Macedonian Press Agency: News in English, 98-06-11
MACEDONIAN PRESS AGENCY NEWS IN ENGLISH
Thessaloniki, June 11, 1998
SECTIONS
[A] NATIONAL NEWS
[B] INTERNATIONAL NEWS
NEWS HEADLINES
[A] NATIONAL NEWS
[01] TEACHERS PREPARE STAND-OFF WITH EDUCATION MINISTRY
[02] CONSCIENTIOUS OBJECTORS FROM S.E. EUROPE MEET IN THESSALONIKI
[03] MAIN OPPOSITION DEPUTY TO APPEAR BEFORE DISCIPLINARY
COMMITTEE
[04] 175 NEW HOTELS OPENED IN GREECE DURING 1997
[05] MUNDIAL FEVER RAGES ON, BUT TRANSFERS CONTINUE IN GREECE
[06] MEETING ON THE COURSE OF PRIVATIZATIONS
[07] MS. PAPARIGA VISITED THE PORT OF THESSALONIKI
[08] 4.237 GREEK BUSINESSES IN THE 15 SOUTH-EASTERN EUROPEAN
COUNTRIES
[09] GREEK-GERMAN MEETING FOR GERMANY'S WAR REPARATIONS
[10] TEACHERS-POLICE RIOTS IN THESSALONIKI
[B] INTERNATIONAL NEWS
[11] TURKISH THREATS OF STRIKING CYPRUS ARE UNACCEPTABLE
[12] MILOSEVIC UNDER PRESSURE BY INTERNATIONAL COMMUNITY
[13] CYPRUS IS TO TEST S-300 MISSILES THIS MONTH
[14] UNITED NATIONS INTERNATIONAL CONFERENCE ON DRUGS CONCLUDES
[15] TYPHOID KILLED ALEXANDER THE GREAT, RESEARCHERS REPORT
[16] PARLIAMENT CHIEF TO TRAVEL TO SWEDEN FOR C OF E MEETING
[17] PRESIDENT OF GREECE TO VISIT CYPRUS, FIRST TIME SINCE 1960
[18] PRIME MINISTER TO TRAVEL TO LONDON TOMORROW
[19] STATE DEPARTMENT SPOKESPERSON: MILOSEVIC IS WALKING ON THE
BRINK
[20] NATO DEFENSE MINISTERS MEETING ON KOSOVO
[21] THE CYPRIOT PRESIDENT MET WITH THE CANADIAN FOREIGN MINISTER
[22] MILLER: THE RESPONSIBILITY FOR THE PROBLEMS IN CYPRUS BELONGS
TO TURKEY
[23] MILOSEVIC TO VISIT MOSCOW
NEWS IN DETAIL
[A] NATIONAL NEWS
[01] TEACHERS PREPARE STAND-OFF WITH EDUCATION MINISTRY
Tension between the unemployed teachers waiting for jobs
through an assignment list and the government has continued to
heighten, as the educators are opposed to the exam (to be held on
Saturday) that will determine whether and when they will be
appointed to state school jobs.
The teachers have decided to hold a 48-hour strike today and
tomorrow, when the Supreme Council for the Selection of Personnel
holds the competition for the appointment of teachers.
[02] CONSCIENTIOUS OBJECTORS FROM S.E. EUROPE MEET IN THESSALONIKI
Representatives from conscientious objectors organizations
from six southeastern European countries began a four-day meeting
on Thessaloniki yesterday where they are to make proposals on
reforming the military service laws in their countries in relation
to their cases.
It is estimated that there are about 100 conscientious
objectors in Greece today, who refuse to serve the mandatory
military draft but, instead, want to offer alternative solutions
to serve their country and are asking for equal social treatment.
Last year, the Greek parliament passed a bill enabling
conscientious objectors to do alternative military service. The
alternative military term would encompass an additional 18-month
service with welfare foundations around the country, with the
exception of Athens and Thessaloniki.
[03] MAIN OPPOSITION DEPUTY TO APPEAR BEFORE DISCIPLINARY
COMMITTEE
The disciplinary council of the main opposition party New
Democracy is to meet today and is expected to recommend that MP
Kostas Karaminas, be stripped of his parliamentary immunity.
Mr. Karaminas was involved in a car accident 10 days ago in
which 26-year-old teacher was killed. Karaminas originally claimed
he did not know the woman, and had merely offered her a lift home.
Later accounts and photos showed the contrary. He also refused to
take a breathalyzer test after the crash.
