υπόθεση έχει εξελιχθεί σε ένα από τα σοβαρότερα πολιτικά σκάνδαλα στη σύγχρονη Σκωτία. Δεν αφορά μόνο την ποινική καταδίκη ενός πρώην πανίσχυρου κομματικού παράγοντα. Έχει ρίξει βαριά σκιά πάνω στην πολιτική κληρονομιά της Νίκολα Στέρτζον, της άλλοτε κυρίαρχης μορφής της σκωτικής πολιτικής, της μακροβιότερης Πρωθυπουργού της Σκωτίας και μιας από τις πιο ισχυρές γυναίκες στη βρετανική πολιτική σκηνή. Η ίδια η Στέρτζον δεν αντιμετωπίζει ποινικές κατηγορίες και έχει δηλώσει ότι εξαπατήθηκε, παραπλανήθηκε και προδόθηκε. «Με παραπλάνησε. Με εξαπάτησε. Εκείνος εκτίει — και θα εκτίσει — ποινή για ένα έγκλημα που διέπραξε. Εγώ βρίσκομαι εδώ έξω νιώθοντας σαν να εκτίω ποινή για ένα έγκλημα που δεν διέπραξα», είπε η Στέρτζον σε συνέντευξη της στο BBC. Ωστόσο, το ερώτημα που κυριαρχεί πλέον στη Σκωτία είναι, πώς ήταν δυνατόν μια τόσο εκτεταμένη οικονομική απάτη να εξελίσσεται επί 12 χρόνια στον στενό πυρήνα του κόμματος που εκείνη ηγείτο και στο οποίο ο τότε σύζυγος της είχε τον απόλυτο έλεγχο των οικονομικών μηχανισμών; Ο Μάρελ έχει ήδη παραδεχθεί την ενοχή του για υπεξαίρεση 400.310 λιρών και 65 πενών από το Σκωτικό Εθνικό Κόμμα. Σύμφωνα με όσα ακούστηκαν στο δικαστήριο, τα χρήματα προέρχονταν από κομματικές συνδρομές, δωρεές και λογαριασμούς του κόμματος. Χρησιμοποιήθηκαν για προσωπικές αγορές, μεταξύ των οποίων πολυτελή οχήματα, ένα αυτοκινούμενο τροχόσπιτο αξίας περίπου 125.000 λιρών, είδη πολυτελείας, ακριβή γραφική ύλη, ακόμη και οικιακό εξοπλισμό. Η σημερινή διαδικασία φωτίζει το πώς λειτουργούσε το σύστημα συγκάλυψης: ψευδή τιμολόγια, παραπλανητικές λογιστικές εγγραφές, χρήση κομματικών καρτών και χαρακτηρισμός προσωπικών δαπανών ως κομματικών εξόδων. Η επιμέτρηση της ποινής του Πίτερ Μάρελ αναμένεται στις 23 Ιουνίου. Για τη Στέρτζον, το ποινικό σκέλος έχει κλείσει χωρίς κατηγορίες. Το πολιτικό, όμως, παραμένει ανοικτό. Η υπόθεση πλήττει την εικόνα ελέγχου, αξιοπιστίας και ηθικής υπεροχής που είχε χτίσει επί χρόνια η πρώην Πρωθυπουργός της Σκωτίας — μια πολιτικός που για πολλούς υπήρξε πρότυπο γυναικείας ηγεσίας και σύμβολο της σύγχρονης, προοδευτικής Σκωτίας. www.ertnews.gr

Assassinations in ancient times often changed the fate of history. Credit: Ellis, Edward Sylvester, 1840-1916; Horne, Charles F. (Charles Francis), 1870-1942, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons Throughout ancient times, assassinations often reshaped entire civilizations. A single blade could destroy dynasties, ignite wars, alter religions, and redirect empires. Ancient politics rarely separated power from violence. Kings, generals, and reformers constantly faced conspiracies from rivals, ambitious officers, or ideological enemies. However, some assassinations changed far more than governments and actually transformed the future of the Mediterranean world itself. Philip II among the world’s stories of ancient assassinations and the rise of Alexander In 336 BC, Philip II of Macedon stood at the height of his power. Through military reforms, diplomacy, and conquest, he transformed Macedonia into the dominant force of Greece, defeating the Greek city-states at Chaeronea and establishing the League of Corinth under Macedonian leadership. Philip also prepared a massive campaign against the Persian Empire. For the first time in history, a united Greek force planned to invade Asia under one command. However, before the campaign began, tragedy struck. During celebrations at Aegae, the royal capital of Macedonia, the nobleman Pausanias assassinated Philip right before the assembled court. Ancient historians such as Plutarch still debate the deeper motives behind the murder. Some suspected personal revenge, while others suspected wider political conspiracies involving Olympias or even Alexander himself. Regardless of the motive, Philip’s death transformed world history. Alexander III immediately inherited the throne. Many enemies expected the young king to fail. Instead, Alexander launched one of the greatest military campaigns in history. Within a decade, he destroyed the Persian Empire and spread Greek culture from Egypt to India. Without Philip’s assassination, Alexander’s rise may never have unfolded in the same way. Philip likely would have led the Persian campaign himself and shaped a very different Hellenistic world. Thus, a single murder led to the age of Alexander and the Hellenistic civilization that followed. The assassination of Seleucus Nicator After Alexander’s death, his generals divided the empire among themselves. Among the most successful successors stood Seleucus I Nicator. Through decades of warfare, diplomacy, and strategic brilliance, Seleucus established the vast