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Athens News Agency: Daily News Bulletin in English, 10-12-27Athens News Agency: Daily News Bulletin in English Directory - Previous Article - Next ArticleFrom: The Athens News Agency at <http://www.ana.gr/>Monday, 27 December 2010 Issue No: 3678CONTENTS
[01] Rain greets holiday-makers returnThose returning from trips and excursions carried out over the Christmas break will have to contend with rain and bad weather on Boxing Day as a low pressure front moves across the country from the northwest to bring showers, storms and snow on high ground.Traffic police advised drivers to show caution in order to avoid accidents and have also taken special measures to facilitate motorists heading back to large cities during the peak of the return, as well as airports, ports and railway stations that will see increased traffic. Teams of traffic police will also be manning road blocks and patrol the highways, on the lookout for motorists committing dangerous traffic code violations such as speeding, drunk-driving and dangerous overtaking. They have also banned all trucks more than 1.5 tonnes from using the national highways during the Christmas weekend. [02] Health minister visits children in state child care facility in PentelisHealth Minister Andreas Loverdos paid a visit to the Child Care Serve 'Anarrotirio Pentelis' on Christmas Day, where he handed out presents to the children and sang Christmas carols with them.The children presented the minister with a drawing that they had prepared together and he also received a special gift from a seven-year-old supporter of the Olympiacos Piraeus football club, the team also supported by the minister, who gave him with an Olympiacos mug and received a bag items from the Olympiacos FC gift shop in return. The Anarrotirio Pentelis is one of the main and most important child care agencies in Greece for neglected or abused children without care-givers, making arrangements for them to be adopted or placed in foster families. It currently provides a home for 34 children, ranging in age from newborns to eight years old, and also monitors a foster-home programme for another 154 children. Financial News [03] More public transport strikes after ChristmasThe wave of strikes in Athens public transport to protest against government reforms that include wage cuts and forced staff transfers will resume after the Christmas holidays, trade unionists revealed on Saturday.Bus drivers and staff are planning further work stoppages next Wednesday, from the start of their shift until 8:00 a.m. and from 10:00 p.m. until the end of the shift. This means buses will be running between 8:00 a.m. until 10:00 p.m. on that day. Similar work stoppages held at different hours are also planned after the New Year, on January 3, 5 and 10. No announcements concerning planned strikes have yet been made by unions for other forms of public transport in the capital. [04] Civil aviation staff strike on Dec. 29-30 declared illegalA 48-hour strike called by the civil aviation staff union OSYPA on December 29 and 30 was declared illegal by an Athens first-instance court, after management at the Civil Aviation Service filed to have the strike declared illegal and abusive.Members of OSYPA, in response to the ruling on Friday, said that they would resort to other forms of labour mobilisation in protest against the government's plans for mandatory transfers of some 500 mechanics and pilots of the former Olympic Airways currently employed by the CAS. They did not reveal what form this action would take but it may result in minor problems with ground handling, especially in regional airports around the country. General News [05] Third dead body found in Thessaloniki; police investigating links with previous deathsYet another body of a man in his mid-40s was discovered in the city of Thessaloniki on Sunday, this time on Embedokleous Street in the city's Toumba district. The body belonged to a 46-year-old man and was discovered by a relative.Police are now investigating possible links between this death and the two other dead bodies found in the city earlier on Boxing Day - that of a second 46-year-old shot in his apartment in Toumba's Vithynias Street and a 42-year-old found dead in a park in the Evangelistrias area, an apparent victim of suicide. In an announcement later on Sunday, Thessaloniki police had said that the second dead man found in the park had been responsible for shooting the first victim. Authorities are now following up information claiming that all three deaths are linked and related to the settling of a dispute over an illegal narcotics deal but have not ruled out other possibilities. [06] Man found dead in Patras; foul play suspectedPolice said that the young man found dead in the road leading to the