In Brief
Farmers – As cotton prices rejected,tractors move into position Restive cotton farmers in northern Greece decided yesterday to persist with their protests against government cotton prices for this year, in what threatens to develop into a repeat of the farmers’ 1996 and 1997 road block campaign that hindered communications throughout Greece for weeks. Rejecting as too low prices announced on Friday, union representatives who met outside Thessaloniki yesterday agreed to position their tractors at the side of major crossroads in several parts of northern Greece, but engage in no roadblocks for the time being.A spokesman called on the government to enter negotiations on cotton prices – which are expected to be considerably lower than last year’s – and did not rule out roadblocks. Terror report Leak under investigation Public Order Minister Michalis Chrysochoidis said on Saturday that he has ordered an official investigation into the leak of a secret report on terrorism to Ta Nea daily on Friday. The report, which was probably compiled in early 1999, refers to ties between November 17, Revolutionary Popular Struggle (ELA), Anti-State Struggle and Carlos The Jackal’s international groups. The government confirmed its authenticity on Friday, but said it was an old report. Locomotive. Greeks walk less than any other European Union citizens, according to EU figures incorporated in a British government report on transport due to be fully released today. The British come second to last. Collisions. The Myrina Express ferry, coming from the island of Kea with 81 passengers on board, crashed into a jetty at the port of Lavrion yesterday afternoon,causing a small crack above the plimsoll line. Nobody was hurt. Also yesterday, high seas caused the Taxiarchis ferry to bump into the quay at the port of Myrina on Lemnos. Again, there were no injuries. The ship had set sail from Piraeus.