Seleucid Empire, stretching from Syria to Mesopotamia and Persia. By 281 BC, Seleucus had become the most powerful surviving successor of Alexander. However, victory soon turned into catastrophe. Ptolemy Ceraunus, a Macedonian prince seeking power, gained Seleucus’ trust after fleeing political struggles in Egypt. Seleucus welcomed him and treated him generously. Soon afterward, Ptolemy Ceraunus unexpectedly assassinated Seleucus. The murder shocked the Hellenistic world. Seleucus had nearly reunited Alexander’s empire after defeating Lysimachus. His death destroyed that possibility permanently. Ptolemy Ceraunus briefly seized Macedon, yet his rule quickly collapsed during Celtic invasions. Meanwhile, the Seleucid Empire entered a long period of instability. This assassination therefore prevented the emergence of a renewed unified Hellenistic empire in the ancient world. Instead, fragmentation and dynastic conflict persisted across the Eastern Mediterranean. Bust of Seleucus I Nicator (“Victor”; c. 358 – 281 BC), the last of the original Diadochi. Credit: Finizio, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA-2.0-it Hipparchus and the fall of tyranny in ancient Athens The assassination of Hipparchus in 514 BC resulted in significant political consequences for Athens. Hipparchus belonged to the Peisistratid dynasty, which ruled Athens following the tyranny of Peisistratus. Although Ancient Greeks later celebrated Harmodius and Aristogeiton as tyrant-slayers, the situation proved more complex. Hipparchus himself did not rule alone. His brother Hippias remained the actual head of the regime. Nevertheless, the assassination deeply destabilized the Peisistratid government. According to tradition, Harmodius and Aristogeiton killed Hipparchus during the Panathenaic festival after personal insults and political tensions. Athenians later transformed the pair into symbols of liberty and resistance against tyranny. After Hipparchus’ death, Hippias became increasingly harsh and suspicious. His regime lost support, and opposition intensified. Eventually, Spartan intervention expelled Hippias from Athens. This political collapse opened the path for Cleisthenes and his democratic reforms. Cleisthenes reorganized the political structure of Athens, weakened aristocratic factions, and expanded civic participation. His reforms laid the foundation for classical Athenian democracy. The assassination of Hipparchus therefore indirectly helped establish the ancient Athenian democratic system that later shaped political thought. Harmodius and Aristogeiton who became known as the Tyrannicides (τυραννόκτονοι) for their assassination of the Ancient Greek tyrant Hipparchus. Credit:Miguel Hermoso Cuesta /Wikimedia Commons CC-BY-SA 4.0 Ancient Rome’s Julius Caesar Few ancient assassinations influenced history more dramatically than that of Julius Caesar. By 44 BC, Caesar dominated Roman politics entirely. After defeating Pompey and winning the civil war, he achieved extraordinary authority. The Senate named him dictator for life, and many Romans feared the destruction of the Republic. A group of senators therefore organized a conspiracy against him. Leaders of the plot included Brutus and Cassius, both of whom connected personally and politically to Caesar. On the Ides of March, the conspirators surrounded Caesar within the Senate house and repeatedly stabbed him. Although the assassins believed they had defended Roman liberty, they actually unleashed another devastating civil war, as Caesar’s death allowed his adopted heir Octavian (later Augustus) to rise to power. After defeating Antony and Cleopatra, he established the Roman Empire and ended the Republic permanently. Ironically, the murder intended to preserve republican government accelerated its destruction. The consequences radiated far beyond Rome itself, and the Roman Empire later shaped European law, language, architecture, religion, and political culture for centuries. The assassination of Caesar hence altered the future of the entire ancient world. Julius Caesar’s last words were reportedly spoken in Greek. Credit: VincenzoCamuccini, Public Domain The account of Julian the Apostate among stories of ancient assassinations The death of Julian the Apostate in 363 AD transformed the religious future of the Roman Empire. Julian, nephew of Constantine the Great, rejected Christianity and attempted to restore traditional Greco-Roman religion. As a result of his efforts, later Christian writers labeled him “the Apostate.” Unlike earlier pagan emperors, Julian pursued an organized intellectual and religious revival of Hellenism. He