Περιπολίες με ηλεκτρικά ποδήλατα σε όλο το παραλιακό μέτωπο και τους πεζοδρόμους, εκεί όπου συγκεντρώνεται μεγάλος αριθμός κατοίκων και επισκεπτών, ξεκινά η Δημοτική Αστυνομία του δήμου Θεσσαλονίκης, κάνοντας στροφή σε πιο εναλλακτικούς τρόπους μετακίνησης μέσα στην πόλη. Όπως είπε στην ΕΡΤ και την εκπομπή UPDATE, ο αντιδήμαρχος Προστασίας Κοινόχρηστων Χώρων και Δημοτικής Αστυνομίας, Γιώργος Δημαρέλος, «ο λόγος της επανασύστασης με τους ποδηλατιστές είναι πιο πυκνή η παρουσία των δημοτικών αστυνομικών σε κρίσιμους δρόμους και πεζοδρόμους της πόλης, όπως τη νέα παραλία». Οι περιπολίες με ποδήλατα θα γίνονται, αρχικά, κάθε Παρασκευή και Σαββατοκύριακο στην παραλία και τους πεζοδρόμους στέλνοντας παράλληλα το μήνυμα της ανάγκης να αυξηθεί η χρήση του ποδηλάτου για λόγους περιβαλλοντικούς, οικολογικούς και κυκλοφοριακούς. ΡΕΠΟΡΤΑΖ ΦΑΙΔΩΝ ΤΟΜΟΣΟΓΛΟΥ www.ertnews.gr

Μόλις ένα χρόνο αφότου το Κρεμλίνο αφαίρεσε τους Ταλιμπάν από τον κατάλογο των τρομοκρατικών οργανώσεων, η Ρωσία και το Αφγανιστάν υπέγραψαν την Τετάρτη (27/5) μια συμφωνία στρατιωτικής συνεργασίας. Οι ακριβείς λεπτομέρειες της συμφωνίας δεν έγιναν γνωστές, όμως, ο Αφγανός υπουργός Άμυνας Μοχάμεντ Γιακούμπ δήλωσε ότι αυτή η συνεργασία σηματοδοτεί την επέκταση των διμερών σχέσεων μεταξύ των δύο χωρών. «Η αλληλεπίδραση με τη Ρωσία είναι σημαντική για εμάς», δήλωσε ο Γιακούμπ μετά από συνάντηση με τον Γραμματέα του Ρωσικού Συμβουλίου Ασφαλείας Σεργκέι Σόιγκου στο Διεθνές Φόρουμ Ασφάλειας στη Μόσχα. «Το Αφγανιστάν και η Ρωσία έχουν μακροχρόνιες και ιστορικές σχέσεις και θέλουμε να προχωρήσουμε προς αυτή την κατεύθυνση». (AP Photo/Pavel Bednyakov, Pool) Η Σοβιετική Ένωση εισέβαλε στο Αφγανιστάν το 1979 εξαπολύοντας έναν δεκαετή αιματηρό πόλεμο εναντίον των Μουτζαχεντίν, ισλαμιστών ανταρτών που αντιστέκονταν στην κατοχή, πολλοί από τους οποίους αργότερα ίδρυσαν τους Ταλιμπάν. Στα χρόνια μετά την αποχώρηση των σοβιετικών στρατευμάτων, οι σχέσεις μεταξύ Μόσχας και Καμπούλ παρέμειναν τεταμένες. Ωστόσο, μετά την εισβολή των ΗΠΑ στο Αφγανιστάν, η Ρωσία κατηγορήθηκε ότι προμήθευε όπλα στους Ταλιμπάν, καθώς οι ισλαμιστές αντάρτες προσπαθούσαν να εδραιώσουν τον έλεγχό τους στη χώρα. Κατά την υπογραφή της συμφωνίας, ο Σοϊγκού κάλεσε τις δυτικές χώρες να αναστείλουν τις κυρώσεις κατά των Ταλιμπάν και να «αναγνωρίσουν πλήρως την πλήρη ευθύνη τους για την 20ετή παρουσία τους στο Αφγανιστάν». Τον Απρίλιο του 2025, η Ρωσία αφαίρεσε τους Ταλιμπάν από τον κατάλογο των τρομοκρατικών οργανώσεων, έναν χαρακτηρισμό που ίσχυε από το 2003. Στη συνέχεια, τον Ιούλιο του ίδιου έτους, έγινε η πρώτη και μοναδική χώρα που αναγνώρισε επίσημα τους Ταλιμπάν ως κυβέρνηση του Αφγανιστάν. Νωρίτερα αυτόν τον μήνα, η Ευρωπαϊκή Επιτροπή επιβεβαίωσε ότι είχε προσκαλέσει αξιωματούχους των Ταλιμπάν στις Βρυξέλλες, αν και ένας εκπρόσωπος της Κομισιόν δήλωσε ότι η πρόσκληση δεν συνιστά σε καμία περίπτωση αναγνώριση. Πηγή: Politico 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.

