The head of the Church of Greece, Archbishop Christodoulos, is due to fly to Rome this afternoon to meet with Pope Benedict XVI at the Vatican tomorrow. Christodoulos said yesterday that his trip was aimed at continuing the dialogue which helped “break the ice” between the Orthodox and Catholic churches. He said that he is making his trip at an important time as “universal peace” had to be protected from people who claim to be religious fanatics. The archbishop is due to stay in Rome until Saturday. During his visit, he will be given two of the rings that were part of the chain used to tie down the Apostle Paul.

Police in Thessaloniki yesterday remanded in custody a 34-year-old Jordanian student who allegedly stabbed a woman on Sunday more than 17 times, badly injuring her. The suspect, a student at Aristotle University, did not tell police why he attacked the 22-year-old woman who lived in the same apartment building as him. The woman was still in the hospital yesterday in serious condition.

The Federation of Secondary School Teachers (OLME) yesterday opposed the Education Ministry’s decision last week to ban teachers and schoolchildren from using mobile phones in primary and secondary schools. The teachers’ group said that the ban is hard to enforce and will be ultimately unsuccessful. OLME also said that its members will participate in today’s general strike in an effort to secure more funds for the education sector.

An earthquake measuring 4.5 on the Richter scale shook the central region of Fthiotida yesterday morning but caused no damage or injuries, according to the Athens Geodynamic Institute. The tremor, which struck at 7.50 a.m., had an epicenter in Malesina, about 80 kilometers northwest of Athens. Seismologists said the quake, which was felt in Athens, was not likely to herald greater seismic activity.

A telethon organized by state broadcaster ET-1 in conjunction with UNICEF helped to raise some –700,000 to support children’s rights. Organizers said yesterday that they expect the amount donated to rise once bank deposits and contributions via text message are counted. Some 7,000 people phoned in during the telethon to pledge money, which UNICEF will use in programs to fight the exploitation of children.

Amnesty International has asked the government not to extradite Javed Aslam, the head of the Pakistani Unity Organization, to Islamabad on human trafficking charges because of Pakistan’s poor human rights record, Agence France-Presse reported yesterday. Pakistan alleges that Aslam was involved in smuggling illegal immigrants into Greece but his supporters say he is being targeted because he spoke out against the alleged interrogation of Pakistani migrants in July last year.

A 56-year-old pedestrian was run over and killed in the Ambelokipi district of Thessaloniki early yesterday, police said. The incident occurred at 3.50 p.m. and the driver fled the scene but was later arrested, officers said. The pedestrian and the driver were not named.

The Hellenic Food Authority (EFET) said yesterday that it has fined several food firms a total of –130,500 for a range of violations. The food safety watchdog said that the fines were imposed after several items which were unfit for human consumption were found at the businesses concerned. EFET did not name the companies involved but said it would step up checks in the days before Christmas.

Police arrested two teenagers, aged 18 and 16, in Thessaloniki yesterday after a car chase in the northern Greek city. Police arrested the two male suspects, both foreign nationals, for bag snatching and car theft after they failed to stop at a routine traffic inspection.