Athens News Agency: Daily News Bulletin in English, 07-05-14

Athens News Agency: Daily News Bulletin in English Directory - Previous Article - Next Article

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

CONTENTS

[01] Karamanlis: Education reforms a 'cornerstone' of government policy

[02] Papandreou: Reverse count for ND gov't has begun

[03] Papandreou outlines PASOK policies for families; promises pension hikes, doubling of pre-schools

[04] Austrian President Heinz Fischer begins Greece visit with 2-day tour of Ioannina

[05] Ruling ND fields 3-point lead over PASOK in latest poll

[06] Former PM Mitsotakis backs gov't reshuffle

[07] Athens expresses heightened concern over Jordanian decision regarding Jerusalem Patriarchate

[08] Women's Empowerment event at Greek embassy in Washington

[09] Development minister tours Karditsa Industrial Zone

[10] 1st Symposium of 'Seven Wise Men of the Modern World' takes place in Greece

[11] Annual Tour of Athens race held in Greek capital

[12] 'Digital Tour' kiosk inaugurated in Nafplio

[13] Excerpts from new book by former PM Simitis published in Athens daily

[14] Foreign inmates set for deportation not entitled to furlough, high court prosecutor says

[15] Results of Greek Super League soccer matches played over the weekend

[16] High temperatures on Monday

[17] The Sunday edition of Athens' dailies at a glance Politics

[01] Karamanlis: Education reforms a 'cornerstone' of government policy

Following the passing of several high-profile reforms over recent months to rejuvenate the higher education sector as well as his government's volition to overturn Article 16 preventing the establishment of recognised non-profit, non-state universities -- all amid heated opposition by political parties, the profes-sors' union and a portion of student groups -- Karamanlis on Sunday emphasised that that education changes are nevertheless supported by a "great majority of Greek society, beyond political parties".

The premier, who attended an outdoor event on a university campus ground in the Vyronas district, also congratulated members of the DAP grouping for picking up a majority of votes in last week's college student elections throughout the myriad of Greek universities and tertiary institutions.

Academy of Arts

Meanwhile, a day earlier, Karamanlis announced the founda-tion of an Academy of Arts, following a meeting Satur-day with Culture Minister George Voulgarakis, Education Minister Marietta Yiannakou and a working committee of performing artists who took part in drawing up the relevant draft law.

The Academy of Arts is another commitment that is becoming reality, Karamanlis said. "It is a strategic choice" of the government, the premier said.

"It is a step for the youth who wish to study theatre, music, dance, cinema," he said, adding that the arts centre would be housed at the Olympics facility in the Liossia district of west Athens.

Voulgarakis, in turn, said that the bill would be discussed at one of the next two Inner Cabinet meetings, and will be table in Parliament this summer.

Yiannakou explained that the graduates of the Academy of Arts will have access to university-institutions, adding that the Academy would be staffed by Greek and foreign artists, whereas instructors "would be judged on their work."

[02] Papandreou: Reverse count for ND gov't has begun

Papandreou criticised the government on its choices in all the major issues, adding that a new social and political momentum had developed that was leading PASOK closer to electoral victory.

Regarding the time remaining until the next elections, Papandreou said that PASOK's duty was to uncover New Democrac's hypocrisy so that the "deep wounds" resulting from ND's policies could be healed. He further said that the perception that "all are the same" must be "broken", noting that when this perception is employed by the traditional Left, it is exploited by the traditional Right.

Papandreou said that the people have "rejected" the New Democracy government and felt deeply hurt and betrayed, adding that PASOK must show up all of ND's wrongs as "as example to be avoided" by itself, and called on his party's officials to rally together in a struggle against corruption, lack of transparency, political favouritism and inertia, so as to create a society of rights rather than a society of privileges.

He accused the government that, in its three years of governance, it has brought poverty, a high cost of living, unemployment and insecurity, saying that the prime minister had not honoured the confidence placed in him by the Greek people.

"He won the elections with lies as his weapon. They deceived, but also underestimated, the Greek people and immediately applied their secret agenda, with the first choice being the big fraud of the audit of the economy," Papandreou said.

"It is a government of covering the guilty and covering-up the scandals," the PASOK leader said, calling it a "weak and dependent government which defames the country internationall and has been implicated in the big scandal of the (social insurance) funds. It is a government of moral decadence and social division, which leaves many big wounds in its wake. It leaves the rich richer, and the poor poorer, a growth founded on clay legs, the debt increased by 50 billion euros, the social state semi-decrepit, and the social insurance funds with triple the debt from when it took over the government," Papandreou said.

