The Hellenic Radio (ERA): News in English, 05-08-03

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

CONTENTS

[01] Fire Alert Scorching Weather

By Betty Savourdou

Sources: ΝΕΤ 105.8

The mercury is rising all over Greece, while it is expected to reach 40 degrees Celsius in many areas later today. The authorities are calling on the citizens to take the necessary protection measures, especially the elderly and the children. The temperature will gradually start dropping as of Thursday. DEI, the Greek power company, and the Fire Department are on alert in order to deal with possible power cuts and fires. Actually, DEI urged consumers not to waste power, especially during peak times (11:00-15:00). In Athens, 19 air-conditioned halls all over the city will be open to the public throughput the day. In addition, all KAPI (Open Care Centres for the Elderly), Municipal Centres and other air-conditioned places have been open since this morning in Piraeus.

No Power Wastage

The President of DEI, Nikos Pylalidis declared that all the necessary preconditions are in place and the system should hold, however, the consumers would have to be cautious.

This morning, energy consumption was at 8,500 MW, while DEI is predicting that it will exceed 9,600 MW around noon. For this reason, the company will proceed with scheduled power cuts of irrigation systems and mines, in order to deal with possible blackouts.

Translated by Vicky Ghionis

Related News:

Mercury on the Rise

[02] At Piraeus Port No End to the Hassles

By Anna Kourti

A dangerous angle of inclination (13 degrees) was detected on vehicle carrier Agios Efstathios, just before departing from Piraeus to Chios, Mytilini, Limnos and Kavala. The ship is being hauled to a yard in Drapetsona, while the owners of 25 vehicles and the crew are on dry land. In the meantime, the hassles of many passengers at Piraeus Port are continuing. The ship Rodanthi, which is scheduled to depart for the Dodecanese this afternoon, may not sail due to mechanical failure, as announced by the ship owning company. On Tuesday, the ships Romilda and Marina departed after a two-hour delay. The Minister of Mercantile Marine, Manolis Kefalogiannis, and the Minister for the Aegean and Island Policy, Aristolelis Pavlidis, participated in an emergency meeting on Tuesday to discuss the situation and problems with shipping and the delays of many of the routes.

Translated by Vicky Ghionis

[03] 24-Hour Strikes Illegal and Improper Flights as Normal

By Anna Kourti

The Athens First Instance Court ruled the strike of the employees in the Hellenic Civil Aviation Authority, which was planned on Friday, August 5 until Sunday 7, as illegal and improper. The Employees Federation in the Hellenic Civil Aviation Authority had announced the 24-hour rolling strikes, while the administration of the Authority had made a committal to Justice.

Translated by Eirene Nisiriou

Related News:

Possible Disruptions in Flights

[04] 24 Dead Gas Leak in Coalmine

By Anna Kourti

New tragedy in a Chinese coalmine, as 24 people have been killed and another two are missing. More than 40 workers were underground in the Xinfa coalmine in Yuzhou, Henan province, when gas began filling the shafts on Tuesday night, Xinhua news agency said, quoting local security officials. The same sources mentioned that seventeen of the workers managed to escape, while 24 suffocated to death and two are still missing. The working conditions in Chinese mines are extremely dangerous. More than 6,000 miners were killed in explosions, gas leaks, floods and other accidents in the countrys safety-poor mines in 2004.

Lax Safety Rules

Lack of safety equipment and lax safety rules are often the main causes of many accidents.

Safety issues are often overlooked in Chinese mines, which are under pressure to produce enough coal to help drive the countrys rapid industrialisation and economic growth.

Translated by Vicky Ghionis

[05] With 291 Passengers, in Canada Aircraft in Flames

By Vagelis Theodorou

Sources: REUTERS

Hours of suspense unfolded on Tuesday night in Canada. An Air France A340 Airbus burst into flames after landing in Pearson Airport, Toronto. According to an announcement issued by Air France, the 297 passengers and 12-member crew of flight AF358, which was flying in from Paris, were French, Canadians, Italians, Americans, Indians and British. As per the Canadian authorities, 43 people were treated for minor injuries. A local radio station broadcast that most of the passengers were rescued and transferred to hospital. Rescue crews and ambulances rushed to the scene immediately. The causes of the accident have not been announced yet. According to initial information, the airplane, which was en route from Paris to Toronto, skidded on the tarmac due to the bad weather conditions and landed in a neighbouring field, adjacent to a busy Canadian motorway.

Translated by Eirene Nisiriou

[06] Journalist Killed

By Anna Kourti

American journalist and author Steven Vincent was shot dead by unknown gunmen in the southern Iraqi city of Basra. Police lieutenant Jaffar Hussein said the journalist and his translator had been snatched from the street of Al-Istiqlal in central Basra. Vincent was a freelancer who wrote for New York Times and Christian Science Monitor, while he also wrote a book on Iraq called The Red Zone.

Translated by Vicky Ghionis

[07] Unsettled Situation in Palestine

By Anna Kourti

A bomb exploded at the home of the Palestinian Authoritys chief justice on Tuesday night, causing no casualties. No group has claimed responsibility yet for the attack in the courtyard of Zuhair al-Suranis Gaza City home. In another attack, a 6-year-old Palestinian boy was killed and eight people were injured when a rocket fired by Palestinian militants towards Israel fell short and hit a house, as announced by health and security sources. According to the same sources, the makeshift rocket was launched by members of the al Kunts Brigades, the armed faction of the Islamic Jihad movement, against the Israeli border city Sderot. The incident occurred at the time when thousands of Israeli ultranationalists rallied in Sderot against the Gaza pullout, which is scheduled to commence on 15 August.

