A highly ambitious transportation proposal aims to connect Athens with approximately 40 other destinations in Europe through a high-speed “mega-metro” rail network by 2040. Dubbed “Starline,” the blueprint of this plan hopes to replace Europe’s fragmented national railways with a unified 22,000-kilometer (14,000-mile) system, significantly reducing travel times for Greek and European passengers overall, offering a green alternative to short-haul flights.

Developed by the Copenhagen-based think tank 21st Europe, the Starline project proposes five major railway corridors spanning 22 nations across Europe. The proposed routes include Line A from Naples to Helsinki, Line B from Lisbon to Kyiv via Madrid, Line C connecting Madrid to Istanbul, Line D from Dublin to Kyiv, and Line E linking Milan to Oslo. Operating like a city metro on a continental scale and obviously above ground, the network will link European cities under a single transit identity, with trains reaching speeds between 300 and 400 kilometers per hour.

Where do Athens and Greece come into the equation of this Europe-wide system?

For Greece, the infrastructure upgrade would drastically alter regional connectivity within the country and across southeastern Europe. Τhe European Commission recently announced targets to cut Sofia-to-Athens travel from 13 hours and 40 minutes to six hours, and Berlin-to-Copenhagen from seven hours to four.

The proposal complements these targets across the continent, where similar reductions will happen. A trip from Berlin to Copenhagen, from example, will drop from seven hours to four, while historically overnight routes like Kyiv to Berlin will become predictable, direct daytime connections.

Transportation remains one of Europe’s largest climate challenges, generating roughly a quarter of all greenhouse gas emissions. While aviation accounts for a smaller percentage globally, short-haul flights remain the default for millions of European travelers. High-speed rail produces up to 90 percent less carbon dioxide per journey. 21st Europe states that a large-scale shift to rail represents the best path toward meeting the European Union’s 2050 net-zero emissions targets while maintaining fast mobility.

The proposal moves away from traditional railway conventions as the dark blue trains will abandon standard first- and second-class divisions, replacing them with purpose-built spaces such as quiet workspaces, family-oriented sections, ergonomic seating, and communal coffee areas. This layout aims to democratize long-distance travel and prioritize passenger comfort.

The Greek government is reportedly finalizing legislation to impose a 15% tax on capital gains derived from cryptocurrencies, aiming to formally integrate digital assets into the national tax code. According to government officials who spoke to Reuters on Friday, the Ministry of National Economy and Finance in Greece is drafting the bill, which authorities expect to submit to Parliament for approval in the coming months.

Under the proposed financial framework, the initial 500 euros of cryptocurrency profits will remain exempt from the new tax to shield small-scale retail investors. Any capital gains exceeding this threshold will face a flat 15% rate, aligning the taxation of digital assets with traditional securities sales in Greece.

It is believed that people engaged in personal cryptocurrency mining will not face taxation on their yields. However, if the mining operation functions as a registered corporate entity, standard business tax rules will apply.

The current situation regarding cryptocurrency taxation in Greece

At present, Greece operates without a comprehensive legal framework specifically targeting cryptocurrency profits and people making a living out of them. This regulatory gap reflects a broader inconsistency across the European Union, where member states currently lack a unified fiscal system for the rapidly expanding sector. Across the continent, tax rates on digital capital gains vary significantly, ranging from an 8% low in neighboring Cyprus to 30% in France. The upcoming Greek legislation seeks to close domestic loopholes and bring Athens in line with European peers that have already established clear rules for digital investors.

The legislative move coincides with a wider European push to curb tax evasion and financial opacity within the digital space. The European Union recently introduced the Markets in Crypto-Assets (MiCA) Regulation and the DAC8 Directive, which mandate strict reporting standards and demand that crypto-asset service providers share user transaction data with national tax authorities. Greece’s updated tax code will operate in tandem with these measures on a European level.

A pointless measure?

Despite the planned implementation, government sources acknowledged severe difficulties in measuring the actual size of the domestic cryptocurrency market. The vast majority of Greek investors execute their trades through international, offshore platforms rather than locally registered exchanges. This decentralized structure makes it nearly impossible for financial authorities to accurately track the total volume of digital assets held by people. Consequently, the Ministry of Finance has not yet published any specific projections regarding the exact state revenues the 15% tax might generate.

Until the proposed legislation officially becomes law, cryptocurrency profits remain largely undeclared in Greece, leaving a substantial pool of potential state revenue untapped.