Pampeloponnesian Stadium near Patras on Saturday morning was most likely the victim of a criminal assault.The body was found by passing drivers on the lane heading towards Patras, who called the police. It was wrapped in a blanket and showed signs of wounds inflicted by a sharp instrument, as well as bruising. Police suspect the victim was murdered in another location and then dumped on the road by his attackers. Authorities are now trying to collect information concerning the identity of the victim, which they say will help them find those responsible. They also hope for more leads from the autopsy that will be conducted at Patras' university hospital. [07] House fire kills 26-year-old manA 26-year-old man resident in Iraklio, Crete was found dead in his home on Christmas morning, suffocated to death by fumes from a fire that broke out in his apartment.The cause of the fire has not yet been determined and fire fighters found the occupant dead when they arrived to put out the blaze. [08] Man arrested for forcing girl into prostitutionA 45-year-old foreign national has been arrested by police in Thessaloniki and charged with forcing an 18-year-old girl from his country of origin to work as a prostitute by using violence. He was arrested on Christmas Eve following a complaint by local residents in Stavroupolis, Thessaloniki who became suspicious of his activities.The 45-year-old apparently took advantage of the young girl's dire financial situation in order to get hold her passport and then kept her hostage in a house near the city of Patras since the start of November, forcing her to work as a prostitute and withholding any money she made. A few days before Christmas the young woman managed to get away and travelled to a town in the region of Serres, where the 45-year-old again her down and took her to an apartment in Stavroupolis, Thessaloniki using force. His actions aroused the suspicions of local residents, however, who called the police. Shortly before his arrest, he had hit the girl in the face with a pair of scissors inflicting multiple injuries. [09] Two migrant traffickers, three migrants arrestedPolice on Sunday reported the arrest of two foreign nationals, aged 28 and 26 years old respectively, as they were transporting three illegal immigrants from the border into Greece. The two were caught on Christmas day near Alexandroupolis, while the three migrants had entered Greece illegally by crossing the Evros River a short while earlier.All five were arrested and will be led before an Alexandroupolis first-instance court public prosecutor. [10] Mild earthquake shakes northeast AegeanA mild earthquake measuring 4.3 on the Richter scale was recorded at 7:08 a.m. on Sunday, in waters 320 kilometres northeast of Athens and 250 kilometres east of Thessaloniki. The epicentre of the quake lay somewhere between the islands of Samothrace and Imvros.Seismologists are continuing to monitor seismic activity in the area but note that the region is one with low seismic activity. [11] Baby bear killed off Egnatia highwayYet another young bear fell victim to a traffic accident on a road leading off the Egnatia Highway over the Christmas weekend, the animal conservation group Arcturos reported on Boxing Day.The accident occurred on Christmas Day, on the exit toward Vogatsikos between Siatista and Krystallopigi. According to Arcturos, this is the fourth bear to be killed by oncoming traffic in 2010, after 10 such fatal accidents involving bears in 2009. In statements to the ANA-MPA, the head of the Arcturos Environmental Centre Vasso Petridou noted that the high temperatures in the last months of 2010 had prevented bears from going into hibernation so that they were at risk from traffic while wandering in the areas around the Egnatia highway. She also stressed that authorities had so far failed to meet pledges to set up special fencing along the Egnatia highway and the roads leading off it that would prevent the animals from entering high-speed roads. Weather forecast [12] Rain and storms on MondayCold, wet weather is forecast throughout the country on Monday, with rain and storms at sea. Winds will blow from mainly northerly directions, between 3-6 Beaufort, in the north and from southerly directions, between 4-6 Beaufort in the south and east. Temperatures will range from a low of 1C in the northwest to a high of 19C in the south. Rain and showers in Athens, with temperatures from 12C to 17C. Same in Thessaloniki, with temperatures from 7C to 11C.36, TSOCHA ST. ATHENS 115 21 GREECE * TEL: 64.00.560-63 * FAX: 64.00.581-2 INTERNET ADDRESS: http://www.ana-mpa.gr * e-mail: anabul@ana gr * GENERAL DIRECTOR: ILIAS MATSIKAS Athens News Agency: Daily News Bulletin in English Directory - Previous Article - Next Article |
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