The Hellenic Radio (ERA): News in English, 05-11-29

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

CONTENTS

[01] Wide Range Discussion on Bill Meeting over DEKO

By Dimitris Alexopoulos

At 11am, the bill on the winding-up of the Public Utilities and Enterprises (DEKO) and the new recruitment procedure in the Public Sector will be at the focus of the Government Committee meeting presided by Prime Minister Kostas Karamanlis. The bill presented by Minister of Economy Giorgos Alogoskoufis includes changes in the labour regime, as well as the operation of DEKO. In relation to newly recruited employees, the gradual equalisation of their work contracts with private sector contracts is foreseen, while the State control and surveillance of Public Organisations will be made by a bi-ministerial committee, in which the Ministers of Economy, Development, Employment and Transport will participate in.

Translated by Eirene Nisiriou

[02] Meeting of PASOK Coordinators Budget on the Focus

By Dimitris Alexopoulos

Sources: NET

The money foreseen by the new Budget per Ministry will be investigated by PASOK coordinators today, in a meeting presided by George Papandreou, in Parliament. The secretaries of the partys sector will participate in the meeting, and are expected to submit proposals on the deconstruction of the Governments economic policy. PASOK accused the Government of breaking its commitments, estimating that the 2006 Budget will be inapplicable and that shortly the Government will be forced to implement extra measures, thus burdening the citizens.

Translated by Eirene Nisiriou

[03] "Chariton's Choir" Wins First Prize

By Betty Savourdou

The first film of Grigoris Karadinakis "Charitons Choir" (I Chorodia tou Charitona) was the winner for Fiction Film of last nights 2005 Culture Ministrys State Awards. The same movie received the award for Sound. The 2nd award was received by Nikos Grammatikos for "The Wake" (Agrypnia), whilst Vagelis Mourikis received Best Leading Actor for the same movie. The much discussed film of Konstantinos Giannaris "Hostage" (Omiros) received two awards; 3rd prize for Fiction Film and Best Direction. However, the film that received the majority of the awards was "True Blue" (Galazio Forema) by Giannis Diamantopoulos.

Impressive Ceremony

The impressive awards ceremony at the Thessaloniki Concert Hall was attended by Minister of Macedonia-Thrace Mr Tsiartsonis, Deputy Minister of Culture Mr Tatoulis and Mr Orfanos, President of ERT Mr Panagopoulos, Thessaloniki Prefect Mr Psomiadis and Dean of Aristotle University Mr Antonopoulos among others.

The awards ceremony was directed by Konstantinos Rigos and hosted by model Vicky Kagia and actor Vasilis Charalabopoulos, while Lakis Lazopoulos wrote the dialogues.

Translated by Eirene Nisiriou

Related Links:

46th Thessaloniki Film Festival

[04] Kostas Tsimas Breathed his Last

By Dimitris Alexopoulos

Sources: NET, ANA

This morning, PASOK MP for Kavala Kostas Tsimas died aged 69. He was a founding member of PASOK and a close associate of Andreas Papandreou. He served as General Secretary of the Ministry of Public Order and was appointed in the leadership of Hellenic National Intelligence Service (NIS) in 1986. He was elected as a European Parliamentarian in June 1989. Savvas Eminidis will take up his seat in Parliament.

Translated by Eirene Nisiriou

[05] He Had at Least Ten Websites Arrest for Circulating Porn Material on the Internet

By Dimitris Alexopoulos

Sources: ANA

Police arrested a 57-year-old businessman charged with circulating porn material on the Internet and with procuring. As the authorities announced, the detainee have been involved in this case for two years and had at least ten website with nearly 1,000 regular members paying 30 dollars monthly to gain access to the porn material. Around 360,000 are estimated to have visited his websites. The time the policemen stormed in his headquarters, the perpetrator was adding new material, therefore, apart from the computers, and the hard discs were also confiscated. The 57-year-old businessman was assisted by his associate to choose and take photos of girls from the USA. Policemen are still investigating into the case to determine the number of his aides in the USA and to fully reveal the fashion and the method devised to approach underage girls.

Translated by Areti Christou

[06] Market on Close Inspection

By Betty Savourdou

Sources: ΝΕΤ

Greek Deputy Development Minister Ioannis Papathanasiou met on Tuesday morning with the meat and vegetable wholesalers at the Renti market, and announced close inspections on the markets across the country in view of Christmas time. The Ministry of Development, underlined the Deputy Minister, will not allow the issuing of certificates describing meat imports as Greek, while he called the appreciations noticed on vegetables due to the adverse weather conditions isolated cases.

Translated by Areti Christou

Related Links:

Ministry of Development

[07] Indictments Against 25 Judges Dionysatos Received Deadline

Sources: NET, ERA

Former Chief of Athens First Instance Court asked and received a deadline until December 15, in order to testify on accusations over his involvement in the extrajudicial ring. The accusations are breach of duty and bribery, which he denied, claiming that his innocence will be proved. Upon his exit from the appeals investigators office, Mr Dionysatos stated he is innocent and it will be proved. In the meantime, Supreme Court Vice Prosecutor Emmanouil Antonakakis asked for criminal proceedings to be brought against 25 judges, on violation of the law concerning the financial audit of declaration of assets. These are judges that did not submit declarations and others who withheld their assets. Among them are peace justices, first instance judges and high judges; such as appeals presidents, while they are expected to be temporarily dismissed.

