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Athens News Agency: Daily News Bulletin in English, 00-08-07Athens News Agency: Daily News Bulletin in English Directory - Previous Article - Next ArticleFrom: The Athens News Agency at <http://www.ana.gr/>CONTENTS
[01] Papantoniou to ordain tight budgets in coming yearsAthens, 07/08/2000 (ANA)National Economy and Finance Minister Yiannos Papantoniou is to order tight national budgets for years to come, allowing no slackening of policy.Papantoniou told the Sunday Eleftherotypia newspaper in an interview that the budgets, aimed at maintaining low inflation, would show a restrained incomes policy. The minister also described trade union proposals for an institutionalized 35-hour working week as "dangerous", saying the move would lead to job losses. A shorter working week was acceptable on a voluntary basis by companies, he added. Finally, Papantoniou pledged that tenders would be used for projects needed ahead of the 2004 Olympic Games to be hosted by Athens. "There will be no direct award of projects for 2004," he said. [02] Gov't to seek wider anti-terrorism powers, newspaper saysAthens, 07/08/2000 (ANA)The government is seeking to grant the police and judiciary wider powers in handling terrorism cases, the Sunday Vima newspaper said.The powers are contained in a bill to be submitted to parliament shortly that will scrap measures construed as protecting terrorism suspects, according to the newspaper. Steps to be legislated are house searches with fewer restrictions on police, protection for judges and witnesses in terrorism cases, trials without jurors, and life sentences for setting up terrorist groups, Sunday Vima said. [03] Declaration of VAT statements extended to October 24Athens, 07/08/2000 (ANA)The Finance Ministry has announced that it has extended until October 24 the deadline for the declaration of Value Added Tax (VAT) statements, and without any penalty imposed for those who had not declared them in time.Also, the General Bank has announced that from Wednesday, it will be granting loans for the paying off of dues to the tax authorities. [04] Prosecutor orders enquiry into Pendeli blazeAthens, 07/08/2000 (ANA)An Athens public prosecutor on Sunday ordered an enquiry into a forest fire on Pendeli - a populated mountain near Athens- that a day earlier razed two homes to the ground.The blaze erupted at about 2.15 a.m. on Saturday and was extinguished about 11 hours later. The prosecutor took action following allegations by the fire brigade chief that the fire was the work of arsonists. The wildfire started between the mountain's peak and Daveli's cave, spreading rapidly to the residential areas of Nea Pendeli and Palea Pendeli, fanned by high winds. Taking part in the operation were 130 fire engines, 700 firemen and around 10 water-dropping planes and helicopters. According to initial assessments, around 100 acres of woodland and scrub were ravaged. Two unoccupied homes were destroyed while flames approached five other houses before receding. Blazes extinguished elsewhere: In separate incidents, a forest fire that broke out on Friday night at Exohi, in the northern prefecture of Drama, was extinguished early on Saturday morning. About 150 acres of forestland were destroyed. That fire, too, was believed to the work of arsonists. A third fire was placed under control in Kamaritsa Psahnon, Evia, a large island off mainland Greece. Stephanopoulos visits fire-stricken Samos: President of the Republic Kostis Stephanopoulos told villagers in Mavratzei on Samos, which recently suffered a long-lasting wildfire, that full support was available to help restore the island to its original condition. Mavratzei was the worst hit village in the devastating blaze. [05] Coast guard detains large group of migrants off CreteAthens, 07/08/2000 (ANA)Roughly 250 migrants, of unknown nationality, were detected and detained as they were being unloaded off a 30-metre wooded vessel on a deserted islet off Crete, the Greek coast guard announced on Sunday.According to reports, two patrol boats had shadowed the vessel -- identified only as the "Barbados" -- since it entered Greek territorial waters. It was later towed to the harbor of Ierapetra. The islet was listed as 'Koufonisi', southeast of Crete proper. Greece has seen a surge in the number of mostly Third World migrants attempting to reach its borders and shores over the past few years, either to remain in the country or to attempt to reach another European Union destination. Two migrant smugglers given jail terms: A court on the island of Syros over the weekend convicted a local man on migrant smuggling charges, handing down a sentence of eight years and eight months. Dionysios Xenoyiannis was sentenced in relation to the landing of 64 Third World migrants on the northern Cyclades island of Andros late last week. A Pakistani national, identified as Hafiz Abdul Sattar, 44, was also sentenced to more than eight years in prison for organizing the migrants' illegal transport. Additionally, a barge used to ferry the illegal immigrants was ordered confiscated. [06] OA plane makes forced landing at Corfu airportAthens, 07/08/2000 (ANA)An Olympic Airways plane, on its way to Milan, made a forced landing at Corfu airport on Saturday after the pilot detected that something was wrong with one of the engines.The Boeing 737, with 98 passengers aboard, was flying over Corfu at the time and the pilot took the precaution by landing the plane on the island's airport. None of the passengers or crew were hurt. [07] Public transport fares to rise on MondayAthens, 07/08/2000 (ANA)Public transport fares in Attica are to rise on Monday.The new ticket price for blue buses and trolleys is 150 drachmas from 120 drachmas. Fares for the old metro line