Greek fighter jets collide in mid-air off Crete, pilot killed
26th August AFP

Two Greek fighter jets have collided in mid-air, killing one of the pilots and leaving two
other crew injured.

The collision between the two F-16 planes, a one- and two-seater respectively,
happened south of the island of Crete during training in air fighting involving six aircraft,
the air force high command said.

A fisherman engaged in a search of the area found the body of one pilot a few hours
later, state television reported. The two others were plucked from the sea after ejecting,
one of them with serious injuries to his head and one lung.

The jets were from Souda air force base in the northwest of Crete, the defence ministry
said.

Courts to enter the digital era
26th August 2010 ekathimerini

Greece is going to spend more than 37 million euros on computerizing the judicial system
in a bid to cut down on red tape and speed up the dispensation of justice, the
government said yesterday.

According to Justice Minister Haris Kastanidis, the money will be spent on, among other
things, creating a system to scan case files and to have court minutes transcribed so that
these are both available in digital format.

Each year, some 1.2 million case files and 250,000 contracts are submitted to Greek
courts, which means that court officials often have the laborious task of carrying
mountains of paperwork with them.

Kastanidis said the electronic system would allow judges to view case files via their
computers and would also permit courts to provide interested parties with automatic
updates on the progress of cases.



Fears over smoking ban laxness
25th August 2010 ekathimerini

Anti-smoking campaigners have started lobbying authorities to issue a government
decision to ensure the implementation of a blanket ban on smoking in bars, restaurants
and businesses as the new law is to come into effect in less than a week.
Members of the No Smoke group said they have been urging swift action from officials at
the Health, Interior and Economy ministries – which are due to issue the decision on the
implementation of the ban jointly – as the edict is set to come into effect on September 1.
Meanwhile, many owners and managers of bars and cafes are expressing concern ahead
of the implementation of the smoking ban, as they fear it will aggravate the slump in
business they have seen since the onset of the economic crisis
Sources at the Health Ministry told Kathimerini there would be no problem with the
implementation of the blanket ban, noting that any “loose ends” would be tied up before
the new law comes into effect. When the blanket ban is imposed, no smoking will be
allowed in public places, meaning that bars, clubs and restaurants will no longer be
allowed to operate smoking and nonsmoking areas and companies will no longer be able
to have smoking rooms on their premises.


Spetses prepares for high-profile nuptials
25th August 2010 ekathimerini

Security was tight yesterday at the Poseidonion Grace Hotel on Spetses, where Nikolaos,
the second son of Greece’s former king Constantine, and his bride, Tatiana Blatnik, were
holding a cocktail party ahead of their wedding today. The 40-year-old former prince will
be marrying the 29-year-old event planner in the presence of members of royal families
from Denmark, Spain and Sweden, as well as many other guests, reportedly to include
pop star Elton John

Flight disruptions?
Air-traffic controllers warn of possible action over ‘old’ system
24thAugust 2010 ekathimerini

The general secretary of the air-traffic controllers union, Yiannis Kormoulakis, yesterday
warned of strike action after a breakdown in the communication system linking the
country’s airports on Sunday grounded scheduled takeoffs for three hours. Kormoulakis
said the system remained out of date despite several appeals over the years by his
union for an overhaul.


Loss of speed
24th August 2010 ekathimerini

The captain of the Hellenic Seaways Highspeed 1 catamaran, two other company
representatives and a coast guard official from Rafina are due to face a prosecutor after
the vessel was unable to complete a journey from the Attica port to Myconos and back
yesterday. After sailing from Rafina to Andros, the ship’s engine caught fire before it
reached Tinos. The blaze was put out by the crew but the Highspeed 1 had to dock at
Tinos for repairs. There were 120 passengers on board headed for Myconos, 87 of whom
were taken by another vessel. The remainder had to stay on Tinos overnight.



Bank robber frees hostages
24th August 2010 ekathimerini

A gunman who held 18 bank employees and customers hostage following a botched
robbery in Piraeus yesterday afternoon surrendered and freed his captives unharmed
following hours of negotiations with police.
The man, a Greek national, stayed inside the branch of National Bank after his two
accomplices, who had been standing guard outside, spotted police and fled. The two
lookouts, ethnic Greeks from the former Soviet Union and Egypt, were arrested almost
immediately. But the would-be robber refused to emerge from the bank and took
hostage the 18 people within. Armed with a pistol and two hand grenades, he fired
warning shots inside the bank, located on busy Iroon Polytechneiou Street, and
demanded a getaway car. He tried to escape, using four hostages as human shields, but
retreated on seeing the large police presence outside. After several hours of talks with
police negotiators, the man freed his hostages and gave himself up.


Palm Forest of Preveli destroyed in wild fire
23rd August 2010 Crete Gazette + ekathimerini

A large  part of the famous Palm forest of Preveli, by Preveli beach, was burned on
Sunday morning  during wildfires that broke out in the southern part of Rethymnon
Prefecture.
According to reports from the Fire Brigade and local authorities, the historical palm forest
of Preveli was burned to ashes, along with a thousand hectares of cultivations, animals
and olive trees. The blaze, which was also fanned by strong winds, had approached
Preveli monastery at one point but firemen managed to contain it before it posed a real
threat to the monastic community.
The local prefectural official responsible for civil protection, Antonis Bayiartakis, described
the damage wreaked by the blaze as “a massive disaster – a huge blow for the
environment, culture and tourism sectors.” The fire had been brought under partial
control by late last night.


Network error grounds flights in Greece
23rd August 2010

A breakdown in the communication system linking the country's airports prevented flights
from taking off for nearly three hours yesterday morning, leaving hundreds of passengers
stuck in departure lounges or aboard aircraft waiting on runways.
According to a Civil Aviation Authority spokesman, the malfunction occured at 8 a.m. and
was resolved just before 11 a.m. Although scheduled takeoffs were suspended, flights
were able to land normally.
Yiannis Kormoulakis, secretary-general of the air traffic controllers union, blamed the
problem on «a systematic failure by authorities to modernize technical equipment for
airspace surveillance.»


Allowed to vote
21st August 2010 ekathimerini

A circular sent by the Interior Ministry to municipalities yesterday instructs them that in
addition to nationals from European Union member states, people from Iceland,
Liechtenstein, Norway and Switzerland can also vote in the November 7 local elections if
they have been living in Greece for five consecutive years. Those interested in registering
to vote should go to their local municipality with their residence papers, which will then
be checked against the Interior Ministry’s records. An application for that person to be
included on the electoral roll will then be made.


Greater checks on driving test
20th August 2010 ekathimerini

The Transport Ministry is devising new measures to crack down on widespread corruption
in driving tests, including a random selection of driving test examiners and the use of
video monitoring, sources said yesterday.

Examiners routinely accept bribes from driving school instructors to pass students.
Despite pledges, governments have repeatedly failed to eradicate the habit, estimated
to generate some 50 million euros annually.

Among the measures under consideration by ministry officials is the introduction of a
computerized lottery that will pick examiners moments ahead of the actual test. The
changes, which should be in place by the end of the year, also include the use of
cameras to ensure transparency during the theory and practical tests. According to new
rules, examiners will be obliged to file declaration of income statements (pothen esches),
while the length of their training will be extended from one-and-a-half to two years.




















