In Brief
CHURCH TRUCE
Government pleased with end of turf war between patriarch, archbishop Government spokesman Theodoros Roussopoulos yesterday expressed the government’s «satisfaction» with the apparent end of an 11-month feud between Ecumenical Patriarch Vartholomaios and Archbishop Christodoulos in light of conciliatory overtures by the patriarch. «The two pillars of Orthodoxy have displayed a prudent and moderate stance to the benefit of both Orthodoxy and Hellenism,» Roussopoulos said. Last week, Vartholomaios dropped his demand for three Greek bishops to apologize for what he calls their irregular election, saying he sought «forgiveness from them and everyone else.» NORWEGIAN VISIT King Harald says he is certain Greece will organize ‘very good Olympics’ King Harald of Norway yesterday expressed his conviction that Greece would organize «very good Olympic Games,» following a meeting with President Costis Stephanopoulos. The king, on an official visit to Athens with Queen Sonia, also met Parliament Speaker Anna Psarouda-Benaki yesterday, who suggested the creation of a Greek-Norwegian parliamentary group due to the good relations between the two countries. King Harald is due to meet Prime Minister Costas Karamanlis today. TRAFFIC DISRUPTIONS On Attiki Odos, Marathonos Avenue Airport-bound traffic will be suspended on the section of the Attiki Odos between Kymis and Kifissias Avenues until the end of the month as works get under way to build a suburban railway station at Nerantziotissa. The works will be conducted from 10.30 p.m. to 5 a.m. daily. A 2-kilometer (1.2-mile) stretch of Marathonos Avenue, between Rafina and Pikermi, will be diverted due to works until the end of June. Bank strike Bank workers are to stage a 24-hour strike on Friday, pressing demands for higher salaries and a 35-hour working week, after talks with bank managers yesterday failed to yield a compromise. Greek-Turkish talks Senior Greek and Turkish diplomats are to meet in Athens today for the 25th round of exploratory talks on bilateral issues. Athens rally Traffic disruptions are expected in the area around Pedion tou Areos in central Athens tonight as the Communist Party is due to begin its pre-election rally at 8.30 p.m. Sailor detained A Greek is among the five crew members of a Maltese-flagged ship detained after Turkish customs officials seized a radio-controlled missile and launcher and other weapons from the Egypt-bound vessel at the end of last month, the Athens News Agency reported yesterday. The weapons were discovered after the Breze 47 docked at the Turkish port of Ambarli. The ship’s captain had declared that the cargo consisted of spare parts. The remaining crew of the Breze 47 are believed to be Ukrainian. Policeman cleared A policeman charged with fatally shooting his 23-year-old fiancee with his service revolver in Katerini, Thessaloniki, six years ago was exonerated yesterday. The court acquitted Christos Fotiadis of the manslaughter of Calliope Gogou, by six votes to one, due to unresolved doubts. Gogou had been found dead with a bullet wound in her stomach. Fotiadis claimed that she had committed suicide following an argument. Workman buried Firemen yesterday rescued unhurt 43-year-old Athens Water Company (EYDAP) worker Alexandros Christoforou, who was buried in earth after a hole opened up on an EYDAP site in the Athenian suburb of Anthoupolis. On Monday, a rescue team saved a laborer who had been buried in mud on a worksite in Kolonos. Mobile voters Owners of cars, motorcycles or scooters who have had their driving license or registration plates confiscated for parking offenses will have them returned from tomorrow so that they can travel to their voting districts ahead of Sunday’s European elections. This will not apply to motorists who have been penalised for drunken driving, speeding or lacking insurance.
