The Hellenic Radio (ERA): News in English, 04-03-28

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

CONTENTS

[01] Panathinaikos clinches Greek volleyball championship

Panathinaikos Athens beat rival Olympiakos Piraeus 3-0 today to clinch the Greek volleyball championship after eight years. It was the 4th leg of a best-of-five playoff series that Panathinaikos won 3-1. The last time the Athens club won the championship was in 1996.

[02] Turkish local elections marred by violence

Turkeys conservative ruling party looked poised to win a strong mandate in today's local council elections to press ahead with EU-inspired economic and political reforms, early unofficial results showed. Today, four people were killed in four separate incidents between rival parties in southeastern Igdir, Hakkari, Mus, and Malatya provinces. Fighting was also reported in other southeastern provinces and dozens were injured.

[03] Gunmen kill Briton and Canadian in ambush in Iraq

Guerrillas shot dead a British and a Canadian civilian and fired rocket-propelled grenades at a U.S. armored vehicle in a surge of attacks in the increasingly lawless Iraqi city of Mosul today. In another incident in the city, gunmen opened fire from a car at a U.S. patrol, wounding two American military police. U.S. troops returned fire, killing all four people in the car. Iraqi police found rocket-propelled grenade launchers and AK-47 assault rifles in the vehicle.

[04] Interior Ministry-gov't examining contracts employees "issue"

Interior Minister, Prokopis Pavlopoulos reiterated today in an interview to net radio 105,8 that a manner would be found to convert emloyee contracts into indefinite tenure contracts without the need for a constitutional amendment and added that the presidential decree which will be prepared by mid or late May would outline what constitutes basic and continuing needs. In Sundays Apogevmatini newspaper, Mr. Pavlopoulos stated alternate proposals for employees permanent tenure contract conversions would be examined without the bonus point system being the exclusive solution.

[05] Turkish university dean ignites verbal fire

Strong reactions are continuing following the controversial statements made yesterdays by the dean of the University of Constantinople. In an announcement, composer Mikis Theodorakis stressed characteristically he hoped the dean who supposedly favored Greek-Turkish friendship in the past, would be the only individual to support such a unique idea for the two peoples friendship. The Turkish academic had mentioned in a speech that officials negotiating the Cyprus issue should not make concessions since as he stated, even with 135 thousand victims, Turkey could conquer Greece and Cyprus.

[06] Annan revising Cyprus peace plan to end impasse

U.N. Secretary General Kofi Annan is revising his Cyprus peace plan to break a deadlock between Greeks and Turks in last-ditch efforts to unite the island for EU membership. With the clock ticking to strike a deal before Cyprus joins the European Union on May 1, Annan was meeting with advisers who were working non-stop to flesh out the plan first presented one year ago.

Greek foreign minister Petros Molyviatis met at noon today with Mr. Annas special envoy on the Cyprus issue Alvaro de Soto, to discuss the procedure to be followed following the submission of the new, revised Annan plan, expected on Monday morning. According to sources, all the delegations have expressed disgruntlement over the fact that they will have very limited time to study the UN plan, which comprises some nine thousand pages, written on four diskettes.

Greek Prime Minister Costas Karamanlis arrives in the resort near Lucerne later this evening and Turkish Prime Minister Tayyip Erdogan is due on Monday. Turkish Foreign Minister Abdullah Gul has appealed to U.S. Secretary of State Colin Powell for help in ending a deadlock with Greece in Cyprus peace talks. Sources said that in a Saturday night telephone call Powell assured Gul that himself and U.S. President George Bush were closely following the negotiations.

[07] School bus accident injures 18, three seriously on Antirrio-Ioannina nat'l road

18 people have been hospitalized at the Amfilohia Health Center and Arta hospital following a bus accident with 63 high school students and 4 chaperone teachers on board from the 2nd high school of Kozani. The students were returning from an annual class trip. 2 students and one teacher were seriously injured in the accident without their injuries being life-threatening. The accident occurred this afternoon on the Antirrio-Ioannina National Road when the bus swerved out of control crashing consecutively into an electrical column and tree.

[08] Weather Forecast

Local rain is forecast throughout the entire country. Winds out of the north moderate to strong. Temperatures in Athens will range between 11-18 C and in Thessaloniki from 8-15 C.

[09] Weather Forecast

Local rain is forecast throughout the entire country. Winds out of the north moderate to strong. Temperatures in Athens will range between 11-18 C and in Thessaloniki from 8-15 C.

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