In Brief
CHRISTODOULOS
Archbishop ‘upbeat,’ visitors say, well enough to resume treatment Archbishop Christodoulos received visitors on Monday and listened to seasonal carols with apparent good cheer and stoicism that attracted widespread praise. Visitors included Thessaloniki Prefect Panayiotis Psomiadis who sang carols before the archbishop with a visiting delegation of Black Sea Greeks. Psomiadis also gave Christodoulos a religious icon. Christodoulos, who was diagnosed with cancer earlier this year, pondered death – «This is the fate of all mortals» – and stressed the importance of accuracy in historical accounts. Later, the archbishop, whose condition is said to have improved over the past few days, was deemed fit enough to undergo chemotherapy. NEW YEAR LOTTERY Jackpot winner gets 5 million euros, four others each win 1.25 mln euros The holder of ticket number 21498 from the 81st series was the big winner of the New Year state lottery, picking up the top prize of 5 million euros. The holders of ticket numbers 21496, 21497, 21499 and 21500 from the same series also won 1.25 million euros each. Anyone who has ticket number 21498, regardless of series, wins 20,000 euros. Ticket number 47350 from the 93rd series wins 500,000 euros. The same number in any other series wins 5,000 euros. There were also handsome gains for the holders of ticket Nos 64900 in the 17th series and 93031 in the 29th series, as they both win 300,000 euros. Numbers 73514 (3rd series), 00377 (9th series), 27692 (12th series), 84309 (70th series) and 17920 (53 series) each win 200,000 euros. ROBBERS FOILED Truck driver thwarts armed raid The quick thinking of a security truck driver thwarted an armed robbery on the streets of Neos Cosmos, near central Athens, on Monday, police said. The vehicle was cut off by three cars in an underpass but the driver immediately put the truck into reverse and slammed into the car behind him, he then drove forward and pushed the car blocking his path out of the way before driving off. The would-be robbers abandoned the three cars, all of which had been stolen, and fled the scene on foot. Imia dispute Athens has complained to Ankara about reports in the Turkish press claiming that Greek fishermen are violating territorial waters near the southeastern Aegean Imia islets over which the two countries almost went to war in 1996. Foreign Ministry spokesman Giorgos Koumoutsakos said on Monday that the Greek ambassador in Ankara has lodged an official complaint with the Turkish government about the reports. «This sort of action and the effort to create false impressions cannot change the inalienable territorial rights of our country, which are based on international treaties and international law,» said Koumoutsakos. Young offenders Four youths believed to have used force to seize the earnings of a group of children singing seasonal carols were arrested in Aspropyrgos, western Attica, on Monday, police said. Officers were investigating the possibility of the youths’ involvement in an organized gang of robbers targeting children. It was unclear whether the children in Monday’s mugging incident were injured. Cafe burnt A fire that broke out at a cafe in the old port of Hania, Crete, on Monday, New Year’s Eve, destroyed the building but caused no injuries, the local fire service said. The blaze, which caused some 130,00 euros’ worth of damage, is believed to have started shortly before 11 p.m., when it was reported by neighbors. Firemen took more than two hours to extinguish the blaze, which was fueled by the roof of the newly renovated building. The cause of the blaze was unclear. Skeleton found A human skeleton discovered by a group of hunters near a village in Preveza, northwestern Greece, is believed to be that of a hunter who disappeared in January last year. The hunter, who was not identified, had been reported missing on January 18 but a long police investigation had failed to uncover any evidence, officers said. Local police are now investigating the cause of the hunter’s death.
