Macedonian Press Agency: News in English, 98-08-04
MACEDONIAN PRESS AGENCY NEWS IN ENGLISH
Thessaloniki, August 4, 1998
SECTIONS
[A] NATIONAL NEWS
[B] INTERNATIONAL NEWS
NEWS HEADLINES
[A] NATIONAL NEWS
[01] PRESIDENT ADDRESSES GREEK WOMEN'S POLITICAL ASSOCIATION
[02] US AMBASSADOR AND GREEK DEPUTY FM MEET, BOTH SAY TENSION IS
OVER
[03] GREECE TO FACE YUGOSLAVIA IN TONIGHT'S GAME OF WORLDBASKET
'98
[04] FIRES RAGE THROUGHOUT COUNTRY, EAST ATTICA DECLARED IN
EMERGENCY
[B] INTERNATIONAL NEWS
[05] EUROPEAN COMMISSION APPROVES 60 MILLION ECU FOR PROJECTS IN
GREECE
[06] CONFLICT CONTINUES IN KOSSOVO
[07] CYPRUS: DON'T BLAME THE MISSILES FOR THE TENSION, RUSSIAN
ENVOY SAYS
[08] GENOCIDE SUSPECT MILAN KOVACEVIC DIES IN CELL FROM NATURAL
CAUSES
[09] WORLD HEALTH ORGANIZATION WARNS: DIESEL EXHAUST MAY CAUSE
CANCER
[10] UNITED NATIONS OBSERVES FRIENDSHIP DAY
[11] UNITED NATIONS TO HONOR THE WORLD'S INDIGENOUS PEOPLE
NEWS IN DETAIL
[A] NATIONAL NEWS
[01] PRESIDENT ADDRESSES GREEK WOMEN'S POLITICAL ASSOCIATION
The President of the Hellenic Republic Kostis Stephanopoulos
addressed the Greek Women's Political Association yesterday and
called on all political parties to raise their women candidacy
quota in the upcoming local administration elections.
Europarliamentarian Anna Karamanou (PASOK) thanked the
President for his sensitivity on the correct function of the
democratic institutions in the country and remarked that Greece is
deprived of the imagination, the ideas and the productive thought
of women.
"The absence of female creativity from the democratic
institutions and especially from the elected local administration
posts is tragic," Ms Karamanou said.
New Democracy parliamentary representative Elsa Papadimitriou
said that the Greek Parliament is significantly lacking not only
in numbers, but also in ways of thinking.
"It is not merely about decreasing the democratic deficit, it
is mainly about using the creativity and the ability of the 51% of
the Greek people," she said.
[02] US AMBASSADOR AND GREEK DEPUTY FM MEET, BOTH SAY TENSION IS
OVER
Following yesterday's meeting held between the US Ambassador
in Greece Nicholas Burns and the Deputy Foreign Minister Yiannos
Kranidiotis., the prevailing feeling was that the recent tension
in Greek-US relations was over.
Mr. Burns said that both Washington and Athens were working
"very closely" on all issues of mutual concern.
Moreover, the US Ambassador stated that his meetings with Mr.
Pangalos, held last Thursday, and with Mr. Kranidiotis yesterday
"effectively put to a close the recriminations between our two
governments over what we thought were unwarranted comments made
about President Clinton".
He added that his meetings with Mr. Pangalos and Mr.
Kranidiotis were "evidence" that the United States and Greece "can
and will work together well in the future".
[03] GREECE TO FACE YUGOSLAVIA IN TONIGHT'S GAME OF WORLDBASKET
'98
Greece will play against Yugoslavia during tonight's game of
the ongoing WorldBasket '98 championship in Athens.
The Greek team yesterday suffered its first defeat by Russia,
the score being 60-48.. The Greek team's coach said that the
defeat was due to mistakes made during the game's last minutes.
The Championships are being held at the capital's Peace and
Friendship stadium.
[04] FIRES RAGE THROUGHOUT COUNTRY, EAST ATTICA DECLARED IN
EMERGENCY
Tens of forest fires are raging throughout the country, while
the eastern region of Attica has been declared an emergency state.
The Minister of Public Order George Romeos has stated that
the fires are likely the work of arsonists.
Meanwhile, the spokesperson of the main opposition party New
Democracy said that while the country's aflame, the government is
playing it cool.
[B] INTERNATIONAL NEWS
[05] EUROPEAN COMMISSION APPROVES 60 MILLION ECU FOR PROJECTS IN
GREECE
The European Commission has approved more than ECU 60 million
for transportation and environmental projects in Greece, which are
to be funneled through the Cohesion Fund.
Specifically, the Commission yesterday approved ECU 27.6
million for the road network in Greece, which is allocated for the
construction of the Egnatia motorway, connecting the western port
of Igoumenitsa with the Evros prefecture Greek-Turkish border
crossing at Kipi.
Moreover, the Commission allocated ECU 2.1 million for the
Soufli liquid waste plant and ECU 1.9 million for the Kastoria
liquid waste plant, while it approved ECU 4.2 million for the
community of Sarti, Chalkidiki, ECU 1.8 mill ion for the island of
Leros and ECU 3.6 million for the municipality of Keratea, Attica.
[06] CONFLICT CONTINUES IN KOSSOVO
Conflict continues in Kossovo among the Serb forces and the
Albanian-speaking residents in the province's central and western
region. The international community is intensifying its pressures
on Serb President Slobodan Milosevic to put an end to the Serb
force' use of violence against the Albanian minority.
White House spokesperson Mike McCurry has once again appealed
for a dialogue between the two sides.
