Macedonian Press Agency: News in English, 00-11-04

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From: The Macedonian Press Agency at http://www.mpa.gr and http://www.hri.org/MPA.

CONTENTS

[01] THE HOSTAGE CRISIS HAS ENDED

[02] THE HOSTAGE CRISIS CONTINUES IN GREECE

[03] THE 1ST MEETING OF REPATRIATED GREEK ARTISTS AND SCIENTISTS IS UNDERWAY

[04] THE GREEK CULTURE MINISTRY WILL BUY THE HOUSES OF TSIRKAS AND KAVAFIS

[05] EQUAL RIGHTS FOR THE FOREIGN WORKERS WANT 8 OUT OF 10 GREEK WORKERS

[06] THE CHARTER FLIGHTS TO CEPHALLONIA AND ITHACA INCREASED BY 85%

[07] THE PRIME MINISTER WILL BE IN ITALY ON WEDNESDAY

[08] THE THRILLER WITH THE 35 HOSTAGES CONTINUES

[09] CRUCIAL MOMENTS FOR THE 35 JAPANESE TOURISTS HELD HOSTAGE ON A BUS IN

[10] SAE CALLS ON THE GREEK-AMERICANS TO VOTE IN THE US PRESIDENTIAL

[01] THE HOSTAGE CRISIS HAS ENDED

The hostage crisis involving 35 passengers of a tourist bus, 33 Japanese tourists aged between 60 and 73 years old and two Greeks the bus driver and their guide, had a bloodless ending as the hostage-taker 48yearold Christos Kentiras freed them and surrendered to the police.

The police was in contact with the hijacker through a mobile phone but the 48yeraold had not expressed any specific demands.

During the negotiations with the police, the abductor was demanding to contact a known journalist. After intense consultations in the police headquarters it was decided to allow the journalist to take part in the negotiations.

Just before 7pm in the afternoon, the bus with the elderly Japanese tourists arrived in Piraeus and stopped outside the offices of "Alpha" television station where journalist Makis Triantafillopoulos. The hijacker surrendered to the police after freeing all the hostages. All the Japanese tourists were taken to an Athens hotel and were visited by public order minister Michalis Chrisochoidis and the Japanese ambassador.

Earlier in the morning, the hijacker had shot and killed his 77yearold mother-in-law and a friend of his because he was suspecting him of having an affair with his estranged wife. He hijacked the bus at the Athens-Korinth highway after setting his car on fire.

During the police operation, a police officer who tried to approach the bus was shot by the abductor and was slightly injured.

Prime minister Kostas Simitis, who was on a tour of north-western Greece, was briefed immediately on the hostage crisis and had stated from the city of Ioannina that the priority is the safety of the passengers.

[02] THE HOSTAGE CRISIS CONTINUES IN GREECE

The hostage crisis continues in Greece as 48yearold Christos Kentiras still holds 35 people, 33 elderly Japanese tourists and 2 Greeks, the driver and their guide. The bus is near Korinth, southern Greece and is moving toward Athens followed by tens of police cars.

According to the police, Kentiras makes constantly new demands and on the scene are special negotiators and psychologists.

He is armed with a hunting gun and carries with him a vessel full of flammable liquid fuel threatening to set the bus on fire that is why it is followed by fire-fighting vehicles.

Before hijacking the bus, Kentiras had killed his mother-in-law and a friend of his because he was suspecting him of having an affair with his estranged wife.

The Japanese embassy officials follow the developments closely and Greek ministry of public order general secretary Dimitris Efstathiadis went to the Japanese embassy to brief the ambassador and inform him that all the hostages are well and efforts are being made for their quick release.

Greek prime minister Kostas Simitis stated on the hostage crisis that the abduction of tourists is a sad event. He said that the kidnapper is a psychopath adding however, that the Greek police is experienced and the main effort is to protect the lives of the hostages, expressing the hope that the results that will be achieved by the Greek police will be quick and positive.

[03] THE 1ST MEETING OF REPATRIATED GREEK ARTISTS AND SCIENTISTS IS UNDERWAY

The 1st meeting of the Repatriated Greek Artists and Scientists is underway in Kassandra, Chalkidiki in northern Greece and its goal is the wider promotion and presentation of the nature of their work.

In the morning session today about 300 artists and scientists were briefed on the policy of the general secretariat for the Greeks living abroad on issues concerning repatriation. The delegates were also briefed on the culture ministry programs and how they can be used by the repatriated Greeks, while they were also informed on the labor ministry programs on employment and the promotion in the job market.

The meeting opened on November 3 and will last until November 5.

