Browse through our Interesting Nodes of Military & Security in Greece Read the Convention Relating to the Regime of the Straits (24 July 1923) Read the Convention Relating to the Regime of the Straits (24 July 1923)
HR-Net - Hellenic Resources Network Compact version
Today's Suggestion
Read The "Macedonian Question" (by Maria Nystazopoulou-Pelekidou)
HomeAbout HR-NetNewsWeb SitesDocumentsOnline HelpUsage InformationContact us
Friday, 29 March 2024
 
News
  Latest News (All)
     From Greece
     From Cyprus
     From Europe
     From Balkans
     From Turkey
     From USA
  Announcements
  World Press
  News Archives
Web Sites
  Hosted
  Mirrored
  Interesting Nodes
Documents
  Special Topics
  Treaties, Conventions
  Constitutions
  U.S. Agencies
  Cyprus Problem
  Other
Services
  Personal NewsPaper
  Greek Fonts
  Tools
  F.A.Q.
 

Athens News Agency: Daily News Bulletin in English, 05-12-29

Athens News Agency: Daily News Bulletin in English Directory - Previous Article - Next Article

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

December 29, 2005

CONTENTS

  • [01] Gov't raises assessed property rates by around 30 pct
  • [02] PM interviewed by literary magazine 'Diavazo'
  • [03] Development minister briefs PM over policy issues
  • [04] FM Molyviatis: 2005 was a good year for Greece
  • [05] Spiliotopoulos hails contribution of the Armed Forces to the country
  • [06] No issue of abolition of Macedonia-Thrace, Aegean ministries
  • [07] Prosecutor assigned to Pakistani abductions case
  • [08] Gov't on LAOS leader's claims that US agents questioned Iraqis at air base in Greece
  • [09] PASOK spokesman says '2005 was a bad year for the country' on all fronts
  • [10] PASOK to raise consumer protection in Parliament after holidays, MP says
  • [11] Supreme Court Vice President receives 5-month suspension
  • [12] Celebrity lawyers face disciplinary action for 'improper conduct'
  • [13] Athens journalists say Amnesty Int'l spot a public service message
  • [14] Greek households' debt at 36 pct of GDP in October
  • [15] Sioufas on ELPE electricity production plant in Thessaloniki
  • [16] Hellenic Petroleum applies for electricity output permits
  • [17] Olympic Aviation acquires helicopter flight certificate
  • [18] Stocks decline
  • [19] Bomb hoax on OA fight to Cyprus
  • [20] Culture ministry on listing of Knossos as World Heritage Site
  • [21] Greek children with cancer hosted at 'House of Hope' in Manhattan
  • [22] Trikala launches first municipal wireless free Internet network
  • [23] Sections of Lesvos Petrified Forest open to public
  • [24] Albanian antiquities smuggler arrested in the Peloponnese
  • [25] Christofias rejects allegations by Turkish Cypriot leader
  • [26] Famagusta municipality welcomes Court ruling on Turkey

  • [01] Gov't raises assessed property rates by around 30 pct

    ATHENS, 29/12/2005 (ANA)

    The Government on Wednesday announced new higher assessed property rates around the country, valid from January 1, 2006, envisaging increases of 27.67 pct in average property rates in Attica, 31.27 pct in Thessaloniki and 27.3 pct in the rest of the country.

    A finance ministry's announcement said new assessed property rates increase was in accordance with the government's policy for a mild adjustment of property rates in order to avoid imposing any new burdens on the real estate market.

    Assessed property rates were raised five years ago, in March 2001, creating a huge gap between real and assessed prices during this period.

    The ministry stressed, however, that assessed property rates significantly lagged behind current market prices despite the increase.

    Average prices in the regions of Attica will rise by 27.67 pct, in Thessaloniki by 31.27 pct, in Larissa by 26.30 pct, in Magnesia by 27.67 pct, in Corfu by 34.36 pct, in Cyclades by 30.16 pct, in Dodecanese islands by 24.23 pct, in Heraklion Crete by 14.56 pct and in Achaia by 28.24 pct.

    Opposition blasts gov't over assessed property tax rates: The main opposition Panhellenic Socialist Movement on Wednesday sharply criticized the government over new assessed property tax rates announced earlier and the introduction of Value Added Tax (VAT) on new buildings.

