The Hellenic Radio (ERA): News in English, 09-02-22

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

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

CONTENTS

[01] Palaiokostas and Rizai Escape from Prison Again

Convicts Vassilis Palaiokostas and Alket Rizai escaped from prison by helicopter. According to the official report, two unidentified convicts that had attempted prison breaking again in the past escaped today from prison. Based on first evidence, a helicopter landed in Korydallos prison yard where Rizai and Palaiokostas were at the moment. The convicts moved fast, grabbed the aerial ladder their co operated dropped for them and took off. According to information there was exchange of fires between the prisoners and the prison guards. Civil Aviation Authority (YPA) traced the helicopter a few hours later in a remote forestall area, Polydendri Attikis near Varybobi area.

According to YPA the helicopter asked form Athens International Airport for permission to return to El. Venizelos airport and then its traces were lost. According to estimations, the co operates left for unknown locations using different vehicles. The competent minister Mr. Dendias as well as other officials has arrived at the place where the escape took place. Investigation is in progress now. It must be noted that Palaiokostas and Rizai would stand trial within the following days as they had escaped from prison again in June 2006 in exactly the same way.

News item: 19257

[02] Berlin Meeting on the Crisis

The leaders of the most robust European economies are meeting in Berlin today to hammer out a joint European stance, in view of the G20 Summit Meeting due to be held in London on 2 April. Participating will also be representatives of "emerging" economies. The Berlin meeting is being held in the after-clap of Germany's decision to support financial week countries of the eurozone.

German Chancellor Angela Merkel told the attendees that regarding money markets, no transaction zone would not be allowed in the future to escape checks by the supervising authorities, adding that stricter transaction rules including systems of "effective" and "early alert" would be introduced.

Furthermore, the German side made it clear that the golden boys' pays would be clipped, while some tax privileges of companies would be abolished.

Regarding governments, they will be asked to "coordinate" in a better way financial policies at a European level, while one of their primary targets will be to tonic the development rate of national economies at all costs. In this sense, France, Britain, Spain, Holland and Italy have to play an important role. "Protectionism", as a means of exodus from the present crisis will be flatly denounced.

The coordinating an collective effort in favour of the financial reviving in the 16-member eurozone should not be considered by some an effort to abolish financial policies "friendly" to ecology, stressed Germany. In an article in the Observer, the British prime minister points out that the Banks from now on should serve civilians and not act as masters of the political system.

Meanwhile, the International Monetary Fund and Italy have expressed their support to the issuing of a euro-bond, while the European Central Bank, as well as Germany expressed their intense reserves. Germany has proposed from its side the setting up of "danger atlas", as it calls it, to locate from now on financial problems in time.

At the same time, hundreds of people held rallies in Berlin and Ireland during the meeting. It has been estimated that 100,000 people participated in the demonstration in Dublin. They were protesting that with the taxes added to employees and cuts on salaries and taxes on pensions being promoted the employees will be the ones to be affected an not Banks.

News item: 19255

[03] Social Networking Bad for Health

Dr Sigman has identified a dramatic decline since 1987 in hours per day of face-to-face social interaction as the use of electronic media dramatically increased. Furthermore, he reports that our body is affected when we see somebody from close, something which does not happen when we communicate through e-mail.

News item: 19247

[04] PASOK Five National Targets

The five national targets set out by Papandreou were foreign policy, so that Greece "will have a voice everywhere", green growth, education and culture, the welfare state, and a productive and well-governed state.

Papandreou said that an exit from the present crisis was feasible only if those five national targets were also advanced as well.

He expressed his full confidence in the Greek citizens that they could succeed in this, while stressing that he, himself, needed the confidence of the citizens, which he wanted to win daily.

Papandreou said that the banking system could act as a developmental lever and function with crystal-clear reules and regulations for the private banks, "regulations that will not privatize the profits while nationalizing the losses".

He further endorsed the nationalization of banks "where necessary", adding that "we will not allow the credit crisis to be paid by the ordinary citizen".

News item: 19256

[05] Karamanlis Rejects Election-Talk

Prime Minister Costas Karamanlis has rejected any talk on early elections. "They do not concern us and we are not pre-occupied with them". I am not thinking of early elections. End to this talk," said Mr Karamanlis while addressing the ND Central Committee Sunday noon. The PM attacked PASOK (Panhellenic Socialist Movement) describing election talk instigated by the main opposition irresponsible scenarios. He also invited PASOK to clarify its stance on the election of the President of the Hellenic Republic in March 2010. "We have clarified ours stance on this issue and we cannot play with top institutions such as that of the President of the Hellenic Republic, describing all the rest irresponsible talk.

Mr Karamanlis gave special emphasis on the importance of tackling the repercussions of the crisis. "What is important now is to combat the crisis and limit its unavoidable consequences. This is our concern, and we are not concerned with the rest; it the concern of other parties, which cause damage to Greece."

He also referred to the public debt created by PASOK, describing it very high and a big curse for the economy today, stressing that during its ruling in the last five years, the ND had done important work. He also added that his party accepts comparisons, wondering what would have happened today if in addition to the crisis we had the unemployment rate of 2004.

In the biggest part of his speech, the PM referred to the financial crisis, which nobody can foretell how long it will last and deep it will prove. He stressed that Greece is in a better position from other countries in the eurozone at a time when strong colossuses are collapsing and jobs slashed in Europe. Greece is expected to have a positive development rate, lower deficit and lower unemployment in the eurozone. "However, we do not have any margins of flexibility due to the immense debt, which is an open wound of the economy," said Mr Karamanlis, stressing that he has chosen to tell the truth to the Greek people.

Mr Karamanlis stressed that there are no easy solutions, adding that constant balance is required among the developmental, fiscal and social targets. "We are determined to give emphasis to today's needs, without undermining the economy's endurance," said the PM. He referred to the three key factors for combating the crisis, is development, fiscal sanitization and the support of low brackets.

He referred to the 28-billion-euro liquidity programme, which as he said had been undermined. He also attacked the main opposition, reporting the following:"Does it agree or disagree with the reduction of interest rates, does it agree or not with the extension of credit of entrepreneurial and housing loans and if it does, why hasn't it supported the programme?"

Mr Karamanlis referred to the dialogue taking place on the new entry system to Tertiary Education, inviting the youth to contribute to that dialogue.

Sources: ÁNA-ĚPA

News item: 19254

[06] Papariga Re-elected KKE S.G.

The KKE (Communist Party of Greece) Central Committee re-elected Aleka Papariga Secretary General at the party's 18th Congress. In parallel, two more central issues of the Congress, that is "the outcome of the 17th Congress and the party's duties until the 19th Congress, as well as KKE's conception's on Socialism were voted through.

As per an announcement issued Sunday morning from the party's Press Bureau, the Central Committee that was elected at the 18th Congress at its first meeting re-elected Ms Papariga as Secretary General. At the same time, the KKE Congress voted through two central issues, that is the Central Committee's proposal on "Outcome from the 17th Congress - Party Duties until the 19th Congress", and the text entitled "assessment and conclusions from the Socialist expansion in the 20th century with the Soviet Union in the epicenters- KKE's conception on Socialism". According to the announcement, the discussion on the above issue was rich and mature. The Congress also passed the Report of the Central Committee of Economic Check on the party's finances. On the basis of the above, the Congress reached a decision on two issues of the Congress, to be released in the coming days.

News item: 19251

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