The Hellenic Radio (ERA): News in English, 06-04-06

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

CONTENTS

[01] At the Parliamentary Committee Wiretap Hearing

By Tina Valaoura

Sources: ANA

The investigation into the wiretapping case is continuing on Thursday 6 April at the Parliaments Special Permanent Committee on Institutions and Transparency with the hearing of the Manager of the PMs Office, Ioannis Angelou, and the joint hearing of Vodafone CEO Giorgos Koronias and Ericsson CEO Bill Zikou. The hearing of Angelou will commence at 10am, while the CEOs will appear at 1pm. Their cross-examination was deemed necessary due to the questions raised from their separate depositions to the Committee last month.

Translated by Vicky Ghionis

Related News:

Hints against Vodafone

Responsibility to Ericsson

Pointed to Ericsson

[02] Palestinian Minister Detained

By Betty Savourdou

Sources: Reuters - ANA

On Thursday morning, the Israeli police took into custody a Palestinian minister responsible for Jerusalem affairs on the outskirts of the city, Hamas sources said. According to the same sources, Khaled Abu Araf was detained at a roadblock and was taken to the police station for interrogation. However an Israeli police spokesperson neither confirmed nor refuted the information. Israel had warned that it would arrest any Hamas member, including ministers and MPs, if they tried to cross their roadblocks, as it considers that the Palestinian group are terrorists.

In the Eye of the Conflict

East Jerusalem is in the eye of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. The majority of the residents are Palestinians, who are hoping that the city will eventually become the capital of their country.

On the other hand, Israel is claiming that the whole of Jerusalem is their capital. The Israeli forces took over the eastern part of the city and the West Bank in 1967.

In addition, Israel annexed East Jerusalem in 1981, but its claim to the area is not recognised internationally.

Translated by Vicky Ghionis

Read the story on other sources:

BBC: Israelis 'detain' Hamas minister

ABC NEWS: Israel Arrests Hamas Cabinet Minister

[03] 4-Day General Strike Bloody Clashes in Nepal

By Betty Savourdou

Sources: BBC - Reuters

At least ten people were killed in Malangwa, 120km SE of Kathmandu, in clashes between security forces and Maoist rebels, just hours before the commencement of the four-day nationwide general strike in Nepal. King Gyanendra has assumed power in the last year, without, however, the approval of the people. Recently, the opposition started partially collaborating with rebels, aiming at triggering a crisis against the monarch. In the meantime, more than 300 people were arrested Thursday, the first day of the general strike, while at least 20 opposition members were arrested Wednesday and are being detained in what activists said was an effort to curb the morale of their opponents in view of the mass rally planned for Saturday. In addition, the Government imposed a partial curfew from 11pm Wednesday to 3am Thursday (local time).

Thousands Killed in Last 10 Years

Specifically, five police officers and two rebels were killed in clashes in Malangwa, while an army helicopter crashed on landing, resulting in the death of the three people onboard.

More than 13,000 people have been killed in violent clashes in the last ten years, when the Maoist rebels started their armed struggle.

Translated by Vicky Ghionis

Read the story on other sources:

Reuters: Nepal shuts down for strike, rebel raid kills 10

Guardian: Nepal Police Detain Scores of Activists

BBC: Nepalese opposition begin strike

[04] International Convention on 7-8 April Stress and the Heart

By Tina Valaoura

Sources: NET

Stress and depression are considered the main causes of heart disease. According to the figures that will be presented at the International Convention of Cardiovascular Medicine "Cardio Athena 2003", on 7 and 8 April at Hotel Caravel, erectile dysfunction could also be a forerunner of a possible cardiac problem.

As per studies performed by the 1st Department of Cardiology of the Athens Medical School, even a small incident of emotional charge could be enough to cause a cardiac episode, as it burdens the function of and blood supply to the myocardium. Three minutes of stress can increase the arterial pressure by eight mm. This rise could last for at least an hour. "These figures demonstrate that the problems associated with the psychological sphere are directly related to cardiovascular diseases," declared Professor of Cardiology Christodoulos Stefanadis of the Athens Medical School, during the relevant Press conference.

