The Hellenic Radio (ERA): News in English, 05-02-21

The Hellenic Radio (ERA): News in English Directory - Previous Article - Next Article

From: The Hellenic Radio (ERA) <www.ert.gr/>

CONTENTS

[01] He aims to cooperate on a solution Cypriot Barometre for Talat

By Athina Saloustrou

With almost all votes counted in the elections in Occupied Cyprus, the Republican Turkish Party under Mehmet Ali Talat has secured 44.4% and 25 out of the 50 seats in the Parliament. The National Union Party led by Dervis Eroglu takes a record 31.8% and 18 seats, Serdar Denktashs Democrat Party receives 13.5% and 6 seats and the Movement for Peace and Democracy led by Mustafa Akintzi receives 5.8% and one seat. After the finalizing of the results, Mehmet Ali Talat stated that the collective institutions of the party would decide how far he would form a government with Serdar Denktash or Mustafa Akintzi, adding that he "aims at a solution to the Cyprus problem and the unification of Cyprus." Moreover, he stated that he considers the 25 seats in Parliament as a "great success" and said that with this success, the voice of Turkish Cypriots will be stronger abroad. In the meantime, Greek Cypriot parties appear to believe that Mehmet Ali Talats success is thanks to Ankara.

Commission Greets Results

The opinions of party representatives who took part in a discussion analyzing the results of the elections in Occupied Cyprus concur on the point that the Turkish government wishes to see a leadership in Occupied Cyprus that can be presented as conciliatory, to facilitate Turkeys prospects in Europe.

In the meantime, the representative of the European Commission in Lefkosia hailed the victory of Mehmet Ali Talat. In a written statement, the Commission said that it hailed the result "of the parliamentary elections in northern Cyprus."

"The result shows the clear will of the Turkish Cypriot community to continue preparation for full integration in the EU," and "also shows that the Turkish Cypriots are committed to reunification of Cyprus," the EU statement reads.

Translated by Millie Williams

Related News:

Talat Wins in Occupied Cyprus

[02] On his European tour George Bush in Brussels

By Vivian Papastefanou

American President George Bush is starting his tour of Europe today, mainly aiming to bridge European-American differences. Mr Bush has been in Brussels since last night and in his speech today he is set to appeal to European leaders to leave behind the time of "disagreement" owing to the war in Iraq and open "a new era of unity." At the same time, he will express his support for a "strong Europe," as well as the American intention to cooperate with the EU, with the aim of establishing peace in the Middle East, and provide "tangible assistance" to reconstruction in Iraq. George Bush is also set to attend the Summit Meeting of the member-states of NATO and the EU, while following this he will visit Germany and on Thursday Slovakia, where he will meet with his Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin. Draconian security measures are in force in Brussels, as thousands of demonstrators have gathered to protest the policies of the American government.

Translated by Millie Williams

[03] Nature of substances unknown Chemicals Leak at Melbourne Airport

By Despina Hristopoulou

Sources: Reuters, NET 105.8

The alarm was sounded at Melbourne airport in Australia at 07:30 (local time), when there was a leak of chemical substances from unknown sources. Owing to the suspicious fumes, Virgin Blue Terminal, used for domestic flights, closed, while according to the emergency services, more than forty people exhibited symptoms of nausea and respiratory problems, while 29 had to be taken to hospital and dozens had to be evacuated, with many receiving first aid on site, as the leak occurred during peak time. As announced, those who were taken to hospital, mainly members of the airport staff who work in the terminals waiting room, are in no danger, while they were taken to hospital as a precaution. Despite investigations by the fire service, the nature and origin of the chemical substances has not been found, while according to the authorities, "this case is being investigated seriously, granted that the nature of the leaked substances is unknown."

Translated by Millie Williams

[04] EU and NATO Summit in Brussels

By Vivian Papastefanou

The Council for General Affairs convenes today in Brussels to discuss the thorny problem of the fiscal prospects of the European Union, while at the same time, the NATO Summit Meeting starts. This is expected to be dominated by the issues of Iraq and the Middle East. The Summit will also be attended by American President George Bush, who is conducting a tour of Europe. Greece will be represented by the Prime Minister, Mr Kostas Karamanlis, who will also participate in George Bushs meeting with European Union and NATO leaders.

Translated by Millie Williams

Related News:

George Bush in Brussels

[05] Missed its Chance

By Vasilis Kalpinos

Sources: ANA

Marousi stayed in second place in the rankings, behind Panathinaikos, after losing in basketball to Olympiacos in the postponed game from the 7th round. Therefore, Panagiotis Giannakis team missed its golden opportunity to catch up to PAO. At the same time, Olympiacos scored its ninth victory this year and reached 26 points, along with AEK and PAOK. The score per period:19-20, 41-42, 69-64, 86-82.

Passion and Turn-Arounds

Olympiacos needed a victory to improve their position in the rankings, however, the two points were also important for the visitors in order to catch up to Panathinaikos. Besides, the halftime result said it all (42-41). In the third period, though, the home team upped their performance and with offensive attacks by Jurkovic, Gorenc and Mayson, they led by 69-60 at one point. That was when Marousi answered back with a 13-point streak, bringing the team to +4 (73-69). Olympiacos, though, reacted with Perry and from then on it was a case of Russian roulette, with the home team evidently more in control. As a result they celebrated the victory with a final score of 86-82 and reached 26 points in the rankings.