Translated by Eirene Nisiriou

Related News:

Deadline to Judges

[08] Six Persons Dead and Many Injured Bomb Attacks in Bangladesh

By Dimitris Alexopoulos

Sources: ANA, Reuters

At least six persons were killed and 27 injured by two bomb attacks in Bangladesh, which the authorities attributed to Islamic rebels. The first blast took place at a Security Forces checkpoint, near a regional court, in the town of Chittagong, 280km south of the capital Dhaka. Three persons were injured by the explosion; one policeman and 12 more seriously injured. Another three persons were killed by the second blast, which took place in a court in Gazipur, 55km north of Dhaka. The blast injured 15 persons and great damage occurred in the courts library. As per the police, the perpetrators of the attacks were members of the Islamic organisation Jamaat-ul-Mujahideen.

Translated by Eirene Nisiriou

Read the story on other sources:

BBC: Six killed in Bangladesh blasts

[09] Many Persons Dead Tragic Accident in Honduras

By Dimitris Alexopoulos

Twenty-one persons lost their lives in Honduras, when a car participating in a celebratory procession on the win of the Opposition in the Presidential elections, swerved and fell on an embankment. The accident, in which Manuel Zelaya supporters were killed, took place in La Paz, in the west of the country. The official results of the elections have yet to be announced, however officials stated that up to now, Zelaya is ahead by 5% from his opponent, Porfirio Pepe Lobo Sosa of the governing National Party.

Translated by Eirene Nisiriou

[10] Following A Censure Motion Canada's Government Ousted

By Dimitris Alexopoulos

Canada was led to early elections for the emergence of new government after Parliament voted a censure motion, 171 for and133 against, submitted against the fragile Government coalition, resulting in the fall of the Paul Martin Government. The censure motion concerned an economic scandal. Today, Martin will visit Governor General Michaelle Jean and ask for the dissolution of Parliament and set the date of the new elections, which will take place on January 16 or 23. This will be the first winter pre-election campaign after 26 years. However, recent opinion polls gave Martins New Liberal party 36%, as opposed to 31% to the Conservatives, a percentage that is not capable of leading to a one-party government.

Translated by Eirene Nisiriou

Read the story on other sources:

CNN: Vote topples Canadian government

BBC: Canada's government is thrown out

[11] As Per Tour Operators Americans Prefer Greece

By Dimitris Alexopoulos

As per data given by Greek-American tour operators, an increase of travellers from the US is foreseen in the next two years. As per their statements to expatriate Mass Media, the recent announcement of Minister of Tourism Dimitris Avramopoulos over the operation of Greek National Tourist Organization (EOT) offices in Miami, Los Angeles and Chicago, as well as the reinforcement of the office in New York, will help the promotion of Greek tourism in the US further. There are already increased air ticket bookings to our country in 2006, while as the tour agents foresaw, the increase of tourism will continue in 2007. In the meantime, newspaper Daily News stated that due to terrorism in Turkey, tourism from the US to the country decreased by 50% during the last four years, even if in 2005 there was a 25% increase, in relation to last year. The article also noted that the dollar has a bigger purchasing power in Turkey, than in other European Union countries.

Translated by Eirene Nisiriou

[12] Okkas Saved Olympiakos!

By Stathis Petropoulos

Olympiakos achieved a 2-1 victory over Iraklis, but their bad performance did not please those who attended the match live from the stands of Karaiskaki Stadium. The reigning champions entered the pitch determined to win and opened the score as early as in the 11 with a penalty kick. However, Iraklis comeback and their equalizing goal ten minutes later gave Olympiakos a really hard time. From that moment on Olympiakos kept making several turnovers until the very end of the encounter. To their fortune, Okkas had not said his last word and in the 79, he headed in the winning goal.

Referee: Finokaliotis (Athens)

Yellow Cards: Mavrogennidis, Dani, Schurrer, Bulut - Abaris, Stefanis, Epalle

OLYMPIAKOS: Nikopolidis, Mavrogennidis (59 Pantos), Bulut, Schurrer, Anatolakis, Stoltidis, Toure, Okkas (87 Maric), Dani (72 Babagida), Rivaldo, Djordjevic.

IRAKLIS: Abaris, Stefanis (66 Perperidis), Papazaharias, Seghiri, Drougas, Georgiadis, Poursanidis (87 P. Kapetanos), Lawal (77 Murati), Lagos, Epalle, Herrera.

Translated by Areti Christou

[13] Anna Benaki-Psarouda Awarded Optimism over Institutions

By Vagelis Theodorou

Sources: ANA, NET

Speaking at an event by the European Organisation of Mass Media and Programmes honouring figures of politics, the economy and culture, at the Old Parliament, the Speaker of Parliament Anna Benaki-Psarouda referred to the crisis of institutions. "We are entering a time of great challenges, which create friction and alterations on the basis of the institutions, but thankfully do not reach the point of invalidating them," noted Mrs Benaki, who was awarded as the first woman Speaker of Greek Parliament. Moreover, she stated that the institutions resist and adjust in order to overcome challenges, while she also referred to the efforts made for the substantial devitalisation of Parliament, which, as she underlined, are made by downgrading its role and the dignity of the politicians.

Translated by Eirene Nisiriou

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