The Hellenic Radio (ERA): News in English, 05-02-03

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From: The Hellenic Radio (ERA) <www.ert.gr/>

CONTENTS

[01] Bleak Atmosphere in Holy Synod

By Athina Saloustrou

Sources: NET 105.8

Havoc reigns in the ranks of the Hierarchy, following the torrent of revelations regarding the involvement of members of the clergy in the extrajudicial scandal. The Continuous Holy Synod, which has been convening since 9am in the Petraki Monastery, has to decide on the future of the Metropolitan Bishops of Attica and Thessaly, as well as Archimandrite Giosakis, who was served an arrest warrant last night by the Piraeus Public Prosecutor, since there were imminent fears of him fleeing the country. The avalanche of revelations is continuing, since new evidence for the circle, in which it is alleged that many judicial officers and clergymen are involved, comes to light daily. According to exclusive information by NET 105.8, Archbishop Christodoulos will impose a six-month suspension, thereby removing him from active service, on the Metropolitan Bishop of Attica, Panteleimon, while an investigation will be conducted in his affairs. Furthermore, an Examiner will be appointed to investigate the case of the Metropolitan Bishop of Thessaly. It is still unknown whether the Continuous Holy Synod will decide on an extraordinary meeting of the Church of Greece Hierarchy.

Translated by Vicky Ghionis

Related News:

Nine More Justices in Tight Spot

Arrest Warrant for Giosakis

[02] Greece Dressed in White Heavy Winter

By Despina Hristopoulou

Sources: NET 105.8, MNA

The snow has caused serious problems in many areas of Greece. Heavy snowfall has been recorded in most parts of the country, including the northern suburbs of Attica, while the temperature has dropped and the winds are high. Vehicles traveling on most roads of Greece, as well as in Eastern Attica, require snow-chains. Vehicles are not allowed to travel towards Mt Parnitha, from the cable-car up, and from the Palea Penteli Square towards Agios Petros. In the meantime, on Thursday the schools in Ekali, Penteli, Nea Penteli, Kozani, Grevena, Florina and regional Thessaloniki will remain closed. There are also problems recorded with the flights and the sea travel due to the gales blowing in the seas.

Snow-Chains Necessary

Vehicles traveling on most parts of Greece, as well as Eastern Attica require snow-chains. According to the Prefect of Eastern Attica, Leonidas Kouris, most of the problems are located in the northern part of the Prefect, from Dionysos onwards, despite the fact that snowploughs have been clearing the roads throughout the night.

Police are not allowing any vehicles to travel on the Lamia-Amfissa road towards Domokos, Bralos and Mt Tymphristos without snow-chains, since the roads are slippery due to the snow and the frost. Snow-chains are also required for the Lamia-Karpenisi road, from Makrakomi to the town of Karpenisi.

In the meantime, dozens of villages in western Fthiotida and Domokos remain isolated, while in the town of Lamia the snow was 10cm.

Northern Greece is dressed in white, since the snowfall, cold and high winds are continuing in most areas for the second day running. Actually, in the centre of Thessaloniki the snow has exceeded 10cm.

According to the local authorities, vehicles traveling on the national and regional roads in all four Western Macedonian Prefects (Kozani, Kastoria, Florina and Grevena) require snow-chains.

The Egnatia Kalamia-Koilon Kozani part (towards Grevena) has been closed since the early hours of the morning, while vehicles traveling on most of the regional roads of Central and Eastern Macedonia require snow-chains. However, none of the villages are closed off. Snow-chains are also necessary for the Prefectures of Kilkis, Serres, Rodopi, Xanthi and Evros.

In Ioannina, the severe problems have subsided, but the temperatures remain low. However, the national and regional roads in the area are open.

The wave of bad weather has also caused severe problems in the Prefecture of Achaia. 45 villages remain isolated in the provinces of Kalavryta and Egialia, as well as in the areas Chalandritsa, Akrata and Egira, due to the heavy snowfall.

The Patra-Kalavrita road via Chalandritsa, the Aigio-Kalavrita road via Pteri, the Diakofto-Kalavrita road via Pounta and the Akrata-Zarouchla road are all closed, while mostly all regional roads in the mountainous municipalities of Lefkasio, Peon and Aroania are also closed. However, it is estimated that most roads will open soon.

