Macedonian Press Agency: News in English, 04-09-28

Macedonian Press Agency: Brief News in English Directory - Previous Article - Next Article

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

CONTENTS

[01] MOURNING AND ANGER

[02] LOCAL PEOPLE BLOCKED TRAFFIC IN THE NATIONAL MOTORWAY AT ASPRONERI

[03] NEW BOMB THREAT TARGETING AN OA PASSENGER PLANE

[04] GAINS IN THE ASE

[05] THE GREEK DOCTORS OF THE WORLD EQUIPPED A HEALTH CENTER IN ALGERIA

[06] ROAD SAFETY MEASURES

[07] ACTIONS FOR THE PROMOTION OF TOURISM IN GREECE

[01] MOURNING AND ANGER

Prime Minister Kostas Karamanlis demanded answers to all questions and the speeding up of the investigation to find and punish those responsible in the emergency meeting he had with the Ministers of Public Order, Health and Education on the tragic accident with the students from Farkadona, Trikala in the region of Asproneri, one of the most dangerous points in the national motorway in the prefecture of Fthiotida, central Greece.

The death of the 7 students caused deep grief and anger across Greece.

The funerals of the schoolchildren killed when their bus collided with a truck yesterday were held today.

Meanwhile, Athens 2004 Organizing Committee decided to cancel the artistic part of the Paralympic Games closing ceremony.

Schools in Greece will be closed tomorrow in a show of mourning, after a decision by Minister of Education Marietta Giannakou.

[02] LOCAL PEOPLE BLOCKED TRAFFIC IN THE NATIONAL MOTORWAY AT ASPRONERI

Local people in the prefecture of Fthiotida blocked traffic in the Athens-Lamia national motorway at Asproneri for more than two hours today demanding the adoption of immediate measures to prevent similar accidents with yesterday's tragic accident involving a bus carrying schoolchildren.

Yesterday, Minister of Environment, Public Works and Land Planning Giorgos Souflias reiterated that the part of the Athens-Lamia national motorway known as the Maliakos Horseshoe will be turned into a modern closed motorway by the end of 2007.

Mr. Souflias stated that at the specific part of the national motorway the speed limit is at 50 km per hour and appealed to those driving large vehicles to be careful.

[03] NEW BOMB THREAT TARGETING AN OA PASSENGER PLANE

A new bomb threat made by an anonymous caller has caused alarm. According to an anonymous call made to an Athens newspaper at 15:55, an explosive device was about to blow up after one hour, namely at 16:55.

Based on the caller, the bomb was allegedly placed on board Olympic Airlines Flight 411 with 295 passengers and a 12-member crew that had departed from Athens and was en route to New York.

The OA Airbus 340 is now making an emergency landing at Shannon Airport in Ireland for security reasons.

[04] GAINS IN THE ASE

Gains were recorded in the Athens Stock Exchange today. The general index rose to +0.24% at 2337.55 points, while the volume of transactions was at 123.8 million euros.

Of the stocks trading today, 170 had gains and 100 had losses, while the value of 133 stocks remained unchanged.

[05] THE GREEK DOCTORS OF THE WORLD EQUIPPED A HEALTH CENTER IN ALGERIA

The Health Center in the town of Baglia in Algeria was inaugurated a few days ago after being restored and equipped by the Greek Doctors of the World within the framework of humanitarian aid program for the people hit by the May 21, 2003 catastrophic earthquake in the north of the country.

The Greek branch of the Doctors of the World went to the suffering region just 24 hours after the devastating earthquake and offered their services to the earthquake stricken population. Since then, the Greek Doctors of the World have undertaken the restoration and support with modern medical equipment of five health centers in the region.

[06] ROAD SAFETY MEASURES

Prime Minister Kostas Karamanlis announced today that the pace in the construction of public works will be accelerated and added that policing across the national motorway will intensify with the installation of cameras in parts of the road network regarded as dangerous.

Minister of Public Order Giorgos Voulgarakis undertook to prepare the proposal concerning the establishment of a national motorway traffic police, while penalties for traffic violations will be tougher.

The Prime Minister made the statements after the governmental committee meeting today, while yesterday he had demanded answers to all the questions raised regarding road safety and called for an investigation to get underway immediately to find and punish those responsible for yesterday's bloody accident in which 7 schoolchildren were killed.

Mr. Karamanlis stated characteristically that a small town is lost in traffic accidents every year in Greece.

[07] ACTIONS FOR THE PROMOTION OF TOURISM IN GREECE

Minister of Tourism Dimitris Avramopoulos announced in a special event at the Zappeion Megaron Building in Athens today held on the occasion of World Tourism Day, that an Agency for the Simplification of Procedures and Tourist Investments will be established aimed at facilitating the foreign and Greek investors. He also announced that the institution of tourist attachees abroad will be promoted and their task will be Greece's international promotion as a tourist destination.

This was not a good year for tourism not only for Greece but for many other countries as well, stated Mr. Avramopoulos, who asked for the cooperation of all responsible agencies for the promotion of the Greek tourist product.

Mr. Avramopoulos stated that a total of 31 million euros will be spent on Greece's promotion campaign.

Macedonian Press Agency: Brief News in English Directory - Previous Article - Next Article