In Brief
Security – Athens subway to introducegas detectors, other measures Detectors for toxic gases and other dangerous substances will be installed in the capital’s underground railway to address the threat of terrorist attack, Athens Metro officials said yesterday without clarifying when this is to happen. Furthermore, in the interests of security, they have banned taking photographs or video footage of the metro system for the present. Airlines State to foot bill for higher insurance in terrorism, war cases Compensation bids of over 50 million drachmas filed against Greek airline companies by third parties – but excluding passengers – for damages suffered as a result of acts of war or terrorism will be paid by the Greek State, according to an amendment tabled in Parliament yesterday by the Transport Ministry. This complies with a decision by the ECOFIN council of EU economy and finance ministers that met in Luxembourg on Monday. The public coffers will meet claims of up to 2 billion dollars. In Greece, this will apply to suits tabled between September 25 and October 25, but may be extended another three months following a government decision. Fragrant thieves Salonica perfume heist Thieves stole 7 million drachmas worth of perfume from a Thessaloniki cosmetics shop early yesterday, police said. They said 654 bottles of fragrance were taken. Greek Studies. A chair of Modern Greek Studies has been created at the Ecole des Hautes Etudes en Sciences Sociales (EHESS) in Paris, the Greek Ministry of Education announced yesterday. Soccer. PAOK Thessaloniki beat the Czech Republic’s Pribram 6-1 yesterday on the first, home leg of a second-round match for the European UEFA Cup. AEK Athens beat Croatia’s Osijek 2-1 in an away match for the same tournament. Army death. A 19-year-old infantry conscript died in a Thessaloniki hospital early yesterday after shooting himself with his rifle on Wednesday, the army announced yesterday. The young man, whom a statement identified as T. A., shot himself while on night guard duty at an army camp in the northwestern region of Kastoria. Cyprus talks. US State Department special coordinator for Cyprus Thomas Weston will hold meetings with officials in Ankara, Athens and Nicosia between October 22-26, Cypriot government spokesman Michalis Papapetrou said yesterday. He said his government’s position is that there can be no negotiation on the already established basis for talks with Turkish-Cypriot officials on the island’s reunification. Condolences. Greece expressed condolences to Israel yesterday over the assassination by Palestinian gunmen on Wednesday of Israel’s tourism minister, Rehavam Zeevi. Government spokesman Dimitris Reppas condemned the killing in the most categoric manner, and called on both Israelis and Palestinians to show self-restraint. New bridge. A new footbridge over the Athens electric railway line near the Aghios Nikolaos station was inaugurated yesterday by Deputy Environment, Town Planning and Public Works Minister Nasos Alevras. It cost 60 million drachmas and includes facilities for handicapped people. Antiquities. Detectives in northern Greece have arrested an unemployed man from Thessaloniki in possession of illegally excavated antiquities, police said yesterday. Miltiades Gouderakis, 48, allegedly intended to sell a Hellenistic marble female statuette and five pottery vases dating from late Classical to Roman times. Police also arrested Thessaloniki pensioner Giorgos Pentheroudakis on suspicion of having hired Gouderakis to sell the artifacts on his behalf. All objects dating to before AD 1,453 are state property according to legislation currently under revision. Hotel arrests. An Athens hotel receptionist was arrested yesterday for having allowed two foreign prostitutes to use rooms at the Action Hotel, near Omonia Square, to receive clients. Along with Achilleas Syntrikos, officers arrested the two women, Albanian national Manuella Hemalari, 19, and Bulgarian national Svetla Hadjeeza, 23. Police are now looking for the hotel owner, Evangelos Ninidakis.
