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Tourism, an ailing industry - 9 May, 2008
We think of tourism
as Greece’s heavy industry. If this is true, then museums
and archaeological sites are its factories. These, however, constantly
operate below capacity.
Sometimes it is the staff that is on
strike and padlocks the gates of the sites. Sometimes it is the
Culture Ministry’s fault for failing to pay the guides
what they’re due. The state does not hire enough hands
to run these attractions and the end result is that while museums
are expected to close at 7 p.m., you find their doors shut at
3 p.m.
Greece’s “heavy industry” is drowning
under the state’s poor management. Greece has a lot riding
on the success of tourism. It is the country’s biggest
source of income. And in these times especially, as clouds gather
over the global economy, our country needs, now more than ever,
the last euro cent brought by those who visit from all over the
world to admire the achievements of ancient Greece.
We need better
organization and some serious investment. At least to the extent
that museums close at the time stated.
The weather
Clear skies are forecast for most parts, with
patchy afternoon cloud over the mainland, sporadic rainstorms
in eastern Macedonia, Thrace and possibly on the mountains of
the mainland. Winds will be northwesterly at 3 to 4 Beaufort
in most parts and 5 to 6 Beaufort in the southeast. Temperatures
will range from 6C (43F) to 21C (70F) in the north and from 8C
(46F) to 24C (75F) elsewhere.
OUTLOOK: Afternoon showers tomorrow
on the mainland and Crete, and perhaps also in central and northern
Greece. Winds will be northerly at 3 to 4 Beaufort in the north
and east and east-southeasterly at 4 to 6 Beaufort elsewhere.
Occasional showers Sunday on the mainland, Cyclades and Crete,
with rainstorms in the north.
From: Kathimerini
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Nuclear energy option derided - 8 May, 2008
A bid by Public
Works and Environment Minister Giorgos Souflias to open a discussion
on whether Greece should consider adopting nuclear power seems
to have stalled before it had a chance to get going. His idea
was rejected flat out by government politicians, the leader of
the main opposition party and the head of the Technical Chamber
of Greece.
Perhaps the most damaging reactions to Souflias’s
effort “to open the public dialogue on a crucial matter” came
from within his own party. First was the response of New Democracy
MP Kyriakos Mitsotakis, who also presides over Parliament’s
environmental protection committee. Souflias had suggested in
a speech earlier this week that the European Union now regards
nuclear energy as “green energy since it does not produce
carbon dioxide or other pollutants.” But Mitsotakis poured
cold water on these claims, telling reporters, “Nuclear
energy is not green.” [...]
Flight disruptions
Ongoing go-slow protest action
by Olympic Airlines pilots is expected to lead to the cancellation
of some domestic flights today. Passengers planning to travel
with OA are advised to contact the airline on telephone 210.966.6666.
The pilots’ action yesterday resulted in the cancellation
or delay of several flights.
From: Kathimerini
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Nuclear power considered - 7 May, 2008
Greece should begin
thinking about whether to build reactors, ministry says
The option
of Greece turning to nuclear power to solve its energy and environmental
problems was firmly put on the table by the Public Works and
Environment Ministry yesterday. Greece does not have any nuclear
power plants but, in a statement released yesterday, the ministry
indicated that a debate should begin on whether this form of
energy could be adopted.
The ministry was reacting to comment
by European Environment Commissioner Stavros Dimas, who said
that “nuclear energy does not belong to the group of renewable
energy sources.” [...]
One in 4 go to private doctors
One in four citizens
resort to private healthcare as the state health service is overburdened
and understaffed, according to a 10-year study by Athens University
whose results were made public yesterday.
Some 25.6 percent of
Greeks seek out the services of a private doctors, according
to the research, carried out between 1996 and 2006. Even in the
traditionally poorer agricultural regions, only 20 percent of
residents chose state care.
One of the main problems, according
to the study, is that hospitals in Attica and the northern region
of Macedonia are overburdened, serving the residents of both
areas as well as a large influx of patients from elsewhere. The
paradox is that many hospitals in other parts of the country
have dozens of beds lying empty.
The report also highlights chronic
shortages in hospital staff.
From: Kathimerini
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Fires will get worse, experts say - 6 May, 2008
Firefighting
experts yesterday told an Athens seminar that Greece must take
the necessary measures to fight increasingly fierce blazes as
temperatures rise and land dries out.
Interior Minister Prokopis
Pavlopoulos told delegates that hundreds of illegal landfills
across the country are often the site of blazes, either accidental
or intentional.
Pavlopoulos’s comments came hours after
firefighters managed to control a large fire at Attica’s
main landfill, northwest of the capital. It is unclear whether
the blaze, believed to have started from four smaller fires,
was caused by arsonists or by a methane explosion triggered by
the rotting garbage. There were no reports of injuries in the
Ano Liosia blaze.