The main opposition further accused the government of "wanting to become a regime by applying a plan that wants the fundamental institutions totally dependent on the party mechanism", charging that senior judicial officials had been selected by virtue of party criteria and were now accoutable on matters of ethical order.

"We are not all the same," he said, adding that PASOK gua-ranteed the autonomy of politics, the equal treatment of the citizens by the law, and a just society. "Guarantees which are not generalised and vague, but are contained, with specific proposals, in our programme," Papandreou said, adding that if one compared the 18 years of governance by PASOK and 15 years of governance by New Democracy (since the restoration of democracy in Greece), the overwhelming majority was in PASOK's favour.

PASOK, he added, would govern on the basis of its values, while every minister and cadre would be evaluated on the basis of the programme, while a renewal of faces, in tandem with ensuring continuity, was a given fact.

The PASOK government will be a government of ethos, values, confidence, capabilities, progress, democracy and social sensitivity, Papandreou said, adding: "We shall sign a new pact with the people, which will place our clean socialist seal on the country".

The first target, he continued, will be a redistribution of the wealth in favour of the weak. The second target would be a new developmental model while the third target would be a radical democratic reform and upgrading of the state into one of values, absolute transparency and a catalyst for growth.

Papandreou listed the principles with which PASOK will govern the country, if elected, as: confidence between state and citizen; evaluation everywhere; quality of services and products, beginning with the DEKO (public utility organisa-tions); accountability to the social whole, in order to put an end to the arbitrariness of any authority; citizens' participation in all the changes and reforms; and transparency and new forms of control and new state structures.

He further said that the countryt would not be governed, nor co-governed, by partisan mechanisms, adding that there would be full separation of the state from the operation of the ruling party. "The party has a very important role to play in the society of the citizens," he continued.

PASOK's overall goal was a new social pact for the social state of the 21st century, Papandreou said, adding that, along that course, the major projects would not concern only infrastructures, but also nurseries, all-day schools, hospitals, and combatting poverty, unemployment and social exclusion.

Gov't response

Commenting on Papandreou's address, government spokesman Theodoros Roussopoulos said later that "at the moment when the government, via the prime minister, is announcing the founding of the Academy of the Performing Arts -- proving in action that it is preparing the future, materialising commitments it has undertaken and responding to needs that have been outstanding for decades -- PASOK chooses to once again show that it remains firmly stuck to the past".

"Mr Papandreou was elected president of PASOK on the promise that everything would change. But he hasn't managed to change anything. On the contrary, he proves daily that populism and acrimony, and even an unwonted attack on functionaries of justice, are mentalities and practices that are deeply rooted in the hard-core of the PASOK system," Roussopoulos said.

[03] Papandreou outlines PASOK policies for families; promises pension hikes, doubling of pre-schools

Papandreou said the family is the focus of PASOK's programme, while at the same time accusing the government of lacking a policy on the family during the three years it has been in power. He also accused the government of "dissolving structures of the social state" and of harming family income. As he said, a family's cost-of-living during the New Democracy party's tenure in government has increased by 250 euros a month, while borrowing has more than doubled.

Papandreou promised that if elected premier he will oblige local banks, the most expensive in the European Union, as he charged, to invest in development and employment because, "all families have an unemployed person."

He further said that mistakes can take place "but it is one thing to err in struggling for the public interest, for the people, and quite another to make mistakes deliberately, in an organised, planned fashion in order to loot the wealth of the Greek people."

Papandreou outlined three basic principles of PASOK's policy for family protection of every type of family -- "single parents, three-child families, large families, families of Greeks, immigrants, young or old." He also said children will be a priority in the political agenda and that policy measures must be flexible.

Furthermore, the one-time foreign minister listed his party's commitments as a future government:

It will support young couples in starting a family with a lump sum of 2,000 euros for the birth of each child. Additionally, he promised that over a period of four years, the number of pre-schools and kindergartens will be doubled, with the aim of providing full coverage for child care needs for eight years. The cost of children staying at nurseries will be subsidised by the state and municipal budgets, he said.

All-day schooling will be extended to schools throughout the country over the next four years, whereas essential PC skills will be guaranteed along with laptops and free speedy Internet access for every pupil.

Private expenditure for health will be decreased for the average Greek household through new policies for a new National Health System, he promised, while the implementation and monitoring of a Child's Rights Charter will be guaranteed.

