Antenna: News in English (PM), 97-11-08

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From: Antenna Radio <http://www.antenna.gr> - email: antenna@compulink.gr

Last Updated: Saturday, 08-Nov-97 13:28:59

CONTENTS

[01] Economy

[02] Clirides

[03] Drugs

[04] "Filoxenia"

[05] Vartholomeos

[06] Yugoslavia

[07] Hijack

[08] Roussel

[09] Soccer

[10] Basketball

[01] Economy

However, the intitial tax-free threshold will NOT be raised.

After a meeting chaired by the prime minister, government officials said Friday that raising the threshold would cost the state 160 million dollars in revenue.

Finance minister Yiannos Papantoniou says that the recent crisis in money markets, which forced the Bank of Greece to raise interest rates to dissuade investors from speculating on the Drachma, has added to the government's debt burden.

Meeting with Bank director Lukas Papadimos, former New Democracy leader Miltiades Evert said that the burden - budget deficit hole - shouldn't be filled in with tax hikes.

Papantoniou says the government's unflagging goal is to protect the Greek currency. In a further attempt to keep foreign investors interested in the drachma, the Bank of Greece is also issuing bonds guaranteed in the European Currency Unit.

An influx of foreign currency into the Greek money markets allowed inter- bank lending rates to drop as low as 10 per cent.

[02] Clirides

Clirides explains that he feels he has an obligation to work for a just and viable solution to the Cyprus problem.

78-year-old Glavcos Clirides says he would use a second five-year term to try to end the Cyprus problem, and forge ahead with talks to get Cyprus into the European Union, due to start next year.

Clirides's announcement came just after the US state department announced that US Cyprus envoy Richard Holbrooke will be in Cyprus next Monday and Tuesday.

Welcoming the visit, Clirides said that the US is the only country that can exert pressure on Turkey to try to solve the Cyprus problem.

The Holbrooke visit comes as a surprise, since until now, it has been assumed that he wouldn't go to Cyprus until after the February balloting.

But the state department says Holbrooke's thinks it's time the two communities in Cyprus held informal talks to resolve the situation.

Turkey has been in military occupation of northern Cyprus since 1974, ignoring UN calls to get its troops out.

Holbrooke would like to meet with both Clirides and Turkish-Cypriot leader Raouf Denktash together, but Denktash is refusing to meet with Clirides.

In August, a meeting between Clirides and Denktash in Switzerland shipwrecked when Denktash insisted - to no avail - that the EU withdraw its invitation to Cyprus to begin EU accession talks.

[03] Drugs

In parliament, justice minister Evangelos Yiannopoulos said Pasok is against the idea of legalising any drugs; nor does it want to draw legal distinctions between hard and soft narcotics.

Yiannopoulos cited statistics showing that 78 per cent of those who start out smoking hash, end up taking heroine and other harder drugs.

The government, he added, will continue to treat the use of hash and marijuana as criminal offences.

But drug laws will be harder on pushers than on users.

"Greece will not become full of drug dens", said Yiannopoulos.

Noting that Greece is second in Europe when it comes to drug-related deaths, Left Coalition MP Stella Alfieri said that 98 per cent of the nation's MPs want softer policies.

Yiannopoulos responded: "You and some in Pasok who want to act modern, aren't working for the good of this country when it comes to drugs. It's not progressive to legalise hash".

The justice minister announced that within two months a detox center for addicts serving time in prison will open. He added that it will be the best of its kind in Europe.

[04] "Filoxenia"

The annual fair is a promotion of the government's policy goals in the field of tourism.

The 13th exhibition was kicked off by development minister Vasso Papandreou.

She said that the 2004 Olympics, to be held in Athens, are a milestone date in the development of tourism in Greece.

Fair attendance is up by 20 per cent this year.

360 travel agents from 31 countries are taking part in it. Especially noteworthy is the marked presence of local government officials from all over Greece.

Dimitris Saravakos, prefect of Argolida says "Our region is here as part of our efforts to promote tourism in our county".

And Pandelis Trigkaris, president of Porto Heli community, says, "People will get to know our region through this event".

The exhibition runs through next Sunday.

[05] Vartholomeos

The patriarch spoke to Antenna's Alexandra Spyridaki during his visit to Dallas.

Ecumenical orthodox patriarch Vartholomeos receieved an honorary doctorate from Southern Methodist University, in recognition of his role in promoting internationally the ecology movement and human rights.

Vartholomeos's concern for the environment is well known. The patriarch is also keenly interested in scientific progress. As he told Antenna,

"Science and knowledge unites nations, peoples,

countries and it is a means of dialogue and mutural understanding. That is why the Church promotes and supports the cultivation of knowledge of science. It is a part of nation".

Vartholomeos was welcomed at SMU by young orthodox students, who had their first chance ever to meet with the leader of the Church.

"How many orthodox you are here....Almost all of you".