The European Court of Human Rights ruled that Turkey violated the rights of Greek Orthodox clergy in a case involving minority foundations. Credit: Wikimedia Commons / Djtm / CC BY 3.0 The European Court of Human Rights has condemned Turkey for violating the rights of Greek Orthodox clergy who were barred from seeking election to the administrative boards of minority religious foundations. The Strasbourg court ruled that Turkey violated freedom of religion and conscience, as well as freedom of association, in a case brought by two clergymen of the Ecumenical Patriarchate. The decision is being described as historic by the Patriarchate’s legal team. European Court ruling against Turkey marks victory for Greek Orthodox clergy rights The case was brought by the late Gennadios, born Nikolaos Mavrakis, and Georgios Kasapoglou, both clergymen of the Ecumenical Patriarchate. They had been prevented by Turkish authorities from serving on the boards of Greek Orthodox vakıflar, or community foundations, vital for the survival of the minority group. These religious public benefit institutions manage churches, schools, hospitals, charitable organizations, and other community assets. Paris Asanakis, legal counsel to the Ecumenical Patriarchate, explained that the legal struggle lasted fifteen years, first in Turkey and then before the European Court of Human Rights. “This is a historic decision,” Asanakis said, noting that it overturns a century-old position maintained by Turkey’s Directorate General of Foundations. According to Asanakis, Turkish authorities had long argued that the Treaty of Lausanne and its annexes prevented Greek Orthodox clergy from exercising administrative duties in minority foundations. The court found that this position had no basis in statutory law, decree, or other regulatory act. European Court finds violation of religious freedom The ruling is significant because it marks the first time the European Court of Human Rights has found that Turkey violated Article 9 of the European Convention on Human Rights, which protects freedom of thought, conscience, and religion, in a case involving members of the Greek Orthodox community. The court also found a violation of Article 11, which protects freedom of association. The judges stressed that associations created to protect cultural, spiritual, religious, or minority heritage play an essential role in democratic society. They also underlined that pluralism depends on the genuine recognition and respect of cultural, ethnic, and religious diversity. What are the Vakıflar? Vakıflar are self-governing foundations rooted in the Islamic legal and religious tradition. In the context of Turkey’s non-Muslim minorities, they manage religious, educational, charitable, and community institutions, including churches, schools, hospitals, and homes for the elderly. During negotiations for the Treaty of Lausanne, the Turkish delegation sought the removal of the Ecumenical Patriarchate from Turkish territory. The institution ultimately remained in Istanbul following strong opposition from Great Britain. The Treaty of Lausanne refers to the Vakıflar in Articles 42 and 43. In 2008, after an agreement between then-Greek Foreign Minister Dora Bakoyannis and Turkish Foreign Minister Abdullah Gül, Turkey introduced legislation allowing elections for the administrative boards of non-Muslim Vakıflar. However, Turkish authorities continued to deny clergy of the Ecumenical Patriarchate the right to stand for election, allowing only lay members of the Greek Orthodox community to serve. The community’s numbers, however, have continued to decline. The clergymen at the center of the case Gennadios Mavrakis had served as headmaster of the Fener High School for Boys, also known as the Great School of the Nation. As a layman, he had participated in the administration of the foundation. After his retirement, he was ordained as a priest and later elected to the governing body of the same institution. Turkey’s General Directorate of Foundations removed him from the list of elected members, claiming that the Treaty of Lausanne barred priests from holding administrative roles. The appeals also concerned elections to two other foundations: the Church of the Nativity of the Mother of God, also known as the Old Bath Church, in Beşiktaş, and the historic Church of Saints Constantine and Helen in Samatya. Two additional appeals by priests on similar grounds remain pending before the European Court. Balıklı Foundation could be affected by European Court ruling against Turkey The ruling could also have implications for the Balıklı Greek Hosptial Foundation, which manages extensive properties, including a hospital, a nursing home, and the historic monastery. No elections have been held at the Balıklı Foundation for thirty-five years since 1991.

