In Brief
FLIGHT DISRUPTIONS
OA passengers may face problems this weekend as staff go on strike Olympic Airlines (OA) flights scheduled for Saturday and Sunday are likely to be disrupted after OA flight attendants yesterday called a 48-hour weekend strike. OA’s management issued a statement stressing that flights would run as normal despite the action but disruptions are likely to occur. Workers are calling for OA managers to approve a new collective labor agreement, and oppose plans for a new bid to privatize the ailing state carrier. AIR-SPACE VIOLATIONS Gov’t spokesman calls on Turkey to stop ‘provoking tension’ in Aegean Government spokesman Theodoros Roussopoulos yesterday asked Turkish authorities to stop violating Greek air space following the latest in a series of infringements by Turkish jets in the Aegean on Tuesday. «The Greek government believes such activities are not consistent with the good climate in bilateral ties,» he said. «We expect Turkey to lessen any activities which provoke tension as we would like to retain good relations between our nations, and we ask Turkey to remain committed to this effort,» he added. FLOOD READINESS Authorities have list of Attica hot spots The General Secretariat for Civil Defense has compiled a list of the parts of Attica which are most prone to serious flooding in the event of heavy rain, secretariat chief Panayiotis Fourlas said yesterday following Tuesday’s downpour. Danger spots include the area in front of the Glyfada Town Hall, areas at the foot of Mount Hymettus and the steelworks at Elefsina, he said. He added that some Olympic venues could also be high-risk areas. The list was compiled on the basis of information provided by prefectural authorities. Spy chief Greece’s ambassador to Belgium, Yiannis Korandis, is to replace Pavlos Apostolidis as director of Greece’s National Intelligence Service, it was announced yesterday. Apostolidis headed the secret service for more than five years and helped plan security for the Athens Olympics. Traffic disruption Works which began yesterday on the section of Vouliagmenis Avenue between Hellenikon and Voula will disrupt traffic for the next 20 days, the Public Works Ministry said yesterday. The works will be carried out on a 24-hour basis, the ministry said. Traffic on Marathonos Avenue in Pallini will be disrupted from 7 a.m. to 5 p.m. today and from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. tomorrow, the ministry added. EKAB strike National First Aid Center (EKAB) staff are to stage a 24-hour strike today. Illegal immigrants A Greek trawler yesterday was towing to safety in a Greek port a fishing boat carrying 40 people, believed to be illegal immigrants, which it had spotted drifting between Greece and Malta, the Merchant Marine Ministry said. The fishing boat had been en route to Italy from Egypt but suffered engine problems off Malta, the ministry said. Also yesterday, coast guard officers on Samos detained seven illegal immigrants and their two suspected smugglers, the ministry said. Investigation shelved A prosecutor yesterday shelved a legal investigation into PASOK claims that New Democracy had been distributing leaflets purportedly defaming George Papandreou, now opposition leader, ahead of general elections last March. Prosecutor Eleni Sotiropoulou said there was no evidence of ND’s official involvement in the leaflet distribution. Security strike Security firm staff are to stage a 24-hour strike today, protesting against their employment conditions and demanding better insurance and training. Protesters are to march from Karaiskaki Square to the Labor Ministry. Draft dodger A prosecutor yesterday brought forgery charges against TV actor Christoforos Papakaliatis, who had submitted a document to the army asking for exemption from military service on health grounds. Papakaliatis is obliged to serve an 18-month term after the army imposed an extra six months on top of the compulsory 12-month term following an investigation into the actor’s appeal for exemption.