Truckers heading for a second strike
19th August 2010 newsbeast

According to www.newsbeast.gr truck drivers are heading for a second strike at the end
of August. An announcement of their decision is expected early next week.


Blood donations stopped in northern Greece due to virus
19th August 2010 ekathimerini

The Health Ministry denied yesterday that Greece faces a shortage of blood for
transfusions and operations after authorities stopped people in northern Greece, where
the West Nile virus has infected dozens of locals, from donating blood. The ministry said
that blood from other parts of Greece would be sent to the affected areas to cover any
shortfall and that donations of blood made in the north over the last few days would be
screened as of Monday to ensure that it does not contain the West Nile virus. The
number of people who have contracted the disease rose from 60 to 64 yesterday but
only 31 of these are still in the hospital, according to the Center for Disease Control and
Prevention (KEELPNO). Eight cases are being treated in intensive care.


Bar stabbing
18th August 2010 ekathimerini

A bar owner in the town of Aghios Nikolaos in Lasithi, Crete, had to undergo surgery late
on Tuesday after being stabbed while at work. Police officers said that the man was
attacked by an Albanian national, who then struck his head as he tried to evade arrest.
The attacker was also taken to the hospital. It was not clear what prompted the attack.



Robbers target Samaria Gorge cashbox
18th August 2010 ANA

Gun-totting robbers made off with nearly 10,000 euros from the till at the Samaria Gorge
visitors' centre on Crete late Sunday.
According to reports, three masked suspects with shotguns roughed up an employee at
the entrance of the famous gorge at the Xyloskalo site.
Afterwards they tied the man's hands and took his mobile phone, radio receivers and the
keys of the safebox.

Wildfires on Crete & mainland
16th August 2010 ANA-MPA

A wildfire broke out on Saturday at the Aghia Moni site on the island of Kythira island, in
the southeastern Aegean, and was reported as still in progress on Sunday.
A fire brigade unit reportedly contained two of the blaze's three fronts over the night.

Another wildfire was reported in Ierapetra, Crete, burning brush land in the Selakano
site. One water-dropping helicopter and 10 fire engines along with a unit of fire-fighters
were dispatched to the scene.

A wildfire broke out in a forested area near Vari, southeast of Athens, on Sunday. The
blaze was being fought by 30 fire-fighters, backed by 10 vehicles, a helicopter and two
fixed-winged aircraft.


Double drug bust
16th August 2010 ekathimerini


Police in Hania, Crete, arrested a mother, aged 40, and her 22-year-old daughter on
charges of possession and trafficking of drugs on Saturday. A search of the woman’s
home revealed 220 grams of heroin, 35 grams of cocaine, drug-related paraphernalia and
evidence that the daughter was also involved in trafficking. In Thessaloniki, meanwhile,
drug enforcement officers on Saturday arrested two men, aged 41 and 23, on similar
charges.


Court grants Britons bail
13th August 2010 ekathimerini

A court in Iraklio, Crete, late on Tuesday granted bail to five British men accused of
brutally attacking another Briton while on holiday on the island two years ago.
The five men, all aged between 20 and 22, are accused of stabbing, assaulting with
broken bottles and stomping on the head of Robert Hughes, a former semiprofessional
soccer player, outside a nightclub in June of 2008. Hughes spent three months in an
Iraklio hospital, where he underwent three lifesaving surgeries.
His alleged attackers, who deny all charges, were extradited to Greece last week after
being detained in Britain on European arrest warrants in December. The Iraklio court has
ordered them to each pay between 3,000 and 12,000 euros in bail.
A sixth suspect, aged 20, will face a separate extradition hearing next month. He also
denies being involved in the alleged attack.


School’s In – New school year to start 13 September
12th August 2010 ekathimerini

Schools will be opening on Monday, September 13, according to an announcement
yesterday from the Education Ministry. The first day back at school will be dedicated to
the annual opening ceremony, while the curriculum will be announced the following day.


Moto snatchers
12th August 2010 ekathimerini

Police in Hania, Crete, arrested three Romanian men – aged 17, 25 and 29 – and a
Georgian, aged 20, yesterday and charged them with running a motorcycle theft ring. The
men allegedly are behind the theft of numerous motorbikes in the area in the past few
months.


Earthquake strikes Greek island of Crete
8th August 2010 CNN

A 4.8-magnitude earthquake struck the Greek Island of Crete on Sunday morning, the U.
S. Geological Survey reported.
The epicenter of the earthquake was between the city of Chania and Iraklion, and to the
south, 220 miles (354 km) from the capital of Athens.
The quake rattled the island at 7:06 a.m. local time. No damage has been reported .


Tertiary education fails test
6th August 2010 ekathimerini

There are too many universities and technical colleges in Greece, the standard of
teaching is not up to scratch and students take too long to complete their studies,
according to the findings of a study by a national tertiary education watchdog.
The conclusions drawn by the state-run Hellenic Quality Assurance Agency for Higher
Education (ADIP) will not come as a surprise to anyone familiar with the problems of
Greek universities but will nevertheless serve as a timely reminder to Education Ministry
officials and academics, who are due to start talks next month about reforms to the
sector.
ADIP argues that 22 universities and 16 technical colleges (TEI) are far too many for a
country of Greece’s size and population. It suggests that some departments are set up
with no specifically defined academic purpose and that they accept students even though
they do not have the staff or facilities to teach them properly.
For years, governments have found it difficult to stop the expansion of regional
universities or TEIs because, in many cases, they proved to be vital to local economies as
the influx of students meant that apartments would be rented easily and that money
would be spent at local stores.


Big ELTA haul an inside job?
4th August 2010 ekathimerini

Police yesterday were seeking a 35-year-old man, employed as a cashier at a branch of
Hellenic Post (ELTA) in the central city of Larissa, after he failed to turn up for work on the
same day that 1.3 million euros was found to be missing from the safe of the post office.

According to police, the safe was full of clothes. Bank staff told officers that the 35-year-
old had come to work last Friday carrying a rucksack that he had said contained clothes
for relatives whom he would be joining on vacation over the weekend. Officials at ELTA
refused to comment on the disappearance of the cash or the cashier, who has been
employed with ELTA for seven years, saying they would wait for the outcome of an
internal investigation and a police probe. The incident came a day after armed robbers
raided a cafe in Domokos, Fthiotida prefecture, and forced an ELTA employee who had
been distributing pension payments to locals to hand over 30,000 euros.



Tragic Accident -Refuse collector crushed to death during collection in Hania
4th August 2010 ekathimerini

A municipal sanitation worker was killed yesterday in Hania, Crete, while trying to
dislodge a piece of trash that had blocked the operation of a garbage truck’s compacting
mechanism, local police said. The man, who was not identified, died after the truck’s rear
door crushed his head. The truck driver and another municipal worker who had also been
there at the time were transferred to the local hospital in a state of shock.



