Macedonian Press Agency: News in English, 03-10-08

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

CONTENTS

[01] LOCAL QUAEDA

[02] UNAUTHORIZED HOUSES GET POWER AND WATER

[03] VETS RETURN TO WORK IN LARISA

[04] PROTOPAPAS ON THE ARREST OF AN ARAB SUSPECT

[05] THE GOV'T SPOKESMAN ON THE DEPLOYMENT OF TURKISH TROOPS IN IRAQ

[06] PARLIAMENT DEPUTY MARIA DAMANAKI WILL NOT BE A CANDIDATE IN THE NEXT

[07] GAINS IN THE ASE

[08] PAPANDREOU INTERVENES FOR SAILORS IN KARACHI

[09] APPEAL FOR SAILORS IN KARACHI

[10] CONJOINED TWINS IN ROME HOSPITAL

[11] DENKTASH AND ANKARA UNCOMPROMISING

[01] LOCAL QUAEDA

An Al Quaeda member was arrested by the police a few days ago in Greece for human trafficking, according to journalist sources calling on statements made by Shiite Muslims living in Athens. According to the testimonies, the individual arrested is a Taliban soldier, he had killed 19 people in Pakistan, and had been trained in Afghanistan.

[02] UNAUTHORIZED HOUSES GET POWER AND WATER

The submission of applications for the connection of unauthorized houses to electricity grids and water supplies, will be put into effect tomorrow and will continue for a month after it is voted. On houses that are main residences and are outside the city plan and the general urban plan and residential zones, a copy of income tax returns which will show that it is the owner's main residence or a signed statement from the owner must be submitted.

[03] VETS RETURN TO WORK IN LARISA

The veterinarians of the Larisa Prefecture decided to end their strike, while the ruling of the court is expected this afternoon in the second complaint filed by the Ministry of Agriculture in order for the agriculturalists' and veterinarians' strike to be declared illegal and excessive. The intervention of the DA as regards dangers to citizens was caused by the continuation of the strike of civil agriculturalists, while customs directors gave their reassurance that there is no problem due to the strikes.

[04] PROTOPAPAS ON THE ARREST OF AN ARAB SUSPECT

The investigation continues and nothing serious has come up, stated Greek government spokesman Christos Protopapas.

The comment was made in response to questions by journalists on the arrest of an Arab, who allegedly is associated with the al-Qaeda terrorist network.

[05] THE GOV'T SPOKESMAN ON THE DEPLOYMENT OF TURKISH TROOPS IN IRAQ

The present situation in Iraq does not lead anywhere and the presence of foreign troops in the region can be risky, said Greek government spokesman Christos Protopapas.

The sooner the country is placed under the auspices of the UN and Iraq's national sovereignty is restored with the Iraqis taking control over their lives, the better for the international community, the countries involved, the people of Iraq and the world in general, pointed out Mr. Protopapas on the occasion of Turkey's decision to send 10,000 soldiers to Iraq.

[06] PARLIAMENT DEPUTY MARIA DAMANAKI WILL NOT BE A CANDIDATE IN THE NEXT ELECTIONS

Coalition of the Left Parliament Deputy Maria Damanaki with a letter to party president Nikos Konstantopoulos expressed her wish not to run for Parliament in the next elections.

According to the available information, Mrs. Damanaki wishes to complete her term in Parliament and will not resign.

[07] GAINS IN THE ASE

The share packages offered by the National Bank of Greece and the Bank of Piraeus were met with positive response by domestic and foreign institutional investors and as a result the Athens Stock Exchange closed with gains today.

The general index rose to +1.42% at 2.123,22 points, while the volume of transactions was unexpectedly high at 171 million euros.

Of the stocks trading today, the overwhelming majority of 275 had gains and 49 had losses, while the value of 60 stocks remained unchanged.

[08] PAPANDREOU INTERVENES FOR SAILORS IN KARACHI

The repatriation to Greece, of the Greek sailors who are being detained in Karachi, Pakistan, was requested of his Pakistani counterpart Kurshid M. Kasuri, by Foreign Minister Giorgos Papandreou, during a telephone communication he had with him last night.

[09] APPEAL FOR SAILORS IN KARACHI

Foreign Minister Giorgos Papandreou had a telephone communication last night with his Pakistani counterpart Kurshid M. Kasuri.

Mr. Papandreou raised the issue of the Greek sailors being detained in Karachi, and asked that the detainment be lifted and that they are immediately repatriated to Greece.

[10] CONJOINED TWINS IN ROME HOSPITAL

The conjoined twin girls born in Thessaloniki on June 12, were taken to a Rome hospital, in order to undergo separation surgery.

The little girls are being accompanied by the heart surgeon of the Agia Sophia children's hospital and by a pediatrician of the Ippokratio hospital. The conjoined twins are 4 months old, they weigh more than 5.5 kilos and are well in their health.

The infants, which were taken to Rome on a special Olympic Airways flight, are joined at the temple, their brains are separated, while their vital organs are growing normally.

[11] DENKTASH AND ANKARA UNCOMPROMISING

Minister of National Defense Giannos Papantoniou, who is in the US participating in the meeting of NATO members' Defense Ministers, spoke on Tuesday at the Second Annual Conference on Greek American Relations, being held in Washington. Mr. Papantoniou referred to Greece's axes on foreign and defense policy.

Specifically, the Minister informed the participants of the plans for the development of the Euroarmy, in the framework of the new European Constitution. The Euroarmy, stressed Mr. Papantoniou, will further develop, broadening its field of potential, while it acquires administrative structures which will allow it to secure autonomous operation capabilities, in a framework of broad cooperation with NATO and the US.

Regarding Greek-Turkish relations, Mr. Papantoniou pointed out an improvement in the atmosphere, but a lack of progress in the Cyprus issue, on which he said that the Turkish and Turkish Cypriot sides are still uncompromising in their positions, constantly raising obstacles, in contrary to the efforts of the international community to reach a settlement, as were expressed in the recent Annan proposal. Mr. Papantoniou also expressed his disappointment with Turkey's continuing questioning of Greece's sovereign rights in the Aegean, while Greece on the other hand, as he said, is still there in steady support of Turkey's European prospects.

The Minister of Defense also spoke of Greece's participation in struggle against international terrorism and the security of the Athens Olympics, stressing both the broad cooperation between 7 countries, including the US, as well as the participation of the Armed Forces in the security program of the Olympics.

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