Measures will soon be implemented to make it easier for Russians wanting to visit Greece to acquire visas, Deputy Tourism Minister Anastassios Liaskos said on Saturday. About 11,000 Russian tourists are expected to visit Evros this summer once a new Alexandroupolis-Moscow flight route goes into operation, he said.

Two people were killed and five seriously injured in two road accidents in Hellenikon and Koropi early on Saturday. The victim of the Hellenikon accident was Georgios Stratakos, 20, whose car collided with two oncoming vehicles after veering out of its lane on Vouliagmenis Avenue. In the Koropi accident, an unidentified man died after crashing his car into a column.

Cyprus talks are to be relaunched after April 17 elections in the island's Turkish-held north, Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan was quoted as saying on Saturday in Turkey's daily Vatan. Erdogan was quoted as saying that Greek PM Costas Karamanlis is «positive regarding these matters» and that Cypriot President Tassos Papadopoulos was in favor of new talks «without UN mediation.»

Coast guards on Chios on Saturday detained 35 illegal immigrants and two suspected smugglers after spotting a sailboat approaching a nearby islet.

A Cyprus Airlines flight attendants' strike, due to start today, will disrupt flights to Manchester, Birmingham and Amsterdam via Paphos. Staff are protesting the airline's decision to stop overnight stays for routes that, they claim, oblige them to work over 12 hours.