PPC workers threaten action
3rd August 2010 ekathimerini

Gas stations were able to start serving customers yesterday as truck drivers returned to
work but there was no letup in the pressure on the government as Public Power
Corporation (PPC) unionists said that they are prepared to “go to extremes” in their
opposition to plans to sell off 40 percent of PPC’s power plants.
The government is being pressed by European Union and International Monetary Fund
officials to privatize some of its electricity production units in order to increase
competition in the market. However, the GENOP union, which is a federation of the
groups representing PPC workers, has said that it will oppose any move to sell off power
plants.
Continues …Ekathimerini



TEI campus pot grower caught
2nd August 2010 ekathimerini

A 24-year-old man has been arrested on Crete after police caught him red-handed as he
was about to tend to cannabis trees that he had planted amid an olive grove on the
grounds of the Technical Educational Institute of Crete (TEI) in Iraklio.
Police said on Saturday that they had placed the particular spot under observation after
finding two illegal shrubs there. The 24-year-old was arrested while attempting to water
the plants. His name was not made public and officers did not reveal whether he was a
student at the college.
Also on Crete, a 67-year-old Greek American was arrested after police raided his home
and found that he was cultivating 63 cannabis trees in his backyard. Officers also seized
a small amount of cannabis on the premises. Police said they conducted a raid after a tip-
off. They did not name the man they arrested.



List of tax evading companies released
2nd August 2010 ANA MPA

The finance ministry's financial crimes corps (SDOE) on Monday released a list of 70
companies found to be seriously in violation of taxation legislation, folliwng audits
conducted by the SDOE in stepped up efforts to clamp down on tax evasion.

Penalties for tax evasion provided under the new taxation legislation will be imposed on
those companies in September, according to SDOE, which include increased fines and
even shutdown of the enterprises.

SDOE secretary general Yiannis Kapeleris told ANA-MPA that in the two-month period of
June and July, SDOE conducted 800 audits on enterprises in the islands of the Aegean
and ascertained 15,000 violations of tax law, the majority of which were failure to issue
receipts.


New fires on Samos
2nd August 2010 ANA

A wildfire which broke out on Monday on the island of Samos, in the Marathokampo and
Karlovassi regions, was threatening residential areas.

Hotels in the area were evacuated in a preventive move.

Six water-dropping planes, one Super puma helicopter and 75 firefighters were
dispatched to the eastern Aegean island to join firefighting forces battling the blaze.


Truck owners vote to end strike
1st August 2010 ANA-MPA

Greek truck owners on Sunday voted to end a strike that had starved the country of fuel
and dealt a severe blow to tourist enterprises hoping to make up revenue losses from a
lacklustre tourist season during the July-August peak.
The vote was carried by a narrow majority during the truckers' general meeting and not
before serious problems had been caused to the supply of goods to markets throughout
Greece. Truck owners are now waiting for the government to end the civil mobilisation
and warned that they will resume strike action if the government failed to honour its side
of the bargain. If all goes well, they go back to work on Monday.
The meeting had been preceded by a flurry of consultations the day before that also
involved other professional groups, which mediated between truckers and the
government with proposals that truck owners suspend their open-ended strike if the
government stopped a civil mobilisation to force truck owners back to work and
requisition their vehicles.
The proposal was adopted by both striking truckers and Infrastructure, Transport and
Networks Minister Dimitris Reppas, provided that the truckers pledged not to begin any
new strike action while dialogue on a draft bill to open up the road freight sector was
underway. The draft bill is due to be voted on at the end of September.


State employs nearly 1 in 5 workers
31st July ekathimerini

Almost one in five Greeks who has a job is a civil servant, according to the results of the
first ever census of public sector workers to be carried out in Greece, the results of which
were made public yesterday.
Just over 768,000 state workers registered their details via an online system between
July 9 and 29. The government launched the initiative after being pressured by the
European Union and the International Monetary Fund to record in more detail the size of
the country’s public sector work force. Before this exercise, only estimates existed about
how many civil servants there were in Greece.
The number of civil servants represents 17.5 percent of the overall working population,
which totals 4.4 million people. From the analysis of the data submitted by the
bureaucrats, it emerged that 54 percent were men and one-third are aged between 40
and 50. Almost 40 percent have a university education and 28 percent have only finished
high school.
The civil servants’ union, ADEDY, said  the number of civil servants as a proportion of the
Greek work force was lower than the European Union average. However, yesterday’s
figure does not include workers in the broader public sector. A census of employees at
public utilities and companies is to start in September.


Truck drivers defy order to end their strike
31st July 2010 ekathimerini

The government yesterday enlisted the help of the army in a bid to tackle the fallout from
a five-day strike by truck drivers, dispatching military trucks to help alleviate nationwide
fuel shortages.
“The armed forces, with their own means, are already guaranteeing the supply of critical
sectors such as airports, electricity plants and hospitals,” said a statement issued after
an emergency Cabinet meeting. The statement added that navy landing craft “will also
contribute if necessary.”
The impact of the truckers’ action on Greeks and tourists was evident yesterday.
Motorists experienced problems as many gas stations remained without fuel. The
problems were most acute in northern Greece.
In Thessaloniki yesterday evening, riot police clashed with truck drivers outside a
refinery. The protesters had been trying to stop a truck from leaving the establishment.


Migrant boat
29th July 2010 ekathimerini

Coast guards on Santorini were yesterday dispatched to investigate an uncaptained
sailing boat spotted off the coast of the Aegean island with 20 illegal immigrants aboard.
After being towed to safety, the passengers – 16 men, two women and two children –
told officers that they had sailed from Turkey with plans to reach Italy. Further
questioning revealed that the traffickers, two men aged 41 and 35, were among the
group.


One dead in Iraklio explosion
27th July 2010

A huge explosion in a car repair shop on the ground floor of an apartment block in the
Cretan port of Iraklio yesterday killed the owner of the business, left an elderly woman in
critical condition, two other block residents with serious burns and another eight with
breathing problems. Local residents reported several loud bangs shortly before 5.30 a.m.
yesterday. The fire caused by the explosion spread from the ground floor to the first
floor, according to the local fire service, which dispatched nine fire engines to extinguish
the blaze. The cause of the explosion remained unclear yesterday.


Τruck owners strike
25th July 2010 ana-mpa

Owners of state-licensed road freight vehicles have moved planned strike action forward
to Sunday, July 25,  after the government announced planned legislation to open up the
currently closed road freight market. The strike had originally been scheduled to start on
August 27.
The decision may lead to problems in the supply and distribution of goods on the market
at the height of the tourist season, including petrol.
In an announcement, the truck owners' association accused the infrastructure, transport
and networks ministry of acting without any warning and focused especially on the value
given to the vehicle licence, pointing out that the state sold them licences at triple the
current value.


Air controllers’ strike ‘illegal’
24th July 2010 ekathimerini

Air-traffic controllers, who had threatened to disrupt all flights into and out of the country
as of tomorrow (Sunday July 25) with rolling 24-hour strikes, yesterday called off the
action after an Athens court declared it illegal.
The workers, who are demanding better wages and the recruitment of more staff, said
they will stage a work-to-rule protest instead of the rolling strikes. This would result in
delays to domestic and international flights, as air-traffic controllers observe strict limits
on the number of aircraft allowed in Greek air space at any given time. According to
sources, the public servants said they would not stage work stoppages during the week
to avoid causing disruption for passengers. But other sources claimed that workers are
considering calling a 24-hour strike for next weekend.
Transport Minister Dimitris Reppas yesterday urged the air-traffic controllers not to take
action that would hurt the country’s tourism industry, which is reeling following several
months of workers’ strikes against the debt-ridden government’s austerity measures.


