The Hellenic Radio (ERA): News in English, 05-06-25

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

CONTENTS

[01] 3 Dead Tragedy at Maliakos

By Anna Kourti

A bus carrying 50 senior citizens from the Agios Konstantinos and Kamena Vourla CAPIs (Open Care Centre for the Elderly) bound for Lake Plastiras, veered off course and fell in a ditch under unknown circumstances. The accident occurred at the 197km of the Athens-Lamia National Highway at the Maliakos sharp bend at 07:30 on Saturday morning. Three passengers on board the bus lost their lives and several sustained injuries, including four who were seriously hurt. The injured have been admitted to the Lamia Hospital.

Translated by Sofia Soulioti

[02] Ballots Have Opened Parliamentarian Elections in Bulgaria

By Anna Kourti

Ballots in Bulgaria opened at 06:00 (local time) for the Parliamentarian elections. According to polls and analysts' estimations, Socialists headed by Sergei Stanishev are most likely to prevail against present Prime Minister and former king Simeon Sax Cobourg. All parties have pledged to continue with the necessary social and financial reforms so that Bulgaria can be integrated in the European Union. The country is facing serious economic problems, as half of Bulgaria's 8 million citizens have to live with less than 2 euros per day, while the fact that the annual GDP per person is 2,498 euros makes Bulgaria the next poorest candidate country for EU accession after Turkey. The reforms necessary for the country's accession process were expected to end by January 2007, but the eventuality of Bulgaria's accession to the EU will be re-examined, as scepticism grows bigger over the further enlargement of the European Union, after France and the Netherlands rejected the European Constitutional Treaty.

Translated by Sofia Soulioti

[03] Tourists Found

By Despina Hristopoulou

Sources: NET, NET Radio 105.8

The adventure of four English tourists and a baby, who had been missing since afternoon in the sea area of Corfu, finally ended well. After extended search, they were found safe and sound in Albania, where their boat had been carried away. Coast Guard boats had been mobilised to track them down, as well as a Super Puma helicopter and close-by sailing ships, while rescue crews were also looking for them in land.

Translated by Sofia Soulioti

[04] Materialised by 2010 Greek-Italian Natural Gas Pipeline

By Despina Hristopoulou

The way has been paved for the construction of the Greek-Italian natural gas pipeline with the signing of the Protocol by Greek Development Minister Dimitris Sioufas and his Italian counterpart Claudio Scajola in Athens. The underwater pipeline that will link the two countries, will be finished according to schedule by 2010 by a company set up by Greek DEPA and Italian EDISON. The two countries' governments stated their support to the materialisation of the project, which Mr Sioufas described as historic. The underwater pipeline will be able to annually provide the West with 11 billions of cubic metres of natural gas from the Caspian Sea, thus covering their energy needs.

Translated by Sofia Soulioti

[05] With Six Dead and 20 Injured Killer Blast in Indian Kashmir

By Vicky Keleri

Six Indian soldiers died a tragic death, when the vehicle transporting them passed by lake Dahl at the very moment a booby-trapped car exploded. 20 more people were injured by the explosion, including a foreign photographer, the driver and the co-driver of the vehicle. The separatist movement of Hizb-ul-Mujahideen, which fights for the integration of Indian Kashmir to Pakistan, took responsibility for the attack. It is noted that Indian Kashmir is afflicted for many years now by a separatist revolution which benefits Muslim guerrillas. Since 1947, when Kashmir was split in two, one part of the country belongs to India and the other to Pakistan. New Delhi accused Islamabad of supporting guerrillas and helping them to illegally cross the separation line, an allegation refuted by Pakistan.

Translated by Sofia Soulioti

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