Macedonian Press Agency: News in English, 00-08-17

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From: The Macedonian Press Agency at http://www.mpa.gr and http://www.hri.org/MPA.

CONTENTS

[01] NEW INVESTMENTS FOR INTERBALKAN MEDICAL CENTRE

[02] BODY IN TRUNK IDENTIFIED AS AN ALBANIAN WOMAN

[03] MEDITERRANEO BEGINS, GREECE «FEATURED» COUNTRY

[04] THESSALONIKI HOSTS INT/L RHYTHMIC GYMNASTICS

[05] POLICE DISCOVER BODY OF MISSING AMERICAN TOURIST

[06] MOTHER WHO WENT UNDERCOVER TARGETED BY THUGS

[07] ECONOMY MINISTRY TO HOLD MEETINGS OVER TAX BILL

[08] ECUMENICAL PATRIARCHATE DELEGATION IN MOSCOW

[09] GREEK CULTURAL COMMITTEE FORMED IN MELBOURNE

[01] NEW INVESTMENTS FOR INTERBALKAN MEDICAL CENTRE

The Apostolopoulos Group is making four new investments to develop the infrastructure of the new Interbalkan European Medical Centre, due to open the day after tomorrow. The new projects, whose cost remains undisclosed, will mainly focus on the education sector.

Part of the proposed investment concerns the creation of a university level medical school in Thessaloniki, according to the Centre's President, George Apostolopoulos.

A new surgical training centre, the moving of the obstetrics centre to a new space and the creation of a children's nursery for the Centre's employees complete the investment plans currently being proposed.

The Group's insurance company "La Vie" is expected to start operating on August 28th and will offer unlimited hospital cover, in collaboration with the Interbalkan European Medical Centre, for those who are insured, at an annual cost of between 65.000 and 163.000 drachmas.

This investment program also crosses the borders, into southeastern Europe and the former Soviet Union, with plans being made for the creation of diagnosis centres in FYROM and Tirana.

According to Mr Apostolopoulos, the Interbalkan European Medical Centre is the only hospital to be created based on law 517/91, which outlines strict specifications in all areas of private medical care.

[02] BODY IN TRUNK IDENTIFIED AS AN ALBANIAN WOMAN

A body discovered by an unsuspecting driver in the trunk of his car yesterday has been identified by Athens police as Sotiria Cili, a 53-year-old Albanian woman who had been residing in Athens for the past few years.

All police indications point to suicide and there have been reports that the deceased was known to suffer from mental problems. While an autopsy will be performed tomorrow, the Athens coroner has not ruled out the possibility that the death may have been inflicted from drowning or strangulation.

The driver made the grim discovery as he searched his car for the source of the foul odor.

A.F.

[03] MEDITERRANEO BEGINS, GREECE «FEATURED» COUNTRY

Greece will be the featured country at the 13th Mediterraneo Festival, which gets underway in Italy today and will last until September 1.

World-renowned actress Irene Papas will represent Greece at an awards ceremony, while two Thessaloniki singers (Georgia Syeou and Sakis Papadimitriou will also be featured among artists representing 22 countries of the wider Mediterranean region. China will be the honored guest.

A.F.

[04] THESSALONIKI HOSTS INT/L RHYTHMIC GYMNASTICS

The 2000 International Rhythmic Gymnastics Meeting will be held in Thessaloniki between August 19-20, the last competition before the Sydney Olympic Games.

To date, countries which confirmed their participation are Belorussia, Bulgaria, France, Germany, Greece, Italy, Japan and Russia. It remains to be seen if Sydney's team will be present, while Brazils has declined to attend.

A.F.

[05] POLICE DISCOVER BODY OF MISSING AMERICAN TOURIST

Police have discovered the body a 40-year-old American woman who had been missing for a week after failing to return to her family's boat from a jet ski outing in Naxos.

The body of Mariana Alix was discovered off the coast of Ios and was positively identified by the boat's captain.

At least three foreign tourists have drowned during the past week around Greece.

A.F.

[06] MOTHER WHO WENT UNDERCOVER TARGETED BY THUGS

A Thessaloniki mother who guised herself as a prostitute last year to discover those responsible for her drug-addicted daughter's death, escaped unharmed after being attacked by two armed men yesterday afternoon.

Eleni Fotiadou, who was shot at while driving on the Thessaloniki-Katerini highway, is frequently the target of threats from drug dealers whom she has pointed out to the Thessaloniki police.

A.F.

[07] ECONOMY MINISTRY TO HOLD MEETINGS OVER TAX BILL

In light of a tax bill to be introduced in parliament next month,

National Economy and Finance Ministry officials are to embark on a series of meetings next week with the Federation of Greek Industries (SEV) and the civil servants' union ADEDY to discuss the new taxation proposals.

The most important changes provided in the draft tax bills are:

- Reducing the top income tax rate on individuals from 45 percent to 42.5 percent for incomes earned in 2001 and 40 percent for 2002 incomes

- Index-linking of all income tax brackets to inflation.

- Exempting spending on new technology articles from taxation.

- Reducing corporate tax for firms not listed on the Athens Stock Exchange from 40 percent to 35 percent over a two-year period.

- Abolishing the Special Tax on Banking Transactions.

- Gradually abolishing all indirect criteria for corporate taxation.

- Increasing tax-exempted income for families with children by 20,000 drachmas per child.

- Increasing the tax-exempt space in homes from 20 to 30 square meters per child; this also affects families with three children or more.

A.F.

[08] ECUMENICAL PATRIARCHATE DELEGATION IN MOSCOW

Archbishop of America Dimitrios is presently in Moscow, heading a three-member delegation from the Ecumenical Patriarchate which will attend the officiation services of the Church of the Christ the Savior in Moscow.

The delegation, which will be in Moscow until August 29, comprises the Ecumenical Patriarchate Vartholomeos and Metropolites Constantine and Cyrillus.

The inauguration ceremony will be held on August 19 and will be officiated by the Moscow Patriarch Alexius.

The Church of the Christ the Savior, established in 1880, was ruined in 1931 during the Stalin era. Its restoration was completed this year.

A.F.

[09] GREEK CULTURAL COMMITTEE FORMED IN MELBOURNE

The Thessaloniki Association "The White Tower" has created a new cultural committee in Melbourne, called "Nostos".

The new committee aims to promote Greek culture within the Australian public in Melbourne and to promote new artists of the Greek community, by organising cultural events.

"Nostos" will also attempt to attract members of the new generation, especially those who do not participate in community events, and will also aim to form an artists-community link.

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