Wildfires on Crete, Evia
24th July 2010 ANA
A large wildfire broke out early Friday in the Liopetra area of Siteia, on Crete and was still
raging at noon, burning forest, brush and farm expanses.
A strong team of firefighters with five fire engines and several municipal water trucks,
and an army contingent were battling the blaze, assisted by a water-dropping helicopter,
but efforts were being hindered by high winds.
No homes or populated areas are at risk.

A second fire was blazing in a forest expanse on Mt. Gorila in Paramythia, Thesprotia
prefecture.

Meanwhile, a major wildfire that broke out in Karystos, Evia, on Thursday was receding
on Friday, although it has passed through several housing settlements and continued to
burn forestland, while a strong force of f48 firefighters with 24 fire engines and four
divisions on foot were battling the flames, while water-dropping aircraft resumed efforts
at the first light of day and reinforcements have been sent from Athens.

Further, a wildfire that broke out Thursday in Derveni, Arcadia prefecture, was reported
as having been contained on Friday, as was another fire in Pera Chorio, Livadia, from
which the water-dropping aircraft have now been withdrawn.



Most Greek banks defy doomsters, passing stress tests
24th July 2010 smh.com.au

Greece's main banks passed with varying success on Friday EU-wide stress tests on their
ability to weather another storm, with only one bank failing to make the grade.
Many analysts had wondered how Greek banks, heavily dependent on central bank
funding, would survive the EU-wide crash tests.
But the Bank of Greece said five out of six Greek credit institutions had passed the exam,
a result which the Greek finance minister said showed the system's resilience in an
extreme-case simulation.
The sole laggard was ATEbank, formerly known as Agricultural Bank, which fell 242.6
million euros (312 million US dollars) short of a worst-case sovereign debt crisis scenario
on core capital-to-asset ratio.
The remaining organisations, National Bank of Greece, EFG Eurobank, Alpha Bank,
Piraeus Bank, and Hellenic Postbank, said in separate releases that they had met the
challenge set by the London-based Committee of European Banking Supervisors



Three Arrested on Arson Charges
23rd July ert.gr
Fires in Thesprotia and Sithonia are under control while there is no fear for spreading of
the fire that broke out in Acrata on Saturday noon. In the meantime, the Fire Department
announced that 3 people were arrested in connection with fires in Halkidiki, Lefkada and
Karystos. A Serbian national, 34 was arrested in Halkidiki charged of igniting fire in farm
land as he was burning dry weed. A Czech national was arrested in Lefkada on the same
charges while a 43yo resident in Karystos using an electric device was also arrested .  
Sparks from his electric machine ignited the fire .


Farmers to Blockade Hania Tax Office
20th July 2010 Haniotika Nea

Farmers are to blockade the Hania tax office ' indefinitely' from 11 a.m on Thursday 22nd
July, in protest at the non - payment of compensatory damages from 2009.

A spokesman for the farmers said “We are not satisfied with the (govt) statement that it
will be the end of summer when compensatory damages are paid. It is vague and we
want something more concrete, something more tangible."
They say they will continue the blockade until the government decides to deal with their
problems seriously.


Emergency landing
20th July 2010 ekathimerini

A military aircraft was forced to make an emergency landing at Hania airport on Crete on
Sunday evening after experiencing mechanical failure. Airport authorities said the plane
landed safely. Around the same time, a commercial flight that had been on its way to
Hania from Athens was redirected to the airport in Iraklio.


No ferry strike action until after August 15th says PNO
20th July 2010 ekathimerini

Passenger ferry routes connecting Piraeus to the islands of the Aegean are not expected
to suffer any disruptions for the next month after the Panhellenic Seamen’s Federation
(PNO) said yesterday that it would not be staging any strike action until after August 15.
Over the past few weeks, members of PNO and the Communist Party-affiliated labor
group PAME staged several blockades at the country’s main port of Piraeus, thwarting
the travel plans of thousands of Greeks and tourists.


Greek journalist investigating corruption shot dead at his home
20th July 2010  Independent

A Greek investigative journalist was gunned down outside his home yesterday in an
attack blamed on a far-left terrorist group.
Sokratis Giolias, a 37-year-old radio journalist and popular blogger and father of one,
was shot more than 15 times by terrorists carrrying 9mm pistols. He was killed at around
5.20am in the middle-class Athens suburb of Ilioupoli after three uniformed attackers in
bullet-proof vests, apparently posing as security personnel, rang his doorbell. They drew
him out of his apartment building by claiming that someone had stolen his car. His
pregnant wife was upstairs.
Later police discovered a car, apparently the getaway vehicle, abandoned and burned to
a shell near to the scene of the crime. Officers initially dismissed the idea that terrorists
were responsible. But later they said that ballistics tests on bullet casing at the scene
had shown that the same guns had been used in previous operations by the Sect of
Revolutionaries, a far-left group which was implicated last year in the murder of an anti-
terror police officer and an attack on a television station. .. continues: Independent


First major fire of summer hits near Athens
19th July 2010 Ekathimerini & Business Insider

More than fifty forest fires struck Greece over the weekend. The largest fire burned over
800 hectares of shrubland outside Athens.
So far Greek firefighters have been able to contain the wildfires.
More than 800 hectares of mostly shrubland were burned by a wildfire that broke out
almost 50 kilometers northeast of Athens on Saturday and which took the fire service
most of the day to get under control, as firefighters battled against other, smaller blazes
as well.

The fire service said yesterday that initial estimates indicate that Saturday’s fire
destroyed 800 hectares of greenery between Kapandriti and Varnavas, a few kilometers
from the resort of Kalamos. It was the first major forest fire of this summer in Greece.
The blaze broke out early in the day and was fanned by gale force winds. More than 300
firefighters, 100 soldiers and 61 fire engineers took part in the ground operation to but
out the blaze. Six airplanes and four helicopters also played a vital part in getting the
fire, which developed on several fronts, under control by repeatedly dropping water. The
fire was put out soon after 2 a.m., the fire service said.
Although the wildfire got close to a number of homes, only a shack was burned and no
injuries were reported. Residents, however, were forced to leave their homes as the
blaze spread.


Goldtrail collapse leaves Britons in Greece and Turkey
17th July 2010 BBC

A British tour operator has collapsed leaving thousands of holidaymakers abroad, the
Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) has said.
Greece and Turkey specialist Goldtrail, based in New Malden, south-west London, went
into administration on Friday with an estimated 16,000 customers overseas.
The CAA said it was arranging to fly customers home after their holidays and there were
no more outbound flights.
The CAA said flights home from Turkey would operate as normal but holidaymakers in
Greece were warned to expect changes.
Those in Greece are advised to check with representatives at local airports. The company
used charter airlines such as Onur Air, Turkuaz and Viking.
It is thought that as many as 50,000 holidaymakers who have booked flights over the
summer will be affected by the company's collapse.


Greece Summer Sale season begins July 15th
15th July 2010
ana-mpa.gr
Greece's  summer sale season (from July 15th to August 31st) starts this week. Shoppers
will be able to buy products at reduced prices all across the shopping spectrum.