It is worth noting that some epistles are much tougher to grasp. Galatians, for example, resists simple interpretation. First, there were two areas called Galatia in ancient Rome. Second, we don’t really know who the opponents were that Paul wrote against and what exactly they taught. We get general ideas, but we need to be... Continue Reading

“Take my yoke upon you, and learn from me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart” (Matthew 11:29). He is tender toward the weak, the burdened, the failing, and the struggling. He gathers lambs into his arms and carries them close to his chest (Isaiah 40:11). He doesn’t break the bruised reed or quench... Continue Reading

Instead of seeing that the growth of the word in the hearts of men is because of the faithfulness of God, we desperately desire to see ourselves as the hero of the growth. But I’d encourage a small exercise in gardening. Take a real seed and plant it. Then every day, go out and begin... Continue Reading

God has not left the nations without witness. The human heart, though darkened by sin, still bears traces of a God-consciousness that helps explain why many cultures preserve dim memories, expectations, or categories that can prepare the way for the proclamation of Christ.     Why do people in every age and in every place... Continue Reading

It is somewhat complex. I want to admit from the outset that, this point is not simplistic. “When does the Christian not submit to the state? Or is the Christian to universally, categorically in every instance submit to the state, such that to rebel against the state is in every case to sin against God?”... Continue Reading

God used Winston Churchill to save his country during World War 2 – and a legitimate case could be made that the free world would have fallen without his strong leadership through one of the greatest crises in modern civilization. But shortly after seeing victory, Churchill was removed from office when his coalition government fell... Continue Reading

A lot cleverness in writing functions like nervous laughter in conversation. It fills silence for the one providing it, but it’s distracting for everyone else. This is not to say, of course, that writers ought never be clever. Great writers can often be clever, and more artful expression or memorable turns of phrase are good... Continue Reading

We need to be aware of signs of spiritual illness and a failure to thrive. When we start to find ourselves disinterested in Jesus, his Word, and our future inheritance, we should be concerned. When we realize that we are having a difficult time discerning between truth and error, or that we are unable to... Continue Reading

A ministra do Ambiente sublinhou hoje que o areal das praias é de acesso livre, exceto nas zonas concessionadas e nas faixas de segurança, lembrando que cabe às autarquias definir essas áreas e divulgar os planos de praia.

“Cabe às câmaras municipais fazer as concessões e divulgar o plano de praia, tanto através da sinalética, como — e eu aconselho vivamente —, através de um esquema à entrada da praia: ‘olhe, este espaço é concessão, este espaço é de segurança, tudo o resto é livre’”, afirmou Maria da Graça Carvalho numa visita à Praia da Fuseta-mar, em Olhão.

Questionada pelos jornalistas sobre a existência de sinalética que ainda encaminha os banhistas para as zonas da praia não concessionadas, a governante referiu que, nesses casos, a sinalética tem de ser revista para que seja colocada a informação correta e não haja dúvidas para os banhistas.

“Os presidentes de câmara têm de verificar e, se acharem que a sinalética não está bem, corrigi-la, mas não é uma coisa sistemática. A lei não mudou e estou convencida de que a maior parte da sinalética está bem e está de acordo com a lei, porque a última norma que clarifica isto é de 2012, há 14 anos”, frisou.

Falando aos jornalistas numa visita à intervenção de emergência de reforço sedimentar em curso naquela praia do distrito de Faro, Maria da Graça Carvalho reiterou que, não sendo uma obrigação legal, ajuda muito ter um esquema simples à entrada de cada praia a explicar como está organizada.

Lembrando que as regras de segurança são definidas pelas câmaras municipais em conjunto com as autoridades marítimas, a ministra do Ambiente e Ação Climática notou que a organização do areal pode e deve ter em conta as características morfológicas de cada praia.

“Por exemplo, uma praia muito grande como a de Monte Gordo será diferente de uma praia pequena como algumas em Lagos ou em Armação de Pêra”, ilustrou, referindo que, desde que respeitada a regra de que as concessões não podem exceder 30% da área útil da praia, nem 50% da frente de praia, a organização pode variar.

“A segurança pode incluir faixas em redor das concessões, em redor das entradas para a praia — que são sempre públicas —, em frente aos nadadores-salvadores e aos barcos utilizados para o salvamento, e junto ao mar. Estas são faixas de segurança. As concessões podem ser mais estreitas e ir mais perto do mar, ou podem ser mais largas e ficar mais recuadas”, exemplificou.

