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The Hellenic Radio (ERA): News in English, 09-07-14The Hellenic Radio (ERA): News in English Directory - Previous Article - Next ArticleFrom: The Hellenic Radio (ERA) <www.ert.gr/>CONTENTS[01] Criteria for Unhealthy & Arduous Occupations SetNewsThe occupations that have to be included on the new list of unhealthy and arduous occupations were examined by the competent committee led by Ms Linou. The committee is expected to wrap up its work by the end of summer. The report of the Bechraki committee suggested the exclusion of 100 occupations from the list and the separation of the rest into four categories. Speaking on NET radio station, Employment Minister Fani Palli-Petralia made it clear there won't be a new circle of pension talks, since the existing institutional framework is sufficient and the provisions are moving upwards. The issue of equalizing retirement age between men and women in the public sector is still open, while employees at the pension funds have sounded the alarm on massive retirements of women, advising calmness. News item: 24816 [02] Turkey Violates Greek Airspace AgainAnkara's mounting mid-air provocative stance ahead of the Greek FM's forthcoming visit to the neighbouring nation has concerned the Greek government. Turkish fighter jets violated the Athens FIR and flew over the Greek islands of Agathonisi, Farmakonis and Fournoi. They were intercepted by Greek jets. The Greek ambassador to Ankara protested to the Turkish Foreign Minister, while the representatives of the EU and NATO nations were informed on Turkey's provocative stance.âThe Foreign Ministry has already sent demarches,â stressed the government spokesman when asked on the matter. News item: 24813 [03] Unemployment Stands at 9.4%NewsUnemployment in Greece stood at 9.4 percent in April, compared to 7.7 percent in last April, said the figures released by the National Statistical Service. The unemployed rose to 467000, with women and youths up to 25 years old suffering the most. Male unemployment rose in April 2009 to 6.7 percent (compared to 4.8 percent in April 2008), while female one was shot up to 13.3 percent (compared to 11.8 percent in April 2008).According to the figures of the National Statistical Service, unemployment has taken a heavier toll on young people aged between 15 and 24, with unemployment rate amounting to 22.5 percent in April 2009, compared to 20.4 percent in April 2008. The financial crisis coupled with the government's policy has shot unemployment up, commented GSEE head Giannis Panagopoulos. The rise in unemployment both in Greece and in the rest EU nations has proved that the policy followed does not contain unemployment whether the policy is implemented by liberal or social-democrat governments, claimed the Greek Communist Party (KKE). News item: 24806 [04] Greek Socialist Leader Lashes OutGreek opposition leader George Papandreou blasted yet again both the government and the Prime Minister, while addressing the 12th Symi Symposium taking place on the Aegean island of Skiathos. The PASOK (Panhelleni c Socialist Movement) President stressed that his party has both a plan and a vision to help the country overcome the crisis and the scandals.âPASOK has plan and vision to fight a government that has been associated with covering up scandals, with abrupt and unpredictable decisions, with under-the-table agreements. A plan and vision to the citizens' benefit, with people-oriented policies. We have both the plan and the vision, but we will not reduce ourselves to it. We are submitting this plan and vision to the world's best progressive minds, to personalities that will contribute to our thinking, our proposals to better handle the financial deadlock. Personalities that are here with us and want to contribute to Greece's progress.This is PASOK's goal: to overcome this deep crisis our nation is going through, to give hope again, to give a new course and a new policy capable of meeting the citizens' needs.â News item: 24801 [05] Aiming to Create a Clever and Creative SchoolThe educational reform being pushed forward by the government aims at a clever school capable of meeting the challenges of the 21st century. The changes the educational council is working on mean to disconnect the secondary education from the admission to the tertiary one, and have a much more flexible curriculum, thus offering students more creative time..Education Ministry Pushes Political Changes in Schools Exiting his meeting with the Premier, Education Minister Aris Spiliotopoulos said that the government's goal is to not deviate from the dialogue's timeline. Aris Spiliotopoulos said that the reform provides for a different curriculum closer to the modern-time needs, so that students can have time to develop their skills.We are shaping a more clever school, said he. President of the Education Council professor Giorgos Babiniotis, on his part, stressed that the dialogue aims at making students love school, through cutting the teaching material, changing the teaching methods and providing books containing more general knowledge. News item: 24799 [06] Barrot Calls for Solidarity to Address ImmigrationAssociating with Greece's position on the problem of illegal immigration, EU Commissioner for Justice, Freedom and Security Jacques Barrot feared that the uncontrollable influx of immigrants could threaten