|
|
|
Macedonian Press Agency: News in English, 99-08-12
MACEDONIAN PRESS AGENCY NEWS IN ENGLISH
Thessaloniki, August 12, 1999
SECTIONS
[A] NATIONAL NEWS
[B] INTERNATIONAL NEWS
NEWS HEADLINES
[A] NATIONAL NEWS
[01] LAST DAY OF HEATWAVE TODAY, COOLER DAYS AHEAD
[02] GOVERNMENT CONCERNED OVER RISING FUEL PRICES
[03] ISLAND OF RHODES HOSTS RECORD NUMBER OF TOURISTS
[04] THESSALONIKI HOSTS 150 CHILDREN FROM PANCEVO, SERBIA
[05] MODELS OF ANCIENT ASTRONOMICAL TOOLS EXHIBITED IN CRETE
[B] INTERNATIONAL NEWS
[06] DEPLOYMENT OF RUSSIAN TROOPS IN KOSOVO HAS BEEN
COMPLETED
[07] ALBANIA'S PREMIER VISITS KOSOVO TODAY
NEWS IN DETAIL
[A] NATIONAL NEWS
[01] LAST DAY OF HEATWAVE TODAY, COOLER DAYS AHEAD
Today is the last day of the heatwave that tormented
city dwellers this week, with cooler temperatures being
forecast as of tomorrow.
Yesterday's totals solar eclipse contained the
scorching temperatures in mid-day, while today's high is
expected to reach the 41C degrees mark. According to the
National Weather Service, temperatures during the upcoming
three-day weekend are to remain at normal levels throughout
the country.
[02] GOVERNMENT CONCERNED OVER RISING FUEL PRICES
The National Economy and Finance Ministries are
concerned over the rising fuel prices which threaten the
state's plans for maintaining inflation at the levels
required for the country's accession to the Economic and
Monetary Union.
As of midnight last night, diesel prices rose by GRD
4.5 per liter, gasoline by GRD 2 per liter and heating oil
by GRD2.7 per liter. These increases negated the reduction
of the special consumption tax and, as a result, the stated
is now examining new measures to contain inflation.
[03] ISLAND OF RHODES HOSTS RECORD NUMBER OF TOURISTS
The southeastern Aegean island of Rhodes is hosting a
record number of tourists this year, according to the Greek
National Tourism Organization (EOT), with more expected
still to arrive.
According to EOT's data, 82,953 tourists are presently
on the island, ompared to 77,441 during the same period last
year, while 110 charter flights are expected
over the next few days.
Of the 82,953 tourists only 4,729 are Greeks as their
numbers have
declined from last year's 5,348 of a 77,441 total.
[04] THESSALONIKI HOSTS 150 CHILDREN FROM PANCEVO, SERBIA
One hundred and fifty Serb children, aged between 8-14,
are to arrive in Thessaloniki from Pancevo today, as guests
of the Municipality of Neapolis in Thessaloniki.
The Mayor of Neapolis is to greet the children whose
city was subject to extensive environmental damage from the
bombing of its oil refineries and chemical plants during the
course of the war. The youngsters will be hosted at two
camping sites until August 23.
[05] MODELS OF ANCIENT ASTRONOMICAL TOOLS EXHIBITED IN CRETE
In spite of the fact that several centuries have lapsed
since then, the solar eclipse phenomenon fascinated ancient
Greece's astronomers and physicists who studied and charted
the sun's path.
Models of the tools used by the ancient astronomers to
conduct their studies are presently on display at the old
port of Chania, Crete, an event organized by the city's
Municipal Cultural Organization, in cooperation with the
city's Port Treasury and "Aiolos" publications.
Among the exhibited tools is a solar clock dating back
to the third century AD which had first been invented by
Parmenion in Alexandria one century earlier. The clock is a
complicated apparatus which measured the geographical
dimension of and distance between the stars.
The exhibit also features a Byzantine clock-calendar
dating back to the sixth century AD which operated with
precision in the various cities and regions inscribed on its
face and featured a sun-moon dial.
The said device is viewed as an offspring of the
Antikythera mechanism, an ancient planetarium in which the
positions of the heavenly bodies were indicated by dials on
the face of the device.
The Antikythera mechanism is believed to be the most
sophisticated scientific instrument surviving from
antiquity. It was built in Rhodes in about 80 BC, and
discovered in a sunken shipwreck. It is an astronomical
calculator with precision gearing, containing 32 bronze
gears including a differential gear, and accurate to 1 part
in 40,000.
It has enabled historians of science to completely
reassess the high technology of the ancient Greeks.
According to author Christos D. Lazos, who conducted
the exhibit's historical research, "we already know quite a
bit about the philosophical quests of the ancient Greeks and
the Byzantines, as well as for their artistic creations."
However, he added, there is an aspect of their
civilization, the scientific and technological development,
that is not as well known.
"Their achievements in this sector were magnificent and
illustrate that certain rules of physics, geometry,
mathematics, chemistry, etc., were not at all unknown during
their times and constituted the basis for the construction
of various devices and tools that were directly related to
their daily lives," he added.
[B] INTERNATIONAL NEWS
[06] DEPLOYMENT OF RUSSIAN TROOPS IN KOSOVO HAS BEEN
COMPLETED
The deployment of Russian troops in Kosovo has been
completed, according to Russian acting Defense Minister Igor
Sergiev, who added that the force comprises 3,616 men.
The force's deployment was performed by nine naval
missions, 75 military flights, and 17 railroad routes.
The Russian force has been developed in the American,
French and German sectors, with a supply base in the British
area as well.
[07] ALBANIA'S PREMIER VISITS KOSOVO TODAY
Albanian Prime Minister Pandeli Majko is expected to
arrive in Kosovo today, the first Albanian premier to visit
the Serb province.
According the Albanian dailies, Mr. Majko's visit is
an unofficial one, conducted for family reasons, although
the reports add that he will meet with the leader of the UCK
Hasim Thaci, the President of the Democratic Alliance
Ibrahim Rugova and representatives from the peacekeeping
force KFOR.
|
