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Athens News Agency: Daily News Bulletin in English, 07-08-13Athens News Agency: Daily News Bulletin in English Directory - Previous Article - Next ArticleFrom: The Athens News Agency at <http://www.ana.gr/>Monday, 13 August 2007 Issue No: 2669CONTENTS
[01] Summer season reaches peak with mass exodus ahead of Wednesday holidayTens of thousands of people around Greece, and especially in the greater Athens, were leaving the country' s main urban areas ahead of the annual Aug. 15 Feast of the Assumption religious holiday on Wednesday, which traditionally coincides with the peak of the summer vacation season.A staggering number of vehicles, reported at roughly 300,000, are forecast to leave the Greek capital over the weekend. As of Saturday, some 200,000 vehicles passed through the Elefsina and Afidnes toll stations in the previous two days. Expectedly, lengthy queues of vehicles backed up at the toll stations, especially on the Athens-Lamia national highway, where road works -- of all things -- were apparently underway. At quayside, no problems were evident on Saturday at the greater Athens area ports of Piraeus, Rafina and Lavrio, with most ferry boats packed with passengers and vehicles headed to various island destinations. According to port authority officials, 66 vessels sailed for island destinations on Saturday, whereas more than 103,900 passengers departed from the same three ports on Friday. The merchant marine ministry noted that 586 arrivals and departures of ferry boats are planned for the period between Friday and Wednesday, Aug. 15. Politics [02] Pavlopoulos, Mitsotakis comment on 'early elections' issue; both predict ND winTwo top ruling New Democracy cadres, including a former prime minister, were the latest high-profile politicians this week to outline views on the ubiquitous issue of "early elections", as speculation by the Athenian press, mostly, has reached a fever pitch recently.On his part, Interior and Public Administration Minister Prokopis Pavlopoulos merely responded that elections "will be held on time (March)", when asked in the Cretan city of Hania. On his part, ND honorary president and former premier Constantine Mitsotakis forecast that elections will be held "very soon". Both men, furthermore, again predicted victory for ruling ND whenever elections are held. [03] Papandreou says PASOK ready to governMain opposition PASOK leader George Papandreou over the weekend, in a published interview in a Sunday edition of an Athens daily, reiterated that his party is ready to govern "the next day".Moreover, the former foreign minister in successive PASOK governments, said the responsibility will be even greater as three-and-a-half-year long "New Democracy government has razed the country and overturned social conquests." Additionally, the PASOK leader again charged that the government sported an array of political blemishes, which he claimed included the "blackmailing of consciences, efforts to buy-off votes and a petty partisan reasoning of the state as booty". He also said that Premier Costas Karamanlis is "obligated, sooner or later, to declare elections". The latter comment comes amid high-pitched local media speculation, even in the usually lackadaisical holiday month of August, claiming that early elections will be declared in late September of early October 2007. Elections are normally slated for March 2008. His statements were carried in the Athens daily "Vima". [04] Syn leader visits fire-ravaged Achaia prefectureCoalition of the Left (Synaspismos) leader Alekos Alavanos on Sunday visited fire-ravaged regions of Achaia prefecture in the northern Peloponnese."We're facing a massive catastrophe,"Alavanos said, summing up his impressions of the scene in the aftermath of last month's wildfires in the regions. Alavanos visited the villages of Melissia and Mavrtiki and was briefed by local government officials. "All should be aware of this (destruction) and particularly the government, which, I'm afraid, has not understood many things. Fifteen days have passed and the region has not as yet been declared a disaster area," he said. [05] Alavanos again tours contested Athens beachCoalition of the Left (Synaspismos) leader toured the Aghios Kosmas beach of southern coastal Athens on Saturday, the scene of yet another "showdown" this past week between employees of a nightclub that previously held ran the site as a private beach, on one side, and bathers along with the local municipality's leadership on the other.Alavanos again called for a stepped police presence at the specific beach, which lies in the Helliniko district, as well as government intervention. Financial