In Brief
HEAT WAVE WARNING
Gov’t demands workplace precautions after temperatures of 42C are forecast Labor Minister Dimitris Reppas and the National Labor Inspectorate yesterday issued a circular asking businesses to take precautions to ensure workers do not suffer heat exhaustion next week, after the National Meteorological Service warned temperatures may reach 42C (107.6F) from Thursday. The ministry proposed regular breaks for workers and adequate air conditioning, and said construction site staff should stop working when temperatures exceed 38C (100.4F) in the shade. The government placed hospitals on a high state of alert on Thursday after the service forecast temperatures in excess of 38C (100.4F) between Monday and Wednesday. CLOPHEN PROBE Power station managers blamed for not warning firemen of toxic leak Two managers of the Aghios Dimitrios power station near Ptolemaida in western Macedonia face charges of endangering the health of 25 firefighters who put out a fire in December 2001 at the power station, whose generator had been leaking a toxic fluid, court sources said yesterday. A probe into the leak was launched after a Kozani prosecutor brought charges against the managers on behalf of the firefighters. A preliminary investigation had revealed that firefighters had not been informed of the presence of clophen on the site and so had not taken precautions. Blood tests on the firefighters have not revealed any adverse effects. PAINTING STOLEN Work taken from EU summit hotel A painting by a Greek artist has been stolen from a high-security area of a hotel in Porto Carras which accommodated European Union leaders during last week’s EU summit, police said yesterday. The disappearance of the painting, by Dimitris Antonitsis, from the Meliton Hotel – where it was on display with another 116 works of art – was discovered on Saturday, according to police, who said that only holders of special passes had access to the area. Security at the summit was unprecedented by Greek standards, with 15,000 police officers deployed. Michalopoulos sick Far-right publisher Grigoris Michalopoulos was yesterday transferred from Korydallos Prison’s detention center to the prison hospital after complaining of heart problems. Michalopoulos, 65, had been remanded in custody on Wednesday pending trial for allegedly blackmailing leading industrialists and churchmen, many of whom he is believed to have threatened with execution by the November 17 terrorist group. Paralympics concerns Officials of the International Paralympics Committee (IPC) yesterday asked organizers of next year’s Paralympics in Athens to implement measures to alleviate heavy traffic congestion in the capital ahead of September’s Games and to make the city more accessible to disabled people. They asked for steps to be taken so that traveling time between venues is minimized. Forged euros A 28-year-old man who used 21 forged 200-euro notes to cover part of the cost of a new car has been arrested, police in Thessaloniki said yesterday. The man, identified only as K.D., was caught out by cashiers at the bank branch he had gone to with a car salesman to pay the bills of exchange for the car’s purchase, police said. PASOK targeted Unidentified assailants yesterday evening started a fire at ruling PASOK’s offices in the Athens coastal suburb of Faliron, causing damage to the facade of the building. Flag burnt A Bulgarian man was detained yesterday afternoon after he and an Albanian national pulled down a Greek flag from the Olympic Stadium in the northern Athenian suburb of Maroussi and burnt it. The Bulgarian was arrested after a passer-by who witnessed the incident reported it to police. The Albanian evaded arrest. Protesters supported Around 30 left-wingers protested outside the Greek Embassy in Berlin yesterday against the detention of 29 people allegedly involved in last weekend’s anti-globalisation riots in Thessaloniki.