reopened temples, restored sacrifices, supported pagan philosophers, and attempted to weaken Christian political influence. Julian also admired Greek philosophy deeply, particularly Neoplatonism, and he envisioned a spiritual restoration centered upon ancient religious traditions and Hellenic culture. Nonetheless, during his Persian campaign, Julian suddenly passed away after suffering a fatal wound in battle. Ancient sources disagree about the exact circumstances. Some traditions have even claimed that a Christian soldier quietly assassinated him. Others describe his death as a battlefield casualty. Regardless of the exact cause, Julian’s death ended the pagan revival almost immediately. His successors restored Christian dominance fully, and over the following decades, emperors increasingly banned pagan worship, closed temples, and suppressed traditional religious practices. Christianity eventually became the sole official religion of the empire. Therefore, Julian’s death marked a turning point in religious history. Had he survived longer, the spiritual future of Europe and the Mediterranean may have evolved quite differently.  

A view of Athens and the wider Attica basin. The IMF warns that empty homes, short-term rentals, and rising property prices are deepening Greece’s housing crisis. Credit: Wikimedia Commons / A. Savin / CC BY SA 3 Greece is facing a housing affordability crisis shaped not only by a shortage of available homes but also by deep distortions in the real estate market, according to the IMF’s 2026 “Greece: Selected Issues” report. The IMF’s analysis highlights one of the most significant consequences of Greece’s tourism-driven growth model—the growing tension between the use of properties for tourism and the need for affordable long-term housing for residents. Asking prices for homes in Greece have risen by about 85 percent since 2017, far outpacing the 47 percent increase in disposable income per person over the same period. The pressure intensified after the pandemic, with home prices rising by 61 percent since the fourth quarter of 2020. Rents, which initially moved more slowly, are now accelerating, with rent inflation reaching 10 percent in 2025. The IMF describes Greece’s housing crisis as both social and economic. Higher housing costs weaken household consumption, reduce labor mobility, make it harder for young people to leave the family home, and may undermine the country’s ability to attract and retain workers. IMF says Greece’s housing crisis is about availability, not just supply One of the IMF’s most notable findings is that Greece has one of the highest housing stocks per capita in Europe. On paper, the country does not appear to lack homes. The problem is that much of this stock is not available for use as a main residence. Around 35 percent of Greece’s housing stock is not geared toward primary residence usage, and roughly 12 to 13 percent of all homes are vacant. That means Greece’s housing crisis largely reflects an issue of allocation and effective use rather than an actual shortage of homes. Many of these are old, energy inefficient, legally complicated, tied up in co-ownership arrangements, or too costly to renovate. As a result, the market may appear well supplied at the national level, while, in practice, there are not enough suitable homes in regions where demand is strongest, including Athens, Thessaloniki, major tourist destinations, and areas with concentrated economic activity. IMF says short-term rentals add pressure The IMF particularly focused on short-term rentals, which it identifies as a major part of Greece’s new tourism model. Utilizing data from INSETE, the Institute of the Greek Tourism Confederation, the report shows that short-term rental listings increased by 240 percent between 2017 and 2024. They rose from fewer than 100,000 to more than 230,000. This represents about 3.5 percent of Greece’s total housing stock, 10 percent of non-occupied properties, and 29 percent of vacant homes. The impact, however, is highly concentrated. Short-term rentals are clustered mainly on tourist islands, in central Athens, and in Piraeus, exactly where housing pressure is already intense. The IMF found that a higher concentration of short-term rentals is associated with rising home sale prices, particularly in areas with lower rates of homeownership. While the impact on rents appears more limited, it is still evident, as short-term rentals reduce the number of properties available to long-term tenants in high-demand markets. At the same time, the IMF calls for careful evaluation of restrictions. Short-term rentals support