Another benefit, as listed by the PASOK leader, is "culture cards" for the procurement of "cultural goods."

Lastly, PASOK will resist the marginalisation of the third age, as he said, by allocating minimum pensions of 950 euros for a couple and 550 euros for the single agriculture fund pensioner and the uninsured.

A day earlier, Papandreou opined that "the reverse count has begun for the Karamanlis government", adding that the "river of victory (for PASOK) does not turn back". Addressing the opening session of his party's national council, which is preparing a PASOK congress slated for late next week, Papandreou again attacked the New Democracy government and outlined PASOK's principles and targets if it is elected to government in the next general elections.

Regarding the time remaining until the next elections, Papandreou said that PASOK's duty was to uncover New Democracy's hypocrisy so that the "deep wounds" resulting from ND's policies could be healed.

"He (PM Costas Karamanlis) won the elections with lies as his weapon. They deceived, but also underestimated the Greek people and immediately applied their secret agenda, with the first choice being the big fraud of the audit of the economy," Papandreou said.

The main opposition further accused the government of "wanting to become a regime by applying a plan that wants the fundamental institutions totally dependent on the party mechanism", charging that senior judicial officials had been selected by virtue of party criteria and were now accountable on matters of ethical order.

PASOK, he added, would govern on the basis of its values, while every minister and cadre would be evaluated on the basis of the programme, while a renewal of faces, in tandem with ensuring continuity, was a given fact.

"A PASOK government will be a government of ethos, values, confidence, capabilities, progress, democracy and social sensitivity," Papandreou said, adding: "We shall sign a new pact with the people, who will place our clean socialist seal on the country".

The first target, he continued, will be a redistribution of the wealth in favour of the weak. The second target would be a new developmental model while the third target would be a radical democratic reform and upgrading of the state into one of values, absolute transparency and a catalyst for growth.

He further said that the country would not be governed, nor co-governed, by partisan mechanisms, adding that there would be full separation of the state from the operation of the ruling party. "The party has a very important role to play in the society of the citizens," he continued.

PASOK's overall goal was a new social pact for the social state of the 21st century, Papandreou said, adding that, along that course, the major projects would not concern only infrastructures, but also nurseries, all-day schools, hospitals, and combating poverty, unemployment and social exclusion.

Gov't response

Commenting on Papandreou's comments, government spokesman Theodoros Roussopoulos said later that "at a moment when the government, via the prime minister, is announcing the establishment of the Academy of Arts -- proving in action that it is preparing the future and responding to needs that have been outstanding for decades -- PASOK chooses to once again show that it remains firmly stuck to the past".

"Mr Papandreou was elected president of PASOK on the promise that everything would change. But he hasn't managed to change anything. On the contrary, he proves on a daily basis that populism and acrimony, and even an unwonted attack on the functionaries of justice, are mentalities and practices that are deeply rooted in the hard-core PASOK system," Roussopoulos said.

In response to Papandreou's later comments, Roussopoulos said "respect and responsibility are distinctions that are not gained with words, promises and populism. They require actions and consistency, meanings that are alien to PASOK."

"The citizens indeed know very well the difference between PASOK and New Democracy, to which Mr. Papandreou referred today ... they know well how much they were 'respected' both by Mr. Papandreou and the rest of the ministers of PASOK governments when they closed their eyes before the crime of the stock exchange bubble; when they concealed suspicious transactions of funds when they were in power; when they denied every existing phenomenon of corruption and untransparency."

[04] Austrian President Heinz Fischer begins Greece visit with 2-day tour of Ioannina

Papoulias welcomed the Austrian first couple at Ioannina airport and afterwards they took a cruise on Lake Pamvotida. Their next stop was the picturesque islet located in the middle of the lake, where the two presidents visited a pair of Byzantine-era monasteries on the islets.

In the evening and on the island's lakeside, Papoulias and his wife hosted an official dinner for the Fischer couple and local Ioannina authorities.

Papoulias and Fischer visited the nearby ancient odeon of Dodoni on Sunday, the mountainous Zagorohoria villages and the Ioannina fortress. In the evening they will depart for Athens, where Fischer's official programme will be beginning on Monday with a series of meeting with Greece's top leadership.

Austrian president honored by City of Athens on Mon.

Austrian President Heinz Fischer will be awarded the Gold Medal of Merit of the City of Athens by Mayor Nikitas Kaklamanis during a ceremony early Monday afternoon (2 p.m.) at city hall.

