Athens News Agency: Daily News Bulletin in English, 05-12-27

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From: The Athens News Agency at <http://www.ana.gr/>

CONTENTS

[01] Smaller Christmas exodus, high death toll

[02] Carolers visit political leaders

[03] Interior Minister Pavlopoulos on State-Church relations; Roussopoulos on 'small flexible gov't'

[04] Patriarch of Alexandria sends Christmas message of love to the children of Africa

[05] Greece's first privately-owned power plant opens in Echedoros

[06] New painting exhibition by Dimitris Milionis

[07] People trafficking racket broken up

[08] Pleasure boat catches fire

[09] Attica police free young Bulgarian abducted by Gypsies

[10] Kavala celebrates Christmas with traditional braziers

[01] Smaller Christmas exodus, high death toll

ATHENS, 27/12/2005 (ANA)

A total of 260,000 cars existed Athens on the two National Highway routes of Athens-Lamia and Athens-Corinth between Friday morning and Sunday, which was 16,000 cars fewer than over the corresponding period last year.

However, this year's exodus was considered one of the worst with respect to traffic accidents, as 28 people lost their lives in 27 deadly road accidents throughout the country between Friday morning and Monday morning.

One third of those accidents, namely 9, occurred in Attica prefecture, in which nine people were killed, and two of which occurred in hit-and-run accidents.

Throughout the past week, traffic police conducted hundreds of checks on drivers, including breathalyzer tests, in an effort to prevent road accidents.

More specifically, between December 19 and Christmas Day, 194 Attica traffic police crews conducted 7,073 breathalyzer tests, in which 108 drivers were found to have been above the legally allowed rate, while 12 were taken into custody.

At dawn Monday alone, traffic police conducted 1,959 breathalyzer tests, in which 29 drivers were found over the allowed rate and four were taken into custody.

[02] Carolers visit political leaders

ATHENS, 27/12/2005 (ANA)

Karamanlis and his wife Natassa received at the Maximos Mansion (government headquarters) a group of children from the Association of Mothers of Large Families of Greece "Rodia", and the Spyros Lambros children's choir, who were treated to traditional Greek Christmas sweets and received gifts from the prime ministerial couple.

Main opposition PASOK leader George Papandreou received a group of carolers from the Panhellenic Federation of Pontian Associations at the PASOK headquarters on Harilaou Trikoupi Street in central Athens. Other carolers calling on Papandreou were children of the Greek Police (ELAS) officers, and the Pan-Epirote Union of Greece.

Communist Party of Greece (KKE) leader Aleka Papariga also received the children carolers of the Pan-Epirote Union.

She told reporters afterwards that warm wishes did not suffice to meet the needs of the youth and provide relief to the working people from their problems.

Papariga pledged that the KKE, in 2006, would try, with greater adequacy and determination, to stand at the side of the working people and demand that which was necessary for their relief, and to enable them to realize their strength.

Coalition of the Left, Movements and Ecology (SYN) leader Alekos Alavanos received a call from children attending the Filippino Association of Greece's school "Kasapi".

Alavanos said that, according to the Bible, the first experience of the infant Jesus was that of migration from Bethlehem to Egypt, because of Herod's slaughter of the infants. He added that slaughters and poverty continued to exist today, forcing people to migration.

"Consequently, the message of peace and solidarity is best conveyed by the children -- and what wonderful singers they are -- of the Philippine men and women living and working in our country today," he said.

The Fire Brigade's philharmonic orchestra and the children of the ELAS officers also sang carols at the ruling New Democracy offices on Rigillis street.

Children's choirs, boy scouts and girl scouts, and traditional carolers from Crete called on Archbishop Christodoulos.

On a different note, a group Greece's women Olympic medalists sang carols, wearing the Greek Olympic team's outfit, to raise money for donation to the Network Against Domestic Violence.

[03] Interior Minister Pavlopoulos on State-Church relations; Roussopoulos on 'small flexible gov't'

ATHENS, 27/12/2005 (ANA)

Codifying the government's priorities in the revision of the Constitution, Pavlopoulos made clear that "the government does not intend to accept the separation of the Church and the State, does not intend to propose the change of the electoral law provisions and neither the amendment of Article 14 which settles the incompatible capacities between mass media owners and of all those who undertake public works."

On his part, Minister of State Theodoros Roussopoulos, in an interview with the Sunday edition of "Eleftherotypia" newspaper, proposed the hiring of big international companies for the reorganization of the public sector, which will allow the creation of "a small and flexible government formation."

Roussopoulos noted that "only the prime minister knows when the (cabinet) reshuffle will take place," but that "we should not expect major changes on a level of persons."

[04] Patriarch of Alexandria sends Christmas message of love to the children of Africa

CAIRO, 27/12/2005 (ANA-MPA/N. Katsikas)

He said the Orthodox Church of Africa embraced them, giving them blankets, notebooks and pencils.

The Patriarch also said that the Orthodox Church of Africa supplied medicine for the children suffering from AIDS, to the homeless and orphans and to all those children who were struggling to get educated and escape from the harsh reality of daily life of the poor people of these countries.

Present at the church service officiated by Patriarch Theodoros were members of the Greek community of Egypt.

The Patriarch also spoke about the hospital for the poor which was founded by the local bishopry with the economic support of the Greeks.