But shoppers beware. The Greek Consumers Centre (ELKEPA) warns consumers should
survey the market and compare prices. Also, each item should have two prices, the one
that was valid before the sales period began and the reduced price being offered during
the sales period.


Greek strike to ground flights on July 15
Reuters

Flights to and from Greece will be halted for four hours on Thursday when air traffic
controllers walk off the job to join a public sector walkout against labour reforms.

The stoppage is part of an anti-austerity strike by public sector union ADEDY which called
for its half a million members to march to parliament on July 15 as lawmakers will be
voting on civil servants' retirement rules.

Air traffic controllers cancelled earlier plans for a 24-hour strike on July 14 and said that
instead they would stop work between 11.00 and 15.00 hrs (0800 and 1200 GMT) on
Thursday to protest against the pension reforms and to ask for payment of overtime.

Despite repeated general strikes and protests against the reform, Greece's parliament
approved last week a sweeping pension reform that curbs early retirement and raises
the retirement age to 65 for all.

The strikes have hurt tourism, which accounts for nearly a fifth of Greece's 240 billion
euro economy. Air traffic controllers did not take part in May and June walkouts, saying
they did not want to further hurt the sector.
See Athens Internationl Airport Bulletin for links to airlines & details of cancelled and
rescheduled flights.


Heraklion Businessman commits suicide
14th July 2010 Haniotika Nea

Financial problems are believed to be the cause of the suicide of a 58 year old market
trader from Heraklion.
The man disappeared early on Monday morning after a dispute with an individual,
believed to be over economic differences.  As the hours went by and the man did not
return home, his family realised his rifle was missing and sounded the alarm as he had
previously attempted to commit suicide.
His car was  found hours later by a farmhouse in Kavrochori and the body of the 58 year
old was found nearby, with a suicide note, having turned the gun on himself.


Athens pleased with EU reaction
14th July 2010  ANA-MPA
Greek Finance Minister George Papaconstantinou on Tuesday expressed his satisfaction
here over the fact that Community officials acknowledged Athens' efforts to restructure
its battered economy.
Speaking to reporters after an ECOFIN meeting in Brussels, the Greek FinMin said the
issue of the Greek economy was briefly discussed during Monday’s Eurogroup meeting,
with the European Commission presenting positive recommendations of an interim report
by EU experts.
Papaconstantinou underlined the comments made by Eurogroup’s president, Jean Claude
Juncker, who praised Athens' efforts to cut the country’s double-digit fiscal deficit.
He reminded that around July 24, delegations from European Commission, the European
Central Bank and the International Monetary Fund will visit Athens and stressed that the
result of this visit would become the basis for approving the second tranche of a loan
agreement to Greece, the second in 2010 totaling 9.0 billion euros. (ANA-MPA)


Drug Arrests in Kalives and Souda
12th July 2010 Haniotika Nea

Two foreign nationals arrested in Kalives and Souda yesterday are accused of
possession and drug trafficking. Police say they are nationals of Iran, aged 23 and 30
years old.
Narcotics police found, in the suspects homes, 34 grammes of raw hemp and 12.7 grams
of raw opium (theriaki).


Drop in Chania tourism  5,65%
10th July 2010 Haniotika Nea

A report in the Haniotika Nea says the financial crisis is affecting tourism and contributing
to reducing the number of arrivals in Greece and  the prefecture of Chania.

The number of tourist arrivals in the prefecture of Chania in the first half of 2010 was
down by approximately 5.65% over the same period of 2009, according to the
Department of Economics and Management at the Mediterranean Agronomic Institute of
Chania (MAICh) in collaboration with the Department of Financial Management, Technical
University of Crete.

Making a comparison between the first half of 2010 with the corresponding quarter of
2009, for the seven major nationalities who visited the prefecture of Chania, they
observed that there is a decrease in arrivals of all nationalities.

Of the Nordic countries, Norway and Sweden have remained about the same level as last
year, while Denmark and Finland were down by close to 6%.

The biggest fall is seen amongst tourists from England,  with  a reduction of 21.75%.
Meanwhile the Germans continue to reduce their visits to Chania, marking a drop of
57.5% over the first half of 2007, but these comparisons are only for the months of May
and June, as the Germans begin to visit Chania from May onwards.

In the prefecture of Iraklion arrivals of foreign visitors for the first half of 2010 at
Heraklion Airport declined by around 5.14%.

Making a comparison between the first half of 2010 with the corresponding quarter of
2009, on the main nationalities visiting the prefecture of Heraklion, there was a decrease
in arrivals from most nationalities. But Russian arrivals showed  a very significant increase
of about 61.72%, climbing to fourth place ahead of the Dutch.


Civil servants set for headcount
8th July 2010 ekathimerini

The Data Protection Authority (DPA) yesterday gave the Interior Ministry the go-ahead to
start a census of the country’s civil servants, believed to number at least 700,000 and to
be a significant burden on the debt-ridden state.
According to sources, the DPA said that the count could be carried out only if authorities
use data relating to the civil servants’ salaries. The authority has insisted that personal
questions be removed from an electronic form to be distributed to public service
employees. The census began with the distribution of these forms to employees of the
General Secretariat for Public Administration, which operates under the ministry’s
supervision, the General Accounting Office and the Municipality of Haidari in western
Attica. The second phase of the initiative, due to be completed by the fall, foresees the
creation of a single body to handle all payments to staff in the civil service. According to
the plan, civil servants who fail to register will not be paid.


Another General Strike 8th July and New Blockade - Seamen to close Piraeus port
3rd July 2010 ekathimerini

In what is fast becoming a major headache for the country’s tourism sector, the
Panhellenic Seamen’s Federation (PNO) has announced that it will be staging another 24-
hour strike on July 8, preventing travelers from boarding island-bound ferries at the port
of Piraeus. Several blockades over the past few weeks have resulted in thousands being
stranded at the country’s main port and on the Aegean islands. The decision to strike
next Thursday, when another general strike is also scheduled, was made after tensions
peaked during a session of PNO’s executive committee between federation members and
representatives of the militant Communist Party-affiliated group PAME.


Burglar Arrested in Chania – others sought
3rd July 2010 Haniotika Nea

Police in Chania say they  have arrested one member of a criminal gang of three burglars.
The offender is a 34 year old foreign national from Georgia. Investigations are continuing
to identify and arrest the other two offenders.
According to police, between 17th June and 23rd June 2010 the gang committed a total
of 16 break-ins; 13 in Chania and 2 in Rethymnon.  The value of jewelry that had been
stolen is in excess of  one hundred thousand (100,000) Euros.


Fresh offensive targets tax cheats
3rd July 2010 ekathimerini

A crackdown by state inspectors on hundreds of companies and self-employed
professionals believed to have used bogus invoices to evade some 2 billion euros in
taxes has led to dozens of individuals being indicted on criminal charges, Kathimerini has
learned.

An Athens prosecutor has already drawn up 338 charges of tax evasion and Finance
Ministry inspectors are looking into dozens of additional cases. According to sources, the
ministry suspects that the use of bogus invoices to evade taxes is far more widespread
than the simpler method of concealing sources of income by not declaring them.