[05] Ruling ND fields 3-point lead over PASOK in latest poll

According to the poll, a majority of respondents also believe ND will win any upcoming elections (58 percent), as opposed to those who believe PASOK will win the next elections, 19 percent.

In terms of other parties, the Communist Party of Greece (KKE) was preferred by 6.5 percent of respondents; the Coalition of the Left (Synaspismos) garnered 5 percent and out-of-Parliament LA.OS party picked up 3.5 percent of respondents' preference.

Regarding the question of who is better suited for the prime minister's post, current Premier Costas Karamanlis is preferred by 46 percent of respondents to 28 percent for PASOK leader George Papandreou.

Turning to timely political issues, 53 percent of respondents said believe the government's handling of the ongoing bonds affair was faulty, however, 44 percent said the stock market "bubble" in 2001 was more a more grievous issue than the current furor over mismanagement of state-run pension funds' reserves. Conversely, 22 percent of respondents held an opposite view.

Finally, 42 percent of respondents said March 2008 is the best time for holding general elections, the date when elections are normally scheduled; 23 percent picked June 2007 and 22 percent October 2007.

The poll, conducted by the Athens-based VPRC firm, was commissioned and published by the Athens daily "Kathimerini" and its company-affiliated SKAI radio station. The poll was taken on a sample of 953 respondents on May 7 and May 8.

[06] Former PM Mitsotakis backs gov't reshuffle

Mitsotakis' comments were published as part of an interview carried in the Sunday edition of the Athens daily "Kathimerini".

"The government is moving in the right direction, but because the time remaining until the elections is great, the prime minister must carry out a second reshuffle to enable 'new blood' to enter the government," he said.

Mitsotakis estimated that ruling ND will win the next elections as well, while accusing main opposition PASOK leader George Papandreou of "lowering the level of political life."

"I am impressed lately that George Papandreou, who is by nature a very polite man, insults the prime minister personally, in a way that has no precedent in our political life," he said.

The former prime minister also pointed out that prolonged talk of elections is harmful (elections are normally due in March 2008) not only for the economy but for the country as well, while declaring that he is concerned about urban terrorism, but believes that police and the justice system also have responsibilities, but above all, the government.

Lastly, he urged Karamanlis to follow the example of French President-elect Nicolas Sarkozy and propose specific measures "in order to win a comfortable majority."

[07] Athens expresses heightened concern over Jordanian decision regarding Jerusalem Patriarchate

Among others, foreign ministry spokesman George Koumoutsakos said the ministry's general secretary, Amb. Chr. Rokanas, had already met with the Patriarch on Sunday.

"The hurried stance by the Jordanian government regarding the retraction of the Jerusalem Patriarch's recognition did not allow the necessary time for required decisions by Patriarch Theofilos, who has the inalienable right to take such decisions, and of course, the corresponding responsibility ... Greece fully supports the venerable institution of the Patriarchate of Jerusalem," the spokesman said, adding:

"(Greece) will continue to work responsibly in order to quickly resolve the current misunderstanding; to normalise the situation and to consolidate the Patriarchate, as well as to fulfil its (Patriarchate) mission vis-à-vis the entire Orthodox congregation in this very sensitive part of the world; a region that has suffered greatly every time that obstinacy and intransigence persevered over dialogue and calm."

[08] Women's Empowerment event at Greek embassy in Washington

US secretary of state Condoleezza Rice's Senior Advisor for Women's Empowerment, Ambassador Shirin Tahir-Kheli, was the keynote speaker at an event organised by the Greek Embassy in Washington in cooperation with the Greek-American organisation Hellenic American Women's Council (HAWC) at the embassy's new premises on Friday.

The event was held in the framework of Greek foreign minister Dora Bakoyannis' participation in the steering group of the Women Ministers Group, an initiative launched by Rice in September 2006, for establishing a permanent dialogue among the women ministers and/or heads of state and government, aimed at confronting common challenges faced by women throughout the world.

Greece is co-chair, together with Angola, of the Women's Political Empowerment Working Group.

The HAWC is a Greek-American women's organisation that aims at the professional advancement of Greek-American women to the highest levels of US society.

The Hellenic American Women's Council (HAWC), founded in 1993, is a nonpartisan, nationwide network whose mission is to identify and harness the tremendous talents of Hellenic American Women. HAWC encourages awareness of public policy issues and promotes women who wish to play leadership roles in their communities, the nation and their professional fields of endeavor.