[04] 175 NEW HOTELS OPENED IN GREECE DURING 1997
In 1997, Greece greeted its tourists with 175 new hotels,
thereby raising the number of hotel units to 7,652, featuring
560,000 beds in the country's 52 municipalities.
Two of the largest new units are located in northern Greece
one being the Mediterranean Palace" in Thessaloniki, which is
considered to be one of the country's most luxurious hotels, and
the other being "Porto Sani Village" in Sani, Chalkidiki.
[05] MUNDIAL FEVER RAGES ON, BUT TRANSFERS CONTINUE IN GREECE
Belgium's Anderlecht is vying for AEK's Christos Kostis,
while a few days ago the same team submitted a proposal to Demis
Nikolaides.
Meanwhile, AEK's new coach Dragoslav Stepanovic is to arrive
in Athens today and will table his proposals to the team's
administrators regarding new players.
PAOK has forwarded an official proposal to Cyprus's
Anorthosi, wanting the transfer of Cypriot ballplayer Dimitris
Ioannou. Also, Romanian striker Ion Vlanoiou, who belongs to
Cologne, has also been approached by PAOK.
[06] MEETING ON THE COURSE OF PRIVATIZATIONS
A meeting on the course of privatizations was held in Athens
today presided over by prime minister Kostas Simitis.
Minister of national economy and finance Yiannos Papantoniou
pointed out that the economic figures are very positive and
speculated for one more time that inflation will drop further by
the end of the year.
Referring to the rumors for an increase in the prices of the
services offered by the public service agencies (DEKO) he did not
rule out the likelihood of marginal increases.
[07] MS. PAPARIGA VISITED THE PORT OF THESSALONIKI
The privatizations government policy was condemned by
Communist Party General Secretary Ms. Aleka Papariga, who visited
the port of Thessaloniki and the Greek Automobile Industry plant
in the town of Sindos near Thessaloniki.
The government's goal is to sell out the defense industry,
stated Ms. Papariga in the meeting she had with the industry's
employees' union and stated that by the end of June the Communist
Party will organize a one-day conference on the issue of the
national defense industry.
[08] 4.237 GREEK BUSINESSES IN THE 15 SOUTH-EASTERN EUROPEAN
COUNTRIES
The Greek businesses active in the 15 south-eastern European
countries are estimated to be 4.237, while the Greek exports to
the neighboring states are on an upward course and last year
reached 2.33 billion dollars.
The data were presented by the Greek Exporters Association
and according to its president Ms Christina Sakelaridis the south-
eastern European markets are characterized as emerging that offer
great opportunities to the Greek trade.
[09] GREEK-GERMAN MEETING FOR GERMANY'S WAR REPARATIONS
The issue of Germany's war reparations to Greece will be
discussed in a Greek-German friendship meeting that will be held
in Delphi on June 19-21.
The meeting is organized by the local authorities and will be
held in the Delphi European Cultural Center. The outcome of the
meeting will be presented in a press conference on June 21.
[10] TEACHERS-POLICE RIOTS IN THESSALONIKI
Clashes between teachers and the Riot Police took place
today, outside a school in Thessaloniki, 24 hours before the
examinations of the "Council to select Civil Servants to be"
aiming at the appointment of teachers.
The teachers waiting at the order of their time of graduating
to work for public schools, who were gathered outside the school,
threw several objects to the police while policemen responded with
tear-shells.
Asked by MPA, a resident of the area said that due to the
tear-shells used by the police the atmosphere was suffocating,
even inside the houses of the people.
[B] INTERNATIONAL NEWS
[11] TURKISH THREATS OF STRIKING CYPRUS ARE UNACCEPTABLE
The State Department special coordinator for the Cyprus issue
Thomas Miller has warned Ankara that if it strikes Cyprus in order
to destroy its S-300 missiles it will suffer serious consequences
in its relations with the United States.
Mr. Miller characterized the latest threats hurled by Turkey
as unacceptable and stated that the Clinton Administration is in
favor of removing all foreign forces from the island if all
interested parties agree to do so.
[12] MILOSEVIC UNDER PRESSURE BY INTERNATIONAL COMMUNITY
Serb President Slobodan Milosevic is under intense pressure
by the international community to put an end to the bloodshed in
Kossovo. High-ranking officials from the Contact Group have
gathered proposals that determine when talks will be held again
between the Serb government and the representatives' of Kossovo's
ethnic Albanians, otherwise they will allow for military
intervention.
[13] CYPRUS IS TO TEST S-300 MISSILES THIS MONTH
Cyprus will test fire the S-300 missile system in Russia
later this month, Russian news agencies reported yesterday.