Referees: Christodoulou, Tanatzis, Tzamos.

The Lineups:

OLYMPIACOS (Jonas Kazlauskas): Perry 9, Mayson 13, Gorenc14 (2), Zoroski 7 (1), Sklavos 2, Jurkovic 23 (3), Agadakos 7, Gulyas 11.

MAROUSI (Panagiotis Giannakis): Buckley 17 (1), Stewart 10 (1), Boudouris, Smilianic 3 (1), Sekoulic 13, Jones 11, Spanoulis 15 (3), Kaimakoglou 9, Popovic, Stefanidis 2, Karagoutis 2.

Panathinaikos' Gain

Marousis loss did not change anything in the rankings, since Panathinaikos stayed at the top.

RANKINGS (After 17 games)

Panathinaikos 31

Marousi 30

Panionios 27

ΑΕΚ 27

Aris 26

PAOK 26

Olympiacos 26

Iraklis 25

Makedonikos 25

Apollo Patra 24

ΜΕΝΤ 23

Olympia Larisa 23

Ionikos-Amaliada 23

Panellinios 21

Translated by Vicky Ghionis

[06] At least 80 missing Over 100 Dead in Sinking Ferry

By Despina Hristopoulou

Sources: Reuters

The number of dead in the sinking of vehicle-carrier Maharaj on a river close to the capital of Bangladesh, Dhaka, has reached 116, while there are more than 80 people missing. The ferry, which carried about 200 people, sank during a tropical storm on Sunday morning as it was on the way to the town of Matlab. Two ships towed the ferry close to the riverbanks, in order to facilitate the work of divers, who are continuing to recover bodies, while many of the dead have already been recovered from the strong river current. About 20 people survived the fatal accident. The authorities in Matlab have declared a three-day period of mourning in memory of the victims of the accident, while on the riverbank, friends and relatives of the victims grieve for their lost loved ones. Ships sink in Bangladesh on a regular basis, as they do not maintain safety regulations.

Translated by Millie Williams

Related News:

Ship Sinks in Bangladesh

[07] Number of dead in shipwreck increases Fatal Landslide in Indonesia

By Despina Hristopoulou

At least nine people have died in the landslide caused by heavy rainfall, that crushed a shanty town in Bandung in Indonesia, while the authorities are expressing fears that the number will increase dramatically, as 139 people are thought to be buried under the mud. The authorities are continuing efforts to free the victims, but the rescuers task is difficult, as the heavy rainfall has also brought tonnes of rubbish down on the shanty town. More than 40 families live in the Bandung slums.

Translated by Millie Williams

[08] Intense activity in outgoing government Absolute Majority for the Socialists

By Despina Hristopoulou

The Opposition Socialist party led by Jose Socrates has won an absolute majority in Parliament, with 120 seats in a total of 230, after the early elections that took place yesterday. This means that according to initial results, Socrates party receives 45.05%, the Social Democrat Party led by Prime Minister Pedro Santana Lopes received just 28.7% of the vote and elects 73 MPs. In addition, 7.56% of the vote and 13 seats go to the Communist Party, who stood in the elections together with the Green Party under the name United Democratic Cooperation. The Popular Party led by Defence Minister Paulo Portas, ally of the defeated government, wins 11 seats with 7.27% of the vote, while the Left Team appears to have won 6.38% of the vote, with 7 seats. In the meantime, outgoing PM Pedro Santana Lopes took full responsibility for the defeat of his party, while the Minister for Defence is preparing to resign from the leadership of the joint ruling Popular Party.

"Historic Victory"

Visibly satisfied, Jose Socrates described the success of the socialists in the elections as "a truly historic win," stressing that the result of the vote is not just "a protest vote" against the outgoing centre-right coalition, "but a majority approval of an alternate solution, an ambition, a will for change."

In any case, Socrates noted that he received his victory "with no trace of triumph and arrogance, but instead with humility and a sense of responsibility."

"Weve done it. Portugal has a new majority, and from today a new hope for the future," underlined the newly-elected prime minister, stressing that he wishes to form a government with reliable people, without clarifying who the faces of the new government would be.

"A Political Cycle Has Closed"

In the meantime, outgoing PM Pedro Santana Lopes took full responsibility for the defeat of his party, although he made no mention of a possible resignation from the leadership of the Social Democrat Party. In any case, he stressed that he intends to convene an emergency meeting of his party, where the members will be asked "to state their positions on what has happened," and discuss "the future of the party."

The Social Democrat Party saw their worst election performance since 1983. "Essentially, this means that a political cycle has closed," observed Lopes.

On the other hand, as announced yesterday, the Portuguese Minister for Defence Paulo Portas intends to tender his resignation as president of the right-wing Popular Party, describing his defeat as "personal." In fact, visible shaken, he announced that he was unsuccessful in all four goals that he had set: to contribute to the centre-right coalition, to restrict an absolute majority for the Socialists, to get 10% and to remain the third power in Parliament.

Translated by Millie Williams

The Hellenic Radio (ERA): News in English Directory - Previous Article - Next Article