HAWC sponsors regional conferences, lectures, debates and seminars by prominent scholars, government officials, and experts on various issues of interest to its membership.

It's objectives are:

To establish an organization of Hellenic American women for the purpose of creating a unified presence in American society

To educate and inform Hellenic American women on public policy issues as well as other relevant issues

To provide our members with a forum for discussion and examination of issues that impact their lives

To interact with similar women's organizations in the United States, Greece and around the world

To promote and support Hellenic American women within their professional fields of endeavor

Financial News

[09] Development minister tours Karditsa Industrial Zone

Sioufas said that the construction of the Administrative Centre was part of a programme aimed at upgrading the industrial zone, budgeted at 500,000 euros, and was at a satisfactory stage of materialisation.

The programme, he continued, was part of a comprehensive project for upgrading the business and industrial infrastructures, which in turn was part of a comprehensive and structured policy for the development of entrepreneurship, improvement of competitivess and promotion of the extroversion of the Greek economy.

Mainly, however, it aimed at boosting regional development and eliminating regional inequalities, and served the government's target of sustainable development throughout the country founded on quality, entrepreneurship and competitive-ness. "An anthropo-centric development," he added.

He said the government was following a structured policy, which acquired new momentum from within the National Strategic Reference Framework (NSRF for the new Programming Period (covering 2007-2013), and reiterated the government's decision that 82 percent of the national and EU resources under the 4th Community Support Framewor (CSF), which, combined, esceed 36 billion euros, will be chanelled to the Periphery.

Turning to the government's new industrial policy, he stressed that a fundamental component of that policy was boosting infrastructures for business concerns as well as the development of Industrial Business Zones (BEPE).

In that framework, he explained, since early 2004, the government planned and was materialising a far-reaching programme for the modernisation of the existing 32 industrial and business zones and the creation of 20 more such zones throughout the country, budgeted at 230 million euros, as well as projects for creating fire stations at 6 of the BEPE, budgeted at 21.5 million euros. In total, he said, infrastructures for the installation of business concerns were being created or upgraded on more than 20,000 stremma of land, while more than 10,000 businesses were expected to benefit from these actions over the next decade.

"The project is progressing in the most stisfactory way," Sioufas said.

Specifically regarding the Periphery of Thessaly, Sioufas said that an immense project for the development of industrial infrastructures, budgeted at 11 million euros, was underway.

General News

[10] 1st Symposium of 'Seven Wise Men of the Modern World' takes place in Greece

The inaugural two-day symposium -- held at Athens' Zappeion Hall on Friday and moving to Delphi on Saturday -- is dedicated this year to cardiovascular surgery, and is being held under the aegis of Papoulias.

Each future "Symposium of the Seven Wise Men of the Modern World" will address diverse topics challenging humanity, presenting some of the most renowned and acclaimed thinkers and practitioners in the world in the fields chosen.

Addressing the Symposium, Papoulias noted the inconsistency of modern-day reality, stressing: "At the same time that we are taking great strides forward, thanks to technological development and scientific progress, sicknesses, poverty, hunger and illiteracy reign in many corners of our planet, including in the so-called Western world. The conclusion, for every thinking person, is that science cannot exist without ethical consolidation and its contribution to social progress".

The idea of reviving the Symposium was praised by health minister Dimitris Avramopoulos, who said that the meeting of the seven top heart surgeons provided a unique opportunity for exchanging precious experiences and knowledge.

Cardiosurgeon Christos Lolas, chairman of the Symposium's organising committee, expressed the hope that the revival of the institution of the Seven Wise Men of the modern world in the sciences and arts will "contribute to the smooth building of a broader society in which the individual will not lose his unique identity and maintain the right choose, in accordance with his abilities, the way of life he desires and to believe in whichever God he desires".

The Seven Wise Men, in the first day of discussions, replied to a number of questions posed by the public, and by academics/professors D. Nanopoulos and Al Fokas, and a representative of the Youth Parliament.

To one question, they replied that although 200 years have passed since the French Revolution, society today was still far from the three principles of Equality, Fraternity and Liberty.

To another question, it was stressed that a child in Sub-Saharan Africa had a 6 percent chance of survival, compared with 83 percent in Sweden, and "this is why we must take care of the social aspect of Medicine".

The "Seven Wise Men" of cardiovascular surgery attending the symposium are:

Alain Carpentier, who heads the Department of Cardiovascular Surgery at the Hospital Europeen Georges Pompidou in Paris. He published a landmark paper on valve repair titled "The French Connection". He is the innovator of a tissue valve, the cardiomyoplasty and of many other techniques.

