NEWS

In Brief

LANDFILL FUNDING

EC to subsidize three new dumps in central Macedonia, officials say The European Commission has agreed to subsidize the construction of three landfills in central Macedonia whose total cost is estimated at 18.29 million euros, regional officials in Thessaloniki said yesterday. The budget is to be split between the construction of new landfills in Pella and Serres, and the extension of an existing landfill in Katerini, they said. FUEL PRICES Gas stations ordered to display the cost of all types of fuel on sale Gas stations must henceforth display the price of the different types of fuel they sell on placards and on gas pumps, according to a Development Ministry decision made public yesterday. Fuel prices must be displayed in Greek and may also be displayed in English, although this is not compulsory, the ministry said. AMNESIA Forgotten patient finally rescued A young woman suffering amnesia who had been sitting in Athens’s General State Hospital since December 6 was yesterday collected by her parents after the hospital finally issued her description. The hospital was apparently reacting to television reports criticizing it for failing to take any action for nearly a month. The woman, who was not identified, had been hospitalized after being found wandering the streets of Kolonaki. Stadium protest The union of Attica municipalities and communities yesterday sent a letter to Public Works Minister Giorgos Souflias asking him to block the construction of a new soccer stadium in Goudi, northeastern Athens, complaining that the project would destroy one of the few open spaces left in the capital. The union said it supported a campaign for the site to be turned into a metropolitan park. Mobile greetings More than 120 million text messages were exchanged via mobile phone between December 24 and January 2, according to figures released yesterday by Greece’s three largest mobile phone firms, Vodafone, TIM and CosmOTE. According to the data, 9.2 million messages were sent during the first two hours of New Year’s Day. Hospital probe A Thessaloniki prosecutor yesterday launched an investigation into the alleged manslaughter through neglect of a 74-year-old woman in the city’s Papanikolaou Hospital. The prosecutor is to determine whether any doctors should be charged in connection with the December 15 death of Persephone Gourtzilidou after the daily Makedonia newspaper reported that she had been left in a hospital corridor for hours. Nanopoulos honored The internationally renowned physicist Dimitris Nanopoulos was yesterday appointed president of Greece’s National Council for Research and Technology, following a decision by Development Minister Dimitris Sioufas. Horseback billionaire The granddaughter of late shipping magnate Aristotle Onassis has set her sights on riding for the Greek equestrian team for the 2008 Olympics in Beijing after joining the Avlona Equestrian Club near Athens, Agence France-Presse reported yesterday. Athina Roussel, 19, is to train to make the Greek national equestrian team, AFP cited a club official as saying. Cretan shooting A 22-year-old woman was hospitalized with shoulder injuries yesterday after a masked gunman opened fire upon a group of 4×4 rough terrain enthusiasts on an excursion in the mountains of Sfakia, southern Crete. The group of 70 had been returning from their New Year’s outing in 31 vehicles when one of the drivers stopped to change a flat tire. It was then that the gunman appeared and fired a shotgun, injuring one passenger. Carousel stalker A 44-year-old man was arrested late on Sunday night after allegedly making obscene gestures to young girls and boys standing next to the Christmas carousel in Syntagma Square, central Athens, police said yesterday. The exact nature of the gestures was unclear.

Subscribe to our Newsletters

Enter your information below to receive our weekly newsletters with the latest insights, opinion pieces and current events straight to your inbox.

By signing up you are agreeing to our Terms of Service and Privacy Policy.