In Brief
OIL PIPELINE
Burgas-Alexandroupolis deal delayed until next week for Putin arrival Russian President Vladimir Putin and his Bulgarian counterpart Georgi Parvanov are expected in Athens on March 14 or 15 to sign the Burgas-Alexandroupolis oil pipeline deal, sources told Kathimerini. Greece, Bulgaria and Russia were due to sign the deal today but it was postponed because of Putin’s busy schedule, sources said. ANTIQUITY STASH Elderly woman and son arrested An 85-year-old woman and her 50-year-old son were arrested in Athens yesterday on suspicion of breaking antiquity laws, police said yesterday. The two suspects were not named but officers said they had seized 44 ancient artifacts from the apartment the mother and son shared. A prosecutor ordered the pair to be released from custody pending a further investigation. Officers said the woman, the widow of a high-ranking judge, owned a plot of land in Stylida, central Greece, where the artifacts were allegedly dug up illegally. Military service Government spokesman Theodoros Roussopoulos admitted yesterday that the possibility of conscripts being forced to carry out their military service when they are aged 18 is one «many proposals» being discussed by the government and the armed forces. «There is a big discussion about the development of the armed forces… many proposal are being put forward but no decisions have been made,» Roussopoulos told journalists. ATM scam Police said yesterday that they had arrested two men outside a bank in Maroussi, northern Athens, who had allegedly set up equipment to record customers’ card details at an ATM. The two Romanian nationals allegedly set up a tiny camera and fitted a card-copying system onto the ATM. They used this to withdraw some 29,000 euros from customers’ accounts, police said. Pedal power The Athens Metro Company (AMEL) said yesterday that it will decide by March 21 whether to change its rules so that bicycles can be allowed onto metro trains. Cyclists gathered outside the firm’s offices in Athens yesterday demanding a response to their request to allow bicycles onto trains. Bikes can be taken onto the tram, electric railway and suburban railway at certain hours. Serial robber A 30-year-old man has been charged with carrying out 33 robberies in Elefsina, west of Athens, police said yesterday. The suspect was caught on Saturday after allegedly breaking into a number of stores over the last five months. He allegedly stole some 11,000 euros and caused 32,000 euros’ worth of damage.
