The Hellenic Radio (ERA): News in English, 05-11-28

The Hellenic Radio (ERA): News in English Directory - Previous Article - Next Article

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

CONTENTS

[01] First Indications Speak of Human Error Blast Injures 4 in HELPE

By Athina Saloustrou

Four people were injured in a blast that was caused today at 08:55 in the Hellenic Petroleum crude oil warehouses in Laka Kalogiron, Nea Peramos, during repair works on an oil pipe. The injured were taken to the Thriasio Hospital for first aid, while three of them remain hospitalised at the Latseio Centre for Burns with light burns and the fourth has already returned home. According to the first information, the blast was caused by a human error. During repairs by a six-member crew on the oil pipe, one of the workers hit a screw with a hammer causing a sparkle that triggered the blast. As per trade unionists that rushed on site, protection measures are not enough. The contractor of the repair works is wanted by the authorities.

Translated by Sofia Soulioti

[02] At Chinese Mine New Multi-Fatality Explosion

By Betty Savourdou

Sources: AFP

At least 68 people lost their lives and over 79 are missing after one more explosion in a coalmine in north-east China, on Sunday night. 220 people were working the Dongfeng mine, situated near Qitaihe city, in Heilongjiang province, at the time of the blast and 74 of them have been rescued so far. The mines administration is trying to pinpoint the exact number of missing mine workers. According to government reports, some 6,000 people lose their lives annually in mine accidents in China, which are considered the most dangerous on a global scale. However, independent sources raise the death toll to 20,000 annually.

Translated by Sofia Soulioti

Read the story on other sources:

XINHUA: Death toll rises to 51 in Heilongjiang coal mine blast

BBC: Workers die in China mine blast

[03] The Winners of the International Ceremony "Someone Elses Happiness" Wins First Prize

By Tina Valaoura

Sources: ANA, Thessaloniki Film Festival

"Een Ander Zijn Geluk" (Someone Elses Happiness) by Belgian Fien Troch was the ultimate winner at the 46th International Thessaloniki Film Festival. It won the Golden Alexander Award for best feature film, the Best Screenplay Award and the Best Actress Award. The announcement of the winners took place in the packed Olympion cinema. The glamorous ceremony, which was attended by several personalities, ended with the Italian film "All the Invisible Children," a movie that was produced under the hospice of the UN and deals with the problems children across the world come up against. Seven directors, including Emir Kusturica and Spike Lee, joined forces to produce the aforementioned film. Greek actress Gogo Brebou and actor Giorgos Karamichos were the hosts of the event. Tomorrow at 9pm, at the Thessaloniki Music Hall, the Quality State Awards will be bestowed to this years Greek films. The ceremony will be devoted to the Greek comedies from the 50s to the 90s, while choreographies taken from popular Greek musicals, references to the most loved films and a lot of surprises are to enrich the programme. Greek model Viki Kagia and actor Vasilis Charalabopoulos will be hosting the event. The ceremony will be broadcast live on ET-1.

The International Federation of Film Critics

Tonights ceremony started with awarding the Golden Alexander to cinematographer and jury president Vittorio Storaro.

THE AWARDS:

Silver Alexander to "Sangre" (Blood) by Ammat Escalante, Mexico. Best Director Award to Roland Vranik for "Fekete Kefe" (Black Brush), Hungary, and to Emmanuelle Bercot for "Backstage", France. Best Screenplay Award to Fien Troch for "Een Ander Zijn Geluk" (Someone Elses Happiness), Belgium. Best Actress Award to Ina Geerts in "Een Ander Zijn Geluk" by Fien Troch, Belgium, and to Isild Le Besko in "Backstage" by Emmanuelle Bercot, France. Best Actor Award to Ahmad Razvi in "Man Push Cart" by Ramin Bahrani, USA. Artistic Achievement Award to Chin Ting Chan for the cinematography of "Liarnen" (Falling in Love) by Wang Min Tai, Taiwan.

The Jury also made special mention to actress Natali Broods in the film "Een Ander Zijn Geluk" (Someone Elses Happiness) by Fien Troch.

FIPRESCI Awards

The International Federation of Film Critics (FIPRESCI) Awards were bestowed to "Como Pasan Las Horas" (The Hours Go By) by Ines de Oliveira Cezar, Argentina, for the International Competition Section, while for the Greek Films 2005 Section the award was given to "Tsiou" by Makis Papadimitratos.

Greek Parliament Award

The Greek Parliament TV channel, in the context of the special department of screenings entitled Independence Days or New Horizons, awarded "Tsotsi" by Gavin Hood from South Africa.

Awards were also given out by:

The Greek Film Critics Association (PEKK) Award was given to "Buzz" by Spiro Taraviras. The Greek Union of Film Television and Audiovisual Technicians (EKEKT) Award was given to "Galazio Forema" (True Blue) by Yannis Diamandopoulos, while the audiences vote went to "Man Push Cart" by Ramin Bahraniand "I Horodia tou Charitona" (Charitons Choir) by Grigoris Karantinakis.

In closing, the Balkan Survey Section awarded the movie "Go West" by Ahmed Imamovic from Bosnia & Herzegovina/Croatia.