Problems with Air and Sea Travel

All ships traveling from Rafina to the Cyclades islands have docked, although the Rafina-Marmari ferry route is operating as normal.

As of noon, the Piraeus Port is expected to close and only closed-type ships will be allowed to travel towards the islands of the Saronikos Gulf.

The ferry ports of Zakynthos, Kyllini, Alexandroupoli, Volos and Igoumenitsa, remain closed. Furthermore, the Patra-Kefalonia-Ithaki ship route has been cancelled temporarily.

In the meantime, many Olympic Airways flights departing from Athens towards local airports, including Alexandroupoli, Samos and Leros have been grounded due to the adverse weather conditions. Furthermore the Karpathos-Kasos flight was also been cancelled.

In Thessaloniki, the Macedonia Airport, the port and the railways are operating as normal. The bad weather is expected to start subsiding as of tomorrow.

Translated by Vicky Ghionis

Related News:

White Siege

[03] Employment Bill in Parliament Interview Causes Obstacles

By Athina Saloustrou

Sources: NET 105.8

The discussion of the Bill on employment in the public sector starts today in the Plenary Session of Parliament. In the meantime, clashes have been caused between the Minister of Interior Prokopis Pavlopoulos and the leader of the Opposition Giorgos Papandreou, over a clause in the Bill which regards "oral interviews" as a criteria for recruitment. The President of PASOK accused the government of imposing party politics on public administration, as well as nepotism and the creation of client relations. "He is judging by his own standards," commented Mr Pavlopoulos, recalling that the oral interview was established in 1999 by the PASOK government. "Our government is trying to cover sins of the past," claimed the Minister of the Interior on NET 105.8, while at the same time he denied reports that the Supreme Administration Court judges the Presidential Decree for contract workers unconstitutional. "The Peponi law imposed objective criteria. The interview is an entirely subjective medium, which promotes and strengthens client relations. We are not so na&#239;ve as to believe that all this is taking place in the name of meritocracy," stressed former minister of the Interior Alekos Papadopoulos on NET 105.8.

Translated by Millie Williams

[04] At an Old Age Greek PM's Father Passed Away

Alekos Karamanlis, father of Greek Prime Minister Kostas Karamanlis, who had been hospitalised in the Athens Red Cross Hospital for the last three weeks, passed away at 8:45am, aged 91. The Director of the hospital, Thodoros Gounaris, issued the medical bulletin. The PMs father was admitted to hospital on 11 January 2005, suffering from cardiac insufficiency following a lung infection, and had been hospitalised in the ICU for the last three weeks. His funeral service will be sung today at 3:30 in Aghia Filothei, with just a close family circle in attendance, while the burial will be tomorrow at 12 noon in his birthplace, Serres. Owing to this sad event, the Prime Ministers schedule for today has been postponed.

Translated by Vicky Ghionis

Related News:

Prime Minister's Father in Hospital

[05] Possible Gas Poisoning Georgia's PM Found Dead

By Despina Hristopoulou

Sources: ΝΕΤ 105.8, BBC

Georgias Prime Minister Zurab Zhvania was found dead in a friends apartment in Tbilisi, as per Interior Minister Vano Merabishvili. According to the first findings, Zhvania died of apparent gas poisoning. One of his bodyguards had to break in the apartment several hours later, since the PM was not answering on his mobile phone. "At 05:00 (local time), since he did not answer his telephone for a long period his bodyguard broke through the window ... and found Mr Zhvanias body," adding, "It is an accident. We can say that poisoning by gas took place."

The 41-year-old man had been appointed Prime Minister two years ago by the President of the former Soviet Republic, Mikhail Saakashvili, who was swept to power by a wave of protests over a fraudulent election that forced veteran leader Eduard Shevardnadze, Zhvanias former political ally, to resign.

According to analysts, in the interim, the countrys new PM will probably be someone from the Saakashvili camp, or the powerful Defence Minister, Irakli Okruashvili.

