In Brief
CAFE EXECUTION
Gunman shoots dead coffee shop owner in settling of accounts An unidentified gunman yesterday morning walked into a cafe in Kallipoli, Piraeus, and shot the owner dead in an attack police attributed to a settling of accounts between local mobsters. The assailant fired four times after entering the cafe, shortly after 11 a.m., hitting the 37-year-old victim in the head and heart. The gunman also shot and injured a 42-year-old friend of the victim whose mother was present when the attack occurred. The assailant fled on foot during the panic that ensued. The cafe owner had been arrested in the past in connection to extortion allegations. MURDER CASE Human hair found at scene of crime on Crete leads to suspect A 35-year-old man was arrested in the village of Voria, near Iraklion in Crete, yesterday, accused of murdering his neighbor in April, police said yesterday. The suspect confessed to police that he killed the man, aged 43, after being questioned about the murder. No information was given regarding a possible motive for the murder. Police said they tracked the suspect after completing a DNA test on a human hair found on a mask located near the victim’s body. ANTI-TERRORISM BRANCH New offices for Thessaloniki Police said yesterday they will set up a new branch of the anti-terrorism squad in Thessaloniki. The new police division will be set up during the summer but authorities did not give an exact date. In a visit to the northern port city yesterday, Police Chief Anastassios Dimoschakis also called on senior officers to complete any investigations being made into claims of corruption or police abuse. Dimoschakis said that such incidents are isolated cases but cause problems in the operation of the force. Election talk In the government’s latest attempt to dispel talk of early national elections being held in Greece, Minister of the Environment Giorgos Souflias said the country will be called to the polls when that is decided by Prime Minister Costas Karamanlis. The prime minister has repeatedly said the government will exhaust its four-year term, which ends in March next year. «Talk of elections is overdone. There are a number of things (projects) going on. Talk of elections does not benefit anyone, especially the country,» the environment minister said. Internet addiction Four youths under the age of 18 are being monitored for symptoms indicating addiction to the Internet, while 18.2 percent of 15-year-olds in the broader Attica region show problems related to excessive use of the World Wide Web, experts said yesterday. According to data presented by the University of Athens, Greek youths are starting to display problems related to Internet addiction. Among the trouble signs of addiction is a feeling of euphoria while on the Net, an inability to switch off the computer and ignoring family and friends in order to have more time to surf the Net, experts added. University exams Foreigners interested in sitting entrance exams for a Greek tertiary institution can submit the necessary paperwork to the Education Ministry from Monday through to July 10. Interested candidates can contact the ministry for further information. Vatican visit Foreign Affairs Minister Dora Bakoyannis is scheduled to visit the Vatican on Wednesday and meet with Pope Benedict XVI. Talks between the two leaders will focus on developments in the EU and regional issues, according to ministry officials. Dice games Police arrested nine people taking part in an illegal dice gambling ring in Veria, northern Greece, involving amounts of up to 50,000 euros, authorities said yesterday. No further information was available.
