Papoulias going to Sochi

Greek President Karolos Papoulias is to travel to the Black Sea Resort of Sochi in Russia on February 6 to attend the Winter Olympics. Papoulias will represent Greece at the opening ceremony. He will then attend the official reception for the Greek national team at the Olympic village. Greece is sending seven athletes to Sochi. The build-up to the Winter Games, the first to be held in Russia, has been dominated by discussions about gay rights, fears of a terrorist attack and whether the venues and facilities will be ready on time.

Farm quarantined.

A poultry farm in Koropi, northeast of Athens, has been placed in quarantine after a banned substance was found in some of the meat it produces. The Attica Regional Authority said that the unit in question as well as any others linked to it will be checked thoroughly before any of its products are allowed on the market. Traces of the antibiotic nitrofurantoin were found in the farm’s meat.

Lebanon attack.

Greece condemned yesterday a hand grenade attack on the Greek Orthodox Cathedral of Saint George in Tripoli, Lebanon, in which two people were injured. “The Greek government expresses its support for the victims of the attack and deplores any act of violence or religious intolerance aimed not only at Christian elements, but more generally at the peaceful coexistence of the faithful of all the creeds in the region,” said Foreign Minister Evangelos Venizelos. “We express our concern at the disturbing escalation of violence in the Middle East, as well as our undivided support for the unity, the sovereignty, the stability, the independence and the territorial integrity of Lebanon,” he added. In January, Hezbollah fighters seized several areas of Beirut, forcing the government to strengthen the group’s role in the government. There have been clashes between Hezbollah Shiite supporters and pro-government Sunni loyalists in several Lebanese cities.

Blackmailers foiled.

Four Bulgarian nationals have been arrested in Thessaloniki on suspicion of blackmailing a 55-year-old man. The four, and one more suspect who remains at large, are suspected of recording their victim having sex with a 24-year-old woman and then threatening to post the video on the Internet if he did not pay them off. The suspects, who include the woman in question, were arrested after the unnamed man agreed to give them 3,000 euros.

Murder suspects.

Two Albanian men aged 21 and 30 have been arrested in Pyrgos in the Peloponnese, on suspicion of murdering a 77-year-old man. A third suspect is being sought. The three suspects are alleged to have tied up their victim while they robbed his home. The victim’s son found his father dead after the robbery.