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
______________
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
______________
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
______________
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
______________
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
______________
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
______________
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
______________
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
_____________ Tourism investment in Crete proceeds with
planning of first holiday villages -
27 March, 2008
The development of Cavo Sidero
in eastern Crete, one of the biggest investment projects
in Greek tourism, has entered the final stretch following
14 years of bureaucratic and other obstacles.
Minoan Group’s
chairman and CEO Christopher Egleton confirmed yesterday
the progress achieved and announced that the architectural
firms of Alexandros Tombazis and Baldrich & Tobal have
begun planning for the first village in the project, to be
called “Grandes Bay.”
The group has spent 40
million euros on the drafting of the business plan, while
the total investment will amount to some –1.2 billion.
It involves the creation of 7,000 beds in six tourist villages
that will cover less than 1 percent of the overall 25 square
kilometers. The project will create an estimated 3,500 jobs.
The company’s main stakeholders are Henderson Global
Investors, the founder and CEO of Aberdeen Asset Management,
Martin Gilbert, the president of American Express Global
Network Services, Peter Godfrey, and board member of the
Royal Bank of Scotland Colin Buchan, along with several British
constructors. [...]
From: Kathimerini
______________
|
Evzones, marched... - 26
March, 2008
Elite
soldiers of the presidential guard, or Evzones, marched
through Athens yesterday to mark the anniversary of
Greece’s war of independence.
Celebrations included the customary show of strength
by Greece’s armed forces, including an air show.
President Karolos Papoulias hailed the ‘dedication
to freedom and self-determination’ of Greece’s
resistance fighters, whose spirit, he said, was as relevant
as ever in today’s ‘unstable geopolitical
environment.’ |
From: Kathimerini
______________
Nasty Weather Hampers Return - 25 March,
2008
Holidaymakers who celebrated the 25 March
anniversary [Independence Day Greece] away from urban
centres are returning with the unsettled weather conditions
not being a good ally. Those who opted for island destinations
will have a hard time coming back, as the gale-force winds
prompted authorities to issue sailing bans. In the meantime,
traffic police are on standby to facilitate drivers return
to urban centres.
In the meantime, weather turned really
nasty in northern Greece on Monday evening. Showers and snowfalls
have been affecting Macedonia, while drivers travelling on
the Kastoria-Ioannina national highway are advised to use
snow chains.
From: ERT
News
_____________
Wet weather - 24 March, 2008
Rain and strong winds will replace
the recent spell of mild weather in most of the country over
the next three days, including tomorrow’s public holiday.
Attica will escape most of the bad weather but some showers
are expected.
Fires
Firefighters in Hania had to quell
four fires yesterday that broke out as a result of farmers
burning brush. No injuries or damage was reported.
Security is tightened for Olympic Torch
ceremony
The final rehearsal for the Beijing 2008
Olympics torch-lighting ceremony took place in Olympia, southwestern
Greece, yesterday amid concerns over possible protests in
favor of an independent Tibet.
Hazy skies that persisted
to the last minute prevented organizers from lighting the
Games’ sacred flame through
use of a polished mirror. A flame lit during a prior rehearsal
on Saturday was used instead.
Actresses dressed as ancient
Greek priestesses performed a choreographed ceremony, which
for the first time included six young boys acting out events
from the ancient pentathlon.
Actress Maria Nafpliotou then
lit the Beijing Games torch carried by the first relay runner,
Greek tae kwon do athlete Alexandros Nikolaidis, a silver
medalist in the Athens 2004 Games. The official ceremony
will be held today but the forecast of heavy rain has forced
organizers to schedule the ritual an hour earlier to 11 a.m. “We
hope the weather is good tomorrow,” Culture Minister
Michalis Liapis said. [...]
From: Kathimerini
______________
The weather - 22 March, 2008
Showers are forecast for western Greece,
Macedonia and Thessaly. Rainstorms are expected in the northwest.
Scattered clouds elsewhere, with a chance of showers overnight
in the northeastern Aegean. Winds will be south-southwesterly
at speeds of 4 to 6 Beaufort and up to 7 Beaufort at sea.
Temperatures from 5C (41F) to 17C (63F) in the north and
from 6C (43F) to 22C (72F) elsewhere. Occasional rain is
expected tomorrow in western, central and northern Greece
and in the eastern Aegean.
