The fifth section of the Council of State yesterday rejected an appeal by residents of eastern Thessaloniki against the construction of a new landfill in their area. The Public Works Ministry can go ahead with plans to build a garbage dump close to the village of Mavrorachi, near Langadas, the court ruled. Claims by residents that the dump would disrupt residential areas and archaeological sites were rejected as groundless.

A total of 104 Egyptian illegal immigrants have been detained in Palaiochora, southwestern Crete, the Merchant Marine Ministry said on Saturday. About 80 immigrants were arrested on Friday after reaching the island in a wooden boat.

Deputy Foreign Minister Yiannis Valinakis and United Nations mediator Matthew Nimitz discussed Greece’s ongoing name dispute with the neighboring Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia (FYROM) in New York on Saturday. No statements were made to the press.

Referendum mooted over FYROM name

A 33-year-old Greek officer serving with the European Union peacekeeping force in Bosnia was killed in a traffic accident in Sarajevo on Friday night, the Greek armed forces said on Saturday. Nikolaos Panaretos was hit by a car that had run a red light, they said.

Immigrants staged an anti-racism rally in central Athens on Saturday. A similar rally was held in Thessaloniki. Protesters are calling for the revocation of draft legislation regarding the residence status of immigrants, due to be tabled in Parliament soon.