In Brief
University professors, who have been striking for nearly two months, yesterday decided to return to lectures until December 5 when a government bill on the assessment of academic standards in universities is due to be tabled in Parliament. If their demands for more pay and funding are not met, they will resume their action, unionists warned. ATHENS MARATHON Traffic disruptions along entire route tomorrow from 6.30 a.m. to 2.30 p.m. Traffic will be disrupted in Athens and along the marathon race route (from Marathon village to Athens) tomorrow from 6.30 a.m. until 2.30 p.m. as the annual Athens Marathon, this year also an Olympic test event, gets under way. Roads which will be affected include Marathonos, Mesogeion, Vas. Sofias and Vas. Constantinou avenues, Archimidous Street, Vas. Olgas Avenue and Ardittou. Parking will be forbidden along the entire marathon route (in both lanes) from midnight on Saturday until the end of the race. GREEN CARDS Extension for submitted applications Foreigners who have already submitted applications for renewal of their work or residence permits will have legal status in Greece until a final decision on their application, according to an Interior Ministry circular sent to police and judicial authorities yesterday. The ministry is preparing draft legislation to extend the deadline for the issuing of residence and work permits to hundreds of thousands of illegal immigrants, which had been due to expire on Thursday and which would have necessitated mass deportations. Earthquakes Two moderate earthquakes struck Crete and the Gulf of Patras early yesterday but caused no injuries or damage. A 4.3-magnitude tremor, which struck the area of Aghios Nikolaos just after 1.15 a.m., was felt across eastern Crete and the city of Iraklion. The second quake, which measured 4.6 on the Richter scale, struck Antirio shortly after 4.30 a.m. and was strongly felt in Patras. Samos floods The Samos fire service yesterday received dozens of calls from residents of Karlovasi, in the island’s northwest, whose homes had been flooded with muddy water after three streams broke their banks following heavy rainfall. The floods caused damage to the local electricity station and blackouts in many parts of the island, while road travel was seriously hampered by landslides. N17 trial The trial of 19 November 17 suspects will be suspended on Monday and Tuesday as Athens lawyers stage a 48-hour strike. The court, which heard Nikos Papanastasiou’s defense yesterday, is to resume sessions on Wednesday with the defense for Sotiris Kondylis. Statue stays A second-century BC marble statue of the Doryphoros – an ancient copy of Polycleitus’ original – will remain at the Museum of Ancient Messene while a marble copy of it is displayed at the museum of Ancient Olympia, the Culture Ministry said yesterday. This followed strong opposition from Messinia residents to its proposed transfer. Not running Reports that Athens 2004 President Gianna Angelopoulos-Daskalaki is considering running for president «have been denied by Mrs Angelopoulos herself,» government spokesman Christos Protopappas said yesterday after being asked to comment on the rumors. Forgery ring A group of Greeks and Pakistanis have defrauded banks, businesses, citizens and the tax office of more than 3 million euros with thefts and fraudulent transactions over the past five years, police in Attica said yesterday after arresting four people and issuing warrants for another 20. Members stole tax statements, passports, utility bills and other documents from cars and homes and used them to forge various forms of identification with which they would apply for credit cards at banks before embarking on spending sprees, police said. Officers confiscated stolen and forged documents from the homes of arrested suspects.
