On Friday, December 5, Greece was hit by storm "Byron", leading to school closures, significant flooding, and disruptions to public services. Heavy rains were observed in Attica, Peloponnese, Crete, and other regions, and the Athens-Corinth highway was closed due to flooding.
The US is pressuring Greece regarding its contribution to the PURL initiative, where NATO allies purchase weapons for Ukraine. Athens has not made any announcements regarding participation, citing financial constraints.
The organizers of the Milan-Cortina Winter Games received the Olympic flame at the Panathenaic Stadium in Athens. This marked the beginning of a 63-day torch relay that will travel across Italy before the Olympics in February.
Pavlo Korostylov and Zlatoslava Volosenko were recognized as the best athletes of November by the NOC of Ukraine. Korostylov won gold, silver, and two bronze medals at the World Shooting Championship, while Volosenko won bronze at the European Taekwondo Championship among juniors.
Ukrainian athletes won 35 medals at the European Muaythai Championship in Athens. Among them are 15 gold, 9 silver, and 11 bronze awards.
Ukraine and Greece have agreed on joint production of naval drones at Greek shipbuilding enterprises. This will satisfy the needs of both countries and reduce Greece's technological gap with Turkey.
Ukraine will start receiving natural gas from Greece through Greek infrastructure in January 2026. Ukraine will also be able to receive energy from the United States through this infrastructure.
Ukraine is preparing an agreement with France on strengthening air defense and aviation. An agreement with Greece is also being prepared to expand gas supply options to Ukraine for the winter and in the strategic perspective.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy will arrive in Spain on November 18 for meetings with deputies. His arrival at the Spanish parliament is scheduled for 9:30 AM local time.
Volodymyr Zelenskyy will arrive in Athens on November 16 for an official visit. Meetings with Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis and President of Greece Konstantinos Tasoulas are planned.
Ukrainian cadets won 5 awards, including a gold, a silver, and bronze medals, at the European Taekwondo Championship in Athens. Over 500 athletes from 35 countries participated in the competition.
Five countries agreed to strengthen cooperation in energy and reaffirmed their commitment to diversifying gas supplies to Europe. This will reduce dependence on Russian energy resources; opportunities to increase American LNG supplies were discussed.
Poland is negotiating with the United States on importing liquefied natural gas for further supply to Ukraine and Slovakia. The volume of supplies to Slovakia could reach 4-5 billion cubic meters per year, which corresponds to the country's annual consumption.
The European Commission has unveiled a plan to connect all European capitals with high-speed rail lines by 2040. This involves expanding existing lines and creating new ones, allowing trains to reach speeds of over 250 km/h.
The 2026 Giro d'Italia Grand Tour will start in Bulgaria for the first time, marking the third start in the Balkans in its history. This continues the practice of starting abroad, which has a positive impact on host countries and Italian exports.
Ukraine's allies in Europe and NATO are pressuring the Greek government to sell some of its Mirage 2000-5 fighter jets to Kyiv through the PURL initiative. Athens is reluctant to transfer modern weapons to Ukraine, preferring outdated armaments.
Former leader of the Democratic Party of Moldova, Vladimir Plahotniuc, has been extradited from Greece to Chisinau. He will be placed under arrest in a solitary cell on charges of stealing a billion dollars.
This summer, climate change caused 16,500 deaths in European cities, more than three times the projected statistics. The study covered 854 urban areas where temperatures were 3.6°C higher.
The wildfire on the outskirts of Athens has been localized, but evacuation continues due to expected strong winds. One person has died as a result of the fires, and homes and land have been destroyed.
An opinion column by financial expert Olena Sosedka.
Nine countries have officially expressed interest in borrowing funds from the EU military procurement program SAFE by the deadline. Poland plans to request 25 billion euros, and Greece – at least 1.2 billion euros.
Forest fires continue to rage in Greece and Turkey, where the highest temperature in history has been recorded. In Turkey, three volunteers died in a water tanker accident while extinguishing a fire in Kestel.
According to a Deutsche Bank report, rent for a three-bedroom apartment in European city centers continues to rise, with only five cities having an average cost below 2,000 euros. London is the most expensive city with a rent of 5,088 euros, while Athens is the cheapest at 1,080 euros.
Greece is facing five large-scale wildfires that have engulfed several regions, including Attica, where an evacuation has been announced. Due to intense heat and wind, the flames are spreading rapidly, causing injuries to firefighters, destruction of property, and forest areas.
In the southeastern province of Şırnak, Turkey, a new temperature record for continental Europe was recorded — 50. 5 °C, surpassing the previous maximum of 48.8 °C set in Sicily in 2021. Extreme heat has gripped 31 provinces of Turkey, where temperatures significantly exceed seasonal norms.
The O. O. Shalimov National Scientific Center of Surgery and Transplantology explained the importance of lifelong immunosuppressive drug intake after transplantation. These drugs suppress immune reactions that arise in response to a foreign organ, ensuring the engraftment and functioning of the transplanted organ.
Fugitive Moldovan oligarch Vladimir Plahotniuc, detained in Greece, has been placed under pre-trial arrest for 40 days. He was apprehended at Athens airport as he was about to fly to Dubai.
Greece is closing the Acropolis and urging outdoor workers to suspend operations due to a third heatwave that will bring temperatures up to +43°C. Authorities are on high alert, and tourists and residents are advised to avoid the heat and crowds.
The Shalimov Center team presented a unique case of simultaneous intervention on coronary and peripheral arteries at an international congress in Athens. This operation, performed by two teams, received high praise from the international medical community.
Large-scale fires are raging in Greece, causing evacuations near Athens and on the island of Thassos. Significant parts of Europe, including Germany, Great Britain, Spain, and France, are preparing for the return of an anomalous heatwave with temperatures above 30°C.
