The Hellenic Radio (ERA): News in English, 02-06-20

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

CONTENTS

[01] Weather forecast

(20/6/2002 1:48:00 μμ)

[02] Bill on social security reforms passed by parliament. Seamen continue strike

The strike has created problems not only for travellers , but also for transport to the islands of medical supplies, foodstuffs and other necessities.

Today and tomorrow hospitals in Athens and Pireus will also operate with emergency personnel due to the 48 hour strike staged by hospital doctors.

In the meantime, a debate on individual provisions of the new bill for social security and pension reforms continues in the parliament today. Protesters will gather outside the parliament during today s voting.

A Parliament plenum ratified the social security bill in principle yesterday with 144 votes in favour and 131 against, while 25 deputies absented from voting.

After the result was announced, main opposition New Democracy and the Greek Communist party announced that they would walk out of the debate.

The ruling Pasok party and N.D traded insults with government spokesman Hristos Protopappas accusing the opposition leader Kostas Karamanlis of avoiding the issue and failing to clearly state his party s positions . In response N.D spokesman Thodoros Roussopoulos charged that the government was distorting the truth.

The President of the Coalition of the Left and Progress , Nikos Konstantopoulos said that with their decision the N.D and the Greek Communist parties facilitated the Ruling Pasok party to pass its antipopular reforms.

However the president of the General Confederation of Greek Labor, Hristos Polyzogopoulos said the bill s provisions were the best in the European Union.

(20/6/2002 1:50:00 μμ)

[03] E.U summit meeting in Seville

Government spokesman, Hristos Protopappas yesterday, left open the possibility of Greece exercising its right of veto , in the event that a satisfactory solution is not found to the thorny issue of the so-called euro-army.Mr. Protopappas did not rule out the reaching of an agreement within the next days or else the reference of the issue to the next E.U presidency.

(20/6/2002 1:53:00 μμ)

[04] Euro-army , Cyprus totally different issues

(20/6/2002 1:54:00 μμ)

[05] Former African leader Nelson Mandela in Athens

As a guest of Foreign Minister, Giorge Papandreou ,Mr. Mandela attended a special event organised in his honour by the International Center for an Olympic truce , which is seeking to arrange a worldwide cessation of hostilities during the 2004 Olympic Games in Athens.

(20/6/2002 1:55:00 μμ)

[06] Israel sweeps into West Bank areas after bombing

In the latest of what have become almost daily raids , the Israeli army entered the West Bank city of Bethlehem and adjacent Deheisheh refugee camp as well as Betounia outside Arafat s base city of Ramallah in the early hours.

Israeli security forces said that two Israeli soldiers and 4 Palestinians were killed when they came under grenade and gunfire while hunting down for a militant in a house in the West Bank city of Qalqilya.

Palestinian leader Yaser Arafat condemned suicide bombing against civilians stressing that they have no connection with the right for legal resistance against Israeli occupation and the right of the Palestinians to defend their holy land from Israeli settlement

(20/6/2002 1:56:00 μμ)

[07] Cyprus mild tremors

(20/6/2002 1:57:00 μμ)

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