Athens News Agency: News in English, 02-02-17

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From: The Athens News Agency at <http://www.ana.gr/>

CONTENTS

[01] Greek military contingent departs for Afghanistan

[02] Coast guard intercepts 12 Italy-bound migrants

[03] Knesset speaker Burg meets with top Palestinian official

[04] Karamanlis reaches out to non-ND voters

[05] Archaeologists locate Paleolithic 'mixer' in N. Greece

[06] Sunday weather - Mostly sunny

[01] Greek military contingent departs for Afghanistan

The first contingent of Greek troops set to participate in an international peacekeeping force in Afghanistan flew out of Thessaloniki airport on Sunday aboard a military transport plane.

Forty-nine volunteer officers and NCOs departed for Kabul to take up positions some nine kilometres outside the Afghanistan capital. Another 90 troops will follow in the next few days along with the transport of military vehicles and equipment.

The first Greek soldiers in Afghanistan since Alexander the Greats Macedonian and mercenary legions fought through the very same land in the 3rd century BC are due to arrive in Kabul airport, via a stopover in Dubai, early Tuesday morning.

[02] Coast guard intercepts 12 Italy-bound migrants

A total of 12 illegal immigrants all Iraqi Kurds -- were intercepted by harbour authorities in Patra, western Greece, over the weekend attempting to enter ferryboats bound for Italy.

Four illegals and a migrant smuggler riding in a private vehicle were arrested at the port late Friday evening just prior to boarding a ferryboat ?SuperFast IV? -- for Ancona, Italy.

According to coast guard officials, the four Iraqi Kurd illegals possessed forged Dutch passports, whereas the alleged smuggler was identified as one Valentin Atanasov.

A day later on Saturday evening, a total of eight Iraqis were discovered hidden among a cargo of cotton bales loaded on two trucks. The lorries were headed to Ancona aboard the ?Olympic Champion? ferry.

Along with the migrants, both truck drivers Savvas Papadopoulos, 28, and Alexandros Kaletsos, 28 were arrested.

All of the suspects were incarcerated and are due to face a local prosecutor, while the car and the two trucks were confiscated.

In an unrelated incident, 24 Kurds were located crammed into a truck parked in an Athens industrial district, while another truck loaded with 15 Iraqi nationals was located further to the west along the main Athens-Corinth highway. Police are searching for the drivers of both vehicles.

[03] Knesset speaker Burg meets with top Palestinian official

Israels Knesset Speaker Avraham Burg met in Athens on Sunday with Palestine National Council (PNC) Speaker Salim al-Zaanoun, a meeting that diplomatic sources said was arranged under the auspices of the European Unions Troika.

Both men are in Greece to participate at the third Euro-Mediterranean Conference of Parliament Presidents and Speakers, which is taking place in Athens.

During a meeting, the parliament presidents of the European Trioka (Spain-Greece-Sweden) reportedly called on Burg to accept an invitation by his Palestinian counterpart -- Palestinian Legislative Council President Ahmed Qurei (Abu Alla) to address the Palestinian authoritys legislature in Ramallah.

Sources added that the Troika parliament presidents have also offered to accompany Burg when and if such an address takes place.

[04] Karamanlis reaches out to non-ND voters

Main opposition New Democracy (ND) leader Costas Karamanlis on Saturday again favoured an outreach for voters of other political parties, especially those on the left, during his address closing the partys central committee sessions.

In his comments, Karamanlis said ?partisan fanaticism? leads with ?mathematical accuracy to corruption?, adding that ND had the political volition to reject the ?temptation of partisan politics?.

?In our future government such considerations wont have any place. We want capable and honest people in all sectors, and their politics wont be a criteria, their ability and ethics will.?

In earlier statements, high-ranking ND deputy George Voulgarakis called on the main opposition party to demand early elections, stressing that the issue isnt procedural but political, and ?doesnt refer to constitutional mechanism but to society.?

[05] Archaeologists locate Paleolithic 'mixer' in N. Greece

Archaeologists in northern Greece have apparently discovered what appears to be the worlds oldest household mixer, one dating to the early Paleolithic period, or in other words, more than 8,000 years old.

The deep clay vessel was discovered during an ongoing excavation near the Yiannitsa township, in Greeces northern province of Macedonia, almost six millennia before Philip II and his son Alexander the Great ruled the same area.

Experts that viewed the artifact said the continuous and intense twirling of a wooden shaft fitting into a dent at the vessels base is the cause of a depression at the base of the artifact.

?Under the circumstances, the invention and use of the (household) mixer is now documented more than 8,000 years ago,? archaeologist Panikos Chrysostomou, the director of the excavation at the Paleolithic settlement, recently said at a symposium in the Greek northern port city of Thessaloniki.

Along with the prehistoric ?mixer?, dozens of early Paleolithic period clay figures depicting individuals and animals have been unearthed in the same dig.

Unearthed residences at the ancient settlement, meanwhile, are described three-part complexes dating from between 6,300 BC to 6,000 BC, while two graves of newborn infants were also located nearby.

[06] Sunday weather - Mostly sunny

Mostly sunny throughout Greece on Sunday, with only a chance of rainfall in the north and central parts during the early morning hours. North-northeasterly winds, moderate to very strong. Temperatures are forecast between 4C to 11C in the north; 6C to 17 in the rest of the country. Sunny in Athens, 7C to 15C. Partly cloudy in the morning in Thessaloniki, clearing up later in the day, 5C to 10C.

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