Macedonian Press Agency: News in English, 2000-05-11
MACEDONIAN PRESS AGENCY NEWS IN ENGLISH
Thessaloniki, May 11, 2000
SECTIONS
[A] NATIONAL NEWS
[B] INTERNATIONAL NEWS
NEWS HEADLINES
[A] NATIONAL NEWS
[01] AUTO, HI-FI SHOW IN THESSALONIKI TOMORROW
[02] AEK WINS GREEK SOCCER CUP FOR 11TH TIME
[03] ARISTOTLE U. TO DETAIL YUGOSLAV HIGHWAY DAMAGE
[04] GREEK CHIEF OF STAFF ATTENDS NATO, EU SUMMITS
[05] AMERICAN MILITARY CADETS VISIT GREECE
[06] MACEDONIA-THRACE MINISTER ON SIGNIFICANCE OF SECI
[07] DEBATE ON CHURCH-STATE SEPARATION LINGERS ON
[08] TAX RETURNS TO BE FILED ONLINE AS OF NEXT YEAR
[09] ATHENS HOSTS WORLD CONGRESS OF PEACE MOVEMENTS
[10] POLICE APPREHEND ROMANIAN IMMIGRANT SMUGGLERS
[11] OLIVE OIL AGAINST SKIN CANCER
[12] THIRTY THOUSAND NEW CANCER PATIENTS EVERY YEAR IN GREECE
[13] THE TURKISH PROPOSAL ON THE CONFIDENCE BUILDING MEASURES IS
BEING EXAMINED
[14] BSTDB APPROVED A US$10 MILLION LOAN TO AVIN
[15] GAINS OF 0.61% IN THE ATHENS STOCK EXCHANGE
[16] THE BULGARIAN UNDERSECRETARY OF DEFENSE IS VISITING ATHENS
[17] THE GOVERNOR OF AUSTRALIA IS IN GREECE
[18] THE CORONARY DISEASE IS ON THE RISE
[19] SAMARANCH PRAISED THE GREEK GOVERNMENT
[20] THE GREEK GOVERNMENT SPOKESMAN ON THE "DYNAMIC MIX" EXERCISE
[21] 40 MILLION PEOPLE WORLDWIDE HAVE THE AIDS VIRUS - HASHISH IS
THREE TIMES MORE CANCER CAUSING THAN TOBACCO CIGARETTES
[B] INTERNATIONAL NEWS
[22] CYPRUS' FORMER PRESIDENT IS WELL AFTER OPERATION
[23] TURKEY FOR DIALOGUE WITH ATHENS, PER AGENDA 2000
[24] EUROPEAN UNION SAYS: OUZO IS ONLY GREEK
[25] A SEXUALLY TRANSMITTED VIRUS CAUSES CANCER OF THE LARYNX
NEWS IN DETAIL
[A] NATIONAL NEWS
[01] AUTO, HI-FI SHOW IN THESSALONIKI TOMORROW
Over 100 cars, racing cars, antiques, luxury cars and sports
cars, as well as Demo cars, will participate in this year's three-
day Car and Moto Accessories and Hi-Fi Show 2000 to begin tomorrow
at the installations of the Thessaloniki International Fair.
According to a press release, a series of events will be held
such as driving displays, baby cross and displays by antique cars.
Eight car representatives will present their latest models on
the premises, 15 companies will display motorcycles and
accessories, 16 tires and wheel parts and 30 others preservatives,
spare parts and driving accessories.
[02] AEK WINS GREEK SOCCER CUP FOR 11TH TIME
For the 11th time in its history, AEK Athens won the Greek
Soccer Cup last night, after beating Ionikos Piraeus 3-0.
The Cup Final was played at the Athens Olympic Stadium before
a crowd of 40,000 spectators.
With its win, AEK has secured its participation in Europe's
UEFA Cup next season.
[03] ARISTOTLE U. TO DETAIL YUGOSLAV HIGHWAY DAMAGE
The Aristotle University of Thessaloniki is to produce an
inventory of damage to a key highway passing through Yugoslavia
which was destroyed in NATO air strikes last year, according to
Greece's Transport Ministry Secretary General Yiannis Maniatis.
The project being undertaken by the university, to be
completed by August 2001, will also include an assessment of
reconstruction needed for the central road and railway, formerly
Greece's main link to the rest of the European Union.
[04] GREEK CHIEF OF STAFF ATTENDS NATO, EU SUMMITS
The Chairman of the Greek Chiefs of Staff, Gen. Manousos
Paragioudakis, is presently in Brussels where he will participate
in the separate summits of his NATO and European Union
counterparts.