Ministry inspectors have been conducting raids on the premises of several suspicious
businesses, chiefly doctors’ and lawyers’ private practices. Many are believed to have
been paying third parties to provide them with bogus invoices so they could report lower
revenues and pay less income tax. The ministry is also seeking those alleged to have
issued these bogus invoices. Most of the latter are self-employed professionals and are
believed to have made a healthy second income by charging would-be tax evaders for
their illicit services, sources said.

In a related development, the state yesterday took control of five properties belonging to
popular singer Tolis Voskopoulos and his wife, former Deputy Culture Minister Angela
Gerekou, with the aim of auctioning them off to recoup some of the 5.5 million euros the
singer is alleged to owe the tax office. It is thought the auction will raise at least 3.5
million euros. Last month, the singer lodged seven appeals against the tax evasion
charges that have been brought against him. The country’s highest administrative court,
the Council of State, is to hear the appeals of the 70-year-old singer in October.


Athens Passenger traffic rises to 5.8 mln for first 5 months
1st July 2010 ekathimerini

Athens International Airport said yesterday passenger traffic rose 2.8 percent in the first
five months of the year, to almost 6 million people. The total number of people passing
through Greece’s biggest airport was 5.8 million, up from 5.6 million for the same period a
year ago, the company said in a statement. International travelers rose 1.9 percent and
domestic passengers increased 4.2 percent. Industry officials expect the number of
tourists from abroad this summer to remain the same as last year but with a drop in the
amount spent by visitors of up to 10 percent. Tourism accounts for 16 percent of Greece’s
gross domestic product and about one in five jobs.
Cretan relic hunter nabbed
28th June 2010 ekathimerini
A resident of Hania, Crete, who handed a bag of human bones to local police after
apparently discovering them while out searching for World War II relics was arrested
when officers found a stash of weapons at his home.
The 27-year-old’s house was searched after he presented some human remains to the
officers at the Nea Kydonia police station. The man, who has not been named, said that
he uncovered the bones in the Maleme area.
“It is likely that these are the remains of a high-profile figure who took part in the Battle
of Crete,” the police said in a statement. “But the bones have to be sent to the
University of Athens Anthropology Center for further examination.”
Officers found several machine guns, submachine guns, rifles, dozens of bullets and other
items the suspect said he uncovered using a metal detector. However, as he did not
have a firearms license, he was taken into custody.


More travel misery from Greek general strike
29th June 2010  AFP

Travellers in Greece on Tuesday ran a labour gauntlet for the second time in a week as a
general strike against pensions reform shut down services and disrupted departures
from the capital.
But authorities took swift action to keep the main port of Piraeus from being blockaded,
sending around 1,000 coastguards and police to keep unionists from seizing control of
ferries.
Some 500 Communist-affiliated strikers gathered at the harbour but were prevented
from approaching the ships to the Aegean islands which include some of Greece's top
travel destinations, a coastguard source said.
However, they were able to block the departure of smaller vessels to islands closer to
Athens.
"All the early boats to Aegean destinations have departed," a coastguard spokeswoman
told AFP.
"There are increased operational measures at the harbour and things are calm," she said.
The general strike called by the main Greek unions is the fifth since February against a
wave of austerity measures imposed by the government as it struggles to staunch a
national debt crisis.
Separate street demonstrations against the sweeping spending cuts were planned in
central Athens and other main Greek cities later on Tuesday.
A one-day protest on June 23 stranded thousands of travellers at one of the
Mediterranean Sea's busiest ports for hours.


VAT increase from July
26th June 2010 ANA-MPA

The rates of Value Added Tax (VAT) are to rise as of July 1, based on a tax bill recently
passed by Parliament.
The regular VAT rate on most goods will increase from 21 percent at present to 23
percent, while the reduced rate of 10 percent currently charged on a range of goods and
services will be increased to 11 percent. The lowest rate of 5 percent will increase to 5.5
percent.
The change will affect all invoices and receipts issued after July 1, even when they refer
to transactions conducted before that date.


Mourning in Heraklion for dead Policeman in Ministry Bomb attack
25th June 2010 ekathimerini & DigitalCrete

In one of the most brazen terrorist attacks to ever take place in Greece, a device
exploded last night next to the office of Citizens’ Protection Minister Michalis
Chrysochoidis in the ministry building near central Athens, killing his assistant.
Initial reports suggest that the explosion was caused by a parcel bomb that the minister’
s assistant, 52-year-old Giorgos Vassilakis, a married father of two from Herkalion,
opened at around 8.30 p.m., triggering a blast that brought down the wall between his
and Chrysochoidis’s office. The minister was not in his office at the time.
The ministry building houses the offices of some of Greece’s top policemen as well as the
anti-terrorist squad. The intelligence services also use the building, located off Katehaki
Avenue. There were no reports of any other serious injuries as a result of the blast.

Heraklion society was shocked last night at the death of  George Vassilakis, in whose
hands the bomb exploded on the seventh floor of the Ministry of Civil Protection. He hails
from Heraklion and often visited his parents and two brothers who live there.


EC warning over hospital supplies
25th June 2010 ekathimerini

Greece could be hauled before the European Court of Justice and fined for failing to keep
to EU-wide rules governing the procurement of medical equipment and supplies, the
European Commission said yesterday.
Brussels found that Greek taxpayer money is being wasted and that public hospitals are
breaking the rules in order to prevent some companies from taking part in tenders to
supply goods.
According to the Commission’s report, Greece spends 720 million euros a year on
disposable products such as surgical thread and medical gloves for 17 state hospitals.
Brussels received complaints in 2003 that some public hospitals were rejecting offers
from suppliers of medical equipment that bore the CE certification marking, which certifies
that a product has met EU consumer safety, health or environmental standards. The CE
mark is intended to show that medical equipment is safe to use. Member states are only
allowed to exclude such supplies if there are public health concerns or if they are
suspected to be forgeries.
“The Commission found that the technical specifications in the tender notice were
subjective and discriminatory, effectively blocking any supplier of CE-certified medical
equipment to enter into a competitive bidding procedure to supply several Greek public
hospitals,” Brussels said in a statement yesterday. “Furthermore, the Commission found
that, as a result, Greek public hospitals may not have received the best value for money,
leading to a waste of taxpayers’ money.”
Despite warnings last year, Brussels said, Greece has yet to take any action to remedy
the situation. Athens now has two months to comply or else it faces a financial penalty.


Port blockades leave hordes of travellers fuming
24th June 2010 ekathimerini

Thousands of Greeks and tourists remained stranded at Piraeus and other ports around
the country yesterday after a crowd comprising some 400 members of the Communist
Party-affiliated labor union PAME blocked the boarding ramps of several ferries during a
24-hour strike against austerity measures being pushed through by the debt-ridden
government.
The demonstrators, members of two marine engineers’ unions, persisted with their action
yesterday even though a court had declared it illegal and abusive on Tuesday. The
Panhellenic Seamen’s Federation (PNO), an umbrella organization which represents a
total of 14 unions including the two staging yesterday’s blockade, did not back the
protest, although it has expressed its opposition to the lifting of cabotage restrictions
that prompted the strike.
Tempers flared at Piraeus port early in the morning as passengers trying to board ferries
were faced with rows of burly men with their arms interlocked. Most of the foreign
tourists sat despondently by the ticket offices in the port area, waiting for word about
their scheduled journeys.
Two prosecutors were sent to the scene but they did not order police to enforce the
court order deeming the strike illegal. As for the coast guard officials, they said they
would not attempt to break the blockade as it could fuel violence in the port. “We do not
want to make things worse,” the chief of the Hellenic Coast Guard, Vice Admiral
Athanassios Bousios, told Flash Radio. Bousios said the moored ferries could not depart
for safety reasons anyway, as the vessels’ engineers were among those staging the
blockade.

