The Hellenic Radio (ERA): News in English, 05-12-09

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

CONTENTS

[01] In London Karamanlis Blair Meeting

By Vivian Papastefanou

Sources: ANA

The EU budget will be at the focus of the discussions between Greek PM Kostas Karamanlis and his British counterpart Tony Blair. The meeting is scheduled for 3pm today in London. Mr Karamanlis intends to repeat Greeces stance, safeguarding the Community acquis to the Luxemburg presidency, and stress that it is extremely crucial to have reached an agreement on the EU budget until the Summit, scheduled for next week. The British PM will also hold meetings with his Irish counterpart, Bertie Ahern, in the morning, and his Spanish counterpart, Jos&#233; Luis Rodr&#237;guez Zapatero, in the afternoon. The Greek PM arrived in London late last night and he is accompanied by the Deputy Foreign Minister responsible for European matters, Giannis Valinakis, and the Alternate Government spokesperson, Evangelos Antonaros.

Translated by Vicky Ghionis

[02] Love is Gender-Blind

By Despina Hristopoulou

Joyce and Bernard Rogers from Northants, Great Britain, were first married in 1967 and have been living together happily ever after until today. So far so good, nothing peculiar here. But Bernard was troubled by a small detail, which kept me from enjoying life with his wife. The detail? His gender! Bernard, a retired physicist, took a major decision in 1991 and had a sex change operation, so he now goes by the name of Bernadette. But what happened with Joyce? She stood by him throughout everything, since her feelings for him were so deep that they could not ever change. But before they could get married again, they had to get a divorce, because the law does not acknowledge a change in a transsexuals gender if the person remains married. They have been living together ever since, like sisters, as they are saying. The law in Britain was changed last year and it now allows persons who have undergone a gender surgery to get married. In the meantime, new legislation was enacted in the country recently, allowing homosexual couple to get married, so Bernadette and Joyce were able to have their civil union ceremony. The newlyweds stressed that they have an ideal relationship, since they complete each other. In fact, Bernadette declared that they have exactly the same affection for each other they have always had. As for her sex change, she noted that she can now stand in front of a mirror and feel proud.

Translated by Vicky Ghionis

[03] In Chicago Plane Crashes into Cars

By Vivian Papastefanou

Sources: BBC - CNN - ΝΕΤ - ANA

A 6-year-old boy was killed and a further 11 people were injured, including the two younger brothers and the parents of the unfortunate boy, when a Southwest Airlines Boeing 737 literally landed on two vehicles at an intersection next to Chicagos airport. The Boeing, with 98 passengers and five crewmembers on board, skidded off the runway during a heavy snowstorm in the area. The plane slid through barriers and fences and ended up in the middles of a busy intersection, where it crashed into two cars. One of the cars, which was parked at the time, ended up under the wing, while the other, with three children and their parents in it, was travelling on the avenue and ended up under the nose. Apart from the boy, who was killed, and his family, who were injured, another four people from the second car are being hospitalised with serious injuries, while three of the airline passengers also suffered minor injuries. The Federal Aviation Administration will conduct an investigation into the causes. The plane had departed from Baltimore.

Translated by Vicky Ghionis

[04] International Anti-Corruption Day Corruption on a High

By Despina Hristopoulou

Sources: ANA

The results of a global survey on corruption, conducted by the non-government organisation Transparency International on the occasion of the International Anti-Corruption Day, are not very encouraging. As per the survey, entitled "2005 Global Corruption Barometer", corruption in most countries keeps increasing, while the poorer populations are the ones suffering the most. Actually, the majority of the people asked in the 48 out of the 69 countries that participated in the survey believe that the problem has been exacerbated in the last three years. The Chairman of the organisation, Huguette Labelle, stressed, "Todays survey shows that people believe corruption is deeply embedded in their countries. When a poor young mother believes that her government places its own interests above her childs, or that securing services like that childs basic health care requires a hand under the table, her hope for the future is dampened."

Politicians, Judicial, Customs and Police Officers

Most of the participants labelled political parties as the most corrupt sector.

