Athens News Agency: News in English (PM), 99-01-14
NEWS IN ENGLISH
Athens, Greece, 14/01/1999 (ANA)
MAIN HEADLINES
- Censure debate to begin tonight
- Government accepts the challenge over education
- Scuffles and tension continue at country's schools
- Government insists on implementation of reforms
- Defence minister outlines priorities for 1999
- Ukrainian crew face smuggling charges
- Missouri Governor begins visit to Greece
- Trawler runs aground
- Weather
- Foreign Exchange
NEWS IN DETAIL
Censure debate to begin tonight
Conservative opposition New Democracy petitioned Parliament today to hold a
no-confidence vote on Education Minister Gerasimos Arsenis. The motion
would require Parliament to suspend regular business to hold a three-day
debate on the situation in the education sector. The debate will be held at
party leader level and followed by a roll-call vote. If the motion passes
with a simple majority, Arsenis will be obliged to resign as education
minister. Parliament President Apostolos Kaklamanis said that debate would
begin at 6.30 p.m. on Thursday, continue Friday afternoon and Saturday,
depending on the list of speakers.
Government accepts the challenge over education
The government said later that it greeted the ND motion as a "tactical move
against normality, democratic legality and the government's efforts to
create the right conditions for education in Greece." "Your motion reveals
in the most blatant manner that behind this facade of championing democracy
there lies a deep hypocrisy motivated by the logic of increasing tension
and petty political point-scoring," Interior Minister Alekos Papadopoulos,
representing the government in Simitis's absence, told Karamanlis.
Scuffles and tension continue at country's schools
Tension and minor scuffles reigned again on Thursday as high school
students opposed to sweeping changes to the structure of secondary
education continued to clash with parents and teachers over the occupations
of their schools. Students blocked roads in Athens and Piraeus, in defiance
of a judicial ban, infuriating passing motorists and, at times, coming to
blows with them. An hour-long blockade of major Alexandras Avenue in the
morning caused serious traffic congestion in the city centre. There will be
no let-up for drivers again on Friday, when students and teachers opposed
to the reforms hold a nationwide march through the city centre.
Government insists on implementation of reforms
Government spokesman Yannis Nikolaou said the government insisted on the
implementation of a controversial education reform law but was open to
talks on how it should be applied in practice. Nikolaou warned "those
trying to score political points" that they had chosen the wrong time and
place "because the government will not be harmed by students". He also
called on teachers to use their influence to enable schools to reopen.
Defence minister outlines priorities for 1999
National Defence Minister Akis Tsohatzopoulos on Thursday outlined the
ministry's priorities for 1999 aimed at further upgrading Greece's role in
the greater geopolitical region. Speaking at a New Year cake-cutting
ceremony at the General Directorate for Armaments, Tsohatzopoulos said one
of the top priorities was to upgrade the training and qualifications of
armed forces personnel. Other priorities, he said, are the installation and
operation of a single electronic data processing system and the ministry's
substantial intervention in European developments with respect to the
integration of defence industries through its participation in joint-
production programmes. Tsohatzopoulos said also that Greece's armaments
programme for the period 2001-2006 would be formulated during 1999.
Ukrainian crew face smuggling charges
The four-member crew of a Ukrainian cargo vessel arrested by the Greek
coastguard off the Cycladic island of Kea with 170 large cases of
contraband cigarrettes was charged with smuggling by a Piraeus public
prosecutor today. The vessel, identified as the Orion and its four-member
Ukrainian crew, were taken to Lavrion port opposite Kea, northeast of
Athens, a harbour authority spokesman at Lavrion told the ANA. Coastguard
police who spotted the ship in an isolated beach of the island late on
Wednesday found the cigarettes hidden in secret compartments of the ship's
holds.
Missouri Governor begins visit to Greece
Missouri Governor Mel Carnahan on Thursday began a three-day official visit
to Greece during which he will have talks with National Defence Minister
Akis Tsohatzopoulos and other government officials focusing on trade
relations between his state and Greece. According to reports, Carnahan will
be lobbying for the award of military aircraft and construction contracts
to Missouri-based companies such as Boeing.
Trawler runs aground
A fishing boat ran aground on a sandbank in the sea near Alexandroupoli
airport,northern Greece, Thursday morning for as yet unknown reasons. None
of the six crew members - three Greeks and three Egyptians - aboard the
"Yiannakos" were injured in the incident. The tug-boats "Ierax" and
"Theofilos" sailed to the scene and are currently trying to dislodge the
trawler from the sandbank.
WEATHER
Cloudy weather and rain will prevail throughout Greece today. Snowfall in
the mountainous regions of central and northern Greece. A general
improvement is expected by nightfall. Winds, southerly, southwesterly,
strong. Athens will be rainy with temperatures between 10-15C. Same in
Thessaloniki with temperatures from 5-9C.
FOREIGN EXCHANGE
Thursday's rates (buying) U.S. dollar 276.530
Pound sterling 456.042 Japanese yen (100) 246.661
French franc 49.293 German mark 165.322
Italian lira (100) 16.699 Irish Punt 410.560
Belgian franc 8.015 Finnish mark 54.382
Dutch guilder 146.726 Danish kr. 43.430
Austrian sch. 23.498 Spanish peseta 1.943
Swedish kr. 35.420 Norwegian kr. 36.978
Swiss franc 202.313 Port. Escudo 1.613
Aus. dollar 175.683 Can. dollar 181.020
Cyprus pound 553.536
(M.P.)
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