In Brief
‘Tireless’ Papandreou
PASOK leader makes jibe at PM as party leads in Euro polls PASOK leader George Papandreou said yesterday that the country deserves a «tireless leadership,» as three opinion polls gave his party a sizable lead over the government. Making reference to a comment attributed to Prime Minister Costas Karamanlis in which he said he was tired, Papandreou told a PASOK conference on education that his party could deal with Greece’s problems. An opinion poll by Alco for the Proto Thema newspaper indicated that support for PASOK ahead of European Parliamentary elections in June is running at 33.4 percent compared to 28.4 for New Democracy. An MRB poll put PASOK’s lead at 3.6 percent and Metron Analysis suggested it is just 2.9. HIGHS AND LOWS Mixed weekend for sports Vouliagmeni won the Champions Cup, Europe’s top club competition in women’s water polo, defeating Italy’s Catania 12-9 in the final yesterday. Men’s volleyball champion Iraklis lost 3-1 to Italy’s Trentino in the final of the Champions League last night, having defeated Russia’s Iskra by the same score in the semifinal on Saturday. In gymnastics, Vlassis Maras won the gold medal in the high bar at the European Championship in Milan yesterday. Syngrou murder A man was gunned down on Syngrou Avenue shortly after midnight on Saturday in an incident that police believe was provoked by an argument. Officers said that the victim, who was not identified, had a row with a group of other people, one of whom shot him. Soccer results Iraklis and Panionios confirmed their soccer Super League status for the next season, with the away draws they respectively completed at Thrasyvoulos (1-1) and Larissa (0-0) yesterday. Champion Olympiakos defeated Levadiakos 2-1 away; Panathinaikos and PAOK scored 2-0 wins over Xanthi and Asteras Tripolis to stay tied in second but opened a three-point gap over AEK, which drew 1-1 at Panthrakikos. OFI, which lost 4-1 at Aris, and Panserraikos, which drew 2-2 at Ergotelis, are within a whisker of relegation. Crete stabbing Police on Crete were yesterday searching for the murderer of a 47-year-old man who was found dead at his home near Iraklion. The victim, a divorced father of two, had been stabbed more than 10 times in the neck and chest by his attacker. His mother found the body. Officers could not say immediately what the motive for the incident may have been. Airport alert Emergency services at Athens International Airport were placed on alert yesterday afternoon when an Air France plane from Paris reported a problem with its hydraulics as it approached for landing. Eventually, the Airbus 320, which was carrying 169 passengers, landed without any problems. Alfonsin condolences A book of condolences will be open today at the premises of the Argentinean Embassy in Athens (59 Vas. Sophias, 3rd floor) between 10 a.m. and 2 p.m. following the death of former President Raul Ricardo Alfonsin who was Argentina’s first democratically elected leader after the fall of the military dictatorship in 1983.
