In Brief
MINISTER STAYS
Regouzas ‘will not be sacked’ over comments on customs kickbacks Deputy Finance Minister Adam Regouzas won’t lose his job despite comments he made to customs officials suggesting they should cut down instead of eradicate their kickbacks, government spokesman Theodoros Roussopoulos said yesterday. Regouzas made the comment during a speech in June but it was made public yesterday. Roussopoulos described the particular statement as being «incomplete» but said Regouzas had been clear in stating the government would not accept any form of corruption. ATTICA BLASTS Three homemade devices go off within six hours, no injuries reported Three small homemade explosive devices went off in Attica within a six-hour period yesterday. The first exploded outside a branch of Eurobank in the northern suburb of Metamorphosis at 3.17 a.m. Around half an hour later, another device exploded outside ATEBank in the southern suburb of Petralona. The third explosion took place shortly after 9 a.m. outside New Democracy’s offices in Ambelokipi, near central Athens. No injuries or major damage were reported in any of the blasts. OA FLIGHTS Engineers threaten rolling strikes Olympic Airlines engineers said yesterday they have a way of making the company’s technical base viable and profitable despite the government’s plans to sell off the loss-making national carrier. The engineers said they may stage rolling 24-hour strikes as part of protests over the planned sell-off. Family affair Seven in 10 Greeks will turn to a family member if they face money or social problems, according to a study by the National Center for Social Research (EKKE) published yesterday. Only two in 10 Greeks ask for help from their friends and less than 2.5 percent turn to social services for help, according to the study, which also found that a fifth of Greeks live below the poverty line. Migrants rescued Coast guards picked up 16 illegal immigrants off the eastern Aegean island of Samos yesterday, after the boat they had been sailing in began to sink. The migrants, from Egypt and Lebanon, began swimming to shore after the wooden boat started filling with water but were picked up by a patrol boat. They were taken to the island’s reception center, where 156 migrants are currently being held. Missing woman The decomposing body of a young woman was found yesterday washed up on the shore of the island of Thassos in the northern Aegean, authorities said. Police said they alerted nearby authorities to check their records for any recent disappearances and were informed by officials in Xanthi that a young woman had gone missing there on September 22. The missing woman’s parents are due to travel to Serres today to see if they recognize the body. Kiosk demands Kiosk owners put forward several proposals to update the regulations governing their businesses to Deputy Development Minister Yiannis Papathanassiou yesterday. These included increasing the size kiosks can take up legally to 4 square meters, the creation of more spots for kiosks and the permission to move kiosks between municipalities. Fingerprint foul In a decision made public yesterday, the Hellenic Data Protection Authority (APPD) ruled that it was illegal for sports clubs to record or collect the fingerprints of fans and use them to check the details of supporters entering grounds. Driver killed The driver of a van, aged 42, was killed yesterday after his vehicle crashed into two trucks while driving along a major highway between Thessaloniki and Serres in northern Greece, police said. The drivers of the two trucks were hospitalized with minor injuries. Family mobsters A father and son were arrested near Hania in Crete yesterday after police found drugs and weapons in their possession. With the help of police dogs, police said they found three hunting rifles, a handgun, bullets, about 22 cannabis plants and small amounts of heroin in the family home.