Pavlopoulos said the government had earmarked
35 million euros for the firefighting coffers of local authorities.
Greek fires are expected to “increase
in size and intensity” over
the coming years,” according to the country’s fire
chief Athanassios Kontokostas.
From: Kathimerini
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Zoning bill called into question - 5 May, 2008
A number of
politicians, businessmen and environmentalists have expressed
their concerns about the government’s land zoning plan,
which is set to be the subject of parliamentary debate in the
next few weeks.
Chief among the skeptics is New Democracy MP
and head of Parliament’s environmental protection committee
Kyriakos Mitsotakis. Writing in Sunday’s Kathimerini, the
deputy expressed concern that the draft law does not encourage “green
development” and does not adequately tackle unlicensed
construction.
“The National Land Zoning Plan has room for
improvement so that it can truly play its role and not just be
a line of defense against the Council of State, which often overturns
decisions to stop construction that does not conform to a wider
zoning plan,” wrote Mitsotakis.
The head of policy at environmental
group WWF Hellas, Theodota Nantsou, said the bill “is light
years away from what a national zoning plan should be.” [...]
From: Kathimerini
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Samaria Gorge - 3 May, 2008
The Samaria Gorge on Crete opened
yesterday to visitors for the first time this year after preparation
work was completed. Extra staff will be hired over the next few
weeks as thousands of tourists are expected to trek through the
gorge during the summer.
More patrols to curb migrants
Merchant Marine
Minister Giorgos Voulgarakis yesterday asked the country’s
coast guard chief to boost patrols of Greek shores in the Aegean
after more than 100 illegal immigrants were intercepted in just
a few days.
Voulgarakis issued the order after coast guard
officials on Lesvos, Leros and Farmakonisi detained 115 would-be
migrants over the Orthodox Easter weekend. All the migrants claimed
to have reached Greek territory by boat from neighboring Turkey.
Another 22 immigrants were stopped on Lesvos
and Kos yesterday and 15 more on Farmakonisi, together with their
suspected smuggler, a Turkish national.
According to ministry
statistics made public yesterday, a total of 20,134 immigrants
and 690 people smugglers have entered the country illegally since
2004.
From: Kathimerini
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Cavo Sidero - 2 May, 2008
Foreign academics lead petition
to stop huge tourism project on Crete
Two academics, an American
and a Briton, who are spearheading a petition opposing the construction
of a massive tourism complex in northwestern Crete, had managed
to collect nearly 6,000 signatures by yesterday. Oliver Rackham,
of Cambridge University, and Jennifer Moody, of the University
of Texas, are trying to drum up support for their cause ahead
of next Friday when the Council of State is to hear the case
of local residents and ecologists against the Cavo Sidero project.
Protesters argue that the project is “unsustainable” as
it will demand “huge quantities of water.”
Missing farmer
A 51-year-old farmer who had
been missing on Crete since last Friday was found dead in a ravine
near the village of Sassalo yesterday. Police said that it appears
the man, who was not named, lost control of his scooter and drove
off the road. Officers said that his disappearance was not reported
until Wednesday morning, which hampered the search operation.
Authorities had called in a helicopter to help with their efforts.
From: Kathimerini
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Sunshine Forecast on May Day - 1 May, 2008
Bright sunshine
and high temperatures will make up the weather in several regions
throughout Greece on May Day. Weather conditions in Attica will
be rather mild, with temperatures ranging from 13C to 26C and
winds at speeds of 3 to 4 Beaufort. In Thessaloniki the weather
is forecast a little cloudy. Winds will be southerly at 3 to
4 Beaufort and temperatures will range from 11C to 20C.
From: ERT
News
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Police say no problems on roads - 30 April,
2008
Police said
there were no major problems for vacationers returning from the
Easter break yesterday. An estimated 1 million vehicles left
from Athens for the long weekend but are returning only gradually
as many vacationers appear to be extending their break due to
the May Day public holiday tomorrow. Some drivers, however, complained
of queues backing up for tens of kilometers in Mesolongi, central
Greece, as they waited to cross the Rio-Antirio bridge. Despite
the smooth traffic flow on the national highways, 21 people were
killed on the country’s roads over the long weekend, in
an estimated 170 car accidents.
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May Day...
A tree
is seen in a field covered with flowers, in Oinoi,
near the town of Pyrgos in the Peloponnese. It is traditional
for Greeks to collect various kinds of flowers and
weave them into wreaths on May Day. The wreath is known
as ‘Mais’ or
May. |
From: Kathimerini
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FIREWORK INJURY - 29 April, 2008
Cretan man loses a hand in explosion
during celebrations on the island
A 25-year-old man from Crete was being treated at the KAT hospital in Athens yesterday after
having one of his hands blown off by a firework early on Sunday.
