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Macedonian Press Agency: News in English, 99-08-11
MACEDONIAN PRESS AGENCY NEWS IN ENGLISH
Thessaloniki, August 11, 1999
SECTIONS
[A] NATIONAL NEWS
[B] INTERNATIONAL NEWS
NEWS HEADLINES
[A] NATIONAL NEWS
[01] MILLENNIUM'S LAST TOTAL ECLIPSE OF THE SUN TAKES PLACE
TODAY
[02] HEATWAVE SIZZLES GREECE, TEMPERATURES SOAR TO 42
CELSIUS
[03] GREEK ARMY GROUNDS ITS CHINOOK FLEET FOR INSPECTION
[04] NASA ASTRONOMERS ABOARD A GREEK CRUISESHIP IN BLACK SEA
[05] DEFENSE MINISTER TO PROMOTE GREEK POSITIONS WORLDWIDE
[06] YOUNG GREEKS FROM ABROAD ARE VISITING THEIR MOTHERLAND
[07] MILLENNIUM'S LAST TOTAL SOLAR ECLIPSE DRAWS EYES ON THE
SKY
[B] INTERNATIONAL NEWS
[08] STRONG EARTHQUAKE RATTLES CYPRUS, DAMAGES REPORTED
[09] C OF E: GREECE AND DENMARK FIRST TO APPLY BIO-ETHICS
ACCORD
[10] SERBIAN ORTHODOX CHURCH CALLS FOR EARLY ELECTIONS
[11] ROMANIA: TOURISTS FLOCK TO ECLIPSE TOP SITE IN ROMANIA
NEWS IN DETAIL
[A] NATIONAL NEWS
[01] MILLENNIUM'S LAST TOTAL ECLIPSE OF THE SUN TAKES PLACE
TODAY
The last total eclipse of the sun of the millennium
will take place today at noon, being visible in Greece up to
94% eclipse in the north, diminishing to 75% in the southern
parts of the country. In Thessaloniki, the phenomenon will
be visible by 89% at 14.06.
The phenomenon will last from noon to 3 p.m. The
special glasses that allow one to watch today's eclipse
without risking serious damage to the eyes have been sold
out.
[02] HEATWAVE SIZZLES GREECE, TEMPERATURES SOAR TO 42
CELSIUS
In this hottest week of the year, temperatures have
soared throughout the country, reaching the 42 degrees
centigrade in some areas.
While the heatwave is expected to last until tomorrow,
all air-conditioned public buildings will remain open until
sundown this evening while entrance to state-organized
beaches will be free. In Thessaloniki, where the temperature
is expected to reach 38 degrees, the municipal authorities
have rented air-conditioned areas in many of the city's
hotels.
[03] GREEK ARMY GROUNDS ITS CHINOOK FLEET FOR INSPECTION
The Greek Army grounded its nine Chinook helicopters
yesterday morning pending a safety inspection by the
manufacturing company Boeing, a defense ministry
announcement stated.
According to reports, the US Army yesterday placed its
466 CH-47 Chinook helicopters temporarily out of service for
safety checks after the discovery of a crack in the engine
gear of a British CH-47 during a routine check, while
Britain's Royal Air Force announced yesterday it has also
grounded its 31 Chinooks helicopters.
The Greek Army has been using Chinooks mainly for
emergency transportation and fire-fighting, and occasionally
for the transport of dignitaries.
[04] NASA ASTRONOMERS ABOARD A GREEK CRUISESHIP IN BLACK SEA
NASA astronomers will be sending images of today's last
total solar eclipse of the millennium live to the Internet
from aboard a Greek cruiseship in the Black Sea.
About 250 astronomers will monitor what has been
called the world's most followed eclipse in history aboard
"Olympic Princess", one of the four Potamianos-owned Royal
Olympic Cruises Ltd's cruisehips carrying out cruises in the
Black Sea during the eclipse.
On board are NASA astronauts/astronomers Scott
Carpenter and Ronald Parise, who will comment live on and
send images of the eclipse via NASA satellites to the
Internet, on website "www.eclipse99.nasa.gov".