An offshore oil rig. Chevron has filed a request to enter Greece’s Block 10 offshore concession in the Gulf of Kyparissia. Credit: Wikimedia Commons / Petrobras Divulgacao /cc-by-2-0 Chevron and HELLENiQ ENERGY have filed an official request for Chevron to enter Greece’s Block 10 concession in the Gulf of Kyparissia, the Greek Ministry of Environment and Energy announced. The request marks another step in the US energy giant’s growing involvement in Greece’s offshore hydrocarbon exploration sector. If approved, Chevron would acquire a 70 percent stake in Block 10 and assume the role of operator, while HELLENiQ ENERGY would retain the remaining 30 percent. The offshore area is currently held by HELLENiQ ENERGY. Under the proposal submitted by the two companies, Chevron would replace HELLENiQ ENERGY as operator, placing the US company in charge of the concession’s next exploration steps. Chevron seeks operator role in Greece’s block 10 Block 10 is located offshore in the southern Ionian Sea, near the Gulf of Kyparissia. The concession covers about 2,735 square kilometers (1,055 sq mi), while water depths in the area range from 500 to 2,500 meters (1,640 to 8,202 ft). The first two research phases of the initial exploration stage have already been completed. These included 2D and 3D seismic surveys carried out in 2022 and 2023. The concession is now approaching the key decision point of whether to enter the third and final exploration phase, which would include exploratory drilling. Greece reviews extension request for block 10 exploration At the same time, the Hellenic Hydrocarbons and Energy Resources Management Company, also known as EDEYEP or HEREMA, is examining a request for an eighteen-month extension of the second exploration phase. Such an extension would give the proposed Chevron–HELLENiQ ENERGY partnership additional time to jointly review the seismic data already collected. It would also allow the companies to assess those findings together with data from nearby offshore concessions. The ministry has said such decisions are made with the wider management of company portfolios in mind, meaning the companies are expected to evaluate Block 10 alongside neighboring exploration areas before deciding on the next stage. Map of Block 10 Credit: Greek Ministry of Environment via AMNA Greece says Block 10 review will follow offshore safety rules The Ministry of Environment and Energy has said the evaluation of the requests will be carried out under Greece’s existing institutional and contractual framework. It was added that the process will follow the required procedures, technical standards, and safety and environmental protection regulations that govern offshore hydrocarbon exploration in Greece. Any move toward drilling therefore remains subject to regulatory approval, technical assessment, and the completion of the required steps under the concession framework. Chevron and HELLENiQ ENERGY build wider partnership in Greece The Block 10 request follows a broader expansion of Chevron’s presence in Greece. Chevron and HELLENiQ ENERGY have already signed lease agreements with the Greek state for four offshore areas south of Crete and the Peloponnese. Those areas are South Crete 1, South Crete 2, South of Peloponnese, and Block A2. As in the proposed Block 10 arrangement, Chevron holds 70 percent and acts as operator in those four concessions, while HELLENiQ ENERGY holds the remaining 30 percent. The earlier agreements covered approximately 47,000 square kilometers (18,147 sq mi) and were presented as a major step in Greece’s effort to revive offshore hydrocarbon exploration. Greece points to rising international interest Greek authorities have described Chevron’s latest request as another indication of growing international interest in the country’s offshore exploration potential. If the request is approved, Chevron’s entry into Block 10 would further expand its upstream footprint in Greece and deepen its partnership with HELLENiQ ENERGY in the country’s offshore hydrocarbon sector.

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The United Nations says a significant share of Palestinians killed since the October truce died near Israel’s armistice boundary in Gaza, raising concerns that civilians may have been unlawfully targeted

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The war in Gaza has especially affected the most vulnerable groups in the enclave; among them are children with Down syndrome. During the war, health and education services dedicated to them have largely collapsed, according to specialists and families. Many children with Down syndrome in the coastal enclave suffer chronic health conditions, including poor blood circulation, cataracts, and respiratory problems, requiring constant medical care, according the Right to Live Society, a Palestinian nonprofit working to rehabilitate children with Down syndrome and Autism.

Iranian state television on Thursday released images it said showed missiles being launched at an American air base from where earlier in the day a strike had been launched on Iran’s port ⁠city of Bandar Abbas. It is the most serious trade of fire since an April ceasefire began and comes amid ongoing talks to end the war and reopen the Strait of Hormuz.