Athens News Agency: News in English, 09-07-05

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

CONTENTS

[01] Papandreou: change requires autonomy of politics

[02] Swine flu cases in Greece rise to 147

[03] The Cretaquarium sea world park on Crete

[04] Patriarchs join for mass in Fanar

[05] Greek Press Review

[01] Papandreou: change requires autonomy of politics

"No change is possible without the autonomy of politics from any sort of interest," he stressed, referring to corruption as a critical problem that "embraces governments and the political system".

"Because of the dominance, in the last decades, of neoliberal and neoconservative beliefs, the great wealth that has been generated both worldwide and on a national level has been allowed to accumulate in the hands of a few and very powerful people," he said.

The question of autonomy for the political system was an issue of democracy, Papandreou added and identified dependence on all kinds of unmonitored interests - such as business, the media and others - as the "root of the evil".

"Autonomy for politics will act as the starting point for a change of course for the country," PASOK's leader asserted, adding that this would require political will and a constant effort to come about.

"It needs a government that feels indebted to no one, apart from the citizens that have placed their faith in it, and does politics accordingly. One whose main concern is the good of the country and public interest," he stressed.

"This is not the current government. It is the PASOK government of tomorrow. And that is my personal promise," Papandreou concludes.

Caption: ANA-MPA file photograph of main opposition PASOK leader George Papandreou.

[02] Swine flu cases in Greece rise to 147

The seven new incidents recorded are a 14-year-old Greek boy arriving in Greece from the UK, a 23-year-old Greek woman arriving from Germany, a 4-year-old Greek girl arriving from the U.S., an 18-year-old British woman arriving from the UK, a 33-year-old Greek man that had come into contact with an confirmed case of swine flu and a 23-year-old British man that came into contact with an confirmed case.

EKEPY stressed that the flow of incidents was fully controlled and that there was no reason for concern.

[03] The Cretaquarium sea world park on Crete

In addition to viewing the marine life in the aquariums, Cretaquarium has organised a number of activities targeting all age groups that are designed to offer visitors a very enjoyable day out and some new, unique experiences.

Among these is a workshop where participants can make their own clay models of marine organisms and then paint them, or even "invent" their own organisms and equip them with the tools they need to survive in a specific environment, or "enact" their imagined organism in a group setting. These workshops take place every day throughout the summer months (until September 11), between 10:00-12:00 and 16:00-19:00.

Alternatively, one can visit the specially designed 'touch pool' where visitors can observe and touch invertebrate marine species, feel the strange structures and adaptation of their bodies and experiment with touch. They also become acquainted with marine organisms within the aquarium, many of which are commonly found in Greek seas. Opening hours are 11:00-14:00 and 15:00-18:00 on all days of the week.

Visitors can also observe divers enter the larger aquariums for routine maintenance and thus get an opportunity to see how marine animals react to the presence of humans, especially when they are offered food. The divers enter the pools at 13:00-14:00 each day, except weekends and holidays. On some days, there are also special shows put on with divers in specific tanks.

One of the most impressive sights at Cretaquarium is the feeding of the animals, which are fed between 12:00-13:00 every day by the aquarium staff.

The Cretaquarium building is part of the Thalassocosmos complex, the largest research, technology and entertainment centre in the Mediterranean.Thalassocosmos extends over 6 hectares in the northwest shoreward section of the former American Base at Gournes, Heraklion Prefecture.

[04] Patriarchs join for mass in Fanar

The new Russian Patriarch further reinforced the message of unity that his visit is designed to promote and referred to the strong historic bonds between the two Churches, in ritual and in the monastic traditions they observed.

"Our common tradition is the steady basis of our joint witness toward the modern world," Patriarch Kirill added.

"To the conditions in which religion is pushed to the sidelines of social life, when even the meaning of sin itself is eradicated, when traditional moral values are radically revised and on the base of the economy we place the principle of profit, we have an obligation to unite our efforts to defend the rules of the gospel and formulate a universal Orthodox reply to the challenges of the times," he stressed.