The patriarch's love for children was evident once again during his visit to a Dallas school for the hearing impaired.

"How old are you?"

"Ten".

"Ten. And you?....Where are the other teeth?"

It was a moving occasion, when everyone present felt the presence of God's love.

[06] Yugoslavia

The Yugoslavs lay special emphasis on the fact that the Balkan leaders agreed in Crete to work collectively for peace, security, and friendly relations.

Yugoslavia believes the joint declaration signed at the end of the Crete summit..is the basis for the nations of the region to better use their collective abilities..to promote the participation of the Balkan states in European developments.

[07] Hijack

Eight Greek sailors and two foreign women on board the Galileo were held at gunpoint for eight hours as the pirates robbed them of their possessions.

Dimitris Avgerinos, captain of the vessel, managed to radio in a distress call Wednesday afternoon to the Greek Merchant Marine Ministry operations room, informing them that the boat was under attack.

Avgerinos managed to send a second distress call an hour and a half later saying, "The Galileo is in the hands of a band of pirates who approached it in a small boat. They're taking us to an unknown destination".

Greek merchant marine ministry officials relayed the SOS to Yemen's coast guard, asking all boats in the vicinity to be on the lookout for the vessel.

Just after midnight, with crew and passengers a little shaken but out of danger, the Galileo was located by Yemen's coast guard authorities close to a cluster of small uninhabited islands.

The unhappy episode over, the Galileo sailed for the Seychelles Thursday.

[08] Roussel

Roussel sent a letter to the press saying that his daughter is in danger of being kidnapped by an international gang.

Roussel, fourth husband of the late Christina Onassis, daughter of the Greek tycoon Aristotle Onassis says he was informed by Swiss police of the initial kidnap attempt in February.

The Onassis Foundation doesn't believe a word of Thierry Roussel's kidnap story. It says he's trying to defame the foundation, in an attempt to prevent it from carrying out its role as protector of Athina Onasis.

According to Roussel, while he was vacationing in St. Moritz, Switzerland with his family last February, the Swiss police informed him that Athina, Aristotle Onassis's granddaughter, was being targeted by an international kidnapping ring.

In his letter to the press Roussel says, "Someone wants to take my daughter away from me". He adds that he and his family, which includes Athina, her step-mother and the couples three children were being closely watched by seven commandos.

Roussel says it's been very stressful for his family and that they've been living fear. Athina is no longer to lead a normal life, he adds.

Roussel claims Swiss security agents told him the commandos wanted to kidnap Athina from her school in Geneva and hold her for ransom.

Apparently the commandos managed to elude the Swiss police when leaving the country last May.

Interpol knows nothing of the kidnap attempt.

Roussel claims that an Israeli by the name of Eial told him the head commandos were israeli reservists, one of whom has worked for the Israeli Secret Service.

Israeli police deny any search was undertaken for the above mentioned suspects.

Mosse Visrahi, Israeli inquiries commander told the Swiss police that they had been deceived by an imaginative informant. Adding that the two allegedly accused of planning the kidnap attempt on Athina were actually spying on Roussel. It seems that a Greek man employed the two men to watch Roussel in connection with financial differences between them.

Stelios Papadimitriou, Onassis foundation chairman, says, "We consider Tierry Roussel an unreliable source. He is constantly fighting with the foundation about Athina over its responsibility for her safety".

Papadimitriou adds, "If a reliable source had told this story, I would have taken it seriously. Roussel has a history of talking nonsense".

Israeli police Lt. Col Shimshon Noy told associated press Thursday that a colonel and a leutenant colonel in the reserves, were private investigators hired by the managers of the trust fund of Onassis' granddaughter, Athina Roussel.

He adds that in the wake of the legal dispute over the inheritance, the fund engaged the services of the israelis to observe the father and see whether his life style was normal. There were reports of debauchery, drug use and so forth.

On the death of Christina Onassis, her 12 year old daughter Athina became the sole heir to the Onassis fortune. She is set to inherit an estimated 200 billion dollars left to her by her mother when she reaches the age of 18.

[09] Soccer

In Austria, Graz beats its guest one-nil. But it's a painless loss for Aek, which advances by virtue of its 2-nil victory over the Austrians in Athens.

[10] Basketball

Coach Bozidar Malkovich hands his Aek opposite number Iannis Ioannides the ninth worst defeat of his career.

The Racing defense is too much for the visitors who end up trailing 38-26 at the half.

The French do plenty of damage against the zone, hitting 6 of 16..3-point attempt on the night, and winning it 76-52.

In their six-team group, third-place Aek is 3 and 3; Racing is 2 and 4.

Olympiakos is 6 and oh in its Champions League group, after nipping Efes Pilsen 61-60 in Athens. Centre Dragan Tarlach hits the winning free throw with time virtually all run out. Tarlach leads the winners on the night with 18 points and 11 rebounds.

(c) ANT1 Radio 1997

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