In Brief
Fighting terrorism
Olympic infrastructure has helped Greece, State Department report finds The «improved counterterrorism infrastructure» in place since the 2004 Olympics has helped Greece fight international terrorism more effectively, a US State Department report has found. The report expressed concern about «Greece being used as a transit route for terrorists traveling to Europe and the USA» but highlighted improved cooperation between Greek and US officials «to address the problem.» Cavo Sidero Foreign academics lead petition to stop huge tourism project on Crete Two academics, an American and a Briton, who are spearheading a petition opposing the construction of a massive tourism complex in northwestern Crete, had managed to collect nearly 6,000 signatures by yesterday. Oliver Rackham, of Cambridge University, and Jennifer Moody, of the University of Texas, are trying to drum up support for their cause ahead of next Friday when the Council of State is to hear the case of local residents and ecologists against the Cavo Sidero project. Protesters argue that the project is «unsustainable» as it will demand «huge quantities of water.» Stranded Train strike leaves dozens in Istanbul Dozens of train passengers who had been scheduled to return to Thessaloniki yesterday and the day before from Istanbul were stranded at the Turkish port as Greek train employees walked off the job, joining yesterday’s 24-hour general strike. The Hellenic Railways Organization (OSE) arranged for coaches to take some of the passengers back to Thessaloniki. Those who stayed overnight in Istanbul did so at their own expense as OSE is not obliged to provide compensation in the event of a general strike. PASOK targeted Unidentified assailants hurled stones at a police van stationed outside the opposition PASOK party’s headquarters on Harilaou Trikoupi Street in central Athens on Wednesday night. No one was injured in the attack, the fourth on police units in the area in just a few days. There were no reports of any arrests. Kidnap victim Police arrested a 27-year-old Albanian man in Mouzaki, near central Greece’s Karditsa, for allegedly kidnapping a teenage girl, authorities said on Wednesday. Officers said that after the victim’s sister notified them of the kidnapping, they launched an investigation and found the teenage girl in the area of Mouzaki, along with the suspect. Police also arrested the sister, who reported the incident, and another Albanian couple that had entered the country illegally. Crvenkovski appeal The president of the Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia (FYROM), Branko Crvenkovski, has called for calm after a Macedonian Air Transport plane was allegedly refused permission to fly over Greece and residents of the neighboring country were said to have had problems crossing into Greece at the Evzonoi border post. «It is toward mutual benefit, at least in the economic sector, that we make efforts to calm the situation and that tempers remain in check so that the economic life and the relations between the two countries can continue to operate,» he told journalist in Ohrid, when questioned about the claims. Missing farmer A 51-year-old farmer who had been missing on Crete since last Friday was found dead in a ravine near the village of Sassalo yesterday. Police said that it appears the man, who was not named, lost control of his scooter and drove off the road. Officers said that his disappearance was not reported until Wednesday morning, which hampered the search operation. Authorities had called in a helicopter to help with their efforts. Serbs extradited Greece handed over to Croatia on Wednesday two ethnic Serbs sought for their alleged role in war crimes against civilians during the 1991-1995 war, the Croat Foreign Ministry said. Greek authorities approved the extradition of Ernest Radjen and Dusan Maslovara so they could face justice in Croatia, a ministry statement said. Croatia demanded the extradition of both men in 2006, it added. Radjen is to face trial before a court in the central Adriatic town of Zadar, which is charging him with war crimes against civilians, the ministry said. (AFP)