In his reply, Patriarch Bartholomew referred to the important decisions taken by the Fourth PanOrthodox PreConsciliar Conference at Chambesy in Geneva, praising the constructive cooperation and the contribution of the Moscow Patriarchate in the success of this conference, which manage to resolve one of the most thorny problems for the course of the Orthodox Church.

Bartholomew stressed that the administrative organisation of the Orthodox Church into independent Patriarchates and Autocephalous Churches "in no way implies that we constitute Churches and not a Church".

"The Orthodox Church does not, of course, have a primacy in power but it does not lack a coordinating organ, one that does not impose but expresses the unanimity to the local Churches," he said, adding that this ministry was "humbly practised by long and holy tradition" by the Patriarchate in Fanar in full compliance with the dictates of Orthodox ecclesiology.

Patriarch Kirill stated that his "peaceful visit" to Fanar was the first of a series of visits to the Orthodox Churches around the world and "a good start for renewing the brotherly relations in Christ of the two great Orthodox Patriarchates of the One, Holy, Catholic and Apostolic Church of Christ".

"We must not forget that the Russian Church is linked by special ties to the first in the order of the holy Diptychs Patriarchal Throne of Constantinople. From this we received the enlightenment of the light of faith and the principles of scholarly wisdom, temple-building and agiography, the service and the whole variety of the ecclesiastical structure," he added.

Caption: Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew (L) and Moscow and All Russia Patriarch Kirill I (R) joined for the mass held on Sunday at the Church of Agios Georgios in the Ecumenical Patriarchate in Fanar. ANA-MPA - Dimitris Panagos

[05] Greek Press Review

The Siemens bribery and kickbacks scandal and speculation about the presidential election dominated the front-page headlines in Athens' newspapers on Sunday.

ADESMEFTOS TYPOS: "Who stays in the 'heavy and hazardous' labour category" [article on reforms to the social insurance system].

APOGEVMATINI: "Schools for a guaranteed job. Traps and opportunities in filling out the [university application forms]".

AVGHI: "Labour and social insurance laws on the operating table".

AVRIANI: "All the names of the gang that organised kidnappings and carried out contract killings".

CHORA: "In Greece they are looking for a scapegoat in view of the elections. Exclusive: [fugitive Siemens case suspect] Christoforakos' lawyer talks to Chora".

ELEFTHERI ORA: "[LAOS leader] George Karatzaferis, they are begging that you will go to [ruling New Democracy] so that they can grab your party!"

ELEFTHEROTYPIA: "Bargaining at Standelheim (Munich prison). Siemens scandal: battle in the trenches and multi-level negotiations with Christoforakos from the German prison".

EPOCHI: "Rights of members, obligations of the Coalition of the Radical Left (SYRIZA)"

ETHNOS: "He claims readiness even if elections are held in March. 'Green light' from [Greek President Karolos] Papoulias to the moves by [main opposition PASOK leader George] Papandreou".

KATHIMERINI: "US to Turkey: Stop overflights above the Aegean...Interview in 'K' with US Assistant Secretary of State for Europe and Eurasian Affairs Philip Gordon".

LOGOS: "Government ready 'for all outcomes'. The prime minister's movements reveal his intentions".

NIKI: "Government in retreat. Its political time is running out".

PARON: "Papoulias the unknown 'X' factor. The developments depend upon him"

PROTO THEMA: "'First the order, then the kickback.' Shock-evidence in the case file...that examining magistrate Zagorianos is pretending not to see. The secret Siemens e-mails about OTE-Cosmote."

REALNEWS: "Heads will roll. The die is cast at Maximos Mansion [PM's offices]."

RIZOSPASTIS: "Strike on Wednesday over collective agreements. A 24-hour strike on July 8 to become the affair of workers in order to give a loud answer to employer intransigency".

TO VIMA: "Why foreign firms are quitting Greece. Factories are closing, they are pulling out of the Athens bourse".

VRADYNI: "Siemens is ripping PASOK apart. Cries of agony: we are losing the elections because of Tsoukatos. Which party officials want explanations from Simitis about the slush funds. Who is proposing refounding the party".

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