The armed forces chiefs of EU member-states will meet today
to review progress regarding the functions of the Union's military
organs.
The NATO chiefs will be briefed on the latest developments in
Bosnia-Herzegovina and Kosovo and will also meet their
counterparts of Russia and Ukraine for a discussion of issues of
common interest.
[05] AMERICAN MILITARY CADETS VISIT GREECE
United States National Defense College students are
presently on a ten-day official visit to Greece, as of Monday,
where they will be briefed by representatives of the National
Defense General Staff and of the foreign and national economy
ministries.
The student delegation will also visit military installations
in Athens and Thessaloniki and the archaeological sites of Delphi,
Acropolis and Vergina.
[06] MACEDONIA-THRACE MINISTER ON SIGNIFICANCE OF SECI
SECI is a flexible initiative that has managed to
productively mobilize the private sector in the development of
investments at Southeastern Europe, according to the Minister of
Macedonia-Thrace George Paschalides.
Addressing a panel comprising members of SECI BAC and SECI
PRO, Mr. Paschalides welcomed that SECI's association with the
Stability Pact, since, as he stated, the operation of concurrent
programs whose targets are similar can prove to be
counterproductive if there is a lack of cooperation and
communication.
Moreover, he stated that a key problem in every form of
regional cooperation is the tackling of linear issues which
require the coordination of various agencies in each country.
In closing, Mr. Paschalides said that the Ministry of
Macedonia-Thrace can decisively support these initiatives.
[07] DEBATE ON CHURCH-STATE SEPARATION LINGERS ON
A mere few days after the justice minister stoked coals on
the issue of Church and state separation, the country's academic
and legal communities have now joined the debate over whether or
not the obligatory mentioning of religious belief on
identification cards contravenes extant legislation.
According to 1997 law, the mentioning of religious beliefs is
considered sensitive information, which can be made public after
the approval of the person immediately concerned, or the authority
for the protection of personal data.
However, the Church of Greece has countered this view by
stating that "no law is enforceable if it runs contrary to holy
laws."
The Piraeus Metropolite and Holy Synod spokesperson
Kallinikos stated that "based on the existing law, the listing of
religious belief or affiliation on one's personal identification
card, is mandatory, unless another law is enacted."
However, the chairman of the Authority for the Protection of
Personal Data stated that Mr. Kallinikos referred to a law that is
no longer being enforced.
"The new law 24721/specifically and implicitly abolishes the
previous law and considers religion to be sensitive information",
the chairman said.
[08] TAX RETURNS TO BE FILED ONLINE AS OF NEXT YEAR
Greeks will be able to file their tax returns online as of
next year, according to the Minister of National Economy and
Finance Yiannos Papantoniou.
The Minister stated that the TAXIS system is being
implemented throughout the state's economic and finance
departments.
Meanwhile, negotiations are underway at the National Economy
Ministry with a European Commission delegation, where the
participants are putting the final touches on the Third Community
Support Framework.
[09] ATHENS HOSTS WORLD CONGRESS OF PEACE MOVEMENTS
The World Congress of Peace Movements is presently underway
in Athens, with thematic discussions being held by delegations
from 43 countries.
Today the participants are discussing nuclear arms ban and
disarmament, as well as the new order for peace and security.
Tomorrow's topic will be peace and development, while, prior
to concluding on Sunday, the delegates will issue decisions on the
final statements and will elect the new presidium of the World
Peace Council.
[10] POLICE APPREHEND ROMANIAN IMMIGRANT SMUGGLERS
Greek police have arrested a Romanian couple who attempted to
smuggle 98 of their compatriots into Greece through an unguarded
section of the border.
According to the police report, 29-year-old Angel Dobrin and
25-year-old Anna Kurteanou were apprehended as they were driving
their human cargo into Greek soil.
The two suspects were reportedly paid a sum of DM250 from
each of the immigrants.
[11] OLIVE OIL AGAINST SKIN CANCER
Pure olive oil on the skin after sun bathing is likely to be
the answer to the warnings of doctors, who state that there is a
risk of skin cancer after staying long hours under the sun,
according to the "New Scientist" magazine.
Researchers of the Kombe University medical school in Japan
discovered that olive oil slows down the development of tumors in
experiments against cancer made on mice. Based on the results of
the research, when the mice developed tumors they were smaller,
less in numbers and less genetically dangerous for the skip cells.
The researchers warn however, that olive oil can not be used
as a sun-screen.
