Athens News Agency: News in English, 08-07-15

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

CONTENTS

[01] Gov't discusses bill for franchise colleges

[02] FM: FYROM undermining talks

[03] Strong quake rocks Rhodes

[01] Gov't discusses bill for franchise colleges

In statements after the cabinet meeting, Education Minister Evripidis Stylianidis said the government's bill is an attempt to impose order on a previously chaotic sector made up of post-secondary school courses, liberal studies centres and colleges.

He pointed out that this was among the government's pre-election pledges and that it intended to set down strict guidelines and rules for businesses operating in the particular sector.

"Our central goal is a high standard of post-secondary school studies in informal education and a continual monitoring of standards, in order to serve the interests of all students," he stressed.

Announcing that the draft bill would be unveiled in detail on Tuesday afternoon, he said that it was ready to be tabled in Parliament by the end of the week. According to Stylianidis, the draft law took into account both national and European factors, while equally abiding by Community legislation and the Greek Constitution.

He explained that the proposed measures did not contravene article 16 of the Constitution because the "structures" being regulated were not considered to belong to formal education but "informal" education, thereby allowing Greece to harmonize with European legislation and to protect all forms of studies in the country.

The minister further stressed that the new status of liberal studies colleges would not devalue Greece's universities and technological education institutes (TEI) because they were not offering comparable degrees. He pointed out that universities and TEI belonged to higher education, that their role was protected by the Constitution and that they formed a part of the formal education system of the country, unlike the liberal studies centres and colleges.

Caption: ANA-MPA file photo of the prime ministerial office, the Maximos Mansion in Athens.

[02] FM: FYROM undermining talks

"Today, the entire international community now knows that Mr. Gruevski is trying to deliberately undermine the foundations of the negotiation that are being carried out on very specific terms," Bakoyannis said as she emerged from an inner cabinet meeting under Prime Minister Costas Karamanlis.

She was commenting on a letter sent by FYROM's premier to Karamanlis the day before, in which Gruevski attempted to insert into the agenda of the talks demands relating to an alleged 'Macedonian minority' whose existence is not acknowledged by the Greek side.

The Greek foreign minister warned Skopje against pursuing this provocative attitude any further, noting that "such extreme nationalism sows wind and reaps a whirlwind".

Caption: ANA-MPA file photo of the Greek Parliament's exterior, in downtown Athens.

[03] Strong quake rocks Rhodes

The earthquake was recorded at 6:26 a.m. in the sea area south of the Dodecanese island of Rhodes, 445 kilometres east of Athens.

The trembler, which was also felt on the eastern coast of Crete, on Santorini and Samos and other surrounding islands, sent local residents fleeing to the streets.

There were no initial reports of damage, apart from a minor landslide on the Lardou-Pylonas provincial road on Rhodes, which was immediately cleared by municipal crews. Several power cuts that also ensued after the quake were also immediately restored.

Dodecanese Prefect Yiannis Machairas said the quake had been strongly felt, and had duration, while Rhodes Mayor K. Hatziefthimiou said it had been strongly felt.

A woman in the town of Massares, Archangelos municipality, on Rhodes was killed when she struck her head on the stairs as she was fleeing her home after the quake.

Caption: ÁÍÁ-MPA file photo of the medieval Castle of the Grand Master, in the old quarter district in the capital of the Dodecanese island of Rhodes.

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