OUTLOOK: Showers and rainstorms
are forecast for Monday in western, central and northern
Greece, with southwesterly winds at 5 to 7 Beaufort and a
drop in temperatures. Showers are expected Tuesday, with
rainstorms at times. Winds will be variable at 5 to 7 Beaufort.
Conditions will improve midweek, though temperatures will
remain low. Winds will turn west-northwesterly at 5 to 6
Beaufort. Temperatures will rise Friday.
PRECIOUS WATER
EYDAP says that reserves
are down considerably compared to last year
Athens’s
water reserves have fallen by 10 months’ worth of consumption
this year in comparison to last year, the Athens Water Company
(EYDAP) said yesterday. There are 350 million fewer cubic
meters of water in the capital’s reservoirs now than
there were 12 months ago. EYDAP has said that if there is
as little rainfall this year as last year, then emergency
measures are likely to be taken. Speaking on the occasion
of World Water Day yesterday, EYDAP’s president, Costas
Costoulas, also said that the company would increase its
charges at some point this year. The rises will be in line
with inflation but there will be an added water treatment
charge on customers’ bills.
From: Kathimerini
______________
FIRE SEASON - 21 March, 2008
Almost 7,000 firefighters are
to be hired in the next few weeks
Some 5,500 seasonal firefighters
will be hired on April 1 along with some 1,200 full-time
firemen as Greece beefs up its fire defenses ahead of the
summer. Deputy Interior Minister Panayiotis Hinofotis informed
a parliamentary committee yesterday about the hirings as
he blamed the fire service’s poor performance during
the wildfires last summer on a lack of coordination. “What
was to blame last summer was a lack of coordination and the
interventions by local officials that stemmed from ignorance
or panic,” he said.
From: Kathimerini
______________
Lighthouse vandalized - 19 March, 2008
Authorities in Hania yesterday called for intensified policing of the old port
after vandals wrecked a Venetian lighthouse. The vandals
cut through the cables supplying power to the lighthouse
and caused widespread damage to the surrounding area. It
was the latest in a series of acts of vandalism upon the
lighthouse, which had recently undergone renovation, and
the area of the old port in general.
From: Kathimerini
______________ Greek push for return of Marbles - 18 March,
2008
Changes
in museum policies and an increase in instances of cooperation
between different countries for the repatriation of looted
artifacts could pave the way for the return of the Parthenon
Marbles, Culture Minister Michalis Liapis told an international
conference in Athens yesterday.
“More and more museums
are adopting tighter ethics codes and governments are promoting
cooperation, so the ideal momentum is being created for clear
solutions,” Liapis told the UNESCO event at the New
Acropolis Museum.
Museum officials and archaeologists gave
several examples of repatriated artifacts, such as the Obelisk
of Axum, returned to Ethiopia from Rome in 2005. Experts
also remarked upon the increase of works being smuggled out
of war zones.
Christiane Tytgat, former curator at the
Royal Museums of Art and History in Brussels and director
of the Netherlands Institute in Athens, said the Parthenon
Marbles, currently in the British Museum, should be sent
back too.“I
support their return unreservedly... this is where they belong,” Tytgat
said.
From: Kathimerini
______________
Man overboard - 17 March, 2008
A search for a man believed
to have fallen overboard from a ferry traveling between Iraklion and Piraeus failed to yield any results on Saturday. The
33-year-old Polish man is believed to have fallen into the
sea on Friday night but his traveling companion, also from
Poland, did not inform the crew until Saturday morning, shortly
before the Kriti 1 ferry arrived at Piraeus. The second Polish
man is believed to have been drunk when he informed the crew
about his friend’s disappearance. Authorities believe
the two men may have been drinking heavily at the time of
the accident.
From: Kathimerini
______________
Museums shut - 15 March, 2008
Greek museums and archaeological
sites will be shut tomorrow morning as guards go on a four-hour
work stoppage over financial demands. The protest action,
to run from 8 a.m. to noon, is in response to the government
reneging on a promise for a rise in benefits, according to
the guards.
Methoni earthquake
An earthquake measuring
5.2 on the Richter scale struck Methoni, in the Peleponnese
yesterday. There were no reports of injuries or damages.
The earthquake’s
epicenter was in an undersea area 275 kilometers southwest
of Athens and struck at 9.10 a.m. A month ago, two strong
quakes with magnitudes of 6.5 and 6.4 struck the same area
and were felt as far away as Italy and Egypt.