[07] CYPRUS: DON'T BLAME THE MISSILES FOR THE TENSION, RUSSIAN
ENVOY SAYS
Russian Foreign Ministry envoy Vladimir Tchizhov, currently
on a visit to Cyprus, has expressed his concern about rising
tension on the island, but said Russia's deal to sell S-300
missiles to Cyprus was not to blame for this.
According to Cypriot press reports, the envoy, speaking after
meeting Cypriot President Glafkos Clerides yesterday morning,
blamed the tension on the deadlock in settlement talks.
"Tension will exist for as long as the impasse continues and
it is possible that it will increase," he said.
"The S-300s are not the reason for which the dialogue stopped
and there is no movement towards a solution."
Mr. Tchizhov played down international opposition to the
deal. He said his country was not under any pressure to cancel the
delivery. There had been much "talk" about the missiles, but
everyone now acknowledged Russia's right to sell arms and Cyprus's
right to defend herself, Mr. Tchizhov argued.
Turkey has threatened to strike the ground-to-air missiles if
they are deployed, and the US and EU have made their opposition to
the deal clear. The government insists the missiles will come, but
has put back delivery till October.
Mr. Tchizhov also met with Cypriot Foreign Minister Yiannakis
Kassoulides later yesterday and is expected to meet Turkish-
Cypriot leader Rauf Denktash today.
[08] GENOCIDE SUSPECT MILAN KOVACEVIC DIES IN CELL FROM NATURAL
CAUSES
The International Criminal Tribunal for the former Yugoslavia
has announced that genocide suspect Milan Kovacevic had passed
away in his cell on Saturday.
The Tribunal's medical officer on duty reported that the
death was due to natural causes, presumably a massive heart
attack, according to the Tribunal. Mr. Kovacevic's family and his
counsel were informed, as were the Dutch authorities and the
Embassy of the Federal Republic of Yugoslavia.
The 47-year old suspect was detained by the NATO
Stabilization Force (SFOR) on 10 July 1997 in Prijedor under an
indictment issued by the Tribunal in March 1997.
Mr. Kovacevic's trial began on 6 July 1998. He was facing
charges of genocide, complicity to commit genocide, crime against
humanity, violation of the laws or customs of war, and grave
breaches of the 1949 Geneva Conventions of 1949.
[09] WORLD HEALTH ORGANIZATION WARNS: DIESEL EXHAUST MAY CAUSE
CANCER
The World Health Organization (WHO) has warned of the
connection between carcinogens found in diesel exhaust and lung
cancer.
At the European Forum on Transport, Environment and Health,
organized jointly by WHO and the Government of Austria, scientists
are examining a new class of potent mutagenic compounds found in
diesel exhaust which is thought to be among the key factors
contributing to lung cancer. Participants have also been examining
evidence linking childhood cancer and motor
vehicle exhaust.
Dr. Gerd Oberfeld of the Austrian Medical Association told
the gathering in Vienna that combustion engines are compromising
the health of millions of Europeans every day.
"People are suffering from increased coughs, asthma attacks,
from acute and chronic bronchitis as well as from heart and
circulatory problems," he said.
According to WHO's most recent estimates, some 80,000 deaths
a year can be attributed to long-term exposure to air pollution
caused by road traffic. Professional drivers and road workers face
the greatest risk, followed by the elderly and the very young.
"Redesigning our urban transport policies could bring massive
health benefits for Europe," said Dr. Carlos Dora, an
environmental epidemiologist at the WHO Regional Office for
Europe. He pointed out that cars contribute to a sedentary
lifestyle. "Increased physical activity, especially walking and
cycling, will reduce death and disability from chronic disease and
improve the quality of life."
[10] UNITED NATIONS OBSERVES FRIENDSHIP DAY
The United Nations observed Friendship Day yesterday by
holding a concert for children on the outdoor plaza on the grounds
of its Headquarters in New York.
The event was hosted by Nane Annan, wife of Secretary-General
Kofi Annan, with the participation of various actors and stars.
Performers sang in front of a colourful backdrop: the Global
Pooh Friendship Flag, which is made up of winning entries in an
art contest sponsored by Disney. Each of the winners, who ranged
in age from 4 to 75 years old and came from Australia, Japan,
Mexico and the United States, received a trip to New York City
with his or her best friend including a visit to the United
Nations.
Friendship Day is an outgrowth of National Friendship Day,
established by the United States Congress in 1935.
Last year on this day at Headquarters, Mrs. Annan presented
Winnie the Pooh with the honorary title, "Ambassador of
Friendship."
The event was co-sponsored by the Department of Public
Information (DPI) and Disney Consumer Products, a division of
Disney Enterprises, Inc.
[11] UNITED NATIONS TO HONOR THE WORLD'S INDIGENOUS PEOPLE
Indigenous people from around the world are expected to
gather at United Nations Headquarters in observance of a
international day in their honor, observed annually on 9 August,
but commemorated this year on 5 and 6 August.
The first event marking the International Day of the World's
Indigenous People will be a drum convocation at 11:30 a.m. on 5
August at the United Nations Visitors Entrance Plaza. Statements
from Kofi Annan, Secretary- General of the United Nations, and
Mary Robinson, United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights,
will then be read.
The International Day of the World's Indigenous People was
created in the context of the International Decade for the World's
Indigenous People. Both were proclaimed by the United Nations
General Assembly in 1994. The date of August 9 was designated as
the Day because of its significance as the anniversary of the
first meeting in 1982 of the Working Group on Indigenous
Populations. This date is viewed by many as the beginning of
United Nations dialogue efforts on behalf of indigenous people.
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