    "The imposition of VAT on new buildings from January 1, 2006 and deliberate leaks about the increase in assessed property rates several months ago both led to an artificial rise in prices and a major rise in buying and selling," the party's economics spokeswoman, Vasso Papandreou, said in a statement.

    The Communist Party of Greece said the government measures again were aimed at revenue collection, sacrificing coverage for workers' mortgages to big capital.

    According to the Coalition of the Left, Movements and Ecology, the government was guilty of fuelling profiteers in the real estate market, leading to a major rise in property prices.

    [02] PM interviewed by literary magazine 'Diavazo'

    ATHENS, 29/12/2005 (ANA)

    An interview with Prime Minister and Culture Minister Costas Karamanlis will be the first in a series of interviews with Greece's political leaders planned by the literary magazine "Diavazo", which asked the premier to share his early reading experiences from childhood to the present day.

    Excerpts from the interview, which is due to appear in the next few days, that were released by the magazine to the Athens News Agency reveal that Karamanlis was brought up on a literary diet of Jules Verne, Greek author Penelope Delta and comic books.

    As a student, the Greek prime minister said that he made a great effort to read the major left-wing and revolutionary writers, such as Karl Marx and Che Guevara, even though he did not espouse their philosophy.

    Admitting that Marx's "Capital" was tough going, Karamanlis unreservedly recommends it for its valuable insights into social problems of that time, even if not for its conclusions:

    "Marx was the first political thinker that applied such sensitivity and great analytical acuity to the major problem of the degradation of the workers of his time. History may have proved that he made a mistake concerning the regulatory, at least, part of his theory. But careful study of his descriptions of the conditions of life of proletariats, and of the roads that a society can take that does not in practice care for its less privileged members is, I believe, necessary reading for all those who, regardless of their ideological starting point, see people at the centre of political action."'

    During the interview, the premier also answers questions regarding the government's policies for libraries in schools and local communities, an area that is greatly underdeveloped in Greece, promising an additional 300 school libraries by the end of the year 2006.

    [03] Development minister briefs PM over policy issues

    ATHENS, 29/12/2005 (ANA)

    Prime Minister Costas Karamanlis on Wednesday met with Development Minister Dimitris Sioufas and was briefed over the ministry's initiatives in 2006.

    Speaking to reporters, after the meeting, Sioufas said he presented the ministry's plans to promote large investment projects in the natural gas sector, the signing of a contract to build a natural gas pipeline between the cities of Komotini and Alexandroupoli in Northern Greece and a draft legislation envisaging the creation of an Energy Strategy National Council to be tabled to parliament soon.

    The Greek minister briefed the PM over a tender for the supply of 900MW of power in the country by three new private electricity power stations. Sioufas said the tender would be placed for public debate to ensure full transparency and safeguarding the public interest.

    Sioufas said the government was publishing, today, a law on deregulating the domestic natural gas market and told reporters he briefed the PM over plans to reform the industrial web in the country through the creation of new industrial zones and supporting small and medium-sized enterprises.

    The Greek minister said ministry and regional authorities were systematically inspecting domestic markets to ensure their smooth operations during the Christmas and New Year season and stressed that the Greek Premier showed particular interest for a series of innovative projects promoted in regional Greece.

    [04] FM Molyviatis: 2005 was a good year for Greece

    ATHENS, 29/12/2005 (ANA)

    The year that is coming to a close was a good year for Greece, allowing for optimism in the coming year, foreign minister Petros Molyviatis said Wednesday, speaking to reporters after a meeting with Prime Minister Costas Karamanlis.

    "The year that is coming to a close was a good year for our country. We achieved our (foreign policy) targets, and the country's international position was strengthened. Consequently, in the coming year, we may look forward to a safe and smooth course for Greece on the international scene," Molyviatis said.

    Asked whether he would remain in the foreign ministry in the event that a rumored government reshuffle actually takes place, Molyviatis said "I am not concerned by the reshuffle issue".

    Questioned whether he was prepared to leave the ministry if the prime minister requested him to, Molyviatis reiterated that he was not concerned with the reshuffle issue, adding that "everyone accepts the prime minister's decisions".

