In Brief
TURKISH INGRESSIONS
Air space violated repeatedly in Aegean shortly after minister expresses concern Eighteen Turkish jets yesterday violated Greece’s air space ten times in the eastern Aegean, and, in ten cases, engaged in simulated dogfights with Greek interceptors, just hours after Defense Minister Yiannos Papantoniou expressed concern at a rise in transgressions. Papantoniou, in Chios to attend the annual Parmenion exercises, had earlier said air space violations were part of a «broader problem… linked to (Turkey’s) relatively aggressive stance.» «I would like to believe that [a spate of violations this week] signify nothing worse,» Papantoniou added. MORE TRAFFIC HAZARDS Central Athens streets to close today and tomorrow Several roads in central Athens on the route between Exarchia and Kolonaki squares – including Andrea Metaxa, sections of Zoodochou Pigis, Navarinou and Skoufa streets – will be open only to pedestrians between 9 a.m. and 4 p.m. today as the government rounds off a weeklong initiative to get city-dwellers out of their cars. On Sunday, the whole of Panepistimiou Avenue will be shut off all day, as will Amalias Avenue between Syntagma Square and Vassilisis Olgas to make room for concerts and sporting displays. CYPRIOT CHURCH Clerics call for return of ailing prelate Cypriot Archbishop Chrysostomos, in an Athens hospital since he suffered head and vertebrae injuries in a fall in May, should be flown back to Cyprus as soon as possible, Cypriot clerics decided yesterday after meeting Cyprus Health Minister Frixos Savvides in Nicosia. Doctors will be appointed to serve the ailing prelate, 75, on his return to the archbishopric, Savvides said, suggesting that Chrysostomos will resume his duties. But Athens’s Ygeia Hospital has not yet given a date for the prelate’s discharge. Clerides visit Cypriot President Glafcos Clerides will visit Prime Minister Costas Simitis next month to review talks on the island’s reunification and its progress toward joining the European Union, Cypriot government spokesman Michalis Papapetrou said yesterday. No date has been set but the visit will definitely come after a meeting in New York on October 3 between Clerides, Turkish-Cypriot leader Rauf Denktash and UN Secretary-General Kofi Annan, Papapetrou said. Clean beaches Dozens of schoolchildren will today clean garbage from a beach in Palaio Faliron under the watchful eye of Port Authority officials who have cooperated with environmentalists and municipalities across Attica to organize the project on Worldwide Voluntary Beach Cleaning Day. Most beach trash (53 percent) consists of plastic products while 27 percent is comprised of cigarette butts, according to statistics from the Hellenic Marine Environment Protection Organization. New numbers The telephone numbers for several information lines offering lottery results, stock exchange updates and lists of duty pharmacies are to change from Monday, the Hellenic Telecommunications Organization said yesterday. The new numbers for Pro-po and Propo-Goal soccer pools results and National as well as Popular Lottery and racing pools are 1444 and 1445 respectively. For stock exchange results and a list of duty pharmacies and doctors, the numbers are 1424 and 1434 respectively. Roadworks Roadwork started yesterday on Amaroussiou-Halandriou Avenue in northern Athens and will continue, 24 hours a day, until September 30. The works affect the section of the avenue between Varnali and Sorou streets. Diversions will be signposted. Israeli children A group of 140 Israeli children are due to arrive in Athens on Sunday for a weeklong visit to Greece organized by the Central Association of Greek Municipalities and the Israeli Embassy. The children, aged between 15 and 17, are due to tour archeological sites in Athens and the Peloponnese, and visit some Greek islands. Gypsies evicted Thessaloniki police yesterday arrested nine Gypsies living in a camp on private land in the city’s Finikas district who attempted to stop bulldozers from demolishing their settlement. One man threatened to torch himself, while a mother set her baby atop the family shack to stop advancing bulldozers.
