News in English - 17/07/2014
--- The government has 55 days time to prepare for a particularly difficult negotiation with the troika in September, on many and complex issues which arose during the last supervision of the representatives of our lenders.
Today, the Finance Minister Gikas Hardouvelis has called for an enlarged meeting with his colleagues, concerning the planning and setting of goals for the coming days.
By the next Eurogroup council, the Greek side will have to catch up with all the issues pointed by the troika, to accomplish the prerequisites for the disbursement of the subdose of the 1 billion euros in August and to make the necessary preparations for the negotiations which will follow.
--- The president of SYRIZA Alexis Tsipras replied to the Democratic Left Party leader Fotis kouvelis' proposal, about the beginning of a dialogue for the cooperation of the centre-left political parties.
In his lengthy letter, Alexis Tsipras is analyzing the nine key-points, on which the dialogue must be based. Among them are the disengagement from the Memorandum, the renegotiation of the greek debt, the restoration of the minimum wage and the proportional and public control of the greek banking system.
--- Hamas fired three rockets from the Gaza Strip towards the Israeli territory, two hours after the humanitarian ceasefire came into force. Israel has warned it would "respond immediately" if attacked during the ceasefire. Since the clashes began, 227 Palestinians have been killed, mostly civilians and children, while Israel has reported one death from the Hamas rockets.
Meanwhile uproar has been caused by the cold-blooded murder of four children on the beach in Gaza by Israeli fire ship in front of the hotel where all the foreign journalists are staying.
--- The main opposition party, SYRIZA, is organising a march right now, outside the Israeli embassy in Athens, to protest against the bombing of Gaza Stripe.
In the meantime, the Left Group deputies of the European Parliament, intervening in the plenary meeting of the Body, with a view to the vote a joint resolution, asked for an end to the Gaza blockade.
--- The Counter - Terrorist Unit in Athens is continuing its investigations, after the arrest of the terrorist Nikos Maziotis, who is being treated guarded at EVAGELISMOS hospital.
The members of the counter terrorist unit are carrying out a broad research in order to discover the hideouts used by Maziotis.
Meanwhile, according to the results of the ballistic research, Nikos Maziotis's weapon has not been used in another crime.
-- The Greek Sugar Industry Seasonal Personel Association announced that all the government ministers and deputies are not welcome in the County of Evros, after the government's decision to shut down all the factories of the sugar industry in Orestiada and Serres.
--- The Cretan unions are continuing their actions to protest against the destruction of the chemical arsenal of Syria in the Mediterranean Sea, south of Crete. On Saturday the unions will proceed to the blockade of the NATO base in Souda.
According to the unions' announcement, during the blockade, the citizens' movement around the base will not be prevented. What will be prevented is the base's operation.
International News
--- A new case of rape has caused waves of rage in India. This time a six year old girl was raped inside her school by the guardian of the school and the gymnast. The police are investigating the case, but up to now they have not proceeded to arrests.
-- Kiev is accusing Russia for shooting down with anti-aircraft missile a Ukrainian fighter, which was on a military mission in eastern Ukraine. The Ukrainian government has already denounced Russia for direct involvement in attacks against Ukrainian forces, fighting against the pro Russian separatists near the border, where the Kremlin is gathering troops.
Weather
Showers and thunderstorms, mainly at noon, are expected tomorrow in the mainland, the Central Ionian and the western parts of Crete according to the weather forecast.
The temperature will reach 34 degrees Celsius in Attica and 32 degrees Celsius in Thessaloniki.