Esta semana, a Agência Portuguesa do Ambiente (APA) emitiu um esclarecimento técnico sobre a ocupação de áreas não concessionadas nas praias balneares, informando que os banhistas podem colocar chapéus-de-sol em frente às concessões de praia, que são áreas de uso privado que não podem exceder 30% da área útil da praia, nem 50% da frente de praia.

No esclarecimento, a APA reforça que, “em Portugal, as praias são espaços de utilização pública e de acesso livre” e refere que os Planos de Ordenamento da Orla Costeira (POOC) e os Regulamentos de Gestão das Praias Marítimas em vigor estabelecem limites para a ocupação das praias por apoios balneares.

Assim, “as áreas não abrangidas por licença ou concessão mantêm-se disponíveis para uso público, podendo ser livremente utilizadas pelos utentes, nomeadamente para a colocação de chapéus de praia, para-ventos ou outros equipamentos balneares particulares”, acrescenta a APA.

More than seven in ten property purchases in Greece in 2025 involved residential homes, with three-quarters of those sales concerning buildings over twenty years old, underscoring the country’s persistent shortage of new housing. The figures point to a structural imbalance in the Greek real estate market in which limited construction in recent years has failed to keep pace with demand.

As a result, buyers continue to turn to older properties, particularly in the country’s largest urban centers. Residential properties accounted for 74.8 percent of all property sales in 2025. Plots of land followed at 14.3 percent, agricultural land at 5.8 percent, and commercial properties at 5.1 percent.

The data comes from REMAX Greece, a real estate network, and is based on thousands of completed transactions recorded through its ninety offices and more than 1,200 agents nationwide.

Three-quarters of homes sold were over 20 years old

Homes more than twenty years old represented 75.6 percent of residential property sales across Greece. Newly-built homes, defined as properties up to five years old, accounted for just 12.3 percent of sales.

Properties aged six to ten years represented only 0.3 percent of transactions, while homes aged 11 to 15 years accounted for 2 percent. Properties aged 16 to 20 years made up 9.8 percent of residential sales.

The dominance of older housing reflects the limited availability of newer homes in the Greek market. Where newly built properties are available, however, they remain highly attractive to buyers because they offer modern energy efficiency standards and better meet contemporary living needs.

Athens reflects national trend

In Attica (Greater Athens), residential properties accounted for 85.3 percent of sales. Commercial properties and land plots each represented 7.2 percent.

Older housing stock was even more dominant in the capital region. Homes more than twenty years old made up 86.2 percent of residential sales in Attica, while newly built properties up to five years old represented only 3.3 percent.

Land purchases also gained ground in Attica. Plots and agricultural land combined rose by 1.8 percent year-on-year, indicating growing buyer interest in development opportunities amid the shortage of available modern housing.

Older homes drive Greece’s property market in Thessaloniki

A similar picture emerged in Thessaloniki, where residential properties represented 87.4 percent of total sales. Commercial properties followed at 8.7 percent. As in Athens, older homes dominated the market. Properties more than twenty years old accounted for 87 percent of residential sales in Thessaloniki, while newly-built homes represented just two percent.

The figures underline the depth of Greece’s housing supply challenge. Demand for residential property remains strong, but the limited availability of newly built homes continues to push buyers toward older stock across the country’s largest real estate markets.

O SC Olhanense venceu, na passada quinta-feira, o Imortal DC por 1-0 e conquistou a Taça do Algarve de Futebol pela primeira vez na sua história. Daniel Popa foi considerado o melhor jogador em campo ao anotar, aos 50′ minutos de jogo, o único golo no duelo entre os dois históricos do futebol algarvio, que se disputou no Estádio Municipal de Portimão.

O troféu foi entregue pelo presidente da Associação de Futebol do Algarve (AFA), João Pedro Gomes, numa cerimónia que contou ainda com as presenças de Manuel Cajuda, Presidente do SC Olhanense, Bruno Xavier, Presidente do Imortal DC, Ricardo Calé, Presidente da CM Olhão e Rodiney Sampaio, Presidente do Conselho de Administração do Portimonense SAD.

