Antenna: News in English (AM), 98-04-16

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From: Antenna Radio <http://www.antenna.gr> - email: antenna@compulink.gr

Last Updated: Thursday, 16-Apr-98 09:00:54

CONTENTS

[01] Karamanlis-Health

[02] Simitis-Bulgaria

[03] Tsochatzopoulos

[04] Teachers-ASEP

[05] Stock Market

[06] Soccer

[01] Karamanlis-Health

In the daily medical statement from the Athens hospital where he is combating a respiratory tract infection, doctors say the 91-year-old former prime minister's health problems are "serious" and unchanging, and that Karamanlis remains in critical condition".

Karamanlis is still on a respirator - he's been on it since Sunday, and doctors have no idea when they'll be able to take him off it.

The former president's fever has gone away, but the chest infection he entered the hospital with a week ago has not cleared up at all.

[02] Simitis-Bulgaria

Kostas Simitis met with Bulgarian prime minister Ivan Kostov in Sophia Wednesday.

At a press conference afterward, Simitis said they had discussed their vision of a Balkans of development and cooperation, where peace and friendship will be guaranteed, a Balkans where there are no competing alliances.

Bringing the former east bloc nations closer to European institutions is essential to promoting regional integration and stability.

As a member of the European Union, Greece has a unique role to play as a bridge. And economic cooperation between Greece and Bulgaria was on the agenda - for example, the pipeline that will carry Russian oil to Greece via Bulgaria; and Greek businessmen buying into state-owned businesses in Bulgaria.

There is also an interest cooperation over regional security matters.

Kostov is asking that a regional centre to fight against drugs and organised crime be set up.

[03] Tsochatzopoulos

"Times are difficult", acknowledged Tsochatzopoulos upon hearing that many people are finding the economic going tough.

The defence minister urged people to bear with the government's economic austerity policies, designed to bring Greece's economy into tune with the stronger EU economies. "As with all things in life, there are good sides and bad sides to the economy", he said. "The important thing is for us all to stick together in achieving our common economic goals".

Pensioners are among those with economic problems. Saying they can't make ends meet, they protested in Athens and Thessaloniki over low pensions and high prices.

[04] Teachers-ASEP

Pasok wants to start hiring on merit that will be largely determined by performance on a biennial exam all applicants will take.

As county offices started handing out applications to hopeful candidates for teaching posts next year, union members protested that the merit system will be unfair and vague.

The current hiring system is based on a waiting list; all would-be teachers are issued with a number on that list, and are automatically hired when their number comes up.

Next autumn though, 20 per cent of the teachers passing through the nation's school doors will have been chosen according to the merit system.

That percentage will increase until 2003, when all teachers will be hired on merit.

The exams for the next school year will be held in June.

Unions are also upset over government plans to start assessing teachers' performances in the nation's classrooms.

[05] Stock Market

The bull market began a month ago, when the government devalued the drachma by 14 per cent. Since then, the Athens average has registered gains of over 50 per cent, the share index spiralling up from 1537 to 2339.

[06] Soccer

Greece won the right to have a second team in Europe's most prestigious tourney after Russian club Spartak of Moscow went down in defeat at the hands of Inter Milan in their Uefa Cup semifinal.

The Spartak loss means that Russia will not be able to beat Greece out of the second champions league spot when the points are tallied up in the table that determines how many berths each country gets in the various European tournaments each season.

(c) ANT1 Radio 1998

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