In Brief
HOSPITAL REFUSED
Archbishop Christodoulos says he wants to be treated at home Archbishop Christodoulos has declined hospital tests, telling aides he wants to be treated at his home in Palaio Psychico, it was revealed yesterday. The head of the Church of Greece is suffering from liver cancer and continues to be in a critical but stable condition. Meanwhile, speculation about a possible successor to Christodoulos is intensifying. «I would say it shows a lack of respect but at the same time it is also human,» said Bishop Chrysostomos of Zakynthos. ROUGH JUSTICE Minister defends choice of judges, calls for apology from PASOK Justice Minister Sotiris Hatzigakis attempted to stop criticism from socialist PASOK about the judges that have been appointed to oversee politically sensitive cases since conservative New Democracy came to power in 2004. PASOK alleged that the government has handpicked some of the judges but Hatzigakis revealed information showing that the relevant judicial body had appointed the judges for key cases. The minister called on PASOK to apologize for its allegations. MP OFFICE ATTACK Officers arrest armed intruder Police arrested a 33-year-old man in Karditsa, central Greece, after he barged into the office of PASOK MP Dinos Rovlias armed with a knife, authorities said yesterday. The man slightly injured a female employee and caused minor damage to the office before police arrived on the scene. Authorities said the man is suffering from mental illness but provided no information regarding the motive for the attack. Infant crushed An infant was crushed to death in Patras while playing with an electronically controlled garage door along with his young cousin, police said yesterday. The 18-month-old child was playing with the garage door located next to his family home when the accident took place. The second child, aged 6, was also seriously injured and has been taken to hospital for treatment. Police have launched an investigation into the accident. Bank heist Two armed men held up a branch of Piraeus Bank in the center of Thessaloniki yesterday and made off with some 30,000 euros in cash, police said. The holdup took place at around midday and the men threatened customers and staff with guns before escaping by motorbike. There were no reports of injuries. Parent protest Parents gathered outside a high school in Larissa, central Greece, yesterday and blocked off traffic for about 30 minutes to protest a delay in the removal of asbestos from a school building. Authorities had promised parents the asbestos would be removed before classes resumed last week but work has yet to start on the project. A company that applied for the asbestos removal project has appealed the decision to award the contract to one of its competitors, resulting in the delay. Parents have sought intervention from the the Council of State, the country’s highest administrative court. Daniilidou wins Greek tennis player Eleni Daniilidou won the Hobart International in Australia yesterday after her opponent Vera Zvonoreva withdrew from the final because of an injury. The Russian twisted her ankle in the warmup. It was Daniilidou’s fifth WTA title win and her first since 2006. The tournament in Hobart is a warmup for the Australian Open, which starts on Monday. Drugs arrests Police arrested two women in Thessaloniki yesterday after they were found in possession of small quantities of heroin and about 39,000 euros, believed to be from drug trafficking. Police said they were searching for a third suspect, a 42-year-old man, who managed to escape from police at his home in the Dendropotamo area. The man is believed to be in charge of the operation, authorities added.
