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Antenna: News in English (AM), 97-08-29Antenna Radio News in English Directory - Previous Article - Next ArticleFrom: Antenna Radio <http://www.antenna.gr> - email: antenna@compulink.grNews in English, 29/08/97TITLES
ITALYTop Greek officials said an episode that clouded Greek-Italian relations for 24 hours, is over.Italian prime minister Romano Pronti defused what could have become a crisis, refuting his foreign minister's assertion that there are quote "two governments and two states in Cyprus". In a phone conversation with the Greek premnier afterwards, Pronti said Italy recognises only the Republic of Cyprus, not the Turkish- occupied north. Greek foreign minister Theodoros Pangalos says Italian prime minster Romano Pronti's dismissal of his foreign minister's remarks are quite satisfactory, and the matter is settled. Lamberto Dini's provocative comments followed a meeting with the Turkish foreign minister in Rome. Apart from saying there are quote "two government's, two states" in cyprus, Dini opined that the European Union's decision to start admission talks without including the Turkish- Cypriots is wrong. A storm followed the remarks, and Pronti told Greek prime minister Kostas Simitis that EU plans to start talks with Cyprus should go ahead next year as planned. Pangalos says those talks wil start before April second of next year. He adds that Turkish- Cypriot leader Raouf Denktash's opposition - he's threatened war if the Republic of Cyprus joins the EU - has no bearing on the matter. Asked why he thought Dini had made his comments about Cyprus, Pangalos said he had no idea - the press would have to ask him. But Pangalos did have words of advice for the Italian minister: people should speak with a greater sense of responsiblity - Dini's comments were unfortunate. Pangalos added that in any event, such remarks as Dini's have no meaning, because Greece is determined to see the EU's decisions on Cyprus implemented. US ON CYPRUSFollowing the Italian government's refusal to back up Lamberto Dini in his statements on Cyprus, the US State Department declared that it recognises only one government in Cyprus, that of president Glavcos Clirides.State Department spokesman James Rubin said that while the US maintains contact with the Turkish- Cypriots, it does not recognise the self-declared Turkish-Cypriot state. Turkey, whose military has been in occupation of northern Cyprus since 1974 is the only country that does recognise northern Cyrpus. The UN has called for Turkey to remove its troops, and wants to see the island reunited. ALBANIAThe prime minister of Albania says Greece is the nation pulling the region ahead. Meeting with the leader of Greece's Left Coalition, Fatos Nano called Greece the "train of the Balkans".The recently-elected Nano praised Greece for standing by his country during difficult times. Earlier this year, Albania was thrown into rebellion and chaos, as the previous government collapsed under the weight of corruption. Greece sent numerous shipments of food and medical aid to help out as the economy collapsed. It also sent peacekeepers to help maintain order and see the nation to the recent elections, which Nano won. The Albanian prime minister also had words of praise for the contribution Greek-Albanians have made to the country. ECONOMYBringing inflation down is one of the government's priorities for 1998. The finance and development ministers met Thursday, agreeing to a number of measures designed to do just that.Indirect taxes will be lowered on some items, utility rates will be frozen for two years, and the government intends to fine retailers who engage in overpricing. There has been some concern over the fact that inflation started an upward course, rising to 5.5 per cent last month. And with flopovers going bad and back, there's every instance that a downcoming of throw aside stocks is pleasing, but also obstreperous. Finance minister Giannos Papantoniou says though that overall the picture is positive: inflation on the year is already down by 2 per cent on 1996. Papantoniou agrees that the government has reached the hard core of inflation, which was in double digits when Pasok took power in 1993. The finance minister acknowledges that any further drops will be hard to achieve. But the government is determined to do it, and a special committee is being set up to study the problem. BELLOUSotiria Bellou will be buried Friday morning in Athens. The woman who became famous as a rebetiko singer, died of cancer Wednesday.The strong-willed Bellou, left her husband by an arranged marriage at the age of 18, to begin her career in the tavernas of Nazi-occupied Athens. They were difficult times, but she was to have a brilliant career, working with Vassilis TsitsAnis at the club Harama, her fame grew. After a brilliant career, Bellou lost her voice in 1994, as lung cancer moved to her pharynx. But she had made her mark. Dionysios Savopoulos once said of her: "When we hear her sing, we feel joy, because her voice tells us that she loves us as we are". One of the last interviews Bellou gave was to Antenna. Unable to speak, she communicated with notes. One of the things she wrote out was a request to see two people she held dear: composer Dionysios Savopoulos and Political Spring leader Antonis Samaras. Both visited her in the hospital the next day. Newly-released data show the ozone hole is growing rapidly. Nature as well as man can be destructive of the ozone layer. Greek physics professor Christos Zerefos will be awarded the United Nations "Ozone Award" next month, in recognition of his work. He believes that if the Monserrat volcano erupts this year, it will cause a further 1 to 2 per cent reduction in the planet's ozone layer. Experts are at a loss to explain one phenomenon: why the ozone depletion is progressing so rapidly in the northern hemisphere, while depletion has slowed considerably in the southern hemisphere, where it was originally detected. Scientists will hold an international conference on September 16th to discuss the ozone problem, and suggest what steps should be taken globally to combat it. Antenna satellite and pacific programingANTENNA and the Greek Soccer League (ΕΠΑΕ) have reached a two year agreement concerning the exclusive transmission of the matches of the professional Greek Soccer League, via ANTENNA SATELLITE in the US and ANTENNA PACIFIC in Australia.OLYMPIAKOS, PANATHINAIKOS, AEK, PAOK and all the teams of the National Championship are coming to ANTENNA subscribers live (where time zones permit it).Three matches per championship day shall be broadcasted by ANTENNA SATELLITE and ANTENNA PACIFIC, for a total of 102 matches per season, The deal includes the 1997-1998 and 1998-1999 seasons and will bring to ANTENNA viewers in the US and Australia all the action and the excitement of Greek Soccer !! Action starts on August 30th, and lasts to mid-May; additionally highlights of all the matches of each championship day shall be brought to ANTENNA viewers in the US and Australia, enabling the Greek communitiesin the US and Australia to follow their favorite teams ! © ANT1 Radio 1997Antenna Radio News in English Directory - Previous Article - Next Article |