The man, who was not named, was taking part in Easter celebrations
on Crete when the accident occurred. Precise details of how he
was injured were not made public. This year, authorities have
tried to clamp down on the sale of fireworks, whose sale is not
permitted during Easter. The 25-year-old’s accident was
the only injury reported up to last night.
From: Kathimerini
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Last Minute Shopping - 26 April, 2008
Consumers are doing
the last shopping for Easter dinner today while among them there
are some who on purpose have left shopping for the last minute
in the hope that butchers will have dropped prices to move their
products. Shops will close at 15:00, butchers’ at 16:00
and super markets at 18:00. In the Barbakios market the price
of domestic lamb ranges from 6 to 10.5 euros and imported lamb
from 5.5 to 7 euros per kilogram. However, the price of lamb
is 2 to 3 euros higher in neighborhood butcher shops. Particularly
high are the prices of vegetables and fruits, tsourekia and eggs.
From: ERT
News
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Taxi and bus fares to increase next month -
25 April, 2008
The
cost of traveling by bus and taxi will rise by 5 percent next
month, it was agreed yesterday, but cabbies vowed to press for
further hikes in the near future.
Transport Minister Costis Hatzidakis
issued a statement saying that the price rises, which also affect
the charges for deliveries made by tanker trucks, were agreed
upon as a result of the spiraling cost of fuel.
“The rise
in fuel prices is creating an extra burden for all professionals
in the transport sector,” said Hatzidakis. The measure
means that the cost of KTEL intercity buses and taxis will increase
as of May 19.
Representatives of taxi driver unions said afterward
that they were not particularly satisfied by the amount of the
increase but would accept it for now. Cabbies had been pushing
for an inflation-busting rise of more than 10 percent.
From: Kathimerini
Exodus Culminating
Although the weather is expected
to deteriorate, the city dwellers’ exodus from urban centres
will culminate today. The Traffic Police is on the alert while
long vehicles have been banned from using the national roads
during certain hours of the day. Ports, airports and bus terminals
are packed with people with 100% complement of passengers for
ships. Meanwhile, tickets for ships have gone up by 10%, while
those using their cars will have to spend more this year because
of the high prices of petrol and toll gates.
From: ERT
News
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Cold fails to stem Easter rush - 24 April, 2008
The prospect
of one of the coldest Easters in 30 years and rising prices do
not seem to have had any negative impact on the traditional exodus
of Athenians ditching the city in favor of spending the next
few days in the countryside.
According to figures released yesterday,
some 118,000 passengers set sail from Piraeus between last Friday
and Tuesday. This was a rise of some 7,000 over the same period
last year. An extra 5,000 passengers left through the port of
Rafina this year as compared to 2007. The Hellenic Railways Organization
(OSE) has upped the number of carriages on its services by 20
percent and almost 1,000 KTEL intercity buses are expected to
depart from Athens today and tomorrow.
A number of Athenians
have picked foreign destinations for their Easter vacation and
about 3,000 flights are due to land or take off from Athens International
Airport over the next week. However, the largest percentage of
Athenians is expected to leave the city by car. Although there
was a gradual build up of traffic yesterday, a sharper increase
is expected today and tomorrow. As part of the special traffic
measures for Easter, from today trucks will not be allowed onto
national roads between 3 p.m. and 10 p.m.
Warnings from meteorologists
that an uncharacteristic cold snap is expected to spread across
the country from today do not appear to have dampened the desire
of Athenians to spend their Easter outside the capital. Rain
is forecast for many parts of the country today and tomorrow,
with the mountainous regions of central and northern Greece even
expected to witness snowfall. The temperature is expected to
range between 17 Celsius (62 Fahrenheit) and 22C (71F) on these
days.
These temperatures will make this Easter one
of the coldest that has been recorded over the last three decades.
Easter Sunday, when Greek families usually roast a lamb on a
spit, is expected to be cloudy in most of the country but the
Aegean Islands are likely to experience some rain.
From: Kathimerini
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Lamb sham - 23 April, 2008
The Piraeus Prefecture said yesterday that it
has seized almost 9 tons of lamb from Bulgaria and the Former
Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia that had illegally been stamped
as being from Greece. The increased trade in lamb ahead of Easter
often leads to traders importing meat from other countries and
selling it as Greek.
