Antenna: News in English, 96-10-22

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From: Antenna Radio <http://www.antenna.gr> - email: [email protected]

News in English, of 22/10/1996

TITLES

• Bill Clinton's message to Greek-Americans.
• Olympiakos hangs in there on the road.
• And, an underwater cave, under Athens.

CLINTON

He says he is not dissuaded by the current negative climate hanging over the island, caused by the murder of two Greek-Cypriots by Turkish soldiers, and another by a Turkish-Cypriot mob, over the past coulpe of months.

The US president calls the murders "unjust".

In his message, Mr Clinton also comes out against Turkish attempts to make groundless territorial claims against Greece. He mentions the attempt by a Turkish officer over the summer, to question Greece's legal rights to the island of Gavdos, just off the southern coast of Crete.

The American leader would also like to help resolve Greek-Turkish differences if re-elected. He tells the Greek-American community that the US played a critical role in preventing armed conflict between Greece and Turkey last January.

Then, Turkey had staged a military landing on the Greek rocks of Imia. Mr Clinton says he managed to defuse the situation by speaking to the leaders of both countries.

The US president reiterates his view that the Imia issue, if Turkey continues to claim the rocks, should be sent into arbitration at the international court.

Greece also believes Turkey should take its territorial claims to the court, and stop using bully-boy tactics to get its way.

Asked to comment on the Clinton message, Pasok MP Telemachos Chitiris said progress in Greek-Turkish relations depends on Turkey's willingness to respect Greece's territorial integrity and the international treaties in which Greek sovereign rights are based.

Antoher Pasok MP, Iannis Kapsis liked what he'd heard from Clinton. He said he'll be happy if the president says the same things AFTER his re-election.

PASOK

The prime minister's critics, like education minister Gerasimos Arsenis, said Pasok's victory was good, but problemmatic.

The margin of victory was small, they contended, wondering if Pasok has a solid basis of electoral support. They urged the prime minister to reaffirm that Pasok isn't going to follow the type of conservative economic policies that attract New Democracy voters.

The prime minister countered the critics, saying it's a good thing for Pasok to take voters away from New Democracy. It would be bad if Pasok lost.

The prime minister acknowledged that some voters who disagree with the government's tight-fisted economic policies had voted for the left-wing parties. But he also insisted that by and large, Pasok has held onto its electoral base.

He also said that Pasok is comitted to implementing social policies that will help those in society who need assistance.

ECONOMY

The way it's going to go - is tough.

The Simitis government intends to cut 282 tax breaks, which it will bring in an additional 4 bilion dollars in revenue.

Property taxes will not be used to beef up the state income next year, though some government members have suggested imposing them.

The government isn't just trying to make more money - it also wants to save some, so it's going to roll back the public sector. There will only be one new public-sector hiring for every five empolyees who leave their posts. And public-sector pay raises next year will be the same as the inflation rate.

Inflation has the government's attention. Pasok wants it to fall, but it has been steady at 8.4 per cent for nearly a year.

NEW DEMOCRACY

Current leader Miltiades Evert resigned following his national election defeat in September, but was promptly re-elected in a contest against Souflias.

In an interview with a Sunday paper, Souflias says he's sure the party convention in the middle of next year will elect someone to replace Evert. Souflias says he'll be a candidate again.

Souflias has the support of two other top MPs, Dora Bakoyianni and Stephanos Manos. He says they are working well together, and calls their movement "unifying".

ALBANIA

The Human Rights Party, backed by Omonia, finished third, even in Greek-minority strongholds.

In 1992, the Human Rights candidates finished first in the local elections in the Greek- speaking areas of Argyrokastro, Dervino, and Agia Saranta.

This time, it failed to elect even one county prefect.

The ruling Democratic Party finished first nationwide, followed by the Socialist Pary.

AMYRAS

Jason and Persephone are the digging machines that have been burrowing away underneath Athens for years, opening up new tunnels for extensions to the Athens subway system.

Now, two smaller machines have joined in. They've started burrowing underneath Monastiriaki, the famous Athens flea market. Over the next five months, the smaller diggers will scratch out soil at a depth of 30 metres, extending the tunnel by 20 metres a day. After they're done, Jason and Persephone will be brought in to enlarge the tunnels.

SOCCER

Elsewhere, third-place Panathinaikos has no trouble against Edessaikos.

Aris draws first blood against fourth-place Ionikos, but does quite a bit of bleeding itself after that.

Fifth-place Panachaiki is crushed by ninth-place Veria, just up from the second division.

Paok is a winner over Athinaikos.

Ofi bests Kavala.

And seventh-place Xanthi plays even against cellar-dwellar Iraklis.

BASKETBALL

Aek is five and oh, after beating Iraklis 59-48 over the weekend.

Olympiakos is right behind it at 4 and 1.

Olympiakos has a tough time on the road against Apollon. Especially from Riley in the first half. He hits 24 points in the half, and Olympiakos goes to the intermission up by just three.

After the break, Riley is silenced, but Olympiakos still can't break it open, and Apollon just comes up short at the end. The final score, Olympiakos 77, Apollon 74.

Checking out the other weekend scores:

Pao and Aris are the other two teams at 4 and 1 following their victories.

Four teams are at 3 and 2: Paok and Peristeri draw level with draw level in the standings with Panionios and Sporting.

And, finally, Larisa is victorious over Peiraikos.

CAVE

Or DIVE IN and take notice.

Down, down, down - divers have explored the cave up to a depth of 110 metres, and been about a kilometre into its caverns.

It is vast, covering an estimated 1.2 million cubic metres.

It extends well under the Athens suburb of Vouliagmeni. At least six blocks of buildings are built over it. Some say that the cave's roof is unstable - they've found evidence of underwater landslides. And there's concern about the safety of the buildings up above if the cave ever caves in.

But Jean Jacques Balanse, heading a team of 8 geologists exploring the cave, thinks the houses are safer than the planes that land at the nearby Athens airport.

"Obviously there's danger, we live in a dangerous world. But it might be more dangerous to receive an airplance on the head than the cave to drop with the houses".

Balanse is in awe of the natural phenomenon in Vouliagmeni:

"Behind the lake is a fantastic cave, which must be the biggest in the world. One cavern must be about 800 metres long, at least 30 metres deep, and 30-50 metres wide...The rest we don't know...it's a huge thing".

The cave holds more than just the mystery of its size. The geologists have discovered stalagtites at a depth of 90 metres, meaning that several thousand years ago, it was above sea level at that point.

© ANT1-Radio 1996

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