News [06] Foreign Exchange Rates - MondayReference buying rates per euro released by the European Central Bank:U.S. dollar 1.375 Pound sterling 0.682 Danish kroner 7.502 Swedish kroner 9.366 Japanese yen 161.65 Swiss franc 1.644 Norwegian kroner 8.062 Cyprus pound 0.588 Canadian dollar 1.451 Australian dollar 1.634 General News [07] Culture ministry delineates boundaries for 2 noted archaeological sites in Ioannina prefectureGreece's culture ministry this week announced decisions delineating the boundaries of two noted archaeological sites in Ioannina prefecture, in the northwest Epirus province, and specifically, for the Passarona and Tekmonos (������) sites.The first site is located on Gardiki (Rodotopi) Hill and is identified with the Classical Era city of Passarona (���������), the capital of the Molossoi state. The Molossoi (Molossians) were a significant Greek Epirote tribe that, among others, lent their name to a canine breed (Molossoid) of huge war-mastiffs used in military operations. Additionally, Alexander the Great's mother, Olympias, hailed from the Molossoi, as did King Pyrrhus of Epirus. The area, declared an archaeological site in 1961, includes the Passarona acropolis (Kastri hilltop), ruins and Roman-era graves. The Tekmonas site, or, known by other accounts as Eurymenai or Euroia Aktia, is located near the present-day village of Kastritsa, a short drive from the lake-side Epirus capital of Ioannina. Both sites were reportedly fortified with polygonal walls, ruins of which survive today. The Kastritsa archaeological site, since 2002, was bestowed a 1st protection zone status, meaning that crop cultivation, herding, reforestation, road building and maintenance of previously built structures are legal. New construction, tunnelling, quarry works as well as the erection of telecommunications towers/antennas is prohibited. Additionally, a presidential decree finalising the protection zones for the entire valley where the important Dodoni archaeological site is located, which hosts the eponymous ancient Odeon and sanctuary, was also signed by the relevant town planning deputy minister and forwarded to the president's office for signing. Dodoni, located southwest of the city of Ioannina, is probably the best known archaeological site in Epirus. [08] Brief prison disturbance in IoanninaDisturbances at a prison in Ioannina, northwest Greece, had reportedly ended by dawn Sunday morning after a handful of inmates at the relatively small correctional facility instigated in a brief uprising the previous evening.According to reports, five inmates took over an internal guard post to demand transfers to other facilities due to overcrowding at the Ioannina prison, as they charged. The arrival of a prosecutor at the prison subsequently defused the incident, according to reports. [09] Scores of illegal migrant arrests in eastern Aegean reported over weekendScores of illegal immigrants were intercepted over the past two days by the Greek coast guard throughout the eastern Aegean region, with at least three separate instances and a total of 92 arrests reported on and near the island of Samos.Specifically, 64 illegals, all reportedly Afghan nationals, were spotted aboard a Turkish-registered vessel just north of Samos early Sunday morning. The craft was led to the port of Samos, while a young Turkish national was arrested on migrant smuggling charges and led before a local prosecutor. Additionally, 16 and 12 illegals were arrested in separate instances on the island itself, after crossing from the nearby Turkish coast aboard inflatable dinghies, reports state. Elsewhere in the eastern Aegean -- an increasingly popular "crossing point" for mostly Third World migrants attempting to reach Greece and the European Union via Turkey -- 52 illegal immigrants were spotted by the coast guard aboard a wooden craft near the Oinousses island chain early Sunday morning. The vessel was led to the port of Hios after a brief chase, according to reports. Another seven illegals, three men and four women, were intercepted Sunday morning on a beach near the airport on the island of Lesvos after clandestinely landing on the island from the opposite Turkish coast. Finally, a total of 10 illegals aboard two inflatable craft were intercepted by a coast guard patrol boat between the isles of Agathonissi and Farmakonissi, before being led to a port on the island of Leros. [10] Airline employee seriously injured after falling from planeAn employee of Italian air carrier was seriously injured Sunday morning after falling out of a parked airliner's door onto the tarmac below, an incident that occurred at the island of Rhodes' Diagoras international airport.According to