From: Kathimerini
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Greek Culture Minister Witnesses the Return of
Greek Pottery - 22 April, 2008
Greek Culture Minister, Michalis Liapis, was pesent
at the National Archaeological Museum in Greece to witness
the return of a funerary urn named "lekythos" made
from marble during the years 400-500 BC. The "lekythos" was
brought back to Greece from Basel, Switzerland where
it was part of of the collection of antiquarian J.D.
Cahn.
A lekythos (plural lekythoi) is a type of Greek
pottery used for storing oil, especially olive oil. It
has a narrow body and one handle attached to the neck
of the vessel. The lekythos was used for anointing dead
bodies of unmarried men and many lekythoi are found in
tombs. The images on lekythoi were often depictions of
daily activities or rituals. Because they are so often
used in funerary situations, they may also depict funerary
rites, a scene of loss, or a sense of departure. These
drawings are usually outline drawings that are quite
expressionless and somber in appearance. The decoration
of these ceramic vessels consists of a dull red and black
paint. These colors may have been derived from the Bronze
Age, but were not used until 530 B.C. in Athens. Many
artists of these vessels attempt to add more color to
the figures, but end up abandoning the idea as to leave
more of a contrast. These vessels were very popular circa
the 5th century B.C., however there are many that have
been found dating all the way back to 700 B.C.
Lekythoi
can be divided into five types:
- the standard or cylindrical
lekythos, which measures between 30 and 50 cm though
there are much larger lekythoi, up to 1 m, which may
have been used to replace funerary stele
- the Deianeria
lekythos which originates from Corinth, this form has
an oval profile and a round shoulder and is generally
of a small size (20cm), it was produced from the beginning
of the black figure period until the late 6th century
- the
secondary or shoulder lekythos, a variation on the
standard type produced from the mid 5th century on,
most are decorated with the white ground technique
and measure around 20cm
- the squat lekythos, usually
less than 20cm in height with a rounded belly and a
flat base
- the acorn lekythos, a rarer form, which
has an oval profile and a net of points at the base.
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From: ArtDaily.org
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Reds end top but wait for title - 21 April,
2008
Olympiakos
won its fourth straight Greek championship last night but could
still lose the title if a ruling by the highest court in sports
goes against the Piraeus club.
Olympiakos beat visiting Iraklis
3-1 in the season’s last round to finish with 70 points
from 30 games, while AEK ended second with 68 points after
defeating Asteras Tripolis 2-0. Panathinaikos beat Apollon
3-1, away, for third place.
But the Court of Arbitration for
Sport in Lausanne, Switzerland, could still affect the title.
Last-place Apollon Kalamarias has filed a complaint with CAS
to regain the four points it lost for fielding an ineligible
player when it beat Olympiakos 1-0 on February 3. If it is
successful, Olympiakos could lose the three league points it
was awarded in the decision by Greek sports authorities. [...]
Police to boost road patrols this week as
pre-Easter exodus begins
Police will increase supervision of
the country’s national road network this week due to
the upcoming Easter break. Measures include a larger number
of police patrolling national highways and redirecting traffic
flow on busy roads. Trucks will be banned from traveling on
the highways exiting large cities on Thursday afternoon and
Friday morning. A large number of holidaymakers are expected
to leave the major cities this coming weekend to take advantage
of the May Day holiday that follows the Easter break.
From: Kathimerini
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Dust cloud may cause breathing problems -
19 April, 2008
A
massive cloud of dust, expected to cover Athens in the coming
days, may result in an increase in heart and respiratory problems
of up to 10 percent, according to experts.
Meteorologists predict
the dust, brought from the Sahara Desert by a southerly wind,
is expected to reach the country around Monday.
Research shows
that the airborne particles, or fine sand, are considerably
larger that those normally found in city smog and can be more
dangerous.
“When strong southerly winds blow over areas
such as lakes in northern Algeria, they also take with them
bacteria,” said Giorgos Kalos, associate professor of
meteorology at the University of Athens. “This is then
carried in a shell formed by salt and other matter and these
organisms enter our geographical region,” he added.
From: Kathimerini
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Migrant leaflet - 18 April, 2008
A new multilingual leaflet
seeks to inform migrants living and working in Greece of their
rights and instruct them as to how to deal with bureaucratic
hurdles in their daily life, the Hellenic Migration Policy
Institute (IMEPO) said yesterday. The leaflet is available
in six languages: English, Albanian, Arabic, Chinese, Russian
and Greek.
OA - Air Berlin
Olympic Airlines yesterday
announced a partnership with German carrier Air Berlin, which
will enable Greek travelers to continue on to six other German
destinations from the capital (Bremen, Dresden, Cologne, Hamburg,
Hanover and Munster). Return fares begin at 180, but they exclude
airport taxes and fuel surcharges and are for a limited number
of seats.