[05] DEFENSE MINISTER TO PROMOTE GREEK POSITIONS WORLDWIDE
Greece's Defense Minister Akis Tsochatzopoulos is to
embark on a worldwide tour this month, in order to promote
the country's national positions.
The Minister's first stop will be Ukraine on August 29-
31, to be followed by Bulgaria on September 11-12.
On September 15 Mr. Tsochatzopoulos will visit Israel
where, as the vice-president of the European Socialist
Party, he will hold talks on the peace process.
On September 20, the Minister will travel to the United
States where he will be received by his US counterpart
William Cohen.
[06] YOUNG GREEKS FROM ABROAD ARE VISITING THEIR MOTHERLAND
Young Greeks from Germany, Belgium, Syria, Poland,
France and other countries are presently being hosted in the
Greek Foreign Ministry's camping grounds at the region of
Epanomi in Thessaloniki.
The Undersecretary of Foreign Affairs Grigoris Niotis
greeted the youngsters, one of whom -from Ukraine- thanked
him for his hospitality and for giving them the opportunity
to meet their parents' country.
The group of youngsters, ranging from 8-12 years old,
are participating in a 15-year-old program of the
Secretariat of Greeks Abroad.
[07] MILLENNIUM'S LAST TOTAL SOLAR ECLIPSE DRAWS EYES ON THE
SKY
Millions of people the world over watched today's total
solar eclipse, the millennium's last. In the regions where
the eclipse was total, darkness fell for approximately four
minutes. At the Vatican ,the Pope interrupted his sermon so
that the faithful can watch the phenomenon, while in Germany
a college student was electrocuted when he climbed an
electricity pole. As for Greece, while thousands flocked to
the streets to watch the sun hide behind the moon, there
were many who went on business as usual.
[B] INTERNATIONAL NEWS
[08] STRONG EARTHQUAKE RATTLES CYPRUS, DAMAGES REPORTED
A strong earthquake measuring 5.8 on the Richter scale
rattled Cyprus today, spreading alarm throughout the public
who left their houses in a state of panic and assembled in
the streets.
According to early reports, houses have been demolished
in the region of Lemessos but it is not known if there are
any victims.
Approximately three years ago another strong quake had
struck the region west of Paphos causing extensive damage.
[09] C OF E: GREECE AND DENMARK FIRST TO APPLY BIO-ETHICS
ACCORD
Greece and Denmark, along with three other member-
states of the Council of Europe, are the first countries in
the world to enforce the bio-ethics accord prior to the year
2000.
According to a book recently published by genetics
professor Kay Davis at the University of Oxford, Great
Britain, the said international Accord is the only legally
binding document for the safeguarding of human rights
within the realm of the expeditiously-developed sector of
bio-medicine.
[10] SERBIAN ORTHODOX CHURCH CALLS FOR EARLY ELECTIONS
The leadership of the Serbian Orthodox church called
for early elections in Serbia today and reiterated that
Yugoslav President Slobodan Milosevic should go.
The church's bishops also called on Serbian President
Milan Milutinovic to
step down, in a statement issued by the Holy Synod, the
church's top body.
"We support... demands for urgent and radical changes
in our society,
starting with the formation of a transitional government and
preparations for
early elections soon," the statement said.
The bishops appealed to "all social and political
forces in the FRY"
to "take their responsibility before God and the nation for
finding ways out of the current situation.
"We appeal to and expect the Yugoslav and Serbian
presidents" to hand over power "if they do not want to make
hostages of the people and the state and lead them to
inevitable disaster," the statement said.
The "inevitable changes should take place solely by
peaceful and democratic means, without violence," the
statement said.
The Holy Synod met Tuesday in Belgrade, a day after
Patriarch Pavle held talks with opposition leaders and with
a group of independent Serbian economists who have come up
with a plan for a regime change.
[11] ROMANIA: TOURISTS FLOCK TO ECLIPSE TOP SITE IN ROMANIA
Thousands of tourists swamped the Romanian town of
Ramnicu Valcea today where the solar eclipse was visible
for the longest during its sweep across Europe and Asia, the
French news agency AFP reported.
Under a clear blue sky, hundreds of people took up
prime positions, some
equipped with telescopes. While the town's three hotels were
fully booked well
in advance, many tourists spent the night in their cars or
parks.
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