Crete
resort
The Council of State did not hear this week
the appeal against the construction of a hotel and golf complex
on Crete. Protesters claim that the Cavo Sidero project,
to comprise five holiday villages, a string of luxury hotels
and three golf courses, would damage the environment and
be a heavy drain on water resources. It was not clear when
the court will rule on the case.
From: Kathimerini
______________
Tsunami readiness tests for coastlines -
14 March, 2008
Greece
should start holding tsunami readiness tests in the southern
Aegean and southern Ionian, according to Greek and Italian
scientists who are creating an early warning system for the
Mediterranean.
The system, being developed under the auspices
of UNESCO, should be in place by the end of the year and
fully functional by 2011, according to Stefano Tinti of the
University of Bologna.
Already three seismograph systems
are in operation, said Gerasimos Papadopoulos of the Athens
Geodynmaic Institute, adding that six sea-level gauges will
be set up, two in Crete and four in the Ionian.
Particular
care must be taken during the tourist season, the experts
said. “Local authorities will be trained in readiness
exercises,” Tinti said. “Evacuating the beaches
of 10 Greek islands in summer cannot be taken lightly,” he
added.
From: Kathimerini
______________
The weather - 13 March, 2008
Scattered clouds are forecast
for western and northern Greece, the eastern Aegean and the
Dodecanese, with showers in eastern Macedonia and Thrace.
Clear skies elsewhere. Winds will be west-northwesterly at
4 to 6 Beaufort in most parts and up to 7 Beaufort in the
west and south. Temperatures will range from 3C (37F) to
17C (63F) in the north and from 4C (39F) to 20C (68F) elsewhere.
OUTLOOK:
Clear skies and sunshine are forecast over the next couple
of days across the country, with a few patches of cloud in
the west and north and over the islands of the eastern Aegean.
Winds will be westerly at speeds of 4 to 6 Beaufort while
temperatures are expected to rise slightly.
From: Kathimerini
______________
Cretan resort case to be heard - 12 March,
2008
Hundreds
of Cretan residents and environmentalists protesting plans
for the construction of a huge tourism complex on the island’s
unspoilt northwestern coast will have their joint appeal
against the project heard by the country’s highest
administrative court tomorrow.
Protesters claim that the
Cavo Sidero project – that would comprise five holiday
villages, a string of luxury hotels and three golf courses – would
damage the environment and be a heavy drain on water resources.
Campaigners had lobbied the government to
boycott the project by British property development company
Minoan Group (formerly Loyalward Limited), writing letters
to 11 different ministries, but authorities have encouraged
the 1.2-billion-euro investment.
Residents of Crete, much
of which already suffers periods of drought in summer, say
the plan would be devastating for the arid island. Even local
farming cooperatives have joined the protest, complaining
that they already struggle with dwindling water resources.
“The more time goes by,
the more people begin to realize what is actually being planned
for the area and start doubting the benefits of this initiative,” said
Nikos Kyfonidis, president of the Ierapetra Ecological Group.
Kyfonidis doubts the validity of an agreement
that has allowed Minoan to lease some 2,600 hectares for
80 years, saying that “new evidence throws into doubt the credibility
of this controversial contract.”
The cause of local
residents and environmentalists has been embraced by several
foreign academics. Oliver Rackham, a Cambridge University
ecology professor, told Britain’s Guardian newspaper
that the project was “grotesquely unsuited to... one
of the most arid places in Europe.” “The development
is unsustainable because of the huge amounts of water that
will be needed,” Rackham said.
Minoan Group’s
chairman Christopher Egleton insists that the resort will
be built on only 1 percent of the site, will be “fully
sustainable” and will benefit the local community in
the long term.
From: Kathimerini
______________
Tibetans hold protest at Ancient Olympia - 11 March, 2008
A group of Tibetan activists held a torch-lighting
ceremony in Ancient Olympia yesterday in what they called
a symbolic protest against their country’s occupation by China,
the host of this year’s Olympic Games.
Police prevented
some 10 activists from entering the ancient stadium, so the
ceremony took place outside the museum. Tibetan women in
traditional outfits handed a lighted torch to a Tibetan athlete
who began her run but was stopped by police who extinguished
the torch. The activists said they wanted to highlight their
cause now that all eyes are on China ahead of the Games. “The
Chinese regime will try to use the Games to advance its own
political agenda,” a spokeswoman said. Local authorities
were not happy. [...]