Translated by Vicky Ghionis

[06] Another 3 British Soldiers on Trial Seven Britons Charged with an Iraqi's Murder

By Anna Kourti

As per an article in the newspaper Daily Mail, seven British soldiers will be court-martialed in Germany, charged with the murder of an Iraqi citizen. The soldiers will be put on trial based on the accounts of witnesses, who mentioned that the victim had been battered with fists and guns, following a car pursuit near a British outpost. Another three British soldiers are already on trial by the Osnabruck Court Martial in Germany, charged with torturing Iraqi citizens in a military base in Basor, southern Iraq. Last September, another soldier had been charged with the murder of an Iraqi citizen and will be tried by a civil court. The police are also investigating the murder of another Iraqi, alleged to have been killed by six soldiers.

Two US Marines were killed in the last 24 hours, during a military operation in al Anbar, west of Baghdad, as per a US army spokesperson. Since the beginning of the war in Iraq, in March 2003, 1,438 American soldiers have lost their lives, 1,102 of whom died during military operations.

Translated by Vicky Ghionis

[07] Concerned about the state of the economy Optimistic Within their Pessimism

By Viki Keleri

Greeks are generally pessimistic about the future for their financial situation, as well as on developments in society and the protection of the environment, according to the results of research by the European Union published today in Brussels. At the same time, they paint their finances with brighter colours regarding the next five years, although they do not hide their disappointment with the comparison with European standards. Despite this, Greeks are quite satisfied with the quality of life within their country, with 60% describing it as good.

Worry but Hope

78% of Greeks consider the economic situation of the country as bad. The corresponding EU average is about 10% lower, around 62%.

Furthermore, 87% believe that the other European countries are in a better economic situation than Greece, while just 8% believes the opposite. Among the EU 25, 48% answer that they consider the economic situation of their country worse than the average in Europe, while 40% consider it better.

However, looking towards the future within the next five years, 43% of Greeks predict that better days await them.

Regarding employment, 91% of Greeks questioned describe the current situation as negative, while among the 25, the corresponding figure is 76%. In fact, the Greeks asked expect (46%) that things will get worse over the next five years.

A black picture is painted of the situation in social protection, with 75% describing it as bad, while the European average is at around 53%.

Despite their pessimism, 60% of Greeks consider that the quality of life in their country is good, and 49% expect it to improve in the near future.

Finally, regarding the condition of the environment in Greece, the people appear to be concerned and worried, as 63% judge it to be bad, while they are divided on whether or not it is likely to worsen, with either version supported by 40%.

Translated by Millie Williams

[08] Pet Lovers Lounge International Livestock Fair Opens

By Anna Kourti

The 4th International Livestock Exhibition Zootechnia 2005 opened its doors this morning at the snow-covered Exhibition Centre in Thessalonica, where it is being organised by Helexpo. It will remain open until Sunday 6 Fenruary. The exhibition will be officially inaugurated at 7pm by the Minister Minister for Rural Development and Food Evangelos Basiakos, at Stall 15. An innovation in this years exhibition will be the horse display by the Thessalonica Equestrian Club. This will be held every day on a special ground at Stall 17. As part of the exhibition, the Pet Lovers Lounge will be held, with companies active in the pet sector.

Schedule - Events

The schedule is as follows:

Thursday, Friday and Sunday it will operate from 10am to 7pm. On Saturday it will be open from 10am to 8pm.

The schedule of events includes:

Scientific meeting on the topic "Forestry and Agriculture Systems of Land Use" (Friday)

15th Animal Food Symposium (Friday) with talks on "Trends and Perspectives in Bovine Farming in the new CAP" (Saturday)

"Qualitative livestock products" (Sunday) "Livestock in Greece in a wider Europe" (Sunday).

Translated by Millie Williams

[09] Rescue Operation Continuing Greek Ship Sinks

By Despina Hristopoulou

Sources: NET 105.8

The rescue operation in Maltas territorial waters to locate a ship that sent out a distress call last night is continuing. The Greek-owned cargo ship "Vigla", under a Honduras flag, with a Greek captain and six other foreign sailors aboard, sent out an SOS while sailing 212 nautical miles west of Pylos. According to an announcement issued by the Greek Ministry of Mercantile Marine, the ship had started taking in water. It had sailed from Tunisia and was headed for Slovenia. The weather conditions in the area were quite adverse. A Greek and a British tanker, as well as two Greek and one Maltese Navy helicopter are also assisting in the rescue operation. As per the Mercantile Marine Ministry, the Maltese rescue crews have recovered the bodies of two of the crewmembers.

Translated by Vicky Ghionis

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