    [05] Spiliotopoulos hails contribution of the Armed Forces to the country

    ATHENS, 29/12/2005 (ANA)

    National Defense Minister Spilios Spiliotopoulos, on the occasion of the New Year, on Wednesday hailed "the contribution of the Armed Forces to the country and to the social whole in the year which is drawing to an end."

    The defense minister stressed that "the Armed Forces succeeded in their difficult task, achieving the maximum possible result with the smallest burden."

    Spiliotopoulos added:" Our country is called on and functions with success under conditions of complex geopolitical factors, at the same time sending a message of resolute strength for the defense of our national interests."

    [06] No issue of abolition of Macedonia-Thrace, Aegean ministries

    ATHENS, 29/12/2005 (ANA)

    There was no issue of abolition of the two geographical ministries (ministry of Macedonia-Thrace and ministry of the Aegean) in an upcoming government reshuffle, Macedonia-Thrace minister Nikos Tsiartsionis said Wednesday.

    "There is no such issue, given that these two ministries received the largest increase (in funding) from all the others in this year's budget," the minister said, adding that statements concerning the upgrading of the Macedonia-Thrace ministry were valid, and portended the course of the two ministries.

    Asked whether he would remain at the Macedonia-Thrace ministry after the reshuffle or would find himself in a different post, Tsiartsonis said that this was the exclusive prerogative of Prime Minister Costas Karamanlis.

    Tsiartsonis visited the Hippocration hospital in Thessaloniki on Wednesday morning, where he met with the hospital administration and visited patients, to whom he presented gifts and wished them seasons greetings and a speedy recovery.

    He later visited the city's central market, where he met with Thessaloniki mayor Vassilis Papageorgopouos, and exchanges holiday greetings with and hear complaints by consumers and merchants.

    Tsiartsionis said the complaints were heard every year, adding that he acknowledged that the difficulties remain, but stressed that the government had a specific policy on tackling high prices on the market, noting that "it is not something that can be corrected with a magic wand", but adding that there was a common effort to achieve the best.

    [07] Prosecutor assigned to Pakistani abductions case

    ATHENS, 29/12/2005 (ANA)

    First-instance court public prosecutor Nikos Degaitis was on Wednesday assigned the investigation into the alleged abductions of some 20-odd Pakistanis living in Greece last summer, who say they were held for interrogation by Greek and British intelligence agents after the terror attacks in London.

    The head of the First-Instance court public prosecutors' department Dimitris Papangelopoulos presented Degaitis with the case file that has been put together by the Athens police, which is principally made up of the depositions and suits filed by the Pakistanis making the complaint and various press reports on this issue.

    The file also contains a suit filed by intelligence service (EYP) trade unionists against the newspaper "Proto Thema" for endangering Greek agents by publishing their names.

    The investigation will now focus on the Proto Thema article listing the names of the agents who allegedly carried out the abductions and interrogations, and on the deposition of the lawyer representing the Pakistanis, who is seeking prosecution of the agents.

    A meeting on the case was also held between Papangelopoulos and Supreme Court Public Prosecutor Dimitris Linos on Wednesday. Emerging from the meeting, Linos stressed that the case was very serious and had to be handled responsibly and with due consideration.

    "My orders for a priority investigation will self-evidently not act at the expense of a full investigation of the case. The primary goal is to discover the truth. And the first thing that must be established is whether the events reported by the alleged abduction victims occurred," he said.

    The abduction and interrogation claims have been denied by Public Order Minister George Voulgarakis and by the Pakistani Embassy in Greece, which said that it had received no complaints from the relatives or friends of the alleged victims, as well as Pakistani Interior Minister Aftab Ahmed Khan Sherpao when he was in Greece for a quadrilateral meeting on preventing organized crime two weeks ago.

    According to one of the two lawyers representing the group, however, the Pakistani Embassy had been informed of the abductions on the very next day after they occurred and had done nothing, while putting pressure on the victims not to report the incident to the authorities.

    The abductions were reported by the head of the Pakistani Community in Greece Tzavet Aslam, while the left-wing Coalition (Synaspismos) party has also been active in seeking an investigation into the matter.

    British foreign secretary Jack Straw has also denied the allegations as "utter nonsense".

