NEWS

In Brief

OLYMPIC SECURITY

Top NATO official in Athens for talks with Greek military NATO’s military commander for southern Europe, Admiral Gregory Johnson, will visit Athens today for talks with Greek armed forces chiefs on the alliance’s contribution to security during the August Olympics, the Defense Ministry said yesterday. Fearing increased terrorism threats during the Games, Greece has asked NATO to provide airborne radars, a specialised chemical, biological and radiological warfare unit as well as naval patrols in international waters. Meanwhile, yesterday Public Order Minister Giorgos Voulgarakis briefed a visiting delegation of US Congress members on Greece’s preparations regarding Olympic security. WORKER DEATHS Two laborers fatally injured following falls on sites in Athens, Thessaloniki Two laborers were fatally injured on Greek work sites yesterday. An unidentified worker died after falling from the third floor of the Benaki Museum branch in the Athenian district of Petralona, whose exterior renovation he was working on. Meanwhile, Giorgos Touloumis, a 43-year-old laborer on the construction site of a two-floor building in Thessaloniki’s Drymos district was killed after falling 6.5 meters when the scaffolding he was working on gave way. ARMS SHOPPING Entire central staff to be replaced Defense Minister Spilios Spiliotopoulos yesterday ordered the replacement of all officials on the ministry’s central staff who handle military procurements and contracts, the ministry said. The central staff has 100 committees which handle 2.5 billion euros of state funds, the ministry said. Soccer security Around 2,000 police officers will be deployed as part of strict security measures to curb spectator violence during Sunday’s crucial championship match between league leaders Panathinaikos and Olympiakos, it was decided yesterday at a meeting between prosecutors, police officials, and the two clubs’ presidents. Three prosecutors will be at Panathinaikos’s Athens home ground on central Alexandras Avenue to charge troublemakers on the spot if necessary, it was agreed. Park inaugurated Athens Mayor Dora Bakoyannis yesterday inaugurated a new park in the district of Kypseli, an old quarry which now boasts 365 trees and 1,100 shrubs. Over the past year, Athens has had a total of 6,531 trees and 20,791 shrubs planted, while around 600,000 flowers are to be planted in the city center and in various Athenian districts over the course of the year, according to municipal authorities. Promotion The Supreme Court yesterday upheld a prior court ruling vindicating a bank worker who had taken legal action against his employer for failing to promote him to a management position, court sources said. The bank’s failure to promote the employee was blatantly unfair as he had better qualifications and a longer service record than his colleagues, the court ruled. The court also recognized that he was entitled to compensation for moral damage. Balkan summit Deputy Defense Minister Vassilis Michaloliakos was in the Bosnian capital Sarajevo yesterday for the conclusion of a two-day summit bringing together defense ministers from Balkan countries to discuss regional stability and cooperation. Countries represented at the summit included Bosnia-Herzegovina, Serbia-Montenegro, Albania, the Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia (FYROM), Bulgaria, Romania, Turkey and Croatia. Salonica shooting A 25-year-old Albanian woman yesterday underwent surgery for leg injuries she sustained after her boyfriend allegedly shot her at her sister’s home in Panagia Faneromeni, Thessaloniki. Her alleged attacker, who was not named, disappeared after the incident. Doctors said her injuries were not serious. Food safety Greece’s food safety watchdog (EFET) reported 13 violations of food safety standards after conducting 425 inspections during Easter week, EFET officials said yesterday, adding that offenders appeared before a prosecutor. The surprise inspections targeted butchers, fishmongers and large retailers, EFET said.

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