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The Hellenic Radio (ERA): News in English, 01-08-02
From: The Hellenic Radio (ERA) <www.ert.gr/>
CONTENTS
[01] Underwater research plan to register faults in the Sea of Marmara and
[02] Weather forecast
[03] Police failed to recapture escaped convict Kostas Passaris . Chief of
[04] Common retirement age for all
[05] Fuel prices up.
[06] Thriasio Hospital treating only emergency cases in August.
[07] Meeting of Greek Foregn Minister with his Albanian counterpart .
[08] Athens stock market.
[09] Agreement on the use of the Albanian language between Slavmacedonians
NEWS IN ENGLISH ERA-5. THE VOICE OF GREECE
2/8/2001 2:23:00 μμ
Weather forecast. Police failed to recapture escaped convict Kostas
Passaris Chief of the Police Ioannis Georgakopoulos resigned Common
retirement age for all. Fuel prices up Thriasio Hospital treating only
emergency cases in August. Underwater research plan to register faults
in the Sea of Marmara and the Northern Aegean. Meeting of Greek Foregn
Minister with his Albanian counterpart Athens stock market Agreement on
the use of the Albanian language between Slavmacedonians and Albanian
political parties
[01] Underwater research plan to register faults in the Sea of Marmara and
the Northern Aegean.
The first steps to prepare a specific underwater research plan to
examine and register faults in the Sea of Marmara, Turkey and the
Northern Aegean as well as the magnitude and danger these earthquakes
can cause were taken in Thessaloniki during the first work meeting
between scientists from Greece ,Italy ,Turkey and the US. The plan will
be finalised during the second meeting , scheduled to take place in
Konstantinopolis in mid November. In a press conference scientists
participating in the conference said that the underwater research aimed
at the development of prediction methods so that interested countries
could be better prepared to face the consequences of a strong
earthquake .
[02] Weather forecast
Sunshine is forecast in most parts of the country today, with the east
and south likely to see showers. Winds northerly, moderate to very
strong, turning gale force in the Aegean. In the north, temperatures
will range from about 19C to 30C; in the west from around 21C to 35C;
and in the rest of the country from about 23C to 32C. Mostly sunny in
Athens with temperatures between 25C and 33C. Same in Thessaloniki,
with temperatures from 23C to 32C.
[03] Police failed to recapture escaped convict Kostas Passaris . Chief of
the Police Ioannis Georgakopoulos resigned.
The Chief of the Greek Police , Ioannis Georgakopoulos has resigned
over a failed police operation to apprehend fugitive killer Kostas
Passaris . Earlier , he had admitted that mistakes had been made
during the operation to recapture escaped convict Costas Passaris, who
has been on the run for the past six months. Mr. Georgakopoulos said
it had a well-planned operation that had failed in its execution but
refused to blame any particular person, saying that it was organised to
avoid any victims. Passaris, who had killed two police escorts and
injured a prison guard while breaking out of an Athens hospital six
months ago, managed to elude arrest once again yesterday by slipping
through a police ambush. Police suspect, however, that he may have been
injured in the process.
The incident occurred shortly after midnight, when Passaris entered the
apartment of an accomplice in the Athens suburb of Neos Kosmos to find
the police waiting for him. It is believed that he was injured when an
officer shot a pistol out of his hand as Passaris tried to shoot at the
police before he fled leaving the pistol behind .
[04] Common retirement age for all
Major changes are expected to take place in the social security system,
after a decision by the European Court ordering Greece to equalise the
pension age for men and women . So far , it is unclear whether the
verdict concerns only civil servants and bank pension funds or will be
implemented across the board . In an announcement ,Labour Minister
Tasos Yiannitsis stressed that any changes will be introduced gradually
, and only after intensive dialogue with the trade unions .
[05] Fuel prices up.
Fuel prices go up this week after 2-months of consecutive reductions .
Gasoline will be sold 3 drs higher per litter and diezel oil 1,5 drs
higher per litter. The increse in fuel prices comes after the OPEK
member states decision to reduce oil production by 1 million barrels .
In the meantime , Development Minister Nikos Hristodoulakis is on the
island of Crete to inspec the progress of works regarding the
strenghtening of the islands energy system.
[06] Thriasio Hospital treating only emergency cases in August.
Only emergency cases will be treated at the Thriasio Hospital in
Western Attica during the month of August while doctors have announced
work stoppages demanding the hiring of personnel and increase in the
interns budget. Meeting of Prime minister Simitis with Education
Minister. Prime- minister Kostas Simitis met with Education Minister
Petros Efthimiou yesterday concluding his contacts with members of the
government prior to his departure for the island of Sifnos where he
will spend his summer holidays . After the meeting , Education
Minister Petros Efthimiou said that the decision to reinstate the
institution of a second- chance for students failing the school year
was an educationally and socially fair decision while called to comment
on Mr . Arsenis criticism , he stated that Mr.Arsenis had made similar
choices when he was education Minister. In the meantime ,next years
budget is expected to provide for an 8% increase in expenditures in the
education and health sectors. However the final decision will betaken
after the meeting of National Economy Minister with members of the
government council.
[07] Meeting of Greek Foregn Minister with his Albanian counterpart .
The need for a compromise solution acceptable to all sides in the
Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia (FYROM), was stressed after talks
yesterday between Foreign Minister George Papandreou and his visiting
Albanian counterpart Pascal Milo on Rhodes. Milo, whose country
currently holds the six-month rotating presidency of the Southeast
European Cooperation Initiative (SECI), is currently on a tour of
Balkan capitals . The two ministers said the FYROM crisis had
dominated their talks, while Papandreou praised the Albanian government
for its moderate, European stance to the crisis. On his part, Milo
said that he was prepared to travel to Skopje to act as a mediator in
the next few days, as an official of SECI's Albanian presidency, if
this would help in achieving a solution. Asked what solution would
satisfy Albania, Milo replied that all citizens of FYROM should feel
equal in a multiethnic an democratic society.
[08] Athens stock market.
The general share index rose slightly yesterday to close at 2,740
points. The volume of trading was 62.5 billion drs.
[09] Agreement on the use of the Albanian language between Slavmacedonians
and Albanian political parties .
A temporary agreement on the use of the Albanian language in areas
where Alabanians make up 20% or more of the population as well as its
use in the parliament plenum as the Albanians human right was achieved
between Slavmacedonians and Albanian political parties yesterday. Talks
will resume on Friday to discuss the isue of the police .
However , FYROM Interior Minister Ljube Boskovsky said that the only
way to resolve the crisis was to defeat ethnic Albanian rebels
militarily.
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