Read the story on other sources:

46th International Thessaloniki Film Festival

[04] Eight Homeless People Dead Deadly Cold

By Betty Savourdou

Eight homeless people have lost their lives in France, Germany and Belgium to the frost wave that has been sweeping through western and northern Europe over the past days. The main features of the adverse weather conditions are heavy snowfalls and low temperatures. In fact, in Germany, thousands of houses remain without power, while in France temperature has dropped to 10 degrees Celsius and authorities have placed some 30 prefectures under orange alert. At least five people have lost their lives in France, two of which died on Saturday. The first, an immigrant from an Eastern European country, was found frozen at a forest near Paris, while a 58-year-old homeless was found dead of hypothermia inside a garage in Calais.

Thousands of Germans Without Power

Heavy snowfalls are sweeping through Belgium, where two homeless people were found dead on Saturday, one outside a Church in Brussels.

Another homeless was found dead on Sunday under a bridge in Dortmund, western Germany, where heavy snowfalls have caused huge transportation problems.

At the same time, over 80,000 people in western Germany are still living without power, as snow and frost have destroyed power lines, although authorities said the situation is improving.

As per an official in Minster, one of the worst afflicted areas, access is feasible in all villages and all affected people will get help.

Power supply will be restored during the day, except for Ostrup, where power cables have been damaged along 3km.

As per the Meteorological Service, snowfalls in Germany were the worst of the last hundred years. They caused 2,000 accidents, resulting in the injury of 140 people and in damages worth millions of euros, especially in the state of North Rhine-Westphalia.

Translated by Sofia Soulioti

Read the story on other sources:

BBC: Big freeze grips northern Europe

[05] Humanitarian Organisation Members Westerners Abducted in Iraq

By Betty Savourdou

Sources: BBC - Reuters

Four members of humanitarian organisations were abducted in Iraq while Saddam Husseins trial resumed in Baghdad. The US Embassy to Baghdad confirmed the disappearance of an American citizen, while the Foreign Office in London is trying to verify information that one Briton is among the abducted. "Were investigating reports of a missing British national, Norman Kember, but we cannot give any more details at this stage," stressed a spokesperson for the Foreign Office. Earlier, a Canadian Foreign Ministry spokesperson had confirmed information that two Canadians were among the kidnapped. However, he stressed the Canadian government is not aware of the circumstances surrounding the incident.

"Their Safety is Above All"

The Canadian ministry was informed on the abductions on Sunday by the Canadian Embassy to Jordan. "The interest we have is above all the safety of the individuals," stressed Ministry official Dan McTeague.

"Disclosing names, their organization and where they were kidnapped may not be helpful at this time," he also added.

The kidnappings could be linked to the continuation of Iraq's fallen leader Saddam Hussein's trial for massacring 148 Shia villagers in the early '80s.

Translated by Sofia Soulioti

Read the story on other sources:

BBC: British aid worker held in Iraq

CNN: Canada, UK confirm Iraq kidnapping

[06] PAOK Prevails Over Akratitos

By Stathis Petropoulos

For more than an hour the encounter between PAOK and Akratitos was marked by the home side constant attacks and the guest constant defence. And if the guest team managed to achieve their goal and leave with a goalless tie, Kostikos players were getting more and more anxious, for they could not open the score. The first half was goalless, while in the second, it took PAOK 28 minutes to score. In the 73, Christodoulous goal was pretty decisive since it not only gave the home side the lead, but it also freed PAOKs players from their growing anxiety to win the game. The final 2-0 score came in the extra time.

Referee: Kakos (Corfu) Yellow Cards: Udeze, Haralabus - Vujovic

PAOK: Fernandez, Feutchine, Hasiotis, Udeze, Haralabous, Christodoulopoulos, Iliadis, Vangelis (80´ Megahed), Konstandinidis (59´ Shikabala), Salpigidis, Mieciel (57´ Egomitis).

AKRATITOS: Stelea, Obradovic, Paganin, Skoufalis (80´ Londo), Pipinis, Zuela, Marinescu, Merino (80´ Defrancesco), Gustavo, Macquet, Vujovic (46´ Sales).

[07] Shame and Disgrace in Livadia

By Stathis Petropoulos

AEK of Athens achieved a 1-0 victory over Levadiakos in an encounter that was indifferent of the score and football. AEKs fans hit once more in an away encounter and the whereabouts of the stadium soon turned into battlefields. Several fans of the guest team demanded they enter the stadium although they did not have tickets, thus triggering the incidents. The conflict with the police was inevitable. Policemen were injured and a television van covering the game was torched.

In fact the tear gases fired by the riot police to disperse the fans urged the referee to disrupt the game because the atmosphere inside the stadium was really stuffy. Nealry 20 minutes later, the game started again and in the 29 Katsouranis scored the only goal of the encounter.

Referee: Kalopoulos (Etoloakarnania) Yellow Cards: Bassal - Georgeas

LEVADIAKOS: Zafiropoulos, Kallimanis, Pastos, Dimou, Theodosiadis, Chrisafis, Zisopoulos, Bassala (84´ Karakatsanis), Rusev (58´ Alex), Gourma (74´ Ribeiro), Bushi.

AEK: Sorrentino, Cirillo, Alexopoulos, Kontis (46 Malbasa), Georgeas, Sapanis, Katsouranis, Lakis (89 Dellas), Chanko, Liberopoulos, Julio Cezar (67 Soares).

Translated by Areti Christou

The Hellenic Radio (ERA): News in English Directory - Previous Article - Next Article