The news reports quoted Russia's air force commander Anatoly
Kornukov as saying the missile system would be tested at a base
near Astrakhan, a city on the Caspian Sea.
"At the end of June, representatives of the Cypriot army...
will conduct test launches on the firing range near Astrakhan,"
the Interfax news agency quoted him as saying.
Mr. Kornukov made it clear the anti-aircraft missile system
had not yet been delivered to the island, contrary to reports on
Tuesday that they had.
Itar-Tass news agency quoted Kornukov as saying the means of
delivering the missiles to Cyprus would be decided in August or
September, and that the Russian air force would help out if
necessary.
"If there is a government order, the military transport
aviation is ready to deliver the anti-aircraft complexes to
Cyprus," he said.
Itar-Tass said the system was ready for shipment and that
Cyprus had already made advance payments.
Turkish Cypriot leader Rauf Denktash yesterday warned he
would open the occupied areas to settlement by mainland Turks if
the Russian missiles were deployed on the island.
Denktash was responding to Tuesday's article in a Moscow
newspaper, which said the missiles were already on the island, and
to the government's failure to deny the report.
Ankara on Tuesday threatened to increase its military
presence in the north if the missiles were deployed.
The S-300, capable of shooting down aircraft and missiles, is
the Russian equivalent of the US Patriot missiles which gained
fame during the Gulf War.
The Cyprus government has repeatedly said it is ready to
cancel the missile deal if there is substantial progress toward
the reunification of the island and if Turkey accepts its proposal
for demilitarization.
[14] UNITED NATIONS INTERNATIONAL CONFERENCE ON DRUGS CONCLUDES
A special session of the United Nations' general assembly
regarding the international drug problem ended yesterday with the
adoption of a political declaration.
The three-day special session of the General Assembly,
attended by presidents, prime ministers and senior ministers from
150 countries including Greece's Health Minister Kostas Geitonas,
ended with the adoption of a global strategy to tackle the
worldwide drug problem adopted a political declaration which
commits governments to substantially reduce illicit drug demand
and supply by 2008.
The Assembly also adopted a declaration on principles of
demand reduction to guide governments in setting up effective drug
prevention, treatment and rehabilitation programs.
In addition, it adopted a series of measures to enhance
international cooperation to eradicate illicit crops through
alternative development; to counter money laundering; to tackle
the manufacture, trafficking and abuse of amphetamine-type
stimulants; to promote judicial cooperation and to strengthen the
control of precursor chemicals.
The political declaration requires governments to implement
new strategies and programs to reduce drug demand and new laws to
counter money laundering by 2003. It also requires governments to
adopt new measures to increase cooperation between judicial and
law enforcement authorities within five years on extradition,
mutual legal assistance, transfer of proceedings, controlled
delivery, and illicit traffic by sea.
Governments also agreed to implement an action plan by 2003
against the manufacture, trafficking and abuse of amphetamine-type
stimulants and to strengthen control of precursor chemicals to
reduce their diversion by 2008. Countries must also make real
progress within 10 years to eliminate or significantly reduce
crops of opium poppy, coca and cannabis.
The political declaration calls on families, political,
religious, educational, sports, business and union leaders, civic
organizations and the media to actively promote productive and
fulfilling alternatives to drugs.
The global strategy requires Governments to report every two
years to the United Nations Commission on Narcotic Drugs on their
efforts to meet the goals and targets for the next decade.
In his address, Mr. Geitonas stated that "the fight against
drugs is an issue of high priority on the political agenda of the
Greek government. We consider drugs to be a social evil of the
most serious proportion as it mainly threatens our youth, our
country's most valuable asset."
"Therefore, at the initiative of the Greek premier, Mr.
Kostas Simitis, a permanent parliamentary Committee on drugs has
been established, in which all political parties in the Greek
Parliament are represented.".
Moreover, Mr. Geitonas stressed that "we also believe that
drugs' problem cannot be successfully tackled if socio-economic
ills, such as poverty, unemployment, racial discrimination,
xenophobia, social exclusion and other are not combated and
eradicated."
[15] TYPHOID KILLED ALEXANDER THE GREAT, RESEARCHERS REPORT
It was not poison or malaria that killed Alexander the Great.
The man whose ancient empire ranged from Egypt to India probably
died of typhoid fever, according to the news agency Reuters, which
reported on the article of Thursday's New England Journal of
Medicine.
The death of Alexander the Great at the age of 33 has long
been shrouded in mystery. Various historical versions agree that
the Macedonian king who conquered much of the ancient known world
returned to Babylon where he attended several banquets and drank a
great deal of wine.
