NEWS IN ENGLISH 21/03/2015

The International Day of Action against Racism and for the Elimination of Racial Discrimination was celebrated all around the world. Protests, marches, demonstrations and various events were held in many parts of Athens and in several other cities in Greece. The march in Athens ended in Syntagma square where a concert by Vassilis Papakonstantinou and many other artists took place. Other anti- fascist and anti-authoritariangroups decided to demonstrate in front of the offices of Golden Dawn.





Golden Dawn secretary general Nikos Mihaloliakos and MP Yiannis Lagos, who have been in custody for the last 18 months on the felony charges of leading and participating into a criminal organization, were released from the Korydallos prison. Their release was ordered by the Appeals Court Judicial Council, due to the expiration of the 18-month period for maximum pre-trial detention.

The Racism Prosecutor ordered a preliminary investigation of the Golden Dawn brochures that call for a demonstration demanding “the driving out of illegal immigrants from Greece". This demonstration was programmed for today in front of the offices of the party.

Court Investigator Dimitris Foukas called former Ministers Petros Molyviatis and Giannis Valynakis to testify as witnesses in the case of the “Pythia project” which has been recorded as an attempt to assassinate former Prime Minister Kostas Karamanlis.



The new deputy Ministers whose position had not been previously provided for by law were sworn in before the President of the Republic Prokopis Pavlopoulos and the Prime Minister Alexis Tsipras.  Dimitris Stratoulis who was inaugurated  as Deputy Minister of Labour, Social Security and Welfare , Anastasia Christodoulopoulou  as Deputy Minister of Interior and Administrative Reconstruction, Konstantinos Fotakis as Deputy Minister of Culture , Education and Religius Affairs, swore by political oath , while Christos Spirtzis who was inaugurated as Deputy Economy Minister of, Infrastructure and Marine Tourism,  took a religious oath.



"There is no fifth assessment, we are not obliged to proceed to measures that lead to depression, the Greek authorities have the responsibility to compile the list of reforms ", Alexis Tsipras made clear for one more time in the press conference he gave after the European Summit in Brussels.



The outcome of the Summit was discussed in a meeting of the team of Dragasakis, Varoufakis and Stathakis in the Finance Ministry.



German Chancellor Angela Merkel stated that Greece may receive funds only once its creditors are convinced that effective measures are being taken and after these have been approved by the Eurogroup.



With repeated references to the agreement of February 20th, the German Chancellor stressed that Greece has the right to replace specific reforms with others, as long as they lead to the same results. Commenting on the forthcoming visit of Mr Tsipras to Berlin, she said mainly bilateral issues will be discussed and that the list of reforms will only be basically outlined.



“The EU has  €2bn ready for Greece in order to finance projects that will boost the economic development of the country, reducing youth unemployment and helping the poorest citizens ", stated European Commission President Jean-Claude Juncker.





A video connected to the case of Vangelis Yakoumakis, the 20-year-old student who was found dead a few days ago, is being examined by the Greek police. The video, which was delivered to the Police on Friday, could shed light on the case as it shows physical violence against Giakoumakis by his peers at the vocational school he was attending and may reveal the people who were responsible for his death.



Reservations and concerns about «ambiguities» in the bill for the reopening of ERT were expressed by the Unions of ERT employees as well as by representatives of the staff of NERIT, in a meeting held in the  conference hall of the Regional Counsil in Holargos on Friday afternoon. An official statement will be issued by POSPERT on Monday,



INTERNATIONAL NEWS



The jailed Kurdish rebel leader Abdullah Ocalan has renewed a call for his fighters to end their armed struggle in Turkey. According to the BBC, Ocalan is preparing a plan for a long-term peace treaty which will be announced by MPs of Kurdish party HDP.



WEATHER

Cloudy weather is forecast for tomorrow, with sporadic rains in most parts of the country and snowfalls in the highlands of continental Greece.

Southern winds in the Aegean Sea blowing from 5 to 6 beauforts, in the Ionian from 7 to 8, later 9 beuforts.Temperatures in Athens will reach 14 degees Celsius. Fog in the early hours for Thessalonica, heavy clouds and showers later in the day, temperatures reaching 14 degrees Celsius. Weak southern winds in the Thermaic gulf.
Τελευταία τροποποίηση στις Παρασκευή, 14/06/2013 - 23:54