Greece’s European Environment Commissioner Stavros Dimas yesterday said that he was neither optimistic nor pessimistic but “determined” to achieve a new international climate change agreement at the Copenhagen Summit next month. Dimas was speaking yesterday at a conference in Athens organized by Mediterranean SOS. He said he expected the US to commit to any deal that is agreed in the Danish capital despite domestic opposition. “President Barack Obama should work out with the Senate how to come to Copenhagen and bind the US,” said Dimas. “It is a matter of political will. I am sure that President Obama will honor his pledge on climate change.” Deputy Environment Minister Yiannis Maniatis said the government would unveil before Christmas a scheme to reduce energy wasting in Greek households.

Two bodies were found yesterday morning in the Aghioi Theodoroi area of Corinthia, west of Athens, on a dirt road next to the Athens-Patra highway. Police said that the bodies were those of two Asian men in their 30s. Both bore some scratches and bruises but it was not immediately clear how they had died. Corinthia police are conducting an investigation.

Health Minister Mariliza Xenogiannakopoulou said yesterday that she has begun the process for the hiring of 671 new medical staff at state hospitals as soon as possible. She added that the government aims to hire a total of 2,000 medical staff in the near future. Earlier this week, Xenogiannakopoulou said that 6,000 state hospital staff, including nurses, would be hired by the end of next year.

Panathinaikos needs just one point from its two remaining group matches in the Europa League to make it through to the knockout phase of the tournament after a 1-0 away win over Sturm Graz on Thursday night. Greece’s other representative in Europe’s second-tier soccer tournament, AEK, was held to a 2-2 draw at home by BATE Borisov of Belarus despite going 1-0 up within 15 seconds of the start of the game. The result leaves AEK bottom of its group and needing to beat English side Everton in its next game in Athens on December 2, to have any chance of qualification to the next round.

Environmental inspectors have discovered extensive pollution in the Pineios River in central Greece, it was revealed yesterday. Experts from Larissa Prefecture discovered various items of rubbish in the river and called on the municipality to arrange for it to be cleaned. But Larissa Mayor Constantinos Tzanakoulis said it was not clear who was responsible for cleaning the river, adding that, legally, the river banks, where the rubbish is accumulating, fall under the jurisdiction of the prefecture.

Two firebomb attacks in Thessaloniki caused minor damage but no injuries early yesterday. One device went off near the Papafeio Orphanage, damaging a shop window. The other exploded near the seafront, destroying one scooter and damaging two parked cars. The facade of a pharmaceutical warehouse was also damaged.