From: Kathimerini
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Zoning plan submitted to Parliament - 17 April,
2008
Bill to
be voted on in May
Greece's first national zoning plan, which
aims to regulate land development over the next 15 years, was
submitted to Parliament yesterday.
Experts have criticized
the draft bill, saying that it does not deal with the problem
of uncontrolled urban sprawl or illegal construction activity
and also fails to provide for the country's islands.
The bill
says it «addresses the management of measures, after
thorough studies, such as the creation of bus lanes and setting
up of toll roads in areas or urban centers where traffic has
come to a standstill.» A number of municipal officials,
political representatives and transport experts have opposed
plans to set up toll areas, arguing that it will be an ineffective
measure just aimed at earning the government revenues.
A parliamentary
committee is expected to debate the draft bill over the next
two weeks, giving MPs an opportunity to modify the draft plan,
which will head for a final vote by lawmakers in May. The initial
proposal is the result of efforts by about 40 experts from
various fields, and was submitted to the Environment and Public
Works Ministry where it was subsequently divested of any «troublesome» amendments
or innovative approaches.
The designers of the plan had mentioned
the need to wean the islands off dependency on Athens and Thessaloniki
and to organize the Aegean archipelago as an autonomous unit
with four centers - Iraklion on Crete,
Ermoupolis on Syros, Rhodes and Mytilene. The zoning plan submitted
to Parliament yesterday, however, has failed to take this into
account, say experts.
«Points of growth for the mainland
have been clearly set out but for the islands they are non-existent,» said
one architect, Rania Kloutsiniotis, who was one of the experts
who initially drafted the plan. «They could have created
new sea and airport routes between the islands that do not
necessarily pass through Athens.»
Cup final
Olympiakos eliminated second-division
side Thrasyvoulos from the Greek Cup last night and will play
Aris, who saw off Atromitos, in the final next month, 17th
May.
From: Kathimerini
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Egg warning - 16 April, 2008
The Hellenic Food Authority (EFET)
yesterday warned consumers to be careful when purchasing
traditional dyed eggs for Orthodox Easter. The eggs should
bear a label indicating the final deadline by which they
can be consumed and explaining their date of production and
origin, EFET said. Retailers should not mark boiled, dyed
eggs as “fresh” as this term can be applied only
to eggs before they are boiled, EFET added.
From: Kathimerini
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Wind change blows away African dust - 15 April,
2008
The dust
clouds that have covered much of Greece over the last few
days began dispersing yesterday afternoon and should leave
a much cleaner and less muggy atmosphere behind them, weather
experts said yesterday.
The thick clouds of dust from North
Africa are a normal phenomenon for this time of year, brought
on by strong southerly winds caused by Saharan depressions.
A change in the wind, which turned northerly
yesterday afternoon, is expected to help blow the dust away,
according to the National Meteorological Service.
Experts
said that the dust is only a danger to people with breathing
problems. “It
does not affect us in any way,” said pneumology professor
Panayiotis Behrakis. “It is a natural, tried and tested
phenomenon. Normal city pollution or smoking a cigarette
is worse for us.”
From: Kathimerini
Hotels to Get EOT Signs by End of 2008 
The Tourist
Development minister has announced today that hotels must
get or renew EOT’s (Hellenic Tourism Organisation)
special sign by the end of 2008, otherwise they will face
the law.
This what Mr Aris Spiliotopoulos stated at
a Press Conference in view of the new tourist season that
begins in a few days.
In parallel, design competitions will
be proclaimed for the creation of four new tourist ports
in Malia, Crete, Mytilini, Argostoli and Zakynthos. In parallel,
he said that 105,000 social tourism coupons will be distributed
as of May until March 2009.
Finally, in reply to criticism
launched against him on fastidious political conception,
he reported that he is interested in being useful and not
popular. “Our
work is to travel abroad promoting Greece and not sit in
our offices,” he stated.
From: ERT
News
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Power shortage likely in summer - 14 April,
2008
Greece is likely
to experience energy shortages until 2010 due to power demand
exceeding supply, according to a report seen by Kathimerini.
The National Power Strategy Council, which
belongs to the Development Ministry, said in a report recently
that Greece will be reliant on lignite for the next few years
until power from natural gas and renewable energy sources
start to increase.
EU directives state that by 2020 Greece
is obliged to get 18 percent of its energy needs from renewable
sources such as solar and wind power.
The government examined
the council’s
report at a Cabinet meeting last week but no decisions were
made, a source said. Meanwhile, fears are also rising that
the country will experience power shortages this summer due
to the extensive use of energy-hungry air conditioners.