ATM explosion
Police are searching for unknown
men who used an explosive device to open an ATM in Iraklion,
Crete, but left with a small amount of cash. The assailants
managed to open the cash machine, belonging to the Hania
Cooperative Bank, which contained what authorities said was
a minimal amount of cash due to the long weekend and its
remote position. The blast caused serious damage to a nearby
car rental office.
From: Kathimerini
______________
Sunshine for Clean Monday Celebrations -
10 March, 2008
Greece
is celebrating Clean Monday today with a large number of
events, reviving local traditions, being held across the
country. Naturally the most common traditions of Clean Monday
is kite flying and eating a wide variety of lenten foods.
Events organized by the Athens and Piraeus
municipalities include folk music groups for the entertainment
of people, who did not take the opportunity of the long weekend
to leave the cities. Traffic police have taken special measures
to facilitate the return of holidaymakers today.
Sunshine
and light winds have been forecast for most parts of the
country today with a possibility of light rains in the western
and northern regions.
As every year the Athens and Piraeus
fish markets remained open till 14:00 to provide consumers
with fresh sea food such as squid, octopus, shell fish. Also
bakeries were open today for the traditional "lagana" bread.
Power Company, DEH, in its announcement
warns people not to fly kites near electricity cables as
there is high danger of being electrocuted.
Carnival festivities
in many cities across the country culminated last night while
rain in the city of Patras, focus of attraction in the carnival
season, did not discourage participants to end with the usual
burning of the King of Carnival around 21:00, at the city’s
port, as customary.
From: ERT
News
_____________
Holiday-makers' Mass Exodus - 8 March,
2008
Mass
exodus of holiday-makers on the occasion of the Clean
Monday long weekend comes at its peak
today with increased traffic-but not bumper to bumper- in
the capital’s two exits to
the national road networks. Traffic police are out in force,
having taken all necessary measures to facilitate motorists.
[...]
Motorists
must obey traffic regulations, particularly not drink, respect
road priority, wear safety belts and helmets and avoid high
speed driving.
Olympic Airways flights are 85% booked,
just about the same are ships heading to the Cyclades from
Piraeus port while ships to the Argosaronikos islands are
fully booked.
In the meantime, Carnival events organized
in many parts of the country are to culminate tomorrow.
In
reference to Lenten foods, prices have picked up 5% to 10%
compared to last year’s prices while authorities have intensified
inspections to prevent profiteering and secure high quality
of products.
From: ERT
News
African dust cloud warning
A thick cloud
of dust from Africa is expected to engulf parts of central
and southern Greece today, causing traffic problems by reducing
visibility and aggravating allergies.
Motorists have been
warned to be extra careful as storms, forecast for many parts
of the country, could transform the dust into muddy rain,
making travel precarious.
Meanwhile doctors warned that the
dust could aggravate seasonal allergies and make life difficult
for asthmatics. The symptoms usually start with an itchiness
in the nasal area followed by irritation in the lungs. Those
in places affected by the dust cloud who suffer from asthma
and lung-related complaints should remain indoors, experts
said.
The dust cloud, a mist of tiny grains of
sand blown over from Africa by southerly winds, is a seasonal
phenomenon in Greece. From: Kathimerini
______________ Strike by power workers leaves Greece
in dark - 7 March, 2008
Rolling electricity cuts introduced across country to
prevent blackout
Millions of Greeks were temporarily left
without electricity yesterday, stores were forced to shut,
people got stuck in elevators, traffic jams were caused by
failing signals and two trams in Athens collided due to an
ongoing strike by Public Power Corporation (PPC) employees
that has deprived the country of much of its normal power
supply. PPC was forced to adopt rolling power cuts across
Greece yesterday in a bid to make up for the reduced output
from its power plants and try and prevent a nationwide blackout.
More than a third of PPC's normal electricity
output was lost due to the strike by workers, who have been
taking industrial action since Monday. The Athens court of
first instance is due to decide today whether the strike
is legal or not.
Many neighborhoods in Athens and Thessaloniki
were left in darkness last night as their power was cut off
for about two hours. Cuts earlier in the day had caused a
number of problems. The fire service received some 900 calls
from people trapped in elevators over the last two days.
Hundreds of shops were forced to close as they were unable
to operate cash registers and other equipment. Concerns were
raised about the safety of food being stored in refrigerators
and freezers at supermarkets and other stores. Two trams
collided in southern Athens when a power cut resulted in
the failure of the automatic track switching system. Two
passengers were slightly injured and both trams were badly
damaged in the collision.