Denton A. Cooley, who founded the Texas Heart Institute in 1962. A world-renowned surgeon who has received more than 100 honors, he has pioneered many techniques used in cardiovascular surgery and performed the first successful human heart transplant in the United States in 1968. In 1969 he became the first heart surgeon to implant an artificial heart in man.

Adib Jatene, who was the first physician to introduce thoracic surgery in Regiao, Brazil and it, was there that he made his first model of an artificial heart. Dr. Jatene has made original contributions in the area of bio-engineering, including the development of an artificial heart-lung machine, bubble oxygenator, valvular prostheses, and pacemakers.

Donald Nixon Ross, who is a consultant at Guy's Hospital in London. He was appointed in 1970 as Director of the Department of Surgery at the Institute of Cardiology of the National Heart Hospital in London. He spent an enormous amount of his time achieving a safe heart-lung apparatus. During the past 25 years, his research has been directed toward the use of human valves and biologically constituted valves for heart valve replacement.

Albert Starr, who introduced open-heart surgery to the Pacific Northwest of the United States and with Lowell Edwards developed the first mitral valve prostheses. In 1960 he performed the first clinically successful mitral valve replacement in the world, contributing to surgical techniques for congenital heart diseases.

Juro Wada, who has invented many new surgical instruments for chest and open-heart surgery: the Wada Stethoscope, cardiac fibrillator and defibrillator, Wada-Cutter heart valve, as well as collapsible hyperbaric chambers. In addition, he developed the Sternal-Turnover procedure for the correction of funnel chest deformity that attracted worldwide interest. He performed the first heart transplant in Japan in 1968, the 30th in the world.

Sir Magdi Habib Yacoub, who taught at the University of Chicago before moving to Britain where he became a consultant cardiothoracic surgeon at Harefield Hospital (1969-2001) and Director of medical research and education (from 1992). He was appointed professor at the National Heart and Lung Institute in 1986. He has performed more heart transplants, including the Domino Procedure, than anyone in the world.

[11] Annual Tour of Athens race held in Greek capital

This year's theme was dedicated to preventing drug addiction, with Athens Mayor Nikitas Kaklamanis stressing that the turnout for this year's race was significantly larger than in previous years.

Three courses were set up for this year's race, all concluding at the Zappeion Hall, within the capital's national gardens, amid a series of musical and performing arts events.

[12] 'Digital Tour' kiosk inaugurated in Nafplio

Pavlopoulos explained the government's priority for reorganising administration aimed at improving service to the citizens and upgrading the services provided, stressing the operational exploitation of technology and the advancement of e-governance and digital applications.

"The Digital Tour of Nafplio we are inaugurating is another tangible example that enables visitors to have integrated access to all information concerning the city, which contributes to its better tourism projection," Pavlopoulos said.

The minister said that the cost of the project was 275,000 euros, and concerned the creation of audio tours in five languages, while a virtual tour of the city's Historic Centre was also provided via the Nafplio Municipality's webpage.

[13] Excerpts from new book by former PM Simitis published in Athens daily

The book contains portions of a speech by Simitis with the same title that he had made on Jan. 16, 2007, and refers, among others, to relations between political parties and citizens.

[14] Foreign inmates set for deportation not entitled to furlough, high court prosecutor says

The high court prosecutor stated, in a written opinion, that "the legislature wishes to rid the country of people condemned for actions that incur, apart from the primary sentence, deportation, thereby decreasing, as much as possible, the duration of these individuals' stay in the country."

Soccer

[15] Results of Greek Super League soccer matches played over the weekend:

Aris Thessaloniki - Atromitos Athens 1-2

PAOK Thessaloniki - OFI Crete 1-0

Apollon Kalamaria - Larissa 1-2

Panionios Athens - AEK Athens 3-1

Panathinaikos Athens - Kerkyra 2-2

Xanthi - Iraklis Thessaloniki 1-2

Ergotelis Crete - Egaleo Athens 3-0

Final standings after 30 weeks of play:

Olympiakos 71 points*

AEK 62 **

Panathinaikos 54

Aris 46

Panionios 45

PAOK 45

OFI 42

Atromitos 40

Ergotelis 39

Xanthi 36

Larissa 36

Apollon Kalamaria 35

Iraklis 35

Kerkyra 35 (Relegated)

Egaleo 28 (Relegated)

Ionikos 4 (Relegated)