NEWS

In Brief

THESSALONIKI POLLUTION

Authorities say that city’s air has not been affected by landfill fire The regional authority of Central Macedonia said yesterday that air pollution levels in Thessaloniki have not reached dangerous levels despite the recent fire at the Tagarades landfill. Environment officers said that readings of air pollution between July 24 and August 7 showed that levels were below the limit of 50 micrograms per cubic meter. On Tuesday, authorities said that milk and poultry in the area had been tainted by dioxin produced by the fire. «There is no cause for concern about air pollution from the fire,» the regional authority said. LEBANON TALKS Contacts at UN are reaching a peak as vote on resolution looms Foreign Minister Dora Bakoyannis continued her contacts with foreign diplomats in New York yesterday ahead of an imminent United Nations Security Council vote on a resolution to end hostilities in Israel and Lebanon. Foreign Ministry spokesman Giorgos Koumoutsakos said that diplomatic efforts at the UN were reaching a peak in what he described as being a «heavy climate.» CHILD MOLESTER Shopkeeper arrested on Kos A 61-year-old store owner was arrested yesterday on the eastern Aegean island of Kos for allegedly abusing a 9-year-old girl, police said. The man is said to have invited the girl into his store and then proceeded to assault her, officers said. However, the child managed to escape and notify her parents, who called the police. Coffee warning The General Secretariat for Consumer Affairs said yesterday that the GTM116 coffee machine manufactured by Perla was being withdrawn from the market as tests had revealed that users could be electrocuted when using it. Authorities said no such cases had been reported so far but the coffee machine had been found not to comply with European Union safety standards and is being withdrawn as a precaution. More than 1,200 machines have been sold in Greece and any consumers owning one are advised to call Perla at 2510.39.21.80. Waitress injured Coast guard officers arrested a 22-year-old man in the port of Piraeus on Tuesday night after he attacked a waitress, the Merchant Marine Ministry said yesterday. The suspect’s details were not made public but officers said he was a foreign national. The 31-year-old woman, who worked at a nearby cafeteria, was taken to the hospital with head and eye injuries but was later discharged. Lebanon conference An international conference to discuss the impact that the war in Lebanon is having on the sea and marine life is to be held in Piraeus on Monday, organizers said yesterday. European Environment Commissioner Stavros Dimas will attend along with representatives of the United Nations, Secretary-General Kofi Annan and the governments of Lebanon, Syria, Cyprus, Turkey and Greece. Truck ban Large trucks will be banned from traveling on national roads at peak hours in the runup to the August 15 public holiday as part of an effort to improve highway safety, the Public Order Ministry said yesterday. Trucks with a capacity of more than 1.5 tons will not be allowed onto national roads between 3 p.m. and 10 p.m. on Friday, August 11 and between 3 p.m. and 11 p.m. on Sunday, August 13 and Tuesday, August 15. New museum Authorities in Crete said yesterday that a new archeological museum will open in the area of Kissamos on September 3. The museum will exhibit artifacts that have been unearthed during archaeological digs in the area, which is part of the Hania prefecture. Most of the exhibits are from the Roman era, officials said. The construction of the museum cost 586,000 euros. Lesvos migrants The coast guard yesterday picked up four illegal immigrants who were sailing in a rubber dinghy near the port of Mytilene on the eastern Aegean island of Lesvos, the Merchant Marine Ministry said. The migrants, whose nationality was not made known, said they had sailed from Turkey, according to officers.

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.