Yiannis Sgouros

The sixth section of the Court of Audit on Wednesday upheld an earlier ruling that Panathinaikos soccer club should not receive 7 million euros from the Attica Regional Authority to improve its stadium at Alexandras Avenue in central Athens.

The club wants to make a number of improvements to the stadium, including increasing its seating capacity to 20,000 and creating parking spaces.

The Attica Regional Authority in cooperation with experts from the National Technical University of Athens (NTUA) are drawing plans to transform abandoned railway tracks into bicycle lanes that if completed may link the Antonis Tristis Park in Ilion, western Athens, to the Temple of Poseidon at Cape Sounio, southeast of the capital.

Local and regional elections conducted alongside European Parliament polls on Sunday produced a mixed picture, with conservative New Democracy prevailing in most of Greece’s 13 regions but leftist SYRIZA clinching the key governorship of Attica, which is home to about a third of Greeks.

SYRIZA took control of Greece’s largest region, Attica, on Sunday but candidates backed by New Democracy were victorious in the majority of the 13 districts.

Leftist candidate Rena Dourou edged out Attica Governor Yiannis Sgouros by winning 50.83 percent in the closest result of the night. It is the first time that a left wing party has taken control of Attica.

Athens Mayor Giorgos Kaminis is to take part in a televised debate on Wednesday evening with his SYRIZA rival Gavriil Sakellaridis but a proposal for a similar discussion between the candidates for Attica governor fell foul of differences between the two hopefuls.

Incumbent Athens Mayor Giorgos Kaminis (photo) will be facing off with his challenger for the capital's municipal authority ahead of Sunday's runoff for the first time in a televised debate on Wednesday.

People read newspaper headlines featuring the results of the first round of local elections, in central Athens, on Monday.

Rena Dourou, SYRIZA’s candidate for Attica governor, waves to supporters outside her party’s campaign kiosk, in central Athens. Dourou made a surprise performance, grabbing first place in the first round of the regional vote yesterday.