will rise to 200 drachmas. A monthly bus pass for all forms of public transport will rise to 12,000 drachmas from 10,000 drachmas; and for buses and trolleys to 6,000 drachmas from 5,000 drachmas. Fares on the newly built metro system will remain unchanged at 250 drachmas. [08] Clerides says Geneva negotiations "useful"NICOSIA, 07/08/2000 (ANA/CNA)President Glafcos Clerides said on Saturday the Greek Cypriot side has noted to foreign diplomats that talks on Cyprus could not continue under their current form without negotiations between the two sides, but described the work done in Geneva as useful.Replying to questions of the press on arrival at Larnaca airport after the conclusion of a third round of UN-led proximity talks, scheduled to resume in New York on September 12, he also said decisions about how long the Greek Cypriot side would follow this procedure would not be made at this point and that progress in efforts for a settlement and the consequences of an abrupt break on Cyprus' European course would be taken into consideration. Clerides said useful work was done in Geneva and the Greek Cypriot side gave a detailed analysis of its positions on the issues of constitution, territory, security, refugees, missing persons and property but stressed that "there have been no negotiations whatsoever with the other side yet". "We talk with the Special Adviser of the UN Secretary General on Cyprus, we express our views on the issues as the UN Chief asked us to do but we do not know what the other side does," he said, pointing out that any information about the positions of the Turkish Cypriot side comes from what they read in the press. He also said that the UN has made no reference to the Greek Cypriot side of a confederation solution. Turkish Cypriot leader Rauf Denktash has demanded a confederation of two states on the island contrary to all UN Security Council resolutions and high-level agreements calling for a bi-communal, bi-zonal federation with one international character. Fresh UN-led efforts aiming at substantive negotiations between the Greek Cypriot and Turkish Cypriot sides in a bid to solve the protracted Cyprus problem began last December in New York and have continued in Geneva. They will resume again on September 12 in New York. Cyprus remains divided since Turkey invaded the island in 1974 and illegally occupied 37 per cent of its territory. [09] British MP calls for Ankara to act on Loizidou, Levent casesNICOSIA, 07/08/2000 (ANA/CNA)British MP Theresa Villiers called on British Foreign Secretary Robin Cook on Friday to use every possible means to ensure that the judgment of the European Court of Human Rights on the case of Loizidou against Turkey is respected by Ankara and that all "charges" on alleged espionage against Turkish Cypriot journalist Sener Levent by the Turkish occupation regime be dropped.Villiers sent to Foreign Minister of Britain two letters, one on the Loizidou case and one on the illegal arrest of Levent respectively which were communicated to EU Commissioner Gunter Verheugen, Secretary General of the EU Council Javier Solana and Turkey's Ambassador to London Korkmaz Haktanir. The letter regarding Loizidou was also communicated to British envoy on Cyprus Sir David Hannay. Regarding the Loizidou case Villers strongly urges the British Foreign Secretary to "use every possible means to ensure that the judgment of the ECHR is respected" and asks him to "ensure that the implementation of the Loizidou judgment is made a condition of the EU accession partnership agreement, shortly to be agreed with Turkey". She adds that "it is virtually unprecedented for a country to accept jurisdiction of the Court and then refuse to obey its judgment" and asks Cook to "confirm that while Turkey fails to implement the judgment of the Court, it is in breach of the Copenhagen criteria for EU membership". The ECHE has ruled that the Turkish government unlawfully deprived Greek Cypriot Titina Loizidou of her property in Kyrenia since Turkey invaded the island in 1974 and that it should pay compensation. In her second letter to Cook, the MP refers to the illegal arrest of editor of the Turkish Cypriot newspaper "Avrupa" Sener Levent and urges the British Foreign Secretary to ask the Turkish government "to ensure that all charges are immediately dropped and the right of free speech restored" in the Turkish-occupied areas. Villers notes that the event, which triggered Levents arrest, was his front-page headline, which read "Give us back our country" on the day the Turkish President paid an illegal visit to the occupied areas. She also points out that Levent's arrest "comes hard on the heels of sedition charges made against three prominent Turkish Cypriot politicians, Ozker Ozgur, Izzet Izcan and Kazim Denizci" and notes that Turkish Cypriot leader Rauf Denktash "seems determined to stifle the dissent of those many Turkish Cypriots who want reconciliation with the Greek Cypriot community". [10] Hasikos notifies UN of new Turkish arms on CyprusNICOSIA, 07/08/2000 (ANA)Defense Minister Sokratis Hasikos has notified the United Nations Secretary-General Koffi Anan of Turkey's deployment of new armaments on Cyprus. In statements to the press on Sunday, he said these included anti-tank weapon systems, attack helicopters and tanks, part of which were U.S. made, and expressed certainty that the Clinton administration was aware of the situation, which violated American legislation. Hasikos said in response the government of Cyprus would continue to acquire new weapons, irrespective of whether talks for a resolution of the island's political problem were taking place.Athens News Agency: Daily News Bulletin in English Directory - Previous Article - Next Article |
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