Athens News Agency: News in English, 07-04-09

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From: The Athens News Agency at <http://www.ana.gr/>

CONTENTS

[01] Opposition leaders spend Easter with troops

[02] Proceedings against Sea Diamond captain

[03] UN, EU and NATO simulation conference

[01] Opposition leaders spend Easter with troops

Communist Party of Greece (KKE) Secretary-General Aleka Papariga and Coalition of the Left, Movements and Ecology (Synaspismos) leader Alekos Alavanos attended the Resurrection Service in Athens.

On Easter Sunday, Papariga, National Defence Minister Evangelos Meimarakis and Popular Orthodox Rally (LAOS) leader George Karatzaferis visited the Naval Cadets School in Piraeus and Alavanos spent Easter on the island of Tinos.

Meimarakis was accompanied by Deputy National Defence Minister Vassilis Michaloliakos and by the Armed Forces leadership.

[02] Proceedings against Sea Diamond captain

Prosecution concerns causing a shipwreck through negligence, causing pollution to the sea through negligence and failing to apply international regulations on avoiding collisions.

The prosecutor will also refer the captain to an investigator as a result of the two French nationals who have been reported missing, a 45-year-old man and his 16-year-old daughter.

All the remaining senior officers of the ship who had been brought before the prosecutor have been released.

The 20-year old cruise ship, run by Louis Hellenic Cruise Lines, sank at the sea area of "Old Mines" of Athenios, Santorini's harbour, after water flooded its engine room and decks 2 and 3 during the night.

The rest of the passengers (1,170), mostly Americans and Germans, and 390 crew of the ship were successfully evacuated within a few hours after the ship run aground. The "Aegean 2" ship arrived in the port of Piraeus on Friday morning transporting 296 passengers and 38 member of the crew. Louis Hellenic Cruises sent sent another cruise ship "Perla" to Santorini to transport the remaining passengers.

The sinking of the vessel caused an oil spill of a radius of 100 metres.

Sea Diamond was launched in April 2006, operating on a seven-day sea cruise from Piraeus to the Aegean islands.

KKE calls for in-depth investigation

The Communist Party of Greece (KKE) on Saturday called for an in-depth investigation of the sinking of the cruise ship.

"The investigation into the causes of the shipwreck of the Sea Diamond must proceed in depth and this is the responsibility of the government," KKE said in an announcement.

It further said that "the government has been exposed with its jubilating in the case of the Sea Diamond," adding that "responsibilities cannot be concealed because more people were not lost."

[03] UN, EU and NATO simulation conference

The conference, known as ThessISMUN, is in essence a simulation exercise of the General Assembly, the Security Council and the Economic and Social Council of the UN, the Council of Ministers of the EU and the Council of NATO.

Participants in the conference will be discussing issues concerning these international organisations, such as preventing the use of nuclear weapons, the protection of children's rights, organised crime, the illegal trafficking of people, employment and equal opportunities in the EU.

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