    [08] Gov't on LAOS leader's claims that US agents questioned Iraqis at air base in Greece

    ATHENS, 29/12/2005 (ANA)

    The government has no knowledge or information regarding claims by Popular Orthodox Rally (LAOS) leader Yiorgos Karatzaferis that United States secret service agents used Suda Air Base on the island of Crete to question Iraqi terrorists, Foreign Ministry Spokesman George Koumoutsakos said on Wednesday in response to related questions.

    According to Karatzaferis' claims, which he has stated in a letter addressed to Foreign Minister Petros Molyviatis, his source for the allegations is a British journalist.

    "in any case Mr. Karatzaferis' claims are being investigated," Koumoutsakos said.

    [09] PASOK spokesman says '2005 was a bad year for the country' on all fronts

    ATHENS, 29/12/2005 (ANA)

    Main opposition Panhellenic Socialist Movement (PASOK) spokesman Nikos Athanassakis, commenting on Wednesday on meetings which Prime Minister Costas Karamanlis is having with government ministers, stated that "one after the other, the ministers during these days, like today, parade from the Maximos Mansion to declare that the year that is nearing its end was a good year for the country and television stations to have some news to say."

    According to Athanassakis, "unfortunately, whatever the ministers of the New Democracy government say outside the Maximos Mansion, the year that is coming to a close was not a good year for our country." The PASOK spokesman added:"It was not a good year for our country's position and prestige in the world. It was not a good year for our economy. It was not a good year for the working people, for the salary earners, for the farmers, for the small and medium-size businesses. It was not a good year for social policy, solidarity, for social cohesion."

    Concluding, Athanassakis said that "the policies of the ND government, of the Karamanlis government, and in 2005 like in 2004, harmed the majority and benefited the few."

    Responding to Athanassakis, Government Spokesman Theodoros Roussopoulos said: "We hope the New Year will bring PASOK less pettiness, more responsibility and a greater desire for self-criticism regarding their term in office and their works for which Greek citizens are still paying the price."

    [10] PASOK to raise consumer protection in Parliament after holidays, MP says

    ATHENS, 29/12/2005 (ANA)

    Main opposition PASOK intends to initiate discussion in Parliament on the protection of consumers from substandard products after the holidays, PASOK MP Anna Diamantopoulou said on Wednesday after a meeting with the owner of the Moustakas toy-shop chain George Moustakas, who is president of the consumers association and the toy traders association.

    Diamantopoulou was accompanied by PASOK MP Christos Protopapas on a tour of a toy emporium in Peristeri, where she was briefed on the special labels indicating that products meet the criteria set by the European Union.

    [11] Supreme Court Vice President receives 5-month suspension

    ATHENS, 29/12/2005 (ANA)

    Supreme Court Vice President Achilleas Zissis has been suspended from his post for the next five months following the decision of the Council of State's Disciplinary Committee on Wednesday.

    The Committee voted 5-2 in favor of suspending Zissis for intervening and influencing the outcome of three court cases.

    Zissis had been referred to the Disciplinary Committee by Justice Minister Anastassios Papaligouras.

    [12] Celebrity lawyers face disciplinary action for 'improper conduct'

    ATHENS, 29/12/2005 (ANA)

    Three "celebrity" lawyers that frequently people the sets of sundry talk and chat shows on Greek television are to face disciplinary action from the Athens bar association for "improper conduct" during very public and highly colorful altercations carried out on the airwaves over the course of several days.

    The president of the Athens Bar Association Dimitris Paxinos on Wednesday referred lawyers Alexis Kougias, George Alfantakis and Fragiskos Ragousis to the Disciplinary Council and gave them five days in which to provide explanations for their behavior in writing.

    According to Paxinos, the row between Alfantakis and Kougias and their behavior made them objects of ridicule and comic relief for the media, as well as undermining the prestige of their profession and of justice.

    Ragousis has been referred for his dispute on the air with journalist Nikos Kakaounakis over the suit filed by a group of Pakistanis that claim they were abducted and interrogated by Greek and British intelligence agents during the summer, following the bomb attacks in London.

    He is also accused of exhibiting behavior that exposed him to humiliating treatment on nationwide TV, thus harming the prestige and standing of the Bar.

