Another seven people were diagnosed with swine flu in Greece over the weekend, bringing the number of those afflicted with the virus to 48, health authorities said. Almost all the cases diagnosed were people who had returned from the USA. In one case, a 2-year-old boy who came into contact with someone who had recently returned from America, contracted the virus. Of the 48 people diagnosed with the H1N1 virus in Greece, 18 have already been treated and discharged from the hospital, according to authorities.

The United Nations mediator in the name dispute between Greece and the Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia (FYROM) is to meet with representatives from both countries in Geneva today for a new round of talks aimed at reaching a consensus on an official name for the small Balkan state. Matthew Nimetz is scheduled to visit Skopje on July 6 and then Athens for follow-up talks with government officials from both sides.

A strong quake measuring 5 on the Richter scale struck the eastern Aegean island of Samos early on Saturday but there were no reports of any damage or injuries. The tremor, whose epicenter was off the island’s western coast, was felt by locals.

A 50-year-old Greek man was killed yesterday when the jet ski he had been riding collided with another jet ski being driven by a 45-year-old man, also Greek, off the coast of Zografou in Halkidiki, northern Greece. Meanwhile on the island of Rhodes, a diver was in the hospital after being hit by a speedboat off the popular resort of Faliraki. Police said they were seeking the speedboat driver.

Two Bulgarian nationals yesterday faced a prosecutor after police discovered large quantities of weapons, dynamite and some cocaine in their cars during an inspection at the border. Police said they had met the Bulgarians while posing as prospective customers interested in arms purchases at the Promachonas border crossing. When the suspects turned up for the appointment in two luxury cars, officers searched the vehicles and found the arms and drugs.

A large fire that broke out early yesterday in a large warehouse belonging to a delivery firm in Aspropyrgos, northwest of Athens, had totally destroyed the premises by the time local firefighters managed to extinguish it. The fire, whose cause was unclear, was fueled by large quantities of flammable materials, including perfume, according to firemen.

The Athens Bar Association (ABA) said yesterday that it had suspended one of its members for refusing to repay money he borrowed from a client. The ABA revealed that the lawyer, who was not named, had borrowed 22,000 euros from a client to purchase an apartment. Despite promising to repay the loan promptly, the lawyer failed to keep his pledge and had avoided all contact with the client. The lawyer has been banned from practicing for one-and-a-half months.