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Macedonian Press Agency: News in English, 98-12-24Macedonian Press Agency: News in English Directory - Previous Article - Next ArticleFrom: The Macedonian Press Agency at http://www.mpa.gr and http://www.hri.org/MPA.Last Update: 23:27 GMT+2SECTIONS
NEWS HEADLINES[A] GREECE[B] EUROPE[C] WORLDNEWS IN DETAIL[A] GREECE[01] MODERN GREEK LANGUAGE INSTITUTE PUBLISHES NEW DICTIONARYWeb Posted: 12:27 GMT+2Thessaloniki, 24/12/1998 (MPA) The Modern Greek Language Institute (Manolis TriantafyllidisFoundation) at the Aristotle University of Thessaloniki has published a new Greek-language dictionary, which took 20 years to be compiled. The dictionary contains approximately 80,000 entries on 1,532 pages, offering phonetic spelling in Latin characters as well as morphological, semantic and grammar elements. Education Minister Gerasimos Arsenis congratulated the feat. A.F. [02] HIGHWAY PATROL TO TAKE EXTRA MEASURES FOR HOLIDAY TRAFFICWeb Posted: 12:27 GMT+2Thessaloniki, 24/12/1998 (MPA) Greece's highway patrol is to take extra measures during the holiday season, in order to facilitate the increased amount of traffic on the country's freeways.All of the force's men are to be on patrol today along the highways where, as an added security measure, no truck driving will be allowed from 2 pm to 9 pm today. This measure excludes emergency vehicles. A.F. [03] DETERMINED STUDENTS TO SPEND CHRISTMAS AT SCHOOL, IN PROTESTWeb Posted: 12:27 GMT+2Thessaloniki, 24/12/1998 (MPA) Disgruntled students throughout the country who vehemently oppose the Education Ministry's academic reforms are to spend Christmas barricaded in their occupied schools.While the state had hoped that the students would grow tired of the protests during the holidays, nothing could be further from the truth as they are determined to outlast any reform ally. The students will also conduct massive rallies on January 15. Meanwhile, in a last-minute effort to ease the mounting tension, Minister Gerasimos Arsenis proposed four slight changes to the reforms, which were immediately rejected by the students. A.F. [04] WHITE CHRISTMAS IN NORTHERN GREECE, DENSE SNOW BLANKETS AREAWeb Posted: 12:27 GMT+2Thessaloniki, 24/12/1998 (MPA) The residents of northern and central Greece are to spend a White Christmas as dense snowfall has blanketed the region.Severe transportation problems have occurred as cars are required to be equipped with anti-skid chains in the regional roads. Temperatures have fallen below the zero mark in many areas and a number of villages in Ioannina remain inaccessible by car. Ships remain docked at the ports as strong winds have made sailing prohibitive. A.F. [B] EUROPE[05] KOZLODUI'S ONGOING OPERATION IS A RISK OF NUCLEAR HOLOCAUSTWeb Posted: 12:27 GMT+2Brussels, 24/12/1998 (MPA) European Union Commissioner Hans van der Broek has warned that the continued operation of the four reactors at Bulgaria's Kozlodui nuclear plant constitute an immediate threat for a nuclear holocaust.Taking into consideration Greece's concerns, Mr. van der Broek stated that Bulgaria will have to close the reactors one through four before the country's request for a loan is granted., The loan concerns the upgrading of the remaining two reactors. Moreover, the Commissioner dismissed as "an exaggeration" Bulgaria's claims of increased energy needs and associated the closing of Kozlodui with Bulgaria's accession course to the EU. A.F. [C] WORLD[06] UNITED STATES ACCUSE MILOSEVIC OF NOT UPHOLDING AGREEMENTWeb Posted: 12:27 GMT+2Washington, 24/12/1998 (MPA) The United States are accusing Yugoslav president Slobodan Milosevic of continuing to mount the Serb forces in Kossovo, in spite the agreement to the contrary signed in October.A U.S. State Department spokesperson said that Mr.Milosevic's policy is a dangerous provocation. A.F. [07] SUIT CLAIMS CHASE AND J.P. MORGAN JOINED IN NAZI PLUNDERWeb Posted: 12:27 GMT+2New York, 24/12/1998 (MPA) Chase Manhattan Bank and J.P. Morgan & Co. joined the Nazis in the plunder of millions of dollars in Jewish assets during World War II, according to a class-action lawsuit filed yesterday in