New Greek law restricts public smoking _ but gamblers and mental patients exempt

October 15th, 2009 Lawmaker questions NBA's dealings with Greek teamWASHINGTON — A U.S. congressman is asking NBA Commissioner David Stern why the league participated in games with a visiting Greek team that has allegedly breached contracts with former NBA players.

October 12th, 2009 No buts! Syrian president bans smoking in publicDAMASCUS, Syria — Syria's president on Monday issued a decree banning smoking in public places, joining an anti-smoking trend already under way in other Arab countries. The ban also includes a rare restriction in the Arab world: limiting places where Syrians can indulge in the hubbly bubbly — water pipes known locally as argileh.

October 12th, 2009 Syrian president bans smoking in publicDAMASCUS, Syria — Syria's president on Monday issued a decree banning smoking in public places, joining an anti-smoking trend already under way in other Arab countries. The ban also includes a rare restriction in the Arab world: limiting places where Syrians can indulge in the hubbly bubbly — water pipes known as argileh here.

October 3rd, 2009 Greece's Kokosalaki serves up elegant drapingPARIS — Greek designer Sophia Kokosalaki served up on Saturday a spring-summer 2010 ready-to-wear collection of artfully draped cocktail dresses that would have done her ancestors proud. Abbreviated cocktail dresses in neutral tones were wound in whisper-light chiffon so graceful it evoked classical Greek sculptures.

September 24th, 2009 House passes bill stopping Medicare premium hikesWASHINGTON — The House voted overwhelmingly Thursday to eliminate monthly premium increases for millions of Medicare patients next year. It voted 406 to 18 to send the bill to the Senate, which is expected to act soon.

September 1st, 2009 Ex-nurse accused of killing 3 appears in courtSAN ANTONIO — Attorneys for a former Air Force nurse accused of killing three terminally ill patients have hinted that they may try to show he suffered from mental illness when the case goes to trial. Capt. Michael Fontana postponed entering a plea Tuesday at a military hearing at Lackland Air Force Base.

August 25th, 2009 Official: Smoking banned at Ky. prison after riotBURGIN, Ky.

August 6th, 2009 Iraq: Cabinet considers anti-smoking lawBAGHDAD — The Iraqi Cabinet has approved a draft bill to ban smoking in public places, a government spokesman said Thursday. It's the first such bill in a country where lighting up is virtually a rite of passage for most young men.

July 1st, 2009 Former Greek Siemens exec ordered held in GermanyMUNICH — A German court said Wednesday it has ordered that a former head of Siemens AG's Greek branch be kept in custody pending a decision on his possible extradition to face money laundering and bribery charges. Michael Christoforakos, who holds both Greek and German citizenship, was arrested in Bavaria last week on a Greek-issued European warrant.

June 23rd, 2009 Obama admits occasional cigaretteWASHINGTON — One day after signing legislation giving the government unprecedented power to regulate tobacco, President Barack Obama is admitting that he's sometimes "fallen off the wagon" in his own effort to stop smoking. Obama told reporters Tuesday that he's "95 percent cured." But he added that "there are times where I mess up." He said he's not a "daily" or "constant" smoker, and that he doesn't smoke in front of his kids.

June 22nd, 2009 Obama signs strongest anti-smoking measure everWASHINGTON — President Barack Obama has signed the strongest anti-smoking measure ever, calling it an extraordinary accomplishment that will help keep children from getting hooked on cigarettes. Standing in the Rose Garden with a number of lawmakers and other guests, Obama declared: "It is a law that will save American lives." The legislation gives the Food and Drug Administration unprecedented authority to regulate tobacco and cigarette marketing.

June 22nd, 2009 Obama lauds anti-smoking billWASHINGTON — President Barack Obama has signed the strongest anti-smoking measure ever, calling it an extraordinary accomplishment that will help keep children from getting hooked on cigarettes. Standing in the Rose Garden with a number of lawmakers and other guests, Obama declared: "It is a law that will save American lives." The legislation gives the Food and Drug Administration unprecedented authority to regulate tobacco and cigarette marketing.

April 30th, 2009 2 Greek weightlifters suspended for dopingATHENS, Greece — The Greek weightlifting federation has suspended two athletes who tested positive for a banned stimulant during national games this year. A third athlete who took part in the European Union weightlifting championships in Poland in March has also tested positive for an unspecified stimulant but results on his backup sample were not yet available, the federation said Wednesday.

March 20th, 2009 ATHENS - Pirates seized a Greek-owned cargo ship off the coast of Somalia late Thursday, Greece's merchant marine ministry said. The Saint-Vincent-flagged cargo ship Titan, with 24 crew, was loaded with steel and was reportedly sailing from the Black Sea when pirates seized the ship off Somalia.

January 19th, 2009 ATHENS - Greek shipping magnate Pericles Panagopoulos was freed unharmed by his abductors after a ransom was apparently paid, according to media reports early Tuesday in Greece. The amount of the ransom was not known.