Concerns
over power supply have risen due to low levels of rainfall
last winter that have lowered the capacity of hydroelectric
plants. Earlier this month, Takis Athanassopoulos, PPC president
and CEO, acknowledged that a lot more rain is needed to avoid
the problem.
“I don’t know whether we can avoid
power cuts this summer; we are currently considering all
the options for better management (of available resources),” he
said. Sources said the Finance Ministry is examining whether
to introduce financial incentives to get consumers to discard
their old air conditioner and replace it with a more energy-efficient
model.
Hania arrests
Police arrested 28 people during
an operation in the early hours of Saturday morning in Hania,
Crete. Officers stopped and searched almost 700 people and
conducted checks on dozens of stores and vehicles. Of those
arrested 17 were Greeks and 11 were foreign nationals. Police
did not give details about the offenses the 28 were alleged
to have committed.
From: Kathimerini
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Earthquakes - 12 April, 2008
An undersea earthquake measuring
4.4 on the Richter scale shook the island of Crete yesterday,
but there were no immediate reports of injuries or damage,
authorities said. The quake, which had an epicenter north
of Iraklion, struck at 2.14 a.m. Later in the day, at 11.01
a.m. another earthquake struck the area of Samos. There were
no reports of damage from the 4.7 Richter tremor that shook
the eastern Aegean island.
Plastic bags
The City of Athens
will launch on Monday a pilot program aimed at replacing
plastic supermarket bags with recyclable bags. At an event
to be held in Syntagma Square, central Athens, volunteers
will hand out fabric bags and pamphlets to raise awareness
on the issue. A number of large supermarkets, including AB
Vassilopoulos and Veropoulos, are involved in the initiative
that is also backed by fast-food chain Grigoris.
From: Kathimerini
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Consumers complain mostly about airlines
and telephony - 11 April, 2008
Airlines, lottery games and time-share companies
caused most of the complaints submitted last year to the
European Consumer Center in Greece. From the 292 complaints
filed, a third concerned the loss or damage of luggage, cancellation
or delay of flights and denial of boarding by airline companies.
Just under 30 percent of these were filed by non-Greeks.
Separately, telephony and Internet services had the lion’s
share of complaints submitted last year to the General Federation
of Consumers in Greece, with over 2,000 citizens filing complaints.
Digital
preparedness
Greece has fallen eight positions to 56th this
year in the World Economic Forum’s ranking of digital
preparedness among 127 nations.
From: Kathimerini
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Carnivores - 10 April, 2008
Greeks have a keen appetite for
meat, with more than a third (37.4 percent) eating it three
or four times a week, according to a new study carried out
for the Agriculture Ministry. Men are the most regular consumers
of meat, with 71.7 percent of men aged up to 22 eating meat
between three and seven times per week. The consumption of
meat, particularly red meat, is significantly higher in provincial
areas, the study showed.
Migrant reception
Government spokesman
Theodoros Roussopoulos defended Greece’s treatment
of illegal immigrants yesterday, saying that there are plans
to build two new reception centers for migrants. One will
be in southern Crete, the other on the island of Kos. Roussopoulos
said that two recently built centers, on Samos and in Evros,
had been working well and had received a positive reaction
from the European Commission.
From: Kathimerini
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HOT FLASH - 9 April, 2008
Temperatures to rise sharply in normal
conditions, say experts
There will be a sharp rise in temperature
from tomorrow, weather forecasters predicted yesterday, adding
that such fluctuations are normal for this time of year.
The temperature is expected to reach as high as 30 Celsius
(86 Fahrenheit) but is forecast to drop to about 20C (68F)
by Monday. “April is a transitionary period that is
known for its cold snaps and the warm fronts from North Africa,” the
head of the National Weather Service, Dimitris Ziakopoulos,
told Kathimerini. He pointed out that the record temperature
for this time of year was in 1985, when it reached 37C (98.6F)
in some parts of Greece. Ziakopoulos said it was too early
to forecast the weather for the Easter weekend.
From: Kathimerini
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Ban on smoking by 2010 - 8 March, 2008
Greeks, among the heaviest
smokers in the world, will be running out of places to light
up in a few years as the government moves to adopt European
Union guidelines protecting people from passive smoke.
The
Health Ministry announced yesterday it will gradually ban
smoking in public places, such as cafes and restaurants,
by 2010. The stricter measures, aimed at protecting smokers
and non-smokers, have the backing of most Greeks.
According
to a recent survey, eight in 10 Greeks believe that banning
the habit from all public places is not an infringement on
personal rights. Additionally, 73 percent agreed that the
reduction of smoking should be a target in national government
policy. Authorities will also launch a marketing campaign
aimed at preventing youths from taking up the habit.
