News in brief
Iran has launched more than a dozen missiles at Iraqi bases hosting US and coalition troops, declaring the strikes to be retaliation for the killing last week of top general Qassem Suleimani.
Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Khamenei said the attack was «a slap in the face» for the US.
US President says he will make a full statement on Wednesday morning, US time. Iranian President Hassan Rohani will also address the public.
Moreover, an earthquake has struck near the Bushehr nuclear power plant in Iran, measuring 4.9 on the Richter scale.
Also in Iran, a Ukrainian Boeing-737 with more than 170 people on board has crashed. According to preliminary information, the plane crashed as a result of an engine failure for technical reasons. Rescue workers had found one of the airliner’s black boxes.
Iran’s Red Crescent said there was no chance of finding survivors.
US President Donald Trump hailed his country’s close relations with Greece as he welcomed Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis at the White House on Tuesday.
As the meeting got under way, Trump said the two countries are “doing a lot” together and will continue to do so.
The Turkey-Libya agreement causes destabilization, stated Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis on camera at the Oval Office on Tuesday evening.
In a meeting earlier, Mitsotakis met with International Monetary Fund Managing Director Kristalina Georgieva, announcing afterward that the IMF office in Athens would close this year.
Greek Foreign Affairs Minister Nikos Dendias is heading to Cairo for a meeting with his counterparts of Cyprus Nikos Christodoulides and of Egypt Samekh Shukri. This time the meeting will include the Foreign Affairs Ministers of France, Jean-Yves Le Drian and of Italy, Luigi Di Maio.
According to diplomatic sources, the meeting will aim at coordinating the actions of the five states towards resolving the Libyan crisis.
The first Euroworking group meeting for the year 2020 convenes in Brussels today, to prepare for the Eurogroup meeting scheduled to take place on January 20.
The weather is gradually improving. However, the Parnitha Avenue is still closed heading to the casino, while the Penteli-Nea Makri road remains closed from the level of Agios Petros to the 414 military hospital. Schools in the areas of Vilia and Erythres will not operate until Friday.
The Municipality of Athens’ Friendship halls are are open to all those in need until 3 in the afternoon. You can call 1595 for more information.
Sea routes from the port of Piraeus to the Cycladic islands, the Dodecanese and eastern Aegean islands are still suspended. Routes to Crete and the Argosaronic gulf- as well as the route from Rafina to Marmari-are operating normally.
And the weather forecast…
Partly cloudy in Attica this morning. Maximum temperature 6 degrees Celsius.
More news in brief tomorrow morning at 9