O clube presidido por Manuel Cajuda junta-se, assim, a outros 13 clubes que venceram a prova desde a sua reativação na temporada 1999/2000: Lusitano FC (4 vezes), LGC Moncarapachense e Louletano DC (3 vezes), SR Almancilense, CF Esperança de Lagos, GD Lagoa e Portimonense SC (2 vezes), FC Ferreiras, Silves FC, UD Messinense, JS Campinense, Guia FC e ACR Alvorense (1 vez).

Greece is marking World Environment Day 2026 with a nationwide program of events that brings the global call for climate action down to the local level—from protected areas and wetlands to city galleries, museums, and island beaches.

Observed every year on June 5, World Environment Day is the United Nations’ main global platform for raising awareness and mobilizing action to protect the natural world. First celebrated in 1973, the day has grown into an international campaign involving governments, organizations, schools, communities and citizens around the world.

In Greece, the Natural Environment and Climate Change Agency, NECCA, is at the center of the program, organizing 65 events across the country. Activities include guided nature walks, biodiversity recording, wildlife observation, educational games, workshops, public information events and volunteer cleanups, many of them in or near protected areas.

Greece’s government highlights achievements on World Environment Day

Greece’s Minister of Environment and Energy, Stavros Papastavrou, highlighted some of the government’s environmental policies and key achievements over the past seven years.

• Expanded Marine Protection: Moving forward from commitments made at global ocean conferences (2024 in Athens and 2025 at the UN), Greece is establishing two new large National Marine Parks in the Ionian and South Aegean seas. This will double protected waters to 36% of territorial waters, surpassing the EU’s 30% target well ahead of 2030.
• Banning Industrial Fishing: Greece is pioneering marine conservation internationally by completely banning bottom trawling in all national marine parks.
• Renewable Energy Zoning Restrictions: New regulations prohibit the installation of solar farms in all Natura areas, forests, and woodlands, and ban wind farms at altitudes above 1,200 meters (3,937 ft).
• “Untrodden” Landscapes: Greece has introduced pioneering designations for strict ecological preservation, establishing thirteen “Untrodden Mountains” and 250 highly protected “Untrodden Beaches” to limit human development in sensitive ecosystems.
• Targeted Species & Habitat Conservation: Twelve National Action Plans have been launched to protect endangered species (including the brown bear, Mediterranean monk seal, Loggerhead sea turtle, and bearded vulture). Additionally, all major wetlands (Ramsar sites) and Key Biodiversity Areas are now placed under strict legislative protection.

Patriarch Theophilos III of Jerusalem met with US President Donald Trump at the White House on Thursday afternoon, June 4. The forty-minute discussion focused heavily on protecting Christian communities across the Middle East and safeguarding freedom of worship in the Holy Land.

The meeting comes at a time of severe regional instability, as Christian populations in Lebanon, Syria, and the Holy Land face mounting pressures and security challenges. During the talks, Patriarch Theophilos expressed deep concern over the vulnerability of these communities, emphasizing that their protection is vital not only for religious reasons but as a cornerstone for regional stability, coexistence, and peace.

“In recent years, Christian communities in the Middle East have faced a harsh reality of instability, growing threats, and rising pressures,” the Patriarch of Jerusalem stated in an official release. “We see ancient communities asking for something fundamentally basic: to continue living in safety, to preserve their faith, and to protect their freedom of worship.”

Safeguarding religious freedom

Addressing President Trump, His Beatitude noted that “safeguarding religious freedom and maintaining open access to the Holy Land is more than a spiritual matter; it is a prerequisite for stability, coexistence, and peace throughout the entire region.”

During the encounter, Patriarch Theophilos honored Donald Trump with the “Grand Cross” of the Order of the Knights of the Holy Sepulchre, one of the highest distinctions bestowed by the Greek Orthodox Patriarchate of Jerusalem.

According to the Patriarchate, the meeting builds upon the established relationship between the Patriarch and the Trump family, serving as a continuation of the US President’s landmark 2017 visit to Jerusalem and the Church of the Holy Sepulchre.

As one of the world’s oldest Christian institutions, the Greek Orthodox Patriarchate of Jerusalem holds a historic role in guarding holy sites, including the Church of the Holy Sepulchre in Jerusalem and the Church of the Nativity in Bethlehem. Patriarch Theophilos III, who has held the patriarchal throne since 2005, has frequently been involved in global religious events, including the consecration of the holy oil used in the coronation of King Charles III.

Related: Millions of Christians Face Persecution, Violence Worldwide: Holy See

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