In Brief
EURO 2012 DRAW
Greece to face Croatia plus old foes Israel and Latvia Greece was yesterday drawn to face Israel and Latvia, two of the sides it played in the recent 2010 World Cup qualifiers, during the upcoming campaign for the Euro 2012 championships to be held in Poland and Ukraine. Seeded in the second group of teams, the national side was also drawn against top-seeded Croatia. Georgia and Malta took up the remaining spots in Group F. The Euro 2012 qualifying matches begin in September. HAITI AID Greek assistance on its way Greek humanitarian aid destined for the quake-stricken Caribbean island of Haiti was dispatched yesterday. Some 50 tons of medical supplies, food and tents are being sent by Greece along with a team of 70 people including foreign ministry employees and members of nongovernmental organizations. People interested in making donations for the victims of last month’s deadly quake in Haiti can still do so until February 15 at the following banks: National Bank, Alpha Bank, ATEbank, Piraeus Bank, Emporiki Bank, Eurobank, Attica Bank, Bank of Cyprus, Geniki Bank, Citibank, Millennium Bank, Aspis Bank, HSBC, Marfin Egnatia Bank and Probank. They can also call 901.11.17.17.17. Calls cost 3.56 euros. Kallikratis OK The Union of Prefectural Authorities of Greece (ENAE) on Saturday gave a cautious thumbs up to the government’s plan to redraw administrative boundaries and reshape the way that local government works. The main element of the plan, known as Kallikratis, is the intention to do away with the country’s present 76 prefectures and replace them with 13 regions. Similarly, 1,034 municipalities will be whittled down to less than 370. The majority of ENAE members approved the plan but the union stipulated that the government needs to clarify some points, such as the precise role of central government. It also asked for some guarantees, including confirmation that the necessary funds will be in place for local authorities to operate under the new scheme next year. PAO wins Panathinaikos remained six points clear of Olympiakos in the Super League after beating Larissa 3-0 away yesterday. The Greens are on 52 points after 21 games. Olympiakos kept up the pressure with a 5-1 home thrashing of Levadiakos in a match played behind closed doors. Supermarket raids Two armed robberies that took place at Thessaloniki supermarkets on Saturday night netted the thieves a total of 3,700 euros, police said. The first robbery took place in the Ano Poli neighborhood. Two armed men wearing motorcycle helmets forced staff to hand over 2,700 euros in cash. The second theft took place in Neapoli, where two robbers with their faces covered stole 1,000 euros. In both cases, the robbers made off on a motorcycle, the license plate of which was covered. Evia quake An earthquake measuring 4.3 on the Richter scale struck the Psachna area of Evia shortly after noon yesterday. There were no reports of injuries or damage.
