In Brief
FATAL ROBBERIES
Suspect sought for two brutal murders in Thebes area Police in Thebes, north of Athens, were yesterday seeking a 23-year-old Pakistani national believed to be behind the brutal murders of an 80-year-old resident of the nearby village of Platanaki and her 52-year-old Georgian housekeeper on Monday. The 80-year-old, who had been strangled with a piece of rope, was found near her bed. The body of the housekeeper, who had been stabbed several times in the face and body, was discovered in the basement. Officers believe that theft was the motive for the killings as some 2,000 euros were missing from the house, according to relatives. The man who police believe to be a suspect used to live in the village. REGIONAL COLLEGES Deputy minister rebuffed The future of Deputy Education Minister Yiannis Panaretos appeared to be in some doubt yesterday after he was rebuffed by government spokesman Giorgos Petalotis over comments he posted on his personal website, where he suggested that some university or technical college (TEI) departments should be shut down and replaced by regional colleges. «The ministry’s policy is decided by the minister and the prime minister, whose views nobody else can invoke,» said Petalotis. Panaretos is a professor at the Athens University of Economics and Business and has previously served as a general secretary at the Education Ministry. Construction lesson The City of Athens has launched an investigation, it was revealed yesterday, after plaster fell from the ceiling of a nursery school in the western neighborhood of Sepolia and injured three children. The youngsters were not badly hurt and the municipality says that checks are carried out at nursery schools when problems are reported. Trikala landslides Local authorities in Trikala, central Greece, have appealed for central government help following a series of landslides in the wider area. The landslides have not yet caused any injuries or major damage but local residents reportedly expressed their concern. According to Trikala Mayor Costas Koufogazos, heavy rainfall has caused landslides in the area for decades as no long-term measures have been taken. «Unfortunately the problems are now acute because no concerted action has been taken to date.» Deadly brawl A Nafplio prosecutor yesterday brought murder charges against a Greek man from the nearby town of Argos alleged to have punched an immigrant to death following an argument. According to a coroner, the unidentified migrant died after his ribs were broken and pierced his lungs. The alleged perpetrator is reportedly already facing trial for another offense.
