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The Hellenic Radio (ERA): News in English, 02-01-23The Hellenic Radio (ERA): News in English Directory - Previous Article - Next ArticleFrom: The Hellenic Radio (ERA) <www.ert.gr/>CONTENTS[01] NEWS IN ENGLISHERA.5 THE VOICE OF GREECE23/1/2002 2:29:00 μμ [02] NEWS HEADLINES- Government to anounce revenue policy today- EU economy begins recovering - Two concerns for IOC regarding Olympic Games projects - Simitis urges Greek businessmen to invest in Bulgaria - Karamanlis concerned over Greek foreign policy - Tuesday' s earthquake measured 6.6 on the Richter scale according to seismologists - High school-professors on strike [03] Weather forecastThe day will start sunny on Wednesday with cloud later in the day that may turn to rain overnight in the centre and north. There will be showers in the west from afternoon. Early morning mist is forecast, especially in the Ionian and on the mainland. Winds southwesterly, light, turning moderate at sea. In the north, temperatures will range from 0C to 13C; on the rest of the mainland from 1C to 18C; and in the islands from 8C to 17C.Light cloud in Athens with temperatures between 7C and 17C. Same in Thessaloniki with temperatures from 2C to 13C. [04] Government to anounce revenue policy todayThe government is to announce its revenue policy today, according to which there will be a 2.5% increase on salaries, more than a 3% increase on pensions and an additional allowance up to 60,000 drs for those who are not receiving it.Pensioners will receive an additional increase of about 1.5%, since according to the draft bill to presented by Finance Deputy minister Georgios Floridis at 12:30 today, allowances will increase retrospectively as of January 1. Additionally, spouces will be receiving a family allowance as of July 1. Before anouncing the government's revenue policy, Mr. Floridis will meet with the Civil Servants' Board representatives and with pensioners of the public sector. [05] EU economy begins recoveringThe 15 European Union Finance and Economy ministers believe that the European economy has begun showing the first signs of recovery. In tandem, ECOFIN reiterated its commitment to the fiscal targets of the Stability Programme.[06] Two concerns for IOC regarding Olympic Games projectsThe International Olympic Committee (IOC) pointed to perrenially taxing issue of transportation in and around traffic-congested Athens along with accommodations as the two primary headaches ahead of the 2004 Olympic Games. It should be noted that progress for providing 2,800 rooms for accommodation was slight.The IOC' s vice-president and head of a commission gauging progress for the Athens Games, Denis Oswald, cited the two concerns during a press conference in Athens on Tuesday, almost two months since the last IOC delegation again visited Greece for a wide-ranging tour of worksites, talks with the Greek government and the ATHENS 2004 Organising Committee (ATHOC). However, Oswald said progress in terms of venue construction, the Olympic Village and other infrastructure works is proceeding on schedule, although "no reserve days" are available if delays materialise. The six-member IOC inspection team gauged progress ahead of next month's 2002 Winter Olympics in Salt Lake City. [07] Simitis urges Greek businessmen to invest in BulgariaPrime Minister Constantine Simitis presented the Greek plan for the restructuring of the Balkans in Sofia. According to the plan Balkan countries will be alloted appropriations totalling 550 million euros from 2002 to 2006.Mr. Simitis expressed Greece' s support in Bulgaria' s effort to be acceeded to the European Union and become a Nato member. He also urged Greek enterprises to make investments in the neighbouring country. Finally, Sofia assured that it would suspend the operation of the nuclear station in Kozlodoui. [08] Karamanlis concerned over Greek foreign policyMain opposition New Democracy (ND) leader Costas Karamanlis focused squarely on foreign policy issues during a Tuesday press conference in Athens organised by the Foreign Press Association (FPA), emphasising, that EU enlargement will be jeopardised if Cyprus is excluded from the next wave of expansion.In response to a variety of press questions, Karamanlis added that his party' s support towards the PASOK government on major foreign policy issues does not constitute a carte blanche, noting that talks with Turkey involving Greece's sovereign rights are strictly out of the question. What dialogue "For what purpose, and on what basis" Karamanlis asked, while noting that weaknesses in the 1999 Helsinki agreement -citing the EU summit where Turkey was for the first time designated as an EU candidate-state are now appearing, such as references to dialogue over border area differences without commensurate references to international treaties. The ND leader criticised the government for its handling of the thorny Euro-Army issue, charging that Athens attempted to gain a short deferment at the last moment instead of condemning, from the onset, British-Turkish negotiations aimed at working out a compromise with Ankara over its insistence that it fully participate in the EUs new defence arm. He also appeared cautious over the recently re-started Clerides-Denktash talks on the divided island of Cyprus. Finally, Mr. Karamanlis appeared certain that New Democracy party would win the Parliamentary elections whenever they took place [09] .[10] Tuesday' s earthquake measured 6.6 on the Richter scale according to seismologistsAccording to seismologists, the earthquake that took place in south-eastern Aegean early Tuesday measured 6.6 on the Richter scale.The earthquake jolted the islands of Crete and Rhodes, causing panic but no injuries or damage. [11] High school-professors on strikeProfessors of High Schools have decided to go on a 24-hour strike on February 8. Meanwhile, the confrontation between University doctors and the Ministry of Health is escalating. Hospital managers are to remove the doctors who are not exercising their profession.The Hellenic Radio (ERA): News in English Directory - Previous Article - Next Article |
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