Some
46 percent of males are regular smokers with the respective
percentage among women reaching 31 percent.
EMERGENCY LANDING
easyJet
Boeing, carrying 123 people, returns to Athens safely
An
easyJet Boeing 737 carrying 123 passengers on an Athens-London
flight malfunctioned shortly after takeoff late on Sunday
and returned to Athens for an emergency landing. Authorities
say the pilot of easyJet flight 2002, bound for Luton Airport
in England, reported a problem with one engine shortly after
takeoff at 11.05 p.m. and asked for an emergency landing.
The plane dumped most of its fuel over the sea before landing
safely at the Athens airport where rescue workers where on
standby.
Easter shopping
It has been confirmed that
stores will operate on a special Easter timetable from Thursday,
April 17, until Easter Saturday the 26th. Shops will be open
from 9 a.m. to 9 p.m. on the 17th,18th, 21st and 24th of
the month. They will be open from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. on Saturday
the 19th. Stores will be closed until 1 p.m. on Good Friday
(25th) but will then stay open until 7 p.m. On Easter Saturday,
shops will operate from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. Stores will be closed
on Easter Sunday and Monday.
From: Kathimerini
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Acropolis part of Monopoly? - 7 April, 2008
The Acropolis may
be included in a new version of Monopoly.
An upcoming new
edition of the board game Monopoly is likely to include a
Greek dimension. The game’s new version, branded as
a collector’s edition, will not feature its trademark
streets but landmarks instead, and the Acropolis is expected
to be one of these.
The ancient monument is likely to appear
on Monopoly’s new edition following approval granted
to the board game’s owner, Hasbro Inc, by the Athens-based
Central Archaeological Council, or KAS.
The new edition’s
candidate components were determined by an Internet poll
organized by Hasbro. Hasbro is scheduled to announce the
new version’s final plan in August.
Not all at KAS
agree on the Acropolis’s inclusion on the world-famous
game. A number of KAS board members voted against the idea,
citing their objection to the reference to the archaeological
site on a commercial board game.
The weather
Generally fair conditions and sunshine are
forecast across the country, with some slight morning cloud
cover in the eastern Aegean and Thrace. Winds will be blowing
west-northwesterly at moderate speeds of 4 to 6 Beaufort,
but reaching strengths of up to 7 Beaufort in the south.
Temperatures are expected to range from 3C (37F) to 18C (64F)
in the north and from 5C (41F) to 21C (70F) elsewhere.
OUTLOOK:
Warm and fair conditions are forecast across the country,
with just some thickening of clouds and the possibility of
light showers in northwestern Greece. Winds will be southwesterly,
clocking in at speeds of 4 to 6 Beaufort in most regions
and reaching up to 7 Beaufort at sea. Temperatures are expected
to rise steadily.
From: Kathimerini
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Cross returned - 5 April, 2008
A golden cross, stolen from
a church in the Cretan port of Hania last Friday, was returned
to the church authorities by post yesterday. The cross had
been placed in an envelope and mailed without any explanatory
note, police said.
Police sacking
Ilias Mantas, the deputy
police chief in Rethymnon, Crete, was dismissed yesterday.
The police’s disciplinary panel decided that Mantas
should be removed from his position after being accused of
providing information to drug dealers in the mountainous
village of Zoniana, which was the subject of a recent police
operation aimed at clamping down on illegal activity.
From: Kathimerini
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Recycling - 4 April, 2008
Greece recycled a total of 345,000
tons of recyclable material in 2007, up 29 percent from the
previous year, but falling well short of European Union goals.
According to information presented by the Hellenic Recovery
Recycling Corporation (HERRCO), participation in recycling
programs by municipalities has risen as the group plans to
invest 17 million euros this year. EU goals specify that
Greece recycle 555,000 tons of recyclable material every
year. In 2008, HERRCO plans to inaugurate three or four recycling
centers while more may operate with the backing of private
investors.
From: Kathimerini
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DNA sheds light on Minoans - 3 April, 2008
Crete’s fabled
Minoan civilization was built by people from Anatolia, according
to a new study by Greek and foreign scientists that disputes
an earlier theory that said the Minoans’ forefathers
had come from Africa.
The new study – a collaboration
by experts in Greece, the USA, Canada, Russia and Turkey – drew
its conclusions from the DNA analysis of 193 men from Crete
and another 171 from former neolithic colonies in central
and northern Greece.
The results show that the country’s
neolithic population came to Greece by sea from Anatolia – modern-day
Iran, Iraq and Syria – and not from Africa as maintained
by US scholar Martin Bernal.