The Hellenic Association of Tourism and Travel Agents yesterday condemned the action
as the country’s crucial tourism industry has already been hit by previous strikes.


Five Britons to be extradited for attack on countryman
24th June 2010 ekathimerini

Five British men charged in connection with a violent attack on a fellow Briton outside a
nightclub in the Cretan holiday resort of Malia in June 2008 have lost their legal battle
against extradition, Agence France-Presse reported from London yesterday. The men, all
in their early 20s, deny stabbing Robert Hughes with a broken bottle and stomping on his
head. Defense lawyers claimed that Curtis Taylor, Daniel Bell, Sean Branton, George
Hollands and Benjamin Herdman would face detention in terrible conditions if sent back
to Greece, AFP reported. But Britain’s High Court ruled that the evidence presented to
back up their claim was not strong enough to justify refusing their extradition to Greece.


Compensation for stranded tourists
23rd June 2010 ekathimerini

Greece offered to compensate tourists stranded by labor unrest ahead of a new travel
strike yesterday as unions stepped up their assault against government austerity cuts.
Culture and Tourism Minister Pavlos Geroulanos told a news conference that the
government would “guarantee” extra room and board payments made by visitors as rail
unions started a series of stoppages.
“We are certain that it will be a calm summer and that there will be no major strike
disruptions,” a ministry source told AFP.
“But just in case something happens, the Greek state is prepared to cover these costs,”
the source added.
The minister told the press conference late Monday that compensation would even be
paid for tourists stuck in Greece during the volcano eruption in Iceland in April that
blocked European air routes for several days.

Geroulanos gave no details though of how much the compensation would cost nor how it
would be paid.


Digital TV reaches Attica
Athens News 21st June 2010

THE transmission of digital TV will commence on June 18 in the Athens and wider Attica
area, serving 4.5 million residents. The new service is provided by Digea, a company set
up by Alpha, Alter, Antenna, Makedonia, Mega, Skai and Star channels. In order to
facilitate the digital broadcasts, it will be necessary to shut down the analogue
broadcasting station on the island of Aegina, meaning that thousands of residents of the
southeastern slopes of Mount Ymittos - including Vouliagmeni, Voula, Glyfada and Perama
- will lose all analogue signals. Residents in these areas will only be able to watch
television if they have a digital television or decoder, which retail from 39 to 69 euros.
Analogue broadcasts will continue for a time from the transmission station on Mt Ymittos.
More information on digital TV from a previous Athens News article is available at
www.tiny.cc/knvzo


More strikes ahead
21st June 2010 ANA-MPA

The scene looks set for a long, hot summer, with a new wave of strikes ushering in the
second half of June. This includes a 24-hour nationwide strike on June 29 called by the
country's two largest umbrella union organisations - GSEE and ADEDY - against planned
changes to pension and labour law and an ongoing strike by teachers marking the
nationwide university entrance exams.

After a brief hiatus over the weekend, meanwhile, workers at the Athens Metro decided
on Sunday to suspend a 24-hour strike initially planned for Monday, although it has not
been clarified whether they will resume rolling work stoppages in protest over the
management's refusal to renew the contracts of 286 workers hired before the elections.
According to the Public Administration Inspector, their contracts were illegal because they
were hired during the pre-election period. Metro workers are additionally demanding that
they be exempted from the general public sector pay cuts imposed by the government.

In a decision on Friday, the plenum of bar association presidents announced that lawyers
will abstain from court appearances and other duties from June 23 until July 7.


Giant salad
21st June 2010 ekathimerini

Residents of the prefecture of Ierapetra on Crete gathered over the weekend with the
aim of creating the largest salad in the world and earning a place in the Guinness Book of
World Records. Using a receptacle measuring 100 square meters as their salad bowl,
locals threw together 6 tons of tomatoes, 3 tons of cucumbers, 2 tons of peppers, a ton
of onions, 800 kilos of feta cheese and half a ton of olive oil. It remained unclear late
yesterday whether the 12-ton salad had made it into the record book.

Crisis forcing migrants home
21st June 2010 ekathimerini

Thousands of immigrants who have lived in Greece for years, chiefly Albanians, are
moving back to their homelands as the impact of the financial crisis bites into their
incomes, Kathimerini has learned.
Travel agencies across the capital are reporting a significant increase among migrants
buying coach tickets to their native countries for themselves and their families. “My office
is reserving tickets for about 10 families every month,” said Petros Matzaris, who runs an
agency in central Athens that organizes coach trips to Albania
Nikita Tsiprian, who works in another travel agency on central Acharnon Street, reported
the same trend. “Some construction workers tell me that they have hardly had any work
at all for the past six months,” he said.
Most of the migrants leaving Greece are Albanians, with smaller numbers from Bulgaria
and the countries of the former Soviet bloc.

Greek police match launcher used in US embassy hit
21st June 2010 AP

Greek police say a rocket-propelled grenade launcher found in a suspected radical
hideout was used against the U.S. embassy in Athens three years ago.
A far-left group called Revolutionary Struggle claimed the audacious Jan. 2007 attack on
Greece's most heavily guarded foreign embassy, which caused no injuries and minor
damage.
Police arrested six suspected group members in April, and seized what is believed to
have been Revolutionary Struggle's main arsenal in an Athens flat. The haul included the
launcher, RPGs, firearms and explosives.
A police statement Friday said laboratory tests have confirmed the launcher was used
against the embassy.
The six suspects, all self-declared anarchists, have been charged with terrorism and
attempted murder.


Clampdown on tax evasion
19th June 2010 ANA

The government is determined to clamp down on tax evasion and punish those who
acquired wealth at the state's expense, regardless of "how high" they are, finance
minister George Papaconstantinou stressed in an interview appearing in the Sunday
newspaper "Proto Thema".

Papaconstantinou also stressed that every new measure will be enacted in order to put
a stop to the impunity, and announced that "we will soon see shops being closed due to
tax evasion".

He said that the next step for regaining the taxpayers' confidence in the inspection
mechanism will be minimisation of their direct contact with the services.

He further said that the country's exodus from the economic crisis "tunnel" has already
commenced, "from the moment we pinpointed the problems", and "we are proceeding,
together with the society, in the implementation of a three-year program for the
salvation and recovery of the country".

"We have already the first indications that the economy can cover more quickly than we
had anticipated," he added.