However, in many Central and Eastern European countries, customs officials were considered the most corrupt, while in Africa and Latin America, it is often the police or legal systems/judiciary.

Furthermore, at least 30% of the households in Cameroon, Paraguay, Cambodia and Mexico had to bribe a public service in the last year. In another 22 countries (including Greece), the percentage ranges between 11-30%.

The citizens of African countries seem to pay the greatest percentages per capita for bribes, with Cameroon, Ghana and Nigeria paying at least 20% of the income for hidden transactions.

Transparency International claims that the leaders could have stamped out corruption if they were determined to do so. The organisation is based in Berlin, but has national chapters in more than 90 countries.

Some 55,000 people from 69 countries participated in the survey, which was conducted by the company Gallup from May to October 2005.

Translated by Vicky Ghionis

[05] Prosecutor Asks for Dismissal of Motion Motions and Tension

By Despina Hristopoulou

Sources: NET, ANA

With the investigation of the motion over the incorrect composition of the court submitted yesterday by the defence of the accused, except for Pavlos Serifis, the trial on the participation in terrorist organisation 17N continued at the specially designed room in the womens wing of Korydallos. The Prosecutor, Efterpi Koutzamani, asked the Five-Member Felony Appeals Court to reject the motion. She stated that the Appeals Plenary Session chose the specific composition of the court correctly. Moreover, she noted that capable persons participated in the draw for the courts composition. Alternate Prosecutor Giorgos Vlassis statements were along the same lines, stating that the controversial clause on the courts composition was decided at a time when the specific case was not even pending in court. The procedure continued with the positions of the victims attorneys on the motion.

Voices Raised

The attorney of the American victims of 17N, the Veloutsos family and the widow of British Brigadier Stephen Saunders, Ilias Anagnostopoulos, claimed that the clause is in an institutional context. During the speech of the victims attorney, Christodoulos Xiros said, "The weak point of the clause was that it was only used for us," while he described the court as "special and urgent."

In the meantime, voices were raised when Vasilis Tzortzatos attorney, Ippokratis Mylonas, referring to the victims attorney, Ilias Anagnostopoulos, called him "a representative of the Americans." Replying, Mr Anagnostopoulos noted, "Such statements mean that human life is classified depending on background. When 17N stated that we kill Americans it exhibited bigotry."

Dimitris Koufodinas intervened in the dispute between the two attorneys, verbally attacking Mr Anagnostopoulos, stating that he is representing war criminals and American imperialism.

The dispute was ended by the President of the Court, Mr Dionisis Vertelis.

In the meantime, Vasilis Tzortzatos passed out written statements, which stated that there are no groups between the accused, but persons of different nature following a different direction.

Translated by Eirene Nisiriou

Related News:

Without Cameras

[06] Strike and Rallies in Athens

By Despina Hristopoulou

Sources: NET

Employees at Agrotiki Bank are on a 24-hour strike today, demanding the signing of their collective bargaining agreement. In the meantime, pupils and students from Athenian high schools and universities will stage a rally at Propylaia, in front of Athens University, at 11am, while they will then march towards the Ministry of Education. Their main demand is the increase of expenditures for Education. At the same time, teachers of music schools are holding a protest in from of the Education Ministry, demanding more academic staff.

Translated by Vicky Ghionis

[07] Little Boy Latest Victim of H5N1

By Despina Hristopoulou

Sources: ANA - BBC

A 5-year-old boy who had been infected by avian flu in Thailand has passed way, raising the countrys death toll of bird flu victims since 2004 to 14. According to hospital sources, the boy had contracted the H5N1 virus and was admitted to a hospital in a district of Nakhon Nayok province, central Thailand. The other 14 members of the unfortunate boys family are under medical observation. In Thailand, the H5N1 virus was located for the first time in January 2004. Since then, 22 people have been infected, while 14 of them died. According to the doctors, the boys family raised chickens, but did not go to hospital for nine days after he became ill. A total of 70 people have lost their lives in Asia from avian flu.

Translated by Vicky Ghionis

Read the story on other sources:

BBC: Bird flu kills Thai boy of five

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