[04] THE GREEK CULTURE MINISTRY WILL BUY THE HOUSES OF TSIRKAS AND KAVAFIS IN ALEXANDRIA, EGYPT

The Greek culture ministry intends to continue and complete the procedures aimed at buying the houses of Stratis Tsirkas and Konstantinos Kavafis in Alexandria, Egypt, according to statements made by culture minister Theodoros Pangalos in a scientific symposium on Stratis Tsirkas held in Athens.

The procedures aimed at buying the two houses started during Mr. Pangalos' term in the foreign ministry in cooperation with the late Kostis Moskov.

[05] EQUAL RIGHTS FOR THE FOREIGN WORKERS WANT 8 OUT OF 10 GREEK WORKERS

The Greek workers and the unemployed do not see the foreign workers as a threat and on the contrary they believe that they must have equal rights, according to a research conducted by the VPRC opinion poll institute on behalf of the Athens newspaper "Imerisia".

According to an opinion poll results, 8 out of 10 Greek workers want equal rights for the foreigners working in the country. The research also showed that xenophobia in the work sector is notably limited compared to the rest of the society.

To the question if the foreign workers must have equal rights with the Greeks 78.9% responded positively, 6.4% agree conditionally, while 13% gave a negative response.

On the controversial issue of the 35hour working week, 51.4% of those questioned are in favor under the precondition that there will be no wage cuts, while 31.7% raise the issue of the creation of new job positions as well.

[06] THE CHARTER FLIGHTS TO CEPHALLONIA AND ITHACA INCREASED BY 85%

The charter flights to the Ionian islands of Cephallonia and Ithaca increased by 15% in the first nine months of 2000 compared to last year, while in the same period the ship arrivals presented a notable increase of 30%, according to figures provided by the local administration.

The tourist wave to both islands is on the rise in the past couple of years and expectations are high for the year 2001. An indicative fact of the trend that prevails is that in the three-year period 1997-2000 the arrivals of charter flights increased by an astonishing 85%.

[07] THE PRIME MINISTER WILL BE IN ITALY ON WEDNESDAY

Greek prime minister Kostas Simitis will be on a visit to Italy on Wednesday.

He is scheduled to meet with his Italian counterpart Juliano Amato and Rome's mayor Francesco Ruteli.

[08] THE THRILLER WITH THE 35 HOSTAGES CONTINUES

The tourist bus with the 35 Japanese tourists held hostage by Christos Kentiras is on its way to Epidavros in southern Greece, followed by strong police forces, fire-fighting vehicles and ambulances, while 3 helicopters fly over it.

A special psychologist is expected to arrive on the scene, who cooperates with the Greek police, to undertake the difficult task of negotiating with the abductor.

The 48yearold Christos Kentiras, who is armed, forces the bus driver to change his direction constantly with the threat of a gun and does not want to negotiate with anyone, while he has made no demands for the release of the hostages.

Prime minister Kostas Simitis, who is touring the prefecture of Ioannina, was briefed on the hostage situation by minister of public order Michalis Chrisochoidis and stated that the lives of the hostages must be protected.

[09] CRUCIAL MOMENTS FOR THE 35 JAPANESE TOURISTS HELD HOSTAGE ON A BUS IN GREECE

The 35 Japanese tourists and their two guides on board a tourist bus live crucial moments, while they are held hostage by a 48yearold man, named Christos Kentiras. The kidnapper is armed and has opened fire injuring a police officer, who was riding a police motorcycle and was following the bus.

A strong police force is following the tourist bus with the hostages. At the moment the bus it is on its way to the city of Korinth in the Peloponese, southern Greece.

The abductor appears to be a person with psychological problems. Earlier in the morning, he had shot and killed his mother-in-law, 77yearold Georgia Spirou and a man named Stamatis Taktikos, who was his friend and he was suspecting him of having an affair with his estranged wife.

As it was made known by the Poros police station, the kidnaper intended to go to Amfiali in Piraeus where his estranged wife had moved with their son in order to meet with her and make a last effort for them to be together.

[10] SAE CALLS ON THE GREEK-AMERICANS TO VOTE IN THE US PRESIDENTIAL ELECTIONS

The World Council of Hellenes Living Abroad, SAE, calls on all Greek-Americans to exercise their right to vote and go to the polls in the US presidential elections that will be held on Tuesday and are regarded as the most uncertain in the history of the United States since 1960.

The latest opinion polls do not help those who have not made up their minds yet on whom they should vote for, stated SAE vice-president and North and South America coordinator Christos Tomaras, adding that this time is very hard to make predictions on the election results and the Greek-Americans must take advantage of the situation to choose their leaders especially this year, when the election results will be very close.

The SAE vice-president pointed out that the vote of the Greek-Americans can play a crucial role in the election results.

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