In Brief
Themos rapped
Publisher gets suspended jail term over Zachopoulos photos Themos Anastassiadis, the publisher of the Proto Thema weekly newspaper, was yesterday handed a suspended 19-month prison term after being found guilty of publishing photographs in January 2008 that appear to show former Culture Ministry general secretary Christos Zachopoulos in a compromising position with his then assistant Evi Tsekou. Anastassiadis was also fined 8,500 euros. The same sentence and fine also apply to Anastassiadis’s editorial team, with the exception of his former partner, TV presenter Makis Triantafyllopoulos. Child porn Suspects remanded in custody A 44-year-old Orthodox priest allegedly linked to a ring trading in hardcore child porn was remanded in custody yesterday after defending himself before an investigating magistrate. A 52-year-old Athens metro worker and a 30-year-old electrical engineer were also remanded. A total of 11 people have been charged in connection with the ring and police are seeking dozens more. Flight upheaval Most domestic and international flights went ahead as normal yesterday after air-traffic controllers called off a planned 24-hour strike. Civil aviation officials said only 30 scheduled flights were grounded, as they had already been canceled in response to news of the strike. After a court late Tuesday declared the strike illegal, employees said they would hold work stoppages, but eventually these too were called off. Trolley strike The capital’s trolley bus service will be suspended today between noon and 4 p.m. as staff stage a walkout. Protesters are demanding the signing of a collective labor contract. Supermarket raid About 40 hooded youths rushed into a supermarket in Iraklion, Crete, yesterday and grabbed food, detergents and other basic items which they then began to hand out to passers-by in the vicinity of the retail outlet. The youths also scattered leaflets, complaining about the high cost of living. Lucky escape Five young people had a lucky escape early yesterday when their car plunged into the icy waters of Hania harbor on Crete. According to the driver, the accident happened when he attempted to avoid another vehicle. The two men and three women managed to escape from the car’s rear windows. Writer defended Cyprus Archbishop Chrysostomos has said he will intervene in the case of an Australian writer of Cypriot origin jailed in Thailand earlier this month on charges of insulting the country’s monarchy, reports on the island said yesterday. According to the Cyprus Mail, Chrysostomos said he will appeal to the Australian government on behalf of 41-year-old Harry Nicolaides, whose fictional work published in 2005 was deemed by a Thai court to offend the country’s king. Christodoulos memorial A memorial service was held at Athens’s First Cemetery yesterday to mark one year since the death of former Archbishop Christodoulos. The service was conducted by Christodoulos’s successor Ieronymos.