The power cuts also meant traffic
lights were out of operation in Athens and Thessaloniki,
leading to chaos on the roads of both cities. The rolling
power cuts were due to end at 10 p.m. last night but they
may have to be reintroduced today if the workers continue
their protests, which target the government's planned pension
reforms. The walkout by workers has led to 16 PPC power plants
being shut down.
From: Kathimerini
______________
Organs of car victim save four - 6 March,
2008
The organs
of a 20-year-old Cretan girl who had been on a life-support
machine since last week following a car crash were yesterday
sent to prospective transplant patients in four different
cities.
Doctors at an Iraklion hospital, who struggled
to keep the student alive over the past few days, informed
her parents on Tuesday that there was no hope. The parents
agreed to donate their daughter’s organs and doctors began
operating early yesterday.
The student’s eyes were
sent to Iraklion University Hospital, her kidneys to Athens,
her liver to Thessaloniki and her lungs to the German city
of Hanover.
Doctors in Iraklion yesterday praised the
student’s
parents for having the “greatness of heart, despite
their pain, to give life to three people and vision to a
fourth.”
The accident in which the girl sustained
fatal injuries last week also caused the death of a 24-year-old
man, who died instantly, and seriously injured another man
and a woman who remain in the hospital.
Rhodes shaken
Two earthquakes measuring
5.1 Richter each hit the Dodecanese island of Rhodes yesterday.
The tremors were felt within minutes of each other. The first
was recorded at 6.11 p.m. and the second just three minutes
later. No damage or injuries were reported.
From: Kathimerini
______________
Scheme to save water is unveiled - 5 March,
2008
Greece
has drawn up a plan to manage its dwindling water resources
in a bid to ensure that no area or island in the country
is left without access to water in the future.
Public Works
and Environment Minister Giorgos Souflias yesterday presented
the plan, which contains several controversial elements that
include the insistence on the diversion of the Acheloos River
and the construction of at least 20 hydroelectric dams.
The
plan to divert the Acheloos from western Greece to Thessaly
in central Greece to provide water for farmers has already
been blocked five times by the Council of State and is opposed
by residents in the west of the country. But Souflias says
that Greece will need to learn to live with these kinds of
projects. “We have to understand that diversions of
water in Greece are unavoidable because in some areas water
is readily available and in others there is a large demand
for it,” said the minister.
The water management plan
is based on research done by the National Technical University
of Athens, which recorded the state of Greece’s water
resources.
Experts predict blazing heat waves
Rising
temperatures will make the intense heat waves of the past
few years seem mild, experts said yesterday. “The unprecedented
heat wave of 2003, that caused hundreds of deaths across
Europe, will seem cool in 2060 and positively freezing in
2100,” warned Christos Zerefos, the president of the
Athens Observatory. Experts say there has been a sharper
rise in temperatures in the past 30 years than the rate of
increase recorded over the past millennium. Mankind has taken
40 years to destroy the ozone that it took nature 1.5 billion
years to create, according to Zerefos.
From: Kathimerini
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Rubbish strike - 4 March, 2008
Municipality workers will
launch a 24-hour strike on Friday in protest at the government’s
pension reform plans to be followed by more protest action
next week. Municipal authorities have called on residents
to keep household waste indoors to help avoid rubbish piling
up on the streets. Municipality workers are scheduled to
meet on March 12 to decide whether they will continue their
protest action.
From: Kathimerini
Tremors Hit Methoni
Two
new minor earthquakes were recorded in the early hours of
Tuesday off the south coast of Methoni, some 250km SW of
Athens. The first tremor measuring 4.5 on the Richter scale
occurred at 2:26am, and the second, a 4.3-magnitude one,
struck at 2:53am. Terming the earthquakes as aftershocks,
seismologists appeared reassuring.
From: ERT
News
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Consumers asked to curb power use this
week due to fears of blackouts - 3 March, 2008
The Public Power Corporation (PPC)
yesterday appealed to consumers to restrict their use of
electricity as much as possible during «peak times» this
week as a strike by PPC staff may lead to widespread power
blackouts. Consumers are being asked to use as little electricity
as possible between the hours of 10 a.m. and 2 p.m. and between
6.30 p.m. and 9.30 p.m. today through Thursday. PPC staff
are striking in protest at the power supplier's plans for
cooperation with German firm RWE.
From: Kathimerini
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