    [13] Athens journalists say Amnesty Int'l spot a public service message

    ATHENS, 29/12/2005 (ANA)

    The Athens journalists' union ESHEA on Wednesday criticized the National Radio and Television Council's (ESR) decision to reject the broadcast of a spot prepared by the Greek section of Amnesty International as a public service message.

    ESHEA's board asked the ESR to retract the decision and thus "encourage the campaign - valuable in our times - for human rights carried out by Amnesty International and other social organizations that are fighting against the cultivated complacency that dissolves social cohesion and offends humanitarian values".

    [14] Greek households' debt at 36 pct of GDP in October

    ATHENS, 29/12/2005 (ANA)

    Credit expansion growth in Greek households accelerated in October although the growth rate slowed in credit to businesses, official figures showed on Wednesday.

    The Bank of Greece, in its regular report on the domestic credit market, said Greek households' debt to banks reached 65 billion euros, or 36 percent of the country's Gross Domestic Product.

    The central bank attributed this development to higher growth of mortgage and consumer loans, with mortgage loans totalling 42.27 billion euros, up 30.7 pct compared with the first 10 months of 2004. The central bank said Greek banks approved new loans worth an average of around 1.0 billion euros each month.

    Greek households' debt also rose as consumer loans and credit cards exceeded 21 billion euros in value, up 30.4 pct compared with the same period last year. Personal loans reached 8.9 billion euros, up 45.2 pct over the same period.

    Credit expansion to businesses slowed in October, with the growth rate falling to 5.2 pct from 5.9 pct in September, totalling 69.4 billion euros.

    The accumulated debt of households and businesses reached 134.5 billion euros in October.

    [15] Sioufas on ELPE electricity production plant in Thessaloniki

    ATHENS, 29/12/2005 (ANA)

    Development Minister Dimitris Sioufas on Wednesday expressed his conviction that the first three days of operation of the electricity production plant of Hellenic Petroleum (ELPE) in Thessaloniki, Macedonia, showed "the good side of competition and the opening of the market with rules."

    At the same time, the minister stressed that ELPE's electricity production plant, "the first private one in our country, is very significant and reinforces stability and the safety of the system of the production of electricity energy in Greece."

    The development minister evaluated that the situation in the liberation of the electricity energy market will smooth out.

    The electricity production plant in Thessaloniki is expected to be officially inaugurated by Prime Minister Costas Karamanlis on January 27.

    The 390 MW electricity production plant started operating on December 24.

    Meanwhile, Sioufas on Wednesday briefed Prime Minister Costas Karamanlis on the tender which is expected to take place for another three new private electricity production plants of 900 MW. Sioufas said "the tender will be given for public consultation, in order for there to be complete transparency, but also for the safeguarding of public interest."

    [16] Hellenic Petroleum applies for electricity output permits

    ATHENS, 29/12/2005 (ANA)

    Athens-quoted Hellenic Petroleum SA said on Wednesday that it had filed an application with the Energy Supervisory Authority to obtain an electricity production license and building permission for construction of a 390MW combined-cycle, natural gas-fired station at its plant in Megara, Attica.

    The company said in a statement it was seeking a 30-year license with a renewal option.

    Public Gas Corp. signs natgas pipeline contract

    Public Gas Corp. SA said on Wednesday that it had signed a contract with Stroytransgaz-Prometheus Gas, a Greek-Russian consortium, for construction of a natural gas pipeline between the northern towns of Komotini and Alexandroupoli.

    The high-pressure pipeline, whose completion date is the end of 2006, will have a length of 54 kilometers and diameter of 36 inches.

    The project has secured funding from the competitiveness operational program under the European Union's Third Community Support Framework package.

    The work is an extension to an existing pipeline from Kipi to Alexandroupoli, which has a length of 33 kilometers and connects with a Turkish pipeline across the border.

    [17] Olympic Aviation acquires helicopter flight certificate

    ATHENS, 29/12/2005 (ANA)

    Olympic Aviation, a subsidiary of Olympic Airways-Services SA, operating a fleet of helicopters on Wednesday announced it has acquired a flight certificate JAR-OPS 3.

    Olympic Aviation is the only helicopter operating company in Greece and the Balkans to acquire such a certificate allowing it to offer passengers or search and rescue services day and night and under any weather conditions.

