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Macedonian Press Agency: Brief News in English, 98-12-04Macedonian Press Agency: Brief News in English Directory - Previous Article - Next ArticleFrom: The Macedonian Press Agency at http://www.mpa.gr and http://www.hri.org/MPA.BRIEF GREEK NEWS BULLETIN BY THE MACEDONIAN PRESS AGENCYThessaloniki, December 4, 1998TITLES
NEWS IN DETAIL[01] GOVERNMENT MAY FORCE CUSTOMS WORKERS TO RETURN TO WORKAthens, December 4 (MPA)The government may force the striking customs workers to return back to work as they continue to defy a court order that has declared their strike as illegal.The government's crisis management committee convened last night and postponed taking action on the matter until today. The strike has drained the country out of fuel and drivers are desperately searching for gas stations in order to fill their tanks. A district attorney has ordered the arrest of the striking customs staff on the grounds of hindering the operation of a public interest company. A.F. [02] US REMAIN OPTIMISTIC OVER CYPRUS ISSUEWashington, December 4 (MPA)United States President Bill Clinton has vowed that he will become actively involved in resolving the Cyprus issue, speaking to a delegation of Greek-Americans who visited the White House yesterday.The talks featured the participation of the US President's National Security adviser Sandi Berger, US coordinator for Cyprus Thomas Miller and other Sate Department officials. According to reports, the US are working on a new "package" aimed at resolving the Cyprus issue and easing Greek-Turkish relations. A.F. [03] US PREPARE REVISED PLAN FOR KOSSOVOBelgrade, December 4 (MPA)United States envoy Christopher Hill has announced that the State Department is prepared a revised plan concerning the alleviation of the tension in Kossovo which will be presented to Yugoslav President Slobodan Milosevic and the Albanian leaders.According to Mr. Hill, this plan is to take into consideration the juxtaposing views held by both sides. Meanwhile, Serb soldiers reportedly killed eight armed Albanians near the Albanian border. A.F. [04] PRIME MINSTER SIMITIS DEPARTS TODAY FOR GERMANYAthens, December 4 (MPA)Prime Minister Kostas Simitis is departing for Germany today staying in Frankfurt until Sunday where he is expected to meet with German Foreign Minister Joschka Fischer.The Premier will be received by Germany's new Chancellor Gerhard Schroeder here on Monday, part of Mr. Schroeder's meetings with EU leaders. According to government spokesperson Dimitris Reppas, talks between Mgrs. Schroeder and Simitis will focus on the preparation, issues and the timetable of the German EU presidency as of January 1, and will include the matter of WWII reparations by Germany to Greece. Following his meeting with Mr. Schroeder, Mr. Simitis' program includes private talks with SPD President and German Finance Minister Oskar Lafontaine. A.F. [05] RAIL WORKER CALL OFF STRIKE, ROUTES BACK TO NORMALThessaloniki, December 3 (MPA)The country's locomotives are back on course as the workers at the Greek Railways Organization, (OSE) have suspended their mobilizations after Parliament ratified a bill calling for reforms in their sector.The Federation of Railway Workers is to convene on Monday in order to map out their next course of action. Speaking to the Macedonian Press agency, the secretary of Northern Greece's Railways Workers Association Sakis Eleftheriou called the new bill "dictatorial". "The new regulations establish long break intervals for the staff between routes which will mean that we will lose wages during working hours," he stated. A.F. [06] REVERED ROMANIAN MONK CLEOPA DIES IN HIS SECLUDED MONASTERYBucharest, December 4 (MPA)Cleopa, a Romanian monk who has been revered by generations of Christians but persecuted by communists, has died of age-related causes in his secluded wilderness monastery, Romanian Orthodox church officials announced yesterday. He was 87 years old.The holy man had sought refuge from the Communists in 1953 by hiding in an underground den built the wilderness, where he remained for almost a decade. Cleopa was persecuted by the Securitate, Romania's communist secret police, who feared his immense popular appeal, as he had a gift in comforting the simple folk. He was best known for his understanding of ordinary peoples' problems and his healing words. Tens of thousands sought his advice, both under the communist regime and in the years of hardship that followed the toppling of communist rule in 1989. During his years in seclusion, a woodcutter brought him a sack of potatoes each month. Cleopa said he ate one potato a day – that's all he needed to survive. In an interview with the Associated Press in October, Cleopa talked about his 60 years of work as a spiritual father or "duhovnic" in the Romanian Orthodox Church. "The spiritual father is the soul of the monastery and of the village. He should be the light of the world by his life and sermons," he said. Cleopa will be buried Saturday at the Sihastria monastery, 200 miles north of Bucharest, where he had lived for 30 years. Thousands are expected to attend the funeral. Romanian Orthodox monks are buried sitting in a chair, which is lowered directly into the ground. A.F. [07] YUGOSLAVIA BLASTS U.S. OVER RUBIN'S STATEMENTS, ISSUES RESOLUTIONBelgrade, December 4 (MPA)Irked over the recent statements made by State Department spokesperson James Rubin, who said Yugoslav President Slobodan Milosevic is a factor of instability in the Balkans, Belgrade blasted Washington in an unexpected parliamentary resolution ratified last night.The resolution states that the pressure exerted by the United States constitutes "open support to Kossovo's terrorist Albanians." It further stresses that "no foreign authority may at will replace the legally elected constitutional bodies of Serbia and Yugoslavia." A small number of opposition deputies disagreed with the ratification of the resolution, which was not on the agenda, since, they said, "it could bear unforeseeable consequences in Kossovo." A.F. [08] COURT RULES CUSTOMS WORKERS' STRIKE AS "ILLEGAL AND ABUSIVE"Thessaloniki, December 4 (MPA)The First Circuit Magistrate Court has ruled against the customs workers' ongoing strike by finding it illegal and abusive, calling for its immediate suspension and forbidding new mobilizations either with the same or modified demands.The court's decision is immediately enforceable and any customs workers who obstruct tank trucks from transporting fuel will be arrested. The customs workers are opposed to the government's plans to merge their pension fund with other ones, claiming that it will result in lower pensions and higher contributions. A.F. [09] INTERNATIONAL SWIM MEET "ALEXANDRIA '98" IN THESSALONIKI TOMORROWThessaloniki, December 4 (MPA)Over fifty swimmers representing eight countries are to slide through water at tomorrow's "Alexandria'98", the international swim meet that will be held in Thessaloniki this weekend.World champion in the 100- and 200-meter Butterfly Heats Adrei Carneef will also be there, along with top swimmers from Greece, Bulgaria, France, Cyprus, Uzbekistan, Romania, Russia and FYROM. A.F. [10] GREECE PROVIDES FINANCIAL ASSISTANCE TO ROMANIABucharest, December 4 (MPA)Greece's Ambassador to Romania Stylianos Mallikouris has deposited $30,000.00 in a Romanian Red Cross account as a gesture of moral support in the efforts to repair damages brought on by last summer's floods.The aid was provided after the meeting held between the Greek diplomat and the President of Romania's Red Cross, Professor Nicolae Nicoare. A.F. Macedonian Press Agency: Brief News in English Directory - Previous Article - Next Article |
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