After finishing the last glass Alexander cried out in pain
and said it felt like he had been ``hit in the liver with an
arrow,'' according to one version of the events. Other
historians, such as Aristobulus, said Alexander was seized with a
raging fever.
Some claim he had chills and sweats before falling into a
coma and dying 11 days later on June 10, 323 BC. A number of
historians speculated his lieutenants, dissatisfied with
Alexander's rule, poisoned the wine.
There were also reports that several days elapsed before he
could be buried, and signs of decomposition were notably absent.
Now, researchers from the University of Maryland School of
Medicine working with historians report that Alexander probably
died of typhoid fever.
The medical team, led by Dr. David W. Oldach, said there have
been many possible causes of death, such as alcohol poisoning
(which may explain why the body remained preserved), arsenic
poisoning, an inflammation of the pancreas, or malaria (which was
common in the area).
But the team said descriptions of what happened do not
precisely fit those causes, although the group acknowledged that
the surviving accounts of his death are not completely reliable,
since they were written two or three centuries after the events.
The disease that seems to fit best is typhoid fever, which
comes from contaminated food or drinking water, or is spread by
poor hygiene. Before antibiotics, it was often fatal.
Oldach said the sharp abdominal pain is a vital clue because
it probably means the disease perforated his intestine, hastening
death.
The illness may also have struck down Alexander's male lover
the year before, the researchers said.
Oldach and his team said typhoid fever can cause a paralysis
that spreads from the feet toward the head. The shallow breathing
it causes can make a person appear dead. That may be why
Alexander's body did not appear to compose, according to Oldach.
Historian Eugene N. Borza of Pennsylvania State University
noted some circumstances surrounding Alexander's death may have
been exaggerated.
Just as the unpopular Roman dictator Sulla was depicted as
being eaten alive by worms and other vermin, even though he
probably died quickly from massive bleeding, those who sought to
glorify Alexander may have wanted to evoke a minor miracle by
claiming that his body didn't deteriorate after death.
The mystery is not likely to be solved soon, said Borza.
Alexander's embalmed corpse was hijacked while en route to
Macedonia, and displayed in a glass sarcophagus in Alexandria,
Egypt for 550 years, before its whereabouts became uncertain.
Legend says the body is in a crypt beneath an early Christian
church.
``The possibility that one might gain permission to excavate
this site in search of the remains of an ancient Macedonian king
is remote,'' said Borza, ``and Alexander's death today remains a
mystery.''
[16] PARLIAMENT CHIEF TO TRAVEL TO SWEDEN FOR C OF E MEETING
The President of the Hellenic Parliament Apostolos Kaklamanis
is to travel to Stockholm tomorrow in order to attend the Council
of Europe's assembly of national parliament presidents, to be
held June 12-13
The assembly will examine the challenges faced by national
parliaments as more democratic institutions are being established
in Europe and the various ways national parliaments can
contribute to the United Nations.
The assembly, held every two years, will be attended by
representatives from 40 countries.
Greece presently holds the six-month rotating presidency of the
Council of Europe.
[17] PRESIDENT OF GREECE TO VISIT CYPRUS, FIRST TIME SINCE 1960
The President of the Hellenic Republic Kostis Stephanopoulos
is to conduct a three-day official visit to Cyprus, between June
25- 28, accompanied by the Foreign Minister Theodoros Pangalos,
undersecretary of Foreign Affairs Yiannos Kranidiotis,
Undersecretary of National Economy Alexandros Baltas, and other
officials.
Upon his arrival, President Stephanopoulos will be received
by his Cypriot counterpart Glafcos Clerides at the Larnaca
airport. One hour later, he will be given the city's key by the
Mayor of Nicosia. In turn the Greek and Cypriot presidents will
have a meeting, while in the afternoon, Mr. Stephanopoulos will be
officially decorated by the Cypriot government.
The Greek President will also meet with the Archbishop of
Cyprus Chrysostomos.
On the last day of his visit to Cyprus, June 28, President
Stephanopoulos will visit the island's demarcation line.
[18] PRIME MINISTER TO TRAVEL TO LONDON TOMORROW
Prime Minister Kostas Simitis is to be in London tomorrow, at
the invitation of his British counterpart Toni Blair.
The two Premiers will hold talks, three days prior to the
Cardiff Summit, which will be held on June 15 and 16.
The Simitis-Blair talks are awaited with interest, given the
fact the British-held EU presidency is trying to upgrade its ties
with Turkey, by circumventing Greece.