    [18] Stocks decline

    ATHENS, 29/12/2005 (ANA)

    The Athens share index closed at 3,637.84 points, down 0.56%. Turnover was 253.6 million euros.

    The FTSE/ASE-20 index for high capitalization shares ended 0.48% down; the FTSE/ASE-40 for medium cap stocks closed 0.07 lower; and the FTSE/ASE-80 for small cap shares finished 0.43% up.

    Of stocks traded, advances led declines at 164 to 123 with 40 remaining unchanged.

    Bond Market Close: Buyers outpace sellers

  • Greek benchmark 10-year bond (exp. 20.7.2015): 3.51% yield

  • German benchmark 10-year bund: 3.30%

  • Most heavily traded paper: 10-year bond, expiring 20.7.2015 (140 mln euros)

  • Day's Total Market Turnover: 480.0 mln euros

    Stock Futures:

  • Most Active Contract (volume): Intracom (1182)

  • Total derivatives market turnover: 46.8 million euros

    [19] Bomb hoax on OA fight to Cyprus

    ATHENS, 29/12/2005 (ANA)

    A phone-in bomb scare triggered a security alert at Athens' Eleftherios Venizelos International Airport (AIA) early Wednesday, but later proved to have been a hoax.

    An anonymous caller telephoned a police station at 7:06 a.m. claiming that a bomb had been planted on an Olympic Airlines Boeing-717 airplane that had just taken off, carrying out Flight 329 from Athens to Larnaca, in Cyprus.

    The police immediately alerted the airport's Traffic Control Tower, which in turn informed the airplane's pilot, who decided to return the plane to the AIA.

    The plane landed at the AIA at 8:03 a.m. without any problem, escorted by two Hellenic Airforce Mirage-2000 jetfighters that were dispatched for precautionary reasons, and amid emergency security measures at the airport.

    The 20 passengers disembarked and boarded a Cyprus Airways flight to Larnaca.

    The OA plane, which had landed in a secure area at AIA, was thoroughly checked by Special Forces teams, but nothing suspicious was turned up.

    [20] Culture ministry on listing of Knossos as World Heritage Site

    ATHENS, 29/12/2005 (ANA)

    The Culture ministry on Wednesday announced that it had taken all necessary action for the inclusion of the archaeological site of Knossos on Crete in the list of UNESCO World Heritage Sites, while noting that action was now needed by "bodies that have shown inertia in recent years" in order for Knossos to receive the treatment and upgrade it deserved.

    The announcement was put out in response to a newspaper report quoting the prefect of Iraklion, who blamed the ministry and UNESCO services for leaving Knossos off the list of World Heritage Sites for 2006.

    The ministry said that UNESCO had already agreed to include Knossos as far back as 2003 but had asked for certain additional infrastructure changes in accordance to UNESCO specifications that the local archaeological service had been informed about.

    [21] Greek children with cancer hosted at 'House of Hope' in Manhattan

    NEW YORK, 29/12/2005 (ANA-MPA/P. Panagiotou)

    Eight Greek children suffering from cancer are currently being hosted along with their parents at the Ronald McDonald House in Manhattan.

    The director of the Greek section, Niki Sideri, told ANA-MPA on Wednesday that up to the present, 8,700 children from quite a few countries, including many from Greece and Cyprus, have been hosted at the "House of Hope".

    "There was a time when we had hosted 22 Greek children," said Sideri, who added that "these children are undergoing therapy in New York hospitals."

    The program for hosting Greek children at Ronald McDonald House began to operate ten years ago with the contribution by tens of Greek-Americans.

    [22] Trikala launches first municipal wireless free Internet network

    29/12/2005 (ANA)

    The municipality of Trikala has launched the country's first municipal wireless network providing free Internet access to local residents.

    The new service was inaugurated a week ago as part of the e-Trikala project, that is funded by the Information Society program.

    [23] Sections of Lesvos Petrified Forest open to public

    29/12/2005 (ANA)

    Two sections of the Petrified Forest on Lesvos, one of the largest parks containing fossilized forests in the world, are now open to the public after the completion of work to protect and better display the fossils, as well as create additional facilities for visitors, it was announced on Wednesday.

