News in brief

Increased traffic at this hour on Alexandras Avenue heading to Kifissias, on Mesogeion street heading to the city center, Vasilisis Sofias Avenue from the Hilton hotel to Syntagma square heading dowtown and on Vasilisis Amalias avenue.

Pensioners are holding a rally outside the Μinistry of Labor at this hour, as the pilot-trial regarding pension arrears begins today at the Council of State. Stadiou street is currently blocked at the level of Dragatsaneiou street.

Today and Monday the Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis will brief political leaders on his recent visit to the United States.

The first meeting with the leader of SYRIZA opposition party, Alexis Tsirpas will take place at this hour, followed by a meeting with the leader of KINAL party Fofi Gennimata at 1 pm, Elliniki Lisi leader Kyriakos Velopoulos and Diem25 leader Yanis Varoufakis at 5 and 6 pm respectively. The meeting with Communist Party general secretary Demetris Koutsoubas will take place on Monday morning.

A jewel shop was targeted at around 4.30 am in the area of Ilioupoli.

Two bodies, belonging a foreign couple aged around 50, were found dead in an appartment in the area of Metaxourgeio. According to sources, the couple died from gas leakage.

A small child lost its life in the northern city of Komotini, when a fire broke out at a refugee camp. Moreover, a man in Amaliada in the Peloponese lost his life in a fire that broke out at his home.

In Corfu island a 63-year old woman died from the cold.

Greek Foreign Minister Nikos Dendias travels to Brussels today to attend an emergency meeting of the European Union’s Foreign Affairs Council, called to discuss the crisis with Iran and developments in Libya.

US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo discussed the latest situation in the region with NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg.

Pompeo and Stoltenberg “Iran’s threats posed in the region,” said in a telephone conversation.

Australia urged nearly a quarter of a million people to evacuate their homes on Friday and prepared military backup as soaring temperatures and erratic winds fanned bushfires across the east coast.

The US House of Representatives has approved a largely symbolic resolution seeking to limit President Donald Trump’s ability to make war on Iran.

It aims to mandate congressional approval for any conflict with Iran, except in cases of an imminent attack against the US.

Evidence suggests an Iranian missile brought down a Ukrainian passenger plane that crashed near Tehran, possibly in error, Western leaders say.

The leaders of Canada and the UK called for a full and thorough investigation into the crash, which killed all 176 people on board.

Iran has ruled out a missile strike by its air defenses.

US media have speculated that the timing of the crash suggests the plane may have been mistaken for a US warplane as Iran prepared for possible US retaliation for the strikes.

And the weather forecast…

Partly cloudy in Attica this morning with the temperature expected to reach a maximum of 13 degrees Celsius.

More news in brief Monday morning at 9.