Depression could also have negative effects for the heart. According to a survey conducted on a sample of 3,000 patients, those with depression had a four times greater chance of suffering myocardial infarction (heart attack). But the opposite was also observed, i.e. patients who had suffered a heart attack often experience depression. One in four experience an acute form and two in three a milder form, while depression is also linked to increased chances of coronary incidents, through inflammations and thromboses.

In addition, the doctors are sounding the alarm for erectile dysfunction, especially in men over 45. Specifically:

One in three men over 40 experiences some type of erectile dysfunction, meaning that 500,000 men in Greece are facing such problems. One in five patients affected by erectile dysfunction demonstrates silent coronary disease, as evidenced by the patients examined at the model Sexual Health Unit of the 1st Department of Cardiology of the Athens Medical School.

However, it has now been revealed that medicines dealing with erectile dysfunction, which have brought a revolution in the sector, do not pose heath risks to the heart, while in many cases, they can prove beneficial.

The numbers for sudden cardiac deaths due to heart failure in younger people are shocking. Just in Attica, three people under 35 die monthly, without having demonstrated any heart problems in the past.

The main cause of death is hypertrophic myocardial disease, a hereditary disease that may never manifest any symptoms.

When the doctors assess increased risk of a future sudden death which is mainly due to abdominal arrhythmia they proceed with a cure, including implanting an automatic defibrillator, which decreases the mortality rate by 20%-37%. Sudden cardiac death is also responsible for a quarter of the deaths annually worldwide.

On the other hand, sudden death in youths, and especially in athletes, constitutes an object of concern.

In order to prevent sudden death, over the last ten years, the Hereditary Cardiovascular Disease Unit of the 1st Department of Cardiology of the Athens Medical School has been systematically recording all cases of families with hereditary disease and families in which a member suffered sudden cardiac death. In addition, all the members of those of the family are examined on a regular basis. Automatic defibrillators are then implanted in any members demonstrating a high risk of sudden cardiac death. As per the doctors, every time such a defibrillator is activated, the death of a young person is avoided.

Other matters that will be discussed during the Convention organised by the 1st Cardiology Clinic and the 1st Department of Cardiology of the Athens Medical School, under the aegis of the University of Athens and the Hellenic Cardiological Society, include rapid developments in heart surgery; new diagnostic techniques, such as spiral magnetic resonance coronary angiography and tomography; and the issue of cardiac insufficiency, which is not only a intractable medical problem, but also an extremely expensive matter.

It is estimated that 200,000 patients suffer heart problems in Greece with a 50% survival rate in five years, while 30,000 new cases surface annually.

Translated by Vicky Ghionis

[05] Arriving in Athens at 2pm Vavilis en Route to Greece

By Betty Savourdou

Sources: NET - ANA

Dressed in a monks frock and without wearing any handcuffs, Apostolos Vavilis boarded an Olympic Airlines plane at Romes airport a little while ago and is en route to Athens Eleftherios Venizelos Airport, where he is expected at 2pm. Vavilis is escorted by three Greek police officers, who travelled to the Italian capital for the transfer. Once he arrives in Athens, he will be driven to the Attica Police Directorate in a police escort to undergo the relevant police procedures. Then, he will be appear before the Prosecutor for the case relating to the 7-year sentence for drug trafficking, passed by the court of Volos in 1997. Later on, he will appear before the Examiner for the rest of the charges brought against him.

Translated by Vicky Ghionis

[06] At the Metro and Piraeus Hospitals Work Stoppages in Athens

By Tina Valaoura

Sources: ANA - NET 105.8

The Metro did not run from 5am to 9am due to the four-hour work stoppage announced by employees, demanding the enforcement of the collective bargaining agreement.

In addition, nursing staff at hospitals Tzanneio, Nikaia General State and Metaxa, in Piraeus, have scheduled a four-hour work stoppage from 11am to 3pm. The employees are protesting against lack of staff resulting in problems at the Intensive Care Units. They are also claiming that new equipment remain idle.

Employees at psychiatric support line 197 of the National Centre of Social Solidarity are starting a one-week strike as of Thursday. In addition, all of the Centres staff will stage a four-hour work stoppage from 11am to 3pm today, demanding better work conditions and payment of special benefits.

In the meantime, municipal employees are continuing their strike for the second day running, demanding pay rises and permanent working status for staff covering fixed and permanent needs.