Jihad: "No Attacks"

In the meantime, the Islamic Jihad ordered its gunmen to suspend rocket attacks against Israeli targets, in view of Israels planned pullout from the Gaza Strip, which is scheduled to commence in two weeks.

As per an announcement issued by Jihad, "The Jerusalem Brigades leadership had given orders to all its groups to stop firing rockets to preserve the Palestinian national project at this delicate and decisive stage of history, and to give a chance for a Zionist departure from our dear Gaza Strip in [conditions of] calm."

Translated by Vicky Ghionis

[08] King Fahd's Burial

By Tina Valaoura

King Fahd of Saudi Arabia was buried at noon. In a simple service that took place under strict security measures in the Imam Turki bin Abdullah mosque in Riyadh, Arab and Muslim leaders were present in order to pay their last respects to the deceased. Among them were Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas, King Abdullah of Jordan, Emirs, Sultans and the Presidents of Morocco, Afghanistan, Brunei, Azerbaijan, Mauritania, Tunisian and Oman. The presence of non-Muslims in the ceremony was not allowed, thus the leaders of the countries, governments and figures of the western world that have been arriving in the country, among them French President Jacques Chirac, Prince Charles of Great Britain and US Vice President Dick Cheney, will attend the crowning of the new King tomorrow.

After the funeral service the body of Fahd, wrapped in a brown shroud, was buried in the Al Oud cemetery, a few kilometres away from the mosque.

The grave of the "protector of the two holy mosques in Mecca and Medina" was a simple stone plaque, as according to the strict Islamic tradition of the Kingdom, it should not be any different from the graves of the rest of the Muslims.

Today was a day of mourning for the country, but the Saudi Arabian flags were not raised half-mast, as they state faith to Islam and the above action would be considered a blasphemy. Shops operated as normal, but the atmosphere was heavy regardless that extreme mourning actions were prohibited.

The roads toward the mosque had been closed off to traffic. Thousands of army and policemen had been stationed in the roads of the Saudi Arabian capital, while snipers were inspecting the situation from buildings rooftops.

After the prayers and the end of the service, the Mufti called on the people of Saudi Arabia to state their devotion to the new King, Abdullah and his brother Prince Sultan bin Abdulaziz. The new monarch, who is also the PM of the country, stated that the composition of the government would be as is.

Translated by Eirene Nisiriou

[09] "Should Recognize Political Reality" Ankara Statement is One-Sided

By Betty Savourdou

Sources: NET 105.8

London, rejecting Turkeys view, states that the Turkish announcement is one-sided and does not undermine the Customs Union Protocol or the need of fully enacting it. British High Commissioner for Cyprus Peter Millet stated the view of the British EU Presidency, and described the statement of the French PM as important. It is reminded that Dominique de Villepin had stated that accession negotiations with Turkey will not start on October 3 if Ankara does not recognise the Cypriot Republic. On its part, the Cypriot government sent a clear warning to Turkey. A written statement by government spokesperson Kypros Chrisostomidis states "Ankara owes without any delay to realize, accept and recognize the legal and political reality, which is that Cyprus is one of the 25 countries with which it is negotiating, a fact that will allow it to begin and smoothly proceed with its accession negotiations."

The Only Recognised State in Cyprus

In a statement to the Cyprus Broadcasting Corporation (CyBC), Mr Millet said that the final position of the Union will be determined by all Member-States at the end of August.

"The role of the Presidency," he said, "will be the agreement on behalf of the EU for the declaration of Turkey, which in any case the British Presidency considers as one-sided."

The Chrisostomidis statement is an answer to the view of the Turkish Foreign Minister Abdullah Gul, which was that the Turkish statement of non-recognition is a part of the Protocol.

More specifically, it is noted that the legal and political reality is that the Cypriot Republic is the only state in Cyprus recognized by the international community, and that its government is one of the 25 that the Turkish government has to negotiate its accession with, for its accession in the government meeting.

It is reminded that the unconditional signing of the Protocol of Adaptation is a condition for the start of the negotiations, while the negotiation between the 25 in the context of the EU negotiation with Turkey, which will begin in the coming month, is pending.

"The Cypriot Republic" ends the statement "is in discussion with its partners and will advance its views in the relevant bodies of the Union, in which the final decisions will be taken over the content of the negotiating context, and the start of negotiations with Turkey."

Translated by Eirene Nisiriou

Related News:

France Obstructs Turkish Accession

[10] Possible Disruptions in Flights

By Tina Valaoura

Flights, mainly to and from regional airports, are expected to take place with disruptions, from Friday, August 5 until Sunday, due to the rolling 24-hour strikes announced by the employees of the Hellenic Civil Aviation Authority (HCAA), who asks for extra personnel in regional airports. On its part, the administration of the Service made a committal to Justice in order for the strikes to be described as illegal and improper, while the relative decision is expected on Wednesday.

Translated by Eirene Nisiriou

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