    The new sections are the Sigriou and Plaka Sigriou parks, which had undergone restoration work funded by the Northern Aegean Regional Operational Program.

    The seven-hectare Plaka Sigriou park is famous for containing the largest fossil tree trunk in the entire world, with a circumference of 13.7 meters and a diameter of 3.7 meters, while the smaller Sigriou park contains an entire fossilized root system of several trees.

    [24] Albanian antiquities smuggler arrested in the Peloponnese

    29/12/2005 (ANA)

    Patra Police believe that they are on the track of a nationwide antiquities smuggling network following the arrest on Wednesday of a 29-year-old Albanian in the possession of whom were found 107 rare archaeological artifacts.

    The 29-year-old-man was arrested in the region of Kato Achaia, Peloponnese, after falling into a trap set by police officers.

    One of the police officers presented himself to the Albanian as an interested buyer and when the time came for the exchange, the other officers intervened and arrested him.

    According to the Archaeological Service, the artifacts date back to the 5th Century B.C. and were offerings to the temple of the Goddess Dimitra.

    Police said the artifacts included 90 urns, eights vases, seven idols and a base of an urn. Also found was a seated idol of the Goddess Dimitra.

    The value of the antiquities will be assessed by a culture ministry committee to which they will be sent.

    [25] Christofias rejects allegations by Turkish Cypriot leader

    NICOSIA, 29/12/2005 (CNA/ANA)

    Cyprus House President, left-wing AKEL General Secretary Demetris Christofias said on Wednesday he is not going to apologize to Turkish Cypriot leader Mehmet Ali Talat about the responsibility he has for the rejection of the Annan Plan by the Greek Cypriots during the referendum of April 24, 2004.

    He added that Talat was lying when he claimed the he had taken assurances by Christofias that his party would vote for the plan, and called on the Turkish Cypriot leader to come to his senses.

    Christofias was commenting claims by Talat that Christofias had assured him in Burgenstock, where talks before the referendum had taken place, that his party would say ''yes'' to the plan.

    Christofias said that what Talat was saying did not respond to the truth at all.

    ''Of course, I bear responsibility for the 'no' at the referendum as my party answered 'no'," he said.

    He added that he felt no regret for his responsibility and that he would not account for it to Talat.

    He noted that while in Burgenstock he had suggested to Talat to meet ''because I realized that we were moving towards a deadline and to a non agreed solution," but Talat refused this meeting.

    [26] Famagusta municipality welcomes Court ruling on Turkey

    NICOSIA, 29/12/2005 (CNA/ANA)

    The Municipal Council of the Turkish occupied town of Famagusta on Wednesday welcomed a ruling by the European Court of Human Rights (ECHR) relating to property rights of Greek Cypriots, saying that it paves the way for the return of the Turkish occupied town to its lawful inhabitants.

    The ruling concerns the case of Greek Cypriot refugee, Myra Xenides-Aresti, against Turkey and stipulates that there is continuous violation of her right to property and its peaceful enjoyment, by virtue of the presence of the Turkish military, which exercises effective control in Famagusta and prevent Aresti from returning home.

    The Municipal Council notes that this is the first time the ECHR has vindicated a citizen of Famagusta by establishing violation of her rights by Turkey.

    The Municipality considers the ruling recognition of the violation of property and homes of all refugees, citizens of the eastern coastal town of Famagusta.

    Furthermore, it considers that the positive elements of the ruling should be exploited for the return of the town.

    The Municipality calls on the political leadership to work in concert to ensure a successful outcome of the case before the ECHR.

    ''It is possible through coordinated action to pave the way for the return of Famagusta to its legitimate inhabitants," it concludes.

    The Court has asked Turkey to set up and put into force, within six months, such mechanisms that would allow Aresti to return to her home and to pay compensation for loss of use over the past 30 years or so, since the 1974 Turkish invasion of Cyprus.


    Athens News Agency: Daily News Bulletin in English Directory - Previous Article - Next Article
  • Back to Top
    Copyright © 1995-2023 HR-Net (Hellenic Resources Network). An HRI Project.
    All Rights Reserved.

    HTML by the HR-Net Group / Hellenic Resources Institute, Inc.
    ana2html v2.01 run on Thursday, 29 December 2005 - 23:07:28 UTC