[12] THIRTY THOUSAND NEW CANCER PATIENTS EVERY YEAR IN GREECE
Thirty thousand new cancer patients are being recorded every
year in Greece, while in the last stages of the disease 60-90% of
them suffer from strong pains. The above were mentioned in the
15th Medical Conference in northern Greece and it was stressed
that the easing of the pain suffered by cancer patients is still a
challenge for the doctors.
In a round table discussion, it was pointed out that the
prostate cancer cases diagnosed each year in the United States are
334.500 and 41.800 of those patients die. It is estimated that 1
million men over the age of 50 that are alive today will die from
this disease. The mortality rate in the prostate cancer patients
increases with the age of the patient. This fact in relation with
the rise in the average age of the population leads to the
conclusion that the prostate cancer deaths will rise sharply in
the next few years as opposed to the deaths from other diseases
such as cardiovascular diseases which are on the decline.
[13] THE TURKISH PROPOSAL ON THE CONFIDENCE BUILDING MEASURES IS
BEING EXAMINED
The Greek side is in the process of drawing up a text
concerning the confidence building measures, in response to the
proposals made by Turkish foreign minister Ismail Cem that were
submitted to his Greek counterpart in Ankara last January.
The two responsible ministries of foreign affairs and defense
cooperate closely to determine Greece's stance on the confidence
building measures.
According to information, the position of the Greek
government is that the confidence building measures must be within
the NATO framework and under the auspices of the western
alliance's general-secretary but this does not rule out a
discussion at a bilateral level on issues of technical nature such
as, the cooperation of coastal regions.
[14] BSTDB APPROVED A US$10 MILLION LOAN TO AVIN
The Black Sea Trade and Development Bank, BSTDB, Board of
Directors approved a US$ 10 million loan to Vardinoyiannis-AVIN
Group (Greece) for the construction of an oil/product tanker in
the Ukraine. The tanker will be part of the AVIN INTERNATIONAL
fleet, while the sum approved for its construction will be a
great relief for the Ukrainian shipbuilding yard.
By undertaking the construction of the ship the Nikolaev
shipyards will be able to activate their huge potential which
remains unexploited to a great degree. At the same time, it will
improve its operational standards as a result of the close
cooperation that will be developed with the Greek group.
According to the bank's board of directors, the investment
program will have a positive effect on the creation of more job
positions in a region which traditionally faces high unemployment
in the specialized personnel category.
[15] GAINS OF 0.61% IN THE ATHENS STOCK EXCHANGE
Gains of 0.61% were recorded in the Athens Stock Exchange
today and the general index was at 4.528,93 points, while the
volume of transactions was over 195 billion drachmas.
Of the stocks trading 256 recorded gains, while just 47 had
losses.
[16] THE BULGARIAN UNDERSECRETARY OF DEFENSE IS VISITING ATHENS
Bulgarian undersecretary of defense Plamen Georgiev Radonov
is on a visit to Athens and is scheduled to meet with his Greek
counterpart Dimitris Apostolakis.
The talks of the two undersecretaries will focus on the
sectors of bilateral cooperation with a special emphasis on the
defense industry and the security situation in the Balkans.
[17] THE GOVERNOR OF AUSTRALIA IS IN GREECE
Governor of Australia Sir William Patrick Deene, who is on a
formal visit to Greece, was received today by president Kostis
Stephanopoulos. The Australian official later met with prime
minister Kostas Simitis and parliament president Apostolos
Kaklamanis while he laid a wreath at the Monument of the Unknown
Soldier.
During the contacts of the Australian official, it was
pointed out that the Greek community in Australia is a bridge that
links the two countries. He will also meet with political party
leaders and later he will attend a formal dinner that will be
given in his honor by the president of the republic.
[18] THE CORONARY DISEASE IS ON THE RISE
Thirty to forty thousand people in a population of 1 million
suffer from coronary disease and 2-3% of them die each year, while
an equal percentage suffers a heart attack. In Greece, the number
of coronary disease cases remains stable, while at the same time
in the rest developed countries they are on the decline.
The figures were presented on the occasion of the 2nd
Cardiology Conference in northern Greece that will be held in
Thessaloniki on May 18-20. The biggest mortality rate is recorded
among women in spite of the fact that they develop the coronary
disease 10 years later compared to men. This is due mainly to two
factors namely, women tend to develop the disease at an older age
and their coronary vessels are thinner.
