In Brief
ISAP EXTENSION
Plan to extend electric railway from Kifissia has been approved The executive board of the Kifissia-Piraeus electric railway (ISAP) has approved a plan to extend the line from Kifissia to the northern suburb of Aghios Stephanos, sources said yesterday. The plan proposes the 11-kilometer extension of the line should be carried out in two phases but no timetable for the work, which will involve the construction of seven underground stations, has been set. One of the stations will be located alongside the Athens-Lamia national road and will also have a large parking lot for commuters to leave their cars, sources added. ILLEGAL BROTHELS Police raid five ‘massage parlors’ in Athens and arrest 12 people, Officers from the organized crimes squad have arrested 12 people who worked at illegal brothels in central Athens that were disguised as massage parlors, police said yesterday. The alleged brothels were all housed in apartment buildings but did not have any distinguishing marks on the exterior as clients would book appointments over the phone, officers said. Six of the suspects arrested were women who allegedly worked as prostitutes. IGOUMENITSA MURDER Chinese man arrested over killing A 43-year-old Chinese man was arrested yesterday at a police checkpoint in northwestern Greece on suspicion of murdering a 33-year-old Chinese woman in Igoumenitsa, police said. The unnamed man was stopped on the Ioannina-Antirio national road and later allegedly confessed to murdering the woman, who was found in her apartment on Thursday. The suspect said that he killed his victim because he held her responsible for the break-up of his marriage and his pending expulsion from Greece, officers said. Fatal collision A 35-year-old motorist was killed yesterday when his car collided with a passenger train on a level crossing near the central Greek town of Trikala. It was unclear whether the motorist, who was not named, had the right of way to the crossing, which is located on a country road between the villages of Megala Kalyvia and Lazarina. There were no reports of injuries to the train driver or passengers. The train driver was arrested pending a police investigation into the incident. New prisons The Public Works Ministry yesterday issued official proposals for the construction of three new prisons in Domokos, central Greece, Grevena, northwest Greece, and Elaionas, near Thebes in central Greece. The decision was forwarded to the Council of State for approval. Greece’s jails currently house around twice as many prisoners as their capacity allows and the government has promised to build new jails to solve the problem. School scrap An eight-year-old schoolboy was taken to the hospital in Giannitsa, northern Greece, yesterday with minor facial and head injuries after being attacked by two older schoolmates, authorities said. The unnamed child had earlier been involved in argument with the two boys while they were queuing at the school canteen. It is thought that the eight-year-old’s older brother stepped in to defend the boy and his assailants sought to get revenge at the end of the school day. The schoolboy was released from hospital yesterday afternoon. Changing trains Train services between Aghios Ioannis Rendis and Piraeus will be suspended from October 24 and December 22 because of improvement work, the Hellenic Railways Organization (OSE) said yesterday. Passengers should use Athinon station instead, OSE said. Commuters should call 1110 for more information. Arsonists strike Two parked cars were damaged on Syngrou Avenue in southern Athens early yesterday when arsonists set fire to a dumpster, police said. Nobody was injured. In a separate incident, arsonists set fire to an Olympiakos fan club in Neo Iraklion, northern Athens. The club was empty and nobody was injured. Policeman dies An off-duty police officer was killed in a motorcycle accident early yesterday morning in Peristeri, western Athens, police said. The 24-year-old was killed instantly after losing control of his motorcycle, which then caught fire. The officer was not named.
