In Brief
Money laundering – Greek officials look into list of about 500 suspect The Bank of Greece yesterday presented commercial banks and the Athens Stock Exchange with a list of some 500 names of people and companies who, according to Interpol and the US Federal Bureau of Investigation, are tied to terrorist organizations. A special committee, comprising officials of the National Economy Ministry, the Bank of Greece and the Capital Market Commission, is already operating and will supervise the investigations for the discovery of any bank accounts or stock transactions that might be connected to terrorism. Poll Opposition ND party leads, but so does Simitis as PM A national opinion poll made public yesterday indicated that the opposition New Democracy party is still enjoying a firm lead over ruling PASOK in terms of who voters would vote for if elections were held today, with ND getting 36.9 percent to PASOK’s 30.2 percent. They were followed by the Communist Party with 5.4 percent, the Movement of Free Citizens with 5.1 percent, the Left Coalition with 3.3 percent and the Democratic Social Movement (DIKKI) with 1.7 percent. The 2,000 people polled from September 13-17 chose Simitis as more suited to be prime minister than ND leader Costas Karamanlis by 33.1 percent to 29.9 percent. SOCCER death Youth falls at Olympic Stadium A young spectator at the Olympiakos-Larissa soccer game at Athens’s Olympic Stadium died in the General State Hospital last night after falling out of the stadium from the upper stands. The young man, who was not carrying identification papers, fell during the first half. Police were investigating the causes of his fall. Airport sued. A man for whom Athens Airport officials allegedly refused to make a public announcement after he lost his wallet has sued the airport operators for 10 million drachmas, Eleftheros Typos daily reported yesterday. Larissa lawyer Christos Papayiannis told the paper he lost his wallet in the main airport building on his way to catch a flight to the Middle East. When another passenger told him someone had found a wallet, he asked airport officials to make a public announcement, but was refused. Papayiannis eventually got the wallet back from a Cretan fellow passenger, who said he had taken it to airport officials who told him to give it to the police. Children’s hospital. Health Minister Alekos Papadopoulos yesterday announced a major overhaul of Athens’s two children’s hospitals, Aghia Sofia and Aglaia Kyriakou. The hospitals, which are adjacent, will be united in order to save on resources and to find new sources for operational costs and improve services. Funds to cover the 3 billion drachma total cost have been found, said Papadopoulos. Papadopoulos said that a donation would come from the Elpida Foundation for young cancer patients, which comprises the new oncological unit. Trade in women. Doctors of the World Greece are holding a symposium onWomen and Social Exclusion, focusing on the violation of women’s human rights, particularly through forced prostitution. The symposium will be held in Thessaloniki on October 6 and 7, and its findings will be part of preparations for an international forum on the issue in Spain early next year. White slave trading has been on the increase in Greece, as well as in other European countries, with most victims coming from eastern Europe. Public Order Minister Michalis Chrysochoidis will be among the officials attending the conference. Catarrhal fever. Cases of catarrhal fever have been found among livestock in Grevena and Kastoria, northern Greece. The viral disease is transmitted by insect bites. Agriculture Minister Giorgos Anomeritis has ordered all affected animals destroyed and their owners compensated. The disease cannot be transmitted to humans. Protecting nature.The government is to present its strategy for the protection of nature in Greece, at a conference today organized by the Environment Ministry. Undersecretary Ilias Efthymiopoulos is to chair a discussion of the declaration of protected areas, the activation of the Natura 2000 network, the link between protecting nature and sustainable development, and funding programs within the 3rd Community Support Framework.
