NEWS

In Brief

CIA PRISONS

11 EU states, including Greece, knew of jails, European Parliament says Eleven European Union member states, including Greece, had been aware of the running of secret CIA prisons in Europe, according to a European Parliament report released yesterday. The draft report, completed after months of investigation by a special committee, also accused top EU officials including EU foreign policy chief Javier Solana of «omissions and denials» allegedly made during their testimony to the committee. PROASTIAKOS STOPPAGES Disruptions of suburban railway services expected this week A series of work stoppages by train drivers on the Proastiakos suburban railway will disrupt services this week, it was announced yesterday. Staff will stop working between 5 a.m. and 9 a.m. and from 6 p.m. to 10 p.m. daily until the end of the week. During these periods, there will be no service to Athens International Airport. Drivers are protesting the lack of training in new technology that will soon be used on the trains. For more information passengers should call 210.527.2000. BEATEN STUDENT Hospital stay extended A 24-year-old Cypriot student, who was severely beaten during clashes between police and demonstrators at a rally in Thessaloniki, yesterday spent his 11th day in the hospital after doctors said he was too frail to be discharged. Avgoustinos Dimitriou, who has been suffering from dizzy spells over the past few days, is due to testify before a prosecutor charged with investigating the events of November 17. A protest march in sympathy with Dimitriou in Thessaloniki yesterday briefly turned violent when demonstrators clashed with police but no injuries were reported. Migrant trafficking Police are searching for two suspected migrant traffickers after stopping a truck on the Preveza-Igoumenitsa national road in northwestern Greece early yesterday and finding inside 18 illegal immigrants from Albania. Officers arrested two men who were acting as lookouts and were driving a car ahead of the truck. But the two traffickers in the truck managed to escape when police stopped the vehicle. National park Western Greece’s Anthrakikos Gulf, located close to Arta, will become a protected national park, according to a decision signed by the Environment Ministry yesterday. The wetland area is home to 294 different bird species, of which 101 are under the threat of extinction, and covers an area of 1,300 sq.km. Permits issued in the past for activities in the national park will continue to be valid, the ministry said. Thief crashes A suspected thief was seriously injured yesterday when he crashed a luxury BMW automobile while police were chasing him along the Ioannina-Kozani national road in northwestern Greece. The unnamed Albanian national is under police guard in the hospital. He allegedly stole the car on November 22 in Nea Ionia, northern Athens, and police suspect that he is part of a gang that steals expensive cars in Greece and smuggles them into Albania. Officers had set up a roadblock to stop the car but the driver sped off only to crash a little later. Lighter recall The General Consumer Secretariat announced the recall yesterday of Block House lighters, imported by Minoiki Advertising. The lighters failed to meet safety standards due to the risk of exploding if subjected to high temperatures. Cameras destroyed Eleven traffic surveillance cameras across Athens were destroyed on Monday night, police said yesterday. The attacks took place between 10.50 p.m. and 3.30 a.m. in central Athens, Nea Ionia, Pangrati, Patissia, Maroussi, Aghia Paraskevi and Neos Cosmos. Police have launched a manhunt for the assailants. Car records The Finance Ministry has ordered the General Secretariat for Information Systems to prepare an electronic database of car owners in a bid to catch drivers dodging registration fees. The file will also be used by authorities to monitor taxes being paid by car and motorcycle owners.

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.