The Hellenic Radio (ERA): News in English, 08-09-08

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

CONTENTS

[01] Papandreou's Contacts in View of TIF

Sources: ΝΕΤ 105.8, ANA-MPA

Socialist President George Papandreou is to have talks with the reps of the trade unions, in view of his speech at the Thessaloniki International Fair. Papandreou is due in Thessaloniki on Tuesday and he is to wrap up his tour on coming Saturday night with a speech at the Vellideio Centre and a press conference on Sunday noon.

On Monday noon, PASOKs section heads for Economy, Development, Employment and Social Welfare are to give a press conference on social and economic policy in the aftermath of the Prime Ministers speech at the TIF.

[02] Hurricane Ike Batters Cuba

By Betty Savourdou

Sources: AFP, ANA-MPA

Hurricane Ike struck Cubas eastern coasts early on Monday. Although it has weakened to a Category Three, it remains dangerous. More than 800,000 people, including thousands of tourists, fled Cubas central and eastern provinces. Its landfall on Haiti, Ike killed 47 people in Cabaret, while several houses were badly damaged. Haiti has suffered three hurricanes, which have claims hundreds of lives, while the total number of the stricken is estimated to have reach about a million.

Translated by Areti Christou

Read the story on other sources:

BBC: Hurricane Ike hits Cuba's coast

Related News:

Hurricane Ike: Cuba in Alert

[03] Talks on the Cyprus Standoff

The developments in the Cyprus issue will top the meeting between Greek Foreign Minister Dora Bakoyannis and UN special envoy Alexander Downer, who is in Athens. Downer is due in Ankara on Tuesday. Cyprus Foreign Minister Markos Kyprianou is also expected in the Greek capital. Kyprianou made it plain that the Greek-Cypriots patience has been exhausted and that they cannot agree to a solution providing for "two states" through "parthenogenesis."

Translated by Areti Christou

[04] Georgia Conflict in The Hague

The UNs highest court in The Hague is to launch Monday a three-day hearing on the conflict between Georgia and Russia over the rebel regions of South Ossetia and Abkhazia. The hearing came after Georgias petition for interim protection measures that would force Russia to cease the ethnic cleansing in the two regions. Tbilisi has claimed that 10% of the countrys 4.5-million-population has been displaced, demanding Moscow order the return of the Georgians who were forced to flee the two provinces. Tbilisi filed a lawsuit on 12 August against Russia, blasting it for breaching the 1965 International Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Racial Discrimination (CERD). However, awaiting the courts ruling, which could take months or years, Georgia petitioned for interim protection measures.

Translated by Areti Christou

[05] Touched Live Heart of her Dead Child

Sources: ΑNA-ΜPA

On the occasion of "Fathers Day" in Australia yesterday, Channel 9 television program "60 Minutes" hosted a 20 minutes report on organ donation of Australian Duzon Zamit, who was fatally injured in Mykonos this summer. Some 2 million Australians, who watched the program were deeply moved, while this mornings radio programs underlined that there was no viewer who did not break into tears at the spot of the young Australians parents meeting with Kosta Grimbila, who received the heart transplant and particularly when his mother touched the live heart of her dead son. The report included the meeting of Duzon Zamit parents meeting in Greece with the receivers of their sons organs. The report referred to the attack against the young Australain but mainly focused on the human part, specially on his parents decision to donate their sons organs. Kostas Grimbilas, who is alive after transplant of Duzons heart on August, 2 said that Duzons family is also his family to whom he owns his life.

Translated by Chrisanthi Sarantis

[06] Sarkozy Due in Moscow and Tbilisi

By Athina Saloustrou

French President Nicolas Sarcozy is due Monday in Moscow and Tbilisi along with two EU top officials to accelerate the implementation of the peace deal that ended the conflict in Georgia. Upon their arrival in the Russian capital, Sarcozy, Jose Manuel Barroso, President of the European Commission and Javier Solana, EUs High Representative for the Common Foreign and Security Policy, they are to hold talks with Russian President Dmitry Medvedev. During his first visit in the area about a month ago, Sarkozy had negotiated a text that triggered criticism against him. The EU leaders assigned the three to see to the implementation of the six-point peace deal brokered on 12 August, as they believe that the Russian side has not committed itself to several provisions of the deal. After Moscow, the French President and the two EU officials will fly to Georgia to hold talks with President Mikheil Saakashvili.

[07] McCain Holds the Lead

By Betty Savourdou

Sources: Reuters, ANA-MPA

Republican candidate McCain entered the final stretch of the US presidential campaign, leading his rival Barack Obama by 50% to 46% among registered voters, the biggest lead since January, a survey conducted by USA Today/Gallop suggested. The poll showed that McCain got a really significant boost from the partys convention and the selection of Arkansas Governor Sarah Palin as his running mate. In the meantime, in his interview aired on Sunday, McCain claimed he would appoint Democrats to Cabinet posts, as part of his drive to have the political atmosphere in Washington changed.

Translated by Areti Christou

Read the story on other sources:

USA TODAY: Poll: Convention lifts McCain over Obama

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