tourism, local income, and economic activity, so any policy response must weigh both housing and economic effects. IMF warns short-term rental curbs are not a cure-all for housing shortages in Greece The IMF also cautions against assuming that restrictions on short-term rentals would automatically return large numbers of homes to the long-term housing market. Short-term and long-term rental properties are not always interchangeable, and the Fund notes that roughly two-thirds of vacant homes are secondary residences or vacation properties that owners occupy for part of the year. As a result, stricter limits on short-term rentals may not lead to a significant immediate increase in housing available to long-term tenants. The IMF also warns that geographically targeted restrictions could simply shift demand and price pressures to neighboring areas rather than address broader affordability challenges. For that reason, the it calls for better data collection and careful cost-benefit analysis before such measures are implemented. IMF links foreign demand to Greece’s housing crisis International demand has also played a role in driving up property prices in Greece. Following the steep decline in real estate values during the country’s financial crisis, Greek property became increasingly attractive to foreign buyers, including members of the Greek diaspora. Depressed valuations, expectations of future capital gains, tax incentives, and the Golden Visa program all contributed to the influx of investment. The IMF notes that Greece has since tightened Golden Visa requirements by raising minimum investment thresholds. However, it also points out that successive regulatory changes may have fueled bursts of purchasing activity, as investors rushed to secure eligibility under the previous terms before stricter requirements took effect. The resulting price pressures have been unevenly distributed across the country. According to market data cited in the report, property values are significantly higher in the Greater Athens area (Attica) as well as in Thessaloniki and major tourist destinations compared to the rest of Greece. IMF says Greece’s housing crisis affects tourism industry workers The housing shortage is also increasingly intertwined with the functioning of Greece’s tourism economy. In regions where short-term rentals, elevated property prices, and limited long-term housing supply converge, finding affordable accommodation becomes a challenge not only for local residents but also for the workers on whom the tourism sector depends. While the IMF does not specifically examine housing for seasonal workers in the tourism industry, its broader analysis points to the same underlying issue. As housing costs rise in high-demand tourist destinations, workers face greater barriers to relocating to areas where jobs are available. Over time, this can reduce labor mobility and undermine productivity, ultimately weighing on the competitiveness of an economy in which tourism remains one of the country’s most vital industries. IMF finds Greece’s housing crisis is overburdening households The issue of affordability is already severe for many households. The IMF estimates that in 2025, median housing costs, including mortgage payments, accounted for more than one-third of disposable income. Around two in five households are classified as overburdened, spending more than 40 percent of their disposable income on housing. A further 20 percent spend between 30 and 40 percent, placing them in a vulnerable financial position. The strain is particularly acute for renters, low-income households, single-parent families, and individuals living alone. Renters in Attica and Central Macedonia, which includes Thessaloniki, face an especially elevated risk of excessive housing costs. IMF urges Greece to bring empty homes back on the market The IMF’s primary recommendation is to activate Greece’s large stock of unused housing. This would require a mix of incentives and disincentives, including renovation subsidies, energy-efficiency upgrades, tax incentives for long-term rentals, and policies that raise the cost of leaving homes vacant in high-demand areas. The Fund broadly supports measures aimed at converting vacant properties or short-term rental units into long-term housing. At the same time, it argues that Greece must reduce the risks faced by landlords who rent to long-term tenants. Proposed measures include improved market transparency, a tenant registry, faster dispute-resolution mechanisms, and rent guarantee schemes for vulnerable households.

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