the United States.The suit, filed against those banks and seven French banks, accuses them of seizing accounts and safe deposit boxes from Jewish customers, then keeping the assets after the war. According to an Associated Press wire report, Chase Manhattan and J.P. Morgan became the first U.S. institutions to be named in the dozen lawsuits still pending on behalf of Holocaust victims who were exploited or who lost assets during the Nazi era. Chase Manhattan "collaborated with the German authorities and displayed an excessive zeal in its enforcement of anti-Jewish laws," the suit alleged. A similar attitude by J.P. Morgan earned it the reputation of an "international Aryan organization," it adds. The suit does not seek specific damages. But it accuses all the banks of being involved in "the systematic plunder" of "countless millions of dollars." A plaintiff attorney, Kenneth McCallion, said he hoped the banks would open their books, verify the losses and settle the claims out of court. Last week, Barclays agreed to settle its part of the same class-action suit by paying $3.6 million to Jews whose assets were frozen. In a statement, Chase called the suit unnecessary. It said the bank is already working with Jewish leaders to investigate records and reimburse, with interest, any customers - or their heirs - who lost money. Fewer than 100 accounts are at issue, it added. A J.P. Morgan statement said bank officials "understand the seriousness of this issue, and we'll certainly look into these allegations with care." The suit relies heavily on an April 1945 report from the U.S. Treasury Department about U.S. banking activities during the war. According to the report, the "record of the (Chase) Paris branch is one of uncalled-for responsiveness to the desires of the Germans and an apparent desire to enhance its influence with them." Similar claims against Swiss banks were settled last summer when the Swiss agreed to pay $1.25 billion in restitution to Holocaust victims who had been unable to recover assets lost in Swiss institutions. A.F. [08] RUSSIAN AMBASSADORS RETURNING TO UNITED STATES AND BRITAINWeb Posted: 12:27 GMT+2Washington, 24/12/1998 (MPA) Russia's ambassadors to the United States and Britain, who were recalled after Moscow denounced the Iraqi airstrikes launched by the two nations, will return totheir posts. Ambassador Yuli Vorontsov returned yesterday to his post in Washington, the ITAR-Tass news agency said. Ambassador Yuri Fokin will return to London on Monday, said a duty officer at the Foreign Ministry. Meanwhile, Russian Foreign Ministry spokesman Vladimir Rakhmanin said that next month's visit by Secretary of State Madeleine Albright "will be important for overcoming the negative consequences of the U.S. use of force against Iraq," A.F. [09] GREEK CANADIANS PROTEST TURKEY'S NUCLEAR REACTORWeb Posted: 12:27 GMT+2Ottawa, 24/12/1998 (MPA) The Greek-Canadian congress has embarked on a campaign protesting the saleof a Candu-type nuclear reactor to Turkey, by publishing related cards and addressing them to Canadian Prime Minister Jean Chretien. The sale will reportedly be partially financed by a loan from Ottawa. The card lists all the basic reasons why Turkey should not be given nuclear technology, including the fact that the Candu reactors are outdated and Ankara's plans to build a nuclear plant near a seismic rift. They also pointed to the fact that Turkey will use the reactor to attain nuclear weapons capability. A.F. [10] ARCHDIOCESE OF AMERICA RELEASES CD WITH HYMNSWeb Posted: 12:27 GMT+2New York, 24/12/1998 (MPA) The Archdiocese of America has released a compact disk with "Liturgical Hymns of Praise by Orthodox Youth", featuring the voices of young people from throughout America, singing in both Greek and English.The CD, which is the first of its kind, contains the divine liturgy in its entirety, plus selected Orthodox hymns and is available through the office of youth and young adult ministry at 8 East 79th Street, New York, NY 10021, by phone on (212) 774-0297 or by email at youthoffice&goarch.org Macedonian Press Agency: News in English Directory - Previous Article - Next Article |