In an interview published yesterday Mr. Blair stated that "my
country would like to see improved ties with Turkey. Britain would
like to engage Turkey as an ally in the European family of
nations, we want improved relations.
Moreover, the British Premier expressed the hope that the
Turkish-Cypriots engage in the talks concerning Cyprus's accession
bid to the EU.
Greece is expected to be subject to pressures during Cardiff
to upgrade its relations with Turkey. Britain, France, Germany,
Spain and Italy are searching for ways to assist Turkey at a
bilateral level (15 days ago a conference of representatives of
these countries' foreign ministries was held in Paris for this
purpose). Greece's undersecretary of Foreign Affairs Yiannos
Kranidiotis characterized the meeting as "illicit".
The three countries of Benelux (Belgium, the Netherlands and
Luxembourg) stated in a letter that the Paris meeting clearly
undermines the EU's foreign and security policy.
[19] STATE DEPARTMENT SPOKESPERSON: MILOSEVIC IS WALKING ON THE
BRINK
State Department spokesperson James Rubin referred to the
crisis in Kossovo and the Serb President Slobodan Milosevic at
length during yesterday's daily briefing, wherein he stated that
Mr. Milosevic' credibility is a waning asset.
When asked if military intervention in Kossovo is inevitable,
Mr. Rubin replied:
"My words are chosen carefully. I did not say it's
inevitable; what I said was that it's grave and that if President
Milosevic doesn't get the message and walk back from the brink,
the likelihood obviously will increase.
Moreover, the American diplomat stated that the State
Department is considering serious military options, "because we
believe the situation warrants it." However, he stressed that no
decisions have been made.
" We think that if President Milosevic understands the road
he's heading down better than he obviously understands it now, the
chances of him walking back from the brink are greater.
"The credibility of President Milosevic is certainly a waning
asset, in light of the fact that he has used talks as an
opportunity to pursue this kind of military action. But for now,
he is the President of Serbia; and if one wants to see this
conflict - the President of the FRY, Serbia and Montenegro - he is
the person one needs to do business with if one wants to get
things to change on the ground."
The State Department spokesperson added that "what President
Milosevic doesn't seem to understand is that with each tank and
with each gun and with each use of force, he's decreasing the
number of Kosovar Albanians that want to pursue a peaceful
solution and increasing the numbers who support the Kossovo
Liberation Army."
[20] NATO DEFENSE MINISTERS MEETING ON KOSOVO
NATO's defense ministers meet in Brussels today to consider
the adoption of military measures in the Serb province of Kosovo.
British minister George Robinson stated that the undertaking
of military action will be a matter of days if not weeks if
Slobodan Milosevic does not put an end to the bloodshed in Kosovo.
[21] THE CYPRIOT PRESIDENT MET WITH THE CANADIAN FOREIGN MINISTER
The Canadian foreign minister met with Cypriot president
Glafkos Clerides in Nicosia this morning within the framework of
his one-day visit to the island. No statements were made after the
meeting of the two men.
The Canadian foreign minister will meet with his Cypriot
counterpart and Turkish Cypriot leader Rauf Denktash, while he
will also visit the UNFICYP headquarters.
According to a statement issued by the Canadian foreign
ministry, among the issues for discussion will be the political
situation in Cyprus as well as, security matters.
[22] MILLER: THE RESPONSIBILITY FOR THE PROBLEMS IN CYPRUS BELONGS
TO TURKEY
The responsibility for many of the problems in Cyprus belongs
to Ankara and not to the Turkish Cypriot regime in the occupied
territories of northern Cyprus, stated US State Department special
coordinator on Cyprus Mr. Thomas Miller. The statement was made by
Mr. Miller in the conference "United States and Cyprus: Challenges
for the American foreign policy" that was held in Washington at
the initiative of the Greek-American Institute.
Mr. Miller reiterated that the United States back the
solution of a two-zone, two-community federation in Cyprus and
that they are in close cooperation with the UN to achieve this
goal. He also stated that the responsibility for the recent
failure of Richard Halbrooke's effort, which was aimed at the
resumption of the talks, belongs to the Turkish side.
[23] MILOSEVIC TO VISIT MOSCOW
Yugoslav president Slobodan Milosevic is due to pay an
official two-day visit to Moscow, on Monday, in order to hold
talks with the Russian president Boris Yeltsin over the Kosovo
crisis.
According to a statement issued by the Kremlin, mr Milosevic
would visit Russia at the invitation of his Russian counterpart,
who promised his western allies of the G8, earlier this week, that
he would try to use his influence to his country's traditional
ally, Serbia, so as to defuse the tension in Kosovo.
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