A convicted member of the November 17 terrorist group, Vassilis Xeros, claimed in court yesterday that he had been coerced into making statements to police about the organization. His lawyer asked the court that is hearing the group’s appeal to disregard Xeros’s two statements to police. Xeros also claimed that the life of his brother, Savvas, had been threatened to make him sign the statements. The lawyer of another defendant, Vassilis Tzortzatos, claimed Savvas Xeros was given drugs to make him confess to police when he was captured in 2002.

Russian President Vladimir Putin yesterday promised his visiting Cypriot counterpart Tassos Papadopoulos to back efforts to reach a Cyprus solution. “Russia will continue to play an active role in the search for a solution within the framework of United Nations institutions,” Putin said. Putin also said that Russia and Cyprus should continue talks on easing visa procedures for Russians visiting Cyprus. Procedures have been facilitated since Cyprus joined the EU but more changes could be made to help a broader range of Russian citizens, Putin said.

Leading international figures from the world of business and the arts yesterday called upon firms to support a drive to curb human trafficking during a press conference in Athens. Participants of the Athens Round Table included personalities as diverse as French composer and performer Jean Michel Jarre, Queen Silvia of Sweden and Interpol Secretary General Ronald Noble. Round Table members drew up a list of principles aimed at draining the profits of human traffickers which they intend to present to leading businessmen and politicians at the World Economic Forum beginning in Davos tomorrow.

Trade vs trafficking?...

Government spokesman Theodoros Roussopoulos yesterday blasted comments allegedly made by the head of the Larissa cotton farmers’ union, Thanassis Kokkinoulis, in which he said that New Democracy had failed to live up to its pre-election pledges on farmers’ rights. Kokkinoulis is affiliated with the ruling conservatives. “I would be embarrassed if I was in his position,” said Roussopoulos.

There are no plans for the foreign ministers of Greece and the Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia (FYROM) to meet on the sidelines of the South East European Cooperation Process (SEECP) conference which is to be held in Athens today, Foreign Ministry spokesman Giorgos Koumoutsakos said yesterday. Regional cooperation, EU membership for Balkan countries and the future of Kosovo will be discussed during the conference.

Preliminary tests on a chicken and turkey in Turkish-occupied Cyprus have shown that the birds were infected with bird flu, Turkish-Cypriot officials said yesterday. Further tests, whose results are expected tomorrow, are to confirm whether the birds had contracted the deadly H5N1 strain of the virus. Authorities said the two birds were detected during routine inspections on fowl in a village near Famagusta.

Police on Rhodes arrested a 34-year-old man yesterday accused of stealing from a church as he was about to break open the donations box. Police had been monitoring the area since the suspect is alleged to have stolen cash from the church on eight previous occasions.

Storeowners in Drama said yesterday that they will stage a promotional event in the northern town’s center at lunchtime on Thursday, offering roast chicken to passers-by in an attempt to convince them that consumers face no risk of contracting bird flu from chicken if it is properly cooked.

An 18-year-old man drowned yesterday after the car he was driving plunged into the water in Palaio Faliron, Athens. The other two passengers in the vehicle, both aged 20, managed to get out of the sinking car. Authorities said the slippery road and poor visibility led to the accident.