A roundup of today's other world news in brief
Greek seamen stage 24-hour strike
ATHENS– Ferries and cruise ships were stranded at Greek ports yesterday as seamen staged a 24-hour strike against a government decision to lift restrictions on vessels docking with foreign crews, port officials said.
Dozens of passenger ships were stranded at Greece’s largest port of Piraeus, while traffic was halted between Athens and Greek islands.
Tourism is the top contributor to Greece’s €240 billion economy, accounting for about 18 per cent of GDP.
Shipping is usually the second or third biggest earner, with 5 per cent of GDP. Greece’s Socialist government has so far stood fast in the face of public pressure and stuck to the austerity measures.
Greece can expect a period of calm as many leave Athens for the stiflingly hot summer, but anger may grow again in September. – (Reuters)
Icelandic voters turn on parties
REYKJAVIK– An Icelandic political group called the "Best Party" won Reykjavik's municipality elections after a campaign in which it promised a polar bear for the city's zoo and "transparency in its corruption".
The party, led by comedian Jon Gnarr Kristinsson, won 34.7 per cent of the vote and will have six deputies in the city government.
The Independence Party got 33.6 per cent of the vote and five deputies, while the Social Democratic Alliance took 19.1 per cent and the Left Green Party 7.1 per cent. – (Bloomberg)
Pakistani jets kill 42 in hideout strike
KALAYA, Pakistan– Pakistani jet fighters struck militant hideouts in the Orakzai region yesterday, killing 42 insurgents, government and security officials said. The attack was the latest in a series of assaults on militants in the country's northwest.
Warplanes attacked militant positions in three areas of the Orakzai region, where government forces have intensified attacks in recent weeks after largely clearing Taliban strongholds in other areas.
“Our jet fighters carried out strikes after information that militants were present in these areas,” said one security official, who declined to be identified. A government official said 42 militants were killed. – (Reuters)
Czech right set to form government
PRAGUE– Czech right-wing parties reached broad agreement on priorities for the next government following a surprisingly strong win in a weekend election, but said building a coalition would require tough negotiations.
The left-wing Social Democrats won most votes in the election, but combined gains by the three centre-right parties, including two new groupings, made it all but impossible for the left to take power.
The election gave the right a strong mandate to carry out reforms to cut the budget deficit. – (Reuters)