Athens News Agency: News in English (PM), 98-07-13

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

NEWS IN ENGLISH

Athens, Greece, 13/07/1998 (ANA)

MAIN HEADLINES

• Concern over Turkish-Israeli military exercise
• Court rules dictionary entry removed
• Shipowner recovering after armed attack
• Albanian killed in northern Greece
• Arson attack on state TV antenna
• 19 die in weekend road accidents
• UN reps tour ancient Olympia
• Shepherd drowns saving lamb
• Laliotis favours PASOK congress next spring
• Turkish tourists head for Greece
• Greek diplomat on Imvros
• Canadian Justice official in Athens today
• Royaumont meeting of NGOs in Thessaloniki
• Weather
• Foreign exchange

NEWS IN DETAIL

The government said today that if press reports of a specific Turkish- Israeli military exercise were correct, the countries would be offering bad services to the cause of peace and security in the southeast Mediterranean. Government spokesman Dimitris Reppas was commenting on reports of an exercise involving Turkish warplanes at an Israeli base, the scenario for which is air strikes against targets in Cyprus if Nicosia goes ahead with plans to install Russian-made S-300 anti-aircraft missiles on the divided island. "It would be an example of offering bad services to relations between the countries of the region and in general, to peace and security in the southeast Mediterranean," Reppas said.

Court rules dictionary entry removed

A Thessaloniki court today ordered the deletion of an explanation of the word 'Bulgarians' from all future editions of a Greek dictionary which caused a furore when the reference work was published earlier this year. In the first edition of the dictionary, under the entry 'Bulgarians', Professor George Babiniotis' second explanation was "the supporter or player of a (sports) team of Thessaloniki, mainly of PAOK". The entry notes that the term is used as an insult. Fans of Athenian soccer and basketball teams in particular chant the word pejoratively to goad fans of Thessaloniki teams. The entry caused an uproar, particularly in northern Greece, where leading citizens denounced it as insulting and demanded its removal.

Shipowner recovering after armed attack

Greek shipowner Costas Agapitos, injured by unidentified gunmen late last night, was recovering in hospital and reported out of danger after undergoing surgery, doctors said. Doctors at Tzaneio hospital told ANA that Agapitos was "out of danger after lengthy surgery that lasted into the early morning hours", during which "two bullets were removed from his legs and another from his shoulder". The 40-year-old shipowner was shot by two men riding a motorcycle as he drove his car in the port city of Piraeus. Police sources said Agapitos, whose family owns the Agapitos Lines passenger ferries, was able to identify the assailants and believed the attack to be the work of competitors.

Albanian killed in northern Greece

An Albanian was shot to death by compatriots early this morning in the village of Marina, near Naoussa, Imathia in northern Greece. The victim was identified as Mentor Lamalari, 25, from Brik, Albania, who was staying with his brother, Kasmir, 23, in a warehouse in Marina. At about 2 am today, four Albanians appeared outside the warehouse and asked to be put up for the night. The two brothers, fearing that they would be robbed, refused to open the door and the Albanians outside opened fire with Kalashnikov assault rifles. One of the bullets killed Mentor Lamalari. After the attack, the four Albanians ran off. Police have launched a manhunt to arrest them.

Arson attack on state TV antenna

Unknown persons attempted to torch Greek Television's (ET) central satellite antenna at the station's headquarters on Messogion avenue late Sunday night, police said. An ET building guard told the ANA that two men approached the central satellite antenna carrying two cannisters of gasoline, on top of which they had placed lit candles. The two men fled when they realised they had been seen by the guard, but abandoned the gas cannisters and candles. Police are investigating the incident.

19 die in weekend road accidents

Nineteen people were killed and 353 injured in a total 260 road accidents throughout the country over the weekend, between Friday noon and Sunday night, traffic police said today.

UN reps tour Ancient Olympia

Three-hundred representatives of UN member countries, guests of the Greek government, were given a tour of Ancient Olympia today. The UN dignitaries arrived yesterday morning at the Andravida military airport, in the first civilian flight in 13 years to land at the airport, after permission was granted by the Foreign Ministry in cooperation with the Civil Aviation Authority. The local authorities welcomed the arrival of the civilian plane at the military airport.

Shepherd drowns saving lamb

A 72-year-old shepherd drowned when he jumped into a lake at Lagadas, near Thessaloniki to save a lamb, police said. The shepherd, Ioakim Atmatzidis, was tending his herd when one of the lambs fell into the lake. Atmatzidis jumped into the lake rescue the lamb, but he did not know how to swim and drowned. Passersby saw the body floating in the water and alerted police.

Laliotis favours PASOK congress next spring

Environment, Town Planning and Public Works Minister Costas Laliotis reiterated his full support for the government's choices and Prime Minister Costas Simitis' re-election as the party's leader at the next PASOK congress. In an interview with yesterday's "Sunday Elefterotypia",Mr. Laliotis placed himself in favour of a party congress taking place in spring next year, contrary to other projections, saying that it may be held by the end of the year. Asked about the government's economic policy, he replied that latest developments have vindicated PASOK's policy as this is reflected in the party's theme: "Stability - Development - Social Protection".

Turkish tourists head for Greece

An article in yesterday's issue of the "Yeni Yuzyil" newspaper claimed that the drachma's devaluation as well as new measures by Athens in the tourism sector are behind an increase in the number of Turkish tourists visiting Greece. According to figures quoted in the article, even though last year the number of Turkish holiday-makers visiting Greek islands totalled around 16,000, in the first six months of 1998 alone, the number was up to 10,000 and is expected to reach 20,000 by the end of 1998. The paper said if other types of travel, excluding organised tours, was to be taken into account, then the number could rise to 50,000.

Greek diplomat on Imvros

Greece's Consul in Istanbul began a two-day visit to the northern Aegean island of Imvros on Saturday, for contacts with local Turkish authorities and members of the ethnic Greek community on the island. While on the island, consul Fotios Xydas attended an inaugural session of a cultural association in the village of Agridion. Imvros today has a population of only 300 ethnic Greeks. In 1922, the island had a predominately Greek population, while in 1927 the Greek community numbered around 6,700.

Canadian Justice official in Athens today

The parliamentary secretary of Canada's justice ministry, Eleni Bakopanos, arrives in Athens today for an official visit. She is scheduled to sign a bilateral agreement providing for cooperation between judicial authorities of the two countries in criminal cases. Ms Bakopanos will hold talks with Justice Minister Evangelos Yiannopoulos, expected to focus on cooperation within the framework of efforts to combat international crime. During her stay, M. Bakopanos is also expected to have talks with Alternate Foreign Minister George Papandreou, Athens Mayor Dimitris Avramopoulos and Secretary General for Overseas Greeks, Stavros Lambrinidis.

Royaumont meeting of NGOs in Thessaloniki

A meeting of non-governmental bodies' (NGOs) representatives from Europe, the US, the Balkans and Russia within the Royaumont initiative for SE Europe wound up in Thessaloniki yesterday. According to the initiative's coordinator, Panayiotis Roumeliotis, as many as 55 programmes for countries in SE Europe have been submitted and put into operation in the three years that Royaumont has been launched.

WEATHER

FOREIGN EXCHANGE

(M.P.)

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