stability in the reception countries, and called for solidarity within the EU. Barrot warned that the influx of immigrants and refugees threatens to destabilize certain countries, including Greece, also adding that were their EU partners to leave them on their own, this problem would probably be exploited by extremists.Europe has not demonstrated solidarity, leaving certain countries suffering the sock. The future immigration waves will be scar. The situation threatens to destabilize democracies, including Greece, if not controlled. Jacques Barrot EU Commissioner for Justice, Freedom and Security Shocked by the living conditions of the asylum petitioners in Italy, Malta, the Canary Islands and Greece, Jacques Barrot is after the resumption of the dialogue on distributing the reception of immigrants among the EU nations during the EU Interior Ministers' Summit in Stockholm on Thursday. The EU Commissioner wishes to test the intentions of the Swedish Presidency, which, along with the majority of the Scandinavian nations including Germany, are not willing to undertake new obligations. Turkey's Stance Is Unacceptable Jacques Barrot was harsh on Turkey, while touching on the waves of illegal immigration leaving the Turkish shores to arrive on the Greek islands. He branded the fact that Turkey allows small vessels to sail from its shores and reach the Greek islands as unacceptable, since it had managed to put an end to the immigration waves during the 2004 Olympic Games. He then stressed that the uncontrollable waves of immigrants have really adverse influence on Greece, while the Greek authorities are swarmed with asylum petitions. More than 67000 people crossed the Mediterranean in 2008 in their drive to enter Europe, said the UN. News item: 24800 [07] Train/Truck Crash Kills ThreeThree people were killed when a passenger trained crushed into a small truck at a crossing outside Komotini, northern Greece. The Bulgarian driver of the truck apparently ignored the warning sign at the crossing and crashed into the Intercity passenger train en route from Ormenio to Thessaloniki.The crash took place on Tuesday morning, leaving a Bulgarian couple, aged about 40-45, and their 14-year-old girl dead. No train passenger was injured. The train's driver is being detained by the Rodopi police station, which is investigating the case, while the three bodies were transferred to the Komotini hospital. In a second accident a few hours later, a car violated the protective bars at a train crossing near the Gallikos River along the Thessaloniki-Veria old national highway and collided with an oncoming train. No casualties were reported. Source: NET 105.8, ANA News item: 24792 [08] Academic Year Opens NormallyH1N1 infections are increasing worldwide, with Greece having confirmed 323 infections. Of them, 200 have been fully cured. The Greek Health Minister, asked whether the kickoff of the new academic year will be postponed due to the swine flu, he called for constraint and assured that the Ministries of Education and Health are closely cooperating. Speaking on NET radio station, the Health Minister said that closing down the schools due to the swine flu is not necessary, since smoking entails more risks than the flu virus.Source: NET, NET 105.8, ANA/MPA News item: 24796 [09] USA: Greek Researcher Hits Cancer with VirusesThe research led by Kousoulas G. of the Division of Biotechnology and Molecular Medicine, Louisiana State, aims at offering cancer therapy through the use of herpesviruses and coronaviruses. Kousoulas was born in Greece and moved to the USA.The experiments on breast and prostate cancer through the use of herpesviruses kicked off some three years ago, while the experiments for the cure of colorectal cancer are only one year old. However, it will take at least five years before applying them on humans. Kousoulas told the Athens News Agency that there are several promising researches going on in the USA and about 4 to 5 cancer therapies through the use of viruses are likely to become a reality in five years' time. Kousoulas unveiled his team's findings at the 6th International Conference on Nanoscience and Nanotechnologies taking place in Thessaloniki, northern Greece. Kousoulas' team injects mutant herpesviruses capable of developing only in cancer cells. In other words, they are injected in a tumour, the virus gets multiplied, destroying the tumour and then dies without infecting the healthy cells. The researchers, after mutating the coronavirus so that it can be absolutely harmless, they realized it can multiply on colon cancer cells. âTaken from the mouth, the virus passes from the stomach without being destroyed and then reaches the colon, where it can infect only the cancer cells. Experiments on mice have proved that we can achieve that now. We are trying to improve the virus so that we can start clinical studies on humans.â Who Is Who Gus Kousoulas was born in Piraeus in 1953 and was brought up in Athens. He moved to the USA in 1971, where he studied physics and molecular biology at the Pennsylvania State University. He finished his post-graduate studies at the Universities of California and Chicago. He has been teaching at the Louisiana State University since 1989, heading the the Division of Biotechnology and Molecular Medicine News item: 24812 The Hellenic Radio (ERA): News in English Directory - Previous Article - Next Article |