The DNA analysis indicates that
the arrival of neolithic man in Greece from Anatolia coincided
with the social and cultural upsurge that led to the birth
of the Minoan civilization, Constantinos Triantafyllidis
of Thessaloniki’s Aristotle University told Kathimerini.
“Until
now we only had the archaeological evidence – now we
have genetic data too and we can date the DNA,” he
said.
From: Kathimerini
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Couples law not for gays - 2 April, 2008
Justice Minister Sotiris
Hatzigakis said yesterday that the government is not intending
to extend its plans for a cohabitation law to homosexuals
as well as unmarried couples.
Hatzigakis plans for a law
to give partners who live together the same rights as a married
couple just by signing a standard notarial contract have
proved controversial.
The Church of Greece’s Holy Synod
responded by labeling any form of union other than that of
a married couple as “prostitution,” even though
Archbishop Ieronymos had already given his consent to the
law being enacted.
A committee was set up last week to also
look at the possibility of extending the rights to gay couples,
prompting reaction, particularly from the Church.
However,
Hatzigakis said yesterday that the cohabitation law would
only apply to straight couples and not gay ones.
The minister
told Parliament that the imminent law aims particularly to
protect children that are born to unmarried couples.
Emergency landing
A firefighting aircraft was
forced to make an emergency landing in the sea off Evia early
yesterday afternoon after the plane developed a mechanical
fault. Neither of the two pilots of the Canadair plane were
injured. The country’s forest fire fighters have been
put on alert early this year following a series of seasonally
early blazes.
From: Kathimerini
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The weather - 31 March, 2008
Some cloud, becoming heavier in places toward
the evening in central and northern parts of the country,
with occasional brief showers mainly in eastern Macedonia
and Thrace. Winds will be north-northwesterly in the Ionian
at 3 to 5 Beaufort and in the Aegean 6 to 8 Beaufort, later
dropping. Temperatures will range from 2C (36F) to 18C (64F)
in the north and 4C (39F) to 21C (70F) elsewhere.
OUTLOOK:
Rain is likely tomorrow in the northeast, as well as in the
southwest in the evening. Winds will be southeasterly in
the west at 4 to 5 Beaufort and northwesterly in the east
at 4 to 6 Beaufort, gradually easing. Temperatures will rise
slightly. Rain Wednesday, with thunderstorms in the south.
From: Kathimerini
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Rain today but gone tomorrow, experts say -
29 March, 2008
Despite
the heavy rain in many parts of the country yesterday, scientists
at a conference in Athens warned that Greece is headed for
higher temperatures and a lack of water in the not-too-distant
future.
Experts believe that Greece will start experiencing
problems of drought by 2025, as rainfall is expected to drop
by about 30 percent over the next few years, according to
statistics revealed at a conference on climate change organized
by Kathimerini and Skai yesterday.
The same conference heard
that the average temperature in Greece would shoot up by
about six degrees by the end of this century.
“Everybody
has to realize that they have to change their habits,” said
Nikos Chrysogelos, the head of the Mediterranean SOS network,
which helped to organize the conference.
Greece lands tourism prize in Shanghai
Greece
has been chosen as the “Most Popular Travel Destination
in Europe 2007-08” by China, proving that efforts to
tap the Chinese tourism market are bearing fruit.
Speaking
at the opening of the World Travel Fair 2008 in Shanghai,
where Greece is the honored country, Tourism Development
Minister Aris Spiliotopoulos recognized the importance for
Greece of the tourist market of Shanghai, as 600,000 of its
citizens travel abroad every year.
“Representing a
country that organized the 2004 Olympic Games with absolute
success,” Spiliotopoulos reiterated his certainty that
China will be as successful in holding the 2008 Olympics.
He also expressed his hope for the best possible cooperation
between Greece and China “in the fields of economy
and culture.” [...]
From: Kathimerini
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Earthquake South of Crete but No Damage -
28 March, 2008
Authorities
say an earthquake has struck the southern island of Crete,
but no damage or injuries have been reported.
The Athens
Geodynamic Institute says the quake had a preliminary magnitude
of 5.7 and an epicenter in the sea south of Crete, about
250 miles south-southeast of Athens. The institute said the
quake struck at about 8:15 p.m. EDT on Thursday.
The U.S.
Geologocial Survey gave the preliminary magnitude as 5.8.
Magnitudes of earthquakes measured by different institutes
often differ.
From: Guardian
UK
Quake Shakes South Crete
A magnitude
5.7 earthquake struck southwest Crete at 02:16. The quake
was located south of Gaidouronisi, in the Libyan Sea [also
called Chrissi island, 12 km from Ierapetra]. It was particularly
felt in the Eraklio prefecture but there were no reports
of damage or injuries. According to seismologists there is
no reason for concern.
From: ERT
News
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