[05] Greece's first privately-owned power plant opens in Echedoros

ATHENS, 27/12/2005 (ANA)

The 390MW power plant, which produces electricity with the use of natural gas, is located in the Hellenic Petroleum (ELPE) industrial complex in Echedoros municipality, Thessaloniki, and is the first private investment in electricity production in Greece following the deregulation of the electricity and natural gas market.

The 250 million euros plant, built by ELPE subsidiary 'Energiaki Thessalonikis S.A.', is considered one of the most important investments in the energy sector.

Its operation is expected to contribute to rendering Thessaloniki an energy hub for SE Europe, and the region's linking with the trans-European energy networks.

On Friday, energy minister Dimitris Sioufas hailed the opening of the plant as "a historic moment for the Greek energy market", adding in reply to press questions that "the new plant provides new possibilities and prospects for the safety and stability of the system".

The deregulation of the electricity and natural gas markets according to rules will create a new reality that will bring new investments, increase employment and provide businesses, industry and domestic consumers with alternative options when choosing their supplier of power, Sioufas said, stressing that this was a major conquest.

[06] New painting exhibition by Dimitris Milionis

ATHENS, 27/12/2005 (ANA)

In this new exhibition, Milionis presents small-scale (30x40 cm) paintings from his new series of works covering the period 2002-2005, which is imbued by a unique Greek aura and relationship with Symbolic Art, which is representative of Milionis' paintings. A strongly surrealistic mood pervades his depictions of the artist's timeless symbols in simple structured compositions which are the vehicle for insight into a personal mythology inspired by the Hellenic civilization.

The new series emphasizes simplicity of line and form, creating small esoteric social narrations in a representative presentation covering the artist's more than 20 years of creative pursuit. The works are characteristically Greek, imbued by an atmosphere potent with symbolism, allegory and memories of Milionis' spiritual sojourns between myth and reality, while his critically-acclaimed palette of earthen colors gives depth and an imposing aura of his metaphysical quest.

A limited-edition painting by Dimitris Milionis was the gift presented by the "Patras Cultural Capital of Europe 2006" organization executive committee coordinator Christos Roilos to Hellenic Radio/Television Organization (ERT) president Christos Panagopoulos during the recent signing of the agreement under which ERT became a promotional sponsor for Patras 2006. ERT is due to be designated a "grand promotional sponsor" of the Patras Cultural Capital of Europe 2006 institution.

Also, the ELTA (Hellenic Postal Service) will issue a series of six stamps in commemoration of "Patras Cultural Capital of Europe 2006", one of which will depict the painting by Dimitris Milionis which was presented by Patras 2006 to ERT president Panagopoulos.

The exhibition, which will run at the Monohoro art gallery (www.monohoro.gr), 24 Agiou Georgiou street, Neo Psychico, tel: 210-6777980, through January 14, 2006, is open to the public from 6:00-9:00 p.m. on Mondays, 11:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m. and 7:00-9:00 p.m. Tuesdays to Fridays, and from 10:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m. on Saturdays.

[07] People trafficking racket broken up

ATHENS, 27/12/2005 (ANA)

Police raided the Athens travel office late Friday, where they arrested 16 people -- nine of them illegal immigrants from Georgia -- while the owners of the Athens and Thessaloniki travel offices and their accomplices in Tbilisi were wanted by Interpol.

The illegal immigrants were smuggled into Greece in secret compartments beneath the seats of coaches carrying out the Tbilisi-Istanbul-Thessaloniki-Athens route every Friday.

The illegal immigrants hid in the secret compartment when approaching the Evros border post, and were picked up by the smugglers afterwards, who supplied them with forged travel documents bearing fake seals of the Kipi, Evros border station.

The illegal immigrants paid 1,500-3,000 euros each to the smugglers.

[08] Pleasure boat catches fire

ATHENS, 27/12/2005 (ANA)

The "Arabella", which operates as a floating bar during the summer season in the Thermaikos Gulf, developed a fire early Sunday for reasons as yet unknown.

A team of 45 firefighters with 15 fire engines extinguished the blaze before it spread, but firemen remained at the site for precautionary reasons.

[09] Attica police free young Bulgarian abducted by Gypsies

ATHENS, 27/12/2005 (ANA)

Police said that at 10 a.m. on Saturday, they abducted the 27-ear-old and transported him to the home of one of them. They struck him and forced him to communicate with his relatives from whom they demanded 30,000 euros so as to set him free.

The relatives of the young Bulgarian informed the police who following investigations, located the hideout of the abductors, arrested them and freed their captive.

The arrested were led on Christmas Day before the public prosecutor and charged with setting up a gang, abduction and bodily harm.

[10] Kavala celebrates Christmas with traditional braziers

KAVALA, 27/12/2005 (ANA)

The city's trade centre on Christmas Eve reminded one of a great grill. On most of the pedestrian walks and pavements, the traders set up open-air grills, the so-called braziers, and offered to the passersby meat and local red wine. By maintaining this tradition, the traders thanked in this way their city's customers.

The traditional braziers will be set up again on New Year's Eve, this time at a greater scale, because like every year, from early noon there will be ample wine, orchestras, and open-air grills to welcome the new year well before midnight.

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