GENOP-PPC (General Federation of Employees of Public Power Corporation) has announced a 24-hour strike and a protest rally for 14 April, demanding structural changes in the PPC (Public Power Corporation) as provided by the legislation on deregulation of the energy market, whereby the power distribution network will be divided up.

Translated by Vicky Ghionis

Related News:

Work Stoppage at the Metro

Municipal Employees on Strike

[07] In Peaceful Climate DAP Wins Student Elections

By Dimitris Alexopoulos

The student elections in Greeces universities and technological institutes concluded without any problems. Over 164,000 students proceeded to vote (2-3% increase compared to last year), recording the highest voter turnout of the last ten years. DAP-NDFK (New Democracy-affiliated students union) announced its twentieth consecutive victory, with 16 percentile units higher than PASP (PASOK-affiliated students union). PASP on the other hand, spoke of a rise in many Schools, also demonstrated by the initial results made public by DAP.

Translated by Vicky Ghionis

Related News:

Student Elections

[08] Requesting the Permanent Abolition of the CPE Trade Unions Set New Deadline

By Despina Hristopoulou

French trade unions gave Dominique De Villepin a new ultimatum, expiring on 15 April, to withdraw the First Employment Contract (CPE), which makes it easier for employers to dismiss young workers. Otherwise, they would proceed with more intensive demonstrations along with student groups. On Wednesday, trade union chiefs met with members of the Governing party (UMP) at the request of UMP Parliamentarian Group head Bernard Accoyer. The 12 major trade unions request that the Government repeals the labour law, which came into force last Sunday, by mid-April, i.e. before the Easter vacations.

New Demonstrations Coming Up

The trade unions issued a joint statement stressing they were "ready, unless there is a rapid decision to withdraw the CPE, to decide on a new day of action." The head of the main CGT union, Bernard Thibault, said he would not give up until the law was repealed. "We said what we had to say on the CPE, now we're waiting for the only plausible response likely to end the conflict -- repeal," he added.

Since last Sunday, millions of French, employees and students, have taken to the streets, protesting against the First Employment Contract, thus forcing Jacques Chirac to make certain amendments. On Friday, the French President suggested the CPE was reduced from two years to one, while forcing employers to give a reason for dismissing employees. However, the trade unions did not accept these amendments. What is more, Chirac's political office issued an announcement, asking students to return back to their classes.

Meanwhile, France main students' union, the UNEF, asked for the intensification of actions against the CPE in universities and continues with their blockade. As per the Education Ministry, 54 out of thr 84 universities in France are currently blockaded or faced with operational problems.

Hundreds of Arrests

At the same time, the French Police announced authorities have arrested over 3,600 people during protests against the First Employment Contract.

In particular, 3,682 people have been arrested since 7 March. 634 people alone were arrested in Tuesday's demonstrations, 383 of which in Paris.

Interior Minister Nicolas Sarkozy said last night that since demonstrations started "200 people have been convicted, 60 of whom without suspension."

Meanwhile, 532 policemen have been injured in clashes.

Translated by Sofia Soulioti

Read the story on other sources:

Reuters: French unions set deadline for jobs law repeal

BBC: French unions give law deadline

[09] Easter Trading Hours

By Tina Valaoura

The Athens Traders Association proposed trading hours for the Easter period to its members. According to the announcement shops will open as follows:

Thursday 13 and Friday 14 April: 9am to 9pm. Saturday 15 April: 9am to 4pm. Monday 17 to Thursday 20 April: 9am to 9pm. Good Friday 21 April: 1pm to 7pm. Easter Saturday: 9am to 4pm. Easter Monday 24 April: closed. Tuesday 25 April: normal trading hours.

Translated by Vicky Ghionis

[10] Olympia Scored Easy Away Win

By Vasilis Kalpinos

Olympia Larissas defeated Aris 70-87 in the away match for round 22 of the A1 Basketball Championship. Olympia's win was an important step for making it to the play-offs, while this was Aris' second defeat in a row and a good shake-up shortly before their participation in the ULEB Cup. On the other hand, this was the ninth consecutive win for the guests, who were in a great shape today and always in control of the game from the very start. The score per period: 17-30, 31-46, 43-56, 70-87.

Translated by Sofia Soulioti

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