Tragic end for a 28 year old paraglider from Rethymnon
14th June 2010 Digitalcrete

On Sunday afternoon a 28 year old from Amari Rethymnon was found dead after trying to
jump with a parachute at Plateau Krapi Sfakia. The circumstances of the death of the
young man were unclear, but the problem appeared to be with his parachute and he had
been unable to use the reserve.
Three other friends managed to successfully paraglide and communicated by radio. Once
they realised that something had happened to their friend they tried to contact him, with
no success .

Fire fighters were called in to help locate him, and eventually he was found dead, lying
face down, in the quarry near Askifou.


Greek PM optimistic about future
12th June 2010 AP

Greece's prime minister says steps taken to fight the country's debt crisis are starting to
take hold.
George Papandreou says tough and necessary decisions have been made and that "we
are now witnessing the first signs that we are turning the corner."
Papandreou -- addressing members of the Institute of International Finance -- also
pledged to repay financing by the European Union and the International Monetary Fund.
Greece was saved from defaulting on its loans last month by the first installment of a
euro110 billion ($131 billion) rescue package from the IMF and the 15 other nations that
share the euro currency.
Papandreou also said his goal was a complete reorientation of the Greek economy.


Corinth blockade
12th June 2010 ekathimerini

A three-day blockade of two Italian-owned cargo ships at Corinth’s cargo port by Greek
seamen nearly escalated into a diplomatic episode yesterday when representatives of
Adriatic Lines refused to attend negotiations proposed by the Greek government to
break the deadlock, as the shipping firm’s request that the Italian ambassador to Greece
attend the talks was denied.
A written statement sent to the general secretary of the Economy and Merchant Marine
Ministry, Giorgos Vlachos, late yesterday afternoon by Adriatic Lines turned down his
invitation for talks at 8 p.m. The reason for the refusal, according to sources, was Vlachos’
s inability to fulfill the firm’s demand for the presence of the ambassador, Gianpaolo
Scarante, at the negotiations. According to diplomatic protocol, officials of the Greek
Foreign Ministry would also need to attend a meeting involving the Italian ambassador.
Speaking to Skai TV yesterday evening, the president of Adriatic Lines, Marco Alberti, said
his firm’s vessels were being held hostage and that he and his managers would not
negotiate “with a gun to our heads.” Alberti added that the Greek judiciary knew that his
firm was in the right and accused Greek authorities of failing to enforce the law.
Earlier in the day a prosecutor in Corinth had informed Supreme Court prosecutor Ioannis
Tentes that the Port Authority is unable intervene to impose the law and allow the two
vessels to leave the port.
The Ropax I and the Ropax II, both laden with cars, have been stuck at Corinth’s cargo
port since Monday when members of the Panhellenic Seamen’s Federation (PNO) set up a
blockade, demanding that the vessels employ Greek workers.


Corruption crackdown
Official caught taking 1,000 euros to issue documents
11th June 2010 ekathimerini

The head of the forestry authority in Lavrio, southern Attica, was charged with bribe-
taking and blackmail after being caught in the act of accepting 1,000 euros from a local
resident who had requested a certificate classifying a plot that he owned as farmland. On
being asked for the backhander, the resident contacted police, who advised him to pay
the official in marked bills. The official was arrested after accepting the cash by police
waiting outside his place of work. Three hundred euros was found on him and the
remaining 700 euros was discovered hidden in the bathroom next to his office.


Temporary dip in jobless rate
March unemployment falls to 11.6 percent from 12.1 pct; one in three aged 15-24
looking for work
11th June 2010  ekathimerini

Greece’s unemployment rate dropped in March after climbing to its highest rate in six
years the previous month. However, it is seen as resuming its upward trend later this
year.
The jobless rate fell to 11.6 percent March from 12.1 percent in February, the Hellenic
Statistical Authority (ELSTAT) said yesterday. The number of unemployed in March
decreased by 26,554 people from the previous month.
Greece’s jobless rate was the fourth highest in the 16-member eurozone after Spain,
Slovakia and Ireland and 1.6 percentage points above the bloc’s average in March.
The jobless rate in March was 29 percent among those aged 15 to 24, the worst affected
age group, followed by a 15.4 percent rate for those aged 25 to 34, the authority said.

The unemployment rate was highest in the Ionian Islands, which include the popular
holiday destination of Corfu, at 23 percent. The rate reached 16.7 percent in the
southern Aegean, which includes the popular tourist islands of Myconos and Santorini.
The jobless figure on Crete, the country’s most populous island, rose to 12 percent in
March from 10.3 percent a year earlier.

Sectors such as construction, retail and manufacturing have suffered the most in the
ongoing crisis.


EU Statisticians Given More Powers After Greek Data Fiasco
11th June 2010 Radio Free Europe

Finance ministers from the European Union have determined that the EU's statistical
office, Eurostat, should have greater powers of scrutiny over national data on public
finances.
The measure, agreed at a meeting in Luxembourg, is meant to prevent a repetition of
Greek-style misreporting that triggered the current debt crisis in several European
countries.
The ministers proposed that Eurostat be given audit-like powers over data submitted by
EU national governments. Currently, that information has to be taken at face value by
Eurostat statisticians.  EU Economic Affairs Commissioner Olli Rehn today expressed
"some concerns" over economic statistics provided by Bulgaria and is considering sending
an inquiry mission there.

On June 7, Eurozone nations began setting up a massive bailout fund that could rescue
any member of Europe's currency union from default. The EU/IMF package will total 750
billion euros ($1 trillion).


Trade unions to hold protest rally
11th June 2010 ANA-MPA

The General Confederation of Employees of Greece (GSEE) and the civil servants' union
ADEDY are to hold a protest rally at Klathmonos Square in central Athens on the evening
of June 16 at 19:00 in order to demand the withdrawal of the government's measures for
the pension system.



New plan to curb tourism development
8th June 2010 ekathimerini

A special zoning plan for tourism, which aims to curb construction on islands and
coastlines that are already heavily developed but to encourage projects in other areas, is
being tweaked by experts and will be submitted for public consultation in a few weeks’
time.
The bill, a revised version of legislation drawn up by the previous conservative
government, also foresees the closure of old hotels and the abolition of a controversial
plan to encourage the construction of “tourist villages” with apartments for sale to
tourists seeking holiday homes.
According to the director of land zoning at the Environment Ministry, Polyxeni Zeikou, the
new legislative framework will seek to determine the relative potential of various coastal
zones for development with the aim of ensuring that “saturated” areas, as seen on
Crete, Rhodes and Kos, are not subject to more construction. Other factors, such as the
percentage of the local population employed in the tourism sector, will also be taken into
account when determining which areas can be subject to further development, Zeikou
said.


Lawyers strike
5th June 2010 ekathimerini

Lawyers are to stage two 48-hour strikes over the next two weeks to protest the impact
of new tax measures and imminent changes to the pension system, the coordinating
committee representing all the country’s bar associations said yesterday. The action is
scheduled for June 7 and 8 and June 16 and 17.


Policemen attacked in Anogia, Crete
5th June 2010 ekathimerini
A group of policemen were set upon by around 45 villagers in Anogeia, Crete, yesterday
when they burst into a house in the area to investigate the source of gunshots heard.
The villagers beat the policemen, using sticks and iron bars, leaving some of the officers
with significant injuries. The assailants fled after the scuffles but police said that at least
six of them are known offenders and would be traced.



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