SPD’S Steinbrueck in Athens

The Social Democrat candidate for the German chancellorship, Peer Steinbrueck, is due in Athens today for a series of talks with government officials. Steinbrueck, who has been critical of his rival Angela Merkel’s handling of the Greek debt and the European crisis in general, is expected to meet with President Karolos Papoulias, Prime Minister Antonis Samaras, PASOK chief Evangelos Venizelos and Finance Minister Yannis Stournaras tomorrow. The SPD candidate’s trip to Greece is seen as an effort to collect information regarding the country’s challenges. Steinbrueck has suggested that Merkel and other European leaders should have shown greater support for the debt-stricken country at the start of the crisis by guaranteeing its bonds.

Quake.

A moderate earthquake measuring 4.4 on the Richter scale shook the southeastern Aegean island of Gavdos yesterday, according to the National Observatory of Athens. The quake’s epicenter was 7 kilometers off the southeastern coast of the island, which is located south of Crete.

State debts.

The 38-year-old manager of a courier company in Athens yesterday presented herself to the financial police with regard to an alleged debt of over 10 million euros. According to reports, the company owes the state some 10.66 million euros in unpaid taxes. The woman, who was not named, was expected to face a prosecutor late in the day.

Venizelos health.

Evangelos Venizelos, head of socialist PASOK, was admitted to a Thessaloniki hospital on Sunday for a scheduled health check-up, the party said in a statement. Following his admission, Venizelos remained hospitalized for one day in order to undergo a complete gastrointestinal and cardiovascular examination. The PASOK chief was expected to return to Athens today. In 2011, Venizelos was admitted to hospital with stomach pains and subsequently underwent surgery.

Damages awarded.

The Council of State yesterday backed an earlier court decision to grant 200,000 euros in compensation to the relatives of a patient who committed suicide in an Athens hospital. The man, who was admitted to hospital following an earlier suicide attempt, was in the process of being transferred to a facility specializing in mental disorders when he jumped from the hospital’s third floor. The court found that the hospital had failed to provide the necessary supervision of the patient given his history.

Basketball.

Olympiakos has all but secured the top spot in the Greek Basketball League after downing rival Panathinaikos 7267 at home last night, to go two points clear at the top.