[19] SAMARANCH PRAISED THE GREEK GOVERNMENT
International Olympic Committee, IOC, president Juan Antonio
Samaranch praised the Greek government for the changes it has made
in the structure of the organizing committee for the 2004 Olympic
Games in Athens.
The IOC president, who expressed satisfaction over the
appointment of Ms. Yianna Angelopoulou-Daskalaki to the organizing
committee presidency, asked culture minister Theodoros Pangalos to
convey to prime minister Kostas Simitis his congratulations for
the speedy adoption of the specific measures by the government.
At the same time, he thanked the outgoing organizing
committee president Mr. Thomopoulos for his high quality work,
stressing that he understands fully the reasons that led him to
focus his interest on the Bank of Greece.
[20] THE GREEK GOVERNMENT SPOKESMAN ON THE "DYNAMIC MIX" EXERCISE
There is not an issue of an exclusion of the northern Aegean
island of Limnos from the NATO exercise "Dynamic Mix" which will
take place from May 20 to early June in southern Aegean and the
Ionian Sea, stressed today Greek government spokesman Dimitris
Reppas.
Mr. Reppas clarified that the exercise will develop in a
geographic area in which the island of Limnos does not belong.
The Greek government spokesman responding to a question by a
reporter on whether there is an exchange of letters between Athens
and Ankara on the confidence building measures, he said that the
confidence building measures must be handled by the
representatives of the two countries within the framework of NATO.
The issue is being followed by the NATO secretary-general and the
1988 memorandum signed by the then foreign ministers Papoulias and
Yilmaz constitutes for Greece the basis for a progress in any
discussion.
[21] 40 MILLION PEOPLE WORLDWIDE HAVE THE AIDS VIRUS - HASHISH IS
THREE TIMES MORE CANCER CAUSING THAN TOBACCO CIGARETTES
Forty million people worldwide have been infected with the
AIDS virus, while 40-70% of them develop eye damages as a result,
according to a research that will be presented in the 6th
Scientific Conference of Greek Medical School Students that opens
in Thessaloniki tomorrow.
Meanwhile, the drop in the age of first time drug users in
the two year period of 1998-1999 and the low education level of
the drug addicts were among the conclusions reached by the
research conducted by Aristotle University of Thessaloniki
Forensic-Toxicology Laboratory that will also be presented in the
conference. The overwhelming majority starts with the so-called
soft drugs and almost all systematic drug users later turn to hard
drugs.
The same research showed that hashish does to appear to cause
physical addiction but it causes psychological addiction depending
on the way and the conditions under which the drug is used.
Compared to tobacco cigarettes the cannabis includes three
times more cancer causing tar, while on the other hand, it has
been established that nicotine causes physical addiction.
[B] INTERNATIONAL NEWS
[22] CYPRUS' FORMER PRESIDENT IS WELL AFTER OPERATION
Everything went well during yesterday's operation to remove
a benign brain tumor from Cyprus' former President George
Vasiliou, according to the doctors, who express absolute
satisfaction with the outcome of the surgery.
According to the Cyprus News Agency, the doctors pointed out
that Mr. Vasiliou will be closely monitored in the intensive care
unit and is expected to remain in the hospital for about ten days.
[23] TURKEY FOR DIALOGUE WITH ATHENS, PER AGENDA 2000
Ankara is said to be willing to embark on a dialogue with
Athens within the framework allocated by international law and
"Agenda 2000".
According to the BBC radio service, Mr. Cem relayed his
country's aforementioned wish to his Greek counterpart George
Papandreou during their recent meeting in New York.
[24] EUROPEAN UNION SAYS: OUZO IS ONLY GREEK
The term "ouzo" will not be used for any whatsoever alcoholic
beverage produced in South Africa, according to the agreement
between the European Union and South Africa, to be signed on June
1.
As the European Council responded to a relevant question
tabled by Greek eurodeputy Yiannis Souladakis (PASOK), the only
products bearing the name "ouzo" available in South Africa will
have originated exclusively from Greece.
[25] A SEXUALLY TRANSMITTED VIRUS CAUSES CANCER OF THE LARYNX
A sexually transmitted virus, called papillomavirus, can
cause certain types of cancer of the larynx, warn researchers in a
article published on the journal issued by the US National
Institute on Cancer.
The researchers, after examining 253 patients aged between 17
and 91 years old, traced the virus in 25% of the tumors. The above
results show that the specific virus was the cause of those
cancers that hit the tonsil and the larynx area.
In the United States, about 31.000 are diagnosed each year
with cancer of the mouth and the pharynx, while this specific
virus is also related with the cancer of the genital organs.
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