reports, the unnamed employee apparently did not notice that a passenger staircase had been removed from the plane when he exited the door. The man was hospitalised at a nearby hospital in serious but not life-threatening condition. [11] Quake off Paxos isle in Ionian SeaA light earthquake measuring 4.8 on the Richter scale shook the sea region off the Ionian island of Paxos at 14.20 p.m. (12.20GMT) on Sunday.According to geophysics institute of Thessaloniki University, the epicentre of the quake was located 280 kilometres west, southwest of Thessaloniki, between the sea region south of Paxos and west of the coastal town of Parga. Thessaloniki seismologists referred to an "an upsurge (seismic) in the wider region." Weather Forecast [12] Sunny on MondaySunny weather with westerly, northwesterly winds are forecast throughout the country on Monday with wind velocity reaching 5-6 beaufort. Temperatures will range between 21C and 34C. Sunny in Athens, with moderate, northwesterly 4-5 beaufort winds and temperatures ranging from 21C to 34C. Same in Thessaloniki, with temperatures ranging from 20C to 31C.Cyprus Affairs [13] Cyprus president: We are obliged to explore and exploit possible oil reservesNICOSIA (ANA-MPA/CNA)President of the Republic of Cyprus Tassos Papadopoulos said here on Sunday that the state has the obligation to conduct research for hydrocarbon reserves in Cyprus' exclusive economic zone. "Since there is the capability and the indication that there are reserves, our duty towards the people and the country is to thoroughly explore these indications," the president said, replying to journalists' questions after a memorial service for the 121 victims of the August 14 2005 Helios air crash at Grammatiko site in Athens. The president was also asked whether Cyprus' expectations will be met, regarding the submission of international tenders for the exploration and exploitation of possible hydrocarbon reserves in its exclusive economic zone on August 16th. "No expectations have been expressed, at least not by me," he noted. Turkey, which occupies one third of Cyprus' territory, has reacted to Cyprus' sovereign right to conduct investigations in line with international conventions, in its effort to halt the process. Turkey is the only country in the world which does not recognize the Republic of Cyprus. The president was also invited to comment on Turkish media reports that a meeting between him and Turkish Cypriot leader Mehmet Ali Talat will take place end of August. He indicated that what is important, is not the meeting itself, but the substance of such a meeting. "I believe that what is important, is not the meeting itself, but rather the stance of those who will participate in the meeting as well as what will be discussed," he noted. Papadopoulos had sent weeks ago a letter to Talat asking for a meeting with him, with a view to promote the implementation of the July 8 agreement. The Turkish Cypriot leader declined the invitation. Turkish media reported that a meeting will be held between Papadopoulos and Talat end of August-beginning of September. President Papadopoulos and Talat agreed on July 8, 2006, during a meeting in Nicosia in the presence of the then UN Undersecretary General Affairs, Ibrahim Gambari, to begin a process of bicommunal discussions on issues that affect the day-to-day life of the people and concurrently those that concern substantive issues, both contributing to a comprehensive settlement of the Cyprus problem. Cyprus, an EU member state since 2004, is divided since 1974 when Turkish troops invaded and occupied 37% of its territory. [14] Cypriot Archbishop condemns Turkey for refusing visit to Ecumenical PatriachPAPHOS (ANA-MPA/CNA)The Orthodox Church of Cyprus condemned the Turkish government's stance not to allow Archbishop Chrysostomos II to visit the Ecumenical Patriarch Vartholomeos in Istanbul. In statements on Sunday, Archbishop Chrysostomos II, said he condemned the Turkish government's stance on the issue, as well as a Turkish Court's decision to withdraw the word "ecumenical" from the title of the Patriarch of Istanbul. Regarding his meeting with the Ecumenical Patriarch, the Archbishop said that he can meet him in anywhere in Greece. This is the second time that the visit to Istanbul by the primate of the Church of Cyprus has been postponed. The previous time was in May. 36, TSOCHA ST. ATHENS 115 21 GREECE * TEL: 64.00.560-63 * FAX: 64.00.581-2 INTERNET ADDRESS: http://www.ana-mpa.gr * e-mail: anabul@ana gr * GENERAL DIRECTOR: GEORGE TAMBAKOPOULOS Athens News Agency: Daily News Bulletin in English Directory - Previous Article - Next Article |
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